Piccolo, having fully unleashed his power, found himself evenly matched with Android 17.
Neither Piccolo nor 17 could gain the upper hand.
Piccolo frowned as he exchanged blows, thinking to himself, I didn't expect this android to be even stronger than that woman.
He's fighting me evenly… This is bad. If all three of them attack me together, I'll be completely overwhelmed.
He quickly considered the situation.
Even if the other Z Warriors joined the fight, their strength wouldn't be enough to tip the scales. Worse, they'd only risk casualties.
The pressure weighed heavily on him. If Goku were here, things would be different.
With Goku around, Piccolo believed no enemy was unbeatable. After all, Goku was the one fighter he acknowledged as the strongest.
Meanwhile, 17 also noticed something unusual. "Namekian, are you… distracted during our fight? Do you look down on me?"
To 17, it was insulting. If Piccolo dared to think about other things in battle, that meant he wasn't taking him seriously.
The android's pride burned, and he attacked even harder.
The clash grew more intense, and Piccolo realized something terrifying: 17's energy never wavered, while his own was beginning to decline little by little.
This is dangerous. If it goes on like this, I'll lose. Unless I can finish him with a killing blow, I'm doomed.
17 also noticed the shift. Although Piccolo still looked strong, his stamina was dropping.
17 smirked. "Namekian, you're doomed to fail."
Piccolo growled back, "Don't celebrate too soon, android."
He knew now—if normal fighting didn't work, he'd have to risk everything on one decisive move.
From the sidelines, 18 asked lazily, "So, 16, aren't you going to fight? We still don't know how strong you are."
"There's no need," 16 replied flatly. "The Namekian is the only real threat here. 17 will defeat him eventually. It'll just take time."
His analysis was cold but accurate. Piccolo's power rivaled 17's, but unlike the android, Piccolo's stamina wasn't infinite. Sooner or later, 17 would win.
18 shrugged. She didn't care. If the spectators interfered, she was ready to put them in their place.
The Z Warriors, watching from a distance, grew tense.
They could see it too—Piccolo's energy had dropped slightly.
Just a few percent, but it was enough to prove the androids were starting to gain an advantage.
Gohan clenched his fists. "What do we do? We can't just stand here and let Uncle Piccolo lose to that android!"
Yamcha frowned. "I want to help too… but if we jump in, we might only get in the way. It could make things worse."
Krillin rested a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Trust Piccolo. He'll find a way. And don't forget—you still have your father, Goku. He's the one we can always rely on."
Hearing this, Gohan's heart calmed a little. Piccolo meant a lot to him, and he didn't want to lose him.
But remembering his father gave him strength.
Tien Shinhan spoke up. "If Piccolo wants to win, he'll need to unleash a powerful move, something that can end it in one strike. Otherwise, it's pointless."
The others nodded. They all understood—Piccolo wasn't just strong, he was resourceful.
If anyone could find a way, it was him.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Dragon Ball: I Was Reincarnated as Goku — Part 1 Completed (Dragon Ball Z) is now on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you for your support! 💙