"Don't say that, Broly." Bulma giggled, rolling her eyes as if she'd thought of a brilliant idea. She quietly took a brightly colored feather teaser out of her little bag, then tiptoed up to Launch, who was looking up, and gently waggled it under her nose. In an apologetic tone, she said, "I'm sorry, Miss Launch!"
"Ah—choo!"
The tickling sensation of the feather brushing her nose caught Launch completely off guard, and she let out a loud sneeze!
"Smack!"
In an instant, Launch's appearance changed completely!
Her smooth blue hair turned a dazzling golden color, as if it had been dipped in gold dye!
Her gentle, tender gaze became sharp and fierce. Her whole demeanor shifted from that of a demure young woman to a delinquent girl!
After turning blonde, Launch instinctively turned her head and glared angrily at Broly, who was standing nearby. She couldn't help letting out a heavy snort through her nose to express her displeasure.
Broly only glanced at her before going back to searching for the grilled sausages, completely ignoring her.
In Broly's simple-minded view, Blonde Launch, who couldn't cook and had a bad temper, was nowhere near as cute as blue-haired Launch, who could make delicious food.
"Miss Launch, we're going to watch the tournament, but it's too crowded up ahead." Bulma put her hands together and gave the transformed Blonde Launch an imploring look. "Please?"
"Leave it to me!" Hearing Bulma's request, Blonde Launch's sharp eyes immediately lit up with excitement and eager anticipation. She patted her chest, full of enthusiasm.
As she spoke, Launch casually pulled a red Hoi-Poi Capsule from her tight pants pocket and pressed the button with a flourish!
"Pop!"
A soft click and a puff of white smoke later, the Hoi-Poi Capsule transformed into two gleaming black submachine guns with a solid metallic sheen, landing precisely in Launch's outstretched hands!
Launch expertly pulled back the bolts, producing a crisp "ka-chak" as she chambered the rounds.
"Everybody move! If you don't want to die, get out of here! I'm claiming this spot!" Blonde Launch grinned fiercely and wildly as she raised the submachine guns and sprayed the blue sky with a deafening "rat-a-tat-tat!"
The piercing gunfire instantly drowned out the commotion in front of the Martial Arts Temple, and hot shell casings clattered to the ground.
The spectators, packed in so tightly they could barely move, had never seen anything like this.
They were terrified out of their wits. Screaming in panic, they scattered like a disturbed swarm of ants, scrambling away in every direction.
The once-crowded area was instantly cleared, leaving several excellent spots to watch the tournament.
Broly and the others leisurely walked over and claimed the VIP viewing area.
Broly now had two grilled sausages in his hands, too.
Master Roshi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
You sure got those sausages fast.
"Thank you all for waiting!" On the ring, the referee held a microphone and announced in a loud, impassioned voice, "The official matches of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament begin now!"
The spectators erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers.
"Our first match will pit Mercenary Tao, known as the world's greatest assassin, against the previous champion, Tien Shinhan!" The referee's next announcement stirred the crowd's anticipation. "Contestants, please take the stage!"
At the sound of the announcement, Tien Shinhan and the cyborg Mercenary Tao calmly climbed the steps on opposite sides of the ring and stepped onto its gleaming surface.
Tien Shinhan looked stern, all three eyes fixed on his opponent. Mercenary Tao radiated a mechanical, icy bloodlust, a cruel smile on his lips.
The match was almost entirely one-sided.
Though Mercenary Tao unleashed his signature Dodon Ray and every sort of underhanded, vicious killing technique, each strike meant to kill, it all seemed clumsy and futile against Tien Shinhan, whose strength had grown by leaps and bounds.
With overwhelming power and far more refined martial arts, Tien Shinhan easily deflected every attack. In the end, he seized an opening and knocked Mercenary Tao unconscious with a heavy punch, winning cleanly.
After the referee announced the result, Tien Shinhan stepped forward with an impassive expression and hoisted the unconscious Mercenary Tao onto his broad shoulder as easily as a bag of cement.
Tien Shinhan searched the audience for Master Shen, intending to return his martial uncle to him.
However, after looking all around, Tien Shinhan couldn't find any sign of Master Shen, and he frowned.
"Master Roshi." Tien Shinhan had no choice but to approach him and ask in confusion, "Where's Master Shen? Didn't he swear he'd watch the tournament here and see Mercenary Tao teach me a lesson?"
"Over there..." Master Roshi wore an extremely complicated expression, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. He cautiously pointed toward a spot not far away, where a faint stench still lingered and a small hole marked the ground.
"What happened?" Seeing Master Roshi's strange expression, Tien Shinhan felt a foreboding unease and hurriedly pressed him for an answer.
"It's nothing serious," Master Roshi sighed helplessly and shook his head, as if he couldn't bear to remember. "He went out of his way to provoke Broly, and then... Broly pinned him to the ground and gave him a thorough beating. He beat the crap right out of him."
Tien Shinhan: "..."
Tien Shinhan's mouth twitched violently. He glanced at Broly, who was sitting nearby, munching noisily on a bag of potato chips he'd somehow produced.
Tien Shinhan was speechless. He hurriedly carried Mercenary Tao and ran toward the spot Master Roshi had pointed out.
Of all people to provoke, why did you have to pick that monster?!
When Tien Shinhan saw Master Shen lying helplessly in the filth, his clothes in tatters, his face bruised and swollen, and his body giving off a foul stench, his scalp prickled. He was too stunned to speak.
It was awful!
This was ten times worse than Tien Shinhan had imagined!
"Master Shen..." Tien Shinhan endured the nauseating stench and carefully lowered the still-unconscious Mercenary Tao from his shoulder beside Master Shen, leaving the two fellow sufferers lying neatly next to each other.
Then Tien Shinhan took a deep breath and spoke with mixed emotions. "You... take Mercenary Tao with you. And... don't ever come back in front of us again. Please!"
"You ungrateful brat!" Master Shen trembled with rage. Mustering all his strength, he ground his teeth and rasped, "You... You could at least take us to the hospital first! Do you expect us to crawl there?!"
"Sorry, I still have to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Tien Shinhan gritted his teeth, a look of resolve flashing across his face. As he dropped the words, he seemed to be severing some tie to the past as well. "This... this is what you get for hurting Chiaotzu! We're even now!"
With that, Tien Shinhan didn't linger. He turned and strode resolutely toward the tournament grounds, his back straight and steadfast.
"You... You bastard! You'll never meet a good end!" Master Shen's face was as pale as paper. Watching Tien Shinhan walk away, his expression twisted with fury, and all he could do was hurl a powerless curse at him.
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