"Ladies and Gentlemen! The ultimate fighter's competition, Tenkaichi Budokai starts for the 23rd time right now! You were waiting for a while, but you didn't wait in vain! As for the first match... please warmly welcome Dr. Gero and Ten Shin Han, both from the Crane school, the mightiest of all fighters from the last edition!"
The crowd was cheering very loudly, not expecting to get this quality of fight from the start. Luch's encouragements were still the loudest though, she was a die hard Ten Shin Han fanatic. As the two disciples of the Crane School brothers, there were no hatred in the fighter's eyes, one looked at his senior with grave respect, while the oldest disciple was standing casually, his pink changpao striped down any danger from his presence, only the "Kill" character served as the grim reminder of his ruthlessness and indifference towards life.
"If you forfeit now, Uncle Master will strip the flesh of your bones personally. Do your best, show your might!"
"Thank you for teaching me, senior brother!" Saluted Ten Shin Han before disappearing from the spot.
The public erupted once again as the challenger appeared right in front of Dr. Gero, but the powerful hit that created air currents was casually deflected by a pak sao, a move mimicking a bird's wing to deflect a punch slightly to the side without taking the hit. This destroyed all the momentum and while Tien took the brunt of it and was momentarily unable to chain up any move, Gero, using the same arm that deflected the hit, casually flickered a uraken uchi in to his opponent's face, sending him flying all the way to the ring's extremity. From the start, the Omnissiah of Perfection didn't take a single step, while Ten Shin Han was painfully trying to get up, blood dripping from his nose and forehead. The count down started but the world was crazily spinning for his three eyes, he fell, tried to stand up again and threw up during the effort.
"I believe neither of us could have done better here. What do you think?" Asked Master Shen.
"He hit the pressure point with the power of ten trucks, but he lowered his power to your disciple's half. He left us far behind in the dust. No one can contest it now, he is a true Sifu." Nodded Tao, proudly smiling and admiring his only disciple.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Piccolo opened his eyes, revealing a trace of fear. While Goku was seriously evaluating the one punch man.
"G... Goku! He is even more absurd now than in the last tournament! We have no chance!" Cried the shaken Krilin.
"As expected by some one recognised by Kami..." Muttered Goku, but no one heard him right now. Every one was busy handling the shock. The fighters unconsciously took steps back when Gero returned to wait for his next fight, the whole competition was meaningless for him, but what was the point of being powerful if he could not flex it? It was also a way to get rid of any delusion his masters could bear. They were not his equals in any way from now.
The next fight was Goku facing Chichi.
"Every time you look like you are angry at me, please tell me, why?" Asked Goku.
"You should ask yourself that question!" She yelled back.
"Are you mistaking me for some one else?"
"No! I am not mistaken! You are Son Goku!"
As every one wondered who was that woman and what was her relationship with Goku, Gero eyes glittered with amusement. Seeing it was much more funny that reading it!
"Fight!" Declared the referee.
Chichi attacked Son Goku with knee kicks, and wing-chun pressure point hits. He kept dodging while still probing her identity.
"It is because you forgot all of it that I'm angry! You made fun of my innocent heart! I was waiting for you all this time but you've never returned!"
She was fighting Son Goku in Tenkaichi Budokai with the rage of a war boar on the seas and oceans. She was fighting him with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. She was defending her love and principles whatever the cost may be. She would even fight him on the beaches if needed, as soon they landed back on the ring she kept fighting on it. She was ready to fight him in the fields and the streets, she was ready to fight him in the hills, she was determined to never surrender.
"I am not sure about what is going on, but this young woman is very strong. Moreover her technique resembles the one of my school..." Said Master Roshi.
"You said you will return and take me for wife!"
At this sentence, the intense fight finally stopped.
"Hmpf! It is only now that you remember your promise?"
"Krilin! What does 'wife' mean?" Yelled Goku back to his friend.
"You moron! Take a girl as wife means to marry her! You jerk! When did you propose to a girl as pretty as her? It is not fair! It has to be always you!"
"If you take her for wife, you would have to live forever with her. Goku, when did you make her this promise?" Added wisely the always reliable Yamcha.
"Live forever with you? I've promised that to you? Who are you? Please tell me!" Goku really wanted to know it now.
"Hmmph! Alright, but only if you win against me!" Declared Chichi.
"For real? Nice! I was really afraid of spending my whole life with some one I didn't know the name!"
"What? You believe you've already won? If you believe I will lose easily you are hugely mistaken!"
Meanwhile Holog knew already who she was. Gero was truly happy now, he witnessed pic comedy!
All was quickly over after Goku punched the air in front of him. The waves of wind it created sent the poor young woman flying out of the air right away.
While Piccolo recognised this technique as belonging to the demon's clan, Chichi finally revealed who she was.
" I remember it now! I did say that I would return and marry you!" Exclaimed Goku. He firmly believed at that time that marrying was something he could eat like a fruit or candy. But he didn't realise it that it was not so far off. "Alright, we will get married!"
The public cheered for them.
"What an unexpected development! It is this competition's first! But let's not linger indefinitely on it, as it is time for the third fight! Krilin against Daemon Junior!"
Before Goku could warn Krilin, Gero approached his future son in law. He knelt on one knee to be at this little guy's height, and looked into his eyes gravely while putting his right hand on Krilin's shoulder.
"Don't flinch for this little. I graduated from the Crane's school, there is no longer any enmity between us." Said Gero to the trembling Krilin, who's face displayed an expression one would have after meeting death itself. "This guy is not human, if you fight it normally you will have little chance. Do you feel my Ki going trough you arm and the vibration around your fist? Throw a week punch at me while memorising it's pattern." Instructed Gero.
Even though he got left behind in the story as the power levels were pumped to absurd numbers by Toriyama, Krilin was not a push over. In a few months of training under Roshi, he reached the strength of a low class Super Sayen kid and surpassed his master. He was a genius that was shamelessly copied by Freezer during namek's arc, and his true courage and determination was inferior to none. Coming back to his senses, the little fighter concentrated and threw a punch at Gero's chest, his eyes widened with unhidden shock as he unleashed effortlessly enough energy to destroy half of the building they were in, and seeing it being absorbed and nullified by the dreadful being in front of him, made Krillin feel despair. He felt like a shrimp facing the apex predator.
"Good, remember this feeling and pattern. Even if you don't win, inflict as much pain as possible to this xenos."
After teaching his future son in law, Gero stood up to casually return to the bench he was sitting on previously.
"Xenos..." Muttered Krilin
"Krilin are you arlight? Did he do anything to you?" Inquired a worried Goku.
"No it's all good." Then Krilin turned towards Gero and bowed at ninety degrees. Then entered the arena.
"Midget." Insulted Piccolo.
"Poser." Exposed Krilin.
"Whenever you are ready, minus."
"Minus? tchh... you are really not cool, then I won't hold back chilling you down."
Then Krilin squatted, and drawing momentum from behind his back with both arms, pushed forth two energy beams than spun and spiralled before following a Piccolo who dared to underestimate his opponent. The two beams exploded upon contact with the green alien's eye lasers, but behind the explosion, two hidden and invisible energy shockwaves reached their target. Piccolo was thrown back in the air, his hat and cape in tatters, purple blood spraying around him, just to be hit from behind by Krilin, then by the energy shockwaves that came at him with delay. The little genius got the technique right away and even appropriated it without effort. Goku cheered and Yamcha was left stunned, his mouth widely opened, he was pogging with all his might!
Krilin landed back on the arena's tiles after braking the momentum with series of flips, while Piccolo barely avoided the contact with the ground.
The Demon King was bloodied and a mess after a few exchanged and looked with hate at his adversary.
"Huff... Hufff... You... Huff... You are stronger than expected... Huff..." Said Piccolo, out of breath and clenching his teeth.
Behind the scenes, Kami possessing the human body quietly thanked Gero, but was coldly ignored.
The fight continued quickly, but suddenly after dodging an incoming Kameameah, Poccolo materialised behind Krilin and struck him with a heavy hit, with his liked fists, and Krilin was violently send back to the ground, braking the arena's tiles.
Every one except Gero grasped at the unexpected outcome reversal that the green flying alien pulled out of his magical hat.
"Stop the fight, he is dying." Instructed Gero, and the referee expedited the count to ten as the nearby staff was already calling the emergencies.
Son Goku rushed to his friend to protect him in the case the Demon would want to finish him right here and now, and fed him discretely a Senzu Bean.
The two faithful enemies stared at each other with animosity, and while still bloodied, Piccolo's quick healing factor was already doing it's job. He would be more or less like new at his next fight.
Soon enough the emergencies arrived and the doctors run multiple tests right there, something that was not possible in the original time line, something that depends solely on Ferbolg's products. Soon enough it was declared that Krilin's life was not in danger, but that he should rest and avoid fights for the following three months to prevent any accidents.
Finally, it was time for Kami to fight against. Yamcha.