Piccolo Closes In

Rain begins to fall over the prairie as King Piccolo finishes what he started. After landing several more punishing blows, Piccolo fires one of his most powerful beams directly into Goku, critically wounding the boy. Believing him dead, Piccolo takes the Dragon Ball and boards Pilaf's airship, setting course to collect the remaining balls.

Yajirobe cautiously approaches Goku's body, expecting to find a corpse. To his surprise, Goku is still alive, barely. Yajirobe rushes him to a nearby river for water, and Goku, clinging to consciousness, asks Yajirobe to take him to Korin Tower. Skeptical but willing, Yajirobe loads Goku into a hovercar and begins the long drive, with Goku recounting the story of King Piccolo's ancient reign of terror along the way.

Meanwhile, Chiaotzu locates the fifth Dragon Ball for Roshi's team. Roshi devises a bold plan: bury their collected balls in the ground and attempt to steal Piccolo's two. However, Piccolo has anticipated interference and swallowed his two Dragon Balls whole, making theft impossible. To prevent Tien from recklessly engaging Piccolo in a fight he cannot win, Roshi paralyzes him with a gas canister and tells Chiaotzu to stay hidden. Roshi then steps forward alone to face King Piccolo.

Goku's survival after Piccolo's assault stretches the limits of believability, yet it underscores the boy's inhuman resilience. Yajirobe's decision to help, despite having no personal stake in the fight, reveals a reluctant nobility beneath his selfish exterior.

Roshi's calculated move to knock out Tien and face Piccolo alone is among the most selfless decisions in the series. He knows he cannot win in a straight fight. His plan requires something else entirely, and the weight of that knowledge shows in every step he takes toward the demon king.

The episode splits the saga into two desperate gambits. Goku's journey to Korin Tower represents the long path toward gaining enough power to challenge Piccolo. Roshi's decision to confront Piccolo alone represents the short, dangerous path, a last resort rooted in his master Mutaito's legacy. Both paths carry the risk of total failure.