"Dende, we need to talk." Piccolo said, feeling uncomfortable to even bring up the subject. But he didn't know who else to talk to about his recent change in condition.

"What's the matter Piccolo?" Dende asked, being intrigued by Piccolo's sudden approach. It wasn't like him to say something like that, unless it was really important.

"Something's wrong with me." he said.

"Wrong? What you mean?"

"I've been unusually sick lately." he stated, looking away in embarrassment.

"How long?"

"It started some time after we… you know." Piccolo blushed a little as he recalled the first night of heated passion he had ever shared with his beloved, Dende. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, as they acted completely on instinct. But they both knew the meaning behind it all. They were now mated for life as life mates, partners, spouses. The love they shared for one another had truly blossomed in full bloom, even if it had taken some time.

"I feel sick almost all the time now, I get dizzy a lot and I've been exceptionally moody. And… I think I've gotten fat." Piccolo turned his head away, blushing.

"Fat?" Dende asked. "Can I see?"

Piccolo growled a little in annoyance, but then unfastened his sash and took off his shirt. At first Dende didn't see anything wrong, until Piccolo turned to his side.

"Whoa!" Dende was amazed, as he finally saw what the loose gi-top hid underneath.

Piccolo was still looking uncomfortable.

"You don't look fat to me, just… bloated." Dende said. "Can I… Touch it?"

"If you must…" Piccolo said, embarrassed, as Dende put his hand on his stomach.

"You don't feel fat either; it's all firm and solid, not soft and baggy like fat. I have no idea what's going on. Never seen or heard of anything similar before in my life!" Dende seemed totally confused by his mate's current state.

"You think it's serious?" Piccolo asked, but not showing he was scared a little.

"I don't know. Are you sure you're not just badly constipated?" Dende asked, as Piccolo's face turned bright purple as he shouted in embarrassment: "Quite sure!"

Dende got nervous as he backed down a little: "Alright, no need to yell!"

"Then stop asking questions like that." he said, turning around and putting his gi-top on and fastening his sash.

"I think we should go to the Capsule Corporation." Dende said.

"Huh?" Piccolo asked. "For what?"

"Well, Bulma has some medical devises in there. I don't think your condition should go unchecked. There's nothing I could do about it here on the lookout since I really don't know what's causing it. Bulma could be able to figure it out with her equipment."

Piccolo thought it for a while, and as unappealing the idea of have the babbling female inspect him with some weird human contraptions, he understood there probably wasn't much of other options.

"Fine." He agreed. "We shall go to Bulma's."

Bulma was on the backyard of the Capsule Corporation having a little soda while sunbathing in her bikini with her mother. Trunks was swimming in the pool with Goten and Bra, and Vegeta was, yes you guessed it right, training in the Gravity Chamber. Suddenly she was awakened when she heard Goten yell about Mr. Piccolo and Dende. And sure enough, the two had just landed on their yard.

"Hey, Mr. Piccolo! Dende!" Trunks yelled to the Namekians. "Wanna come in and swim with us?"

"No thanks, Trunks, we're in fact here to see your mother." Dende told the lavender haired teenager.

"Huh? What you need my mom for?"

Before Dende could say anything, Piccolo stopped him and said: "Nothing you'd be interested in. You have fun with Goten and your sister, alright?"

"Okay, whatever you say, Piccolo. Hey, you think we could spar later, huh?" Trunks asked eagerly.

"Uhh, not today, kid. I feel kinda off."

"Oh, bummer." Trunks seemed disappointed. "Maybe some other time, then?"

"Yeah, sure, kid." Piccolo smirked a little, as he and Dende walked to Bulma.

"Hey you two, what's going on? You sure don't come around for just for a visit too often, now do you?" Bulma greeted the Namekians cheerfully.

"I guess we don't." Dende admitted a little embarrassed. "The thing is, we have a little bit of a problem and we don't know who else to ask for help, but you.

"Oh, what seems to be the problem?" Bulma asked, curious.

Dende filled her in with Piccolo's strange illness after walking away a safe distance from everyone else.

"Wow, that sure sounds alarming. Good thing you came. I can now use you as my test subjects to our newest medical device models." She smiled happily, as she led them to the testing room.

"As the main problem seems to be Piccolo's stomach, I suggest him going lie down here." she showed a hospital bed. "I'll then have a look at his insides with this machine and see what seems to be the problem in there." she informed.

Piccolo was still feeling very awkward about this whole thing but for Dende's sake (and for his own peace of mind) he obeyed and lay on the bed.

"Now, take your shirt off, Piccolo." she asked, smiling.

Piccolo wasn't on a very good mood so he just growled a little but did as he was told without saying anything. But as Bulma was about to put some sort of a gel on his belly, he became alive again.

"Hey, what the heck are you doing?" He asked, raising his voice.

"Hey, don't worry. This gel is a vital part of this process. Without it, we can't get much of a view."

"Come on, Piccolo." Dende pleaded him. "It's for your own good."

"Ah, alright!" Piccolo lay down again but with an unhappy face.

Bulma poured the gel on his stomach and he winced a little as it was so cold. She spread it all around his belly and then took out the transducer and started scanning Piccolo's insides with it. A shady image appeared on the computer screen. Both Dende and Piccolo looked at the screen with interest, though weren't sure if they could make out much of it.

"So, there's your stomach, and that's your liver." Bulma pointed out, and after carefully checking everything out, she continued: "Everything would seem to be in order up here." Then she put the transducer lower on his belly. "There's your colon and bowels... and…" She stopped all of a sudden, as her eyes widened drastically. Dende and Piccolo looked at her, curious. Bulma adjusted the screen, zoomed in the picture and cleared it out. What they saw made all three hold their breath.

"…Is…" Dende began not being able to believe his eyes. "…Is that what I think it is?"

Piccolo just stared the picture his eyes wide and mouth open, not being able to say a word.

Bulma was the first one of them to snap out of it, and opened the speakers. A steady, fast thumping noise entered the room.

Bulma nodded, ecstatic. "It would seem congratulations are in order!" She smiled. "Piccolo, you are going to have a baby!"