Yo! Son Goku and friends! Bibidi Saga (Chapter 12)
Yamcha VS Piccolo
Objective: Do you want me to say it? We all know what I'd say. Oh hush, Lord Beerus. I'm just trying to make it entertaining for the viewers.
Yamcha pulled away with blistering speed, the frame of his white kung fu robe flailing and drawing the audience's attention every which way. He was truly unfollowable, just a blinding white noise of a colour. Piccolo's ears twitched here and there as Yamcha tapped his foot on the tile every so often. His nose curled up and The Green Man shot forward, trying to cut Yamcha's line short with a sideways chop. The Wolf ducked and expertly transitioned into a left hook aimed at the body.
Whapp! Zzzzzt!
The Demon's hand glowed an ethereal gold as soon as he caught Yamcha's strike, turning it to solid metal apparatus. The Wolf didn't care, as soon as his arm was coated in the magical substance he flung it around and came back in the same side, crushing it on Piccolo's guard. Chips from the metallic placed on Yamcha's arm rained onto the newly minted tile, cluttering it with the leftovers.
"This one's a firecracker, folks! No talking, no respect, and certainly no fooling around! These two didn't even wait for me to officially start the match!"
Two more claws after that, set up The Demon to raise his hands.
"Wolf, Fang, FIST!"
"..!"
Piccolo lunged forward, trying to smash him with his now pretty gigantic body. Yamcha was a tall man but The Demon was something else at this point, standing a full foot taller than him. In a flash, Piccolo dashed straight in trying to chest bump him but Yamcha got right through the pocket of The Demon's legs. Goku shouted, raised fist at the barricade as The Wolf dug his claws into the tile and then pounced like an animal to try and cover the option left open on his foe's exposed back side. Piccolo roared and sent his wizard shoe skyward, past parallel with the rest of his body and sending it over his shoulder, slamming it into Yamcha's face. The Wolf stalled out, stunned on the air as Piccolo lunged his right arm out like a bit of gum, snatching his collar and attempting to slam him back onto the floor in front of him.
Wsht!
"AIIIIEEEE!"
Puh-POKKK!
Piccolo barely guarded the Kiai in time, his shoes sliding along the broken up stadium.
"What a recovery! Majunior was trying to slam him into the ground but Yamcha landed feet first! Not only that but he lashed right back with an energy..? blast of some kind!"
Yamcha didn't even change positions, he just launched from right there, upside down and low to the ground. He landed right in front of Piccolo, claws back on the ground and trying to dropkick upwards from the tile while he was still flying. Piccolo dodged it with some expert chest and head movement but now they stood face to face, Yamcha upside down.
WhappWhattFuuFshuFwuSccuuScinggSinggFwufWhappWhoopFwuFuuScuuScing~
Strikes of all types from both hands happened, some landed, some didn't, some got parried, some met in the middle, some punches, some palm strikes, some slashing claws. Both of their cheeks trickled with blood, Piccolo's a firm purple sheen, Yamcha's a brilliant sunlit orange. The Wolf pivoted off the air and then finally landed upright in front of him, leaning in low to Wasteland Stance.
Fshu!
"Damn, how the hell did this dog-eared Mongrel get even faster?"
Ripping torrential winds lashed out and pulled apart Piccolo's senses, just dashes to build up momentum.
"I've never seen a competitor so fast in my life! Yamcha might be the fastest thing alive!"
Pulpy veins drew to the surface of Piccolo's forehead and he watched as Yamcha's body flew around the ring too fast for him to lock it down. His ears twitched and felt it out for him once more. He closed his eyes, sent out a single pulse of Ki Sensing and then raised his hand, another glassy plate of aura to cover the ring and mess up Yamcha's momentum.
"Got you!"
"You're Mine, Mongrel!"
The words echoed in Yamcha's head as he caught the ground wrong and tripped up bad, only to realise that the glassy structure just spawned into existence at his ankles. Something tugged and stroked at the wrinkles in his brain, forcing him to look out into the crowd. Another, much more feral instinct told him to duck as he did so.
FWOOSHH!
"Whoa! Yamcha got caught up in Piccolo's playground but not only that, he dodged him without even looking!"
Piccolo's eyes widened immensely as he looked down at Yamcha's folded over back, a single white slipstream permeating off before he locked eyes with him, the same aura pooling into his eyes until it lulled into nothingness and the aura dissipated.
"A farce." He claimed, sharpening his hairless brows at the dog-eared Mongrel, pivoting off the air and raising a right overhand.
Fshu!
"He escaped! Yamcha and Majunior are running around the ring! The Ex-Titan can't be pinned down! The 24th champion is having a tough time finding the right answer for Yamcha's movements!"
The glassy structure Piccolo conjured fell to the wayside, fading into obscurity as it touched the ground and the pair of combatants duked it out skyward. Yamcha weaved as much as he could but Piccolo's aerial superiority shone through, Yamcha's movements looked like he went from point A to point B whereas Piccolo was simply swimming along the air. The Wolf furrowed his brow as The Demon got closer and closer to his location. He stopped, his left leg touching nothing but touching something at the same time. He kicked off like it was a real substance and launched right back into range, forcing the fight onto the man pursuing him.
WHAMM!
The sound Yamcha's high left made when it came into Piccolo's right forearm gave the impression of a clean connection, not a block. He weaved his claws in and out of The Demon's face lulling him to do something. Piccolo threw his hands into the melting pot of offence and defence, both of them waiting out a strike before Yamcha's lightning fast hands grabbed onto the red ribs of his wrist and he howled.
"AIIIIIIEEEEEE!"
THLAMMM!
Piccolo's head shot back like he got blasted with a cannonball between the eyes, Yamcha going all in with a left boot to the nose, pulling Piccolo's arms towards him as far as they would go. He released the hold and dashed in to pressure but The Demon reared his ugly head, a piercing red glow in both of his eyes.
ZYOOONN! VWERNN~ ZYOOON! VWERNN~
Yamcha barely dodged both volleys before returning to the ring, Piccolo halfway up to the clouds.
"What am I doing trading blows like that?" He huffed, furrowing his brow at the little ants below him. "I'm fighting like…"
Flashes came across and he shooed them away with a harsh swallow and a shaking of the head.
"I'm in control. If he wants to win this match, He has to come to Me." He settled on, crossing his legs and meditating right there on the aether.
"Oh! I may have miscalled this one! Majunior is taking a break right up there in the clouds! Legs crossed! He thinks that he can just wait this one out!"
Yamcha let out a fit of laughter from the tile, nodding his head.
"What is The Ex-Titan going to do about this recent development!?"
"Ayy, you can't just not fight em'!"
"Boo, you stink!"
Instead of pursuing, The Wolf stood right there, hands on his hips and a smile forming on his lips. He took a step back and did some meditations of his own, winding his arms in a wide circle and then meeting them in the middle with a stoic prayer and bowing to nothing but the air.
"I stand corrected! Even these two have taken a pause during their match! What could this mean!? How long do they intend to not engage!? Majunior is meditating high in the sky while Yamcha is content to stretch out on the ring floor! I can hardly believe what I'm seeing!"
Piccolo took a sharp inhale through his nostrils and furrowed his brow, his antennae wiggling a single time and sussing out Yamcha's insistence in not pursuing.
"That dog-eared Mongrel didn't come after me by now? What the hell is he doing?"
"..."
"Uhh guys! If one of you doesn't start throwing some punches in the next two minutes we're gonna have to disqualify one or both of you! We have people watching this match here and we've got a business to run!"
"..."
"I mean but don't let me tell you how to fight."
The microphone sounded off loudly as he brushed it against his suit and stepped away from the ring, fixing his sunglasses as he did it. The crowd booed, they shouted in disagreement, some even went so far as to throw food but they could only really throw it at Yamcha since The Demon loomed far higher than any regular person could reach. The Wolf sidestepped all of the items with ease, yawning a bit as he rotated his stiff shoulders.
Gohan curled in his lips as he gazed upwards at The Green Man, Chi-Chi felt something tug at her motherly instincts and she saw her boy's perturbed face.
"Gohan!?" She questioned from across the stadium, having to yell a bit even if they were in relatively the same section of the tournament seating.
"What?"
"Are you okay!?"
"I'm worried!"
She pushed, pulled, and meandered around the people separating them before she got into range.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"I just- Piccolo doesn't usually look like that. I don't know, maybe I'm looking too deep into it."
Chi-Chi put her hand on her chest, her hand wavering ever so slightly.
"He's calmed down a bit but the way he was looking at dad and then Yamcha earlier… I didn't like that. I'm gonna talk to him."
"Hey~"
"Nimbus!"
vyuuuuuuuuUUUNN! Vwertt! Buyon!
"Gohan~"
"Sir! We're in the middle of a match! You can't just~"
Goku looked up at his son with the most beaming smile of sunshine as he ascended up to the clouds.
The eldest son of Son Goku sat parallel, legs crossed just like Piccolo's, both of them mirroring each other on the air only that Gohan was sitting on a cloud whereas The Green Man simply sat near some.
"As long as neither of them make physical contact it's technically legal! But sir, you have 10 seconds or else we're going to have to call this match for collusion!"
"Piccolo?"
"..."
"You okay?"
"Are you trying to get me disqualified?"
"No, I just want to know if you're feeling alright."
"..."
"I saw you and Krillin get into it up there where you guys usually hang out."
"..."
"If there's anything you need to talk about, I'm all ears."
"And 8!"
Piccolo looked down at the fervent host of The Budokai, letting out a breath from his nose before turning back to make eye contact with the boy who was no longer a boy.
"We'll talk about it later, I don't feel like losing to that Mongrel on a technicality."
"Sure thing, Piccolo." Gohan replied as he stepped off The Nimbus and fell towards the stadium.
"9! Whoa! He just leaped right off the cloud! Things just keep getting weirder and weirder! He's safe!"
Piccolo stood up straight, cracking his neck for like the third time that day as he descended down at a snail's pace.
"Majunior is finally returning to the ring! Is this the signal for the end of the match!?"
"I'm not going first." The Wolf claimed, still limbering up on the tile.
"You're wrong, Mongrel. You don't have the patience to outwait me. I'll take the loss due to time, but I know you won't."
"..."
Time slowed to a crawl again as The Green Man crossed his arms and waited on the tile instead.
"Oh, Come OWNN!"
"I didn't come here for this!"
"These two competitors have decided to not engage, once more! A good, old fashioned, stand off! I wasn't expecting this today, nor was I expecting it from these two! I don't think we've ever witnessed The Ex-Titan take a chill pill while deep in the heart of battle like this! This is certainly something to behold!"
The crowd agonised over the immediate stop in the intensity that was once there not but moments ago. The time winded down and the cicadas sounded off in their unmistakable intonation, echoing all around the ring.
"They've been waiting for about three minutes now! If neither one of you makes an honest attempt to start the match in the next 10 seconds, I'm going to have to disqualify both of you, Goku immediately being declared the victor of The 27th Budokai!"
"What!?" Goku shouted, jumping up and down like a kid near the wall. "I don't want to win the title like that!"
"One!"
"..."
"Two!"
"..."
The Wolf and The Demon locked eyes, two predatorial glares meeting in the middle, an aura radiating off of both of their frames.
"Come on now, guys, three!"
"FOUR!" The crowd joined in.
Master Roshi held steadfast onto his cane.
"I honestly don't know what's going to happen." Chiaotzu claimed, crossing his arms and landing on the concrete wall.
"Piccolo won't stop holding the line. Yamcha's going to lunge at the end of the 9, and the match is going to be decided right there at that juncture."
"You mean it's gonna end, Master Roshi?" Gohan questioned, backing away from the wall a bit.
"No. But whoever retains the momentum of that interaction is going to win. You can count on that."
Gohan stepped forwards and gripped the barricade.
"Come on, Piccolo."
"Don't you guys do nothin'! My boy's gotta get this win somehow!"
"Shut up, Oolong!" Puar squeaked, turning into a puff of smoke and transforming into a toy sledgehammer.
Bom! Bonkk!
"Ow!"
Bom!
"That's what you get for talking trash about The Great Lord Yamcha!"
"I wasn't even talking trash you numbskull!"
"EIGHT!" The crowd just about exploded.
"..."
"NINE!"
THYUNN!
The wind erupted in a showstopping sonic boom as The Wolf lunged right at the 9, Piccolo's arms still crossed, unmoving. The people unfortunate enough to stand on the barricade were pushed right onto their asses into the seats or the others around them. The Wolf shot like a bullet, straight lined towards The Demon. Piccolo smirked the closer he came.
Fshyuun!
The Wolf made a dash on the right side, trying to break away.
"I knew it." Piccolo retorted, sticking his hand out to the left to catch his attack. "..!"
But there was no attack. Yamcha's frame stayed put, only stomping onto the ground harshly a single time. Wolves howled from all directions, pulling Piccolo's sensitive hearing into overdrive.
Fwsh!
A swing and a hit, but a miss all the same.
"After-Image? Fine." The Demon claimed, sending out a small pang of Telepathy to mark down his whereabouts. "There!"
Piccolo pivoted sharply off the tile, digging the ball of his right foot into the ring as far as it would go to support the momentum of his left roundhouse.
"Duck, Mongrel!"
Yamcha's subconscious urged him, called him to action, he needed to duck this kick if it was the last thing he ever did. But Yamcha's eyes glazed over with the faintest of white lights as the wolves howled above, not below.
FWUUSHH!
"What a re-entry! What a dodge! Yamcha leaped right over that kick like a ballerina!"
White oozing streams permeated off of his gi as he butterfly flipped, turning his initial duck into a spinning display of athleticism of The Demon's assault. Piccolo's leg went far lower than a roundhouse and looked more like a low kick than something to check the ribs with.
"What!? How the hell did he do that!?" The Demon growled, keeping it behind his grit teeth as The Wolf landed in a flourish in front of him. "I know he ate that Telepathic play, Son Goku got hit by that twice!"
The aura soon dissipated but it reached his hair as well as one final parting gift before ceasing existence, pulling it skyward ever so slightly and letting it back down.
"..." Yamcha held his lips together in a stoic face as he locked eyes with Piccolo, leaning as low as he could in his trademark stance.
"Another stalemate! Please don't tell me tha-"
FWUOSHH! Fshunn! Fwasht! Vrownn! Vyuuun! Fsht! Wsht!
Piccolo barely weaved out of the way of blinding fast claws from all angles. It almost sounded like a jet just how fast he was moving, each individual movement causing a sonic boom. The continuous claps of the air got to a point where people had to back away from the front seating, the whipping winds simply too much to bear. Chi-Chi, Oolong, Bulma, and the others all hid away behind Icarus' large body, shielding them from the fearsome gale kicked up by The Wolf and The Wolf alone.
Piccolo's eyes shot around every which way as wolves started to appear in the reckless wind.
"Not real!" The Demon shouted as he shot one to pieces with his piercing red eyes, lining the back half of the ring with the beam.
"It's on, now! I don't think these two are going to stop anytime soon!"
"Where are all these wolves coming from!? Away, Mongrels!"
THYUUNN! Skweeeee~
Yamcha limboed strangely, his hand on the tile as he slid past, the leftover arena chunks launching into the air at the behest of The Demon's stomp. Piccolo chased after Yamcha, a glowing purple orb of Ki in his left hand, looking to deliver at the back.
BVYUUU! Wsht!
Yamcha dodged it with a single-handed handstand, thrusting himself off the tile and then landing on the air to launch back into position.
TUH-TOOOHMM!
The energy blast exploded like a firework over the crowd as The Wolf dashed towards, slamming in a brutal right claw onto Piccolo's cheek.
"Wolf~ Fang~"
FSHU!
Piccolo dashed out wide, flaring his navy blue vest in the winds as his flight pulled him along the air. Yamcha pursued, reaching the end of the tile before kipping off and entering the atmosphere with his opponent.
"You were always weaker here, Mongrel." The Demon said to himself like a mantra before turning right back around and going in.
"It's another explosive exchange! They're duking it out in the air!"
Shots rang out as they both landed a few hits here and there, Yamcha taking less but also dealing less, using more of his time to evade rather than strike. Piccolo let a few extra through just to land, folding over The Wolf with a left knee to the abdominals.
WHAMM!
"TYAHH!"
THOKK! Fshuuuuu~Whapp! Foosh!
Yamcha caught the ground after taking the double axe handle, sprinting off in a straight line forwards.
"You're not escaping me." Piccolo ruminated, assuming the position.
Something cut across once again as soon as his kung fu shoes left the tile and he thought about pulling back at his foe, but another, stronger instinct ushered him to let loose a can-can kick onto nothing, no target in sight, it would be a waste.
"Fuck it!" Yamcha yelled, the crowd definitely hearing the swear words jumping out of his mouth at fever pitch.
Vwa~Vuish!
"..!" Piccolo's eyes widened as he saw the man's stationary position in front of him.
"AIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!"
THAH-THOKK!
"What a maneuver! Yamcha predicted about two steps ahead, did you see that!?"
Piccolo's vision blurred out like someone took an eraser to his eyes. With a spirited drift off the wind The Wolf came from above and dropped an elbow, taking The Demon right to the grass in one fell swoop, arched like he were doing a strange, handstand pushup variant off his palm and elbow.
Wsht! Tup.
"Majunior has been forcefully ejected from the ring! Yamcha moves on to Grand Finals!"
Whapp!
Yamcha punched his left palm with a deep smirk across his face.
"Let's… go!"
"Yeah, Yamcha!" Bulma cried out, laughing a bit at the sight of her man stepping away from the destroyed ring.
"Good goin', Buddy!" Goku hollered from across the way, jogging up to him along the grass.
"You have to fight him, next. You gonna be okay?" The Wolf asked as he undid the sleek black belt lining the midsection of his kung fu robe and attempted to tie it back together.
"I'm going to give it my best!"
"I don't want to be a downer but he's beat you three times in that ring, just be careful."
"Don't worry about me, Yamcha. Whatever the result, I'll do just fine."
"I'm pumped after that stunning display of martial arts, what about you, folks!?"
The crowd barked alive, ready to see the next match.
"Sounds like a plan! Since Majunior lost on winner's side, he doesn't face disqualification yet! He has one more match with Son Goku to take it all! We're going to do a brief, 20 minute rest period and after that is Loser's Finals!" Mic gave another round of applause, the people of the stadium following suit as he headed back towards the venue.
Piccolo pressed his index and middle finger against his brow, vanishing out of thin air.
"Where did Piccolo go?" Goku wondered, arms crossed, sending out one pulse of Ki Sensing. "... I hope he'll be back in time." The Saiyan lamented as he leaned against the wall.
"Dad?" Goten said as he leaned over the barricade and bopped his father on the dome with his chubby kid fist.
"What is it, Goten?"
"Are you gonna win the tournament?"
"Well, maybe."
"Maybe, more like never. My dad is totally gonna beat up your dad."
"Nuh-uh! Don't you remember what that loud guy said? He said my dad's been to the Grand Finals like…" Goten, counting on his fingers. "Four times."
"Yeah, and he never won a single one of them. Gosh, you're so stupid, Goten." Trunks proclaimed, hands on his hips and a smug smirk to boot.
"Your dad hasn't either!"
"Huh-Hah-Hah-Hah!"
"He's laughing cause he's scared."
"I think he's laughing cause he's gonna beat up your dad with his eyes closed."
"Settle down boys, fights aren't always easy to predict." Goku reiterated with a limp hand waive.
"Hmm." Trunks hummed, locking eyes with his best friend.
Krillin
"I can't feel his energy." South City's Superman lamented as he put his hands over the railing. "But if I were a betting man… I think he'd probably be right… here."
Va-Vsh!
Krillin blinked a few times, not expecting someone to meet up with him mid-entry. The two ran across the warping space of the rainbow-laden hallway.
"Hey, Buddy~ Gwonn~ He waved with his left hand, still full of laughter.
"Goku~ Gyreewww~
Va-Vish!
"But you've still got a match to win, why not save the Ki? This technique is costly."
"Checking up on your friends is more important."
"Young Goku, Krillin." The soft assuredness of Kami's speech ushered in the reality, pushing away the warping echoes of The Transmission Hall.
"Tcheh."
"I'm not letting you off easy, Piccolo. What the hell was that out there?" Krillin asked as he marched along the marble tile of The Lookout.
The Demon had already reverted to his previous getup, a long flowing white cape complete with turban, blue gem atop it all.
"I got out of hand because this old bastard keeps ducking me."
"..."
"That's all."
"Keeps ducking you?" Goku asked earnestly, rubbing the side of his head.
"I don't know if I believe that."
"Him and I are supposed to fuse, if he dies of old age, I go with him. He promised to fuse at some point but now he's getting cold feet."
"Piccolo?"
"Tcheh. I forgot that I taught you that."
"I'm being incredibly generous not letting Goku know about what happened. I could easily tell him right now."
"Go ahead. You think I care, Mongrel?"
"Goku?"
"What is it, Krillin?"
"These past couple of months, during the same time period you were teaching me Instant Transmission, I also learned Telepathy from Piccolo."
"What!? That's awesome! Huh-Hah!" He shouted jubilantly, slapping his shoulder.
"But that's not all."
Piccolo visibly tensed up, letting out a grunt as he fixed his neck for about the fourth time.
"Our… friend here is Demon King Piccolo's Reincarnation."
"..?"
"..."
"..."
"He's not Demon King Piccolo's son."
"Duh~" He craned out his neck goofily. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It means that he recently-"
"I don't have to listen to this." The Demon interjected.
Vwa-Vuish!
"I found out that he remembers everything."
"What? What do you mean?"
Kami held his staff in earnest, averting his gaze to the floor below them.
"He remembers his previous life as Demon King Piccolo."
"..."
"He remembers his bout with you to a T. I was dumbstruck because I remembered it with him too while I was training in Telepathy."
"..."
"I forgot exactly what you looked like when you were a kid and the memories flooded right back to me, though… I wouldn't have been around to see them at that point. Tien fought The Demon King with you?"
"Yeah… he saved my life that day. I really owe it to him."
"..."
All three men shot awkward gazes around the temple grounds of the spacey abode above the clouds.
"Kami?"
"Yes, Young Goku?"
"What's gonna happen when you and Piccolo fuse?"
"The host body is always the physically stronger amongst our people, so that means that Piccolo's personality will be dominant while I will most likely assimilate my consciousness into him."
"Assimilate?"
"Become one with, broken down. I will alter him significantly but it will still be Him in control at the end of the day."
"Why don't you fuse, Kami? Cuz it sounds like Piccolo wanted it for a long time."
"Two reasons. As of yet, I am not quite sure he is where I want him to be… mentally."
Goku let his head flop onto the air like a dog, staring back at The Guardian of Earth.
"And that I need a replacement for my position here as Guardian of Earth, something I have asked of you befo-"
"I'm good, Kami." Son Goku replied with a wide grin and an open palm in the air.
"Heh-Heh. I thought as much."
"That's it?" Krillin asked.
"No. The first reason is more important. I would not like to fail my job of course, but the failure would be far more legitimate if my prediction of the first outcome is to pass."
"You mean..?"
"When I join bodies with Piccolo, he will retain all the knowledge that has separated the two of us, all the years I have spent contemplating, and he will gain an untapped amount of power. This is because we are each other's other half. This power boost would not be the same if he were to simply fuse with another Namekian. The stronger he has become means that the stronger the boost will be when we come together. The reason I am afraid is that when we fuse… he Will dwarf the rest of you, immediately. He has to bear the responsibility of not being overwhelmed with that power."
"Whew~" Goku whistled. "Stronger than us by that much?"
"Yes, I am afraid."
"Awesome."
Kami couldn't help but laugh.
"I've been waiting for the next big challenge. All of us are pretty equal right now, I've been waiting for this kind of chance to test myself against my friends."
"Do you not have an obligation of that very nature… today?"
"..."
"..." Krillin's lips pursed out as he shot a glance at his friend.
"Oh crap!"
Vwa-Vuish!
Goku
"Am I late!?" The father of two shouted as he entered centre stage only to fall over a man fixing the tile.
"HAH-HAH-HAH! Don't stub your toe, Kakarot!"
"Huh-Hah-Hah!" The two brothers laughed as Goku fell onto his ass.
The Saiyan offered a hand up and the father of two accepted it right as it was given, dusting himself off in the process.
"Thanks, Raditz."
"No problem."
"Where is everyone? Did I miss it?"
"No, we've still got a few before Green Man's, and your match."
"Gotcha."
"Most of the people out in the stands went to go get something to eat."
Groaaa~
"Looks like you need to be one of them." He remarked, smacking Kakarot in the stomach.
"Huh-Hah! Yeah, I am pretty hungry."
"Get to it."
Goku walked across the large stadium, soon enough finding everyone eating on the tables outside.
"Ayy! Goku!"
"Hi Oolong. Happy to know that you're cheering for me all the way."
"You kiddin' me? Every single one of those tournaments was stolen from you unfairly."
"Nah. You're being too kind."
The Pig walked Goku back to the rest of the group where he and Yamcha locked eyes.
"..."
"..."
Their friends and family kept it a bit hush hush at their staredown until Bulma called out.
"Come on guys, it's Not That Serious."
Yamcha let out a few laughs.
"You want a hotdog, Goku?"
"Boy, do I?"
"Catch."
"Nom! Nomnomnom~"
Chi-Chi couldn't help but smile when her husband's cheeks swelled up to a ludicrous capacity as he munched on the food.
"Goku?"
"Whart's urp?" He barely got out between chews.
"Do you remember what I said to you at the first tournament we ever went to?"
"..." The father of two, husband to Chi-Chi, and brother to Raditz took a thoughtful pose, crossing his arms and gazing up at the clouds.
Goku recalls the events in the preliminaries of The 21st Budokai.
The stuffy tournament hall was even worse back then, The Budokai clearly hadn't yet innovated but the fact of the matter is that when you stack hundreds of bodies in a tight space the body heat is going to give way to less than comfortable humidity. Two young boys and a teenager stared up wide eyed at a giant list of numbers on a white board, a bracket. Black lines were drawn all along the wall, detailing who against who. Krillin, not much shorter than he was as an adult, swallowed harsh and jumped up in shock.
"Dah! Oh no~ That's bad! I don't want to go up against Goku!"
"But we're on opposite ends, so you don't have to fight me." The small tailed boy responded, the exact same mop of messy black spikes.
"Oh! Heh, too bad…" He smirked, wiping the sweat from his bald brow, incense marks on his forehead a lot less faded.
"What's your number, Yamcha?"
"I'm 35. That's Block two."
"Is that good?" He asked louder than he really needed to.
"Actually, it's just perfect, cause I didn't want to be put into the same tournament block as you." The young man answered, fixing his red bandana and gazing down at the monkey boy with his hands on his hips.
"But why not?"
"Ah… so you were scared, just like me." Krillin said with his eyes squinted like a rat.
"That's not it. I just want to wait for the Real tournament. That's where the ring is bigger and there's no time limit to stop us."
Goku's eyes lit up like a christmas tree as he gazed up at the towering figure.
"I've been waiting for this, Goku, so you Better make it through."
"Oh, I'll make it!"
"Well then, I'll see you in the ring."
Goku returns to reality.
"... Yeah. I remember."
"I just want to apologise."
The whole Son Goku friend group shut up pretty immediately as he spoke.
"It definitely wasn't you who didn't hold up his end of the bargain."
"..."
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
"... But I still have to fight Piccolo in loser's."
"I'm gonna be honest Goku, I don't think he's coming. I felt like losing to me fair and square did more damage to his ego than he wants to admit."
"..." The father of two stared back at his old friend, chewing down the rest of the hot dog and swallowing.
"It's gonna be you and me in Grand Finals, Goku."
"..."
"Are you ready?" He asked, fist bump raring to go.
"It'd be an honour to finally fight you on the main stage, Yamcha."
Goku VS Piccolo
Objective: The same it always has been!
"He doesn't have much time! If Majunior doesn't show up to the ring in the next minute, he'll be disqualified!"
Vwa-Vwish!
"Speak of the devil! There he is right now!"
"Son Goku." He spoke plainly, crossing his arms mere steps away.
"Are you ready, Piccolo?"
"No. I'm not fighting."
"..."
"Why'd you show up?" He let out with a few chuckles.
"Announcer!" He shouted, the volume reaching out to the crowd easily from The Demon's growling voice.
"Uhh~ what is it!?"
"I forfeit this match."
Vwa-Vwish!
"He showed up… just to leave! Let me tell you, folks, these people in The Top 4 bracket are something else! Well, alright, no time like the present! Instead we're just going to run Grand Finals! Right now! Yamcha would you please enter the-"
Wsht!
The Wolf landed in the centre of the ring, wind pushing out softly in every direction.
"Finally! These people have been waiting far too long for a show and I'm glad The Ex-Titan is so eager to show them!"
A cocky grin pulled apart Yamcha's lips as he stared out across the stage, Goku just happy as a clam, getting out the last few stretches through his legs.
Yamcha VS Goku
Objective: Win The 27th Tenkaichi Budokai!
"One last thing before we get started folks! You may have noticed that this bracket was a double elimination and Yamcha hasn't lost yet! In a traditional double elimination ruleset, if Goku were to eliminate him right now in this match, they'd have to run another match right after as Yamcha would only be knocked down to the loser's bracket right alongside Goku! But in our Grand Finals there is only one chance! That means if Yamcha loses, Goku is declared the winner regardless!"
Some commotion and hubbub occurred amongst the tournament attendees at the news.
"So… best of luck to you boys."
"..."
The crowd lulled to a complete stop as the sun finally started to descend somewhat, still mostly clear and mostly blue skies.
"We have a legendary match unfolding between us today, folks! In one corner we have Yamcha! He is known for his blistering speed, evasive maneuvers, and relentless combinations! He is the only competitor who has attended a bracket every single tournament since The 21st Budokai! But despite his tenured career he has yet to get past the first round of any tournament… until this year."
"..."
"And in the other corner we have Son Goku! Now… we know Goku, he's been here before. This will be his fifth Grand Finals finish in The Tenkaichi Budokai's history! Despite losing every chance he's gotten, he's the only competitor in this whole tournament's history to place this many times in the finals! Everyone here give a big round of applause to these two great fighters!"
The crowd jumped to their feet and slammed their hands together to culminate in an explosive uproar of applause.
"This match, is the battle of the curses! Yamcha's already broken his, but can Goku do the same!? Only time will tell. I try to stay unbiased on commentary but I gotta say it, I'm pulling for Son Goku to take this thing!"
Goku's eyebrows raised a bit and he spoke softly as he entered his stance.
"Just pay attention to the match, Yamcha."
"Are you two ready!?"
Goku nodded as Yamcha took a stance.
"I'll take that as a yes! Let the final match of The Tenkaichi Budokai~ Begin!"
GONGG!
Yamcha blitzed, just like any other match.
"Another fast start for Yamcha! How will Goku respond!?"
DOOMM!
Goku didn't get out of the way or anything, he simply stepped toward The Wolf and blocked his initial offensive attempt, a shockwave clapping out in all directions at that fact. They ran around the ring like dancers, stepping and hopping about as they threw combination after combination, locking hands and palms all the while.
"Another flurry of fists and feet! Neither one is backing down!"
Yamcha's whirlwind speed threw the father of two for a loop, unable to visually identify where his opponent even went. The Saiyan closed his eyes and searched for him with the ethereal.
SCINGGG!
"Where did Goku go!?" Mic shouted at the top of his lungs as Yamcha's classic left roundhouse at the back whiffed big time.
Yamcha himself also closed his eyes.
"Come on, Yamcha!" Bulma shouted from the side.
"I bet you all my toys that my dad wins. No!.. Half."
"That's a lot of toys."
"So what are you gonna bet?"
"Uhh, my dad's winning so I'm not gonna bet anything." Goten replied as he swung his legs off the barricade.
"Goten, if you're that confident, that's when you bet."
"Huh?"
The Cat Hermit Ki Sensing was in full effect as ripples of water echoed off the tile, Yamcha's foot touched the ring and as soon as it did, he threw a leaning turnaround left elbow, Goku barely catching it in time with his palm.
"Goku just appeared from out of nowhere! That's how you know this is Grand Finals!"
They were locked in another flurry of offence, Yamcha all claws, and Goku all fists. The slapping of flesh sounded off like gunfire as each blow they attempted broke out into wild winds. The Saiyan couldn't help but get excited as he continued to launch punch after punch.
Sparking!
"Is that what I think it is?" Krillin thought as he re-entered the top box, gazing down at the red arcs jumping around Goku's blue and gold gi.
Yamcha responded in kind, throwing less, and dodging more. His head and torso movement was on another level, more and more white wisps crawling off his frame as he ducked, dipped, and dodged. It didn't stop either, his hair pulled up slightly and the stream lined it in a paper thin glow of silver.
TOOMM!
Yamcha's knuckles knocked into Goku's chest at an uncounterable speed, forcing him out of the ring and near the stone wall. The father of two kicked off the air and came back in with a whale-like dive. He spun over and over again until he got into an uncomfortably close range. His right leg wound back and sent. Yamcha backstepped preemptively only for Goku to not commit, catch the tile and fall back into a drunken stupour of a backfist, landing smack dab onto Yamcha's nose.
The Wolf stumbled and Goku didn't let it go, sauntering right back in with wavy magic hands that looked more like goofy wizardry than martial arts.
WHAMM!
Yamcha sent his right leg high, right after his initial fist to double down. Goku grit his teeth and stepped in instead of back out. He stomped on Yamcha's exposed left foot, nailing it to the ground as he dipped under the right and caught that ankle with his left, leaving Yamcha's body totally exposed as he had a compromised split from the front. His right hand came back and Goku hollered a Kiai out of his palm.
Pah-POKKK! Fyuuu~
The bolt of wind breezed into Yamcha's gi, not dealing any noticeable damage to him but definitely brushing away some of that ethereal white mist surrounding his body. The Wolf took in a deep breath and whisked his feet away from the man with an epic backhandspring that turned into three or four more. The sheer power demonstrated by the flip coerced Goku to drop the hold he had on his rival and take a few paces back.
WshtWsskFshuFshuu~Wshh!
Yamcha dashed back in with a left claw lunge and missed barely as Goku jumped high. He reached the very end of the stage and dashed off that, spinning like a top as he ascended into the aether. Goku lobbed an orb past Yamcha and swapped places, The Wolf's foot exploding off the yellow ball and sending out a big shockwave of smoke in the process.
The Wolf blinked a few times, looking a tad confused as he set foot back on the tile, the rest of the mist surrounding him completely fading away.
WHOKK!
Goku almost knocked Yamcha's head clean off with a flying superman punch, sending him rocketing across the stadium and almost into the tournament venue until at the last second, Yamcha pulled up with his flight path and came back in with a sonic boom.
VOOSHH! TOOMM! Tuh-TOOMM!
Their hands clashed and sent sharply, Yamcha much more aggressive at this point, launching barrage after barrage of sharp claws, accentuated by loose head movement that dodged just about everything Goku threw. The red sparks of electricity lessened and lessened until Yamcha found the necessary angle, opening up Goku's guard with an upwards parry using the top of his wrist, guiding his foe's arm out of the way to land a right palm. Goku turned right with the blow and caught it in his left side's armpit, using the momentum Yamcha just gave him to wind into a right fist straight to the abs.
TUUMMM!
"I'm stunned! Sorry folks, but I was Supposed to be commentating this match! That one stung!"
As Yamcha folded over, Goku landed a double knee, right first, the finish left, similar to Yamcha's own one-two kicks. The last bit of crimson twirled around with Goku as he spun and delivered a spinning side kick to the stomach, blasting Yamcha low across the tile, ripping it up and forcing dusty flakes of white fog into the air.
FSHUUU! WhapWhappFwuFuuScuScingFwuFuuWhapWshtFshuWhappFwuScu~
Yamcha wasn't even done rolling on the ground yet before Goku was all over him, raining down blows as The Wolf teetered and tottered around the ring. Yamcha crossed his legs over each other as he sat on his ass, defending the relentless assault from the ground instead of standing up. He caught the right angle, clamped hard onto Goku's white belt, and tossed his opponent back towards the crowd, Yamcha's back planted firmly onto the arena's white tile from the awkward throw.
"What a throw! How'd he get that power from the ground!?"
"Nice one, Yamcha! Huh-Hah-Hah!"
DOONN!
The Wolf finally stood up but he stumbled on some loose rock, the perfect opportunity to catch him slipping but Yamcha bent over like a fiend, dodging Goku's second fly-by right hand forcing him to catch and kip off the tile with a front flip. He tucked in his hands and went with it, spinning like a yo-yo before catching the tile on his second landing and dashing right back in. Yamcha met it in stride, and the two launched the biggest shockwave of that day as they clashed, ripping up all of the tile, turning the grass into dirt, and cracking the barricade on all sides, the mechanical hallway called into questioning as it beeped and booped uncomfortably. The ring was nothing but white dust and the pair ascended, throwing blow after blow.
"These two are in it now! There's nowhere to land anymore! This fight is as good as finished for whoever caves first!"
"Oh my…"
"Heh~ … what is it?"
"I've never seen someone activate Sparking! twice in the same fight."
"You're bullshitting me right now."
"Take a look for yourself, Lord Beerus."
Goku's bright smile could light the darkest depths as they rose higher and higher into the air, the sun now colouring the sky more orange than blue. Red sparks were brought forth to the front of his frame and he laughed as the pair exchanged blows.
"Are you ready, Yamcha!?"
"Whenever you are, Goku!"
They broke off, blasting each other back with a fist and then coming right back into striking range, dipping, diving, weaving, and driving circles around each other in the air. They looked like fish, swimming and slamming into each other with furious offence. The sheer speed only kept increasing, each hit building up more and more momentum until Goku finally reached the breaking point, but Yamcha still accelerated, speeding up more and more, getting first to each exchange until he finally weaved out of the way, deliberately not making contact.
"AIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"
THLAMM!
An axe kick from the heavens slammed Goku right down onto the dirt.
"... Ssss~" Mic winced.
The crowd grew quiet.
"..."
The dust settled, and there Goku was, giggling on the uprooted dirt next to the 'arena'.
"... Yamcha is the winner of The 27th Tenkaichi Budokai! The man who couldn't even make it out of the first round for 25 years! What an upset! Did anyone expect him to make it this far!? But… at the end of the day… everyone who competed these last few days deserves a round of applause, not just the winners. Everyone put your hands up for every brave soul who entered this ring to duke it out!"
The volume of the crowd was unquestionable, but Yamcha tuned it all out. His ears heard static, white noise. He touched the ground, looking up at the orange sky. The Announcer, the staff, the tournament attendees, they all built up a roof-breaking noise despite the lack of one with their devoted fanfare but Yamcha could only look down at his hands. His chest seized up, his heart hurt, and his brows felt uncontrollable. Mic shouted and cheered as Yamcha fell to his knees.
"Thuh~" Yamcha wheezed out dumbly as tears formed in his eyes. He took in another sharp breath and banged his hands limply on the nonexistent tile.
The previous white noise stopped, now it was just nothingness. Mic called out to the spectators and the audience slowly decreased their volume to nothing more than whispers as they looked down at the vulnerable man almost curled up in a ball. His tears hit the chalky earth and a few looked out with concern. Bulbous orbs of water built up in Bulma's eyes as she saw her man in the centre of the stadium.
"Trunks, is your dad crying?"
"... I think so. Why? He won."
"..."
"That's stupid." The little boy concluded as he crossed his arms.
All of their family and friends looked out but only Goku did anything about it. His eyes widened and he rushed. The Wolf couldn't see anything but the blurry visions of the dirt as his friend tackled him with an open embrace, standing him to his feet.
"It's okay."
Yamcha's hands wavered and he hesitated.
"..."
But he ultimately couldn't stop himself from hugging Goku back.
"I'm proud of you." Goku claimed as Yamcha threw his chin over the man's shoulder.
Krillin hopped down from the railing and the rest of him and his friends started to leave the stadium as well, trying to comfort the man.
"Yamcha… why are you crying?" Krillin asked in earnest as he pulled away from Goku's hug.
"I…" He protested, raising his hands as the tears still kept coming. "I just…" His lip quivered. "Ever since I was young… all I did was lie, cheat, steal, and… I just wanted to… to pro~ve that I'm… not that kind of person any more. That I'm not a scumba-hag anymore. … That I'm a martial artist." He finally let out, choking on every other word as his face ran red with embarrassment. "I'm so stupi-hid. I have a son… and I… I just… I don't want him to think less of me."
The sun set behind the stadium and the last fritters of sustained orange fluttered away in the wind.
Mic
"Are you going to be home at a reasonable hour, Goku?"
"Yes~" Goku laughed out as the stars twinkled just beyond the hot night lights of the stadium. "Bye Hon, bye kids. I'll see you guys soon, kay?"
"Bye, Dad."
"Byeee~" Goten hollered as The Nimbus pulled all three of them into the aether, disappearing into the night sky.
Mic took off his blue coat and wrapped it around his arm, taking off his tie for good measure, a little unsightly in the pit region after a hard day's work under the spring sun.
"So that's it, huh?"
"Yup."
Goku shot a glance at The Announcer, then The Director, and then his brother as he took off his own suit and tie.
"What are you gonna do now, Buddy?"
"It was never about the money, but me and my family definitely have enough to retire pretty comfortably."
"That's great." The brother of Raditz claimed, palming Mic shoulder in earnest.
"Even though this is an inherently dangerous contest that has the potential to end the lives of its contestants I simply don't feel comfortable putting the audience in that position. I thank my lucky stars that it didn't happen this time. Thanks for keeping it manageable, Goku."
"You lie, Kakarot rearranged the ring at the end there. I wouldn't exactly call that manageable for Earthlings." Raditz stated as he threw his arm around his younger brother.
"Huh-Hah!"
"I'm glad I got to see you grow up, kid. Have a nice rest of your life." Mic said as he took off his sunglasses and stared into Goku's eyes.
For some reason, Mic was expecting to see that same little boy that came into the arena all those years ago but all he saw was a fit man, and an earnest smile as held onto his brother. The Director barked a single time and Goku responded in kind with a deep bow as the two of them made their leave.
"So what's next?"
"You tell me, Kakarot. We don't exactly have much on the agenda other than the boring Earthling stuff we usually do." The Saiyan groaned into the open air as he dropped his clothes and let out a big stretch.
"Guess not."
"..."
"Full moon out tonight. You gonna be okay?"
"Please. I've conquered the moon already. I don't fear its presence." Raditz responded, his eyes turning into a blood red at the sight of the lunar body before he tore his eyes away from it with some effort.
"..."
"You didn't win, Kakarot."
Goku just smiled, shrugging.
"Apparently there's a tournament in the Other World. One that only happens every 100 Ages or something like that. I forget exactly what King Kai said… Maybe I'll win that one."
"... We trained with Pikkon where it was held, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah we did." Goku responded as he looked up at the big yellow orb in the sky.
"..." Raditz spared a smile at his brother's back as he picked up his jacket off the ground.
"Apparently the strongest guy in Other World hasn't lost the tournament a single time since he died."
"Yeah?"
"You headed home?"
"I think so."
"Why not have dinner with us? Chi-Chi'd like the company."
"You got it."
"Thanks, Raditz." Goku replied as he threw his arm over his brother and they flew off into the nightly indigo, a lone shooting star passed them by in the many heavens above.