A year later.
Son Goku ended his secluded training and pushed open the door to the large gravity training room. The scene before him made him pause.
Piccolo was sparring with Raditz, clearly holding back to match Raditz's power.
Their fists and feet clashed as waves of force surged around them. Their moves were so fierce that the air itself seemed to tremble. Piccolo's demonic martial arts were vicious and unpredictable, while Raditz's Saiyan fighting style was broad and powerful. Every collision sent a small hurricane sweeping through the gravity room.
"Special Beam Cannon!"
"Energy Wave!"
"Boom—!!"
The two Ki Blasts collided, and the dazzling light made everyone instinctively squint. The shock wave that spilled outward was absorbed by the gravity room's reinforced walls, turning into ripples visible to the naked eye.
After exchanging a few more moves, Piccolo and Raditz stopped at the same time and turned toward him. Piccolo's green chest heaved, and Raditz's long hair clung to his cheeks with sweat.
"Son Goku! You finally decided to come out!" Piccolo panted.
"I came to see how you've been progressing," Son Goku said with a smile as he walked in, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
Krillin was doing fingertip push-ups upside down in the corner. His bald head gleamed, and his ki was dozens of times stronger than it had been a year ago.
Yamcha was in another corner, furiously punching a specially made alloy sandbag. His blows were sharp, each one carrying the distinctive spiraling force of the Spirit Ball.
Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu were sparring. Tien's three eyes were closed as he dodged by sensing ki alone, while Chiaotzu's little face flushed red. His psychic powers formed an invisible telekinetic field, trying to restrict Tien's movements.
"Let's hear the numbers," Son Goku said.
Piccolo gave a cold snort and crossed his arms, but he couldn't hide the pride in his voice. "My power level is... 25,000."
In one year, he'd gone from just over a thousand to 25,000. His power had increased nearly twenty-fivefold.
Piccolo really was a monster, too.
Son Goku admired him inwardly, but simply smiled. "Not bad."
Raditz scratched his head and looked away, a little embarrassed. "My power level is 15,000. I'm... still a long way off."
"15,000?" Son Goku's eyes lit up. He strode over and gave Raditz's shoulder a hearty slap. "You're already really strong! You're ten times stronger than you were a year ago, big brother!"
Raditz stiffened all over. That "big brother" hit him like a powerful punch—no, it shook him even more than a punch could.
His eyes reddened. He lowered his head, his voice muffled. "D-don't underestimate me. I'll catch up to you."
"I'll be waiting!"
Krillin flipped to his feet, his bald head reflecting the light. "My power level is 12,000! How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"
"Not bad, Krillin!" Son Goku gave him a thumbs-up.
Tien Shinhan calmly opened his eyes, a glint flashing in all three. "My power level is 13,000. I can now maintain the Multi-Form Technique for thirty seconds in combat."
"Tien, you're as dependable as ever," Son Goku said with a smile.
Yamcha wiped away his sweat and walked over, looking a little sheepish. "My power level is 10,000. I may not be able to keep up with you monsters, but... I won't hold you back anymore!"
"You've worked really hard, Yamcha," Son Goku said, looking at him seriously.
Chiaotzu spoke softly, his little body bobbing in midair. "My power level is 6,000. My psychic powers... can now hold opponents with a power level below 10,000 in place for two seconds."
"Two seconds?" Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "In a battle between experts, two seconds can be the difference between life and death. Don't underestimate yourself, Chiaotzu."
Chiaotzu was taken aback, then nodded firmly. "Okay!"
Finally, two childish voices rang out from beyond the observation window.
"We have numbers too! We do!"
The door banged open, and Wuqi and Wuhao stumbled inside. Wuqi, with his tousled black hair, ran in front, while Wuhao, with his pale blue hair, hurried after him. Both their little faces were flushed, clearly from running all the way there.
"Wuqi! Wuhao!" Son Goku crouched down in delight and opened his arms. The two children dashed into his embrace like little cannonballs.
"Dad!" Wuqi wrapped his arms around Son Goku's neck. "We have numbers to report too!"
"What do you have to report?" Son Goku stood up with both children in his arms, one on each side.
"Mm!" Wuqi puffed out his little chest, looking proud. "Our power level is 4,000!"
Wuhao clung to his father's neck and added in a babyish voice, "Mine is the same..."
"Half-Saiyans at four or five years old... with a power level of 4,000?!" Raditz's voice rose in shock. "When I was five..."
He didn't finish. Among pure-blooded Saiyan elites, it was exceptionally rare for a five-year-old to have a power level of even 100.
Half-Saiyans... could their potential really be this terrifying?
Son Goku looked down at the two little ones in his arms, their faces turned up toward him as they eagerly waited for praise. His heart swelled with pride.
Bulma stepped forward, adjusted her glasses, and held out a brand-new Scouter. "Goku, I've upgraded the power-level detector again. Its limit is now 20 million, and it won't blow up as easily as the old model."
"20 million?" Son Goku took the Scouter. The cool metal against his fingers reminded him of the old piece of junk that had always been smoking a year ago. "Bulma, you're a genius!"
"Of course!" Bulma raised her chin smugly and smiled. "How could I possibly do a bad job?"
Son Goku clipped the Scouter to his ear, took a deep breath, and looked around at everyone.
The gravity room fell quiet. Everyone's eyes focused on him.
"Everyone! I've already asked King Kai! Vegeta and Nappa... will arrive on Earth in three days!"
Everyone's expressions turned solemn.
Three days...
They were finally coming.
"Their power levels," Son Goku said, raising a finger, "Nappa's is around 4,000. Vegeta's... is around 18,000."
"18,000?!" Krillin sucked in a sharp breath. "Then that means..."
"That's right." Son Goku looked at Piccolo, their gazes meeting. "Only Piccolo is a little stronger than him."
Piccolo lifted his chin slightly.
"But!" Son Goku's expression abruptly turned grave. "Vegeta is different from us! He's the Saiyan prince, and he... can transform into a Great Ape!"
"When Saiyans see the full moon... they transform," Raditz said, his voice sinking, tinged with fear. "Their power level... multiplies tenfold."
"Tenfold?!" Krillin's voice cracked. "Then that would be... 180,000?!"
"180,000..." Chiaotzu's little face turned deathly pale.
Son Goku nodded gravely. "With our current strength, if Vegeta transforms... none of you will be able to beat him except me."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face—some tense, some solemn, some burning with fighting spirit.
"And there's more!"
His voice landed like a hammer, each word striking everyone's hearts:
"Above Vegeta, there's an even more terrifying enemy!"
"He serves the Emperor of the Universe, Frieza! He's a notorious tyrant who rules the universe, a monster who takes pleasure in destroying planets! Vegeta's 180,000... doesn't even amount to an ant in front of Frieza!"
"Our battle..."
He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking loudly.
"Has only just begun!"
The gravity room fell into complete silence.
Wuqi and Wuhao seemed to sense the heavy pressure in the air. They stopped playing around and lay quietly against their father's shoulders, their little hands gripping his martial arts uniform tightly.
"So—"
Son Goku looked around at everyone, his gaze burning as though he wanted to etch each of them into his memory.
"Don't slack off! Keep training! Get stronger!"
"Because—"
He raised his fist and punched it fiercely toward the ceiling. His voice was no longer calm, but filled with the primal roar deep in his Saiyan blood.
"We are the Z Fighters!!"
"We're the ones who will protect the Earth!!!"
"We'll protect... the people we care about!!!"
Silence.
Then—
"Yeah—!!!"
"Protect the Earth!" Krillin was always the first to support Goku. He shouted, his bald head gleaming in the aura around him.
Raditz followed close behind, his eyes reflecting his younger brother's back. "Kakarot... no, Goku! This time, I'll stand by your side!"
"Count me in!" Yamcha's voice trembled a little, but he sounded utterly resolute.
"We won't lose," Tien Shinhan said calmly, though inside, his emotions were churning.
"We definitely won't lose!" Chiaotzu nodded vigorously.
Wuqi and Wuhao peeked out from their father's arms and raised their tiny fists, imitating the adults.
"Protect the Earth—!!"
Son Goku watched the scene, looking at the companions who had once been enemies or strangers, but now stood shoulder to shoulder with him. The brightest smile spread across his face.
At the edge of the group, Piccolo's green lips curled upward almost imperceptibly. He turned his face away and muttered under his breath.
"Damn..."
This burning feeling...
This feeling of having family and friends...
"Not bad."
He said it quietly.
Then he raised his fist and joined the others in their roar.
"Yeah—!!!"
Before you continue