"Where… am I?!" Glug, glug!
Inside Chi-Chi's womb, the face of an unborn baby carried the dazed expression of a grown man.
The tiny embryo had just awakened, sifting through its thoughts in confusion.And as he dug deeper into his mind, fragments of a past life returned.
In his previous life, he had been a top-tier sales agent. Three years of pandemic lockdowns had drained him dry financially, mentally, and spiritually.
But as a true '90s kid, he lived by one rule: no matter how hard life gets, you never skimp on yourself.
The day lockdown finally lifted, he immediately booked a plane ticket. Destination? The legendary Mount Kunlun, the so-called Pillar of Heaven.
With no savings to speak of, he reluctantly accepted "Uncle Ma's" generosity, becoming, for once, a fearless warrior of Huabei credit.
Mount Kunlun, a place shrouded in myth, brimming with mystery and the unknown.
Why go there? His mindset had changed. After seeing so much life and death in the age of the information explosion, he realized that money, whether much or little, meant nothing in the end.
He decided to live for himself for once. Since childhood, he had loved mythological tales, and the birthplace of so many legends called to him. Curiosity and a thirst for adventure drove him to set out.
Shedding all responsibilities and shouldering a backpack, he stepped onto the road to Kunlun without hesitation.
Of course, dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
Barely a third of the way up from the base of the mountain, he stumbled across a mysterious cave. Faint golden-yellow light seeped from within.
Curiosity got the better of him. He stepped inside.
A blinding flash, and suddenly, he was here, in this primal place.
Glug, glug!
"This feels… amazing! Unless I'm wrong, I've just transmigrated!"
Though no sound could escape from within the womb, his shining eyes and the frantic wiggle of undeveloped hands and feet left no doubt he was ecstatic.
"No more Huabei debt! Debt dies with the debtor, right? I've transmigrated. That's the same as being dead!"
…Is that really how a normal person thinks?
Chi-Chi's body suddenly shifted, rocking him inside. His thoughts returned to reality, a little dizzy from the motion.
"Goku-san? Yoshi? And this feeling of power… stronger than in my past life? Don't tell me…"Though he couldn't see outside, the voices he heard left little doubt about where he was.
Dragon Ball… the world of the Seven Dragon Balls! Where fists can shatter stars and bodies soar through the void!
No mistake. He had soul-transmigrated into Son Gohan.
Though, the timing of this awakening was a little awkward.
"Holy crap, not now!" He tried to resist with every fiber of his being.
But resistance was futile.
What? You're asking about Son Gohan's original soul? Gone, of course. A blank sheet of paper could never withstand an ocean of ink.
As a conscious embryo faced with such cosmic truth, what could he do? Just watch awkwardly.
And so he did, watching awkwardly yet wondering how Chi-Chi, a human, could match the monstrous Saiyan Son Goku blow for blow.
The human body might lack Saiyan raw power, but the art of yielding to overcome Chi-Chi had mastered it to perfection.
Let him be strong. The wind still brushes the mountain.
"I don't even know what point in the Dragon Ball timeline I've landed in… but since I'm here, wherever I stand is the main world! Son Gohan, rest easy. I'll push this body's incredible potential to the very limit! Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu, Beerus, Angels, Grand Priest, Zeno, even Salama… I'll see it all with my own eyes!"
Inwardly, he swore a vow.
By the will of the cosmos, from this day forward Son Gohan is me, and I am Son Gohan.
Thunder rumbled. The final trace of discord between his soul and Gohan's body vanished.
Earth lost a handsome, charming young man.The Dragon Ball world gained a sharp-minded, black-hearted half-Saiyan.
Time passed.
"Waaah!!!"
"He's here! A big, healthy boy!" The midwife burst from the room in delight.
Gohan's newborn eyes, however, glared daggers at her.
Unable to speak yet, he refused to cry. No way a grown man's soul would wail like a baby.
The midwife, mistaking him for mute, gave him several sharp swats on the rear.
Left with no choice, he howled in protest.
You wretched old hag, you just wait!
"Haha, good! Excellent! I, the Ox-King, finally have a grandson!" The massive Ox-King practically leapt three feet high.
"Chi-Chi, are you alright?" Even Goku, simple as he was, felt a pang of worry after hearing her painful cries.
"I'm fine, Goku! Bring me the baby!" Chi-Chi propped herself up against the headboard. Though not as tough as Goku, her martial artist's body was far stronger than an ordinary human's.
"You wait here. I'll get Gohan." Goku turned, lifted the newborn from the crib, and placed him beside her.
Even before he was born, Goku had already chosen the name Gohan, in memory of the grandfather who raised him.
"Huh? Why does Gohan have such long hair at birth? And… a tail?" Chi-Chi stared in surprise.
"I had a tail too, remember? But Oolong and the others cut it off! Must be because of me." Goku scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Probably fine. Still… why does he look a little unhappy?"
"Waaah!!" (Of course I'm unhappy. Why are you stealing my milk, lady?!) Gohan flailed in protest.
…
"Dad, take me hunting!" Gohan tiptoed over to Goku.
"No! Absolutely not! Your future is to become a great scholar, not a broke martial artist like your father!" Chi-Chi stormed over, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and hauled him back inside.
Walking at one month old, speaking at six months.In truth, he could've spoken fluently after just one month. He only held back to avoid startling Chi-Chi.
But even at six months, when he finally spoke, Chi-Chi was amazed. She immediately resolved to mold him into a scholar.
After all, there's a world of difference between baby babble and clear speech.
Such talent what a waste if not put to study!
Gohan regretted it instantly.