"Shall we start?" Alex said as he took his stance.
Krillin shot forward, closing the distance in an instant. He unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, forcing Alex on the defensive as he dodged and blocked each strike.
Alex leaped back to create some space, but Krillin wasn't about to let him get away so easily. He pressed forward, keeping up the pressure and not giving Alex a moment to breathe.
Seeing no other choice, Alex took to the air. Krillin immediately followed, but just as he ascended, Alex countered with a powerful kick. Krillin barely had time to react as the blow connected with his face, sending him tumbling toward the ground.
At the last second, Krillin flipped in midair and landed safely, skidding backward in the sand.
"I have to admit," Krillin said, wiping sweat from his forehead, "you've gotten way stronger than I expected." He took a deep breath before adding, "I can also tell you're holding back. You don't need to worry about hurting me—come at me with everything you've got!"
"If that's how you want it," Alex said, not thinking much of it. He rushed at Krillin with a kick, but Krillin dodged by soaring even higher.
Alex immediately pursued, but just as he looked up—
"SOLAR FLARE!" Krillin shouted, his fingers pressed against his forehead.
A blinding flash of light erupted, and Alex immediately shut his eyes, cursing under his breath.
"Shit! I can't see!" He rubbed his eyes, trying to recover, but before he could react—
Krillin was already on him. He brought both fists down in an axe-handle smash, slamming Alex toward the ground. Before Alex could regain his balance, Krillin appeared beside him and delivered a powerful punch to the side of his face, sending him flying.
Alex gritted his teeth and stabilized himself mid-air. His vision started to return, just in time to see Krillin charging toward him again.
This time, instead of dodging, Alex smirked and lowered his head—taking Krillin's punch directly to his forehead. The impact was loud, but Alex barely flinched.
Krillin's eyes widened. "Wha—"
Before he could finish, Alex countered with a devastating punch to Krillin's stomach, sending him tumbling across the sandy beach.
Krillin struggled to his feet, trembling slightly but refusing to back down.
"Sorry, Krillin," Alex said, his expression serious now. "Looks like I underestimated you... but this ends now."
Before Krillin could react, Alex disappeared from sight.
The next thing he knew, Alex was already in front of him—his fist buried in Krillin's gut. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and Krillin collapsed against Alex, unconscious.
Alex sighed, catching him before he fell. "I guess I got carried away."
He carried Krillin back to the Kame House, where Master Roshi and Turtle were waiting outside.
"That was a great fight, Alex. You've really grown," Roshi said, nodding in approval as Alex laid Krillin down inside.
"Thanks, Master Roshi. I've been training for a long time," Alex replied.
"I can tell. But I hope you're not pushing yourself too hard. Rest is just as important for growth," Roshi advised.
A few minutes later, Krillin groaned and opened his eyes.
"I lost, huh?" he muttered before looking up at Alex. "Man, you've gotten crazy strong. I bet you could even take on Piccolo!"
Alex scratched his head. "Well… not really. I fought him before, and it was a pretty one-sided match."
Both Master Roshi and Krillin's jaws dropped.
"Wait, WHAT?! You fought Piccolo?"
Alex nodded and then began recounting everything that had happened over the past three years.
---
One Year Later…
Time passed, and life on Kame Island was peaceful. Alex stayed at the Kame House, feeling at home for the first time in a long while. There wasn't much to do, so training became nothing more than a routine. Sometimes, Krillin would join him, but for the most part, the days were calm.
But that peace wouldn't last forever.
---
Elsewhere…
A farmer was working in his field, loading stacks of hay into his truck, when a strange noise caught his attention. He turned just in time to see something streak across the sky—
BOOM!
The ground shook as a meteorite crashed into his fields, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"W-W-What was that just now?! A meteor?! A UFO?!" the farmer stammered.
Grabbing his shotgun, he climbed into his truck and drove toward the impact site. When he arrived, he cautiously stepped out and peered into the crater.
"What in the world…?" he muttered.
It wasn't a meteorite. The object was made of steel—some kind of spacecraft.
With a mechanical hiss, the ship's hatch opened. A tall, armored figure stepped out and floated up before landing on solid ground.
"W-Who are you?" the farmer asked, his hands trembling as he raised his gun.
The invader pressed a button on his scouter.
Beep… beep…
"Hmph. A power level of only five? Pathetic," the man scoffed, stepping forward.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer! I-I'll shoot, I mean it!" the farmer warned, stepping backward.
The man ignored him.
BANG!
The farmer fired, but before the bullet could hit its target, the invader casually caught it between two fingers.
With a flick, he sent it flying back—striking the farmer and dropping him to the ground.
"Hmph. What a race of utter weaklings," the man muttered.
Then, his scouter beeped again,"Hmm… I'm picking up a power level somewhere in the 4,880 range. That must be Kakarot!"
His eyes narrowed. "Hoh… now that's a bit more interesting."
With a smirk, he blasted into the sky.
"WHERE ARE YOU, KAKAROT?!"
__
Power Levels (Before time skip)
Turtle – 0.001
Master Roshi – 180
Krillin – 227
Alex (Weighted) – 309