Chapter Thirty-Three

Three years passed by quicker than ever as the day of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament arrived. Arriving at Papaya Island from West City by jetcopter, Raditz was the first to step out. Turning back to the aircraft, the Saiyan reached for Bulma's extended arm and helped her out of the jetcopter. Following behind her were her two parents.

"I wonder where the rest of the gang is," Bulma said as she searched through the crowd. She had trained hard alongside Raditz for the last three years after being revived by Shenron. The Saiyan hadn't offered her any alternatives. He wanted to be able to protect herself even when he couldn't. "Wait until they hear I'm entering this year's tournament."

"I'm not sure," Raditz said as he began searching the crowd himself. Turning to Bulma as they walked, he smiled at the blue gi she was wearing similar to his. "You go up against somebody that's outta your league, just promise me you'll quit."

Raditz walked up to the registration desk with Bulma and got the clerk's attention. "We'd like to enter the tournament," he said to the attendant. "Me and my girlfriend."

"I can do that for you," The attendant replied kindly. "Can I get both of your names?"

"Bulma Briefs." Bulma answered with a smile as she hugged her boyfriend. "And he's Raditz."

"Wow, the World Champ?" The attendant said, looking up at the Saiyan. "I remember seeing you fight three years ago. I hope this year's tournament is as exciting as the last."

"Oh there they are," Raditz's ears shot up as the voice of Yamcha diverted his attention. Turning to see his friend, the Saiyan saw Yamcha, Krillin, and Upa were in their traditional turtle school uniforms. Master Roshi slowly lagged behind his students in a black fighting uniform. "Long time no see."

"Hey Bulma," Krillin greeted the bluenette. Hugging her, Krillin shook his head in disbelief at her outfit. "I never thought I'd see you come out of the house in something that wasn't a dress. You seem stronger, are you fighting this year?" The monk asked.

"This guy wouldn't let me go to sleep without working in the Gravity Machine with him," Bulma laughed, rolling her eyes at the Saiyan. Still, she loved her boyfriend's overprotective attitude though. "I can't even go to Capsule Corp meetings without seeing him watching me through the windows. I figured why not see just how much it paid off then."

"I don't make her train that long," Raditz chipped in, rolling his eyes in a similar manner. "Hell, she doesn't even let me train as much as I'd like."

"By not as much as he'd like to, he only means I let him train eleven hours a day," Bulma interjected, slapping the Saiyan. Was it too much to ask to spend time with her boyfriend? "I swear one day he's going to kill himself in that machine."

"These three are the same way," The turtle hermit laughed, taking a hit from the pipe he was smoking on. Krillin and Yamcha had far exceeded him and it was only a matter of time before Upa did as well. The boy had grown in the past three years, both physically and in power. "I wish a certain Saiyan would come by more often and give me a break."

"She's the reason," Raditz said, shrugging his shoulders. Hugging his woman he brought her into a kiss as Krillin and Upa gagged in disgust. "Her and those irresistible casseroles she orders to keep me at bay."

"So you two are together now?" Yamcha asked the two lovers. He and Mai had made a bet. She swore the two would be together the next time she and Yamcha saw them. Yamcha had sworn Raditz cared only for his training.

"I mean," Bulma smiled, her face flushing a deep crimson color. "It doesn't get any better than the World Champion, doesn't it?"

"That ruins our fun then," Krillin fake sighed at the revelation. "We only teased him about it for a year."

The reunion between friends was interrupted as a snickering voice joined the fray and Yamcha felt a large structure bump into him. Turning around ready to talk his trash, the group saw a group of four. A old man in a green and orange fighting uniform with the crane kanji inscribed on the front of was the leader of the small group. Behind him was a tall and bald man with three eyes and to the side of him was a small pale boy with a painted face and the same uniform both of his partners wore. To Raditz's surprise, Ranfan was also a member of the quartet as she wore a smaller gi with the same colors and symbol.

"Nice to see you've come out of whatever shell you were held up in Roshi," The Crane Hermit said with a snark. Eyeing the man and then his students, Shen stepped forward until he was in front of Raditz. "You and your band of losers did quite well at the last tournament I've heard. Anything should be expected then I guess."

"Tsuru Shen," Master Roshi replied with the same smug look on his face. "I'm stunned to see you're still alive. When your school didn't show last time I thought Kami had finally heard my prayers and killed you in your sleep."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Shen spat in disgust as his three students forced their way through the crowd after him. "Inadequacy is always a tough pill to swallow but it's better than public humiliation. That title is ours this time around, let's go."

"Thanks for the concern," The turtle hermit said with sarcasm laced in his tone. He and the Crane Hermit had been rivals for several decades. It was nice to see that some things never changed. "You wrinkly geezer."

"Who was that old guy?" Krillin asked once the group had passed through and to the registration desk.

"That was Tsuru Shen, the Crane Hermit," Roshi explained as he shook his head at the group. "We used to train under the same teacher until we fell out… to think I used to call him friend."

"What caused that?" Bulma asked out of curiosity. She had never seen old men bicker like children. Did all men have ego issues?

"Crane was a merciless opponent and grew to abuse the teachings our teacher showed us," Roshi responded with a sigh. "After he trained his younger brother and allowed him to become an assassin for hire, I knew that I could no longer make excuses for him. It took everything in me but I defeated him and we haven't spoken since."

"Assassin?" Raditz said in confusion. "Was his student named Tao?"

"Yes," Roshi said, looking up at the Saiyan with the same confused look on his face. "You've met him?"

"Yeah, we ran into him a couple of years ago," Yamcha answered for the Saiyan, remembering the beating he'd been handed by the assassin turned robot. "He was working with those Red Ribbon guys."

"Before I killed him," Raditz interjected to Roshi's dismay. "He had hurt too many people. I couldn't let him live."

"This isn't good," Roshi said with widened eyes and biting his lips. Looking at the Crane Hermit and his students from afar, the Turtle Hermit turned back to his students. "Crane is known for spreading fear through his brother. If he knows that you were behind his brother's death, he won't stop at anything to get rid of you all."

The preliminary matches kicked off without much action. None of the Z-Fighters were placed in the same tiers and Raditz, being the returning Champion, was admitted an automatic spot in the finals. Upa however, had been easily defeated by Shen's top student, Tien Shinhan in a brutal presentation. Bulma, however, was doing a good job, defeating two opponents until she was called to the podium to face off against Ranfan.

"She seems stronger than before," Bulma said to herself, looking at the green glad Crane student. "I hope you don't think those tricks you pulled last time around will work. I was trained by the World Champ himself."

Ranfan's eyes opened as she stepped to the stage, staring at her opponent. A grin stretched across her face as she saw the bluenette girlfriend of the man who'd defeated her at the last tournament. She had trained hard under the Crane Hermit to avoid that outcome. She couldn't lose to anyone. Not to Tien, not to Raditz, and especially not to the Saiyan's girlfriend.

Moving forward at the referee's whistle, Bulma closed the ground between herself and Ranfan. Sliding under a kick that her opponent threw, the bluenette kicked herself back to her feet, throwing an uppercut as she did so.

Bulma's opponent grabbed the incoming foot, throwing the Capsule Corp heiress off balance. Ranfan moved like the wind, lashing out at the bluenette with a three hit combo to the chest. Bulma howled in pain as she felt her insides swell from the hits. Trying her best to kick the violet haired crane student, Bulma's opponent dodged each strike until a left knee came crashing into the woman's arm.

"Damn slut," Ranfan grumbled in pain, holding her arm in pain. Scowling at his opponent, Ranfan began to flare her energy. "I didn't expect you to hit so hard without complaining about a broken nail."

"Don't underestimate me," Bulma shot back, regaining her composure as she rubbed her chest. Falling into the fighting stance that Raditz had taught her, the Human kicked off the ground and shot her body at Ranfan.

Lunging forward just as Bulma did, the violet haired fighter threw up her forearms to block a punch. Retaliating with a right cross, Ranfan didn't let up when her hit blew through the bluenette's guard. Attacking with a jump kick and an ax kick, the crane student pointed a slim finger at Bulma.

"Dodon Ray!" She screamed as a jet of golden ki rushed from his fingertip to the bluenette. Unable to get out of the way, Bulma screamed in anguish as the ki shot through her shoulder. Staggering back the bluenette tripped as she saw Ranfan pursuing after her. "You're finished." Ranfan snickered as she flipped in the air, ready to strike the already down Bulma with an ax kick.

"This fight's over," Raditz growled at the violet haired fighter, jumping onto the stage and in between the two women. Flaring his aura, he held Ranfan's foot in his hand, knowing that he could crush it if he very pleased. "Save it for the finals, my woman's had enough."

"Are you ready for an exciting tournament," The blonde announcer shrieked at the top of his lungs through his microphone, happy to be back doing the job he enjoyed so much. "We have quite the talent in the building tonight. Some returning faces and a couple of new faces!"

Raditz stared at the board where the order of the fights had been determined and written. The first round was to go as followed:

Yamcha versus Tien Shinhan

Master Roshi versus Pamput

Krillin versus Chiaotzu

Raditz versus Ranfan

Raditz's eyes flustered as he realized his matchup had him going up against Ranfan once again. He had to admit, the girl had gotten stronger since the last tournament. She had already beaten Bulma though so Raditz knew his woman would want him to get revenge. The Saiyan's eyes then shot over to the triclops that was her partner, knowing that he'd be the real threat to his title.

Power Levels

Raditz: 620

Krillin: 470

Yamcha: 480

Upa: 120

Pamput: 75

Bulma: 130

Master Roshi: 350

Master Shen: 340

Chiaotzu: 310

Ranfan: 290

Tien Shinhan: 500