c5 Son Goku is Back
"This… this is it!"
In the distance, Krillin and the others stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at how easily Lin Hao had erased both Frieza and his father, King Cold. None of them could believe what they had just witnessed. It was as if the nightmare of Namek had ended in an instant.
"I feel like… he barely even tried," Krillin muttered nervously, scratching the back of his bald head.
"It's not that it was easy…" Piccolo crossed his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing. "It's that his strength is on another level entirely." Though he spoke coldly, even he was shaken by how casually Lin Hao had displayed power rivaling perhaps even surpassing Son Goku's on Namek.
"Who exactly are you?"
The question came from Trunks, who had approached Lin Hao with a serious look. In his memory of history, no such Saiyan existed. There had never been a Lin Hao in the Dragon Ball timeline he knew.
"Lin Hao," the warrior said calmly. "A Saiyan who's been wandering the universe… I just happened to arrive on this planet."
"Wandering… Saiyan?" Trunks repeated under his breath. He didn't sense any deception in Lin Hao's words, yet the existence of another Super Saiyan beyond Goku, Vegeta, and himself was something he hadn't accounted for.
At this point, the Z Fighters gathered closer, their curiosity written across their faces. Yamcha raised an eyebrow, and Tien studied both Lin Hao and Trunks carefully.
"Alright, so who are you two really?" Piccolo asked, his tone heavy.
Lin Hao gave a short answer, his gaze shifting toward Trunks. "We're not enemies, that much should be clear. But maybe this one here should explain himself."
All eyes turned to Trunks. The young man stiffened, a slight blush forming on his face. He wasn't ready to reveal the truth of his time-travel mission or his parentage, not yet. After a pause, he said simply: "I'm here… to meet Son Goku."
"What?! Goku's coming back?!" Krillin shouted, his expression instantly brightening. As Goku's closest friend and fellow student under Master Roshi and Kami, the news filled him with joy.
"Dad's… coming back?!" Gohan gasped, his heart leaping.
"Yes," Trunks nodded firmly. "Son Goku should arrive in about three hours. Please, follow me." With that, he rose into the sky.
Krillin exchanged doubtful glances with the others. The boy's story was hard to believe, but his sincerity was undeniable. And the ki he carried felt strange, yet trustworthy. Without further argument, they followed him into the air.
Watching them leave, Lin Hao smirked faintly. He had no intention of missing this meeting. To see the true protagonist of the Dragon Ball world Son Goku was something he wanted for himself. He too launched into the sky, golden aura flickering faintly as he joined the group.
---
Three hours later, in a clearing not far from West City…
Lin Hao stretched lazily across a large rock, nearly dozing off, when suddenly his senses sharpened. A tremendous ki, calm yet overflowing with vitality, approached rapidly from beyond the atmosphere.
His eyes opened. "This aura… so pure, so steady. It must be Son Goku. He's finally back."
The others felt it too.
"It's here!" Krillin exclaimed, his body trembling with relief. "That's Goku's ki — I know it anywhere!"
"Daddy! It's really Daddy's energy!" Gohan's face lit up, his young heart soaring as he sensed his father.
As the Capsule Corp spaceship pierced through Earth's skies, everyone's faces filled with hope. Goku's ki grew clearer with every passing second.
To the Z Fighters, there was no feeling more reassuring. Son Goku had returned and in their hearts, Goku was the strongest. No matter what threat appeared, they believed he would overcome it. Every crisis until now had been solved by him… and this time would be no different.
Everyone quickly looked upward, eyes wide as a spherical Capsule Corporation–style spaceship blazed through the atmosphere. The heat shimmered against the clouds before it slowed its descent, finally crashing into the earth with a resounding impact.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled violently, dust shooting skyward as the spacecraft embedded itself in the earth.
Lin Hao immediately leapt up from the rock he had been resting on, his eyes narrowing at the iconic design of the ship. This was no ordinary vessel, it was the Yardrat-return craft Goku had used after escaping Planet Namek.
The others gathered anxiously at the edge of the massive crater formed by the impact, waiting as the hatch hissed open. The rounded spacecraft split with a mechanical whir, and slowly, Son Goku emerged.
He stepped out with his trademark carefree grin, Yardrat battle suit still intact, and blinked in surprise at the crowd assembled outside.
"Huh?!" Goku tilted his head, clearly startled.
"Welcome back, Dad!" Gohan cried happily, rushing forward.
"Goku!" Krillin, Yamcha, and the others shouted in unison. Relief flooded their hearts; just seeing him made them feel safe again.
Where Son Goku stood, the chaos of battle always seemed to find order.
"Why are all of you here? How did you even know where I'd land?" Goku floated up lightly from the pit, scratching his head with that familiar puzzled look.
Bulma raised her right hand, pointing straight at the lavender-haired youth beside them. "Oh, it was him! He told us everything — the time, the place, exactly where you'd land. Dad, don't you recognize him?"
"Huh? Who's that?" Goku asked, blinking in confusion.
"Eh?!" Everyone gasped, staring in shock. Goku truly looked as if he'd never seen Trunks before, yet Trunks had spoken as though he knew Goku intimately.
"You really don't know him?" Bulma pressed.
Goku shook his head cheerfully. "Nope. Never seen him before…"
"But he said you'd land here, right at this time, and" Bulma began, but suddenly her words caught in her throat.
A heavy pressure swept across the field. Lin Hao's aura surged skyward, golden sparks bursting from his body. The overwhelming energy pressed down on Goku directly.
"This ki… so powerful…!" Goku's expression hardened, his usual lighthearted face giving way to seriousness. "Are you another enemy?" Still, there was excitement in his eyes.
"Son Goku, huh?" Lin Hao stepped forward, the earth cracking slightly beneath his boots. "I've been waiting. Let's fight."
Trunks' hopeful smile instantly stiffened into a grim frown. His gaze locked on Lin Hao, completely unsettled. Why now? Why here? What is he planning?
"What's with that ki…?" Trunks muttered. "It's expanding even more… twice what he showed against Frieza. He's dangerous."
"Who are you really?" Goku's voice grew sharp, but his fighting spirit was clearly ignited.
"Hey! Brother! What's wrong with you?" Krillin shouted nervously, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Why are you picking a fight with Goku?! You just saved us from Frieza!"
"What?!" Goku snapped his head back toward them. "You're telling me he was the one who beat Frieza?"
"That's right, Son," Piccolo said gravely, his arms folded. "He transformed into a Super Saiyan. Frieza couldn't touch him. He was erased in just a few strikes."
"Ohhh, so that's it." Goku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That explains it. On my way here I felt an enormous Super Saiyan aura on Earth… but I thought there were two."
Trunks finally stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Goku. "That second aura was mine, Mr. Son Goku. I was"
But Lin Hao cut him off, his voice sharp and commanding. "Enough, boy. Step aside. Whatever you wanted to tell him can wait. Right now, this is between me and Son Goku."
Lin Hao's golden aura blazed higher, crackling violently as he introduced himself. "I am Lin Hao… a Saiyan like you. And today, I want to fight you!"
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