Chapter 25: The Great Misunderstanding – Gohan’s Indirect Marriage Talk

Gohan cleared his throat, glancing nervously at Goku, who was casually staring up at the sky. "Goku, there's... something I think we should talk about."

Goku, completely clueless about what Gohan was about to bring up, turned his head with his usual innocent grin. "Yeah, Grandpa? What's up?"

"Well... I'm sure Krillin might have already told you what happened while you were training," Gohan began, trying to sound casual while simultaneously dancing around the topic. "You know, with all the sudden changes... and I know it might have caught you off guard."

Goku blinked. "Huh? What sudden changes?" He tilted his head, confused, but quickly assumed that Gohan was referring to Yamcha joining their group as a disciple. "Oh! Yeah, I was kinda surprised to see him here. But it doesn't matter to me if he's around or not. It's not like he was a huge part of things in the manga... uh, I mean... my life." Goku scratched his head, letting the slip-up pass unnoticed by Gohan.

Gohan, of course, had no idea Goku was talking about Yamcha. To him, it seemed like Goku was being mature and accepting about the arranged marriage to Chi-Chi. Feeling encouraged, he continued, albeit still too shy to address it directly.

"Well... what do you think about the arrangement? I mean, do you think it's the right choice?" Gohan asked, trying to gauge Goku's feelings while skirting around the actual topic of marriage.

Goku, completely misunderstanding, thought Gohan was asking his opinion about taking Yamcha on as a disciple. Goku scratched his chin thoughtfully, remembering how Gohan had already agreed to train Yamcha.

"It's okay with me, Grandpa. You already agreed to it, so no need to back out," Goku said with a grin, feeling proud of himself for being so easygoing about the situation. Yamcha's got potential, you know? So it's fine.

Gohan was silent for a moment, taken aback by Goku's calm and collected response. He thought Goku was talking about the marriage! Wow, he's handling this so well, Gohan thought, feeling a bit emotional. His grandson wasn't just the battle-crazy fighter he always seemed to be—he was growing up, and apparently willing to accept the marriage without any fuss.

But still, Gohan didn't want Goku to feel forced into anything. "Goku, you know... if you're not happy with the arrangement, we can always cancel it. For me, nothing is more important than your happiness," Gohan said sincerely, hoping to reassure Goku that his feelings mattered.

Goku's eyes widened, touched by Gohan's words. Wow... Grandpa's really willing to cancel the whole master-disciple thing with Yamcha just for me? Goku thought, feeling a warm surge of gratitude. He smiled brightly, his eyes shimmering with appreciation. "Thanks, Grandpa! That means a lot to me. But you don't have to worry—I don't want you to feel bad or anything. You can go ahead with the arrangement if you think it's best."

Hearing Goku's words, Gohan felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. Thank goodness, he has no problem with the marriage, he thought. He beamed with pride. "Alright, Goku. I'm really glad you're okay with it."

Goku, still under the impression that the conversation was about Yamcha, gave a thumbs-up. "Of course! You always know what's best, Grandpa!"

With the misunderstanding firmly in place, Gohan stood up, his heart full of joy. "I'll go let the Ox-King know the good news!"

Goku blinked, scratching his head as Gohan hurried off. "The Ox-King? What's he got to do with Yamcha?" he muttered to himself, but quickly shrugged it off. "Maybe Yamcha borrowed something from him..."

Later that day, Gohan traveled to the Ox-King's palace to deliver the news. The giant of a man greeted Gohan with a hearty laugh, his booming voice filling the halls. "Gohan! How's my old friend doing?"

Gohan smiled warmly. "Ox-King, I've got good news. Goku has agreed to the arrangement. It seems he's happy with it."

The Ox-King's face lit up with excitement. "Really? Oh, that's wonderful news! Chi-Chi will be so happy to hear that Goku is on board with the marriage!"

Gohan nodded, feeling a wave of satisfaction. "Yes, Goku handled it very maturely. He didn't have any objections."

The Ox-King clapped his hands together in joy. "I knew that boy would grow up to be a fine young man! I'll tell Chi-Chi right away!"

As the Ox-King hurried off to find Chi-Chi, Gohan couldn't help but feel proud of his grandson. Not only had Goku accepted the marriage, but he had done so with such grace and understanding. Gohan had expected the conversation to be much more difficult, but Goku had made it seem so easy.

Meanwhile, back at Grandpa Gohan's house, Goku was sitting by the fire, still wondering why Gohan had mentioned the Ox-King. "Weird... maybe Yamcha's doing a job for him or something," Goku mumbled to himself, completely unaware of the true nature of the conversation that had just taken place.

Goku shrugged it off for now, eager to focus on more pressing matters—his training. After the intense sessions inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he had gotten used to wearing his weighted training clothes and had mastered using his current gravity belt, which simulated up to five times the Earth's gravity. However, he knew that his body had already adapted, and five times gravity was no longer challenging enough for him.

Goku stood up and stretched, feeling the energy coursing through his body. "I need to upgrade my gravity belt. Five times gravity is way too easy now," he muttered to himself. "I bet Bulma could help me with that. She's gotta have some ideas for an advanced gravity device."

He made a mental note to visit Bulma soon. Not only did he need a more advanced gravity device, but he also wanted to discuss some of his other training ideas with her—like creating an even stronger version of his weighted clothes using magic materialization techniques. That way, he could push his body even further without relying on traditional weights. Plus, he could use materialization to create food while he trained, meaning he wouldn't need to leave his training sessions for long periods.

Goku smirked. "Yeah, I'll ask her to make it tougher. That'll get me ready for the next big challenge—the World Martial Arts Tournament. It's coming up soon, and I'm gonna need all the power I can get if I want to win."

Since Goku is absolutely certain that he's messed up the timeline, he knows he'll have to face much stronger opponents in the World Tournament. To prepare, he needs to be ready for anyone and anything.