Piccolo Jr.

Three months after the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, the egg cracked.

"Crack—"

Master Roshi stood guard beside the egg, his white beard trembling, his eyes full of tension. When the shell finally broke apart, a tiny green baby crawled out—

Like Son Goku years ago, Piccolo had been born as a baby. But unlike Goku, there was no innocence in his eyes, only cold hatred.

"Piccolo... the Great Demon King..." Little Piccolo spoke, his voice hoarse and ancient. "I... will have my revenge..."

Master Roshi looked at him without a word. He simply reached out and gently picked him up.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" Little Piccolo struggled, but his infant body was too weak.

"You must be hungry, huh?" Master Roshi smiled kindly and took a strip of dried fish from his robes. "Here, Grandpa will feed you."

Little Piccolo froze.

He looked at the dried fish, then at the kind smile of the white-bearded old man before him. The hatred in his eyes... wavered ever so slightly.

"I... I won't eat it!"

"If you don't eat, you'll get hungry," Master Roshi said, pushing the dried fish into his mouth. "Come on, be good and open up—ahh—"

Little Piccolo: "..."

He took a bite without thinking.

It was... delicious? Really delicious!

He gobbled up the little fish in just a few bites.

"That's the way," Master Roshi said, holding him and rocking him gently. "From now on, your name is Piccolo. Remember, a martial artist must never go hungry."

Little Piccolo lay in Master Roshi's arms, his green eyes gazing at the sky. The hatred in his heart seemed to have been gently stirred by something...

"What's with this old man?"

"Why... didn't he kill me?"

Half a year after the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.

After learning the Kaio-ken and Spirit Bomb on King of Worlds Planet, Son Goku returned to Earth.

After asking Kami, he found the spaceship Kami had arrived on Earth in and brought it back to West City.

Capsule Corporation, Dr. Brief's laboratory.

"Whoa! This is an alien spaceship?!" Dr. Brief circled the disc-shaped craft, excitement gleaming in his glasses. "Amazing! This engine... this material... this design... Genius! Absolutely genius!"

Son Goku stood nearby, looking at Kami's old spaceship, a sense of anticipation welling up inside him. All those days he'd spent tracking it down had been worth it.

"Namek..."

"In the original story, Goku reached a power level of 90,000 after adapting to 100 times Earth's gravity in the Gravity Chamber. Then he went to Namek, was healed by Dende after nearly dying, and eventually became a Super Saiyan."

"But now... I'm way ahead of schedule."

He looked down at his hands. His power level had stabilized at around 20,000, and he had fully adapted to 30 times Earth's gravity.

He'd mastered the Kaio-ken and could now use it at ten times strength for a short period, bringing his maximum power to around 200,000.

If he wanted to keep improving quickly, he needed to find other ways.

Namek had the Grand Elder's potential-unlocking ability, Porunga's wishes, and... his fated battle with Frieza.

"Dr. Brief," he said, "can you fix it?"

"Of course!" Dr. Brief gave him a thumbs-up, his smile beaming. "Give me four months! No, three! There's nothing I, Briefs, can't fix!"

"Thank you, Dr. Brief!"

Son Goku turned to leave, already forming a plan.

During the three months it would take to repair the spaceship, he would gather the Dragon Balls, repair the damage left by the Ultra Divine Water, and then spend some time with his grandpa, Son Gohan, on Mount Paozu. After all, Grandpa Son Gohan couldn't live forever, and his health had already deteriorated quite a bit.

A month later, in the wilderness.

The seven Dragon Balls were arranged in a circle, golden light shooting into the sky. Dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbled, and a huge green dragon appeared, coiling through the air.

"State your wish."

Son Goku looked up at the dragon and said solemnly, "Shenron, please repair all the damage the Ultra Divine Water has done to my body, including any hidden toxins and strain!"

The dragon's red eyes glimmered. "That wish... is easily granted."

A golden light enveloped Son Goku. He felt a warm power instantly soothe a place inside him that had been faintly aching. His heartbeat grew stronger and steadier, and the flow of ki through his body became smoother.

"Thank you."

"Your wish has been granted... Farewell."

The dragon vanished, and the Dragon Balls scattered.

Feeling the renewed vitality in his body, Son Goku grinned broadly.

"The damage is gone..."

"Next stop, Namek!"

Two months later, at Capsule Corporation's launch site.

The spaceship had been repaired. Its silver-white hull gleamed in the sunlight. Dr. Brief, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi... everyone had come to see him off.

A small green baby, about three years old, stood behind Master Roshi—Piccolo. Piccolo had clearly grown faster than an Earth child; in just a few months, he had already reached the size of a three-year-old.

Little Piccolo looked at Son Goku. There was no hatred in his green eyes anymore, only a kind of... complicated curiosity.

"Goku," Krillin said, his bald head gleaming, "are you sure you don't need us to come with you?"

"No," Son Goku said with a smile and shook his head. "The conditions on Namek are too harsh, and your strength... isn't enough yet."

It was blunt, but no one argued. After all their frenzied training, they had made tremendous progress, but compared to Son Goku... the gap was still like heaven and earth.

"When will you be back?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know," Son Goku replied honestly. "Maybe in a year, maybe two, or maybe I'll be back soon. But I'll definitely return—with even greater strength."

He turned and walked toward the spaceship's hatch.

"Goku!" Tien Shinhan suddenly called.

Son Goku looked back.

The three-eyed youth clenched his fists, his three eyes filled with frustration and admiration. "Next time we meet... I'll catch up to you!"

"Yeah!" Son Goku grinned. "I'll be waiting!"

"Me too!" Yamcha raised his fist.

"Me as well!" Krillin jumped up.

Chiaotzu gave a small nod, his little face full of determination.

[The Z Fighters team is beginning to take shape!]

Son Goku looked at his friends, warmth rising in his heart.

This time...

You're all going to survive.

He waved and climbed into the spaceship.

"Rooar—"

The engine started, and the spaceship slowly rose into the sky. It circled above them once, then became a silver shooting star, streaking into the blue heavens until it vanished at the edge of the universe.

On the ground, Master Roshi held Little Piccolo's hand, his white beard fluttering in the wind. He gazed up at the sky and said softly,

"Go on, Goku."

Little Piccolo watched the fading trail, his little hand unconsciously clenching.

"Son Goku..."

"When I grow up... I'll surpass you for sure!"