Chapter 10 — Senzu Bean
After making his wishes to Porunga, Tachibana Kyūjō didn't leave Planet Namek right away.
Instead, he chose to remain for a bit longer—spending the following days training alongside the Namekian warriors.
Even though their Ki manipulation techniques weren't as diverse or refined as the martial arts styles found on Earth, the combat-type Namekians still possessed many fascinating methods of focusing and unleashing Ki in the form of energy waves.
For roughly six months, Kyūjō studied various ways to condense his Ki, shape it, and release it in different offensive patterns.
Only after he felt he had fully grasped these techniques did he finally decide he was ready to depart from Planet Namek.
— — —
That day, beneath Namek's signature green sky, Tachibana Kyūjō stood atop the command deck of the Golden Flash—his newly rebuilt ship.
Once he issued his command, the crew immediately input the precise coordinates of Earth.
In the next instant, the main cannon at the ship's bow fired a blast of golden energy straight into the empty stretch of space before them.
The energy beam pierced through the atmosphere, tearing open a massive dark wormhole with a diameter stretching hundreds of meters—hovering barely a thousand meters ahead of the ship's prow.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the Golden Flash vanished—slipping through space-time as it shot into the wormhole and emerged in orbit above a familiar blue planet.
Earth.
— — —
As he gazed down at Earth from the vastness of space, Kyūjō couldn't stop himself from clicking his tongue in admiration.
The power of Dragon Balls… is truly insane.
By all rights, the Golden Flash could now be considered the most advanced and formidable spaceship in the entire universe.
Within Universe 7, there was nowhere it couldn't reach in mere seconds.
The ship even housed an enormous gourmet restaurant capable of serving a different dish every single day for an entire year—using recipes from dozens of planets—without repeating a single meal.
Honestly? If Beerus, the God of Destruction, ever found out this ship existed, he would probably drool all over the floor… and then immediately attempt to steal it.
But the most impressive feature of all was the Gravity Training Room.
This room could simulate gravity equivalent to the pressure found in the core of a star—an intensity nearing that of a stellar nucleus.
Compared to Earth's natural gravity, the room could push things up to thirty-six thousand times heavier.
If Kyūjō could grow accustomed to such monstrous pressure, then one day, he wouldn't even need Ki barriers to survive a planetary explosion—his physical body alone would be strong enough.
The main cannon's functions had also been dramatically improved.
Not only could it create wormholes, but it could now obliterate enemy targets with overwhelming speed and destructive force.
Kyūjō himself wasn't entirely sure he could dodge a direct shot from the cannon.
If it locked onto him… chances were, even he wouldn't make it out alive.
At present, his power level in base form had already reached 360,000…
How did he jump from under 70,000 to more than five times that in just six months?
The answer, without a doubt, lay within the Gravity Training Room—one of the most broken training tools in the Dragon Ball universe.
In the original story, Son Goku had once traveled to Namek while training under ten times gravity during a single month-long voyage.
The results?
His power level skyrocketed from about 20,000 to over 90,000.
A ridiculous leap.
But there was something else that aided Goku's explosive growth: the Senzu Bean.
— — —
Senzu Beans were mystical beans cultivated by Korin—the hermit cat living atop Karin Tower.
According to the early lore, a single senzu could keep someone full for ten days, while also restoring the body to peak condition.
As long as someone wasn't already dead, eating a single senzu would instantly restore their stamina and physical strength to maximum.
For Saiyans, the effect was even more dramatic.
The healing triggered a biological phenomenon known as the Zenkai Boost, allowing Saiyans to gain enormous power increases after recovering from severe injury.
Korin's contribution to the world's survival couldn't be overstated.
During Goku's month-long journey, he deliberately trained in brutal, self-destructive cycles—pushing his body to the brink of destruction before using senzu to fully heal.
Repeated again and again, he shattered his limits each time, causing his power to multiply wildly.
But Kyūjō had no senzu beans.
He couldn't copy that insane training method…
And even if he had one, using it would feel like an outrageous waste.
Because of that, for the sake of Goku's future—
And to prevent Yajirobe, that infamously lazy rice-guzzler, from munching all the senzu beans for himself—
Kyūjō made a firm resolution:
This visit to Earth must earn him at least half of Korin's entire senzu bean stock.
As for the rest? He would graciously leave them for Goku.
After all… one should know their limits.
It wouldn't do to be too greedy.
— — —
At the exact same time Kyūjō arrived on Earth, Planet Vegeta—the proud homeworld of the Saiyan race—was annihilated in an instant by a single sphere of deathly energy fired by the tyrant ruling the universe, Frieza.
And just like that, the Saiyan race became an endangered species scattered across the stars.
Yet the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta, survived—not because of luck, but because of arrogance.
He refused the order to return to Planet Vegeta, and by sheer coincidence, avoided extinction.
Meanwhile, the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball saga—Kakarot, later known as Son Goku—still had a power level that didn't even reach two.
He was merely a baby.
On the night Planet Vegeta vanished, baby Goku had just been placed into a small attack pod and sent toward Earth.
His mission?
To eliminate the planet.
Ironically, it was this very mission that spared him from dying alongside his race.
Now, Kakarot drifted silently through space in his survival capsule…
And it would still take more than a year before he reached Earth.
(Note: Dragon Ball has several versions explaining Goku's launch—this narrative follows the earliest original intent.)
— — —
While Son Goku peacefully slumbered inside his tiny space pod, Tachibana Kyūjō had already arrived—alone—at the place known as Karin Tower.
He brought his knuckles to the wooden door.
Tok tok.
A light tap echoed.
Soon after, the door opened.
A white cat holding a staff walked out slowly, his gaze sharp and discerning as he examined the boy standing before him.
"So you're the one who doesn't come from Earth. Who exactly are you? And why has someone like you come to this planet?"
Kyūjō nodded politely before answering with sincere calm.
"Greetings, Master Karin. My name is Tachibana Kyūjō. I come from the distant planet Vegeta. My only purpose here is to deepen my understanding of martial arts. I hold no hostile intentions."
"And if possible, I would like to trade for some of your Senzu Beans. I can pay with fish…
Exotic fish of all kinds. Surely Master Karin would be interested in tasting fish from planets beyond Earth?"
The cat's eyes immediately lit up.
A little drool even formed at the corner of his mouth.
But only for a moment.
Karin quickly forced himself back into seriousness, shaking his head.
"You've hidden your Ki well, but I can still sense it. Your power… is terrifying."
"I do not understand. Why would someone with such overwhelming strength come to Earth to learn martial arts? The fighters here cannot help you improve. Are you trying to trick me?"
His words made Kyūjō smile faintly.
"Master Karin, I won't deny it—my current power far surpasses the fighters of Earth. Even if every martial artist here fought together, they still wouldn't be able to withstand a single finger from me."
"But true strength isn't measured only by raw energy.
Earth's martial artists have unique Ki control, refined wisdom, depth in spiritual discipline… That uniqueness cannot be found anywhere else in the universe."
"I truly believe that coming to Earth will allow me to advance further along the path of martial arts. Master Karin, I sincerely hope you'll guide me on this journey. And if you permit me…"
"If a crisis ever threatens Earth—one its people cannot handle—then I vow to protect this planet to the best of my ability.
That is my promise to you."
For the first time since Kyūjō's arrival, Master Karin looked visibly shocked.
He never expected a powerful alien to speak of Earth's martial arts with such respect… nor to make such a noble vow.
After a moment of contemplation, Karin lifted his staff and pointed toward a fluffy mass of golden-brown clouds beside the tower.
"If you can sit upon that cloud, then I will trust your words.
If not… I will not give you a single Senzu Bean."
Kyūjō glanced toward the cloud and raised an eyebrow.
Kintoun…?
The legendary Flying Nimbus.
A cloud that only those with a pure heart could ride.
Without hesitation, Kyūjō leapt from Karin Tower toward the floating cloud.
His body glided gracefully like a bird soaring through open sky.
And when his feet landed lightly atop the Nimbus—
Both he and Master Karin exhaled in relief.
Kyūjō's thoughts:
Good… so my heart is still pure.
Karin's thoughts:
If he can ride the Nimbus, then he truly isn't evil…
If he were evil, I have absolutely no idea how anyone could stop him on this planet…
They exchanged a smile.
And with Kintoun acknowledging him, Karin handed over a small pouch of Senzu Beans along with a chunk of the cloud itself.
But Kyūjō simply smiled and shook his head.
"Thank you, Master Karin. But I don't need the Nimbus.
If possible… could I trade for more Senzu Beans?
I can pay with fish. Space fish you've never tasted before."
Karin pondered for a moment before lifting one paw.
"Very well. But four alien fish for one Senzu Bean!"
Kyūjō froze for a moment—
Then laughed in admiration.
"Master, you're quite the businessman!"
"How about four hundred fish for one Senzu Bean?"
"And if you're willing to trade half of your entire Senzu stock… I promise to supply you with every type of fish you desire, from this day onward!"
Master Karin:
…So Senzu Beans are worth THAT much, huh?!
For some reason, he suddenly felt like he was losing thousands of fish.
— — —
To demonstrate that he could indeed pay, Kyūjō activated the communicator on his wrist and summoned the Golden Flash orbiting high above Earth.
Fwoooom—
In less than ten seconds, a colossal gold spaceship with sleek, futuristic lines descended beside Karin Tower.
Compared to its sheer size, Karin Tower looked like a decorative toy.
Master Karin stood frozen in place.
Then, following Kyūjō's orders, the ship's crew—various powerful alien warriors—began hauling enormous sacks of fish out of the cargo hold.
In moments, the entire tower summit was overflowing with fish from across the galaxy—
Many from the rich oceans of Namek,
Others stocked within the Golden Flash's Porunga-upgraded kitchens.
Faced with these mountains of exotic fish, Master Karin nearly fainted from sheer bliss.
He wanted nothing more than to dive into the pile and roll around in it…
"Karin, that's enough. Your tower can't hold any more. Eat as much as you want.
If you find a type you like, just tell me. I'll have my crew bring you more next time."
Karin nodded rapidly—like a chicken pecking at rice.
Moments later, he handed over three entire jars of Senzu Beans to Kyūjō, then immediately dove into the ocean of fish.
It wasn't that Master Karin lacked self-restraint…
It was simply impossible to resist this much fish.
— — —
After securing the Senzu Beans, Kyūjō refrained from disturbing Master Karin any further.
He ordered the Golden Flash crew back to orbit, then left a small communication device inside Karin Tower.
The next instant, Kyūjō shot into the sky—leaving the tower behind as he headed toward the upper atmosphere with three jars full of Senzu Beans.
Above him, in the heavenly expanse of Kami's Lookout, Kami and his attendant Mr. Popo were staring downward in shock.
"Popo… can you feel the power radiating from that alien?" Kami asked with a tense voice.
But before Popo could answer—
Tachibana Kyūjō appeared before them in the sky.
"Hello, Kami. Mr. Popo. Don't worry—I have no intention of attacking Earth. I came only to learn the martial arts of this planet. Oh, and prior to arriving here, I visited your homeworld—Planet Namek."
"Planet Namek wasn't destroyed by natural disaster, but I believe your Grand Elder isn't in good health.
If you ever wish to visit him… I can take you there."
— — —
Long ago, a great cataclysm devastated Planet Namek.
A Namekian named Katas sent his child off-world in a survival capsule.
That child was a prodigy—
The one who would someday create the Dragon Balls.
That child grew up…
And became the Guardian of Earth—
Kami, the very figure now standing before Kyūjō.
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