Review Responses:

To abyssdoor: That sounds like a Toriyama thing to do, but I'm not Toriyama. It should be self explanatory, but why build up a villain at all if it's all for nothing? To simply dismantle chapters of development would be a disservice to me an author, and everybody else who wishes to see the direction that I'm attempting to tackle with Dr. Wheelo. This story is a darker fic, so I'll be treating it as such which includes respecting the villain. Please, don't take this as a personal jab towards you, it's nothing personal. It's just like what the doctor said, you're not ready for the change that I'm about to bring.

To Ushindi:

1. Lime was a cute and innocent filler character and I love her dynamic with Gohan during the episode that she shares with her grandfather. It's a shame that she was a one-and-done character. I can see why many people like and ship her with Gohan. However, in the original Japanese dub, she calls Gohan "Big Brother". So, that's their dynamic here.

2. While it's not my favorite transformation/technique, Autonomous Ultra Instinct is a fascinating state that echoes the philosophy of moving one's body without having the need to think. And the best part about UI is that it's not "Saiyan Exclusive".

3. Beerus and Whis will appear, but it's not gonna be anytime soon.

4. He may or may not. He doesn't know about Godly ki yet.

Last time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL, the day finally arrived as the Dragon Team gathered to watch Gohan, Videl, and Sharpner participate in the Elemental Tournament. While in search of Barry Khan before the first round, Gohan was greeted by an ally he hadn't been in contact with since his early days as Piccolo's student. Once the first round began, our heroes fought their way to stay on their respective platforms in their designated sections. And so, their journey to make their way to the top in the tournament continues, now!

Kami's Lookout, Heavenly Realm, Age 774

Stepping out of the Pendulum Room, the new Guardian of the Earth stiffly walked back to the ledge of the Lookout, visibly appalled.

While Mark "Hercule" Satan was certainly not on the list of the worst beings in the universe, the kinds of reckless decision-making in his later life had caused many lives to be financially and emotionally ruined thanks to the man triggered a rare sensation that the young Namekian was currently feeling.

Disgust and anger.

'...What kind of man would do such despicable things? I-It's unforgivable!' Dende pondered frustratingly. 'To think greed could corrupt a decent person's heart in such a way. He may not be intentionally heinous like Frieza, but I wouldn't ever want anything to do with this human either.'

Shin stood beside Dende with Kibito on his left side.

"Are you alright, Young Guardian?" Shin questioned.

"...I will be, Supreme Kai. I-I just need a moment to process this." Dende said while sighing hard.

"We understand your reaction and emotions towards this mortal, but you must not let such feelings cloud your better judgment." Kibito reasoned. "While this Mark played a big role in this whole ordeal, the mortal whose power that you've been sensing made the decision to harbor his anger to the point where it has now converted into malice."

"And it is that very malice is what you've been detecting over the past month," Shin concluded.

Dende then asked, "While I am grateful for your help, what does knowing Mark's selfish deeds have to do with my problem?"

"Guardian, the man whose energy you seek came from a background of shame and misery. When Mark handed him a position, it breathed new life, a purpose for the man." Shin expressed evenly.

"That, however, does not mean that the mortal let his past woes go," Kibito added. "It was always there, festering deep down with no outlet for a healthy release. Despite the eventual emotional connections he made with Mark and his daughter, this Jinpachi mortal was always a troubled individual who could have either gotten assistance to find inner peace or snap. It just so happened that the rejection of Mark and the ignorant scorn of the planet became the catalyst of Jinpachi's descent into malice."

"And so, from that point forward, Jinpachi has spent his entire life focusing his hatred and malice towards the world that rejected him, especially those who forsaken him in the past."

Popo and Dende gasped at this, feeling the pit of dread in their stomachs grow bigger.

Mr. Popo, who was with the small group, fearfully asked, "...Do you happen to know where this person that this Mark has wronged, Lord Shin?"

Shin and Kibito merely looked down below as the Lookout began to move forward for a few seconds until it stopped.

"Take a look," Shin evenly instructed.

Popo and Dende gasped in horror as they realized where Jinpachi was as they gazed at Battle Island.

'...Dear Porunga!'

Fighter's Box, East Coast, Battle Island I, Age 774

Gohan walked into the hallway upon winning in his section. Videl was leaning against the wall on the left, waiting for him to arrive.

"Congrats on your first win," Videl said genuinely, raising a hand for a high five. "That wasn't so bad, huh?"

Gohan met her hand with his own as he said, "It was alright. I tried to make sure that I didn't hurt my opponents. To make things clean, you know?"

"I get it, I get it." Videl waved off as she stood next to Gohan, away from the doorway. "No need for any accidental fatalities. Good thing I have much better ki control than when I started."

"You're welcome, by the way," Gohan smirked in a cheeky manner as he crossed his arms.

Mocking irritation, Videl lightly shoved her friend.

"Shut it, Wonderboy!"

"I see that you've made it after all. Not bad, kid"

Videl and Gohan turned around to see their fellow competition, Pigero.

"Hey, Pigero!" Gohan greeted.

Being the curious girl that she was, Videl began asking questions, only they weren't with the hint of suspicion she had previously held with everyone new that she met.

"Say, do you mind telling me who you are and how you know Gohan-kun?"

Pigero nodded, saying, "Sure thing! You wouldn't happen to be his girlfriend, would you?"

Gohan and Videl sputtered into a blushing mess.

"We're not dating! She's my/ I'm his student!" Both teens shouted at the same time, clearly embarrassed at the reoccurring assumption that everybody keeps throwing at them.

"Okay, okay! No need to freak out, I was only teasing." Pigero reassured, holding his hands up. "The kid and I met over ten years ago, back when I was in my delinquent days. I was fifteen years old then. I was one of many orphans in the community who struggled to survive after nearly everybody in our town was swept away by a deadly tsunami two years prior."

Videl gasped in horror while Gohan simply remained silent as more of his old memories began to surface through Pigero's story.

Videl asked, "How does Gohan-kun fit into all of this? He is not an orphan. I met his mother."

"Two kids that were close to me, they found him washed up on shore unconscious. He had nothing on him except for a short sword." Pigero answered.

When the girl curiously turned to her friend, Gohan softly responded, saying, "During the first six months of my training, I was expected to learn how to survive on my own out in the wilderness. I was given a uniform and a weapon to defend myself with. The rest, I had to figure out myself. My memory is fuzzy, but I remember making a raft and sailing before a storm hit me…then I woke up on another land."

'...Damn. And I thought Master Chōwa's training was rigorous.' The older warrior mentally commented.

Moving on to a less serious topic, Pigero and Videl moved on to two different topics.

"...Hold on, you had a sword as a toddler?" Videl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Scratching the back of his head, Gohan nodded to his friend positively.

"I wasn't the best at wielding it, but I did use it whenever I needed to."

"Hey, you were no slouch with that thing." Pigero compliment. "You got me out of that jam with the adults from the institution. I still remember that swing, cutting through those cuff chains like they were butter."

"Institution?" Videl inquired. "As in like child services, right?"

Pigero stiffly nodded, stating, "Yeah. The institution. We were rebelling for the sake of rebelling. We didn't want any grown-ups to boss us around and tell us what to do–"

"–Like any kid wouldn't–" The daughter of Hercule related.

"–But most importantly, because all we had was each other and we didn't want to be separated." Pigero continued until a somber and regretful tone. "...But I realized that I didn't have the resources to support those kids and give them what they needed. So, I made one of the hardest choices in my life."

"...You let them go," Gohan concluded evenly. "You let the institution take them while you brought me back home."

Videl stared at Gohan's calm and composed expression but can tell that there was a semblance of hurt in his eyes.

"...So, you do remember." Pigero muttered. "Look, kid, I–"

"—I understand why you had to do it, Pigero. You wanted to give them the opportunity of having a normal life. Trust me, I would have done the same thing if I was in your place." Gohan cut off, giving the man a reassuring smile.

Pigero sighed in relief, seeing that Gohan had forgiven the man. Videl smiled at the scene as the two young men reconciled.

Videl then asked, "How did you become a martial artist, Pigero? You seem more capable than the average fighter."

"Well…What was your name, again?" Pigero questioned.

"Videl Satan."

Pigero's eyes widened for a split second while he looked at the girl.

'She's that goober's kid? Well, the girl clearly takes after her mother. …Thank Kami for that. Gohan sure has interesting tastes in women.'

"...I see. Well, Videl, my dad taught me basic boxing when I was seven. Though, I really picked up fighting while I used to run the streets back when I was a hard punk. I got my ass handed to me every now and then until I became a decent fighter. …You can say that Juvie taught me a thing or two as well."

"You got arrested!?" Gohan and Videl cried at the same time in shock.

"Oh, yeah. The ops had it out for me, had a wanted paper with my face plastered on every street corner. In fact, as soon as I could back from dropping you off, seven cars were waiting for me. I think there were, like, fifteen of those damned officers." Pigero recalled. "I spent two years in a juvenile correctional facility nearby East City. The court was about to lock me up in federal prison on my eighteenth birthday if I hadn't been adopted and released."

"You were adopted?" Gohan questioned, happy to know that a person had taken Pigero in.

"Yes, I was taken in by an old man who was a friend of my father's side of the family. He was a war buddy of my gramps." Pigero stated. "And he happened to have come from a long line of warriors that followed the philosophy of Master Mutaito."

"Mutaito?" Gohan echoed curiously. "Who's that?"

"What do you mean by that? Master Mutaito is one of the greatest martial artists of all time! He's credited in history for being the father of the modern martial arts and for keeping the form alive!" Videl lectured. "How could you not know who he is?"

Gohan apologized, explaining, "Oh, I'm sorry… None of my old history books ever brought his name up. Come to think of it, I think my mother steered away from giving me books that had anything martial arts related. They were all strictly educational and academic."

"Ah, so you were brought up as a nerd." Pigero nodded.

"Yup, he's the biggest nerd in Orange Star High," Videl confirmed in a cheeky tone.

"Hey, I'm not that big of a nerd!" Gohan deflected. "I just like to study stuff, that's all."

Before Videl could point out otherwise, another voiced her thoughts.

"Brains, you wrote a twenty-five paged thesis about hypothetical time travel for fun. If that doesn't scream 'uber-nerd', then I don't know what does."

The three fighters turned to see Sharpner, who came into the room.

"Sharpner-san!" Gohan cried.

"I'll be damned, you made it after all." Videl snarked, crossing her arms.

"Hmph, Like there was any doubt. There's no way that I'm letting anybody knock me out of the competition that early," Sharpner smirked before turning to Pigero. "What's your story, pal?"

"I was a hot-headed kid who grew up in a town full of orphans. Then my past caught up with me, got jailed, then was raised by an old martial artist who set me straight. Now, I'm a nomadic fighter who seeks a worthy challenge."

"...Cool, I respect that. The name's Sharpner, by the way. But my friends call me Sharp."

"Reiken no Pigero." Pigero said, introducing himself.

Pigero then said, "Anyway, I gotta take a leak. I'll see you guys in the next round."

Gohan, Sharpner, and Videl waved him goodbye as the older man turned around and went to the restroom nearby.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm grabbing something to drink," Sharpner stated, wiping his forehead. "Taking down over two dozen people takes a bit out of a guy."

"I'm kind of with you on that, Sharp." Videl agreed. "Come on, I know where they are keeping the snacks and drinks."

Turning to the hybrid, Videl asked, "You coming? The place has a lot of food in the back."

Much to the high schoolers' surprise, Gohan shook his head.

"No thanks, I ate a Senzu Bean before I got to the tournament. I'm pretty much set for the day." Gohan responded. "But thanks for the offer. You guys can go without me, I'm going to watch what happens next."

Sharpner and Videl glanced at each other for a few seconds. They shrugged then made their way to the dining room in the back.

Gohan looked at the window and observed the scenery of the island.

'...I'm glad that Pigero had found a second chance at a decent life. He deserves it, especially after all that he's been through. I wonder if he's heard from any of the kids? Like the two siblings. They were nice.'

"'cuse me. Is your name Gohan by any chance?" A feminine voice asked from behind the teen.

Turning around, Gohan was met with a girl roughly around his age. She had pale skin, freckles, green eyes, and straight brown locks of hair. For her attire, she wore a red and black tang suit made for young women in mind, hugging her fit and well-shaped figure.

"Uh, yeah. My name is Son Gohan." Gohan answered. "Have we met before?"

The girl leaned in close, peering at Gohan's appearance while letting out a "Hm… I ain't so sure…"

"What do you mean by that?"

Placing a hand on her chin while pondering, the girl explained, "I met a boy by the same name a couple o' years ago. You look a lot like him. But the Gohan I've met had pretty blond hair an' teal eyes. …And he ain't got no tail."

Gohan's eyes widened at her explanation as he thought, 'This girl has met me before! At least, when I was stuck as a Super Saiyan during the week leading up to the Cell Games. But the only other time I went out in that state was when…Hold on.'

Gohan inquired, "Um, miss, do you live in a village by the mountains in the east?"

The girl nodded brightly, chirping, "Yessir! I came all the way from Chakze Village, born an' raised! Been livin' there with mah Grampa for years."

'Chazke Village! Then that means–'

"You're Lime!" Gohan recalled, surprised at the appearance. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you again!"

"Huh? Hold on, are you sayin' that you're that Gohan? The one that saved me from drowin' in the river?" The girl named Lime questioned with a country accent. "But that can't be right. He could blow up a buildin' with his power. And I'm darn sure that he and his Pa' were there when the Cell Games went down. I saw em' with my own two eyes."

Smiling, Gohan checked to see if anybody was nearby. Seeing that nobody was around to watch them, he gazed at Lime with a serious expression.

"Can you keep a secret?" Gohan asked in a hushed tone.

Lime blinked, but nodded out of curiosity. Her anticipation quickly morphed into utter shock as she not only began to sense Gohan's ki spike for a split second but his hair flicked gold while his eyes shimmer teal, just like the boy Lime met seven years ago.

She gasped, then was about to scream in acknowledgment. But Gohan was swift enough to cover her mouth and hushed her.

"Shhh!" Said Gohan. "Yes, I'm that Gohan. Though, I don't want people to know that was me on T.V. back then. Understand?"

When Gohan took his hand off of Lime's mouth, she asked, "You can turn the blond off whenever you feel like it?"

Gohan chuckled at the girl as he answered, "It's a trait that I got from my father's side. When I reach a level of power, my appearance changes."

"That's cool! I wish I can do that," Lime gushed before looking at her old friend's tail. "Where does the tail come from, then? Your Ma's side?"

"Nope, my dad's side." The hybrid corrected, with his tail swayed naturally for her to see. "It regrew earlier this year. Instead of getting rid of it, I've decided to keep it around."

"Speakin' o' which, how come you hadn't visited the village, Gohan? Grampa and I were wonderin' where you and your Pa had up an' gone."

Gohan sadly answered, "Outside of my mother's overprotectiveness, my dad sacrificed himself during the Cell Games. After that, we found out that my mother was pregnant, so I stayed home to provide for my family while I helped raise my little brother once he was born."

"Oh no, that's horrible! I'm so sorry for your loss." Lime lamented, looking hurt for the boy. "I know what it's like to lose a Pa…"

"It's fine, Lime. I've come to terms with his passing. He'd want me to move on and enjoy life." Gohan reassured. "Enough about that, what brings you here to the tournament?"

"Oh! That's easy! After you and your Pa went on your way, Grampa decided to teach me about fightin' and how to use mah ki! I've been trainin' nonstop for years and studyin' from the old Būdokai tournaments as references to create my own style of martial arts. Once word got out that there was a new tournament, Grampa used some of his savin's to have me enter so that I can have the experience of fightin' other strong fighters."

Smiling, Gohan said, "If that's the case, then Mr. Lao has the right idea in mind. And you're doing great so far!"

"Ah, you're sweet..." Lime said before leaning towards him suspiciously. "...You ain't sayin' all o' that so that you can sneak a feel on my chest again, are you?"

Blushing up a storm, Gohan cried, "L-Lime, that was an accident! I-I wasn't intending to do…t-that!"

Lime merely stuck her tongue out like a child, cheekily saying, "Sure you weren't, ya perv."

"I'm not a pervert!" Gohan shot back, feeling a sliver of his mother's anger surfacing.

Lime giggled at Gohan's humorous reaction, then waved the boy off.

"I kid, I kid. I know creeps when I see one, you're no creep. I just like teasin' people." The brown-haired girl winked. "Say, do ya know where I can find any food around here?"

Gohan pointed to the room where his friends went. Nodding, Lime waved her old friend off and went to the same room.

Sharpner and Videl then came back from eating and drinking water. As the three watched how some of the matches turned out as they waited for Barry, they were approached by another fighter.

The dark-skinned muscular man had long black hair which was braided and he wore a red and white feather. His outfit consisted of a tan-colored vest with a blue sash and tan-colored pants. He also wore moccasins and his pants are similar to buckskin pants. On his face was purple paint on each cheek.

Sensing a surprisingly high ki signature for a human, the three turned to the indigenous man in a curious manner.

The man was about to walk into a secluded part of the box when he sensed a great power. Upon turning in Gohan's direction, he noticed something recognizable about the boy's face. His eyes then wandered to his tail. Upon doing so, the man's dark eyes glowed a light green.

Gazing at Gohan once more, the indigenous man was now staring at a spirit of an Oozaru with a golden hue that was looming above the half-Saiyan with a fierce gaze in its red eyes.

'...This child's spirit, it's like that of a beast! A monkey beast. …Just like him. But is he who I think it is?'

"Hey, does anybody know who's the native with the girly hair?" Sharpner whispered to the other two.

Videl nudged the long-haired blond's ribs with her elbow, causing him to groan in pain.

"Don't be rude!" Videl hushed the former jock.

The indigenous man spoke to Gohan, saying, "Young man, I cannot help but notice that you bear the tail of a primate."

Gohan blinked at the man but nodded in a manner like his father, showing off his tail.

"Oh, yeah. I have a tail. I didn't think anybody noticed, though. You're the second person who pointed it out, actually."

The man then said, "I met a boy with a tail like yours a long time ago. He saved me from an evil man who kidnapped me and held me for ransom. He even brought my father back to me when I lost him. I have never forgotten the deeds he has done for me and my people."

"That boy wouldn't happen to be named Goku, would it?" Videl brought up, taking the man by complete surprise.

"Y-Yes, that would be him! How do you know that name?"

Sharpner then revealed, "Dude, Goku was kind of a legend in the martial arts scene. He won the 23rd Tenkaichi Būdokai as the youngest champion in history. And the guy with us is his kid."

Gasping, the indigenous man asked for confirmation, saying, "You're his son?"

Gohan nodded, saying, "Yes. My name is Son Gohan. Son Goku was my father."

The man's face changed, with his expression turning sorrowful.

"...Was? Did something happen to Goku?"

"My father passed away several years ago, I'm afraid." Gohan answered. "He died protecting me and our family."

The teens watched as the eyes of the indigenous man went through several different emotions before he closed them in a moment of silence.

A concerned Videl asked the man, "...Are you okay, sir?"

"Forgive me for my silence, I was paying respects to my friend since he is no longer with us in the physical realm." The man explained as he then turned to Gohan with a hand extended to him. "You're father was the purest spirit that I've ever met, and it is painful to hear of his passing. The Karinga is forever grateful for him and his deeds. If you and your family ever need anything, I will ensure that our debts will be paid."

Gohan accepted his hand while bashfully scratching his head.

"Gosh, I don't know what to say… Thanks, sir." Gohan thanked. "Say, what's your name?"

Smiling, the man answered, "I am Upa, son of Chief Bora and warrior of the Karinga. It's an honor to meet you, Gohan."

After ten minutes of waiting, the remaining two fighters emerged victorious.

One was Barry Khan, who had taken his precious time dismantling his opponents while taking pictures to post on his Z-Chat and other social media outlets.

Meanwhile, the final competitor that appeared in the fighters' box was a young woman with dark green hair that she kept in a style of two big loops in the shape of a bow. She wore a short green one-shoulder dress with a white undershirt, long black wristguards, a yellow belt, a red student miniskirt and a pair of red shoes.

The mysterious girl's name was Yurin.

While the girl remained relatively silent and chose to keep to herself, the pale-skinned girl found herself glaring daggers at Sharpner the moment she caught the blond's uniform.

'...Just you wait, traitor. Your precious student is going to fall when I'm through with him.'

King Kai's Planet, Other World, Age 774

King Kai, Old Man Gohan, and Son Goku were taking their time as they all watched the first round of the tournament.

While most of the contenders were humans that were average, they each found one of the fighters that stuck out interesting in their own right in how they fight and how strong in comparison to the rest.

When Videl won, Goku voiced that the ferocity and swiftness reminded him of his match between himself and Chi-Chi, labeling the memories as the "good ol' days".

Watching Pigero platform, Grandpa Gohan found that the young man's way of fighting borrowed a few techniques from the Turtle style, which Goku also realized.

The next thing they knew, Goku's hopes were realized. At Gohan's platform, the young hybrid palmed his last opponent off the arena, sensing him down into the water, claiming the victory.

"Son Gohan advances to the next round!"

"Alright, Gohan! Attaboy!" Goku cheered, filling to the brim with happiness. "Yeah!"

"Relax Goku, it's only the first round. The real fun matches haven't even begun yet." King Kai reasoned, starting his third bento box. "Those guys weren't even a warm-up for the boy, anyway."

"Even so, it takes excellent skill to calculate and execute quick decisions on how to approach each fight while maintaining balance on that platform. It goes to show that power does not mean everything in a fight." Grandpa Gohan stated.

As the rounds continued, Goku found much of Tien's influences in Sharpner's movements. Grandpa Gohan did notice similarities, reckoning that Tenshinhan must have borrowed Tao Pai Pai's lethal Crane style and taught it in a non-lethal fashion for the boy to learn.

Goku, however, was taken by surprise when he heard the name "Upa".

"NO WAY!" Goku screamed in awe. "Is that Upa!?

"What's the matter now?" King Kai groaned, with Grandpa Gohan staring at Goku with concern.

Taking a closer look, Goku's face brightened as he declared, "Holy crap, it is him! What's he doing there?"

"Upa? That sounds like a Karinga name." The old man commented.

Turning around, Goku smiled, saying, "Oh, it is! Upa is the son of a chief whose tribe guards Korrin's Tower. He's one of my old friends that I befriended back when I was searching for your four-star Dragon Ball."

"Ah, yes! Upa, the conversation is coming back to me." Gohan recalled. "You told me about him during your training. He was a bashful child from what I understood."

"Yeah, now look at him! He seems to have gotten really strong since I've seen him!" Goku grinned.

King Kai said his antennae were twitching, "Oh yeah, I'm homing on his energy, and boy, he's nearly as strong as you back when you fought Vegeta for the first time."

Goku whistled, "Man! I can't wait to see what Upa can do! This is really gonna get exciting!"

Goku paused as he saw a young brown-haired girl whose name was called beforehand.

"...I swear I've seen that girl from somewhere before," Goku muttered before dropping the thought altogether.

'...Eh, it'll come back to me later.' Goku thought to himself as he continued to watch the tournament with the others and Bubbles.

Stadium, Battle Island II, Age 774

With the eight winners of the first round being decided, everybody in the stadium was moved to the second battle stage which was possible due to the technology that Willow Industries had built into the area.

Now, the masses have entered the second round of the Dai-Yōsō-Ken Būdokai, raising the excitement for just about everybody who was watching in person and at home.

There was a large octagonal platform that had eight escalators. Standing them were, Gohan, Videl, Sharpner, Barry Khan, Yurin, Lime, and Upa respectively. Next to the fighters were hovercars that led to four tunnels.

The audience let out a thunderous cheer towards the fighters, with some notable spectators being the supporting members of the Dragon Team.

"Gohan-chan! Do your best, sweetie!" Chi-Chi bellowed.

Bulma cheered, "Yeah! Knock em' all out, kiddo!"

"You got this, Gohan!" Krillin added.

Gohan blushed at the adults' cheering, thinking, '...Everybody's watching. Gosh, this is so embarrassing.'

Goten shouted, "Go get em', big sis!"

"Go Videl!" Trunks and Marron cheered.

"Keep moving, girl!" Erasa called out.

As Videl heard this, she waved out to the audience with a smile on her face.

Barry Khan was greeted with a thunderous cheer that came from Erasa and a horde of his fangirls.

Sharpner, Lime, Upa, and Yurin ignored the audience's cries of excitement as they mainly focused on their own goals in mind.

The referee then explained while holding the microphone, "Now that we've all made it to Battle Island II, I will explain the rules. At each of the four corners, there is an entrance to the underground battle zone, courtesy of the Solid Light tech of Willow Industries! Based on the matching numbers from the randomizer, their hover cars will take each warrior to different parts of their matching battle zone. When either fighter is unconscious, gives up, or cannot stand up, the four winners is allowed to enter the elevator for them to ascend to the final arena where they'll be able to fight it out for the chance to win the tournament and battle the world champ, Mr. Satan!"

Each fighter nodded as they glanced at the screen, gazing at their potential opponents' correlating numbers.

As it turned out, Upa and Videl shared "1", Yurin and Sharpner shared "2", Pigero and Gohan both got "3", and Barry Khan and Lime got "4".

Pigero and Gohan smirked at each other, nodding with a nonverbal sense of understanding.

As all of the fighters' vehicles opened up, each one of them got in and allowed the bar to secure them for the ride as the door shut.

'...So far, so good.' Gohan breathed in relief. 'Now, for the real tournament to begin.'

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now start the second round!" The referee announced loudly. "Let us prepare the countdown from ten!"

Hearing this, everybody began to count down along with the referee.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Once the "zero" was counted, all of the hover cars blasted off at a high speed along the tracks.

"You can watch the battle zone fights on the monitors." The announcer stated on the microphone.

Battle Zone I – Mountain Range

After sixty seconds of riding in the hover car through the tunnel, Videl ended up landing in the middle of a mountain simulated by Solid Light tech.

Getting out of the vehicle, the daughter of Hercule took a moment to gaze at the scenery and noticed just how detailed the technology was.

She took a deep breath, then gasped as she noticed, "The air, it's almost as clean as it would be if I was outdoors."

As she glanced over at the distance, she noticed there was a metallic building over by another mountain across the one that she, which could be crossed using a bridge that was conveniently built to be walked upon.

"That must be where the elevator is!" Videl exclaimed. "I would need to find that Upa guy and beat him before I can win. Let me see I can sense his energy… Damn it, I wish there was a shortcut that I could follow. I wanna save some of my bigger techniques for the fi–"

Videl was interrupted by a cry of a mighty bird. Looking upwards an eagle came to and landed on a rock nearby.

"Huh, what's it doing here?" She questioned.

The bird pointed in an alternate direction, showing Videl that there was a trail leading to the other mountain where the metallic building was.

"You're trying to show me something, are you?" Asked Videl.

The bird only cawed as it spread its wings and flew in the direction of the trail, forcing Videl to follow her hunch and ran after the bird. Thankfully, her training with Gohan made her trip across the shortcut reduced from a thirty-minute hike to a ten-minute run with her newly acquired superhuman speed.

When she finally arrived at her destination, the girl took two minutes to catch her breath from her journey across the simulated mountain range. She noticed that throughout her resting period, the bird cried every thirty seconds, gesturing her in where the direction of the elevator. However, the girl's upcoming about the whereabouts of her opponent was cut short when the eagle flew Upa, landing on his left arm.

The man petted the eagle's bald head, saying, "Thank you, my friend. You may be a product of technology, but I can see that you have a true soul like any living creature. Be free."

Like that, the bird flew away, leaving Upa and Videl to themselves as the wind blew through their hair.

"You've sent that bird to me?" Videl questioned.

Upa gave her a nod, stating, "I was taught by my father that animals who dwell in nature carry secrets about their home. The eagle was kind enough to share one with me. And so, I asked him to guide you here for me."

"Cool," Videl smirked. "Did he teach you how to fight?"

"The chief taught me how to hunt, yes." Upa grinned. "However, I have been perfecting my way of battle with the lost teachings of catori."

"Catori?" Videl echoed.

Suddenly, when Upa began to glow white as his energy surged and crackled from the sparks of ki he was emitting. Videl covered her eyes from the dust that was being pushed back by Upa's rising power.

When he was done powering up, Upa now possessed a white outer glow to him. His muscles were more defined.

"In my culture, it is called catori. In Eastern culture, it is referred to as "ki", and generally it is known as energy." Upa explained. "The old shamans helped me discover a way for me to awaken the catori from within by reaching deep inside myself and connecting with ancestral roots," Upa explained with pride in his voice.

Opening both of his hands, Upa formed two tomahawks made out of solid white energy.

"Now, I am the first Karinga warrior in hundreds of years to wield this spiritual power." Upa declared, taking his stance.

Never losing her grin, Videl took her own fighting stance, stating, "Isn't that a coincidence? I just unlocked my energy a few months back! Gohan showed, in fact. But I've got a score to settle with him, so I'm afraid that I'm going to have to take you down!"

"That's a bold claim, young one. I've been training with catori for ten years. It wouldn't be wise to underestimate me. Let's see if you are a worthy opponent for the son of Goku."

And like that, Videl dashed forward, ready to clash with the Karinga with her fist cocked back.

To Be Continued…

With the first round over, our heroes now enter the next stage of the tournament. Exciting matches and intense battles waiting for those present to bear witness to who will emerge as the victors. But what happens next? And when will Dr. Wheelo makes his move? Be sure to stay on the lookout for more Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Here's another chapter!

I know that I've said that there will be fighting in this chapter, but I realized halfway throughout this chapter that it wasn't the case here. That's why I ended off with the beginning of Videl vs. Upa.

Speaking of which, Upa's concept of "catori" comes from the Hopi tribe's word for "Spirit", Catori. And as you could probably tell by the way he's using ki, Upa's powers are loosely based on Night Wolf from the Mortal Kombat series. However, Upa is not a shaman nor does he have mystical powers. He's very spiritual and was able to unlock the ability to use his energy at the age of 19. Now, he's 29 years old, making him a year older than Pigero. The other characters and their fighting styles will be revealed as their matches occur. And while everybody is in their respective Battle Zones at the same time, I'm going to write each match and the people's reactions to that match one by one for the sake of convenience so that everybody can follow along. Also, Upa's power level is 8,000 in his base form.

Kind of like what happens in the Tournament of Power in the Super continuities.

Now, I will be borrowing concepts from fighting games as homages and or references. That will include Dragon Ball fighting games. If you don't like that, you're more than welcome to stop reading. After all, this is a story written by a fan and nothing more or less.

As a reminder, do NOT take specific scaling calculations too seriously. Everybody (except Gohan) roughly scales towards each other for the sake of having an exciting fight. Remember, the tournament initially is not for Gohan, but rather the Earthling characters. It's only for Gohan in the long run and for the long term.

Oh, and No Bojack. Please don't ask anymore. He's been dead for centuries in this canon and timeline. Don't expect him to pull an Orochimaru.

Let me know what you guys think. Leave a comment if you have questions, comments, concerns, and or ideas. I'll be sure to give you a shout-out if I will be using any idea you give me whether it's a technique, transformation, or hidden ability for any of these fighters.

I'll see you guys later!

-DarkShadowGames451