Goku's Revenge! Hunt for the Dragon Balls!
When Suno and Goku returned to Mabel Village, it was to a hero's welcome and a breakfast feast was quickly declared in Suno's honor. Suno would have politely declined but she was quite hungry. Goku was even more hungry so to her this was the best idea ever. Suno had never seen someone eat so many pancakes. By the time breakfast was over, the last few traces of dawn mist had faded away and the sun was rising high into the bright blue sky on a bright spring morning.
"Guhhhh," Suno groaned out as she leaned against her chair and patted her stomach. One of the villagers had been nice enough to give her a new shirt. "I don't know if it ever happens to you, Goku, but I am full." Goku didn't say anything and Suno sat upright to look over at Goku. Her fists were balled so tightly on the long table that they were shaking and her face was frozen in an uncharacteristic scowl. "Hey," Suno said as she put a hand on Goku's, "I told you, we'll get the guy who killed Kri–" Suno suddenly felt that evil ki pressing down on her mind like before. The one she'd felt when Goku's ki had disappeared. "Goku," she said softly, "He's co–"
"Get out of the way," Goku said in almost a growl. Suno's eyes widened as Goku looked up towards the sky. Suno followed her gaze up and saw him. The monster that Goku had fought earlier and the one that must have killed Krillin. "Suno," Goku said as she pushed her chair back and hopped down from it, "I'm not going to say this again. I have to fight him myself. Get out of my way." As Suno quickly moved away to get the animal people's attention, Goku felt a little bad for getting so angry at her friend. She couldn't help it, though. It was this horrible monster that made her so angry. He had to pay. The monster slowly descended with his wings outstretched to catch the wind like a parachute as he landed in front of them. The adorable animal-people scattered as Goku violently shoved the table away so there was nothing standing between her and the monster.
"I don't know what's more insulting," the monster said as he started walking towards Goku, "The fact that you're alive or the fact that someone like you killed a demon." Goku said nothing as she walked forward to meet him. "Well don't think you'll survive this time, you brat. I, Tambourine, son of Piccolo Daimaou, will ensure that there is nothing left of you but a–" It quickly became difficult for Tambourine to finish his boast as Goku leaped into the air and drove a kick into his jaw. There was a sickening crack and Goku felt his jaw break against her foot. It felt good. Tambourine tumbled away in the dirt and struggled to his feet. His yellow eyes were wide in terror as he tried to hold his jaw in place as purple blood flowed out of his mouth and down his fingers. Goku charged again with a roar and smashed her shoulder into Tambourine's stomach. This time she heard his ribs break as he gasped in pain. He stumbled away and swung at her desperately. Goku caught his wrist and flipped him over to slam him hard into the ground. She kept her grip on Tambourine's wrist and wrapped her legs around his elbow. She yanked hard and, in a few seconds, that snapped too. Tambourine howled in agony as Goku let go of his arm and staggered away with his arm limp at his side. He turned and ran, stumbling and whimpering as his wings opened up and he tried to fly away. Goku growled and crouched low for a jump.
"I won't let you get away!" she yelled as she leaped high into the air and drove her feet into his back to bring him back towards the ground. "Give me back Krillin! Give me back Nimbus!" With another growl she grabbed Tambourine's wings and yanked hard as she pushed her feet into his back. There was a wet ripping sound and Tambourine tumbled to the ground with his wings still in Goku's hands. Goku hit the ground feet-first and made a small crater on the impact. She watched Tambourine struggle onto his hands and knees and start to crawl away with purple blood flowing from the gashes in his back.
'This can't be happening…' Tambourine thought in disbelief, near–delirious with pain. 'How can a human so easily defeat one of us?!' He fell into the dirt and lay there for a moment before pushing himself back up. 'H-h-have to get back to father! Back t-to the ship!'
"This is for Krillin," Goku whispered as she brought her hands down to her side. "Kaaa meee haaa meee," an enormous ball of blue-white light gathered in Goku's hands, larger than any she'd done before, "Haaaa!" She thrust her hands forward and a massive blast rushed towards Tambourine.
"Father, help me! Fath–aaaaaah!" Tambourine's death scream dissipated as the blast completely overwhelmed him and he disappeared in the white-blue light. When the light finally dimmed, there was a massive trench in the ground where the Kamehameha had been fired that blasted through trees and rocks and into the mountains… but no Tambourine. He had been blasted to ash and carried on the wind. Goku's chest rose and fell quickly as feral adrenaline pounded through her veins. The monster who killed Krillin was dead. She wasn't happy, though. She didn't feel any better. She just felt angry. She threw her head back and roared and her voice echoed across the plains.
OoOoOoO
Piccolo Daimaou clutched as his chest again and fell forward with an agonized gasp. He gripped the arm of his throne with one shaky hand to keep himself from falling as his eyes went wide in a mixture of pain and disbelief.
"Tambourine assss well, father?" Piano asked. Piccolo raised his hand as if to strike his pteradonian son with a backhand yet he let his hand drop. All that killing the boy would accomplish would be to bring him that much closer to death. Piccolo growled and slammed his fist on the arm of his throne.
"This will not stand!" he declared angrily before turning to glare at Shu. "Plot a course for that Dragon Ball. I will deal with this myself!" Shu frantically manipulated the controls and the airship groaned slightly as it changed its course. Piccolo sat back in his throne as his claws dug into the stone. He would suffer these indignities no longer!
OoOoOoO
Morning came quickly in the Kame House. There was no alarm to wake everyone. Instead, they had Bulma.
"DONE!" she declared with the Dragon Radar high above her head loud enough to shake everyone from their slumber. She was wide-eyed with bags under her eyes and her hair sticking out wildly but she was triumphant. Puar had been sleeping on Turtle's back but quickly found himself on the ceiling. Yamcha, Launch and Roshi came stomping down the stairs at the sound, Chaozu had been sleeping in Roshi's armchair, and Tenshinhan had been standing in the kitchen as still as a statue. "I would have finished a couple hours ago," Bulma said as Yamcha took the Dragon Radar from her hands, "But I kinda dozed off around midnight for a couple minutes. Nothing that ten cups of coffee couldn't fix, though!" She giggled deliriously and Yamcha gave her a hug as she started to stagger.
"Great work, hon," he told her encouragingly. Then he handed the Radar to Roshi and guided Bulma gently to the couch. "You just try and lie down." He ran back upstairs and found the capsule with his sword in it. "Hello, beautiful," he muttered before he pressed the button and tossed the capsule up. He smiled as the sword landed in his hand and slowly unsheathed it just enough to see his eyes in the blade. "Did you miss daddy? Daddy missed you." He sheathed the sword and tied it to his belt as he made his way back downstairs.
"Chaozu, Ten, Yamcha, Launch and myself will gather the Dragon Balls," Roshi was explaining. "This will make Piccolo come to us. Remember, under no circumstances should we attempt to confront Piccolo Daimaou. We have no chance, even the five of us together. Our best hope is to distract him long enough to take whatever Dragon Balls he has and summon Shenron to strike him down." Tenshinhan frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.
"It's too passive," he complained. "We should take the fight to him! I understand that your master could not defeat him, Muten, but I'm sure that I am strong enough. If we had the Mafu-"
"Absolutely not!" Roshi told him curtly as he jabbed a finger in the Triclops' face. "You don't know what it would cost! If one were to use the Mafuuba, it would leave us that much weaker should it be unsuccessful!" Roshi and Tenshinhan glare at one another before Bulma spoke up.
"Hey," she said, slurring her words with exhaustion, "W-wait a second! You cantjusst leame back here!" She pushed herself up off the couch and Yamcha moved to catch her before she fell forward. "Why d'I have to–"
"Bulma," Yamcha said softly, "You're in no shape to go anywhere. Besides, you're not a fighter. It's safer for you to–"
"I don't want the last time I ever see you be when you walk out that door!" Bulma blurted out as she clutched desperately to Yamcha's shirt with tears in her eyes. "I-It's just, w-with Krillin, a–and Goku and Suno are still missing! I can't…" she swallowed down a sob as the tears ran down her cheeks. "I can't lose you, too," she whispered as she slumped against Yamcha.
"Hey, hey," Yamcha said softly as he brought his hand up under Bulma's chin and brought her eyes up to look at him. "It's going to be fine. I promise. No one else is going to die. We're gonna end this then we'll use the Dragon Balls next year and get everyone back." He bent his head down and kissed Bulma gently on the lips. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss before going slack against him as her body finally gave out to weariness. Yamcha caught her before she could hit the ground and slowly guided her to the couch, snoring softly.
"Are we done here," Launch asked with a roll of her eyes, "Or should we stand around with our dicks in the wind and let Piccolo get more Dragon Balls?"
"I am not familiar with this phrase," Tenshinhan said as the five quickly shuffled out of the Kame House.
OoOoOoO
Goku paced back and forth as she stared down at the Dragon Radar. She had dug a tiny trench in the dirt in the center of the village but she didn't care. There was a Dragon Ball coming towards her that just had to be be the one that Tambourine guy had stolen when he'd killed Krillin. She was going to get it back!
"Goku," Suno said softly as she put a hand on Goku's shoulder, "You've got to calm down. You're scaring people." The animal people had given a wide berth to Goku after her merciless display against Tambourine an hour before. "I know you're angry and I am, too. Whoever this Piccolo Daimaou guy is that Tambourine mentioned is obviously the real problem here but take it from me, revenge doesn't solve anything. Tambourine's dead but do you feel any better?" Goku just glared up at her and kept pacing. Suno sighed and shook her head. She could tell she wasn't going to get through to Goku right now. Suddenly she froze and Goku snapped out of her funk to look up at her friend with concern.
"Suno?" she asked softly and stood up out of her trench. "What is it?" Suno's face was pale and she was trembling. Goku put a hand on Suno's shoulder and shook her gently. "Hey. What's wrong?"
"Power," Suno whispered, "Never felt something so… evil!" Before Goku could ask anything else, there was a roaring sound like an engine and Goku looked up to see what looked like a fat airplane with glass bubbles on the top and nose.
"Lord Piccolo," came a voice from the plane, "We've arrived." It sounded like Mai. What did Pilaf and his friends want to do with someone who killed people?
"You're using the outside speakers," came Shu's voice. Then there was a thunk. "Ow! I was just trying to–" Goku glared up at the plane before looking at Suno.
"You should go inside," she told her. "Give me the Dragon Ball and get somewhere safe." She wasn't angry this time and she didn't say it because she wanted Suno to stay out of her way. She was worried about whoever might be in that plane. Suno nodded and handed Goku the Dragon Ball before she turned towards the villagers.
"Everyone," she called as she waved forward with outstretched arms, "Get inside!" The villagers screamed and ran as they huddled into their houses and Suno ran into the house of the Panda villagers that had let Suno and Goku stay in their house while Goku recovered. Goku glared up at the plane and put on the necklace before she got into her fighting stance. She had to be ready for anything. The bottom of the ship opened up and something huge fell out of the hole and smashed down into the ground to create a huge crater. A green man in a dark blue robe with the character for "Demon" on the front and a red cape climbed out of the hole and glared down at Goku.
"So," he said in a deep, rumbling voice as he cracked his knuckles, "You're the brat who's been killing my children?" Goku glared up at him and shook a fist at him.
"And you're the jerk who's been sending monsters to gather the Dragon Balls and kill people! I'm gonna beat you up!" For some reason, that made the big green man laugh.
"So you don't know who I am?" he asked. "That's a pity. I am Piccolo Daimaou, whelp! The Great Demon King and soon to be the absolute master of this world! Yours will simply be the next body used to pave my road to conquest!" Goku growled and jumped up to punch him in the face. Piccolo took the hit and staggered back with a hand on his jaw. "Huh," he remarked, "Impressi–" he was cut off when Goku jumped back up as soon as she landed and hit a dropkick into his knee to make him fall flat on his face. Piccolo snarled as he got up and dodged as she ran to hit him with an elbow. He tossed away his robe and cape with a flourish to reveal the blue gi he had on underneath. "Very well. Let me show you how fearsome I am!"
"Come on!" Goku challenged him as she charged again. "All you've done so far is ta–" Piccolo swung his leg forward and caught her under the chin with a kick that sent her high into the sky. Piccolo jumped into the air to meet her and knocked her back down with a chop. He was fast for someone so big! Goku smashed into the ground hard enough to burrow a hole with her body. Goku tried to collect her thoughts and come up with a plan of attack but, before she could get any ideas, Piccolo's huge hand reached into the hole and yanked her out. He shook her by the front of her shirt before he smashed his other fist into her face.
"Do you see how pointless it was to defy me?" Piccolo asked smugly. "You are near the door of death and I have only used half my strength!" Goku spit in his face and bit down hard on his thumb. Piccolo cried out in pain as he broke his grip and Goku grinned as she landed on her feet. She may have been in a lot of pain but at least she'd done something to him! She knocked Piccolo onto one knee with a sweep kick and jumped forward to drive a knee into Piccolo's chest. However, he drove her away with a backhand and Goku crashed painfully into someone's house. Piccolo laughed as Goku staggered away from the house. She really didn't like his laugh. "Well?" he taunted. "What will you do now?" Goku glared and brought her hands down to her side. Piccolo's eyes went wide for a moment and that made her smile. She was scaring him!
"Kaaa meee haaa meee…" Goku couldn't see it but Piccolo's scared expression had gone away. "Haaaa!" she threw her hands out and was surprised that Piccolo wasn't even trying to defend himself. The beam came straight for Piccolo and he opened his mouth wide… and snapped his jaws shut around the beam and it dissolved in an instant. "Wh-what?" Goku asked in quiet shock as her arms dropped limply to her side.
"You had me worried there for a moment," Piccolo admitted as he wiped his mouth. "I thought I was in trouble." He chuckled and flexed his fingers. "An amusing little technique, though. Shall I try?" Goku was too stunned to speak and Piccolo laughed again. "Yes," he said as he brought his fists up, "I believe it's time for you to die!" His body began to glow and tendrils of yellow energy snaked off his body as he let out a low growl. Goku couldn't move. He was strong! Too strong! How could she fight him? Suddenly, Piccolo thrust his hand forward and as his palm glowed with yellow light she snapped out of her daze. "Obliterate!" Piccolo bellowed as a beam of yellow light shot out of his hand. Goku jumped away at the last second, high into the air. She whipped her Power Pole off her back and pulled it back before swinging hard.
"Power Pole extend!" Goku cried out and the staff shot down mid-swing to strike Piccolo on the jaw. Piccolo's head whipped around and he took a step back. Goku grinned to herself when she saw that. Maybe there was something in the Power Pole that could hurt him. Something magic!
Then Piccolo's arm stretched up to grab her by the ankle.
"Got you!" Piccolo taunted as he slammed Goku hard into the ground. His arm snaked back to its normal length and he stood over her with his other palm inches from her face. "Obliterate!" The blast hit Goku squarely and buried her in a blast crater in a blinding burst of light. Piccolo stood over her for a moment but she never stirred. He sneered down at her and plucked the Dragon Ball from around her neck and held it up to the sun. "All too easy." Then he slowly turned his gaze on the village and opened his mouth wide. A blast of light flew out of his mouth and he whipped his head to the side to sweep the village with the deadly beam, giving the villagers barely enough time to scream. When Piccolo was finished, there was nothing but bones and ash. He smirked and flew back up into the airship. He sat back down in his throne and rolled his neck with a relaxed sigh. It felt good to get some exercise. "Where is the next Dragon Ball?" He asked. No one replied. They were all too stunned in terror by the mass murder Piccolo had just committed. "If you will not do your duties then you are of no use to me," Piccolo warned. "Now, where is the next Dragon Ball?" Pilaf scrambled over to his Radar and fiddled with some buttons before turning back to look at Piccolo.
"It, um," he swallowed and took off his ridiculous hat to wipe away his sweat, "It appears that the balls have started to move." Piccolo nodded and looked down at the balls in his hand.
"Very well," he said nonplussed. "That means that someone else is gathering the balls as well. Let them. All they are doing is making our task easier. When the five have been gathered, take me to their location and I will finish this quickly." He opened his mouth and tilted his head back before dropping the balls into his mouth and swallowing them to store them safely away in his gullet. "Soon I shall be invincible."
OoOoOoO
One of the piles of rubble that used to be a house rumbled and Suno burst out of it with a gulp of air and then fell out of the rubble as she gasped for breath. That had been way too close. She had actually felt the heat of Piccolo's blast pass over her head as she'd ducked down. If it hadn't been for all her training, heck if it hadn't been for her training just with Korin, she'd almost certainly be dead. As dead as… everyone else. A chill swept over Suno as she stared out over the field of death and destruction that had once been such a beautiful little village. Even when the Red Ribbon Army had attacked Jingle Village, she had never seen so much death and had never been this close to it. It was horrible! How could someone like Piccolo Daimaou exist? Suno heard a cough and groan and sprinted towards the crater where Goku lay prone. The ground was hot under her feet as she ran down to meet her friend.
"Goku," Suno said softly yet urgently as she shook the other girl's shoulders, "You've got to get up! Come on, we've got to go…" Go where? To meet up with the others? To hide in Jingle Village? Where could they go?
"Suno," Goku said in a strained voice as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her, "I… I can't move." Suno's eyes went wide and she had to force herself not to panic.
"G-Goku," she stammered out, "Can you move your fingers or toes? Can you feel them?" She was screaming at herself inside. Why hadn't she taken Roshi up on teaching her how to heal? Then she might be able to do something right now. She didn't know what but it would probably be better than the nothing she could do right now if Goku was–
"No," Goku said as she struggled to shake her head, "I mean I feel them but it just… it hurts too much to move!" Suno sat backwards and was visibly relieved. Well this was still bad but it wasn't as bad as she had thought it was. "Suno," Goku said, "We have to go to Korin's tower." Suno blinked and stared down at Goku. What the heck could Korin do for them? "Just trust me. We need to get him to train us again." Suno sighed and nodded as she picked Goku up onto her back and carried her out of the crater. As she loaded Goku into her car, Suno could only hope that there was still a world left down here when they got off Korin's tower.
OoOoOoO
The Capsule Plane carrying the five martial artists soared through the sky with Launch at the controls. She had the most experience with flying planes though that experience wasn't exactly legal. Yamcha leaned over the back of the pilot's chair and scanned the skies for anything that might be the sort of thing a Demon King would fly and, against hope, a yellow cloud. He sighed and looked down at the duffle bag over his shoulder that was carrying the Dragon Balls.
"Can't believe we've gotten five of 'em already," he muttered to himself. Roshi nodded from his cross-legged seat on the floor of the plane. He seemed to be mentally preparing himself for the battle ahead.
"Hmm," he muttered, "With no resistance. I suspect Piccolo became aware of our presence early on and has decided to let us do the work for him."
"It seems Muten is right," Tenshinhan called from the back of the plane as he looked down at the Dragon Radar in his hand as Chaozu sat beside him. "If I am reading this device correctly then there are a pair of Dragon Balls headed towards our direction." Yamcha nodded as he felt a cold knot in his stomach.
"This is it," he muttered as he looked out the window and pointed over Launch's shoulder at the ground. "Land in that clearing," he told her. "Put the plane behind that mountain." Launch nodded tensely.
"Got it," she said and steered the plane towards the ground with the controls in a white-knuckled lock. She brought the plane into a smooth landing and the five quickly filed out of the back of the plane and hid under an arch in the rock as they waited for the airship that apparently carried King Piccolo. Yamcha thought that it certainly didn't look like the sort of ride a Demon would own. "So what's the plan again?"
"Chaozu will wait here until we've managed to take Piccolo's Dragon Balls," Roshi told her as he buried the Dragon Balls behind her, Yamcha, and Ten. "Once we are able to get the Dragon Balls away from Piccolo, we'll throw them to Chaozu and he'll summon Shenron. You remember the words, Chaozu?" The alabaster imp nodded. "Good. As for you three…" Roshi struck each of them with a blow to the back of the neck that made them drop like sacks of flour. "You three will live." He turned back to Chaozu and looked sternly down at him. "Don't reveal your position for anything, do you understand? No matter what happens to me." Chaozu nodded nervously and Roshi nodded back. He took a last deep breath to steel himself for the moment and tossed aside his jacket as he walked out from under the arch. "Piccolo Daimaou!" he called out. "I've got your Dragon Balls! Come down if you want them!" The bottom of the airship opened up and Piccolo slowly descended to the ground. He looked the same as Roshi remembered except, well, older.
"Finally," Piccolo said sardonically, "Someone who knows who I am." He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "You certainly don't intend to challenge me, do you old man?" Roshi chuckled and scratched at his beard.
"Look who's talking," he taunted. Piccolo let out an irritated growl and Roshi chuckled again. "I know you quite well, Piccolo Daimaou, though I doubt you remember me. I could have stopped you three hundred years ago but I failed and others had to die. I won't make that mistake again." He got into his guard. "My Dragon Balls are buried somewhere in this field! You want them, you'll have to kill me first!" Now it was Piccolo's turn to laugh.
"So you think you'll be able to beat the Dragon Balls out of me, is that it?" he asked. "I think you'll find that an even more impossible task than you anticipated." Piccolo's face suddenly scrunched up and he seemed to be… swallowing in reverse. He opened his mouth to reveal two Dragon Balls on his tongue and chuckled before swallowing them again. "As an act of goodwill for gathering the Dragon Balls for me, I'll give you this one chance to ask for a quick death." Roshi scoffed and leaned his head from side to side to crack his neck.
"Are you gonna talk all day," he asked, "Or are we going to fight?" Piccolo smirked and got into his own guard. A wind swept across the field as the warriors glared at one another. The Demon King and the Invincible Old Master. When they clashed, it was more than a battle, more than a desire for world conquest clashing against revenge for a fallen master. When the being of pure evil met the greatest martial artist to ever be born, it was the very essence of good against evil, of the dark versus the light.
Tenshinhan groaned in pain as he looked up at the battle in a barely-conscious daze. The others had yet to recover so, for the moment, only he and Chaozu could bear witness to the awesome spectacle. Piccolo Daimaou was like no creature he had ever seen before and Muten Roshi was attacking with skill and precision beyond anything Tenshinhan had ever dreamed of being capable of as a fighter.
'What are you doing, old man?' Tenshinhan wondered in a daze. He could sense the differences in Piccolo and Muten's powers. It was a hopelessly uphill battle and, while Muten was fighting valiantly, Piccolo was clearly holding back and toying with the ancient master. 'You can't hope to outpower this monster. What is your plan?'
"Bankoku Bikkuri Shou!" Roshi called out and lightning shot forth from his fingertips to ensnare Piccolo. He growled in pain for a moment as his body went rigid before he suddenly drew in his arms and threw them out to shatter the field of energy. Roshi shielded his eyes from the blowback with a grimace. 'Should've seen that coming,' he thought as he brought his arm down just as Piccolo barreled towards him and smashed him away with a backhand. Roshi tumbled through the air but landed on the ground with his hands to handspring away and land on his feet as Piccolo charged again with a knee that passed right through him. Piccolo Daimaou blinked for a moment in disbelief as he was suddenly surrounded in a ring of Roshi afterimages. He sneered in contempt.
"An amusing trick," he said in a backhanded compliment. "Now begone!" He threw his arms out and surrounded himself in a dome of ki that blasted the afterimages to nothing and Piccolo looked up to see the real Roshi hovering in the air above him, having leaped into the air with moments to spare, his shoes burned clean off and his pants singed. Piccolo growled and threw out an elongating arm only to be shocked when Roshi gave a roar and suddenly bulked up considerably. He grabbed Piccolo's wrist and yanked him up into the air with astonishing force, pulling Piccolo face-first into his fist and spinning Piccolo around by the arm before slamming him into the ground. Roshi descended a few moments later like a missile and smashed into Piccolo with both fists with an impact that shook the Earth.
'He might be stronger now,' Ten thought as Roshi was suddenly sent flying out of the ground from a kick by Piccolo, 'But it's not enough! If you have a plan, now is the time!' Had the old man really thought he could fight Piccolo Daimaou head-on?!
Roshi was gasping for breath as Piccolo pulled himself out of the ground and dusted himself off. His muscles were on fire and he was fairly certain he could feel a few broken bones already. To make things worse, he suddenly felt a tightening in his chest.
'Should've known,' Roshi thought as he chastised himself for this arrogance. 'Couldn't keep this form up. Not in this condition and not at my age. You're a damn fool, Muten.' He reached into his back pocket with one hand as Piccolo slowly drew closer. 'Well,' he continued to think, 'Since I'm already dyin'...'
"I must admit," Piccolo said as he walked towards Roshi, "You are a formidable warrior. That technique you used to increase your strength seems strangely familiar. You said you saw me in my first attempt to take over this world? Who are you? I would have remembered an enemy of your caliber."
"Is that…" Roshi breathed out, each breath a struggle as his body began to shut down, "Is that so? Well enough… to call me… adversary?" Piccolo's eyes went wide with realization and shock and he began to backpedal away from Roshi. "Ah," Roshi said with a hint of amusement, "So you remember that? The name you gave to my master…" Roshi threw a capsule hard onto the ground and from the smoke appeared… a rice cooker with a magic seal slapped onto the side. "Mutaito?!"
"No…" Piccolo muttered in abject terror as he broke out in a cold sweat. "Noooo!" He howled in horror and flew back up towards the airship. "No, no, no, no, no!" It wasn't fair! He was so close! How? How was this possible?! How could he be alive?!
OoOoOoO
"I don't understand," Pilaf muttered as they watched from the airship. "Why is he running?" Piano shook his head and grabbed at the frame of the window he was looking out of in green-knuckled fear.
"Thisss isss horrible!" He cried out in dismay. He hadn't even been alive for a week! He wasn't ready to die!
OoOoOoO
As Roshi threw out his hands, Tenshinhan watched with rapt attention and his third eye flitted to capture every single movement no matter how small. Ten had to burn this technique into his mind in case Muten failed.
"Mafuubaaaa!" Roshi called out and a green cyclone shot forth from between his palms to suck Piccolo in. The Demon King cried out in fear and desperately flailed his arms as if he were swimming through the air. He wouldn't go back!
"Not again!" Piccolo cried as Roshi moved his arms to try and direct Piccolo down into the rice cooker. "I can't go back! I don't want to go back!" Not again, he thought, back into the screaming eternity of darkness! Roshi screamed with effort through clenched teeth as every vein stood out in his MAX Power body and the green vortex containing Piccolo drew closer and closer to the rice cooker until…
Muten Roshi's heart let out its last beat. His arms dropped to his sides and the vortex dissipated to let Piccolo collapse onto the ground. His eyes began to close and his whole world turned slowly to darkness.
"Three hundred years…" Roshi whispered and a small smile curled onto his lips. "Not… not bad." With those final words Roshi fell towards the ground and his body returned to its normal size. 'Goku… Krillin… Gohan… Mutaito… I'll be seeing you soon.' And Muten Roshi was no more.
OoOoOoO
Far away in her palace, Uranai Baba felt her brother's death. She could not sense ki as her brother had but a fortune teller could sense energy in her own way. She felt her brother pass from the world and felt an immeasurable sadness. When you live to three hundred years, you learn not to care about other people too much after a while. They'll grow old and die right before your eyes. So when Muten died, she experienced a feeling she hadn't known in centuries. Her heart was broken. She pulled her hat down over her eyes and wept miserably as her pink ghost shooed the customers away. There would be no good fortunes today.
OoOoOoO
Shen had flown back to the Crane Temple in disgrace after losing his students and being humiliated once again by Muten Roshi. He was in a blacker temper than he had ever known when he suddenly felt a ki that… wasn't there anymore. A ki he had been able to feel practically his entire life.
"Muten?" he whispered in disbelief. Disbelief and… and sorrow? That didn't make any sense. '"Until I have breathed my last, I will hate you, Muten Roshi!"' The words echoed in his mind. He had hated Muten for centuries. Why would he feel grief? They had always been rivals. Why should he feel sorrow? Why… why was he crying?
OoOoOoO
Goku frowned as she lay in the back of Suno's car as they drove closer to Korin Tower.
"Something bad has happened," she muttered somberly. She didn't know what but something was wrong. She desperately hoped no one else had died. She didn't want to lose anymore friends.
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Piccolo struggled to his feet after the old man had died with trembling breaths. His whole body was still shaking with fear that he tried to force down. That had been entirely too close. Now, though, the old man was dead. Nothing else stood between him and the Dragon Balls. He closed his eyes and focused on the unique energy signature he had felt when he had held the balls in his hand and called the other five forth with his mind. He heard them burst out of the ground and flew towards him to land at his feet. He coughed up his two Dragon Balls and the seven clattered together and began to glow.
"Eternal Dragon Shenron!" he bellowed to the sky. "I summon you!" The sky turned black as thunder rumbled and lightning shook as an enormous beam of light snaked off into the sky. Tenshinhan, Chaozu, and even Piccolo were stunned with awe.
'Now, Chaozu!' Tenshinhan told his friend through telepathy. 'Go! You have to wish for the dragon to kill Piccolo before he can make his wish! Hurry!'
'R-right, Ten!' Chaozu thought before he flew off, resolute despite his terror.
"You who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls," Shenron spoke in a voice as deep as infinity, "Speak now and I shall grant your–"
"Shenron!" Chaozu cried out as he flew closer, "I wish for you to destroy Pi–" Before he could finish the sentence, Piccolo glared at Chaozu and two thin red beams of death burned a hole through the back of Chaozu's head. The albino dwarf tumbled through the dirt and came to lie dead at Piccolo's feet.
Tenshinhan stared in horror with mouth agape and had to bite his lip so hard that it bled to keep from screaming in despair. He had just watched his only friend die… on his order.
Piccolo let out a sigh and shook his head. This day had been filled with entirely too many close calls. As he looked up at the Eternal Dragon, he felt a strange and familiar energy. When he realized what was so familiar, his mouth quirked up in what could only be described as a spiteful smile.
"Ah," he said, "So you're his creature are you?" His eyes turned black and he spoke something in a language that he could only recall ever hearing in a dream. Shenron's eyes turned black as well and Tenshinhan's despair only deepened as he watched the Eternal Dragon bow its head in subservience to the Demon King. "Shenron!" he commanded. "I wish for youth eternal so that I may rule the lesser races of man and beast for all of time!"
"A simple task," Shenron asked as Piccolo's body began to glow. Piccolo stared down at himself as the wrinkles disappeared from his skin and he reached back to feel his head take a rounder shape. He felt every fibrous sinew of his body course with magical energy as the yellow patches on his arms flushed with new life and turned bright pink. Piccolo laughed triumphantly as his body surged with power once more. "It is done. Farewell." Shenron began to ascend as Piccolo shook his head and grinned.
"I think not," he told the Dragon. "You might someday be used against me. I cannot allow that. I cannot allow anything that might threaten my power to live." He threw out his hand up toward Shenron. "Obliterate!" He bellowed as the blast shot forth and struck Shenron full-force in the stomach. The dragon roared in pain before it exploded violently while the sky above turned bright blue. Piccolo smirked as chunks of Shenron's corpse rained around him before dissolving into ash. Then his smirk widened into a full-on grin and he let out a loud, boisterous laugh of triumph. He had won! He was invincible! Finally, after centuries of waiting, he would be master of all the world. There was nothing he could do to stop him.