Chapter 14: Prelude

The city on this island was merely a satellite city of the southern metropolis, but that didn't make it small by any means. The population numbered in the hundreds of thousands, at the very least.

Searching for the androids in a city of this size with just a few people, including John Doe, was an incredibly difficult task.

However, as John had predicted, the androids wouldn't have come here just to stroll around or go shopping. They had a purpose, and once they made their move, they would be noticed.

Sure enough, an explosion at a bank not far from Yamcha caught his attention.

"Are those the androids?" Yamcha shouted, rushing towards the site of the explosion.

The blast not only alerted Yamcha but also John, who was nearby.

As Yamcha rushed forward, John followed suit.

Indeed, two androids emerged from the burning bank, coming face to face with Yamcha.

Upon discovering the androids, Yamcha immediately tried to power up to draw everyone's attention. However, the androids were too powerful, and before Yamcha could fully power up, one of them swiftly moved in front of him, covering his mouth with its hand to absorb his energy. This prevented Yamcha from calling out and also stopped him from powering up further.

Just as Yamcha's energy was about to be completely drained by Dr. Gero, John arrived and kicked the android, causing it to stumble and release Yamcha.

John tossed a Senzu Bean to Yamcha, saying, "Yamcha, alert the others. The androids are here."

The android, Android 20, who had been modified by Dr. Gero, smirked at John. "John Doe, huh? You've been well-researched, I see, for me to know your name so easily."

John narrowed his eyes at the android's familiarity with his name. "It seems you've done your homework on me."

At that moment, the other Z Fighters, drawn by Yamcha's energy, arrived and surrounded the two androids.

Android 20, seeing himself surrounded, asked, "So, even Son Goku is here. I must ask, how did you know we'd be here?"

"I think you should ask King Yama in the afterlife," John replied, readying himself for a fight.

Yamcha, realizing John was about to engage, shouted a warning to the others. "Be careful of their hands! They can absorb your energy!"

"Absorb energy?" Goku nodded, understanding the situation. He, too, prepared to fight, not wanting John to take on the androids alone.

But Android 20 laughed maliciously. "So, we fight here? In that case, I'll clear the area."

The Z Fighters were taken aback by Android 20's words, and before they knew it, he fired red energy beams from his eyes, targeting the surrounding buildings.

John quickly moved to block the energy beams, protecting the innocent bystanders.

The beams merely burned two holes in John's clothes, causing no harm to his body.

"No need to clear the battlefield," John said. "Let's choose another location."

"Oh, you're confident, aren't you? Well, since you're our target too, we'll follow you." Android 20 agreed.

And so, the Z Fighters flew ahead, with Androids 19 and 20 following closely behind.

John had intended to select a remote, uninhabited plain for the battle, preventing the androids from escaping. After all, their energy was undetectable, and a spacious battlefield would ensure they couldn't hide.

However, Android 20 saw through John's plan and, upon reaching a valley filled with dense foliage, declared, "I'm tired of flying. Let's do this here." Without waiting for John's consent, he descended to the ground.

John and the others exchanged glances and reluctantly followed, ready to face the androids.

Android 20, being Dr. Gero's self-modified creation, was naturally afraid of death, which was why he had turned himself into an android.

The fact that John and the others knew the exact time and place of their appearance made Dr. Gero's virtual heart skip a beat.

Without uncovering John's group's secrets, Dr. Gero wasn't about to engage them directly.

"Who wants to go first? John Doe, Son Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, or even Son Goku's son, Son Gohan?" Android 20 challenged.

Goku stepped forward, impressed that the android knew the names of everyone in their group.

Android 20 smirked. "So, Son Goku wants to go first? Very well, Android 19, engage Mr. Son Goku."

The white, obese Android 19 stepped forward, assuming a fighting stance, ready to face Son Goku.

"Wait," Goku said, "Before we fight, I'd like to know how you know our names. It seems you're quite familiar with us."

"Of course," Android 20 replied. "Ever since you destroyed our Red Ribbon Army headquarters, I've been sending spy robots to gather information about you—your daily lives, your battles. My combat system contains all your fighting data."

"So, rest assured, you cannot defeat us. We were made specifically to counter you." Android 20 asserted.

"Oh? And you've been tracking us since when?" John asked.

"Until you transformed into Super Saiyans and defeated Frieza," Android 20 answered.

"So, after that, you stopped gathering information about us?" Goku asked, smiling.

"Correct. There was no need. In the three years that followed, you didn't even fight. After becoming Super Saiyans, there was no room for further improvement, so we ceased data collection." Android 20 spoke with confidence.

John and Goku exchanged a glance, and then Goku said, "That's a shame. You missed out on our later developments, and that will be your downfall."

With that, Goku stepped forward and transformed into a Super Saiyan, ready for battle.

Android 20, seeing Goku's confidence, was perplexed. After all that boasting, he was still a Super Saiyan?

Dr. Gero might have been an exceptional scientist, but he was no martial arts expert. He had no idea that there were different types of Super Saiyans.