"Host, it's time to announce the result."
Zeru's calm voice echoed across the arena.
"O-oh! Right!"
The host snapped back to his senses and hurriedly declared Zeru the winner of the first quarterfinal match.
The tournament continued.
Soon, the semifinalists were decided.
In the original story, the semifinals were Tien vs. Goku and Piccolo vs. Kami.
But this time, it became Zeru vs. Goku, and Piccolo vs. Krillin.
Notably, during the quarterfinals, Goku and Chi-Chi met just like in the original timeline. From what Zeru could tell, Goku had still made that childhood promise to marry her.
An hour of rest passed quickly, and the first semifinal match began.
Piccolo vs. Krillin.
The tall and the short stepped onto the stage.
This wasn't the future "babysitter Piccolo" from Dragon Ball Z. Though he had some restraint, he wouldn't go easy on his opponent.
"The first semifinal match—Piccolo versus Krillin! The earlier fights weren't too intense, but I believe this one will be absolutely thrilling!"
The host jumped around excitedly, hyping up the crowd until the atmosphere reached its peak.
"The match begins now!"
"Please!"
Krillin pressed his palms together, staring at Piccolo with full alertness.
Whoosh!
With a cold smile, Piccolo stepped forward and closed the distance in an instant.
Bang!
He threw a powerful punch.
His speed and strength were incredible, but Krillin wasn't weak either. Though momentarily stunned for a split second, he reacted immediately and countered with a punch of his own.
Boom!
Their fists collided, releasing a powerful shockwave.
"Krillin's amazing!"
At the entrance of the contestant area, Goku watched with excitement. It had been a while since he last saw Krillin, and he hadn't expected his old friend to become this strong.
"You're even stronger than him, and you're praising him like that? Are you secretly complimenting yourself?"
Zeru teased with a grin.
"No, no! Big Brother Zeru, you're overpraising me! Compared to you, I'm not strong at all!"
Goku waved his hands and laughed awkwardly.
Zeru's eyes flickered.
The original Goku would never say something like that.
Clearly, his presence had subtly changed the personalities in this world, making them feel more real.
Bang!
"Ah!"
A loud impact followed by a scream snapped Zeru out of his thoughts.
He turned his head to see Krillin already knocked out of the arena.
The first semifinal match ended with Piccolo completely crushing Krillin.
"Big Brother Zeru, I can finally fight you for real!"
As the host called them up, Goku looked at Zeru with excitement.
Zeru, however, remained calm.
At this stage, Goku simply wasn't strong enough to interest him.
If not for nostalgia from his previous life, Zeru wouldn't have even participated in this tournament, let alone face Goku this early.
Whoosh!
Goku dashed onto the stage first, clearly unable to wait.
Zeru followed, arriving at the same time.
After the host's lengthy introduction, the second semifinal officially began.
"Big Brother Zeru… please!"
Goku bowed with both hands clasped. When he raised his head, his eyes had become sharp and focused.
He knew that against Zeru, he had to go all out.
Otherwise, he'd lose instantly.
Zeru understood this as well.
So instead of crushing him, he decided to act as a sparring partner.
Whoosh!
Goku moved.
From the very start, he unleashed his fiercest attack. The air itself seemed to explode with sonic booms, a testament to both his speed and power.
Bang!
But to Zeru—
It was like tossing a pebble into the ocean.
With just one finger, Zeru effortlessly neutralized Goku's rapid assault, even reflecting the force back slightly stronger.
"Pfft!"
Despite the minimal increase in force, the rebound sent Goku flying backward, coughing up blood midair.
"Goku…!"
In the audience, Master Roshi and the others were shocked.
They knew Zeru was strong, but to deflect Goku's full attack with a single finger—
That was beyond imagination.
"This guy…"
Even Piccolo, leaning with arms crossed near the entrance, his gaze sharpened
Zeru was far stronger than he had anticipated.