The stadium, which had briefly fallen into silence after Trunks and Son Goten's intense match, suddenly erupted into cheers once more. The crowd was thrilled by the spectacle they had just witnessed.
"That was incredible!"
"We haven't seen enough!"
"Hurry up and start the adult competition!"
The excitement in the arena was contagious. The crowd, fired up by the junior match finale, was now eager for the adult division to begin. Seeing the enthusiasm, the organizers quickly decided to adjust the tournament schedule.
Inside the control room, the announcer received a message from the staff. He cleared his throat, stepped up to the center stage, and raised his microphone to his lips.
"Dear audience, please remain calm and listen carefully!"
"After deliberation, the organizers have decided to advance the schedule. The adult division preliminaries will begin this afternoon!"
Cheers erupted across the arena once again. The crowd, who had just moments ago been chanting and pleading for more action, now calmed and began to leave the stands in an orderly fashion to rest and refuel before the next round.
---
Meanwhile, Rayden and the others had originally planned to go for lunch, but with the sudden change in schedule, they were instead escorted to the contestant lounge by the tournament staff.
Inside the lounge, familiar faces gathered—Son Goku, Vegeta, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and others. All of them were eager to compete. It had been more than a decade since some of them last participated in the World Martial Arts Tournament, and being surrounded once again by the energy of competition and roaring crowds brought back many memories.
Some of the other contestants in the lounge were warming up by doing splits or breaking bricks with their bare hands. Others bragged loudly about their feats—how they could destroy a tree with one punch or take down a tiger unarmed.
Broly, standing quietly beside Rayden, looked over the noisy room, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Rayden… what's this 'interesting thing' you were talking about? Everyone here seems pretty ordinary."
Hearing that, Son Goku, Yamcha, and the others turned their attention toward Rayden, curious as well.
Rayden simply raised a finger and pointed toward the corner of the lounge, where two mysterious figures stood quietly.
They were none other than Supreme Kai Shin and his attendant Jebit.
Jebit, realizing they had been noticed, leaned in and whispered to his master, "Supreme Kai… they've spotted us."
Supreme Kai Shin gave a faint smile. "Good. Let's go say hello. We need their help anyway if we're to stop Majin Buu."
The two of them stepped forward.
"Rayden," Broly muttered, frowning slightly. "Why is that short guy dressed like a Supreme Kai?"
(Everyone had seen the merged Supreme Kai Jebit in GT.)
The two strangers stopped in front of the group.
"Greetings," the taller one said with a polite smile. "My name is Shin, and this is my assistant, Jebit."
"Jebit?" Son Goku tilted his head in confusion. "Wait a second… aren't you the Supreme Kai?"
Both Shin and Jebit looked shocked.
"You know about the Supreme Kai?" Jebit blurted out, eyes wide.
"I'm not the Supreme Kai," Jebit corrected with a huff. "He is."
Broly scratched his head. "But he's called Jebit too… then why isn't he the Supreme Kai?"
Rayden stepped in, smiling faintly. "In the GT timeline, the Supreme Kai and Jebit fused using Potara earrings, forming a single being. That's the Supreme Kai you remember. In this timeline, they haven't fused."
"Ohhh, I get it now!" Goku said as understanding dawned on him.
"So wait… earrings can make people fuse?" Krillin asked, clearly fascinated.
While Rayden and the others easily understood what had happened, it was now Shin and Jebit's turn to be confused.
"GT timeline? What are they talking about…?" Shin whispered to Jebit.
Still puzzled but maintaining his composure, Supreme Kai Shin turned to Goku.
"We came to Earth on urgent business."
Before he could explain further, the loudspeaker echoed through the lounge.
"All contestants, please proceed to your assigned preliminary rings based on the number on your tag!"
Yamcha looked at Goku. "Hey, you're number 12, right? That's your group!"
Goku nodded. "We'll talk more later, Supreme Kai!"
He jogged off toward Ring 1, excitement written all over his face.
---
As the preliminaries began, the matches kicked off quickly.
Goku stepped into the ring, grinned at the other competitors, and casually waved his hand.
WHOOOSH!
In an instant, every other contestant was blown out of the ring by a gust of energy.
The host, stunned by the efficiency, blinked before announcing, "Contestant Son Goku advances!"
Elsewhere, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu all made quick work of their opponents.
Then came the next group: numbers 100–200.
"Hmph. What a joke," Vegeta snorted. "This kind of contest is beneath me."
He crossed his arms, clearly irritated. "If Rayden hadn't said something interesting was going to happen, I wouldn't be caught dead at this stupid event."
When Rayden, Broly, and Vegeta stepped into the ring, the result was the same.
A wave of energy—and everyone else was thrown out effortlessly.
That was when trouble stirred.
One of the eliminated contestants, a chubby man with a sneering expression, pointed at Vegeta and shouted, "Referee! They're cheating! We all got knocked off without even touching them!"
Vegeta turned slowly, golden energy crackling around his body.
"To deal with trash like you, this prince doesn't need to cheat."
A glowing energy orb formed in his hand.
"VEGETA!" Goku suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbing his wrist just before he fired the blast.
The fat man, pale and panicked, rolled away in fear and fled from the ring.
The moment passed, and the preliminaries continued—though now, many competitors began forfeiting immediately, not wanting to end up like the unfortunate loudmouth.
---
Later, the host stepped onto the stage and announced the results.
"After an intense round of preliminaries, the following contestants have advanced to the finals: Son Goku, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Vegeta, Rayden, Broly, Paragus, Cell, Son Gohan, Piccolo, Jebit, Videl, Masked Fighter, Spopovich, Yamu, Panda, Kira, Juel, and Tokufei!"
"Additionally, since the total number of applicants was 401, the contestant holding number 401—Xin—has also advanced directly!"
"All qualifiers, please gather here at 1:30 PM sharp for the final tournament bracket draw."
With that, the crowd began dispersing.
---
"Uncle Rayden, let's get something to eat!" Gohan said, clutching his stomach.
Rayden laughed. "Yeah, I could use a bite myself."
Goku turned to Supreme Kai Shin and Jebit.
"Come eat with us. You've got stuff to explain anyway."
They agreed and headed toward the nearest restaurant.
---
Inside, a familiar voice shouted across the room.
"Vegeta! Rayden! Goku! Over here!"
It was Bulma, waving her hands. She, Chichi, Krillin, and others had already secured several tables and ordered food.
"Guuu!" Goten rubbed his belly. "Dad, Uncle Rayden, you guys are so slow! I'm starving!"
The group burst into laughter and sat down.
The restaurant was filled with clanking bowls, gnashing teeth, and loud chewing as the Saiyans devoured everything on the table.
Goku inhaled two steamed buns at once. Vegeta chomped through a chicken leg in two bites.
"Waiter! More food!"
Supreme Kai Shin and Jebit stared, stunned.
"How… how can they eat this much?" Jebit whispered.
"They've already eaten several tables' worth…" Videl added, equally horrified.
Half an hour later, the Saiyans finally slowed down, rubbing their full stomachs.
---
Then, Goku turned to the Supreme Kai.
"Alright… now that we're all here, can you tell us why you came to Earth?"
Shin took a deep breath, then spoke.
"We're here for a serious reason. Jebit and I have come to track down the magician Babidi."
Everyone at the table froze for a second.
"Who?" Krillin asked.
Rayden's eyes narrowed, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
"So, he's finally made his move…"
"Babidi," Shin explained, "is the son of the dark sorcerer Bibidi. While he isn't very powerful himself, he possesses incredible dark magic—mind control, power enhancement, energy absorption, and sealing techniques."
Vegeta scoffed. "Sounds like a cheap magician. I could crush him with my pinky."
Shin's expression darkened. "You're underestimating him. Babidi's goal is to find and release Majin Buu."
That name changed everything.
As soon as Shin said "Majin Buu," his voice quivered, and his hands trembled visibly.
Even the air around them seemed to grow heavier.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)