"That monster... was me. The monster of the full moon..."
As the images of the rampaging Great Ape flickered on the small screen, Goku's entire body went rigid. The puzzle pieces of his life, scattered across years of confusion and tragedy, suddenly snapped together with a sickening clarity.
"...I finally understand now," he whispered, his voice trembling in a way it never did in battle. "The monster that stepped on Grandpa... the monster that destroyed the Martial Arts Tournament... it was me all along! I... I'll have to wait until I die and apologize to Grandpa in the Other World."
Grandpa Gohan had always warned him. "Don't look at the full moon, Goku. There are scary monsters out there. Go to bed early." Grandpa had died beneath the crushing feet of a beast on a night of the full moon.
Later, while trapped in Emperor Pilaf's castle, a monster had appeared and torn the fortress to shreds. At the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament, he and "Jackie Chun" had fought until the moon rose. Then, a beast had laid waste to the arena until Jackie Chun used a Max Power Kamehameha to destroy the moon itself.
Scene after scene flashed through Goku's mind. Even for someone as simple-minded as him, the pattern was undeniable.
"Is it because of the tail? Is that why I change?"
He remembered waking up in the ruins of Pilaf's castle with his tail missing, and how Yamcha, Bulma, and the others had been acting so strangely—evasive and nervous.
He remembered how he lost all his strength whenever someone grabbed his tail, and how Grandpa Gohan, during their fight at Fortuneteller Baba's, had ripped it off to teach him a lesson.
The truth was laid bare. The tail was his greatest weakness, but it was also the catalyst for his greatest sin. When the tail was gone, the monster stayed away. Without the moon, he remained himself.
"Then I'll just get rid of it!"
Before anyone could stop him, Goku reached behind himself, gripped the base of his brown, furry tail with both hands, and gave a violent, primal heave. With a sickening *pop* and a grunt of exertion, he tore the appendage clean off his body.
He didn't want to be a mindless beast anymore. He didn't want to hurt innocent people or destroy the world he loved. He would rather endure the pain of self-mutilation than risk the monster returning.
"Aaaaagh! Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW!"
Goku dropped the severed tail on the floor and began hopping around the room in a frantic circle, clutching his backside.
The sight left Professor X, Gabriela, and the others utterly speechless. They had seen mutants with incredible powers, but they had never seen a child perform such a brutal act of self-surgery with such casual resolve.
"Goku! Are you crazy?" Gabriela cried out, rushing forward with a medical kit. She pushed him onto the bed and checked for wounds. "Let me see, you must be bleeding—"
She stopped. Her hands hovered over the base of his spine in confusion. "It's... it's gone. There's no blood. Not even a scar."
Goku's skin was perfectly smooth, as if the tail had never existed. It wasn't a wound; it was a biological ejection.
"Little Goku," the Professor said, rolling his wheelchair closer, his psychic senses tingling. "Why did you do that?"
Goku didn't hide anything. He explained the connection between the moon, the tail, and the Oozaru. He told them about his Grandpa and the tournament, his voice heavy with the realization of his past mistakes.
"I see. If removing it stops the transformation, then it is for the best," Charles said, nodding slowly.
From a tactical standpoint, it was a relief. Without the tail, there was no physical evidence linking Goku to the Great Ape. More importantly, the threat of an uncontrollable, mountain-sized engine of destruction was neutralized.
"Goku, you must listen to me," Charles said, his tone becoming intensely serious. "From this moment on, no matter who asks—even if they seem like friends—you must never tell anyone about the transformation or the tail. Do you understand?"
"Why?" Goku asked, pulling his pants back up.
"Because last night, that monster killed many soldiers," Charles explained, trying to find words a child could grasp. "The Great Ape is a power that governments and bad men will kill to possess. If the world knows that *you* are the monster, they will never let you be free. They will hunt you, study you, and use you to hurt others. Many, many bad things will happen."
"I understand, Grandpa Professor." Goku didn't fully comprehend the political nuances, but he could feel the genuine fear and protectiveness radiating from the old man. If Charles said it was dangerous, Goku believed him.
"And Goku... what happened last night was not your fault," Charles added softly, sensing the boy's lingering guilt.
During the chase through the woods, Charles had noticed that Goku never fought to kill. He only fought to protect. His heart was pure gold. Knowing that such a kind soul had inadvertently caused so much death was a heavy burden for a twelve-year-old.
"I'm sorry," Goku said, turning toward the window. He put his hands together in prayer and bowed deeply toward the distant desert battlefield. "I didn't mean to kill you. When I get to the Other World, I'll apologize to you all in person."
After the bow, Goku stood up and immediately reverted to his usual, cheerful self. The darkness seemed to roll off him like water off a duck's back.
"This kid... he really has a remarkable spirit," Gabriela whispered. She couldn't help but ask, "Goku, does it really not bother you? Knowing you killed all those people?"
To her, the mercenaries were one thing—they chose that life. but the soldiers were just men doing their jobs, leaving behind families and children who would now grow up in grief. She felt that Goku should be mourning for weeks.
"I like fighting strong people, but I don't like killing," Goku replied, his eyes clear. "But Grandpa told me that death is a part of life. If I stay sad forever, they won't come back to life. So I'll just live my best life now, and when my turn comes to die, I'll make it right with them then."
"Yes," Charles mused, reaching out to pat Goku's head. "It is the rest of us who insist on making simple things so complicated."
Goku's words had struck a chord deep within the Professor. For thirty-five years, Charles had lived in a prison of his own guilt, mourning the students and civilians lost during his psychic seizures.
But Goku's perspective was like a bolt of lightning through a dark sky: dwelling on the dead didn't help the living. It was better to protect those who remained.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Goku's face lit up as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the dull, stone-like Four-Star Ball. "I have the Dragon Balls! I can just have Shenron bring them back!"
He explained how he didn't want to bring his Grandpa back because Gohan liked it in the Other World, but the soldiers probably didn't want to be dead.
"In a year, when the balls turn back into Dragon Balls, I can borrow Bulma's radar and collect all seven! Then I'll wish everyone back to life, just like I did for Upa's dad!"
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