The World Martial Arts Tournament was divided into the Junior Division and the Adult Division. The Junior Division was for competitors under fifteen, while the Adult Division had no age limit. The Junior Division matches were held on the first day. Son Goten was seven years old and looked exactly like Goku had as a child. His personality was just like his father's—innocent and carefree, fond of food and always full of energy, but with astonishing talent for fighting. He had been able to transform into a Super Saiyan since he was four, giving Chi-Chi quite a scare. Trunks was eight years old, the son of Vegeta and Bulma. He had inherited Vegeta's fighting talent and Bulma's quick mind, showing incredible potential at a very young age. He and Goten were best friends and often trained together. There were thirty-two contestants in the Junior Division. Goten and Trunks were placed in different brackets; if they both advanced, they would meet in the final.
Goten's first match was against a young karate fighter. The boy was two heads taller than him, muscular, and brimming with confidence. "Hey, brat, go home and drink your milk!" the karate fighter jeered. Goten tilted his head at him, then yawned.
The referee announced the start of the match. The karate fighter charged in and aimed a high kick at Goten's head. Goten crouched lightly and dodged it. He stuck out one finger and gave the bottom of the karate fighter's foot a gentle flick. The boy went flying, smashed through the wall of the stadium, and landed in the parking lot outside.
The entire arena fell silent. Then thunderous applause erupted. "One hit! He sent his opponent flying with just one hit!" "Who is that kid?" Videl stared in astonishment from the stands. "Gohan, your little brother... is he a monster?" Gohan gave a wry smile. "He was holding back, too. If he'd used his full strength, that boy might not be in this world anymore." Trunks's match was even more absurd. His opponent was a sumo wrestler weighing over two hundred kilograms. Trunks stopped the man's full-force charge with one finger, then blew gently, sending the wrestler drifting out of the ring like a feather. "Too weak," Trunks said, dusting off his hands. "See you in the final, Goten."
Goten and Trunks swept through their brackets and easily advanced to the final. The match was held that afternoon, and the arena was packed. Everyone wanted to see which of the two young prodigies was stronger. Goten and Trunks stood facing each other in the ring. "Trunks, I won't hold back," Goten said. "Neither will I," Trunks replied. "Let's have a proper fight!"
The referee announced the start of the match. Both boys vanished at the same time. The audience could only hear a rapid series of impacts in the air—Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!—the sound of fists and feet colliding. They were moving too fast for the naked eye to follow; only the instant-replay function of the holographic projection let the audience see their movements. "Their speed... it's faster than sound?" the commentator asked, his voice trembling. "No," said guest commentator Bulma. "They're moving more than ten times faster than sound." The crowd erupted in astonishment. Goten and Trunks stopped their high-speed battle and reappeared at opposite ends of the ring. Both were panting, but their eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "That was just a warm-up," Trunks said. "Yeah," Goten nodded. "Let's get serious." Their hair turned golden at the same time, and energy flared around them. Super Saiyans. Screams rang out from the stands. Some recognized the form—seven years ago, Son Goku and Son Gohan had transformed into it during the Cell Games. "Super Saiyans!" the commentator cried, his voice rising with excitement. "Two boys can transform into Super Saiyans!" Videl covered her mouth. "Super Saiyans... I've only ever seen them in historical footage. Gohan, can you do that, too?"
Gohan nodded. "I can, but I rarely use it anymore." In the ring, Goten and Trunks collided again. Their strength and speed were dozens of times greater than before. Cracks spread across the ring's surface, and the protective barrier flickered under the force of their energy. Goten launched a flying kick at Trunks. Trunks dodged to the side and punched toward Goten's back. Goten spun in midair and blocked the punch with his heel. Their strength met, creating a shock wave that snapped every rope around the ring. "They're incredible..." Krillin watched the broadcast from the competitors' lounge. "Those two brats have more talent than we ever did back in our day." "They have pure Saiyan blood," Vegeta said, a flash of pride in his eyes. "The combination of Bulma's genes and mine produced the best possible result." "Hey, hey," Bulma protested beside him. "My genes are important, too, you know?" In the ring, Goten and Trunks unleashed their special attacks at the same time. "Kamehameha!" Goten cupped his hands together, and a golden beam roared toward Trunks. "Galick Gun!" Trunks thrust both hands forward, sending a blue beam to meet it. The two blasts collided in the center of the ring, forming a massive energy sphere. It grew larger and brighter, on the verge of exploding out of control. "This is bad!" the referee cried in terror. "The energy barrier can't hold!" Just as the sphere was about to explode, a figure appeared in the center of the ring.
It was Kashu. He placed one hand on each boy's shoulder and gently pressed down. Both energy blasts vanished at once, and the sphere burst like a bubble, leaving no trace. "That's enough," Kashu said calmly. "You fought well, but if you keep going, you'll hurt the audience." Goten and Trunks returned to their normal forms and sheepishly scratched their heads. "Sorry, Uncle Kashu. We got carried away," Goten said. "Be more careful next time." Kashu patted them both on the head. "The final is a draw. You're both champions." Warm applause erupted from the stands. The match had ended without a winner, but everyone was impressed by the boys' strength.
Videl watched Kashu's retreating figure and quietly asked Gohan, "Who is that man? How could he so easily stop two Super Saiyans' attacks?" Gohan smiled. "He's the leader of the Earth Guardians, and he's also my master. He's much stronger than I am." "The Earth Guardians?" Videl frowned. "What kind of organization is that?" Gohan hesitated. "I'll tell you about it later."
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