Piccolo and Dr. Gero

"This energy feels familiar," Raditz muttered, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Right, I've encountered it quite recently."

Raditz recalled the people he had crossed paths with lately and immediately identified it. "Isn't this Kami's energy?!"

"Hmm, it's slightly different, and carries a faint trace of evil."

He already understood who had arrived; it was none other than Piccolo.

I didn't expect him to track me down so quickly. I've only been on Earth for a few days. He's so impatient—it seems his strength has improved significantly. Raditz thought with amusement, his face devoid of any panic despite the arrival of a formidable foe.

No matter how much his strength had grown, he was still a small fry in front of him.

Within minutes, a green figure appeared before Raditz, landing steadily on a rock pillar not far ahead. It was the reborn Piccolo.

"Raditz, I didn't expect it to be me, did you?" Piccolo sneered.

Raditz sized him up, silently sensing his energy. "Piccolo, you're much stronger than your father. Have you come here now to avenge him?"

Piccolo did not deny it, his gaze sharpening and his voice laced with hatred. "Today is the day you die. I will tear you to pieces!"

"To be honest, you have indeed improved, but if that's all you have, I advise you to give up." Raditz shook his head, calm and composed. "I have important business to attend to; I don't have time to play with you."

"Play?" Piccolo's rage was thoroughly ignited, but he suppressed the urge to strike immediately, mocking instead, "Don't waste your energy searching. That guy ran off a long time ago."

Raditz's eyes narrowed. "You know who I'm looking for?"

Raditz was somewhat surprised; Piccolo knew the purpose of his presence here, even though he had only just arrived.

Moreover, it seemed Piccolo had appeared shortly after he himself arrived, suggesting he had been in the vicinity all along and might have been waiting for a long time.

"It seems you know a lot of things. That's convenient."

Piccolo sneered, "You don't need to know, and you won't have the chance to." As he spoke, he removed his turban and cape. The discarded clothing fell vertically and rapidly, smashing a small crater into the ground.

"Hoh!" Raditz looked at the small crater in the ground. No wonder he improved so fast; he started weighted training early on.

In Raditz's perception, Piccolo's current strength had risen to a battle power of about five hundred and was still slowly climbing—several tiers stronger than he was at this same point in the original story.

"Heh, you've been training so hard." A sly smile appeared on Raditz's face.

"I hope you can still laugh later." Having shed his restraints, Piccolo loosened his limbs.

Suddenly, he flashed forward like a bullet, his right claw aimed directly at Raditz's chest.

Raditz didn't move from his spot. The moment the opponent's fingers were about to touch his body, his left hand darted out, precisely grabbing Piccolo's wrist.

At the same time, his right fist slammed into the opponent's abdomen like a cannonball!

"Pfft!" Piccolo's eyes bulged, a mouthful of blood sprayed out, and his entire body curled up like a shrimp as the powerful impact force surged through him.

"It seems you're just like your father—unable to recognize the gap between us." Raditz looked at Piccolo, who was vomiting blood and unable to stand after a single blow.

"Wh... why?" Piccolo coughed up blood and asked with difficulty. "Your battle power was only five hundred before, even if it increased... how could I not even have the ability to fight back?"

"Battle power??" Raditz keenly seized on the term. "Where did you learn about 'battle power'?"

Piccolo gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Raditz's expression shifted, and an invisible pressure of energy descended. "You'd better think carefully. Although you and Kami are one and the same—and if I kill you, Kami dies—I won't kill you."

"However, I could also seal you inside a rice cooker just like Master Mutaito did. Don't regret it when that happens!"

When he mentioned the rice cooker, he clearly noticed Piccolo's body stiffen, and he even trembled slightly.

It seems this trick works. Even with his rebirth, the fear of being sealed is hard to erase, Raditz thought.

"I'll take you there." Piccolo finally compromised, his voice hoarse.

Piccolo led Raditz into a cave. It was pitch black inside, and a metal door was vaguely visible.

After arriving at the location, Piccolo immediately tried to leave.

However, Raditz stopped him. "Don't be in such a hurry. Come inside with me and take a look; I still have many questions to ask you."

Piccolo's face turned ugly, but after considering the consequences, he had no choice but to follow him in.

Reaching the door, Raditz had no intention of doing the work himself and ordered, "Open it."

A flash of ferocity crossed Piccolo's eyes before he hid it again. He grabbed the iron door and, with a burst of strength, tore it right off its hinges.

Behind the door was a room resembling a laboratory, scattered with discarded machinery. Only a single computer sat in the center, glowing faintly.

Raditz walked closer and discovered that the computer was displaying a countdown.

[5:21]

[5:20]

[5:19]

"As I thought."

Raditz looked at the familiar countdown interface. "It really is you, Dr. Gero."

Just like the laboratory he had originally escaped from, this place was in self-destruct mode. Once the time was up, it would likely burn down and collapse.

"Number Zero, you finally found this place after all. It's a pity I've already left." An abrupt voice suddenly emanated from the computer, carrying a hint of mockery.

Seeing Dr. Gero seemingly still watching every move from behind his computer, he scanned his surroundings. "Was it you who sent my combat footage to Piccolo?"

"It was merely a test. Besides that, Number Zero, you truly have surprised me." Far away, while frantically fleeing, Dr. Gero heard Raditz's question and spoke with a hint of sentiment.

"You've been monitoring me, haven't you? Since when?" Raditz already had his suspicions and needed further verification.

Since when?

Dr. Gero couldn't help but sigh.

At first, he hadn't paid any mind to this android he had created on a whim.

He had simply sent a Micro-Robot to the location where Raditz's signal had first gone offline, purely for the purpose of retrieval.

He wanted to see if he was dead or alive.

And that was how he found the world-renowned Capsule Corp, owned by Dr. Brief in West City.

His own rogue android had actually become involved with such a person?

Dr. Gero realized this was no simple matter.

He had the image-recording Micro-Robot remain there to keep watch.

Over a long period, he discovered that Number Zero was not dead, and he witnessed many unexpected things.

An Alien Spaceship, a Scouter, a Gravity Chamber, and even beans that could restore vitality?

As these items appeared, Dr. Gero could no longer sit still and secretly dispatched Micro-Robots to steal the relevant data.

However, of all these things, he had only managed to replicate the Scouter.

With this detector, he discovered places he had previously overlooked.

It turned out there were so many powerful individuals in the world.

What shocked him even more was Number Zero's power level.

The Number Zero he had released so casually possessed a power level that was invincible in this world?

He began to doubt the accuracy of the Scouter.

From remotely recording the martial arts tournament and tipping off the suddenly appearing "high power level" King Piccolo, to the current contact with Piccolo Jr. and revealing the secret of his father's killer—all of this had been to observe Number Zero's actual combat performance.