"Clearly, this Dragon Ball wasn't taken by King Piccolo," Master Roshi murmured, studying the Dragon Radar in his hand.
"Hurry and land, Tien Shinhan."
Tien Shinhan piloted the aircraft, his sharp gaze fixed ahead, but his mind was completely absorbed in his doubts.
Just what is this Evil Containment Wave? Even Master Roshi is wary of it. It's actually a powerful technique capable of sealing King Piccolo away. I just want to see the Evil Containment Wave with my own eyes once, and then...
"What's wrong, Tien Shinhan?" Master Roshi noticed something was off and asked with concern.
Only then did Tien Shinhan snap out of it. "Ah, well... no, nothing. I'll land right now."
Before he had finished speaking, he brought the aircraft down steadily among the stone pillars.
As he landed, the dust slowly drifted away, revealing King Piccolo's eyes, filled with malice.
"Tell me, were you the one who killed Krillin? Were you the one who led the others in stealing my Dragon Balls?" Son Goku stepped forward, his voice carrying an unquestionable seriousness.
King Piccolo kept his hands behind his back, his tone calm yet somewhat cold. "So it was you. No wonder you still have a Dragon Ball on you."
This Dragon Ball had originally belonged to Yajirobe. Just before Piccolo landed, he had sensed something was wrong, handed the Dragon Ball to Son Goku, and quickly fled the scene.
"So it was you. I won't let you get away this time!" Son Goku said firmly.
"You won't forgive me? Haha." King Piccolo laughed mockingly.
"You really won't forgive me?"
Son Goku frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
"It seems your martial arts really are quite good, boy. Even the two warriors I sent couldn't take you down." A wicked smile curled King Piccolo's lips.
"I'll defeat you too, then take back the Dragon Balls you have." Son Goku's eyes blazed like torches, his spirits high.
King Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "How interesting."
"It seems you still don't understand how terrifying I, King Piccolo, am. After all, I've lain dormant for a long time."
"I don't want to understand someone like you!" Son Goku roared.
A determined light shone in Son Goku's eyes. He charged at King Piccolo, both fists striking like lightning.
Yet every punch that struck Piccolo's body seemed to stir nothing more than an invisible gust of wind, doing him no real harm.
A contemptuous smile appeared on King Piccolo's face. His body did not waver at all under Son Goku's attacks.
Suddenly, his counterattack came swift as thunder. A punch struck Son Goku in the chest and sent him hurtling backward.
The surrounding air trembled under that force, dust and stone chips scattering everywhere.
After several exchanges, although Son Goku had given it everything he had, Piccolo's strength clearly exceeded his expectations.
After one fierce clash, King Piccolo knocked Son Goku to the ground with a punch.
King Piccolo stood up, a mocking smile curling his lips. "I never thought I'd be knocked to the ground. You truly are worthy of being the one who killed two of my subordinates."
As he spoke, he removed his cape, revealing solid muscles. The aura around his body began to swell rapidly, and powerful currents of air swept dust off the ground, forming one dust storm after another.
Son Goku clenched his teeth and braced both hands against the ground, struggling to steady himself and resist the powerful wind pressure.
King Piccolo's figure flickered in and out of sight amid the dust. Suddenly, he flashed forward, appeared before Son Goku, and slammed a fist into his chest.
A sharp pain tore through Son Goku as he was sent flying backward and crashed heavily to the ground.
King Piccolo gave Son Goku no chance to catch his breath. He swiftly followed, grabbed Son Goku from the ground, and said coldly, "Impressive. You're still breathing."
Through the pain, Son Goku replied through gritted teeth, "Of course I am."
But before he had finished speaking, King Piccolo slammed another punch into his face. Son Goku was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, landing heavily on the ground, covered in blood.
Though drenched in blood, an unyielding will to fight still burned in Son Goku's eyes.
He struggled to his feet and clashed with King Piccolo again. Their movements were so fast that almost nothing could be seen but two flickering shadows. Pushed to his limits, Son Goku searched for an opening.
His punches and kicks swept forth like a raging storm, forcing King Piccolo back again and again. Shock appeared on his face.
But he soon regained his composure, a wicked smile rising at the corners of his mouth. Clearly, he still had more trump cards left to play.
The battle continued. Though Son Goku was badly wounded, every time he was knocked down, he endured the pain, stood up, and kept fighting.
Within the stone forest, the battle between the two powerful fighters was extraordinarily fierce. Every attack carried the power to destroy heaven and earth. The surrounding stone pillars cracked and collapsed under the aftershocks of their battle, making for an utterly spectacular sight.
Over the next few minutes, the two traded several moves, attacking back and forth. Although Son Goku was covered in blood, an unyielding light still shone in his eyes.
His movements grew faster and faster until his figure was almost impossible to make out. Suddenly, he gathered all the strength in his body and unleashed a powerful energy wave at King Piccolo.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, King Piccolo flew backward like a kite with its string cut and slammed heavily into a boulder.
The ground trembled from the powerful impact, and dust filled the air.
Son Goku panted heavily. His body had reached its limit, and every cell groaned in pain.
But he knew he could not give up like this. Krillin had to be avenged, and the stolen Dragon Balls had to be taken back.
King Piccolo slowly rose from the rubble. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes more serious than ever before. "Son Goku, you've reminded me of the joy of battle."
His voice was deep and powerful, and at that moment, his entire presence grew even stronger.
Their gazes clashed again, and the air filled with a tense, fierce atmosphere.
The scenery around them seemed to have gone still. Only their breathing and heartbeats remained, echoing through the stone forest.
The sky suddenly darkened, thick clouds gathering overhead. Fine rain drifted down like silk threads, and the scent of earth filled the air. In this gloomy atmosphere, King Piccolo's figure stood out starkly.
He stood on the sodden ground, his eyes gleaming with frenzy and fury, roaring as he gathered his terrifying energy.
"You definitely won't dodge this one!" he declared with a cold laugh.
"Aaaah!!!"
Son Goku let out a heart-rending scream. His eyes instantly rolled white, and his whole body toppled backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground.
At the sight, a cruel smile curled King Piccolo's lips. He slowly approached the fallen Son Goku, took the glowing Dragon Ball from his chest, then used the Flight Technique, his figure becoming a black shadow as he flew toward the distant airship.
At that moment, Yajirobe, who had been watching the battle from hiding all along, emerged. His brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"It's over. I never thought he'd be beaten so easily. It's his own fault for picking the wrong opponent," Yajirobe muttered, walking toward Son Goku and preparing to dig him a grave.
"He doesn't look all that tasty, either."
Thump, thump, thump!!
Just as Yajirobe bent over to start digging, a powerful heartbeat suddenly rang out, growing louder and louder, shaking him to the core.
In surprise, Yajirobe leaned close to Son Goku's chest, confirming that astonishing heartbeat.
"No way! How is this possible?" He shook Son Goku, trying to wake him.
"Water..." Son Goku struggled to utter a single word.
Yajirobe immediately picked Son Goku up and jogged to a nearby river, carefully helping him drink.
As the water flowed into his mouth, some color gradually returned to Son Goku's face.
"I never thought your life force would be so tenacious. You could even come back to life after that."
Son Goku gave a bitter laugh, his voice weak but resolute. "Damn it. I couldn't do a thing against that King Piccolo."
"That's not your fault. King Piccolo is a monster to begin with," Yajirobe comforted him.
Son Goku slowly stood up, looking at Yajirobe with determined eyes. "Hey! Take me somewhere to get treated."
"Where? You'd better let me eat my fill when we get there," Yajirobe said.
Son Goku smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I won't let you go hungry."