Author's Note: The poll has given me a good idea of where a lot of people stand and, in considering everything that happens during this arc and how people responded following the question I posed, I'm going to do my best to write the future arcs to coincide with not only what my intentions are, but also to the fans of my writing. To be honest, what a lot of people had to say in the reviews aligns with my preferences for the story, so I guess it's a win-win situation either way.
You won't know the full results until later down the line, due to spoilers, so I'm going to do my best to keep the updates rolling from here on out.
Thanks everyone for your support.
Dragonball Z
Golden Age
The Noble Warriors
(Meanwhile)
(Up in Otherworld)
"Man. And I thought the World Martial Arts Tournament was big, but this one takes the cake," the familiar voice of Goku spoke up in amazement. Leaning over the shoulder of his mentor from Otherworld, the man in the orange and blue gi, black spiky hair and golden halo hovering overhead was unable to tear his eyes away from the television as the camera panned over the arena that was Battle Island. "It's like I'm watching an Extreme Elimination Challenge episode back home."
"It may as well be," King Kai replied with a clearly amused look on his face. "The setup for this tournament is completely over the top."
"Yeah. But take a look at the layout," the Saiyan remarked with a whistle. "They have rings and fighting platforms all over the place. No matter where you fall off, you're always going to end up hitting the water."
"I think that's what they're going for," King Kai explained, glancing across at his student with a sagely expression. "The first stage of this competition is designed to be a king-of-the-hill sort of deal, where they pit twenty or so fighters against one another in a massive free-for-all. Whoever is left standing at the end is declared the winner."
"That makes sense," Goku chirped, before looking back at the television with interest.
For the past month Goku, King Kai, Bubbles and Gregory had been holed up on this mountain peak in the middle of snake way, using it as a base as they thought about what they were going to do next. Though they had plans on moving a little further down the line, since their journey was taking so long they decided to stick around here for a little while and have a break. This gave them plenty of time to catch up on current affairs, while also discuss any plans they had for their future in the world of the dead.
It's not like this was a bad place by any stretch of the imagination. The mountain peaking out of the ocean of endless yellow clouds had a really awesome view of the celestial horizon and gave King Kai and co a decent place to sleep. The only bad thing about this place was the reception, which judging from the television they were able to scrounge up wasn't all that great.
Still at least they had some connection. As Bubbles and Gregory played a game of 'Old Maid' on the garden table in the background, Goku and King Kai were able to sit down and enjoy the broadcast that was now being shot up from earth. Ever since they'd heard about some big tournament going down on the planet, they couldn't resist tapping in.
As the live recording panned over the various contestants already gathered on the platforms, King Kai gave a disappointed sniff. "Look at all these jokers. Most of them aren't even interested in fighting the aliens or the Champ in this tournament. They're just in it for the chance to win the prize money." He would bet a Zeni that most of them wouldn't even be able to lift a fifty kilo dumbbell with one hand. Heck, even the 'aliens' waiting for them in the semi-finals weren't actually aliens. They were just a bunch of Hercule's top students that X.S Cash hired to play the role of extra-terrestrial challengers and had them dress up in costumes so people wouldn't recognize them. The entire thing was just one big letdown. "Back in my day, fighting meant a lot more than just an easy paycheck. Now it's become just like every other sport, filled with rookie hopefuls, fakers, phonies, and performers."
"Really?" Goku asked while raising an eyebrow at the screen. "I don't know. Some of these guys look pretty tough."
"By human standards, of course. Out of the hundreds of fighters competing, only about a handful of them would be taking this competition seriously. Your friends and family in particular," King Kai said, a smile forming on his lips. "For them, fighting is a passion and a way of life. Heck, even your son is starting to get in on the action."
This information had Goku's face brighten considerably, "How is my son doing by the way? Is he alright?"
"Oh, he's fine," King Kai chuckled while glancing at his eager old student. "He's been training non-stop over the last couple of weeks since you last got in touch with him. After your battle against the androids, he's been getting stronger and stronger every day."
This news put a smile on Goku's face. "That's my boy." He'd known for a while now that Gohan had been keeping up his training. Even though he was all the way up here, he always made it a point to check in on his family and loved ones every once in a while. His wife and son especially were the two he looked in on the most and, with the help of King Kai, he could always make sure they were doing alright.
"That boy of yours sure is something else. He's growing up to be a fine young warrior with a strong arm and a big heart," King Kai commented, looking back to watch the feed switch over to another platform on the island. "Just like his father." When it did, they saw Tien's face pop into view, as the man was stationed in the center of the crowd with his arms folded and an intimidating visage in play.
Goku beamed down at the screen as it flickered between random cameras, "It's a shame I can't be down there with him."
Though he'd chosen to remain in Otherworld to protect his family and friends from any enemies that were likely to appear searching for him, the Saiyan clearly missed being with his loved ones. It'd been a tough decision to make back then. But with his presence constantly inviting more trouble as if he were the living embodiment of a jinx, Goku felt that he could wait it out a little while and see if there were any changes. Too many lives had already been lost on his account and he wasn't going to take any more chances. They could only be lucky so many times.
He swore he would return in the future. Until then, he was going to make the most of his time here in the netherworld and ready himself for the inevitable confrontation with his wife. The thought of getting screamed at by Chi-Chi again sent a phantom shiver down his spine.
As the pair continued to watch the feed and Goku sat down to get a little more comfortable, they then saw the broadcast switch over to another roaming camera. There, standing in the middle of the platform surrounded by dozens of other fighters, they spotted the distinct form of Gohan, in a controlled Super Saiyan state, chatting with a young girl around the same age as him with raven black hair done into a ponytail.
"Oh. It's Gohan," King Kai exclaimed.
"Yeah," Goku chuckled, his grin widening when the roaming camera zoomed in on his boy. "Hey. He's wearing the same clothes as I am. Chi-Chi must have made them for him."
The Northern guardian beamed warmly at the sight. "Must be his way of honoring you."
Unable to hide the look of pride reflected on his face, Goku then became interested in the girl standing next to his son and stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Huh. I wonder who that is."
A mischievous grin slowly formed across King Kai's face, "It looks like your son has made a new girlfriend."
"Already? At his age?" Goku asked incredulously, drawing a snicker from the Kai that completely went over his head. "Wow. My son works fast." His continued remarks only served to enhance his mentor's amusement.
OOO
(Back on Earth)
If it wasn't already apparent that this island was completely jam-packed with fighters and spectators, it was now. After purchasing some food and drinks from the food court on the levels below, Chi-Chi and Bulma then spent the next half an hour afterwards making their way up to their seats in the viewing balconies. It wasn't easy, seeing as how they had to navigate through an endless sea of civilians flocking in the exact same direction.
Successfully arriving at their destination thanks to the help of the tournament staff, the pair dropped into their seats and made themselves comfortable. A short while later, the announcer's voice blared to life through the intercom.
"Thank you for your patience, ladies and gentlemen! Without further ado, we will now be starting the first round of the tournament!" the charismatic voice of the competition's primary orator announced, drawing a collective cheer from every single person on the island. At the same time, the giant monitors and screens scattered across the staging area lit up with X.S Cash's logo, signaling the start of the contest's official broadcast. "The registration desk is now closed! All fighters and last-minute contenders in the warm-up pavilion please make their way to their assigned platforms to begin the preliminaries!"
"Alright! It's finally starting!" Bulma stated, her excitement being shared by the dozens of other people surrounding her. Readjusting her infant son's position in her arms as he squirmed about, the woman then peered over the side of the railing to gaze down at the stages they could see in front of them. "Let's see if we can spot Gohan and the others out there. If we're lucky they should all be assigned to different blocks."
"That shouldn't be too difficult," Chi-Chi quipped, joining her friend in her task as the screens nearby began listing all the fighters participating in the tournament. Each platform represented a single block on the tally, with all two hundred plus contestants being randomly allocated to each of the eight stages. The entire thing was designed to be a massive battle royale, where this first round of fighting would determine which of the contestants from the eight blocks would be moving on to the quarter finals, where the best from each block would then be pitted against one another. All in all, it was guaranteed to be one hell of a contest.
After a minute of searching the arenas in front of her, Chi-Chi grinned and pointed across the chasm, "Hey! There's Gohan!" Pulling out the two fans she'd brought with her, she began waving them in the air to try and get her son's attention, despite the fact he wasn't even looking in her direction. "Yeah! Go Gohan! I'll be cheering for you, son!"
"I've spotted Trunks out there as well!" Bulma announced immediately afterwards, pointing towards the tower nearby and the ring sitting on top of it. She then looked down at her baby and directed his gaze towards his future counterpart. "Look, sweetie. It's you!" In response the infant Trunks cooed happily, his tiny arms reaching for the platform in question. "Wow. That stage is a lot higher than I was expecting. What's going to happen when people fall off?"
"Ah. I'm sure they'll be fine. They just have to keep their legs straight before they hit the water," the Son mother assured, her eyes panning over the stadium before quickly spotting another familiar face. "I found Krillin!" She caught sight of the man easily; dressed in his signature orange and blue gi with the Turtle Hermit insignia all over it. The fact that he was also the shortest out of all the fighters on his platform and had a completely waxed head meant that he stuck out like a sore thumb. Seeing him wave towards the crowd with a big, cheesy grin on his face had Chi-Chi beam brightly. "He told us a couple of days ago that he would be participating. Since he and Goku fought in so many tournaments before, I'm not surprised he wanted to get involved."
"The enormous prize money must be what brought him here," Bulma murmured, earning a nod of agreement from her fellow mother. "The amount given to the winner and the four runner ups is pretty far out."
"I'm guessing that's why Yamcha is here as well," Chi-Chi added at the end while nodding towards the monitor hanging off of one of the nearby walls.
When Bulma glanced across at the display, she clearly saw her ex-boyfriend hanging around another group of martial artists on a ring that they couldn't see, dressed in his orange and blue gi, and wearing a big smile on his face. After seeing the screen move through the list of names, it then switched over to another platform, where the two mothers quickly made out the familiar face of Tien staring back at the camera, looking as cool and sharp as ever. The next to turn out was Piccolo, who in typical bad-boy Namekian fashion, had his back turned to the audience and his arms crossed. The sight of him actually drew a chuckle from the observing Bulma.
"If Tien and Yamcha are here, that means Oolong, Chiaotzu, Puar and Master Roshi can't be too far behind," Bulma reasoned, knowing that those four always stuck together during group outings. Though two of them never directly participated in the competitions while the other two were classified as retired, it was always refreshing to know their friends were still leading active lifestyles.
"Out of all the fighters here, I believe the only ones who aren't interested in the prize money at all are Piccolo and Tien," Chi-Chi said while crossing her arms. "Those guys are old school. They're just out here to have a little bit of fun."
"Same as Gohan, except he's going after the grand prize just like everybody else," Bulma added at the end, making faces at her youngest son as he went clambering about her arms and shoulders. She then looked across at her ring-side companion fondly. "Considering he's a Saiyan, he won't be satisfied unless he reaches the top and wins, just like his father."
"Speaking of fathers, didn't you ask Vegeta if he wanted to come along as well?" Chi-Chi asked, giving her friend an inquisitive look. "Since this is the last time you guys will be able to see Trunks before he goes back to his time, wouldn't he want to participate in this tournament too?"
Her question had Bulma frown and look away angrily, "Of course not. Whatever passion Vegeta had for fighting is long gone. He just mopes around the house all day and stays locked up in his room for hours on end. Hell, he doesn't even bother to go out to train anymore. I don't know what's going on in that thick head of his."
Looking down thoughtfully, Chi-Chi slowly turned her attention back to the various platforms spread out in front of them. "He hasn't been the same since Goku died."
It was a pretty depressing thought, but what could they possibly do? The man was just going to have to get out of his slump his own way.
XXX
(Meanwhile)
Over on Gohan's platform, the young Super Saiyan in the orange and blue gi was having a very enjoyable conversation with his new friend Videl. Even though they were surrounded by dozens of big and imposing martial artists all gearing up for a fight, the pair still found the time to smile and look cheerful, as they were busy processing every word the other person was speaking to them.
Judging from their current expressions, it was safe to say they were really having fun chatting with each other, being in their element and all.
"So you've been practicing martial arts ever since you were four as well, huh?" Gohan asked, hands on his hips as he saw the raven haired girl nod in response. "That's pretty cool. You must really like fighting then?"
"What can I say? It runs in the family," Videl informed with a shrug, at the same time crossing her arms in front of her. "Not only was my dad a fighter, but my mum was a martial artist too. That's how the two of them first met."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. Years ago my father was training a group of students at a small gym that he owned in the city. It was the same place my mum regularly visited in between work, because she liked the atmosphere and it wasn't so overcrowded. When my mum came over to spar with him, not only did she manage to win, but she put him on his back in the first throw. Up until then that was the first time my dad had ever been beaten by anyone in a one-on-one fight."
"She must have been a really strong woman to have done that," Gohan remarked cheerfully, finding the girl's story to be very interesting.
"My mum did judo all throughout high school while my dad practiced karate," Videl continued, her smile widening as she gazed at the boy in front of her. "He fell in love with mum at first sight and the two of them ended up running the gym together before they had me. From the stories they told and the pictures they showed me, I could tell they were really happy." It was then a sad look came over Videl's face and she looked away momentarily, a sight that did not go amiss by the studious Gohan. "Mum… passed away a couple years ago."
Gohan's own expression saddened at this news and he lowered his head, "I'm sorry."
Taking a deep breath, the raven haired girl looked up again. "Things weren't the same after that… especially between me and dad. When I was younger I used to love hanging out with him and training at his gym. But as the months went bym he started acting more and more arrogant and idiotic. It just got worse the more famous he became… and now all he ever does is show off and act like a big-shot- both in and outside the house." Videl then shook her head furiously, as memories of those times started flashing in her head like a strobe. "Dancing around in the ring, bragging to the cameras, bringing home new women every night… if mum saw how he was now, I bet she'd give him a good, hard punch to the face."
Remaining quiet for a moment as the clamor of the crowds in the background continued, Gohan then gave the girl a sympathetic look. After all, he couldn't deny the fact that he knew how she felt. "Maybe doing all of that is just your dad's way of coping with things. I mean… everyone reacts differently when they lose someone close to them, especially someone that they really love." His expression fell somewhat when his own memories of past losses came back to him. "I should know. And... after hearing what you have to say, acting out the way he does probably helps your dad get through the day."
"Yeah. Maybe," Videl murmured, her expression softening briefly before scrunching back up again, "But it's still embarrassing! I hate it!"
Gohan nodded in understanding. "I can only imagine."
Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, the upset girl quickly realized where her conversation had led her and she quickly turned to give the blonde teen an apologetic look. "Sorry for going off at you like that, Gohan. I… I guess I'm still just a little angry at how my dad's been acting over the last couple of weeks."
The Saiyan tilted his head and gave the tomboy a warm smile. "That's okay. If my listening helps make you feel better in any way, then I'm more than happy to lend you an ear." He then nodded to her assuredly and lifted his hand in a sincere gesture. "I promise I won't tell a soul."
A sense of gratitude and admiration became reflected in Videl's eyes as she smiled softly at the blond. "Thanks, Gohan."
"Don't mention it."
Before either of the two youngsters could talk about anything else, the voice of the tournament announcer blared across the island. "The preliminary round of the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament will now begin! All fighters take your positions!"
"Oh. Guess that's our cue," Gohan chirped, stretching his arms out and shaking his hands to loosen them up. Watching the fighters on the ring spread out and find a space to start, the Super Saiyan then shot Videl one of his more charming smiles. "So, you wanna take these guys together or-?"
"I'll let you handle the meatheads on the right. I've got the group on the left," Videl interjected, cracking her knuckles before shooting her newfound friend a competitive smirk. "We can continue our talk later. After I've beaten my lot, I'm coming for you next, blondie."
Gohan smirked back at her when he sensed the challenging tone in her voice and responded in kind. "You sound so confident. Are you sure you'll be able to take them on all by yourself?"
"Of course," Videl retorted with a grin, "How about you?"
The teen chuckled, "Definitely."
After giving each other one last grin, the pair then spun around and stood back-to-back, assuming their respective fighting stances as their feet dug into the tiles. While Videl's fighting pose appeared Muay Thai based, Gohan's stance reflected the Hung Ga style, emphasizing solid leg positions and strong hands. The pair then waited with game faces on, counting down the seconds to the starting gun as the rest of the martial artists also readied themselves.
For a brief moment, the crowds went silent at the same time the clocks on all the monitors counted down from five.
Then, moments later, the starting horn sounded and a combined roar went up from every single person present as every single martial artist present sprang into action.
The fight was on!
XXX
All of Battle Island erupted into a scene of utter chaos and excitement, as the men and women dominating the spectator stands watched the two hundred fighters clash with each other in a flurry of blows. Atop the eight separate platforms, every single competitor in sight engaged in an awesome display of fighting finesse, skill and strength, desperately wanting to secure a place in the quarterfinal rounds. At the same time the fighters made sure to stay as far away from the edges as possible, in order to avoid the hundred foot drop into the ocean.
As warriors battled and blows landed, the referee overseeing the matches screamed into his mic, giving up-to-date commentary on the events taking place on each of the platforms and reminding all those present the rules of the competition. They were no different from the traditional martial arts tournament guidelines; fighters were disqualified if they fainted, surrendered, or fell into the sea. Killing was absolutely prohibited, as was the use of weapons. The last one left standing on each stage would automatically earn them a place in the next round.
After the first fifteen minutes flew by and the audience continued to egg the contestants on, dozens of fighters began to fall, as the strongest warriors began making their presences known. The crowds went wild as they watched the most skilled, powerful and agile fighters cut a path through the competition, knocking down body after body like pins in a bowling alley.
On one platform, a large anthropomorphic wolverine in a red gi was taking down fighters left and right and looked as though he was going to win it for his entire block. But almost immediately after dispatching two other fighters, the man suddenly found himself cornered on the edge, where he was promptly pushed off and thrown into the water. On a second platform not too far away, the massive sumo-wrestler Doskoi went head-to-head with his entire block, as every single man and woman there attempted to force the warrior into the sea. With a quick grab and a mighty toss, he was able to get rid of almost half the competition and sent all of them plummeting into the ocean below, which earned him an exclamation of delight from the audience.
It was pandemonium. All around fighters were having at it one-on-one, two-on-one, free for all, one-on-ten, and so on and so forth, all of them trying their very best to be the last ones left standing. Men and women were beating on each other without hesitation. At first things started off clumsy and chaotic, but as the fights went on the competitors started to find their paces.
As always the cameras and the news crews captured everything, ensuring none of the spectators on the island or across the world missed a single shot. The Cash family that was currently held up in the skybox were completely captivated by the spectacle, save for their son who was a little too preoccupied with chatting with Hercule Satan.
This meant that the Champ as well as little Monty completely missed the sight of the Z-fighters kicking complete and total ass on all the stages.
Having a ball in the madness of it all, the cheerful and obviously enthusiastic Krillin was cleaning house of his entire platform. Jumping from spot to spot in a blur as individual sections of his ring were constantly moving up and down, the short fighter made short work of the competition, knocking out opponents with only a handful of halfhearted blows. Hell, the man wasn't putting any effort behind his attacks, as it was made clear by the big smile on his face and the fact that he managed to send one of his targets flying off the block and into the ocean with a swift flick to his chest.
"And the crowd goes wild as rookie sensation Krillin from East City sinks his fifteenth shot!" the bald fighter laughed, turning towards one of the nearby roaming cameras and giving the spectators a thumbs-up. "That's Krillin with two Ls, by the way, and I like my paychecks to be hand-delivered to me by a pair of beautiful supermodels in swimsuits. Thank you." The Z-fighter then casually leant back, avoiding a punch from an opportunistic boxer and kicking the man into the sky.
All of a sudden, a loud cheer from the crowd drew Krillin's attention to the stands, where he saw the familiar form of Chi-Chi, dressed in her purple and yellow gi, standing on the railing and waving a pair of fans through the air.
"GO GOHAN! BEAT EM' ALL! YOU CAN DO IT!"
It was upon spotting his best friend's wife, Krillin's eagerness took an immediate nosedive. "Wha? Gohan's fighting?" He looked down at his hands in disbelief. "But he's a Super Saiyan? That's not fair!" Obviously he'd had no idea the strongest person on the face of the planet was competing today. And here he thought he had a straight shot to winning the hundred million zeni prize money.
Feeling the sensation of imminent and eventual defeat slowly creeping up on him, another battle cry from nearby drew Krillin's gaze to a different part of the island. Behind one of the obstructing towers, he saw the bodies of hapless martial artists being flung over the side and into the ocean, upon which he then sensed the powerful ki of their Namekian teammate at the center of the anomaly.
The realization had Krillin's face pale. "P-Piccolo too?" Gulping, the teary-eyed man then cracked a nervous smile. "Well at least Trunks isn't here." The sound of multiple bodies hitting the ground behind him had the martial artist spin around. Seeing a pile of unconscious contestants lying on the ground, the Z-fighter then looked up, where he saw the unmistakable form of Mirai Trunks, long lavender hair and blue vest flowing in the wind, looking over the side. The sight of the grinning Saiyan had Krillin deflate miserably. "Oh, me and my big mouth. This is now officially unfair."
XXX
Elsewhere on the island, Gohan was having the time of his life. Darting across his platform at a relaxed and laidback pace, the young Super Saiyan was given ample opportunity to practice his control and fighting technique, as he dealt out the most generous beating that he could on the multitude of opponents in his general area. Normally he would've been able to take all of these guys out in one hit. However, this being a festive event where use of deadly force wasn't allowed and there wasn't anything life-threatening taking place, Gohan opted to use his match to get some worthwhile training in.
Hopping from one area of the ring to the other the teen struck down his targets with a cheerful smile on his face. From the way he was moving it almost looked as though he was floating, dancing across the ring in a superb display of fighting tact and form, his feet barely touching the tiles. While this was indeed true from a normal human perspective, in reality he wasn't doing anything other than using textbook fighting techniques.
Catching a kick from a man in a karate gi, Gohan held the man's ankle and swept his other leg out from under him, kicking the fighter off his feet and sending him bouncing across the ground. Almost immediately after dispatching the bald fighter he then darted towards a second martial artist in a yellow spandex suit and, avoiding a swift punch from the bulky warrior, elbowed him in the stomach. His attack sent the hapless man flying into two other people, bowling them over the edge and sending all three men into the water.
After hearing their simultaneous splashes seconds later, the grinning Gohan then turned his attention towards another part of the ring, where he stopped short at a rather bewildering sight.
Ducking under several big swings thrown by a large, bulky man in a Mexican wrestling uniform, the comparatively diminutive form of Videl rushed in at her opponent, hiking up his forward leg and torso before, with a sharp pivot and grab, kneed the man square in the face and sent him toppling to the floor. When his body hit the tiles with a dull thud, the tiny girl landed on top of him, before springing off of his chest when she was set upon by another man in a red singlet and trousers.
The muscular man with the military cut jabbed out at the girl with a series of swift punches, showing the prowess and agility of a boxer. But the instant he threw a kick in the midst of his assault, Videl simply checked his leg, sprang off of the ground, and nailed him with an overhand from above. Her fist cracked across the martial artist's face and knocked him out. When she landed and the fighter's body hit the deck, the grinning girl caught a punch being thrown at her from behind and, with a sharp tug, kicked the feet out from the judo practitioner and threw him across the ring.
"Wow," Gohan murmured, his expression showcasing nothing but amazement. "She's good… better than good. Her technique is fantastic!"
Not wanting to be outdone the Saiyan rushed towards another pair of fighters, tackling one with a swift elbow to the gut that knocked the guy off his feet. Ducking a punch from the other brawler, Gohan then leapt at him, struck him twice in the face with two finger-flicks before then poking him in the stomach and sending him tumbling across the ring. He then ducked a grab from a woman in black spandex from behind, caught her by the front of her top and chucked her into another fighter, knocking both of them to the floor.
He then moved right on to the next one, repeating the process over and over again…
XXX
While Tien was casually picking apart the competition on his block and Piccolo was in the process of wrapping things up on his end, across the island on another platform, one of the other Z-fighters had stopped to have a bit of a break. However, rather than having it down on the arena floor with the rest of the competition, this one had decided to take his up to the top of one of the nearby radio towers.
His gi clad form laid out on the surface of the giant transmitter, the noticeably miserable Yamcha breathed a heavy sigh of disappointment. "I can't believe Gohan and Trunks entered the tournament," the man sulked, his eyes fixated on the sky above. "One-hundred million beautiful zeni, gone."
He'd also found out that Piccolo, Tien and Krillin had entered the tournament as well. While he had no problems having to compete with his two human teammates, the Namekian was a completely different story. After all, he was part of what he referred to as Earth's power triangle; the top three strongest fighters currently on the planet. This wasn't even counting the time traveler from the future, who was just visiting the crew for the month.
Even so the human's position in the pecking order was made all too clear. So, instead of continuing on with what he now viewed as a pointless feud, the man simply kicked back with his hands behind his head and sighed.
"Oh well. It was a nice dream while it lasted," the man mumbled to himself. "Man. And I really wanted that new corvette…"
XXX
Seeing her ex-boyfriend lying on top of the nearby spire on the monitor drew a sympathetic smile from Bulma. "Poor Yamcha. He had so much energy before, but now he's completely lost his drive."
"The pressure of the competition must be overwhelming," Chi-Chi spoke, chancing a guess as to what must be getting under the scar-faced man's skin. A smile reflecting confidence formed on her lips as she crossed her arms and looked back out over the multiple battle stages. "After finding out the others are also fighting in this tournament, I'm not surprised he's decided to throw in the towel."
Feeling a sense of pride wash over her, Bulma gave a very haughty look. "True. How can anyone expect to beat Trunks?"
Hearing the woman's sly remark loud and clear, Chi-Chi got right up into her friend's face and glared, "Except Gohan!"
Sitting comfortably in his mother's arm, Baby Trunks quickly found himself caught in the middle of an epic stand-off, as Chi-Chi and Bulma began glaring daggers at one another. Menacing auras quickly surrounded the two women as they snarled at each other, obviously at odds over whose son was going to win the tournament. Clearly it wasn't just the Saiyan husbands who had the capacity to form rivalries with one another.
The crowd of spectators sitting around the two women became so caught up in their passive-aggressive motherly catfight that they completely missed the feed of the sumo wrestler Doskoi knocking one of his opponents into the spire Yamcha was lying on and sending the Z-fighter plummeting into the ocean.
The whistle quickly sounded the defeat of the former mercenary, but was chiefly ignored by the rest of the fighters up top as they continued their fray.
Cheers went up amongst the civilians as they watched Doskoi lay out his opponents with several well-placed palm strikes and pushes. When another group attempted to set upon him from behind, he simply pushed them over the edge of the arena and into the water. As soon as they went in, it looked as though the colossal warrior was well on his way to being the last man standing.
However, the large martial artist quickly spotted another fighter standing in the middle of his platform, surrounded by a dozen other bodies who'd all been beaten into unconsciousness. Turning his attention to them, the bulky, rotund fighter cracked his neck and set himself into a wide stance.
"You've done well to make it this far, little lady," Doskoi said in a deep, booming voice, seeing the blonde woman in the blue jeans, white shirt and vest stare back at him with her arms crossed. "But I'm afraid this is as far as you go. I apologize in advance." After grinding his feet into the floor, he then charged towards the woman with a mighty yell.
Moments later Doskoi's body collided with the lithe blonde with the force of a charging herd of elephants, a loud thud and a gust of wind blasting off of him from the impact. From the crowd's point of view it seemed like the wrestler had completely crushed his foe. But much to everyone's shock, including the challenger's, they saw he was being held back by his opponent; the mysterious blonde beauty effortlessly holding him at arm's length with her palm pressed flat up against his chest.
"What? B-But… how?" the man choked out in shock.
Her sharp, piercing blue eyes fixed upon the big man's face, the female then gave one, quick push and casually shoved her opponent away, sending Doskoi rolling across the platform and over the side.
When his body hit the waves with a towering splash, there was a moment of deathly silence, seconds before the crowd sitting in the stands gave a massive cheer of praise and excitement.
Flicking locks of golden hair over her shoulder, Android 18 breathed a bored sigh as she answered her opponent's question. "I'm just better." She then narrowed her eyes over her shoulder, as she sensed two more fighters step into view. Seeing they were a boxer and an MMA fighter, the young woman huffed in annoyance. "The prize money better be worth all this…"
XXX
A loud rumble and a collective cry of terror filled the air as an entire group of fighters on the lowest battle platform were piled together before unceremoniously being pushed into the sea. While the crowds cheered at the astonishing feat of strength, when the dust atop the platform settled, it revealed the human battle plow Son Gohan with his hands on his hips and a big grin on his face.
"That takes care of them," the blonde spoke, before the young Super Saiyan looked over his shoulder. "Twenty eight down… and only one more to go." His enthusiastic grin then fell upon Videl, whom he saw was holding an unconscious wrestler by the collar of his spandex as he lay on the ground with a busted nose and a swollen eye.
Her eyes also fixed on Gohan, the tomboy then released the man she was holding and cracked her knuckles, a determined look appearing on her face. "You actually beat them. Nice work."
"Ditto," the young Saiyan chirped, before quickly turning to her with a smirk. "So… did you save enough energy for me?"
Turning to face her adversary completely, Videl balled her fists and grinned, "Let's find out." Smile disappearing in an instant, the eleven year old fighter then dashed towards her final opponent with surprising speed, a cloud of dust kicking up behind her.
Balking at how fast the girl actually was, Gohan took a step back and quickly head-slipped a series of swift punches thrown at him by his opponent. When the girl fired off a right straight at him, the adolescent quickly caught her wrist and spun her, striking at her with a hook. Videl however ducked his half-hearted blow and leapt at him with a cartwheel kick, the maneuver causing Gohan to lean back and inadvertently allow the girl to twist out of his thumb.
The second she leapt away from her foe, Videl darted at him a second time, moving in a zigzag pattern to avoid the two punches Gohan thrust at her, before she came at him from below. When the Saiyan struck at her with a hook, the tomboy caught his fist and leapt over him, twisting and suspending her body over his till she was directly vertical to the Saiyan.
With her momentum she attempted to twist Gohan into a submissive position on her descent, but found to her shock that the young man's arm would not budge. She released him, allowing her to drop back down to the floor behind the teen and restart her attack. The moment Videl landed she sprang at the hybrid, only to catch a knee that he thrust towards her. Jumping off of it using her hands, the tomboy retaliated with a slicing elbow to his temple, which connected with Gohan's arm when he blocked it while simultaneously knocking her back.
Dodging two swift jabs and a palm strike from the boy, Videl slipped around him in a circle and, with a quick twirl, slammed a right roundhouse kick into his side. The girl balked when she saw the boy catch her leg and lock it up under his limb, prompting her to spring off the ground and jump at him, burying her knees into his chest. Locking her right arm around his neck, Videl then brought her left arm up and thrust an elbow down onto his head. But the blonde deflected her blow with his forearm, allowing Videl to free her leg from him and springboard off of his face, her feet instead slamming into his arms when he blocked.
Videl back flipped through the air and landed on the floor in a crouched position, huffing and shooting her opponent an excited smile.
Watching Videl assume a very cat-like crouch, the perfectly calm Gohan cracked a smile of his own. "Nice moves." He then raised an eyebrow at her. "Muay Thai and Judo?"
"With a little bit of Hapkido and gymnastics on the side," Videl replied, before then raising an eyebrow at the boy. "You're pretty full of surprises yourself, blondie. Xing Yi Quan and Changquan? That's pretty damn old school." She recognized his fighting styles right away from her research on martial arts.
"And Hung Ga and Long Xing Quan," Gohan added with a smirk, sliding his foot out and bringing his hands up using wide, circular movements. "Personally I always preferred Northern Long Fist above everything else. It allows me more freedom of movement and flexibility."
"I bet it does," Videl chirped, before springing off of the floor and dashing at her opponent once again.
Switching to the smoother style of taijiquan, the still beaming Gohan began steadily backing away, allowing Videl to attack him with all her might. Using textbook kickboxing skills and attacks, the aggressive girl struck out at the Saiyan with a flurry of sharp punches and kicks. Despite her efforts, all of her blows either missed or were completely deflected as her opponent slipped and weaved between her shots. It was then Videl noticed as they were drawing closer and closer to the edge of the arena that her opponent was still smiling at her and looking as though he wasn't putting any effort into defending himself at all.
Watching the boy check a roundhouse kick, the frustrated Videl took a step back and shot a glare at the young teenager. "Come on. Are you taking this fight seriously at all? What's your deal?"
"Sorry," Gohan apologized, a smile still present on his face as he looked down at the winded tomboy. "It's just that if I was to use all my strength against you, I'd do more than just break a few bones. Trust me. I am taking this seriously, but not too seriously." He then chuckled at the quizzical look Videl threw him. "You'll understand in a couple minutes."
Frowning, the raven haired fighter lowered her stance, "Cut the crap. If you're really so strong, then why don't you just beat me already?"
"If I did then I wouldn't be able to enjoy watching you fight," Gohan answered, his words causing Videl to recoil in surprise. "You have really amazing technique, Videl… the best I've seen from another fighter in a long time. I bet if you were a lot stronger and could do the same stuff that I could, you would be even more amazing."
Feeling her face heat up slightly at the boy's compliments towards her form, the girl then gritted her teeth and leapt at him aggressively. "Just shut up and fight me!" She then lunged in with a punch, only to let out a shriek when Gohan suddenly caught her arm and flung her over the edge. She screamed as she plummeted towards the ocean, quickly realizing as she fell that this was the end and shut her eyes for the inevitable splash.
But just when it seemed like she was going to hit the water, Videl suddenly felt someone grab her hand and stop her fall, causing her to blink and look up. When she did, she saw Gohan floating above her, holding her by the hand with a bright smile in play. It was one he reserved solely for his gutsy opponent.
"Perhaps another time," the Saiyan said.
Confused at seeing the boy hovering over her, Videl quickly turned her gaze downwards. It was then when she saw the ocean waves crashing against the island walls and boats beneath her that the girl realized that she was floating, causing her to gasp in disbelief and look up at the boy who was holding her with a start.
"G-Gohan. You're… You're flying!" Videl exclaimed, unable to hide her amazement.
Grinning, the demi-Saiyan slowly maneuvered both of them over to one of the walkways below, where he then began a slow descent. "You were right about one thing, Videl; I am full of surprises. When you come from a family like mine and know the people that I do, you tend to pick up a few things."
It was then as she was staring up at the child that flashbacks of a very familiar event flickered through her head, as Videl's brain began replaying the memories of the time she watched the Cell Games at her home. She remembered the strange group of fighters that'd showed up, the man that'd fought the monster after her father, and the "tricks" and "illusions" they displayed when they clashed in a battle that shook the very planet itself. It was then she remembered the one other person that was there; the boy around her age with striking green eyes and blond hair.
That moment she realized…
"Y-You're him," Videl whispered, her eyes shimmering in amazement as she felt the wind rush past them as they floated down from the sky. "You're… the boy who fought Cell."
Gohan nodded and, as he gently set Videl on the walkway, spoke his next words softly to her. "I really meant what I said to you- that you're an awesome fighter. If it's okay with you, Videl, I'd really like to meet up again after the tournament. Unless you've got something else planned."
Her eyes not leaving Gohan's for a second, taking in both his handsome smile and the way his eyes were gazing intently at her, Videl was unable to keep the heat from rushing to her cheeks as she swallowed nervously and gave the blonde a warm smile of her own. "Sure. I'd like that, Gohan-kun."
Nodding, the young warrior let the girl's fingers slip from his hand and he floated back up to his arena. "Thanks for a great fight, Videl." With that said and done, the young Super Saiyan then returned to his platform under the astonished looks of Videl and the entire stadium.
As the daughter of the Champ watched her newfound friend return to their block, she vaguely overheard the observing referee's whistle blow, telling her that she was 'out of bounds' and that she'd been 'disqualified'. She didn't care however, because as far as she was concerned she'd just met the nicest, most incredible boy in the whole world.
For some reason she could feel her heart racing and her head pulsing, but she chose to disperse all thoughts on the strange sensations and, retreating from the walkway of stunned onlookers, quickly began making her way up to the spectator stands to watch the rest of the fights.
"There's no way I'm going to miss this," Videl thought excitedly as she sprinted up the stairs and into the island.
"Son Gohan is the first to pass the preliminaries and will be advancing into the quarter finals!"
XXX
As cheers echoed throughout the stadium at the first victor for the day, not long afterwards a second announcement was made, which was heard all across the stands and shoreline, including the Cash family skybox.
"And pulling into second place from Block C, Trunks advances!"
For the wealthy family and proprietors of this prestigious event, they regarded the first two winners with awe and interest. Including the sight of young Gohan winning his round with a gentlemanly gesture to the Champ's daughter of all people, it'd been stellar performances all around. The family as well as the tournament officials and promoters couldn't have hoped for any better.
As for the great Hercule Satan however, his reaction was a mixture of abject shock and horror. Having initially dropped his fork in incredulity at seeing his daughter lose, it was the way that she'd been beaten that filled his heart with dread as he was now staring up at the projection of Son Gohan and Trunks in utter bewilderment. Swallowing the spaghetti in his mouth so that he didn't choke, the wide-eyed champion of the world shook his head in disbelief.
"Th-This… can't be…" the afro fighter whispered, his eyes panning towards another monitor on the other side of the viewing area.
There he saw one of the moving platforms tilt and dump all of its contestants into the ocean, save for one other person. Managing to hang on through a combination of strength, luck, and grit, when the stage eventually returned to normal equilibrium, a stunned and relieved Krillin gave a victorious grin toward the surrounding cameras, as he was officially announced as the last man standing on his block.
"Contestant Krillin has made it through to the quarter finals!"
"It… It's them… the ones from the Cell Games!" Hercule thought, a river of sweat beginning to pour down his face as he backed into his chair before standing. Despite nearly knocking it over, not a single person in that sky box seemed to take notice of the terrified look on his face. Not even Cash's son, who was currently preoccupied with his food. "Wh-Why in the world are they here?"
Did they want revenge from him for stealing their spotlight? Were they after his title? Were they aiming to discredit him in the tournament and show the world that he was a fraud? Hundreds of these questions began flying through the man's head a mile a minute, sending a cold chill throughout his body and causing his face to pale. During which time, another victor was announced to the stadium.
"And Piccolo is headed for the next round as well!"
The sight of the fearsome Namekian had the trembling Hercule clamp his hand over his mouth in horror and turn away to bite his hand. Once again his actions went conveniently unnoticed by the people in the skybox as the poor man whimpered pathetically to himself.
"This is… some kind of horrible dream. A nightmare. It has to be. There's no other explanation."
Almost on cue, two more names were thrown up onto the board. "Tien Shinhan and Ms Eighteen have also made the cut! What a stunning turn of events!"
XXX
The preliminary matchups were quickly wrapped up as the last of the advancers were decided shortly thereafter. As soon as their battles came to an end, the quarter finalists were then escorted down to the lowest platform on Battle Island, where every single camera and spectator were directed to capture the coming round. Gathering in the fighter's waiting area, the Z-fighters quickly did a head-count on who'd made it and who hadn't.
While Tien stood off to the side with Piccolo, lamenting on the fact that his friend Yamcha had been knocked out in the first round yet again, they along with Krillin couldn't help but notice Android 18 was also standing amongst them, not looking particularly interested in anything.
Arms folded and completely oblivious to the attention she was receiving from a lot of the men around her, all of whom found her appearance absolutely enchanting, a nervous Krillin gulped and slowly approached the blonde. When he stopped beside her, he saw the female's gaze turn to him.
"H-Hey there, Eighteen," Krillin greeted, rubbing the back of his head anxiously as he looked up at the beautiful android. "Long time no see. How are you?"
Expression remaining mostly unchanged, the woman turned away with a grunt, "Fine, I guess."
"Man. I didn't expect to see you competing today. I suppose you're here for the prize money like the rest of us, huh?" the man asked.
In response Android 18 shrugged, "Sort of. I saw this competition on the news a few days ago and figured I should come by to check it out… see what it's like." She then flicked some hair back over her shoulder. "It's not like I really had anything better to do."
"Well… it's always nice to get out in the world and have a walk around… or in our case fly," Krillin remarked with a bit of a laugh. "Considering who else is here today, I doubt I'll be able to get very far in this competition. The best I can hope to do against these guys is flail about uselessly. But I'm sure you'll get through to the finals no problem."
Feeling her cheeks heat up a little, the blonde woman casually shrugged off his compliment as if it were a regular thing. "Yeah. Duh."
Feeling happy to hear the woman was at least bantering with him, the bald fighter then gave her a pleasant grin, "You're looking great by the way." His sincere comment earned a look from Eighteen, followed shortly by a warm smile.
"Thanks."
While Gohan watched his father's best friend conversing with the stunning android, he then noticed the monitor nearby flicker into life and a list of all the advancing contestants appear on screen. Moments later the monitor showed an image of all the quarter finalist's pictures and profiles arranged into a tally, showing everyone around the world who would be fighting who in the rounds to come.
"Thank you for waiting, ladies and gentlemen! The match ups for the eight quarter finalists have now been decided! In the first round we have young Son Gohan versus the mighty Udo! Second matchup is between rookie sensation Trunks and former martial arts champion Tien Shinhan! After that, Piccolo and Krillin will battle against one another in the third round, while in the fourth we have Ms Eighteen and Sky Dragon competing for the final spot! I'm sure we're in for some amazing performances from these fierce warriors!"
As the crowds began clamoring with excitement and making bets with the officials as to who would be advancing into the next rounds, a previously at ease Krillin gaped in disbelief.
"What? I'm fighting Piccolo?" The man then groaned and visibly let his shoulders drop. "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any." His remarks earned an amused smile from Android 18.
When the man looked across at where Piccolo was standing, he saw the Namekian shoot him a smirk. This only served to increase the bald fighter's misery.
With their names and profiles announced the referee then called up the first two contestants, Gohan and Udo casually making their way onto the stage. The crowds cheered and applauded encouragingly when the pair stepped out onto the circular platform. But as soon as the people saw the two martial artists stand against one another, all the cries of celebration quickly dispersed.
The man Gohan was set to fight against was a giant of a warrior; a burly wrestler with an enormous stature, heavy jaw, blonde hair and bushy mustache. Wearing a pair of blue fighting boots and a red speedo, the very western martial artist practically towered over his younger, smaller opponent, looking like he could beat anyone simply by stepping on them. Needless to say it was a pretty grim situation.
Despite facing off against such an imposing and menacing foe, Gohan didn't appear fazed in the slightest and simply stared back at the yellow-haired man.
Videl meanwhile, having found a spot up on one of the baloneys above, hung over the side and called out in support of her blond friend. "Go Gohan! Don't hurt him too badly!" Her confidence in him was high. After fighting with him head to head, she knew that he was more than capable of dealing with this brute.
Clearing his throat, the supervising referee yelled into the mic, "Contestants take your stances!"
Raising an eyebrow at the child standing in his shadow, the thoroughly disappointed Udo huffed, "Huh. I'm fighting a baby? This has got to be some kind of joke." Making a note to see his agent later onwards, the man then placed his hands on his hips and leered at his opponent intimidatingly. "Hey, listen kid, I'm not too keen on pummeling children. However, since I'm a man of good sport, I'll be more than happy to dance around for a bit and give you a couple of free shots. How does that sound?"
Gohan chuckled at the man's offer, "You don't have to pull any punches against me, sir. Believe me, I can take them." Placing his fist into his open palm, he then bowed respectfully to the martial artist. "Let's have a good match."
A tick-mark formed on Udo's forehead as he felt like he was being messed with. "Heh. You've got a lot of guts kid… and I'm gonna show them to yah!" The second the bell went, the man leaned down for a grab.
The second he saw his foe move, Gohan acted. Casually darting forward in a blur, Gohan lazily swept the man's feet out from under him, sending the poor wrestler flying off of the platform. Like a cannon-ball, the stunned Udo let out a cry of fright as he was propelled from the ring, crashing through a solid wall of rock and a spectator stand before his body went soaring over the ocean and into the distance.
The splash he made several seconds later could be seen about two kilometers away.
The entire island sat in stunned silence, while Chi-Chi sprang from her seat and jabbed her fist into the air, "Boo-yah! That's my son! Woo!"
Elsewhere, Videl, at first appearing dumbfounded from the blonde's decisive win, then clenched her fists and raised them in the air triumphantly, "Yes! That was awesome, Gohan!" Damn. She figured the kid was strong. She didn't realize he was THAT strong. "Wow. He's amazing."
XXX
Upon making a literal impression in the audience and on the island itself in the shape of a large, Udo-shaped hole, Gohan happily vacated the ring and high-fived Trunks on the way back into the waiting room. This cleared the way for the next two contestants called onto the stage moments later by the referee, who needed to take a moment to process what had just happened in the first match.
"N-Next we have Trunks and Tien Shinhan! Fighters, please take your positions!" the man shouted, a little too late as both martial artists were already out on the platform and warming themselves up.
Watching on a television in the food court inside the island, an intently listening Chiaotzu, Oolong and Puar waited with anticipation as their next pair of teammates readied themselves for their match. Looking at the way they were stretching and facing off against one another, they were more than eager to get this fight underway.
"Yeah! Go Tien," the little mime fighter spoke as he sat at his table with drink in hand.
Chewing loudly on a kebab, the bored looking pig in the Hawaiian top waved his stick in the air flippantly, "Though it's obvious who's going to win, it's always good to stay positive."
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Oolong," the floating cat Puar chirped as she hovered around her pig friend's seat.
Master Roshi meanwhile, not really paying attention to the competition, was trying to hit on some young girls gathered at the table nearby. Unfortunately as he was trying to put the usual old man moves on them by asking what kind of swimsuits they wore, he was quickly chased away by a pepper spray, which had him running to the bathroom to wash his eyes out.
Back out on the arena, the two Z-fighters had finished preparations. Knowing that this was where the real battle was about to begin, Tien promptly removed his white shirt and tossed it away, revealing his scarred, muscular body to his foe. After a few more deep breaths and shoulder rolls, the three-eyed fighter smiled at his opponent.
"Hey, Trunks. Whaddaya say we give these people a good show?"
In response, the lavender haired warrior from the future nodded, "Sure. Whenever you're ready."
Under the cheers and exclamations of the crowd, the starting horn blared. The moment it did, both Trunks and Tien vanished into two fast-moving blurs, which bounded up the island from platform to platform before intercepting one another in the sky above. The moment the two fighters collided, shockwaves rang out as the pair engaged one another in a furious dogfight of lightning fast blows and parries.
Darting through the sky faster than the human eye could see, Tien and Trunks traded attacks in a superb display of aerial combat, trading and deflecting attacks one after the other. Crisscrossing one another multiple times in an attempt to catch the other off guard, the half-Saiyan suddenly spun at Tien with a kick, forcing the human to dodge and slip behind the warrior.
Seeing an opening, Tien rushed in with a blur of palm strikes and kicks, only to watch Trunks slip between his blows before countering with a spin kick from the side. The lightning fast blow connected with the triclops's chest, causing a sonic boom to ring out and sending the human plummeting towards the ocean. But just before Tien could hit the water, the man corrected himself mid-fall and swiftly regained altitude, tearing a trench across the surface of the water before shooting back up into the air.
XXX
Up in Cash's skybox, which had attached itself to one of the island's walls, the family and reporters inside looked on in astonishment as the contestants on screen disappeared from the arena's surface and reappeared in the sky above the island. It was here the specially designed cameras from Capsule Corp did their best to track the fighters as they became locked in a furious fist fight above the landmass.
The crowds were stunned, as was X.S Cash, Lotta and their son Monty.
"Th-They're fighting in midair," the husband remarked in disbelief. Though he was unable to understand what the heck was going on, all he knew was that it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.
Appearing nervous as well, Lotta turned to her husband inquisitively. "Honey, are you sure they're not using wires?" Her question was promptly silenced when a shockwave from the two Z-fighters went off close to their sky box and rattled the balcony, drawing startled yelps from all the family members present.
More sonic booms lit up the sky over the island as both Tien and Trunks chased each other and clashed between the structures, neither one wanting to lose ground. While they were careful to keep all of their attacks away from the audience, they certainly weren't going easy on their opponents either and were determined to knock the other person out of the competition.
Alarmed at the startling turn of events, the reporter Charlotte, who was sharing the skybox along with a couple other crews, approached a nervous-looking Hercule Satan and held the mic out to him. Having the device unexpectedly shoved into his face drew a startled cry from the man.
"Mr. Satan. Can you please comment on these extraordinary events?" the brown haired reporter asked as calmly as she could. "How are these two men able to defy the laws of gravity and battle one another above the island?"
Initially unable to form a response, the Champ quickly shook himself out of his reverie and barked out an answer, "It's a simple parlor trick! You just make a quick change with smoke and mirrors and what-GAAAAH!" The man was promptly cut-off from his explanatory tirade when another explosion went off right above them, shaking the viewing area and knocking everyone to the ground.
The moment Hercule face-planted the floor, he let out a light whimper of disbelief. "Why… out of all the tournaments… out of all the competitions in the world did they have to enter mine? I hate this…" the Champ whispered, inadvertently parody-quoting Casablanca at the same time.
XXX
More shockwaves tore through the sky as Tien and Trunks doggedly traded shots between the stands and towers. After blocking a simultaneous hook and knee from his Saiyan opponent, the three-eyed warrior countered him with a swift kick to the stomach and shot up into the sky. Sensing his opponent was in hot pursuit, the senior Z-fighter quickly positioned himself high above the landmass and, pressing his fingers and thumbs together, formed a diamond-shape crosshair with his hands.
Taking aim with it, Tien quickly centered his opponent in the space between his palms, focusing his energy and zooming in on his quarry. As soon as he was ready, the man shouted at the top of his lungs. "KI-KO-HOOOOOOOOO!" A flash of orange light then filled the sky as a perfectly square blast shot from his grip, rocketing towards his foe and colliding with the young man head on.
A sphere-shaped explosion of orange fire filled the sky as the landmass was rocked by its shockwaves, knocking people out of their seats and causing massive waves to ripple across the ocean. The people on the boats below had to hang on for dear life as the gales of wind generated by the blast nearly capsized them, with the people in the bleachers giving a unified cry of fright.
Ignoring the explosion and the debris cascading around them, Tien and Trunks engaged one another a third time. The pair charged and collided with their opponent in the air, trading simultaneous blows before the human fighter managed to nail a hook across his opponent's face. The blow sent both warriors flying back from one another, where they quickly found themselves floating just a few feet above the ocean.
As waves from the previous sonic blast crashed around them and sent water spraying into the air, under the 'oos' and 'aahs' of the audience, the two warriors smirked at each other.
Tien's expression then became one of seriousness. "He's still holding back a great deal of his strength. Well… if he wants to win this, he's going to have to work for it." Clenching his fists, the man let out a yell and powered up, his white aura exploding around him in a white arc of transparent fire. Concentrating even more, the human warrior let out another yell of pain as a second pair of arms suddenly shot out from his shoulders, signaling his use of his Four Witches Technique.
The shocked look that appeared on Trunks's face gave Tien the opening he needed to rush forward and throw a right straight at the Saiyan with his two arms. His fists slammed into the wall and smashed a massive chunk out of the concrete when the half-Saiyan shot up into the sky to avoid his blow and gain some distance.
When he stopped several stories above his opponent, Trunks threw his arms and legs out and, with a yell of effort, also powered up. A golden aura burst out of him like wild fire as his hair spiked up and flashed blond, his eyes also turning green. The spectators, completely overwhelmed by the spectacle, gave a loud cheer of excitement, encouraging the warriors to show them more.
XXX
(Meanwhile)
(Capsule Corp – West City)
Lying across his bed in the room provided for him at the renowned industrial super-giant's headquarters, the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta, adorned in his signature battle armor and spandex, was currently watching the live-feed of the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament taking place on the other side of the globe.
After initially flipping through random channels to see what was on, the man quickly settled on the sports broadcast and, with a look of utter displeasure, proceeded to watch with mixed-interest as the Z-fighters, sans Yamcha and Chiaotzu, went on to dominate the tournament's preliminary rounds.
It seemed like things were off to good start moving into the quarter finals. But after seeing Trunks transform against Tien and start fighting him for a second bout, Vegeta quickly grew bored and, picking up the remote, switched off the television.
"Hmph. What a joke," the man scoffed, before lying back on his bed with his hands behind his head.
Fighting, particularly the little circus their group was currently attending on another part of the planet, didn't interest him in the least. So, deciding to take a nap, the man shut his eyes and drifted out, completely ignoring the television and his time-traveling son's sword gleaming in the corner.
XXX
(Back on Battle Island)
"Well… Tien's had it," Krillin murmured, arms folded as he leant back against the guard rail of the viewing area and watched the battle between their two friends carry on overhead. As shockwaves and explosions once again filled the sky, the human fighter sighed. "Now that Trunks has transformed, it's only a matter of time before the poor guy gets tagged. There's just no stopping a Super Saiyan."
"I don't know," Android 18 said with a slightly more interested look as she watched Tien dart around his golden opponent. "I think I've had a fairly successful track record."
This earned a laugh from Krillin as he looked back up at the woman with a smile, "True. If it comes down to it, you have a pretty good chance of taking him on yourself." Sniffing, the man then looked back towards the clouds, where he saw Trunks dodge a series of Dodon bullets being fired at him from his four-armed foe. "For us normal guys though, facing off against a Super Saiyan, a Super Namek… or anything else with Super in its name is suicide."
"Ah, don't be like that, Krillin," Gohan spoke up, looking across at his friend from where he was standing next to Piccolo, who was keeping a close eye on the battle above. "Even though Trunks has the advantage in speed and power, Tien can still win this fight if he just knocks him into the water."
Krillin scoffed and glanced back out into the open, "That's easier said than done, man."
Watching Tien suspend himself in the sky after an epic shootout with his opponent, the man snapped all four of his hands to form two diamonds, one in front of the other, over his chest. Once again taking aim at his Super Saiyan foe through the crosshairs, the man's white aura blasted around him and, with a mighty bellow, unleashed another Kikoho towards his foe. His orange, square-shaped blast gushed from his hands and rocketed towards Trunks, who was seemingly swallowed up by the head of the attack as it shot off into the horizon.
From satellite orbit, you could clearly see Tien's blast streak across the planet's surface and out into space, leaving an orange trail of energy in its wake.
For a second it looked as though the human had disintegrated his opponent. But when the blinding light and smoke from his awesome attack faded, the entire crowd winced when Trunks suddenly materialized behind Tien and smashed the three-eyed fighter straight into the water.
When the splash and waves from the man's impact with the ocean settled, a cheer went up and the referee announced the winner, "After a fierce and explosive battle, Trunks emerges victorious!"
"Oh well. Guess it's my turn," Krillin sighed, before turning to Android 18 and giving her a lopsided smile. "Wish me luck?"
In response, the blonde woman smiled back at the short warrior, "Good luck."
Feeling his spirit lift somewhat, Krillin then turned to head out, but not before giving Gohan a firm pat on the shoulder. "If I don't see you in the next few minutes, go check the emergency room or the far wall. There's a pretty good chance I'm going to end up in one of those two places." This earned a puzzled look from the young Super Saiyan, who watched his friend trudge out onto the platform with his head hung.
After Trunks helped an exhausted Tien out of the water, the audience then turned their attention to the next pair of fighters, the announcer being sure to inform the island of the coming round. "The third match is about to begin as Piccolo and Krillin square off in the center platform!" The crowds clamored excitedly when they saw the two strange warriors march into the open, anticipating another epic match.
Looking as nervous as ever, Krillin gulped as he saw his Namekian opponent stand across from him on the ring, his shoulder turned, eyes closed and arms crossed. "Okay. Krillin, my man. You can do this. You can do this. You know this guy. He is not unbeatable." His expression then became one of complete dread. "Well unless he uses his Special Beam Cannon, then I'm dead." For a moment he completely forgot that this was a competition where killing was strictly forbidden.
"Challengers get ready!"
Shaking his head, the bald fighter did his best to rid himself of all anxiety and quickly set himself into a stance. "I may not be able to beat him. But if I'm going down, I might as well go in style." He then spared a look back at the viewing balcony, where he not only saw Gohan standing there and watching excitedly, but Android 18 as well. Feeling his heart skip at seeing the woman, her radiant golden locks framing her angelic face, the man's expression then changed from one of nervousness to determination. Smile forming, he gave the android a thumbs-up, causing Eighteen to blink in surprise before he spun around to face his opponent. "Yeah. In style!" When the bell rang out, Krillin crouched low and took off, letting out a loud battle cry as he charged straight at his opponent.
Piccolo however, his eyes remaining shut, heard his attacker approaching at full speed. When Krillin lunged in with a punch, the Namekian simply took a step back and let the fighter fly past him. Stumbling when he missed, the monk suddenly tripped over his own feet when he hit the brakes, slammed into the ground and slid across the platform on his own face.
The crowd laughed when they saw Krillin stop with his bottom half sticking in the air, whereas Gohan, Trunks and Tien cringed, as that maneuver must have hurt like hell. Eighteen on the other hand simply giggled, watching as the short fighter pulled his face out of the tiles and spat out random bits of debris, his face reflecting several noticeable scuff marks.
"Okay. I mistimed that," Krillin mumbled, before leaping back up and rushing right at Piccolo, jumping at the green warrior with spinning hook kick. "Take this!"
The kick struck the Namekian's arm when Piccolo reached up to block, upon which he then grabbed the human's ankle and shoved him off, causing the bald fighter to let out a yelp as his body fell out of the air and slammed into the ground a second time. Groaning, Krillin back flipped and landed on his feet several yards away, thrusting his hands towards the Namekian and firing off a ki blast.
Using his same arm to block, Piccolo knocked the blast back at Krillin, who let out a scream and dove out of the way, his attack hitting the ocean and causing a large explosion. Rolling along the floor, the man held up both hands again and unleashed five more blasts in rapid succession. "Ya! Ya! Ya! Ya! YAA!" Once again Piccolo casually slapped them aside with both hands, before pointing his hand at Krillin and firing off an orange blast of his own.
Freaking out, Krillin quickly pulled off a matrix and bent backwards, barely avoiding the blast that streaked over him and took a chunk out of the surrounding island. Breathing a sigh of relief, he then shot back up, dropped to his knees and fired another blast at Piccolo, only this time he aimed for the man's feet. His attack struck the ground and kicked up a cloud of smoke and dust, which had the Namekian raise an eyebrow when his sight was completely blocked.
After performing a swift backhand to clear the air with a gust of wind, Piccolo saw that his opponent was gone, only to then hear the sound of a yell seconds later.
"HAAAAA! SNEAK ATTACK!" Krillin shouted as he lunged at his opponent from behind with a punch.
Unfortunately for the monk the tall Namekian heard him and simply stepped out of the way, causing the short Z-fighter to fly past him a second time. Thanks to the man's cape getting in the way, Krillin flew right into its folds and ended up clotheslining himself, a split second before barreling over the edge of the cliff. Screaming as he fell, Krillin started flapping his arms and legs in panic to regain altitude.
Floating back up to the arena's level, Krillin suddenly felt the back of his gi grabbed from behind and his body tossed back onto the ring. Landing with a heavy thump, the short fighter looked up to see Piccolo glaring down at him.
"Are you going to take this fight seriously… or are you just gonna keep messing around?" When all he received from Krillin was a confused blink and a mumble, the Namekian grunted and turned around. "Figures. This is just a big waste of my time. I'm out." With a swish of his cape, Piccolo leapt off the platform and took flight, his form shooting up into the sky and disappearing into the distance a split second later.
For a moment nobody knew what was happening. But after seeing the green fighter vanish into the clouds, the main referee hopped onto the platform and pointed towards the victor. "Piccolo has forfeited the match! Krillin wins by default!"
As cheers and applause rained down upon the arena several moments after the announcement, a bewildered Krillin let out a relieved chuckle, "Oh. I won. Heh. That's a surprise."
After watching his mentor and best friend fly off, Gohan then glanced to his left when he heard the soft, cool voice of Android 18 speak up.
"He's pretty cool."
The demi-Saiyan blinked at the beautiful blonde for her unexpected remark, "Who? Piccolo?"
"Krillin," Android 18 replied, a fond smile on her face as she watched the bald fighter stand up and wave to the crowds victoriously.
Gohan was at first confused by why the woman had said that. But after seeing her gaze focused solely on Krillin and his brain quickly figuring out that her comment was meant for the human fighter, the young Super Saiyan allowed a warm smile to cross his lips and turned back to face the arena.
"Last but not least, we have Ms Eighteen vs Sky Dragon!"
XXX
(Sometime later)
Nobody ended up missing out on much in the fourth round. Following the rather hilarious performance by Krillin against the intimidating force that was Piccolo, Android 18 ended up winning her fight by carelessly flicking her opponent off the platform and into the water. This in turn pulled the curtain over the quarter final rounds and led them straight into the semis.
The referees announced that the competition would be moving on to its second stage right away and instructed all the spectators and fighters to remain where they were, as they were now taking the tournament to their next venue. This soon led to the tiny Battle Island disconnecting from the mainland and beginning a straight trek out into the ocean.
While this wasn't at all normal by any stretch of the imagination, it turns out that the first Battle Island arena that the fighters and audience were on wasn't a fixed landmass at all. It was in fact a massive ocean vessel that was designed to not only host the first rounds of the intergalactic tournament, but to also transport all the contestants and paying customers to the next grand stage on Battle Island II. This atoll, with two enormous, dormant volcanoes making up its topography, with a stadium wedged in the center of the largest edifice, would serve as the grounds for the final part of this impressive event.
Those that'd partaken in the festivities on the first platform would get front row seats to the events on the second. The journey up to the stadium from the city on the shore wasn't long by any stretch of the imagination, as a fleet of trams and buses helped the spectators reach their destination from the shoreline.
Everyone was keen to get the next stage underway, all except for Mr. Satan, as X.S Cash's assistant actually ended up catching the Champ attempting to jump ship while the island was in motion. After being personally escorted to Battle Island II by the tournament staff, the martial arts champion retired to the nearest bathroom after coming down with some sort of chronic and "life-threatening" stomach ache. Not knowing what to do, the tournament assistants would up leaving the man to his devices.
Once all the spectators had been filed into the massive dome and directed to their seats, the staff helped to escort the four challengers to their room directly beneath the arena itself. It was here in this lavish and stately waiting area that the finalists were able to rest-up, eat, drink, mingle, and get in a few last minute stretches before they were required to report to their assigned elevators.
'Wait here until we call for you,' the staff member said before vacating the premises, leaving the four warriors to their own devices.
The group of fighters made themselves comfortable, with Trunks leaning against the wall, Krillin fighting a spot sitting next to Android 18, and Gohan, eager and energetic as always, wandering about the living room and enjoying the snacks they had on the nearby table. Considering he was in Super Saiyan mode, his metabolism was working on a much higher gear and needed to be sated. Even with the pressure of the tournament, he was still able to dine and walk around with a skip in his step.
Noticing the bright smile on the young Saiyan's face brought one to the observing Trunks's.
"You sure seem keen," Mirai chuckled.
Gohan nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah. Very. This is the first martial arts tournament I've ever competed in and I actually made it into the top four on my first try."
"And in such a huge event too," the man continued with a nod to the abovementioned proceedings.
Finishing the sushi he had on him, Gohan set his plate down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "What about you, Trunks? Is this your first tournament?"
"Yeah. Thanks to all the chaos and havoc the androids caused back in my time, the World Martial Arts Tournament was shut down for good, and all available resources that went into hosting the event went to providing aid and support to the rest of the world," Trunks replied, folding his arms as he conversed with his fellow Super Saiyan hybrid. "Now that they're gone, we can finally start rebuilding our cities and our lives."
"You and the people on your Earth deserve peace," Gohan said, giving the man an encouraging smile. "The battles you and the others have fought are all over now… and now you'll finally be able to move on. Make the most of your life and protect your loved ones."
A warmth filled the man's heart at hearing the words from the boy who would eventually grow up to become his mentor. "Thank you, Gohan," Trunks replied, his eyes shimmering with a series of positive emotions. Sharing a moment of silence with the strongest warrior on the planet, the time traveler then turned his attention toward Android 18 and Krillin, his eyes fixating on the former and narrowing suspiciously.
Also noticing the pair conversing on the corner couch, Gohan looked across at them and observed their conversation in silence, noticing the short fighter giving compliments to Eighteen, with his jokes and lines earning a series of smiles and giggles in return. Though it wasn't the most unusual sight for the younger of the two Saiyans, it certainly was for the warrior from the future.
Expression firm, Trunks breathed a heavy sigh, "I never knew an android could smile like that." Or laugh like that either. All the emotions that she was expressing in front of Krillin felt so real and genuine, and carried a warmth that the Saiyan had never sensed before. It was slightly disconcerting if he was being honest, but not at all unpleasant.
Gohan shrugged, "It's like you said… times change. She's not like the Android 18 that you knew from your future, so there's no reason for you to think she will turn out the same way."
"Maybe," Trunks replied hesitantly, before forming a small smile. "But… as long as you guys are okay with it, I'm willing to give this a chance." Hell, it wouldn't be the first time he was surprised.
He could actually see something good growing from this, especially since both Krillin and Eighteen were so preoccupied with talking with each other that they had no idea they were being watched. It was funny and cute at the same time.
Not wanting to disturb them, Trunks and Gohan decided to stick to their conversation, with the former glancing back down at his friend with a pleasant smile.
"So I hear you're taking up training full-time now, huh?" Trunks said, earning a firm nod from the younger warrior. "And you're going to study on your own terms?"
"Uh-huh. It's the deal that I was able to cut with my mum earlier this month," the blond informed, obviously pleased with what he was able to accomplish.
"Cool. Any plans on what you're going to do later on when you're older?"
Gohan took a moment to rub his chin thoughtfully, "I was actually thinking of going into medicine and bioengineering. Become a doctor with two degrees."
"Oh. So you're going to be Doctor Gohan then," Trunks remarked, testing the name out on his tongue.
"That's right. And since I'm also going to be a fighter that means I'll be able to break every bone in your body while naming them," the Saiyan stated mischievously.
The way Gohan said that had a chill run up Trunks's spine. "Now there's a scary thought. And you're already the strongest man on the planet."
"Who's going to become even stronger," the teen chirped, adjusting one of the weight bands around his wrist before resting his hands on his hips. "But in case nothing else happens and no more bad guys show up, at least I'll have something worthwhile to fall back on. Even though I don't plan on stopping training, as long as my mum is happy and healthy, then I'm happy too."
Nodding in understanding, Trunks then spared a thought back to another subject of interest. "Speaking of mothers, I wonder what ours are doing right about now," the lavender haired fighter chuckled. "Wanna bet that they're arguing with each other over who out of the four of us is going to win this tournament?"
"You mean out of the two of us," the Super Saiyan hybrid interjected. "Let's be honest, knowing who they are, they're definitely counting on one of us making it to the end."
"I hope you're not planning on going easy on me," Trunks commented, throwing the younger warrior a competitive smirk. He then shrugged at the look he received in return. "Everyone here came out to watch a fight, so we might as well give them one."
"First to the finish then?" Gohan asked, holding his hand out to his fellow hybrid.
"Sure," Trunks responded, extending his hand and grasping his friend's in a firm handshake.
When they separated, they then went about talking about other topics, particularly the news and anything else related to today's event. As the pair bantered, and Krillin and Eighteen continued conversing with one another in the background, Gohan couldn't help but spare a thought to one other person at this tournament, who he was pretty sure was waiting for him up in the spectator stands.
"I hope Videl is out there watching," the boy thought with a fond smile.
XXX
(Sometime later)
"The stage has been set for the finals on Battle Island 2; where our four remaining warriors will now compete for the coveted spot in the showdown with Mr. Satan!" the announcer's voice filled the stadium, drawing a loud cheer from the waiting crowd.
The arena itself was of a basic setup; a standard colosseum amphitheater design with a steel structure built into the volcano itself. Just as the mountain wrapped around the entire dome, the rows and balconies of the various spectator stands lapped the entire perimeter of the building's interior where, instead of a conventional martial arts ring, there stood a massive stone pyramid. From it, four ramps could be seen running from the level just below the apex of the central structure, leading into four separate tunnels.
The vehicles designed to travel along this system; four identical jet pods, all color-coded, numbered and positioned at the entrance to each slide.
With spotlights beating down from the stadium ceiling, lighting up the entire platform, and every single camera transfixed upon the center stage and feeding directly to the massive monitors on the walls, the audience would be able to get full coverage of the events to come. The audience held their breaths as their anticipation started to build once more.
Having managed to navigate her way from the first island and into the stands, Videl was able to find herself a comfortable spot along the walkway running around the stadium. Standing high above the rest of the crowds so as to not get caught up in a sea of bodies, the eleven year old girl gripped the railing excitedly as she waited for the final events to start. After seeing Gohan practically kick his opponent through an entire section of earth, she knew she was going to be in for one hell of a show.
"I know you're going to kick a lot of butt out there, Gohan," Videl thought as her foot tapped impatiently against the floor. "Show me what else you've got."
When the lights on the pyramid lit up, four individual hatches on the platform opened, allowing the elevators to bring the four contestants up from underground. As their faces emerged from the tunnels, the crowd of over fifty thousand people cheered loudly, drowning the martial artists in a wash of excitement and support.
Despite the deafening noise the stadium was making, it did nothing to block out the voices from several key people sitting in the audience.
When her son's face appeared on screen, Chi-Chi cried out at the top of her lungs, "GOHAN! I LOVE YOU SWEETIEEE!"
Blushing a deep shade of red, the blonde Saiyan looked down at his feet in embarrassment. "Mum, not so loud."
Seeing Gohan's face turn red in response to the strange woman's yell caused Videl to giggle, as she guessed that that was probably his mother.
"You've got this Trunks! Go beat those guys and then we can go on vacation!" Bulma shouted shortly after her friend had.
Sharing the same response as his fellow hybrid, the blushing Trunks mumbled under his breath, "Tactful as always, mother."
"Krillin! Don't get yourself killed!" Oolong's voice also echoed in from somewhere in the stands.
The pig's comment earned a deep scowl from the bald fighter, who glanced over his shoulder in the direction he heard his friend's statement. "Oh I'll survive. Then it's bacon time."
Android 18 on the other hand had to contend with the whistles from the men in the audience, and while she appreciated some of their compliments, the collective cries started to get on her nerves.
"Hey, baby! Looking good!"
"You got this, sweetheart!"
"Beat those guys to a pulp!"
"Yeah! Go get em' beautiful!"
A tick mark formed on the woman's head as she glanced over her shoulder. "Pigs."
As soon as the lifts stopped, the rest of the lights went up and the four contestants, as well as the entire stadium, heard the commentator's voice blare into life. "New island, new rules! We have four tunnels underground, all of them leading to four specially designed combat zones in each direction. Now that the combatants have been assigned a tunnel, they will soon be transported to their zones via rocket pods!" The tracks next to the tiny shuttles lit up, drawing the attention of the four fighters to their respective modes of transport. "Once there, they will face off against our special guests: FIGHTERS FROM ACROSS THE GALAXY!"
The monitor overhead showed a recording of the four "aliens" the contestants were expected to encounter, descending an escalator in the tournament's ad campaign. Big, bulging with muscles, and dressed in ridiculous costumes, the bedazzled strangers from outer space helped increase the audience's excitement as the announcer went on with his exposition.
"Now pay attention, because this is where things get really good! Once a fight ends, the challenge isn't over! The victor must track down a special lift, fight off any and all other competitors in their way, and be the first to return to the center stage here in the arena. The winner will then move on to the final round against Mr. Satan!" This announcement drew an earsplitting roar from the crowd, who then began to chant the world savior's name… much to the embarrassment of Videl.
While Gohan and Trunks were excited at the prospects of fighting one another in the last round of the tournament, the rest of the competition didn't share the same sentiment.
"Perfect. It's a race to the finish line," a grinning Krillin exclaimed as he proceeded to clamber into his pod. "Since I'm packing the least wind resistance, that means I'll have the advantage in speed." Getting comfortable as he strapped himself in, he then watched the glass top pull over and seal shut, muffling the sounds of the crowd outside.
The other three fighters followed suit, jumping into their pods and buckling up for what they anticipated to be one hell of a ride. Even Android 18 was looking forward to this. Once the staff on site were certain the competitors were locked in, they gave a thumbs-up to the pod operators, who then informed the chiefs of staff that they were ready to go.
This information trickled down to the main commentator, who quickly hit the stop watch, "Let's begin the countdown!" The monitors switched to a timer, which began counting down from ten. "Nine! Eight! Seven Six!"The audience chanted in unison, building the tension as the martial artists in the pods gripped the handle bars and braced themselves for take-off. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"Then, as soon as the timer hit zero, the horn blared. "Aaand… GO!"
With the sound of simultaneous sonic booms, the jet pods fired up their rockets and took off down their slides. Trailing smoke, the four craft vanished down their respective tunnels, covering the nearby reporters and clouds in fumes. Coughing on the dust and smoke, the reporter nearest to the launch turned towards his cameraman and grinned.
"And they're off!"
The Z-fighters went in not knowing what to expect. But as their pods shot through the tunnels towards their assigned arenas, what they didn't know was that their greatest battle was about to begin.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note: Also, I noticed in the previous chapter a couple of people commented that Gohan was being "selfish and bratty" because of what he said to Chi-Chi in the previous chapter, and that it might be out of character because he's "too pure" to talk back to his mum because of something he wants to do.
Well, it's not out of character. People seem to forget that Gohan has stood up for himself and to his mother whenever he wanted to do something for himself, as well as concerning his friends and family. Literally, look for the video "Gohan owns Chi Chi" on Youtube. In that DBZ Kai clip, Gohan literally screams at his mother to "shut up" when he wanted to go to Namek and she didn't want him to. Not to mention- and yes, I am quoting filler here- that he demanded to go help his dad against Androids 14, 15 and 13, and just outright ditched his mother during their shopping trip, and snuck out from the house during studying so that he could go hang out with his friends during the Garlic Jr saga.
So Gohan arguing with his mother that he wants something better to do with his life isn't that farfetched of an idea. In fact it's quite believable.
