"Man, can't believe they're really over there cleaning up that old guy's blood," Oolong said, eyes fixated to the ground below him. Much time had passed since what had recently taken place at the tournament and people were just in the midst of getting things back together mentally, going over the shock that was Tien unintentionally killing his own master. Nobody expected such a thing to transpire.
As Krillin and King Chappa were seated, the latter of the two looked out into the crowd, his mind all over the place. "The feeling of knowing that they're here to witness the best of the best fight it out is something I find...elating." He looked over at the young boy, who was to be his next and final opponent. "Just by over what I've seen of you, you're an extraordinary child, boy. Mind me asking, how old are you?"
"Eh?" Krillin looked at Chappa. "Me?"
"Who else...?"
"Oh, right." Krillin let out a weird chuckle. "Well, I'm sixteen years old. I may not look it, but I'm on the verge of puberty, hehehehe..."
The comment would have weirded out any other person but King Chappa managed to find some humor in the boy's words. After all, he was still a child at heart. "When facing me, I don't want you to take anything lightly. I can tell you have yet to demonstrate your full efforts and I believe by being able to see just how strong you are, I may be able to tell how much more of a warrior you'll be able to grow into."
"Really?" Krillin asked. "I was told that you're one of the most skilled and feared fighters ever. Just by seeing what you did in the preliminaries and against that Pan Put guy, I know you're crazy strong."
"Hm." King Chappa put his fist against the palm of his other hand and respectfully bowed to Krillin. "Then may the best man win."
Krillin got on his two feet and did the same. "May the best guy win, hehe."
"Alrighty! It's been over an hour!" The announcer got over onto the ring. "I hope you all have managed to calm down and get your minds straight as I'm very sure this next fight may be just as crazy or crazier than the last one! Are you all ready?"
"This may be a good one," Roshi told Bulma and the others from the audience.
"Who you think stands a chance to win this fight?" Bulma asked him.
"Hard to tell," Roshi responded. "Krillin's improved greatly but we haven't seen either of them at their very best. If I had to take a guess, I'd go with Chappa, and that's simply based on the fact that he has more a refined style and also has more experience than Krillin."
"Really? You'd take him over your student."
"Not once did he say it was guaranteed," Oolong told Bulma in defense of Roshi.
"Judging by what I've seen," Launch started, "anything can happen in this tournament."
"Precisely," Roshi said. Fixing his tilted glasses, the man put all his attention on the upcoming fight.
"On my right here is King Chappa! Like last time, he bypassed the entire tournament without being grazed once by any of his enemies! He's won the championship before and he's just one step away from having history repeated!" The announcer then pointed over to Krillin. "And on my right here is the young boy named Krillin. Just three years ago he came over in the tournament alongside his peer Son Goku! He showed an awesome display of strength his last go round and has even gotten stronger. This is his very first time in the finals, so hopefully, he can come out here and win his first title! A minor is yet to ever come out here and do it. Let's see if he can make history!"
The crowd all erupted in roars and cheer for the two fighters. They were looking to see a good bit of action from both sides, hopefully much better than the last one without all the drama as well.
"Ready?" The announcer hopped off the ring. "Fight!"
Krillin got into his battle stance all the while keeping his eyes on Chappa, who took in a deep breath to remain calm. From the moment he opened his eyes, he dashed in for Krillin with a burst of speed.
Krillin expected to be blown away by just how quickly Chappa had been coming at him, albeit he wasn't at all. He blocked a downward punch from Chappa and performed a cartwheel to evade the kick that followed. Falling purposely over onto his back, Krillin tripped Chappa, having the man fall over flat on his face.
Both Krillin and Chappa jumped off the ring simultaneously, coming directly at one another. With their fists cocked, either one of them were going to be able to strike the other harder. Just seconds before contact was to be made, Krillin snickered directly into Chappa's face prior to suddenly fazing out of sight.
Next thing Chappa knew, he had half a dozen false images of Krillin surrounding him, all laughing at once. Chappa, as he looked around at all the false images, knew not to fold under pressure. "I recall seeing the old man do the exact same thing in his last fight..." Chappa's eyes just looked as Krillin continued to go in circles. He inherently knew now wasn't the best time to strike and he had to choose wisely. "And if I can remember correctly..." Chappa closed his eyes. "HE STRUCK FROM HERE!" Turning around, he tried for a kick. Opening his eyes at just when he followed through, Chappa saw his foot go right through a false image. "What!?"
"Over here!"
Krillin kicked Chappa right in the chin with such force behind it that the skilled Martial Artist was sent sliding.
Roshi wasn't surprised that Krillin managed to execute the zanzoken but he was a bit taken aback at how the kid did it to absolute perfection. Letting King Chappa think he had him from behind, Krillin faked him and got him good with a direct hit to the face.
Krillin put up two fingers to the crowd, eliciting more cheers, hoops, and a multitude of hollers as a result. "Krillin, pay attention to your fighter, don't hype up the crowd!" Roshi advised.
"Oh, right!" Turning around, Krillin saw Chappa coming right back for him. Falling back just in time, Krillin planted his feet into his opponent's chest and had him soaring into the clouds. As soon as he got back on his feet, Krillin bounced up into the air and re-directed King Chappa back down atop the ring with an upside down kick to the chest.
Chappa was amazed at how fast and nimble this kid was. However not only that, he had the strength to back up for it. The elder fighter slowly got back up to his feet, groaning as he did. Not once did he decide to hold back at all from the very beginning but there was one technique that he had been holding back.
"Muten Roshi told me about your eight arm technique," Krillin said. "I think ya might need it now, wouldn't ya?"
"Heh." Chappa wiped the bit of blood leaking down his chin. "I've heard of your Master. I doubt he's the type to teach his students to be cocky and arrogant. I felt that I sensed much more humility from you, kid."
"Hm." Krillin's smile was gone and he remained in a battle stance.
King Chappa rushed in for Krillin with his hands moving all around the place. As Chappa zeroed in on him, Krillin immediately felt as if there was something familiar. Just seeing Chappa give off the illusion of eight hands moving at once, Krillin knew there was far more to it. And then it clicked.
In his head, Krillin recalled Tien do the very same thing to Roshi before he got a knee to the stomach. Tien was moving his hands all over the place in an effort to catch his master off guard. Krillin just smirked and waited.
With perfect timing, Krillin got ahold of Chappa's wrists, catching not only him but everyone else by surprise as well.
"KING CHAPPA HAD LIKE EIGHT ARMS AND HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED HIM!" the announcer howled. "Incredible!"
"Holy smokes!" Oolong yelled. "Krillin really has improved, huh?" He gave Roshi a slight elbow in the hip, eliciting a little painful groan. "What did you feed that kid for the past three years?"
Roshi just laughed.
As King Chappa tried to break free from Krillin's grip, it solely proved to be fruitless. It was becoming obvious that Chappa was struggling as his face slowly started to get red, in addition to the sweat that came trickling down his cheeks. "H-How...?"
"I read through that." Krillin released Chappa and punched him right in the stomach with all the force he could. The stricken man clutched at his stomach and started to stumble back with shaky eyes. A burning and sore sensation came over his entire abdominal region and even grew a bit onto his chest. For a few seconds, he felt completely immobilized. Krillin didn't settle for less and proceeded to dash over at Chappa and elbowed the man in the nose before following up with a furious amount of punches and kicks to the body and eventually ending his combo with a roundhouse kick right to the shoulder blade. Chappa was moved off his feet and sent sliding over to the edge of the ring.
"Amazing!" Turtle shouted. "Krillin looks like a total monster out there."
"Yeah, for a little shrimp," Oolong said with a snicker.
"Says the shrimp," Launch commented.
"I don't mean to be rude," Krillin told his opponent, "but I believe it's best that you give up now."
Chappa spat out a tooth from his mouth onto the green grass, nonverbally telling Krillin that he was going to continue their battle until either of the two ended with a loss.
"Ain't that a ring out...?" a blonde girl in tha audience questioned stupidly out loud.
King Chappa stumbled his way back onto his feet and ultimately got back into a battle stance. "Even my best technique couldn't come out and do anything to you at all." Despite his chances of winning appearing next to null, the man still managed to smile for some reason. "Still, I won't give up. If I'm going to fall in a humiliating fashion, at the very least, people will know I had the guts to carry on..." Chappa darted at Krillin. "Till the very end! RAH!"
Since they had left, Tien and Chaotzu both had been searching for a proper spot to go ahead and bury their fallen master. Neither of them spoke the entire time as they flew side by side as there truly was nothing to see. Chaotzu could tell the saddened expression over Tien's face yet he knew now wasn't the best of times to go out and confront it.
Once they came across a pure green terrain right in the outskirts of Papaya Island, Tien knew exactly where he wanted Tsuru to be buried. "Over here." Tien and Chaotzu changed their direction and began to make way to the remote area.
"Make a whole right over there," Tien directed Chaotzu, pointing a few yards up ahead.
Without question, Chaotzu did as told. Forming a Dodon-Pa with the tip of his finger, he shot it a few yards away from them. It was with just enough power that Chaotzu left a square hole wide enough to fit their old Master.
"Here we go." Tien walked over to the hole and took in one big breath before dropping Tsuru's body right in. "We'll have to dig up the dirt ourselves, Chaotzu."
"I can break rock surrounding us into tiny little pieces and fill the holes up if you want," Chaotzu said.
"Yeah, good idea. Do that instead."
"Nah-uh uh. Might want to leave that hole big enough to fit all three of you."
Turning around, Tien and Chaotzu both came to face a mysterious scaly looking character with green skin and wings attached to his back. Judging by his mere facial expression, it became obvious to the two that this man had bad intentions from the get go.
"W-What is that?" Chaotzu asked.
"Hehehe." He uncrossed his arms. "Your maker will be sure to tell you who you were killed by once you're both sent to the other world. But if you really want to know...it's Tambourine."
Tien quickly got in front of Chaotzu and pushed him back. "Stay away from this, Chaotzu. I'll be sure to handle it."
"Hahahahahahahaha!" the mysterious figure howled of laughter. "I'm glad I managed to catch the both of you alone! That way nobody will be under suspicion yet." He crouched into a fighting position. "Are you ready to die?"
Tien looked hard at this man and got a good look over him. Death-such a thing was inevitable. Tien was very aware that everyone's time was to eventually come to an end. However, in regards to the day, he was meant to die-he knew that today was just not that day.
Tien grabbed Chaotzu by his arm and tossed him far away into the air before shooting up into the sky just in time to dodge an incoming blast from this assailant who called himself Tambourine. No longer seeing him ahead, Tien expected the man to be from behind and ducked under an oncoming claw strike from behind just in time. Tien increased the gap between them both by pushing his foot against the man's stomach but he was only grabbed and slung over into the skies due to his attempt at a shove away
Tambourine went to rubbing his stomach and growled. "You...that actually hurt."
As Tien flipped over, he looked down onto Tambourine. "What could you possibly want with us?"
Tambourine slowly began to chuckle right before answering Tien. "New World Order. The King is back!" Rushing in for Tien, he unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks.
Getting serious, Tien dodged them all for a few seconds before bringing this man to a stop with a single six-inch punch to the chest, knocking the pure wind out of him. Tambourine received a vicious backfist to the cheek and a kick to the shoulder that had him spiraling down into the ground.
"I'll only ask you one more time," Tien said, hardening his stare. "What do you want with us?"
Tambourine was on all fours, in pure disbelief. "H-How...How could a mere human possibly step up to me like this...? It's...insane...!" Coming to the realization that it would be nothing but impossible for him to survive this attack, Tambourine was left with no other option. "Promise you'll let me go and then I'll tell you!"
Tien descended back down to his feet and proceeded to cross his arms. He could smell the evil all over this person but to believe that he wouldn't try anything else if he were to be let loose would be the choice of some fool. Tien knew better than that but luckily for him, he didn't have a moral compass when it came to killing those who perhaps deserved it.
"Fine," Tien said. "Explain. Now."
'Tien, you can't be serious!'Chaotzu communicated mentally. 'I have a feeling letting this guy go will be a huge mistake.'
'Don't worry, Chaotzu. I know what I'm doing.'
"Heh. This world's time to be restored back to the ways it was meant to has finally come. The Demon King, Piccolo Daimao himself, has come back and will strike with an iron fist! This world will be in the palm of the those that fear a thing far beyond hell in less than half a week."
Tien's eyes went to fluttering from the very moment he heard that. He heard stories of such a monster, from none other than his own master, in fact. At a time, when Muten Roshi and Tsuru-Sennin were training under the same Master, their Master had fallen taking on Piccolo Daimao himself. Although many believed such a thing to be a fairy tale, Tsuru-Sennin himself had lived through it. Tao Pai Pai couldn't remember all too well because he was not only but a toddler around the time. But still, if such a being like Piccolo Daimao was back, then the world was in greater danger than it even knew.
"Hehehehe. Now, I shall take my leave."
"No."
Tien glided over to Tambourine and kicked the man in the neck, sending him on his side. Before the creature could get back up, he was hit by a Dodon-Pa that went right through the cranium, rendering him dead that instant. Dealing with people such as these, Tien knew it wasn't best to beat around the bush.
"Tien is it true!?" Chaotzu asked, making way over to his friend. "Is he really back?"'
As he looked down at Tambourine, Tien noticed a couple of papers fall out of the man's pants. Picking them up, he saw various pictures of members who recently fought in the Tenkaichi Budokai, and some who fought many years ago. Not only that, but he found another piece of paper...
With a weird Kanji on it reading
Piccolo Daimao.
!
Up in the skies, little did people know that in some simple blimp happened to be Piccolo Daimao himself. Over the last 300 years of being trapped in a rice cooker, the man had aged and not all too well. As he sat on his little throne with bones sculptured on it, the green man had a pained face come over him.
One of his spawns, Piano, noticed the expression on his master's face. "What's happened."
As sweat trickled down Piccolo's face, he had the feeling of one of his very own creations being destroyed. He wasn't too pleased with this at all and the frustration in his face showed, having those such as Mai, Pilaf, and Shuu fear for what was to come next.
"It's Tambourine. He's dead."
"There's no way!" Piano shouted. "That's just...unthinkable!"
"To think someone is capable of killing Tambourine..." Piccolo mumbled. He could easily go through the process of creating another demon but it'd only turn out to be a weaker version than Tambourine. In addition, he'd be wasting his life in the process as well. There was nothing else on his mind but vengeance, and that was exactly what he intended to exact.
"We need to go to where Tambourine last told us," Piccolo said. He recalled that Tien mentioned he'd be going off to face up against Tien, one of the better Martial Artists. To take him down while he was alone would perhaps be the best thing to do yet.
"Problem is, we only know where Tambourine last was," Piano said. "His killer could have gone anywhere by now."
Piccolo hid a growl deep in his throat as he placed his cheek onto his fist. Piano had a point and he truly didn't feel like making an empty trip. The man had only three objectives: kill all threats, become young again, and retain his title as King. He needed to get it done as soon as possible as he was merely on borrowed time.
"What's our second best bet to go to then?" Shuu asked.
It was then that Pilaf snapped his fingers and got the answer. "The tournament!" he yelled out loud. "We can go there instead."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that..." Piano said. He looked back to Piccolo Daimao. "Have you any ideas, Master?"
Piccolo squinted his eyes. A few were coming up-that was for sure. Thinking on it, perhaps it would be a good move to head over to the Tenkaichi Budokai and announce his intentions, however, that would leave many with opportunities to preemptively strike-something Piccolo couldn't solely allow.
"I'm having urges of making another spawn that is solely meant to go out and gather the Dragon Balls but knowing that there's someone already out there worthy enough to do. It's best we continue to travel around each and every region of this planet until we come across any Dragon Ball. When we do, I'll be the ones to take them forcefully."
"Good idea," Piano said. "We sit back and wait for the opportunity to take the Dragon Balls to fall upon us."
Piccolo had a subtle smile. "Indeed."