�Gohan! It�s you!� Kuririn cried, running up to his little friend.
�How come you�re so small?� Yamcha asked.
After Gohan explained what happened, Vegeta came forward. �Gohan, come this way for a moment.�
When the two saiyajins were alone in the entrance to the stadium, the saiyajin prince gripped the boy�s shoulder. �How is my son, Trunks? And his mother?�
Gohan smiled proudly. �I kept my promise, Vegeta-san. Trunks became a super saiyajin. He is the best chance we�ve got now. And Bulma-san was fine, but I think she misses you a lot. When I told Trunks about you when he was little, he decided to avenge you in battle someday.�
Vegeta smirked, �That�s my son. A super saiyajin in his youth.� He clenched a fist. �Excellent.�
Gohan turned to meet up with the others again, but Vegeta caught his by the arm. �This conversation never took place. You got that?�
�Yes sir!�
Vegeta smirked again. �By the way, when we get back out there, show us your power.�
Gohan smiled. �Okay, cool!�
Minutes later, Gohan stood in the center of the ring, surrounded by his friends. Piccolo and Vegeta stood before him, anxious to see what the boy had achieved. �K, here it goes!� the boy announced. With a short shout, he burst into super saiyajin, he aurora blazing so tremendously that it lit up the roof that was a good mile up.
�Alright Gohan!� Kuririn, Yamcha, and Tien called. Chaozu clapped for his fellow child fighter. Piccolo chuckled proudly. �That�s it, Gohan.�
Vegeta snickered evilly. At last, another saiyajin to spar with.
After a huge feast and getting to meet the Grand Kaio himself, Piccolo and Gohan headed outside to sit under the tree. Gohan told his mentor about life on Earth and how he�d died against the androids. Afterwards, Piccolo told him about Other World and the do�s and don�ts.
Exhausted from the reunion, the boy proceeded to drift off, head propped up against the namekian�s side. Just then, one of the warriors approached. He looked like a namekian, with the green skin, but it was clear that he wasn�t. He wore a great deal of weights, including a tall hat with a long sash hanging off the back.
�Piccolo,� he greeted formally.
�What is it this time, Pikon?� Piccolo asked, getting to his feet. Gohan noticed that if not for Pikon�s turban, the two would be identical in height.
�The Grand Kaio says that there�s more trouble in the Lower World. He wants us to go set them straight.� His dark eyes fell upon the scruffy-haired boy staring curiously up at him, �Who�s the child?�
Piccolo smirked as he glanced down at the boy. �His name is Son Gohan.�
�Son? Is he Goku�s boy?�
�That�s right.�
Gohan blinked at the new warrior�s recognition. �How do you know my dad, Pikon-san?�
�Your father was here for about a year,� the fighter explained. �He and I fought each other in the Other World Tournament. He was a good fighter.� He smirked at the boy. �I expect you to have the same potential. The next tournament is in a year�s time.�
�Who won the last one?� Gohan asked.
�Pikon did.� Piccolo answered. �Vegeta was runner-up, after he and I fought.�
�I wish I could�ve seen that!� Gohan mused.
�We train for an eternity here.� Pikon answered. �The way Vegeta is so persistent, I assume you�ll see the whole thing again soon enough.� He took to the air. �Gohan is welcome to come along.�
�Sure.� Piccolo motioned to the boy. �Come on kiddo. Time for your first mission. You have to make a good impression on the Grand Kaio.�
�Right!� Mentor and student took to the air, ready for action.
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Freeza and King Cold stood atop one of the cliffs. Below, assembled like a court before its rulers were all the evil souls the z-fighters had ever faced. A great excitement was fast flowing through the massive crowds.
Piccolo, and Gohan crouched low behind an outcropping of boulders, watching. �What�re they saying, Piccolo-san?�
Grateful for his extra large ears, the namekian hissed, �Something about a plan to take down the warriors of Upper World.�
Pikon appeared at their side. �I just found the security officers for this place. They were tied up.�
�Typical,� Piccolo muttered. But as he glanced back at the gathering, he froze in terror.
Gohan peered up at his mentor�s face. That look of fear and terror was something the boy was not familiar with seeing. �Piccolo-san?�
�My f-father�� the namekian extended a long finger to point over the rocks. �He�s standing there�with Freeza�and King Cold.�
Both Pikon and Gohan gazed transfixed. Poised over the edge, saying things to make the evil warriors shout with joy was an elderly namekian! He was tall and thin, like Piccolo, but he wore a type of sigil on the front of his shirt.
�It says �Piccolo Diamoh�� Piccolo answered, knowing what his young pupil would ask.
�I�ve had to deal with him before.� Pikon declared, voice low. �A real nuisance he can be�especially since he met that other one, Slug.�
�What? No way!� Gohan�s eyes became as wide as dinner plates. �That Slug guy�s here too?�
�Kid, you�ve no idea of what is here.� The warrior answered. �Villains from your world, my world�everyone�s world. It�s not an easy job keeping them all in line. Luckily, your friend Piccolo here, and the other z-fighters are a big help. The Grand Kaio sends us all here on a regular basis.�
�You�re just another soldier on the front line.� Piccolo added. �Judging by my father�s speech-making, we�re gonna� need your powers for this one.�
Gohan gave a determined nod, and leaned as close as he could to the boulder to catch the conversation. Because of his brilliant concentration abilities, he caught a wisp of the speech taking place.
�SO IT�S AGREED!� Piccolo Diamoh thundered. �WE WILL RISE UP TO THE UPPER WORLD BY CONCENTRATING OUR POWERS TO THE LIMIT. WE WILL BREAK FREE OF THIS PRISON�AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE! WE WILL WIN BACK THE ONE CALLED VEGETA! AND ALSO MY SON, PICCOLO DIAMOH THE 2ND!!!�
The demi-saiyajin gasped and glanced worriedly up at his mentor. Piccolo looked back down at him and rested a hand atop his head. �I�d never let him change me back to the way I once was. Don�t worry.�
Pikon snickered, pounding his fists together. �Which part of the group do you want, Piccolo?�
�Gohan and I will take Freeza and the ones on the cliff.� Piccolo answered, smirking back. �I have a score to settle with Diamoh anyway.�
As the three warriors rose into the air, Gohan cupped his hands over his mouth, �HEY YOU GUYS!! REMEMBER ME?!�
Every villain spun around at his shouting. Eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched. Piccolo laughed approvingly. �Good entrance, kid. Now let�s go!�
�But what about Pikon-san?� Gohan asked as the third warrior rushed towards those assembled below.
�He�s the strongest warrior in Upper world. He can do his work alone!� the namekian answered.
While Gohan was quick to begin his making sport of Freeza and his father, Piccolo landed before the old man responsible for his creation.
Diamoh snickered, crossing his arms over his chest. �So we meet at last, my son. You�ve grown up well.�
�Don�t get all fatherly on me,� Piccolo growled, dropping into his fighting stance. �I lived your life until I killed Goku in battle. Now it�s over, Diamoh. I�m taking you down.�
�Heh! Don�t be so sure about that. I�ve been in training too.�
Charging in a mad dash, the older namekian smashed his head against Piccolo�s. Hard. The son staggered back, wiping at his head with the back of his fist. Diamoh charged again, pummeling the z-fighter with powerful punches to the gut. He laughed as his son began to cough up blood. �Well, at least your blood is violet!�
The brutal beating went on for quite some time. In the meantime, Gohan had thrown Freeza and King Cold into an outcropping of giant spikes. He then went on to help dispatch the Ginyu Force before heading back to watch Piccolo�s battle. What he found shocked him.
Piccolo lay on his back, shaking violently from the pain. Purple blood dripped from his mouth onto the ground to create a small pool. Diamoh continued his sinister laughing as he seized the front of his son�s shirt and wheeled back a fist. �One last chance, Piccolo-chan. Join the Lower World side�or perish!�
When the younger namekian simply shook his head defiantly, he lashed out.
DOOM! Diamoh went flying into the cliff, leaving a full imprint of his form. Gohan landed beside Piccolo, his super saiyajin aurora blazing. �Piccolo-san! Are you okay?�
�Aside from just receiving a thrashing from my own father, I think I�ll stay dead.� He rasped as the boy helped him to sit up. Gohan hoisted him to his feet.
�What is THIS?!�
The two warriors looked up to find Diamoh angrily staring at them. He�d recovered himself in that short moment.
Piccolo snickered and placed a hand around Gohan�s head. �Father, this is Son Gohan. He is the son of Goku. I trained him.�
For a long moment, the old warrior simply stared at his son. How could Piccolo have slipped this much? Originally programmed to kill Goku, he was now the protector of the saiyajin�s son! It was disgraceful�intolerable!
�No, how can this be?!� Diamoh grabbed his face and shook himself, �What the hell did I spit out?!�
�A great warrior!� Piccolo used that instant to drill his fist into his father�s stomach. Spit flew out of the old one�s mouth. Reeling back, Piccolo struck him violently in the face. �This is what happens without parental supervision!! You were never there to keep me evil!�
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