Hesitation?
This was a desolate mountain range.
Judging from the broken branches and fallen leaves all around, this had once been a dense forest full of lush trees. But clearly, it had been deliberately destroyed.
Or rather, once it became Piccolo's training ground for Son Gohan, it was destined to end up like this.
Piccolo and Son Gohan stood where they were, gazing into the distant sky. They could sense two astonishing ki signatures approaching from that direction at a terrifying speed.
Putting aside the intensity of their ki, that terrifying speed alone made a bead of cold sweat trickle down Piccolo's forehead.
"They're here?"
But then he sneered. What rose in his heart was not fear, but naked killing intent. So what if they were strong? He was the strongest—Demon King Piccolo.
"P-Piccolo Uncle..."
Beside him, Son Gohan nervously swallowed, making Piccolo frown. This kind of fear before battle was absolutely unacceptable, but he did not blame the boy. Even if he was Son Goku's son, he was still only five years old.
At that moment, the clouds in the sky were ripped apart. Four figures shot toward them at high speed, piercing through the clouds like sharp arrows before landing beside Piccolo and the other two in the blink of an eye.
"Tch, so it's you lot. Did you come here to die?"
Piccolo tensed at first, then a mocking smile curled across his lips. Looking at the four distinctly different figures—a short bald man, a child, a three-eyed man—he continued, "If your training over the past year didn't amount to much, I suggest you leave while you still can. You can feel the strength of those two ki signatures, can't you?"
These four were Son Goku's companions: Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, and Krillin, who had once regarded