Android 18 hadn't expected Gohan to dodge all her punches and kicks without letting her land a single hit. It made her a little irritated.
No matter what, she had an enormous supply of android energy, and few people on Earth could match her.
Android 18's original strength had surpassed Super Saiyan 1!
She was somewhere between Super Saiyan 1 and Super Saiyan 2. That was why she was so surprised that she couldn't even touch Gohan now.
Most importantly, Gohan hadn't even transformed into Super Saiyan 1. He had dodged her attacks in his normal state.
That piqued Android 18's interest. With no intention of stopping the fight, she retreated, gathering energy as if preparing to fire an energy blast.
Gohan was getting a little impatient as he watched Android 18 gather energy in one hand.
He curled his lip and said, "I have other things to do. I don't have time to hang around here with you!"
"And next time, don't go causing trouble in front of me!"
Before Android 18 could release the energy ball, Gohan powered up and charged straight at her.
Android 18 didn't have time to react. Gohan was instantly in front of her. Her expression changed, but she couldn't dodge in time.
A fist came hurtling toward her face. She could feel its tremendous force!
The sea roared beneath them, buffeted by howling winds!
Android 18 held her breath, her whole body stiff as she stood frozen in place, not daring to move.
She had no way to dodge that punch. If it really hit her, it would leave her gravely injured.
She was beginning to regret choosing Gohan as her opponent. She hadn't expected him to have improved so much that he could outclass her without transforming.
In front of him, she was like a child!
They weren't even in the same league!
Android 18 couldn't help closing her eyes, but Gohan's fist stopped just a few centimeters from her face.
It stopped dead, and the sea below them erupted into waves!
Boom!
A massive splash erupted. The force of his punch sent the entire sea churning.
Gohan stopped his punch and curled the corners of his mouth upward, wearing a teasing expression. Android 18 realized he'd been making fun of her.
That guy had been messing with her on purpose!
What a jerk!
"All right, Sis Android 18, I don't want to ruin that pretty face of yours. I still have to go find Master Roshi!"
"Let's call it here!"
Gohan relaxed his fist and waved goodbye, not taking the fight seriously at all.
That left Android 18 feeling dejected. It was like a child throwing a tantrum, only to be pinned to the ground with one hand, powerless to fight back.
Now that she understood the gap between them, she was intrigued by Gohan's sudden strength!
How had Gohan trained?
What did it take to reach that level? She was genuinely curious!
Gohan set off again and soon arrived at Master Roshi's little wooden house.
Seeing Krillin still tangled up with his ex-girlfriend, he shook his head with a sigh and landed on the ground.
He greeted the Sea Turtle at the entrance.
"Hey, I need Master Roshi to help me find Fortuneteller Baba. Is Master Roshi home?"
The Sea Turtle hurried inside to announce his arrival.
Master Roshi came out of the house. His eyes lit up when he saw Gohan, and he greeted him with a broad smile.
"I can't believe it, Gohan. I haven't seen you in years! How's Chi-Chi?"
"Oh, and it seems Goku's in Hell now. Are you looking for my sister so you can contact Goku?"
He'd clearly guessed the reason. Gohan didn't hide it and nodded.
"Yeah. A new Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin, and I thought my father would definitely be interested!"
"I wanted to let him know. Maybe he'll have time to come back from Hell and enter the tournament!"
Hearing that the Martial Arts Tournament was about to begin, Master Roshi wore a nostalgic expression and laughed.
"The Martial Arts Tournament, huh? It's been ages since I entered one. If Goku enters this time, it'll definitely be a fierce competition."
"I'll get in touch with Fortuneteller Baba and let Goku know!"
Master Roshi didn't hesitate and immediately contacted Fortuneteller Baba.
Less than half an hour later,
Fortuneteller Baba arrived at Master Roshi's house after hearing the news, carrying a large crystal ball.
As soon as she landed, she spoke to Gohan.
"Goku's been training over at King Yemma's Hell. He recently entered the Hell Martial Arts Tournament, and he's still training down there."
Gohan's eyes lit up, and he asked at once, "Really? Is there a way to contact him?"
Fortuneteller Baba took out her crystal ball and began using it. "I'll give it a try. I know a few people over in Hell."
"If I can reach him, all the better. It's been a long time since I've seen him, too!"
With that, she used her crystal ball to search for Son Goku.
Before long, she found Son Goku in the deepest part of Hell, training with a group of deceased martial artists!
Kakarot had a fine presence. Even though he had only a spirit body now, training in Hell had made his ki much stronger.
Feeling his energy through the crystal ball, Gohan could tell that his cheap dad, Kakarot, had already mastered Super Saiyan 3!
When Majin Buu had appeared, Kakarot had been strong enough to defeat him.
But he hadn't done it because he'd wanted to give the younger generation a chance to train!
Unfortunately, they hadn't managed to eliminate Majin Buu early on, and things had gone wrong. Later, Kakarot had been forced to step in.
He'd personally killed Majin Buu, so Goku had definitely reached the same level as Majin Buu by now.
He must have mastered Super Saiyan 3, too!
The moment Son Goku's image appeared in the crystal ball, he sensed someone watching him and stopped training.
He furrowed his brow and sensed the energy coming from afar. Soon, a smile spread across his face.
"That ki... Is that Fortuneteller Baba? And Master Roshi, too? Oh, I didn't expect Gohan to be there as well. But Gohan!"
"Your ki is incredible now! I can't believe it! Have you been training all these years without taking a break?"
Even from such a great distance, Kakarot could sense Gohan's ki and strength.
No wonder he was the strongest Saiyan!
Vegeta couldn't compare to him at all. Vegeta had always been second-best; only Kakarot could claim the title of the strongest in the universe!
The gap between Gohan and Son Goku was enormous. After all, Gohan hadn't even surpassed Vegeta.
How could he possibly catch up to the strongest Saiyan in the universe?
Hearing Son Goku, Gohan replied calmly, explaining why he'd contacted him.
"It's been a long time, Father. I contacted you to tell you that the Martial Arts Tournament, which hasn't been held for years, is going to be held again!"
"My girlfriend told me about it!"
Son Goku's eyes lit up at the mention of the tournament. Sure enough, he was interested, and he immediately called out excitedly.
"Really? The Martial Arts Tournament! It's been ages since I entered one! Haha, I should be able to get a day off from Hell."
"Fortuneteller Baba, can you bring me back from Hell on the day the tournament begins?"
Fortuneteller Baba nodded, agreeing with Goku.
"Of course. I'll go to Hell and pick you up that day. Goku, are you really planning to enter the tournament?"
Son Goku clenched his fists. His Saiyan blood was running hot, especially after sensing how much stronger Gohan's ki had become.
His face was full of excitement and anticipation. "Of course! I can't believe how much you've trained since I last saw you, Gohan."
"I'm already fired up! Gohan, I want to fight you in the tournament this time and see how much you've improved over the past few years!"
Gohan wanted to spar with him, too. Kakarot wasn't like Vegeta—he knew how to hold back, which made him the perfect training partner.
Gohan's lips curled up as he agreed.
"Sure! If we get the chance at the Martial Arts Tournament, I'll definitely fight you, Father!"
Seeing the seriousness in Gohan's eyes, Son Goku smiled. Even though he couldn't see Gohan, he could still tell what he was thinking.
Laughing heartily, he added, "Gohan, I'm looking forward to it! I never expected you to have the potential to surpass Vegeta!"
"I didn't see that coming. Now I can't wait for the tournament!"
Their conversation ended.
Gohan had gained a new perspective on Kakarot. Kakarot was frighteningly strong. Just by sensing Gohan's ki, he'd known that Gohan was strong enough to surpass Vegeta.
But Gohan couldn't figure Kakarot out. How strong was he in Super Saiyan 3?
What was his power level? Gohan had no idea!
Yet Kakarot had understood everything about him at a glance. That was the difference between them!
The gap between them was obvious. To close it, Gohan's first step was to surpass Vegeta.
If he couldn't even surpass Vegeta, how could he surpass Kakarot?
After their conversation, Gohan was full of fighting spirit. He would keep honing his skills before the Martial Arts Tournament began.
At the very least, he had to raise his Ultra Instinct to over 2%!
Then he needed to get the power of the Goro Goro no Mi to 100% and secure the additional 20% of power.
Only then would he be able to fight Kakarot.
Having made up his mind, he said goodbye and left Master Roshi's little house.
As he headed back, he didn't notice that someone was following him the whole way.
He had no idea why Android 18 wasn't going after Krillin and had become interested in him instead.
She'd followed him all the way to Master Roshi's house, and now she was following him again!
Who knew what Android 18 was thinking? Still, since she'd gone to all that trouble to follow him,
Gohan didn't mind making her one of his training partners.
He could bring in Gotenks and Piccolo, too, and have the four of them train against him together. That way, the four-on-one fight would give him a proper workout!
Having decided that, he didn't mind Android 18 following him. Instead, he led her toward his training ground.
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