Gorilla

Night had fallen. If not for the guidance of the moonlight, the group would have been lost long ago, let alone able to search for a single stone in the vast, pitch-black darkness.

In the forest, Goku turned around slowly after his search yielded nothing, only to find Ziye standing beside him. He couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Ziye, where's Krillin? He didn't get lost, did he?"

Ziye shook his head and said with a smile, "Don't worry, that little bald guy is probably up to some clever trick again."

"The challenge Master Mutten gave us is truly difficult. It's a good thing we have the moonlight, otherwise we really would have been lost in this forest!" Ziye said calmly.

"Yeah, Ziye! This is actually the first time I've ever seen the moon!"

Upon hearing Goku's words, Ziye's expression shifted abruptly, and he stared intently at Goku.

On the other side, at the Kame House:

"How come Ziye and the others haven't come back for dinner?" Launch asked, somewhat puzzled as she set all the dishes on the table.

"They're still training. It doesn't matter if young people eat a little less!"

Master Roshi replied casually, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, though his gaze was fixed firmly on Launch's backside.

"Oh, right! There's still a soup in the kitchen! I'll go get it!"

With that, Launch turned and headed toward the kitchen, and Master Roshi followed her, eyes glued to her. Just as he was admiring her beautiful figure, the door to the Kame House was suddenly thrown open.

"Master Mutten, I found the stone!"

Krillin ran up to Master Roshi, holding a stone marked with the character for "Turtle."

Having his fun interrupted, Master Roshi felt a surge of annoyance. He took the stone from Krillin, examined it carefully, and then slammed it hard against Krillin's bald head.

"You brat, how dare you try to trick me! This isn't my handwriting at all!" Master Roshi roared.

Rumble!!!

Suddenly, the entire Kame House began to shake, and small pebbles fell from the ceiling. Master Roshi's expression tightened as he muttered, "What's happening?"

"Master Mutten, it sounds like the commotion is coming from where Ziye and Goku are!"

Krillin pointed toward the nearby forest, speaking in a panic.

"This is bad, let's go check it out immediately!" With that, the two of them bolted out of the house.

Rumble!

At that moment, a massive monster had appeared in the forest. Upon closer inspection, the creature was covered in thick, brownish-black fur, with a tail four or five meters long dragging behind it. Its eyes were blood-red, and it looked like a rampaging giant ape.

Bang!

The giant ape swung its massive fist, smashing it into the ground with tremendous force. Shattered rocks flew into the air, and a deep crater instantly appeared in the earth!

Inside the crater, Ziye lay covered in wounds, looking utterly disheveled.

Huff.

"What rotten luck! How could I have forgotten that Goku turns into a giant ape?"

"Goku is truly terrifying after he transforms. No wonder he was able to trample Son Gohan to death!"

"If I hadn't used the Dragon Ball to wish for my body to recover quickly, I probably would have met my end here today!"

Ziye's face hardened as he spoke in a low voice.

ROAR!

The giant ape let out a furious roar, the violent shockwave flattening the surrounding trees. It then lifted a massive foot and brought it down hard toward Ziye!

"Kamehameha!"

BOOM!

Suddenly, a massive beam of white light surged forward, slamming directly into the giant ape's body with such power that it knocked the creature to the ground!

"Ziye, are you alright?"

Seeing this, Krillin rushed forward to help Ziye out of the crater.

"What is going on? How could such a powerful monster appear here?"

"And where is Goku?"

Master Roshi asked with a grave expression.

"This monster is Goku!"

"Nani?"

Hearing this, Krillin and Master Roshi were both shocked. Recalling how Goku had previously said his grandfather was trampled to death by a terrifying monster, they suddenly realized the truth.

"Ziye, you know Goku best—is there any way to make him turn back?"

Master Roshi asked in a deep voice.

"Cut off his tail, or destroy the moon!" Ziye said decisively.

"Alright, I'll hold him off! You two find an opportunity to cut off his tail!"

Master Roshi said with a serious tone, then stripped off his shirt, his thin, withered body instantly bulging with massive, powerful muscles.

"Come on, you monster!"

Master Roshi shouted at the giant ape, then leaped forward to launch his attack. The giant ape seemed provoked by this, letting out a roar before charging straight at him!

BOOM!

Their fists collided, forcing the giant ape to stumble back several steps. Master Roshi immediately followed up, landing a punch squarely on the ape's face and knocking it to the ground once more.

"So... so amazing!"

Krillin stared with his mouth agape, too shocked by the scene before him to speak.

ROAR!

The giant ape bellowed again, suddenly springing to its feet. This time, it seemed completely enraged, charging toward Master Roshi with reckless abandon!

"Now is the time!"

Ziye, hiding to the side, seized the opportunity. He leaped into the air, placed his hands at his waist, and shouted:

"Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

BOOM!

A white beam of energy shot out, striking the unsuspecting giant ape directly in the tail.

ROAR!

The next second, the giant ape let out a cry of agony as its tail was severed in an instant. Its massive body began to shrink, quickly reverting to Goku's original form!

"Finally, it worked!"

Ziye let out a breath, his body landing on the ground in exhaustion.

"Kid, your Kamehameha is getting more and more refined! It's truly rare to see someone your age reach this level!" Master Roshi praised him without reservation.

He then walked over to Goku and gently picked him up.

"How is Goku?"

Ziye asked with a hint of concern.

"Nothing serious, he just passed out!"

"That's good!"

Ziye nodded faintly, then, supported by Krillin, he also drifted off into unconsciousness.

"Let's get them back first! We'll talk about everything else tomorrow!"

"Yes."

With that, the two of them carried Goku and Ziye toward the direction of Kame House.

The next day, the morning sun spilled into the room. Ziye rubbed his eyes, shaking off the lingering sleepiness, and after a good stretch, he stepped out of the room.

He saw that Master Roshi, Krillin, and Goku had already begun their training. Perhaps because his tail was gone, Goku seemed a bit off-balance with every step he took!

Combat Power for this chapter:

Goku Combat Power: 16 (160 in giant ape form)

Master Roshi Combat Power: 139 (180 in muscle form)