The dazed Yamcha was carried away by a few monks from the Martial Temple, who assumed he had suddenly fallen ill.
In the front row of the audience, the blue cat Puar covered its face in embarrassment. Its young master had utterly humiliated himself in front of the entire crowd. Even now, Puar could hear the murmurs among the spectators.
"Is this for real?"
"Was that a thrown match?"
Feeling ashamed, Puar glanced sideways and immediately spotted Bulma smirking mischievously. It instantly understood—this woman had deliberately batted her eyelashes at Yamcha while he was mid-fight!
"I didn't do anything, don't make things up," Bulma denied shamelessly. "It's simply that my charm is too overwhelming, and his mental fortitude couldn't handle it. How is that my fault?"
"Despicable!" Puar huffed indignantly before flying off to check on its young master.
Meanwhile, back in the waiting area, Chi-Chi returned with a puzzled expression.
Yamiru offered an explanation: "Yamcha grew up in the desert as a bandit. Forget girls on Bulma's level—even just seeing women at all was rare for him. It's only natural that he'd be overly shy."
Tien and Krillin immediately understood. Truly, what a pitiful man!
Even Krillin, who grew up in Orin Temple, at least occasionally saw female visitors coming to pray.
However, Goku and Chi-Chi were utterly lost. They understood Yamiru's words but couldn't grasp the underlying logic.
"Tien, it's our turn."
Yamiru clenched his fists in anticipation. The tournament schedule was tight, and barely any time had passed since Yamcha was carried off when the blonde, mustached announcer was already calling the next match.
"I've been waiting for this," Tien said, his fighting spirit surging. When was the last time he and Yamiru had fought? His visits to the Spirit Realm weren't frequent, so he couldn't even recall.
What kind of fierce battle would this be? Krillin was eager to see but also worried that Yamiru and Tien's fight would be like Goku and Raditz's earlier match—so fast that he wouldn't even be able to follow it. That would be frustrating.
The mustached announcer hyped up the crowd. What kind of sparks would fly when the previous tournament's champion clashed with the champion before that?
Yamiru and Tien took their positions.
Just by standing there, their differences became starkly apparent. To different observers, the contrast in their strength was immediately clear.
A glint of white light flashed across Master Roshi's sunglasses as he let out a soft "hmm." Meanwhile, a smirk appeared on the lips of Bardock, who stood nearby with his golden hair and blue eyes. He recalled their time training at Korin Tower, when Yamiru had brought both him and Gine's spirits to train under Korin.
"That kid Yamiru has completely figured it out," Bardock mused.
Goku's eyes also lit up. Though he hadn't formally studied ki yet, his ever-growing strength had allowed his instincts to develop naturally. Like those moments in the manga where he could telepathically communicate, read minds by touch, or even wake up from unconsciousness already understanding what had happened—no one had taught him those things; he just grasped them intuitively.
It wasn't that Yamiru's talent was lacking—it was just that Goku's was absurdly overpowered. In the manga, the only characters who could instantly learn their opponent's techniques in battle were Goku and Majin Buu! And Majin Buu's capabilities needed no further explanation.
Korin Tower had stood in this world for countless years, even weaving its story into folklore so people would seek it out. As long as someone had breath in their lungs, they could try to climb it.
Yet how many had succeeded?
And how many had actually graduated from Korin's training?
Few and far between!
Now, as Tien faced Yamiru directly, he suddenly sensed that same feeling—the aura of someone truly among the "few and far between."
"Yamiru has already won," Goku murmured.
"Huh?" Krillin looked at him in confusion. They hadn't even started yet.
"Even if their strength were equal, Yamiru would still have the greater odds of winning," Roshi mused from the stands. "And as it stands, just looking at their raw power, Yamiru is already superior."
Tien took a deep breath. However, instead of adopting the Turtle School's stance, he assumed a position with traces of the Crane School's style.
"I hope you won't hold back," the three-eyed warrior said.
Krillin started sweating. That line sounded oddly familiar. Was Tien about to get one-shotted too?
Yamiru chuckled and extended his hand. "Relax, I'm not Goku."
Goku scratched his head, realizing that his older brother Yamiru, who had watched him grow up, really understood him well.
Sometimes, Goku couldn't help but get excited when facing a powerful opponent. He often found himself wanting to fight longer, which meant he didn't always give his all from the start. The Saiyan body was tough, with rapid healing, great stamina, and a special ability that made their combat power grow the longer a fight went on. It was the perfect fit for Goku's fighting style.
He didn't know whether the egg came first or the chicken, but it worked well for him.
Tien stopped talking, his focus more intense than ever before.
His three eyes were locked on Yamiru, but he couldn't tell if Yamiru was being serious or relaxed. From his expression to his emotional aura, from the tension in his muscles to his body movements, there was no way to make any kind of judgment. It was as if…
If he just closed his eyes, there was no one in front of him at all.
The mustached referee called for the match to begin!
Tien's body instantly tensed, and he lunged forward.
Yamiru, however, didn't even flinch, as if he hadn't heard anything. Tien was charging at him, but Yamiru showed no sign of reacting. Was he planning to defend? Evade? Or counterattack?
As Tien charged, his three eyes never left Yamiru, but he saw no change in his opponent's demeanor.
In fact, Yamiru wasn't even looking at him.
"No unnecessary movements," the teachings of Korin echoed in his ears.
Yamiru lowered his gaze, his mind and body free of any extraneous thoughts. He was as still as the golden statue in the Great Hall of the Doring Temple, as if eyes had appeared on the top of his head. At just the right moment, he effortlessly sidestepped, using one hand to stop Tien's attack.
Tien suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, unsure how many punches or elbows he had taken from Yamiru in an instant.
He gasped and widened his eyes, trying to defend himself, but couldn't even touch Yamiru's hand. In desperation, he had to fight back, using a headbutt to strike Yamiru.
Smack!
Yamiru pressed his hand down on Tien's head, stopping the headbutt with ease.
Tien's headbutt had tremendous force, and if Krillin had tried to block it the same way, he would have likely been sent flying out of the ring. But Yamiru remained unmoved.
The two of them struggled against each other.
Tien took the opportunity to throw a punch at Yamiru's abdomen, but Yamiru countered with a knee strike, numbing Tien's hand and causing pain in his knuckles.
Yamiru's remaining hand pressed down on Tien's arm, pushing it aside and pinning Tien's other arm to the ground. The so-called "joint lock" was applied perfectly.
The intensity of their struggle escalated.
Tien gritted his teeth, putting all his strength into the struggle, his technique flawless. His neck, shoulders, and arms had become thicker with the strain.
Boom! The stone floor beneath them cracked under Yamiru's feet.
Yamiru's hands, which were pressing down on Tien's head and arms, grew more muscular, veins bulging like snakes beneath his skin.
The audience erupted in cheers and applause. The mustached referee was equally excited, narrating the match with enthusiasm. This kind of contest was so thrilling—at least it was visible! The intensity was clear to the naked eye.
If Yamiru and Tien were any stronger, the arena would probably have been reduced to dust by the force of their clash.
Tien couldn't afford to back down! His face was pressed against Yamiru's big hand, making it hard to see Yamiru's expression. But at that moment, his energy had reached its peak. If he retreated now, it would be a massive blow to his confidence.
Hmm? Yamiru noticed Tien's reaction and looked up. He immediately saw two dark shadows flying out from behind Tien.
Four-Eyed Fist!
Two additional arms sprouted from Tien's back.
But Yamiru reacted even faster. He pressed down harder on Tien's forehead, shouting, "Hah!" and forced Tien's face to kiss the ground.