Devotion

The Z-fighters all appeared before Ice on the lookout, confused and shocked. How did they get there? They were just in the battle of their lives, but now somehow arrived on the lookout. What was happening?

"Krillin!" Chiaotzu yelled, gaining the attention of everyone.

"I thought you died!"

"He's right. Roshi and Goku told us! They saw it with their own eyes," shouted Yamcha.

"He was… And so were we." Corrected Roshi.

Their friend was now once more alive. They were practically bouncing in joy… But wait, how was this possible?

"Hello, gentlemen. My name is Ice. I am the son of the new God of earth… Today, I have just resurrected all of you with the Dragon Balls." He spoke loud enough to be heard by everyone in his general vicinity. Tien, Chiaotzu, Piccolo, Krillin, and Yamcha all stood gazing at the strange-looking child before them.

"New God? Resurrected?" Piccolo asked. The only god he knew was Kami. Who else would fit the title?

"Yes… As in the new guardian of Earth. Kami is no longer with us on the planet. Consequently, all of his obligations involving the protection of this world have been passed on to my Father, Djin. The very same one has requested that I bring all of you back to life."

Who on earth was this strange-looking being? Why were there 7 large stone balls in front of him? Could they have actually been the palm-sized Dragon Balls that they knew? Why did this little creature speak with such authority?

"Hey… What's going on here? Why didn't the Dragon Balls stop working upon my death?" Piccolo stated while stepping forward. In an unconscious way, Piccolo was starting to feel traces of inferiority in his character.

"Because they're no longer linked to you… They're bonded with the life force of my father and will not be working again in two months. And before you ask, with him taking over, the Dragon Balls now undergo different rules and regulations. Because my father is more powerful than Kami ever was, they now can achieve feats incomparable to before." Ice asserted confidently.

"So… What happened after our deaths? Why did he want to bring us back to life?" asked Tien.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. All that I can tell you is that I was told to bring you all back to this specific location. Well, you, and the people of West City." Ice said while lifting the gigantic wishing orbs with telekinesis to store them inside the Lookout. A few moments later, he returned to the confused heroes.

"I see that they are a lot bigger now too…" mumbled Krillin.

"Just… Who are you? Exactly. And who is your mysterious father?"Asked Roshi.

"I told you already. I'm the son of the new guardian. And my father is a man by the name, Djin. He is a Saiyan from the planet Vegeta who has decided to reside on Earth." As the words escaped the mouth of Ice, jaws went agape.

"A Saiyan?!" they all yelled in panic. From their perspective, Saiyans were vile despicable beings who had just caused catastrophic damage to all of their psyches moments ago. They had been torn apart and absolutely obliterated by just one of them. Now, there was one with the title of God of their planet? What was Kami thinking?

"Yes… A Saiyan. You all seem aware of his race which is strange considering he is one of the final surviving members." Ice stated in consideration.

"That's because we are. They're the ones who brutally murdered us. If he so chose to, we wouldn't have even survived a single hit from him. He was an animal. The most brutal and sadistic I have ever seen." Piccolo spat with resentment.

"Well, Djin's different." A very familiar voice came from within the lookout as a pair of two footsteps could be heard coming forth.

"Korin? Yajirobe?" Asked Krillin.

"Sup kid. Everybody else." said a rather round man in a yellow and black robe. He had wild black hair and a sword that sat on his hip. He was short and only slightly taller than Ice, standing at 5'5. Next to him was an old, chubby, and friendly-looking bipedal white cat with a walking stick who stood at 3 feet even.

"You two know these people?" Ice asked.

"Yeah. Us and these runts go way back." He said while scratching the back of his head.

"Ah…" said Ice with a nod. During his duration on the lookout, Ice had grown to love and care for these two individuals as if they were members of his extended family. Any statement said by them held immense weight.

"Agreed. I had a hand in training each and every one of them too. I know all their flaws and shortcomings." Korin stated.

"Now, they may not be freaks like you and your father, but they are strong…if not in terms of power, then in terms of technique. I should know. I basically raised the one over there who's aging like a bowl of milk. I know them all better than themselves." Korin started with a smile warm enough to kill the cold atmosphere.

"I know that the situation right now is dire and we all need to be focusing right now… but the expression is "aging like fine wine." Korin. Not milk. I know it may be hard for you to remember in your old age." Roshi responded in frustration.

"Oh? I was completely uNaWare. Excuse me. I'm at the age where the memory isn't chalked up to what it used to be as baldy-I mean Roshi implied." Korin started with obvious satire, which cause a tick mark to form on Roshi's head

"Who are you calling bald and milk, you decrepit old sphinx!" Yelled Roshi.

"I like the Sphinx… People call it elegant, beautiful, and a work of art… Things that no one has ever referred to a scrotum as." Korin said while sticking his tongue out.

"Watch it!" Roshi spat.

"What? I didn't call you anything outright." Said Korin as he licked his paw. Which caused Roshi to grit his teeth.

"Don't think I won't take a few of those lives."

"Try me. I can afford to throw away a few."

The Z-fighters watched the argument in awe. They couldn't believe that these two were able to joke around while the world that they loved was in jeopardy.

"Enough!" Piccolo yelled.

"How can you two stand here and make jokes while the planet is in peril? Can you not grasp the concept of urgency? This is sickening. The both of you."

This caught the attention of everyone. Roshi felt foolish for being able to get distracted so easily While Korin on the other hand only shrugged his shoulders and groomed himself.

"Relax, Pickle juice. There's no need to get your panties in a knot. Djin has it all handled." Piccolo was insulted by the childish jab Korin had taken.

"Anyone who can say that with a straight face is in denial, or a complete idiot." Piccolo spat.

Silence consumed the atmosphere. But Korin just smiled.

Not only him but Yajirobe as well.

"Funny." Said Korin with a grin that offset everyone.

"What did you say?" Piccolo asked with venom.

"I said…. Funny. As in entertaining. You and the things that are coming out of your mouth are entertaining. The reason being, you call me an idiot, yet your eyes don't even begin to compare to mine." With his words, Roshi began to wonder. Korin did not joke about things of this level of severity. When situations were serious, so was he. So why was he so confident right now?

"What are you-"

"Pickle and everyone else. Pay close attention to the words that are coming out of my mouth."

"My name is not-!" Piccolo was about to retort but was cut off.

"I couldn't care less. Be quiet and listen, child." He started putting his finger over his lips in a shushing motion.

"Djin is currently on the battlefield that was once your grave. He is down there handling his new position as the new guardian. Absolutely no one… and I mean no one can stop that man or halt his progress. Not a single soul… Not a slug man like you, or a monkey man like the guy who obliterated you all." Stated Korin while he pointed in the direction of the battlefield.

"And I'm supposed to sit here and believe that?" Piccolo raised his voice. Korin shook his head in silence while Yajirobe nodded his head agreeing with his friend's words.

Their unmoving led the others to wonder what exactly this new god was capable of. Although they couldn't believe Korin, The fact that his words were so unwavering made them doubt their internal monologues. For a while, the air became hushed.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Tien with worry and uncertainty written all over.

"Because-" The cat was interrupted.

"Wait, Korin. Let me answer that."

Korin nodded and allowed for his friend to speak while he looked off into the distance.

"Well. Go ahead, blob."

Spat Piccolo disrespectfully. Yajirobe only smiled in turn

"I'll give you two reasons to believe right now.

1: We saw Djin and this little Ice right here duke it out at full power inside the chamber. If you think that those Saiyans down there are some things, you have been blind your whole life. They are in an entirely different world of power from what you all could even imagine. You're just frogs in a well… I mean, It's honestly understandable. We were in the same boat as you guys… that was before we found out what real power is. That real power would make all of you fall down to your knees spilling your guts out and crying like babies." He said with a cocky smile. Some grew intrigued while others thought more critically.

"Now let's move on to part 2.

2: The guy that you all are so afraid of that gave you early tickets to see your loved ones; Korin saw him get destroyed by Djin. Poof. Turned into dust… In one attack, mind you. The Saiyans don't stand a chance." Said Yajirobe. Disbelief and shock filled the crowd.

"What? That's absurd! That guy had the power of a god." Yelled Piccolo.

"I'd hate to admit it, but I have to agree with him. What you said is just too far out of my realm of belief," Tien said.

"If you can't trust me, trust this fatty. He never misleads a single individual from what I've seen in the past. Not any of you nor Goku who saved the world on multiple occasions." Korin smiled but this time showed his sharp feline teeth. He tightly gripped onto his staff… Then.

"*wack*" Hit Yajirobe in the shin.

"Ahhh! What was that for?" He asked, hopping on one leg.

"You told me that my diet was slimming me down." Korin frowned.

"What?! It is slimming you! I was just joking!"

"You know, people in your weight range shouldn't be making jokes sooooooo funny. Any drastic rise in blood pressure could cause a heart attack."

"Really? You can make fun of my weight, but I can't make fun of yours?"

"You threw the stone, Mr. Glass house." Even in such an uneasy situation…The two bickered while the Z-fighters wore complex faces.

After a few minutes of conversation, Korin had revealed that he too, in fact, knew far-seeing. Everyone grabbed onto each other's shoulders in order to view the state of combat as if Korin was a T.V.

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Djin and Vegeta

Vegeta looked at me with a serious glare. He then sat up, attempting to move his broken body.

"I'll listen…"

I then sat across from him.

"I have been utterly defeated. The least I can do is hear you out." He shook his head while looking at his broken leg.

"How do you plan on achieving it?"

"By slicing him into tiny pieces."

I stated.

"What?"

He couldn't believe my gall.

"By cutting him up into billions of tiny little pieces. I didn't stutter."

Vegeta looked at me with a frown. He was baffled by my forwardness.

"If it were that simple, then he would have been dead 10 times over… No, thousands of times over. He has troops. An entire army. And even family! What are you to do when he sends all his soldiers towards your direction?"

"I'll just kill them too."

"Look. As a reward for defeating me, allow me to let you in on a secret… It is said that Frieza has a transformation that surpasses not only his brother but his father as well. I thought, with enough training, I would somehow find a way to unlock the Super Saiyan transformation from the Saiyan myth… with it, I would have been provided with an incalculable amount of strength. That strength would have been used for the Saiyan rebellion.

But a problem arose recently when I realized that no matter how much stronger I got, I couldn't reach the Myth's trigger. No matter how much adversity I underwent, no challenge would trigger the transformation. This defeat exposed me to the reality that I was foolish to think I was even close.

You… You are still yet to transform. A person who defeated me effortlessly. A person who ascended to heights on your own that I could not even come close to… That transformation is our only hope as Saiyans to compete. Without it, I know for a fact that he would destroy any one of us with the flick of his finger. I've seen it before. Even a fight with you and him would most likely end up as yours and mine did."

"I don't have that transformation. You're right… but I am still confident in my ability, no matter how strong he is."

"From one ego to another, you are lying to yourself. Do you know how strong he is? Do you know his power level?"

"I'm aware that he is strong. I am also aware that he has multiple transformations."

"Multiple?! The rumors…" He then pondered for a moment and drifted off into thought.

"Even with him having multiple and me not having one, I still plan on killing him."

He was in disbelief. In his mind, I was insane. What I was saying was completely out of his reality of possibility.

"Can I ask you a question, Vegeta?"

I requested.

"Ask, lunatic."

"What is it that you want most in this world? Something that you would die at the opportunity to achieve. What would you give your soul for? What do you want more than being the king of our people?"

"You know already."

"Answer the question," I demanded with earnestness.

"I want revenge…" He frowned.

"And to do that, what do you need?"

"I've come to find the only answer to be none other than power. It's the only thing that can stop Frieza. It and violence is the only thing that he and his people respond to."

"What would you give in exchange for that power?"

"Everything… including my life." He stated clenching his fist.

"Now… although you find it relatively impossible, hypothetically speaking, What if I could promise you more power than you ever imagined? Not only that but what if I was serious about being the avatar for the Saiyan race in enacting revenge. What if I could kill the lizard and his family?"

"Without Super Saiyan?"

"Yes…"

"I would say that you were full of shit…"

He stated pessimistically.

I stared at him unwaveringly, which caused him to reconsider his answer.

"What do you want in turn… that is what I would ask. Hypothetically speaking, if you were able to grant those things."

"What I would ask for is you to swear on your life that you will protect this planet with all your might in hopes to strengthen the foundation of this planet."

"Why are you so hellbent on staying on this pathetic ball of dirt?"

"Because it isn't pathetic. That's why. I learned more than you will ever be able to comprehend from this planet. It and its people have built the foundation of my character. It has made me who I am… and if not for it, I would have been a completely different person… It's how I became so powerful."

I stated. This earth was not my original… but it shared a lot of similarities. Everything I loved was on this planet… With the exception of my family. But even then, It was love-hate with them.

In the time that I trained with King Kai, I had discovered that all the media and sources of entertainment existed here. History was still the same with slight alterations. I could still go to a store and pick up a chapter of Naruto if I just so wanted. I could watch reality T.v shows and I could read about ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. This very much was Earth. The geography and the values that society held were just slightly different.

"If this planet provided you with so much… Then prove it with your actions. Teach your techniques of gaining strength."

"That can be done, and it will be done, as long as you can keep in mind these very simple rules to follow. Don't kill on this planet unless you or the people you grow to care for are threatened. Don't turn into your Oozaru form. And don't be degenerates… If you can follow these three rules, then you won't end up like Raditz."

"When you put it that way, it sounds like I don't have room for error."

"You don't…"

"That sounds like slavery to me."

"Would you prefer to go back to the tyrant?"

"No… I accept."

"Good…"

"But with me accepting this, how will the others on this planet grow to accept me?"

"That's completely on you… but first, I would start with an apology."

"An apology? To you?"

"No. Not to me. The people Raditz killed."

"What? How do you expect me to apologize to the dead? Do you suggest flowers?"

"No. I expect you to apologize by talking to each and every one of them. I bought them all back from the dead after all."

"Back from the… What are you on about?"

"I bought each and every person who Raditz killed here today with the Dragon Balls."

At my words, I could see his ears perk up.

"The Dragon Balls? Are you referring to the rumored Namekian wish orbs?"

"Yes, I am. A Namek by the name of Kami was once the god of this planet. He created the Dragon Balls. And now, they are tied to my life."

"From what I heard, the Dragon Balls can grant any wish. Even immortality! Is this how you obtained your level of strength? Did you wish to be everlasting? If you had that mixed with your Saiyan biology, then you could potentially be unbeatable!" I could see greed start to develop in his eyes as he imagined the possibilities.

"No. I received this level of strength from being brutally beaten over and over again. On top of that, I had to experience being melted alive and the unbearable conditions of space. I know what it feels like to be cut in half, beheaded… And absolutely denigrated. I know what true pain is."

"Disintegrated? You say no to my question and that the Dragon Balls didn't help you gain your power and yet you talk about those atrocities. I'd have to be brain dead to believe that with your level of gruesome description, any of that was hyperbole. How were you able to survive that without immortality granted by the Dragon."

"I can regenerate almost infinitely… but not by the means of Dragon Balls."

"Then by what means? How!?"

"With the ability I used to heal you. I can cast that skill internally."

I lied. It was too hard to explain to him. Firstly, he was undeserving. Secondly, he wouldn't believe me if I told him the truth. So why bother.

"*tsk* You use cheap tricks like that in the midst of combat?"

"Look down on it as you may, but it's what allowed me to stay alive this far. And it's what pushed my body to the next level of evolution."

"Is it the reason you were able to take the brunt of my attacks so easily?"

"No… you were just that much weaker than me."

"Ha…" He laughed self-deprecatingly.

"I'm no longer interested. I'm a warrior. I want to get stronger by way of my own strength and resilience. I'll heal with my own body's constitution. That skill that you use could be beneficial, but it would conflict with my philosophy. My two fists are all that I need as a weapon."

"And that's your provocative. Respectable… But I'd rather cut someone in half with one quick and clean strike. Skills and items are tools. Tools that I will be using to their full extent."

"More like handicaps… What if you arrive in a situation where you couldn't use magic or your swords. What then?"

"*clap*" I manifested two red Ki scimitars in each hand.

"I'd just make these."

"*pft* That healing. You'll rely on it too much. It will fail you."

"When it comes to that, I'll worry then." I shrugged.

"That's your provocative." He stated.

"Then… Should we be on our way then?" Asked Vegeta.

"Not yet… I need to know something. This may lead to more questions." I said as Vegeta stood up and sat on a nearby boulder."

"ahhhhhHHHHHHHHHH *boom* Stop throwing me into space, you ass!" Like clockwork, Nappa crashed to the earth creating another crater… but Vegeta and I both ignored the man and continued the conversation. Ignoring him, I questioned Vegeta.

"How do you know about Dragon Balls?"

"Well, It's no big secret. Frieza has been collecting information on them for the past 10 years. He's already started to make his way towards planet Namik."

"But why?"

"Some theorize that he plans on enacting a war with Cooler, his older brother and to do so, he wishes to strengthen his army. Others say that he only wishes to strengthen himself. But I know for a fact, his goal is more oriented towards the latter. He wants to receive immortality. I've known him far too long to come to any other conclusion."

"He is greed incarnate and his biggest fear is to lose… that's why he wiped out the entirety of our race. In the ancient archives of the Cold Empire, it describes the story of Frieza's ancestor being annihilated by a tailed man with golden hair. If you cross-reference that data with the history of the Saiyans, you will notice striking similarities between him and the rebellion Saiyan who destroyed our original homeworld thousands of years ago."

"He feared our power. And that's why he neutered us… because we Saiyans were starting to evolve. Our young were being born stronger and stronger. And from what I heard, on the day of Vegeta's destruction, A Saiyan with the power level of 100 thousand stood up against him… in the end, his attempt at revolution was futile and he died… but that doesn't change the fact Frieza feared something. If that wasn't the case, then why would he act so rashly."

'Wasn't it 10 thousand?' I thought, reminiscing on the Bardock Special.

"Then… I guess it's best to kill him before he makes his wish… How long before he arrives on Namek?" I asked.

"5 days."

My eyes shot wide open in disbelief.

'What the fuck?' I mentally screamed.

"Why… Why is he in such a rush."

"Ever since he lost his soldiers by the name of Abo and Cado who had strength comparable to the Ginyu Force, Cooler has been poking at his defenses across the galaxy, belittling him at every turn. Thousands of spies have been confirmed, interrogated, and executed. They all had been sending confidential information to the Cooler Force about scientific updates and battle strategies. Geographical data about planets under the protection of the Frieza empire as well.

"*Sigh*" I shook my head in disappointment.

'Was all of this caused by the butterfly effect or is this just a weird universe?' I thought.

"Well… Thank you for the information. That's all I needed to know…"

"Now is the time we go on my and Nappa's apology tour, am I right?"

"Yes… After we deal with that, I'll show you newer heights."

"What about him?" He pointed to his broken friend.

"Well… I'll show him too. He seems civilized."

He then nodded as if he expected as much.

"Nappa. This is our new home now. We'll protect it with our lives as long as this man keeps his promise. No killing its inhabitants and no transforming… now get out of that hole."

"I would, but that fucker broke my arms and legs!"

I then teleported over to Nappa instantly kneeled down to look eye to eye.

"Excuse me?"

"I-I-I meant fucker in the good way. Ya know like… Hey, fucker! Long time no see! O-o-or like, hey fucker… how have you been." His eyes were almost ghostly.

"Uh huuuuh… Did you hear our conversation while you were on your sky trip?"

I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Sir." He nodded intensely.

"Good. I don't have to retell my plans."

"Vegeta. What is he to you?"

"I request that you not injure him further… That idiot is the only support system that I have. Consider him a mentor or a father figure."

"Wasn't going to… Was just curious." I stated, which caused him to relax.

I then healed him completely which caused him to have a Zenkai boost. His power level was now at 50k which was impressive, to say the least.

"First on the list is Goku. The condition you allowed Raditz to leave him in was less than desirable… but I healed him. The both of you, put your hands on my shoulders."

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"And then, I saw him get grabbed by the tail, and knocked the other one far away after he was spun around!" Stated an excited Gohan, and a smiling Goku.

But then, The facial expression on both of them changed as Vegeta, Nappa, and I appeared out of thin.

From smiles to frowns, Goku and Gohan gave death stares, which was even acknowledged by the other two Saiyans.

"Apologize," I said without looking at either of them which caused anger and confusion within the earthlings. What did they have to be sorry for? They were the victims. But before they could speak, Vegeta spoke first.

"I am sorry. Sincerely, I shouldn't have allowed Raditz to go as far as he did. It was undeserving. I was informed that your comrades had been brought back to life, so I will be apologizing to them as well. But before that, I want to inform you that we will not be attacking this planet, nor its people ever again. Our goals have changed."

Gohan gave a look of surprise while Goku was still angry. Even more so than initially.

"What he did… it was uncalled for. When I stood by and watched him kill each of my friends like that… the amount of rage that I felt…I couldn't even use my words." As Goku spoke, his power level began to spike. The more volatile he got, the more his power increased. He went from 700 to 800, to 2k in seconds.

"I can't even think of any… I don't care if he is my brother or not. I wanted him to die 1 thousand times over… Part of me wants to go so far as to bring him back with the Dragon Balls just so I can beat him. So I can make him feel as weak as I did…" He said while gripping his fist so hard that he started to bleed.

"But a bigger part tells me that I'm not strong enough to take him. He would kill me with a punch… lucky he's dead now… and I have you to thank." He said, looking me in my eyes with gratitude.

His words just now shocked all of us, Including Gohan.

"Uh… No problem." I remarked.

"And as for you two… he was your friend. So you have to take responsibility. Responsibility by me kicking your asses once I get stronger."

I was astonished. I would have never expected those words to come out of the kindhearted. It was… uncharacteristic. To be fair, he did watch all of his friends die.

"Your resentment is acknowledged. This wouldn't be the first time that I made up for Raditz's mess. I had allowed him to roam free on terraforming missions which made him susceptible to acting like a rabid dog in the past without my supervision. For years, I allowed him to do as he pleased with planetary inhabitants."

"What does that change?" Goku asked with gritted teeth.

"It changes nothing. It just gives you a better understanding of character. On our missions, individuals were warriors who fought bravely like your friends, Nappa and I would have stepped in to confront them. If the people who we encountered weren't fighters, Raditz handled their extinction… In most cases.

But like I said, I willfully ignored that with the range of freedom allowed to Raditz, he lost all empathy for life. I grew numb and blind to the massive amounts of bloodshed that we left in our trail. That's how things were for a long time. It couldn't be any other way with the direction I decided to carry out our missions.

With all of that being said, I still had my hand bitten by your brother on multiple occasions… but as the leader of the Saiyans, I wanted to make an example by never laying a hand on my own kind unless absolutely necessary. There are so few of us remaining… but even then, this isn't an excuse, but an explanation." Vegeta concluded. To which, Goku pondered for a moment… then gave a serious look.

"What I said still stands. You will take accountability when I am stronger."

"And we acknowledge that fact." Stated Nappa.

"Mmm."

"By the way, I am Nappa. I apologize as well. I currently have no blood of the people of earth on my hands but I will be held at the same accessibility as Vegeta seeing as I am just as guilty."

"Good… because you don't have a choice. I'm Goku. This is my son, Gohan. He told me that neither of you harmed him or had any intentions of doing so. He informed me of the outcome of your fight and has made it clear that he dislikes the both of you as well."

"Holding a grudge are we?" Asked Vegeta to Gohan while the child stood bravely and unmoving.

"Yes. I do." Said Gohan.

"Good. You're a Saiyan. That ember that you have inside will give you strength. You 3 mah find it hard to believe, but I want what's best for our race."

"I believe it," I stated while Goku and Gohan looked unconvinced.

"Well… I am Vegeta. The former prince of our homeworld."

Goku and Gohan nodded at his introduction. Then, walked over towards me with an outstretched hand. Vegeta and Nappa were shocked at his newly grown tail but didn't comment.

"My name's Goku. Korin told me that you were the new guardian in my head. He also says that you're a good person overall and that you're the strongest he has ever seen. Whenever you have the time, I wanna take you up for a sparring match." He changed from anger to slight enthusiasm.

"You've been speaking to Korin this whole time?" I asked.

"Yeah. Right after you left, I woke up. I was talking to my friends for a bit, then Gohan filled me in on your fight."

"Well… this brings me to the original reason I made my way here. I have someone who I would like Gohan to meet. Now that you mentioned it, I would like to spar. Let's make it happen sooner rather than later?"

"How soon?"

"Right now."

"Like, right here?" Goku asked anxiously.

"No. When we get to the Lookout. We'll go to the room of spirit and time."

"The time chamber? How long?" He asked, surprised and nervous.

"One day."

"That long? You don't think that's a bit excessive for a sparring match?"

"You're right. It'll be more like training. Are you up for the task?" A single nervous sweat droplet dropped down his face and for a moment he paused. Possibly thinking about the regimen he would undertake. He then looked to Vegeta and Nappa and smiled.

"Yeah. I'll do it."

Vegeta and Nappa were confused and stared daggers at me.

"After you and I finish with our day, you'll be going in with Vegeta and Nappa, in the past," I said pointing to the duo.

"Will it be enough?"

"I'm going to put you through the hardest trails you ever endured. Yes. It will be more than enough." I stated.

"Then… let's get to it." He said while cracking his knuckles and neck.

"Good. Now you two, grab my hands. Vegeta and Nappa, grab my shoulders."

As they did, We appeared in an entirely new location. We were at the Lookout where all the Z-fighters were conversing. Ice was nowhere to be found, but I sensed him nearby.

"Woah… That's a neat trick you got there. We got here instantly." Said Goku.

"Plenty more where that came from."

The Z-Fighters had jumped at our arrival and were all alarmed at the realization of who arrived alongside me.

[Ice. Do me a favor and stay where you are for the time being.]

[Got it. I'm currently in the library. I'll stay until you tell me otherwise.]

[Good.]

"..."

Not a whisper nor a peep. Everyone had most likely observed the battle and outcome through the eyes of Korin.

I cleared my throat to break the frozen atmosphere.

"Gentlemen. I'm Djin. This is Nappa and Vegeta. They have something important to say."

They noticed that Goku and his son were with us, so the tension that was initially in the air fractured.

"Right." Vegeta stepped forward.

"I am sorry for the misdeeds of my acquaintance and my flawed judgment… you do not have to forgive me… but just know that I will not allow for history to repeat."

"And neither will I." Stated Nappa.

The Z-fighters had looks of disgust on their faces.

"Nor will I allow It as the guardian of this planet." My statement seemed to anger a specific green man.

"It would be best if you kept those dogs on a short chain. Better yet, if you put them down." Stated Piccolo.

"No. These two will be your greatest and most powerful allies in the future. Don't take their strength for granted." I stated firmly.

"Without you here, they would have wiped this planet clean of life. From what we heard, they have a history of doing that as well. Your decision to allow them to stay here is unwise from a god's standpoint. As the new kami, aren't you supposed to prevent danger on this planet?" asked Piccolo. Observing the audience, I could see that this same thought process was rummaging through their mind. They agreed with the Namekian to a certain extent.

"Those are wise words… I might have even considered them if they weren't coming from the mouth of the once feared Demon King."

"*Pft* This is ridiculous. You use my past against me in order to neglect the past of others. Your points reek of bias and hypocrisy."

"Explain to me how my views are biased and hypocritical." I beckoned.

"For starters, it's obvious that you have the intention of rebuilding your numbers. You admitted this yourself right before talking with Goku. Having more of you here would be an aid to your goal."

"That explains my biased part. Now explain the hypocrisy."

"You had no problem killing their partner… and would not have a problem with killing the both of them as well if it weren't for the fact that you could use them as genetic templates in your army."

"My army? That's quite a leap… but let me make myself clear once more today. My goal is to protect this planet and its people. Even if I were to create an army, it would be for the benefit of those who live here. I figured that these two people would make excellent protectors considering their level of strength and potential. For starters, unlike you Demon King, they haven't harmed a single soul on this planet… I find it funny that you think that you have the right to speak on morals when just a couple of years ago, you were in their shoes. So would make a case that you were worse… You wanted to kill Goku in your scheme for world domination."

"I've changed." Piccolo felt insulted.

"So you're the only person on this planet capable of change?"

I asked. In return, all I received were silent stares from the Z-fighters.

"Young man… I don't know the full extent of your capabilities… but I know you are strong enough to restrain these two. If Kami feels comfortable enough with leaving the world in your hands, then so will I. After all, each of us owes you our life… but please be careful of who you allow inside of your inner circle. Not only do you have to uptake the safety of yourself, but the people of this planet as well. Keep that in mind, please." Said Roshi empathetically.

"Master Roshi is right. You should watch your back." Said Chiaotzu.

"Couldn't agree more." Related Tien.

"You're out of our leagues when it comes to power, but like Chiaotzu said, keep a close eye on them." Said Yamcha.

"Thank you, everyone. I am glad to see that all of you are so caring and empathetic. I'm glad that you are all gifted with insight… but now it is time that I give you even more. Before I can do that though, tell me about what you all saw and experienced exactly."

"Uh… We heard everything. Or at least just about. We heard about the transformations and how there were even larger threats out there. I believe we all decided to stay here in the first place because we all wanted to meet you so that we could make preparations for our trip to Namek." Stated Krillin.

"So you all decided to come along? Even after facing your own deaths moments ago?" I questioned.

"Well… to put it bluntly, yes. I don't know about the others, but when I started to take martial arts seriously, I knew that there was always going to be a possibility that I was going to die in a fight. And now on multiple occasions, I did… and I'm willing to do it all over again to protect this planet. That's all I know. That's all we know. And if what you say is true in the sense that you could help Goku get stronger through the chamber, We all want a shot as well."

Stated Krillin with burning desire.

'I guess I didn't have to do much.'

"Is this how all of you feel?"

I asked and in turn, received aggressive nods.

"If the world tournament is anything to go off of, we're the strongest people on the planet. We all agreed that if we weren't able to protect it without the help of an outside force, who would? What if you died and we needed a new guardian? What if we couldn't rely on the Dragon Balls?" Asked Yamcha.

"So we decided that we needed strength as a unit… Although he won't admit it, Piccolo and the rest of us desire that strength that you and Vegeta were talking about." Stated Tien.

"So… would you do us the favor of guiding us?"

Asked Krillin. All of their eyes glistened with fire excluding Roshi and the prideful Piccolo who had his back turned.

"Well… all except for me. My time is over. It's time for the younger generation." Said the Turtle Hermit.

"Discounting the old… all of us." Stated Piccolo.

"Then… allow us to get things started. First, Nappa and Vegeta. You two go inside and explore. You will find rooms with beds and food. Pick a room of your liking and make it your place of residence for the time being. The same goes for everyone else."

With my words, everyone made their way into the interior of the Lookout, including roshi who only wanted to watch the progress of his students in the next couple of days. Goku and Gohan stayed because I asked them to.

Pulling them to the side while Korin, Yajirobe, and roshi conversed, Gohan tugged onto my clothes.

"Mr. Djin… I wanted to tell you that when I saw you fight earlier, I thought it was incredible… When you powered up, I could feel it. Like, I could see how strong you are, but not with my eyes."

"Is that right?" I asked, kneeling down.

"Yeah!"

"You got a little genius on your hands, don't ya?" I said while rubbing his head.

I asked Goku rhetorically, but he answered anyway.

"Yeah… I was surprised when he told me too." Goku said while nervously scratching his neck.

"Huh? You mean, I'm smart?"

"It's nothing, Kid. Now, pay close attention. I want you to remember this, Okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Djin."

"That feeling that you just felt. That was my Ki."

"Ki?"

"Yeah. Ki. It's also called life energy. It flows through every living organism throughout the universe. You, me, and animals as well."

"Wow… Energy? Well. You have a lot of Energy, Mr. Djin."

"Thanks, kid. I worried a lot about it."

I said with a smile that he returned right back.

"Wait. I read in an encyclopedia that plants are a form of life as well. Do they have Ki?"

"Very astute, Gohan. Yes. Plants are considered living therefore they have Ki as well. You deserve an award." I then materialized a piece of chocolate and pretended as if I had pulled it from his ear. His eyes shot open with excitement.

"Woah! Candy? My mom never lets me have any because she says it's bad for you."

"Good thing I'm not your mom. Go ahead… Eat it. I won't tell." Gohan was about to chomp down in excitement but then halted to look at his dad who gave him a nod of approval. Eating the sweet, excitement painted his face red.

"Now… Go ahead. Tell him what you told me." Said Goku as he got down and whispered. Gohan had just finished his snack.

"Really? But what if he says no?" He questioned, sounding very insecure.

"What is it that you wanna tell me, Gohan? Whatever it is, I promise not to say no." I asked.

"... Do you pinky promise?"

He said, holding out his little finger.

"Hehehe. Yes. I pinky promise." I chuckled, interlocking my finger with his.

"Well, you promised! No going back now." He smiled.

"Now go ahead. You got my attention."

"Well… it's just that… When I saw you fight… It made me happy. I don't know another word to explain it… The fight made me think… I want to be just like you when I grow up. Can you train me so that I can make that dream come true?" He asked with stars in his eyes.

"Smart and Ambitious, are you?"

"My mom says it's always good to have ambitions. They will take you far." He quoted.

'If Chi-Chi only knew.' I could only imagine her screaming at me for training Gohan. The number of curses she would have used would have dragged me to the pits of hell in minutes which made me smile.

"Hehehe. You know what? I'll train you. And I have the perfect partner in mind for you."

"Mom also says that two heads are better than one."

'That woman is gonna wanna skin me alive.'

I gave a devilish smile.

"Your mother is a very smart woman. I'm sure that if she was here, would be loving and supporting."

"Yeah. I think so too." The boy smiled while Goku looked away scratching his head nervously.

[Nappa. Vegeta. My son is a member of Frieza's race. Although that may be the case, he has my blood flowing through him. Try your hardest not to ridicule him for being born the way he was. If you do, I'll kill both of you.] I voiced to them. I could only imagine the shocked expressions on their faces considering they never experienced telekinesis. On top of that, they had a nuke-sized revelation that just dropped onto them.

'Part of Frieza's what?' Nappa and Vegeta screamed internally.

"Ice!" I yelled.

Then, rushing in like a lightning bolt, Ice appeared right by my side.

"Yes, Father?"

He asked with his head tilted.

"Here. I found your friend. This is Gohan. And for the next day, you two are gonna be hanging out with each other."

"For the next day?" Sheepishly asked Gohan.

"Yeah, little buddy. You and my son are gonna get to know each other better. Believe it or not, he's almost as strong as me."

I said to Gohan.

"Woah… Really?" He asked while wagging his tail.

"Not really. My dad is immensely strong. I can't even compare." Retorted Ice.

"Give yourself more credit. You're stronger than anyone here with the exception of me."

"Really?" Gohan asked enthusiastically.

"...You're easy to impress, aren't you," I asked, tilting his head.

"Kinda. I haven't really seen much of the world. I stayed home studying… and I only went outside 3 times in my whole life."

"Really?" This time, Ice asked.

"Mmmhmm." Gohan affirmed.

"Gohan… How about you introduce yourself." Nudged Goku.

"Oh yeah! I'm Gohan. I'm 4. I have a tail, and I want to be strong when I grow up. I also want to be a scholar. Wait … you have a tail too!" Gohan.

"I do. My name is Ice. I'm also 4. And… I don't know what I want to be yet."

"My mom always said, it's best to have your options open. So don't worry. You're still young." Gohan said while patting him on the back.

To his words, Ice nodded.

I had never asked him what he wanted to do with his life myself. It was good that Gohan brought it up.

"Ice."

"Yes, father?"

"I want you to use some of the money I gave you earlier and I want you to take Gohan to some of your favorite places where you like to have fun. Show him some things that you like to do."

"Sure." Ice started to levitate in the air.

"Woah! You can Fly?"

"You can't?"

Asked Ice with the same amount of shock.

"Wait. I got something that can help. Nimbus!!!" Goku shouted to the heavens. Within 10 seconds, The yellow cloud had arrived before Gohan.

"Well, Gohan, Ice seems to be nice. I hope you and him have fun. Dad and Mr. Djin have to train now."

Stated Goku.

"Wait! You never taught me how to fly it."

He said while climbing aboard the Nimbus.

"It's fine. It can read your thoughts. Just hop on and it will keep you from falling. Whenever you need it, just shout up in the sky and it will come to you in no time."

"Oh… Wow. It really does work." Gohan whispered while he started to lift off of the ground.

"Mmmhmm. Now, Don't stay out too late you two."

I stated while the two flew off.

"Got it!" They yelled.

"Now, Goku. Next step, Time chamber."

"Alrighty." He said stretching his arms and legs, getting more limber.