Krillin vs. Son Goku

The first semifinal.

Krillin and Goku stood ten meters apart in the ring.

Krillin took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

He thought back to the afternoon eight months ago when he'd first met Goku.

Back then, he'd thought a silly country kid had shown up, someone who didn't know a thing. But during their very first spar, that "silly country kid" had sent him flying ten meters with a single punch.

From that day on, he'd known this guy was different from him.

But he hadn't been jealous. He'd found that every day he trained alongside this guy, he grew stronger at a pace he'd never experienced before.

Back at Orin Temple, he'd thought he was already working hard enough. But it wasn't until he met Goku that he realized it had been nothing.

True hard work meant pushing yourself to the edge of your limits every day, then pushing those limits another centimeter the next. He knew Goku was just like that.

But this time, he didn't want to lose.

"Goku."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know why I've gotten up ten minutes before you every day for the past eight months?" Krillin raised his head, his gaze calm.

"Why?"

"Because that's the only way I feel like I'm working hard to catch up with you." Krillin smiled wryly. "You're a monster. I've always known that. But even if you're a monster, I still want to test myself against you."

He took up a fighting stance, arms staggered and knees bent. "So—come on! Let me see your full strength! Don't hold back, not even a little!"

Son Goku looked at the bald young boy before him and felt a great deal of respect for him.

Krillin, you have no idea—in the future of the original story, you'll become the strongest person on Earth. No Saiyan blood, no Godly Qi, no lucky breaks, no extraordinary talent. Through nothing but pure, day-in, day-out hard work, you'll stand at the top of humanity on Earth.

But he couldn't say that out loud.

All he could do was take the same fighting stance, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

"I think you're the scariest one here. Your talent isn't fighting—it's never giving up. So come on! Let me see just how far you've come in these eight months!"

They moved at the same time.

After eight months of intense training, Krillin was far faster than he'd been at this point in the original story.

For eight months, he and Goku had pushed each other and competed, constantly raising the bar on their training as they tried to outdo one another.

Now, in his match against Goku, Krillin's punches came from tricky angles and his footwork was nimble. The "short-guy style" his seniors at Orin Temple had once mocked was now on full display: low sweeps, thrusts to the midsection, feints up high. He shifted between all three levels, leaving his opponent unable to predict where the next strike would come from.

But Son Goku was stronger.

Under ten times gravity, every one of his movements was as heavy as a mountain, yet as fast as lightning.

That contradictory combination would leave any opponent deeply unsettled. His movements looked so broad, yet the next second his fist was already at their face.

Krillin's fist skimmed past the edge of Goku's clothes, tearing away only a shred of fabric in its wake. Goku's counterattack was already closing in on Krillin's temple. Before his fist even landed, the pressure of the blow had left a pale mark on Krillin's bald head.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Fists and feet collided, waves of air surging around them. The bluestone tiles beneath their feet groaned under the strain, tiny cracks spreading outward from where they landed.

The longer Krillin fought, the more alarmed he became. It felt like he was battling a mountain, every collision leaving his arms numb.

And Goku... that guy was still smiling! It was the pure smile of someone enjoying a fight!

This guy... he really was different from me. He was genuinely enjoying this.

"Goku! You... just how strong are you?!"

"Honestly—I'm not really sure either!" Son Goku answered truthfully, driving Krillin back two steps with a sweep of his leg. "Try this move!!!"

He took a deep breath, and the aura around him began to rise!

Krillin's pupils contracted. "W-what is that—"

"Kame—hame—ha!!!"

"Wait—when did you learn that?!"

Son Goku didn't answer. He knew Krillin didn't need one; he was certain the guy would block it.

Eight months of sparring every day, fighting every day, eating and sleeping together, and getting smacked on the head by Master Roshi's cane together—he probably knew Krillin's personality better than Krillin knew it himself.

"Ha—!!!"

The air compressed into visible waves, like an invisible net spreading over Krillin. The flags at the edge of the ring were nearly blown horizontal, and the front-row spectators' hair all streamed backward.

Krillin had already braced both arms in front of himself, his muscles taut as he prepared to take the hit head-on. But he knew he couldn't withstand the force of that punch.

I can't block it! But at least I have to touch you!

He didn't back away. He planted his feet firmly on the stone tiles and took the punch head-on.

"Thud—!!!"

A muffled boom erupted.

The impact lifted Krillin off his feet and sent him flying like a kite with its string cut. His body arced through the air, sailing over the white boundary line at the edge of the ring and past the row of wide-eyed spectators, before landing squarely on the soft mat waiting outside. The mat was left with a perfect body-shaped dent.

Son Goku pulled back his fist and looked down at it. The web between his thumb and forefinger was slightly numb.

Krillin! You've gotten stronger. Not stronger than other people—stronger than you used to be. That's what martial arts are all about.

"Krillin is out of bounds! Son Goku wins!"

The referee's whistle rang across the arena, followed by a burst of cheers and applause from the stands.

Thousands of eyes fixed on the spiky-haired boy standing in the ring, his chest rising and falling slightly. Voices rose all around them. "Is that kid even a teenager?" "What was that flash of white just now?" "Did you see how he threw that punch?"

Krillin lay on the soft mat, gazing up at the deep blue sky over Papaya Island.

He didn't close his eyes or sigh.

He smiled.

I took that guy's punch head-on. Even if I did fly pretty far.

A hand entered his field of vision. He grabbed it and used it to get to his feet, then brushed the bits of mat off his martial arts uniform. "You really are a monster."

"I'm serious." Son Goku looked him in the eye. "Krillin, you've gotten stronger again. That energy blast just now! If you hadn't pushed me, I might not have been able to pull it off."

Krillin froze for a moment, then rubbed the smooth back of his head and chuckled. "I'm glad I could help! I'm going to keep getting stronger, so don't let me catch up to you!"

"Hehe! I'll definitely work even harder!" Son Goku replied earnestly.

"Then let's work hard together!" Krillin said.

Then Krillin suddenly lowered his voice, leaning closer as he spoke to Son Goku with concern. "You're up against Jackie Chun next. I have a feeling there's something off about that old man. Definitely something off."

Son Goku glanced toward the competitors' entrance across the ring. A corner of a bright orange suit was just visible there.

"I know! Of course I know!"