Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Chapter 47: The Heavens Tremble

Flying through the sky…

The black mist became thicker and the moonlight was dyed even redder as Gohan and Gine flew forward. The atmosphere became more unnerving with each city they passed, finding the population beneath to be just as rabid and violent as Chi-Chi and Ox-King had become. Buildings were aflame, cars were tipped over, and the entire population of Earth seemed to have become utterly deranged.

Gine was oddly tight-lipped, seemingly struggling to come up with any sort of words to address this situation with. Gohan stole a small glance at his grandmother every so often. The situation on Earth was bad, but he was genuinely more worried about her sudden shift in attitude.

As the two of them flew, they eventually noticed several other figures flying in the distance and coming right at them. They both stopped and prepared to fight. However, once seeing that it was Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and a bandaged-up Yamcha, all with a worried look on their faces, a sigh of relief left the two Saiyans. Krillin spoke up first. "Oh, thank goodness! You guys are all okay!"

Tien grunted. "For the most part. Chiaotzu and I had to fight our way out of a village of monsters..."

Chiaotzu nodded. "And every city we've flown over since then has been in the exact same state as that village. Everybody on Earth is turning into a vampire out of nowhere..."

Krillin sighed. "Y-Yeah. I noticed..."

His shoulders slumped. "Whatever is going on, it has Master Roshi..."

Yamcha chimed in, giving a tight squeeze to his injured elbow. "Bulma, too."

Gohan spoke up. "It got Mom and Grandpa Ox as well!"

Krillin gripped his fists. "Dammit! What the hell is going on?!"

Gohan turned to the monk. "Grandma Gine said it was the 'Makyans', right Grandma?"

All eyes fell on Gine. Tien cocked his head. "Makyans? What's a Makyan?"

Her mouth went dry, she crossed her arms and noticeably tensed up. "They're... evil. That's the best way I can think to put it right now. Just... evil..."

It was clear that she was struggling. Tien sighed and looked at everyone else in the group. "Okay then. So... Earth is being attacked by... evil. Again. What do we do about it? Anyone got any ideas? Chiaotzu? Yamcha? Krillin? Gine? Gohan?"

Gohan gasped. "M-Me?"

Tien smiled at him. "Of course, you. You're just as much of a warrior and member of this team as the rest of us, kid. Your opinion on this is no less important than anyone else's."

Gohan smiled. "W-Well... I can feel Mr. Piccolo's energy, but he isn't here with us. We should go and find him first, I think."

Krillin nodded. "That's a smart idea. Piccolo is stronger than any of us, he probably hasn't been turned. Hopefully..."

They all nodded to each other and then turned in the direction of Piccolo's faint Ki signature. As they flew, with Gohan distracted by a conversation with Krillin and Tien, Yamcha noticed that Gine was trailing a bit behind the group. The former desert bandit could tell that something was seriously bothering her, so he decided to trail back and see if he could find out what was up from her. "Hey, Ms. Gine."

Gine flinched, snapped out of a seeming trance she was in, and turned to see that Yamcha was right next to her. "Oh... Yamcha..."

Yamcha smiled. "You look like you have a lot on your mind. Maybe I could help you take a load off?"

Gine glanced away. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She didn't know what to say. Yamcha prodded her a bit. "Come on! You have to have something to say. Maybe you have a bit of advice for a poor, down-on-his-luck baseball star?"

She looked at him again. And then, her mind briefly leaving the situation at hand, Gine glared at Yamcha. "Okay then, as long as we're talking... I'm very disappointed with you, Yamcha. I hope you know that."

Yamcha's smile faded and he instantly looked ashamed. "So you..."

Gine crossed her arms. "Bulma told Chi-Chi and Chi-Chi told me. How could you do that, Yamcha? Cheating? Really? And with all of those women too..."

Yamcha flinched. "H-How many women has she been telling people I was with?!"

Gine responded. "I heard forty."

Yamcha gasped, his face instantly turning red. "F-Forty?! No way! It wasn't forty women, Ms. Gine. Most of those women really are just members of my team's fan club!"

Gine narrowed her eyes. "Oh really?"

Yamcha rapidly nodded. "I swear! I wasn't sleeping around with forty women... It was just one and only once, while drunk..."

He frowned again. "She was a fan that would always follow me and the boys to the restaurant after games. She'd hang out with us and stuff..."

Gine coldly responded. "That makes no difference. Infidelity is infidelity, Yamcha. You should be ashamed."

He sighed. "I am. I... I knew it was a mistake after I did it. That being drunk is no excuse. But... I needed it, Ms. Gine. Not the action! I just needed someone who felt like they cared, especially with how Bulma's been treating me since I came back to life..."

She glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

Yamcha frowned even harder. "E-Ever since I was wished back, she's been so distant. She would barely talk to me, she wouldn't look at me, she'd barely stay in the same room as me for more than a minute. Every time I tried touching her, she recoiled in shock, like she was horrified by me. It's like she just doesn't want me around anymore."

Gine's face softened a bit. "Why is that?"

Yamcha shrugged. "I didn't know. At least, not a first. But... one day I overheard her talking to herself after we had a fight. Didn't hear everything she said... but she seemed pretty angry about one thing in particular..."

Gine was silent. Yamcha sadly chuckled. "She was angry that I died on her. I heard her say it. And... I just don't get it, Ms. Gine. I feel terrible for what I did and there's no excuse for what I did... but how can she just shut me out like that for dying? It's not like I could help it. I... I wouldn't have died if I could've avoided it..."

Still no response. Yamcha glanced over at her. "Ms. Gine?"

Gine's lower lip was quivering, a massive lump formed in her throat. Yamcha was instantly worried. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I-"

She held up her hand. "Yamcha... just..."

She gripped her fist tight. "Just go and talk to her when all of this is over. You and her need to work all of this out between the two of you, okay?"

Yamcha nodded. "O-Okay. Are you okay, ma'am?"

Gine glanced to the ground. "I see Piccolo."

She instantly descended toward the ground, getting as far away from that conversation as possible. Yamcha was silent, shaking his head. He was worried about her, but she had a point. Emotional problems could wait until this crisis was solved.

In the wasteland…

Gohan was the first person to reach Piccolo once all of the warriors had landed. The boy went sprinting across the rocky wastes to reach his fallen mentor, checking on him to make sure he was alright. "Mr. Piccolo!"

He gave him a good couple of shakes. "Mr. Piccolo! Wake up!"

Tien looked over Piccolo's prostrate form. "He doesn't look like anything attacked him. I wonder what knocked him out?"

Krillin scratched his head. "Maybe it was the mist. It's been giving all of us headaches, maybe he just got hit by a particularly strong cloud of it."

After a few more moments, Piccolo's eyes cracked open and Gohan helped his mentor get to his feet. "Are you okay, Mr. Piccolo?"

Piccolo growled under his breath. "What... What's going on?"

Krillin began to explain. "Well, there's an evil mist over the entire world and it's turning everyone into vampires. Also the moon is turning red, but we haven't figured out what's causing that yet..."

Chiaotzu tried to speak. "Maybe we could split up and see if we could find-"

Piccolo interjected. "The Lookout. The bastards that have caused all of this are on Kami's Lookout."

Everyone was silent. Piccolo stood up and cracked his neck. "Well?! What are you all standing there gawking for?! Hurry up and let's go!"

Piccolo took off with purpose. Gohan followed along almost instantly. The remaining Earthlings and Gine all looked to one another, and then they followed along as well.

At Korin's Tower…

The Z-Fighters made their way to Korin's Tower as quickly as possible and felt out the situation going on in the heavens above. Krillin glanced up at the swirling black clouds, illuminated by only blood red light. The monk shivered. "O-Ominous..."

Piccolo sneered. "We don't have time for your cowardice! We need to get up there and find out what the hell is going on!"

The Namekian warrior went to move, but a sudden dark flash and a hiss came rocketing at him. Piccolo prepared to defend himself, but the shadow was prevented from attacking by Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu thrust his hands out and caught it with his telekinesis. "Wh-Whoa! Yajirobe?!"

Everyone looked on as Yajirobe hovered there, snapping his fangs at them with glowing red eyes.

Piccolo growled. "Damned fool."

Yamcha scoffed. "Don't get mad at him! It's not like he can help it, Piccolo..."

Chiaotzu moved his hands and Yajirobe moved with them. He sighed. "I'll just put Yajirobe somewhere safe..."

He glanced around and eventually found a lake. With little effort, Chiaotzu tossed Yajirobe into the lake with a hearty splash. Tien glanced over to the hollowed space of Korin's Tower. "I wonder if Lord Korin was affected, too?"

Gohan and Gine glanced at one another, looking worried. Piccolo glared up into the sky. "I don't care about that right now! We have more important things to deal with!"

Once again, Piccolo shot higher into the sky and the others followed along once more.

On Kami's Lookout…

The Z-Fighters landed on Kami's Lookout and took in the sight of what was many of their former training grounds. Mr. Popo's carefully curated shrubbery was in ruins and the architecture was crumbling. It looked as if a natural disaster had hit the place. Krillin sounded worried. "It sure does look like something happened here. What could have done this?"

Krillin's question was answered by Piccolo's angry shouts. "Kami! Where the hell are you?!"

Everyone froze as they suddenly felt evil eyes locked onto them. Seven shadows came shooting from within Kami's Palace and positioned themselves to surround the group. The Earth-based warriors shot glares at the horde of demons that had surrounded them before they all turned their attention to the main demon standing in front of the entrance to the palace. Spice sneered. "How in the world are there so many on this planet that can withstand the effects of the King's Blackwater Mist?"

He threw his hand to his side and made his cape flourish. "Who are you people?"

He examined each of them... and then his eyes fell directly onto Gine. Spice silently regarded her, as if some distant memory had been stirred. Gine saw him and instantly recoiled backwards. Vinegar chuckled. "Looks like this planet has some life to it! That's good! I was getting bored!"

Yamcha clenched his fist. "Who are you bastards?! And what have you done to our planet?!"

Another voice spoke up, stepping out from the shadows and marched up next to Spice. Garlic Jr. stroked his chin and chuckled. "How fascinating~"

He looked up to Spice and Spice glanced down at him. "Spice! Look at this lot! They stand before us utterly unencumbered by the effects of Father's mist! How powerful must they be?!"

He glanced again, his eyes falling upon Gine and Gohan's tails. Garlic Jr. flinched. "My word! And those two are Saiyans, Spice! And I was shocked once I realized that the God of this planet was a Namekian! We seem to have picked a good place to set up our operation, if so many strong creatures flock to it~"

Spice nodded, still seemingly distracted. "Yes... My King. Indeed..."

Tien glared at the Makyan ruler. "Since you're the boss of this group, why don't you explain just what's going on?"

Garlic Jr. chuckled. "Quite forward for a mere peasant. What makes you think I owe you any sort of explanation?"

Tien scoffed. "You attack our world. I think that dictates an explanation."

As Garlic Jr. chose to ignore Tien, the Makyan's gaze fell back onto Gine and Gohan and he snickered. "How apt. My plan for vengeance, inspired by the Saiyans, shall now enter its final phases with two Saiyans serving me~"

Chiaotzu shouted. "What are you talking about?!"

Garlic Jr. ignored Chiaotzu as well, turning his back to the Z-Fighters and addressing his men. "Boys. I know you've just returned from retrieving the Dragon Balls and that you must be quite tired, but it seems I have another task for you before we can move forward with our plans. These fools are brash, but they are also quite strong. You will convert them into Greater Makyans at once! Am I understood?"

The seven demons all smiled, roaring out in unison. "By your command, Lord Garlic!"

The little imp retreated back into the cover of shadows and his minions immediately pounced. The Z-Fighters all went on the defense and several fights broke out at once.

Near the edge of the Lookout…

Yamcha went skidding to the edge of the Lookout, catching himself before falling off, and was quickly set upon by Ginger. The two of them engaged in a series of rapid-fire fisticuffs. Ginger attempts to sink his razor-sharp claws into Yamcha's flesh, but Yamcha rebuffed him with several well-timed counters. After a snap kick to the throat, which threw Ginger off guard, Yamcha leapt forward and shouted. "Wolf Talon Thrust!"

With a sharp, two-fingered thrust to the stomach, Yamcha sent Ginger reeling back. The Makyan's eyes were bugged out of his head as he doubled over in pain. He gurgled and snarled at Yamcha. "You little..."

Yamcha winked at him and chuckled. "Your move, man!"

Ginger hissed and reached to the two spikes on his elbows, pulling a blade from each of them and spinning them with a flourish. "I'll dice you into pieces!"

The imp charged again, taking two massive swings at Yamcha. But Yamcha was unimpressed. He leapt into the air, rotating onto his side, and slid between the two blades. He smashed his foot into Ginger's face again, knocking him back and knocking the sword from his left hand. Yamcha picked the blade up from the ground and smirked. "It's been a bit... but I think I still know how to use one of these~"

Ginger shrieked in fury and charged at Yamcha once more.

In the sky above the Lookout…

Krillin and Nikki were locked in a rapid-fire brawl of their own. The camp Makyan was eager to smash Krillin up, having pulled a massive spiky club from his own skin. Krillin was on the defensive as the hefty object was levied at him over and over again, barely avoiding being reduced to a red cloud in the sky.

Krillin leapt backwards and raised up his hand above his head. "Eat this! Destructo-Disc!"

He tossed the attack forward and it collided with Nikki's waist. The Makyan was easily sawed in half, his legs splatting against the ground. Krillin smirked at his apparent success, but Nikki simply chuckled. "It's not that easy, fool!"

With a bit of exertion, Nikki grew a new set of legs and charged at Krillin once more. Krillin yelped and dodged a strike from the club. "What the heck?!"

Nikki giggled. "Makyans are a hearty species, boy! It takes more than simply being chopped in half to kill us!"

On the far side of the Lookout…

Tien and Chiaotzu were locked in an intense fight with Salt and Mustard. The tandem of demons and the tandem of humans were both very clearly used to working side-by-side. Tien and Chiaotzu, however, were not in the mood for a competitive fight with this one. The lives of billions were on the line, so they had to be quick and concise. The two warriors shouted in unison. "Dodon Ray!"

The two beams shot forward like bolts of lightning and collided into Salt and Mustard's chests. After a few seconds of contact, the beams pierced clean through their targets. The two of them gave a brief pause and began to buckle over, but then caught themselves and charged to deliver a hefty punch and kick to Tien and Chiaotzu.

Chiaotzu gasped. "B-But... we shot them clean into their hearts!"

Mustard chuckled. Salt snorted. "Bold of you to assume we rely on those!"

Tien growled. "You have to have some form of weak point!"

Tien and Chiaotzu then charged right back at their foes.

In Popo's courtyard…

Amidst Popo's ruined greenery, Gohan was locked into a deathmatch with Vinegar. The young half-Saiyan and the massive Makyan had a clear size difference, but that wasn't affecting Gohan's tenacity. With his grandmother, his mentor, and his father's peers all nearby to observe, Gohan couldn't afford to bring anything but his best to this fight. He delivered a sharp kick to Vinegar's face and sent the brute toppling back. Vinegar chuckled and wiped a trickle of blood from his face. "You got spunk, brat! But I'm gonna shatter you like a drinking glass!"

He charged at Gohan and rained a massive punch down onto the boy. Gohan barely dodged as Vinegar's fist went through the floor of the Lookout like wet paper. He raised his hands to prepare a Masenko, but Vinegar was too quick. He reached forward with his free hand and wrapped it around Gohan's throat, heaving the boy high into the air. "You know what a broken face feels like, boy?!"

Vinegar yanked his fist from the ground and reared it back to smash into Gohan's face. The boy didn't flinch. With his hands still above his head, he charged his attack and fired it right at Vinegar's fist. "Masenko!"

The blast smashed into the demon's fist and exploded with great effect. Vinegar roared in frustration and stumbled back while Gohan landed on his feet. Keeping with the momentum, Gohan leapt forward and smashed his head directly into Vinegar's core, sending the massive brute flying even further back. Gohan raised his hands above his head and started to charge another Masenko, but Vinegar chuckled at the sight. "You really are a feisty little brat!"

Vinegar regrew his missing hand and clenched his new fist, smacking the second blast away. "But every bit of damage you do to me is going to be returned with force!"

Gohan and Vinegar clashed again as another fight raged not too far away. Gine and Spice were trading blows back and forth with one another. Spice seemed to have the upper-hand in this fight, if only by just a little bit. But it was hard to tell who was superior when it was quite clear that both combatants were distracted. Spice was studying Gine's face from the top of her forehead to the tip of her chin. He knew he recognized her from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it.

Gine, meanwhile, knew full-well who Spice was. That was part of what was keeping her from fighting at her fullest. The Saiyan woman suffered from continued flashes to the past. Brief snippets of the most horrifying time of her life. Experiences worse than any she had gone through while facing Frieza with her family. Flashes of red and the sounds of screaming. The smells of death and spit and rage combined with the overwhelming feeling of the pit in her stomach. And Spice himself standing at the center of it. Yes, Gine recognized Spice. She recognized him well. And facing him was sending her deeper into a state of post-traumatic stress than she had ever been before.

In front of the entrance to Kami's palace…

Piccolo faced off with Sansho. The large, gray Makyan was vicious as he tried his best to land even a single blow. The demon had pulled a massive halberd out of his body and was frantically trying to slash Piccolo apart with it. But he didn't seem to be pressuring the Namekian in the slightest. After yet another fruitless jab with the bladed polearm, Piccolo vanished from sight. Sansho was taken off guard and that was when Piccolo struck. Coming up from behind, Piccolo grabbed Sansho around his neck and, with a quick and brutal twist, Piccolo snapped his neck and let his limp body fall to the ground.

Piccolo sneered. "Utterly pathetic."

He turned to walk into Kami's palace, to hunt down Garlic Jr., but Sansho smirked. The Makyan leapt up and took his polearm in hand, attempting to run Piccolo through from behind. However, Piccolo managed to catch the blade. He glared back at Sansho and Sansho chuckled. "The Makyans are a super-endurant race, fool! It takes more than a simple injury to put our kind down!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Such as?"

Sansho sneered. "Such as an overwhelming kind of force a mere Namekian like you couldn't muster!"

Piccolo chuckled and reached up to his cape. "Interesting."

The Namekian whipped his cape off, throwing it over Sansho's face. He disappeared and Sansho stumbled forward in a muffled rage. The Makyan dropped his halberd and started ripping at the cloth to regain his sight. What he failed to notice was his halberd had been caught as it fell. Sansho eventually managed to rip the cape apart, but was immediately ran through by his own weapon. He turned and snarled. "What the he-"

Sansho turned to find an outstretched, green palm right in his face. He gasped and Piccolo chuckled. "Overwhelming force, you say?"

And then, with a massive Destructive Wave, Piccolo deleted Sansho from existence, engulfing and exploding the Makyan in a massive wave of energy. Once the smoke had cleared, all that was left of Sansho, his halberd, and Piccolo's shredded cape was a dark scorch across the white marble of the Lookout.

The sight and sound of this, one of their own being destroyed, drew the attention of the other six Spice Boys. Spice himself caught a punch from Gine and snarled. "Sansho, you idiot..."

Vinegar was in disbelief as well. "What the hell just-"

Piccolo's weighted turban came flying through the air and smashed Vinegar directly in the face. This allowed Gohan to take a brief advantage in their fight and force Vinegar to the ground. Piccolo nodded to himself, pleased with having helped his student, and then charged into the palace to hunt down Garlic Jr. and finish this nonsense. "At this rate, this will all be over before the sun rises."

Within Kami's palace…

Piccolo marched into Kami's throne room with purpose. The Namekian warrior glared across the spacious room and right at the little imp sitting in Kami's throne. As he walked towards Garlic Jr., Piccolo took in all that there was to see around the demon brat. Sitting on the armrests of the throne were two bottle prisons, one containing Kami and one containing Mr. Popo, a massive chalice of Dragon Balls sitting off to the side, and a crystalline black bottle sitting next to Kami's well.

Piccolo snorted. "I see you've made yourself at home."

Garlic Jr. chuckled. "A God's palace for an up-and-coming God. I would argue that it's quite appropriate that I have made this my home. But... let us not discuss me for the moment, I am more interested in you~"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes. Garlic Jr. stood. "I would like to make a proposal to you. Join me! You can replace whichever one of the Spice Boys that you dispatched! I'm going to say it was... Ginger? Or... perhaps Salt?"

The Namekian responded to Garlic Jr.'s inquiries with a rapid blitz forward. However, the little cretin was quick to evade. He leapt into the air, his cape twirling around him and landed behind Piccolo to charge a blast. "You think I will just fall for such an obvious attack, fool?!"

Piccolo turned to Garlic Jr. and smirked, holding up the bottles containing Kami and Popo. He snapped off the top of each bottle with his thumbs and tossed them to the ground, allowing them to burst and freeing the two Lookout inhabitants. Piccolo turned his attention back to Garlic Jr. and snarked. "Forgive me. You just don't seem to be the smartest person ever to live."

Garlic Jr. snarled. Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't seem to be much more than a whiny brat."

The imp fired his blast. "How dare you?!"

Piccolo thoughtlessly slapped the attack away and then turned to Kami. "How do we fix all of the things this little bastard has done to the Earth?"

Kami stood, popping his back. "Nothing has been done that a wish to the Dragon Balls could not correct."

Piccolo nodded. "Got it."

The Namekian warrior stepped forward and cracked his knuckles, glaring directly at the Makyan lord. Garlic Jr. glared back, his composure having totally left him. "Oh, so you think my machinations will end that quickly, do you?!"

He smirked. "I think not!"

Garlic Jr. rushed across the room to the chalice of Dragon Balls and grabbed the Four-Star Ball. Opening his mouth, the little demon shoved the Dragon Ball down his throat and swallowed it with a satisfied smirk. "Try and get it back now, fool~"

Piccolo shrugged. "I was planning on ripping you open regardless. You've just given me a reason to do so, now."

The Namekian warrior shot his arm forward, stretching it and grabbing the chalice with the remaining balls in it. He pulled it back and then shoved it into Mr. Popo's arms. "Take the Dragon Balls and get lost. I'll come to you with the one in his stomach after I've finished with him."

Kami seemed annoyed. "What do you mean by 'get lost'? This is my palace, child!"

Piccolo sneered at his older counterpart. "I don't care. You're a target to the fools. Nothing more. I can't have you getting caught and sealed into another bottle. Now go and hide somewhere!"

Kami seemed reluctant, but Popo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please Kami. Piccolo is right. We must flee in order to keep you safe."

The Guardian gripped his fists tight and sighed. "Fine. We will go..."

He turned and began to walk away, stopping and turning to speak to his younger counterpart. "Fight well, Piccolo."

Piccolo did not respond.

Once Kami and Popo had successfully fled, Garlic Jr. chuckled. He sounded unimpressed. "What do you think that is going to accomplish?! This planet is not that large! They could hide anywhere on this miserable mudball and I could find them with ease!"

Piccolo charged again, clashing with Garlic Jr. and smashing him into a nearby wall. "That's assuming that you're going to leave this room alive!"

He thrust his hand at Garlic Jr. and fired a massive Destructive Wave. Garlic Jr. feinted to the right, but the blast still collided with his left arm, blowing it off in a spectacular display. Garlic Jr. growled, regarding his missing arm and then Piccolo. But the imp simply smirked in response. "I must tell you, fool. The Makyan race-"

Piccolo interrupted. "I know! You're more endurant than the average race and all of that drivel that that other fool was spouting. Get on with re-growing the arm and come at me!"

Garlic Jr. smiled wide. "I will do much more than that!"

The imp shrieked at the top of his lungs and his body expanded in terrifying display. From where previously stood a tiny imp of scrawny frame, now stood a mountain of bulging muscle that towered over Piccolo. Garlic Jr. chuckled in a deeper, more sinister register. "I will rip you to shreds, Namekian!"

Piccolo took a fighting stance. "We'll see about that."

Far below the Lookout, near Korin's Tower…

Kami sat there on Popo's magic carpet, regarding the chalice of Dragon Balls held tight in his grip. In their distraction, none of Garlic Jr's Spice Boys had noticed Kami and Popo slipping away and making their escape. Mr. Popo sat at the reins of the carpet and steered the woven vehicle through the air. "Where should we hide, Kami?"

Kami glanced from the Dragon Balls over to Korin's Tower and then towards Popo. "I think I have an idea of where we could take refuge..."

Back on Kami's Lookout…

Yamcha and Ginger crossed blades once more, glaring into one another's eyes before leaping back. Yamcha smirked and flourished his sword around. Ginger was breathing heavily and snarling to himself. He never expected to be this outmatched by a mere Earthling. Ginger hissed and charged once again. "You miserable insect!"

Yamcha dodged several slashes of the sword before, with a quick slash of his own, taking off Ginger's arm and running him through in one sleek motion. Ginger gurgled as Yamcha yanked the sword from his torso, pulled the other sword from his severed arm, and snapped both of them over his knee.

Yamcha smirked. "Sorry little guy, but I think it's time to end this!"

The former bandit charged forward. "Wolf Fang Fist!"

Ginger recoiled; fear streaked across his face. "Hey! Someone help me out here!"

The imp's pleas were immediately met by an eager ally. Falling from the sky, club levied high above his head, Nikki launched himself at Yamcha. He swung his club down to smash Yamcha's head open, but the former bandit was able to turn and catch it. Nikki chuckled as Yamcha struggled under the weight of the club. Ginger regenerated his arm and then summoned two more swords. "Okay, Nikki! Just hold him still for me!"

Ginger charged, seeking to run Yamcha through, but was put to a halt by a sudden kick to the face. The force of the kick sent Ginger flying forward and directly into Nikki, toppling the two of them to the ground and sending Nikki's club crashing to the floor. Yamcha turned and smiled at his rescuer, Krillin smiled right back. The two Turtle School students stood side-by-side, sharing a quick fist-bump, before each taking a fighting stance. Krillin took a stance similar to Master Roshi's and Yamcha, lifting Nikki's club over his shoulder, looked as if he was seeking yet another home run. "Time to play some baseball!"

Ginger and Nikki both rose up, looking furious at their opponents. They both bared their fangs and charged at the two Earthlings, ready to rip them to shreds. Krillin and Yamcha both nodded to one another and then they smirked. Yamcha feinted back and closed his eyes tight, allowing Krillin to do his work. The little monk fanned his hands in front of his face and shouted. "Solar Flare!"

The light bathed over Nikki and Ginger, harshly burning their eyes and their skin. The two Makyans were both stopped in their tracks, cringing in pain, and Yamcha took that as his cue. "Kaioken x5!"

Yamcha charged up to his blinded opponent, Ginger, and reared his new bat back as far as he could. He summoned the energy into his hands that he would normally use to make a Spirit Ball, but he flooded it into the bat instead, making the already harsh club an even harder prospect to take head on. "So, from what that guy Piccolo fought was saying, I just gotta hit you hard enough so that you don't regenerate! Right?!"

The ground cracked under Yamcha's feet as he squared up. Ginger's vision slowly cleared and he glared in the direction of Yamcha's voice. "Do you really think-"

Ginger froze in place. Once his vision fully returned, he came upon the most horrific sight he had seen in his entire life. A demon, a true demon, stood before him. He was bathed in an aura even redder than the moonlight and holding a stick that seemed to radiate with holy, golden light. Ginger held his hands in front and began to charge an energy blast to vanquish the being. "Ginger Bust-"

Yamcha retorted with force. "SPIRIT SMASHER!"

He swung the club with all of his might, smashing it against the side of Ginger's face. In one clean motion, the sheer force of Yamcha's strength and energy ripped through the Makyan, reducing all but his feet to a cloud of red mist and smashing off a good portion of the Lookout from the pressure of the swing. Off to the side, Nikki's vision had also returned. And he instantly began to panic at the sight of Ginger's rapid death. "What in the hell did you just-"

Krillin suddenly called out. "Scatter Bullet!"

Nikki turned and was immediately slammed into by a massive yellow blast. He screeched at the top of his lungs as Krillin hoisted him and the blast into the air, and then threw them both over the side of the Lookout. Nikki and the Scatter Bullet took the long, long ride down to the ground below before eventually colliding and exploding. Nikki screamed out as the blast vaporized him near-instantly.

In Popo's garden…

Eating a punch to the face from Gine, Spice glared over in the direction of Yamcha and Krillin. He observed the blood spray on the ground that used to be Ginger and saw the few remaining tatters of Nikki's robes floating through the air. He snarled. "Oh, you must be kidding me..."

Gine went for another punch, but Spice sent her crashing to the ground with a well-placed slap to the face. He turned to the remaining members of his troop and shouted to them. "Boys! We've lost several of our troupe! It is time for the fun and games to come to an end!"

Vinegar blocked a punch from Gohan and smiled wide. Mustard and Salt both chuckled. Spice raised his hand into the air and shouted. "It might slow the process a bit, but siphon some power from our developing Makyo Star! We must use its power to convert these fools as per His Majesty's wishes!"

The others all nodded and then, the four remaining Spice Boys turned their attention to the red moon in the sky. Bathed in the eerie, blood-soaked light, the four of them began to absorb the power of the satellite above, expanding their muscle mass and increasing their power. Gohan took a nervous step back and Vinegar grew even larger in front of him. "What the heck is going on?! Wh-What is this Makyo Star thing anyway?!"

Gine, on the ground and staring up at Spice, turned utterly blue in the face. As much as she had hoped it wasn't true, her worst fears had indeed been realized: the moon was being converted into a Makyo Star! She shakily stood up, trying to face up to Spice as he grew larger and larger, but was unable to stop herself from and more memories flooded into her head: a massive ship crashing to the ground and exploding, two hazily remembered faces snapping and snarling right in her face, Spice's mocking laugh, and the blood red moon shining above.

Gine felt a sense of helplessness invade her soul as Spice charged at her once more.

Back inside Kami's palace…

It was a battle of brute strength as Garlic Jr. and Piccolo continued to brawl with one another. Unfortunately for Garlic Jr., he was no Frieza when it came to strength. The miserable imp was giving it his all, but Piccolo was proving to be far too powerful for the monster to overcome. Another blast shredded through Garlic Jr.'s shoulder and he leapt back, allowing it to regenerate.

Piccolo smirked. "I thought you were going to rip me to shreds. I'm waiting, brat!"

Garlic Jr. launched forward again, rearing back to punch Piccolo. "How dare you mock the King of the Makyan Race?!"

Piccolo sneered and kicked Garlic Jr. in the throat, sending him bouncing back into the shadows of a nearby corridor. "You sound like that miserable Vegeta. Except Vegeta probably would probably be putting up a better fight right about now..."

Garlic Jr. hissed from the shadows. "How dare you speak that wretched name in my presence?!"

Piccolo retorted. "What is this all about anyway? You seemed oddly fixated on Gohan and Gine. And now you have something against Vegeta's name? I mean... I get it, I can't stand Vegeta either. But what do you have against him?"

Garlic Jr. raged from the shadows, firing off another blast that Piccolo easily dispelled. "You have no grasp on what that name has done to me! Vegeta! Pah! King Vegeta and King Cold are both due a healthy dose of my wrath!"

The imp leapt out at Piccolo, trying to blast him in close-range. Piccolo responded with a shattering kick to the gut that sent Garlic Jr. flying back into the darkness. Garlic Jr. roared in frustration. "Father sent me away to get revenge on those two fools! The ones that prevented his ascent to holding reign over the entire universe!"

A psychotic chuckle. "And that revenge begins here! Can't you see?! This Earth is my new kingdom, the people on it my new army, the Dragon Balls my new power, and the Makyo Star I am creating with that moon above is my secret weapon! King Cold's number is up! King Vegeta's number is up! And they will burn for what they have done to my race!"

As twisted laughter echoed through Kami's palace, Piccolo was growing annoyed. This opponent of his really was nothing more than a rampaging child. And Piccolo had no time or patience for an out-of-control brat. Another blast came shooting out at Piccolo's back, but the Namekian was prepared. He turned and blasted the blast with his own before stretching his arm into the darkness and grabbing Garlic Jr. by the throat. Piccolo tossed Garlic Jr. into the air, stretching out his other arm to match its twin, and then pummeled the little imp mid-air with a flurry of stretched out punches. After the beating concluded, Piccolo leapt into the air, clasping his hands above his head, and smashed Garlic Jr. into the floor below. The Namekian landed next to the Makyan, watching as his body rapidly healed itself. "And just what the hell do you plan to do against a monster like King Cold? Do you really think that you and your merry band of morons can go and take a creature like that on?"

Garlic Jr. shakily pushed himself up. He glared at Piccolo. "What are you implying?"

Piccolo chuckled. "Let me lay out the facts for you. The warriors of the Earth are much stronger than one measly imp and his entourage of flamboyant vamps. We aren't just going to let you take this place-"

Garlic Jr. stood. "I will admit that you are quite formidable..."

Piccolo held up his finger. "I wasn't done. Together, the strongest of our numbers took on and killed Frieza."

Garlic Jr. cocked his head. "Frieza? Who the hell is Frieza?"

Piccolo flinched. "You really are quite out of the loop, aren't you? Frieza is King Cold's son. From what I've been told, while Frieza had more raw talent and potential than his father, already a truly feared powerhouse in the universe, Cold was still a good deal stronger and far more experienced than his son. I was able to fight evenly with Frieza, and you can't touch me. So... just what in the hell do you plan to do to Frieza's more formidable father?"

Garlic Jr. chuckled. "A valid point. But I have my ways. Like I said, I have the Makyo Star~"

Piccolo cocked his head. Garlic Jr. sneered. "By implanting a Makyan Blood Crystal into the core of the moon of this planet, I have turned it into the trump card of my race! A Makyo Star! A tool to generate power for my men and to serve as a final weapon should King Cold prove too powerful! By using the Blood Crystal to gather and store Blutz Waves that a satellite like that would naturally produce, I can create a sort of bomb that could be used to swallow King Cold up! An explosion massive enough to rip a hole in space-time and create a sink in the very fabric of the universe!"

The Namekian warrior flinched as Garlic Jr. became even more manic than before. "I was always aware that I might not be able to beat King Cold! But revenge is revenge! If I cannot kill him with my own hands, I will simply cast him into the Dead Zone where he can rot for the rest of eternity!"

Piccolo gripped his fists. "That's psychotic. You're planning to tear apart reality for revenge?! That has the potential to kill everybody in the universe... including yourself!"

Garlic Jr.'s pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks. "Who cares?! I have been lying dormant for decades waiting for this revenge! If everyone in the universe has to die for me to get what I want, then so be it!"

Piccolo's eyes steeled upon his foe. Now that he knew the full extent of this little cretin's plans, playtime was over. Garlic Jr. summoned two more blasts into his hands and flung them both at Piccolo. "Now prepare to die by the hands of the great Makyan King, vermin!"

The Namekian crossed his arms over his chest, and then splayed them out with a mighty shout. Energy erupted from him and shredded through Garlic Jr.'s attacks, eventually colliding with the imp and blasting him across the room. As the smoke cleared from Piccolo's Super Explosive Wave, Garlic Jr. shakily stood up. "Th-This pain is nothing! You will eventually run short of stamina and-"

A wet crack and a splatter cut Garlic Jr's sentence short. He looked down, to his shock, and saw that Piccolo was right there, his hand thrusted through the imp's stomach and back. In his grip, Piccolo had the Four-Star Dragon Ball. Garlic Jr. doubled over onto Piccolo's shoulder and the Namekian sneered. "You're an overconfident, delusional, psychotic little freak. And I won't let you destroy the universe for your selfish desires."

Garlic Jr. slumped over Piccolo. He chuckled. "You... you know... I could say the same about you."

Piccolo glared. "Pardon me?"

Garlic Jr. chuckled. "I mean... with the overconfidence~"

And then, quick as a flash and catching Piccolo off guard, Garlic Jr. opened his mouth wide and sank his teeth into the Namekian's neck.

Outside, on the Lookout…

The fights continued to rage out on the Lookout. Having vanquished their foes, Krillin and Yamcha joined up with the others to fight the remaining Spice Boys, but the newly bulked-up forms provided by the Makyo Star were proving to be a challenge in their own right.

Vinegar's new strength was met by Gohan and Krillin's combined efforts, but neither warrior was fully prepared for the sheer might the brute would display in this brawl. Vinegar was beating the two of them like ragdolls, tanking their best attacks and responding with devastating hits of his own.

Spice, meanwhile, was a challenge in his own right. Yamcha had attempted to leap in and help Gine, but the leader of the Spice Boys saw him as little more than a buzzing fly. The club that Yamcha had taken from Nikki was shattered with very little effort and Yamcha was quickly introduced to the shattered ground by the bottom of Spice's boot. The formidable Makyan was still more enthralled by Gine as something seemed to be coming back to him.

Finally, Tien and Chiaotzu were both at the mercy of Mustard and Salt. The two warriors were both battered and beaten from the onslaught of their newly-empowered foes. The Makyans were way too strong to beat with just their strength alone after this transformation.

As Tien and Chiaotzu kneeled there, Mustard and Salt loomed over them. Mustard chuckled. "Worthless Earthlings! You should've seen this coming from the get-go!"

Salt planted his fists onto his hips. "It'll take more than your pathetic power to crush the two of us!"

Tien silently looked at Chiaotzu. And Chiaotzu glanced back at Tien and they both smiled at one another. The two of them stood to their foes and each took a deep breath, and then they shouted at the top of their lungs. "KAIOKEN!"

All at once, the overwhelming red force that had vanquished Ginger smashed into Mustard and Salt. The two Makyans cringed as their foes stood back up. Tien wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, his glare fierce. He nodded down to Chiaotzu and Chiaotzu nodded back. And then the two warriors charged into an attack!