"In the original Japanese edition, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z are known collectively as the 42-volume series Dragon Ball. The English Dragon Ball Z was originally volumes 17-42 of the Japanese Dragon Ball"--Facing t.p.

In keeping with the original Japanese format, this book reads from back to front and from right to left.

"DB: 12 of 42."

When Kuririn is killed by a lizard-like monster, Goku goes in search of the culprit and finds his most terrifying enemy yet: the evil Demon King Piccolo! Freed after centuries of imprisonment, Piccolo sends waves of monsters on a mission to find the Dragon Balls and destroy any martial artists who might oppose him. With his flying cloud destroyed, Goku finds himself lost in the jungle where he meets an unlikely new ally. Meanwhile, Kame-Sen'nin prepares a last-ditch plan to defeat Piccolo... but at what cost?