Gohan: Development of a Hero
This is a Dragonballz fanfiction. To my eternal sadness, I do not own or in anyway profit from Dragonballz or any of the characters in this story. This fic, as you can guess from the title, centers on Gohan, and begins right after the cell games. It is an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.
Btw, from now on, when characters speak in Saiyago (the Saiyan language), the dialogue will be shown in Bold.
Part 28 – Weird Senses and the Draw
What the hell is wrong with her? Gohan mentally raged as he flew after Goten. He could have easily caught up to Goten, but Gohan decided to let Goten pick the location where they would talk. It would be somewhere Goten felt safe, and that would Gohan get him past…what happened. And it also gave Gohan some time to calm down. Not that it was really working; Gohan's anger hadn't diminished one bit since he'd taken off.
I know it's been a long time, but…Gohan pondered. Admittedly, it had been close to 6 years since he'd last seen his mother, and a lot can happen in that time. But how could she have changed so much? The mother he remembered was nothing like the woman he had just seen. She was a fierce, strong woman, but she would never have verbally attacked a child like that.
Could my memories be flawed? Gohan considered this thought, and then readily dismissed it. Gohan's memory had been good to begin with; his photographic remembrances had come in handy many times and been used extensively over the years. In addition, Sensei had taught Gohan several skills to improve his memory recollection abilities. So, there was no doubt in Gohan's mind that his memories were correct. Which gave Gohan puzzlement to go along with his anger; the memories didn't match what he'd just seen.
Gohan's thoughts were interrupted as he felt Goten finally land a few miles up ahead. First things first Gohan decided firmly. He'd deal with his own problems and concerns later; right now, he had a little brother to worry about. Using an extra burst of ki, Gohan accelerated rapidly to increase the time it would take to reach Goten. Sure enough, within 30 seconds Gohan was over Goten's location.
As he landed, Gohan took stock of the situation. They were currently in one Goten's favorite meadows; a quiet place of contemplation that Gohan had shown only him. He'd always liked it here; he considered it their 'secret spot'. It was actually quite a distance from the tournament grounds, and Gohan felt a flash of pride go through him. It's impressive how fast Goten got here.
Slowly, Gohan walked towards Goten. He was sitting on his favorite rock, with his knees drawn up to his chin and his arms looped around them. Gohan couldn't see Goten's face, but he could smell the distress and sadness emanating from him. Without another thought, Gohan sat down next to Goten and whispered, "Hey squirt…"
Silence was the only answer to Gohan's comment, and so he pressed on. "Goten…I wish I knew what I could say or do to make this better. I'd have given or have done anything to prevent something like that from happening. I…don't know exactly what was the reason behind what she said, but I do know one thing…it had nothing to do with you. It was not your fault."
Goten sniffled for several seconds, before he finally turned to look at Gohan. Gohan saw Goten's eyes were red and fresh tears tracks ran down his face. Softly, with a hoarse voice, Goten asked, "Why don't they like me? What is wrong with me?"
Without hesitating, Gohan grabbed Goten's shoulders and forced Goten to look at him as he replied fiercely, "NEVER think that! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with you; I'm your brother, and I know this for a fact."
"Then why didn't they like me?" Goten questioned.
Gohan sighed as he pushed his anger down brutally; there were several answers he wanted to give, but such answers would not really help Goten. Instead, Gohan tried to explain, "I'd hoped you'd never have to learn this lesson, at least not for a long time but…parents aren't perfect. They're human beings just like you and me, and they make mistakes."
"What do you mean?" Goten asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Well, look at Vegeta and Bulma. Haven't they done stupid things, or made mistakes?" Gohan countered.
Goten nodded slowly, "Yeah, specially when Uncle 'Geta calls Aunt Bulma 'woman', or when she tries to cook, or…"
"Exactly," Gohan interjected. He didn't really need to hear the entire litany of Goten's list; Goten understood the point. "Just like with Bulma and Vegeta, our parents make mistakes. And while I don't know much about what happened, I do know this; they just made a big one."
"So I should forgive them?" Goten wondered aloud.
OF COURSE NOT! Gohan raged, but he kept that thought silent. Part of his mind practically begged him to say it, but he held back. Even now, he kept his promise to shield Goten from the bitterness and anger Gohan felt. No child should feel that. Instead, Gohan said, "That is up to you Goten. It's up to you to make that choice. As for me…it'll be a long time before I can forgive them for what just happened. And in the mean time, I'll be here for you."
Slowly, Gohan pulled his brother into a hug, which Goten returned fiercely. Time lost all meaning as Gohan comforted Goten; seconds, minutes, even hours could have passed. Finally, Goten asked, "Now what do we do?"
Gohan felt a smile creep over his face, "Well, I don't know about you, but I want to fight in the tournament. After all, if aren't there, then we leave it open for Trunks and Vegeta to win, and we'll miss out on a lot of good fights."
"OH NO!" Goten leapt out of Gohan's embrace like lightning as he said, "We have to get back there. I want to fight Trunks and Geta and Tien and Krill and…"
"I get the idea," Gohan interrupted with a laugh, "Grab my hand Goten, and I'll teleport us back there."
Goten nodded, and began to move towards Gohan. However, as he got close enough to touch, Goten looked at Gohan seriously as he said, "I love you big brother."
Gohan smiled as he fought back tears; Goten would be okay, "I love you too Squirt."
With a happy nod, Goten reached out and grabbed Gohan's hand. Gohan centered himself and prepared to teleport them both back to where he detected the others gathered. As they left, one thought permeated Gohan's mind.
Goten may have forgiven you, but I don't.
Chi-chi was vaguely aware of the others gathered around her, of Bulma trying to lend her some emotional support, of Krillin trying to calm a visibly angry Goku. Judging by her husband's stance, he wasn't having any luck. Not that Chi-chi could blame him; she found herself teetering between homicidal rage and unfathomed horror.
Part of her was thinking of inventive and no doubt painful things to do to several people up in Heaven. The Grand Kai and King Yamma topped that list; the merest thought of them filled her even more with rage. Those sons of bitches had to have known she thought, they must have known that Goten was alive…they lied to me. Chi-chi wanted to grab them and tear them limb from limb…slowly. However, they were currently up in Heaven and beyond her reach…for now. Besides, there was a closer target.
The Supreme Kai must have been in on it Chi-chi reasoned. After all, he was essentially the most powerful and supreme being in the universe; there was no way he wouldn't have known something like this, especially given that she and Goku were his 'chosen helpers'. And since he was somewhere around here, he was definitely a viable target for her rage. Only one fact stopped her, and it had to do with what had happened before they had arrived.
"Come on," Chi-chi stated excitedly. "Hurry up and send us down there; I can't wait to see my son."
"Yeah," Goku chimed in. He was literally pacing with anticipation. "Send us down there right now! I'm sick of waiting; I want to see Gohan again."
"We'll be sending you down shortly, but first there's something you need to understand," the Grand Kai explained.
"What's that?" Goku demanded impatiently.
"This 24 hour return is being granted only because the Supreme Kai has allowed it…because he needs you for the problems down there."
"Yeah, so what's your point?" Chi-chi snapped.
The Grand Kai's gaze met Chi-chi and Goku's, and they found their very breath frozen, "What he has allowed he can disallow."
"You mean," Chi-chi breathed as the realization hit her.
The Grand Kai nodded, "With the merest thought the Supreme Kai can revoke your trip. If that happens, you would instantly find yourself back here. I'm sure it won't be an issue, but I just wanted to mention it."
Chi-chi wanted more than almost to beat the Supreme Kai to a bloody pulp, let him heal, and then do it again. But she had a feeling that if she so much as tried it, she'd find herself back in Heaven so fast she'd never notice the change. Judging by the expression of Goku's face, he'd just realized the very same thing. There would be a time for her vengeance; for now, there were more important things.
My poor boys Chi-chi thought sadly. She was horrified by what she'd done; even if it had been a joke, she should never have said such things in front of a child. Poor Goten…he must have been absolutely crushed. And what about Gohan? Chi-chi mind added darkly. He'll be furious for what you've done, how you're reacted.
Chi-chi felt a hand touch her shoulder lightly. Looking up, she found herself looking into Bulma's soft gaze. "It'll be okay, Chi-chi."
"My sons hate me now," Chi-chi countered softly.
Bulma shook her head, "They don't hate you; they've waited too long to see you for something like that to happen."
However, Chi-chi shook her head, "They must hate me; hell, I hate me for what I said."
Goku approached her as he added, "You know Gohan; he isn't capable of hating us. He'll be angry, and it may take some time. But you'll see, they'll both be back to being happy to see you sooner than you can blink."
Suddenly, Goten and Gohan were there. Chi-chi was slightly surprised; they simply appeared a few in front of her, near Vegeta and Trunks. I had no idea Gohan had learned teleportation she mused in shock.
"Wow Gohan," Goku exclaimed, "I didn't know you could teleport."
"There's a lot you don't know about me," Gohan stated simply. There was no emotion in his voice; it was like he was stating a fact.
Slowly, Chi-chi approached her sons. She knelt down so she was eye level with Goten and whispered, "Hello Goten, I'm sor…"
Before she could continue, Goten had turned and buried his face in Gohan's leg. Chi-chi suppressed a cry of dismay; she'd never had a child do that to her, much less her own son. Without a word, Gohan picked Goten up and settled him in his arms. Chi-chi looked up, and her eyes met Gohan's. They stared at each other for several seconds; Chi-chi tried to convey the sadness and regret she felt, but it did not seem to touch the void within Gohan's eyes. Finally, Gohan said coldly, "We should go get registered before it's too late." He then brushed past Chi-chi and walked towards the registration tables.
As Chi-chi stood, she found herself face to face with the girl she'd been introduced to earlier, while her boys had been gone. Lime her mind supplied. "Was there something you needed?" she asked softly.
Lime glared at Chi-chi coldly as she hissed, "I don't know who you are, but you're definitely not the person Gohan had described. Stay the hell away from him, and pray we don't meet in the ring." Without another word, Lime strode quickly so that she was right behind Gohan and Goten. The others soon followed, until only Goku and Chi-chi remained behind. Chi-chi simply looked at Goku, as she asked him, "How do we fix this?"
Goku's gaze was infinitely compassionate as he replied, "Give it time. They're hurt now, but they'll come around. Come on, let's catch up to them."
Chi-chi nodded, but inside she was not comforted by Goku's words. After all, they were only going to be on Earth for 24 hours, and part of that would be taken up the Supreme Kai's plan. The plan which would hurt Gohan, a fact that hurt Chi-chi even more now that she had seen him in the flesh than when she had first been told. After seeing him face to face, her maternal instincts were screaming at her to do SOMETHING, anything to prevent this from happening. But a part of her understood that she had no choice; if she tried anything to aid Gohan, the Supreme Kai would have her sent back to heaven. She was trapped.
As Chi-chi moved after the others, only one thought ran through her mind. Kami, please let Gohan forgive me for what I did and what is about to happen. Please.
"I'm here to register," Gohan commented to the man in front of him.
"Name?" the man asked in a bored tone of voice.
"Um…Gohan Son," Gohan supplied.
"Right…well Gohan, you're number 48," the man handed Gohan a sheet of paper on which the number 48 was written in bold print. He then shouted, "NEXT!"
"Um, don't you need to ask my any other questions?" Gohan asked.
The man just looked at Gohan for several seconds as if Gohan were an idiot. He then shook his head and shouted again, "NEXT!"
Gohan sighed; obviously things were a little different than the last tournament. He idly wondered how the elimination process was going to work. Considering he was number 48 and there was a long line behind them, doing the standard rules would take way too long.
"How old are you?"
The question brought Gohan's thoughts to a halt. He looked over to see the two officials looking down at Goten and Trunks.
"Trunks in 7 and I'm 6," Goten supplied helpfully.
The two officials shared and glance, and they both smiled. In a condescending voice, one of them said, "I think you're a little young to compete. Why don't you come back in four years? There'll be a Junior Division at the next tournament, and you can compete in that. NEXT!"
"HEY!" Trunks began to protest, when a hand landed on his shoulder. Looking up, Trunks saw his father standing next to him.
"I'll handle this," Vegeta promised darkly. He then strode forward until he was almost on top of the two officials. They looked at him with a slight trace of fear in their eyes as he asked in a cold voice, "What did you just say to my son?"
Both officials paled as one of them stammered, "Sir, they are rather young…and we don't want to see any children hurt. It would be bad for the audience to see. I told them to wait until the next tournament, when there will be a special division for them to fight."
"I see…have you ever seen either my son or Goten fight?" Vegeta demanded.
"Well, no but…" the man begin.
"Then how do you know they would be injured in a fight?" Vegeta interrupted.
"Sir, they're children. They can't possibly be strong enough…" the other official reasoned.
"SILENCE!" Vegeta roared. Both officials clammed up as Vegeta leveled his deadliest glare on both of them. It had cowed entire people; it seemed to instantly convey a sense of doom upon its recipients. Slowly, in a menacing voice, Vegeta explained, "Were we where I ruled, such an insult as you have given my house would not be forgiven. Your limbs would be removed, and you would spend the next ten years in agony. You'd beg for death long before it would come."
A look of fear crossed both officials' faces, and they swallowed convulsively.
"Even here, I am tempted to administer vengeance for the insult you have given," Vegeta continued. He paused for a moment to let them sweat in terror before adding, "However, such an act would no doubt have me disqualified from this tournament. Therefore, here is what is going to happen; you are going to sign up my son and Goten, and the rest of these people here. You will never again speak in such a way to anyone, no matter their age. Do you understand?"
Both officials nodded quickly, "Yes sir, of course sir…" they babbled.
"Good," Vegeta stated firmly. "Now, give my son and his friend their number."
Without delay, both officials scribbled down the names of Trunks and Goten and gave them numbers 49 and 50. Vegeta looked at them and said, "Come along children, let us go to the waiting area."
Both Goten and Trunks nodded, and the three of them turned to go. They had only gone three steps when Vegeta paused and commented, "My woman would no doubt be pissed if I did certain things, so a word of advice. When the tournament is over and I have won, there will no longer be any reason for restraint. When that time comes, it would be advisable for you to be off this island, and for us never to cross paths again."
Needless to say, there were no problems getting the rest of them registered. As the group headed for the waiting area, Goku laughed ruefully and commented to Vegeta, "I see you haven't lost you edge Vegeta. You can still scare people senseless."
"I have lost nothing, and gained more than you can imagine. Something you will be able to attest to when I am through with you," Vegeta promised with a feral grin.
"We'll see, Vegeta. I've got a few tricks of my own," Goku replied with an answering smirk.
All too soon, the group found themselves in the waiting area. It was a large clearing, and it was filled with participants. Taking a quick scan, Gohan detected no kis of any worry. They all were around the same pathetic level; Gohan would bet money not a one of them would show up over 50 on a scouter. Wanting to be alone with his thoughts, Gohan trudged to a corner and sat down. He could feel his mother try to approach him several times; however, each time she got close, Lime blocked her path. Gohan couldn't hear the words exchanged, but he could almost sense his mother's frustration.
Gohan felt deep grateful towards Lime; he wasn't ready to face his mother yet. It had taken everything he had not to respond to his mother's unspoken plea earlier for forgiveness. This greatly annoyed Gohan; after everything she and his father had done to him and to Goten, he still almost crumbled after one look. She did seem really sorry though…
What the hell am I thinking? Gohan thought fiercely. How could he even think of forgiving her, after what she had done? His mind felt like a battlefield. A part of him would like nothing better than to feel her arms around him again, to be her little boy. But that part was restrained. Restrained by anger at what she had done…and by fear. That fact didn't surprise Gohan; after all, nothing had hurt worse than when she had abandoned him. Gohan did not want to go through something that painful ever again.
Time passed as Gohan struggled to reach some sort of resolution. It was almost a relief when the announcer began speaking. Gohan was able to turn his mind towards what was being said, and bury his conflict. For now…
"Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the World's Martial Arts Tournament! ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT?" the announcer shouted. As the crowd roared, Gohan saw the distaste on the faces of the former tournament participants within the Z-fighters. I guess the Tournament has gone downhill.
"Let me start by saying that we have had record numbers come out for this tournament. Unfortunately, this means that the old methods of elimination have to be changed to speed things up to a reasonable time. Therefore, we have implemented an initial elimination method; the punching machine. Each player's punch will be scored its strength, and the top 32 scores will move on to the next stage."
"What a stupid method," Vegeta snorted, and Gohan was forced to agree. Punch strength was almost meaningless in a fight; Mirai Trunks had proven it years ago against Cell. Brute strength meant nothing without an equal amount of skill and speed. Still, it could be worse; at least this way all the z-fighters would move on to the next round, and it would remove most of the weaklings from the ranks without wasting the z-fighters time.
"Now, the former champion is automatically guaranteed a spot, so that leaves only 31 spots remaining. However, we'd like for him to go first, and set a bar for the rest of you. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the World Martial Arts Champion, the Destroyer of Cell, the savior of Man…HERCULE!" the announcer remarked.
The crowd began to scream its approval, and Gohan finally got a good look at the supposed 'destroyer of Cell'. He didn't look like much; his giant afro and bulging eyes did not go well together, and Gohan could detect almost no ki from him. Still, there was something familiar about him…it came to Gohan suddenly. It's the guy who threw the robot head to me! Gohan realized with a snort. This was the savior of man? Gohan couldn't wait to watch the guy get destroyed by one of the z-fighters; it would probably serve him right for what he'd done.
Meanwhile, the 'champion' had been flexing his muscles and standing in poses the reminded Gohan vaguely of the Ginyu Force. As he posed, Hercule roared, "I know you all want to win, but it's not going to happen. Because I am the BEST! OH YEAH!" Without another word, Hercule set himself up in front of the punching machine. He centered himself, and shouted as he punched, "SATAN PUNCH!" His fist slammed into the machine, and soon the machine registered his score…132.
"Astonishing!" the announcer remarked, "the champ has scored an unbelievable 132."
"HAHAHAHA!" Hercule laughed uproariously. "Hopefully a few of you will get over 100 and provide a decent challenge before I win again." Without another word, Hercule turned and entered a nearby building.
"You heard him folks. Step up and see how you measure against the champ," the announcer supplied. "Let's get it started. Will number 1 please step forward?"
Gohan watched idly as the people in front of him went. Scores ranged from a 47 to a 108. All in all, Gohan was bored out of his mind. Finally, it came time for the z-fighters to show their stuff. Eighteen was the first one up; Gohan watched as she threw an incredibly light punch. The numbers whirled for several seconds before finally landing on her score… a 779.
"7…70...9?" the announcer gasped. He then added, "I'm sorry miss, but it has apparently been knocked out of alignment. One moment while we fix it..."
While they worked, Krillin hissed at his wife, "I thought you were going to go easy?"
"I did," Eighteen complained softly, "It's not my fault everyone else is so weak."
"Alright, we've got it corrected now. Please try again." Eighteen merely nodded, and proceeded to throw her absolute lightest punch and scoring…a 229.
Gohan watched as each of the z-fighters followed her lead, scoring around the same as the rest of the people stared in absolute astonishment. The z-fighters moved quickly through this test, and Gohan was unconcerned. He only got worried when Vegeta came up to test. Gohan was worried Vegeta would not restrain himself and let it all out, but to his pleasant surprise, Vegeta held back like the rest of him. When it came to his turn, Gohan even stopped a few millimeters short of the bag. That got him a 235, and no one noticed he never touched the bag.
As Gohan predicted, all of the z-fighters passed. They soon found themselves in a much emptier waiting area. Gohan looked around, and saw that only a handful of non z-fighters passed. They would no doubt be quickly eliminated, and then everything would be as it should be.
Suddenly, Gohan's senses warned him of two approaching kis. He immediately turned to confront them, and noticed out of his peripheral vision the other z-fighters following suit. Standing in front of him were two of the strangest fighters Gohan had ever seen. They were obviously alien in origin, as not many Earth natives had their skin colors. The bigger one did not worry Gohan much; he could sense his ki, and it was no threat. No, Gohan was more worried about the little guy.
Gohan's senses had improved greatly over years. Thanks to Sensei's lessons and his own personal training, Gohan could honestly say he had the best ki sense of the z-fighters. He could instantly tell if a fighter was suppressing his ki, even though he couldn't tell by how much. This fighter was definitely suppressing, but Gohan could sense nothing; his level appeared to be his maximum. It felt…off, in a way that Gohan had never felt before. And that worried him.
The shorter man stopped in front of the group and bowed, "Hello. My name is Shin and this is my servant Kibito. It appears we have all moved on, and will soon face each other in the ring."
"It appears that way," Gohan responded neutrally. Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan saw a strange expression on his mother and father's face, but he dismissed it. He didn't care what they thought.
Shin merely nodded, "I look forward to seeing you in action, Gohan; as well as you Vegeta."
"You know who we are?" Gohan demanded quietly.
"How much do you know?" Vegeta added fiercely.
Shin merely smiled, "Such exploits as yours are known throughout the galaxy. It will be a pleasure to watch you fight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe it is time to draw and see who will be fighting whom."
Shin turned and walked away, with Kibiti acting as his shadow, before anyone could speak. Gohan turned and shared a look with Vegeta. Understanding instantly flowed between them; whoever those two were, they would definitely need to be watched.
"Alright, let's get the next round started. We'll now draw to figure out who will fight whom," the announcer explained, "As champion, Hercule draws first. However, he has chosen to forgo attending, so I will draw for him. The current champion is number…13. Now, let us move on to Ms…Chi-chi son."
Gohan's mind wandered slightly as he watched the proceedings. His mother drew a 4, and then Krillin went and got a 17. Several non entities came and went, before his father went and drew an 11. Trunks and Goten went back to back, and to everyone's surprise, drew numbers 1 and 2.
"Wow, I get to fight Trunks first. Isn't that great big brother?" Goten chirped excitedly.
"Yeah, that's great…" Gohan supplied. Inwardly, he wondered if the ring would survive those two.
"Ms. Lime Punch, it's your turn." As Lime walked forward, Gohan held his breath. He was worried; there were several powerful fighters out there, and he wanted his student to do as well as possible. This pick would be critical. Lime drew her number, looked at it, and smirked. She then turned and held it out so everyone could see…3. "Well, it looks like Lime Punch will be fighting Chi-chi Son" the announcer explained needlessly. Meanwhile, Lime and Chi-chi were trading glares from across the courtyard. Gohan swallowed; this is definitely one of the worst pairings to have right off the bat. His mother and his ex-girlfriend/student were now going to face each other head to head. What could be worse?
"OH NO! Not those two!"
Hearing Krillin's shout of dismay, Gohan looked up and groaned. Several more people had picked while he had been distracted, and Vegeta had picked…number 12. He would be fighting Goku in the first round. I should know better than to ask something so stupid Gohan chided himself. What was he thinking, asking 'what could be worse'? He was practically begging for this to happen.
"Gohan Son."
Standing up, Gohan headed over to draw his number. Looking at the board, he saw that most of the brackets already had an opponent listed. Purveying them quickly, Gohan felt confident. Vegeta is fighting my father and Goten is fighting Trunks. I should be okay through the first round. Gohan decided as he drew his number. Glancing down, Gohan saw he had gotten the number 7. While the announcer wrote it down, Gohan looked to see who his first opponent would be.
"And if looks like Gohan Son will be fighting Kibito."
Gohan glanced over to see Shin's servant staring at him impassively. Gohan met him stare for stare, giving nothing away. Inwardly, Gohan's Saiyan side was pleased. Though he doubted Kibito would be a challenge, it was still a new opponent who was decently strong. That wasn't a bad way to start off the tournament.
The rest of the participants drew around Gohan, who really could care very little at this point. He idly noted which z-fighters were fighting whom, and laughed when Eighteen drew number 14. It looks like Hercule would be getting his chastisement at the hands of a Dr. Gero creation, just like Cell. It felt…appropriate.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, fighters all, the drawing is concluded, and the matches are as follows," the announcer commented.
Goten vs. Trunks
Chi-chi vs. Lime
Piccolo vs. Shin
Gohan vs. Kibito
Travis vs. Spokowitz
Goku vs. Vegeta
Hercule vs. Eighteen
Tien vs. Jewel
Krillin vs. Crusher
Yamcha vs. Yamu
Snakeman vs. Striker
Choatzu vs. Oragami
Neece vs. John
Captain Strength vs. Mighty Mask
June vs. Michael
Gabriel vs. Vaughn
Looking over the list, Gohan couldn't help but think. This is going to be very interesting.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Here we go, another part is done. Please read and keep up the reviewing. Now, to answer a few reviewers.
Fenix: To answer your question about Piccolo's strength, I know that he could have taken a Super Saiyan…back when they had just finished fighting Cell. But there have been 7 years since then, and all the Saiyans have grown stronger. I've noticed in the series, or at least from Cell to Majin Buu, that not only have the Saiyans gotten a stronger upper level, but their base has gotten stronger. So, Vegeta outside of Super Saiyan is stronger in the Majin Buu saga than in the Cell saga. Therefore, all the Saiyans have been training, and so have a stronger base. Unfortunately, since Saiyans grow stronger faster than Nameks, I can only conclude that they have surpassed Piccolo's strength, much like Goku surpassed Vegeta way back in the Saiyan saga. Right now, I'd say Piccolo could beat Goten or Trunks, probably even when they are Super Saiyans. But he would not be able to beat Gohan or Vegeta, at least not easily. I hope this helps.
Adum I Smart: Don't apologize for giving a long review. In my opinion, the longer the better, as long as you say what you wanted to say.
Tiapo: There is no need to threaten me. Although, I have to admit your threat was both different and scary. I've never had someone threaten to turn me into a priest if I didn't do as they asked. Still, I again say there is no need for threats, though I can understand your desire for a new part. I've been there with other stories by other authors.