The group gathered around together again and chatted for a while, sharing stories of what had happened since they parted and what they'd been worried about.
"Hey, everyone, are you there?"
Just then, a familiar, energetic voice suddenly called out from outside!
It was Son Goku!
"It's Goku!" Bulma was overjoyed. She sprang up from the sofa, her face beaming with irrepressible happiness.
"Goku really did come back to life! That's great! I knew that kid wouldn't die so easily!" Yamcha let out a long sigh of relief and pumped his fist, a heartfelt smile spreading across his face.
"Creak!"
The next moment, the door swung open, and Son Goku's small but powerful figure stepped inside, dusty from the road but full of energy.
"Krillin! You came back to life! That's great!" The instant Son Goku saw Krillin up and about, he cried out excitedly, dashed forward, and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Goku... thank you... Thank you for chasing after that monster for me... I... I'm really touched." Overcome by Son Goku's sincere friendship, Krillin's eyes reddened. His voice caught in his throat as he hurriedly wiped away the tears that had nearly fallen.
"Goku, did you come back to life with the Dragon Balls too?" Yamcha smiled as he walked over and patted Son Goku on the shoulder, asking casually.
"Huh? Come back to life?" Son Goku was taken aback. Looking confused, he shook his head and answered naturally, "I didn't die. I've been alive the whole time."
"You didn't die?"
The smiles on Yamcha, Bulma, and the others' faces froze. They all stared at one another, stunned, as if they'd just heard something unbelievable.
After a brief moment of stunned silence,
Yamcha, Bulma, and the others quickly understood. Their faces lit up with realization.
"Hahaha, I was wondering how Master Roshi and Tien Shinhan got things done so fast! They'd already gathered the Dragon Balls and made their wish!" Bulma giggled and nudged Yamcha with her elbow. "So you were the one who defeated King Piccolo, Goku! That means we didn't need to wish for his destruction—we could just wish for Krillin to come back to life!"
"Goku, you really are amazing!" Yamcha exclaimed admiringly, clapping Son Goku on the shoulder. "You actually took down that terrifying King Piccolo? Tell us how you did it!"
"It wasn't me." Son Goku shook his head, rejecting their guess. He looked around with a puzzled expression and asked, "By the way, haven't Grandpa and Broly come back yet? I thought they'd get home before me."
"Not yet..." Yamcha replied, then muttered under his breath, "If Goku didn't defeat King Piccolo, then who did? Could it have been Tien Shinhan?"
"That's possible!" Bulma nodded thoughtfully. "After all, Tien Shinhan was the champion of this World Martial Arts Tournament. Maybe he had some kind of lucky break during this time, or learned a special technique and gotten a lot stronger!"
"What are you all talking about?" Son Goku watched them make guesses, utterly confused. He simply answered, "It was Broly! Broly defeated King Piccolo!"
His words landed like a bombshell in the room!
Everyone present, including Krillin, who had just come back to life, was frozen in place as if they'd been struck by a spell!
An eerie silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of waves washing against the beach outside.
After a brief silence,
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Yamcha, Krillin, Bulma, Oolong, and Puar all burst into laughter at nearly the same time, as if they'd just heard the funniest joke in the world!
Their laughter was full of disbelief and absurdity, almost enough to lift the roof off the house.
Only Launch didn't laugh. Surprise flashed in her big blue eyes, then her face brightened with delight. She seemed to believe Son Goku, and even looked a little proud of Broly.
"Hahaha, Goku, I didn't know you'd learned to joke around!" Yamcha laughed so hard he doubled over, slapping his thigh as tears welled in his eyes. "That joke wasn't funny at all!"
"If you'd said Tien Shinhan defeated King Piccolo, we might have believed you!" Bulma laughed so hard she could barely stand, clutching her stomach. "But you're saying Broly did it! Can Broly even fight? As far as we know, he's a super glutton who does nothing but eat and sleep, and has no interest in training!"
"Yeah, Goku. We've lived with Broly at Master Roshi's House for so long," Krillin said, shaking his head in disbelief, an amused smile on his face. "Aside from his extraordinary enthusiasm for food and his elaborate eating rituals, I've never seen him train seriously—not even once! How could he defeat someone as terrifying as King Piccolo? It's impossible!"
"I'm not joking! What I'm saying is true!" Seeing that nobody believed him, Son Goku stamped his foot in frustration. His expression turned serious as he insisted, "I heard it straight from Master Korin! Master Korin wouldn't lie to me, would he?"
The room fell silent once again.
Everyone's laughter stopped abruptly, like ducks with their necks in a vise.
Master Korin had said it?
The venerable, powerful Master Korin had said it himself?
That meant... this utterly absurd-sounding news
might actually be... highly credible?
"Broly... really defeated King Piccolo?" Krillin's smile gradually vanished, replaced by utter shock and confusion. He murmured the words, as if trying to process the earth-shattering news.
"Hahaha! I had no idea Broly was this strong! This is so exciting! I'm getting more and more pumped!" Son Goku was just as shocked, but above all, he was filled with the pure joy and anticipation of having found a powerful opponent. A bright, eager smile spread across his face.
"Y-you're kidding, right?" Yamcha's mouth fell open in astonishment. He felt as if his whole understanding of the world had been shaken. He looked at the equally stunned Bulma, then at Son Goku's serious expression, but he still found it hard to believe.
"That Broly... has already surpassed Goku?" It took Bulma a long time to recover from her shock. She covered her mouth instinctively, her eyes full of disbelief.
At that moment, something occurred to Bulma. She abruptly turned and took a long, searching look at Launch, who wore a gentle smile and a hint of pride.
Could it be... that Launch had known all along that Broly was strong?
Was that why she'd shown such obvious interest in Broly so early on, and gotten him to fall for her?
The thought stirred up complicated feelings in Bulma, leaving her a little green with envy.
How foolish of me... I'd thought Broly might not even be able to beat Yamcha...
And now I'd been proven wrong... so fast!
Before you continue