At this moment, Piccolo was deeply shaken. After fighting for so long, Goku admitted he hadn't even used his full strength yet—a reality Piccolo couldn't accept.
Piccolo was supposed to be the strongest in the world, yet here he was, being humiliated.
"Unforgivable… unforgivable, Goku! I'll never let you go!" Piccolo's veins bulged as he frantically gathered energy.
His roar echoed through the arena, "I'll raze everything here to the ground!"
"How could I let you succeed?" Goku shouted, flying straight toward him.
When the distance closed to less than two meters, Piccolo suddenly smiled wickedly.
"You've been fooled, Goku. Even if you haven't used your full strength yet, this Demon King will kill you with this move!"
"Oh no!!" Goku hadn't expected to fall into Piccolo's trap.
Piccolo compressed all his energy within a few meters around his body and detonated it.
BOOM!!
Goku was hit head-on by the blast. Smoke and debris filled the arena, making it impossible for Master Roshi and the others to see clearly.
Goku shielded his head with his arms, his clothes torn apart, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Piccolo was gasping, his breath growing weaker. "That attack… it must have worked!"
"It really did work. It even managed to hurt me a little." Goku emerged from the smoke, brushing it aside with his hand.
The corners of Piccolo's mouth twitched. He stumbled back, disbelief in his eyes.
"My attack… didn't even seriously injure you?"
Goku admitted to himself it had been close. If he hadn't conserved enough energy, that explosion could have been devastating. Luckily, it only left him with minor injuries.
Though his fighting power under heavy armor was 340, his energy output was 430. For Piccolo, who only had 328 in combat power, breaking Goku's defenses completely was nearly impossible.
Goku wiped the blood from his mouth. "Piccolo, your energy is seriously dropping! Why are you already so exhausted?"
"Damn it…" Piccolo clenched his fists. He had no choice but to accept the truth—Goku really hadn't been using his full strength yet.
From the sidelines, Krillin shouted with joy, "Great! Goku's sure to win! Piccolo's energy is fading, but Goku's hasn't dropped at all!"
"If nothing unexpected happens, Goku's victory is certain," Tien Shinhan added firmly.
Analyzing their auras, it was clear. Piccolos was nearly spent, while Goku's remained strong.
Bulma pumped her fist excitedly. "As expected of you, Goku! You're amazing!"
Master Roshi nodded with pride. "Goku, you saved the world again."
On the battlefield, Piccolo was dazed.
Stretching his body, Goku called out, "Piccolo, come on! Keep attacking!"
Snapping back to reality, Piccolo rose higher into the air and roared, "Goku! Just you wait! I'll keep challenging you until I completely destroy you!"
But instead of continuing, Piccolo retreated, flying off into the distance. Goku didn't chase him, only watching as he disappeared.
Glancing back, Piccolo noticed Goku wasn't pursuing. Relief washed over him. If he'd kept fighting in that state, it would have only ended in humiliation.
Moments later, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Master Roshi, and Bulma rushed over to Goku.
"Goku, are you okay?" Bulma asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." Goku smiled. Despite his torn clothes and a few scratches, he was mostly unharmed. Looking toward the announcer, he raised his voice, "Hey, announcer! Can you declare the results now?"
"Ah! O-Of course!" The host, still flustered from the chaos, quickly composed himself. "The winner of this year's World Martial Arts Tournament is… Goku!!"
Even though most of the crowd had already fled, the result still needed to be declared.
Tien Shinhan placed a firm hand on Goku's shoulder. "Goku, I'll keep training hard with Chiaotzu. One day, we'll catch up to you."
"Yeah! Work hard," Goku encouraged, patting his shoulder back.
Yamcha grinned. "I'll train too. Maybe I can't catch you completely, but I won't let you get too far ahead!"
Krillin scratched his bald head sheepishly. "Well… I think I'll just stick with Master Roshi for training."
That evening, the group shared a simple meal together before parting ways.
Later, Bulma found Goku alone. Summoning her courage, she asked softly, "Goku… are you planning to marry Chi-Chi when you get back?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, yeah," Goku answered honestly.
"…I see." Bulma's face darkened. Forcing a smile, she added, "Then… I wish you happiness, Goku."
"What are you talking about? You're coming too!" Goku replied with his usual carefree grin, hands on his hips.
Bulma froze, stunned. Had she misheard him? "Goku… what did you just say?"
"Did I say anything? You must've heard wrong." Goku waved casually and turned to leave.
But Bulma lost her composure, shouting after him, "Wait, Goku! Explain yourself! What do you mean by 'I'm coming too'? If you don't clear this up right now, I'm not letting you go!!"