Gotta Lock In

"Immortal?"

Bulma was stunned for a moment, then rushed towards Korin with amused excitement, wanting to pet the big white cat. But just Korin was about to move, a force held him in place.

Link glared at Korin from a distance with his arms crossed. As sweats began beading on Korin's forehead.

"Fat Cat, are you a fairy?" Bulma teased as she tried to pet his fur and pinched his chubby face.

"Brother Link, are you lying? Isn't it just a cat?" she asked.

At that moment, Link released the force that had been controlling Korin. Suddenly, Korin stirred, panting and shouting, "I am Korin—an immortal, not just a cat!"

"Ah, it can really talk!" Bulma exclaimed.

"Alright, Bulma, I need to talk with him," Link said, walking up to Korin. The dangerous aura around him made Korin's fur bristle uncontrollably.

"You—aren't you a Saiyan? How do you know this place?" Korin asked in a strange tone.

"Not only do I know this place, I also know you're holding some Senzu Beans. Hand them over," Link demanded.

Even though using them now is a bit wasteful, compared to the future potential, but it was a price worth paying.

"Hey! You're of unknown origin—Senzu Beans are sacred!" Korin protested.

Before he could finish, Link waved his hand and, in a flash, a huge fish—nothing like those on Earth—appeared before Korin.

"This is a fish from Planet Vegeta. Give me the Senzu Beans; I've got a hundred more here," Link said firmly.

"Meow! No!—I'll give them!" Korin quickly said.

"Good cat, make more in the future and I'll bring you fish from every corner of the universe!" Link chuckled as he swept away the beans, leaving only the seeds.

Link then grabbed Bulma's hand, and they flew higher. Breaking through the barrier of Korin Tower, they landed lightly on its upper level. Bulma's eyes sparkled with excitement—but soon fear crept in as two figures stood waiting: one was a calm, green-clad figure who turned out to be Kami, and the other, with dark features, was none other than Mr. Popo.

"Welcome, distinguished guest from an alien planet," Kami greeted.

"Hello, Kami. My name is Link," Link replied politely.

Bulma's eyes widened. "Brother Link, are they gods?"

"Well, Kami is the guardian of Earth, and this is Mr. Popo, his loyal servant," Link explained.

Bulma sighed, her childhood fantasies about gods now a bit dashed.

Kami asked cautiously, "Mr. Link, why are you here?"

"I want to ask—can you summon the dragon for me?" Link inquired.

Kami shook his head. "You need to gather seven Dragon Balls to summon the dragon. I have no idea where they are."

Bulma looked curious. "Brother Link, what are Dragon Balls?"

"They're wishing orbs that can grant any wish," Link explained briefly. Then he added, "Since summoning the dragon isn't an option right now, my main purpose here was to show Miss Bulma around and—by the way—get some Senzu Beans."

Mr. Popo, who had been watching silently, suddenly spoke up, "In that case, do you need me to show you around this place?"

"No, we've been out long enough. It's time to head back," Link replied.

"Huh? Brother Link, I still want to see more," Bulma insisted.

"No, Bulma. Dr. Brief and the others are waiting," Link said.

Just as Link was about to teleport them away, Kami stepped forward. "Mr. Link! I must ask—don't you have any thoughts about Earth?"

"Thoughts?" Link turned, puzzled.

"With your strength, you could easily conquer Earth. Yet you choose to make deals with mortals. I don't understand," Kami questioned.

"I don't understand either..." Link smiled softly. Though his power could crush planets, he chose a different path.

Suddenly, a system alert echoed in his mind:

[Ding! It is detected that the host is confused about how to deal with Earth, the ultimate selection process is activated]

[Option 1: Unify Earth and turn it into a Saiyan colony.

  *Reward: The potential power of the Great Elder of Namek increases!]

[Option 2: Destroy Earth and reduce it to dust.

  *Reward: Sickel of Sorrow]

[Option 3: Leave Earth as it is and let the Dragon Ball plot unfold naturally.

  *Reward: Combat power increased by 100,000!]

Link was surprised to see these choices. Although Option 2 offered immediate benefits, Option 3 was the best long-term choice. And option 1 didn't really even have to do with him but the elder on a different planet. Why was this even a choice?

Anyways, Earth is the center of Dargon Ball plot, if he made any drastic changes, who knows what sort of butterfly effects it would lead to.

Without hesitation, he chose,

'System, I choose three!'

In that instant, Link felt his power surge. Turning back to Kami, he said, "Maybe it's because I truly care for this planet and its people."

Kami was momentarily taken aback, while Mr. Popo maintained his usual calm.

After their meeting, Link took Bulma back. In the following days, Dr. Brief and Bulma began replicating the treatment device. Meanwhile, Link returned to Planet Vegeta—on one hand, he delivered three large bags of Senzu Beans to King Vegeta and his crew, and on the other, he sent a 50× gravity chamber to Earth for Dr. Brief's temporary use. All went according to plan.

Later that day, Link visited a place called Mount Paozu. Floating in the air and gazing at the land below, he remembered his choice to leave Earth unchanged. Thoughts of Goku—the protagonist of Dragon Ball—filled his mind. Before his hibernation, Link had asked Bardock to send Goku to Earth.

Link saw Goku appeare, training in martial arts with the same humble spirit from his early days, with only a combat power of 10. Even though Goku lived simply without worries about food or shelter, his determination in training was one of strongest in the whole universe.

In the Dragon Ball saga, only Goku is known as the "martial arts idiot"—so focused on his training that he rose from a low-level Saiyan warrior to one of the universe's finest warriors.

Though Link had a superior bloodline, he often felt that his own hard work paled in comparison. Many challenges still lay ahead—from the ever-looming threat of Frieza, whose fate remained uncertain, to Beerus, the God of Destruction destined to awaken in a few decades.

Who knows how many crises await in the future?

One thing was clear: Link could not afford to slack off anymore!