PAPAYA ISLAND

May 7, 784 AD (Tenkaichi Budokai 28)

"Grandpa! It can't be true! Tell me it's not true, Grandpa!"

Son Goku: Earth's greatest hero, one of the few survivors of the Saiyan Genocide, the man who slew the Demon King Piccolo, single-handedly defeated the Red Ribbon Army, won Tenkaichi Budokai 23, and various other valiant deeds the public is unaware of, was saying goodbye to his friends and family. He had met Uub, his first student, in the ring and was going to train him.

The news was sudden, but nobody took the news harder than Pan, his four-year-old granddaughter.

She ran straight into his arms, tears streaming out of her eyes.

Goku lifted her up. "What's wrong?" he asked, gently. "Hey!"

Pan sniffed. "Grandpa, are you really leaving?"

"Yes," he told her.

The toddler clearly couldn't fathom the concept of her grandfather going away. "You can't go! It's not fair! What am I going to do without you!?" She clutched him around the neck, not wanting to let go.

"Hey, hey, Pan," Goku said calmly. "It's okay. We'll still get to see each other now-and-then. Grandpa's gonna come and visit you."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise. I wouldn't miss it. But you can't be sad while I'm gone, okay?"

"Okay, sure," said Pan, drying her eyes.

Goku ruffled his grandkid's hair. "Yeah, that's my girl." He turned to two teenage boys nearby: Pans uncle Goten and his friend, Trunks Briefs. "Trunks, Goten, please try to stay focused and train. Look, I see a bright future in Uub, but you guys are the ones he's gonna look to for leadership."

With a smile, the two boys agreed with Goku at the same time.

"I'm gonna train, too, Grandpa!" said Pan. "I'm gonna be big and strong like you and save the world, too!"

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" he was so proud of her. Setting her down, he turned to see a man leaning against the doorway.

Vegeta had a knowing smirk on his face.

"Hi, Vegeta," said Goku. "Sorry to disappoint you. I was really looking forward to one more bout with the Prince of All Saiyans."

Vegeta wasn't upset at all. After everything they'd weathered from Cell, to Majin Buu, to their training with Whis, he understood what his old rival had in mind. "Don't worry about it, we couldn't play. Not here. When we fight, we'll need a whole planet for an arena."

Goku laughed. "You're too much! Bye my friend." He turned his back on Vegeta and flew back into the ring. He stopped right in front of his new student, who climbed onto his back (Uub didn't know how to fly yet). Both of them left, to the amazement of the stadium.

"So you're training Uub to uphold the peace," Vegeta said to himself with a chuckle. "Is that it, Kakarot? Well you can't fool me, old friend. Yes, I know, there's more to it than that, isn't there?"

Tenkaichi Budokai 28 was cancelled upon Goku and Uub's abrupt departure; Mr. Satan retained his title of tournament champion.

No murders, no demonspawn wanting revenge, no plots to revive an ancient monster.

Unlike most tournaments Goku and friends had fought in, Earth was safe.