Papaya Island basked in sunshine, while the sea breeze carried the fervor and clamor of the great martial arts event.
The World Martial Arts Tournament, held once every five years, officially kicked off today. Top fighters and martial arts successors from all over the world, along with hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic spectators, had packed the once-quiet tropical island until it was bursting at the seams.
In front of the massive tournament hall, Krillin carried a huge backpack. Cold sweat beaded on his shiny bald head, and he was so nervous he could barely walk without getting his feet tangled.
"Gulp... There are so many people! And they all look so strong!" Krillin swallowed and eyed the hulking competitors with their brutish faces, his heart pounding.
"Relax, Krillin. After eight months of special training, you're a completely different person."
A calm, gentle voice came from beside him. Luo Chen walked with his hands in his pockets, his immaculate martial arts uniform spotless. Amid the menacing fighters, he strolled as casually as if he were taking a leisurely walk. Not the slightest trace of sharpness radiated from him; he seemed to blend perfectly into his surroundings.
He had returned to the natural state!
Master Roshi followed behind the two. Pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose, he studied Luo Chen's flawless back and couldn't help silently groaning.
"That kid... After more than half a year of special training, even I can't tell how strong he is anymore!" Master Roshi grumbled to himself. He had originally planned to enter the tournament under the alias "Jackie Chun" and teach his two students a lesson, so they would learn that there was always someone stronger.
But then he remembered Luo Chen's terrifying strength—how he could split the sea with a casual punch... The old man silently wiped away a bead of cold sweat. Was this really a tournament? It was more like a high-level player showing up to stomp on beginners!
"Goku—!"
Just then, a clear, melodious cry, brimming with delight, pierced the noisy crowd.
Everyone looked toward the sound. A sleek, futuristic-looking hovercar had come to a smooth stop by the roadside. Its door opened, and a stunning girl with short sea-blue hair and a fashionable outfit came bounding over like a joyful butterfly.
"Bulma."
Luo Chen stopped. The deep serenity in his eyes instantly softened into a warm smile.
Bulma ran toward Luo Chen, her face alight with delight, but abruptly hit the brakes when she was only half a step away.
It had been more than half a year since they'd last met. The boy before her had grown considerably taller, and his increasingly handsome, sharply defined features suddenly made her heart race, despite her usual carefree nature.
"I-It's been more than half a year, and you've gotten so much taller!" Bulma fidgeted with her fingers, her gaze unconsciously darting away. To cover up her strange feelings, she quickly cleared her throat and changed the subject, lowering her voice as she spoke mysteriously.
"Oh, right! When your match is over, I'll give you a surprise! I guarantee you, this little martial arts fanatic, will be so happy you'll be grinning in your sleep! I spent a whole half a year slaving away in the lab for it..."
Luo Chen's heart gave a sudden leap, and an incredible thought flashed through his mind: Could it be... the Gravity Chamber? Had she really managed to build that next-generation piece of technology in just over half a year?
Though he had already guessed more or less what it was, Bulma's haughty little expression seemed to say, "Go on, ask me." Luo Chen smiled faintly. He didn't give the game away. Instead, he took a small step closer, smoothly narrowing the distance between them again.
He dipped his head and looked at the girl's reddening ears, then asked in a low voice full of curiosity, "Oh? What could be so mysterious? You can't give me even the tiniest hint?"
Feeling Luo Chen's breath so close, Bulma's cheeks instantly flushed bright red. She reflexively leaned back, put her hands on her hips, and gave a forced little huff, trying to act composed.
"I told you, it's a surprise. What would be the point if I told you now? When the time comes..."
He didn't tease her any further. Instead, he naturally raised a hand and gently ruffled her sea-blue hair, just as he had when they parted eight months ago.
"Ahem... Well, my eyes are having a little trouble with all this," Master Roshi said, turning away with a sour look. Krillin was practically biting his handkerchief, so envious that tears were about to stream down his face.
Just as the sweet, tender moment unfolded, an extremely discordant sneer rang out nearby.
"Hmph! The World Martial Arts Tournament is a sacred arena for fighters, not a place for you brats to flirt!"
The crowd parted, and a young man with flowing long hair and a scar across his face strode over in a martial arts uniform. A small blue flying cat was perched on his shoulder.
"Yamcha?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
When Yamcha saw Bulma's stunning face, a flash of awe instinctively crossed his eyes.
But when his gaze shifted to Luo Chen beside her, he jolted as if electrocuted, and his arrogance instantly crumbled! What had happened in the desert more than half a year ago was practically the nightmare of his life!
"Y-You! What are you doing here?" Yamcha swallowed, cold sweat immediately beading on his forehead as he involuntarily took half a step back.
"What, do you want to spar with me here before the tournament?" Luo Chen looked at him with an amused smile, a hint of teasing flashing through his deep, dark eyes.
"N-No, thanks! I'll see you in the ring!" Under Luo Chen's glance, Yamcha felt as if he'd been plunged into an icy pit. After tossing out a tough-sounding line, he fled into the preliminary competitors' entrance with Puar.
Inside the Preliminary Hall, more than a hundred competitors were nervously drawing lots.
With so many entrants, the competition was divided into four districts, where fighters battled in elimination rounds. The eight survivors would advance to the official tournament.
Luo Chen had been placed in the deadly D District. It was packed not only with hulking men whose muscles bulged everywhere, but also with several renowned masters of their respective schools.
"Look! That kid in the red martial arts uniform got put in D District too!"
"Hahahaha! This is hilarious! A little brat who hasn't even grown all his hair is here? He probably couldn't take even one punch from me before crying and running home to his mommy!" A fighter nearly two and a half meters tall, built like a grizzly bear, pointed at Luo Chen and laughed without restraint.
The other competitors burst into laughter as well. To them, Luo Chen's somewhat slender frame looked like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Facing their jeers, Luo Chen walked expressionlessly to the center of the ring.
With his base battle power over 2,500, Luo Chen stood among ordinary people whose battle power barely reached double digits. It was like a prehistoric dragon had wandered into an anthill.
"First preliminary match, begin!" the referee announced.
The two-and-a-half-meter giant grinned and cracked his knuckles, then charged at Luo Chen like a heavy tank!
"Lie down, brat!" The giant's iron fist, as big as a wok, whipped up a gust of wind as it slammed toward Luo Chen's head!
"Too slow."
Luo Chen didn't even lift an eyelid. Keeping one hand in his pocket, he casually extended the clean index finger of his other hand and gave the terrifying incoming fist a light flick.
"Vrrrm!"
"Boom—!!!"
A deep, muffled blast rang out! The two-and-a-half-meter giant didn't even have time to scream before he went flying like an exploding cannonball!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
His massive body smashed through three thick walls of the Preliminary Hall like a bulldozer, then finally crashed into the rubble, foaming at the mouth and unconscious!
A deathly silence fell over the Preliminary Hall.
The fighters who had just been laughing at Luo Chen stared so hard their eyes nearly fell out. Their mouths hung open, and even their breathing stopped.
"W-What kind of monster is that?!"
"A... a single finger?!"
The referee was so frightened he dropped his whistle. What the hell was that?
Under the horrified stares, Luo Chen slowly lowered his finger and furrowed his brow slightly, as if not entirely satisfied with how well he'd controlled his strength.
Then he turned to the trembling referee and gave him an exceedingly polite, utterly harmless smile.
"Sorry, referee, I didn't control my strength very well. Does this count as a win?"
"It... it counts! Son Goku... wins!" The referee nodded frantically, his voice trembling like a leaf in a winter wind.
Luo Chen nodded slightly, thanked him, and calmly stepped down from the ring.
The rest of the D District preliminaries then took a comical turn.
Whenever a competitor drew Luo Chen as an opponent, no matter how loudly he'd boasted or how famous he was, he would step into the ring, feel his legs go weak, and immediately raise his hand and shout, "I surrender!"
Just like that, without throwing a single punch, Luo Chen secured his place in the main tournament.
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