The Z Pirates (One Piece/Dragon Ball Crossover)

Goku took a deep breath, steadying himself. His body ached from the battle, and exhaustion weighed heavy on his limbs, but his mind was sharp now. He took in the faces around him—Bulma, tense and watchful; Oolong, still unconscious; Tien, his usual stoic expression unreadable. And then, there was King Piccolo.

Or rather, what was left of him.

Goku had tested it himself—striking the demon's lifeless form with a few solid kicks and punches. Nothing. No reaction. No last-minute tricks. King Piccolo was dead. Completely, utterly gone.

He should have felt relieved. But instead, there was something unsettling about it.

King Piccolo had been terrifying, powerful beyond anything Goku had ever fought. He had survived their battle longer than anyone should have. And yet, here he was, lying motionless, like a broken doll. It was almost… too easy.

But Goku didn't question it. Not now.

Bulma crossed her arms, glancing at the body before looking at Goku and Tien. "So, uh… what do we do with him?"

Tien exhaled slowly, his sharp eyes studying King Piccolo's remains. "We should bury him. Either that or destroy him completely." His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Bulma hesitated. She had no love for King Piccolo—if anything, the thought of him ever coming back made her stomach churn. But still, blowing up a body like this… it felt extreme.

Goku, however, didn't share her hesitation. His fists clenched at his sides.

King Piccolo had killed too many people. He had taken too much. Yamcha… Krillin… Roshi. He had to make sure Piccolo never came back.

"I think Tien's right," Goku said finally, his voice quiet but steady. "We should destroy him."

Tien gave a short nod. "Then let's not waste time."

They both stepped forward, positioning themselves a few feet from the body.

Bulma took a step back, feeling the air around them shift as their energy surged. A deep blue glow surrounded Goku, while Tien's aura flickered with a harsh white light. The ground beneath them trembled slightly, loose dirt lifting from the surface.

Goku cupped his hands together, pulling them back near his waist. "Ka… me…" His voice was calm, focused. A small ball of energy flickered to life between his palms, growing steadily.

Tien raised his hands, his fingers forming a triangle in front of him, his own energy intensifying. "Tri-Beam…"

The air around them grew heavier, crackling with the sheer force of their combined power. Bulma instinctively took another step back, shielding her eyes as the light became almost blinding.

"Ha… me… ha… ME… HA!"

"KIKOHOOOOOO!"

Their attacks exploded forward, merging into a single blast of destruction. The sheer force of it sent a shockwave through the trees, rustling the leaves violently as a blinding flash consumed everything in its path.

The moment the energy made contact with King Piccolo's body, the ground erupted in a deafening explosion. Dirt, debris, and fire shot into the air, and the shockwave sent a gust of wind blasting through the trees. The force of their combined attacks lit up the entire area, the intensity of the energy so strong that Bulma had to shield her face from the heat.

For several seconds, the world was nothing but blinding light and raw power.

Then, silence.

When the dust finally settled, a massive crater, at least twenty feet deep, was all that remained. Smoke curled from its edges, and the earth around it was scorched black.

King Piccolo's body was gone.

Goku exhaled, lowering his hands, his shoulders sagging from exhaustion. Tien let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the damage.

Bulma swallowed hard, looking at the devastation. King Piccolo was truly gone.

Goku turned to Tien, giving him a tired nod. "Thanks."

Tien didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at the crater for a long moment before finally speaking. "Let's hope this is the last we ever see of him."

Goku clenched his fists. "Yeah."

Bulma let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The battle was over. But something told her this wasn't the end of their troubles.

Goku stretched his arms behind his head, looking around at the others. Tien was staring at him with a strange expression, his brows furrowed as if lost in thought.

"So… now what?" Tien asked, his voice level but holding an undertone of something unreadable.

Goku blinked. "Now what?"

Bulma groaned, dragging a hand down her face before smacking herself on the forehead. "OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, GOKU! Sheesh! He's asking what's your plan! Like, what do we do now?!"

Goku tilted his head, rubbing his stomach. "Oh, well… I'm kinda hungry."

Bulma twitched. Oolong let out a snort.

"You nearly got us all killed, and the first thing you think about is your stomach?!" Oolong said incredulously.

Tien scoffed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Hmph. Figures. That's all you ever think about." He turned away, his cape billowing slightly in the wind. "Doesn't matter. My business here is done. King Piccolo is dead. Our paths are different now."

Before anyone could react, Tien bent his knees and, with a sudden burst of energy, shot into the sky, soaring away.

Oolong just gawked at the fading figure in the sky. "Since when did he get that trick up his sleeve?!"

Bulma clenched her fists. "Tch! That guy's such a JERK! Just up and leaves after all that!" She then turned to Goku, who was still looking up at the sky, seemingly unbothered. He seemed to be more intrigued by the form of Tien flying away. "Well, what about us, huh?!"

Goku looked at her, confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Bulma sighed, rubbing her temples. "Think about it, Goku! This whole situation is weird! We were fighting King Piccolo, and then boom—suddenly, we're in some random place we've never seen before! That can't just be a coincidence!"

Oolong raised an eyebrow. "Okay, Miss Genius, so what's your theory?"

Bulma smirked, raising her fist—and then, without warning, WHACK! She smacked Oolong on the head.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Oolong whined, clutching his head.

Bulma huffed. "For being an idiot! Isn't it obvious?! We didn't just end up here! Someone must've used Shenron to send us here!"

Goku scratched his head. "Huh… You think so?"

Bulma crossed her arms, nodding. "Think about it! Everyone who fought against King Piccolo or was involved in the fight is here. The others—Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha… they're all gone." Her voice faltered slightly at the mention of Yamcha, but she shook it off. "That can't be a coincidence."

Goku frowned slightly, his mind processing the information. But before he could say anything—

GROWL.

The sound echoed through the area. Bulma's eye twitched. She turned her head slowly, glaring at Goku's stomach, which had just rumbled loudly.

Goku laughed sheepishly. "Hehe… I did say I was hungry…"

Bulma threw her hands in the air. "OH, COME ON! Can we focus for two seconds before you think about food?!"

Then, suddenly—

ROOOOOAAAAAR!

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the trees, followed by the rustling of leaves. The three of them tensed as something massive moved in the shadows of the foliage. The underbrush trembled. Then, in an instant, a monstrous shape lunged from the bushes.

Bulma and Oolong's eyes went wide with sheer terror.

"HOLY—!" Oolong shrieked, diving behind Bulma.

Bulma barely had time to react before a massive, leopard-like beast emerged, its deep golden fur covered in jagged black stripes. But this was no ordinary leopard—it towered at nearly six feet tall, its muscular body stretching over ten feet in length. Its fangs gleamed under the sunlight, and its deep green eyes locked onto them, filled with hunger.

Bulma stumbled back. "WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DON'T WANNA BE ITS NEXT MEAL!" Oolong cried, clutching onto Bulma.

The beast crouched low, muscles tensing—ready to pounce.

But before it could even launch forward—

CRACK!

Goku, unfazed by the situation, had already moved. With a swift motion, he swung his Power Pole, slamming it directly into the leopard's skull. The impact sent a deep, resounding THUD through the air.

The beast barely had time to let out a pained growl before it collapsed onto the ground in a heap, completely knocked out.

Silence.

Bulma and Oolong stared.

Goku grinned, resting the Power Pole on his shoulder. "Well, that takes care of that!"

Bulma blinked. "Wait… wait, WAIT! You—what—you just—" Wait! Why was she even surprised? She had literally seen the same many times. Heck! She had ate the flesh of the slain games by Goku. Who was she moral policing here?

Goku patted his stomach, smiling brightly. "Hey! We've got dinner now!"

Bulma's face twisted in sorrow. She really didn't like eating bland roasted meat.

"You have got to be kidding me…"