Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
A/N: I have been enjoying writing these little slice-of-life chapters so far. Exploring character relations is nice. But, for those of you who are waiting for the Androids to show up, we're almost there. Chapter 60 will be the beginning of the Android conflict, so I hope you are all looking forward to that!
Also, please go easy on me. I tried to write this chapter while following the actual rules of volleyball, but it ended up super boring and dry, so I had to rewrite it to keep it interesting.
Chapter 58: The Beach Episode
Mt. Paozu (9 months until the Android Attack)…
Gine breathily sighed as pressed the last of her clothes into the suitcase, flipping it closed and snapping the clips shut. "A vacation to an Earth beach! I'm so excited!"
She turned and faced her two daughter-in-laws, grinning from ear-to-ear. "So, this beach we're going to is one of the nice ones, right? White sand and blue water and everything?"
Chi-Chi chuckled. "Yes Gine. Exactly like how it looks on the TV. Bulma texted me some pictures if you'd like to look."
Launch smiled, rubbing her massive, bulging stomach. "You're going to love it~!"
Gine could barely contain herself. "I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'll just wait until we get there and see it for myself."
She picked up her bag, flinging it over her shoulder. Chi-Chi opened the door and allowed Launch and Gine to exit first before following behind them. It was time for a much-needed, group vacation. Everyone was going to be there, not just immediate family but friends as well. All of them were prepping to gather at the Brief Family's Tropical Resort for a nice, week-long beach vacation.
As fast as they could, the three women exited Bardock and Gine's house and made their way to the shuttle that Bulma had sent to collect them. They stored all of their bags away and joined the rest of the family in their seats. Gohan was bouncing in place, ready for some beachy fun. Goku and Piccolo were sat next to one another, discussing ways they could still get training in between moments of relaxation. Goku smirked. "We could do some sparring underwater. The resistance from the undersea pressure would give us a nice workout. What do you think, Raditz?"
Raditz was sat next to them, a tired look on his face. "Y-Yeah. I think that sounds good. I'm hoping now that I don't have to spend so much time on the phone with our buyers and with other people around to help take care of Launch, I might get to train a bit more. I've been slacking..."
Launch and Chi-Chi both sat down, saving the seat between them for Gine to sit in. They turned and smiled at their mother-in-law, but then cocked their heads in confusion. Gine had a concerned look on her face. Chi-Chi nudged her. "Hey, Gine. What's wrong?"
Gine's concerned look quickly warped into an annoyed glare. "Oh, that man..."
She turned and shouted. "Kakarot! Raditz! Come help me!"
Hearing the seriousness in her voice, Goku and Raditz quickly hopped up and followed behind their mother. She was marching with a clear objective in mind, shoving the door to her house open and making her way straight into the den. Goku and Raditz were both nervous, it had dawned on them what was going on.
Gine came to a stop, between the television and an armchair. She planted her fists into her hips. "Bardock..."
Bardock was slumped into his lazy chair. He rolled his eyes. "What?!"
Gine spoke with little humor in her voice. "We're waiting for you on the ship. Where's your bag? Haven't you packed it yet?!"
Bardock grumbled. "I don't wanna go! You all go to the beach and have a vacation! I just wanna sit here and relax while you're all gone!"
Gine snapped. "Bardock! We talked about this! This is our first family vacation since we started living here on Earth! You can't just skip out on that! You have to come!"
Bardock crossed his arms. "You can't make me go on a damned vacation if I don't want to!"
A long silence. Lightning shot from Gine and Bardock's eyes and crackled between them. Gine spoke in a low, threatening tone that she rarely, if ever, used. "Get your lazy butt out of that chair and come on! Right now!"
Bardock shot her a sour look and then reach down next to his chair, picking up a newspaper and opening it to block off his face. "Blah blah blah. I'm not gettin' outta this chair."
Goku and Raditz both flinched back in shock. They shakily glanced back to their quite angry mother and shivered at the sight of her face. Gine had an uncharacteristically cold look in her eyes. Her eyelids narrowed and she sharply clicked her tongue. "Uh-huh..."
Briefs Family Beach Resort...
Gine smiled and graciously nodded as one of the resort staff cracked open a bottle of champagne, pouring her a flute to enjoy as she sat naked in the relaxing bubble tub with Bulma and her daughters-in-law. "This is nice..."
She took a sip and called over to her husband. "Isn't this nice, Bardock?!"
Bardock's armchair was sat under a nearby palm tree. He turned a page in his newspaper as a seagull landed on his head. "Nope. Not gettin' outta this chair."
A member of staff came up to Bardock, offering him a tray of finger foods to pick from. Bardock took them without even looking at the guy. "Not gettin' outta this chair."
Gine rolled her eyes and turned back to her fellow vacation-goers with a smile. "This is a lovely resort Bulma."
Bulma sipped from her flute of non-alcoholic champagne and nodded. "Yeah. It's nice. I wanted it to be private for us, but the staff screwed up my reservation request and Dad wasn't keen on pissing off that many paying customers at once."
Launch smiled. "It's fine. Having some other people around livens things up a bit. Don't you agree, Chi-Chi?"
Chi-Chi forlornly sighed. "Uh-huh..."
Launch frowned. "Is something wrong?"
Chi-Chi didn't respond, simply staring at the two massive baby bumps floating on either side of her in the water. Launch looked down at her stomach and then back at Chi-Chi. "Oh Chi-Chi..."
Chi-Chi shook her head. "Sorry. I just can't help but be a bit jealous, ya know? I miss the excitement of that. Knowing that I was going to have a little person that needed me around..."
Bulma smiled, gently rubbing her shoulder. "Come on now. You have Gohan. He still needs you."
Chi-Chi sadly smiled. "I know. But...he's just so self-sufficient. You know what I mean? Gohan needs me...but at the same time, he really doesn't need me. Not anymore."
Gine chuckled. "Well...on the bright side, you're still young. It's not too late to go for a round two~"
Chi-Chi gently smiled. "You really think so?"
The other three nodded. "Definitely."
Chi-Chi let loose a relieved sigh and picked up her champagne flute, downing it in one gulp. "Thanks guys. I needed that."
Gine stood and stretched, baring herself to the world without a care. "No problem. Now-"
A wolf-whistle caught Gine off-guard and she blushed, instantly dropping back down. Bulma shot an annoyed glare behind them at the source of the whistle, two muscled-out beach bros stepping into an area they didn't belong. Bulma shouted at them. "Hey! Can't you read! This is a private pool! Don't make me call security!"
One of the guys held up his hands. "Hey! Chill lady! We just came here to check out the goods on the rich side of the fence! Pretty disappointing honestly!"
The other chuckled. "The sexy piece that just stood to stretch has a bangin' bod! Too bad she's lounging with two preggos and an old hag!"
The two of them chuckled and high-fived. Bulma and Launch both looked furious. Gine looked very annoyed. Chi-Chi, meanwhile, seemed to be doing math in her head. "They think Gine's attractive...Bulma and Launch are pregnant...so they just called me..."
Anger crossed her face. "Oh, to hell with that! You little punks! How about I-"
Gine placed a hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder to keep her from getting out of the tub. She glared over at the two intruders and spoke with a steady, unwavering tone. "Three things. One; do not ever talk about my daughter-in-law like that. Two; I'm over 50, so I'm not looking to date some snotty-nosed brats. And three; that guy sitting in the chair over there is my husband."
Gine pointed. One of the guys chuckled. "How about we kick your husband's a-"
They both turned to look and locked eyes with Bardock. The older Saiyan had lowered his newspaper ever so slightly and was scowling as he stared a hole through the two of them. "Better not have to get outta this chair."
The two of them both turned white as freshly washed sheets, and then they scurried off as fast as they could, nearly knocking over Panchy as they did. She placed her hands onto her hips and pouted. "How rude!"
Bulma's mother approached the tub, dropping her towel and climbing in between Gine and Chi-Chi. "Sorry I'm late ladies. Did I miss any good girl talk?"
Launch sweetly smiled. "Chi-Chi wants to try and get pregnant again!"
Panchy put her hands on her cheek. "Oh Chi-Chi! Doll! You should absolutely do that! We could have all of the babies' birthday parties together! That would be adorable!"
As Panchy started to get going, Gine turned in the tub and smiled at Bardock. She winked and mouthed a silent thank you at him. Bardock rolled his eyes and reopened the paper. "Nope. Not gettin' outta this chair.
Across the resort, in a shaded beach cabana...
Krillin and Yamcha both sat in the shade next to Master Roshi. The two of them seemed down, and their moods weren't being helped by the old pervert and Oolong glancing at unaware beach babes through binoculars. Puar gently patted her owner on the leg. "Come on, Yamcha! Try to have some fun!"
The two warriors sighed. Oolong scolded them. "Why don't the two of you quit sighing and start looking! It's an all-you-can-peep hot chick buffet out there!"
Roshi loudly chuckled, twisting her binoculars to zoom in. Krillin spoke sullenly. "I really don't wanna just look at girls for this entire trip. I would like to get together with one while we're here..."
Yamcha nodded. "Same man, same. After what happened with Bulma, I could use a little bit of something in my life..."
Roshi continued to look, but a few more sullen sighs finally broke his concentration. He turned to his sad-sack students with an annoyed scowl on his face and shouted at them. "You two and your attitudes are ruinin' my fun! And I ain't lettin' that happen!"
Roshi turned again, looking through the binoculars until he came upon the sight of a lone female on the beach. She had everything Roshi desired: clear skin, long hair, massive rack. She was perfect. Roshi turned to Yamcha and Krillin and shouted at them. "You two! I have an assignment for you as your instructor!"
They both perked up. Roshi jabbed his finger towards the blue-haired bombshell and shouted. "If you're ever going to land a sexy lady, the two of you need to go out and shoot your shot. My assignment for you today is to compete for that lady's attention! You aren't allowed back in the room tonight unless one of you is bringing her back with you!"
Krillin was exasperated. "But Master Roshi..."
Roshi shouted. "No buts! Not unless it's that finely-shaped, perfectly round butt I just pointed at! Now get going!"
Krillin seemed uncomfortable. Yamcha stood, pumping his fists. "Master Roshi is right, Krillin!"
Krillin flinched. "He is?!"
Yamcha nodded. "Just sitting here and feeling sorry for ourselves isn't gonna net us any chicks, dude! We gotta go and put ourselves out there! Otherwise we'll never get laid again!"
Krillin gasped. "N-Never again?!"
Yamcha shook his head. "Never again!"
Krillin stood, looking more eager to head out. "But I wanna get laid!"
Yamcha shouted. "Same! So, let's do it bro!"
Krillin nodded. And then he and Yamcha both went running from the cabana, shouting at the top of their lungs. "LET'S GO GET LAID!"
Sitting in a nearby cabana, Chiaotzu sat stunned. After a brief pause, he went back to licking his ice cream and turned to his partner. "Tien, you okay?"
Tien's face was bright red. "That's why I don't do relationships. That was shameful. Utterly, completely shameful."
Tien stood and turned back towards the resort cabins. "I'm going to go back to our room and do some exercises. Mostly so I don't have to watch Krillin and Yamcha embarrass themselves. Try to have a nice day, Chiaotzu."
Chiaotzu smiled. "Okay Tien! I'll come get you when it's time for dinner!"
Meanwhile, in the resort buffet...
Horrified restaurant staff could only watch on in horror as tray-after-tray of expensive food disappeared into the whirlwind of flailing limbs and smacking sounds in front of them. A massive beef roast was sat onto the table and it disappeared so fast that the waitress who delivered it couldn't help but faint from shock.
Dr. Briefs and Ox-King both sat at a table nearby, enjoying a light lunch and staring on in shock at what was happening before them. Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz had been hunched over that table for nearly an hour now, inhaling anything that came within their field of vision. Vegeta stuck his fork into a pot of spaghetti and started sucking in entire waves of noodles. Raditz was shucking oysters with his bare hands. Goku picked up and entire roasted octopus and shoved it, headfirst, into his gaping mouth.
Dr. Briefs shakily spoke. "I c-can't bring myself to look away..."
Ox-King was resigned. "This is nearly every night at Chi-Chi's house..."
Back at the beach...
Gohan happily hummed a song as he sat there, filling his bucket with sand. Building sandcastles fascinated Gohan, amusing the boy to no end. Once he was done shoveling his sand, he reached over and handed his little shovel to the equally as amused Mr. Popo. Mr. Popo chuckled. "Thank you, my little friend~!"
As Gohan and Popo built their castles together, Piccolo and Kami both sat under some nearby shady trees. It was a silent affair, neither of them having much to say to one another. Kami had peacefully fallen asleep on top of the shady sand, snoring and enjoying a well-deserved break. Piccolo was hovering in the air, stuck in a deep, meditative state.
Gohan sighed as he finished that last tower on his castle. He examined his work and then nodded. "It looks good, but I think I need some shells."
He picked up his bucket and turned towards the sea. "Would you like some shells, Mr. Popo?"
Mr. Popo smiled. "I will go and pick some out when I'm ready. Thank you though."
Gohan picked up his bucket and walked to the ocean. He stepped in knee deep and started digging around in the water. After a few moments, he managed to pull out a medium-sized conch. Gohan continued to fish around until, to his surprise, and unfamiliar voice called out to him. "Hey little guy!"
Gohan flinched and turned, seeing a blue-haired young woman that vaguely resembled Bulma running up behind him. She smiled as she came to a stop. "Hey! You need some help? I'm the new lifeguard for this section of the beach, so I'm here and ready and able to help out anyone that needs me!"
She saluted with a ditzy smile on her face. Gohan smiled back. "I'd love some help. My name is Gohan~!"
She smiled wide. "Hi Gohan! My name is Maron!"
At once, Maron knelt down in the water and helped Gohan dig for seashells. The two of them chuckled as the waves splashed at them. As they searched for shells, neither of them was aware of the pairs of eyes spying on them. In the distance, Yamcha and Krillin both watched as Maron and Gohan splashed around. This was their chance!
Rushing and fumbling over each other, Yamcha and Krillin both came to a skidding halt on either side of Gohan. They shouted in near unison. "Hey Gohan!"
Gohan flinched. "H-Hey Krillin! Hey Yamcha!"
Maron smiled. "Oh! You two know this little guy?"
Krillin nodded. "Yeah!"
Yamcha nervously laughed. "Practically known him since the day he was born!"
Gohan mumbled. "Th-That's not exact-"
Yamcha cut him off, shooting Gohan a small glare. "SINCE THE DAY HE WAS BORN!"
Maron laughed. "Aw! That's so nice! Bringing him to the beach and all that! You both seem like good people!"
Yamcha nodded. "Uh-huh!"
Krillin playfully slapped Gohan on the back. "Yup!"
Gohan seemed uncomfortable. He sat there in the middle of Maron, Yamcha, and Krillin as the two men chatted up the helpful young woman. His bucket was overflowing with shells after only a few seconds. Gohan looked around, looking for a way out of this, and was thankfully saved by a kind intervention.
A green arm forced its way into the situation and grabbed Gohan's wrist. Krillin and Yamcha both looked up and cowered under Piccolo's disgusted glare. Maron was still blissfully unaware. "Oh! Do you know him too, little guy?"
Gohan half-smiled. "Y-Yeah! This is my friend, Mr. Piccolo..."
Maron smiled and shot a thumbs up. "Okay! Well, it was nice collecting shells with you! Stay safe and have a good day!"
Gohan nodded. "Y-You too!"
Piccolo set the boy on the ground and the two of them turned and walked away, leaving Maron, Yamcha, and Krillin crouched in the water. As the two of them walked off, Maron stood. "Well, I better get back to my post~"
Krillin called after her. "W-Wait a second!"
Maron turned, looking confused. Krillin chuckled. "How about I buy you a drink? It's pretty hot out here!"
Yamcha chimed in. "And I'll buy you an ice cream!"
Maron paused for a second. But then she warmly smiled. "You're both so nice! I'd love to hang out if you're free!"
Yamcha and Krillin both cheered in celebration, following behind Maron and trying to cozy up to her. As they did that, Gohan and Piccolo returned over to Kami and Mr. Popo. Gohan smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Piccolo..."
Piccolo nodded. "Yeah. No problem. Just...stay away from those two. Never been happier to be a Namekian. Not having to put up with that romantic crap...""
Gohan looked up at him. "Are you not going to stay here?"
Piccolo shook his head. "No. I want some solitude. I'm going to find a waterfall to meditate next to or something."
Piccolo turned again, his cape flourishing in the salty breeze. As he walked off, Gohan went back to his work on his sandcastle. He affixed seashells all across the sides of it until it was fully decorated. Gohan planted his fists into his sides and admired his work. It was perfect!
As Gohan admired his work, he heard three familiar voices behind him. The boy turned to see his father, his uncle, and Vegeta all walked away from the restaurant with satisfied looks on their faces. Goku pounded his fists together. "Trainin' time! Trainin' time! Beach time! Trainin' time!"
Raditz sighed and scratched the back of his head. "You sure are pumped."
Vegeta had a snide smirk on his face. The three of them continued towards the ocean, only to have their path cut off. Goku, Raditz, and Vegeta came to a stop and glanced down at an eager-looking Gohan. The boy smiled. "You guys are going to train?!"
Goku smiled, chuckling. "Heck yeah we are! Wanna come?"
Gohan jumped up. "Yeah! It sounds fun!"
Vegeta chuckled. "So, the brat wishes to tag along, eh? That's fine. I might as well get some practice in training with a mere child before my exceptional heir is born!"
Raditz groaned. "Can you not be you for five minutes...?"
Goku smirked. "It's a shame Piccolo isn't around to join us. I thought I saw him around here earlier..."
Gohan was excited. He blew off Vegeta's normal brand of biting sarcasm and happily followed the three Saiyans as they marched towards the ocean for some good, old-fashioned underwater training.
Over at the private pools...
Wrapped in a fresh, crisp robe, Chi-Chi watched her husband and her son march towards the ocean with Raditz and Vegeta. She took a bite from her fruit parfait and happily sighed. "My boys..."
Chi-Chi pressed her hand to her flat, toned stomach and started thinking hard. Everyone around her had someone else now. And they were all leaving her in the dust. So maybe...maybe it really was time to make another baby?
As she sat there, thinking hard, Gine sat down next to her. "You shouldn't hide your feelings."
Chi-Chi turned to her mother-in-law. Gine smiled. "We both know how straightforward Kakarot is. If you don't make your desires known to him, chances are he won't catch on. He's trying...but he's still not developed the most heart romantic radar..."
Chi-Chi glanced over at Bulma and Launch, both enjoying a shoulder massage. And then she nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right..."
A bit later, under the sea...
The underwater training had reached an even higher level of intensity as the four Saiyans tried to give each other the best workout possible. Vegeta and Goku were clearly the two strongest there, much to the consternation of Raditz. The older brother blocked a punch from his little brother and his arm instantly went numb.
But, as much as their strength threw him off, the real thing that surprised Raditz was just how strong Gohan had become. Raditz still held a lead in power level over his little nephew, but the supposed gap between them was much smaller than Raditz had ever thought it would become.
Raditz managed to push Gohan back, but was instantly beset by Goku.
Gohan, meanwhile, was drawn into a clash with Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince had no problem hitting the smaller child as hard as he could and did it with a smile on his face. Gohan wasn't going to let that stop him though. Dodging a cheap shot from Vegeta, Gohan returned the favor with a hefty kick to the gut. Vegeta went flying back and Gohan gave chase. He charged a blast to hit Vegeta with, but was immediately caught by surprise. Vegeta raked his hand through the underwater sand, with all his strength, threw the muck right into Gohan's eyes. The boy stopped to wipe his face and Vegeta hammered him with a punch to the side of the head.
Gohan sailed backwards, just barely avoiding the hitting Raditz. He wiped his eyes and flinched when he saw that his father, his uncle, and Vegeta were all charging blasts. Gohan also charged a blast in response and the four of them fired upon one another. The blasts clashed in-between the four combatants and resulted in a massive underwater explosion.
Back on dry land...
A massive geyser exploded from the surface of the ocean and Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz were blown sky high. The four of them landed on the beach, followed by salty rain. Goku instantly shot up and cheered. "Whew! That was great! Good training everyone!"
Raditz groaned. Vegeta shook his hair and his tail dry. Gohan coughed up a lungful of water.
Goku stood and had a nice stretch and then turned to his son. "Hey Gohan! Wanna go tail fishing?"
Gohan stood and smiled. "That sounds fun~"
Vegeta was confused. "You use your tails to fish?!"
As the Saiyans regathered themselves, they were quickly approached by an unknown person from the side. "Hey! You four!"
Raditz turned to the guy. "And who might you be?"
The guy smirked. "I'm the head lifeguard for this beach! And I gotta say, you guys are impressive! You got the muscles and I can see a true love of the beach in your eyes! So, I have an offer for the four of you!"
Raditz looked to the others and they all shrugged. He turned back to the head lifeguard. "Go on."
The lifeguard pulled out a flyer from his jacket and handed it to Raditz: Big Beach Volleyball Tournament! Sign Up Today!
The lifeguard smirked. "It's a tradition on this beach. Every month we gather the best dudes on this beach to get together and play some friggin' volleyball!"
He started to wildly gesticulate. "Three-man teams! First-to-eight points! Tournament-style rounds! Grand prize is a sick-looking trophy, a massive cash reward, and an all-you-can-eat dinner extravaganza for the winners!
Goku, Gohan, and Raditz's eyes all lit up. Gohan wanted that trophy. Raditz wanted that money. And Goku wanted that food. Without a second thought, all three of them shouted. "We're in!"
The lifeguard chuckled. "Hell yeah!"
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a paper application. "Fill out your names onto this paper and come up with a cool team name. Just turn it into the any lifeguard you happen to see and you'll be ready to go!"
The lifeguard ran off to find more teams to recruit. Goku, Gohan, and Raditz gather around the sign-up form, looking excited at the prospect. As the three of them began to mumble to one another about what they planned to do with the prize, Vegeta glowered behind them. "Hey!"
All three of them jumped, turning and glancing back at Vegeta. The Prince looked angry. "Are you really just going to run off and leave me standing here?"
A moment of silence. Then, Raditz spoke up. "Yes."
And then Raditz walked away without another word. Gohan followed soon afterward, still annoyed that Vegeta threw sand into his eyes. Goku nervously chuckled, waving as he followed. "Sorry Vegeta! We, uh, we gotta go learn how volleyball actually works~"
A vein popped out of Vegeta's head as he glared at the three of them. "How dare they?! Performing such a slight against me, the Prince of all Saiyans!"
Vegeta gripped his fists and glared towards the cabanas where everyone was staying. "I will crush them!"
And then Vegeta flew off, a plan clearly in mind.
A short time later...
After some time had passed, the volleyball tournament soon began!
Two volleyball courts had been set up for all of the teams to play on. Two brackets had been made and one bracket each would take a court, with the finalists from each side meeting for the final game. Goku, Gohan, and Raditz stood near the bleachers, stretching and prepping themselves. They had gathered the basics of the games from videos they had watched on Raditz's phone. They felt like they had this in the bag.
The rounds began and they seemed to go by fairly quickly whenever the Saiyans were involved. Bulma, Chi-Chi, Gine, Launch, and Panchy had all gathered to watch Goku, Gohan, and Raditz stomp the competition. Each game involving them seemed to go by in a flash as point-after-point was near instantly won.
It would have seemed like an effortless sweep for "Team Son Family" if not for the racket coming from the other side of the bleachers. There was a team over there that was winning nearly as quickly as the Saiyans on this side were. Raditz grumbled. "Dammit. I was hoping that this would be effortless..."
Gohan gave him a pat on the back. "It's okay, Uncle Raditz. We're still going to win. We're faster and stronger than any normal human team."
Goku, however, was pumped. "Man! I was hoping there would be a challenge in this tournament! That sounds so exciting!"
The head lifeguard called out. "Team Son Family to the court! It's time for the semi-finals match!'
The three of them nodded and headed onto the field, ready for another quick victory.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the court...
Maron blew her whistle to signal that the semi-finals on her side could start. She sat there watching, a happy smile on her face. "Jeezums! I love volleyball~"
As she watched, Maron was approached once again by her two hanger-ons. Krillin and Yamcha didn't care to even glance at the volleyball court, instead approaching Maron with more treats. Krillin yelled up to her. "Maron! I got you a sun hat to protect yourself from the Sun!"
Yamcha shoved him out of the way. "And I got you a nice frozen drink to cool you down!"
Maron cheerily called out. "Nice spike, green guy!"
She turned to Krillin and Yamcha and giggled. "Oh, thank you! You two are so nice!"
Maron took her drink and hat with a warm smile, still totally unaware that these two were trying to make her date them. She turned back to the court just in time to see the final two points be earned. She announced into her megaphone. "And with that final score, it looks like Team Prince has made it to the finals! Let's all hear it for Team Prince!"
On the finals court...
After a bit more time passed, Team Son Family was called back to the court. Goku, Gohan, and Raditz all lined up on their side of the net and did their stretched, waiting for whomever their opponents might be to show up. Raditz flinched when he heard the head lifeguard call out the team name of their opponents. "Now calling Team Prince to the court!"
Goku gasped. "Team Prince?!"
From behind the bleachers, Vegeta came marching forth. The Prince had a satisfied smirk on his face as he stared down his fellow Saiyans. "Kakarot. Kakarot's brat. Raditz."
Raditz sighed. "You went and gathered a volleyball team just to be petty? Really?"
Goku was confused. "Do you even know how to play volleyball, Vegeta?"
Vegeta chuckled. "I learned from one of my lackeys."
Joining him from behind the bleachers, Tien and Piccolo both stepped onto the court. Neither of them looked all that pleased to be standing on the same side as Vegeta. Gohan called out. "Mr. Piccolo?! Why would you join Vegeta's team?!"
Piccolo shrugged. "I was bored. So, I thought it might be fun to challenge worthy opponents to a different sort of fight."
Raditz face-palmed. "You have got to be kidding me..."
Goku seemed excited about this entire prospect, giddily looking from Vegeta, to Piccolo, and then to Tien. "Why did you join up with them Tien?!"
Tien sighed. "I thought this might be a good way to improve my muscle reflexes for a technique that I have been trying to master."
He blushed and coughed into his fist. "...also, I enjoy a good game of volleyball..."
Vegeta gripped his fist. "Who cares why these peons are here?! The point is that the three of us are going to crush you! You will not be allowed to walk away with the trophy or the rewards that come with it!"
The head lifeguard shouted into his megaphone. "Okay then! I'd say both of these teams are fired up! So, let's get this game of volleyball started!"
Maron pulled a whistle out of her cleavage and blew into it and then she served the ball. All at once, to the shock of Team Son Family, Vegeta flash-jumped right next to the ball and slapped it as hard as he could. Goku dove into the sand and just barely got it back into the air for Gohan to slap back to the other side.
It did no good, however. Piccolo raced towards the ball and passed it to Tien who knocked it high into the air. The three-eyed martial artist leapt up after it and gave it a gentle smack, allowing it to slowly speed back down. Tien smirked as he watched, seeing that Raditz had taken the bait. Raditz ran up to the net and prepare to spike, but Vegeta was already there to greet him. The Prince was faster and stronger than Raditz, so the elder brother had no way to defend himself from the heavy spike the Prince delivered. The ball went sailing past Raditz and smashed into the sand on Team Son Family's court, creating a small crater.
The head lifeguard shouted. "And that's two points for Team Prince! Three more of those and they win the game!"
Goku and Gohan regrouped with Raditz. They stared at the crater Vegeta had made and then back at the Prince himself. This was not going to be a fun time for the three of them.
Goku dug the ball out of the sand, it was their team's duty to serve for this round. He looked around at his foes. Vegeta was strongest. Piccolo wasn't far behind. He'd probably have the best shot at getting through Tien. Goku served the ball gently, sending it sailing in Tien's direction. Tien scowled. "Did you serve to me because you think I'm an easy target?!"
Tien smacked the ball and stopped its forward momentum. He passed it over to Vegeta who smacked it high into the air. Tien leapt up after it and spiked it back down, far behind Team Son Family where they couldn't get to it in time. Goku grumbled. "Dammit..."
The head lifeguard chuckled. "Well would you look at that! Team Prince has scored again!"
Tien brushed some sand off of his shoulder. "I refuse to be picked out as the weak link. I might not match you in power, but you will never beat me in this game when it comes to technique, Goku."
This was bad. Not even five minutes into the game and Team Son Family was already halfway towards defeat. It was their job to serve again. They tried their best to come up with some sort of plan to score, but the members of Vegeta's team were all steely focused. Raditz served and Gohan attempted a sneaky scoring attempt and launched the ball, but Vegeta managed to pass it to Piccolo, who spiked it back down and scored two more points for Team Prince. The sheer force of the ball making impact sent Goku and Raditz crashing onto their butts.
Gohan glared through the net at Vegeta, who smirked at the boy. "Is there a problem?"
The boy looked furious. Vegeta something laughed at him. "Why don't you regroup with your pathetic team and get ready to taste defeat?"
Team Son Family regrouped on their side, it being their duty to serve again. Things were not looking good for them in this match.
In the bleachers...
Bulma sighed and rolled her eyes, sipping from a bottle of water. "Damn it all..."
Chi-Chi looked unhappy. "Vegeta needs to calm down. He's taking all of this way to seriously!"
The woman all sat there, observing the game playing out before them. Gine shook her head. "That Vegeta just can't take it easy, can he?"
Bulma handed Launch her water bottle to take a sip. She grumbled. "If he wins this stupid tournament, he's going to be totally unbearable for the rest of this trip!"
Bulma shouted at the top of her lungs. "Try harder you guys! Come on! The game isn't over yet! You can still do this!"
Back on the court...
It was Gohan's turn to serve the ball. He was still glaring through the net at Vegeta. Vegeta had his arms crossed confidently over his chest. "Come on now, I don't have all day. Just get it over with and try not to make things too easy for us, boy!"
Gohan gripped his fist tight, holding the ball up in his left hand. He nodded to his father and uncle and then served the ball as hard as he could, directly above Vegeta. Vegeta smirked and leapt into the air after the ball. As soon as he did that, Goku and Raditz rushed towards the net. But, Vegeta was counting on this. "Fools! You've left your rear totally defenseless!"
Vegeta gently tapped the ball over to the awaiting Piccolo, who reared back and prepared to spike with all of his might. The Namekian's hand made contact with the ball, he was going to spike it down to Tien who would score the winning point. But, as Piccolo's hand made contact with the ball, something unexpected happened. A surging flash of energy erupted from the ball and engulfed both Piccolo and Vegeta. Tien stared up in confusion. "What the hell?!"
The ball came falling back down and, taking advantage of the confusion, Gohan leapt up and spiked it hard, sending the ball crashing into the sand and scoring Team Son Family their first two points.
Vegeta and Piccolo both landed with a hard thud, settling into a heap. Tien ran up to check on his team as Gohan stood there, a victorious smirk on his face. The smirk faded when Piccolo and Vegeta both stood and glared at him, Piccolo's right forearm having been totally blown off. Gohan nervously chuckled. "S-Sorry Mr. Piccolo..."
Piccolo threw his arm out and regrew his missing appendage. As he did that, Goku and Raditz ran up to Gohan. Goku seemed unhappy. "Gohan! Come on! Not only was that dangerous, but we shouldn't cheat to win! We have to play fair in games like this!"
Gohan was taken aback. "Why should I?! Vegeta has been cheating this entire game!"
Goku and Raditz both flinched. Raditz glared over at the Prince. "What?!"
Vegeta had a wry smirk on his face. "Was I cheating? I don't quite remember anything like that~"
Gohan pointed to the ball in Tien's hands. "Every time he hit the ball, he loaded it with a small enough amount of energy that you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention. And then he was release it whenever we tried to stop the ball from landing to throw us off!"
Raditz narrowed his eyes at the Prince. Vegeta winked and shrugged. "What can I say? You call it cheating, I call it winning!"
Goku frowned. "That's such a bad sport thing to do!"
Raditz was far blunter. "Smarmy, two-faced bastard!"
Vegeta chuckled. "All true. But I'm winning the match, aren't I?"
Goku nodded. "Yeah, I guess you are..."
And then he smiled back at Vegeta and shouted at the top of his lungs, unleashing some of his power. "...so I guess this is how we play from now on, huh?"
Raditz and Gohan both powered up as well. Vegeta chuckled. "You're only going to embarrass yourselves!"
And then he unleashed more of his power. Piccolo and Tien both looked to one another and Tien sighed. "I'm too far into this to lose now."
Piccolo nodded. "Same."
And then the two of them loosed their power as well. With auras surging on both sides of the field, the real game had begun. And it was Team Prince's turn to serve! And then all hell broke loose!
With energy thrown into the mix, the volleyball game was taken to a much different level of play. Vegeta served the ball, coated in his own energy, but that serve was quickly countered by Goku and Raditz dispelling it with energy of their own. Raditz served it back, smacking it towards Vegeta's face with his tail.
Vegeta blocked the ball with his elbow and passed it to Piccolo, who smacked it sky-high and stretched his arm up after it. Goku called out. "Oh no you don't!"
He tried to leap up to hit the ball, but he was stuck to the ground. Goku looked down and saw a shining energy chain around his ankle. "What?!"
With a sharp yank, both Gohan and Goku were brought to the ground. Vegeta wickedly smiled up into the air at Raditz. Raditz sneered. Vegeta responded to that by throwing a playful energy blast towards his weaker counterpart. Raditz's eyes widened, but then he smacked the blast and dispelled it. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Vegeta leapt back and gave Gohan and Goku one final drag. "It's called a distraction!"
Raditz flinched. He looked back over to the ball and saw that Tien was right there, ready to spike. He snarled. "Dammit..."
Raditz didn't want to do this, but the idea of letting Vegeta win was far more disturbing in his mind. So, with a heavy hand full of remorse, Raditz fired his paralyzing Saturday Crush towards the unsuspecting Tien and hit him dead on. Tien was stunned midair and Raditz raced over, spiking the ball down and scoring two more points for Team Son Family.
The game continued on like this for a while, with each side getting gradually less playful and more blood-lusted. The ball was kept in limbo for nearly 10 minutes as both sides continued to make split-second saves and mach speed spikes. Soon enough, the stalemate was cracked by one successive chain of score attempts. Piccolo tried to score on Raditz, who managed to bounce it back to Tien who managed to spike it at Gohan who managed to launch it back at Piccolo. The four of them were down from the sheer force of making contact with the ball and it was down to Goku and Vegeta. The two rivals met at the center of the net and smirked at each other. They both brought their hands down and it looked like Vegeta was going to be just a bit faster. Until, in a flash of gold, Goku got the speed boost he needed and scored 2 more points for Team Son Family.
Goku, freshly turned Super Saiyan, landed and he and Vegeta glared at one another. Vegeta chuckled. "I see...so it's truly a no limits match now, huh? We're six and six and the next score wins..."
Vegeta responded to Goku's transformation with one of his own, the roaring fires of Super Saiyan power raging from the Prince. Piccolo and Tien both stood back up and powered up at well, Piccolo with his full Namekian strength and Tien with his Kaioken Times 25, his highest mastered form.
Raditz was unnerved, but responded with his Kaioken Times 30, his maximum power at the time. Gohan, overwhelmed by all of the high power levels surrounding him, tried to power up to assert himself as well, although it was pretty quickly swallowed up by the other five.
And then, the turmoil started up fresh. As improbable as scoring was on the last round, this time it seemed truly impossible. The six warriors were all moving at such high-levels of speed that they were almost incomprehensible to the gathered crowd. This was it, the game point of the match. This would decide it all!
With one errant strike, Goku managed to send the ball soaring into the air. He smirked and tried to give chase, but was blocked at the pass by Tien. "Hold it right there, Goku!"
Piccolo sneered and tried to leap up after the ball, but was cut off by Raditz. "Not so fast, Piccolo!"
This left Gohan and Vegeta to both chase after the ball simultaneously. Gohan had managed to get a head start by springboarding off of Raditz's back, but Vegeta was quite fast as well. They both raced higher and higher into the sky until the people on the ground below looked like mere ants.
Gohan and Vegeta glared at one another and the Prince smirked. "So high in the air...no one can see anything~"
Gohan flinched. "Wha-"
Vegeta charged a blast in his hand, a truly massive blast, and heaved it at Gohan. The boy yelped and, reacting on reflex, smacked the blast away and sent it crashing back towards the island. "V-Vegeta! That's too dangerous, why-"
Gohan was cut off by Vegeta sucker-punching him in the face and then flying higher after the ball. Gohan growled and gave chase.
Meanwhile, by the pools...
The pool staff all looked up into the sky and screamed in horror as what looked like a comet came sailing down from the sky. One of the pool cleaners watched the trajectory and saw that it was going to collide with somebody. He called out. "Hey dude! You gotta move!"
The blast moved too quickly though, hitting the cranky old man sitting under the tree and sending him and his seat flying towards the cabanas.
Bardock was unfazed as he and his chair went flying through the air, flipping a page in his newspaper. "No sir. Not gettin' outta this chair."
Back in the sky...
The brawl between Gohan and Vegeta continued the higher they flew. The ball had finally slowed in its ascent and now the two Saiyans were just fighting to see who would get the honor of spiking it back down. Vegeta was refusing to pull a single punch, smashing his fist into Gohan's cheek, kneeing him in the stomach twice, and headbutting him for good measure. He double fist smashed Gohan back down, but the boy was able to stop himself from plummeting pretty quickly.
In response, Gohan rocketed back into the air and nailed Vegeta where he knew it would hurt, smashing the top of his head right between the Saiyan Prince's legs. Vegeta doubled over in pain and Gohan tried to leap past him, but the Prince managed to snag the boy's tail and fling him across the sky.
Vegeta coughed and smirked. "You need to give it a rest, boy. You aren't strong enough to wrestle that ball away from me! And you never will be! So just give it up!"
Gohan was breathing heavy, both from fatigue and the lighter levels of oxygen as high up as they were. But he smirked at Vegeta. "I might not be a Super Saiyan, but I have one thing that you don't!"
Vegeta lunged at Gohan, fist drawn. "And that would be?!"
Gohan fanned his hands in front of his face and shouted. "SOLAR FLARE!"
The bright flash of light seared into Vegeta's eyes and the Prince snarled in pain. Gohan smirked and charged at Vegeta. "I'm willing to learn from watching others!"
Gohan took off, soaring past Vegeta and up towards the ball. Blinded, Vegeta was furious. He turned and gave chase to Gohan's energy signature, blindly swinging to try and hit the ball before the boy. His fist collided with something and Vegeta smirked. Slowly, his vision unblurred and he came upon a shocking sight. Gohan had blocked Vegeta's punch with the bottom of his foot, and he was holding onto the ball. Gohan chuckled. "You lose, Vegeta!"
And then, Gohan put his foot down, right onto Vegeta's face. The Prince was sent flying and Gohan, aiming carefully, spiked the ball back down. Wanting to make sure that Vegeta couldn't stop it in time, Gohan wreathed the ball with energy before he sent it on its way. "Masenko Spike!"
Back on the ground...
Goku, Raditz, Piccolo, and Tien all stared up into the sky and watched as the ball came plummeting down at terminal velocity. There was nothing that any of them could do to stop the ball without being injured themselves, so all four simply dived out of the way. The impact sent a flurry of sand flying across the beach. Once the dust cleared, the head lifeguard looked into his binoculars and gasped. "Oh man! We have a winner!"
Gohan descended from the sky, followed by Vegeta. They had both wiped most of the blood from their faces on the way down. They both gathered around the ball and were soon joined by their teammates.
The ball had landed just on the other side of the line, making for a close victory.
Goku, Raditz, and Gohan all smiled wide and jumped in cheerful celebration. They had won!
The entire crowd cheered and clapped for such an enjoyable game as the trophy and the cash prize were wheeled out. All of those in the know were happy for the victory, but they were also surprised to see that Gohan had managed to outmatch Vegeta. The boy was growing into a man before their very eyes.
Gohan held the trophy on his shoulder with a smile and walked over to the pouting Vegeta. Vegeta glared down at him and Gohan glared back. But then, he offered Vegeta a handshake. The Prince didn't respond at first. But, after a few tense seconds, he held his hand out and shook the boy's hand. It was a hard-fought battle between the two warriors.
And now, with the game over and the prizes won, the celebration feast could commence!
Later that evening...
Dinner that night was excellent. A full, sprawling feast was spread out for everyone in attendance to enjoy. Both teams from the finals were all gathered around one table, eating to their heart's content. Even Piccolo, although he did not partake of the food, enjoyed a nice glass of sparkling juice. Everyone was there, except for the conspicuously absent Bardock.
As everyone around the table stuffed their faces, Maron sat off to the side and laughed with her fellow lifeguards. Krillin and Yamcha approached as she finished off her soup. Krillin was nervous. "H-Hey, Maron..."
Maron turned to see them and smiled. "Oh! Hey guys! These are my new friends I was telling you all about. They're both so nice to me~"
The two of them chuckled as Maron pulled out two chairs. "You guys wanna join us? I know the main table is kinda hectic. Those guys can just inhale food like crazy~"
Yamcha nodded. "Well, um, yeah. Of course. But...uh...first..."
Krillin just blurted it out. "We were wondering if you'd like to date one of us!"
Maron's face went blank for a second. One of the other lifeguards at the table snorted, but she glared and made him stop. Maron looked back to Yamcha and Krillin and sighed, a gentle smile on her face. "You're both really nice. Like really, really nice! But..."
The head lifeguard marched over to the table, two glasses of red wine in hand. "Another hard-workin' day babe! I brought us some wine to share!"
Maron took her glass and empathetically smiled. "I'm so sorry. If I had realized that you two were hitting on me, I would've said something sooner."
Krillin and Yamcha's shoulders both slumped. Maron stood and gave them each a peck on the cheek. "My boyfriend isn't the jealous type though. So, we can still be friends if you guys would like~"
The two martial artists both sighed and accepted that offer. They exchanged phone numbers with both Maron and her boyfriend and promised to keep in touch, and then the sadly walked away. The two of them took a seat near Master Roshi, and the old pervert walked over to them. "Rejected, huh?"
Krillin and Yamcha both silently nodded. Roshi sighed. "Aw well. You know what they saw boys, there's plenty more busty fish in the sea~"
Roshi chuckled and pulled out his binoculars. "We'll spy you two a couple foxes tomorrow~"
The old hermit went back to his table, downing another glass with Oolong and then getting slapped in the face when he tried to touch a waitress. Krillin and Yamcha both glanced towards each other. Krillin spoke up. "Master Roshi's not the best source of dating advice. I think...I think we should just stop for a bit. Maybe, if we wait long enough, we'll both find the right girl..."
Yamcha sadly sighed, a hollow chuckled coming from his mouth. "Maybe..."
Meanwhile, back at the main table, Chi-Chi was having a nice night. She was sat next to her husband and son and watched on as they enjoyed themselves. In her heart, Chi-Chi now knew for sure what she had to do. She looked up to the clock, realizing how late it was getting, and stood. Without anyone noticing, Chi-Chi sneaked away. She had some preparations to do.
Later that night...
Goku stepped back into his, Gohan, and Chi-Chi's cabana with a full stomach and a smile on his face. That banquet was easily the best meal he had ever enjoyed that Chi-Chi didn't have a hand in making. In his feeding frenzy, however, Goku had managed to lose track of both Chi-Chi and Gohan. He stepped into their cabana and called out. "Gohan! Chi-Chi! You guys here?"
From the shadows on the other side of the room, Chi-Chi spoke up. "I told Gohan that he could go and camp out with Piccolo and Tien for the evening. Those two should keep a pretty good eye on him, don't you think?"
Goku turned towards the shadows and smiled. "Yeah~ They're both good with kids, as far as I know. That sucks though, I would've liked to go camping..."
Chi-Chi shook her head. "No Goku. I need you here."
Goku was confused. "Why?"
The flame from a lighter flicked to life and reached over, lighting the wick of a nearby candle. Several more were lit until Chi-Chi came fully into view. Her hair was down, ebony flows cascading over her pale shoulders and framing her gorgeous face. Chi-Chi was clad in a simple, warmly-colored autumn kimono. She smiled. "I want us to have a little time to ourselves on this vacation."
Goku blushed a bit, a smile on his face. "W-Wow. You sure are pretty Chi-Chi~"
Chi-Chi giggled. "Thank you~"
She reached down, unfolding her kimono and throwing it off to the side, displaying herself for Goku to see. "I'd like to ask you for something, Goku..."
Goku was frozen in place, staring in awe at his wife. "Y-Yeah...?"
Chi-Chi spoke with a gentle, cheery voice. "I'd like to have another baby. Would you help me do that, please?"
Goku was caught a bit off-guard at first. But then he smiled, rapidly nodding his head. "W-Whatever makes you happy Chi-Chi. I would love to~"
Chi-Chi beamed. "I'm so happy to hear you say that~ Now, please, shut that lamp next to you off..."
But then, her voice dropped a register into a deeper, more sensual tone. The beckoned Goku forward with her index finger. "...and come here."
Goku slowly stepped forward, shutting the lamp off as he was ordered along the way. But, once he was within arm's reach, Chi-Chi's hand shot out and pulled him down on the bed. The force of Goku landing blew out candles, leaving only the moonlight to fill the room.
Goku chuckled as Chi-Chi literally tore his shirt off. And so, their night commenced.
In Bardock and Gine's suite...
Gine climbed into her bed and sighed, pulling the blanket over herself. Before she laid her head down, she glared over to the opposite side of the room and called out. "Will you stop being difficult and please just come to bed already?"
Still sitting in his chair, sitting atop the broken rubble from the hole it crashed through the ceiling, Bardock sighed. He tossed his newspaper away and grumbled. "Fine."
Gine laid down and closed her eyes as Bardock climbed into bed. "You're a jerk."
Bardock sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I love you."
Gine draped her arm over his chest and pulled him close. "I love you too."
He sighed and yawned. "I'll participate in some vacation crap tomorrow."
Gine nodded. "Good."
The two of them laid there, slowly drifting off. But then, certain sounds became apparent. The sound of wood thrashing against wood. And vague moaning noises from the next cabana over. Bardock's eyes cracked open and he looked annoyed. "Is that Kakarot and-"
Gine interrupted. "I can't hear anything over the sound of me trying to go to sleep."
After another minute, and a vaguely heard sharp scream, Gine smirked. "We're going to be swimming in grandkids before long, you know? If what they're doing works out..."
Gine yawned. "We'll have at least four, if you count Vegeta's unborn son."
Bardock nodded. "Yeah..."
After a moment, Bardock spoke up again. "You don't want another kid, do you?"
Gine's eyes snapped open. She turned Bardock's face towards hers and smiled, speaking gently. "Hell no. Not even a little. I'm in my fifties, you're in your fifties. So, no. I'd rather fistfight Frieza."
Bardock sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God!"
Gine sighed and winked. "I did have Bulma snip me though. Like, the day after you came back to Earth I had her fix that little problem up~"
Bardock smirked. "Oh, so...are you implying something here?"
Gine chuckled and turned off the lamp. And then she pulled Bardock close and yanked the blanket over their heads.
Proofreading: StevenBodner
