The mustachioed announcer's voice boomed across the arena:
"Though it's the Junior Division, the champion will receive 5 million zeni, and the runner-up 2 million! As you know, there are no preliminaries for the Junior Division—35 talented young fighters from around the world have gathered here today! The rules are the same as the adult division: surrender, ring-out, 10-second knockdown, or knockout all count as losses..."
Back in the contestants' lounge, Denim and the kids were chatting.
"Hey, what'll you buy with the prize money?" Denim leaned against the wall, arms crossed lazily.
Gohan sat on the floor. "Nothing really. But you'll probably just buy a ton of food, right?"
Temada stared intently at Denim' head.
He blinked, then reached up—only for Joey to smack his hand away, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Stop it. Sleeping," came the voice from above.
"Sis Joey, why are you still on my head?" Denim rubbed his stinging hand, shocked by her strength. "Can't you sit on Gohan during the matches?"
'This is so embarrassing!'
"Wait! Wait!" Videl waved her arms frantically, pointing at the floating Temada. "Aren't you guys surprised?! She's flying!!"
"Uh..." Gohan froze, unsure how to explain.
"You can't fly? I'll teach you!" Temada grinned, hands on hips.
Just then, a shirtless, muscular blond boy swaggered over. "Hah! Hanging out with girls? Gonna cry together when you lose?"
Gohan glanced up but stayed silent. Denim ignored him entirely.
"Huh?" The blond finally noticed Temada floating. "Is that a trick...?"
He leaned in too close—BAM!—and went flying through a wall.
Temada retracted her tiny fist as the others stared. "Couldn't help it!"
---
Outside, the Junior Division matches progressed swiftly. By the ninth round, the announcer called:
"Denim, age 7, versus..."
Denim stepped onto the ring to cheers—especially from Bulma, who whooped: "Go get 'em, lazybones!"
His opponent, the blond boy now sporting bandages, glared. "No freakish girl to protect you now!"
Denim rolled his eyes.
"Begin!"
Thud.
Denim won.
---
Goku's group watched from the stands.
"Guess it'll be boring until Gohan and Denim face off..." Krillin yawned.
"Huh?" Goku spotted Joey still perched on Denim' head.
Piccolo glanced at Yamiru.
"..." Yamiru rested his arms on the railing. "...Let her be."
---
"Cheaters!" A plump woman near Bulma ranted. "My Idasa couldn't have lost fairly!"
Bulma immediately fired back: "Who're you calling a cheater?"
"Whoever fits!"
As the two bickered, Gine—holding Tonapp—mediated awkwardly.
The Junior Division matches continued, each ending quickly.
Videl stepped onto the stage next, facing a boy twice her size. With a fierce shout, the tiny girl delivered three precise strikes, swept his legs, and locked him in a joint hold until he tapped out.
Mark and the Tonpo family cheered wildly.
---
Soon, it was Temada's turn.
The four-year-old black-haired girl showed no stage fright as she bounced onto the ring, waving at the crowd.
"Vegeta's daughter!" Krillin noted her tail, recalling Goku's childhood appendage. He turned to Vegeta. "So... can you go Super Saiyan now?"
Vegeta merely snorted, arms crossed.
Yamiru rubbed his chin. "She doesn't seem to have inherited many S-Cells... but that might mean untapped potential."
('In the original timeline, Gohan—born before Goku became a Super Saiyan—had monstrous latent power, while Goten—conceived after—easily achieved the form young but plateaued. Here, Gohan was born post-SSJ, whereas Temada likely wasn't...')
"Vegeta," Goku asked bluntly, "how'd you turn Super Saiyan?"
Vegeta's face darkened. He ignored him.
(Flashback to his "training" involving Temada's tantrums and broken furniture)
---
Meanwhile, Temada won her match with a peace sign. Then came Gohan's turn.
"Go Gohan!" Bulma cheered.
The plump woman screeched: "Ikose! Avenge your brother!"
('Ma'am, his brother lost to Denim, not Gohan...')
Gohan bowed politely before gently flicking his opponent out of bounds.
The furious woman lunged at Bulma—only for Gine to flick her unconscious. "Stop spitting everywhere," she sighed, wiping Tonapp's face.
---
As matches flew by, the announcer boomed:
"Next up: Denim, age 7, versus Temada, age 4!"
Goku grinned. "This'll be good."
Chi-Chi, fresh from preliminaries, frowned. "Denim is on par with Super Saiyan Gohan. How's this fair?"
Vegeta smirked.
Yamiru chuckled. "Let's see Vegeta's confidence pay off."