Even with his eyes closed, King Chappa's movements were fully under Krillin's control.
"No need for a nose," Krillin said from behind him, "you don't even need eyes. Your moves are too obvious."
"What! How is that possible...?" King Chappa heard the voice and quickly turned around, but all he felt was a sharp, tingling sensation in his neck. Before he could react, endless darkness overtook him, and he immediately lost consciousness, collapsing to the arena floor. Krillin landed lightly after jumping, retracting his hand from the strike.
"Krillin wins..." the judge, the monk, announced. "Victory!" Krillin was already looking at the other arenas.
Yamiru casually blew out a puff of air. The strong wind swept his opponent right off the arena, sending them tumbling out of bounds. He sat on the vacant space left by the spectators, a blank expression on his face.
"Yamiru wins..." the judge called as Yamiru, hands behind his back, effortlessly jumped off the arena. "Victory!"
Piccolo's face remained emotionless as he extended a single finger. His opponent, massive like a mighty tiger, flipped through the air, performing several somersaults before crashing out of bounds, unconscious.
"Piccolo wins..." Piccolo turned away, his white cape swishing behind him. "Victory!"
Goku grabbed his opponent's arm and casually tossed them off the arena.
"Goku wins..." Goku smiled brightly. "Victory!"
Chi-Chi shouted sharply and struck with both palms, sending her giant opponent into a dazed state. Foam poured from their mouth, their eyes rolled back, and they fell unconscious on the arena floor.
"Chi-Chi wins..." Chi-Chi struck a pose, exhaling lightly. "Victory!"
With that, the preliminary rounds came to an end!
The five of them all advanced, earning the chance to compete in the outdoor grand arena.
Aside from Piccolo's usual emotionless expression, Goku and the others wore relaxed or joyful faces as they gathered together, waiting for the small, bearded judge to conduct the draw for the top eight.
During this time, Piccolo watched as Goku and Yamiru chatted comfortably with each other, and the doubts from before began to surface in his mind.
Why had his master mentioned Goku hundreds of years ago...?
Why had his master once said that Goku was someone he admired...?
It seemed those questions were beginning to find their answers.
The draw concluded, and the small-bearded judge pointed to the schedule on the whiteboard, confirming with the eight contestants.
First match: Krillin vs. Chi-Chi!
Second match: Goku vs. Piccolo!
"Perfect!" Piccolo clenched his fist quietly and looked toward Goku.
Goku, at just the right moment, met his gaze, and their eyes collided in the air. Piccolo spoke, "You'd better have learned how to transform into a Super Saiyan by now, right?"
"Well..." Goku responded, pretending to be casual, "Who knows? But maybe it won't be necessary?"
"Hmph." Piccolo snorted coldly.
"Heh." A fighting spirit sparkled in Goku's eyes as well.
Such an overwhelming aura... these two... Krillin, caught between the stares of the two powerhouses, shivered and thought to himself that he, Chi-Chi, and Yamiru must all feel the same at this moment.
However, Krillin glanced over at Yamiru, who remained as calm as ever... But surely, Yamiru, among all the people, must be the most aware of the power of a Super Saiyan, right? He was so close with Goku and his family... After knowing how insane these Saiyans were, how could he still be so relaxed? I just don't understand him!
---
Outside, with the preliminary results announced, tourists and spectators flooded toward the grand arena, creating a bustling crowd.
Bulma, who was pregnant, didn't push through the crowd, but Gine, with her immense power as a goddess and her unique magic, naturally created a path for them. Tights stood by, keeping a watchful eye—Bulma was still so carefree! But her parents were even more carefree than Bulma... Tights felt a headache coming on as she and Gine escorted Bulma to the front row of the spectator seats.
"It's fine. This baby is sure to be strong," Bulma said cheerfully. "And you're here to protect me."
"Please!" Tights replied, irritated. "I'm just a weak woman, okay?"
Gine, the goddess, smiled gently and casually waved her hand.
A thin, almost invisible energy barrier surrounded the three of them.
The surrounding audience was pushed back, as if an invisible air wall separated them, preventing anyone from accidentally bumping into Bulma.
"That's amazing..." Tights curiously poked the inside of the energy shield with her finger. "Gine, Auntie, what's it like to be a god?"
Gine maintained the energy barrier while sticking out her tongue. "A god, huh... I don't really understand it myself..."
As the three of them chatted, the audience suddenly erupted in excitement and applause.
The small-bearded host and judge walked to the center of the arena, passionately making his opening speech and introducing the eight finalists.
"Only Krillin and Chi-Chi ended up facing each other, huh? Is that bad luck or good luck?" Bulma teased.
Tights replied, "Neither bad nor good... Gine, Auntie, who do you think will win, Krillin or Chi-Chi?"
Gine smiled but didn't answer, her attention drifting to another part of the crowd. Tights followed her gaze to a man with long, messy black hair who was hard to miss... and next to him, a short figure with a long tail and a peculiar battle uniform—his features were distinctive enough.
"And now, the first match begins! Let's welcome Krillin... and Chi-Chi!" The small-bearded referee announced loudly into the microphone.
Behind the archway, the small bald-headed man and the spirited woman with a black ponytail, who was much taller than him, separated to either side and stepped forward, standing in the ring and facing off.
The two of them simultaneously assumed their starting stances.
Behind the walls of the archway, the three other bystanders stared in confusion, watching as Goku and Yamiru both lifted off the ground, leaping over the walls to get a view of the battle on the arena.
As they watched, they casually chatted, commenting on the fierce struggle taking place in the ring.
"Chi-Chi's not bad, huh? She's made a lot of progress following your mom's lead."
"Krillin's gotten a lot stronger after completing his training at the Korin Tower."
"Though, I have a feeling Krillin's gonna lose."
"Huh? Why?"
At Goku's surprised expression, Yamiru chuckled, lifted his chin slightly, and gestured for him to continue watching the match in the ring.
Piccolo, leaning against the wall, opened his eyes and silently observed the two competing auras in the air. Why? The bald guy's aura clearly had the upper hand, right?
"Ha!" "Hah!"
Chi-Chi and Krillin both panted, each unleashing their final attacks.
Ah... Krillin hesitated for a moment at the last second, and it was that brief hesitation that allowed Chi-Chi to land a punch directly to his face, sending him flying backward, nose bleeding.
He rolled several times and fell off the ring.
Whew... Whew... Chi-Chi, still standing in the ring, kept her arm and fist extended, breathing heavily, while Krillin, now on the ground, sat with his back to the ring, gazing at the drifting clouds in the blue sky, lost in thought.
The small-bearded referee's loud declaration echoed through the arena, "Chi-Chi wins!" Chi-Chi finally caught her breath and walked to the edge of the ring, muttering under her breath, "That's so frustrating!"
Just before, Krillin had launched a punch aimed at Chi-Chi's chest, but the small bald guy suddenly snapped back to his senses, hesitated for a split second, and immediately declared the winner.
With a flick of her ponytail, Chi-Chi turned and walked off.
Ugh... Krillin covered his face, utterly embarrassed.
Behind the wall, Piccolo rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the wall, leaping into the air.
"He can do that too..." Goku was surprised as he watched Piccolo jump over the wall and land on the ring. "Alright!" He grinned, feeling a spark of excitement.
"Can he win?" Yamiru extended his fist.
"He should be able to!" Goku replied calmly, smiling, and lightly bumped fists with Yamiru before jumping into the air again, soaring over the wall to land on the ring and face Piccolo.
"Wow, it's Goku!"
In the front row of the audience, inside the energy shield, Bulma waved her arms happily. "Go, Goku!"
Tais and Gine silently watched from the side.
---
One minute later, the entire surface of the ring was covered with cracks, nearly collapsing under the immense pressure. The overwhelming energy swept through the arena, and the intense aura made most of the spectators hesitate to even breathe.
Boom!
The two figures inside the glowing auras collided mid-air above the ring, exploding in a blinding flash of light as if it were an explosion.
In the crowd of spectators, Raditz remained calm, but the Saiyan prince next to him was wide-eyed, completely stunned. He could hardly believe what he was seeing... Is this the power of lower-level fighters? What a joke!