For three weeks straight, Gohan and Goku continued to chase Bubbles. Day after day they chased him and day after day, they failed to catch him. By this point they had both gotten use to the intense gravity of King Kai's Planet, but that didn't change the fact that Bubbles was incredibly fast. After all this time of simply chasing him, Gohan realised they might need to try a different approach. If they couldn't outrun Bubbles, maybe they could think of a way to outsmart him?
The planet's small size gave Gohan an idea.
"Dad instead of just chasing Bubbles, why don't we try cutting him off from the opposite direction?" suggested Gohan.
"Good idea, we can cut him off from opposite sides," said Goku.
They turned around and ran in the opposite direction. In no time at all they found Bubbles running straight at them. They split off in the hopes of getting him from both sides. Bubbles figured out what they were up to, jumped out of the way and kept running. This caused Goku and Gohan to accidentally bang each other on the head when they jumped to catch Bubbles. Having failed to catch the monkey, Goku and Gohan again ran off in the opposite direction to cut Bubbles off. This time however, instead of doing a direct attack, they hid behind various objects to surprise him. Bubbles still managed to avoid them before being captured, but with each attempt Goku and Gohan got closer.
They kept using this strategy to tire Bubbles out. Before long this allowed them to catch him. Goku caught Bubbles first and Gohan caught him shortly after.
"Yeah, we did it," said Goku happily as he and Gohan did a victory jump.
King Kai couldn't believe his eyes. Not only had Goku and Gohan managed to concur the gravity, but they proved that they might be strong enough to handle his training. King Kai had a feeling that these two warriors would be able to defeat the Saiyan's.
Little did Gohan and Goku know, the training was about to get even stranger.
"King Kai, we did it," said Goku approaching.
"It took ages, but we finally caught the monkey," said Gohan while carrying Bubbles.
"Does this mean we're ready to start the next phase of our training?" asked Goku.
"Of course, but I must warn you there will be no monkey business in phase two," said King Kai, before cracking up in laughter.
"Ok, let's do it," said Goku.
"We haven't got a moment to lose," stated Gohan.
"Very well," said King Kai.
The martial arts master then did something very odd. He took a breath, then let out a yell so loud that Goku and Gohan had no idea what he said.
"Um, what was that?" asked Goku.
"I yelled at the top of my lungs," stated King Kai.
"Why?" asked Gohan.
"You'll see," answered King Kai.
Without warning the scream travelled around the planet and hit them again with such noise that Goku and Gohan had to cover their ears.
"Now that's what I call a long-distance call. Get it?" laughed King Kai.
"Dad are we sure this guy's a martial arts master?" asked Gohan.
"I heard that," said a voice Goku and Gohan didn't recognise.
They looked to the sky only to be hit to the ground by an unknown force.
"What was that?" asked Gohan.
"That was me," said the voice.
Some weird insect creature appeared before them.
"Hey, look a little Grasshopper Man," said Goku.
This statement caused King Kai to laugh.
"Actually Dad, I think that's a cricket," stated Gohan. "But it doesn't look like one I've seen in my biology books."
"Quiet you, now listen up. The name's Gregory and I'm King Kai's most trusted assistant. I'm also a martial arts master with no equal except for the great King Kai. Now, do you think his methods aren't genuine?"
"No, it's just that they bug me a little," stated Goku.
This was another comment that generated laughter from King Kai. He quickly calmed down.
"Goku, Gohan, Gregory will be your next test," stated King Kai.
"This little bug will be our next test?" asked Gohan.
"But King Kai, aren't you going to train us personally?" asked Goku.
"Oh great, how am I supposed to work with people who can't respect their elders?" asked Gregory.
"You'll manage. Now let's get started," stated King Kai, before making two large mallets appear in his hand.
"What are those for?" asked Goku.
"Here catch," said King Kai, tossing a mallet separately at Goku and Gohan.
They managed to catch them, but they were so heavy that both fell to the ground the moment they caught them.
"Heavy enough? Now what I want you two to do is to try and hit Gregory with those hammers," stated King Kai. "If you can complete this task, I will allow you to train under me directly."
"I think we can manage that," said Gohan.
"Don't get your hopes up kids," said Gregory. "There's no way I'm going to let you hit me with that hammer."
Gregory flew up into the sky.
"Now, catch me if you can," said Gregory, before charging at them.
Gregory proved himself even faster than Bubbles and the weight of the mallets made it impossible to hit him. King Kai just hoped they'd be able to hit him, as these were the heaviest mallets he'd ever given to pupils.
Before long, another chase had begun around King Kai's planet. Unfortunately, the mallets meant a lot more destruction occurred. Not just to the planet, but also to King Kai's house and car. King Kai was just glad that Gohan had agreed to give his car another tune up when they were done. They ran and swung as quickly as they could, but they missed every time.
Eventually King Kai called a time out so they could have some dinner. Goku and Gohan were overjoyed by this as they were both starving. It never ceased to amaze King Kai by how much the two ate. Gregory was hoping this would slow them down, but King Kai knew it would only make them faster. It was during this time that the topic of Saiyan's was brought up again. King Kai remembered how Goku and Gohan mentioned that they were both Saiyan's. They then stated that they didn't know anything about the Saiyan's, because Goku was sent to Earth when he was a baby, and Gohan was born on Earth and half human. King Kai decided to tell them more about the Saiyan's so they would have a better idea of what they were up against.
King Kai told them everything. How the Saiyan's had exterminated the Tuffles, a race which they shared their home planet Vegeta with. King Kai explained how that despite the Tuffles being more advanced and having greater numbers, they were no match for the overwhelming strength of the Saiyan's, especially when the full moon came and the Saiyan's used their abilities to transform into giant ape like creatures. These monsters quickly destroyed the Tuffles.
Unfortunately, this created another problem for the Saiyan's. Now that the Tuffles were destroyed there was no one for them to fight, which was what they loved doing the most. This led them to enter a business deal with another alien race called the Arcosians, a race that had a lot of money and technology but were unsatisfied with the planet they lived on. They hired the Saiyan's to conquer other planets for them. This led the Saiyan's to becoming the infamous Space Pirates they were today. Apparently the Saiyan's would achieve their goals by any means necessary, even if it meant sending babies to distant planets. The Saiyan's knew they would exterminate all life on the planet once they were fully grown.
This angered Goku to the point that he wished he could exterminate the Saiyan's. King Kai then went on to explain how this had already been accomplished.
According to King Kai, Planet Vegeta also had a guardian who could no longer burden the Saiyan's evil deeds and used his powers to bring a vast system of meteors to the planet. With these, he brought destruction to the planet, killing all but four of its inhabitants, one of which was Goku. This only angered Goku further.
"Listen, I know you're not proud of your heritage but remember, that fact that both you and Gohan are Saiyan's is a big asset. You need to channel your anger and use it to enhance your training," stated King Kai.
"Alright, then let's continue," said Goku.
"I agree, we need to ensure the Saiyan's can bring no more destruction to the universe," said Gohan.
"Well, I'm ready to start. If it's ok with King Kai," stated Gregory.
King Kai nodded, and they started training again. But not before Goku and Gohan finished their food. With each passing attempt they got closer and closer to hitting Gregory.
Back on Earth, the planets greatest fighters had just completed their training with Kami and Mr Popo.
"Gentlemen, I am very impressed with what you have accomplished. You've all achieved a new level of strength and technique, but the time has come for you to go back down to Earth and continue your training on your own. The future of the planet is in your hands. May you fight with honour," stated Kami.
"Right," said everyone except Yajirobi, who mainly asked if he could take of the weighted clothes they'd been forced to wear.
"So, you guys want to go down and continue our training?" asked Yamcha.
"Good idea," said Chaiotzu.
"Yeah, we'll make more progress if we all train together," said Tien.
"So, Krillin you coming?" asked Yamcha.
"Actually guys, you go on without me," stated Krillin. "I'll catch up with you when the Saiyan's arrive."
"Where are you going?" asked Tien, as Krillin approached the edge of the lookout.
"There's another fighter out there who could benefit from having a training partner and I'm willing to be that. I just hope he is," said Krillin, before jumping off the lookout and heading to the planet below.
"What do you think he meant by that?" asked Chaiotzu.
"I don't know," answered Tien.
"I think I do," said Kami. "He's going to see if Piccolo will train with him."
"What, Piccolo? That's insane, why would he do that?" asked Yamcha.
"Because he's right. Piccolo would also benefit from having a training partner and we're going to need every advantage we can get," said Mr Popo.
"And you never know, by training with someone else, Piccolo might be able to gain a new outlook on life. One where he realises that there's more to life and he doesn't have to conquer the world like his father wanted," said Kami.
Krillin flew at high speed through the planet. Thanks to his training with Kami, he was now able to fly much faster and for greater distances, even while wearing his weighted clothes. Considering Piccolo was currently the strongest fighter on Earth, it didn't take Krillin long to track his energy and locate him. Krillin found Piccolo on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean. He was floating in the sky meditating, which most likely meant he was trying to increase his skills both in strength and spirt. Normally someone like Krillin wouldn't bother Piccolo, but his increase in strength managed to bring Piccolo out of his trance. He angrily looked at Krillin.
"What do you want?" he asked rudely.
"I was hoping we could train together," stated Krillin.
"Me train with you?" asked Piccolo. "Don't make me laugh."
"Why not? After you I'm probably the second or third strongest fighter on this planet. Meaning I'm one of the few people who might be able to keep up with you," stated Krilllin.
This didn't convince Piccolo.
"Look, while I agreed to help you fight the Saiyan's, I never said anything about us training together," stated Piccolo. "Now leave, you're interrupting my training."
"I don't want to interrupt your training, I want to make it more effective," stated Krillin.
"The only way a training partner would be effective is if they were worth my time. Which you are not," stated Piccolo, closing his eyes, and returning to his meditation.
"Is that so?" asked Krillin. "Well then, let's see if this is worth your time."
Krillin charged at Piccolo. The Demon King opened his eyes and evaded the attack just in time.
"I'll admit, you're faster than you use to be, but that's not nearly enough to beat me," stated Piccolo.
"Then show me what you got and then you can decide if I'm worthy enough to train with you," stated Krillin.
"Your funeral," said Piccolo.
Piccolo disappeared. Krillin looked around trying to find him, but then he remembered something that happened the last time they fought. Krillin elbowed the air behind him. Just as he had predicted, Piccolo had attempted to attack from behind, but the green man was still able to catch the counterattack with his fists.
"Did you really think I'd fall for that again?" asked Krillin.
"I wanted to see if you learnt anything from our last fight," stated Piccolo.
"I learnt from our last fight," stated Krillin. "In fact, I've learnt a lot since then."
Krillin started throwing a barrage of attacks. Despite being able to dodge or block them, Piccolo was nevertheless impressed by Krillin's increase in both strength and speed. He was so impressed that he lost focus for a second, which allowed Krillin to land a punch to Piccolo's face sending him flying. Piccolo was able to recover and managed to freeze in mid-air.
"Hmm, not bad. You've improved since we last fought," said Piccolo wiping blood from his lip. "Been training with Kami?"
"Yeah, so if you think I'm going down as easily as I did last time, you're in for a big surprise," said Krillin.
"We'll see, I'm just getting warmed up," said Piccolo.
"So am I," said Krillin.
This time it was Piccolo who charged at Krillin. Piccolo threw a punch which Krillin managed to dodge. This ended up being Krillin's strategy for most of the fight. He used his smaller size to evade most of Piccolo's attacks in an attempt to wear him down, while also throwing the occasional punch or kick. Not to say Piccolo never landed a punch, and when he did, they hurt.
Piccolo was surprised by how challenging Krillin was proving, not just in evasive techniques, but also in strength. Before long Piccolo caught on to Krillin's strategy.
"So, you think you can beat me as long as you keep dodging my attacks?" asked Piccolo.
"It's working pretty well so far," said Krillin.
"Perhaps, but that's about to change," said Piccolo, removing his turban and cape. Piccolo was surprised that he'd been pushed this far.
Krillin quickly figured out the clothes were weighted.
"So, he uses weighted clothes as well? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. He is Kami's evil half," thought Krillin.
"That's not gonna help you," said Krillin, removing his own weighted clothes and chucking them to the ground.
"Hmph, I should've expected that from a student of Kami," stated Piccolo. "I'll admit you've definitely been training hard for the Saiyan's"
"Yeah, and now the real battle begins," said Krillin.
The two charged at each other again, creating an even more intense fight then before. Krillin and Piccolo were matching each other nearly hit for hit, but Piccolo being stronger and faster still had the advantage.
"I gotta admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you would've improved this much," said Piccolo.
"Well, with Goku away training, I need to make sure I'm as strong as possible for when the Saiyan's arrive," said Krillin panting.
"I don't think it's the Saiyan's you should worry about. You might not even be alive when they arrive," said an angered Piccolo.
"What do you mean?" asked Krillin.
"I'm ending this, right now," said Piccolo, aiming his arm at Krillin and supporting it with the other. "Destruction Wave."
Piccolo shot a powerful beam of yellow energy at Krillin. Krillin knew he had to do something, because if that beam hit him, he was done for. He put his hands to his side.
"KAMEHAMEHA," yelled Krilling, counting the attack with his own.
Krillin's Kamehameha collided with Piccolo's attack and the two warriors fought for dominance. This attack pushed both of them to their limit and they knew whoever won this struggle would be the victor. Sadly for Krillin, he couldn't match Piccolo's power and his attack was starting to overpower Krillin's Kamehameha. Piccolo's attack pushed through Krillin's, and the beam engulfed Krillin sending him flying to the island below.
Puffing, Piccolo knew he had won.
"I can't believe he pushed me that far," gasped Piccolo, before flying down to the island.
Krillin had survived the attack, but he was out of energy and gasping for air. When Piccolo landed in front of him, he feared the worst.
"So, what now?" gasped Krillin.
"I'll let you rest for a bit, but then we have to get back to training," declared Piccolo.
"Wait, seriously?" asked Krillin.
"We're going to need as much power as we can get if we're going to defeat the Saiyan's. And as much as I hate to admit it, it would make my training more effective if I had a sparring partner and you've proved yourself worthy of training with me," stated Piccolo. "Therefore, I will train with you, but if you hold me back, you're out of here."
Krillin struggled to get to his feet before smiling.
"I won't let you down," said Krillin.
"You better not," said Piccolo.
Piccolo still didn't know why he had agreed to this, especially considering that as soon as the fight was over, they were going to be enemies again. But this made Piccolo wonder if they had to be enemy's, especially when considering that those he considered his enemies were willing to fight by his side to defeat a common enemy. In truth, even if Piccolo's reasons were more selfish, they were all fighting to ensure the survival of Planet Earth. Which again made him question why he had to be enemies with the other warriors. What concerned Piccolo more however was that he had a feeling that by being around Krillin, some of the human's cheerful personality would rub off on him and make him soft. Piccolo decided to put this thought out of his mind for the time being, as there were more important things to focus on.
Back on King Kai's planet, Goku and Gohan got closer to hitting Gregory with each passing attempt. Like with Bubbles, they eventually managed this task though strategy and using the small size of King Kai's planet to their advantage.
Having accomplished this task, King Kai became more confident that these two would be able to get strong enough to defeat the Saiyan's. He also had a feeling that these two might just be able to master the techniques of Kaioken and the Spirit Bomb, which was something that none of his previous pupils had been able to master. Even though they only had seventy days left before the Saiyan's arrived, King Kai was confident they could do it.
Thanks for reading. Sorry this chapter took a little longer. My life's been a bit crazy lately. Please let me know what you think and if there's anyway the cannon could change because of this scenario, please let me know and I'll keep it in consideration for the future. I'll admit I'm having trouble thinking of big ways the cannon could change, so I'm open to suggestions. Thanks again for reading and I'll see you soon.