With their planet successfully defended, the Earthlings celebrated their almost flawless victory over the Saiyan Invaders. There were casualties from Vegeta and Nappa landing at the center of a city, but other than that, no one else died.
The warriors suffered small injuries, but fortunately, none were particularly serious. Small bruises and scratches are about as bad as it got. They don't know if they'd have gotten off better without Goku's idea to train in a Gravity Chamber.
But the celebration was cut short as a few questions remained in their heads. Why did Goku offer an alliance to the Saiyans? Who is Freeza? What was his plan if they had successfully convinced Vegeta?
So Goku explained everything to them. He explained what he saw in Otherworld, Remiel's warnings, King Kai, Freeza, and so on. They had time to discuss and understand the situation now.
Understandably, it took them a moment to slowly process his words. They almost couldn't believe him. Two souls living in a single body? And this Remiel has seen the future? What's going on?
Goku didn't have a way to truly convince them, he has no evidence. The only thing he can do right now is lower his own energy so they can sense Remiel's. From what he witnessed, it was pretty difficult, but one of them managed to pick up on his new friend's energy.
"It's weak, but it's there," Piccolo said, eyes closed in concentration. "Tiny bit stronger than the average human, but relatively weak."
"See? I know it's hard to believe, but I'm telling the truth." Goku said. "You guys know I'd never lie about this, right?"
"It's not about you lying, Goku." Krillin quipped. "It's more like… well, it's not normal to hear people's voices in your head, alright?"
"Fair enough," Remiel muttered.
"Wait one minute." Chi-Chi stopped them in a tone that made Goku shiver. "You're telling me that someone's soul is stuck inside my husband's body without his or my consent?"
"C-Chi-Chi, please calm down." Goku tried to soothe her. "He didn't exactly choose this, y'know. He told me that he somehow woke up there."
"And he just thought about telling you now?" She growled.
"He couldn't at the time." Goku elaborated. "I-I think it has to do with me dying? I don't know- look, what matters is that he's a good guy, alright? I promise he's not gonna do anything bad."
Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes and poked her husband's chest. "Well, whoever or whatever you are, I don't share Goku's goodwill towards others. One suspicious move and you'll regret it. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," Remiel replied curtly, even though they couldn't hear him.
"He understands," Goku responded for him. "He promises he won't do anything bad."
Chi-Chi scoffed and sat back down, still glaring at Goku- well, Remiel, but he had no physical form. The former professor definitely felt her fierce gaze, and a part of him didn't want a body anymore.
"And how do we know we can trust him?" Said Namekian narrowed his eyes. "What if he's leading us to our doom?"
"Because without him, I'd have never gotten this strong. Without him, you'd have never gotten this strong." The Saiyan defended his friend. "I can feel it, he is a good person. From the moment I could hear him, he always helped by advising me throughout my training."
"What if this was an elaborate plan of his?" Piccolo challenged. "Get you comfortable with him before stabbing you in the back?"
"If he wanted me dead, he wouldn't have come up with the idea of a gravity machine." Goku countered. "He's the sole reason why all of us are alive right now."
Piccolo wasn't fully convinced but dropped the subject regardless. His rival brings up solid points, and there truly is no evidence of Remiel being either an ally or an enemy. Only time would tell if this Remiel person was trustworthy or not.
Goku had laid out a plan for them. They need to go to Namek and stop Freeza from getting his wish, otherwise, the whole galaxy is doomed. They could not let a tyrant like him gain immortality, no matter what.
A tyrant with a heart of pure evil, a sadistic monster that wiped out countless civilizations for his amusement with no regard to life. His kind lived for a long time, possibly centuries, but to extend that to eternity with no possible way of rebelling?
No one in the galaxy is strong enough to defeat him yet. An immortal Freeza would be a nightmare to this universe. They cannot allow him to continue his senseless genocides. He must be stopped.
"So that's why you wanted a spaceship." Bulma hummed thoughtfully. "You wanted to use it to go to Namek, then?"
"Yep. Raditz's pod and my old one are too small for all of us to fit in." Goku nodded. "How's it going, by the way?"
"I'll be honest, I still need a bit more time to finish it." The heiress sighed, making him frown. "Making a spaceship is surprisingly easy, but if I want to use alien tech as its base, it gets tough. If I want to make the spaceship go fast, then I need a little bit more time."
"How fast would it be able to go?" Krillin asked.
"If my estimates are correct, then going around our solar system would take less than five minutes," Bulma answered, impressing everyone.
"Hm, I was a bit surprised that it'd take her this long to finish the ship." Remiel quipped. "From what I remember, only needed a few days while here she had months. I suppose it makes sense now."
"You mean the ship Bulma's making is faster?"
"Vastly," Remiel confirmed. "I'm guessing it'll take less time to reach the planet. Originally, Bulma, Gohan, and the others took a little over a month to land on Namek aboard Kami's spaceship."
"So what you're saying is that we're gonna be there early?" Goku concluded.
"Precisely," Remiel said. "We should be able to reach Namek before even Freeza, which will give us enough time to prepare."
"Well, I don't think waiting for a bit would hurt," Goku nodded. "According to Remiel, Freeza wouldn't be on Namek any time soon. We have a few days we can use to train together."
"Hopefully the ship is able to handle all of us," Yamcha said. "I mean, it's pretty big, but we're kinda getting more and more powerful every day."
"If you don't know how to control your own strength, then you shouldn't be allowed to come with us." Piccolo scoffed. "What kind of warrior mindlessly seeks power with no way to control it."
Yamcha winced, his bragging almost immediately backfiring and making him look like an idiot. While more comfortable around the Namekian Warrior, the former bandit was still intimidated by him, and decided to not get into an argument right now.
"What about him?" Tien changed the subject, nodding at the room where their Saiyan captive was kept. "You're not just gonna leave him here, are you?"
"He's with us," Piccolo interjected. "Someone like him should be kept around people that far surpass him in case he gets any funny ideas."
"If you're sure." Yamcha. "Well, what about Gohan? Is he coming along?"
"Absolutely not." Chi-Chi who held her slumbering son in her arms growled, making the former bandit flinch. "My baby boy almost got himself killed with you morons and now you want him to fight a genocidal maniac who is also a galactic emperor? Are you out of your mind?!"
"Y-yeah, but Chi-Chi-"
"No buts." She scowled at Krillin, who promptly clamped his mouth shut in terror. "I only agreed that he'll help defend Earth, not a planet I've never even heard of. When will you idiots realize that Gohan is no older than a damned toddler?!"
"She makes a valid point." Remiel agreed. "...Could do without the screaming, however."
"I agree with Chi-Chi." Goku surprised everyone else.
"No, Goku, not even if you beg- wait for what?" She blinked.
"Pardon?"
"I know Gohan's potential, I've seen it firsthand when Raditz arrived," Goku said. "But I don't want to risk his life like this. He's still young."
Goku glanced at his son. "I don't think it's his job to worry about protecting the planet or saving people yet. I want to teach him how to fight, but maybe when he's older."
Piccolo scoffed silently. "You're softening him up. Keep that up and he'll turn out weak."
"Said the expert," Remiel muttered sarcastically.
"Keep your parenting advice to yourself, Demon King." Chi-Chi defended her husband, glaring at the Namekian fearlessly. "I'm sure your relationship with your father is wonderful. Oh wait, he's dead."
"Woah." Yamcha's eyes widened, so did everyone else's.
Piccolo flinched at the unexpected hostility before scowling at the human woman. "You dare…?"
"Okay, that's enough." Goku stood up between them. "Gohan is staying here, and that's final. We can handle it on our own."
Piccolo grunted and backed off as Chi-Chi smirked victoriously.
Unbeknownst to them, The Saiyan hybrid was wide awake. He heard everything, from the existence of Remiel to the plans of traveling to Namek. Gohan wasn't exactly happy with the news - why wouldn't his father let him go?
With his head buried in his mother's chest, no one could've seen the sad frown on the boy's face. He felt frustrated at his father's decision. Why? So what if he was young? He's still strong enough to help.
He was so excited to show his father how powerful he became, but all he did was stand there and watch, then suddenly blackout. He vaguely remembered rage and power coursing through him at the time, then when he realized that he transformed into this 'Great Ape' and did more bad than good, it only served to make him angry.
Just when he had his chance to prove himself, it slipped away like this?
This isn't fair… He thought.
One person noticed the shift in Gohan's ki, however.
"Goku, something is bothering your son."
"Huh?" Goku blinked. "Gohan's awake?"
"Evidently."
Goku sharpened his ki senses, barely being able to pick up on what Remiel was talking about. He frowned slightly and made a mental note to check up on Gohan later when they're alone.
"Good plan. He clearly looked eager to show you the fruits of his training." Remiel assumed. "To have his chance dashed away like this must be crushing."
The Saiyan's expression turned into one of sympathy. It really must've broken his heart.
"Are we done here?" Piccolo asked. "If yes, then hurry up and find that ship."
"Wait, where are you going?" Yamcha questioned.
"To train." The Namekian replied curtly.
"I'm coming too," Krillin said. "Better two than one, eh Piccolo?"
"Don't get too comfortable, shorty."
"Don't rough it up too bad," Bulma warned. "Otherwise it'll take me longer to finish it."
The two then left the group as Krillin threw a thumbs up, heading towards the gravity machine. Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha followed Kami.
"We'll be training on our own, too," Tien said, smirking a second later. "And Goku?"
"Yeah?"
"I want a rematch before we leave for Namek."
"Heh, you got it, buddy." The Saiyan mirrored his friend's smirk. "Looking forward to it."
"Guess I'll reverse-engineer the pod you brought," Bulma said, stretching her arms. "Better sooner than later…"
With that, only the Son family was left. Chi-Chi sighed, tightly holding her son in her arms before standing up close to Goku, leaning her head against his chest. "I missed you so much. This was the longest year I've ever gone through."
Just as Goku was about to open his mouth to respond, Remiel quickly interjected.
"Whatever you are about to say, DO NOT." He warned.
"I was just gonna say that it felt pretty short to me."
"Yes, and that's a disastrous thing to say." He said. "Never say that, especially not to your wife."
"Alright, alright. Sheesh."
"I missed you too." Goku hugged her back, taking Remiel's advice. "I missed your cooking too."
"Goku, for the love of god!"
"What? I'm serious!"
"Of course you do." Surprisingly, Chi-Chi only giggled in amusement. "Let's go home. I'll be sure to cook you a feast fit for a king."
"You're lucky she's used to your antics," Remiel mumbled.
This promise did nothing other than making the Saiyan ten times hungrier. He can feel hungry while dead but didn't have to eat due to being, well, dead, so he skipped a lot of meals. It was the worst thing he had to endure in his life.
"I can't wait~" Goku grinned. If there's one thing he loves doing as much as fighting, it's eating. "...But you can take Nimbus and go ahead. There's one thing I need to do."
Unfortunately, he had to endure this pain a little more. There's still the Saiyan he needs to address.
Chi-Chi noticed his glance at the room where Nappa is resting, then nodded, kissing him on the cheek. "Don't take too long, okay?"
Goku nodded and watched his wife leave with his son. With everyone gone doing their own thing, he opened the door to Nappa's room. Said Saiyan was awake, bandaged up, on a hospital bed, and a heart monitor nearby.
He clearly wouldn't be able to move for a while.
Nappa's eyes flickered to his fellow Saiyan, who had a serious frown on his face. The Saiyan Brute scoffed, obviously displeased with his presence. Now this idiot is here, fantastic...
"Well, well, if it isn't Kakarot." Nappa glared at Goku. "What, came here to gloat?"
"Follow my lead and say what I tell you to say."
"Alright."
"...How are you feeling?" Goku asked, ignoring his hostility.
"I get humiliated, my pod is destroyed, and now I'm taken as a prisoner, then you ask how I feel?" Nappa chuckled mockingly. "I've been better."
Goku remained silent for a bit, then Nappa spoke up once again.
"Why didn't you kill me?" He asked, seemingly bewildered. "Hell, why won't you kill me right now?"
"What would I gain if I did?"
"You don't need a reason to kill your enemy." Nappa narrowed his eyes. "I came here planning to scorch the planet, burn it to the ground, yet you're showing me mercy?"
"Because killing you would solve nothing," Goku said. "It won't bring back the people that you killed."
"But it'll stop me from killing more." He gave a bloodthirsty grin. "C'mon, do the right thing. Or are you too much of a coward to do that?"
"I'm not gonna kill you." Goku was unfazed - he heard better insults than that. "You can act that way all you want, but I can tell that death scares you."
"...You're soft." The Saiyan Brute scoffed. "You're too soft, Kakarot. Harden your heart, become a true Saiyan."
"I may be a Saiyan in blood, but I was raised as an Earthling." Goku countered. "Senseless killing is a horrible thing. If being a Saiyan means doing that, then I don't want to be one."
"Even if it means getting yourself killed?"
"Well, I already died once." He smirked. "It's not as scary as people make it out to be."
Nappa didn't respond, studying Goku's face for a minute. He's been in the Freeza Force for years, most of his life in fact, yet he never met a Saiyan like this before. It was weird - he doesn't seem as disgusted as he thought he'd be, instead, he was more intrigued than anything.
A Saiyan who still clearly enjoys a good battle yet would never take a life if he didn't have to. Such a case was unheard of; a Saiyan like him would've been killed early in his life, yet what he's seeing in front of him is one that managed to surpass the Prince, one of if not the most powerful Saiyan ever.
Excluding Paragus' kid of course. Broly if he remembered correctly.
But we don't talk about that. Nappa frowned a little, remembering the last time someone uttered his name in front of the King.
"Whatever, enough of the small talk." Nappa dropped the subject. "Why are you here?"
"I want you to join us in the fight against Freeza." Goku got straight to the point.
"This again?" Nappa raised a brow. "Get it through your thick skull, Kakarot. You can't beat Lord Freeza. He's way out of your league. Nothing short of immortality is enough."
"No, you don't understand. Freeza is heading to Namek." Goku said.
"What?" The Saiyan Brute whipped his head at his fellow Saiyan. "The hell did you just say?"
"He's going to Namek," Goku repeated. "He's planning to take that planet's Dragon Balls to wish for immortality."
Nappa's eyes widened in shock, the thought of an immortal Freeza eternally ruling the galaxy terrifying him more than anything. If that happens, there won't ever be a rebellion. He'll truly be unstoppable and not even the Galactic Patrol's most powerful would be able to threaten his reign.
He'll travel from planet to planet, solar system to solar system, galaxy to galaxy until the entire universe bends its knees. The plans to one day kill Freeza and take his empire would promptly end.
"That's why we need all the help we can get," Goku said. "If you, Vegeta, and everyone else join forces, we might be able to stop him.
"We don't even have to kill him. As long as we get the Dragon Balls away from him, we win." Goku persisted. "We share a common goal, fighting amongst ourselves will get us nothing."
"How do you know this?" Nappa narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"I can't prove it to you." The Saiyan of Earth shook his head. "But think about it; Would Freeza really ignore an opportunity like that?"
Nappa remained silent. He couldn't respond because he already knew the answer. Assuming Namek truly had Dragon Balls, then Freeza is probably going there. Vegeta and he assumed they had a headstart and arrived on Earth earlier, but from what it looks like, Freeza never planned on heading to this world, did he?"
The gears in his head slowly began to turn. Everything was starting to make sense - Vegeta's suspicions about them arriving first and Freeza never sending anyone after them. The Emperor is probably on his way to Namek if he's not there already.
"..."
Instead of giving a response, the Saiyan Brute thought to himself, expression stuck in a deep frown as he weighed his options. Goku waited patiently, but then Remiel spoke, giving his Saiyan friend a piece of advice.
"I believe he needs time for himself," Remiel said.
"You're right." Goku agreed.
"I'll let you think about it." He said. "I'll check up on you tomorrow. See you."
Nappa merely grunted in response as his fellow Saiyan left the room. Goku sighed and left the Capsule Corp building through the window, closing it behind him. He slowly flew to Mount Paozu, arms crossed as he discussed with Remiel.
"Do you think he'll agree?"
"I do not know," Remiel admitted. "As I told you before, Nappa lost his life in my vision. I don't know a lot about him, not as much as I know about Vegeta for example."
"Is that so…" Goku hummed. "You know, even still, I don't think he's all that bad. It's like you said before, he showed compassion for those little green guys."
"Indeed. He may have taken many innocent lives, but the path to redemption is still in sight." Remiel said. "We're no judges, neither are we executioners. When Nappa feels true remorse for his past actions, then we'll know we made the right choice."
"I don't know what some of that funny talk means, but I agree with the rest," Goku replied, staring at the starry night sky before mumbling to himself. "Let's hope that we did make the right choice…"
With that, his aura flared white as he soared through the skies, landing gently near his home.
He opened the door, smiling at the familiarly furnished house. "Chi-Chi, Gohan, I'm home~"
"Welcome back, Goku~" His wife called back. "Just a few minutes and dinner will be ready."
"Oh man, I'm starving," Goku said, sitting on the chair as he noticed something was missing. "Where's Gohan?"
"I'm here." His son responded as he opened the door of his room.
Goku immediately noticed the bothered look on Gohan's face.
"What's wrong, Son?" He asked. "You look sad. Is everything okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm just kinda tired," Gohan responded with an obvious lie.
"Don't press him," Remiel told Goku. "Not now at least."
Goku took his friend's advice and didn't try to press for answers.
Chi-Chi then cut through the tense atmosphere as she put a giant pot and multiple plates filled with a beautiful and different assortment of food on the table. Goku froze when the smell of the food hit his nostrils, drooling as his stomach growled.
"Seeing that my husband's back from the dead and the Saiyans defeated, I made sure to cook extra." Chi-Chi started. "Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in!"
"I love you so much, Chi-Chi," Goku muttered in awe, almost feeling emotional.
"Oh, you~"
It didn't take long for the Saiyan to start wolfing down the food, cleaning plate after plate every few seconds. If there's one thing Goku knew for certain, it's that Heaven wasn't in Otherworld, but right here in front of him.
He missed this so much.
Goku gave his son a side glance, noticing the frown still prominent on his face. Another glance at his wife told him that she noticed as well, looking worried for Gohan.
Would've tasted a lot better if Gohan shared his enthusiasm, though.
His mother warned him to never leave the house at such a late hour like this, and especially not when the full moon is out, but Gohan felt like he needed fresh air. He wasn't able to sleep after all.
Instead, he flew through the mountains for over half an hour, looking for a far enough spot to train himself. He debated if he should go to Capsule Corp and train in the gravity machine, but he didn't want to bother people so late.
Bulma is busy with the spaceship, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu are probably asleep, and Kami knows where Piccolo is. It's not easy finding the Namekian when he almost always keeps his energy so low.
He also didn't want to wake up his parents by training so close. His father probably wouldn't mind, but the same can't be said about his mother. He'd rather not incur her wrath again if he can. Once is enough for a whole lifetime.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to do in the wilds. His training consists only of Ki control via mediation, punching and kicking the air, and blasting space with ki waves and blasts. Yellow or blue beams would light up the sky before quickly dissipating, likely startling any campers in the distance.
Seeing how useless he was in the battle against the Saiyans, the Saiyan Hybrid knew what the issue was. It's because he wasn't as strong as he should be, right? He might've been more powerful than Krillin and Tien, but only in the physical department.
They're far more experienced and skilled than he is, with a wide variety of techniques and wells of knowledge. If he had fought one of them for real, he knew he had no chance of actually winning. That's why he must grow stronger, refine his skills and techniques, and make his father proud.
He's still green, that's why they didn't include him in the fight from the get-go, why his father won't bring him to Namek, but if he proves himself to everyone else, then they'll allow him to fight with them, right? They should- he's a warrior just like them.
He just… needs to prove himself. That's all, and to do that, he must be more powerful.
Gohan panted as he unleashed a Masenko, muscles burning and energy depleting. He's been here for hours now, but he can go for longer. This is small potatoes compared to the gravity room. He can do better.
Just as he twirled to throw a shadow kick, something blocked his strike. Gohan froze as he stared at his father's grinning face, leg being caught in his hand.
"Dad?" Gohan uttered in bewilderment.
"Hey, son," Goku said, letting go of his leg. "What are you doing here so late?"
"O-oh, uh…" Gohan stammered. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought maybe training would help…"
"Heh, that's my son." Goku chuckled, ruffling Gohan's hair.
"What about you?" Gohan asked.
"Well, I sensed you and I wanted to investigate." His father answered. "Are you okay, Gohan? You've been looking kinda sad lately."
"I'm fine, dad." The Saiyan Hybrid fidgeted.
"Son, I know when something's bothering you," Goku said. "Please tell me, I just want to help."
"I-it's really nothing..." Gohan responded quietly with a stutter, redirecting his gaze downwards.
"Gohan, it's fine, you can tell me." Goku persisted. "I'm your dad, I don't like seeing you sad. I want to help."
Even with the great power Gohan holds, he was only a five-year old - a child that has yet to hit puberty, and so like all the children like him, he broke under the pressure. His eyes began to water as the father and son duo floated down.
"I-I just feel weak." Gohan hiccuped. "I-I trained so hard for so long, but even then, I didn't do anything. I just s-stood there as everyone else fought…"
"That's not true, son. You're not weak at all." Goku said.
"Then why didn't they let me help them against Nappa? Why can't I go to Namek with you?" Gohan sobbed. "A-and when I tried to help you and Mr. Piccolo, I froze. I was scared. I thought I'd get in the way."
"Listen, Gohan." His father crouched down to his level. "I know how frustrating it feels, but you need to stop thinking that way."
"What am I supposed to do then?!" Gohan cried. "All I did was make more trouble for you. I-I heard what Krillin said about the giant monkey thing."
"Calm down, son." Goku soothed with a patient smile. "You're so focused on the screw-ups you made, but you never realized how much you've achieved."
"W-what do you mean?" Gohan sniffed, a puzzled look on his face.
"Gohan, as a five years old, you're way stronger than me when I was twenty." Goku elaborated, wiping his son's tears away. "I know what it feels like to be weak or useless, but why are you in such a hurry?"
Gohan remained silent.
"In just a year, you've reached a level far beyond any of us could've imagined when we were twice your age. This is an incredible thing." Goku continued. "And you're not even a teenager yet. You'll probably surpass me before long."
"Y-you think so?" Gohan asked, clearly pleased to have heard such praise.
"I know so." Goku nodded. "Heck, you could probably be the most powerful warrior in the universe if you try hard enough. You still have a long life ahead of you."
Gohan's heart skipped a beat, almost not believing what his father just said. Him? Strongest in the universe? Can he really become that powerful?
Is that really possible?
"I-I guess," Gohan muttered, seemingly feeling better. "B-but I still screwed up, though."
"All of us did at some point. None of us is perfect." The father assured him. "What matters is that you bounce back from it. All's well that ends well, right?"
"Yeah…"
"That's why you don't have to worry about it." Goku brought his son close for an embrace. "Because I'm still very proud of you, Gohan."
Gohan hugged his father back, feeling much better about himself. Maybe his dad was right - maybe it's fine to screw up if it means that everything goes well. Maybe he's not weak, but still needs to grow.
...Maybe he can surpass his father if he tries hard enough.
Gohan frowned in thought.
"C'mon, let's go home." Goku patted his son's head. "I'm sure you feel tired after all that training."
"Wait, dad." Gohan stopped him.
"What's up?" Goku paused, raising a brow.
"C-can we spar?" His son asked, surprising his father.
"Here? Now?"
"Yeah." Gohan nodded. "Please?"
He might not have been able to prove himself earlier, but he's still motivated to show his father what he can do. Show how really powerful and skilled he became the past year. He knew Goku had his back and was supportive, but even then, words aren't enough.
Gohan didn't only want to hear words for comfort. He wanted his father to be in awe, to show that he can be a warrior as good as he is- no, even better. If Goku and Mr. Piccolo believe that he can be the strongest in the universe, then he'll prove it with actions.
He knew that his dad is far stronger than he is right now, but if he gives up if opponents were stronger than him, then what would that make him? A real warrior never gives up, even if the odds are stacked against him.
"Well, your mom isn't gonna be happy with this," Goku stated as he rubbed the back of his head, making Gohan deflate. "But I guess we can go for a quick round, but no ki blasts, alright?"
The Saiyan Hybrid's eyes lit up as all the exhaustion from before evaporated in an instant. His father got into his signature Turtle School stance as he took after his master, mirroring Piccolo's stance.
Gohan rushed in first, throwing kicks and punches that were either blocked or dodged. The difference in speed was vast, but Gohan had his lighter weight and smaller frame giving him an advantage.
Goku grinned and parried his son's jab, landing a headbutt that sent him skidding back. He made sure to hold back - he didn't want to hurt his son after all, but training is training. He must be tough in some way.
Unsurprisingly, Gohan easily bounced back and charged once more, unleashing a flurry of blows that seemed to get faster and faster by the second. As time went on, Goku began struggling more and more and decided to go on the offensive.
Gohan admirably defended himself, being fast enough to barely dodge and block, but every time his father's fist would hit his forearm, painful tremors would go through his body, making the difference in strength and endurance rather clear for the young Saiyan.
But even then, he didn't give up.
As the fight kept going, Remiel noticed the slight yet exponential increase in Gohan's power. The longer this battle went on, the stronger he became. While this is good news, it seems to him that the young Saiyan wasn't exactly good at controlling this newfound power yet.
Nor was he good at controlling his emotions.
"Woah, that was close!" Goku chuckled, blocking a right hook. "Man, you're really strong for your age, you know that?"
This seemed to snap Gohan out of it as Goku remained oblivious to the small change in his son's ki, but Remiel noticed.
"It was all because of Mr. Piccolo and the others," Gohan responded, unaware of his power increase. "I wouldn't be where I am today without them."
The two continued their battle as Remiel stayed silent, lost in his thoughts. He will definitely discuss it with Goku later. The tiny, and nigh un-noticeable increase of power was good news, it means that Gohan still had his rage boosts, and the former professor knew how powerful those would be when controlled.
However, the same could not be said about Gohan's eyes flashing golden.
Out in space, a certain conqueror had a meeting with a certain pirate. The frail and old Namekian glanced neutrally at the spiky-haired Saiyan who bowed deeply in respect, a smile plastered on his face.
"I'm very glad we've come to an agreement, my friend." The Saiyan said respectfully. "I'm certain you will never come to regret it."
"I'll be the judge of that." He snorted, turning his gaze to the red fruit in his hand. "So this is the legendary Fruit of Might? Food of the gods?"
"Indeed it is." The Saiyan nodded. "As I said before, all I want from you are planets I can plant the seed on, preferably ones filled with life, and as per our contract, you'll be getting a ten percent cut."
And the old Namekian can tell that this is the real thing. He can feel it - the power this fruit holds is immense, and what's more, he can feel something he hasn't sensed in so long. Something that no regular mortals can sense.
God Ki.
He doesn't know how this Saiyan managed to get hold of even one seed, or if he knew just why this fruit was valuable, and he's not about to try to interrogate him for answers. This Saiyan's powers are enormous, likely larger than even Freeza's.
"I'm old, not senile. I heard you the first time." The Namekian grunted. "We'll be setting course for a nearby planet soon and plant the tree there."
"Then I shall take my leave." The Saiyan bowed. "Pleasure doing business with you. Farewell, Lord Slug."
The Saiyan and his squad left the throne room and out of the spaceship, leaving the old Namekian to his thoughts. He glanced at one of his subordinates, who noticed his gaze and saluted.
"How long do we have before we arrive on Earth?"
"Less than 48 hours, sir." He responded.
Slug grinned. Finally, it's been so long.
After extensive research and planning, he finally found Namek - his home planet. He wanted the Dragon Balls, no, he needed the Dragon Balls. He doesn't have much time with his old and frail body deteriorating so quickly. He needs his youth back.
But when he headed there, his scouts reported that Freeza was heading there, and promptly stopped his course for his home planet. Freeza was powerful - his forces were in the millions. Slug and his army would get decimated if they tried to invade Namek right now.
So they went with the second-best thing. Planet Earth, a world rumored to have its own set of Dragon Balls. And last he checked, Earth's natives had low average power. Even his soldiers would be enough to wipe out all life on it.
Once he gets his youth back along with the power of the Fruit of Might, no one will be able to oppose him.
He is Lord Slug, the true ruler of Universe 7.
Heyy almost been a month since the last update. Yea I know, long time, and I have no excuse tbh. Im working on my other fics more and that's a fact.
Anyway, the last scene should be a good enough indicator of what would happen next. I'm using the movies, and most of them would have a lot of changes.
I'll keep it short today and instead announce this: I now have a personal discord server. Anyone can join of course, and I really hope I see you there. (Discord . gg / Rjjzt8erYK) without the spaces of course.
If you want to support me, here's my pat reon link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)