Preliminary Selection

"Didn't we say that we'd handle King Piccolo's matter? Kami, you're just going to descend to the mortal realm without permission. What if something goes wrong?"

Suno looked at the Kami with a complaining tone, quite dissatisfied. You see, the Old Kami was very old and his strength was no match for the newborn Piccolo. It was a very dangerous move for him to appear in the World Martial Arts Tournament venue.

The Kami laughed and said, "Don't underestimate me just because I'm old. I've been Kami for so many years, I must have a few special skills. Besides, Piccolo and I are one, he wouldn't dare to kill me."

With a serious expression, the God of Kami said, "You all need to be careful. Based on my observation just now, Piccolo should have already arrived at the venue. Try not to clash with him before the official match begins. If a fight does break out, remember to immediately use your aura to notify everyone."

"Clear."

"Rest assured, Kami!"

Goku clapped his hands together, "I've been looking forward to fighting Piccolo for ages!"

Everyone nodded earnestly. They had been working hard and diligently for the past few years to improve their strength and defeat Piccolo. Now that the battle was imminent, none of them were flustered; they were all full of anticipation for the fight.

Only then did Master Roshi realize from the conversation that the unassuming middle-aged man before him was actually Kami of the Kami's Lookout.

"Ah, it's actually Kami being?"

Master Roshi never ascended to the Kami's Kami's Lookout. In the eyes of martial artists of his generation, Kami represented the highest level of martial arts on Earth, and to be able to see Kami and receive Kami guidance was an unparalleled honor. What worried him, however King Piccolo had not been completely destroyed.

The Old Kami knew Master Roshi and smiled kindly at him, "I know you, Roshi, the martial artist known as the 'God of Martial Arts'."

Master Roshi's master Master Mutaito, was the hero who sealed King Piccolo. For over three hundred years, Master Roshi himself has also played a role in promoting the development of martial arts on Earth. Even the current practitioners in the Kami's Lookout have received guidance from Master Roshi to varying degrees. Despite such a martial arts master, Old Kami did not adopt a superior attitude.

The Kami's politeness flattered Master Roshi, who quickly and politely removed his hat to greet him.

"Everyone, don't be so nervous. You know my brother-in-law is on Earth too. Even if something really happens, he definitely won't stand idly by. Besides, that King Piccolo you're talking about might not even be able to beat Goku. Goku's strength has improved by leaps and bounds these past few years," Bulma said optimistically.

Having witnessed countless world-destroying powerhouses on Planet Sadala, she held King Piccolo in utter contempt.

Bulma's words reassured everyone. Because the Old Kami was possessing a middle-aged man who had a child to take care of, he quickly left after meeting Old Kami Goku the others to conceal his identity.

After the Old Kami left, Goku and the others went to the hotel to rest.

The night passed in silence.

The next morning, the World Martial Arts Tournament selection trials officially began, and all the participants in the World Martial Arts Tournament arrived at the Martial Arts Temple.

After changing into the martial arts uniforms of the Turtle School, Goku and Krillin bid farewell to Bulma and the others and entered the Martial Arts Arena. Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, on the other hand, wore the dark green robes of the Crane School. Because Tao Pai Pai was killed by Roland a long time ago, Master Shen could not find Tao Pai Pai's body, so there was no mechanical Tao Pai Pai.

The Martial Arts Arena brings together martial artists from all over the world, some of whom are veteran masters who have been famous for a long time, and others are rising stars who have only recently emerged.

The blond-haired host in a suit held up the list of participants and checked their information. When he saw the names of Goku and Tien Shinhan, an excited smile appeared on his face. As participants in previous World Martial Arts Tournaments, Goku and his friends' presence would surely add a lot of excitement to the World Martial Arts Tournament.

"Goku, Tien Shinhan, Krillin, Chiaotzu... Ah, Chi-Chi- Chi and Suno are here too! This tournament is going to be exciting!"

Just looking at the list of top contenders, the Blonde Announcer knew it was going to be a fierce battle.

Unfortunately, there World Martial Arts Tournament. Only the top eight players can compete on the open-air stage. It would be a real shame if the seeded players met during the selection process. Therefore, luck plays a big role in whether or not a player can become one of the top eight.

"Chiaotzu, please take care of me when we draw lots later," Krillin whispered as he walked up to Chiaotzu.

"Mmm." Chiaotzu nodded in agreement. "Leave it to me."

Krillin smiled with relief after receiving Chiaotzu's reply. It would be such a shame to be eliminated in the preliminary rounds just because he encountered Goku and his friends.

"Goku, look over there!"

Tien Shinhan nudged Goku's arm, pointed to a figure in a white hood in the corner of the Martial Arts Arena, and said solemnly, "That person is King Piccolo."

Goku nodded, his eyes sharpening.

At that moment, the other party also saw Goku. A cold gaze pierced through him like a dagger. Goku's spirits jolted, and he became serious. "Such a powerful aura. You must be careful when you encounter him. He is much stronger than the old King Piccolo."

"King Piccolo has become so strong!" Tien Shinhan's expression was not good, his fists clenched, and he nodded unwillingly.

He had thought that his strength had improved a lot after three years of hard training, and that he would at least be able to go toe-to-toe with Piccolo. However, the eye contact he had just had made him realize that the gap between him and the new Piccolo was as huge as an insurmountable chasm.

"Damn it, it seems I'll have to leave 'King Piccolo' to Goku. I'm so unwilling to accept this."

"Sister Chi-Chi, how exactly does Piccolo train? Why is he so powerful?"

Suno looked in Piccolo's direction for a while, then asked in confusion.

Chi-Chi wore a blue cheongsam, the fitted size highlighting the girl's graceful figure. Her martial arts skills were slightly better than Suno's, Suno would usually consult her when she had a problem. Chi-Chi frowned slightly and said, "Lord Anning said that Piccolo has been training in the Demon Realm for the past few years. It is a cruel world, Piccolo must have experienced many hardships there."

Suno nodded, her lips slightly upturned, "We've also undergone rigorous training under Lord Anning, we're sure we can defeat him."

Chi-Chi said, "Don't be careless. Piccolo is different from those experts in the Yellow Springs. If you are killed by him, you won't be able to go to the Otherworld."

Five Elements Mountain is the entrance to the Otherworld, the Yellow Springs. Chi-Chi and Suno received training under the guidance of Taishang Laojun Anning. Their trainers were all experts from the Yellow Springs, many of whom came from beyond Earth. Therefore, their training was quite thorough, and their strength increased rapidly.

"Contestants, the preliminary rounds are about to begin. Please line up for the draw. This preliminary round will be held in eight arenas, and only one contestant from each arena will advance to the quarterfinals..."

The staff's voice came over the loudspeaker, and all the contestants gathered around. After the host explained the competition rules, the draw began. Thanks to Chiaotzu's manipulation, Goku, Tien Shinhan, and the others were not drawn into the same competition area.

Upon entering the arena, Goku encountered his old rival King Chappa.

King Chappa boasted that he would avenge his previous defeat, but he was quickly knocked off the stage by Goku, drawing boos from the audience.

Of course, everyone knows that it wasn't that King Chappa weak, but rather that Goku was too strong. As a former favorite to win the championship, King Chappa's strength was terrifying. He was just incredibly unlucky to have encountered Goku.