"Ridiculous!"
Master Roshi's expression darkened. "I know exactly how strong you are. I'm the one who trained you."
"Even if you've made great strides over the past two years, you still can't be stronger than King Piccolo!"
With that, he sighed and moved to stand beside Raditz.
The opportunity had slipped away. There was no way to use the Evil Containment Wave again and seal King Piccolo.
There was only one thing left...
"In a moment, I'll use that technique again to scare him off. Take the chance to... run as far away as you can!" Master Roshi instructed him gravely.
Raditz: "..."
High in the sky, the green figure that had fled to a dizzying height, almost no more than a black speck, suddenly stopped.
King Piccolo hovered in midair, his chest heaving. A few beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
In that instant, the loneliness of being imprisoned again had felt so real. The terror from deep within his soul had almost swallowed him whole.
Still shaken, he looked down. The Rice Cooker that had nearly scared him out of his wits was still sitting on the ground, intact. And the old man who had almost sealed him away again was being held back by a black-haired boy. The two seemed to be arguing.
"Ha... Haha... Hahahaha!!!"
King Piccolo let out a savage laugh.
Then the relief of surviving gave way to a towering fury at having been toyed with by an insect, his dignity dealt a grievous blow.
He stopped fleeing and slowly descended, murder in his eyes.
Back on the ground, he landed not far in front of Master Roshi and Raditz. King Piccolo stared at the Rice Cooker, and two streaks of red flashed through his eyes.
Boom!
The Rice Cooker with the talisman stuck to it exploded into pieces.
Only after destroying this source of anxiety did King Piccolo seem to calm his violent temper a little. He turned his gaze to Master Roshi, his face openly mocking.
"Old man!" His voice was cold. "It seems you still haven't mastered your 'Evil Containment Wave.' When it mattered, you couldn't even stop your own pupil."
"Or was Mutaito's special technique just a joke by the time it reached you?"
Master Roshi's face turned ashen, but he couldn't refute him. A failure was a failure; any explanation would sound feeble in front of the enemy.
Seeing him fall silent, King Piccolo grew even more pleased with himself.
His gaze swept over Raditz, and he paused. "It's you!"
He had seen this kid in that recording.
"Kid, you're the one who killed Tambourine, aren't you?"
Raditz didn't answer. He furrowed his brow.
So it was happening again. The plot had already veered off course.
Still, since they were face-to-face now, it didn't really matter.
He stepped forward and met King Piccolo's gaze without fear.
As he sized up the young, powerful king, a faint smile suddenly tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"How does it feel to be young again, Piccolo?" Raditz asked clearly. "Though you don't look like much. You wished Shenron into restoring your power, and the result..."
"That's it?"
At those words, Master Roshi's expression changed. Even Tien, anxiously watching from the cave while paralyzed, sucked in a sharp breath.
Raditz was openly provoking King Piccolo at the height of his power? Had he lost his mind?!
King Piccolo's smile froze instantly, and murderous intent welled up in his scarlet eyes like something tangible.
"You foolish brat." His voice was terrifyingly low, dripping with contempt. "I only need five seconds to finish you off!"
As soon as he spoke, King Piccolo vanished!
So fast! Master Roshi's pupils contracted. He couldn't track his opponent's movements at all!
The next moment, King Piccolo appeared beside Raditz like a ghost, his veined fist smashing toward Raditz's temple without any flourish! The punch looked simple, but held terrifying power.
Raditz seemed to react a beat "too slowly."
"Thud!"
A heavy impact rang across the rocky ground. Raditz was sent flying, gouging a deep furrow in the earth before crashing into the cliff wall with a boom.
It all happened in the blink of an eye! From King Piccolo's disappearance to Raditz being sent flying into the cliff, barely a moment had passed!
"Raditz!" Master Roshi cried out, his heart sinking. He hadn't even seen how King Piccolo had attacked!
Was this the true strength of King Piccolo, restored to his youth?
The gap was too great...
If only the Evil Containment Wave had worked...
"Hahaha!" King Piccolo drew back his fist and looked at the human-shaped dent in the cliff, laughing with delight as if he'd just swatted an annoying fly. "Now that the pesky little underling is dead, old man..."
He slowly turned, fixing his gaze on Master Roshi, whose face had gone pale.
"How should I deal with you, old man, for daring to humiliate me with that technique again?"
Master Roshi gritted his teeth and took the Turtle School's opening stance. Though he was filled with despair, his dignity as a martial artist wouldn't let him simply sit and wait for death. He had to fight to the end.
Just as Master Roshi gathered the ki he had left, preparing to stake his life on one last attack,
A calm young voice suddenly rang out from behind King Piccolo.
"Hey, five seconds are up."
That voice?!
Master Roshi looked up sharply, staring toward the sound in disbelief.
King Piccolo's triumphant smile froze on his face.
He spun around!
The black-haired boy who should have been embedded in the cliff, his fate unknown, was now standing casually beside a pile of rubble, brushing dust off his clothes.
He looked completely unharmed. His breathing wasn't even noticeably labored.
How was this possible? King Piccolo furrowed his brow. He hadn't used his full strength in that punch, but it still wasn't something an ordinary martial artist could withstand!
"Looks like I was too 'gentle' with you before." His face darkened, and his voice turned cold. "This time, I'll reduce you to dust!"
He said no more. Spreading the four fingers of his right hand, he aimed at Raditz and clenched his fist in the air before thrusting it sharply forward!
Boom—!!
A massive golden blast of ki, packed with destructive energy, swept across the ground. Everywhere it passed, the scorching energy burned the earth black, leaving a fan-shaped swath of charred land.
"Raditz! Get out of the way!" Master Roshi shouted. He could feel that this attack was beyond anything the human body could withstand.
But Raditz stood still, as if frozen with fear, making no move to dodge or defend himself.
"It's over!" Master Roshi's heart sank.
The next instant.
Rumble—!!
A world-shaking explosion erupted with a blinding flash! Dust and rubble billowed into the air, completely swallowing the area.
Master Roshi had to raise an arm to shield himself from the oncoming gale and flying stones.
As the dust cleared a little, he saw a charred area more than several dozen meters across, with wisps of black smoke curling from it.
Raditz was nowhere to be seen.
"Hahaha!" King Piccolo burst into laughter again, his voice full of glee. "Now even his bones have turned to ash!"
Master Roshi stared blankly at the scorched earth. The faint hope that had just risen in his heart was instantly snuffed out by the cruel reality.
Raditz... not even a trace of him left...
Lying stiffly in the cave and watching it all unfold, Tien felt his hands and feet go cold.
Too strong! King Piccolo's attacks were too powerful.
Raditz was already far stronger than him, yet even he couldn't withstand that attack.
Could an enemy like this really be defeated?
Perhaps Master Roshi had been right. Using the Evil Containment Wave at the cost of his life was the only hope they had.
Just as despair overwhelmed Master Roshi and Tien,
That familiar, calm voice rang clearly in everyone's ears once more.
"Tch! That one was a little stronger than the last."
"But it only went from 'a breeze across my face' to 'a little ticklish.'"
What?!
King Piccolo's laughter stopped abruptly. He stared at the center of the scorched earth, where the dust hadn't completely settled.
A tall figure gradually came into view.
Raditz was still standing right where he'd been. He held one hand out in front of him, a wisp of black smoke still lingering in his palm. His expression was unchanged, as if that terrifying attack really had done no more than "tickle" him!
Th-This... this can't be possible! Master Roshi's mouth hung open in shock.
He had watched Raditz grow and knew the boy was exceptionally gifted, with strength that improved at an incredible pace. But this was completely beyond anything he could understand!
Even Goku couldn't have withstood that attack just now.
And Raditz...
He'd taken King Piccolo's attack head-on without a scratch? Was this really the Raditz he knew?
Tien was utterly stunned too, his mind a blank. He'd caught that attack with his bare hands?
King Piccolo's face darkened, the calm before a storm. For the first time, his eyes showed both gravity and disbelief. This kid was no ordinary opponent!
"Looks like I underestimated you," he said slowly, his voice low. "You do have some strength, kid."
Raditz lowered his hand, brushed off the dust, and gave King Piccolo a bright smile that somehow made the pressure in the air feel even heavier.
"Well, warm-up's over. Now it's my turn to attack, right?"