Chapter 4: Reunion Across Time and Space
After a moment, Bulma's excited emotions somewhat calmed down, and she slowly released Goku.
Goku looked curiously at Bulma's face.
Smooth blue hair casually draped over her shoulders.
Her eyes were large and bright, sparkling with curiosity and desire for the unknown.
Her face was delicate, carrying a touch of childish cuteness, but between her brows revealed a wisdom and determination beyond her years.
It seemed this Bulma was somewhat different from the love-struck girl he remembered.
Bulma covered her chest, as if still frightened, and said: "There was a dinosaur earlier that scared me to death."
"Meeting someone, especially a child, is such a relief."
She continued: "Hello, my name is Bulma, and I'm a girl!"
As she spoke, Bulma extended her fair hand toward Goku.
Hearing Bulma's introduction, Goku froze for a moment.
Dinosaur?
Could it be she just escaped from a dinosaur?
Was that why she was so excited to see him?
Looking Bulma over, she seemed completely unharmed, not even her clothes were dirty.
Goku felt slightly relieved.
As long as she wasn't hurt, what she encountered didn't matter...
With Bulma here, it was time for him to leave the mountain.
As for the dinosaur Bulma encountered, there was no need to catch it—he'd leave it for Grandpa to use as food later.
Goku reached out his hand toward Bulma.
"Hello, my name is Goku!"
"Welcome to Mount Paozu."
"My grandpa is very hospitable, especially to girls."
"If you don't mind, come visit my home!"
Hearing Goku's words, intense shock flashed through Bulma's eyes.
Why was this different from her memories of their previous life?
How could Goku, still just a child, be so polite?
He should be a little wild boy!
However, hearing the word "grandpa" from Goku's mouth, Bulma thought for a moment and seemed to understand something.
After a few breaths, the astonishment in her eyes gradually faded away.
She immediately realized that this world had some differences from the one she came from.
In her previous life, Son Gohan had died, but in this life, he was still alive. With someone to raise the child, naturally, he could teach him many things. That's why this Goku seemed so sensible.
In her previous life, after Goku's battle with Vegeta, he had learned the truth about his grandfather's death. Saiyans would transform into giant apes whenever they saw a full moon. As a low-class Saiyan warrior, Goku would lose consciousness when he turned into a great ape. So, when he was young, he had lost control, transformed into a great ape, and accidentally killed his grandfather, Son Gohan.
Bulma and the other companions naturally knew this secret. During the fight against Pilaf and his gang, Goku had once transformed into a Great Ape. When he woke up, he had no memory of what happened during the transformation. Later, at the martial arts tournament, Goku transformed into a Great Ape again. Fortunately, Master Roshi used the Kamehameha to push the moon away—otherwise, who knows what harm Goku might have caused if he lost control in front of so many people!
Hmm, it was different from her previous life, but it didn't seem so bad.
Bulma snapped out of her thoughts and smiled, saying, "Well, I'm sorry to bother you!"
Goku could naturally tell that Bulma seemed to be pondering something. After all, she was just a girl with little combat ability. It was normal for her to be cautious when traveling alone. So, Goku didn't rush her.
A moment later, Goku led Bulma to the mountaintop. A small house came into view. To give his grandfather some warning, Goku shouted as soon as they reached the top: "Grandpa, grandpa! I've brought a girl to visit us!"
...
A short while later, Goku, Bulma, and Gohan sat around a table. In the center of the table lay a Four-Star Ball.
Gohan took a deep breath and said, "Goku, this world is full of wonders. There are many powerful martial artists down the mountain—you should spar with them and learn. You're not young anymore, and you've trained hard to become strong. Go down the mountain with Bulma and gain some experience."
Goku looked at Gohan with reluctance and asked, "But what about you, grandpa? Will you stay here on the mountain alone?"
Gohan smiled and replied, "Don't worry about me. A while ago, Fortuneteller Baba came to see me. She said she wanted to hire a few security guards—age doesn't matter as long as you can fight, with a monthly salary of 100,000 and social insurance. What's more, if you perform well, you might even get promoted to stoke the furnace for the Supreme Old Lord. If you go down the mountain, grandpa will take this job. Opportunities like this don't come easily."
Bulma naturally understood that Gohan supported Goku's decision to leave, and her eyes brightened. "With social insurance? That's really great—much better than farming here."
Gohan looked at Bulma, then turned to Goku. He smiled and said, "Yes, Bulma is right. Finding a good job is much better than farming. Goku, Bulma is a girl, and you are a man. From now on, you must protect her, understand?"
Goku nodded firmly. "Yes, I understand, grandpa! I will definitely protect her."
Gohan nodded with satisfaction. "Well, all good things must come to an end. No matter how much we talk, we still have to part." He turned to Bulma, picked up the Four-Star Ball, and placed it in her hand.
"Since you're collecting the Dragon Balls, you can take this one with you!"
"Goku has quite the appetite, so please be understanding about that in the future."
Bulma excitedly accepted the Dragon Ball and bowed deeply.
"Th-thank you, Grandpa!"
"I'll take good care of Goku from now on!"