The World's Number One Assassin, Tao Pai Pai's Trump Card!

After two days of travel, Goku and Wuchen arrived in the sky above a dense forest.

Deep within the forest stood a pillar of unknown material that soared into the clouds, its summit impossible to discern.

The location of that Dragon Ball was at the base of the pillar.

"Let's head down, Goku. Our opponent this time is no simple matter." As they slowly descended, Wuchen issued a warning; he could sense two auras below, one of which was quite formidable.

"Let me see, are you two the targets this time? You certainly don't look like anyone special." As soon as the brothers touched the ground, a sharp voice pierced their ears.

At the same time, the air here was thick with the stench of blood, mingling with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Following the voice, the brothers spotted a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache. He flicked the long braid behind his head and offered them a chilling, shallow smile.

"Papa... Papa..." Over ten meters to the man's right, a strangely dressed little boy was sobbing beside a corpse pierced through by a long spear.

Nearby, many other bodies lay scattered in disarray; these corpses were dressed similarly to the group of thugs they had encountered before.

"Who are you? Did you do all this?!" Unlike Wuchen, who was carefully observing his surroundings, Goku asked the question directly.

"Me? I am the world's greatest assassin, Tao Pai Pai, and the man who is about to kill you." The man stood with his hands behind his back, his mustache twitching as he wore a look of extreme confidence.

"Dealing with a pesky mosquito while waiting for your arrival was nothing worth mentioning."

This man was none other than the world's number one assassin, Tao Pai Pai.

Several days ago, he had been invited to the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, and last night, he had officially accepted the mission to kill the brothers Goku and Wuchen for a reward of two hundred million.

According to the information provided by the Red Ribbon Army, his targets were heading to this location, so he had ridden a pillar here to wait for them like a hunter lying in wait.

He had casually disposed of a native—a native who had wiped out the Red Ribbon Army's advance force. Not long after, his mission targets had finally arrived.

"An assassin?" Tao Pai Pai's words caught Wuchen's attention.

He assumed the man had been hired by the group vying for the Dragon Balls. Had they been scared off? Hiring this so-called number one assassin to deal with his brother and him.

While Wuchen was slightly surprised by Tao Pai Pai, he did not hold him in high regard. Although this man was strong—even a cut above Master Roshi—that was all he was.

What he cared about more was that since the man claimed to be the world's greatest assassin, he must possess a wealth of combat experience.

"In that case, make your move. Let us see what the world's number one is capable of."

"Goku, I'll leave him to you. He should have decent combat ability, so don't be too careless." After speaking to Tao Pai Pai and Goku respectively and stoking the flames of battle, Wuchen walked straight toward the little boy in the distance.

This action infuriated Tao Pai Pai, who had been expecting the brothers to show expressions of terror. This brat dared to look down on him!

He launched himself forward, charging toward Wuchen, but Goku blocked his path.

"Are you really that strong? Why can't I feel it?" Goku studied Tao Pai Pai and asked earnestly.

"In such a rush to die? Fine! Then I'll kill you first!" Goku's words further ignited Tao Pai Pai's rage, and a fated battle was about to erupt.

Meanwhile, Wuchen had reached the little boy's side. He crouched down and whispered, "Have you heard of the Dragon Balls?"

He surmised that this boy and his father should have possessed one of the Dragon Balls. He just wasn't sure if they knew about them.

"Who are you?!" The boy turned abruptly, glaring at Wuchen. He had just lost his closest kin because of a pillar they had stumbled upon by chance.

The people who had been harassing his father and him had mentioned the Dragon Balls more than once.

Naturally, he felt no goodwill toward Wuchen for asking such a question.

Wuchen was not surprised by this and continued, "Gathering all seven Dragon Balls can summon Shenron to grant a wish. Although it cannot grant every wish, resurrecting someone who died within the last year is well within Shenron's power."

"I think your father can be brought back to life."

"Are you telling the truth?" The boy was no longer as hostile toward Wuchen; a glimmer of hope ignited in his despairing eyes.

"I assume the Dragon Ball is no longer in your possession, so I have no reason to lie to you." Wuchen spoke slowly, then looked at the spear piercing the boy's father:

"Although I don't know the specifics of how to resurrect the dead, I believe this thing should be removed."

The boy did not object and helped Wuchen pull the spear from his father's body.

"Are you really willing to resurrect my father?" Few people would overly question the authenticity of their only hope.

The boy believed in the story of the Dragon Balls and Shenron, and his gaze toward Wuchen became anxious.

Wuchen nodded. "Besides your father, many others have suffered disaster because of the Dragon Balls; they are all innocent as well. Once I gather the Dragon Balls, I will wish for all of them to be resurrected."

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

In this way, Wuchen gained the boy's initial trust and learned much from him.

The boy's name was Upa, and he and his father, Bora, guarded this sacred land—the Karin Sacred Land.

At the same time, they were the guardians of Korin Tower, the pillar that reached into the clouds.

The Dragon Ball was something the father and son had found by chance. They didn't know its origins, but it had brought them trouble. A group of heavily armed men had arrived, determined to kill them for the sake of the Dragon Ball.

Upa's father had finished off that group, only to be killed by Tao Pai Pai, who arrived shortly after.

Naturally, Wuchen also gave a rough explanation of his and Goku's situation, focusing on why they had come here, further dispelling Upa's suspicions.

After that, both of them turned their attention to the battle between Goku and Tao Pai Pai.

"Big Brother Goku, go! Defeat the big bad guy!" Upa even began to cheer Goku on, his heart in his throat.

Indeed, Goku was trading blows with Tao Pai Pai, evenly matched.

Wuchen felt a bit helpless; Goku's strength was superior to Tao Pai Pai's. As long as there wasn't an absolute gap in power, Goku could fight anyone to a standstill; he was simply enjoying the battle.

Tao Pai Pai, on the other hand, was feeling the pressure of the fight mounting. The brat opposite him was like a machine that never needed to rest, and he was only getting stronger.

His combat techniques were becoming increasingly refined; he was clearly using Tao Pai Pai as a whetstone!

"Damn it!" With an angry shout, Tao Pai Pai pulled back to create some distance. He took out a Hoi-Poi Capsule and triggered the button, and an incredibly sharp broadsword appeared out of thin air.

Seeing this, Goku also unslung the Power Pole from his back.

Blade met staff, and every collision produced a piercing screech, occasionally sending sparks flying.

It had to be said that Tao Pai Pai wielded his broadsword well; his offensive was fierce and left no openings. He could certainly be considered a master of the blade.

Unfortunately, Goku's staff was no ordinary weapon. He easily parried Tao Pai Pai's violent onslaught, not rushing to land a decisive blow, and continued to keep the fight evenly matched.

Using this to hone himself—regardless of whether Goku was consciously aware of it, that was exactly what he was doing. Perhaps this was the reason he loved to fight.

No matter the strength of his opponent, Goku could always grow and learn during a battle. In the end, he would transcend—surpassing his opponent and surpassing himself.

Because of this, Wuchen simply watched quietly without urging him on. An assassin with such rich combat experience as Tao Pai Pai was truly a rare sparring partner.

"Snap!" Despite the high intensity of the battle, it wasn't Tao Pai Pai who gave out first, but his precious blade, which snapped in two at the sound!

"Come on, use all your power!" Seeing this, Goku retracted his Power Pole and once again assumed a fighting stance.

"Ah!!! You bastard!" Goku's earnest yet dismissive attitude completely set Tao Pai Pai off.

"Dodon Ray!" A golden beam of light fired instantly from Tao Pai Pai's fingertip, aimed straight at Goku's face!

"You cocky little brat, die!" Tao Pai Pai was incredibly confident in his signature move.

But the next second, he stood as if frozen, his brain completely shutting down.

Goku simply swiped his hand, and the Dodon Ray that Tao Pai Pai took such pride in was deflected away, knocking down rows of trees and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Goku, however, acted as if nothing had happened, looking straight at Tao Pai Pai as if anticipating his next move.