The man's expression was calm, almost wooden, but his eyes were unusually clear, as if he could see through everything.
"Hello," Popo said in a mild voice.
"Hi! Are you Kami?" Goku asked first, eyeing him curiously.
"No, I'm not Kami." Popo gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm Kami's servant, Popo."
"Mr. Popo!" Raditz greeted him with a nod.
Popo turned his gaze to Raditz, his calm eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny. "Though you're a mortal, you defeated King Piccolo all by yourself. Your strength and courage have earned my recognition."
He looked at Goku next. "Though you're not as strong as your companion, your heart is pure and your will is firm. You have endless potential, and you're also worthy of the test."
"I've still got a long way to go. Raditz is way stronger than me." Goku scratched his head sheepishly, then looked puzzled. "A test? What kind of test?"
"A match against me." Popo smiled and pointed at himself. "If you can beat me, I'll let you meet Kami."
At that, Raditz quickly weighed the situation.
"If we beat Popo, we can meet Kami?" He quietly sensed Popo's ki. Its fluctuations seemed to be around 300.
At that level, given his current battle power, Raditz seemed to have a good chance of winning.
But was it really that simple?
Raditz knew that true masters could control their ki perfectly. Deliberately suppressing it to a certain level was no difficult feat.
Popo's strength in the original story had been hard to gauge. He seemed ordinary, but throughout the long years, Kami might have changed while this silent servant remained. His true depth couldn't be measured by the numbers he showed.
After a moment's thought, Raditz decided to test him for himself. Win or lose, this was a rare opportunity to learn.
"I'll go first." Raditz stepped forward and greeted Popo with a martial artist's salute.
Popo returned the salute and stood where he was, his gaze calm and unwavering.
Without another moment's hesitation, Raditz focused his ki and vanished from the spot.
"Whoa, he's fast!" Goku couldn't help exclaiming from the side.
Raditz appeared beside Popo and threw a quick punch.
But Popo merely slid half a step back, his body shifting just enough for Raditz's fist to graze past his clothes.
Raditz's heart jolted, but he kept attacking, unleashing a storm of punches, kicks, and elbows.
No matter how he attacked, Popo always countered or dodged with the smallest, most effortless movement. His actions seemed simple, yet were precise down to the tiniest margin, as if he knew every attack Raditz would make in advance.
After more than ten minutes, Raditz's breathing had already grown ragged.
Meanwhile, Popo still stood there, perfectly composed.
"You have an astonishing amount of energy, but you use it crudely and lack variety. Your control over your ki is especially poor." Popo shook his head and spoke calmly. "There's no need to continue. In your current state, you can't pass the test. Go back."
Raditz took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration stirring inside him.
He didn't argue. Instead, he nodded humbly. "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Popo." After a pause, he looked around the platform. "Could I stay here and train for a while? I hope to make some progress."
Popo looked at Raditz, apparently satisfied with his attitude. "You may, as long as you don't disturb the peace of the Lookout."
"Thank you."
Goku had been itching to try his hand ever since the fight began. As soon as Raditz finished, he jumped out. "Mr. Popo, I want to try too!"
The result was obvious. Though Goku had an incredible talent for fighting, Popo's nearly "predictive" responses left him just as unable to land a hit. Soon, he was panting with exhaustion.
"Aw, how embarrassing!" Goku plopped down on the ground and scratched his head. But he wasn't discouraged in the least; instead, he was fired up. "Mr. Popo is amazing!"
He glanced at Raditz, who was sitting beside him and beginning to regulate his breathing, then sprang to his feet and clenched his fists. "I need to train even harder! Raditz, let's see who can beat Mr. Popo first!"
As he spoke, he actually started sprinting at full speed around the enormous platform.
Just as the two began training, a calm voice rang out.
"I like them. Bring them to meet me."
A flicker of surprise crossed Popo's calm face. Then he respectfully bowed toward the temple. "Yes, Kami."
He turned to Raditz and Goku. "You're in luck. Kami is willing to meet you. Follow me."
Raditz looked as if he'd expected this. In his view, as long as they showed how seriously they took their training, Kami wouldn't avoid them.
After all, Piccolo was still growing down below, watching them like a predator. Kami couldn't kill himself; he could only rely on strong people like them to deal with Piccolo.
The two hurried after Popo toward the temple's tightly shut doors.
After waiting at the entrance for a while, a green figure slowly emerged.
When the figure was fully visible, Goku's eyes went wide. He pointed ahead and shouted.
"Piccolo! You bastard, you're still alive?!"
Before he'd even finished speaking, he pushed off hard and charged forward, throwing a punch at him.
"Wait!" Popo hurried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Faced with Goku's enraged punch, the green figure merely raised a hand and flicked out one finger.
"Thwack!"
A light sound rang out, and Goku was sent flying by a tremendous force.
He landed and rolled a few times. Clutching his head, he stared in astonishment.
"Didn't Korin tell you? About me?" Kami spoke slowly, a note of helplessness in his voice.
Raditz showed no particular reaction. "Korin just said it would be someone we knew."
Kami: "..." That mischievous rascal.
Popo hurriedly explained to Goku and Raditz, "This is Kami, the creator of the Dragon Balls. He was originally one with King Piccolo, whom you defeated..."
Popo explained the relationship between Kami and the Demon King. Once he saw that the two understood, he finally relaxed.
"You scared me! I thought Piccolo had secretly come back to life. Hehehe." Goku scratched his head with a silly grin.
Kami gave a slight nod and looked at Raditz with approval. "You're Raditz, right? You're certainly composed, and your strength is impressive. You deserve a reward." He paused, then continued, "As a reward, I'll grant your request. You want Shenron revived, correct?"
"Yes, Kami. We need Shenron to bring our friend back to life," Raditz replied.
"I understand. Popo, go and fetch Shenron."
Popo quickly brought out a delicate Shenron model and pieced together its shattered parts.
Kami then used his divine power to restore it.
"Shenron has been revived," Kami said warmly, lowering his hand. "And he can grant your wishes right now. I imagine your friends already know."
"Thank you very much, Kami." Raditz bowed in gratitude.
Goku hurriedly copied Raditz and bowed as well.
"Since you've come all this way, I imagine you didn't come only for Shenron. Stay and train," Kami said with satisfaction, seeing how respectful they were.
"Really?" Goku jumped up excitedly, waving both arms. "I'd love to learn from you! I was just about to ask if you'd let me!"
Raditz nodded. Same here!
"You must be prepared to train hard. The newly reborn Piccolo will come after you again in three years, especially you, Raditz," Kami said.
"Piccolo?" Goku's mouth fell open. "But Piccolo was... Raditz—"
"Unfortunately, he's still alive. Before he died, he left behind a clone of himself." Kami's expression grew solemn as he looked at Raditz. "And because of you, he began gathering power much earlier."
"The next time you see him, he won't be so easy to deal with."
"I understand." Raditz wasn't too worried.
Could Piccolo really train faster than a Saiyan?
"Since that's settled, let's get started!"
Just as Raditz and Goku began training at Kami's Lookout,
deep in a remote forest far away,
a short green figure sat motionless, radiating coldness and brutality.
His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed, and the antennae on his forehead trembled faintly.
It was the newly reborn Piccolo.
He wasn't asleep. He was meditating.
Countless images and sounds washed through his consciousness, replaying over and over. They were memories and experience passed on by his father, King Piccolo, before he died.
And, above all, they carried the humiliation that had been burned into him.
He had also "experienced" his father's battle with the black-haired youth, Raditz. It had been an overwhelming and despairing defeat in every respect.
He vowed never to repeat his father's mistakes. He would become stronger—stronger than his father, stronger than that man called Raditz!
"Raditz..." He slowly opened his eyes, his crimson pupils flashing with murderous intent.
"Just you wait. In three years, I'll make you—and this pathetic world—crawl at my feet again!"