A/N: Okay, very important note! There was a minor glitch in the fanfiction website, during my last update and some readers didn't receive an e-mail notifying them of the new chapter. Really sorry about that, so to those of you who missed the launch of the tournament saga in Chapter 52, be sure to check it out and consider this a double-package update xD! 😉
That being said, this chapter holds some very profound and promising moments, so let us proceed!
Chapter 53: A new super-power
The four matches of the quarter-finals:
1. Goku vs. Bulma
2. Gohan vs. Tien
3. Chi-Chi vs. Piccolo
4. Hercule vs. Vegeta
Try as she might, the heiress was unable to land a single hit on her evasive best friend.
"Wow Bulma, your technique's just outstanding." The Saiyan commended, ducking below a swift, spinning wheel kick.
"Don't you patronize me, Goku!" She hissed back.
"No, no, I mean it!" He fervently maintained. "You've got a really good sense of rhythm and timing. If you were born with the same naturally ability as some of the other guys, I honestly think you would've been a great part of the team."
"Ahem, excuse me, but last I checked, I am the team!" She fumed irately, whilst continuing her fruitless assault. "You seem to be forgetting that I'm the one who brought all you muscle-heads, together!"
"Of course, Bulma, I know." He tittered. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Well, good!" She huffed, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Man, this is so unfair. Why did I have to be matched up against you?!"
"Would you rather it be someone else?"
"Honestly, I was hoping for a rematch with Chi-Chi." She let out a longing sigh. "I think I'd put up a better fight, this time around."
"I dunno Bulma, she's been spending a lot of time training, these days."
"She has?"
"Yeah!" The Saiyan enthused. "She's stronger than she ever was!"
"Wow, guess I'll never stand a chance haha."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it." Goku grinned. "You've always been the brains of the operation. Without you, we'd be nowhere."
"Well, thanks." She smiled beatifically. "That means a lot, coming from you."
Soon afterwards, Goku advanced forward, landing Bulma out-of-bounds, with a simple Kiai. It was the next battle that had everyone standing on the tips of their toes, eager to see just who would emerge the victor.
Tien and Gohan started out easy, sizing each other up and testing the waters. As they took it up a notch, it was obvious that the half-Saiyan had a clear edge, due to the unmistakable difference, in their respective base powers.
"Wow, you Saiyans are unbelievable." The three-eyed warrior smirked, stance as strong as ever. "Your Kaio-Ken times five is superior, to my times ten."
"Maybe you should go for a times twenty then." The boy grinned. "Krillin did it and he almost won."
"Quite true, but I'm stronger than he is, so in my case, it won't be an almost." He promptly empowered himself further. "Haaaaarrrrggghhh! Kaio-Ken times twenty!"
WHOOSH!
Launching himself forward like a ballistic missile, Tien bombarded the young child, with a flurry of concise hits that landed dead-on. Just as he was about to deliver the knock-out punch, however, Gohan made a decisive gambit.
"Kaio-Ken times ten!" The boy roared, a flaming cyclone of crimson fire skirling around his miniature frame. Power pushed to new heights, Gohan parried the incoming attack, with a hard right-hand, straight to the gut. Tien's eyes widened and he coughed a glob of sputum, as he was hurled in the opposite direction. Gohan struggled to sustain his power, but eventually came to grips with it and charged straight ahead. All of Tien's progress was overturned and yet again, the demi-Saiyan had the upper-hand.
"Wow, Gohan, to be so powerful, at such a young age." Tien commended, breathing heavily and clutching his chest, heart pounding with a dynamic rush of thrill and battle frenzy. "It's something none of us could have ever achieved. I don't know why I'm so surprised, given who's blood you carry."
"Thanks Tien, you're really amazing yourself!" The boy smiled.
"I didn't think I'd have to use my ultimate technique." The three-eyed warrior smirked. "Truth be told, I was saving it for the battle with Goku, but I suppose there's no other way I can beat you."
"Ultimate t-technique?" The boy stammered. "Y-You don't mean the-"
"No Gohan, not the tri-beam." Tien shook his head, much to the relief of those nearby. "That's much too dangerous and besides, you'd most likely dodge it. What I have in mind is something special that I've been working on, for the last few months."
"Oh, really?" Gohan effervesced, more eager than ever to witness this new technique. "I'd love to see it."
"Alright, sure." The three-eyed man nodded. "But Gohan, I want you to know that you're an amazing warrior. Don't be discouraged by this defeat. Let it fuel you to train even harder. You have the potential to surpass every single one of us, a whole lot sooner than you may realize."
"Goddammit, enough with the pep talk! Just show us already, three-eyes!" A restless Vegeta yelled from the sidelines, only for Bulma to smack him upside the head. "Hey!" He objected.
"Manners, idiot!" She chided.
"How dare you, wom- mph-"
The heiress covered his mouth with her hand, pressing an index finger to her lips, in a gesture for him to be quiet. The other crew-members chuckled at the amusing scene that materialized, before them. No matter how bullish or imperious Vegeta was to everyone else, it seemed that Bulma held the whip, in this relationship.
"Hmph." The morose Prince whirled his head aside, cursing the onlookers. If those idiots weren't present, he would've nipped her intrusive hand. Then again, that hand did prove to be quite useful, when it came to certain, invigorating tasks. The Prince mentally cursed himself, for that lecherous line of thought. This blasted female had ruined him, with her shameful vulgarity!
Tien raised his brows in surprise, at the bizarre spectacle, before returning his attention to the battle at hand.
"Ready, Gohan?"
"Yeah!" The boy feverishly nodded.
"Here goes." The former crane-school student pressed his hands together, palpable waves of Ki exuding outwards, the decibels of his low grunt rising little by little, till he bellowed out, in a thunderous crescendo. "Haaaaarrrrggghhh SUPER KAIO-KEN!"
The fiery red aura condensed around him, till he was gilded with a concentrated, ethereal film of crimson that looked almost- godlike. Glittering red sparks, ignited about his stalwart figure, pupils shining, a mesmerizing gold.
"N-no way!" A dumbfounded Yamcha stuttered, while the rest of the cadre and surrounding viewers, looked on in pure awe and wonder, at the strikingly surreal sight.
"That's amazing!" An ebullient Goku acclaimed. "His power level's off-the-chart."
"What on Earth is this?!" Krillin gasped, completely taken aback at the phenomenal display. "He literally stands at fifty times his base power. It's more or less the human equivalent of a Super Saiyan! How is that even possible?!"
"What's more, that form isn't bound by the limits of time, like the normal Kaio-Ken." Piccolo noted, with corrugated eyes. "He has a sound level of control over it. It's as though he's taken the entire Kaio-Ken and absorbed it inside his essence, making it an inseparable part of himself. Not even King Kai would've thought it possible, to use his technique this way."
'Interesting.' Vegeta thought to himself, with intrigue. This Earthling was truly something special, well above the others. In fact, with strength like this, he could even overpower Frieza, at seventy percent- in his organic form, that is*. Loath as he was to admit it, three-eyes could certainly prove to be a valuable asset, when the time came to battle the Androids.
"T-Tien?" Gohan stammered, instinctively backing up a pace. He'd never have expected any human, to reach such unprecedented heights.
"I'm sorry to have had to do this Gohan." The three-eyed warrior said, before lunging forward and battering the child with a series of precise, powerful punches. The half-Saiyan quickly found himself on all fours, exhausted beyond measure, as the larger fighter loomed over him. "You did well, little one."
"N-No, it's not over yet!" The boy panted hard, rubbing his aching head. Exerting more effort than he'd counted on, he forced himself to stand on wobbly legs.
"Gohan, that's enough, you hear me?!" Chi-Chi anxiously yelled, from the sidelines. "It's over! No more! Just give up!"
"No!" The boy protested.
"Don't be stubborn, Gohan!" Tien reproached. "Listen to your mother!"
"If I give up now, how will I ever have the dignity, to even look at myself?!" He emphatically argued. "I am a Saiyan, just like my father, just like Vegeta! They fought against impossible odds and they came out, winners! They came out, heroes! They never gave up and neither will I!"
'That's the spirit Gohan.' Goku thought to himself, an immense surge of pride gushing through him. He was moved greatly by the bravery and unyielding determination of his son.
"Hey, I'm no hero, you foolish brat!" Vegeta remonstrated, noticeably blushing at the unwanted acclamation. "And quit lumping me in, with your moron of a- OWWW!"
Once again, the Prince was cut off before he could finish, Bulma pinching his hapless earlobe and giving it a sharp twist.
"Release me, at once!" He commanded.
"What is wrong with you?!" The heiress admonished. "Gohan clearly looks up to you, so quit being so mean!" The moment she let go, Vegeta turned towards her with a foul grimace, as the encompassing crew laughed boisterously. It seemed that even the mighty Saiyan Prince stood no chance against his whip-wielding woman.
"Tell me something, Tien." Gohan looked solemnly at his foe, steadily reassuming his fighting stance. "If you were in my position, would you throw in the towel?"
The three-eyed fighter let out a poignant sigh.
"I suppose I wouldn't." He answered, smiling reverently. "Very well. We'll see this through to the end, if that's what you want."
The battle raged on and the demi-Saiyan desperately held himself together. He knew he was stronger than this! Somewhere inside him was a beast, with anomalous might. He only needed to figure out how to set it free. His mind ventured back to Namek, to Porunga's sagely words and the explosion of power that virtually set the entire landscape aflame, when Vegeta first transformed. Grief! That was the key, but not just any grief. It was the kind that bore a vast hole through the soul, giving a wide berth to the undercurrent of power that lay beneath, allowing it to leap upwards and assume it's rightful place. That was what he needed! An upwards elbow strike landed Gohan on his back and the ten-count promptly began.
"… seven… eight-"
"Not y-yet." With incredible willpower, the child scarcely managed to struggle back to his feet. "I-It's n-not over y-yet."
"Gohan, please, you fought a brave battle." Tien insisted, beset with concern, for the courageous boy. "Few could've held on, as long as you did, but if this continues, you could be in serious trouble. Concede the fight, I'm begging you!"
"Never!" The boy snarled back in deadset resolution, shutting his eyes, as his mind ventured deep into the heart of hearts, the cosmic well of power, caged within him. Resolved to crush the proverbial bars that stood between him and legend, he let himself be consumed with thoughts of the future: his mother, his father, Piccolo and all of his friends. Everyone of them would be butchered, without mercy, unless he became the fighter he was born to be! As he envisioned their lifeless bodies, lying in a grisly pool of their own blood, a sharp, icy pain pierced his heart and suddenly, the underlying beast rose up and grazed its razor-edge talons along the profiles of his soul.
"Impossible!" Vegeta gasped', as the half-Saiyan's hair turned gold, for just a fleeting moment. "There's no way!"
"Don't try and force it, Gohan!" Piccolo vociferated to his pupil. "Control your power! Let it come naturally, bit by bit!"
'Wh-what the h-hell's going on?' Hercule quivered, at the unfathomable sight of black repeatedly flickering to gold, on and off, like a fluttering lightbulb. 'It's gotta be a trick! This isn't humanly possible! He must have some sort of electrical device, buried in his scalp!'
"Come on son, you can do it!" Goku willed. "You're almost there!"
'Astounding!' Tien watched, in absolute awe. Just as Gohan was about to leap over the edge of his limits, however, his aura fused and he collapsed face-first, out cold.
"Ladies and gentleman, Gohan has just lost consciousness, making Tien Shinhan the winner by knockout!" The announcer declared. "But let's give the boy a huge round of applause for his valiant efforts, against the former Champion. What a fight folks, what a fight!"
The crowd roared and hooted, completely ensorcelled by the breathtaking talent of both contestants. This event had turned out to be far more invigorating than they'd ever imagined. It was truly a privilege to watch a performance of this magnitude.
Tien breathed a hefty sigh of relief. For a second there, he thought he was a goner and had Gohan been able to tap into his legendary power, that would've been the case. The three-eyed fighter ambled towards the motionless child and gathered him up, in his arms. Many in the crowd teared up at the touching moment of sportsmanship.
A hysterical Chi-Chi bolted towards the stadium.
"Give me, my baby!" She cried out and snatched the boy from Tien. "Oh Gohan." She sobbed, cradling him against her bosom. "My poor little Gohan."
"You should be proud Chi-Chi." Tien smiled, in veneration. "You've got one hell of a son."
The raven-haired woman turned towards the three-eyed warrior, with a murderous glare. A rush of dread and horror washed over Tien, features turning several shades of blue, as he prepped himself for whatever diabolical punishment would ensue, at the hands of the tempestuous mother.
"You- how dare you hurt my sweet boy?!" The Ox-Princess hissed dangerously.
"Uh- Chi-Chi, maybe we should take Gohan to the doctor?" Goku strolled over, grabbing his wife around the shoulders and redirecting her towards the hospital grounds, while giving his friend a knowing wink. Tien nodded thankfully at him, letting out an alleviating exhale, as the family of three, began to take off.
"Hey Chi-Chi, what about your fight?" Bulma asked the other woman.
"I can't fight!" She hotly replied. "Gohan needs me!"
"Oh right." Bulma went ahead and relayed the news to the blonde announcer.
"It looks like Chi-Chi's unable to attend her fight, making Piccolo the winner by forfeit!" He pronounced. "Our next match features this tournament's betting favourite Hercule, pitted up against newcomer, Vegeta!"
"Oh God, why me?" The Prince soliloquized in disgust, wishing that he could face a true warrior, like three-eyes, instead of this bungling buffoon. Then again, he would be squared up against the Namek, in the semi-finals and that was truly worth looking forward to, not to mention the final battle, with Kakarot.
"Be careful not to hurt the guy." Bulma sniggered, as the two opponents proceeded towards the ring. On his way there, Hercule seized the microphone from the announcer, much to his chagrin. Seriously, this impertinent asshole had no scruples, whatsoever! This was the second time he did that (A/N: Refer to previous chapter)!
Hercule wore a confident smile and looked towards the audience.
"Everybody, listen up, this is the real champ speaking!" He gloated. "You see that man, before me?" He rudely pointed a finger towards Vegeta. "He's no fighter, just a weak midget, who happened to get lucky, in the last round. Well, this time, he won't be so lucky, I promise you that."
"Hey, who the fuck are you calling weak, you cocksucker?!" The short-tempered Prince snapped. "You want to die?!"
"Whoa, you've got some mouth on you, little punk!" Hercule gave his foe a harsh glare. "Well, I promise you that I'm about to shut it, for good!"
Seeing red, the flame-haired Saiyan was just about ready to vaporize this pompous oaf in front of everyone, till Bulma's voice instilled some sense of reason, within him.
"Don't kill him Vegeta!" She echoed, placing both hands on either side of her mouth. "If you do that, you'll be disqualified and won't get a chance, to face Goku!"
"Hmph, kill me?" Hercule scoffed, facing in Bulma's direction. "Babe, you've got the wrong idea. This man, if you can even call him that, doesn't stand a chance. You ought to shack up with someone like me instead."
"Oh please, I'd rather drink a gallon of my own vomit than go anywhere near you."
The audience tore into a blaring fit of laughter, at the witty reply, while Hercule seethed to himself. If there's one thing he couldn't tolerate, it was when his own fans made a mockery, out of him!
"Uh, excuse me?" The announcer frowned in irritation and held his hand out. Hercule looked at him a moment, before shaking his head.
"I just wanna say one more thing." He brought the microphone over to his lips. "I'll tell everyone right now that no matter what this man throws at me, he won't be able make a single dent, on my perfect body!"
The crowd was really amped up for this fight, especially after the heated verbal exchange between the two adversaries. This was definitely a grudge match, no love lost here.
"Are you done?" The weary announcer asked, not too impressed by that pathetic braggadocio.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm done." Hercule grudgingly returned the mike and smiled smugly, as he got into position.
'Tch, stupid piece of shit.' Vegeta thought to himself, rooted on the spot. As much as he wanted to grind him to a bloody pulp, he decided on something that would make him look like an even bigger joke than he already was.
As the bell sounded, Mr. Satan galloped towards his foe, like a warhorse.
"Super Megaton Punch!" He roared. Vegeta fired a minute Ki-blast, right below his feet and the wrestling champion squeaked, eyes comically wide, as he was launched upwards and out-of-bounds, unceremoniously landing on his chin.
The crowd instantly quietened down, unable to register the defeat of the highly favoured, Hercule. They were sure he'd be able to back up his hype, like he always had. What just happened? Mr. Satan was asking himself the exact same question, as he lay on his stomach, looking like a pretzel.
"My God, what- what an incredible upset, folks!" The awestruck announcer exclaimed, hardly believing it himself. "With a well-aimed Ki attack, Vegeta sends Hercule out of bounds, making him the winner, by ring-out!"
"Hey wait, just a minute!" An outraged Mr. Satan furiously strode over to blonde-haired man. "I demand that you repeal this decision immediately! Obviously that guy planted explosives in the ring and used some cheap, laser hand-trick to make it look like the real thing!"
"Boo!"
"You're a loser."
"Mr. Satan got robbed!"
"We want a rematch!"
"Vegeta, you're so hot!"
The audience members were torn between those pushing for a rematch and those who wanted the tournament to continue, without further delay.
'Tch, I should've just pounded him, with my bare hands.' Vegeta resentfully thought to himself. Now, that sore loser was creating unnecessary drama out of nothing, just because he couldn't swallow his own ineptitude.
"Come on ref, you heard the crowd." Mr. Satan persisted. "We ought to re-do the fight and bring a crew over to inspect the ring for any explosive devices and such. What do you say?!"
"Get off the stage, you bum!"
"Hey, how dare you talk that way about Mr. Satan?!"
A minor riot began to ensue and the panicky announcer, realized that he needed to do something, in order to cool things down.
"Alright, people, please remain calm." He said tactfully. "Although I personally believe that there was no misconduct on Vegeta's part, I'll launch an appeal on Hercule's behalf, with the tournament committee. Pending their decision, we'll have a five minute interlude. Snacks and refreshments are on the house."
"Phew." The blonde man wiped a sheen of sweat, off his brow. That little distraction worked like a charm. The viewers soon settled down, as staff members served them, with free treats.
Vegeta shook his head and hopped out the ring.
"God, that was hilarious." Krillin guffawed. "You should've seen the look on that guy's face, as he flew hahahaha! He looked like the biggest dumbass! Seriously, it reminded me of the time Vegeta threw frog-Ginyu, across planet Namek." (A/N: Refer to Chapter 23).
"Speaking about Captain Ginyu, does anyone know what happened to the little guy?" Bulma asked curiously.
"Well, I think he leapt off, somewhere in the forest." Krillin shrugged. "For all we know, he's snake fodder by now."
The heiress shuddered at the thought.
"Great, now I have to wait for my battle with Goku." Tien groaned impatiently, as Vegeta made his way over. "If you'd just knocked that moron out straight away, we wouldn't have to deal with all this drama!"
"Tch, don't remind me." The Prince spat.
"Maybe you can just knock him out now." Yamcha suggested. The scarred-man had regained consciousness a short while ago, after his loss to Goku.
"If he does that, he'll be disqualified." Bulma argued. "No fighting allowed, outside the ring."
"Maybe I can knock him out then." The ex-bandit chuckled. "Since I'm no longer participating and all."
"Yamcha, stop being such a child!" Bulma chastised, punching him in the arm.
"Well, since we're here, I wanna ask you Tien." Krillin frowned at the bigger warrior. "You've been holding out on us. Why didn't you tell us about the Super Kaio-Ken? You know we could use that sort of power, against the Androids."
"I- I'm sorry Krillin." The three-eyed man replied. "I was planning on showing it to you, but then the announcement came up, for the new tournament and I- kinda wanted to keep it a surprise."
"Come on man, that's not good enough." Yamcha folded his arms, indignantly. "We're fighting to save the planet, here. This is just meant to be a friendly exhibition. How can you compare the two?!"
"Oh God, quit bitching already!" Vegeta growled. "If you want something, go and reach for it yourself, instead of relying on others, like some helpless sheep!"
"Says the guy who uses Bulma's gravity machine." Yamcha replied drolly.
"Hey. don't forget about my virtual reality- mph-"
Vegeta placed a hand over Bulma's mouth, before she could finish.
"Virtual what now?" A baffled Krillin, asked.
"Virtual nothing." The Prince hissed, before looking gravely at the blue-haired scientist. "It was just a slip of the tongue, right Bulma?"
"Mm hm." The heiress nodded. She forgot that Vegeta wanted to keep that little secret between them, right up until the decisive moment of battle.
"Alright people, I've just received a verdict from the committee." Everyone stilled and listened intently, as the announcer imparted the news. "The folks above have denied Hercule's appeal for a rematch as well as his request to have the ring examined for any illegal explosives. The tournament shall proceed, as normal."
"Come on, that's bullshit!"
"Finally, we don't have to look at Satan's ugly face anymore!"
"This tournament's a fraud!"
"Shut up you dumbass Satan fanboys!"
"Vegeta, please marry me!"
The moustachioed fighter continued to object the decision and ultimately, a throng of security personnel had to escort him off the premises, for inciting disorder. A good many Hercule fans stormed out of their seats in protest, much to the relief of everyone else present. Although Vegeta said he was more than willing to undergo a rematch, management refused to bend the rules.
"God, I don't know who's worse, Mr. Satan or his fans?" Yamcha droned.
"How can those idiots believe that it's all just a trick?!" Krillin narrowed his brows, in revulsion. "Are they blind, stupid or just in denial?!"
"I would have to say, all of the above." Bulma rolled her eyes. Just in time, Goku returned from the hospital, though his wife elected to remain behind and nurture their little boy.
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Earth's hero chuckled. "Chi-Chi wouldn't let me leave, till Gohan woke up."
"How is he?" Tien inquired, afraid that he'd inflicted too much damage upon the young warrior.
"He's alright, just a little dazed." The Saiyan answered. "He told me that he's sorry for losing and that he'll do his best not to let me down again. I dunno why he sees it that way. If anything, I'm extremely proud of him. He fought really well."
"Since we're on the subject, our fight's up next." The three-eyed fighter smirked, eagerly. "You against me, just like old times."
"No doubt!" Goku nodded, extremely excited for this battle. "Good luck to you, Tien."
"And you, Goku."
Meanwhile, Hercule decided that he wasn't going to remain silent about this. He would let the entire world know that this tournament was nothing more than a big sham and that he was the true, undefeated champion! While he was at it, he would train vigorously and be prepared, for any farcical laser-tricks, the next time around! He was severely disappointed by the outcome of this event, having wanted to return home with another world title to add to his collection, not just for himself, but for his little girl, who idolized him greatly.
A/N: So, we proceed towards the semi-final bouts! Goku faces off against Tien, while Vegeta's pitted up against Piccolo! How will those fights go down?! Who will emerge the champion?! What of Hercule's scheme to reacquire his lost publicity?! Find out next time and until then, review and leave your thoughts.
p.s. What did you think of the Super Kaio-Ken form? Pretty cool, huh? I wanted to reserve something cool for the human-fighters and Super-Human sounds incredibly lame, so- yeah! 😅
Power levels:
Goku/Vegeta/Piccolo: ?
Will be revealed later.
Tien: 1.8 million
18 million (Kaio-Ken x10)
36 million (Kaio-Ken x20)
90 million (Super Kaio-Ken)
*Organic-form Frieza at 70%, stands at 84 million, so yeah, fully-powered Tien is stronger than he is.
Gohan: 4.2 million
21 million (Kaio-Ken x5)
42 million (Kaio-Ken x10)
210 million (Super Saiyan - cannot use the form properly, just yet)
Krillin: 1.5 million
15 million (Kaio-Ken x10)
30 million (Kaio-Ken x20 - still needs work)
Yamcha: 1.3 million
13 million (Kaio-Ken x10)