Warren vanished from where he stood.
An instant later he appeared beside Goku.
Crack.
In the beam struggle Goku held a crushing advantage. He was already in Super Saiyan Blue, a first-tier power in Universe 7. Krillin was only human. Against Goku, there was no contest.
The two Kamehamehas collided, one vast and one small. Worse, Krillin stood on the left side of the clash. In beam duels, the left side loses.
Goku's wave was about to swallow Krillin whole when Warren intervened.
No hesitation.
His knee slammed into Goku's wrists.
Crack.
Goku's hands jolted open and his Kamehameha veered off-line.
Boom.
The roaring wave smashed into the stone ridge behind Krillin and erased it in a single, pulverizing blast. Shards screamed through the air.
Krillin sucked in a breath. That one would have ended him.
"Goku."
Android 18's voice cut like a knife. She glared at Goku, fury burning cold. If Warren had not stepped in, her husband would be gone.
She flashed to Krillin's side, checked him up and down, and only then exhaled in relief.
"Man, Krillin, you did not let me down," Goku said, beaming. Krillin rubbed his bare scalp, sheepish.
"Really?" In truth he had been completely on the back foot. Against Goku's pressure he barely had room to breathe. If not for Warren, they would already be hunting Dragon Balls.
Krillin shot Warren a grateful look. Warren waved it off. If he had held back, 18 would have jumped in, but not in time to save Krillin.
18 finished her check, then lifted her chin at Goku.
"I do not know what you have been through, but you are a lot stronger than before. How about you try us both?"
She slid into a stance, right hand open before her.
"Uh, pass." For a self-confessed fight maniac, Goku backing off was rare. He had two reasons.
First, he was not testing Krillin's ceiling. He wanted to see if Krillin's ring craft had survived domestic life. Krillin's raw power had long since hit its human limit. What mattered now was veteran savvy. If Krillin folded against overwhelming force, Goku could not take him to a battle that decided their universe's fate.
Second, the sight of 18 had sparked another thought.
"Hey, where is your brother, 17? We should invite him too."
"Seventeen?" 18 blinked, thinking. "After Cell, he never contacted me. If you ask me out of nowhere like this... I really do not know."
Goku's face turned serious. Infinite energy like 18's was priceless in the Tournament of Power.
"Alright. I will ask Dende if he knows where 17 is." Blue ki flared and Goku vanished into the sky.
Gohan also had a candidate in mind. "Everyone, excuse me. There is someone I need to speak to." He lifted off and streaked away.
Warren watched them go, then glanced at 18 and Krillin. For a moment he was not sure which way to head.
"Thank you for the save," Krillin said first, offering a handshake. "You are strong. If you are willing, I would like to test myself against you."
He did not wait for an answer.
Two Destructo Discs whistled from his hands.
Warren's gaze stayed calm. He lifted his right hand.
Clang.
He caught one spinning disc out of the air. Fingers tightened.
Boom.
The blade detonated in his grip.
Smoke rolled. Warren walked out without a mark, and both 18 and Krillin went still.
Experience won out over shock. Even outmatched, Krillin's heart stayed steady. He redirected the second disc in a high arc, curving it behind Warren.
"Go."
He chopped his hands and the disc knifed into Warren's back.
Boom.
Fire fountained skyward. Krillin narrowed his eyes. He doubted that would do more than scuff Warren.
He was right.
Warren tore through the smoke like a bullet.
Crack.
His fist hammered into Krillin.
Krillin's arms snapped together to block, bracing with everything he had.
Bang.
The impact launched him clean off the makeshift ring and out of bounds.
Match over.
"Phew. Everyone around Goku is a headache," Krillin admitted, grinning through the sting. He had a new read on Warren now. Maybe the title of strongest Earthling needed a nameplate change.
Warren rolled his shoulders. For him the exchange had not even counted as a warm-up, but he did not belittle Krillin. Krillin's true value was not brute force.
They chatted a bit. Krillin tried to fish for details about the coming tournament, but Warren sidestepped politely. If Goku had chosen not to tell Krillin that losing meant Universe 7's erasure, Warren was not going to be the one to crush him with it.
In the end they agreed to regroup at Bulma's. Compared to Goku's Flight, Krillin's sky-running was child's play.
Driving would be faster.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"