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DRAGON BALL HARDCORE
THE OTHER WORLD ADVENTURES
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This was it. He knew what to do, because there was nothing else he could do. He wasn't strong enough for anything else. And so he apologized within their minds, and began gathering energy inside. This attack will kill him, but it will generate a power strong enough to make a difference. And so he went ahead and unleashed it. First light, then a moment of darkness.
When Chiaotzu opened his eyes, he found himself in some sort of line. The sky was violet, the ground far below was mushy and yellow, and he was walking in a path of stone. Shapeless auras are behind and ahead, all going towards a big palace in the distance. They all had halos over their heads, even Chiaotzu, but for some reason he was the only one with a body still; at least from his perspective. He soon figured this was the afterlife, and soon he will be judged by the great King Yenma. But suddenly, some sort of ogre in business attire came over and allowed Chiaotzu to skip the gigantic line.
He was face to face with the judge of the other world, right behind his desk. He was glad to see Chiaotzu, quickly skimming over his files and seeing that he was a really good boy all over; his most devious action thus far being cheating on martial arts tournaments. It was an amazing death, which wounded his opponent grievously and ultimately motivated his friends to take the offensive. Thankfully he seems to be the only one to die thus far; the battle was still going. Chiaotzu wondered what to do now, and Yenma explained to him.
"Due to your particular death and lifestyle, it will be fair to admit you into the special 'Valhalla' program. As a warrior, you will be allowed inside the special area for fallen heroes in heaven, so you can continue to train and become stronger despite being dead."
"What does that even matter?" Chiaotzu asked.
"It's fun!" Yenma replied.
"Oh… I accept then!"
The gates of heaven stood right behind Yenma, and they opened up to his command. Chiaotzu was engulfed by the light, and soon he found himself in a… suburban neighborhood?
Turns out heaven isn't actually an incomprehensible utopia of light, rather it's just a town where you can live with no worries. Everything is free, food everywhere, everyone gets their own house, there's a bunch of attractions all day. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but in reality only very good people end up here, so trouble is out of the question. Chiaotzu was walking around when he spotted a group of ladies walking off a field, discussing how the "pervert" was there in the park. He had a wild guess to who they were talking about.
Heaven had a little park where crystal balls were lying about. They could be used to watch over the mortal realm, mostly to spy on the lives of their loved ones who remain alive. One of them was oddly familiar to Chiaotzu. He was reacting loudly to the crystal ball in his possession as if watching a TV show. And yes, he recognized those sunglasses anywhere. It was master Roshi.
The old master welcomed him to the afterlife, inviting him to sit right beside. And so the two kept watching the fight against the Saiyans on Earth, and saw it through the conclusion. By nothing short of a miracle, Chiaotzu seemed to be the only casualty that day aside from the few thousands from the city Nappa blew up. The Z-warriors manage to go so far as to defeat Vegeta in his great ape form; for once Yajirobe saved planet Earth with a sneak attack. Vegeta did survive, as all the other warriors could do nothing but feebly crawl on the ground after the battle.
In Mr. Yenma's office, not too long after the battle was over, he found Nappa in front of his desk. That guy has been killing and torturing all kinds of people for decades, not sparing children or women if it came down to. But when it came to his death, Nappa wasn't mad at all that the boy he raised since the age of seven ended up killing him. In fact he was proud of it; he would've made for the greatest king of the Saiyan race, being so cold and ruthless even to his closest friends. Nappa's only regret was not being able to kill Kakarot. Despite his disgusting acts, Nappa at the very least was loyal to his duty. Hell was his place.
King Yenma pressed a button under the table, opening a surprise trapdoor right where Nappa stood. He was sent plummeting to the yellow clouds below, and therefore hell. But hell wasn't a pit of fire and endless torment. It was actually quite like a big downtown city. There was nothing to pleasure there; every building offered nothing but recreational sites for art, rehabilitation facilities, mental institutes, therapists, etc. The only place with green grass was used for Yoga practicing and campfire talk. The purpose of hell was not to punish souls, but to actually make them less evil so then one day the soul can reincarnate as a new living being. Meanwhile, heaven's purpose was to reward good souls to continue doing good once they also get tired of heaven, and reincarnate back to the mortal realm.
Now with the Saiyan battle over, master Roshi and Chiaotzu were approached by King Kai himself. Out of the generosity in his heart, he decided to allow Chiaotzu one last message to his friends as they return home. Chiaotzu didn't really know what to say; it was brief but just enough to make the spirits of the living warriors a little better. After that, King Kai told the two to enjoy heaven, and returned back to his planet on his sick red Cadillac.
Master Roshi decided to take Chiaotzu on a big day in heaven, showing all the wondrous stuff they have to offer. Sadly, Master Roshi was temporarily banned from most of them due to his perverted tendencies with the other spirit ladies and ogre ladies alike. Chiaotzu just blankly stared at everything as he often does. There were certain places with food and drinks that you could eat to gain height, reduce your age, make them prettier-looking and all the other stupid stuff that mortals seem to care about. Master Roshi himself drank 5 gallons of a special water, reducing his age by 200 years. He didn't changed jackshit in appearance though.
After the whole day, Chiaotzu wondered, "So… what do we do now?"
Chiaotzu wasn't impressed, he actually wanted to try out that thing Yenma told him; the Valhalla program. Master Roshi was also awarded that right, but he never paid any mind to it. After all, they are dead, right? There's really no reason to train now; their powers serve no purpose to anyone. Despite that, Chiaotzu still wanted to keep training. He was taught that pleasantries mean nothing, and he still really enjoys his routine. If they were given this chance to keep training despite being dead… it has to be for a reason, right?
Master Roshi took Chiaotzu to the special area. Some sort of big plateau and a gigantic dojo; with a big coliseum at the very back of the place; that was Valhalla. There were a lot of people training there, all of them being humanoid aliens. From then on Chiaotzu proceeded with his daily training. He didn't train his body nearly as much as he trained his psychic abilities; feeling that they are a much cooler power than others think. The power to distort and bend reality with his mind. He aimed his training to improve until he could paralyze the movements of someone much stronger than himself, to the likes of Nappa. Seeing the little booger continue his training, Master Roshi had a little introspective episode and decided to stop floundering in heaven and start his own training from the bottom again. He got 200 years younger, who knows? There might be some potential left in these bones.
And so both the warriors in heaven and Earth had time to prepare…. For two months.
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Eventually they came to realize that maybe… maybe leaving Vegeta alone was not a good idea. Krillin figured that he would go steal the dragon balls from the original Namekians in their home planet. After fusing with Kami, Piccolo gained memories of the old Namekian ship that brought him to Earth, and they used to fly to Namek. Unfortunately, things weren't doing great for the natives there. The planet was being attacked by Frieza's forces.
Through devastating battles, the Z-warriors found themselves trying to save the Namekian people while also uniting with Vegeta in order to survive. Goku, Tien and Yamcha arrived in Namek in order to bring them back and destroy Frieza once and for all. In the process Frieza lost many soldiers; including Cui, Zarbon, Dodoria and the Ginyu Force.
Once in front of Yenma, Cui did nothing but beg for forgiveness like a coward. In the end he was sent to hell, screaming his lungs out as he fell through the trap door. Things went similarly with Zarbon and Dodoria; honestly it's amazing how many cowards work for Frieza. The only true brave troopers were the Ginyus. In the end they demanded to know who killed the most people to finally see who did better among the team. Yenma denied them the satisfaction and simply sent them to hell. They managed to give out one final pose before their fate was sealed. In the meantime, before and during the battles, many Namekians lost their lives. Seven villages, each with a dozen of them at max. They were a race of moralists and warmhearted hermits despite their dabbling with magic, so they were all sent to heaven. Chiaotzu and Master Roshi found more and more company around them as the Namekians came to watch the decisive battle for their planet in the crystal ball. Not only that, but also dozens of other souls came to watch if Frieza could really be defeated by someone.
As it happens, Dende became the sole native Namekian alive on the planet, as Nail fused with Piccolo and lord Guru ceased his own heartbeat to stop Vegeta's wish. The oldest Namekian came to face Yenma, who offered him the gates of heaven. However, Guru saw himself unfit to receive such reward. Hundreds of years ago he tried to save his race from destruction, but in the end he could only save himself. Now a second crisis struck and again he was powerless to do anything. Guru died with nothing but regret. Since Yenma didn't desire to send him to hell, Guru was given the secret third option. Yenma opened a portal to a dark void dimension known as the purgatory. Guru would wonder in this vast plane for how long he desires, until he either gives up or finds a way to forgive himself, and eventually reincarnate. Without wasting time, the old Guru steps in.
…
The story on Namek continued on with tragedy. The only one left to take down was Frieza, but it wasn't so easy. Vegeta was completely defeated by Frieza without even using his full power. In his last words, he confided in Goku to defeat this enemy and avenge his people, dying with tears in his eyes. Vegeta wasn't the most mystically knowledgeable guy, so he thought that would be it. He didn't expect to have all this other world bullshit waiting for him. When he got to Yenma he was already angry.
King Yenma proceeded to recite all of Vegeta's crimes in front of him, and that brought up a little joy to him in the end. Yenma pointed out how his list of sins are not different at all from Frieza; although he hated him, Vegeta was just like him in every way. "You fool! I never wished to be better than him! I simply wanted to destroy that bastard and everything he held dear!"
As a last poison, Yenma mocks Vegeta by saying that not only he failed to defeat Frieza, but still remained inferior to him in every other way even when it came down to evil. Vegeta calls him a big red oaf before the trapdoor takes him straight to hell, still cursing everyone there as he falls.
Sadly for the Z-warriors, Vegeta wasn't the last casualty.
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If there was someone who managed to get under Frieza's skin, it was Krillin. Despite his overwhelming weakness in comparison, his trickery and useful cowardice got the upper hand on Frieza several times, and almost got him killed by the Spirit Bomb. Once he unveiled his full power, Frieza gave Krillin the most violent death he could muster. But from Krillin's point of view, he popped like a balloon and immediately awakened in Yenma's line. He was still screaming in terror until he opened his eyes and realized his fate. He was glad that no one else of his friends were there with him, which means they were still alive.
He was escorted to Yenma's office. The man tried to give his cool speech to Krillin, but he was in too much of a rush to know how the fight was going. Yenma thought it was better to let him see with his own eyes once he reaches heaven.
Once there, it didn't take Krillin long to see the huge crowd of Namekians who were watching the fight. Though he died, his wish did come true, as he saw old Master Roshi for the first time in ten years. Master and pupil shared a long and teary hug, but eventually Krillin realized what they were watching. Apparently Goku got so nettled about his death that he realized an ancient magic prophecy of his race. His ki became so terrifying that he pretty much changed personalities. He spent the next hour torturing Frieza, until the coward decided to blow the planet to escape defeat. It didn't work.
The remaining Z-warriors managed to escape the planet while Goku stood behind to face Frieza. The battle carried on for a little longer until Goku managed to gain back his sense of reason, realizing the destruction they caused. He attempts to leave but Frieza was going insane, and attacked him from behind several times. In the end Goku exploded in rage one final time, blasting Frieza into oblivion with a powerful Kamehameha. The planet was sure to explode, thankfully Goku managed to get on a solo traveling pod and blast off. Namek was located in the West Galaxy, so King Kai couldn't reach Goku in time. To everyone it seemed like he died…
But since he didn't appear in heaven yet… that can only mean he's okay. King Kai allowed Krillin to say his goodbyes and relay the message to his friends once they were able to make contact. He said his farewell to everyone he knew, even the people back on Earth. It was an astounding victory, but the cost made it all far too tragic.
Two final people appeared in front of Yenma after Namek's explosion. Frieza thought everything before him was some kind of illusion or dream; he couldn't comprehend that he was actually defeated and killed. His psyche truly broke the more his reality became apparent. In the end Frieza was sent straight to hell, directly to a mental ward, rubber room and a straight jacket. Maybe one day he'll wake up to reality… maybe. And the second person was… frog Ginyu. Mr. Yenma just laughed at his face for twenty minutes straight, sending him to hell without any words. Not like he could speak in that form anyway.
…
In the near future, once the crisis was truly solved, Bulma and Yamcha had their wedding. King Kai used his magic and allowed Krillin, Chiaotzu and Master Roshi to appear on the photo shoot as one final gift. After that, the three warriors were on their own again. Krillin spent the rest of that year having fun with his old master in the afterlife. He was still very much curious and invested on what happens on Earth despite his condition. Goku was still missing in space, but eventually that too was cleared out. One day, not more than three months later, Goku managed to use a special technique and teleported himself to King Kai's planet. Unfortunately he couldn't use that as a shortcut; he would return exactly to the same place in the mortal realm.
Eventually Goku and his space friends managed to find him a way back to Earth. While he was at it, he had to defeat Frieza's father, King Cold. The battle was surprisingly easy; Cold did not expect this at all. He ended up being killed by the combined power of the Z-warriors.
Once in hell, Cold reacted exactly like Frieza. He was sent straight to his same cell at the mental ward. A few months later, his other son Cooler came to join him. That rubber room was the first place this family of evil people ever shared. The ogre therapists hoped that at least now that they are together, the three can help each other accept their reality and move on.
Krillin, Chiaotzu and Roshi watched on as a boy, claiming to be a time traveler and Yamcha's son arrived there. He told Goku about the androids that would kill him in three years, and also the heart problems he developed. The boy managed to give the Z-warriors all the information and tools to gain victory over these androids in this timeline, and so he departed.
All his friends back on Earth started training seriously to prepare, and Krillin felt left out. He decided to train again, and so he joined Chiaotzu and Roshi in Valhalla. After seeing Guldo fight, Chiaotzu was training to one day replicate his time-stopping technique. Krillin didn't have any crazy techniques to develop himself, so he thought it would be cool to find a partner to train with. Everyone there was pretty strong, having trained there for decades if not hundreds of years. But he was truly surprised to find out there was another Earthling in there… and he was actually the second strongest guy in the other world.
Olibu was the protector of planet Earth a century before master Roshi was born. He helped people defend themselves when there was more wilderness than civilization on the planet. He went so far back as to be master Mutaito's master; what makes him the master of the master of the master that trained Krillin. Olibu was born with much more potential than others, but his origins were unknown. Back then there was a legend about someone really strong who lived in a temple in the sky, who he thought could be his father. Olibu wanted answers from him, but there was no way to reach him by jumping. And so Olibu began building a tower, one that reached way above the clouds. Eventually that would be known as the great Korin Tower. Sadly, Olibu died of illness before he finished it. Above all else he wanted the opportunity to meet the man who lived up there, and maybe fight him.
After that story, Krillin begged Olibu to train him. He didn't know many crazy strong techniques despite his long centuries on Valhalla, but he made a promise to train Krillin to the best of his abilities. He had achieved such great power while alive and young, surely his potential is beyond the scale.
And so the three Earth baldies trained rigorously for the next three years. In that time they found ways to refine their techniques or even new uses for them. They enjoyed their times to the fullest, but eventually the fateful day was upon them.
…
…
Battle after battle, the warriors of Earth managed to stop the android menace. Android 19 was the only thing to lose its life, Goku coming to a close second due to his sudden cardiac arrest. Since he was an android with no soul, his termination was final.
With his ultimate defeat, Dr. Gero was forced to wake up androids 16, 17 and 18. Their power was absurd and they lacked control. They were rebellious, and their first order of business was killing the man who woke them up, easily.
Dr. Gero went to hell cursing and mumbling all the way to Yenma's office. He tried to convince the big man how the Red Ribbon Army would make the world the utopia that was always meant to be; how they would be benevolent rulers who wished to use the dragon balls for the greater good of Earth. Yenma had to break it down to the old coot that all General Red ever wanted was to gain a foot of height and nothing else. All that killing the Red Ribbon did was utterly, disgustingly and hilariously pointless. With his jaw dropped, Gero was sent to hell screaming "NOO!"
Gero was their first and only victim thus far. Soon after their victory, the androids decided to leave everyone alive. It was mysterious, but now they just needed a warrior powerful enough to take them down while Goku is out of commission. It ended up being Piccolo. He fused with the old King Piccolo who was still sealed in the lookout temple, and gained a power so incredible that the androids didn't stand a chance. He confronted the twins in one easy battle, but Piccolo refused to kill them. The adventures of yesterday with android 16 seemed to have changed their hearts for goods. The android crisis was solved with a simple talk, ultimately convincing 17 to fight his brainwashing and refuse his mission. It seemed to be over…
But of course, there's always a bigger fish. Cell, a biodroid from an alternate timeline, used his bizarre skills to overwhelm the three fighters, ultimately absorbing android 17 into himself to become stronger. The other warriors were forced to deal with him while Goku trained Gohan in the time chamber. It didn't end well, most ended half dead, but they successfully distracted Cell enough so then 18 could escape. But when it came down to save everyone else… Yamcha made the ultimate decision. He baited Cell into following him far away, where they battled. Yamcha fought with the greatest demonstration of all his skill and power, he sliced the moon with a new technique, but in the end he could only make Cell a bit bruised. Yamcha was defeated, and awaited his death by a shower of ki bullets raining from above.
He woke up Yenma's line, still loudly reacting to the pain despite not feeling it anymore. Everyone looked at him funny until he realized he was already dead. He was pretty much VIP so he was allowed to skip the line. Yenma praised the warrior for his sacrifice and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Yamcha was really flustered to be admired so much by a god. He entered heaven with a big smile, hoping to meet all his other buddies there.
Yamcha did find them, but it wasn't that warm of a welcome. He tried to get all emotional but everyone was dead focused on the crystal ball since the pursuit with Cell was still happening. "Hey! Is this how you treat an old friend?!"
They watched as Boku and 18 united to fight Cell, but it barely worked. Their rescue came from 16, who shot himself up to space with Cell, hoping to blow himself up and kill his opponent. But in the end 16 couldn't do it; it was far too risky to blow his reactor so close to Earth. Cell used his hesitation to destroy his body, stealing his reactor in order to achieve his perfect form.
Perfect Cell seemed unstoppable… for a total of a minute. Soon after, Goku and Gohan left the time chamber. He completely lost his mind once was notified of Yamcha's death, and went on to fight Cell alone. The battle was terrifying; Goku did not hold back. However, Cell inherited the Namekian ability to regenerate without suffering the great consequences thanks to the reactor, and his Saiyan genetics made him stronger for surviving. He used that to overwhelm Goku, who ended up near death for overusing Super Saiyan with his Kaioken. Goku was at death's door, but was saved by Gohan. Cell's ruthlessness had reached its peak, so he decided to kill the two in one blow, aiming at Goku and forcing Gohan to prepare.
However, just like in the past, Piccolo decided to give his life to protect his closest friends. With his final words, he convinced Gohan to use the rage inside that he always feared; though it might be evil and violent, this is the only power that can save everyone he loves. And so Piccolo died, with Goku not too far behind him. But with the ultimate sacrifice, Gohan achieved the power of the Superior Saiyan, a stronger version of the demonic power that was born out of his half-breed genetics. That power was enough to destroy Cell, but his regeneration abilities made him immortal. In the end, android 18 also sacrificed herself, stopping the ultra reactors inside Cell and forcing him back to his 2nd form. Surprisingly 17 was still alive, and Cell vomited his body out once his reactor served no purpose. In his defeat, Cell's only option was a suicide attack with the entire planet Earth.
But in the last minute, Goku made up a last plan to save everyone. He said his goodbyes to his son, and used the Instant Transmission to teleport into the other world. The only ki he could feel in there was King Kai, and that's where he ended up. Guilty as charged, he had to sacrifice his mentor's planet to save the world. Thankfully King Kai was a god that wouldn't die. Goku did not have the same luck. As Cell exploded, every atom that was once Goku ended pulverized.
…
Soon later Goku gained back consciousness, and he was on King Yenma's line again, this time as a dead man. He turned around to see King Kai, silently looking ahead. He didn't have a halo over his head, but everything he owned was destroyed. He began pulling Goku by the hair for a few minutes while screaming in his ear. It soon became clear that the fight wasn't over. Goku saw that Cell wasn't among them in the line… so he was still alive. They felt his ki reappear in the other world. He was fully healed and better than ever; back to his perfect form above all else. Cell flew at full power towards Yenma's castle in seconds, and demanded that the judge send him back to his planet. Since Cell was basically intruding there, Yenma had to comply with his wish. And so he struck his hammer and sent Cell back to Earth, ready for one final fight against Gohan.
The two met once again, and engaged in a final climactic showdown. Gohan was not alone though, he had his friends to help him, but also his father. Goku used King Kai as a phone in order to guide Gohan one final time. Tien used a sneak attack to weaken Cell, creating the perfect moment for Gohan's ultimate Kamehameha to destroy everything, down to the last particle. The day was saved, and all the sacrifices weren't in vain.
With the battle done, Goku and King Kai could finally stop making a scene in the soul line. Cell explosion left the whole office on hold, but now the repairs were done and the line started going again. Once it was Goku's turn, he ended up meeting Piccolo by the door. He decided to wait until Goku also kicked the bucket so they could have a final chat. He was expecting to go straight to hell but now his last words were awkward to mention.
The two were judged by Yenma, and he had really big remarks about the two. First Piccolo, and he got more and more annoyed with every word Yenma said.
"Piccolo Jr, you stand before me today as one of the greatest examples of this good universe we work in. Despite your upbringing and your father's intentions, you grew to become a strong warrior that eventually saw the error of your ways. Soon you devoted yourself to your planet and your friends, sacrificing yourself time and time again for both. You used your powers in order to fight the evil and selfish, ultimately making the universe a better place. You are a shining example of how even the most wicked hearts can change, and I hope many others can turn out the same as you-"
"CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH IT?!" Piccolo shouted.
"oh- right, sorry! You can go to heaven. So now… Son Goku…
Oh, Goku! Born Kakarot and later changed your name on Earth, your whole life was nothing but causing trouble! Your recklessness was a constant origin of annoyance and peril for many of your friends. You allowed your son to suffer at the hands of your greatest enemy while you blissfully ran Snake Way in search of training. You stand accused of helping to destroy planet Namek, which was one of the oldest planets ever created in this universe! Not only that, but your death was the nexus point that caused the flow of time to be disturbed in an attempt to save you; which I don't know how to fix by the way! You selfishly destroyed the planet of the King Kai of the North, who's the only one of the four who ever offered himself to personally train mortals in need, and this is how you repay him?! Not only that but the explosion destroyed the entirety of Snake Way- which took my employees about a hundred years to build, mind you- And lastly, LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY OFFICE!"
Goku was looking really scared while Piccolo chuckled to himself. It took Yenma a while to quarrel his anger; he took a deep breath and said, "But… you are a major player in the salvation of the universe, you made an infinite number of lives better with your actions, with feats of heroism so great that that they might be told till the end of time. So, against my better judgment, I guess you can go to heaven along with Piccolo. I might throw in some community service in your sentence there, but for now you're good. Now please go right through that door."
…
…
Not too long after that, Cell also ended up before Yenma's desk. It was a very difficult case to make due to the time travel shenanigans. Cell was not evil; he was a hypocrite, but he didn't actually do anything bad for the sake of sadism. All the earthlings he killed were absorbed by him in his first form, in which he had no control and couldn't therefore be responsible for his actions; quite like an animal. Once he acquired proper consciousness he tried his best to not harm anyone who didn't deserve it. He threatened to blow up the Earth, but Piccolo and Goku did the same and went to heaven so that didn't count. All the three warriors he killed can be easily justified as rightful vengeance or self defense for having ruined his life in his future. Cell's plans were righteous despite being brutal and unforgiving. Should he just reincarnate him in the mortal realm immediately? Yenma was having a hard time making a decision. In the end Cell decided for himself.
"If I lost, then perhaps I was wrong; only time will tell. I don't care what happens now, but I would hate to spend a single second in the same place as those miserable imbeciles." Cell said. He walked over to the nearby window and jumped off into the yellow clouds below. "I will wait for the day when I get my final answer. Goodbye, big red man."
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It didn't take long for Goku and Piccolo to find the rest of the gang in heaven, and surely it was a long time coming reunion. Seeing master Roshi again drove Goku to tears. He never got to say goodbye to him back then; the last thing they did as master and pupil was Goku ignoring his orders as he pursued revenge. Not only that but his other unfortunate friends were also there; they were sad that Goku ended up dying, but also happy that they could meet again. Krillin had gotten really strong in his time there; Goku couldn't believe it. King Kai soon arrived; pissed but still willing to help the gang who did such good things for his galaxy. Apparently the dragon team on Earth used the dragon balls to undo all the damage of the planet, and so King kAI offered the three warriors a chance to say their final goodbyes to their families. Their words turned heartbreak into hope, and in the end Gohan promised to take care of planet Earth for his father. And so the line was cut. The world, the universe, and their families were safe as far as they can see. Death couldn't be better.
…
Now when it came to Goku, he did not mind anything else in heaven other than the good food. He was given permission to enter the Valhalla grounds along with Piccolo, and he was raring to continue his training for as long as his soul allows. His enthusiasm was contagious; the other warriors and his master felt like joining him. However, Piccolo was disgusted by heaven, and simply took flight to as far away as possible. He told Goku to not bother him unless he wants trouble, and so he disappeared.
King Kai lost his planet, so he was forced to move with Bubbles and Gregory to the old Kai temple that he hated. He was constantly teased and bullied by the other three King Kais for having his precious planet destroyed. Those four hated each other with such passion that it was comical. Their bickering eventually grew so heated that North Kai challenged the other three to a tournament. He was going to prove that his galaxy created the strongest warriors in the universe, and so the Other World Tournament was announced.
The Z-warriors were excited by the chance to use their abilities against the other dead warriors there. King Kai did his best to get his boys in the absolute peak shape. I mean, seriously, how could he possibly lose this tournament with the strongest Namekian and the Super Saiyan on his team, plus all the astounding Earthlings he had? This was gonna be a piece of cake.
…
Fast forward a month and the tournament was about to begin.
The gigantic coliseum was finally put into use, as every single soul residing in heaven wanted to watch the greatest fights of all time. While he prepared, Goku was surprised to meet his grandpa again; now both are dead. Old grandpa Gohan was proud of what Goku became, but he admitted to being too old and confused to understand all that story about him being an alien with a magic transformation and such. Though he only took care of Goku for seven years, he still had a lot of love in his heart for his old grandpa. He apologizes for killing him in the great ape form, but Gohan doesn't mind that. He was hoping to see Goku win one for the North Galaxy after three centuries of losses. Grandpa Gohan would stay to see the conclusion of the fight before he heads back to hell to continue his therapeutic rehab gig. God bless that man.
The tournament rules were simple: Five fighters for each Galaxy, fighting in a team elimination style. Which galaxy fought which was decided on a D4 roll. The galaxy with the last fighter standing would be crowned the strongest in the universe for the next century.
North Kai had the absolute best team possible; Goku, Piccolo, Olibu, Yamcha and Krillin. The other Kais won't know what hit them… but in fact they did. They were fully aware how strong his fighters were, but they had a trick up their sleeve. With careful consideration and an understanding of all the facts, they demanded a re-qualification of King Kai's fighters.
The rules were simple, a fighter would represent his home galaxy in the tournament. Two of King Kai's fighters couldn't compete for his team. Goku, regardless of the fact that he lived on Earth for as long as he can remember, or all the power and nationality he acquired there, he was still a Saiyan born on planet Vegeta… and planet Vegeta… was in the East Galaxy.
King Kai's face sunk, but it was true. They showed where it used to be on the universal map. Goku would have to fight for the East Galaxy, paired up with freak aliens who he never saw before, but were quite strong. King Kai ordered Goku to withdraw from the tournament, but he trained too much to give up now.
This was bad, but at least King Kai still has Piccolo. But that wasn't over. West Kai had an argument to make. He demanded that Piccolo also join his team, as he was a Namekian. Planet Namek used to be near the border between the two Galaxies, but to his luck it was accurately 5 million kilometers to the West; half a millimeter on the universal map. North Kai argued that Piccolo was from Earth; born and raised regardless of his race, but there was a catch.
Piccolo once fused with a warrior from Namek, and then he went back to Earth. In essence he's 50% from West Galaxy, and so he demanded a coin flip to decide which team he goes to. Grand Kai, the managing supervisor of the King Kais and the judge of this tournament, allowed West Kai and North Kai to decide.
North Kai lost. His two strongest warriors were gone; he was forced to switch Goku and Piccolo for Chiaotzu and master Roshi. He just assumed he would lose pathetically so he started drinking booze and lost interest, but the team of Earthlings promised to win to the best of their abilities. Piccolo was glad this happened; he told Goku to not lose, as he would want to fight him in the finals like how they first met. This time he would win.
…
…
The Z-warriors proceeded to fight their personal fodder matches, with Yamcha defeating Arqua from East Galaxy using a more refined version of his red ki blade, now officially named it Leiken. Its cutting ability is so strong that it creates a space vacuum where it slices, drawing opponents towards the slash. He used that to shoot Arqua out of his water arena and out of bounds. Everyone laughs since this was the first time Yamcha passed the first round; sadly he couldn't do it while alive.
Krillin was next, and he had to fight Papoi from the South Galaxy. He was much stronger than Krillin, but the baldy learned a new move while training with Olibu; The Indestructible Body Technique. By hunching down and focusing his ki on his spine, Krillin's bones would acquire an absurd level of resistance and weight, allowing him to tank attacks much more powerful than normal, but the technique rendered him incapable of moving while he used it. The opponent figured that he couldn't attack and defend with that skill at the same time, but he was wrong. Once Papoi attacked again, he was surprised by a sudden Kienzan that Krillin had tossed earlier in the fight. Thankfully all spirit bodies inside have no blood or laws applied to it, so the arena didn't turn into a gore mess. Krillin won.
Unfortunately for Chiaotzu and master Roshi, their first opponents were Goku and Piccolo.
Goku never fought Chiaotzu and was excited to see what he was made off. The fight began and Chiaotzu didn't move; rather, it seemed like Goku was nearly sent out of bounds on his own. Chiaotzu had learned how to stop time with his psychic powers for five seconds, and he used them to almost win by pushing Goku off the arena. Goku tried to use the same trick Krillin did a long time ago, throwing math questions to make Chiaotzu lose focus. However, the boy realize his flaw and studied math really hard, being able to answer algebra 2 questions with his head in five seconds flat. Chiaotzu tried the same trick several times; he almost won again by freezing time, spinning Goku around as he charged, and make him almost crash against the wall. Goku had experience fighting this kind of ability, so he started using his speed to force Chiaotzu to keep using time stop again and again. He warned the little guy not to do it, but it was too late. Chiaotzu used too much of his psychic abilities without knowing his limits, and so his head exploded, just like when Goku fought Hit in Eltron. Thankfully his headless body can move; he forfeits the match, seeing he still has much to train with this ability. Chiaotzu spends the entire following tournament without his head, merely sensing the fight with the energy signatures as he complains not being able to see.
Next up was the turtle master versus the green demon. Piccolo told Roshi to drop the travesty and give up already, but master Roshi wasn't willing to forfeit before he even tried out his new technique. And so he activated his Max Power form, gaining height and muscle mass to his old body. He stood there and told Piccolo to give his best shot. He accepted the challenge, and prepared a Light Grenade to throw at Roshi. It was a powerful ki bomb that could most likely erase every bit of master Roshi, taking him at least a day for his spirit body to reform. But that wasn't the case.
Master Roshi used the Mafuba technique, not on Piccolo, but on his incoming attack. He managed to trap the energy into a green vortex of ki surrounding his body, spinning around in a dance. And so with that he was able to redirect the attack perfectly back at Piccolo, who was forced to block. This new style was called The Mafuba Dance. The explosion was almost enough to put Piccolo on his knee; master Roshi, despite being thousands of times weaker, was still at the top of his game. This new style could be used to fight back against really powerful foes with their own power. Needless to say, the old man earned his respect. Piccolo tried to rush him down hand to hand, but the master used the Thundershock Surprise technique to freeze him in place every time he approached. Eventually Piccolo found a way to put the old man to bed. He used a new technique; Hellzone Grenade. He surrounded master Roshi with a hundred ki bombs that stood still in the air, impeding his escape from all directions. Then he shot all of them towards him at the same time. The Mafuba Dance couldn't counter this continuous attack from all sides, and Piccolo managed to defeat the old master by hitting him once. He offered Roshi his hand and walked him out of the arena, taking his time to apologize for his death at the hands of Piccolo's father.
…
A few more fights in between the galaxies happened after that, but they struggled to be as impressive as the ones before. Eventually Krillin was put up to fight against a powerful warrior from the West Galaxy. He and Piccolo had been eyeing each other for a while, recognizing their strengths. It was Pikkon, a green warrior who has been dead for who knows how long. He was fabled to be the strongest warrior in the other world for a really long time. In his fight against Krillin he showed supremacy, no matter how many tricks he had up his sleeve. Pikkon also had a bunch of tricks on himself as well, and it wouldn't take long for Krillin to be overwhelmed. He busted two new moves in this fight; the Defensive Kienzan and the Mega Solar Flare. The first technique was performed by making a Kienzan with a hole in the middle, and he would use it as a hula hoop that cuts opponents that tried to approach. The Mega Solar Flare was an advanced version of the same technique, using Krillin's bald head as a way to reflect the sunlight and add an even stronger bright explosion to the technique, capable of blinding people through their glasses and eyelids for whole minutes. However, Pikkon was incredibly adept at sensing energy and could fight Krillin even while blind, ultimately winning the fight and disqualifying Krillin.
With Yamcha singlehandedly eliminating the rest of the South Galaxy team, it came time for the final battles to take place. Goku ended up having his much awaited match against Pikkon, while Piccolo was set to fight Olibu. Those were some intense fights. They were forced to put up magic shields to protect the audience from being destroyed in the battle. In the end, the outcome was completely unexpected. The two newcomers who haven't been in Valhalla for a year turned out to be the strongest around.
Pikkon was actually glad to be defeated, as the last three hundred years of training in the afterlife grew boring and uneventful. He thanks Goku for giving him the fight he always wanted, and making all this training worthwhile. While for Piccolo and Olibu, midway through their battle Piccolo revealed that he was in fact the man in the sky temple of Earth. He fused with Kami years back, and thus gained some of his memories. Kami always regretted not being able to interact with Olibu or cure him from his illness, as by then he was still an apprentice to the former guardian of Earth, and prohibited from helping the other mortals. Piccolo offered Olibu the ultimate fight to his heart's content. By the end he was smiling in pure joy despite losing terribly, and so Olibu conceded the victory to Piccolo.
The semi finals couldn't be more hyped up. Only three fighters remained; Goku from the East, Piccolo of the West, and the extremely worried Yamcha of the North. There would be no damn dice roll this time, Piccolo wanted to fight Goku right now. Actually no… he wanted to fight the legendary Super Saiyan.
And so it was on. Their fight was completely devastating, but pretty balanced. Goku at Super Saiyan matched Piccolo at his best base form. Just like in the past they completely ignored the rules and proceeded to continue fighting even as the arena of pure Katchin was destroyed. Goku relied on his trickiness and savage way of fighting, while Piccolo decided to play it smart and strategic. At that point Piccolo advanced his Makankosappo so much that he could fire it instantly and control its movements, even forcing the piercing blast to take a 90 degree turn instantly if he wanted. Goku ended up getting pierced through the chest; this time Piccolo didn't miss all his vital organs, but the technique turns out to be kind of worthless if they can't die, so Goku just shrugs off the massive hole in his stomach. In fact, that reminded him… he doesn't have to worry about dying. And so Goku used the Kaioken in addition to Super Saiyan. It still hurts like hell in the end, but at least he wouldn't die from it so he just ignores the pain completely. That got him the advantage from then on.
But to the utmost surprise of everyone… Piccolo had a final trump card this time around; a move to counter the Kaioken with its own brand of terrible consequences. He learned this move once he fused with his father, King Piccolo. Piccolo used some sort of demonic technique to exchange future years of his long Namekian lifespan in exchange of power. He visibly became older and a little bit shorter as he used it, but now Piccolo gained temporarily enough power to beat Super Saiyan Kaioken Goku in a battle, ending the arduous battle with a simultaneous strike on each other. Goku fell to the floor first, and soon later also Piccolo, winning the fight by a ten second difference.
Piccolo won the battle that he always wanted; in fact Goku would be pretty dead right now if they weren't dead already. Next he expected to defeat Yamcha and get crowned strongest in the other world, but… no.
They literally broke every single rule in the pursuit of their ultimate battle; Piccolo and Goku were both disqualified like half an hour ago. Nobody called it off the match because it was just too damn impressive and cool to stop. Grand Kai now had to pick a winner, and Yamcha was the only one available. And so, without ever fighting anyone actually that strong, Yamcha became the champion of the other world. More importantly, it was clear to everyone that the North Galaxy had the absolute best warriors of all time. The other Kais were forced to admit it to North King Kai, but he was sleeping peacefully by the benches. He drank so much booze that he ended up sleeping throughout the amazing fight.
Yamcha spent the next hour boasting his victory, to which only Goku congratulated him. Once their fight was over, Piccolo took a sip of that de-aging water, taking back his youth and extra ten centimeters in height. He claimed absolute victory over Goku, since he could go even further in power and defeat Goku at the cost of becoming an old man. Piccolo was much more than satisfied, while Goku promised to catch up and take his title back.
…
The end of the tournament came with a surprising farewell. With their final wishes granted at last, Pikkon and Olibu decided to "peace out" as they call it. It was time to move on from heaven and reincarnate in the mortal realm again after centuries of training. They hoped to continue being strong warriors in the next life, and hoped that one day they could meet again with the Z-warriors. If they ever feel a sliver of their familiar ki signature, they were more than welcomed to challenge them again. All the warriors and Kais of the other world watched on as Olibu and Pikkon began walking down the empty green fields ahead. Their bodies soon fade away, and their spirits fly out into the sky. Whoever they come back as, those guys will surely be strong.
Now it was time for the Z-warriors to keep on their daily deaths, determined to get even stronger by each other.
…
…
…
"Goku, stop pacing back and forth and come here already- it's done!" said Krillin.
Nine months had passed since their deaths, and back on Earth they received a little surprise. Chi-chi was pregnant with another baby. For once Goku didn't feel like training; he was really excited to see how this one would turn out. Would it be a boy or a girl? Who would it look like? Will he grow to be strong too? The answer to all his questions soon came as Chi-chi and Gohan left the hospital with a tailed baby boy, who looked exactly like Goku. Apparently it was commonplace for Saiyans of the same family tree to share a family haircut; this new boy seems to have slightly stronger genetics than Gohan. Chi-chi named him Goten, because on second thought, Einstein was a bit forced.
Years later, once Goten came to age 5, Tien went on to train him along Dina and Boku in his many bizarre ways, such as volleyball and waterfall punching. Those kids had some massive potential; it didn't take long for them to reach a high level being trained by the right hands. It seemed life couldn't possibly go wrong.
…
Fast forward two years, and everything went wrong.
At first everything was normal and happy. Gohan went to high school and got a girlfriend, which Yamcha, Roshi and Krillin used as ammunition to endlessly tease Goku every day until he got angry. That girl was more like a Saiyan than Gohan ever was, and the two continued to train for the next year in all the spare time they had. Once Piccolo heard the news, his only response was: "… gross."
Eventually it came time for the 25th martial arts tournament, and Goku really wanted to participate. He couldn't wait to see how strong his sons had turned out to be, and was willing to be brought back to Earth by Baba one last day to meet them again. However, he never got the opportunity. King Kai straight up prohibited Goku from doing so. By universal law, a spirit can only come back for one day to the mortal realm, and King Kai didn't want Goku to spend his single day on that. King Kai vaguely explains that the Z-warriors might still have use for their power in the future, and that's why they need to wait. He says as if he knows something is coming soon. Goku decided to obey his master and stayed in heaven, watching on with his friends as the tournament took place.
And brother… shit couldn't get worse if they tried.
Earth happened to be invaded by a bunch of demons that day, and the warriors were forced to try and stop them. They began some sort of revival of a powerful demon that killed the Supreme Kais a million years ago. In the end the heroes were too late, and the ultimate monster was born; a pink fat goo man in a cape.
Most Majins are immortal when inside the demon realm, but since they were killed in the mortal realm it was up for Yenma to judge them. Puipui, Yakon and Dabura were the first ones to die, killed in the battles against Gohan, Videl and Tien. Demons and gods had this rivalry with them, and Yenma was more than pleased to make them suffer. Not by sending them to hell, but heaven. The three demons hated all the goodness and pleasure there so much that they went insane, while also being powerless to destroy anything. Perhaps that was a little bit of overkill on Yenma's part. He readjusted his sentence once they became a nuisance to other people, sending them to the prettiest place in hell, forced to be entertained by kind toy characters all day.
The crisis on Earth continued as the warriors tried any and all plans in order to survive, but in the end it wasn't needed. Mr. Satan single handedly saved the world by nurturing the evil Buu into understanding empathy and love. Their victory was short lived, as unfortunate circumstances made the evil in Buu take over. There was only one person in the planet who could buy time for the others, and that was Tien.
The strongest Earthling fought the ancient demon with literally all he had. His friends watched on, surprised to see Tien flawlessly replicate their techniques to aid him in the fight. Regardless of how many skills he had, Buu was intricately designed to be unstoppable, even by godly standards. His last resort was the ultimate combination of all natural energy on Earth, plus all of his own into a single point. Tien's ultimate technique, the Saigoho.
Despite its power that matches that of the Super Saiyan for a second, the attack couldn't erase Buu from existence. He hid pieces of himself away and used them to reform. Buu was back at full strength while Tien was at death's door. The three kids eventually came to his rescue, but his fate was long sealed. In a last attempt to protect them, Tien ate a blast that put him down for good.
…
He woke up soon after on the line of spirits. He looked at his halo and soon understood his fate, but the battle on Earth was still going; he needed to know what happened. Tien suddenly made a lightspeed dash to Yenma's office. He appeared there in a fraction of a second.
"Oh, hi Tien-"
Before Yenma could finish, he disappeared again. He took a turn in the other room and soon found Snake Way. He ran it all in five seconds, but soon realized that it was still under construction after Goku blew it up. He ran back to Yenma's office.
"Oh, hi Tien-"
"Where is King Kai?!"
"Uh- heaven? That door right there-"
Tien blasted through the gates of heaven without even caring to hear his sentence and verdict. Soon he found the others watching the battle with King Kai through the crystal ball. He completely ignored the rest and asked King Kai to speak to his pupils as they fight Majin Buu. Goten was currently fighting the demon in his Great Ape form, and through King Kai's telepathy he warned Boku of the perfect time to use the Mafuba. Then he talked to his two daughters, urging them to grow back some courage and help Boku otherwise he would die. The plan was successful, as Buu was trapped inside a container that shot into space. Lastly, Tien talked to Goten, making him wake up to heal the others.
After the most stressful twenty minutes of his life, Tien could finally fall on his back. Buu was defeated, the kids were alive, and the world was saved. "That was pretty cool, Tien."
That familiar high-pitched voice startled Tien awake. Now he has time to truly process his death, and sees that his long-lost friend Chiaotzu was right in front of him. He helps Tien get up as the two share a handshake. "You did great! You managed to go way above what everyone thought you could. Our master was wrong after all. The path you took brought you so far. I envy you."
The two friends and pupils bow to each other, but soon Tien realized he was surrounded by his other friends. They congratulated him for what looked like the greatest fight of the century; his power was so great that they had to get another crystal ball. The good old friends celebrate the ultimate victory until terrible… a terrible fate comes knocking back.
…
The seal tag for the Mafuba was spent. Even if it wasn't, who knows if it would work anyway. Buu easily freed himself from his prison in a massive explosion, and came back to confront the warriors of Earth. The kids, then the androids, then Videl and finally Gohan. All of them had been training to the max and developing new skills and power to try and fight Buu. None of it worked; the day was truly saved by Dende with the help of circumstance.
The twin androids and Dende managed to escape the insides of Majin Buu, causing a chain reaction that changed him permanently. He was back to his primordial form as Kid Buu, and the battle continued on to the other world. Gohan and Videl tried one last time to fight the monster, but it was still a hopeless battle. They needed the ultimate power of the strongest Spirit Bomb in order to do the deed. With the help of Kibito, Dende and all the four King Kais, a great sum of energy from all over the universe was reunited in a single attack. But that wasn't enough in the end. The Spirit Bomb still needed more power, but the dead warriors were powerless to intervene as the gates of heaven don't open from inside.
"Damn it, we're worthless! There's got to be something we can do!" said Piccolo.
Just then, King Kai took an incoming call.
…
…
…
For millions of years and countless iterations of this universe, King Yenma's sole job was to look at files all day and judge souls. It was boring, but he at least received the godly ability to never feel tired. He never took any risks in his job; so far it was never worth it. But now he realizes something. This was it; there won't be warriors any stronger than this. If Kid Buu wins, the universe is doomed. He'll have to judge trillions of souls again, and soon the universe would reset from the bottom. He decided to take the ultimate risk, betting everything into this universe, and getting him some time off for the first time since time itself.
"North King Kai, can you hear me?" said Yenma to his desk phone.
"Yes Mr. Yenma, what is it?"
"Tell your strongest boys to reunite all their energy right now. I'm gonna open the gates so then it can pass through," said Yenma, blazing one last cigar.
"But, if you do that-"
"Yeah I know. Don't care, just do it. I feel like that Saiyan boy might be the warrior we were waiting for this whole time. I don't think we will ever get a chance like this again. He needs to live. Just do as I say."
Yenma got up from his chair, telling his trustworthy employees what to do after he's gone; assigning them each of the roles he was supposed to fulfill. The warriors in the other world did as they were told, gathering a ball of energy in the sky for the Spirit Bomb. It suddenly shot towards the gates of heaven, and just then Yenma opened the door. The energy flies into his office and blows up his roof on its way to the Spirit Bomb, but this time Yenma wasn't mad. Actually… It was kind of funny all along.
Allowing the dead to directly interfere with the living instantly drew consequences. Yenma just disobeyed the godly rules that he was supposed to follow, and for that he was stripped of his title. He started disappearing into thin air, and with a last puff of smoke… he was gone.
The energy was the decisive piece that allowed Gohan to defeat Kid Buu, saving the universe with the help of billions of people. Throughout the galaxy people celebrated their victory, even in the other world. With the most powerful demon of all time defeated, all evil emperors were long gone, and with the strongest warriors still alive… It felt like such a perfect conclusion. The fighters who sacrificed so much were allowed to go back and live normal and happy lives, while their dear fathers, friends and mentors watched on from heaven.
Yenma's employees managed to work together and do his job in his place, struggling to move his giant objects. It didn't take long for Kid Buu to appear there; he was like an angry monkey that couldn't understand the reality he was in. In his last notes, Yenma had a final remark. He ordered that Kid Buu be sent to the Purgatory; no heaven or hell for him. They didn't knew what he was planning, but they decided to abide by his last wish. The demon would have a lot of time to think and grow in there, unbothered by anything else.
Long after the battle was over, everyone in the other world was still celebrating, except for someone. Goku noticed King Kai's ominous expression.
"What's wrong, King Kai?"
"Oh Goku… I wish I could tell you it was over. But we're not done yet. There's one final trial for you mortals to surpass; one final enemy. It's been five million years, Goku… time is up. Any day now… the judgment day will begin."
"What do you mean, King Kai?" Krillin asked.
"The end of all things. The end of this universe. I don't know how much time we got, but you eight need to keep on training. I kept you here in fear that this day would come. Soon enough… he will wake up. And when he does… there will be… destruction."
…
…