The Coming Storm

Chapter 14: The World's Strongest is Crowned!

A/N: Heyo! This is a long chapter to end the arc. Hope you enjoy!


'Guys,' Chi-Chi said, a hint of suppressed rage in her tone, 'Did Krillin just, under his own power, leave the ring?'

'Unfortunately, he did,' Rayne replied.

'I am going to kill him!' Chi-Chi yelled, fuming as Yamcha reflexively grabbed her to prevent her from running out and fighting Krillin herself.

0o0o0o0

In the crowd, Bulma, Puar, and Oolong gave a collective gasp of shock as Krillin fell out of the ring. They saw Nam become visibly stunned, before he frowned and gave a slight bow towards the crowd.

'Why…?' Bulma managed to murmur.

'He fully tanked that blow. He looked… fine.' Oolong said in disbelief. 'It was such a good fight too…'

0o0o0o0

From where he sat on the tiled roof, Kakarot narrowed his eyes, his tail flicking back and forth in interest. Interesting. If I have this whole 'sensing' thing down, then from what I can tell he was stronger than the other fighter. And yet, he gave up…

0o0o0o0

After enjoying the sun shine down on him for a while, Krillin stood under his own power and waved away any help from the tournament officials. Nam was waiting for Krillin at just before the entrance back into the main corridor. 'Why did you do that?' he said when Krillin was close enough, 'aren't there people you care about that need you to win?'

'I weighed our respective motivations,' Krillin responded after collecting his thoughts, 'and it was pretty clear that you saving a village from drought is more important than me winning. I'm not here for the money- I'm here to get stronger to protect others. You tested me today.' Krillin brought his palms together and bowed his head towards Nam. 'For that I am grateful.'

Nam continued staring at Krillin held his head for a few seconds before straightening He reminds me of my nephew... For what felt like the first time in years, Nam smiled, and returned Krillin's bow. He turned and walked into the corridor. Krillin followed a few seconds after him.

He was greeted by the sight of both Rayne and Yamcha grappling with Chi-Chi, who madly trying to worm her way out of their grip. 'You're in a winning position and you forfeit! Are you kidding me!? If I was in your position!... Oooh!' She nearly frothed.

Krillin's mouth quivered, stuck between a frown and a smile. 'Sorry…'

0o0o0o0

After a short five minute break (supposedly to let the fighters rest in between the quarterfinals and semifinals), the tournament announcer walked back onto the ring, his yellow hair and black sunglasses gleaming in the sun. 'Ladies and Gentlemen! You have watched the field winnow from eight to four! It's time to find out which two will compete in the final for the title of World's Strongest!' The crowd erupted into cheers.

'Geez,' Yamcha said peeking out of the corridor, 'this guy really knows how to work a crowd'.

'For our first seminal we have Yamcha vs. Rayne! Give them a warm welcome!'

On cue Yamcha and Rayne walked out onto the ring, waving towards the crowd as they went. They both briefly spoke to the announcer, then assumed opposite positions in the ring from each other.

'You ready?' Yamcha smirked.

'You know it.'

Out in the audience, Bulma sulked. 'This is a problem…'

'What's up Bulma?' Puar asked, one eye on the ring and one on her friend.

'I don't know who to root for…'

The announcer whipped the crowd into a frenzy, and then ran off to the side of the ring. 'Begin!'

Yamcha immediately sprung forward, breaking into a routine of attacks that Rayne easily batted and guided away from her body.'Yamcha,' she said as she easily twisted around a knee, 'you do remember we trained under the same person, right?'

Yamcha's black, spiky hair wavered as another one of his strikes was pushed aside. 'That's what I'm counting on.' At that moment Yamcha changed forms, launching into a pattern Rayne had never seen before. Where the Turtle style emphasized defense and heavy blows, Yamcha's current style was unmitigated aggression, sacrificing strength for volume. He palmed through one of her blocks and then spun on his back leg, kicking Rayne on the side of her right leg and knocking her sideways to the ground. She acrobatically fell into a roll which brought her upright again. Cocking her fist, she charged Yamcha, but he dodged underneath her leading punch and used Rayne's momentum against her, ramming his shoulder into her midsection and flipping her over to splash down on the ring on her back. Yamcha rolled and came to a stop facing away from her a few feet away. 'It occurs to me,' he practically shouted over the din of the crowd,' that you don't know what I did before I became a Turtle student.' He turned towards Rayne as she climbed to her feet. She was rubbing the fresh bruises on her front from where Yamcha barreled into her. 'I was a bandit,' he continued, 'and I was good at it.' Err… good enough...

Smiling, Rayne rocked on her feet. 'This is turning out to be a good workout!' she said cheerfully. She then launched herself towards Yamcha again, forcing him on the defensive while tanking some minor hits. On one of Yamcha's downwards elbow strikes, however, Rayne intentionally moved with the attack, causing Yamcha to swing farther than he expected and lose his balance. He started to fall forward before Rayne surged upwards and landed a succession of blows to his chest. Yamcha tried to move out of Rayne's range but she continued moving forward, placing her hands behind his back, then drove her knee straight into Yamcha's core. Yamcha gasped, but he succeeded in knocking Rayne away with his right fist.

'That wasn't Turtle style…' he rasped, catching his breath and wiping away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

'Seems like you don't much about my background, either.' Rayne said mockingly. 'Do you know the martial arts style of elite Red Ribbon Army officers?' She smirked.

'No,' Yamcha groaned, 'but I think I'm about to find out.'

Rayne dived into the fight with new intensity, her precise, surgical strikes contrasted against Yamcha's quick, unconventional patterns. She ran around a diving haymaker from Yamcha and then planted her left hand on the ground, twisting off of it to quickly land a kick to Yamcha's side. As he reeled, she pushed herself off the ground after him and delivered a series of staggering blows to his body. He was a few feet from the edge of the ring when Yamcha suddenly smiled, and nimbly stepped into the space in between them. Yamcha grabbed Rayne by her waist and with a mighty heave lifted her over and backwards towards the grass. She panicked, clamping her hands down on Yamcha's arms, slowing herself and bringing Yamcha down to the ground with her with a yell. They both hit the ring, laid up on their backs in a line, heads next to each other.

Damn… that hurt a lot… Rayne rolled to the side, burning through energy to right herself quickly, before realizing Yamcha was taking his time getting off the ground. How come?...

Casually, Yamcha flattened his gi, despite its tattered state. He grinned. 'I don't think you can keep this up,' he stated plainly. Despite his outwardly battered body, Yamcha acted like the fight had just started.

Rayne was panting. He's right. He's not breathing hard at all… guess this is what Chi-Chi felt like. 'You sound bored.' she remarked.

'Give it a minute.' Yamcha bounded forward and unexpectedly locked hands with Rayne. They began a devastating onslaught of knee strikes directed towards each other- blows cascaded down on Rayne even as she tried to retaliate with hits of her own. It became obvious, however, that her strikes were doing much less damage than his, and so she jumped back, breaking off from their grapple. At that juncture, however, Yamcha surged forward, and even after taking a strong side-kick from Rayne, drove his knee into Rayne's gut, sending her gasping onto the ground. Her vision swam as she propped herself up on one elbow, focusing her eyes on her opponent. Yamcha dove to knee Rayne while she was on the ground, but she rolled away and unsteadily clambered to her feet. Yamcha was standing a little haggard, but it seemed like none of her recent attacks had affected him at all. Meanwhile

Groaning, Rayne mentally checked-in on her body. Pain here, there. Feels like he took a sledgehammer to my stomach… damn. I can't take another heavy hit like that. Can't let him get close again…

Yamcha pounced on her again, but this time Rayne kept her distance, moving back even when it took her closer to the edge of the ring. If this is going to work, I'll need him knocked down for at least a few seconds...C'mon…

Rayne saw her chance. Yamcha made an impatient mistake and extended too far on a reaching punch- Rayne arched backwards and lashed a leg out, delivering a solid blow to Yamcha's diaphragm that knocked the breath out of him and drove him skidding across the ring. He stopped himself and fell to one knee, trying to catch his breath.

Now or never!... Rayne jumped back to the edge of the ring, putting as much distance between herself and Yamcha, and twisted her body, bringing her hands to her side. If I remember correctly, you're going to have trouble replicating this Yamcha. She molded her hands into a cup and bent her body downwards. 'Kaa...'

'She's going for it…' Chi-Chi muttered, feeling a twinge of pain from recalling her own ki use earlier.

'There's no way… Master Roshi told us it took him years to master it…' Krillin said in awe.

'Mee….' The smallest twinkle of blue light started to shine from Rayne's hands. Not as much as Master Roshi… but it's gotta be enough!...

Jackie Chun looked on with the smallest smile hidden under his mustache.

'Haa...Mee...'

Yamcha finished recovered from Rayne's earlier strike, looking across the ring as he climbed to his feet. Rayne was holding something very blue in her hand… Okay- OKAY! He forced himself to remain calm as Rayne tensed herself. Not enough time to counter the blast with one of my own. Remember that feeling- just concentrate the ki-

'HAAA!' Rayne boomed as she thrust her hands towards Yamcha, releasing a small but still sizable Kamehameha wave that loped its way across the ring. For a moment Yamcha balked at the attack, but then he bent to the ground to nearly stand on all fours, snarling.

A dark blue immediately enveloped Yamcha. 'WOLF FANG FIST!' Yamcha shouted as he leaped forward, clenching his hands. His fingertips glowed with blue ki that extended from his hands like claws. As he neared the blast his aura intensified, as he his right claw-hand directly towards the Kamehameha. For a split second the ki claw caught and struggled against the blast before overpowering the attack, tearing through the wave and scattering it into sparks to either side of him. From there he swiped with his left hand, then again with his right hand, until he was moving and mowing through the blast as if he was cutting grass. His swipes came faster and faster while Rayne could only look on in horror as her attack was systematically ripped apart. By the time Yamcha reached Rayne, to the trained eye his aura had taken the visage of a howling wolf, which closed its mouth and pushed past Rayne as Yamcha delivered a brutal series of strikes that hurled Rayne backwards. She sailed through the air unconscious before landing with a dull thud onto the grass.

'You know what?' Bulma said to Puar as the crowd erupted into cheers, 'this was my preferred outcome.'

0o0o0o0

With a dull feeling of disappointment, Kakarot watched as the girl with blue-green hair landed out of the ring. The silly man with shiny yellow hair and shades ran around the ring and started talking excitedly into his microphone. Her ki blast was impressive- but not strong. The other one's attack was stronger… but not by much.

It's what I thought. They're not ready. None of them could challenge me at their current strength.

When Kakarot came here, he hadn't expected to encounter the one group of people who had defeated him before. It was disappointing, however, that the gap in power between him and then had only grown with time. Fighting them at this point would be a waste of my time... Kakarot observed with disinterest as the victor smiled like an idiot for the crowd, throwing his arms up in excitement. Kakarot's eyes drifted towards the old man standing just outside of the corridor to the ring. He was also watching the winner the of the match. Him though… he'd be a challenge… silently, Kakarot flattened himself to the roof and began to climb down. Time to get his attention.

0o0o0o0

Jackie Chun was, admittedly, a little disappointed in Yamcha. No martial artist should be a glory hog… did he learn anything about what it means to be a Turtle student? He sighed.

As Rayne was woken and helped to her feet by the tournament officials, Jackie Chun felt… is that?... The energy was malicious. Kakarot. But where?...

There. Looks like I'm going to be a bit late for my match… apologies, Nam.

Jackie Chun ran through the deserted halls of the tournament buildings- at this point, everyone was heading outside to see the imminent final of the tournament- and rounded a corner to emerge into a small, open-air courtyard enclosed on all sides by the building he had exited. Kakarot sat in the middle of the courtyard, cross-legged, beckoning Jackie Chun to come closer. 'I've had my eye on you,' he hissed much like how a predator would talk to their prey. 'You're the strongest person here. I intend to fight you, and kill you.'

Despite himself, Jackie Chun gulped. The last time I saw him- the last time I fought him- but there's so much I don't understand. 'I'm confused,' he expressed, trying to stall for time as he steadied himself, 'as to why you want to fight me, Kakarot. Have you grown tired of killing the defenseless en masse?

'Hmm?' Kakarot tilted his head. 'How do you know my name?'

Jackie Chun laughed. 'This disguise is great! Haha!' His amusement died off, as he rubbed the side of his head. 'We've fought before. Don't you remember?'

Kakarot creased his face in thought. We've fought? I would remember fighting someone as old as him. There was that one old man a while ago, but- wait… Kakarot studied Jackie Chun's face. The eyebrows. The same distinctive nose… it's…

'You're him!' Kakarot exclaimed, pointing. 'You're that old man I killed! How! How are you alive?! I killed you!'

Master Roshi grinned. 'I have a few tricks up my sleeve. You don't to my age without learning at least a few.' The Turtle Hermit settled into his guard, tensing every muscle in his body. I'm prepared now, Kakarot. You lost the element of surprise. 'But if it's a fight you want with the Turtle Hermit, it's a fight you'll get!' He waited for Kakarot's first move.

A move that never came. Kakarot still sat, his face consumed with consideration. 'You said you're the Turtle Hermit- does that make you… a master? Or whatever you call it? Of martial arts?'

Suspicious, Master Roshi kept his guard up. 'Yes, that's correct.'

'The 'Turtle Hermit' symbol… I saw that in the tournament… on them! The people who fought me! You're their teacher, aren't you!' Kakarot accused.

Master Roshi flinched, before falling back behind his guard. 'Those kids are not your concern! Your fight is with me!'

Now it was Kakarot turn to laugh. 'Oh, to think that I could fight them instead of annihilating them… that's funny. They're nowhere close to me in power.'

'What are you talking about! They nearly killed you a few months ago!'

'And you think I've done nothing since then?' Kakarot closed his eyes and, like he practiced, very briefly raised his ki, flaring it outwards from his body. A weak wind blew across the courtyard. Kakarot, despite his internal doubts gnawing at him, managed a contemptuous leer. This power… these abilities… they come to me, but I don't know how...

Master Roshi staggered back, buffeted by the pulse of raw ki Kakarot emitted. That's- that's impossible! How could he have become so strong in so short a time?!

Kakarot relished the old man's fearful expression. 'Do you understand now, old man? They might have defeated me before but to even suggest that could happen now- its lunacy. I'm in a league of my own now.'

Collecting himself, Master Roshi glared at the smug, frightening kid sitting across from him. 'So what do they have to do with this if they're beneath you?' he asked testily.

'Simple. They've challenged me before. While they might not be close to me now, I think they have the capacity to do so again in the future.' Kakarot halted, mulling over something in his head. 'I think I'll come back here for the next tournament. I don't know when that is, but I'll find out and return. Or, I'll be able to tell when all of you converge here again.'

'How would you know?' Master Roshi pressed. It can't be...

'Well, I can't describe it, but trust me, I'll know. I'll… 'sense it', I guess.'

So he knows!... 'And then? You come back and then what?'

'I compete in the tournament. I kill who I defeat. I win and then kill everyone else anyway. Need to work towards the end goal. Kill everyone, that is.' Kakarot suppressed a flicker of frustration in his subconscious. why why why why why is that a goal why why- Kakarot raggedly dragged his head to the right, before adjusting it forwards again.

Master Roshi was too lost in his own mind to notice. Emotions warred on his face as he came to terms with what Kakarot said.

'So,' Kakarot continued, 'you prepare them. Or, at the very least, tell them that they're on a deadline' Kakarot stood, brushing himself off. 'I think that's it. I'm going to leave now.' He smirked as he turned. 'Enjoy your championship.' With that, he jumped up and onto the roof the building around them, and ran off. I'll need something to do during the interim… hmm… perhaps the Red Ribbon Army can challenge me… that stronger guy that weakling mentioned a few months ago…

And just maybe… I can understand more...

Master Roshi watched Kakarot go, staring off in the direction he had left by. Progressively, Master Roshi body shook more and more, until he couldn't continue standing. He sank to the ground in a nervous fit, grabbing himself in an attempt to stop his trembling. Was I really that scared? I could have beat him, couldn't I?...

I don't know.

It's been centuries since the future has looked this bleak...

0o0o0o0

'Is he going to show up?...' the announcer mumbled to a nearby tournament official, covering his mic. The entire crowd was caught up in looking for Jackie Chun, who had disappeared right before he semifinal match with Nam. Nam himself was standing alone in the ring, injuries evident from the last fight, but regardless he respectfully awaited his opponent.

Rayne was standing just outside of the corridor, letting Krillin help keep herself upright. Chi-Chi had left to wander around the rest of the tournament grounds, joining the search for Jackie Chun. Yamcha was eyeing the solitary Nam waiting out on the ring. 'If I fought him… I wonder…' he thought out loud to himself.

'Yamcha,' Rayne interrupted with a tone of irritation in her voice, 'did you really have to hit me that hard out of the ring? Everything hurts…'

'Sorry...' Yamcha apologized, turning to Rayne and sheepishly scratching his head, 'I didn't mean for my strike to be that strong… I've never had the best control over the Wolf Fang Fist. Just ask him,' Yamcha said, gesturing to Krillin.

Krillin grinned, recalling the memory. 'You should have seen him just a few months ago. When we first fought he actually knocked himself unconscious from using that move…'

'What?' Rayne said incredulously, chuckling as best she could with her injuries, 'how? And you two fought?'

'Yep, we fought,' Krillin replied, as if recounting a fond memory. 'Yamcha took himself out of the fight from overusing his ki. It's like Master Roshi explained it. When you don't use your ki according to your limits… bad things happen. You were lucky not to do any serious damage to yourself back then, Yamcha.'

'Well,' Yamcha protested, 'it worked out in the end. You 'defeated' me and we joined up… rest is history.'

'What's that I hear?' Krillin asked, amused. 'Why the strange emphasis around "defeated"?'

'Because you didn't really defeat me. Or at least not in the traditional sense. I technically defeated myself.'

Krillin snorted. 'Yea, okay, champ.'

'You want to go again after the tournament,' Yamcha challenged Krillin, a tone of friendly competitiveness in his voice, 'and settle who's stronger once and for all?'

'And end up like Rayne? No thank you.'

'Alright…' Yamcha shrugged, and turned his attention back towards Nam and the ring.

'Krillin,' Rayne whispered into Krillin's ear, 'surely you could beat him, right?'

'I don't want to admit it,' Krillin whispered back, 'but I think Yamcha is the strongest of us all right now. Don't you remember that you and I were pretty much even the last time we sparred?'

'Mmm, right.' Rayne glanced back over at Yamcha. 'Not bad for a former bandit,' Rayne mumbled.

A door opened and closed at the end of the hall, the three of them turned and saw Jackie Chun approach, expressionless, as he walked past them and out towards the ring.

'He seems…' Yamcha said, 'a little…'

'Serious?' Krillin finished.

'Yea.'

0o0o0o0

'Ah! Ladies and Gentlemen, Jackie Chun has returned!' the announcer said as he ran over to Jackie Chun, shoving a microphone up to his face. 'Jackie Chun, what was the cause of your mysterious disappearance?'

Jackie Chun leered at the microphone. 'Personal business,' he responded gruffly.

'Well... the important thing is that you're here now!' the announcer ran off the ring, facing the crowd once as he stepped out onto the grass. 'It's time for the second semifinal match! Nam vs. Jackie Chun!' He spun back towards the two fighters. 'Begin!'

Nam hesitantly bent into a combat pose, grimacing from his earlier injuries. My endurance still hasn't recovered from the last fight. I'll need to end this quickly, and-

'I know why you're here,' Jackie Chun declared, breaking Nam's concentration.

'What? What are you talking about?'

'I overheard your conversation with your opponent last round. I know why you're here. I know that you're fighting to save your village.' Jackie Chun's serious gaze lightened. 'You're fighting for a good cause.'

Nam struggled to keep his composure as he let his guard drop. 'This tournament has been the most physically and emotionally exhausting experience of my life. Do you understand? The crippling responsibility, the fear of failing my village- it's all I can do to simply stand here without falling apart. If I do not succeed in my quest- my village will perish…'

Nam seemed to waver for a second, before clenching his hands and locking his gaze with Jackie Chun's. 'If you understand why I'm here then you understand why I must win!' Abruptly Nam charged Jackie Chun, pivoting on his back foot once he closed to pummel him with a kick, but Jackie Chun seemed to flow past it, as if he simply moved through it, coming up inches away from a startled Nam. He gave Nam a slight shove, and Nam fell backwards into a sitting position on the ring. 'How…' Nam stuttered, 'how did you move that fast?'

'This isn't a fight you can win,' Jackie Chun said openly. 'But it's not this fight you need to win. You-'

'Quiet!' Nam surged upwards, trying to uppercut Jackie Chun, but his fist swung through the air. Jackie Chun had dexterously stepped back. Yelling, Nam pursued, launching into a pattern of strikes similar to what he employed against Krillin, but his attacks missed their mark as Jackie Chun coursed with the onslaught, dodging them effortlessly. Nam paused after a half-minute of this, gasping for breath as he slumped over from exhaustion. 'You're… but…' he choked out.

'It seems that Nam can't land a single hit on Jackie Chun!' the announcer bellowed from the sidelines. 'Is this the end of Nam's run?'

'I told you before. This isn't a fight you can win,' Jackie Chun repeated, this time a bit more irritated. 'And I have no desire to inflict more pain on you. So if you could just listen-'

'Haaa!' Nam rocketed forward, using his ki to propel him faster, leading with one arm outstretched, palm flattened, as he made contact with Jackie Chun. That must have done something! That-

Nam peered around his hand- Jackie Chun has stopped his palm with one finger, glaring. 'I'm sorry for this,' he said, before stepping forward and delivering a palm-strike of his own to Nam's sternum, sending him barreling away out of the ring.

'Out of bounds!' the announcer affirmed as Nam landed ingloriously in the grass. Every part of his body hurt. That strike had done more damage than every hit from his last match combined. So this is the true feeling of failure...

A silhouette appeared over him. Soon enough Nam felt himself being lifted off the ground, being helped to his feet. 'I don't want the money-,' a voice said, 'and I know a way to save your village. Just listen for a second…'

'Who-' Nam's vision re-focused- and he recognized the black garb of Jackie Chun.

'No talking. Just listen.' Jackie Chun said softly. 'And I need you to do me a favor. My students are gullible but not dumb…'

0o0o0o0

Sometime during Jackie Chun and Nam's fight, Chi-Chi had returned to Krillin, Rayne, and Yamcha, grumbling when she realized she had missed most of the match. They awkwardly moved to the side to let Jackie Chun and Nam walk past, arms draped over each other's shoulders, as they spoke to each other in quiet tones.

'Wonder what they're talking about…' Chi-Chi asked.

'Maybe Jackie Chun is drilling Nam for information about fighting us Turtle students,' Krillin suggested. 'If so, devious!'

'...' Yamcha continued to stare at the pair as they walked down the corridor and rounded a corner. 'Something seems super familiar about Jackie Chun, but I can't place it…'

'He's an old man, remember? Old men are familiar to us,' Chi-Chi responded humorously.

Yamcha considered the topic for another instant, then shook his head, clearing his thoughts. 'Either way, it's not important. His strength is much more relevant.'

'Yamcha,' Rayne said seriously, shifting her weight around for Krillin's sake, 'you're the last Turtle student left in the tournament. You have a real shot at winning this. Jackie Chun may be strong but you've trained under the greatest master in the world. You need to get out there and show the world what we can do. As long as you give it your all,' she weakly pressed her fist into her other hand, 'there's no shame in defeat.'

'You got this, dude!' Krillin chirped in.

'We'll be right behind you the entire time!' Chi-Chi added.

Yamcha eased into a smile and bowed his head in acknowledgment. He then extended his fist towards them. Everyone else did the same. 'I'll do my best.'

Jackie Chun reentered the corridor and quickly walked past them towards the ring outside.

'Do you mind if we head out to sit with Bulma, considering none of us are left in the tournament?' Krillin asked.

'Go ahead. Just make sure you can see the show!' Yamcha waved to them and then went outside.

'Alright,' Chi-Chi said, moving under the arm of Rayne's not currently being supported by Krillin, 'let's get you into the crowd'.

0o0o0o0

The sound was deafening. As Yamcha walked out onto the ring he noticed the stands were absolutely packed- there were even people climbing onto the walls of the surrounding tournament complex to get a better view of the fight. It seemed that every single person who lived on the island was cramming into the area to watch the fight. That's probably accurate, actually, Yamcha reflected. For his part, Jackie Chun gave modest waves to the crowd, his eyes focused on Yamcha the entire time.

Out in section D, Krillin, Chi-Chi, and Rayne joined Bulma, Puar, and Oolong. While everyone was chatting, Chi-Chi suddenly drew their attention to the stand on the opposite side of the ring. 'Look! See that shell!'

Everyone turned. There was a faded orange turtle shell, exactly like the one Master Roshi had been wearing earlier, which was rising and falling with the movement of the crowd. For a moment there was a flash of orange fabric with the turtle symbol on it as the person under the shell was briefly exposed, but the crowd quickly re-hid them as the shell continued its seemingly random movement through the crowd.

'That's… odd… so it must be Master Roshi?' Krillin guessed.

'It would make sense he would finally show for the final… though I'm not going to waste any more energy trying to rationalize what's going on over there...' Chi-Chi said.

With everyone more or less satisfied with the explanation- and unwilling to spend any more time trying to understand one of Master Roshi's oddities- they turned their attention back towards the ring. The announcer was still in the process of hyping up the crowd.

'...and it all comes down to this moment, this fight, to decide who is the World's Strongest at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament! Money, fame, glory- everything is on the line!' He paused a moment, letting the crowd roar with anticipation, before turning towards the ring. 'The final of 21st World Martial Arts Tournament! Yamcha vs. Jackie Chun- begin!'

Jackie Chun reflexively blocked a punch from Yamcha, who had charged forward at the first possible moment. When he looked up, Yamcha was nowhere in sight. Where- An elbow appeared on the right side of Jackie Chun's vision, and he hopped away while the elbow swung through the air. I'm sorry Yamcha… but I'm going to push you… Jackie Chun caught the next strike, pulling in a surprised Yamcha and kneeing him, before punching him square across the face to the ground. Yamcha ungracefully landed on his hands and feet, looking like some sort of feral animal. A kick whipped out from the ground towards Jackie Chun that the old man turned and slid past. Yamcha wiped some blood away from a wound reopened by Jackie Chun's punch as he stood. 'You're in for hell!' Yamcha yelled as he rushed Jackie Chun again. Jackie Chun was surprised as Yamcha mixed in a few unconventional movements- at one point Yamcha tried to nail him with a backwards flip kick- but still, it was nothing he couldn't keep ahead of.

Just as Jackie Chun was thinking this, Yamcha opened his fist that had flown past Jackie Chun and gripped the old man's head, pulling it towards his own head to headbutt. A horribly jarring sensation ran through Jackie Chun's body on impact. He was momentarily stunned- but Yamcha had collapsed to the ground, obviously coming off worse from the headbutt.

'What is Yamcha doing!' Krillin yelled. 'Can't he see that he can't trade even with Jackie Chun?'

'Hey,' Rayne said, suppressing a smile, 'at least he's using his head.'

Krillin shot her a disgusted look and started rubbing his shaved head in stress.

When Jackie Chun's vision cleared, he watched Yamcha sway as he tried to get to his feet. I taught you better than this Yamcha… Guess I need to push you more!... Jackie Chun sunk to the ground, and then burst into a run, clotheslining a half-standing Yamcha and knocking him to the ground like a domino. Yamcha groaned, twisting on the ground for a moment before but forcing his aching body to stand. Jackie Chun had one palm extended towards him, urging him to fight.

He's faster than me, stronger than me… probably smarter than me, too. So what do I have?...

Maybe... will?

Steeling himself, Yamcha ran towards Jackie Chun, unleashing a flurry of attacks that Jackie Chun either dodged or redirected, getting in a few small strikes of his own in the process. Yamcha didn't let up, however, and Jackie Chun soon found himself running out of room to pedal backwards with. As he attempted to dodge to the right, Yamcha anticipated this and pivoted, spinning his left leg into Jackie Chun's side. 'Hah!' Yamcha cheered. But when Yamcha tried to pull back his leg, he found it stuck- Jackie Chun had a manic look on his face as he held onto Yamcha's leg. Let's see you get out of this! 'Aaah!' Yamcha cried as Jackie Chun yanked Yamcha off his feet, swinging him around in a circle, faster and faster. Jackie Chun was about to toss Yamcha out of bounds, but Yamcha shifted his weight upwards and knocked Jackie Chun off balanced. Jackie Chun's tight spin deteriorated and he was forced to release Yamcha in the direction of the ring. Yamcha crashed down the ground, on the verge of barfing from the motion sickness. Jackie Chun gingerly rubbed what felt like a pulled muscle in his back. Never was a very effective move… too finicky. Pity.

Yamcha propped himself up on one elbow, his world spinning as he tried to focus his vision towards his opponent. His body burned- not to mention his multiple cuts, bruises, and injuries. I feel like a dead man walking and he doesn't even look injured! Groaning, Yamcha pulled himself to his feet. Come on brain, think… If you can't outpunch, outrun, or outsmart your opponent, what do you do? Yamcha observed the keen attention Jackie Chun fixed on him. Don't give them time to react! Alright, let's try this…

Yamcha brought his hands together and folded them in front of him. Between them, he focused on manifesting the physical presence of ki without any actual ki. Small particles of dust skidded away from Yamcha.

Jackie Chun hung back, curious. I'm curious what my pupil has up his sleeve…

After a few moments of concentration, Yamcha felt a ball of pure physical energy form in his hands. He held it both hands as he ran forward towards Jackie Chun. At the halfway point he threw the ball towards the floor of the ring- in that instant the ball detonated and a massive wind billowed out in a radius from that direction. It threw up Jackie Chun's and sped past him, bouncing off the small walls that enclosed the ring. As the wind returned it threw up dirt from the grass surrounding the ring into the air- in a matter of seconds the entire ring was obscured by dust.

'Incredible!' the announcer yelled through a hastily tied cloth around his mouth, 'Yamcha has totally obscured the ring! What could he be planning?'

Yamcha bolted towards the end where he had last seen Jackie Chun, preparing a punch. There's no way he's going to see this coming-

His right foot clamped down on the edge of the ring- he actually briefly touched the grass with his toes before recoiling in terror. He was lucky though- the dust obscured his minor disaster. What a stroke of luc- the sound of rushing wind tipped Yamcha off at the last possible second as he ducked a punch aimed at the center of his back. He yelped as he rolled away from downwards stomp before disappearing into the dust. That ought to lose him- oh come on! Yamcha spotted out of the corner of his eye that he was rolling straight towards a cocked kick by Jackie Chun. He stopped his movement midroll and scooted away from the kick on his butt. As he climbed to his feet Jackie Chun clapped his hands together- a blast of air erupted from his hands and dispersed the dirt in the air. The ring was visible once again. Yamcha stared dumbly at his opponent. What the hell just happened? How did he know where I was in that dust cloud?! Okay… breathe. Maybe…

In retrospect, Jackie Chun felt bad not teaching his students ki sensing. Yamcha looked disturbed by the recent turn of events. Quickly, however, Yamcha regrouped and leveled his gaze towards Jackie Chun, who approached the center of the ring. Snarling, Yamcha drew back and closed his eyes, holding his hands out claw-like in front of him. Blue flickers of ki started to coalesce as claws on Yamcha's hands, making him look more animal than human.

'Looks like Yamcha isn't playing around anymore!' the announcer boomed through his microphone. 'It seems that he's using the same move he defeated Rayne with!'

'He doesn't have to bring it up again…' Rayne stewed.

'Has to make the crowd feel smart for remembering things, right?' Krillin reckoned.

Across the ring, Jackie Chun sized up Yamcha's approaching strike. He knows that I'll see whatever his attack is well before it reaches me… so what's his plan here?

Growling, Yamcha crept low to the ground, digging his ki claws into the ground. However, he continued sinking his claws into the ring, prying tiles loose from the floor. He then took one step, then another, until he was running in a low crouch to the ground, raking his claws through the floor of the ring the entire time. At the last moment before reaching Jackie Chun, he made a ninety-degree turn to his right and continued digging through the ring.

'Yamcha seems to be doing something… new!' the announcer said, audibly confused on how to narrate this strange turn of events.

When Yamcha reached the edge of the ring, he performed a tight oval loop, and came back parallel to the way he came, still raking his claws to the ring.

Jackie Chun stood, watching. He's going back?... Wait… wait…

When Jackie Chun took a step forward, Yamcha acted, halting himself and sinking his hands into the ground, then with a mighty heave, the section of the ring Jackie Chun was standing on started rising. Yamcha was going to flip Jackie Chun out of bounds! Scrambling up rapidly steepening tiles, Jackie Chun decided to break through a vertical section of the rising tile-wall to reach the other, level side of the ring. He quickly charged a ki blast and shoved it with two hands into the ring-wall, diving through the newly created hole as he did.

At the exact moment he went through the hole, a searing sensation raked across his body from his chest to his thighs. He cried, crashing down on the ring on his front. He rolled over and saw the deep cuts running vertically down his body. Damn! How am I going to hide these wounds!... He looked up. Yamcha was standing next to where Jackie Chun had broken through the ring-wall, panting as his claws dissipated and he nearly fell to the ground from the energy depletion. He took a big chunk out of me… but he's running on fumes.

'That was a smart move,' Chi-Chi commented, 'overwhelming Jackie Chun like that. There was no way he could have dealt with both threats at once- either Jackie Chun landed out of bounds or let Yamcha get a free hit in. In any other fight, the choice would have been simple, but here…'

'C'mon Yamcha…' Krillin mumbled, wrapping his arms around himself. Next to him, Bulma was waving the turtle banner frantically.

Yamcha swayed for a moment, then rushed Jackie Chun, extending forward with a lunging fist. Jackie Chun struggled to move out of the way and swept a kick out from under him, landing a solid blow to Yamcha's right ankle. He ignored the strike, however, and swung his other fist towards Jackie Chun, sinking into Jackie Chun's damaged midsection. The old man grimaced from the aggravation, but batted away Yamcha's arm and stepped in to toss Yamcha over shoulders. He found that the pain was too debilitating, however, and nearly collapsed into Yamcha. Taking advantage of his opponent's momentary lapse, Yamcha channeled his strength into a knee that drove into Jackie Chun, knocking him to the ground a few feet away. Yamcha felt dizzy again after this move, however, and nearly fell over backwards, losing a chance to follow up on his attack.

In the stands the Turtle School students were biting their fingernails.

Jackie Chun painfully rose to his feet, taking care to not agitate his wounds any further. He leaped towards Yamcha, landing a solid kick to Yamcha's right forearm before Yamcha brought his other hand to slam into the back of Jackie Chun's leg. Jackie Chun used his momentum to flip forwards into a handstand, bringing his other leg around to smash downwards on Yamcha's head, rocking him and staggering him back a couple feet. Yamcha, however, recovered quickly and tackled Jackie Chun mid-handstand, sending them both toppling to the ground. Jackie Chun slammed into the ground, landing directly on his previous wounds with the added weight of Yamcha above him. In excruciating pain, he wiggled free from under Yamcha and crept away. Yamcha himself looked unconscious.

'Start the count! 1, 2, 3…'

'Yamcha, get up!' Bulma yelled, rising from her seat.

'You can do it Yamcha!' Krillin said, joining her in standing.

'4, 5, 6…'

'Get up, you big oaf! You've taken bigger hits than that!' Puar said, buzzing through the air.

'Big dude! Come on!' Oolong cried, throwing a fist up.

'7, 8…'

Ignoring her protesting body, Rayne struggled to her feet. 'Get! Up!' she practically screamed before falling back down, completely spent.

'ni- Wait!'

Yamcha was the slightest distance off the ground. He had moved his arms underneath him, propping himself up. 'Get… up!' He howled as he shook from the effort. Disregarding every ache, every cut, wound, and bruise, Yamcha maneuvered himself into a sitting position, then into a kneel, before taking one brave move upwards to stand. His arms hung at his sides- his gi had seen much better days- but in his eyes there was still fight left.

Jackie Chun breathed, trying to manage the piercing pain lancing through his body. One more hit and he's not getting back up. Though the same could be said for me if he strikes me the right way…

I just need to slam his front, Yamcha thought through a haze of pain and utter exhaustion, and I win. Simple…

The crowd had gone deathly silent, rapt in attention at the two heavily injured- yet still standing- finalists before them.

Yamcha took one heavy step forward, leading with his right arm out in front of him. At his side, his left hand was nearly closed into a fist, but it had the tiniest space open within it. Jackie Chun watched Yamcha approach, before turning sideways, his right hand extended with its palm up. To bat away any sudden leap. Yamcha continued his slow march towards Jackie Chun, looking like he would pass out at a few points, but he persisted and got himself about two feet away from his opponent. He began to take a loping, almost drunken step towards Jackie Chun, but instead of stopping his foot he let it continue to slide on the ground. Yamcha fell into a half split as his leg, too low for Jackie Chun to counter, clumsily slid into Jackie Chun's leading leg, knocking both of them to the ground. At that moment, however, Yamcha pushed himself off his back leg to fall forward instead of down. He brought his other hand around. His fist opened the slightest amount, and Jackie Chun could see the faintest amount of blue light filter out. 'POINT-BLANK,' Yamcha screamed, 'KAMEHAMEHA!' His hand chased the falling form of Jackie Chun, and plunged into his front.

A muted-explosion immediately sounded in the ring, as some tile fragments were kicked out of the center into the air above, accompanied by a heavy dust cloud.

Krillin watched in amazement. 'That was by no means a full-power Kamehameha…' he said, 'or even a half-one… but to detonate what he had that close… he might have knocked out both of them. Insane…'

The announcer was hopping around the ring, trying to see into the cloud. 'Hold on, everyone!'

A wind came through the area, lifting the dust cloud from its spot. Yamcha was kneeling over a small crater. Within it there was… nothing. Yamcha was visibly confused as he leaned on his hands planted in the ground, trying to make sense of the empty space in front of him.

From the very edge of the dust cloud, Jackie Chun appeared and twisted forward, delivering a chop to Yamcha's neck and knocking him unconscious. Yamcha ungraciously collapsed into the small crater he was bending over.

'...8, 9, 10! Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new champion! The World's Strongest of the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament is Jackie Chun!' The crowd exploded into cheers, as Jackie Chun allowed the announcer to hold up one of his hands in victory. Despite his injuries, he smiled and waved with his other. Maybe I should have taught them the afterimage, too. He glanced over towards Yamcha unconscious form. Then again, maybe it was for the best. In the end, they found a will to surpass expectations.

They're going to need that will...

0o0o0o0

After shaking hands with a few high-up tournament organizers and collecting his prize money, Jackie Chun walked around a corner in a deserted part of the complex and began changing out of his disguise. Halfway through the process Nam rounded the corner and joined him. 'Here I am, as agreed,' Nam said, skepticism clear in his voice.

'A deal's a deal,' Master Roshi assured him. Bending over his bag, Master Roshi pulled out a small, pill-like object. 'This is a capsule, and it can store virtually limitless amounts of anything,' he explained. 'There's a well near the entrance of this tournament. It's free and you can take as much water you want from it. Water is plentiful in this part of the world.'

Nam accepted the capsule gingerly, amazed that such a small thing could be the key to his village's salvation.

'There's more.' Master Roshi reached into his robes and pulled out his winnings of 500,000 zeni. He casually split the stack in two and handed one half to Nam.

'Please,' Nam protested, 'I can't take this. This is too much!'

'Do you want to keep coming here for water? Or do you want to use this money to develop a closer, more sustainable source?' Master Roshi asked, furrowing his brows.

Nam hesitated for a second, eyeing the money, before relenting and pocketing it. 'I fear I will never able to repay you.'

'Trust me- you lugging around that turtle shell during the final was worth more than 10 million zeni. Consider your debt paid.' Master Roshi paused. 'Where did you put the turtle shell, by the way?'

'I hid it under the seats, as per your instructions.'

'Good.' Master Roshi finished patting his face down with a cream that disguised his wounds, and then crouched down and hoisted his bag. 'Thanks for everything, Nam.' He put on his shades and smiled. 'I look forward to our next match!'

Nam bowed his head towards Master Roshi, a serene smile on his face. 'As do I.'

0o0o0o0

'So Yamcha, we all agreed- we have no idea what happened.'

Everyone was crowded around Yamcha's infirmary bed; he was the sole occupant in the room by the virtue of the fact he was the last to lose.

'Do you- well do you have any ideas about what happened?' Krillin continued.

Yamcha squirmed to sit up a bit straighter. 'I remember plunging my hand down towards his body. At first it felt like I didn't hit anything but then I came into contact with something solid- then the blast detonates and I can't see a thing. Dust clears and there's nothing in the crater. And then I woke up here.' Yamcha shifted again. 'I have no idea.'

'Do you think Master Roshi would know what happened?'

'Would I know about what?'

Everyone turned. Master Roshi was standing in the open doorway, turtle shell on his back and a bag slung over one shoulder. He ambled over to Yamcha's side, hands folded behind his back.

'The thing Jackie Chun did at the very end of the match,' Chi-Chi said,' where he almost… teleported.'

'Teleported? He didn't teleport.'

'So you know what he did?' Rayne asked.

'Of course.'

'So what did he do?' Krillin said.

'Not telling.'

The turtle students collectively groaned. 'What,' Yamcha asked a bit annoyed, 'is this a secret only the teacher is allowed to know?'

'Of course not! But there's a slight hitch with your logic. As of now, I am no longer your teacher.'

'What?!' the turtle students collectively cried.

Bulma, Puar, and Oolong quietly backed into the corner- the tone in the room was getting… exasperated.

'We all qualified for the quarters!' Krillin responded angrily, 'we fought our hearts out! And you're saying that we can't be YOUR students anymore? Well f-'

Master Roshi cut him off, holding up one finger signaling him to stop. 'You are not my students now, but I invite all of you to visit me in the future to finish your training. You are all about to enter a crucial period in your lives. As strong as all of you have become, none of you could win this tournament. I want that to change.' Master Roshi waited to see if anyone wanted to say anything- but they remained silent. 'I do not have to remind you that evil people walk this world. Evil people who have terrifying strength. If this tournament had been life or death- well, I don't need to be needlessly descriptive.I don't want to diminish your achievements. But what you all did wasn't enough.'

Master Roshi let the words hang in the air, glancing between his students' faces. They avoided his eyes.

'I'm… sorry,' Master Roshi said quietly, 'I didn't mean to be that harsh. This isn't meant to discourage you. Quite the opposite, in fact. I want all of you to explore the world- to grow stronger. I am not the only martial arts teacher in the world, nor am I am the only source of inspiration. In my own time, I wandered the world, learning secret techniques thought lost. I came to realize that my limitations weren't physical, but mental- as long as I pushed myself, barriers would topple before me one after another, until I had long surpassed my self-perceived 'limits'. This dedication, this commitment, can't be taught, however; it can only be learned.'

He halted again, scanning the faces in the room. A bit cheerier. 'I may have told you this, but this tournament occurs every three years. Thus, in three years time, there will be another tournament here- the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament. I am sure Jackie Chun will return to defend his title. So I want you to surpass him. I want every single one of you to train for that moment, for when you are face to face with him. What he represents- surpassing your limits- that is what you must train for.' Among other things.

'When you visit me again, sometime before the next tournament, I will train you once more, this time to teach you everything you need to know. It's the least I can do for the most wonderful class of students I've ever had.' Master Roshi sighed, finishing. And how did they take it?...

For a few moments no one said or did anything- then, Krillin lifted his head, struggling to hold back tears, and wrapped himself around Master Roshi in a hug. 'I'm going-*sniff*- I'm going to miss you, Master Roshi Three years…'

Another body pressed against Master Roshi's back. 'Me too…' Chi-Chi added, her voice stifled.

Rayne attached to Roshi's side. 'You taught us a lot…' she said with an unsteady voice.

Even Yamcha found the will to lean in his bed and place a hand on Master Roshi's shoulder, his eyes gleaming as he stared up at Master Roshi.

Bulma, Puar, and Oolong, from their corner, wiped away some budding tears from their eyes.

How could I forget so easily?... They're all so young… Master Roshi let them linger for a while before gently prying them off. His wounds throbbed from the contact. Though it's fitting that they would find comfort in my ruined body, I suppose…

'I am going to depart for Kame House in about an hour. If any of you have anything you want to say, do- I'll be hanging around the boat we arrived in. Can everyone get to the mainland from here?'

His students nodded tersely.

'Good.' He hesitated, shifting his bag onto his other shoulder. 'I guess this is it.' He pushed his shades further up his nose and looked at everyone's faces one more time. 'Goodbye, everyone.' He walked towards the door, and half out of the room, he stopped with one hand on the door frame. Turning around, he said, 'I'm looking forward to meeting everyone again.'

They bowed.

He turned his head before they could see a tear roll down his cheeks. The shades bought me some time for one last look...

Master Roshi exited into the hall, walking for a few minutes before arriving outside, where the sun was close to setting as the day came to an end. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

I could have trained them, pushed them… but it wouldn't have been enough. Kakarot very well may be stronger than me now. They're not going to surpass him by learning from someone who's weaker than their goal… They're going to need to compete against themselves and what the world throws at them.

In the meantime, I can prepare.

Three years… then, if they can't finish this, I will.

0o0o0o0

'So,' Krillin asked as they lined up on the shore, having crossed on the ferry with everyone to the mainland, 'what are you all planning on doing?'

'I think me and Oolong are going to keep doing what we were doing before,' Puar replied. 'Try to track down any other shapeshifters and keep tabs on the Red Ribbon Army. The sooner we find out where their main base, is the better. They're a blight on the world.'

'Agreed. Bulma?'

'It sounds like we're all splitting up, so it looks like I'm going to need to make some more transmitters for us all… we'll need to be easily reachable if we're going to coordinate any future actions. So I'll probably go back to West city for a while. Though some people will probably need to come with me and wait in West City until I finish making enough devices. Are there-'

'I'll come, Bulma,' Yamcha replied, smiling.

Bulma turned very quickly. 'Great! So assuming that Puar and Oolong stick together then we just need two more-

'Actually,' Rayne interrupted, 'Chi-Chi and I were planning on visiting her home at Fire Mountain. If you give us the coordinates of your house in West City, we can visit you when you finish making two, one for each of us.' She looked at Chi-Chi. 'It won't be a problem if I stick around for a while with you, will it?'

Chi-Chi shook her head, grinning. 'Not at all.'

'Your plan sounds good to me,' Bulma said.

'So that leaves me with the third device.' Krillin said. 'Is everyone okay with that?'

Everyone more or less nodded.

'Alright. Well, if that's everythi-'

'Wait,' Rayne said, 'you never said what you were planning on doing, Krillin.'

'Me? I plan on training.' He smirked. 'In three years time I'm going to be stronger than all of you.'

'Is that a challenge?'

'Did it sound like one?' he responded sarcastically.

'I can't wait you see your face in three years.' Rayne flashed a smile. 'You're going to be pleasantly surprised by all of us.'

'I better be.' Krillin slung his pack over his shoulder and began walking away from the group. 'Bye, everyone!' He waved.

A few minutes of walking and Krillin was left alone with his thoughts. Bright, joyful thoughts. Three whole years to train. I only made it to the quarters, so...

I have so much room to improve!...


A/N: And that's it! Hope you enjoyed the end of the 'The Coming Storm' Arc. Next time we'll be starting the next arc: Escalation. See you then!

Also: typically I have mixed feelings about being posting power levels (mostly because I think it screws up people's headcanon), but I think this is actually a good point to introduce them as context for the tournament, especially considering there's a group of people who are close in strength, but as individuals are stronger/weaker compared to others within the group. Feel free to accept or ignore what I felt were the power levels of everyone during the tournament:

Kakarot- ?

Master Roshi- 145

Krillin- 107

Chi-Chi-99

Rayne- 108

Yamcha- 119

Nam- 100

Bacterian- 40

Ranfan- 55