Chapter 41: Is It Goku? (Patreon)

Kami shook his head. "I don't know. I can't see who started this.

The Saiyans aren't due for another two months, so it shouldn't be Raditz's two comrades..."

Krillin nodded firmly. "All right, let's go take a look!"

"Chiaotzu, come with me!"

"Sure thing, Brother Tien!"

Yamcha cracked his wrist and grinned. "I'm coming too!"

Yajirobe said, "Since you're all going, I'll just stay behind and mind Kami's Lookout."

Kami pointed east. "The tree's main trunk lies that way..."

The group leapt down and flew straight for the Spirit Tree's main trunk.

A moment later—

they arrived at the base of the Spirit Tree's trunk.

The great tree towered into the sky, immense beyond measure, its edges lost from sight.

Its trunk and roots kept spreading without pause.

The roots kept driving deeper into the soil, as if taking hold of the entire Earth, and still they spread.

Its branches and leaves had already stretched across the whole world, still growing, their reach widening by the moment.

Little by little, they'd begun to block out the sun.

"What kind of freaky tree is this, anyway?" Yamcha asked, curious.

"No idea. Let me see if I can destroy it!" Krillin said.

With that, he raised a hand, gathering a spiraling current of ki.

In an instant, a disc-shaped blade of energy condensed into being.

"Destructo Disc!"

Krillin swung his hand, sending the Destructo Disc slicing toward the trunk.

Everyone gasped at the sight of the technique.

"Wow, that's Krillin for you — he's actually mastered a move that powerful!"

But when the Destructo Disc struck the tree, it failed to cut through the trunk at all — it only scraped off a bit of bark.

The disc sank into the trunk and vanished.

Frowns spread across the group.

"This tree — it can't be destroyed!"

"I think the trunk absorbed the Destructo Disc's energy," Yamcha said seriously.

"If even a technique with cutting power as strong as Krillin's couldn't damage this tree," Tien Shinhan said,

"then it looks like nothing else will work either. This tree won't be easy to destroy."

"So what do we do?"

"Do we just let it keep growing?

If it does, Earth might be completely swallowed up by this tree in just a few days."

Krillin thought it over, then looked up. "Could someone have planted this tree on purpose, for some reason?"

The others nodded. "Krillin's got a point. Whoever planted something like this must have a reason. Let's go up and take a look!"

They used their Flight Technique to rise, flying up toward the denser branches.

"Damn it, this tree is way bigger than we imagined — we can't even see the top."

Tien Shinhan reached out with his senses, and several threads of malevolent ki flickered through his mind.

"I'm sensing something. There's someone here."

The others had trained in ki-sensing too, but weren't skilled enough yet.

With Tien Shinhan's warning, they focused and soon located the source of the presence.

They flew toward it.

Soon, several oddly-featured figures came into view.

They were perched in the branches.

Clearly, none of them were Earthlings — their features were nothing like a human's.

One of them, closer to Krillin than the rest, had a face...

that looked like a butt had grown where it should be — hideous to look at, with a wicked glint lurking between his brows.

"Who are you people?" Krillin demanded. "Did you plant this tree?"

The man looked at Krillin, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked smile.

Without a word, he fired a Ki Blast at Krillin.

Krillin's form flickered, dodging the blast.

"Damn it... so this tree really is your doing. Then I won't hold back!"

With that, Krillin raised his hand and fired a Ki Blast back at the man.

Krillin had expected it to be an even, exploratory clash.

Instead, his testing blast landed square on the man, exploding with a roar and kicking up billowing dust.

"I— I actually hit him?" Krillin looked plainly stunned.

"Guess they're not all that strong after all!" Yamcha said, his mouth curving up slightly.

The words had barely left his mouth when two figures leapt out of the smoke.

Two men with butts for faces.

Everyone startled.

Tien Shinhan narrowed his eyes. "Is that Multi-Form?"

Chiaotzu immediately flexed his fingers. "No — that's not Multi-Form. He's only made two of himself."

Just then, one of the men burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, you all look so surprised! Let me introduce myself!

I'm the famous Rasin, of Rasin and Lakasei! Now that you've run into us, you're finished!"

"Brothers?"

"So you were two people all along?"

The man nodded. "That's right, exactly!"

Yamcha sneered. "Heh, here I thought it was some technique — turns out you're just twins!"

"Heh heh, hahaha — everyone who's ever underestimated us ended up dead! Take this!"

Rasin and Lakasei let out a roar and charged at Krillin together, working in tandem.

Krillin's mouth curved up slightly.

"Leave these two to me — you all go handle the others!"

Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu both nodded.

Then they flew off toward the rear and clashed with the other two evil-looking figures.

This stretch of training had been grueling for everyone, but their strength had grown considerably.

They made short work of the strange-looking attackers.

Krillin clenched his fists. "Get this tree out of here right now, or we won't go easy on you!"

Even as he spoke, a figure suddenly appeared and kicked him square in the chest.

Krillin let out a pained grunt and went flying backward, slamming hard into one of the Spirit Tree's branches.

"Krillin, are you all right?"

Krillin looked up at the one who'd kicked him and froze in shock.

The man looked almost identical to Goku, except he wore a Scouter over his face, and his skin was somewhat darker than Goku's.

The others were startled too.

"Y-you're..."

"Goku!"