Bulma's tone suddenly shifted.
"But… you did see how huge the Ox-King is, right? If that little girl grows up and ends up built like him, I hope you won't regret marrying her…"
Goku immediately waved his hands.
"No way~!"
But the moment he said it, he quietly started thinking to himself.
He already knew Chi-Chi wouldn't "grow the wrong way" in terms of looks… but what he truly liked was the innocent, sweet, hopelessly-in-love Chi-Chi.
Not the married Chi-Chi who only cared about the kids and didn't care whether her husband lived or died.
If it became that… then he'd rather not.
Goku silently prayed.
"I'm not the old Goku anymore. I have money. The Ox-King's castle is still there, the treasure's still there… In the future, she won't become like that. She won't…!"
Just then, Upa suddenly looked up at the sky.
"Dad! Look—what's that?"
"It looks like something's flying toward us…"
Bulma and Goku looked up too.
"There's a person on it!" Bulma said.
Who else could it be but Tao Pai Pai?
Goku handed his unfinished roasted fish to Bulma, wiped his mouth, and said, "Bulma, hold this for me. Once I beat him, I'll keep eating."
After being with Goku for so long, Bulma trusted his strength completely.
"Want me to keep it warm?"
"Nope."
Goku stepped forward.
Bulma adjusted into a more comfortable sitting position, clearly ready to enjoy the show.
Tao Pai Pai landed with a heavy stomp. The stone pillar's front end plunged into the dirt, yet he remained balanced atop it like it was nothing.
Seeing little Goku, Bulma, Upa and the others, Tao Pai Pai's lips curved slightly.
"Hello."
Upa's father sensed the danger immediately, but he didn't back away. He asked tensely,
"Who are you?"
Tao Pai Pai clasped his hands behind his back, smiling.
"I am Tao Pai Pai, the world's greatest assassin."
"An assassin…?"
Upa's father frowned. "What are you doing at Korin's Sacred Land?"
Goku quickly stepped between Tao Pai Pai and Upa's father.
"Sir, keep grilling fish. This guy was hired by the Red Ribbon Army to kill me. This has nothing to do with you."
Tao Pai Pai chuckled.
"Heh. Still thinking about eating fish at a time like this… You sure are bold, brat."
Upa had watched him ride a pillar through the air—he could tell this man was terrifying. He tugged his father's pant leg urgently.
"Dad! You have to save that big brother!"
Upa's father nodded, then stared Tao Pai Pai down.
"He just saved my son's life. I won't allow you to lay a hand on him!"
Bulma immediately waved them back.
"Uncle, Upa—step back. Leave it to Goku. Since he came down the mountain, I've never seen him lose."
Then she casually took a small bite of the roasted fish.
"Mmm… this is really good…"
Upa and his father were stunned.
A man who arrived with that kind of aura felt like a nightmare to deal with—yet this girl was sitting there eating calmly, completely confident.
Just how strong was Goku…?
Tao Pai Pai's smile widened.
"Heh. What an arrogant idiot. You think beating a few Red Ribbon amateurs means you can challenge me?"
Goku smiled.
"Challenge? You're giving yourself way too much credit. This isn't a challenge."
Then he raised his left hand.
"To beat you, one hand is enough."
Tao Pai Pai's brow twitched.
"Hmph. Insolent little brat!"
In the blink of an eye, he vanished—reappearing right in front of Goku with a vicious kick.
Bulma and Upa's father jolted.
"So fast!"
But to Goku, it looked like slow motion. He shifted slightly and lifted one hand—
blocking the kick perfectly.
Tao Pai Pai's pupils shrank.
He pushed harder… and realized he couldn't budge at all.
He withdrew, then fired a punch.
Goku casually raised two fingers and pinched his wrist.
Tao Pai Pai yanked.
Nothing.
"Let go!" he snapped, pulling again.
Still nothing.
"LET—GO!"
This time he wrenched with everything he had—and finally tore free…
Only because Goku released him on purpose.
Tao Pai Pai's heart thundered.
"This… can't be…"
"No. He's too young. He can't be this strong. It has to be just brute strength!"
His gaze turned icy.
He flicked his braid back and sneered.
"Strength isn't everything. I know over a hundred ways to kill. You're finished!"
He produced several steel needles and flicked them—
They shot toward Goku faster than bullets.
At the same time, Tao Pai Pai blurred away to strike from another angle.
Goku didn't even blink.
His left hand lifted—too fast to track—leaving only an afterimage.
When his palm stopped, the needles were neatly held between his fingers, completely intact.
Bulma shouted, "That's my Goku—nice!"
Goku tossed the needles aside and did a quick backflip—dodging Tao Pai Pai's ambush perfectly.
As he landed, he caught the assassin in the brief stiffness after his attack.
Goku tapped him lightly.
Tao Pai Pai flew backward and slammed through a tree.
In that instant—catching those needles—Goku felt something new.
He didn't even need to rely on sight.
He could sense the faint tearing sound in the air… even the subtle shifts of airflow when the needles approached.
He had a feeling he could catch them even with his eyes closed.
Tao Pai Pai wiped his mouth and stood again, killing intent pouring out of him.
"Brat… you're stronger than those trash soldiers. But unfortunately…"
He grinned coldly.
"I'm Tao Pai Pai."
Goku smiled, then calmly closed his eyes and curled his finger at him.
Tao Pai Pai froze.
Someone using "sound to locate" against him?
Normally, he was the one who played with his prey like that.
Now it was reversed.
Tao Pai Pai's face twisted.
"You dare close your eyes against me?!"
Goku curled his finger again.
"Come on. Try."
Tao Pai Pai's expression turned vicious.
"You asked for it!"
This time he pulled out throwing knives and began moving rapidly, changing position constantly to create chaos.
In a blink, over ten knives shot in from different angles.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Goku didn't move from his spot.
Still eyes closed, he swung his left hand lazily.
When the slicing sounds stopped, Goku was still standing there—
and every knife was caught by the handle between his fingers.
Tao Pai Pai's jaw dropped.
"That's impossible!"
Goku opened his eyes.
"Your knives are loud. I can hear them."
He flicked his wrist.
The knives shot back at Tao Pai Pai.
Tao Pai Pai dodged desperately, but one knife tore his clothes, ripping off a strip of fabric.
Then the rest followed.
He kept dodging—and when it ended, he realized he wasn't bleeding.
He almost felt relieved—
until his clothing suddenly fell apart into shredded pieces.
In the end, the "world's greatest assassin" was left in nothing but his underwear.
Bulma nearly burst out laughing—barely managing to cover her mouth in time.
Finally understanding that none of his attacks mattered, Tao Pai Pai retreated rapidly, widening the distance.
Goku smiled.
"What's wrong, 'world's greatest assassin'?"
Veins bulged on Tao Pai Pai's forehead.
"Don't get cocky! I just wasn't serious!"
"Oh? You weren't?"
Goku's smile—half mocking—nearly made Tao Pai Pai snap.
Tao Pai Pai roared, "Fine! For a brat, you're decent. You're worthy of my ultimate technique!"
He gathered his ki and thrust two fingers forward.
"Dodon Ray!"
A golden beam shot toward Goku.
Goku calmly raised a single finger.
The beam slammed into it—
and Goku didn't move an inch.
Tao Pai Pai's blood ran cold.
He yelled and increased the output—
and in that instant, Goku lightly flicked his pinky.
The beam diverted—blasting the ground and leaving a huge crater.
Tao Pai Pai stood there, brain blank.
"H-How…? A finger…?"
Upa and his father were speechless.
Upa stared, starry-eyed.
"Dad! Big brother Goku is amazing!!"
Upa's father swallowed hard.
"He's… far beyond me."
Up on Korin Tower, Krillin watched through the water basin and felt his world shaking.
"It's only been a short time… and Goku is already this strong?"
"That kind of monster… and he's toying with him…"
Korin chuckled.
"Heh. Looks like being surpassed makes you uncomfortable. If so—keep training. Get the Ultra Divine Water."
Krillin clenched his fists.
"Three months… no—one month!"
"I'm not letting Goku leave me behind!"
Tao Pai Pai realized his showboating had failed, and he abandoned dignity entirely.
"Damn it—YOU forced my hand!"
He opened a capsule—a steel sword appeared.
He cackled and swung it at Goku.
Bulma panicked.
"Goku, use the Power Pole!! Don't be stupid—your finger will get cut off!"
But when the blade hit Goku's finger, the one that cracked wasn't Goku—
it was the sword.
Tao Pai Pai's eyes bulged.
"What?!"
He slashed again.
Goku rotated his wrist and flicked—
the already cracked blade shattered into metal fragments.
Clatter clatter clatter…
Just then, a system notification flashed in Goku's mind.
[Bonus Mission: Make Tao Pai Pai feel fear and mentally collapse — Completed.
Bonus Reward: Charm +10.]
Goku's eyes lit up.
Showing off was tiring… but honestly?
It felt kind of good.
And Tao Pai Pai had actually been mildly entertaining.
Still, the guy had wasted almost five minutes—his fish was getting cold.
But it wasn't a total waste.
Along with the sword, Tao Pai Pai's mindset had shattered too.
With the rewards secured, Goku's expression turned bored.
"I thought you'd be a warm-up. Turns out you're just weak. How boring."
Right as Goku prepared to finish him—
Tao Pai Pai suddenly dropped to his knees.
"Please spare me! I'm just an assassin taking jobs to feed my family! I have a ten-year-old daughter and a seventy-year-old mother—"
Goku blinked.
Of course.
An assassin could lie without even blinking.
And sure enough—
Tao Pai Pai hurled a bomb at him.
"You fell for it!"
Upa screamed, "A bomb!"
Even Bulma jumped—forgetting for a moment that Goku could tank rocket fire.
But this time, Goku didn't tank it.
As the bomb approached, he simply blew on it.
The bomb flew backward instantly.
Tao Pai Pai's pupils expanded, the bomb growing larger and larger in his vision.
"No—!"
BOOM!
The explosion swallowed him in white light.
When the smoke cleared…
Tao Pai Pai was gone.
Another system message appeared.
[Mission: Defeat Tao Pai Pai — Completed.
Reward: Grow 5 cm within three days — Delivered.]
Goku turned around and walked back to Bulma.
"This guy delayed me forever… where's my fish?"
Bulma hurriedly handed him the roasted fish skewer.
Goku took a huge bite.
"Good. It's not completely cold yet."
Bulma stared at him—and for some reason, the more she looked, the more handsome he seemed.
Her eyes practically turned into hearts.
"Goku… you were so cool just now. Being your girlfriend is the happiest thing ever…"
She leaned sweetly against his shoulder.
Upa looked at him like he was worshipping a hero.
"Big brother, you're so strong!"
Goku laughed lightly.
"I'm just average, really…"
And while he kept eating, he couldn't tell anymore—
was it the afterglow of showing off…
or that +10 charm working exactly as advertised?
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
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