As the sun shone from the window, Bulma slowly opened her eyes, groaning in discomfort as she turned her head away from the bright light. She looked at the clock on the side table, grimacing at the time. 3:20 PM.

Goodbye, normal sleep schedule. She thought, struggling to get up from the bed. It was nice knowing you.

Without wasting any more time, Bulma headed straight towards the bathroom, mirthlessly chuckling at her reflection in the mirror. God, I look like a mess…

She is a mess to be more accurate. The past few weeks after Goku died have been painful for her, for all of them. Sure, they have the Dragon Balls whenever something severe like that happens, but seeing your best friend, someone you knew from childhood, die right in front of his son was terrible.

Said son would then proceed to get kidnapped by their worst enemy, and none of them were able to rescue Gohan. They can try, but no one was strong enough to fight Piccolo, and risking their lives right now when the Saiyans are coming was… well, unwise.

Not to mention Piccolo can just hide his energy without any issue. Searching for Gohan is a waste of time as much as she hates to admit it. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotsu are all preparing for the Saiyan's arrival after all.

If one of them managed to beat the living crap out of Goku and Piccolo at the same time, then they would need all the power they could get, especially knowing that Raditz is the weakest Saiyan, how strong must the rest of their kind be?

Regardless of the Saiyan's capabilities, Bulma is sure that her friends are gonna win. They have the Dragon Balls gathered and ready to revive Goku just before they arrive. That's what Kami told them to do anyway.

But in all honesty, Bulma still felt bad. All her friends are off pushing themselves to the limits while she sits here twiddling her thumbs, hoping that the Saiyans are defeated. She felt useless, but what can she do anyway? Bulma isn't exactly a fighter, she has never even been in a fistfight her entire life.

And she's pretty sure she can't make weapons that can hurt people ten times stronger than Goku in such a short time frame. Maybe given a few years she could, but the shortly arriving deadline isn't giving her a whole lot of confidence.

Once freshened up, Bulma left the bathroom, going to the kitchen. Monotonously, she got a mug out of the cupboard, boiling some water nearby. She poured the hot water in the mug, making her morning- er, afternoon coffee. She really hated waking up so late.

Bulma debated on whether she should make some food or not, and decided eating something light should be fine. As soon as she extended her hand towards the bread, a familiar voice in her head made her flinch violently, almost spilling her coffee.

"Hey, Bulma!" 'Goku' called out. "Can you hear me?"

Bulma looked around, her eyes wide in shock and surprise. What the hell was that? Is she imagining things or is that…

"G-Goku?"

"Yep! That's me!" Goku chuckled. "How's everything with you?"

"Where are you? How are you doing this- I thought you died?!"

"I did. Still have a halo above my head." He remarked, making her pause with a confused frown. "I'm talking to you from the afterlife with King Kai's help."

"Oh, I uh…" She sighed, a small smile forming on her face. "Nevermind. I don't suppose you're here to say hi to a friend?."

"Sorry, but there's something really important I want you to do," Goku said seriously. "I don't know how long it'll take, it's gotta be done before the Saiyans arrive."

Bulma frowned and sat on the couch. "And that is?"

"A gravity chamber." He requested, surprising the scientist. "I know it's out of the blue, but you know I wouldn't ask anything like this unless it was important."

"Alright, you got it." Bulma nodded, sipping from her coffee. "But can I ask why?"

"It's something I discovered on King Kai's planet. Harsher gravity helps a lot with training." He explained. "I've already gained more power in weeks than I did in years without it. If everyone trains using the same method-"

"The Saiyans won't be much of a problem." Bulma grinned excitedly. Finally, some work to do that might help! "You got it! Dad and I will work on making it right away! Anything else?"

"Turn it into a spaceship."

…

"...What?"

"One big enough to handle all of us." He continued. "It's really important too. I know I'm asking a lot, but-"

"No, no. I'm just a bit confused. Why a spaceship?" She raised a brow.

"It's related to the Saiyans- sorta." He replied vaguely. "I'll explain everything once I get back, I promise."

"Hmm…" Bulma narrowed her eyes, but then shrugged. She trusts him. "Well, alright. The gravity chamber part shouldn't take long I think. Dad and I should be done with it in two weeks tops."

"Heck yeah! Thanks a lot, Bulma!"

"Anytime, Goku." Bulma smiled, muttering a second later. "Beats sitting around doing nothing for sure…"

"Alright, I'll tell the others about this." He said. "See ya soon!"

"Wait, hold on. Goku!"

No response.

Bulma sighed wearily. Of course, he'd run off like that, he always did. There is still so much she wanted to ask, specifically how the afterlife is like and who this King Kai is, but it appears she is gonna have to wait until he's back.

At the very least she has something to do now, something useful. She might not be a fighter like the rest of her friends, but she can help them to be better. Support the rest using her genius mind, and Goku just gave her the perfect idea.

"Honey, are you okay?" Her mother suddenly called out, peeking in from the doorway. "You've been talking to yourself for a few minutes now."

"I-I'm okay, mom." Bulma blushed a bit, never noticing that someone was watching. She must've looked so silly talking out loud like that. "Where's dad?"

"Out in the garden," Panchy replied. "You need him for something?"

"Yep, got a new project I need his help with." She smiled. "I'm sure he's bored enough to help."

It's been quite a while since she's built anything noteworthy. All she had created in the past few years were cars and security robots, and now getting the chance to make something completely new was exciting for the mechanic. Messing with gravity? Spaceships?

Whatever it is, she finally has some use for that pod Goku's brother came from, and actual motivation to work on it in the first place.

A piece of cake for the Capsule Corp Heiress.

(Few weeks later…)

With his senses, the Guardian of Earth scanned the planet, his frown deepening as he spotted his other half intensifying his training as the child of Goku fended for himself. Let it be known that Kami has seen the worst this world had to offer, but it always disgusted him to see literal toddlers fight for their lives.

For sure, Goku's child has the potential to even surpass his own father's, but he wasn't ready to train. He wasn't ready to see his own father die in front of him, and he isn't ready to fight powerful intergalactic warriors that have most likely caused many a genocide.

Kami sighed deeply. He knew that they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He is not to interfere with the planet or its inhabitants.

So it was quite shocking when Goku himself contacted him from Otherworld, telling him about his new and oddly intelligent plan. When asked, his pupil simply brushed it off with a vague "I'll explain later."

Training grounds that have similar properties to King Kai's planet and even the Time Chamber.

Harsh gravity that'll push whoever's inside to their limits. Risky, but he can't doubt it's effectiveness. Kami had the idea of letting the Earthlings enter the Time Chamber, but he knew they wouldn't last a few weeks without going mad. They lack the mental fortitude and strength to survive.

This Gravity Room was perfect for them. With adjustable gravity, more than two people can enter the room, and no endless white void to drive people insane. An excellent place to prepare for the Saiyans.

But then Goku offered another plan which Kami wasn't too keen on.

"...Are you sure this is wise, Goku?" Kami questioned, telepathically communicating with him. "I understand the need to work together with my other half, but I can't see Piccolo being happy about it."

"I'm sure." He said. "It'll be hard, but I can convince him. He's evil, not dumb. He'll see the bigger picture, I'm sure of it."

"And what about Gohan?" The Guardian of Earth asked. "What will happen to him? What will you have him do?"

"I… well, to be honest, I don't want Gohan to be involved in this." The Saiyan sighed. "I've always thought about training him, sure, but he's still too small. If I can convince Piccolo to train with the others, then maybe he'll leave Gohan alone."

"I see…" Kami frowned. "However, you must keep in mind that Piccolo did not merely kidnap Gohan to train. He must have some other nefarious plan regarding your son. He will not be easy to convince."

"I know, but I can do it," Goku said confidently. "If he's anything like Demon King Piccolo, then I've got this in the bag. I know what he wants to hear."

"I hope that you do, Goku," Kami muttered with a weary sigh. "I trust you. Very well, I'll inform the others about this, and warn them about Piccolo."

"Thanks, Kami. I appreciate it!" Goku cheered, happy to have convinced his former master. "I'll talk to him now. See ya soon!"

With that, Kami was left on his own, an uneasy frown on his wrinkled face. He's not sure about this plan. Piccolo was outright their enemy, he's not someone to be trusted. He never should be, seeing he was the son of the evil that once made up half of the previous guardian, while Kami is the remaining goodness.

But even he's not stubborn enough to ignore the incoming threat. Compared to the Saiyans, Piccolo might as well be an annoying mosquito. They need all the help they can get to defend this planet.

He's heard that Goku's training was going very well from King Kai, even going as far as mastering the Kaioken. Kami has never been more proud of his former student than he is now.

He hopes that this would be enough, or there would be nothing stopping the Saiyans from wreaking havoc across the galaxy.

His eyes scanned the wasteland, spotting the young child defending himself from a couple of dinosaurs. It's been a while since he kidnapped the brat, and if he was being honest, Piccolo never expected such terrifying growth from him. In fact, he half-expected the kid to just die there, especially after his constant wailing and sobbing for the first week.

He almost gave up on him, but when he screamed at him to either be better or die, it was as if a switch had been flipped, the kid suddenly changed. He wiped his tears, took a deep breath, and his eyes burned with a determination Piccolo has only seen in his Arch Nemesis' eyes. It was incredible.

Gohan was his name if he recalled it correctly. He first started by gathering random vegetables and fruits, then began hunting rabbits, then wolves, bears, sabertooth, and so many more.

It was… incredible to see. His survival instincts and latent determination were amazing.

Seeing him not even shake as three dinosaurs chased him was proof that this brat had the immense potential needed to become one of the greatest warriors in the universe, even surpassing his own father.

Gohan lured the dinosaurs into a small patch of woods as he jumped from tree to tree, hiding as his prey smashed into the trees, roaring, and growling as they looked for him. The brat narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, leaping high as he surprised one of the dinosaurs, driving his sword into its head.

He faintly flinched as blood splattered on his face, eyes hardening as he killed the first of his prey. Gohan quickly got down from the falling corpse, rushing under the next one as he ran his blade across its underside, showering the grass with blood.

He glared at the last dinosaur, who flinched and whimpered in fear before running off in terror. Gohan exhaled and fell on his butt, sweat dripping from his brow as he looked at the corpses of his prey with a proud smile.

"I'll eat well tonight." Piccolo heard him say. "I wonder when I'll start training for real…"

Piccolo almost smirked. He didn't expect the brat to be so looking forward to the training, especially after the first few days. Maybe he finally understood that there's no going home until he stops the pathetic act and man's up.

And he's slightly surprised the kid even realized that this wasn't the real training. For all he knew, this was his training, living in the wild.

Maybe he should start now. The brat has certainly proved himself, Piccolo thought.

Just as he was about to fly where the kid was, he froze as the voice of his most hated enemy rang inside his head.

"Hey, Piccolo." Goku greeted curtly.

He quickly realized that this was a telepathic message, but he scowled regardless.

"What the hell do you want?" Piccolo crossed his arms as a growl left his throat. "You're not here to say hi, so out with it."

"You're right." He responded evenly. "I didn't just contact you to be nice."

"What is this about? Your kid?" Piccolo scoffed. "I'm not sending him back. Don't even bother asking."

"Then I guess you wouldn't want to hear about this new training technique I discovered," Goku said.

The Son of the Demon King narrowed his eyes. "...What technique?"

"One that has made me ten times stronger than I was before dying."

Now, he wouldn't say it out loud, but this did garner his interest, however, giving it a bit more thought made him scoff internally. That's simply not possible- in what world would a few months' worth of training be that effective?

"You're bluffing." Piccolo frowned, turning his gaze back at the brat. "I'm not gullible enough to believe that such a thing exists. You can keep your deal to yourself."

"The others will surpass you." The Saiyan said bluntly, making Piccolo pause. "Krillin, Yamcha, Tien - everyone else will be so far above you in power you might as well quit fighting."

The Namekian scowled deeply, fangs bared in anger. "What was that?"

"You heard me. You'll be so weak you won't be a threat even after we defeat the Saiyans." Goku stated confidently.

Piccolo bristled and almost reacted harshly to the taunt, but managed to catch himself. He recollected himself and crossed his arms, his permanent frown plastered onto his face. He realized what his worst enemy was doing; taunt him and trick him into doing exactly what he wanted. The oldest trick in the book.

He didn't expect this from Goku of all people if Piccolo was being honest. He never struck him as the guy who'd resort to such tactics, or even think about a plan half as clever as this one. What, is this new master of him telling him what to say instead?

However, Goku truly did sound confident making such absurd statements. They did not sound like lies at all, it was as if he truly believed that his Earthling friends are capable of becoming that strong.

Piccolo decided to humor him for now.

"...alright, let's say that you're telling the truth." His eyes narrowed. "I drop your brat and stop his training, and in turn, you tell me this secret training technique."

"Yeah. That's the deal, but you're gonna have to work with the others." The Saiyan added. "We need to work together if we wanna beat 'em."

"You're not a good negotiator," Piccolo stated with a growl. "I can handle leaving the kid, but you want me to work with those weaklings too?"

"I know we're enemies, but we gotta set our differences aside for now," Goku said. "They threaten the whole planet, they're worse than anything we've dealt with before. If we're divided, then how can we ever win?"

"Heh, where did your confidence go?" The Son of the Demon King smirked devilishly. "I thought you were ten times stronger than last time?"

"Against the Saiyans, I know I can defeat them on my own, that didn't change." Goku continued. "But the Saiyans aren't the true enemy here, Piccolo. There's someone else, thousands of times more horrifying than them."

The Namekian frowned in confusion. What threat? The only thing he remembers is the Saiyans coming to Earth - is there something else he's unaware of? How did Goku even know if that was the case? And what kind of threat is this?

"Explain."

"The leader of those Saiyans, Freeza," Goku said gravely. "He's heading over to Namek soon, to gather their set of Dragonballs. If Freeza manages to get his wish of Immortality, then there's nothing we can do to stop him."

The gravity in Goku's voice made it very obvious that this was not a joke. To think that there's a being out there that makes the Saiyans look like jokes, from what Goku implied this made Piccolo extremely concerned as well, and seeing how this Freeza aimed for immortality…

Well, Piccolo had many questions, like what is this 'Namek' and 'another set of Dragonballs' but he focused on the matter at hand. Now's not the time, he can question Goku once they deal with the Saiyans

"So the Saiyans are nothing but appetizers compared to this Freeza person?" Piccolo spoke after a moment of silence. "And you want us to work together not because of the Saiyans-"

"But for Freeza, yeah," Goku confirmed. "I know you there's a lot of stuff you want to ask, and I know I'm asking a lot here, but I need you to trust me. Train with the others, and once we kick the Saiyans back to where they came from, we can make a plan to take down Freeza."

"And if this villain of yours doesn't exist?"

"I wouldn't lie about this." He responded. "You know that."

His frown deepened as he calmly mulled over his archenemy words, watching the brat cook the dinosaurs he hunted down. Piccolo wasn't exactly thrilled to work with Goku or the Earthlings for that matter Sure, he'd still work with them to defeat the two invading Saiyans, but he won't go as far as training together.

He could acknowledge them as warriors, but they're still weaklings compared to him. He'd hate to waste his own time with incompetent fighters, and would rather train on his own. Much better that way anyway.

But if what Goku said was true, then he can't afford to do that anymore. A threat with that implication isn't something to be ignored like this. Piccolo unfortunately needs to work together with the Earthlings if that was the case.

However, there's still one thing he needed to know first.

"How do you know about all of this?" He questioned, suspicious that Goku suddenly became all-knowing when very recently he didn't even know he was a Saiyan.

"King Kai told me," Goku answered coolly. "He knows everything that goes around the galaxy. He warned me about Freeza."

Piccolo remained silent for a minute before reluctantly relenting with a huff. "Fine. I agree, for now."

"Heh, thanks, Piccolo." Goku sounded genuinely grateful from his tone.

"Just tell me about this secret technique already!"

"Right, just go to Capsule Corp. You know where that is, right?" He asked, prompting the Namekian to grunt in affirmation. "The others are expecting you. They'll explain everything."

"This better not be a lie…" Piccolo grumbled, flying over to the brat.

Gohan yelped as the Namekian landed so suddenly, shivering in fear as Piccolo stared at him stoically. The brat blinked, eyes darting back and forth as his kidnapper stared at him silently.

"U-um, Mr. Piccolo?" He whispered. "A-are we gonna start training now?"

He did not answer verbally. Instead, he simply lifted the kid by the collar and flexed his ki as he exploded in a white aura, flying towards the human city at incredible speed. It did not take him long to arrive, merely a few minutes, but those were enough for all the Earthling fighters to assemble to greet him.

All glared at him, getting into fighting stances as Piccolo dropped the kid to his side. Gohan rolled over and stared at the Earthlings, then back at Piccolo in mute shock. He was clearly unsure of what just happened.

"Here's the kid." Piccolo started tonelessly. "Your part of the deal now."

The two tall ones looked at one another and nodded. The short bald one gestured for him to follow, and he did. Gohan was still in shock, but when the blue-haired woman rushed in to hug him, he let out a choked sob before crying in her chest. Piccolo ignored the annoying cries as he entered a gigantic, spherical building, scanning the inside before looking over at the humans with a doubtful look.

"And what's this supposed to be?"

"A gravity chamber." The one with three eyes answered evenly. "We can increase the gravity here up to one hundred times that of Earth's."

Piccolo's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's what Goku was hoping for." The scarred one continued. "He wants us to go in there and train until our bodies can't move anymore."

Now everything began to clear up for Piccolo. What Goku said was definitely not a bluff- if he went through something similar, then he's most definitely got as strong as he said. Environmental training, like in the hot deserts or freezing arctics were more effective than regular, though, they lose said effectiveness after a while.

Gravity training wasn't something he heard of before. Sparring against these Earthlings under harsh conditions might actually be a lot more beneficial than he thought. They can start with ten, then twenty, fifty, until they reach the limit.

Piccolo couldn't even begin to imagine the gains he and these Earthlings would be getting. Trading this for the brat might be worth it after all.

"Heh," Piccolo smirked and rolled his neck. "This should be good."

He turned around and threw away his cape and turban, fangs bared menacingly in a smirk. "So who's first?"

A deep sigh left the Saiyan as he retracted his hand from King Kai's back, smiling in relief a second later. Alright, everything was going smoothly so far. Bulma made that Gravity Machine, he told the others about it once it was done and convinced Piccolo to work with everyone else.

Goku would be lying if he said he was 100% that this was gonna work. The gravity machine part was easy, seeing how Bulma is his friend, but convincing his enemy to work together was hard.

However, he had Remiel telling him what to say and not to say. He'd have a harder time if he wasn't here. Heck, this plan wouldn't have existed without him in the first place!

It was another day of training, more specifically, his first time actually forming the Spirit Bomb. It took quite a lot of time and patience, but Goku was able to do it in the time frame he gave himself, with two days to spare as well. He was determined to not fail his master and friend.

Of course, throughout his time trying to master the move, Goku and Remiel were coming up with ideas to once again modify this technique. They've come up with a few ideas, some looking plausible while others need a bit of tweaking before they can try it out.

One, reshaping the Spirit Bomb into something different like a wave or beam instead of a sphere. Why? Well, versatility is nice to have.

Two, mixing the positive energy of the Spirit Bomb with another technique like the Kamehameha, though this has a… Well, not quite a drawback. Adding his own Ki to the Spirit Bomb would 'taint' the pure positivity of the attack, making it less effective against any evil individual, however, it'll increase its overall power. The good thing about it, though, is that he can use it against opponents who are pure of heart like him.

After all, the Spirit Bomb will bounce back whenever it hits a target with no evil in them.

The third one is the most dangerous, but probably the strongest as well. Instead of throwing the Spirit Bomb, why not absorb its power for a temporary increase in strength instead? The reason for this is simple.

If there was not enough energy to form a Spirit Bomb strong enough to defeat his opponent, then throwing it only for it to be deflected would be a waste. Instead, absorb it then stack the Kaioken on top of it.

There's the very obvious issue that doing that would rip his body to shreds, but that's why he and Remiel consider it a last resort. Even absorbing the tiniest amounts of energy was dangerous. Only use it when they absolutely have to.

After around an hour or two of brainstorming, their thought train left the technique station and to the gravity one. Goku asked King Kai if there's a way to make the gravity harsher - after all, he can use both techniques with relative ease now. So why not focus on his body?

However, as soon as he mentioned it, Remiel… wasn't very happy. Not at Goku, but at himself for forgetting something vital.

"I'm an idiot!" He hissed. "Why did I not think about this earlier?"

When Goku asked him what's wrong, Remiel told him that he completely forgot about his friends. Why not tell Bulma to build a gravity machine for his friends to train in? He has the advantage with this kind of training, but why not share said advantage with his friends?

They have everything they need to make it work. He may be enough to defeat the two Saiyans on his own if they went by the plan, but why not be extra sure and have everyone become strong, if not as strong as he is?

In fact, his friends have it a tiny bit better than him. He might have practically infinite Ki and Stamina where he is, but Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and everyone else have adjustable gravity. He'll be stuck at 10x while everyone else goes beyond that.

Goku welcomes this of course. Seeing other fighters, his friends even, surpass him makes him motivated to work harder.

But his friend kept kicking himself over it, calling himself a 'moron' or a 'fool'. Goku had to convince him that he wasn't to blame.

None of that, though. Now, they've got everything ready. All they have to do is wait, get stronger, and break their limits.

He's really looking forward to the battle ahead.

It's been a week since he's been dropped off at Capsule Corps, where he was immediately sent to Mount Paozu where he and his parents lived. His mother bawled her eyes out when she saw him, tears streaming freely down her face as she hugged him tightly. Of course, he returned that hug, crying almost as hard as she was.

Gohan was utterly terrified when he was kidnapped by Piccolo. Being told that his father died and that he was so far away from home was scary for the 4-year-old - he hated living in the wild, having to fend for himself.

So all he did was sit there and sob until he fell asleep or got hungry, to which he then would gather some fruits or wild veggies from the nearby woods. With how much he studied, Gohan knew which were edible and which were poisonous.

His crying, though, attracted Dinosaurs, and he always ran away from them. He was terrified out of his mind, he didn't want to die.

It wasn't until Piccolo finally descended on him the first time that he understood the gravity of the situation. He either shuts up and defends himself, or dies like the sniveling little brat that Piccolo thought he was. The comrades of the same person who has caused his father's death will come over to destroy the planet.

Gohan didn't want that. He loved this Earth, he loved nature, he loved the people, he loved the animals, and he loved his family. He didn't want anything bad to happen to it. It was then he realized what he needed to do.

No one will save him, that much is true.

Except for himself.

His dad always told him about his adventures as a kid, about how he saved this world more than once. He'd always sit there, looking at his father in amazement and admiration. His father felt like a hero straight out of a comic.

And this memory triggered something in Gohan.

He wanted to be like that as well. He wanted to be a hero like his dad, he wanted to protect this planet, save innocent people from evil. It felt as if he found his calling, to be this planet's hero, at his father's side.

He didn't want to abandon his dream of being a scholar though, he still very much loved the sound of that. He likes learning new things, he'd love to even write his own book one day. Making his mother proud is as equally important as making his father proud.

But those thoughts would remain in his mind, and Gohan wasn't able to focus on his studies anymore. His mind would often wander back to Piccolo and his dad's friends, how hard they must be training and how much stronger they're becoming.

And… he wanted to join. He wanted to become stronger. Even if it's painful, even if it makes him want to quit, he still wants to go and help. He vaguely recalled something about Piccolo muttering about him having immense potential, and if that's really the case…

Then he can help.

He wants to help.

Gohan's black eyes flickered to the door, then to the open window of his room. He put the pen down and got off his chair, taking the Gi and sword Piccolo gave him from under the bed.

A knock on the door made him yelp, scrambling back to the chair as his mother entered the room, looking at him with a smile.

"How's the studying going, Gohan?" She asked.

"U-um, good." He nodded quickly.

"That's great." Her smile widened as she looked over the room. She walked up to the window and was about to close it. "Isn't it cold for you? Here, let me lock the window-"

"No, no!" Gohan stopped her, a bit too frantically. "I-I mean, is it? I-I think it's pretty hot in here. C-can you leave the window open?"

Chi-chi blinked. "Oh, okay, if you say so."

She walked over to the door, giving him one last glance. "Do you need anything, sweetie?"

"No thanks." He responded with a shake of his head. "Thanks, Mommy!"

She smiled softly and closed the door, prompting the young boy to sigh in relief. That was too close.

He went over to his Gi and sword once more, taking them before leaping through the window, running towards the city. He needed to help them- he wanted to help them. His mother would probably be really mad about this, but he can't even study. All his thoughts were replaced with the need to assist everyone.

Gohan slowed his pace as he frowned. But how is he gonna go there? They don't have a car, and even then, he doesn't even have a license. He's four for Kami's sake. He racked his brain for an answer, but only one idea surfaced.

He wasn't sure if it'll work, but what else can he do?

Gohan took a deep breath, then shouted at the top of his lungs,

"NIMBUS!"

His voice echoed through the mountains as he waited for a minute. He was about to lose hope, but thankfully, he saw the flying yellow cloud speeding through the forests to him, and he grinned widely.

"It worked!" He pumped his fist, looking at the Flying Nimbus in awe.

He took a deep breath and climbed over the cloud, adjusting his seating position. He was about to tell it where he wanted to go, but it sped up without warning, almost causing the young boy to fall off. He shielded his eyes from the wind, in awe as he saw how high he was.

This alone was worth making his mom mad for.

He didn't know how fast he was flying, nor did he know how his father was able to easily keep his eyes open the entire time. Gohan did go on a ride with the Nimbus before, but Goku made sure it didn't fly too fast for him.

He didn't even know it flies that quickly.

Around fifteen minutes later, Gohan spotted the Capsule Corp building from afar. The Nimbus Cloud slowly lowered to the ground, and once close to the ground, Gohan leaped off the cloud, giving it a pat and an innocent smile before flinching as a voice called up from behind him.

"G-Gohan?"

Gohan quickly twirled, seeing a tired and sweaty Krillin with a towel over his bald head looking at him in shock.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Y-yes, everything is okay." Gohan nodded, looking down as he gathered his courage.

"Then what are you doing in Capsule Corp-"

It was then when the others noticed Gohan. Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and even Piccolo approached, though, the latter kept his distance as he leaned against the outer wall of the main building, looking at the boy intently.

"Gohan?" Yamcha blinked, then smiled warmly, patting his head. "What's up, kiddo? Your mom sent you here, or did you come to say hi by yourself?"

"I-I came by myself." He answered. "A-and…"

Everyone patiently waited for him to finish.

"I-I have a request."

"A request?" Tien raised a brow. "Sure, what is it that you want?"

"We'll do anything to help," Chiaotzu added cheerfully.

With a deep breath, Gohan bowed deeply. "Please let me train with you!"

Of course, none of them expected such a thing, Krillin and Yamcha being left with their jaws dropped as Tien and Chiaotzu looked at Gohan dumbfounded. Just then, Gohan was crying in his mother's chest saying how scared he was, and how many horrible things he went through.

None expected the same child to come back, requesting to train with hardened fighters for a death or life battle. The kid was four- either he doesn't understand the stakes, or he's simply incredibly brave.

Unlike the rest, however, Piccolo merely smirked.

"I-I know I'm not a good fighter like all of you, but I wanna be better!" He continued. "I...I want to protect my home too. I don't want to let anyone hurt the people I love, I don't want to see people die."

"Gohan, I know how you feel." Krillin sighed, patting his head. "But you're still a kid. The battlefield isn't a pretty place. We wouldn't want you to put yourself in harm's way, we wouldn't be able to look at Goku if you got hurt because of us."

"And I want to make him proud." Gohan insisted, heart pounding in fear of them refusing. "My dad always loved fighting, he always saved Earth from evil people, and I wanna be just like him. I wanna be a strong fighter too!"

Yamcha and Tien looked at each other, unsure of how to react.

"Heh, your father would be proud only by hearing this, Gohan." Krillin grinned, but it dropped just as fast. "Even still, it's too dangerous for you. We'd train you, Gohan, but not now. The Saiyans are just too strong."

"I can be strong too!" The young boy did not give up, fiercely trying to convince his father's friends. "E-even Mr. Piccolo said I have potential! H-he said I can be stronger than even dad!"

"Piccolo did?" Krillin frowned, giving the Namekian a side-glance. "S-still, we can't let you. You're still a-"

"Let him join in."

All froze as Piccolo finally spoke.

"W-what? Are you out of your mind?!" Yamcha growled. "The kid isn't even five yet, he's a damned toddler! And we can barely even train under five times the gravity. Do you want to kill the kid?!"

"If the kid…" Piccolo looked at the young boy. "If Gohan wants to do this, then who are you to stop him?"

The glare sent his way left Yamcha grimacing, sweat trailing down his cheeks.

"Look, it's simple. This can be a test." He continued, stepping forward. "One week. If Gohan can push through it, then he proves himself to be worthy. If he shows any sign of weakness, we kick him out."

"B-but…" Krillin looked away, still unconvinced

"R-really?!" Gohan's eyes sparkled with hope.

"Hmph, if none of these weaklings are willing to help out, then I might as well do Goku's job for him," Piccolo smirked widely. "Come with me, brat. I'll make a warrior out of you."

Gohan couldn't believe his ears, but he quickly followed after the tall Namekian, excitement, and anticipation bubbling in him. He did it! He convinced them! Now he can be as strong as his father, be a hero like him!

"T-thank you so much, Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan bowed with a smile on his face. "I promise I won't let you down!"

"Tsk, we'll see." Piccolo's smirk dropped as he frowned. "Don't go crying to your mother when the training gets intense."

"I won't!"

The humans reluctantly relented and followed after the two, unsure if this is really a good idea. But what can they do? If Gohan himself came to them for training, then they really can't do anything about it.

He really was Goku's kid.

As for Gohan, he knew the training would be harsh, but he knew he could push on. He knew he can make his father and now Piccolo proud. He was motivated to do so, to become one of Earth's protectors.

Studying and getting a scholarship can wait. He didn't abandon that dream, not at all. He wanted to make his mother proud too after all.

But how can he be a scholar if there's no planet to live on?

It was decided: Son Gohan vowed internally that he'll make both of his parents proud. He'll become a hero that'll protect the planet from harm and the greatest scholar in the world.

Yeah sorry about the long update. This fic is low priority right now, and I've been feeling unmotivated lately. I'm getting back to my grooves though, so no worries.

So a couple of things.

First, do you want me to list power levels at the end of each chapter, or at least, when there's a big battle/training arc going on?

Second, I'm gonna call him Freeza because Frieza is weird and annoying to write.

Third... idk, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Still not used to the pure 3rd person perspective. I enjoy writing 1st person more tbh.

I have a pat re on btw. If you want to support me, here's my the link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)