Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

153. Chapter 151: The Grand(Kai) Finale! Pt 2

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: 151 chapters. Gotta read 'em all!

Chapter 151: The Grand (Kai) Finale!, Pt. 2

Over in the Western Yard…

Goku sighed as he crossed his arms and looked over at Pikkon. "So, why do you hate me? Normally I don't really care what kinda problems my opponents have with me, but you don't seem like a bad guy at all. So, I wanna clear the air a bit."

Pikkon looked at Goku for a long while. Then, he took a deep breath and sighed out long and hard. "You know... even after hearing the name 'Goku', I thought it was just a trick. The wool being pulled over my eyes, so to speak. I was convinced that 'Goku' was a fake name, just as 'Blue Rose' turned out to be a fake name..."

He looked Goku up and down. "But watching you fight started to put cracks in my beliefs. The bane of my existence shares a face with you, but your fighting style is honest in every way he wasn't. And now, you reaching out to me like this all but confirms that my suspicions were... wrong."

Goku nodded. "So, what happened?"

Pikkon scratched the back of his neck. "I am a Paiku warrior from a planet in the West Galaxy called Planet Pokebowl. Or, I believe outsiders refer to it as something else. Either way, we're called that because the only inhabitable part of our planet is recessed in the center of a massive planetary body. From a distance, it looks like a massive bowl filled with green and blue. Our land is very fertile and, for the most part, we're a very closed-off people. I, myself, was one of the few ambassadors to foreigners. I was a member of the Galactic Patrol before I died..."

Goku nodded again. "Right."

Pikkon sighed, looking wistfully to the sky. "I was a husband and father back then, ya know? My family idolized me. I happened to be home when invaders showed up on our doorstep without permission. I told my family that I was going to go and defend our planet, that I would make them proud..."

He closed his eyes. "The invaders were numerous. A ragtag menagerie of species. They even had a Namekian. But the Saiyan was the one I remember with the most disdain. He was brash, cocksure, overly polite in a way that I would think of as nothing less than mockery. He asked me if I wanted to join his crew and I declined. Then we fought."

Pikkon looked over at Goku. "This Saiyan, who looked so much like you I still believe you must be related, was not anywhere near as strong as me. His Namekian companion came close to my power, but he was old. I lost the battle due to sheer numbers more than any one-on-one spar. I was left overpowered and beaten as they got away with their stolen prize."

He sighed. "In retrospect... I should have just let them leave. It was merely a plot of land they took. But my pride was wounded. I gave chase, trying to damage their ship. But I suppose the Saiyan was too crafty. He blasted an asteroid within the outer atmosphere of Pokebowl, sent debris raining down on my home..."

Pikkon clenched his fists. "I was injured. Weakened from battle. I gave up the pursuit and began blasting the debris, trying to prevent it from destroying my planet. Then... I was overtaken by the shadow of a massive chunk of rock... then I awoke in the line of King Yemma's Check-In Station. That's the story of my grudge."

Goku crossed his arms, frowning. "Damn. That sucks..."

Pikkon nodded. He looked over at Goku again. "I feel ashamed to have blamed you for that. To have assigned you my grudge so easily. Please forgive me."

Goku waved him off. "Water under the bridge. A lot of the Saiyans were awful people. Whoever this guy is, he sounds like a real piece of work. And forcing you to leave your family behind like that... I'd be mad. I'd be really mad, honestly."

Pikkon smiled. "I appreciate your sympathy."

Goku nodded. "Ayup~ Let's just forget that any bad blood was ever shared between us. Let's have a fresh start, and approach this the right way! What do you say?"

Pikkon nodded back. "I like your style, Son Goku. I think we'll be fast friends."

Goku smiled, and then leapt to his feet. He did a forward flip, a handstand, and then landed on his feet, turning on his heels and facing Pikkon in a fighting stance. "Let's give it our best, Pikkon! I want a fight to remember!"

Pikkon adopted a fighting stance of his own. "A request I shall happily oblige, Goku!"

Back with Piccolo, the Grand Kai's swimming pool…

Piccolo dodged a Ki blast and landed atop a hedge with a smirk. "Well then, I guess I finally get to stretch my legs a bit. Time for some real action!"

Mariakoh grunted, dropping his hand to his side and clenching his fist. "Careful what you wish for, Namekian! I'ma crush you!"

Mariakoh leapt into the air with a roar, crashing down on top of Piccolo and slamming his fist right on top of him, only for Piccolo to easily dodge. Mariakoh gave chase. "GET BACK HERE, DAMN IT!"

Mariakoh continued to give chase, swinging his fists as fast as he could and trying to clobber Piccolo out of the air. Agile as ever, Piccolo dodged attack after attack with ease. Mariakoh snarled and threw a mighty haymaker, but Piccolo simply leapt atop his arm. The dino warrior gasped and Piccolo chuckled, lashing his leg across Mariakoh's cheek.

Piccolo tried to pull his leg back, but winced in pain. Mariakoh chuckled, turning his head and revealing Piccolo's foot caught in his mighty jaws. Mariakoh grinned. "Might wanna be careful where you aim~"

Then he began to bite down. Piccolo sneered and growled under his breath as the bones in his ankle began to creak. Thinking quickly, he summoned a massive Ki blast into his right hand and smashed it into Mariakoh's face. A plume of smoke erupted in the subsequent explosion and Piccolo tried to wrench his leg free again. As he started to pull, however, Mariakoh's giant purple fist came shooting forth and plunged into Piccolo's chest.

The Namekian gagged, but was then struck across the face by a second punch. Mariakoh bit down even harder on Piccolo's foot, holding his opponent in place and battering the green warrior as hard as he could. Piccolo crossed his arms over his face and thought to himself. 'Dammit! This one is strong! And he's not even using his Thunder Flash!'

Piccolo growled. "Gotta get some space..."

Mariakoh flinched, hesitating with his next punch, and Piccolo took advantage. He fired two blasts at Mariakoh's mouth, striking his own ankle and blowing off his captured foot. Piccolo went flying back and crashed hard against the ground. Mariakoh spat out his severed foot and shuddered. "Dude! Are you nuts?!"

Aiming his bloody stump at Mariakoh, Piccolo regenerated his foot and smashed the dino warrior right in the gut with an explosive kick. Mariakoh went sliding back and Piccolo reeled in his newly-restored appendage, immediately using Magic Materialization to summon himself a new shoe. Then, hopping to his feet, Piccolo charged a hellacious energy wave and shot it right into Mariakoh's chest.

Seeing his foe stunned, Piccolo rushed in. He delivered a savage kick underneath Mariakoh's jaw, but gasped in shock as his opponent didn't budge. A vein bulged from Mariakoh's head. He glared down at Piccolo and took a deep breath. Then, he unleashed a massive wave of indigo-colored flames from his throat and rained them down onto the defenseless Namekian. "DRAGON'S RAGE!"

Piccolo roared in pain, every inch of his body suddenly roasting in endlessly hot, mystical flames. Mariakoh snarled and whipped around as quickly as he could manage, sending Piccolo flying with a thunderous tail crack and knocking him straight into the pool. Piccolo pulled himself out of the water and gasped for air. "Damn. He's a tough one..."

"No worry! You got this!"

The Namekian snapped his attention to his immediate left and locked eyes with Arqua. The warrior of the Eastern Galaxy smiled and flashed him a peace sign. "Arqua think you good~"

Piccolo frowned. "Are you just spectating, then?"

Arqua shrugged. "Watching for fun. And to learn! You and Mariakoh strong! Arqua take notes~"

Piccolo shook his head. "Great. You keep doing th-"

Mariakoh's massive fist shot forward and grabbed Piccolo by the face, ripping the Namekian from the water and harshly slamming him down onto the dino warrior's other fist. Mariakoh let go of Piccolo's face and continued the offhand punch, sending the Namekian flying into the air. The dinosaur gave chase and tossed another punch, but Piccolo easily dodged and threw a punch of his own, smashing Mariakoh in the nose and making the dinosaur howl in pain. He threw back a punch of his own and, soon enough, he and Piccolo were brawling!

Punches and kicks shot back and forth like ammunition in an old west town! Piccolo dodged a wild haymaker and chopped Mariakoh in the ribs. Mariakoh ate a pair of eye beams head-on and headbutted Piccolo's skull hard enough to make both of their brains rattle. Both warriors went flying back, and then they each shot a massive Kiai, the shockwaves sending them both flying anew.

Both warriors stopped themselves midair, and then rushed forward again, each going for another jaw-rattling punch!

Meanwhile, down below, changes were occurring in the other two warriors that neither Piccolo nor Mariakoh were taking any notice of. Bobbing in the pool, Arqua smiled as his power charged more and more. The more energy he built up, the less water filled the pool. And as the water level in the Grand Kai's pool continued to dip, Caterpy's cocoon shuddered more and more violently up in a nearby tree. Ki was swelling within it as well as the silken strings of the cocoon began to snap apart.

Piccolo rushed at Mariakoh, slamming his elbow into the massive dino's chest. Mariakoh snorted and responded back with a thrusting kick to Piccolo's gut. The Namekian skidded across the ground and quickly regained his footing. This battle was going nowhere fast. He rushed at Mariakoh again and the two locked hands, holding each other in place with sheer strength.

Mariakoh smirked. "I'll give ya this, you sure are a tough one! Ya got an air about ya that none of those other North guys have. You're dark~"

Piccolo gave a toothy grin. "Thanks for the compliment~"

Mariakoh gritted his teeth. "Not like that Blue guy, neither. You ain't evil, just... you seem to be the type of person who viciousness comes to easily. Not like those two shaggy hicks or that three-eyed guy. Certainly not like Olibu! What's the difference there?!"

Piccolo chuckled. "I was born of darkness. I embrace that part of me."

Suddenly, Piccolo's power surged and Mariakoh was being pushed back. Piccolo gripped the dino's hands tighter, veins bulging from his head. "I have a code of conduct, but I understand the urgency of fights like this. No hard feelings..."

Piccolo started to lift Mariakoh. Panicking, the dino started to kick his legs in the air. Piccolo began to charge a mouth blast. "... but I don't care about a satisfying fight so long as I get the job done!"

Suddenly, a blinding light began to shine out, covering the battlefield in debilitating luminescence. A high-pitched, distinctly feminine voice cried out. "I AGREE, MR. NAMEKIAN! AS LONG AS I WIN THE FIGHT, NOTHING MUCH ELSE MATTERS~!"

A sheer wind came shooting toward Piccolo and Mariakoh, slicing into both of them and sending them tumbling across the lawn. Both warriors got to their feet. Mariakoh snarled. "Who the hell are you?!"

Piccolo growled, wiping a trickle of purple blood from his cheek. "How annoying..."

Floating before them, on intricate green-and-black wings flapping from the back of her head, was a blonde-haired butterfly woman with mint-green skin and grassy green antennae. She was wearing a pair of purple pants with a red belt and white shoes. Across her chest, she wore a simple white binder that appeared to be made of individual silk strings. She had a confident smirk on her face and her power was nothing to sneeze at either.

Over in the spectator stands…

North Kai gasped in shock. "Wh-Who the heck is that?! Where did she come from?!"

West Kai and East Kai were both in shock as well. Even the Grand Kai seemed taken aback. South Kai, however, simply adopted a wide smile and started cheering. "ATTA GIRL! I KNEW YA HAD IT IN YA AFTER ALL THAT TRAINING! NOW GO, CATERPY, AND KICK ALL THEIR BUTTS!"

Everyone in the spectator stands, from the crowd to the Kais to Olibu and General Blue, all flinched back and shouted at once. "THAT'S CATERPY?!"

Back at the Grand Kai's swimming pool…

The butterfly woman knelt next to the swimming pool and gazed at her reflection in the water, bishie sparkles appearing around her face as she rubbed her hands up and down her cheeks. "Oh my gosh! I'm so pretty~"

Mariakoh and Piccolo both watched on, their shoulders slumped as they watched this new fighter gush over herself. Piccolo blinked twice. "Does anybody on this planet of master fighters actually take their fights seriously...?"

Mariakoh was focused on something entirely different. "Uh, pardon me, miss. But, uh, wasn't Caterpy a dude?"

The butterfly woman, Caterpy, looked up and smiled at Mariakoh. "My species is hermaphroditic in our adolescent years~! When we go into our cocoons, we pick whichever sex we want to stick with and our bodies evolve into that shape as we turn into our ultimate forms. I let people call me a 'he' for so long because I thought that was what I was meant to be... but, this just felt more right in the end~"

Caterpy did a small twirl and then stopped, pointing her right index finger at Piccolo and Mariakoh and winking a small heart. "C'mon! Hit me with compliments! Something like 'Hey there, sweet thang! You show iz a kyootie~!'~"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Piccolo's face. Mariakoh stammered. "Uh! Y-Yeah! You look cute! Yeah! G-Good for you making a positive choice for yourself! Y-Yeah!"

He looked at Piccolo, quickly elbowing the Namekian in the side of the head and whispering out of the side of his mouth. "Say something. We need to be supportive of our fellow warrior."

Piccolo glared at Mariakoh, and then at Caterpy. She cocked her head at him and brushed her hair out of her face. Piccolo groaned. "Listen, I don't come from a species with anything like that. Namekians are asexual. I don't know about romance and I don't know how 'cute' you look... because I don't care about crap like that! Can we please just FIGHT?!"

Caterpy tapped her chin, and then smiled. "The two of you are both very sweet in your own respective ways. Whether you're trying your best to be supportive, or you're just being honest, I like both of your styles! Between the two of you and sweet lil' Arqua, I'm glad that you're my first opponents post evolution!"

And then, Caterpy adopted a sneaky, sly little smile. "I'mma beat ya butts!"

Before Piccolo or Mariakoh could react, Caterpy drew back the wings on her head and flapped them forward, producing another mighty gust. Neither warrior could withstand the sheer force, crying out as they were both sent flying back.

Caterpy rose high into the air. "While I was in that cocoon, I was paying attention to everything that was changing about me and how I could utilize it in a fight! This is an attack I came up with when I noticed my new wings forming! Face the power..."

She drew her wings back and flapped them forward again. "... OF MY MEGATON WINGBEAT!"

Another huge maelstrom, backed by a solid mass of gravitational energy, rushed forward and crashed into Piccolo and Mariakoh. Trees uprooted and the ground cracked up as the sheer gale rushed over it. Piccolo uncovered his face for a moment, trying to find the best way to target Caterpy, when a purple blur shot right by him.

Mariakoh loomed over a gasping Piccolo. "Enough playin' around! You and Caterpy both 'er strong, but you two ain't gotta chance! Before Pikkon showed up, I was Master Kai's strongest student! I ain't goin' down easy!"

Mariakoh raised his fist into the air and smashed them down. "THUNDER FLASH CRASH!"

Reacting quickly, Piccolo shot off an attack of his own. "MASENKO!"

Piccolo's blast collided with Mariakoh's fists and the two were stuck in a stalemate. Piccolo was pumping as much energy as he could into his attack, but Mariakoh's overwhelming strength was harshly pressing down. Another Megaton Wingbeat pressed down on the two. Piccolo tensed up, but this time Mariakoh didn't budge. Piccolo smirked. "You know, maybe I'll take back what I said a second ago..."

Mariakoh chuckled. "Oh yeah?"

Piccolo's arms were trembling. "I presumed you all were complacent fools who didn't take this seriously. Please, forgive my error in judgment..."

Mariakoh grinned. "No... Hard... FEELINGS!"

Finally, both fists burst through Piccolo's Masenko and the Thunder Flash Crash smashed into his chest, Piccolo felt a surge of energy power into his and cried out in agony as all of Mariakoh's power exploded against him all at once. Mariakoh stood up straight, his arms felt like jelly. Sweat was pouring down his forehead.

On the ground, Piccolo was motionless. His eyes were white. His shirt was in tatters. Mariakoh groaned and coughed, then looked down at his severely damaged chest. He chuckled. "Nice shot..."

Thinking back to just a moment ago, Mariakoh remembered his arms plunging towards Piccolo's torso. But right before they managed to hit, the Namekian had stretched his own arms and smashed two even bigger blasts into Mariakoh's pectorals. The muscles were tough, but still took on quite a bit of damage. Mariakoh gave each of his arms a test movement and found it much more troublesome to get them to move correctly. "You crippled me. If you got back up at this point, I'd be a lot more defenseless. Sly, Namekian, sly."

On the ground next to Mariakoh, Caterpy landed. She gave her new wings a flap and made the water in the swimming pool behind her surge "Defenseless, you say? Then I guess the win today belongs to this pretty girl right here~"

Mariakoh turned to face her and chuckled. "You might be strong, little lady, but I never said I was beat! You better be prepared for the fight of your-"

Mariakoh gasped, his eyes going wide. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Caterpy turned. "Wha-HOLY CRAP!"

And then, a massive wave of water overtook all three of the warriors. Mariakoh, Caterpy, and Piccolo were all washed away into a massive cyclone of water as a steadily growing shadow rapidly overtook them.

Suddenly submerged, Piccolo rapidly came to his senses. He gasped and gagged, blood erupting from his mouth as he used his Namekian regeneration to repair his broken chest. Clamping his hand over his mouth, Piccolo looked around to assess his new situation. To his left, Mariakoh was plugging his snout with two fingers. To his right, Caterpy was pinching her nose shut with one hand and clamping her mouth with the other.

And to his center was a sight that he was not expecting in the slightest. It was definitely Arqua, the blue scales and indigo leotard confirmed that, but everything else almost made one want to question what they were looking at.

The fishy warrior from the East was far more dire. His scales were visibly sharp. His lanky frame was now bulging with powerful muscle. His mouth was now a grotesque menagerie of serrated fangs. His facial fins were thin and sharp like needles and the gills on his neck were now much more apparent, his meek little fists now ended in claws and a long, spiky tail erupted from the base of his spine. Arqua cleared his throat and spoke in a friendly and smooth voice. "Greetings and beinvenue, my fellow warriors! It is so nice to finally be able to speak to you all in full, intelligent sentences. You must forgive me, my kind are technically amphibious, but we have a most unfortunate experience trying to speak on land! People seem to think we are all simply dull~"

Piccolo, Mariakoh, and Caterpy all flinched in shock. Arqua smiled. "Now then! Welcome to my special technique, the Stockpile Aquarium! You see, I am able to use Queen Kai's Stockpile technique to absorb water and then, combined with my own stored energy, I am able to rapidly multiply it by thousands to millions of gallons!"

Not waiting for any more explanation, Piccolo rapidly began to swim upward. He needed air. And, more importantly, he needed to get out of this impromptu fish tank. Arqua's power was surging as his body grew and changed shape. Piccolo knew that fighting him in this would be a disadvantage.

And yet, as the Namekian swam up, he found the surface of this aquatic prison was getting no closer at all. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be the same distance from it as he was moments ago. And then, Arqua's tail tapped him on the chest. "Excuse me, Mr. Piccolo, sir."

Piccolo's attention snapped forward and there was Arqua, holding Mariakoh by the horn and Caterpy by the ankle. The fish-man smiled. "One more note of my Stockpile Aquarium. I am the epicenter, good sir. Meaning that, so long as I keep up with you, you cannot escape it. And, not to be rude, but I do not think any of the three of you can outswim me~"

Arqua threw Mariakoh and Caterpy into Piccolo and then cracked his knuckles. "Worry not, however. You will all be able to breathe air again in just a moment... once I knock you all out of this competition!"

And then, Arqua charged toward his foes. He moved so quickly, he appeared to be a blur even to the trained eyes of his opponents. All three warriors cried out in pain as heavy punches, tail strikes, and claw swipes dug into them. Blood was in the water and that only seemed to drive Arqua into even more of a frenzy as the ferocity of his attacks increased.

Annoyed, Mariakoh charged his energy and threw a heavy punch. "THUNDER FLASH METEOR!"

Arqua caught Mariakoh's fist and yanked him forward, kneeing the dinosaur into the gut and driving the air out of his lungs. Mariakoh grappled Arqua into a headlock and began to squeeze, but Arqua responded by digging his claws into Mariakoh's sides.

As the two of them fought, Piccolo regained himself and quickly charged a blast. "LIGHT GRENADE!"

The blast went flying at the two warriors and Arqua and Mariakoh both gasped. The attack hit and exploded in a fantastic display. The Namekian smirked, but his bravado quickly melted away as the smoke cleared. Only Mariakoh floated there, his body lightly charred. Before Piccolo could react, an almighty punch smashed into his lower back and sent him crashing into Mariakoh.

Arqua smirked at his two battered foes. Then his attention snapped upward at the sight of Caterpy making her way to the top of the water dome. She was moving much faster than Piccolo, and closer inspection quickly revealed it was due to Megaton propulsion from her flapping head wings. Arqua smiled. "Smart, pretty lady! But, not smart enough!"

The fish-man jetted toward Caterpy, claws at the ready. Caterpy smiled. "You called me pretty. Thank you~"

She turned and shot a confident glare at Arqua, both of her hands wreathed in purple energy. Arqua gasped and quickly looked down. Chasing Piccolo up this high had caused him to raise his Stockpile Aquarium off the ground below. Chasing Caterpy caused him to go even higher. If he were to be dropped down from this high, this his entire technique would-

Caterpy cried out, using the last of the air in her lungs. "MEGATON!"

A hammer of gravity crashed into Arqua and, with no way to really resist it, the fishy warrior went crashing down toward the ground like a stone. Rapidly, the water rushed over Caterpy. It just as quickly fell off Piccolo and Mariakoh. All three warriors were free of their aquatic prison and all three immediately began to gasp for air. Mariakoh vomited up a few gallons of water, choking for breath. Caterpy flapped her wings to dry them.

Piccolo cracked his neck and grunted. "The next exchange will decide this..."

Mariakoh cringed. "Uh-huh."

Caterpy nodded. "Yep."

And, shooting up from the ground encased by a swirling drill of water, Arqua roared. "I SHARE THAT SENTIMENT!"

Arching up into the air and then rapidly shooting down, Arqua was ready for battle. He thrust both of his hands outward and sent two high-pressure jets of water flying toward Piccolo and Caterpy. Caterpy fired eye beams to evaporate one, Piccolo simply slapped the other away.

The Namekian was the first to move. He shot forward at high speed and plunged his fist into the water, striking Caterpy across the face and sending him off balance. Rushing past the fish, Piccolo charged into Caterpy and flung a blast right at her head. Caterpy narrowed her eyes and dispelled the blast with a punch, returning fire with a massive gravity wave. Piccolo strafed and dodged out of the way, screeching to a stop midair and launching a massive beam from his mouth.

Caterpy dodged that attack as well and prepared another, only to suddenly be rocked by a heavy punch to the jaw. Mariakoh roared, wrapping his massive fist around Caterpy's entire body and tossing her right at Piccolo. Piccolo dodged the attack and flew upward, only to have Arqua rush straight at him, claws splayed. The razor-sharp talons of the fish warrior shredded through Piccolo's side and the Namekian snarled in pain. Before he could recover, Caterpy suddenly rushed at him again and kicked him in the side of the head with a leg that felt like it weighed 10 tons.

Piccolo spiraled through the air, crashing toward the ground with his left hand pressed over his face. Uncaring about a defeated foe, Caterpy rushed toward Mariakoh and punched him upside the head, breaking one of his horns off.

Mariakoh spat blood and chuckled. "Ya know, hittin' people that hard ain't that cute..."

Caterpy smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about. Strength is adorable~"

Arqua rushed in and grabbed Caterpy by the back of the head, surging her forward and smashing her against Mariakoh's chest. Blood exploded from Caterpy's nose. Mariakoh cried out in pain at yet another thing hitting his injured chest. Arqua tossed a heaving uppercut at the dinosaur's jaw. At the same time, Mariakoh rained a heavy fist down onto the fish-man's head. Both went flying. Caterpy quickly regained herself. Mariakoh caught himself. Arqua stopped his freefall. They all glared at each other, ready for the brawl to continue.

Then, the match-ending declaration rang out and caught all three of them off guard. "TRIPLE SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

Three spiraling ki beams shot up. One of them pierced Mariakoh's chest. The next pierced one of Arqua's gills. The final one pierced Caterpy's gut. All three of the warriors gasped, and then they all began to fall. Piccolo raced up, a savage snarled baked onto his face. He kicked Arqua across the head, knocking him out of the water and onto the ground below. Then he zipped over to Caterpy and knocked her to the ground with a savage hammer fist. Both warriors laid still on the ground. Both were totally unconscious.

Finally, Piccolo rushed up to Mariakoh and stretched his arms, wrapping them around Mariakoh and firmly binding him in place. Piccolo leaned back, dragging the dinosaur with him, and rushed towards the ground at high speed.

Mariakoh chuckled, knowing that it was over. "You had your hand covering your face. I noticed you were charging energy on your index, middle, and ring fingers... but I had Caterpy and Arqua to worry about..."

Piccolo grunted. "Hmph."

Mariakoh sighed. "It's my loss. You're strong. I... I hope we get to fight one-on-one some time..."

Piccolo couldn't help but crack a smirk. "These were some of the best fights I've had in a while. I would accept a challenge from any of the three of you anytime!"

Mariakoh chuckled. "I take it that kindness doesn't extend to you not driving my head into the ground?"

Piccolo snorted. "Think of it as a learning experience."

And, at that, Mariakoh laughed out loud. "HAW HAW HAW! You're a friggin' rio-"

Mariakoh's head slammed into the ground and sent cracks splintering across the yard for miles. Unfurling and retracting his arms, Piccolo stood up and began to breathe heavily. "Damn... I need to upgrade my training. Nearly lost that one..."

The Namekian then fell to one knee. He was exhausted, but still quite conscious. In the distance, from the stands, Toadstool Tatakae cried out. "ARQUA! CATERPY! AND NOW MARIAKOH TOO! ALL ELIMINATED!"

Back at the Western Yard…

Goku and Pikkon both shivered as they felt the surging power of every other warrior in the contest. Goku smiled wide as he felt Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo all raging on in their fights.

Pikkon chuckled. "I regret dying with every fiber of my being. However, I will admit, this is more exciting than almost anything I ever was allowed to experience in life."

Goku beamed. "Ain't it just somethin'?"

Pikkon's face became serious. "One final question before we begin. What is combat to you? Is it dominance? Glory?"

Goku shook his head. "Neither. A fight is just a test that the Goku of today is running for the Goku of yesterday for the sake of the Goku of tomorrow. Fightin's a journey! A mystical adventure!"

Pikkon smirked. "This will be a great fight indeed."

Pikkon then removed his tall fez-turban. As Goku looked in confusion, Pikkon also removed his flowing vest, his wristbands, the legwarmers, and his belt. Wrapping it all in a ball, he tossed them to the sidelines. As it landed, it caused a massive dust cloud and earthquake. When the dust cleared, a massive crater spread across the ground.

Goku was shocked, but then smiled. "This is gonna be good~"

Pikkon punched his fists together. "Let me come at you with all that I have!"

Goku took a deep breath and then cried out, summoning his Super Saiyan transformation in an explosion of golden light. "LIKEWISE!"

Pikkon was briefly taken aback by the shimmering, golden form. In return, he let loose a battle cry of his own and summoned an explosion of power to match. Goku stared at his opponent closely, noticing that Pikkon's aura was setting dust motes in the air around him ablaze, reducing them to ash in the wind in little flashes of flame.

No more words needed to be exchanged. Both warriors took on their fighting stances once more. They charged at each other and collided against one another with equally forceful punches. As Goku and Pikkon's fists collided, the shockwave produced shredded the leaves from the bushes nearby, the wooden branches beneath blackening from sheer heat.

The two warriors sent each other crashing backwards and Pikkon was immediately on the uptake. The green warrior shot several whistling Ki blasts into the air, sending them raining down on Goku like a dazzling fireworks display. Goku dodged and dipped and weaved through the assaulting rain, watching as the blasts collided with the ground and the grass they touched erupted into balls of flame.

Goku looked up from his brief examination and gasped. Pikkon was already right there in his face. The Paiku warrior reared back his fist and threw a searing punch that Goku made sure to block with one of his wrist bands. Sure enough, the fabric of the band blacked and burst into a flaming wreath.

Reacting quickly, Goku tore the band off and responded with a punch of his own. Pikkon raised his arms to block, but Goku feinted at the last moment. The Saiyan retracted his fist and then launched it forward again, slamming it into Pikkon's gut and sending his opponent flying back.

Goku bent his legs at the knees and then pistoned himself forward, leaping after Pikkon and swinging out a kick that was quickly ducked. Pikkon launched a kick of his own, which Goku blocked and deflected, taking note that his arm didn't singe this time. The two warriors began a rapid exchange of furious strikes, trying their best to aim for vital points that would debilitate the other long again to deliver a serious strike.

Both of their guards were perfect, the defenses of two well-seasoned warriors. Side kicks, cross chops, jaunty elbow strikes, headbutts, and every other form of rapid-strike was quickly caught, defended against, and then deflected. And yet, the assault continued. Neither warrior was willing to give up any ground in this clash as they not only sought to prove who was tougher in hand-to-hand, but to discover something more about the fighting style of the man they were facing.

And when it came to facing down opponents, Goku and Pikkon were both excellent studies!

The two of them locked eyes, quickly trading smiles that conveyed mutual respect and genuine excitement. And then, the two of them roared and clashed fists again. Goku winced in pain as smoke began to curl up from his knuckles. Pikkon smirked and began to push even harder.

Goku grunted between his clenched teeth. "Oh yeah... You... make... fire."

Pikkon chuckled. "It's called pyrokinesis. I respect you, Goku. But that doesn't mean I won't burn you to the ground!"

Goku hissed between his teeth. "Wouldn't... have it... any other way!"

Goku flung his arm to the side, knocking away Pikkon's fist, and then swept the opposing warrior's leg with his foot. Pikkon grunted and scowled, spinning and throwing a kick directly at Goku's neck. Goku caught Pikkon's pants leg, but wasn't quite ready to withstand the force of the kick. Pikkon's attack followed through and he slammed Goku to the ground, guillotining the Saiyan's neck in the process.

Goku gagged, but didn't let go of Pikkon's foot. Using his strength, he heaved the Paiku warrior in the air and then launched a Kiai into his gut. Pikkon grunted and gripped his stomach as Goku got back to his feet and took flight to give chase. With a roar, Pikkon fired a massive ball of flame that threatened to engulf Goku. The Saiyan took a deep breath and dived into the roaring inferno headfirst.

Pikkon flinched. "Is he nuts?!"

This question was answered in the most unexpected of ways as Pikkon's flame sphere suddenly began firing hundreds of Ki bolts at its master. Pikkon's eyes went wide and he crossed his arms over his face, growling in pain as the hundreds of little blasts crashed into him and stung him.

Pikkon lowered his guard as Goku came through the other side of the flames, his orange gi burned away and his blue undershirt singed. Goku crossed his arms to his sides and called out. "KA...ME...HA...MEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."

Pikkon growled and went through motions of his own. "THUNDER... FLASH..."

Goku roared. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Pikkon screamed. "ATTACK!"

Goku's beam collided with the column of flames that Pikkon shot out and the two stalemated against each other. A massive explosion went off, sending a ring of flame spreading out for a few thousand feet. The two warriors landed and each took their fighting stance again, both a little worse for wear but neither winded.

Goku danced around on his feet and smirked. "Okay! Back at it!"

Then he rushed to Pikkon once again. Goku threw a heavy punch which Pikkon deflected with the back of his fist. He responded to this blow in kind with a palm thrust to Goku's jaw, sending the Saiyan flying back. Pikkon gave chase, delivering five quick kicks to Goku's ribs. Goku grunted in pain, then yelped as Pikkon pressed his hand over his face. Goku's eyes went wide, and then he felt his entire face rapidly begin to heat up. Reacting quickly, he shoved Pikkon back and then flung two Ki bolts at the Paiku warrior.

Pikkon quickly drew his hands back, shooting them forward and slapping both of Goku's attacks right back at him. Goku held up his hands to catch the two spiraling Ki bolts, but stopped himself at the last second and dove to the ground. Above-head, the two blasts exploded into miniature novas of flame.

Pressing his hands to the ground, Goku did a front flip and launched himself spinning into the air. He formed a massive Ki sphere between his hands and then came crashing down onto Pikkon, slamming the blast right on top of the warrior's head. Pikkon was nearly driven to his knees, but kept his footing. He raised his hands to fire off more blasts at Goku, but was shocked as the Saiyan warrior willingly locked hands with him.

Pikkon sneered. "Not too smart, Goku!"

Immediately, the heat was on. The palms of Pikkon's hands sizzled against Goku's, but the Saiyan did not flinch. He simply chuckled and began to push. "Sorry! I'm a bit tougher than that!"

And then, the push became a shove. Pikkon found himself being forced back as if a runaway train was pressing into him. Soon enough, Goku was almost dragging Pikkon along as the green warrior's heels skidded across the flagstones of the Western Yard. With a furious snarl, Pikkon brought up his knee and struck Goku in the chin. The Saiyan's forward push was halted, and yet he still smiled wide. Pikkon flinched and began to look around. What was the plan here?!

Goku responded with a driving punch to the jaw, smashing Pikkon hard enough into the ground that he bounced up into the air. Taken off guard, Pikkon had no way to react as Goku shoulder-tackled him and finished the charging assault by ramming Pikkon into a tree. Pikkon wheezed and Goku leapt back, his golden Super Saiyan locks flowing in the air.

Pikkon coughed as Goku landed. "Y-You didn't have an ulterior motive... You pretended you did in order to land that punch..."

Goku nodded. "Yup. A bit sneaky, I guess. But I figured you would've countered me otherwise~"

Pikkon sneered. "Damned rascal..."

Goku chuckled. "Hee hee~"

Having recovered, Pikkon immediately started putting the pressure back on. Moving at speeds too fast for the eye to follow, he cleared the distance between himself and Goku in an instant and delivered a furious cross chop across the Saiyan's chest. Goku fell back, grunting in pain, and then shot his foot up and caught Pikkon under the chin. Both warriors glared at each other, and then sped off, leaving only an afterimage in their place.

The next stage of the battle had begun and this one was not about landing any sort of blow, but avoiding the blows of the enemy. Goku threw a punch at Pikkon's afterimage and it faded. Pikkon shot a flaming blast at Goku's afterimage and it dispersed. This continued for several minutes until, finally, Goku threw a punch that landed!

This actually came as a shock to the Saiyan and that shock was just enough of an opening for Pikkon to act. He thrust his palm into Goku's chest and burned a flaming hole in the Saiyan warrior's shirt. Goku cried out in pain and Pikkon gained advantage a second time, grabbing Goku into a tight full-nelson and immediately shooting into the air with the Saiyan in tow.

Goku struggled, trying to pull his arms free. "The heck are you doin'?!"

Pikkon smirked, and then he and Goku both erupted into a mighty column of flames. Pikkon barely felt the heat, but Goku cried out in agony. Once they were high enough into the air and the flames shifted from a measly red to a searing blue, Pikkon did a small back flip in the air and used all his energy to shoot them both straight down. "SHOOTING STAR ATTACK!"

Once again whistling like a firework, Pikkon and Goku shot to the ground. At the very last moment, Pikkon let the Saiyan warrior loose and watched as Goku collided against the ground with a satisfying, meaty thud.

Floating in the air, Pikkon called down. "A true warrior knows when to admit defeat, Goku! There is nothing to be ashamed of in a forfeit!"

An explosion of energy and crackling lightning answered Pikkon's taunt. The flames engulfing Goku were quickly snuffed out and the newly shirtless Saiyan hopped to his feet. Goku looked up at Pikkon with a smirk, his bangs jutting up high and lightning crackling all around. "Not done yet, Pikkon. But I think it's time I really cut loose! Super Saiyan is beneath you, so say hello to Super Saiyan 2!"

Pikkon cocked his head. "A new, more powerful form eh?"

Goku cracked his neck and blew a bit of blood out of his right nostril. "It's a bit more than that. This form is actually a gift from my oldest son! He discovered it. He named it. And with the strength it grants me, I think this fight will be mine, Pikkon!"

Pikkon smiled. "A gift from your son? I am touched by the sentiment."

Goku nodded. "Figured you would be. I fight with my family on my mind too, Pikkon. I have to impress myself with what I've learned, of course. But, somehow, impressing them has become just as important to me in recent years. If I'm bein' honest, I really don't get it. But..."

Pikkon nodded back. "It's a hard feeling to explain, for sure. We must simply count ourselves lucky to lay claim to the title of 'family man', would you not agree?"

Goku shrugged. "I guess so."

Pikkon took a deep breath and sighed, taking on a fighting stance once more. "So, Round 2?"

In a flash, Goku disappeared from sight. Pikkon's eyes went wide as, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the oncoming shadow of a foot. He turned just in time to see Goku smirk and answer his question. "Round 2!"

The kick slammed into the side of Pikkon's head and sent him flying across the sky. Stumbling in the air, Pikkon regained his bearings and threw a punch in retaliation. It was almost as if Goku was witnessing things in slow motion. Effortlessly and seamlessly, he streamed one of his arms parallel to Pikkon's punch and seized the warrior by the elbow. Then, with a heaving pull, Goku yanked Pikkon forward and headbutted his opponent in the mouth. Pikkon pressed his hand to his mouth and bent over. Goku used this opportunity to draw both of his legs up, planting them into Pikkon's back and stomping his foe down to the ground below.

Pikkon crashed hard into the ground and Goku quickly came right back on top of him, crossing the Paiku warrior across the face with a right, a left, and then another right. Pikkon spun in the air, but Goku stopped his momentum with a kick to the gut. Pikkon doubled forward and wheezed, but had no time to catch his breath as his Saiyan opponent unleashed a hellacious pummeling upon him. Pikkon growled and tried to throw a chop, but Goku put a stop to that with a heavy hammer fist to the side of the head that sent Pikkon crashing and tumbling into a heap on the ground.

Goku smirked and drew his hands to the side once more. "Sorry, Pikkon! I think this is my victory for real now! KAMEHAMEHA!"

Goku thrust his hands forward and shot his signature ki beam once more. Pikkon groaned, shaking his head to knock away the cobwebs of his previous beating. And then, right as the beam was about to crash into him, he rose to his feet and shouted. "THUNDER FLASH!"

Immediately, Pikkon's energy skyrocketed. He reached out with both hands and caught Goku's beam, then began to flood it with his energy. From Pikkon, rushing back to Goku, the Kamehameha turned from a pure blue into a burning red. Goku gasped in shock, but didn't have time to evade at the base of the attack in his hands exploded and he was, yet again, engulfed in raging flames.

Goku quickly leapt back, flaring his Ki to blow away the flames and gasping for breath. "M-Man, Pikkon. I'll give it to ya, you're strong. If you were Cell, I'd have had you there..."

Pikkon groaned, shaking his head. "It was merely the West Kai's technique that saved me there. If we had run into each other in life, you would have had me a dozen times over by now. Perhaps, the doddering old fool's teachings were worth something after all..."

Goku smiled. "So, which of us would you say is stronger? I think you have me beat by just a little bit..."

Pikkon shook his head. "Not a chance. You're stronger than me. I'm not so arrogant that I refuse to recognize facts..."

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Aw, naw! You're exaggerating~"

Pikkon smirked. "You're infuriatingly modest."

And then, the Paiku warrior closed his eyes. He lowered his energy to a normal, stable level and then began to slowly build it up again. "I'll not beat you with my own strength, I suspect. I hate to think I require the technique of another to carry me through a fight, but I simply have no answer for this Super Saiyan 2 of yours, otherwise..."

Goku nodded. "Hit me with your best shot! I'm ready for anything!"

Pikkon's eyes snapped open, and he shouted. "THUNDER FLASH! COMBINED WITH MY PYROKINESIS!"

The Paiku warrior's energy surged and every bit of exposed skin erupted in sizzling, red flames. Pikkon roared as his power grew to greater and greater measures, his flames flaring outward and seeking fuel to burn. He shouted. "Get ready, Goku! This is my pinnacle of power!"

Goku's own aura flared in response. "LET'S GO!"

The two warriors charged at one another again and the battle began anew. Pikkon got off the first strike, slamming his elbow into the center of Goku's face and making the Saiyan's nose gush with blood. Goku went flying back and Pikkon thrust his hands forward, firing miniature Ki bolts like buckshot and peppering Goku with Thunder Flash enhanced flames.

Forming a Rebellion's Edge on his hand, Goku rushed back to counter. He sliced through the flaming bolts with ease and then responded to Pikkon's assault with a kick to the midsection. Pikkon slid back and Goku tried to follow up with a punch, only for his fist to collide with Pikkon's own flaming fist. Goku groaned, feeling the skin on his knuckles starting to peel, and wisely retreated.

Pikkon gave chase, intensifying the flames in his right palm to a shimmering blue and called out. "COBALT CLAW!"

Pikkon swiped the torrid mass of flames right at Goku's head, but the Saiyan fell back into a dodge. He landed on the palms of his hands and used his arms to piston himself into the air. Pikkon's gaze followed and Goku fired a blast right at him. Rather than swipe it away, Pikkon simply increased the amount of flame on his chest and Goku's attack was simply eaten right up.

As he flew higher into the air, Goku briefly considered Forced Spirit Fission. After seeing Gohan and Vegeta use it, Goku worked hard to perfect the technique himself. While not quite as good as Vegeta, it was good enough. The Saiyan shook his head. "Nah. That would burn up my hands at the same time. I could try the Virtue of Flowing Water, but he'd probably just evaporate that..."

The Saiyan cocked his head with a smirk. "But still, that might have a use~"

Summoning a ball of Ki-based water into his hand, Goku called out. "VIRTUE OF FLOWING WATER!"

The Saiyan thrust his hand forward and shot an overwhelming surge of glowing blue liquid. Pikkon took on a defensive stance. "Fighting fire with water?! I can't fault the logic, but you make a mistake in thinking that a squirt gun can match my natural flames, Goku!"

Pikkon immediately made the fire covering his body flare up and, as the Virtue of Flowing Water struck him, Pikkon found himself enveloped in a heavy cloud of steam. Pikkon flinched, suddenly finding his field of view quite limited. "A smokescreen?! He used the water to make a smokescreen to hide himself in?!"

Pikkon rapidly looked around, trying to feel for Goku's energy. "But, where-"

Pikkon turned and his eyes locked with a pair of floating, emerald beacons mere inches from his face. Before the Paiku warrior could react in the slightest, Goku's fist shot forward and slammed harshly into his gut. Pikkon coughed and Goku's strikes continued, raining into Pikkon and pounding him like a heavy bag.

Pikkon growled and splayed his arms out. "Back off, damn you! HEAVY FLAME EXPLOSION!"

The flames on Pikkon's body acted as if they were about to rage, but only managed to spread out an inch. He flinched. "What?!"

Goku chuckled from his hiding place in the steam. "Ya know, fires don't really work in damp places~"

Pikkon's eyes widened and Goku's fist shot through the steam, plowing into Pikkon's cheek and extinguishing his flames with one mighty blow. Pikkon went flying from the mist and crashed into a nearby fountain, the statue atop collapsing and crushing him down into the decorative pool of water surrounding it.

As the steam cleared, Goku smiled. "Gotcha!"

An explosion of power from the fountain blew the sculpture to pieces and Pikkon sat up, soaked down to the bone and breathing heavily. Goku planted his fists on his hips and smiled. "Any other tricks, Pikkon? I'm ready for more if you are!"

Pikkon's first instinct was to be annoyed. He was soaked, exhausted, and very low on energy. But looking at Goku's earnest face simply brought a smile to his own. "The indignities keep on coming, huh? First my own techniques prove to be ineffective. And now my own power is rendered moot. Now... where does that leave me?"

Goku cocked his head. "Hm. I dunno. Kinda seems like you're stuck when you word it that way, but I don't think you'd just take a defeat so easily..."

Pikkon nodded, stepping out of the water and chuckling. "Right you are. Personally, I was hoping not to have to use this... but I guess when push comes to shove..."

Pikkon vanished in the blink of an eye. Goku flinched back, and then cried out as a heavy kick to the back sent him tumbling high into the air. He groaned and turned to face his foe. "What do you have left, Pikkon? What are you-"

Goku gasped, his eyes going wide. "N-NO WAY!"

Pikkon was staring up at Goku with a confident smirk. And floating above his hand was a familiar blue sphere, one that Goku had used many times before today.

A Spirit Bomb!

Over in the spectator's stands…

East Kai snarled, glaring over at her counterpart from the West. "No way, Virup! You too?!"

South Kai gritted his teeth. "Do you and Vaisra have no sense of shame?! Well?!"

West Kai cackled. "Screw you two and screw your shame! Northie broke the agreement first! And if Pikkon using the Spirit Bomb means that I get my win and my wish, then I'd say it's well worth it! Once he knocks out that Son Goku brat, then I'll get the wish and I'll be able to make that technique mine! ALL MINE!"

As West Kai cackled, and as East Kai and South Kai both howled with rage, the Grand Kai shook his head in disappointment. "Damn, man. This ain't just a vibe harsher... this is depressin'..."

The Grand Kai looked over to North Kai, expecting his subordinate from the North to engage in meaningless bickering as well. However, much to his surprise, North Kai's attention was still locked onto the match.

North Kai stared up at the image of his star pupils all engaging in their battles. Yamcha had overcome. Tien had overcome. Piccolo had overcome. North Kai found himself staring at the screen displaying Goku's match with Pikkon. He mumbled to himself. "C'mon, Goku. I know you can overcome this..."

West Kai came over, a mocking tone dripping from his voice. "Well, Northie?! How does defeat taste?! How does it feel knowing that your student will soon be using MY technique?! I mean, if I allow him to continue-"

North Kai didn't even look at West Kai. "Will you shut up?!"

West Kai gasped, flinching back and falling silent. North Kai shook his head. "I don't care about some silly argument over a technique! I'm trying to observe my pupil's progress! Maybe try it some time, you windbags!"

West Kai, East Kai, and South Kai could only stare at their North counterpart in shock. The Grand Kai, meanwhile, adopted a warm smile. Almost a proud smile. "Heck yeah, man. I can dig that for sure...~"

Back in the Western Yard…

Goku stared in shock. "Y-You know that Spirit Bomb?! When did you learn that?! I thought it was forbidden, or something!"

Pikkon smirked. "Before this final round began, I had West Kai teach it to me. I originally planned to use it to vanquish you as some form of poetic justice. But now, this is simply my last-ditch effort! Since the buzzer went off nearly 20 minutes ago, I have been gathering power from the land and the air and the water and the trees around me! You will not overcome this, Goku!"

Goku's eyes were wide. "Th-That's impressive, but..."

He began to count on his fingers. "Y-You learned the Spirit Bomb in less than 5 HOURS?! Holy crap! It took me weeks to perfect it!"

Pikkon's hand shook. "Admittedly, I still haven't fine-tuned it. But this should be enough!"

Pikkon drew his arm back and then threw the Spirit Bomb with all the force of a major league pitch. The pure Ki sphere launched itself at Goku, expanding more and more as it got closer and closer. "VICTORY IS MINE, GOKU!"

Goku flinched. "Well, looks like I'm using Spirit Fission after all! I might not be evil, but that's still a ton of energy! I gotta disperse it, or-"

Pikkon glared up at Goku, a knowing gleam in his eye. "Oh no you don't! I won't let you counter this!"

Then, Pikkon thrust his hand at the Spirit Bomb and shouted. "THUNDER FLASH EXPANSION!"

All at once, all Pikkon's remaining energy pulsed out of his hand and into the Spirit Bomb. Mere feet from Goku, the Spirit Bomb was already the size of a Saiyan Attack Ball. With the addition of all Pikkon's remaining energy, it expanded to a blast roughly the size of Frieza's ship!

Goku had no time to counter. All he could do was cry out as he was engulfed. And then, fully engulfed, all Goku could do was scream in pain!

On the ground, Pikkon pumped his fists and shouted in triumph. "YES!"

Over in the stands…

North Kai cried out. "NO! GOKU!"

West Kai cheered. "YES! VICTORY!"

Over with Yamcha…

Yamcha was rushing toward the Western Yard as fast as he could, staring in shock and awe at the size of the Spirit Bomb going off in the distance. "Aw jeez!"

Over with Tien…

Tien was rushing to the Western Yard as well. He stared at the Spirit Bomb with a look of consternation on his face. "That's one massive Spirit Bomb..."

Over with Piccolo…

Rushing to the Western Yard as well, Piccolo growled to himself. "... and going by the energy, Goku didn't make that..."

Back at the Western Yard…

Feeling the approach of other warriors, Pikkon's attention immediately refocused. He was extremely drained of power, but so were the other three that were approaching. So long as they all trickled in one at a time, he would be able to topple each of them and claim victory once and for all. Pikkon sighed. "This is almost over..."

But what Pikkon didn't realize was what he was missing in the Spirit Bomb behind him. Distracted by the approach of others, Pikkon neglected to notice that Goku's screams of pain had stopped. Deep within the core of the Spirit Bomb, Goku floated there. His Super Saiyan 2 form was nearly drained and he knew that he was as good as beaten. And yet, something within Goku refused to yield. He felt a pulse in his chest. A pulse that turned into a growl. A growl that turned into a snarl. And finally, a snarl that turned into a ROAR!

Goku opened his mouth and let that roar out, alongside a new and unknown flood of power. Pikkon turned to the Spirit Bomb, his eyes wide. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

He gasped, staring up at his own attack. He could only see Goku's silhouette within. A silhouette that was practically vibrating. A silhouette that seemed to have an overwhelmingly long mane of hair flowing behind it!

Before Pikkon could look any closer, the Spirit Bomb flashed brighter than a brand-new star, and then it exploded in a dazzling display. Pikkon was driven back on his heels, shielding his face from this explosion of overwhelming power. Slowing, he pulled down his arms, bright explosive stars crossing his dazed vision. Pikkon looked to the air, trying to focus. Trying to see something.

And then he gasped in shock and horror as his vision cleared and Goku was right there, falling at him with the speed of a freshly deployed missile. Goku pulled back his fist and, instinctively, Pikkon did too! Then, both warriors threw one final, hellacious punch, cracking each other across the jaw and sending each other flying!

Goku hit the ground hard, tumbling like a heavy boulder and crashing at the edge of the nearby woods. Pikkon went sailing and crashed into one of the columns of the Western Yard temple. Both warriors groaned and laid still.

A few minutes of silence passed. And then, Goku groaned. Pikkon looked up and saw his opponent trying to push himself up. He dreaded what would follow if Goku, friendly monster that he was, got back to his feet. Pikkon was well and truly spent. But then, Goku sighed and fell right onto his face. "Can't do it. No strength left. You win this time, Pikkon..."

Pikkon gasped. He was silent for a moment. And then, for the first time since he had died, Pikkon laughed! A good, hearty laugh. The Paiku warrior shook his head and wiped a joyful tear from the corner of his eye. "I win, eh? That's a good one..."

Goku turned to him with some difficulty. "Whaddaya mean?"

Pikkon smiled. "I might have beaten you. But I have no strength left. I can't take all three of them at once."

Confused, Goku looked up and gasped in shock. "Oh, you guys!"

Standing above Goku, much worse for wear but at least able to stand, were Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien. Pikkon chuckled and his head flopped over. "The Northern Galaxy. It... would have been nice to visit it when... I was... alive..."

As Pikkon faded from consciousness, Goku chuckled and his eyes slowly closed. "You... should... sometime..."

In the distance, Toadstool cried out. "SON GOKU AND PIKKON ARE BOTH DOWN! SO, WITH ONLY YAMCHA, TIEN SHINHAN, AND PICCOLO LEFT STANDING, THAT MEANS VICTORY FOR THE NORTHERN GALAXY!"

Later, in the Grand Kai's private chambers…

The Quadrant Kais were all gathered in front of the Grand Kai Loka's throne, none of them looking too happy. For Virup of the West, Virdu of the South, and Drtha of the East, the bitter twang of defeat was a taste none could bear to swallow.

For Vaisra of the North, feeling three sets of hateful eyes on his back was enough to make him sweat bullets, though nervous anxiety wasn't the only thing floating in his head.

Grand Kai exhaled smoke, crushing his tenth cigarette into his throne's ashtray. He sat up straight. "Okay, North Kai. I'm ready to grant your wish now. So, what's it gonna be? You want the Spirit Bomb rights, right?"

All three of the other Kais sneered. This defeat, this embarrassment would not soon be forgotten. Not one of them had plans to ever forgive Vaisra for this. Not ever. They all planned to live long enough to see him die and to piss on his grave for this. There would be no forgiveness. None.

North Kai scratched the back of his head. And then, rather than answer the Grand Kai, he turned to his three fellows. His now-separated comrades. "Aren't you guys tired of fighting over that technique?"

All three of them flinched. Grand Kai rested his head into his hand. North Kai continued. "I mean, we watched Goku and Pikkon use that move to great effect during this competition. And watching all our other students, I think any of them could use that technique for its original purpose, don't you?!"

East Kai stammered. "S-So what?! Who cares about its original purpose! This isn't about that!"

North Kai frowned. "That technique was made to vanquish evil! That's what we designed it for! Together! Remember Buu, you three?! Don't you want to see warriors rise that could fight a monster like that?!"

South Kai flinched. "Wh-Why you gotta bring up Buu here?!"

West Kai snarled. "Who cares about a ghost of the past, huh?! Buu is gone! Bibidi is dead! All that matters now is the credit! So, go ahead and take it you hog! I won't forget this!"

North Kai sighed and shook his head. "I didn't come here to claim credit for the damn Spirit Bomb. I don't care about that anymore. You three can have it!"

All three of them cried out. "WH-WHAT?!"

North Kai shrugged. "I came here for a planet. That's it. Because one of my students accidentally blew mine up being heroic. And... as much of a forgetful dummy as he can be... he needs a place to come do serious training and it hurts me to think I can't be that for him..."

South Kai frowned. East Kai shook her head. West Kai's shoulders slumped. "So, you're willing to drop the grudge just like that?! So easily?!"

North Kai nodded. "Yeah. Cuz I just want a place to live and let my students train again..."

A long pause followed. None of the four knew what to say at that point. The Grand Kai simply watched on, expectantly. Then, finally, North Kai spoke again. "But, how big of a planet I wish for is something I haven't decided yet..."

South Kai cocked his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

North Kai turned to them. "Listen, you three... I have a question I've been meaning to ask the three of you for a long while now..."

East Kai flinched. "Which is?"

West Kai growled. "Get to the point!"

North Kai smiled a hopeful, little smile. He pulled off his sunglasses and looked at his three oldest friends with genuinely sad eyes. "Can't we all just make up? Go back to the way things were before?"

Later that night, at the Celebration Banquet for the Fighters…

Tien looked surprised, placing his cup of tea on the ground next to his leg. "So, the Kais really just made up? Just like that?"

Olibu chuckled warmly. "Quite so. Apparently, from what I heard from Toadstool Tatakae, the moment King Kai mentioned reconciling, South Kai and East Kai burst into tears. West Kai was a bit more stubborn, but the four of them didn't leave the room... nor did King Kai make his wish until they all hugged it out."

Yamcha smiled wide. "Aw~ That's so sweet!"

General Blue sneered. "Ugh. Gag me with a spoon."

Piccolo glanced down at the Red Ribbon soldier. "Why aren't you in Hell? Weren't you supposed to be sent back to Hell?"

Olibu placed a hand on Blue's shoulder. Blue blushed bright red and Olibu laughed. "I have decided to take this one under my wing! I have a feeling that, with enough effort, we might be able to polish a lump of coal into a diamond! At least, I'd like to hope so~!"

A small drift of steam rose from Blue's head and he mumbled. "U-Under your wing wouldn't be the worst place to be..."

Goku chuckled, giving Blue a playful slap on the shoulder. "I believe in ya! You're gonna do great! Worse people have turned out to be good, after all~"

Blue scowled at him. "Drop dead, you monkey-tailed twerp! I'll beat you senseless!"

Goku laughed and bit a huge chunk out of a piece of roasted beef. "Get stronger and I'll fight ya anytime!"

Yamcha rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and looking around. The warriors of the East, the West, and the South all sat at their own tables, excitedly discussing the battles of the day. The former bandit smiled and closed his eyes. "Ya know, I said it earlier, and I hope to do a lot more living, but I also look forward to this being the place I go when I die. I could get a lot of good training done here. I just hope they'll let me bring Suno and Koriocha when their times come..."

Tien nodded. "Agreed. I'm sure Chiaotzu will make it here too."

Piccolo simply closed his eyes and nodded along. Goku sighed, thinking back to his fight with Pikkon. Thinking back to that sudden burst of energy. How different it felt. Thinking even farther back, Goku remembered the conversation he was having with Vegeta before this all began. Their conversation about the next step beyond. Goku stroked his chin and thought long and hard.

And then, he saw Pikkon stand up out of the corner of his eye. Goku called out. "YO! PIKKON!"

Pikkon turned to face Goku, and then briskly walked over. "Yes, Goku?"

Goku smiled. "So... I had something I wanted to tell ya~"

Pikkon cocked his head. "And what's that?"

Goku motioned the warrior over. Pikkon leaned in and Goku spent a few seconds whispering into his ear cup. Pikkon's eyes went wide and he flinched back. "WHAT?! Y-You can bring me back to life?! How?! What the hell are Dragon Balls?!"

Goku chuckled. "I'll explain it more later. Just, when I go back to the world of the living, I just want you to know that you'll be following me back as soon as I can get the Earth Dragon Balls or the Namek Dragon Balls together! Promise!"

Goku held up a pinky and Pikkon, stunned, wrapped his own pinky around it. "I... I get to see my family again? R-Really?!"

The Saiyan nodded, standing up. "Yup. In a couple months, when I go home, I'll make sure it's the first thing I do~"

Pikkon was speechless. Piccolo, meanwhile, was confused. "Goku, what do you mean in a couple months? Aren't we going back the moment we see King Kai again?"

Goku turned to his friends, looking at Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo for a long, silent pause. Then he shook his head. "Nah. I need to stay and train for a bit. There's something that...I need to figure out."

Yamcha and Tien both flinched. Goku smiled. "Besides, this is a golden opportunity! You guys should consider a longer stay too! Think of how much stronger we could all get and all the new techniques we could learn! Huh?! See what I mean?"

For a moment, Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo all sat there. They were clearly thinking hard. Yamcha mumbled to himself. "I mean, Koriocha can protect that village just as well as I can..."

Tien crossed his arms. "Chiaotzu wouldn't mind watching my body, I don't think..."

Piccolo swallowed a lump in his throat. "Dende knows how to care for me..."

Goku slammed his hands on the table with a big, toothy grin. "See?! It'll be great, guys! It might be a bit irresponsible, but what's a month or two gonna hurt?! Think about how strong we can become!"

The four warriors stared at one another, so invisible telepathy shared between them that only comes with prolonged exposure to Goku's unique flavor of irresponsible foolishness. And then, all four nodded at the same time. Goku chuckled and pumped his fists. "AN EXTRA MONTH OR TWO OF TRAININ' IN THIS FIGHTER'S PARADISE! I'M PUMPED! THIS IS SO EXCITIN'!"

And then, before any of the warriors of Earth realized what had happened, 6 months had passed...