A/N: Sorry guys, can't lie this is shorter than I wanted it to be because I cut out many ideas that I originally had and changed somethings up. For example, I originally wanted to have chi-chi go with Goku to King-kai's place instead of going with Daiko's squad but after writing that I deleted it since I felt chi-chi would have to train with the other humans first before she could do that and I didn't want that anymore. Kinda want Chi-chi to be slightly different from the other humans. Also, cut out the humans training since for the most part it went the same as canon and felt unneccessary. Also, was gonna have Gohan, Daiko, and Raditz train with Roshi for a little bit but when I wrote it out it just didn't make much sense so it was cut. Anyway, think of this chapter as an interlude for the training arc which I'll go into much detail about.
XXXX
The stars stretched over the night sky as Daiko soared silently through the air, Bulma princess carried in his arms. Behind him, Raditz trailed close, keeping pace as they made their way toward the distant shape of Daiko's spaceship in the grassy plains.
They touched down in front of the large, sleek ship. Its frame loomed above them like a silent sentinel. Bulma eagerly hopped down from Daiko's hold, her eyes sparkling.
"Woahhh... this is so cool," she gasped, rushing toward the outer hull. She began circling the ship, running her hands over its metal frame, eyes scanning every detail with scientific interest.
While she explored, Daiko turned to Raditz. "Go bring your pod."
Raditz scratched his head, annoyed. "I don't know where it is. You destroyed my scouter."
Daiko scoffed. "Where's your pod remote?"
Raditz frowned. "I left it in the pod. I had the scouter, so I figured I wouldn't need it."
Daiko folded his arms. "Then start flying around and use your eyes."
Grumbling, Raditz muttered, "Fine," and launched off the ground, disappearing into the distance.
Bulma looked up from inspecting a panel. "Where's he off to?"
Daiko replied casually, "Going to get his space pod. I'm putting it in the hangar."
Bulma's eyes gleamed at the thought. "Ohhh, I can't wait to tinker with that thing," she giggled, rubbing her hands together like a mad scientist. Daiko blinked, staring at her with a blank expression.
'What's wrong with this crazy woman?' he thought.
He turned toward the ship and pulled a remote from the side of his armor. With a press of a button, the entrance ramp slowly lowered with a hiss of steam. As he walked up, he glanced back at Bulma, who was still giggling to herself.
He considered leaving her behind for a second.
"Tch. Move your ass and get in," he said.
Bulma snapped upright, a visible vein appearing on her forehead. "Don't talk about my ass, you rude bastard!" she shouted.
Daiko smirked without turning around and continued walking inside.
Bulma fumed behind him. 'How is Goku so nice, but his brothers are such jackasses?' She wondered. 'Oh, right… probably the brain damage. I wonder if Shenron could fix that?'
Stepping into the ship, she looked around and muttered, "Whoa... the inside's pretty cool."
The interior had a clean, circular design. A ringed hallway looped around the main level, with sealed doors spaced evenly along the walls. There were two floors—the main deck and the cargo bay below.
She followed Daiko down the hallway and peeked through one of the rooms.
"What's in here?"
Daiko glanced over his shoulder. "This is the Medical area. These are the Healing pods. They'll fix you up from anything, though the time depends on the significance of the injury."
Bulma's jaw dropped. "That's... that's incredible! That's decades ahead of Earth's tech. I have to study—"
But when she turned, Daiko was already halfway down the hallway again.
Her eye twitched. 'I swear, he's the most rude—'
Still, she followed, catching up just as he entered a living quarter. Without hesitation, Daiko began removing his armor.
Bulma's face turned crimson. "What are you doing?! Why are you getting naked?!"
Daiko shrugged. "I'm going to shower."
Bulma covered her face. "You should have some decency! I'm a lady!"
Without even looking at her, he replied, "Saiyans are fine being naked. In battle, clothes get destroyed all the time. Also, we often take communal baths, so it doesn't matter to me if you see my junk."
Her hands stayed over her eyes, but curiosity got the better of her. She peeked. Then gasped. Then slapped her hands back over her face, burning red.
'Damn. What a monster'.
Daiko continued casually, "Though it would be different if another Saiyan looked at someone's mate with lust. If they're caught, then the two will often fight, with one of them dying. I even remember my father killing this other Saiyan that tried to make a move on my mother; it couldn't even be called a battle, the way my father killed him."
Subconsciously, Bulma imagined Yamcha challenging Daiko.
'Yeah… Yamcha would be dust.'
Daiko tossed his armor aside and asked, "So? You getting in or not?"
"NO!"
"Then find your own room. Raditz can pick his own when he gets back."
Bulma narrowed her eyes. "Can't you just take me back home?"
"Nope. Don't want to." With that, he walked off toward the shower.
"Jerk!" she muttered, sticking out her tongue and stomping off in the other direction.
The next morning, the ship was quiet. Raditz had returned late in the night and placed his pod in the hangar. Everyone was still asleep.
The next morning.
BOOM!
A sudden explosion rocked the ship. Lights flickered. Smoke drifted down the hallway.
Daiko and Raditz burst from their rooms at the same time, racing toward the source. A door slid open with a hiss, revealing smoke and the smell of burnt circuitry.
Standing in the middle of it all, covered in ash, was Bulma—holding a wrench and blinking through the smoke.
Raditz's hair bristled. "What the hell is wrong with you, woman?! Are you trying to blow up the ship?!"
Bulma coughed. "It's fine! I was just doing some light tinkering… might've overloaded something… but it'll be fine. Totally fixable!"
Daiko stared blankly for a moment, then sighed. "Whatever, just don't cause any more damage. Raditz, get ready. We're grabbing our nephew today and starting the training. You," he added, pointing to Bulma, "fix your mess."
Bulma's jaw dropped. "Don't talk to me so rudely, you caveman!"
Daiko ignored her completely and walked off. Raditz followed with a shake of his head.
After Raditz and Daiko finished getting ready, they took to the skies once again, flying back toward the Son family home. The familiar mountainside came into view, the morning sun casting soft golden light across the trees as they descended.
Three figures were already outside, standing in front of the house.
Goku waved enthusiastically. "Hey, you guys are already here!"
He was dressed in his classic blue and orange gi, a small pouch tied to his hip — most likely full of senzu beans. Beside him stood Gohan, wearing a version of Goku's old blue gi from when he was a child. It hung loosely on his small frame but gave him a striking resemblance to his father. Chi-Chi stood next to them, dressed in her red and blue qipao from the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament, only now with a ridiculously oversized backpack stuffed with supplies strapped to her shoulders.
Daiko raised an eyebrow. "We should start training today. We've only got about a year before the other Saiyans arrive — and before we face Frieza." His eyes then drifted toward Chi-Chi's overloaded pack. "But… sister, what's with all the supplies?"
Chi-Chi smiled with forced cheerfulness. "That's because I'm coming too! I'm going to train with my baby!"
Goku chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I was surprised too, but she's been in the mood to train lately."
Chi-Chi's cheerful expression twitched slightly. Internally, she muttered, 'That's because I'm trying to get closer to you, you thick-headed blockhead.'
Daiko placed a hand under his chin and hummed in thought before nodding. "Sure. That's fine. You won't be able to train the same way Gohan does, but I'll make sure you become the strongest Earthling by the end of this."
Goku gave a thumbs-up. "Sounds good! While you guys handle training, I'll head up to see Kami. He's supposed to help me reach this 'King Kai' guy."
He turned to Chi-Chi and gave her a brief hug, which she accepted with a warm smile. Then he knelt to give Gohan a tight hug. "I'll be back in a year — maybe sooner if I finish early. Be strong, okay? Take care of your mom."
Gohan's eyes welled with tears, his lip trembling. "Okay, Daddy…"
A call rang out: "Nimbus!" Goku's yellow cloud zipped through the sky toward him. He leapt up and gave one final wave before taking off into the distance.
Daiko exhaled and turned toward the rest. "Alright, let's move. Time to head to the ship."
He and Raditz ascended into the sky again, flying low.
"Hey, wait! We can't fly!" Chi-Chi's voice called up in a panic.
Both Saiyan brothers paused midair and slowly floated back down. With an unenthused sigh, Daiko swooped down to lift Chi-Chi, placing her on his back. Her cheeks flushed bright red at the contact.
Raditz, meanwhile, reached for Gohan and pulled him into a carry. Gohan looked terrified, eyes wide and body stiff as they took to the sky again.
About halfway through the trip, Raditz felt something wet soak through his armor. His face twisted. "Y-you little brat!"
"I'm sorry!" Gohan squeaked in horror, face red with embarrassment. "I couldn't help it!"
Raditz let out a strangled groan. "Ugh. That's disgusting!"
They landed in front of Daiko's ship — the massive metallic structure casting a long shadow over the ground. As Raditz stormed off, yelling about needing another shower, Daiko set Chi-Chi down and turned to Gohan.
"You too. Get cleaned up."
Chi-Chi nodded, still red-faced from her "Chi Chis" on Daiko's back. "Come on, Gohan. Let's get you cleaned up."
(Did you catch the joke? Also, no Daiko x Chi-chi, just to be clear.
Daiko stood still for a moment, watching them go. He ran a hand down his face and muttered under his breath, "Is this really the crew I'm going to face an army with…"
Just then, Bulma poked her head out of the ship's entrance, her hair tied up in a ponytail, soot still smudged faintly on her cheek from the console explosion earlier. "So… are you guys going to train here?"
Daiko shook his head. "No. We're going to Planet Savage, the one I was stranded on for over twenty years."
Her eyes lit up. "Another planet?! I want to come!" she clapped her hands excitedly. "I'll bring tools, tons of food, and everything we need. I've got capsules filled with gear. Please, let me come along!"
Daiko folded his arms and looked skeptical. 'She's weak. She'll last a minute at best with the gravity…'
But then she said the magic words: "Tons of food."
He exhaled slowly, weighing the options. "Fine. We'll stop by your place and gather supplies. We'll spend eleven months on Savage for some intense training, and the final month back here for regular training."
Bulma grinned and fist-pumped. "Yes! My first time on another planet. I can't wait to study the environment!"
Within the hour, the ship lifted off and made its way toward West City, eventually landing outside the sprawling white-and-blue dome of Capsule Corporation.
Bulma darted inside to pack while the others waited.
When she finally reappeared, she was dressed in a large, bulky yellow spacesuit. The helmet was slightly oversized and made her head look like a bobblehead.
Daiko stared at her blankly. Raditz looked away with a snort. Chi-Chi blinked, unsure if she needed one herself. Gohan's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"I'm ready!" Bulma declared proudly.
Daiko's face remained unreadable. "Take that off. You won't need it on the ship, and it won't help you on Planet Savage either. I've got better suits onboard that'll help you handle the gravity for the most part."
Bulma frowned, looking like someone had just popped her balloon. "Fine… I'll change after we take off."
Daiko pressed a button on his remote, and the ship's ramp lowered with a mechanical hum.
"Alright, squad," he called over his shoulder, "let's go. It'll take six weeks to get there, so let's get a move on."
One by one, the crew boarded the ship. The ramp rose, the engines roared to life, and the massive spacecraft lifted off, streaking into the sky before disappearing into the clouds, bound for Planet Savage.
XXXX
Meanwhile… in the Otherworld
Goku and Kami had arrived at the waystation between the realms of the living and the dead. They were currently staring up at the towering desk of King Yemma. The giant red ogre leaned forward, looking down at the living mortal before him.
"So..." Yemma began, "You want this mortal to cross Snake Way while still alive?"
Kami bowed. "Yes, sir. It's urgent. He must reach King Kai to prepare for the danger coming to Earth."
King Yemma glanced at Goku, who stood confidently beside Kami. "Why should I allow this? He doesn't look like he could handle it. I don't want him dying halfway and leaving a corpse rotting along the path."
Goku scratched his cheek. "Yeah… that'd be weird."
He imagined it: running back down Snake Way dead, only to stumble across his own rotting body. "Ugh…"
Kami continued pleading. "Please, sir. The fate of billions may depend on it."
Yemma tapped his desk with one large finger. "Hmm… fine. But only because I don't want to deal with that much paperwork."
Kami bowed again. "Thank you, sir."
Kami turned to Goku. "Remember, don't fall off Snake Way. If you do, you'll drop into Hell. And if you run out of food… you'll die."
Goku's face turned serious. He really hated being hungry. He silently vowed to get to King Kai as fast as he could, gripping the senzu pouch tied to his belt.
King Yemma stamped a giant approval seal on a piece of paper and waved them off. With Kami, teleporting back to the lookout to begin the human's training.
An attendant led Goku to the edge of Snake Way, a massive winding stone path stretching far into the distance, suspended above golden-yellow clouds of swirling mist and chaos.
Goku took a deep breath. "Alright, here I go!"
And with that, he blasted off at full speed, running down Snake Way, unsure how long the journey would take.
XXXX
Elsewhere, a lone figure hovered silently over a desolate canyon.
It was Piccolo — the reincarnation of the former Demon King and now reluctant ally of Earth's defenders.
He floated in meditation, his eyes closed, arms crossed.
"Hmph," he grunted. "Even stronger warriors are coming…"
He remembered what he'd overheard while eavesdropping on Kami's lookout — the arrival of the other Saiyans, Frieza, and the threat they posed.
After Goku's friends had arrived, he took the opportunity to hide himself and followed them to Kami's lookout. Where he had heard most of their discussion.
"I barely survived against Raditz… and that was with Son Goku's help."
His eyes opened, glowing faintly.
"I need to be stronger. I will be stronger."
He began to descend, landing softly on a rocky plateau. Stretching out his arms and shouting with a grunt, he summoned multiple copies of himself — energy constructs formed through his multi-form technique.
Without hesitation, the clones attacked him.
Piccolo fought them all at once; fists flying, ki blasts flashing. Every strike carried fury, purpose, and desperation. He would become more than just backup against a strong foe. He would become Earth's champion, being even stronger than that freak of nature, Daiko.
And maybe, he thought, pausing briefly, 'I'll visit Planet Namek later on.'
'If that really is where I came from…'
He launched back into the fray, screaming into the canyon wind as his training continued.