A strange object approaches Earth, followed by an invader who claims the planet for himself. Lord Slug seeks the Dragon Balls to recover his youth and power, while his forces prepare to make Earth suit their own needs. Goku and his friends face a takeover that threatens the environment as well as its defenders.
Slug's wish gives the Dragon Balls a role in the invasion rather than leaving them only as a possible remedy for damage afterwards. His desire to regain youth makes the planet's extraordinary resource serve his own ambitions. The film's Japanese title and Lord Slug identify the same 1991 theatrical work.
Gohan tries to oppose Slug’s soldiers and is overpowered, bringing the invasion down to the scale of a child caught in its path. Goku’s fight with an armoured opponent is part of a larger response to that force, rather than an isolated duel. Getting past one assailant does not by itself answer the problem of an organised group taking over the planet.