Chapter 6: John Doe Advances

Seeing the formidable opponent he was about to face, Krillin's initial excitement turned to worry. His joy at reaching the semi-finals faded.

Noticing Krillin's expression, John Doe understood his thoughts and said, "Krillin, what are you afraid of? Cheng Long has trained for hundreds of years, but you are only 13, like a rising sun. Even if you're not his match this year, as long as you keep training, you'll surpass him one day."

"When we came to the Martial Arts Tournament, Master Wu Tian said that our goal was to experience various martial arts styles. The outcome doesn't matter; surpassing yourself is the most important thing."

Hearing John Doe's words, Krillin, who had been feeling down, gradually calmed down. "Thank you, John Doe. I understand."

Master Roshi, who had just left the ring, overheard the conversation between John Doe and Krillin and nodded in satisfaction.

The third match was about to begin, pitting John Doe against Nan Wu, a participant who wanted to win the prize money to solve his village's water shortage.

As the two stepped onto the ring, the handsome John Doe received enthusiastic cheers, rivaling the applause Yamcha had received earlier.

Watching from the back of the venue, Master Roshi couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. He turned to Goku and Krillin and said, "When I was young, I was even more handsome than him. I was pursued by countless beautiful women."

Goku and Krillin gave Master Roshi a disdainful look, thinking he was boasting.

Master Roshi, noticing their expressions, became angry and shouted, "What are you looking at? Do you think I'm lying?"

Krillin, with a hint of mockery, explained, "Grandpa, we just think that being handsome when you were young doesn't matter. You're still very handsome now."

Master Roshi calmed down and refocused his attention on the ring.

The gong sounded, signaling the start of the third match.

Nan Wu pressed his palms together and bowed to John Doe, who returned the gesture out of respect for his opponent's noble goal.

"Ha!" Nan Wu shouted, attacking John Doe. He gathered energy into his hand, forming a blade, and slashed at John Doe.

John Doe didn't need to dodge. He blocked the attack with his hand and then kicked Nan Wu, sending him flying off the ring.

Nan Wu landed heavily on the ring and struggled to get up.

As he slowly rose, Nan Wu resolutely said, "I can't lose. I can't lose. My brother and the villagers are waiting for me to bring water back and save them."

John Doe didn't continue the attack but waited for Nan Wu to get up.

Once Nan Wu was on his feet, he assumed a fighting stance and shouted, "I can't lose!" He punched towards John Doe.

John Doe responded, "I admire your determination, but the gap in strength can't be bridged by perseverance alone. It's over."

After saying this, John Doe quickly closed the distance and punched Nan Wu in the abdomen.

Nan Wu cried out in pain and fell to the ring.

The referee began the countdown, "One... nine, ten. John Doe wins!" The crowd erupted in cheers.

After a while, Nan Wu regained consciousness and burst into tears.

Master Roshi approached him, whispered something, and gave him a capsule. Nan Wu stopped crying and smiled.

The third round ended, and the fourth round was about to begin. In the previous three rounds, the winners had advanced to the semi-finals based on their strength. The audience eagerly awaited the conclusion of the fourth round to witness the semi-final matchups.

The fourth round featured Goku against Jilang. Both contestants stepped onto the ring, with Krillin cheering for Goku from behind the wall.

Due to their previous food-related conflict, Goku and Jilang had a mutual dislike. Now, they faced each other with serious expressions, ready to teach each other a lesson.

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and heavy rain began to pour. The spectators scattered to find shelter from the rain, and the fourth-round match had to be temporarily halted.

While other contestants chose to eat and drink at the restaurant supported by the tournament organizers, John Doe opted to continue his meditation in the venue's hall.

Summer thunderstorms are short-lived, and soon the dark clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped. The crowd gathered around the ring again, eager to watch the fourth round.

However, when the contestants were supposed to enter, they found only Jilang on the ring. Son Goku was nowhere to be found.

The tournament organizers had no choice but to enlist all the contestants to search for Son Goku.

John Doe and Krillin naturally joined the search. Krillin anxiously said to John Doe, "Where did Goku go? The match is about to start. If we don't find him soon, he might be disqualified!"

John Doe reassured him, "Don't worry. Goku is probably sleeping somewhere. When we trained with Master Wu Tian, we usually took a nap at this time."

"Let's look under the trees. Master Wu Tian often had us take a break under the trees during training. Goku is probably napping under a tree near the venue."

So, the two began searching under the trees around the venue, and indeed, they found Goku napping under a tree.

John Doe and Krillin each grabbed an arm and dragged Goku towards the ring, managing to get him there just as the host was about to announce Goku's withdrawal from the tournament.

Goku was still groggy from his nap, yawning repeatedly. However, the match had already started.

Krillin shouted from the side, "Goku, wake up! You're in the middle of a match!"

Jilang, seeing his opponent still groggy and not looking very smart, decided to taunt him.

Jilang clenched his fist and said to Goku, "Come and see. I have something good in my hand!"

Goku had a curious nature, like a monkey or a cat. Hearing that Jilang had something good, he leaned in without any caution. Jilang seized the opportunity and punched Goku hard in the face.

Goku was sent flying and crashed into a wall before falling back onto the ring.