"I think it's you and Grandpa who've gotten shorter, Bulma." Son Goku stepped closer and, with a curious look, carefully compared Bulma's height to Master Roshi's.
"N-no, that's because you've grown so much over the past three years!" Bulma's mouth twitched slightly as she retorted.
"Really? Maybe I have grown a little." Son Goku rubbed his stiff hair and smiled, looking a little bashful but full of confidence.
"Yeah." Broly looked at how much Son Goku had changed and simply nodded in greeting.
In Broly's eyes, it was only natural that Goku had grown taller and stronger, just as it was only natural that Broly himself grew a little stronger every day.
"This kid... he really is full of surprises..." Master Roshi gazed at the tall, well-built Son Goku, who had completely outgrown the childishness he'd shown three years ago, and sighed in wonder.
Before they knew it, little Goku had grown into a man.
Time sure flew.
Master Roshi couldn't help glancing at Broly beside him, who hadn't changed much.
Back then, Broly had also seemed to shoot up from a tiny little boy into a young man in no time...
"Hey, everyone! We meet again in the same old place!"
Just then, several other familiar voices came from the distance, breaking the stunned silence.
Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu were walking over, chatting and laughing.
The loud voice just now had belonged to Krillin.
"It's been a long time, Master Roshi." Tien Shinhan smiled and nodded to Master Roshi.
However, Broly, Bulma, and the others were still so stunned by how much Son Goku had changed that they stared blankly at Krillin and the others, unable to respond right away.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongues?" Yamcha saw everyone staring and paused in surprise.
"Hahaha! We must've changed so much that they're completely shocked!" Krillin laughed with great confidence. He hurried over to Master Roshi, puffed out his chest, and tried to make himself look taller. "Master Roshi, take a good look at me! I've trained hard for the past three years, and look how tall I've gotten! Hahaha!"
Master Roshi: "..."
Master Roshi looked at Krillin's still-unremarkable height and gleaming bald head. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he couldn't bring himself to dampen Krillin's enthusiasm, so he silently looked away.
You call that tall?
Confidence was a good thing, but... sigh...
"Krillin, you look great!" Son Goku stepped forward with a smile and gave Krillin a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Huh?" Hearing that familiar voice and name, Krillin paused and looked up. When he saw the tall, handsome young man with Goku's unmistakable smile, his face filled with utter astonishment. "Y-you're Goku?"
"Yeah. What's wrong?" Son Goku nodded as if it were obvious.
"You... you idiot! I've missed you so much!" After a brief moment of shock, Krillin finally recognized his best friend, and an overwhelming wave of joy washed over him. He cried out excitedly, leaped up, and hugged Son Goku tightly, pounding his back. "You've got some nerve! Three years ago, you said you were going to train with Kami, and then you disappeared without a word! I thought you'd forgotten all about us!"
"Huh? He's Goku?" Yamcha's eyes widened. He came closer and studied Son Goku's face, still unable to believe it.
"His eyes and brows do look a little familiar." Tien Shinhan folded his arms and calmly assessed him, surprise showing in all three of his eyes.
"He's changed so much... I can hardly recognize him..." Chiaotzu floated in the air and quietly echoed the others.
"But... Broly doesn't seem to have changed at all. He's still the same." Yamcha glanced over at Broly and couldn't help marveling at the contrast.
Apart from his more muscular build and calmer, more reserved bearing, Broly's lazy air, as if nothing in the world could rouse his interest, was almost exactly the same as it had been three years ago.
The group gathered together, sizing up one another's changes and sharing stories and fond memories from the past three years. The atmosphere quickly turned warm and cheerful.
Even the light rain seemed to soften at the joy of their reunion.
"Competitors in the World Martial Arts Tournament, the preliminary rounds are about to begin. Please gather inside the arena immediately!"
Just then, the announcer's clear, booming voice rang out over the loudspeakers outside the venue, reaching everyone there.
"It's starting!" Krillin cracked his knuckles, his face alight with anticipation and excitement. He could hardly wait to see how much his training over the past three years had paid off.
"Grandpa, did you bring our Turtle School uniforms for the tournament?" Son Goku seemed to remember something and turned to ask Master Roshi.
"Don't be silly. You've all grown up and have your own outfits and styles. You can't keep wearing the Turtle School uniform forever, can you?" Master Roshi waved a hand with a smile, looking proud and encouraging. "Give it your all, boys! Let's see how much you've improved over the past three years!"
"Right!"
Son Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien Shinhan answered in unison, their voices full of determination and confidence.
"Broly, are you really sure you don't want to compete?" Krillin looked at Broly again, still hoping to change his mind.
Deep down, Krillin still wanted the chance to face off against this unfathomable guy in the ring.
"I'm not competing." Broly shook his head, his resolve unwavering.
"Come on... We've been training like mad for the past three years, and one of our goals was to beat you..." Yamcha sighed in disappointment. "If you don't enter, the tournament feels like it's missing something. It'll be so boring!"
"That's easy to fix." Master Roshi's eyes lit up as he hit upon a brilliant idea. Stroking his beard, he suggested with a grin, "How about this? The champion of this year's World Martial Arts Tournament will earn the right to challenge Broly! What do you think? That's a pretty good prize, isn't it?"
"I don't want to fight!" Broly glared at Master Roshi, making his displeasure clear.
"No way! This time, you're listening to me! That's an order!" Master Roshi rarely put on the stern air of an elder. He deliberately frowned and gave a snort. "As a member of the Turtle School, you can't keep avoiding fights! That's final!"
Broly: "..."
Broly pursed his lips, but in the end, he didn't argue. He accepted it without a word.
After all, the old man put a roof over his head and food on his table. He could at least humor him this once.
"Hahaha! Then it's settled!" Krillin laughed and clapped his hands, delighted with the proposal. "I'll do whatever it takes to win the championship and earn the right to challenge Broly!"
Before you continue