Dragon Ball Alpha

by Jokermask18

What were things like before the time of Goku and his friends? Witness the origin of the Dragon Ball universe and all the events that occured before the adventure began. From the birth of Majin Buu to the first Super Saiyan and Roshi's youth. It's all here.

9. Movie 02: Birth of the Budokai Tenkaichi

Movie 02: Birth of the Tenkaichi Bukokai

Ten years after the defeat of Piccolo, the world was slowly starting to heal but a new crisis was just on the horizon. The various rulers and nobles of Earth had grown increasingly paranoid after demons usurped their thrones and sought to secure their power by any and all means possible. They soon began warring with one another in an effort to expand their empires and the severely reduced population of Earth found itself in peril once again. One particular ruler was a blue goblin named Emperor Bhat of the Rice Dynasty, whose family had ruled their empire for generations through the use of robotic mecha. Bhat was the most ruthless and power hungry of his line and would stop at nothing to have the mightiest kingdom of all. In fact, one of his first moves during the war was to capture the great kingdom of Kyouda, a feat which earned him the respect of even his enemies.

Bhat's best general was a blue dog named Ako. While he was a fine soldier, he despised war and had only joined the army after the Emperor threatened his wife and son. Each gory battle he fought and every life he was forced to take filled him with self loathing and he dreamed of a day when peace returned and Bhat was no more.

One day while on patrol in a recently captured village, Akio overheard an elderly woman tell her grandchildren the legend of the Dragon Balls and how they could grant any wish. He knew that if Emperor Bhat discovered such power, he would use it to gain ultimate victory in the war. He also knew that such power could be used to bring about the peace he longed for. That night, he made his choice.

The next day, Emperor Bhat was outraged to hear his best general had turned against his own troops and gone awal. He turned all his resources towards finding Akio and making him pay, as well as finding the Dragon Balls once he discovered their power. Meanwhile, the other rulers had gathered together and come up with their own unique solution to ending the war.

Because only a select few had the technology to match the Rice Dynasty's mecha suits, other kingdoms had to rely on manpower alone. To this end, the best martial artists in the world were employed by various nobles to train soldiers and serve as generals. With Baht pulling out of the war to pursue his rogue general, the fighting was more evenly matched and the entire conflict soon became deadlocked. It eventually boiled down to one question: who had hired the better master?

After much debate, it was decided that the masters would face each other in combat. Whoever defeated all the others would be declared the strongest on Earth and secure victory for the kingdom they represented. All present agreed and returned home to select their champions. In two week's time, the masters would meet on Papaya Island, home of an ancient sect of Xaiolin Monks.

Around that same time, another great martial artist was doing his best to avoid such confrontations. Roshi had spent the last ten years on his little island far away from the outside world, seeking only to train and grow strong. He had chopped down most of the island's trees to make a small home for himself but he lived modestly, away from any modern conveniences. He even wore the same gi he had ten years ago and the only other item of clothing he wore were his old glasses, which he resumed wearing due to the island's lack of shade .

One day as Roshi sat in his home meditating, he sensed a very familiar chi. A moment later, he heard a very familiar and very annoying voice. "ROSHI GET OUT HERE, YOU LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING!"

The martial arist mentally groaned. Of course, SHE would be the one to find him in the middle of nowhere. Roshi reluctantly climbed to his feet and walked outside to see Baba floating before him. "Took you long enough" she grumbled "wasn't it enough that it took weeks for me to find you? You have to keep me waiting too!?"

"Nice to see you again sister, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Though Roshi was attempting to be aloof and sarcastic, he was weary inside. Baba's last visit had changed his life forever.

The old fortune teller scowled at her brother but didn't comment. Instead, she materialized a large red and gold egg in her hands. "Here" she said gruffly "despite the fact that you fail to show any interest in your family whatsoever, mother and father insisted on you having this."

Roshi knew that his sister was carrying the egg of a phoenix, the immortal fire bird of legend. Their parents had been given the responsibility of caring for one by the spirits centuries ago in exchange for it extending their lives and if they continued to do so,they would become immortal. The pheonix's egg was eventually given to Baba to continue the cycle and now it seemed a third phoenix had been born.

"Thank you Baba" Roshi said as he took the egg "now why are you really here? Looking into your mind, I can sense you're deeply troubled. What's wrong? Has Piccolo escaped?"

Baba shook her head. "Nothing like that, though it could be just as serious. The world has been at war for the past two years Roshi and things have taken a rather ugly turn." The old fortune teller proceeded to go into detail about the feuding kingdoms and the hired martial artists. She then used her crystal ball to show her brother the coming weeks and the tournament that would take place therein. Roshi immediately took notice of the fighter from Mifan. He was particulal brutal in his methods and though he hid his face behind a hooded cloak, the former pupil of Mutaito felt he knew him from somewhere.

"That man will win if no one else enters" Baba told her brother "he's the emperor's most trusted advisor as well as his champion and will turn Mifan into a tyrannical empire with his influence. I've seen it happen."

"Then it's a good thing the future isn't written in stone" Roshi proclaimed valiantly "in two weeks, I'll enter that tournament and make sure Mifan doesn't win!" "You'll have to go today if you want to enter" Baba said dryly "the monks who organized the thing have limits to how many fighters can participate and they've already narrowed it down to eight slots, seven of which are already taken."

Roshi fell over and then stood up to yell at his sister. "THAT COULD'VE BEEN USEFUL INFORMATION A FEW WEEKS AGO! WHY DIDN'T YOU VISIT ME THEN!?"

"I have a business to run you know" Baba reminded her brother "and for your information, I've been quite busy lately. I recently added King Yemma, the judge of the dead himself, to my clientel. He's worked out a new system that allows worthy souls to come back to life for a day and I-"

"Never mind that!" Roshi snapped "just where is the tournament being held anyway?" Baba scowled but looked into her crystal ball to answer her brother's question. "Papaya Island, a few thousand miles north of here."

Roshi nodded and then yelled out "Nimbus!" The mystic cloud arrived promptly as usual and Roshi called out his destination as he mounted, soaring away at impossible speeds. Baba watched him go and rolled her eyes. Not only did she not get any thanks as usual but he completely forgot the phoenix egg. If the old fortune teller hadn't seen her brother's future so many times over the centuries, she'd never have believed what he'd accomplish after today. The parts she played to make sure fate stayed on track were unbarable at times. As she lifted the egg up to carry it into Roshi's home, she made the decision not to tell him about the tainted birdseed.

…

Thanks to Nimbus' speed, Roshi reached Papaya Island within hours. It was much larger than his home and true to it's name,ripe with papaya trees. However, the most impressive site was the temple that easily covered every square inch of it's home and stretched upward to the heavens itself. It was surrounded on all sides by statues of fierce warrior monks, the same ones responsible for it's construction many centuries ago.

Roshi hopped off Nimbus and approached the Temple's main gate. A burly looking monk with a short beard similar to the one Roshi had started to grow stood guard in front of it. The martial artist was a bit intimidated by the man's size and the considerable power level he put out but attempted to remain stoic. This wasn't easy, especially when the monk eyed him for the first time and gave him a glare that would make Piccolo himself uneasy.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" The monk's voice was deep and his tone was razor sharp. It was the kind that reminded Roshi of the many bullies he'd faced in his life, from those back home who mocked his pervertedness as a boy to the peers at Mutaito's academy who said he didn't belong. Luckily, he never listened to either of them.

Gathering his courage, the martial artist bowed respectfully to the monk. "I am Roshi and I humbly request to participate in your tournament. The outcome of the war may depend on it!" The burly monk looked Roshi up and down. It was clear he had heard such excuses before.

"You refer to yourself with no formal title and wear a simple gi" the monk noted "what sort of master are you?" This question stung more than any Roshi had anticipated. He was no longer a student it was true but a master? As far as he was concerned, he could never have such a title.

"I'm not a master" Roshi said truthfully "I have no students or a school." The monk's expression turned even more sour at this answer, if such a thing was possible. It was clear he didn't appreciate honesty as much as Roshi hoped.

"Only a Master representing the kingdoms at war may fight" the monk rumbled "who are you to dobey such rules?" Roshi felt fear rise up in him once more and almost backed away until he remembered why he was there.

"Please sir, though I am not a Master, I must enter! There's a great theat to everyone on this island that only I have a chance of stopping." It wasn't the whole truth as Roshi had no idea if he could prevent the future Baba saw but something inside was driving him to fight the warrior from Mifan. This seemed to make the monk even more furious.

"Alright Roshi, you believe you deserve to be here? Prove it! All the Masters who have qualified for this tournament have lasted three minutes against me. Are you up to the challenge?"

Roshi nodded and shifted into a fighting stance. Despite his nervousness, his resolve to fight in the tournament was unshakable. His opponent assumed his own stance and a heavy silence followed. It was clear that Roshi was to make the first move.

The martial artist suddenly vanished in a blur and reappeared to deliver a kick to his oppenent's head in midair. The monk was expecting this however and blocked it in the span of a second. Roshi dropped down and attempted a sweep kick only for his rival to leap high in the air and yell "Thunder Bomber!" The monk's body was suddenly ablaze with red chi as he came crashing down at frightening speed. Roshi rolled away just in time to avoid the attack and gasped in shock at the large crater that had been formed.

"Do you see what you're up against? Leave now befoe you embareass yourself " the monk sneered. Roshi responded by removing his gi top and assuming a power-up stance. "Not a chance!"

Roshi powered up and his muscles began to inflate though not to any absurd degree. Because his Max Power form cost him too much in terms of speed, he had learned to access a less restraining mid-point state, using about seventy-five percent of his power at most. The full transformation was only to be used when raw strength was needed to win.

Roshi then proceeded to hurl chi blasts that the large monk deflected with little effort. He eventually poured everything he had into a single big blast that was enough to make the monk stumble backwards. The bigger warrior seemed to become angry about this and assumed his own power-up stance, his hands igniting with crimson chi.

"So it would seem you have fight in you after all. That's good but it won't be enough to save you. Feel the wrath of my Concusion Wave!" As he said this, the monk clapped his glowing hands together and a crescent shaped wave or red energy shot from them. Roshi managed to avoid the attack however and began charging his own. "Let's see how your 'Concusion Wave' stands up against the legendary Tri-beam!"

Roshi fired the attack straight at the big monk but his opponent stood his ground. At the last minute, the monk let out a yell and the Tri-beam dissolved before it even touched him. "What the-? How did you do that!?" Roshi yelled out.

The monk smirked. "It's called a Kiai, a technique that releases concentrated force" he explained "when used properly, it can disrupt weaker attacks. It can also cause great damage to a surrounding area so you're lucky I held back on it." Roshi was shocked. "Weak!? The Tri-beam is legendary."

The monk shook his head. "Yeah, but it's also flawed and is mostly used as a stepping stone for developing new moves. No one uses it except as a last resort these days. Unless of course that's all you have, is it?"

"Well…uh-no!" Roshi began "I've got some very impressive attacks in my repertoire but I don't feel up to showing them right now. This is only a spar after all." Truthfully, Roshi knew very few attacks besides the Tri-beam and his high power chi blast. He had tried over the years to create his own signature attack but something kept holding him back. His Max Power form and it's restrained state were the biggest and only breakthroughs he'd made.

The monk didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Very well, you've passed the test and will be allowed the final spot in the tournament. You may not be a master but I believe an exception can be made in your case." Roshi's expression brightened at that and he gave a humble bow "Thank you sir, I'm glad my skills speak for themselves."

The monk shrugged. "Yes, that and not many masters made the cut. Most of them have gone back to fighting whether their kings want it or not. Why do you think there are only eight slots?"

Roshi fell over anime-style and after a moment, got up and groaned. "Well, that's not the most humiliating thing I've ever been told. I guess I'll see you in two weeks Mister…?" "The name is Orin, Master Orin to you."

Roshi sweat-dropped a bit and gave a quick bow. "Oh, of course sir, my apologies. Well, I'd better get going. Nimbus!" The mystic cloud zipped by as his master hopped on and sped out of sight. Orin watched him go with a shake of his head. The day a guy like that became a master was the day monkies learned martial arts.

…

The village of Heiwa had never known real conflict. They lived so far out that the various rulers over the years had never really paid them much mine. As a result, they paid little taxes and were never recruited for any wars that got started. Some didn't even have a clue what "war" meant. One can imagine their surprise then when a former General of the Rice Dynasty raced through their streets with Emperor Baht's mecha suit army on his heels.

"GET BACK HERE AKIO! YOU'LL SWEAR LOYALTY TO ME OR YOU'LL WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BEEN BORN!" This was the voice of Emperor Baht himself, who personally lead his troops from his custom made Mech suit. If anything positive was to be said about the little goblin, it was that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

"The only wish I plan to make is an end to your tyranny Baht!" Akio yelled back fearlessly "and here's what I plan to do it with!" The former General held up his prize in clear view of his pursuers: the Four-Star Dragon Ball. Despite months of close calls, false leads, and near death experiencies, he had managed to track down five of the magic orbs and his recent acquisition meant only one remained.

The sight made Baht angry and he began firing a spray of bullets at the rogue soldier, cursing him all the while. Akio was swift however and easily avoided the attack despite it's close proximity, The chase eventually came to the edge of a cliff, where a small plane bearing the Rice Dynasy symbol sat waiting. Furry had stolen it on the day of his defection and had been using it ever since. Luckily, there were plenty of rebels in the Dynasy's empire willing to shelter him and keep the plane well-mantanenced.

The humanoid dog leapt in his plane and shot off just before Baht's forces reached him. With a sigh of relief, he tossed the Dragon Ball towards the back of the plane, where it landed in an untidy pile with the rest. He turned to look at them and felt a smile cross his face when they began to glow. "It won't be long now" he said to himself "soon, the war will be over."

"that's one thing we agree on." Akio turned to the sound of the familiar voice and was shocked to see Emperor Baht on his plane's video screen. "What do you want Baht? Have you finally decided to grovel for my return?"

Baht only smiled. "I wouldn't sound so cocky if I were you my old friend. As it stands, I have something you may want." "You're mad!" Akio scoffed "there's nothing you offer me." "Nothing? Not even your precious family?"

The image on the screen flickered and was replaced by Baht's soldiers holding a female dog and her two young sons captive. Akio recongnised them immediately. "AYA!? JUNIOR!?"

The screen flickered back to Emperor Baht, whose smile had grown more viscious. "Looks like you forgot a few things when you betrayed me, doesn't it?" Akio was practically shaking with rage. "Just you wait Baht! There's only one Dragon Ball left and once I find it, I'll wish you out of existence!"

"Only one left you say? Dear me" Baht said mockingly "might it look something like this?" The Emperor held up a golden yellow orb with a single red star on it and Akio's anger gave way to horror. "The One-Star Ball,no!"

"If you want to see your family alive again, you will bring your Dragon Balls to my new castle in Kyouda." Baht ordered with a sneer "then you will use them to wish for my supreme dominion over Earth. If you fail to arrive within the next several days, your family will be executed, starting with the boy. I trust you will no be so careless with your choices this time."

The video screen went blank and Akio was left to wrestle with his emotions. He could not allow Baht to use the Dragon Balls but if he didn't, his wife and son would pay the price. They were the reason he served Baht in the first place, so how could he abandon them now? Steeling himself for what was to come, he rerouted his plane and set a course for Kyouda.

…

Roshi sat on the beach meditating but found himself unable to focus. His nerves had been eating at him ever since he'd returned from Papaya Island. What had he been thinking to enter this tournament? He'd seen his sister's crystal ball and knew how much the masters outstripped hm, as well as Orin so why?

'The fighter from Mifan' the martial artist thought grimly 'I don't even know who he is and yet, I felt as though I was destined to face him. It's clear that I'm still too green to be considered a true master like Mutaito. Even after all I've learned, there's something missing but what?'

Roshi suddenly sensed someone approaching the island…or at least he thought so. The chi was so faint that it almost wasn't there. He received a surprise when a small turtle appeared from the water and swam it's way to shore. When the turtle noticed Roshi, a frown crossed it's face.

"Hey,who are you and what are you doing on my island!?" "Your island!?" Roshi, already agitated, asked incredulously "look buddy, I've lived here for ten years and I've never seen any turtles around here!"

"I was away for mating season! Even so, that's no reason to trespass, I was only gone a century!" Roshi scoffed. "You expect me to believe a little thing like you is a hundred years old?" "Six hundred and eight" the turtle replied sharply "we have longer life spans than most and I've been on this island since I really was one hundred so clear out before I make you!"

Roshi fought back the urge to laugh. This little thing with barely any power at all was actually threatening him! "Look little fella, I don't want any trouble so why not just leave? I'm sure there's another island around here somewhere." The turtle didn't respond and instead stood on it's hind legs in a fighting stance.

Roshi sighed. "Alright then, if you insist on being stubborn…" The martial artist assumed his own half-hearted stance and motioned for the turtle to make the first move. The turtle responded by retracting his head and limbs into his shell, which seemed to hover in midair before performing a 180 degree turn and sending itself spinning towards Roshi.

The martial artist was so surprised he didn't have time to react. Before he knew it, Roshi was smacked in the face and sent tumbling to the ground. The turtle reemerged from his shell at the end of his assault and smirked. "Still think I'm a pushover? You're lucky I'm not a snapping turtle."

Roshi grunted as he picked himself up. "Alright, so you're tougher than you look but that trick won't work twice!" The martial artist throw a punch at the turtle, only to wince in pain as his fist connected with a hard shell. He grew frustrated and tried again and again with the same result. Whenever he attempted a blow to the turtle's head, the creature would simply retract it again.

Roshi began to grow tired. He was actually panting with exhaustion! 'It's unbelievable' he thought 'this turtle barely has any power and I can't land a hit! It's almost like…he's exactly who I need!'

With this revealation, Roshi stopped his attacks. The turtle however, merely pressed his advantidge. "Hey! Ow! Listen-ouch! Can't we talk for a second?" "Giving up won't help you!"

The turtle continued to slap the martal artist with his flippers. Roshi blocked as best he could but it was harder than expected. After several minutes of this, he was finally to duck down and perform a sweep kick. The surprised turtle was sent toppling down and landed on it's back.

"Hey, no fair! I can't get up! The turtle squirmed about helplessly for a few moments before Roshi smiled and helped him get up right. "I guess I win but you know, I am sorry. I had no idea anyone else lived here."

The turtle glared at Roshi for a brief moment but then, his expression softened. "Yeah, okay, I guess I understand that. I sometimes forget a century is a long time to some people. But did you really have to cut down so many trees?"

"Sorry again" Roshi muttered apoligeticly "but I needed a house. I can't live in a shell you know." The turtle chuckled. "You should give it a try sometime" he said "it's pretty cozy."

"And tough" Roshi added "where did you even learn to fight like that?" The turtle shrugged. "When you're slow, you gotta learn to survive."

"Well, you're very good at it" Roshi said with a chuckle "you were kicking my tail and you barely have any chi." The turtle raised an eyebrow, clearly not knowing what chi was. "Uh…thanks? You know, I usually don't pick fights, I was just really stressed out. My mate gave birth to a son just before I came here."

"You have a family? Well now, I feel even worse" Roshi groaned "I suppose asking you to teach me is out of the question?" "What,why?" "Because the world may depend on it."

Roshi proceeded to go into detail about the tournament and his stake in it. He even found himself opening up about his past and the battle against Piccolo. The turtle listened in solemn silence, finally shedding a tear when the martial artist finished his story. "That's the saddest story I've heard in a long time" he said "I'll help however I can but I don't think you can ever learn my moves. They aren't really for humans."

"That's okay" Roshi insisted "I just need to learn enough to improve my technique. Any wisdom you pass on will be helpful. By the way, you know my name but what's yours? I can't just call you 'turtle' if we do this."

The turtle thought of this for a moment. It seemed no one had ever asked him this before. Finally, he said "you can call me Umigame and as for wisdom, you might just need a shell after all."

And so, Roshi began training in earnest. He created a false turtle shell to add weight when he did his exercises and incorporated as much of Umigame's technique as he could into his own. By the end of two weeks, he was proficient in the newly dubbed "turtle style" and ready for the tournament.

When the big day came, Roshi awoke at dawn and bid farewell to Umigame. Despite only knowing one another a short while, a close friendship had blossomed between them. "Thank you for all your help" he said as he mounted Nimbus "I'm sorry I underestimated you before. You'd think I'd learn by now after three years of being trained by a cat."

"Don't worry about it" Umigame said with a chuckle "just go out there and win this thing will ya?" Roshi smiled resolutely and nodded. "I will" he said just as Nimbus ushered him away "that's a promise!"

…

The trip to Papaya Island was shorter than Roshi remembered. As he landed, he immediately noticed seven others standing before the gate and arguing with Orin. The big monk caught sight of him and said "ah good, the last entry has arrived. I will tell the Elders you are here and they will summon you when they are ready to begin."

Orin gave each fighter a respectful bow and disappeared behind the gate. The moment he did, seven of them turned to glare at the newest arrival. Roshi couldn't help but shrink under the gazes. The one from Mifan, the one whom he'd come to stop, seemed to glare at him the most underneath his hood.

One of the fighters, a big burly man with long golden hair and a matching beard, walked up to the martial artist and scoffed. "This is who they kept us waiting for? What a joke! Who exactly are you runt?"

Roshi gulped but did his best to gather his courage. "I am Roshi, master of the Turtle Style, who are you?" The man let out a condescending chuckle at the question. "Who am I? Why I am the legendary Yuki, master of the great Lion style and it's school. Surely you have heard the tales?"

Roshi actually had heard of someone named Yuki from Tsuru long ago. He was supposedly the best pupil of the old Lion School and Tsuru's chief rival for his father's affections. It was clear that he was the one who forced Tsuru to found his own school. Another fighter, a sultry looking woman with flaming red hair streaked with white hair, gave a scoff of her own and pulled Roshi from his thoughts.

"Nobody wants to hear more of your bragging you dumb ape! Besides, I think our new friend here is quite cute." The woman saunted over to Roshi and leaned in close, making him blush. Even in his old pervert days, he never could handle being oogled himself.

"I'm Kitsune, mistress of the Fox Style, but you can call me Kit" the female fighter whispered in Roshi's ear "I sure hope you and I aren't paired up. It would be such a shame to destroy such a handsome face." Roshi gulped once more and felt a nose bleed coming on when the gate opened up and Orin returned, four elderly monks trailing behind him.

Everyone suddenly stood at attention and bowed before the new arrivals. Roshi followed suit after a sharp glare from Orin. The oldest looking monk chuckled softly at the display and stepped forward. "Welcome fighters, to Papaya Island. We are the Elders and welcome you to the Grand Strength Budokai."

…

After days of travel, Akio had finally arrived in Kyouda. He was seized immediately by Baht's guards and taken to the palace. It was there that he was forced to kneel before his former emperor. The little blue goblin sneered down at him from his throne.

"Well, well, what have we here? It seems my little stray dog has returned to his master. I'm so relieved that they weren't forced to put you down." Baht's voice grew hard as he said this and a malicious gleam entered his eye. It was clear that he meant to intimidate his captor but Akio would not give him the satisfaction, continuing to stare in silence at the tile floor.

Before anything more could be said, a guard entered. "What is it!?" Baht snapped "I gave strict orders to be left alone with the prisoner!"

"Forgive me my Emperor" the guard said with a bow "but the men have arrived with the magical balls the traitor had in his possession." As if on cue, more guards entered, each one carrying a Dragon Ball. Baht's eyes lit up at the sight. "Splendid! Get the other one out and put them all in place."

The guards obeyed and placed the mystic orbs on the floor while another moved towards a pillar on the far side of the room. On top of this pillar sat a glass case in which the One-Star Ball sat on a velvet pillow. This, the final Dragon Ball, was the key to Emperor Baht's ultimate triumph.

Akio was able to steal a glace just as as all seven Dragon Balls were put in place. As they began to glow, his heart sank. He had failed everyone.

Baht turned back to his former general and walked over, giving him a violent kick in the side. "Get up! You have one last service to perform for me before you're punished for your treason!"

Akio finally looked up at his former Emperor, his gaze questioning. "Forgotten already?" Baht asked with a sneer "YOU collected most of these balls and YOU shall wish for my ultimate victory. If and ONLY if I am pleased with the results will I consider allowing you to live."

"NEVER!" Akio shouted as his fire returned "My life is worth it to keep you from ruling the Earth!" Baht did not grow angry at this defiance, but rather amused. "Your life might be, but what about your wife and son?"

Akio's rage gave way to horror at these words. In his anger, he had actually forgotten his reason for being there. "NO! My emperor, please spare them and take my life, they've done nothing to deserve this!"

"Ah, back to being loyal now, are we?" Baht asked with an evil chuckle "too little, too late! You will die for your treachery, but only after your wife and brat! However, I am feeling generous today…" So saying, Baht turned his gaze towards a guard. "Take the General to the same dungeon as his family" he ordered "let them spend their last night alive together!"

,,,

The Elders of Papaya Island lead the eight fighters to the courtyard of the temple, where a makeshift arena had been prepared. It was a simple dirt circle but much larger than anyone expected. If Roshi had to guess, he'd say it was at least as large as the ring at Mutaito's academy. The others were less than impressed.

"This is the ring?" Yuki scoffed "what a joke! A fighter of my caliber deserves better!" The others said nothing but the looks on their faces betrayed similar thoughts.

"It is not the size the ring that matters young warrior,but the soul of the fighters within" one of the Elders replied calmly "now please allow Orin to explain a few thngs. Orin, if you would?

The large monk nodded and turned to address the fighters. "This tournament was originally designed a way to broker peace between the warring kingdoms but because only a VERY select few actually EARNED the right to be here, many have chosen to ignore this edict. Therefore, the winner of this tournament will be selected to act as a diplomat and end this war through as peaceful means as possible. It's a task I suggest not taking lightly. Secondly, this tournament will last four days with two matches per day until the final rounds. The Elders have made arrangements with a nearby village to offer you lodgings for the remainder of your time here. Thirdly, there are to be no weapons allowed in this tournament and no killing. Finally, all matches will be chosen at random and only end when one fighter is beaten, gives up, or exits the ring. Any attempts ro violate these rules will be dealt with by me, understood?"

The fighters nodded though only Roshi seemed intimidated. He could swear Orin was looking straight at him during the whole speech! "The fighters for the first match will now be chosen" one of the elders suddenly announced as he gestured towards a large storage bin "step forward and pick a number. Whoever has corresponding numbers will be paired against each other. The fighters who win their matches will be part of the finals on the final day of the tournament."

Each fighter went up and drew their number as instructed. They then gave their numbers to the Elders and waited for a decision to be made. Finally, Orin stepped forward and announced "the first match will be Master Yuki against the Crane Master! Step into the ring and begin!"

Roshi froze when he heard those words. 'Did he just say Crane Master!? It can't be!' The Turtle Master knew these thoughts were in vain however when he saw the hooded fighter from Mifan step into the ring with Yuki. 'Of course' Roshi thought grimly as realization dawned on him 'how could I not have seen it before…!?'

A gong suddenly sounded and the match began. Yuki let out a roar and pounced much like his namesake but the Crane Master surprised him by raising his hands to his hooded face and yelling "SOLAR FLARE!" Instantly, a great flash of light erupted forth and blinded the Lion Master, who was so startled that he dropped to earth in mid-pounce.

Roshi scowled at the dirty tactic, remembering it from years ago. It was clear that Crane Master was just as he remembered. As he watched Yuki struggle to his feet, he found himself rooting for the arrogant Lion Master to win.

"So, you blinded me huh? What a cheap coward's trick!" Yuki snarled as he rubbed his blurry eyes "no matter, it will give me the opportunity to prove I can beat you with my eyes closed!" The Lion Master, his eyes actually closed,threw a barrage of punches that the Crane Master easily avoided before unleashing a roundhouse kick that sent the him flying.

Yuki almost went out of the ring but was able to stop himself at the last second. His vision restored, he glared at the Crane Master. "I can see again now weakling, so consider that kick a free shot. It's the only one you'll have!"

The Lion Master assumed a power-up stance, his muscles bulging slightly as he did so. "Lion's Roar!" A beam or orange chi erupted from Yuki's mouth as he cried out, zeroing in on the Crane Master. The hooded fighter didn't budge this time.

Just as the attack struck, the Crane Master flickered out of existence. Roshi's jaw nearly dropped at the familiar ploy. 'It can't be' he thought 'was that the After-Image technique!?"

Yuki was just as shocked when the Crane Master was suddenly behind him…and angry. "Enough tricks, fight like a man!" The Crane Master merely smirked beneath his hood.

'Very well, but not before my grand finale.' Yuki's eyes widened at the sound of the voice in his head but was even more shocked by the Crane Master crossing his arms over his chest and causing a duplicate of himself to split from his body. Two more followed in short order until there were four Crane Masters. Each one surrounded Yuki in a tight circle and prevented him from escaping.

The Lion Master was horrified. "W-what are you!?"The Crane Master-all of them-remained silent. They merely smirked and launched themselves at Yuki, hammering him with all their might. By the time the four Crane Masters had merged back into one, the Lion Master fell to the floor in a crumpld heap.

A minute or so later, one of the Elders stepped forward. "Master Yuki has been defeated" he announced "Crane Master has won the bout and will advance! Let Masters Kitsune and Ochiro ener the ring for the next bout!"

The Crane Master gave a bow and exited the ring while Kitsune and the hulking Rhino Master took their places. Roshi made no effort to focus on the fight, instead watching the hooded fighter briskly exit the courtyard. Fustrated, he approached Orin. "You're not going to stop him!?"

The big monk raised an eyebrow. "What for? He won his fight for the day and none of you really have to stay after that. Personally, I'd prefer it if YOU didn't stay at all."

"Crane Master shouldn't even be allowed to compete! He blinded his opponent and used ruthless tactics to win!" Roshi protested, ignoring Orin's insult.

"Ruthless? Yes. Illeagal? No." Orin countered "he did nothing to violate the rules set for this tournament. If you have such a problem with him, I suggest working hard enough so that you'll face him in the future." With that, the big monk turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving Roshi to fume.

"Oh, I plan to" the Turtle Master muttered to himself "count on it!" A loud yell suddenly caught Roshi's attention and he turned back to the ring to see Kitsune hurl Ochiro out. The Fox Master may have been petite but she was clearly stronger than she looked. Roshi was quite Impressed.

Kitsune bowed to the Elders and left the ring, winking at Roshi as she passed him. The Turtle Master felt a blush enter his cheeks. "…Though I can't help but feel it might be a bit more complicated than I originally thought."

…

As Roshi contemplated his next move, so did Akio. The former General waited in his cell until the guards, as lazy as they were ruthless, had fallen asleep on duty. He then signaled his family to stop pretending to be asleep on the other side of the cell and approach him.

"We don't have much time" Akio told his wife "If my plan works, Baht will be distracted for a few days but you must leave now if you're to have any chance of escape." So saying, the blue dog turned towards a nearby wall and pressed down on a certain spot. The entire wall slid aside to reveal a dark passageway.

"My grandfather once served under a previous ruler of Kyouda" Akio explained to his surprised wife "when I was a boy, he showed me this passage and how it lead to a series of underground tunnels that the king would use to escape in times of revolt. If I'm right, this should lead you outside. Once tthere, head to the forest and there will be a plane waiting to take you and Junior to safety."

Aya glanced towards the passageway and back to her husband, eyes clouded with worry and fear. "But what about you? How will you escape?"

Akio's face turned grim. "Navigating the tunnels will take several days' time" he said "I must keep Baht distracted during that time. If it's meant to be, we'll find each other again someday."

"NO!" Aya exclaimed as tears fell from her eyes "Baht's kept our family apart long enough! I won't leave you!"

"You must" Akio replied, his voice gentle but firm as he clutched his wife's shoulders "it's the only way you'll be safe." The former general then kneeled down and called out "Junior, come here."

The small blue dog hesitantly released his grip on his mother's dress and walked up to his father to be embraced in a hug. A moment later, he began to sob. Akio patted his back gently and did his best to calm him.

"Don't be afraid now my son" Akio said in a hushed voice "the time has come for you to be strong. If anything does happen to me today, you must look after your mother and protect her. Can you do that?"

Junior nodded his head slowly. As though he was unsure. Akio merely chuckled. "I know you can" he said sincerely before planting a kiss on the boy's forehead "now hurry, we don't have much time."

Aya and her son rushed out of the cell and down the passage as quickly as they could. The minute he was sure they were out of sight, Akio sealed the passage and turned to pick up a small pebble. He threw the pebble at the door of his cell with just enough force to wake the sleeping guard. "Wake up! I want you to tell the Emperor I must see him immediately."

A few minutes later, the former General was kneeling before Baht, secretly praying that his family hadn't looked back. He'd been lucky enough that the dimwitted guard had released him without noticing the absence of two prisoners but now came the true test in ensuring their survival: outwitting the head of the Rice Dynasty. Though arrogant, the Emperor was as cunning as he was ruthless.

"So Akio, I take it you have finally come to your senses? Otherwise, I see no justification for you waking me at this unholy hour. Don't you know the importance of beauty sleep!?"

Akio resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the goblin's vanity. "Forgive me my lord but I have indeed seen the error of my ways. It will be an honor to aid you in the ultimate conquest. But I fear I mislead you on the nature of the Dragon Balls."

This caught Baht's attention and he leaned forward in his throne, eyes narrowing dangerously. "And how exactly was I mislead Akio? You gather them and get a wish, correct?"

"Well yes, but in my travels, I came across another part of the legend that states they must be gathered in a certain spot to work, many hundred miles west of here." Akio told this lie with a straight a face as he could muster as Baht studied him. Everything was riding on the goblin's next sentence.

"You could be lying" Baht said after what felt like an eternity "but why would you? You're far too smart to try anything after I defeated you so easily." Akio gave a relieved sigh under his breath. He could always trust the Emperor to be overconfident in the face of victory.

"You there, Guard!" Baht snapped "bring me a map of the territory and be quick about it! We must plot our next course of action, and I do mean course." The Emperor chuckled at his own bad joke while the guard rushed to grant his request.

The guard returned a few minutes later with a map of the Kyoudai territory. Baht studied it feverishly for a few minutes before he came to a stopping point. "Of course, the Forest of Might! The very forest from which the warrior who founded Kyouda lived with his clan. I can't think of a more fitting location."

Baht turned his attention to Akio and forced him to look at the map. "The Forest is the farthest thing west in this territory. Tell me Akio, is this the spot you mentioned?" Akio gazed at the map for a long moment, taking note of the distance involved before nodding vigorously.

"Hmmm…it will take several days time even with our fastest aircraft" Baht mused, secretly confirming his former General's hopes "but it matter not! We leave tonight!"

…

The next day on Papaya Island, Roshi reported for his first fight against Master Anaco, the Cobra Master. Anaco was known for swift and leathel attacks that made him a credit to his namesake. His most famous move was his Venom Punch, which could block chi and paralyze body parts for at least an hour. Roshi knew he would go for the kill straight away.

The gong sounded and this was proven true as Anaco lunged forward to use his Venom Punch. The Turtle Master wasn't proud of it but he found himself copying the Crane Master and using the After-image technique at the last moment. The Cobra Master couldn't stop himself and tripped out of bounds. This trick was noticed by Wani, the thickly muscled and bald master of the Crocodile Style and eventually, the winner of the day's second match. 'This Roshi and Crane Master are not like the others' he thought as he exited the ring 'I'll have to be a bit more clever if I'm to win.'

The third day was a momentous occasious as Master Usagi of the Rabbit style faced Master Toro of the Tiger Style in the semi-final round. Toro was similar to Yuki in terms of boasting and aggression while Unagi was uncharacteristicly meek for a man in his profession but was famous for a speed. Their opposing natures and the symbolic mismatch of their very fighting styles guaranteed an interesting bout.

The gong sounded and Usagi immediately flew into a panic. He began darting around the ring in a desperate attempt to escape the attacking Tiger Master. The two eventually crashed into each other and were sent flying out of the ring, disqualifying them both. An interesting bout indeed.

A moment later, the Elders gathered the remaining fighters together for an important announcement. "Tomorrow will be the final round of our grand tournament" the leader announced "you four will face each other for the ultimate prize of being Earth's champion. The matches will be as followed: Roshi vs. Kitsune and Wani vs. Crane Master. The winners of these bouts will face one another in a battle royale. Go now and spend your last night as friends because what happens tomorrow cannot be undone."

The four fighters bowed and left to do as instructed. As they walked however, Roshi winced as a very familiar voice entered his head. 'They're right you know, what happens tomorrow can't be undone and I intend to do what I should have done years ago!'

That evening, Roshi returned to the island village he currently stayed at and went to the local tavern. His nerves were on edge about tomorrow and drink was the only thing that would calm them. Unfortunately, his opponent had similar ideas and slid up to him coyly on the stool next to his.

"Putting it away pretty hard there aren't you? Kitsune commented as the Turtle Master finished his second drink "you better be careful. I want you nice and alert for tomorrow."

Roshi did his best not to blush at this comment, or reveal how turned on he was by the female fighter. "They've been watered down well enough" he said as he gestured towards his empty mug "I shouldn't even be here really. I took a vow ten years ago to give up material pleasures like alchohol but my nerves got the best of me tonight."

"And why is that? Nervous about facing a woman?" Kitsune asked playfully "don't be. I've fought plenty of men in my time and I think you'll find me quite a challenge. I don't intend to hold back even if you are cute."

"Oh, I know better than to underestimate women" Roshi replied as cooly as he could "but there's a lot riding on this tournament and the pressure is almost unbearable." Kitsune looked at him sympayheticly for a moment before a more seductive gleam entered her eyes. "Poor thing…let me see if I can ease some of that stress for you."

The Fox Master suddenly stood up and began massaging Roshi's shoulders. As she leaned in close, he could feel her hot breath on his neck and his life flashed before his eyes, specifically his old pervert life. It began with the time he was about eight and accidently wandered into the women's side of the village bathing house during one of his parents' many boring social functions and ended with his firstst few years under Mutaito. In those days, he would regularly challenge the female students to spar as an excuse to pat bottoms or touch breasts. The later would sometimes lead to gi tops being ripped and leaving these breasts on full display.

Then, there came the nose bleeds, which lead to bleeding in other places and Mutaito enforcing a strict rule against intergender sparring. It was these memories that reminded Roshi of the reason he lead his current lifestyle and he abruptly wrenched himself from Kitsune's pleasing grasp, abelt half-heartedly.

"I'm sorry" he said "believe me, I really am, but this is really inappriate given our current relationship. We're rivals and we must try to treat each other as such until the tournament ends. Besides, while you are certainly attractive, I view you simply as a fellow warrior and not some sorts of means to satisfy my physical needs." Many, many years down the road, when Roshi reaccounted this story to Goku and the rest of his closest friends, they wouldn't believe their ears, but the young Roshi was perfectly seriously, even though he was regretting it the whole time.

To her credit, Kitsune wasn't angry, but amused at his efforts. "You're no fun" she said with a playful pout "guess I'll have to teach you how to relax after I kick your butt tomorrow." The female fighter excused herself then and Roshi couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm quite looking forward to that."

…

Kitsune walked confidently through the deserted streets to the home she was currently boarding at. It was quite a distance from the tavern but she had nothing to fear. One didn't gain a reputation as one of Earth's strongest women without bashing in the heads of a few would-be rapists along the way.

She was so accustomed to beating would-be preadators that when she heard footsteps behind her, the Fox Master instinctively fell into a fighting stance as she turned around. What she didn't expect to find was the Crocodile Master leering at her with a grin like his namesake. "Out late tonight, aren't you Kitsune?"

"I shoud say the same to you. You don't exactly look like the night owl type" Kitsune noted, only slightly relaxing her stance. Wani's grin widened.

"Not owl, crocodile, remember?" The martial artist chuckled at his own bad joke and Kitsune rolled her eyes. "Why are you really here? You should know I'm not the type to need an escort."

Wani's eyes narrowed just slightly then, a dangerous glint appearing in them. "Are you sure? You can never be certain what's out there, waiting and watching…just itching to take a BITE out of you!"

The Crocodile Master suddenly leaped forward, drawing a knife from pocket of his gi pants. He slashed downward, only to be disarmed with a swift kick and flipped over his target's shoulder onto his back not a second later. Kitsune looked at him with a mix of distain and pity. "A knife, really? I could handle that move after my first week under Master Suwan. From the stories I'd heard, I thought you'd be more creative than this."

Wani got to his feet and chuckled slightly. "How odd, you don't seem at all surprised that I tried this. Am I really that predictable?"

"Like I said, I've heard things, obviously more than those monks have, or else they'd never have let you in this tournament. At the very least, I'll get the satisfaction of beating you a day early." Kitsune said a smirk as she readjusted her stance.

Wani assumed a power-up stance and chuckled again. "You can try." He began concentrating until his eyes began to glow a bright red, instantly becoming more narrow. At the same time, his skin turned green, becoming tough and scaly while his teeth became razor sharp. In this powered up state, he had secured victory over his opponent, Master Ruijin'en of the Ape Style, and was nearly twice as strong. Kitsune was unafraid however.

"And I thought you couldn't get any uglier." Wani roared in the face of this insult and lunged, opening his jaws wide in an effort to literally take a bite out of his rival. The Fox Master waited until the last moment to perform a graceful summersault through the air, narrowly avoiding her attacker and flipping over his back as he landed face first first on the ground.

"So are we done warming up yet? I'm in the mood to get serious" Kitsune taunted as she assumed her own power-up stance. Her body soon started to glow bright with pink chi as she jumped up and performed a flying kick. "Nine-tails Kick!"

Her attack struck Wani hard in the chest and sent him flying into a nearby wall. His thick hide absorbed all the damage however and he was soon on the attack again. The two Masters were soon trading blows at a furious pace. Though he was exceptionably durable now, the Crocodile Master found Kitsune was faster, more agile, and stronger than he expected. He wasn't dominating the fight like he usually did after transforming and it frustrated him.

This frustration came to a boil when Kitsune hammered him with a series of punches and followed up with a long range chi attack. "Vixen Bolt!" The bright pink beam erupted from out stretched fingers and managed to catch Wani in the shoulder as he attempted to dodge, causing him to yell out in pain. He clutched his injured shoulder and was surprised to feel something wet. A quick look at his hand revealed it was blood.

"YOU…YOU MADE ME BLEED! NOBODY MAKES ME BLEED WHEN I'M IN THIS STATE!" Wani bellowed in rage and disbelief. Kitsune merely smirked.

"Looks like I just did hon, but don't look so surprised. I did beat the Rhino Master after all." Wani was shaking with anger now. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU-!" A powerful chi blast suddeny landed between the two fighters, creating a large crater between them. They looked up to see the hooded figure of Crane Master hovering above them in silence.

The mysterious fighter slowly floated towards the two rivals like a sort of phantom. He landed in front of Wani and wordlessly pulled him behind him. "Well, what do we have here?" Kitsune asked with a smirk "looks like mean old mr. Crocodile has a bodyguard. Too afraid to take on a woman alone?"

Wani growled in response and was ready to attack again but Crane Master continued to hold him back. Kitsune chuckled at the sight. "Well, I'll be glad to take you both out, might make a halfway decent warmup for tomorrow anyway."

The Fox Master rushed forward and prepared to deliver a chop to the Crane Master's neck. The hooded fighter assumed a strange stance then and his body began glowing with bright green chi. He thrust his hands forward, palms open, and Kitsune suddenly froze!

"Finish her!" Wani jerked back in surprise at the sound of the strange new voice. After a moment, he peered at the Crane Master with slightly widened eyes. "Hey, you can talk! Then how come-?" "NOW!"

Wani didn't bother to ask any more questions and ran towards his opponent. He was ready to lay her out with a quick punch when he caught sight of her face, contorted into a mask of extreme pain. For a moment, Wani felt a rare stab of guilt but pushed it aside. He had come too far to question the Crane Master now.

Kitsune was knocked out with one hit, the pained look on her face fading as she was. Crane Master approached a moment later to inspect Wani's handiwork. "A moment longer and I would have lost my hold on her! Do you want this plan of ours to succeed or not!?"

"Of course I do! I just wasn''t expecting you to speak after all this time or that kind of trick. What was that anyway?" Wani asked the Crane Master while trying not to sound nervous.

"Telekenesis" the hooded fighter responded "the royal family of Mifan are naturally gifted in psychic techniques and taught me when I joined their court. Admittably, I'm not that proficient in any of them except telepathy but I know enough to be useful against my enemies." Wani nodded numbly while still looking unsure at Kitsune's prone figure.

"She looked to be in such pain" the Crocodile Master noted "is being paralysed really that bad?" The Crane Master shrugged indifferently. "A little damage to the internal organs can't do much to a woman like her. Now hurry, we must prepare the raft before morning comes."

The two martial artists carried Kitsune's body to the shore and placed her on the raft in question. She was to be set adrift towards some other neighboring island and taken in until the tournament was over, along with Roshi. It would then be down to the Crane Master and Wani, who would throw the fight in exchange for a high rank in Mifan's army. This was the deal that had been worked out when the two more infamous participants in the tournament had come together just the day before. Wani had no desire to be any ambassador of peace but he could definitely live with working under someone who had such great influence in one of the world's mightiest kingdoms.

"So, what's the plan for Roshi? He's obviously going to be stronger than her and she was no slouch." Wani pointed out as they finished securing Kitsune with rope. The Crane Master didn't respond and his partner looked up to realize he was gone.

The Crocodile Master looked around in confusion but saw no sign of the hooded martial artist. He suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and began backing up nervously even as he assumed a defensive stance. "Crane Master, where are you? This isn't funny!"

Wani suddenly felt himself bump into something behind him and received a swift chop to the neck before he was even aware of it. Down he went, leaving the Crane Master to stand over his unconscious form. "Apoligies Wani, but your usefulness has come to an abrupt end. The only one fit to deal with Roshi is me, as it always has been."

The mysterious fighter reached into his cloak and pulled out a vial of strange brown liquid. It had taken much gold and several weeks worth of waiting to procure it from a self proclaimed alchemist in Mifan, but it would all be woth it. Hidden by his hood, an evil smirk stretched out across the Crane Master's lips.

He quickly made his way to the tavern and slipped in through the back door, years of assassin training with his brother making him virtually undetectable to the staff. He saw the keg from which the drinks were being served was unattended and knew it was time to make his move. Approaching the keg from one side, the mysterious fighter took a stance and began focusing his chi. Once this was done, he performed a swift slicing motion with a single, glowing finger. This punctured a hole in the side of the keg that would go unnoticed but proved just large enough to pour the contents of the vial inside.

The Crane Master chuckled as his plan was set in motion. Roshi would surely convince himself to have one more drink before settling up for the night and once he did, the potion would take effect and cause him to become as drunk as possible no matter how watered down his drink was! The potion was also made to be tasteless, odorless, and virtually undetectable. No one would suspect any trickery and Roshi would forever shame himself before the masters of the world.

With these thoughts in mind, the mysterious fighter vanished into the night just before a group of waitresses approached the keg. Roshi was indeed one of there customers and though he had sensed Crane Master's presence, he dismissed it as nerves before tossing back his last drink of the night. He payed his tab and quietly left the tavern for his current lodgings, feeling just a little light headed as he did.

The next day, the Elders of Papaya Island were in an uproar as three of their finalists had gone missing. The Crane Master stood in the shadows, silently observing as they instructed Orin to form a search party and growing impatient. If Roshi didn't appear soon, all his plans would be for nothing! His wish was granted a moment later when a clearly intoxicated Turtle Master staggered into the courtyard and looked around in a confused daze.

"Hey, where is everybody?" Roshi drawled out "is the tournament over? Did I win?" The sight of the drunk martial artist drew many angry and annoyed glares, particularly from Orin. "You" the big monk ground out through clenched teeth "why am I not surprised by this? I knew you were unfit to be here from the start! I should destroy you myself for disgracing us this way!"

The intoxicated Roshi was not intimidated however and merely scoffed. "You and what army? I'm sick of your insults! It's time you and me had it out!" The Turtle Master hurled a weak punch that missed it's target and tripped in the process, tripping and falling on his face in the process.

Orin roughly pulled Roshi to his feet and lifted him up by the collar. He then cocked back his huge fist in preparation for a punch of his own. "I won't lie" the big monk said with a sneer "I'm really going to enjoy this!"

"ENOUGH!" The sharp reprimand of the wisest Elder rang throughout the courtyard "I will not have two warriors disgrace this place today. Now is not the time for petty bickering!"

Orin hesitated a bit, then gave a solemn nod. He dropped Roshi roughly on the floor then excused himself at his master's silent command. The Elder then fixed the Turtle Master with a stern glare as the later drunkenly got to his feet. "I won't bother with a lecture but I will say I am disappointed. To think Mutaito always spoke so highly of you when he wrote to us."

This statement was enough to get through the fog of Roshi's intoxicated mind, in only for a minute. "Huh? You knew-!" The other Elders approached the Turtle Master from behind and roughly shoved him into the ring. The Elder who reprimanded him stood outside and motioned for Crane Master to enter the circle as well.

"In light of recent events, the Tournament will proceed as follows: Turtle Master and Crane Master will face one another for three rounds, best two out of three wins. Each round will last one hour and be determined by either a knock out, one fighter giving up, or the amount of damage you inflict on your opponent before your time's up. Are you ready?"

Crane Master nodded while Roshi just looked confused. The Elder looked directly at the later and said "whatever happens now, you brought upon yourself. Perhaps this will teach you the importance of proper conduct. Begin!"

The sound of the gong echoed throughout the courtyard as the Crane Master struck, rushing forward and delivering an open palm strike to Roshi's chest, roughly pushing him backwards. The intoxicated Turtle Master stumbled a bit but surprisingly did not leave the ring. "Oh, you wanna get rough huh? Okay then, bring it on tough guy!"

Roshi took a comical stance that only seemed to showcase his drunken state. Crane Master, not even bothering to even pretend to be serious, calmly walked forward and took a swing at his foe. To his great shock however, it missed. Roshi had actually managed to evade the attack by stumbling around in a drunken stupor!

To add further insult, Roshi began frailing his arms about in wild swings and actually hit Crane Master. When the hooded fighter tried to attack again, the Turtle Master stumbled back out of his grasp and continued to land wild, unfocused hits. This continued for several minutes until Roshi proceeded to get down on all fours and begin growling at his opponent like an angry dog. Everyone was confused by this bizarre beheavior and even Crane Master was getting nevous.

'Roshi's gone mad! This can't have anything to do with the potion I gave him' the hooded fighter thought franticly 'can it? ' He tried to remember what the alchemist had told him before he left Mifan, how the potion would have a rather adverse effect on the victim right before wearing off. Crane Master guessed this was it.

Roshi continued to growl as he approached his opponent like a circling predator then leaped forward and actually bit Crane Master on the leg. The hooded fighter gave a loud cry of pain and began cursing as he tried to shake his foe off. The watching monks began to laugh out loud at the spectacle and even the Elders had a hard time keeping a straight face. Crane Master was eventually able to kick Roshi away but before he could attack, the gong sounded.

"Time! Because Crane Master barely managed to land a hit, Turtle Master is the winner of the first round" Orin announced on behalf of the Elders. Crane Master was livid, unable to believe how his plan had backfired. Roshi merely crumpled to the ground in a heap, snoring loudly as sleep overcame him.

When Roshi awoke an hour or so later, his mind was clear. He remembered everything that had been done to him and who was responsible. Ignoring the pleas of the monks telling him he needed more rest, he marched into the courtyard to inform the Elders he was ready for the second round. Moments later, he once again faced his hooded rival in the dirt circle.

"You can take off that ridiculous disguise now" Roshi said with roll of his eyes even as he took his stance "I know who you are." The Crane Master scoffed and removed his hooded cloak to reveal Tsuru. The former pupil of Mutatio looked roughly the same as he had a decade ago, save for the noticible beginnings of a moustache on his features. Roshi could also sense that his heart had grown darker since his time away though that in itself was obvious.

"Took you long enough Roshi" Tsuru said with a sneer "what gave me away? Taking off my cloak just now?" Roshi immediately felt his anger rise at this remark. He'd forgotten how easy it was for his old rival to get to him.

"Shut up! I've known it was you this whole time and you knew that I knew! What I don't know is why you joined up with a country like Mifan. From what I hear, the people are descended from vampires!"

"Jiang Shi if you please" Tsuru replied cooly "and I could care less! Their mental powers are the most incredible the world has ever seen,not to mention that they are somehow virtually ageless. If I can become the Emperor's right hand after he wins this war, those secrets can be mine!"

"Even if it means such bloodshed? You're worse than before!" Roshi cried out in disgust.

Tsuru merely smirked. "If by 'worse', you mean 'even stronger' then you're right. I've learned things in the past few years our old master could only dream of! You'll see soon enough, I promise."

With these words, the Crane Master assumed a fighting stance. "Yeah, I guess I will" Roshi muttered as he did the same. The gong soon sounded and a rivalry was resumed.

The two were evenly matched at first, trading blows at a speed only the Elders could follow. When they started using the after image technique, even Orin was impressed. Roshi and Tsuru eventually tired however and stopped to catch their breaths.

"Not so easy when you don't have the advantidge of cheating is it? Hell, you couldn't even beat me after getting me drunk" Roshi taunted with pleasure. Tsuru grit his teeth in anger and the Turtle Master grinned. It felt good to leave his rival flustered for a change.

Tsuru next moved on to using his bizarre four arms technique, which Roshi later learned was called "the Four Witches" technique. Four fists came flying at the Turtle Master in a blind rage and he dodged each one. Roshi then proceeded to use an odd little technique he invented while training with Umigame. "Rock…" he began while nailing Tsuru with a quick punch to the face, followed by an open palm strike to the same area. "Paper…scissors!" The third and final move in the set was poking both of the opponent's eyes with two fingers extended from the same hand. It was something Roshi had seen in countless comedy films that always made him laugh.

Tsuru however, was in no mood for such games and slapped the attack away before it reached him. "I'm still wearing shades you idiot!" "You stole that look from me!" Roshi accused as he took a power-up stance. He bulked up to his Seventy-Five Percent Power form and began trading blows with his rival once more, even landing a vicious head butt at one point. The Crane Master was quicker than expected however and actually managed to catch a punch.

"You really have improved Roshi" Tsuru said with a mocking sneer "I'm almost impressed." The Crane Master squeezed his rival's hand in a vice like grip, making Roshi cry out in pain. He then shocked the Turtle Master by powering up and lifting into the air.

"You can fly!?" Roshi gasped out as his rival continued going higher. Tsuru laughed. "I told you things had changed from our days with Master Mutaito. It's a pity you didin't have the sense to follow me!"

The Crane Master then proceeded to spin Roshi about in the air before hurling him to the earth below. The Turtle Master landed in the center of the ring with a groan and struggled to get up as Tsuru hovered over him like a bird of prey.

"Heh, this is the most fun I've had in a long time. Pity it has to end but here's a little something to make it memorable" Tsuru called out as he extended his pointer finger. Instantly, it began to glow with bright yellow chi. "This is something my brother and I developed together, the signature technique of the Crane School: Dodonpa!"

The powerful yellow beam shot out of Tsuru's finger and zeroed in on the ring below. It didn't strike Roshi but instead created an explosion next to him, sending him to the far edge of the ring and almost out of the bounds. The Turtle Master was fighting to keep from blacking out. "I…I give up!"

The gong sounded and Roshi was again carried away by monks to heal. He lay on a small bed, battered and bruised with a massive headache. His resolve however, was unbreakable.

'I cannot lose the final round!' Roshi thought 'but Tsuru's new moves and power of flight are like nothing I was prepared for. How can I defeat someone whose advanced so far?'

"The answer, my young friend, is to simply advance yourself." Roshi sat up with a start, ignoring the pain it caused him. The mysterious voice had not only read his thoughts but was eerily familiar. He turned and was shocked to see Master Mutaito standing before him. "Hello Roshi, it's good to see you."

"You can't really be here, can you!?" Roshi gasped out "you're dead! You've been dead for over ten years."

Mutaito nodded. "Yes, and I still am, as you can plainly see." Roshi peered closer and saw his old mentor pointing to the halo hovering above his head. All the Turtle Master could think to say was "What, no wings and a harp?"

Mutaito crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "After all you've witnessed in your life time, you really doubt this is possible? You who trained under the cat God of Martial Arts to defeat a Demon King?"

Roshi couldn't argue that but he still had more questions. "But how? Why are you here?" His old mentor smiled softly then.

"You can thank your sister for that" he said "she has recently become a part-time assistant to King Yemma and convinced him to implement a system that allows good, worthy souls to return to the living world for one day. Thanks to my sacrifice to defeat Piccolo, I am the first to benefit from this new system. As for why I'm here, it's to help you."

"You've come back to defeat Tsuru?" Roshi asked hopefully even as Mutaito shook his head. "No Roshi, that is still your destiny and yours alone. I am here to help you realize your potential and to give you this." So saying. The old master tossed a senzu bean at Roshi, who caught it on instinct and looked at it in wonder. It had been so long since he'd seen one, having used the last of his supply from Korin five years ago.

"But Master, the final round is going to start soon! How can I learn all you have to teach me in such a short time!?" Mutaito chuckled lightly at Roshi's question. "All you need to know is to look within yourself for the strength you need. Good Luck."

"Wait, what!?" Roshi exclaimed as his master turned on his heel to leave "that's it!? What about helping me realize my full potential!?"

"I've done all I can" Mutaito said with a shrug "the rest is up to you." With that, the old master was gone, leaving his former student dumbstruck. For several moments, all Roshi could do was stare with his jaw hanging open.

"What do you mean 'all you can'!? YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Roshi shouted in a rage, even though his old mentor couldn't hear.

A monk suddenly entered the room from the opposite way Mutaito had come. "Hey, quiet down back here! You're expected in two minutes."

The monk turned and left without waiting for a reply, leaving Roshi to stare dejectedly at the senzu in his hand. "Well, at least he gave me this" the Turtle Master said with a frustrated sigh "might as well go down fighting." He swallowed the mystic bean in one gulp and was revitalized instantly. This usually filled him with a sense of confidence but now, he knew it wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to win, he would have to go all out.

He entered the courtyard and resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Tsuru gave him a polite bow. Of course he would lay it on thick during the very last round. Roshi could tell the Elders were smarter than his rival gave them credit for but just to play it safe, he returned the gesture. It was as fake and mechanical as humanly possible on both sides but it apparently satisfied the Elders because the gong was heard shortly after.

Roshi started by immediately assuming a power-up stance. "You brought this on yourself" he grunted at Tsuru through clenched teeth as he gathered his chi. A moment or so later, the Turtle Master's muscles burst through his shirt as he reached his Max Power state. He looked over at his rival, half expecting him to be intimidated and the other half expecting Tsuru to go through a similar change. Neither happened.

"That's impressive" Tsuru said sarcasticly "too bad Fanfan wasn't here to see it." The mention of his lost love struck a nerve with Roshi and barreled towards his rival in a rage. He was pleasantly surprised however when the ensuing fight started out in his favor. The Turtle Master had never been able to overcome the speed handicap that came with his powered-up form but luckily, Tsuru wasn't that much faster than he was. New confidence filled Roshi at the thought of having an edge over his rival for the first time.

"C'mon Tsuru, why don't you just fly away with your great new power? Running away when things get tough is what you do after all." Despite his taunting however, Roshi could feel himself weakening. It had been a while since he'd spent so long at Max Power and his engorged muscles were burning with fatigue.

Tsuru seemed to sense this and scoffed at his insult. "I don't need to run Roshi, not when there's strength in numbers!" Using the Multi-form technique, the Crane Master created four duplicates of himself. All five of them began firing chi blasts from both hands in rapid succession, looking to overwhelm their longtime rival.

Roshi arrempted to evade the assault but was too slow and caught most of the blasts. This, combined with the strain of having been at Max Power for so long, caused him to revert to his normal state. Tsuru laughed triumphantly as his duplicates became one with him again.

"This has been fun Roshi, just like the old days. So much fun in fact that I've decided to finish it with an old favorite: the Tri-beam!" The Crane Master cupped his hand in the familiar way and began charging his old trademark move. Roshi could sense the amount of power behind it wasn't enough to kill him but it would definitely put him down for the count.

The Turtle Master would've normally started to panic at this point but not now. He worked too hard to give up now. The one thing he had going for him now was that Tsuru was charging his Tri-beam slowly, to make his rival sweat a bit before the end. This gave Roshi a small window of time to figure out a countermove.

'There's no way I can dodge' the Turtle Master concluded 'I can't move fast enough and levitating is out of the question. I could try that kiai move that Orin used on me but I've no clue how. It looks like the only way to even have a chance at winning is to fight back. Master Mutaito said I would find the strength I need if I look inside. I hope he was right.'

With these thoughts in mind, Roshi closed his eyes, though his shades hid this, and began to concentrate. He searched deep within himself and found there was indeed something great there. This power, if tapped a decade prior, might have been enough to defeat Piccolo without Mutaito's sacrifice. Roshi hoped it was enough now.

The Turtle Master took hold of the power and sent it through his body. Prompted by some unknown force, he began moving his arms in rapid sweeping motions before cupping his hands to his right side. Already, he could feel the bright blue ball of chi starting to expand between his hands.

Tsuru noticed his rival's odd beheavior and scowled. 'What are you up to Roshi?' Crane Master thought 'I can sense your power being focused into one spot. You're a fool if you think that will help!'

Roshi could actually hear these thoughts but ignored them in favor of continuing to charge his new attack. He once again felt prompted to give it a name but what? He quickly remembered the name of his style and a name instantly popped into his mind. He began uttering each syllable slowly in the form of a chant: "Ka…me…ha…me…"

The ball of blue chi expanded with each syllable, as did the power behind it. Tsuru sensed it and actually started to panic for the first time in a long while. 'Where did he get such power!?' Roshi heard this thought as well but didn't answer. Instead, he extended his hands and uttered the last syllable of his attack's name: "…Ha!"

A massive wave of blue chi erupted from the Turtle Master's hands just as Tsuru fired his Tri-beam in a panic. The two blasts met in the middle and began pushing against one another. Roshi and Crane Master poured every last bit of strength they had into the duel until one overpowered the other and a great flash occurred. When it faded, Roshi stood tall, though he felt like he could collapse any minute, and Tsuru lay in a crumpled heap outside the ring.

The gong sounded triumphantly as an Elder approached the Turtle Master. "The budokai is over, Master Roshi is our champion!" Cheers rang out from the monks and even Orin seemed to approve but this went unnoticed by Roshi. He was too busy staring out at the back of the courtyard. There, in the shadows, he could see Mutaito staring back at him. His sister Baba floated beside the old master, loking noticibly less sour than usual. This, coupled with the affirming nod from his mentor, brought a smile to Roshi's lips. Maybe he truly was worthy of being a Master after all.

As the two otherworldly visitors faded from sight however, Roshi's mood darkened. He realized there was still some loose ends that needed tying up. The Turtle Master excused himself from the Elder's presence and walked over to his recovering rival. "Alright Tsuru, talk! I want some answers on what happened here today."

"You mean you wish to humiliate me further by having me admit you beat me?" Crane Master sneered "how unbecoming of a champion like yourself Roshi." The Turtle Master was not amused. To avoid causing a scene, he replied telepathicly: 'you know what I mean, where are the others? Where are Wani and Kitsune?'

'Those fools? I sent them adrift last night. They should be miles away by now' Tsuru replied, sounding smug even telepathicly. Roshi remained stoic however, knowing he still had a chance to save them. 'One last question' he asked Tsuru 'where did you learn the after-image technique? Did you climb Korin's tower after all?'

'I'll never tell' Crane Master insisted stubbornly, unwilling to relive his incident with the Dark Nimbus. Roshi asked no more and rushed out of the temple to the confusion of the Elders, knowing time was of the essence. As he did, Tsuru sent him one last message: 'This isn't over Roshi! I will be your superior one way or another!'

Once outside the temple, the Turtle Master leaped high into the air and bellowed "Nimbus!" The magic cloud was under him just seconds before he landed. Roshi sat upon it, hovering in the air for several minutes, attempting to use his chi sensing abilities to hone in on his targets. He still hadn't mastered the skill and long distances made it especially difficult. After what felt like hours, he felt something but it was fading fast. It was obvious that they were on the move.

"Head in this direction Nimbus" Roshi ordered as he pointed North "back the way we came. Use as much speed as you possibly can!" The Turtle Master came to regret this command as he almost fell off the speeding mystic cloud but he kept his focus on finding his targets. He only hoped he wasn't too late to save them!

Roshi eventually found the raft only a few miles from his island home. He was surprised and mildly amused to find that Kitsune and Wani were sparring to pass the time. "If you're practicing for the tournament, sorry to say you're a bit late" he called down when he was close enough.

Kitsune had just kicked Wani backwards, nearly sending him off the raft, when she heard his call. She looked up at the smiling Turtle Master with wide eyes. "Roshi!? Are you…flying!?"

Roshi laughed and was about to reply when he noticed Wani behind her. The Crocodile Master had a dangerous gleam in his eye that one didn't get during a friendly spar. The Turtle Master's suspicions only become stronger when he noticed Wani charging a chi attack.

"Look out!" Kitsune turned around just in time to see the green chi wave approaching her. The Fox Master leaped into the air and deftly avoided the attack, letting it streak into the air and almost hit Nimbus. "Hey, watch it!"

The two fighters didn't respond, having become engrossed with their battle once more. Roshi noticed how hard they were going at it and decided that this was no spar but a true battle, possibly to the death. But why?

"Looks like Tsuru wasn't the only bad seed in the tournament Nimbus" the Turtle Master muttered after a moment "let's see if we can't score a second win today." Roshi leaped off the mystic cloud and landed directly between the two fighters just as the Crocodile Master was ready to charge Kitsune. "I'm surprised no one invited me to this little match. Today was supposed to be a battle royale between us after all."

"Get out of here Roshi, I don't need your help" Kitsune said pridefully "this guy is too much for you to handle." Wani chuckled condescendingly and assumed a power-up stance. He had soon entered his own Max Power state which he'd used against Kitsune the night before. "You'd best listen to the lady Turtle Master. I don't know how you beat Tsuru but in your drunken state, you're no match for me!"

Roshi smirked. This guy clearly wasn't up to speed on current events. The Turtle Master knew he was a little low on power but he was more than a match for Wani. Rather than respond to this taunt, he merely cupped his hands to his side and began to gather his chi once more.

"Kamehameha!" Roshi cried out quickly as a weaker version of his new attack shot out of his hands. It struck Wani and and sent him flying off the raft, but the burst of power also sent Roshi flying off the raft and into the water.

"Hey, I can't swim! Nimbus, get me out of here!" The mystic cloud responded to it's companion's summons and floated close enough for the Turte Master to climb aboard. Kitsune giggled even as a sheepish Roshi floated over to her.

"Hey, give me a break, will ya? I'm still new to this rescue stuff and you're only my second one." Roshi didn't want to admit that his very first rescue attempt had failed and he ended up being bailed out by some mystery boy with incredible strength.

Kitsune rolled her eyes as Roshi extended his hand and helped her aboard Nimbus, "I didn't need saving" she began, sounding very annoyed before smiling sweely and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek …but it was still very brave. Thanks."

Roshi blushed, the only thing he would allow when fighting his perverted instincts. Kitsune giggled then turned her attention back to the ocean. "What about him? Even after what he's done, he doesn't deserve to drown."

The Fox Master was referring to Wani, who also couldn't swim and was being swept away by a strong current. "Somehow, I think he'll survive" Roshi said half-jokingly "right now, we have to get back to the temple. There's a lot to do now that the tournament's over."

"What? But we never had our match!" Kitsune protested with a pout that was enough to almost enough to make Roshi's nose bleed a gusher.

"Sorry, but I already won" Roshi said with a bit of smugness "we could have our own little match on the way but I don't fancy your chances. I feel like I could take on anyone after today!" Kitsune simply smirked. "We'll see…"

Meanwhile, Emperor Baht's forces finally arrived at the Forest of Might. His troops hurriedly placed each Dragon Ball together as described in the legend and forced Akio to the front of the line. The former soldier could see the mystic orbs begin to pulsate with a strong golden glow as he kneeled before them.

Baht himself walked up beside Akio and joined him in staring at the objects of his conquest. Even the proud Emperor could feel power within the magic balls and was humbled…if only for a moment. He then turned to Akio and asked "you are certain you know the wish to make? The wish you WILL make if you value your life?"

The blue dog nodded. "Yes my Emperor, I would not deceive you at this point." Akio tried to sound as humbled and beaten as possible for the blue goblin's benefit. He wasn't entirely sure what the next step in his plan would be at this point but if he could maybe break at least one of the rather fragile looking Dragon Balls, he could spare the world Baht's tyranny.

The blue goblin suddenly broke into a wide and nasty grin. "That's good but just in case…turn around." Akio did so and his stomach dropped to his knees: Two soldiers stepped forward holding his wife and son at gunpoint.

Baht laughed at his reaction. "Come now Akio, you really think I would leave your plane unguarded? Surely you know me better than that by now." The Emperor then leaned in close, all humor vanishing from his features. "You make this wish and only you die. You refuse, and all of you pay the price, starting with your young son. The choice is yours."

Akio gave his family one last look before his choice. Junior was trembling with fear though he attempted to look brave while his wife remained stoic. The look in Aya's eyes said she would forgive whatever choice her husband made. Even so, the former General mouthed a silent apology before turnining back to the objects that could've been the world's salvation instead of it's bane.

"Eternal Dragon, I have a wish!" At first, nothing occurred and for a brief moment, Akio started to think that the legend of the Dragon Balls was just that. He knew exactly what Baht would do if this was the case and began to panic until the sky became dark.

At the same time, the Dragon Balls had begun glowing brighter and brighter. The glow itself eventually obscured the orbs from view and a massive beam of light shot out into the sky. This beam eventually took the shape of a massive serpentine dragon whose entire body seemed to extend from the magical orbs that birthed it. Even Baht, who had murdered whole families in the past without so much as flinching, seemed to shrink before it's fearsome presence.

The Eternal Dragon looked down upon them with it's pure red eyes and spoke with a voice akin to thunder: "YOU WHO HAVE SUMMONED ME, SPEAK NOW. I WILL GRANT YOU ANY WISH WITHIN MY POWER, BUT ONLY ONE." Baht turned to Akio expectantly, still making an effort to look like he was in command despite his fear.

The former general stepped forward and stood in the Eternal Dragon's massive shadow. The serpentine entity regarded him curiously, still being quite young in his existence and having been summoned by the citizens of Earth for the first time. "Uh…mighty Eternal Dragon…sir? Mam?"

"I AM CONSIDERED MALE AND MY GIVEN NAME IS SHENRON." Despite the Eternal Dragon's deep rumbling voice, his tone seemed more akin to that of a child meeting a friend on the playground. This strangely made Akio more at ease and he spoke more calmly this time. "Well Shenron…I wish that-I wish that the world would have the ruler it deserves!"

The words came out before the former General could stop them. However, to his relief, this wording seemed to satisfy Baht. Shenron suddenly leaned forward and began looking Akio over. He did this for well over a minute before turning to Baht and doing the same, continuing the process until he had observed everyone that stood before him. Then, the mighty thunder that was the Dragon's voice sounded: "SO BE IT."

Shenron's eyes began to glow and Akio was shocked to see his worn, dirty, and battle damaged uniform become an expensive looking suit, the kind owned by wealthy nobles. Aya and Junior found that they too were dressed in finer clothes but were also amazed when the soldiers restraining them let them go and began bowing to them! The others followed this example and soon, it seemed Baht's whole army had switched it's allegence.

Baht was shocked and outraged. "What's going on here!? What have you done Akio!?"

In answer to Baht's question, Shenron addressed the former General: "I HAVE LOOKED INTO EACH SOUL HERE TO FIND THE RULER YOU DESIRED AND COULD FIND NONE MORE WORTHY THAN YOU AKIO. YOU ARE NOW THE WORLD KING AND SHALL RULE AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. NOW THAT I HAVE GRANTED YOUR WISH, I MUST GO. FAREWELL."

The mighty dragon began to transform into a beam of light and recede back into the mystic orbs from which he came. Once this was done, the still glowing Dragon Balls rose into the air and separated across the globe.

"NO!" Emperor Baht screamed "IT CAN'T BE! I WAS SO CLOSE!" The blue goblin fell to his knees and actually wept tears of frustration, his haughty and in control fascade shattered.

Akio felt no pity for his former ruler and turned to his new army. "Have Baht loaded and ready to be taken back to Kyodai. He will stand trial for his crimes against humanity at long last."

The soldiers descended upon their former Emperor but Baht managed to climb into his plane before they could grab him. "THIS ISN"T OVER!" Baht roared as the plane lifted the air "I WILL NOT REST UNTIL I FIND THE DRAGON BALLS ONCE MORE AND UNDO THIS BLASPHEMY! THE RICE DYNASTY WILL RULE EARTH FOREVER OR DIE TRYING!"

Akio's soldiers fired their weapons at the retreating plane but it was too late. Baht had escaped and would likely never be found unless he wished it. One of the soldiers turned to Akio with a worried expression. "What now sire? We are several miles from civilization and that plane was our only transportation."

The new World King simply smiled. For the first time in a while, he felt hope for a brighter tomorrow. "Now? Now, we make our way home as best we can. Today, everything changes."

…

Akio was right, great change swept through the world after he became World King. The war ended almost immediately and peace was brokered between the rulers of other lands, all of whom were allowed to remain in power so long as they observed the authority of Earth's new monarch. This included Baht, who devoted his life and resources to finding the Dragon balls in secret and wishing for world conquest. This mission would be passed on through the years to his descendents, eventually including the hapless Pilaf.

Papaya Island created a yearly festival to honor the end of the war, allowing martial artists to showcase their skills in front of large crowds as entertainment. As time passed, people started coming simply for these permances and even convinced the martial artists to spar with each other for money. This convinced the monks to revise the Grand Strength Budokai and offer prize money, the recipts from which would be used to better the temple and allow the monks to provide charity for the neighboring islands, something they had always wished to do.

Despite these noble intentions, Orin believed them to be against the principles of the order and soon left to establish his own temple. Meanwhile, the Grand Strength Budokai grew in size and popularity until it attracted fighters from around the world and became known as the Tenkaichi Budokai. As for Roshi, his story was just beginning.

AN: UGH! I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I updated! And after saying my next update would be faster no less. I deeply apoligise and hope those following this fic stay with it. I honestly have been working on this chapter during my absence but RL has been rough. Luckily, this fic will be complete before long so hopefully, I can honestly make a quicker update soon. Finally, I have to announce that things have been revealed by Mr Toriyama such as…

Babidi is not Bibidi's actual son but a magical doppelganger much like Piccolo was/is to Piccolo Daimao.

Bibidi did not CREATE Majin Buu and Buu is apparently a entity of destruction that periodically emerges to rampage and hibernates, absorbing negative energy while he does so.

The God of Destruction placed the Old Kaioshin in the Z sword

Goku finally has a canon Mom!

With the exception of the fourth revelation, I will be ignoring thes things because DB canon has always been inconsistent and will more than likely be subject to change again soon. Whether I will ignore the upcoming film set to debut this year is still being decided. Anyway, until next time and have a great New Year!