The Return

Piccolo stood tall amidst the chaos, his body bruised and battered but undeniably alive. The sight of the green warrior's resilience was a beacon of hope for Gohan, who felt a rush of relief.

"Yeah!" Gohan exclaimed, his voice filled with unrestrained joy. "Piccolo! I am so glad to see you alive, sir!"

Krillin looked at Gohan, his confusion evident as he tried to process the sudden shift in the battle's dynamics.

"Gohan," Piccolo called out, his voice steady despite his injuries. "Here's something you forgot." He tossed Gohan's sword with a precise flick of his wrist.

Gohan's face lit up with a mix of relief and gratitude as he caught the weapon. He held it tightly, his grip firm on the handle. He had lost the sword in the heat of the battle against Nappa, and its return was a small but significant victory.

Yamcha's jaw dropped in shock. "H-how?! I thought you were dead!"

Piccolo smirked, his expression a blend of smug satisfaction and defiance. "Well, sad for you."

Nappa, having recovered from the previous attack, was momentarily stunned to see Piccolo standing before him. His surprise quickly gave way to a menacing chuckle. "Hehehe... so you managed to survive, did you? Well, you'll soon be wishing you hadn't."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Piccolo. "So what they say is true. Namekians can regenerate..."

Piccolo, his tone calm but curious, replied, "Well, yes I can. But what is this 'Namekian' you keep referring to me as?"

Vegeta's smile widened into a smirk. "You don't know?"

Nappa scoffed, clearly amused. "A Namekian means someone belonging to the planet Namek, fool."

Piccolo's eyes widened slightly in shock. "I-I am from another planet?" The revelation rattled him, but it also brought a strange sense of clarity. 'And all this time, I believed I was merely part of a lost demonic race.. '

Vegeta chuckled at Piccolo's reaction. "Oh, come on. The green skin and pointy ears were a dead giveaway, don't you think?"

Piccolo's smirk reappeared. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I now belong to this planet." His gaze shifted to Krillin. "Krillin... the Senzu bean..."

Krillin's expression hardened. "You are crazy if you think I am going to give it to you!" he shouted, his voice edged with anger. "Not with Tien hanging on for his life!"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed with frustration. "Grr... don't force me..."

Gohan, caught between his two allies, saw the rising tension and knew he needed to intervene. "Hey, wait!" he yelled, desperation in his voice. "Why don't you give half each to both of them?"

Krillin's surprise was evident. "What?!"

"Please, Krillin," Gohan implored, his voice wavering with urgency. "We need Piccolo to win this!"

Krillin hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "Oh, alright." He turned towards Piccolo with a determined expression. "Here, take this."

Krillin threw a portion of the Senzu bean towards Piccolo, who caught it with a steady hand and consumed it without a word.

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Vegeta raised an eyebrow, observing the sudden spike on his scouter. 'It's the same as with Kakarot's son,' he mused. The realization of the Senzu bean's healing properties dawned on him.

Krillin, meanwhile, dashed to Tien's side, his heart racing as he prepared to administer aid.

Nappa's gaze narrowed, suspicion and frustration mingling in his eyes. He understood Krillin's intent all too well. The Saiyan grunted in displeasure. "Oh no, you don't."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed with determination. It was time for him to take action. In a flash, the Namekian vanished from view, reappearing directly in front of Nappa.

Nappa's fury was palpable. The Saiyan roared in frustration as Piccolo obstructed his view of Tien and Krillin. With a guttural yell, Nappa swung a powerful punch at the green warrior.

Piccolo, unflinching, crossed his arms to block the punch. The force of the impact drove his feet deep into the soil, but he stood his ground. Gritting his teeth, Piccolo launched a relentless assault, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks.

Nappa staggered under the onslaught, desperately attempting to dodge and block Piccolo's strikes. The Saiyan's confidence was shaken as he was pushed back, the exhaustion of the ongoing battle starting to show.

Meanwhile, Krillin had done his part. He glanced over at Tien, who was slowly getting back on his feet. The Senzu bean had revived him from the brink, but Tien's strength was still far from peak. He knew that despite his current condition, he needed to avenge Chiaotzu.

Tien clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. 'I have to avenge you, Chiaotzu.'

Krillin's smile widened as he watched Tien regain his footing. His phone beeped with an alert, and when he checked it, the message he received was a beacon of hope.

Across the battlefield, Nappa landed a crushing right hook to Piccolo's jaw, sending him sprawling through the air. Piccolo managed to recover mid-flight, landing on his feet with a growl before charging back at Nappa.

Yamcha's eyes were locked on the fight with renewed hope. Nappa was visibly tiring, and Yamcha saw a chance for victory. If they could all strike together, there was a slim but tangible chance of turning the battle in their favor.

"Agh!" Piccolo's eyes widened in pain as Nappa's fist drove into his abdomen, followed by a brutal elbow to his head. The Namekian crumpled to the ground, struggling to stay upright.

Suddenly, Krillin burst into laughter, drawing everyone's attention. "Message from Khami, guys!" he read aloud from his phone. "Goku's here!"

Vegeta's brow twitched in surprise. 'Goku? Isn't that what they call Kakarot?'

Gohan's face lit up with ecstatic relief. "Yeah! My dad's here!"

"Finally, the real fight starts now!" Yamcha exclaimed, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "Those Saiyans are about to learn what Earth's fighters are made of!"

Nappa growled, his frustration boiling. "Why, you cocky little—"

Piccolo struggled to his hands and knees, sweat glistening on his forehead as he forced a grin. "Yes, Goku is here. And from what I'm sensing, he's much stronger!"

Nappa scoffed, dismissing Piccolo's claim. "Stop pretending you can sense power levels without a scouter." He turned to Vegeta. "Hey, Vegeta. Is Kakarot really coming or what?"

Vegeta, maintaining a calm demeanor, raised his finger to his scouter. "Let him come. I'm sure there's no need to worry even if he does show up. It'll just save us the time of looking for him," he said, pressing a button on the device. But as the reading appeared, Vegeta's eyes widened in disbelief. '5000?' Judging by previous experiences with the Earth's fighters, he knew this wasn't Kakarot's full power. "NAPPA! STOP FOOLING AROUND! QUICKLY! KILL THEM ALL!"

"Huh?" Nappa turned to Vegeta, bewildered, before glancing back at Piccolo.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield as Nappa was hurled through the air and smashed into a boulder. The source of the impact was none other than the orange-clad, spiky-haired fighter who had just arrived.

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Half an Hour Earlier…

Goku stood with Chi-Chi, gazing out of the window of their spaceship as Earth drew closer. The time had come. The familiar blue planet was within reach, and they were only moments away from landing.

A short while later, the spaceship touched down with a gentle thud, settling in the familiar surroundings of Mount Paozu. Goku and Chi-Chi exited the craft, their feet touching the ground of their home.

As they approached the house, Goku fished out his smartphone, which had been out of service for the duration of their space voyage. To his surprise, it now had signal.

Goku's eyes widened in shock as he saw 26 missed calls from Mr. Popo. Without hesitation, he dialed back.

...

"What?! The Saiyans are here?! This is bad! Mr. Popo, send me their location, quick!"

In a flash, Goku was off, racing toward the battle with renewed urgency.

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Back to the Present…

Goku surveyed the chaotic battlefield, his presence exuding an unshakeable calm and confidence. The air around him seemed to crackle with the anticipation of what was to come.

Vegeta's lips curled into a smug grin. "So you finally show up, Kakarot."

To Be Continued…