Having God by your side, you can't lose, especially if that god is a namekian... right?

A.N.: Now that I think about it, maybe I should've put all these chapters under the Dragon Ball category, instead of keeping them here, in Dragon Ball Z. Perhaps it's fair if I change them to Dragon Ball, where they belong, so as not to confuse other readers who are looking for a DBZ story and find themselves in the original from the beginning instead. What do you think, dear readers? Should I move it to DB or should I keep it here?

CHAPTER 21

THE UNEXPECTED ALLY

The level of that tournament had proven to be so high that not many people could withstand it. The proof was the defeat Yajirobe had suffered, maybe the quickest in the tournament's history, or so the referee had said. All things considered, and taking into account that the samurai was not the weakest of the contestants, Krillin was contemplating carefully whether or not to continue with it. Piccolo was simply too strong and he was his next opponent. Krillin was no slouch, as he told Tien in the middle of their match, showing that fact afterwards; he was not a coward either and everyone knew it, but one thing was fighting against an ally or an unknown person, following the rules of the tournament and knowing he was not going to suffer a premature death because of the match, and other was facing evil reincarnated in all his glory, just because the probabilities of being reduced to pulp were greater than the probabilities of making it uninjured.

'Krillin.'

The monk gasped at the sudden voice calling his name. It was Bulma.

'Are you all right?' she asked and he sighed, nodding, but she saw he was not very convinced. 'Look, you don't have to fight if you don't feel like it. That guy's Piccolo Daimao, not one of his minions, and you've seen how strong he is. Only Goku can defeat him, and even he's going to suffer to do so. Don't risk your life for a game, it's simply not worth it.'

'C'mon, he wouldn't kill me in front of everyone, right?' said Krillin. 'He would be disqualified immediately and he couldn't fight Goku without discovering his true identity too soon. It's not like he would follow the rules to begin with, but anyway…'

'You're not quitting then?'

Krillin shook his head. 'My honour's at stake,' he said, frowning. 'You have a job elsewhere, but fighting is the only thing I can do. If I lose reputation here, I'll have no chance of earning money, unless you hire me as a bodyguard or something like that, as if you needed bodyguards to begin with.'

'I understand,' said Bulma, sincere. 'I don't know, I thought you were meditating about the possibilities, but I see that you've made up your mind, which is good. I have a piece of advice for you though: if you see that your life's in danger, simply forfeit. You're not a coward because of that and you don't lose reputation as a warrior either. In summary, be careful with Piccolo and take care.'

'Thanks, Bulma, I will,' promised Krillin.

'Good. Now let's see Goku's match before we miss it.'

They made it just in time. Goku and Chichi were already in the centre of the tatami, waiting for the referee to let them start. Goku was calm, of course; his match was an easy one, even when he did not underestimate his opponent just in case. Chichi seemed to be quite experienced despite being her first Tenkaichi Budokai, he could see it in her eyes, in the hint of concentration she was displaying. He wondered what kind of style she would show, although he had a slight idea nonetheless. Her father had trained alongside his grandfather under the tutelage of Muten Roshi, so it was probable she would show a variant of the Turtle style. He was eager to test her; she might even surprise him.

After the presentation, the match finally started and both of them adopted the same stance. Goku smiled. As he supposed, Chichi had followed the Way of the Turtle, as he could corroborate when they started to fight.

She's good, he thought, smiling. Gyumao has taught her very well, though I wonder why she's here. She doesn't need the money, she's a princess. That means she's rich, not as rich as Bulma, but she's wealthy enough for sure. Is she here for me, perhaps?

'Goku, I have to tell you something important,' she said at the same time she was fighting.

And here we go, he thought. Her motives to be here. Not the best of moments to speak, in my opinion.

'Whoa!' Goku dodged a well-aimed kick to his guts. 'And can't it wait? We're kind of in the middle of something,' he replied, while he was dodging more of her blows.

'It's better now because they're watching how we fight, so they won't eavesdrop on what we're saying,' she explained.

'If you say so…' he muttered, dodging another blow.

'Well, I'm a little embarrassed, but I've come here looking for a boyfriend.'

Oh, Kami-sama, I knew she would come out with this, he thought, turning nervous for some reason. He fought his urge for blushing, while he tried to divert the subject to something a little less awkward and, above all, less dangerous for his relationship with Bulma.

'So you've come to the Tenkaichi Budokai looking for a boyfriend, yeah, it makes sense,' he snarked after a faint, but he did not counterattack. The conversation was turning interesting, yet definitely dangerous. 'Physical contact and so on…'

'I know it sounds weird, it's not my idea, but my father's. He only allows a strong man as a suitable couple for me, you know, and here's as good a place to find strong people as any, but I think I deserve someone handsome as well as strong, so I'd thought of you to be my husband.'

He blushed now, impossible to prevent that from happening.

'I-I know you're some sort of a priest now, for some reason, but…' she continued, blushing as well. 'But the thing is that… well… that I like you.'

Goku's heart skipped a beat or two after that declaration, at the same time both of them turned extremely red. That did not make them stop the match though, despite the awkwardness.

'I-I'm not a priest, and… and I definitely like you too, I have to admit,' he managed, while blocking another kick, this time to his head, but that kick was really weak and not very well aimed. They were not focused on the match at all. 'B-but I have a girlfriend already and I'm not leaving her to date you,' he added, and in an instant he regretted those words, when he could see her face saddening. 'I'm sorry, I-I know I've been tactless, but… but I need to make myself clear from the beginning. I apologise for my sincerity; I didn't mean to harm you…'

'Yes, I know, that's why I said it in a past tense,' she muttered, stopping. She lowered her head, in order for her face not to be seen, and he stopped too, worried. 'I mean, I didn't know it, but I figured it out when I saw you so close to Bulma. She's your fiancée, isn't she?'

He nodded and she sighed, closing her eyes, and he pretended to be a little tired, to match her breathing. She was not tired, but apparently trying not to cry, and he noticed that fact in no time.

'Look, I'm sorry, but—'

'You don't need to apologise, Goku,' she said sadly yet firmly. She wiped her eyes, disguising it to wipe the sweat off her face, so no one could suspect anything wrong was happening. 'I knew it was a fat chance. As I said, I'm looking for a strong and handsome man, and you match the two requisites. You were my first option, but it's discarded. Yamcha's a hunk too, now that I think of it…' she turned pensive for a second. 'Do you know if he's strong enough?'

'Dunno, it's something you'll see in the next match against Bulma,' said Goku, shrugging. He was relaxing now, knowing that she was quickly getting over the disappointment, so he stopped worrying about her emotional well-being. 'But in my humble opinion she's gonna kick his arse really hard.'

Chichi giggled, she could not help it, while Yamcha was complaining and the rest of the group was roaring with laughter.

'Easy, Yamcha, I was kidding,' rectified Goku quickly, and both contestants continued with the match, now that everything was settled. The conversation had turned from awkward to friendly in a matter of seconds for both of them, so they could keep fighting as if nothing had happened. 'I actually wasn't, it'll be a curb-stomp match in my opinion,' he whispered after blocking a kick and trying to sweep her, but she avoided the manoeuvre with a jump and a kick to the guts that he dodged.

'Is she that strong?' she asked, blocking two quick punches before they kept attacking and counterattacking with effectiveness. Now they were two friends having a match. All the awkwardness was definitely over. He had to worry about his relationship no longer and she had found another possible target. 'I mean, I wouldn't want your fiancée to spoil my other possibility of getting a boyfriend approved by my father, y'know.'

'Well, she's not too strong, but she compensates that with a great amount of technical dirtiness in her actions, as well as quickness and flexibility, so she can get you with a kick came from nowhere in an instant, and most likely not in the best spot,' he explained, grabbing her leg and sweeping her. She recovered quickly from that throw-in and continued attacking and chatting. She looked at him in puzzlement. 'What I mean is that she's strong enough, she has a really good technique, but she's dirty as hell. But don't worry, the new rules of the tournament will notably limit her actions. Yamcha won't lose a tooth in the fight this time.'

She giggled again, but she turned serious after remembering how she met Yamcha. 'But he's quite dirty too,' she said. 'He tried to seduce me before you arrived on your Kinton cloud, but not before he punched me right up the head, knocking me out for a while, all of this despite me being twelve. He apologised when we spoke while we were waiting in the queue. I think he's changed. We've talked in the preliminaries and I think he's good enough for me. You were my first choice, but it's no use trying to seduce you, knowing that you're head over heels for Bulma. I hope I'm not late for him too though. D'you know if he has a girlfriend?'

'He's so timid that he needed the Dragon Balls because he was afraid of girls,' revealed Goku, laughing, and she laughed as well. 'I'm serious, he's too shy. He's got better about his fear of girls, I think, but as far as I'm concerned he doesn't have a girlfriend. Are you really trying to pull him?'

'Well… yes…' she blushed, so they stopped again.

Thank you, Kami-sama, he thought, relieved.

'Good, observe him in the match then, so you can see if he's suitable for you. I suppose he's super strong under human standards, but I'm far stronger than him, so I can't judge.'

'Good, I'm testing him in my match against him,' she decided, adopting an offensive stance. 'I only have to defeat you.'

'Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't allow it,' said Goku, turning slightly more serious. Now that everything was settled and she had made up her mind, she was on the offensive, but that did not mean she had to win because of that. He had to win to face Piccolo in the finals, the world depended on that.

'You don't have an opinion on this matter, I'm afraid,' said Chichi, putting the palms of her hands together for an instant and closing her eyes, as if praying. Afterwards, she took a deep breath and, when she opened her eyes again, Goku noticed they had changed their colour to red. 'Gyuo-do!'

What the—?, thought Goku, genuinely surprised.

After she recited the name of her next technique, the Way of the Ox King, she charged at tremendous speed, catching Goku off-guard, and hit him repeatedly. However, even that spectacular attack was useless against him. She jumped back, astonished, breathing heavily.

'I'm sorry, Chichi, I have to win. There's more than the tournament at stake.'

Goku launched a fist so fast that, even when it did not impact, the wind it provoked propelled her out of the tatami, disqualifying her immediately and surprising everyone, especially the referee, who was describing the event with great passion. He even compared it with a similar event two tournaments previous, narrating the way Jackie Chun had defeated Yamcha. Goku sighed.

Yes, I guess I did more or less the same, he thought. I hope she's not angry at me because of that.

Indeed, the attack had surprised everyone at the stadium. Even Piccolo, who was indifferent to anything about the tournament, looked lost in thoughts for a moment.

It's curious, that technique was very similar to one of my own, he thought. How has he learned it? I think I have to watch him carefully in the next match, just in case he gives me a surprise.

'My, I don't know if you're stronger than Yamcha, but it's true that you're far stronger than me,' Chichi admitted after Goku explained to her how he beat her, at the same time he helped her stand up. 'Not even my Gyuo-do has been effective. And were you serious when you said that you simply pushed me out of the ring without even touching me? That was awesome!'

'Why, thanks,' he said, slightly embarrassed, smiling shyly. 'You've been awesome too, especially your last technique. I didn't want to harm you, so I tried that punch. I hope you're not angry 'cause of that…'

'On the contrary, it's been so cool! Can you teach it to me?'

'Maybe later. Now's Yamcha's match, let's see it.'

Chichi nodded and they went back to the waiting room beside the tatami, talking amiably, while the referee announced the next match, Bulma vs Yamcha. Goku looked at Bulma when they crossed and they winked at each other, smiling.

'See you in our match,' she whispered, and Goku blinked in surprise. It was not what she said; it was how she said it. With a great confidence mixed with something else, something weird he could not expect from her.

Bulma should have been a little worried due to the new restrictions in the tournament's rules, as she should have been worried about Goku and Chichi in the previous match, especially at the beginning, with all that chit-chatting in whispers, but she was not, despite all. Firstly, because she knew Goku very well and she knew that he would not cheat on her.

Honestly, I don't know what happened to me before, when he hugged Lunch, she thought. But it won't happen, now I know. Chichi was the litmus test and he passed it with bright colours. Now it's time for my own litmus test though. I have to admit that I like Yamcha, and it's a fact that Goku likes Chichi. That blush in the middle of the match spoke volumes. But he knew his priorities and I know mine. I won't succumb to the feelings I may have to Yamcha, just like Goku didn't succumb to Chichi's advances either. She sighed. Now, now, Bulma, stop going that way. You know that you cannot let your feelings divert you from your purpose. You have to concentrate on the match ahead. And remember, no dirty tricks. Disqualification is not an option, not when the consequences are as dire as they are right now. If Piccolo defeats us, everything changes for the worse. Concentration is paramount.

Because now dirtiness in a match was penalised even to disqualification, depending on its grade, to prevent events like the already infamous broken leg. However, the scientist-turned-warrior was not worried at all despite having to be softer than usual. In fact, she seemed to be quite calm, or at least that was the façade she was showing, as if she were way too strong for Yamcha's good or not strong enough to endure one of his attacks, nobody could guess which option would be the right one. He noticed that fact and arched an eyebrow in surprise.

'You seem relaxed,' he observed, as she was stretching her muscles. 'Have you thrown the towel already or what?'

And action, she thought.

'Who? Me?' she mocked, grinning. 'You can dream, it's free of charge,' she joked. 'I'm here, among other things, to see how you fight.'

'How so?'

'There's someone here we should keep an eye on, and Goku might need your help,' she explained. 'I'm here to see if you're going to be useful.'

Ouch!, thought Goku, overhearing the conversation. That was rude.

'What?' barked Yamcha, offended. 'You'll see how useful I am in a moment, I assure you!'

And, after the referee announced the beginning of the match, he attacked as if pushed by a spring, only to be countered with a precise feint and a roundhouse kick to the nape, making him fall flat on his face.

'There, now attack recklessly again if you dare,' she simply said, lowering her leg gracefully, perfectly balanced. 'First critical mistake.'

What the…?, thought Yamcha, astonished, rubbing his nape. She's quick!

'You were right, Goku, she's good,' muttered Chichi, surprised. 'She can stretch her legs even more than me, and she has an outstanding balance too.'

'She's gained a lot of technique,' said Tien. 'The way she dodged Yamcha's attack was very difficult, not to mention the kick afterwards.'

'Yeah, and she's controlling her blows,' added Krillin. 'Three years ago she would've kicked him in the guts.'

'Three years ago she would've hit him with the knee, and a little lower than the guts,' specified Goku, frowning. 'She's somewhat limited yet stronger than she's supposed to be.'

'What do you mean?' asked Krillin.

'Look.'

Another attack from Yamcha, this one trying not to show openings, but Bulma dodged some blows before attacking, this time with a punch and a circular kick, and Yamcha found his back on the floor again.

'Wow,' gasped Krillin, astounded.

'What has she done?' asked Chichi, confused.

'A punch in the ribs and a kick to the head,' explained Krillin. 'She's very quick and precise. You're a very good master, Goku. Could you train me next time?'

But Goku was not paying attention to them any longer, but to the fight, and he was somewhat worried. There's something wrong here, he thought. She didn't have that expertise yesterday when we sparred. What's going on? Has she overheard my conversation with Chichi and now she's angry? That's a possibility.

I don't understand, thought Yamcha meanwhile, rubbing his face. How come is she so good so suddenly? Is this the result of Goku's training? She's putting me in a bad position!

'Well, if you've finished picking up your teeth from the floor, what about attacking me properly this time, please?' mocked Bulma, back to her defensive position.

Man, that was too harsh, thought Goku, astonished. He was not recognising her at that moment. Is she in her delicate day or is she angry at me and she's blowing off steam through him? Maybe I should apologise to her later.

'You want a proper attack?' roared Yamcha, already angry. 'You get it! I'll show you my Shin Rougafuufuu-ken!'

Yes, show me that, and I'll show you how useless that technique really is better than Tien did three years ago, thought Bulma, smirking.

Bulma, what are you doing?, thought Goku, worried for her. Now Yamcha was attacking seriously and he could not do anything for her without disqualifying her, and he knew better than that, especially now.

Yamcha attacked with all his might, surpassing clearly the speed of a normal human being. It did not work against Bulma though, as she proved blocking all his blows and swings, almost effortlessly, before she performed a sweeping kick aimed to his ankle. Yamcha fell again and now not only his body was on the floor, but his pride too.

Wait, those moves…, thought Goku, serious. It can't be happening. Otherwise, that only would mean that…

'You know,' said Bulma matter-of-factly, relaxing herself, 'you should pay attention to your legs too, especially after you suffered that nasty injury three years ago. You don't move comfortably to begin with, and if you add the erratic moves of your Rougafuufuu-ken to the equation, you're almost defenceless. Do you have anything else to show or should I proceed to defeat you?'

Kami-sama, she's indeed been way too caustic even by her standards, and the way she speaks…, thought Goku, preoccupied. It's like she was facing Oolong instead of Yamcha… when they first met. Definitely, something's not right here.

'Defeat me?' boomed Yamcha, choleric. 'Now I'm mad, you bitch!'

'Watch that language and your attitude,' she warned severely. 'The ref's looking daggers at you already, he's considering you should be disqualified, I'm sure, and I don't want you to lose unless it's by my hand.'

'What? The nerve!' yelled Yamcha, furious. 'First you taunt me and now you try to lecture me? And with that arrogant attitude to boot? I'll show you my best technique to shut your mouth!'

Seriously now, Bulma, what's going on?, thought Goku. This behaviour is not like you at all.

And he grasped his wrist, which started to glow almost immediately. When she saw that, she closed her defence, turning serious. It seemed that that technique was not something to laugh at. Indeed, suddenly an energy ball emerged from his hand, floating over it, and he threw it towards her. Despite her defence, she received a terrible blow at an incredible speed, making her fly some metres back. But the ball changed its direction and she avoided it in the nick of time with an amazing jump. However, the ball changed again and started to chase her.

'Well? How do you like my Sokidan technique?' shouted Yamcha, jubilant. 'You're not so cocky now, eh? I can control it all day if I must, so prepare yourself to be beaten!'

Bollocks, that technique's quite annoying indeed, she thought, dodging the ball again, just to see it return towards her, so she started to fly; the public responded with a round of applause. I need to get rid of it or everything might fail. I have to win no matter how and test Goku. Let's see if there's a flaw in that technique.

She flew towards him, the ball still very close to her, and saw Yamcha standing in the middle of the tatami, moving his arms. She turned left and Yamcha moved his arms to his right, that is, to her left. She saw the ball taking that direction and she understood.

He's controlling the ball with his body, I have to make him lose his concentration or this will be a nuisance, she thought, flying towards him again without losing the trace of the ball. But, when she was approaching him, he threw another ball she barely dodged. Now there were two balls chasing her.

'Did you think I'd fall for that?' laughed Yamcha, controlling the two balls. 'You tried to approach me and dodge the instant before the ball hit you so it hits me instead, but I won't bite that! This trick is too old! Now you're finished! You'll get tired eventually! Your struggles are useless!'

Nice technique, I must admit it, she thought, making a "U-turn" to prevent being hit. But I've seen a mistake, two in fact. First, you've discovered your technique by talking too much, and that's why I went towards you in the first place. Second…

She approached him again and Yamcha smirked before opening his arms in anticipation, making the balls change their direction, just in case she tried the old trick again. However, she had everything under control despite being chased by two energy balls, as she showed when she was close enough to punch him in the stomach, taking advantage of his open arms. It was as if he were inviting her to punch him in the guts with that gesture. The punch was strong enough to double him over, breaking his concentration. She could see the balls disappearing after the blow to confirm her success.

'Nice technique, Yamcha, but you should improve your movement while performing it,' she said calmly. 'It's obvious you can't move while you're controlling the energy balls and that might be dangerous in a life or death situation.'

'Are you still lecturing me?' grunted Yamcha, standing up with some difficulty.

'I'm advising you,' she replied. 'Look, I'm trying to help, okay? You fall for the taunts too easily, you lose your defence too often, you attack too recklessly and, the worst of all your mistakes, you judge your opponent by their appearance, so you get easily surprised. You thought I'd be easy to defeat because I'm apparently inexperienced, right? Well, I've proven you I'm a tough cookie and not so inexperienced. Now the lesson is over.'

Lesson?, thought Goku, puzzled, but his expression changed to surprise when he realised something that had eluded him all the match. Oh, now I get it! She wasn't angry after all, thank goodness! Everything makes sense now!

'Are you finished?' grunted Yamcha, and Bulma nodded, crossing her arms under her breasts. 'Now don't get mad at me because of this.'

And he launched a fist to her guts, now that she had her guard down, or so he thought. Reality was quite different, as he could feel in his own flesh when she simply grabbed his fist and, with an amazing chokehold, she immobilised him, making him forfeit if he wanted to keep his arm uninjured. She did it calmly and she stopped the pressure when he gave up, so she did not break any of the new rules of the tournament.

'Goku taught you well,' muttered Yamcha, massaging his wrist and shoulder. 'You're incredibly strong.'

'Well, I must admit I have a secret concerning my strength,' she said cryptically. 'Something you'll know in due time, don't worry.'

'Come on, stop teasing him or he'll get angry for real,' said Goku, hugging both of them just when both left the tatami. 'Nice match, but don't do that against me, I beg you.'

'Don't worry, when we fight you'll know what's going on if you still don't know it.'

'I know it already, my goddess, but you worried me for a while,' insisted Goku, winking at her. He noticed Yamcha's puzzlement and smiled. 'Don't worry, Yamcha, you'll know it soon enough,' he added before his friend could even open his mouth to speak.

Yamcha simply shrugged and went to the waiting room to rest. The referee called for a half-an-hour rest before the semifinals, which were surely going to be very interesting. He could not imagine that the tournament was about to get out of control.

'Goku, we need to talk,' said Bulma suddenly, grabbing his arm to isolate themselves from unwanted listeners. He had just bought some snacks (a tray with a mountain of sandwiches, barely considered a bite for a saiyan), and he was about to engulf them when he felt her hand. He sighed.

'Yes, I agree,' he confirmed, following her voluntarily. There had to be something in his voice that alarmed her, because she looked at him immediately and she noticed that there was indeed something wrong.

'What happened, Goku?' she asked, worried. When he knelt before her, all her alarms blared at the same time.

'Forgive me, Bulma, for I have sinned,' he recited, lowering his head. 'I've disrespected you. I really, really, like Chichi. It's not like I've fallen for her, mind you, I don't feel the same as I feel when I look at you, but still…'

'Stand up, Goku,' said Bulma, astonished, and he did, but still without daring to look at her, ashamed. 'Look at me,' she ordered, and he obeyed again. 'Look, I know you like Chichi. For Heaven's sake, even I like her, and I'm not a lesbian. She's so beautiful, and so hot!'

'But I—'

'Goku, it's normal having feelings for other people,' she insisted. 'I have some feelings for Yamcha, and now I discovered that I have those very same feelings for Chichi, of all people. And am I ashamed?' she sighed. 'Well, a little, yes, especially because I didn't know I could be sexually attracted to a woman, but not to this point. You haven't sinned, Goku. Temptations are found from time to time, but I trust you. You like her, yes, but you love me, and that's all I need. So, please, stop this nonsense. It doesn't fit someone dressed as a priest.'

'I'm not—'

'I know, silly, and I'm not a miko either,' she laughed. 'But you need to know something important, so let's focus on it, shall we?'

'Yes, of course,' he said, visibly relieved. 'What's on your mind?'

'This is concerning to Piccolo,' she said, once they changed to "business mode", so to speak, after having overcome their sentimental doubts. Now it was time for Goku's alarms to blare though, not because of what she said, but how she said it, because she was not speaking in their language now, but in a foreign language that Goku, fortunately, understood, just to assure herself not to be overheard. Goku frowned, realising why she had changed the language.

No wonder the secrecy, he thought. That's what I thought. That's why she was teasing Yamcha. She was testing him, but not as Bulma, but as—

'Why, you don't beat about the bush, eh, Kami-sama?' he observed. 'Don't worry, I've got everything under control.'

'I know, and it is good to know that you have identified me, so I do not need to explain that to you,' said the woman. 'Indeed, I am Kami, but I am also Bulma. I willingly possessed Bulma's body at the beginning of the tournament to protect her, as you surely guessed when I fought Yamcha. Because it was then when you identified me, was it not?'

'Yes, that's why I called you "my goddess",' said Goku seriously. 'But what are you doing here, apart from protecting Bulma?'

'I am here to defeat Piccolo myself.'

'So you don't trust me despite the training…'

'Do not get me wrong, I did not mean that I do not trust you, but it is something I have to do by myself, for it is my duty,' declared Bulma/Kami. 'That is why I have willingly possessed Bulma, to avoid suspicions even from Piccolo. That is why I have been harsh towards Yamcha when we fought. Trust me when I say that it has been very difficult both for Bulma and for me, but especially for her, given her feelings for him, not as strong as the ones she has for you, but they are still strong enough to criticise my method of testing him. However, I had to do it that way in order not to be discovered by Piccolo. I would never be arrogant towards an opponent, especially if they are a friend.'

'I know,' said Goku. 'Why did you test him and how?'

'I had to oblige him to attack me with his full strength, tempting him in several ways, so I could test his resolution, his temper, the control of his body and mind…' she sighed. 'Unfortunately, he did not pass the test. I hope I have not spoiled her friendship with Yamcha with that attitude though.'

'Don't worry, with a good explanation he'd forgive you if he took offence,' said Goku. 'Who wouldn't forgive Kami-sama?' he turned even more serious. 'But how do you plan to defeat Piccolo without endangering my fiancée? You know how important she is for me.'

'I know, and I have the solution: the Mafuba technique that the martial arts' master Mutaito performed to seal Piccolo in the first war,' said the temporary goddess, showing a bottle with an ofuda, a magical seal meant to hold a demon. 'Worry not, I will not die with that like he did, and I will not let Bulma die either. Once I have sealed him, I will separate from Bulma and everything will be fine.'

'And what if it doesn't work?' guessed Goku. 'I mean, he was afraid of that technique, right? He knows it's his weak spot. What makes you think he hasn't found a counterattack or something? It's what I'd do if I were him. In fact, I did something similar some years ago, when I strengthened my tail in order not to have such a weak spot anymore.'

'I had not thought about that possibility, I must admit,' muttered Kami/Bulma, thoughtful. 'That was indeed his weak spot and learning from it makes sense. If the Mafuba happens to fail for some reason, a counterattack or any other circumstance, I do not know if I could defend myself with this frail body. You must admit your girlfriend has not trained her body sufficiently to endure a massive blow. She is in a much better shape than other options I have considered before willingly possessing her, and she is definitely in a much better shape than when both of you visited me the first time, but either way…'

'Yes, I suppose you had to conceal yourself in a body that can't be considered as a warrior's body,' mused Goku, but he stopped abruptly, blinking. 'I mean, you had to possess a common body to… er…' he hesitated. 'Doesn't matter. I'm starting to speak like you and I can't do that well…' he laughed shyly, his hand on his nape.

At that moment, the referee was asking for the competitors to go back to the stadium to resume the tournament. Goku finished his "snacks" in one gulp, as it was his intention before, and followed Bulma/Kami, who sighed with a strange mix of embarrassment and mirth. Kami's embarrassment and Bulma's mirth, to be precise.

'Now it's the turn again to assume Bulma's personality, yet a little exaggerated, perhaps…'

The referee was once again praising the next contestants, mentioning their feats, especially Krillin's. Not in vain, he had defeated no less than Tien Shinhan, the last champion, apparently with little effort, showing the results of his training beyond any doubt. On the other hand, Junior, the alias of Piccolo in the tournament, had defeated Yajirobe with a single blow, making that match one of the quickest in the history of the Tenkaichi Budokai. If that did not show his strength, the referee did not know what he needed to do to show it properly.

'So,' he concluded finally, after he showed once again his communicative skills, 'without further ado, let's start the semifinals of this tournament! Let's only hope we don't assist this time to a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of match. Competitors, BEGIN!'

And they began frantically, sharing punches and kicks at terrible speed, taking little care of anything else than destroying the opponent. Piccolo was now fighting more seriously than before, slightly surprised by the resilience of Krillin, who was full speed ahead from the beginning.

Krillin is extraordinary, thought Goku, paying top attention to the match, just in case he had to intervene to save Krillin's life. He's facing Piccolo Daimao without fear or hesitation, with an outstanding strength I didn't know he had. No wonder he defeated Tien so easily. He's trained very hard indeed.

They were now flying above the tatami, sharing energy balls combined with all sorts of blows. However, Goku could see that that match belonged to Piccolo. Krillin was fighting at 100%, while his opponent was still in his warm-up, covering himself with his cape to block Krillin's blows and dodging his energy balls effortlessly. But Krillin changed his tactics and connected several punches to Piccolo's body, followed by a strange technique. After he concentrated his energy for an instant, he showed two streams of energy, one for each hand. Piccolo saw them coming and dodged them, but the streams of energy followed him insistently, forcing the green being to destroy them. Precisely what Krillin was expecting, because he appeared from behind and hit him in the head, making him fly towards the end of bounds.

'Not bad,' praised Piccolo, stopping mid-air. 'It seems I have to show half my full strength to defeat you, much more than I anticipated. Unbelievable for a human.'

'Yeah, sure,' said Krillin mockingly. 'You're bluffing.'

'Do you think this is a bluff?'

Suddenly, Piccolo disappeared completely from sight, startling Krillin. He could not even react before he was severely punched.

'Krillin, no!' exclaimed Goku, worried, when his friend suffered the terrible blow, because it was too strong. But it was apparently not strong enough to finish Krillin, considering how he stopped mid-air. 'Great, Krillin, way to go!' praised the saiyan happily.

'Not bad,' said Krillin now, rubbing his head. 'Finally, a worthy opponent.'

Hmm, he's definitely stronger than I expected, thought Piccolo, turning serious. But not nearly as strong as I am, and I'm going to show it.

He went back to the tatami and Krillin landed on it as well, still rubbing his head. The blow was tremendous and he was in pain, but able to continue, while the public was cheering him up with an ovation. However, in spite of Krillin's resilience, Goku was now very worried and ready to intervene if he saw his friend in real danger. If that meant the end of the tournament for him, so be it. His friend was first.

'Ok, now it's your end,' assured Piccolo, still serious. 'I must admit you're very good, but you won't resist my next attack, I promise you.'

'Come at me, I'm not scared,' said Krillin, covering himself.

A close defence, just as I expected, thought Piccolo. Perfect, here I go.

And, unbelievably, he stretched his arm more than he should be able, grabbing Krillin's leg from a great distance, that is, several metres. It was as if Piccolo's arms were made of gum.

'What?' Krillin could barely say before he was hit in the face and thrown up.

Shoot! The bugger can extend his arms like an elastic rubber!, he thought, feeling him behind him again while he tried to stabilise himself in the sky. Well, let's see if he can see this coming!

And, when Piccolo reached Krillin's position, the monk simply stretched his leg backwards, kicking him in the guts, then he hit him in the chin with his knee and finished with his "sidekick-o'-the-death", as his friends affectionately called that blow. However, it had no effect whatsoever and Piccolo merely smirked before he punched him down. Krillin managed to fall unharmed, but his opponent was again close to him to punch him once more, this time sending him out of the tatami. However, if he had not fallen out of bounds, he could not have continued anyway, because he was unconscious due to the extreme punishment.

Hmm, he's still safe and sound despite the beating, thought Piccolo. I mustn't underestimate those humans.

Krillin awoke quickly though, and when he saw himself in the grass that surrounded the tatami, he sighed. Helped by his friends, he climbed the tatami again and went towards the waiting room while the public dedicated him to a long round of applause.

Definitely I must be careful with those humans, thought Piccolo, hopping up the roof. If all his friends are at least as strong as him, I might get some problems against them if they swarm me. Ruling the world might prove to be more difficult than I expected at first.

Goku vs Bulma. Again. Nobody knew Bulma was not Bulma but Kami-sama, of course, but after the exhibition of strength and technique she had shown in the previous match, many among the public were divided. Who would win, Goku or Bulma?

However, the experts had another opinion.

'Another Goku against Bulma,' said Lunch. 'Fuck, who should I cheer up now? It's like a habit already.'

'Yes, but this time there's something strange,' muttered Roshi, thoughtful. 'It's odd, Bulma doesn't fight like three years ago.'

'What d'you mean?' she asked, confused. 'Of course not! She can't fight dirty now with those stupid rules. Those bunch of sissies have spoiled the tournament in my opinion.'

'Well, people might say that three years ago she fought dirty because everyone was fighting dirty,' objected Roshi. 'But now they've moderated the rules in order not to get injured contestants, which would be awful for the reputation of the tournament, so she must change her style drastically. However,' he added, thoughtful again, 'three years ago she showed some interesting techniques she hasn't shown now, some techniques that weren't dirty at all. It's like she has forgotten them or something. It's intriguing…'

'If you say so…' muttered Lunch. 'In my opinion, she's way stronger than Yamcha, so she didn't need to use her strongest techniques. It's as simple as that.'

'Maybe so, but anyway…' mumbled Roshi, still thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Goku and Bulma were approaching the centre of the tatami, while the referee was announcing them.

'Ok, show me you can defeat Piccolo, so we can make this match short,' said Bulma. 'If not, I have no choice but to apply plan B.'

'Don't,' said Goku firmly. 'Don't endanger yourself, I beg you. Piccolo's mine. But don't make this match short either. I have a plan too. A big one.'

'Oh, I see you are fully committed to the real purpose of this tournament,' said Bulma, now smiling. But now she was more Kami-sama than Bulma, and Goku noticed it instantly, paying attention in a different manner: the attention you pay to your teacher. 'So be it. Let us make this fight long then. Let us show ourselves. When the danger is over, I will abandon this body, I promise, but before that let me use it to its limits, hoping she pays attention to what I insist she can do if she trains seriously. Your girlfriend has a very flexible body and it would be a pity if I cannot show its full flexibility with impossible kicks and outstanding moves I cannot do in my own body. Are you ready to show me your progress, my faithful student?'

Goku nodded and both of them prepared to fight. When the referee considered it was time for them to begin, they covered themselves while moving in circles, looking for an opening, just like Krillin and Tien had done in their fight. If they wanted to make some time, recklessness was not an option.

'Show only your basic moves for now,' suggested the temporary goddess. 'Save your best ones for your battle against Piccolo, so you can use the element of surprise. After that punch you impacted against Chichi, Piccolo knows you have been trained by me, I am sure, but he cannot know the true extent of your mastery. I will try to use Bulma's techniques, combining them with some of yours too, in order not to get discovered. I am supposed to be your disciple in martial arts after all. Follow my lead, so we can make this fight as long as we can. Understood?'

Goku nodded again and started with a quick blow similar to the one he showed when he defeated Chichi. Obviously, Bulma was not Chichi – she was not even Bulma right now – so the blow was ineffective, but it was the first of a long chain of attacks.

'Impressive indeed,' considered Roshi, frowning. 'Who's she?'

'Don't you see, old fart? She's Bulma,' answered Lunch.

'Then why am I doubting it?' replied Roshi, thoughtful. 'She's not moving like she usually does. I've seen her fight both in my sister's lair and in the last tournament and she's not fighting like that at all. The techniques are the same, but not their execution.'

'Well, duh?' grunted Lunch, and Roshi looked at her in puzzlement. 'She can't fight like she used to because of those fucking new rules made by faggots for faggots. She has to improvise.'

'And that improvisation includes those expert techniques, mixed with moves from my school, as well as her own style like in the previous tournament, but up a notch?' inquired Roshi, and Lunch looked at him in puzzlement. 'Trust me, this is my style, but not even I can do those moves so efficiently, and I'm its inventor. It's not a question of flexibility, it's a question of technique. If you're not an expert, more than I am, you can't do that, no matter how you stretch your legs, especially with that perfect balance. Something strange is happening. Oh, what a move, I wish I could do it with that balance! Definitely neither Bulma nor Goku are fighting as they usually do.'

Despite being so sure at the beginning, Lunch was now having doubts about Bulma's authenticity. Indeed, she was now showing the Kame techniques with an expertise that was truly difficult to surpass even to Roshi, and curiously Goku was showing exactly the same techniques, yet not so perfect. Lunch was no martial artist, but she knew very well how martial artists fought, for she was living with some of them at the Kame House, but she had never seen anything like that before, even though she had seen them train.

It's almost as if she had three hundred years of experience or something, she thought, astounded. Like seeing Roshi in his prime, I guess. Her technique's better even than Goku's or Roshi's, if you ask me. How is it possible? It's almost as if she were the master and he were the student, when it's exactly the opposite. What's going on?

She saw Bulma performing an incredible feint to avoid a spectacular kick after a jump from Goku, something not included in the Kame style this time, with a counterattack similar to the one she executed against Yamcha when he attacked recklessly. However, this time Goku had avoided the kick with a sweeping counter kick that she avoided with a somersault performed with only one leg, adding some extra difficulty to the jump. After that, they continued with their attacks and counterattacks as if that were something easy to do, when it was quite the opposite.

She's pushing me more than I expected, thought Goku, panting slightly. I have to take my weights off if I want to win, I'm afraid.

'Go on, get rid of your weights, I was expecting that, so we can finish our warming up,' she whispered as if reading his mind (she probably was), blocking a punch with her hand at the same time she was punching him, only to find his hand stopping the attack. After that, they pushed each other. 'I authorise you to redress yourself as a student of Muten Roshi again, if you want. I will do the same. Let us do it after a jump backwards, in three… two… one…'

Goku smiled while nodding and, when the countdown reached zero, they jumped backwards, landing gracefully near the out of bounds. Then, after calling for a little rest, Goku proceeded to take the priest clothes off, revealing that he had the turtle style gi underneath them, and the same was true to her too. Each piece of cloth he removed was thrown towards the temporary goddess, who caught them and dropped them out of the tatami and, when a piece of cloth fell on the ground, it thudded like a heavy stone, followed by the others. Hers, however, did not seem to weigh so much.

Heavy clothes, thought Roshi, who did not overlook the detail. He was fighting at such a level with heavy clothes on, and she can catch them with extreme ease, as if they weighed nothing. How much does each of them weigh exactly?

Bulma seemed to hear the thought, because she approached him grabbing the turban with one hand, levitating towards him so as not to lose by out of bounds, to place it gently on his arms. Roshi gasped.

'Twenty kilos approx,' he measured, stunned. 'And I assume the rest of the heavy clothes are as heavy as the turban?'

'Yes,' she confirmed. 'The total weight is one hundred and twenty kilos, enough for him to move with relative ease. I have to admit that I should have chosen more comfortable clothes for a tournament like this one. My mistake.'

'So everything was your idea?' asked Roshi, astounded, and she nodded. 'And your robes are weights as well?' now she shook her head. 'Yet you can carry them as if they weighed nothing.'

'Suffice to say I'm well trained too, for now,' she said secretively. 'You'll know more later, promise.'

And she flew back to the tatami, leaving Roshi with more questions than answers, as well as the turban. He sighed and put it on his head, just to feel the extra weight and calibrate Goku's total strength. It surprised him, even when he could easily endure the weight.

'Well,' said Bulma/Kami, after she landed again on the centre of the tatami, 'now it is the time to get dangerous. Show me what you have, but still refrain yourself from using my techniques. Now I will use exclusively the ones from the holos.'

'With pleasure, I'll do the same,' accepted Goku, turning serious. 'Try not to get injured, please, this is the body of my precious fiancée and I'd hate to harm her in any way.'

'Consider yourself fortunate if you can land a straight hit on me,' taunted Bulma, turning serious as well. 'Proceed.'

Goku nodded and, in the blink of an eye, he indeed landed a powerful hit on her… or so he thought; he had hit only her afterimage. The real one was behind him, throwing a punch that only hit air as well. Now the speed of the match was increasing exponentially and only the most gifted fighters were able to barely see them in action. In other words, only Tien (due to his three eyes) and Piccolo could see anything, the green being with the astonishment well placed in his face. He knew Goku might come out with something like that, but his girlfriend was another story. Why was she so strong and expert? Was she like that three years previous, in the battle he had lost? Frankly, she had shown some strength when she killed his minion effortlessly, but the minion had not been created to endure much pain, but to inflict it to the three-eyed man who defied him. However…

'Absolutely fantastic!' cried the referee at the top of his lungs. 'I recognise the techniques as the ones participant Bulma showed in the previous Tenkaichi Budokai, three years ago, but up a notch, or I did when I could see her! Now, however, I can only hear the tremendous blows they're exchanging to each other! On the other hand, participant Goku doesn't seem to be as strong in comparison as he was those three years previous, or better said, his evolution hasn't been as significant as hers! In fact, they're so similar in strength that it reminds me of the Goku vs Tien Shinhan in the last edition, so we'll act the same manner or we won't see anything else! The first point will be the last!'

When Goku and Bulma heard that, they decided not to show that amount of speed any longer. They did not want to win like that, lest they had no choice in the matter, which was not the case at all. So, they kept fighting but they allowed the public to see their moves. It had two advantages, because they could fight longer, which was good according to Goku's plan, and Goku could save his energy for the real battle against Piccolo. They had shown themselves already, so it was time to stall for a while. It was a wake-up call for Piccolo though, a warning of what he would expect in the finals, no matter his opponent.

He's watching us avidly now, I can feel it, thought Goku, taking advantage of another rest both of them conceded to each other, partly to, effectively rest, partly to make time, which was apparently essential in Goku's plan.

Of course you can, that was the idea, thought Bulma, knowing that Goku was listening to her mind. It could be done thanks to Kami-sama, of course.

Good, because I'm itching for a fight against him, he thought, thrilled. But it's not the time yet. I need some more minutes, as well as the refreshment usually announced by the referee. I count on that to put my plan into practice.

I understand. Let us keep fighting at this pace some more time, and, when I give you a signal, I will lose on purpose, thought the temporary goddess. I know you want to fight me at full strength, but now is not the time to do so. Maybe on another occasion.

'Ok, time is up,' she said, now voicing the words instead of telepathy. 'It is time to finish this up. Prepare yourself.'

'Bring it,' accepted Goku.

They kept stalling for a little while, fighting apparently serious but far from that in reality, until, several minutes later, Bulma resolved she was going to lose. No, Kami-sama was going to lose, or more accurately, let him win, but nobody would know that fact.

'And the match is over!' announced the referee. 'Bulma has fallen out of bounds after a spectacular combination of blows from Son Goku, which means that he's in the final match again! He's the first contestant to be in the finals of three Tenkaichi Budokai in a row! Congratulations and thank you for letting us see such a wonderful match, I mean it!'

'Oh… you're welcome, I guess…' muttered Goku, smiling shyly, once he helped Bulma climb back to the tatami. Awkward, the couple thought at the same time, embarrassed.

The match was about to begin. After half an hour of well-deserved rest, something Goku had counted on from the beginning, the two finalists were in the centre of the tatami, waiting for the referee to indicate the beginning of the last match of the tournament. However…

'Oh my!' muttered Chichi, looking at the sky. 'It's raining again, look at those clouds.'

It was indeed raining cats and dogs, so they rushed to look for a shelter until the storm passed. Fortunately, it lasted only several minutes and, after the staff of the stadium dried out the tatami, the tournament could continue as if nothing had happened.

'Nice trick, Megami-sama,' joked Goku. 'You've gained us some more time.'

'I do not know what you are talking about, I have done absolutely nothing,' muttered Kami/Bulma, shrugging. 'It has been a mere coincidence.'

'Of course,' complied Goku, polite but with a great dose of sarcasm. 'Oh, and don't forget leaving Bulma's body ASAP, please, we're going to do some things at night, if you know what I mean.'

'Oh… thanks for the appreciation,' she grunted awkwardly, blushing severely, showing now that she was more Bulma than Kami-sama this time.

Goku laughed and placed himself in the centre of the tatami, where he stopped laughing and changed his features to others in accordance with his new task. In other words, he frowned and looked daggers at Piccolo, who was already in front of him doing exactly the same. At that precise moment the game was over and it was time to get serious and dangerous. The tatami was no longer a tatami, but a battlefield. They were facing their nemeses, their archenemies, and they had to concentrate in order not to get killed.

'This will be your last battle, Son Goku, for you're going to die,' threatened Piccolo, in his language, knowing that his enemy could speak it. 'Not even your dear Kami will stop me.'

'Show me then,' countered Goku. 'Your bark is worse than your bite, as always.'

'Not this time,' said Piccolo. 'You're not facing my old me any more. This will be over for you soon enough, I assure you.'

'Less talking and more fighting, I'm getting bored,' taunted Goku.

Piccolo threw his turban out of the tatami, as well as his cape, showing that he was too wearing weights. Goku smirked. He expected no less.

'BEGIN!' roared the referee, and it was the trigger for a legendary battle between good and evil.

They started exchanging some blows to study their opponent, to see their reactions. Despite their mutual hate, they were controlling their swipes, looking for a weak spot and, without realising it, having fun.

Piccolo's incredible, thought Goku, trying to outsmart him with a feint under a feint, but it proved difficult because the green being had thought exactly the same. He's right, he's nothing like the old one. I have to keep focused, he's too strong. A slight mistake and I'm done.

Blast it, I can't believe it!, thought Piccolo, trying in vain to punch his adversary. He's dodging everything! And to add insult to injury, he's using my techniques! Damned Kami! He's trained him too well, dammit! How in blazes has he become so strong? I thought I, as a Mazoku, was the strongest of all, but this guy…!

'Enough!' boomed Piccolo, furious. 'I'm fed up! Now I'll show you the extreme power of… Ouch!'

'Shut up and fight,' said Goku, who had attacked Piccolo while he was speaking. 'I can't stand your useless bravados.'

'How dare you… HOW DARE YOU! DIE!'

'Stop!'

It was the referee who stopped the match, to the astonishment of the fighters. 'Contestant Junior, you have been disqualified for bloodshed. Contestant Son Goku is the winner of the tournament.'

'The winner of the tournament my arse!' roared Piccolo. 'This isn't a tournament; this is a war! I am Piccolo Daimao and I'll destroy you all, starting with Son Goku!'

That declaration was the touch off for a stampede among the public. Nobody wanted to be near that genocidal maniac, so they fled as quickly as they could. The result, several dead, tons of wounded and absolute chaos. Piccolo was laughing maniacally because of that, while the group, the only ones who stayed in the stadium despite the danger, were astonished and trembling in fear.

'The fuck has happened here?' swore Lunch, looking around, apparently calm yet confused. 'Dickheads… have they run over each other to death? Feh…'

'I-I don't know how you can be so calm, Lunch!' shrieked Oolong. 'We're gonna die!'

'Fuck off, faggot!' spat Lunch, slapping him. 'That cocksucker can't defeat Goku!'

'As if!' shouted Piccolo. 'Now I'll show you my real power!'

'Before or after I destroy you?' threatened Goku, furious. 'Look what you've done! Now I can't forgive you!'

'What have I done? I've done nothing yet!' screamed Piccolo. 'But now I'm doing something! Die already!'

And, with a terrible explosion, he destroyed the entire stadium, trying to kill Goku at the same time. However, the saiyan was strong enough to resist the blast and, luckily, Tien foresaw that move and, with a controlled Kikoho technique, he opened a great hole on the ground for the group to shelter, so nobody died in that attack. Nobody in the group at least. The people who had fled before, however, taking into consideration that the whole island had been turned into a barren wasteland…

'It's incredible,' said the referee, hidden with the group. 'He destroyed everything. Fortunately, Goku's still unharmed.'

'Why are you still here, ref-san?' asked Krillin, astonished.

'Hey, I'm the referee of the Tenkaichi Budokai, I have to be here until I declare a winner!'

'But you've declared Goku the winner when Piccolo showed his bloodshed,' opined Bulma, strangely calm despite what was happening.

'There'll be no winner until Piccolo's defeated,' objected the referee. 'Now the entire island is the tatami and the sea is the out-of-bounds, as well as this hole.'

'Great, now I can show all my techniques, even the dangerous ones,' said Goku, thrilled. 'Prepare yourself, Piccolo, you're gonna die again.'

'In your dreams!'

Both of them started to fight again, this time without concern for the space available. This way the battle was even more intense than before, exchanging dangerous techniques and supernatural abilities, but they were very similar in strength and resilience and the battle was lasting too much.

It's getting dark, perfect, thought Goku, looking at the sky for an instant. Piccolo, meanwhile, was getting angrier and angrier.

'Why can't I defeat him?' he roared furiously. 'He keeps standing once after another, no matter the strength of my blows! What can I do to kill him?'

'Nothing,' said Goku, smirking. 'I'm stronger, that's all.'

'I'll kill you one way or another!' roared Piccolo. 'And it'll be now! Any last words?'

'Yes, shut up, please,' mocked Goku, a finger in an ear, 'or at least don't shout, I'm getting deaf.'

'Still cocky, huh?' muttered Piccolo, smirking, and Goku covered himself just in case. 'In that case, I'll show you something interesting.'

'Sorry, I'm not into snails… or plants or whatever you are,' said Goku mockingly,' but don't worry, you'll hook up with someone sooner or later, unless you keep being a jerk, that is.'

'Jest what you want, it'll be your last thing to do.'

And, suddenly, Piccolo started to grow up at great speed, making himself bigger and bigger. Goku looked at him and raised an eyebrow in surprise, but nothing else. He was not worried at all despite the gargantuan enemy he had before him. In fact, he even smirked.

'Impressive,' he said calmly. 'How tall are you now? Ten meters? Fifteen? I can match that. In fact, I can surpass that at least twice the height.'

'What?'

Goku smirked again while he looked for the moon. He knew it would be full that day, so he could indeed match Piccolo's new height, even surpass it, as he had said.

'No, Goku, don't do that!' yelled Yamcha, terrified. 'You'll put us all in danger if you do it!'

'Do what?' asked Chichi.

'Don't worry, guys,' said Goku, looking at the full moon. 'My enemy's Piccolo, not you.'

'What does he mean?' asked Tien, puzzled.

'Oh, Kami-sama, it's starting to convulse,' said Oolong, trembling. 'We're gonna die! I'm outta here!'

'You're staying here!' yelled Bulma. 'This will be glorious.'

'G-glorious? Are you nuts? He's transforming!'

Goku was indeed growing as well, fur covering his entire body, while he was acquiring a simian shape. His clothes shattered because of the massive growth of his body. Piccolo was now trembling in fear, and he was not the only one. Only Bulma was calm, floating over the hole, her arms crossed under her breasts, watching carefully all the transformation with a big grin on her beautiful face.

'Behold the true power of Goku, ladies and gentlemen!' she announced proudly. 'Behold how strong my fiancé can become! Luckily I still have his priest's robes,' she added, giggling.

'Y-you're definitely mental, Bulma!' yelled Yamcha, trying not to show his fear too much, protecting Chichi with his body. 'Now we're doomed!'

'Not quite, only Piccolo's doomed,' said Goku oozaru, his booming voice more like a roar. 'Now he won't survive.'

Piccolo recoiled in fear. Despite his enormous height, he had to look up to face Goku oozaru's eyes, only when his snout allowed it. The great ape showed his fangs and prepared a fist. Piccolo, expecting a punch impossible to block, jumped backwards with great agility and started to fly to avoid the oozaru's strikes, but he simply smirked and flew to chase him, literally roaring with laughter.

'Oh my, he's crazy!' babbled Chichi, shaking.

'Yeah, well,' said Bulma calmly, 'he has to fight against his destructive nature now, so his mental status is a little volatile, but he knows who's an ally and who's an enemy, don't worry. We only need to get out of his way and everything will be fine.'

'Yes, he's showing lots of self-control,' observed Yamcha, relaxing slightly, only slightly just in case though. 'Last time he turned oozaru was a total berserker.'

'We're working on it, yes,' said Bulma. 'Poor Piccolo, he can only dodge now,' she giggled.

It was true. Piccolo could not attack his simian enemy because the oozaru was overwhelming him with a flurry of blows. Now he could only dodge and flee, and barely, while Goku oozaru was guffawing uncontrollably, at least until he decided to open his snout more than usual, letting escape a great stream of energy. Piccolo dodged it in the nick of time and tried to counterattack with a massive punch, but it was barely a caress for the great ape, who looked at the fist and laughed again.

'Is that all?' he mocked, grinning. 'I expected more from a giant body, you know. Your height and weight should give you more strength than that. Physics 101, mate, but it doesn't apply to you, it seems. Curious. I assume it's the fear, because you're about to wet yourself. D'you have anything else for me or should I proceed to kill you already?'

'I-impossible!' babbled Piccolo, recoiling again in fear. 'I-I'm now four times stronger than before! Why—?'

'Four times stronger? Ha! I'm ten times stronger!' laughed Goku oozaru, showing both palms of his upper hands. 'Now you understand, right? Now you realise that you can't harm me at all. Good's better than evil, now you get it. But it's too late for you to redeem yourself, you must die right here, right now, or the world would be over and I won't allow that to happen.'

'No! You must die!' roared Piccolo, charging energy. 'You're finished!'

Goku oozaru sighed and, with a sucker punch, stopped Piccolo's attempt of attacking prematurely. The namekian got unconscious before he touched the floor, his bones shattered, his height turning back to normal. At the same time, Bulma gasped and an old version of Piccolo emerged from her, falling on the floor with a deaf thud.

'Kami-sama?' she asked, puzzled. 'You should warn me before doing that, it hurts, y'know!'

'That hurts?' grunted Kami-sama, standing with some difficulty, oblivious of the stunning gazes that the others were dedicating him now. 'That hurts,' he added, pointing at the battle. Goku oozaru was still punching Piccolo and, with each strike, the ground trembled.

'Stop it, Goku,' muttered Bulma apathetically. 'You're killing him.'

'Well, duh,' replied Goku oozaru. 'That was the idea. He's killed a lot of people today, he deserves nothing but that.'

'And you have to make him suffer?' she objected. 'Finish him already, don't lower yourself to his level.'

'You're right,' he said, grabbing the bloody green body. 'I'll crush him.'

'If you do that, you will kill me too,' said Kami-sama. 'The Dragon Balls will disappear as well; they were my creation after all. Do you remember that fact, Goku?'

'Before that, could I make a wish?' asked Krillin, hopping out of the improvised shelter. 'I have something to fix.'

'You're not against Kami-sama's death, if Piccolo dies too, I daresay,' said Bulma, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, but with a mischievous grin on her face. 'You just want your wish before the inevitable end, right? Tsk tsk, you're being a bad guy,' she added with a singing voice full of mischief.

'No one will kill Piccolo, or me by proxy,' demanded Kami-sama. 'You did it well, Goku, you can turn back to a human.'

'I wish I could, Kami-sama,' said Goku oozaru. 'I can't return to normal until dawn, I'm afraid, but don't worry, I won't attack anyone, I'm gonna take a twelve-hour siesta instead.'

And, after stretching, he indeed laid on the ground, before the astonishment of the group plus the referee, who was about to declare Goku the winner of the tournament, at least until he realised he had done so before.

'Well,' he said, cleaning his suit and adjusting his sunglasses, 'it's been an interesting final. Scary, but interesting. Sorry for not giving you the prize you deserve, but there's no stadium and, by proxy, there's no money either. We'll compensate you when we can, I promise. See ya in the next edition.'

Everyone looked at him in disbelief as he threw a Hoi-Poi capsule, decompressing a plane, and after that he left the remains of the island.

'You know, now he's seen everything in his job,' joked Yamcha.

'Not everything, he's missing that,' added Chichi, looking at Goku oozaru, who was scratching his rear while sleeping. 'And you're dating him, Bulma?'

'What can I say,' said Bulma, grinning. 'I love his fur.'

And she laid beside him, using his hand as her improvised bed, as if that was something usual for her. 'See you tomorrow in the Shinto shrine of Metro West for our wedding,' she said before getting asleep, ignoring her friends' astonishment. Their wedding?

The next day had some remarkable things to mention, starting with the posh wedding between Goku and Bulma. She had said that she had invited only her most precious friends and family, but despite that there were over five hundred guests, as if the entire university where she was teaching had assisted, as well as all the employees from Capsule Corp, and it might be a possibility. Either way, there was something else worthy of mentioning, a surprise that everyone discovered just before they started with the party that came after the conclusion of the ceremony.

'How curious,' observed Son Bulma, looking around while holding hands with her husband. 'Suddenly it's dark despite being twelve o'clock in the morning, but there's no storm. Anyone can explain it?'

All the guests looked at each other in puzzlement before shrugging. All of them? Not quite. Yamcha and Tien seemed to have a convincing explanation for that phenomenon, apparently unexplainable. There was something they had witnessed three years previous, when they summoned Shen Long in order to resurrect the victims of the old Piccolo and his monsters.

'Wait,' said Goku, surprised. 'Are you telling me someone's calling Shen Long? Right now?'

'And are you telling me that, when someone calls Shen Long, the sky turns dark?' asked Bulma as well.

'Pretty much that, yes,' summed up Tien.

'Sorry, I should've told you that that happened,' said Goku, embarrassed, 'but I didn't know someone was about to make a wish precisely today. Who's doing it?'

Suddenly, the sky got full of light again as quickly as it became dark a minute before. An instant later, Blonde Lunch, strangely unnoticed until that moment, joined them, promptly followed by Krillin and…

'Bluette Lunch?' inquired Bulma, astonished. She looked at her side, where Blonde Lunch sighed and joined the group, placing herself next to Tien, and then looked at her front, where Blue-haired Lunch was approaching them, happily clung to Krillin's arm, who was showing a proud grin. 'What in blazes is going on?'

'That was my wish,' explained Krillin, and Blue-haired Lunch giggled. 'I wished for the two personalities of Lunch to be separated in their respective bodies, so they could live independently from one another. I thought both of them had the right to live at the same time, and since both of them agreed to that solution…'

'But there's an ulterior motive for you to make that wish,' stated Bulma, grinning mischievously, 'something beyond being a good Samaritan. Am I wrong?'

'As always, you're right,' confirmed Krillin, smiling. 'Blonde Lunch is in love with Tien, while Bluette Lunch likes me for some reason, and I must add that I feel the same for her…'

'You do?' asked Blue-haired Lunch, beaming at him, and he nodded. 'Yes! I knew it! I'm so glad you like me!'

'And how can't I?' replied Krillin, blushing. 'You're beautiful to no end, for Kami-sama's sake! And so kind, and—'

'Yeah, yeah, whatever,' grunted Blonde Lunch, interrupting. 'At least I don't have to endure that shit any longer, trapped in that body, while that dorky alter-ego was dominating my entire self. You know what, runt? I too am glad to be free at last. You did the right thing and I thank you, but don't get used to it.'

'You're welcome,' said Krillin, still with a big grin on his face. Not even the harsh Blonde Lunch could spoil his happiness, at least that day.

'Good,' chirped Goku. 'Now we have two things to celebrate, our wedding and Krillin's wish. So, let's party!'

And that way they started the mother of all parties, celebrating the wedding and Krillin's wish, as they said. Apparently, they had forgotten about the massive amount of deaths Piccolo Daimao had provoked the day previous, in the Tenkaichi Budokai. That, or they could not care less about them, very unlikely.

And this is the end of the Dragon Ball part of the story. I hope you liked it so far, that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next chapter is the beginning of the DBZ part, full of changes respecting the canon counterpart that I hope you like as well. I won't spoil anything that you can already guess, my dear readers. If you want to know more, keep reading. And feedback is welcome, as always.

And speaking of which…

Time travel is illegal if made by artificial means, such as machines. If that's the case, what about magic made by a mortal? Not in this story, but maybe in another, where magic is common... Oh, and using the Time Rings isn't illegal, when they're the product of an illegal means of transport through time? It doesn't make sense to me.

Still with turning Bulma into a saiyan? I will not make any promises; I'll simply study the possibility, just in case, but I have other priorities in mind first. Perhaps she's a good candidate to saiyanhood (is it "to" or is it "for", here? Damned prepositions... always struggling with them... I could use some help from the natives in this area of expertise), as well as Chichi if we think about it. We'll see, that's all I can say for now.

About Freezer, Cold and all of these folks, no matter the universe, there's so little known about that race (at least, I don't know almost anything, which is normal, considering that I'm guiding the fic from the manga point of view, and I only read until DBZ), that who knows how many of them there are around the universe... or multiverse now. And who knows how many of them could be potential allies or more enemies, by this rule of three.

And about alternative universes created with time travel and all, what to say? You guys know much more than I do about all that stuff. I've watched the anime of DBS, yes, but only once (and no more, thank you very much; watching those freaks from Universe 2 more than once, among many other things, is beyond my nerves, even when I enjoyed the mini tournament between Universe 6 and 7), and I really, really doubt this story will reach that part. Talking about it is a good entertainment though, as well as a good source of information to expand my lore of Dragon Ball, so keep it coming if you feel like it :)

R&R and, above all, have fun!

P.S: Oh, and I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year :)