Rudra quietly observed Gohan's steady growth. Day after day, the boy's bond with Piccolo deepened. The once-frightened child now sparred with him without hesitation.
"Nice," Rudra muttered to himself, a grin tugging at his lips. "Everything is going exactly according to plan. If Aizen were here… he'd be proud."
High above, the Guardian of Earth, Kami, watched silently. His sharp senses could easily pick up Rudra's mutterings if he focused. Yet Kami had always respected the privacy of mortals, choosing not to intrude unless absolutely necessary.
Rudra, of course, knew this. He understood Kami's restraint better than anyone. That was why he kept his own actions subtle, careful not to draw too much suspicion. Still, he never let his guard down—always monitoring Kami's presence so that when the Guardian eventually retreated to rest, Rudra could move freely.
One such night, Kami broke his own rule. He descended quietly toward the training grounds where Gohan was sparring furiously. The boy's small body trembled with effort, but his eyes burned with determination. Piccolo floated nearby, arms crossed, watching his student with the stern expression of a mentor who demanded nothing less than perfection.
Kami paused, surprised. "So… Piccolo is watching over him too," he thought. "Perhaps they're both training the boy."
He felt his worries lighten just a little.
Meanwhile, Rudra had his own secret missions. Whenever Kami retreated, Rudra slipped away to the hidden base of the Red Ribbon Army. There, he monitored the progress of his grand design.
Inside the laboratory, Rudra spoke with Dr. Gero, who was bent over his machines. "Two Saiyans will arrive on Earth soon," Rudra said coldly. "And they won't come alone. They'll bring with them the seeds of creatures called Saibamen—beasts that can sprout from the soil and become killing machines."
Dr. Gero adjusted his glasses, intrigued. "Fascinating. If what you say is true… then with even a sample of those seeds, I could accelerate my research."
"To make sure of it," Rudra continued, "you'll build a surveillance drone. Something small, inconspicuous. The size of a bee. It must be able to steal a seed… or at the very least, extract its biological material."
Gero smirked. "Consider it done."
---
Far away, Goku's training on King Kai's planet had entered a new stage. Sweat dripped from his brow as he balanced atop the tiny world, focusing every ounce of energy into mastering a technique that could change the tide of battle—the Spirit Bomb.
King Kai chuckled at his pupil's determination, though his antennae twitched with concern. "You're making progress, but don't get careless. This technique isn't just about power, it's about balance."
Still, Goku's mind often wandered. Between exercises, he would pause, looking to King Kai with pleading eyes. "Please… can I talk to Kami? I need to know how Chi-Chi and Gohan are doing."
King Kai sighed but relented, opening a telepathic link.
Through Kami's voice, Goku heard the truth.
"Your son is training with Piccolo," Kami reported. "It was… not by choice at first. Gohan was kidnapped by strange metal-bodied foes searching for you. But through that trial, he awakened a dangerous power. In the end, Piccolo took it upon himself to train him. It was the only way forward."
Goku's chest tightened. His first instinct was outrage—his son, under Piccolo's care of all people? Yet as Kami explained more—the kidnapping, the sudden surge of Gohan's hidden strength, and how Piccolo alone had managed to stop it—Goku's anger gave way to reluctant acceptance.
"I see…" he muttered, fists clenched. "If Gohan's really that strong, then… maybe this is what he needs."
His focus sharpened. He pushed aside his doubts and threw himself back into training. Not only the Spirit Bomb, but also his other technique—Kaioken.
Again and again, he strained his body beyond its limits, red energy flaring around him in bursts. His voice roared through King Kai's planet as he forced his body into higher multipliers.
But no matter how hard he tried, twenty times Kaioken was his ceiling. Beyond that, his body simply couldn't endure.
Breathing hard, hands on his knees, Goku laughed despite the pain. "Guess… this is it for now. But twenty times… it'll have to be enough."
King Kai frowned, but said nothing. He knew that the storm ahead would test not only Goku's strength, but the fate of Earth itself.
---
And while Goku pushed past his mortal limits, Rudra's plan tightened like a noose.
Gohan was growing stronger every day. Piccolo's bond with him deepened. Kami's suspicions were diverted. Dr. Gero was preparing his tools.
Everything was falling into place.
And in the shadows, Rudra whispered to himself once more.
"The board is set. The pieces are moving. Soon, Earth will face its trial. And when it does… the world will know whose hand guided fate."