In the sky.
Although the battle between Tien Shinhan and Yamcha had just begun, it was growing more and more intense, with flurries of punches and kicks exchanged one after another.
Both of their fighting styles were well-rounded, seamlessly shifting between offense and defense—you attack and I defend, you chase and I counter, neither yielding an inch.
This level of battle had already reached a power level in the millions.
However, for Tien Shinhan and Yamcha, this was nothing more than a warm-up.
After tentatively exchanging blows for over a dozen rounds…
'Bang!! Boom!!' Two thunderous crashes echoed.
The two locked their fingers together, launching into a pure contest of strength.
Brilliant white auras erupted from within, transforming into a powerful storm that swept out in all directions, causing the ordinary people in the stands to instinctively raise their hands to shield themselves from the onslaught.
Although Whis had set up a barrier, the audience could still feel it to some extent.
"Tien Shinhan and Yamcha sure aren't going all out from the very start," Krillin said, standing by the entrance of the backstage waiting area and watching their match intently.
Chiaotzu was beside Krillin.
"Amazing… I can't believe it's only been a year, and Tien Shinhan and Yamcha have both gotten so much stronger. If I don't transform into a Super Saiyan, I don't think I could take them," Goku exclaimed in shock, mouth wide open.
A year ago, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu had all left North Kai's Planet, and it was only now that they were reunited.
Goku had no idea that after they returned to Earth, they first trained for a while under Talot's guidance, and then Talot sent them to the Sacred World of the Kai to continue training.
It was only a little over a month ago, after they had unlocked their potential, that Talot went to the Sacred World of the Kai to bring them back.
"Looks like even I underestimated them. I never expected their strength to increase to this level," Raditz was also shocked by the display of power from Yamcha and Tien Shinhan.
Although this level of strength was nothing to him personally, the fact that Tien Shinhan and Yamcha had caught up in such a short time was truly remarkable.
He had never thought much of Tien Shinhan and Yamcha before, because the gap had always been too great.
Salari knew a bit of the inside story, but since Talot had already spoken to her, she didn't say anything.
If anyone was to say something, it should be Talot, since he was the main reason behind Tien Shinhan and the others' strength increase.
Nearby, Piccolo, Nail, and Ragar were also stunned after witnessing Tien Shinhan and Yamcha's strength, though they didn't express it as openly as the other warriors. Still, they were deeply impressed.
At the very least, from this point on, they understood the true strength of Earth's warriors.
"Incredible… I just now realized, Krillin, Chiaotzu, your power is also far beyond what it used to be. How did you all train?" Nappa asked, looking at Krillin and Chiaotzu, eager to know the answer.
Influenced by the battle, he was itching to try for himself.
"We just got some guidance and help from Brother Talot. If he doesn't say, we can't really talk about it either," Krillin replied with a chuckle, brushing off the question.
With that, the focus shifted to Talot.
Since it was because of Talot, those present understood much more.
Still, their curiosity wouldn't dissipate so easily.
Not far away, Vegeta was leaning against the wall, his face calm and expressionless.
On the surface, he looked unmoved, but inside, his heart was in turmoil.
Vegeta was shocked that, as an Earthling and a Triclops, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan could display such astonishing power levels.
If he didn't transform, Vegeta was certain he wouldn't gain the slightest advantage.
...
In the air.
The contest of strength between Tien Shinhan and Yamcha continued.
The muscles over Yamcha's entire body were stretched taut, looking as if he was exerting himself to the limit.
Tien Shinhan appeared to be going all out as well, but in reality, he was still holding back a great deal of his power.
"As expected of you, Yamcha!" Tien Shinhan said with a smile, offering praise.
"Cut it out, I know you're still hiding something. Show me what you've really got! Even if I lose, it just means I'm not strong enough!" Yamcha shouted, igniting his ki from within.
He had long sensed that Tien Shinhan still had strength left in reserve.
"I know, so from here on out, I'll show you my true power. Haah!" Tien Shinhan shouted as well, suddenly exerting himself.
A surge of strength immediately forced Yamcha back ten meters.
"I won't be defeated so easily!" Stumbling back, Yamcha struggled to steady himself.
He was just about to counterattack when he was struck by a flurry of blows from Tien Shinhan.
'Bang! Boom! Bang!' Three powerful punches in quick succession.
The powerful onslaught sent Yamcha's energy churning; he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
'Bang!!' Tien Shinhan followed up with a downward chop, landing squarely on Yamcha's back and knocking him out of the sky onto the arena below.
Crashing onto the arena, Yamcha did his best to steady his breathing. After a few rolls, he stood up again, his eyes now filled with seriousness.
He'd expected there to be a big gap between his strength and Tien Shinhan's, but he hadn't expected it to be this wide.
The moment Tien Shinhan started getting serious, Yamcha could barely keep up.
But it only made Yamcha more fired up.
Suppressing the pain throughout his body, Yamcha stared straight at Tien Shinhan floating in the sky.
Tien Shinhan then descended smoothly, landing in front of Yamcha.
With a smile, he once again assumed a fighting stance.
"Those last hits really hurt, but even that wasn't your full strength. Watch how I force you to go all out!!" Yamcha wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
That classic battle pose made Tien Shinhan even more eager.
"I'm looking forward to it! Come on!" Tien Shinhan replied.
"Haaaa!!!" Without another word, Yamcha let out a long roar.
A surging aura erupted from his body, and an overwhelming force swept out in all directions.
The blonde-haired referee at the edge of the arena was caught off guard and sent flying all the way to the outer perimeter by the aura shockwaves.
The powerful tempest raged, affecting everyone in the stands, and even those in the backstage waiting area were startled by the strength of Yamcha's explosive aura.
The intensity of this energy was far greater than the limit they'd sensed earlier.
"What an incredible aura. Is Yamcha finally going all out?" Krillin exclaimed.
The strength of this Ki was extraordinary. While it didn't quite match his, it was not far off.
Piccolo, Ragar, and Nail all had different expressions when they felt this power.
This aura was so strong, it clearly marked Yamcha as a top-tier fighter.
"To think he could raise his aura to this level… this guy always finds a way to surprise me," Nappa recalled the days when they'd trained together.
Not far away, the silent Vegeta finally began to pay close attention to the Yamcha who had exploded with power.
Though his face showed no change, inside, Vegeta's heart was in turmoil.
This was at least several times stronger than his base form's power!
"How strong is this Ki? What's his power level now?" The curious Raditz took out his virtual glasses, measuring Yamcha's power level.
"I'm curious too," Salari, next to him, also put on her own virtual glasses.
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