In the spring of Age 752, the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament arrived. After five years of expansion, the East Sea tournament arena could hold fifty thousand spectators. The stands were packed, and the crowd roared. Major media outlets were broadcasting live, and the commentators excitedly introduced this year's competitors. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! The main tournament is about to begin!" The announcer stood in the ring, his voice carrying across the venue through the loudspeakers. "This year's competitors are an incredible lineup! Last tournament's champion, Kashu, will defend his title! His younger brother, Son Goku, as well as Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and Piccolo will all compete! We also have martial arts experts from all over the world!"
In the VIP section, Bulma, Launch, Tights, and Chi-Chi sat together. Each of the four women had her own beauty—Bulma was lively and playful, Launch was gentle and quiet in her blue-haired mode, Tights was mature and intelligent, and Chi-Chi was youthful and radiant. They held up cheering signs bearing messages like "Go, Kashu!", "Goku's the best!" and "Krillin will win!" "Are you nervous, Sis?" Bulma asked Tights. "What's there to be nervous about?" Tights adjusted her glasses. "Kashu won't lose." "I don't mean the match..." Bulma lowered her voice. "I mean what happens after it." Tights' cheeks reddened slightly. "Bulma, what are you talking about?" "You don't have to pretend, Sis." Bulma grinned. "Did you think I hadn't noticed that all the male leads in your novels are based on Kashu?" "H-how did you know?" Tights' face turned even redder. "Because I'm your little sister." Bulma winked. "And I'm a woman, too." Launch listened without saying anything, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Her fingers absently brushed her belly—it was still too early for anything to show, but she knew it wouldn't be long. Chi-Chi, meanwhile, hadn't noticed their conversation at all. She kept her eyes fixed on the competitors' entrance, waiting for Son Goku to appear.
The preliminaries saw 512 competitors battling for eight spots in the main tournament. Kashu's first opponent was an acrobatic fighter who wielded a chain. Kashu flicked a finger, and a Ki Blast knocked the chain out of his opponent's hands. The man conceded. Son Goku faced a sumo wrestler. He stopped the wrestler's charge with one finger, then gave him a gentle push that sent him flying out of the ring. Krillin's opponent was a karate expert. Krillin confused him with the Afterimage Technique, then kicked him out of the ring. Tien Shinhan faced a weapons fighter. He struck his opponent's mind with a Demon Eye Beam from his third eye, knocking him unconscious on the spot. Piccolo's opponent had once been a runner-up in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Piccolo needed only one Masenko to blast him—and a corner of the ring—away. Master Roshi sat in the stands, sipping tea and nodding. "Not bad. They've all improved." When the preliminaries ended, the eight finalists were announced: Kashu (Turtle School/Saiyan, 19), Son Goku (Turtle School/Saiyan, 17), Krillin (Turtle School/Earthling, 16), Tien Shinhan (Crane School/Three-Eyed Clan, 34), Piccolo (Demon Clan, age unknown), Ranfan (female martial artist, 28), Giran (beastman, 35), and Bacterian (giant, 40). "Five of the eight are on our side," Krillin said backstage. "Senior Kashu, there's no doubt we'll take the top three spots, right?" "Don't get careless," Kashu said. "That female martial artist, Ranfan, is no pushover. Her ki is weak, but she has a special technique—striptease." "What?!" Krillin nearly spurted blood from his nose. "She takes her clothes off during the fight to distract her opponent," Kashu explained calmly. "A lot of fighters stronger than her have lost because of it." "That's allowed?!" Krillin's eyes widened. "The tournament rules don't say you can't take your clothes off," Kashu said. "Krillin, if you face her, close your eyes and use your ki sense to fight." "C-close my eyes?" Krillin blushed. "Wouldn't that make it even—? Ah, forget it. I'll do my best."
In the first quarterfinal, Krillin faced Ranfan. She stepped into the ring wearing a sheer outfit, her figure voluptuous and her face alluring. She winked at Krillin. "Little baldie, I'll let you have the first three moves." Krillin swallowed and closed his eyes. "Save your breath," he said. "I'm not interested in your striptease." "Is that so?" Ranfan began to dance, and her clothes slipped off one by one. Men in the stands gasped. But Krillin kept his eyes shut, sensing Ranfan's position and movements through her ki. He felt her ki fluctuating wildly—not because she was fighting, but because her heart was racing. "Your heartbeat gave you away." Krillin fired a Ki Blast at Ranfan's feet. The ground burst open, and she lost her balance and fell. "Krillin wins!" He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. "Senior Kashu was right. Closing my eyes was the best strategy." In the second quarterfinal, Tien Shinhan faced Giran. Giran was a burly beastman with a dinosaur's head and incredible strength. He charged at Tien and punched the ground, leaving a large crater in the ring. Tien's third eye flashed as he read the path of Giran's attack. He leaped lightly onto Giran's head, brought down a chop, and knocked him unconscious. "Tien Shinhan wins!" In the third quarterfinal, Piccolo faced Bacterian. Bacterian was a giant four meters tall, weighing more than a ton. The ring shook as he stepped into it. "You're going to end up a pancake under my feet, kid!" Bacterian rumbled. Piccolo said nothing. He simply raised his right hand, a purple sphere of energy gathering at his fingertips. The sphere shot out and struck Bacterian's toe. Bacterian screamed and hopped around, clutching his foot. His weight threw him off balance, and he crashed down, crushing one corner of the ring. "Bacterian is out of the ring! The winner is Piccolo!" The entire crowd fell silent. Piccolo had defeated a giant with a single small Ki Blast.
The fourth match was Kashu versus Son Goku. Brothers faced off once again. "Big brother, I won't lose like I did last time!" Son Goku struck a fighting stance, golden flames of ki rising around him—his Super Saiyan form. "Then come at me." Kashu unleashed Legendary Super Saiyan First Grade, red flames of ki flaring around him. Both moved too fast for the spectators to follow. Only flashes of gold and red could be seen clashing across the ring, each collision booming like thunder. Son Goku used Kaioken times twenty, briefly raising his battle power to 1.5 billion. Kashu, meanwhile, used Legendary Super Saiyan Second Grade, bringing his battle power to 480 million. His overwhelming strength and speed kept Son Goku's every attack at bay.
"Kakarot, Kaioken times twenty puts too much strain on your body." Kashu struck Son Goku in the back with an elbow. "You can only hold it for ten seconds at most." "Ten seconds is enough!" Son Goku unleashed all his power and threw a punch at Kashu's chest. Kashu didn't dodge. He extended his right hand and caught Son Goku's fist. Red energy welled from his palm, enveloping the fist. "Hakai Energy," Kashu said. "Kakarot, this is a power I've just grasped from the Realm of Gods. It can destroy any matter—including ki attacks." Son Goku's pupils contracted. He felt the ki around his fist being devoured by the red energy until nothing remained. "I give up." Son Goku pulled back his fist, dropped out of his transformation, and grinned. "Big brother, you're ridiculous. You've gone and invented another new move." "You did well, too." Kashu ended his Legendary Super Saiyan transformation. "You're getting better and better at using Kaioken times twenty." "Kashu wins! He advances to the final!"
The final was between Kashu and Tien Shinhan. Tien took off his weighted clothing, revealing a muscular upper body. His third eye gleamed coldly, and fierce determination radiated from him. "Kashu, I won't hold back," Tien said. "I don't need you to," Kashu replied. The match began, and Tien struck first. He used the Crane School's signature move—the Tri-Beam. He brought his hands together, gathering a huge ball of yellow energy between his palms, then thrust it forward. The energy sphere hurtled toward Kashu with devastating force. Kashu didn't dodge. He raised his right hand, gathered Hakai Energy in his palm, and met the Tri-Beam head-on. The yellow sphere began to disintegrate the instant it touched the Hakai Energy, scattering into countless points of light that faded into the air. "What?!" Tien's pupils contracted. "Tien, your Tri-Beam is powerful, but its energy is too dispersed," Kashu said. "Hakai Energy can break down any kind of energy attack. Your Tri-Beam won't work on me." "Then I'll use physical attacks!" Tien charged at Kashu, throwing punches and kicks in a storm. As he blocked, Kashu said, "Your physical attacks are strong, too, but your techniques are too predictable. The Crane School focuses on offense and neglects defense and adaptability." He seized an opening and struck Tien's shoulder with his palm. Tien staggered backward a few steps but stayed on his feet. "My turn." Kashu vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared behind Tien and struck him in the back. Tien stumbled forward a few steps, barely keeping his balance. "H-how did you do that?" Tien panted. "Ki sense," Kashu said. "Your third eye can see the flow of ki, but you rely on it too much. True combat means sensing every subtle change in your opponent with your heart. Your heart is too restless." Tien was silent for a moment, then lowered his hands. "I give up." "Tien Shinhan concedes! The winner is Kashu! Kashu retains his title as champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament!" The crowd erupted. In the VIP section, Bulma, Launch, Tights, and Chi-Chi hugged each other and cheered. Kashu stood on the champion's podium with the trophy in his hands, but he felt little joy. His gaze passed over the crowd and fixed on the distant sky. Something was stirring there, in the darkness.
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