### Chapter 6
Goku was out in the forest, practicing his techniques as usual. He had been training relentlessly, pushing his limits every day, but today felt different. There was an odd sense of anticipation in the air, as if something significant was about to happen. As he punched through the air and moved with lightning speed across the forest floor, his mind wandered back to the Dragon Ball plot he remembered from his past life.
Bulma should be arriving soon, he thought to himself, recalling the pivotal moment that would set his journey on a new path. The Dragon Balls, the adventures, the friendships—all of it started with her. And this time, he was ready.
Goku paused his training and stretched his senses outward, focusing on detecting any unfamiliar energy signatures in the area. After a few moments, he felt it—a faint, rapidly approaching aura. It was moving quickly, faster than anything he had encountered in a long time.
That must be her, he realized, a small smile forming on his lips. The energy was erratic, almost as if the person didn't know how to properly control whatever vehicle they were in. She's just as reckless as I remember.
As the aura grew closer, Goku moved to intercept it. According to the original plot, he would have walked to the location, but this time, he decided to take a different approach. After all, he wasn't the same naive child from the original story—he was much stronger now, and he had more than enough control over his ki to fly.
With a light push off the ground, Goku soared into the sky, moving quickly towards the mountain where he knew Bulma's car would soon appear. He landed at the designated spot, a clearing near the mountain's base, and waited patiently, sensing her approach.
Within moments, he heard the roar of an engine, followed by the unmistakable sight of a small car barreling through the forest, swerving wildly as it careened towards the mountain. Goku shook his head, laughing to himself.
Whoever gave her a license must have been out of their mind, he thought with amusement.
Just as predicted, the car came speeding towards his position. Goku braced himself, timing his movements perfectly. As the car got closer, he could see the driver—a blue-haired girl with a look of intense concentration on her face, clearly struggling to maintain control of the vehicle.
That's definitely Bulma, Goku confirmed, his eyes narrowing with focus. He waited until the last possible moment before stepping into the car's path, just like in the original story. The car collided with him, but unlike the first time, Goku was more than ready. The impact was insignificant to him, and the car crumpled around him before coming to a complete stop.
Bulma, startled by the sudden stop and the fact that her car had just hit something, quickly scrambled out of the vehicle. She was unharmed but clearly shaken. Her eyes widened as she saw Goku standing there, unharmed and completely unfazed by the accident.
"What the—?!" Bulma exclaimed, pulling out a gun and pointing it directly at Goku. "Who… Who are you? And how the heck did you survive that?!"
Goku looked at her calmly, his eyes softening as he recognized the familiar face. "My name's Goku," he replied, his voice steady and confident. "And you're Bulma, right?"
Bulma blinked in surprise, lowering her gun slightly. "H-How do you know my name? I've never seen you before!"
Goku scratched his head, pretending to be puzzled. "Well, I just had a feeling. And, uh, your name's written on your car," he added with a grin, pointing to the personalized license plate that indeed had "Bulma" written on it.
Bulma glanced at her car, then back at Goku, still not entirely convinced. "That doesn't explain how you survived getting hit by a car!"
Goku shrugged casually. "I'm just strong, that's all. Cars don't really hurt me." He paused, then decided to take a different approach.
Goku began to act a bit childish, knowing how the story would unfold. "So, what's with the big rush? Got a big adventure planned or something?"
Bulma blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Actually, yes! I'm looking for the Dragon Balls. They're magical artifacts that can grant any wish."
Goku's eyes lit up, recalling the Dragon Ball plot perfectly. "Dragon Balls? Yeah! Grandpa Gohan has one. It's a shiny orange ball with stars on it, right?"
Bulma's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really? You actually have one?!" She couldn't believe her luck. The very first person she met in the mountains not only knew about the Dragon Balls but actually had one.
"Yup! Grandpa said it was special," Goku replied, nodding. "I can take you to him if you want."
Bulma nodded eagerly. "That would be amazing! Let's go!"
Goku smiled and, without warning, scooped Bulma up in his arms. "Hold on tight," he said as he lifted off the ground and began flying towards his home.
Bulma yelped in surprise, clinging to him tightly. "You can fly too?! What are you, some kind of superhuman?"
Goku chuckled. "Something like that."
As they flew towards Grandpa Gohan's house, Goku felt a sense of excitement. The journey was beginning, and with Bulma by his side, he knew things would only get more interesting from here. As they landed in front of the house, Goku set Bulma down gently and called out, "Grandpa Gohan! I brought someone to meet you!"
Gohan stepped out of the house, smiling warmly. "Well, who do we have here?"
"This is Bulma," Goku introduced. "She's looking for the Dragon Balls."
Gohan's eyes twinkled with recognition as he looked at the blue-haired girl. "Ah, the start of a grand adventure," he said softly. He had planned to send Goku out to experience the world, but he saw the opportunity to use Bulma's quest as a way to train Goku further.
Bulma smiled politely at Gohan, though she was still reeling from all the surprises. "Nice to meet you, sir. I'm here to collect the Dragon Balls. I'm hoping they can grant me a wish."
Gohan's gaze grew serious. "What kind of wish are you seeking? We don't want anything bad to happen to this world."
Bulma's face flushed slightly as she hesitated. "Well… I need a perfect boyfriend. Someone who understands me and supports me."
Goku's eyes rolled in exasperation. He couldn't help but think, A perfect boyfriend, huh? Hi still remember that when he died, there were so many women with such high standards for their future husband or boyfriend that maybe even Shenron couldn't fulfill it.
Gohan, seeing the sincerity in Bulma's eyes, nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, Goku, why don't you show her the Dragon Ball we have?"
Goku nodded and ran inside to retrieve the ball. A few moments later, he came back, holding the small orange orb with four stars gleaming on its surface. "Here it is!"
Bulma's eyes sparkled with excitement as she saw the Dragon Ball. "Amazing! That's one down, four more to go!"
And so, with the first Dragon Ball in hand, Goku and Bulma's adventure officially began. Little did they know, this journey would lead them to face challenges, forge friendships, and uncover secrets that would change their lives forever.
To be continued…