A Girl Named Lime

While flying over the countryside, Gohan rescues a young girl named Lime from drowning after she falls from a tree branch. Their introduction is awkward, but Gohan presses on to Chazke Village, hoping to find a shop that is not deserted. There he meets Lime's grandfather, Mr. Lao, who runs a small store being squeezed by a pair of con men named Kasdan and Burdwell. The two are exploiting the population's fear of Cell, directing villagers toward a supposed shelter run by the corrupt mayor, Mr. Borbonne.

Gohan pitches in around the shop, chopping wood and earning Lime's trust over a shared meal of apples. Meanwhile, Piccolo trains inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber by splitting into two and fighting his own duplicate, while Goku and Krillin relax at home. Back in the village, Lime pulls another prank by yelling that Cell is approaching, and the cowardly mayor locks himself inside his own shelter, leaving the townspeople stranded outside.

When Kasdan and Burdwell threaten Gohan and Lime, Mr. Lao steps in. The old man is a skilled martial artist, but he is no match for Mercenary Tao, who has been hired as muscle for the scam. Tao fires his Super Dodon Wave at Mr. Lao, but Gohan blocks it effortlessly. The moment Tao learns that Gohan is the son of Goku, the legendary assassin flees in absolute panic. Gohan finishes the job by blasting the shelter to rubble, giving the villagers a taste of what Cell could actually do. Goku arrives to collect Gohan and the groceries, closing the chapter on a quiet act of heroism.

This filler episode works because it spotlights the side of Gohan that makes him unique among the Z Fighters. He is not looking for a fight; he just wants to help. Chopping wood, sharing apples, and standing up for a village he has no obligation to protect reveals a compassion that raw power alone cannot provide.

Mercenary Tao's appearance also serves as a clever callback to the original Dragon Ball series. Tao once terrorized Goku as a nearly unbeatable adversary. Now, the mere mention of Goku's name is enough to make him run. It is a perfect measuring stick for how far the Saiyan family has come, delivered through a villain who has not kept pace with the world around him.

Episode 170 is entirely anime-original, with no manga counterpart. Despite that, it offers valuable character development for Gohan in the days before the Cell Games. The protection scam plot highlights the real-world fear that Cell's announcement has created, showing how ordinary people can be exploited during a crisis.

Lime herself is a charming one-off character whose parents were absorbed by Cell in his Imperfect form, grounding the stakes of the saga in personal loss. The episode also gives Piccolo a brief but memorable training sequence, reminding viewers that every fighter is preparing in their own way for the battle ahead.