Leaving Kame House, the sky was already turning dark.
The last two Dragon Balls weren't much of a challenge for Talot.
With the Dragon Radar and his knowledge of the original storyline, along with the added help from Son Gohan and Master Roshi, retrieving the Seven-Star Dragon Ball from Ox-King was easy.
During this time, Talot also met Chichi.
Chichi, who was the same age as Goku, had already started showing signs of Ox-King's powerful genes. Though she still looked delicate, she was far stronger than an average Earthling baby.
Without staying too long at Fire Mountain, Talot spent less than half an hour retrieving the last One-Star Dragon Ball from an ancient ruin hidden deep in the mountains.
With that, all seven Dragon Balls were finally gathered.
…
At the Lookout.
A group of people had gathered here.
After returning to West City, Talot brought Gine and Salari, along with Bulma, to the Lookout.
Rather than summoning Shenron and making a wish in some random place on Earth, Talot decided to go to the Lookout and meet with Piccolo and Popo.
The reason was to use Kami's connection to ask Shenron a few simple questions.
Otherwise, one question would be one wish, and he didn't want to waste the wishes on it.
As for Kakarot's whereabouts, Talot hadn't revealed that yet, intending to tell Gine only after making their wish.
Having waited so long, a little more time wouldn't hurt.
The seven Dragon Balls were neatly arranged in the center of the plaza in front of the temple.
"Come forth, Shenron."
With Popo's chanting of the summoning spell, the resonance of the seven Dragon Balls grew stronger.
A golden light began to bloom from within each Dragon Ball, flickering and flashing until the light became so bright that it was almost impossible to look at them directly.
In Talot's perception, and under everyone's watchful gaze, a mysterious power seemed to activate, flowing out from within the Dragon Balls.
Despite the Lookout's high altitude, where clouds couldn't normally form, dark clouds began to roll in from nowhere, spreading across the sky at an astonishing speed.
In just a few dozen seconds, the black clouds covered nearly the entire planet, blocking out the sunlight.
Darkness consumed the sky, leaving Salari, Gine, and Bulma utterly stunned, unable to believe their eyes.
And this was only the beginning. In the next moment, a golden beam of light shot out from the Dragon Balls, piercing the sky and swirling the dark clouds, creating a spectacular scene.
The dazzling golden light gradually coalesced into Shenron's body. A surging dragon power erupted as its majestic figure floated in the sky, as if a dragon god had descended.
Its green scales, sharp claws, and blood-red eyes...the intangible pressure it radiated filled everyone with a sense of dread.
Of course, this only affected those whose power was lacking.
For Talot, the pressure was insignificant. Even Gine and Salari weren't affected much. It was just their first time witnessing Shenron's arrival, and the sight left them in awe.
"So, this is Shenron, the dragon who grants wishes. It's hard to believe that such a creature exists in this world, and is living inside the Dragon Balls," Gine said, marveling at the sight.
After waiting for this moment for so long, she suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if Shenron could help her solve all her problems.
"He looks pretty intimidating. Can he really grant wishes?" Salari was a little skeptical. If you haven't experienced it, you'll always have doubts.
Bulma, on the other hand, wasn't thinking along the same lines as the others—she was already counting on her fingers, pondering what wish she wanted to make.
Clearly, neither of them knew that Shenron could only grant one wish at a time.
In fact, if Talot hadn't been a transmigrator, he wouldn't have known either, since Kami had never mentioned it.
"The one who has gathered the seven Dragon Balls, state thy wish. No matter what it is, I can grant you one wish," Shenron said, delivering his classic line.
Upon hearing this, Gine, Salari, and Bulma were all momentarily stunned.
"Only one wish?" Gine questioned in disbelief.
Piccolo stepped forward to explain, "The Dragon Balls I created can only be used once a year, and they can only grant one wish at a time. After the wish is granted, Shenron will return back into the Dragon Balls, and they will scatter across the world again..."
Before Kami could finish, Salari interrupted, "Then why not just gather the Dragon Balls again to make another wish?"
Piccolo, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly explained, "It wouldn't work. Once the wish is made, the Dragon Balls turn into stone and can't be used to summon Shenron again."
"So, all the wishes I thought of... none of them can be fulfilled?" Bulma said, feeling a bit disheartened.
Still young, Bulma had assumed that once Shenron was summoned, all her wishes would be granted. Now that she had learned the truth, her immature mentality had trouble accepting it.
However, despite her outwardly spoiled and headstrong personality, Bulma wasn't truly unreasonable.
Even at her age, she was already a good girl who cared for others.
Understanding the situation, and knowing that Talot and Gine needed the wish to look for their family members, she decided to step aside.
Especially since she considered Talot and Gine to be like family; she had worked so hard to create the Dragon Radar not only for her own satisfaction but also to help them.
"Talot, what should we do now?" Gine asked, momentarily at a loss, though she remained calm. She looked at Talot, waiting to hear what he had to say.
As always, Talot will be the one making the call.
"I'll figure something out," Talot reassured her with a confident look.
He then turned to Kami and asked, "Even though Shenron can only grant one wish, is it possible for us to ask a few questions before making the wish? You are the creator of Earth's Dragon Balls and also Shenron, so this shouldn't be a problem, right?"
After speaking, Talot looked up at Shenron's majestic form and asked, "Is that okay?"
Everyone fell silent at his question.
Kami hesitated, and Shenron too remained silent for a while, deep in thought.
Finally, Shenron's gaze swept over the group and rested on Kami, waiting for his approval. After Kami Piccolo gave a nod, Shenron responded.
"In theory, even though Kami-sama has created me, the rules do not allow this. Your question is also a wish! However, since Kami-sama has agreed and this is the first time, I can make an exception."
"Of course, it's not without cost. Your questions will consume a certain amount of wish power based on my answer, which may affect whether your final wish can be fulfilled. I wonder if you can accept that?"
Shenron's voice echoed in everyone's ears.
This answer was exactly what Talot had hoped for.
"I accept," Talot nodded.
"Then, ask your question," Shenron replied.