Prologue: The Old King Returns
At Capsule Corporation, Bulma stood on a balcony solemnly like she had been for the past four minutes. Her husband, Goku and most of her old friends had just departed for the Tournament of Power. The blue haired genius's mouth gritted, eyes narrowed and hands balled into fists taking one and hitting the railing as anger flooded her mind. "Ohhhh why is Earth always in danger anymore! I swear! I went through all of my childhood and half my teen years without anyone threatening to take over the world or destroy! Ever since the Red Ribbon Army and King Piccolo it's just been one threat after another!" Bulma screamed in her head overwhelmed and frustrated with the whole tournament and looking back on all the crises the Earth and her family and friends have had to weather the past thirty something years. Bulma desperately wanted for the world to go more than half a decade in peace before yet another evil would threaten its existence. After a moment of seething she took a deep breath and sighed as acceptance eventually sunk in. "I guess that's just our rotten luck as fragile human beings heh heh" Bulma laughed half heartedly. "At least most of the newer threats don't try to enslave and rule over us, now that think about it, being destroyed sounds better than spending the rest of my days under some psychotic dictator's foot. Being instantly erased by the God of All suddenly feels like heaven by comparison. Sigh... I need a drink" Bulma mused thinking about the positive side of the current situation contrasting the old ones before resolutely turning around and walking inside to get her "fix" from her "secret stach". Had she stayed outside a little bit longer she would've noticed when the starry night sky was abruptly consumed by thick black clouds and lightning. The telltale signal that the Earth's dragon balls had been gathered and the legendary dragon Shenron has been summoned. A few blocks away Yamcha with Puar floating inches away from his both were depressingly walking back to his apartment after finding out that Goku and his friends left the former out of their team when they noticed the abrupt weather change. "Who do you think summoned Shenron?" Puar asked Yamcha innocently. "Guess we'll find out soon, keep your eyes peeled for any changes I guess" Yamcha answered trying to sound unconcerned but there was fear laced in his voice. Which was completely justified given the fact that the last time anyone other than him or any of his friends used the dragon balls it was to bring back Frieza. Then in Yamcha's head he felt the jolt of a new energy signature appearing, and the energy...it was weak yet felt so dark...and familiar. "No...it couldn't be..." Yamcha stuttered in disbelief. "What's wrong Yamcha?!" Puar squealed concerned. As suddenly as it came the evil energy blipped out of Yamcha's senses. The ex bandit was left puzzled and horrified eyes fixed open out of sheer terror and uncertainty. "I... I don't know Puar... whatever it was...I pray that it isn't what I thought it was" Yamcha slowly replied remaining in place frozen like a statue as the skies calmed and cleared.
Meanwhile around the same time on Monster Island
Goten, Trunks and Marron had been patrolling the island and tending to the various rare animals that roamed it. "Wahoo! Gitty up a big cow! Weee hooo!" Goten shouted out in pure joy as he and Marron who was riding along with him on the humungous Minotauros. "Ha ha! Dude! You practicing to become a cowboy or something!?" Trunks laughed hysterically lightly teasing his best friend hovering midair at the same level said friend and Marron were on the Minotauro. "Oooh there's an idea! I love animals! Thanks Trunks!" Goten thanked Trunks for his suggestion that peaked his interests. "I was joking" Trunks said dumbfounded that Goten took his joke seriously, then again Goten never did specify what he wanted to do as a career before and he was good with animals. "And I can be your cowgirl helper!" Marron exclaimed joining in on Goten's excitement. "Oh great, now I've pushed them together..." Trunks muttered sarcastically slapping himself in the face. That's when the three kids noticed the sky going dark and crisscrossing with lightning. The thunder and lightning spooked a lot of the animals on the island including the Minotauro making it roar and move randomly in confusion and fear. "Woah easy there boy, it's just a storm it can't hurt you" Goten comforted the giant buffalo like creature to get it to calm down and stop thrashing him and Marron off his back. "Although this storm did just pop out of nowhere, this is strange" Goten lamented after the beast calmed down taking a second look at the storm. "Not really Goten, we're out on an island in the middle of the ocean, I've read that storms can form and start pretty quickly in places like this compared to our home's climate, this is just a random sea storm buddy" Trunks corrected his friend's seemingly inaccurate statement. The spiky haired child wanted to believe his life long companion but he couldn't shake the sixth sense he had that this was something else staring unsurely into the stormy skies. Both Demi saiyans then felt some kind of foul presence hit their brains and when it did they had a flash of red light in their minds briefly obscuring their eyes's sight. The feeling then immediately traveled down into their stomachs making the boys feel nauseous. It disappeared after a few seconds but the children's stomach's remained unsettled. "Ohhhhh... the hell was that?" Trunks groaned holding his stomach with one of his hands. "I don't...gag...oh god gag blehhhh!" Goten tried to hold his recent meal down but ultimately failed puking out his dinner Marron tenderly patting him on his back to through it.
On the Lookout around the same time
Dende and Mr Popo were tending to their flower garden outside the lookout when the skies went dark. Dende walked out to the edge of lookout to get a greater sense of what was going on in the world he was made Guardian of. "This entity...it feels Namekian! But it's so...suffocatingly cruel feeling...what is this?" Dende questioned out loud, loud enough for Mr Popo to overhear and the black genie looking man sweat dropped when he took in Dende's description. "Oh no...not him again" he gasped mentally in his mind.
In the Null Realm
The tournament had just begun. Almost all of the eighty combatants and their teams had started brawling with all their might. Piccolo, his friend/pupil Gohan and the human members of Universe Seven however had refrained from going gun hoe into the middle of the rumble as to conserve energy until they are actively targeted. While steeling his resolve for the upcoming struggles the tournament guaranteed, the Namekian had a bizarre stir tugging on his soul. A sort of instinctual call, trying to pull him towards something. Part of him felt like obeying it but his concern over his allies plus the knowledge that he had no way of leaving without help from Whis overpowered its grip on him and he shook his head to get it off his mind. Gohan noticed this and turned to his old friend. "Something bothering you Piccolo?" The eldest hybrid Saiyan asked his mentor. "Yeah I'm fine, get your head in the game" Piccolo advised Gohan in a speedy fashion attempting to erase the memory of the stirring feeling from his mind.
Moments before in an deep forest southwest of Korin's Tower
Here lied the ruins of the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters. It once served as home base for General Red and his army for their goal of total global domination. Their plans were foiled in spectacular fashion however by a young Goku. The monkey tailed boy almost effortlessly dismantled all the other Red Ribbon Army units and broke into the base. In less than half a day the once great army was demolished and the base was left to rust and be reclaimed by nature. That was until today. Standing stiff and obediently in rows in front of the base ruins were hundreds of soldiers, their brown uniforms all bearing very familiar looking ribbon symbols. In between the ruins and the soldier all seven dragon balls layed together glowing ready to be used. "Excellent work Dr Gevo Jr! Hacking Capsule Corp's database and finding the blueprints for the dragon radar was simply brilliant!" A short tanned skinned man with a little mustache praised his highly regarded companion while smoking a cigar. Said Doctor was a taller lighter skinned fella with mullet styled red hair boring a striking resemblance to Android Sixteen. "My pleasure Commander Magenta, now to take the first major step in our path for victory!" Gevo Junior said determined with gusto. "Indeed" Magenta agreed turning to the army. "My loyal servants! We stand at the dawn of the rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army! The greatest army in the history of the world! My father dedicated his life to making the world a better place by sharing our power and greatness with it. But then the accursed Son Goku like a meteor struck and because they were caught off guard, my father and his glorious empire were brought down before it could truly start! But finally after thirty years we will have our revenge! And with the help of the dragon balls, we shall form an alliance with someone who hates Son Goku as much if not more than we do and together we will crush him and the world beneath our feet!" Magenta passionately spoke out to his army. The new Red Ribbon Army erupted into screams and wails of celebration and triumph. Commander Magenta then turned back to face the dragon balls, put his hands out and shouted "Eternal Dragon Shenron by your name I summon you fourth!". The dragon ball's glow intensified and then exploded with barely controlled magical yellow energy that rocketed upwards rapidly coalescing into the shape of a dragon as clouds darkened the skies with the occasional bolt of lightning. Within a minute the light faded and the mighty Shenron hovered over the reborn Red Ribbon Army. "You have summoned me, I shall grant you any two wishes that our within my power!" Shenron greeted the unorthodox gathering of people in a thundering voice. "Oh magnificent Shenron, I commander Magenta wish for you to bring Demon King Piccolo back to life and then bring him right here to this world!" Magenta bellowed out his two wishes without any hesitation. "It shall be done..." the dragon approved his red eyes glowing as he used his magic to fulfill the commander's wishes. Mere seconds later the area began shaking and a blood red aura bloomed in front of the dragon making Magenta and Gevo Junior back away and shield their eyes. Gradually the shaking halted and a figure began showing itself within the red misty energy. "Your wishes have been granted, farewell!" Shenron declared his body l disintegrating back into yellow energy and zipped back into the dragon balls which lifted into the sky and flew in multiple directions to be scattered all over the world once again. Magenta, Dr Gevo Junior and all their soldiers stood in anticipation for any sign of the their new ally. After the red light dimmed a little more, there he was, the original Piccolo with his signature dark blue demon gi and a twisted gargoyle like smile on his face the still stormy skies and the lingering red mist reflecting in his black hollow eyes. "I...live...agaaiiin! Ha ha ha ah ha ha ha!" The ancient demon let out a hearty almost scream like laughter. The old king had returned.