"Hmph, just a weakling with a power level of 5!"
Although Raiga wasn't the most powerful warrior, at this point in time—before the main events of the story had even begun—he was more than qualified to say such a thing. While Earthlings were still struggling with power levels in the range of one or two hundred, relying solely on physical combat, Raiga's terrifying power level of over 400 was already beyond anyone's imagination.
Even the strongest fighter on Earth didn't possess such power.
He took out his scouter and scanned himself.
"460!"
A striking number flashed on the screen. Compared to the Earthlings, his power level was on a completely different level—even an adult Goku wasn't this strong at this stage.
Of course, Raiga was a Saiyan. Why would he ever feel content just by surpassing Earthlings?
With a confident grin, Raiga carefully surveyed his surroundings. This location was remote, situated on a high plateau where humans were scarce for hundreds of kilometers. Even if he landed a cargo spaceship here, no one would ever notice.
After arriving on Earth, Raiga's mind started working rapidly. Dragon Balls, Senzu Beans, Capsule Corporation's technology, Earth's martial arts—all of these things could be immensely helpful in increasing his strength. Naturally, he had to collect them all. As he counted everything he needed to do, he realized his list was quite long.
"Ah, I really have my work cut out for me."
He sighed dramatically, but deep inside, he was ecstatic.
These were the best kinds of problems to have.
However, some tasks were more urgent than others. It was best to start with the easier ones.
Searching for the Dragon Balls could wait for now since he didn't even have a Dragon Radar. That would come later. He quickly devised a plan: the first thing he needed to do was get some Senzu Beans from Korin, then obtain at least one Dragon Ball and ask Bulma's father to develop a Dragon Radar for him.
As for where to find the first Dragon Ball, he already had an idea.
In the original story, a few Dragon Balls had clear locations. One was the Four-Star Ball belonging to Gohan on Mount Paozu. Another was the Three-Star Ball at Master Roshi's Kame House. And a third, the Two-Star Ball, was supposedly in Bulma's family storage. However, since the story wouldn't start for another decade, there was no guarantee that Bulma's Dragon Ball was already in the warehouse.
So, to get his hands on a Dragon Ball, his best options were either Mount Paozu or Kame House.
But there was no rush.
First, he needed to visit Korin Tower and secure some Senzu Beans.
In the early parts of Dragon Ball, Senzu Beans weren't seen as that valuable and were often eaten simply to stave off hunger. But in the later parts of the story, they became life-saving treasures—not only could they instantly restore stamina, but they could also heal nearly any injury.
Considering the unique healing ability of Senzu Beans combined with a Saiyan's physiology, they were a perfect match!
Thinking back to the later stages of Dragon Ball, where Senzu Beans were in critically short supply, Raiga couldn't help but shake his head. Goku and the others were so desperate that they had to split a single bean between multiple people. Sometimes, in critical battles, they didn't even have any left to eat. The struggle was real!
So, while Senzu Beans were still in abundance, Raiga decided to hoard as many as possible—better that than letting Yajirobe waste them.
With the Senzu Beans and their extraordinary healing power, his strength would skyrocket in no time!
Just thinking about it made Raiga practically drool. He quickly adjusted his scouter, filtering out any power levels below 100. As expected, once the weaker data was removed, the scouter displayed much clearer results.
The few power readings that remained all belonged to Earth's top martial artists.
Two of them, in particular, caught Raiga's attention.
"280!" "300!"
"That must be Kami and Mr. Popo," Raiga thought to himself. "Better not mess with them if I can help it."
Even though his current power level was 460, the idea of confronting Kami and Mr. Popo made him uneasy—especially Mr. Popo. The true extent of his power was likely far beyond what the scouter could measure.
"Ah, whatever. I'm not the type to shy away from a challenge. Let's go!"
Laughing boldly, Raiga took to the sky, flying straight toward Korin Tower.
Korin Tower was located directly beneath Kami's Lookout, so by pinpointing Kami and Mr. Popo's positions, he could easily determine where Korin Tower was as well.
Raiga soared across the sky at high speed, leaving the plateau behind and heading west-northwest in the Northern Hemisphere. Soon, he spotted a vast mountain range stretching for hundreds of kilometers. Flying over snow-capped peaks that had been covered in ice for centuries, he came upon a massive basin nestled within the mountains.
This basin spanned over a hundred kilometers, filled with dense forests. From above, it looked like a sea of green, its treetops swaying gently in the wind.
This was the Sacred Land of Korin.
A legendary place, said to be the birthplace of Earth's martial arts.
The legendary Korin Tower stood in the heart of this great forest.
Korin Tower was a mystical structure connecting the Earth to the heavens.
According to legend, only those who climbed the tower with their own hands could meet the sage who resided at the top and receive his guidance.
For centuries, countless martial artists had journeyed to the Sacred Land, hoping to conquer Korin Tower. Yet, very few had ever succeeded. Even after the devastating catastrophe that struck Earth's martial arts community three centuries ago, warriors continued to test themselves against the tower. Every few years, another challenger would appear.
The last person to climb the tower was none other than Master Roshi, the "God of Martial Arts."
...
A streak of motion zipped through the sky, rapidly approaching the location of Korin Tower.
A blurred figure flashed over the dense forest, moving so fast that the vast horizon itself appeared slightly curved due to his speed.
Raiga flew over the Sacred Land of Korin, and in the distance, he could already see the towering pillar that stretched high into the sky. The massive structure stood rooted in the earth, its upper portion piercing through the clouds, hidden behind a veil of mist.
"So that's Korin Tower. Seeing it in person is far more awe-inspiring than in the anime."
Raiga stared in amazement. He had no idea exactly how tall Korin Tower was, but the way it soared into the heavens like a divine pillar connecting Earth and sky made him wonder how it was even built.
Still, admiration was one thing—he had no intention of wasting time at the base of the tower. As he neared it, he abruptly changed direction, making a sharp ninety-degree turn before shooting upward at full speed.
With a powerful burst, he accelerated along the ivory-colored tower, his figure vanishing into the white clouds above.
Getting the Senzu Beans was his top priority.