Cardinal

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"How did it come to this? What have I done to deserve this?" — Cardinal, lamenting over how far he's fallen

Cardinal
character image
カーディナル, Kādinaru
Detailed Information:
Appearances:	Nineteen Assassins Killing General Copper Dragon Ball Z: The Forgotten: Planet Earth Saga Reunion Saga Fulfillment Saga Dragon Ball: Heart of the Dragon West City Saga
Species:	Human
Gender:	Male
Birthplace:	Lismore, Ireland, Earth
Birthdate:	January 27, Age 697
Date of Death:	June 22, Age 774
Birth Power Level:	0.0001
Maximum Power Level:	5
Personal Pronouns:	私わし, 私わたくし
Height:	6'1"
Weight:	175.2 lbs
Hair Color:	White
Eye Color:	Blue
Rank:	Leader of the New Red Ribbon Army
Organizations:	Red Ribbon Army (Age 732 - Age 750) New Red Ribbon Army (Age 750 - Age 774)
Favorite Food:	Rote Grütze
Favorite Vehicle:	Expensive German Hovercars
Hobbies:	Politics, money laundering, painting
Family:	Supreme General Silver (son) Alabastian (associate) Brennan (associate) Dewberry (associate) Eugen (associate) File (associate) Glase (associate) Hallow (associate) Ifufe (associate) Jia (associate) Kindler (associate) Lahnger (associate) Morucan (associate) Nhobusa (associate) Oscalpano (associate) Proprananik (associate) Quarlic (associate) Rambutala (associate) Secharrash (associate) Tresparson (associate) Ubbith (associate) Vestigia (associate) Wheltin (associate) Xebalon (associate) Yizfani (associate) Zeshmedinokov (associate) Captain Green (soldier) Private Wisconsin (soldier)

Cardinal (カーディナル, Kādinaru) is a human. Cardinal served as member of the Red Ribbon Army under the moniker 'Staff Officer Crimson' until Commander Red ordered his son, Colonel Silver, to be executed in Age 750. Thereafter, he left the organization, joined King Furry's government, and founded a New Red Ribbon Army of his own.

Cardinal is a villain in Dragon Ball Z: The Forgotten. He is featured in the fourth, fifth and sixth sagas and is introduced in the chapter, "Mist". He is the main villain of the West City Saga of Dragon Ball: Heart of the Dragon.

Overview

Appearance

Cardinal is a human. He is a male, 77 years old; he is of German and Irish descent. He has stark white hair, short, in an almost buzz cut. His eyes are bright blue. Even in his advanced age, he stayed in good health, and is trim. His height is normal as well. His hands shake somewhat, as if with Parkinson's disease, but it is not widespread enough to make Cardinal invalid. He is also a very religious man, Catholic; he has a tattoo of a cross on the inside of his right hand as well (in TF, all religious references that Cardinal makes have been toned down). He also, curiously, wears the red ribbon arm band underneath his clothes, though it is not certain if this is because he was a member of the organization at one time.

Personality

Cardinal is, as mentioned before, a very religious man (though this is not seen as much in The Forgotten as it is in Our Truths). This could be based off of his German parents' influence. And despite being German himself, Cardinal does not speak with any kind of accent, other than that of high elegance. He is very haughty, daring, and smart. In fact, Cardinal is the smartest character in The Forgotten. His daring and bold personality has lead to him becoming very wealthy and powerful. Cardinal is one of the dominant political figures in the entire world. He is able to visit and consult with King Furry whenever he wants. He likely runs the UN and has almost unlimited authority wherever he goes. Cardinal is the leader of the New Red Ribbon Army, so he is not a good guy. He uses his army to exert control over other political groups and governments. Because of his vast wealth, Cardinal can bribe anyone he wants to, and his influence is second to none in the world. Cardinal is a good liar, and he can lie without the slightest hesitation. He believes in the greater good, and will do illegal and dangerous things to preserve society, even if it means killing, torturing, or doing other heinous things to people who would put society in danger (from his perspective).

After Cardinal loses his son, he becomes far more numb in life and his addictive personality (particularly in relation to painkillers) becomes evident. While he later hosts a tournament to atone for his past mistakes, it doesn't make him feel any better, as his pursuit of Ledas has cost him his son and a great deal of his power. He becomes more withdrawn at the end of the story and seems to be depressed by his loneliness.

History

Nineteen Assassins

In the third scene of chapter 4, Violet awoke in a tiny prison cell. There were three other cells in the room. She noticed Carmichael in one, Takebashi in another, and the person in the fourth was someone she couldn't see because he lurked in the shadows. Soon after, the doors on the far side of the room opened, and in strode Cardinal. He cut to the chase, offering everyone a job in the New Red Ribbon Army. If they refused, he'd kill them. Takebashi professed his loyalty to the Chàoxing Gon. Cardinal said that gang were allied to him and immediately pardoned Takebashi, allowing him to leave. The man did not think twice before running out.

Cardinal approached the fourth prisoner's cell, pulling him out and pressing a pistol to his head. He asked Violet if she recognized the guy. She realized it was Mushigi right before Cardinal put a bullet through his head. Cardinal said he had lost patience with Violet. He was currently dealing with an imminent alien threat to the planet and didn't have time for petty squabbles. He was not amused that Violet had attacked the Chàoxing Gon. She was defiant. Cardinal reprimanded her for going against the Chàoxing Gon. She noted Eugen had killed Sugoro. Cardinal said that Sugoro's death benefited his cause because Higataro (the only remaining yakuza boss for the gang) was much easier to deal with.

Violet wasn't willing to join, saying that her loyalty to the Children of Chaos remained resolute and she had never been loyal to the Red Ribbon Army. Cardinal revealed General Copper and his legion had survived the RRA's downfall. He speculated Dr. Gero had too, but didn't know for certain. He reminded her that she and Silver had served under Copper. Violet realized Silver was still alive, shocked though she was that Commander Red had failed to execute him. Cardinal confessed to intervening and saving his son.

He said she'd join up with Silver after he returned from a mission in the Red Sea to track down Copper and Gero. If there were any other surviving RRA officers, those two would know who and where they were. She would not help him. Cardinal said that Silver was currently on the island of Akki and would soon be returning with a prisoner. This greatly affected Violet. Cardinal promised to promote her to the rank of commander if she helped Silver find Copper. Otherwise, he'd kill her father the same way he had killed Mushigi. He turned on his heels and walked out, leaving her to stew on that.

In the third scene of chapter 5, Charles had a dream where three bodhisattvas meditated in the shade of a fig tree. There was a demon peeking out from behind it, taking the form of his daughter Violet, which stressed him out. His master Preggu watched him, drinking tea, thinking how immature Charles was. The demon kept asking Charles to come to her, but he refused, thinking it was a trick, a trap, or something evil.

Charles woke up at that moment, seeing Glase, Silver, Eugen, and Cardinal before him. Cardinal was a man he hadn't seen in many years. His anxiety skyrocketed. Charles realized he was strapped to a chair in a windowless room. Glase asked if she could kill him to avenge Jared. Cardinal denied her, saying there were things he needed from Charles. Afterwards, Silver would decide what to do with him.

As his rage built, Charles struggled to maintain eternal compassion for all beings, a core tenet of Buddhism. Cardinal told him that he had captured Violet. She was in another room. He then began to interrogate Charles to see if he'd told King Furry or anyone else about him. Cardinal called him General Indigo, revealing Charles had once been a member of the Red Ribbon Army. Charles was incredulous. Cardinal threatened to kill Violet if he wasn't honest. Charles categorically denied that he'd ever told anyone anything about the Red Ribbon Army. He was furious that Cardinal had even thought he was capable of that.

Cardinal informed him that the Red Ribbon Army had fallen and he was planning on creating a New Red Ribbon Army to take its place. Thus, he was collecting all of the surviving officers to return them to their cause. Glase said they were going to once again attempt to collect the Dragon Balls and take over the world. Charles said he had retired before Commander Red had begun his quest for the Dragon Balls and that he remained retired. He declined to join the NRRA.

Cardinal whistled. The others joined him in leaving the room. Cardinal turned the light off before going, asking Charles to think things over before making his final decision. Charles wondered what had happened to Akki. Cardinal confirmed that someone had killed Togarashi. This didn't stop Charles from labeling the other man a monster. Cardinal promised to take him to see his daughter in the morning before closing the door.

In the first scene of chapter 6, Violet and Carmichael ate breakfast inside their prison cells. Just then, the big metal doors opened. Cardinal, Silver, Glase, and Eugen entered. With them were two people bound by their wrists: Charles and Kyofune (whom Violet didn't recognize). She was overcome by negative emotion seeing her father, trying to ignore him as best she could. Eugen and Glase put Kyofune in a cell while Silver brought Charles to the center of the room. Cardinal wasted no time in asking Violet to join the New Red Ribbon Army. When she refused, Silver punched her father in the gut. She didn't expect to feel for him, but it was a visceral reaction. She begged them to stop hurting him. Silver pistol-whipped Charles, asking for Violet to bring an end to things, as he didn't want to do this. She didn't believe him yet refused to change her mind. He continued pummeling Charles. Charles looked to Violet, his watery blue eyes moving her deeply.

She broke, falling in line, telling Cardinal she'd join Silver in his search for Copper. Cardinal informed her that she'd be accompanying Glase and Silver to Seikishi City (a medium-sized town south of West City) to meet with the Morizakura-gumi yakuza group. Since the Chàoxing Gon was leaderless, they could no longer be relied upon to protect Cardinal's shipping routes through Diablo Desert. He needed a new gang to provide muscle. If she behaved, he would allow her to join Silver's search for General Copper afterward. Violet shouted that Eugen had killed Sugoro while she had killed a man in a coma. What he had done was worse. And Violet was justified in what she'd done, as Mazuchiru had killed her boyfriend Nathaniel.

Glase let her out of her cell, warning her not to try anything. Cardinal ordered Eugen to bring Carmichael out of his cell too. He did so, pushing him out with a pistol against the man's back. Cardinal asked Violet to choose one of the other prisoners to live, as he was only willing to house one of them in a cell. In disbelief, Violet cried out, asking him to reconsider by putting them in the same cell. She seethed, thinking to herself how badly she wanted to murder Cardinal. The man would do no such thing. She had to make a choice then and there.

Carmichael fell against Charles for some reason, though Eugen quickly pulled him away. Cardinal warned her that if she didn't make a decision, he'd kill both prisoners. Cardinal prepared to shoot Charles when Violet begged him to kill one of the other prisoners instead. Cardinal had use for them still. He had no use for Charles and Carmichael going forward. Realizing she had to make a decision, Violet reluctantly nodded to Carmichael, whose face had grown pale with fear. He was hurt by Violet choosing him. In the next moment, Cardinal shot him in the face.

Cardinal asked her to supply Eugen with the location of the remaining Children of Chaos. If she didn't, he'd kill Charles too. Unwillingly, she did so. She and her father had a brief moment of recognition, though she couldn't talk to him before she was ushered out of the room, thinking to herself how it had been his fault that she had joined the Red Ribbon Army. He'd abandoned her soon afterward, and for that, she had never forgiven him.

Glase pushed her to the door. It was time to visit the Morizakura-gumi. Violet swore to herself that she'd kill them all. In the second scene, Eugen shoved Charles back in his cell. He had a short exchange with Cardinal before the man left, neither masking their hate for the other. Cardinal told him he had to trust in Violet not to screw up or else he'd die as a consequence. Cardinal left, Charles thinking to himself that he wanted nothing more than to kill him regardless of how that thought aligned with Buddhism.

In the third scene of chapter 7, Cardinal was drinking rum and playing online poker when Mokuzabe called him. He informed Cardinal Silver had been shot a few times. Since he had been wearing a bulletproof vest, he would be fine, only having a minor injury to the knee. Violet had been responsible and the yakuza had dealt with her. She was in critical condition. The yakuza were monitoring her in the hospital and would update Cardinal about her progress. Glase was dead, however. Cardinal instructed him not to tell anyone else about this. He ended the call after getting another from his secretary Janice.

He took the call, watching traffic through Central City from his balcony. She told him the daily briefing would be in fifteen minutes. He promised to be there in time. She asked if he needed breakfast. Cardinal assured her he did not. He prepared to go to the meeting, trying to reconcile his emotions. He pulled a 'candidates' folder out of his desk, for he needed to replace Glase, Eugen, and Alabastian now. His son's wounds troubled him deeply. He tried to maintain composure. Just then, another phone from his desk rang. He plucked it out. There was a text from General Copper (under a codename) saying he would not join Cardinal. Cardinal resolved to put an end to him if that was his only option.

Killing General Copper

In the first scene of this story, Cardinal visited Hasky in the Central City prison. Proprananik went with him. Cardinal offered to give Hasky her freedom if she completed a mission for him. He told her that eight days prior, the Red Ribbon Army Remnant had showed themselves to the world. They had begun pillaging and plundering, killing anyone they had come into contact with until they had arrived at South City. There, Earth's military had engaged them and had completely obliterated them. Only General Copper and Androids 11 and 12 had been taken prisoner. Hasky's mission was to break General Copper out of prison and to recover Androids 11 and 12 from the military. Once she had acquired the three, she was to bring them to Bonetown.

At the mention of that place, Hasky realized that Cardinal was the man who had hired her several years prior to steal an infinite energy device from Colonel Violet. He refused to tell her what he had done with the device and called her a common thief, which offended Hasky. She floated the idea of not helping him until Cardinal told her that if she did not, he would have King Furry execute her at the end of the month. She relented and the man offered her further incentive - Ƶ12,000,000 if she succeeded in her mission. The woman requested supplies; Cardinal told her that Proprananik would assist her with whatever she needed.

Afterwards, Cardinal unlocked Hasky's cell. He put handcuffs on her and then escorted her to the roof, where a helicopter waited for them. On the walk, he thought to himself about how Copper, the last unaccounted for Red Ribbon officer, would soon be accounted for. He noted that Proprananik had taken out all of the cameras on the path there and had reassigned all guards so that no one would see them. He thought to himself that the androids would be a much-needed boost to the New Red Ribbon Army, especially if the defects of Android 8 had been rectified in their models. Cardinal knew that only Dr. Gero and Dr. Flappe had worked on androids in the RRA, so one of them had to have been responsible for 11 and 12. He resolved to send Hasky and Proprananik to Flappe's house once they returned to him and also decided to send Silver to Gero's location if Copper confirmed that the doctor was still alive. He knew he had a lot to prepare for in the coming days and resolved to get to work as soon as Hasky and Proprananik left.

In the second scene, Hasky told Proprananik that Cardinal had hired her once before to steal an infinite energy device from Colonel Violet in the Diablo Desert.

In the fourth scene, Cardinal, Silver, and Proprananik met with General Copper in Bonetown. Hasky was there too, though she did not get too involved in their conversation. Cardinal introduced himself and noted that Copper had refused to join the New Red Ribbon Army years ago, which seemed to have annoyed the old man. Copper was unapologetic. After Goku had destroyed the Red Ribbon Army, he had gone with Gero, for Gero had still been loyal to the Red Ribbon Army at the time. Cardinal, on the other hand, had resigned from his post due to Red having ordered Colonel Silver to be executed. Cardinal said that he had had no other choice. Copper agreed, even stating that he had asked Red not to go through with the order. However, Gero had still contacted Copper first, so that was why he had allied with the man.

Cardinal asked him how Gero was doing. The general informed him that Gero was still working on his androids. Once they were perfected, Gero's plan was to use them to kill Goku. Hasky butted in, asking Copper if he was referring to Androids 11 and 12. She threw their capsules to the ground, and seconds later, the two unconscious androids appeared before the group. Copper was surprised that Hasky had managed to snag them, though Cardinal informed the man that she was the greatest thief in the world.

He then asked Copper if he had said anything to the military after they had taken him hostage. The man denied it. When pressed on if he had been the only officer taken alive, he revealed that after being taken by the military, they had told him on the third or fourth day of interrogation that Lieutenant Colonel Teal had also survived and was telling them all he knew. Copper was unsure if that had been a lie or not, for he had not seen Teal die or be captured, though the man's name was also not common knowledge. Cardinal was taken aback, for Teal's survival had not been mentioned on the government's report of the battle. Copper could offer him nothing more, for he had never seen Teal during his confinement. Cardinal promised to look into it.

He ordered Copper to set up a meeting between them and Gero. Copper was surprised that Cardinal wanted to re-join the RRA. He told the general that he would fund Gero's research. Once they killed the kid with the tail, they would work together to find the Dragon Balls and take over the world. Cardinal declared that he would lead the Red Ribbon Army going forward, while Gero would lead the Androids Division and Silver would lead their military (which was very small at present). Copper seemed none to pleased with Silver's promotion following his failure to retrieve the Dragon Ball from Goku. Silver rebuffed him, stating that nobody in the army had been able to stop the kid, including Generals White and Blue. Copper conceded that none of them had the strength to kill the boy. They would have to rely on the androids for that. Cardinal promised to give Copper a new legion of soldiers after a new headquarters was established, but currently, the Red Ribbon Army did not have even one hundred soldiers in its employ. General Copper agreed to the partnership between the New Red Ribbon Army and the Red Ribbon Army Remnant.

Cardinal asked him if he knew where Gero's lab was. He did, so the old man implored him to go there on the morrow and entreat the doctor. Copper was annoyed about that and asked them to send someone else. Silver told him that Copper, Cardinal, Gero, and himself (as well as Teal, possibly) were the only surviving officers of the RRA, and so they would have to do this themselves. Copper was shocked. He asked them what had happened to Colonel Violet. Awkwardness pervaded the air. Silver finally admitted that Violet had not remained loyal to their cause and had been dealt with as a result. Copper was not surprised, for she had fled when Goku had attacked the Red Ribbon headquarters. Nevertheless, he stated that they needed to find replacement officers soon.

Copper asked Hasky if she had recovered the Dragon Radar along with the androids. She showed it to him. There was a bullet hole in its face. The man admitted that the radar was broken and Gero had not yet been able to fix it (the bullet hole being a more recent wound). Gero had believed that he had fixed the radar before sending Copper to South City, but it was now broken again. Copper explained that General Blue had stolen the device from Goku shortly after Cardinal had resigned from the Red Ribbon Army. Commander Red had then given it to him. He speculated that Goku had gathered all seven balls, for none of them had appeared on the radar after he had received it, and none of his soldiers had found any in the ruins of the Red Ribbon headquarters. He reminded the others that the Dragon Balls recharged every year, so unless Goku was using them all the time, they would have a shot at gathering them. Cardinal promised to have his men attempt to repair it until a line of communication was opened with Dr. Gero.

Cardinal once more asked Copper where the man's lab was located. He revealed that it was in the mountains outside of North City and offered to take Cardinal and his men to see Gero. However, he warned that while Gero did not have many soldiers guarding him, he could have had activated another android or two since the disappearance of 11 and 12. Copper also admitted that Gero was unlikely to cede any power to Cardinal. The old man promised to deal with Gero as long as the line of communication was opened.

He ordered Silver to accompany Copper to Gero's lab. Afterwards, Cardinal instructed Proprananik and Hasky to visit Jingle Village in the far north in order to check up on Dr. Flappe, Gero's old partner in the androids division. Their mission was to find out if the man was still in contact with Gero and to find, take, and destroy any Red Ribbon Army documents he possessed. Proprananik was ordered to kill Flappe only if he was compromised. Cardinal questioned Copper about Flappe, but the general was unaware of Gero maintaining contact with the other doctor (though it wasn't like Gero told him everything about the android creation process). Cardinal then bade Proprananik and Hasky to leave at once and told the thief that he would pay her Ƶ4,000,000 to complete this mission. Satisfied at the generous amount, Hasky and Proprananik left.

In the sixth scene, on December 8, Age 756, Proprananik met up with Silver and Copper in the mountainous wilderness outside of North City, which was where Dr. Gero's laboratory was located. He told Silver that Cardinal had ordered him to spare Hasky, for she could be useful to them in the future. Silver didn't entirely disagree, though he thought that if she ever told anybody in King Furry's government about the New Red Ribbon Army, it would spark a world war.

Later, after Silver's crew met up with Gero, the doctor remarked that after Commander Red had ordered Silver's execution, he had not expected to see the man again. Silver replied that Teal had been sent to assassinate him, but had failed (and had been lucky to have escaped with his life). Gero remembered that Red had complained about Cardinal helping Silver escape, but the man assured him that his father had only provided him transportation away from the Red Ribbon headquarters. Still, the doctor was unconvinced that a man who had resigned from the Red Ribbon Army should lead them going forward.

Dr. Gero told Silver that he would not give either Android 11 or 12 to Cardinal's team, for neither android had been completed when they had been captured. He was not sure that they would remain loyal if they were removed from his care. For that reason, he decided to create a new android - Android 14 - for Cardinal to use. He assumed that Cardinal wanted the android to eliminate some of Furry's top men. Silver confirmed that, though he added that general security was also a reason for needing the android.

With that matter settled, Gero moved onto a more pressing issue: his desire to co-lead the New Red Ribbon Army. As Commander Red had misused his androids in the past, he was not keen on having history repeat itself. Proprananik stated that Cardinal would never be like Red. Still, Gero wanted their alliance to be a 50-50 partnership. Silver countered that since Cardinal would be paying for Gero's supplies, their partnership was not equal. The doctor dismissed that argument, for his androids, even 11 and 12, were more valuable than all the riches in the world, as they could eradicate it of all life if they so chose, including Goku.

A short while later, Dr. Gero told Silver's crew that once he perfected the technique of merging technology and flesh, he would turn all Red Ribbon Army soldiers into androids. After they took over the world, he would then turn all of humankind into androids. At the end of the sixth scene, Silver called his father, though he fell unconscious from his wounds before Cardinal answered the phone.

In the seventh scene, Cardinal had a phone call with Eigan, the leader of the Morizakura-gumi. In it, he told the man that he was sending Androids 11 and 12 to Seikishi City, where the Morizakura-gumi were located. He was also sending several of his associates with them in order to monitor the yakuza's attempt to reboot the androids. Additionally, he decided to send the Dragon Radar to them. Though he did not tell them what it was for, he promised them Ƶ100,000,000,000 if they could fix it. Afterwards, Quarlic called him and told him that Silver had woken up and wanted to see his father. Quarlic also revealed that while Silver was in stable condition, he wouldn't recover from his wounds for months. The doctors wanted him to get a lot of rest. Cardinal cut the communication and walked out of his room, thinking to himself that he had to remain calm. Gero would pay for what he had done, but Cardinal could not be blinded by his rage right now.

When Cardinal reached Silver's room, he was relieved to find that his son's feeding tube had been removed. He was still covered in bandages. The doctors told him that Silver's paralysis would dissipate over time. After hearing that, Cardinal dismissed Quarlic, who had been guarding Silver, and the only doctor in the room. Once they had left, Silver told Cardinal that it had been Gero's treachery that had led to the deaths of Copper and Proprananik. Cardinal already knew that. He told his father that Gero wanted to turn all of humankind into androids and had been experimenting on children. When Silver, Proprananik, and Copper had refused to go along with his plan, Gero had attacked them. Silver begged Cardinal to kill the doctor. He promised to do so, in due time.

In the meantime, however, Silver needed to focus on his recovery if he ever wanted to walk again. Silver told Cardinal that Proprananik had saved him, even though he had ended up with thirty-five bullets in him. Cardinal knew Proprananik was a good man. Once more, his son begged him to kill Gero. Cardinal promised to do so only after Androids 11 and 12 were re-activated, as Gero possessed androids of his own. He knew that since Gero would never squeal to King Furry, time was on their side. Impatiently, Silver pleaded with his father to nuke North City. Cardinal refused to do so unless Gero escalated things.

Changing subjects, he told his son that he might have located Lieutenant Colonel Teal. There was a man named "Haruspex" who had been transferred from the South City prison to witness protection on an island in the far south called Hosomaki. He would be sending Quarlic there the next day to investigate. Silver would join him down there as soon as he was able, if the matter was not resolved before then. Then, Cardinal mentioned that while it was sad that Copper was dead, for Silver had formed a bond with his former superior officer, now that Copper was out of the picture, Teal was the only remaining loose end. Once he was dealt with, the members of the NRRA would be safe from being revealed and they could begin working towards taking over the world (once the androids were re-activated, of course). By the end of Cardinal's long speech, Silver had fallen asleep.

Outside, Quarlic and the doctor waited for him. He ordered the doctor to keep Silver alive at all costs. The man promised to do so before being dismissed. Then, he told Quarlic about Teal, possibly masquerading as Haruspex, hiding out on the island of Hosomaki, which was located deep in the south of the world, near Akki. Quarlic wondered if the same aliens who had been on Akki were on Hosomaki. Cardinal didn't know, but wanted Quarlic to investigate. He ordered the man to leave that very night. Quarlic bowed, swearing he would not fail his boss, and was dismissed.

Following that, Cardinal took a walk through Bonetown, thinking to himself that it was much better off as a ghost town than a bustling trade port. Even so, it was perhaps the most important trade port in the world, for from there, he could send cocaine to South City, West City, and East City by train. As such, he had allowed 100 Morizakura-gumi members to stay in the town at all times, to protect the trade route. He wondered to himself if he would be able to re-activate the androids. If not, he would kill Gero by other means. He leaned against the wall of an abandoned cantina, noticing a Morizakura-gumi truck approaching in the distance, coming from West City. He thought to himself that it would only be a few years before the New Red Ribbon Army was truly flourishing, and grew hopeful at his organization's prospects.

Dragon Ball Z: The Forgotten

Planet Earth Saga

Cardinal was introduced in The Forgotten as the man put in charge by the UN to find Ledas. He was also the leader of the new Red Ribbon Army, which was at this time, the most powerful political organization on the planet. His was originally tasked to find the "rogue alien" somewhere in Police Chief Nagamo's city, however it soon became apparent that this alien was much more dangerous than even Cardinal had expected. Eventually this led to Cardinal having to take drastic measures, and kidnap the alien and his friend. Of course, Cardinal had to use the help of several of his lackeys, as well as his son's soldiers to successfully complete this venture. He was infuriated when Shoekki killed File, and made Shoekki commit suicide with the power of his influence. Afterwards, Cardinal and gang left Earth along with their prisoners Ledas and Ryori in order to escape Majin Buu.

Reunion Saga

Cardinal returned to Earth and immediately started making calls to people in order to find out more about the aliens that populated Earth. He allowed his son to use the poison bullets against Ledas but did not go with him to see the act done. Instead, Cardinal went to King Furry and had a heated exchange with his old friend. Cardinal was shocked that there were so many aliens on Earth, and angered that the king had told him nothing about it. However, Cardinal became resigned to the fact that he could not take on any of the aliens, so he quickly left the king's chambers to call of the attack his son was about to commence. He was too late, as the communications were already dead.

Fulfillment Saga

Cardinal was in the city when Vegeta and The Benefactor were fighting above it. He wanted to use Police Chief Nagamo's helicopter to go and find out what had happened to General Silver and the rest of his army. As he was talking with Nagamo however, Private Wisconsin appeared, killed the Police Chief, and told Cardinal what had happened to the rest of the army. He showed Cardinal that he had re-captured Ryori and suggested that they should use the boy as leverage against Ledas. Before much else could be said, Private Wisconsin and Cardinal were forced to flee, as there were many explosions going off around them. As that happened, Ryori woke up and escaped. Wisconsin went to pursue him, but he was hit by an energy blast, mortally wounding him. Cardinal killed Wisconsin to put him out of his misery and declared the New Red Ribbon Army dead. More energy blasts fell around him, and this caused a nearby building to collapse on top of Cardinal.

After Vegeta and The Benefactor left the city, Cardinal was rescued by Nurse Yorokobi. She took him to the same ambulance as Ryori. Inside the vehicle, Cardinal and the boy talked for a few moments, with Cardinal swearing he never killed Shoekki and Ryori calling him a liar, until Ryori attacked him with a shard of glass and stabbed him multiple times in the arm. Ryori was subdued by Yorokobi and the other nurses, and Cardinal was transported to the hospital at once. Once there, he complained about the amount of painkillers he could take; and because of this, he bribed Yorokobi with quite a bit of money to bring him some more, through illegal means. He was disheartened during this time to realize that he was all alone and that no one had come to visit him in the hospital.

Cardinal was eventually visited by Ledas after the Saiyan had vanquished The Benefactor. Ledas forced Cardinal, under penalty of death, to bribe the police to let Ryori go (for attacking Cardinal). As well, he forced Cardinal to buy a new house for Ryori and pay for all of his future expenses. Cardinal did not want to do any of that, but he was forced to.

Some time later, he sent letters out to many of the world's greatest heroes, including the Z Fighters and Ledas, to invite them to a tournament. This was truly to forget the past and forge a new peace between himself, Ledas, and the other powerful fighters on the planet. Almost everyone showed up and many fights took place under his watch. He personally set up and watched Ledas' duel with Vegeta. He watched Ledas and Vegeta fly off into the distance as well. During the finale's montage, Cardinal was seen watching the rest of the fighters leave. Eventually, everyone left, and he was left utterly alone, showing just how far Cardinal had fallen since his introduction two sagas earlier.

Dragon Ball: Heart of the Dragon

West City Saga

On May 28, Age 774, Cardinal sent Jia to Ryori and Ledas' house to serve as their caretaker and act as a spy for his future operations against the Saiyan.

Later, Oscalpano drove back to Cardinal's tower in Central City with Usuba. Oscalpano called Cardinal to tell him he had successfully recruited Dr. Usuba. Usuba asked Cardinal what his mission was. Cardinal told him the aliens who had destroyed East City more than a decade ago were still present on the planet. Usuba revealed he had been in East City at the time, his life being saved only because he was taking soil samples down by the docks. His hatred for the Saiyans was motivation enough for him to help Cardinal going forward. Cardinal indicated that their target, Ledas, was a Saiyan living in West City. He promised to meet the doctor in the lab on the morrow, then hung up.

The next day, Dr. Usuba met with Oscalpano, Cardinal, and his New Red Ribbon Army scientists in their tower in Central City. Usuba was in awe at the state-of-the-art lab. Cardinal presented all of their information on the Saiyans to the doctor and asked him to get to work finding a weakness to exploit. Usuba swore he would do everything in his power to find a way to rid Earth of the Saiyan presence.

That evening, Jia was putting away dinner when Cardinal contacted her, asking for an update. She assured him everything was going according to plan and the boys didn't appear to be a threat.

On June 1^st, after Jia fed the kids and retreated to her room, she received a text from Cardinal. Jia texted back that she had poisoned Ledas, noting that his Saibamen may prove to be a threat as well.

On June 2^nd, Cardinal texted Jia, asking for an update. Jia told him the poison hadn't affected Ledas, asking if she could discontinue it, for if anyone else accidentally ate the poison and died, it would blow their cover. Cardinal told her Dr. Usuba had come up with another means to deal with the Saiyan, so she could pull back.

Later, Cardinal, Dr. Usuba, Oscalpano, and several NRRA scientists tested out Usuba's Kiseibachi on a prisoner named Ranmusei. The tiny bots sucked energy from the man, killing him. Usuba noted that Ranmusei had been a semi-finalist in the previous World Martial Arts Tournament. His power was significant for a human. The Kiseibachi dealt with him easily nonetheless. Oscalpano noted that Ledas was far stronger than any human. Usuba assured him that the Kiseibachi's potential was far above what was showcased against Ranmusei. Cardinal agreed, asking Usuba to continue updating the bots. Since poisoning Ledas hadn't worked, these bots were the only remaining weapon they could use against him. He urged Usuba to assume the worst and plan accordingly.

The next morning, Jia cooked breakfast while Ledas and Ryori had a sword-fighting competition to mark the third deleted scene. She called them out when Cardinal texted her to collect the sample. Jia tried to delicately push back, typing that their scheme against the Saiyan had become unnecessary because he didn't appear to be a threat. Cardinal told her to do her job or he would replace her.

After Ledas and Ryori left for school, Jia made a smoothie for the Saibamen. She received a call from Cardinal, excusing herself to the Saibamen's displeasure. Cardinal said he'd be there in five minutes to collect the sample. Jia promised to have it ready.

On the evening of June 8^th, Jia, Cardinal, and Dr. Usuba met at the Bluefin Café in West City. Jia informed them Leda was out of senzu beans and Bulma hadn't yet finished the rejuvenation tank. Cardinal urged Usuba to prepare the next Kiseibachi swarm as soon as possible, as their window to strike was shrinking. Usuba estimated it would take him a week or so. Cardinal offered to bump up his pay by four times if Usuba was able to get the swarm built faster. Usuba thought he would need a much bigger swarm than last time. He would also work to improve their energy tolerance. Cardinal gave him three days to finish the project before dismissing him from the meeting.

Once he had left, Cardinal said that they would use Usuba's Saiyan xenophobia to their advantage. He was the perfect candidate. He then gave Jia canisters of paralyzing agents to be installed in the CLEAN-BOTs. Jia would have to pilot the bots to Ledas while he slept and spray him. Jia asked what was to become of Ryori. Cardinal ordered her to spray him with the paralyzing agent too, which would undoubtedly kill him. Feeling the pressure, Jia wasn't sure if she could do it. She tried to defend Ryori, saying he was innocent. Cardinal threatened to replace her with another agent if she didn't carry out her orders. Jia swore she'd do it.

In the wee hours of June 12^th, Jia prepared a CLEAN-BOT with the paralyzing agent. Cardinal texted her that they were ready. When Ledas destroyed the NRRA skyscraper less than an hour later, Cardinal was inside. The building collapsed on top of him before he realized what had happened.

That night, Jia convened with Oscalpano and a man named Nhobusa (Cardinal's second-in-command) in a hospital room in Central City. Cardinal was hooked up to a breathing machine, unconscious. Nhobusa told them their orders were to lay low and wait for Cardinal to wake up. Oscalpano asked how many SAARO employees had survived. Nhobusa told him that they were the only three remaining on the mainland. Five associates and two dozen lower-level employees were stationed in the Crimson Fingers island chain to the south.

Oscalpano wanted to attack Ledas before he had a chance to heal, thinking it was their only chance to kill him. Nhobusa didn't consider that was wise, as they had no means of hurting the boy. Nhobusa said King Furry had appointed a new head of SAARO due to Cardinal's condition, and as such, they no longer had access to government funding in their campaign against the boy. He refused to give Oscalpano access to Cardinal's private accounts to finance further actions against the Saiyan. Jia promised to monitor Ledas without interfering. Oscalpano didn't appreciate that strategy. He suggested they try poisoning Ledas again. Jia reminded him that Ledas had hardly been affected by the paralyzing agent. Her life could be put at risk if they tried poisoning him again. Oscalpano still wanted to try again. Nhobusa warned him that he would be going against Cardinal if he did so. Oscalpano pleaded with them to help him, citing their mission directive at SAARO as preserving Earth at all costs, which they'd only be able to do by killing the Saiyan. Nhobusa told him they had no means of killing Ledas, so he needed to drop it.

A nurse entered the room, quickly leaving after Nhobusa flashed his SAARO badge and asked for privacy. Oscalpano followed her out. Nhobusa asked Jia to contact him if Ledas threatened the planet. Otherwise, her orders were to observe and report. Jia asked if she should stop Oscalpano if he tried anything. Nhobusa wanted her to contact him in that case, noting her account would fund Ledas' house and expenses for at least two more years, so there was no need to change anything yet. He promised to call her when Cardinal's condition improved.

Jia recalled the doctor saying they hadn't detected brain waves in Cardinal, fearing he'd become a vegetable. Nhobusa wasn't as pessimistic as her, reminding her there would need to be more tests done before that was confirmed. Jia wanted them to create a contingency plan in case Cardinal never woke up, but Nhobusa refused to entertain the thought. They said their goodbyes, and Jia left the room.

On the night of June 21^st, Jia met with Nhobusa in Cardinal's hospital room. King Furry and a pair of his royal guards joined them. Nhobusa confirmed that Cardinal had no brainwaves. He was effectively a vegetable. He planned on pulling the plug sometime before morning, but not before transferring Cardinal's assets to SAARO. Furry told them they'd maintain their positions in SAARO (Nhobusa as the commander of the detachment in the Crimson Fingers, Jia as Ledas' caretaker). He wanted to know more about what Jia was doing, however. She explained that she was acting as Ledas' caretaker because he was only thirteen and an orphan. Hopefully, with her guidance, she could prevent him from ever attempting to conquer the world. The king wondered if she and Cardinal had been planning an elaborate assassination plot against the boy, speculating that the NRRA tower collapse had been related to that. Nhobusa swore that wasn't the case, lying that Cardinal had ceased action against the boy more than a month prior. Jia noted that Ledas was doing better with a parental figure in his life and was about to graduate seventh grade.

Furry was glad to hear it, confirming he'd fund her position until the boy reached the age of eighteen, at which point she'd return to her previous role in SAARO. He ordered them to never attack Goku's friends again, telling them that the group had been responsible for Majin Buu's defeat, not Mr. Satan, which surprised Nhobusa. He promised to fire them if he found any evidence of them working against the Z Fighters, including Ledas, in the future. With that, he and his guards left the room.

Jia asked Nhobusa what their plan was. He asked her to lay low for now and not tell Ledas about Cardinal's death. He would devise a new plan, but it would take a while. He promised to come up with their final effort against the Saiyan before he turned eighteen and King Furry's funding ran out. Nhobusa began texting someone. Jia took that as her cue to leave.

Trivia

• This is the only character in The Forgotten who is also featured in another one of KidVegeta's non-DB stories.
• Along with Ryori, his New Red Ribbon Army Scientists, and Mr. Satan, Cardinal is one of the few humans to never die during The Forgotten.
• Cardinal's theme is Ballade in G minor, Op. 23, No. 1.