The Blasted Earth

Aftermath of the Blast

The explosion blacks out television feeds across the region. Yamcha and Bulma spot a mushroom cloud rising from King Castle's direction. Nearby, King Furry and his guards narrowly escape in a small aircraft, the King mourning the total destruction of his castle and city. Piccolo surveys the barren wasteland he created and laughs, certain Goku has been vaporized. His triumph is short-lived: he senses Goku's ki still flickering and looks up to find Tien hovering above the blast zone, clutching an unconscious Goku.

A Desperate Stand

Tien descends and sets Goku down. Goku thanks him but sees that Tien is trembling, completely spent from using flight to rescue him at the last instant. Piccolo recognizes the situation immediately: with Tien drained and Goku's leg crippled, victory seems certain. He begins charging another Explosive Demon Wave. Rather than wait, Goku rushes forward and punches Piccolo in the stomach. The blow connects, but Goku can feel that his power is severely diminished with only one functional leg. Piccolo absorbs the hit, then fires his blast. Goku braces his arms and takes it head-on.

Nimbus and a Hostage

The explosion carves a deep hole where Goku stood. Tien collapses from the shockwave, and Piccolo believes the fight is truly over. Then, from within the pit, Goku weakly calls for the Flying Nimbus. The cloud dives in and rises with Goku clinging to it, battered but alive. Piccolo is stunned.

Goku notes that Piccolo's strength is fading too. The Demon King rages that no mere human should be able to oppose him, and Goku points out that his tail suggests he may not be human at all. Both fighters are nearly spent, and Goku proposes they settle everything in one final clash. Piccolo refuses a fair finish; he grabs the fallen Tien by the head and threatens to crush his skull if Goku moves even slightly.