Changes in Five Years

New Vegeta City, autumn. The morning sun spilled over the city, illuminating wide streets and orderly houses. After five years of expansion, New Vegeta City had grown from a small town into a mid-sized city with a permanent population of nearly two hundred. It boasted complete infrastructure—schools, hospitals, training centers, research facilities, farms, and factories, all fully equipped. Kashu stood on the roof of the assembly hall, arms crossed, overlooking the city. Five years had transformed him from a nine-year-old child into a fourteen-year-old youth. He stood 1.7 meters tall, his build lean and sturdy, with long black hair tied into a high ponytail that revealed his sharp, well-defined profile. He wore an improved version of the Turtle School martial arts uniform: an orange top, blue pants, and a black belt, with the character "Turtle" printed on the back. "Big Brother!"

A familiar voice drifted up from below. Kashu looked down to see Son Goku waving at him. Twelve-year-old Son Goku wore the same style of uniform as Kashu. His hair was slightly longer than it had been five years ago, but he still possessed that signature round face and a bright, innocent smile.

"Kakarot, have you finished today's training?" Kashu jumped from the roof, landing in front of Son Goku. "Finished! A hundred-kilometer weighted run, two thousand push-ups, two thousand sit-ups, and two hundred ki blast launches!" Son Goku counted on his fingers, beaming. "Big Brother, my ki blast accuracy has reached ninety-five percent!"

"Not bad." Kashu patted his younger brother's head. "But it's not enough. The World Martial Arts Tournament is about to start, and your opponents might be much stronger than you imagine." "I know! That guy Krillin has also improved a lot. We sparred the day before yesterday, and I almost lost to him!" "Krillin's talent is indeed high," Kashu remarked. "Let's go, it's time to gather at Kame House. Master Roshi said he wants to give us some final pre-tournament guidance." The two took to the air and flew toward the East Sea. Kame House remained the same two-story villa, surrounded by white sand, blue sea, and coconut trees swaying in the breeze. Master Roshi lay on a beach chair, a copy of Fitness Girls in his hand. Seeing his two disciples fly in, he waved lazily. "You're here? Krillin is already inside."

Krillin walked out of the house. At eleven years old, he was significantly taller than he had been five years ago. Though still bald, his body now showed the clear outline of muscle. He wore the same uniform as his fellow disciples, a confident smile on his face. "Senior Brother Kashu, Goku!" Krillin ran over. "You're finally here!" "Krillin, your ki is even stronger than it was last month," Kashu noted after sensing him. "Did you break through ninety thousand?" "Ninety-two thousand!" Krillin said proudly. "I just learned a new technique yesterday called 'Destructo Disc'—it can compress ki into a disc shape capable of cutting through anything. Want to see?" "No need, save it for your opponents," Kashu laughed. Master Roshi put down his magazine and sat up, wearing a rare, serious expression. "Children, sit down. I have something important to say." The four disciples—Kashu, Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha, who had joined later (Yamcha had been twenty-four five years ago and was now twenty-nine, but remained a student of the Turtle School)—sat in a circle before Master Roshi.

"This year's World Martial Arts Tournament is different from the ones in the past," Master Roshi said. "Three powerful opponents will be competing." "Which three?" Krillin asked. "First, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu of the Crane School," Master Roshi said. "Master Shen is my junior brother, and the Crane School and Turtle School have always been bitter rivals. It is said that Tien Shinhan is a descendant of the Three-Eyed Clan, and his strength is unfathomable. Although Chiaotzu is small, he is skilled in psychic abilities." "Three-Eyed Clan?" A flicker of curiosity crossed Son Goku's eyes. "What's that?" "An ancient combat race, said to have once been warriors of the universe," Kashu explained. "Their third eye can see through the flow of ki and predict an opponent's movements. If Tien Shinhan truly is a descendant of the Three-Eyed Clan, he is certainly not to be underestimated." "What about the second opponent?" Krillin asked. "The disciples of King Chappa," Master Roshi said. "King Chappa was the champion of the previous tournament; you should have seen him five years ago. His Eight-Armed Fist is terrifyingly powerful, and he has taken on several disciples over the years who are all quite strong." "And the third?" Son Goku asked.

Master Roshi's expression turned grave: "Demon King Piccolo." A silence fell over the group.

"Demon King Piccolo?" Krillin's voice trembled slightly. "That Demon King who almost destroyed the world three hundred years ago?" "Yes." Master Roshi nodded. "Three hundred years ago, my master, Mutaito, used the 'Evil Containment Wave' to seal him inside an electronic rice cooker. But a few years ago, the seal began to loosen. Kashu, you should know about this." Kashu nodded. "I went to check on it. The seal can hold for a while longer, but not for long. If Demon King Piccolo has truly broken free and is entering the tournament, he must be targeting the world." "So, you must not only face the strong enemies at the tournament but also guard against Demon King Piccolo's schemes," Master Roshi said, looking at his four disciples. "I am too old, so I will not be competing this time. But remember—the true essence of martial arts is not to defeat your opponent, but to surpass yourself." "We understand!" the four replied in unison.

Autumn, AGE 747, the registration day for the World Martial Arts Tournament. A sea of people gathered in front of the East Sea tournament venue. Martial artists from all over the world had converged here; some were as burly as iron towers, others as lean and agile as cheetahs, and some wore strange costumes that drew attention. Kashu, Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha arrived at the registration desk. After five years of growth, they were no longer the little kids carrying turtle shells. Kashu was fourteen, his height nearing that of an adult; Son Goku was twelve, and though he still looked like a child, his eyes revealed a determination beyond his years; Krillin was eleven, his bald head shining brightly in the sun. "Senior Brother Kashu, look over there." Krillin suddenly tugged at Kashu's sleeve, pointing to the other side of the registration line. Standing there were three tall young men wearing matching dark blue uniforms with the character "Fist" embroidered on their chests. Their hair was cropped short, their eyes sharp, and they radiated a combative aura. "Who are they?" Son Goku asked. "Disciples of the Orin Temple," Krillin said, his face darkening. "I spent some time at the Orin Temple, and those three are my senior brothers—Kong Ming, Kong Zhi, and Kong Hui. They always looked down on me, calling me a 'deserter.' I didn't expect them to come to the tournament too." "Is that the temple that ostracized you?" Kashu asked. "Yes." Krillin lowered his head. "They often bullied me, saying I was small and had no talent. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and ran away, eventually finding Master Roshi." Kashu patted Krillin on the shoulder. "You aren't who you were back then. Keep your head up." Krillin took a deep breath and lifted his head. Just then, the three Orin Temple disciples spotted Krillin. Kong Ming, the leader, curled his lip in a sneer and walked over with his two junior brothers. "Yo, isn't this little Krillin?" Kong Ming looked down at Krillin. "Five years later and you're still so short. What, did you learn anything at the Turtle School? How to serve tea and water to an old man?" "Senior Brother Kong Ming, long time no see." Krillin's voice was calm, but Kashu could feel the ki fluctuating within him. "Senior Brother? You're calling me Senior Brother now?" Kong Ming laughed. "Fair enough, you really aren't as good as us. Don't get eliminated in the first round of this year's tournament and embarrass our Orin Temple." "Orin Temple?" Krillin also smiled. "Sorry, I'm a disciple of the Turtle School now. The Orin Temple has nothing to do with me." Kong Ming's face sank. "What did you say?"

"I said, the Orin Temple isn't worthy of being my school," Krillin said, enunciating every word. Kong Ming flew into a rage and struck a palm toward Krillin's face. The blow whistled through the air, carrying at least three years of cultivation. But Krillin merely tilted his head slightly to dodge it. "Senior Brother Kong Ming, your speed is too slow," Krillin said. "Is that all the Orin Temple taught you?"

Kong Ming's face flushed red, and just as he was about to strike again, a slender hand pressed down on his shoulder. "That's enough." It was Kashu. He stood beside Krillin, looking calmly at the three men. "The registration area is not a place for fighting. If you have a problem with Krillin, you can settle it on the ring." Kong Ming looked at Kashu, sizing him up. The youth looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, but his eyes were terrifyingly steady, making him feel a bit uneasy. "Who are you?" "Kashu, a disciple of the Turtle School. And Krillin's senior brother." Kong Ming snorted. "Fine, see you in the ring." With that, he turned and left with his two junior brothers. Krillin let out a sigh of relief and looked at Kashu gratefully. "Senior Brother, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? You could have handled him yourself," Kashu said. "Krillin, your strength far exceeds theirs. Don't hold back at the tournament." "Yeah!"

Five hundred and twelve contestants participated in the preliminaries, competing for eight spots in the main tournament. Kashu's first opponent was a middle-aged man using nunchucks. He didn't even lift a hand; a single glance and a slight release of ki were enough to blast his opponent off the ring. Son Goku's first opponent was a burly sumo wrestler. With a casual ki blast, he punched a hole in the ground beneath the sumo wrestler's feet, causing the opponent to lose his balance and fall. Krillin's first opponent—unfortunately—was Kong Hui of the Orin Temple. "Krillin, I didn't expect to run into you in the first round," Kong Hui sneered. "Perfect, let me show you the true strength of the Orin Temple." "Please, enlighten me." Krillin assumed the Turtle School's starting stance. Kong Hui moved first. He delivered a high kick toward Krillin's head, fast as lightning. Krillin bent backward to dodge, simultaneously planting his hands on the ground to sweep Kong Hui's supporting leg. Kong Hui jumped to avoid it, turned in mid-air, and kicked toward Krillin's chest. Krillin didn't retreat but advanced, taking the kick on his shoulder—the impact made a dull thud, but Krillin didn't budge. "Is that all the power you have?" Krillin looked up, a cold glint in his eyes. Kong Hui's expression changed. He felt as if he had kicked a slab of iron, his foot going numb. "My turn." Krillin landed a straight punch to Kong Hui's abdomen, causing the man to double over like a shrimp, before an uppercut sent him flying out of the ring and crashing into the spectator railing. The arena fell silent. "C... Contestant Krillin wins!" the referee announced, stuttering. Krillin clapped his hands and walked off the ring. Kong Hui lay outside the arena, eyes wide, muttering to himself, "How is it possible... how could he be this strong..." Kashu watched from below, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. Krillin had only used ten percent of his power for that punch. If he had used his full strength, Kong Hui wouldn't have just flown out; he would have been blasted to pieces. After the preliminaries, the list of the top eight was finalized: Kashu (Turtle School, 14), Son Goku (Turtle School, 12), Krillin (Turtle School, 11), Yamcha (Turtle School, 29), Tien Shinhan (Crane School, 24), Chiaotzu (Crane School, age unchanged), Piccolo (Demon Clan, age unknown), and King Chappa (former champion, 55). "Four of the top eight are our people," Krillin counted the list. "That Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, plus Demon King Piccolo... none of them are easy to deal with." "Yamcha, who are you facing in the first round?" Son Goku asked. Yamcha looked at the bracket, his face turning pale. "Demon King Piccolo. Bad luck." "Piccolo's strength is immense," Kashu said. "Don't fight him head-on. If it feels wrong, just concede." "I know..." Yamcha said with a bitter face. Kashu's opponent was King Chappa. Son Goku's opponent was Chiaotzu. Krillin's opponent was Tien Shinhan. "Senior Brother, I'm facing Tien Shinhan?" Krillin swallowed hard. "That descendant of the Three-Eyed Clan?" "Scared?" Kashu asked. "Not scared, just a bit nervous." Krillin scratched his bald head. "But I'll give it my all!" "Good."