Chapter 2: Tien Shinhan at the preliminaries
The arenas of Battle Island look like a haphazard stack of dinner plates blown up to grand scale. Not to mention that these plates seem to be balanced by a drunk waiter, the way they roll and twist randomly, spilling not food but tournament contestants. The thrown contestants curse and groan, expecting perhaps the square arena of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Some are relieved though, thinking that this intergalactic tournament is way out of their league.
However, a tall bald man, who is usually so stoic and stern looking, is grinning widely. It's been a while, thought Tien Shinhan, as he watched dozens of fighters fall out of the circular stage, which suddenly tilted at a dangerous 45° angle. The bald fighter merely jumped and balanced casually to the top edge of the tilted arena.
After the stressful and tragic androids incident and the Cell games, the Z fighters knew they needed to give themselves some well-deserved fun. Coupled with Future Trunks' surprise but welcomed visit, the gang unanimously decided that joining this tournament is the perfect way to unwind. The 100 million Zeni prize money is something that they also look forward to getting, of course.
But for Tien, the nostalgia that comes from being in a tournament that isn't for once a life-or-death situation (which requires survival instincts, not skill) is what drew him in. He was a World Martial Arts Tournament champion, after all, and he's curious if there are other noteworthy fighters outside of their circle of friends.
The sudden roar of the crowd broke Tien's reverie. He just then realized that he was alone in the arena.