Come forth, Shenron!

"Master Roshi..." Tien Shinhan blinked his three eyes, struggling to focus, and gave a weak greeting to the old turtle hermit standing by the Dragon Balls, his body still swaying.

"Sorry about that, Tien." Master Roshi looked at Tien's state, his face breaking into an even more embarrassed grin as he rubbed his hands together and explained, "I had no choice back there—it was an emergency. After all... if something had happened to me... I thought... I thought that in the future, the burden of dealing with King Piccolo and protecting Earth might fall on your shoulders."

Master Roshi's words carried a heavy, heartfelt weight, like a dying man entrusting his legacy.

Tien Shinhan: "????"

Tien's three eyes went wide as saucers, and it looked like a hundred question marks had popped up over his head.

What do you mean by "I thought"?

The more I hear, the more confused I get!

Didn't you already kill King Piccolo?

Why are you talking like you almost sacrificed yourself?

"Luckily, everything's fine now—false alarm, and the Dragon Balls are all gathered." Master Roshi seemed unwilling to dwell on the topic, quickly pointing at the seven faintly glowing Dragon Balls on the ground to change the subject.

"Is King Piccolo... really dead for good? No chance of revival or some kind of split-off?" Tien still wasn't fully reassured, forcing himself to stay alert as he asked seriously.

"Dead as dead can be—even his body exploded. Rest easy." Master Roshi nodded firmly, his tone certain, and gestured with his eyes toward the distant, still-smoking small pit.

"Good... then I'm... relieved..." Hearing Master Roshi's definitive answer, Tien finally let go of the tension that had been gripping him.

But that sudden release, combined with the lingering effects of the knockout drug, sent his head spinning.

"Thud!"

Before he could finish speaking, Tien felt his vision go black, his body go limp, and he toppled over, falling back into a deep, undignified sleep.

"Youth is wonderful—able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Truly enviable." Master Roshi stroked his beard as he watched Tien instantly drift off, letting out a heartfelt sigh.

Chiaotzu: "..."

Chiaotzu floated nearby, watching his Brother Tian pass out again, then looked at Master Roshi's kindly, sighing face. Internally, he was drowning in speechless complaints.

Master Roshi... Brother Tian falling asleep at the drop of a hat—isn't the real reason that you knocked him out with a strong knockout spray?!

What does youth have to do with it?!

Did you use that sigh in the wrong place?!

"Alright, let's make a wish to Shenron and revive Goku and Krillin." Master Roshi's smile faded, his expression turning serious as he suggested to Broly and Chiaotzu.

"O-okay." Chiaotzu quickly nodded, cautiously glancing at Broly, who was starting to look around bored again, and subtly edged away to what he thought was a safe distance.

This guy... he looks harmless, with a friendly expression.

Sometimes even a bit spacey...

But when he acts, he's way too brutal, way too ruthless!

Not only did he wipe out King Piccolo as easily as squashing an ant.

He even used King Piccolo's corpse as a weapon to smash a ship without batting an eye...

You... you're the real demon, aren't you?!

"Hey, old man!" Broly seemed to remember something, turning his head and casually asking, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere, "I recall Shenron can only grant one wish, right? There are two people to revive—who goes first? Flip a coin?"

"Let's try wishing for everyone killed by King Piccolo and his minions to be revived, excluding the evil ones..." Master Roshi cupped his chin, pondering for a moment as if he'd already considered this, and slowly voiced his idea.

"Can you do that? Revive them all in one batch?" Broly blinked, a hint of surprise on his face.

"Let's try! It's better than only reviving one." Master Roshi sighed, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "If this wish doesn't work, we'll have to wait a year and revive either Goku or Krillin."

With that, Master Roshi hesitated no longer. He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and faced the seven gathered Dragon Balls with a solemn expression. In a clear, resonant voice, he called out to the sky: "Come forth, Shenron! Grant our wish!"

"Bam!"

At Master Roshi's call, the seven Dragon Balls seemed to come alive in an instant, erupting with blinding golden light!

The light blazed like seven tiny suns, turning the dim surroundings bright as day!

In the blink of an eye, the sky, still tinged with twilight, was swallowed by pitch-black darkness, as if a giant black cloth had been draped over the heavens!

Then, the golden flames from the Dragon Balls merged into a thick pillar of light, shooting into the sky, glaring and sacred against the black night!

"Bam!"

High above, the golden pillar twisted and expanded, transforming into a massive, lifelike green dragon!

Shenron coiled and writhed across the night sky, its enormous body covering nearly half the heavens. Its red eyes, like two giant searchlights, gazed down at the earth, radiating unmatched majesty.

Its tail remained connected to the seven Dragon Balls below, the source of its power.

"You who have gathered the Dragon Balls, speak your wish!" Shenron's deep, ancient voice, as if from a primordial age, rang out across the vast night sky, clear to everyone on the ground. "I can grant you any wish."

"Is Goku still alive?"

At that solemn moment, Broly suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question, tilting his head and casually addressing Shenron in the sky.

Master Roshi froze, whipping his head toward Broly with a stunned, exasperated look, nearly choking on his breath.

This kid!

Why ask something like that at such a critical moment!

"Is that question your wish?" Shenron's massive red eyes turned to Broly, its voice still majestic and emotionless.

"No, no! Of course not!" Master Roshi panicked, afraid Shenron might misunderstand, frantically waving his hands and shaking his head like a rattle.

"I was just asking casually. Don't mind me." Broly flashed Shenron a harmless smile and waved his hand, signaling it to continue.