"..." Goku stared at his hands in amazement. "Completely healed… Isn't this just like a Senzu Bean?" he asked curiously.
"Senzu Beans were originally created by Master," Piccolo replied, then mimicked the same motion on himself. Draconic energy surged through the rift once more, flooding his body and instantly restoring his stamina—even the minor injuries from the battle vanished without a trace. "The finals will probably be between you and him. If you want to fight Master, you'd better be at full strength… Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."
'Master…? He means Yamiru?' Goku blinked in surprise, turning toward the "Martial Arts" archway. 'Has Yamiru really gotten that strong?'
Behind the wall, Yamiru noticed his gaze and waved back with a grin.
'Senzu Beans…'
Inside the protective barrier below the stage, Tights overheard the conversation and pursed her lips.
---
With the stage repaired and the audience still buzzing from the earth-shattering showdown, the announcer enthusiastically introduced the next match.
Yamiru and some random fighter stepped onto the stage…
Watching Yamiru casually flick his opponent off the arena, Goku—now back to his black-haired state—thought, 'Yamiru's gotten that strong? Too bad I can't sense his energy at all… What's going on?'
The referee declared Yamiru the winner.
Unfortunately, most of the crowd was still processing the mind-blowing spectacle of Goku vs. Piccolo, so this quick, one-sided match left them unimpressed. The atmosphere was lukewarm at best.
Yamiru didn't mind. In the quiet audience, Tights cheered loudly for him. Smiling, he raised a fist in acknowledgment before leisurely returning behind the archway.
Floating on either side of the wall, the two brothers watched as the fourth set of fighters took the stage.
Two ordinary Earthling martial artists—one a plain-looking human man, the other a hulking dinosaur-man with jagged teeth.
After a dull exchange of trash talk and sluggish, clumsy blows, the dinosaur-man won, securing the last spot in the semifinals.
And now…
The semifinals were about to begin.
First up—
During the short break, Krillin—eliminated earlier—wandered backstage, sipping from a juice box. As he passed a quiet corner, he spotted a black-haired girl sitting alone against the wall, hugging her knees.
It was Chi-Chi.
Krillin paused, straw between his teeth, expression unreadable.
Chi-Chi buried her face in her knees. She didn't understand why her chest felt so tight, why her breathing wouldn't steady.
'Why am I so upset?'
'Losing to someone like Goku is normal… He's a Super Saiyan!'
'Even the former Kami surrendered to him. If I just forfeit, it's not like anyone would—'
'No… That's not it.'
A shadow fell over her. Chi-Chi looked up, dazed, to see a bald head reflecting a diamond-shaped halo of light.
Krillin held out a juice box with a smile. "Here. Do your best!"
Chi-Chi stared at the patterned packaging for a moment before accepting it. "...Thanks."
---
Krillin found Goku and Yamiru chatting under a tree in the temple courtyard, carrying two more juice boxes.
"Your dad still isn't back yet?" Yamiru asked, surprised.
'How long does it take to deal with Freeza?'
Bardock had mastered Full Power Super Saiyan years ago. Against a has-been tyrant like Freeza, what could possibly be taking so long?
'Did Freeza get a golden upgrade?'
'But if Freeza went Golden, Bardock would've been killed instantly…'
'Either way, there's no reason for this delay.'
According to Goku, Dr. Briefs' communications with Bardock's ship always yielded the same response: "Still looking, still hunting, but Freeza seems to be hiding…"
Sipping his drink, Yamiru frowned slightly as he watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky.
Before long, the announcer's energetic voice echoed from the main stage.
"Ah, Goku, you're up next," Krillin said.
"Yeah!"
Goku interlaced his fingers and stretched them outward, joints popping. After a quick warm-up, he strode toward the arena, the wind tousling his black hair.
---
The audience perked up—whether chatting excitedly, buying snacks for their kids, or frantically uploading clips of the earlier golden-haired vs. green-skinned battle to social media.
On the stage, Goku stepped forward calmly.
"Now, for the first semifinal match—facing off against Contestant Son… is Contestant Chi-Chi! Let's give them a warm welcome!" the mustached announcer declared into the microphone.
For a while, no one appeared on the other side of the stage. The audience whispered among themselves—had the girl given up? That would be understandable, considering the insane battle between Goku and Piccolo earlier was clearly beyond human limits...
The mustached announcer, ever professional, repeated the call a few more times.
Behind the "Martial Arts" archway, the dinosaur-man wiped cold sweat from his brow and muttered to Yamiru, "I totally get that girl... Whoever wins our match next should just forfeit too. Second place isn't bad."
Yamiru chuckled and pointed to the sky. "What are you talking about? She's right there."
The dinosaur-man gaped. Sure enough, Chi-Chi was flying in from nearby, hovering in midair as she looked down at Goku on the stage. He, in turn, gazed back up at her.
Whoosh...
A gentle breeze swept across the perfectly restored arena, rustling the tattered edges of Goku's gi and swaying Chi-Chi's ponytail.
Under the protective barrier, Gine smiled—a mix of exasperation and admiration.
Bulma suddenly pumped her fists and yelled, "CHI-CHI! KICK HIS ASS!"
"Huh?" Tights raised an eyebrow beside her.
Bulma stuck out her tongue. "What? Just saying!"
Raditz and Vegeta remained stone-faced, utterly unmoved.
"How…?" The dinosaur-man behind the archway muttered in disbelief. "Doesn't she know she doesn't stand a chance?"
"GO CHI-CHI!" Krillin bellowed from the sidelines.
SMACK! Chi-Chi slapped her cheeks, still damp with water droplets, and let out a determined "Hngh!" before landing on the stage with a 'whoosh', standing firm opposite Goku.
The announcer, decades of experience under his belt, found himself momentarily speechless. His mouth went dry, his palms sweaty—an electric thrill of excitement shot through him. Then, snapping back to focus, he roared into the mic:
"THEN—THE FIRST SEMIFINAL MATCH OF THE 23RD WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT! CONTESTANT CHI-CHI VERSUS CONTESTANT SON GOKU! BEGIIIIIIIN—!!"
The audience fell silent.
Chi-Chi took a deep breath, her delicate face set in fierce determination as she shifted into a stance eerily reminiscent of the Turtle School.
Goku studied her for a long moment...
Then—
His fists clenched at his sides. His brows furrowed.
With a sharp exhale, his eyes flashed emerald green, his unruly black hair lifting, blazing gold.
Super Saiyan.
A gust of wind swept the stage—carrying with it an oppressive, crushing weight.
"Come on," Goku said calmly.
"Right!" Chi-Chi shouted, charging forward with a punch.
Her sprinting figure reflected in Goku's dark, shining eyes—deep within his pupils, a golden light slowly emerged...
In that golden glow, Chi-Chi's silhouette seemed to morph into Yamiru's from years past...
And the golden-haired Goku before her overlapped with the young boy he once was...
Yamiru crossed his arms, a faint smile on his lips.
"Of course she knows."
---
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO WITNESS NEXT—IS THE GRAND FINALE OF THE 23RD WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT!!"
The mustached announcer's voice boomed with exhilaration.
"LET'S GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO—"
"THE SUPERHUMAN, UNFATHOMABLY POWERFUL—SON GOKU!"
"AND—"
"SATO YAMIRU!!"