Broly and Master Roshi didn't waste any more time. They sprang into action and hurried toward the area where the explosion had just occurred.
What came into view was a small Charred Pit. Scattered around it were even smaller chunks of green flesh and tissue, all charred and blackened.
The air was filled with the strange smell of burning protein.
At the edge of the pit lay two orange spheres marked with stars. They stood out against the scorched earth.
They were the two Dragon Balls King Piccolo had swallowed!
"This guy... explodes on his own after he dies? What kind of weird rule is that?" Broly stared at the scraps on the ground, completely baffled. He scratched his head.
"I don't know. Who can make sense of the Demon Clan's business?" Master Roshi shook his head too, his wrinkled face just as full of confusion.
But Master Roshi quickly put the matter out of his mind.
The Dragon Balls were what mattered most now!
Master Roshi immediately approached with great care, bent down, and picked up the two intact Dragon Balls. He carefully wiped away the dust clinging to them, then smiled with visible relief. "Thank goodness the Dragon Balls weren't destroyed! What a relief! Now Goku and Krillin can be brought back to life!"
"Yeah. At least the trip wasn't for nothing." Broly nodded.
Broly wasn't too concerned about who got brought back to life, as long as it didn't interfere with his meals or sleep.
The two of them returned to the place where they had hidden the other five Dragon Balls.
Master Roshi briskly brushed away the loose soil and dug out the remaining five Dragon Balls one by one.
At last, all seven Dragon Balls were together again. Their stars glimmered faintly in the deepening dusk.
"Broly, go get Chiaotzu and Tien Shinhan," Master Roshi called to Broly, who stood nearby, as he arranged the seven Dragon Balls on the ground.
Broly didn't object. He turned toward a huge rock nearby that could serve as cover and called out in his distinctive voice—not especially loud, but remarkably penetrating. "Chiaotzu, come out. It's over. You're safe."
Chiaotzu: "..."
After a brief silence,
Chiaotzu's small, white figure finally drifted out from behind the rock, hesitantly and at a leisurely pace.
Floating in the air, Chiaotzu gazed at Broly with wide eyes full of lingering terror. He studied him warily from a distance, as if he were some prehistoric monster.
The sight of Broly brutally killing King Piccolo and then smashing the spaceship with his corpse had left an indelible shadow on Chiaotzu's young mind.
King Piccolo... that terrifying demon... was he really dead?
Broly had killed him just like that, as easily as if it were child's play?
Broly... who was he, really? How could he be so powerful?
"What about Tien Shinhan? Is he all right?" Broly seemed not to notice Chiaotzu's fearful gaze—or perhaps he simply didn't care—and asked casually.
"Uh... well..." Master Roshi scratched the back of his bald head awkwardly. An apologetic, sheepish smile appeared on his face as he explained, "I... I was worried Tien Shinhan might get too worked up when he saw King Piccolo and do something reckless, so I used... a little of a special, powerful knockout drug on him. He should still be asleep back there."
"Ah! Right! Brother Tian!" Chiaotzu suddenly snapped out of his fear of Broly, remembering his unconscious companion. He hurriedly answered and floated toward the rock behind which Tien Shinhan was lying.
Before long, Chiaotzu found Tien Shinhan still sprawled on the ground, fast asleep.
Tien Shinhan's face was rosy, and his breathing was even. He was clearly sleeping soundly.
"Brother Tian, wake up! Come on, wake up!" Chiaotzu landed beside Tien Shinhan and gently patted his somewhat stern cheek with a small hand.
"Mm..." Tien Shinhan's brow furrowed. He let out an unconscious groan, and his eyelids fluttered with difficulty before he slowly woke.
All three of Tien Shinhan's eyes were cloudy with the confusion of waking. He looked at Chiaotzu, who was right beside him, and several very tangible question marks seemed to pop up on his face.
"Chiaotzu? What... what happened to me? My head feels so heavy..." Tien Shinhan shook his still-foggy head. Then he suddenly remembered what had happened before he passed out, and his expression changed. He warily looked around and urgently whispered, "How did it go? What about King Piccolo? Did Master Roshi succeed?"
"King Piccolo... he might be... dead." Chiaotzu's mouth twitched as he answered uncertainly.
After all, the way he'd died was so absurd.
"Dead?" Tien Shinhan was momentarily dumbfounded. His mind seemed to be moving slowly under the effects of the drug, but he immediately came to what he thought was the obvious conclusion. Admiration and relief spread across his face. "Did Master Roshi seal him away with the Evil Containment Wave? As expected of the God of Martial Arts! He really is amazing! He turned the tables at the last moment!"
"No... he wasn't sealed..." Chiaotzu hurriedly shook his head, forcing an even more strained smile as he struggled to explain. "He... he was beaten to death. Just beaten to death."
"Dead? Beaten to death?" Tien Shinhan paused, then once again looked as if he'd figured it out. He clicked his tongue in wonder, filled with emotion. "Master Roshi really has been hiding his true strength! Incredible! So when he competed against me in the World Martial Arts Tournament, he really was holding back on purpose. I bet he didn't even use a tenth of his strength! His magnanimity and care for the younger generation are truly admirable!"
"That's not it... Brother Tian... you've got it wrong..." Chiaotzu waved his hands frantically at the sight of Tien Shinhan's reverent expression.
But Chiaotzu had no idea how to put the incomprehensible scene he'd just witnessed into words.
"Wait, I remember now!" Tien Shinhan suddenly slapped his forehead. His brow knitted, and he looked confused and a little displeased. "Just before I fell asleep... I think I vaguely saw... that kid Broly suddenly rushing out and slamming Master Roshi's head into the ground?! What was that kid thinking? Was King Piccolo controlling him? Or did he switch sides at the last second?"
The memory nagged at Tien Shinhan, and he couldn't make sense of it.
"Um... Brother Tian... it's... complicated..." Chiaotzu felt as if his CPU were about to overheat. He decided it was better to put an end to the conversation for now and leave. "I'll explain everything properly later. Let's go out first. Master Roshi and the others have gathered the Dragon Balls. They're waiting for us."
As he spoke, Chiaotzu pointed outside the rock.
Tien Shinhan could tell Chiaotzu wasn't giving him the full story. Though he was full of questions, he suppressed them when he heard the Dragon Balls had been gathered. With Chiaotzu helping him, he got to his feet and staggered toward Master Roshi and Broly.
The drug still hadn't fully worn off. Tien Shinhan's head felt as heavy as lead, and his feet felt as if he were walking on cotton.
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