Chapter 32: The Collapse of the Red Ribbon Army

Goku stood at the edge of Ox King's village, his senses sharp and body ready for battle. The distant rumble of tanks and soldiers marching echoed through the valley. The Red Ribbon Army was finally here. However, as the dust cleared and the enemy forces came into view, Goku felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

"This... this is it?" he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed.

The army in front of him was nothing like the formidable force he remembered from the anime. Instead of a massive, imposing battalion, there were only a few dozen soldiers, and their equipment looked outdated. Even the tanks, which had once struck fear into the hearts of many, seemed small and worn. The soldiers, instead of being the ruthless warriors he had anticipated, looked nervous, fidgeting with their weapons as if unsure of their next move.

"Something's not right," Goku thought.

He had expected a full-scale assault, but what he saw was almost laughable. Before he could dwell on it further, a voice cut through the air.

"It's him! Retreat! Retreat!"

The shout came from a man in silver armor standing at the center of the group. His face was pale, eyes wide with fear. Goku recognized him instantly—Commander Silver. But this wasn't the confident, arrogant officer Goku had seen in the anime. This man was terrified. The moment Silver locked eyes with Goku, he turned and bolted, yelling at his soldiers to fall back.

Goku stood there, completely dumbfounded. "Is this really the Red Ribbon Army?" he muttered under his breath.

Without wasting any time, Goku activated his Shadow Steps, disappearing in a blur. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared right in front of Commander Silver, cutting off his escape. Goku grabbed him by the collar and effortlessly lifted him into the air.

Commander Silver's face went white as a sheet. His body trembled uncontrollably, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He tried to speak, but only a weak stammer came out.

"Y-you... why are you doing this?" Silver finally managed to squeak out, his voice filled with terror.

Goku raised an eyebrow, surprised by the fear in the commander's voice. "Doing what? You're the Red Ribbon Army, aren't you? You guys are supposed to be tough."

Silver shook his head violently. "N-no! Not anymore! We're almost finished because of... because of you!"

Goku blinked. "Me?"

Silver nodded frantically. "A group of people... people who look exactly like you! They've been destroying our strongholds—Muscle Tower, General White's base, everything! They've captured our soldiers, locked them up in prisons, and turned our best Androids into stone! They even threatened politicians to stop helping us. We're... we're nothing now!"

Goku's expression shifted from confusion to realization. His clones, created through his Self-Multiplication Technique, had been systematically dismantling the Red Ribbon Army.

"Ohhh," Goku said, scratching his head, "that makes sense now."

Silver, still suspended in the air, couldn't believe how casual Goku sounded. "Y-you don't even care, do you? You've destroyed everything we built!"

Goku's expression darkened for a moment. "You guys aren't exactly good people, you know. World domination, creating killer androids... Yeah, I'm not gonna lose sleep over it."

Commander Silver's eyes darted around, looking for any way to escape. "But what about us? What about the future?"

Goku paused, his mind briefly drifting to the future—particularly the Androids. He had been so careful not to disrupt the timeline too much, wanting to make sure everything stayed on track for when the Androids appeared. He needed to face them, especially Android 18. But now, with the Red Ribbon Army almost eradicated, he wondered if the future had already changed.

"What if the Androids are stronger than in the original timeline?" Goku mused silently, his grip on Silver loosening slightly. "And if they don't show up at all, what then?"

Goku snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Silver. "Well, either way, that's not my problem. You guys were bad news, and the world's better off without you."

Before Silver could respond, one of the remaining soldiers, desperate and shaking, raised his rifle and fired a shot directly at Goku. The bullet zipped through the air, but before it could reach him, Goku's ki flared, and the bullet dissolved into nothing.

Goku turned his gaze towards the soldier, who dropped his rifle in fear, his face pale and hands trembling. Other soldiers followed suit, either throwing down their weapons or taking a few cautious steps back, clearly too scared to engage.

"You really thought that would work?" Goku said with a smirk.

The soldiers stood frozen, fear etched into their faces. Some looked as though they wanted to run, while others seemed paralyzed by Goku's overwhelming presence. Commander Silver, still dangling from Goku's grip, let out a shaky breath, knowing there was no escape.

Goku sighed and released Silver, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. The commander scrambled back, eyes wide with terror.

"Well, it's about time I wrapped this up," Goku said, looking around at the defeated soldiers. He raised his hand and called out to his clones. Within seconds, several Gokus appeared, each looking identical to the original.

"Go collect the Dragon Balls and find Emperor Pilaf," Goku ordered. "Teach him a lesson about trying to rule the world. Make sure he doesn't pull any more stunts like this."

The clones nodded and immediately dispersed, moving faster than any of the remaining soldiers could react.

Silver, now sitting on the ground, stared up at Goku in disbelief. "You... you really are unstoppable, aren't you?"

Goku glanced down at him, his expression softening just slightly. "I'm just trying to make sure things don't get too messed up. You guys are just the first step."

With that, Goku turned his back on Silver and the remnants of the Red Ribbon Army. As he floated into the air, he waved casually. "Farewell, Commander Silver."

Commander Silver, trembling on the ground, could only watch as Goku floated just above him. The fear in his eyes was palpable as he realized there was no escape. Goku raised his hand, gathering a small but intensely glowing orb of energy, the sheer power of it making the air around them crackle with electricity.

"Wait—please!" Silver begged, his voice shaking. "We're finished! You don't have to do this!"

Goku's expression remained unreadable. "The Red Ribbon Army has caused too much harm. This ends now."

Without hesitation, Goku launched the energy ball toward Silver and the remaining soldiers. The orb of light expanded as it flew, engulfing the entire battlefield in a blinding flash. In an instant, the entire Red Ribbon Army was obliterated—Commander Silver, his soldiers, and their tanks, all reduced to nothing by the overwhelming force of Goku's energy.

As the light faded, nothing remained but silence and scorched earth where the army once stood. Goku floated in the air for a moment, staring down at the destruction.

With the Red Ribbon Army now fully eradicated, Goku's mind shifted to the challenges ahead—the Androids, the shifting future, and the unknown forces that could reshape the world. With a deep breath, Goku soared into the sky, leaving behind nothing but the ashes of the past.

"I'll leave this to my future self," Goku muttered to himself, his voice quiet but resolute. He knew that whatever changes had been made to the timeline, his future self would have to face them. But for now, he had more immediate goals to focus on.

With that, Goku turned toward the sky, leaving the matter behind. As he soared into the air, the weight of his decisions lingered, but Goku pushed them aside.