As soon as the announcer called for the contestants to gather,
Bulma immediately urged, "Alright, they're calling you. Hurry and get going!"
Son Goku nodded. "Okay! See you in a bit—we're off!"
He, Chi-Chi, and Krillin sprinted toward the arena.
With a single leap, all three soared over the wall and landed inside with ease.
Bulma watched Goku's small frame disappear into the tournament grounds, her face glowing with amusement.
'He hasn't changed at all—still a little shrimp!
I'm seventeen now, and he's thirteen...
By the time he turns eighteen, I'll be twenty-two. Still a bit of a gap.'
She sighed.
But her eyes shimmered with calculating brilliance.
'Once Goku's grown up...
I'll just gather the Dragon Balls again and wish to be four years younger.
That way we'll be the same age. Yep, sounds like a perfect plan.'
Snapping back from her thoughts, Bulma suddenly realized Master Roshi was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh? Where did Master Roshi go?"
…
Moments later, the ever-dedicated announcer appeared on the tournament stage.
"Thank you for waiting!"
"The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament officially begins now!"
"The matchups for the quarterfinals are as follows!"
"First Match: Krillin vs. Bacterian!"
"Second Match: Jackie Chun vs. Yamcha!"
"Third Match: Nam vs. Chi-Chi!"
"Fourth Match: Son Goku vs. Giran!"
1
The referee shouted, "This year's champion will take home a cash prize of 500,000 Zeni!
But before we begin, let's welcome the tournament chairman to give an opening speech!"
Clap clap clap clap!
A round of thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
A humanoid dog with a formal air walked up to the stage.
"Woof woof!"
Then he promptly turned and walked off.
In most events, this would've been met with confusion—but here, two barks were enough.
The crowd burst into cheers.
"That was brilliant!"
"Truly heartfelt!"
"Amazing speech from the chairman!"
The announcer grinned and followed up, "Thank you to our chairman for that powerful opening!
Now then, let's welcome the contestants for the first match—Krillin and Bacterian!"
Clap clap clap clap!
As applause rang out, both fighters climbed onto the stage.
Suddenly, a stench blanketed the entire arena.
People everywhere were pinching their noses. Some even put on gas masks.
With both fighters in position, the announcer made his introductions.
"Contestant Krillin is only thirteen years old—our youngest participant in this tournament!
His opponent is the infamously smelly Bacterian, who, rumor has it, hasn't taken a single bath since he was born."
"You both ready? If you're knocked out of the ring, you lose.
If you're down for a count of ten or surrender, that's also a loss. No time limit. Got it?"
"First match—begin!"
This fight was... uniquely unpleasant.
The stench alone had Krillin reeling backward, nearly passing out on the spot.
Luckily, Goku immediately pointed out a key advantage.
"Krillin! You don't have a nose!"
In an instant, it was like divine inspiration struck.
Krillin activated all the martial skills he'd learned under Master Roshi—
and effortlessly took down the reeking Bacterian.
The announcer beamed with pride at Krillin's performance.
"That's true martial arts! What a victory by Krillin in the first round!"
The audience erupted in applause.
"Didn't expect that little guy to be so good!"
"Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover!"
Krillin returned backstage, happily celebrating with Goku and Chi-Chi.
As the two contestants left the ring, the announcer declared,
"Match Two! Jackie Chun and Yamcha, please make your way to the stage!"
In no time, both fighters appeared.
Yamcha took a stance, observing his opponent carefully.
Jackie Chun stood with his hands behind his back, looking every bit the seasoned martial arts master.
Yamcha stared at him for a long moment but couldn't read his form.
'Weird. He's not taking any stance. And I can't feel any pressure from him.
But during the prelims, this old guy won every match in a single move… I don't know anything about him.
I'll have to attack first and test him out!'
Once both fighters were ready, the referee called, "Begin!"
In the next instant, Yamcha lunged forward, launching a wide sweeping kick.
Jackie Chun didn't budge. He simply leaned back slightly—dodging with ease.
Yamcha quickly pulled back and swung a reverse punch toward Jackie Chun's face.
But again, Jackie Chun calmly tilted his head, avoiding it entirely.
Another miss.
Yamcha grew frustrated. He swept low with a leg sweep—
only for Jackie Chun to hop back and dodge once more.
Dozens of attacks flew from Yamcha's side, but not a single one landed.
Meanwhile, Jackie Chun remained composed, while Yamcha was already gasping for breath.
By now, even Yamcha knew—he was outmatched.
Even the referee chimed in with commentary.
"Although Yamcha's attacks are quick,
Jackie Chun is even faster. He dodges everything with ease.
He hardly moves like an old man!"
Jackie Chun finally spoke, giving his opponent some honest advice.
"You've got decent experience… but you waste too much movement."
Sweat beaded on Yamcha's brow. "What did you say?"
"I said, you're throwing too many useless moves."
Yamcha's expression darkened. "Tch. I was saving this for Goku, but fine—
I'll show you the power of my Wolf Fang Fist!"
With that, Yamcha unleashed his strongest move—Wolf Fang Fist.
Surging forward with blazing Ki, he lunged toward Jackie Chun.
But the moment they clashed—
Jackie Chun swept him off his feet and sent him flying clean out of the ring.
One move. Decisive.
The referee shouted, "Yamcha is out of bounds—Jackie Chun wins!"
Seeing how sharp Jackie Chun was, Krillin started to panic.
"That old man's really strong. If I win my next match, I'll have to fight him in the semis!"
Chi-Chi quickly encouraged him. "Don't worry, Krillin.
You're way stronger than Yamcha. You can beat Jackie Chun for sure!"
Still uncertain, Krillin looked to Goku.
"What do you think?"
Goku gave it a moment of serious thought.
"That guy… he's already among the strongest in the world.
If we face him, we just do our best."
Krillin froze for a second—then his face lit up.
"You're right!
I made it to the top four of the World Martial Arts Tournament! That's already amazing!"
Chi-Chi and Goku both nodded.
"Exactly! You're already awesome!"
Krillin scratched his head bashfully.
"Heh… yeah!
Still, since I've come this far, who wouldn't want to go even further?"
Just then, the referee's voice rang out again.
"Third match! Nam vs. Chi-Chi! Will both contestants please head to the stage!"
Krillin turned quickly. "Chi-Chi, it's your turn—good luck!"
Goku gave her an encouraging nod. "You've got this!"
Chi-Chi clenched her fists tight,
then turned back with a determined smile that reassured them both—
before darting off with her tiny legs pattering toward the ring.
The two fighters took their stances, and the referee wasted no time.
"Third match—begin!"