War Saga - Part 1: Enter the Demon

"We're all going to fucking die, aren't we?" Ambrose asked gravely.

If nothing else, that certainly sparked Goku's attention. "W-What?!" A bead of sweat ran down his face. "How could you not trust me to take him down? I'm the strongest in the world, and I just proved it!"

Roshi bristled at the arrogance that his former student exuded, but still cleared his throat to get both of their attention. "You may have proven yourself the strongest in the world, Goku," he began, satiating the boy's ego, "but King Piccolo's power is out of this world. No mortal has ever been able to match his power."

Goku grunted, raising a fist. "Then I'm going to be the first," he adamantly declared. "Once I get my eyesight back from that dirty trick, that demon won't know what hit him."

"No, Goku!" Ambrose suddenly roared, turning and gripping the child by the throat. He immediately dragged him over and pinned him against the wall, leaving Goku to sputter and cough in his choke hold. "You listen to me, and you listen to me right now: if you rush him dead-on, you will lose! This fucker is absolutely one-hundred percent out of your league!"

"Then…" Goku coughed as Ambrose released him, "why shouldn't I get it over with and die anyway? If I'm not going to be able to help the army conquer the world, what purpose do I have to live for?"

That comment didn't go unnoticed by Master Roshi, who immediately honed in on Goku's slip-up. "The army? You mean… you've been part of…"

"The Red Ribbon Army, yes," Ambrose finished with a scowl on his face, watching as the Turtle Hermit recoiled with horror. "But let's get something straight. We're not after you right now, as much as I'd like to tear into your face and kill you myself for fucking with Goku's head as much as you did. Our priority right now is not getting mauled by this supernatural monster." He turned his head to Goku. "Come on, squirt, we're leaving. We have to make it back to the tower if we're going to get any plan in place." He hoisted the boy over his shoulder without warning - knowing he wouldn't be able to guide himself out - and promptly walked out of the room, leaving a dazed Roshi alone with his thoughts.

"So… I trained an accomplice of the Red Ribbon army…" the elderly warrior murmured to himself, walking toward the exit himself. He knew he had to relay the dire news to everyone else before Piccolo had a chance to carry out his grand ambition. "...And he's now the second strongest warrior on this entire planet behind Piccolo, the demon king.

"Things just keep getting better…"

The battle had long since been over. Bodies were scattered all over the landmark known as Candle Village-both Red Ribbon and King's Guard alike. Anton noticed with a confident grin that many more King's Guard soldiers had kicked the bucket as opposed to his own men.

But even that mattered little. The task was complete.

"I take it that we're wrapped up here," he confidently remarked. "Unless I'm forgetting any of the commander's orders, all we had to do was yank their oil supply, right?"

"The added carnage was a bonus," came one soldier's retort with a merciless grin. "But yeah, we're done here. Let's head back."

"Not without us!"

Everyone, including Anton, turned their heads to see Dolph, Locke, and a girl Anton would deem far from unattractive walking toward them from a higher hill. As they came closer, Anton could clearly see that Locke and the girl seemed to be aiding Dolph along, the latter's face flushed full with pain. Just what had gone on?

Eager to find out an answer, the leader of this entire operation folded his arms and shook his head. "Well, well, well… Anton, Dolph, care to explain why you ran off in the heat of battle? Better yet, why the hell is this girl with you?"

"Sergeant Anton, the both of us ran off in pursuit of Commander Enier. The old fool had tried fleeing once he realized he stood no chance, so Dolph and I took preemptive measures to ensure he didn't escape."

Anton had to admit he was more than a little impressed. "Good eyes. But that doesn't explain the girl," he added, motioning over to her. "What's she got to do with all this?"

"My name is Kara," the blonde girl cut in. "And you should be thanking me. Without me, your boys wouldn't be alive right now."

Seeing his soldiers recoil in surprise at the audacity of the blonde, Anton scowled. He knew he had to reassert his authority immediately. "I owe nothing to a worthless piece of trash like you, girl!"

She raised her free arm that wasn't being used to support Dolph, placing it on her hip. "What would you say if I told you that I killed Enier, then?"

Anton's eyes bugged out. "There's no way… a mere woman killed one of the finest soldiers the King's Guard ever knew... " Immediately, he regained his spark, glaring at both Anton and Dolph. "Men, is this true?"

"S-Sergeant…" Dolph rasped out, but immediately, he felt the heat of either of his two accomplices' stares on him. He swallowed the pain and grunted. "Yes, it's true. Kara did kill him."

"We were struggling with taking the old man down-he was very crafty. Didn't exactly fight fair, either," Locke remarked, looking over toward Dolph. "His old age seemed to matter very little-he had stamina in spades. But, thankfully, this girl came along and shot him dead."

"Really? Now that's something…" Anton half-smirked. "But all that shows me is that you idiots were useless when it came to taking down an old man! You both don't deserve the ranking that comes with the Red Ribbon Army! Men, go ahead and wipe all three of these fuckers off the face of this Earth!"

Many rifles were aimed in that very moment, leaving the triptych to shiver in fear. Anton noted all they had between them was two pistols, and it was hardly as if they could drop Dolph in time to arm them. They were finished.

"Don't!"

Everyone immediately turned around to see a young Kass, trembling with both anxiety and trepidation. "We've lost so many already… why should we kill two more of our own when there's not even a battle going on?!"

He fell over, lifeless, a minute later.

Anton lowered his pistol in disgust. "How this brat lived throughout this entire mission, I'll never understand."

Nobody batted an eye at Kass' untimely death. To protest killing in itself was practically asking for an early visit to the next world. They all kept their eyes locked on Dolph, Kara, and Locke, waiting for their sergeant's orders. As Anton realized this, he waved them off. "Don't even bother. They're already in enough hot water with Commander Red. Let him decide on how to handle this."

Everyone lowered their rifles in unison and went to begin excited chatter amongst themselves; however, not a single soul saw Dolph lower his blonde-haired head down toward Kara's ear and whisper, with a smirk…

"Told you that poor idiot would take the bait."

Crane Master Shen was not a very happy man right now as he watched his prized student straggle around and take an impromptu seat against the wall, panting for air. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, Tien. You did exactly all that I asked you to and eliminated the filthy Turtle school from the tournament-and even the old Turtle Master himself. And yet this nobody comes along and hands you defeat!" he seethed. "What's more, he knows our trademark move in the Dodon Ray!"

"I-I know…" Tien heaved, groaning in pain as he mustered up enough strength to push his head off the wall and crack his neck. "With Roshi, I knew I could beat him if I just kept chipping away at him. But with this kid… I don't think I could've ever beaten him at the strength level I'm at now."

"Tien, you did the best you could…" Chiaotzu tried to offer the triclops. "It's not that you're weak; it's that your opponent was just that much stronger!"

"He knows that, Chiaotzu!" Shen snarled, causing the imp to flinch in fear. He pounded his fist into his hand. "I just wish I knew more about the boy! I must find out how he harnessed such power… aside from one legendary being, it's the greatest I've ever seen!"

"Speaking of him, Shen, I think I have something you may want to know about."

All three of the Crane School collectively turned their heads as Master Roshi approached them with a grim expression. While Chiaotzu and Tien greeted him with nothing short of an inquisitive stare, Shen managed to be even less cordial. "What're you saying, old man? Spit it out, or I'll have Tien here finish what he started!"

"You're not in a position to have him do that right now, Shen," Roshi calmly responded, ignoring his rival's furious expression. "Besides, we need all the numbers we can get right now to face him."

Upon seeing how unbelievably stoic the normally jovial and goofy master was, Shen decided to quell his anger long enough to figure out what was going on. "There's no way... you can't be serious right now, Roshi…"

"If you want to hear the full story, follow me. I have to tell the others, and I'd rather not waste time telling the story twice," Roshi sternly said. With that, he turned his back to the trio and began a swift walk away.

"M-Master, how dare you let him disrespect you like that!" Tien hissed as he nursed his shoulder. "He has no right to get away with blatantly leaving you out of the loop! Besides, did you forget how much you hate his guts?!"

"Tien Shinhan, there will be none of that!" Shen snapped, raising his leg and deftly kicking him right on the spine, eliciting a scream of pain out of the triclops as he feebly fell to the ground again. "You have no idea who this monster I'm referring to is, do you? In the face of such a huge threat like this, I have no choice but to follow that old fool!"

"M-Master… who is this threat…?" Chiaotzu whimpered as Shen turned to him, his face still colored red with nervous adrenaline. "And why haven't you told us about him before?"

"I'll explain as we walk," Shen responded, annoyed with the constant badgering. "Now get up, Tien; we have no time to waste…"

Goku had felt like he'd been pulled for hours and hours on end now. All he could hear was the bustling noise of the city's environment around him. The smoke in the air was palpable to him, filling his lungs every now and again and causing him to cough.

Yet Ambrose was insistent on carrying the boy through it all. Whenever Goku had protested and promised the auburn-haired soldier he'd be able to walk on his own, the executioner barked back at him with a firm protectiveness that seemed rare of him. It was remarkable, really. Even in his most sincere moments, Ambrose had never come off so concerned about his well-being.

He was brought out of his musings when he suddenly, involuntarily, slid off Ambrose's back, grunting in mild discomfort. Before he had the opportunity to ask what had happened, however, he heard a chorus of rumblings before a wild shriek rang through his ears. Ambrose's maniacal laughter followed.

Being scooped up once again by his former caretaker, Goku growled at him. "What gives, Ambrose?! What was that for?!"

"Was doing what I do best." Even though he couldn't see him, Goku had a feeling Ambrose was wearing a devious grin. "Now, Goku, you ready for your first ever helicopter ride?"

A collective chill of fear tingled through the Earth's heroes, the reality of the situation gripping them harshly by the throat and paralyzing them beyond words. Just judging from the fear and trepidation laced within Master Roshi's voice as he recounted the stories of death and destruction that Piccolo was single-handedly responsible for, this was destined to be their greatest battle yet.

"So what are we supposed to do in the face of such a demon?" Yamcha asked, balancing himself on his crutches. "I wish I could help, but I'm useless with this dead leg…"

"Don't feel bad, Yamcha. As much as I hate to admit it, we're all useless against this monster's almighty power," Master Roshi grimly admitted. "The only thing I believe we can really do is try and foil whatever plans he may have."

"Do you have any leads on what he might do, Master Roshi?" Bulma asked, now holding the unconscious Krillin in her arms. "After all, you're the only one here who has firsthand experience fighting him."

"Make that two."

Everyone craned their heads to see as Shen led his students to join the pack, the normally boastful master wearing nothing short of a stoic stare. "I too have seen King Piccolo battle, and I'm willing to bet that I can put the pieces together on his grand plan."

"Shen, I told you I wasn't going to repeat myself," Roshi firmly cut in. "Why can't you swallow your pride for once and realize that there's more to worry about than yourself?"

Shen folded his arms. "Fool. Have you really lost your eyesight? We were listening from afar. I refuse to get any closer to you than I have to, especially after you tried to corrupt my top student once you realized you were destined to lose to him."

Roshi did nothing more than grunt. "That's neither here nor there… right now I could care less how any of you feel towards me. What I care about is getting as many people as we can to try and work together against King Piccolo. Are you in?"

"Yes," Tien swiftly cut in, answering for his master. Upon hearing the triclops' voice, Shen growled in annoyance but ultimately remained quiet. "The Turtle and the Crane can put their rivalry aside for this one battle. But be warned, Roshi… we're going to finish our fight afterward, and when we do, I won't let you just forfeit." Tien balled his fist.

Despite the threat, Roshi nodded. "I understand, Tien. We will fight again if that's what you so wish, but first we have to make sure we survive this monster's rampage before we can worry about a rematch."

"I do agree with that," Shen reluctantly remarked, "but that doesn't mean I like it any less."

"Guys!" Bulma suddenly shouted, causing everyone sans the Crane triptych to jump. Rebalancing Krillin in her arms, she scowled. "The fate of the Earth is at stake and you have to worry about your stupid macho pride right now?"

"She's right. We need to focus," Roshi directed, taking off his shades. "I immediately noticed that when that monster managed to escape, he snatched both the Dragon Ball and the list of tournament entrants. I'm sure that Piccolo's plot has to do with eliminating them for some reason."

"He's learned from last time, old man," Shen degradingly remarked. "I've already figured it out. I don't know what these Dragon Balls are, but I do know that the reason he had his minion steal the list of competitors was so he could eliminate them all preemptively before they could learn that technique."

"W-What technique are you referring to, Master?" Tien inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Is it one any of us know?"

"No," Shen answered, looking down for the briefest of moments, "and I doubt it will ever be performed again. The Evil Containment Wave is a move that died with our master, Mutaito. To be fair, we never thought we'd need it again after he went ahead and sealed the demon king up. But it's smart nonetheless to try and take us all out right now, as he's certainly not going to underestimate us humans again."

"He's probably going to go ahead and take everyone out one by one, then," Bulma concluded. "Which means any address that's put down there isn't safe to go to. Worst comes to worst, I can house you guys at Capsule Corporation while we think something up."

"There's no time to hide out, as much as I wish we had it," Roshi bluntly stated. "The best thing we can do is try and collect at least one Dragon Ball. If we can manage that, then Piccolo can't get whatever wish he's going to try for."

"Wish?" Shen raised an eyebrow, immediately intrigued. "These Dragon Balls grant wishes?"

"I'll fill you in on it later, Shen, but what you need to know right now is that him getting them spells doom for us," Roshi hastily spoke, nodding toward Bulma. "We're going to need the Dragon Radar, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Bulma answered. "I'm gonna need a solid day to get it together, but I can do it." Upon seeing Roshi's grimace at her response, she grew nervous. The sight almost made her drop Krillin right at her feet. "Don't tell me you need it sooner…?"

"The sooner, the better, honestly," Roshi remarked. "But now that I'm thinking about it, a day to rest and recover might be exactly what we all need."

"Fine," Shen cut in, turning to his two students. "You heard the old fart. We are to live with them for the next day. I don't like it, but we'll have to if we want to take down Piccolo."

Tien, despite his weakened form, nodded. "Understood, master." However, his mind was on something greater. 'Goku… I know that you'll turn up again. If not against Piccolo, we will meet again... and when we do, I promise that I will have no reservations about killing you and your crazy little friend!'

In the skies above, while the Earth's heroes made their way to Capsule Corp., an aircraft remained stationary in the clouds as it waited idly for its master's next command. It remained just above the troposphere to ensure that there would be no collisions with fellow airplanes; the pilot wouldn't want to risk their precious materials being destroyed in the turbulent winds.

Inside this aircraft, an aged figure reclined back in his gargantuan throne, a smirk spreading his wrinkled mien as he viewed the shimmering sphere in his minion's outstretched hand. In addition to his son's success in obtaining the golden orb, it appeared as if the trio of sniveling cowards he'd spared previously would serve him quite well if they kept up their loyalty. Things were going quite swimmingly for him at the moment; he held all the tools he needed to achieve his ultimate goal. All that was needed was to collect the remaining six spheres before his goal would become reality…

"So…" the elderly figure began with his baritone voice, the low growls of his voice reverberating around the aircraft he was currently on. " that's the Dragon Ball…"

As his master marveled the sphere in his possession, the subordinate gestured over to the gang next to beside him. "It was located where they said it'd be—that old man they claimed to encounter in the past was looking for it after the tournament ended, so I pushed him aside and gathered the items you requested, master." He was careful to omit the fact that he'd nearly been dispatched of by one of the tournament competitors, knowing it wouldn't go over well with his father.

"You see?! You see?! I knew it'd be there!" Pilaf cried out eagerly, hoping to show his new master he was reliable. Though he knew freeing his new overlord had been a risky endeavor, he seemed to be quite complacent with the current situation. If things kept up, the emperor knew he could accomplish his true goal of world domination.

Ignoring the imp's boasting, the head honcho of the pack focused his gaze solely on the Dragon Ball, grinning with sadistic glee as he recognized the power he was wielding. "When we collect all seven of them… I shall live for all eternity! Nobody will stop Piccolo's wrath!"

Pilaf and his two followers – a young dog by the name of Shu and a beautiful woman named Mai – nodded enthusiastically before speaking in unison. "Yes, master!"

"Also," interrupted the demon, annoyed with his fellow accomplices' incessant attempts to be in his master's favor. "I have here with me the list of finalists from the previous tournaments like you asked for."

"Excellent," Piccolo responded with a devious grin. "Put up the list. There is little time to be wasted before my plans come to fruition."

"Of course, my master," replied the demon, his devilish smirk remaining plastered across his face as he posted the fighters' pictures on the walls of the airship.

The demon glanced at the solid wall of the airship, his fists subconsciously clenching. "No fighter shall remain alive… not when the possibility exists of them knowing the Evil Containment Wave. If even the weakest man can learn to execute the technique, it's a ticket straight to that horrid prison once more." The memories of his soul being trapped in that rice cooker horrified him to no end, the ultimate hell for a demon such as himself. Any measures would suffice if it meant being free from that atrocious confinement, any method at all— even if it meant eliminating his opposition as quickly as possible.

"It'll be a shame not to personally inflict my wrath upon them for the time being… but it cannot be helped. Kill all of the remaining experts, Tambourine… and any other mortal that dares to stand in your way!"

"By your command!" Tambourine grinned, licking his lips lustfully as he savored the thought of killing once more. Then, just as quickly, another thought occurred to him. "But… wait. Who will guard the Dragon Balls in my absence?"

"I suppose I can't entirely rely on you to handle all the dirty work," mused Piccolo to himself, his aged brow lifting ever slightly. "Very well, then. I shall create another demon."

"M-Make another demon?" Shu asked, his eyes uncomfortably shifting over to the blue imp beside him. "W-What does he even… mean by that?"

"I don't know, Shu…" Pilaf murmured back, equally as confused as his anthropomorphic companion. "...but I think I just lost my appetite."

"M-Master!" came the cry of Piano, the first of the demon king's children. His pterodactyl-like figure nearly began to tremble at his master's claim, seemingly in fear. "Master, no… don't inflict such a pain upon yourself. If you lay another egg, you will get older and die before you even have a chance to take over the world!"

In response, Piccolo turned his cranium toward his child and gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't concern yourself with my health. I'll live… despite my containment in that wretched rice cooker, I'll be damned if I've lost that much of my power."

"I… I truly hope so, Master…" came the swift reply of Piano. 'There isn't any power that can rival the likes of Master Piccolo… but if he manages to kill himself with the spawning of this new demon, we're doomed!'

Piccolo tightened his grip on his massive throne, narrowing his eyes as he immersed himself in his subconscious. "Pokopen… pokopen… pokopen…" His jaw slackened from the strain, his insides feeling as if they'd been lit with the embers of a thousand suns. Just as quickly, his stomach constricted, and he felt a surge of pain ring through his intestine.

'Curse my damn age...' the demon king thought to himself with a scowl as he experienced the painful sensation of the egg traveling up his throat, temporarily cutting off his air supply. 'Had I been youthful, this would've been far, far easier… but all that time in that damn container has locked away my dormant strength in my earlier years. That won't be a problem any longer… not when I become this mudball's eternal ruler!'

"HYAKK!" Piccolo snarled, spitting out the egg in a coat of saliva and phlegm. It landed just abreast his throne, cracks already beginning to form and spread across the oval-shaped substance.

As the egg hatched, giving birth to a dinosaur-resembling monster, Piccolo wiped the excess spittle off his lips with his forefinger, panting heavily as he did so. "Awaken, young demon! Your name shall be… Cymbal!"

With his master's command, the newly-birthed demon looked upwards, grinning sadistically. His wings flapped twice in an attempt to flex its new muscles, which he found worked quite well.

"Are you a fighter?" Piccolo asked simply, waiting expectantly on his child's answer. It mattered not if he wasn't; the demon king knew it wouldn't take too much out of him to produce another… however, it was a process his body would require time to heal from. Even now, his internal organs felt as if they'd been crushed, an obvious sign that he was aging faster than he'd liked. 'Eternal youth… it must be mine soon if the plan is to succeed...'

"Yes, my master," Cymbal replied, rotating his arms and testing out a fraction of his power. "I know what is asked of me—I have more than enough power to deal with any fools who get in my way."

"Good, it appears you do know your role, then." Piccolo then bent forward, his obsidian pools of hatred glaring into his newborn's eyes. "Find the six Dragon Balls and bring them back to me immediately."

His head then whipped around at nigh-detectable speeds, a scowl playing upon his lips as he pointed towards his non-demon subordinates. "Find me the location of the next Dragon Ball!"

"Y-Yes, Master Piccolo!" Pilaf promptly replied, turning toward the large globe in the airship and quickly searching for the next sphere. It took him no more than five seconds to spot one, pointing toward its signal and immediately grabbing the attention of all on board. "Yes… this one appears to be the closest… yes, this is the best one!"

Cymbal nodded in response, identifying his target with the sinister grin of his father. "That'll be one of the six I have to collect… that's simple enough."

"You likely won't run into many fighters at all, Cymbal," noted Tambourine as he looked toward the list of fighters, "I'll be handling the majority of them. Now, there are so many choices… who to start with…?"

His gaze eventually settled on a young man wearing a turban and a rather traditional outfit. "Yes… he'll be just fine to kick things off with…" Tambourine grinned maliciously. "Now… his address is… perfect…"

"Tambourine. Cymbal."

Both demons immediately whirled to face their master, arms at their side as if they were being trained under the most strenuous and strictest of regimes.

"You'd best not disappoint me," warned Piccolo as he reclined back in his throne. "The second coming of the Demon King Piccolo is at hand, and I won't tolerate any sort of failure on my end."

A shorter chapter than I would've liked, but one that seems to flow rather smoothly while highlighting everyone's preparations for the battle ahead(as well as some denouement for Candle Village). Furthermore, I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers for anyone hit hard by the first snowstorm of 2016.

Originally, plans called for this chapter to go a little longer, but I ultimately decided to take this portion of the story just a little bit slower. This chapter would've felt too much like a whirlwind of events if I had kept it at its original length, so some of its content has been rescheduled into the next chapter. However, I wouldn't fret about it, as I'm still planning on uploading Chapter 11 on this story's two year anniversary. Consider this an early present from me.

Speaking of rescheduling, Kass was actually meant to live a little longer. However, I realized that there was a pristine opportunity to highlight the type of soldier that survives in this army in that very scene. Those who resist the machine just get sniped off, while those that know how to play the game thrive. Kass' innocence and purity, in this instance, got him killed, while Dolph's clever manipulation(which will be explored a little more next chapter) saved his skin.

And on that same topic of purity, we have Tien. It's very clear that, unlike canon Tien, RS Tien doesn't exactly seem that much more noble. Goku's battle with Tien and the psychology behind it(both on and off the field) has, for the moment, delayed his character evolution. I want to take Tien down a different path in canon, one where his character is going to be more than badass one-liners and general stoicism. I felt there was more potential in this antagonistic Tien we saw in Dragon Ball than there was in his DBZ incarnation, and so I wrote this series of events to keep him as such. Perhaps he may or may not end up a good guy still, but don't just assume that I'm going to randomly turn him because canon called for it. Part of the reason I love having just one storyline with Red Son is it means that I can focus more intricately on the characters that matter, and trust me when I say I'm going to fully capitalize on that.

As always, I hope you enjoyed and will be back to read how Piccolo's plot intensifies in three days!

-Guest: I realay hate the Goku you've made here. Unless he sees the horrors the Red Ribbon Army, I can't ever see him being rehabilitated from this.

I'm incredibly thrilled to hear that, actually. The thing about Red Son's Goku, in my mind, is that you are entirely welcome to either love him or hate him. I sometimes switch how I feel about him while writing him, actually. You can admire him for still caring about Krillin, but you can also hate that he's been so brainwashed by the Red Ribbon's agenda that, despite being the strongest mortal on Earth(King Piccolo not included), he can't stand up for his own beliefs. You can both marvel at his childlike desire to make Commander Red happy and also hate it because his natural personality has been buried away deep within him. I don't want to pat myself on the back for making Goku this way, but it's honestly what I wanted to achieve in Turbulence in a way and so I'm glad I was able to accomplish it in my third attempt at a "changed Goku" story.

Mohammad Alzo: I am hoping that Goku will stay stronger in canon overall... I think he's perfect as is, He is Very realistically strong.. I hope you don't nerf him for the sake of the plot...

I mean, the story will be amazing with Goku's new attitude... I mean imagine him vs Vegeta as equal in Power level and skill If not better... Imagine him earning Raditz's respect... Or making Frieza of all people scared with his ruthlessness and calm exterior...

I think the story would actually be WORSE If Goku was any weaker.

Keep it going, and remember; just because some people review complaining about the story being ruined and the main being too strong...

Doesn't mean they have any idea what they're talking about.

I actually think I'm the only one who was concerned with Goku being as powerful as he is, in hindsight. The thing is, though, the only reason Goku is so absurdly ahead of the curve is because of all the additional training he's been through. That almost HAS to come back and bite him eventually. I don't consider this a spoiler because you all pretty much have to know this by now, but Goku won't be curbstomping every single threat in this story. Will he remain a strong presence? Absolutely, he is the main character, after all. But like I said, if you expect Goku to simply dominate the competition in ways that shouldn't be possible(i.e. making Frieza tremble in his first appearance), this definitely isn't the story for you.