"Ladies and gentlemen, after several days of competition, we've finally reached the semifinals of the World Martial Arts Tournament! Today's first match is between Krillin and Sun Wukong!"
As the referee's voice rang out, Goku and Krillin excitedly ran out from backstage and stopped beside him.
"But first, I'd like to ask the two of you a few questions!"
"Congratulations to both of you for defeating your formidable opponents and advancing to the semifinals at such a young age. That's truly impressive!"
The referee smiled, then held the microphone out to Goku. Before he could say anything, though, Goku took a bite out of it.
"Yuck! That tastes awful!"
Goku stuck out his tongue.
"Goku, that's not food. Just answer whatever he asks you!" Krillin whispered in Goku's ear.
"Oh, I see! I thought it was ice cream! Go ahead and ask!" Goku said with a smile.
"May I ask, Sun, is your tail real? I've never heard of a person growing a tail before!" The referee wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and asked with an awkward smile.
"I'm just as puzzled. How did it grow back so quickly?" Krillin muttered under his breath, looking troubled.
"Of course it's real! If you don't believe me, take a look!"
With that, Goku took off his pants, exposing himself to everyone. The crowd burst into laughter!
"Goku, put them back on! This is so embarrassing!"
Blushing, Krillin hurried over and pulled Goku's pants back up.
"I've tried so hard, but Goku still hasn't outgrown his shameless streak!" Ziye said helplessly, rubbing his head.
"Haha, Sun Wukong really is a funny fellow! By the way, all three of you are wearing the same martial arts uniforms. Do you train at the same school?" the referee asked again, forcing an awkward laugh.
"We don't belong to any school! Master Mutten taught us how to train!" Krillin answered earnestly.
The crowd erupted at those words, and the referee stared in disbelief. "Y-you said what? Master Mutten?"
"No wonder those three kids are so strong. They're disciples of the God of Martial Arts, Master Mutten!"
"I can't believe that thousand-year-old demon is still alive!"
At that, Jackie Chun, who had been feeling rather pleased, stumbled and fell. Ziye hurried over and helped him up.
"Master, are you all right? Be careful!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!"
Jackie Chun smiled and waved his hand. Realizing what he'd just said, he quickly backtracked. "I'm not your master! You've got it wrong!"
"I never said you were. 'Teacher' is just a respectful way to address an elder. Why are you so nervous?" Ziye chuckled, then turned away and looked back at Goku.
"That brat's pretty sly!" Jackie Chun muttered.
"Master Mutten's two star pupils are sure to give us a spectacular match. Now, let the competition begin!"
Bang!
As the gong rang out, Goku and Krillin quickly moved to the center of the ring and took up fighting stances!
"Goku, watch out!"
"Bring it on!"
Krillin leaped into the air and charged at Goku, his fists flying so fast they blurred before the crowd's eyes. But Goku deflected every blow.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud!"
The two launched into a fierce battle. Their punches came so quickly that the spectators could only see their afterimages all over the ring!
"H-how amazing!"
"As you'd expect from Master Mutten's star pupils! What a fantastic match!"
The referee was stunned by the sight, then began commentating in amazement.
"Both kids are impressive! But Goku's a little stronger. Krillin probably won't be able to hold out much longer!" Jackie Chun watched the two on the ring with a sharp gaze and a grave expression, murmuring under his breath.
Whoosh!
A moment later, the two fighters sprang apart. Sweat streamed down Krillin's forehead, while Goku looked completely at ease.
Krillin let out a long breath, his expression turning serious. Then an idea struck him, and a sly smile crept across his face. "Goku, look! A flying saucer!"
Goku eagerly looked around, his eyes wide with excitement. "Where? Where?"
"Heh, you fell for it!"
Krillin laughed slyly, then leaped up and kicked at Goku. But to his surprise, Goku's figure began to blur.
"You're the one who fell for it!"
Goku laughed and suddenly appeared in front of Krillin. Before Krillin could land, Goku threw a punch.
Thud!
The next moment, Krillin was sent flying out of the ring and landed on the ground.
"How could this happen?"
"What just happened?"
Krillin stared at Goku in shock.
"Th-that was the Afterimage Technique? Goku learned my move just by watching it once!" Jackie Chun gaped in disbelief.
"Krillin, are you okay?"
Goku walked over, rubbed his nose, and helped Krillin up with a smile.
"Congratulations to Sun Wukong on his victory and advancement to the final!"
"Next, let's welcome Ziye and Jackie Chun to the ring!"
As Goku and Krillin left, the referee's booming voice rang out again. Ziye and Jackie Chun both came out from backstage and stepped into the center of the ring!
"Good luck, Ziye! I hope we can settle this in the final!" Goku encouraged him.
"Don't worry. I'm definitely winning the championship this time!" Ziye said confidently with a smile.
"Not so fast! I haven't even used my full strength yet!" Goku said, refusing to back down.
Hearing them, Jackie Chun chuckled and spoke calmly.
"It's good to be confident when you're young, but don't get too full of yourselves. If you want the championship, you'll have to get past this old man first!"
P.S. I hope everyone can discuss the question of the heroine. I'm leaning toward either making Bulma the heroine or having no heroine at all!
If Bulma becomes the heroine, Vegeta definitely won't be able to appear in the later Dragon Ball Z storyline. After all, the protagonist can't become a little green man like Piccolo, either. So I'd like to hear what everyone thinks!
The chapter's battle power Note: Battle power will inevitably vary, since everyone has different opinions. The values in this novel are the ones that count! Krillin's battle power: 80 Sun Wukong's battle power: 115 Master Roshi (Jackie Chun)'s battle power (normal state): 139 Ziye's battle power: 145
Before you continue