The chapter opens with Bango swimming through a seemingly endless body of water. He cuts through it with ease, each stroke smooth and steady, his breathing controlled, his movements precise. As his body moves on instinct, his mind begins to drift, pulling him back to his training and everything that led him here.
Kame House. Day 10 on Earth. Night had fallen, and Roshi was inside, fast asleep. Outside, Bango, dressed in his iconic green jumpsuit with a 20-ton turtle shell strapped to his back, stood by the shore, unleashing massive Kamehamehas at the ocean waves one after another.
It was his task to keep going, and even as his body began to give out, he forced himself to continue, refusing to stop. Krillin stood beside him, watching with a slight shake of his head. After a moment, he told Bango to stop. Bango obeyed, confused, his body finally giving in as he dropped to his knees, struggling to stay upright.
Krillin explained why he felt so drained. On the surface, it looked like Bango had near-perfect, almost unnatural Ki control, but that wasn't true. In reality, his understanding was still very basic.
Bango's usual calm expression faltered, a hint of nervousness breaking through.
Krillin went on. Bango could sense others' ki and even suppress his own, and he had said himself that he was considered a prodigy among his people. He learned fast; that much was clear. That was how he picked up the Kamehameha, the Destructo Disc, and almost every technique shown to him. There was no denying it, he was impressive.
Krillin's expression hardened.
But he was still a complete amateur. He didn't know how to properly control his energy output. Every time he fired a blast, he used far more energy than necessary. The only reason it worked was that his people naturally possessed massive reserves of ki.
Bango stood there in shock. He had always felt like something was off, like he was missing a key piece. But if his own people hadn't figured this out, then how did Krillin?
"This guy is something else," Bango thought.
Getting up, Bango didn't understand how firing energy beams into the sea was supposed to help with his weakness, but Krillin explained.
Krillin crossed his arms before speaking. "Yeah, I get it. You've got a massive ki reserve that lets you spam big blasts without dropping right away. But that's exactly the problem. You're relying on raw power instead of efficiency. In a real fight that drags on, all that reckless dumping catches up, leaving you drained while your opponent is still fresh."
He pointed at the waves. "Blasting controlled shots into the water trains you to use only the power needed for impact. Feel the flow, don't just dump everything. Once you master that, your huge reserves will make you a monster who can keep going forever instead of burning out early."
"You should rest," Krillin said as he started to walk away. "Don't overwork yourself."
Bango shook his head, refusing. He insisted he had to keep going. If what Krillin said was true, he needed to get rid of this weakness fast.
Krillin stopped in his tracks. Before Bango could raise his hands to fire again, he stepped in and grabbed his wrist tightly, forcing Bango to grit his teeth.
Krillin looked at him firmly. He told Bango he was going to train him, and if he truly wanted to grow stronger, he needed to listen. Pushing too hard, he explained, could sometimes do more harm than good.
Letting go of his wrist, Krillin turned and began heading inside, pausing just long enough to leave Bango with a few final words.
"Work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty. That is the Turtle Hermit way. That's what Master Roshi always says," he added, glancing back one last time. "Now it's my turn."
With that, Krillin went inside, leaving Bango standing there, teeth gritted, wrestling with his pride. On Planet Kotta, his mother had always told him to push beyond his limits, to keep going even when he felt he could do no more. But this was different. With a reluctant sigh, he followed, knowing he had no choice but to trust the path laid out before him.
Over the next five months, Bango took his master's words to heart. He worked tirelessly, training until his body ached, and studied diligently, learning the customs of Earth, though some things still puzzled him. He ate enough to keep his strength up, though after such intense training, they had to restock supplies every three days, and he slept whenever his body demanded it, letting his exhaustion guide him.
Before long, Bango had learned everything he could from the Turtle School. He had even overcome his weakness, leading to a final sparring match between him and Krillin, one that marked the end of his training as both student and master.
The fight was intense. Blow after blow, both pushed each other, but in the end, Krillin used the Kaioken to secure the win.
That moment made Bango realize just how far behind he still was.
Krillin told him he would learn that technique eventually, but it wasn't his place to teach it. That was someone else's role. Even so, Bango couldn't help but feel he could have won if it hadn't been used.
Before he could dwell on it, the other Z Fighters arrived, drawn by the surge of power, believing Krillin was under attack.
After clearing things up and introducing himself, Bango was welcomed by Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Chi Chi. They were impressed by his strength and quickly got along with him, especially Yamcha, who offered to teach him a few things one day, and Chi Chi, who was glad to see another young fighter.
They spent the night talking and catching up. Bango listened closely, learning more about the battles they had faced. The Red Ribbon Army, Piccolo, and even the androids. Each story made one thing clear: they had only just managed to survive.
By the end of the night, the group began to go their separate ways. Chi Chi mentioned she hoped they could all come together like this more often.
They left in good spirits, each of them looking forward to seeing how Bango would grow.
Bango took it all in. From what he understood, the one who could teach him the Kaioken was King Kai, someone who only trained those he deemed worthy. So Bango came up with an idea. If he wanted to reach that level, then he would train with each of the Z Fighters and push himself further than ever before.
As they flew, Bango decided to take Yamcha up on his offer. He said goodbye to his master, this time actually calling him Master Krillin, before leaving with Yamcha.
Going to Capsule Corp was a whole new experience. There, he met Yamcha's wife, Bulma, and their 5-year-old son, Boxers. Bulma quickly took a liking to Bango, treating him almost like a younger brother. He wasn't loud or overbearing; he was respectful and easy to be around. Boxers, who resembled Trunks but with black hair and eyes, immediately took to him, always sticking close whenever he could.
Training with Yamcha was different.
In the training room, Bango noticed it right away. Yamcha was more laid back, less strict than Krillin, but it also showed in his strength. He was a bit weaker, even if he never said it out loud. Still, Yamcha taught him a lot, not just about fighting, but about life, and mostly about women. He even took Bango to a club a few times, though Yamcha never got too involved, knowing Bulma would deal with him if he did.
After learning everything he could from the former bandit, Bango still hadn't been taught the Kaioken. Yamcha gave him the same answer Krillin did. It wasn't his place to teach it.
Next, Bango went to Fire Mountain to train with Chi Chi. There, he met Grandpa Gohan and the Ox King, both long retired from fighting. They liked Bango, seeing him as someone with a good heart.
But his training there didn't go the way he expected. Chi Chi had the Kaioken, and that alone was enough to keep her ahead of him. No matter how hard he pushed, that technique always tipped the fight in her favor.
Now, Bango was frustrated. That same power kept showing up, and every time, it was the difference between winning and losing.
Chi Chi eventually told him something important. King Kai didn't really like people coming to his planet, but between them, she believed he had a soft spot for the Z Fighters.
Finally, only two remained on his list: Tien and Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu, the weakest of the Z Fighters, could not handle Kaioken, but he still had knowledge Bango wanted to absorb. Tien, however, was unyielding and stern, a warrior who didn't need Kaioken to dominate. He was already the strongest on Earth.
After two weeks under their watch, Bango felt ready to leave for King Kai. Chiaotzu and Tien looked on with pride, though Tien's expression was clouded with anger. He couldn't believe Bango hadn't forced him to use Kaioken.
Bango simply smirked, holding Tien to a silent promise: when he returned, he would defeat him. Tien's scowl shifted into a smirk, warning him that the path ahead would not be easy. Bango felt the weight of that challenge, knowing the battle with Tien would be a true test.
We cut back to the present. Bango emerged from the water below Korin's Tower, now deep in the Koringa Tribe forest. Flying upward, he spotted the power pole connecting the lookout to the tower. Landing, he saw the guardian of Earth and his assistant, Dende and Popo. Dende greeted him, aware of his journey and purpose. After a brief conversation, the guardian teleported them to the checking station.
Speaking with Yama, Dende wished Bango luck as he prepared to cross Snake Way, confident it would pose little challenge to someone of his skill.
Dende departed, and Bango turned his gaze to the path ahead. In just about fifteen minutes, he arrived, touching down on King Kai's planet. The gravity felt unusually heavy, but he adapted easily. Meeting King Kai in person, he was surprised by how short the legendary master was, having only heard of him in stories. Bango bowed deeply, showing his respect, and recounted his tale, begging King Kai to teach him.
King Kai listened quietly and then said that if Bango could make him laugh with a joke, he would agree to train him. The challenge caught Bango off guard, and he collapsed in a comedic fall, the scene absurd yet grounding him in the moment. Quickly, he recovered and set to the task, delivering one joke after another with his usual calm, composed expression, not one landing.
One year and seven months remained until the World's Strongest Kōttan Tournament.
Meanwhile, far away on Namek, Dango hovered on the edge of death, his body covered in deep wounds. He lay inside a Vegeta-soldier space pod, his hair wild and his clothes gone, as it slammed violently into the village, carving a crater into the familiar green landscape.
To Be Continued!