When he opened his eyes in the early morning, the first thing Cell noticed was that it looked like a sunny, promising day. The second thing he noticed was the distinct sound of crunching leaves combined with vibrations of the soil beneath him that signaled someone's approach. Cell took his time reaching for his gun, knowing that whoever it was, they couldn't pose a threat to him. And whoever it was, it certainly wasn't his quarry. He had the final Gero on the run, and he wasn't going to shift his focus until he had her caught. He might've lost her and her heroic sheriff, and been stuck searching through the forest of trees amidst the open wilderness overnight, but now he felt he was coming close, and he wasn't going to lose ground, no matter who this was approaching his camp.

As Cell slowly turned a gaze over his shoulder, seeing a solitary horse with a native and child mounted on him, he almost dismissed the pair. They didn't seem too interested in him, either. But then, Cell realized that the native looked familiar. As Cell narrowed his eyes, studying the war markings of green painted on that horse's chest, he tapped his chin. Yes, something stood out about that native, and those war markings only added to Cell's suspicions. When he narrowed his eyes at the native's face again, though it was still distant and hard to make out the details, Cell was able to recognize enough characteristics to put the pieces together. Here, in West City, a bounty had been sent out months ago for a certain native who liked to commit crimes for hire and terrorize the good people of the town. One Daimao-something-or-other, he recalled. Yes, that had to be this native. Tempting, but Cell still wanted to finish things in a certain order. The native and his kid could wait, but this town was turning out to be the jackpot of bounties. Cell was only sorry he hadn't come to West City sooner.

Grunting with the effort of rising to his feet, Cell collected his gun and canteen, loading his horse in preparation to move, while the native eyed him carefully from the distance. This was going to be a busy day.

That had to be the bounty hunter. He was likely aware of their presence already, Piccolo realized as his horse slowly continued through the forest, but though he was packing his camp, he didn't seem interested in coming after them. Piccolo was slightly surprised by that. For a minute there, he expected to find himself a target of one of Cell's bounties, from what Tien had to tell him about the guy. It seemed he was the type who would be aware of any bounties in the area, and Piccolo was fairly certain that Kami had put one out on him not too long ago.

Seeing that the bounty hunter wasn't after them at the moment, as the man finished packing and rode off in the opposite direction, Piccolo decided to continue past the trees, into the open wasteland. There, he could see tracks of horse hooves, in clusters, dented into the dry, cracked soil drying out below the desert sun. There were only two groups that could belong to at a time like this. Either the Ginyus or the Saiyans. Either way, both groups were likely heading the same direction as one was pursuing another.

"We'll continue onto the next stretch of trees, Gohan." Piccolo decided.

"You think we'll find my dad there?"

Piccolo smiled at the small voice which had remained so quiet and deep in thought for a great stretch of their travel. "I have a feeling we'll find who we're looking for soon, just beyond there."

The tracks were fresh, and as some branched off in another direction, Piccolo paid those no mind. The horse tracks going that direction seemed heavier, wider-gapped, which indicated a hurried pace. The patterning of the tracks was organized like a group traveling in ranks, which didn't fit the Saiyans. That's why Piccolo dismissed those tracks and decided to follow the other, sloppier arrangement of tracks. They would find someone soon, regardless.

The campfire from the long, treacherous night before was burning out, the last crackles of the dying flames drawing Goku from his sleep-deprived, distant daydreaming. When he blinked back into awareness, he immediately looked down at his brother, laid flat on his back in the morning sunlight beside him.

Raditz had seen better days. His forehead was drenched in sweat, in spite of all the time Goku had spent during the night wiping his brow with a makeshift cloth soaked in the nearby river. The long bed of black hair laid below him was clinging to Raditz's neck as he hissed and writhed in pain. Goku clenched his teeth as he grasped the moist cloth by his side in another attempt at easing Raditz's pain.

Goku's eyes drifted to Raditz's bloodied leg as he dabbed the cloth on his forehead. The pant leg of Raditz's left thigh, at least the section which hadn't been torn away yet, was soaked across the middle in blood. The wound was still tied off, and Goku was keeping that leather strap as tight on there as he could. It was the only thing saving Raditz's life at the time.

Goku wished he could do more, in spite of the fact that his brother was a complete asshole and had this coming sooner or later. There were other people, more important people out there who needed his help right now. But Goku couldn't leave his brother to die out here. He couldn't do much more to help him, either.

Narrowing his eyes at the gaping bullet wound in Raditz's thigh, Goku felt his stomach churn. And it wasn't just because he was hungry. It was his brief consideration of removing the bullet that churned his stomach, something of which he'd always been squeamish – pretty much anything that involved sticking needles or scalpels into people that didn't have something to do with fighting could set him off.

Judging by Raditz's level of pain and fading consciousness, Goku suspected the bullet was lodged in the bone. He was sure that he could use the fire to cauterize the wound (he'd survived enough sticky situations during his past with the Saiyans by having the same done to him), but without taking the bullet out first, that would be pointless. Raditz needed more help.

"Raditz," Goku broached carefully, noting the way his brother's brow twitched at his voice, "how are you hangin' in there?"

Raditz's body lurched as his eyes clenched tightly shut. "How the fuck do you think I'm hangin'?"

Goku laughed in relief as he shifted on the fallen log on which he was seated. At least if his brother could answer and have that attitude, he wasn't as far gone as Goku thought.

"Yeah." Raditz grumbled. "Have a laugh. This is real funny."

Goku grew serious. This was an opportunity he couldn't waste. His brother was the only one who knew how to find Gohan. While he was still talking, Goku had to get that out of him, no matter what. As a breeze rustled through the scarce pine trees surrounding them, and leaves tumbled noisily across the wilderness floor, Goku leaned into Raditz.

"Raditz, how are we gonna find Piccolo?"

Raditz forced one eye open to peer disbelievingly at his brother. He thought the little shit cared about him, but apparently not, seeing that he was actually suggesting a hike through the woods at a time like this.

"We're not," Raditz coughed, then groaned in pain as that slight movement of his body made the pain radiate up his leg, "fucking moving."

"Raditz! I need to find my son! What was your arrangement for meeting Piccolo?"

A beat passed before Raditz closed his eyes and sighed. He knew his stupid brother wasn't going to leave him alone about this until he had answers, and it wasn't like Raditz could get away from him. He might as well say something, if only to shut Kakarot up. As Raditz took a breath in preparation to answer, the crunch-crunch of leaves under a heavy weight made Raditz swallow his words.

Goku sat at attention and rapidly grabbed his gun to point it towards the sound. "Raditz, someone's out there."

Raditz took a deep breath, clenching his eyes shut as he absorbed the bitter reality of his inevitable demise. "The Ginyus."

"No," Goku stood to his feet, peering into the distance, "I don't think so."

While the rustling approach continued, Goku realized the noise was much too quiet for a gang of riders. Holding his breath in anticipation, Goku aimed for a vague figure on horseback who came into view from behind a cluster of pine trees. He cocked the hammer, prepared to shoot, thinking if it wasn't the Ginyus, maybe it was that man from the shootout in town. Or maybe it was Frieza himself.

When the figure came forward, and Goku recognized the rider's different style of dress and the Namekian green paint on his brown horse, he gasped and lowered his gun to his side.

"Kakarot?" Raditz asked. "Who...who do you see?"

As the silence and Raditz's anticipation became too much to bear, he tried to raise his neck and peer over the length of his body. All Raditz could see from his poor vantage point was his brother, staring at the new arrival in stunned silence.

The rider smirked at Goku. "Well, don't you two look like a couple of pathetic Saiyans?"

Goku ignored Piccolo's snide remark when a small head peeked out from behind Piccolo and looked directly at him, sporting a trembling bottom lip and eyes welling with tears.

"G-" Goku gulped down the lump in his throat as tears burned the backs of his eyes, "Gohan?"

"Daddy!"

Piccolo watched as Gohan jumped from the horse, eagerly meeting his dad halfway as Goku was already approaching, disregarding any potential danger that Piccolo might pose him. While Goku knelt down and captured Gohan in his arms, Piccolo focused his gaze on Raditz, quickly assessing the damage to the Saiyan's leg.

As Gohan clung to his father tightly and cried into his shoulder, Goku closed his eyes in relief; his little boy was safe after surviving alone with Piccolo. Gohan surely had a tale of his own to tell, judging by the unkempt shag of his hair and dirt caked all over his face. But Goku didn't care about any of that. He was just glad it was Gohan and Piccolo and not someone else who found them.

Goku smiled as he pulled Gohan off his tear-soaked shoulder to meet his son's gaze. "Don't cry, Squirt! You're all right. Your mom is going to kill me if I bring you back looking like this, though."

Raditz chuckled. "You got your kid back. Let me guess. The savage is here, too?"

"That's right." Piccolo jumped from his horse, the thud of his landing causing Goku and Gohan to break their hug and look at him. "And you know what I'm here for."

Goku glared at Piccolo and stood to his feet. "You can get to that later. Can't you see Raditz was shot?"

Gohan gasped, looking to the injured, sweat-drenched man on the ground and recalling how that man had snatched him from his mother's arms. Raditz couldn't be dangerous now, but seeing his face again resurfaced the fear Gohan felt that day.

Piccolo scoffed and crossed his arms, not at all surprised or caring about the nature of Raditz's injury. "I see the Ginyus found you. I'm surprised you got away."

"You know about the Ginyus?" Goku narrowed his eyes at Piccolo. "What have you been doin' with Gohan?"

"Laying low, for the most part." Piccolo snapped. "We just returned from West City. A lot has happened, Goku Son, and if you want your son to stay safe, I don't advise going back there with him yet."

Goku's brows rose in surprise at Piccolo's seemingly genuine concern for Gohan's safety conveyed by his tone, but Piccolo's remark about West City had him worried. Most of the danger Goku was aware of was out there in the harsh, dry wilderness with them, endangering Bulma and the Saiyans. But from the safe, cushy location of West City, another danger apparently lurked.

"What's in West City?" Goku raised a brow. "Frieza?"

Piccolo grunted in surprise, but quickly masked his expression and gave a curt nod. "So you know about him."

Raditz screamed, both in frustration and agony from his combined physical pain and the painful discovery of overhearing that Frieza was so close already. Not only was he going to die soon, but if Frieza caught up with him, Raditz knew he'd be dying slowly and painfully.

Raditz shook his head frantically. "No!"

"Piccolo!" Goku raised his gaze from his suffering brother to his longtime nemesis. "Raditz needs help. You know how to remove bullets, don't you?"

Piccolo balked incredulously. "I'm not helping him."

"I can't, Piccolo." Goku growled and clenched his fists. "And if somebody doesn't, he's going to die!"

"Do you really think he has a chance of surviving?"

Goku scowled back at Piccolo's narrowed eyes. Piccolo knew the answer to that question as well as Goku did, or he wouldn't have asked it. But Goku refused to say, especially in front of his brother and Gohan, that Raditz had no chance. He refused to give up hope, especially as he felt Gohan clutch against the fringe of his pant leg.

"Please." Gohan looked once again at the nauseating sight of his uncle's gaping wound, then let go as he stepped forward to look Piccolo daringly in the eyes, "please, Mr. Piccolo. Can you help him?"

Piccolo took in Gohan's pleading gaze, his determination to help his own kidnapper, and he just couldn't understand it. What was wrong with these Sons? How could they go out of their way to help someone who had been so awful to them? Piccolo pursed his lips pensively. Perhaps it was the same way in which Gohan had grown strangely attached to him over their past days together. Like how Piccolo knew he could trust the boy when they went into town, when most children would have run away.

"Fine." Piccolo scoffed as he reluctantly headed to Raditz's side. "I'll remove the bullet, but don't expect a miracle. I'm no healer."

"You know any healers?" Goku asked as Piccolo gently pressed on the oozing wound and inspected it.

"I know of some Namekian healers, but personally...no."

"Gohan," Goku looked down into his son's widened eyes, "would you be willing to go to the Namekian tribe with me?"

As Gohan blinked and gawked at the unexpected question, Piccolo gruffly interrupted with a shake of his head. "Goku. You need to get your son somewhere safe."

"I hear the Namekians are peaceful."

"They are." Piccolo looked up from Raditz's wound with a taunting smirk. "Thats why you shouldn't go there. They may be peaceful, but they know how to defend themselves, and an infamous, armed white bandit, who's being chased by multiple murderers poses too much of a danger to them."

"But-"

"Go find someplace safe for Gohan. I'll take Raditz."

Goku blinked, then furrowed his brows. "I thought you weren't part of the tribe anymore, Piccolo."

"I'm not." Piccolo reached for a small carved stone from his back pocket and marveled at it as he pulled it out; it was gray and shiny, carved by hand into the shape of a precise blade. "But they'll recognize my skin."

Before Goku could respond, Piccolo plunged the weapon deep into Raditz's wound without warning. Raditz released a blood curdling scream and lurched forward, while Goku rushed to his brother's side to hold him down.

Glaring at Piccolo, Goku fought to hold his struggling brother. "Dammit, Piccolo! What are you doing?!"

Piccolo ignored Goku and focused on his target, baring his teeth as he sought the bullet with precision. Once he located it, he dug it out, causing another agonized cry from Raditz as the bullet became dislodged.

Gohan watched the bloody ordeal in terror, panting nervously as he stood aside, wanting to help, but having no idea what to do. By the time Piccolo pried the bullet free and held it in the air for the others to see, Raditz had grown pale and passed out from the overwhelming pain.

"There." Piccolo threw the bullet on the ground beside Goku's knees. "I bought your brother some time."

As Piccolo used Raditz's pant leg to wipe his weapon clean of his brother's blood, Goku frowned at the blood-slicked, dented bullet laid on a bed of pine needles and pebbles. Buying time was all they could do for now, it seemed. And that wasn't just for Raditz. Goku wasn't sure what he could do with Gohan now. If West City wasn't safe, and the Namekians weren't safe, he didn't know where to go. He was worried about Bulma, and even Vegeta, with the Ginyus still out there. And he was worried about Chi-Chi and all his friends in West City. They had no idea how much danger they were in with Frieza in town.

Goku snapped his gaze to Piccolo, who was busy rebuilding a fire from the burnt embers of the previous night's fire. "What else did you learn when you went to West City, Piccolo?"

Focusing his gaze on the twigs piled before him and rocks in his hands, Piccolo answered indifferently. "The Ginyus are after you and the other Saiyans, likely sent by Frieza, who owns the new saloon and seems to think he runs the town now. Sheriff Krillin already left before he came, so Yamcha Puar is the new sheriff."

As Gohan frowned at the information he'd already heard along their travel from West City, Goku gasped. "Krillin left?!"

Piccolo narrowed his gaze peevishly at the disruption. "With Eighteen Gero. They were being pursued by Cell, a bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter?" Goku blinked in realization. "You mean the guy who was shooting people in West City!"

Piccolo halted his work on the fire to purse his lips pensively with a considerate tilt of his head. "Sounds like him. He's a fast draw, from what I hear. And since he's a bounty hunter, chances are, he's heard of you."

Goku returned Piccolo's taunting smirk with an equally taunting smile. "And you."

Goku couldn't help continuing to smile as he imagined how fast the bounty hunter might be, and if he would be able to match the bounty hunter's speed. As the scratching, caustic sound of Piccolo's rock grinding sounded again, Goku's eyes were drawn to the bright light that blazed from the small flame sparked in the pine needles and twigs piled near Piccolo's hands. He vaguely noted the shadow of Gohan as he sat on the leaf-littered ground beside Piccolo, beside the burning flame.

"Dad," Gohan marveled at the fire slowly forming and building from a tiny flame before his eyes, "we need to help the people in West City. They're not safe there."

"You're right, Gohan." Piccolo said with a frown. "But that doesn't mean you should go back there."

"Why not?" Gohan snapped. "Aren't you the one who wanted me to grow up and act like a man? I'm not afraid. If those people need our help, I'm not holding my dad back. He can help them. So can I."

Goku stared in awe at his son. He never thought he'd hear the sweet, innocent child he knew so well speaking in such a brave and confident way at this age. And this was his son. The determined look in Gohan's eyes made Goku smile as he swelled with pride.

"Gohan." Piccolo shook his head slowly, wishing to disagree with Gohan, but knowing that he couldn't argue with the boy's logic.

The kid was too smart for his own good. Piccolo wondered how he'd become so attached to this kid. It shouldn't have bothered him whether Goku Son's child stepped into danger carelessly beside his ignorant father, but it did. Piccolo genuinely didn't want to see anything happen to Gohan.

"Piccolo, I have to bring Gohan back to West City." Goku decided, before looking down at Gohan with a somber frown. "But first, Gohan, we need to see if we can help Bulma and Vegeta."

"Vegeta?" Piccolo quirked a brow. "Isn't that one of the Saiyans?"

"Yeah."

"You're taking your son with you to another Saiyan?"

Gohan shot to his feet and clutched Goku's forearm. "Miss Brief's out here?"

Goku frowned at Gohan and solemnly nodded, then looked up to Piccolo with a smile. "Vegeta's..." Goku sighed, "deep down, I don't think he's as bad as he thinks he is. At least, he doesn't deserve to die because Frieza or the Ginyus want to kill him."

"Fool." Piccolo crossed his arms and grumbled incoherently in his native language. "You're only going to get yourself and your son killed."

"If we waste any more time," Goku frowned with determination, "you might be right. We need to move, Gohan."

"Gohan!" Piccolo drew the knife from his pocket and thrust it towards Gohan with the blade pointed down. "Take this. You might need it."

Gohan reached for the handle of the knife, gingerly accepting it from Piccolo's grasp. Speechlessly, he gave his mentor an appreciative nod. Piccolo smiled and nodded back as Goku quickly began loading his horse with the supplies from the campground, working around Raditz, the fallen log, and the fire.

Gohan looked worriedly down at the unconscious Saiyan, then back to Piccolo. "Are you going to be all right, Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo's smile widened. "I'll be fine, Kid. You just worry about yourself. Remember not to be afraid to do whatever you have to."

Gohan smiled a small, reluctant smile. "Mr. Piccolo...thank you."

Piccolo' eyes widened, before he hardened his resolve. "Don't thank me. I only helped kidnap you, remember?"

Gohan smiled innocently back at Piccolo, clearly seeing right through his facade. That smile broke Piccolo. No one ever smiled at him like Gohan, and he had a feeling no one probably ever would. If anything ever happened to that kid, Piccolo didn't know what he would do.

When Gohan skipped to his father's side, assisting in tying the last of the items to the horse, Piccolo turned and watched them with scrutiny. He hoped Goku knew what he was doing, though he highly doubted it. And now he was going to be left here with Raditz, who would inevitably pay him for his service, but also hold Piccolo back from being where he really wanted to be. He had promised to bring this dying white man to a Namekian healer. He knew though, with one look at this killer, the other Nameks would strictly refuse giving him aid.

Goku mounted the fully-loaded Kinto'un and grasped Gohan's hand, pulling him on the back of the horse. "Thank you for taking care of Raditz, Piccolo."

"Kakarot."

Goku turned to the muted voice of his brother, who lay with his eyes still closed, still looking unconscious. "Raditz?"

"You…and Vegeta," Raditz tensed and hissed through clenched teeth, "better kill that son of a bitch."

Goku's eyes lowered to the ground as a small smile crossed his face. He knew Raditz was referring to Frieza, the man who killed their parents, killed nearly everyone in their hometown when Goku was just a small child, made the Saiyans' lives miserable growing up, and was the reason for them running off and forming their own band of bandits when they reached adulthood –even earlier in Goku's case. That son of a bitch, Vegeta would gladly kill, and Goku would, though killing was something he usually wished to avoid.

"I hope you live, Raditz." Goku said as he looked at Raditz again, then cast Piccolo a furtive, meaningful glance. "But if you do, I don't ever want to see your face in my town again."

"Go, Goku." Piccolo said as Raditz lolled his head to the side and let out a weak chuckle. "And be careful out there. We're going to need your help to chase that bastard out of West City."

Goku nodded and smiled at Piccolo. "With Frieza and all his men, we're going to need all the help we can get."

Piccolo crossed his arms and smirked. "Just don't get killed before we get the chance to confront the guy."

"You're actually looking forward to fighting alongside me? That's a surprise."

Piccolo chuckled as his eyes drifted from Goku to Gohan's smiling face. "I'm just full of surprises."

Gohan's smile widened as his eyes met Piccolo's. He felt confident and safe again in his father's presence. He also felt optimistic about the idea of his father and Piccolo teaming up. He didn't know anything about this Frieza guy, but he couldn't feel worried about him, not when he knew his dad, a Saiyan, was on his side, along with Piccolo Daimao, who had a reputation in West City of being unbeatable. They would save West City, and Gohan would do everything he could to help, rather than be the useless little kid who got dragged along.

As the father and son rode off, Piccolo turned his gaze down at Raditz, sneering. "Are you still alive down there?"

No answer, so Piccolo went to his horse, retrieved an arrow from his belongings, and placed the stone tip into the small fire he'd made while talking to Goku and Gohan. He watched as the pointed tip heated, slowly changing color from black, to gray, to red, to white as the heat intensified. The fire lit his gaze, mesmerizing him until he finally pulled the arrow from the fire and turned away from it.

Crouching by Raditz's side, Piccolo carefully absorbed the serene expression on his relaxed face, just before pressing the heated arrow into Raditz's bullet wound on his thigh.

The scream that followed was so loud that Piccolo was certain he would need to move from that location quickly. Either the Ginyus would follow the voice, or Cell would, and either way, Piccolo didn't want to be there when they decided to attack Raditz.

Raditz sputtered in pain, lurching forward and clinging onto his leg as he tried to form incoherent words. Piccolo remained impassive, slowly drawing the hot tool off the wound once he decided it was sufficiently cauterized.

"What the - fuckin' – holy HELL!" Raditz used his good leg to thump his foot against the ground as he bit his lip and rolled onto his side.

"You're welcome." Piccolo spoke gruffly, before rising to his feet. "Now that's two favors I've done for you. But I'm only going to ask you to pay me for the one job."

"Fuck you." Raditz panted, keeping his eyes clenched shut as he nuzzled his face into the leaves and dirt under his face. "You told Kakarot you were going to take me to a healer."

"What for? You're healed enough."

"I'm not healed enough!" Raditz spat. "I can't believe my pathetic excuse for a brother actually left me alone with you."

Piccolo sighed, looking to the sky as he began losing patience with the writhing, contemptuous Saiyan at his feet. "You'd better hurry and get up. You'll get killed if you stay here any longer."

"You want your money?!" Raditz thrust his hand into his pocket, pulling out and flinging at Piccolo a scrunched wad of cash. "Take it! Now put me on a fucking horse!"

Piccolo bent down and retrieved the money, counting it carefully. "It's not all here."

"That's all you're going to get, Namek. Let's go."

When Piccolo started loading the horse, Raditz slowly climbed to his hands and knees. The fever was still overtaking him, in spite of all his brother's care and Piccolo's crude medical aid. His leg hurt like hell. And he hadn't eaten anything or had a decent rest for over a day. The exhaustion was taking its toll on him. Once he was on all fours, he turned his head to look at Piccolo, seeing that the native had packed up nearly everything from camp, and even put out the fire, and seemed to be getting ready to mount his horse.

"What are you doing?"

"Maybe Goku couldn't leave you for dead," Piccolo grunted as his mounted his horse, then smirked down at Raditz, "but I can."

Raditz growled furiously. "Filthy savage! Where do you think you're going?!"

Piccolo's horse trotted a few steps before Piccolo pulled tightly on the reins and halted. "Where I'm needed. You? You can try finding the Namekian village, if you can make it without anyone killing you, and if they'll actually take you in. It's that way."

Raditz sneered as his eyes followed the direction of Piccolo's pointing finger. Past the grouping of trees right near them, there was nothing but wasteland for as far as Raditz could see in that direction. His horse was still off to the side, tied against a tree, but even on horseback, Raditz was sure he couldn't make it that distance alone. When Raditz turned to argue further with Piccolo, the Namekian was already off, his horse running away before Raditz could get another word in.

"Bastard!" Raditz pounded his fist into the ground after letting out a scream of frustration.

The Ginyus were out there, the bounty hunter was out there, and he was starving and alone in the wilderness in the worst possible shape. Nappa was dead. Vegeta was out there somewhere, but wouldn't give a shit about saving Raditz. And Kakarot had made himself pretty clear. Raditz was utterly alone.

After hearing unsettling screams coming from Raditz and Piccolo's direction, Gohan took one last glance back, before turning forward in the back of his father's saddle, on the old familiar horse he had missed for the past few days. He whimpered quietly, knowing he shouldn't be relieved yet. In spite of his father's lack of worry, Gohan knew there were many dangers in store for them.

As they rode away from Raditz and Piccolo, through the sparse trees, Goku smiled at the approaching open wilderness, sparse of trees and shrubbery. There, he knew he would likely be seen by any Ginyus or bounty hunter lurking in the area. But he wasn't worried, in spite of the danger. Gohan was safe with him, clinging to his back as they rode Kinto'un together. Gohan had apparently been protected by Piccolo, of all people, and was proving himself a survivor by his willingness to go along with Goku for this perilous journey.

No matter who found them first, Goku knew he'd be in for a gunfight, and he couldn't help feeling excited about having the chance to engage in one of those again. It had been too long since he'd had a real challenge where he could test his abilities. He had to save Vegeta and Bulma, too, and he hoped Krillin was safe out there, wherever he was, but Goku definitely wanted to rid West City of the threats lurking in the wilderness before he returned to West City. Because there, he would face his biggest challenge, and if he could take these guys down first, he was sure he'd be ready to confront Frieza.