Dragon Ball Roshi

During yesterday's match against Goku, the moment Goku removed his weighted wristbands—those "switches" of his training gear—his power exploded in an instant. He appeared behind Taro in a flash and knocked him out cold with a single kick... Although Taro had experienced a brief moment of Goku's overwhelming strength then, it didn't compare to the sheer intensity he felt today.

Was it because… "they weren't opponents on the same level"?

Boom!

Boom!

From the shattered central mountain arena, the clashing auras radiated an oppressive force that made Taro feel restless and uneasy.

"Tien?" Chiaotzu looked up.

"Huff, I'm fine..." Tien steadied his breath, then calmly turned his focus back to the match.

---

The championship battle of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai would be remembered and talked about for a long time. Whether in the virtual Earth, on internet forums, or in real-life streets and alleys, people buzzed endlessly about this earth-shaking showdown.

Back in the day, Gohan had claimed the title for several tournaments in a row with overwhelming power. Every time he took the championship, it seemed effortless, as if lifting a feather. The media and audience praised him as possessing half the grace of his master, the Muten Roshi. Some even suggested he be honored as "Master Gohan"—a title he firmly declined.

In the tournaments that followed, before the experts of the Muten Tower began to compete, the most intense bout had been the peak clash between Fan and Noah Robe.

At the time, Gohan had personally attended the match, bringing Senzu Beans with him, and encouraged Noah Robe to use his sword techniques without restraint. As long as Fan wasn't sliced to death in one blow, it was fine.

That battle between a martial artist and a sword master was already a rare, ferocious duel. Even the competitors who later mastered Muken seldom reached that level. After all, the true power of Muken could only be unleashed by martial artists who had grasped the sensation of ki.

In ancient times, anyone who could develop ki was considered a grandmaster.

Now, thanks to training within the virtual Muten Tower on the networked Earth, modern martial artists could awaken their ki perception with far greater speed and ease than in the past. However, it's important to note that this didn't mean the modern surpassed the ancient.

The old ways of training were not inferior.

Under the tutelage of old masters, without deliberately guiding disciples to grasp ki too early, if a martial artist could eventually build up enough and awaken their ki on their own, they were already worthy of the grandmaster title!

And it must be known—becoming a ki grandmaster wasn't as simple as just generating ki within the body.

The young martial artists of today who have awakened ki within themselves still lag behind ancient masters like Taro and Tsuru in their mastery and control over ki and ki flow.

Each era has its strengths.

…And now, the battle between Piccolo and Goku.

As the fight dragged on, they truly began to lose themselves in the frenzy. Goku entered an intensely euphoric state of combat. His power climbed with every passing moment. The longer the fight lasted, the heavier his punches grew, the faster his movements became... What a battle maniac! Both Tien and Krillin were stunned.

Even Tsuru looked at Goku as if he were a priceless treasure, with a hint of envy toward his senior brother Taro. How did such a prodigious gem fall into that old Muten freak's hands instead?

Goku grew increasingly wild, his talent in martial arts shining through completely. His attacks were free and unrestrained, far beyond the scope of what Taro had taught—unorthodox, brimming with inspiration. He pushed Piccolo into a disadvantage in no time. If not for the Namekian's many natural gifts, he would have surrendered already.

Abilities like psychic powers, limb regeneration, and all kinds of supernatural skills... not to mention the genius intellect of the Namekian race!

As a splinter from the Dragon Clan—the genius branch of the Namekians—Piccolo possessed rare battle insight. And as the heir to the once-dominant Demon King, his heart was filled with pure malice and disregard for all else! Unlike Goku, he wouldn't hold back during a fight, nor would he avoid striking vital points... If Piccolo was going to attack, he'd strike to kill! He wanted to destroy that face of Kakarot!

On a stage like this, under the gaze of thousands, where life and death were left to fate—not even the Muten Roshi would have anything to say about it.

"Is that really Goku… or that Kakarot guy?!" Krillin smacked his lips in the spectator stands. Although from his ki alone, it seemed more like Goku, the burning fighting spirit he was showing now—this frenzied aura—was eerily similar to Kakarot's malevolent presence.

As the match neared its end, the two fighters on the stage were utterly exhausted. Even the audience had quieted down, afraid that any noise might disturb the duel between these two titans.

"Huff… huff…"

Piccolo was barely holding on. The pride and arrogance of the Great Demon King were the only things keeping his body upright. His vision was going black; the Goku standing before him was now a double image, blurred and overlapping.

"Heh… heheh…"

Goku was also worn out, but he still wore a smile—more exhilarated than when the match first began. One arm and one leg had been rendered numb and unusable by the beam that shot from Piccolo's eye, but he didn't care. It wasn't because he believed his master could heal him afterward—it simply wasn't even crossing his mind. All he wanted was to keep fighting! To hit again! To keep brawling until his heart was content!

"One last strike!"

"Come on!"

With a roar, Piccolo summoned all the energy he had left, channeling it into his right arm as he charged forward with a furious battle cry.

Goku chuckled lowly, and in the close-up on the broadcast screen, that grin was infectious. Even though his eyelids drooped from fatigue, the burning battle-lust and indomitable will in his black eyes stirred the crowd. Some fangirls in the audience were already in tears—heartache mixed with pride.

How old was he again?

He was still just a child!

Yet he was this strong! This resolute! This admirable! His skill—truly formidable!

"This is it… my final punch!" Goku clenched his only functioning right fist, and it burst into shining light.

The whole arena held its breath. The big screen showed a split-screen close-up—one of Piccolo, the other of Goku. Everyone was on edge, staring intently… Piccolo sprinted straight at Goku, while Goku bent his right leg, sprang forward low to the ground, and soared like a missile. His right fist was wrapped in glowing energy, blazing as brilliantly as his eyes!

"Die!!" Piccolo bellowed, slamming his punch forward.

"I won't lose… Grandpa's watching me. Master Taro is watching me. Lady Hathaway is watching me. Krillin is watching me. Bulma is watching me… even that Kakarot guy is watching me! …I absolutely won't lose!"

Goku's unwavering eyes seemed to shine with physical light. The power on his right fist roared with a defiant cry—it was the roar of a giant ape!

"Pierce Strike!!"

BOOM——

What is this?! That Goku guy… what kind of punch is that?! In the spiritual realm, Kakarot felt Goku's consciousness ignite into a blazing inferno. He vaguely saw a massive great ape reborn in that fire, faintly tinged in gold…

…

"Goku was really something. That final punch wiped out the entire right side of Piccolo's body!" Even as the crowd dispersed, many spectators still hadn't recovered. They were full of awe, excitedly talking among themselves, feeling that coming to see this year's championship in person had been more than worth it.