Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Edited By: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning

A/N: Can we please get a round of applause for my man Steven? He's been a great support to me during this trying time. And, as always, he insight on how to lay out fights helped to make this the best chapter we've put out in a hot minute

Chapter 145: The Grand (Kai) Finale!, Part 1

In the Northern Yard…

Goku, Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien all stood in silence, waiting for the sound of the buzzer that would tell them that the final, tiebreaker round had begun. This was it, the big finale to the Grand Kai Festival. One last dash for all the marbles.

Goku took a deep breath and sighed it out, remembering what Olibu had said to them less than an hour ago.

Earlier…

Olibu chuckled and bowed his head. "Respectfully, my friends, I bow out of this final round. Where I once thought I was the strongest of Earth's children, I see now that I have been surpassed. I cannot wait to see what the four of you are able to accomplish!"

Goku gasped. "What?! But, Olibu…"

Tien frowned. "You can't just count yourself out like that. You're as mighty a warrior as the rest of us!"

Yamcha nodded. "Yeah! C'mon, man! Let's at least draw lots or something to keep it fair!"

Olibu smiled wanly. "Nothing to add, Piccolo?"

Piccolo sighed. "You are a powerful warrior. And a certain part of me feels a certain fealty toward you as Kami's predecessor. But…I can't say I disagree with your assessment."

Yamcha turned to Piccolo with a sour, furious look. "Dude!"

Piccolo snapped back at him. "What?! Do you forget that we have a purpose in this?"

Olibu laughed out loud. "Now, now! No reason to bicker! Like I said, I bow out willingly. And I, as well as King Kai and our new comrade Mr. Blue, look forward to witnessing your mastery of martial arts from a distance! Right, Blue?"

General Blue scowled. "I hope all four of you drop dead a second time."

Olibu stammered. "R-Right, King Kai?"

King Kai was oddly silent, staring off into the distance without so much as a joke to crack. "Oh, yeah. Sure…"

Back in the present…

Goku looked to his three friends and smiled. "Guys? We got this, right?"

Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien all smiled back, looking determined. "YEAH!"

In the Southern Yard…

Torbie, Froug and Papoi all sat atop Caterpy's chrysalis, waiting for the buzzer to sound. Papoi looked antsy. "C'mon! C'mon! I wanna 'nother chance to show off my stuff!"

Froug rolled his eyes. "Will you shut ya yap already? I swear, you young'uns don't know anything about pre-battle tension! It's embarrassin'! Right, Torbie?!"

Torbie was clenching and unclenching his fists. "A last man standing free-for-all. I can't believe this is what the Grand Kai picked as the grand finale. It almost makes the other five rounds feel meaningless…"

Froug scoffed. "You really think everything before this was meaningless?! Geez, Torbie, I thought you had a better head on ya shoulders!"

Torbie smirked. "I said almost, old man. The anticipation I feel in my wings to face that one from the North again…I know that's not meaningless."

Froug croaked in delight. "Well said, my boy, well said~"

Papoi groaned and threw a massive punch. "C'mon! C'mon!"

Beneath the three of them, Caterpy's chrysalis began to crack.

In the Eastern Yard…

Mijorin sighed and cracked his neck. "Four opponents each, eh? I guess it had to boil down to this. Otherwise, some of the galaxies would be at a disadvantage…"

Cantaloupe scoffed and tossed his hair over his shoulder. "Did you see the scolding that Sugoro got from the Grand Kai? He might be immortal now, simply from fear of dying and have to face that old fogie again."

Chapuchai snorted. "He deserves it. At least Goku and Caterpy actually died and got some training from the North and South Kais. Sugoro was a disgraceful choice. I'm actually kinda pissed off at Queenie Kai for making us look bad like that."

Mijorin nodded. "At least Sugoro probably isn't going to hell when he dies though. I can't believe the gall of West Kai, fishing someone out of hell like that."

Off by himself, Arqua was busy doing pre-battle calisthenics while chanting his personal mantra to himself. "Arqua! Win! Arqua! Win! Arqua! Win! Arqua! Win!"

All three of the other warriors snapped. "ARQUA! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"

Arqua yelped and stumbled forward, falling on his face.

In the Western Yard…

Pikkon sat on the steps connected to the temple in the Western Yard, his hands folded into his lap. In front of him, Tapkar, Gorilla, and Mariakoh all stood in preparation for the buzzer. The four of them were still chafing after West Kai's pep talk.

Earlier…

West Kai shouted. "Losers! I can't believe that I trained losers! I can't believe that it came down to a tiebreaker!"

He pointed to Mariakoh. "You lost!"

He pointed to Tapkar. "You lost!"

He pointed to Gorilla. "You lost!"

And then he jabbed his finger at Pikkon. "And you eliminated the wrong guy first! It you had just thrown out your opponents in a different order, we'd have won!"

Mariakoh, Tapkar, and Gorilla all slumped. They were used to a tough instructor, but Master Kai had never resorted to dressing them down like this. Pikkon, however, simply glared at the shorter Kaioshin. "I won't be spoken to like that by someone incompetent enough to try and sneak a goon from Hell by as an honored student. If 'Blue Rose' wasn't here, I would have dominated that tag game and stolen victory for the West!"

West Kai sneered. "H-How dare you talk back to me?! I-"

Pikkon stood. "You…are weaker than me. And I am not so giving to allow myself to be slighted. I care not for this meaningless game, nor your grudge with your kin. I simply wish to face down that Saiyan and solve my vendetta. Now, are you going to provide me the means to do so, or do you wish to lose?"

West Kai flinched. "W-What you ask me if forbidden. You just heard that, Pikkon!"

Pikkon was blunt. "I don't care. This isn't about rules. This is about settling things with that face once and for all."

West Kai shivered, then he smirked. "Y-Yeah! You're right! Screw this game and screw the rules and screw the Grand Kai! This is about vengeance, Pikkon! On that, you and I agree! But, we don't have much time to do teach you this."

Pikkon gripped his fists. "I have been observing the basics all day. Show me how to meld them and I will figure out the rest on my own."

Back in the present…

Pikkon gripped his fist tight and smirked. "Oh yes, Son Goku. I will settle my business with your face once and for all."

In the viewing area…

King Kai stood alongside Olibu and General Blue, gazing out over the Grand Kai's vast yard. He looked to his right and frowned at the sight of East Kai, West Kai, and South Kai all standing so distantly from both him and from each other. King Kai took a deep breath and sighed. South Kai and East Kai both stared stoically out at the yard, not letting their emotions leak out. West Kai, however, couldn't conceal his smirk. "This is in the bag…"

The Grand Kai took one last drag of his cigarette and then crushed it out on his throne's built-in ashtray. He blew out melancholy smoke and then turned to his faithful emcee. "Let's get it on, Toadstool, my man!"

Toadstool Tatakae shot double finger-guns. "You got it, Big G!"

He turned to the crowd assembled on the bleachers behind them. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the grand finale of the Grand Kai Festival! The tiebreaker round will now commence! Sixteen fighters enter, one fighter remains left standing! And that man or woman will bring home the entire shebang for their galaxy! Y'all ready?!"

The crowd roared in approval. Olibu turned and cocked his head. "Woman? Are they not all men down there?"

General Blue scowled. "Women? Blech!"

Toadstool Tatakae cried out. "Well then! Without further delay, let the tiebreaker round begin!"

The buzzer sounded. And then, from the four corners of the yard, all sixteen fighters rushed out…with one notable exception. As the other fighters raced out, a massive fireball shot into the air from the Western Yard and exploded in a magnificent display!

Over with Goku, Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo…

The warriors of the North all stopped in their tracks. Goku, Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo all looked to the sky and Goku nodded. "I guess Pikkon is sending me a calling card, huh?"

Piccolo snorted. "Cocky bastard."

Tien smirked. "Well then, it would be rude to keep him waiting then. Get going, Goku!"

Goku turned to his friends. "You guys sure?"

Yamcha snorted. "Yeah man! You go do your thing! We'll head out and start mopping up some of the others. Get this thing won real quick, ya know?"

Goku smiled and nodded. "Yeah~!"

He offered his fist and the other three bumped it. And then, each of them took off in a different direction. Tien focused his chi, Yamcha activated his Kaioken. Piccolo discarded his cape and turban. And Goku went Super Saiyan!

In the stands…

West Kai sneered. "They're splitting up?! Overconfident, Northern bastards!"

South Kai growled. "What can they hope to accomplish like that in a situation like this!"

East Kai mockingly laughed. "It looks like the North has simply given up! Ohohohohoho~"

King Kai didn't utter a single word. He simply adopted a small smile and watched.

And the Grand Kai smiled as well.

Over with Yamcha, the Grand Kai's manicured garden…

Yamcha came to a skidding halt and a competitive, toothy grin spread across his face. "Hell yeah! I was hoping to run into you first!"

Coming in from behind a nearby hedge, Torbie smiled as well. "Indeed, Yamcha! The feeling is quite mutual! I look forward to facing you in a straightforward battle!"

A gruff voice called out. "What?! You young'uns tryin' to have a private party over here?!"

Flipping down through the air, Chapuchai came to rest atop a garden statue of the Grand Kai. He smirked and then spread his arms out, making two additional clones of himself. "Hey now!"

With a cloud of dust trailing behind him, Tapkar entered the fray as well. "Ah! You jerks from the scavenger hunt! I found you!"

Yamcha sighed. "Looks like it's not the one-on-one either of us wanted…"

Torbie chuckled under his breath, his fists beginning to glow bright purple. "Not yet, at least."

Over with Tien, the Grand Kai's fruit tree grove…

Tien took on an easy fighting stance as he stared down two familiar faces. "Froug. Gorilla."

Froug croaked, scratching his vocal sack. "Hm-hm. I see. Well, I s'pose I couldn't've asked for a better first opponent than you, my three-eyed friend. I can settle up my bidness with you and then get on tah some of the others."

He glanced out of the corner of his eyes. "Oh, and you too, Gorilla. I guess."

Gorilla snorted and snarled. "Hey! Don't you count me out, Froug! This ain't a stupid goldfish game this time!"

Tien nodded. "Indeed. This time, I won't lose due to lack of equipment. I have all the tools necessary to defeat you."

He smirked. "All three of you, in fact."

Gorilla gasped. Froug closed his eyes and nodded. From thin air, another voice sounded out. "Tch. How'd you know I was there, huh?"

Cantaloupe's camouflage faded away and he became visible once more, his lizard-like appearance capped off with a flick of his prehensile tongue. Tien cracked his neck and blinked his third eye. "I guess you could say my vision has gotten even sharper."

Over with Piccolo, the Grand Kai's swimming pool…

Piccolo clenched his fists in preparation for what he was sure was a hearty challenge. Standing before him, towering over a nearby cabana house, was Mariakoh. Piccolo stared over at his hulking opponent and got a furious glare in return. The Namekian sneered. "Now you have a chance to show me whether all that bluster earlier meant anything. Are you up for the challenge, dinosaur?"

Mariakoh roared with the force of a raging thunderhead. "I'll mash you into paste, green man!"

The two warriors prepared to battle, unaware of additional onlookers gathered around them. Sitting at the bottom of the pool, gathering his energy and biding his time was Arqua. And squirming up in a nearby tree, Caterpy's chrysalis began to crack even more.

Just outside the Western Yard…

Goku gingerly walked up the path of the Western Yard. At the other end of the well-manicured road, he could feel Pikkon's energy simmering. No, more than that, it was like the pilot light flickering within a mighty furnace. What was merely just a small, crackling source of heat could become a roaring inferno in an instant. The feeling of the overwhelming force right in Goku's path was enough to make a lump form in his throat. But the feeling of that lump only encouraged him to press onward. After all, there was nothing that drove Son Goku more than the promise of an excellent fight on the horizon.

So engrossed in the feeling ahead was Goku that, to the layman, he almost seemed distracted. Even in his Super Saiyan form. And this was an observation that Mijorin and Papoi leapt out and attempted to utilize!

Mijorin howled. "STOCKPILE: 20,000!"

Papoi roared. "MEGATON STOMP!"

Papoi hit the ground first, stomping his boot from the ground and making it fissure around Goku. Mijorin smirked up in the air and aimed at both of the warriors beneath him. "Son Goku! Papoi! Begone!"

The dog-man took a deep breath and let loose all of the energy from his Stockpile: 20,000 in one massive attack. "HOWLING COMMANDO!"

A massive sonic beam shot from Mijorin's muzzle and barreled down on both Goku and Papoi. The two warriors were engulfed in a blinding light and a harsh gale and Mijorin howled in triumph. "Yes! That's two down!"

But, to the dog-man's shock, when the dust cleared it was only Papoi who laid in an unconscious heap. Mijorin gasped. "Wh-What?!"

A finger tapped on Mijorin's shoulder. He turned and Goku roughly kicked him right in the side of the head, sending him crashing down into the ground below right next to Papoi. Mijorin was out cold, as was Papoi. And Goku landed on the ground unscathed. Dropping his Super Saiyan form, Goku sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that. Instant Transmission makes sneak attacks pretty useless when I can just teleport behind the attacker. Especially if I can see 'em coming. Maybe next time, though~"

Goku clapped his hands in front of his chest and bowed. "You were both worthy opponents."

And then he continued his walk, leaving Mijorin and Papoi laying in the dust.

Back in the stands…

East Kai screeched. "WHAT?!"

South Kai cried out. "HUH?!"

The crowd roared in approval at the sight of Goku's formidable display of technique on the hovering screen above. Toadstool Tatakae cried out. "My word, folks! Looks like we have the first two drop-outs from the tiebreaker game! Papoi from the South and Mijorin from the East are both down and out!"

West Kai sneered. "Gah! That means nothing! Pikkon is much stronger than those two losers!"

He turned and shouted. "YA HEAR ME, NORTHIE?! DON'T LET THAT LITTLE SHOW OF NOTHING SWELL YOUR HEAD!"

King Kai didn't respond. He simply watched Goku continued marching forward to the next challenge. King Kai's smile got a little bit bigger. Grand Kai chuckled. "That's one formidable boy you got there, Vaisra~"

In the Western Yard…

Pikkon lifted his head, his expression neutral. "Son Goku."

Goku nodded toward him. "Hey, Pikkon."

Pikkon clenched his fists. "Shall we?"

Goku shook his head. "Not yet, if ya don't mind."

Pikkon cocked his head. Goku continued. "I love fightin' as much as the next guy, but this is one of those situations my son would say we should talk it out. And he's a lot smarter than me, so I try to follow my instinct when it says 'Gohan would do this', ya know?"

Pikkon was visibly taken aback. "You…have a domestic family?"

Goku shrugged. "Dunno what that d-word means, but I have a wife and three kids. And while they all cheer me on when I takin' on bad folks, you don't seem like bad folk. So, before we get down to business…"

Goku plopped down onto the stairs next to Pikkon. "How about we clear the air?"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Pikkon's face. He clearly wasn't expecting this. "Uh…I mean…okay…"

Goku smiled wide and chuckled. "Hee~"

Back at the Grand Kai's manicured garden…

Yamcha and Torbie both crossed their arms in defense as Chapuchai and Tapkar collided into them. The two were sent flying back and Tapkar cackled. "Nyah nyah! How's that feel, wolf boy?!"

Two Chapuchai's responded in stereo. "Who the hell are you 'nyah-nyahin' boy?!"

The two clones went to work, smashing an elbow into Tapkar's cheek and ribs simultaneously. The little imp went flying back, but then disappeared in a flash. Chapuchai gritted his teeth. "Afterimage?!"

Tapkar appeared in front of the original, punching him square in the nose. "Don't drop your guard, old man!"

Tapkar went for a second punch, but was cut off by a sudden Spirit Ball smashing into the side of his head. Tapkar spun in place, in midair, and Yamcha charged back in. "Follow your own advice, man!"

Tapkar sneered. "THUNDER FLASH STEP!"

Once again, Tapkar faded from sight. And then, twenty of him appeared. Tapkar was moving so quickly that each of his afterimages appeared to be moving independently. Yamcha scanned the crowd and flinched. "Holy crap! He's moving so fast that they even have their own energy signatures!"

All twenty of the Tapkar's smirked, and then they all piled in like a swarm of angry wasps. Yamcha and Chapuchai struggled to fight off the multiple threats. Chapuchai sneered and summoned multiple clones. "How in the hell are these after images hittin' us?! They ain't solid!"

Yamcha snarled. "They aren't. He's just hopping from place-to-place-to-place really, really fast!"

Yamcha ducked a punch and fired off a kick at nothing. "There aren't any afterimages! He's just moving fast enough to be in twenty places at once!"

A harsh punch from Tapkar brought Yamcha to his knees. Chapuchai and his clones were all sent crashing to their backs. All twenty of the Tapkars went in for one final strike on Yamcha, laughing like lunatics. But then, Torbie zipped in and chopped the little imp across the face. Yamcha got to his feet. "Hey Torbie! Enjoy your nap?"

Torbie sniffed. "Save your cheeky comments. I was observing Tapkar's move. I believe this is his famed Afterimage Clone technique. Chapuchai might know something about it if he'd get off his wise-old-warrior high horse for just a few minutes."

Chapuchai leapt to his feet. "Don't you lecture me, bug man!"

All of the Tapkars grimaced. Torbie glared up at Tapkar. "He's using his Thunder Flash Step to produce multiple afterimages. And then, he simply uses his speed to hop from image-to-image-to-image as he pleases. It's a highly advanced move befitting one so fast."

Yamcha nodded. "Not to mention he hits like a truck."

Torbie nodded back. "Indeed. But, the move has weaknesses that make it easy to follow once you attain the eye for it. I noticed it watching from the sidelines. Tapkar can only just to afterimages that are immediately next to his current position. Attempting a longer jump would shatter the illusion."

Tapkar sneered. "Torbie, you lousy-"

Noticing Tapkar's wounded pride, Yamcha immediately came up with an idea. "Now, now Torbie. Let's not discount what's in front of us, though!"

Torbie turned to Yamcha, looking confused. Yamcha smirked, rubbing his finger under his nose. "Even if it has a minor flaw like what you just said, Tapkar is still using quite possibly the best clone technique I've ever seen. Probably the best clone technique in the Grand Kai games~"

This immediately drew the ire of Chapuchai. "What?! Are you kiddin' me?! You're sayin' that cheap parlor trick is better than my real clone technique?! Eh?!"

Yamcha nodded. "Maybe I am! Tapkar is pretty cool~"

Tapkar smirked and chuckled. Yamcha continued. "Buuuuuuuut-"

The little imp snapped. "BUT NOTHING! You can shut up now! You already spoke the truth! My technique is the best!"

Yamcha shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying that Chapuchai has a point about his clones being real~"

Chapuchai cackled and stuck out his tongue at Tapkar. "Hear that, ya little snot?! Ya best show some respect!"

A vein bulged from Tapkar's forehead. "Oh yeah?!"

Torbie flinched, but then nodded. "Okay. I see what you're doing now."

Yamcha smirked. "Yup. Now…let's back up~"

The warriors of the North and South leapt away as East and West charged toward one another. Tapkar snarled. "MY TECHNIQUE IS BETTER! I'LL CRUSH YOU, YA BEARDED DWARF!"

Chapuchai clapped his hands. "We'll see about that! Stockpile: 3000 years!"

In a flash, the number of Chapuchais on the battlefield rapidly multiplied, going from three to 3,000 in the blink of an eye. A tidal wave of beared dwarves rained down toward not only Tapkar, but Yamcha and Torbie as well. The Chapuchai legion spoke in unison. "Don't think that I didn't catch on to you eggin' us on, scamp! I'll crush all three of ya at once for tryin' to trick ol' Chapuchai like that! Each of you gettin' it 1000-fold!"

Tapkar snarled. Torbie took on a fighting stance. Yamcha shouted right back. "Perfect! Bring it on!"

Yamcha got into the Kamehameha stance and shouted. "KAIOKEN TIMES 10!"

A blood red aura erupted from Yamcha and then he shouted again. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

Yamcha thrust his hands forward and punched a hole through the wave of Chapuchais with his ferocious attack. As the clones dispersed, the gravity in the area suddenly became a lot heavier. Yamcha looked over in surprise and the majority of the Chapuchais flinched in shock as Torbie powered up. A massive well of gravity was pulsing in the bug-man's hand. He roared and fired off his attack. "MEGATON CANNON SHOT!"

A huge gravity sink crashed into the wall of Chapuchais, pulling the struggling clones into a massive singularity and then blasting them all out of existence in a single flash. Only a few Chapuchais were left, and they were all visibly exhausted. Taking the opportunity before him, Tapkar rushed in like the little gremlin he was, bashing into multiple clones simultaneously and making them vanish.

On the ground, Yamcha smirked. "My master, not King Kai but Master Roshi, always tried to make one lesson very clear to us. That lesson being that too much pride has no place in true martial arts!"

Tapkar flinched and turned, seeing Yamcha charging up a Kamehameha. Yamcha continued. "And yet, as power levels grow to unfathomable levels, pride is all we become capable of. My friend on Earth, Vegeta, is guiltier than anybody of that! And yet, even you two have him outmatched by sheer ego!"

Yamcha smirked. "Chapuchai, you became so upset that I tried to trick you that you used up all your energy! So, you lose!"

Chapuchai held up his hands. "H-H-Hold up, now! Hold your fire, young'un! I-"

Yamcha shouted. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

This time the beam that Yamcha fired out struck just one Chapuchai alone, hitting the dwarf dead center in the chest. The bearded, older fighter was sent flying back into the same statue that he arrived on when the battle began, smashing it into pieces and landing in a heap. Chapuchai lay unconscious and quite beaten.

With Chapuchai gone, Tapkar and his afterimage clones turned right back toward Yamcha and Torbie. "So what?! You beat the old guy! That just means I have less people to hit!"

The imp charged toward the two and Yamcha got ready to take him on. But then, Torbie stepped forward. "If I may add on to what Yamcha was saying a moment ago, it would seem that ego is a problem that affects both those of the older set and the younger set. I, myself, am guilty of letting my foolish pride get the better of me! But you, Tapkar, are just like Chapuchai in that sense!"

Tapkar gasped. "Huh?!"

Torbie vanished from sight. The imp cried out. "What?!"

In an instant, Torbie appeared right behind Tapkar, the real Tapkar, and spoke softly. "Only an arrogant fool would charge an opponent with a technique that has been thoroughly analyzed."

And then, with a leg wrapped in a swirling mass of pure gravitational force, Torbie kicked Tapkar in the ribs and sent him crashing to the ground. Tapkar laid unconscious and Torbie landed next to him, regarding his defeated opponent with a respectful nod. "Now then…"

The bug man turned his attention to the one opponent left standing. "Where were we, Yamcha?"

Yamcha chuckled. "I believe we were giving a lecture on the dangers of pride and ego?"

Torbie gave a wry smile. "Correct. So, let's continue the debate. In matters of combat, pride and ego are the enemy of truly perfected martial arts. And yet, even the greatest warrior cannot fully eschew pride. So, where does that leave us? We, the warriors granted lofty access to this realm of the Gods?"

Yamcha smirked. "Well, and this is reference my pal Vegeta again…watching him makes me think of it like this. Perfect martial arts eschews pride altogether, but battles pitting strength against strength such as this are less about martial arts and more about us using those martial arts to improve. In other words, the two of us letting our egos surge like this is us subconsciously admitting that we aren't yet perfect! No matter what, we still have room to improve and to grow~"

Torbie smiled. "Which means?"

Yamcha laughed a truly joyful laugh. "It means we haven't hit our ceilings as martial artists yet Torbie! There's still so much room to grow! AND THAT IS SO FRIGGIN' EXCITING!"

With a mighty howl, a cloak of blood-red aura enveloped Yamcha. "KAIO-COMPRESSION! RAGING WILD WOLF!"

Torbie laughed a hearty laugh and then shouted at the top of his lungs. "MEGATON MAXIMUM!"

Purple light shot from every cinch in Torbie's chitinous exoskeleton. The air around him warped and seemed to be slowly falling to the ground. The grass pressed to the land beneath his feet until the green pigment seeped from it like water from a sponge. Torbie smirked. "This is my current highest high, Yamcha! A limit I will surpass as I drag you down from yours!"

Yamcha fell on all fours and flashed a toothy grin. "Bring it, ya bootleg Cell knock-off!"

And then, the two warriors charged one another and clashed fists, resulting in a powerful shockwave. The two of them tried to resist the force that their opponent was putting out, but both found it quite impossible. They each recoiled back, and then charged in again. Yamcha threw a punch and Torbie dodged. Torbie went for an uppercut and Yamcha feinted back. Torbie roared. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY THAT EASILY!"

The gravity pulsed off of Torbie's forearm and slammed into Yamcha like a small car, making the warrior stumble. Torbie took advantage and unloaded a flurry of ki blasts, shredding Yamcha's gi. Powering through, Yamcha fell to his hands and dodged under the rest of the flurry, rolling over onto his back and then spinning a mighty kick right into Torbie's shoulder. Torbie stumbled and Yamcha reared back, slinging forth a second mighty kick. Torbie blocked, gritting his teeth. He grabbed Yamcha by the ankle and heaved him up into the air before increasing gravity to his absolute maximum and bringing the former desert bandit crashing into the unforgiving ground.

Yamcha's eyes briefly went white, but then he shot up and headbutted Torbie right in the teeth. Torbie yowled, but didn't miss a beat. He headbutted Yamcha right back. Yamcha scoffed and then unleashed a furious storm of punches and palm thrusts. Torbie responded with a flurry of his own mighty blows and the two became embroiled in an all-out brawl! The two of them moved so fast and with such decisive force behind each surgical hit that the grass, the trees, and the very air around them began to flicker with the first sparks of hungry flames.

The two warriors locked up, restraining each others hands and holding each other in place. Yamcha smirked. "Hey, Torbie…thanks, man…"

Torbie growled between clenched teeth. "For what?!"

Yamcha chuckled. "For making this trip away from my wife worth it!"

The red aura that enveloped Yamcha began to surge, the sound of it shredding through the air mimicking the shrill howl of a mighty, red wolf. Yamcha lifted his leg and thrust it into Torbie's gut, sending the bug-man sprawling back. And then, he gathered his hands together into a double palm stance. Arching his fingers like the jagged teeth of a wolf, Yamcha charged forward and unleashed a mighty blow "WOLF FANG BITE!"

Yamcha slammed both of his hands into Torbie's chest, sending a heavy shockwave through the bug-man's carapice. And then, he unleashed the second part of his newest technique. "And then, STORMING HOWL!"

A beam of energy not unlike a jagged Kamehameha came shooting from Yamcha's palms. Torbie went sailing back, his heels dragging and slicing through the ground. Torbie screamed at the top of his lungs. "MEGATON…GIGATON!"

The gravitational force that was surging from Torbie's body suddenly ceased, instead rushing back in and forming an ultra-heavy singularity within his core. He suddenly stopped sailing backwards from Yamcha's attack and held firmly in place. The beam that his opponent was firing was still shredding into Torbie, but he walked through it with robotic fury. Torbie plowed through the beam, stomping closer and closer to Yamcha. He raised his fist into the air. "MEGATON!"

Yamcha ceased his new technique and simply fell back on an old favorite. "WOLF FANG!"

Torbie's fist smashed into Yamcha's face. "COMET!"

Yamcha's fist smashed into Torbie's face. "FIST!"

Blood erupted from both warriors' mouths and they both stumbled back on shaky legs. Torbie glared at Yamcha and Yamcha glared at Torbie. Then Torbie smiled. "I…I certainly hope you live a long life, but…I also hope that I don't have to wait for your real time to come. I…"

Torbie fell back, totally unconscious. Yamcha, beaten and bruised, laughed and sighed. "I get what you're saying buddy! Thanks for the great fight!"

Yamcha wiped the blood from around his mouth and sighed. "Damn it though. That used up a lot of energy…"

Toadstool Tatakae cried out from the stands. "CHAPUCHAI! TAPKAR! AND NOW TORBIE! ALL ELIMINATED!"

At the same time, back at the Grand Kai's fruit tree grove…

Tien stood stalwart, observing his opponents. His quick observation, thus:

Cantaloupe, definitely the most agile.

Gorilla, most durable.

Froug, strongest of the three.

He watched all three of them, waiting for just one to make a move. He only briefly flinched when all three moved at once. Tien blocked three incoming strikes, catching a punch from Froug with his right hand, a punch from Gorilla with his left, and blocking a punch from Cantaloupe with his right knee. Tien took a deep breath, and then activated the Kaioken. "SAI!"

The burst of energy sent all three of his opponents flying back and Tien sighed. "So, any reason all three of you came at me all at once? Some form of collusion, perhaps?"

Froug shrugged. "Logical choice, boy. You're the most inexperienced person here. Even Gorilla has experienced more than you!"

Gorilla snorted. "Shut up!"

Tien scowled. "Do not think I will take such a slight on the chin. It would be a mistake to underestimate me."

Froug cocked an eye-arch. "Oh so?"

Cantaloupe cackled, turning invisible. "Gonna have to back that up~!"

Gorilla charged at him. "I'll get you for that goldfish crap!"

Tien calmly closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Multi-Form…"

Two other copies of Tien appeared, they each then took on a different stance, speaking in unison. "And…KAIOKEN TIMES 3!"

Each of the Tien clones, a third of Tien's original power, each suddenly shot up to match the power of the original. Then, each of them set out to face off with a single opponent of their choosing. Gorilla was first to face an assault, eating a sharp kick to the gut head-on and wheezing in pain.

Froug was next, dodging a punch to the face and croaking in delight. "Groovy~"

Cantaloupe was last, dodging a Dodon Ray that just barely missed his head. Tien grabbed the invisible lizard by the wrist and slammed him to the ground. Cantaloupe's camouflage wore off. "What the hell?!"

All three of the Tien clones smirked. "Do not underestimate a warrior simply due to his age."

Gorilla snarled, standing back up and raising his fist high into the air. "Try me, triclops!"

Tien held up both forearms to block and found himself straining under the weight of Gorilla's massive fist. Gritting his teeth, the clone of the three-eyed warrior buckled to one knee. He groaned, feeling the muscles in his shoulders creak. "Such strength!"

Gorilla hooted, adopting a confident grin. "You're a damn fool to think you can take us all on at once with a technique that splits your power! That Kaioken might help make up for it, but how long can you sustain it?!"

Tien growled. "My old line of work required me to finish tasks quickly! I might not get up to such evil deed anymore, but you can't argue the work ethic!"

And then, Tien let his guard drop. Gorilla's fist slammed down and the brute stumbled forward with a dumbfounded look on his face. Tien corkscrewed out of the way and then delivered a quick and precise Crane Strike to the hinge of the mighty ape's jaw. Gorilla's jaw went slack and Tien continued the assault, pressing sharply into each of the larger warrior's joints and rendering both arms useless in an instant. With both of Gorilla's arms numb, Tien went for a heavier strike. Gorilla sneered. "Dumbass!"

Electric energy crackled from the apeman's skin and suddenly one of his tree trunk arms shot up, smashing into Tien's side and sending him flying away. Tien landed, massaging his bruised ribs. "What the hell?"

Gorilla's feathered wings flapped and he shot towards Tien. "Thunder Flash is useful for a lot! Don't think I'm a dumbass just cuz I'm a monkey!"

The massive warrior zipped around Tien, balling both of his feet into fists and unleashing a four-fisted assault on Tien. Tien scowled and dodged the incoming blows. Weaving between Gorilla's melee, he shot up and kneed the apeman right in the jaw. He followed that up by seizing Gorilla's wrist and slamming him hard into the ground. Tien prepared a blast, but Gorilla's reaction time hadn't slowed in the slightest. He reached up and wrapped his bowling ball-sized fist around Tien's throat, slamming him head first into the ground.

The Tien clone began to fade out of consciousness, his skull cracked, but forced himself to stay awake at the last moment. Going unconscious meant losing the battle, as he would simply fade away. And all the energy the original Tien used to make him would just be gone. Unwilling to allow that, Tien slammed his fingers into a pressure point in Gorilla's throat, making the apeman sputter and choke and loosen his grip. Tien put some distance between them and struck a fighting stance. "You're a tough one…"

Gorilla chortled. "It's my Thunder Flash Shockwave! I can focus whole heaps of my energy in places around my body and amplify it!"

Tien narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly does that concept have to do with shockwaves? Did you pick the name just because it sounded cool in your head?

Gorilla preened. "Nope! Watch this!"

He thrust his fist at a nearby tree and, without warning, the tree exploded into splinters. Gorilla snorted. "I can make my energy ripple inside of me to absorb impacts! Or, I can fire it out like an attack! My attack! The Thunder Flash Shockwave!"

Tien smirked. "Thank you for explaining that."

Gorilla nodded. "No problem! You…"

After a moment's pause, Gorilla snarled. "YOU TRICKED ME! YOU SCHEMING LITTLE!"

Tien charged at Gorilla, activating the Four Witches Technique and summoning an extra set of arms. "I wonder how many places this ripple of yours can work at once?! Let's find out!"

Gorilla screeched and went to throw a punch. Two of Tien's hands grabbed the arm and pushed it aside. The other two slammed into Gorilla's head and neck. Tien nodded and then brought down the other two. The first free hand smashed into Gorilla's shoulder and made no impression. Then the other one punched Gorilla in the forehead and the apeman flinched back. Tien nodded. "Three simultaneous spots!"

Gorilla raised his arms, backing up and then bringing them down for a furious double punch. "I'll crush you like a bug!"

One of Tien's fists shot forward and punched Gorilla in the eyes. He didn't flinch, but his vision was obscured. Quickly scanning his predicament, Tien saw that Gorilla's two fists were both still charged with Thunder Flash. He smiled. "It's been a good fight. See you later, Gorilla!"

Gorilla growled. "What?!"

Tien shouted. "TRI-BEAM!"

The Tri-Beam crashed into Gorilla's chest and he gasped. Then, Tien's other two hands formed together into a diamond-shape aimed right at the apeman's gut. He shouted again. "NEO-TRI-BEAM!"

The larger blast slammed into Gorilla's gut and sent him crashing back. The hulking warrior landed in a massive heap and fell flat onto his back, totally unconscious. The Tien clone sighed, standing over his defeated opponent. "Taking into account my injuries and the energy I used, I don't have much to offer the other two. But, at least my job is done."

Then the clone dispersed into what remaining energy it had left. One cloud of energy shot one way and the other cloud went the other.

The other two Tien's that were still fighting both suddenly surged in power. They each adopted a confident smirk and then unleashed a new furious attack. The one fighting Froug went for a heavy chop to the collarbone, which Froug caught and reversed. The amphibian croaked. "Gonna have to try a bit harder than that!"

Tien nodded and threw a punch. "I know that!"

The Tien clone fighting Cantaloupe, meanwhile, managed to make his blow hit. Tien's fist slammed into Cantaloupe's chest and sent the lizard flying back. Cantaloupe collided with a tree and hissed, flicking his tongue. "Damn you and your tricks!"

Tien glared. "Says the invisible man. Why not just fight face-to-face?"

Cantaloupe growled. "Screw you! That's why!"

He went invisible again and Tien took a deep breath, closing all but his third eye and trying to focus. Tien thought to himself. 'This one's invisibility is utilizing his energy. It's not something he can just do free of charge. He's using that Stockpile technique like a gas tank, feeding off of it to keep himself hidden. But…'

The pupil in his third eye shrank and Tien took another deep breath. '...nothing can hide from a properly honed True Sight.'

Watching the forest in front of him, Tien saw no trace of Cantaloupe's spirit. That was totally invisible without a trace. But, the effects of that spirit on its surroundings were actually quite clear. Tien raised his finger and pointed towards a tree branch where the bark was compressed down by a mere one millimeter. "DODON RAY!"

A golden beam of energy shot out and Cantaloupe yelped as he barely dodged the deadly beam sailing his way. He screeched and quickly ran for it. "Damn it! How?!"

Another beam sailed and missed him by a hair's breadth. Cantaloupe scurried, trying to get to a spot where he might be able to sneak attack and just barely avoiding critical damage every single moment. Wrapping his prehensile tongue around at a tree branch, Cantaloupe quickly flinged himself into the air. He glared down at Tien and sneered. "Let's see you dodge this! Electric Murder Spike!"

Charging energy into his tongue, Cantaloupe sent it shooting out like a missile, firing right at Tien's chest. The warrior side-stepped and aimed his finger into the air. "DODON RAY!"

The beam fired and this time, it did collide with Cantaloupe. It pierced right through the lizard-man's shoulder and he came crashing to the ground screeching in pain. As he fell, Cantaloupe cursed. "Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn YOU!"

Using his tongue, Cantaloupe pulled himself into what he thought was a nice, safe hiding spot. "Wait until I regroup! I'll-"

Crashing through the leaves, Cantaloupe came face-to-face with Tien. The three-eyed warrior's eyes were still bolted shut, but he was in position for a heavy, four-fingered strike. Without even a moment's hesitation, Tien twisted his torso and smashed both precision strikes into Cantaloupe, hammering a pressure point on the lizard's forehead and on his throat and making him spin in the air like a pinwheel. Cantaloupe hit the ground with a hearty thud and Tien opened his eyes. "With my True Sight further sharpened, this series of battles reaches its grand finale! I thank you for sharing this battle with me, respected friend from the East."

Tien clapped his hands together and bowed to the unconscious Cantaloupe. And then the clone dispersed and all of his leftover energy shot right back to the final remaining Tien.

Standing across from Froug, this Tien smirked. "I think I've warmed up enough, Froug. Now I can give you a real fight!"

Froug croaked. "Ah, I see. You seem to have built up some piss and vinegar! I assume that has you believin' that this battle is over?!"

Tien took on a serious fighting stance. "Come and see for yourself."

A vein bulged from Froug's head. "Why don't you come to me, boy?!"

The amphibian warrior glowed bright purple and suddenly Tien was being pulled. The three-eyed warrior launched off of his feet and sailed towards Froug, eating a heavy, waiting punch on the other end of his sudden sideways freefall. Tien crashed to the ground with a bloody cough and Froug raised his leg up for a massive, crushing kick. Crossing his arms, Tien took the kick and sank harshly through the solid ground. Froug smirked and lifted his leg for another brutal stomp, but Tien was ready. The warrior of Earth shot up with a furious roar and positioned his hands for the Overhand Counted Stroke.

With the force and the speed of lightning Tien got off three mighty blows from his technique, but came to an uneasy pause as he realized the blows were making no register. He glared at Froug. "Huh?!"

Froug croaked and smirked, and then his soft froggy body began to rapidly expand. The amphibian warrior swelled like a balloon and sent Tien flying back. Tien crashed harshly into a tree, but didn't have even a moment to rest as Froug began to shrink. Tien was pulled back into with equal force and crashed into the well-muscled chest of his opponent. Slamming into Froug was like slamming into a brick wall, and having Froug's fist smash into his face was like having a brick wall slam into Tien's nose. He crashed against the ground, crying out in agony, only to be sucked back into Froug's fist for an even harder blow. Froug shouted and sent Tien flying back, slamming the warrior into the chest and letting him flop onto the ground.

Tien pushed himself up, coughing twice and blowing blood out of both of his nostrils. "What the hell is this?"

Froug scoffed. "Ain't you remember nothing?! This is my Megaton Orbit! I used it in a passive way for that silly, little game before, but this is a technique I made specifically to be offensive!"

Tien shakily stood, but was pulled forward again with no way to fight back. Froug punched Tien in the chest and allowed the younger man to lay limp over his arm. Froug croaked. "I decide what the center of gravity around me is, whether that be my pudgy inflatable body or my rock-hard fist!"

He pulled his arm back and punched Tien across the cheek, sending the three-eyed warrior flying. Froug's eye twinkled. "I can even make you the center of gravity if I wanna!"

Tien snapped to attention. "Wha-"

Froug came sailing toward Tien, driving a heavy kick into the Earthling's stomach and smashing him through an orange tree. Froug caught an orange, tore it in half, and began to greedily suckle the juice from it. "You're strong, my boy. But you're still too early! I ain't gonna lose to you here, not now. You need another 5,000 years to match me!"

Tien groaned, and then he held up both hands, charging eight separate beams on eight separate fingers. "Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Dodon Ray!"

Each of the eight beams shot out at Froug, but he simply increased the gravity between himself and Tien and watched them all shoot into the ground like lead weights. Tien flinched. Froug smirked. "I was watching you battle Gorilla and Cantaloupe, boy! I ain't fallin' for no old hat tricks!"

And then, Froug thrust his hand at Tien and made gravity increase to the absolute maximum he could manage. Tien wanted to cry out in agony, but with all of the weight on his body only a single agonized wheeze managed to escape as he started to be pushed deeper and deeper into the ground. Froug shrugged. "This ain't nothin' personal, ya know? I like you a lot, my boy. I want you to come back here when your real time comes and start trainin' with us. Me and Chapuchai that is. I want to help you grow. But right now, I gotta do my best to win for my Kai. Ya know how it is, right?"

Groaning, his bones squealing and his muscles twanging as they pulled apart, Tien nodded. "Y-Yeah. I…get what…you mean…"

Froug nodded. "Good. Then just yield and I can stop puttin' the squeeze on ya! You can relax while I move on to-"

Tien's head struggling to shift. He looked Froug in the eyes. "I…will not…fail King Kai. We…already dishon…ored ourselves..by…forgetting our debt…to…him…"

Froug croaked. "Big words, my boy. But, how are you gonna back 'em up? I have you pinned here. How do you plan to do anything, eh?"

Tien grunted. "I've…committed two grave sins…against my…honor…it seems…"

Froug cocked his head, then he gasped. Tien was slowly pushing himself up. "I was…complicit in betraying King Kai's trust…and…"

He glared at Froug again. "...I'm not showing you the respect you deserve, it seems!"

And then, all of the tension went out of Tien's voice. All of the strain and the agony melted away. In spite of the severe gravity still pressing onto his, Tien stood up with his head held high and a fierce look in his eyes. Froug flinched back as he felt Tien's energy. All of it ceased free movement. It became static.

Within Tien's body, all of his energy was forged into the shape of Tien Shinhan, and it held that shape and structure in spite of Froug's Megaton technique. Froug's eyes went wide. "What in that-"

Tien smiled. "Enlightenment Pathways: Akshobhya. State of Abhirati."

Froug was left speechless, in a state of pure awe. Tien chuckled. "Forgive me a small laugh. Going into this state has put me in a good mood every single time since I discovered it. It's like none of life's rigors matter, while I'm like this. My shoulders feel light. My innards feel soft. My spirit feels free."

He took a step forward, the Megaton not affecting him at all. Froug took a step back. Tien splayed out his arms. "Much like my State of Sunyatta, this will be a tax on me later. But, at the moment, no rigor you throw at me can make me flinch. I am Immovable. I am Unstoppable. And I am sorry Froug, but that means-"

In flash, Tien was behind Froug, both of his splayed palms thrust forward in the blink of an eye. Froug stood in the same spot, his eyes wide and the world around him very still. With a shaky voice, he croaked. "...I was arrogant. I never saw a young man like you being capable of something like this. I was a fool."

He turned his head and looked back at Tien. Tien looked back at him as well. Froug smiled. "This was a great match, even if I was outclassed from the start. I hope you'll still consider training alongside us some day…"

Tien respectfully nodded his head. "I look forward to it."

Froug gave one last chuckle. "Thank you, my b…thank you, Tien Shinhan."

And then Froug launched through the air as if all of the gravity he was projecting slammed into him all at once. The amphibian warrior soared high above the fruit trees and then crashed through the roof of a nearby gazebo. Froug was out cold!

Tien sighed and relinquished his enlightened state, falling to his knees as a deep fatigue seemed to settle into his very soul. The three-eyed warrior held his forehead and groaned to himself. "I'm still not good enough. I need to work even harder until these states become second nature. I…have so much more work to do…"

Toadstool Tatakae's voice echoed out over the Grand Kai's entire estate. "GORILLA! CANTALOUPE! AND EVEN FROUG! ALL DOWN!"