"Assassin VS Ma Junior."
The theme of this advancement match was Villain VS Demon King. Mercenary Tao's strength was formidable, but-
"What a pity. I didn't get matched against that traitor Tien." Tao didn't seem to take Piccolo seriously at all. "Congratulations to him, he gets to live a little longer."
"In the match that decides who advances from the Top 4 to the finals, I will definitely kill him."
Tao spoke as if he'd already won.
"Looks like you're very confident in your own strength." Piccolo folded his arms.
"Of course."
Tao pointed at himself and winked. "Me. Mercenary Tao, Senior Advisor to the Red Ribbon Army, ten consecutive years of a one hundred percent assassination success rate. Aside from one accident, my career as an assassin has never known defeat."
"Do you really think you can be my opponent? Don't make me laugh."
"Fine." Piccolo's gaze sharpened. "We will see about your smugness soon enough."
"Even if you look that awful, I'm not letting you off." Tao's expression stayed indifferent. "I'm not trash like my older brother."
One was a legendary assassin. The other was the son of the terrifying Demon King who once dominated the world.
"No matter which of them loses, it's a good outcome for us." Just as the Z Fighters were watching the arena, the previously withdrawn Kami walked up.
"Mr. Shen?" Krillin startled when he saw who it was, speaking with a hint of respect. For some reason, he always felt a strange, inexplicable fondness toward him.
"No, it would be more accurate to call you Kami." Krillin had barely finished speaking when Naruto added his correction.
Kami didn't try to hide it, admitting it bluntly. "So you've already recognized my identity."
"Your ki hasn't changed. A little sensory perception is all it takes to confirm it," Naruto spoke. "You actually left your Lookout unguarded and came down here. Let me guess why."
"First of all, it's definitely not to watch us. So... could it be that you wanted to see the child born from your evil side? Or are you planning to personally clean up the mistake you made back then?"
Kami was stunned, his inner thoughts struck dead-on. He could only respond with silence.
"Let us guess, what method are you planning to use? Could it be... Kami, you intend to use the Evil Containment Wave to seal Piccolo?"
Kami stared in profound silence.
Seeing Kami maintain his silence, Naruto sighed. "Kami, if you were Piccolo, and your own father suffered greatly from this sealing technique... tell me, wouldn't you look for a countermeasure?"
"Piccolo has probably already developed a technique to counter the Evil Containment Wave by now."
"If I were him, I would definitely pretend to be afraid of the Evil Containment Wave. Then, when someone tries to use it on me again, I'd seize the opportunity to use the counter and let them suffer the consequences of their own actions."
Kami remained entirely silent.
"Don't tell me, that no one actually thought of this?"
Kami thought, *'When you put it like that, you make me look pretty stupid. This brat is not the least bit endearing.'*
"So what do you suggest I do?" After a long silence, Kami finally spoke. "Whether it's my identity as Kami or the consequences of my own selfish decision back then, I must resolve this matter."
"Demon King arose because of me, so he should also be ended because of me."
"This is my responsibility, and it's also my duty as Kami. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility."
Ever since Piccolo, who had inherited his father's full power, had appeared, Kami had been gripped by an intense sense of crisis. That was why he had gone to learn the Evil Containment Wave. And now, especially after seeing the powerful fighters under Piccolo's command, that sense of crisis had only deepened further.
Naruto nodded, not denying it. "Kami, what I'm about to say won't sound good, but I'm going to say it anyway."
Kami thought: *'If it doesn't sound good, you could always not say it.'*
"You're old. Your abilities aren't enough to handle the situation anymore."
"Forget Piccolo, just look at his subordinates. Do you really think you could deal with either of them on your own?"
Blunt, but true. Kami fell silent.
His era had become a thing of the past.
Just as the 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi had marked the end of Master Roshi's era, this 23rd Tournament signaled that Kami's time had passed as well.
"Then what do you suggest I do?" Kami let out a sigh, looking at Naruto.
Kami, who enjoyed observing the lower world, had been searching for Piccolo's whereabouts. Piccolo had inherited Demon King's memories and hidden himself well, deliberately evading Kami's surveillance. But once, by chance, Kami had spotted Naruto looking after Piccolo.
He had assumed the boy was trying to redeem the Demon King. Instead, after teaching him for only three months, Naruto had left.
Kami couldn't read Naruto at all.
"Try placing your trust in the younger martial artists." Naruto's unhurried voice cut through Kami's thoughts.
"The martial artists who defeated Lei Wu and Devilman trained up there for three years. You know them well enough, don't you?"
What was Naruto up to? Raising the Z Fighters' strength, of course. Both the Saiyan Saga and the Frieza Saga were battles that nearly annihilated everyone.
Kami's gaze shifted to the Z Fighters, led by Goku. Sensing the aura radiating from them, far surpassing his own, he murmured to himself.
"Perhaps... I really should have devoted more time to them. At least then I wouldn't be so helpless now."
"Their training was mostly left to Mr. Popo."
"It's not too late." Seeing Kami take the bait, Naruto grinned and stated his goal subtly. "Not long ago, I learned a hidden secret, and it gave me an idea. If you don't mind, Kami, once this is over, I'd like you to help with something."
"The World's Number One Assassin? Is that all?" Piccolo stood at the center of the arena. Beneath his feet lay Mercenary Tao, who just moments ago had been entirely insufferable.
"Impossible... how can anyone possess this much power?" Tao fought to rise, pushing against the ground, but Piccolo pressed a single foot down and pinned him flat again. "Impossible. I have the most advanced scouter installed inside my body. Your power level was clearly below mine."
Tao's earlier confidence had vanished, leaving him looking thoroughly wretched on the stone floor.
"That is our King!" Devilman, already back on his feet after losing to Goku, gazed at Piccolo with pure reverence. The look he shot Tao carried nothing but disgust. "Nothing more than a mere human. You think you're worthy?"
"Well done! As expected of our King!" Wu was shouting from the sidelines too. His display was even more over-the-top than Devilman's, he hoisted a flag he'd gotten from who-knows-where, emblazoned with 'Victory to the Great Demon King,' and waved it excitedly.
As the weaker of the pair, Mummy stood off to the side, a small flag in each hand, shaking them back and forth.
"Strong?" Piccolo echoed the word and let out a self-deprecating breath. "You think I am strong? I have never considered myself strong enough."
"Especially not when I stand before him."
As he spoke, Piccolo's gaze shifted toward Naruto.
"The more ignorant a person is, the more they think they are the center of everything. The more a person knows, the more they understand how small they truly are."
"There are always people beyond people, worlds beyond this world, demons beyond demons."
Piccolo kept talking, as if to himself. "All of this, you taught me."
"Life is not only about conquering the world. Maybe there are other things that matter more."
"Like eating an orange."
"What the hell are you rambling about!" Tao screamed, thrashing wildly as he tried to get up. A pity that his 1000 Points of combat power crumpled like paper against Piccolo's strength.
"Forget it. You wouldn't understand." Piccolo shook his head and stepped back, releasing Tao from his restraint, then moved to the side. "Let me show you a bit of my power."
The next second, an overwhelming pressure flooded Tao's entire body. It felt as if one wrong twitch would separate his head from his shoulders.
If Tao had still believed moments earlier that he was the superior fighter, the scouter inside his chest was now shrieking nonstop.
A line of glaring red text flashed before Tao's eyes.
'EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!'
"Your combat power is reasonably decent. I will give you one chance. Submit to me... and perhaps I will spare your life." Piccolo's voice reached Tao's ears.
Before he could even steady himself, Tao dropped with a heavy thud, kneeling directly before Piccolo.
"I am willing to submit to you, Great Demon King."
"From now on, I am your most loyal servant."
Do not be fooled by the aura Tao carried when he first appeared, the full-blown villain persona, killing with his tongue, flying on a pillar. The moment he found himself at a disadvantage, his survival instinct exploded with unnatural ferocity.
Things like a martial artist's dignity, he had never cared about them at all.
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