In the command room, the surveillance feed switched rapidly.
On the screen, Son Goku stormed into the base with his Power Pole in hand.
Marshal Red's face twisted in shock.
"That brat… how did he get here?!"
One aircraft after another turned into smoke and debris under the Power Pole. Heavy machine guns—one after another—were smashed to pieces.
A terrible feeling rose in Adjutant Black's chest.
"Don't tell me… Mercenary Tao was defeated by Son Goku?"
Marshal Red swallowed hard.
"How is that possible? Even a killer that strong couldn't beat a child?!"
Watching Goku tear through the base like no one could stop him, Red spun around and roared:
"Listen carefully—do not let him take one step inside!"
"Understood!"
Adjutant Black immediately grabbed the loudspeaker.
"All units! Emergency combat readiness! Engage Son Goku!"
Because flying in risked getting shot down—and because Goku couldn't fight properly while carrying Bulma—he hadn't brought her along.
As Goku advanced, defense lines collapsed one after another. Soldiers fled like they'd seen a monster. Crushed buildings, ruined military equipment—wreckage littered the ground.
"Aim and fire!"
"Open fire!"
"Fire my ass—RUN!"
"Why throw your life away against something you can't beat?!"
Goku was like a war god.
Aircraft exploded. Armored vehicles shattered. Turrets turned to ash.
It was as if a demolition crew had arrived—this massive Red Ribbon base was collapsing, breaking apart in real time.
And yet, orders kept pouring down from above:
Block Son Goku. Kill him.
Some soldiers ran, only for new troops to rush in behind them…
But the result was always the same—once they witnessed Goku's strength, their courage snapped and they fled in panic.
In an instant, the Red Ribbon base fell into chaos.
Inside the command room, Colonel Violet's eyes grew heavy as she watched the footage.
He can tank bullets and artillery… smash armored vehicles with his bare hands…
Is this kid some kind of superhuman?
Adjutant Black spoke urgently:
"Marshal Red, his path is clearly heading for this room.
Should we abandon the Dragon Balls and hide?"
Marshal Red didn't grasp the severity at all. He bellowed:
"What joke is this?! I am the Supreme Commander of the Red Ribbon Army!
You're telling me to hide from a child?!"
Black tried again:
"But… you've seen it. We can't stop him. He's already reached Zone Eight.
If we keep this up, we're only piling up casualties.
We should withdraw for now. As long as we live, we can rebuild."
Red's face contorted with rage.
"Withdraw? Hide?! Are we still the world's strongest Red Ribbon Army or not?!"
Black refused to back down. Forgetting the unspoken rule about not standing too close to Red, he stepped forward.
"Marshal, please—give it up. Our weapons are useless against him.
Sending more men will only cause meaningless deaths."
Red slammed his fist down.
"Shut up!"
"I have the strongest army in the world! I refuse to believe one brat can fight the entire Red Ribbon Army!"
Violet stared at Red's bloodshot eyes and warped expression—and suddenly felt a wave of unfamiliarity.
The man in front of her looked… ugly.
Her gaze returned to the screen—live footage from the central hall.
Soldiers were frantically throwing up defenses, but terror was written all over their faces.
Violet spoke, firm:
"Marshal Red, Adjutant Black is right. Our firepower has no effect on him. We should abandon the mission and retreat!"
Red didn't even look at her.
"What do you know?"
"Soldiers are meant to be sacrificed. As long as they stall him—even for one minute—their deaths have value."
"He'll get tired eventually, won't he?!"
"I refuse to believe he can kill everyone in my army!"
Those words hit Violet like a bucket of ice water.
To Red, these living people—young men with families, dreams, futures—were nothing but disposable pieces on a board.
She had once been a low-ranked soldier too.
And in that moment, her belief cracked again.
Just then, the fourth combat sector sent a desperate call.
"Bad news! Sector Four has fallen!"
On screen, some soldiers were dead or wounded…
But far more didn't even try to fight—they simply became deserters, throwing away weapons and running for their lives.
Red exploded when he saw them.
"Those bastards! They dare run?! Are they even Red Ribbon soldiers?! Pathetic!"
Black forced himself to speak calmly.
"Marshal, the men understand something you refuse to face:
No matter how hard they fight, they cannot win."
"That child—Son Goku—has strength beyond human limits. Right now, our only way to survive is to abandon the Dragon Balls and retreat."
Red shrieked:
"Don't make me laugh! After everything we paid, everything we sacrificed—how can we hand it over now?!"
Black lowered his voice.
"But if we die, none of it matters."
Red pounded the table again.
"Damn it… DAMN IT! I can't accept this!"
"We were this close… I was this close to getting taller!"
Red's face twisted into something almost feral.
Black and Violet both froze.
"Taller?"
Black blinked.
"…What do you mean, taller?"
"Don't tell me… Marshal… you're collecting the Dragon Balls because of your height?"
Red turned sharply.
"That's right. Any objections?"
Violet stared.
"Marshal… weren't you collecting them to conquer the world?"
Red snorted with disdain.
"Conquering the world? That's easy. It only takes time."
"But before I rule the world, I need to be tall. I need to look impressive."
"A short man will never be popular with women!"
The Red Ribbon Army had burned fortunes, lost countless soldiers… for a height wish?
Black and Violet looked like their souls had left their bodies.
This wasn't just absurd—it shattered everything they thought they believed in.
Black, almost trembling, pressed:
"Just… for that… we suffered all this…"
Red barked:
"Shut up! You're tall—you could never understand what it feels like to be short!"
Then he turned to Violet.
"Violet—if it were you… would you fall for someone as short as me?"
Violet froze for a beat, then lowered her head to look down at him—forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Marshal… whether you're tall or not, I admire you all the same."
Red's face darkened.
"Hmph. A liar."
"I don't like tall people standing next to me."
"And I especially hate it when people look down at me!"
Violet's expression stiffened.
Because the truth she couldn't say was—
If I don't look down… I literally can't see you.
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