Ascension - Part 1

by edgarmash79

After leaving the World Martial Arts Tournament to begin his training under a new teacher, Uub, now 16 years of age, was gearing up to participate in the 30th World Tournament. Elsewhere, a new menace emerges from the Eleventh Universe, one whose abilities could lead the very multiverse into dangerous times. This is a remaster of a previous version that I had published before.

1. Prologue

Disclaimer:

The following is a work of fan fiction. Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, and Dragonball Super are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, Toyotaro, and Akira Toriyama.

Please support the official releases.

Dragon Ball

Ascension: PART 1

Prologue – "The passing of the torch opens the world to a bright future."

Age 780: The Conclusion to the Tournament of Power

The grand display of power among the mortals was the greatest gift the Omni Kings could ever ask for.

Standing on his floating platform, the eminent Grand Priest of the Multiverse and all-father of the angelic beings that attended the Destroyers of the twelve universes had borne witness to all the Omni Kings' joyful cries oohing and aahing at every sight. Then, descending to the remnants of the fighting stage, he surveyed the aftermath.

Constructed from Kachi Kachitite, the most durable alloy of all creation, it was necessary to withstand the impact of all the fighting. If it withstood the power of the Destroyer Gods, it would endure what the mortals brought forth.

Only half of the tournament stage remained, the other half reduced to floating chunks of debris against the backdrop of the Null Realm. The dimensional void stretched infinitely, swirling colorful miasmas of reds, greens, blues, and purples amid blackened negative space. Yet, despite the eeriness of the realm, the mortals were too preoccupied with their survival to stare long enough.

The Grand Priest remained stoic and serene as he glimpsed the whole of the Tournament remnants. His tranquil face neither shifted nor changed from the sights. No emotion would betray his face, for he had expected the fierceness and unrestrained power of the mortal fighters to test the fighting stage. The demands of the Omni Kings for limit-breaking displays of power were sated a thousandfold.

Once he had his fill of the scenery, the Grand Priest returned to the bleachers. With one swift motion of his hands, the tournament stage he had constructed blipped out of existence, having served its purpose. He faced the Omni Kings and the attendants from the other four universes, who were given exemption status from the Tournament for boasting above-average mortal ratings.

The Omni Kings were still playing around, pretending to re-create their favorite fight between Son Goku of the Seventh Universe and Jiren the Gray of the Eleventh Universe.

The Grand Priest grinned politely at the Omni King attendants' uncomfortable looks, amused that they endured their child-like pretend skirmish. The four Destroyers then greeted him with a deep bow.

"On behalf of the four exempt universes, I humbly extend my gratitude to both you and the Omni Kings. The mortals displayed a grand display of showmanship, combat, and spirit that shall naught be forgotten."

"Your kind words are always welcomed, Lord Iwen," the Grand Priest said, adding, "Let us hope that this will motivate the remaining eight universes to improve their mortal rating going forward."

"I'll say," Geene, the Destroyer of the Twelfth Universe, piped in. His fish-like ears twitched as he boasted. "I'm certain ol' Beerus will finally behave himself and not laze around so much in the future. Can't say the same for his pipsqueak of a Supreme Kai, though."

The Grand Priest froze the Destroyer with a look, his smile unchanging. "While you have your apprehensions about Lord Beerus and Shin, the act of compassion from the mortals of their universe should remind the four of you why your mortal ratings are as high as they are."

Geene avoided making himself look paler than his pale green scaly body already looked, but the cold reminder by the Grand Priest was enough to make him clear his throat and eye his angel attendant and Supreme Kai. "Forgive me, your eminence. By your leave, we will return to our universe. Martinu, Ag," he motioned to the angel and Kai. Then, with a simple "Kai-Kai," the trio returned to the Twelfth universe.

Liquir and Arak both leaned forward against the railing overlooking the infinite void of the Null Realm. Arak nudged him with an elbow.

"Aren't you Impressed that there are now mortals strong enough to damage Kachi Kachitite?" Arak quipped.

"It does make me curious to see whether any of the mortals of our universes can match their power," Liquir said. "If not, it wouldn't hurt to create a few."

"I'll have Ogma look into it," Arak said, glancing at his Supreme Kai. Ogma was slightly taken aback by Arak's statement, but he got the gist of the Destroyer's statement.

A thought had crossed Arak's mind, which resonated with Liquir and Iwen.

"That Son Goku fella, the 'Saiyan' was it? He's quite the interesting fighter," Arak said.

"Indeed. He has become the first mortal to achieve the state of Ultra Instinct without difficulty," Iwen said. The three agreed simultaneously, yet both Arak and Liquir could hear the envy in Iwen's voice.

"Iwen's off in his own world again," Arak stated with a chuckle, watching the diminutive Destroyer stare blankly ahead. The Destroyer's unblinking expression reminded Liquir of a joke Arak told him about Lord Quitela and cheese. Once Iwen caught a glimpse of the two Destroyers eyeing him deviously with the Grand Priest's still-neutral expression, he blinked, coughing into his fist.

"Fascinated about Goku's fighting ability, Iwen?" Arak asked.

"Indeed. With proper training, Awamo will have that mortal mastering Ultra Instinct by will in no time," Iwen said, and the tips of Liquir's tails began to twitch. His ears matched the frequency of his tail twitching, with the corners of his mouth eventually contorting into a snarl. Whenever a statement too large to ignore would hit his ears, Liquir's tails would begin to twitch. Yet if his ears started twitching, his anger would rise, sometimes enough to destroy the nuisance.

"I dread to think of what kind of threat a warrior like that would have if he mastered power beyond ours. Personally, I reserve judgment on such fighters, but I would not hesitate to destroy them if I needed to," Liquir said. Iwen's small chuckle made his ears twitch even more.

"Quit mocking my intelligence with that insipid laugh of yours, Iwen," Liquir threatened, but Iwen shrugged his shoulders.

"I wouldn't worry too much about this Goku fellow. Mortals like that come off more as gluttons for combat than conquerors," Iwen said. "If he masters the varying fundamentals of Ultra Instinct, he'd make for an ideal protector of his universe."

"Tch," Liquir said, forcing himself not to roll his eyes, yet could not contain the twitching of his tails. "If I were Beerus, I'd keep that one on a leash unless Whis takes it upon himself to help train him how to master it."

The destroyer then breathed a sigh as his tails drooped. "I've had my fill of entertainment for a while. I'll follow Geene's example and return myself. Arak, I'll see you later for our usual game?"

By "game," Liquir meant a strategic game much like the game of Reversi with the same board and stones. Arak grimaced at the invite, lamenting that he had yet to win against his universal counterpart. Once their Supreme Kais rejoined them, both attendees from the Fifth and Eighth universes returned home, leaving Iwen, Awamo, and Anat to wrap up their conversation. Awamo enjoyed much of the spirited conversation while Anat pre-occupied himself with the playful Omni Kings. The Grand Priest regarded Iwen curiously.

"Is there a deeper significance to this desire you have, Lord Iwen?"

"The trials and tribulations of the Seventh Universe have been well documented in the grand archive, your eminence. Awamo has reported a slight increase in activity in the Network of Fates. Things are shifting across the multiverse at an accelerated rate."

The Grand Minister put a hand to his chin, pondering this statement. "Do you feel that Whis's actions in reviving Freeza at Lord Beerus's request was a mistake on his part?"

Iwen shook his head. "Oh, no, it has nothing to do with Freeza. While events throughout the past couple of centuries lowered their mortal rating, the Network is somehow alluding to something else entirely." His strange eyes fell to the void with a sigh.

Correcting his posture, Iwen crossed his arms. "This Tournament opened my eyes to the strength of these mortals. The archives work tirelessly, which makes me wonder if this is building up to something greater."

The Grand Priest gave a thoughtful hum from his throat at the statement. "Are you concerned this may eclipse the actions involving Gowasu's former rogue apprentice?"

"Possibly," said Iwen but quickly shook his head. "But something in my mind compels me to believe otherwise. Of course, this may just be an old Destroyer's foolish intuition at work again."

"I see. So what counsel do you seek then, Lord Iwen?" the Grand Minister asked.

"No counsel, your eminence. None of this arouses my concern enough to warrant action from yourself or the Omni Kings. I pray that it may never come to that."

"Very well, then. Please continue your work. I look forward to our next meeting," the Grand Priest said.

Iwen nodded. "As do I, your eminence. Awamo, Anat, it's time we returned home."

"Of course, Lord Iwen," said Awamo. Iwen could feel those eyes of his attendant question his concerns, which he dismissed with a simple set of blinks. Anat said his goodbyes to the Omni Kings and returned to the pair.

"Lord Iwen, is something the matter?" Anat asked.

Iwen waved him off in protest. "Nothing to concern yourself with, Anat. Shall we?"

"As you wish," Anat said. He exchanged a glance with Awamo. A thought did cross Iwen's mind before Anat returned them to the First universe. I hope the Omni Kings don't grow too attached to Son Goku…for all our sakes.

Age 780: The Eleventh Universe - Lord Belmod's world

While the exempt universes socialized in the Null realm, Belmod's temper exploded in his realm.

He lost. The Pride Troopers lost. Jiren had lost.

Jiren the Gray, the one mortal Belmod knew had god-defying power, was eliminated by mortals from the Seventh Universe. He held a great deal of pride in Gicchin's best pupil. Jiren was a champion of justice whose strength was immeasurable and incomparable to anyone else.

He had the utmost faith in Toppo and the Pride Troopers. They were going to take part in this Tournament of Power and prove to the Omni Kings that universe 11 was the universe that would win and survive. Furthermore, they vowed to work even harder to raise their mortal rating after the tournament to prevent this embarrassment from repeating itself. As if their mortal rating wasn't satisfactory enough to exempt them from fighting a pedantic tournament of weaklings!

But each time a Pride Trooper was eliminated from the ring, it stung. He felt their losses as though they were his own.

This was his Tournament to lose. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would take that victory from him.

But that damn Son Goku! That persistent Saiyan achieved the impossible and managed to match Jiren's titanic strength and surpassed it under the state of Ultra Instinct, a feat of combat that not even the Destroyers could master.

Every blow Goku dealt to Jiren, Belmod felt it too. Every moment that his universe wasn't gaining the upper hand and winning, he despised it.

He accepted the Eleventh Universe's destruction far more quickly than watching the Pride Troopers lose one by one.

When they were all brought back by the wish on the Super Dragonballs, he had reappeared back home, surrounded by his harem of servant girls and Cae, his Supreme Kai. Cae could see the defeated look in Belmod's eyes and decided to let him vent on his own. It certainly seemed to Cae that Belmod was ready to explode in a tantrum.

Marcarita returned as soon as Super Shenron granted the wish. Belmod was alone on his sofa, hands cradling his head, gripping the tufts of his curly hair in a vice-like grip.

A purple aura began to envelop Belmod as he rose. He raised his hand at a statue in the corner, a sculpture of a woman clothed in a simple silk garment. He knew it was always there as he walked past it. Energy pulsed from his hand, and from it, he erased the statue with Destruction energy. What remained was nothing more than purple dust that disappeared in the air.

He started destroying other statues along the wall. Anything that was within his line of sight, he'd destroy.

Yet this was not fulfilling his need. His rage hadn't subsided. Destroying objects to sate his anger bored him quickly. He wanted to feel this anger. He wanted to see his anger manifest itself physically. His universe lost when it should have won.

He lifted a carving of a bear statue. It was made out of material too heavy for mortals to lift. Malleable to a chisel's fine work, yet when hardened, it would be as durable as Kachitite. He held it in the air and launched it at the wall with a fierce shout. The crash frightened his harem girls, who huddled together in the corner while averting their eyes at the Destroyer's heated tantrum.

Belmod smashed and tore apart anything he could get his hands on. It mattered little to him whether they could be fixed or not. Even if they could, he'd want to break them apart again. As he hoisted a unique-looking statue that stood nearly 10 feet tall and weighed several hundred tons above his head, it drew the attention of Marcarita, who had been calm up until now.

"Um, Lord Belmod…? That statue is several million years old. Are you sure you want to break it?"

Belmod paused. The detail put into this work outdated his reign as a Destroyer. He lowered it slowly to the floor and gazed at it more closely. The determined face of the warrior carved into the statue looked intimidating, even to Belmod. He paused to realize that he would break something that had been in this realm before his time.

He breathed a heavy sigh as his anger subsided. He traced a finger along with the precision work of the statue's lines. "Marcarita, return the girls to their planet. I won't be needing them anymore."

His back was still facing the harem. After Marcarita left silently with the frightened concubine, Belmod walked back to the sofa and slumped down, allowing his body to go limp. He spotted a broken shard of one of the statues he smashed against the wall, amazed that it landed on the cushion beside him. He picked it up, glanced at it, and tossed it aside quickly. He pressed his hands to his face as Marcarita returned. She took a seat beside him.

"I haven't been a Destroyer for that long, have I?" Belmod said through his hands.

"Barely two-hundred and fifty thousand years, my Lord," Marcarita replied. Belmod lowered his hands to study them. He balled them into fists, chuckling to himself.

"It's pathetic, really. I've only been a Destroyer for a short time, yet I feel like I'm the oldest."

Marcarita put on her best smile, but even she could not hide her foreboding. "Is it time, then?"

Belmod looked at her for a moment, then stood up. He stopped before walking past an archway to the inner sanctum of his realm.

"It is, Marcarita. Go get Toppo," Belmod said.

Socializing on Netfiss

Toppo, Dyspo, and Kahseral were seated at their usual table, overlooking Netfiss city from the top floor of The Grand Trooper, Netfiss City's top-ranked bar and club for exquisite city dwellers to socialize and share drinks after a hard day's worth of work.

Toppo extended the invite to Jiren, but the Pride Trooper's prized enforcer politely refused, vowing to return to active duty to maintain peace and justice in their universe. Likewise, many other Pride Troopers declined, assuring them that they'd have their fill of work to do once they were back. "Justice never sleeps for the Pride Troopers" was one of Toppo's favorite mottos, taken to heart too well by his squadron. However, Cocotte did say she'd stop by later once things had calmed down in the city.

Several drinks were served to the three with a heaping plate of hors d'oeuvres shared between them. They raised their glasses in the air.

"To the Pride Troopers!" said Toppo.

"To Justice!" said Dyspo, and the three clinked their glasses together. Kahseral paused before drinking from his glass, watching Toppo and Dyspo down theirs. After Dyspo winced and chuckled from the effects of the alcohol, he groaned at the distant look on Kahseral's face.

"Why the long face? We should be celebrating!" Dyspo quipped, tapping him successively on the shoulder. The speedy Trooper was in good spirits not to bother counting, laughing merrily as Kahseral's face remained unfazed.

"Kahseral?" Toppo added. His loud voice snapped Kahseral back to attention. The aging veteran, who had never removed his beret for any reason – not even to shower - realized both Pride Trooper elites were staring at him now. Toppo's reptilian-like eyes gazed more pensively at Kahseral while wearing a grin behind his imposing white mustache. Dyspo's cheeks were now red from the alcohol consumption, glossing over him.

"Sorry, sir," Kahseral said. He finally took a sip from his drink, staring at the two. "I'm still coming to terms with the fact we ceased to exist. And yet here we are, back on Netfiss as if this whole Tournament never happened."

Dyspo's eyebrows rose. He had not anticipated that, nor did he want to think about it. Eternity felt like a fraction of a moment when nothing else is left of your universe. A shiver ran down Dyspo's back.

"Hey, come on, Kahseral," said Dyspo with a nervous laugh. "Please don't make me think with the glass half empty. That Tournament of Power with all those fighters was one of the best times I've ever had in my life!"

"I wholeheartedly agree!" said Toppo, signaling the waiter for another round of drinks. Netfiss had mixed drinks that were similar to those you would typically find at a bar in the Seventh Universe. A bar for people to socialize in was one of the most common sights, no matter where you would travel.

Toppo took a sip from a fresh glass of Scotch placed in front of him. He lounged back with his large arms crossed in front.

"What I shall take away from this is that we gave it our best effort, as we have always done as Pride Troopers. We've shown the other universes what we fight for and why we should not be underestimated. I will always be proud of you all for being a part of this great team."

"Hear hear!" cried Dyspo as he hit the table with the palm of his hand. Dyspo enjoyed a fresh glass of gin, slamming the glass down on the table as soon as he drank the contents.

"Slow down, Dyspo. I don't want to carry you out like last time," Kahseral said, making Dyspo laugh. Dyspo's cheeks were getting rosier with each drink consumed to the point where he'd fall to the floor if he left his chair.

"I wanna have a good time! Hey Toppo, we're super popular now, right?" Dyspo said. He referred to earlier in the day after everyone came back from the null realm. Their whole group was greeted by thousands of adoring people, cheering them on and congratulating them on a hard-fought battle. Toppo was swarmed with requests from citizens to join the Pride Troopers, which nearly brought a tear to his eye. He rested an arm on the table and looked at his comrades sternly.

"From now on, I expect much work to be done. The great people of Netfiss want to enlist in the Pride Troopers to make this the biggest organization in the universe to preserve justice and to smite evil."

Dyspo gave a couple of hard taps on Toppo's shoulder and laughed.

"You're damn right! Hundreds, no, thousands are lining up to fight evil with us! Not a single one of those bastards will even want to step foot within a civilized planet unless they want to piss us off!" Dyspo cried out. His voice was loud enough to draw looks from the other patrons.

The doors to the bar opened, and two more Pride Troopers, Cocotte and Kettol, walked in. They were still dressed in their red and black spandex uniforms with white gloves and white boots when they walked over to Toppo's table. Kahseral saluted them while Dyspo drunkenly waved at them, almost falling out of his chair. Toppo nodded as they approached him.

"General Toppo, we bring news of a transfer request," Cocotte said.

"A transfer?"

"Troopers Tupper and Vuon were personally requested to transfer to the maximum-security space prison to take over the duties of two elite guards who are retiring this year. Warden Kutlerie has seen to this request himself, awaiting your final approval, sir."

"Bah! Let that smelly old fart get his own guards," Dyspo said, his speech slurred from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. Cocotte covered her nose due to the smell of alcohol on Dyspo's breath, yet Kettol was fortunate not to notice.

"Understood," Toppo said, ignoring Dyspo's inebriated state. "I anticipated changes to our organization, so I will gladly approve this request. Let this serve as a fine example to the other guards in our state-of-the-art maximum-security prison that the assertiveness of the Pride Troopers will keep order within the confines of that facility and ensure that no evil-doer will attempt to escape. The prison will be in good hands with those two included. Please relay my message to Warden Kutlerie as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir," Cocotte said, saluting him. Kettol saluted, yet the two were interrupted by a bright flash appearing before them. Dyspo cried out, shielding his eyes as he tumbled back out of his chair. Kahseral and Toppo stood ready while Cocotte and Kettol moved Dyspo back into his chair. The bright light materialized into Marcarita, the angel attendant to Lord Belmod the Destroyer.

"Lady Marcarita, it is an honor. We were not expecting you. Did Lord Belmod decide not to accompany you?" Toppo asked. It was rare to see Marcarita travel solo and even rarer to see the solemn expression on her face.

"Lord Belmod sent for you, Lord Toppo," she said. Toppo's face sank. He knew that it only meant one thing whenever Marcarita addressed him as "Lord" Toppo.

"Hey, what's going on? I can't see," Dyspo said, rubbing his eyes as he blinked, trying to regain his sight. He unleashed a loud belch, laughing at his result. Cocotte rubbed his back while Kettol put his hands together in a pleading gesture.

"Please forgive Dyspo. He seems to have consumed too much," he said. Toppo glanced at Dyspo, shaking his head. He warned him about drinking too much too quickly. Dyspo continued laughing until it faded, and his head went face first on the table, knocking empty glasses aside. The Pride Troopers tried to conceal their embarrassment, yet Marcarita continued smiling politely, approaching the unconscious speedster.

"Allow me," Marcarita said and pointed the tip of her staff at Dyspo. With a flash of light from the sphere at the end of her staff, Dyspo sobered up quickly and shook his head.

"Huh? Wha?" he said and saw Marcarita standing in front of him. He stood up and bowed formally at her.

"My lady, it is an honor to see you!" He said, almost forgetting that he was drunk seconds earlier. It always amused the angel watching how the Pride Troopers interacted, but she kept her serious tone as she addressed Toppo. "It's time, my Lord."

"Time? Time for what?" Dyspo asked. He cocked an eyebrow, staring at Toppo, then at Marcarita. Kettol and Cocotte had the look of knowing what was about to happen. Kahseral nodded quietly, staring at the large man he looked up to like a father.

Toppo closed his eyes for a moment. He turned to each one and laid a hand on Kasheral's and Dyspo's shoulders.

"It has been an honor leading you these many blessed years. But now is the time that I must bid farewell to my status as leader of the Pride Troopers and take my rightful place as God of Destruction."

Shock ran through Dyspo the most as his eyes widened.

"Are you certain this is the right thing to do?" Kahseral asked.

"Come on," Dyspo said, his voice shaken yet calm. "You can't be serious about this. I've always had reservations about all that extra training you were doing, Toppo."

Toppo's grip was firm yet cordial. "Dyspo, Kahseral, I built the foundation upon which the Pride Troopers have grown and prospered. We have become a powerful and respectable unit. I chose my Troopers well, and I trust you both to continue my legacy. Henceforth, I appoint you as Generals of the Pride Troopers and transfer all leadership duties to your capable hands. I am confident that the both of you will lead with example and dignity as I have and that I encourage you to grow our numbers and bring more warriors of justice into this organization."

Cocotte couldn't hold back her tears and hugged Toppo. It was an emotional moment for all of them. While unfortunate that this happened so quickly, there was little time to notify the remaining members. The Troopers embraced their leader before standing to salute him.

"What should we tell Jiren and the others when we see them?" Dyspo asked.

"Tell them good things are coming for the Universe," Toppo grinned. He walked over to Marcarita and placed his large hand on his chest.

"Always remember your dedication to the Pride Troopers! For Justice!" Toppo commanded.

"For Justice!" the four replied, saluting him once more before leaving with Marcarita.

"Well, you heard the man," Kahseral said and nodded to the other three. "We've got our work cut out for us."

The transition

Toppo spent a moment drinking in the scene before him. He had been to Lord Belmod's harem numerous times for his training to replace him as Destroyer of the Eleventh universe. Yet, the state of disrepair he now found himself alluded to the nature of the deity's namesake.

As he approached the dejected God of Destruction, he studied the ruins of beautiful artwork strewn lazily across the walls and floors. Sculptures crafted from Kachitite, paintings older than he was, pottery of such intricate quality that no mortal could've been precise enough to craft; now they were anything but.

Clearing his throat to get Belmod's attention, he gave the Destroyer a slight bow, a hand to his heart. "You summoned me, Lord Belmod?"

Toppo couldn't describe it as an awkward silence based on the look Belmod gave him. Instead, it was more of a prelude to what he knew was unavoidable. The Destroyer rose slowly from the sofa and pointed to the archway that opened to a long hallway with a nod. "Let's get this over with," was all he said, his voice hoarse from what Toppo imagined was a lengthy period of yelling.

Led by Marcarita, the trio trekked across hallway after hallway. Despite how Belmod left the grand harem room, everything else in the Destroyer's lair was left intact.

It was quite a spectacle, Toppo noted. Images that were almost lifelike of harlequins dancing and juggling while playfully posing on their hands were among one of several hundred.

"The décor of the lair can be changed at your leisure, Lord Toppo," Marcarita noted as she continued her brisk and steady pace, not once looking back. She knew Toppo was admiring the artwork enough that it had slowed his pace. Belmod had been too accustomed to these images even to pay attention.

Toppo knew that this path led to some different place entirely, not the familiar route he took to the training area where he had been instructed to fight and act as a God of Destruction. He considered Marcarita's statement for a moment, glancing back at the menagerie of Harlequins. "I'll take it under consideration," came his reply.

"The ritual chamber is this way," said Marcarita as she turned left. The floor looked so transparent that Toppo thought he would fall through an infinite abyss. Toppo was unsure what he was walking on until he watched Belmod and Marcarita follow a particular straightforward path, turning left at a sharp angle. He'd waste more time exploring the lair later once his promotion was completed. First, he needed to catch up to the pair.

The Supreme Kai, named Cae, awaited their arrival in the ritual chamber once the three entered. Cae acknowledged Marcarita with the same aplomb as before, yet he couldn't avoid his shoulders shifting once he saw the grim expression on Belmod's face, strolling with a slouch in his posture, hands in his pockets.

Cae fought the urge to bow deeply, though he did lower his head to acknowledge the Destroyer. "Lord Belmod, my sincerest apologies for what happened to our universe. I wish to shoulder this responsibility at your convenience so that you needn't wear such an expression."

Belmod shook his head. "I'm not asking for people to prostrate themselves before me trying to show sympathy. You can punish yourself as often as you want with Lord Toppo once the transfer is complete."

Toppo wanted to alleviate the tension in the room, but Marcarita's glance merely kept him at bay. It wasn't his place to voice his opinion, only participating in the ritual. Cae continued to pester Belmod to share in the Destroyer's guilt, but that only served to anger him. Marcarita breathed a sigh before tapping her staff in the middle of the room. From the impact of the staff, a large glyph, shaped in the sigil of the Eleventh Universe, illuminated the room with a cool blueish hue. "Please take your positions," she informed everyone.

"As it has been before, the current God of Destruction must stand in the center of the glyph," said Marcarita, directing Belmod to the middle. He sulked to the center. Marcarita directed a stern look at him, which snapped the Destroyer out of his stupor. "Apologies, Marcarita," Belmod's lips eventually curved into a grin. Retirement sounded more pleasant the closer he was to perform the transfer ritual.

"Cae, to my left. Toppo, to my right," Marcarita instructed. Toppo and the Kai stood at the marked spots along the edge of the glyph, lined up with Belmod. "Do not move while I perform the ritual. Otherwise, you may all be destroyed in the process. Let me know when you are ready to proceed."

For Cae, it was simple. He had been used to standing completely still for long periods, sometimes out of habit, as he observed the universe. Belmod often joked that a century could pass by, and Cae would still be standing at the same spot without a hint of needing a bathroom break.

Belmod washed himself of doubt and confusion as he prepared himself. He knew what needed to be done from the previous ritual and stood facing Toppo. The preceding Destroyer needed to lock eyes with his replacement to show respect. He was abdicating his title to someone he trusted would uphold the traditions and providence of the Universe as it has been since the dawn of the Universe's creation.

Toppo learned and memorized the ritual often while training under Marcarita and Belmod. He would stand where Belmod once stood, looking directly at the God of Destruction and nothing else. His life would now be linked with Cae, as Belmod once was when the ritual was complete. However, many conditions must be met for the ritual to succeed. Firstly, his mind must be empty of all thought except his duty as God of Destruction. Secondly, he must acknowledge and revere the God of Destruction he is to replace and watch as the lifelink is transferred from Belmod to himself. Thirdly, he must stand completely still while Marcarita performed the transfer ritual, a series of movements while spinning and twirling her staff around Belmod within the glyph. It would've been lovely to behold such a graceful display of fluidity in Marcarita as she danced around Belmod, but any break from staring at him would disrupt the ritual and ruin the process.

Thinking of nothing but destruction was the most taxing for Toppo. He must discard all thoughts of his previous life as a mortal and forego what he cherished the most to become a God of Destruction.

He spent most of his life pursuing and enforcing justice in the Universe. His Pride Troopers were his lifeblood. He would've had no purpose, no goal to achieve without them.

A Destroyer must purge all thoughts of their life as a mortal. A Destroyer must destroy those thoughts and commit to a singular state of mind, said Belmod in his head. The God of Destruction's eyes seemed to repeat those very words in his head as he continued staring at him. Belmod's words acted to impart not only knowledge but to serve as a warning. Destruction is your intent before all else, before all creation.

Toppo wasn't sure how much time had passed until he heard a faint voice growing louder. "Lord Toppo…?"

Toppo blinked before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Standing before him were Cae and Marcarita, yet he could tell by their position that his form had changed, as it had once before during the Tournament of Power.

His mind harkened back to the moment he was face-to-face with the grim reality of his predicament. There was that one fleeting moment when justice was not going to prevail. If Justice was not the end goal, the only recourse was Destruction. Embracing the reality meant he needed to abandon his feeble mortal husk and assume a form worthy of a deity. If he could look in the mirror, he could see how his shape as a God of Destruction was more permanent without wearing an aura of destruction like a cloak.

He glanced at his attire and noticed gauntlets fastened to his forearms. Gone was the tailored business suit he had been accustomed to wearing for social gatherings. Instead was the garb of a God of Destruction. Baggy trousers colored red with white boots and a black belt, symbolic of the colors he donned as a Pride Trooper. The mantle on his shoulders bore the same colors, whereas Belmod's was of a different color scheme. He was half-expected to wear white gloves as he did while on active duty with the Pride Troopers, but those gauntlets presented hands that were both large and strong.

"Lord Toppo?" asked Cae once more. Toppo paused while looking at his bare hands to shake his head. "Something does not feel right."

"Nothing should feel out of place, my Lord," said Marcarita as she scanned him. "The ritual was performed successfully."

"Yet why does it feel as though something is out of place?" he asked. Cae craned his neck to look up at him, something he'd have to become accustomed to now that Toppo was the largest and tallest of the twelve Destroyers, even taller than Lord Mosco's exoskeleton suit.

"We'll address your concerns later, my Lord," said Marcarita before Cae could ask further. "Lord Belmod had left me with some instructions to pass on to you once the transfer was completed."

"Understood. We'll also need to remodel the harem room to a private study," Toppo said as the trio exited the chamber.

"Consider it done, Lord Toppo," said Marcarita with a bow. "I'll gladly help with the cleaning, my Lord," added Cae.

There. That was what halted Toppo as they walked down the hallway.

"Toppo," he said. If they could see his mouth behind that bushy mustache, they'd see how big of a frown it was making. "That is not the name of a God of Destruction."

Marcarita spun to face him with an intriguing grin on her face. "You desire a name that would bring you better recognition as a God of Destruction instead of a reminder that you were once the leader of the Pride Troopers, correct?"

"That is a good idea," said Cae. "I can see how that would be concerning to you. We can suggest a name if you'd like?"

"There is no need," Toppo said. "I had given thought to a new name for myself during my training." He straightened himself to tower above the angel and Supreme Kai. "From this day forward, I shall be addressed as Barbon, God of Destruction of the Eleventh Universe.

Marcarita and Cae exchanged glances before both bowing before him. "It shall be as you wish, Lord Barbon," they said in unison.

Once Marcarita and Cae cleared and tidied the wreckage of the harem, she went to work on rearranging the room to Barbon's specification. A study with bookshelves along the wall, a miniature bar with several of Netfiss City's prized alcoholic beverages, and a comfortable plush seat large enough to accommodate Barbon's stature while he would relax and enjoy a glass of Netfiss's finest scotch whiskey. The mahogany texture of the wood surface was polished to the most refined sheen with a simple swipe of Marcarita's staff, and Barbon regarded his new domain with warmth in his chest. This was a lair fit for a Destroyer of his caliber.

"I must bid you farewell, Lord Barbon," Cae said with a bow. He extended his hand for the Destroyer to take. "I look forward to many great projects in our future."

"As shall I, Cae. Until we meet again," said Barbon, releasing Cae's hand before the Kai teleported out of the room. He faced Marcarita and gave her a nod. "Now onto business. Belmod had a request, if I remember correctly?"

"Yes," said Marcarita. The tip of her staff began to glow a bright green light. "He and I had been communicating telepathically during the last moments of the tournament. He never expressed it openly, but there was something about how expressive those warriors from the Seventh Universe were. Saiyans, they were called."

"Ah yes, those ne'er-do-wells that were strong enough to push Jiren to his limit," noted Barbon with a scowl. He was still unconvinced about their morality, whether they were good beings or not. He dismissed that random thought and exercised a more judgmental approach as Destroyer.

"I am still perplexed as to what Lord Beerus sees in these Saiyan fighters," Barbon said. He took his seat in the new plush chair. Marcarita poured him a small amount of scotch in a glass with two ice cubes at the bottom. "I would not hesitate to destroy their planet if I were in Beerus's shoes."

"It does seem like a worthy assession of the situation given how distressed it left Belmod," said Marcarita.

"It would be concerning if there were beings such as those that exist in our universe. If they have the power to rival a God of Destruction, much less prove a formidable adversary to Jiren, then I would need to seek out such a planet and destroy it," Barbon explained as he leaned forward. He then downed the contents of the glass.

"Your insight is admirable, Lord Barbon," said Marcarita. "Lord Belmod had expressed the same intrigue. He was curious to know whether our universe had a species of mortal similar to those Saiyans, and it just so happens that one such planet exists."

From her staff, she projected the image of a planet. "This is planet Gardenia, a frontier world outside the known territories under the jurisdiction of the Pride Troopers. I believe you are familiar with this planet?"

"Gardenia…," mused Barbon, studying the image. "It does resonate in my mind, yes. I seem to recall a mission from the Pride Troopers to recruit more planets for our protection from evildoers. Scouts reported that the planet's inhabitants were eager to cooperate with us. However, I also do recall one of their warriors falling in with space pirates, conspiring with them to cause trouble with smuggling contraband across protected systems.

"If these Gardenians are similar to those Saiyans from the Seventh Universe," continued Barbon, "then perhaps it would be wise to destroy this planet to prevent more of them from falling out of line and potentially increasing their strength to challenge us."

Marcarita looked like she was about to gush happily. "Belmod would be happy to know he chose his successor well."

She then addressed the image of Gardenia. "He thought of destroying the planet himself but felt this would be an ideal first test of your abilities. The idea of Saiyans with their tenacity and battle lust concerned him, and he wished these mortals had never existed in the first place."

Barbon rose. "Then it shall be done. I will destroy this planet if it can prevent an uprising that could jeopardize the mortal rating of our Universe."

He adjusted the gauntlets on his forearms before nodding to Marcarita to bring him to the orbit of planet Gardenia. It was the first of many planets destroyed by Barbon to make way for new ones that would prosper in the Eleventh Universe.

The Seventh Universe: Planet Earth, Age 784

The sights of the ocean below were considerably different than the view Uub had on the ferry that took him from the mainland to Papaya Island for the World Martial Arts Tournament. His mother insisted that at least one of his siblings accompany him on his trip, but Uub assured her that he would be fine on his own. He didn't want the unnecessary burden of causing his siblings to worry watching him fight another individual. Moreover, those practice fights with the other villagers were not the same as his fight with the man upon whose back he was perched.

Uub still found it strange that the man who called himself Son Goku would provoke him to fight, yet a sincere apology alleviated his worry that he wasn't as much of a jerk as his emotions seemed to dictate. He hoped his family wouldn't have to hear what Goku had said of them. Swallowing after realizing what he remembered Goku saying, how would his mother handle it? And how severe was Goku's punishment going to be once that chestnut was revealed?

"How far are we to your home?" Goku said from beneath him. Uub paused from observing a whale jumping out of the water to glance down at him before staring straight ahead.

"It's to the right of that archipelago up ahead. You'll have a straight view of the islands once you pass them," Uub told him. "Thank you!" shouted Goku with a salute and altered his course.

Uub occasionally looked behind where Papaya Island was and felt compelled to ask this Goku fellow something.

"Mr. Goku? I've been curious about something since we left," Uub asked. Goku lifted his head, puzzled. "Eh? Why're you callin' me Mr. Goku? Just Goku's fine."

"R-right, sorry," Uub said with a slight chuckle. "Those people were your friends and family, correct?"

"Yeah."

"They didn't look too happy to see you go. That young girl with the red gi looked really upset," said Uub, alluding to one of the young fighters bawling her eyes out.

"They'll be fine," said Goku. "I know you haven't met them, but they have a lot of strong fighters. I know they can handle everything while I'm trainin' ya."

"Won't they miss you?" asked Uub. He was curious about how unfazed Goku was by this line of questioning. It didn't have the feel of apathy, that much he gauged. From his angle, Goku's face looked confident.

"At first, yeah. But I know they can visit us any time they want. And I promised them I'd come see them later, too," Goku said.

"I want to see them too," Uub told him. From the brief moment he observed them talking to Goku, they all looked like pleasant people to interact with. However, he wasn't sure how long Goku was planning to stay at his village or whether he'd even be welcomed once they arrived. As peaceful and friendly as his village was, very few outsiders came to visit. Some of them Uub remembered were bad people. They were an odd-looking sort layered in clothing that must've been expensive. Their attempt to talk to the village chief about building structures on their island and the surrounding islands did not sit well with the villagers once they realized their intentions.

His memories were interrupted by a sudden gurgling noise that he was surprised he could feel vibrate underneath him. It nearly spooked him off of Goku.

"Sorry 'bout that!" Goku laughed. "I haven't eaten anything since this morning! All that fightin' we did built up a huge appetite. I hope your village has some good food waitin'!"

Uub would not be prepared for the amount of food Son Goku would eat until much later, when they settled in the village. Hunger pangs gnawed his stomach once Goku began speaking of the food of his village, or lack thereof. He promised his village he'd win the prize money to buy enough food to sustain their dwindling supplies. It was making him nearly cry out of guilt. It didn't take long for Goku to notice.

"What're ya feelin' sad for?" said Goku, glancing up. "I told ya I'd ask Mr. Satan to help buy all the food you need."

Uub nodded, blinking back the tears that were building in his eyes. "Oh, right."

Once they crossed the archipelago, Uub pointed directly ahead to a group of islands spilling into view. "There! That's my village up ahead!"

Once he could see more of his village, Uub waved his arms in the air. Someone down there must have noticed them approaching from the skies by now. It was enough to allow Uub to cast aside his guilt entirely, anticipating his reunion.

"Hey! Everyone!" Uub shouted as Goku began his descent. His voice carried over the winds to everyone below, halting all activity. Women hauling jugs of water on their heads, men carrying building materials of wood, bamboo, straw, and clay pots, and children playing a game with a ball; all raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glare of sunlight to get a better view of Uub, astonished that he was sitting on top of a flying man dressed in a blue gi.

Once Goku was low enough, Uub hopped off and greeted the children first. "I'm home!" he cried.

Shouts of joy rang across the village as more gathered to welcome him home. The men were so excited to see their little champion return that they left all their materials in the hands of the chieftain, a portly gentleman dressed in a fashionable feather mantle decorated with fangs and claws and a single bone keeping his long hair tied up. Unfortunately, the additional weight toppled him backward and buried him underneath all the building materials, forcing a couple of stragglers to aid him back to his feet.

Uub searched through the villagers to see where Goku was, waving at him to get his attention. Goku politely kept his distance to allow Uub his time to bask in all the attention he attracted. For all the bravado of a hero's welcome, Uub wondered if this was too much.

"For goodness sakes, everyone!" shouted the chieftain, able to get his footing in order. Still rattled from his fiasco moments ago, the chieftain could not set aside the look he gave Uub, a heartfelt look Uub never figured he'd ever received. The praise from the chieftain was generally reserved for the adults once they completed a difficult task. Uub figured this counted as one of them, too. "Give our Uub some space to breathe, at least!" the chieftain continued, waving his arms to disperse the crowd of villagers.

"Welcome back!" Uub heard the elder man say with his hands placed upon his shoulders. "You look no worse for wear, it seems!"

Before Uub could respond, the door to his house opened to reveal a plump woman who had all the features a mother of many children possessed, right down to the stained apron she kept tied around her neck and waist.

Uub could tell the commotion reached as far back as the row of houses where he resided with his family now that it brought his mother out. The confused woman searched the crowd until her eyes met Uub's. Behind her were several children, Uub's siblings, ecstatic to see their eldest before them. "Big brother!" they all shouted. Two still clung shyly to the mother, twins by their identical facial features, while the other two sprinted down the small hill to tackle Uub to the ground.

Uub laughed as his siblings embraced him before helping him back to his feet. "Did you have fun?" asked his brother. "Did you see lots of people?" came his sister's query. One after the other, both siblings bombarded Uub with questions until his mother finally caught up with them. "Settle down and give him some space, for goodness sake!" she told them, sighing. "He'll have plenty of time to tell you everything over dinner."

She gently lifted Uub's chin. "Well, let's see the damage. This tournament thing wasn't too rough on you, I hope?"

She poked and prodded him, giving him a thorough exanimation from top to bottom, which to Uub was even more embarrassing since he was being looked at so much in such a weird way in front of everyone else. When she took inventory of his tattered clothing, her enthusiasm diminished.

"What did I say about roughing up your clothes?" she asked firmly. Uub gulped, which seemed to draw Goku's attention finally. "Spit it out. Who did this to you?"

"Hey there!" came Goku's voice behind Uub and the villagers who had still been crowding nearby. Heads spun to meet the man behind the voice, the flying man clad in blue that Uub was somewhat glad was able to relieve some of the tension. However, that tension was short-lived now that Uub's mother's face darkened, eyeing him as he took a few steps forward.

"Mama, this is Goku, the man I fought against in the Tournament," Uub explained. Poor choice of words, Uub thought, as that only darkened his mother's face more. She was quite short for her stature, but that look of hers easily made her tower over giants when pushed enough.

"You been roughing up my baby?" she said, her voice low and predatory. Uub's heart sank. If his mother gave Goku a tongue-lashing for Uub's scrapes during their fight, he could kiss all chances of training goodbye and watch his new teacher fly away in disgrace.

Goku was on the defensive, hands raised and waving in front of him. "Uub's fine! He's a very strong kid who gave me a really tough fight! Look at my gi; it's more torn up than his!" he protested. Uub's mother glanced back and forth between Goku and Uub, occasionally grabbing Goku's gi to tug at it. "Is that so?" she said, not looking at either of them.

"Mama, it's okay! He's a really nice man who can help us get lots of food!" Uub explained. It began to echo among the villagers now. Whispers were exchanged between them as they kept looking over at Goku. Uub's mother relaxed her grip yet kept eyeing him suspiciously. "He's friends with the World Champion, Mr. Satan!" Uub added, hoping it would be persuasive enough to ease his mother's protective hue. It certainly affected the villagers once the name came up.

"Is that true? You're friends with the World Champion?" asked one of the villagers to Goku.

"Yup! I can ask him to buy all the food you need so you don't have to starve anymore!" Goku told them.

A wave of excitement blew through the villagers now. They held hands as some cried tears of joy, a respite from the anguish they had been dealing with for some time now. Uub then approached Goku and his mother. Even the chieftain was impressed enough to join them.

"See, mama? Goku's a really nice man who wants to stay here with us and help me train so I can become even stronger!" Uub told her. His mother needed a moment to process all this, gauging the two before being cut off by the chieftain extending his hand to Goku.

"We seldom see outsiders come to our village, but any friend of Earth's greatest hero is a friend of ours!" said the chieftain, earning a subtle huff from Uub's mother.

"I couldn't care less who he's friends with. You know very well the outcome of inviting outsiders to our village," she warned him. Uub looked downcast, realizing she did have a point. Goku was still polite but equally curious.

"We had some bad people come to our island some time ago before the Tournament," Uub explained. He met Goku's eyes briefly. "They wanted to build a few things on our island, which we soon found out they were using to conduct some poaching operation. Mama eventually chased them away, but she needed my help and a few of our strongest adults to scare the rest so they wouldn't come back."

"That's how we knew about this World Tournament," said the chieftain, brandishing a sheet of paper from inside his robes. It was an advertisement with Mr. Satan's picture, showcasing him posing in victory, with the dates and times written at the bottom along with a registration fee.

"We don't know what they wanted to do there," continued the Chieftain, "but we couldn't say no to the prize money."

"I'm sorry, Chieftain," said Uub, bowing deeply at him. "I promised that I'd win the prize money to buy food for everyone, but I couldn't win my first match."

Uub realized too late that he misspoke again as his mother laid another blaming gaze upon Goku. "You didn't let my boy win?!" she shouted, snatching Goku's ear to pull him down. Goku uttered cries of pain from having his ear tugged, apologizing profusely and repeatedly. The mother released her grip and turned around in a huff. "I'm wasting too much time. Go wash up and change your clothes before dinner, Uub."

"Y-yes, mama," said Uub. Goku approached him, rubbing the side of his head. "Ouch! Your mama's got a really strong grip!"

His brother and sister were pulling Uub's arms. "Come on! We'll help you wash up!" they shouted before their mother shooed them off of him. "I need you both to get things ready for dinner. Off you go, now," she told them.

The Chieftain lowered himself to one knee to be at eye-level with Uub. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Uub. Your mama's very proud that you've grown so much. Leaving the village to the big, outside world is a massive step for anyone in our village. We'll make sure to accommodate your new friend as best we can."

Uub was left slightly embarrassed by the Chieftain's words but knew that they had much truth and weight behind them. Goku's face echoed the Chieftain's, but he couldn't stop looking ahead to Uub's family, more specifically at the large cauldron that the mother was stirring with a sizeable ladle. "Mm! That smells delicious!"

Goku's words drew Uub to his salivating face, smelling the savory and peppery scents. Of course, Uub knew that smell and was equally salivating. "Mama's cooking her stew again. She knows it's my favorite and wanted to get that ready for when I returned."

A short-statured gentleman with a bushy black mustache emerged to help the twins into their booster seats, greeting Uub with a smile as the boy approached him. "Hi, Papa!"

The father said nothing, yet his beaming face still said he was happy to see his son back safe and sound after a day's journey away from the island.

Uub then turned to Goku. "I'll be right back!" he shouted and ran inside his house to gather his toiletries, items made from various natural products found around the island for the villagers to wash and clean themselves. He retreated to a lake north of the village connected by riverbeds leading to the ocean outside the island. There were already a pair of mothers washing their children despite the little one's protests, but Uub was too focused on getting himself cleaned quickly to return to Goku and his family to get first dibs of his mother's stew.

I wonder what kind of training Goku will give me?, thought Uub as he scrubbed the dust off his skin left from the debris of the fighting stage. He knew this would be his first real experience learning how to fight under a teacher different than the other elderly gentleman. The former teacher visited the island a few months ago, but Uub's mind had even more questions now. I wonder if Goku will help me understand why I'm stronger than the adults. He paused mid-scrub to study his hands. Why am I stronger than the adults?

Once he donned a fresh pair of clothes – the same design as the old pair – Uub returned to see his mother pulling Goku's ear again while his father was hunched over, favoring his back. "Papa!" Uub shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Papa threw his back out trying to punch your friend," his sister explained. The father waved her off. "It's okay, Pitaya. It's my fault."

Pitaya, Uub's sister, eased him into his chair, rubbing his back along the way. "Papa, you have to stop overworking yourself like that. Caram and I are strong enough to help you when Uub's not around."

Caram, Uub's second oldest brother, sat by their father's other side, exchanging a nod with Pitaya. "Mama did warn you about carrying heavy things with the laborers."

"And subjecting himself to a stupid challenge by this oaf!" the mother interjected with her booming voice, her vice-like grip still firmly on Goku's ear. "I'm sorry! I didn't know he was going to hurt himself like that-ta-ta-oww!" Goku protested, but the whole spectacle only made Uub breathe a sigh.

The mother released her grip, glaring at both Goku and the father. "Let this be a lesson to the both of you not to play stupid games before dinner," she advised before escorting Uub into their house to put his things away.

"Honestly," she huffed, examining Uub. "Good, you got everything off you."

"Can Goku join us for dinner, mama?" Uub asked. "He hasn't eaten anything since this morning."

It was more a plea than a request with the way Uub was looking up at her, and the mother sighed. "Can we trust this outsider?"

Uub nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I have a good feeling about Master Goku, mama! I want him to stay with us and teach me more about how to fight and control my…er, my kee-something or however he called it. I need to be strong enough to protect the village!"

Her face eventually relaxed. She ruffled his mohawk again. "Well, I suppose we'll get him fed tonight. But he needs to carry his weight like everyone else here and get his own food starting tomorrow. Understand?"

"Yeah!"

When the two emerged, Goku was prostrating in front of her. "I'm sorry for making your husband hurt himself! I want to make it up to you any way I can!"

"We'll see," the mother said. Uub wanted to sit beside Goku but found himself squeezed between Pitaya and Caram instead. The siblings offered their bowls, but the mother waved them off. "Uub goes first because he's still a growing boy," she told them, spooning a ladle full of her stew into Uub's bowl. "Don't worry, you'll get a bowl too," she added to Goku when Uub saw the desperation on his new friend's face.

Once everyone had a bowl for themselves, they gave their thanks before eating. The mother was busy with the twins, Coco and Natta, both less than a year old yet sturdy enough to stand on their own two feet. Pitaya couldn't keep her eyes off Goku while Caram began eating competitively with Uub. "What did I say about competing during dinner?" warned the mother, which slowed the boys down. "Sorry, mama!" they said in unison.

"Delicious!" Goku sighed, wolfing down his bowl rapidly. He then offered his bowl to Uub's mother. "Seconds, please!" he said before she could even get the first spoonful in the twins' mouths.

"I can do that," Uub offered, adding "Please?" to his mother, who stopped him with a look. She relented a moment later and nodded, grinning.

Uub and his family were stunned to see how many bowls Goku had compared to theirs. Both the mother and father were okay with a single bowl, while Uub and Caram had two each. Pitaya had a bowl and a half. The other half she split with her brothers while Coco and Natta had their share of softened vegetables mashed together for them to eat easily. The cauldron was filled nearly to the brim, enough to feed the whole village if needed. While Uub's mother hoped to save leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, what happened instead was Goku eating enough to clean out the whole thing.

He tapped his stomach. "That hit the spot! I'm stuffed!" he said with a happy sigh. Then, knowing he didn't want to be disrespectful, he put his hands together and bowed at the mother. "Thank you for the food, Ma'am! It was delicious!"

The mother beamed proudly, placing the lid firmly on the cauldron, albeit disappointed at how empty it was. "It should be! I would never feed my babies if I knew the food wasn't good. Though it has been difficult gathering vegetables lately," she sighed.

"Hey, Uub, why don't you show your family how strong you are?" Goku offered to Uub, who eagerly hopped to his feet. "Oh! Yeah! You all should've been there with me! I was making the ground shake and everything!"

Uub clenched his fists, ready to use that same power from his fight with Goku. Seconds went by with the family looking in anticipation, yet not a single blade of grass stirred unnecessarily. Uub growled and shook his fists, but not a speck of his ki emerged. "What's going on?"

He turned to Goku. "I don't understand, Master. How come I can't use all that power from this morning? Did something get switched off?"

"You still haven't learned how to control your ki yet. It takes time, but as you gradually learn more and more, you'll be able to draw it out easily," Goku explained.

"Eh? Kee? What's that?" Caram asked. Pitaya was eager to learn herself, looking intently at Goku. "Can you explain it, mister?" she asked.

"It's energy, to put it simply. Energy that's in everything around us. When we train to fight, we channel ki into making us stronger. So we can go faster, hit harder, even make energy into a weapon like this," he said. He formed a small sphere of blue light between his palms, bewildering both the children and the parents. "We can also fly in the air like this!" he added.

Goku hopped to his feet and immediately floated off the ground to fly several feet in the air. Caram and Pitaya gasped at the display, then turned to Uub. "Can you do that too, big brother?" Caram asked.

Pitaya studied her hands and arched her eyebrow. "So we have that kee stuff inside us that we can use to fly? How come people like Uub can do it, but I can't?"

"Huh? Well, anyone can learn how to channel ki if they practice enough," said Goku simply. Pitaya crossed her arms. "Sounds like too much practice, if you ask me. I'm leaving that kee stuff to you, Uub."

"But I'd need practice too. The only time I could use all that ki was…," Uub said, then paused. He glanced at his parents, knowing what had been said to bring out his ki essentially. "…was when I got angry."

"When you got angry?" Caram asked. He and Pitaya looked at each other. "You don't really get that angry, big brother."

Uub groaned softly in his throat. Why do I keep putting myself in these predicaments? Now Mama and Papa will know what Goku said about them, and they'll kick him out of the village!

"Why'd you get angry, Uub?" came his father's query. Before his mother could chime in, Goku raised his hand. "Oh, I can explain that part," he said.

Uub watched in horror as Goku ran through the motions of what he said to provoke Uub into fighting, which left both parents and siblings in stunned silence. Even the infants were left dumbfounded. Uub then braced himself for the explosion, quite likely started by another harsh ear pulling from his mother. But the only explosion that came was an explosion of laughter by his mother, of all people.

"Mama?!"

"Tch! I fail to see how that would make our Uub angry since I work with a lot of manure in my farming job on the mainland!" said the father as he stroked his mustache, puzzled yet slightly unsettled by what Goku had said of him to provoke Uub.

Wiping tears off her face, the mother sat down beside her husband. "Oh dear, I haven't laughed so much in ages!"

"Big brother is very protective of us, mister," Pitaya explained. "Even he doesn't like it when the adults say anything he thinks is bad about Mama and Papa."

"Forgive me for saying those things about you, though," said Goku, arms to his sides and bowing again. "I promise I won't say anything bad about you or Uub's family ever again!"

Uub breathed a heavy yet relieving sigh. His biggest concern had ebbed away; he could relax knowing that there was no risk of Goku being exiled from his village. However, he could still see some discomfort on his father's face, wondering if Goku might've been too direct in his explanation. At least hearing his mother's wholesome laugh after such a long time worrying about keeping himself and his siblings fed was the best outcome of the day.

Once Uub and his siblings helped organize and clean everything, Goku was left standing outside the house, watching the stars appear in the sky as the night dragged on. The mother emerged from the house without her apron, looking exhausted but steadfast.

"My husband and I would often sneak out of the house to watch the stars with the other villagers once the children were sound asleep." She glanced back inside her house. "Uub fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He must've had quite the experience."

"Yeah. I'm glad he showed me the power I had hoped to see. I can't wait to see how much stronger he'll become after he finishes his training."

The mother clasped her hands to her chest in prayer. "He's a special boy. I knew it from the moment he was growing inside me. Something about him was unique. God blessed me with many children, but I especially felt blessed to have a wonderful son like Uub." There was enough illumination from the night sky to light up her face for Goku to see. "I suppose it was destiny that you came into his life."

"Yeah. He's gonna do a lot of amazin' things when he gets older. He'll be strong enough to protect the whole world," said Goku, hands behind his head. "I've had my eye on him for a long time."

"I see," said the mother. "This ki energy you were talking about. The way you described how Uub was fighting you, how is it that he has this power?"

Goku continued staring at the stars as he explained Uub's secret power. He could almost form an image of Majin Buu among the constellations.

"Years ago, there was a very strong fighter. An evil being that killed countless innocent people and destroyed a lot of things. When I defeated him, I asked King Yemma of the otherworld to reincarnate him as a good person so I could have a proper rematch against him. He was able to keep all that power he once had from his previous life, but now he can use it for the good of the world, to protect it from those who want to destroy it. That's why I want to train him."

She grabbed his hand, squeezing it between hers. Goku could see how much this woman loved her child that discovering he was the reincarnation of the evil version of Majin Buu did not phase her whatsoever.

"Promise me one thing, Son Goku. I want you to bring the absolute best out of my boy, got it? If you believe he has all this power, then teach him to bring it out."

Goku smiled confidently at the mother, placing his free hand on hers. "I will. I promise."

Earth, Age 784: A young prodigy

"Damn it all," grunted Bulma as her wrench slid out of her hand. It nearly fell on her face as she worked on one of her projects: an engine to power her father's rocket. A shockwave resonated through Capsule Corporation's main building from what she interpreted as another sparring session between her husband Vegeta, and her son, Trunks. It was one annoying thing after the next, most of which involved Vegeta. Complaints about wasting his time on something that shouldn't have involved him in the first place to going on about "Kakarrot's obsession with meeting someone important" and other such trivial nonsense. She then watched him drag Trunks to the gravity room to work off his stress with several sparring sessions.

At least Bulla, her daughter, had a great time at the Tournament. She spoke at length about how cool Pan was while fighting that very tall competitor, how cool she looked fighting her uncle Goten and other "cool" things that she was happy to see. What more could a four-year-old girl want in a daytime outing with her family?

Rolling on her creeper out from under the engine, Bulma leaned in front of her computer on the large desk, slamming her wrench down. She prayed that all this commotion would not mess up her hairstyle, or else she'd have a few words with the mighty Prince of Saiyans once her work was done.

Both mother and daughter were dressed in engineer's coveralls, with the latter kicking her feet in the air while sipping from a juice box. "Papa's fighting hard again with big brother, huh?"

"Well, 'Papa' chose the worst time to train with your brother when I need to get this done," said Bulma as she typed a few entries in her program. Her hand instinctively reached for her pack of cigarettes but reigned it back, knowing better than to smoke in front of her youngest child.

"Mama…?"

Bulma eyed her a moment before continuing typing. "Mama, are you going to work on that other engine over there?" Bulla asked.

Bulma caught Bulla pointing at a larger object concealed under a white cloth and dismissed her. "Not today. Your grandfather is busy with the animals right now. Maybe tomorrow."

She paused. "No, wait, tomorrow's Trunks's business seminar that I have to attend with him. Saturday, Sunday, no, I'm busy there, too."

Throwing her arms in the air, she sighed loudly. "I need to get this engine done today!"

Bulla examined the table she sat on and picked a flathead screwdriver from the toolbox. "You wanted this one next, right?" she asked, offering Bulma the tool.

"You remembered," Bulma said with a smile, ruffling Bulla's hair. "Thank you."

Replacing the wrench in the toolbox, she took the screwdriver and laid back down on the creeper to roll back under. There was sufficient space for Bulla to stand underneath without lying down, Bulma noticed. She also noticed that Bulla had followed her underneath the engine to watch her work on it. The girl looked around the undercarriage and was amazed by all the pieces that fit together. "Can I build an engine with you when I grow up, Mama?"

"Of course, you can, sweetie," said Bulma. Hearing her daughter take such an enthusiastic interest in her work made her want to rub it in Vegeta's face that at least one of the Briefs' offspring won't need to take up fighting every single day. But she couldn't neglect the fact that Bulla was still half-Saiyan like Trunks. Another member of the family with a desire to pursue the subject of science and technology would be an asset to Capsule Corporation while Trunks was working on the business side of the company.

"I want to learn how to fix engines and build really cool robots," Bulla stated, hands on her hips. She looked down at Bulma and began to giggle. "Your face is all red, Mama!"

It'd have to be if Bulla made such an adorable pose with such intent for robotics. Bulma wanted to invest her time building a couple of robots during her youth. After discovering much of what the defunct Red Ribbon army had created, that dream could still become a reality someday.

Another powerful shockwave caused a panel above Bulma's face to loosen and fall, slapping her so hard on the nose it bounced off. "OW!"

"Mama!" Bulla shouted before holding the loose panel up. Bulma held her nose as she rolled back out. Bulla followed, helping her mother to her feet. "Ow, ow, ow. That really smarts," Bulma said behind her hand.

Bulla rushed to grab the first-aid kit to help her mother as she took a seat by the computer. Then, after Bulma cleaned and bandaged the bridge of her nose, she breathed a heavy sigh. "I need a break. Is it dinner yet?"

She glanced at the clock. It was still too early for dinner, but watching the seconds tick by reminded her that she forgot to tighten the bolt that would've prevented the panel from smacking her face. She eyed her pack of cigarettes again.

"Papa and big brother are probably hungry by now," Bulla said. She watched the clock, too, before shifting her focus to the whiteboard behind the computer desk, covered with formulas and numbers. "What's that, Mama?" she asked, pointing at the board.

"Something your Grandfather and I are working on. It has something to do with what's under that sheet," Bulma explained, casually motioning to the other apparatus.

"I can't wait to see it when it's all done," Bulla said, which only garnered a weak smile from Bulma. "It'll be a while yet, kiddo."

It was apparent to Bulma that she was too stressed to think clearly and wanted to avoid any further mistakes. The engine would have to wait another day to be completed, most likely by a team of engineers rather than doing the bulk of the work herself. She wanted to avoid asking for help as often as possible, laying some of the blame on Vegeta for that Saiyan pride that must've rubbed off on her.

"Let's get this back on the platform above before we shut down for the day," Bulma said to Bulla. She led her to the other side of the engine. "We'll attach these hooks on this side first."

"Okay, Mama," said Bulla. After securing the first pair of hooks, they did the same for the other side. Bulma then pressed a button on the wall, activating a pulley that lifted the engine off the floor high enough for a platform to slide out from the wall for the pulley to lower the engine down and lay it on the surface.

At the apex of the pulley's height, the building shook once more. It was an even bigger shockwave than the last, powerful enough to throw Bulma and Bulla off-balance. Bulla tripped forward, moving with Bulma to the floor where they both landed. Bulma avoided landing face-first to aggravate her injured nose, realizing that Bulla was on top of her. "Are you okay?" she asked. Bulla nodded.

Another shock rocked the building, causing Bulma to wrap her arms around Bulla to protect her. Her gaze suddenly turned to the engine that began breaking off from the chains, ready to fall. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough reaction time for Bulma to move out of the way since the engine broke free of those chains milliseconds after the first chain broke.

What happened next made her mind process things slower than what her eyes caught. Bulla broke free from her grasp to fly up and catch the engine before it landed on top of them. That familiar white aura of ki flaring around her small frame brightened the room as Bulma processed what was happening. That feat of strength that could only be due to her Saiyan DNA allowed Bulla to have a sudden burst of adrenaline to save them from being crushed to death under a couple of tons of steel.

Bulma crawled as quickly as possible away from the impact zone, allowing Bulla to fly away so the engine could crash into the floor. When she landed near Bulma, the girl's eyes fluttered before they closed. She then collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.

When the girl's eyes opened sometime later, Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she muttered under her breath. She was in the infirmary with Trunks and Vegeta, the latter of which was leaning against the wall on the other side of the bed that accommodated Bulla. He leaned forward to examine her. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Bulla's face was slightly pale but had enough color that she could give her father a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Papa."

"Forgive us, Mother," Trunks said with a bow. "We'll make sure not to cause such a ruckus next time."

"Go and wash up, Trunks," ordered Vegeta. Trunks, part of his hair matted to his face from his sweat, had a confident smile he directed to his sister before leaving the room, nodding to Vegeta on his way out.

"What happened in there?" Vegeta asked. He never kept his eyes off Bulma, which annoyed her because she knew he was staring at her injured nose more than anything. Any blemish on his woman would not sit well for the Prince, that much she knew. He lifted Bulla off the bed and held her against him. Bulla then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Your fighting with big brother made the engine fall down. I don't know what happened after because the room went all dark," Bulla said, which intrigued her father. He glanced at Bulma again.

"I'll explain to your father what happened, sweetie," Bulma said. "Grandfather's waiting for you in the kitchen. You must be pretty hungry by now."

"Mm!" Bulla hummed excitedly. "I wanna eat more than big brother and Papa does!" she said with an eager smile. Vegeta's cheeks reddened a shade before he lowered her to the floor. Bulma could see how much of a grin that put on his face before he looked thoughtfully at her again.

"Her ki spiked while I was training with Trunks," Vegeta said after they were alone in the room. "This must be the first instance of her ki waking inside her."

"Yes, yes it was," Bulma said. "No thanks to you."

"This won't be the last time Bulla will display her Saiyan strength. If she doesn't learn how to train her ki properly, it will be disastrous for everyone." A proud grin curled on his face. "She will be capable of many great things with the right training."

Bulma groaned. "Why can't I have a normal daughter who I can take shopping with me and build things together? I want her to be both as smart and beautiful as I was when I was younger."

"I don't care about any of that," Vegeta said. He still wouldn't take his eyes off her nose. "What I'd like to know is how you hurt yourself."

"What did you think happened?! All those shocks you and Trunks were causing made a panel hit me in the face!" Bulma said coldly, glaring at her husband. Vegeta looked away quickly, even redder in the face. "I suppose adding reinforced plating to the building to absorb all those shocks needs to be added to our list of things that must be worked on."

Vegeta said nothing else before leaving the room. He looked ready to say something, but Bulma's glare insisted that he said enough, and she'd rather save any additional discussion for the next day.

Earth, Age 784: A Son family dilemma

The atmosphere in the Son family residence was still upbeat despite the departure of Goku from the Tournament. Except for Bulma's family, Gohan's and Krillin's families were invited to Goku's house for a post-tournament celebration. Much of the conversation revolved around the youngest Tournament participant in Pan, who had won many hearts of the spectators who elected to remain to watch an impromptu display of fights for entertainment purposes rather than crown the "best under the heavens."

Yet despite the festivities, the only one who had not regained much joy was Chichi, Goku's wife of many years. Gohan could see how much it hurt her to have to celebrate another Anniversary without his father around. It wasn't the first time Goku had missed such an important date – considering he had been dead for a few of them – and it certainly won't be the last if he was going to train that boy he just met.

Videl emerged from the guest bedroom, closing the door gently behind her. She made a shushing gesture with her finger and stopped as she laid her hands on Gohan's shoulders. Both watched Chichi stare blankly at her food, which had still been untouched when the two wives prepped and cooked for everyone. The Son house was large enough to incorporate several people comfortably, yet the livelihood of these gatherings felt incomplete without Goku around.

Goten was the first to break the awkward silence. "Pan's been very energetic this past week. I'm amazed she was still able to stay up until now," he said, rubbing the side of his face from a heavy blow his young niece gave him during their exhibition fight.

"She would've stayed up all night, practically, if Piccolo hadn't read her favorite bedtime story," said Videl with a warm smile to the Namekian. Gohan hadn't seen his mentor look this flushed before. He cleared his throat with a cough to change the subject. "In any case, I feel we should discuss how to move forward without Son around. He wouldn't have left with that kid if he wasn't confident we could manage things on our own."

The mere mention of Goku, or "Son," as Piccolo often uses, drew a heavy sigh from Chichi. Gohan and Videl were worried she'd break down in tears again.

The pause also drew Krillin's attention from watching television with his wife, Android 18, and their daughter, Marron. He put the current program on mute to lean over the side of the sofa. "So what do we do?" he asked abruptly.

"The same thing we were doing for those seven years he wasn't with us," said Gohan, which earned a sharp glare from his mother. "Well, figuratively speaking. At least he's still alive this time," he directed to Chichi.

Videl poured her a cup of tea. The water from the kettle was still hot when it filled the cup, allowing a thin contrail to escape the top of the liquid. Chichi angrily downed the contents without caring whether it burned her mouth or not.

Gohan was the first to see that the bubble was about to burst before everyone else noticed. Except for Marron, who was oblivious to Chichi's temper, and Android 18, who couldn't care less, the long-time associates of Son Goku braced themselves. Chichi slammed the cup on the table, which surprisingly did not break on impact. Gohan was more relieved about the porcelain having some give than the expected tirade from his mother. The impact did shake the table enough for a piece of food to roll off Chichi's plate, which Videl casually moved back to where it was. "Mother-," Gohan began.

"I can't take it anymore!" Chichi yelled, bolting from her chair. "Every time with that idiot!"

Gohan and Videl glanced at each other, trying not to stare at the sudden vein that began throbbing on the side of Chichi's temple. Her hair was pulled back so tightly in a bun Videl worried it would rip out of her scalp, exposing her blemishes and wrinkles from years of stress. "Mother," Gohan tried again but was cut off by his mother's thousand-yard stare. He wasn't sure what was scarier, the glare he was familiar with from his mother or the glare from his wife, whom he was sure had been practicing with Chichi since they were married.

"What business does my Goku have running off to train strange kids he just met?!" she asked. After the glaring and vein throbbing came the pacing. Gohan wondered if there would be a broken dish or two shortly. "He promised me he'd start working on the crops after the Tournament was over!"

"Mother, it's okay," said Gohan with a calming gesture, matching his voice to his hands. "I can hire some help to work on the farm tomorrow, and we'll have the crops ready by the time the harvest comes."

"Nothin' doin', Gohan! Your salary is for your family only!" Chichi said, sternly cutting him off. While it's true that Gohan's salary as a tenured scholar could allocate a portion to hire helping hands, if his mother insisted that his earnings remain in the immediate family, he'd have a tough time arguing against her.

He was amazed that Chichi could convince Goku to take up a career that would earn them money besides fighting all the time, yet the number of times Goku's need for combat overrode his job weighed heavily. Now that the farming season was fast approaching, gearing the Son residence for another fall harvest, this unexpected turn of events meant that the wife's foot was coming down hard enough to supplant the mightiest warrior in the universe and ground him to his job.

"I can take over for dad if you need help, mom," Goten said, raising his hand. "Dad taught me enough about driving the tractor and harvesting crops that I-."

This time it was Marron who cut him off. She was standing behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. "Did you forget that we were going to enlist for Uncle 17's Ranger team?"

"Oh, right, sorry," Goten said, mimicking Goku's hand behind his head. "What about you, Krillin? You've worked on a farm with dad before, right?"

"About that…," said Krillin, twirling his thumbs. "I can't take time off from being a police officer to help. Sorry."

"Count me out," 18 piped in. They weren't expecting her to volunteer her services for farm work; that much was certain. The only other candidate that everyone directed their eyes at was Piccolo.

"I wouldn't mind. I'm familiar enough with Son's work," he said. Gohan imagined his long-time friend in farmer's overalls and a straw hat. It nearly caused him to burst out in laughter, which the Namekian could tell from the subtle shift in his breathing.

Chichi was ready to burst at this point. Entrusting farmland to her husband's former arch-nemesis and son of the Demon King that wanted to subjugate the world under his rule? She heard enough.

"No one can do this but Goku!" she bellowed. "We finally have some degree of peace without some super-powered maniac running around for my husband to go fight! I want my Goku back here first thing tomorrow!"

Gohan sighed. All this commotion and yelling were bound to wake Pan at this point. As heavy a sleeper as she was, the anger in Chichi's voice would eventually rustle her from her sleep.

"Do you know how bad an example this sets for Pan?! She needs her grandfather around to help her understand that hard work pays off and how much contribution she can make to society! If she keeps seeing how often Goku goes off fighting, she'll think it's a better idea than going to school and learning something useful when she's older. I made sure my Gohan didn't go down that path, and I am definitely sure I won't allow his precious, adorable daughter to do the same!"

Chichi rambled on for several more minutes until Pan crept out from the bedroom door, rubbing her eyes. "Why's grandma so upset…?" said Pan through a yawn.

Videl lifted her into her arms. "Grandma's upset about Grandpa's absence. She wants him to work on the farm instead of living with that boy in his village."

"But Grandpa said he'd come to visit us soon, right? When he comes back, he can work on the farm, can't he?" asked Pan. Chichi immediately ceased her rant to approach the mother and daughter.

"Pan, sweetie, your grandfather has a lot of important work to do this year. He can make a lot of money selling food like he did last year. When he does that, we can invest more in your education so you can be just as smart as my Gohan."

"But I don't want to be as smart as Papa!" Pan said, annoyed. "I like fighting with Grandpa! He has a lot of fun when he does it, and he wants to have fun training with that boy in his village. I don't want Grandpa to be sad working if he can't fight!"

"I'm afraid your grandmother's right this time, Pan," said Gohan, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Your summer prep school starts soon, and we want to make sure you're ready."

Pan's mouth curled into an adorable pout. "Prep school's boring, Papa. I want to do some training with you and Uncle Piccolo instead."

"You can still do your training during weekends, sweetie," said Videl, trying to encourage her. "I'm sure something will be figured out to resolve this soon."

Her voice grew sad after the last word left her mouth. Chichi's been upset before, but not to the extent where she had such a demand that they could no longer ignore. She had been excessively lenient before when it involved Goku's needs, but this time? She was putting her foot down for good.

Gohan glanced at Piccolo, and the Namekian nodded. "I understand, mother. We'll go find father and bring him back first thing in the morning."

Chichi's face relaxed. "This is why I raised you well, Gohan," she told him, gently laying her hand on his face, but not without a sharp glance at Piccolo, who averted his eyes. "The less goofing off any of you do, the better it will be for Pan, so she doesn't become a delinquent."

Once everyone had left, Videl, Gohan, and Pan were the last to leave with Piccolo. Goten had returned with Android 18, Krillin, and Marron to prepare the young ones for their apprenticeship with Android 17. Chichi gave him a heartfelt goodbye and a few words of encouragement. She then patted Pan on the head. "She's so adorable when she's sleeping, isn't she?"

"Yeah," said Videl. Piccolo offered to take her in his arm. "I'll bring her back to her room," he told her in passing.

"I'll have a big breakfast ready for Goku when you bring him back tomorrow, okay?" Chichi called to Gohan as he walked with Videl. He casually returned the gesture with a wave.

The following morning, Videl stopped Gohan before taking off with Piccolo. Dressed casually in city folk attire, he kissed his wife on the cheek. "Won't you have something to eat before you go?" she asked.

"It shouldn't take us that long," Gohan said. Videl couldn't take her eyes off Chichi's house. "Mother's never been this upset, has she?"

"She'll be fine. Though I can't say the same for father when we talk to him," Gohan said.

"Let's go," said Piccolo as he rose from the ground. Gohan gave him a quick nod and joined him, flying high enough that all he could see of Videl was a dot next to his house.

Gohan stretched his ki sense and searched for the familiar trace of his father's ki, which would have to be due south from Mount Paozu. "Father's ki is almost unreadable. He hasn't started his training with that kid yet."

"That boy should be on an island south of Papaya Island if that's where Son took him yesterday," Piccolo said. He pointed forward to where he could sense some familiar ki signatures from both Goku and the boy, something he remembered from their fight yesterday. "Over there."

"Yeah, I sense it too, now," added Gohan, and the pair fired their ki to give them a speed boost through the air, flying south to the group of tropical islands by the archipelago south of Papaya island.

More ki signatures could be detected as the pair drew closer to the island. As they descended towards the village, the air began to grow hostile. Once they landed, they could see many hardened faces and apprehensive looks directed at his Namekian companion.

"It's you! Have you returned to take our children, demon?!" yelled one of them, herding their offspring behind them to guard them. However, the children poked their heads around the adults' legs to look at the tall, green-skinned humanoid wearing purple with a white turban and mantle.

"Please! He is a friend! He won't harm anyone in the village, trust me!" Gohan shouted to draw their attention. A plump man with a feathered mantle and a bone in his hair made his way from behind to take center stage, planting a spear on the ground with a snap.

"So! Come back after your rest to steal our children again, have you?!" the man said, pulling his spear out to aim it at Piccolo. The Namekian kept a cautious gaze on the villagers before Gohan stood between the two, spreading his arms out.

"I don't understand what you're talking about, but I know this man behind me! I've been friends with him for a long time, and I know he's not a bad person! He's saved my life many times!"

Gohan knew his words would bring a smile to Piccolo's face, yet it didn't relieve the tense atmosphere until everyone was alerted to a scream coming from one of the huts at the back of the village. Gohan's face lit up when he recognized that scream. "Father!"

A plump dark-skinned woman with a confident stature dragged Goku out of the hut, pulling him by the ear as he winced and groaned.

"You don't have enough smarts to figure out your manners, you big oaf!" the woman yelled. "I can't keep my eye off you for more than a minute with that bottomless stomach of yours!"

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself! I was starving!" Goku's shouting carried itself across the village until he spotted familiar faces, dismissing the pressure from the woman's grip as if it was nothing. "Huh? What're you two doing here?"

"More friends of yours…?" the woman began before her voice trailed off at the sight of Piccolo. She belted out a scream and released her grip on Goku. "The green demon has returned! Uub! Keep everyone safe inside! Dearest, get your spear!" she began shouting inside the house. Goku, rubbing his ear, raised an eyebrow in confusion before glancing at Piccolo, whose green face was nearly red with embarrassment. The woman then sprinted out of the hut with a frying pan in her hand, while her "dearest" was a petite gentleman with a thick mustache, wielding a short spear in his right hand. He didn't seem as eager to charge forward as the woman was, yet he followed her as she cautiously approached Gohan and Piccolo, frying pan at the ready.

"I should go," said Piccolo. "If my presence is causing too much distress, it'd be better if I stayed up at the Lookout with Dende until things calm down. I'll be back later to help train Pan."

Gohan sighed. Chichi's idea was that both of them find his father and bring him back, but there was no way of anticipating the reception Piccolo received when they arrived. He hoped that if he stayed long enough, he could explain everything to them and gain some understanding about how they've mistaken Piccolo for this "green demon" the plump woman was referring to. He turned to the Namekian. "I understand. Sorry, Piccolo. I wasn't expecting this."

"It's alright," Piccolo said with a comforting gesture. "See you soon."

With a quick burst, Piccolo flew away from the island, creating a gust of wind that caused the villagers to shield their faces. Gohan then waved at Goku, then at the villagers. "Please, allow me to explain if you would."

The plump woman watched Goku like a hawk, frying pan ready to strike if he so much as looked back at their food stores funny. Gohan recited much of what he had been through with Piccolo, recounting his adventures as a boy until his adulthood when he trusted Piccolo with watching over his daughter. He also showed them pictures of Piccolo holding Pan when she was a baby, who had the happiest of looks on her face when she was in the Namekian's arms. The plump woman eventually calmed down and relaxed her stance. "So he's not a demon but a guardian to your daughter?" the woman asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. Piccolo would not hesitate to lay his life down to keep her safe," Gohan told her reassuringly. It finally put a smile on the woman's face, yet it was short-lived when she glared at Goku. Although the villagers believed that Piccolo had flown away a while ago, Gohan could still sense him nearby, watching from a safe distance while using his enhanced sense of hearing to listen to Gohan's tales.

"Gohan, why'd you come here?" Goku asked. He was given enough leverage to have a conversation with his son while the woman escorted her husband back to their hut. "I told you guys I'd be living here with Uub to help train him."

"About that…," Gohan said, scratching the back of his head. "Mother was furious during dinner. At first, she was upset that you chose to leave with Uub, but she became more upset, realizing that you would abandon the farm while you were here. She insists you come back immediately."

Goku sighed, rubbing the side of his head. "Your mother's really putting her foot down, isn't she?"

"That's the impression I got," Gohan replied. He noticed the woman return with her children in tow. The boy from yesterday ran up to Goku.

"Master! Are we ready to begin my training? I can't wait to learn how to fly!" he said.

"Ah. Gohan, this is Uub," Goku said, hands confidently on the boy's shoulders. "With enough ki control, he'll probably be even stronger than I am!"

Gohan grinned. "You'll have a great teacher in my father, that's for sure."

"Tell her the farm will be fine for now, and I'll eventually go back when I'm ready," Goku told him. Gohan replayed the ranting from his mother in his head and took a firmer stance, shaking his head. He wasn't willing to give Goku the benefit of the doubt this time.

"I'm sorry, father, but mother won't accept any answer other than you coming back with me. If I return empty-handed, she'll resort to coming here herself and bring you back if she has to," Gohan explained. Uub's eyebrows rose. "You live near a farm, Master?" he asked.

Uub's mother harrumphed. "I knew something looked suspicious about you tagging along with my boy back here! You're abandoning your family's work for your own selfish gain?!"

Goku waved his hands, protesting. "It's not like that! I know there are a lot of people who can help my wife look after our farm while I'm away! Please! I know it does sound selfish of me to leave them like that, but Uub really needs a lot of training if he wants to use his power!"

Goku bowed his head, hands together. His pleas were falling on silent ears, however. "I understand your reasons, but your methods are horrible and do nothing to benefit your loved ones! I wish to speak with your wife," Uub's mother demanded.

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter?!" she snapped, trying to jab him with her frying pan. Goku reflexively dodged it. "You, son of Goku, you know how to fly as he does?" she asked Gohan.

"Yes, ma'am," Gohan said, shifting his posture.

"Then I'll have you carry Uub while this oaf carries me on his back so we can go visit your house," Uub's mother ordered. Gohan and Goku exchanged looks.

"I know a better way to get us back there," Goku said. "Instantaneous Movement."

Uub's mother's eyebrows rose. "Instantaneous?"

"Yeah. Father can teleport us in the blink of an eye to his place so you can meet my mother. I'm sure you two have a lot in common," Gohan said. At least by her strength of character and motherly disposition, there was no mistaking the similarity between her and Chichi. He wondered what the woman had in mind when she wanted to talk to his mother but had to wait since she briefly returned to Uub's hut.

"Dearest! Make sure the kids are well-fed and ready to help you with the fishing today!" the mother shouted. The petite mustachioed gentleman waved and escorted their offspring outside to wave at Uub. "Mama's going to be away with your older brother to visit Goku's house! We'll be back!"

"Okay, Mama! Safe trip!" cried the daughter, who nudged her brother to do the same. The siblings waved at Uub and his mother as the two gathered near Goku and Gohan.

"Everyone grab hold," Goku instructed, touching his forehead with two fingers from his right hand. The four were teleported off the island within seconds, leaving everyone in shock.

Uub's mother needed a moment to process her new surroundings. Moving from one spot to another area far away in an instant was going to be a handful for anyone teleporting for the first time. Uub seemed to take it in stride.

"Wow! We changed places before I could even blink!" he cried happily. Uub released his mother's hand to explore the grassy terrain surrounded by bamboo thickets and lush green trees. "Master, this place is amazing!"

Goku let out a sigh. He braced himself for the woman that would eventually burst from behind the door to his house.

"Mother, we're back!" Gohan shouted back at the house. Seconds later, Chichi opened the door wide, looking excited and furious that Goku stood before her again.

"H-hi Chichi," Goku said, waving his hand weakly.

"How many times are you going to do this to me?!" Chichi screamed, grabbing Goku by his gi. She bore her teeth, growling, ready to tear into him verbally. However, before the first word could leave her mouth, her eye caught sight of the two new guests surveying the landscape in awe. Releasing her grip, she straightened her clothes and apron, fixing her hair before approaching Uub and his mother with a courteous bow to greet them.

"Forgive my outburst. I'm Chichi, Goku's wife," she told them. It still amazed Gohan how quick she could shift her tone of voice from bubbling magma to still, flowing riverbed. "I was not expecting Goku to bring back guests other than my son, Gohan."

Uub's mother leaned in to get in a good look at Chichi. She gave her a stern nod. "Good. I can tell a strong face when I see one. How you're able to handle this oaf is beyond me. It hasn't even been two days, and he's eating me out of house and island."

Goku chuckled, but the women weren't. They both gave him a look that halted him mid-laugh. They immediately returned to their warm gaze as Chichi led Uub's mother to the house. "Please, come in. I'm just about finished making breakfast. There's plenty for everyone, including my Goku," Chichi said.

Gohan sighed. "At least mother's able to distract herself with Uub's mother. I should go back home and let Videl and Pan know you're back. Pan'll probably want to see you later."

"Yeah," said Goku. Uub offered his hand to Gohan. "It was nice meeting you, mister. If our moms figure something out, maybe I might get to train a bit with you, too?"

"I'd like that, Uub," said Gohan, taking Uub's hand. He gave a small wave to Goku before leaving the pair.

Uub could see the distress all over Goku's face. None of his cheerful disposition was there. Instead, Goku dreaded the worst possible outcome after the mothers had had their fill.

"Master…?"

"Huh?" Goku snapped out of his daze. His smile returned, but Uub felt that he was only putting one on for show. "We'll figure something out, don't worry."

More gasps and awestruck gazes came from Uub's mother as she followed Chichi around inside the house once Uub and Goku entered the house. Each description of simple knick-knacks and furniture items left his mother impressed and eager to discover more. Even Uub couldn't hold back his enthusiasm.

"Wow, your house looks big on the inside, Master!" Uub exclaimed. Goku patted his shoulder, then stopped when his nose picked up the scents emanating from the kitchen. "Mmm! I know that smell!"

"Take a seat, and I'll get everything set up," Chichi said in passing before retiring to the kitchen.

"Please, allow me to join you," Uub's mother requested. Before Chichi could say anything, the plump woman squeezed by inside and squealed in delight at the sights. "What a kitchen! Is this heaven?"

Chichi had to cover her face out of embarrassment, stifling a few girlish giggles. "I make sure that's the best place in the house!"

During breakfast, Uub and his mother spent most of their time staring at Goku, eating plateful after plateful of food. They had never seen anything like it. How does one person consume so much food without stopping? Judging by how Chichi was casually eating and ignoring Goku, the pair could tell how used to it she was. Uub tried some of Chichi's cooking, and his eyes lit up. "This is really good."

His mother's soured expression made him regret his words, implying that she believed he favored Chichi's cooking over hers. But when his mother tasted Chichi's food herself, her eyes lit up too. "Oh, my…!"

As they ate, Uub's mother remarked on the similarities between what Chichi cooked and what she made for her children. She was practically begging Chichi to impart some of her knowledge to her so she could return and provide more sustenance for Uub and his siblings. Uub was ecstatic to hear that.

After breakfast, Uub and Goku excused themselves outside, giving them some space to practice bringing out Uub's potential. As Uub was punching and kicking Goku's open palms, his mother and Chichi were busy discussing something important inside. Or at least, that's what he heard Chichi tell Goku before they shooed him out of the house.

An hour later, the door opened. Uub was sprawled on his back on the ground, out of breath, while Goku was seated cross-legged. He sprung to his feet once he saw Chichi and Uub's mother emerge. Uub was slow to sit up but had a helping hand from Goku to pull him back to his feet.

"I'll let you train Uub, Goku," Chichi said. Before Goku could get excited, she added, "but-!"

"You agree to help him on his farm, Uub," said Uub's mother, arms crossed. "You're not getting any younger, and I hear working on a farm is good hard work for growing boys like you. Do this, and we'll let you train together."

"Really?! Are you sure?!" Goku exclaimed, poised and eager with his hands balled into fists. Chichi sighed but couldn't help herself smile as she nudged Goku in the face with her knuckles. "I can't stop your training, Goku. But I believe that having Uub with you to help plant crops and maintain the plots will yield the best harvest this year."

"Alright!" Goku yelled, pumping his fists in the air. "We're gonna train really hard, Uub!"

"Ohhhh!" Uub yelled back, pumping his fist in the air. Goku and Uub both burst into laughter.

"Don't get too excited, Uub!" his mother shouted. "I want you back at the village during weekends, understand? I don't want your brothers and sister to feel lonely because you're not around. I'd hate for your new teacher to impart bad habits on you while you're training with him."

"Yes, mama, I understand. Master Goku can teach me how to fly so I can fly back home. Oh! Can you teach me how to teleport too, Master?"

Goku laughed. "One thing at a time, Uub!"

"Alright! I can't wait to become stronger!" Uub said excitedly. After learning so many new things and working with his new teacher, Uub was eager to see what the future had in store.