The morning of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament dawned bright and clear, with crowds already gathering around the arena. Karnel found himself swept along by Bulma's infectious enthusiasm as she practically dragged him through the registration process.
"There! All signed up!" Bulma announced triumphantly, waving the paperwork like a victory flag. "Now you can show everyone what you're made of!"
Karnel couldn't help but smile at her excitement. Truth be told, this tournament felt more like a casual sparring session to him now, but seeing Bulma's eager anticipation made it worthwhile. When she'd asked to see him compete with those sparkling eyes of hers, how could he possibly refuse?
"You know," he said, gently ruffling her carefully styled hair, "I only agreed to this because you wanted to watch."
Bulma beamed up at him, clearly pleased with herself. "Look, there's Master Roshi and the gang!"
Master Roshi approached them wearing unusually formal attire, his walking stick tapping against the ground as Krillin and Yamcha flanked him. For once, the old turtle hermit looked almost respectable.
"Bulma, Karnel! You two are here early," Roshi greeted them with a wave.
"Where's Goku?" Bulma asked, scanning the crowd. "I thought he'd be here by now."
Master Roshi's expression grew wistful. "Ever since he lost to Tien in the last tournament, he's been training on his own. I'm not even sure if he'll make it in time." There was genuine concern in the old master's voice, Goku had been his first real student, and the years of separation clearly weighed on him.
"Well, well, looks like everyone's here."
They turned to see a tall figure approaching, wrapped in white cloth with an umbrella shading his face. Despite the disguise, Karnel recognized him immediately.
"Goku!" Karnel grinned. "Look at you – you've shot up like a weed! What's with the mysterious traveler outfit?"
The others stared in shock at the dramatically taller young man before them. Krillin looked particularly envious of his friend's growth spurt.
"Karnel!" Goku exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger. "You're that guy who tricked me into eating my own tail when I was little!"
The accusation hung in the air like a thunderclap. Everyone turned to stare at Karnel with varying degrees of horror and disbelief.
"WHAT?!" Master Roshi's jaw dropped so far it nearly hit the ground. "Karnel, you made an innocent child eat his own tail?!"
Bulma gasped and delivered a sharp pinch to Karnel's arm. "How could you corrupt such a sweet little boy?!"
Karnel held up his hands defensively, laughing nervously. "It was just a joke! I never thought you'd actually... wait, was it at least tasty?"
"It was delicious—NO!" Goku caught himself mid-sentence, his face reddening. "You made Grandpa beat me with his stick for a whole hour!"
The memory came flooding back to Karnel: young Goku had apparently found a piece of his previously severed tail that Grandpa Gohan had stored away, roasted it up, and gotten thoroughly scolded for the bizarre meal.
"My grandfather told me something interesting," Goku continued, his tone growing more serious. "He said people with tails are called Saiyans, and that my real name is Kakarot. Is that true?"
Karnel's expression sobered. The weight of their shared heritage wasn't something he took lightly. "That's right. There aren't many of us left, just a handful scattered across the universe, including you and me."
"What happened to the others?" Goku asked, his natural curiosity overcoming any awkwardness.
"The Saiyans were... complicated," Karnel said carefully. "Most of them were conquerors who destroyed entire civilizations for sport. Eventually, their entire planet was wiped out along with nearly everyone on it. The few who survived..." He paused, his expression darkening. "Let's just say I've had to deal with some of them personally."
Bulma noticed the shadow that crossed Karnel's face and gently touched his arm. "Hey, that's all in the past now."
Karnel squeezed her hand gratefully. "You're right. Besides, we have more immediate concerns." He gestured toward the arena. "Like this tournament that's about to start."
"Speaking of which," Master Roshi interjected, checking his watch, "we should head inside. The preliminary rounds are beginning soon."
As they started toward the entrance, a figure wrapped in white cloth emerged from the crowd, green skin visible beneath the fabric. The newcomer's eyes locked onto Goku with unmistakable intensity.
Goku stopped dead in his tracks, returning the stare with equal focus.
"Now there's a love story for the ages," Karnel muttered under his breath, watching the two size each other up.
"That green skin..." Yamcha whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "Could it be...?"
The mysterious figure snorted dismissively and strode into the arena without a backward glance.
"That's Piccolo," Goku said, his eyes bright with anticipation. "The son of the Demon King Piccolo. I can't wait to fight him!"
"Goku, keep your voice down!" Krillin hissed, glancing around nervously. "If people hear that, they'll panic!"
As they entered the venue, Karnel felt a familiar thrill of anticipation. The tournament might not pose much of a challenge for him, but watching Goku face his destined rival would certainly be entertaining.
The preliminary rounds were held in smaller rings inside the main building, designed to quickly narrow down the field to the final eight competitors who would battle in the main arena for the crowd's entertainment.
For Karnel, the early matches were almost anticlimactic. His opponents barely had time to introduce themselves before finding themselves unconscious on the mat. He made sure his victories looked impressive enough to satisfy Bulma while holding back enough to avoid seriously injuring anyone.
As the tournament progressed, the inevitable happened, Karnel found himself facing Yamcha in the quarterfinals. The scarred fighter looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world.
"Well," Yamcha said with a forced smile, "I was hoping to make it to the finals, but I guess running into you here is just my luck."
"Don't worry," Karnel replied with a grin, "I'll try to make it quick and painless."
"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better..."