When Goku stepped forward, Dr. Gero and Android 19 stopped draining the civilians.
With a casual flick of his arm, Dr. Gero tossed aside the person whose energy had already been sucked dry, then turned back toward Goku.
"Son Gokuā¦ so you came."
Beside him, Android 19 also threw away the drained victim. And after absorbing so much energy, the swell of power inside his body was obvious.
He reported, "Android 20. There are no high-density energy readings nearby."
Dr. Gero let out a cold laugh.
"So your people scattered?"
"Excellent."
He stared at Goku like a predator finally spotting its prey.
"Son Gokuā¦ we finally caught you alone."
"To deal with you, Dr. Gero spent his entire life's work!"
Goku narrowed his eyes and asked calmly,
"Dr. Geroā¦ how many Androids did you create to fight me?"
The moment Goku called him "Dr. Gero," the old man's eyes twitched.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm Android 20 created by Dr. Gero. Dr. Gero has been dead for a long time."
Goku's expression didn't change.
"Who you are doesn't matter to me."
"I'm asking youāhow many Androids did you make in order to kill me?"
Dr. Gero hesitated, then frowned.
"My Android project was conducted in absolute secrecy. How do you know about it?"
Goku repeated, unhurried and unwavering,
"Answer the question first."
Dr. Gero pausedā¦ then the corner of his mouth slowly rose.
"You don't need to know anymore."
"What do you mean?"
In that instantā
Android 19 blinked behind Goku like a shadow, boxing him in from the rear while Dr. Gero blocked him from the front.
Dr. Gero's voice turned grim.
"You shouldn't have searched for us alone."
"You're isolated."
"And you will die here."
Goku blinked once, then asked flatly,
"I'll dieā¦ to you two?"
"You seem awfully confident."
Dr. Gero sneered. "Of course. You're dead for sure. Our database contains everything about you."
Android 19's mechanical eyes gleamed as he spoke.
"Son Gokuā¦ we have been observing you."
"Based on your growth curve, you cannot defeat us."
"My current energy level is more than enough to kill you."
"And we understand your strengthāyour combat techniquesācompletely."
Then Android 19 turned to Dr. Gero.
"Android 20. Let me handle him."
"I want his energy."
Dr. Gero nodded once.
"Fine."
But his eyes stayed locked on Goku.
"Don't even think about running. I will watch you."
Goku: "..."
He scanned the surroundings.
Crowds. Buildings. Cars. Civilians everywhere.
If he fought here, people would die.
So Goku made a decision immediately.
For his speed, escaping would take only seconds.
Trading a few seconds for countless civilian lives was more than worth it.
He shouted, loud enough for them to hear clearly:
"I'm gonna run. Come chase me!"
Then he shot out of town in a straight line like a golden comet.
Dr. Gero and Android 19 froze.
Android 19 tilted his head.
"Hm? This doesn't match Son Goku's behavioral dataā¦"
"A fight is about to begin, yet he retreats?"
Dr. Gero's eyes sharpened.
"Hmph. With that speedā¦ can he truly escape?"
"Even better."
"This will prevent his allies from arriving in time to support him."
He raised his hand.
"Android 19. Chase him now."
"I'll block his route. You kill him."
"Yes."
They burst forward after Goku.
And their speedā¦
was clearly more than twice his.
Every word of that exchange fell cleanly into Chi-Chi's ears.
Hearing those two Androids boldly claiming they would kill Goku made Chi-Chi almost want to laugh.
Goku had deliberately lured them away.
Chi-Chi understood instantly.
He was protecting the townāprotecting ordinary people.
So she suppressed her own presence even further, then followed silently after them.
Not long afterā
Android 19 overtook Goku and stopped him above a desolate stretch of island.
"Where do you think you're going, Son Goku?!"
In the next second, Dr. Gero arrived as well.
The two formed a pincer formation, cutting off Goku's path again.
Dr. Gero grinned.
"I told youāyour death is guaranteed."
"You can't escape."
Goku's lips curved into a triumphant smile.
"You fell for it."
"My strength nowā¦"
"ā¦is far beyond what you can handle."
He roaredā
and a violent golden aura erupted from his body.
The shockwave alone made both Androids flinch.
Android 19's voice shifted.
"So powerfulā¦"
"This energy level is far beyond our predicted range!"
Dr. Gero's gaze turned cautious.
"So that's itā¦"
"No wonder you acted confident."
"But we will not panic."
"Even without meāAndroid 19 alone can defeat you!"
He pointed forward.
"Go, Android 19!"
Android 19 launched himself at Goku like a bullet.
His speed was so high his body blurred into a streak, leaving only afterimages.
But Goku didn't even move.
He simply lifted his elbowā
and struck once into the blur.
Android 19's body instantly reappeared, blasted away like a cannonball.
His heavy frame smashed into a mountain, pulverizing stone into dust.
Yet a moment later, he rose from the smoke and rubble.
He stomped down, crushing rock underfoot, then charged againāhead lowered like a battering ram.
Goku tilted his body lazily.
Android 19 missed completely.
Then Goku's foot snapped outā
and Android 19 flew backward again.
It wasn't even a fight.
Goku was playing with him.
Android 19 was going all-outā¦
and couldn't touch him at all.
He was completely outclassed.
Watching this, Dr. Gero's eyes widened slightly.
Goku's strength exceeded his calculations by a terrifying margin.
"Damn itā¦"
"How did Son Goku grow to this level in just a few years?!"
A thought flickered through him.
"Should I activate Android 17 and 18ā¦?"
But he immediately rejected it.
"Noā¦"
"Those two have power far too great."
"And worseā they possess independent will."
"They cannot be controlled."
If they became a danger, everything would collapse.
"It's not time yet."
Just then, Dr. Gero sensed several powerful energies flying toward them from the previous town area.
They were much weaker than Gokuā¦
but still extremely strong.
"His alliesā¦"
"If I don't run nowā¦"
Then Dr. Gero suddenly paused.
His eyes swept across the terrain.
Rocks. Cliffs. Natural cover.
His gaze turned sinister.
After a moment, he smiled coldly.
"According to calculationsā¦"
"Each of their energy levels is sufficient to increase my power."
"If I use the terrain and break them one by oneā¦"
"I can absorb them all."
"And once that happensā¦"
"Killing Son Goku will be effortless."
He vanished into the jagged rocks, diving into concealment.
Goku, still fighting Android 19, noticed immediatelyāDr. Gero was trying to escape.
But he couldn't chase him yet.
So he fired an energy blast toward the rocks, intending to wipe out that entire hiding area.
Yetā
Dr. Gero didn't run from the blast.
Instead, he actually appeared at the blast pointā
and caught it with his palm.
The energy sphere dissolved into raw power and flowed directly into his body.
Dr. Gero burst into laughter.
"Heheheā¦"
"What delicious energy."
"I'm leaving now!"
"Android 19! Hold him!"
Dr. Gero flashed behind the rocks and disappeared.
Goku was about to pursueā
but the battered Android 19 shot back in and blocked his path again.
"Your opponent is me!"
From the moment the fight started, less than a minute had passed.
But Android 19 was too troublesome.
He knew Goku's techniques too well.
He hid his weaknesses perfectly.
He had no ki signature.
And worst of allā¦
he could absorb energy.
Goku couldn't use ki blasts.
This fight forced him to discard habits he'd relied on forever.
Several times, Goku had almost instinctively tried to clamp down on Android 19's wristā
or fire an energy wave.
But he had to suppress every urge.
Against an absorption-type Androidā¦
the only option was to smash him apart with pure physical force.
Goku looked at him.
"You really think you can stop me?"
Thenā
Goku threw a heavy punch.
Normally, the optimal defense for Android 19 would be to block and fly backward, dispersing the force.
But he was buying time for Dr. Gero.
So he tried to resist head-on.
A fatal mistake.
Goku's punch shattered throughā
Android 19's crossed arms cracked apart.
One of his forearms snapped completely and fell to the ground, sparking violently with electricity.
Android 19's eyes widened in horror.
Then, with his remaining arm, he fired a powerful energy wave straight at Goku.
But Goku didn't dodge.
He chopped through it with a knife-handā
deflecting the energy wave like it was nothing.
Android 19 tried to strike againā
but another knife-hand came sweeping toward him.
This wasn't even one of Goku's typical techniques.
Yet from what he'd just witnessedā¦
getting hit by it meant destruction.
Android 19 couldn't dodge in time.
He raised his only remaining arm to block.
As long as the doctor is alive, he can repair meā¦
He forced himself to gamble.
But the chop was terrifying.
His last arm shattered.
And Goku's knife-hand continued onwardā
cleanly slicing across his neck.
A mechanical head rolled across the ground.
And Android 19's body collapsed in two halves.
Dead.
Goku immediately shot after Dr. Gero into the rocky area.
But after a brief chaseā¦
he didn't catch him.
Instead, he ran into Krillin, Tien, and the others who had just arrived.
Krillin exclaimed, "Goku! We sensed your ki exploding and rushed over!"
"Where are the Androids?!"
Goku answered, "I killed one."
"One escaped."
"Search nearbyā the other Android should still be on this island!"
Everyone froze.
"Killed one?!"
Krillin's eyes widened.
"From the moment you transformed until nowā¦ it's only been a few minutes!"
"If you killed one that fastā¦"
"Doesn't that mean Androids aren't that strong?"
The others nodded in agreement.
Yamcha grumbled, still bitter.
"Yeah! Androids aren't strong at all!"
"They're just disgustingāno ki, hiding like rats!"
"If I hadn't been ambushed, I never would've lost!"
Goku nodded slowly.
"They're not that strong."
"But there are stronger Androids out there."
"Forget that for now."
"Right now, we need to focus."
"To prevent ambushesāsearch in pairs."
Everyone nodded.
"Got it."
Krillin suddenly looked around.
"Hm? Gokuā¦ where's Chi-Chi?"
"She wasn't with you?"
Goku's face changed instantly.
"ā¦Crap."
"I forgot about Chi-Chiāshe didn't followā¦"
"What?!"
Tien said, "She should still be in the town suppressing her ki."
"I can't sense her at all."
Goku immediately placed two fingers on his forehead.
He began searching for Chi-Chi's presence.
Krillin swallowed.
"I can't sense her either."
Goku's ability to sense ki was far superior.
He'd trained on Yardrat.
Even if Chi-Chi suppressed her energy to ordinary-human levelsā¦
as long as she was nearby, he should be able to locate her.
But even after searchingā
he found nothing.
A drop of sweat slid down Goku's forehead.
"How is that possibleā¦?"
"Even I can't find Chi-Chi's kiā¦"
"ā¦did something happen to her?!"
Everyone's faces turned pale.
Krillin quickly tried to calm him down.
"Goku, don't panic."
"Chi-Chi isn't as weak as you think."
"She wouldn't get instantly killed by an Android."
"She must be suppressing her ki for something."
"I hope soā¦"
Yamcha waved dismissively.
"What's there to fear?"
"As long as Piccolo's alive, even if someone dies, we can revive them with the Dragon Balls!"
At that momentā
everyone's minds flashed.
They sensed a powerful energy.
"Piccolo's ki!"
"That intensityā¦ he transformed into gold!"
"Did he run into an Android?!"
Before anyone could reactā
Goku already had two fingers pressed to his forehead.
Locking onto Piccolo's energyā
he vanished.
Krillin blinked.
"Instant Transmissionā¦ that's insanely convenient."
Tien shouted, "Let's go!"
And everyone immediately flew in Piccolo's direction.
Goku appeared beside Piccoloā
but Piccolo wasn't fighting.
He was just standing there, transformed, staring downward.
"I was searching for the Androidsā¦"
Piccolo said quietly.
"ā¦and I found her."
"Her ki disappeared just now."
Goku's blood ran cold.
"Whatā¦?"
"Who are you talking about?"
Piccolo pointed toward a crack along the cliffside.
Goku followed his gaze downwardā
and the world stopped.
Chi-Chi lay there with her eyes closed.
Peaceful.
Almost like she was simply asleep.
"CHI-CHI!!!"
Goku screamed and lunged forward.
He gathered her into his arms.
Her body still had warmth.
But she had no ki.
No breath.
A pulseā¦ faintābarely there.
And just as Goku tried to confirm it againā
that weak pulse vanished completely.
No battle injuries.
Her clothesāstill clean and neat, the same outfit she'd put on in town.
A terrifying thought struck him like lightning.
Did sheā¦ die from illness?
There were no signs of a fight.
If an Android had killed her, she could be revived.
But if she died naturallyā¦
Shenron couldn't bring her back.
Goku panicked.
He fumbled through his pocket, pulled out a Senzu Bean, and tried feeding it to her.
Nothing.
Even after crushing it and forcing it into her mouthā
still nothing.
"Chi-Chi!"
"What happened to you?!"
Goku clutched her tightly, shaking her.
"Whyā¦ why are you like this all of a sudden?!"
Just then, Krillin and the others arrived.
Seeing Goku holding Chi-Chi's bodyā
everyone went pale.
"What happened?!"
"Was Chi-Chi killed?!"
Krillin rushed forward first.
"Goku! Don't worry!"
"We still have ShenronāChi-Chi can be revived!"
Piccolo shook his head.
"She wasn't killed."
"She died from illness."
"ā¦Illness?!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Crapā¦ I rememberā¦ natural deaths can't be revived by the Dragon Balls!"
"This is bad!"
"Butā¦ how could it happen so fast?! There wasn't even time to save her!"
The word save struck Goku like a hammer.
Right.
They were too dependent on Dragon Balls.
They'd forgotten that humans had medical methods too.
Goku's eyes snapped open, grabbing onto hope.
"Yes!"
"Saving her!"
"I can still save her!"
"I rememberā¦ Bulma and I once read about emergency heart rescue!"
"If the heart just stoppedā¦"
"Within a few minutesāthere's still a chance!"
"Bulma has a private hospital!"
"It might still be in time!"
In the next instantā
Goku hugged Chi-Chi's body tightly.
He locked onto Bulma's ki.
And vanished.