The quarterfinals at the World Martial Arts Tournament were structured with two matches in the morning and two in the afternoon. As the sun moved through the sky, spectators once again gathered around the ring, eager to witness the upcoming battles.
The announcer stood at the center of the ring and declared loudly, "Dear audience, this morning we already witnessed the thrilling clash between the Turtle School and the Crane School, where John of the Turtle School outmatched Tien Shinhan of the Crane School."
"And now, as we begin the third quarterfinal match, we will once again see the fierce competition between these two schools. Who will emerge victorious this time? Let's find out!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome with a warm round of applause, Krilin from the Turtle School and Chiaotzu from the Crane School!"
As the announcer's voice echoed through the venue, the crowd erupted in cheers. Krilin and Chiaotzu stepped forward, approaching the ring.
"Alright, enough talk! I now officially announce the start of the third match!" The announcer shouted. The resounding clang of the starting bell echoed, and Krilin immediately adopted a combat stance.
Chiaotzu wasted no time and swiftly launched himself toward Krilin, initiating the fight.
The two warriors clashed in the center of the ring. However, Krilin's superior strength was evident—within moments, he had completely dominated Chiaotzu.
Then, with a swift sidestep and a powerful kick, Krilin sent Chiaotzu flying.
Fortunately, Chiaotzu used his ability to levitate, preventing himself from falling out of bounds.
After seeing Tien Shinhan lose to John earlier, the Crane Master was already in a foul mood. Now, witnessing the defeat of his next hopeful student only deepened his frustration.
The Crane Master shouted angrily, "Chiaotzu! What are you doing?! Use the Dodon Ray and finish him!"
Upon hearing his master's command, Chiaotzu ceased close combat with Krilin and instead used his levitation technique to ascend into the sky.
Seeing his opponent take flight, Krilin smirked and shouted, "Levitation? I can do that too!" Without hesitation, he leaped up and used his own ability to soar toward Chiaotzu.
This stunned the members of the Crane School. Even the Crane Master exclaimed, "Impossible!"
Chiaotzu, taken aback, knew he had to prevent Krilin from getting close, so he quickly unleashed his special attack—"Dodon Ray!" A concentrated burst of energy formed at his fingertips, and he unleashed it toward Krilin.
A blazing energy beam shot toward Krilin, but he narrowly dodged it. The attack struck the ring, leaving behind a charred crater.
When the Crane Master first mentioned the Dodon Ray, Goku felt a strange familiarity with the technique. Now, seeing Chiaotzu actually use it, realization dawned upon him.
"That's Tao Pai Pai's attack!" Goku blurted out.
His words immediately caught Tien Shinhan's attention. His gaze darkened as he turned toward Goku. "You know Tao Pai Pai?" he asked.
Goku nodded. "Yeah, I know him. His technique is just like Chiaotzu's—it's the Dodon Ray."
Tien Shinhan hesitated, then asked in a serious tone, "Do you know what happened to Tao Pai Pai?"
John, knowing the truth, remained silent. However, Goku, always direct, didn't hesitate.
"Tao Pai Pai was hired by the Red Ribbon Army to assassinate me, but I ended up killing him," Goku said bluntly.
Tien Shinhan had already suspected this outcome. He understood the brutal reality—kill or be killed.
From his previous encounters with the Turtle School fighters, he had realized how strong they were. Knowing that John and his companions were incredibly powerful, it was unlikely that Goku would be weak.
Thus, it was only natural that Tao Pai Pai, who sought to kill Goku, would be the one to perish instead.
Though Tien Shinhan now questioned the morality of his master and Tao Pai Pai, he knew he had to relay this information.
Before leaving, he turned to Goku and warned, "Tao Pai Pai was my teacher's brother. You should be careful—he won't let this go easily."
With that, Tien Shinhan exited the ring.
Soon, the Crane Master learned about his brother's fate. Enraged, he shouted at Chiaotzu, "I want you to KILL that Turtle School fighter! Do you hear me?! KILL HIM!"
At that moment, Chiaotzu was still firing Dodon Rays at Krilin, who continued dodging them effortlessly. Neither was able to land a decisive blow, but the ring was rapidly deteriorating from the repeated energy blasts.
Listening to his master's command, Chiaotzu decided to unleash his most powerful Dodon Ray yet. A massive energy sphere formed at his fingertips.
Krilin saw this as an opportunity. Without hesitation, he got into position. "Kame…hame…HA!"
A brilliant light radiated from his hands as he gathered his energy.
Both fighters released their ultimate attacks simultaneously, and the collision illuminated the sky.
Yet, Krilin miscalculated—his blast was far stronger than he anticipated. His Kamehameha overwhelmed Chiaotzu's attack, consuming his opponent.
Realizing the danger, Krilin quickly retracted his energy. The powerful wave dissipated just in time.
Even so, Chiaotzu had been caught in the explosion. He plummeted toward the ground, unconscious.
"Tien Shinhan!" someone cried out.
Tien Shinhan reacted immediately, leaping forward and catching Chiaotzu before he crashed onto the ground.
By then, Chiaotzu was barely clinging to life, on the verge of death.
John pulled out a Senzu Bean and called out, "Tien Shinhan, catch!"
Tien Shinhan instinctively caught it. He examined the small bean—it was the same miraculous one that saved him earlier.
Gratefully, he looked at John before feeding the bean to Chiaotzu.
The moment Chiaotzu swallowed it, his wounds healed completely. Except for the dirt and dried blood on his face, he seemed perfectly fine.
Staring at his recovered friend, Tien Shinhan turned toward John, his expression complicated. "You've saved our lives—twice."
John simply shook his head dismissively. "I was only helping Krilin. If Chiaotzu had really died, Krilin would have been disqualified."
Though Tien Shinhan didn't quite believe him, he nodded solemnly. "Regardless, we owe you. We'll find a way to repay you—and we'll also try to convince our master to abandon his revenge against Goku."
With that, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu left the ring.
John called after them, "Are you leaving the tournament? Don't you want to watch the final battle? As martial artists, moments like these are rare."
Tien Shinhan hesitated before finally agreeing. Deep down, he still wanted to see John's full strength.