The Rampage of InoShikaCho

Goku comes across villagers fleeing their homes in a runaway vehicle with broken brakes, hurtling down a mountain. He saves them and learns that a monster named InoShikaCho has been terrorizing their village. At Kame House, Master Roshi tells Bulma about the creature, recalling that InoShikaCho once belonged to him and a friend in their younger days and was dangerously uncontrollable.

When Goku reaches the village, he finds two strangers who have already "defeated" the monster. The villagers pay them 100,000 zeni for their heroics. Later, Goku discovers the truth in the woods: the two men are sitting around a campfire with InoShikaCho, perfectly friendly. The entire rescue was a con. The three-eyed stranger fights Goku and is genuinely surprised by his speed, but ends the encounter by chopping down a tree that falls on Goku, leaving him unconscious.

A girl named Tanmen finds and revives Goku. He follows the con artists to the next village where they are pulling the same trick. Goku tries to expose them, but they cleverly turn the villagers against him by claiming he is their accomplice. Goku grabs InoShikaCho and runs, only to be caught. Tanmen arrives and clears up the misunderstanding, ending the scheme. The two strangers are none other than Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, who will become major figures in the saga ahead.

The brief clash between Goku and the three-eyed stranger is electric despite its brevity. Tien's surprise at Goku's speed hints at abilities far beyond a simple con artist, and his decision to end the fight with a falling tree rather than a decisive technique suggests he is holding back considerably.

The scam itself is cleverly constructed. By releasing InoShikaCho on villages and then arriving as saviors, Tien and Chiaotzu exploit fear for profit. When Goku tries to expose them, their ability to flip the narrative and make Goku look like the villain shows quick thinking and social manipulation skills that contrast sharply with Goku's blunt honesty.

Master Roshi's connection to InoShikaCho through his past adds an interesting wrinkle. His mention of a "friend" likely refers to the Crane Hermit, Shen, foreshadowing the rivalry between the Turtle and Crane schools that will dominate the next tournament arc.

This episode serves as the early debut for Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, two characters who will become central to the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. Seeing them here as petty con artists makes their eventual transformation into honorable warriors all the more compelling.

Master Shen also receives a subtle introduction through one of Roshi's photographs, quietly establishing the Crane School's existence before the formal rivalry ignites at the tournament.