He had met M'Baku at a gathering when they were children. Before that, he had never seen a peer so strong and tall, and from that moment on, he realized that M'Baku would one day become a powerful warrior. Years later, his prediction was proven true, though reality differed slightly from what he had expected. The Jabari Tribe's way of raising its people made the already strong and towering M'Baku even more formidable. By the time M'Baku inherited the position of tribal leader, he had grown far beyond the height of an ordinary man.
T'Challa could not imagine anyone in the world capable of defeating M'Baku in close combat. Thus, when he saw M'Baku bruised and battered, his shock was enough to make him want to sit up from his sickbed despite the pain—though he ultimately did not. Not only did M'Baku hold him down, but he truly lacked the strength. Although the Jabari Tribe had treated him to some extent, broken bones were not so easily healed.
"What happened? Was it my cousin...?"
"No. It was someone even taller and stronger than me. He didn't seem malicious, but if he had used a weapon, I'd be dead. Pah—" M'Baku spat out bloody saliva and ran his tongue over the teeth that had been loosened on both sides. Rather than looking upset over his defeat, he seemed delighted to have found a worthy opponent. "—Even without weapons, by Ghekre's fists, I have never seen anyone with such strength in his hands. I've forbidden the tribe's warriors from challenging him, lest they anger him and cost me some good men. Oh, that man came looking for you. I don't know where he got the information."
"What did he look like?"
"Black hair, black eyes, somewhat dark skin. He didn't look like