The explosion of King Kai's planet was devastating, to the King and Goku that is. Bojack wanted to laugh the moment he was freed from the broken chain, but he could wait an extra minute or two. He flew as fast as possible away from the rubble, not noticing the regenerating of the being responsible for his freedom behind him.
The planet Herasit was fast to reach for the pirate, he was extremely glad his race could breathe in space, and was relieved to find his home planet was still around, just barren and windy. When he had broken into the atmosphere, he looked around sadly, seeing as how the Herians were wiped out since his imprisonment. As he was starting to think that there really wasn't hope for the planet, he heard a familiar female scream to him. "Bojack!" He turned and his eyes widened. Flying toward him was the most notable of his underlings, Zangya. "You're back! I couldn't believe it when I had felt your energy, but now that you've returned, we can continue where you left off!" She said with a wide, menacing grin. He returned the same look, chuckling heavily. "Yes, and now that we can continue, I want you to grab whoever is left from the purge and bring them to the central point of the city. I know exactly what planet we're targeting next..." He cackled, Zangya's smile never left as she nodded and left to gather the other followers of Bojack.
If only the galaxy knew what was in store...
Six months later...
The earth quaked with excitement for the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament, and no one was more excited than the Z Fighters.
"So, we all agree whoever wins is going to take us all out to the best restaurant in the world right?" Krillin said with a laugh, half joking. Most of the others in the group laughed as they continued their lunch at Capsule Corp. "Y'know you guys could just ask me to take you guys to the best, but that means whoever wins is buying me a new fancy car!" Bulma said in a sing-song tone, making others on the balcony sweat drop. "Well, guess we just have to wait then. Knowing Bulma she'd crash it first go!" Yamcha said with a grin, only to be slapped upside the back of the head by the said woman. "I am not that bad of a driver! Jerk..." She said with a huff, Vegeta from his wall smirked at the woman's attitude. "I am just excited to finally have a good round with everyone! I know we'll all do great!" Gohan said, ecstatic that his mother is letting him fight this tournament, mainly because if he wins it means college tuition.
As the friends and family were eating and chatting to one another without a care, a certain shady figure snuck into the facility, breaking each lock with precision into a certain storage room. The room contained a specific set of seven orange balls with different amounts of red stars in each like round dice. The small orbs were quickly swiped and shoved into a violet velvet bag the moment the security was turned off, and the limber figure slipped out of the building, having the prize they needed to give to their leader...
After flying for a couple hours on low energy for secrecy, and making sure they and their group were far enough away from the original holders of the orbs, the figure arrived at a small campsite and landed. "Bojack! I have retrieved the dragon balls!" Bujin exclaimed, placing the orbs on the ground in front of his comrades and leader. The four other Heras laughed with gleeful malice, and Bojack stepped forward. "I summon thee, Shenlong!"
The orbs glowed brightly, blinding all, and from the seven a long figure escaped, the sky darkening from its might and size. As if it was a flame, it danced through the sky like a ribbon, and paused. The light shrouding the being dispersed into particles that surrounded the area and Herians. "I am the eternal dragon, Shenlong. I have the power to grant three wishes." His voice boomed. "As my first wish, I desire to know the strongest being on the planet!" Earth was relatively weak, so in his conquest of the galaxy, it was the tenth planet they were going to destroy and rule, like the last nine they decimated in the previous months after the pirate leader's freedom. "The strongest being on this planet is the child Son Gohan, kin of Son Goku, the previous strongest." A child was the strongest? That shocked the group, they were expecting not only a more intimidating name, they were also expecting some big shot like a few of the last planets, but a child?! Bojack laughed and continued for his second wish. "My second wish is to know who Gohan is and how he is the strongest!" Shenlong's eyes flared red, shaking Zangya and Bujin, while Bido and Kogu, the second and third strongest, were unphased along with their leader. "Son Gohan, as said, is the kin of Son Goku, and ox princess ChiChi. He became the strongest after killing Perfect Cell, a bio android created by a mad doctor who sought the single goal of killing Son Goku and ruling the world. Gohan saved the Earth from complete destruction after decimating Perfect Cell." The group soaked in the knowledge and knew instantly that Gohan had to either be killed, or sent far, far away... and Bojack knew exactly where. Smirking, he raised his arms one last time, his crew smiling knowing what he was going to say. "Then as my last wish, I wish for Son Gohan, the strongest being on the planet, to be sent to Hell!" The dragon paused, almost choking and ruining his strong facade. "But hell is meant for that of sinners, Son Gohan is neither dead nor a sinful child." Bojack and his crew frowned, the leader scowled and yelled angrily. "I don't care if he sinned! I want Son Gohan to be sent to hell!" The strong Hera screamed with rage, almost astounded that the mighty dragon would try and stop his wish. Sighing, Shenlong's eyes glowed, and decided to be merciful to the boy who was going to be sent to hell, wishing silently for the boy to have luck when he arrived. "Son Gohan will find himself in hell the moment he sleeps. Therefore, your wishes have been granted. I bid farewell." With that, the dragon burst into light and the dragon balls raised high into the troposphere, and in blinding streams of light it shot across in seven different directions, now useless for a whole year.
The crew laughed, knowing that the moment the World Tournament took place, the strongest fighter wouldn't be there, and there would be nothing anyone else could do to stop them.
That night, the Z Fighters bid farewell for the night, and ChiChi drove herself, baby Goten, and Gohan back to their home in Mount Paozu. "I want to thank you again mom, for letting me fight in this tournament!" ChiChi sighed, but smiled and glanced at her eldest son. "Well, this is for your tuition, might as well. Besides it doesn't matter if you get first or not, second and third place also have extremely high prices that will still pay for your full college bachelor's!" She chuckled in excitement, imagining her son in a graduation uniform. Gohan's face blushed lightly, having a clue what his mother was thinking about, which was kind of embarrassing. "Well I hope I get first place, because then that means that you will have tons of leftover money for yourself and Goten!" He smiled happily. ChiChi's eyes lit up with love and joy to hear her son say that, happy that her son is thinking about not just his future, but his family as well still. "Oh what did I do to ever have such a gentleman for a son! Your future wife is just going to love you and your kindness!"
"Mooom!" ChiChi laughed at her son's reply.
After the long drive, they finally arrived at their house in the East sector. ChiChi parked and got out, heading to the back side of the topless car to grab Goten while Gohan hopped out and headed to the front of the house, yawning tiredly. He walked in and first headed to the restroom to begin getting ready for bed while his mother and brother came in behind him, ChiChi heading to her room to get Goten ready to sleep. By the time she was done, Gohan walked back to his room and put on his pajamas as his mother got into the bathroom right after him so she herself could get ready, and as she did she prayed for more than five hours of sleep thanks to Goten's lungs. Her children did have quite the lungs didn't they? The thought made her laugh.
Once ready, ChiChi walked into Gohan's room and tucked the boy into bed, kissing his forehead and bidding him a good night. "Tell Goten night for me!" The preteen said happily, and ChiChi nodded with a chuckle, turning the light off and closing her child's bedroom door.
Gohan gave the air a small sad smile, his eyebrows almost furrowed in an upset manner. "Night... dad. Hope you are doing good up there..." He sniffed, and wiped his eyes with his pajama arm to stop himself from crying further than the water that managed to escape already. The boy missed his dad desperately, but a part of him was beginning to fester anger instead of dread and guilt. After all, how could his father leave him to be the protector? He was eleven, bordering twelve but that wasn't an excuse. Sure his dad was around thirteen when he began his journey but no one was as strong back then compared to now. Gohan sighed and turned to his side, hugging himself and clutching at his own arms, stopping himself from squeezing out of rage. The moment he began to become sleepier, his eyes flickered closed and opened, but a sense of danger lingered in the back of his mind as he drifted. Something was off... something wasn't right.
Why was it light all of a sudden? Weren't his eyes closed? Isn't he asleep?