If you'd have asked Bulma a year ago what the woman thought she'd be doing, the beautiful genius would have probably told you something along the lines of: 'After we defeat the saiyans, Yamcha and I wanna finally settle down and start a family. Th dessert bandit had been Bulma's first real boyfriend, as well as the love of her young life, so it only seemed natural that they'd go all the way and grow old together...
But then, she met Vegeta.
He was rude, arrogant, and down right nasty a times; to say nothing about how it had been the saiyan's own fault Yamcha had died. Which Bulma knew should have been enough to turn her away from thinking anything but the worst about the flame-haired alien warrior.
And yet...standing in the main control room, watching as her oldest friend trained with that very same man who she ought to despise, the Capsule Corp. heiress couldn't help but admire the fire and the passion so clearly on display across Vegeta's face.
Bulma would deny the blush on her face as the room having poor air circulation, but privately she knew, deep in her heart, that the day her family started to house the Prince of Saiyans under their roof was the same moment he'd begun to steal her heart.
It didn't help matters that she and Yamcha were always having problems, or had so little in common personality wise; he being far too weak-willed more often than naught when they argued. Bulma found, as she grew older, that her desires in what made a good man had changed.
It wasn't enough anymore to be 'cute' or for them to pay attention solely to her, waiting on the young woman hand-and-foot as though she were a fairy tale princess, no now the bluenette needed more.
And that 'more' came in the full-loaded package of one alien prince.
Dependable, no doubt a man who understood true loyalty, hard working and steadfast in his principals. Vegeta gave no quarter when it came to his pride, which could be irksome at times, but even when they came to blows the man was ready to meet the challenge head on rather than simply give in because he thought it the easiest way out.
Yes, Vegeta was most certainly the type of man Bulma wanted, and felt she needed, in her life...
…plus it helped that he was kind of cute.
"Woman! Did you not hear me; turn the gravity up! Three-hundred times has gotten too easy, Kakarot and I need a better challenge!"
But, there would be time for daydreaming later! Right now, she needed to put a certain little pompous jerk in his place.
"How many times am I going to have to tell you, moron, my name is Bulma! And if you think for one minute that your royal pain-in-the-ass attitude is gonna get me to do you any favors without even a single 'please' then you've got another thing coming!"
"Imbecile; I guess you want your world to be destroyed then, is that it!? Because there's no telling what sort of power this Grand-Priest has, and Kakarot has already lost against that Destroyer, so clearly you peoples only chance is-"
"If you become a Super Saiyan," Bulma cut the alien off, much to his ire. "Yeah, I know; how could I not when it's all you've been saying for the last three months! But ya know what, who cares, as long as Goku trains hard enough he'll be more than ready to whoop that 'Beer-can' freak if he ever shows his ugly mug around here again! Isn't that right, Goku?"
The woman's oldest friend surprised her with his answer.
"Actually, Bulma even if he doesn't become a Super Saiyan, having Vegeta be stronger next time something happens would be a huge help; it's why I asked you to make a separate gravity chamber for Piccolo and the others. They may not climb as high as we do, in the same amount of time, but every little bit counts. So please, could you up the gravity another hundred for us, he wont say it but Vegeta and I will really appreciate it."
Bulma stared at the wild-haired saiyan for a moment, shocked to hear him sound so...grown up, before a gentle smile found its way to her pink lips and the blue-haired woman sighed gently. "Oh Goku, when did you go and grow up on me? How could I say no when you talk like that; alright, here you two go, get ready."
Inside the chamber the two warriors from space weren't made to wait long, and in seconds they felt the added intensity to each and every move they made. Four-hundred times gravity, another milestone to be conquered. Yet as Goku and Vegeta began to stretch and get their bodies used to the added pressure, the flame-haired saiyan couldn't help but think back to the smile Bulma had worn just a moment ago...
...and wish it had been for him.
That same woman who unknowingly occupied the thoughts of Goku's rival turned her attention away from the pair in order to address the other five Z-fighters who were busy undergoing their own training session.
"What about you guys; do you need a gravity increase too?"
"I...don't think so," Yamcha grit out as he worked through a series of push-ups. "One-fifty still..feels fine to me, but I'm game if the others wanna try for more."
Krillen and Tien voice that they wouldn't mind upping it another fifty, but off to the side Gohan and Piccolo were too busy sparring to give Bulma an answer. Their moves were swift and seemed to ignore the fact that they were supposed to be bogged down by added gravity; the pair bounced around as twin purple blurs thanks to their shared uniform, making it hard for anyone to tell them apart until they finally took a breather.
"You guys go ahead," the half-blood relented through heavy breaths. "I've gotta call my mom and let her know dad and I probably wont be home again tonight; he'll wanna stay, and Piccolo said we were gonna work on me learning the 'Special Beam-cannon'."
"Hopefully this time she doesn't ask to talk to Goku," Tien flinched as he recalled the last time the boy had been on the phone with his mother. "I don't think my ears can take another shouting match between those two."
Krillen's two cents came as he was working his way through a set of Russian Twists. "I still just can't believe he actually started yelling; Goku's always been so easy going. It was weird to see him get so upset at Chi-Chi like that."
"Goku really has been different since his return to Earth," Piccolo confirmed as he stretched out a kink in his neck. "He's more serious, and his views on fighting have shifted as well; there's none of that old excitement at facing a new challenge this time around. If anything, he's angry about what Beerus and Whis have brought upon the Earth."
"Well...can you blame the guy?" Yamcha was attempting to do pull-ups under the enhanced gravity, the scarred fighter's words came out through short bursts as he tried to talk while still keep hold of the bar.
"I mean, those two just showed up, out of nowhere, and that Destroyer God tries to blow up the planet just because lame prophecy. I'd be mad too, especially after having just finished getting rid of a monster like Frieza. The poor guy probably feel like he never catches a break anymore."
The conversation went on, but Bulma was too busy looking at Gohan as he toweled off to notice; it was so hard to believe that the boy was only six years old. Being so young, there was still puppy fat rounding out the half-saiyan's features, but it was clear that Goku's son carried his father's genes in more than just looks. After all, no normal boy should be as stocky as Gohan looked in that purple gi.
Then there was his hair; thankfully reshaped from that hideous bowl-cut. It was kept short, but without all of the product and ironing the prepubescent fighter's dark tresses now took on a more natural look; three bangs hung over the kid's forehead, while four thick spikes stood out along the side. The rest of Gohan's hair was kept shorter, taking with it the rest of what would have been a wild mane of pointed locks.
Bulma watched him head out the door, being shadowed by the tall and stern Namekian who'd become something of a guardian for the boy, before turning back to the remaining warriors and fulfilling their request for higher gravity. Though as the woman's crystal-blue eyes watched Yamcha's struggle increase, the female genius had to wonder if maybe the former bandit was truly suited to the challenge that awaited them.
'But you can't tell him that,' Bulma sighed as she told the guys to be careful before exiting the external control room. 'The stubborn oaf will just insist that he can handle it until he either gets it, or gets hurt.'
As the heiress left to work on upgrading the rejuvenation tanks she'd made based on the schematics brought back by Gohan from Namek, the boy's father could be found talking with Vegeta about the reemergence of the man's tail.
"I just woke up one morning while I was on Yardrat and it was there; though I didn't sleep so well the night before. I kept tossing and turning, and there was this strange dream that felt as though it were playing through my mind over and over again."
"And this dream, what happened in it?"
"I...I'm not really able to remember it all that well to be honest," Goku muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I'll try..."
"There was this...void, I guess you'd call it, and I was standing in it all alone. Then, I started walking, trying to find anyone or anything that might give me some sort of clue as to what was going on...and that's when I saw...me. Or at least, I think it was me..."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow skeptically as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. "You think; what, you've never looked in a mirror before Kakarot?"
"No, I mean yes, but...the 'me' that I saw was wearing almost the exact same style of armor that you did when you arrived on Earth Vegeta. Except, it was gray and black, and I wore a scouter like you did too.
He, I, started talking but I couldn't make out what was being said; like we were standing on opposite sides of a door. And then...and then a full-moon suddenly appeared behind the other me and his eyes started to glow; after that I heard a roar and then...nothing."
"But when you awoke, your tail had regrown," the saiyan prince clarified.
"That's right; what do you think, Vegeta?"
Goku's rival hummed, gathering his thoughts before opening his mouth to speak.
"This reflection you saw, I believe it to be the 'you' that would have been had you not hit your head after landing on this planet; your true self, the saiyan warrior, 'Kakarot'. When you became a Super Saiyan, the transformation must have sparked that part of your brain and in a sense rebooted it."
"B-but if that's true, then, what'll happen to...ya know, me? I'm not just gonna not exist right?"
Vegeta could see the worry in the younger saiyan's eyes and found it laughable; he made it sound like being a true saiyan was such a bad thing. "No you fool, it'll be nothing like that, the two sides of you will merge if anything and you'll take on traits from the 'true' you while keeping characteristic of the person you are now."
"Well, that's a relief," Goku sighed as he trudged over to turn off the gravity chamber. "Though I can only hope these new changes don't cause me too much trouble down the line."
Vegeta scoffed. "If you ask me it'll be an improvement; maybe now you wont be so soft-hearted!"
"You say that now," the wild-haired martial-artist hummed, "but it's only because of my compassion that you're not laying back in that canyon with a sword through your back, remember?"
The saiyan prince's smirk slipped into a hard frown. "Feh, whatever, let's just hurry up and eat so that I can get back to my training; I can feel my Super Saiyan powers growing, and I'd rather not waste anymore time than necessary finally unlocking them."
Having heard this speech before Goku merely offered his rival a challenging smirk as they exited the training room in favor of finding the kitchen. "Whatever you say, Vegeta."
It wasn't until later, after dinner had been eaten and many of the Z-fighters had returned to their respective homes, that their usual routine was shaken apart and things began to flip on their heads.
Each and every one of Earth's strongest power levels disappeared in a blinding beam of white light, as though captured by some spaceship from the movies, and transported before a trio of individuals; two of which were easily familiar, while the last stood out as someone they could only guess was the Grand Priest.
"Welcome," the short angel greeted from his thrown. "My son has told me much about you, Warriors of Universe 7, and his tales have peeked my interest to such a degree that I just had to meet you all. Now, seeing you, I must say his description of your power did not do you true justice; though, considering all of your training, that is to be expected~"
"So you've been spying on us?" The accusation came from Yamcha, who stood there in his boxers and a white t-shirt. "Kind of creepy, don't you think?"
"Grr, watch your tongue human," Beerus snarled with a raised fist. "The Grand Priest could end you with a simple thought; show him the proper respect!"
The Master of the Multiverse raised a single hand, silencing the purple cat without even looking at him, his eyes having never turned from staring at Goku. "It's alright, Destroyer of Universe 7, puppies are always the first to bark after all; besides, you know my real interest lay in the power of the Super Saiyan more than anything."
"And, if I may ask," the bare-chested saiyan in question stepped forward, "what's so special about me?"
The grin that found its way onto the deities young face sent chills down Piccolo's spine as he stood next to Gohan; there was something just...not right about it. Like this Grand Priest was plotting something sinister.
"Oh, a great many things if what Whis has told me about you is true, Goku. In fact, you may just be the warrior I'm looking for to complete a very...special assignment for me; it'll be dangerous, but I've heard you saiyans enjoy a good challenge, no?"
"So long as it doesn't threaten my home, sure." Was the low-class warrior's wary response.
"Hmm, well, I will say that the assignment is to stop a threat; one that could harm the very cosmos of Universe 7 itself if someone doesn't stop it."
"I thought divine intervention was forbidden," Tien countered from beside his friends. "How are you able to warn us of this threat if those two told us that gods weren't allowed to interfere with mortal issues?"
"Because Father will not be the one to physically handle the threat Tien," Whis answered in place of the Grand Priest. "What I said three months ago was indeed correct, but as the ruler of the Multiverse my Father must still find ways to preserve the lives he watches over; in this case, selecting a champion to rescue your universe from a level of destruction far beyond that of Frieza."
"So than he's done this before," it was a statement not a question that passed through Piccolo's lips. "The Grand Priest has picked people to fight these battles he couldn't because it would throw off the balance of the Multiverse."
"That's correct, and please, feel free to call me Zeno if you'd like" Whis' father nodded. "In fact, although the last time I'd chosen to do so didn't end in the way that I had hoped, the result did birth a very interesting result even I couldn't have predicted~"
"Oh really," Vegeta lifted an eyebrow, even as a funny feeling began to worm its way into his gut. "And just what was that?"
"When I attempted to use the saiyan known as Bardock to thwart your planets destruction, young prince; Goku's father was meant to become the Super Saiyan and slay Frieza, but the arrival of Dodoria and his men thwarted that plan. His anger at the death of his comrades was sated before it could truly fester, and the chance for transformation was missed."
"But then I came to Earth," Goku supplied, "and eventually ran into Frieza. That's the unforeseen result, isn't it?"
"Correct," Zeno confirmed from his throne. "And now, I may have need of your tremendous powers yet again Son Goku; to stop a fiend by the name of Bojack. He was a ruthless conqueror, who traveled the cosmos a millennium ago with his band of space pirates plundering worlds and causing mass destruction through use of the Tree of Might."
"And just what makes this tree so special," Krillen wondered with his head cocked.
Beerus was the one to answer. "It sucks the nutrients from the planet it grows on, until the entire world becomes an uninhabitable wasteland, to produce a fruit that's been known to boost the consumer's power by leaps and bounds. This increase is so great, that some of you mortals believe it to grant power similar to us gods; though such a thing is clearly ridiculous."
"I wouldn't say that~" Zeno hummed with a grin. "Why, I believe should our young Super Saiyan decide to take a taste of the fruit himself, that he could easily usurp you as Universe 7's Destroyer God."
"M-My Lord, surely you aren't suggesting-" but the blustering cat's rant was cut short by the very warrior Zeno had just been speaking of.
"But wait, if Bojack lived so long ago, how could he be alive now? You said yourself that he lived during a time before Earth probably even had people on it."
"Simple," Whis supplied from his place beside Zeno's throne. "He was defeated, and sealed away inside of a star by the rest of his planet...a prison that would have continued to hold him, had Frieza not destroyed Namek. Because you see, that was where Bojack and his ilk hale from; they were among the original inhabitants of the planet, before the Great Chill. With Bojack himself being the fabled 'Super Namekian' said to rival that of your own races Super Saiyan."
Yamcha scoffed at this bit of news, and curled his lips into a pout. "Super Namekian, Super Saiyan, where's the 'Super Human' huh? Don't we deserve a super cool power-up too?"
"It's merely the biology of their species I'm afraid," Zeno shrugged. "Although if it makes you feel any better, you and the rest of your human friends will play a very important role in helping me to decide if Goku is truly the warrior I seek for this task."
This got each of the three earthlings attention, but it was Tien who asked the question so easily found on all of their faces. "And just how is that?"
The Grand Priest's answer stunned not just the humans, but each and every one of the Z-fighters to their core.
"Why, by being members of his team for the Tournament of Heroes I have planned. You see, there are twelve universes that make up the full extent of the Multiverse, and of those twelve eight will be participating in a battle-royal style tournament to decide from which universe I'll be selecting my champion this time around.
It will also give me a good indication of just which of those remaining universe are truly in need of a new Destroyer, as it is their job to help cultivate only the strongest of inhabitants. Weakness will mean that the deity has not payed enough attention, or is simply unfit to determine the potential of their respective domain.
I've already spoken to the other participating universes, and had their Destroyers select who'll be competing, but with the 7th I chose to heed the words of my son and simply bring the famed 'Z-warriors' here to me now and explain everything to you together. So without further ado, Goku, if your friends are willing to fight beside you then I say we be on our way and get things started."
"W-What," Krillin stammered dressed in boxers and no shirt, "you mean right now, right now? Don't we get time to change, o-or train, what about letting me say good-bye to my girlfriend!?" Marron would not be happy if she awoke in the morning and found him missing.
A snap of his fingers and Zeno had each and every member of the group fully clothed in their respective gear, while with a shrug he batted aside the gaping humans other two concerns by stating that the three months had been their time to train as well as the fact their tournament would only be for a grand total of forty-five minutes.
"Whoever is the last man standing, or whichever team has the most members remaining at the end of the allotted time, will be the winner." Zeno finished with another smile. "Now then, with those questions out of the way, warriors of Universe 7 are you ready to fight for the fate of your world?"
With nothing else to stand between them and their apparent fate, Goku and his friends each gave their approval before vanishing in another bright flash.
Next stop, the Tournament of Heroes.
The number of fighters that Goku could see as he was brought to a large, circular arena in the middle of nowhere reminded the saiyan of those days long past when he'd taken part in the tournaments back on Earth. However this time there would be no preliminaries; what Goku saw, was who he'd be fighting. And while a part of him was excited at the thought of a battle-royal, there was once again that anger in just why such an event was taking place/
However, before the wild-haired martial-artist could let himself get too worked up, a pompous voice carried its way over the open air and drew his as well as the rest of Universe 7's attention towards a portly looking cat that shared a striking resemblance to Beerus.
"Well look what the dog dragged in; if it isn't my useless brother. So then, this is the best your universe has to offer huh? No wonder Lord Zeno needs one of my fighters to take on this 'Bojack' that your supposed 'Super Saiyan ' let loose. Ha! Super Screw-up is more like it!"
"Oh yeah!?" Beerus howled as he got into his brother's chubby face. "Well at least my warrior has the power to defeat a being like Frieza; can any of your pathetic brood say the same?"
That took a good bit of the wind from Champa's sails, since every Destroyer had heard of the maniacal lizard with the potential power that could grow to rival their own had he but trained.
Of course, with his attitude, the alien would have never been granted divinity it was still nerve-wracking to know that there were already mortals with the power to challenge Gods f Destruction so early on in their careers.
And while Beerus out-of-shape kin was about to boast about his powerful assassin, a new voice entered the conversation filled with pride and self-assurance.
A female voice.
"Ha! I bet I could have beaten that weakling with my eyes closed; no stupid reptile's even got a chance against my power! Aint that right, Kale?"
"R-Right, Caulifla, y-you're the best!"
'Caulifla', Goku rolled the name around in his mind as he looked over the girl, taking in her deceptively petite stature.
She stood at the center of his chest, her body toned and slim from obvious hours of training, with the girl's well-sculpted abs on full display thanks to the tube-top worn over her chest. Purple harem-style pants dipped low, revealing the stretch of skin just underneath Caulifla's belly-button, and pointed flats were worn on the female warrior's small feet while black armbands covered her forearms.
Finishing his inspection, Goku's gaze roamed over Caulifla's pretty face and the girl's own sharp black eyes, the whole package topped by a head of spiky black hair that flared more wild than even his own.
All together the saiyan from Earth could admit, at least to himself, that this newcomer was the prettiest girl he'd ever actually seen. However, recalling that he in fact had a wife, Goku shook that thought from his mind and instead focused back onto the conversation at hand.
"Oh really," Vegeta drawled, "and what makes a little girl like you think that they would stand a chance against the might of Frieza?"
"Because I'm a saiyan," Caulifla revealed with thumb planted against her chest. "And everyone in every universe knows that the saiyan race is the strongest there is!"
Everyone but Vegeta's eyebrows rose sharply at that bit of news, since they'd never seen a female saiyan before, but before anyone could comment on it the boy standing beside Caulifla nervously put in his two cents.
"Ah, actually Caulifla, t-that's not really true ya know. I've met plenty of warriors stronger than anyone from Planet Sadala; including Hit, ya know."
"Cha! That's only because you're weak Cabba; Hit may be tough because of his special ability, but give me a month and he'd be out flat in no time! Besides, where's your saiyan pride idiot, never put down your own race like that in front of the enemy!"
At her words Goku felt something twinge inside of his core. Unable to place it, but incapable of helping grinning at the petite young woman's outburst, the saiyan from Earth took a step forward to introduce himself. "You're spunky, I like that, my name's Goku and I hope that we can have a great match during this tournament; I'd love to see just how tough you really are, Caulifla."
When she'd stepped up to the group, the female saiyan had instantly been drawn to the outstanding color of this 'Goku's' uniform, and then she heard the guy's name and it clicked that this was the guy Champa had been complaining about since the announcement of the tournament.
This was the Super Saiyan.
She'd seen him look her over from the corner of her eye, and as she made it obvious about doing the same Caulifla had to admit...she liked what she saw~
He couldn't be much older than her own twenty-two seasons, and was a great deal taller than her by a good head-and-shoulders with a well-trained physique that was sorely lacking on most of the saiyans in her own universe. His face was a nice mix of being handsome, thanks to his jaw line, but also a hint of cute that came from the arch of his eyes as well as the structure of his nose.
Caulifla had to fight down licking her lips at the way this 'Goku's' chest filled out the blue undershirt of his gi, and felt a shiver run up her spine at the moment their hands connected in a shake.
"Oh, you'll see, I promise you that, Goku~ Just know that I intend to win; and when I do, you're gonna teach me how to go Super Saiyan. A few...private lessons should do the trick, don't you think?"
A year ago, Goku wouldn't have been able to pick up the subtle signs that his fellow saiyan was giving off, but since the return of his tail the earth-raised alien had begun to notice a shift in his brain's ability to notice less obvious ques. And, speaking of tails, Goku immediately noticed the way his had begun to twitch around his waist at the locking of their hands, as well as the tingle that raced along his whole arm.
Something that he'd never encountered in the almost seven years he'd been with Chi-Chi.
But the wild-haired saiyan chose to set those thoughts aside, and instead focused on gripping Caulifla's much smaller hand with his own and giving it a firm squeeze. "We'll see...you'll need to win first though, and I wont go down so easily~"
"I'd hope not," the female fighter grinned. "It'd be boring if you did; and it's been too long since I've had any real...excitement."
The saiyans stared into each others eyes, seemingly in their own little world by this point, until Beerus' loud shouting tore them from it and dumped the pair back into reality.
"Enough with the 'bedroom eyes' you moron; the fate of your universe is at stake! You thought Frieza was bad, well, Bojack's worth at least a ten of him! Besides, my position as Destroyer is in jeopardy, this is no time to be playing love connection!"
Champa quickly agreed with his skinny brother, howling about how Caulifla needed to keep her eyes on the prize and not be distracted. Though her response as they walked away only raised the cat's hackles even further.
"Oh don't worry, my eyes are all over it~"
With the Z-fighters left alone, Krillin had been just about to ask his oldest friend what had just happened when Zeno appeared before them high in the empty void. From there he explained the rules of the tournament, as well as the reason behind the bleachers surrounding the ring, before settling into his throne and announced the beginning of the battle-royal.
Without the use of flight, the Z-warriors were left to rely on their speed and agility to avoid the incoming onslaught of bodies that seemed specially put together to take them out. In the rush, they were separated, and Gohan soon found himself alone against a warrior who looked like a near carbon copy of Frieza!
"I've heard talk that you are the son to this 'Goku' Lord Champa is so worried about; I suppose if I remove you from the tournament it'll drive the saiyan into a state of unrest that'll make it easier to defeat him~"
Gohan was sure that, without his training under nearly two-hundred times gravity and the zenkai he'd gotten after Namek, that this look-alike would have swatted him away like a house fly. But thanks to the three months of intense work put in under the watchful eye of Piccolo, Goku's son found his eyes able to track the lizard with relative ease.
Jumping away from a chop meant for his neck, Gohan then ducked under the enemies tail as it came swinging around to try and catch him off-guard before a feint noise alerted the half-blood to the tiny shot of...something, that came rocketing out of the lizard's wrist.
Avoiding the projectile, Gohan jumped into the air and fired a volley of ki-blasts at his opponent while making sure to keep his eye on the alien in case of another sneak attack.
"If you think I'm just gonna stand by let you use me as a way to hurt my dad or Mr. Piccolo then you've got another thing coming; I'll never let them down again! Not when they're counting on me!"
Frost git his teeth as every attempt to subdue Son Goku's whelp with the use of his poison was thwarted by the boy's apparently high speed. Giving up on it for now, the lizard rushed the kid with everything he had and managed to catch him in the cheek. Intent on capitalizing, Frost's energy surged to give the alien a better boost and he vanished from sight.
Gohan grunted from the pain of eating a knuckle sandwich, but as he flew through the air Goku's son managed to recover quickly enough so as to avoid being caught by a knee to the nose. Twisting out of the way, Gohan reached out and grabbed the alien's tail and with a jerk began to swing him around.
Once, twice, and a few more for good luck before the boy finally let the Frieza look-alike fly. Taking advantage of his new speed, the half-breed moved like a comet to reach the lizard so he could deliver a hammer-fist to his foe's chest, sending them crashing into the arena floor.
Frost could feel the way his sternum nearly caved under the power of the boy's small hands and silently patted himself on the back for not coming into the tournament with his power capped off by transformations. Tasting blood, the lizard alien barely managed to catch the punch that was aimed at his face before retaliating with one of his own.
Gohan blocked it with his forearm before ripping his other hand free and sending a ki-wave at the downed Freiza look-alike to send himself flying back a bit to get some distance from the battered enemy. Crouched in the stance Piccolo taught him, Goku's son waited with steady breath and sharp eyes for round two of their fight.
At the same time, the human trio of Universe 7 could be found handling their own set of foes in the form a three upright wolf brothers from Universe 9.
Tien moved swiftly to dodge every jab and cross thrown his way by the one known as Bergamo, all three eyes focused and muscles tight as they moved across the arena. In the back of his mind, the former member of the Crane school was glad that Chiaoutzu had given up fighting, as Tien feared that the little guy would never be able to handle such enemies and he'd be forced to protect his friend as well as fight.
Dropping low, the bald warrior swept at Bergamo's booted feet before jumping back after the move failed. Index-fingers coming up from his fists, Tien began to shoot off a quick-fire barrage of 'Dodon-rays' at the steel-blue wolf.
"You're quite good," he complimented while bull-charging through the yellow beams at incredible speed, "for a human at least. Entertain me more, and I may just let you see my true power!"
Tien saw the way his foe's clenched fists were starting to glow red and decided that it was best to avoid them as Bergamo finished closing the distance between them and began to swing a combo of strikes at the human Z-warrior. Twisting away from a spartan-kick, Tien went again for a sweep before reaching out to take hold of his enemies leg as the wolf jumped, and rolled into a lock that he was going to use as a way of breaking Bergamo's limb...
...right before the wolf kicked out and then dropped his heel into the human's chest.
As their friend was scuffling with the eldest Trio of Danger brother, both Krillin and Yamcha had their hands full against Lavender and Basil respectively. The former monk had managed to evade Lavender's poison attack, and now the two were trading blows while Yamcha used a two-times 'Kaio-ken' to keep up with the youngest Danger's ferocious kicks.
Krillin finally managed to find a moment to flash his opponent with the 'Solar Flare' technique, and with a ki-wave, sent the wolf over the edge and out of the ring before lunging to aid Tien against Bergamo.
All around them battles raged on, some involving their friends while many were simply showdowns meant to preserve the upper-hand of greater numbers, yet no matter the reason for these exchanges the human Z-fighters did not allow them to cloud their minds.
Goku, and ultimately their world, needed them. This was no time to doubt their skills; now it was time to prove that they could still be counted on to defend the planet Earth.
In the meantime, Vegeta was busy dispatching the first losers of the tournament; all members of Universe 2 if he'd heard right, though really what did it matter? The saiyan prince picked off whoever got in his way one-by-one, until a shout from above drew his attention to a trio of girls glaring down at him from atop a small cliff.
"So you're the one, huh, how dare you stand in the way of Universe 2's chance to spread their love across the Multiverse! Prepare yourself, cretin, fore the Kamikaze Fireballs are here to punish you!"
They were each dressed in colorful clothing, and could be considered cute by many peoples standards going off their petite frames and soft features. However, gauging their power level even combined, Vegeta had to wonder if every fighter he came across was going to be a disappointment; at least, until he felt them begin to power up.
Grinning at the prospect of finally having a challenge, the saiyan prince tensed as he moved into a fighting stance and beckoned the trio forward. "Just try it! I Vegeta, Prince Of All Saiyan's, will gladly show you what it means to be a true warrior!"
With the stage set, all three of Vegeta's foes came leaping down at him as a single unit. Leaping back to avoid being overwhelmed, the flame-haired alien quickly reengaged the enemy by smashing his elbow into the green-haired woman's nose. Then, ducking under a jump-kick meant for his head, Vegeta grabbed hold of the bespectacled girl and swung her into the brunette trying to land a sucker-punch.
The first girl had recovered by then, and the saiyan warrior traded blows with her before using the woman as a meat-shield to cover an incoming energy blast meant to catch him unawares. Tossing the screaming geenete aside, Vegeta shot his own beam at the brunette girl before turning his attention to the incoming poncho-wearing woman he'd thrown before.
"While I'll give you three credit for being the strongest of the fools I've faced so far, you're still no match for likes of me! Why not make it easy on us both and simply throw yourselves off the arena; I'm sure by now you've realized just how outclassed you are!"
"Never," came the cry of who Vegeta was now assuming to be the leader, since she seemed to do all of the talking. The green-haired woman dressed in pink stood with a bow-and-arrow made entirely of ki, her eyes glinting with determination. "We'll never surrender to a fiend like you; someone who knows nothing of the beauty of love!"
"Now, take this,: 'Cupid's rain of holy love'!"
As he evaded the increasingly desperate combinations of the two other girls Vegeta watched as their universes strongest combatant leaped into the air and let loose that single arrow...which exploded into a number so high the saiyan prince could never hope to count them all. When his current problem disappeared, the flame-haired warrior realized they had simply been a distraction, and he was left to face the full brunt of this woman's attack alone.
With no time to think, Goku's rival crossed his arm before quickly throwing them out with a fierce shout and expelling the energy inside himself through the form of a violet-white dome. Not only shielding the prince from harm, this explosive wave also swallowed up every one of the Universe 2 fighter's arrows before smashing into she and her comrades.
Their shouts of pain could be heard even among the rest of the intense battles taking place across the arena, and one such as Piccolo managed to catch wind of it even as he finished off the last of Universe 4 while in search of Gohan.
"Looks like Vegeta's finally starting to get into the thick of things," the Namekian grunted as he cracked his neck. "That's good, it means this lousy tournament wont last for too much longer than; I haven't seen any signs of Gohan, and I'm starting to get worried."
"Instead of worrying about someone else, perhaps you should think more about how you'll survive a fight with me!"
It was a svelte, heavily bucktoothed rabbit warrior dressed in a red-and-black spandex suit that challenged the green-skinned alien next. With his narrow, yellow eyes he introduced himself as Dyspo, a member of Universe 11's 'Pride Troopers', and the 'last foe Piccolo would face in the tournament'.
The Namekian scoffed.
"Gimmie a break; I don't have time for you. I need to find Gohan, so you'd better get out of my way or else it's going to be you gets to watch from the side-lines!"
Dyspo met the challenge head-on, and that's when Piccolo learned just why his opponent felt so confident. The rabbit was fast; ridiculously fast. It bordered on a level that may very well have matched Frieza back on Namek and the former Demon King knew that, if not for his training, this warrior would have truly been the end of him this day.
As it stood now though, Piccolo found himself keeping up just fine with the help of a double dose of the 'Kaio-ken', and the Namekian would be lying if he said that the angry look on Dyspo's face didn't make him want to chuckle; the cockiest warriors were always the most fun to tear down.
Stepping back from a vicious spin-kick, Piccolo used the ability to stretch his arms in an effort to catch the rabbit's foot as he came back down to the arena floor. But Dyspo managed to nimbly bounce off his toes to get away, and the Namekian warrior was forced to swat away his enemies attempt at blasting him with a ball of ki before firing off one of his own.
"'Explosive Demon Wave'!"
A thick, yellow beam came out of the sphere of energy wrapped around Piccolo's clawed hand and Dyspo, unable to maneuver well in the air without the use of flight, took the full brunt of the attack with a shriek of pain. Bouncing against the ground, the skinny rabbit skipped like a stone across the lake before finally tumbling into a heap on the floor.
Giving the enemy a moment in case they were trying to fake him out, Piccolo finally shot his arm out to grab Dyspo by the ears and toss him from the arena. "I warned you about getting in my way, but you wouldn't listen, and now your universe is down one whole fighter; too bad. Maybe next time, you'll be smart and just give up when a superior opponent tells you to—Argh!"
The Namekian's barbs were cut off by a roar of pain as he was bombarded with a multitude of shots straight to his back! Letting go of Dyspo as he was overcome by a wave of immense pain, Piccolo was unprepared for the large hand that drew him back before an equally massive fist found its way into his gut. Fangs glinting from the spittle that shot from his open mouth, Gohan's mentor fought to stay conscious as an elbow came crashing down across his back.
It was through hazy eyes, as he lay there grunting in pain, that the Namekian found the one who'd assaulted him. They were almost as tall as Piccolo himself, with a wide girth that made them appear even larger still, and had to be another member of this 'Pride Troop' if the uniform was anything to go off of.
"You speak of surrender," the fighter scowled from behind his impressive mustache, "but we as members of the Pride Troopers don't know the meaning of such a word! Wee would rather parish than give in to the enemy!"
Normally Piccolo would counter that by asking how come this guy hadn't let him finish off Dyspo then, if they were so noble, but the pain flaring to life again throughout his whole body stopped the green-skinned Z-fighter in the attempt. Instead, all that came were hacks of phlegm dotted with namekian-purple blood.
"For your misdeed I judge that you have overstayed your welcome, and shall now be punished for the transgressions against my fellow warrior! Your time here today is over!"
As he was picked up and being readied to launch out of the arena, Piccolo silently hoped that Gohan would be alright without him there to help protect him, then beaten and battered closed his eyes to accept his defeat.
xXx