After that single punch from the bald fighter, Piccolo fled the scene in utter disbelief, leaving the Martial Arts Tournament in a strangely chaotic state.
Several staff members drove rollers across the arena, desperately filling in the enormous crater Piccolo had created, while others swept up scattered debris.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen,"
The host in sunglasses crawled out from under the table, straightened his crooked tie, and forced a professional smile.
"Though we just had… a small, uh, incident,"
"our matches will continue!"
"That green guy has been chased off by Krillin! Everyone is safe now!"
Sparse applause rippled through the stands, though most spectators were still in shock.
After witnessing a single punch that tore through the sky, the following matches felt trivial in comparison.
"It's like watching a nuclear explosion, then asking to enjoy a couple of kids setting off firecrackers. Who could handle that drop in excitement?"
Krillin sat in the competitors' rest area, legs crossed, staring off into space in boredom.
[Alert: Host detected observing a low-tier match. Activating 'Boredom Relief' mode.]
[Real-time combat power monitoring enabled.]
A semi-transparent pale blue interface appeared in front of Krillin, showing the upcoming fighters' stats.
"Next, the second semifinal match!"
"Goku versus Tien!"
At the announcer's roar, two figures emerged from opposite sides of the arena.
Goku, still wearing his orange Turtle School gi, had grown taller in the three years since the last tournament. The roundness of his childhood face had faded, leaving clear, sharp eyes like a spring-fed pond.
Opposite him, Tien's three eyes blazed with focus, his shirtless body revealing sharply defined muscles a clear sign that he had trained hard these past years.
"Goku, it's our turn."
Tien bowed slightly, his expression serious.
Krillin's earlier punch had left him shaken, but he quickly refocused. That Krillin was a monster, but Goku was not necessarily the same.
"Heh, Tien, you've gotten stronger too,"
Goku said, stretching and cracking his joints.
"But you still won't beat me."
"Arrogant," Tien snorted.
"Your Krillin may have been something else, but I have confidence I can take you down."
"Then let's see about that!"
The gong sounded, and the air above the arena seemed to warp.
Without hesitation, both fighters vanished.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
White bursts of air exploded around the arena.
The spectators only heard muffled impacts, unable to see the fighters' movements. They could only watch as the stone tiles of the arena inexplicably shattered and debris flew.
"So fast! I can't even see them!"
The host shouted into the microphone.
"Cameraman! Can slow-motion replay capture this?"
Sweating profusely, the cameraman replied, "Impossible! The shutter is almost fried. All we get are afterimages!"
Suddenly, the two fighters separated.
Tien gasped, sweat beading his forehead. The intense flurry of attacks had yielded no advantage Goku had not only blocked every strike, but had even landed a light kick to Tien's stomach in return.
"How is this possible… his speed…"
Three years ago, Tien could still dominate Goku in speed.
Now, his movements were almost… unnatural.
Goku stood relaxed, barely breathing hard. His stance was odd, hands loose at his sides, his body swaying like a willow in the wind.
"What kind of stance is that?"
Master Roshi's sunglasses slid down his nose as he watched from backstage.
"All weaknesses… no, all defense? Could it be…"
"This is what Master Popo taught me: be as calm as the sky, as swift as lightning," Goku said quietly.
"Tien, if this is all you have, you're going to lose."
He smiled cheerfully at Tien.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Tien's veins bulged on his forehead in anger. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and assumed the Crane School starting stance.
"If I can't beat you with speed, I'll crush you with technique!"
"Four Wrecking Fist!"
Tien launched Goku into the air and appeared above him in an instant, fists ready to strike.
This was a chained attack. If even one punch landed, a storm of blows would follow.
But just as his fist was about to strike Goku's back, Goku vanished.
"What?!"
Tien's pupils constricted sharply.
"I'm here," came a voice from behind.
Goku had somehow appeared at the spot where Tien had leapt, grinning cheekily.
"Afterimage Fist? No… that's just pure speed."
Krillin, watching from below, casually gave Goku a thumbs-up on the system interface.
"Goku's time at Kami's place hasn't been wasted. His control over ki is far more refined than before. Previously, he wasted energy. Now, he channels it precisely."
On the arena floor, Tien landed, his face darkening. His proud martial arts attacks could not touch Goku at all.
"Good, very good," Tien breathed in sharply, eyes turning icy.
"If hand-to-hand combat won't work, I'll show you my secret move."
He extended four fingers, forming a strange seal.
"Appear! Four Body Fist!"
Tien's body blurred, splitting into two, then four.
Four identical Tien stood at the four corners of the arena, surrounding Goku.
The crowd erupted.
"Cheating! This isn't fair! Four against one?"
"Idiot! That's Afterimage Fist, right?"
"No! Those are real!"
All four Tiens spoke simultaneously, voices overlapping with echoes.
"Goku, these aren't afterimages. These are all my real bodies."
"This is my Four Body Fist! Let's see you defend against attacks from all directions!"
Goku scratched his head, curious.
"Wow, amazing. Really turned into four people."
"Prepare to die!"
All four Tiens attacked at once.
Front, back, left, right Goku's escape routes were blocked.
Fists whistled through the air, striking with the force to shatter stone.
Goku dodged and weaved, but eight fists were too many. He was struck several times, sent flying, rolling across the arena floor.
"Hahaha! How's that!" all four Tiens laughed in unison. "This is the secret of the Crane School!"
"Interesting," Krillin said, handing the popcorn bucket to Oolong, who was stunned.
"Hold this, I'll be back in a moment."
"If Goku can't figure this out, I'll make him do ten thousand push-ups later."
"You… aren't worried?" Yamcha asked nervously, palms sweating.
"Worried about what?"
Krillin stood, brushing crumbs off his hands.
"Simple math problem. Divide one person's strength by four. Each clone only has a quarter of the original power."
"As a tactic, it's all for show. No real combat value."
Just as Krillin said, Goku rose from the floor, dusting himself off.
His expression was calm, almost enlightened.
"I see," he said.
"Your strength is weaker now, Tien."
Goku pointed at the four exhausted Tien clones.
"What did you say?!"
"Though there are four of you, each only has a quarter of your original speed and strength."
Goku raised a single finger.
"If I move fast enough, I can treat you like four flies and swat you."
In the next instant, Goku vanished.
Truly vanished, leaving no afterimages.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Four crisp slaps sounded almost simultaneously.
The four Tiens staggered back, holding their faces, shocked.
"Impossible… all four of me were hit at the same time?"
Goku reappeared in the arena's center, casually playing with a Tien clone's belt he had ripped off.
He tossed the belt aside.
"Any new tricks? If not, I'm getting serious."