The first thing he noticed was the breeze.
Warm, tropical, and unmistakably the kind of air one might expect to find wrapped around a resort hammock. It clung to his skin like the steam of a sauna, thick with humidity and a sweet, rich scent. His mind staggered to life as he tried to understand why something like overripe jungle fruit filled his nostrils.
Overpowering, perhaps, but not a bad way to start a new life.
Above him, the sky burned with colors too bold to be natural. It was like the saturation was cranked to its limits. Brilliant blues and striking greens stretching far across his vision. He wasn't in his apartment. He wasn't anywhere familiar. And curiously, despite every logical cue, he wasn't panicking.
'Where on Earth am I?'
His confusion strengthened as he rummaged beneath him. He felt honest-to-goodness grass, a wild and thick kind that couldn't be found anywhere near civilization. Each blade was damp with dew, painting his skin as he moved.
As he sat up, a part of him wrestled with disorientation. Something felt... off. Not wrong. Just different.
'What is going on?'
His confusion intensified as his senses returned to him. The world around him breathed in sound. Birds sang in strange cadences: some melodious, some harsh. The wind whispered through trees large enough to rival skyscrapers. Somewhere distant, a bamboo-like clack echoed softly. The wilderness seemed hand crafted, unlike anything he had even heard of before.
"What...?"
His spinning mind came to a screeching halt as he turned behind him.
A Majin Pod.
A large, dense, dark brown mass riddled with veins and contours. It looked like the brain of a giant alien. Its texture mimicked something between bark and ceramic, and it was also split open, a thin trail of steam dissipating into the upper atmosphere.
Almost fearfully, his eyes drifted downward and he caught sight of the poofy white pants clinging to his legs, held up by a belt with a golden buckle. The "M" was in an unmistakable font.
'What a weird dream'
A sharp gust of wind groaned in the fair distance as Kaza regained his focus.
In the real-world, back on Earth, he was the solo developer of Dragon Ball World. It was a massive fan-project bankrolled by the Dragon Ball fan community, celebrating the fact that the copyright hand finally expired over Dragon Ball.
As a super fan himself, Kaza had already laid the ground-work for the game, developing it with his heart and soul in order to deliver the best experience possible.
'But it looks like I overworked myself'
He chuckled faintly, deeply amused by the premise of this dream.
'Even still, the quality of this dream seems to be really good. I ought to make the most of it before I wake up'
His memories crawled in but were intensely foggy, drifting out of reach the longer he meditated on them. He could remember basic facts like his name, age and Dragon Ball lore but anything more than that was eerily elusive.
Still, things could've been worse. Majins were introduced towards the end of Dragon Ball Z and thereby embodied a ton of Power Creep. In the whole universe, no other race had a higher starting Power Level and their regeneration Hax nearly broke the story.
'And my IQ doesn't feel any lower'
He turned his eyes to the forest around him.
It was beautiful. Trees soared and mingled at their peaks. Light filtered gently through the canopy in golden shafts. Mist lingered near the roots like the tail end of a dream. It looked like the background to a guided meditation.
Then his eyes hit Korin's Tower.
White and narrow, cutting up into the clouds like a divine punctuation mark.
'Doesn't that make this the Sacred Land of Korin?'
It meant the Lookout was nearby.
'It would be nice to talk to Kami or Dende, explaining my situation ahead of time would help avoid misunderstandings'
He thought about it for a few seconds, liking that option above all the other options.
'Alright, let's give this world a spin'
Kaza didn't concentrate too hard, recalling the great ease Majin Buu had when controlling his Ki. His feet slowly lifted from the ground and he gradually passed up into the air.
The sensation was intoxicating to experience. He expected his heart to flutter but instead a low tension ran through his body, like his adrenaline had spiked. It wasn't distressing though. It was a soft euphoria, comparable to the high that hard drugs would give.
'Ok this is awesome,' he confessed in his mind.
With an ounce more of mental effort, he accelerated. The warmth of the wind sang gently against his skin as he flew, the forest beneath him unfurling like a living map.
The rivers shimmered. The trees waved. Mist wove like silk through the canopy. His entire body felt weightless as he drifted, carried by the force of his will.
'No wonder everyone flies in this world'
The Lookout became clearer in the middle distance as Kaza accelerated towards it. It was still and symmetrical, floating in the clouds like a lost relic.
Kaza leaned forward, flying faster and letting his eyes close.
They then snapped back open.
'What is this pressure?'
It wasn't so intense but it was thick enough to be uncomfortable. His entire body felt heavy, his figure sagging down in the air as the heightened gravity weighed down against him.
Instinctually he grunted, a thick white aura flaring around his body. Just like that, the atmosphere became light-again, his frustration wavering as he basked in the heightened strength of his Ki.
'This feeling is too good, I almost don't want to wake up'
He accelerated fast towards the surface of the Lookout, a streak of clear white forming an "S" trail as he surged towards the platform, his feet landing with a soft sound.
It was immaculate. Clear and clean white tiles, symmetrically planted palm trees and a large stone mansion that gleamed red under the sun.
But that wasn't what caught his attention.
'Andoli's here!?'
His eyes widened as he spotted a muscular humanoid with dark-green skin. A purple-spotted turban rested on his head, jet-black robes containing his warrior form.
Bright yellow eyes stared at him with dense animosity, the kind of look reserved for war criminals and sexual offenders. The face that held those eyes sprouted veins of hatred, Andoli's blood pressure rising as his eyes lingered on Kaza.
It was a rapid, fluid sequence: the Nameless Namekian, Andoli, released a fearsome yellow aura and moved with striking distance of Kaza. His sharp nails his as they clawed through the air, thirsty for Kaza's flesh.
In that single moment though, time slowed down as far as Kaza was concerned. Andoli drifted towards him in slow motion, a venomous scowl on his face as he inched closer.
'I have to hold my own until he calms down'
As the thought ran through his mind, Kaza side-stepped Andoli's strike. Truthfully, it was a little more than a sidestep. He floated above ground, along the outer circumference of the Lookout, creating distance.
The shockwave generated by Andoli's initial charge blew Kaza's Majin antennae back but his resolve didn't shake.
Andoli's dagger-like nails tore through Kaza's afterimage, his expression dropping as he sensed that Kaza had dodged.
His aura flared.
"I don't know what brought a god-forsaken demon like you to my home and frankly I don't care," he announced walking slowly towards Kaza. "You're sentenced to death already!" he bellowed.
Kaza smiled wryly, despite Andoli's troubling words.
"At least you're concise," he muttered back.
Andoli super dashed towards Kaza, his body accelerating in the air as he flew. Seamlessly, he tilted forward into a dropkick, driving both feet into Kaza's chest.
A skin-tight aura flared around Kaza as he hastily jumped upward, powering his motion with Ki. He dodged in the nick of time, Andoli's feet striking his afterimage.
Andoli's aura flared once more as he recovered his posture at the speed lightning struck at, his hand tightened into a fist that flew venomously towards Kaza, who had just turned to face him.
Weave. Dodge. Backstep. Weave. Wave. Dodge.
Andoli accelerated towards Kaza, his expression hardening as his fists struck air time and time again. Whether intentional or not, Kaza's mind fixated on combat, enabling him to move with frightening speed.
Every step was relatively simple and almost a little clunky, slightly exaggerated as he tried to evade danger but it was ruthlessly effective.
After a few exchanges, Kaza remembered he could fight back. He threw his fist forward in a simple, committed jab. Although slower, Andoli anticipated the strike, crossing his arms as he sensed the weight behind the punch.
BAAAAAAAAAM!
Kaza watched two jet-black streaks stain the pristine white floor of the Lookout as Andoli was knocked back, two shockwaves echoing dramatically through the air.
He stared at his own fist with surprise, a confident smile stretching across his face.
'It's to be expected'
"L-Look, Andoli, I knew your frustrated but I don't mean you any-"
"Go to hell Majin scum! EXPLOSIVE DEMON WAVE!!!"
Kaza's expression fell as he watched Andoli rapidly form a ball of bright yellow energy in his palms, compressing it once before thrusting his palm outward. In the likeness of a tsunami, the energy ball spread outward, crackling and teeming with explosive power.
Time slowed once more as Kaza keyed into his concentration. He considered evading the attack but decided against it.
BAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!
The energy wave collided wickedly with his body, hitting directly and kicking up a cloud of yellow mist that coated the Lookout.
"What! But he was hit head on!!" Andoli remarked with frustration.
Kaza lifted his palm, the strength behind the motion clearing the midst.
Not even his clothes were damaged.
"I have no ill will," Kaza declared swiftly, his expression softening. "I just came here because I would like to speak with you."
"Like hell I would," Andoli spat back venomously. "After what your kind has done to me!? To my people!!? The only think I can give you is a swift death!" he shouted boldly, placing his middle and index fingers on his forehead.
A distressing tension struck Kaza's body as a sharp fizzing sound began to reverberate through the environment, the wind quaking with anticipation.
He saw a small orb of bright yellow energy condense above Andoli's fingers, quickly spiraling and twisting with piercing killing intent.
For a split-second, Kaza was afraid.
Then he remembered who he was.
A soft exhale escaped his lips and he took a slow step forward, bravely walking towards Andoli.
"Hehehe! Walk towards your death Majin scum! SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!!!" Andoli screamed out with all his strength. His arm snapped forward and released a spiraling beam of sharp piercing Ki, tearing through the air like paper.
Kaza shook off the temptation to close his eyes, gritting his teeth as the energy beam tore a whole clean through his chest, the energy blast continuing to fly out into the middle distance.
The pain was unreal, sharp electricity burning his skin from the insides yet he continued to walk forward shaking off the terror of the attack.
Andoli's hand dropped and his eyes widened, watching the hole he had drilled through Kaza's body close gradually. In the single instance, dread overwhelmed him, Kaza slowly arriving in front of him.
His whole body trembled with fear as he watched Kaza raise his hand. He braced for the worst, only to discover that Kaza had simply placed his hand on his turban.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way"
In the same instance, Kaza's body opened up, a massive creature-like mouth emerging from his form and consuming Andoli's body in a single bite.
Fluid dark brown flesh swirled around his form as the two beings seemingly fused into one, Kaza totally absorbing Andoli.