Chapter 3: Preliminaries

The four of them drove to the airport and boarded a plane to Papaya Island.

They arrived at the World Martial Arts Tournament venue around 7 p.m. The tournament was scheduled for the next day, so John Doe and his friends needed to register that evening.

As John Doe and his friends were filling out the registration forms, the staff member who was taking their information looked at the young Goku and Krillin and asked for confirmation, "Are you sure these two children are also participating? We don't have separate categories for children and adults."

Master Roshi nodded and confirmed, "Yes, they're both participating."

Seeing their insistence, the staff member had no choice but to register Goku and Krillin.

Just as Master Roshi was about to take John Doe and the others to rest, several voices called out to them, "John Doe, Goku!"

John Doe turned around and saw Yamcha, Bulma, Oolong, and Pu'er approaching.

Goku didn't recognize Yamcha with his short hair at first, but when Yamcha made the Wolf Fang Fist gesture, Goku immediately recognized him and became excited.

Master Roshi, remembering his encounter with Bulma at Fire Mountain, excitedly approached her, hoping to touch her. However, Bulma, not sure where she got it from, hit Master Roshi with a club, knocking him to the ground.

The group sat in a tea shop, chatting and drinking tea until around 10 p.m., when they went to rest at the hotel cooperating with the tournament organizers.

The next morning, Master Roshi took John Doe, Goku, and Krillin to the tournament venue.

Master Roshi brought out three sets of Turtle School martial arts uniforms and asked John Doe, Goku, and Krillin to change into them, as suits weren't suitable for combat.

After they changed into their uniforms, Master Roshi said, "From now on, it's up to you. I won't be going inside. John Doe, take care of Goku and Krillin. There are over 150 participants, and only eight will advance to the finals, where the top eight will compete in front of the audience to determine the champion."

"So, during the preliminaries, you need to give it your all. I hope to see all of you in the finals."

John Doe nodded, feeling the least pressure. Goku, on the other hand, was excited about the upcoming preliminary matches.

Krillin, however, felt nervous, unsure of his own strength.

The three of them entered the venue, and the preliminary arena was filled with athletes training their bodies. Some bodybuilders were lifting several dozen kilograms of weights, ensuring they wouldn't tire during the competition.

Seeing these physically imposing opponents, Krillin felt nervous, but John Doe placed his hand on Krillin's shoulder and said, "Krillin, don't be nervous. Believe in Master Wutian and yourself. The training you've done over the past eight months has made you stronger than anyone else."

Krillin seemed to feel the strength in John Doe's hand, and his nervousness subsided.

At that moment, a gong sounded, signaling the start of the draw.

John Doe, Goku, and Krillin lined up at the draw box. There were four preliminary arenas, with a total of 152 participants. The top two from each arena would advance to the finals.

Soon, it was John Doe's turn to draw. He reached into the draw box and randomly picked a number, which turned out to be 36, indicating the first arena.

Goku drew next and got number 80, placing him in the third arena. Krillin drew number 110, also in the third arena, but they wouldn't face each other unless they were eliminated by other opponents.

Yamcha also approached John Doe and asked about their draw numbers, hoping not to face John Doe in the preliminaries.

John Doe didn't reveal his number but asked for Yamcha's, which turned out to be number 5, placing him in the same arena as John Doe but on a different path.

Hearing this good news, Yamcha was thrilled, as they wouldn't have to face each other in the preliminaries.

The draw was completed, and John Doe and Yamcha bid farewell to Goku and Krillin, agreeing to meet in the finals. The two of them headed towards Arena 1.

After three matches in Arena 1, it was John Doe's turn to compete. Yamcha cheered from below the arena, while Bulma, Oolong, and Pu'er watched from the sidelines.

John Doe's opponent was a tiger-headed human with a muscular build and a tiger's body. He had a tiger's head, a tiger's tail, and tiger paws for hands.

Seeing his slender opponent, the tiger-headed man tried to persuade him, "Kid, you're too weak. I suggest you surrender. I'm afraid I might accidentally injure you with one swipe of my paw."

The athletes surrounding Arena 1 heard the tiger-headed man's words and started booing and jeering at John Doe, urging him to surrender.

John Doe remained calm, his expression unmoved like a deep, still pond. He replied, "Don't talk big, or you might regret it later."

The tiger-headed man became furious and demanded the referee to start the match.

The short referee was startled and quickly called for the match to begin, then jumped off the arena, fearing he might get caught in the crossfire.

The tiger-headed man snarled, "Kid, I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it. Now, I'll send you down myself, but I can't guarantee you'll be in one piece after I'm done with you."

He raised his tiger paw and swung it towards John Doe.

However, as he struck, he found that John Doe had disappeared from his sight.

He searched around, trying to find John Doe, but the surrounding athletes shouted, "Idiot, look behind you! Your opponent is behind you!"

The tiger-headed man finally turned around and saw John Doe, but John Doe's movements were too fast, always staying in his blind spot.

The tiger-headed man broke into a cold sweat, realizing that his opponent was no ordinary fighter. He shouted, "Show yourself! Come out!"

But before he could finish his insult, John Doe struck him with a hand blade, hitting him in the neck.

The tiger-headed man fell to the ground, unconscious. After the referee's ten-second countdown, the tiger-headed man was eliminated, and John Doe advanced to the next round.