Preparing for War

Some planet in North Galaxy

Two people, one tall and one short, sat side by side around a fire. Their attire was very similar to Raditz's. The taller one was bald and handed the freshly roasted meat to the smaller person beside him.

"Raditz actually got himself killed on Earth."

"Hmph, trash like him deserved to die, getting taken out by some loser with a power level of only a few hundred."

"Then are we going to Earth to avenge Raditz?"

"I couldn't be bothered with him at first, but Earth seems to have something called the Dragon Balls. I heard they can grant any wish. I'm quite interested. And... Kakarot, that traitor, must pay the price as well!"

"Something that can grant any wish... who knows if it's real."

"Either way, our next destination is Earth. I'll use the Dragon Balls to wish for eternal life! Nappa, prepare for departure."

"Yes, Prince Vegeta."

Meanwhile, in the distant depths of the universe, a massive spherical spaceship sped onward at an incredible velocity.

Inside the ship's control room, a man wearing a scouter questioned one of his subordinates.

"What are our next target planets?"

"Reporting, my king, our next target is a planet called Barus. We will arrive in approximately half a year. The planet after that is called Earth, and it is roughly..."

"Wait. You said that low-class planet—Earth? Wasn't Earth supposed to have been destroyed by Kakarot long ago?"

"Reporting, my king, according to our scans, Earth has not been destroyed. It also has numerous life signatures, making it highly suitable as a target."

"What's going on? Change the target. Head straight for Earth!"

"Yes! My king... Target location changed. We will arrive at Earth in less than a year and a half."

Earth

Lin Yuan had arrived at Kame House to take Lin Yiqi back to West City.

The moment Lin Yiqi saw his father, he happily leaped into his arms.

"Dad, you're back! Let me tell you about these past few days..."

When he brought up Gohan, Lin Yiqi's face filled with worry again.

"Gohan was taken away by a bad uncle. That bad uncle was really strong. Even Uncle Goku wasn't his match."

As Lin Yiqi said this, Master Roshi, Bulma, and the others also anxiously told Lin Yuan about what had just happened. Even with Goku and Piccolo joining forces, they still felt uneasy.

"Don't worry. That Saiyan named Raditz has already been dealt with. Goku and Gohan are both safe."

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Yuan continued.

"However, we received some news. In one year, two Saiyans even stronger than Raditz will come to Earth. To fight them, I asked the Guardian, and he agreed to train a group of Earth's warriors."

"Krillin, are you willing to go?"

Krillin hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"I'll go! It's dangerous, but I have to go if I can receive the Guardian's guidance. Besides, we have Goku and you. It should still be pretty safe, right? Hahaha."

Lin Yuan patted Krillin on the shoulder.

"I can't guarantee that, but every bit of strength gives us a better chance of winning. I'll leave Yamcha to you. I believe he'll be more than willing to train with the Guardian too. I'll handle Tien Shinhan."

Krillin patted his chest, indicating that he had it covered.

Afterward, Lin Yuan gave Bulma the capsules containing the spacecraft and scouters, explaining the specific requirements to her. In return, Bulma rolled her eyes at him.

Lin Yuan said nothing more. He picked Lin Yiqi up in his arms, pressed two fingers to his forehead, sensed for a moment, and then vanished from the spot.

Master Roshi, Krillin, and the others were already used to it. After asking Bulma where Yamcha was most likely to be found, they set off to look for him.

For some time now, Bulma and Yamcha had been caught in a cycle of frequent arguments and cold wars. Naturally, Bulma couldn't stand Yamcha's womanizing, while Yamcha refused to lower his head and apologize. Bulma was even less likely to take the initiative to make peace, since Yamcha was the one in the wrong to begin with. The two had remained deadlocked like this. If not for having to find Yamcha because of the training this time, they probably would have stayed cold toward each other until they simply broke up.

When Lin Yuan reappeared, he was already home in West City.

The moment Yiqi got home, he rushed into Launch's arms. It couldn't be helped—this kid was especially attached to his mother. Sometimes it even made Lin Yuan jealous.

Launch and Lin Yuan were both thirty-five now, but neither showed many signs of aging. They had only become more composed in temperament.

For Lin Yuan, that was naturally related to his years of martial arts training. As for Launch, good care was one reason, while the other was Shenron's help at Lin Yuan's request.

Yiqi chattered away as he told Launch about his experiences with Gohan on Bun Mountain. He kept asking when he could go to Uncle Goku's house again to play with Gohan.

Lin Yuan walked over to the mother and son, lifted Lin Yiqi out of Launch's arms, and set him on the ground. With a slightly serious expression, he said, "Little Qi, I've told you already. You're a grown man now, so don't cling to your mom all the time. Got it?"

Looking at the two men she loved most, Launch's eyes were full of affection and happiness.

"Oh, Yiqi isn't even five yet. What's wrong with him being attached to his mommy? Stinky Dad."

As she spoke, Launch stood up and lightly smacked Lin Yuan on the arm. Then she picked Lin Yiqi back up, doting on him endlessly.

Lin Yuan helplessly shrugged. Sigh, it seemed he was about to become an outsider in his own home~

"Oh, right, Xiaoqi. You probably won't be seeing Gohan for a while. He went with Piccolo to train deep in the mountains."

Lin Yuan said afterward.

Hearing that he couldn't go see Gohan, Lin Yiqi wasn't disappointed at all. Instead, he asked excitedly, "Training! Dad, you said Gohan went off to train? Then I want to train too. I don't want Gohan to become stronger than me."

At the mention of training, Lin Yiqi's eyes filled with longing.

Launch said nothing. Although she didn't want her son to train, she respected his wishes. More importantly, Lin Yuan had to agree to it. This wasn't the first time Yiqi had brought it up, but Lin Yuan had refused every time before.

Then both mother and son turned their eyes to Lin Yuan, waiting for him to speak.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yuan asked Lin Yiqi, "Training is very hard, you know. Are you sure you can keep it up?"

Seeing that his father was willing to compromise, Yiqi immediately nodded again and again in excitement.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm! I can definitely keep it up. I'm already a grown man."

"Alright! I agree. Tomorrow, I'll have you go to the Ultra Instinct Dojo first to work on the basics. If you can stick with it, Dad will personally train you."

Seeing how enthusiastic his son was, Lin Yuan no longer stopped him. Then, as if he had thought of something, he said with a mischievous smile, "Oh, right, son. You said you're already a grown man, but what kind of grown man always needs his mom to hold him? I think..."

Lin Yiqi immediately jumped down from Launch's lap and put on the airs of a grown man, afraid that his dad might change his mind. It made both Lin Yuan and Launch burst into laughter.