Dragon Ball volume 16 summary and personae list.
Fighting styles:
Chou-Kamehame-ha: "Ultimate" Kamehame-ha. Gokuu uses it for the
first time, while facing Ma Junior.
Story:
Volume 16 starts out with Shen and Ma Junior trying to stare each
other down. Kamesennin realizes that both are strong, and Yamcha knows
that none of them could beat either of those two. Shen curses the weak
human body he's using, and mentions a debt. Ma picks this up, and asks
about it. Shen tells Ma (in a strange language,) to read his heart.
Then, Ma recognizes Kami-sama, who says that he came to earth to fight
Ma. The announcer tells everyone that the two are talking in a language
that he can't follow. Ma knows that he's safe, but Shen makes a threat
that Ma misinterprets as a suicide wish. Then, Shen pulls out a little
bottle, further confusing the announcer. Ma finally understands, and
Shen invokes Mafuu-ba (Gokuu is the only one who'd never seen Mafuu-ba
before.) However, Shen's human host is weak, and he loses when Ma
responds with Mafuu-ba, himself. Kami-sama is stripped from his host,
yelling to Gokuu. Ma thinks that treating him as being the same as
Piccolo is a big mistake. Shen is unconscious, and Ma Junior wins the
match with the ten-count.
Gokuu is upset that Kami-sama had lost. The announcer asks if Shen
is ok, but when the old man awakens, he thinks that he'd had too much
liquor to drink. Shen runs off to meet his son. But, when the boy says
that his father is a great fighter, Shen is left more confused than
before. The announcer calls a 10 minute break before the start of the
final round, between Gokuu and Ma Junior. Ma doesn't need the rest, and
Kamesennin states that he needs to go talk to Gokuu. Gokuu wants the
little bottle, but Ma swallows it, presenting a problem -- to get the
bottle will require that Gokuu kill Ma. But, if Ma dies, so will
Kami-sama. Ma walks off, gloating.
Kamesennin comes up, wanting to talk, and Tenshin wants to know what
Ma was talking about. Gokuu tells them that Ma is really the Great
Demon King, Piccolo. Tenshin can't believe this, having seen Piccolo
die. Gokuu explains what had happened. But, the group had seen Piccolo
get sucked out of Shen, and into the bottle. Gokuu reveals that that
had really been Kami-sama. And that Ma Junior and Kami-sama are two
halves of the same person -- if one dies, both die. Gokuu asks what
Mafuu-ba is, and how Kami-sama had gotten pulled into the bottle. The
group worries about what will happen now, but Gokuu is confident.
Kamesennin reminds them that Gokuu still has to get the bottle away. Ma
Junior has returned, and reiterates his vow to avenge the defeat of
Piccolo 3 years earlier. After destroying Gokuu, Ma plans on taking
over the world. He laughs maniacally.
Then, the announcer introduces the last fight. Kuririn hopes that
Gokuu will win, but the hero isn't so sure. Chi Chi doesn't want Gokuu
to die before the marriage. So, Gokuu stomps to the ring, determined.
The announcer describes the upcoming match, Kuririn is worried, Ma says
that he'll carry out his resolution, and Gokuu asks "which resolution?"
-- "to kill you."
Then the match starts. After 10 pages of sound effects, Gokuu is
down, and the announcer starts the count. But, Ma tells him to stop
counting, because Gokuu is faking it. Gokuu laughs, and stands up,
noticing that his gi (uniform) has been trashed again. They bluster
some more, as the friends stare on in worry (and surprise at the level
of the fight they're watching.) Kuririn comments on the power of Ma's
techniques. Gokuu disappears again, and not even Tenshin can find him.
But, Ma can. However, Gokuu disappears again, to reappear behind Ma
Junior. Ma's next attack will kill lots of the audience, so Gokuu yells
to them to run. But, there's no time. So, Gokuu leaps up, calling
attention to his new location. Ma calls him an idiot, and fires. Gokuu
blows himself out of the way, and Ma Junior gets pissed at having
missed. Gokuu yells at Ma for endangering the people, and prepares to
use Chou-Kamehame-ha. Tenshin and Yamcha don't know what this is, but
Kamesennin yells for Gokuu to stop, reminding him that killing Ma means
killing Kami-sama. Ma asks what's wrong, claiming that there's
something to be said for being evil. Ma prepares to kill everyone
(Oolong and Buruma hope that he's joking.) Kuririn yells out about
using the Dragon Balls for bringing back Kami-sama later, so don't worry
about killing Ma Junior right now. Gokuu agrees to that. But, Ma knows
that Shenlon was destroyed by Piccolo 3 years ago. Gokuu says that
Shenlon was restored -- the two attackers launch their blasts, with
Gokuu completing Chou-Kamehame-ha.
Ma is taken by surprise, but survives with just some damage to his
clothes. Ma is really pissed now, and WILL destroy everyone. Gokuu
can't believe that the demon had survived. The announcer describes the
attack, and notices something. Without the turban, Ma looks just like...
The Great Demon King, Piccolo.
Ma says that he IS Piccolo. And, after he defeats Gokuu, he'll rule
the world. 2 seconds later, the place is deserted.
The announcer leaps over the wall to continue describing the action,
and Buruma calls him "a real pro."
Gokuu tells his friends to move farther back. Ten commands Gokuu to
not die, and Gokuu says that he won't. Ma blusters some more, then
tells Gokuu to watch the next technique. Ma Junior is now Big Ma, and
he laughs while trying to kill Gokuu. Gokuu's leap takes him the wrong
way, and he knows he's blown it just before being slapped to the ground.
Tenshin wants to help, but Gokuu says that this is his fight. Ma
gloats. Kamesennin is worried, but Gokuu states that it's really a good
thing that Ma has become a giant. Ma doesn't understand this, but Gokuu
continues attacking. So, Ma becomes even bigger. (I love the picture
on page 100. Ma looks very... mean.) Ma asks how Gokuu likes this,
now. Buruma and Oolong run for cover. The announcer describes Ma as a
mountain. Yamcha tells Gokuu to escape, but the hero leaps up and uses
Kamehame-ha to propel himself into Ma's mouth. When Gokuu is spit back
out, he throws the bottle to Tenshin to open. Ma realizes that he'd
been tricked, and Kami-sama is released. Buruma, Oolong, and the
announcer think that they are looking at Piccolo. Kami-sama is filled
in on the details, and Ma Junior is forced to return to normal size
(apparently, with Kami-sama bottled up, Ma didn't have any restrictions
on his powers.)
So, Gokuu and Ma fight again, and not even Kami-sama can see them
moving. Then, they're visible high above the ring. Gokuu is knocked
out of the sky, but uses his feet to fire off Kamehame-ha and continue
fighting. This takes everyone by surprise, but Kamesennin realizes that
there's no reason NOT to use your feet with Kamehame-ha. Gokuu gets
zapped, and is about to be killed when Kami-sama blocks the punch.
Gokuu tells Kami-sama that this is still the budou-kai, and they have to
abide by the rules of the budou-kai, even when the fate of the world is
at stake. Kami-sama fumes about this, but Gokuu tells Ma to continue
the punch. They bluster some more, and Gokuu states that he knows all
of the techniques that Ma can use. So, Ma pulls out a controllable
blast (like Kamehame-ha,) that Gokuu wasn't expecting. He uses 'Ha' to
move out of the way, and then (after Ma tells him that he can't escape)
Gokuu stands and waits for the blast to get closer to him. Then, he
runs between Ma's legs.
Gokuu asks Ma to surrender, having suffered damage to his left arm.
But, Ma is the incarnation of Piccolo (and can regenerate limbs) and has
no intention of surrendering. Ma gets ready to fight back, and Gokuu
tells everyone to run away. Ma's focussed energy impresses Gokuu. And
starts pushing back the others. Gokuu tells them escape -- take a
plane, leave the island. Buruma yells at him for this, and Gokuu says
that he's staying put. Kami-sama tells him to not be stupid, to abandon
the budou-kai and save himself. But, there's not enough time for the
group to flee. So, Tenshinhan uses Kikou-hou to create a large pit for
them to hide in. [Note: When Tenshin used this technique in the last
Budou-kai, it stood a good chance of killing him, but he seems to have
mastered it, now.] Kuririn tell Gokuu to not be unreasonable (stupid,)
which stuns Kami-sama. Kushami tells Kami-sama to not just stand there,
and kicks the god into the trench.
Yelling out "Die!!!!", Ma attacks.
After, he gloats, thinking it's over, but Kuririn yells out, "Gokuu."
Ma Junior can't believe this. Kuririn tells the people in the
rubble-filled pit that Gokuu is still alive. Gokuu claims he'll win
soon. There is cheering, and Ma tells Gokuu to wait, asking what he's
going to do. Gokuu attacks. As he readies Kamehame-ha again, Kuririn
shouts out for people to duck.
Gokuu tells the announcer to come look into the new pit. The guy
asks if Ma is dead, and Kami-sama replies that his continuing existense
is proof that Ma is still alive. The announcer starts counting, and
gets up to "nine." Gokuu lowers his guard, and Ma's mouth blast takes
Gokuu through the chest. Everyone screams, and Ma exacts revenge for
Piccolo. When the group tries to interfere, Ma warns them off -- the
next time, he'll kill them. The fighting continues, and both of Gokuu's
legs get broken. Ma blasts Gokuu's good arm, and gets ready for the
last shot.
Kami-sama tells Tenshinhan to kill him -- if Kami-sama dies, Ma
Junior will die before he can kill Gokuu. It's ok, because the Dragon
Balls can be used to wish Kami-sama back to life, later. But, Gokuu
tells them to stop bickering, because he's about to win.
The group thinks that Gokuu is joking. Then, Ma fires his biggest
attack yet.
End of book 16.
-- Curtis H. Hoffmann
Aug. 1, 1993
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