The Return of Goku "The Return of Goku (Dragon Ball episode)")

Mercenary Tao returns to the Sacred Land to retrieve the fourth Dragon Ball, and young Upa confronts him with an axe despite having no chance of winning. Tao dodges the attack and strangles Upa for information, then hurls the boy at Korin Tower. Goku and the Flying Nimbus catch Upa just in time.

Tao boasts that he will kill Goku in three seconds, but the rematch goes nothing like their first encounter. Goku counters Tao's opening move with his knee, lands a devastating kick to the assassin's stomach, and sends him flying across the clearing. Tao is baffled: only three days have passed, yet Goku fights like a completely different person. When Goku explains he trained atop Korin Tower, Tao dismisses it as myth.

The fight intensifies. Tao fires his Dodon Ray, the same technique that nearly killed Goku before, but Goku blocks it with his bare hands. Tao draws a sword from a capsule and attacks, only for Goku to snap the blade in half with his Power Pole. Realizing he is losing, Tao kicks a rock at Upa to distract Goku, then sprints to Korin Tower and begins climbing it himself, hoping to drink the Sacred Water and close the power gap. Goku and Upa decide to wait at the base for his return.

Every moment of this rematch is designed to show how much Goku has grown. The same Dodon Ray that pierced his chest and left him for dead is now caught in his palms. The same assassin who toyed with him effortlessly is now scrambling to keep up. Goku does not just match Tao; he dominates him, and the disbelief on Tao's face tells the whole story.

A Coward's Escape

Tao's decision to climb Korin Tower reveals his desperation. The world's most feared assassin, a man who killed General Blue with his tongue, is so shaken by Goku's improvement that he abandons the fight mid-battle to seek power from the same source. His willingness to use Upa as a distraction while fleeing underscores his complete lack of honor.

This episode delivers the payoff for Goku's Korin Tower training arc. Every skill he developed, including reading opponent movements, improved speed, and greater endurance, manifests in combat against the same opponent who previously destroyed him. The contrast between their first fight and this one is stark and satisfying.

At Kame House, Bulma is shown building a Scouter Drone to locate Goku, while Krillin continues his own training. These scenes establish that Goku's friends have not been idle and foreshadow their involvement in the coming assault on Red Ribbon Army Headquarters.