Bulma's Doomsday swerve "maneuver"

"Piccolo, help" Pan asks him as soon as he opens the door.

"What's going on?"

"It's grandma, she's unconscious. Something is wrong Piccolo. Please help," she grabs his clothes, as she points to her grandmother's room, with teary eyes.

"Right," Piccolo follows Pan to Chichi's room.

"Ah, Goku so you're here."

"Piccolo," Goku's barely holding back his tears, "I don't know how to help (sniff)."

Piccolo places his palm on Chichi's forehead and realises that her condition is not critical but that she's just very shocked.

"What happened before she fainted?"

"She was sitting down asking me how I became a boy, and then she just (sniff...) passed out while Pan was holding her."

"I see." She must've been shocked to see Goku as a boy again, but is that even possible?

"No need to worry, she's just exhausted. I think she hasn't been sleeping properly for a while."

"Really? She's gonna be ok?" Pan asks.

"Yeah, no need to worry. Sleep will make her much better."

"Oh, thanks Piccolo," Goku smiles.

"Sure. But Goku I'm actually here to see you."

"Huh?" Goku looks away from Chichi to Piccolo.

"I will stay here and watch Grandma while you two talk outside," Pan recommends.

"Yeah," "Thanks Pan," Piccolo and Goku walk out of the house, entering into the scorching heat of the sunshine, a light gentle breeze ruffles the tree leaves and the grass around the house.

"So, what's this about Piccolo?"

"Goku, do you remember anything from yesterday before you turned into a boy?"

"Huh? Didn't I turn into a kid this morning?"

"No, according to Mr Popo you became a boy last night."

"Huh... that's weird. I don't remember," Goku scratches his head.

"I see," Piccolo folds his arms.

"Why? What's the big deal if I'm a kid again?" he clasps his fingers, so he can rest his head as he slants back slightly.

"You might not mind Goku, but no ordinary power can turn the strongest mortal in the universe into a child."

"Whoa... you mean, someone did this to me?" Goku's interest piques, "Who?"

"We don't exactly know, but they used the first ever Dragon Balls."

This revelation causes Goku to fold his arms too, but he bends his head to the left, and his left eyebrow drops while his right rises—he is confused.

"That can't be right. The Supreme Kais ceased all the Dragon Balls... didn't they?"

"I know, but not these ones. It appears, they were scattered way before you and I were even born!"

"Wha?"

"And since they were only used once, the kais don't know it existed."

"Wait, but aren't the first ever Dragon Balls from Namek? Why wouldn't the Namekians give them to the Supreme Kais?"

"No, I mean these dragon balls were created by Kami when he became Earth's guardian."

"Whaaa?!" Goku exclaims.

As Piccolo and Goku were discussing the issue of the Black Star Dragon Balls, the phone rings in the living room.

"I'll get it," Pan announces so they don't interrupt their conversation.

But, Gohan's the caller and asks why Pan and Chichi haven't arrived yet. She explains that Goku came home as a little boy which made Chichi faint, and now he and Piccolo are discussing something.

She assures him that Piccolo already said she'll wake up soon and that she just needs rest.

Pan hands the phone to Goku as her father requested and goes back to watch over the unconscious Chichi.

Goku and Piccolo must takeoff to Bulma's party, so they leave Pan to watch over her grandmother.

"Bye, grandpa; bye Piccolo," she waves, "I'll take care of grandma till she wakes up."

"Thanks Pan. Bye."

The sunny sky is radiating a scorching heat, but as they fly to Capsule Corp where Bulma is having the party, the wind provides a cool breeze that makes the sunshine less hot.

They touch down at Capsule Corp and Gohan and Videl hurry over to them.

"Pan told me everything," Gohan says, "Mom's going to wake up better than ever, dad."

"yeah," Goku nods.

"But, how's it possible that you're now a little boy, Goku?" Videl asks.

"Actually--" Goku tries to reply, "Let's go inside, I'll explain everything," Piccolo says.

"Kakarot??!" Vegeta's shock is very conspicuous. Everyone else at the party is dumbfounded as well.

The party venue is now filled with the murmuring and concern of all his friends.

"Goku, how did this happen to you?" Bulma quizzes.

"I'll explain what we know so far," Piccolo starts to unpack all the information about how Goku ended being a child.

"Hmph. Kakarot always manages to get himself into a mess with Dragon Balls," Vegeta says.

"Hey, it's not my fault this time, Vegeta!"

"A lady with her dog and chimpanzee disguised as ninjas snuck unto the lookout and stole those Dragon Balls?" Goten asks.

"The thing is, only 1 of those Dragon Balls could have been on the lookout at that time," Piccolo reminds them.

"Huh? So, this lady and her pets were actually able to gather the remaining 6 Dragon Balls that weren't even on Earth?" Trunks thinks out loud.

"I know, those balls had been scattered for decades," Bulla adds, "what kind of shuttle could actually travel possibly beyond our solar system to find such tiny balls?"

"Actually, remember how I told you about the Namekian shuttle that brought Kami to Earth Bulla?," Bulma asks, "well, considering that, pulling that off doesn't sound that absurd."

"Yeah, but how would a woman who has earthling pets get her hands on such marvelous technology?" Bulla asks.

As they wonder about it, King Kai interrupts, "Hello, Goku... Piccolo, you can hear me, right?"

"Hey, it's king kai!" Goku smiles.

"Who's that. Someone's talking in my head..." Bulla panics.

"That's King Kai," Piccolo tells her he has telepathy powers, "we can all hear you, King Kai."

"Right, good," King Kai says "Dende sent me the Dragon Ball you gave him..."

"Yeah?"

"It's really bad."

The group shrieks in unison. "What do you mean by that?" Gohan asks.

"I mean, it's chalk full of negative energy from overused magical power," King Kai elaborates.

"Huh?" Goku and Bulla ask simultaneously, "what does that mean?"

King Kai explains that the energy in the Dragon Ball he's holding can destroy a planet in months.

"Aah!" They all shriek, "Say what??!"

"I thought so," Piccolo asserts, "Kami suggested that might be the case. He made them after all."

"Indeed, but that's not all," King Kai continues.

"There's more?" they ask.

King Kai reveals the these Black Star Dragon Balls have enough energy to travel to the ends of the galaxy.

"No... this is bad!" Piccolo's shock surprises the group.

"Whoa, Piccolo's freaking out," Krillin whispers.

"Yeah, he's usually very stoic," Tien agrees.

"This is... really bad," Piccolo says.

"King Kai," Bulma seeks clarity, "there are 6 of these high charged balls running all over the galaxy and each could take out a planet?"

"Yes, I estimate the Earth's galaxy has 1 year before it's eradicated," King Kai warns.

"Whoa, hold on!" Vegeta says, "there's only 6 of these destructive Balls, so shouldn't they only affect 6 planets—assuming they each managed to land on a planet?"

"If they're all over the galaxy, how can their destroying 6 planets eradicate an entire galaxy?" Vegeta quizzes.

"He's right," Yamcha agrees.

"No, King Kai is correct," Piccolo reveals, barely composed.

"How though?" Yamcha asks.

"A destroyed planet will send fragments of itself into neighboring planets and maybe even asteroids..." Piccolo starts to expound.

"I see, so by a chain effect, these things will eventually get everything close enough and that could even reach us here on Earth," Bulma concludes.

"Yes," Piccolo says.

"No way," Yamcha falls to the ground, "We only have a year left to live?"

"Aah!" the group exclaim.

The party that was supposed to celebrate another decade of peace brought enough despair, after Gohan's call where they found out about Chichi being unconscious after seeing her husband Goku turned into a little boy.

Now King Kai who had helped them protect earth from threats shocks them with grave news about the inevitable destruction of the whole galaxy in a year causing despair.

However only for a moment, because Bulma's voice alone brings hope, "yes, if we don't do anything about it."

"Huh... What do you mean, Bulma?" Yamcha asks.

"I have a plan that can save this galaxy."

Hope, which seemed to have been supplanted by news of a set unfortunate future, was revived, bringing anew to Bulma's party a joyful ambience.

"King Kai," Bulma tells him, "we can swerve the doomsday!"