The final match had returned to its destined course, Goku versus Piccolo, just as it should be.
Karnel sat beneath the ring, thoroughly bored by the predictability of it all. His eyes wandered to the tournament announcer, who was practically foaming at the mouth with excitement as he hyped up the crowd. Suddenly, an amusing idea struck him.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Karnel announced, smoothly appropriating the microphone from the startled host with a casual flick of his wrist, "I'll be taking over commentary duties for this final match. Let's watch as Goku and Piccolo Jr. put on the show you've all been waiting for!"
The original announcer found himself unceremoniously deposited outside the arena perimeter, looking around in bewildered confusion.
"What on earth is he doing now?" Master Roshi muttered from the stands, adjusting his sunglasses. The other spectators shared his bafflement, Karnel's behavior had become increasingly unpredictable throughout the tournament.
"So you're finally here, Goku," Piccolo sneered, dramatically casting off his white gi to reveal his green, muscular form beneath. "I'm going to enjoy beating you to death."
"You must be the one who hatched from that egg Piccolo left behind," Goku replied with his characteristic enthusiasm, bouncing lightly on his feet. "I can't believe how strong you've gotten in just a few years! The way you handled Krillin and Tien was incredible!" He grinned widely. "But don't think defeating me will be easy, I've been training harder than ever these past three years."
The crowd roared with anticipation, completely oblivious to the fact that they were cheering for a battle between the world's greatest hero and the reincarnation of its most feared demon. Sometimes ignorance truly was bliss.
"BEGIN!" Karnel called out with theatrical flair.
Off to the side, Kami clutched a small bottle in his robes, whispering urgently to himself, "Show him what you learned in the Lookout, Goku. I believe you can win this..."
After discarding his weighted training clothes, Goku felt his body become light as air. With a joyful battle cry, he launched himself at his opponent.
What followed was a blur of motion that left most spectators squinting helplessly at empty air. Two shadows danced across the ring in a deadly ballet, their movements too swift for ordinary eyes to track.
"Come on, Goku! You have to beat him!" Krillin shouted from the sidelines, his earlier defeat at Piccolo's hands still stinging his pride.
Master Roshi and the others watched with intense concentration, their trained eyes just barely able to follow the incredible display of martial arts mastery.
To Karnel, however, the fight looked almost leisurely. He tracked their movements effortlessly, providing colorful commentary with obvious amusement.
"Our fighters appear evenly matched at the moment, trading blow for blow with incredible precision," he announced with mock-serious enthusiasm. "Oh! Piccolo attempts a particularly nasty low blow, but Goku's reflexes save him from a very uncomfortable situation! He counters with a solid right hook, blocked expertly by Piccolo, who vanishes in a flash!"
Karnel dramatically gestured skyward. "And there he is, folks! Piccolo has taken this battle to the heavens themselves!"
The small ring had indeed become too confining for their escalating conflict. Piccolo soared upward with Goku in hot pursuit, their aerial battle creating shockwaves that rippled through the air.
After several minutes of sky-bound combat, one figure came crashing back down to earth. Goku hit the arena floor hard, clearly having gotten the worse end of their airborne exchange.
Piccolo descended like a green meteor, murder gleaming in his eyes as he prepared to deliver what looked like a finishing blow to the downed Saiyan.
"Piccolo dives in for what could be the decisive strike!" Karnel narrated with exaggerated excitement. "Goku appears to be in serious trouble here, wait! What incredible composure! At the last possible second, he rolls aside and... is that a Kamehameha wave building in his hands? The signature technique of the Turtle School, glowing with brilliant blue energy!"
Piccolo's eyes widened in shock as his supposedly guaranteed punch met only empty air, and the concentrated ki blast caught him completely off-guard.
"Damn it!" Piccolo crossed his arms defensively as the energy wave engulfed him.
The brilliant blue light seemed to swallow the Namekian whole, its destructive power washing over his body in waves. Even someone of Piccolo's considerable durability couldn't emerge unscathed from a direct hit by Goku's signature technique.
As the light faded, Karnel could see cuts and bruises covering Piccolo's form, with small trickles of green blood marking where the energy had found its mark.
"Oh, now this is interesting," Karnel murmured with genuine curiosity creeping into his voice.
His tone shifted to one of theatrical amazement as Piccolo began to grow. "Ladies and gentlemen, something extraordinary is happening! Piccolo is... expanding! He's becoming a giant! It's like watching a Colossal Titan emerge from thin air!"
The remaining spectators screamed in terror, fleeing the arena in a panicked stampede. Within moments, only Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha, and a few other martial artists remained, too invested in the outcome to abandon their ringside seats.
"Well, there goes my audience," Karnel sighed, tossing the microphone aside with theatrical disappointment. "No point in commentary without anyone to appreciate it."
He hopped down from his impromptu announcer's position and rejoined Bulma and the others.
Despite his massive size and increased strength, the giant Piccolo had sacrificed speed for power. What had been an even match became a game of cat and mouse, with Goku buzzing around the lumbering giant like an annoying insect.
Even with Karnel's brief disruption, the battle followed its destined path. Though Goku managed to drive Piccolo into a crater with a devastating combination attack, his compassionate nature proved nearly fatal when he lowered his guard. Piccolo's mouth beam punched clean through his shoulder, leaving him grievously wounded.
But Goku's indomitable spirit carried him through. In a final, desperate gambit, he launched himself headfirst at his opponent, striking with such force that Piccolo was driven deep into the earth, defeated at last.
Standing over his fallen opponent, the bloodied but victorious Goku reached for his senzu beans.
"Goku, why didn't you finish him when you had the chance?" Kami demanded, stepping forward with barely contained urgency.
The newly crowned champion shook his head firmly. "No way, Kami. This Piccolo is different from the Demon King. I can sense it, he's not pure evil like his predecessor. Besides," he added with a knowing smile, "if I killed him, you'd die too, wouldn't you?"
Kami's expression softened with a mixture of surprise and approval.
"Well then," Karnel announced, "I'd say that's our cue to leave. Congratulations on your first World Championship, Goku."
Before anyone could respond, he and Bulma vanished in a blur of motion, leaving only a small dust devil to mark their departure.
"Show off," Bulma laughed as they reappeared in the distance, but her tone was fond rather than critical.
"You insisted I participate in this tournament," Karnel reminded her with mock accusation. "I think I've earned the right to make a dramatic exit."