The chapter opens on King Kai's planet, where Bango is seen wearing heavy bands strapped to his arms and knees as he chases after Bubbles, King Kai's pet monkey. No matter how hard he tries, the monkey easily avoids him, leaving Bango collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
He had been training under King Kai for the past four days, and for the last three, he had been stuck at this exact point. After easily hitting Gregory the cricket with the heavy hammer, leaving a bump on his head, King Kai decided to raise the difficulty. The bands, far heavier than they looked, now restricted Bango's movement, slowing him down drastically. That, combined with the planet's gravity being ten times what he was used to, made things even worse.
Lying there, Bango mutters to himself, wondering why he even has to go through this. In his mind, he believes he is already far beyond this level of training. If it were not for these bands holding him back, he is sure he would have caught the monkey by now.
Bubbles mocks our hero, slapping his butt at him, which causes him to give chase once more.
"COME HERE, YOU IDIOT MONKEY!" Bango shouted.
King Kai watched the scene play out, Gregory standing beside him with a bandage wrapped around his head. He knew it would take far more than brute effort to catch Bubbles, but at this rate, the kid should manage it within the next week or so.
Bango was impressive. His speed and strength already surpassed even the Z Fighters when they first arrived on his planet. Still, King Kai wanted to draw something more out of him. He could teach the kid his special techniques right away, sure… but that wasn't the point. He had something else in mind.
"Take a break, Bango!" King Kai shouted.
Hearing this, Bango finally stopped, breathing heavily as Bubbles continued to mock him, which only made it worse. King Kai headed inside and soon returned with a huge bowl of rice and fish.
Splitting his chopsticks, Bango wasted no time digging in, quickly thanking the Kai as he ate. As he did, the topic shifted to the Z Fighters. Bango asked about their training, wondering if they struggled the same way he was now. To his surprise, King Kai told him they didn't, since most of them had already been dead when they arrived.
Bango paused mid-bite. He already knew that much, though Krillin and the others had only ever spoken briefly about it.
Curious, he asked King Kai to tell him the full story. At first, King Kai refused, reminding him he was here to train, not listen to stories. But after Bango kept pushing, he finally gave in.
"Alright, alright," King Kai said with a sigh. "But if you want the whole story, we'll have to go back… to before I even knew about these warriors."
Using a hypnosis technique, King Kai began to speak the story, and the world around Bango started to shift, reshaping and resubliming Earth itself.
Age 749, the beginning of the story…
The narrator speaks. "Bango is pulled into the past, or maybe he is just watching it unfold. The scene shifts to Earth, to Mount Paozu. Bulma arrives, searching for the Dragon Balls, and ends up meeting Grandpa Gohan. Before long, she gets her hands on the four-star ball. Seeing how reckless and quick she is to act, Gohan decides to go with her on her journey, knowing she could easily get herself or someone else hurt if left alone. Meanwhile, Bango tries to talk to them, calling out, but it is useless. He walks straight through them, realizing the truth. He is like a ghost in the past, unseen, unheard, and completely unable to be sensed."
He did not think King Kai could create something this real, but still, this is what he was seeing. One threat after another appeared, yet Bango found himself impressed as Gohan handled each one with calm ease.
Bango had met Gohan before and never thought much of him, but now, watching the past, he could finally see it clearly. For Earth's standards, Gohan was truly powerful.
Before long, they met Master Roshi. After Gohan helped the turtle and caught up with the old master, they were rewarded with the Flying Nimbus, marking the true beginning of their journey.
Bango is pulled through quick flashes of the past. Gohan sees through Oolong's scheme, exposing him without much effort, and Bulma quickly insists he join them, knowing his shape-shifting could come in handy. Watching it all play out, Bango cannot help but remember his time at Capsule Corp. Oolong was just as weird back then, so it seems he never really changed.
Eventually, they arrived at Diablo Desert, where they crossed paths with Yamcha and Puar. As Bango watched, he noticed the difference in Yamcha's personality. He was nothing like the laid-back baseball player with a family that he knew in the present.
As Gohan and Yamcha traded blows, Bango sat back, munching on some popcorn. When Yamcha was finally defeated, Bango couldn't stop laughing. He had never known Yamcha was afraid of girls back then, the same Yamcha who now forced him to talk to them in the present.
Humbled, Yamcha begged to be trained by the famous martial artist Gohan and eagerly joined their journey to collect the Dragon Balls. Along the way, Bango grew bored as they moved effortlessly from one adventure to the next, gathering all seven Dragon Balls with almost no trouble.
But with Bulma already having found love in Yamcha, her original wish no longer mattered. Instead, they made a much simpler wish… for strawberries.
"You guys did all of that for strawberries!" Bango shouted, knowing it wouldn't change a thing.
Bulma offers Yamcha a place to stay, and he accepts immediately, a wide grin spreading across his face. But he doesn't stop there; he begs Gohan to come along as well. After a moment of thought, Gohan agrees, though he makes it clear his stay is only temporary.
Bango glances at Oolong, feeling a pang of sympathy for the little pig. He hadn't been invited, yet he had followed along anyway.
The four of them return to Capsule Corp, where Yamcha begins training under Gohan's watchful eye. As the days pass, he also grows closer to Bulma, their bond slowly deepening. Gohan, focused and serious, is determined to prepare Yamcha for the upcoming tournament, making every session count.
The scene shifts to Krillin at Kame House, and Bango feels a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Krillin is training in the ways of Turtle School, moving with determination despite his size. Bango watches in shock, never imagining that this small, seemingly weak boy could one day become so formidable.
Yet, after observing his training, Bango could already tell that this seemingly small and frail person had the potential to become a true mentor.
We arrive at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. After a series of grueling matches, Krillin and Yamcha face each other for the first time. Their fight is fierce, every move precise and full of energy. Bango cheers for both of them, caught up in the excitement, even though he already knows exactly how it will end.
The narrator speaks. "Having been trained by Gohan in this world, Yamcha shows his skill and determination. Without Goku there to push Krillin further, he just falls short. Yamcha claims victory, though it was a hard-fought battle."
However, Yamcha's victory is short-lived, as he is soon knocked out by Jackie Chan. Bango watches, understanding the lesson Roshi was teaching them all, that there is always someone stronger than you, no matter how skilled you become.
Yamcha eventually parts ways with Bulma and Gohan to continue his training. At Gohan's request, he trains under Master Roshi and finds a worthy rival in Krillin. During their training, which Bango notices is far more physical than his own, they catch wind of the Red Ribbon Army, who are gathering the Dragon Balls with plans for world domination.
After Mercenary Tao is defeated, a choice Bango quietly approves of, he watches in awe as Yamcha and Krillin launch a relentless, all-out assault on the Red Ribbon Army's base. The battle is brutal, every strike pushing them to their limits. They barely manage to bring the base down, or at least, that is what they think.
One figure survived, Dr. Gero. As he slipped away, Bango barely gave him a second thought, expecting little from the scientist.
Three years later, the two rivals returned to the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. This tournament also marked Chi-Chi's arrival, as she entered hoping to find someone strong. However, in the preliminaries, she lost to Gohan, whom she came to recognize as her father's former rival. In the final round, believing Gohan to be the strongest of Roshi's students, Tien had Chiaotzu set the bracket in his favor. But after a series of intense matches, both Gohan and Master Roshi were eliminated, leaving Yamcha as his final opponent.
With his heart softened by their words, Tien stepped forward, ready to face him. The two clashed instantly, trading sharp strikes as fists and kicks collided with force. Yamcha pressed forward with relentless combinations, forcing Tien to block and counter with precision. It did not take long for Tien to realize Yamcha was no weakling. He acknowledged him as the strongest pupil of Roshi, even surpassing Gohan.
Blow after blow, the tension kept rising, each exchange faster and heavier than the last. Bango watched in disbelief as Yamcha matched Tien strike for strike, refusing to fall behind. Afterimages flashed across the arena, the Wolf Fang Fist tearing through the air as both fighters pushed their limits. Yamcha never gave Tien the chance to use the Tri Beam, keeping the pressure constant.
The fight reached its peak as Tien fired a Dodon Ray while Yamcha unleashed a Kamehameha. The two attacks collided, shaking the entire arena. When the dust finally cleared, Yamcha stood as the victor, and Tien accepted his loss with quiet grace.
Bango could hardly believe what he had just seen. For a time, Yamcha had actually been stronger than Tien, and witnessing it left him completely awestruck, struggling to process it.
After the tournament, everyone was exhausted. Yamcha sat quietly, contemplating how to spend his prize money. Just then, Chi-Chi made her entrance, shouting that she wanted to be trained by Gohan after being bested by the old man. Laughter erupted from everyone around, Bango included, unable to contain himself.
But the moment of peace was fleeting. Piccolo was released, and the mood shifted sharply. Gohan went to the registry to retrieve his Dragon Ball, only to be ambushed by Tambourine. Despite the surprise attack, Gohan managed to kill him.
After explaining the situation to the rest of the group, which now included Krillin, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Tien, Chiaotzu, and even Chi-Chi, they agreed on a plan. Staying together as a team, they would wait for Piccolo's children to make their move. Bango thought the plan was foolish. He believed they should rest and recover before doing anything, not rush headfirst into danger.
Piccolo's children had gathered all the Dragon Balls, each seeking to get the four-star Ball last. But one by one, they were systematically killed, unable to overcome the combined strength and strategy of the group.
Bango cheered them on, impressed that even without a break after the tournament, they continued to fight with incredible skill, until everything changed.
Determined to claim the Dragon Ball for himself, Piccolo appeared in person. Bango knew this was not going to end well. The group fought desperately, engaging the demon with everything they had. Master Roshi nearly sealed him using the Mafuuba, a desperate move that would cost him his life.
Krillin and Bango screamed in unison as one by one, the warriors fell, leaving only a handful of survivors in the wake of Piccolo's overwhelming power.
Roshi fell first, causing Bango to scream out in shock. Then Gohan's head was decapitated, and Yamcha, his chest impaled by the Demon King, followed, prompting Bango to strike at the demon, only for his blow to pass straight through. Finally, Chi-Chi's head was crushed, leaving Bango reeling.
He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face, powering up despite the agony. He knew these people, and even though it was just an illusion, the sorrow it caused him was unbearably real.
In a desperate bid to give Krillin and Tien a chance to escape, Chiaotzu sacrificed himself, latching onto Piccolo and threatening to self-destruct. Tien shouted in shock, pleading with him not to, but Krillin, tears in his eyes, struck Tien unconscious with a hard punch. Bango felt the raw weight of the emotions in that moment, the mix of grief, fear, and determination pressing down on him.
Summoning every ounce of his strength, Krillin unleashed a powerful Kamehameha, propelling himself and Tien far from the battlefield, shouting that Chiaotzu's sacrifice would not be in vain.
When the explosion failed to stop him, Piccolo made his wish to regain his youth. With his youth restored, he ruthlessly killed Shenron. Not satisfied, he appeared on television, declaring the day a new holiday in his honor, Piccolo Day, and announcing himself as the new ruler of Earth.
Bango grits his teeth, wishing he could strike Piccolo down. The scene shifts to Korin Tower, where Tien and Krillin make their way up, drinking the Ultra Divine Water to unlock their potential. With the precious time they have left, they dedicate themselves to mastering the Mafuba, preparing for the battles still to come.
Bango feels a surge of pride. To call them his masters, knowing their will to win is stronger than anything he has ever seen, fills him with admiration.
Their training is abruptly interrupted by a phone call from Bulma. Piccolo has set his sights on destroying the city where her parents live. Without hesitation, Tien and Krillin race toward the battlefield, ready to face the threat head-on.
Not before collecting two Senzu Beans from Korin, Tien and Krillin rushed toward the city, arriving just before Piccolo could act. The battle was fierce and unrelenting.
Krillin attacked first, shooting forward with a flurry of kicks and punches aimed at Piccolo, who barely managed to block them all. Piccolo swatted Krillin far away, creating an opening for Tien to charge. Tien landed devastating blows using the Four Witches Technique, each strike striking with incredible power.
Krillin leaped back into the fight, combining his attacks with Tien's, creating a relentless onslaught. But Piccolo grew increasingly irritated, unleashing even more of his devastating power in response.
Catching both of their hands, Piccolo pulled them down, delivering powerful knees to their stomachs, forcing them to stagger back. Seizing the opportunity, he flashed behind Tien, recognizing him as a true threat, and brought his arm down, aiming to slice him in half. But before he could strike, Krillin delivered a powerful, sweeping kick to Tien, knocking him to the ground and saving him from certain death.
They regrouped, stepping back to coordinate their attacks more carefully, all while Piccolo mocked them, proclaiming that they would suffer the same fate as their friends. His words enraged them, fueling their determination to strike back with even greater force.
Having lost his Four Witches Technique, Tien takes a stance alongside Krillin. Bango watches, too hyped to even speak, as all three fighters dash forward and collide mid-air in a clash of raw power.
Tien and Krillin traded blow after blow with the Demon King, their punches and kicks striking in perfect combination. Krillin landed a sharp kick to the back of Piccolo's head, while Tien struck his jaw, leaving the demon king reeling.
Backing off for a moment, Tien and Krillin fired their signature techniques, combining them into a single, devastating Dodohameha. Bango's heart raced, he thought it might actually kill Piccolo. But at the last second, Piccolo flew over the blast, narrowly avoiding it.
Having used most of their energy on that massive blast, Tien and Krillin were at Piccolo's mercy. Seeing their exhaustion, Piccolo vowed to make them suffer, firing a powerful mouth beam that sent the fighters hurling into the ground. Even though they were stronger than before, they still could not overcome the Demon King. Piccolo approached, injured but confident he was on the winning side.
Before he could deal further damage, Krillin popped a Senzu Bean, instantly regaining his strength, much to Piccolo's shock. But before Tien could do the same and secure their victory, Piccolo fired a beam, incinerating the second Senzu.
Chuckling, Piccolo asked if that was important, and Krillin turned to Tien. Though the situation seemed dire, their resolve remained unshaken. There was still hope. Tien needed time, and Krillin nodded, silently vowing to give him every second he needed.
He rockets forward, charging at the Demon King once again, trading blow after blow in a brutal midair clash. Piccolo laughs, amused, though he wonders where Tien ran off to. Krillin stays focused and silent, landing a hard kick that sends Piccolo staggering back.
Piccolo grins even wider, promising to kill everyone Krillin held dear, though he quickly amends his claim, having already done so. Enraged, Krillin charges again, but it ends with Piccolo grabbing him and dragging his face across the ground. Injured though he is, Piccolo remains far stronger, and even if Tien had fully recovered, it would still have been a tough fight.
Lifting Krillin by his bald, shining head, Piccolo wondered aloud how Tien would feel after discovering yet another friend had been crushed. He hoped to see Tien rush in, only to join his worthless human friends in defeat.
But then Krillin began to laugh, leaving the Demon King momentarily confused.
"Have you gone mad? Why are you laughing?" Piccolo demanded.
Krillin, injured but still able to speak, grinned through the pain. "I did it."
"What!?" Piccolo shouted, stunned.
Bango smiled, remembering how Krillin had told this story before and knowing exactly how it would end. With perfect timing, Tien unleashed the Mafuba, successfully trapping the Demon King and winning the fight.
Both warriors collapsed, sharing a laugh at first before breaking down. They wept, devastated by Shenron's death and the loss of the Dragon Balls, knowing their friends could never be brought back. If only they had been stronger, Gohan, Roshi, Chi-Chi, Chiaotzu, and so many others might have survived. Bango watched, shock etched across his face as he finally understood just how serious the stakes truly were. As Tien's life began to dwindle after using the Mafuba, a sudden presence appeared. In that very moment, Kami stood right in front of them.
Tien and Krillin froze, fearing that Piccolo had somehow escaped. But Kami quickly set them straight, explaining his connection to Piccolo and how the Dragon Balls could now be restored. He praised them as true heroes and expressed hope in seeing their growth in the years to come.
Kami then teleported Krillin and Tien to his tower, allowing them to eat Senzu Beans and regain their strength. He began training them personally, taking the trapped Demon King Piccolo with him to ensure he would never threaten anyone again.
Thanks to Kami, everyone killed by Piccolo was revived. Krillin and Tien trained under Kami for three years, their skills growing exponentially. This hard work culminated in a heartfelt reunion at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. After a grueling match, Tien emerged victorious over Krillin. Bango watched in awe, finding it the best match he had ever seen.
After the tournament, everyone went their separate ways. Yamcha moved in with Bulma and eventually married her, with Oolong staying alongside them. Tien and Chiaotzu traveled the world, seeking new challenges. Chi-Chi remained on Fire Mountain with Gohan and the Ox King, while Krillin lived a peaceful life at Kame House alongside Master Roshi.
The narrator speaks, "Bango is shown a brief glimpse of the heroes. By Age 762, the highest power among them had only reached about 500, with Tien standing at the top. The others gradually eased off their training, resuming at Age 763. Now it is Age 767.
Tien and Chiaotzu had returned to the Lookout at Age 763, training under Kami, who had regained his youth and decided that, as Earth's guardian, he too needed to keep improving. Krillin would occasionally join them, but it was clear that Tien had become the strongest. His power had reached 200,000, with Kami slightly behind at 180,000. The others measured far lower: Krillin at 81,000, Yamcha at 41,000, Chi-Chi at 35,000, and Chiaotzu at 22,000. Sensing Tien's overwhelming power, the four resolved to push themselves harder in training. Bango noted that he was noticeably stronger than Tien at that time, though in the present, he was still far beyond him.
Life remained calm until South City was suddenly destroyed, countless lives lost, sensed immediately by our heroes. The chapter ends with the weight of impending danger hanging over them all.
To Be Continued!