Age 737
Lisette's sharp senses detected someone approaching Earth. The presence wasn't particularly strong, fragile, weak, and unreliable. However, to be certain, she ventured outside to investigate the energy source.
There, she witnessed a spherical pod descending toward Earth. Obviously a spaceship.
"Finally... you've come."
Lisette's usually composed expression suddenly tightened as she muttered to herself.
Two hundred and fifty years had passed since her birth into this world. The knowledge from her past life, mysteriously retained without fading, had foretold this moment, the arrival of destiny's child.
She'd sensed countless beings vanishing in the far reaches of space, making it hard to believe this moment would actually come. More disturbing was the presence of an extremely powerful aura in the distance—one she couldn't match even at full strength. This was probably Frieza.
Though she'd known this time was approaching, now that it was actually happening, tension inevitably rose.
"You sense it too?"
"Kami... how long have you been there?"
"I just arrived. I was curious about that thing from outer space."
Despite his usual playful demeanor, he was still Earth's Guardian. His expression was grim as he studied Lisette's profile questioningly.
"I felt countless lives disappear in a distant place," Kami said gravely. "An evil energy more powerful than any I've ever sensed... someone who can erase entire planets."
"I can't sense it that clearly, but if you say so, it must be true."
"A brave warrior stood against that evil until the very end. The one who inherited that bloodline, the child of destiny, has now come to Earth. From this point forward, Earth's fate will revolve around him."
"Speaking like a fortune teller... is that a prophecy?"
"No, it's intuition."
Intuition, or rather, knowledge.
Of course, she didn't voice that thought, remaining silent instead.
Kami muttered thoughtfully, raising his gaze as if peering into the distance. "Can you defeat that evil?"
"Not yet. This being is literally on another level."
"I find it hard to believe there's someone you can't defeat."
"It's true. The universe is far larger than we imagine."
She could feel Frieza's energy, so overwhelming it made her shiver. No good... I can't win yet. There wouldn't even be a fight.
Two hundred and fifty years of training hadn't been enough.
So there was only one path forward: growing stronger alongside Son Goku and the others.
"But there's a grace period," she continued. "The great evil won't set its sights on this planet for some time. There should be plenty of opportunity for him to grow into a full-fledged warrior."
"And if not?"
"When that time comes, I'll buy us time. As long as the great evil doesn't arrive here, I can manage somehow."
Son Goku was this planet's hope. His arrival would put Earth in danger, but without Goku, no one could stop Frieza, let alone deal with Majin Buu later.
A heroic tale starring Son Goku, that's what this universe needs.
This universe was one she intended to see through to the very end, and she wouldn't let anyone destroy it. That's why Lisette needed Goku. She wanted to protect him.
The world needs a hero like him.
Fate had begun to move. The protagonist had finally landed on Earth. Now it was simply a matter of whether to get involved or remain on the sidelines.
There was no stopping it now. The story had just begun.
•~•
Twelve years later...
"The next Dragon Ball is... yes, without a doubt. It's here."
Age 749
Bulma, daughter of the Capsule Corporation president, spoke with confidence, holding her homemade Dragon Radar in one hand.
Dragon Balls were magical orbs that would grant any wish if all seven were collected. They'd currently secured five and had been following the sixth's signal ever since.
However, there was a problem.
This mountain, where legend claimed a celestial maiden lived, was extremely high, 5,000 meters in altitude. Who decides to live in a place like that? It's completely impractical for getting around.
Bulma became completely exhausted midway through the journey and had to be carried on her wild companion's back, Son Goku.
This Goku proved quite useful, boasting incredible, superhuman strength and stamina. Without him, the expedition might have failed entirely.
Their other companion was the pig Oolong, a master of transformation who could change into any object, though he'd never found this particularly useful. On top of that, he was incredibly perverted and would try to catch glimpses of Bulma's undergarments whenever possible.
Bulma was making this arduous mountain climb with these two strange companions.
"Hehehe... a celestial maiden. She must be very beautiful."
"You're an idiot, aren't you? There's no way something like that actually exists."
They finally reached the summit and saw a cathedral asserting its presence at the peak.
The entire structure was pure white, as if constructed entirely from snow, with no other colors visible. Several ghostly women wandered the area, tending fields and gathering fruit.
These are autonomous thought-energy constructs that Lisette created in imitation of certain techniques, but of course Bulma and the others have no idea.
"There's really no way..." Bulma stammered.
"Hey, it looks like someone really does live here," Goku observed.
The presence felt different, truly sacred, as if something divine resided here. The wandering spirits only reinforced this otherworldly atmosphere.
While Bulma and Oolong were intimidated, Goku approached one of the spirits without particular caution.
"Hey, do you have any Dragon Balls here?"
"Dragon Ball... ah, yes, we do have one. Our master possesses it."
When Goku spoke to the spirit, it responded cheerfully and invited them into the cathedral. Apparently, this celestial maiden welcomed anyone who came calling.
They proceeded through the cathedral's overwhelming interior and entered the sanctum. There, at the center, seated upon a throne, was she.
Her apparent age was around fourteen. Her hair was white, no, more accurately, it could be described as shining platinum. Her skin was pure as fresh snow, and her golden eyes held a mysterious glow that seemed to peer into the depths of their hearts. Her outfit was entirely white: a royal cape draped over her shoulders and a flowing dress whose skirt fluttered outward, making her appear fairy-like.
Above all, she radiated divine light, a faint white glow filled with luminous particles.
You could tell at a glance... this is the real deal. Something genuinely connected to divinity.
Even Oolong had nothing to say, unable to display his usual lecherous behavior. Her form was so perfect that it emphasized their differences in station, making it impossible to feel anything but awe.
She smiled quietly at Bulma and the others, who were simply overwhelmed by this unprecedented sight.
"Welcome, wish-seeking travelers. Thank you for coming so far."
Honestly, Bulma had been optimistic. At first glance, Master Roshi, supposedly some amazing person, had turned out to be just a perverted old man. She'd expected the same kind of punchline here.
She'd never anticipated encountering a genuine celestial maiden.
"Ah, ahaha... h-h-how are you doing today...?"
She couldn't speak clearly, her tongue numb with tension. Looking down, Oolong was completely frozen as well. Only Goku remained calm.
He approached the celestial maiden without hesitation and, as usual, reached out to touch her between the legs. Having known no women since birth until meeting Bulma, he couldn't distinguish between male and female by appearance alone. He checked for certain anatomical differences to determine gender, with no ulterior motive whatsoever.
However, Goku's hand swung through empty air. Before he knew it, the girl had appeared behind him and was patting his head instead.
"You're a naughty boy. But you shouldn't do something like that. Some people really don't like it."
"Huh?!"
There had been no movement whatsoever. Surprised, Goku spun around, but she wasn't there. The girl had returned to her throne.
"Wow! Are you a magician?"
"I can use mystical arts, but what I just did was simply moving quickly. With proper training, even you could do it."
The girl giggled happily, leaving them continually amazed. However, the boy named Son Goku wasn't one to simply sit there in shock. He spoke to her without hesitation, his voice excited.
"Amazing! You're really strong!"
"Hehe, not too bad."
Floating from her throne, the girl surveyed everyone. Her smile never changed, but there was no telling what might happen if she became upset. At least it was proven that Goku couldn't defeat her.
In other words, the backup plan of 'Goku will handle it if necessary' doesn't work here.
"Now then, I do indeed possess the wish orb you all seek. However, this is an all-purpose wishing device that could plunge the world into chaos depending on how it's used. I cannot leave it in evil hands. Therefore, I must ask, what do you desire when you seek the Dragon Ball?"
Her icy eyes pierced each of them, a look that suggested she wouldn't accept lies.
This is bad, Bulma thought. In this atmosphere, it's really hard to say something like 'I want a wonderful boyfriend.'
"Nothing in particular," Goku answered honestly. "I just came because Bulma asked me to come with her."
"How selfless. That's very admirable."
The girl seemed to have taken a liking to Goku. She appeared genuinely entertained when speaking with him.
Maybe I should have just sent Goku alone from the beginning, but it's too late now.
Seeing Bulma and Oolong remaining silent, the girl's expression suddenly softened.
"Just kidding. Don't be so fearful. Wishing isn't necessarily bad. I don't sense any great malice in you. In that case, I can entrust this orb to you."
She looked at Bulma and the others as if viewing something amusing. Her words were elaborate, but essentially she had no qualms about leaving the ball in Bulma's hands.
The girl in white added, "However..."
"It would be boring to offer no conditions. So how about this? Would you mind telling me about your travels for the night?"
She clapped her hands and stated her condition as if it were a wonderful idea. Despite her overwhelming sanctity, she seemed to have a surprisingly lighthearted personality.
Of course, there was no reason to refuse. If telling her a little about their adventure would get them the ball, this was an exceptional deal.
Bulma readily agreed to these conditions and recounted the journey they'd experienced so far.
•~•
What should I do? This is so much fun!
Lisette realized more than ever that she was now living in the world of Dragon Ball, a story she'd witnessed before.
There was Son Goku, there was Bulma, and there was Oolong. Outside the cathedral, she could sense Yamcha and Puar, who seemed to have been following them.
Even though she already knew their journey's story, it was still exhilarating.
Apparently, they'd come here after meeting the Ox King. Because she possessed one ball, the number Bulma was supposed to have had decreased from two to one, leading them to this mountain.
Bulma's wish was quite modest: "I want a nice boyfriend."
If that's all she wants, Bulma could easily make that wish come true without relying on Dragon Balls or anything like that. She was beautiful, had great style, wealth, talent, and brains. This is really prime real estate. No man would ignore her if she didn't drive them away herself.
Oolong's wish was "girls' panties"... well, I won't comment on that.
The fact that he didn't say something like "I'll put all the women in the world in my harem" suggested his core wasn't completely rotten. He seemed to be a petty villain who'd simply become interested in sexual matters. There probably wouldn't be any problems leaving him alone.
As for Goku, he had no particular wishes. If pressed, it would be something like "I want to eat my fill." However, since she'd fulfilled that wish on the spot, it was practically as if he'd had no wish at all.
(This did cause the food Lisette had stored for fifty people to disappear.)
She couldn't deny being partial to them because they were the protagonists of the original work. In reality, if they'd been strangers rather than the main characters, she probably wouldn't have been this kind.
For better or worse, Lisette was honest about her own desires and preferences, far from being impartial.
The next day, Goku and his friends set out to continue collecting the balls. Of course she knew what lay ahead, but she had no intention of changing things drastically.
For now, all she could do was remain silent and observe from the sidelines.
(But it's okay to watch a little more closely, right?)
There was no way she could remain completely detached, so Lisette decided to secretly follow Goku and the others.