Bulma wore a smug expression.
"See? Son Mirai can't do without me. I can help him train, and no one can take my place in his heart."
Son Mirai wasn't swayed at all by the girls' praise,
but he did react to Bulma's words. Amy's mouth twitched a few times.
She could tell that Bulma had Son Mirai completely wrapped around her finger. No one could compete with her.
"What a despicable trick!"
Bulma smiled smugly and put her hands on her hips as she looked toward the ring.
Just then, Goku punched Son Mirai in the face.
Son Mirai was sent flying backward.
"Oh no!" Bulma cried in alarm.
She realized that her words had distracted Son Mirai, and it looked like he was about to fall out of the ring.
However, Son Mirai didn't fall out.
He flipped in midair, turning several somersaults to bleed off his momentum,
then landed in a spiral and stood firmly on the ring.
Bulma let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Whew, thank goodness!"
The other spectators also breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was close!"
Son Mirai wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "Goku, I'm going all out now!"
As he spoke, Son Mirai took off his Martial Arts Gi and the undershirt beneath it, tossing them to the ground.
"Thud!"
The clothes hit the ground with a dull thump.
The Martial Arts Gi weighed almost nothing. The heavy part was the undershirt beneath it.
Goku tested its weight in surprise and exclaimed, "It's that heavy?
"Son Mirai, we're already in the middle of the tournament, and you're still wearing weighted clothes..."
Son Mirai smiled. "At first, I didn't care about winning or losing.
"I treated the tournament as part of my training, so I didn't take them off..."
"Then why take them off now?"
Son Mirai gave him a crooked smile.
"Because Bulma's reward for winning will be very useful to me!"
Before, Son Mirai had to keep Bulma happy just to use the Gravity Chamber.
It was like those guys who had to appease their girlfriends before they could play video games. Even once they started, they had to hold back.
But Bulma had just said that if he won, he could have a feast every day and spend all day in the Gravity Chamber...
Anyway, he wouldn't be training with Master Roshi anymore.
He could spend his days in the Gravity Chamber, with great food served up for him. How amazing would that be?
Son Goku got into his opening stance again. "That's despicable!
"You secretly added extra weight just to get stronger than me..."
Son Mirai got into his stance too. "I didn't secretly add extra weight!
"I only have one Gravity Suit. Bulma put a lot of effort into making it, so she couldn't make another one for you. That's why I didn't tell you.
"Besides, she only finished it a month ago. I've barely worn it."
Son Goku nodded. "All right, take this!"
In the blink of an eye, Goku became a blur and launched a fierce assault on Son Mirai.
His attacks came in an unrelenting stream, backed by a beastlike strength.
But just as he was about to land a hit, Son Mirai blurred and vanished.
Faster!
"Where'd he go?!"
The instant Goku lost track of him and faltered, Son Mirai flashed to his side and swept out with a side kick.
"Ugh!" Goku grunted and spun sideways through the air.
He tried to steady himself.
But Son Mirai was already on him again, sweeping his legs out from under him.
Goku stumbled and fell to the ground.
Son Mirai looked down at him. "Give up. You're no match for me!"
"I... I won't give up!"
Goku clenched his teeth, roared, and charged at Son Mirai again.
Son Mirai's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He knew Goku's temperament too well.
Unless he beat him into submission, Goku wouldn't give up.
He'd have to hit him hard.
Goku's next attack came in, three times fiercer than before.
But his moves had changed.
Son Mirai dodged Goku's punch and countered with a heavy straight punch.
Caught off guard, Goku crossed his arms to block.
But Son Mirai's strength was overwhelming. His punch slammed into Goku's crossed arms and sent him skidding backward.
As Goku struggled to absorb the force, Son Mirai was suddenly right on top of him again.
He was too fast!
Goku couldn't react in time.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Son Mirai's elbows and knees struck Goku's chest and abdomen in quick succession. The heavy blows were so loud that the crowd's cheering faltered.
Goku's body arched high under the impacts, and a pained groan escaped him.
With a downward kick from Son Mirai, Goku crashed onto the ring and couldn't get back up right away.
Master Roshi swallowed hard.
"Son Mirai's been hiding this kind of strength..."
Krillin couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.
"Son Mirai's taking things way too far!
"During training, just carrying a Turtle Shell is already hard for me.
"But he's got an extra weighted suit on top of that..."
"No wonder he's so strong!"
Son Mirai looked down at Goku and urged, "Give up, Goku!"
Just then, lying on his back, Goku happened to catch sight of the full moon in the daytime sky.
His heart began pounding violently, and his body started swelling in an instant.
Seeing Goku about to transform into a Great Ape, Son Mirai's eyes flickered with helplessness.
"He transformed after all. What a pain!"
In an instant, Goku's clothes ripped apart, fur sprouted from his body, and he finally became a Great Ape.
Goku pounded his chest with both fists and let out a roar that shook the heavens, deafening everyone around him.
"Whoa! Is that a transformation technique? Amazing!"
"What a huge monkey!"
Most of the audience were startled at first, but then they gasped in amazement and cheered even louder.
They thought it was some incredible performance or special ability, and no one even tried to flee.
But Great Ape Goku howled at the sky and swung his massive palm, effortlessly smashing one of the ring's sturdy stone pillars to pieces!
Flying shards of stone sent the spectators near the ring screaming.
Jackie Chun was taken aback.
"Oh no, that's not a transformation technique. He's lost control!"
"What's going on?"
Son Mirai knew he was Master Roshi, so he explained, "Like Goku, when I had a tail and saw the full moon, I'd transform into a Great Ape. Goku would lose his reason, too, so Grandpa had our tails removed.
"But even after they're removed, they grow back after a while. It's a bit of a hassle."
Jackie Chun suddenly understood.
So that was it. No wonder their tails had disappeared before, and Goku had suddenly grown one just now...
If their tails always grew back, then he needed a different approach.
Jackie Chun glanced up at the full moon and said, "Move aside. I have an idea!"
But Son Mirai waved a hand. "No need. It's just an out-of-control Great Ape. I can beat him."
"Don't push yourself!"
Master Roshi thought fighting such a huge opponent was far too dangerous.
But Son Mirai had already moved.
He shouted at Great Ape Goku, drawing his attention.
Great Ape Goku swiped with his massive palm and whipped his tail around, but every time, he hit only air or the ground, leaving the ring in ruins.
Son Mirai dodged and weaved, retreating as he fought without suffering a scratch.
Step by step, he lured Great Ape Goku toward the edge of the ring.
When Great Ape Goku stomped at Son Mirai again, Son Mirai suddenly sidestepped.
At last, Great Ape Goku missed and stumbled forward, landing outside the ring.
"Now!"
Son Mirai held his right hand flat like a blade, rushed to the base of Great Ape Goku's tail, and chopped down hard.
"Roar!"
The Great Ape's tail was severed!
Son Mirai kicked hard against his back and bounced back onto the ring.
After Great Ape Goku let out a sharp, anguished howl, his body rapidly shrank until he had turned into a naked little boy.
The referee froze for a few seconds before snapping back to his senses. He hurried over to check on Goku and confirmed that he was only unconscious.
"Contestant Son Goku has fallen out of the ring and is disqualified! The winner is contestant Son Mirai!"
Before you continue