The night over Papaya Island had been peaceful.
Gentle waves lapped against the shore. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze. The tournament crowds had long since dispersed to their hotels, leaving only the distant hum of the city and the occasional call of a night bird.
Then it reached them.
Not a sound but a *presence*—a wave of anguish so profound it made every living thing on the island pause. Birds fell silent. Dogs whimpered and hid. Even the waves seemed to hesitate before breaking on the beach.
The scream, when it finally arrived, was barely audible at this distance. But the energy behind it...
Miles away, at the top of Korin Tower, the ancient cat suddenly dropped his staff. His fur stood on end as an overwhelming pressure washed over him, making the very air thick and electric.
"This energy..." Korin's whiskers trembled. "It keeps going up—!"
*KORIN!*
The telepathic voice exploded in his mind with desperate urgency.
*WE MUST STOP HIM!*
"Yes, Kami-sama!" Korin didn't question, immediately focusing his own telepathic abilities toward the source of the disturbance. He found Roshi's mind quickly—the old master's thoughts were in chaos, overwhelmed by what he was witnessing.
*Roshi! ROSHI!*
---
At ground zero, Master Roshi stood transfixed.
Goku's hair was flashing, black to gold, gold to black, each pulse matching the waves of energy that made the air itself scream. The ground beneath the boy continued to crack and buckle. His eyes had become something alien, colors green and black cycling through his irises.
Then Korin's voice cut through his stupor.
*Korin-sama?!*
*Roshi! You have to stop him! Calm him down! Tell him about the Dragon Balls! that they can resurrect his friends!*
*Yes, of course, Korin-sama.*
Roshi forced himself forward into the maelstrom of energy. Each step was like walking against a hurricane. His skin burned from the raw power radiating from Goku's form, but he pressed on until he could grab the boy's shoulders.
"Goku!"
No response. The terrible scream continued.
"GOKU! Listen to me! We can still save them!"
The word "save" cut through everything.
The scream stopped. Goku's head snapped up to face Roshi, and the old master nearly let go in shock.
Goku's face was barely recognizable. His brow was so deeply furrowed that the skin between his eyebrows had formed deep creases. Tears floated upward from his eyes, defying gravity. His hair stood vertical, no longer flickering but solid black.
But worst of all were his eyes, completely white. No pupils. No irises. Just blank, terrible whiteness that somehow still conveyed infinite rage.
"Don't fuck with me, old man..."
The voice was Goku's but, layered with harmonics that made Roshi's bones ache. A golden aura had begun to manifest around him, crackling with barely contained violence.
"This is the truth!" Roshi forced out, fighting every instinct telling him to run. "The Dragon Balls can resurrect them! We have to find them!"
Tien and Chaozu watched in confusion, not understanding what the Dragon Balls had to do with resurrection, but Goku...
The white began to fade from his eyes.
"The Dragon Balls..."
His head turned slowly toward Krillin's body.
"Yes, Goku! Now you have to calm down!"
Goku turned to Bulma and pulled her closer, arranging them carefully, Krillin on his right, Bulma on his left. His hands found the backs of their heads and he pulled them against him, lowering his forehead to touch theirs.
"I'll come back very soon."
His hand slipped into Bulma's jacket pocket, finding the Dragon Radar. Then, gently, he laid them back down and stood.
He looked up at the night sky, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
As he exhaled, the golden aura dissipated like morning mist. His hair fell back to its normal shape and style. Slowly, his pupils reformed, returning to their familiar black.
At Korin Tower, the ancient cat finally relaxed his grip on his staff.
"His energy is frightening..." Korin murmured to the empty air. "But with that power, he could easily defeat Piccolo Daimao."
"Kinto'un!"
The golden cloud streaked down from the sky, and Goku leaped onto it.
"Wait, Goku! Where are you going?!" Roshi called out.
"I'm going to find the Dragon Balls." Goku's voice was flat, emotionless. "And at the same time, find the one who did this."
"No, Goku! Don't go now! You need to recover your energy! Between the tournament and the way you just unleashed your ki, you won't last against a tough opponent!"
Goku's eyes moved once more to the still forms of Krillin and Bulma.
"I can't." His voice cracked slightly. "I can't stay here and do nothing, or I'll go crazy again."
He looked at Tien. "Take them. Take care of their bodies."
Without waiting for a response, Kinto'un shot into the sky, carrying Goku into the darkness.
Roshi watched the golden trail disappear into the night.
A massive flying vessel hovered above a desolate island, its dark silhouette blotting out the stars.
Inside, familiar faces huddled together in terror. Emperor Pilaf, the self-proclaimed world conqueror reduced to a trembling blue gnome. Shu, the ninja dog, his tail between his legs. And Mai, beautiful and cold as always with her long black hair, though her usual composure was cracking at the edges.
They had good reason to be afraid.
Before them loomed a throne that seemed carved from nightmares, and upon it sat something that should not exist. A massive green humanoid, ancient and terrible, wearing purple robes emblazoned with the kanji for "Mazoku"—Demon Clan. King Piccolo's presence filled the room like poisonous smoke.
"So they grant any wish once you gather them all?" The demon's voice was like grinding stone. "Fu fu fu..."
Pilaf, desperate to please and survive, bobbed his head frantically. "Heh heh heh, that is correct! And of course, Your Highness Piccolo Daimao-sama's wish would be for world domination?"
"World domination?" Piccolo's laughter was worse than his speaking voice. "I don't need to rely on those balls for something so trivial! FAH-FAHFAH! If I wanted this world under my heel, I could take it myself. No... what I desire is far more precious."
His ancient eyes gleamed with unholy anticipation.
"Eternal youth!"
A shadow passed over the ship's viewport. Tambourine, the winged demon, entered and immediately dropped to one knee before his master. In his outstretched hands gleamed an orange sphere with four stars.
"Hoho! So that's a Dragon Ball." Piccolo leaned forward, pleased. "Excellent work, Tambourine."
"It was exactly where those humans told us, Master."
"Hehe, 'told' you?" Pilaf nervously giggled at the implication.
Mai's eyes locked onto the four-star ball. Something about it was familiar. Her voice came out as barely a whisper: "Someone... someone was holding onto that Dragon Ball, wasn't it?"
"Why does it matter?" Piccolo asked dismissively.
"A young boy," Tambourine said with casual cruelty. "I killed him."
The words hit Mai like a physical blow. Her legs gave out, sending her to her knees.
"Goku-san..." The name escaped her lips like a prayer. "This isn't possible..."
Shu's ears perked up. "You're relieved, right Mai? You never told us what he did to you, but he's finally dead!"
Mai rose slowly, mechanically, and walked toward the aircraft's window. Her eyes had gone empty, hollow.
*If I had followed him that day...*
Since their separation, there had been a constant war between her heart and her loyalty to Pilaf. She'd pushed down feelings she couldn't afford to have, told herself Goku was just another obstacle to their plans. But now, thinking he was dead...
The tears came without warning.
"It's my fault..." Her voice was breaking. Then, turning toward Tambourine, sadness crystallized into rage. "But you're the one who killed him."
She wasn't shaking with fear anymore. Her hand found the Uzi at her hip.
"Mai, what are you—" Pilaf started.
*RATATATATATATA*
The cabin exploded with gunfire. Bullets sprayed across Tambourine's chest, bouncing off his green skin like raindrops. Both he and Piccolo turned toward her with surprise.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Piccolo raised his hand, energy gathering—
"Master," Tambourine interrupted, bullets still pinging off him. "Let me handle this insect."
He walked forward slowly, savoring her futility. The Uzi clicked empty. Without hesitation, Mai threw it aside and pulled a shotgun from seemingly nowhere.
"Where did that come from?!" Pilaf shrieked.
*BOOM-chuck-BOOM-chuck-BOOM*
The shotgun blasts didn't even slow Tambourine's advance. When it too ran dry, he was almost upon her, towering over her small frame.
"That's it?" he mocked.
"No."
Her hand moved like lightning, a revolver appearing at point-blank range. The bullet caught him directly in his oversized eye.
"AAGH!" Tambourine stumbled back, hand over his face. It hadn't injured him, but it *hurt*.
Mai pressed her advantage, pulling a combat knife and driving it into his ear canal. The blade snapped against his impervious skin, but not before sending spikes of pain through his head.
"You fucking BITCH!"
His backhanded strike sent her flying into the reinforced glass window. Spider web cracks spread from the impact point. She slumped to the floor, blood trickling from her mouth, vision swimming.
Tambourine approached, one eye still closed, murder in the other. "I'm going to splatter you across these walls!"
His fist rose high.
Mai looked up at death approaching, her eyes fierce and unafraid.
"I'm coming, Goku-san."
The fist came down like a meteor—
*CRASH*
The entire aircraft tilted violently. Dust and debris filled the air where Mai had been kneeling.
"Tambourine, you're pathetic," Piccolo's voice dripped contempt. "Struggling against a mere human?"
"Tambourine! Answer Piccolo-sama!" Piano, the demon's pterodactyl assistant, squawked.
The dust began to clear.
Shu noticed it first—Mai was still there, still kneeling, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for a death that hadn't come.
Something soft brushed her nose. Furry. Familiar.
She opened one eye.
A tail. A monkey's tail swishing back and forth. Her gaze followed it up to where it connected, and her heart stopped.
Spiky black hair. That cocky, unmistakable stance.
Standing on Tambourine's crushed body was Son Goku.
Goku was here.
Mai couldn't believe it, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared up at his back—just like the first time they'd met. Slowly, inevitably, a brilliant smile began to trace across her face. But then Goku spoke, and his voice was winter itself.
"Are you the one who went rogue at that restaurant?"
His stare bore into Piccolo with murderous intent, compressed rage and sorrow radiating from every fiber of his being like heat from a forge.
"Wh-who are you?!" Piccolo's diminutive assistant shrieked, still reeling from Goku's explosive entrance. "Lower your head when you speak to the King of Demons!"
Piccolo's lips curled into an amused smirk. He was about to speak when a broken voice wheezed from beneath Goku's feet.
"It—it was me, asshole!" Tambourine gasped, his back screaming in agony where Goku had landed. "I killed that little bald guy!"
Goku's ear twitched.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Everyone felt it—that terrible calm before devastation. Goku's eyes remained fixed on Piccolo for a heartbeat longer, then slowly, deliberately, he lowered his gaze. His head followed, tilting downward with mechanical precision, casting his face in shadow. The movement alone radiated menace.
"I see..."
The words emerged with the tranquility of a still pond. Goku bent toward the winged demon beneath him.
Tambourine's instincts screamed danger. In pure panic, he threw a desperate punch at Goku's face. He dodged with minimal effort, caught the fist, and in one fluid motion flipped Tambourine onto his stomach, wings exposed. The silence that followed was somehow more terrifying than any battle cry.
Goku planted his feet on Tambourine's shoulders. The joints shattered with a wet crunch.
"GAAAAAARGHHH!"
Tambourine's scream echoed through the aircraft. Without a word, Goku reached down and grasped both wings at their roots, his fingers digging into the flesh where bone met muscle.
"What?! What are you doing?!" Tambourine's voice pitched higher with terror.
The room watched in frozen horror. Piccolo's assistant stumbled backward. Even the Demon King himself tensed, his confident smirk faltering. Mai's hand flew to her mouth, recognizing the cold precision in Goku's movements—this wasn't rage anymore. This was something else. Something calculated.
Slowly, inexorably, Goku began to pull.
The sound started small—tendons straining like violin strings pulled too tight. Tambourine's breathing became ragged gasps as the pressure increased.
"Stop! Stop! STOP!" Tambourine's voice cracked, all pretense of strength abandoned.
"Sorry," Goku replied, his tone conversational, almost apologetic. "But I can't stop... I need to do this. For my sanity."
He pulled harder. Muscle fibers began to tear with sounds like wet paper ripping. Tambourine's screams transformed from pain to pure animal terror.
"PICCOLO-SAMA! HELP ME! PLEASE!"
The Demon King's hand shot up, gathering energy into a concentrated ki blast. The beam struck Goku directly in the side, tearing through his clothes and scorching flesh. Blood splattered across the floor.
Goku didn't even flinch.
It was as if nothing existed in his world except him and the creature that needed to suffer. Piccolo's eyes widened—he'd never seen anyone take a direct hit without so much as acknowledging it.
The tearing sounds grew louder. Skin began to split like an overripe fruit, revealing glistening tissue beneath. Tambourine's screams reached a pitch that shouldn't have been possible from any throat. And then, with a final, sickening noise like branches breaking in a storm—
The wings came free.
Everyone stood paralyzed. Blood pooled beneath Tambourine's mutilated back. But it was Mai who truly understood what she was witnessing. They had freed Piccolo, and because of that, someone close to Goku had died. This wasn't justice. This was grief wearing the mask of vengeance.
Goku tossed the severed wings aside like garbage. Tambourine, sobbing and broken, began crawling toward his master on his belly, leaving a purple trail. Goku dropped one knee onto the demon's spine. The vertebrae shifted audibly under the pressure.
"Please stop, please, please stop," Tambourine whimpered, his voice barely human anymore.
Goku placed his hands on either side of Tambourine's head.
"ENOUGH, YOU FOOL!"
Piccolo's roar shook the aircraft. Watching one of his creations being systematically destroyed had finally broken through his amusement. Energy crackled around his fingers—not the unfocused blast from before, but something concentrated, precise. A spear of pure destruction aimed directly at Goku's heart.
Mai saw it forming. She didn't think—she just moved.
Her body collided with Goku's just as Piccolo released the beam. The energy lance grazed both their arms, burning through cloth and flesh alike, before punching through the aircraft's hull. The explosion tore a gaping hole in the fuselage, and suddenly the room was full of screaming wind.
The impact seemed to break whatever trance held Goku. He blinked, focusing on the person clutching him desperately.
"Mai?!"
"Yes! Mister Goku! That's me!" Her smile was radiant despite the chaos, despite the blood running down her arm.
"What are you do—"
Goku's instincts flared. Another attack. Goku spun, throwing his hands up to intercept Piccolo's second beam, trying to deflect it. But exhaustion had finally caught up with him—days without rest, the emotional toll, the injuries. The blast hammered into his guard and sent both him and Mai flying backward through the hole.
They plummeted into open sky.
"KINTO'UN!" Mai's voice was swallowed by the rushing wind.
The golden cloud appeared like sunlight through storm clouds, catching them gently. The nimbus recognized her—remembered her pure heart from before. Goku lay barely conscious across its surface, his energy completely spent.
Piccolo appeared at the hole's edge, his cape whipping in the wind. His eyes held no mercy as he raised his hand for a final blast.
Mai didn't hesitate. She grabbed Goku and leaped from Kinto'un just as the ki blast struck. The cloud that had saved them so many times dissipated into nothing.
They fell.
Through clouds that soaked them with moisture. Through air that grew warmer as they descended. The ground rushed up to meet them with terrifying speed. Piccolo watched from above, and then his throat began to bulge with a grotesque, organic sound. Something was moving up from within. His mouth stretched impossibly wide as he birthed a massive egg, covered in viscous green fluid. It hatched immediately, revealing a winged creature marked with the symbol of Cymbal.
"Hunt them," Piccolo commanded. "Leave nothing."
The creature spread its still-wet wings and dove.
Meanwhile, Mai called desperately for Kinto'un, but the cloud was gone. She wrapped her arms around Goku, positioning her body to take the impact. Through his fading consciousness, Goku saw her sacrifice. With the last of his strength, he pushed her away and swung his arm in a massive arc.
The motion created a burst of compressed air, a desperate attempt to slow their descent. He managed another swing, their falling speed dropping dramatically. Midway through a third attempt, his body simply gave out.
But it had been enough.
Mai grabbed him back, pulling him close as she landed on her legs. The impact was still brutal—she rolled multiple times, her clothing shredding against the ground, skin tearing from her knees and palms. They slid for several meters, her legs carving grooves in the earth, before finally coming to rest.
Pain screamed through every nerve, but Mai forced herself to stand. Blood ran down her legs where her pants had torn away. Her palms were raw and bleeding. But she hefted Goku's unconscious form onto her shoulder and began to run.
She knew Piccolo wouldn't give up. Somewhere above them, death was descending on wet wings.
The deadly game of cat and mouse was about to begin.
Mai's lungs burned like acid.
Each breath came in sharp, painful gasps as she stumbled through the dense forest, Goku's dead weight across her shoulders. Blood from her shredded knees left a trail on the undergrowth—a trail she couldn't prevent, couldn't hide. Her legs trembled with each step, threatening to buckle.
Above, something circled.
The sound of leathery wings cutting through air made her stomach clench. Cymbal was up there, searching. She could hear him occasionally descending lower, the wing beats growing louder before rising again. He knew they couldn't have gotten far.
Mai forced herself forward, adjusting Goku's unconscious form. His head moved against her shoulder, breath shallow but steady against her neck. At least he was alive. For now.
A shadow passed overhead Mai threw herself sideways into a cluster of thick ferns, pressing flat against the earth. Goku's body landed heavily beside her. She clamped a hand over her own mouth, muffling her ragged breathing. Through the leaves above, she could see Cymbal's silhouette gliding past, his head turning slowly, scanning.
Her torn knees screamed against the dirt. Every instinct told her to run, but movement meant death. She counted her heartbeats each one impossibly loud in her ears.
The shadow moved on.
She spotted a creek ahead—shallow, maybe knee-deep. Water would hide the blood trail.
The first step into the cold water sent shockwaves of pain through her shredded knees, but she kept moving. The current wasn't strong, but with Goku's weight and her exhaustion, each step was precarious. Stones shifted under her feet.
Behind her, a tree exploded.
The ki blast turned the pine into splinters and flame. Cymbal had found her blood trail, was following it to the water's edge. Mai didn't look back—looking back would be accepting death. Instead, she half-ran, half-stumbled through the creek, using the last reserves of strength she had.
The water curved ahead, disappearing behind a cluster of boulders. She rounded them and saw it—a hollowed-out space beneath an enormous fallen tree, its roots creating a cave-like shelter behind a curtain of hanging moss.
Mai dragged Goku into the darkness, pulling him as far back as possible. The space was barely large enough for both of them. She pressed against the earthen wall, Goku pulled tight against her chest, her hand over his mouth in case he made any sound while unconscious.
Footsteps.
Not flying anymore—walking. Cymbal was on the ground, following the creek. She could hear him breathing, a wet, rhythmic sound like a broken bellows. Through gaps in the root system, she caught glimpses of green skin.
He stopped directly in front of their hiding spot.
Cymbal's head tilted suddenly, as if listening to something only he could hear. His reptilian eyes went distant, unfocused.
"Master?" His voice was guttural, confused. A pause. "A ball? Near my position?"
Another pause. His entire demeanor shifted from predator to servant.
"Understood!"
Without warning, Cymbal burst from the ground above them. Through the gaps in the roots, Mai watched in disbelief as massive wings unfurled. The demon launched himself skyward with powerful strokes, heading west with single-minded purpose. Within moments, he was just a dark speck against the clouded sky.
Then nothing.
Mai held her position for another full minute, rock still clutched in her trembling hand, unable to believe they'd been spared. When she finally crawled from the hollow, dragging Goku behind her, her legs gave out completely. She collapsed onto the creek bank, chest heaving.
They were alive. Somehow, impossibly, they were alive.
She looked down at Goku's unconscious face, so pale and vulnerable in the fading light. His spiky hair was matted with dirt. Without thinking, moving on pure emotion and relief, she leaned down and pressed her lips gently against his forehead—a silent thank you for still breathing, for not leaving her alone.
The moment her lips touched his skin, she jerked back, heat flooding her cheeks. She looked around frantically, as if someone might have seen, before shaking her head at her own foolishness.
Focus. They needed shelter for the night.
She removed her vest, spreading it on a dry patch of ground, and carefully laid Goku on it. At least he'd have something between him and the cold earth.
Miles Away at Kame House
"Piccolo Daimao," Master Roshi spoke the name like a curse, his usual jovial demeanor completely absent.
Tien, Yamcha, Oolong, and Launch sat in tense silence around the table, hanging on every word, beside them the bodies of Krillin and bulma.
"Three hundred years ago, he nearly destroyed the world. A being of pure evil, spawned from the darkness." Roshi's weathered hands trembled slightly as he gripped his staff. "My master, Mutaito, sacrificed his life to seal him using the Mafuba—the Evil Containment Wave."
"Teach me," Tien said immediately. "If it can stop Piccolo—"
"It kills the user," Roshi cut him off sharply. "Without exception. The technique demands more life force than any human can spare. My master knew this, and chose to die rather than let Piccolo's evil continue."
Yamcha's fist clenched. "There has to be another way."
"If there is," Roshi said gravely, "we'd better find it quickly. Because if Piccolo has truly returned, and if he's after the Dragon Balls..."
He didn't need to finish. They all understood.
Back at the Forest
Warmth. Crackling fire. The scent of burning wood.
Goku's eyes fluttered open slowly, his body feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds. Every muscle ached, and his ki was still nearly depleted. The first thing he saw was the bonfire, its orange light dancing against the darkness of the forest night.
Behind the fire, Mai knelt in the traditional seiza position. She'd changed into boxers and a loose black tank top that clung to her sweat-dampened skin, accentuating her full breasts and toned figure. She grabbed a cloth, dipped it into the basin of water, and wrung it out, letting excess drops trail down her arms.
Starting at her neck, she wiped slowly, tilting her head back to expose her smooth throat, the cool cloth making her skin tingle. She lifted one arm high, revealing her armpit, and ran the wet fabric over it in deliberate strokes, the sensation making her shiver as beads of water trickled down her side, soaking into the tank.
She switched arms, arching her back to push her chest out while wiping her other armpit thoroughly, the cloth gliding over the soft, sensitive skin there, her breath quickening from the intimate touch. Moving lower, she slid the cloth across her collarbone and over her breasts, lingering to press against the swells, the fabric now clinging wetly and outlining every curve.
Lifting the hem of her tank, she exposed her ripped abs and wiped in circular motions, dipping toward her hips and the waistband of her boxers. Then, she sat on the edge of her cot, spreading her legs slightly to wipe her thighs, the boxers riding up to show more of her rear as she flexed.
Finally, she focused on her feet, propping one up on the cot to reveal her bare sole, toes curling as she ran the cloth from heel to arch, tracing each toe slowly and sensually. She switched to the other foot, massaging the wet fabric over her instep and between her toes, sighing softly as the coolness contrasted her warm skin, her body on full, teasing display in the private moment.
Mai paused mid-wipe on her foot, noticing his eyes flutter open. A smile crossed her lips as she set the cloth aside and dropped to all fours on the dusty floor, crawling toward him slowly. her heavy breasts dangling freely under the loose tank, swaying with each crawl, the pointiness straining against the thin, damp fabric. They clapped together softly with every movement, a rhythmic slap-slap echoing, her cleavage deepening as she leaned forward, eyes locked on his.
Mai grabbed the cloth and dipped it in the water. When she leaned over the basin, her tank top fell forward, the loose fabric gaping open at the neckline.
"Don't try to get up," she said, wringing out the cloth, her chest bouncing with the motion.
She moved over him and leaned down. The loose top hung open now, gravity pulling the fabric away from her body. He could see straight down - the full curve of her breasts pressed together, deep cleavage disappearing into shadow where the fabric still covered.
"Mai... long time no see," he said weakly.
The wet cloth touched his forehead. "Yes, Mister Goku! Last time was when you exploded our robots and ignored me!" she said with a smile, every small movement making her chest move.
"Geh! Yeah, I was not really over you drugging me..."
"Better?" she whispered, close to his face.
She moved down to his legs, kneeling beside his thigh. As she leaned forward, the boxers rode up between her cheeks, the fabric digging in and pushing the soft flesh outward on each side.
"I made up my mind!" she said, shifting to clean his other leg, the boxers pulling tighter.
Goku's eyes were locked on her rear, watching how the fabric cut between her cheeks. His hand moved slightly, almost unconsciously. "Huh? About what?"
"I was torn, but I chose what my heart wanted from the beginning," she continued.
"Your heart, huh..." he mumbled, his gaze fixed on how her cheeks bulged around the tight fabric.
"Yes, my heart!"
She turned suddenly to meet him face to face. Goku's eyes went wide, caught staring, and he twitched as he quickly looked up to meet her gaze. "My heart told me to choose you! Forever and ever!"
"What do you mean by that?" He asked, before she backed away to pull on her boots and retrieve her broken knife. She wore only her tank top, rolled-up boxers, and boots—awakening some new kink in Goku.
"Wait here, I'll come back right away!" she called before disappearing into the forest.
Goku sat up, still tired and dizzy, staring at his hands still numb from ki depletion. He clenched his fists. "I could've killed that fucker. He was weak—if I'd just had a little more energy... Fuck!"
His stomach growled violently. "I need to eat." He reached into his pocket for the dragon radar and clicked it, but nothing happened. "No... no, don't tell me it's broken." He squeezed it desperately until Bulma's face flashed before his eyes like a ghost.
"Y'all just wait. It will be quick," Goku muttered to himself before a silhouette burst from the forest.
"AAAAAHHH!" Goku shouted.
It was Mai, a deer slung over her shoulders while dragging another behind her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Goku said, blushing.
"Look what I caught!"
"This time Bambi didn't get away," Goku said dryly.
"Who's Bambi?" she asked, already skinning the deer with practiced efficiency. She worked with her back to him, her rear swaying with each movement. Goku allowed himself a smile before closing his eyes again.
When he next opened them, Mai's face hovered inches from his. She jerked back, panicked, poking at the fire. "Haha! You're awake! It's ready," she said nervously.
The meat glistened before him, perfectly cooked and dripping with fat. He couldn't resist—crawling forward, he tore off a leg and began devouring it like a starved animal. Mai pressed her hand to her chest, watching him consume what she'd prepared, feeling heat bloom inside her.
*That's it. That's what I want,* she thought, her face filling with determination. *I'll follow you everywhere, no matter what.*
His presence had impacted her more deeply than she'd expected.
Minutes later, Goku was licking the last grease from his fingers. Before he could rise, Mai appeared with a wet cloth. Her smile was too bright, too eager.
"Eh? That's creepy..."
"What do you mean creepy?!" she snapped.
Goku took the cloth, wiping his hands while his eyes dropped to her breasts, squeezed between her arms and nearly spilling from her tank top. "You didn't used to be comfortable in light outfits," he said casually.
"Hmm?" She glanced down, suddenly aware of her revealing clothes. Panic set in as she tried to cover herself.
Goku flexed his hands, sensing his energy returning. Then he slapped his own face with such violence the earth trembled. Mai jumped.
"Okay, now I need to move. I need to find a way to locate the dragon balls..."
"Wait until morning at least," she said, trying to sound convincing despite her ulterior motives.
"Why? I need to move," he said, leaning against a dead trunk to gaze at the stars.
Mai gathered her courage and dropped to all fours, crawling toward him like a panther stalking prey—though lacking any predator's confidence. Her face burned red, eyes nearly crying from stress, breasts swaying with each movement.
Goku lowered his head, watching her approach. He immediately understood her objective, saw her inexperience, but still asked, "What are you doing?"
She continued until she reached his legs, her face level with his chest. Looking up, she moved closer to his face, her lips grazing his chin, then his cheek. Her hot breath came in irregular gasps.
"Mai... why were you with Piccolo?"
She froze, knowing what was coming. But she was ready—no matter what, she would follow him.
"I—we released Piccolo from his seal."
The realization hit Goku like lightning. They released Piccolo. Piccolo created Tambourine. Tambourine killed Krillin and Bulma. His eyes widened in fury.
"I'm sorry—" Mai began before feeling herself pushed onto her rear.
Goku rose, eyes shadowed, hand extended. Yellow light illuminated her face—a ki ball hovering before her head, ready to explode. But she wasn't scared. She was determined.
Seeing her face, Goku crushed the ball and started walking away.
Mai grabbed her clothes, running after him while dressing. "Don't follow me," he said coldly.
"No! I will follow you!" Her voice rang with determination.
"Don't mistake mercy for weakness. I will kill you."
"I don't care. Letting you go without me is worse than being killed by you," she said, zipping her pants.
A hand grabbed her throat, lifting her from the ground. She looked down at Goku's face, deformed with rage.
"Don't FUCK! with me. I'm truly holding back now."
Mai could barely breathe, but she forced the words out, her hands gripping his wrist not to fight but to steady herself
"I will fo-follow you to the end of the world"
Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes blazed with fierce determination.
She struggled for one more breath.
Goku's voice was hollow. "Do whatever you want. I don't care."
He released her. Mai fell to the ground, coughing violently. Goku resumed walking. She stood, dusted herself off, and followed.
"Now that the radar's broken, I have to find another way to locate the dragon balls. It's the only way to find that fucker... Oh! The old woman—she can divine their location!"
Goku quickened his pace. After an hour of walking, they reached the coast as the sun began to rise. He realized they were on an island.
"Shit!"
Mai silently threw a capsule behind him. An aircraft materialized with a puff of smoke. He looked at her—she was smiling, offering him a way forward despite everything.
With no other choice, he swallowed his pride and climbed aboard. She slid behind the controls and gunned the engine, blasting them.
After hours of travel filled with uncomfortable silence—Mai attempting conversation while Goku steadfastly ignored her—they arrived at a familiar place, Baba's Palace.
Before Mai could properly land the aircraft, Goku leaped out, dropping into the arena.
"Woman! Come out! I need your services!" His voice echoed across the grounds.
Fortune Teller Baba emerged, floating serenely on her crystal ball. "It's so annoying I can't see his future," she muttered under her breath before raising her voice. "Stop shouting! I'm here. What do you want?"
"You're a fortune teller—you should already know!"
"Eh... um... just tell me!" She deflected, unwilling to admit she could neither read his mind nor glimpse his future.
"Bring me your five fighters. I need a divination!" Goku's stance made it clear he was ready to pummel whoever dared appear.
"Are you insane? There's no one on this earth who can beat you anymore." Baba's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "I'll need you to promise me something in exchange."
"Alright, shoot. What do you want?"
"Remember the girl you fought three years ago? My granddaughter?" Her expression turned deadly serious. "I need you to take her with you."
"What? I'm not playing babysitter! Plus, she's strong enough to take care of herself!"
"Do you want my divination or not?" The old woman's tone brooked no argument.
Goku gritted his teeth. Without her help, if Piccolo found the dragon balls first, he'd have to wait an entire year to resurrect Bulma and Krillin. The thought made his fists clench.
"Fuck! Alright, where is she?"
"Promise me first!"
"Alright, alright! I promise!"
The old hag's face split into a satisfied smile as she dropped from her crystal ball. "Not now. I'll come to you and bring her when it's time to collect on your promise." She began preparing her divination ritual, ancient energies swirling around her. "What are you looking for?"
"The location of all the dragon balls."
"What?! That's multiple divinations! You only get one!"
"You old bitch! The world is in danger!"
"Don't care." She waved dismissively.
"Fuck, I need—" Goku's mind raced. "Fine. Give me Piccolo's location."
Baba's eyes rolled back, mystical forces flowing through her. "There... He's heading toward the last dragon ball. It's held by a fat boy in the mountains."
Without hesitation, Goku sprinted toward the aircraft where Mai was just stepping out.
"Don't forget your promise!" Baba's voice carried after them.
"Yeah, yeah!" Goku roughly pushed Mai back inside, and they took off immediately.
"I don't know why but her destiny is intertwined with you..." baba said looking at him go save the world.
Meanwhile, aboard Piccolo's massive airship...
Pilaf checked the instruments nervously. "Lord Piccolo, we're almost at the coordinates. The final dragon ball should be just ahead."
The demon king's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Excellent. Soon, eternal youth will be mine, and this world will tremble before true terror once again."
"What's Cymbal doing?" Piccolo muttered, then a psychic shock rippled through him. His eyes widened. "He just died..."
Rage contorted his features as he glared at Tambourine writhing on the ground, suffering from his torn wings. "You're all unworthy of the Mazoku clan!" He shed his weighted robe, revealing his purple gi beneath. "I'll retrieve it myself!"
After an hour of travel, they arrived at the last dragon ball's location. Piccolo leaped from the aircraft, drawn to rising smoke in the distance. He approached to find a fat boy casually cooking and eating Cymbal's corpse.
Piccolo's rage flared, but his eyes locked onto something more important—a necklace bearing the final dragon ball around the boy's neck.
"Hand it over, boy."
"My name is Yajirobe, and why should I—" Yajirobe's words died as he recognized the demonic crest on Piccolo's clothing. Terror filled his eyes—he knew the stories of the demon who'd once nearly conquered the world. With trembling hands, he surrendered the ball.
Piccolo smiled coldly, taking the orb. His eyes flashed with malice before he unleashed a ki blast, obliterating the young swordsman killing him. Returning to beneath the aircraft, his assistants flew down with the remaining dragon balls. He cast them onto the ground where they began pulsing with ancient light.
"Finally... FINALLY! Eternal youth!" The balls blazed brighter. "SHENRON! COME FORTH!"
The seven orbs erupted with golden radiance, their light piercing the sky like divine spears. Day turned to night in seconds as storm clouds materialized from nothing.
From the balls' combined light, a column of pure energy spiraled skyward, twisting and expanding. The eternal dragon materialized.
Shenron's serpentine body coiled through the black clouds, each scale gleaming like polished emerald. His massive head descended from the tempest, antlers crackling with electricity, crimson eyes burning like twin suns.
"**NAME YOUR WISH. I SHALL GRANT IT.**" The dragon's voice resonated through bone and soul.
"Oh Shenron, I want—!"
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Piccolo's head snapped toward the sound just as Goku struck him like a human missile. The impact was catastrophic—the ground exploded in a crater twenty feet wide. But Goku's momentum didn't stop. He slid across the earth, gripping Piccolo's head, dragging the demon king through rock and soil. Finally, Goku planted his feet, using their velocity to hurl Piccolo into a massive boulder that shattered on impact.
Piccolo's assistant reacted instantly. "Shenron! Make Piccolo eter—"
Mai's Uzi barked to life, spraying bullets that forced him to dodge backward, cutting off his wish.
Goku turned to face the dragon, his voice clear and commanding: "Shenron! Resurrect everyone who died because of Piccolo!"
"NOOOOOO!" Piccolo erupted from the rubble, blood streaming from his broken nose.
Shenron's eyes flared with divine light. "SIMPLE. IT IS DONE."
Mai sprinted to the airship, frantically working the radio. "Master Roshi, do you read?!"
At Kame House, the radio crackled to life. Yamcha rushed to answer. "Yes! Who is this?"
"Do you have the bodies of Krillin and Bulma?!" Mai's voice was desperate with hope.
"Mai?! Is that you? How do you know about the bod—" Yamcha's words died as he watched Krillin and Bulma stirring to life. "They're alive... He did it! GOKU DID IT!"
Mai released the radio, turning to see Goku with his back to her. "YOU DID IT, MISTER GOKU! THEY'RE BACK!" Joy radiated from her smile.
Piccolo stood wounded in both body and pride, glaring at his nemesis. "What's with that expression?! Are you mocking me?!"
But Goku's face had transformed completely. Gone was the rage, the sorrow, the fear of loss. In its place was an expression of serene softness—a gentle smile, calm brows, eyes clear of hatred. The resurrection of his friends had washed away his darkness like a cleansing rain.
With that impossibly soft expression and no trace of animosity, Goku spoke in an almost playful tone that chilled Piccolo more than any threat:
"Now I can focus on tormenting you..."
The gentleness in his voice contrasted so starkly with his words that even Piccolo felt a shiver of genuine fear.