Champion

Light.

Nothing but light.

When Krillin's "Serious Kamehameha" collided with Goku's desperate Energy Blast, time seemed to freeze in that instant.

No explosion rang out immediately. Even the flow of air stopped.

The spectators in the stands remained frozen with their mouths wide open, and even the fly that had been about to steal a nearby kid's Hot Dog hung motionless in midair.

Then came the wail of air compressed to its breaking point.

"WOOOOM...!!!"

It wasn't a deafening roar, but a high-frequency vibration that drilled straight into the brain.

The stone slabs at the center of the Arena vaporized instantly—not into rubble, but directly into elementary particles.

At the convergence point of the two forces, a perfect Black Sphere formed, surrounded by blue lightning and crimson plasma sparks.

"Push... it back!"

Krillin gritted his teeth. The muscles in his right arm writhed like living pythons, twisting wildly.

He was controlling it, struggling to keep it in check.

The power of the Saitama Template was like a soda can stuffed with a nuclear bomb.

If he pushed too hard, not just Goku, but this entire Papaya Island—even half the planet—would turn into cosmic dust.

"So this... is Krillin's power!"

Goku trembled all over.

His feet dug desperately against the terrifying pressure pushing back at him. His soles had long since worn away, and the soles of his feet scraped against empty air, leaving a burnt smell behind.

There was no fear in his pure eyes—only the wild joy of seeing a new world.

But he had reached his limit.

The Saiyan potential was burning fiercely in that moment, letting him briefly touch power more than ten times his own.

But against an absolute numerical crush, willpower alone couldn't fill a stomach.

Krillin saw Goku's health bar flashing red in his vision and knew he couldn't drag this out any longer.

If he waited any longer, Goku's body would break down first.

"It's over, Goku!"

Krillin's right arm jerked violently. The force he had been holding back released a sliver—just a sliver.

But that one ten-thousandth was the last Mount Everest that broke the camel's back.

BOOOOOOM...!!!

The black energy sphere lost its balance completely, swallowing Goku's Ki Blast with irresistible force, like a runaway bullet train slamming into a scarecrow in its path.

A massive mushroom cloud rose above the sea, and the shockwave spread outward in rings.

If Mr. Shen (Kami) hadn't opened a transparent barrier at the critical moment to shield the stands, the first few hundred people in the front rows would have been blown to the other side of the planet.

Even so, the entire tournament grounds looked like they had been hit by a Category 12 typhoon.

The Host, microphone and all, was plastered to the top of a coconut tree, his toupee flying solo toward the sunset.

Seawater was forcibly pushed aside, exposing a seabed of mud and jagged rocks. Seconds later, it roared back in, sending up a wave a hundred meters high.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the Arena that had witnessed countless battles was completely gone.

In its place was a crater over five hundred meters in diameter, with seawater gurgling in.

Krillin hovered in midair. Other than a scorched pant leg, he didn't have a scratch on him.

He shook his slightly numb right hand and looked toward a reef at the edge of the crater.

There, Goku lay sprawled on his back, steam rising from his body like a freshly baked sweet potato.

"Cough... cough..."

Goku spat out a mouthful of seawater and raised one hand with difficulty, giving a thumbs-up.

"Krillin... you're... a freak."

With that, his hand dropped, and he passed out completely.

[Ding! Mission complete!]

[Successfully defeated Goku. You are the champion of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.]

[Rating: Perfect (S+). You demonstrated overwhelming power without killing your opponent or destroying the planet.]

[Calculating rewards...]

In Krillin's mind, the system notification rang out like a slot machine in a casino going wild.

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained an S-Rank Talent—"Goku's Combat Instinct (Looted Version)."]

[Congratulations, host. All stats have been raised to the current plane's limit.]

Code
[Congratulations, host. Charm increased by 50 points. Title acquired: Strongest Bald Man on Earth.]

Krillin didn't rush to check the rewards. Instead, he first landed beside Goku.

He pulled a Senzu Bean from his pocket...

He'd gotten it from the Cat Sage backstage just a moment ago.

He pried open Goku's mouth and stuffed the bean inside.

Crunch.

A few seconds later, Goku, who had been on the verge of death, snapped his eyes open and sprang up with a kip-up.

"Ow, ow, ow... Huh? It doesn't hurt anymore?"

Goku rubbed his chest, looking bewildered, then his stomach let out a thunderous growl of protest.

Grrrrr...

He whipped his head toward Krillin, eyes gleaming with hunger.

"Krillin! What about that roasted dinosaur you promised?"

Krillin looked at this guy, whose mind was only ever on food, and couldn't help but laugh.

The world-ending tension from moments ago vanished in an instant.

"Don't worry, you'll get it."

Krillin patted Goku on the shoulder, feeling the firm, vibrant muscle beneath his palm once again.