Chapter 47: Time Warp 13
"So this where they've set up shop huh?" Gohan asked, his lips pursed into a tight frown as he stared down from high in the sky at private tropical island. He could make out a massive luxurious mansion, with a huge swimming pool at back. All manners of sports cars were parked around the property and ther was a beautiful beach just down the lane from the mansion itself.
It was the kind of place only people like Bulma could have afforded Gero let those monsters loose. And they were returning here to rest in the lap of luxury after every time they slaughtered countless people? His fists clenched tightly together and he could barely control his surging ki. It was a good thing those filthy monsters couldn't sense ki, otherwise he'd stand out to them like a blazing sun-like beacon.
"Yep, that's the place." the first clone Kakarot made earlier nodded. The teenage version of his father was currently laying in the middle of the air lazily, propping his chin up with one hand.
"Pretty snazzy place," the second clone commented as he idly observed the mansion hundreds of feet below, "A bit bigger than ours back home, and this one even comes with its own private beach."
"We don't need it, no need to grab it when we're done with them," the first clone lazily shrugged, "Bulma can give us a way better one in a capsule whenever we want I bet, with way better electronics."
"True, true," the second nodded in agreement, Gohan found it really weird. The second clone then turned to him, "You need our help at all?" he asked.
He would not lie, he was tempted to say yes. But.."No, I'd prefer to this alone," Gohan shook his head., "..Actually, I have to do this alone. I have to see it through to the end with my own two hands."
"Fine with me, the less work I have to do carrying everyone else on my back the better," the first clone shrugged, before narrowing his eyes at Gohan, and despite the fact he was far stronger than this clone in the base state he found himself tensing up under his gaze, "Keep that temper of yours in check though Gohan. Just knock them out and restrain them, break their limbs if you want, beat them to within an inch of their lives even if it makes you feel better, but make sure they're still alive and in one piece."
"I know." Gohan merely nodded. It was so very odd to hear a version of his father making it plain as day he was fine with him indulging in such brutality, and if it were anyone else as the targets Gohan would be horrified.
"Alright then," the second shrugged, "Then we're done here, bring them to the lookout when you're done." he told him, and then just phased away, completely disappearing.
"Remember to put your big boy pants on." The other said with a grin, before he too disappeared, returning to the original Kakarot.
Gohan took a deep breath and centred. Then, once he had done that, he allowed his mind to drift back to those memories of long ago. Of his precious mentor being pierced through the heart, and the kind reliable Krillin being teamed up and erased from existence from two sides with massive beams of ki.
That familiar rage bubbled up within him and the primal golden radiance within him surged up and swallowed him whole. "Rah!" he snarled, an aura of raging gold bursting into existence around his body.
And then he threw himself into a deep dive and slammed into the mansion, creating a massive explosion that wiped it from existence and all their toys alongside it.
When he stepped out of the rubble, he found them both pulling themselves up out of it. Android Eighteen was nursing a bevy of wounds and ripped clothing from her bout with Kakarot, while Android 17 was no worse for wear and merely brushed himself off.
"Oh, looks like it's only you Gohan," the male of the two breathed a sigh of relief even as his sister snarled like an animal and glared bloody murder at him, "For a second there I was afraid it was that monster kid."
"You'll wish it was him when I'm through with you." Gohan promised. As he was now, he was more than thirty times stronger than he was earlier today and they were going to be in for a rude awakening very soon.
"And you're gonna wish you stayed in your hole when I'm wearing your rib cage as a hat you fucking retarded weakling piece of shit!" Android 18 roared, shooting towards him.
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"So I'm back." Piccolo noted as he found himself standing amongst the rubble of a completely totalled city and tens of thousands of decomposing corpses littering the streets.
It was the, the oddest thing. He'd been meditating while the rest were enjoying some rest between training and Goku was sparring with Pikkon, when a familiar voice echoed within his mind offering him the chance to be brought back to life. The voice of the Eternal Dragon, Shenron.
There was no hesitation. He didn't even bother tracking the others down to let them know and just accepted the offer. It had been thirteen years since he'd saw Gohan. Thirteen long, worrying years. Over a decade of time where he had heard no news of back on Earth, because without the Dragon Balls and the option of returning to Earth, King Kai had to follow the rules of the Afterlife and they could not interfere, or even watch over the Earth.
The only way to keep any track of what was going on was keeping an eye on the Check-Out station. Humans arrived in droves constantly, killed by the Androids, so he knew they were still alive. And Gohan had been left all alone to deal with them. He was just a boy, half trained and with no support left. The fact the had had lived this long just went to show how amazing the boy was.
And so when Shenron gave him the option, he did not hesitate. He had to go back. He had to see Gohan and help him, no matter what! The fact of the matter was, that without Gohan, even the hero's afterlife was lacking, especially when he knew Gohan was still within the living world suffering without him to help him!
'Gohan..' Piccolo thought and spread his finely honed senses out across the planet, searching for that familiar ki.
Immediately a bevy of ki signatures stood out to him. One, easily strong than any of the others at base alone besides Goku and himself, and another that was just as powerful as Vegeta was before his death at the hands of the android in his base form, if not a bit stronger. Another, was a decent bit stronger than he knew Nail was before they fused. And it felt familiar. 'Dende!?' Piccolo realised who it was after a moment and suddenly knew he reason why Shenron was back. Dende was on Earth somehow!
Two however stood out the most. One felt like Goku, yet different. Rougher, and having none of the feel of a super saiyan to them, yet massively stronger than Goku was in his base form, stronger than Frieze even!
But the one that caught his attention wholly was a mind bogglingly high power! It was so large it was hard to gauge just how big it was. But it had to be nearing forty times larger than his own! The only ki he'd ever felt anywhere near that strong was Goku in his Super Saiyan Three form, yet even that didn't measure up!
And, while it felt older and darker, and far more angry then he'd ever felt it before, he'd never mistake the ki of Gohan for anyone else!
Before he knew it, Piccolo was blasting through the air at top speed and making no attempts to hide his power. All the power he'd gained from over a decade of training in Otherworld and fusing with Kami coming out as he blitzed towards the ki of Gohan as fast as he could.
Before he knew it, just a mere few minutes later he arrived at his destination, the air above a small private island in the middle of the ocean and as he came to a stop, Piccolo's eyes widened and his chest ached.
There, down below he make out the cold mask upon a face that was so different, yet so familiar. Golden blonde hair and icy teal blue eyes.
"WHY WON'T YOU DIEE!" the female android launched herself at Gohan, she was bloodied and beaten but a snarl of rage was upon her lips, "I HATE YOU!"
Before she could hit Gohan, the back of his had met her face and he slapped her so hard she ploughed into and through the ground, digging a massive cratered trench that went on for over hundreds of feet, "You hate that you're powerless to stop me," Gohan's voice, older and rougher, nothing like the kind, soft voice he once had, "How do you think all the people you killed felt? What about my friends and my master? How do you think they felt when you murdered them you monster?"
"...Gohan.." Piccolo stared down in awe. Such power and he wasn't even in a state beyond the first Super Saiyan form! "..I can't believe...how much you've changed." he uttered. Both pride and wistfulness filled him. He wasn't that young kid anymore huh? Here he was, a man grown.
...He'd missed so much.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Android 18 roared like an animal as she burst from the trench she made, her hands filling with crackling green energy and lightning, "Super Elec-"
Before she could finish, Gohan disappeared in a burst of raw speed Piccolo could not keep track of at all, and neither could she apparently. Because a split moment later, Gohan's fist slammed into her jaw and slammed her into the ground hard. So hard in fact, a massive crater over a hundred feet deep formed when she impacted it. And she lay there unmoving. "You won't be doing anything anymore," Gohan spat at her comatose body, "Your only role left is as a stepping stone towards the protection of this planet."
As he finished speaking, Gohan frowned, his head cocking to the side as if contemplating something...and then his head slowly turned and he looked up, his teal eyes meeting Piccolo's own easily even with the hundreds of feet between them, "...Mister.....Piccolo?" he trailed off, his voice cracking lightly as he stared up at him.
"Hey kid," Piccolo smiled down at him, a smile full of warmth, happiness, pride and more all being directed at his once student, "You did good."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone