Ye Ming noticed that one person from the opposing side still hadn't arrived, but he didn't waste time either. He discussed tactics with Son Goku and the others.
Ye Ming smiled at Son Gohan. "Gohan, you'll be the first to fight. You should be fine, right?"
Son Gohan smiled at Ye Ming. "No problem, Mr. Ye Ming. During my training, I completely mastered Super Saiyan Blue Evolved. I'd originally wanted to combine my Deep Blue Form with my Mystic Form, but there wasn't enough time, so I'll have to wait for another chance."
Ye Ming patted Son Gohan on the shoulder. "Haha, it's fine. Mastering Super Saiyan Blue Evolved in such a short time is proof enough of your talent. You've done very well. It looks like the peak Gohan we knew is coming back."
At that moment, Vegeta snorted, folding his arms. "If Ye Ming hadn't talked to Gohan beforehand and gotten him training again, Vegeta wouldn't have minded teaching him a lesson himself."
Son Goku scratched his head and smiled at Gohan. "The first match is counting on you, Gohan. Give it your best!"
Gohan nodded. "Yes, Dad. I'll win this match for sure."
Ye Ming continued, "They'll most likely send Caulifla out for the first fight. Gohan will probably win the opening match, but the second and third are harder to call. If Son Gohan loses to Hit or Kale in the second round, Vegeta and Son Goku, you'll need to be ready."
Vegeta and Son Goku exchanged a glance and nodded gravely.
Suddenly, the host appeared in the center of the ring and shouted, "Friends from Universe 7 and Universe 6, the martial arts tournament is about to begin. Please get ready!"
"Now, let's welcome the first fighters from both sides to the stage!"
Hearing that it was almost time to fight, Son Gohan gave everyone a confident thumbs-up.
Lord Beerus and Whis nodded to Son Gohan as well.
Son Goku and the others gave him a thumbs-up, too!
Son Gohan leaped down from the stands and landed in the ring. He saw Caulifla, the first fighter from the opposing side, waiting there.
Seeing that Caulifla was a female Saiyan, Son Gohan didn't underestimate her. His expression grew serious.
Of course, before the fight, they had to trade a little trash talk!
Son Gohan smiled at Caulifla. "Hello, Saiyan from Universe 6. My name is Son Gohan. I'm glad to be fighting you today."
Caulifla replied generously, "You're Son Gohan, right? You already know my name, so there's no need to say more. Show me your true strength. I'm going to beat you!"
Caulifla rolled up her sleeves, determined to win the match. Seeing how fired up she was, Son Gohan had nothing more to say.
Champa fired an energy blast at the tournament drum on the ring.
BANG!!!
The referee shouted, "The first match begins now!" Then he hurried off the ring to watch the fight closely.
Caulifla's expression turned serious. With a sudden shout, she transformed into a Super Saiyan and charged at Son Gohan.
Son Gohan chose not to transform, fighting Caulifla in his base form instead. He wanted to see what the Saiyans of Universe 6 could do.
And so the battle began. Caulifla and Son Gohan attacked one another, switching between offense and defense. They traded punches and kicks, exchanging dozens of blows in just a few seconds.
Suddenly, Son Gohan spotted an opening. He darted behind Caulifla and seized her arm. Caulifla hadn't expected him to be so fast!
No matter how hard Caulifla struggled, it was useless. Son Gohan had her firmly under control, and she couldn't move.
Seeing Caulifla at a disadvantage, Champa called out loudly from the Universe 6 stands, "Can Caulifla beat Son Gohan?"
Vados pondered for a moment before replying, "Although Caulifla has mastered Super Saiyan Blue, I don't know how much Son Gohan has grown over the past few months. I can't say."
After hearing Vados's answer, Champa grimaced and shouted at Caulifla, "Caulifla, if you lose this easily, I won't let you off!"
Beerus heard Champa threatening someone again and laughed disdainfully.
Champa knew his behavior was a little embarrassing, so he glared fiercely at Beerus.
Back in the ring, Son Gohan kept Caulifla's arm restrained, stopping her from moving as he slowly edged toward the boundary. Caulifla understood what he was trying to do.
Suddenly, Caulifla let out an angry roar and transformed into a Super Saiyan Third Stage.
The violent aura knocked Son Gohan backward. He wiped his mouth and stood up. Super Saiyan Third Stage? Now this is getting interesting! He smiled at Caulifla.
Son Gohan roared as well, energy surging wildly from his body. With a boom, his Mystic Form appeared before everyone once more.
Seeing that Gohan hadn't turned into a Super Saiyan, Caulifla thought he was looking down on her. Unfortunately, she had no idea that this was his Mystic Form.
In the Universe 7 stands, Son Goku and Vegeta watched as the Gohan they remembered returned. They were filled with emotion. This power was so familiar!
They recalled the Gohan of the past defeating Cell on his own and taking on Majin Buu in a one-on-one fight. This was Son Gohan at his peak.
But now the real Gohan had returned. He was no longer the frail scholar he'd once been. He needed a battle to prove that he had reached his peak again.
Ye Ming watched Son Gohan with a look of satisfaction. Looking at him there in the ring, Ye Ming knew just how much potential Son Gohan had. That was why he had patiently encouraged him back then, unwilling to let his talent go to waste.
The scene shifted. Son Gohan immediately attacked Caulifla, who refused to back down and met him head-on.
The fierce battle began again. Caulifla's ability to adapt was impressive. At first, Son Gohan had been able to keep her on the defensive, but she grew more spirited as they fought and gradually began to counterattack.
But Son Gohan wasn't going to let her have her way. He seized an opening, flashed behind Caulifla, and punched her in the back, sending her flying. He didn't let up, pressing his advantage.
Just as Caulifla tried to counterattack, Son Gohan used Solar Flare on her. A blinding light instantly overwhelmed her vision, and its intensity kept her from opening her eyes.
Seizing the opportunity, Son Gohan gathered energy for a Kamehameha, preparing to defeat Caulifla in one strike.
By the time Caulifla recovered, Son Gohan had finished charging his Kamehameha and was already launching it at her.
Caulifla could only shield herself with both arms. But Son Gohan increased his output and blasted her into the ring. With a boom, a huge crater appeared in the arena.
In the Universe 6 stands, Champa's eyes widened and his ears perked up. The other Universe 6 fighters also watched the center of the ring nervously.
As the smoke cleared, Caulifla slowly climbed out of the crater, looking somewhat battered. She said to Son Gohan, "You're one impressive guy. Looks like I still have a lot to learn."
"You're impressive too," Son Gohan replied. "I just started training earlier than you."
Caulifla glared at him. "I'm not giving up. I'm going to beat you!"
As she spoke, a sacred aura burst from Caulifla's body. She transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.
Son Gohan thought, Just as I expected, Caulifla can turn Super Saiyan Blue. During our fight, I could already sense God Ki within her. She'll be the perfect test of what I've accomplished in training.
Son Gohan wasn't about to back down, either. With a fierce roar, blue light flared around him, and he transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.
Seeing Son Gohan transform into Super Saiyan Blue, Caulifla grinned and rushed toward him.
Son Gohan changed his plan. He let Caulifla attack first, intending to seize an opening in her assault and land a decisive blow.
Seeing that Son Gohan wasn't attacking her, Caulifla thought, He's probably trying to catch me off guard and land a decisive blow. I have to say, Caulifla's battle instincts are incredible!
So Caulifla decided to play along. She deliberately left an opening, hoping Son Gohan would attack first so she could counter him.
Just as Caulifla expected, she deliberately threw a punch that missed. Son Gohan circled behind her, trying to attack from the rear.
But Caulifla had anticipated it. She turned around in an instant, moving so quickly that even Son Gohan hadn't expected it. She suddenly grabbed him, leaving him unable to move.
Son Gohan's expression darkened. He struggled with all his might to break free of Caulifla's hold, but he couldn't escape.
A blazing light appeared around Caulifla. Son Gohan saw that she was gathering energy and suddenly realized what she intended to do. Caulifla was going to take him down with her.
In the Universe 7 stands, Beerus saw what was happening and shouted, "Son Gohan, what are you doing? Get away from her!"
Vegeta laughed disdainfully. "Can't win, so she resorts to a dirty trick? She's trying to take him down with her."
Ye Ming shook his head. "I think Caulifla's being sensible. She knows Son Gohan has more fighting experience and greater strength than she does. Taking him down with her is the best option, since it would count as a draw."
Whis nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
But Ye Ming added, "Caulifla didn't realize that Son Gohan still had even greater power he hadn't shown. The outcome of this fight won't change."
The scene shifted back to the ring. Son Gohan hadn't wanted to reveal the power of Super Saiyan Blue Evolved yet. He'd planned to save it for a fight against Legendary Super Saiyan Kale or Hit, but now that things had come to this, he could no longer hide it.
A powerful Godly Ki burst from Son Gohan's body as his strength continued to rise. His hair gradually shifted to a deep blue.
Caulifla was stunned and blasted backward by his powerful aura. She staggered back to her feet and stared at Son Gohan.
"This is Super Saiyan Blue Evolved," Son Gohan said. "It's a form stronger than Super Saiyan Blue."
Caulifla knew she had no chance of winning, but there was no fear in her eyes. She had the pride of a Saiyan, and she bravely charged at Son Gohan.
Son Gohan looked at Caulifla's fearless expression and felt respect for her. But there could only be one winner, and it would have to be him.
In the Universe 6 stands, Champa said in disbelief, "Son Gohan has an even stronger transformation than Super Saiyan Blue? Damn it!"
"It looks like Caulifla is bound to lose," Vados said. "She hasn't trained for as long, so her foundation isn't as strong as Son Gohan's."
The people of Universe 6 had no choice but to accept this. Hit watched Son Gohan calmly, his strength having caught Hit's attention.
Beside him, Kale anxiously watched Caulifla in the ring. He didn't want his sister to get hurt, and he didn't want her to lose the match.
But unfortunately, that was exactly what happened!
Son Gohan swiftly appeared behind Caulifla, dodged her attack, and punched her away. Then he instantly gathered energy for a Kamehameha and sent her flying with a single blast.
BOOM!!!
Caulifla tried to withstand the overwhelming force, but there was nothing she could do. She had already brought out all her power. Suddenly, Son Gohan let out a shout, and the Kamehameha grew even stronger, blasting her away!
Caulifla landed outside the ring and realized she had lost.
The referee stepped forward and announced, "Caulifla has fallen out of the ring and is eliminated! The winner is Son Gohan of Universe 7."
In the Universe 7 stands, Beerus danced with joy. "Well done, Son Gohan!"
Whis smiled as he watched Son Gohan in the ring. The warrior he had trained certainly lived up to his potential and hadn't disappointed him.
Son Gohan immediately returned to his team's stands. Even the proud Vegeta offered him some praise. "Not bad, Gohan!"
Ye Ming nodded to Son Gohan. "After these few months of training, you've fully regained your peak strength—and even surpassed it. Now this is the real Gohan."
Son Goku was also thrilled to see his son back at his peak.
But in the Universe 6 stands, Champa looked grim. He hadn't expected them to lose a round right at the start!
Beerus's mocking voice rang out from across the arena. "Well, Champa, who would've thought the people of Universe 6 would be so pathetic? That's all you've got? Hahahaha!"
Champa was nearly driven mad with rage and was about to retort.
Vados stopped him. "Our universe still has AF Son Goku as our ace. The winner will be the universe whose fighter is still standing at the end, so there's no need to get so angry, Lord Champa."
Hearing Vados's words, Champa calmed down. He only made a face at Beerus before ignoring him.
Caulifla held her arm as she walked up to Champa. "I'm sorry, Lord Champa. I let you down."
Champa was unhappy, but there was nothing he could do. He only snorted and told her to go sit down and rest.
Except for Hit, the others helped Caulifla back to her seat to rest.
And so the first match ended with Son Gohan's victory! Universe 7 had taken the first point. Let's see who wins the next match!
Before you continue