"Give me half… how about that?"
Raditz rubbed his hands eagerly, eyes shining.
"You got 100 Senzu Beans, right? Give me 50. You still keep 50—that's more than enough for you! And Broly has that Treasure Pot anyway, you'll get more later!"
Goku didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked straight into Raditz's eyes.
"Can you promise me something first?"
Raditz stiffened slightly.
"If I give you the beans… you won't hurt innocent people or destroy anything on Earth?"
Goku's tone was serious.
Raditz raised his right hand instantly.
"I swear!!"
His expression turned extremely solemn.
"I'll just find a quiet place to train. I won't hurt anyone, and I won't destroy anything! You have my word!"
Goku watched him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Alright. I'll trust you this time."
He untied the pouch from his waist.
Reached inside—
And took out a large handful of Senzu Beans.
Each one smooth, round, and glowing faintly green with life energy.
He handed them over.
Raditz quickly extended both hands, carefully receiving them like treasure.
The moment they touched his palm—
His entire body trembled with excitement.
A huge grin spread across his face.
"With these…"
"If I can keep pushing myself to the brink of death and recover…"
"My power…"
"Could skyrocket…!"
His heart pounded wildly.
Raditz carefully stored all 50 Senzu Beans into a reinforced inner pocket of his battle armor, pressing it firmly to make sure they were secure.
"By the way, Raditz," Goku said while tying his remaining beans back to his waist,
"That near-death power-up… it must have a limit, right? It can't increase forever."
Raditz thought for a moment.
"…Probably."
"Nothing in the universe is truly infinite."
He shrugged.
"But I've never tested the limit myself."
Then smirked slightly.
"Besides… I'm a high-class warrior."
"My potential is way higher than yours, a low-class one."
Goku didn't argue.
He just nodded.
"Alright."
"Then train well."
"I'll go this way."
"Good luck, Kakarot."
Raditz waved.
"I hope next time we meet… you're still alive."
Whoosh—!
Both of them burst into motion at the same time—
Flying in completely opposite directions.
Two streaks of light splitting across the sky.
Goku Returns Home
Goku didn't head to the Lookout immediately.
Instead—
He returned to Mount Paozu.
Inside the house—
Chi-Chi was cooking.
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of simmering food.
The sound of a spatula hitting the pan echoed crisply.
Without turning around, she said:
"You're back, Goku?"
"Chi-Chi… I need to tell you something."
She turned.
Still holding the spatula.
One look at Goku's face—
And she already had a bad feeling.
"What is it?"
"I'm going to train."
Clang!
The spatula dropped.
Chi-Chi's eyes widened.
"What did you just say?!"
"I'm going to train," Goku repeated honestly.
"Oh—and Gohan went to train with Broly's son."
That sentence—
Was like pouring oil onto fire.
Chi-Chi exploded.
"GOHAN WENT TO TRAIN TOO?!"
She ripped off her apron and slammed it onto the table.
Her face turned red with anger.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"
"Gohan's dream is to become a scholar!"
"Do you know how much effort I've put into his education?!"
Goku stepped back slightly.
"Uh… well… Gohan has his own choices…"
"Don't joke with me, Goku!!"
Chi-Chi shouted.
"You can go train all you want!"
"But Gohan is NOT going!"
Her voice trembled.
"He needs education! Knowledge! Not fighting!"
"Chi-Chi," Goku tried to explain,
"In ten months, two stronger Saiyans are coming—"
"I don't care!!"
She cut him off.
"Even if the Earth gets destroyed—"
"Gohan's studies come FIRST!!"
Silence.
Only the sound of boiling soup remained.
"…But I don't even know where he is now," Goku admitted.
"He already left with Branch."
Chi-Chi froze.
Then—
Her anger reached another level.
"GO FIND HIM!!"
"Bring him back IMMEDIATELY!!"
Goku scratched his head awkwardly.
"…Uh… I gotta go."
"The Guardian is waiting for me!"
And just like that—
He ran.
Whoosh!
Nimbus appeared.
Goku jumped on—
And vanished into the sky instantly.
"GOKU, GET BACK HERE!!"
Chi-Chi shouted from the yard.
But he was already gone.
She slowly collapsed to her knees.
Covering her face.
Shoulders trembling.
Back at the Lookout
Goku soon returned.
"Everything went well?" the Guardian asked calmly.
"…More or less," Goku scratched his head.
"Chi-Chi… wasn't happy."
"She will understand someday," the Guardian said softly.
"Motherly love often shows itself in intense ways."
Then his expression turned serious.
"We must leave now."
"That's one million kilometers."
"You may not even reach King Kai in ten months."
Goku clenched his fists.
"Then I'll just have to try!"
The Guardian placed his hand on Goku's shoulder.
Flash—
They vanished.
The Other World – Snake Way
Soon—
Goku arrived again in the afterlife.
He followed a small ogre attendant to the entrance.
Then—
He saw it.
A massive serpent road stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Floating above golden clouds.
"So this is Snake Way…"
Goku stared.
"Just follow the path," the ogre explained.
"It leads to King Kai."
Goku stepped forward.
Looked ahead.
Endless.
"…That's insanely long."
"One million kilometers," the ogre nodded.
"For a living person… nearly impossible."
"Has anyone ever made it?" Goku asked.
"…Only King Yemma."
Goku grinned.
"Then I can do it too!"
"Be careful."
The ogre warned seriously.
"If you fall… that's Hell."
"You won't come back."
Goku nodded.
Then—
Took off.
BOOM!
He blasted forward at full speed.
Time lost meaning.
No sun.
No night.
Only the endless path ahead.
Whenever he got tired—
He ate a Senzu Bean.
Instant recovery.
Full power again.
And so—
Goku continued forward.
Relentlessly.
Meanwhile… Earth
A barren wasteland.
Dust.
Heat.
Endless rocks.
Boom!
Piccolo landed.
Behind him—
Branch and Gohan descended.
"Now what?" Branch asked curiously.
Piccolo looked at Gohan.
The trembling child.
"You don't train like him," Piccolo said coldly.
"…What do I do?" Gohan asked nervously.
"Survive."
"…What?"
"If you survive here for six months…"
"Then I'll train you."
Gohan's face went pale.
"Six… months…?"
Alone?
In this place?
"I won't do it! I'll die!" Gohan cried.
"There are monsters here," Piccolo smirked slightly.
"They'll keep you company."
"WHAT?!"
Gohan grabbed Branch tightly.
"Please don't leave me!!"
Branch hesitated.
"…This is training," he said softly.
"I DON'T WANT IT!"
"I want to be a scholar!"
Gohan cried loudly.
Piccolo floated upward.
"We're leaving."
"…Is this really okay?" Branch hesitated.
"If you want him to grow," Piccolo said calmly,
"You must be ruthless."
"…You're right."
Branch closed his eyes.
Then—
Pulled his arm away.
Gohan stumbled.
"NO!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!"
His cries echoed across the wasteland.
"I'm doing this for your own good…"
Branch muttered.
Then—
He flew away with Piccolo.
Leaving Gohan—
Alone.
"…And don't try to run…"
Piccolo's voice echoed faintly in the wind.
"This place is a desert hell… you won't escape."
(To be continued…)
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