Under the full moon, a giant ape howled at the sky.
Below, the Dragon Ball squad scrambled away in a panic.
Having accidentally looked at the moon, Goku had transformed into a massive ape, nearly trampling his companions to death.
"Boss, it's Goku! He turned into that ape!" Oolong rushed out, shouting toward Ray Chu.
Guess it's time to solve this little problem. Ray Chu narrowed his eyes at the rampaging ape. Gathering electricity into a bright blue ball on his tail, he swung it forward, launching it straight at the ape's face, exploding violently on impact.
Enraged, the giant ape whipped around, roaring in pain as it unleashed a massive energy beam toward Ray Chu's rapidly moving figure. The beam carved a massive, hundred-meter-long trench across the ground.
"What horrifying power!" Yamcha cowered in the shadows, trembling uncontrollably. Facing such terrifying strength head-on was impossible—even one hit would annihilate him instantly!
Above him, the castle's damaged stones suddenly broke loose from the ape's rampage, sending a huge chunk of rock plummeting downward.
"Look out!" At the critical moment, Yamcha lunged forward, shoving Bulma and Oolong to safety but leaving himself exposed beneath the falling boulder.
"Take this—[WOLF FANG FIST]!" Pouring all his strength into a punch, Yamcha shattered the rock midair. Although successful, he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering weakly.
"Dammit… even the aftermath of their fight is dangerous. I'm completely useless here!" Frustrated, Yamcha could only resign himself to protecting the others and retreating from the battlefield.
BOOM!
On the other side, seeing his energy blast evaded, the giant ape leapt an incredible fifty meters forward, pounding the earth fiercely with massive fists, each blow creating a deep crater.
Ray Chu, his body crackling with electricity, dashed nimbly around the ape's enormous feet, occasionally launching skyward to strike powerful blows against the beast.
BRICK BREAK!
But this was no ordinary Brick Break—infused with psychic power, each hit drew deafening roars from the ape. Combined with the piercing electric current, the strikes penetrated fur and muscle alike.
Yet the giant ape's astonishing vitality allowed it to endure prolonged combat. Their bodies—one enormous, one tiny—clashed in a fierce battle so rapid their movements blurred into mere shadows.
Destructive energy erupted everywhere. Even Bulma, an ordinary human, could see the ape's movements slowing noticeably as time passed, its coordination faltering.
"What's happening to it?"
"It's the electricity," Yamcha observed from afar, his expression grave, never once blinking as he explained, "Each of Boss's hits delivers electric shocks. The ape's body is strong, but all that accumulated electricity is reaching its limit…"
Just as Yamcha finished speaking, another punch finally triggered a surge of built-up electricity within the ape. A blinding flash burst out, paralyzing it completely.
"It ends here, Goku!" Seizing the moment, Ray Chu used Quick Attack, appearing instantly behind the ape. psychic energy condensed into a sharp blade, neatly slicing off the ape's tail.
As the tail fell to the ground, the massive ape froze, shrinking rapidly back into an unconscious Goku.
Ray Chu flipped gracefully in midair, landing neatly, quite satisfied with his performance. Seems even a transformed Goku is manageable…for now.
Of course, Ray Chu knew that if the battle had dragged on, he'd surely have lost. Goku's stamina was nearly limitless, whereas he'd begun feeling exhausted. Without paralysis, the outcome could've gone either way.
...
[DEFEATED OOZARU GOKU. GAINED SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE. LEVEL +1]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 17]
...
With the ape gone, Bulma and the others cautiously emerged, breathing relieved sighs upon seeing Goku fast asleep on the ground. "Finally, he's back to normal."
"Ahhh! My castle! My ambitions!" Outside, Lord Pilaf—completely scorched black—wailed tragically at his ruined castle. Not only had his dreams of world domination collapsed, but even his home lay in ruins.
"What should we do with them?" Oolong pointed at the miserable trio.
Everyone exchanged glances, slowly smiling maliciously…
With Shenron's summoning and Ray Chu's quick wish, the Dragon Balls scattered once again, not usable for another year. It was finally time for the Dragon Ball squad to part ways.
After the exhausting night, they sat side by side on a hillside outside the castle, quietly watching the rising sun.
A new day had come, bathing the land in golden light.
When Goku finally woke, he caused another fuss—confused about the sudden disappearance of his tail and unable to recall anything else.
"Ray-kun, Goku—we decided to head back to the city. Come with us?" Bulma, standing close to Yamcha like a loving couple, smiled warmly at Ray Chu.
Goku shook his head. "I want to find Master Roshi and train harder!"
Ray Chu also indicated he'd continue training with Goku, promising they'd find the others again someday.
"Look after that little brat, Boss—I'm going back to town with them." Oolong respectfully said farewell to Ray Chu.
Ray Chu nodded, waving casually to everyone. Then he approached the bruised, swollen-faced Pilaf trio. He pointed directly at Mai, holding up a sign:
[You're coming with us.]
Losers had no rights; as a hostage, Mai followed Ray Chu in confusion to an open space. Ray Chu tossed a capsule onto the ground, popping open into a private aircraft.
Mai was forced into the pilot seat, while Ray Chu and Goku climbed aboard. The plane quickly took off, heading straight toward Master Roshi's island.
"Such a decisive guy," Yamcha murmured, watching the plane disappear.
"More like a terrifyingly clear-minded guy," Oolong muttered.
Bulma glanced sideways. "Wasn't someone calling him 'Boss' just now?"
Oolong protested weakly, "I was just speaking honestly…"
Puar chimed in, exposing him, "He hasn't changed at all—still shameless as ever."
Bulma stretched leisurely, sighing, "Finally, it's over. Searching for Dragon Balls sure was exhausting!"
The group departed cheerfully, leaving only Lord Pilaf and his remaining subordinate, Shu.
"L-Lord Pilaf, Mai was taken away…" Shu whimpered timidly.
"Curse them all!" Pilaf leapt up once the group was out of sight, swearing to the heavens, "How dare they bully me like this! One day I'll make them pay dearly!"
"So, uh… what do we do now, Lord Pilaf?"
Pilaf instantly deflated, shoulders slumping miserably. "Let's see if anything useful survived. Looks like we'll have to find regular jobs for a while…"
Shu wailed pathetically, "Aaawoo… Mai, I miss you already!"