Goz and Mez

Goku discovers that the ones who knocked him out are Goz and Mez, two muscular ogre guardians of Hell. On Earth, Tien and Chiaotzu begin their long climb up Korin Tower while Launch, who followed them, runs afoul of Bora and Upa at the Sacred Land of Korin.

Contests Below

Goz strikes a deal with Goku: beat him at one contest, and Goz will help him return to Snake Way. Goz picks sumo wrestling, confident in his massive size advantage. Goku wins by using the force of his open-palm strikes to knock Goz past the line without ever grappling. True to his word, Goz tries launching Goku back up to Snake Way with a seesaw, but an invisible one-way barrier keeps smacking Goku's head and bouncing him back down. Mez then challenges Goku to a game of tag, promising to reveal a secret exit if Goku can catch him. Despite Mez's speed, Goku outsmarts him and tags him.

Back to Square One

Goz and Mez lead Goku to the secret route out of Hell, and he secretly pockets a piece of King Yemma's fruit along the way. The exit deposits him inside King Yemma's desk drawer, meaning he must now travel the entire length of Snake Way from the very beginning. The fruit, however, has unknowingly boosted his strength for the journey ahead.

The contests with Goz and Mez showcase Goku's adaptability. He cannot overpower the ogres through brute force alone, so he relies on technique and cleverness. The sumo match is won with precision rather than strength, and the tag game is won through trickery rather than speed.

A Hidden Advantage

King Yemma's stolen fruit provides Goku with an unearned power boost that will subtly aid his training going forward. It is a small detail that rewards Goku's resourcefulness and adds a touch of humor to his otherwise dire situation of having to restart Snake Way from scratch.

Goku's detour through Hell costs him time he cannot afford, but it also grants him unexpected strength from Yemma's fruit. The episode balances lighthearted competition with real stakes, since every hour Goku spends away from King Kai is an hour closer to the Saiyans' arrival on Earth.