Three years flew by like a leaf carried on the wind.
The tropical sun beat down on Papaya Island, the home of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
The streets were bustling with tourists, food vendors, and martial artists from every corner of the globe, all gathering for the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai.
A taxi pulled up to the registration hall, and out stepped a large, noisy group.
Master Roshi, looking cool in his suit, followed by Bulma, Oolong, and Puar.
Flanking them were two young men who had clearly grown up: Yamcha, sporting a new haircut, and Krillin, who looked sharper and more determined than ever.
And then there was Launch. She let out a loud sneeze just as she stepped out of the car, her hair instantly turning from blue to blonde.
"Out of my way, you losers! Make way for the champs!"
"Just you wait!" Puar squeaked, floating around Yamcha's head, trying to ignore the terrified screaming of the tourists.
"Yamcha is going to win the whole thing this year! He's been training hard!"
"Dream on." Krillin scoffed, crossing his arms behind his head.
"There's no way he's winning when I'm entering."
Yamcha smirked.
"Heh, don't get cocky, shorty. You're going to see the results of my secret training soon enough."
The group pushed through the crowd (which was giving Launch a very wide berth) to the registration desk, where a monk in dark sunglasses was checking off names.
"Excuse me." Roshi asked, leaning over the counter.
"Have a boy named Son Goku and a girl named Chi-Chi registered yet?"
The official ran his finger down the ledger.
"Hmm... Chi-Chi... Chi-Chi... Ah, yes. She registered early this morning. But as for Son Goku..."
He flipped the page, scanning it twice.
"No. I don't see a Son Goku on the list."
"What?!" Krillin gasped.
"That idiot! Don't tell me he forgot what day it is!"
Master Roshi frowned, sweat beading on his bald head.
"That boy... If he doesn't show up soon, he'll be disqualified."
While the others were panicking, Roshi leaned in close to the official, lowering his voice.
"Psst. Hey. Put down the name Jackie Chun."
The official looked up, surprised.
"Jackie Chun? The winner of the last tournament? Is that you, sir?"
"Shhh!" Roshi waved his hands frantically.
"Yes, it's me, but keep it quiet! Just put the name down!"
"Right, right." The official nodded, scribbling the name.
Bulma glanced at her watch and let out a shriek.
"Guys! There are only three minutes left until registration closes! If Goku isn't here by now..."
"My, it is good to see such familiar faces. You haven't changed a bit."
The calm, feminine voice came from behind them.
The group spun around.
Towering over the crowd was the massive form of the Ox-King, wearing a suit and looking incredibly proud. But standing next to him was a young woman who made everyone's jaw drop.
It was Chi-Chi.
She was no longer the little girl they remembered.
She had grown taller, her posture radiating a refined elegance.
She wore a blue cheongsam-style martial arts top with the Ox-King's kanji on the chest, paired with loose white trousers and black combat boots.
Her dark hair was pulled back into a high, flowing ponytail that swayed in the breeze.
But what drew their eyes the most was the weapon at her hip.
Strapped to her sash was a magnificent Jian sword. It had a deep black scabbard wrapped in gold filigree, a hilt wrapped in dark leather, and a guard shaped like stylized clouds.
A golden tassel hung from the pommel, swaying gently as she moved.
"Hey, everyone. Long time no see."
A stunned silence fell over the group.
Mouths hung open as they took in the sight of the young woman standing before them.
Chi-Chi had transformed.
She had shot up in height, growing from 4'11 to 5'3, standing nearly eye-to-level with Bulma.
The childish roundness of her face was gone.
Yamcha blinked, looking back and forth between the massive Ox-King and the warrior woman.
"Wait... are you serious? Are you really that little girl who fought Goku in the finals three years ago?"
Chi-Chi bowed slightly, a gesture of refined grace that contrasted with her father's boisterous laughter.
"It has been a long time, Yamcha. People tend to grow when you don't see them for three years. I did not spend my time idle; I traveled the world, seeking out harsh environments and strong opponents to temper my spirit."
Master Roshi was also impressed.
"Ho ho! Traveling the world on your own? That sounds almost exactly like the training regimen I prescribed for Goku. You really have been walking the same path."
"I suppose I have." Chi-Chi smiled politely.
Krillin, however, couldn't take his eyes off the ornate weapon strapped to her sash.
He pointed a finger at it.
"Hey, what's the deal with the sword?" Krillin asked.
"You didn't use a weapon last time. That thing looks way too fancy to be just a regular sword."
Chi-Chi rested her hand gently on the leather-wrapped hilt of the blade.
"This is Kumokiri." She said, her tone shifting to one of reverence.
"It is a long story, but in short... it is a legendary weapon, belonging to the same class of mystical artifacts as the Power Pole and the Bansho Fan."
Master Roshi froze.
He lowered his sunglasses, peering at the blade.
"Kumokiri... the Cloud Cutter?" Roshi muttered.
"I recall reading ancient scrolls about a blade by that name. It was said to be able to sever the very wind itself. But... I always assumed it was just a legend."
Chi-Chi shook her head.
"It's no legend, Master. Master Korin guarded it for centuries at the top of the tower. When I returned there a second time, he entrusted it to me."
The group stared at the weapon with new respect.
Not only had she grown into a powerful martial artist, but she now carried a piece of history at her side.
The Ox-King let out a thunderous laugh, slapping his knee.
"Bwahaha! Don't let her serious face fool you! She just brought that sword to show it off to everyone! She knows perfectly well that weapons are forbidden in the tournament matches."
He reached out and patted Chi-Chi on the head with his massive hand, ruffling her hair like she was still five years old.
Chi-Chi stiffened, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink, though her expression remained sharp. She swatted his hand away, adjusting her ponytail with a huff.
"I-I didn't bring it just to show off!" She retorted, crossing her arms and looking away, her tone dignified but carrying a hint of her old prickly nature.
"A true warrior never abandons their blade, even if they don't intend to draw it."
"How touching."
The voice was cold, high-pitched, and dripping with sarcasm.
The group turned to see an elderly man with bird-like features, wearing a green changshan with a crane symbol and a black skullcap topped with a crane's head.
Beside him stood two students: a small, pale boy with red cheeks and a tall, three-eyed young man who radiated intensity.
"Master Shen." Roshi said, his voice losing its usual playfulness.
"You look as ugly as ever, Roshi," Shen sneered.
"When I heard that the pathetic Turtle School had actually reached the finals of the last tournament, I felt a deep sadness. It showed me just how far the standards of martial arts have fallen in this world. That is why I have decided to enter my students from the Crane School."
He smirked cruelly.
"If you were smart, you would withdraw your students now. It would save you the humiliation of having them crushed."
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses, unbothered.
"And you're still as boring and devoid of humor as ever, Shen. We aren't going anywhere."
Shen's face twitched.
"What did you say?"
"I said we're staying. We'll see whose style is superior in the ring."
"You senile old fool! You're just a washed-up, bald geezer!"
"And you are a half-bald geezer. Or are you hiding a full head of hair under that ridiculous hat?"
While the two old masters bickered, the students sized each other up. T
he tall, three-eyed student, Tien Shinhan, looked at the group with arrogance.
His gaze landed on Chi-Chi. He sensed her Ki was different from the others.
He locked eyes with her and offered a predatory smile.
Chi-Chi stared back at him with cold, dead-serious eyes.
"Tien! Chiaotzu!" Shen barked, turning away from Roshi.
"Let's go. We shouldn't mix with these idiots any longer, or we might catch their stupidity."
The Crane School trio turned and floated away, leaving a tense silence in their wake.
"What a jerk." Yamcha muttered, glaring at their retreating backs.
"Who was that dried-up old mummy, Master?"
Roshi sighed, his expression serious.
"That was Master Shen. We studied together under the same master many, many years ago. He is the master of the Crane School... and he is a very dangerous man."
Chi-Chi turned back to the group.
"Changing the subject... where is Goku? There is literally less than one minute left before registration closes."
Master Roshi wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"I wish I knew, my dear."
Chi-Chi let out a frustrated huff, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
That idiot...
She thought, tapping her foot impatiently against the pavement.
He probably got lost chasing a butterfly or stopped to eat.
But then, her mind wandered. A treacherous thought crept in.
Three years...
She bit her lip, staring down the road.
He's fifteen years old now. Boys change a lot at that age, don't they?
Her imagination suddenly hijacked her brain. The mental image of the small, round-faced boy vanished.
Is he tall now?
She wondered, feeling a sudden, frantic fluttering in her chest.
Is he... handsome? Did he get more mature?
In her mind's eye, she saw a tall, ruggedly handsome warrior. He had broad shoulders, a sharp jawline, and a mature, deep voice.
He was walking toward her, looking at her with soulful, intelligent eyes.
"Chi-Chi, I have returned. I missed you." Fantasy-Goku whispered in her mind.
Chi-Chi's face exploded into a bright red flush.
She shook her head violently, her ponytail whipping around as if she were trying to physically shake the thought out of her ear.
What is wrong with me?!
She screamed internally, clutching her burning cheeks.
Why am I wondering if he's handsome?! I don't care what he looks like! I just want to fight him!
"Hey! Look at that!"
Blonde Launch's shout snapped Chi-Chi out of her romantic panic.
Launch pointed a finger down the busy city street, which was jammed with traffic.
"There's some crazy kid sprinting down the middle of the road!"
"Move it! Coming through!" A familiar, cheerful voice echoed over the honking horns.
Some kid was leaping from the roof of a taxi to the hood of a truck, moving with incredible speed.
"Wait..." Krillin squinted.
"Is that...?"
Chi-Chi leaned forward, squinting through the exhaust fumes and the glare of the sun, desperate for her first glimpse.
Here he comes...
She thought, bracing herself.
A small, blurry figure bounced off the roof of a delivery truck, performed a triple somersault over a sedan, and landed with a dusty thud right in front of the group.
"Hey, guys! I made it! Puff! Puff!"
The dust settled to reveal... a child.
It was Goku.
But not the tall, strapping warrior of Chi-Chi's fantasies.
He stood there, grinning broadly, looking almost exactly the same as the day they parted ways. He hadn't grown into a towering man, in fact, he barely looked an inch taller. He was wearing a ragged, primitive tunic made of leopard skin tied together with rope. His hair was a messy bird's nest, and his face was still round, cheerful, and unmistakably boyish.
"Goku!" Krillin screamed, tackling his best friend in a headlock.
"You made it, you crazy monkey! I thought you forgot!"
"Hahaha! Hey Krillin! I didn't forget! I swam all the way here!"
"You swam?!" Yamcha dropped his jaw. "From where?!"
"Yahhoi."
"Yahhoi?! That's on the other side of the world!"
While the group erupted into cheers and laughter, swarming around the little wild boy, Chi-Chi stood frozen in the background.
Her eye twitched.
Crack.
The sound of her romantic delusions shattering was almost audible.
The image of the tall, deep-voiced, ruggedly handsome warrior she had built up in her head for thirty-six months evaporated instantly, replaced by this... this... munchkin in a loincloth.
"He... hasn't changed... at all."
She looked down at herself, at her long legs, her adult stature. Then she looked down at Goku, who was currently scratching his butt and asking Bulma if she had any food.
I prepared myself for a fateful reunion with a mature warrior...
She stared at the leopard-print tunic.
Goku finally noticed her looming over him.
He blinked, tilting his head back to look up, way up, at her face.
"Oh! Hey! You're here too! Whoa, you got really tall, Chi-Chi! You look totally different!"
Chi-Chi looked down at the grinning boy, her expectations lying in ruins at her feet.
"You... you... have you been eating properly?! How is it possible to stay that small for three years?!"
"What do you mean?" Goku blinked, tilting his head to the side.
Chi-Chi's face twitched.
The image of the dashing warrior faded even further, replaced by the reality of a boy eating bugs.
"Ugh! Forget it!"
She pointed an accusatory finger at the changing rooms, her voice sharp and commanding.
"Put on a proper martial arts gi and meet us inside the preliminary hall!"
Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel, her ponytail whipping through the air like a lash.
She marched toward the entrance of the dojo, her boots stomping heavily against the pavement, radiating an aura of pure, unadulterated bad mood.
"Hmph!" she grunted loudly as she disappeared through the doors.
Goku stood there, scratching his head, completely bewildered. ]
"She sure is angry. Is she hungry or something?"
Behind him, Yamcha leaned over to Master Roshi, watching Chi-Chi's angry retreat with a confused expression.
"What was that about? Why did she suddenly get so mad?" Yamcha whispered.
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.
"Who knows, Yamcha? The heart of a woman is as mysterious and treacherous as the ocean. One minute it's calm, the next it's a typhoon. Best not to ask questions."