(Meanwhile - Many miles elsewhere)
For the raven haired, eleven-year-old girl sitting in the helicopter on route for Battle Island, the location of the largest martial arts tournament to be held in years, it was the most uncomfortable flight she'd ever been on. While the seat she was planted in was indeed very cushiony and the soda she'd gotten for the flight across the channel was delicious, the fact that she had to share the same space as Hercule Satan, the self-proclaimed strongest man in the world and the biggest oaf she'd ever seen in history, completely tarnished the experience for her.
While everybody else around the world worshipped this man as its savior for the deeds he supposedly accomplished during the Cell Games, this girl did not. Reason being, not only was he flirting incessantly with the waitress serving them beverages on the luxury chopper, which was taking them and the Cash family to their final destination, but because the man with the afro style cut was her father.
Seriously. What daughter in the world didn't think that their father's antics in public were embarrassing?
Videl certainly thought so.
Sitting there by the window with a sublime view of the landscape passing by underneath them, the tomboyish girl wearing yellow boots, blue jeans, long green top, red over-shirt, and her raven black hair wrapped into two high pigtails, tried her best to ignore her father's loud, booming voice and focused on the world outside. However, try as she might, she just could not block out the irritating noises he and the giggling waitress were making, which had the girl snarl inwardly and glare across at her lump of an old-man.
"Honestly… does he ever stop?" Videl thought with a detestable frown. When she saw her father pull the woman into his lap and give another one of his signature laughs, the young girl emitted a groan of disgust and looked away. "If mum could see him right now, she would knock his perfectly white teeth right out of his mouth."
It was a given truth. Ever since the end of the Cell Games, her father had done nothing but boast to every Tom, Dick and Harry that they ran into on the streets about his achievement, and pranced about like he was lord of heaven and earth. He sung tales of his heroic bravery to the news reporters that came to get tabs on him and to document his life, which not only bloated the man's already massive ego, but embarrassed the raven haired girl to no end.
Knowing exactly who her father was and what he could do, Videl could say with a hundred percent certainty that the man was full of it.
"All of his fame and glory has gotten to his head," the child thought, at the same time noticing the land disappear and be replaced by ocean. Knowing that they were coming upon their final marker, Videl began relishing the moment she would finally be able to get off this circus ride. "I hope somebody out there will come around and put my dad in his place."
"Don't you worry nothin', doll! I'll win this intergalactic competition with both hands tied behind my back!" Hercule bellowed out, making kissy faces with the bashful flight attendant in his lap and at the same time throwing Cash's son across the way a victory sign. "After all, there's nothing that the Champ can't do! Am I right, little man?!"
"Yeah!" Cash's son, a dorky looking kid with glasses and wearing a sailor's uniform chirped while imitating the man's gesture. "Hercule Satan's the best!"
The show only seemed to annoy Videl even further.
"And soon," the girl concluded. Moments later, the chopper began its final leg.
OOO
(Some time later)
To those who were just touching down on the island serving as the main location for the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament being sponsored by the richest man in the world, X.S Cash, it was almost like they were stepping into the wildest theme park ever. Seriously. It was crazy.
Jets were flying overhead, spewing colored smoke that formed into the head and face of Hercule Satan himself, before the formation of fast-moving craft came back around and cut the cloud to ribbons with their wings in an impressive display of supersonic speed and grace. On top of that, the entire sky was filled with the cloud bursts of fireworks being sent up one after the other, the sounds of their explosions drowned out by the cheers and clamor of the crowds of thousands of people far below.
The sound of festival music blaring away over the speaker phones rounded out the rest of the atmosphere of what could be considered the greatest party the world had ever seen.
On the mainland, people gathered together by the hundreds around countless festival stands and rides, all of which had been set up to accommodate for the large number of visitors arriving by the boatful from all four corners of the globe. Flowing between tents, buildings and carnival rides that were already teeming with excited customers, the ocean of fiesta goers inevitably spilled over to a large pontoon bridge crossing over a wide channel onto a large segment of earth that was, for all intents and purposes, the main stage for this fun gala.
The surface of Battle Island looked like a series of rocks that had been scrambled together and splattered atop a series of towers, pillars and platforms, the edifices of which seemed to blend seamlessly together into something akin to an M.C Escher masterpiece. Aesthetically, it was an impressive art piece. But as sound and flawless as the construct's design appeared on the surface, the mass of land was in fact an artificial island that'd been built by X.S Cash as a theme park-slash-adventure park for the masses. Due to its specially built interior and elaborate outer shell, it'd recently been retrofitted to host a far more prestigious event the likes of which the world has never seen before.
The world's largest martial arts competition in history, the once in a lifetime event featuring Mr. Satan himself, drew a ridiculously large crowd. Its many seats and balconies were already jam-packed with thousands of spectators, eagerly counting down the minutes left to the event's first round of the proceedings.
If it weren't for the island's solid foundations, the entire thing would have caved in on itself. But thanks to its frame and attention to detail, the island held firm, and the atmosphere leading up to the main affair was getting hotter and hotter with every second that ticked by.
"Welcome one and all to Battle Island; home of the very first Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament!" was the announcement that greeted all newcomers to the shores of the hunk of rock and metal. "Today, we will pit the strongest warriors this planet has to offer against the mettle of the most powerful warriors from all four corners of the galaxy, by putting them and the contestants through a series of grueling challenges!"
These were the words that blasted from every speaker in the area as Gohan, Mirai Trunks, Bulma and Chi-Chi made their way through the thick of the crowd to their desired spots. Having arrived at the island only minutes ago, the four of them stepped off of their mode of transport, capsulated it and, after showing their tickets to the staff, made their way over to the registration desk. With the males leading the march, cutting a swath through the hundreds of patiently waiting attendees, the group eventually stopped at an intersection and took note of the sign that would send them down completely different pathways.
Moving left, the pair of mothers faced the two young men beside them who, in turn, also focused their attention on the women.
"Alright boys, good luck out there," Bulma exclaimed, shouldering baby Trunks up her arms as the child cooed away, "And don't forget to have fun." If there was anything she knew about Saiyans, it was that these boys loved to fight.
Seeing the pair beam back in response, Chi-Chi nodded to them proudly, "But more importantly, don't you dare let yourselves get beat. That goes double for you, young man." She added to this by pointing down at her son.
Gohan grinned in response, "I promise I won't let you down, mum."
"We'll be sure to put on a good show for you guys," Trunks replied, giving the women a thumbs-up and watching them accept their words gladly.
"That's the spirit," Bulma giggled before turning to the raven haired woman beside her. "Come on, Chi-Chi. Let's go grab ourselves something to eat and drink. I'm famished."
"Sure."
With one last wave, the two non-combatants turned heel and left, disappearing into the crowd seconds later. Upon seeing the two off, Gohan and Trunks then turned their attention to their path on the right and the ascending staircase that awaited them.