Kakarotto…
"But that's impossible, Brolli was killed a long time ago, I doubt he knows how to use a phone, and why would he call saying Kakarotto?" reminded Chi-Chi. They all turned to Goku to see that he was unconscious.
Kakarotto…
"…so I said 'Kakarotto,' and he just collapsed like that. Poof, out like a light. Dad, he fainted. He--"
Goku was awake.
Kakarotto…
"Geez, I'm never fusing with you again. If I were just myself, I would've killed that Remeth monster and all the rest of his friends. You are a fool, Kakarotto," said Vegeta, walking away mumbling to himself.
"And there's even worse news, guys," said Krillin, causing everyone to turn to him. "Goku fainted again."
Kakarotto…
The bean broke the spell. You are free, but freedom always comes with a price.
Everything flashed before Goku. And he woke.
Kakarotto…
--- --- ---
"I knew it all along," said Vegeta confidently, and then promptly passed out from the previous battle. The man laughed and walked over to him. He ripped his shirt off and then tied it around Goku's waist, making good shorts.
"Make yourself decent, Kakarotto," said the man, who now had all of his paint rubbed off of his body. Without all of the strange clothes, he looked like an even smaller version of Krillin. He smiled.
"Wake up Kakarotto. Don't make me use this sword here. I know you've been through a lot today…" said the man, laughing in a voice that was strangely lower than his normal.
Goku finally opened his eyes and got a look at him. His face scowled in disgust.
"Chaozu."
"Wow, thanks for trying to dramatically say my name. That was really great."
"My…name…is…" Goku began to stutter. "G-Goku…"
"G-Goku? Oh, well, I always thought your name was Kakarotto; I mean wasn't it all the way back then before you bumped your head? When you were a Saiya-jin?"
"Chaozu…I'm surprised. Why?"
"Why? Well Kakarotto, I don't really think I have an answer for that. Maybe you should ask, 'how,' how did I ingeniously devise this plan, and actually go through with it? Don't you want to know that?"
"I didn't ask you that…now did I?" said Goku freshly. Chaozu's lip began to quiver.
"Gonna cry now, Chaozu?" taunted Goku. Chaozu then laughed.
"Oh Kakarotto, you should be crying. Your sons, Goten and Gohan are dead."
"I assumed so. It was the Muk-jins who killed them."
"Ah, but really Kakarotto, it was I. For the Muk-jins were just holographic projections. The only reason they seemed so strong was because I made your minds believe you were weaker than them. You always knew I was telepathic, Kakarotto, but you never thought about anything else, except for a fight."
Goku began to try hoisting himself up, but Chaozu quickly touched the blade of Trunks's sword to his throat. He lowered down again.
"Your telepathy. And psychic powers. That is how you put the curse on me, isn't it?"
"Well that would make sense, wouldn't it?"
"But…"
"How? Hah, your curiosity has won out, Kakarotto. You want to know how. Well it's quite simple really. I just cast a curse on you the last time I saw you. This way, any time someone said the name 'Kakarotto,' you would immediately faint."
"What was the point of that?" wondered Goku aloud.
"Well you see Kakarotto, I did my homework," chuckled Chaozu. "I learned that the regrowth of a Saiya-jin's tail is easier than it looks. All you need to do is knock him unconscious three times, using psychiatry to enhance the process. But the only way to knock him out is to use his Saiya-jin name. Since Vegeta called you Kakarotto quite frequently, I thought that it would work out. But you two didn't see each other enough, so the word 'Kakarotto' was never uttered. So I decided to take a stroll over to 25 Davidson Avenue, another house with the same exact address of the Capsule Corporation. This way, you thought it was Vegeta calling your house. This also helped start off the first step in turning you into Kakarotto."
Goku nodded his head. It was extremely clever.
"Now that Gohan was at Capsule Corporation, you were all banded together, and I decided to release the Muk-jins, who were completely fake, as you already know. And then, when your idiot son gave you the senzu, the spell was broken, and your tail had grown. And you did the rest of the work for me. Everyone here is extremely weak, and I could kill them all with this sword right now. Actually, I think Vegeta will go first."
Chaozu slowly trudged over to Vegeta with the sword at his side. Suddenly a scream erupted from behind him, but without losing a beat, Chaozu shoved the sword behind his body, catching Piccolo directly in his chest.
Chaozu stood, facing the other way, while behind him, Trunks's sword had now pierced Piccolo's body.
"Namek-jin, did you actually think I had forgotten about your regeneration abilities," said Chaozu mockingly, not facing Piccolo. He quickly whirled around and withdrew his sword.
"Well there's one thing I do know," he muttered. "A headless Namek-jin is a useless Namek-jin."
In a quick sweep, Chaozu behead Piccolo, slicing through his neck like butter. As the green head dropped to the ground, he looked up at Chaozu.
"P-Please…" he muttered with his final words. Chaozu smiled.
"Okay…now that you've asked nicely…I'll kill you."
Chaozu put his hand in front of Piccolo's severed head and charged up a blast. He released it without remorse, incinerating the entire skull. He laughed and plunged the sword into the ground.
"Stupid green alien. Just like all the others…you fall."
But before Chaozu could continue taunting a dead person, he heard the sword being slowly removed from the earth. His eyes opened as wide as saucers, and he dared not look behind him.
"You stabbed Piccolo without looking at him, like a true coward. Now turn and face your death like a man," said the voice behind him.
Chaozu reluctant turned around to see Goku, standing there with a sword in his hand. He shoved it into the ground next to him.
"I don't need this sword to beat you, Chaozu. I could destroy you right now if you wanted. That's what Kakarotto would've done," Goku explained. "But though you tried to bring Kakarotto back, all you've done was destroy him. Yes, I'll admit there was always a little bit of Kakarotto still pent up inside me, but the good of Goku never let him out. Now Kakarotto is completely gone, and I am pure. I am completely pure. I'd thank you…but I think I'll pass."
Chaozu sneered in hatred.
"I only did it so I would be known. All you Saiya-jins, and Namek-jins, you got all the credit! But what about me? By the time Buu rolled around, the mention of my name was usually at the expense of laughter."
"Enough whining. I don't want to hear or know why you've done this. You have a sick mind."
"But you do want to know, Kakarotto! I was Emperor Chaozu, and Tien was at my side! And Tien was incredibly strong…I'm sure you remember how he defeated you at the Tenkaichi Budokai. Do you remember that?"
Goku just shook his head.
"You are a weak and pathetic creature. But I have an idea of what to do with you."
Goku placed his hand on Chaozu, and they both disappeared from the scene of death.
--- --- ---
King Yenma was busy with paperwork when Goku arrived in his room, with Chaozu held by the collar of his shirt. He immediately looked up and gasped at the site.
"Goku…I'm so glad you were able to take care of this menace!" exclaimed King Yenma, who looked down at Chaozu menacingly.
"If I were you Goku, I'd just kill him now so I can send him down to hell and be back to my paperwork."
"Well, you know I'm not like that King Yenma, but I'd like to make a deal."
"Hey, what's this? What about…"
"Shut up Chaozu," said Goku and Yenma at the same time, fed up with the annoying midget.
"I'd like to sacrifice a life for a life. I know that Piccolo was just killed, but if he could switch lives…"
"An excellent idea Goku!" said Yenma aloud. Suddenly, Piccolo appeared in front of him with a halo over his head.
"No way! I'm not trading spots with this idiot!" exclaimed Chaozu.
"I don't see anything against it," smirked Goku, breaking Chaozu's neck. Chaozu dropped to the floor, and in an instant, Piccolo's halo slowly flew from his head to Chaozu. Chaozu stood up on his feet.
"Well at least I still have my body," he exclaimed. "And I can't be killed now because I'm already dead! Looks like you lose again, Kakarotto!" he said happily.
"Well Chaozu, it really isn't that easy. You see…" Yenma trailed off.
"You're going to hell," said Piccolo, finishing the sentence as the floor opened up under Chaozu, sending him down to the depths below, never to be seen again. Goku placed one hand on Piccolo and the other on his forehead.
"Thank you, King Yenma. We gotta go though, 'cause me and Piccolo, or should I say Piccolo-sama, have some dragon balls to build," said Goku, leaving the large room, and returning to the world of the living.