A brief silence fell over the spectators below the ring, then thunderous applause erupted.
"Wow, that was amazing!"
"So cool!"
One spectator glanced nervously at the pillar the Great Ape had smashed to pieces,
then looked at Son Mirai and couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
"He managed to beat him even after he transformed into a Great Ape. That's incredible!"
"Yeah, the Great Ape's destructive power was terrifying. He broke through the transformation in just a few moves!"
Bulma said, "Goku's move was so dangerous. If Son Mirai had been hit even once, he'd probably have been black and blue!"
Amy looked at the footprints and shattered bricks on the ring, swallowed, and said, "Just black and blue?
If I got hit, I'd probably be scattered all over the place..."
Bulma shook her head confidently. "Don't worry. You don't understand how tough martial artists are.
Their bodies are incredibly durable. They don't die that easily."
Amy blinked.
"Really?"
Bulma smiled. "Of course. Once, because of a misunderstanding, Goku got hit with an axe,
and all he got was a big bump. An ordinary person would've been chopped in half..."
Amy swallowed hard. "Martial artists are all so amazing!"
A few martial artists nearby glanced at Bulma in disbelief, then silently turned their eyes back to the ring without saying a word.
Goku had woken up, though his clothes had been torn to shreds, leaving him completely naked.
Krillin took off his outer layer of clothing and put it on Goku.
Goku clenched his fists. "I still haven't trained enough. I'll work even harder!"
The referee stepped onto the ring and shouted, "The final match of the World Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin!
Son Mirai, please stay in the ring. Jackie Chun, come on up!"
"All right, the final match of the World Martial Arts Tournament is finally underway!"
"Who will take home the five hundred thousand prize money? We'll know soon!"
"I can't wait!"
"I can't even imagine how exciting their fight will be!"
Amid the clamour, Jackie Chun climbed into the ring with a serious expression.
He kept reminding himself: I can't lose. I have to get serious!
Son Mirai didn't dare let his guard down and took up his opening stance.
Jackie Chun no longer stood with his hands behind his back, putting on the air of a master as he had before. Facing Son Mirai, he adopted an opening stance too.
"I won't go easy on you!"
Son Mirai replied, "I'll give it everything I've got, too!"
The referee backed away to a corner of the ring, raised his microphone, and shouted, "The final match begins!"
"Haah!"
Jackie Chun let out a fierce yell and charged at Son Mirai.
He moved like a leopard, his fists like a gale, as he hammered toward Son Mirai.
Son Mirai neither retreated nor dodged. He swung a kick toward Jackie Chun.
Jackie Chun was startled.
Even if he landed a hit on Son Mirai, he would have to take Son Mirai's kick head-on.
At the critical moment, Jackie Chun abruptly sprang backward, evading Son Mirai's attack, and scolded him, "Young people have no respect for martial arts!"
Son Mirai didn't pause for a second. He swung a downward kick at Jackie Chun.
Jackie Chun reacted incredibly quickly. He stamped on the ground and leaped backward, dodging Son Mirai's move.
However, Son Mirai's downward kick carried tremendous force and was difficult to pull back. It slammed straight into the ring, shattering the bricks in an instant.
The spectators had never seen anything like it. Thousands of people had gathered, yet for a moment, not a sound could be heard.
Only the cracking of the ring's bricks broke the silence.
Jackie Chun glanced at the shattered bricks and said, "What a fool. What good is all that strength if you can't hit anyone?"
As he spoke, Jackie Chun darted in and swept a kick across Son Mirai's back, sending him stumbling forward a few steps.
Son Mirai reacted quickly, rolling several times before regaining his footing.
Jackie Chun continued, "You don't need to put all your strength into every attack.
Only attacks with measured force can be controlled freely, allowing you to retreat safely when danger strikes..."
His words carried a hint of instruction.
Son Mirai understood this basic principle.
But he didn't like soft, restrained fighting. He was most comfortable going all out.
With a furious yell, Son Mirai charged at Jackie Chun again.
His punches were terrifyingly heavy. Every strike forced Jackie Chun to lower his stance and block, leaving his hands numb from the impact.
His combinations came so fast that only afterimages remained. It was as if Jackie Chun's vital points were being attacked all at once, leaving him unable to defend against them all.
At the critical moment, Jackie Chun shouted, "Afterimage Technique!"
"Whoosh!" Jackie Chun's figure blurred in an instant.
Son Mirai's punch struck empty air.
The spectators were astonished.
"Wow, there are three Jackie Chuns at once! What an amazing move!"
Son Mirai narrowed his eyes. "So this is the Afterimage Technique? Interesting!"
The next moment, Son Mirai suddenly charged at one of the afterimages.
His heavy punch shattered the image instantly. It was fake.
"You fell for it!"
At the same time, Jackie Chun's real body kicked toward Son Mirai.
There was no time to dodge, so Son Mirai raised both arms and blocked Jackie Chun's kick.
Son Mirai slid backward for a distance, but he was completely unharmed.
Using the Afterimage Technique took a lot of Jackie Chun's stamina, but when his attacks landed on Son Mirai, they only hurt for a moment. They drained far less of Son Mirai's energy than Jackie Chun's.
Seeing his attacks had no effect, Jackie Chun clicked his tongue. "This kid's fundamentals are ridiculously strong. What a headache..."
Jackie Chun had never imagined that the agile, ever-changing Afterimage Technique could be countered with such a clumsy method.
It was a clear case of trading a tiny bit of health for half the other guy's mana bar.
Son Mirai had taken several hits, yet showed no sign of tiring. He raised his fists and charged again.
Jackie Chun was old but still vigorous. Relying on his wealth of experience, he used everything at his disposal to keep Son Mirai at bay.
For a while, afterimages crowded the ring, and the sound of punches and kicks cutting through the air rang without pause.
Watching their masterful moves and the dense flurry of punches and kicks, the referee couldn't help praising them as he commentated.
"This is truly an unexpected match!
One fighter is a martial arts master whose kung fu has reached perfection, while the other is a young man brimming with vigor. What an incredible fight!"
In just a few minutes, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows.
At last, the round ended, and the two moved apart.
Jackie Chun was already panting, while Son Mirai had only begun to sweat slightly.
When it came to stamina, the younger fighter was stronger and could last longer.
Jackie Chun kept thinking it over.
A moment later, he suddenly thought of a move, and his body began to sway unsteadily.
Seeing this, Son Mirai immediately recognized his technique.
"Drunken Fist?"
"How could a move like that possibly beat me?"
As he spoke, Son Mirai charged at Jackie Chun again.
However, just as Son Mirai was about to land a hit, Jackie Chun stumbled aside, dodging the punch, then kicked Son Mirai and sent him flying back.
Son Mirai rubbed his chest, which didn't even hurt, and asked in surprise, "So this is Drunken Fist!"
He looked at Jackie Chun. Jackie Chun swayed back and forth, looking wide open, but somehow it didn't seem like a real opening.
Son Mirai didn't dare let his guard down and immediately changed his approach.
Before you continue