The Tenkaichi Budokai: Preliminaries
The last month passed, and only a day was left for the World's Martial Arts Tournament to begin. "The time has come at last! We are leaving for the southern city!" Master Roshi, dressed in one of his best suits, said, "You three can take off those wheels now if you like."
"Great! I'd be a little embarrassed otherwise." Krillin said as the three took off their heavy hundred-pound turtle shells, "Ohoh!" he moved his arms around, feeling light.
"My body feels light! It's like I can't even feel my own weight!" Goku jumps, able to be faced to face with his mother with each hop.
"Jump as high as you can," Master Roshi tells them.
Lining up, the three students jumped as high as they could, which, surprisingly for them, is very high, "Hey, did we..." Krillin began.
"...jump on our own?" Goku finishes.
"I think we did," Natsu answered, already falling back to the ground. Each landed on their toes; the boys smiled at each other, excited that they were going above the speed they began at.
"Goku! Krillin! Natsu! Come here! I've got something for you guys!" Launch called, showing them a box when they came back, "Well since you're going to your first big tournament," she opened the lid on the first box. "I thought you should wear something nice! Then, the second, "I made them myself."
"Wow, I've never worn one of these before!" Goku said before running inside with Krillin and Natsu to change. The boys came out wearing blue suits and hats.
"Alright, everybody in! Roshi hollers after closing the trunk of his car.
"Do your best!" Launch tells them, shaking each of their hands, "I'll see you soon!"
"Keep an eye on the house and try not to sneeze!" Master Roshi tells her before driving off.
They went on an airplane, and Goku couldn't help but stare out the window in surprise. He's never been in one before, nor has he ever seen one! Goku asked random questions whenever he saw fit, excited about their new surroundings and surprised at the brightness of the city lights. Natsu, however, has experienced heights like this when flying on Igneel, but flying in a plane was much different; for one, he didn't feel like dying when on Igneel.
"How much longer do we have to be on this deathtrap?" Natsu asked, barely being able to sit correctly.
"What's up with you?" Krillin started. "Not only were you like this on the car ride, but you can't handle planes either?"
After getting off the plane, they took a taxi to their next destination. Goku and Natsu "Oohed" and "Aahed" at every new thing they saw. "Gosh, the world's full of people, isn't it?" Goku asks, peering around the area.
While Master Roshi signed them up, they gazed around the area, "Hey! Goku! Natsu!"
"Huh?" Natsu turns around.
"Did you say my name?" Goku asks Krillin.
He shook his head, "Head guys, how's it going?" they turned their heads to see a man with short hair and a very familiar outfit. Seeing their confused expressions, he lowered himself, "Wolf fang fist!"
"Yamcha!" The spiky hair duo said happily.
"I thought you'd like that!"
"Oh wow, I guess we didn't recognize you cause your hair fell off your head!" Goku told him.
Yamcha blushes, touching his hair, "Bulma said long hair is out this year."
Krillin pokes Goku and faces Natsu, "Whose the tall guy?"
"That's Yamcha, a friend!" Natsu told him, "This is Krillin, our new friend."
"And training partner!" Goku adds.
"Hey, Krillin."
Krillin, feeling shy, hid himself behind Natsu, "Hello." He didn't know why he did this, maybe because Goku did it a lot in the beginning, and he started to too.
"Well, it's done. The three of you are signed up." Master Roshi walks over to them, "Eh?"
"Huh, Goku? Natsu?" They turn to see Bulma, Puar, and even Oolong!
"Bulma! Oolong! Puear!" Goku shouts, him and Natsu rushing over to hug them.
"Looking sharp!" Oolong told the boys.
"You think so!" Natsu laughed along with his friend. "So, how have you guys been?"
"Goku, Natsu, how did you guys end up at the tournament?" Bulma asks them, excited to be seeing them again after eight months.
"Well, it's nice to see you again!" Roshi said, approaching Bulma pervertedly.
"Oh gosh, it's you!" Bulma brought them out of their conversation, "Hey, thanks for telling me you were moving! I stopped by the island to see how Goku and Natsu were doing, and your whole house was gone!
"Well, that island is more of loving than training martial arts." The old turtle hermit took a step closer to the teen, "Bulma, I kept thinking of the last time I saw you! You were wearing that bunny suit, remember!?" He laughed, turning red.
Bulma, having enough of his perverted comments, took out a mallet, hitting him away from her, "Shut up!"
"Old man, filthy as dirt!" Oolong mutters
"I guess we should all hang out tonight while we still can!" Yamcha told them, confusing the two. "Because we're all going to be rivals at the tournament tomorrow!
Goku looked disappointed at the tournament starting the next day, "But I want to start!" he complained.
"Hey, you guys!" A voice shouted to the group.
They turned to a small group of kids. The group consisted of the friends they made at Fairy Tail, along with Makarov.
"You guys came!" Natsu said excitedly.
"Well, we didn't want to miss seeing you guys kick some ass!" Cana said
"I'm interested in seeing how you three handle yourselves," Erza said.
"Hey, uh who are these guys?" Yamcha asked.
"These are some friends we made at Fairy Tail," Natsu told them.
"Wait, you guys went to the Fairy Tail guild," Yamcha asked, surprised.
On the way to their hotel room, everyone caught up and got to know each other before getting ready for tomorrow.
The sun shone on the tournament arena and many people started filling the spectator seats. The fighters were inside the building doing last-minute exercises and awaiting directions.
"Hello! Hello! Testing one, two, okay!"
Everyone inside the stadium turned to see a short rounded man with bushy white eyebrows and a long mustache to match. He stood on top of one of the blocks speaking in front of a microphone.
"Well uh," he cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention. "First I'd like to thank each of you fighters for coming all this way to the tournament, because of course if you didn't come there wouldn't be much of a show to watch," The man chuckled to himself. "If anyone is counting, you may have noticed that there are one hundred and thirty-seven fighters packed into this hall, each fighter representing countries and species from all over the world!"
Natsu stared around at the giants around the inside arena, feeling a bit nervous at the amount of experienced fighters surrounding him. "One hundred and thirty-seven people…!" his eyes moved toward his friend. "And half of them have kneecaps taller than I am!"
"Unfortunately," They focused their attention back on the stage. "Out of all you guys here, only eight will get a chance to fight for the crows in the actual tournament, so fight hard in the elimination round, and let's try not to have any whining."
"Now then, allow me to explain the rules." The kids paid close attention. "You will be divided into four tournament blocks and the top two from each block will advance to the finals. The battles will be one-on-one. If a fighter falls out of the ring, faints, says "I give," cries, or otherwise they lose." He emphasized the next part, "But you must not kill your opponent. The use of weapons is also forbidden! Preliminary battles will also last only one minute, so if a winner is not selected, a judge will have to decide."
"Now please move to the boxes and take a number. You can look on the boards to find your place," He pointed to a box, with a hole, on top of a table. "And please no trading." Every competitor lined up waiting for their turn to reach in and pick out a number for their spot on one of the four blocks.
Unraveling his number, Natsu murmurs, "One hundred and ten."
Hearing his number, Krillin sighs at not having to fight him in the preliminary round. "Ninety-three for me! What did you get?" They shifted their eyes on Goku.
"Uh…seven and a zero," He says unsure.
"Looks like Goku and Krillin will be in block three Yamcha came up next to them, looking at the board.
"Huh?" The turtle hermit students turned their heads to the board, finding their numbers. "Oh no, that's bad! I don't want to go up against Goku!" Krillin shouted. It was one thing not wanting to battle Natsu and another to battle Goku.
Goku stared at the numbers, "But your number is far away from mine Krillin, so maybe we won't have to!"
"Oh…too bad!" He said in relief.
"What's your number Yamcha?"
"I'm thirty-five, that's block two." Yamcha tells them, "You're on block two." Yamcha tells them, "You're on block four Natsu."
Natsu nodded, "At least we're not all fighting in this round."
"That's a relief, I didn't want to be placed in the same block as either of you."
Krillin gave a grin, "Ah so you were scared, just like me!"
"That's not it," The teen gave a grin of his own. "I just wanted to wait for the real tournament." He saw the confused stares he was receiving from the three and elaborated. "That's where the ring is bigger and there's no time limit to stop us! I've been waiting for this Goku so you and Natsu better make it through!" Since the start, he had been waiting for a rematch with either of them.
"Oh, I'll make it!" Goku said determinedly.
"Well, then I'll see you in the ring!" Yamcha said before leaving for his block.
Goku, Natsu, and Krillin spoke amongst themselves as they walked through the crowd to get between blocks three and four where the three friends will be fighting for the preliminary round.
"I don't see how either of you or that Yamcha guy can be so confident," Krillin told them as he stared at the grown monster men around them, "When we're surrounded by twenty thousand pounds of pure muscle!"
Goku smiled at the shorter boy, "Cause none of these guys were trained by Master Rossi like we were."
"But the old man never taught us how to fight," Krillin pointed out. "He just gave us dirt to move around!"
"Don't worry Krillin. I bet if we tried hard enough, we'll be okay."
"That's right!" Natsu nodded to them.
Krillin flinched, "Right dandy."
They reached block three just as one of the striped-dressed men started announcing for block three. "Okay! We will now begin the preliminary matches for the third block! Number sixty-nine and number seventy step onto the stage!"
"I'm up already!" Goku said in surprise.
"Go get'em Goku!" Natsu and Krillin started cheering for him, "Fight hard Goku, and good luck!"
Goku climbed up the stage ready for his first fight of the tournament. He could hear his friends cheering for him along with laughter from the crowd but he paid no mind to them. He was too busy controlling his excitement!
Number sixty-nine got onto the stage looking around for his opponent, "Eh, where is my fighter?!" The man is one of the giants. He was bald, tan, and had a brown mustache, and wore a blue one-sided one piece, revealing part of his chest, and wore matching boots.
"Right here!" Goku said as he got into a regular fighting position, ready for the referee to give them the signal.
The giant glared at the tiny boy, "What the hell is this?! There is no satisfaction in beating up a tiny ant like this!"
"What'd you say?!" The little fighter gritted his teeth at the giant.
The ref held his clipboard to his chest, with a pen ready to mark number sixty-nine as the winner. "You have one minute!"
"Pugh, I just need one second to crush this pest between my thumb and forefinger!"
Goku growled at the man waiting for the signal.
"Begin!"
Without a second to waste, Goku bolted to his opponent with a fist ready to strike. At the same time, the other started to grab him. The Saipan just ran right through the giant's legs as if it was a tunnel.
"Eh?" The giant fighter stared at the spot Goku was in confusion before glancing to his left and right in disbelief. "Oh, I really crushed him!"
The little boy walked behind him poking his back, "Over here, over here!" He wanted him to turn around before the minute was up. But without meaning to, his challenger started to wobble, having trouble balancing himself, and fell off the stage with a groan.
Everyone by the block stared in silence and disbelief at a child shorter than just about everyone in the room, being able to knock out an experienced fighter with just one poke.
It seemed like the silence dragged on before Natsu finally broke it, "YEAH! GO GOKU!" He cheered happily having the referee snap out of it, "Number seventy advances!"
"Hey, that's great! He fell off by himself!" Krillin told his buddy when he hopped onto the stage.
After poking the guy, Goku stared at his hand, mainly his finger. He muttered, "...No, that's not what happened..." He glanced at Natsu who seemed to not know what happened either.
"Eh? Then what?!" Krillin asks.
"Guys! Don't go all out unless you're up against a serious opponent!" Goku told him as he found out exactly what was happening or did happen.
"What are you talking about...?"
"What do we have here?"
The three orange-dressed fighters turned around to see two men dressed in an outfit similar to the one Krillin wore before. One man is short, overweight, and bald.
"It's our old punching bag!" The other guy said.
Natsu instantly decided he did not like this man. The other is taller, gangly, has six spots on his forehead like Krillin, and a grin planted on his face. The way Krillin nervously shuffled beside him, made him not like either of them.
"Hello," Krillin said quietly to the two.
The thin man came closer to the trio, mainly Krillin. "Long time, no see...last time was when you ran out of Orin Temple crying, weren't you?"
The small boy chuckled nervously, hoping they'd leave him alone.
"What are you doing in a place like this anyway?" The shorter it asked with a wicked grin.
"Could it be that you're actually fighting at the World Martial Arts Tournament?" The others start to pat, almost like a slap on Krillin's head.
"Y...yes...I thought I'd at least try and participate..."
"Come on, that's not even funny! Didn't we tell you that you have absolutely no potential?" Natsu crossed his arms, tapping his feet with his eyes narrowed at the teenagers in front of them. Goku stared back and forth from his friends and two bullies.
"Since you're here, it means we're assigned to the third block, right? What's your number?" The Big oaf asked.
"N...ninety-three..."
"Ha-hah!" The other idiot laughs, "This is great! You're up against me! Uwaaahhh, how exciting!"
"EHH!"
Still laughing, the idiot said, "Just don't try to go too hard on me." He went to smack the little boy's head again, "Krill...in." Natsu snatched the teen's wrist before it could connect to its target.
He glared at the teen and muttered, "I wouldn't do that."
"Wha... Who are you?" The gangly teen asked, surprised by the strength of his grip.
"I've had enough of you!" Natsu hissed as he stood on his toes ready to give him a piece of his mind. Though before he could, Goku grabbed his free hand, "Natsu let Krillin handle it." Reluctantly, he released the other boy with a glare on his face.
The two Orin in temple students wanted to have the last words, but nothing could be said, not with an angry sneer directed at them. That glare made their blood run cold, face turned pale, and trembled in fright. However, somehow they were to turn around and walk away from the angry kid.
"Those guys were really mean!" Goku said as they finally disappeared from their sight.
Krillin, still trembling from the revelation of fighting one of his bullies, said, "They always bullied me at the Orin Temple...I...I can't do this anymore...he's super strong...maybe I'll just forfeit."
Natsu hearing his surrender turned his body around to face his friend. "No way Krillin!" He gave him a large toothy smile, "You're going to fight that guy and show him what you're made of!"
Goku copying his friend nodded, "Just go all-out against him,"
"Didn't you just say-,"
"Just ignore what I said...at least for your fight against that guy!" Goku said determined that against that guy!" Goku followed, determined that his friend would give the bully a taste of his own medicine.
"One hundred and ten and one hundred eleven come on up!" The referee from Block Four called out.
Natsu perked up from his number being called up, "I'm next!" He walked over to his block with the others trailing behind him.
Goku and Krillin stood next to the stage with their arms on the platform. "Go Natsu!" Goku called out. "You can do it!" Krillin cheered.
He hopped onto the stage and went to the center where his opponent stood. Number one hundred eleven was an olive-toned man, built like an average fighter, aged around his mid-20s, blonde hair, brown eyes, instead at 5'8". He had white pants on and stood shirtless with confidence smirk and said, "Looks like an easy win."
"Too bad," Natsu said with a bright smile. "I really was looking forward to a real fight!" He got into his stance.
His challenger didn't lose his smirk instead he got into his fighting stance. Natsu stayed put as his challenger ran towards him intending to knock him off the arena with one of his haymaker punches. He expected his fist to land on his shoulder, knocking him off the stage, or to start crying out, but what he didn't expect was for her to block his punch.
He gripped his fist, gently, and pushed him away from her a few inches. When he staggered back in surprise, he angled his body towards him and kicked him.
His opponent let out a screech in surprise as he landed a kick to his side. The kick alone was enough to send him to line up the stage and lay on his face next to the referee at block four. "Eh...uh number one hundred and ten advances!"
"Great job!" Krillin told him as he got off the stage.
Goku nodded with a proud grin, "This is going to be easy!" At least until they make it to the finals where all the real fighters are going to be.
"Next up we have ninety-three and ninety-four!" The judge from block three calls out.
Krillin started trembling, "Oh gosh that's me!"
"You can do it Krillin!" Goku told him trying to cheer him up.
"Just remember we're rooting for you!" Natsu told him, knowing he'll come out as the winner.
Still, he trembles as he climbs the stage.
"That guy's nothing! All you need is one punch!" Goku told him.
"I think my body went numb."
Goku watches with a smile as his friend stiffly walks toward his old bully, "I can't wait until he realizes how strong he's gotten!"
"Yeah," He agreed. "Krillin calm down and show him what you do!" Natsu cheered him on like he cheered Goku on his match.
"Begin!"
They watched the fight as the fighter dressed in yellow got into a fighting position neither of them had seen before. He let his legs spread out, his left arm made a fist, and his right positioned at an angle.
Krillin still trembled even as his bully made the first move with his left hand swinging it, planning to give the younger boy a hammer fist but Krillin's fast enough to avoid the punch by jumping above the other.
"Go Krillin!" Natsu and Goku called out.
The little boy came back down, doing a backflip, landed on the ground, and quickly delivered a sidekick to his old foe with all the strength he could muster. That kick alone had the Orin student fly out of the arena, through the wall, and out of the tournament.
The only sounds heard in the room were Goku and Natsu's giggling and the referee saying, "...N...number ninety-three is...the winner..."
The duo gave happy smiles to Krillin as he jumped off the stage. "You see! Delivering milk and moving dirt must be good training after all and I bet those guys won't call you runt from now on!" Goku told him.
"Guess not." Krillin stared at his hands wondering when this all happened.
The trio then gave each other a fist bump.
So far as each fight commences, they've all had wins. Master Roshi's strange training had actually done wonders for them! They barely had to make more than three moves to advance to the next challenger. Natsu didn't have to resort to his magic yet either.
With each fight, they gained more confidence in having a place to fight in the final tournament. The boys breezed through the next rounds easily. Knocking out each competitor they faced, surprising the crowd with how easily a few newbies could take down the biggest and strongest fighters around.
"Number thirty-five earned his spot on the big show!" Yamcha had finally secured his spot in the quarterfinals. Goku went over to Yamcha congratulating his friend and commending him on how much stronger he's gotten. "Where's Natsu and Krillin?" Yamcha asked the boy.
"He got called up and Krillin followed," He told him. "Come on!"
They were in the middle of their match when the violet-haired woman charged at the Dragon Slayer, Natsu raised his right elbow up turning her arm to the side and blocking the punch. His eyes picked up her next move which was a front kick. Again he blocked it, by jumping slightly back and blocking with his right knee.
He watched as the other kept attacking, wondering when she was going to get serious. "If I'm going to give my best then shouldn't you too?"
"I'll show you serious!" Despite her quickening pace, it still wasn't enough. He could still block all of the moves, "Why won't you stay still?!"
Natsu lowered to the ground, and gave a spinning heel kick, knocking the her off her feet. But before she fell, Natsu delivered an elbow strike to her chest. He got back into his stance waiting for his opponent to get up, but she didn't.
"Number one hundred and ten goes to the finals!"
He jumps off the stage towards his friends. "Well, I did it. What about you?" He asks Yamcha.
He gave him a thumbs up. "Piece of cake."
The trio skipped around in happiness and excitement. " We're going to the tournament!"
"Wow, this is going to be a long day," Yamcha said leaning on the stage.
Finally got through this chapter so now the tournament can begin.
I'm also on vacation right now so I feel like it'll be 50/50 on whether or not I'll be able to write as much but I'll do as much as I can. And if you haven't noticed I decided to replace Ranfan with Natsu for the finalists.
Hope y'all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays.
