The Foster Father Check-In Point.
The moment his consciousness returned, salty, damp sea air rushed into his senses.
Something was wrong.
Leon Flynn's thoughts froze for a split second.
"My nose is gone!"
The realization jolted him awake. He sprang up from a crude beach lounge chair.
Above him stretched a vast blue sky and a beach of golden sand.
Not far away stood a solitary pink house, with enormous letters painted across the wall.
"KAME HOUSE."
Kame House.
Leon's mind buzzed loudly as he lowered his gaze to his own body.
He was wearing an orange Turtle School martial arts uniform. The style was old-fashioned, the fabric faded white from countless washes.
Both hands were covered in calluses, yet clearly smaller than he remembered. His legs were short but compact, packed with explosive strength.
This was… Krillin's body.
Staggering forward, he rushed into Kame House and shoved open the half-closed door. The mirror inside reflected his current appearance.
A short, bald figure. Six burn marks stood out clearly on his forehead. His facial features were crowded together, and there was no nose at all, giving him an unintentionally comical look.
It really was Krillin.
The Krillin from the Dragon Ball world. The strongest Earthling, yet forever chasing the backs of the Saiyans. A man of immense talent, burdened with regret.
As Leon stared at the six marks on his forehead in a daze, a cold, emotionless voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"Host soul and body fully synchronized. Activation conditions met."
"The Invincible Devouring System is now online."
Leon's body stiffened.
A system?
"Newbie Gift Pack delivered. Please check."
A translucent blue interface unfolded before his eyes. Only a few lines of text floated upon it.
"Newbie Gift Pack contents:"
"Appearance Template. Choose one of three."
Leon's breathing grew rapid.
He immediately focused on the first reward.
Three options appeared side by side, each accompanied by a moving character model.
Option One: Saitama, Hero Form. Description: Possesses the potential to break the limiter. Skill: Serious Punch.
Option Two: Garou, Monster Form. Description: Demonic horns, hardened full-body armor, extraordinary martial arts talent and adaptive evolution.
Option Three: Boros, Dominator of the Universe. Description: One-eyed alien. Armor suppresses energy. Upon release, capable of planet-destroying power.
Leon did not hesitate.
Garou's martial talent was terrifying, but his ceiling depended on his opponents.
Boros was born strong, yet his power clearly had limits.
Only Saitama. That man's strength was absolute, unreasonable, and pure. He shattered the limits of life itself through the simplest training.
His growth had no end.
"I choose Option One. Saitama's template."
Leon spoke silently in his mind.
"Selection confirmed. Saitama appearance template."
"Template fusion initiating. Estimated time: ten seconds. Fusion will involve intense physical reconstruction. Please endure."
The moment the system finished speaking, indescribable pain erupted from every cell in Leon's body.
His bones screamed, releasing a grinding crack that set his teeth on edge.
He felt his spine forcibly stretched by some invisible power.
His limbs, once thickened by years of training, were repeatedly compressed and reforged, becoming tighter and denser. Every strand of muscle fiber brimmed with explosive force.
His height surged visibly.
From one meter fifty-three, to one sixty, one seventy, and finally stopping at around one meter seventy-five.
The loose martial arts uniform was stretched taut, outlining a flawless inverted triangle physique.
The strangest change occurred on his face.
The six burn marks on his forehead faded as if erased by an invisible hand, vanishing completely. His skin became smooth and unblemished.
In the mirror, the short and comical Krillin was gone.
In his place stood a well-proportioned, bald young man wearing an orange martial arts uniform.
His features were sharper now. Though still noseless, his face carried a strange calm and simplicity.
He looked exactly like the man who solved every problem with a single punch.
The pain came swiftly and vanished just as fast.
Leon flexed his body. An unprecedented sense of fullness surged through him.
He could clearly feel it. Within this new body lay a nascent yet utterly pure power.
"Template fusion complete."
"Passive skill 'Serious Punch, Growth Version' equipped."
"Skill description: The host may concentrate all bodily power into a single punch, unleashing an attack that surpasses the current limit. Power scales with the host's base strength. No upper limit."
Leon slowly raised his right hand and clenched his fist.
The air cracked softly.
So this was the seed of Saitama's power.
Only a growth version, but already enough to give him a foothold in this dangerous world.
Suppressing his excitement, Leon began sorting through Krillin's original memories.
Training under Master Roshi. Entering the World Martial Arts Tournament alongside Goku. Being killed by King Piccolo's subordinate. Being revived by Shenron.
Everything played clearly in his mind.
The current timeline was before the Twenty-Third World Martial Arts Tournament. Goku had been training in the heavens for a long time.
Raditz would arrive on Earth in about five years.
Peace was only temporary.
Leon, or rather Krillin now, knew this well.
In the original story, Krillin was little more than cannon fodder when the Saiyans arrived.
That fate was unacceptable.
"System, besides the newbie gift, what other functions do you have?"
Krillin asked inwardly.
"This system is the Invincible Devouring System. Its core function is Devour."
The interface refreshed.
"Devour Ability: By defeating or killing enemies, the host may devour one of their core abilities or genetic talents."
"Intimate Conquest: By forming deep relationships with important female characters within this world, the host may devour their unique talents."
Krillin's breathing stalled for a brief moment.
Defeating enemies to gain abilities made sense.
But the second one…
Conquering Bulma to obtain her genius-level intellect?
Conquering Android 18 to obtain her infinite energy core?
This function was… disturbingly appealing.
In his previous life, Leon was a young man full of desire, though he still had his principles.
And now, Yamcha's relationship with Bulma was already on shaky ground.
Could he possibly…
Krillin shook his head and forced those thoughts aside.
Strength was the foundation of everything.
Without power, forget about romance. He would not even survive.
"Training Rewards: By completing Saitama-style daily training, one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run, the host will receive energy points or skill points based on completion. These may be used to enhance attributes and skills."
"Skill Fusion: The host may consume skill points to fuse different skills, creating entirely new and powerful techniques."
Krillin's heart pounded faster as he read.
Devouring. Training. Fusion.
This system was practically designed for the Dragon Ball world.
He now possessed Saitama's body template and limitless growth potential, combined with Dragon Ball's exceptional training environment and countless powerful enemies to devour.
Frieza's frost lineage. Cell's perfect regeneration. Majin Buu's magic.
The thought alone sent a thrill through him.
He was no longer the strongest Earthling who cheered from the sidelines and died at critical moments.
He would walk a completely different path.
A path carved straight through the universe with his fists.
At that moment, footsteps approached outside Kame House, accompanied by a bright, lively female voice.
"Hey! Master Roshi! Krillin! Are you home?"
"I brought the latest capsule car!"
Bulma.
Krillin's heart skipped.
He instinctively glanced at the mirror.
A strange bald man, one meter seventy-five tall, wearing Krillin's clothes.
How was he supposed to explain this?
A distant relative?
A miracle growth spurt from eating something weird?
The door creaked open.
Bulma was in the prime of her youth.
Her signature aqua-blue ponytail bounced playfully behind her.
She wore a tight pink crop top with her initials printed on it. The fabric clung closely to her curves.
Below, an extremely short denim skirt revealed long, flawless legs that gleamed softly under the sunlight.
She removed her goggles. Her sapphire-like eyes sparkled with cheer.
A faint blush colored her cheeks from piloting her aircraft.
When she saw Krillin, she froze.
"Y-you… who are you?"
Her long lashes fluttered as she studied him, lips slightly parted in curiosity.
"You shouldn't be here. Where's Krillin?"
Krillin opened his mouth. Even his voice had changed, losing its former sharpness and becoming deeper and steadier.
"Bulma, it's me."
"I am Krillin."