"W-Wait…"
Gohan sniffled, wiping his tears with his sleeve.
"Where's the food? And… where's the bathtub and bed?"
Piccolo looked down at the tear-streaked boy.
A faint, mocking smile formed on his lips.
"You think you'll find those things here?"
"My little prince… this is the wilderness, not your home."
"Find your own food. Find your own water. Find your own place to sleep."
"If you can't… then you'll die here."
Gohan froze.
Too cruel.
That was the only thought in his mind.
He looked at Piccolo's cold green face—
Then at Branch floating in the air.
No one was going to help him.
"We're leaving," Piccolo said.
With that—
He shot off like a streak of green light.
Branch hesitated for a split second.
Then followed.
They vanished into the sky.
Leaving Gohan alone.
"WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME! I'M SCARED!!"
Gohan cried as he ran after them—
But tripped over a rock and crashed hard.
His hands and knees scraped against the rough ground.
Blood seeped out.
Burning pain.
He lay there—
Crying uncontrollably.
Eventually…
He realized—
They weren't coming back.
The sky was dull.
The land endless.
Empty.
Gohan dragged himself up.
Sat on a flat rock.
Curled into himself—
And kept crying.
Time passed.
Eventually, his cries weakened.
Silence.
Then—
A sound.
Low.
Hoarse.
Predatory.
Gohan slowly lifted his head.
A massive head emerged from behind the rocks.
A dinosaur.
Its skin was rough.
Eyes yellow.
Locked onto him.
Its jaws opened—
Rows of sharp teeth glistening.
Drool dripping.
The beast stared at him.
Hungry.
"W-WHAT DO I DO?!"
Gohan panicked, scrambling off the rock.
The dinosaur lunged.
A ten-meter-long predator.
Heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
It snapped its jaws at him.
"HELP!!"
Gohan ran.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The beast chased.
Then—
SLIP!
Gohan tripped again.
Fell hard.
Dust filled his mouth.
He tried to get up—
Pain shot through his body.
Too late.
The dinosaur loomed over him.
Its mouth opened wide—
Ready to swallow him whole.
At that moment—
Something snapped inside him.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Not fear.
Instinct.
Suddenly—
His body lifted.
He shot into the sky—
As if pulled by invisible force.
The dinosaur crashed into the ground below.
Confused.
Where did the prey go?
When Gohan realized—
He was standing on top of a cliff.
Hundreds of meters high.
Below—
The dinosaur roamed.
Still searching.
Gohan exhaled in relief—
But then—
Panic returned.
He looked around.
A tiny rocky platform.
No way down.
No food.
No water.
"…WAAAHHH!!"
He cried again.
This time—
Not fear.
Despair.
Above the Clouds
Piccolo and Branch floated in the sky—
Watching everything.
"Not bad, right?" Piccolo said.
Branch nodded.
Eyes fixed below.
"Yeah… better than I expected."
"Gohan's energy just now… it was unstable, but strong."
"He really has potential."
"Everyone has potential," Piccolo replied calmly.
"What matters is how you draw it out."
"Fear. Anger. Despair."
"Those are the best triggers."
Branch fell silent.
"…So when do we start training?" he asked.
Piccolo froze slightly.
Sweat trickled down his face.
Training?
If I fight you, I'll get destroyed…
He forced himself to stay calm.
"Not yet."
"…Not yet?" Branch frowned slightly.
"We focus on Gohan first," Piccolo said quickly.
"If something happens to him, you won't be able to explain it to your father… or Goku."
He continued:
"And observing his growth… will help you too."
"Watching someone awaken their power… is also training."
Branch thought.
Then nodded.
"…That makes sense."
Piccolo sighed internally.
That was close…
"Alright," Piccolo said.
"Let's first check your power level."
"Now?" Branch blinked.
"Yes."
"Just release your energy. Don't attack."
"I want to feel how strong you are."
His throat tightened.
"I'll try."
Branch nodded.
He clenched his fists slowly.
Calm.
Focused.
"…But I've never released all my power before," he added honestly.
"My dad said… if I lose control…"
"I might destroy the Earth."
Silence.
Piccolo froze.
"…What did you just say?"
His mind raced.
Cities.
Mountains.
His strongest attack—
Nothing compared to destroying a planet.
"Should I try?" Branch asked innocently.
Piccolo took a deep breath.
"…Slowly."
"Release it little by little."
"Okay!"
Branch closed his eyes—
Then opened them.
And—
Released his power.
At first—
A ripple.
Then—
A wave.
Then—
A tsunami.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion wasn't heard—
It was felt.
In bones.
In blood.
In soul.
Golden energy erupted.
Wild.
Violent.
Overwhelming.
The sky turned gold-red.
Clouds scattered.
The earth shook violently.
Cracks spread across the ground.
Mountains crumbled.
Piccolo—
Didn't even react.
He was blown away instantly.
Spinning.
Helpless.
CRASH!!
He slammed into a giant rock—
Embedding into it.
"…!"
His mind went blank.
That was just the beginning.
"STOP! STOP!!"
Piccolo shouted desperately.
Branch immediately suppressed his energy.
Everything returned to normal.
Silence.
Piccolo flew out—
Covered in dust.
Shaken.
"That's it?" Branch scratched his head.
"I didn't even release everything…"
Piccolo stared at him.
Speechless.
"…You used most of it, right?" he asked weakly.
Branch shook his head.
"Not really."
"Maybe… one-tenth."
"…WHAT?!"
Piccolo's eyes widened.
One-tenth?
That power—
Was only a fraction?
He finally understood.
Raditz wasn't defeated.
He was crushed.
"Your father…" Piccolo asked slowly.
"Is he stronger than you?"
"Of course!"
Branch smiled proudly.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't beat him."
Piccolo's worldview shattered.
Father stronger than THIS?!
"I want to be the strongest in the universe," Branch added.
"…Except for my dad."
"He's number one. I'll be number two… for now."
Piccolo almost collapsed.
What even are you people…
He looked at Branch—
Then lowered his head slightly.
"…I don't think I can teach you anything."
The words were heavy.
Painful.
But true.
In front of absolute power—
Everything else was meaningless.
(To be continued…)
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