The Evil That Was Absorbed

Dodoria's appearance drew everyone's attention. Piccolo stared at the pink flesh covering him with undisguised distaste.

And those countless little bumps were even more disgusting than his own green skin.

Nail eyed Dodoria aggressively. This chubby pink man definitely wasn't as harmless as he looked.

Dende was filled with terror. Dodoria had once led the slaughter of everyone in his village, and Dandan had been killed by a single poke of Dodoria's finger.

Son Gohan and Krillin were ready to attack at any moment. They had seen Dodoria's evil deeds, too.

Slug still had his eyes tightly shut. An unfamiliar energy enveloped him, keeping him asleep.

It was no surprise. This had to be the Grand Elder's doing.

The Grand Elder was the only one with such mysterious magic.

Bulma hid behind Son Gohan and Krillin. Dodoria's appearance was completely at odds with her taste, and her instincts had immediately classified him as a bad guy.

"May I ask where King Frieza has gone, beautiful and elegant lady of unparalleled grace and noble bearing? And where is this place? Why did I suddenly appear here?"

Dodoria's power level was only 20,000. Of those present, the only people he could beat were Krillin, Bulma, and Dende.

It was best not to even consider the Grand Elder's strength. His sheer size was intimidating enough.

Dodoria's polite tone wasn't just because everyone there could handle him as easily as a chick. More importantly, Bulma was a guest of honor to King Frieza.

Although he didn't know why King Frieza was interested in this frail woman, that didn't stop Dodoria from trying to curry favor with her.

As the number one bootlicker, he knew his place.

Bulma pointed at herself, then asked in bafflement, "You ugly freak, are you talking to me?"

Thinking about it, she was the only woman there who could be called young, beautiful, and rich.

So although Bulma still didn't like Dodoria, her attitude softened considerably.

"Frieza is fighting Son Goku and Vegeta on Planet Namek. This is Earth, and the Dragon Balls brought us all back."

When Dodoria heard the words "ugly freak," he nearly flew into a rage. But remembering how terrifying Frieza was, he managed to maintain what he considered a gentle smile.

But as soon as Bulma answered his questions, Dodoria's whole world came crashing down.

He was now more than a hundred thousand miles away from Frieza, wasn't he?

So Dodoria tried to contact King Frieza with his communicator.

Before his finger could reach it, a figure flashed past. Dodoria felt his ear go light, and Piccolo had already snatched the communicator away.

Crack!

Piccolo recognized the communicator. He wasn't about to let Dodoria send a message. What if it brought some powerful enemy who killed him, the great demon king of Earth? Who could he complain to then?

"You—you! I—I!"

Dodoria wanted to curse, but he didn't dare.

Just then, the Grand Elder suddenly coughed, drawing everyone's attention.

"Son of Katatz, you're called Piccolo now, correct?"

Piccolo didn't particularly want to admit it, but he knew the Grand Elder was probably right.

"Yes, my name is Piccolo!"

The Grand Elder narrowed his eyes and looked at Slug lying on the ground, then let out a deep sigh.

"Slug fled our homeworld at the same time as your father. You were both Namekians with extraordinary talent!"

"Unfortunately, Slug was driven by evil and became a wicked villain who committed every sort of atrocity! You were luckier than he was, but you too were divided into good and evil halves. You are the evil half!"

Every Earthling already knew that. Kami had explained it back then.

"But I can feel that the evil inside you has already been changed. You've found people you care about, gained human emotions, and even become willing to take responsibility for protecting the planet!"

"Cough... cough..."

"Grand Elder!"

Nail tried to stop the Grand Elder from continuing. His health was too poor.

But the Grand Elder merely waved a hand and went on.

"I've used a special method to restrain Slug's body. The evil within him is too powerful. I can't keep it sealed for long!"

"King Frieza is away, and so are Son Goku and Vegeta. Once Slug wakes up, he'll destroy Earth, and none of you will be able to stop him!"

To everyone's surprise, the Grand Elder had mentioned Frieza, and even seemed to trust him quite a bit.

It made no sense!

But no one interrupted the Grand Elder. They knew he was telling the truth, and wanted to hear what he planned to do.

"As the embodiment of evil, you've learned to control your own heart. That's the key! If you absorb the evil inside Slug, you'll not only grow stronger and gain tremendous fighting power, but also allow Slug to return to the pure and kind Namekian he once was!"

Piccolo was stunned, then overjoyed!

He didn't care whether it was evil or not. As long as he could get stronger, that was all that mattered!

Vegeta and Son Goku's strength had shaken him to the core, making him hate his own weakness.

If he'd been strong enough to refuse the Dragon Balls' teleportation like Vegeta, how could he have been sent back as soon as he arrived on Planet Namek?

It was a disgrace!

A power level of 78,000 let him dominate Earth, but compared to Son Goku, that strength made him an ant that could be crushed at will!

He was Piccolo, once the Great Demon King, who had fought Son Goku on equal terms. How could he accept this reality?

"What do I have to do?"

The Grand Elder wasn't surprised by Piccolo's response. He was still the same Grand Elder who embodied wisdom and beauty—cough—mystery.

"Place your hand on Slug's chest. I'll draw the evil inside him into your body. All you have to do is hold on to your true self!"

Piccolo did as instructed, spreading his hand to show off his sharp nails before pressing it firmly against Slug's chest.

"Get ready! We're starting!"

"Baburu—crackle, pop—jibber-jabber!"

A silver-white light appeared around Slug and Piccolo. Everyone saw a mass of black energy flow into Piccolo's palm.

Boom!

An astonishing aura burst forth. A gale swept across the land, bending the trees throughout the forest.

Thirty seconds later, the gale died down. Slug's aura had shrunk to about the same level as Nail's. All trace of evil had vanished from him, and he looked peaceful and serene.

Piccolo, however, was another matter. Black energy enveloped his body, and roars burst from his mouth. He looked utterly ferocious.

"Control this evil! Think of the people you want to protect. Think of how you felt when you sacrificed yourself for him!"

"Ah!!! No! I don't want to hurt Gohan!! Ah—ah! Ah—ah!"

Boom!

An aura even more violent than before erupted from Piccolo, instantly sending the trees throughout the forest toppling in every direction.

"Uncle Piccolo!"