Goku is, without a doubt, one of the most popular. His constant pursuit of strength and his ability to overcome seemingly impossible odds make him a favorite for fanfiction writers. They can create all kinds of new adventures for him, like facing off against cosmic threats even greater than what he's encountered in the shows.
Future Trunks is often a central character. His time - traveling aspect gives a lot of scope for interesting plotlines in 'Dragon Ball Z Legends Fanfiction'.
Well, Vegeta could also be a contender for the strongest in this crossover. He has his own set of powerful transformations. However, if we consider the more mystical aspects of Naruto, like the power of the Rinnegan, characters like Sasuke could also be very strong. In a crossover, if Sasuke were to combine his Sharingan and Rinnegan powers with some of the ki - based techniques from Dragon Ball Z, he could be extremely powerful. It really depends on how the writer wants to balance the different power systems.
There are no such inappropriate 'Straight Shota' stories in the official Dragon Ball Z canon. Dragon Ball Z mainly focuses on epic battles, power-ups, and the adventures of Goku and his friends to protect the Earth from various villains.
One alternative is to focus on character backstories. You could write about the early days of Piccolo, how he came to be the way he is. Another option is to do crossovers with other non - sexual universes. Maybe a story where the Dragon Ball Z characters meet characters from a magical anime world and they have to work together to solve a problem. Also, you can write about the relationships between the characters in a platonic way, like the deepening of the friendship between Gohan and Krillin.
A Kryptonian in the Dragon Ball Z universe could potentially be a very powerful addition. Their natural abilities like super strength, flight, and heat vision could make them a force to be reckoned with. However, they would also face challenges as the Dragon Ball Z world has its own power scale with ki-based powers. They might have to adapt to the different fighting styles and power sources. Maybe they could learn to use ki in addition to their Kryptonian powers, or they could find a way to combine the two in unique ways.
Dragon Ball Z is both anime and manga. The anime was adapted from the manga and they share the same story and characters, but presented in different mediums.