We're in the home stretch, ladies and gentlemen. Please enjoy.
Goku and Piccolo charged at each other, clashing in the middle. Their moves were almost mirrored to each other. When they tried to kick each other, their knees collided. When they tried to throw a punch, their fists collided. Piccolo head butted Goku, pushing him backwards. He leapt after him, to catch up to where he'd fall. However, Goku did a back flip, standing upright once more. He spun around and elbowed Piccolo under his face. As he staggered backwards, Goku kicked him in the face.
However, before he flew away, Piccolo stretched his arm out and grabbed Goku's ankle, using him to propel himself forward, once more. The force of the move made him fall to the ground. As Piccolo aimed a punch towards him, Goku kicked him in the stomach with both feet, with enough force to send him flying into the sky.
Piccolo stopped himself and dove right back down, swiping at Goku's head. He ducked just in time. Goku punched him in the gut, but Piccolo only grunted in surprise. He grabbed Goku by his arm and threw him onto the ground, behind him. Goku jumped onto his knees, and grabbed Piccolo by his ankles, intending to do the same to him. Instead, he flew into the air, and Goku lost his grip, falling onto his back.
Piccolo landed back down, on one foot.
Goku laughed. "Man, you really are strong. How come you never did any of this, during our training?"
"My power is far greater than you could comprehend, Goku – those spars would have been boring, had I overpowered you the whole time."
"Yeah. I get that." He stood back up again. "Now, I'm ready for you."
They charged at each other once more. They exchanged blows until they each caught each other's fists. They pushed against one another, neither wanting to stand down. Their feet sunk into the stone tiles of the tournament stage. They stared at each other, sporting similar smirks. An aura glowed and flickered around them, blinding the audience.
"Wow," the announcer yelled. "Neither fighter is backing down! Has the champion Son Goku finally found his match?"
Krillin shook his fist. "Goku! You can do it! Show him whose boss!"
"Let him have it," Tien yelled.
Piccolo's eyes began to glow, and Goku ducked his head, avoiding the scolding lasers. Piccolo let go of his fists and kicked him in his chin, while he was distracted. He elbowed him in the face, sending him careening towards the back wall of the tournament stage. Before he could react, he was kicked in the face, falling dangerously close to the edge of the ring. He realized this just in time, and pushed himself high into the sky.
"Hey, that's not fair," Goku whined. "I can't reach you, all the way up there!"
Piccolo crossed his arms. "If you can't find a way to do it, then just give up." He was intentionally trying to goad him into trying something big. He was curious as to what he would do.
Goku grit his teeth. He crouched down, brought his wrists together, and held them to his side. His aura began to radiate, as a small blue ball of energy was formed between his palms.
"KAAAAAAAAA-MEEEEEEEEEEE..."
The announcer blinked. "Could it be? Yes, I think it is! Son Goku is going to do the Kamehameha! A trademark technique of the Turtle Hermit School, only mastered by the best of the best fighters. We are in for something special today!"
"HAAAAAAAAAA-MEEEEEEEEEE..."
"Yeah," Krillin exclaimed. "I knew he'd find a way!"
Roshi nodded. "Though he best be careful, unless he wants to accidentally kill him."
"What," Chi-Chi asked. "Kill him?"
"A kamehameha of that size and length is nothing to be trifled with. If he isn't careful, that may very well be a possibility."
Chi-Chi gripped Gohan tighter. "Goku," she yelled. "Be careful! Don't hurt him!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Goku unleashed the powerful blast, aiming it directly at Piccolo. As the blast got closer, Piccolo quickly realized the true gravity of his situation. Being hit head-on by a blast that large would no-doubt be deadly. He moved out of the way, but that was of no use. Goku moved his hands to one side and the beam still followed him. Even as he got closer to the ground, once more, he was still trailed by the large blast.
Having enough, he clenched his teeth, and held his arm out in front of it. The collision created a large ball of smoke, blowing all over the audience. Everyone ducked their heads, protecting themselves from the light and dust.
When it did finally clear, everyone was in for a massive shock.
Goku's eyes widened. "Y-your arm!"
Piccolo's entire right arm was broken. His purple blood was dripping down the dead limp, now colored a dark born.
"Wow! I don't think we've seen anything like this before! Junior's arm is completely broken!" He tugged at his collar, while frantically looking at the staff. "I, uh, actually don't know what the procedure is for these kinds of medical emergencies, to be honest."
Piccolo held onto his shoulder. "It's nothing," he said, between his teeth. "I've had worse."
He sunk his fingers into his shoulder, and tore off the severed limb in one rip. The audience reaction was mixed – some had to look away out of pure shock and others couldn't take their eyes off of it. Piccolo paid no mind to those reactions. He braced his feet on the ground and focused all of his energy into his missing limb. He let out a long and loud scream, growing louder as the seconds ticked by.
Then, out of nowhere, a new arm shot from out of his socket. He breathed heavily, as he held his wrist in his hand with his twitching fingers. There were audible gasps from the audience, at this display, and the crowd began to whisper amongst each other about who this Junior person really was.
Goku could only stare down at it, in awe. Even he was at a loss for words.
Piccolo lunged forward, kicking him in the face. He only got one hit on him, before Goku began dodging and blocking his attacks, once more. Though they continued to fight, both were growing more fatigued: Goku from his Kamehameha and Piccolo from regenerating his limb. However, neither would admit defeat, and the fight continued.
Eventually, they reached a stalemate. They were equally matched, and could not summon any more energy to continue. Unable to find the motivation or energy to move forward, they simply stared each other down, across the stage.
"What's this? Has the fighting reached its end, already? Neither Goku nor Junior is moving." The crowd started booing and throwing things at the stage. "Hey come on, everyone. This fight isn't over yet. Maybe they've lost their motivation just a little. I say let's give them some encouragement with cheering and applause! All together now!"
The tournament announcer's words seemed to tide over the crowd, and they begun cheering for their favorite fighters: chanting their names and yelling encouraging words at them.
"Goku, get moving," Tien yelled. "You can take him on!"
"You've taken on guys way scarier than him," shouted Krillin. "This guy's a chump!"
Piccolo could only hear words for Goku. He couldn't hear anyone shouting his name. As soft as that sounded, that didn't do much to make him want to start moving again. Even though Goku began to stand up right, once more, he had yet to do the same.
"COME ON, PICCOLO! YOU CAN DO IT!"
He blinked. That voice. That sounded so much like…
He turned around and looked in the direction where the sound came from. As he looked over the faces in the crowd, one stuck out to him: a petite woman with bright blue hair and eyes that matched. She was hunched over, with her hands cupped around her mouth.
"I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! TAKE HIM OUT!"
Like a bolt of lightning, Piccolo felt himself gain his will to fight, once more. He stood up straight and looked over at his opponent. Nothing could stop him, now. He would claim his victory.
They charged at each other one more time, throwing everything they had at each other: punches, kicks, scratches, slaps, and everything in between. The crowd had come on their side, once more, cheering and screaming for them.
They jumped backwards, thinking the same thing independently of each other. They pulled their hands back and fired a large energy blast at each other. The beams met in the middle, pushing as they tried to gain dominance over the other. The crowds cries grew louder and louder, staring in amazement at the lightshow on display.
Then, there was an explosion. In the middle, where the beams met, something gave way, and it created a great burst of light and energy. The audience ducked their heads once more, as a burst of hot wind coursed over them. Goku and Piccolo were pushed backwards, landing on their backs with a loud thud.
A loud silence fell over the crowd, waiting with baited breath for one or both of them to stand up.
"Impossible! Are both Goku and Junior out for the count? This has only happened once before, ladies and gentlemen! If one of them does not stand up by the end of the count to ten, then this match will have ended in a draw- Wait!"
Piccolo slowly staggered onto his feet, once more.
"It appeared that Junior has stood up! If Goku does not stand up by the end of the count, then Junior will be declared our champion!"
Piccolo walked over to Goku, looking down at him.
Goku laughed. "I guess you really are stronger," he said, in a strained voice.
He smirked down at him. "Maybe so." He extended his hand down to him.
"What's this?! If Junior helps Goku stand up, then the match will still be on! This is unprecedented, folks! Never before has never happened in the history of this tournament!"
Goku took hold of his hand, and used it to hoist himself back onto his feet. "This isn't over," he said. "I'll get strong enough to surpass you, one day."
"I'd like to see you try."
Piccolo turned on his heel, walking towards the edge of the ring. The announcer stared at him, as he made his way across the stage. "Uh, Junior, sir… the match is still going on. If you leave, it will be an automatic forfeit."
He looked back at the announcer. "I know." He hopped down onto the ground, and exited through the back alleyway.
"Oh… oh! Junior has forfeited the match! Son Goku is our champion!"
The crowd went wild, throwing everything into the air as they clapped and cheered his name. Goku looked around the stage, confused. As he began to realize what had happened, a large smile formed on his face. The announcer walked over to him and lifted his fist into the air, as a sign of victory. Confetti and streamers rained from the sky.
Chi-Chi jumped over the fence. "Goku!" She ran over to him, and jumped onto him, hastily handing Gohan off to the tournament announcer. Goku accepted the embrace, spinning them around. "I knew you could do it!"
Goku brought her into a kiss, surprising and shocking her deeply. Eventually, she returned it in kind, wrapping her arms tightly over his shoulders. The crowd's whooping and cheering grew louder, at the display.
Gohan started wriggling towards them, gaining their attention. The tournament announcer was having a hard time holding onto him. Goku immediately took him back, bouncing him up and down, as he laughed.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, if it is ever doubted that anything and everything can happen at the World Martial Arts Tournament, look no further than this year's fights. Thank you for coming, everyone! Let's give Son Goku- no, let's give all of our amazing participants one more big round of applause!"
Piccolo could hear the tournament announcer's words from over the loudspeaker. A small smile formed on his face. Son Goku truly was an amazing man. He couldn't think of a better opponent to lose to. He turned on his heel and continued walking down the small corridor.
"Hey, Piccolo!"
He stopped and looked over his shoulder. Bulma was running down the hallway, waving her hand in the air. She looked different, from when he last saw her on Namek. Her hair was in a ridiculous looking perm, pulled back by a headband. It made her look younger - more full of life, even. At least he did not have to worry about how her new life had been treating her.
"I didn't think I'd see you, here! When I saw you on TV, at the first match, I came down her as fast as I could! How are you? How have you been?"
"Fine. How's the ambassador life treating you?"
She ran her fingers through her curls. "You know: same old, same old. I've gotta convince some bureaucrat types to open up trade ports. Boring stuff like that, really." She shrugged. "What are you gonna do? Hey, I'm gonna be here on Earth for another month. We should totally find some time to hang out, for a little bit! She held her elbows and sighed, while shaking her head. "I've really missed you, this past year. I've been wondering how you've adjusted and all that. I've been trying to track you down the past few times I've been here, but haven't had any luck. But I'm glad to see you've been doing well. You deserve it.
Before Piccolo could respond, some buzzer went off. Bulma's eyes widened and she pulled out something from her pocket. "Sorry, give me a second. I'll try to make this quick."
She opened the device and pressed a button on it. "Hello? Hi, daddy… Still at the tournament. What is it? I'm in the middle of something, at the moment" She sighed. "Alright, but try to make it fast…" She tapped her fingers on the device, as she waited for a response. Then, her eyes widened. From where he stood, Piccolo could pick up a gravelly-sounding baritone. "Oh… h-hi! I wasn't expecting you to stop by so soon… That's fantastic! What else?" She nodded. "Okay, I'll be on my way back, soon… I love you." She closed the device.
She looked back at him. "Duty calls. I've got someone to meet someone, soon." She pulled out a notepad and scribbled something down. She shoved it towards him. "Please, let me know when you want to meet up, while I'm still on Earth. I'd love to catch up more with you, then."
"Sure, kid."
"Great! I'll see you around! Take care of yourself, Piccolo!" She ran past him, out through the back entrance.
Piccolo watched her, as she made her exit. Even after all that had happened this past year, he hadn't forgotten about her. Everything he had gained was because she believed in him. Bulma was the first person who treated him as anything other than a monster or a slave. If it had not been for her, he wouldn't have ended up here – accepted by a family that loved him. He truly owed her his entire life.
If she needed something, he'd be there for her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Goku, Chi-Chi, and Gohan walking towards him. Chi-Chi was carrying a large check in one hand for 500,000 zeni, along with a few flowers and stuffed animals that were thrown onto the stage. Goku was carrying Gohan on his shoulders, while he held onto his hair.
"That was so much fun," Goku exclaimed. "This was the best tournament ever!" He pointed down at the check. "So, what are we gonna do with all that zeni?"
"This is going straight into Gohan's savings account. We have to start saving early so he can go to a nice school, when he's older."
Gohan started giggling, pulling on Goku's hair. Goku winced, and brought him back down, holding him in one arm. "I think he likes that idea." He looked at Piccolo and waved at him. "Yo, you ready to go home, yet?"
Piccolo nodded, and followed them through the exit.
"I'm so proud of both of you," Chi-Chi said, when Piccolo rejoined them. "I always knew you would make it this far. I am surprised you were willing to throw the fight like that, though."
"He didn't really throw it, though: it was basically a draw. Still, your power was incredible! One day, I'm gonna take you on again. Maybe I can beat you, by then."
"You can try," Piccolo said.
"I won't let you down!"
Chi-Chi interjected. "Well, you two can worry about that another day. How about we all go home and I can fix our champion something good to eat?"
"Thanks, Chi-Chi! You're the best!"
And so, the Son family made their way back home for a well-deserved celebration. This had proven to be an exciting tournament for everyone involved, and none would forget it anytime soon.
