Chapter 14
Yang arrived on Papaya Island the Day of the Tournament, beaching his Boat on the sand of the beach as tourists looked on at the odd sight of his sudden arrival. Fortunately, Papaya Town was within walking distance of the beach for even a normal person, let alone a highly trained martial artist like himself. He headed into town and spent a few hours at a hotel to freshen up and change into his Lion Style gi before heading to the tournament grounds. Along the way he stopped to buy more longan fruits, he had been unable to get them in the Far Western Desert with Baba, as they pretty much only grew on the tropical Islands of the Southern Sea. As he walked to the tournament grounds, he peeled one of the fruits and enjoyed the sweet taste of his chosen treat.
Entering the tournament grounds he noticed that it seemed that far more people than last time were here to watch as well as participate. He reached out with his Ki Sense to try and take stock of some of the fighters as well as maybe pin down where Roshi and Yamcha were. As he moved through the crowds towards the registration desk, he frowned. There were quite a few strong fighters here. He could sense Yamcha and Muten Roshi's familiar presence already inside. It seemed that both had gotten stronger since he had last seen them. He also picked up on the excited and powerful ki that he had associated with Roshi's student Son Goku as well, though he was not familiar enough with any of the others to tell who else was here. He could sense at least 3 people who were as strong or stronger than he was even in his Improved Max Power state. 2 of those presences felt vaguely sinister, an undercurrent of danger pulsed under their powers, 1 of those was Son Goku. The rest he felt he could take care of with just his Improved Max Power state.
However, there was 1 ki that Yang felt which felt familiar, though Yang couldn't put his finger on why. Perhaps someone he had met during his Journey before being shipwrecked on Yunzabit? He hadn't had ki sensing ability before that Journey, and anyone of note he had met afterward he was sure he would have remembered. Ultimately, he would not be able to tell until he went inside the tournament grounds and the preliminary hall. As he registered to fight and put up the requisite 10,000 Zeni entry fee, Yang burned with curiosity to know who that familiar ki was.
Moving into the back, he did indeed find out who that ki sense was as waiting for him at the entry to the tournament grounds was a mustached man in a more elaborate version of his own Lion Style gi. "So, it is true. You are alive after all, Yang Shao. Thank Kami." Smiled the man sadly.
Yang felt his eyes begin to mist up as he was confronted by his first master. "Sifu Lao...I thought I would never see you again." Replied Yang.
"Where have you been? When we heard you had vanished, the Village held a funeral for you and everything. I even retired to run my shop full time rather than take up a new apprentice. Ling was inconsolable." Asked Master Lao.
"It was not of my own choice, Sifu. The ship I had booked passage on to go to the 20th Budokai ran afoul of a storm and I was shipwrecked in Yunzabit Heights for 5 years. I survived by hunting and scavenging from the shipwreck. I only gained enough strength to swim back the month before the 21st Budokai. Afterward, I was involved in getting stronger to face future foes." Replied Yang. He then bowed low to his master and said, "Please forgive me for not writing home."
Master Lao, simply said, "Stand up, let me see how strong you have become."
Yang Stood and Master Lao appraised him with a critical eye. "You have gotten strong, my student. Your progress is astounding, truly the travails you have endured these past 8 years have done wonders for your growth. I am glad to see you alive and proud of you for how strong you have become. When this tournament is over, please come home to the village, at least to visit. It will put everyone's mind at ease to know you have not only survived, but thrived. Besides, I still have things to teach you." He said.
"Sifu, thank you." Replied Yang.
Moving further into the preliminary area after his reunion with the Master of the Lion Style. Yang found Yamcha, Son Goku, and the young monk Krillin in a confrontation with a 3 eyed warrior, a small pale child, and a girl with her hair done up in loops. The 3 Turtle School students seemed to be trading banter with the 3 others, who wore the uniform of the Crane School. Yang could tell the 3 Eyed Warrior would be stronger than him in his Improved Max Power State, the pale child would be about as strong as him in that state, and the girl was weaker than even his full base power, but her ki carried the distinct signature of someone who was used to channeling mystic energy. Before a fight could break out between Yamcha and the 3 eyed man, Yang intervened.
"Yamcha, you know better than to pick fights outside of matches. That's grounds for disqualification." He said.
Everyone's attention was now on him, rather than each other, which was what he wanted. "Yang! Been a while." Grinned Yamcha.
The 3 eyed man scrutinized Yang for a moment. "Hmm, the Lion Style? I haven't faced anyone from that school before. Aren't you all supposed to be mountain hillbillies? I'm surprised you could afford the entry fee." He scoffed.
"And I heard that the Crane School is a school for those who would skulk about and strike from ambush. Now that we've gotten the stereotypes out of the way, perhaps we can discuss the tournament like adults?" Asked Yang.
The 3 eyed man paused for a moment, nodding to himself before saying, "I would be careful about who you associate yourself with, Lion Style. The Crane has no grudge with the Lion at the moment, but it would be a shame if your association with the Turtle caused you to be crushed along with them."
"The Crane will do as it thinks it must, I'm sure. However, if the Crane believes the Lion to be easy prey, the Lion will be glad to remind the Crane why the Lion is the king of beasts." Replied Yang.
The 3 eyed man scowled at that and said, "The Lion should be wary of his hubris unless he's looking to prove the old proverb about pride and falling correct. Chaotzu, Yurin, let's go."
"Just a moment." Replied Yang as he turned to the girl with the hair loops. "I can sense the mystic energy on you. I will be looking forwards to seeing what you can do in the upcoming matches." He Said.
The Girl paled a bit at this and as the 3 Crane School students walked away, she began chattering to the 3 eyed man, presumably because Yang had blown her secret open. Frankly, Yang was just glad to have defused a fight before it could start and disqualify Yamcha.
Turning to the former bandit, Yang Said, "I would be careful about who you pick fights with Yamcha, that guy could wipe the floor with you even in Max Power."
"What? No way! Tell me you're kidding." Pleaded Yamcha.
"I wish I was, man. I'm not though. Haven't you noticed that there are at least 3 masters entering the Budokai this year? My own sifu has entered, then Roshi, and I saw King Chappa by the entrance earlier. Now the Crane School is here? No this feels like it's building to something. No clue what though. I'd watch your back man." Replied Yang.
Yamcha frowned, then opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off by Goku. "Yang's right Yamcha, that guy's strong. I can tell."
Krillin then said, "Wait you said Master Roshi is entering? Where is he?"
"Krillin, haven't you figured it out by now? Jackie Chun is Roshi in disguise." Muttered Yamcha.
Krillin frowned at that, trying to figure out if Yamcha was messing with him. Yang's attention was drawn elsewhere though. At a table in the corner of the preliminary hall, King Chappa, Muten Roshi, and Master Lao were having a discussion. He had no idea what the 3 Masters were talking about, but he knew that all 3 of them had students in the preliminaries. He'd seen a pair of fighters wearing Chappa's colors Earlier.
"Hey, Yamcha, what do you make of that?" He asked, getting the former bandit's attention.
Yamcha looked at the table where the 3 masters were talking and said, "I dunno, but suddenly I feel like we're all in for intense super training after the tournament."
Yang couldn't help but agree. However, any further speculation was soon broken up by the announcement that the preliminaries were about to begin and that the blocks and brackets were being announced now. Yang looked at the blocks and their attendant brackets. There were 120 Fighters entered into this year's Budokai which meant there were going to be 8 blocks of 15 fighters each with 1 fighter getting a 1st round bye due to the uneven number of fighters in each block. As he was handed a number by a Budokai attendant he looked to see what block he was in. As it turned out he was in Block D with both Sifu Lao and King Chappa.
This Tournament was getting heated right off the bat it seemed...
XXXX
Author's Note:
We've officially left canon PL's Behind now. While there will be no one capable of going 1 on 1 with Raditz by the time Z starts, there will be a few 700+ PL's
The 22nd Budokai Finally Begins! Power Levels are as follows!
75: Average Non-named Preliminary opponent
165: Pamput (Full Power)
170: King Chappa's Students (Full Power)
200: King Chappa (Full Power, 3 years of intensive training)
210: Master Lao (Full Power 3, years of intensive training)
240: Yurin (Somewhat Suppressed, Ki Only)
252: Yamcha (Enhanced, Full Power)
254: Yang (Full Power, Weights on)
260: Muten Roshi (Full Power)
262: Yang (Full Power, Weights Off)
375: Krillin (Full Power)
380: Chaotzu (Full Power, Ki Only)
381: Yamcha (Improved Max Power)
390: Son Goku (Somewhat Suppressed)
390: Tien (Somewhat Suppressed)
390: Muten Roshi (Improved Max Power)
393: Yang (Improved Max Power)
589.5: Yang (Improved Max Power, Fully Buffed with Magic)