Piccolo had completely lost his mind.
The humiliation of being toyed with like an ant had shattered his reason.
His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy and erratic.
"I'll kill you! I'll destroy this entire world!"
He leapt violently into the air, his cloak flapping wildly behind him, soaring hundreds of meters high.
The already gloomy sky darkened even further, thick clouds swirling like they were stirred by some invisible giant hand, forming a massive vortex.
At the center of the storm was the arena below, as if a giant demonic eye was watching.
Blinding lightning danced wildly through the clouds, thunder rolling in deafening booms.
Piccolo hovered in the air, arms flung wide, his aura raging uncontrollably.
Purple arcs of energy crackled around him, his green face twisted with pure rage, monstrous and unrecognizable.
"If I can't hit you, then I'll reduce this island and you, the monster to ashes!"
He screamed hysterically, energy gathering in his palms, growing brighter and brighter.
The sheer destructive force made the ocean below churn violently, towering waves smashing against the coastline with a deafening roar.
"Super Explosive Demon Wave!"
With that roar, the energy ball in his hands expanded to its limit, radiating an aura of terror.
The purple glow illuminated the sky, casting everyone's face in ghostly pallor.
"He's gone mad! He's completely lost it!"
"Run! The island is about to be destroyed!"
"Help!!"
"I don't want to die yet!!"
The spectators panicked completely, their cries echoing across the island.
At this level of energy, if it fell, not only would the arena be obliterated, Papaya Island itself would vanish from the map, leaving nothing behind.
Despair spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Even Master Mutaito and Tien were pale, eyes wide with fear.
Tien's three eyes focused on the sky, his body trembling slightly.
"This energy… it's at a monster's level. Can we even stop it?"
"Goku! Go stop him!"
Bulma screamed, pale as paper, clutching Oolong tightly.
Goku prepared to leap into the air, but a hand stopped him.
It was Mr. Shen.
He tilted his head up, eyes gleaming with a strange light, old yet unwavering.
It was a trust in the strong, a certainty that was impossible to shake.
"Don't move yet."
His voice was soft but carried undeniable authority.
"Watch Krillin. He hasn't even gone all out. The victory belongs to him in this fight."
On the arena floor, the wind whipped Krillin's gi around like wild flames.
Despite the sky above collapsing like the heavens were falling, his expression remained eerily calm, his eyes not flinching in the slightest.
The system data streamed rapidly before him:
[Warning: High-energy reaction detected]
[Energy Level: Sufficient to destroy a small island]
[Suggested Counter: Serious Series – Punching]
[Adjustment: Output should be drastically reduced to avoid killing target]
"What a troublesome kid. Always trying to blow up the Earth. Is this what adolescence looks like?"
Krillin sighed, shaking his head with mild exasperation.
He stepped back slightly with his right foot, lowering his center of gravity, right fist slowly drawing to his side.
He closed his eyes, feeling the immense power surging within him.
It was the absolute strength granted by the One-Punch Man template from another world, divine power that had broken all his limits.
It flowed inside him like a slumbering dragon awakening.
"Thirty percent should be enough."
Krillin opened his eyes sharply, a gleam of focus flashing in his pupils.
"Ordinary Punch – Modified – Thirty Percent Output!"
He threw a punch at the sky, at the arrogant demon, utterly plain and unremarkable.
No dazzling effects, no flashy motions.
Just a muffled crack that sounded like space itself tearing.
Boom!
A terrifying force, invisible yet tangible, erupted from the tip of Krillin's fist.
Pure physical power compressed to its absolute limit, a shockwave like an invisible dragon surging toward the heavens.
Then, a miracle happened.
The storm clouds, the raging lightning, and Piccolo's island-destroying energy ball were all obliterated, as if struck by an unseen eraser.
The shockwave tore through the air like a transparent pillar, unstoppable and absolute.
Piccolo's energy ball never even had a chance to explode; it was obliterated instantly, scattering into fragments of starlight.
The force continued unrelenting, piercing the atmosphere and shooting into the cosmos.
Rumble…
The clouds were blasted open, forming a hole several kilometers across.
The dark sky cleared in an instant, golden sunlight pouring through, bathing Krillin in light, making him appear godlike.
Piccolo, still in the air, had avoided Krillin's critical strike, but the wind from the punch shredded his clothes.
He plummeted like a fly being swatted.
Thud!
He crashed onto the arena, creating a massive crater, dust and rubble scattering in all directions.
The crowd fell completely silent.
Everyone stared upward, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
A human had punched the clouds apart?
Seconds passed before someone spoke, voice trembling.
"God… oh my God…"
Krillin retracted his fist, brushing away imaginary smoke, and stepped toward the crater.
At the bottom, Piccolo lay battered and broken, his limbs twisted unnaturally.
His regenerative ability churned desperately to repair his body, but the light in his eyes had already dimmed.
It was the despair of a shattered belief, the helplessness before absolute power.
"Wh… why…"
Piccolo's weak voice was barely audible, full of resentment and confusion, as he looked at Krillin.
"Why didn't you kill me? You have the strength… just a little more and I would…"
Krillin crouched, speaking softly, only he could hear.
"Kill you? Then I'd have to go hunting for new Dragon Balls, wouldn't I?"
Piccolo's pupils contracted sharply, shock written across his face.
"You… you know?!"
"Of course I know. You and that immortal, no, Mr. Shen, are linked."
"If you die, he dies too."
Krillin patted Piccolo's green head like scolding a stubborn watermelon.
"So, thank your other half. Otherwise, that punch would have left nothing of you."
Piccolo shivered, gritting his teeth, tears of humiliation forming.
He survived only because he was an "accessory," because Krillin didn't want the Dragon Balls destroyed.
A reason more unbearable than death.
"All right, don't make that face. If you want to beat me, go train for a few hundred more years."
Krillin stood, towering over him.
"You're too weak right now."
Piccolo struggled to rise, clutching his chest, glancing at Krillin, then at Mr. Shen in the distance.
He knew he had been utterly defeated today.
"Krillin… Goku… I will return! Next time, I will never lose!!"
With his last strength, he leapt skyward, fleeing into the distance.
His retreat was pitifully lonely.
No one pursued him.
The audience remained frozen, still reeling from the unbelievable punch.
"The winner… Krillin!!"
The announcer finally recovered, his voice cracking as he shouted.
The cheering erupted like a tsunami.
Krillin stood in the sunlight, hearing the system prompt, a satisfied smile finally crossing his face.
[Ding! Task Complete: Defeat Piccolo, Second Generation]
[Evaluation: Perfect (defeated the opponent, maintained the Dragon Ball system, and delivered maximum style)]
[Reward Processing…]
[Ability Gained: Namekian Regenerative Physiology (Basic)]
[Effect: Limbs regenerate if the core remains intact; stamina recovery increased by 300%]
[Charisma +20]
[Current Reputation: Earth's Strongest (tentative)]
Krillin clenched his fist, feeling the surge of life force coursing through him.
With this regenerative power, combined with his invincible defense and strength, dying would be nearly impossible.
"Next up…" Krillin's gaze shifted toward the competitors' area, landing on the spiky-haired figure grinning foolishly.
"Your match is next, Goku."