"At the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, out of 182 competitors from across the world, only 8 made it through the preliminaries."
"And now, through intense battles, only two remain to face each other in the final round!"
"Krillin versus Tenshinhan—who will stand at the peak of the martial world?!"
Chiaotzu turned nervously to the Crane Hermit.
"Tenshinhan… will he win?"
The Crane Hermit didn't have an answer, but forced confidence into his voice.
"Of course he will."
With the referee's signal, the final match began.
Tenshinhan didn't waste a second. He charged forward, his fist roaring straight toward Krillin's forehead.
But Krillin didn't even bother to raise a stance—he simply stood there, relaxed, watching.
That calm only enraged Tenshinhan further.
He poured more power into his punch, no feints, no tricks—just pure force.
Bam!
His fist smashed into Krillin's skull—
—and Krillin didn't budge an inch.
The audience gasped.
It was a clean hit.
But Krillin didn't flinch.
And Tenshinhan felt like he'd punched a steel wall—his knuckles throbbed in pain.
'What… what is this?!'
He pulled back, staring at his reddened hand.
Krillin looked up and smiled mischievously.
"Too weak. I don't even need to dodge."
Tenshinhan was shocked.
"What?! That's impossible!"
Snarling, he unleashed a flurry of punches, faster than wind and sharper than rain.
But Krillin remained motionless.
To the average viewer, it might have looked like Krillin was getting beaten up.
But to experienced martial artists—it was clear.
None of Tenshinhan's attacks were working. Not a single one left a mark.
Krillin had taken dozens of punches.
But seeing that his strikes had absolutely no effect, Tenshinhan backed off, frustrated and breathless.
In desperation, he gathered his Ki at his fingertip and fired off a Dodon Ray.
Krillin's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand—
Boom!
The blast collided with his palm.
When the smoke cleared, Krillin's hand was still spotless.
Tenshinhan froze.
'Even Dodon Ray doesn't work?'
But… if he wasn't going to dodge, why block at all?
Tenshinhan smirked slightly, as if he'd seen through something.
He launched a barrage of Dodon Rays, one after another.
Krillin, unfazed, swatted them aside effortlessly. He hardly even moved.
Each attack cost Ki. The more Tenshinhan fired, the faster he tired.
Meanwhile, Krillin remained untouched.
A sense of crushing despair began to seep into Tenshinhan's heart.
From the stands, even the Crane Hermit looked rattled.
His prized disciple was already stronger than he was—
and yet, he couldn't even scratch Krillin.
Krillin slowly stepped forward, smirking playfully.
Chi-Chi and Goku exchanged wide-eyed glances.
Chi-Chi murmured, "Krillin's… kinda evil today. He's totally messing with Tenshinhan's head."
Goku nodded.
"Yeah… he's not mad about Yamcha, is he?"
Chi-Chi giggled.
"Wrong. Look at the stands."
"Huh?"
Following her gaze, Goku saw it.
Krillin's line of sight led straight to a red-haired girl in the audience—waving eagerly.
Snow.
Goku blinked in understanding.
'So that's what this is all about…'
Krillin was putting on a show.
For her.
Tenshinhan's will cracked under the pressure. He stood frozen, overwhelmed.
Seeing that his opponent had lost the will to fight, Krillin sighed.
The thrill was gone.
He vanished in a blur—appearing behind Tenshinhan and sweeping a kick into the back of his neck.
Crash!
Tenshinhan flew forward and collapsed onto the ring, eyes rolling back.
Unconscious.
The referee was stunned until Krillin casually reminded him,
"Hey, ref. You can start the count."
He snapped back to his senses.
"10… 9… 3… 2… 1!"
"Tenshinhan is unable to continue!
Victory goes to… Krillin!"
The crowd exploded in cheers.
"Krillin! That was insane!"
"He completely outclassed his opponent!
The finals were less exciting than the semis!"
"Yeah! Goku vs. Chi-Chi and Goku vs. Krillin were way more thrilling!"
"Well, that just proves it.
Master Roshi's students are in a league of their own!"
"Except for Yamcha. That guy's kind of a disappointment…"
"Hey, he tried. But the other three? Absolute monsters!"
The referee waved for attention.
"Thank you all for joining us for this incredible event.
This year's tournament has been a true spectacle—thank you for being a part of it!"
Bulma watched Krillin bask in the crowd's praise with a proud smile.
"I never thought… Krillin would be the first of them to win a championship."
Then she spotted Snow in the stands, eyes shining as she watched Krillin.
Bulma remembered the promise between them.
She stepped forward.
"Hey—Krillin's little girlfriend?"
Snow jumped, startled.
Bulma grinned.
"You told him that if he won the tournament, you'd marry him, right?
Well—he won. So? Why not go make him even happier?"
Snow blushed deep crimson and lowered her head.
"I-It's just… there's so many people watching…"
Bulma chuckled.
'So she is the shy type.
Not everyone's as bold as Chi-Chi…'
She patted Snow's shoulder.
"If you like him, don't wait.
Krillin's incredible—and now he's a champion.
Girls are already eyeing him."
As if on cue, a blue-haired girl ran onto the stage with a bouquet and gave it to Krillin.
Bulma blinked.
'Wait… that wasn't planned. Who the hell was that?'
Krillin, stunned, accepted it.
In her past life, Bulma remembered—Krillin had stayed single for a long time.
'But in that life… he wasn't this strong.
He never won the tournament.'
She turned and saw Snow looking anxious again.
The other girl had already stepped off the stage, but the message was clear: competition.
Bulma leaned in and whispered,
"Shy is cute.
But if you're gonna be shy, be shy after you win the guy.
Go. Get him."
Snow nodded fiercely.
Then—she ran.
No flowers.
No words.
Just pure emotion.
She sprinted onto the stage and into Krillin's arms.
Krillin saw her coming and opened his arms without hesitation.
He caught her in a tight embrace, inhaling the soft scent of her hair, heart full to bursting.
He looked toward the sidelines—Goku and Chi-Chi were waving, smiling.
Krillin winked at them.
He didn't say it out loud, but in his heart, he murmured:
'Thanks, Goku. Thanks… everyone.'
And then—
Snow, blushing furiously, closed her eyes and tilted her head up.
Under the golden glow of the setting sun, her lips shimmered like petals.
"Krillin!" Bulma shouted. "Kiss her already!"
The crowd joined in.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"
Even with their faces beet red, the moment couldn't be denied.
Krillin leaned in, and right there in the center of the ring, the new champion kissed his bride-to-be.
The cheers reached the heavens.
Goku stared, slack-jawed.
'That was fast.'
Krillin had always been shy—but Snow, the girl he remembered as timid, was… surprisingly bold.
Goku grinned.
'Good for him.'
Then—
A pair of warm arms wrapped around him.
And then, soft lips pressed against his.
He froze.
Eyes open, breath caught.
Chi-Chi stood on tiptoe, her face close, her scent surrounding him.
Her big eyes flickered open. She smiled shyly, cheeks glowing.
Goku saw his own stunned reflection in her eyes—and then smiled too.
He wrapped his arms around her small waist.
Chi-Chi's heart fluttered as he pulled her in, holding her close.
She sighed into the kiss, deepening it with joy.
Bulma turned from the stage, smiling at Krillin and Snow's kiss—
—and froze.
Because Chi-Chi… was kissing Goku.
Hard.
And he was kissing back.
"Chi-Chi!!" Bulma shouted. "You went too far! Goku's still a kid!!"