Review Responses:
To SuperSaiyanFever: That was a beautiful comment, my friend. It came straight out of a good place. You're gonna love this chapter.
To Ushindi:
1. Beerus and Whis are a treat to watch. Beerus is cool, but Whis an intriguing character considering he introduced Ultra Instinct.
2. I don't necessarily have any other opinions for the other Hakaishin given that we barely spend time with them outside of maybe Champa and Belmont. I think Helles has a cool design and is the kind out of all of the Hakishin.
That's all for now, on with the show.
Last time on Dragon Ball Z PRIMAL, While Videl continued to stray further away from her father, Erasa was attacked by the newly formed beastman, Marker. This caused a short scuffle between him and Barry Khan which ended in the blond boy threatening the beastman's life. Barry's threat was carried out. Because of Gohan's strange behavior and thanks to Dende's revelation, Chi-Chi confronted her son. This led to an argument that resulted in Gohan leaving his home. Will the Son family reconcile? Find out, now!
Yunzabit Heights, Age 774
It was the night before Goten's birthday and Gohan had spent time focusing on his training and his schoolwork. His friends had noticed a shift in his mood the day after the heated confrontation between him and his mother. To avoid dragging people's moods down, the boy remained silent, only speaking when he needed to.
After school, Gohan would fly to the Capsule Corporation and go to his family room to keep to himself, only coming out when he needed essentials, to talk to Bulma about Goten's birthday or Saiyaman business, or to learn from or train with Vegeta. Goten would often fly over to see how his elder brother was doing and spend time with him for a few hours until he had to go home.
The only person that he had ever spoken to about what had happened to him outside of Piccolo, Vegeta, and Shin was his student, Videl, to who he explained through text messages. While she offered to talk to him about it over lunch, he politely declined, stating that he just needed time to cool off. Videl accepted the response and respected her teacher's wishes.
Now, Gohan, wearing his old training gi, sat down by himself on top of a plateau, trying to meditate in order to purge himself of his anger towards his mother. But the more he tried to concentrate, the more his ki rose from the rage that was festering deep down.
The rage inside began to manifest as the power output started to shake the plateau. Sensing this, Gohan stopped what he was doing in a jolt and panted.
"...Damn it! Nothing's working! I've been at this for two hours and I can't seem to calm down!" Gohan gritted, feeling the electricity coursing around his body as if he was ascending to the second level of Super Saiyan.
Gohan sighed at himself, saying, "It's times like these where I wish Dad was still around. He'd know how to cheer me up."
"Maybe I can help."
Gohan turned around to see the Supreme Kai, Shin, who appeared next to him, sitting beside the emotionally drained Saiyan.
Gohan bowed to his teacher, saying, "Oh! G-Greetings, Lord Shin. I didn't see you there."
"I'd imagine that to be the case. My divine energy makes me practically invisible to the mortal ki users." The Sōzōshin mused.
"Yeah, that's right… So, what brings you out all the way on the other side of the planet?" Gohan questioned in a curious manner. "And where's Kibito?"
"He is back in the Sacred Realm," Shin stated. "And as to why I am here, I came to see my disciple in his low point. After all, your energy is also linked to your emotions."
"...Oh," Gohan said before staring into the distance.
Staring at Gohan, Kaiōshin said, "You are troubled."
Gohan sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Is this about your mother?"
Gohan nodded, painfully saying, "You think that being around my father long enough, I'd forgive just about anyone for anything. Granted, she was right about me not telling her about you in spite of our agreement. But what my mom just told me in my face, I-I don't know if I can simply let that go. Maybe this is how Videl-san feels..."
"I see… Well, I have to apologize for my hand in all of this." Shin said formally. "While I do not regret keeping my identity a secret, as you clearly understand where I come from in that matter, it is clear that placing such a heavy burden has further complicated your life and your relationship with your mother. With that, I am sorry, Son Gohan."
"I appreciate the apology, Lord Shin." Gohan smiled while shaking his head. "I really do. This situation, however, has been a problem before you came. So, I don't blame you. It's been rough these past seven years. Especially since…you know." Gohan expressed.
Shin closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts.
"Yes… Loss." Shin nodded in a softer tone. "Indeed, I, too, experienced loss. My brethren, the other Kaiōshin."
"That's right," Gohan recalled in a gasp. "You did say that there were more of your kind. What happened?"
"...Long ago, while humanity was still in its infancy, the universe was overseen by a powerful and benevolent Sōzōshin, the Daikaiōshin."
"Daikaiōshin? There was a Grand Supreme Kai?"
"Yes. The Grand Supreme Kai ruled the Sacred Realm of the Kai with the aid of his attendant, Kibito, and his understudies. Each of his younger counterparts was in charge of creating worlds within their quadrant. Those worlds would replace the planets that the universe's Hakaishin or other powerful force would destroy. There was the Northern Kaiōshin, Bōnten, the Southern Kaiōshin, Vishu, the Western Kaiōshin, Aruna, and there was me, the Eastern Kaiōshin."
"...So, the Supreme Kai of the North, South, and West were like your siblings?"
Shin nodded, saying, "In a way, yes. We all are born from the golden apples of the Kaijū tree, which is how some Supreme Kai obtained their position. Nehan, the Grand Supreme Kai, was like a father to us while my fellow Kaiōshin were my elder brothers and sister."
Nodding, Gohan asked, "What happened next?"
Opening his eyes, a grim expression appeared on Shin's face.
"Five million years ago, a wizard named Bibidi had awakened a being that was chaos incarnate, known for its infamous cycle of planetary destruction and hibernation. This entity was, for all intents and purposes, the menace of the universe. He was Majin Buu."
"...Majin Buu?" Gohan repeated.
"Yes. Buu's power was so great that even the Arcosians trembled in fear when his name was mentioned." Shin said, shocking the hybrid. "Armed with magic, his sadistic ambitions, and Majin Buu, Bibidi traveled across the universe and laid waste to countless worlds, sparing nobody in his wake just to see all life die at his hands. The carnage was indescribable and unspeakable. The madness was too much to bear for Nehan, so when Bibidi and Buu arrived on our holy grounds, he and my elder brethren waged war."
"...How bad was it?" Gohan questioned softly.
Shin looked down before answering.
"I watched my brothers die in front of me," Shin said without sugar-coating it. "Vishu was the strongest out of all of us, yet Buu brought him down with one blow. Bōnten was cut in half by his own sword which was taken from him by the creature. And, Aruna… Buu didn't even give her a chance. He knew she was the fastest and the most cunning out of us four."
"What, did this Buu creature kill her too?"
Shaking his head, Shin revealed, "No. Buu shares an ability much like that creature you defeated seven years ago."
"No!" Gohan gasped. "Don't tell me…! Buu absorbed the Western Kaiōshin!?"
"...I'm afraid so," Shin confirmed solemnly. "The worst part about it was that I was responsible for that happening. I was a coward, too afraid to fight, so I hid while everybody else fought. Buu capitalized on that, so he baited Aruna by using me as a hostage. She sacrificed her life to save me by offering her body to be absorbed. All I did was stand there helplessly, fearing for my life."
Gohan wanted to comfort the god, but he couldn't find the words to do so. He understood exactly where his teacher was coming from. Especially considering that everybody had high expectations from him. He could only imagine what being a creation god was like. Dende forbids, the number of responsibilities. And living with the fact that the burden that he carried originated from a personal failure.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
"In the end, the Daikaiōshin used his wisdom and cunning to sway Buu to our side. That secured our survival and bittersweet victory, leaving him, Kibito, and myself as the sole survivors." Shin concluded.
"Woah, hold up! Buu changed sides? Why? How?" Gohan questioned.
"While I didn't understand it much at first, it was a combination of factors. The first and crucial factor was Aruna's absorption. Majin Buu in his purest form is a chaotic entity with nothing in his consciousness to tie him down. With Aruna as a part of Buu, she left an imprint of her personality and morality inside the creature. I believe that the Grand Supreme Kai saw this change and used that to his advantage." Said Shin.
"Oh, that's amazing! And what happened to that wizard?"
"As I said, Majin Buu had taken a liking to Nehan as my master treated Buu like a person rather than an instrument. So when Bibidi threatened Buu to be sealed away again upon being insubordinate, Buu saw to his death rather swiftly."
"Okay, that's fair." Gohan nodded. "Where's Buu and the Grand Supreme Kai if all was well."
Shin sighed as he said, "Upon inheriting Aruna's compassion and taught right from wrong, Buu became a disciple of my master for a short period of time as a means to make up for his past chaotic deeds. Though, it took The Grand Supreme Kai to convince the God of Destruction from destroying him. …Unfortunately, another incident took place shortly after. To save Buu, Nehan stored Buu inside an item to keep him safe. …And the Daikaiōshin gave his life to save the universe, leaving only Kibito and me to carry on where everybody else left behind."
"...That's tragic. I'm sorry to hear all of this, Lord Shin." Gohan said with sincerity. "I couldn't imagine the kind of sorrow that runs so deep… But, I can somewhat relate."
Smiling sadly, Shin agreed, saying, "That's what I have noticed lately. We're not so different from each other, yet I find you to be the braver and stronger out of the two of us. That's one of the reasons I chose you as my disciple."
"Thanks," Gohan smiled back before shifting the topic back to his mother with a look of doubt and despair. "Still, I'm not so sure how to just forgive my mom for this pain. I can't help being part Saiyan, nor can I let myself fall behind in my training when anything could happen to the Earth. I promised my father to keep everybody safe. For her to disregard that side of me…I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle that."
"True strength comes from struggle," Shin stated sagely. "And resentment festering over time will corrupt even the purest of spirits, allowing malice to seduce and sway them to darkness. In order to achieve inner peace, you need to find the strength in your heart to forgive."
Turning away from Shin, Gohan said, "You make sound so easy…"
Shin replied, "Forgiveness is never easy. Buu apologized to me for his actions after settling in the Sacred Realm. It took me nearly ten thousand years after his sealing to accept it. Despite the pain never truly subsiding, your soul will eventually heal."
Gohan remained silent to let his teacher's words sink in.
"Think about it, Son Gohan. From what I've heard, your father has one of the purest of hearts. Even showing mercy to the likes of Frieza." Reminded the Supreme Kai. "Remember his sacrifice. Would he want you to dwell in misery and resentment, or would he want you to forgive and let this go?"
Thinking about his father and all the times his mother took care of the both of them in spite of their antics, Gohan knew what the answer was.
"...He'd want me to forgive her," Gohan answered in a soft sigh.
"Your mind is like a puddle of water." Shin smiled. "When agitated, it becomes difficult to see or think. But if you allow it to settle, then the answer becomes clear."
Satisfied, Gohan got up and bowed to his master.
"Thanks for the talk, Lord Shin." The hybrid said gratefully. "I think my head's straight."
Shin nodded to the teen as he said, "You're very welcome. By the way, Piccolo is waiting for you a plateau away."
Gohan then sensed Piccolo then turned behind himself. There stood the Namekian, with his back turned. His cape flowed along with the wind while he had his arms crossed.
Jerking his head back to Shin, Gohan looked at him in surprise, only for Shin to point his head in Piccolo's direction.
"Go on. A spar should serve you well as a method of venting." Shin said. "And don't fret. We've met before."
Nodding, Gohan flew towards Piccolo, who floated down to the ground.
The two stood across from one another, locking eyes.
"Master Piccolo…"
"...Gohan."
Rubbing his neck, Gohan said, "I take it that you know about—?"
"–Your secret training sessions with the Supreme Kai? Yeah, Lord Shin and Kibito told me. It would explain your disappearances."
"Yeah..."
In a span of a second, Gohan found himself clashing with Piccolo, with their opposite elbows and knees mirroring each other.
Struggling for five seconds, the former master and alumnus backflipped three feet back.
Piccolo quickly discarded his weighted cloak and turban, declaring, "Consider this my assessment! Let's see what the Kaiōshin has taught you so far!"
Piccolo then took his stance, waiting for Gohan to come to him.
Breathing, Gohan's mop of messy spiky hair turned blond, becoming more defined as it slightly spiked up as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. His golden tail waved around, excited for what was to come.
Staring into Piccolo's eyes with his own teal eyes, Gohan dashed forward as he screamed, "Alright, Master Piccolo! Let's go a few rounds!"
Capsule Corporation, West City, Age 774
Contrary to popular belief, reconstruction in West City did not take long. While collateral was exceptionally expensive, it did not hurt the company financially at all. Especially considering the fact that most people who lost their homes had at least one temporary house capsule saved. Thankfully, a foundation which was a joint effort of Magical Pharmaceuticals, Willow Industries, and Capsule Corp was formed to aid in the reconstruction, temporary housing, food supplies, and small shelter programs.
Bulma's clean-up crew was able to salvage the parts of Cooler's technology and spent time inspecting, analyzing, and adapting the Big Gete's program into Capsule Corp technology, repressing it to suit the company's needs. This included the ongoing project to create better equipment for authorities that are specialized in dealing with outliers and possible extraterrestrial threats.
At this point in time, in the morning, the CEO of the company was in her personal wing, taking a break from her usual workload. In the living room, she had a window up while she finished the last huff of a cigarette.
"It's bad for the lungs but damn, was that nice…" Bulma sighed in satisfaction. "I never thought that I'd pick this up from Dad."
Walking up to one of her old family pictures, her eyes wandered to a particular long-haired blonde girl who seemed to have been around her early teens at the time. She had dark eyes much like Dr. Briefs. She wore a black crop top, blue jeans, pink and white sneakers, and a colorful beanie.
Bulma smiled nostalgically, thinking about the girl who bore a striking resemblance to her mother.
As soon as she began to reminisce, the sound of a door opened, causing Bulma to turn around.
"Hi, Bulma!" Erasa said while holding her red purse in her right hand.
"Erasa! This was a surprise." Bulma said. "Hey, I heard about what happened through Gohan-kun. Are you alright?"
Erasa nodded with a weary smile, saying, "I'll be alright. The medicine that Son-kun's mom whipped up for me did wonders to make the bruise fade fast. I was more worried about my boyfriend if I'm being honest."
A sly smirk formed on the scientist's beautiful face
"A boyfriend, you say~? Mind spilling the details?"
Grinning, Erasa said, "...maybe a little later. I actually came here to ask for your help on the Dragon Radar project we–"
Erasa looked over to see the picture of the blonde-haired girl Bulma was staring at.
"–Hey, who is that in the picture?" The teen suddenly asked.
Gazing back into the picture, Bulma casually answered, "Oh, her? Hehe! That's Tights. She's my older sister."
"You have a sister? I never heard of her. How come she's not around running the company?" Erasa questioned out of curiosity.
"That's just who she is, Erasa. Tights wanted to do her own thing, living an adventurous life without having to rely on her family name to get by." Explained Bulma. "I get that, and I respect it."
"She sounds a lot like Videl right now." Erasa giggled. "Don't you miss having your sister around?"
"Well, that's a given. She's my big sis, and I always looked up to her. But, hey, she has her life to live and I have my own. The last time that I checked, she was living on an island as a famous Science Fiction writer. I heard that she even got screenwriting gigs over at Hata Bros. studio."
Stars filled Erasa's eyes as she gushed, "Oh, wow! Your sister sounds so co! I wish I got the chance to meet her!"
"She comes by every once in a while. Stick by us long enough and you may be in for something incredible." Bulma winked, thinking back to all of her adventures that started off with her fateful encounter with Goku.
Erasa nodded as she asked, "Bulma, do you mind if we go over the plans for the Dragon Radar project? I thought of something that may pique your interest."
"Sure thing, kiddo. Just head towards my workshop and I'll be right with you in just a moment. My father is also there if you need him."
Nodding, Erasa walked down the hallway, but not before spotting a familiar Saiyan Prince wearing his gray jumpsuit and pairs of white gloves and boots.
A bit intimidated, Erasa gulped and put up a weary smile.
"H-Hi, Mr. Briefs, sir! H-How are you doing today?"
Vegeta lazily glanced at Erasa, then walked off in a low huff without a care in the world. The girl sighed in relief, still shocked that a guy like that was able to beat Gohan (according to Videl). Taking her mind off of that, she entered the room she was told to.
Bulma looked over by the hall to see her husband enter the living room.
"Hey, you~!" Bulma purred playfully. "What's got you out of the Gravity Room so early?"
"...Trunks has met the conditions of his training sooner than I imagined. Now, he can handle the maximum of 100x Earth's gravity." Vegeta said with a bit of a prideful undertone. "It's only a matter of time before he reaches the level of the Super Saiyan. I can feel it."
Placing her hands on her hips, Bulma said, "Oh? Is that the sound of fatherly pride that I hear?"
Vegeta, rather than arguing over Bulma's insinuation, simply crossed his arms and looked elsewhere in a huff.
Still smirking, Bulma said, "You don't have to admit anything to me, sweet prince. We both know the truth."
Bulma's mood then shifted into a that of worry, which the Prince of All Saiyans took notice of given that the feeling of her ki shifted.
"What's bothering you, Bulma?" The Saiyan questioned.
Blinking for a second, Bulma said, "What? There's nothing bothering me…aside from you breaking the Gravity Room three times a week."
"Don't play games with me, woman!" Vegeta said, raising his voice a little. "I can sense a disruption in your energy. What's the problem?"
Bulma groaned, mentally cursing martial artists and their crazy superpowers.
Narrowing his eyes at the silent scientist, Vegeta declared, "It's about the brat. Kakarot's eldest spawn and his family dispute."
"Okay, fine. You got me. I'm worried about him." Bulma admitted. "It doesn't sit well with me, you know? Gohan's more introverted than usual and it's not normal. Whatever happened at home between him and Chi-Chi must have driven him away from home. I'm watching what remains of my oldest friend fall apart and it feels like there's nothing that I can do to help them."
Vegeta's face softened at the misery his wife felt.
"There isn't much that we can do," Vegeta stated. "The boy deciding to distance himself was the best option. Whatever that harpy said or did to set him off to the point where the Saiyan side of himself surfaced in anger. Even now, on the other side of the planet, I can sense Gohan's power spike while he's training with Namek."
"Excuse me? What makes you think that it's Chi-Chi's fault?" Bulma demanded, not amused by her husband's assumptions.
"Hmph! We're about to find out right now. She's coming through those doors as we speak."
"What?!"
And as Vegeta stated, Chi-Chi entered through the door, appearing absolutely worn out.
For a moment, she resembled her counterpart from Future Trunks' timeline, except that she did not wear a hair bun. Her eyes were red from the many hours of crying, evident by the dried-up streaks on her cheeks. She was thinner than usual, showing that the widow had not eaten in a few days.
"Where's my Gohan? I need to speak with him."
"Chi-Chi?" Bulma gasped. "Kami, look at you! You're a complete wreck!"
"Never mind that, Bulma. Where is my son?" Chi-Chi questioned again. "I need to see him."
Vegeta then answered, "You won't find him here, harpy. He's currently on the other side of the planet, training with the Namekian."
"Piccolo, huh? I see…" Chi-Chi nodded. "Then I'll wait here until he gets back."
"Chi-Chi, seeing you here, no less like this won't do Gohan or you any good." Bulma reasoned. "For Kami's sake, does Goten know what you're doing to yourself?"
Chi-Chi sighed, "He's off with Dad for most of the day. …I wanted to prepare for his birthday party tomorrow.
The daughter of the Ox-King began to sniffle.
"Kami, I feel horrible! I hurt my babies and I don't know what to do! I just want my family back together!"
Vegeta silently scowled at the woman's pathetic behavior. Bulma held her friend close and gave her emotional support while rubbing her back.
"Chi-Chi, why don't you have a seat on the couch?" Bulma suggested while ushering her to the coach. "I'll go and have my mom bring in some tea and snacks just for you. Okay?"
Chi-Chi nodded as she watched the other woman leave the room, leaving her with the last person that she would ever want to be with.
Prince of All Saiyans.
Sensing the prince's glare, the former martial artist shot her own glare, gritting, "What?"
"...I know," Vegeta said evenly.
"Know what?" Chi-Chi begrudgingly inquired.
"What you said. What you've done. I know about it." Vegeta clarified.
The woman's eyes only tightened the glare she had on the Saiyan, feeling her anger boil up at what Vegeta was implying.
"The goings of my household are none of your business! So stay out of it, mister!" Chi-Chi hissed.
"Please, you practically made it my business when you mentioned anything Saiyan-related. After all, we're just monsters, remember? We're not capable of anything besides destruction and combat." Vegeta fired back.
"Oh, don't you try and flip this on me like I'm the problem! You and your kind conquered worlds, slaughtering countless people who have done nothing to you! As far as I know, Saiyans are pure evil!" Chi-Chi tried to justify, "Ever since you landed here, you've done nothing but serve your own selfish needs to surpass Goku-sa and cause nothing but problems for people around you! You saving Gohan was to save your own skin! Seven years of not killing us all do not mean that you're redeemed or prove that you've changed!"
Vegeta responded by laughing at Chi-Chi's face, much like how he had done to Gohan during their fight three months ago. The wife of Goku took this as an insult, fighting the urge to deck Vegeta in his smug face.
"What's so damn funny!?" The woman screamed. "Stop laughing at me!"
"Are you done with your pathetic tantrum, harpy? Yes? Good. I see where the boy gets it from." Vegeta chided, which irked the woman further. "You make it sound as if I care about what you think of me. One, I don't give a damn about your issue with me. And two, I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone on this planet! And as for surpassing Kakarot, he is dead and I am past that. What only matters to me now is keeping my bloodline and what remains of my race going for as long as I'm breathing and I can get stronger. Everything else is meaningless to me."
"Besides," Vegeta continued. "This isn't about me or your petty grudge. This is about your son and the legacy he holds and shares with the other children. A legacy that you continue to deny your eldest. That is a mistake that I'm still working on rectifying."
"Who are you to dictate my son's life!? You're not his father! You don't know what's best for him! If anything, you're a negative influence! I am his mother and–"
"Shut up!" Vegeta shouted, having enough of Chi-Chi as he used his killing intent to make the woman freeze in fear.
"I've had enough of your stupidity! You may be his mother, but for a woman who pushes education, you're just as dimwitted as your third-class clown of a husband! For nearly his entire life, your son is suffering from an identity crisis! A crisis that you're worsening by spouting tomfoolery about how there's something wrong with his Saiyan heritage. Pushing an unrealistic agenda to have him live by your 'human' and 'normal' standards!"
"B-But that's what I'd expected on this planet! He needs to adapt to the culture if he's going to become a scholar and get a job–"
"For the love of Beerus, harpy! He is not a mere human! He is a Saiyan!" Vegeta retorted, cutting Chi-Chi off. "The blood of an ancient warrior people courses through his veins! Not to mention, you kept him away from other people for years in the mountains! So no matter how you cut it, he'll never truly fit in this planet's society!"
"That's not true! Gohan's fine–"
"No! He's not fine! That boy hasn't been fine since Kakarot's death. You fucked with his head to the point where he's not even comfortable in his own skin! And believe it or not, I'm trying to help you fix that by telling him about his people! Something that he wishes to know about! And you know what? I'll say it! I don't care anymore! He doesn't tell you jack shit about what he does because you coddle him too much!"
Chi-Chi went silent, taking Vegeta's verbal attack to heart.
"You see him as that four-year-old brat who hid behind your dress for protection. But what I see is a young man, no, a warrior who seeks guidance from his elder to help him carry on his father's mission. That's what I am to your son, for he acknowledges me as his Saiyan elder! He wished to know more about his people, their history, culture, biology, philosophy, and technology, and whether they had any medical practices. And our people had all of that. An identity! Kakarot knew nothing of it, as he was an uneducated amnesiac. So, who else would know about our race better than myself?"
"But should any of that matter? Earth is his home!"
"Gohan is just as Saiyan as he is human," Vegeta said with finality. "And for you to deny his heritage, it's like you're stripping away a part of himself. Kakarot may have lived as an Earthling, but he still expressed his Saiyan pride through his battles and lifestyle. Your son is lost while trying to understand who and what he is so he can come to terms with himself. This is a crucial time for him as a man, harpy. Sooner or later, he will be the leader of a new Saiyan race, one that leads by the example his father and himself had set. Until then, Gohan needs to figure out what he is, and the last thing the brat needs is for you to make choices for him. And I warn you, you'll end up having that boy resent you for the rest of your days if you continue to take away his manhood."
'...My G-Gohan-chan will hate me? No…!
' Chi-Chi fathomed, feeling a new patch of tears threatening to fall.
Before anything else could be said, Bulma and Mrs. Briefs came back with a tray of tea and food.
"Chi-Chi, I'm back with the food! How are you holding u–!" Bulma said until she saw the Saiyan near a pain-stricken Chi-Chi.
The older Briefs woman gasped with her daughter checking on Chi-Chi, who looked even worse.
"Chi-Chi! What's wrong!" Bulma questioned, trying her best to console the emotionally downtrodden woman who was sobbing on the couch.
"Oh…that poor girl," Panchy said, feeling empathy.
"Hmph! Serves her right. Maybe she can finally wake up." Vegeta snorted as he began to walk away.
"Vegeta!" Bulma said, shouting at the Prince with a shrill tone. "What happened? What did you do to her?"
Turning his head over his left shoulder, he grinned at his wife with an evil expression.
"Me? I've done nothing to the harpy. But if you're curious about our little discussion, you can ask her about what's been said. Better yet, you can go over to the surveillance room and watch the tape there if you cannot take my word for it."
Before walking off, Vegeta turned in Chi-Chi's direction and said, "If you have any sort of respect for your eldest son, you'd fix yourself, get out of my house, and wait for him at your home until tomorrow. You both owe that to yourselves and each other."
And with that, Vegeta left the room, leaving everybody completely stunned.
Yunzabit Heights, Age 774
Powering up in his Super Saiyan form, Gohan rushed forward in mid-air, aiming a sidekick toward Piccolo's head. Piccolo ducked and timed a front kick, which Gohan evaded using Rapid Movement. He reappeared to elbow his former teacher from behind, only for Piccolo to avoid it much as Gohan did beforehand.
Darting to the right, Gohan threw a flurry of punches, aimed at the neck, joints, and other weak points in the upper body and face. Piccolo, seeing this with his keen eye and fast reflexes, slapped and deflected the barrage. Fast as lightning, Piccolo sent Gohan flying with a strong knee upward and shot a Chou Makouhou, the Demon's Super Mouth Gun, at Gohan.
Recovering mid-air, Gohan saw the purple energy wave head straight at him. But instead of dodging the blast or taking it head-on, Gohan simply points a finger. From that finger, a large yellow and purple ki ball the size of Goten formed. With that, Gohan launched it, destroying the wave while it headed straight for Piccolo.
'I have to move!' The Namekian said urgently as he rapidly evaded out of the ball's way, leaving it to clash and vaporize a small part of the landscape with a crater larger than the ball that formed it.
Piccolo powered up, and crossed his arms, forming five copies by using the Multi-Form Technique.
"Let's see how well you fair when there's one of you and three of us!" All six of them said.
Suddenly, Gohan found himself on the receiving end of ki blasts and physical attacks. Despite his Instant Transmission, Piccolo simply used his knowledge of the technique to bait him into traps that would lead to being detained and beaten.
Tired of the punishment, Gohan roared like an Oozaru as he powered up further, causing a massive golden aura with lightning dancing around it to explode. The golden mop of hair stood up, leaving a single bang to dangle. Piccolo smiled, seeing his former student ascend to the second level of Super Saiyan.
He was taking him seriously now.
Upon transforming, Gohan broke from one of Piccolo's copies and said, "Clones, huh? Well, two can play this game!"
"What the–!?"
The next thing that Piccolo knew, he and his clones were surrounded by five other Gohans who were just as strong as Gohan's base power.
Each Piccolo clone was then quickly taken out thanks to their ability to use Instant Transmission added by another finishing blow. To the real Piccolo, it was like watching the Cell Games all over again.
Getting his clones assimilated again, Piccolo stated, "That couldn't be Multi-Form."
"It's not," Gohan confirmed as his clones turned into light and came back to him. "It's a Cloning Technique that involves an extremely high level of energy control. That's how I was able to create large energy blasts without wasting much."
"Hmph…Not bad." Piccolo smirked. "I can see that you have improved your control even while you're in your ascended form. You've come a long way since the invasion three months ago."
Gohan smirked as well, taking pride in his work.
"It's nice to hear that, Master Piccolo. I take every training session and spar seriously." Gohan stated as he took his stance once more. "And I aim to push myself harder and further."
"Ha! You're starting to sound like your old man!" Piccolo said, getting back into his fighting stance.
"Come on! Let's put an end to this!"
Both fighters powered up, then vanished out of sight to clash at speeds so fast, that it wasn't visible to the naked eye. Several mountains, rock formations, and plateaus were caught in their high-speed clashes, being destroyed in the process.
At a certain point, Piccolo extended his arms to grab Gohan by the wrist. Reeling it back, Piccolo got the Saiyan in a chokehold. Out of primal instinct, Gohan used his retractable fangs and bit down on the Namekian's arm.
The pain caused Piccolo to let go, allowing Gohan to send Piccolo through a few rocks with a haymaker.
Piccolo decided to switch things up a bit and attempted to use the Hellzone Grenade maneuver, only for his body to feel drained.
'D-Damn! My e-energy feels strange! It's like I used up most of it when I know for a fact that I was conserving most of my power! What's going—!?'
Piccolo gazed at the night sky where it was a half-moon. Beside it was a bright ball of genki that felt just like his.
And it's because of his own health energy.
Piccolo got up to see Gohan, in his Super Saiyan Level Two form, with his right hand up in the air.
Manipulating Piccolo's genki, Gohan brought it just above the palm of his hand.
"T-That's my energy!"
Grinning, Gohan said, "That's right, Master Piccolo. This is your energy."
"B-But how!? I never offered you my power!"
"This is the hardest technique to learn under the parent ability, which is Spirit Control. This is where the Instant Transmission and the cloning that I used come from. What I did to you is called Forced Spirit Fission."
Slowly getting up, Piccolo dryly stated, "Well, it surely lives up to its name. It's like my energy was torn away from my body."
"That's kind of the idea. You can think of it as the opposite of the Spirit Bomb." Gohan said while giving back the energy to Piccolo, energizing him again.
"Luckily, I can give back the energy I took to their original owners." The hybrid grinned.
"With techniques like those in your arsenal, you're definitely more deadly than before," Piccolo admitted. "And you're way stronger than when you were at the invasion. The Supreme Kai hasn't chosen a better warrior to train as his disciple."
"I do my best. And thanks for the spar, Master Piccolo, " Gohan shrugged before placing his index and middle fingers together on his forehead. "Anyway, I better get back to Bulma's. I need to work on the finishing touches of Goten's birthday present."
"Very well. I'll drop by your house tomorrow."
Nodding, Gohan has whisked away to the Capsule Corporation using Instant Transmission.
Laboratory, Yanagi Estate, Age 774
Entering the room labeled "Hazard Chamber", the new and improved Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo stood in front of a room filled with chrome, hardware, and lights built into the walls and ceiling.
In the center of the boxed room was a console where Wheelo could man the controls manually. Fortunately, he could do so using a device on his left wrist by simply talking into it.
Wheelo stood, wearing a white tank top, black sweatpants, and gray boots with crimson fingerless gloves.
"Ayame, give me a visual recording of the battle between Son Goku and Perfect Cell from the Cell Games files."
"Yes, Doctor. Casting now…"
The AI then manifested a holographic screen of the fight between Goku and Cell seven years ago. While doing that, he also pulled up the fight between Gohan and Cooler, and then another tab of a video when Goku fought Vegeta using the satellite that the Red Ribbon Army left behind.
"...Based on all of my research, the Saiyan people's strength is fully realized through the experience of combat. I may have S-Cells, but I need to train this new body to earn and grasp its full potential." Wheelo analyzed. "It's a good thing that I've studied many forms of combat in my spare time prior to my rebirth."
Closing the holographic tabs, Wheelo said, "Ayame, deploy Brutal Warrior Series."
"Yes Doctor."
Suddenly, three large capsules rose from the ground after a hatch had opened up. Turning the lights on from the inside of the capsules, the AI displayed three grotesque and monstrous warriors of Wheelo's own design.
Each monster wore armor, but all were distinct in their own way.
The first was a giant robust warrior. It appeared to be a yellow ball of putty with a mechanical interior. It looked seemingly sluggish but sported sharp claws.
This was Brutal Warrior Specimen Model I: Misokatsun.
The next one in the middle was a warrior of dark green skin. While being the shortest of the trio, this best vaguely reptilian features on his body, pointed ears, and dorsal fins down his back.
This was Brutal Warrior Specimen Model II: Kishime.
The last model bore more of a resemblance to a human despite it still being monstrous. The warrior appeared as a pink brute with red hair tied back in a ponytail.
This was Brutal Warrior Specimen Model III: Ebifurya.
"Doctor, would you like to engage with all three in combat or one at a time?"
"One by one for today. Until I meet a certain threshold and maintain that, I need to get used to this new body. Starting this upcoming Monday, I want you to go through the series in order until Sunday. On Sundays, you can deploy all three."
"Understood, sir. Please select a model."
Closing his eyes, Wheelo began to consider his choices.
'I must work on my overall physical capabilities before I can branch off to power and speed training.'
"Deploy Model III."
"Deploying Brutal Warrior Specimen Model III: Ebifurya."
As the life-sized capsule, the pink Brutal Warrior stepped out and looked at its creator with the eagerness to prove its worth thanks to the programming it possessed.
Ebifurya took a basic back stance with his arms in a knife-hand block position.
Practicing his breathing for a few seconds, Wheelo focused his mind, body, and willpower before taking his own unique stance.
Placing his right leg back for stability purposes as the foot pointed outward, Wheelo took his left leg and moved it forward while its foot pointed out. His left arm was free with its hand open. Meanwhile, the right arm moved upward where the hand was balled into a strong fist, which was close to his right cheek.
"This fight will start in three…two…one… begin!" The AI Ayame declared.
Model III charged at Wheelo with his fist reeled back. Timing the distance, Wheelo intercepted the punch with his own, creating a shockwave that vibrated the large Hazard Chamber.
Both combatants were sent back by the impact.
Starting off the fight, Wheelo decided to use kiai by thrusting his palms twice at Model III before punching in his direction. Ebifurya reacted by punching and kicking all three attacks away.
Placing his hands on the ground, Ebifurya formed a trail of icicle spikes aimed to skewer Wheelo alive. Seeing this, Wheelo jumped into the air while front flipping, going towards the Model III's direction and drop-kicking the monster.
Ebifurya got up after his creator jumped off of him. Using Rapid Movement, Ebifurya formed a hammer made of ice and smacked Wheelo a few times with it before cloaking his right hand with frost. Model III then sent Dr. Wheelo flying with an uppercut.
Landing five feet away from the Brutal Warrior, the new Saiyan hybrid got off from the dent his impact made. He wiped the blood that the monstrous warrior drew. Rather than get frustrated at his lack of experience, the scientist grinned as he felt a new sensation of his heart racing and his blood pumping.
The excitement for the pleasure of combat.
As the adrenaline rushed through his body, Wheelo said, "...Yes! That's it! I can feel my body swell as it strengthens with each passing moment!"
With that, Wheelo's ki manifested a purple hue burning around him.
After powering up for the first time, Wheelo dropped to his stance again as Ebifurya charged at him again. Out of nowhere, Wheelo used Rapid Movement to evade the Brutal Warrior and land a strong punch on Ebifurya's solar plexus. Following that blow was an uppercut cloaked in his purple ki. Launching himself in the air, Wheelo kneed the monster in the chest, and jabbed his throat, which turned into an aerial assault.
Just then, Model III flexed his muscles as he let out a bellow of its own. Wheelo was knocked back, watching as his creation charged his energy to full power.
Like that, the two warriors began attacking each other. Wheelo ducked from a turning kick, Ebifurya blocked a right cross with his forearm. The Brutal Warrior attempted to use his elbows as weapons but Wheelo guarded himself well. For each attack he took, Wheelo learned and adapted quickly.
Moving quickly, Wheelo used a kiai to push the pink brute back to gain some distance. But this was what Ebifurya anticipated.
Extending his right hand, Model III shot a light blue energy wave with the ability to freeze anything it touches.
Dr. Wheelo witnessed his and decided to do the same. Extending his own right hand, Wheelo used his left hand as support for his right arm's wrist. Imagining the arrogant sneer and boastful laugh of Mr. Satan, Wheelo's charged up a dark purple energy wave.
Firing the wave, Dr. Wheelo screamed, "ZENMETSU-HŌ!"
When the beams collided, the sheer amount of malice that was pumped into the Zenmetsu-Hō, or Annihilation Gun, overpowered the will of Ebifurya's ice beam, costing Model III's match and most of his body. When the blast hit, all that was left was most of the smoking and scorched upper body except for a missing right arm.
"Dr. Wheelo wins." Ayame, the AI declared as the floor beneath the corpse of Ebifurya opened a hatch, allowing it to fall.
The elated Wheelo looked at his right hand, proud of his display of power.
"Hahahahaha! Finally!" Wheelo cackled. "After all these years, I can have the body to fight like I've always wanted! And now, I have true power!"
The gloating was cut short when the pain began to settle in his body, causing him to kneel as he grasped his sides.
"ARGH! A-Ayame! W-What's happening to me!?" Moaned the scientist.
"While the Samsara Chamber has successfully spliced your DNA with the Pinyin formula containing the S-Cells, the formula itself was still a considerably weak dose. This paired with your frail body along with your history of other health complications, your body is slowly suffering from stabilization." Ayama spoke through the console.
"Damn it all!" Wheelo swore as he slowly got up from one of his knees. "Can't I have one thing without any setbacks!? Tell me, what can I do to prevent this? There must be a way to prevent my body from falling!"
"A strengthening serum may be of service for stabilization," Ayama answered. "By injecting yourself with a serum based on the Pinyin formula in smaller doses, the increased amount of S-Cells should be enough for your body to adjust and stabilize."
"That's an excellent idea, but how am I supposed to secure more S-Cells from the subhuman–" Wheelo said before realizing his metaphorical chess pieces.
"Wait. What day is it, Ayame?"
"Today is Saturday. Specifically, it is the second of September." The AI stated.
A grin formed as Wheelo remembered his conversation with his "daughter" from earlier in the afternoon.
"Place a reminder that I am expecting two visitors to tour the Virtual Wing of Willow Industries."
"Yes, Dr. Wheelo."
Son Residence, Mt. Poazu, Age 774
It was Sunday noon, meaning today was the day that Son Goten turned eight years old.
After being told happy birthday by his mother, Goten was picked up by Vegeta so that Chi-Chi, Bulma, Videl, and Erasa could spend the day finishing setting up the decorations and placements of the table for food, drinks, and Goten's presents. Meanwhile, the birthday boy was preoccupied by the fun of having Trunks at Hercule's Amusement Park.
Videl, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Erasa were outside having a conversation as they finished the decorations and moved on to cooking.
"This is great! All of the decorations are set in place!" Chi-Chi cheered before turning to the others. "Thank you for the help, everybody!"
"It's not a problem, ma'am. We're happy to help out." Videl said with a small smile, placing her present on the table.
"Yeah! Goten-chan is going to be so happy when he sees this!" Erasa said, clasping her hands together.
"Of course, he will!" Bulma said, Winking everybody with her index finger-wagging. "I did bring the capsules for the setup after all."
Bulma then turned to Erasa and said, "And you can thank the lovely Ms. Erasa for her beautifully painted birthday banner."
Erasa giggled, bowing her head humbly.
"Thank you!" Erasa expressed before moving her head towards Videl's direction. "Say, what did you get Goten-chan?"
Videl casually answered, "I had a custom gi made for him tailored to his size. What about you?"
"Ooo!~ I like the way you're thinking, girl. I got him a few outfits too! I showed them to Chi-Chi and she said they were to die for! I even got him a little tux in case he needs to dress to impress." explained.
"Those are lovely presents, girls. Thank you." Chi-Chi said with gratitude.
"So, now all that is left is to prepare the food!" Bulma chirped as she turned to Chi-Chi. "How's the cooking coming along, Chi?"
"Oh, I've started on it. But I've decided to call on some help."
"...Help?" Erasa, Bulma, and Videl tilted their heads.
The next thing that they knew, a light blue capsule truck pulled over in front of the house.
"Chi-Chi! I'm here! Hahaha!" A goofy yet deep voice said.
While Bulma and Chi-Chi were delighted to see the large figure approaching them, Erasa and Videl were utterly speechless as a few beads appeared on their forehead.
'T-This guy's gigantic!' Videl and Erasa thought in shock!
Who embraced Chi-Chi in a hug was a large robust bearded man with dark brown hair hanging at the back of his neck. He wore a hat with the horns of an ox, a white collared shirt, green pants with black suspenders, and matching boots. On his eyes were a pair of eyeglasses and on his hands were black wrist bands.
"Hey, Dad." Giggled before the man let her go from their hug. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. I could use the extra hands in the kitchen."
'THAT'S HER DAD!?' Both of the girls screamed in their minds.
"Oh, it's fine. I'm happy to cook for the family. Especially on a joyous occasion such as this." Chi-Chi's father said as he then turned in Bulma's direction. "Hi, Bulma! Long time no see!"
Bulma waved lightly, saying, "That it has, Ox."
The Ox-King then turned to the two teenage girls and said, "And you two must be Gohan's friends that I've been hearing about. It's so good to see that my grandson has made friends of his own."
While Erasa was too stunned at the sheer size of the man, the gears inside Videl's mind started to turn as she recognized the insignia that was on Chi-Chi's father's hat.
'Wait. That symbol looks familiar. And his face... I could have sworn I'd seen it in our history textbook. Didn't Bulma just call him Ox–!?'
Videl then pointed at the larger man, exclaiming, "You're the Ox-King of Fire Mountain!"
Laughing wholeheartedly, Chi-Chi's father, now called the Ox-King, stated, "Why yes I am, young lady."
"B-But how? Didn't the professor and the history books say that he died after his castle burnt down?" Erasa questioned.
Chi-Chi, Bulma, and the Ox-King stared at each other before laughing at the two girls.
While Erasa appeared confused, Videl caught an attitude, crossing her arms while pouting.
"What's so funny?" Videl demanded, with her face puffed up.
Bulma waved the girl off casually, saying, "Now, now, Videl. No need to blow a gasket. It's just that your historians can blow things way out of proportion if you don't have context. Obviously, this is the Ox-King, alive and well."
"Hold on a sec," Erasa said. "If this is the Ox-King and Chi-Chi's his daughter…that makes Son-kun a prince!"
"Yet another thing that Gohan has kept hidden from us! Ooo, Wonderboy's getting an earful from me when he gets here!" Videl grumbled, punching her right palm with her left fist.
The Ox-King then said, "Judging from the personality, you must be Videl."
Caught off guard, Videl said, "Y-Yeah, that's me."
"Chi-Chi told me a lot about you. And boy, I can tell that you're quite the go-getter. You must be very special to my grandson if he's interested in training you. Keep a close eye on him for me, will you?"
"I-I will, sir." The blushing pig-tailed girl stuttered quietly.
Nodding, the Ox-King patted his daughter's back, telling her that he'll bring his groceries in the house. With that, he left. Suddenly, Bulma's phone rang.
"Hey, I'll be right back. I have to take this call."
Bulma took her to leave into the Son household, leaving Chi-Chi with the two younger women.
Chi-Chi sadly sighed, which caught the attention of Videl and Erasa.
"What's wrong, Chi-Chi?" Erasa questioned.
"It's about Gohan-kun? You know that he won't miss his brother's party for the world." Videl reasoned.
"I know, girls. I'm not worried about that." Chi-Chi said, staring at the mountains in the background. "I just hope that he'll forgive me after what happened …"
Erasa turned to her friend with a questioning glance. Videl simply mouthed "later" as she looked back at Chi-Chi.
"I'm sure that he'll come around," Videl assured the woman with an empathetic smile. "After all, you're his mom, so you're important to him. Gohan-kun absolutely adores you."
"...Thank you Videl. You're too kind." The woman said sincerely.
"I wonder when Son-kun will show up?" Erasa said, placing a finger on her cheek.
Out of nowhere, Gohan appeared in front of the women with Sharpner placing a hand on the half Saiyans back.
"...And, we're here!" Gohan announced.
"Hot damn, Son! You weren't kidding about the warping trick!" Sharpner whistled. "Dude, I've got to learn it! I could never be late for anything ever again!"
"Not unless you don't know anybody to lock on to their ki signature," Gohan smirked before greeting his friends and mother.
"Hey, guys! I hope I'm not too late to help! I had to work on Goten's present and I've brought an extra pair of helping hands along the way."
"Sup, ladies," Sharpner greeted his friends before gazing at Chi-Chi. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Son."
"Hey Sharp, Sharpie." The two-thirds of the Orange Star Trio greeted.
"Good afternoon to you, Sharpner. And now you two are quite early." Chi-Chi said evenly. "Sharpner, you can help peel the potatoes in the kitchen. My father is there if you need any further instructions."
"Roger, that." Sharpner saluted lazily before heading inside the house.
"W-Wait, Grandpa is here!?" Gohan staggered as he heard Sharpner's reaction to the Ox-King's size.
"He arrived five minutes ago," Chi-Chi explained. "It is a party after all. That means more mouths to feed and more food to prepare."
"Fair enough," Gohan answered sheepishly.
Videl marched to Gohan and hit him on the shoulder.
"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" Our hero whined.
"Don't pretend like that hurt, your majesty!" Videl mocked.
"Uh, what?"
Erasa said, "Son-kun, I thought we were friends! Why didn't you tell us that you were related to the Ox-King?"
Scratching his head, he said, "Oh, is that what this was all about? Gee, I didn't think it was all that important to you guys, so I never bothered to tell you. Besides, you never asked."
Chi-Chi added, "Girls, my dad lost his castle a while ago. While he is still an important figure in the Ox Kingdom and is rich compared to the rest of the settlement, he lives humbly as a lead farmer in Fire Mountain. That, and I never took the throne, so Gohan and Goten are only royalty by blood."
"...Oh."
Upon apologizing to Gohan, the girls decided to go for a walk along the area, leaving Chi-Chi and her eldest son alone.
"Gohan, a-about what happened the other day–" Ch-Chi started, trying to choose the right words.
"–I forgive you."
Chi-Chi stopped to stare at her son in disbelief.
"W-What?"
Gohan answered evenly, "Everything that you said and done. I forgive you."
"Y-You do?" Chi-Chi asked with her spirits rising.
"While I do forgive you, that doesn't mean that your words didn't hurt. I can't help but be who I am, mother. I am human but I am also a Saiyan, and for you not to consider one side for the other feels like that you only care about my humanity to further your own desires." Gohan explained.
"...I-I know," Chi-Chi said, bowing her head down in shame. "That was awful of me. I do love you. You're my first born, my baby boy. I-I guess wanted to hold on to those times when I held you in my arms and kept you safe. Before all of this crazy alien stuff, the simpler normal times."
Gohan's face softened as he said, "Mother, I will always be your son, but I'm no child. I haven't been one in a long time. And us? Normal? I hardly consider our little circle of family friends normal. I mean, you were a princess for Dende's sake. Living in a castle that was on fire at one point! Not to mention you married a guy with a monkey tail who flew on a cloud."
Chi-Chi giggled at her son's goofy expressiveness.
"Yeah, I guess it was kind of silly when I think about it like that…"
Scratching his head, Gohan expressed, "Look, it was wrong of me to keep stuff from you. I should have told you about my new training sessions. While I swore secrecy out of respect for my new teacher, I would have kept it silent anyway as I felt that you would have never approved it."
"I just worry, Gohan. I don't want you to leave one day and never come back home." Chi-Chi confessed.
"…But, Mom, there will be times where Piccolo and Vegeta may not be there to protect the planet." Gohan reasoned. "I have all of this fighting potential and constantly cramming books won't spare us from whatever kind of evils that may plague the Earth. What good does a Ph.D. have if there's no job listing in need of a doctor because everybody and everything on this planet is destroyed?"
Chi-Chi went silent from her son's points in the conversation. Altering thinking about it over and over, she sighed in acceptance.
"You really are your father's son."
Gohan then placed a hand on his mother's shoulder, saying, "I'm your son too, Mom. And I'm planning to honor both of you. I still want to study and finish school, but I also want to keep up my training so I can protect you, Goten, and everybody else on Earth. Especially now that I have friends that are my own."
"Just please, be careful. And no more secrets. I can take anything you tell me, I'm strong enough to handle it. But I need to know things that are important to you. It's my job to worry, Gohan. That will never change. Promise me." Chi-Chi said.
Gohan pulled his mother into a hug, rubbing her back as he said, "I promise, Mom. No more secrets between us. I'm done hiding."
Several miles away, Vegeta had brought Goten and Trunks to spar. In the midst of sparing mid-air, Goten was knocked into a trial where he landed in a tree before falling on his head, making a small crater in the process.
"Oof! …Owie, my head." Goten moaned, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oi! You okay, kid?"
Goten looked up to see a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. He had shaggy neck-length light brown hair with a bang hanging towards the left. He had pale skin, dark-colored eyes, and a scar on the bottom right side of his face. The man was built similarly to Yamcha, albeit his physique is much more defined. The man wore a light blue gi with dark blue accents that were akin to a tracksuit. On his wrists were black wrist bands, his belt was white, and he had on orange boots, not unlike Future Trunks' footwear. On his head was an orange headband tied on his forehead.
Getting up, Goten rubbed some more as he said, "Yeah… I'm fine. Where did you come from, Mister?"
The man simply stared at the child's face, somehow subconsciously recognizing it from somewhere.
'...This kid's giving me a major cause of death but. Where have I seen that face before?'
The man then answered, "I have a camp set up in one of the clearings nearby. I was taking a hike along the mountains as a part of my training when I heard a loud noise coming from these parts, come to find you in this crater."
The mysterious stranger then pointed at the crater Goten had left. However, Goten ignored the crater when he heard "training".
"You train? You must be a fighter! I train too!" Goten gushed excitedly. "My friend Trunks knocked me all the way over here!"
At first, the man was in disbelief that a kid could be so strong. But after sensing the boy's ki, the man nearly took a step back at his crazy amount of power.
'Unreal! T-This kid's power's so incredible it's terrifying! Where did this boy come from? And he said that his friend knocked him over here?'
"Hey, Mister? Hello?" Goten called, bringing the stranger back to reality.
The man blinked before noticing Goten's head was bleeding from a cut.
"You're bleeding…"
"Huh?" Goten muttered as he wiped his head, feeling the warm liquid on his hands. "Oh, I am bleeding. Heh, this is nothing. Trunks just caught me off guard in our sparring game. But I'll get him next time!"
Goten chuckled at this, but the man was not amused.
To him, the boy was strong, sure. But he noticed that his flaw was a major struggle for him. Goten had an issue with focusing.
Kneeling down to Goten, the man took out a red sash and began tying it around the boy's head.
"Uh…"
"...What do they call you, kid?"
"My name's Goten."
When the stranger finished tying the sash into a headband to stop the bleeding, he said, "When you train, Goten, you wear this exactly how I did here. Understand?"
"But why?" The boy asked.
"The reason why your friend caught you off guard is that you lack focus. In a fight, focusing could not only mean winning or losing, But life or death. When you train, it's not in order to fight the strongest guys around."
"It's not? Then what am I training for?"
"You're training to defeat the strongest opponent you will ever face." The man said before pointing at his heart. "And that's yourself."
Blinking a few times, Goten scratched his head, saying, "...I don't get it."
The man laughed at how naive the boy was.
Standing up, the man laughed wholeheartedly before crossing his arms.
"Of course, you don't. But someday, it will all make sense. Just remember, if you ever find yourself distracted and you need to focus, put on the headband. Do you understand?"
While tightening the red headband, Goten nodded enthusiastically.
"Uh-huh!"
"Goten! Where are you? We have to go! Your birthday party is gonna start!" Trunks shouted from afar.
"Hurry it up, boy!" Shouted a gruff Vegeta.
The two turned to hear Trunks and Vegeta cry out for the youngest son of Goku before looking back at each other.
"Coming!" Goten responded loudly.
The man asked, "Today's your birthday, huh?"
"Yup, I'm eight years old, now!" Goten said, pudding his chest up with goofy pride. "I'm a big kid now!"
Chuckling, the man turned around whole waving the kid bye, saying, "Well, little man, consider the headband as a birthday gift. Have fun at the party, kay?"
"Okay! Bye! …Hey, mister! What's your name?"
Before leaving, the wandering warrior turned around and answered, "The name's Pigero."
With that, Goten left, heading back home with Vegeta and Trunks to celebrate his birthday. When they arrived, Goten was greeted to a loud, "Happy Birthday!"
Standing in front of the group while Vegeta and Trunks joined them were Bulma, Krillin, Chi-Chi, the Ox-King, Erasa, Sharpner, Videl, Krillin, Lazuli, Marron, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Launch.
All of them were surrounded by balloons that were tied to nearby trees that head the painted birthday banner that Erasa designed for the kid. While the three tables filled with food were covered in aluminum foil, the large chocolate cake was on display with Goten's name in Kanji frosting. The presents took up an entire table on their own.
"Wow! All of this is for me?" Goten the boy asked, touched at the amount of love everybody was giving him as he walked around and greeted people.
"Sure is, buddy!" Krillin said, patting his back. "Today's your special day, after all."
"I had Mommy and Daddy drive me all the way from West City to come to see you." Marron chirped.
"And it wouldn't be much of a party without me," Trunks said, sounding like both of his parents.
"And we thought you could use more company," Videl said with Erasa and Sharpner nodding.
"Thanks! You guys are the best!" Goten said before looking around. "...Where's my brother?"
Before anybody could say anything, Gohan came from the house with a scroll in his hands.
"Ah, there's the birthday boy!" Gohan said with enthusiasm.
Gohan was then tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Goten, who was clinging on to him for dear life.
"Yay! Gohan's home! Gohan's home! Gohan's home! This is the best birthday ever! "
Gohan and everybody else burst into laughter due to Goten's antics. Getting up, Gohan and Goten joined the celebrations, officially starting the birthday party by feasting on Chi-Chi and the Ox-King's dishes.
When it was time to light the candles, everybody except for Vegeta and Tien began to sing to the boy.
Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Goten! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang. Goten made a wish and blew out the candles while everyone except Vegeta clapped.
"What did you wish for, buddy?" Gohan whispered, who was next to him.
"I wished that wherever Daddy is, that he's watching over us and that he's happy." Goten said with a small smile.
Soon enough, after Goten got his slice of cake, everybody was enjoying themselves a piece of the desert. Once Chi-Chi started the distribution of the presents, Gohan as greeted by Videl, who needed to borrow him for a second after giving the boy her presents.
"Hey, is this a bad time?"
Gohan shook his head as he said, "No, I'm saving my present for Goten for last. Why?"
She then took out her smartphone and pulled up an article about the blue monster. And what Gohan saw made his heart stop.
"Local High School Teen, Found Dead. Mauled By Monster."
"...Oh, Kami." Gohan gasped.
"I didn't want to bring it up considering what was going on between you and Chi-Chi. But I figured that you should know." Videl whispered in a somber and serious tone.
"No, it was a good call," Gohan said. "Thanks for letting me know. Do the others know?"
Videl shook her head negatively.
"I wouldn't want to worry them, now. They have their own baggage to deal with. Besides, is a birthday party. They'll take any chance to have a good time, so let them have this ." Videl reasoned.
Gohan nodded as they watch the other high schoolers laugh at each other's jokes.
"Yeah!"
"Gohan-chan!" Chi-Chi called her son. "Are you ready to present your present?"
"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec!" Gohan shouted in response before turning to Videl. "Well, duty calls."
"What did you get Goten-kun?" Videl asked.
Gohan only gave her a grin as he jogged up to his brother while taking out a scroll.
"Alright, squirt. Open this." Gohan said, giving the scroll to Goten.
"Okey Dokey!"
Opening the scroll, everybody circled around in amazement to see what Gohan gave his brother. And Goten was absolutely starstruck at what it was.
On the scroll was an ukiyo-e style of Shenron as he danced throughout the Kinto'un clouds. While six of the seven Dragon Balls were either floating around him or on his claws and talons, the four-star ball was floating above his head.
"...This is the coolest present ever!" Goten said while looking at it. "Where did you get it?"
"Nowhere," Gohan answered simply. "It took me most of my spare time when I'm not studying or training to paint. I had a little help on it."
Chi-Chi said, "Oh my gosh, Gohan. It's so beautiful! We need to have that framed and put on the wall in your room!"
"Boy, I'll say. That's art that you see in a gallery at a museum or in auctions." Videl complimented.
After the presents were given out and before the day, everybody gathered around to take a group photo to commemorate the celebration.
Unbeknownst to everybody in the living world, a certain Saiyan warrior was watching the whole party after being contacted by King Kai about the occasion. His smile carried throughout the whole event that was being viewed by Annin's crystal ball. Upon seeing his youngest son fall asleep in his room.
Goku whispered, "This is my youngest son, huh? He looks like a little me. And he's stronger than I was. Happy birthday, Son Goten."
To Be Continued…
Now that the Son family has resolved their differences, Chi-Chi and Gohan's relationship is stronger than ever before. However, there is still the looming danger of the blue monster that lurks in the nightly streets of Hercule City and the ever-growing threat that is the dreadful Dr. Wheelo. What are the next obstacles for the Dragon Team to overcome? More adventures have yet to be seen, so stick around for more Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!
Author's Note: Hey guys! Man, these chapters keep on coming, huh?
Yeah, I'm surprised too. But, that's not going to be the case in the next chapter. I have a treat for all and it's going to be a fun time.
Let's talk lore, concepts, and characters moments
Northern Kaiōshin's name "Bōnten" is based on the Japanese name for Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.
Southern Kaiōshin'a name "Vishu" is based on the name Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation.
Western Kaiōshin's name "Aruna" is based on the name Varuna, the Hindu god of the oceans.
Daikaiōshin's name "Nehan" is the Japanese term used for the concept of Nirvana.
In this continuity, Majin Buu has not absorbed the Southern Supreme Kai, absorbed the Grand Supreme Kai, or killed the Western Supreme Kai. Nope, instead, Buu absorbed the Western Kaiōshin and put the North and South Kai in a pack. Why? For lore reasons. And in this universe, the Western Kaiōshin was the candidate to succeed Daikaiōshin, so she inherited his heart and compassion while being the most tactful of the Kai outside of Daikaiōshin.
Shin's forgiveness speech only applies to Gohan for lore reasons. Do not take it to heart if you have real-world problems with your parents and or guardians. Chi-Chi is a flawed character, but she's not a bad mother. So, please do not show up with complaints about forgiveness. It is important for Gohan to let go.
Gohan at this point has nearly mastered Super Saiyan Level Two thanks to his extensive time training with Vegeta, Goten, and Piccolo while taking time to handle the techniques of Spirit Control thanks to Shin's teachings. So while Vegeta is still ahead of him in power, he's the second strongest character alive. Piccolo is a close third, being about to trade blows with a full-powered Super Saiyan Level Two Gohan.
Wheelo's Zenmetsu-Hō or Annihilation Gun is an energy wave technique that Omega Shenron uses. It will be Wheelo's Kamehameha as Gohan's technique is the Masenko.
And yes, Pigero is canon here. Gohan just doesn't remember him…yet.
Anyways, tell me what you guys think about this chapter. What did you like? What didn't you like? Who's your favorite character that appeared? How is the lore being handled and what do you think about the lore? Who else do you expect to appear? What are your predictions? Review or DM me what you think.
Until then, have a blessed day!
-DarkShadowGames451