Dragon Ball introduces a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku (a wry update of the classic Chinese "Monkey King" legend), whose quiet life changes when he meets a girl named Bulma who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma could use the help of a certain super-strong boy... (In Japan, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were originally a single 42-volume series. VIZ Media's Dragon Ball contains vols. 1-16 of the original Japanese Dragon Ball, from the beginning of the series to the climax of Goku's last fight with Piccolo.)

Goku is the world's only hope--the only being on Earth capable of fighting Piccolo, the Great Demon King! But the city-demolishing battle ends with Piccolo birthing a younger, even tougher version of himself, who will return in three years time to finish the destruction wrought by his father! In search of a way to defeat the new Piccolo, Goku's gaze turns skyward--to the heavenly realm of Kami-sama, creator of the Dragon Balls, deity of the Dragon Ball world. But Piccolo and Kami-sama share a shocking secret...