Dragon Ball Roshi

"Transformation Technique!"

BOOM!

"Watch out!"

"Run!"

"That was close!"

Puar transformed into a giant bird, grabbing Yamcha, Krillin, and Bulma, and flew them out of the Mixed Rice Castle. Yamcha's heart was pounding as he glanced back—he saw a massive black ape roaring at the full moon hanging in the night sky. The shockwaves of its howl were deafening, filled with an overwhelming aura of brutality.

"This is insane! What the hell is going on!?" Yamcha muttered blankly, completely stunned. He never imagined something like this could happen to that Goku.

And it wasn't just him—his pet Puar, the beastman who had transformed into the giant bird carrying them away, was even more terrified. Being a beastman, Puar could sense Goku's monstrous killing intent in his Great Ape form far more intensely than Yamcha and the others.

"ROAR!!" The Ozaru's eyes glowed red, as if it had lost all sense of reason.

It howled wildly, slamming its roof-sized fists against its chest with booming thuds that showed just how powerful it was. Then it charged, stomping madly. Each step cracked the earth beneath it, crack crack crack—the fractures spread like spiderwebs, and every structure in its path toppled like dominoes.

"Bulma, what the hell happened to Goku?" Krillin asked worriedly, clinging to Yamcha's leg, dangling in midair.

"This must be the hidden side of Goku's mind…" Bulma, holding onto Krillin's foot at the very bottom, looked grim. Staring at the rampaging black Ozaru, she didn't feel terrified or horrified—she just thought the beast's roars sounded… full of pain.

If given a choice, who would ever want to become something so inhuman and monstrous?

The ape's massive jaws opened wide, and a dense white light rapidly gathered inside its mouth—

BOOM!! A terrifying energy beam, far stronger than a Kamehameha, blasted out with overwhelming power. It struck the ground like a laser cannon, carving deep craters as easily as a hot knife through butter. The Great Ape turned its head, and the energy beam followed.

"Puar, dodge!!" The blinding white light swept toward them. Yamcha froze for a second, then shouted in panic. Puar nearly died of fright—soul nearly leaving its body—as it flapped its wings with all its might, narrowly managing to carry the three to safety.

A fierce wind raged, reducing everything around to rubble, as if a magnitude 10 earthquake and a category 10 typhoon had struck at once.

"The tail! Goku's weak spot is his tail!" Bulma gasped, almost slipping from the suddenly frantic Puar. She gripped her communicator pen tightly, but didn't activate it just yet. She wanted to try waking Goku with their own strength.

That giant ape over there wasn't the real Goku.

The Goku they knew would never hurt others.

"Really?" Krillin looked hopeful, but doubtful. Goku had such a clear weakness?

"But… Goku once said he trained to overcome that weakness. I don't know how well he managed to do it."

"We don't have time to worry about that! At this rate, he's gonna smash us into meat paste!" Yamcha gritted his teeth, then shouted, "Puar, drop us down! Then turn into scissors and cut off Goku's tail!"

The three were tossed to the ground from a low altitude. With another BOOM, Puar transformed from a giant bird into a huge pair of scissors with eyes.

"Master Yamcha!"

"Yeah!"

Yamcha jumped up and grabbed the giant scissors Puar had become.

"If it's too dangerous, forget it…"

Bulma bit her lip, her expression tense, but when she turned to look at the black giant ape that Son Goku had become, there was still reluctance in her heart.

She was the one who had personally brought Goku out of Mount Paozu. The reason he had undergone such a transformation was all due to her own misjudgment, which had led everyone into the enemy's trap. And now, she couldn't even save him—this filled Bulma with deep regret and guilt.

"Hey, it's okay. If Goku's tail really is his weakness, then this is the only way! We're friends, right? And as the oldest guy here…" Yamcha forced a smile. Rather than trying to convince Bulma and Krillin, it felt more like he was pumping himself up. His gaze gradually grew resolute. "I've got no choice but to go!"

"Let's go, Puar!"

The Desert Wolf with long black hair shouted boldly and, without looking back, ran toward the rampaging giant ape—who had already reduced the castle to rubble—holding the giant scissors in his arms.

Krillin watched his unwavering back with shame. He hadn't done anything just now! So cowardly, so timid… He hated himself for being this way!

Bulma clenched the communicator pen in her hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her eyes didn't blink as she stared at Yamcha charging toward the giant ape.

And just then, a golden flash lit up the sky nearby!

Crack!

Boom!

Bulma froze for a moment, a sudden realization dawning. She whipped her head around—and saw a golden lightning bolt shooting skyward from a distant wilderness! Against the backdrop of the black night sky, it looked glaring and unnatural.

"The Dragon Balls!! Those stewheads actually summoned Shenron!!"

Bulma cried out, her voice filled with regret.

"Are they going to use the Dragon Balls for themselves?" Krillin asked, also frustrated and unwilling to accept it.

"Absolutely not!" Bulma clenched her teeth in anger. If she hadn't brought six Dragon Balls here, would those Stew guys have gathered all seven so easily? The Four-Star Ball was in Gohan's possession! No matter how capable they were, there was no way they could've taken it from Gohan on their own!

Krillin's face filled with worry. Now both sides were on fire! He looked again at the giant ape and Yamcha, who was holding the oversized scissors, and suddenly shouted in an even sharper voice than Bulma's: "Oh no! Yamcha can't even get close to Goku's tail!"

Startled by Krillin's cry, Bulma shuddered. Her fingers clenched hard around the communicator pen—and then pressed down!

Sure enough, Yamcha was holding the transformed giant scissors, but no matter what, he couldn't get close to the giant ape's tail. That tail, like a black bolt of lightning, had blended into the ink-black night.

Suddenly, the black lightning lashed toward Yamcha!

Whoosh—

The sound ripped through the air like tearing silk. Yamcha had no time to react. In his mind, he saw himself being torn in half by that tail.

"HELP!!!!"

Bulma screamed at the communicator pen with all her might.

She was filled with even more regret and anxiety—she never should've gambled on luck. She should've listened to Gohan's warning and used the pen immediately!

The signal was transmitted in an instant, across the sea to the other side of the Earth.

And just as the ape's black lightning-like tail was about to reduce Yamcha into a spray of blood, it suddenly halted—frozen in place right in front of him. The ape's whipping motion came to an abrupt stop, leaving only a blur in the eyes of those watching. Yamcha could even see, with terrifying clarity, the thick, needle-like hairs on the ape's tail, hovering right in front of his nose and eyes.

So close. Just one bit closer, and he would've been torn to pieces.

Hah… hah…

Panting heavily, Yamcha's whole body trembled. The brush with death left his limbs ice cold. Then he collapsed to the ground, utterly drained. Puar let out a BOOM as he reverted from a giant scissor back to his true form. He, Yamcha, and the distant Krillin and Bulma all looked up toward the sky.

They saw it—what had brought the giant ape's whipping tail to a dead stop.

It was the back of a human man.

This person stood with his hand raised, blocking the massive tail.