When Emperor Chiaotzu's wife goes missing, the sinister Master Shen convinces him that gathering the seven dragon balls to summon the eternal dragon is his only hope of getting her back. Son Goku and Kuririn, meanwhile, enter a martial arts tournament the emperor is hosting, crossing paths with dragon-ball hunters Bora and Upa and Master Shen's ruthless agent Tao Pai Pai. Unlike the prior two Dragon Ball films, this one weaves manga characters from the Red Ribbon Army and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament arcs into an original story.