West City!

"What is that power? Gohan?"

Krillin had been chatting with everyone when he suddenly looked toward the horizon. He sensed a powerful presence flying toward them at incredible speed.

Could that be Gohan's energy? How had it grown so powerful in just ten days?

"What? You said my Gohan is here?"

When Chi-Chi heard Krillin, she looked in the same direction.

Suddenly, a strange gust of wind swept through. Everyone struggled to keep their footing, and when the wind died down, a young man stood before them.

Everyone here had their own take on the young man who had just arrived.

"Th-that was fast! I sensed that presence far away just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, it was here. Are you Gohan?"

Of everyone there, Krillin had the sharpest eyesight. He quickly made out the newcomer's face.

His rugged features and height were nothing like Son Gohan's, but there was no mistaking his energy.

What's more, a tail just like the one Son Gohan had as a child grew from the newcomer's backside.

"Are you my Gohan? What happened to you? How did you change so much?"

A mother's heart knew her child. Chi-Chi quickly recognized the boy she hadn't seen in ten days and hurried over to Son Gohan, her eyes brimming with tears.

In just ten days, all the baby fat had vanished from his face.

He was also 1.4 meters tall. No wonder Krillin hadn't recognized him at first—he'd undergone a complete transformation.

"Mom, I'm back."

Son Gohan hadn't seen Chi-Chi in two years. He pulled her into his arms.

In his previous life, he'd never experienced the warmth of family. Now that he'd unexpectedly found himself in Son Gohan's body, he treasured this bond.

After hearing Chi-Chi's words, Krillin finally realized the newcomer was Son Gohan.

"Wow, is this really Gohan? He's so handsome!"

Once Bulma confirmed who the newcomer was, she couldn't resist teasing him.

It had only been ten days since they'd last seen Son Gohan, but now he looked so different that none of them had recognized him.

"Bulma, your boyfriend is Yamcha. Besides, Gohan's still a kid."

Hearing Bulma's comment, Krillin thought she was getting starry-eyed again.

He couldn't help reminding her.

"Honestly, Krillin, your mind is so dirty!"

Bulma rolled her eyes at him, looking thoroughly disgusted.

He really had no sense of romance.

"Bulma, you've gotten prettier too."

After Son Gohan and Chi-Chi had embraced for a while and exchanged a few words, he teased Bulma as well.

Seeing everyone again filled Son Gohan with joy.

That was a welcome change from spending more than two years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber without speaking to anyone.

"Ohoho, looks like our Gohan really has grown up. He's gotten so good at giving compliments."

"Now that you're here, we can get going."

What woman didn't like being told she was pretty? Bulma was no exception.

She headed for the spaceship first and called, "Piccolo!"

A lift lowered from the bottom of the ship, and Krillin and the others stepped aboard.

"Gohan, remember to wash your hair tonight. I've already prepared your schoolwork, so make sure you study hard."

Chi-Chi gave Son Gohan a worried look as she spoke.

"I will!"

Son Gohan waved goodbye. Bulma raised the lift, told everyone to fasten their seat belts, then went to the spaceship's control panel and set a course for Planet Namek.

Frieza's headquarters!

"Lord Cui, Prince Vegeta's spaceship has returned."

A Dog-headed Soldier from the Frieza Force's Surveillance Department spotted a spaceship approaching headquarters on the monitor.

He immediately reported it to the highest-ranking officer there, Lord Cui.

"Come on. Let's see whether he's dead."

Cui's voice was cold. A few days earlier, Vegeta's ship had sent out a distress signal, saying he was badly injured and needed treatment.

After more than ten days of travel, his spaceship had finally returned.

A short while later, Vegeta's spaceship landed at Frieza's headquarters, and the hatch slowly opened.

"Hahaha! My Prince Vegeta, so this is what you look like now! You're usually so full of yourself. What happened this time—you finally got your ass kicked?"

When Cui and the others saw Vegeta unconscious, his body covered in injuries and the ship's emergency treatment system activated, they were delighted by his condition.

"You lot, hurry up and take Vegeta to the Treatment Room!"

Seeing that Vegeta was unconscious and so badly injured, the Dog-headed Soldier knew he would die without immediate treatment.

Cui didn't object. He couldn't stand Vegeta's arrogant attitude, but it wasn't time to kill him yet.

Across the vastness of space, a streak of white light sped through the cosmos.

As the view drew closer, the light turned out to be a spherical spaceship. Inside lay Vegeta, gravely wounded after his battle on Earth.

"Ugh, I'm so bored. I should've brought a hibernation pod."

Bulma ate snacks and watched a soap opera, complaining as she went.

"Gohan, how strong are you, exactly? Can I see?"

Krillin asked, his curiosity plain to see.

He wanted to find out just how powerful Son Gohan was.

Knowing that would put his mind a little more at ease.

"Sure. I'll show you what I can do."

Son Gohan began slowly releasing his energy.

A powerful pressure hit Krillin at once, and cold sweat covered his forehead.

Suddenly, the spaceship began to shake.

"Hey! What are you two doing? If you want to fight, go to the Training Room! We're in space! If something happens to the ship, we're finished!"

Bulma shouted. The safety of all three of them was at stake.

If something went wrong with the ship in space, the consequences were unthinkable.

"Sorry. I was already being really careful with my energy."

Son Gohan compressed his energy, and the spaceship stopped shaking.

He apologized, embarrassed.

"That pressure was terrifying. It was so intense I almost couldn't stay on my feet."

Krillin patted his chest, still looking scared.

A moment earlier, he'd felt as if he'd seen a ghost. He'd been trembling in fear.

Standing before that overwhelming presence, he could barely move.

"Krillin, why don't we make the most of the time and train? The stronger we are, the safer we'll be."

Son Gohan knew they'd run into the Cosmic Emperor, Frieza, on their trip to Planet Namek.

He hoped Krillin would get stronger, too. They'd have a better chance of making it through.

"With a teammate as powerful as you, what have I got to worry about?"

Krillin looked pleased with himself. After seeing Gohan's strength, he felt a little more at ease.

He often reassured himself that the trip would be safe, but the universe was full of unknown dangers.

"Then let's head to the Training Room and spar."

Son Gohan wanted to use the time to collect some Battle Power attributes. Every little bit helped!

Hearing Krillin, he couldn't help smiling.

Some people had no determination to get stronger and always wanted to rely on others.

Earthlings had their limits, but first you had to be determined to grow stronger.

If you didn't even want to get stronger, how could anyone help you?