Goku lay face-first on the ground, the weight of his body evident in his every move. "Oh God," he groaned, pushing himself up slowly. Standing unsteadily, the Saiyan from Earth began to walk, his steps heavy, toward a small house visible in the distance. The path seemed endless as he forced each step forward.
Finally reaching the house, he called out, his voice hoarse. "Hello! Anybody there? Is this supposed to be King Gai's place?"
The door creaked open, and a small monkey ambled out.
Goku's eyes widened in disbelief. "NO! IT CAN'T BE!" he exclaimed.
The monkey raised its hands and began to perform a series of fluid, almost comical movements.
Goku took a deep breath, grounding himself. "So you really are the legendary martial arts master, King Gai," he said, watching as the monkey continued its exercises. "Doing such exercises at this high gravity must really require an awful lot of strength," he remarked.
The monkey then walked away in its typical fashion, and Goku followed, mimicking its every move.
"Ha-ha-oo-oo-ee-ee..." Goku's muscles burned with the effort of copying the monkey's actions. This wasn't going to be easy.
"What do you think you are doing?" a voice interrupted.
Goku halted, turning to see a short, round, blue-skinned man with antennae on his head. "Who are you?" Goku asked.
"Me?" the man replied. "I am the legendary martial arts master, King Gai."
Goku looked shocked for words.
......
Gohan sprinted through the forest, a tiger hot on his heels. "Catch me if you can!" he shouted over his shoulder.
The tiger, exhausted, finally stopped and lay down, panting.
Gohan turned and slowed, grinning. "Come on, Mister Tiger," he said. "Tired already?"
The tiger ignored him, closing its eyes for a nap.
Gohan sighed and picked up a stone, aiming it at a large pigeon perched in a tree. His throw was precise, and the bird fell.
The tiger's eyes snapped open as the bird landed in front of it. Delighted, it began to feast.
"This time I hope for a better performance from you, Mister Tiger," said Gohan with a smile. "You better not disappoint me."
........
Piccolo stood on a mountain road, surveying the landscape.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the valley as an avalanche thundered down. An enormous rock hurtled toward him, casting a huge shadow.
Piccolo crossed his arms before his face, his body glowing with energy. "RAAAAH!" he roared, unleashing a powerful wave that shattered the rock into rubble.
VROOOOM!
The rocks disintegrated around him, leaving Piccolo panting amidst the falling debris.
.......
"Ha!" yelled Yamcha, dropping into his wolf stance.
Tien mirrored him, falling into his crane stance.
For a few tense moments, they sized each other up before launching forward, colliding with a flurry of blows.
Yamcha blocked a punch to the face with his forearms, then retaliated with a punch of his own, which Tien deflected.
Tien's fist struck Yamcha's stomach, making him gasp and falter. Yamcha responded with a powerful clawed slap, his hand crackling with energy, sending Tien stumbling backward.
Yamcha dropped to his knees, spent.
Tien smirked, blood trickling from his mouth. "Not bad," he panted.
Meanwhile, Yajirobe charged at Krillin, sword in hand. "Take this!" he yelled, slashing downward.
Yajirobe's mouth hung open in shock as his blade passed right through Krillin.
"Agh!" Yajirobe grunted as a kick landed on the back of his head.
The fat man turned around. "You trickster! Just what was that supposed to mean?"
Krillin grinned. "That's the after-image technique," he explained.
Yajirobe, red-faced with anger, attacked again, his sword a blur. But Krillin weaved through the strikes effortlessly.
Bam!
Krillin staggered as Yajirobe struck his head with the sword's handle.
"How's that?" Yajirobe taunted.
Krillin smiled. "You lack power in your attacks."
Yajirobe fumed. "Why you! You won't be talking like that once I'm done with ya!"
Chiaotzu meanwhile concentrated energy on his fingertip. "Dodon Ray!" he yelled, firing a beam that shattered a stone on the table. "Bull's eye!" he exclaimed.
........
Three months later... (Six months post Raditz)
Goku jumped with delight as a cricket fell unconscious on the grass.
King Gai watched, smiling.
"Now that I have hit Gregory, what's next, King Gai?" Goku asked.
King Gai chuckled. "Bubbles," he called. The monkey arrived promptly.
"Let's see how long it takes you to catch Bubbles again," King Gai said, stopwatch in hand. "Ready..get set...GO!"
Bubbles sprinted away, but Goku, moving with blinding speed, caught him in under a second.
"Zero point nine seconds," King Gai said in awe. "A new record."
"Thanks, King Gai," Goku said, lifting Bubbles onto his shoulder.
King Gai's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yes. Finally, a fighter worthy of being trained by me. A fighter I can teach the Kaio-ken attack!"
"Whoa.." said Goku, curiosity and excitement on his face. "That sounds amazing," he said.
.......
Gohan stood frozen in front of his home, his chest heaving with each rapid breath. "I'm here, Mom!" he yelled, the words bitter in his throat as they bounced off the empty yard. His heart hammered in his chest, desperate for a response. But there was nothing. Not a sound. He rushed to the door, slamming his hand against the wood, only to find it locked from the outside. His confusion morphed into dread. "Mom?" he called again, voice cracking, but still nothing.
He sank down onto the front step, the cold stone biting into him like a harsh reminder. Hope bled out of him with each passing second, each silent minute.
One day...
Two days...
Three days...
The sun bled across the horizon, the sky a mess of red and gold, but it offered no comfort. Time dragged on, grinding down his spirit. Morning blurred into afternoon, afternoon dissolved into evening, and evening bled into the endless void of night. The cycle kept spinning, relentless, indifferent. The weight of despair crashed down on him, suffocating, stifling. Gohan's tears, cold and bitter, fell onto the earth, each drop mixing with the dirt as if his grief was nothing but another stain to be washed away. Every ounce of effort to come back home felt pointless. Where were they? Where were his parents?
"So, Gohan. Giving up, are you?"
The voice broke through the fog, and Gohan snapped his head up, his heart lurching in his chest. Piccolo stood there, eyes cold and unreadable, his expression hard as stone.
Piccolo's gaze sliced through him like a knife. "Your parents are alive... for now. I know."
Gohan swallowed hard, choking back the last of his tears. A flicker of hope, weak and fragile, sparked in his chest.
"But," Piccolo's voice grew darker, "if we don't stop the Saiyans headed straight for Earth right now, Gohan... You won't see them again. And if you do, it'll be through the eyes of a corpse."
Gohan felt something inside him snap, a feral fire igniting deep within. His blood burned as the rage coursed through him, the pain of his helplessness giving way to something more brutal, more urgent.
"So," Piccolo's voice was a low growl, "are you going to sit here like a little kid, crying while the world burns? Or are you going to fight back?"
Gohan's eyes blazed with resolve, the tears long gone, replaced by a quiet fury. "I'll train."
"Good," Piccolo's words were clipped, but there was something in his voice—something close to approval. "Because if the Saiyans win, it won't just be you who loses everything. If they spare the non-fighters, maybe there'll be some left to remember what we fought for. If not... there won't even be anyone left to bury the bodies."
Gohan's fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms. His body shook—not from fear, but from the sheer force of his anger, of his desperation.
Piccolo's lips twitched into something that barely resembled a smile. "Six months have passed, Gohan. It's time we begin your training."
.......
Two months later... (Eight months post Raditz)
Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Yajirobe, and Chiaotzu stood before Khami and Mr. Popo.
Khami surveyed the group. "Congratulations," he said. "You have all completed your training. Each of you has reached a new level of strength, both in mind and body."
Mr. Popo smiled proudly.
Khami continued, "I hope you use your strength for the right cause. I pray for your success."
The fighters nodded.
"Now, you may choose to continue training here or at your own pace for the remaining months before the Saiyans arrive." Khami looked to Mr. Popo, who nodded and took out a small device—Raditz's scouter.
Mr. Popo applied the scouter to his eye. "Let's see... Krillin's at 709... Yamcha's at 713... Tien's at 720... Yajirobe's at 725... and Chiaotzu's at 522..."
Krillin clenched his fist. "Incredible."
Yamcha nodded. "Also, we're all at around the same level."
Chiaotzu looked down, dejected. Tien patted his back. "It's alright, Chiaotzu."
Khami addressed the group seriously. "Stay in touch with the news on your mobile phones. When the time comes, gather together. Hopefully, your combined strength will be enough to overcome the enemy. Keep your phones charged."
Everyone nodded. "Yes, sir."
To be continued...