Kami slowly paced to the edge of the temple. Gazing out at the sea of clouds churning below, he seemed lost in distant memories. Then, in a low, even voice, he began recounting a long-buried tale. "A very, very long time ago, I and the being who would later become King Piccolo were once the same person. Back then, I was a martial artist known as a genius."
He paused.
Kami's gaze turned distant as he continued, "Once, I happened to hear about the existence of Kami. Filled with longing and a desire to challenge myself, I came here! Unfortunately, gods aren't eternal, either. Their lives come to an end. The old Kami was nearing his death, and I wanted to become his successor. With my great strength, I thought it was only natural that I would be chosen. But the old Kami disagreed!"
Then Kami turned to Son Goku. "Though he believed that, at the time, there was no one on Earth stronger than me."
"Uh..." Son Goku scratched his head, only half understanding.
"The old Kami refused me because he saw that, deep in my heart, there was a dark and wicked thought hidden away—one I hadn't even fully realized myself." Kami's voice grew heavy with self-reproach. He sighed deeply. "He knew what was wrong with me! He told me that unless I purified my heart, I couldn't take on the responsibility of protecting Earth. So I stayed at the temple and underwent even stricter, more painful training and self-reflection. In the end, I succeeded in driving that evil part of my thoughts and desires completely out of my body!"
At this, Kami paused, his face filled with genuine remorse, as if the memory still pained him. "What I never expected was that the evil expelled from my body wouldn't disappear. Instead, it gathered together and formed an evil being with its own consciousness and immense power—the one who would later bring endless calamity to the world: King Piccolo! My heart was purified, and I was able to inherit the title of Kami and become the new guardian. But the creature born from my evil thoughts took the opportunity to escape to Earth. With his power and boundless malice, he brought humanity tremendous suffering and disaster... I've always felt deeply guilty and sorrowful over it."
"So that's what happened..." Son Goku nodded thoughtfully. Though he hadn't understood everything, he had grasped the general relationship between Kami and King Piccolo.
"Broly defeated King Piccolo... In a sense, he rid me of the sin born from me and saved the world." Kami brought the conversation back to Broly, looking at Son Goku with complicated feelings. "I should be thanking him more than anyone, in person."
Son Goku: "..."
Son Goku opened his mouth, then said nothing.
Broly probably didn't care about being thanked, anyway.
"Still, knowing Broly's personality, I doubt he'd want to come to a place like this, would he?" Kami mused. He seemed to know a thing or two about Broly.
"That's right," Son Goku said quickly, confirming Kami's guess. "I invited Broly to come with me, but he turned me down right away. He said he wasn't interested."
"I knew it!" Kami smiled helplessly, though there was something amused in his expression. Broly's reaction had clearly been just what he expected.
"But... why did you ask me to come here?" Son Goku was still confused. He didn't understand why Kami had summoned him, the substitute.
"I want you to stay here and train properly under Mr. Popo and me." Kami's tone grew serious, and his eyes brimmed with hope. "You have great potential, and your heart is pure. You just need proper guidance and more intense training."
"Really? That's great! I was thinking the same thing!" Son Goku's confusion vanished, and he clenched his fists in excitement. The flames of determination burned in his eyes as he shouted, "I want to get stronger—to become even stronger than Broly!"
"Stay here and train without worry! According to my foresight, you and Broly will meet again in three years." Kami nodded, giving him a clear time frame.
"Three years?" Son Goku stared at him in surprise. "Will it really take that long? Can't it be sooner?"
"Broly should appear at the World Martial Arts Tournament three years from now. And Piccolo... will appear, too." Kami spoke of the future he foresaw, his tone tinged with worry.
"Huh? Piccolo? Didn't you say King Piccolo was already..." Son Goku's face instantly filled with shock.
"Unfortunately, in a sense, he's still alive!" Kami confirmed, then explained in detail. "After King Piccolo broke free of his seal, he immediately used a secret art unique to the Demon Clan to nurture a new life inside his body. That new life grew within him, absorbing his nutrients and energy! After Broly killed him, the fully matured life burst out of his body at once! To keep Broly from noticing, the new life followed the arrangements made by its father's soul before he died. It used its energy to destroy King Piccolo's original body, causing an explosion, then escaped while it had the chance! That's the real reason King Piccolo's body exploded in front of you afterward."
"That really happened?" Son Goku scratched his head, utterly bewildered. It sounded like a story from a fantasy tale.
All Son Goku knew was that Broly had killed King Piccolo with ease.
Master Roshi hadn't explained these details to him at the time.
"This newborn Piccolo inherited all of his father's memories, power, and hatred! He swore to avenge his father and take complete control of the world!" Kami's voice grew ever lower, carrying a note of warning. "From what I can sense, he's already training hard in an extremely secluded place somewhere on Earth! His talent is exceptional, and he'll grow at an astonishing rate!"
"So that's what happened! I think I understand now!" Son Goku nodded firmly, his expression serious.
"And Broly, for all his unimaginable power, has no desire to train... As far as I know, all he does is eat and sleep, relying entirely on his inborn talent." Kami sighed helplessly, his voice full of concern. "Given how desperate the newborn Piccolo is to take revenge and how furiously he's training, one day he'll grow stronger than the stagnant Broly—and kill him! To satisfy his hatred!"
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