Gokou is found by Bulma in the mountains while training. Since he won't give up his dragonball that his grandfather gave him, she take him along on her journey to find the dragonballs, after explaining to him that if they're all gathered a wish can be made
They already have 4 dragonballs, Bulma's 3 plus Gokou's 1 and they get another man after Gokou insists on helping a turtle find it's way home. Once they get it home, they convince its owner, Master Roshi, to give them a dragonball. He also gives Gokou his nimbus cloud to help in the journey.

They get there next dragonball from the inhabitants of a deserted village. The village is plagued by a monster called Oolong and they agree to give over there dragonball if the heroes can defeat the monster. Gokou has a little trouble with Oolong's trickery, but eventually defeats him and they claim their dragonball.

As Gokou, Bulma, and the captured Oolong wander through a desert looking for another dragonball, they have a brief confrontation with Yamcha and Puar, until Yamcha is captivated by Bulma's beauty. Yamcha eventually discovers the purpose of the dragonballs, and sets about, fairly unsucessfully, trying to steal them.

One day Gokou is ahead scouting when he meets Ox King. He explains that he is looking for his daughter, Chi-chi, who was injured earlier by Yamcha. They find Chi-chi, then head to Master Roshi's to get help controlling a fire. On the island, Chi-chi grabs Gokou's tail, completely immobolizing him and showing Yamcha his weakness.

They bring Roshi back to Frying Pan Mountain, and he agrees to extinguish the fire if he can see Bulma's breasts. She flashes him and he powers up, becoming extremely ripped, and throws a huge fireball not only extinguishing the fire but halfway destroying the mountain. It does the trick though, and the dragonball is obtained.

Later the group encounters a rabbit army. The head rabbit turns Bulma into a carrot, and then Yamcha and Puar decide to help Gokou out and they all thrash the evil rabbits. On the way to find the last dragonball, Shuu and Mye, two of Pilaf's henchmen, crash into Bulma's aircar and steal all the dragonballs except for Gokou's, and take them back to Pilaf's castle. Gokou, Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, and Puar all set out for the castle to get the dragonballs back.

When the arrive, Pilaf uses gas to knock them out and steals the last dragonball. Then he and his two goons go out front to summon the Shenlong. Gokou manages to get Puar and Oolong out, and while Pilaf is deciding what to wish for, Oolong wishes for some panties and the dragonballs are re-dispersed. Meanwhile Gokou, Bulma, and Yamcha are escaping. Pilaf and his henchmen catch them and lock them up.

That night, Gokou looks at the moon and turns into his giant monkey stage, breaking open their cell and smashing the entire castle. Before he can eat Bulma though, quick thinking Puar and Yamcha cut off his tail, causing him to revert back to a boy with no memory of what had happened. Pilaf flees in terror, and everything works out for the best. Bulma and Yamcha decide to get together, since they both wanted the dragonballs to fix their relationship problems anyway, and Gokou decides to go train with Master Roshi at Kame House.