Yo! Son Goku and friends! Saiyan Saga (Chapter 29)
Goku
"Welcome back everybody! Are you guys ready for the exhibition!?"
The crowd was the most hyped they had been that day, a deafening pop forcing The Announcer to break out in a hearty grin.
"Alriiiiiight! Everyone raise your hands for our fighters! On the right we have our hero Goku from The 23rd tournament squaring off with his opponent on the left, the menacing MaJunior! The green demon destroyed not only the ring but the entire arena, something that the finalists in The 21st and 22nd could not do despite being pretty close!"
Goku was wearing the royal blue robes he had at The 23rd, white trim and everything. He also wore faded yellow parachute pants and he elected to take off his turtle hermit boots, throwing them onto the grass as The Announcer hyped up their engagement. Piccolo stood solemnly as always, this time repping his father's colours with the deep blue, red signage marking the symbol in the middle, covered by his flowing white cape. A cold blue matching his outfit atop his turban. He wore the brown wizard shoes as per usual.
"Well folks, I'm going to break it down for you in case you're none the wiser! This exhibition match isn't just for show! As you all know the world martial arts tournament was blown into nothingness the last time these two fighters went at it and as such the director declared it uncountable! This year at The 24th… The winner of this exhibition... Will take the title of The 23rd's champion! This match is another title bout!"
The crowd roared in approval, an earthquake, or perhaps a stompquake? following. Mic nodded his head at the bombast cast along the surface of the arena seating.
"I am too smooth sometimes." He smiled, thinking to himself, scratching at his patchy mustache.
Goku got it ready with his stretches, leaning low and cranking out anything left in his legs before he stood up in a huff, laughing all the while.
"Man! It's good to be back." He stated with pride, settling into his turtle style stance.
"Hmph." Piccolo laughed lowly and couldn't fight back the smile on his face. "We'll see if all that training on King Kai's actually amounted to anything."
"Well, Piccolo~" He grunted in response. "Me and you practiced under the same master so really your statement doesn't really prove anything. What you really should have said is: 'that training with Tien' since that's something you didn't do."
"I forget that you're not a total idiot sometimes."
"How sweet, thanks buddy." Goku giggled, finishing his shoulder and core stretches.
"Is everybody ready!?"
Goku looked towards Piccolo with a goober of a smile and the pair turned their attention to the man with the microphone, the both of them nodding with a placard assuredness.
"Begin!"
Goku VS Piccolo
Objective: Let's finish it!
"What a Goku move to do!"
The pair stood in the middle of the ring, the younger brother's left fist in Piccolo's palm, a sonic boom wavering out into the crowd and brushing them lightly before Goku backhandsprung three times.
Fsh~Wsh~Swush!
He stanced up again into his turtle hermit style, Piccolo bared his fangs before chuckling and cracking his knuckles.
"I'm winning this one, Son Goku. Your tournament record is gonna stay pathetic as long as I'm here."
"Bring it on."
"Oh wow! Here comes the trash talk already!"
The crowd was bumping and jumping, much to Oolong's dismay as drinks and other items casually spilled all around him in the lambasting lollapalooza.
"Just my luck, I have to sit next to the degenerates." The Pig grunted as a kid's ice cream plopped into the side of his face, accompanied by the same kid crying at her inability to hold onto her precious edible item.
Goku smiled brightly and dashed off the tile with exuberance. He threw a three piece, a right-left straight into an uppercut but all were expertly dodged by Piccolo's head movement. The Demon stepped to the outside but was caught lacking as Goku scorpion tailed his left leg up to catch his angle.
WHOPP!
Piccolo breathed out a tad through his nose as he barely caught the attempt in time. The younger brother spun in a step up enzuigiri off the air using his flight, completing a front flip, or as much as he could manage with his rival's grasp on his left. It didn't matter, Goku could generate force from any position. The Demon's eyes widened as he saw Goku loom on an invisible platform above him and kick off the air with his right. He had no response as he was clocked in the jaw by the Saiyan's foot.
"Oh! First blood!"
Goku landed and balanced on his right leg, hopping back and forth before sprinting full force to catch his opponent. Without question, Piccolo charged his index and middle finger on his forehead, preparing for his adversary's plan of attack.
He struck nothing with his right claw as the apparition in front of him faded away. The Demon nodded slowly as his opponent came from above. Piccolo closed his eyes and sent a pulse of Ki Sensing.
Piccolo has developed his own brand of Ki Sensing that differs from the Kai or Cat Hermit style. His version is dedicated and based on the wildlife he had meditated around for so long, the visual style making up a plain grassy meadow. After careful consideration and thoughtfulness Piccolo is able to fully see the entire being of what he is searching for, no silhouettes, scanlines, or rorschach blobs. This being the case made it very easy to tell which are fake and which aren't since Goku has not yet been fully committed to rounding out his After-Image Technique. Honestly, After-Images are really only worth it at God of Destruction levels because forming a robust After-Image that captures your level of energy takes far too much Ki and ultimately accomplishes very little. After-Images are at their most potent when Ki Sensing isn't a factor. And that's besides the fact that one needs to perform an After-Image that captures all senses, not just sight.
The Demon turned on a dime as the After-Image faded into nothingness over top of him, sniping out Goku's attack angle from the back.
"Deweugh!" Goku cried out dumbly as he had been totally found out, slipping onto the tile and breaking out into some dance moves to attack from an odd position.
Fshuu~Skweeeee! Whapp!
Goku attacked with a left roundhouse at the midsection while spinning and pivoting on his right hand with a capoeira-like flair. Piccolo caught it with a vice grip and looked to punish by launching the charged energy he hand in his left fingers but as it turns out, Goku's rigorous practice of Ki Blast Parrying would guide him through, he jumped off the air and levitated as his enemy had a firm hold over him, he bent over and coaxed the beam out of Piccolo with his right hand as it made contact with his leg. Piccolo's eyes widened considerably and Goku redirected the flow of the blast to his foe's turban. The Demon's head hung low for a moment as his white wrapped headwear turned into a heavy cylinder, taking shape over his face like a mask.
Goku laughed for a moment as Piccolo let go of him, stepping back to assess the best way to rid himself of the weighty apparatus. He flexed his left claw, thick veins bulging and impacted his face with a smashing palm strike. The shattering minerals flung themselves onto the grass in a fit of charcoal coloured rain. Piccolo looked back to see his adversary taking off his blue robes and throwing them to the wayside, not taking advantage of what he had just accomplished.
"I take back what I said, Son Goku. You are a fool. Giving me a second chance like that is what greedy idealists do."
"If I can't beat you with my own moves it doesn't count." Goku popped up his blue turtle hermit shirt like a fan, back and forth vigorously.
"Hmph." Is all Piccolo said as he took on an actual stance, throwing his cape behind him, The Announcer was forced to vacate his position as the hefty cape blotted out the sun and then thumped onto the ground in an epic crash, upheaving the stone steps just outside the fighting platform.
Piccolo's knuckles seemed to always pop louder than everyone else's. The Namekian stared down his rival across the way as the Saiyan fixed his blue wristbands to a more comfortable spot.
"Thanks for waiting, buddy."
"Hmph."
Goku showed his pearly whites. They shined brightly under the sun's rays and he spoke with that characteristic confidence.
"Do as I say, not as I do?" He pointed at the sky with a declarative pointer finger. "I learned that one from Krillin!"
"..."
Goku smiled once again and settled into the turtle hermit stance.
"These two seem to have a lot of respect for each other! That's twice now that they've just stared at each other after the gong! I wonder when these two grea-"
POKK! WHUMFffffff~
Goku and Piccolo clashed two more times, seismic shockwaves shooting out into the audience, increasing the already raving patrons to fever pitch.
No other contestants really caused shockwaves from the clash, these were very exciting as the audience got to feel the impact from the attacks like Raditz' Shining Friday against Yamcha in the very first round.
"Nice one, Piccolo!"
Piccolo tried not to smirk, but he was unable as they met in the middle with two more clashes. The Demon's long left leg checked Goku's right knee and then the younger brother's right forearm against Piccolo's left. The pair smiled at each other as they came in close before backing off with wicked backdashes.
"Wow! Another stalemate!"
Goku looked at his pants and straightened them, tying the loose white fabric around him tighter. Piccolo cracked his neck on both sides as they sidled around the arena at the ends, close to ring out.
"You're really smart, Piccolo. So I gotta be careful."
"Didn't ask." He let out in a chuckle.
Goku stretched out his arms, his off hand cupped over his elbow as he checked each side for their kinks.
"Looks like we have another staredown, these two conten~"
Goku shot past Piccolo in a low slide from zero to 100, clearing the whole ring in less than a second. Piccolo floated above the arena to dodge the attack and Goku kicked off the air above the outside grass to follow his target.
"I'll just let them do the talking." The announcer stated with a smile of his own as Goku and Piccolo went at it in the air.
FshSwushSssushWashFishVshShSwashFshFashSwshSwassSwufFwufFshVsh~
The two rivals couldn't connect if their lives depended on it, each other's defence keeping up exactly with the offence presented as they rose up above the arena in their own little elevator of fighting space. Piccolo caught Goku's right hand as Goku caught Piccolo's and they tied each other up in a wrestling hold, bringing their arms in the middle. Goku tried to reign in his adversary to land a snap kick at the jaw with his left but Piccolo dodged just in time, catching the Saiyan's leg in the pocket of his shoulder and thick neck. Goku gasped goofily and Piccolo threw a boot at Goku's stomach. The Kai Student caught Piccolo's boot with his own and they blasted back far away from each other, Goku in a tailspin backflip maneuver while The Demon remained steady in his flight path backwards.
"These two just know how each other fight! Only one clean hit after all this fighting!"
Goku lobbed two Ki blasts at Piccolo in his retreat and The Green Man weaved out of the way with graceful flight, only to be struck at from above by a missile dropkick. Piccolo flexed his right forearm and caught the maneuver, bracing the impact pretty well. Goku dove backwards with his flight only to be caught by The Demon's extended claw, thrown back down to earth with the grace of God.
"Whoa!"
FOOSH! Tmp~Fwump!
Goku landed on the ground acrobatically, handspringing off the tile like it was his job. Piccolo hunted him down with intense and terrifying speed, clawing at the air once he came in striking range. Goku barely weaved the slashes in time before he went on his own offensive gameplan, close fisted punches with tight upper body movement to keep it limber for counters. Piccolo did not land, dancing off the air as he dodged Goku's flurry of fists.
"Heyagh!" Goku cried as he went all in for a right roundhouse.
Piccolo jumped off the air, hanging with some drama and air time with his legs tucked in tight as he floated, left arm extended and beaming with energy, he held onto his wrist tight with his off hand as if he were bracing for impact.
"Masenko!" His demonic voice growled as an ethereal light pulsed and crackled in his left palm.
Goku prepared his right leg for a parry, charging the energy as he kept the momentum from his first roundhouse, spinning in a full rotation to deliver another right and kick the beam into the aether.
"He's just too much, ladies and gentlemen."
They were at each other's throats immediately as soon as the beam cleared, Goku landed a snappy backfist with his right hand and came in close. Piccolo grunted as his foe made contact, grappling the right arm that just attacked, pulling him in close and landing a brutal left knee to the midsection.
"Guokk~" Goku let out limply as Piccolo made contact. He smiled briefly during the exchange and sent out a pulse of Kiai with his left palm, smacking The Demon right in the face, breaking his hold.
THUMM~POKK! Skweeee~
"Maaan, you've really been working out, Piccolo."
"I'm not gonna let another alien run the show, you know. I've got my own claims as the strongest around here."
"Huh-Hah! We'll see."
"These two really seem to enjoy the brief moments between clashes! I thin-"
WHUMM! WHAMM! "WEAK!" THOKK!
After their strongman's exchange Piccolo sent Goku reeling across the tile with a thunderous right hand.
"Why do I even try?"
"Nice one!" He guffawed through reddened cheeks.
"Goku, we're fighting you numbskull!"
WHOKK! THMM! DMM!
"But it was a good hit! I can't tell you that you did good!?"
WOOSH!
"Dumbass!" A smile escaped Piccolo during their intense combat.
Goku hit a gainer from nothing, fully backflipping while going forward to dodge Piccolo's hazardous left claw lunge.
FWUOOSH!
"We've never known our hero to take things too seriously but… he's just laughing!"
Piccolo maintained his smile as Goku giggled out like a schoolboy after his athletic display, dashing off the tile at an odd angle as he landed. Piccolo turned and blocked Goku's left back elbow. The Kai Student threw strange attacks and walked The Demon across the ring, his back turned to him the whole time.
"You're really full of yourself, huh Son?"
"You've gotta keep it loosey goosey."
Piccolo booted Goku in the back, causing him to catch the ground in a front handspring. Piccolo sprinted like mad to pressure his goofy adversary. Goku flipped in a ballerina twirl as he kipped off the tile with his hands, sending a Ki blast to cover his back. Piccolo ducked under just in time and kept pursuing his target. Goku landed from the ballerina spin, launching a left snap kick at Piccolo's face to keep up his defensive offence. Piccolo once again displayed to everyone watching his own excellence in defence, iron gripping Goku's ankle.
"Deyugh~eee~" Goku let out like a jester just before Piccolo slammed in a left roundhouse onto his pecks.
WHUMM!
"Duwoohh!"
Goku held in the pain and used his flight, cartwheeling off the air with intensity, flinging Piccolo into the sky above. The Demon flew quite a ways but stopped his trajectory skillfully, hovering just above the audience.
"Oh wow, The Demon King is hovering right in front of me. Should I be impressed or something?"
"Oolong!"
"Relax, Bulma. He doesn't care one bit. Do ya, big guy?"
Piccolo's eyes were laser focused and he practically leveled the onlookers around him, blasting them all into their seats with his flight.
"Whoooooooo!" They all cheered in tandem at the display right in front of them.
WushWshFshVshSwushSwfFwufSwufFshVshWshSwuf~
Piccolo's eyes drew red tron lines as he threw something like a sixteen-piece of punches, Goku somehow managing to dodge them all with expert head movement. In a moment of fixation, Goku didn't realise that his foe's true target was the eye beams, not the punches. Goku's right arm bled in a steady stream as Piccolo singed and cut a long line starting from the shoulder and ending at the pinky.
SVYUU!
"Looks like I was lying!"
SwufFwufFoosh!
"The real first blood goes to Piccolo!"
Goku winced in sharp stinging pain, forced to shake it out before Piccolo once again made contact with a killer left boot, sending the Saiyan careening over onto the tile.
"It's your kicks!" Goku yelled cheerily as he lapped up the bloodstream with his tongue. "You've gotten so much better with your kicks!"
Tmp. Tp. Dmm. Tup. Tmp.
"You really don't know how to keep your mouth shut, do you?"
"I'm just having so much fun right now!"
Goku feinted a right roundhouse and Piccolo looked carefully for it, missing the timing and falling for the fake once he turned his back and landed a left hook kick from the rotation.
WHOKK!
"Grrr…"
"Huh-Hah!"
As Goku turned back around to stand face to face he weaved a strange left leg that could have been a number of kicks right in Piccolo's face. The Demon readied his hands to catch but nothing came and Goku turned his back to him once again, clocking Piccolo on the nose as he fell with a lazy but snappy and weighty left backfist.
"Grah~ what the..?" Piccolo mused, thoughts in disarray.
Goku jumped and tucked in his limbs like a frog and then kicked out in a superman pose, thrusting his feet right onto Piccolo's chest, sending him away with a deafening blow. Goku fell forward into a roll off the tile and turned around as Piccolo backpedaled from the weird attack.
The Kai Student pivoted into a dash off the floor with reckless abandon as soon as he was finished, forcing Piccolo's hand. He chose defence again, waiting for Goku's move only to be snuffed out once more.
"What is he doing!?" The Announcer cried as Goku halted his momentum on a dime, going from 100 to zero as he slow walked towards Piccolo.
Piccolo's brow furrowed and Goku deliberately looked away and back at the crowd. He waved at them, much to Piccolo's distress and the audience's fervor.
"He ain't even lookin' at em'!"
"Kick his butt, Goku!"
"Fry his keister!"
Piccolo didn't throw, maintaining his stoic defence and Goku just backdashed.
"Maaan! I really thought you might fall for that one."
"You're a fool if you thought I would ever walk into something so obvious."
Goku smiled and hiked up his knees back to back to get the blood flowing.
"These two really like to take their time to think! What a cerebral matchup we have here today folks, it's mind blowing!"
"You ready?"
"It's a tournament, whether I'm ready or not is irrelevant once the match starts." Piccolo answered as a single bead of sweat reflected off the shiny nature of his bald green head.
Goku just gave him wide eyes as he touched the tile in more stretches.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... Mhph! Fine! I'm ready!"
"Good!"
"You're insufferable." Piccolo shook his head in awe of his stupidity, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
The Kai Student grinned with such shit-eating intent and settled back into his stance. There was a long pause and the audience finally settled down, only the droning of the sun and the birds could really be heard.
FWSH! TWOKK!
The pair met in the middle again, more clashes reverberating around the ring.
"Unbelievable." Krillin stated with mysticism. "They're not tired at all, and they look like they're gassing it."
"Yeah…" Yamcha stared on with a look of disbelief.
"By this point Raditz, Tien, and you had already scored a down, no one's even in the lead… far as I can tell."
The Wolf had no real answer, only nodding along with his one-armed friend's statement. Kami had the brightest and most genuine smile on his face as he watched the pair go at it.
"I do not know how to describe it but it is like... I am fighting down there. The nostalgia is hitting me in waves."
"Really?" The Wolf looked to the green God, brushing away the long locks out of his face and behind his ear.
"I know it is somewhat vain, but I want Piccolo to win."
"Nah, that's my boy down there. Sorry, Kami but my man is finna fade your other half."
"Whatever you say, young Yamcha."
Piccolo swung with a chopping left leg and Goku ducked it clean, dropping into his classic pushup position dodge. He readied his Ki and flew off the tile in an impressive display, trying to headbutt Piccolo's nose in. Piccolo dipped down with immaculate timing, lowering down to the floor with an intense lean once his left leg met the tile. He almost looked like Yamcha with how low to the ground he was. Goku threw his hands up and charged a blue bolt of energy, sending it at Piccolo's back as he maintained his flight path.
The Demon dashed out of the way, turning around to face his foe head on, Goku pivoted as well, keeping his aerial presence above the grass. Goku furrowed his brow with a killer grin and zoomed along the air. Presenting an After-Image, Goku dipped around the back but was snuffed out immediately. Piccolo gripped Goku's leg tightly and slammed him into the tile, a sickening thud rang out, stunning the onlookers.
"Goku." Piccolo spoke plainly.
"He's down! One!"
Goku coughed up a lung trying to get to a knee.
"I only used Ki Sensing to determine the competency of your After-Images."
Piccolo hard-counters The After-Image Technique since you can't just install complex thoughts into something that has no brain. But, it wouldn't exactly be fair to say that it is only he that does, but rather, anyone who's actively using Telepathy can ruin an After-Image user's day. It's costly to perform, but Piccolo has far more Ki reserves than the rest anyway, and is much more capable of a strategy like this one.
"So I gotta try a new approach then..?"
"Two!"
"Nah, go ahead and lose, that's fine with me."
"You're lying." Goku laughed out with a smile.
"Thre~ He's up! Goku's raring to go! Fight!"
"You want this to last as long as I do."
Goku let it rock, dashing at Piccolo right after the gong, throwing strikes all around. After another flurry of dodges they tied up again, only this time with Piccolo having the full advantage, locked onto Goku's wrists tightly. The Kai Student hit a can-can with his knees, bringing up his right knee to fake and scoring clean with the left knee at the bottom of Piccolo's chin as he ran right into it, trying to dodge the first. A yellow aura gathered in The Namekian's throat as Goku connected and Piccolo just smiled as he tanked the hit.
"Oh crap."
"GUWAAAGH!"
Goku flexed his parrying skills as hard as he could, the front of his blue shirt tearing under the pressure of the beam but the stream seemed to roll off his chest, shifting up and away.
"Nice one, Son Goku!"
"See, you do care!"
Goku manhandled Piccolo, pulling him into a right thrust kick even though he was the one supposed to be tied up, drawing out the flexibility in his Namekian arms, bending The Demon over from the blow.
DMM!
"Gu-Haw!"
The Kai Student tore away from Piccolo's clutches and spun around in a 360 to deliver a tornado roundhouse, actually complete with a tornado of Ki that followed his ferocious strike. Piccolo flew at the wall with great speed but Goku didn't let up, looking to score a ringout. He came overtop with a right hand but was blasted up into the sky with a kick the moon backflip from his target.
"The acrobatics! These two like aerial combat it seems!"
Piccolo kicked off of the nothingness, the grass shimmering from his momentum.
DMM~BMM~THMM!
Three more blasts of shockwaves rolled off the pair as they soared high above the arena.
"You don't know how long it's been, Son Goku!"
"Since what!?"
"Since I've felt so alive!"
Piccolo landed deep into Goku's diaphragm with his left hand, sending him packing with a karate chop straight down. Goku landed like a champion, hands on the ground in a runner's position, gritting his teeth to keep from letting it out. Even under the great pain all Goku could do was smile, the ring cracked with a weighty resolution upon the young Saiyan's crash landing.
"All these threats we've been facing, they don't mean anything. But you, you mean something." Piccolo imparted as he landed in front of him.
"You say you're…" Goku breathed out limply. "The~huh… Demon King and all but you're just a big sweetie pie you know that?"
"Be quiet and put up your hands.."
"You could attack me. But you won't. You really respect me."
Piccolo just looked out into the crowd.
"You know."
"What?"
"Looks like they're having another moment to themselves! Did The 23rd Budokai really mean that much to them!?"
"You would have probably beaten me by now if King Kai hadn't helped me to tune out my senses. The main reason I blew away the crowd is because they were so damn distracting. It didn't really have to do with the fact that I wanted to kill them or you~" Goku's pain fell away and he stood up at his rival's speech "I just didn't want them to interrupt all the fun."
"Do you regret it?" Goku's face turned deadly serious for a moment, causing Piccolo and Kami's antennae to jive instinctively.
"Yes. The most important thing was that it was unnecessary. It was my failing as a martial artist that I needed to clear the hurdles forcefully instead of rising above them through my own merits."
"I'm so proud of you, Piccolo." His smile returned.
"Shut up, Mongrel." His face flushed out into a hot pink as they squared off in their stances.
"It's about that time! I can just feel it! This match is go~"
"Let's go all out, Piccolo! I don't care if there's another match!"
"I was about to say the same thing."
The ensuing shockwave was tremendous, the sound of it was like thunder.
"Thought so." Krillin proclaimed with a smile.
"Beat his green ass!" Yamcha howled from the rafters.
Goku spared a happy glance at his brother before returning to his pugilistic conflict. The Kai Student threw a left jab which Piccolo parried and shoved down just in time. Goku continued the pressure with a left knee lift, checked by The Green Man's own right knee, capitalising on the moment, the younger brother flexed his arms in a dominating display and let out a screeching pocket of Kiai at his foe.
Ka-pwa~POKKKK!
The strange steely impact on his guard sent The Demon sliding across the ring, almost near the grass. Piccolo's ears slightly twinged as he heard Goku come from behind. He grabbed onto Goku's shirt collar with an iron grip and threw him onto the tile in front of him. Goku ate it but kept light on his toes, weaving backwards as Piccolo piled on the pressure with jabs.
"Why didn't you ring me out?"
"You think I'm gonna let it end that way, Son Goku!?"
"Right on!"
Time slowed to a crawl as they deliberately met in the middle for a high speed fist bump instead of a clash.
Swufwuscuu~~~~~~tap~~~~~~~~Foosh! DMM! WHOKK!
The volume increased even more, both from the audience and the competitors.
"In all my years playing as ring announcer for The World Martial Arts Tournament I have not seen a more even and intense match! They DO NOT BUDGE!"
"You're gonna regret allowing my full power!" Piccolo chortled out as he sunk a weighty fist deep into Goku's gut.
DMM!
"Haw-Haw-Haw!"
Piccolo soccer kicked Goku straight forward at rocketing speeds.
A vision of King Piccolo and Goku when he was a child flashed through the younger brother's mind as Piccolo connected with that attack.
Piccolo pursued his target effective immediately, running right along the flight path, aiming downward with an overhand. The Saiyan reacted just in time, stalling himself with his own flight, grappling onto Piccolo's right arm and kicking the top of his dome with his left. Piccolo was rocked and Goku used that to his advantage, throwing him over the side and onto the tile with an arm drag. Piccolo laughed out heartily once again, locking arm in arm with his foe as he was thrown, throwing Goku instead as he planted his feet firmly on the ground.
Goku countered this immediately, sending an overwhelming burst of Kiai outwards to launch him right back, connecting with a lethal left elbow with his back turned.
DMM! Skweeeeeeee~
Piccolo grinned like a monster as Goku's elbow was jammed onto his teeth. He wrapped his arms around Goku several times over, a snake's coil. The harsh bind forced a squealing air to hiss out of the man before he was brutally slammed onto the tile with a Namekian suplex.
"Oh my! A german! One! Doesn't get better than that! Goku's down! Two!"
Piccolo wiped the blood off his mouth, laughing like a goofball with his gravelly low toned voice. The Namekian didn't care at all, grabbing Goku by the shirt collar and standing him up.
"Thanks, buddy."
"WHAT!? He helped him up before the count finished! I've never seen such a strange match in my life!"
Goku cracked his neck on the right side and saw stars, almost falling over.
"Should I keep counting, Goku!?"
Piccolo raised a brow, wearing a suggestive look as he nodded his head towards The Announcer.
"Sure, heh-heh."
"I'm speechless. I'll just chime in for the downs, this match is far too high IQ for me, that's for sure. Three!"
Goku blinked rapidly before he smacked himself on the face with his palms, seeming to hype himself up.
"Four!"
Piccolo scratched his neck and checked his nails as Mic bounced on the grass and kept the count going.
"Five!"
"Okay! I'm ready!" Goku declared, giving a thumbs up to Mic.
"Excellent! Fight!"
Goku was put on the backfoot as Piccolo came in close with a left elbow, he ducked under and hit the same backflip kick he did on Vegeta, dropping to the tile and launching his legs up at Piccolo's chest.
WHUMM!
The strike was true and threw Piccolo up in the air. Goku smiled and squatted down low before blasting off. The father of one spun around like a top as he made his way up, tornado kicking Piccolo's guard from the right side using his left leg. It cut in harsh and sent Piccolo packing. The Demon once again hovered above the audience and Goku giggled as he flew right over, the two of them duking it out next to cheery spectators. The pair scrambled in the air all around the arena for each hit. Raditz almost jumped into the conflict before being restricted by Krillin and Yamcha.
"Dumbass! That's why the last match didn't count! We jumped in before it finished!"
"You telling me what to do, Earthling!?"
"Bruh." Yamcha said.
Goku connected with a drive-by right hand that absolutely smacked Piccolo into the next dimension, that being the tile of course. It upheaved the entire layer and blasted back not just winds, but chunks, right onto The Announcer, popping the microphone loudly and knocking him on his ass.
"Wu~oah!"
Dwyeeeeeeeeeerrrrr~
Everyone plugged their ears at that.
"Wu~wa~whun!" He counted shakily as he stood up. "Two! I was too afraid to say this last time but... Piccolo's got two downs scored! He needs two more! Three! And I got the feeling that's how this match is gonna go! Four!"
"Come on." Goku squatted down, offering his hand.
Piccolo met it and stood up mostly by himself, aided by Goku's right hand in his. Goku bounced up and down in jubilant glee, letting go and backing off.
"Five! Six!"
Piccolo cracked his neck and let his gaze lazily meet Goku's focused glare.
"Seven! Eight!? Yes!? No!? Nine!"
"What the hell else do you think!?"
"He's good to go! Fight!"
Piccolo dashed up close and threw a right straight to force a block, Goku fell for it, lining up his guard before trying his own attempt back. Piccolo parried that punch drawing back his right forearm and pushing the strike to the side, finishing by slamming in a left chop at the neck. The Saiyan coughed harshly after The Demon connected and stepped forward from the blow. Piccolo came down low and tried for an upper but Goku was ready, weaving backwards just in time, the backs of PIccolo's knuckles grinding along his pectorals. Goku then punished the whiff with a left elbow, causing Piccolo to backpedal.
The Saiyan had enough, landing a brutal combination of fists and feet, ending with a left snapkick aimed at the jaw to set up his right back thrust kick.
Wsht. DMM!
"Gu-Haw!"
"Kamehame~"
Piccolo instinctively put his hands up to defend but Goku didn't commit, instead he slammed a monstrous gut punch that lifted him off the ground.
Piccolo remembered this attack, a flash of the image reverberated in his mind. The dusty sands of The 23rd Budokai's wasteland of an arena.
"Piccolo is down! One! And that's two for Goku!"
Piccolo fell to his knees, trying desperately to shake off the damage.
"Two! Three!"
Goku grabbed Piccolo by the arm and dragged him to a standing position, patting off some of the damage to his blue demon uniform. The tile fixed itself in the characteristic magic glow from Kami's staff, a turquoise aura shining in and around the two rivals.
"Whoever is doing that… Thanks! Four!"
Piccolo sharpened his brow and cracked his knuckles before turning to The Announcer. The Namekian coughed out some blood and laughed.
"Uhh~ Fight!"
The pair stanced up once again before Piccolo conjured a stationary orb and dashed at his foe. Goku raised a brow as the lone orb stayed in place while his rival came in close.
DMM!
Goku was forced to check the roundhouse with both his forearm and knee as it came crashing in.
"Whew~" He whistled out as Piccolo set another orb just above them like he were screwing in a light bulb. Goku raised his brow once more as Piccolo doubled down with another left roundhouse in the same spot.
Skweeeeee~ Fsh!
Goku just barely weaved a left straight and punished with a left upper. Piccolo fell onto his ass but rolled back to dodge Goku's follow up axe-kick, setting up another glowing orb during the evasive maneuvers. Piccolo sprung to his feet and caught Goku's onslaught of punches with well scouted defence, clocking Kakarot with a right overhand. He set another orb just behind himself as he connected and followed through with a mean right boot to the middle of the ring. Goku slid along the tile, stopping himself with a burst of energy before he realised the strange orbs all around him.
"Hellzone Grenade!" Piccolo roared with a guttural screech, the four orbs culminating onto Goku's positioning.
Bvyu~Wuu~Syuu~Vwamp~Vwer
Goku kicked and palmed the orbs but they kept bouncing around and pursuing him as Piccolo mimed a spell-like dedication with his hands. Goku maintained focus but it just wasn't enough, he swatted away at them for a long time before turning his attention to the one who set them up.
"Oh!" He called out happily, dashing towards his new interest.
The orbs came in fast as Piccolo pulled his hands to his chest. Goku jumped over the orbs but Piccolo had planned ahead, snatching him out of the sky and jumping over his orbs as they careened into the aether. He spun around in a tight whirlwind, slamming him with the most intense elastic force his Namekian arms could conjure. His arm sounded out like a zipline as Goku came crashing into the tile, messing it up again so soon after the last mishap.
The Saiyan was hurting but got up in no time, kipping off the ground with his hands.
"No down!" The announcer claimed with a wave of his arm.
Goku rapid-fired three small Ki blasts as he ran along the outside of the ring. Piccolo dodged to the left, then ducked under, completing his push with a hurdle jump over the last sphere of energy. An After-Image peeled off to pressure but Piccolo saw right through, smiling and sending out his right elbow to catch Goku slipping. He hit nothing and his eyebrows raised with great worry.
Goku's expert martial artistry and quick thinking made it so that he formed an After-Image just barely in front of himself to cover, overlapping his thought pattern. Piccolo was technically correct but Goku stood just out of range and absolutely just fractions behind his technique, mirroring its posture perfectly so as not to alert the enemy. It's not that Goku cares all that much with his strategies but more so that he's really just that good without having to try all that hard. His primary fighting style inherently throws people off guard.
Piccolo was off-rhythm after missing by a hair.
"But I~" Piccolo was caught thinking.
Goku lifted his left heel high, parrying Piccolo's arm upward at the armpit, rearing it back and slamming in a left thrust kick at the ribs.
Swstt~DMM! THMM!
Goku floored Piccolo after connecting with a spinning right back thrust kick follow-up.
"You bastard…" The Demon grunted out as he skidded across the ring. "That thrust kick... it's your best damn move."
"Is it?"
Piccolo shook his head and scoffed as he stood up from his kneel.
"No down!"
The pair dashed in close and met in another wrestling tie up.
"These two don't know the meaning of the word surrender! They'll hold the line until they die!"
"Go Green Man!"
"Knock his block off, Goku!"
"You can do it guys!"
"This was actually worth the price of admission!"
"That green guy is a way better sport than last time!"
The two of them shut out the noise and it was just the two of them, trying to imprint their will onto the other in their face to face showdown. It was Piccolo's overall superior practical strength that won the tie-up.
"Grrr~AGHH!" Piccolo yelled throatily as he connected with a killer headbutt on Goku's forehead, whiting out his eyes.
Goku fell to his knees limply. Piccolo backed off, letting him get up on his own.
"Wow! No help this time! One!"
Piccolo cracked his neck on both sides.
"Nevermind, Green Man sucks!"
"Two!"
"Come on, Son Goku…"
"Three!"
Piccolo abandoned his wherewithal, lifting up Goku's face to check, still seeing lights out. He smacked his lips and put his rival's face back onto the tile.
"Four! I don't like the looks of this, folks! Five!"
Piccolo paced around the ring like an anxious mom, hands on his blue belt line.
"Six! Seven!"
"Get up, brother! Don't lose to Green Man!"
Goku's fingers twitched as the box at the top got rowdier and rowdier.
"Get up, Goku! Piccolo's not gonna have this tournament win over you!" Yamcha yelled aloud, his hands cupped around his mouth as he leaned over the railing.
"Come on!" Krillin wailed, jumping up and down on the rail himself.
"Eight!"
Goku twitched and started to stand, shaking like he had parkinsons.
"And Nine!" The Announcer yelped like he couldn't believe it, himself shaking.
"Heh-heh~" Goku laughed out like a goofball as he stood.
"He's here! He's here ladies and gentlemen! Goku is here! Fight!" Mic flailed around dramatically like a concert director, pointing at the two contestants.
Goku simply closed his eyes as he hobbled around, relying on his Ki Sensing to guide him through. He waved around his arms slowly and methodically, keeping them close to his chest. Piccolo waited it out, prowling around the edge like a predator. Goku let out a laugh-breath and smiled.
"Masenko!"
Goku weaved to the left, dropping down and past the beam in a roll.
"He's out of there!"
He kept it moving, pushing his hands off the tile to stand upright in a sprint.
"What a brave spirit! He keeps going even now!"
Piccolo didn't let up, dashing right in to see what was up, standing right in front of his target, not moving a muscle. Goku tensed up and didn't throw as well, their chests almost touching with their arms at their sides.
"Unbelievable! They are this close and still refuse to commit!"
There was a long and unnerving pause before Goku's burst caught Piccolo lacking, a left chop square on the Namek's apple.
He had used Ki Sourcing to load up a special spring-action maneuver, much akin to how Dynamite Monday is performed.
"Piccolo's down!? One! What did he even get hit by!? Two!"
"Wheeeewww…" Goku breathed out harshly. "Maaan." He had a seriousness about him at this junction, eyes still closed.
"Three! Is this the end for MaJunior!? Four!"
Goku finally opened his eyes and looked down at the beaten Piccolo.
"Five!"
He tightened his lips inward and furrowed his brow in worry.
"Come on…"
"Six!"
Goku squatted down low, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Seven!"
Piccolo's antennae shook violently and Goku whistled.
"Thank goodness."
"Eight!"
The Saiyan bounced happily back upright as The Demon climbed to his feet.
"Nine! Te~ What am I saying!? Of course he's not down! Fight!"
"One more, Son Goku, what do you say?"
"One more what?"
"Shot for shot."
"I'm game."
Piccolo smiled devilishly and Goku met his enthusiasm with equal intensity. The Saiyan connected with a fierce and loaded right hand. Piccolo winced and bled but socked him right back with a left leg at Goku's temple, causing his consciousness to slip. Goku laughed out goofily but was still standing.
"Ehh-heh-heee~" He got out as he lined up another right hand on Piccolo's temple, there was little power behind it.
DMM!
Piccolo doubled down with the left roundhouse and it floored Goku spectacularly. The Namekian breathed a sigh of relief as his foe came in contact with the tile for a little too long.
"I-CAN-NOT-BE-LEEVE-ITT! PiccolohasjustwonTheWorld MartialArtsTournament." He sped past the final bit of his statement with a smirk, looking out into the crowd in a sweeping motion.
Namekian biology is incredibly durable. They might not have the capacity for the highest punching power but they have some of the highest innate durability of any race in the North Galaxy. A Namekian would make for a better God of Destruction than a Saiyan or Earthling would but a Saiyan would still make for an excellent choice due to their strong wills, convictions, and the ability to push through pain, but the fact of the matter is that Namekian's inherent pain tolerance is out of control.
The crowd exploded in an uproar, on their feet causing a riot to blare out in all directions.
"Wow. I'm not gonna lie, Bulma. It's weird to see Goku lose."
"I'll say."
The crowd got up and bounced, basking in the hype. Piccolo just stared on in bewilderment and then apathy. He sent out a pulse of Ki Sensing.
"Tcheh. Ol' Three Eyes isn't even here. There's no point in me staying then. Mongrel!"
"Shut it, Green Man. My brother lost today, no need to rub it in."
"He fought like hell, I don't need to disparage his efforts to feel good."
Raditz was taken aback as The Namekian flew over to the stone walkway, grabbing his cape and casting a new turban overtop his head.
Fwuomp.
"Aren't you going to stay for the final match!?" He asked, before presenting the mic towards the tall green champion.
"No. Tien's not even here."
"Huh!? He's not!?"
Piccolo neglected to follow up, much to Mic's dismay and he disappeared behind the clouds, Raditz flying his brother back to the booth they had at the top. Krillin looked on with intrigue.
Yulin
"Tomorrow is going to be the non-supernatural division! We accounted for the length of time needed by these great fighters! Everyone put your hands up for the brave souls that fought today!"
Muramasse sat criss cross in the walkway, meditating by his large blade. PaoPao stood next to him as well as Yulin. Yulin stared something fierce at Raditz who stood next to Yamcha. Sapa led the pack, standing at the edge of the mechanical walkway.
"It's a shame but it looks like Giran and our new two-time champion are no longer here! What a great performance everyone had this evening!"
The night was coming as purple cascaded onto the orange skyline. Yulin turned her whole body, she didn't have to speak to send the message but she did anyway.
"How can you live with yourself after you disrespected my sister like that?"
PaoPao looked surprised as she shifted her focus away from The Announcer and at The Saiyan. Though her intrigue was equally matched not by her sister's outburst but by the brown tail jiving out of the man's massive hairdo and khaki shorts.
"Disrespect is relative. That match was not disrespectful. She stepped in the ring and I sent her packing, simple as that. Hah-Hah-Hah!" Raditz cackled with his arms crossed defiantly.
"How did you monsters get so strong?"
"Hard work, painstaking effort, doing it day in and day out."
"I've explored all my options! You saying you work harder than we do!?" Yulin got in his face, pointing a declarative finger at him.
"Heh. Not directly at least."
"Rrr!" She balled her fist tight as she maintained strict eye contact.
"Look girlie, I had a good teacher and partner. This is the strongest I've ever been and it's thanks to working with others that I was able to accomplish such a physique." He flexed in a bodybuilder pose, smiling like a dumbass. "If you train all alone, I hesitate to call that exploring all your options."
She stood stunned, eyes locked onto the animalistic man in front of her.
"I know all of the heavy hitters in this tournament personally, they all train with each other here and there. If you're not willing to get your ass beat by your partners you're not gonna improve."
PaoPao's eyelashes closed in rapid succession before turning her focus to that of the machine walkway.
"If you have a master, then your skills are sure to improve much more than if you were to try by yourself. I have grown my strength more than five times over in the past two years and I mean every word of that. My battle power used to be barely 1,000."
Yulin's eyes widened at the statement.
"I lived over 25 years of my life with no master or teacher of any kind, my pride prevented it. But when I met Kakarot he taught me the validity of respecting the leadership of another."
Raditz locked eyes with Yulin and stared deep into her soul.
"You're good. You can go a long way with us. But that's not my call to make."
Raditz shifted his gaze back to The Announcer chatting up a storm and Yulin looked on with intrigue, the man's words ringing similar to her nemesis: Tien.
"I…" She clenched both her jaw and her fists tight. "I…"
"Speak up, girlie. I can't hear you."
"I will beat you!" She yelled LOUD. Mic stopped his callouts and his shades dipped down his nose as he turned back around to face the noise. "I don't care if I have to go under your tutelage to do it but I will! You're not getting out of this easily, you hear me!?"
"You want me, don't you?"
"...AS IF! That's disgusting!"
Raditz laughed out with indescribable joy as Yulin's face ran beet red.
"Rrr! You sicken me!"
"Hah-Hah-Hah! You say all these words like a Saiyan can't tell when a woman is in heat."
She stampeded off in a fury, grabbing Pao's wrist tight.
"He-hey!" She giggled out joyously.
"That Krillin guy." Yulin looked back at her sister. "Can he teach us?"
"Y-yeah. I~I think."
"Better him than that sorry ass excuse for a man." She stomped off only to be stalled by PaoPao's persistence. "What!?"
"Krirrin's in da audience. His friends are da ones who took care of me up in da stands." She pointed back at the big box high above on the opposite side of the arena.
Goku
"Can you believe how strong everyone's got?" Goku posited to Krillin, hands interwoven behind his head.
"It's been a wild ride these past two years."
"I'll say."
Kami spared a look at the two of them and was content to just let the moment stand on its own.
"When are we gonna do something about your arm?"
"Oh I don't know." Krillin took off his blue blazer and put it on the rail, looking down at the loose sleeve on his left side.
"I kind of get the feeling you don't want to do anything about it."
"Yeah… That's kind of where I'm at right now." He sighed out and leaned over his jacket.
"Well. Whatever you wanna do, you know I'm behind you all the way."
Krillin shook his head and had a smile coaxed out of him.
"Hey Goku?"
"..?"
"What were you talking about with Piccolo down there?"
It didn't matter how small or discreet of a smile it was, it still beamed if it came from Son Goku.
"Me and him were just talking about how much fun we were having. That fight I just had and the rematch with my brother in Hell are probably my all time favourites. Hard to choose just one though."
Krillin grinned as well before he shot another question his way.
"Goku?"
"Hmm?"
"Did Piccolo get taller?"
"Now that you mention it…" Goku put his fingertip on his lip, holding his right elbow in his left hand as he maintained the thinking pose.
In the year that passed between the Saiyans and The 24th Budokai, Piccolo grew from 6'7 to 7 feet even.
"Piccolo's always been tall but yeah… I think you're right!"
"Piccolo's not gonna grab the prize money I take it?"
"Well he's long gone now. Can't exactly hand it off. Huh-Hah!" Goku laughed out jubilantly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Guess not. What about Tien?"
"Hmm." Goku sharpened his brow and sent out a pulse of Ki Sensing. "I don't feel his energy."
"Yeah…" Krillin leaned over the railing. "Sounds about right. Just like him. He practically threw the winnings at you as soon as he won The 22nd."
"Mmhmm."
They stood in a momentary solitude before Krillin broke the silence once again.
"You remember when Launch was trying really hard to get Tien's attention after the tournament?"
Goku raised a brow and stared back for a moment with his head hanging down.
"Oh yeah!" He laughed out like a goofball, clutching at his belly. "Hee-hee-haugh-haugh! She really liked him!"
"I've been doing a lot of studying and I learned a thing or two about psychology."
"Psycho~"
"Psychology."
"Psychology." Goku bobbed his head as he said it. Krillin smiled and they fist bumped.
"In psychology there's this thing called projecting and what that means is that basically, you impart traits onto someone who doesn't really display them but you see those traits anyway because they're yours."
"And..?"
"Launch said Tien liked her but she was just hard projecting."
Goku's face lit up and he pointed with a declarative finger.
"You're so right!"
"Tien never spared her a glance the whole tournament but she just wanted him so badly."
"Huh-Hah!"
Whap.
They high fived.
"You're so smart, Krillin."
Krillin just looked back at the ring, Mic able to blab with the best of them, gab better than the rest of them. Goku put his hand on the turtle student's back.
"I wonder how they're doing now? They were always so cute together. That suit was kind of annoying but I really liked my wedding with Chi-Chi. I want to go to theirs soon…"
Goku shifted his focus from the arena and looked up at the fused skyline of purples, blues, reds, and oranges. Goku ruminated quite a long while before he had his focus torn from the skies and back down to the grass below.
"Hey! Krillin!"
The turtle student looked down.
"I heard you helped my sister a long time ago! Well now's the time for you to help some more!"
Goku opened his mouth, obviously hyped up. Krillin just raised a brow and shot a glance at his friend.
"You've got fans, Krillin! Way to go!"
The pat on the back almost sent the turtle student over the edge.
"Who told you I'm taking on students!?"
"I just did!" Yulin yelled back, hand grabbed tightly onto Pao's wrist.
"Eh. Can't argue with that logic!" Krillin shook his head, perplexed, not sure where any of this was going.
"Nice going, Krillin!"
"All these slaps on the back are starting to add up." He joked back with a smile.
"Sorry, I'm just excited. Hee-hee."
As the trio of previous turtle students and green God stood idly by, Bulma, Oolong, and Puar came through the door in the back of the balcony.
"Hey ya'll!"
"Hi Bulma!" Goku shot back, running up for a hug.
"Hey! You always go too hard, Goku!"
"Oh~"
"Dummy, you're even stronger than you were before and that's saying something. Your hugs kind of hurt."
Goku looked to the ground with a bit of melancholy. Krillin nodded his head, also infused with a dash of sorrow.
"I'm sorry Bulma..."
"It's okay, I know you don't mean to."
"This is exactly what I'm worried about." Krillin said as he shifted his gaze out into the skyline. "What if we get too strong for our own good?"
Before Krillin could even finish stewing in his thoughts, a fired up: "So!?" blasted off into the air below the top box.
"Yeah, I'll take you on as a pupil! I just need to do a few things first! Pao!?"
"Yes?"
"Are you willing to undergo my tutelage?"
"Absorutery!" Her face lit up as she screamed back.
Krillin nodded with firm resolve.
"I have one more thing of my own to learn before I am willing to become a teacher! I hope you girls can wait as long as it takes!"
"It better not be too long, I have to beat that filthy rat with the bad haircut as soon as possible!"
"Who are you~"
"What's his name?"
Krillin couldn't hear PaoPao's voice from so far away, Yulin nodded and yelled back.
"Raditz! That motherfucker insulted my pride and hurt my sister! I'm going to make him pay!"
"It's nothing! Reary!"
Krillin chuckled.
"That's why!?"
"Yes!" Her conviction certainly was convincing.
"You've got a lot to learn under the turtle hermit teachings! What's your name!?"
"Yu-rin!"
"Nice to meet you, Yulin! I'll see you when I see you!"
Bulma spared a glance at Goku who also looked on with intrigue.
"Way to go, buddy. Always knew you'd get your time to shine. You'd probably be way better at it than Roshi."
Krillin breathed out a nervous sigh.
"I just hope these girls don't come back to bite me."
"All women are queens, Krillin, you should have no trouble." Bulma stated with an air of superiority emanating off every word.
"Heh-heh. I don't know about that, but I'll take your word for it."
"You should keep your wits about you, pal, these women'll take you to the cleaners on the flip of a switch."
"Hey!"
Krillin laughed as he flew into the air, waving off his friends.
"Bye, Krillin!"
"Bye, Puar."
"Aye. No love fo me?"
"You too, Oolong! Have a good one, guys!"
Krillin
The wind rolled off his bald head, throwing his tie every which way before he touched down on the sand of the beach of Kame House.
"Oh hey, Krillin." He greeted with a wave of his fin.
"Hey, Turtle. Is Roshi in?"
"Ahuh." The turtle said, nodding.
Krillin bent down a bit to brush his brown turtle shell as he walked past.
"Master!"
"Hmm?" He looked over from his dirty magazine, placing it on the beach table at his side. "You here to steal any more of my moves?"
"I couldn't master Telepathy in a thousand years, that's the only one I don't have. Buuut, I'm not here for that."
"Your book?" He pointed to the red shingles with the back of his thumb, still leaning deep into his beach bed.
"Not that either."
"Well then what?"
"I want to ask for your blessing."
He laughed with that croney old voice of his, almost falling out of his chair.
"Are you nuts, boy!? You gettin' married too!?"
"No. I want your blessing to teach the turtle hermit style."
"..."
The wind kicked up again, the sand pelting the two of them lightly.
"..."
"You acknowledged that I've firmly passed you, not just in strength but in mind and skillset. Do I have your permission to pass on your philosophy?"
"I didn't think this day would com, honestly." Roshi emparted as he picked his staff off the sand and peered out into the almost night sky. "I never thought I was good enough to have my teachings reach the next generation. So much time passed in between Gohan and you two. I know it's stupid but I kind of just assumed you all would be little boys forever."
Krillin looked at the ground with a welling feeling of nostalgia.
"Just don't make the mistakes I did."
Krillin had to fight back the overwhelming emotions.
"Why is it hitting me like this?" He questioned, making sure to keep it to himself. "Yeah?"
"Don't make the mistake of holding back their potential."
Krillin just raised a brow.
"There were multiple times where I didn't realise just how capable both of you were, and I just assumed you weren't. It wasn't fair of me and I held back further growth because of it. ...I'm sorry."
"..."
"Well?"
"I won't."
Roshi smiled through his beard and mustache, his facial hair squirming around as he rubbed through the white scruff with his off hand.
"You're the new turtle hermit now, that's a lot of responsibility."
"I'm not a hermit, so that name's not very fitting."
"Well what do you want to be called?"
"I've been thinking on it."
"Hmm?"
Krillin told him.
"Ahh, so it's the title of this chapter for this Fanfiction!"
"Fanfiction? Isn't that where little girls go write stories about getting their backs blown out by One Direction members?"
"No Beerus, that's Wattpad."
"Why the devil do you know that?"
"Why do you know what One Direction is?"
"Those boys are alright, I mean I've heard worse."
"Hmm."
"Ah-hem."
"Yes, I give you my blessing."
Krillin's resolve strengthened as night overtook day, spilling cheesy yellows out over the waving waters of the sea.
Bulma
Bulma, Mic, and a dog-man sat discussing in the middle of the tournament ring, night lights shining upon the trio as they talked. The sounds of insects lulled through the vacant stadium. The only thing left were the stains, the spills, hotdogs and popcorn. Not a soul in sight.
"You really saved our hides here, Bulma. Me and the director couldn't thank you enough, I mean really."
"Whoof."
"Ah-heh-heh." Mic's shifting voice sheepishly shitted out as he rubbed the back of his bushy blonde hair.
"Hey, don't mention it. I've got the money to throw around, making more connections for the brand is always a plus."
"Sure, ah-heh." Mic fixed his tie, sweating a bit from the day's heat.
There was a bit of an awkward pause where neither party really knew what to say next. Mic likewise fixed his shades before he broke the ice.
"So uh… Bulma?"
"Yes?"
"Why are your friends so strong?"
"Hehahah! I've been asking myself that question for over 10 years now man, you think I know?"
"Oh! Heh-heh!"
"Whoof."
"Yeah-heh-heh. What I mean is, those other people in the competition, they were crazy strong too but they couldn't even compete. Like what in the world are they on?"
"Honestly I don't know. They work hard for it but I guess it just comes natural to them."
"No disagreements here!"
There was another pause.
"So, the real reason I wanted to come and run this by you is that, well. It was kind of a jest to keep the mood going but I think we gotta add more subdivisions because some of these matches just aren't fair matchups. If we change our approach we might get a better turn out."
Bulma sat on it a while before she responded, looking out into the now empty stadium. The night sky fully upon them, a shooting star making its statement over the now-uninhabited stands.
"I'm inclined to agree but how are we gonna go about enforcing that? If your contestants get rambunctious, how do you plan on stopping them?"
"Ah-heh-heh. Well, as you can tell we've had a big problem with that in the past."
"And you just plan to let that be how it is?"
"Not necessarily, but what can I do? I'm no fighter."
"Hmm."
"I was just thinking maybe it'll be like an invitational for your friends, and then the supernatural division stands on its own with the reasonable strength of the regular, uhh, poor choice… Non-mega-strong contestants."
"So you mean my guys would get their own bracket."
"More or less, at least until we get contestants who could actually compete." Mic looked back at the archway. "I'm just stunned that this thing is so accurate. Every difference mattered except for Yulin and Muramasse. She was apparently just more skilled than the numbers let on."
"Our own bracket huh..?"
Mic fixed his tie again.
"We'll have three years to think about it, right?"
"Well, I don't know when we're gonna host the next tournament. It's kind of up in the air for me and everyone else you know? I just thought I'd better run it by you as soon as I could."
Bulma nodded in agreeance and the trio stood there for a long time, soaking in the atmosphere of the empty stadium.
"You ready to go, babe?" Yamcha called out from nowhere, practically appearing from thin air with his immense whirlwind of speed, throwing a spare Capsule up and down. He had an extra copy of the fit he wore while competing, free of scuffs and scrapes.
"Not yet."
Yamcha nodded, hands in his pockets as he stood next to her. She waved her boyfriend in and The Wolf complied, walking inside the conversation.
"I was just talking to our friend here and it looks like from now on we might be looking at a tournament bracket just for you guys."
"Really?"
"Mmhmm. We don't know all the details but I guess it's so that they keep the integrity of the competition so that you guys still get to fight without winning it every year."
"So we don't get a shot at the title anymore?"
"We're not sure on the details at the moment. We don't even know if we're gonna pull the trigger on it, Yamcha." Mic patted him on the shoulder for reassurance.
Yamcha's lip squirmed in response.
"I really wanted to win this year and Goku didn't get to win his. It would be a real shame if he didn't ever get his chance…"
"I know!" The struggle that came out of Mic's voice was wholly believable, he shook his fist with determination. "That's what's holding me back the most! It wouldn't feel real if Goku never walked away with a tournament win! He's like a star after all those years competing!"
Mic fished two separate Capsules out of his pockets.
"Look, I know this is unprofessional but I know you'll get it to where it needs to go. This one's for Piccolo, and this one's for Tien."
Yamcha grabbed hold of the Capsules labeled: 23 and 24. He nodded his head before he put them in his jacket pockets.
"Thanks a million, guys. It's getting pretty late so we gotta bounce. But we'll keep in touch."
Bulma and Yamcha waved the blonde man and the dog off as they threw their own Capsules on the ground, driving off. Yamcha in turn activated his own, a puff of grey smoke bombed the area before it cleared and his red skycar appeared. The couple hopped in and Yamcha fixed the rearview mirror.
"You expecting us to get chased or something?"
"Nah, I'm just trying to not have it look strange."
"You look strange."
Yamcha shook his head as he kept at it, fixing the mirror in the 'correct' position.
"~There we go."
"I'm ready to be home, I need a bath."
Yamcha flashed the characteristic goofy-ass Lord Yamcha smile.
"You're not getting any."
"You say that now…"
She smiled and shook her head also.
He would definitely be getting some.
"Eugh~ Wattpad moment."
"..."
"Ah-hem."
Tien
Tien touched down a few feet away from his girlfriend as she stared out into the snowy sunset of Jingle Village.
"Launch…" He called out weakly, she didn't hear it over the pelting snow.
He strided up next to her and called out more authoritatively this time.
"Launch!"
"Oh! Sup'? Winya' tournament?"
"Yeah."
Launch looked down to the snow, her nose a crimson and slightly scary red.
"You'll catch a cold standing out here."
"..."
Tien came in closer, stepping off the cliff and floating right in front of her.
"Talk to me." He commanded with arms crossed.
Launch had great difficulty meeting his eye line.
"We're getting through this, babe. I don't know how, but we are."
She sniffed loudly, tears forming in her eyes already.
"Hey…"
"Don't touch mu-me~"
She did not mean it at all, leaning in immediately and fully embracing her man as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I just~ Man this sucks! That heffa get to be with you and it just sucks! That's all."
"I know."
Tien looked to Launch with seriousness, letting her go. She still wasn't really looking him in the eye.
"Take me back to that man."
"... Are you sure?"
She nodded as she kept her gaze locked to the snow beneath her.
"I thought I screwed everything up by doing that."
"I don' care. Take me back." She stated solemnly, finally meeting The Crane's eyes.
Launch
"I'm baaaaack! Wake the fahk up, Blue Man!" Launch yelled as she banged on the door of the Kai. Baba's tired old eyes watched on in half disbelief, checking her crystal ball as she waited.
"I'm right here." King Kai stated with glee as he teleported right behind her.
She jumped.
"Ayy! Whaddya' do that foa', hah!?"
He simply smiled and spared a cursory glance at his student.
"What did you bring her back for?"
"Phuuuu~"
"Heh. Yeah. I'm pretty sure I made your problem worse."
"No, I did. I brought her to you, King Kai. That's my fault."
King Kai shook his head.
"Nonsense. Being proactive in your problem solving is how problems get solved. Taking a few missteps here or there is just what life is."
"Huh. That was actually pretty sagely of you, King Kai."
The Kai just fixed his teashades and waved off The Crane's comments with a shit-eating grin.
"Now. What are you here for?"
"You did me in last time right!?"
"Define did you in?"
"Got me in my own brain or sumtin'! Youse got in my freakin' psyche. Howdya' do that!?"
"I mean it's not really as simple as just telling you."
"I don't really care howya' did it! Just take it back! Can you take away my memories!?"
Tien's eyes all widened.
"Launch…"
"It's tortua alright!? It… it… I have to be content with knowing that that bitch exists inside me. She's not me, damn it! It's not me! I feel like I'm gonna explode! She's with Tien! That's My man!"
"You want me to grant you a spiritual death?"
"Anything. I'd give anything, you need me to rob a bank, commit moyda', anything." She bit her lip hard and looked over to her man, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I know I said I'd give up crime for you but~ you~ don't~ know~what~it's~like."
Tien cried for the first time in his life that day. Real tears fell down his face as he looked at the girl that he loved, he couldn't hold them back as he stared at his other half, the empathy was too strong.
"Launch~ I~"
"Youa' cryin'! Stop cryin', stupid! Ahaaaa~" She broke, absolutely wailing on The Kai's planet.
King Kai just scratched his head and looked over towards the tiny fortuneteller looking on with just as much mysticism.
"Don't ask me."
"Launch."
King Kai committed an override with his Telepathy, forcing her into a moderate mental state.
"Wat?" she questioned, the tears stopping all of the sudden.
"Is this what you want? If I do this, there's no going back. It's not like I can just program in another mental state when I'm done. Probably can't wish something like this back with The Dragon Balls."
She looked down for a moment and wiped her tears.
"Fuck that bitch."
Tien recalled all the times he had with Blue, the soft moments that balanced Launch's intensity. He cried even more.
The Crane just turned around, wiping away the waterworks with his forearm.
"G-Guh~" He couldn't help but let out.
King Kai prepared himself, putting his index and pointer finger at her forehead.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." King Kai gave her the last rights and went for it, pulsating Ki winds wrapping around the pair.
"Ahhhhhh~ch-"
"Shit." King Kai proclaimed in thought. "I can't~"
Tien vice gripped Launch's nose just before she let out the sneeze.
"Sorry, Princess, but that wild girl called dibs on me first."
King Kai kept going as Launch coughed up a storm.
"You tryina' kill me!?" She laughed out.
"You were about to be that other heffa, remember!?"
Launch smiled as the stream swirled around more and more.
"Do you remember that time you hired professional chefs just to cook for me!?"
"Of couas I do, doofus!"
"You can cook! You just didn't remember because it was Blue who did all of it!"
"Re-heally!?"
"Yeah! You were fucking amazing too!"
"Ha-ha!"
Tien was still crying but it was a happy cry.
"You would always say how handsome I was, you would tell me how nice my outfits were! You're a sweetheart!"
Her eyes widened.
"I…"
"I'm gonna miss that."
"No, handsome." She wiped away the tears on his face. "I'll make sure to keep calling you that. I didn't know you liked all that sappy shit. Ahhhh~"
He caught her sneeze again as King Kai kipped up the winds even further.
"That's it." King Kai proclaimed as he palm struck her lightly on the forehead, sending out a cloud of vapour from her form and out into the salmon sky of Other World.
The North Kai waved it off and the spirit ceased to exist.
"Heh-heh...Ha-HA-HA-Knnn...Ha-HA-HA!" King Kai laughed like a maniac, pulling everyone's attention. "Ah-hah-haaaa~ Pheeew. Sorry." He breathed out once more to compose himself. "I'm glad you all are my students."
"Huh?"
"I just had the most fun I've ever had performing Telepathy. That was crazy. Sorry bout that, Launch."
"Ehhh~ No problem."
"You shouldn't change when you sneeze, at least I'm pretty sure. You should have also maintained all your skills, I had to weave around a lot to do that, that's why it took so long."
"Well, only one way to find out. Sweetheart do that thing."
"In front of them?" Tien blushed out, rubbing his nape.
She got in close, blushing also. Tien waved them off.
"Come on guys, give us some space."
Baba and King Kai played nice, turning around. The couple went on to engage in some risque PDA that was definitely not appropriate, causing Launch to sneeze immediately. Her hair changed colour.
"Here we go..." Tien grit his teeth instinctively.
"Did it work? Or did we just bust all this ass for nuthin'?"
Tien embraced his girlfriend with a hug and hoisted her high.
"Whoa~" She looked down to her nightly indigo blue locks. "It feels real all of the sudden, I've neva' seen these." She bit her lip again and hugged Tien tight. "Youa' tha' best, ha-ha!"
The couple embraced and went to town, smooching up a storm right in front of The Kai and the old fortune teller.
"You know, I didn't really need to see that but I guess that's my fault for not seeing that far ahead."
The bittersweet yet still distinctly happy couple didn't hold back their affections until Baba cleared her throat harshly and loudly.
"Are we going or not!?"
"Ah-heh."
Launch giggled out kind of dumbly and Tien raised a brow.
"That's how the other half laughs…" Tien ruminated before Launch herself questioned it.
"Is that how I always sound!?"
"Uhh, your other half sounded like that."
"Oh great! So I'm some freaky fusion or whateva'."
Tien felt sorrow welling up in his chest as they walked over to Baba and grabbed her hands. The colourful and bright swirling lights of the travel of Instant Transmission were a fitting backdrop of Tien in his feels as he thought.
"I… I just let Blue die." His thoughts hit in the divot between his pectorals like a dropkick. "Princess… That was incredibly selfish of me… I'm sorry."
"Hey!" Launch pecked him on the cheek with a jump as they warped through the dimensional tunnel.
He blushed and was brought back to reality. He didn't even attempt to hide his guilt and shame and Launch swerved from happy to troubled on a dime.
"Ayy! Whatcha' worried about, Sweetheart?"
More tears fell from Tien's eyes as they finished the tunnel and appeared through the other side at Baba's Palace.
"Awh~" She wrapped her arms around Tien's broad shoulders and neck, staring into him with a puppy dog look.
Tien looked back and saw Blue's eyes.
Blue haired Launch has large feminine eyes that are blue the whole way while Blonde Launch has sharper and more masculine green eyes. The way Blonde Launch is, she always has them kind of furrowed and focused. It was surreal for Tien to be looking at the large girly eyes of Blue haired Launch while they were squinted and holding intent.
"Damn it… are you gonna miss that heffa?"
"She was my girlfriend too…"
Launch shifted her gaze to the tile and put her hands in Tien's as they stood opposite each other.
"Can you not do this here?"
"Quiet! Me and my man are doin' somethin' hea'!"
Baba rolled her eyes and just floated up the staircase of her palace on the right side. They held a moment together for a long time, embracing each other tightly, Tien's head rested on the bushy blue locks of hair while Launch put her cheek on his chest.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart, but I wasn't gonna let that heffa take you away from me." Launch cooed as she rubbed his back.
"..."
She breathed out sharply through her nose and backed off just a tad, still in Tien's embrace. Launch took off her orange ribbon and tied it around Tien's neck.
"I know it hurts, but youa' mine. Not hers."
Tien let it all out with a final breath and practically strangled her with a tight hug.
"Ayy! Easy thea'! You tryna' kill me!?"
He smiled and looked down into her eyes.
"Let's go home."
She smiled back and wiped the tears off with her soft hand.
Krillin
Tien flew back to Jingle Village with Launch in his hands, sending out a quick pulse of Ki Sensing once he reached the outskirts of the town.
"You good over there, Sweetheart!?"
"Krillin?"
"Krillin's hea'!?"
"Yeah…" He responded as a smaller form spawned into existence under the low-light conditions of the snowy mountains.
Tien touched down on the puffy white plains, daintily helping Launch to her feet. The New Turtle Grandmaster looked about the place before standing still. He shook his head and smiled, turning around to face Tien. He wore an untied orange kung fu top over his white button up and had red trimmed shades on, blue kung fu pants in his right hand.
"Krillin? What the hell is that fit!? You look awful!" Tien joked with a laugh as he trudged through the snow towards his friend.
"I left my waistcoat at the tournament, I know it's not ideal but I didn't have a Capsule for Roshi's outfit either!"
"But why are you wearing his shades!?"
"Stupid fuckin'~" Launch proclaimed, trudging through the snow herself, knee deep trenches brushed aside by her hiked knees and her displeased disposition.
Krillin raised a brow at Blonde Launch's fired up phrases exiting out of her mouth while Blue haired Launch was clearly the one in front of him.
"I uhh~ I'm taking on students for the turtle school and he wanted to give me a graduation present!"
"Sick!"
Krillin and Tien stood face to face.
"So why are you here?"
"Can you teach me The Four Witches technique?"
The wind howled as sharp as could be, and Krillin took off the shades, showing his seriousness.