(Meanwhile)
(Capsule Corp – West City)
Far out of the way of Battle Island and sitting across the bed in his room, the Prince of all Saiyans Vegeta, adorned in his full body spandex and armor, could be seen watching the television quietly with his arms folded and legs crossed. Having flipped to the channel of the fights earlier that morning, the man had then proceeded to watch with mixed interest as all of the Z-Fighters, sans Yamcha, dominated the battle royal portion of the Intergalactic tournament before moving on to the quarter finals.
However, after seeing Gohan's one-sided match against his hulk of an opponent and watching Trunks battle Tien to the point both of them powered up, the flame haired Saiyan quickly grew tired of the little sideshow and took immediate action.
Picking up the remote, Vegeta switched off the television and scoffed, "Hmph. Give me a break." He then set the remote down and fell back into his pillow, hands behind his head.
Right now, the last thing he wanted to think about was fighting. So, finding a serene place of his own in the far corners of his mind, the man shut his eyes and decided to take a nap; completely ignoring the television and his son's sword gleaming in the corner behind him.
OOO
(Back on the Island)
"Well… it looks like Tien is done for," Krillin murmured to himself, rubbing his arm uneasily as he continued to observe the aerial light show between the Super Saiyan and his human opponent. "I can give him extra points for effort, but that man has gotta face the fact that he was beaten the moment he stepped into the ring."
Even though the fight was still going strong, the short, bald warrior could do nothing to hold back his river of pessimism.
"Ah, cheer up Krillin," Gohan chirped, grinning across at his friend. "Even though Trunks has an advantage in speed and power, there's still a chance for Tien to win. All he has to do is knock him into the ocean."
Krillin snorted, glancing at the youngster who looked to be the most cheerful person in the world, "Heh. That's easier said than done, Gohan." The two of them then looked up when an explosion lit up the entire sky and, after watching it fade, spotted Tien emerge from the cloud trailing smoke.
A split second later, the entire audience including Gohan and Krillin winced in unison when the transformed Trunks flickered into view directly behind the triclops and backhanded him into the ocean below. The man rocketed into the water like a bullet, creating a splash large enough that it soaked all of the people sitting in the nearby stands and boats. When the waves finally subsided, a loud cheer went up and the referee announced the victor.
"After an awesome display of gravity defying speed and strength, Trunks emerges as the winner!"
"Oh well. He gave it his best shot," Krillin murmured, before throwing Gohan a lopsided smile, "Looks like it's time I gave mine. I'll see you in the infirmary, buddy. Provided I even make it there in one piece…" He then patted the boy on the shoulder and walked past him, leaving the spiky haired hybrid puzzled.
After Trunks helped Tien out of the water, the pair quickly cleared the stage for the next two contestants who were set to battle. The audience clamored excitedly when they saw Piccolo march out onto the stage followed closely by Krillin. While the former appeared completely calm, folding his arms over his chest with his eyes shut in meditation, his shorter opponent looked absolutely terrified. Most of the people reasoned that it was because of the atmosphere of the tournament and decided to cheer the poor guy on, hoping for another spectacular battle.
"The third match is about to begin as Piccolo and Krillin square off inside the ring!"
Under the applause and cheers of the spectators, the smaller fighter gulped nervously. "Okay. You can do this. He's not unbeatable." Krrilin's expression then became one of deadpan, "Well, unless he uses his Special Beam Cannon… then I'm dead." Yet he'd completely forgotten the fact that killing was strictly prohibited in this competition.
This was solid proof that once again the power of fear far outweighed the power of rational thought.
Taking a stance, Krillin slapped his game face on. "I may not win, but I'm going out in style." He then trained his gaze on that of his opponent's, only to realize moments later that the man had his side turned to him and his eyes closed. The sight of the Namekian standing there without the slightest care for his presence at all had the monk recoil. "I don't believe it! He's not even going to look at me?!" And with that, the poor monk snapped and his frustrations took hold of him. "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! I'M NOBODY'S FOOL!"
The sound of the starting horn blared. Once it did, Krillin dropped into a running start and, with the loudest battle cry he could muster, blasted forward at incredible speed. In a split second he was right on top of the Namekian warrior and was just about to land his first blow.
Unfortunately in his haste, Krillin lost complete track of where he was going and ended up running headlong into the man's cape like a raging bull. Popping out the other side, the monk let out a hilarious cry when he unexpectedly plummeted over the side of the ring. Quickly recovering from his descent, the short fighter started flapping his arms like a bird to regain some altitude, saving himself from a premature fall into the ocean. The moment he returned to his platform's level though, Krillin suddenly felt himself grabbed from behind by his collar and forcibly turned around.
Looking up, he saw Piccolo glaring at him. "I thought I came for a tournament, not a circus performance. This is just a waste of my time." Without another word, the man tossed Krillin back onto the ring and onto the ground. Then, the second the short man sat up, the Namekian turned heel, leapt over the side, and blasted off.
As soon as the Namekian disappeared over the horizon, the referee spoke up over the silent crowd. "Piccolo has forfeited the match! Krillin wins by default!"
Applause and cheers raining down on him moments later, the bewildered monk blinked a couple of times before grinning. "Oh. That was surprisingly easy."
Standing on the sidelines, a disappointed Gohan breathed out a sigh. "Aww man. I was hoping he would stick around for a little bit longer. Oh well."
"And now for the final match, Doskoi against Sky Dragon!"