Khami and the Secret Training

Piccolo raised Gohan to his face. "WAKE UP!" he bellowed.

Gohan's eyes fluttered open to the sight of Piccolo's stern, green face. He gasped, trembling uncontrollably.

"Good," Piccolo smirked, dropping Gohan to the ground.

Gohan staggered to his feet, still shaking. He scanned the desolate wasteland around him, seeing no one but Piccolo. "W-where am I?"

Piccolo chuckled darkly. "You're in the wastelands, boy, where no one cares for you and no one will protect you..."

"Where's my dad?" Gohan choked out, tears starting to flow.

Piccolo laughed dryly.

"No!" Gohan sobbed. "Who are you? Where's my dad?" His cries echoed through the empty landscape.

"SHUT UP!" Piccolo roared, but Gohan's cries only intensified. Frustration etched into Piccolo's features.

"Waahaha- OUCH!" Gohan recoiled as Piccolo backhanded him across the cheek.

"SHUT UP!" Piccolo snapped. "One more sound and I'll give you something to cry about."

Gohan forced himself to silence, tears streaming down his face.

"Better," Piccolo sighed. "Listen, boy. Remember your uncle?"

Gohan nodded, still sobbing.

"We barely managed to defeat him," Piccolo continued, his tone grave. "But his friends are coming. We struggled with just him—now we have to face more. We don't know how strong they are or how many there'll be. They'll be here in one year. That's why we need to train."

Confusion clouded Gohan's face. "But why do I have to train?" he whimpered. "I'm just a five-year-old boy."

Piccolo crossed his arms. "You may not be very well aware of it right now but you have great powers, hidden deep within you. That's how you were able to hurt your uncle."

Gohan tensed. "But why do I have to train with you, why can't I train with my dad?"

Piccolo smirked. "Goku would go easy on you."

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...........

Korin's Tower.....

Yajirobe lounged, munching on potato chips as he listened to Krillin.

"So..." Krillin concluded. "We have to be ready."

Yajirobe scoffed. "Like you guys can handle anything stronger than Goku. Don't make me laugh."

Chiaotzu bristled. "But we have to try!"

Korin nodded thoughtfully, eyeing Yajirobe. "Hmm..."

Yajirobe squirmed. "I don't like that look," he muttered nervously, beads of sweat forming.

Yamcha grinned. "Looks like Korin wants you to train too."

Yajirobe paled. "Seriously? Isn't that a bit much?" He wiped sweat from his brow. "Dealing with Saiyans and a toned-up Yajirobe at the same time? Dangerous, I tell ya."

Krillin smirked. "Oh, come on, Yajirobe. We need all the help we can get. After all, you might be the only one who could stand a chance against someone stronger than Goku."

For once, Yajirobe was speechless, his mouth agape.

Tien turned to Korin, his expression focused "Shall we go?"

Korin nodded. "Give my regards to Khami."

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"Sure," Tien replied, leaping into the air.

Yajirobe sighed in relief. "Yeah, just leave already." As he turned, a hand grabbed his leg.

Chiaotzu grinned up at Yajirobe while Krillin and Yamcha grabbed his arms.

"No!" Yajirobe protested, chips scattering. He struggled against their grasp, colorful expletives flying.

Krillin and Yamcha grinned maliciously, dragging Yajirobe toward the tower's edge.

Korin roared with laughter, tears streaming down his face. "Bwahahaha! Have fun, Yajirobe!"

Chiaotzu waved cheerfully at Korin, holding tight to Yajirobe's leg. "Goodbye, Mr. Korin."

And with that, Krillin and Yamcha leapt upward, Yajirobe in tow.

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.............

Gohan stood shivering before Piccolo, the cold wind whipping around them and cutting through his small frame. The vast, desolate landscape seemed to amplify his sense of vulnerability and fear.

"So," Gohan ventured weakly, his voice trembling. Just yesterday, he had been safe at home, surrounded by the comfort of his books and his mother's reassuring presence. "What do we do first, Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo smirked, his sharp features casting a stern shadow. "We do nothing. You do."

"Huh?" Gohan blinked, confusion and dread swirling in his wide eyes.

Piccolo turned away, his cape billowing in the gusts. "If you can endure six months alone in the wilderness, then maybe you'll be ready for my training." His tone was harsh, leaving no room for argument. "Enjoy."

Gohan stared in disbelief as the words sank in. "No! What will I eat? Where will I sleep? You can't just leave me like this. It's cruel."

Piccolo continued walking, his back a stoic silhouette against the bleak horizon. "Guess what? Sometimes, kid, life is cruel." With a powerful leap, he soared into the air, quickly disappearing from view.

Desperation surged within Gohan. "No, wait!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the empty expanse. He sprinted after Piccolo, his small legs pumping frantically, but it was futile. Piccolo vanished completely, leaving Gohan alone and gasping for breath.

The young boy stood panting, tears welling in his eyes. He looked around at the unforgiving landscape, the weight of his predicament pressing heavily on his shoulders. The reality of his situation began to set in, and he knew he had no choice.

..............

At Khami's Place...

Goku landed gracefully on Khami's pristine floor. Drawn by the distant sound of prayer, he headed towards the prayer room and quietly entered.

...

Moments later, Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu arrived, dragging a reluctant Yajirobe along with them.

"It seems they're praying," Tien observed, his voice hushed. "I haven't prayed yet. Have you?"

The others shook their heads in agreement.

Without hesitation, Tien led the way into the prayer room, followed closely by Chiaotzu, Krillin, and Yamcha.

Yajirobe sniffed his collar, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I need a bath first," he muttered, slipping away towards the bathroom on the other side of Khami's place.

...

Emerging from the prayer room, Earth's fighters were flanked by Khami and Mr. Popo. Khami, with his ancient, wrinkled green skin, and Mr. Popo, short and dark, surveyed the group with wise, discerning eyes.

"What brings you all here?" Khami inquired, his voice gentle yet commanding.

Goku stepped forward respectfully. "We've come to train under your guidance, esteemed Khami."

Khami studied Goku silently before speaking. "Goku, I've already trained you. You've surpassed me. There's nothing more I can offer you here," the old master admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of sorrow.

Goku looked crestfallen. "Then who will I train with?"

Yamcha stepped forward. "What about us, Khami?"

Khami glanced at the other fighters. "You... can train."

Tien smirked, excitement glinting in his eyes. "Great!"

Krillin frowned slightly, thinking, 'Goku's our strongest man. He needs to be even stronger if we are to stand up to those Saiyans.'

Khami gestured to Mr. Popo, who nodded knowingly.

"Follow me," Mr. Popo directed the fighters to a vast storeroom, flicking on the lights. "These are the weighted clothes Goku used to train," he explained, his voice echoing slightly in the large space.

"Wow," Yamcha marveled at the shelves filled with undershirts, wristbands, and boots of varying sizes, each shelf meticulously labeled.

Mr. Popo continued, "Start with column one's weighted clothing. As you progress, the weights will increase."

Krillin struggled to lift a boot from the shelf. "This is heavy."

Tien smiled, realizing, 'So this is how Goku trained for Piccolo.'

Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu began selecting their own weighted gear, anticipation and determination evident on their faces.

Mr. Popo turned to Yajirobe, who had just reappeared, looking cleaner but no less disgruntled.

Yajirobe scowled. "I'm not putting any of this on. Crazy."

Goku's distant voice echoed through the storeroom, "Hey everyone! Don't get on Mr. Popo's bad side, okay?"

Mr. Popo fixed Yajirobe with a stern look. "Good advice," he said solemnly.

Yajirobe swallowed hard, the weight of Mr. Popo's gaze making him reconsider his defiance.

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Stars twinkled overhead as night descended.

Gohan sat against a tree trunk, nibbling on berries.

After his tears, Gohan felt some solace in the quiet of nature. No school, no homework—just survival for six months. Yet thoughts of his worried mother clouded his mind.

Suddenly, something cold slid over his hand. Gohan looked down to see a snake. He shrieked, grabbing its head and crushing it in a panicked reflex.

"That was close," he panted, heart racing.

Moments later, rain began to fall.

"Oh no," Gohan sighed, rising. "I need to find shelter." He sprinted toward a distant mountain, hoping to find a cave.

Unseen, Piccolo watched from a cliff above, silently observing Gohan.

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...................

Khami listened intently as Goku voiced his concerns.

Goku clenched his fists tightly, his expression serious. "I have to get stronger, Khami. I don't know how powerful my brother's friends will be."

Khami stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... There might be a way for you to become stronger, Goku."

Goku's eyes lit up with hope. "Really?"

"But it's extremely dangerous," Khami cautioned, his voice grave. "No one has ever returned from that place."

Goku's determination only hardened. "No problem. If I don't get stronger, the Saiyans will kill me anyway."

Khami shook his head, concern etched on his face. "You could just train here with your friends, Goku."

Goku looked incredulous, his excitement barely contained. "Come on, Khami. Why mention it if you don't want me to go? It sounds so thrilling." He began pacing eagerly, his mind racing with possibilities. "I want to go. It sounds like a real challenge."

Mr. Popo returned to Khami's side, having just instructed the fighters to complete ten grueling rounds in Khami's domain while wearing weighted clothing. He glanced up at Khami with a thoughtful expression. "If anyone can survive that place, it's Goku, Khami," he remarked.

Khami remained silent, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and contemplation.

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Space...

Two pods hurtled through the vast expanse of space, their engines glowing a fierce blue as they cut through the void at breakneck speeds. The silence of space was occasionally punctuated by the hum of their propulsion systems.

"Hey, Vegeta," Nappa's voice crackled through the scouter, a hint of impatience evident in his tone.

Vegeta, who had been meditating in his pod, opened his eyes, his expression one of mild annoyance. "What is it, Nappa?"

Nappa's gruff voice responded, "How much longer until we reach Earth?"

Vegeta took a moment to calculate, his gaze fixed on the ship's control panel. "It should take just under a year," he estimated, his voice calm and collected.

Nappa grunted in frustration, the sound reverberating through the pod's interior. "Ugh, I hate being cooped up in this pod. This endless journey is getting on my nerves."

Vegeta smirked slightly, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Well, we might as well take advantage of the time and get some sleep."

"You're right, Vegeta," Nappa agreed, settling into his seat with a resigned sigh. "That would make the trip a lot easier."

Vegeta's smirk widened into a confident grin. "And who knows, if I feel like it, maybe we'll stop by a planet for a cup of coffee."

Nappa chuckled, the sound rich and dark. "Sounds good to me. I could use a break from this cramped pod."

The pods continued their relentless journey through the cold, dark void, their engines propelling them steadily closer to Earth. Each second that ticked by brought them nearer to their destination, their presence a looming threat.

To be continued...