The Warrior of Pure Heart | Dragon Ball Z

09

09

"More powerful?" Krillin whispered in disbelief. "That can't be true; there can't be beings like that! He was surely lying!"

"Even if it were a lie, we have to assume that those two would be at least as powerful as him," Piccolo stated thoughtfully, looking toward Raditz's corpse. "And we could barely end him, and at great cost. So we can't take any risk."

Those words had no meaning to Chi-Chi, almost as if they had been pronounced in another language. The mere idea that there could be individuals stronger than Goku was practically impossible for her to digest.

But there's no reason to be afraid, she thought, trying to keep calm, at least in her head. Goku will revive and defeat them; I know it.

She was trying to convince herself of it, almost desperately. However, although she was reluctant to accept it, the truth was that she was no longer as sure of that statement as she might have been that very morning.

"You guys take care of reviving Goku," Piccolo repeated firmly, sounding clearly like an order. "Meanwhile, I'll stay with his son."

"What?!" They all exclaimed in astonishment, especially Chi-Chi herself, who had to force herself out of her reverie.

"What have you said?!" Chi-Chi snapped, getting up quickly. She looked directly at Piccolo, though instantly she too looked over her shoulder to the back, where Bulma was still carrying Gohan, unconscious.

Piccolo remained unfazed by her questions.

"That child has an unusual hidden power," he pointed out calmly. "During the fight with the Sayajin, I verified it. It was actually thanks to the fact that he was able to hurt him that we managed to finish him off."

"But what nonsense are you saying?!" Chi-Chi exclaimed furiously, and out of mere instinct, she moved forward, pushing her way between Master Roshi and Krillin. "What hidden power?! He's just a little boy!"

"And yet he has power that surely far exceeds what his father had at his age," Piccolo pointed out. "The enemies that will arrive in a year will be the most fearsome this world has ever known. We will need all the resources that can give us the advantage, and that child could be the key if he learns how to use his powers. And the one best suited to teach him is obviously me."

"What? Do you want to... train him?" Krillin questioned, quite surprised by such a sudden statement. "Are you serious?"

"If what you say is true, then I'll take care of training him," Master Roshi pointed out in a firm voice. "It's what Goku would have preferred."

"There's no time to waste on your absurd kid training," Piccolo muttered bitterly. "We need that child to bring out his full potential in less than a year, and he will only do it with toughness and a firm hand. Besides, none of you are level enough to deal with what we're discussing."

"No way!" Chi-Chi snapped, throwing her arms out to the sides protectively. "I won't let you get even an inch near my son!"

"I'm not asking your permission, Goku's wife," Piccolo cleared his throat irritably. "I'll take him by hook or crook, so step aside."

Without further ado, he began to slowly move towards them, and each step he took caused a spasm of fear in everyone, especially Bulma, who had the child in her arms and on whom that demon had his attention.