In the spring of AGE 742, registration opened for the World Martial Arts Tournament. It was being held on a large island in the East Sea, where a magnificent martial arts arena could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. Kashu brought Son Goku, Krillin, Gore, and Luo Ling to the registration desk. The five Saiyans (Gore and Luo Ling had decided to enter, too) wore matching orange Turtle School uniforms, drawing plenty of attention. "Hey, kids, are you here to sign up?" The clerk looked down at them, amused. "Yes." Kashu handed over their information. "The entry fee is ten thousand each." Kashu pulled five bills from his clothes and handed them over. The clerk took the money and gave each of them a number: "The preliminaries start in three days. Show your number to get in. Good luck." The five of them entered the arena, where a huge ring came into view. The stands were arranged in a circle and could seat thirty thousand. "It's huge!" Krillin exclaimed. "Imagine competing in front of all these people! That'd be so cool!" "Let's get through the preliminaries first," Gore said. "I heard hundreds of people enter every year, and only eight make it to the main tournament." "Hundreds competing for eight spots?" Luo Ling frowned. "That's a brutal elimination rate." "That's why it's called the 'World's Greatest,'" Kashu said. "But making it to the main tournament won't be a problem for us."
With five years until the next tournament, Kashu drew up a detailed training plan. "Starting today, we're doubling the intensity of our training," he told Son Goku, Krillin, Gore, and Luo Ling. "Doubling it?" Krillin turned pale. "Senior Brother, we already run a hundred kilometers and do three thousand push-ups every day. If we double that, we'll die!" "You won't die," Kashu said calmly. "Saiyans don't die, and neither will you. Trust me. If you can get through these six months, your battle power will at least triple."
Krillin gritted his teeth. "All right. I'll do it!" The first part of their intensive training was the "Weighted Limit Run." Each of them strapped on a heavier version of Master Roshi's shell and ran from Mount Paozu to West City and back—a three-hundred-kilometer run each way, with a twelve-hour time limit. Gore and Luo Ling, as adults, finished with ease. Son Goku and Krillin were exhausted, but they gritted their teeth and made it through, too.
The second part of their intensive training was "Ki Wave Precision Training." Kashu taught them the "Ki Blast"—a variant of ki wave that was low in power, high in speed, and inexpensive to use.
"Watch closely." Kashu raised his right index finger, gathering a golden sphere of light the size of a soybean at its tip. It shot out and struck the very center of a target a hundred meters away, leaving a hole no bigger than a needlepoint. "Amazing!" Krillin exclaimed. "Now practice." A month later, everyone had mastered the Ki Blast. Son Goku and Krillin could even fire several in a row while moving. The third part of their training was "Afterimage Technique and ki sensing." Kashu taught them how to see through afterimages by sensing ki, and how to create more convincing afterimages.
"Gore, your afterimages look too fake," Kashu said. "They need to have a sense of 'ki' to fool your opponent." "Understood." Six months of intensive training had brought everyone's strength to a new level. Son Goku's battle power rose from eight thousand to fifteen thousand; Krillin's from eight hundred to two thousand; Gore's from thirty-five thousand to fifty thousand; and Luo Ling's from one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand (five million in her Super Saiyan form). As for Kashu, he spent another year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, pushing his base battle power past one hundred thousand and reaching eight million in Legendary Super Saiyan First Grade.
Time flew, and five years passed in the blink of an eye. In AGE 747, five years had passed since the previous World Martial Arts Tournament. Over those five years, New Vegeta City had flourished, and the Saiyan population had grown from one hundred and thirty-two to nearly two hundred. Kashu, Son Goku, Krillin, and the others had completed their basic training under Master Roshi, and their strength had soared. Kashu was fourteen. He stood a meter seventy, his long black hair tied in a high ponytail, his handsome face composed and his gaze deep as the stars. Five years of training had pushed his base battle power past 1.2 million; he had reached 96 million in Legendary Super Saiyan First Grade, 192 million in Second Grade, and 480 million in Third Grade. He had also mastered Legendary Super Saiyan Fourth Grade in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber—the Seven-Colored Diamond Form—with a battle power of 960 million, officially reaching the threshold of a God of Destruction. Son Goku was twelve. He was half a head shorter than Kashu, his round face no longer chubby, his eyes sharp and focused. His base battle power had reached 600,000, and his Super Saiyan form reached 30 million. He had learned the Kaioken (five times) and the Spirit Bomb, and his ki-sensing ability had surpassed Master Roshi's. Krillin was eleven. Still bald, he was short but sturdy, his eyes glinting with quick wit. As a pure-blooded Earthling, his battle power had risen to 80,000, and he had learned techniques such as the Kamehameha, Destructo Disc, and Afterimage Technique. Master Roshi hailed him as "the most talented Earthling martial artist in a century." Gore was twenty-seven, with a battle power above 100,000. Though he had yet to become a Super Saiyan, his combat experience and tactical skill were indispensable to the team. Luo Ling was twenty-eight. Her Super Saiyan form was stable, her battle power stood at five million, and she was the camp's second-strongest fighter. Lanno was thirty, with a battle power of fifty thousand, and remained the backbone of repairs and logistics. And this year's World Martial Arts Tournament was destined to be unlike any other.
A piece of news spread through the martial arts world: the legendary king of the Demon Clan—Demon King Piccolo—had awakened from a three-hundred-year seal and would enter this year's tournament. Meanwhile, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, heirs to the Crane School, declared that they would defeat the Turtle School and prove that the Crane School was the strongest on Earth. A grand martial arts gathering marking the change of generations and a clash between good and evil was about to begin. Three things for the new book! Please read, bookmark, and tip!
Preliminary round day at the World Martial Arts Tournament. The preliminaries used a single-elimination format, with five hundred and twelve contestants competing for eight spots in the main tournament. Kashu's first opponent was a bald, muscular giant. Kashu knocked him out of the ring with one move, taking less than a second. Son Goku's opponent was an old man wielding a long staff. He broke the staff with a Ki Blast, and the old man surrendered. Krillin's opponent was a boy about his height. Krillin confused him with the Afterimage Technique, then kicked him out of the ring.
Gore's opponent was a karate expert. He fought steadily and won with solid fundamentals. Luo Ling faced the toughest opponent—a martial artist with a battle power of eight hundred. She sent him flying with just one finger. All five Turtle School disciples advanced to the main tournament. The eight finalists were announced: Kashu, Son Goku, Krillin, Gore, Luo Ling, Jackie Chun (Master Roshi in disguise), Nam (the desert warrior), and King Chappa (a former tournament champion). "Five of the eight are on our side!" Krillin said excitedly. "Senior Brother, we could take the top three!" "Don't get careless," Kashu said. "That old man, Jackie Chun, is Master Roshi in disguise. He's much stronger than he lets on."
"What? The master entered, too?" Krillin's eyes widened. "He entered under an alias to test us," Kashu said. "When you fight him, don't hold back."
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