As they sat enjoying breakfast, Master Roshi and Krillin slowly began to realize that Gohan could keep up with Goku's massive appetite. Neither said a word, they both just stared as plate after plate of pancakes and bacon disappeared into the boys' stomachs. Master Roshi was so baffled he had to take a mental note of this unusual similarity.
Something definitely isn't right here. The looks, the mannerisms, heck even the appetite, are nearly the same as Goku's. The only difference, besides the hair, is his ki. The boy's ki feels strange, it's righteous yet guilty, and extremely suppressed. This shy and happy facade seems to be only what he wants to show...
I suppose it doesn't really matter, I could end the mystery now and just read his mind, but...perhaps I shouldn't. Might be better to get him to open up first.
After swallowing another mouthful of bacon, Goku decided to take a short break to catch his breath; stuffing his face was always such hard work. He looked over at Gohans stack of plates which was almost as high as his. He was amazed and proudly exclaimed, "Wow! You're incredible Jack! I've never seen someone eat almost as much as me."
Gohan looked up from his food and gave a light-hearted reply, "Thanks Da-" Gohan stopped himself and pretended to choke on his food, downing an entire glass of water to complete the act. He looked over again to see if his father had noticed his slip up, and of course, he hadn't. He was already back to eating his twelfth plate of pancakes.
After Launch had cleaned up breakfast, Krillin and Goku went to throw on the suits that she had made for them while Master Roshi went to go get the car started, leaving Gohan sitting idly in the living room. He reflected quietly over the events of yesterday and tried to put a timeline together.
Okay, I know that someone sent me sometime before the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament because dad just completed his training with Master Roshi. But why so far back? It doesn't make any sense to-
Gohan's thoughts were interrupted by the pitter-pattering of Krillin and Goku's excited footsteps down the stairs. Goku anxiously said, "Come on guys! I can't wait! We gotta' go right now! It's going to be so cool! We get to fight all the strongest people in the whole world! It'll be so much fun!"
Master Roshi, as if hearing Goku's call, walked from the outside to the front door. "All right boys hop in the car! We're gonna be late for our flight if we don't hurry!"
As everyone got into the vehicle Goku spoke out loud, not directly to anyone, but to anyone who would answer. "Um, what's a fly-ght?"
Krillin lacked the patience to bother answering so he stared out the window and left Gohan to try and explain it to him.
"A flight is um, well, it's when you get on an airplane, which is like a big metal version of the Flying Nimbus, except it has wings like a bird. Once you're on, it takes you where you want to go." Gohan could see his answer had satisfied Goku's curiosity for a moment, but then his face contorted as he thought of another question. "Wait, how did you know about my Nimbus? You were still sleepy when I found you and it was gone by the time you were all the way up."
Gohan took a minute to come up with an explanation. "As I was waking up I heard it um...fly away. Also, my dad...he had one too"
Thinking back to all the fond memories of traveling through the air as a toddler, Gohan forgot where he was as he continued. "We used to fly everywhere together. Anywhere I asked Daddy, would always fly me there. We'd spend hours just seeing how fast we could go on it, or time how long it would take us to get to Mount Paozu and back in time for dinner-" Gohan was cut off by Goku.
"Really!? That's where I live! I thought I was the only person for miles! Grampa never told me we had neighbors. Jack, why didn't you come say hi? And if your dad can fly a nimbus I wanna' meet him, he must be really nice! Ooh, and if he's your dad he must be stronger than you so he's gotta be like super strong!"
Gohan was confused at how his father knew he was strong, as far as he knew he'd kept his power level subdued this entire time. He dismissed his concern and cleverly responded with a lie to Goku's original question, even wrapping it up in some fake tears. "I'm sorry Goku but we don't live there anymore" Gohans crocodile tears turned real and he bowed his head as he whispered, "Not since my dad died."
Goku could tell his comments had hit a nerve, he felt compelled to comfort Gohan. He lovingly grabbed his hands and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad."
"I know how it feels to lose someone. My Grampa passed away a long time ago. Some monster came during the full moon and took him away from me while I was asleep. I still feel bad for not protecting him, but that's why I train now. So the next time, when I finally see that monster I know I'll make it pay for hurting my grampa!" Goku's eyes welled up with some tears but he quickly steeled himself and wiped them away, returning to his carefree self.
Gohan was surprised by the display of emotion, it hinted at vulnerability, a characteristic which rarely applied to his father.
I've never seen you cry before daddy. I mean, even now you bury your sadness and put on a smiling face... Have you always been this strong?
The car drive lasted for many hours once they got off the ship required to take them to the mainland. Throughout the majority of the time there wasn't much conversation in the vehicle, but Gohan sat close to his father and tried to enjoy his presence as much as possible. When they finally got to the airport and boarded the plane, Goku sat at the window, Krillin in the middle and Gohan at the end. It wasn't ideal but thankfully, due to Goku's mid-flight snoring, Krillin was beginning to crack.
"Okay, look, Jack, I am going to go crazy if I am in this seat any longer. I'm going to go to the bathroom for a bit and while I'm gone please take my seat. I need to be in the aisle because if I am any closer to Goku I may not be able to stop myself from strangling him in his sleep." Gohan, while careful to contain his excitement, agreed and Krillin left them for a short time.
A few minutes later, Goku began to wake up and was horrified when he looked out the window. "Oh no, Jack look! The stars they're on the ground!"
Gohan confusedly said back, "The stars?" and Goku pointed at the ground.
"Look!"
Gohan peaked over Goku's shoulder outside the plane's small window and saw the city lights beneath them. He chuckled, "Goku, those are just electric lights silly, they have those in the big cities."
Goku excitedly asked, "Do you think they'll let me have one?".
When the plane landed and the four got a chance to stretch their legs, they quickly made their tournament grounds. When they arrived Master Roshi took the initiative and waited in line to sign them all up. While he was busy waiting in the mile-long line, Gohan unintentionally split from Goku and Krillin for a moment, which was when he was met by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Goku!" someone called out.
As he looked around he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from until Yamcha tapped on his shoulder. As Gohan turned around he saw Yamcha's expression turn from joy to disbelief. "You're not Goku! But whoever you are you look just like him. The only difference is your hair, it's close, but not as crazy as Goku's. Who are you?"
Hearing Yamcha's concerned voice, Goku quickly found the two, followed eventually by Krillin. Goku saw that Gohan was a little unsure of how to approach the situation and calmly intervened. "Hey, it's okay! This is Yamcha, He's really cool, I met him on my search for the dragon balls with the girl I told you about on the plane."
Yamcha stammered out, "Goku, is this guy related to you or something? The resemblance, it's unbelievable!"
Goku innocently replied, "Nope, he's just my new friend Jack. He's competing and he's super strong!"
"Oh, super strong? Is that a fact?!" Yamcha said in a playful tone. "Well, I'll be sure to keep my guard up then Jack." He paused and yawned, "All right, it's getting pretty late, and if I don't get back soon Bulma's gonna freak. I'll see you guys at the tournament tomorrow."
As they said their goodbyes to Yamcha, Master Roshi rejoined them and motioned his stick to a large building nearby. "Come along boys, it's going to be a difficult day tomorrow. This tournament won't be easy and you boys need your rest so let's get to the hotel quick. I need to be in bed soon so I can em..get uh, caught up on my reading!"