Saiyans' Cup of Coffee
Khami stood in contemplation, with Mr. Popo at his side. The old green man weighed the pros and cons of allowing Goku to undertake the 'special' training.
Goku sat waiting eagerly.
Meanwhile, the other Earth's fighters were struggling to complete the task assigned by Mr. Popo.
"Oh man," groaned Tien, practically crawling on the ground. "Just a little more..." He reached out and finally touched the starting point with his fingers. "There!" he exclaimed in relief.
Krillin, Yamcha, Yajirobe, and Chiaotzu were still far behind. They lay sprawled on the ground, exhausted.
Having made his decision, Khami turned towards Goku. "After discussing the matter thoroughly with Mr. Popo, I've decided to allow you to visit the legendary martial arts master, King Gai," he announced.
Goku's face lit up. "Thanks, Khami!" he exclaimed gratefully.
Khami smiled warmly at his former pupil. "Mr. Popo," he said, "you may show Goku the spaceship."
"As you wish," replied Mr. Popo.
"Wow!" Goku exclaimed. "I didn't know you had a spaceship, Khami!"
This would be Goku's first time in space—excitement bubbled within him.
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The crow of a rooster woke Gohan early in the morning. He rubbed his eyes, disoriented. "Where am I?" he wondered, before the events of the previous day flooded back. He groaned and sat up.
Stepping outside the cave, he felt a bit unsteady on his feet. Glancing behind him, he noticed his tail was gone. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'it'll grow back.'
Returning to the cave, Gohan was surprised to find a stack of clothes waiting for him.
There were two shirts and two pairs of pants: one set in orange, like his dad's gi, and the other in purple.
Beside the clothes was a carrying bag and a sheathed object.
"Whoa," Gohan exclaimed as he took the long object and unsheathed it. "A sword!" The blade gleamed brightly.
Piccolo stood on a cliff, contemplating. 'I feel more generous than I ever have,' he thought. 'At least the kid can't say I never gave him anything.
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Khami's Place
Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Yajirobe slept soundly, sprawled on mattresses in the store room.
RING! RING!
Krillin groggily reached over and silenced the alarm clock. Turning back, he prepared to go back to sleep—
The store room door creaked open. Krillin squinted in the dim light. 'Mr. Popo?' he wondered.
BAM!
Krillin bolted up, clutching his head.
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BAM!
Yamcha stumbled out next.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yajirobe were jolted awake as they were practically thrown out.
Tien stood up, rubbing his face in irritation. "What's the big idea?" he growled.
A furious Mr. Popo emerged from the store room, cane in hand. "Didn't I teach you the first rule of Popo's training?" he asked sternly.
Krillin nodded quickly. "Y-yes, sir... Early to bed and early to rise makes a man more efficient in a fight."
Mr. Popo grinned slightly. "Good, Krillin," he acknowledged. "You'll get two extra steaks for lunch."
Yajirobe's jaw dropped in envy and surprise.
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Two Months Later...
Space....
Goku stood beside his wife, Chi-Chi, gazing out of the window aboard Khami's spaceship. Mr. Popo had set the ship on autopilot towards King Gai's planet, providing them with an instruction manual on operating it.
Goku had brought the heaviest weights available from Khami's place with him and trained diligently every day. He couldn't afford to slack off, as it would still take another month to reach King Gai's planet.
Not wanting to leave Chi-Chi alone without him or their son, Goku had insisted she accompany him.
The spaceship journeyed onward...
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Earth
Splash!
Gohan emerged from the water, triumphantly holding a large, flailing fish in his arms. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed.
Gohan dragged the fish to a nearby tree and drew his sword.
"HYA!"
In a matter of seconds, a pile of chopped wood lay before him, thanks to his swift strikes.
He used a couple of stones to ignite a fire and began to cook his meal.
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Piccolo sparred with his clone on a cliffside.
"Rah!" Piccolo landed a solid punch, pushing his clone back.
"Destructive Wave!" The clone retaliated with an energy blast.
Piccolo crossed his arms in front of his face, absorbing the impact without harm. Both Piccolos grinned at each other.
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Khami supervised Earth's fighters as they trained rigorously in their weighted clothing.
"Seventy-one! Seventy-two! S-seventy-three!" Yamcha strained through his hundred push-ups.
Yajirobe, drenched in sweat, struggled through his assigned pull-ups, despite having lost considerable weight over the past two months.
Krillin sparred with Mr. Popo, finding it challenging to keep up with the trainer's speed with the weighted clothing.
"Too slow," Mr. Popo remarked, effortlessly evading Krillin's attacks and landing a decisive blow to his gut.
Tien focused on weightlifting while Chiaotzu counted, improving his mental acuity through the exercise.
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Far away, deep in space, on a distant, barren planet under a blood-red sky...
Two pods crashed into the rocky terrain with a thunderous impact. Dust and debris filled the air as Vegeta and Nappa emerged from their vessels moments later, their scouters blinking to life.
Nappa pressed a button on his scouter. "Looks like a city is nearby," he said, his voice echoing in the desolate landscape.
Vegeta's lips curled into a cold, sinister smirk.
...
In a bustling cafe, hordes of customers sat chatting amidst the warm glow of lights. The door swung open, and a hush fell over the room as two ominous figures entered, their presence instantly unsettling.
The two strangers made their way to a table, their movements deliberate and predatory.
"Hey, waiter!" the big bald one yelled, his voice a booming command. "Bring us two cups of coffee and a plate of every dish you got here."
...
Vegeta and Nappa stood up, having devoured their meal with savage gusto. As they made their way toward the exit, the cafe manager stepped forward, his face pale with fear.
"Hey, wait!" the manager yelled. "You haven't paid the bill yet."
Vegeta smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Oh, we are so sorry," he said mockingly. He then raised a finger and pointed it at the manager.
BANG!
Blood sprayed from the manager's forehead as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Immediately, security guards surrounded the two Saiyans, guns drawn and shaking in their hands.
Nappa chuckled darkly. "Worms," he sneered. The bald Saiyan gathered energy around his hand and then raised two fingers.
DHISHOOOOM!
An explosion erupted, engulfing the cafe in flames. Nappa laughed at his handiwork, the heat of the fire reflecting in his eyes.
Vegeta didn't look so pleased. "Oh come on, Nappa. Why did you have to blow up the place? You know we don't get to eat this good very often."
Nappa looked down, abashed. "Sorry, Vegeta."
Vegeta chuckled, a chilling sound that sent shivers down the spines of any remaining survivors.
The two started to walk away when the distant sounds of helicopters grew louder.
RATTATATAT!
A spray of bullets showered upon them, but Vegeta and Nappa stood unfazed, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off their bodies.
Vegeta smirked. "Looks like their military has arrived."
Nappa growled, his body trembling with irritation. "I AM GONNA KILL YOU!" he roared. He leaped into the air and tore through the nearest helicopter like it was made of paper. It exploded with a deafening boom. A second helicopter met the same fate.
The remaining helicopters tried to retreat, realizing their efforts were futile, but there was no escape.
Nappa was too fast. The bald Saiyan pursued them, ripping each one apart with savage glee.
Smoke filled the air as debris from the destroyed vehicles rained down.
Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, his face a mask of cold indifference.
A soldier fell to the ground at his feet, grabbing Vegeta's boot and weeping in agony. "Help me," he pleaded, his eyes meeting Vegeta's icy gaze.
Vegeta raised his finger and pointed at the man.
SPLACK!
The man's head exploded in a gory mess, bits of his brain splattering Vegeta's boots.
Nappa landed beside Vegeta, rotating his arm with satisfaction. "Feels good to have some exercise," he said. "Hey, Vegeta. Why don't we have some practice before we get to planet Earth?"
Vegeta grinned up at him. "Sure. Go ahead."
DISHOOOM!
BAM!
KRAAAAKHG!
Multiple explosions shook the land as the Saiyans unleashed their power.
Vegeta and Nappa walked back toward their space pods, leaving behind a scorched, desolate wasteland. They had exterminated every living being on the planet—men, women, children—none were spared.
Nappa had clicked multiple photos of the devastation and noted the planet's coordinates. They would sell it later after their return from Earth.
With a final, resounding boom, the two space pods lifted off into the void of space.
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One Month Later... (Three Months After Raditz)
Goku's spaceship landed on a verdant planet. It seemed tiny from space.
"You stay here," Goku instructed Chi-Chi, handing her the instruction manual. "If anything happens to me, return to Earth immediately."
With that, Goku opened the spaceship door and leaped outside, the door closing behind him.
Goku felt strangely heavy.
"OH MAN!" Unable to control himself, he plummeted to the ground, crashing face-first. "What is this place?" he muttered.
To be continued...