Review Responses:
To Ethan Demas: No, Cocoa and Barry do not have Saiyan DNA or other fighter's/alien DNA. But thanks for the response. I will see what happens in the saga as it continues.
To Hikari-J: The particle cannon ionized the particles in the air. It is not a ki-based weapon. However, there is a relationship between the two. So, that weapon can work in such a way that it can disrupt ki flow based on the concepts written in the last chapter.
To Ushindi:
1. Shin and Kibito were great concepts, but they lost their relevance after the Z-Sword was introduced, which is sad. Hopefully, PRIMAL can rectify their importance if all goes well.
2. I haven't had the foggiest clue about Bulma's wish. I've been avoiding spoilers for the longest.
3. Yellow Green. Hm… I wonder what Piccolo could do in that transformation? We'll just have to wait and see when DBS: Super Hero comes out.
That's all for now, on with the show.
Last time on Dragon Ball Z PRIMAL, Gohan had shown Videl how the Kaiōken technique functions as well as taught her the composition of ki. One day, he received a call that members of the Red Shark Gang were causing trouble in the city, so he sprung into action. After a scuffle involving strange weapons and machinery, he eventually claimed victory over the three thugs. Little did he know, it was all set up by Dr. Wheelo as an experiment. Using a formula made up of Gohan's cells, Wheelo used a machine to infuse his body with S-Cells, which was successful in the end. What will happen next? Find out, now!
Satan Mansion, Hercule City, Age 774
"...What!? What do you mean you're ending our contract!?"
Mr. Satan was currently sitting on his chair in his living room where he was on the phone after being contacted by one of his business partners.
"...Controversy? Look, that shouldn't be the primary reason to end…"
Little did the man know, his daughter had been walking through the hallway and entered the living room to get to the kitchen. Here, she was wearing a black tank top over a crimson t-shirt, black leggings, white boots, and black fingerless gloves with red accents.
While holding the phone, Hercule nearly coughed up a lung as he heard the person on the other line.
"...W-We lost that much money?" Hercule whispered.
After a few nods, grunts, and agreements within their understanding, the champion eventually accepted the end of the partnership.
"...I-I understand. …Alright. It was good doing business with y—hello? Hello?"
Seeing that the other line hung up, Mr. Satan deflated in depression, having lost another business partner.
"Damn… That was the fourth torn contract this week." This whole controversy regarding his confession. And now, all of the lies and dirt he had down to people were beginning to catch up with him.
Feeling his stomach growling, Mr. Satan got up from his chair and despair and made his way to the kitchen. Noticing Videl, Hercule let out a weary smile as he searched for food in the refrigerator.
"Morning, sweetheart! How'd you sleep?"
Videl, while biting a piece off of peach, said, "...Fine, I guess."
"R-right." The afro-haired man said, clearing his throat. "So, uh, how is your training coming along?"
Swallowing the flesh of the sweet fruit, Videl shrugged, "Eh, I'm making progress. I can shoot energy from my hands now. By the way, I perfected the Megaton Punch. It can shatter boulders."
"Oh…T-That's great, pumpkin!" Hercule said, excited at the fact that his little one was implementing his moves into her style.
Rolling her eyes, she continued to eat her light breakfast in silence. Hercule hated when there was this quietness between the two of them. The way that Videl acted, reminded Mr. Satan of when his late ex-wife and himself were on the rocks by the end of their marriage.
The fighter couldn't allow his relationship with his daughter to fall apart like his marriage with Mitchelle. He needed to fix things quickly.
"Do you, uh, have any plans for the weekend? Because there's a fair that's coming up and I was hoping that we can go together." Hercule stumbled rather awkwardly. "...You know, like father and daughter. Like old times?"
Videl, without looking at her father, ate the remains of her peach before throwing the pit away.
"Sorry, Dad. I can't. I already made plans."
Blinking, Hercule said, "Huh? What? You have?"
"Uh, yeah? I promised Ms. Chi-Chi to help her shop for Goten-chan's birthday party."
"...What, Goten?"
"Yes, Goten-chan. He's Gohan-kun's little brother. I told you about this last week, remember?" Videl said, giving the man a slight glare.
That's when the memory came back to him. He recalled Videl telling him about a birthday party she was pitching in while he was on the phone with a potential investor.
Sighing, Videl grabbed her high school badge and bag saying, "Never mind. I'll talk to you later. I'm heading out to school."
"V-Videl, wait!"
Sighing, the teenager turned to face her father.
"Look, I know things have been…tense between us. These past three months have been rough for both of us."
"Yeah, no thanks to you."
"I know, sweetheart. I'm not denying my mistake." The man softly stated. "But, Daddy's trying! He's trying his hardest to make things right. To do better, to be better."
Videl could tell that her father was being genuine and his efforts were shown. She admitted that Mr. Satan is on record to rectify some of the extensive he had done to the global martial arts community. His confession was a major step.
Yet, he was far from the man she had once known. The father that she used to adore.
Not even gazing into his eyes, Videl turned her back on him and said, "I know, Daddy. I can see that. But it's going to take a lot more than empty words to fix this mess. And for the record, I'm seventeen years old. Not seven."
With that, Videl left her deflated father in with his head hanging low.
Cafeteria, Orange Star High, Age 774
Ever since Cocoa's birthday party, Erasa had spent more time with the son of Dr. James Yanagi, wanting to get to know him more.
The frequent meet-ups at school and in other places in the city ended up going longer than she anticipated. One day, the spokesmodel ended up asking the girl out, which she wholeheartedly agreed to.
Now, Erasa went almost everywhere Barry went and vice versa. It was a nice change of pace, given how her parents were always away from home.
And while Erasa still hung out with her friends from time to time, she was slowly adjusting her attention to her new boyfriend.
The two were now sitting at a secluded table to them.
"So, what's it like? Being a spokesmodel and all?" Erasa asked.
Barry placed his hand on his shoulders casually while learning back. "It's like whatever. I lend my beautiful face and killer voice to the product, and it sells like hot cakes. While the old man and the company take most of the funds, I get two percent of the royalties made."
"Ooo~! Impressive! I wouldn't blame them, though. Who wouldn't want to buy supplements with a handsome face like yours?"
Grinning, Barry said, "Heh! You're right about that. By the way, I heard that you've been learning stuff from Bulma Briefs."
"Oh, yeah. I met her three months ago through Son-kun. She's helping me learn about technology and fashion." Erasa said.
"Son boy knows the Briefs, huh?" Barry realized. "That's news. What's she like?"
Erasa's eyes lit up as she said, "Ms. Bulma's amazing! She's kind, laid back, strong, and, like, really smart! Whenever something goes wrong, she almost always knows what to do! Oh, and she's just as confident as she is gorgeous~!"
Barry's mind wandered perversely as he thought about Bulma in a suggestive manner.
"Heh! …Nice."
While the two continued to talk, they were interrupted by an unwanted third party.
"Hey, babe~. Mind if I join?"
Turning around, both blond(e)s found themselves gazing at what seemed to be an anthropomorphic cat wearing a familiar-looking Letterman jacket.
Recognizing the voice, Erasa gasped, "M-Marker!?"
"Aw, I'm touched that you recognize me, babe." The Orange coated Beastman mocked while flexing his biceps. "I see my most striking features still carried on through my glow up."
Narrowing his eyes, Barry sneered at the bully.
"Not much of a change, really. You grew a stinking pelt. The janitor could smell your perspiring furry stench from all the way up at the B Hall."
Erasa snorted, trying her best not to break down in laughter. She was interested in a loud slap of Marker's anthropomorphic paw, grabbing her attention nearly instantly.
With a sly Cheshire smile, Marker leaned over to the girl and asked, "Ignoring the hotshot, how about you and me skip the rest of school and grab a bite over at my place, huh? I'll make it worth your while~."
Erasa coughed and gagged a little at the smell of the newly formed Beastman, saying, "First of all, ever heard of a breath mint? You definitely are in need of three packs of them, tops. Secondly, if I rejected you the first time while you were a human, what makes you think that I'll be desperate enough to hook up with an overgrown fur ball?"
Barry playfully winced at the verbal lashing Marker suffered, which the Beastmen were left gaping in awe and embarrassment.
Turning her head away from the brute, Erasa said, "And for your information, I'm happily dating Barry-kun. I'll say it once again. I am not interested, buck-o. Now, get lost!"
Before she knew it, the blonde was struck to the ground for everybody to see.
Looking up, the horrified tear stricken girl saw Marker towering over the girl with murder in his eyes.
The beastman bore his teeth and growled, "Grrr! You fucking bitch! Nobody disses me and gets away with it!"
Barry's eyes flashed a burning crimson at the sight of the young beastman for a split second. While he found it amusing that Marker had put Erasa in her place, the sight of a lowly creature touching what was owned by him had set him off.
The blond got into the beastman's face and clocked Marker in the face, sparking a small scuffle between the two. But before real blows could have been thrown, two security guards, one human and the other, a beastman, broke up the encounter to prevent further escalation.
"That's enough! Break it up!" The wolf beastman barked.
Marker sneered at Barry saying, "That's what you get for sticking up for nerds, Khan!"
"...You're dead." The blond simply stated in a low growl.
While shifting in the security arms, Erasa got up from off the floor and pleaded with her new boyfriend.
"Barry-kun! Stop! He's not worth it!"
Looking at the girl, Barry eventually simmered down and fixed himself. The two (plus Erasa) were eventually taken to the office where they each recounted their side of what happened.
Brahman of Emptiness, Gogyōzan Mountain, Age 774
For quite a while, Son Goku had been getting used to the extreme conditions of the angelic pocket dimension, training in his normal state.
At first, Goku struggled to maintain inner control of his ki while fighting. The dark blue and black western dragon smacked him around while disappearing and reappearing as vapor. It took him to stay calm and timing to land stunning blows to progress the fight. Goku eventually defeated the dragon and continued this process until something changed. He was able to gain a grasp of sensing divine energy.
Astral projections of Grandpa Gohan and Annin floated in front of Goku, who still wore his blue gi reminiscent of his old uniform Grandpa Gohan him as a child.
"Alright, son. You've handled yourself within the Orb of Aeon quite well. I take it that you've gotten used to its atmosphere?" Grandpa Gohan questioned.
Goku nodded, "Uh-huh! I got the hang of this place. My control ki has vastly improved since I've been training here."
"We can tell that there's a big difference in your energy control in just a few days of your training here." Annin smiled. "Because of that, today, you're going to try and fill your body with controlled ki. But no transformations. Think you're up for it, Goku?"
Goku gave Annin and Grandpa Gohan a thumbs up with his right hand.
"I'm ready! Give me the say and I'll get to it!"
Gohan and Annin nodded to themselves and both told Goku, "Begin."
Goku breathed in and out and focused on his ki from within his body. Staying calm, Goku began to power up to his maximum level while remaining in his normal state. Little did he know, bits of blue divine energy starting to send shockwaves through the dimension, shaking the pocket dimension.
Grandpa Gohan and Annin gaped at this phenomenon, being able to feel the immense power throughout the spectacle.
The light accumulated enveloped Goku's being, the blue energy turned into yellow, orange, then fiery red streams of flames that surrounded the Saiyan for ten seconds until it subsided.
As a result, Goku's appearance changed. Goku appeared to resemble his normal state, but his hair, albeit normal, was slightly spiked and colored a magenta red along with his eyes and eyebrows. His physique was much leaner, his skin had a peach hue, and he had a calming and serene demeanor to him.
Annin gasped at this change, now sensing the man's ki now on the level of deities.
And Goku had most definitely surpassed her.
'...Amazing! Goku has actually done it! His power is that of a god! And to think he rivaled one with mortal ki alone.'
Gohan, looking at his grandson's new transformation, asked, "Goku? You did it! I can feel your divine energy flowing all through your body. You've finally transcended to godhood. How do you feel, my son?"
Blinking, Goku took the moment to gaze at his hands and the red aura that surrounded his body.
"...T-This power is unlike any that I ever felt before. It's like I'm on a whole other level." Goku confessed.
Turning to Annin, Goku said, "And I'm itching to test this new godly power. So, what do you say?"
"...No thanks, I'll pass."
Goku reeled his head back at Annin's casual response, saying, "Ah, what?! Why not? I thought you'd wanna fight now that I have Godly ki!"
"Goku, milady is a busy goddess. The Hakke-ro must be guarded and tended to at all times. She cannot afford to leave it by its lonesome. A fight between you two at this point will surely put out the flames that could cause chaos between the living and the dead. We cannot risk that possibility under any circumstance."
Goku hung his head, mildly disappointed that he couldn't finally get a chance to fight a full-fledged deity.
That was until Annin chimed in to cheer up her attendant's grandson.
"No need to fret, Goku. May not be able to satisfy your desire to fulfill your fighting needs, but I know somebody who can."
Gohan gazed at his superior, wondering what she was planning.
"Huh? Really?" Goku questioned childishly. "Is this person strong?"
Annin chimed, "Oh, most definitely! He is a god, after all."
"You're not referring to Baozi-kun, are you?" Gohan inquired with concern.
Annin simply winked at the old man as she turned to Goku.
"Goku, dear, your opponent will be much stronger than anything I can conjure with my power. He's much more powerful than I, and can be extremely dangerous if taken lightly."
"For real? Who is he?" Goku questioned.
"Here, why don't I call him for you?"
Waving her hand, Annin summoned seven crimson orbs resembling strange Dragon Balls with black stars appearing twenty feet away from Goku and the astral projections.
"...Are those Dragon Balls?" Goku questioned softly.
"They are modeled after Dragon Balls. But do not be fooled. These orbs are not for wish-granting. They are merely a means to contain the being that's inside them." Gohan answered sagely.
As the orbs glowed magenta, the atmosphere and clouds turned black as a lightning bolt crashed down to empower the set of black starred Dragon Balls, causing the power from inside to appear in seven different magenta beams of light. The light then swirled together to form a dragon that bore an uncanny resemblance to Shenron, except for a few. major differences.
This eternal dragon had whiskers on the lower part of its jaw. The dragon's skin color was blood red rather than green and also had gold horns. Interestingly enough, the being lacked the red eyes that the other eternal dragons have, and instead had yellow ones. Another difference was the size. Compared to Shenron and Porunga, this dragon was massive. At its current size, it could easily wrap itself around Earth.
"...WHY HAVE YOU WOKEN ME FROM MY SLUMBER?"
"W-Woah!" Goku gasped, taken aback at the dragon's size. "H-He looks like Shenron! B-But this presence that I'm feeling is completely different!"
"He, Son Goku, is my familiar and former adversary. While his name is lost to the sands of time, he is known in the modern age as the Ancient Dragon, Choro." Annin announced.
"...He's enormous!" Goku commented.
Turning to Annin, the Ancient Dragon, or Choro questioned, "TAJORO, SEN'NIN NO NINGEN, WAS THIS YOUR DOING?"
"Sorry for calling you unexpectedly," Annin apologized, clasping her hands together. "I was hoping you could do me a favor, dear. My attendant has recently been summoned by the Grand Kai to teach the champion of Earth how to use Godly ki. We have been successful in bringing that power out of him."
Looking down at a waving Goku, Choro assumed, "I SEE… AND I TAKE IT THAT THE CHAMPION YOU SPEAK OF IS THIS LITTLE SAIYAN, HERE?"
"Yup, that's me!" Goku said in high spirits. "Hiya, I'm a Saiyan of Earth! My name is–"
"KAKAROT, SON OF BARDOCK AND GINE. ADOPTED AND RAISED BY THE SEN'NIN NO NINGEN, SON GOHAN. THE MONKEY KING OF THE MOUNTAIN OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS. THE CHAMPION OF THE 23RD NUMBER ONE UNDER THE HEAVENS MARTIAL ARTS GATHERING. THE FIRST SUPER SAIYAN IN ONE THOUSAND YEARS. A FOLLOWER OF YAMOSHI. SON GOKU."
Goku was left speechless at the dragon's response.
"I AM WELL AWARE OF YOUR EXISTENCE, MONKEY KING. MY DIVINE AWARENESS IS SO VAST, THAT I WAS GIFTED THE PRIVILEGE TO GAZE INTO THE TIMESTREAM WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH IT. I ALSO PEERED INTO YOUR MIND AND SOUL, ACCESSING HISTORY YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF."
Goku shivered slightly, but not out of fear.
His heart was pumping from excitement.
'Wow! This guy sure is interesting! I wonder how strong he is? Thinking about it is making my heart pound!'
"Choro-sama. We request that you test his newly found divine powers, as it would make a great lesson for him." Grandpa Gohan bowed humbly.
"...YOU WISH FOR ME TO GAUGE THE MONKEY KING'S POWER OF THE SAIYAN GOD?"
"Wait? Saiyan God?" Goku echoed in confusion. "Is this what you are talking about?"
The Ancient Dragon's eyes widened for a bit before narrowing.
"...AH, SO THE LEGEND HAS BEEN LOST. HOW UNFORTUNATE." Choro stated.
"Choro, what is this Saiyan God that you speak of?" Asked Goku.
"THE SAIYAN GOD TRANSFORMATION IS THE RESULT OF A MORTAL SAIYAN ACQUIRING DIVINE ENERGY WHILE WALKING THE RIGHTEOUS PATH. ORIGINALLY, IT IS ACHIEVED THROUGH A RITUAL INVOLVING SIX PURE-HEARTED SAIYANS. WHEN FIVE OF THEM POUR THEIR INNER LIGHT INTO THE SIXTH SAIYAN, THE HOST, THE PREVIOUS SAIYAN GOD'S SPIRIT WILL GRANT ITS POWER." Choro explained. "HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN THE FORM BY OTHER MEANS OF DIVINE CONDITIONING. THE LAST KNOWN HOST OF THE POWER IS A SAIYAN NAMED YAMOSHI."
"...How intriguing. So, there were Saiyans that were pure of heart like my grandson." The old man smiled.
"It appears so. I wonder what happened to them?" Annin inquired to herself.
Goku, staring directly at the dragon, said, "You know, Ancient Dragon, Lady Annin told me that you were incredibly powerful. If you know anything about me, then you know that I live to push myself to greater heights in power. I'd really appreciate it if we had a little one-on-one. You show me your strength, and I'll test out my new strength. I mean, it's not every day that you get to see a newly formed Saiyan God in action. How about it, friend?"
Unlike any other dragon, Choro smirked with his teeth showing.
"...VERY WELL. AS YOU WISH, SO IT SHALL BE DONE." Choro answered with his yellow eyes gleaming blue.
Choro then gleamed magenta then shot back into the black starred Dragon Balls. The set of balls still shined as it formed an anthropomorphic body. Black lightning danced around the being by the transformation climax, temporarily shaking the dimension from its raw power alone. With the light on the body dissolves, the new appearance of the dragon took Goku by surprise.
Choro was now an ash gray, blue, and red humanoid dragon with several yellow lines across parts of his body and dark markings on his face.
Implanted inside of his chest were the seven crimson black starred Dragon Balls.
He had ten large spikes on his body (two on his elbows, two on his shoulders, and six on his back) and he developed even more on different parts of his body, including his knuckles and shoulders.
While Grandpa Gohan shivered at the condensed power of the dragon in his current form, Annin and Goku remained calm, with the goddess used to this apparent change while Goku was outright pumped with anticipation.
"Apologies, I have not found the reason to take this form in a long time. Ten thousand years, if I recall correctly." Choro said.
"Wow, your power is insane right now!" Goku admitted. "It's making me sweat a bit, to be honest. What do you call this form?"
"...I never found it necessary to name this form. Though, if I were to deem it as such, you can call this appearance Akui no Shōhisha, Kotatsu Syn."
"...Uh, what now?" Goku muttered, scratching his head.
"Consumer of Malice, Ancient Dragon Syn." Annin translated. "He has the ability to feed off of the negative energy of both mortals and deities alike to fuel his power. While he was once a malevolent warmongering god from ancient times, he was defeated by the higher gods and sealed away by his father, the Supreme Dragon God, Zamala, as punishment for his thirst for power. I was entrusted by the Omni-King himself to watch over Choro-sama's Dragon Balls and oversee his rehabilitation in exchange for Choro-sama becoming my companion."
Goku, now completely psyched at the idea of facing an Eternal Dragon, floated towards Choro, or Syn, and grinned at the dragon as he brought his fist out for a fist bump.
"I'm looking forward to this fight! Let's give these two a show that they won't ever forget, alright?"
The red-eyed dragon stared at the newly formed Saiyan God. For a split second, he saw an ancient Saiyan wearing blue armor, a red tail, and spiky red hair wear with the same playfully competitive smile.
Grinning himself, Syn gently bumped fists with Goku, saying, "You're an interesting little Saiyan, Monkey King. I'll humor you. But do not take this fray too lightly. Or it could cost you your afterlife. Now…"
Syn flew back ten feet away from Goku as he took his fighting stance.
"...Come hither, if you dare!"
Letting the fiery divine energy cover Goku, the Saiyan God let out a battle cry as he went for a powerful punch at Syn's face. However, the dragon blocked the attack with his palm, creating a mild shockwave throughout the pocket dimension.
"This power, it's that of a deity." The Ancient Dragon stated factually, never budging from his position. "Tell me, how does it feel to be the first Saiyan God in recent history?"
"I'm still getting used to it. The sensation that's coursing all over." Goku answered evenly. "I feel like I can do anything with this divine power. I'm honestly trying to understand it all."
"Ah, I see. It is natural that mortals would have trouble comprehending such a force that's beyond their understanding." The dragon mused, with humor in his eyes.
As the two soar higher into the air, Syn went for a roundhouse kick that Goku blocked with his forearm, never letting his guard down for a second.
Goku kept throwing punches, trying to land a blow somewhere on Syn's face or body. The dragon either evaded or blocked the Saiyan God's flurry.
The dragon grinned, then channeled his dark red Godly ki. Syn kneed Goku into the gut, making him cough up saliva. Using Rapid Movement, Syn outstretched his left hand, allowing Goku to stop back peddling.
"Dragon Thunder."
The next thing that the Saiyan God knew, a surge of excruciating pain caused him to let out an agonizing scream.
After that, Syn drop-kicked Goku, sending him flying away from the Ancient Dragon.
Goku groaned in pain but quickly recovered as the fiery divine aura intensified as a result of his willpower refusing to let him give up.
"Crap! He's a lot stronger than I thought! Man, now I know to never take any dragons lightly." Goku muttered to himself.
Casually floating near Goku, Syn said, "While your durability impresses me truly, Monkey King, I was under the impression that you were the champion of Earth. Where is that warrior that I saw?"
Goku gritted his teeth, then rushed at the Ancient Dragon at blinding speeds, screaming, "I'm right here!"
Syn assumed that Goku was about to use go for the straightforward method and went to anticipate the blow. However, Goku then stopped at mid-rush then used Solar Flare, blinding the dragon. With Instant Transmission, Goku landed a roundhouse to the back of the dragon's head, then instantly reappeared to land a powerful hook in the Syn's solar plexus.
"ARGH!" The dragon gasped in pain.
"Now, take this!" Goku roared as he continued his barrage of Godly punches in Syn's chest.
After landing a right hook to the face and a left uppercut, Syn was sent flying across the pocket dimension via a front kick from Saiyan God Goku.
This time, it was Syn's turn to recover as he now tasted the faintest flavor of iron from his lip. Detecting this, Syn wiped the stream of blood from his mouth. Normally, the old Syn would scowl at the thought of a mere mortal harming him. But as of now, after reading Goku's soul and history, he was too curious about how far he could push the Saiyan's power. Especially now that he was among the first Saiyan God in thousands of years.
Goku, watching Syn reach him, smirked much as the dragon did.
"Clearly, I have underestimated your Saiyan God power and your skills. You're a lot more than what I expected, Monkey King." Syn applauded genuinely.
Tilting his head, Goku asked, "Uh, why do you keep calling me that? I'm no king."
Chuckling, Syn answered, "Because of the primal nature of your Saiyan power, all living creatures who are not human consider you to be the apex predator on the Mountains of Fruit and Flowers. Therefore, you are the Monkey King."
Thinking about it, Goku could see that it made sense to him Though he was never really into the idea of running a kingdom, much like he never was interested in becoming Earth's Guardian. He was a simple man who loved to fight and get stronger. But, he couldn't exactly argue with a dragon god that was even older than Shenron.
"...I suppose that makes sense, I guess," Goku said, scratching his head. "Titles don't really mean much to me. That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying this fight."
"Hmph! I'll admit, this bout is the perfect opportunity for me to exercise in this form once more. Your contribution is most gracious. And you have my thanks, Son Goku." Said Syn. "I purpose, however, that we should stop fooling around and take this fight more seriously."
"Heh, I see. I take it that the kiddie gloves are coming off, Choro?"
The dragon nodded before sliding back into his stance.
"Yes. Let us continue our dance, Monkey King."
Seeing this, Goku did the same. The staring continued for ten more seconds before both warriors propelled at each other, with both fists cocked back and ready to continue their battle.
Orange Star High, Hercule City, Age 774
It was after school when most of Gohan and his friends were let out at the sound of the bell ringing.
With all of the other students leaving the campus, Videl, Gohan, and Sharpner were exiting the school, concerned about their missing friend.
After lunchtime, news of what happened between Erasa, Barry Khan, and Marker had spread like wildfire. Many of the other students had painted Barry's reaction and response as a gallant act to defend his girlfriend and viewed Marker as a monster antagonizing the couple out of jealousy.
Needless to say, they were worried about the blonde girl.
"The nerve of that fucking douche bag!" Videl spat, practically spewing fire out her mouth. "I swear, the next time that I see him, he'll wish his mother had swallowed him when she had the chance!"
While Sharpner was also angry, he shrank a bit at the rising energy of the fuming female fighter. Gohan, being the voice of reason, turned to the girl to calm her down.
"Easy there, Videl-san. I'm just as concerned for Erasa-san as the rest of us. But cursing up a storm won't solve anything." Gohan said softly.
Videl's anger was so great that her ki emitted killing intent, prompting Gohan to take a few steps back with his hands up defensively when she got up into his face.
"Don't you tell me to calm down! My best friend got backhanded by the worst kind of trash in Orange Star! …And I wasn't there to stop it." Videl growled.
"I know. I get how you're feeling. But there's no point in beating yourself up about something you didn't have foresight in. All we can do is support Erasa-san the best we can." Gohan said, trying to calm his friend down.
Sharpner brooded, "Tch! I don't like either of those guys. I wish that security would let them punch it out. I'd pay money to see that. Hopefully, they would have knocked each other out. I welcome that shit, wholeheartedly."
Rolling his eyes, the daughter of Mr. Satan said, "As much as I like the thought of that, Barry is still her boyfriend, Sharp. If Barry would have gotten hurt, E would have been devastated."
Sharpner huffed but dropped the conversation.
"At least nobody else is hurt. Let's just hope that Erasa-san comes back to school the day after tomorrow." Gohan said with hope in his tone. "Her parents should be able to understand her situation given the number of witnesses with the footage."
"As if they care," Videl scoffed. "Erasa's parents are almost never home. And whenever they are home, they barely have the time to say anything to Erasa. That's the main reason why we hang out for so long. Our parents are neglectful."
"Oh…"
But before they could continue the conversation, a familiar voice rang out to the gang.
"H-Hello? Son Gohan-kun?"
The group turned around to see Cocoa Yanagi walking up to them with Barry's car parked nearby.
"Oh, Cocoa-san! It's been a while!" Gohan said as he waved at the older girl. "How are you?"
Blushing a little bit, Cocoa brushed bits of her hair as she said, "I'm fine. I actually finished my shift early today. Dad instructed me to pick up Barry and take Erasa home."
"Wait, the doc's letting Erasa ride with you guys!?" Sharpner questioned incredulously. "Since when!?"
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Papel had spoken to Dad as of recently." Cocoa answered casually. "They are well acquainted."
A tick mark formed on the boy's forehead as Sharpner thought, '...You've got to be kidding me! How far are those two?'
Videl raised an eyebrow, saying, "Really? Now that's some news."
Cocoa nodded, then turned to Gohan with a bit of a shy smile.
"B-by the way, Son Gohan-kun, my father, is overseeing a project that his team of engineers are developing. Would you like to c-come over and see it, sometime?"
Scratching his head, Gohan said, "A project, huh? Sure sounds fascinating. What's it about, Cocoa-san?"
Rubbing her neck sadly, the chestnut-haired girl said, "You know, I'm not entirely sure myself. Dad never lets me in on the family business at times… Most of the time."
Videl, while silent, noticed the shift in the girl's demeanor upon talking about the relationship between Cocoa and her father.
'...Ah, I guess I'm not the only one dealing with dads and their bullshit.' Videl thought to herself.
"Hm… I guess I can swing by your place next week. Is that okay with you?" Gohan questioned.
"That's perfect!" Cocoa cheered before her face mimicked the color of a tomato. "I-I mean, sure. T-That's a problem at all."
"Then I'm all for it." Gohan agreed before turning to Videl. "Wanna come with?"
Videl shrugged and nonchalantly nodded.
"Eh, I guess I got nothing else to do. Why not?"
Sharpner waved the group off as he grumbled, "You guys knock yourselves out. I got to head back home and help my dad. Call me if something happens. Catch you later."
Like that, Sharpner got into his car and drove.
"...Is he okay?" Cocoa questioned concerningly. "I didn't say anything offensive, did I?"
"Don't mind him, Cocoa. Sharp's just being Sharp." Videl said, patting her shoulder before looking at her uniform.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to work at that new café over at Kirin Street?" The girl asked.
"Y-Yes! I work at Hanuman! I've been a waitress there for a while." Cocoa smiled.
"Is that so? Well, expect me to pay a visit. I heard their Frappuccino is to die for." Videl said with a grin.
Cocoa smiled at Videl and said, "That would be great, Videl. I'll be looking forward to seeing you there."
"Anyway, I better get my brother and Erasa. I'll see you guys later!" Cocoa said.
"Bye!" The remaining fighters replied as they watched her head to the school.
The pair of friends then continued to step away from the campus as they struck their own conversation.
Gohan then turned to Videl and asked, "So… Do you want me to warp you home?"
Videl's face turned flat from the thought of instantly heading home.
"No thanks, Wonderboy. I'm not too keen on seeing my dad just yet." Videl said. "You can walk me home."
"Fair enough,"
Videl and Gohan decided to take routes and alleyways to avoid being seen and bombarded by fans and the paparazzi. It was here that their conversations became more intimate.
"Hey, Gohan-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"...C-Could you tell me a little bit about Goku-san?"
"My dad?" Gohan said, raising an eyebrow. "What would you like to know about him?"
"I don't know…what was he like when he was around?" Videl asked with more detail to the sentence.
Rubbing his chin, Gohan said, "You say that Goten takes a lot after him. Dad was carefree, strong-willed, full of energy, and loves to have fun. Despite him not being the sharpest tool in the shed, he had this presence that made you feel protected; a feeling that even in times of peril you know that everything is going to be alright in the end."
Videl smiled at his explanation, seeing a lot of Goku's characteristics in Gohan based on the description.
"He sounded a lot like a heck of a guy. Compared to my dad, Goku-san sounds completely selfless."
Smacking his lips, Gohan said, "...Not exactly. Certain situations would often have Dad leaving home for long periods of time. While he didn't mean for those situations to happen and does love his family, Dad would place his need to have epic fights with stronger opponents above everything else in life. And that would lead to problems at times. You would have seen a glimpse of that live during the Cell Games."
Blinking in awe, Videl said "...Oh. So your dad was a punch jockey."
Chuckling at her choice of words, Gohan said, "Hahaha! I never thought of it that way, but you phrased it perfectly! He's definitely a punch jockey!"
Videl giggled at how silly her friend was being.
"But, you know? Seeing how dedicated you are in training reminds me a lot of my dad." Gohan said, forming a sad smile.
"Oh yeah. I heard you say that before." Videl recalled.
"I did. I think it's because of your fighting spirit. I have never met a person with the same drive as Dad. It's very inspiring."
"Is that why you decided to teach me how to fly and use energy?" Videl asked softly, taking a step closer to him. "Because I remind you of Goku-san?"
Blushing a little, Gohan slowly nodded, saying "Kind of. I was also curious to see how strong you could become with ki since your skills are already above average. You're a very talented fighter, Videl-san, and I thought that teaching you this stuff would help you in your crusade against crime. That, and I wanted to see just how far you can go."
Videl's heart fluttered once more at the tender words of the hybrid. While still silent, she nodded to the boy with a small bashful smile on her semi-pink face.
She whispered, "...That was thoughtful of you. Thanks."
"Anytime,"
Soon enough, the duo made it to Videl's home where they entered the small door that only she, Hercule, and the working staff could walk through. Standing beside the front door, the girl turned to the half Saiyan.
"Hey, where are you heading off to?" Videl asked.
Gohan responded, "To Bulma's. I got to catch up on my notes for the Saiyan Archive that Vegeta is helping with."
Videl then slyly replied, "And then you'll be going out with your secret teacher to train after, right?"
"Yup, that's the plan." Said Gohan. "Got to keep up with my ki control somehow."
"Right. I'll see you tomorrow, Gohan-kun." Videl said as she went to unlock the front door of her house."
"Videl-san,"
The pig-tailed girl turned around to meet Gohan's eyes.
"What is it?"
"...I-I know that things between you and your dad have been tense. I can see it from the way you speak about him. And you have every right to feel angry with Mr. Satan. Just please, give him a chance. He's still your father, and he loves you."
Videl then faced the door, finding the doormat interesting. She sighed tiresomely but responded to her friend's plea.
"...I know he is. But what's going on between us, I can't just let that go. His screw-up is affecting my life. I'm not sure that I can ever forgive him for that."
"I'm not asking you to do so right now," Gohan said, shaking his head. "All that I ask is for you to give him time to make amends for his transgressions. Mr. Satan deserves that, Videl-san. I know that I would want a chance to if I were in his shoes."
Videl sighed at Gohan's naive mentality, thinking that he's too forgiving for his own good.
"...Sometimes, I think you can be too forgiving. He lied to me and the world for nearly a decade and spat on your father's grave. Why do you care so much about my dad's relationship with me?"
"Videl-san, back when you believed in his lies, I saw the admiration that you had with your father in your eyes. I recognized that despite his antics, you and Mr. Satan had a strong bond. I was like that with my father when he was alive. But seeing you now? It's like you have completely lost faith in Mr. Satan. It's heartbreaking..." Gohan admitted solemnly as he looked down to the floor.
Videl turned to look at her friend's face while being absolutely stunned at the young man's words.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be a shame to see the two of you drift apart and not see each other. You still have a father to love. I'd give away all of the power I have right now to see mine again, even if it's for a day. I never got a chance to say goodbye to my father. The last thing that I want for you to go through is to never have the chance to make peace with your dad while you still have the time to. You never know when you're time with the ones you love can be ripped away from you, Dragon Balls or not." Gohan finished expressing.
Videl, feeling her face heat up and her heart drumming in her chest, processed every last bit of information of that was said to her. Due to this, she came to the conclusion that Gohan had the biggest heart she had ever seen.
There was this innate sensation, this new mature instinct that came over her. When she glanced at Gohan, Videl walked over to him, took a hold of his chin, and pressed her lips onto the boy's right cheek, taking the boy by complete surprise.
Gohan tensed up, feeling his whole body turning red with shivers running up his spine. Subconsciously, his tail unwrapped itself from his waist.
'...S-She's kissing me!' Gohan mentally screamed out of anxiety, shock, confusion, …elation?
His feelings were uncertain and bewildered at the moment. They couldn't be processed as his mind was overloaded by the girl's action.
Stepping away, Videl then stated, "For a goof, you're very sweet. It's nice to know that there are still guys of your type around. Thanks for being yourself."
Placing his hand on his right cheek, the hybrid smiled sheepishly.
"Um, i-it's no big deal! That's are w-what friends are for! Hehehe!"
Videl nodded, while a strange pang of sadness struck her chest.
'...Right. Friends. That's what we are. Just friends.'
Unlocking the door, Videl quickly opened the door while saying, "Talk to you later!"
The female crime fighter leaned on the front door and groaned, sliding down on it while clenching her chest. She could feel the oddity that was her increased heart rate. The sensation of her face burning hot red finally got to the girl.
Though she'd never admit it to the blonde, Erasa had won. She was right all along. There was something that stirred inside Videl Satan every time she was with our hero. Perhaps, there was more to her feelings than she originally thought.
Feeling his ki leaving the property, Videl whispered to herself, "What are you doing to me, Son Gohan?"
Son Residence, Mount Paozu, Age 774
It was four o'clock in the afternoon and Chi-Chi was busy boiling a pot of bone broth when she called on her youngest child, who was playing outside in the background.
"Goten-chan!"
"YES, MOMMY?" The boy responded from outside.
"Can you come inside, sweetie?"
"OKAY!"
The next thing that Chi-Chi knew, Goten blurred from the patio door and floated beside the human until he landed on the floor feet first with excellent control.
"Do you need help with something, Mommy?"
Patting the youngest half Saiyan's head, Chi-Chi asked, "No, I was wondering if you have seen your brother? I hadn't heard him walk through the door."
Goten shook his head as he adjusted the Nyoibo on his back.
"No, I haven't."
Raising an eyebrow with her hands on her hips.
"Well, can't you sense him?"
"Um…"
Goten closed his eyes and tried to get a feel of his older brother's energy.
"...Mommy? I can't sense him anywhere." Goten said, clearly confused. "What happens if I can't sense a person's energy?"
Chi-Chi dropped everything and, screaming, "W-What!?"
(Hello? Chi-Chi, Goten?)
Goten and his mother looked up as they heard a familiar voice through telepathy.
Smiling, Goten said, "Hey, it's Mr. Dende! Maybe he can help us!"
"Dende! Thank goodness, you're here! Do you know where my son is, right now? Goten said that he can't sense him anywhere! I'm worried about him!" Chi-Chi questioned the guardian.
(Wait, you don't know either? This isn't good…)
Chi-Chi and Goten's hopeful expressions turned into that of worry.
"What is going on!?" Chi-Chi demanded. "What aren't you telling us!? Did something happen to my baby?"
(No. I am certain that Gohan is alive. There's no doubt about that.) Dende said, allowing the rest of the Son family to relax a bit. (What I have noticed is that his energy would be present, and then it would disappear for a few hours at a time. And this strange occurrence feels like it's scheduled. Planned.)
Goten, scratching his head while thinking out loud, said, "It kinda sounds like big brother is off training somewhere."
(You know, that makes sense. Where would he be off to train where we can't sense him? Gohan never came by to use the Pendulum Room or enter the Time Chamber.)
"I dunno." The little boy shrugged.
Chi-Chi, however, felt her blood boiling to the point where flames poured out of her eyes while her anger manifested in a dark red aura, scaring Goten and causing the guardian to fall on his butt all the way on the Lookout.
"SON GOHAN, YOU'RE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE WHEN YOU GET HOME!" Chi-Chi screeched, shaking the entire house.
Brahman of Emptiness, Gogyōzan Mountain, Age 774
Shockwaves of blows were tearing apart the clouds of the pocket dimension. This occurred ten times. Each clash was stronger than the last as it shook the realm that they used as a battlefield.
While watching this spectacle from the sidelines, Grandpa Gohan and Annin were left on the edge of their metaphorical seats, barely able to keep up with the dragon and the Saiyan's movements.
"This is amazing." Grandpa Gohan said. "I never would have imagined all of this power would ever come from a star-child that I found in that small pod."
"Agreed. I never would have guessed that his kind had a path that could rival the very gods themselves. Perhaps not all Saiyans are bloodthirsty savages." Annin thought aloud in a retrospective tone.
"To think he's matching Baozi-kun…"
"Goku's Transcended State may have placed him at a higher level, but Choro-sama is still stronger than him." Annin pointed out. "Some say that if Beerus never took the position and if the evil intent left the dragon's heart much earlier, Choro-sama would have been the Hakaishin of this universe."
Gohan gasped, "Really? He was a candidate for being the God of Destruction?"
Annin nodded as she explained, "Yes. Of course, now he serves the role of being the devourer of souls that are too wicked to be in hell. At least those souls have a slim chance to be redeemed if they work off their sins."
The bewildered Grandpa Gohan watched as the fight continued.
Goku used his Instant Transmission to get closer to Syn, but the Ancient Dragon performed a hand sign with his thumb folded inwardly and pressed his index and pinky fingers together.
"Mighty Hurricane Fury!"
From there, a red whirlwind swirled his body, then separated the hands and pointed them at Saiyan God Goku, who slammed all the way into an invisible barrier while most of his upper gi was torn.
Refusing to back down, Goku powers up his divine aura with a mighty roar. He put his hands outwards and shot two large twenty ki blasts, then kicked two large orbs of energy at Syn.
Stn simply grinned, even let out a chuckle. But not out of amusement, but out of enjoyment. Seeing this kind of passion in each attack reminded him of his days as a warlord, doing battle with his adversaries.
"Heat Armor." The dragon whispered before his skin seared a crimson red.
Floating in place, the heat admitted from his technique was so great that a wave came off of the dragon, sweeping the ki attacks in an explosion that never touched the dragon.
Quickly detecting Goku's presence behind him, Syn lunged for a high knee, which Goku matched as a counter. The dragon went for an elbow, but that was evaded. Goku tried to land a kick, but Syn dodged using Rapid Movement. However, he anticipated Syn's speed, causing both warriors to punch each other's faces, drawing blood from each of their cheeks.
It was at this point that the two knew that the climax of their battle was at hand.
Syn moved far away while still at a higher altitude than Goku. He decided to speak with the Saiyan God while still smirking with his sharp teeth.
"You are a formidable opponent, Monkey King. One of the strongest that I've faced in a very long time. But now, it's time we finished this in a grand finale. This will be the deciding final bout!"
While declaring this, Syn raised his left arm with his palm faced upward. He then produced a ball of divine ki with black electricity dancing around it.
Smirking as well, Goku said, "I wouldn't have this any other way, Choro. You're really something special."
Taking a familiar horse stance, Goku cupped his hands together to his right side away from his hip, charging a ball of blue ki.
After letting the attack build up where it's as large as Frieza's Death Ball, Syn chucked it directly at Goku, saying, "NEGATIVE KARMA BALL!"
Timing the sphere's speed at which it was launched at him, Goku fired his attack, screaming, "KAMEHAMEHA!"
Releasing the beam, Goku fired the God Kamehameha Wave at the Negative Karma Ball, causing a powerful. Normally, there would be a struggle for dominance in an attack like this. This time, however, was a different matter given that this was a clash of negative divine energy and positive divine energy. As a result, instead of an explosion, there was a massive implosion that sent a shockwave that nearly destroyed the pocket dimension.
When the flash of light and wind died down Goku and Syn stood in place, with Syn barely having a few bruises, and while Goku had cuts and bruises all over his body. The Saiyan God lost his shirt and had lost patches of fabric on his pants legs.
The next thing that he knew, the divine aura retreated Inwardly into Goku's body, reverting the Saiyan back into his normal state.
Seeing this, Syn lightly nodded, "Well, it seems that our dance is over."
Goku huffed a bit, wanting to protest but was busy catching his breath.
"...Man, I still…want to…go…another round." The Saiyan managed to say through pants.
"Even if you wanted to, the Saiyan God's power has all but faded." Syn pointed out, taking Goku by surprise.
"Aw, what? It's gone? But I just got that form!" Goku pouted childishly.
This was when the astral projections of Annin and Old Man Gohan appeared to speak to them.
"It's okay, Goku. You've done well handling your new divine power. I'm sure you still have access to it." Grandpa Gohan assured.
"He's right, I can still sense the Godly ki in you," Annin confirmed.
"That is because his body has taken the battle experience while utilizing divine energy. This, in turn, raised his nature Battle Power." Syn said to the two older beings before turning to Goku. "Of course, you have the power of a newly formed lesser god compared to me. A demigod, if you will."
Nodding, Goku said, "I can take that. Thanks for the fight, Choro. I haven't fought hard like that in seven years. It was a blast."
"It was a pleasure, Son Goku. You have been an exceptional sparring partner. As a veteran of war, I'd advise that you keep practicing how to fully utilize your divine energy. Make that power your own. When you do that, ask milady to call upon me again. Then, we can battle once again. Except by that time, I can use my full power instead of a quarter of it."
'Damn! That was one-fourth of his power!? Man, he's more dangerous than I originally thought!'
"I'd like that a lot, Ancient Dragon."
After bumping fists again, Goku left the pocket dimension, leaving Syn to dematerialize back into seven crimson black starred Dragon Balls and scatter away deep in the subspace.
Son Residence, Mount Paozu, Age 774
"Mom, Goten! I'm home!"
Gohan entered the house around six o'clock in the evening, which was late by Chi-Chi's standards. In spite of the time, the half Saiyan didn't pay much mind to it given how well he was managing schoolwork and his responsibilities as a provider for the house thanks to his skills as a farmer. So, he figured Chi-Chi would look past his tardiness.
As he entered the living room, there stood Chi-Chi, with the frying pan placed on the living room table.
"...We need to talk." She said with no room for arguments.
'...Crap baskets.' Gohan thought to himself, trying to think about what he could have possibly done to anger enough for the skillet to come out.
He quickly took a seat on the couch with his mother standing above him with her pan in her right hand.
"Where were you?" Chi-Chi questioned curtly.
"I was in West Cit–ARGH!"
Gohan was hit on the head with the back of the frying pan.
"Don't give another one of your lies, young man!" Chi-Chi growled. "Where have you been?"
Rubbing his throbbing head, Gohan replied, "I'm telling the truth. I went to West City after I walked Videl-san home. You can ask Bulma."
"Oh really?"
"Yes! Give her a call and–Ow!"
Gohan was struck again by the frying pan again.
"Do you honestly take me for a fool!?" Chi-Chi screeched. "You would have been home if you left Capsule Corp and came straight back here! In fact, I was informed that you've been vanishing from off the face of the Earth lately! Care to explain why!?"
Gohan's eyes dilated as he paled in fear.
'...Oh no! Don't tell me that she found out!'
Gohan's heart began to pound with anxiety, not knowing how to respond to his mother.
"I-I, uh, I've been–"
"Speak up!"
"–I've been training somewhere in my spare time!" The teen answered louder.
"Obviously!" The woman scoffed. "Ugh! This is Goku-sa's fault! His antics have rubbed off on you!"
"Mom, I understand why–"
"–NO! You don't understand anything!" Chi-Chi cut off. "You haven't got a clue how I feel! I had Goten-chan try to sense your energy, only to find out that you were gone! Darn it, you just dealt with an invasion where you came home bloodied and bruised! At this point, I thought that something terrible had happened to you! I was worried that I'd lost you like we lost your father!"
Gohan's heart sank as guilt settled inside. He made his family worry.
"Then, I come to find you sneaking off to who-knows-where. And for what, training!? You're already pushing it with me by training with that brute, Vegeta! Now, you're pulling this nonsense? I draw the line at going off-planet! Especially when it's for no reason and I'm not aware!"
"Mom, it's not for no reason!" Gohan shot back. "The Earth was literally attacked three months ago as you said! I have to be ready in case something like that happens again!"
"It's not just about you fighting, Gohan! You're missing the point! Goten and I were worried sick! Dende couldn't sense you! Your brother couldn't sense you. I didn't know where you were! You don't tell me anything, Gohan! I'm left in the dark! That is my problem with you!" Chi-Chi clarified.
Placing the pan down on the table, the mother groaned in frustration while putting her hands on her face.
"Ugh! Kami…Why does this happen to me? All I want for my children is to grow up safely, get a great education, have a well-paying job, get married, and be normal men with children that I get to spoil while not worrying about them running around like some freakish hooligans battling monsters! Is that so wrong?"
Hearing her words made a familiar feeling creep into Gohan's heart. This dark sensation that rose up from the depths was amplified by a sentence that Vegeta told him three months prior.
No matter what delusions your harpy of a mother tries to convey to you, deep down, you know that you were never destined to live a normal life.
Hearing his mother speak so ill of his efforts to keep her and everybody else safe started to make his blood boil.
'She'll never understand… She never tried to. It's like she only cares about my human side. My powers are not important, only my intelligence. I can't accept that. I-I gotta get out of here before I hurt something or someone.' Gohan thought as his ki started to spike.
Gohan, emotionless, rose up from the couch as he said, "...I think I get it, now."
"Huh, what was that?" Chi-Chi asked while glaring at her son. "What are you talking about?"
"That frying pan had done the trick. I get what you're saying." Gohan explained. "It's clear to me that I'm not normal."
"Wait, what? Gohan, what are you say–"
"No. It's just like you said," Gohan cut her off stoically. "I'm just some freakish hooligan who only cares about battling monsters. It's not like I was forced into fighting men twice my age or anything. Despite not choosing to be born from an alien, I'm a monster. No, I just love being able to casually eat large amounts of food, grow monkey tails, transform into giant monkeys, and shake planets by getting angry."
Chi-Chi started to instantly regret her choice of words. Once again, she had let her anger get the best of her.
"I-I didn't mean it that–"
"Don't you even dare try and take it back!" Gohan growled firmly, causing his eyes to glow golden yellow. "I understand perfectly. I'm not normal. And I'll never be normal. I'm sorry that I cannot be the ideal son that you want. But if you had it your way, then we would have been dead years ago."
Chi-Chi remained silent, finding the ground interesting.
"...I just wanted what's best for you…" She whispered weakly.
Gohan ignored her whisper and started to walk away until he stopped by the doorway. Turning away to face his mother, Gohan got something off his chest.
"You never tried to understand what I am. I'm more than just a human. I was told that at four years of age. Could you imagine how much that affected me? It is still something that I deal with. My training is to control that aspect of me. That wild side from within me. And this isn't just to help me get stronger and better my mental state, but it's to protect you and Goten. I thought that as my mother, you'd understand and be supportive of that. But, I guess I was wrong… Wow, I never imagined that a god who barely knows me would understand me more than my own mother."
Gohan then placed his index finger and middle finger on his forehead while he concentrated on a specific ki signature.
Realizing the technique, Chi-Chi focused and said, "Gohan! Gohan, wait! Where are you going!?"
"I'm staying at Bulma's for a few days. I'll come back on the weekend to celebrate Goten's birthday. Hopefully, you'll come to your senses by then." Gohan answered evenly. "Oh, and by the way, he's been listening to the whole time. Have fun with that."
Like that, Gohan warped out of the house, leaving Chi-Chi stunned. The next thing that the woman knew, she found herself watching a saddened Goten slowly moving into the living room with trails of tears in his eyes.
"I-Is Gohan right? A-Are we monsters to you?" Asked the sniffling child. "...A-Am I a monster, too?"
Chi-Chi then embraced her youngest child, finally, she'd few tears of her own as she apologized for the pain she had caused her family. While rubbing the sobbing boy, the woman a continuing thought replayed in her mind.
'Goten, Gohan, I'm so sorry!'
Downtown, Hercule City, Age 774
After Marker's suspension from school, he had gotten a tongue lashing from his parents for his inexcusable behavior. The young beastman's actions led to his allowance being cut in half, he was benched from the baseball team, and he had a six o'clock curfew during the weekdays and a seven o'clock curfew on the weekends.
Needless to say, life absolutely sucked for Marker.
He was currently walking home after his mother told him to purchase a gallon of milk from the corner store over by his neighbor.
"This sucks balls, man!" The cat beastman swore. "Home life sucks, Mr. Ateele benched me, and everybody wants nothing to do with me! And it's all Khan and that bitch's fault! Well, they just wait! Once I corner one of them alone, I'm gonna–Mmph!"
Marker's dark monologue was interrupted by a burly pale violet hand taking a hold of his face from a dark alleyway. Turning to the owner of the hand, Marker muffled a surprising shriek as he was being held by a monster with gleaming crimson eyes.
The monster then said, "I found you, freak. Now, as I said, you're dead."
The muffler screaming only lasted for two more seconds as the sounds of a neck-snapping and the tearing of flesh echoed throughout the alleyway.
To Be Continued…
A new terror has shown itself in the streets of Hercule City in the form of a monster that is known to hunt beastmen. And as the lives of the Dragon Team continue, so is their strength and trust for one another. However, drama still knows how to reel its ugly head around to complicate things. Will the Sons go back to the happy family that they were before? Will the Satan family? And what about Goku? What can he do with his new divine form? And what's the next phase of Dr. Wheelo's plan? Stick around for more adventures on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!
Author's Note: Yup, I'm back again! And yes, I can work that fast if and when I want to!
Let's go over the rundown of new information, shall we?
Now, while Gohan's drama with his mother will be resolved at the end of the next chapter, Videl's feud with her father will take longer. And it may have a parallel with a certain character that may or may not come full circle by the end of the arc.
When it comes to the Saiyan God transformation, Goku's maximum power went from Solar System Level to Galaxy Level. Goku's power will grow over time as he trains in order to keep this new development grounded.
The new character, Choro, or Akui no Shōhisha, Kotatsu Syn (Consumer of Malice, Ancient Dragon Syn) is a mix of two existing characters from the Dragon Ball franchise with a completely different backstory. In his dragon form, he's Ultimate Shenron from Dragon Ball GT. In his humanoid form, he is Xeno Syn Shenron from Super Dragon Ball heroes. In his role in this continuity, Choro or Syn was an old evil dragon that consumed evil entities, as malice or negative energy fuels his power. Devouring seven demonic beings, Choro waged war with the gods for the sake of satisfying his thirst for battle. He was eventually defeated and was punished by Zamala. The Omni-King had the angels craft crystal orbs modeled after Dragon Balls and separated Choro into seven pieces. He was then entrusted to Annin to safeguard and rehabilitate the dragon with Choro becoming her mount and companion if she was successful. However, Choro's humanoid can only appear in the Brahman of Emptiness (the angelic orb) as it is his dwelling place unless Annin allowed him limited freedom. Now, Choro's job is to serve as the devourer of souls that are too wicked to be redeemed. At his full power, Choro is stronger than Beerus.
Baozi means steamed bun that is filled with either meat or other stuff. Grandpa Gohan uses this as a pet name for Choro since Choro's favorite food is steamed buns.
Finally, we will see more of the Supreme Kai and learn more about his lore next chapter.
Please, let me know what you all think about this chapter? What did you like? What didn't you like? What and who do you want to see more of? How was the lore being handled? What needs to be improved? Do you have a favorite character? A favorite character moment? What predictions do you have regarding where this story is headed?
Anyway, I'll see you guys later!