Chapter 91: Demon King Piccolo
"Damn it, he really followed the plot and came after us! Goku, can the Flying Nimbus go any faster?"
Son Goku scratched his head awkwardly. "Brother Franklin, this is already Nimbus's top speed."
On the Dragon Radar, the Dragon Ball representing King Piccolo was closing in on their position at frightening speed.
Franklin drew a deep breath and pulled out the One-Star Ball.
"Goku, take out the Four-Star Ball too. Keeping the Dragon Balls on us right now is a curse. If King Piccolo catches up, we're both dead."
Hearing Franklin's words, Goku didn't hesitate for a second. He handed over the Four-Star Ball. Franklin looked at the two ticking time bombs in his hands, took another deep breath, and said, "In a moment, I'll throw both Dragon Balls out. You're going to use every ounce of strength in your body to kick each one as hard as you can to your left and right. Got it? Kick with everything you've got."
Seeing Goku nod seriously, Franklin didn't delay. He tossed out one Dragon Ball, and in the blink of an eye, Nimbus caught up with it. Goku didn't fail him — even with Franklin on his back, he put everything into one powerful kick. The Dragon Ball turned into a streak of light and shot into the distance. The Four-Star Ball followed soon after.
Watching the two Dragon Balls streak away in opposite directions on the radar, Franklin was sure Master Roshi would be able to figure out what happened to them.
As they sped away, Franklin kept a close eye on the dot representing King Piccolo. After a brief pause, the dot suddenly veered off, heading toward the kicked One-Star Ball. Franklin finally exhaled deeply.
"For now, we're safe. How far are we from Korin Tower? How much longer do we need?"
Goku thought for a moment. "We should reach Korin Tower in about half an hour. Once we're there, we can go straight to the top and find Korin."
Franklin shook his head firmly. "When we get to Korin Tower, drop me off at the very bottom and head up on your own. Remember, when you find Korin, ask him for the Ultra Divine Water — remember, the Ultra Divine Water, not the Sacred Water. I need to climb from the very bottom, step by step. That's really important for me."
Goku looked a little confused, but remembering how much Franklin knew and had seen, he didn't question it further.
Lowering Nimbus to a lower altitude, Goku controlled their descent. As the scenery blurred past, Franklin let out a slow breath. Something still didn't feel right. A sense of unease hung over him like a shadow. As they descended, the prickling on his scalp grew stronger — his instincts screamed danger.
He scanned the surroundings. Everything was wide open. No sign of an enemy. But the numbness told him his senses weren't wrong. Using all his strength, he forced Nimbus to swerve aside. A beam of light shot straight down from above.
They barely dodged. The beam slammed into Nimbus, shattering it to pieces. Franklin and Goku instantly lost their support and plunged toward the ground. Goku looked upward warily, but the source of the beam was nowhere to be seen — only clear blue sky stretched endlessly above.
"Brother Franklin, did you see what attacked us?"
Franklin didn't answer. He carefully scanned the area and quickly pulled out the Dragon Radar. Nothing. No signatures nearby. His doubt only deepened. No clouds. Just empty plains beneath them. Could the beam have come from beyond the Earth?
Another wave of danger crashed over him. Franklin's gaze swept the sky — still nothing. Then suddenly, he felt it. He looked down.
On the ground stood a wrinkled, green-skinned old monster, smirking up at them with mocking amusement. A light flared at the tip of its finger — aimed straight at Franklin, still helpless in midair. With no way to dodge, Franklin exhaled sharply. One thought filled his mind: I'm done for.
The beam fired. The terrifying energy split the air, racing toward his head. At the last moment, a red flash streaked past — Goku's Power Pole struck Franklin, hurling him away from the beam's path.
"Green-skinned freak, take this!"
After flinging Franklin away, Goku dropped the Power Pole and began charging his Kamehameha in midair.
"Kaaa… meee… haaa…"
The brilliant blue glow drew King Piccolo's gaze. He smirked and crooked a finger, pointing at the "魔" symbol on his chest in provocation.
Goku didn't rise to the bait. His energy kept building, focused and steady.
"…meeee…"
The Demon King showed no sign of dodging.
"…HAAAA!"
With a roar, Goku released the Kamehameha, the blue-white beam shooting straight at King Piccolo. The recoil sent Goku soaring higher into the air.
The beam was aimed not at the chest but at the Demon King's mocking face. It struck dead-on. Goku's excitement surged, his ki exploding in full force. The Kamehameha widened dramatically.
But even as the beam hammered him, King Piccolo didn't budge. His expression didn't change at all.
As Goku pulled his ki back, the Kamehameha faded. King Piccolo stood exactly where he'd been, face still wearing that same mocking grin.
"That's your strongest attack? Pathetic. I took yours. Now, why don't you take mine?"
Seeing King Piccolo completely unscathed, Goku froze. He only snapped back to his senses when he noticed the Demon King's fingertip glowing again — aimed straight at him.
Franklin had already hit the ground. His injuries were bad to begin with, and the fall from several hundred meters made them worse. If not for using the Power Pole to slow himself down, he would've died on impact.
Before he could even catch his breath, King Piccolo's voice drew his attention. He looked up and saw the growing fear on Goku's face in midair.
Franklin took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and sprinted forward. Using the Power Pole as leverage like a pole vaulter, he launched himself upward toward Goku.
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