The Arc That Never Happened

1. The Enemy Remains

Goku lay against a tree, the sun drying him after a dip in the lake by Mount Paozu that he had grown up swimming in. As he lay there, he pondered what was for dinner, remembered his youth where he had defeated the Red Ribbon Army, and considered flying to Kame House on the Nimbus.
Through all these moreorlessly pleasant thoughts, Goku couldn't help but feel uneasy. But what was it that was bugging him? It had been a whole year since any sort of danger had existed, and now Goku was a married man with a baby on the way soon. Why would he be uneasy?
Suddenly, he remembered. It was Piccolo! The reincarnation of the Demon King Piccolo (defeated by Goku in Dragon Ball) had been born to destroy Goku. Though Goku slimly defeated his rival at the last World Tournament a year ago, he had let Piccolo fly away. Could the towering green demon be terrorizing somewhere now? What if this youth decided to take over the world like his father before him? All the destruction, all the death...and Goku had been slacking off on his training since winning the tournament. He could very well not be able to stop his nemesis this time.
Goku's troubled thoughts were interrupted by a call from his wife. "Goku! Dinner's ready!"
He sprang to his feet. Maybe Chi-Chi would have something to say about this problem? Alongside being an excellent cook, an understanding wife, and a capable farmer, Chi-Chi was also one of the sharper knives in the drawer. She had done well in school as a kid and would have gone to college if not for the fact that she had gotten married so early and now had to farm radishes to make ends meet.
Goku called, "Comin'!" and rushed inside. He saw pork buns and teriyaki chicken on the table and wished his old friend Yajirobe could be there because pork buns were his favourite.
"Chi-Chi, something is really bugging me," said Goku.
She looked up at her husband. This was curious: Goku was the most carefree and optimistic person in all of Dragon World. Nothing phased him.
"So, you remember Piccolo, right?" he asked, chowing down on a pork bun.
"Well, yes. He kind of tried to kill you," she answered. "How could anyone forget about Piccolo?"
Goku shrugged. "It's just I've been so preoccupied with the farm, and helping you get ready for when the baby comes I've almost forgot that Piccolo is still alive."
"I haven't heard about Piccolo recently. Maybe he hasn't destroyed anything," Chi-Chi said, hoping to distract her husband from his old life. She had always wished Goku would be more devoted to his family and work than his training, and he hadn't talked about fighting for a few months now. She didn't want to reverse this progress.
Goku was about to speak up again, though he was chewing a giant mouthful of food, when the phone rang. "I'll get it!" he said after having swallowed.
He picked up the phone and instantly heard, "Goku! Goku!" It was Krillin.
"What's going on, buddy? You sound like you've just seen a ghost," said Goku.
"Dude, I flew over to the mainland from Kame House to get groceries but it was totally ravaged! The locals said a tall green monster destroyed their town!"
"Oh Kami, it can't be Piccolo! Not now, the harvest is almost ready!"
Chi-Chi jumped out of her seat. She trembled, terrified at the knowledge of more destruction.
Krillin said, "I'm sure it's him. He said he was searching for Dragon Balls! They had one but wouldn't let him take it so he blew up their town with a single Ki blast, and then he took it by force."
"Damn, it's just like last time!" Goku replied. "Chi-Chi, don't we still have a couple Dragon Balls?"
"Only the Four Star ball. Your grandpa's."
"We should start collecting them again if Piccolo is after them," said Goku. "I'll see if Bulma still has the radar tomorrow."
"Great! Tomorrow I'll fly over there with Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu. See ya then!" exclaimed Krillin.
Goku hung up the phone and went back to his meal. Chi-Chi sighed. "Why does this have to happen now? The baby is due in 2 weeks, and I'm already stressed about that and the harvest!"
After finishing dinner, Goku and Chi-Chi made some preparations for the harvest, then went to bed. Neither one slept a wink because they were both extremely worried.