Goku and Kukyo went into a series of handsprings, flipping, spinning, and diving. Bubbles shot left, right, and then left again, barely getting out of their grasp. He turned back, and hastily increased his speed as the two were gaining on him.
"Not this time, Bubbles!" Goku shouted.
Kukyo took a deep breath, spinning into a cartwheel and leaping off the ground with hand plants. She hastily sped up, cartwheeling and hand planting over and over, cutting her angles with Goku's angles, springing off with more and more speed.
Goku went one way, she went the other, Bubbles barely staying ahead of the two of them. They came around the other side, and Bubbles hastily dived, only to get hugged by Goku and Kukyo as they lunged for him at the same time.
"Hahaha! Got ya!" Goku cheered, jumping up and down with Bubbles, holding him over his head.
Kukyo grinned, doing a few handplants for celebration.
"We did it! Alright!" Goku cheered.
King Kai looked with wide eyes, surprised to see the two acting so casually with Bubbles. Extraordinary. They've already conquered this planet's gravity. Perhaps they're the ones. They'll be able to master the techniques that I couldn't master.
Goku held Bubbles with a grin. "Hey King Kai. We're ready for the next stage of training."
"I see. Remarkable." King Kai smiled. "Indeed. Excellent work."
"Thanks." Kukyo said.
"Well. Let's proceed." King Kai said. "Your next stage of training is difficult.
"I'll do my best." Goku said cheerfully.
"Sounds good." Kukyo said.
King Kai yelled at the top of his lungs, sweeping up Goku's and Kukyo's hair and forcing them to bring their hands up to their ears.
"Why are you yelling?"
Just as Kukyo asked, the reverberating yell swept back around twice as fierce, forcing Goku and Kukyo to cover their ears once more.
"Now that's what I call a long-distance call." King Kai snickered.
"Is he really the ultimate martial arts master?" Goku asked quietly, raising his brow.
"Maybe he likes comedy." Kukyo suggested, scratching the back of her head.
"I heard that!" A voice called out.
Goku and Kukyo looked up to see a small, bright blue sphere flying towards them. They dodged just as it swept across, nearly blowing them over in the process.
"What is it?" Goku asked.
"I'm not an it!" The newcomer shouted.
The blue sphere dissipated, revealing a small grasshopper.
"Look at that." Kukyo said, getting a good look at the newcomer.
"It's a little grasshopper man." Goku said.
"You jerk!" The grasshopper said in its high pitched voice.
"Little grasshopper man." King Kai snickered.
"So, what? You don't think King Kai is the real deal?" The grasshopper asked.
"His methods kind of bug me." Goku said.
"Bug me that's really good." King Kai snickered even more.
"King Kai this is no time for laughing."
"Right. Goku and Kukyo meet Gregory. He's your next test."
"Huh?" Goku asked, looking at the little grasshopper. "This little guy?"
"Don't underestimate me. I am King Kai's most trusted attendant and peerless martial arts master." Gregory said.
Goku felt himself deflate. "But, I thought you were going to train us personally."
"Do we have to catch this little grasshopper man?" Kukyo asked, observing Gregory carefully.
"This is what I mean. How am I supposed to put up with this lack of respect." Gregory said.
"You'll find a way to manage. Now, let's get started." King Kai said, opening both of his hands and materializing a mallet in each.
"What are those for?" Goku asked.
"That's a bit big, don't you think?" Gregory asked.
"No, it's fine." King Kai said, tossing the mallets to Goku and Kukyo. "Take fast you two."
Goku and Kukyo caught their mallets, but they were nearly pulled to the ground without any trouble. They gripped it with both hands, clenching their teeth as they brought their full focus to bear.
"Your next training is to hit Gregory with that." King Kai said.
"Really?" Kukyo asked.
"Then if you both succeed. You'll be training under me directly." King Kai said.
"Wow! Alright!" Goku cheered.
"He said if. Don't you both go getting your hopes up." Gregory said, flying up a few dozen meters.
He focused his ki, bringing it out in blue orbs. They converged, merging onto him, coalescing until he was encased in a bright blue aura. "Alright, here I come!"
Gregory shot forward at great speed, Goku and Kukyo both tried to raise their hammer, but he swept against them, knocking them on their behinds and continuing on his way.
"Man, that little guy is fast." Kukyo said.
Gregory came back around, knocking into them both.
"I'll get you." Goku said, lifting his mallet, only for it to plunge back into the ground.
"He's a fast little bugger." Kukyo said.
They zipped around King Kai's planet, Goku and Kukyo both moving at top speed, whacking their mallets into the ground over and over, always missing Gregory by just a few inches. Their mallets pelted the ground with each swing, but Gregory continued to evade them, dodging by inches each and every time, letting them get just close enough to think they were going to hit him.
King Kai was eating soup when he heard a crash. He ran outside just in time to see Goku and Kukyo whacking his car, missing Gregory again by inches. They immediately gave chase, paying no heed to the damaged car.
"Boy look at them go." King Kai began to tear up. "My poor car."
Goku and Kukyo continued to chase Gregory, leveling a tree in the process. They zipped and sprinted across the planet, moving around it like little darts being shot around. Gregory stayed a pace ahead of them, quickly increasing his speed so he was looping and flipping over their swings by inches, forcing them to crash into a tree more than a few times.
Yamcha and Tien were seated outside of the Hyperbolic Time chamber. It had almost been a whole day since Sho, Krillin, and Chaozu went into the chamber.
"I'm feeling stronger than ever." Yamcha boasted, flexing his muscles.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Tien agreed with his own smirk.
He turned his head, sensing Sho, Krillin, and Chaozu emerging from the Time Chamber. Sho's hair had grown considerably and was even more bushy and he bulked up as well. Krillin and Chaozu both had defined expressions and were looking pretty stern, a sign that their training had taken them to the next level.
Yamcha turned to look at the trio. "All of you. Your power has risen considerably."
Sho nodded, folding his arms across his chest.
"The training was intense beyond belief. I wouldn't go back in the place by choice." Krillin said.
Tien smirked. "We just have to see Kami."
Goku and Kukyo zipped around King Kai's planet, moving with thrice the speed they had been before. Goku was leveling his mallet with each swing, using his frustration as determination.
"Get back here!"
King Kai watched from the side, impressed with the progress both of them had been making. "Time out!"
"What? No way." Gregory said.
"it's break time! Dinner!"
"Alright!" Kukyo said.
King Kai led them inside where they took a seat. Goku and Kukyo began scarfing down bowls of food, flicking their chopsticks with great speed. Gregory ate much smaller bowls of food and Bubbles ate his favorite bananas.
King Kai was watering his palm trees in the corner of the room. "You both worked up an appetite."
"Did I ever." Goku said between mouthfuls, inhaling oxygen and food at the same time.
"It won't slow them down any?"
"No, it'll make them faster." King Kai said, watering the rest of his plants, taking his time. "Saiyans are remarkably fast. You're both not there yet."
"Huh? The Saiyans!?" Goku exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table and standing up.
"Do you know about the Saiyans, King Kai?" Kukyo asked.
"What do you mean does he know? King Kai knows everything." Gregory said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's okay Gregory." King Kai said. "Now Goku and Kukyo, you both told me you're Saiyans earlier. Am I correct?"
"Huh?" Gregory asked.
"Yeah, but I don't know anything about the Saiyans." Goku said, sitting back down. "They sent me and my sister to Earth when we were just babies."
"Ahh I see. Then I can probably tell you a few things about the Saiyans that you didn't know."
"Really?" Kukyo asked.
"Hmmm." King Kai nodded.
"Here you go, King Kai." Goku got him a chair, setting it down.
"My goodness." King Kai said. "I feel like a king."
Goku and Kukyo both got serious, nodding their heads.
"A long time ago before you were both born. There were two tribes that lived on planet Vegeta. There were your ancestors the Saiyans and the other tribe was known as the Tuffles."
"The Saiyans and the Tuffles?" Goku thought aloud.
"That's correct. Now the Tuffles were an advanced civilization. They had cities much like the cities on Earth. They enjoyed all the modern conveniences. Such as air travel and mini malls. They had long ago outgrown energy sources that polluted their planet and were enjoying health and prosperity. Not far from the big cities, in the arid wastelands of Vegeta the Saiyans lived in primitive fashion. They were much larger in size than the Tuffles, but much smaller in number. One thing all Saiyans had in common was that they had tails. Another was their brutal and violent nature. They loved to fight. But, because they were so few in number the Tuffles never worried about the Saiyans..."
King Kai paused.
"That is until the day they attacked. And so the great war for Planet Vegeta began. With the element of surprise in their favor, the Saiyans gained a strong foothold in their war against the Tuffles. The Tuffles had technology on their side. They had devices that measured their enemy's fighting power and advanced weapons which they used to hold the Saiyans at bay. Though few in number, the Saiyans' strength was so incredible that they too won their fair share of the battles. And just when it seemed there was no end in sight to this horrible war...Something happened on Vegeta that only happens there once every eight years. There was a full moon. A decisive factor in the war for planet Vegeta."
"A full moon..." Kukyo trailed off, eyes narrowing.
King Kai nodded. "As you must know. Saiyans transform into huge ape-like creatures when the moon is full. It didn't take long for these monsters to destroy the Tuffles and their advanced civilization. But, then a new problem for the Saiyans began. Without the technology of the Tuffles, the Saiyans couldn't travel in space. This meant they couldn't satisfy the one desire they all shared. The desire to fight."
King Kai began to snicker. "I'm sure you've heard the joke. How many Saiyans does it take to build a rocket ship?"
"No." Goku said.
"It's really good."
"Later King Kai." Kukyo said.
"Fine." King Kai said, getting back to his story. "Not far away the Saiyans meant the Arcosians. Now the Arcosians had money and technology, but the planet Arcose was a dump. So, they hired the Saiyans to conquer a planet for them. An unholy partnership was born. With Saiyan might and Arcosian ingenuity combined they formed a fleet of planet pirates. The plan these two sinister races had, there was nothing they wouldn't do to achieve their goals. An armada of space pods were designed to travel the vast distances of the universe. They even sent babies like yourselves to distant planets. The Saiyan leaders were more than happy to send specimens of their race into the great unknown. They knew that when the babies grew up they'd extinguish any and all inhabitants of the planet they lived on."
"I'd love to extinguish them." Goku said, cracking his knuckles.
"Me too." Kukyo said, standing up from her seat with clenched fists.
"Well all misdeeds gather their just rewards. You see like Earth the planet Vegeta also had a guardian. This good man used his power to attract a vast storm of meteors to the planet. He could no longer tolerate the horrible burden of the Saiyans' dark deeds. So he brought destruction upon the planet. Which was plagued by the weight of its inhabitants evil. Planet Vegeta was demolished. Only Six Saiyans survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta. You are two of them."
"No way!" Kukyo said, horrified.
"That can't be!" Goku said, eyes wide with horror. "We're not one of them!"
"We never will be." Kukyo seconded.
"Easy now. Listen, you both might despise your heritage, but at this point the fact you're both Saiyans is a great asset."
Goku stood up from his seat, clenching his teeth and balling his fists up.
"Channel your anger. Use it to enhance your training."
"You're right." Kukyo said.
"I can't wait to start training again." Goku said.
Gregory smiled in good nature. "I'm in. If it's okay with King Kai."
"Mhm." King Kai smiled.
"Let me eat this really fast." Goku said, picking up his bowl.
"You're too much, brother." Kukyo said with a laugh.
Goku and Kukyo zipped around King Kai's planet, moving at top speed. They started to cut their angles, and were flipping and spinning with their mallets, struggling to cut Gregory off as he responded in kind by increasing his speed.
"Come on..." Goku said, appearing on his flank and swinging.
"Almost got you!" Kukyo said, appearing over him and swinging.
Gregory evaded the two swings, causing the Son duo to nearly plow into each other. Only their instincts allowed them to handspring away from each other, soaring across the ground.
They started cutting off his angles, throwing the mallet and catching it again, only to throw it and vanish in a series of handsprings. Gregory was zipping around but could barely keep up. Every time he looked back the Son duo was gaining more and more speed and getting closer to hitting him right on the head.
Gohan parried Piccolo's next strike. A second later he snapped his leg out, sweeping with a crescent kick. Piccolo dodged it, leaping backwards. Gohan leapt after him, spinning and turning as he threw a reverse kick. Piccolo dodged the kick by a fraction, throwing a punch in return, but Gohan dodged it, leaping backwards and out of range.
Piccolo growled softly. The boy was dodging his strikes over and over. He'd expected the boy to be gifted, but he wasn't expecting such rapid improvement at such a rapid rate.
Piccolo grabbed his turban and cape, throwing them aside and listening for the satisfying thud.
Gohan took his stance, smiling determinedly.
Piccolo shot forward, swiping with his talons. Gohan leapt back, just as he had been expecting. He turned and lashed out with a kick, watching Gohan dodge to the side again. He thrust his hand out, but to his surprise, Gohan slid under it, kicking up a trail of dust in his wake as he narrowly avoided being swiped again.
Gohan pushed off the ground, darting for Piccolo. Piccolo calmly met his knee with his own knee, quickly exchanging punches and kicks. Piccolo dodged and blocked the blows, though a few slipped through his guard.
Piccolo led forward with a knee, sending Gohan reeling back. Piccolo lunged for him again, this time connecting with his side. But, to his surprise, Gohan sprung off the ground and landed on his feet. He shot right towards him with a yell, unleashing a quick barrage of punches and kicks that had Piccolo back stepping quickly.
Piccolo lashed out with his talons, only to hit air as Gohan rolled back and away from him. He leapt back, twisting around as he threw a reverse high kick. Piccolo turned just in time to avoid being kicked in the face. He jumped back, putting some distance between him and Gohan.
Gohan charged back at him, and the two began their battle full force.
Goku and Kukyo lunged for Gregory, narrowly missing him. Gregory kept up his great speed, zipping back around King Kai's planet. Goku took his hammer and threw it at him, running the opposite direction while Kukyo vanished in a series of gymnastics, lunging across the ground with more and more speed, planting her feet hard.
Gregory continued to zip at his great speed, unaware of the mallets darting for him. Goku and Kukyo got around in time, grabbing their mallets to lightly bring down their hammers on Gregory's head.
"Now that wasn't too bad, was it?" Goku asked.
"Are you kidding me? My body is at peak condition. You couldn't hurt me with that mallet if you tried."
"Is that right?" Kukyo asked, grinning a little bit.
"I am in my prime." Gregory said.
"Then what's that little bump there?" Goku asked, pointing to the red little lump on Gregory's head.
"You fools! What have you done?"
King Kai smirked slightly. Goku and Kukyo are both rare. They could it. They could master Kaioken.
Goku and Kukyo laughed, pointing at Bubbles and Gregory.
Nobody has been able to master Kaioken. But, now there's a chance!
"Hey, King Kai. You promised remember?" Goku said, walking up to him.
"Do you expect to learn the art of Kaioken as you are right now? Well do you?" King Kai asked.
"I'll try my best." Kukyo said.
"First, you must visualize yourself at your peak. Both in body and in spirit."
Goku smiled, clenching his hand into a fist. "Got it."
Kukyo smiled and clenched her hands into fists. "I can see it, King Kai."
King Kai observed the two carefully. "Now that we have that settled. Lunch break!"
"Oh boy! I love a lunch break!" Kukyo said, grinning wide.
Goku fell over in surprise, unable to do anything else.