"Attention, everyone. We'll soon be arriving at Delian Airport on Babaya Island, the host location for this year's World Martial Arts Tournament. Please fasten your seat belts!"
The announcement informed them of their arrival at the airport. After several hours in the air, the plane landed smoothly at the island airport.
They disembarked, and the sea breeze greeted them. In the distance, they could already hear the roar of the crowd at the tournament venue.
Bulma stretched. "Come on, you'd better go register. Registration is probably about to close."
Krillin rose onto his toes and peered into the noisy crowd. "There are so many people! I wonder if Goku and Yamcha have arrived yet."
The line at the registration desk wasn't very long. When their turn came, a staff member handed them a form.
"Please fill in your basic information and draw a number for your preliminary-round group."
Everyone registered without a hitch. Even Master Roshi, under the pretense of going to the bathroom, had secretly signed up under the alias "Jackie Chun."
"Honestly, what's with Goku and Yamcha? Registration's almost over, and they're still nowhere to be seen. Could they have gotten the time wrong?" Krillin complained.
Raditz was silent. Surely it wasn't his fault that the two of them had missed this year's tournament?
Just as they were heading to the competitors' village, a familiar voice called out from behind them, full of delight. "Krillin! Bulma!"
They turned around and saw two figures, one tall and one short. It was Yamcha and Goku.
"Goku!" Krillin greeted them happily. "You finally made it!"
"We only just got here. We ran into each other at the pier," Yamcha said with a smile.
Goku's gaze immediately landed on Raditz. He looked him up and down, surprise and excitement flashing in his eyes. "Raditz! You've changed so much! You feel really strong!"
"Goku! You two should go register first. Registration's almost closed. We can talk later." Raditz pointed toward the registration desk to remind them.
"Right! I almost forgot. We'll go register now! Wait for us!"
"Goku doesn't look any different. He's still full of energy," Bulma said, watching him go.
Just then, an untimely voice rang out.
"Well, well! Who do we have here? Isn't that Master Roshi?" A man with a crane-shaped topknot and two long, thin mustaches walked over.
"Hm?" Master Roshi turned at the sound. Seeing who it was, he immediately replied in an unfriendly tone, "Master Shen! You're still alive?"
"Hmph! You haven't changed a bit. Still ugly, and still fond of making fun of people," Master Shen sneered. "I heard your students made quite a splash at the last tournament."
"But this time, I'll show everyone what true martial arts look like. My students are guaranteed to win the championship. You'd better head home while you still can!"
"You half-bald fool, you really don't know your place!" Master Roshi shot back without hesitation.
"What did you say, you old bald geezer?" Master Shen retorted.
The two old men immediately started bickering like children.
Raditz, meanwhile, quietly turned his attention to the two people standing behind Master Shen. He took a casual look at Tien Shinhan.
He had already reached the limits of what his body could handle in terms of strength. He would have to wait for his body to grow before he could keep training.
But he could still broaden his skills. Tien Shinhan had plenty of useful techniques that would remain valuable well into the later parts of Dragon Ball.
With that in mind, Raditz stepped forward to greet him. "Hey! You, the one with three eyes."
"Who are you calling three-eyed?" Tien Shinhan glared at him.
Uh... who else could he mean?
"Master Shen's star pupil, I'm looking forward to fighting you in the tournament," Raditz said.
"Hmph! I don't fight children," Tien Shinhan scoffed.
Raditz: "..."
He'd only mentioned his third eye. Was there really any need to snap back like that? Besides, this body would keep growing. Just wait a few years and see.
"I hope your martial arts are as tough as your mouth."
"Hmph! We'll see after you survive the preliminary rounds."
"Attention, competitors in the World Martial Arts Tournament! The preliminary rounds are about to begin. Please gather at the competition arena!"
After hearing the announcement, everyone gathered and set off.
"Make sure you all get through the preliminary rounds! We'll be cheering you on from the stands," Bulma encouraged them one last time.
When they reached the competitors' staging area, Goku and the others changed into the fresh martial arts uniforms they had brought. Raditz took his own uniform out of his luggage as well.
The preliminary groups had been announced. There were eight divisions, and eight competitors would be selected from nearly two hundred entrants to compete in the finals.
By sheer luck, none of them had been assigned to the same division, so they wouldn't have to face one another before the finals.
The preliminary rounds were well underway by the time Raditz's match came up.
"Raditz is finally up," Krillin said.
"Yeah. Let's see what he can do," Goku said.
Raditz stepped onto the ring and found himself facing a towering, incredibly burly man.
"Hey, isn't that King Chappa?!" a spectator beside the ring exclaimed.
"King Chappa?!" Yamcha's expression turned serious. "I can't believe he entered the tournament too!"
"Who's King Chappa?" Krillin asked.
"He's an incredibly skilled martial artist. The last time he entered the World Martial Arts Tournament, he won the championship without even throwing a single punch—his opponent just conceded it to him!" Yamcha said gravely.
"What?" Krillin stared at the ring in astonishment. "Doesn't that mean Raditz is in danger?"
"Not necessarily..." Yamcha shook his head slightly. He had seen some of Raditz's abilities, and this wouldn't be too much for him.
Master Roshi, standing nearby, glanced at Yamcha in surprise. He thought Raditz might win, but the match probably wouldn't be easy.
From the sound of Yamcha's voice, though, the fight would be over in no time.
"Then let's see how much you've improved over the past three years, Raditz," Master Roshi thought.
King Chappa cupped his hands in greeting and looked at his opponent. "What a cute little opponent."
"Don't worry. I won't kill you."
Raditz remained calm, paying no attention to the other man's taunts.
"Hmph! You're clearly no ordinary kid," King Chappa said. Seeing how composed Raditz was, as though victory were already assured, he couldn't help but temper his contempt. He decided to stop holding back.
King Chappa dropped into a stance, spread his hands, and sprang forward, delivering a flurry of rapid strikes. He moved so quickly that it looked as if eight arms were swinging at once.
A barrage of palm strikes, accompanied by sharp gusts of wind, came crashing down on the boy before him. The attack was fierce, and its pressure was palpable.
The crowd below the ring erupted into a commotion.
"That's King Chappa's signature move, the Eight-Hand Fist!"
"So fast! It's like he really has eight arms!"
"That kid's in trouble!"
"He got hit! It's over!"
Krillin let out a startled cry too.
On the ring, King Chappa's blows were already rushing toward Raditz's face, yet Raditz didn't move an inch.
A bizarre scene unfolded. One man was large, the other small; one moved, the other stood still. The adult's palms flew in every direction, their afterimages striking at his opponent, but the boy didn't budge at all, as though the attack had no force behind it.
Raditz was a little disappointed. He'd thought his opponent's signature move might have something going for it, but it was only fast.
He stopped waiting. His hands flashed out and caught the other man's flailing arms.
"You! What kind of monster are you? Why can't I hit you?" King Chappa struggled to break free, horrified.
His hands had seemed to touch his opponent, but the sensation in his fists told him he'd only struck empty air.
He never got an answer. Raditz punched him in the stomach and turned away.
King Chappa's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Contestant number 18 wins!" After a moment of stunned silence, the referee announced the result.
When Raditz climbed down from the ring, Krillin and the others went to meet him.
"Raditz, you scared the heck out of me!" Krillin said, still stunned. Then, with some curiosity, he asked, "Why did it look like you weren't moving?"
"I was moving. I was just a little faster," Raditz admitted.
Krillin: "..." Just a "little" faster?
"That was incredible! I can't wait to fight strong people like you!" Goku said excitedly, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
Over on the other side, Tien Shinhan's expression grew serious. He had been able to follow Raditz's movements as the boy avoided every attack without appearing to move, but he knew that couldn't have been his full strength.
This boy named Raditz was a formidable opponent who kept his abilities hidden.
"Tien, should we find him another opponent?" Chiaotzu asked softly.
"No. We'll wait until the finals. I'll beat him myself," Tien Shinhan replied.