Has Piccolo Left Behind Any Descendants?

Master Roshi's mouth twitched violently as he looked at Broly's calm expression.

And you still say you don't like fighting?

Why did it seem like whenever you mentioned a fight—especially one against a powerful opponent—there was a faint excitement in your eyes?

You little rascal, don't tell me you have a hidden violent streak?

"Still... Broly might have a point..." Master Roshi forced himself to calm down and studied Piccolo in the ring again. The longer he looked, the more uneasy he felt. "That green skin, those cold, snake-like eyes... and those pointed ears. He really does look about seventy or eighty percent like King Piccolo did back then! He's also wrapped his forehead tightly in a headband... Could he be trying to disguise himself and hide some feature?"

"King Piccolo? He's still alive? That's impossible!" Bulma, standing nearby, had overheard them and shook her head in disbelief, her face filled with fear. "Didn't you all see him explode with your own eyes? His body was blown to pieces!"

"That's true. We did see it ourselves." Master Roshi stroked his beard, his expression growing more solemn. "But who can say what the Demon Clan is capable of? We'd better be careful, just in case! It's also possible... that he's a descendant King Piccolo left behind before he died, or a new being he somehow brought into existence."

Master Roshi voiced his speculation thoughtfully.

The idea sent a chill through even him.

"If that's really the case... then he probably didn't enter the World Martial Arts Tournament in disguise for innocent reasons... He may be here to avenge himself on Broly!" Master Roshi shuddered.

"He'd better not be thinking that." Broly finally finished his milk tea, crushed the empty cup, and tossed it into the nearby trash can. Then he somehow produced a packet of beef jerky and answered nonchalantly as he tore it open.

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. We should watch his match with Krillin first! The fight ought to reveal more." Master Roshi suppressed his unease and nodded, turning his attention back to the ring.

In the ring.

The fight had begun!

Krillin was on guard, but Piccolo's arrogance had thoroughly enraged him.

Krillin struck first. His short frame spun like a nimble top as he unleashed the Turtle School's refined hand-to-hand techniques, combining them with nimble footwork to launch a relentless flurry of attacks at Piccolo!

Fists and legs blurred through the air with a whistle, showing the fruits of his hard training over the past three years.

Yet Piccolo handled Krillin's all-out assault with ease, even seeming to toy with him like a cat playing with a mouse.

With simple blocks and slight shifts of his body, he effortlessly deflected most of Krillin's attacks.

When he occasionally counterattacked, he moved like lightning and struck with the weight of a mountain. Each blow left Krillin in mortal danger, forcing him to summon every ounce of his strength just to dodge or block.

To the untrained spectators, the match looked thrilling and fiercely contested.

The two fighters darted back and forth, their ki surging in every direction as cheers rose from the crowd.

But to experts like Son Goku and Tien Shinhan, the outcome was obvious.

Krillin had thrown everything he had into the fight, even looking for opportunities to use the Kikoho he'd practiced so hard. Yet he still couldn't pose any real threat to that Maginia.

He was completely at his opponent's mercy.

At last, Piccolo seemed to lose patience with toying with him.

The moment Krillin's strength had just run out and he hadn't yet recovered it—

Piccolo blurred forward at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. With a seemingly casual hand chop that carried terrifying force, he struck the side of Krillin's neck with pinpoint accuracy.

"Thud!"

Krillin felt an irresistible force hit him. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness for a brief moment.

Piccolo watched Krillin, whom he had knocked down with ease, struggle to sit up. A flicker of complicated emotion passed through his eyes as he felt a slight jolt of surprise.

The nobody who had been no more than an ant three years ago had actually reached this level?

He was still utterly insignificant, but his rate of progress was astonishing...

That guy called Broly...

He'd been able to kill Father three years ago. He must be even stronger now, right?

But then Piccolo remembered a piece of news he'd heard through certain channels, and he felt much more at ease.

Apparently, Broly hadn't trained at all since three years ago.

All he did was eat, sleep, and play video games, completely lost in such lowly pleasures.

Piccolo's lips curled once more into a cold, confident smile.

So Broly hadn't gotten any stronger. He might even have grown weaker from laziness!

The gap between us has narrowed, and my chances of revenge have greatly improved!

First, I'll win the championship according to plan!

Then, when the champion steps up to give his speech, I'll tear off my disguise and announce my return to the world. That will be the glorious moment when I begin my grand quest to conquer the world!

At the thought, Piccolo felt his blood boiling with barely contained excitement.

After that, in front of the entire world, I'll personally torture Broly, the murderer of my father, to death!

I'll extinguish the last hope of these insignificant humans!

And then, in endless despair and fear, they'll welcome the reign of me, King Piccolo!

"Contestant Krillin can't continue the match and has forfeited! Contestant Maginia wins!" After checking Krillin's condition, the referee announced the result into his microphone. He also reassured the spectators and encouraged the competitors. "Although Krillin lost, he has nothing to be ashamed of. His tenacious spirit and superb martial arts gave us a high-level match! Let's give him a round of applause!"

"Krillin, you were great! That was a good fight!" Son Goku rushed into the ring at once and carefully helped the still-dazed Krillin to his feet. With a sincere smile, he patted Krillin firmly on the back. "You've improved so much—it really surprised me! That guy's definitely strong. There's no shame in losing to him!"

"I couldn't help it... The gap in strength was still too big." With Son Goku's support, Krillin swayed as he got to his feet. He rubbed his still-sore neck and gave a rueful smile. "It felt like he wasn't even trying. He was just playing with a little kid..."

"Not bad, Krillin!" Master Roshi looked at his youngest student with pride and gave his honest assessment. "He's grown into a truly outstanding martial artist!"

Broly didn't respond. He just kept chewing on his beef jerky, as if the snacks in his hand mattered more than who won the match.

Blue-haired Launch stayed by his side as attentively as ever, occasionally taking out a tissue to wipe the grease from the corner of his mouth or handing him another drink.

The young couple, one focused on eating and the other on taking care of him, looked remarkably in sync.