After bidding farewell to North Kai, Talot used Instant Transmission and returned back to Earth along with Salari and Raditz.
And just after they left…
In the Grand Kai's Palace, Grand Kai immediately sensed the disappearance of the three auras and revealed a faint smile.
For the past month, he had been paying special attention to Talot, Salari, and Raditz.
Although their arrival hadn't changed much about the situation on Grand Kai's Planet, the warriors' enthusiasm had clearly been reignited by their presence. It was no longer as lifeless as before.
"Super Saiyans, huh… I wonder what heights you'll have reached the next time you come back. If you truly surpass my expectations, maybe I'll give you a bit of training pointers then."
With those words, Grand Kai let out his trademark "Oh ho ho ho!" laugh, then turned and walked out of the room.
If the Four Kais had heard this, they would've been absolutely shocked.
Because how many years had passed since Grand Kai personally trained anyone?
Over the years, it's not like the Four Kais hadn't wanted Grand Kai to teach some of the best warriors of their galaxies, but they were never granted permission.
Grand Kai had always brushed such requests off with a casual attitude.
…
Earth.
Mount Paozu.
It was midday, the sun shining brightly overhead.
Gine, as usual, was busy preparing lunch, while Son Gohan helped out by tending the fire.
Even though modern kitchen tools were already available, Gine and Son Gohan had always used a traditional clay stove.
Compared to the modern alternatives, food made with the clay stove was more fragrant and delicious.
Three and a half months had passed, and for them, the days went by one after another, peacefully and uneventfully.
It might have lacked excitement, but there's something to be said for a quiet life. Once people get used to it, they gradually develop a special mindset: that this kind of life isn't so bad after all.
Especially for those who have weathered great storms and endured life-and-death farewells.
And what about Goku?
He had left Mount Paozu for a training journey throughout the world over three months ago and hadn't returned since.
Goku wasn't one to stay put; he wouldn't quietly remain in one place, especially after experiencing the joy of adventure and embarking on the path of training. His life has started to transform, just like in the original work.
That pure, kind, childlike heart of his kept him from overthinking things.
Some might say Goku took off on a solo training journey because he no longer had family in the world.
But that's not really the case. Goku simply didn't think about things that way.
Once the food was ready, Gine said something to Son Gohan and began serving the dishes from the pot.
With Son Gohan's help, they moved the food over to the dining table.
They had a simple meal, something that had become routine for them.
After so many years together, it felt like a father and daughter sharing a meal, completely natural and without the slightest awkwardness or formality.
Speaking of which, Son Gohan was really getting old.
Over the past decade or so, he'd nearly reached the end of his life.
If not for Gine taking good care of him, Son Gohan might have already passed on.
So in the original work, even though the cause of Son Gohan's death was being crushed by Great Ape Goku, in reality, he didn't have many years left to live either way.
After lunch, Gine busied herself cleaning up.
And just then…
A sudden 'whoosh!!' sound split the air.
Talot, Salari, and Raditz appeared out of nowhere.
While cleaning, Gine sensed something, then picked up on three familiar Ki and quickly ran out of the kitchen.
Seeing the three people in the yard, a joyful smile appeared on her face.
"Raditz, Talot, Salari… you're back."
Though it was something they were used to, not seeing each other for over three months still counted as a brief separation.
The three greeted Gine, then entered the house chatting and laughing. Naturally, they also saw Son Gohan and greeted him as well.
After explaining the situation a bit, Gine understood the reason Talot and the others had returned this time.
Especially after hearing that Talot and Raditz planned to stop training for a while and live peacefully on Earth, Gine couldn't help but feel a burst of happiness.
Over the years, the kids had been training tirelessly, constantly growing stronger and achieving one miracle after another.
But it could be said that, bearing the burden of their race's revival, they had never truly rested.
As their elder, her mindset had gradually changed over the years to the way it was now.
For her, she actually hoped that Talot, Raditz, and Salari could set some things down and allow themselves to relax more.
However, all this time she could only drop hints indirectly, never able to say it outright.
Now, that wish has finally come true.
Because of Talot, Salari, and Raditz's return, Gine enthusiastically began preparing food again.
At this hour, Raditz and the others indeed hadn't eaten yet.
Even if they weren't hungry, since they had decided to truly rest and settle into a peaceful life for a while, they needed to engage in everything themselves, to try doing things they hadn't done before.
Like cooking meals. Even if they couldn't cook, just helping out was something.
A happy family, filled with warmth.
Even though Talot and Salari technically weren't Gine's children, they were no different from her own.
And not just Talot, Raditz and Salari also deeply experienced the feeling of family affection while helping out.
In the past, they never gave these little things a second thought. Now that they were actually doing them, it turned out to be even harder than they imagined.
Before long, after eating and drinking their fill, Talot got ready to head to West City.
Naturally, Raditz and Salari planned to go with him. Even Gine, after some coaxing from the group, agreed to tag along.
Come to think of it, Gine had always lived in Mount Paozu. At most, she would visit nearby towns, but rarely ever went to big cities like West City, even though West City was where Bulma's family lived.
As for Son Gohan, he just kept saying he was old and didn't want to move anymore, leaving the others at a loss.
There was no helping it, they could only let Son Gohan be.
Actually, Talot had thought about Son Gohan's lifespan before, but hadn't done anything about it yet. Now that he planned to spend some time living peacefully, he also decided to visit Master Roshi in a few days.
After all, Son Gohan was once Master Roshi's disciple. The secret of Roshi's longevity might not be common knowledge, but surely, to keep his disciple alive, Master Roshi would reveal some of the reasons behind his long life, or maybe even help his disciple extend his lifespan.
...
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