For over a year, Ryoha had undergone tremendous changes. Although he hadn't reached the level of the Dancing Sky Art (Flight), his control over energy had improved significantly. He could manipulate his body using energy to execute difficult moves and maneuvers, like dancing on the sea without sinking.
At this rate, it might not take many more days before he could grasp the Dancing Sky Art by the time of the martial arts tournament. He rode Bulma's jet along with Launch to the island hosting the World Martial Arts Tournament.
"Goku!" After registering, he indeed saw two very conspicuous figures: the smallest participants, Goku and Krillin. Master Roshi had already transformed into Jackie Chun. Ryoha waved to them as he noticed their presence.
"Ryoha, Bulma, and who is this older sister?" Under Master Roshi's guidance, Goku, who was already polite, had become even more courteous. He wasn't the naive kid who came out of Mount Paozu.
"This is Launch, living at Bulma's house. Who are these two?" Ryoha asked knowingly.
"This is Krillin. He and I are training under Master Mutaito. And this is Master Jackie Chun," said Goku.
"Hello, Krillin. Pleasure to meet you, Master Chun." Ryoha shook hands with Krillin and then, while shaking hands with Jackie Chun, they both exerted force secretly, clearly trying to gauge each other's abilities. In terms of controlling energy, Ryoha couldn't match up to Master Roshi, evident from Roshi's ability to use energy to strengthen muscles and alter body structure.
"Young man, not bad," Jackie Chun said with a smile.
"You're not simple yourself, old man. If there's a chance, let's compete," Ryoha said, and the evaluations of each other from the probing moments just passed by subtly, making it difficult for others to perceive.
"It hasn't been long, yet he has found the knack for energy by himself. He truly deserves respect. He destroyed the moon, and his strength is truly extraordinary. Perhaps his strength might not be at the top when the Second World Martial Arts Tournament starts, but having lived for centuries, his control over energy has reached an incomprehensible level. Perhaps only the deities and Korin are superior to him in energy control," thought Ryoha.
"It's only been a short while, yet he's found his own path with energy. He's truly promising. Both him and Goku might be the future of Earth, both geniuses in martial arts," Master Roshi thought.
"Goku, is this Ryoha guy really as strong as you said?" Krillin was a bit skeptical. In his view, under Master Mutaito's guidance, Goku's strength might just be second to their teacher. How could someone be that strong? Undoubtedly, Master Mutaito's reputation was unparalleled in this era.
"He's really strong. He's much stronger than when we parted over a year ago. I don't even know if I'm his match!" Goku said, though his eyes showed increasing combat intent. He was someone who grew stronger in the face of tough opponents, far from being like Vegeta, the Saiyan prince who quickly crumbled when faced with a stronger adversary.
"I want to test myself against him," Krillin thought to himself.
The battle started quickly. Since the preliminaries, Ryoha hadn't wasted any time, defeating opponents with a single blow and advancing directly. Thus, after the second day, the top eight had already been selected.
"Am I fighting Krillin? Interesting," Ryoha smirked. Krillin was a rare genius in techniques. His Ki Circle Cut almost disregarded the difference in strength, making it risky to face. Maybe only someone with a physique like Majin Buu's could ignore it," Ryoha remarked while looking at the match list.
"You're that powerful Ryoha Goku mentioned, right? Although you're Goku's friend, I won't hold back," the little bald Krillin said. He was indeed an interesting character, being both warm-hearted and straightforward.
"I wouldn't want you to hold back. Since we're battling, let's go all out," Ryoha replied. He then flashed, appearing directly in front of Krillin. With astonishing speed, he punched Krillin in the face, sending him flying to the edge of the arena, shattering one of the stone carvings there.
"Competitor Ryoha is so fast! Krillin couldn't react before getting hit. Will Ryoha continue winning with overwhelming strength even after reaching the top eight?" the host with a small beard commented.
"So powerful! Goku didn't lie," Krillin stood up. This kid was renowned for his resilience.
"Seems like Goku's friend Krillin is quite formidable," observed the blue-haired Launch thoughtfully. It wasn't that she was interested in Krillin, but she knew well the kind of training Ryoha had undergone in the past year. It was surprising that someone could stand after taking such a blow.
"Krillin's strength is commendable," Bulma smiled slightly. Since the time they fought together in the Pilaf's Castle last time, Bulma found herself liking the feeling of that strength. More importantly, she enjoyed fighting side by side with Ryoha. Now, she understood why Tsunade was so dedicated to becoming stronger.
Fueled by the discovery of her increasing appetite, Bulma was compelled to train harder to maintain her attractive figure. Undoubtedly, when it came to their beauty and physique, women were highly dedicated.
"Krillin, pay close attention. You can surely see it," Goku said. If Ryoha and Bulma were his first and second best friends who led him out of Mount Paozu to explore the world, then Krillin was his brother-in-arms, with whom he trained and competed. They had built a strong bond through mutual training and competition.
"I can see it!" Concentrating, Krillin stared at Ryoha. In his sight, Ryoha's fist seemed to slow down, and Krillin immediately flipped and jumped, attempting a handstand spinning kick to counter while turning.
"Not bad, Krillin," Ryoha chuckled. He raised his right hand to block Krillin's legs. With his left foot on the ground, Ryoha swept his right foot, knocking Krillin's hands out from under him, causing Krillin to fall.
As Krillin fell, Ryoha spun and executed a kick, sending Krillin flying off the platform and landing outside the ring. This sequence of moves, executed in one breath, was lightning-fast. Almost no one saw Ryoha's actions; 99 percent of the people only saw a slight movement from Ryoha, and Krillin was already flying out of the ring.