The first battle was about to begin: Krilin vs. Bacterian. The blonde announcer stood in the main arena, microphone in hand, with hundreds of spectators watching and cheering from the packed stands. In the front row sat Bulma, Oolong, and Puar, though Master Roshi was notably absent.
The announcer's voice boomed across the arena: "Thank you all for coming and waiting! The first battle is about to begin—Krilin-san vs. Bacterian-san! The winner of the Tenkaichi Budokai will receive the prize money of 500,000 zeni!"
He clenched his fist, puffed out his chest, and raised the microphone triumphantly. "AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S WELCOME THE CONTESTANTS FOR THE FIRST BATTLE!"
Krilin appeared surprisingly relaxed and not nervous at all. But as Bacterian walked past him and Goku on his way to the ring, he left behind a trail of the most horrific smell either of them had ever encountered.
Krilin immediately held his nose, while Goku collapsed to the ground, nearly throwing up from the overwhelming stench. With his enhanced senses, the smell hit him like a devastating blow.
"What a horrible smell!" Krilin complained, covering his nose.
"Anyway, I'm off!" he said, starting toward the ring.
Goku, still on all fours, grabbed Krilin by the leg. "Wai—bluh! Wait!" He shook himself, fighting off the nausea, then stood up and grabbed Krilin by the shoulder.
"Listen to me," Goku said seriously while covering krilin nose with a piece of clothing. "He probably has nothing up his sleeve except that smell. Go ahead and finish this quickly! I'm giving you twenty seconds! If it takes longer than that, you lose in my book!"
At first, Krilin had a puzzled look on his face, then understanding dawned on him. He thought to himself, *He has so much faith in me! I would never disappoint him!*
Krilin's expression became deadly serious. "GOT IT!" he declared, pumping himself up as he entered the arena.
Jackie Chun, the elderly contestant, smiled knowingly. "You really have faith in your friend. He took your words very seriously."
Goku twitched, unable to see the old man, but answered confidently, "Well yeah, I know he's strong."
---
In the ring, small Krilin faced off against the massive Bacterian. In the crowd, Oolong pointed excitedly. "Oh! That's the guy who trained with Goku!"
The announcer explained the rules: "If you're knocked out of the ring or rendered unconscious, it's a defeat!" He looked at both Bacterian and Krilin to confirm their readiness. "BEGIN!"
Bacterian started by throwing a punch, which Krilin dodged with ease. The large fighter then turned and blew his nasty breath directly at Krilin, who emerged from the toxic cloud completely unscathed—Goku's preparation had done its job.
Krilin burst out of the noxious breath and delivered a powerful punch straight into Bacterian's stomach. The impact made the big man burp loudly before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Seeing Bacterian down and out, the announcer immediately declared, "KRILIN-SAN WINS THE FIRST BATTLE!"
Krilin ran back into the building to find Goku, who greeted him with a smile and a thumbs up. "Seven seconds... Not bad!" Goku said approvingly.
---
"AND NOW! For battle two, I would like to welcome Yamcha-san vs. Jackie Chun-san!"
Yamcha prepared himself and, with a few words of encouragement from Goku and Krilin, entered the arena. Jackie Chun congratulated Krilin on his victory before heading to the ring himself.
Oolong and Puar cheered enthusiastically for Yamcha, while Bulma seemed to be daydreaming. "I wonder what Jackie Chun looks like"
Oolong turned to her incredulously. "What are you saying?! Isn't Yamcha your boyfriend?"
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with appreciating other fighters!" she replied defensively.
Then Jackie Chun appeared in the arena—a skinny, disheveled old man making peace signs with his hands.
"The hell?! It's just a sloppy old man! GO GO YAMCHA!" Bulma shouted.
The battle began with Yamcha attacking first, launching a barrage of punches. But none of them connected—Jackie Chun kept dodging with the greatest of ease, one hand casually behind his back.
Yamcha grew frustrated and brought his hands together, preparing his signature technique. "Rogafufuken!" But even with his special attack, Jackie Chun effortlessly dodged and gave Yamcha a simple push that sent him flying out of the arena.
Krilin watched in amazement, describing the scene to the blindfolded Goku. "He's not just strong, he has incredible technique!"
Krilin began trembling as the realization hit him. "So this means he's my next opponent! AWAWAWA!"
The third battle was Lan-Fan versus Namu. It was a one-sided affair—Namu dispatched her with ease and earned his place in the next stage.
"Finally, for the fourth battle: Gilan-san versus Son Goku-san!"
On the sidelines, Oolong perked up. "Oh! It's finally Goku's turn!"
"Gilan...? What kind of fighter could that be?" Bulma asked, squinting toward the arena.
A giant pterodactyl creature stomped out from the waiting area, each thunderous step shaking the ground. His heavy tail dragged behind him, grinding against the tiled floor, and his massive stomach jiggled with every movement. He raised his arms and let out a guttural roar: "RAHHHH!"
"Wh-what the?! It's a real monster!!" Oolong cried, recoiling in panic.
"Huh? Where's Goku?" Bulma asked, scanning the arena.
"Son-san?" the announcer called.
Goku appeared from the building, blindfolded and being guided by Krillin. The crowd went silent, stunned.
"He's just a kid!"
"And he's blind?!"
"Gilan is ten times his size!!"
Goku stepped into the ring.
"Thanks, Krillin."
"No problem! I'll be cheering for you!!" Krillin said with a big grin.
"KICK HIS ASS, GOKU!!!" shouted Oolong from the stands.
"BEGIN!!!"
Gilan didn't hesitate—he spun and whipped his massive tail at Goku. The air roared as it cut through. But Goku's instincts kicked in. He heard the shift in wind, the vibration in the ground. It was like the world slowed for him. He didn't know where the tail was coming from exactly, or how strong Gilan was, but he crouched low, grounding his stance, arms crossed in a rock-solid guard.
The tail slammed into his left arm with a heavy CRACK!—and recoiled.
Gilan's tail bent unnaturally, like it had struck steel.
"Ewww! That's not supposed to bend like that!" Bulma cringed, covering her face. Oolong gagged beside her.
Goku moved instantly. His hand snapped out and grabbed Gilan's tail before it could retreat. The crowd gasped.
Gilan froze. "AAAGH!! M-my tail! Let go of my tail!"
But Goku gripped tighter, digging his heels into the ground. He inhaled once, then twisted.
Gilan's massive body was yanked off-balance as Goku began to spin. At first, it was a slow drag. One full turn. Then faster. Two rotations. Gilan's claws scraped the tiles, his wings flapping wildly. Three spins. Four. Then Goku became a blur—a human hurricane—spinning the colossal beast in circles, kicking up wind and dust with each rotation.
Gilan screamed in terror. "My tail's gonna rip off! MY TAIL'S GONNA RIP OFF!!"
Then Goku let go straight upward.
Gilan's body shot into the sky like a launched missile, flailing and tumbling into the clouds, the crowd gasped.
Goku crouched, feeling the wind shift, and then jumped after him, trailing behind like an arrow fist up ready to knock him.
"I won't miss you in a straight line!"
But Gilan wasn't where he expected, he opened his wings to catch himself and move away, Goku didn't know that he had wings.
The beast flapped once mid-air, gliding to the side and letting Goku pass harmlessly through where he had been.
From above, Gilan flipped, followed by his leg and then slammed his claws into Goku's head.
Goku was blasted downward like a meteor, slamming into the arena with such force that tiles shattered and dust rose like smoke.
The crowd fell silent.
Was he... dead?
The dust hung heavy in the air.
Then a hand slowly emerged from the crater's edge.
Goku pulled himself up with a slight groan.
"I hope I didn't land out of the ring," he said, brushing his chest off. "Can't tell."
The announcer snapped out of his shock. "N-no! You're still in the ring, Son-san!"
Goku turned his head slightly upward.
"Enough…" he muttered, the edge of ice in his voice. "You're making me look bad."
As he took a step, something small shifted beneath his foot. Curious, Goku knelt and picked it up—pebbles, five of them.
He rolled them in his palm, thinking. Then called out, "Hey, is it against the tournament rules to use rocks?"
The announcer stammered, blinking. "No. That's… not in the rules."
Goku smiled faintly.
"Good."
Nearby, Gilan circled cautiously above.
"You're a tough one, I admit," he growled.
Goku's ear twitched at the sound.
With fast and swift movement with his arms he throw the pebbles, the air exploded as the rocks blasted from his hand, splitting the sound barrier. It tore through Gilan's left wing like a shotguns.
"AAARGH!!" Gilan screamed, spiraling.
His right wing was pierced, tendons shredding mid-flight.
Gilan crashed, scrambling to stay inside the arena, flapping useless stubs of what were once wings.
Goku vs Gilan Fight (Ending)
Goku had enough. This fight should've been over long ago.
As Gilan flailed, grounded with his wings torn and tail limp behind him, Goku slowly walked toward him, each step deliberate and steady. Dust settled. The crowd held their breath.
Gilan's chest heaved. His eyes twitched. His knees gave in.
With trembling limbs and pride shattered, Gilan looked up at the boy—no, the force—who had broken him. He stumbled back and raised one shaky hand.
"I... I give up...!" he muttered.
The announcer's voice cracked through the silence. "G-Gilan has forfeited! The winner is... Son Goku-san!"
The crowd exploded.
Goku froze mid-step, blinking beneath the blindfold.
"huh!?" he said, almost disappointed.
Krillin ran into the arena, a big grin on his face. "You did it, Goku! That was awesome!"
"And now, for the semifinals! The first battle is Krillin-san versus Jacky Chun-san!" the announcer boomed.
Krillin froze. His eyes widened as the memory of Jacky Chun's effortless victory over Yamcha came rushing back. His legs trembled.
"Keep your cool," Goku said, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't rush him. You'll only play into his game."
Krillin nodded, swallowing hard, and stepped into the ring.
The match began. Krillin burst forward with surprising speed, launching a flurry of kicks and punches. He moved like a blur, each strike sharp and focused—but Jacky Chun dodged effortlessly, weaving through the attacks like water slipping through fingers.
Krillin was doing better than Yamcha, managing to graze Chun a few times, but it wasn't enough. With a sudden surge, Jacky knocked Krillin off his feet and launched a precise strike that sent him flying out of the ring.
"Jacky Chun wins!" the announcer declared.
Krillin returned to Goku, a dejected look on his face. "I lost... easily."
"He's strong," Goku replied, unfazed. "That was expected."
Krillin sighed. "That doesn't help."
Goku smirked. "Don't worry. You would've lost the next match against me."
Krillin stared at him. "Do you think that's comforting!?"
The crowd laughed lightly.
Next up was Namu vs. Goku.
It wasn't much of a match. Namu tried to knock Goku out with clean strikes, but despite his precision and intent, his fists weren't powerful enough. Goku tanked the hits with ease, grabbed Namu mid-swing, and delivered a clean blow that knocked him unconscious.
"Goku wins!"
The crowd roared.
"And now, after a long day of fierce and talented martial artists battling with all their might, only two remain! The final match begins now!"
Goku and Jacky Chun faced each other at the center of the ring. The air grew still. The crowd fell silent. The weight of the final clash settled over everyone.
Jacky narrowed his eyes at Goku. "I won't hold back."
Goku tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a calm, confident smirk. "I will."
Jacky Chun lunged forward, determination in his eyes.
The final battle had begun.