The host's little blonde mustache trembled like a cockroach getting electrocuted.
The microphone in his hand was more than just a tool to amplify sound it was a lifeline.
The replay of Mr. Shen getting flicked across the stage by a single tap of Krillin's finger was still on the big screen.
Yet instead of cooling the crowd, it was like pouring a bucket of water into a pot of boiling oil making everything even more chaotic.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Hold your breath!"
"This moment, the wheel of history itself pauses to swap tires!"
The host screamed, spittle flying in the sunlight like a tiny rainbow.
"The excitement isn't over yet!"
"We are about to witness the ultimate showdown of this Martial Arts Tournament! Fellow disciples of the Turtle School face each other!"
"On one side, the inscrutable Bald Demon King, Krillin! On the other, the ever-strengthened prodigy, Son Goku!"
"There can only be one champion, only one strongest fighter on Earth!"
Krillin stood on the platform, ignoring the thunderous roar of the crowd.
His focus was entirely on a faint blue holographic screen visible only to him.
[Ding! Host has entered the finals. Final mission activated.]
[Mission Objective: Defeat Son Goku and claim the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament championship.]
[Mission Restrictions: Do not kill the opponent, do not fall off the stage, do not use external weapons.]
[Victory Reward: S-Rank Talent "Goku's Combat Instinct (Plundered Version)."]
Krillin's breath hitched for half a beat.
He had expected attribute points, or maybe a skill manual like "Ki Circle Slash·Modified."
Instead, the system directly offered the very core, the most absurd cheat of Son Goku himself.
He opened the reward details, dense text making his scalp tingle and heart race.
[Talent Description: The universe's most unreasonable combat genius. Possessors of this talent become living martial arts replicators.]
[Trait 1: Visual Replication. Any technique based on ki or physical martial arts can be understood in a single glance, performed after two glances, and perfected after three. Reference cases: Master Roshi's Kamehameha after fifty years of training can be released instantly by the host after a single glance; Tien Shinhan's Solar Flare, Namekian Giantization (requires physiology support), Frieza's Death Saucer, all can be instantly mastered.]
[Trait 2: Absolute Adaptation. Evolves in real-time during combat. The stronger the opponent, the faster the growth. Against techniques like Hit's Time-Skip, can predict the near future within a few moves, breaking temporal barriers; against enemies beyond their own dimension, can force a breakthrough in near-death situations.]
[Trait 3: Divine Affinity. Natural attunement to high-dimensional energy. Techniques such as Kaio-ken or Spirit Bombs can be mastered in minimal time. Even techniques considered unreachable by Gods of Destruction, such as Ultra Instinct, are accessible allowing each cell to act independently, automatically dodging and countering attacks.]
[Note: Fusion with the host's "Saitama Template" may trigger unpredictable effects.]
Krillin swallowed hard.
This wasn't a mere talent it was the key to the backyard of the Omni-King.
The Saitama Template gave him "limitless potential" and "absolute power," the foundation, the confidence to silence the world with a single punch.
But the Dragon Ball universe was full of flashy rule-breaking techniques Demon Wave, body-swaps, turning into chocolate, time stops…
With this talent fused with Saitama's physiology, he wouldn't just be a brute who could only hit he would become a six-sided monster, mastering every trick, overwhelming any number of foes with a single strike.
"This reward is mine."
Krillin clenched his fist, the knuckles popping like kernels of corn. His gaze locked onto Goku across the stage, burning with hunger like a starving beggar eyeing a dripping roast chicken.
Goku felt a shiver run down his spine at Krillin's intensity, instinctively stepping back, hands raised in defense.
"Krillin, your eyes are strange… like Bulma staring at jewels."
"Not at all. I'm just appreciating my prize… or rather, my opponent."
Krillin grinned, teeth shining under the sun, his bald head glinting like a spotlight.
"Hehe, I don't know what you're thinking, but I can feel it you're strong now, very strong!"
Goku quickly shook off the odd sensation, replaced by pure excitement.
He flexed his ankles, sank slightly, assuming the Turtle School starting stance.
"Krillin, you know? For three years in the Temple of the Gods, I've been waiting every day for this final."
Goku's voice was quiet but piercing.
"Master Popo taught me to be calm like the sky, swift like lightning."
"But whenever I think about the heat of battle, I can't stay calm!"
"Then don't stay calm."
Krillin brushed his wristband, and his nano-gravity combat suit retracted, revealing muscles sculpted like marble powerful yet elegantly smooth.
Bulma in the stands covered her face with her hands, fingers spread wide.
"Wow… no nose, but that body is illegal…"
"Come on, Goku."
Krillin beckoned with a finger.
"Let's see what a so-called genius can really do."
Goku didn't waste a second. The stone tiles under his feet shattered instantly.
Bang!
No run-up, no wind-up he vanished from his original position in pure speed, leaving only an afterimage.
In the next instant, Goku's fist was at Krillin's cheek.
"So fast!" Yamcha shouted from the stands, "Faster than when I fought him!"
Krillin didn't dodge.
Thanks to his [Genius Intellect], he deconstructed Goku's movements into countless frames.
Muscle contractions, ki flow, weight shifts all perfectly visible.
If it were the old Krillin, he might have been thinking of last words. Now, he just tilted his head slightly.
Whoosh…
The gust of the punch brushed his ear, making the skin behind it indent slightly.
Goku missed, twisting midair, using core strength to whip his leg at Krillin's neck.
A fluid sequence of moves, with no inertia or awkwardness.
Krillin raised his left arm, blocking at the neck.
Thud!
The dull impact made the hearts of the front-row spectators skip a beat.
Goku felt as if he had kicked an unmovable pillar, the rebound traveling up his leg, numbing it.
"Only that much?" Krillin said faintly, left arm barely moving.
"Of course not!"
Goku used the momentum to flip backward, landing with hands together at his waist, a blue glow igniting.
"Kamehameha!"
No charge time, ki moved as he willed.
The column of energy roared toward Krillin, too close to dodge.
Krillin watched the blue wave approach, lips curling in a smirk.
He didn't counter with ki he reached out, fingers spread, and grabbed the energy column.
Sizzle…
The chaotic energy spun and shredded in his palm, trying to tear through.
But Krillin's hand was like iron, holding the mass firmly.
"Disperse!"
Krillin clenched his fingers.
Pop!
The Kamehameha, capable of flattening a mountain, exploded like a lightbulb being crushed, dissipating into glowing particles.
Dead silence.
Even Goku's eyes widened, mouth forming an "O."
Crushing a ki blast with bare hands? Is this even human?
Then, Krillin noticed a subtle change in Goku's expression.
Not fear, not defeat just a flicker of analysis.
Immediately, Goku mimicked Krillin's hand gesture, reaching into the air, seemingly analyzing muscle tension and ki obstruction.
[System Alert: Son Goku is analyzing the host's "Physical Interception Method."]
[Analysis Progress: 15%…30%…]
"What? He can learn this?"
Krillin muttered internally.
His move was brute-force, thanks to Saitama physiology, with no real technique.
Yet Goku was trying to glean the proper method wrapping the hand with ki to intercept energy waves.
This was the terrifying potential of an S-Rank Talent.
Even a flawed demonstration could teach a genius the correct path.
"Interesting."
Krillin's greed intensified.
"The more genius you are, Goku, the more I want to pack you up and take you with me."
"Krillin, that move was amazing!"
Goku shook his hand, smiling again.
"But I think I've figured out a way to handle it. Now, I'm getting serious!"
"Perfect."
Krillin cracked his neck.
"Warm-up's over. Be careful, don't cry from one punch."