Krillin suddenly noticed Goku zoning out and couldn't help asking,
"Hey, Goku, what were you thinking about? Why didn't you help me roast those guys just now?"
Goku snapped back to reality and shook his head.
"Nothing. Cursing people is kind of undignified.
If I run into him later, I'll take care of it for you."
Krillin nodded firmly.
"Yeah. If I face him, I'll beat him down myself!"
Clearly, Krillin had full confidence in his strength. He truly believed he could defeat Tien.
But Goku wasn't so sure.
Looking at Krillin, Goku suddenly remembered something important.
If nothing changed, after the tournament ended, Tambourine would appear.
In the original timeline, Krillin had died by his hand.
But this Krillin had trained on Korin Tower. He was much stronger now.
He might even be able to defeat Tambourine… and even if he couldn't, at least he shouldn't be killed instantly.
After thinking it through, Goku decided to warn him anyway.
"Krillin… I just thought of something.
After the tournament ends, don't wander around by yourself, okay?"
Seeing Goku turn serious, Krillin felt confused.
"What are you talking about? Why do you sound so mysterious?"
Goku quickly made something up.
"I heard there's a monster going around lately called Tambourine.
He has wings, green skin, and he can fly.
He's hunting down powerful martial artists… so he might come here.
He's really strong—don't face him alone."
Krillin scratched his head.
"What kind of monster is that?"
Thinking of how Goku had wiped out the Red Ribbon Army, he couldn't help asking,
"Goku… you didn't go and provoke some terrifying enemy again, did you?"
Goku paused, then simply nodded.
"Yeah, you could say that.
Anyway, if you run into someone like that, be careful. Don't try to be a hero."
Krillin nodded.
"Got it.
But don't underestimate me either! I got the Ultra Divine Water a year ago, you know!
I'm insanely strong now!"
Goku blinked and smiled.
"I know you're strong. You might even beat that monster.
But his background isn't simple. If you run into him alone, don't be reckless."
"Heh, you still don't trust me.
You've gotten strong, sure—but I've grown fast too.
Who knows? Maybe this time I'll even beat you, Goku!"
Goku nodded.
"I hope you're really that strong.
If we end up fighting, I won't go easy on you."
Krillin snorted.
"Hmph. I wouldn't want you to!"
…
Outside the arena, Bulma, Launch, and Violet were searching for good seats.
Puar suddenly noticed that Master Roshi was gone.
"Huh? Where did Master Roshi go?"
Launch looked around.
"That's weird. He was just here."
Bulma waved it off.
"Don't worry about him. That old pervert probably squeezed into a crowd of women to grope someone."
Violet stiffened.
"Is that old man really Master Roshi? He's a pervert?"
Bulma nodded.
"Of course he is. Didn't Goku tell you?
Or did you think he was some kind of upright saint?"
Violet thought for a moment.
"When I was still with the Red Ribbon Army, a squad once went to arrest a so-called scientist…
They mistook Master Roshi for him and got beaten up badly.
No one died, though. In fact, that squad was the only Dragon Ball search team that came back without casualties.
After that, they all quit the Red Ribbon Army and never returned…"
Bulma rubbed her chin in curiosity.
"Really? That old guy had that kind of impact? I never noticed."
Puar immediately defended him.
"Master Roshi may be lecherous, but he's actually a great teacher.
Young Master became a much better person under his guidance…"
Bulma nodded.
"Alright, I'll admit he's good at teaching.
But let's forget about him for now—this tournament has a huge crowd.
We should find decent seats."
Launch pulled out a gun and smiled.
"Leave it to me."
She fired a few shots into the air, instantly terrifying the people around them.
"Move it! Unless you want to die, give up your seats!"
The crowd scattered in panic, leaving behind a clear path and more than a dozen good seats.
Launch casually led Bulma and the others to sit down.
"Nice work, Launch!" Bulma praised.
Launch smirked and holstered her gun.
Just then, the referee stepped onto the stage.
With microphone in hand, his voice rang out with confidence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!"
"The 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin!"
"Out of 182 contestants, these eight warriors have fought their way to the finals.
They will battle in a knockout tournament to determine who is truly the strongest under heaven!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
Because Chiaotzu had secretly used his psychic powers, the matchups had been arranged according to Tien's wishes.
"Now, the bracket is as follows:
First match: Tien Shinhan vs Yamcha.
Second match: Jackie Chun vs Wolf-Man.
Third match: Son Goku vs Chiaotzu.
Fourth match: Krillin vs Pamput."
Goku looked at the list, slightly surprised, but didn't think much of it.
Krillin was last tournament's champion.
Clearly, Tien wanted to eliminate Yamcha first, then deal with Krillin in the next round.
As for Goku… he'd been handed to Chiaotzu like a warm-up target.
The announcer's voice sharpened.
"Now, let us begin the first match!
Yamcha vs Tien Shinhan—please step onto the stage!"
Amid roaring cheers, Tien and Yamcha climbed onto the ring.
They'd just exchanged insults earlier—now the tension was razor-sharp.
Yamcha took a stance and sneered,
"Hey, if you're scared, you can surrender now."
Tien didn't even bother to assume a stance. He spoke with lazy arrogance,
"Keep barking while you still can.
I think it'll be poetic when you spend the rest of your life in bed.
Don't give up too early—I plan to cripple you."
Yamcha snorted.
"Bring it on."
Krillin shouted from below,
"Go, Yamcha! Beat him into the ground!"
Puar cheered too.
"Master, you can do it!"
At the referee's signal, the two launched forward.
Their speed was incredible.
In the blink of an eye, they turned into blurs, colliding again and again across the ring.
The audience fell silent.
No cheers. No gasps.
Everyone was holding their breath, completely absorbed.
After a brief exchange, the two leaped apart.
Only then did the crowd explode with noise.
"They're incredible!"
"Yeah, both of them—I can barely see them move!"
"This is just the first match… the quality of this tournament is insane now!"
The referee seized the moment to commentate.
"Unbelievable! The very first match is already this intense!
The two fighters tested each other and neither gained the upper hand—but they've now gauged each other's strength.
The battles ahead are sure to be even more spectacular!"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/NightShard525