Chapter 24: Battle Against the Red Ribbon Army

John Doe checked the Dragon Ball Radar and pointed to one of the glowing dots, saying, "This Dragon Ball is the Three-Star Ball at Kame House."

"Hmm, I didn't expect there to be a Dragon Ball near Karin Tower as well," John remarked in surprise as he looked at the radar's display. "I just came back from Karin Tower. If I had known, I could have found that Dragon Ball for you."

"Karin Tower?" Goku asked, puzzled.

"Yes, Karin Tower. When you go there to search for the Dragon Balls, you must climb Karin Tower and ask Karin for training. Master Karin is an even more formidable martial artist than Master Roshi. Master Roshi became the God of Martial Arts after climbing Karin Tower and receiving training from Master Karin," John explained.

"That's incredible! I must climb Karin Tower," Goku exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Oh, and Goku, after you receive training from Master Karin, be sure to ask him for some 'Super Divine Water' to drink. Remember, it's 'Super Divine Water,' not 'Super Holy Water'—they are two different things," John advised.

"The 'Super Divine Water' can greatly unlock our potential. I believe that if you drink it, Goku, you'll become incredibly powerful," John suggested.

John felt that while he might not be able to change the timing of the antagonists' appearances, he could significantly enhance his companions' strength.

Bulma, overhearing the mention of the Super Divine Water and its miraculous effects, wanted some for Yamcha to save him from rigorous training. She asked, "Can I get some more? I want Yamcha to drink it too so he doesn't have to train so hard."

John quickly shook his head. "No, Yamcha can't drink it. The Super Divine Water is highly toxic. Those who can't withstand the poison won't unlock their potential; they'll die from it," he explained.

"What? But you're letting Goku drink it?!" Bulma exclaimed angrily.

John clarified, "Goku and I have the same constitution; we're both Saiyans, so we can resist the poison of the Super Divine Water."

"Have you drunk it yourself?" Bulma asked.

John nodded. "I have. But before me, fourteen others drank the Super Divine Water, and every single one of them died from the poison," he added.

Hearing this, Bulma reluctantly gave up on the idea. "I guess we'll forget about it then."

With the Dragon Ball Radar now functional and the mention of Karin Tower, Goku bid farewell to John and Bulma, ready to head to Karin Tower immediately.

Goku hurriedly rushed to West City and then left just as quickly.

About ten days passed, and suddenly, Bulma received a call at home from Master Roshi. He informed her that Goku had encountered the Red Ribbon Army and was preparing to attack their headquarters.

Master Roshi gathered everyone to devise a plan to rescue Goku from the Red Ribbon Army.

"What's there to discuss? Let's just go there and wipe out this Red Ribbon Army," John suggested.

John's proposal was immediately rejected by everyone present. To save Goku, even the blue-haired Launch had transformed into blonde Launch. She explained, "I've had dealings with the Red Ribbon Army before. Their forces are massive—tanks, planes, cannons, missiles, they have all sorts of advanced weaponry. They're practically a country within a country."

"With just a few guns, we have no chance against them."

Master Roshi spoke up, "Regardless, we can't just abandon Goku. Let's head towards the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters, and we'll deal with any challenges as they come."

So, Bulma piloted the plane, carrying everyone towards the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters. Everyone was tense, even prepared to sacrifice themselves to save Goku, except for John, who sat casually at the back of the plane, whistling. John hadn't even planned to come, but Master Roshi insisted, saying that if Goku was still his friend, he couldn't just watch him walk to his death.

As John had anticipated, the group soon found themselves near the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters. While discussing their plan to attack, they spotted Goku riding on his Flying Nimbus, emerging from the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters.

After calling Goku down, they learned that he had single-handedly eliminated the entire Red Ribbon Army.

"I told you, we didn't need to discuss any strategies. We could have just charged in," John said.

Hearing this, everyone was speechless. They hadn't expected the Red Ribbon Army to be so incompetent that even a child could defeat them.

Ignoring the others, John turned to Goku and asked, "Goku, did you drink the Super Divine Water?"

Goku nodded. "I did, but it was so hard to drink. After drinking it, my whole body ached, and I almost died."

"But after enduring it, my strength improved significantly. I've become much stronger than before," Goku added.

John nodded in satisfaction, then took a step back and assumed a fighting stance. "Goku, since we've both drunk the Super Divine Water, let's have a match. I want to see how much stronger you've become."

The others, especially Master Roshi, Krillin, and Yamcha, were intrigued by the idea of a fight between John and Goku. They were curious to see how much their strength had improved since the World Martial Arts Tournament, which was almost half a year away.

Although Goku was interested in John's proposal, he shook his head. "I can't. I still need to gather all seven Dragon Balls to revive Upa's father."

"Hmm? You mean Bora? What happened to him?" John, thinking he had changed the plot, expected Bora to be safe, but he was surprised to learn that Bora was still in trouble.

Goku explained, "There's an assassin named Tao Pai Pai who was helping the Red Ribbon Army collect the Dragon Balls. He followed me to the base of Karin Tower. I was training on Karin Tower, and by the time I got down there, I could only save Upa. Tao Pai Pai had already killed Bora."

Master Roshi's brow furrowed as he heard the name Tao Pai Pai. "The self-proclaimed number one assassin, Tao Pai Pai? Did you defeat him?"

Goku nodded. "Yes, I defeated him. In the end, he threw a grenade at me, but I kicked it back, and it blew him up."

Master Roshi's eyes widened as he heard Goku's words, thinking of his brother and sensing that the situation was more complicated than it seemed.