Piccolo tilted his head avoiding a kick, his muscles stinging as the harsh gravity forced them to strain more than they were used to. He ignored the pain, however, as he countered with a powerful blow to the gut, sending his opponent dropping down to the ground.

"You're too predictable!" Piccolo chastised with a scowl. "Stop dropping your guard when you attack!"

Gohan grunted as he picked himself back up, his orange gi ripped and torn as his chest heaved. He was tired, that much was obvious - they've been going at it for hours now, in constant pain under the intense gravity.

"Y-yes, !" He nodded, getting into his stance. "It won't happen again!"

"You make sure it doesn't." Piccolo scoffed. "Get ready!"

With that, the Demon King charged, throwing hooks and jabs at the Saiyan child as he bobbed and weaved, doing an impressive job of dodging his strikes. He was a good learner, very talented fighter. It hasn't been long since they first started, but his growth was incredible.

Gohan shattered all his expectations if he was being honest. The kid only kept on improving with every hour of training, and his sheer determination was admirable. The boy never cried, never complained, and never even asked for breaks. In fact, he did the opposite; asking for more training.

Even the humans never expected him to be so into it. They weren't sure if he liked training, as he only showed a frown of concentration throughout all the training sessions he went through, only breaking into smiles once he's done, but there was no doubt that he had his father's attitude.

He doesn't give up, most likely never even considered it.

There were some issues that he seemed to have a hard time fixing. Mostly his technique. It was understandable seeing how young he was, but Gohan struggled quite a bit at attacking while defending, and vice versa. Whenever he's blocking or dodging, he almost never attacks. Piccolo even deliberately gave him clear openings, yet he never took them.

Same with attacking. He's always wide open for counterattacks whenever he starts his flurry of blows. Even against weaker opponents, Gohan would still lose with a severe fighting flaw such as that. Though, they have more than enough time to fix that.

Over at the other side of the chamber, a spiky-haired man roared as he charged at his three-eyed friend. "Wolf Fang Fist!"

Tien crossed his arms in front of him, barely blocking the attack. He let out a tired breath, then gritted his teeth as he charged at Yamcha. The two humans threw kicks and punches, blocking and dodging blows as some struck true. A gut-punch knocked the wind out of Yamcha's breath as he retaliated with a headbutt that left Tien dazed.

He took a step back, shaking his daze away. "Heh, you're a lot stronger than you were before, Yamcha."

The former bandit grinned at the praise. "Likewise. This gravity training is no joke."

The two glanced at the other humans; Krillin and Chiaotzu trading blows, training just as hard as them. Chiaotzu relied on his psychic abilities, shooting blasts from a distance as he stopped Krillin from getting too close.

Krillin deflected a Dodon Ray, suddenly freezing in place as his opponent grabbed him with his telekinesis. He struggled to move, the gravity making it far harder to break through. A few ki blasts exploded on contact, making him cry out in pain.

With a glare, Krillin flared his Ki, breaking Chiaotzu's focus as he charged. He wasn't able to block or dodge Krillin's fist as it struck him right in the face. A bit of blood seeped from Chiaotzu's nose as he shook his head, landing on the ground.

It was hard for him especially, seeing how he requires great focus to use his psychic powers. They were under five times the gravity of Earth, and while it was unbearable the first day, all of them quickly grew used to it.

Piccolo had the easiest time, followed by Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, Gohan, and finally Chiaotzu. Tien thought that by the end of the training, they'll be able to train under x15 with no difficulties at all.

"Man, your barriers are getting too hard to break." Krillin sighed.

"Ugh, think about how hard they are to make for me," Chiaotzu complained. "My body feels like it's about to break down any second now. It's so distracting."

"Says enough that you're still making them, even after training for so long." Tien quipped. "If anything, you're the hardest working one of us."

"Hehe, thanks, Tien." He smiled. "Though, I don't think I come close to Gohan."

All of them looked at the young boy, actually keeping up with Piccolo. Sure, the Namekian is holding back, but seeing someone so young actually push him a little was inspiring. If he didn't look like Goku, then seeing this fierce fire in him would've easily proved that he was his father's son.

They should've noticed it earlier, this intense resolve he had when he asked for training, but they were afraid that he was merely a kid that doesn't understand how severe the situation was.

Piccolo had taken over his training, and while they disliked how unnecessarily harsh he was on the kid, they were more surprised at how Gohan took it all in stride, never faltering even after brutal beatdowns.

Hell, they even tried to stop Piccolo from going too far, but Gohan would assure them with a smile that he's okay. The boy was very powerful - they weren't sure even Goku would be able to do this at that age.

"Good, you're learning!" Piccolo smirked as he blocked a punch. "Keep it up."

"I will!" Gohan responded with enthusiasm.

"He really is Goku's kid," Yamcha said.

"Crap, now I feel bad for whining." Chiaotzu sighed. "A four-year-old is beating us at our own game."

"Then all we gotta do is step it up," Tien said, getting into his stance again, his aura flaring. "Let's switch. Krillin, you and me."

"Got it."

"Alright, Let's go, Chiaotzu!" The former bandit roared, charging at his short friend.

With that little exchange out of the way, they charged at one another. The gravity chamber was powerful enough to resist their attacks, though they made sure to control their destructive capabilities so they don't go overboard.

As they returned to their training, Piccolo flared his ki some more, increasing his power as he dodged a kick. He slammed his student back down with a chop, prompting the young boy to cry out in pain. Gohan quickly flipped backward, evading a stomp as he brought the palms of his hands above his forehead, charging up Ki.

Piccolo was shocked, but then grinned, a strange sense of pride swelling inside him as recognized the technique.

With a roar, Gohan thrust his hands, firing a yellow wave of ki at the Namekian. "MASENKO!"

The Son of the Demon King slapped the ki attack away, however, his arm was stung slightly. That had a lot more power than he thought.

To think the son of his arch-enemy would use his own technique. Piccolo wasn't sure how he picked it up - he didn't even teach it to him yet! Did he seriously mimic him and recreate it on the spot, without any help?

Piccolo wasn't even mad about it. This boy had so much potential it surpassed his and even Goku's combined, and to have such a powerful drive to back it up is rare. There was no doubt; with guidance, Gohan could become the most powerful warrior in the galaxy- no, the universe.

Strangely, Piccolo didn't seem to be quite bothered. You'd think he'll try to take this title for himself instead, yet seeing Gohan grow so much in such a short time frame was… weird. He felt unrecognizable emotions for some reason, but he ignored them. They weren't important.

"Heh, to think you'd use my own technique before Goku's…" Piccolo felt particularly smug about that.

Gohan didn't reply, breathing heavily as his frown of focus deepened. His plan didn't work; as you'd expect from Mr. Piccolo. He's very strong, even a surprise attack didn't catch him off guard.

He was admittedly getting tired, his arms and legs were shaking uncontrollably. His breathing was ragged and his vision slightly blurred. He knew the training was gonna be intense, but not this intense. He shook his head, now's not the time to be complaining.

His small fists clenched tightly as he got into his stance once more.

He must be stronger. He must protect his world from any harm, and he'll prove to Mr. Piccolo that he's worthy.

Surprisingly, Piccolo only crossed his arms. "That's enough for today."

"E-eh?" Gohan blinked. "B-but I can still go for more!"

"Any more and you'll collapse." He said, deactivating the gravity. "You need rest. Take a break."

"B-but-"

"No buts." Piccolo narrowed his eyes, making him flinch.

"It's okay, Gohan," Krillin added with a warm smile. "You're doing amazing so far. It's fine to reward yourself with a break or two."

"I…"

Gohan didn't know what to say - he still had more fight in him! He can train for an extra hour or two. He wanted to tell them that, but then Yamcha spoke before he could.

"Tell you what: Take a break, and I'll teach you the Kamehameha." He grinned. "It's Goku's favorite technique."

"R-really?" His eyes sparkled. He knew what it was, but he didn't know it was his dad's favorite. "You're really gonna teach it to me?!"

"You got down Piccolo's move without any issues." He pointed at the frowning Namekian. "I'm sure it'll be a cakewalk for you."

Now, this was an offer he couldn't refuse. He's seen his father train outside before, doing cool moves and techniques, but nothing really caught his eye as much as the Kamehameha Wave did.

He wants to learn it, make Goku proud.

"O-okay." Gohan nodded, bowing in respect. "Thank you so much for teaching me, Mr. Piccolo."

"Hmph, whatever." Piccolo crossed his arm with a stoic look on his face. "Run along now, runt."

And the son of Goku did just that, leaving the gravity chamber. Obvious bruises here and there, but he was more tired than injured really. He thinks he'd be okay after sleeping it off. He's gotten used to pain relatively fast.

He was very exhausted, though. He could see why Piccolo told him to take a break. He could barely walk, even under regular gravity. His body felt as light as a feather, yet he was seconds away from falling.

His stomach rumbled loudly.

Most of all, he was starving.

He wiped the sweat off his brow as he walked towards the Capsule Corp building. He's been living along with Bulma throughout his time here, and she's been very kind to him the whole time. He admired her for how smart she was, able to create the gravity chamber with ease.

Gohan opened the door to the living room, freezing completely as horror filled his very being. On the couch sat his mother, calmly sipping from her teacup as she smiled at him innocently. The boy shivered, eyes darting around as he saw Bulma near the kitchen sink, as pale as he was.

He met his eyes, and he could've sworn he saw her mouth "I'm sorry." to him.

Oh no...

"Oh, hello, Gohan~" She greeted him sweetly. "You didn't tell me you were going to visit Bulma~"

He slowly tried to close the door. He's not hungry or tired anymore; he'd rather continue training-

"One step, and I'll make sure you'll never see anything but books for the rest of your life."

Nevermind.

He closed the door behind him as his mother's smile gained a dangerous feel to it.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young man."

This is the last time he's ever taking a break.

Leaned against the tree, Goku took a deep breath as he meditated, focusing on mental training for a few days. Progress has been fantastic according to Remiel's words. From what he said, he's already surpassed his original timeline self, even his Kaioken limit was higher.

It's been… an experience, Goku thought. A very good one. Remiel had a lot of great ideas - he was incredibly knowledgeable and intelligent, suggesting strange, but useful tweaks for his techniques as well as Ki control. When the Saiyan took the time to sense Remiel's Ki for real, he noticed the immense skill he had in controlling it.

For sure, his Ki was low, very low. Even lower than him when he first began on his quest for the dragonballs, but such control even surpassed Kami's, so he took advice from his friend to try and refine his control a little more.

Remiel was a good teacher, he's been very clear the entire time. He did say he was a professor before, so maybe that's why.

A day ago, his new friend suggested a very odd way of mediating, but once Goku gave it thought, he realized that it might work, and it did.

With a whisper, Goku's Ki flared crimson.

"Kaioken."

Mediating while in the Kaioken state. With his control in it, the first stage wasn't hard to maintain. He's already gotten used to it, probably using it for hours with no real issue, so Goku decided to kick it up a notch.

"Times Five."

He winced as his muscles began to burn a bit, but he never broke his concentration. This was significantly harder of course, but times five wasn't that hard either. It was, however, the perfect level for now.

The reason for this is pretty simple. Goku wanted to improve his Ki control faster, as well as the Kaioken because according to Remiel, it is a very important technique, one he should never abandon.

The intense power of the Kaioken as well as the strain it does to the body are distracting, which is why they're perfect for Ki control. Learning to concentrate while in intense agony was insanely difficult, and Goku welcomes the challenge.

Remiel told him about a certain power that surpasses that of the Kaioken, one spoke about in legends. The first stage was powerful enough to match a Kaioken x50, with nowhere near the strain it has. Merely the first stage was that powerful.

The Super Saiyan.

"So how do I become a Super Saiyan?" Goku asked.

"There are many ways, but it usually requires emotional turmoil or immense need." He said. "It is not an easy power to achieve, especially seeing that you are not strong enough."

"Huh." Goku frowned, ignoring the pain. "How did I unlock it, then?"

"Freeza killed Krillin, right in front of you." He answered, making Goku's frown deepen."You felt rage like never before, enough that you swore to make the Tyrant suffer for what he did. It was a… dark moment of your life."

"I see." Goku grimaced. "I'd rather not get any of my friends killed for that kind of power."

"Worry not; there are other ways," Remiel assured him. "But right now, you must become stronger. You don't need the power of a Super Saiyan to defeat Vegeta and Nappa."

"Right."

"Times Seven."

His crimson aura flared, color darkening as Goku gritted his teeth in pain. His muscles were being torn apart, but he ignored it. This was his current limit - the strongest level he could maintain. It was something he could contain only for a few seconds before collapsing, forcefully dropping out of the technique.

However, with his focus on mediating, he managed to maintain it for longer. His highest record was twenty seconds.

"Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three…"

His friend counted for him, helping his concentration as Goku focused on maintaining the technique. His arm began to shake after a while, right as Remiel sounded "Ninety" in his head. It was hard, but Goku felt he could do more.

So with another deep breath, he spoke his next word.

"Limit Force."

The extra boost made his ki explode, making Remiel stop counting in surprise. Goku only managed a few more seconds before deactivating it, his body stinging as he flinched.

"Ouch!" He yelped.

"That was very unwise." His friend chastised. "Times Seven is already a last resort - adding an extra 0.5 will only force you out of it. It would be disastrous if it happened amidst a battle."

"I got a few seconds, though." He grinned. "A few more times and I can do it for real."

"Well… I suppose." Remiel sighed. "But please be careful. Treating the technique as if it's a game is not a good idea."

"It's fine. You told me that the highest level I ever hit was twenty, right?" Goku noted. "Then it's possible to go beyond what I have now."

"I've never claimed otherwise." Remiel reminded him. "I'm only telling you to take it slow. What you have now is more than enough. Your body is not strong enough for higher levels yet.

"Which is why I believe focusing on Ki Control using this new method is what will benefit you." He continued. "Control is as important as power - without it, you will never use your power to its fullest potential."

"Hm…" Goku rubbed his chin. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If all goes well, I'll be able to train with the others in the gravity chamber."

"Indeed. Then you can increase the Kaioken Limit." Remiel added. "An equally powerful training partner will help you immensely."

Goku chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. You know, I always wanted to train with Piccolo at some point. Oh! Think I could teach the others the Kaioken?"

"Absolutely not!" Another voice shrieked, making him flinch. "It's not a technique that can be taught willy-nilly!"

"But King Kai, it's not fair for them!" Goku complained, getting up on his feet. "They need it to keep up with me, and I want them to keep up!"

"No, the Kaioken is only taught to those who are worthy." King Kai glared at him. "Don't you dare teach anyone without my permission!"

Goku clasped his hand together in a begging gesture. "C'mon, King Kai. Do me a solid here! I swear all my friends are worthy, I know them firsthand!"

"No means no." The North Kai remained stubborn, making Goku deflate. "Not until they all prove themselves as you did."

"Hm…" Remiel hummed casually. "I suppose King Kai doesn't want the Reign of Freeza to end, then."

"Huh?" Goku blinked, and after a second, smirked mischievously. He realized what Remiel meant. "Hehe…"

"Oh well, I tried." Goku shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "I guess I'm gonna have to take on Freeza on my own, with nobody strong enough to help me out."

King Kai froze.

"I'll try, but no promises." Goku wasn't even trying at this point, making his intentions very obvious. "Man, I wish my friends were strong enough to fight with me-"

"A-alright, fine! You've made your point." King Kai relented with a sigh. "Just this once."

"That was easy." Goku's grin widened.

"Thanks, King Kai." He bowed respectfully. "I owe you."

"Yeah, yeah." King Kai turned around and headed to his home. "Just keep up your training, will ya? You'll never beat Freeza if you don't."

"Yes sir!" Goku saluted. "Thanks for all the help you've given me, King Kai!"

He smiled a little and left Goku on his own, who then sat down crossed-legged.

Now that his body isn't screaming in agony anymore, he can continue his mediation.

"Don't go over seven."

"I won't."

"Kaioken times five."

As his aura burst in red, Goku returned to his training.

He was wondering how the others were faring…

"I can't believe you'd sneak away like that!" Chi-Chi reprimanded, giving her son a disapproving glare. "I look away for one minute, and you're gone!"

Gohan shifted nervously, bowing his head as he refused to meet her eyes. He knew this was gonna happen eventually, but training took his mind off of it for a while. His mother would obviously notice him missing, probably look around for him in the forest before calling Bulma for help.

And from what he's seeing right now, Bulma spilled everything, either out of guilt or sheer terror. Gohan doesn't really blame her; even his dad is afraid of Chi-Chi. He's seen firsthand just how scary she can be.

Of course, she's a loving mother too. He loved his mother immensely as she's always dotting and gentle with him, regardless of how harsh she can be when it comes to studying or his dad goofing off somewhere in the mountains.

Unfortunately, his mom was stubborn. Very stubborn, especially when she was angry. She'd shut him down every time he tried to speak up, even though he doesn't know what to say if he's being honest.

"Do you know how worried I've been?!" She chastised. "I've looked through the forests and mountains looking for you! I thought something hurt you!"

"S-sorry…" He mumbled.

"N-now now, Chi-Chi. I don't think Gohan meant to worry you like that-"

"You stay out of this." She scowled at Bulma, who flinched at her fiery gaze. "You didn't even call me when you saw Gohan here."

"I… well…" Bulma fidgeted uncomfortably. "...Sorry?"

With a scoff, she turned her gaze back to her son. "Come on, Gohan. We're leaving."

His heart dropped, even though he knew this was what's gonna happen. Gohan stood up, looking at his mother pleadingly. He can't leave yet- he needs to stay and train with everyone else! It can't just… end like this, not until the Saiyans are defeated.

"We- I can't!" He said. "I can't leave yet!"

"Yes, you can." His mother glared.

"No, I still need to train!" He persisted. "I want to!"

"Are you out of your mind, young man?!" Chi-Chi uttered in shock. "Have you seen yourself?! I almost had a heart attack when I saw how beaten you looked! I can't let you be alone with those barbarians anymore!"

"They're not barbarians!" Gohan clenched his fist in desperation. "They're great people that helped me a lot. I wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as I am without them!"

"Gohan, you are four." His mother almost couldn't believe what she was hearing as the argument escalated quickly. What happened to her boy? "You don't need strength, you don't need training- you need nothing of that sort! You should be in the safety of your home-"

"No, I need to be strong! I have to!" He cut her off. "I want to protect Earth!"

"This is not the job for a four-year-old," Chi-Chi growled. "You're a child. A toddler. You don't belong on the battlefield."

"I am my father's son!" He screamed.

Chi-Chi flinched, shocked that her gentle, baby boy could even raise his voice like that. Never in his life had he shouted at her like this, and with this small sense of clarity, Chi-Chi finally recognized the look in his black eyes.

Resolve and bravery not unlike her husband's. It was the same look Goku had in the face of his adversaries, fearless and steadfast even when the odds are stacked against him. It was a look that told her that her boy won't take 'No' for an answer.

Because even if she dragged him against his will, he would rebel and go against her wishes anyway. She realized that she couldn't convince him there, but even then, she had to try.

She couldn't see her boy risk himself like that. She trusted Krillin and everyone else to defeat the Saiyans. Gohan didn't need to go there by himself. What kind of mother would let her young child, who didn't even hit puberty yet, fight against world destroyers?

Goku had to die to take down the weakest one of them for Kami's sake!

However, Chi-Chi couldn't respond to say any of these things.

"My dad was the strongest man in the world," Gohan said. "He told me all about his adventures, how he saved this planet from a lot of bad guys.

"I always thought it was cool how he went all around the world, helping people and having fun." He continued uninterrupted. "I wanna do that, too. I wanna do good in the world, just like dad did!"

"Oh, Gohan... " Chi-Chi let a sad frown take over her face.

"I-I know that you only want what's best for me." He acknowledged with a nod and a small smile. "But I don't want to be stuck in my room when I could be helping everyone."

"What about your studies?" She tried to argue, a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that it's hopeless. Her son already made up his mind.

"I…" Gohan paused before fidgeting nervously. "I'll come up with something…"

Just then, the one other person who heard the entire thing, seemingly having the presence of a ghost as she waited awkwardly while she hoped this mother-son argument could end soon, cleared her throat.

The two blinked, glancing over the Bulma, who finally got her chance to interject and stop this whole thing.

"I can take care of that."

"Huh?"

"When you look at me, what do you see?" She smirked at Chi-Chi.

And Chi-Chi only blinked in response.

"I see Bulma?"

"That's- no, I meant…" She sighed. "Chi-Chi, I'm the heiress of Capsule Corp. The biggest company in the world."

And realization finally dawned on her as Gohan looked between the two, still confused.

"You know how many degrees I had to get before my dad even allowed me next to his projects?" Bulma grinned. "Let's just say I'm saving you the money needed for a teacher. I'll teach little Gohan here everything he needs to know."

"For real?!" Gohan gasped.

"Sure, as long as she lets you train with the others." She winked, a sign telling him that she's on his side. "What do you say?"

"I-... well…" This time, it was Chi-Chi who looked nervous and uncomfortable.

She literally had no reason to decline. Her son made it clear that this is what he wanted, and Bulma offered her a very good deal. She had no excuse to stop her son from doing what he wanted.

…

...And maybe, she shouldn't.

If this is really what Gohan wanted… then what kind of mother would she be if she shut him down?

"...Fine." Chi-Chi crossed her arms, sharpening her look a second later. "But I'm staying here too. I need to see if you're really keeping your word."

"Deal." Bulma threw her a thumbs up.

With that, Gohan cheered, happily hugging his mother's leg as he thanked her profusely. Chi-Chi sighed in exasperation as she crouched, hugging him back with a smile. She had a feeling this would happen from the moment she realized her son was training but didn't want to accept it.

He really is Goku's son…

It has been a few weeks since he started his training with the humans. Piccolo wasn't the easiest of individuals, but he had to say, they were growing rapidly. Good, they don't know how powerful the Saiyans are, only that Goku is very confident that he's able to beat them on his own, and he's not one who brags.

Piccolo stared at the night sky as he stood above the gravity chamber, deep in thought.

Though, news about this Freeza is what intrigued him. An emperor of space, with power that even Goku warned him about, saying he's leagues above what they can do. Piccolo didn't truly know if his rival was telling the truth or not, but he didn't lie about this mystical training technique.

Piccolo felt his power grow exponentially. He felt five- no, seven times stronger than what he used to be. Getting so strong in such a short amount of time was astonishing. Not to mention, the humans were catching up to him quickly.

He had the advantage of being able to train longer due to his healing factor, but he couldn't ignore their powers either. All of them were much stronger than Raditz when he first arrived, and they have had quite a bit of time to train too.

However, their strongest asset from what he noticed is their teamwork.

They've fought and trained together for years. Piccolo once told all of them to attack him at the same time- it was easy to see how in sync they were that even he had a lot of trouble against them.

Tien and Yamcha would be on the offensive, taking his attention away from the others as they played support. Krillin would shoot him with ki whenever there was an opening, and Chiaotzu would deflect his attacks and freeze him with his psychic powers.

Piccolo had to acknowledge them as powerful warriors. It'd be very dishonorable and insulting if he ignored their efforts. He knew they were gonna be useful in the fight against the Saiyans, and maybe this Frieza monster.

Only time would tell.

Then there's Gohan, whose growth left all of them in awe.

If he were to compare the young boy to someone, he'd be around three times as strong as Raditz, even surpassing Yamcha in pure strength. He's been doing exceptionally well, from his technique to his ki control. He even picked up the Kamehameha instantly.

Seeing him so enthusiastic, no matter how harsh Piccolo was with him, left the Namekian proud. He was becoming a real warrior already.

Right now, all he needs is real life-or-death battle experience. It could scar him, even possibly make him afraid of fighting altogether. They'll see when the time comes.

Speaking of…

Piccolo's ears picked up something, glancing back as Gohan climbed up the gravity chamber in his pajama, smiling nervously at his teacher's stoic expression. They finished training a long time ago - it was already past midnight.

"What do you want, kid?" Piccolo asked.

"I-I just couldn't sleep," Gohan answered. "And I saw you here from the window. Is it okay if I stay?"

"Hmph, suit yourself."

"Thanks!"

A moment of silence passed, the pair gazing at the starry night sky as the gentle breeze hit them. Gohan's gaze turned to Piccolo, who looked focused. He admittedly intimidated the young boy, but Gohan realized that he was… not as bad as he thought.

His father told him about how terrible King Piccolo was, but that Piccolo was a far cry from the one standing next to him. He was rough and harsh, sure, but Gohan didn't feel evil from him.

In fact, Gohan would notice Piccolo looking… conflicted, at times. He wasn't sure if the others noticed, but he trained with the Namekian the most. He seems more patient than the first time they met, a lot less angry and scowling. He even started praising him sometimes.

Piccolo felt a lot less like an evil demon king and more like an intimidating uncle if anything.

"Um, hey, Mr. Piccolo?"

"Hm?"

"Can you…" Gohan twiddled his thumbs. "Teach me how to fly?"

Piccolo looked at him silently, however this time, Gohan's gaze met his. He wasn't as skittish and nervous as before. The kid is growing in mind as well as in body.

"...Follow me."

Piccolo dropped down from the gravity chamber, leading his student to the backyard.

Gohan wasn't sure what happened throughout his time training with Piccolo, but his teacher seemed to be… nicer because of it. He felt relieved.

He knew Piccolo wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be.

Next chapter should be the arrival of the Saiyans, and if all goes according to plan, then the chapter should be double the size of this one.

Anyway, read the reviews, some wanted PL others didn't, and a few suggested putting them until after the Namek saga, which is what I'm gonna do. I'll be doing it from the next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed this.

If you want to support me, here's my pat reon link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)