The flight to Piccolo's destination was, in his typical fashion, focused and direct. Someone else might have conserved their energy, taken a scenic route, or perhaps even waved to a passing flock of birds. Piccolo, however, had no time for such foolishness. He was on a mission. A task which demanded that not one second was wasted, even if it meant pushing himself to the absolute limit.
He had to get stronger.
At first, the gap between Son Goku and himself was tolerable. From the moment he fused with Kami, Piccolo had consistently remained at least twice as strong as Goku's own base power. And yet, this advantage was almost useless in the face of Goku's skill with the Kaio-ken. What use was being twice as strong as his rival when Goku could close that gap with only a minor degree of physical exertion? Piccolo had managed to win bouts in which Goku had climbed to match or even moderately surpass his own power with the Kaio-ken, but this was purely by virtue of his regeneration, which allowed him a degree of resilience in a drawn out fight that even Goku's Saiyan tenacity could not overcome. The fact remained that as soon as Goku managed to sustain higher levels of the Kaio-ken for extended periods, Piccolo's hopes of defeating him in combat were soundly dashed.
Even still, Piccolo was not concerned. Much of Goku's progress during their training in space was achieved through making use of his Saiyan Zenkai ability, allowing him to grow stronger after brushes with death. Piccolo, meanwhile, had grown stronger simply by training and sparring with Goku under increasing levels of gravity. As he saw it, matching and surpassing Goku could be achieved via two components: maintaining a similarly strenuous training regimen to Goku's own, and achieving Goku's level of mastery with the Kaio-ken. These steps, Piccolo reasoned, would ensure that his base power would always surpass Goku's own, while precluding the possibility of Goku overcoming him using the Kaio-ken. Although Goku had since gained power beyond Piccolo's wildest imaginings, learning the Kaio-ken still appeared to be Piccolo's best chance at closing the power gap between him and Goku.
For his part, Goku had been ready and willing to foster this development during their training together. When the two rested, Goku dedicated a great deal of time towards explaining to Piccolo how the Kaio-ken functioned. He also took several opportunities to use it during this time, in order for Piccolo to analyze the flow of Goku's ki and figure out how it worked for himself. Although Goku told Piccolo that the technique was easy once one got the hang of it, he also cautioned him that, even with all of this data at his disposal, it would be incredibly difficult to learn it in the first place. Thus far, he had been correct: although Piccolo had come to understand the principles behind the technique, over a month of training both before and after Namek had not yet yielded results which didn't result in bodily harm. He was close, he felt, but he was lacking something. Something which he believed awaited him at the rustic cottage near the peak of Mount Paozu:
A sparring partner.
Piccolo touched down at the door, barely making a sound as he landed. His weighted cloak waved slightly in the breeze, the edges of it visible to the adjacent window. With firm resolve, Piccolo walked forward calmly and rang the doorbell. He could sense that both Gohan and his mother were inside, along with another, far weaker ki which Piccolo didn't recognize. A civilian, clearly, who was sitting with Gohan and Chi Chi at the far end of the house.
When the doorbell rang, Gohan looked towards the door and moved to get up, only to be gently coaxed down by Chi Chi. She then got up and walked towards the door, pausing in front of it to look through the peephole. With an exasperated sigh, she opened the door, her irritation evident. Piccolo noticed this, but opted to make his request all the same.
"Hello, Chi Chi. I was hoping-"
"Go screw yourself," she said, surprisingly calm. Piccolo was left confused, while Kami murmured something in his mind.
"I-I'm sorry?"
"Go screw yourself," she repeated, her tone only slightly more harsh. "You're not setting foot in this household."
Piccolo began to growl slightly, but Kami moved to pacify him. "Come, now, she's perfectly justified in being upset with you." Piccolo sighed.
"I understand that-"
"Do you? Do you really?" she asked, taking a step closer to Piccolo. He was easily over a head taller than her, and she was as threatening to him as a cocker spaniel, but all the same, he had to fight the urge to take a step back as she looked into his eyes. "Do you understand the pain of learning that your spouse is dead? Do you understand the horror of learning that your only son has been abducted by the most dangerous person on the planet? Do you understand the feelings that result from that? The feeling of constant hopelessness and worry and fear that pervades every waking moment of your life, for months?! Do you?!"
With each question, she had taken a step closer to Piccolo, finally forcing Piccolo to take a couple steps backwards as he looked at her with genuine fear. When he didn't respond for several seconds, rendered mute by the intensity of a gaze that seemed to peer into the deepest depths of his soul, she scoffed right in his face. "I thought so," she said, turning away and stepping back into her home. "If you're looking for a human punching bag, I suggest you find an adult," she said tersely, getting ready to slam the door in his face.
"You're correct."
Chi Chi paused when Piccolo said this, and stayed her hand for just a moment to see if he would say anything else.
"I cannot fully understand what I put you through as a result of my actions, seeing as I have no offspring of my own and would be unlikely to ever face a similar situation. At the time, I didn't even give a first thought towards you or anyone else when I made my decision. I believed that Gohan's strength would be necessary to repel the Saiyan threat, and although I was influenced by my father's consciousness to take him, I can't say that I was coerced. I also can't say with honesty that, if I had the choice to make again, I wouldn't have trained him for combat. I am fully aware that, without him, Goku, myself, and everyone else on this planet would have perished. But, if I did have the option to do events over...I wouldn't have taken him away from you."
Chi Chi looked at Piccolo closely, as if monitoring him for signs of dishonesty.
"Even though we were enemies at the time, I would have informed you and others of my intention to train him. I would have consulted you, and I would have obeyed whatever decision you ultimately reached. And if I was still able to train him, I wouldn't have treated Gohan as harshly as I did, torn between my own impulses and those of my father. I already knew that I was hurting him, which pained me greatly, and the passage of time has only rendered me more aware of the pain I caused both you and Gohan during that year. It is indisputable that my actions have caused damage that cannot be fully undone. For that...I am truly sorry. Not a day goes by where I do not deeply regret what I have done. Thus...for whatever it might be worth to you...I offer you my sincerest apologies."
Chi Chi was left mildly surprised by Piccolo's speech, all the more so when, after a second or two of clear hesitation and internal debating, he slowly brought himself to his knees, casting his gaze upon the ground as he awaited Chi Chi's judgement.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness for the pain I have caused you. I know that, for your part, you cannot forgive me, nor do I believe you should. I know that there will always be some degree of animosity between the two of us. Thus...I ask instead for the opportunity to move forward. To attempt to make amends, in any way that I can."
For some time, Chi Chi looked at him silently as he continued to kneel, before finally speaking.
"Okay."
The remark was so casual, so indifferent, that it gave Piccolo pause, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He tried to respond.
"Uh, wha-"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I still don't like you," Chi Chi clarified. "And as far as training with Gohan goes, you can forget it. But...both Goku and Gohan seem to like you a great deal, regardless of everything you've done to them. And I can see that you are...legitimately sorry." She paused, trying to find the words to express herself. "You're right that I can never forgive you...but I think I can at least give this a shot. For their sake, anyway." She held out her hand to pull him up from the ground.
Piccolo looked up at Chi Chi for a second before nodding. "Very well," he said, moving to grab her hand until she suddenly yanked it away, looking at his bewildered face with a mischievous smirk.
"To be clear, when you said 'any way you can...' did you mean it?" she asked, grinning a little. Piccolo, not sure how to respond, simply agreed.
"Yes. Anything you wish me to do, I shall, within reason."
"Anything?"
"...Anything," Piccolo said, suddenly far less sure.
Chi Chi put a finger to her chin, contemplating what to ask for. "Well...with Goku gone, I have been without anyone to go out and get groceries from the city. Gohan asked if he could do it, but-ha!-fat chance he's going to the city unsupervised, even if he wasn't grounded."
Piccolo nodded. "Consider it done."
"And, you know, it's such a pain dusting every nook and cranny of this place. With your super speed and all that other weird stuff you do, you could probably keep the house spotless every day!"
"Indeed I could."
"Not to mention doing the dishes, tending the garden, doing the laundry-"
Piccolo chuckled. "Whatever you wish, Chi Chi, I shall endeavor to-"
"Cleaning the toilets."
Piccolo's face fell. He hadn't anticipated that one. All the same, he was committed. "-do...to the best of my ability," he said, hesitating. Chi Chi grinned at him widely.
"Splendid!" she said, holding out her hand. This time, she helped pull Piccolo up off of his knees and upright, maintaining the grip in order to give him a firm handshake. This taken care of, she stepped aside, allowing Piccolo to enter the house just as a young woman, no older than Chi Chi herself, emerged from Gohan's room, notebook in hand.
"Is everything okay? I heard you raise your voice a little earlier," she asked calmly. Piccolo was surprised to notice that, although she registered his presence, she didn't seem scared in the presence of the son of the Demon King. A part of him was, frankly, a little insulted.
"Everything's fine, Susan. Me and Piccolo here just had some stuff to work out." Chi Chi chuckled, but found that her heart wasn't really in it, especially where Gohan was concerned. Susan simply nodded.
"Well, then, I just said my goodbyes, so unless you need anything else...?"
Chi Chi shook her head. "You've done more than enough," she said, to which Susan offered a slight smile.
"I think we should start with weekly visits, same day, same time. Depending on how his situation changes, we'll either increase or decrease the frequency of the sessions. Is that okay?"
Chi Chi nodded, perhaps a little too quickly. "Yes, yes, perfect!" Susan smiled again.
"Excellent. Good day, Chi Chi." With that, she walked out, sparing one brief antagonistic glance at Piccolo before she departed. She had evidently heard the whole story. When Chi Chi closed the door, she sighed in exhaustion, with more than a hint of worry, as she rested her head on the door. The two remained silent for a while before Chi Chi finally spoke.
"Gohan...he's been having nightmares," Chi Chi said, as if she still had trouble believing it. "Being kidnapped by Raditz, kidnapped by you, fighting the Saiyans, fighting on Namek...it all just..." She couldn't say another word. Nothing more needed to be said. Piccolo, however, was slightly confused.
"When did these nightmares start?"
"The day you all left Namek," Chi Chi eventually replied, which only left Piccolo more confused.
"And he never informed us? Not even his own father?"
"As he explained it, he had already worried everyone enough," Chi Chi said. "So...he kept it to himself. Until...until he just couldn't take it anymore."
She managed to stop herself just as her last breath began to transform into a sob, the only indication that she had been about to cry. She quickly brushed the moment aside and moved to the kitchen wordlessly, setting the ingredients for dinner that evening: Paozu tuna casserole. Nevertheless, even if he had been looking away, Piccolo's keen Namekian ears would have picked up every sound she made at that moment. Sounds which left him with a familiarly painful feeling in his chest. He was now even more aware of just why, even knowing his reasons, Chi Chi could never forgive him.
Under the circumstances, Piccolo knew that sparring with Gohan was not possible at this time. The setback concerning his own plans was most profound: without Gohan, almost every other option which could give him any kind of challenge as a sparring partner was either away from Earth, or dead. Some of them both. Of the remaining fighters, he was left with a trio of Namekians whom he barely knew...or a human that he knew only slightly better. Piccolo pondered his choices, but there really was only one option.
"Chi Chi," Piccolo piped up suddenly, getting her attention. "I wish to leave for a period of at least two hours. Is this acceptable?"
Chi Chi was left somewhat confused by this plan of his. "Immediately? What could have come up just now?"
Piccolo smirked. "You instructed me to find an adult to spar with. I believe I shall do just that presently."
Chi Chi looked at him for a second before chuckling. "Well, shoot, alright then. Feel free, have fun. I can manage." Piccolo nodded and was just about ready to burst out of the house and into the sky when Chi Chi held up a finger. "However, before you go..." she said, before taking her finger and dragging it along the countertop. When she held it up again, it had a thin, yet clearly visible layer of dust.
Piccolo got the message.
Goku sat cross-legged at the very center of the capsule ship's training area, his hair glowing a brilliant bright yellow as his veins bulged slightly. He had chosen that particular spot to meditate the day before, as well as the day before that, due to its central location. The gravity in the area had been set to 100 g moments after he had left Earth's solar system, as part of an experiment on his part to see what effect spending almost every waking minute under the maximum level of gravity could have on his body. As it turned out, the effect was minuscule at the level of power he had attained, but Goku figured that it couldn't hurt to have the thing running anyway. As Goku was only too aware by now, even a minuscule increase in strength could mean a lot.
It was based on similar reasoning that he had ultimately decided to begin meditating. Goku was still ignorant on the finer points regarding this "Super Saiyan" transformation of his. It had taken him minutes to figure out how to enter and exit the state at will, and based on his performance, Goku was able to ascertain that the technique made him exactly fifty times stronger than he was in his base form at present. He was also very quickly made aware that the Super Saiyan form and the Kaio-ken were utterly incompatible: the one time he attempted to try shortly after he left, he nearly gave himself a heart attack. The failure had made him disproportionately angry, which Goku attributed as a side effect of the transformation itself, and how it heightened aggression in its user. To that end, Goku drew on Roshi and Kami's instruction in order to meditate as best as he could while in the state. If he could calm down and gain a measure of control over the transformation's more violent impulses, then he'd be that much safer in combat, not having to worry any more than usual about his emotions clouding his judgement. Perhaps it could even grant him the ability to access deeper reserves of the Super Saiyan transformation's power.
Whatever the case, Goku had begun meditating, but routinely found his efforts stymied sooner or later by the very same impulses he was trying to control. This current stretch had been his longest without breaking concentration, at thirty three minutes. And, as it would turn out, the record this run set would not go much beyond that point.
One moment, everything was fine. He had emptied his mind completely, thinking only of the calm shores outside of Kame House. He imagined lying back on the grass, content, as the waves lazily crashed against the shore, deprived of most of their strength by the time they reached it. He sighed. He could lie there for hours. Until suddenly...he wasn't alone.
"Ah, this is the life, huh?"
Krillin sat beside him on the shoreline, his arms behind his back as a cushion for his head. He took a deep breath in before letting it out contentedly. For a brief second, Goku paused, looking at Krillin as if he was confused on how he got there. The next, things righted themselves, and he was calm once more.
"You can say that again," Goku replied happily, stretching out his arms. He took a deep breath, prepared to continue sitting on that beach for some time. However, Krillin soon spoke up.
"Say...did you do something to your hair?" Krillin asked, pointing to his golden hair, most of it sitting on his head like spikes going every upward direction.
Goku was confused. "Why doesn't he know about the Super Saiyan form? Hasn't he seen it?" he wondered, before his eyes widened. "It's because...because he-"
For a brief second, a different image of Krillin flashed before his eyes: his Turtle School gi tattered, his body covered in bruises, cuts, and dirt. And yet, he still held the same smile, the same relaxed pose. The disconnect left Goku horrified. Before Goku could even process all of the details, he shifted back to normal, looking as healthy as ever.
"Goku? Are you feeling okay?"
As if on instinct, Goku was quick to smile in his typical laid back fashion. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! I, uh, decided to fix up my hair a bit. You like it?"
Krillin seemed to pause, as if he was worried about how Goku would react to his response. He took a deep breath.
"Honestly...not really."
This left Goku puzzled, and a little worried. "You don't? Why not?"
"It just...doesn't suit you."
Seconds after he said it, the scenery around the two of them flickered. For a brief instant, they weren't at Kame House anymore. The sky shifted to a light green, the grass to a cyan blue. Rather than lying down on an island, they were instead standing on a mountain, the capsule ship nearby. Then, like before, the scenery restored itself to normal, although both of them noticed.
"...Goku, did you see that?" Krillin asked nervously. As if on cue, the environment flickered again. And again, and again, the flickering rapidly increasing in frequency. Goku got up quickly, with Krillin close behind. Now having the opportunity to look, Goku could see that there was someone standing on top of the capsule ship, flickering in and out of view along with everything else, until eventually...he looked into the figure's eyes. Eyes that had occupied his thoughts every day since...since…
With a bright flash of light which blinded Goku, the environment changed completely, and he heard a familiar laugh. The laugh of a monster. When Goku's vision returned to normal, he saw Krillin, looking just as he had a moment before, beaten and bruised, hurtling upwards through the air. Not too far from him, standing on top of the capsule ship, was Frieza himself, in his final form. As he continued to laugh, Krillin continued to fly upwards, and Goku realized what was about to happen.
"NO!" he cried out, taking off at the maximum speed that he could towards Frieza to try and stop him, firing a ki blast as he went. He should have been able to cross the gap between them in a flash in this form, and the ki blast should've hit even before he got there. Instead, it was as if the gap was widening almost as fast as Goku or his ki blast could travel. Just as it looked like one or the other would reach their mark, it happened. Just as it always did.
"GOKU-!" Krillin cried out, before he was vaporized in an explosion of ki, leaving nothing behind, not even ashes or tattered clothing. Nothing, except for a desperate cry for help, which Goku was always powerless to answer.
A second after it happened, the ki blast connected, wiping off the entire right side of Frieza's face. He didn't even have time to fall to the ground before Goku kicked him down, seething with rage. With his foot on Frieza's chest, slowly crushing his ribs, Frieza was well and truly pinned. And yet, even with half his face missing, Frieza was still grinning like a mad man, which only served to make Goku angrier. The tyrant chuckled.
"Ah, you poor monkey. You couldn't save any of them without this new power of yours, could you?"
Goku dug his foot into Frieza's ribs a little harder, but the pain only seemed to make Frieza laugh that same twisted laugh.
"Tell me, Super Saiyan...are you so sure that you can protect them now?"
As soon as he had heard the words, Goku had had enough. His rage boiled over, and with one last cry of anger, he lifted up the foot that had been slowly digging into Frieza's chest, preparing to bring it back down as hard as he could. No sooner was his foot about to crush Frieza's heart into nothing...than it instead slammed into the floor of the training area, cracking the tile underneath it into several pieces with a loud thud.
Now back in the real world, Goku was left panting, readjusting to his surroundings. He was on a ship, flying non stop towards the capital of Frieza's empire. His mission was simple: kill Frieza's dad, and anyone else who could feasibly take over Frieza's empire. He had been meditating to try and get a handle on this new Super Saiyan form, keeping the violent emotions it amplified in check.
And had failed. For the seventy fifth time. And in the same way.
It was different each time, of course. Most of the time it was either Krillin, going the same way it just had, or Gohan, which was spent relaxing with him outside of their home before watching him get shot straight through the heart right before his eyes. Yamcha came up a couple times, the scenario virtually identical to Krillin's, as did Piccolo, who would die from his injuries when Goku somehow couldn't pour enough energy into him in order to save his life. As if those four scenarios weren't bad enough, others came about beyond that one moment that changed everything. He would watch helplessly as Nail was incinerated by Frieza, or as Master Roshi was shot through the chest by Nappa. He'd even seen Chiaotzu once, watching the battle between his friends and Nappa almost as a ghost, unable to do anything as Chiaotzu was vaporized into nothing.
With all of this death so fresh in his mind, Goku couldn't help but dwell on examples dating even further back. The first time Krillin had died, at the hands of Tambourine, because Goku hadn't been there to help. The first time Chiaotzu and Roshi died, trying to stop King Piccolo, while Goku was unable to assist. Bora, the guardian of Korin's tower who died fighting Tao Pai-pai, who Goku wasn't strong enough to stop at the time. And, of course, there was his son's namesake. The man who raised him as his own, who taught him everything he needed to know to survive and grow stronger. The man whose death Goku had directly caused, all because he hadn't heeded the advice he was given.
He thought he'd come to terms with these events. Grandpa Gohan was content in the afterlife, and didn't blame Goku for his death. Almost everyone directly responsible for the others' deaths was dead themselves, some of them by Goku's own hand. And now, as far as Goku knew, he was the strongest person in the universe. How could he fail to protect the people he cared about now that nobody who wanted to hurt them was tough enough to do so without being easily defeated by Goku or his friends? And yet, the thought persisted. Try as he might, he couldn't get the idea out of his head: the idea that he was still easily capable of failing them.
He sighed. Maybe he needed to take a break. He'd been trying this for hours, and it clearly wasn't going much better than his previous attempts. He begrudgingly fell out of the Super Saiyan transformation and called out to the ship's computer.
"Hey, computer, how long until we get to Planet Chilled?"
After a moment, the computer delivered a response.
"This ship will arrive at Planet Chilled in 3 months, 2 weeks, 17 hours, 23 minutes, and 56 seconds," it said, in the relatively monotone voice that it came with. Goku groaned, making his way towards the kitchen below.
The way things were going, this was going to be a long trip.
"The Namekian Dragon Balls will recharge in 3 months, 2 weeks, 17 hours, and 38 minutes."
Zuno exited his trance with a gasp of pain as he finished answering the question, frantically waving to his servants to bring him water. He had been speaking virtually nonstop for almost two days, staring into the displeased face of King Cold, currently the second most dangerous mortal in the universe, the entire time. And almost all of that was simply because of a single question that, honestly, could've been worded better in hindsight. His assistant handed him a large glass of water, which he gulped down greedily before remembering that King Cold was still standing there, tapping his foot.
"Uh, m-my apologies," he said hurriedly. "Did you have any further questions?"
King Cold looked at him silently for a moment, leaving him apprehensive as the tyrant appeared to be considering something. He eventually just shook his head.
"I think it is safe to say that I will never set foot on this planet again for as long as I shall live," King Cold said simply, as a figure entered into the hall. At first, Zuno and the assistants were worried, thinking it was yet another petitioner who King Cold was going to kill, partly to maintain his exclusive audience and partly because he got bored one hour into the session. As it turned out, however, they had no cause for concern. The three-eyed figure, blue-skinned, bald, and only slightly muscular, wore the standard armor of the Frieza Force's elite members. Even though Zuno had been expecting him to show up, he still took a slight pause, to register that he was there. King Cold turned around to face the man, gesturing towards Zuno and his assistants.
"Did you get everything that he said?" King Cold asked. The man nodded.
"Everything is stored in the shuttle's computers, my lord."
"Do you know your task?"
The man nodded. "I am to remain here in order to ensure that this planet remains under our control, and to obtain daily updates regarding crucial information."
King Cold nodded. "Best of luck to you, Jamba," he said before walking away.
Jamba nodded in turn. "And to you, sir," he said, before looking at the inhabitants of Zuno's world with all three eyes, his face not showing displeasure or amusement, only the cold impassivity of a person on a mission.
As King Cold flew up to meet the open door of his shuttle, he stopped to glance at Zuno's palace one last time. He smirked. He definitely wasn't coming back here, not so long as that overgrown toad lived. He flew in through the open door and sat down where he could as the hatch closed.
"Alright, get us off of this forsaken planet, already," he complained, to which the pilot simply chuckled.
"Acknowledged, my lord," Jamba replied, moving to take the shuttle up out of the planet's atmosphere. When they had managed to escape the planet's gravity, King Cold sighed, weary from the ordeal of the last few days.
"Well...as insufferable as that man is, there's no denying that the information he possesses will be invaluable."
"Indeed," Jamba replied smoothly, setting a course for Planet Chilled. "I take it you wish to begin training immediately?"
King Cold nodded. "Even I am surprised at this 'Son Goku's' capabilities. A power level of 225 million..." He paused, thinking to himself about some of the things that he had asked Zuno. "I will have to train vigorously. What time did Zuno say Son Goku would arrive again?"
"Assuming no interruptions, the same day that the Namekian Dragon Balls will recharge."
"Hm...just under four months..."
"I can attempt to delay him, although I do not know how successful I will be."
King Cold pondered the option for a moment before nodding. "Do it."
"As you wish." After a while, once the shuttle was well and truly underway, Jamba spoke up again. "If I may make another suggestion, it's possible that this gravity chamber concept which Zuno spoke of may prove useful. I can get information on how to construct one out of him. With all of the Empire's resources at your disposal, you could stand to create a rather effective chamber."
King Cold thought about this. "Hm...I am uncertain how much gravity training would benefit a being of my power. Nevertheless, I must make use of all available options. Make the arrangements as soon as possible."
Jamba smiled to himself, the kind of smile which suggested deeper machinations at work.
"By your will, it shall be so...my lord."
"Any progress?"
Tien stood over the dining table, idly using telekinesis to lift his cell phone to his ear. Blue Launch and Chiaotzu weaved through the kitchen like a pair of trained dancers. Between Blue Launch's sheer skill and Chiaotzu's flight and telekinetic prowess, they had already cut up all of the vegetables, placed them in a pot, turned on the stove, and began to stir just as much as necessary for the stew to come out just right.
Tien? Tien had two jobs: set the table, and watch.
It wasn't that he was a bad cook, far from it. As Chiaotzu explained it to him, there was only so much room to move around in in their kitchen, and as good a cook as Tien was, nobody could make daikon stew the way that Blue Launch could. Thus, the "watching" component of Tien's job came into play: if anything caused Launch to begin to sneeze, his job was to deal with it immediately. Given his training, he was able to keep tabs on Launch, set the table, and talk to Bulma on the phone, all at the same time, with little difficulty. At that present moment, Bulma sighed, just as he set down the last fork.
"Not much, big guy. Setting up the actual room wasn't hard: all I did was add on one of the lab capsules we use for testing dangerous equipment. The gravity generator has been slow going, though. The room needs to be reinforced in order to withstand the gravity, especially if you want me to trick it out beyond the first generator's maximum limit."
Tien simply murmured in acknowledgement. That was obvious from the start. He wanted to surpass Goku, Goku had gone up to one hundred times Earth gravity, and thus, he had to go even further beyond that if he had any hope of getting anywhere close to Goku's level of power even in his base form. He could stand to wait for some time for that opportunity.
"How much longer?" he asked. He heard the fly buzzing in the room before he saw it, flying dangerously close to Launch's face. A swift kiai crushed the fly into nothing.
Bulma groaned. "At least another 3 days? Maybe a week? It hasn't been easy here, Tien."
Tien nodded. "My apologies. I have no desire to pressure you."
"I know you don't, man, I'm just tired."
Tien chuckled. "Perhaps you should get some rest."
"Nah, nah, this is perfect, actually. I just finished this experimental drug I've been working on, and if my calculations are right, which they are, then...I'm sorry, what? ...What do you mean he-?! Oh good lord. Tien, sorry, I have to go, Kyle screwed with stuff and now the room's gravity is upside down. Again."
"Understood."
"Say hi to Launch and Chiaotzu for me!" She signed off, allowing Tien to pick up the floating phone and set it down onto the table, gently. Tien watched as Launch continued working, and instantly felt a strange sensation in his chest. Even after all this time, he still couldn't believe it. Years ago, he never would have considered a romantic relationship with anyone. There were too many variables, too much uncertainty, too many ways that the whole thing could go horribly wrong and end up wasting time better spent training. And yet, he was constantly surprised at just how little things had changed between him and Launch, now that they were "official." He still spent most of the day training, and she still cooked and home schooled herself and Chiaotzu when she had the time. They still slept in separate beds.
The main difference, Tien found, was how he thought about her. The more he thought about it, it didn't feel right using the monikers that their friends had come up with. Like one version of her was better than the other. Their relationship had come about precisely because both versions of Launch felt the same way about him, and that he, as he realized the night of the day he woke up, felt the same way about both versions of Launch. With that epiphany, the names that he had been using up until that point were simply unacceptable. "Blue Launch" and "Blonde Launch" would convey the same meaning, and as such, those were the terms he would use from now on.
There were other new developments, albeit far more minor. As soon as Tien could comfortably move again, he, at Blonde Launch's insistence, was solely responsible for getting the groceries. It simply wasn't worth the hassle of her possibly getting hunted down by the cops anymore. Thus, with Tien on grocery duty and Chiaotzu on laundry and cleaning duty, Blonde Launch could simply relax, aided in that regard by the new flat screen plasma TV that she...found, two days prior.
And, of course, there was the varying displays of affection between the two of them, which Tien had had some trouble with at first. Blue Launch was most comfortable with small gestures: a kiss on the forehead, leaning on the other's shoulder, cuddling on the couch. For his part, after some initial awkwardness, he had gradually become accustomed to her affections, and could readily reciprocate. However, Blonde Launch's displays of affection were a little more...intense. Fortunately, after significantly more awkwardness, the two were able to work out an arrangement in that regard that they both found acceptable, and thus, by Tien's estimation, things were going great.
...Really great.
Tien smiled as he walked over to where Launch was standing.
"The table is set," he said, planting a quick kiss on Launch's cheek. She giggled and turned around to look at Tien.
"Glad to hear it. Just give us five more minutes to get dinner fixed up."
"Understood."
After a couple seconds, Launch asked, "Any news on the gravity chamber?" Tien grimaced.
"It's going to be at least another three days. Maybe a week," Tien said, slightly annoyed. "From the sound of things, Bulma needs to find better employees."
Launch chuckled. "Well, it sounds like it'll be ready soon enough, anyhow."
Tien sighed. "Yes, but I would've preferred to have as much time as possible to train, given how much everyone else has progressed."
"You're thinking the others are gonna pick up that technique Goku learned? That Kaio-ken thing?"
Tien nodded, while Chiaotzu spoke up. "Yeah, between the gravity and that technique, the others are bound to be insanely strong by the time they all get back. I didn't pick up enough on how it works to figure it out, so..."
"So I'm left with gravity training," Tien finished. "With luck, Bulma's new generator will be far more efficient than the one Goku and Piccolo used, and I'll be able to grow in strength."
"Hm..." Launch murmured, thinking. "Have you thought about asking anyone to spar with you while you wait? It sounded like Gohan got insanely strong on Namek."
Tien shook his head. "At the moment, there aren't too many options. I figured Gohan needed a chance to return to his normal routine after everything that's happened, so I never asked. The only other option I can think of is..." He paused, looking skyward through the kitchen window. Launch was left rather puzzled, while Chiaotzu quickly looked in that direction as well.
"What's going on? Are you guys sensing something?" she asked, somewhat worried that whatever they were sensing was not particularly friendly. Tien nodded.
"He's heading right this way."
This cryptic statement only left Launch more puzzled.
"Hang on a second, who-?"
She heard a set of feet land just outside the cottage door, startling her slightly. She hadn't expected whoever it was to arrive so quickly. Chiaotzu took the initiative, floating towards the door and opening it with telekinesis before Piccolo had a chance to knock. Launch turned to observe the new arrival, while Tien simply chuckled.
"Speak of the devil," he remarked. "Launch was just asking if I'd considered sparring with you."
Piccolo chuckled in turn, pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. "How fortuitous, then, that that is precisely what we came to ask you about."
Launch was momentarily confused before a much smaller figure, still the size of a small child, made his presence known, stepping out from behind Piccolo's enormous cape and addressing the group.
"Hello," Dende said, offering a small wave. The others smiled. Although they had only met the small Namekian a short time ago, he had managed to make a good impression on all of them, particularly with his enthusiastic recounting of some of Goku and company's adventures on Namek.
"Ah, so he's recruited you to act as a field medic, huh?" Tien asked. Dende chuckled.
"Basically. It sounded like an interesting change of pace from the paper cuts and bruises everyone at Capsule Corporation was asking me to fix," he remarked dryly. "I never considered that developing the ability to heal people from the brink of death would attract so many people who are clearly not dying."
Launch chuckled. "You've clearly never had to tear off a band-aid." Tien and Chiaotzu chuckled, while Piccolo and Dende were left confused.
"Wait, what's a band-aid?" Dende asked, but no one seemed interested in answering.
"So, you want me to spar with you, is that it?" Tien asked. Piccolo nodded, to which he responded, "Let me guess: Chi Chi wouldn't hear of you sparring with Gohan." Piccolo was far more reluctant to answer that question.
"Hey, we all know Chi Chi's scary. It's okay to admit it," Chiaotzu remarked playfully, only serving to annoy Piccolo further.
"Will you spar with me or not?" he asked gruffly, to which Tien looked at Piccolo for a moment, thinking.
Even after all of this time, it was still strange to think of Piccolo as an ally. Not a short time ago, as far as Tien knew, he had been bent on conquering the world. And yet, as of now, with Kami's soul inside of him, suddenly Piccolo was here, asking Tien to spar with him...fairly politely. Tien found the circumstances ironic, in a way. Even with this personal experience in mind, Piccolo seemingly redeeming himself in this way struck him as a surprising development. He supposed that Goku was more instinctively perceptive on such things. That at least would explain why he refused to allow Kami to kill Piccolo when he had the chance, and didn't seem to hold a grudge about being shot through the chest and killed the previous year. Tien could admit to some residual skepticism, but at this point, his desire to grow stronger won out.
Wanting to be safe, Tien glanced briefly at Launch and Chiaotzu, seeking to make sure that they were okay with what he was about to do. The two both nodded, and he turned back to face Piccolo, looking at him intently with all three eyes.
"When can we get started?"
A series of booming impacts rang out in the silence of the desolate red desert which encompassed the vast majority of Zoon's surface. A distant observer would be unable to discern precisely where they were coming from, in no small part due to the planet's distance from its sun, giving it a fairly light day and a frigid night. Were one to get closer, they would likely be struck repeatedly by rock fragments, which were being released in showers sporadically throughout the area, not long after many of the impacts. Even so, they may also get a slightly better picture of the impacts' source: two figures, flying high overhead and locked in intense combat with each other. Each impact indicated that the two had collided with each other once again, struggling to win. After a particularly long exchange of blows, one figure became illuminated by a red glowing ball being formed above their hand, which they promptly threw at their opponent, who could not react in time. With a barely audible cry of anger, the other figure was sent flying into a canyon before the ball exploded, reducing the entire structure to rubble in a brilliant flash of red light.
The victor flew down to the rubble, as if to finish the job, before a flash of light saw the rubble cleared away, and the second figure slowly getting themselves out. The first figure walked towards them slowly, before holding out a hand, which the loser of the bout accepted with a good-natured chuckle.
"I must say, Jeice, you and your friend are easily the strongest warriors I have ever encountered," he said, to which Jeice chuckled in turn.
"You ain't so bad yourself, mate," he said consolingly, pulling his opponent out of the rubble. Standing around a head taller than Jeice, with an elongated skull, dried out grey skin, and blank green eyes, the warrior struck quite the intimidating figure, aided immensely by the spiked white armor he wore over pure black undergarments. Jeice regarded him for a second before continuing. "Hell, Pui, if the Frieza Force had ever come down this way, someone like you would have risen way up in his army."
Pui Pui laughed heartily. "Ah, from what you've told me, you're probably right, but I would never stoop to serve your old master. A man like that has no place leading an army."
Jeice nodded. "Ya got that right, that's for damn sure."
Pui Pui grunted in agreement. "To fight and die alongside comrades is one thing. To serve someone as a soldier or a servant is quite different...and not the kind of life I'd want to live."
Before the two could talk any further, a loud cough interrupted them. They turned towards the source of the noise to find Recoome, hovering nearby, more than a little apprehensive.
"Uh, guys?" he said. "I hate to break this up, but, uh..."
As he spoke, the two of them both noticed a distinctive glow in the sky, like three shooting stars soaring overhead. Pui Pui was left perplexed, while Jeice froze up. He knew what those things were...and who was likely on them.
"We got company," Recoome finished.
Without another word, Jeice lifted off into the sky, Recoome following close behind while Pui Pui lagged a bit, trying to process what was going on.
"Hang on, are those lights up there like the vehicles you two came in?" he asked, to which Jeice simply nodded.
"Exactly. And if I'm right about who Frieza bothered to send," he said, getting close enough to clearly make out the Attack Balls hurtling towards the ground, "we're in big trouble." As he spoke, the Attack Balls crashed some distance away. After a brief flight, they were within striking distance of the downed ships, but they were still uncertain what to do even as they saw the hatches slowly begin to open.
"Perhaps we could set up an ambush, take them by surprise!" Pui Pui suggested, but Recoome shot him down.
"Nah, they've got scouters. They'll figure out where we are by our ki."
Jeice furrowed his brow. "We can't sneak up on them, but we can at least try to hit them with everything we've got!" Jeice then took the lead, forming a Crusher Ball in the palm of his hand. "Ready?"
Recoome grinned, purple energy charging up in his mouth for his signature Recoome Eraser Gun. Pui Pui likely formed the strongest attack he could muster, holding his arm up with his other hand like a rifle as a green energy sphere began to charge in front of his hand. "Ready!"
In a matter of seconds, a tall figure could be seen ducking under the hatch to exit. It was now or never. "Fire!" Jeice cried out, throwing the Crusher Ball down at the three Attack Balls as Recoome and Pui Pui launched their own attacks, bathing the area in a mixture of colored lights which let out a shock wave that could be heard for miles. The figure, seemingly taken by surprise, didn't move out of the way, and found themselves enveloped along with two others who were following them out of the pods. When the dust settled, the pods were, unsurprisingly, unscathed, having been built to survive even worse. And, as the sound of someone clearing their throat behind Jeice indicated, so were their targets.
"An admirable attempt, if ultimately ineffective," their opponent said. Jeice, realizing their best effort had failed, turned around nervously, gazing upon the face he had expected to see: that of his rival, Salza.
Where Jeice was red-skinned, Salza was turquoise. Where Jeice kept his white hair long, Salza kept his blonde hair short and curled towards the left side of his face. Where Jeice's armor had two shoulder guards, Salza's only had one on his left shoulder. And, unfortunately for him, in terms of power...Salza was over twice as strong as Jeice. Floating up next to him were his loyal comrades Neiz and Dore, bruised a fair amount from the explosion and each sporting a similar armor design which indicated that they were members of the elite Armored Squadron. Were Jeice not completely panicking, he might have paid more attention to a crucial detail: none of the three warriors had scouters any longer. However, as it stood, he only dimly registered the fact, not bothering to think about what it meant.
"If we hadn't been prepared for it, things wouldn't have turned out so well," Salza began, clearly savoring the look on Jeice's face. "You and your new friend are quite powerful...although still nothing compared to me."
Jeice grit his teeth. Salza was right. Neiz and Dore were stronger than any one of them individually, and Salza could wipe them all out without breaking a sweat. Still, he reasoned, clenching his fists, he wasn't going to go down easy. He had just readied himself to attack when suddenly, Recoome chuckled, catching Jeice off guard.
"You didn't dodge it on purpose, didn't you, Salza?" he asked, leaving Jeice and Pui Pui confused while Salza and his men smirked. After a second, Jeice realized what Recoome was getting at: their scouters were gone, but they would have had to wear their scouters in order to find them and report on their mission. Which means…
"You let us take your scouters out of the equation," Jeice said, causing Salza to laugh.
"Ah, you've always been a little slower on the uptake, haven't you, Jeice?" he asked, leaving Jeice angry before Salza continued, chuckling to himself. "As fun as it would be to beat you into the dirt, I'm afraid we came here on another matter." All three of them were confused, but none more so than Pui Pui.
"Hold on, so...you aren't here to kill them?" Pui Pui asked, still trying to understand the intricacies of Jeice and Recoome's situation. Dore laughed, a deep booming laugh to match his massive frame.
"Well, I mean, we were sent here to kill these two if they didn't go back to the force, but: no. No, we're not," he explained.
Jeice remained skeptical. "So what do you want with us?" Salza chuckled derisively.
"Well, Jeice, as much as I am loathe to do it, my emperor has ordered me to attempt to recruit you for his cause."
Recoome scoffed. "If Frieza thinks we'll go back to the force after what he's cost us, then you better go ahead and kill us, because there's no way in Hell that-!"
"He's dead," Dore interjected, startling Jeice and Recoome. True, they had hoped that he had died on Namek, but they never truly considered…
"In all likelihood, anyway," Salza amended. "We have not heard anything since we left to search for you."
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me too much, to be honest. There was a Saiyan bloke on Namek whose power level broke the scouter. Never caught the name, but he knocked us about like a couple of Fallaxian Springbeetles," Jeice said regretfully. "With that much power...who knows how much he was holding back?"
Salza nodded slowly. It was as reasonable a hypothesis as any, and Frieza had worried about the potential power that a single Saiyan could achieve. Perhaps his fears had come true. Recoome, meanwhile, simply resumed his hardened expression after processing the news.
"Well, whether it's King Cold or Frieza, the answer is the same: we're done. You're going to either have to go find someone else, or kill us right here, because we are not going back."
"We were not asking you to return to King Cold or Frieza's service," Salza said calmly, ticking off Jeice a little. "When I said 'my emperor,' I wasn't referring to one who has officially held the title."
Jeice began to get an inkling of what he meant, while Recoome needed a few more seconds. It was an outlandish idea, and yet, what he was saying suggested it might be possible.
"Then who were you referring to, Sal?" Jeice asked, knowing how much Salza hated the nickname. He began to mount a retort before sighing wearily. His eyes looked into Jeice's eyes, unwavering, seeming to scan every single detail before telling him what he wanted to know.
"The emperor we serve...is Lord Cooler."
Alright, another chapter completed! I'm typing out this update while I'm on vacation, so it'll be a bit before I can fix any mechanical issues with it. On one hand, I more or less have maintained the two chapter buffer, in that I have one chapter finished and two chapters close to being finished after a somewhat extensive rewrite. On the other, I'm not entirely certain if I'll be able to keep up a steady stream of updates based on how long this arc is shaping up to be. Hopefully the worst that'll happen is I'll have to take a 1-week break at some point so I have a chapter to give you. I definitely wouldn't like it if I had to go on a long hiatus halfway through, so you can rest assured I'll do the best I can to make sure that doesn't happen.
With all that said, response time!
Cerric says:
"I always enjoy these types of background chapters. Final version is shiny and flowing as hell. Good job!"
Thanks, man!
"I recognize this is an odd question, but because I couldn't stop thinking about it, I have to ask: were you channeling Winnie the Pooh when Cooler said "Oh, bother" in chapter 29?"
This question is so cursed. xD I just figured it was something Cooler would say in response to what happened: an indifferent "Oh bother" before shooting his mother with a ki blast.
Cerric helped me out a lot with critiquing the early versions of some of this arc's chapters. It'd be crazy if y'all went over to his page and read his awesome what if story "Strength of Many." Haha jk...unless?
Jokermask18 says:
"Odd as it is, I kinda feel bad for Cooler. I have questions:
1. You mentioned Cooler taking Kanassa. Does this mean that this fic doesn't acknowledge the original Bardock movie?
2. Can Frosta transform? Or rather, could she?"
1. As far as I know, the original Bardock movie is officially non-canon, between the publication of Dragon Ball Minus and the fact that the new Broly movie depicted Minus' version of the destruction of Planet Vegeta. As such, any elements of that movie seemed to be fair game, so I decided to say that Cooler had taken Kanassa as a little nod to that movie.
2. Frosta could not transform at the time of her death, although she could potentially develop her own transformations. She has only a 1st form, albeit she is also a mutant with a power level much higher than the rest of her kind. I also mentioned in that chapter that Frost Demon women are much larger than the men, with Frosta being just a couple feet shorter than King Cold despite the latter being in his second form.
mastercheif1229 says:
"Great chapter! Can't wait for the next one!"
Thanks!
RKF22 says:
"Excellent work can't wait for more"
Thanks, man! Glad to see you again. ;)
Full Power says:
"This has been a tremendous read so far. All the twists and turns that come from one simple change to the story as we know it. I commend you for finding a way to not only add more pacing to the Namek Arc without removing too many vital beats from the story, but for throwing in all sorts of changes - some majorly apparent at the time, others subtle that could come back later - to keep things relevant and different.
One of my favorite things has been just how much this story works without Roshi. I think it would have been easy to have Roshi survive and go through Namek, but you killed essentially the focus of your story (from a certain point of view) off at a meaningful time. It adds more stakes and meaning to the story. And I can't praise the real-world and slice of life elements, from the hospital scenes to Goku's return to Earth, enough.
You also deserve a ton of credit for acknowledging retcons and your own progress. Things happen. And as fun as TFS references can be, you're using them appropriately instead of depending on the "lol Krillin sux" and "lol Yamcha fail" when that's never been what the franchise has supposed to been about.
I'm eagerly awaiting Jan. 12!"
You know, I think you're the first person who's said that my version of the Namek Arc had more pacing. Not sure if I agree or disagree, it's just an interesting observation. And yeah, I definitely like the changes I made to the Namek Arc, even if some of them are pretty subtle and minor. It's also interesting to hear someone say that Roshi's absence from the story titled after him works well, which is honestly something I've been worried about for a while. I will say that the slice of life elements are some of my favorite moments to write in this fic, and I think that'll become clear over this arc.
Thank you for your kind words. I'd definitely like to think I've improved a lot over the course of writing this, and I hope to keep on improving. I also hope that you ultimately got the quality chapter you were waiting for when you wrote this.
Guest says:
"This was terrible, who the f••k is jamba?"
You know, ironically enough, I think a thank you is in order here. This review actually helped me to consider some of the ways in which my original outline for this story just wasn't going to work, and how I could have improved Jamba's introduction to this story. I feel like I've improved him as a character going forward, in some small part thanks to this, and am more prepared to write original characters for this story going forward, so...thank you, Guest. Your feedback is genuinely appreciated.
GOZEROKU SON says:
"HI THERE, GOZEROKU SON IS HERE, THIS IS A WONDERFUL STORY YOU WROTE! PLEASE KEEP IT UP YOU ARE A good writer. Thank you very much!"
Gotta say I'm digging the enthusiasm here, lol. And thanks! I hope you enjoy it going forward!
GojiRanger says:
"Ooooh, this arc is gearing up to be good! And quite unique from the canon. Interested in seeing where it goes.
Although, 20 million for Cooler's fourth form seems rather low, then again I assume that may have unlocked his fifth form during his training and that'll help close the gap between him and King Cold, if not Goku as well.
Also, will we be seeing what's become of Vegeta in this arc? Haven't seen him since he left Freiza's ship on Namek after Jeice and Recoome tried to kill him while he was healing."
Thank you! I hope that this chapter has kept that trend going.
I mean, honestly, I'm spoiling the story a little by answering this question, but like, come on. What was I going to do, put Cooler into this story and not have him unlock his badass fifth form at some point? I'd have to turn in my DBZ fan card.
Ever since I read this, I've been trying to think of where I can cut away to what Vegeta's been doing based on what I have planned for him, and honestly? I can't think of anywhere that wouldn't feel extraneous. So, I'm just going to say it now: in all likelihood, Vegeta is not going to show up in this arc. Everything that happens to him during this time and beyond will be elaborated on in the subsequent arc. I imagine that will be disappointing to some of you, but rest assured that our favorite prince will get a bunch of attention soon enough.
CosmoCatte says:
"This was a very interesting chapter, for sure! I can see why it took a while to get done given it's constructing an arc from the ground up, but I have to say that it's very well done thus far!
I'm gonna go ahead and assume that a particular plot twist is that Jamba's true body/self has never even gotten close to Cold, Cooler, Frieza, or Frosta, but rather that it has ALWAYS been a copy/copies.
I think the depth you're giving to Cooler and his additional transformation is interesting, though it clashes with my own personal view on how Frost Demon transformations work - I like seeing the individual perspectives of elements that either aren't explained or simply are rarely touched on in the canon/official source materials.
I'm curious and excited to see where this arc is headed, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter(s)!"
Yeah, constructing an arc manually has definitely been a challenge, and quite the learning experience for me as a writer.
Pretty much, but not quite for the reason you'd think. I'm working on the chapter that'll dive into some of that, and hopefully it'll prove to be a satisfactory answer.
Introducing Cooler into this story has been interesting so far, particularly given the far more limited material I've got to work with. And, yeah, the topic of Frost Demon transformations seems to be a pretty debated one among writers.
Hope you liked this chapter!
GuardianTree7 says at Chapter 14:
"Really enjoying this fic so much right now. I loved what you did with Piccolo and confronting his evil self. Congratulations on its success. I do have one complaint but it's a little too late now.
The first fusion Piccolo gets, you've drastically underestimated it. Before this fusion in the original he went from being just a little weaker then a super Saiyan to becoming equal in strength or stronger to someone who beat one without effort, someone at least 2-4 times stronger then super Saiyans Vegeta, 17 & 18.
Obviously the power gained would be different as it occurs at a different time and he's down one fusion along with a host of other potential reasons, but from everything we're told the fusion with Kami should increase his power and potential far more then Nail's did. I'd think it'd be closer to the 100k-500k range, very potentially higher though. Think about it when Piccolo fused with Nail he was at best 100k or lower, that would have meant his power was multiplied by about ten times. However in chs 13&14 fourteen you made him a little less then five times stronger."
Oh, Kami, I'm going to get comments on that for a while, huh? xD
At Chapter 21:
"Still really enjoying this fic, binged it some. Sorry about my tangent about Piccolo's power, after further reading I now see that you've already addressed it. I also apologize if it came across as combative.
There is something I noticed at the end of this chapter though. When you listed the power of Piccolo's special beam cannon, it was only slightly stronger then his full power, meanwhile the attack multiplied his power 3-4 times when he was far less experienced with it against Raditz. Given the power you had Piccolo at, a fully charged special beam cannon should at least be damaging to third form Frieza, especially when taking into consideration that its piercing ability."
You're good! And yeah, I didn't actually notice that until you pointed it out. That seems to be a goof on my part, which I'll probably edit once I get home. I think to justify it, I'd say that he didn't charge it up quite as long as he did against Raditz, so it was more of a two times shot. Ultimately, it doesn't seem that important, but yeah, I'll get around to addressing that. Thanks again for pointing it out.
And, well, speaking of power levels, let's take a look.
Piccolo: 462,000 due to some training he was able to work in over the last few days.
Gohan: 10,000,000
Goku: About the same, around 4,500,000, 225,000,000 in Super Saiyan. He hasn't really grown much stronger physically, but is attempting to get more of a handle on the Super Saiyan form.
Zuno: 57
Zuno's Assistants: 60
Jamba: Each copy is around 10,000
Tien(fully recovered): 2,300, 2,875 at Max Power
Chiaotzu: 1,050 after sparring with Tien for a few days.
Recoome(training in progress): 47,000
Jeice(training in progress): 45,000. His growth is slower than Recoome's due to being born under 10 times gravity.
Pui Pui: 44,000
Armored Squadron: As stated before, Salza is at 90,000, Dore is at 50,000, and Neiz is at 55,000.
With all that said, thank you all for reading, have a fantastic night, and take care.