A few minutes earlier…
With Demon King Piccolo's help, Pilaf's gang finally managed to gather all seven Dragon Balls.
Shenron was summoned.
Pilaf stared up at the colossal dragon and laughed in disbelief.
"Unbelievable… after three years of effort, Shenron is finally here…"
Mai forced out a shaky smile.
"I-If this works… Demon King Piccolo will be unstoppable… and I can rule half the world…"
Old Piccolo gazed at Shenron, greed blazing in his eyes.
Shenron's voice rolled like thunder.
"Very well. State your wish. I can grant any one wish."
Piccolo threw his head back and laughed.
"Restore my youth. Bring me back to the age when my body was overflowing with energy!"
"You can do that, can't you?"
Shenron answered coldly.
"Easily."
In the next instant, divine power surged.
The wrinkles on Piccolo's body faded before the naked eye. His hunched form straightened. His skin tightened. His aura sharpened.
In just a few seconds—
Piccolo was young again.
And his strength returned to its peak.
He clenched both fists, trembling with exhilaration.
"Hahahaha—YES! This feeling… this power…!"
"I'VE RETURNED!"
His winged demon subordinate dropped to one knee.
"Long live Demon King Piccolo!"
Shenron rumbled, "Your wish has been granted. Farewell."
But Piccolo's smile twisted.
"Wait, Shenron."
Shenron paused. "What is it?"
Piccolo's lips curled into a sinister grin.
"How unfortunate… I can't let you leave."
He opened his mouth.
A blast of energy screamed upward—
BOOM!
Shenron was blown into fragments.
Pilaf, Mai, and Shu froze in horror, goosebumps erupting across their skin.
The sky cleared instantly. Shenron's remains vanished as if they'd never existed. And the Dragon Balls—
They lost their glow, turning into dull, lifeless stones scattered on the ground.
Piccolo threw his head back and roared with laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Perfect!"
"With Shenron gone, nothing can threaten me ever again!"
"The world… is finally mine!"
"Now—fly to the King's palace."
"Once I kill the King, I become the new ruler of this world!"
"I'll turn this planet into a beautiful paradise of sin!"
Then—
A sharp jolt struck Piccolo's mind like lightning.
His expression changed.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
The winged subordinate stepped forward anxiously.
"My lord… what happened?"
Piccolo's eyes narrowed, voice turning grim.
"Tambourine… is dead."
"…What?!"
Not only the demon subordinate—even Pilaf's crew flinched.
They'd barely sent out a new underling and he'd already been killed?
That didn't exactly inspire confidence in their "world domination plan."
The winged subordinate blurted, stunned:
"How can anyone in this world kill a warrior of the Demon Clan?"
Piccolo's pupils shifted as he thought.
"Have the martial artists grown stronger over these hundreds of years…?"
Mai hurried to deny it.
"N-No way! If someone that strong existed, we'd have heard something!"
Shu immediately nodded along.
"Y-Yeah, exactly!"
Piccolo snapped, furious.
"Then explain why Tambourine is dead!"
Pilaf's trio shrank into a corner, terrified into silence.
The subordinate swallowed.
"Then… what do we do now, my lord?"
Piccolo inhaled slowly, then stared at his own hands—young, strong, steady.
"Hmph. No matter how strong they are… they're still not my match."
"But I won't go personally."
"I refuse to be sealed again by the Evil Containment Wave."
"That's why Tambourine was sent—to eliminate those martial artists."
"And since I'm young again…"
He smiled, dark and confident.
"…I can create stronger warriors without it costing me anything."
"W-What overwhelming might!" Pilaf's gang rushed to flatter him.
A moment later, Piccolo spat out three eggs.
They cracked almost instantly—
Three new demons emerged, winged and vicious-looking, dropping to one knee before him.
Piccolo laughed, pleased.
"Being young is wonderful. Three births at once, and I'm not even tired."
Then he pointed at them one by one.
"From now on, you are Cymbal."
"You are Raspberry."
"And you are Bukkanda."
"Now listen carefully."
"Go to the World Martial Arts Tournament."
"Avenge Tambourine."
"And slaughter every martial artist there."
"After that—follow the list from these past years."
"Hunt them down. Kill them all."
"I want the whole world to understand one thing…"
"Demon King Piccolo is not to be challenged."
The three demons answered in unison.
"As you command!"
With a violent flap of wings, they took off toward the tournament grounds.
Pilaf rubbed his hands nervously and edged closer.
"Um… congratulations, Demon King Piccolo…"
"About our agreement…"
"How much of the world will you give us?"
Piccolo stood far taller than Pilaf, looking down at him like he was an insect.
Pilaf's confidence evaporated on the spot.
He hurriedly backpedaled.
"F-Fifth…? A tenth…? Even a tenth is fine…"
Mai and Shu stared with hopeful eyes.
"We did so much for you!"
"We freed you from the seal…"
"We helped you regain your youth…"
"W-What land will you grant us?"
Piccolo smiled.
A smile with no warmth at all.
"Get lost. You're useless now."
Pilaf's trio went pale.
"Y-You're joking… right?"
Piccolo's eyes hardened.
"I never joke."
Then he gave them two choices, voice dripping with cruelty.
"Leave."
"Or die."
He raised a hand.
Pilaf, Mai, and Shu screamed, convinced he was about to kill them—
and jumped straight off the ship in panic.
A little later, they disappeared from Piccolo's sight.
Piccolo sat back down and issued an order like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Good. The martial artists are Cymbal's problem now."
"I have no need to worry about it."
"Now…"
"It's time for Demon King Piccolo to take the world."
"Move out."
The winged subordinate bowed.
"Yes, my lord!"
He took control of Pilaf's craft and steered it toward the King's palace.
Pilaf's gang hit the ground hard.
Shu looked at Pilaf with watery eyes.
"Pilaf-sama… we spent three years gathering the Dragon Balls…"
"…and it was all for nothing?"
Mai broke into sobs.
"That Demon King Piccolo is horrible!"
"He didn't give us any territory… he stole our ship…"
"Waaah…!"
Shu swallowed, voice trembling.
"If he takes over the world… does that mean we'll never rule it anymore?"
Pilaf stared blankly at the sky, his mind hollow.
"So… Shenron can restore youth…"
Mai immediately crushed the thought.
"Pilaf-sama, it's useless now!"
"Don't you get it? Shenron is dead."
Pilaf's eyes went dull.
"…Right."
"Not only did Piccolo kick us out…"
"He killed Shenron too…"
"…We can't rule anything anymore."
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