Bulma's search for six more Dragon Balls leads her to a remote valley and to Son Goku, who is in possession of one of the balls. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, but after Goku saves Bulma's life, the two join forces in search of the remaining five Dragon Balls. They had better take care, for an evil force - Pilaf - also seeks the Dragon Balls.

Without realizing where they are, Bulma and Goku camp near Ryugadani, a foreboding land where one of the Dragon Balls lies hidden. Pilaf dispatches his henchmen to recover the ball, but they and Goku run into each other and a pack of ravenous wolves. Who will emerge the winner?

As a token of appreciation, the Turtle Hermit presents Goku Kinto'un, a magical flying cloud that can be ridden only by someone pure of heart. He gives Bulma an orange bauble that he wears around his neck, a seemingly worthless stone that had washed up on the beach. It turns out that this "bauble" is in fact a Dragon Ball. Unfortunately for our friends, Pilaf and his aids, Mai and Shu, are also after this same Dragon Ball...and now they know that Bulma has it.

Goku and Bulma arrive at a certain village, where the fifth Dragon Ball is located. Goku is mistaken for the freely shape-shifting monster Oolong, who raids the village, and is hit by a sudden attack from one of the villagers! Bulma makes a promise with the villagers that “We’ll take care of Oolong in exchange for the Six-Star Ball that’s in this village”. Goku disguises himself as one of the village girls, and the captured monster’s true identity turns out to be a piglet, of all things!! Bulma and Goku obtain the Six-Star Ball. Taking in Oolong as their ally, they continue their adventure to find the remaining Dragon Balls!!

Goku and the others aim for Mt. Frypan. Because Bulma dropped her capsules into a river, they end up having to cross a desert on foot! Completely exhausted, Bulma rests there. At this point, the desert bandit Yamcha appears, and tries to seize Oolong’s capsules. Goku battles Yamcha, but he has no power on account of his empty stomach. At the critical moment, Bulma wakes up and Yamcha, who can’t bear to be around women, runs away with a few sharp parting remarks.

Yamcha attacks at night in an attempt to steal Oolong’s capsules! As Yamcha looks into the condition of their opponents, he learns about the Dragon Balls. Yamcha and Pu’er try to steal Goku and the others’ Dragon Balls through any means necessary, but fail!! At this point, they come up with the plan of waiting for Goku and the others to gather all seven Dragon Balls, and then steal them. Unaware of this, Goku and the others aim for Mt. Frypan in search of the sixth Dragon Ball.

After arriving at Mt. Frypan, Goku and the others land in a pinch when they are spotted by Gyumao, who stands guard over his castle!! However, Gyumao’s attitude quickly changes when he learns that Goku and the others know Muten Roshi! In order to extinguish Mt. Frypan’s fire, Gyumao requests Goku go with his daughter Chi-Chi and borrow Muten Roshi’s Basho Fan. Goku finds Chi-Chi, who can ride on Kinto'un, but he powers down when she grabs his tail! Seeing this, Yamcha discovers Goku’s weakness!!

Having thrown away the Basho Fan, Muten Roshi heads to Mt. Frypan to extinguish its flames himself!! Muten Roshi’s grand attack, the Kamehameha, puts out the blazing flames! Goku and the others safely obtain the Dragon Ball, and are about to head off in search of the final one. But Bulma is detained by Muten Roshi, since she promised to let him fondle her breasts if he put out the flames. Bulma gets out of this pinch by asking Oolong to transform into her.

Goku and the others visit a stand in order to fill up on gasoline. The townspeople are all frightened of Bulma, who is wearing rabbit ears. They don’t understand why, but then some scoundrels calling themselves the Rabbit Gang show up! Their boss, the Carrotizor, has the power to turn anyone who touches his hand into a carrot!! Bulma is turned into a carrot by him. Unable to merely watch, Yamcha rescues Bulma. Goku and the others defeat the Rabbit Gang, and once again set out to search for the Dragon Balls!!

Goku and the others aim for the final Dragon Ball! However, their Dragon Balls are stolen by Pilaf and his underlings, who are plotting to use the Dragon Balls to take over the world!! Wanting to have his wish granted by Shen Long, Yamcha once again ends up helping Bulma and the others in order to obtain the Dragon Balls. In order to get the Dragon Balls back, Goku and the others invade Pilaf’s secret base. But they are all caught by the ingenious trap set by Pilaf. Goku’s Four-Star Ball is in danger!!

After being put to sleep by sleeping gas, Goku and the others have the Four-Star Ball stolen from them! Pilaf finally has all seven Dragon Balls, and he attempts to call forth Shen Long!! In order to stop Pilaf’s scheme, Goku uses the Kamehameha to open a hole in the wall of the room that they are imprisoned in! As Pu’er and Oolong transform into bats and head out the hole to take back the Dragon Balls, Shen Long is finally summoned! Will the world become Pilaf’s…?!

Shen Long finally appears! Pilaf tries to say his wish, in order to rule the world!! Because Oolong said his wish of “Give me a girl’s panties” a moment sooner, his wish ended up being granted! With the wish granted, Shen Long returns again to the Dragon Balls, and they scatter to the four winds. Enraged, Pilaf imprisons Goku and the others in a room covered in fortified glass and iron plates, intending to kill them with the sun’s hot rays, but…?!

Goku and the others have been captured once again by Pilaf. That night, Goku looks at the full moon, and suddenly turns wild and starts transforming into an Oozaru!! He smashes the prison that they are imprisoned in, and Yamcha and the rest manage to escape, but having lost his reason, Goku continues to rampage!! Yamcha then cuts off Goku’s weakness, his tail! Goku wakes up after returning to normal. The party promises to reunite, and the Dragon Team splits up.