Planet Slug.
Slug finished charging first.
"Ha!"
The Super Energy Wave blasted from his mouth ten meters thick now that he'd gone giant.
"Special Beam… Cannon!" Piccolo's shout rang out.
A slender, corkscrewing lance of light snapped from his fingertips.
Compared to Slug's beam, it looked like a needle to a pillar.
Boom!
Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon bored into the front of Slug's blast, warping and twisting its surface
Zzzrak!
The spiral spear punched straight through the wave, then drilled through Slug's throat and lanced on toward the starry dark beyond.
"Str… strong…" Slug's voice whistled out of the hole in his neck. His giant body shrank back to normal in an instant.
Piccolo also released his form and strode over.
Namekians carry regeneration in their blood; once he was back to normal size, Slug barely managed to mend his throat. Then he slumped to the ground, spent.
"Slug. You've lost," Piccolo said evenly.
"Yes… lost… heh." More lines creased Slug's weathered face. The breath of death was all over him.
"Piccolo. Fuse with me. In this state I can't sway your mind anymore. Carry the honor of the Super Namekians… live on in my place." A man's words soften at the end. For a heartbeat the brutal, merciless Slug seemed to revisit his whole life, and the ferocity faded from his eyes.
"Rest easy."
Piccolo crouched and pressed his palm to Slug's chest.
Hummm…
Blue-white light bloomed. Slug's body unraveled, streamed into the glow, and flowed into Piccolo.
Whoooom
Power surged so hard Piccolo's heavy cape snapped upward.
2.5 billion… 5 billion… 10… 15…!
High above, Gohan hovered and clicked his tongue. "Broken. Namekian fusion is broken. Strong plus strong stacks like crazy."
Piccolo's ki finally settled… at 20 billion.
"Piccolo, how does it feel? Can you use his battle-power-boosting Giant Form? If you can, that's busted tenfold would put you at two trillion. You'd leapfrog right over my dad and the others." Gohan dropped his concealment, curiosity and excitement plain on his face.
"Give me some time. I should be able to master it." Piccolo closed his eyes, considered, then answered.
His once-gaunt features had thickened with Slug's essence more square-cut than tapering now. It was a fresh fusion's tell; with training, he'd trend back toward his own lines.
"Piccolo, that giant boost has a downside…" Gohan began, then stopped as Piccolo raised a hand.
"I know. You get power, but the mass kills your speed. I have ideas just need time."
"Good. As long as you know. Come on let's head back." Gohan set a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. They vanished.
On Planet Slug, the people felt the tyrant's ki snuff out and the world lurched into turmoil.
One era ended. Another began.
None of that, of course, had much to do with Gohan and Piccolo.
Earth.
They reappeared by the same waterfall as before.
"Piccolo, here's the second way." Gohan's tone turned matter-of-fact.
"Maybe hold it. I need to digest this power first." Piccolo flexed a fist.
"No rush the second way takes a little time anyway."
"Oh? Let's hear it."
"Shenron."
"Shenron?" Piccolo blinked.
"Yeah. You know how Grand Elder Guru could unlock potential?"
Piccolo nodded. "But very few Namekians ever had that gift. Right now, only Dende has it."
"Right and also wrong. Dende has it, but he can't use it yet. You need age to wield that power. With age comes less stamina, so the effect has limits nowhere near tapping you out fully.
"Shenron, though… an enhanced Shenron can draw out your hidden power to the maximum, without the stamina cap. More than the Grand Elder ever could and he might throw in a bonus."
Before crossing into this world, Gohan had seen the new Super movie: facing Cell Max, Dende strengthened Shenron, who not only pulled out Piccolo's potential but tossed in a little gift Piccolo's Orange awakening.
"Oh? You can enhance Shenron?"
"Yup. Dende can upgrade him with the right setup."
Piccolo exhaled. "And by 'needs time,' you mean the Dragon Balls haven't recharged."
"Right. It's only been a few months since we revived Krillin. Use the downtime to master this fusion, build your foundation then when we wish, you'll get more out of it."
"Understood. Once I'm in full control, I'll find Dende. By the way, what's that favor you wanted?"
"Heh. Won't be long. When it's time, I'll come get you." Gohan's smile turned suspiciously sunny.
Piccolo suddenly had a bad feeling he'd been set up.
His sixth sense said the days ahead would not be peaceful.
"Gohan… you'd better not be playing me," Piccolo ground out.
"Me? Never. See ya!" Gohan winked and blinked out.
Mount Paozu.
"Mom, please don't wander around," Gohan said, helping Chi-Chi back inside.
"Relax, Gohan. Your mother's a martial artist too I'm not that fragile." Chi-Chi was in a rare good mood; her tone with her son was all warmth.
"Your father only knows how to brawl, and you keep cutting class. When Goten's born, I'm going to raise him right no following in you two's footsteps." She stroked her belly, tender.
"Sure, sure whatever you say. For now, focus on staying healthy so little brother arrives safely," Gohan said sweetly while thinking, The Son household needs a live-in helper. Heh… Piccolo.
Looked like the fate of becoming the Son family's full-time caretaker was a destiny Piccolo couldn't escape.
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