Dragon Ball: Paradise Lost

To Space And Beyond

"The Ultimate Dragon Balls!" Mr. Popo gasped, clapping both of his hands across his cheeks as if he had just seen a ghost. "Where did you find those!?"

"Whoa, don't flip out on me or anythin'... I was just lookin' fer some food!" Yajirobe scratched his behind with a free hand while his right held the decorated treasure chest tightly. "All dat cat gives me is beans... Keepin' all de fish fer himself, what a cheapskate!"

"Excuse me but... Are those actual Dragon Balls!?" Krillin yelled out, looking like he felt to be either the only sane person in the temple or like he was the only mad one there. "I thought the Dragon Balls disappeared when Kami did, didn't Kami make those things!? Does this mean we can bring everyone back to life!?"

Krillin looked around with a rich smile on his face. Tears of joy squirted from the corners of his eyes but just in the shape of single droplets because something about this felt too good to be true. It was that overlooked factor that kept Chayote and Goku more serious than their bald friend. After all, if these Dragon Balls were always a factor, Mr. Popo would have long since suggested using them.

"Yes, they are actual, functional Dragon Balls. They were created by Kami-sama when he was still fused with King Piccolo, that is to say before they've split apart. These are the more powerful version of the Dragon Balls, in fact. When Kami-sama split, these Dragon Balls became inert and turned to stone, it is the only time they did so because they do not normally turn to stone ever." Mr. Popo explained, marveling the magical artifact with his eyes though with respectful fear directed toward the chest. "The only way you could have found it would be if you went through the forbidden sections of the temple..."

"Sounds like this lazy moron..." Korin scratched his cheek. "Sorry about that, Mr. Popo..."

"So we can use them to bring everyone back to life then?" Goku wondered, finally speaking for the first time after staring at these new Dragon Balls with a serious expression as if he could somehow tell they were a bad deal.

"Technically, yes..." Mr. Popo looked uncomfortable explaining it, must have been this pure heart thing that he had to maintain at all times that prevented him from lying for selfish reasons. "Though we shouldn't..."

"I can't believe it... It makes sense though, if they were created when Kami and King Piccolo were one and the same and went inert when they split, it only makes sense they'd become functional once Kami is now permanently a part of Piccolo Jr." Krillin stared at the sky gleeful like a child staring at an ice cream vendor.

"Wait... Somethin' ere don't ring much sense... You said Kami and Piccolo created these Dragon Balls together, as if in when dey was one. Den how come dese balls are "Ultimate"? Didn' Kami create the Dragon Balls?" Yajirobe scratched his head.

"These are the second set of Dragon Balls Kami-sama and Piccolo combined have created. The first one was too weak and barely worked, Kami-sama and Piccolo together feared that they'd use too much power and break the Earth with their magic the first time. This second pair was when they utilized everything they've learned after destroying the first inferior set, they're the "Ultimate" set. That's before Kami-sama and King Piccolo split and Kami made his final and greatest set of Dragon Balls." Mr. Popo explained.

"Wait, the fusion of Kami and Piccolo destroyed the first set of Dragon Balls? How does one even do that?" Chayote wondered as this was perhaps the only thing that didn't make much sense to her. Of course, someone capable of creating ultimate wishing artifacts would have made all sorts of different sets. If Chayote could have been capable of such magic, she'd have made some of them for training, hell, she'd have made another set of them just because she was bored...

"Destroy the balls when they are turned to stone." Mr. Popo answered. "Though you must not use the Ultimate Dragon Balls under any circumstances. Because the fusion of Kami-sama and King Piccolo cranked up the power of the Dragon Balls' power with this set, the costs of using them are simply too great as well."