The 10 Count

The Meteor Combination

Goku tells Piccolo that the Hyper Explosive Demon Wave used up every scrap of his remaining ki, and this fight is over. Without waiting for a response, Goku launches into a Meteor Combination. He charges forward and drives an elbow into Piccolo's face with such force that the demon staggers backward. A follow-up kick snaps Piccolo's head to the side, drawing blood from his mouth. Goku then buries his fist deep into Piccolo's stomach, doubling him over, and immediately takes to the sky. Hovering high above the destroyed arena, Goku cups his hands and fires a massive Super Kamehameha straight down. The beam hits Piccolo dead center and carves an enormous crater into the blasted landscape.

Nine Seconds of Hope

Goku drops back to the surface and lands near the edge of the smoking pit he just created. At the bottom, Piccolo lies face-down and motionless. The World Tournament Announcer sprints over and peers into the hole, shouting to ask if Piccolo is dead. Goku's friends note that the answer is clearly no, because Kami remains alive and healthy; the two share a life link that would kill the Guardian the instant Piccolo perished. The announcer begins counting regardless.

The Count of Nine

The numbers climb slowly. One, two, three. Piccolo does not stir. By the time the count reaches seven, Goku's allies are already celebrating, convinced the fight is finished. The announcer calls eight, and still nothing moves in the crater. Then, at nine, Piccolo's eyes snap open. He lurches upright, opens his mouth, and fires a concentrated Explosive Breath Cannon directly at Goku. The narrow beam punches through Goku's right shoulder in an instant, spraying blood across the rubble. Goku stumbles, his arm going limp, and the celebrations stop as quickly as they started.