"Hey! You two!"
The host shouted loudly, trying to maintain order. "Contestants Yamu and Spopovich! It's not your turn yet! Please leave the ring immediately!"
But Supreme Kai Shin's lips curled into a small smile. "Gohan, they've arrived. Remember, don't move—no matter what."
Son Gohan nodded in understanding.
Completely ignoring the host's commands, Spopovich lunged at Gohan, grabbing him tightly. At the same time, Yamu pulled out a strange device and jabbed it into Gohan's waist.
"Ahhh—oww!"
Gohan cried out in pain, trying to break free, but Yamu quickly withdrew the device.
"It's full!" Yamu shouted. "Spopovich, let's go!"
Without wasting a second, the two of them shot into the sky, fleeing the arena at full speed.
"Gohan, are you alright?" Supreme Kai Shin rushed over, worry etched on his face. He hadn't anticipated the device being used on Gohan's waist.
Clutching his side, Gohan forced a strained smile. "I'm fine, Supreme Kai."
Shin was clearly uncomfortable, but quickly redirected the conversation. "It doesn't matter now. By following them, we can find Babidi's spaceship—and Majin Buu."
Just then, a fierce gust blew across the arena.
Piccolo, watching from a distance, clenched his fists. Gohan had been hurt—again. His calm demeanor shattered. Without a word, he took off into the sky, flying at top speed. He would deal with those two himself.
"Gohan, let's follow them. Your father and Rayden will join us soon," Shin said.
"Okay!"
From the hotel rooftop, Krillin pointed upward. "Rayden, Gohan and the others already left. What should we do?"
Rayden narrowed his eyes toward the horizon. "We follow."
He rose into the air, joined by Broly, Cell, and Paragus. They took off together, quickly gaining on the others.
"Seems like this Majin Buu really is something," Vegeta commented as he and Goku took to the sky as well.
Yamcha watched them go, feeling conflicted.
"Tien, Rayden and the others are leaving. Aren't you going with them?"
Tien Shinhan shook his head and smiled. "No, Yamcha. I trust Rayden and the others to handle Buu. This might be our last time participating in the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. I don't want to leave with regrets. I plan to fight until the very end."
He looked at Yamcha with fierce determination. "And when we face off, give it everything you've got."
Yamcha grinned and nodded. "You got it."
Meanwhile, in the arena, the audience was bewildered. Before they could make sense of what had happened, nearly half of the contestants had flown off into the sky.
The host, confused but curious, approached Yamcha for answers. After listening carefully to Yamcha's explanation, his eyes widened with understanding.
Stepping back on stage, he raised his mic.
"Dear audience, thank you for your patience!"
---
Elsewhere – High Above Earth
After flying for several minutes, the various groups reconvened mid-air, tracking Spopovich and Yamu from a safe distance.
"Rayden," Goku said with a grin, "is Majin Buu really that strong?"
Rayden smirked slightly. "Not really. Goten and Trunks could probably take him. But he does have some tricky abilities. His regeneration is nearly limitless. Even if there's only a single cell left, he'll come back."
He paused before adding, "He can also absorb others and gain their powers. So yeah, annoying."
Piccolo's aura flared slightly. "I don't care how strong he is. I haven't repaid Gohan's pain yet. No one hurts my student and gets away with it."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"No problem. Let's do it."
"Supreme Kai, is this plan really going to work?" Jebit asked nervously.
Supreme Kai Shin's eyes were filled with renewed hope. "It will. Gohan's power has far surpassed what I ever imagined. He's stronger than Majin Buu. This time, we can end it!"
Jebit smiled for the first time in a while. "Then all our efforts… they weren't in vain."
---
Meanwhile – Near Babidi's Spaceship
"Lord Babidi is going to reward us for this!" Yamu said excitedly, holding the energy-filled device.
"Let's get back quickly," Spopovich agreed, a wicked grin on his face.
The two flew even faster now, drawing twin white trails through the sky as they approached a crater-like valley hidden in the mountains.
Moments later, they arrived at a strange dome-shaped spaceship embedded in the ground.
Rayden and the others weren't far behind. They landed silently on a nearby cliff, observing from above.
"Crack—"
The spaceship's door creaked open, and several individuals stepped out.
Leading the group was a small, sickly-looking creature with yellowish-brown skin, a bulbous head, and greasy patches of thin hair. It was Babidi, the infamous dark sorcerer.
Upon seeing him, Yamu immediately bowed and handed over the energy-absorbing device.
"Lord Babidi, the energy has been collected in full!"
Babidi examined the glowing instrument and cackled. "Excellent! With this much energy, Majin Buu will be resurrected very soon!"
"You two did well," he said with a gleam in his eye. "Which is why... your services are no longer needed."
Yamu and Spopovich froze.
A terrible chill ran down their spines.
Babidi muttered something under his breath, his hands glowing ominously.
Suddenly, Yamu began to float into the air. His body twisted and inflated grotesquely.
"No—Lord Babidi, wait!"
BOOM!
Yamu exploded in mid-air, vanishing without a trace.
Babidi chuckled. "Dabura, wasn't that a beautiful sound?"
The tall figure next to him—Dabura, King of the Demon Realm—nodded with a smirk. "I agree."
He turned his gaze toward Spopovich, who had already begun to retreat in fear.
Without warning, Spopovich turned and flew upward, desperate to escape.
"Trying to run?" Dabura growled.
He extended his hand, launching a glowing, purple-red energy blast that pierced Spopovich through the chest.
The traitor's body went limp as he fell from the sky.
"No!" Shin gasped, his heart sinking. "Dabura… Babidi even managed to control Dabura, the Demon King himself!"
But Piccolo was unmoved.
He didn't care who they were.
All that mattered was revenge.
"RAAAHHH!"
Piccolo roared, releasing his full power. The force of his ki wave blew Shin and Jebit backward.
Then, with a flash of light, Piccolo vanished.
He reappeared in front of Babidi and his minions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Piccolo unleashed a fury of blows, effortlessly demolishing the soldiers standing around the spaceship.
"D-Dabura!" Babidi shrieked. "Hurry and stop him!"
The sorcerer was shaking. Where did this terrifying warrior come from?
Dabura gritted his teeth and charged forward, powering up.
Bang!
Before he could land a single strike, Piccolo smacked him out of the air.
The King of the Demon World crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
Piccolo dropped down and began to pummel him relentlessly.
Boom! Bam! Crack!
"Arghhh!"
Dabura's screams echoed through the valley.
Rayden and the others arrived just in time to witness the brutal beatdown.
Even they were slightly stunned.
Eventually, the screams faded. Dabura stopped moving.
His broken body lay motionless in the dirt.
Piccolo stood over him, fists still clenched.
His eyes shifted to Babidi, who was now crawling in terror toward the safety of his ship.
"Where do you think you're going?" Piccolo muttered coldly.
ZAP!
Two brilliant beams of light shot from his eyes.
"Ray Eyes!"
Babidi shrieked, but it was too late.
The beams pierced his torso, dropping him to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
"D-damn it… My great plan… was almost…"
The sorcerer collapsed completely, his body twitching once… then falling still.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)