Fanfic / Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL

"The Dragon Balls. Seven mystical orbs of unknown and extraordinary power. These artifacts are shrouded in mystery for those who are ignorant of the legend that surrounds them. [...] Because of the existence of such a power, the legend of the wish-granting Dragon God's power has been passed down until it has become a legend or a myth. However, that did not stop those who were curious about the Dragon Balls to hunt for them. [...] Whatever the case may be, the influence that the seven Dragon Balls have changed the lives of those who look for them, bring people together in search for what the common man would perceive to be nothing more than a fairytale [..] But for one man as a youth, the hunt for the Dragon Balls turned into an unforgettable experience. His Mystical Adventure. Of course, this is referring to the man known as Son Goku. [...] Goku faced opposing rivals, evil tyrants, alien invasions, earthly and galactic armies, a supposed demon lord, and even mechanical and biomechanical superweapons. [...] Sadly, a particular fight that involved a great gamble had gone horribly wrong in which he was at fault. So in a last-ditch effort to save the world, Goku took it upon himself to sacrifice himself, saving everybody. [...] As of now, the fate of the planet earth rests on the son of Goku. This is the legend of Son Gohan, the Saiyan of Earth."

— The introduction of the first chapter

Dragon-Ball Z: PRIMAL is a Dragon Ball fanfiction written by DarkShadowGames451. The story is both a Fix Fic and Deconstruction Fic of the later arcs of the Z-era of the franchise, including making Gohan the main focus and putting an emphasis on his relationship with school and his peers while also dealing with heroics and past trauma. The author expressed always wanted Gohan to become the protagonist of the series as well as him being a far more altruistic character than Goku, making the half-Saiyan more of a fit for a superhero story than a Shōnen manga.

Wattpad link here.

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Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL contains examples of:

• Abusive Parents:
  • King Cold tried grooming Frieza and Cooler into cold-blooded evil tyrants through physical and emotional abuse, dismissing Cooler's pragmatic methods as weak and a waste of time and beating him within an inch of his life and disowning him for protecting the planet of Hera from the Cold Force's planet trade. Gohan is disgusted and horrified learning about this from Cooler.
  • Chi-Chi is a downplayed example, in that she never intended for her treatment of Gohan to be abusive, however she unintentionally instilled inside of her son that his power and Saiyan heritage was something to hide or be ashamed of, choosing only to raise him as a human and never allowing him to discover or explore his father's lineage and their race's culture. This is why he asked Vegeta to teach him about the Saiyans and their history in exchange for being his sparring partner. This in turn leads to a falling out between her and Gohan, causing him to run away from home and stay at Capsule Corp. It takes Vegeta to finally talk some sense into Chi-Chi before she can fully abandon her prejudices towards Saiyan culture and accept Gohan for who he is.
  • Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo, though publicly shows affection and care for his daughter Cocoa, is shown to see her as a flawed specimen and a tool for his plans for revenge against Hercule, coldly dismissing her feelings and only referring to her in private as her designation "Alpha". Cocoa only wants to make her father happy and obeys him out of love, not that Wheelo seems to really care.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: While Gohan in canon was able to let go of the guilt of forcing Goku to sacrifice himself to stop Cell once he assured him it was okay, Gohan in this story has full-blown Survivor Guilt and experiences nightmares of the moment nearly every time he sleeps. This guilt and self-loathing has led to him being disgusted by his Super Saiyan 2 form, stunting his growth as a Saiyan and martial artist.
• Adaptational Nice Guy:
  • Sharpner. In canon, he saw Gohan as a romantic rival and was jealous of how he caught Videl's attention, leading to him trying to win her affection out of a sense of entitlement while never seemingly warming up to Gohan. Sharpner in the fic however becomes more interested in Gohan and even refers to him as his friend, and though he at first accuses him of having bad intentions when he and Erase discover he's Saiyaman, he ultimately stays loyal to Gohan.
  • Cooler, though still somewhat ruthless and having a darwinistic mindset, is remarkably compassionate and affable, choosing to converse with Gohan about his ambitions and history and showing genuine care for his subordinates and the planets under his rule as he doesn't want to create a regime that spreads fear and death but an empire that maintains order and strength in the universe. Compare this to canon Cooler who is just as much of sadistic tyrant and monster as his brother Frieza.
  • Majin Buu, specifically Kid Buu. Though he starts off as being a primordial embodiment of chaos and rage like in canon, the Grand Supreme Kai, who he does not absorb here, is able to make Buu have a change of heart after absorbing the Western Supreme Kai and becomes his disciple. Before he was sealed away, Buu genuinely tried to repent for his crimes.
• Adaptation Deviation:
  • The fic does adapt elements and the overall plot of the Great Saiyaman Saga with Gohan going to high school, making friends and becoming a superhero, however the author has gone on record to say the Majin Buu Saga isn't going to happen and will instead follow a different path, such as Cooler arriving on Earth to challenge Gohan.
  • Super Saiyan 4 is not a Super Saiyan transformation here, rather it's a unique metamorphosis Gohan achieves that serves as a possible evolution for the Saiyan race.
• Adaptation Name Change:
  • 18 is never referred to as Android 18 due to actually being a cyborg, and is therefore called C-18 or by her real name Lazuli. The same is true for 17 who is called either C-17 or Lapis.
  • Mrs. Brief in canon has the first name Bikini, but here it's Paunchy which is the name Toriyama would have given her if he named her. Interesting enough, Bikini is instead a nickname in the story.
  • Barry Kahn and Cocoa Amaguri have the surnames Yanagi in this story due to being the children of Dr. Yanagi. However far more grimmer, they are actually named Specimen Model Alpha (Cocoa) and Specimen Model Zeta (Barry) due to being artificially created organisms.
  • Various weapons, vehicles and techniques are either called by their original Japanese names or both, with the Special Beam Cannon being called by its original name Makankosappo, the Flying Nimbus being called Kinto'un and the Power Pole being called Nyoibo.
  • Super Saiyan 4 in the PRIMAL universe is called Ultimate Saiyan: Primal, being a unique transformation exclusive to him rather than an advanced Super Saiyan form like in other continuities.
• Adaptation Personality Change:
  • Gohan as well as his Great Saiyaman persona. Gohan in canon overcame his guilt of forcing his Goku to pull a Heroic Sacrifice years before the Majin Buu Saga happened and overall was happy if not socially awkward at times, but the fic not only shows he still dealing with Survivor Guilt and self-loathing after the Cell Games but also has a lot of internal struggles from how Chi-Chi raised him, preventing him from truly accepting his Saiyan heritage and being conditioned to see his power as abnormal and inhuman. The Great Saiyaman persona in canon is inspired by Super Sentai and other works in the Tokusatsu genre which in turns leads to him coming off as goofy, dorky and lame by others around him, but in the fic he instead adopts a demeanour much like comic book heroes in a similar vein to Batman (stern and intimidating) and Superman (selfless and polite).
  • Cooler in canon was basically a far stronger and more ruthless version of his brother Frieza, even arrogantly believing himself to be worthy of snuffing out an entire world simply for believing its people and animals are inferior to him. However the author of the fic reinvented Cooler as being a brilliant and complex warlord who forgoes his father and brother's tyrannical ways in favour of using his strength and intellect to win over his subordinates and build an empire that intends to uphold order and stability in the universe. Though he still possesses a violent side, and is cold-blooded enough to kill innocent lives in an effort to further his goals.
• Adaptation Species Change:
  • Barry Kahn and Cocoa Amaguri were canonically naturally born humans, however in this story they are biologically enhanced artificial humans created by their father, Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo, having the designations "Zeta" and "Alpha" respectfully.
  • Mr. Popo is strictly a Genie in canon, but in this setting he is a purified offshoot of Majin Buu, though it's heavily implied that this is the origin of Genies in this setting.
• Affably Evil:
  • Cooler, unlike Frieza and King Cold, is genuinely respectful and caring towards his subordinates as well as those he deems a worthy foe or potential ally. He broadcasts his intentions to Earth and allows them to mobilize their forces and warriors, and only killed two police officers when one of them interrupted their commanding officer's attempt at negotiations and open fired on Salza, commenting to Gohan that his planet struck the first blow. He's even unfazed by Gohan's scepticism when explaining his intentions and simply allows the half-Saiyan to believe what he wants to believe before offering him a place in his empire.
  • Dr. Yanagi, who is really Dr. Wheelo, is polite and sophisticated towards his business partners and guests and tends to keep quite a calm and clear head, despite his hatred for Hercule. How much of his mannerisms are genuine however are debatable.
• Big Bad:
  • Tao Pai Pai could be considered this for the High School Saga, though later it's revealed he is just The Dragon to Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo.
  • Cooler serves as a straight example for the Cooler Saga.
  • Dr. Yanagi, in truth Dr. Wheelo, is this for the Wheelo Saga.
• Deadpan Snarker:
  • Gohan is shown to snark a few times during his inner monologue, especially regarding Videl's constant investigation into his life.
  • Cooler of all people gives a somewhat cathartic but equally snarky remark when he proves that his Death Beam is no trick by killing two police officers with it.
  Cooler: "Why are you speechless? Were you not entertained by my supposed "trick"? I only made two bodies vanish."
• Calling the Old Man Out:
  • Videl, after learning the truth about the Cell Games and Hercule's reasons for taking credit for Cell's defeat, angrily tears into him for manipulating and gaslighting the world and her for years.
  • Vegeta does this on Gohan's behalf when he confronts Chi-Chi about her toxic and emotional abusive behaviour towards him.
• Canon Character All Along: Well, more accurately it would be "Related to Canon Character All Along", but Dr. James Yanagi who initially seemed to be an Original Character is actually Jinpachi Wheelo, the son of Dr. Wheelo from Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest.
• Death Is Cheap: Discussed in Chapter 42. Trunks gets angry over being saved and even said that Goten was making a big deal over nothing relating to people dying, causing him to punch Trunks. He then tells Videl that they can always revive everyone and told her not to worry, which gets Goten, Upa, and even Vegeta to tell him off for dismissing death, saying it isn't something to take lightly. Eventually this trope gets averted when Dende decides to remove Shenron's ability to revive people after Bulma's constant vanity wishing and monopoly over the Dragon Balls.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Cooler is a conqueror who invades planets to test their strength and will destroy them if he deems them as too weak, not to mention killed Sharpner after losing patience with Gohan and his defiance. But Cooler absolutely despises his father and brother's tyrannical and sadistic nature, believing that the planets the Cold Force targeted that had strong warriors and advanced technology did not deserve to be wiped out and sold on the market, even hiding one of these worlds to prevent them from claiming it when his father denounced his methods.
• Fantastic Racism:
  • Zig-zagged with Cooler. While he does use racial slurs against Saiyans and even calls the people of Earth barbarians, he himself believes in Saiyan philosophy and respects their strength and will and calling Earthlings barbaric was more based on how technologically and intelligently stunted they are which he is not wrong about.
  • Barry Khan utterly despises Beastmen and does not mourn the loss of Marker who had recently become one.
• Flat-Earth Atheist: The people of Earth much like in canon start off believing that ki and the techniques used by Goku, the Dragon Team and various villains are just illusions and tricks due to Hercule's influence over the public and media, to the point when Cooler's Armored Squadron attacks the police officers in West City, they arrogantly assume that their power is a trick, foolishly costing their lives when Cooler decides to prove them wrong. This of course leads to Gohan confronting Hercule after killing Cooler and persuades him to reveal the truth about ki and the previous martial arts champions.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse:
  • Hercule tries to explain to Videl that he took the credit of defeating Cell to become a hero in the eyes of the people of Earth and her, wanting Videl to be proud of her father's achievements in spite of being outclassed by every other fighter. Videl, enraged by her father's lies and deception, does not buy it for a second.
  Hercule: "...I'm sorry, Videl. I'm a failure. Ever since you were a little girl, you always looked up to me as the strongest man in the world. It filled my heart with fatherly pride and joy for you to view me as such. I wanted to keep that image for you. But I knew that was far from the case. While the 24th tournament helped out, I knew that the Cell Games was a greater opportunity. Not just for me, but for you too. I couldn't go back home as the man who was sent back fifty feet to a mountainside. There were people who were watching at home, you were watching! People needed a person to look up to in times of insanity and chaos. So… I did what I did. Everything that I did after up to this point, I did for you. I just wanted you to be proud of me."
  Videl: "Proud? Proud!? How do you expect me to be proud of you after this!? You're right, I was proud to be your daughter! I took pride in being the child of the Champ, the World Savior! And I would have killed anybody whoever brought shame upon your name because it's my name too! For Kami's sake, I fought in the Junior Division of the Tenkaichi Būdokai to prove myself and to represent you! And now…it means jack shit! Seven years of my life was a phony sham! [...] "You lied to me! To everyone! For seven years straight! And for what? Money, fame, power? To hell with all of that! The last seven years were unbearable! I barely made any real friends because creepy lowlives kept trying to either get in my pants or fake their way to your bank accounts and I have next to no private life thanks to the media constantly bugging me! The only escape that I have from it all is working with the police force! Now I can't even enjoy that anymore! I could have died without even realizing that I wasn't as strong as I was led to believe, nor as what everybody else thinks right now! And all because you stole the credit from a child! What's there to be proud of, Mr. Satan!?"
  • Videl herself falls under this when she manipulates Gohan into entering the Elemental Tournament against his will by using the prize money that the winner will receive to in turn influence Chi-Chi into forcing him to enter. Cocoa confronts Videl about this at Hanuman Café and Videl reveals that the reason she did so was because she was sick of Gohan holding back in their training and wanted to be able to fight him seriously. While Cocoa understands her motives, she cannot agree with Videl's methods and outright says she was acting abusive and inconsiderate of Gohan's feelings. Fortunately Videl agrees to apologise and is able to convince Gohan to not pull his punches in their training.
  • Tao upon fighting Videl tries to pin everything that happened to him regarding his profession and martial arts prowess on Hercule discrediting Ki users as charlatans, effectively making Tao a laughingstock in the modern criminal underworld. Videl however could care less about Tao's claims, especially after he had murdered an innocent family and tortured her father.
  • Wheelo spends most of the story blaming all of his shortcomings on Hercule and society for shunning him due to his father's connections to the Red Ribbon Army and refusing to acknowledge his genius. His arguments fall flat given how he spent decades planning to destabilize the world, dethrone King Furry by blowing up his castle and cruelly mocking and threatening Gohan and the others with painful deaths. Though he initially was sympathetic, Wheelo's descent into evil stripped him of these qualities as he refused to let go of his hatred and grudge.
• Gadgeteer Genius:
  • Bulma of course being the franchise's Wrench Wench especially with how she has reverse engineer the Saiyans' technology and armour and implemented it into Capsule Corps' machines.
  • Cooler surprisingly fits this trope here, taking an interest in multiple fields of science which included engineering which allowed him to survive his exile.
  • Dr. Yanagi, though is primarily an expert in genetics, chemistry and bioengineering, is also gifted in mechanical engineering and has developed holographic technology that possesses tangibility, mass and weight as if it were the real thing.
• Genius Bruiser:
  • Gohan in spades as he is very academically gifted as well as one of the strongest fighters in the universe.
  • Piccolo is not only the strongest of his species but is also a tactical genius and martial arts master.
  • Cooler of all people is an example as not only he is stronger than both Frieza and Perfect Cell but he is also a prodigy scientist, engineer and politician who through his strength and charisma built an empire that has nothing but respect and admiration for him compared to the Cold/Frieza Force which was run using fear and tyranny.
  • Dr. Yanagi is slowly becoming an example after using Gohan's S-Cells to make him a Saiyan hybrid, combining his scientific genius with his newfound alien power.
• Graceful Loser: Cooler, despite attempting to destroy the planet with Supernova and becoming hysterical upon being bested by Gohan, ultimately spends his last moments congratulating the half-Saiyan on defeating him before accepting his death.
• The Gods Must Be Lazy: As pointed out by Goku to Annin, many of the gods had spent eons being negligent and unwilling to actually help and assist mortals in their growth and survival, leading to them underestimating them when they show potential and power that rivals them. Because of this, Annin cannot believe that a Saiyan would possess power that could surpass a deity of her rank and stature. Though he regrets speaking to her in such a harsh way, his argument is completely valid.
• Greater-Scope Villain:
  • The mysterious entity appears is this for Cooler who he gave the visions of Frieza and the Saiyans as well as leading him to Earth. It's heavily implied to be the same entity that Shin, Nehan and Buu fought eons ago, leading to the Grand Supreme Kai's death and Majin Buu being sealed away, making them possibly this for the entire story.
  • The man Gohan saves from Cooler turns out to be Dr. James Yanagi, who was behind Tao and his upgrades and is also in truth the son of Dr. Wheelo who in this story was Dr. Gero's understudy that helped him created his series of Androids.
• Hate Sink:
  • Doore, one of Cooler's Co-Dragons, has no redeeming or compelling qualities to him compared to his master and fellow comrade Salza. Doore is instead just a sadistic mass murderer and brute who blows up a school full of children for shits and giggles, remarking how weak they were for being killed by such an attack. It is quite satisfying seeing Tien kill the bastard.
  • Tao Pai Pai, whose appearances in Z filler reduces him to an Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain, has no such treatment here and is still the psychopathic child-hating assassin he was back in the original series. He threatens to kill the mayor of Hercule City's daughter and Videl to spite Hercule for insulting him all those years ago, works with Wheelo to sow seeds of chaos and violence across the city and murders X.S. Cash and his wife and son in cold blood before torturing and ultimately killing Hercule himself. While he tries to claim that Hercule's smear campaign against Ki users ruined his livelihood, Videl rejects his excuses, not having any sympathy for a professional killer who slaughters children.
  • Barry Khan Yanagi much like his canon self is a charismatic but handsome celebrity but also a vain, petty and sociopathic teenager. Barry sees the girls around him as possessions and despite dating Erasa had no qualms with cheating on her behind her back, and only defended Erasa from Marker because of the threat of losing what he saw was his property. He finds his older sister Cocoa's attempts at being more human and having a job to be pointless and shows both anger and delight when hitting a bird with his car. Upon learning about Marker's murder, Barry has the audacity to say that he deserved to be killed, immediately giving Sharpner red flags and convincing him that something is truly wrong with Barry's psyche. Come the Elemental Tournament and Barry's true colours are revealed: He sadistically tortures Lime during their match for landing a hit on him, shows zero remorse for his actions and then reveals that he is none other than the Beastman Killer, who has been targeting Beastmen and Beastwoman out of petty hatred and racism for the sub-species of Earthlings. He kidnaps Erasa and forces Sharpner to play a game of cat and mouse under the threat of eating his girlfriend, demonstrating this horrible fact by slowly and painfully devouring a Beastwoman in front of the two. Not only is his defeat and death satisfying but no one mourns or cares about his demise afterwards, not even Cocoa who wanted her brother's love and affection but understood that he was too far gone.
  • Jinpachi Wheelo, though originally a possible Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds, completely subverts any sympathetic or noble qualities he might have had by letting his hatred and spite turn him into a monster. He exposes Hercule's lies to the world, uncaring of how it will affect Videl who was once his honorary niece and innocent of her father's actions, orders Tao to slaughter X.S. Cash and his family, including his child son, destroys the royal castle with King Furry and the surrounding capital along with it, threatens to slaughter everyone Gohan and his friends care about, despite contradicting how he admires genuine martial artists like Goku. Wheelo then turns into the Oni Oozaru and feints being a mindless beast just to screw with the protagonists before then trying to destroy the Earth when Gohan's Ultimate Saiyan: Primal form can't be damaged by his malefic energy. Wheelo's soul becomes so impure and evil that is not only sent to the darkest and deepest part of Hell, but also devoured by the Ancient Dragon Syn, who eats souls who are too evil for Hell. Yes, both Frieza and Cell, who were both equally as evil and monstrous as Wheelo, aren't considered evil enough to be eaten by Syn.
• Hero of Another Story: Goku is this overall, given he was the main defender of Earth before dying in the Cell Games. He's currently in Other World, training under Annin and Grandpa Gohan in Mount Five Element to master divine ki while Gohan goes through his life and endeavours back on Earth.
• I Am Not My Father: Cooler strongly claims to be nothing like his father, not that Gohan believes him and with good reason for thinking so. Well-Intentioned Extremist and Noble Demon traits aside, Cooler still believes that he alone has the right to enforce his will and vision on the universe even if it's for salvation.
• Jerkass:
  • Sharpner was this before Character Development, to which he became a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, though is slowly becoming much more friendly and nicer to Gohan and the others.
  • Marker, unlike the aforementioned Sharpner, stays a Jerkass who harasses and attacks Gohan for thinking he's cool enough to hang with Videl and the others and acts like a sleazy pervert towards girls like Erasa, even trying to flirt on her despite her clearly dating Barry. Even so however, none of the characters excluding Barry thinks he deserved to die for his actions when he was murdered by a serial killer.
  • Barry Khan however takes the cake for being probably the worst of them in the story. Though he acts laid-back, charming and reliable to Gohan and the others, he ultimately is a vain and cruel boy who sees Erasa as not a person but rather a possession for him to use to get close to the others as part of his mission. He shows no sympathy when Marker is murdered, treats his sister Cocoa with nothing but contempt and is confused by her attempts at having a job and acting like other humans.
  • Even Dr. Yanagi is not immune to this trope. He sees his children as tools and weapons for his plans, especially Cocoa who he only shows affection to in public, then immediately orders her to leave his sight when she's not needed. Though he talks about changing the world and leading it into a new age, Yanagi's vision of the future is narcissistic and suggests he has a god complex.
• Jerkass Gods: Annin is primarily a benevolent goddess in charge of protecting the boundaries between the living world and Other World, however she can come off as arrogant and condescending towards mortals, believing them to be incapable of reaching the level of gods. Suffice to say, she is mostly quite jovial and is ultimately impressed by Goku's progress and determination.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • Vegeta is this trope personified in this story. Despite his brutal and callous methods and words, Vegeta is absolutely right that Gohan refused to master Super Saiyan 2 and therefore would only use it as a last resort or when pushed to the edge rather than actually learn to control that power himself. He calls Gohan out for being too soft on his enemies like Goku was, stating that Sharpner could have been spared had Gohan stopped trying to give Cooler the benefit of the doubt and just stopped holding back, and also calls out Chi-Chi for how she has alienated and treated his Saiyan heritage like it was a curse.
  • Sharpner is not always the nicest guy and can be quick to judge people that he meets for the first time, but he was still right that Gohan had kept secrets from them and could have been someone dangerous. He also immediately sees warning signs when Barry Khan callously mocks Marker after he is murdered even when Erasa and the others can't fully see it.
  • Barry Khan is a heartless prick, but his argument about nerds is valid given that his father is a wealthy scientist, AKA a nerd, and would have plenty of unscientific and average-intelligence people working under him.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
  • Sharpner can be blunt and short-tempered as well tends to see the worst in people, but he ultimately cares about his friends deeply and though he had to let go of his crush on Videl, he becomes more of a brother figure to her, something that even Hercule acknowledges.
  • Hercule himself can become quite a hedonistic asshole when his Glory Hound traits kick in, but he loves Videl with every fibre of his being and warms up to Gohan after he learns the full truth, even agreeing to give credit for defeating Cooler to him.
  • Vegeta as usual. He is a blunt and prideful man who doesn't mince words and can very brutal and callous when he wants to, but he grows to care about Gohan when the boy wants to learn more about Saiyan culture, shows pride in his progress and even stands up to Chi-Chi for him.
  • Barry Khan wants you to think this of him, to which Erasa seems to be fooled into believing so. However he is ultimately a subversion of this trope.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Barry Khan Yanagi is this in spades. Though he has shown to have a mean streak and even showed zero sympathy when Marker was murdered, Barry still comes off as charismatic, inclusive and an easy-going young man who loves his family. However ultimately, he is nothing but a vain and heartless perfectionist who sees girls as possessions and takes pleasure in seeing others, including animals, suffering physically and/or emotionally.
• Like Father, Like Son:
  • Like Goku, Gohan is not only a powerful Saiyan but chooses to protect the Earth from evil, though doesn't share his love of battle as it takes the loss of other people's lives to truly bring out Gohan's power and make him fight seriously. Meanwhile Goten is much like Goku in his youth albeit more educated, being cheerful and curious about the world and enjoying combat.
  • Trunks, unlike his future self, has inherited Vegeta's prideful and egotistical nature though lacks his experience and wisdom. He even successfully uses a Galick Gun on Cooler's robots.
  • Cooler has spent over a century trying not to be like his father King Cold, who was a cold-blooded and sadistic tyrant that had no qualms wiping out entire races and selling their planets to the highest bidder. While it's true that Cooler does have genuine compassion and a greater vision for the universe as a whole, he still does possess his father's desire to dominate and enforce his will on others, not to mention can relapse into his more violent and sadistic urges when things get rough. The difference however is that Cooler ultimately accepts his defeat by Gohan's hands and had genuine respect for his adversary while King Cold would never see anyone as his equal.
  • Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo, much like his father he wants to help mankind evolve through science and used questionable means to try and achieve their goals. The differences however is that Jonathan Wheelo wanted to find a cure for his wife's terminal illness while Jinpachi wants to start a revolution and get revenge on Hercule.
• Named by the Adaptation:
  • Erasa and Sharpner both have the full names Erasa Papel and Sharpner Crayon respectively.
  • Videl is legally Videl Satan in this fic while it was simply Fanon to assume that it was her full name due to the Funimation dub making Mr. Satan's full name be Hercule Satan.
  • Krillin has the surname Taeru which his wife 18 and daughter Marron also share.
  • Frieza's race, often nicknamed Frost Demons by fans, are referred to as the Arcosians in reference to the race that King Kai stated started the Planet Trade Organization with the Saiyans and also due to the popular theory that the Arcosians are the race Frieza comes from.
  • Dr. Wheelo has the full name of Jonathan Wheelo here whilst Dr. Gero is Maki Gero and Dr. Frappe is Phillip Frappe.
  • The other Supreme Kais besides Shin are given names in this story. The Grand Supreme Kai is Nehan, the Nothern Supreme Kai is Bonten, the Southern Supreme Kai is Vishu and the Western Supreme Kai is Aruna.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Erasa is usually a plucky and sweet Valley Girl and the most levelheaded of the friendship group, but once she finally unleashes her anger in the form of the trope below, Sharpner is quick to shut up lest he anger her further.
• One-Winged Angel:
  • Subverted with the Ancient Dragon Syn, as his dragon form is his true form rather than a monstrous transformation, not to mention Syn isn't evil.
  • Played straight with Barry Khan, who mutates into a giant spider-like humanoid who towers over most humans. However unlike most examples of this trope, Barry Khan is technically weaker in this form, especially from spending most of his energy on setting up traps around his domain.
  • Wheelo, after his satellite is destroyed, is transformed into an Oozaru via absorbing Blutz Waves from a machine he built, taking on an evil mandrill-like mutation known as Oni Oozaru.
• Original Character: Though mainly a fic revolving around canon characters, the author has created two characters who are original to the series, however are based on or inspired by canon ones.
  • Dr. James Yanagi is initially introduced as being the scientist father of this fic's Barry Kahn and Cocoa, however it's revealed that he is actually Dr. Jinpachi Wheelo, who is the son of the canon Dr. Wheelo. However the events of World's Strongest never happened here and Wheelo was instead involved with the Red Ribbon Army.
  • Choro the Ancient Dragon/Kotatsu Syn, who serves as Annin's mount and confidant, is the child of the Dragon God Zalama whose role was to devour the malice and sins of evil and was a former adversary of the gods. He is inspired by Ultimate Shenron and Syn Shenron from Dragon Ball GT, though his humanoid form is specifically inspired by Xeno Syn Shenron from Dragon Ball Heroes.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Erasa and Sharpner discover that Gohan is Saiyaman and Sharpner is quick to not only accuse Gohan of being a fraud but insult the memory of his dead father. Erasa, finally fed up Sharpner verbally attacking Gohan, lands a powerful slap on him and finally gives the jock a reality check.
  Sharpner: "AGH! 'RASA! What the hell was that for!?"
  Erasa: "For acting like an asshole!"
  Sharpner: "Hey! I've got a good reason-"
  Erasa: "Oh no, you don't Sharpner Crayon! Son-kun's been nothing but nice and polite to us and you end up making fun of him just because he's smart and because you're jealous of the attention he gets from Videl! There's absolutely no reason for you to treat him like the scum of the Earth!"
  Sharpner: "Sure, bring up the fact that he's an anti-social bookworm who somehow gets my crush's attention! How original! Are we not going to address the giant caped elephant in the fucking room?! He's been lying to us for a month! He'd been using his school life as a cover to go and parade in the streets using those stupid dirty tricks Mr. Satan was talking about! I bet this was a ploy or a publicity stunt to gain fifteen minutes of fame while luring Videl into a trap! Open your eyes, Erasa! Brains is a fraud, just like the oth-"
  Erasa: "SHUT THE FUCK UP, SHARPNER! You're the one who's blind! Son-kun has been nothing but nice to us and there you go again bashing on him! Have you forgotten all the good he's done for Hercule city? He saved many lives including Videl's! Not to mention that Son-kun had never even heard of her when we met him last month! Besides, why would he care about fame when his dad, tricks or not, did the exact same thing as Mr. Satan when that Demon King guy was still around? [...] Shame on you, how could you say something like that about your friend?! Do you have no respect for the deceased?!"
  Sharpner: "...W-What? Deceased!? What are you are saying?"
  Erasa: "He's dead, Sharpner! Son-kun's father died seven years ago! According to Videl, his mom said that he was killed by Cell!"
  • Videl, after finding out her father had lied to the world, stole the credit for Gohan's defeat of Cell and essentially brainwashed the world into thinking ki and otherworldly elements were nothing but tricks and illusions, lays into him hard for not only his lies and deception but how their celebrity status alienated Videl from other people and made it hard to trust them. See Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse above.
  • Vegeta after fighting Gohan and showing that he has surpassed him by mastering Super Saiyan 2 proceeds to verbally tear the son of Goku a new one over his insecurities and hesitance to actually master his uncontrollable power.
  Vegeta: "Congratulations, brat! You managed to transform once more! And what was this? Your third, no, fourth time? Ha! And here I thought you forgot to tap into that form."
  Gohan: "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Vegeta. Remember, I took down Cooler in this form while he was in a transformed state beyond Frieza's Final Form and Cell's Super Perfect Form. Not to mention I had a boost thanks to that recent fight. At this point, you don't stand a chance against me now. (Vegeta starts to laugh) What the hell is so damn funny!?"
  Vegeta: "Hahaha! Apologies. Oh! I just, I find it hysterical that you think that the form you're in right now makes you special. How adorable!"
  Gohan: "...Excuse me?"
  Vegeta: "What? Does my words not hold true? Don't think that I haven't figured out what happened the other day. I've watched and sensed everything. You held back, then somebody died because of it. Then you toyed around just like you did at the Cell Games, and you nearly lost all of your power in the middle of the fight. I don't know how, but your victory over Frieza's alleged brother had to have been a fluke. I know it. And you know it."
  Gohan: "SHUT UP!"(Goes to punch Vegeta but his fist is caught by him)
  Vegeta: "You know what's your problem, brat? You think you're invincible. You think that all you need is to throw a tantrum to solve your problems. Get angry, then overwhelm your enemies, right? [...] Not only that, but you allow your soft nature to jeopardize the planet! And for what? Because you don't fancy combat? Little Kakabrat doesn't like to fight? Get over yourself! Regardless if you're a Saiyan male or a human of Earth, a real man must do whatever it takes to survive and defend their family! Even if it means partaking in acts they normally wouldn't enjoy! That is the reality that we live in! While you were busy wasting all of that untapped potential that was a gift from our glorious race, I've spent every day for the past seven years training, driving my body to the ground to be able to reach new heights and beyond! And I must say- (Transforms into a Super Saiyan 2) I'm quite pleased with the results."
  Gohan: "Y-You–!?"
  Vegeta: "Ascended? Spare me. I've done more than ascend, brat. Unlike you, I mastered your precious second level. What did you think I was doing in the Time Chamber?"
  Gohan: "...So that's the reason why you were gone. You were perfecting the form."
  Vegeta: "Just as intended, your elder and mighty prince now stands above the food chain as the strongest in the universe. What's it going to be, brat? Do you still plan to stand your ground as a Saiyan warrior and challenge me? Or shall you yield and surrender?... Who am I kidding? You and I both know you're good for the latter. After all, you're not a fighter. Kakarot's brat or not, you're nothing more than a disappointment. No wonder he chose death over you."
  • Goku after showing off Super Saiyan 3 to Annin and Grandpa Gohan, the goddess is in disbelief in how mortals can obtain power that matches the gods, to which Goku bluntly gives her a piece of his mind.
  Annin: "How? How on Earth can mortals get this powerful! No mortal should come close to a deity's might!"
  Goku: "That's your issue, outside of the Kais and the Guardian of Earth, none of you gods bother to watch us, mortals, as we were struggling against the terrors of the universe. We were forced to get this powerful in order to protect ourselves and our families. Had you paid more attention, you'd learn that when push comes to shove, we Saiyans will overcome the odds eventually and surpass our limitations. And that doesn't just go for Saiyans, but all mortals if given the chance."
  Annin: "You dare talk down on us gods? Regardless of your power or not, I will not tolerate such disrespect, boy! Especially in my domain!"
  Goku': "I'm only speaking the truth, Lady Annin. I do not intend to insult you personally. But do not blame me for your pantheon's ignorance on their part. However, if you want a fight then I'll give you one! Besides, I've been itching for a battle against you, anyways!"
  • Vegeta gives quite an epic and blunt one to Chi-Chi about how she conditioned Gohan to despise what he was and how she keeps coddling him despite him being a teenager who can take care of himself.
  Vegeta: "Are you done with your pathetic tantrum, harpy? Yes? Good. I see where the boy gets it from. You make it sound as if I care about what you think of me. One, I don't give a damn about your issue with me, and two, I don't have to prove myself to you or anyone on this planet! And as for surpassing Kakarot, he is dead and I am past that. What only matters to me now is keeping my bloodline and what remains of my race going for as long as I'm breathing and I can get stronger. Everything else is meaningless to me. Besides, this isn't about me or your petty grudge. This is about your son and the legacy he holds and shares with the other children. A legacy that you continue to deny your eldest. That is a mistake that I'm still working on rectifying."
  Chi-Chi: "Who are you to dictate my son's life!? You're not his father! You don't know what's best for him! I am his mother, I had him and–"
  Vegeta: "Shut up! I've had enough of your stupidity! You may be his mother, but for a woman who pushes education, you're just as dimwitted as that third-class clown of a husband! For nearly his entire life, your son is suffering from an identity crisis! A crisis that you're worsening by spouting tomfoolery about how there's something wrong with his Saiyan heritage and pushing an unrealistic agenda to have him live by your 'human' and 'normal' standards!"
  Chi-Chi: "B-But that's what I'd expected on this planet! He needs to adapt to the culture if he's going to become a scholar and get a job–"
  Vegeta: "For the love of Beerus, harpy! He is not a mere human! He is a Saiyan! The blood of an ancient warrior people courses through his veins! Not to mention, you kept him away from other people for years in the mountains! So no matter the way you slice it, he'll never truly fit in this planet's society!"
  Chi-Chi: "That's not true! Gohan's fine–"
  Vegeta: "No! He's not fine! That boy hasn't been fine since Kakarot's death. You fucked with his head to the point where he's not even comfortable in his own skin! And believe it or not, I'm trying to help you fix that by telling him about his people! Because you know what? I'll say it! I don't care anymore! He doesn't tell you jack shit about what he does because you coddle him too much! [...] You see him as that four-year-old brat who hid behind your dress for protection. But what I see is a young man, no, a warrior who seeks guidance from his elder to help him carry on his father's mission. That's what I am to your son, for he acknowledges me as his Saiyan elder! He wished to know more about his people, their history, culture, biology, philosophy, and technology, and whether they had any medical practices. And our people had all of that. Kakarot knew nothing of it, as he was an uneducated amnesiac. So, who else would know about our race better than myself?"
  Chi-Chi: "But should any of that matter? Earth is his home!"
  Vegeta: "Gohan is just as Saiyan as he is human, and for you to deny his heritage, it's like you're stripping away a part of himself. Kakarot may have lived as an Earthling, but he still had expressed his Saiyan pride through his battles and lifestyle. Your son is lost while trying to understand who and what he is so he can come to terms with himself. This crucial is time as a man, harpy. Sooner or later, he will be the leader of a new Saiyan race, one that leads by the example his father and himself had set. Until then, Gohan needs to figure out what he is, and the last thing the brat needs is for you to make choices for him. And I warn you, you'll end up having that boy resent you for the rest of your days if you continue to take away his manhood. [...] If you have any sort of respect for your eldest son, you'd fix yourself, get out of my house, and wait for him at your home until tomorrow. You both owe that to yourselves and each other."
• Related in the Adaptation:
  • Suno, the young girl Goku met in Jingle Village from the original Dragon Ball, is the aunt of Erasa in this fic who would tell her about the legend of the Dragon Balls.
  • Barry Kahn and Cocoa Amaguri are not only siblings in this story, but are also the children of Dr. Yanagi, AKA Dr. Wheelo.
  • Mr. Popo is revealed to be a purified fragment of Majin Buu created to serve as the attendant of Earth's Guardian millions of years ago, making him technically Buu's son.
• The Social Darwinist: Cooler has shades of this as he does have the mentality that planets and species that are powerful enough are worthy of living while the weak should be eradicated in order to make way for the strong. However he does value intelligence and wisdom as well, being a scientist and engineer as well as a warrior.
• Slice of Life: Has elements of this in the earlier chapters due to focusing more on Gohan's school and social life.
• Spoiler Cover: The cover on Wattpad clearly gives away the fact that Super Saiyan 4 is going to be a form in the story at some point. Which in turn Gohan ultimately achieves at the end of Chapter 43.
• Superpowered Evil Side: Super Saiyan 2 and Golden Oozaru served as this for Gohan before he learned to control and master their power, as Super Saiyan 2 made Gohan more sadistic and violent while Golden Oozaru turns him into a mindless beast that attacks anything near him.
• Super Mode:
  • Super Saiyan and its various off-shoots and ascensions.
  • Sharpner learns to achieve the No Ego Zone state that Krillin has in Super after training with Tien, using it to defeat Yurin in the tournament.
  • Wheelo's unique hybrid transformation, Super Saiyan Malice. It is a malevolent variant of Super Saiyan created from the union of Saiyan DNA/S-Cells and the malefic energy that Wheelo creates from his hatred and rage. It's powerful enough to contend with both Super Saiyan 2 Gohan with Spirit Control and Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta.
  • Ultimate Saiyan: Primal, the PRIMAL universe's variation of Super Saiyan 4 which isn't a Super Saiyan transformation here, rather an evolution that utilizes the primal Ki within Gohan. The form completely overwhelms Oni Oozaru Wheelo, countering every move thrown at him and even absorbing and nullifying Wheelo's malefic energy that is said to have a corrosive effect on the body and soul. The form is referred to by Shin as an "Ultimate Evolution", in a similar vein to Frieza's Golden and Black forms.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: Cooler's endgame is ultimately this. His vision is an empire that rules over the universe with brutal but well-intentioned means, nurturing the planets that have strong warriors to create self-sustaining worlds capable of ending conflicts and abolishing illness, starvation and poverty through advanced technology. Of course the main problem is that Cooler's methods are extreme, wiping out races too weak to defend themselves and enforcing his will on the universe. Cooler truly believes that his plan is the only way to achieve utopia.
• Villainous Breakdown: Cooler, despite having control over the battle when he begun his fight with Gohan, slowly starts to lose his patience and ultimately forgoes any honour to try and kill the people of Earth, and once Gohan goes Super Saiyan 2 and overwhelms him, he is reduced to a screaming raving mess of himself. However upon being dealt the final blow, Cooler simmers and accept his death by praising Gohan's strength.
• Villain Has a Point:
  • Cooler might be trying to enforce his darwinistic agenda on the universe and has wiped out planets he deemed to be too weak, but he is correct about his assessment of Earth even if his methods and attitude are callous and violent, with Gohan being unable to truly give a counter point.
  "Thirty minutes prior to our meeting, it had come to my attention that most of your planet are not aware of the existence of energy-based attacks being a part of the realm of reality, let alone that other lifeforms exist in the stars and beyond them. Not to mention that the technology on Earth is primitive compared to other species. So, tell me, is this true, or am I misinformed? [...] They could be so much more advanced and stronger had they spent more time studying astrology and cosmology along with learning the ways of energy manipulation to further their knowledge regarding space travel and empowering their military. But instead, they believe beings like us to be nothing but fiction and fairy tales while they spend their valuable time blinded by worthless vices and frivolous affairs! [...] Say what you will about my methods, but my point still stands. They brought this on themselves in terms of survival! Had they realized their potential and strength they would have been able to repel attacks like this much more efficiently!"
  • Dr. Yanagi/Wheelo more or less has a similar opinion, believing mankind should change and evolve and that Hercule especially has enabled the stagnant and non-progressive status quo that currently controls most of the world.
• Wasteful Wishing: After Bulma's constant misuse of the Dragon Balls regarding her looks and aging, Dende decides to not just deny her and her family access to the Dragon Balls, but also revoke Shenron's ability to grant friviolous wishes, as well as the ability to revive people.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Cooler in the fic is reimagined as this, as he conquers planets by challenging their strongest warriors and defeats them in honourable combat, winning their favour with his skill and charisma. However if a planet is not strong enough, he will wipe it from the globe as a way of cleansing the universe of weakness and in turn wishes to build an empire that will maintain order and tranquility through strength, intellect and technology. Gohan however believes he's no better than Frieza or Cold, though Cooler could less what the half-Saiyan thinks and simply says his peace before offering him a position in his empire. Granted, the problem is that Cooler is somewhat entitled to believe that he alone has the will and right to enforce this way of life on other planets and ultimately has committed genocide many times, but he genuinely believes that his cause is righteous and for the good of all life.