Tommy quickly realized that accepting the "Sleeping Princess" quest meant he had to accompany Goku and Bulma on their immediate journey. While Roshi intended the quest to test his students' character, for Tommy, it was a necessary route to gaining early-game experience and maintaining proximity to the main plot.
He found Goku wading ashore, clutching a giant fish, completely oblivious to the dramatic exchanges inside.
"Hi! Are you a new friend?" Goku asked, tilting his head.
"I am, Goku. I'm Tommy, and Master Roshi has sent us on a quest together," Tommy replied, keeping his voice respectful. "He wants us to find something called the Sleeping Princess."
"Oh! That sounds fun!" Goku immediately agreed, strapping the fish to his back.
Bulma, having exited the house, approached them with a huff. "Right, the 'Sleeping Princess' is just a cover story, you weirdo. The Dragon Radar says the next Dragon Ball is located in Fire Mountain."
Tommy smiled internally. "I see. Master Roshi's test is simply to see if we can secure the Dragon Ball," he theorized aloud, trying to sound insightful rather than knowing.
Bulma nodded, impressed despite herself. "Exactly! Look, your Power Level is only 8. Mine is 3. Goku is strong, but he's not very bright. We need to stick together. Plus, I need someone who can actually hold a conversation."
[System Notification: Bulma has designated Host as the 'Brains' of the Operation. Intrigue Increased.]
"I agree," Tommy confirmed. "But Fire Mountain is far. We need transportation."
Bulma scoffed and opened a small capsule. Poof! A sleek, powerful motorcycle appeared. "I'm Bulma Briefs. Transportation is never an issue."
[Scan Result: Bulma's Motor-Bike (Prototype). PL N/A. Stamina drain: None.]
"Perfect," Tommy said, his eyes on the bike. He knew he was about to get his first taste of the world outside the quiet plains.
The Trial by Fire
The three of them set off immediately. Bulma drove, Goku sat behind her, holding his Power Pole, and Tommy, determined not to be a burden, channeled Ki into his legs and ran alongside the bike.
"Tommy, why are you running?" Bulma yelled over the roar of the engine. "We have room!"
"Training, Bulma," Tommy replied, slightly winded but holding the pace. "I need to increase my Stamina and PL. If I'm going to stand against those great shadows I spoke of, I can't rely on transport."
[Stamina (STM): 22 -> 23] [Power Level (PL): 8 -> 8.1]
The System registered the grueling effort as meaningful training. Tommy maintained the run for nearly six hours, pushing his body to its absolute limits, only taking short breaks when the bike had to refuel.
Finally, the environment began to change. The heat became oppressive, and the air filled with the smell of sulfur and ash. Ahead of them, piercing the smoky horizon, was a colossal volcano: Fire Mountain.
The radar was pinging intensely.
"It's inside there," Bulma announced, pulling the bike to a stop near the base, where a massive, swirling ring of fire completely encircled the mountain.
"How do we get past that?" Bulma asked, her initial excitement giving way to panic. "My bike will melt!"
Tommy looked at Goku, knowing the canonical solution. Goku would use the Power Pole to vault over the fire.
"Goku," Tommy began, "the fire is too intense for us, but your Power Pole extends very high, doesn't it?"
"Yup!" Goku said, pulling the staff off his back.
"Can you extend it high enough to get us over the fire and onto the mountain?" Tommy guided.
Goku needed no further instruction. He planted the Power Pole, pointed it skyward, and yelled, "Extend!"
The pole shot up into the clouds.
"Tommy, you go first!" Bulma ordered, nervously eyeing the flames.
Tommy didn't hesitate. He scrambled up the pole, using his newfound agility and strength. He reached the top quickly, looking down at the massive pillar of fire that surrounded the volcano. He was a hundred feet above the ground.
As Goku and Bulma followed, Tommy scanned the mountain with his Ki Sense. The Dragon Ball was inside the structure, radiating a clean, bright Ki signal.
But there was another signature. Massive, rough, and powerful—a PL that immediately dwarfed his own, even Master Roshi's suppressed level.
[*Scan Result: Mountain Dweller (Unidentified). Location: Castle Summit. Power Level: 90.]
"Ninety!" Tommy gasped, whispering into the high winds. That was easily strong enough to be a serious threat. This was The Ox King, one of the most powerful people on Earth at the time.
Goku landed next to him, laughing. "That was fun!"
"Goku, we need to be careful," Tommy warned, pointing toward the peak where an ancient, towering castle was visible through the smoke. "There is an extremely powerful person up there. PL 90. He is not someone we can fight."
Goku, oblivious, merely scratched his head. "Strong person? Maybe he'll want to train!"
They used the pole to descend onto the flat, volcanic surface of the mountain. The heat was almost unbearable.
As they approached the castle, a gigantic figure emerged from the smoke—a towering man wearing a horned helmet and wielding a massive battle axe. He looked exactly like the villain in an old folktale.
"WHO DARES INVADE FIRE MOUNTAIN?!" The Ox King (PL 90) bellowed, his voice rattling the ground. "I'LL BURN YOU TO ASH!"
Bulma screamed and tried to hide behind Tommy, a PL 8 target.
Tommy knew the plot: Goku's connection to Grandpa Gohan was the key here.
"Wait, mighty warrior!" Tommy called out, stepping forward, using his best attempt at a commanding voice despite his small stature. "We are only here for the treasure! We mean you no harm!"
The Ox King merely laughed, raising his axe. "Fool! Everything here is mine!"
Goku, however, recognized something the King was wearing. "Hey, your helmet looks like Grandpa Gohan's!"
The Ox King froze, dropping the axe slightly. "Who are you, boy? How do you know Gohan?"
Tommy let out a silent breath of relief. The timeline was holding.
Goku explained his lineage, and the Ox King, realizing the connection, immediately calmed down.
"You're Gohan's grandson? Then you are welcome here!" The Ox King lowered his guard completely.
Tommy took the opportunity to make a quick observation.
[System Notification: Host's immediate recognition of the threat and attempts at negotiation has proven valuable. Earthling Ingenuity activated. Ki Control (KC) has increased from D- to D.]
The Plot Twist
The Ox King explained that the Dragon Ball—the four-star ball—was inside the castle, but the entire structure was too hot to enter. The only way to cool the mountain was with the Banshō Fan, which was located back at Kame House with Master Roshi.
"So, we came all this way for nothing?" Bulma whined.
"No," Tommy interjected. "We came here to find the problem. We now know the solution: the Banshō Fan."
Goku, delighted to meet a family friend, immediately offered to fly back on the Flying Nimbus (which the Ox King identified).
"I'll go too!" Tommy quickly said. He needed more time with Master Roshi, and he wanted to be there when the fan was used. "I can help carry the fan back."
Goku, after being reunited with the Nimbus, took off instantly.
Tommy and Bulma were left behind.
"Well, that's just fantastic," Bulma grumbled. "Now we're stuck here to wait in the heat."
Suddenly, the Ox King pointed to a thick, ancient scroll hanging on the castle wall, which had survived the heat.
"Tommy, you seem smart. Can you read this?"
Tommy looked at the scroll. The System immediately translated the archaic text:
[Ancient Scroll of the Ox King's Castle] [Content: Formula for Low-Level Heat Resistance Potion.] [Requirement: Specialized mountain herbs and 10 Ki Points for the infusion ritual.]
Tommy's eyes widened. A formula! This wasn't in the canonical story. This was an Advanced System Trigger!
"Yes, Ox King," Tommy said, excitement bubbling in his chest. "This is an ancient formula for a potion that grants temporary heat resistance. It requires some specific herbs from the outer mountains and a small ritual."
"Can you make it?" the Ox King asked hopefully.
"I can," Tommy replied. "But I need to buy the herbs from the market and perform a small Ki-infusion ritual."
"Take all the Zeni you need!" the Ox King boomed, handing him a huge pouch.
Tommy now had a mission while Goku was gone. He could gain a new, essential skill—Alchemy/Infusion—which wasn't limited to combat.
"I will return by nightfall with the ingredients, Ox King," Tommy promised. "We won't have to wait for Goku and the fan."
Tommy raced off, leaving a stunned and impressed Bulma behind. He had the Zeni, he had the formula, and he had the Ki Points to perform the infusion (KP: 31).
He had just created his first major deviation from the Dragon Ball timeline.