Beside a quiet stream, the wandering swordsman Yajirobe was happily tending a campfire, watching as a huge fish roasted over the flames.
The fish was nearly two meters long, its sides lined with pairs of fins, and its enormous head bristled with sharp teeth — unmistakably the long-extinct Coelacanth.
"I went through quite a bit of trouble catching this thing. They say its meat is absolutely delicious. Guess I'll see for myself."
Drawing the sword at his waist, Yajirobe sliced off a piece of the fish and put it in his mouth.
"Mmm!!!" His eyes sparkled. "Incredible! Just as good as they say!"
Drooling uncontrollably, he stared at the roasting fish, his mouth watering. One bite was enough to make him crave the whole thing.
"All right, time to dig in!"
Just as Yajirobe was about to pounce and devour the fish, a powerful gust of wind suddenly whipped through the area, churning up dust and grit that coated the once-creamy flesh in a layer of gray.
"Ahhh?! My fish!" he howled in agony as his precious meal turned into a sand-coated mess. "I only had one bite!"
"Hey, you over there, fatty."
A cocky voice echoed from above Yajirobe's head.
A massive green-skinned dinosaur-like creature descended from the sky — Cymbal, the second offspring of Piccolo Daimaō.
He had been sent by the Demon King himself to collect the Dragon Balls.
"Have you seen any of those glowing balls with stars inside them around here?" Cymbal sneered. Then his gaze fell on Yajirobe's neck. "Ah, so you've got one. Hand it over, and I might let you live."
He pointed at the One-Star Dragon Ball hanging from Yajirobe's neck.
But Yajirobe wasn't paying any attention to him. He was still mourning his fish. Tearfully, he cut off another chunk, brushed off the sand, and took a bite — only to immediately spit it all out.
"Pleh! Ptoo! Tch!" The gritty taste filled his mouth. Not only was the surface caked with dust, but the inside had been spoiled too. It was technically still edible, but the sweetness and tenderness were completely gone.
Seeing that Yajirobe was ignoring him, Cymbal stomped closer, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground. "Hey, fatty! Give me that thing on your neck!"
"You ruined my fish! Why should I give you anything?!" Yajirobe snapped. "You'd better pay me back!"
"Eh?" Cymbal blinked, taken aback by the response. Yajirobe gave him an up-and-down look, eyes gleaming.
"You look… pretty tasty yourself."
He grinned wickedly. "Since you ruined my fish, you'll just have to replace it as my meal!"
"You insolent pig! You're asking for death!" Cymbal roared, charging straight at him.
But he didn't expect that despite Yajirobe's round belly, he was surprisingly agile — and a highly skilled swordsman.
With a thumb's flick, Yajirobe slightly nudged the hilt of his sword. A flash of steel.
Iai Slash!
Before Cymbal could even scream, he was cleaved cleanly in two.
Cymbal — deceased.
Moments later, the scent of grilled meat filled the air once again.
Yajirobe's "Special Demon-Style Barbecue" was now ready.
Meanwhile, high above the ground, Piccolo Daimaō, aboard his airship, suddenly staggered. A sharp pain lanced through his chest the instant Cymbal was slain.
"Damn it! Cymbal has been killed?!" he gasped, breathing heavily. "There's someone in this world who can slay a warrior of the Demon Clan? These martial artists still exist?! They're even more troublesome than they were hundreds of years ago…"
"When I regain my youth, I'll wipe out every last martial artist on this planet!"
At the Lookout
Using the Power Pole, Naruto and the others safely arrived at the underside of the heavenly temple. Climbing the ladder upward, they soon reached the center of the Lookout.
Around them, beyond the neat rows of greenery, stood a cluster of white, domed buildings in a distinctly Arabian architectural style.
Standing at the edge, Naruto glanced around. From the exact center, every building and plant was perfectly symmetrical — left and right, not a leaf out of place.
Looks like the God of Earth has a serious case of OCD, he thought.
"Hey, there's someone over there!" Goku shouted, pointing ahead.
Following his gaze, they saw a dark-skinned, round man dressed like someone from India — expressionless, with blank, glassy eyes.
Yet, had they not been looking directly at him, it would have felt as if he didn't exist at all.
"Hello, sir. Are you the God of Earth?" Master Roshi asked respectfully, bowing low.
The man returned the bow and said calmly, "I am not God. I am Mr. Popo, God's attendant."
In truth, this so-called servant was far stronger than God himself.
Official data listed Mr. Popo's power level at 1,030 — far above Piccolo Daimaō's 280 or even God's 220. In fact, throughout the entire Dragon Ball adventure era, not a single human surpassed that number. He was already on par with Frieza's henchmen from Dragon Ball Z.
In the anime's Majin Buu saga, Popo even blocked attacks from Super Saiyan Goten and Trunks with ease.
"So, you're the martial artists who wish to train at the God's Temple?" Popo asked, examining each of them carefully. "Excellent. Each of you is a once-in-a-century genius."
Krillin gawked. "You already know about that?"
Popo smiled proudly. "Of course. God told me. God knows everything."
Then he continued, "Do you have the token from Korin?"
"Is this it?" Tien took out the small bell that Korin had given them — Naruto had entrusted him to carry it.
Popo nodded, taking the bell from Tien's hand. "Very good. Then you may proceed to face Popo's Test."
Roshi blinked. "What do you mean, test?"
Popo patted his chest confidently. "If you can defeat me, you will be allowed to meet God."
He smiled serenely. "Who will challenge me first? You may come one at a time… or all together if you wish. But if you lose—please return home."
"I'll go first," Yamcha volunteered, stepping forward and taking his classic stance. "My strength's the weakest, so I'll test what this guy can do. Of course, if I win, even better."
The next moment—
Before he even saw Popo move, Yamcha was flat on the ground.
"So strong!"
Everyone froze. The harmless-looking black-skinned attendant was actually this powerful?
"Let me try next!" Krillin said, stepping up.
"Kamehameha!"
He didn't bother holding back—starting straight away with an energy wave to gauge Popo's ability.
"Ahm…"
Popo opened his mouth and swallowed the blast whole.
"Burp."
A second later, Krillin too was lying unconscious.
Then Chiaotzu, Tien, Goku, and even Roshi all took turns — and all fell just as quickly.
Popo hadn't even broken a sweat. It was like an adult casually smacking away children.
"Pathetic," he said flatly. "I can't believe Korin sent you lot up here. You've all failed. Go back."
Then he turned his calm gaze to Naruto. "You're the last one. Do you wish to challenge Popo? Or would you rather turn back now?"
Popo couldn't sense any particularly strong ki from Naruto and assumed he'd merely tagged along for the ride.
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