The End of the Tale

The Castle Comes Apart

The Great Ape Goku tears through Pilaf's fortress from the inside, stomping corridors flat and punching holes through tower walls. The gang seizes the chaos as their only chance and sprints for the open desert, while Emperor Pilaf, Mai and Shu pile into a small plane and try to lift off above the destruction. The beast is having none of it. Goku rips one of the castle's stone towers free from its foundation and hurls it at the fleeing aircraft, swatting it out of the sky and sending Pilaf's trio crashing down into the sand.

A Tower Aimed at the Gang

With the villains dealt with, the monstrous boy turns his attention toward his own friends. Another tower comes flying. Yamcha, Bulma, Oolong and Puar scatter, but Bulma is not fast enough and ends up pinned beneath the rubble, unable to crawl free. Goku stomps toward them, unblinking and uncomprehending, his huge silhouette blotting out the moon.

Yamcha Spots the Tail

Remembering the stories about Goku's strength vanishing whenever his tail is grabbed, Yamcha charges in and seizes the furry appendage with both hands. The effect is instant. The giant freezes in place, suddenly passive, his aggression short-circuited by the grip on that one vulnerable spot.

Snip

Holding on for dear life, Yamcha shouts for Puar to transform, and the little shapeshifter becomes a giant pair of scissors. One clean cut later, the tail drops into the sand and the Great Ape shrinks rapidly back into a small, perfectly ordinary boy. Goku stands there blinking in the moonlight, completely naked, with no memory whatsoever of what has just happened to Pilaf's castle or to himself.