PASTEL BATTLEFIELD

Thousands of miles away, Jasper and Lapis successfully track down the seven-star ball on one of the Tropical Islands. But before they head off again, Lapis takes a look at the radar…and her eyes widen when she sees multiple lights on the screen instead of just one, they're all clustered together, and they're headed in her direction.

That means Peridot took out the Dragon Balls…and the duo has a sinking feeling that it wasn't for a good reason.

"Dammit…" Jasper growls out, glaring at the Dragon Ball in her hand. If only she or Lapis could store things in their gems.

Lapis takes a glance at the waves lapping on the beach, and an idea pops in her head and she quickly tells Jasper. It isn't much, but if King Piccolo truly is headed towards them, then it just might work. Jasper places the seven-star ball in her vest pocket, then grabs Lapis' hands…

A few minutes later, King Piccolo's ship makes it to the Tropical Islands. He orders Piano and the Pilaf Gang to find the last Dragon Ball. They scour the area for a bit before Mai's attention is caught by a green glow in the water. As she starts to walk towards it, Malachite suddenly soars out of the ocean, summoning both her water wings and her helmet, slamming into the ship and destroying it in an instant.

While the Pilaf Gang screams and Piano is shocked, King Piccolo is annoyed once more, jumping away from the flying debris and landing on the island with ease. Malachite dives back into the ocean, and the other six Dragon Balls fall into the water as well. She swims over and quickly grabs them.

This little victory is cut short, however, as King Piccolo sends an Explosive Demon Wave at the water, creating a giant explosive that violently shakes the air around them and destroying a few nearby islands as it evaporates some of the water around them. Once the light dies down, Malachite is revealed to be high in the air, having summoned her water wings at the last second, but still holding all seven Dragon Balls.

As soon as she realized that last part, Malachite's eyes widen. She has all seven. She can summon Shenron and destroy King Piccolo now!

Malachite doesn't waste a second, taking off as fast as she can towards one of the few untouched islands. King Piccolo fires a few Finger Beams at her, and despite her speed, they still graze her skin and even pierce her shoulder. But she stubbornly refuses to give it, to defuse or to even collapse into the ocean, telling herself to just grit her teeth and bare it.

Malachite soon lands on the island and places the Dragon Balls on the ground. "Dragon!" she screams. "You better get out here right now!"

The Dragon Balls glow and the night sky turns even starless, and identical to the last two times, Shenron makes his grandiose appearance. He can barely ask Malachite to state her wish before she yells out.

"I wish for you to destroy Pic—"

But her wish is cut off by King Piccolo fires a powerful Masenko at her back, piercing through her stomach. Malachite can barely scream in pain before her form bursts, revealing Jasper and Lapis on the ground as the smoke clears. Both of them are in too much pain to move; it's taking everything they have to just keep their forms together, let alone speak or stand up.

King Piccolo, meanwhile, sighs in relief and flies over to the island. He merely walks over Lapis and Jasper, and takes their wish.

"Restore my youth!" He bellows out with a toothy grin. "Return me to the age when I was most flooded with power!"

And Shenron does just that. King Piccolo's wrinkles vanish and his muscles bulk up. He throws his head back in victorious laughter. He is finally young and full of power again. And his reward for Shenron? King Piccolo fires a Mouth Energy Wave at the dragon, exploding him in an instant. The Dragon Balls turn to stone on the ground, and the sky returns to normal.

Shenron is dead. Now nothing can threaten King Piccolo's reign ever again.

King Piccolo's next step is clear: head to Chow Castle, where King Furry is. Since his ship was destroyed, he heads back to the first island and tells Piano that they're going to fly there. Pilaf timidly asks King Piccolo is he'll carry them there, since they have no capsules or robots. But King Piccolo merely fires a chi blast at them, reducing all three of them to ash in a second, saying with a sadistic grin that he has no use for deadweights like them anymore.

King Piccolo and Piano fly off towards Central City. Jasper and Lapis, meanwhile, struggle to pull themselves in a sitting position. They failed. King Piccolo has won for sure…

No. They can't think like that. They're still alive. They can still find a way to take down King Piccolo once and for all.

But it looks like they'll need the others, first.

OoOoOoO

Watermelon Tourmaline is flying to Karin's Tower as fast as she can. As soon as the tower comes into view, she sees the stars suddenly vanish. She gulps, desperately pleading that it's not what she thinks it is.

Tourmaline makes it to the top of Karin Tower in record time, much to the surprise of Karin as she places Goku, Yamcha, Chi-Chi and Krillin on the ground. She defuses back into Peridot and Rose as soon as she does so (mostly to give both of them room to stand in the tower), and Rose begs Karin to heal them.

Karin takes one look at their battered bodies and turns his head. "Hey, Yajirobe!" he yells. "I need four Senzu beans, stat!"

Within seconds, a large man with untidy black hair and a katana tucked into his obi walks up the stairs, holding the four beans in his hands. Karin has Peridot and Rose wake all four of them up and placing the Senzu beans in their mouths.

In an instant, Goku, Yamcha, Chi-Chi and Krillin's injuries all vanish and all four of them stand up, their bodies now flooded with vigor. Rose and Peridot are overjoyed.

As this happens, though, the stars in the sky return. The two Gems share a nervous glance. "M-Maybe we won," Peridot says, giving a forced smile. "Maybe Jasper and Lapis were able to wish King Piccolo away—"

"I'm afraid not," Karin says solemnly, surprising his guests. It's not easy, having the ability to see what's happening whenever he looks at the world below. "King Piccolo got his wish. His youth is restored, and Shenron has been destroyed."

All six of them stare ate Karin in horror. No, this can't be happening. They…lost?

Peridot frantically asks if Jasper and Lapis are okay, to which Karin responds that they're both alive, but are pretty banged up from King Piccolo's attack. They're relieved, but at the same time terrified. If the combined efforts of Jasper and Lapis couldn't stop him…

"We shouldn't have split up," Rose says suddenly, making the others turn to her. "We were nothing but toys to him. But together…"

"You don't mean…?" Peridot interjects, her green eyes wide.

"I do," Rose says, turning to Peridot. She doesn't smile, but her black eyes were practically burning with determination. "We need Moonlight Topaz."

Intrigued, the others ask who that is. Rose and Peridot explain that Moonlight Topaz is the combined forms of them, Jasper and Lapis. One of the Crystal Gems' most powerful members. They haven't formed her since the Rebellion millennia ago, though. But now, with the world teetering on the edge and about to be plunged into darkness, do they even have a choice?

It's so hard to think that, just four years ago, the Crystal Gems were reluctant to going a couple of kids on an adventure. Now, there's nothing stopping them from declaring war on a monster like King Piccolo.

While the idea of Moonlight Topaz gives them hope, Goku and the others are still frustrated. They were hopeless against King Piccolo, and now he's more powerful than ever!

That's when Karin brings something up: the Fumei Water.

It isn't a mere trick like the Holy Water. The Fumei Water draws out any hidden strength within someone. However, it's also a potent toxin; if you do not possess tremendous will and overcome it, it'll kill you instantly. It's only after your body battles and defeats the poison that any hidden strength can be drawn out.

Goku proclaims that he'll drink it, much to the others' surprise. It's risky, but they've already lost enough, already. If he's going to avenge his fallen friends, then he needs to be stronger. They don't have time for training. If this is the only way, then he'll do it.

Yamcha grows silent at his friend's words, while the others quickly talk amongst themselves. He's not the only one, as Krillin also has a thoughtful look on his face…

Krillin asks if one of the Gems can take him to Kame House, saying he has an idea. Peridot volunteers to do so. The plan is simple so far: Peridot will take Krillin to Kame House, while Rose will head out with Yamcha and Chi-Chi to find Jasper and Lapis, then they'll all meet up together and take down King Piccolo. Hopefully, they'll be able to either defeat him, or at least hold him off long enough for Goku to drink the Fumei Water.

But just as they're about to leave, Yamcha decides to stay behind, saying he'll drink it, too.

The others are surprised. Peridot immediately tries to dissuade him, reminding him of its poison. But he refuses, saying that the world's in danger now and he might not get an opportunity like this again. And even if they defeat King Piccolo without it, who's to say that another, stronger monster won't show up in the future? He's made up his mind. He's drinking the Fumei Water, whether they like it or not.

Rose sighs softly. "You're just like Holly," she says, giving him a small smile. "So stubborn…" And Yamcha can't help but smile in return.

With no time to lose, they split, with Peridot and Krillin heading in one direction, while Rose and Chi-Chi (after Karin tell them Lapis and Jasper's location) head off in another. Karin asks Yajirobe to get the Fumei Water. Goku curiously asks who Yajirobe is, to which Karin laughs and tells him how Yajirobe is a ronin who climbed the tower recently (mostly because he was hungry and wanted the 'bean' he's heard about); he hasn't left since, and the two have grown to enjoy each other's company.

Yajirobe brings out the Fumei Water and pours the dark liquid into two teacups. Goku and Yamcha both down the drink instantly. Within seconds, both of them are screaming and writhing on the ground in agony. It's unbearable, but they refuse to give in. They refuse to die.

OoOoOoO

Peridot soon lands at Kame House, and Krillin immediately rushes inside. Roshi and the others are still here, watching over Bulma's body and keeping the news on for updates. He walks up to Roshi and asks one thing: teach him to use the Mafūba.

Roshi is appalled and strongly refuses. Krillin is still so young; he's strong, but the technique will surely kill him. But Krillin is just as stubborn, telling him that Tien and Chiaotzu were both killed, that King Piccolo got his wish, and now they don't have Dragon Balls anymore. The Mafūba worked once before, so maybe it can work again.

Roshi stirs over Krillin's words in horror. He had been hoping to sit this one out, hoping that the new generation of fighters were powerful enough to take down this threat, but it looks like that isn't the case. Roshi asks Krillin where King Piccolo is, to which the boy sheepishly responds that neither he nor Peridot know, much to their frustration.

OoOoOoO

King Piccolo and Piano make it to Central City in the dead of night and ambush Chow Castle, mercilessly killing anyone unfortunate enough to stand in their way.

King Piccolo confronts King Furry, stopping him from escaping in a small aircraft, and demands that he announce to the world that they're now under the iron rule of King Piccolo. King Furry refuses to at first…and in response, King Piccolo uses an Explosive Demon Wave to reduce most of Central City to ash.

King Piccolo threatens to do the same to do the same to the rest of the world, and King Furry reluctantly agrees to his demands, saying he'll announce it first thing in the morning.

And King Piccolo laughs at yet another victory.

OoOoOoO

Rose and Chi-Chi quickly locate Jasper and Lapis. They're able to stand up now, but their bodies are still sore. Upon seeing their beaten forms, Rose suggests they retreat into their gems to heal. They a bit reluctant, unsure of what might happen since it'll take them a few hours, but Chi-Chi pipes up, saying they can barely stand and need to be ready to fight King Piccolo together.

Jasper just sighs and punches herself in the gut hard enough to turn her form into smoke, much to the others' surprise. Lapis, on the other hand, chooses to merely retreat into her gem through mental will alone. It would've been comical, had the situation not been so drastic.

Chi-Chi holds both of their gems, and she and Rose head towards Kame House. They thankfully get there quickly. They don't know where to go next. So, until they learn King Piccolo's whereabouts on TV, they have no choice but to wait.

OoOoOoO

Back at Karin's Tower, a couple of hours after Goku and Yamcha drank the Fumei Water, there's a suddenly glow in the pocket of the latter's jacket. It floats out of the pocket, revealing to be Apache's gemstone as she quickly reforms. As soon as she does so, she's horrified at the sight before her.

She tries to help Yamcha and Goku, but Karin quickly pushes her away and explains the situation. Though reluctant, Apache backs away from them.

"The others!" Apache gasps in sudden realization. She quickly looks around, but sees nothing. "Where are they?!"

"They left to find your other friends," Yajirobe bluntly tells her. "Said something about a Sunlit Jazz."

"Moonlight Topaz," Karin corrects.

Apache grows quiet for a moment as soon as she hears that. Then, she switches to cheering on Goku and Yamcha, trying to encourage them to beat the poison. It's the best she can do at the moment.

OoOoOoO

Hours later, as the sun rises in the sky, Jasper and Lapis' gems finally glow and they both reform, ready for anything. And the timing couldn't be better, because not long afterwards, the news comes on with a live message from King Furry.

"…And so, my seat as king of the world…has been contested…and taken," despite his calm voice, King Furry is visibly shaking. "From this moment on…though it pains me to say it…the king of the world shall be King Piccolo…" He pauses, then desperately cries to the camera. "B-But with him as king, the world will be in ruin! Someone, please! Take him down—!"

His cries are cut short by King Piccolo grabbing his throat.

King Piccolo takes over the announcement from there. He tells the world that he doesn't plan to bind them all into slavery. Instead, he will abolish every law enforcement agency. Theft, murder, destruction…There's nothing stopping anyone from doing anything now. Evil shall be unfettered, and anyone who dares to oppose this will be exterminated by his brood. It shall be a glorious world of terror and hate!

But wait, there's more! The world is currently divided into 43 provinces. So, King Piccolo has prepared a box filled with cards, numbered 1 to 43. To celebrate his ascension to the throne, today and every year on this day, he will randomly draw one of the cards and personally obliterate whatever province it's assigned to.

King Piccolo reaches into the box and pulls out the number 29. The unlucky province? None other than West City.

The Gems, Krillin, Chi-Chi and (to everyone's surprise) Roshi waste no time, heading to Central City as fast as possible. It's now or never.

OoOoOoO

About 30 minutes before King Piccolo's announcement, Yamcha suddenly stops screaming, eyes wide as he sits up and looks down at his hands. His body…It feels like it's overflowing with power, yet he feels so calm…

Apache's glad to see he's okay, though Goku's still screaming in pain; Karin can only conclude that he must have more untapped potential than Yamcha.

Yamcha suddenly turns to one direction, walking over to that side of the tower. Yajirobe asks him what he's doing, to which Yamcha responds that he can feel something in that direction, something strong yet twisted. He's not sure what it is, but it's there.

While Yajirobe and Apache are confused, Karin is astonished. Looks like the Fumei Water didn't just draw out his hidden strength. It granted him the ability to sense chi, the life force energy of living creatures!

Half an hour later, just as King Piccolo finishes giving his speech to the world, Goku abruptly stops screaming. Yamcha's eyes widen as he feels his friend's chi, and the boy is equally amazed. And just like Yamcha, he can feel King Piccolo's wicked chi from here.

It's time to leave. But before they can, Karin summons a giant golden cloud and tells Goku to take a piece. He has his Kinto'un back!

But before Goku can jump off the tower and onto the cloud, Yamcha offers his hand to the monkey-tailed boy. "Shall we?" he asks with a grin. Goku blinks and glances up at his friend, and mirroring his grin, takes Yamcha's hand.

Yamcha pulls Goku close and the two of them laugh as they spin in circles. They can feel each other's chi, feel how warm and strong they are. And at that moment, a bright light envelops their bodies; Apache watches with starry eyes, while Yajirobe is nonplussed, and Karin just smiles.

OoOoOoO

The Gems, Krillin, Chi-Chi and Roshi make it to Chow Castle in no time, yelling for King Piccolo to come out. Before the demon king can even touch the ground, before any of the Gems can even summon their weapons, Roshi tells them to step back and to leave this to him. They're surprised and confused. "Master Roshi…What are you planning?" Krillin quietly asks.

The Turtle Hermit doesn't answer. Instead, he stands face-to-face with King Piccolo, who laughs at Roshi the moment he touches the ground. "You're seriously challenging me to a one-on-one battle?" he asks in amusement. "How arrogant."

"This isn't the first time we've met," Roshi says coldly.

King Piccolo chuckles again. "You amuse me, old man."

"I'm not joking," Roshi practically growls out. "A long time ago, I fought you alongside my master."

This time, King Piccolo loses his smirk. "Master?"

"Shall I tell you his name?" Roshi says, reaching one hand into his pocket. "He was Lord Mutaito!"

A look of terror appears on King Piccolo's face, and Roshi pulls out a single capsule from his pocket, revealing it to be an electric rice cooker with an ofuda talisman stuck to the side. Without a second to spare, Roshi performs the Mafūba, trapping the traumatized King Piccolo within a powerful green vortex and sending him towards the open rice cooker…

But he misses.

He hits the ground next to the rice cooker instead, freeing King Piccolo in an instant. This was his last chance to end it without losing anymore lives, and he botched it. The effort drains all of Roshi's life force energy and he collapses, dying before he even hits the dirt.

The Gems, Chi-Chi and Krillin stare in horror. But King Piccolo merely laughs again. The only person who knew the Mafūba is dead. Now, he has nothing to fear.

Well, he's half right…

King Piccolo then tells them that they'll fight his newest son, not wanting to dirty his hands with the likes of them. And to the disgust of the group before him, King Piccolo spits up two more eggs. The first hatches into the large, ogre-like beast Drum, and the second hatches the pterodactyl-like monster Ukulele.

Though repulsed, they regain themselves. "Alright," Rose says. "Let's put an end to this."

Drum and Ukulele attack. The Gems, Krillin and Chi-Chi quick to jump out of the way, but Drum and Ukulele are as fast as they are powerful. The group gangs up on the duo, but are still thrashed around.

With two flashes of light, Golden Beryl and Turquoise are both formed. Fighting alongside Chi-Chi and Krillin, the two fusions manage to one-up Drum and Ukulele. They gain more than a few injuries, but it's put to an end by Golden Beryl ripping Drum in half, followed by Turquoise blasting Ukulele's skull open.

Even though they won, they're still shaken up by Drum and Ukulele's strength and speed. And they were just King Piccolo's underlings…

King Piccolo's admittedly impressed with their display, but it's no matter. He's much more powerful than ever, after all. He took down two of them with ease earlier. They've got no chance.

That's when Golden Beryl quickly fuses with Turquoise, and from the blinding glow steps out the powerful, colossal fusion: Moonlight Topaz.

Moonlight Topaz tells Krillin and Chi-Chi to find any survivors in what's left of Central City, and get them to safety. Because things are about to get crazy. As the two humans run off, King Piccolo prepares to fire a blast at them, but is cut short by Moonlight Topaz literally kicking him into Chow Castle.

The ensuing battle is nothing short of messy. Moonlight Topaz's combined abilities allows her to land quite a few attacks on King Piccolo, but he's equally dangerous. Their fight takes them across the remains of Central City, with Moonlight half-fighting and half-keeping King Piccolo away from Krillin and Chi-Chi, who are scrambling to get any survivors out. She throws everything at him, including flinging metal shrapnel, summoning a giant water fist from a nearby river, and even creating several large craters dotted across the city with her helmet.

Soon, King Piccolo and Moonlight are neck-in-neck; the latter may have unique abilities to keep him at bay, but the former is still terrifyingly strong and fast. At this point, Moonlight's lost count of how many blasts she's failed to dodge, and how many of her own attacks have missed. She's starting to wonder if she can even beat King Piccolo, causing her attention to wane a bit so she can stay together.

But what's that old saying about a miracle showing up at the eleventh hour?

Well, that miracle comes in the form of a dot in the distance. A dot that grows into a new being riding on a golden cloud at top speed, with a familiar Gem clinging to his shoulders. With an excited yell, the new being jumps from the cloud and land on the ground with ease, effortlessly gaining both Moonlight and King Piccolo's attention.

The new being is a familiar stranger. One with long and spiky dark hair, a brown-furred tail curled behind him, a blue gemstone peeking out the collar of his tank top, and one pair of arms holding a blue sword while the other holds a red staff.

He is the fusion between Son Goku and Yamcha Agate: Kurocha.

Apache jumps from Kurocha's shoulders, weapon activated and ready to fight…until Moonlight picks her up in one of her large hands, telling her to help Krillin and Chi-Chi instead. Apache tries to argue, but a single glare from Moonlight is enough to make her deactivate her weapon and run off.

Kurocha is more than ready to fight King Piccolo, but is cut off by Piano suddenly showing up, morphing into an identical green copy of the fusion. Looks like he'll have to get around this obstacle first.

Moonlight continues her fight with King Piccolo, while Kurocha battles against Piano. Thanks to the Fumei Water and fusion, Piano isn't much of a handful this time around, and is easily split down the middle by Holly's Sword.

With Piano down, Kurocha joins Moonlight to fight King Piccolo, who is shocked by his spawn's death. This can't be right! That man's energy has traces of the two fighters he practically wiped the floor with earlier! Even if they somehow combined their forms, how could they be strong enough to take out Piano with almost no effort?!

But that shouldn't matter to him, right? He's King Piccolo, after all, the most powerful being in the—

His thoughts are cut short by Kurocha rushing up and punching him hard enough in the gut to send him flying into nearby rubble.

King Piccolo might be powerful, but Moonlight and Kurocha's skills are more than enough to back him into a corner. After several minutes, the duo is sure they have this in the bag. That is, until King Piccolo suddenly yells out, "I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS!"

He gathers his power around himself, forming a flaming aura around his body, before pouring all of it into his hands and blasting it towards Moonlight and Kurocha. A massive explosion rocks the earth, accompanied by a blinding blaze of heat and a mushroom cloud that can be seen for hundreds of miles.

The billowing smoke dissipates, revealing most of the remains have been turned into a barren wasteland. King Piccolo laughs, thinking he's killed them, but stops when he feels Kurocha's chi. He looks up, seeing that Moonlight had summoned her water wings and grabbed Kurocha at the last second. But she hadn't been able to fly fast enough, forcing her to hold Kurocha close to her and turn her back to the explosion, covering the back of her body in painful burns.

Moonlight shakily lowers herself to the ground and puts Kurocha down. As soon as she does so, she lets out a pained cry and defuses back into Golden Beryl and Turquoise, who are struggling to maintain their forms as it is.

Just as they start to gather themselves, King Piccolo furiously fires another blast at them (this one not as powerful as the last). It hits Kurocha dead on and sends Golden Beryl and Turquoise flying backwards. This time, there's a huge hole in the ground where Kurocha was standing.

But just like last time, just as King Piccolo thinks he's won, everyone hears a familiar voice call from the hole, "K…Kinto'un!" The golden cloud appears, and Kurocha uses it to float out of the hole. He's bruised and bloody, and he can no longer put pressure on his left leg, but he's still together.

Kurocha can't help but grin at King Piccolo. "Just…like I thought…" he pants. "Your power is dropping." Turquoise and Golden Beryl, who were struggling to pull themselves up several feet away, grin as well.

In a mix of fury and panic, King Piccolo suddenly moves too quickly for any of them to see, and the next thing they know, he's hovering next to Turquoise (who can barely stand) and has his claws around the edges of both gemstones.

"My, my," he says with a dark laugh, Turquoise frozen on the spot. "These look important." He turns to Golden Beryl and Kurocha. "Now, try not to move! I'll crush both of these if you do!"

All three fusions are horrified. Despite her shaking voice, Turquoise tells the others to not worry about her, to just take down King Piccolo. But Golden Beryl cries out that they can't; the Dragon Balls are gone, Peridot and Lapis will never be brought back. Kurocha asks what she means, to which Golden Beryl hastily explains that shattering is essentially death for Gems. Once their gemstones are destroyed, there's no going back.

King Piccolo smirks and, keeping his claws around Lapis' gemstone, fires a single Finger Beam at Kurocha's right knee. He lets out a cry of agony and collapses, his form glowing as he hits the ground. But luckily, it dies down after several seconds, with Kurocha panting and whispering to himself, "Keep it together…We can do this…"

He barely gets the words out of his mouth before King Piccolo fires another Finger Beam. This one hits Golden Beryl. It barely skims the top of Rose's gem; it isn't enough to shatter it, but it's enough to send a spiderweb of cracks along it.

Golden Beryl immediately defuses, with a frightened Jasper holding Rose, who is now glitching and crying out, her hands over her gem. The sight mortifies both Turquoise and Kurocha. Not just because of Rose, but because of how terrified and hopeless Jasper looks. She's never looked that way before; she's always been so confident.

Is this…Is this really…No, this can't be the end! It just can't!

King Piccolo laughs, saying there isn't anything they can do now. They're finally through, and the victory is his!

His laughter is cut short by the feeling of something hitting him in the back, and he turns around to see Apache standing there with her weapon, looking terrified but determined. King Piccolo growls and prepares to fire an attack at her…only to be cut off by a rock hitting his head. He turns to see that Chi-Chi had been the one to throw it.

And before he can try to fire another attack, a familiar voice yells out, "Kamehameha!" just before a blast of energy hits him in the back. The source is revealed to be Krillin.

By now, King Piccolo is beyond furious. Too many times these kids have meddled with his plans. He raises his free hand and begins to charge up another powerful blast, prompting Apache and the two humans to run. But before he can fire it, Turquoise, who had been desperately trying to come up with a plan, is struck with an idea.

Thanks to King Piccolo being distracted, she quickly summons one of the tools from Peridot's gem—a bradawl—and uses her ferrokinesis to fling it into King Piccolo's left eye as hard as she can.

A piercing scream can be heard for miles as King Piccolo's attack dies down and purple blood pours from the wound. He lets go of Lapis' gem in his haste to yank the bradawl out and cover his eye, allowing Turquoise to rush over to Kurocha, Rose and Jasper, who are relieved she's okay.

But that was the last straw for King Piccolo. He's done playing games. And if he has to blow up the planet to finally kill them, then so be it!

King Piccolo soars into the air, catching the group's attention, and holds one hand above his head to charge up his most powerful attack yet. Kurocha nearly panics as he feels the sheer strength of it, and the others are no better…and that's when an idea crops up in Kurocha's mind.

He quickly tells Jasper to throw him up to King Piccolo. The orange Gem is confused for a second, but trusts Kurocha's judgment and throws him as hard as she can towards the demon king as hard as she can. King Piccolo aims his free hand at him, ready to fire a counterattack at him, but is cut off guard as Kurocha suddenly yanks himself in half, allowing Yamcha to catapult Goku even faster towards King Piccolo.

King Piccolo doesn't have time to fire either of his attacks. He tries in vain to block Goku. But alas, the monkey boy doesn't slow down for even a moment, and pours all of his power into his right fist. He slams directly into King Piccolo's chest, completely piercing through it and flying out the other side.

For a moment, everything seems to stand still. King Piccolo's attack vanishes and he's left with a large, gaping hole in his chest. Then, Goku feels himself tear up. He did it. They won!

"Un…believable…" King Piccolo whispers to himself. "…That I, King Piccolo, would be defeated…" he chuckles bitterly. "I can say nothing…but 'brilliant'…But do not image…that I…will so easily disappear…"

King Piccolo pours the last of his energy to spit out an egg, sending it flying too quickly for anyone to see. "One day…my son…avenge your father's death…" And with that, King Piccolo's body suddenly explodes into nothing.

The explosion sends Goku barreling towards the ground. Jasper catches Yamcha with ease, and Turquoise hurriedly flies over and catches Goku before he can hit the dirt. Once both of them are safe, the group breaks out into cheers and shouts of joy. It's finally over. King Piccolo is no more.

Despite his injuries, Yamcha asks Jasper to take him over to Rose. She does so, and he pulls himself over to her glitching body. He happily tells her that they won, and ends up crying tears of joy onto her gem, healing the cracks in an instant and stabilizing Rose's form.

Right after healing her gem, Yamcha passes out in Rose's arms. Goku does the same in Turquoise's arms. Looks like they both poured everything they had into Kurocha and that last attack. Rose is the first to speak up, saying they need to find their friends' bodies and head back to Kame House. Turquoise summons a single Capsule from Peridot's gem, which is revealed to be a large capsule plane (she had it just in case).

Chi-Chi suggests returning to Karin's Tower for Senzu beans; Rose says it's a good idea, though the Gems won't need them. With a nod, Chi-Chi summons Kinto'un (something Goku let her do during the time they spent together three years ago) and climbs on top. Turquoise places Goku's limp form on the cloud, and defuses back into Lapis and Peridot.

Despite her sore body, Lapis offers to fly alongside them to Karin Tower, so she can get a Senzu for Yamcha and Krillin. The others agree, and as Jasper rushes off to recover Roshi's body and Rose lays Yamcha down in the plane, Chi-Chi and Lapis fly away.

During this, Krillin notices that Holly's Sword and the Nyoibō were both dropped during the battle, and puts them in the plane.

Once everyone's in the plane, Rose flies it away. Peridot retreats into her gem so she can heal (the sight of her Limb Enhancers falling startles Krillin, much to Apache and Jasper's amusement).

As this goes on, people all around the world are hearing that King Piccolo was defeated, and several celebrations take place. They all wonder who or what took down King Piccolo, never able to guess what really happened.

However, that peace may prove to be short lived…

OoOoOoO

In a forest several miles away from Central City, an egg hatches, revealing a small being (barely the size of a toddler) that looks nearly identical to King Piccolo.

"Father…" he says after taking his first breaths. "I will avenge you one day…"

King Piccolo is gone, but Piccolo Jr. is here to stay.

OoOoOoO

At Karin's Tower, Goku and Chi-Chi are both given a Senzu and healed immediately, and Lapis is handed two more. Karin admits that he's in awe of their strengths.

Even though this should be a time for celebration, a cruel aspect of reality rears its ugly head. Bulma, Tien, Chiaotzu, Roshi, and so many innocent people were murdered…and the Dragon Balls are gone…

Unless…

Karin tells them that there's one thing they can do, and that's meet the one who created the Dragon Ball and ask him to resurrect Shenron: Katas, the Guardian of Earth.

Only those who have been determined worthy can meet with the Guardian. Those who are strong, brave, and above all, pure of heart. And Goku and Chi-Chi fit those requirements perfectly.

Karin tells them that Katas lives on the Lookout, which is located above the tower. Kinto'un can't be used to get there, however, as it cannot go any higher than this. Instead, they need to use the Nyoibō. Karin explains that the Nyoibō used to connect this world to the Lookout. A long time ago, Roshi kept pestering him for it, and since he thought no one worthy of visiting the Lookout would ever show up, he finally gave in and let Roshi have it.

Goku panics once he realizes that the Nyoibō is gone. He summons Kinto'un, and he and Chi-Chi head back to Central City to find it. Just before they do so, Lapis summons her water wings and excitedly tells them that she'll head back to Kame House and give the Senzu to Yamcha and Krillin first, and then grab the stone Dragon Balls from the Tropical Islands.

OoOoOoO

Goku and Chi-Chi frantically search the remains of Central City, but cannot find anything. They start to panic, but suddenly remember: Uranai Baba.

They quickly fly to the palace and beg Baba to show them were the Nyoibō is. They even offer to fight her five champions again, but Baba declines, saying that none of them would want to fight those who took down King Piccolo. She'll do it for free, as a thanks for saving the world.

Baba looks into her crystal ball, and quickly locates it…

OoOoOoO

At Kame House, Lapis feeds Yamcha and Krillin each a Senzu, and they're immediately healed. As soon as she does so, Lapis notices the Nyoibō leaning against the wall and practically lights up with joy. She grabs it and tells everyone that Goku's going to use it to restore the Dragon Balls. They'll be able to bring everyone back!

While Lapis flies off with the staff, Jasper and Rose both head to the Tropical Islands the gather the Dragon Balls.

OoOoOoO

Goku and Chi-Chi are surprised to see the image of Lapis flying over the ocean with the Nyoibō in hand. They use Kinto'un to meet her halfway; she gives Goku the staff, then turns around and flies back to Kame House, wishing them good luck.

The duo makes it back to Karin's Tower. The Cat Hermit gives them two small golden bells with a red string; the token of proof that they're qualified to meet Katas. They head up to the roof, and insert the Nyoibō into a hole at the very top. Goku and Chi-Chi grip Nyoibō tightly and extend it, and the two of them shoot up into the sky.

It takes several long seconds, but a structure eventually comes into view, and the Nyoibō connects to the giant, floating structure that is Katas' Lookout. The duo climbs the latter that brings them to the top, where they meet a strange being named Mr. Popo, the attaché to Katas.

Goku and Chi-Chi show him the golden bells, but Mr. Popo says they still need to be tested. If they fight him and win, they can meet Katas.

Goku and Chi-Chi both attack Mr. Popo, but are easily smacked around by him. And as if that weren't enough, the air up here is very thin; wasted movements work against them. Mr. Popo reminds them that, even though they defeated King Piccolo, they must not forget that there's always someone stronger. And they cannot win against Mr. Popo by strength alone; their skills are impressive, but their spirits are weak.

Even so, Goku and Chi-Chi refuse to leave. Mr. Popo tells them that, in order to strengthen their spirits, they must first still their hearts. Presence, scant air movement, instinct, feeling and not seeing…These are all essential.

That's when they hear a voice from the nearby building say, "I like them. I will meet with both of you now." Mr. Popo confirms that it's Katas, and the duo rushes to meet him…and are shocked at the sight of a familiar green face.

Thinking it's King Piccolo, Goku and Chi-Chi attack him, but are simply flicked away. Katas tells them that he and Piccolo used to be one in the same, but while he was training to become the next Guardian, he had to expel all the evil from his body. That evil took the form of King Piccolo and escaped to Earth, and it has long been Katas' shame.

He thanks them for defeating King Piccolo, and agrees to resurrect Shenron, but on one condition: they will stay here on the Lookout and train.

Goku's more than happy to, and Chi-Chi agrees as well. She tells Goku that she despises her own limitations and wants to keep fighting alongside him, and hopefully this training will allow her to do just that.

Mr. Popo brings out a small, broken statue of Shenron and pieces it back together. Katas admits that he considered leaving Shenron like this; he created the Dragon Balls to lend courage and hope to those who struggle, but so many people used them for their own greed. But as long as people like Goku exist, then the Dragon Balls will continue to exist.

The statue is repaired, and Katas uses his powers to revive Shenron. Once it's done, Katas tells the duo the real reason he wants them to train: King Piccolo isn't completely gone. He left behind a clone of himself, one created to destroy them and conquer the world, and this one is even more powerful than his father. This clone will appear at the next Budokai to take their lives. There are reasons why neither Katas nor Mr. Popo can fight him, but he has hope that Goku and Chi-Chi can defeat him.

Goku and Chi-Chi agree, and begin their training immediately.

While getting everything ready, as the two teens are out of earshot, Mr. Popo quietly reminds Katas, "Since you and Piccolo were originally one, if he is slain, then you too will…"

"It can't be helped," Katas tells him. "This is a seed I sowed myself. I must take responsibility. Since no Guardian is given the power to destroy himself, I've been waiting a long time for someone like those two to appear. Somehow, I believe they'll find a way."

OoOoOoO

Back at Kame House, Jasper and Rose return with the Dragon Balls just in time for them to glow and for Shenron to appear. He grants their wish to resurrect everyone killed by Piccolo, and the Dragon Balls scatter once again.

All across the globe, people are being revived. Inside the house, Bulma, Tien, Chiaotzu and Roshi all wake up. The others burst into the house and, surprising even himself, Yamcha rushes up to Bulma and kisses her on the lips. It takes both of them a minute to realize what just happened, but nevertheless, they kiss again, happy to be reunited.

Once everything has died down, Bulma asks where Goku and Chi-Chi are, to which Lapis tells her about them heading to the Lookout. Roshi's surprised to hear this, and says they must be training with the Guardian of Earth as they speak.

Despite their surprise, this sparks something within the fighters. They're sure they'll meet the duo again at the next Budokai, and of course, they'll need to be much stronger. Not only to fight their friends, but to also protect the world from any future threats.

OoOoOoO

Hundreds of thousands of miles away, a single being can be seen trekking through the Northern Mountains. He eventually stumbles across a cave and looks inside, and is surprised to see a variety of old yet futuristic technology.

And most of it has a strange symbol on it: four diamonds (white, yellow, blue and pink) clustered together, and a red four-point star painted over them.

"Perfect," Dr. Gero says. Once he figures out how to use this tech, he can begin his experiments.

We're finally done with the King Piccolo Arc! Up next: the 22-23 Interlude!

To quote TFS Vegeta: "Power levels are bullsh*t!"

Yeah, I decided to have Yajirobe already living with Karin (I got this idea after rewatching DBZ Abridged again)

The idea for Yamcha to drink the Fumei Water was a last-minute decision I made while planning this part, but I'm so glad I did it! And we finally get a fusion between Goku and Yamcha (I've always wanted this in the actual canon)!

And no, Ukulele is not an original character. He's one of King Piccolo's offspring from the DB filler

Yeah, I decided to make Yamcha's last name "Agate" in this story; it just seems to fit…and like a dumbass, I didn't get the idea to put it in until now lol

A lot of parts were made up on the spot, like Moonlight Topaz defusing from the explosion, King Piccolo cracking Rose's gem, and Turquoise stabbing King Piccolo's eye

I've got some exciting ideas for the next few chapters

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! God bless you and have a wonderful day/night/whenever you read this!

Moonlight Topaz

Gems: Peridot, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, and Rose Quartz

Appearance: 65 feet tall. Curvy and strong build. Periwinkle-gray complexion with heather-pink markings that resemble Jasper's. Messy pastel turquoise-gray hair that's thick, full, somewhat star-shaped, ends at her mid-chest, has bangs similar to Lapis', and has thick, tubed ringlets resting on her shoulders. Four eyes (top are bluish-green, bottom are dark orange with visible pupils). Six arms. Plump lips. A second mouth located on her chin (similar to Alexandrite's) with sharp teeth. Lavender, sky-blue, pastel-green, peach-pink and whitish-gray gemstones.

Outfit: Sleeveless, backless, knee-length black and purple sleek dress, with large slits on either side, while covering the front and back, held up by a white ribbon tied around her shoulders, and has a six-point star-shaped cutout over the navel to reveal Rose's gemstone. Black tights underneath. Knee-high, high-heeled black and white boots. Golden sash tied loosely around her hips. Elbow-high, fingerless dull-violet gloves on the top arms. Detached, frilly dull-violet sleeves on the middle arms, sitting on the biceps and falling to the forearms, where they flare outwards. Two lavender six-point stars on either side of her hair. Pale golden visor.

Voice Actor: Michella Moss (sounds like Ballora from Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location)

Kurocha

Gems/Partners: Yamcha/Holly Blue Agate and Son Goku

Appearance: 13 feet tall. Stocky, muscular build. Tan complexion. Long and spiky black hair tied into a low ponytail. Coal-black eyes. Four arms. Most of Goku's facial features. Brown monkey tail.

Outfit: Black tank top. Orange gi pants. White sash. Orange cloth tied around his shoulders. Brown boots with blue ties around them. Black wristbands on the bottom wrists. Yamcha/Holly's jacket tied around his waist.

Voice Actor: Johnny Yong Bosch (sounds like Vash from Trigun)

Trivia: His name is a combination of "Kuroda" (a type of Japanese carrot) and "Ocha" (Japanese word for "tea"); Kurocha is also a type of Japanese dark tea