"Time for the second round of the 26th Tenka'ichi Budokai! And we're kicking it off with a bang with this first match! It's Son Goku vs. Ma Junior! These same fighters clashed in the final round of the 23rd Budokai, with the result that the crowd fled and the whole arena, stadium and all, was destroyed! And now they're fighting again! This will easily be one of the best matches this time around!"

Goku and Piccolo stepped into the ring and took up their positions.

"BEGIN!"

***

"I bet you're having a tough time deciding who to pull for," said Videl, grinning at Gohan.

"You got that right."

***

Goku and Piccolo set upon one another in a hail of fast blows. They were both so skilled that they were able to block almost all of the other's attacks.

Goku was the first to connect. One of his punches landed right on Piccolo's head and sent him tumbling down. The Namek placed one of his hands on the ring to stop his falling, and quickly lashed out and upwards with his right leg, kicking the Saiyan upside the chin.

***

Vegeta frowned. There was something wrong here...

***

Goku snapped his head back into place. Piccolo had begun a new offensive, and he had to quickly go on the defensive.

Finally, Goku was able to catch one of his opponent's arms. He tossed him over his shoulder. As Piccolo landed, he was right behind, starting an offensive of his own.

***

"Wow!" yelled out the Announcer. "This is an astounding match! Both fighters have become blurs, and all I can discern is that each of them is taking a pounding!"

***

The two of them leaped apart to catch their breath.

Piccolo smiled. He had a secret move that Goku had not seen, although he had used it against Juunanagou--Android Seventeen--in the past.

He tossed a small blast of energy at Goku, who took to the air to avoid it. The blast detonated harmlessly on the arena wall, but neither of them noticed. Goku was wondering what his opponent was up to, and Piccolo knew he had Goku right where he wanted him.

He began to toss blast after blast after blast of energy at Goku, who managed to dodge them all.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he shouted down to Piccolo, grinning.

In response, Piccolo chuckled, and gestured.

Goku looked around to see that all the energy blasts were hovering right behind him. And now, at the Namek's command, they all converged on him at once.

***

Gohan and Videl sat in their bed speechless as they watched all of the blasts meet in a tremendous explosion.

***

Piccolo chuckled. That wasn't enough to kill the Saiyan, but it would knock him out. He just had to wait for Goku to drop out of the cloud of smoke onto the ground.

Instead, the smoke dissipated to reveal Goku, who had moved a foot or two of the spot where the blasts had converged. His fighting gi was torn and singed in several places, but that appeared to be the extent of the damage.

"Wow," he said, "That was good!"

On the ground, Piccolo cursed. Then he stopped, realizing as he did so that even though his opponent had dodged the main thrust of his attack, he had still been hit by a few of the blasts and affected by the enormous explosion, not to mention all the energy he had expended dodging the blasts in their original volley. It wasn't what he had hoped for, but it was enough, he hoped.

***

"I don't believe that!" said Gohan. "I didn't think Dad was that fast!" Videl could only nod her head mutely in response.

***

The thing that had been bothering Vegeta throughout the whole fight finally crystallized in his head.

How was Kakarot dodging that? He shouldn't be able to if he didn't go Super Saiyan...

And then it hit him.

THAT DAMNABLE KAKAROT!