Soon, the list of thirty-two contestants was announced.
Talot, Raditz, Salari, Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Krillin, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Piccolo, Ragar, Nail… Without a doubt, everyone was selected.
In addition to them, there were also Mr. Satan, Chichi, Spopovich, Yamu, the Man-Wolf, and some other capable bystanders, including King Chappa, who had participated in past tournaments, not just for fame, but also for the generous prize money.
In the past, usually only eight contestants made it through, and occasionally it would be changed to sixteen.
This time, the reason for thirty-two contestants was simply because there were too many participants.
The rankings were randomly shuffled, forming sixteen matches to determine the top sixteen.
Talot's opponent was a real surprise—Mr. Satan!
Who knows what fate awaits this pseudo "child of destiny" and beloved of the world, who only appeared in the original work later on.
Raditz and Salari's opponents were Spopovich and Yamu, respectively.
During the Majin Buu period, after being controlled by the wizard Babidi, their power level far exceeded that of normal martial artists. But now, they only had a bit of strength; their power level at most a few dozen points.
Goku's opponent was, unsurprisingly, still Chichi.
It's as if fate keeps pulling them together, returning things to their proper course.
"Didn't expect to fight you first, Yamcha," Tien Shinhan said.
With the announcement of the match order, his opponent's name appeared.
For both Tien Shinhan and Yamcha, this fight was especially significant.
"Tien Shinhan, if you dare to hold back when the match starts, I'll never forgive you," Yamcha clenched his right fist and said to Tien Shinhan.
As warriors who trained together and protected Earth together, they had long since developed mutual understanding.
"Yeah. Same to you!" Tien Shinhan nodded.
Then, the names for the next two matches were announced, until Krillin's name appeared on the big screen. He was matched with Chiaotzu.
This would be another showdown between the two.
After that, Ragar and Nail each drew relatively weak Earthling cannon fodder as their opponents.
Finally, it was Master Roshi versus Piccolo.
Vegeta versus Nappa.
For Master Roshi, what had to come had come at last.
He only joined to try to place and earn a little extra cash, but now, facing Piccolo brought back memories of his old grudge with the Great Demon King Piccolo.
This time, it was finally going to be settled once and for all.
You could even call it an unavoidable fated battle.
Master Roshi was full of emotion, but Piccolo remained completely unmoved and calm.
Thinking back to his former self, so weak that he wasn't even worth an ant in front of Master Roshi.
But now, after constant training on Namek, his strength had already far surpassed what Master Roshi could match.
Back then, he desperately longed for the power to defeat Master Roshi and get his revenge.
Now, having seen a wider world and gained such power, his goal had already changed.
He had a brand new goal!
Vegeta and Nappa, on the other hand, were both extremely awkward.
Although Vegeta's resentment toward Nappa had long since dissipated, as the Prince of Saiyans, Nappa's past betrayal still weighed on him.
Times had changed, but some things still needed to be settled.
Nappa was under immense pressure.
When it came to Vegeta, he always felt a deep sense of guilt. Sometimes he didn't even know how to face him; it felt like fate was playing tricks on him.
"My very first opponent is you, Nappa. Let me see just how much you've improved in these past two years." Vegeta crossed his arms, turning to the side with an arrogant expression as he looked at Nappa.
"This fight was inevitable! Even against you, I won't back down anymore, Vegeta!" Nappa was no longer the same as before. This was the growth that came from enough experience.
"I hope so. Hmph…" Vegeta gave a cold laugh and walked off to the side.
There was no point in saying more. The truth would be revealed by victory or defeat.
Nappa watched Vegeta walk away, his fists clenching slightly.
In this match, he would prove himself!
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! After an intense preliminary round, the top thirty-two fighters of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament have finally been decided! Now, let's all cheer and welcome the competitors for the very first match…"
With the blonde-haired refree's booming voice, Talot and Mr. Satan appeared at the entrance near the inner hall, walking side by side toward the arena.
Talot didn't feel anything in particular, while Mr. Satan had an arrogant look on his face, clearly very confident in his own strength. As long as he wasn't facing that guy who broke the punching machine, he believed he wouldn't lose.
As they walked, Talot happened to notice something, paused for a moment, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
Somewhere in the audience seating.
"Lord Champa, it seems Talot has noticed us as well," Vados reminded Champa, who was seated nearby.
"I saw him. Tch! That kid is so boring, entering a tournament like this. What kind of opponents are those, anyway?" Champa said carelessly, stuffing snacks into his mouth as he spoke.
What's the point of watching this match?
Going up against a regular person, just a single look or thought could take them out instantly. There was absolutely no suspense.
Vados gave a giggle but focused intently on Talot as he walked onto the arena.
With her insight as an Angel, she could already sense the surging Great Ape's power inside Talot, as well as the deep, powerful, and incredibly stable God Ki.
It seemed that since their last encounter, Talot had been very diligent in training his God Ki.
Just from the part she could sense, this God Ki was extremely powerful.
At the very least, compared to when he fought Champa before, Talot's strength had grown by leaps and bounds.
...
In the spectator area opposite Vados and Champa,
Old Supreme Kai, East Supreme Kai, and Kibito were all watching Talot as well.
"Didn't expect him to be the first up. That Earthling called Mr. Satan is really unlucky," Old Supreme Kai commented.
Facing the strongest opponent right away, did anyone even need to guess how it would end?
"Yeah, this Mr. Satan really has terrible luck. If he'd drawn a weaker Earthling, he might have stood a chance," East Supreme Kai added.
Against a normal martial artist, at least Mr. Satan wouldn't be eliminated so easily.
In the arena.
Talot and Mr. Satan each took their positions, locking eyes.
Talot's expression was calm, his aura restrained, making him seem no different from an ordinary person.
Across from him, Mr. Satan had planned to show off his skills, but before he could make a move or even say anything, he felt an enormous pressure.
Talot just stood there, completely motionless, making Mr. Satan's heart race. It felt like if he so much as made a move, he'd go flying off the arena.
"Match, begin!" the blonde-haired referee declared.
Spurred on by the announcement, Mr. Satan gritted his teeth and decided to go all out.
He rushed at Talot, swinging his fist hard at Talot's face.
To the average person, this would be considered a powerful attack, but to someone like Talot, Mr. Satan's speed was as slow as a crawling snail.
Talot had no interest in dodging, simply letting Satan attack with all his might; it didn't hurt in the slightest anyway.
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