Author's Note: I had this idea pop up in my head while I was looking up some what-if videos for DBZ.

What if Gohan's human nature was replaced by his Saiyan nature? What kind of Dragonball Z story could I make from that concept?

Since it sounded so interesting, I'm deciding to try it out. Let me know what you guys think.


Dragonball Z

Alter Age

Prologue

"He's so cute," Chi-Chi spoke as she gazed down at the peacefully sleeping form of her newborn son, tucked safely beneath the sheets of his crib and lightly snoring away.

Goku, a look of innocent curiosity reflected on his face, tilted his head as he looked the child over. "Gosh. Look at how tiny he is."

"Of course he is. He's a baby, silly," Chi-Chi giggled, glancing across at her husband to see the odd look he was giving the newborn.

As the couple stood side-by-side, gazing down at their quietly dozing child and marveling at how sweet and innocent he looked, the pair were interrupted by a stutter from the wife's father. Standing behind them with his fingers pressed together, the hulking, burly form of the Ox King murmured nervously under his breath before speaking up.

"Umm. Don't you two… think it's time that you give the boy a name?"

Looking back at her father, Chi-Chi felt a big smile tug at her lips as she straightened her back. "I thought of one. It came to me last night while I was thinking about how I want our son to grow up." The woman proudly set her hands on her hips and lifted her chin in the air. "Our boy is going to become a brilliant scholar and doctor someday- one who will be able to make a name for himself and provide for his family. That's why we're going to name him Einstein."

Goku and the Ox King looked across at the woman strangely, before remarking in unison, "Einstein? You're kidding?"

Unperturbed by their comment, Chi-Chi grinned broadly. "Hardly. Our boy's going to be called Einstein."

Hilariously enough, almost as soon as the woman had uttered the statement with conviction, her little boy in the crib suddenly started to wail. Turning around and picking the baby up, Chi-Chi promptly started to rock him gently as his cries echoed throughout the room and tears ran down his soft, puffy cheeks.

"There, there," Chi-Chi cooed, trying to calm her newborn down as he continued to scream and kick unhappily.

The Ox King, moving over to peer over his daughter's shoulder, looked down at the youngster curiously. "I don't think he likes the name you picked out for him, hun."

"Yeah," Goku followed up, at the same time giving his son an amused look. "Actually, I think he might hate it."

"Nonsense, dad. Goku," Chi-Chi replied, at the same time giving her child a smile. "Look. He's fine about the name, aren't you, Einstein?" After seeing the boy stare up at her for a couple of seconds, he then started wailing even harder, causing the mother to flinch at the sheer volume of the child's voice. "Uhh… okay. I think you guys might be right."

Goku chuckled as he then looked across at his two family members. "So then… what do you think we should call him?"

From there a rather interesting discussion unfolded between the members of the newly established Son Household, as the Ox King, Goku and Chi-Chi started debating over what the newborn's name should actually be. At first the grandfather pulled out a list of names that he'd scribbled out the afternoon before- a scroll's worth of titles that all involved the word 'Ox' in some creative way. Unfortunately, after reading through only a handful of them, the obviously irritated baby boy started crying loudly again and throwing a tantrum, and all of the poor old man's ideas were shelved until the end of time.

Goku tried his best to come up with a few names as well to see how they would gel. Unfortunately though, almost each and every one of them involved food in some way and were promptly shot down by Chi-Chi, who refused to have her son go around with the name 'Bacon' for the rest of his life. The martial artist father was clearly very hungry right now and, seeing as how his thoughts weren't having any effect, resigned to having to remain in the room until they'd managed to come up with an appropriate moniker for their son.

Eventually, after about an hour of standing about and making no progress, the three adults found themselves sitting separately around the baby's crib, staring at him thoughtfully as he waved his hands towards the hanging toys hovering over him- cooing all the while. Following a moment of intense silence, Goku then felt a sigh leave his lips.

"Maybe I'll be able to come up with something while I'm fishing."

"Oh no. Absolutely not," Chi-Chi spoke up while glaring across at her husband. "You aren't leaving this house until you've come up with at least one decent name."

Seeing his wife and step-father staring across at him intently, Goku frowned and stood up. "One, huh? Okay then." He then took a deep breath, causing the pair in front of him to hold their breaths as they waited for his answer. But then all of that tension vanished when the father grinned and scratched his head sheepishly. "But could we do it after we eat first? I'm starving!"

His answer had Chi-Chi and the Ox King comically face plant the floor, which inevitably led to the wife scrambling back to her feet and then yelling at her husband.

"You're hungry, huh?!" the woman bellowed, her fangs sharpened to that of daggers as she got right up into her surprised beloved's face. "How can you think of food when your son is lying there without a name?! I know you were raised in the woods, but I'm sure Gohan must have taught you some semblance of manners and common sense!" Unbeknownst to the pair, the moment Chi-Chi screamed the word Gohan, the baby boy in the crib gave a bright giggle- an event that immediately had the Ox King rise up and walk over to the crib. "Answer me, Goku! Were you taught any kind of practicality or judgement by Gohan while you were growing up?!"

"N-Not really. No," Goku replied with his head down, all the while completely unaware of the giggles rising up from his son's crib.

"You just use the fact that you were raised in the woods as an excuse for being totally uncouth!" Chi-Chi barked once again.

At that moment, the Ox King spoke up. "I… I think you found it, Chi-Chi."

"Found what?!" the woman shouted.

"The name. Here, watch this," the Ox King chirped, before once again looking back down at the crib beneath him and whispering. "Gohan." The moment he said that, the baby boy in the red hat and singlet giggled happily, raising his hands and pawing at the air in a clear sign of joy. "See. He likes it. Gohan." Another bout of giggles and laughter left the boy's lips when he heard the name spoken once again.

Both Goku and Chi-Chi moved over to the baby's cot and looked down at their child in amazement, watching him laugh and flail about happily upon hearing his grandfather repeat the name once more. It was in that moment the pair realized right away that they had finally nailed it, which in turn had the pair smile.

"Oh gosh, dad. I think you're right," Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"How cool. He really wants to have old grandpa's name. Wow," Goku also chirped.

The Ox King smiled across at his son-in-law when he saw him reach over and wag his finger towards his little boy, who he felt reach up and wrap his tiny fingers around his digit. "I bet Gohan would be so proud if you named your son after him."

"Well. You hear that, Gohan? Is that what you want to be called?" Goku asked, grinning as he watched his son coo while holding his finger. "Gohan?" When he repeated the name in a baby-voice, the child beneath him giggled happily, at the same time waving his other hand in a clear sign of delight. "Heh-heh. Goha-WHOOOOOOOOOOOA." THUD!

For a split second Chi-Chi and the Ox King thought they must've blinked, because the next thing they saw was Goku lying on his back on the other side of Gohan's crib, his hand still hanging over the edge of the child's barricade, and a bewildered look on his face. When the father and daughter duo walked over to where the young adult hero was lying, they looked down at his wide-eyed mug to see him look up at him.

"Darling? Are you okay?" the concerned new mother asked, not exactly sure what'd happened.

"Y-Yeah. I'm okay, Chi," Goku stammered, slowly hoisting himself up and using the edge of his son's crib to steady himself. Blinking when he finally managed to regain his balance after his dizzying flip, the man looked up. "Man. I wasn't expecting that."

"How did you end up down there?" the Ox King asked, appearing just as confounded by the scenario. First Goku had been standing on the left-hand side of his son's crib and peering into it, and a split second later he was lying on his back on the right-hand side. It was a pretty perplexing riddle.

It almost seemed like Goku had been thrown over the crib.

"I'm… not sure…" the young adult replied, before slowly looking down at his baby boy to see him clapping his hands happily and giggling. "I think… Gohan may have picked me up… and threw me over his bed." It certainly felt like that'd happened. The boy had been holding onto his finger at the time. While he was busy playing with him, the boy's grip had tightened and the next thing Goku knew was his body being tossed into the air and slammed into the floor.

Understandably Chi-Chi didn't believe the man one bit. "Oh, nonsense, Goku. Our boy's only a month old," the mother replied, moving over and picking the child up from his sheets. When she had the child sitting comfortably in her arms, the raven haired parent beamed at him. "You were probably leaning forward too much and slipped, you clumsy goof."

Goku blinked as he looked across at his wife and newborn, while the Ox King watched quietly from the sidelines. "But… it's true Chi-Chi. That's what happened."

"Sure it is, hun," the mother replied, rocking her son as he sat in her arms, cooing happily. "I mean, honestly? How could a baby- our own son- throw you- a full-grown man- across the room? It's not like he's got freakish strength and martial arts talent like you." Upon seeing Goku's confounded gaze on her, Chi-Chi returned to smiling at her child as he stared back at her with his innocent charcoal eyes. "Besides… he's not going to grow up to become a fighter. He's going to become a scholar someday- someone who is smart, sensible, and has a good head on his shoulders. A dignified, productive member of society who will be able to provide for his family."

This statement had the listening Goku tilt his head. "You're… already planning his life that far ahead?"

"Of course," Chi-Chi replied, before raising her head and grinning proudly. "After all, a good mother always wants what's best for her child and her family. This one is going to make sure her boy grows up to become a proper, respectable gentleman- unlike his knucklehead of a father."

While Goku and the Ox King shared a look with one another, and Chi-Chi was busy daydreaming about the great man she envisioned her son becoming in the far distant future, the newborn Gohan stared up at his mother inquisitively for a few moments. After a few seconds of processing what she'd said, the infant child suddenly put on a deep, angry frown- giving clear indication that he didn't like the words or tone coming out of his parent's mouth.

Not one bit.


From that moment on, time seemed to go by at a curiously fast pace for the Son family- perhaps because the days that came and went were filled with so much joy, excitement and intrigue.

The morning where the adults had found themselves gathered around the crib in the newborn Gohan's bedroom quickly became a distant memory for the small clan, as the days in Mount Paozu soon turned into weeks, and then those weeks transformed into months. Over that time, the tiny, close-knit family of three experienced a great many heartwarming memories and adventures together in the form of numerous outings and trips across the rolling, pristine valleys surrounding their humble little home.

As with all households of course, aside from their many small quests and turbulences, many small changes also started to take place for Goku, Chi-Chi and their son.

Seasons passed, and the young, seemingly innocent Gohan's physical, auditory, and processing abilities developed at a remarkably accelerated rate. At just four months of age, the boy had already began exhibiting traits and skills that a child a year older would already be showing, including babbling, spoken words, crawling, exploring, and even walking. By the next month, he'd virtually formed a basic understanding of simple spoken and visual language cues, and was able to move about of his own free will, while simulating activities that were almost akin to imaginative play.

This rapid growth in ability startled Chi-Chi at how speedily her boy was coming into his own element, which prompted her to view her child as some kind of exceptional, intellectual genius in the making. As soon as she got it in her head that her little Gohan was going to grow up to become someone truly special in the future, she quickly went about making plans to properly foster and scaffold his coming education.

Goku meanwhile, feeling his son had a really strong connection to his Grandpa, found a way to sew the four-star dragon ball on display in their living room into his son's cap, and gave it to him as a present for his first birthday. His mother had also come up with a new set of clothing for the toddler, consisting of a yellow and red jacket ensemble and pants resembling oriental, princely robes. For some reason the dotting Chi-Chi thought that it suited her boy quite well and, for a time, the youngster seemingly enjoyed the love and adoration his parents showered upon him.

However, at about a year into their lives together, a bunch of strange things started to happen to the family's youngest member.

With his ability to move about and explore on his own being refined to an extraordinarily high degree, Gohan started venturing around the house and his family's property on a more regular basis. These explorations became a part of his everyday activities and soon became so frequent that Chi-Chi would often times find her son in a variety of odd and unusual locations that would've otherwise been physically impossible for a child of only one year old to be able to access.

He also found it difficult to sit still for more than a minute.

For example, every time she sat Gohan down to prepare some food, tidy up, or get a book to read, the moment she turned her back on him for a few seconds, the youngster would suddenly be clambering over couches, hiding on top of elevated spots, including shelves and cupboards, concealing himself inside of cabinets, hanging off of the living room's fan, and even- on a couple of occasions- perching in the tree outside of their house. At an age where the child should barely be able to even crawl, let alone stand, the youngster was climbing and reaching all sorts of places in a remarkable display of strength and coordination. He was like a very active cat or a very nimble, young monkey.

The fact that he had the same brown, furry tail that his father had as a kid growing up, didn't help the comparison one bit.

The experience gave new meaning to the quote 'if you blink, you'll miss it'. Chi-Chi had no idea how Gohan was so capable of slipping away from her so easily, more so than what she imagined an ordinary child would be capable of. But no matter how vigilant the woman became or how many precautions she took to ensure her boy wouldn't escape her sight, her son showed that he had a surprising knack of getting away from her.

This of course was only the start of it all.

As the weeks passed by and the family's life in the mountains continued to develop, Gohan started to deviate more from acting like a normal toddler and began exhibiting wilder, more animalistic tendencies. Aside from his impromptu hide & seek tag sessions with his mum, the kid also became obsessed with looking for animals around the house. At just over a year old the boy would regularly sneak out to chase small rodents and birds living close by his home- particularly squirrels. On one particular scenario his growing predatory instincts led him to chasing a rabbit down its tunnel and coming back out with it in his mouth.

It was still alive, sure, but the poor thing was scared out of its wits when Gohan came tearing after it on all fours like a fox.

This very unusual and unruly behavior quickly prompted Chi-Chi to take swift, disciplinary action against her son in order to quickly curb his behavior and stop him from turning out like his father. This led to her putting her son through a crash course of proper home etiquette and early homeschooling, in which she set Gohan inside the house and had him begin his studies right away.

Giving Gohan something new to do around their country home helped to settle the kid down for a short while. But as soon as the boy picked up the art of reading and self-studying- and at only two years old- he quickly began resisting his mother's authority by tearing up the books after finishing them and running out of the house to hang out in the woods again.

Suffice to say was that the kid didn't like staying indoors at all.

Considering the amount of intolerance Chi-Chi showed towards Gohan's moods and behaviors, as well as the lengths she went to try and suppress them, any ordinary child would've calmed down or straightened up by this point. But as the days went on, the youngster continued to resist against his mother's wishes and insisted on acting like an animal. When Chi-Chi tried to restrain him further by telling him off or locking him in his room, the child would unexpectedly lash out and escape.

Goku, wanting to quell his wife's worries, suggested to the concerned mother she let Gohan do what he wants and enjoy his youth. In his words, he reasoned that their son was probably going through some sort of phase and suggested to Chi-Chi that she just let the whole thing run its course. Obviously he wanted Gohan to grow up happy and healthy on his own, and be free to make his own choices. If being free to move around outside a lot was what he wanted to do now, then his wife should let him to just that. The fact that their son didn't venture too far from home and that Goku could sense where he was at all times, gave further assurances that things would be okay.

Chi-Chi reluctantly agreed to her husband's suggestions and decided to see how things would turn out.

Her frustrations and worries petered out for a quite some time after that and things around the house almost immediately became less hectic. Without having to worry about her child studying so early and that he was having the time of his life, Chi-Chi's days in her little home quickly became quieter, more relaxed, and enjoyable.

But by the time Gohan reached two and a half years old, other things started to happen to him that his parents weren't aware of.


(Mount Paozu)

(Wednesday)

On this particular morning, while Chi-Chi was busy inside preparing breakfast for her family and her father was still asleep on the roll-out futon in the living room, out in the woods close to their house, the two-year-old Gohan was quietly exploring his surroundings once again.

Showing a fascination towards most of the things around him, the boy in the green pants and white shirt walked around the shrubs and bushes on a little expedition. After a while of walking around on both his feet and checking out his usual territories to make sure nothing was out of place, the child then got down on all fours and began creeping about the trees like a tiger, slowly crawling through the undergrowth and quietly laying out one palm after the other.

His back arching in a very cat-like manner, the boy raised his head and sniffed the air, his incredibly tuned senses picking up the familiar odor of something drifting through the trees. When the child eventually came upon a clearing where the smell was proliferating from, Gohan quickly spotted a couple of finches pecking away at the ground and hopping around each other.

The sounds of their tweets and chirps had a very feral grin cross Gohan's lips as the boy squatted down in the bushes. His feet digging into the ground, the child let out a very throaty growl as he promptly telegraphed the bird's movements and mentally measured the distance between them. Once his position had been adjusted and his legs had been loaded, the boy then took action.

In a burst of leaves and twigs, Gohan leapt out of the bushes and pounced on the two unsuspecting birds. The sudden appearance of the child startled the pair of animals, who quickly took flight. When the boy dropped down on the spot the finches had been feeding, the child's hands slammed down onto nothing.

But just when it appeared the birds were about to get away, Gohan then did something completely unexpected.

In a blur of movement, the long-haired youngster darted from the ground and leapt through the air, landing against the side of a tree on the other side of the clearing on all fours in an instant. The moment his fingers dug into the bark, he then loaded his body again and leapt after the birds, the sound of a gunshot ringing out. The speed he used was so great that his body actually vanished when he jumped.

The next thing the two birds knew was being grabbed out of midair by a fast-moving Gohan, who managed to catch both of them in his little hands. Dropping out of the air, the child kicked off another tree and touched down softly on the floor. He then ended up pinning the two birds beneath him, both of whom chirped wildly in fright.

The cheeky youngster snickered. "Got yah!" Gohan exclaimed, watching the two brown avian squirm and writhe beneath him for several seconds, before eventually stopping when they realized they couldn't get away. The wild child then grinned at them happily. "Haha. Sorry. Better luck next time, you guys." Upon carefully picking both birds up off the floor, the youngster then let them go, watching as the pair of finches flew up into the canopy- alive, unhurt, but clearly in a bit of a daze.

Upon seeing the animals fly off, Gohan returned to foraging and exploring. Dashing through the brush and jumping through trees, the incredibly agile and strong two and a half year old made good time through the woods. When he exited the forest beside his house a few moments later and onto the rolling hills, the child then spotted his father out on the valleys.

Dressed in his signature orange and blue gi, with his respective school's markings stitched onto the front and back, the strongest man on Earth- Goku- could be found sparring by himself over the grasslands.

His body moving in a blur of motion, the diligent and hardworking hero and recent Martial Arts Champion went through the various katas of his fighting style one after the other. His fists and legs shot out in multiple directions as he lunged and leapt through various parrying and striking postures, hitting with upward palm strikes, swinging blows, and leaping spin kicks. From the way his attacks came out so sharply, letting off sharp gusts of wind with each blow, showed just how much effort he was putting into his morning training regimen.

Watching closely from his spot at the edge of the forest, the initially curious Gohan immediately became fascinated and enthralled by his father's display of strength and agility. His eyes widening and shimmering in awe at the man's movements, the boy watched his parent continue to spar across the hills for a couple of minutes, before he then saw the man take his training to the air. Goku leapt to an incredible height above the valleys and began striking the sky, pulling out various combos and unleashing them in flickers of barely traceable attacks.

His awe quickly becoming replaced by pure excitement- as indicated by his tail swishing behind him- the now reinvigorated young Gohan laughed as he leaned forward and sprinted out into the open. Stumbling at first, the child then began dashing across the valley with his arms out, clearly eager to join in on what his father was doing.

While Goku dropped down from the sky and executed another series of brisk, powerful moves and jabs, the parent stopped when he suddenly spotted his son standing a few feet away, beaming across at him with an expression of pure delight. Dropping his guard and rising up from his lunge, the father blinked curiously at the child.

"What's up, Gohan? What are you doing out here?" the father asked, promptly walking over to his son and stopping in front of him. "Daddy's busy training right now."

His face practically glowing by this point, Gohan then waved his hands over him and began hopping eagerly on the spot. "That looks fun, daddy! I want to play too! Play! Play!" the child chirped.

"Play?" Goku repeated, not quite understanding what his son was saying.

"Yeah!" To emphasize, the child clenched his fists at his sides and put on a fierce expression. "I want to jump around and go HA-HA-HA-HA-HA too!" Gohan shouted in a loud voice, at the same time throwing a couple of punches in front of him. "Just like you. Teach me! Teach me!"

"Oh? You mean… martial arts?" Goku asked, which drew a nod from his excited son. Hearing this and seeing the amount of interest his boy was expressing towards what he was doing, put a big grin on the man's face. Stepping forward, he rested a hand on his child's head and ruffled his outgrown hair. "Yeah. Of course. If that's what you want to do."

Practically bouncing with joy, Gohan grinned back at his parent. "What's first?"

"Well… first we have to work on your fighting stance," the man said, moving to stand alongside his boy and seeing Gohan's eyes firmly glued on him. "You need to know how you're going to stand if you're going to learn how to fight." Goku then assumed a basic horse riding posture, his feet setting wide, legs bending, and arms locking at his sides with his fists drawn in. "A strong stance will give you good balance, and will also provide a footing for your attacks and defense."

Observing his father's movements and the pose he'd assumed carefully from where he was standing, Gohan then attempted to mimic the hero. "L-Like this?" the child asked, at the same time taking a pose exactly like his dad's.

"Yeah. That's it. Now… start moving your hands and body around like this," Goku instructed, slowly swinging his arms about in a defensive parry, almost similar to tai chi, before following it up with a decisive palm thrust. "Nice, smooth, and fluid… like water." He continued to do so at a slow and gradual pace, using the same gestures so that his son would be able to copy him. "By moving your arms this way, you can block and parry straight punches from your opponent. And by following up with this, you can counter them."

Goku then proceeded to watch from the corner of his eye as Gohan, with his eyes unblinking and gaze locked firmly on him, began to perfectly mimic his father's hand and foot movements. As the martial arts champion sped up and began using different motions, the boy copied him, repeating his parries and thrusts at about a second behind. Soon however, as the man began repeating the same string of attacks, his son was able to sync up his katas in time with his own, till he was moving like an exact, miniature doppelganger of his father.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Gohan shouted, thrusting his palms out after performing a block as he matched his father's speed. He then looked up at his dad and grinned at him, before then swinging his arm out in a striking parry, before following that up with two brisk punches. "Ha-ha! Yah! Like that?"

The sight of Gohan picking up his actions almost in an instant had Goku blink in astonishment, before a proud smile graced his lips. "Wow. Yeah! You got it, Gohan." Upon seeing the child grin proudly back at him, the father then lowered his posture yet again and reset his stance, altering it slightly by shifting his feet into a more pigeon-toed stance. "Now… on to the next one."

Being the martial arts expert that he was, Goku not only had a fair amount of knowledge to offer, but he also had a very strong understanding of where to begin when teaching his young son how to fight. Since all of his combat skills were based solely off his own boyhood experiences and history of learning them on the fly, it meant he didn't have to go into too much detail over the specifics of each technique. Even better, since Gohan was apparently a very quick study and soaked up everything he saw like a sponge, made actually teaching him the proper foot and handwork a thousand times easier than it would be otherwise. The boy was just… a natural… a boy gifted to learn.

This fact was made all the more apparent when, in the span of about half an hour, Goku had managed to teach him the basics of Hung Ga, the very fighting style that was the center of the young adult's repertoire of abilities. After showing Gohan the movements and watching him repeat them, he then had him practice some basic hand-to-hand work with a partner. Considering he was so much taller than his infant son, Goku got down on his knees to practice basic sticky hand techniques- a practice he adopted from Wing Chun in which both of them traded several different sets of parrying and striking techniques repeatedly, where their arms continuously crossed, locked, and swapped parries and counter punches over and over again.

Upon going over this for several minutes so that his son could get used to the idea of trading blows, Goku then thought now was as good a time as any to put all of those demonstrations to the test.

"Alright then," the spiky haired hero chirped with a grin as he stepped back, watching as his boy looked up at him with an intent and excited expression. "Since you've picked all of that up so quickly, let's have a quick sparring match to see how well you've taken all of that."

Gohan grinned, his tail wagging vigorously in excitement. "Yes, sir!" The child then quickly assumed the fighting pose he'd been practice- setting his feet wide with his right body forward, his right hand up and extended slightly, while his left fist was tucked into his side. "Let's play, daddy!"

Laughing at his son's enthusiasm, Goku then slid into his own loose stance and brought his left arm up into a defensive position. "Now remember, son- don't overthink it. Just move how your body wants to move and don't react to everything you see. Take it slow… and go at your own pace. Focus on your technique." As soon as he'd assumed a comfortable Hung Ga stance, the father smiled warmly towards his boy, who he could see was bobbing up and down on his legs enthusiastically. "Don't worry. Because you're still so young, I'll make sure to go lightly on you."

"Okay dad," Gohan chirped, before shifting his feet out and loading his legs. "Here I come! HYAAAH!" The child then bolted forward, sprinting across the grass at such a pace that it had Goku almost do a double take when his toddler of a son was suddenly right in front of him. The instant he was within jumping range, the eager child unexpectedly sprang into the air and leapt at his father with a leaping kick, which shot out at him in an arc.

"Whoa!" Goku exclaimed, moving to the side sharply and avoiding his son's blow when he came flying past him. "I didn't know he could jump like that!" Spinning around to see his boy touch down on the floor a few feet away, he then saw the child wheel about and spring at him again with a blast of dust, this time coming at him even faster. "Oh, geez!"

Dodging the boy's first two attacks- an uppercut and a kick- Goku then performed several brisk head slips when his son suddenly unloaded a flurry of punches against him that somewhat alarmed the father at their ferocity. Upon dodging them and ducking his follow-up kick, the surprised adult retaliated with a right jab out of reflex, watching his boy parry it with a hand slap and return the blow with a left kick.

Blocking it, Goku then saw his boy drop to the floor and dart to the side across the grass. Pivoting about to keep the youngster in front of him, the martial artist then focused up his gaze when he saw Gohan dart back towards him again in the form of a blur, and leap at him with a jumping right punch. Leaning to the side to avoid, the father then speedily blocked the next onslaught of blows that came in from his airborne boy. Light thumps rang out with every attack he deflected and slapped away, as his son gave off a series of gutsy shouts and grunts.

When Goku unbolted a kick straight up towards his boy, he saw the child check it and counter with a kick of his own. Blocking with his forearm, the adult then watched as Gohan flipped away and landed on the grass several feet away on all fours. The sight of the boy's eyes snapping up to him from his position as he slowly lowered his leg had the martial artist father blink in amazement.

"Man. Since when could Gohan move like that? Isn't he a bit too young to be running around at that speed?" Goku thought, analyzing his child's posture for a moment before then looking down at his right forearm, which he had used to catch the youngster's kick. When he saw the mark left in his skin by his boy's tiny shoe, the hero frowned. "That was a very strong teep. If I hadn't caught that-" Clenching his fist after shaking out the light bruising, the father glanced back up at his cautious boy, who he noticed was now studying him from a distance. "His movements are razor sharp. I think I'd better try a little harder, otherwise he's going to hit me."

After his eyes darted over his father's form and noticed the more defensive posture he'd assumed, the stationary Gohan gave an impatient frown before deciding to make his move. With a grunt he charged, kicking up dust as he once again sprang at his old man and uncorked a series of brisk punches. This time his father blocked with a lot more finesse and care, speedily shooting down every attack the tiny boy threw at him, all the while holding his distance from him.

Recognizing many of the moves that they'd practiced with one another over the last hour, Goku timed each counter properly so as to not hurt his body. However, as their little sparring session carried on, the man noticed that his boy was getting faster, his blows were getting stronger, and his combinations were getting a lot more aggressive. After remaining mostly stationary for the first few minutes, the martial arts father started to steadily back away.

Firing off a couple of jabs at his son and watching him leap around them, the boy then leapt at him again, this time with a jumping knee strike. Not expecting an attack like that due to having not taught him that move, Goku promptly blocked it with his arm, only to then notice the boy chopping down at him with a left overhand. His little fist cut through the air and threatened to crack the man over the head, with the father giving a surprised blink before instinctively shoving his palm into his son's chest.

The brisk tap that he gave pushed Gohan out of the air and sent him to the ground, which he slammed into rather hard and rolled. When his body eventually rolled to a still and the child was on his stomach, Goku slowly watched the dust settle. It was only at that point the man had realized what he had done and gave a startled gasp.

"Oh my gosh, Gohan! A-Are you okay?" the father asked while speedily jogging over to check on his little one. "Ah. Damn. I think I may have gone a little too far there." Kneeling down when he saw his boy's body was shaking, the older martial artist rested a hand on his back and looked down at him. "Are you hurt?"

Being the kind of man that he was- strong yet caring- Goku couldn't help but freak out, thinking he may have hurt his little boy by accident. When the child slowly pushed himself off of the grass and lifted his face clear of the dirt, the father thought for sure the youngster was going to start crying any second now. However, the moment the martial artist saw the kid look up at him, the man suddenly backed up in alarm when, instead of a hurt expression, he saw an incredibly angry and feral glare gazing back at him.

Seeing the child's teeth bare and hearing a low growl emanate from him, the father blinked. "G-Gohan?"

Upon giving that very animalist growl, Gohan shakily pushed himself up, his body trembling as he forced himself onto his feet. Almost buckling under the pain that he'd received from landing so violently, the boy then took several deep breaths, before his irate sneer was replaced by a rather wide and feral grin.

"M-More…" the boy hiss, startling his father at his response. "More…"

Moments later, the martial artist father gave another surprised blink when, all of a sudden, he saw wisps of steam start to emanate from the boy's body. Floating into the air little by little, the trembling child continued to take deep breaths as he flexed his fingers, feeling the pain go away and be replaced by more strength, as he hardened his muscles and took a firmer stance.

Goku meanwhile, being able to sense his boy's presence, recoiled in momentary alarm when he felt his energy level starting to climb at a shockingly fast rate. "Th-This power… where the heck is it all coming from…?" His expression continued to showcase his disbelief as he saw the vapor wafting off of his child suddenly transform into some kind of aura, which only seemed to get stronger and stronger as the seconds ticked by. It reached such a high level that the father felt as though he was now facing down some kind of monster. "Gohan?"

After several seconds of standing there and feeling his energy climb, the two year old child then slowly leaned forward and slammed his hands into the floor, where he assumed the same animalistic posture he'd taken before as his fingers dug into the soil. With his aura increasing in size and potency, the now maliciously grinning child focused all of his ire on his father- his once charcoal black eyes slowly turning white as his energy continued to course through his body.

"Come on, dad," Gohan exclaimed, shaking his father out of his stupor. "Let's play some more."

Before Goku could make any sort of comment, he suddenly saw a crater get smashed into the floor beneath his son, who then suddenly vanished into thin air. Seeing the cloud of dust left behind dissipate, the alarmed martial artist quickly put all of his senses on full blast and spun around. He managed to throw his arm up just in time to catch the kick from his son when he reappeared directly behind him. The moment it connected and loud boom rang out that knocked the man off balance and sent him skidding across the ground.

Tearing a trench through the earth from the force of his boy's blow, Goku barely had enough time to recover when the toddler suddenly came at him with a flurry of lightning fast blows, which seemingly came at him from multiple directions at once. His son's form darting through the air in front of him left several after images as he started attacking him with strength and speed that the father wasn't at all prepared for.

Barely managing to parry the barrage of blows, his expression reflecting the sheer intensity and effort he was being forced to expend trying to fend off his own boy, Goku suddenly had his arms smashed away by the boy throwing a massive kick that sent his arms skyward. With his guard blown open, the adult martial artist could only give a stunned look when Gohan, in a blur of movement, delivered a crushing flying kick right into the man's stomach.

Ribs and muscles caving under the blow, the startled Goku's eyes practically bugged out as he spat out blood, before the man was sent flying off his feet and bouncing across the valley. His body smashing against the floor several times in multiple places, the man eventually rolled to a stop. Gripping his torso, the man gasped and groaned in pain, his uniform slightly wrecked and body severely bruised.

Managing to take in a few deep gasps of much needed air that'd been knocked out of his lungs, the Earthling hero shakily pushed himself up onto his hands and looked up across at his son. The moment his eyes landed on him, Goku's expression twisted into one of shock and momentary fear when he saw the boy standing there, hunched over slightly, as the white steam of his aura flowed off of him and up into the sky.

The way his clothes and his hair seemed to billow on the wind being generated from his aura, and the way his expression had darkened with the intense frown he'd put on, almost gave him the appearance of a demon. The fact that his eyes were nearly blank as well sent a cold chill running down Goku's back.

Just when it seemed like Gohan was going to attack again, the white aura surrounding him faded and the child's body relaxed. When his spiky hair flopped back down and the intensity in his gaze faded, the boy suddenly put on a cheerful smile and tilted his head towards his fallen father.

"Wow! That was so much fun, daddy!" the youngster exclaimed, his mood seemingly returning back to normal before a big grin formed across his lip, which'd started bleeding from his initial fall. Unperturbed by it, the child brought up his fists and shook them excitedly as he gave his father the most ecstatic of looks. "Can we do that again?! Can we? Please!"

Goku, still shaken from what he'd witnessed, sensed and felt firsthand, continued to gape in disbelief at his son for several moments, before then shaking out of his daze. He then chuckled and grinned weakly back at the youngster- simultaneously reaching up to wipe the blood from his chin. "Yeah, son. Of course we can."

When the man hoisted himself back to his feet, the one question that stuck out of his mind was what the hell that freakish power had been. Though he had no idea when, how, or why his boy had managed to acquire such strength, Goku knew right away in his throbbing, sore gut that it was something special.

His son had a power dwelling inside of him that he couldn't even begin to fathom. But whatever it was, the man wanted to see if he could bring it out again.


In the days and weeks to follow since that fateful incident in the valleys, the incredibly intrigued and determined Goku started taking his son out for even more training sessions together in secret. Keeping well away from the house and the watchful eyes of Chi-Chi, the adult warrior wanted to see if he could tap into the same tremendous well of power that his boy unleashed on their first, playful sparring match together.

As their training together progressed and Goku began teaching Gohan more and more about the world of martial arts, the child's skills and abilities grew at an extraordinary rate.

As the father expected early on, his son possessed an unimaginable, unheard of level of inner strength and potential. Despite being of such a young age, barely old enough for a normal child to be able to walk properly, the kid showed a prodigious talent in the martial arts that would only ever appear once in a lifetime. It wasn't just his rapid understanding of the techniques behind the arts that was astonishing- but his processing abilities, adaptability, his body's coordination skills, his instincts, and his muscles, were all naturally built for the life of a strong fighter.

The boy was like a machine. Everything Goku taught to his son over the next few months, he soaked it up. All the strategies he gave him and learning opportunities, the boy took them and enhanced them. He didn't do it in an ordinary way though. Still having the mentality of a child, Gohan saw every opportunity to learn from his father as a form of play, which he was quickly able to convert to his daily routine and transform into his biggest hobby.

Between the secret morning training sessions he had with his dad, Gohan took the skills being taught to him by his father and transitioned it over to his day-to-day adventures in the forest. Whenever he was alone, he would practice the technique, run obstacle courses, and pretend he was fighting against someone or something.

Because of these inclusions and adapting of his training to his regular life, the child insured that his skills would continue to progress.

As for the hidden power he managed to bring out during his initial training session with his father, though he did reveal small glimpses of it over the next year or so, his subsequent power outputs and adrenaline rushes were nowhere near as ferocious or extravagant as the first time he tapped into it. Though Goku tried to get his son to harness his well of power and bring it out, the youngster was simply unable to reach deep enough for a repeat performance, and thus kept it concealed from the world.

The father quickly came to suspect that his son was deliberately suppressing his hidden power. Though he couldn't really understand why, given the nature of his son and his immense levels of growth, Goku eventually thought it best not to dwell on it too much. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get hospitalized in an accident while "playing" with his two- going on three-year-old- boy in the countryside.

Understandably, Goku also chose to keep his discovery of his son's power away from his wife, as he knew that telling Chi-Chi about Gohan's latent potential for martial arts and unbelievable strength would raise all sorts of problems he just didn't want to get into. While the martial artist was positive that his beloved wouldn't believe him, due mostly to the woman's common sensibilities and the idea that no one could be as strong as him, the fact that she didn't want their child to grow up to become a fighter made telling her a risky venture.

After all, the woman wanted Gohan to grow up to become an ordinary person, who could function properly in society, find a job, and provide for his family. Any thought of the boy becoming anything but a successful scholar or academic in the world would probably give Chi-Chi an aneurism of some kind.

Unfortunately, due to the boy's carefree, wild, and unpredictable nature, Goku had a feeling that setting Gohan on the path to mediocrity was not going to be as simple as his wife was hoping it would be.

As the months continued to pass them, Gohan's carefree attitude failed to subside. In fact, his eagerness for action and training only seemed to develop more, transforming his cheerful personality into a bolder and more challenging sort of character. Though the boy continued to abide by the standards of living within the household and managed to take on some mannerisms akin to proper etiquette, every time he went out the child always, without fail, allowed his wilder and more adventurous side to take over. As a result, his explorations outdoors transformed from small, curious excursions into the forest near the house, to the mountains, rivers and lakes further beyond.

At first Goku and Chi-Chi thought very little of it, though the latter did express some concerns for her child's safety. It was only after Gohan's fourth birthday, during a cheerful family excursion into the outdoors, that the youngster and his family would experience an encounter that would later go on to shape his destiny.


(Early Afternoon)

On this particular day, Goku and Chi-Chi decided to take their son out for a picnic in the mountains. Here, beside a lake with a waterfall and underneath a big oak tree, the family settled down for a peaceful, outdoor lunch with one another. Remembering to pack extra food for her two hungry boys, the mother watched with a satisfied smile as the two, raven haired go-getters ate up everything that she had made for them. While she certainly had plenty for herself, it was the father and son duo who were the woman's main concern, as Gohan had seemed to have picked up his dad's outrageous appetite.

Once all of the food had been devoured, with only cakes and drinks being the last items on the menu, the family settled in for an afternoon nap. Having eaten so much of his wife's cooking, Goku felt like he was about to fall into a food coma, which gave Chi-Chi the perfect opportunity to snuggle up to her hubby while he was in a peaceful mood. Together, the loving young couple spent their time whispering to one another, teasing each other, playing mind games, and counting the clouds that drifted overhead.

As for their son, Gohan had decided to abandon the temporary eating site to go for a bigger explore of the region. Since his parents had brought him to a new location away from their home and his usual territory, this mountain area not only promised him new terrain to cover, but also potential new landmarks and animals to locate. So, with the chance handed to him, the inquisitive, energetic, wild youngster went on another, self-imposed trip around the lake, near the waterfall, and up into the woods on the hill overlooking the valley.

Able to see his parents lying out on the checkered mat from the woods above the valley, the brave youngster decided to venture even further- sneaking away from his napping parents to take a look at the regions over the hills.

Sure enough, after a good few minutes of marching, his quest took him to a thicker, wilder area of woodland, where a couple of clearings lay at the foot of a towering, rocky plateau. Finding a great deal of interest in the vicinity he'd landed in, the child sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the atmosphere filling this part of the reserve, before slowly clambering down the rocky path and into the unknown stretch of woodland.

On his way, the child spied some deer foraging in amongst the trees, all of whom looked up when they sensed Gohan approaching them. When they spotted the youngster ambling his way through the forests, the animals simply remained in place and twitched their ears at him, before quietly returning to their meals of grass and seeds. The four-year-old gave them the same respect and, after smiling at the curious animals, carried on wandering.

Eventually the child reached a glade filled with flowers and mounds of grass growing over fallen trees. Paying no heed to how many of the evergreens had been snapped and broken around him, with many of the trunks knocked over in a way that it looked as though something big had come through recently, Gohan went about crawling about the area and looking for things to play with. A large iguana crawling across a fallen log a few yards ahead of him quickly caught his attention, which the child approached and prepared to pounce on.

However, just as the eager, smirking youngster was about to hop on top of the reptile bathing out in the sun, the young Gohan's ears suddenly twitched when he picked up the distinct sound of twigs snapping nearby. Head perking up when he also heard leaves getting crushed by approaching footsteps, the boy sniffed the air a couple of times before turning and looking over his shoulder. As soon as he did, the child saw a pack of about four big, grey wolves circling the perimeter of the broken tree line.

Their golden eyes fixed squarely upon his tiny, yellow robe-clad form, the group of hungry predators snarled as they cautiously approached the child, using the dead and fallen evergreen clusters in the area for cover as they made their advance. Gohan, sensing their presence as clear as day, smirked as he slowly paced about as well, tearing his eyes away from the lizard and assuming a lowered, aggressive-looking stance on all fours. His back arching and fingers digging into the soil, the child grinned broadly as his eyes tracked the hungry beasts.

"You want to play with me?" the boy asked, baring his teeth as the four wolves circled him, with the pack leader in front snapping its jaws angrily and giving a loud, menacing bark. "Okay. Let's play!"

Almost as soon as he shouted, the fierce-looking animals all charged at him. The first came in from the side- dashing in and lunging out with its teeth at full bare. Gohan however, undeterred by the animal's size, speed or approach, simply darted towards it and elbowed it across the face before it could take a chomp out of him. A loud crunch rang out followed by the yelp of the animal as the child sent it crashing to the floor.

When the predator tumbled across the ground, two more wolves came at Gohan from behind, with the youngster crouching low and vanishing in a blur, causing both canines to miss him when their jaws passed through an afterimage. Before they even had a chance to appear confused, the boy reappeared behind them and lashed out- kicking one across the face and sending it into the ground, and hitting the other with a palm slap to the torso that dropped it straight into the dirt.

As the two animals crumpled and whimpered from the vicious onslaught of hits, the pack leader finally came in and lunged at Gohan with its jaws wide open. She aimed for the kid's throat for an instant take-down and kill, only to receive one hell of a surprise when the child suddenly caught her jaws mid-bite with both hands and effortlessly held her back.

Baring his own teeth, Gohan gave a playful growl before finally kicking the wolf's legs out from under her and tossing her aside, sending her rolling across the dirt and into a tree with a dull crack. The moment the alpha dropped to the ground, it quickly scrambled to her feet and growled at the child. In response, the four-year-old snarled at the predator and spiked his ki, sending a wave of wind rippling across the clearing from his body.

Once the wind hit the pack leader, its ears and tails immediately tucked up and, with a terrified whimper she ran for it. Its three injured companions followed shortly afterwards, barking and yelping with fright as they hurriedly got out of the area and away from the animal they thought had been easy prey. As soon as their bodies disappeared amongst the trees and to the other side of the valley's base, a completely unharmed Gohan remained on all fours and barked after them.

"Ha! Yeah! I win!" the child shouted happily with a grin, unaware of the ground shifting behind him and a low groan filling the air. "You thought I was weak? Take that!" It was only after Gohan was done yelling after the predators that he suddenly heard a low rumble fill the area, which had the youngster blink in confusion before turning around.

When his eyes landed on the rocky mountain behind him and traced up the stone cliffs making up its face, he suddenly saw a golden eye open up in the walls before- emerging from the rocks with a thunderous groan- a massive beast appeared. The entire plateau was shaken from its foundations as half of it literally crumbled away. Rubble and debris was tossed aside like the veil of an uneven blanket as a creature as big as an entire mountain unexpectedly jutted out of the earth. When it fully unfurled itself from the massif it'd been sleeping in and the debris covering its massive form was sent crashing across the valley, an astonished Gohan suddenly found himself gazing upon the immense, majestic form of a full grown dragon.

Its red scales flashing under the sun as it shook off its cover, the winged beast revealed itself to the boy in all its fifty-story, titanic glory. Long, boney spines ran up and down its enormous, arching back- a series of protrusions that created a length of protective, razor-sharp armor that ended with a long, intimidating, clubbed tail. When its appendage swished, it smashed over an entire acre of trees with barely any effort.

As the cloud of dust slowly settled around it, the ancient creature unfolded a pair of massive wings from its back. When its head reared, it revealed to the child a crown of spines surrounding a narrow, proud head, with a long snout, flared nostrils, and a jaw lined with razor sharp teeth. Looking as though it was taken straight out of one of Gohan's fantasy books, the enormous creature, which looked to be three times as big as the Capsule Corp building in West City, loomed over the vicinity and glared down at the animal that'd disturbed its sleep.

The moment its gaze fixated upon the child, the towering red monstrosity gave a loud huff, before inhaling deeply and letting out a piercing roar- its volume sending a gale of wind blasting across the trees, toppling several of them over, and causing several boulders to go rolling across the clearing.

Gohan meanwhile, though he was pushed back a few feet along the ground, remained completely unfazed by the beast's screech. After hearing the battle cry end and seeing it glare down at him murderously, the child felt his heart begin to race, before a wide, feral grin spread across his lips. As soon as his mind processed the quarry he could see standing proudly before him, the boy set his feet apart and quickly took a stance.

"Haha! Yes! Another friend to play with!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly, his hair standing on end and eyes narrowing on the beast as it snarled at him. Its throaty growl reverberated across the entire valley, literally shaking the ground with its warnings. "Come on then, you big lizard! Show me what you got!"

Without needing to be told twice, the newly awoken and obviously hostile beast promptly raised its front claw and, with a growl, slammed it down onto the ground where the child was standing. Its limb smashed into the floor, rupturing the earth and sending a tsunami of rocks and dirt rippling outwards in all directions- knocking over trees like dominos and fracturing the valley's plate. Upon seemingly flattening its foe, the giant lizard's golden, glowing eyes blinked when it realized that it'd actually missed, and quickly snapped its eyes across the glade.

It immediately spotted Gohan glaring up at him on all fours from the trunk of a still-standing tree. The moment it reestablished contact with its tiny prey- crouching against the bark like an insect- the skyscraper sized lizard swung its other arm out and smashed through the still standing patch of woods next to it. Its massive arm disintegrated the line of trees with a single swing, transforming the spires of wood into a cloud of splinters as a shockwave of force traveled for several hundred yards across the valley. When it realized it'd missed its target yet again, the giant reptile swung its whole body around and smashed the ground with its right claw again, sending another blast of rubble belching fifty stories into the sky.

As further explosions rocked the mountain region as the infuriated beast went full ham on the area, the ancient reptile then promptly ceased its brief rampage. Thrumming lowly as its giant head looked about, trying its hardest to relocate its human target, when it sensed something behind it, the dragon's eyes then snapped over its shoulder. There, it immediately spotted a yellow blur shooting up at it from the cloud of dust hanging over a massive crater, before colliding with its side like a rocket.

Gohan, having managed to evade the monster's telegraphed swings and area of effect tantrum, managed to get right into the creature's blind spot behind its right wing. After taking aim at it from a amazingly still standing platform of standing rock, the child managed to spring from his vantage point and launched himself into the side of the beast, tackling it with his shoulder.

The force of his impact, coupled with his speed and power, generated a shockwave so great it split the landscape beneath him and punched a crater into the valley floor. The dragon itself gave a loud screech of pain as its gigantic form was sent flying across the vicinity to slam into another acre of forests. The trees ended up squashed and pulverized beneath its massive girth as it tumbled across the mountain base, causing multiple tremors to shake the countryside.

Following its violent landing, the dazed yet still conscious drake promptly leapt back to its feet, swung its head about, and snarled angrily in the direction its speedy attacker had come from.

When it spotted Gohan crouching on the ground several hundred meters away, he then saw the little, monkey-tailed boy grin at him before then giving a very tiger-like growl. Unimpressed by the child's call, the dragon reared its head, inhaled sharply and, after its chest lit up a hot orange, opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the diminutive child standing in the middle of the now barren forest setting.

Orange flames erupted from the dragon's mouth with the deafening roar of a hurricane, striking the earth, swallowing up the lowland, and transforming the basin into a raging inferno. Its hot breath scorched the land and incinerated whatever remaining trees and trunks had been lying within range of its attack, with even the ground itself ending up getting ripped apart by the tidal wave of flames that came spewing out of its throat.

After several seconds of belching fire and letting the valley have it, the dragon eventually stopped, coughing out smoke as it watched its orange flames torch the area for a solid minute. When it eventually cleared seconds later, revealing a very flat and glassed area of land stretching across for about a mile, its eyes then fixated on its prey.

Initially expecting the boy to be transformed into cinders by now, the dragon almost felt its jaw drop when it saw Gohan was still standing there- on a tiny circle of intact grass that was virtually untouched, and his body surrounded by a white mist of light. His hair and oriental yellow robe billowing in the winds of his aura, the youngster could be seen glaring up at the dragon through a narrowed gaze and a pair of white irises, an expression that clearly indicated that he was furious.

The moment he saw the look of surprise creep over the dragon's face, the completely untouched child felt a smirk tug at his lips, before the child then crouched forward and set his hands upon the scolding hot floor. The moment he was on all fours and his back arched, the child's white aura intensified with a rumble, sending a blast of wind shooting out around him in all directions that helped extinguish the rest of the flames left behind by the dragon's powerful breath.

"My turn," Gohan stated in a low, raspy voice, before bolting forward in a blur and causing a sonic boom to ring out with his take-off.

A split second after seeing the boy launch himself from the floor, a second, terrifying thunderclap echoed out when Gohan, getting right up in the dragon's face, nailed it across the cheek with a devastating left hook, which caved in its cheek and sent several of its teeth flying out of its mouth.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Goku and Chi-Chi, roused by the sounds of explosions and monstrous roars echoing in from over the ridge, had both leapt to their feet and put up their guards. Realizing that Gohan was no longer in the grove with them and had most definitely gone off exploring, the pair sprinted in the direction the father could sense his ki and, by extension, the location where all those sounds were coming from.

The father and mother became immediately concerned and fearful for the safety of their son, as the last thing they'd expected to happen in this part of Mount Paozu was a bunch of earthquakes to start going off so close to them. Of course, this was nothing compared to what they discovered when they eventually came down off the path on the other side of the hill. Skidding to a stop at the edge of the smoking clearing, both Goku and Chi-Chi gaped when they found themselves staring at not only a charred and glassed landscape, but also the body of a colossal, fire-breathing dragon.

"O-Oh my gosh," Chi-Chi gasped, her hands moving up to cover her mouth as she slowly took in the ruined landscape.

Its body lying atop the remains of the plateau it'd previously been sleeping in and fingers twitching, the beast's crushed and mangled face told the two parents looking upon it that it'd been definitively killed. Judging from the wounds it'd received and how damaged the landscape surround it was, Goku initially thought that this great beast had been taken down by something very large and very powerful.

However, all their expectations as to what kind of monster could've killed such a beast were promptly shot down when, from the smoke and dust covering the dragon's body, the two young adults saw another, smaller figure emerge. When the veil of smog lifted several seconds later, Goku and Chi-Chi's jaws dropped when they saw that it was their son- perched on the dragon's neck and looking down into its vacant eye, which had lost all traces of life in it.

His body practically untouched and clothing undamaged, the young child was currently staring down at the fallen dragon with his head tilted and an unperturbed look on his face. When he sensed a new set of eyes on him, Gohan looked up to see his parents gaping at him.

When her brain finally processed that her son was standing atop the fallen drake, Chi-Chi quickly rushed forward- her shoes almost slipping through the crumbling ground. "G-Gohan? Gohan! Oh, my sweet baby!" the mother cried out, arriving beside the dragon's cheek and quickly taking her son by the shoulders. When she looked him over, she noticed right away that despite having no injuries, he had a bit of blood splatter across his clothing and face- obviously from the reptile that'd been slain. "Are you alright? What in the world happened?"

Gohan blinked at the frantic look in his mother's eyes, before quickly smiling back at her. "Hi, mum. I'm okay. I was just playing."

This response immediately had Chi-Chi tighten her lip. "Why in the world were you playing all the way out here? Kami… why didn't you stay with us by the lake?"

"I was bored… so I decided to go for a little walk." Looking around the smoldering area before glancing down at the dead dragon he was still standing on, the cheerful youngster then pointed down at it. "He wanted to play with me… so I sparred with him until he stopped."

Not quite understanding what her son was trying to tell her, Chi-Chi shook her head before finally picking the child up off of the dead monster. "I shouldn't have let you wander off. Look at your face. Your clothes. You're all filthy." Turning around, the mother in the purple qi pao robes then hurriedly moved away from the smoking corpse, determined to head back to their picnic site. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

While the mother hurried past her husband to get herself and her son away from the vicinity, Goku, having listened to the conversation between his wife and son, kept his eyes glued on the dead dragon in front of him. Studying it for the moment, the father couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

"Did Gohan… kill this dragon… all by himself?" The reason Goku found this so hard to believe was because, judging from the ancient beast's size and the destruction it'd brought to the mountain area, even he would've had a lot of trouble taking it down. Yet his son- his extremely talented four-year-old boy- had been able to take it out in only a couple of minutes. And he didn't even have a single scratch on him.

So overwhelmed by the realization that his son had been able to take down such a formidable foe by his lonesome, over on a distant mountain peak and looking down at the charred landscape, a familiar, caped figure had been watching.

His white cape fluttering on the wind and his white turban concealing his signature antennae, the green-skinned, son of the former terror of the world- Piccolo- had his eyes fixed squarely on the Son family. Having ventured out here to this part of the continent after sensing a disturbance from many, many states and capitals away, the new demon king had been able to arrive just in time to be able to witness the final moments of the dragon's battle with his diminutive opponent.

Needless to say, what the other half of Kami had to see from atop the mountain, had the usually stoic and unfeeling Piccolo reeling in disbelief.

The look of astonishment was clearly reflected in his eyes, which had gradually twisted into one of great intent and interest as he watched Chi-Chi carry her little boy back up the hill and Goku follow after close behind.

Finger rapping against his bicep during his moment of clarity, a slightly sweating Piccolo felt his brow crease thoughtfully.

"Hmmfascinating," the man whispered as his cape fluttered against a stiff gust of wind.

TO BE CONTINUED…