Master Roshi's sunglasses slid down the bridge of his nose.
His fingers tightened—crack—and the teacup in his hand shattered.
Scalding tea spilled over his palm, but he didn't even flinch.
"I told you…" His voice came out hoarse, raw with dread. "With that kind of power… Demon King Piccolo has already surpassed humanity. This isn't something Goku can stand against…"
For three hundred years, he'd lived long enough to understand one thing:
This time… the world might really end.
Bulma's forehead beaded with sweat as well.
Yes, Goku could put out a blazing mountain. He'd done things that made ordinary people call him a monster.
But Piccolo?
Piccolo had waved a hand and erased an entire city like it was nothing.
To Bulma, that gap looked terrifying—so wide it made all of Goku's undefeated record feel suddenly fragile.
If Demon King Piccolo could be stopped…
Then it might only be with the Evil Containment Wave.
With sacrifice.
And then using the Dragon Balls to bring the fallen back.
The moment that thought settled in her mind, Bulma spun around and rushed back to the study for the Dragon Ball Radar.
Yamcha, who'd been sprawled lazily on the sofa just minutes ago, sat upright as if someone had dumped ice water over him.
"What the hell…? How are we supposed to fight something like that?"
Krillin stared down at his own hand, expression blank, voice low and shaken.
"So he really is that strong…"
"Then there's no way we can beat him head-on."
"There's only one solution—the Evil Containment Wave."
And then—
A voice called out from outside the house.
"Hey! The people inside—come out for a second! Does Krillin and Yamcha live here?!"
Everyone's blood ran cold.
At the entrance to Kame House, three winged creatures stood there like executioners.
Their shape and faces resembled the monster Goku had killed at the tournament—Demon Clan, green-skinned, scaled, and vicious—
Only these three were larger. Heavier. More oppressive.
The one in front—Shen—flipped through a tournament roster and laughed loudly.
"HAHAHA! Not just Krillin and Yamcha…"
"Tien and Chiaotzu are here too!"
"One visit and we can wipe out four martial artists. What a wonderful day."
Tien stepped forward, fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
"You're dreaming! Talking about killing us like it's nothing!"
"Who's first? Or do you want to come at me together?!"
"I'll kill all of you!"
Shen's mouth curved into a thin, mocking smile.
"You?"
He vanished.
Before Tien's eyes could even track the movement—
BAM!
A brutal kick smashed into Tien's face.
Tien flew backward like a rag doll, slamming into a boulder and shattering it into chunks.
He staggered up immediately, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, eyes wide.
"…Damn it. He's fast."
Shen had been born after Demon King Piccolo regained his youth.
He wasn't like Tambourine.
He was a whole tier higher.
Krillin's voice snapped out, tense with worry. "Tien! Are you okay?!"
Inside the study, Bulma yanked the Dragon Ball Radar up and turned it on.
She pressed buttons.
Again.
And again.
Nothing.
No lights. No signal. No response.
Bulma frowned, panic creeping in. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Why isn't it reacting at all? Don't tell me it broke before we even used it?!"
At that moment, the door slid open behind her.
Goku stumbled in, rubbing his eyes, still half-asleep.
"Bulma… you're up early." He yawned. "Can I have the radar now?"
Bulma turned, face stiff. "Goku… I think something's wrong."
"I might've messed up. The radar… it's not working."
Goku blinked twice.
"Then fix it!"
Bulma grabbed her hair with both hands, frustrated. "I don't even know what's wrong!"
"It shouldn't be like this! I remember everything going smoothly—there wasn't a single step that felt off!"
Goku stared at her, genuinely baffled.
"Bulma… are you getting dumber lately?"
Bulma puffed her cheeks, ready to explode—
And the whole house suddenly shuddered.
The floor shook violently.
Books rattled. A shelf creaked.
Bulma nearly stumbled, but her reflexes were good enough to steady herself.
Then her eyes widened.
"Right!" she blurted. "Goku! I remember—someone was shouting outside!"
"There are people here!"
Goku's sleepy haze vanished instantly.
He sprang up. "Then let's go."
They burst out of Kame House—
And saw Tien battling a winged monster out front.
The earlier tremor had been from their clash.
Behind Shen stood two more winged creatures—more human-shaped than him, but just as menacing—watching like they were waiting their turn.
Krillin, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha hovered near the doorway, tense and ready, but clearly not yet forced into the fight.
Bulma's pupils contracted.
"Those are… the monsters Piccolo birthed?"
Goku's eyes narrowed as he counted them.
"Three of them…? They found this place already?"
Krillin looked like he'd been holding his breath for hours.
"Goku! You're finally awake!"
"There are three of them! And Tien… he's not winning!"
As if to prove it—
Shen drove a heavy kick down and sent Tien crashing into the ground.
He looked down with contempt and sneered.
"Hmph. You were loud a minute ago."
"And this is all you've got? What a disappointment."
Master Roshi's face went pale, sweat running down his temple.
"Even Tien can't beat one of them…"
"This is bad…"
Shen opened his mouth.
A concentrated beam gathered—
A mouth blast aimed straight at Tien's helpless body.
Goku moved—
But Krillin moved first.
He flashed forward, chopped the incoming blast aside with a razor-sharp hand strike, and planted himself directly in front of Shen.
He didn't even look back when he spoke.
"Chiaotzu," Krillin said steadily, "get Tien out of here."
"I'll handle him."
Chiaotzu nodded hard and hurried to pull Tien away, dragging him behind the others.
Shen stared at Krillin, startled for a moment.
Then his eyes dropped to Krillin's short frame.
And he burst into laughter.
"Hehehe… don't make me laugh."
"Even that guy isn't my match."
"And you—this little runt—think you can deal with me?"
Krillin's mouth tilted upward, calm and fearless.
"Yeah, I'm short."
"But don't you dare underestimate me."
Behind Shen, the other two—Russell and Bukanda—exchanged a glance.
Russell pulled out a list—the tournament records—and flicked his eyes over it.
"Shen," he said quietly, "that bald one isn't ordinary."
"He's last year's champion."
Shen jerked. "What?!"
Krillin raised his stance, smiling like he was inviting a fun spar.
"That's right. I'm last year's champion."
"So what—scared?"
Shen roared with laughter, pride flaring.
"Scared of you? Don't be ridiculous!"
"You think I need the three of us to deal with one tiny runt?"
"I alone am enough!"
Then he squinted, voice turning sharp.
"Tell me—was it you who killed Tambourine?"
Krillin didn't hesitate.
"Yeah. I killed him."
"And since you showed up… the three of you can come together."
"I'll make sure you die knowing exactly why."
Goku's eyes widened slightly.
Krillin…?
That timid, nervous Krillin from his memory—somewhere along the way—
had stood up.
But the more confident Krillin sounded, the more Shen's ego refused to back down.
"Hah! Big words!"
"It's just you. I don't need help."
Krillin turned his head slightly without taking his eyes off Shen.
"Goku," he warned, "this one's mine."
For a martial artist, there was a special kind of satisfaction—
Not in crushing someone who couldn't fight back.
Not in being crushed.
But in a battle where you could go all-out and truly test yourself.
Goku understood that better than anyone.
He nodded immediately.
"Alright."
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