It was almost funny—this referee really seemed like the type who'd still be hosting the tournament all the way into the Majin Buu era.
Goku thought it over.
If he got serious, this would be over in a minute or two.
So he went back onto the ring.
Tien had just witnessed Goku's methods—especially how he obliterated Tambourine without hesitation. That scene lit something inside him.
Tien had been praised as a genius since childhood. He'd always believed he was destined to stand at the top.
Now, facing someone this strong, he only wanted one thing:
To test himself against Son Goku.
Even Demon King Piccolo returning to the world—something that should've shaken him to the bone—was temporarily shoved to the back of his mind.
Goku stepped onto the ring and said plainly:
"Krillin, let's continue. Hurry up and finish. I've got something to do."
Krillin immediately shook his head.
"Forget it, Goku. I know I can't beat you. I won't waste your time."
Then—before Goku could even react—Krillin stepped back and jumped off the ring.
The referee froze. "Krillin has stepped out of bounds—Son Goku wins!"
The remaining audience—less than ten percent of the original crowd—instantly exploded in anger.
"What the hell?!"
"Why did Krillin just jump down?!"
"We didn't run away, and this is how you repay us?!"
"Are they refusing to fight because they're from the same school?!"
"This sucks! It ended out of nowhere!"
Then a girl in the stands suddenly spoke up, sounding like she'd solved a mystery.
"I get it. Krillin won last time, right? This time he's giving the championship to his senior brother, Son Goku. That way their Turtle School has two champions!"
People nodded.
"Ohhh—so that's it."
"Yeah, they must be close."
"If they fought too long, they'd drain stamina and hand an advantage to that Crane School guy. So Krillin surrendered to preserve Goku's strength."
"Right! Turtle School is saving energy to fight Tien!"
The disappointment turned into anticipation.
"Okay, fine—then the final will be amazing!"
"Those people who ran are going to regret it!"
The referee looked at Goku.
"The final match is next. Do you need time to rest?"
Goku shook his head. "No rest. Let's do it—now."
The referee nodded, lifted the mic, and announced loudly:
"Next is the grand final of this World Martial Arts Tournament—Son Goku vs Tien Shinhan! Tien, please take the stage!"
Tien leapt up and took a stance.
"Son Goku… please teach me!"
Goku curled his fingers at him.
"You know time's tight and you still want to fight? Then hurry up."
Tien smirked. "Don't think killing that monster makes you amazing. I could've killed him too."
Goku didn't bother arguing. He just motioned for the referee to start.
The remaining spectators straightened up—dead serious now.
The referee shouted, "Begin!"
Tien roared and charged.
But the instant he was about to land a hit—
Goku slipped aside at the exact moment, then kicked Tien in the chest.
Tien flew backward.
Before he even touched the ground, Goku was already in the air with him—
Chop.
A single clean hand strike slammed into the back of Tien's neck.
Tien dropped like a cut kite and went limp, unconscious before he landed.
One move.
One outcome.
A few hundred people were still there, but the arena became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Goku turned his head toward the referee.
"Announce the result."
Only then did the referee snap out of it.
"Goku is incredible! Tien has been knocked unconscious and has fallen out of bounds—this tournament's champion is Son Goku!"
The silence lasted one more second.
Then—
BOOM!
The crowd erupted.
"W-What just happened?!"
"Tien lost in ONE MOVE?!"
"That Son Goku… how strong is he?!"
Bulma's eyes went wide. The drink in her hand slipped and splashed onto the ground.
"So… strong…"
Launch curled her lips into a cold little smile.
"Heh. One-shot. Guess that three-eyed guy was all bark and no bite."
Yamcha's pupils shrank.
He couldn't beat Tien.
He'd even had his leg snapped by him.
And yet Tien couldn't even survive one exchange with Goku.
That meant something brutal:
No matter how hard Yamcha trained…
he might never catch up to Goku in this lifetime.
Krillin stood at the edge of the ring and swallowed hard.
"This bastard… he was that strong, and he still fought me for so long…"
"He's already far beyond me."
His chest ached with jealousy and awe—yet at the same time, he felt proud.
Because Krillin had grown up bullied at Orin Temple, with no real friends.
Goku was the first brother he ever had.
Roshi stared at Goku, trembling behind his sunglasses.
"T-This kind of power…"
"To defeat Tien in one strike…"
"Goku… has become this strong…"
He had fought Tien earlier. He knew his own limits now.
He was old. Past his peak.
Tien was already beyond him.
And yet even Tien was crushed like nothing.
Roshi's thoughts flashed back to a memory he'd buried deep:
Master Mutaito fighting Demon King Piccolo…
That overwhelming gap…
The same kind of gap he'd just witnessed.
A dangerous, hopeful thought rose in his mind:
"Could it be… Goku might actually be able to defeat Demon King Piccolo?"
Just then, Tien slowly woke up, clutching the back of his neck.
"Tien! Are you okay?!" Chiaotzu cried, panicked.
Tien winced. "Damn… it hurts…"
"I remember getting kicked… then something hit my neck… and then nothing."
"What happened, Chiaotzu?"
Chiaotzu's face fell.
"You lost, Tien… Son Goku knocked you out… and knocked you out of the ring."
Tien looked toward Goku—already swallowed by the crowd—and his heart shook.
"One move…"
"I lost in one move…"
"So… the difference between us was really that big?"
And in that moment, Tien's mental world cracked.
Because if Goku could do that to him…
Then Krillin—who had been trading blows with Goku for so long—
might be able to toy with him too.
His pride, his identity, his "genius"…
All of it felt like it was collapsing at once.
…And that collapse was only the beginning.
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