In the third quarter-final match, Krillin dispatched Yajirobe with ease. For the fourth match, Yamcha took one look at his opponent and immediately forfeited, handing Coola a walk-over victory.
Next were the semi-finals. The first match pitted Goku against Tenshinhan. To his credit, Tenshinhan didn't back down. He wanted to test himself. But Son Goku was in no mood for drawn-out exchanges. A single, overwhelming blow ended the fight. The defeat was a bitter pill for Tenshinhan to swallow. Just a few years ago, they had been rivals. Now, he'd been reduced to a footnote.
To be fair, Goku hadn't intended to crush Tenshinhan's spirit. He was simply too eager, too focused on the fight awaiting him: the clash with Coola.
The second semi-final was Krillin versus Coola. Reading the palpable danger, Krillin wisely followed Yamcha's example and forfeited, clearing the stage for the main event.
The arena buzzed with anticipation. The announcer's voice boomed: "Ladies and gentlemen, the final match of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament! It will determine our champion! In this corner, the mysterious powerhouse who has swept through the competition without lifting a finger—Contestant Coola! And in this corner, the fan favorite, the prodigy of the Turtle School—Contestant Son Goku!"
"This should be fun. I do hope you won't disappoint me, Son Goku," Coola said, standing opposite Goku, that same placid, unnerving smile on his face.
"Hey, before we start, mind if we change venues?" Goku asked, his own excitement barely contained. "This place feels a little… cramped for what we're about to do."
Coola gave a slow, approving nod. "An excellent suggestion. I have grown rather fond of this planet; I'd hate to see it accidentally cracked in two. I know of a suitable world. The question is… can you keep up?" Coola raised two fingers and placed them against his forehead.
FWOOM.
He vanished without a sound.
"Huh? Where did he go?!" The crowd erupted in confused chatter.
"Instant Transmission? So he knows it too… Now that's what I call a worthy opponent!" A fierce grin spread across Goku's face. He raised his own fingers to his brow, concentrated, located the distinct, cold ki signature… and vanished.
"Shunkan Idō… Did Goku just leave the planet?" Yuriko murmured, her brow furrowed.
"This opponent is the real deal," Saeko stated grimly. A wave of concern passed over the faces of all the women.
With both finalists gone, the tournament officials had little choice. After a brief consultation, they declared the match forfeited by both parties for abandoning the arena. The stage was cleared, and the remaining fighters—Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Yajirobe—were called up to determine third place amidst the confused murmurs of the crowd.
---
The two combatants reappeared simultaneously on a desolate, airless world—a barren sphere of jagged, ultra-dense rock under a star-strewn black sky.
"So, you know the Instant Transmission technique as well," Coola observed calmly as Goku materialized before him.
"I could say the same about you," Goku shot back, cracking his neck.
"I have you to thank for that. The moment I awoke from my long sleep—the precise instant you destroyed Planet Frieza—I saw you use it to escape. A most instructive glimpse."
"You learned it from just seeing it once?" Goku was genuinely taken aback. It had taken him considerable time and practice on Yardrat to master it.
"Is it difficult? Sense the ki signature, replicate the energy flow… It's rather straightforward." Coola's gaze swept across the stark, mountainous landscape. "What do you think of our arena? An entire planet composed of hyper-dense mineral composites and rare ores. It should be durable enough to withstand our little spar. I must say, I'm impressed you aren't the least bit troubled by the lack of atmosphere."
"Perfect stage. Enough talk. Let's fight!"
HAAAH!
A torrent of golden light erupted from Goku. His hair flashed blond, spiking upward. The Super Saiyan's aura blazed like a miniature sun, casting sharp shadows across the dark rocks.
"So, this is the famed 'Super Saiyan' transformation," Coola mused, utterly unfazed. "Visually striking. Who would have thought a wild monkey could polish itself to such a shine?"
"Wild monkey, is it? I'm gonna knock that smug look right off your face and carve the memory into your skull!" Goku roared. He stamped his foot, shattering the ground beneath him, and shot forward like a golden cannonball, his fist aimed at Coola's torso.
"How impatient." Coola didn't dodge. He simply glided backward with impossible grace. Goku's fist, missing its mark, slammed into the ground where Coola had stood.
BOOM!
The impact was tremendous, yet it only created a shallow, two-meter-deep crater. The planet's composition was as absurdly tough as Coola had claimed.
"This rock is no joke! Must be packed with good stuff. I'm definitely taking a sample home!" Goku launched himself again.
BOOM! CRACK! KABOOM!
The silent world was filled with the thunderous impacts of their clash. They became blurs of gold and dark blue, trading blows that carved canyons and leveled mountains despite the planet's incredible density.
In a blur of motion, Coola's barbed tail—a deadly weapon in its own right—speared toward Goku's temple with vicious speed. Goku twisted his head aside at the last millisecond. The tail shot past his ear and buried itself deep into a nearby rock spire, piercing the ultra-dense stone as if it were soft tofu.
Simultaneously, Coola's right hand shot forward. It wasn't a fist. His fingers were extended, sharp and rigid, veins of gold-like energy tracing along his skin. The strike was a piercing thrust, not a blunt force.
Goku, focused on dodging the tail, was a fraction too slow.
SHUNK.
Coola's hardened fingertips, sheathed in destructive energy, punched clean through Goku's golden aura and into his chest.
A spray of crimson arced through the vacuum. Goku coughed, a mist of blood floating before his face, his complexion paling beneath the Super Saiyan glow.
Coola's triumphant smile widened, a cold light in his eyes. "So much for the legendary greatness of the Super Saiyan."
---
Oh, No! Coola has Goku right where He wants him! Can Goku beat Coola and return to Earth a Champion?
Find out next time on Omniversal Superiority Starting From Dragonball!!
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