Chapter 97: Encountering Demon King Piccolo
"One body, three souls. One soul belongs to Demon King Piccolo, one to Yamcha, and the last one should be the foreign soul you mentioned. He's also the strongest among the three. Master Roshi, did you discover something new?"
Master Roshi nodded gravely. "The strongest foreign soul you're talking about has already been suppressed by Demon King Piccolo. I don't know how he did it, but you must be careful.
"And there's something else. It seems the memories of those three souls are being shared. My Evil Containment Wave didn't work at all—it's that foreign soul's strange ability at play.
"Now that the foreign soul has been suppressed and Piccolo controls the body, with the support of that otherworldly knowledge, I feel like his power has risen again. He'll be even harder to deal with."
Hearing Master Roshi's explanation, Franklin's expression instantly grew serious. The unknown enemy was already troublesome enough.
And now, Demon King Piccolo had not only transformed but also gained access to foreign knowledge. Franklin felt an unprecedented sense of danger.
"I understand. Which direction did Demon King Piccolo go? The earlier we deal with him, the less impact that foreign knowledge will have."
Master Roshi nodded in agreement. "He just headed toward the capital of the Allied Nations. If you go that way, you should be able to intercept him. I'm counting on you to take care of Demon King Piccolo."
Seeing the earnest plea in Master Roshi's eyes, Franklin nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. I will. Goku, let's go."
Son Goku leapt back onto the Flying Nimbus. Feeling Master Roshi's worried gaze, he gave a bright, innocent grin.
"Grandpa, take care of yourself. We'll definitely defeat Demon King Piccolo."
In the next moment, two Flying Nimbuses—one gold, one purple—streaked across the sky like twin comets, heading straight toward the heart of Europe.
They flew for a long while without catching up to Piccolo. Instead, they arrived at a place Franklin knew all too well.
Looking down at what used to be the territory of the Red Ribbon Army—now stripped of its banners—Franklin turned to Goku.
"Goku, have you ever taken down an organization called the Red Ribbon Army?"
Goku tilted his head curiously. "Franklin, how do you know about them?"
Franklin chuckled. "I've crossed paths with them before. Right now, we're in what used to be their territory."
Even with the hint, Goku scratched his head in confusion.
"I went straight to their headquarters back then, so I don't really know how big their territory was. But I remember the two bosses there telling me they had another boss, way stronger than me.
"They said their boss would definitely avenge them. I waited for a long time after that… but I guess they were just bragging…"
Before Goku could finish his sentence, both their expressions hardened—the aura of Demon King Piccolo suddenly appeared and lingered right in front of them.
The three of them locked eyes across the distance. Piccolo stared at the two with great interest.
"I know you, Son Goku. I remember that battle vividly. Fortunately, in the end, my skills were sharper and I took you down.
"But a few years later, when I came to Blue Star, your brother was truly powerful. I was no match for him at all—he completely crushed me. I died in that battle. But then… I was reborn.
"I trained for many years. Pretending to be sealed by the Evil Containment Wave was tough. But to conquer Blue Star, to see a world beyond what I knew, it was worth enduring all these years.
"During these centuries of sealing, through meditation, my soul power has grown beyond anything before. My control over spiritual energy has surpassed its old limits."
As Piccolo spoke, Franklin felt a chill run down his spine. The enemy before them wasn't just Demon King Piccolo—it was someone who had once killed Goku and returned through rebirth.
"And you over there—who are you? I can feel you're stronger than Goku, but I've never seen you before."
Franklin took a deep breath and activated the Eye of True Sight. His spiritual energy drained rapidly. He hurriedly ate a Senzu Bean, but even the restored energy was consumed in an instant before Piccolo's information appeared before him:
Name: Piccolo (Yamcha) (Madara Uchiha)
Age: 330/966 → 30/336 (Namekian average lifespan 500; 200 years in physical training = 50 cultivation levels; 200 years of spiritual cultivation = 50 cultivation levels; youth restored through wishing, consuming 300 years of lifespan)
Race: Namekian
Bloodline: Namekian Battle Type
(Namekian Bloodline: Unlimited growth through training and meditation.)
Physical Cultivation: Level 600
Spiritual Cultivation: Level 1100 (Quantitative change has produced qualitative change—spiritual cultivation comparable to Core Formation-stage powerhouses. Can manipulate ambient spiritual energy as one's own. Spiritual attacks within range grow stronger over time through absorption. If exceeded, spiritual energy backlash occurs.)
Mind Power: Heart Realm
Cultivation Method: Meditation Technique
Skills: Flight, Sky Dance Technique, Explosive Demon Wave, Demon Ray, Ki Gathering, Demon Finger Beam, Violent Demon Wave, Ki Blast Cannon…
Innate Talent: None
Combat Power: 1700–1999
[Combat power is for reference only. Actual power may fluctuate depending on skill, talent, and techniques.]
Feeling his entire being laid bare, Piccolo's eyes turned vicious. His aura grew more violent.
"Kid, how do you want to die?"
Franklin paid no mind to the verbal threat. Thinking back to the foreign soul's name in Piccolo's information, his heart sank.
That old fox… was he really suppressed by Piccolo? Or was letting Piccolo take the lead part of his plan? Franklin forced the thought down and focused on the battle ahead.
Expressionless, he said to Goku, "I'll take the lead. You support me. His combat power surpasses yours by more than 30%, and even mine by over 10%."
Then he wrapped his divine sense around Goku, channeling spiritual energy into his mouth to test if he could transmit sound directly to Goku's mind.
"His weak point is obvious—his physical strength is about the same as yours. My body's tougher than his, so I can tank and trade blows. The two of us need to keep him locked down. If necessary, you'll take the lead. If he uses energy blasts, focus on evasion."
The transmission worked just as Franklin had imagined. He let out a deep breath.
Not far away, Piccolo grew increasingly grim as he watched the two openly "whispering" to each other. He had no intention of waiting any longer.
His spiritual energy erupted. His speed surged. In an instant, he charged straight at them.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure rushing their way, Franklin's eyes lit up. So this guy wanted a close-range fight? Perfect.
He rode his Nimbus toward Piccolo at full speed, while Goku gripped his Power Pole tightly, ready to strike.