Krilin, lying on the stage, stared at Goku in shock and shouted, "This is impossible! Your tail was your weakness, wasn't it?"
Goku smiled and said, "Yes, my tail used to be my weakness, but over the past three years, I have trained it relentlessly, and it is no longer a weakness."
"So, Krilin, you've been outsmarted!" Goku said with a mischievous smile.
"Damn it!" Krilin stood up from the stage, realizing that from now on, he could only rely on brute force, as his trump card was useless.
Krilin rushed towards Goku once more, but this time, Goku was already aware of Krilin's strength limit and decided to end the fight.
Goku's speed suddenly increased, and he dodged Krilin's attack with a swift movement. With a hand chop, he struck Krilin's neck.
The powerful blow directly hit Krilin's vagus nerve, causing him to collapse unconscious on the stage.
The referee, seeing the situation, immediately started the countdown without waiting for Goku's signal. After ten seconds, Krilin still hadn't regained consciousness, and he was declared eliminated. Goku advanced to the finals.
Thus, the entire 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament had come down to the final match in the afternoon, between John and Goku.
To secure the best viewing spots, many spectators chose to stay near the stage instead of going for lunch, eagerly awaiting the afternoon match.
Soon, it was 2:30 in the afternoon, and the referee climbed onto the stage. The audience, who had been lethargic a moment ago, suddenly became energized and started clapping for the referee.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. The final match of this tournament, which will determine the champion and runner-up, is about to begin. Both contestants are disciples of the Turtle School, namely John and Son Goku."
"Let's welcome our contestants with a round of applause!"
As the referee's words fell, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
Amidst the cheers, John and Goku stepped onto the stage.
"Goku, it seems like we haven't fought since we first met," John said.
Goku nodded and replied, "Yes, John. You promised to spar with me several times, but you never did. This time, you have no excuse to back out."
John responded, "Of course. Let's have a good match, and the most important thing is to have fun."
The referee, who was about to interview the two contestants, was interrupted by John, who said, "The interview can wait until after the match. Right now, we just want to start the fight."
Hearing John's words, the audience below also shouted in unison, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Unable to go against the popular opinion, the referee had no choice but to announce, "Alright, since everyone is so eager, I declare the start of the final match of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament!"
John and Goku assumed their stances and rushed towards each other, and the sound of intense combat immediately filled the stage.
If John were to fight with all his might, the outcome would be decided quickly. However, that was not what John intended. He wanted to gradually release his strength and bring out Goku's full potential.
Goku lived up to his reputation, and although he was initially suppressed by John and his attacks were neutralized, Goku fought with increasing courage. He displayed various ingenious techniques, and even though John was holding back, Goku managed to outshine John.
Watching the two contestants on the stage, Krilin, Yamcha, and Tien Shinhan were constantly amazed and impressed. They couldn't believe that the two had reached such a high level of skill.
Krilin said, "Their current level is probably only rivaled by the legendary gods."
Yamcha added, "I remember when we first met them. Goku was already very strong, but John was just an ordinary martial artist. I never imagined that they would reach this level."
At this point, Tien Shinhan asked, "Have you known each other for a long time?"
Krilin replied, "Yes, if you count the time we spent together, it's been about four years. I can still remember the first time we met Goku, John, and the others, and how we trained under Master Roshi."
On the stage, John shouted at Goku, "Goku, watch my ultimate technique!" As he spoke, John gathered energy in his hands, and countless energy blasts shot out from his hands, continuously attacking Goku.
Goku dodged the energy blasts with agile movements, but the ones that landed on the stage created clouds of dust, obscuring his vision.
Goku coughed as he carefully observed his surroundings, trying to locate John.
Suddenly, a flying kick from his left side struck Goku, sending him flying.
John said to Goku, "Goku, you're too focused on what you see with your eyes. You should pay attention to the movement of energy."
"Your eyes will inevitably have blind spots, but no matter how well someone hides, they can never completely conceal themselves."
As he spoke, John struck Goku again from his blind spot.
Goku couldn't keep getting hit, so he chose to spin in place, creating a whirlwind on the stage that swept up the dust, clearing the air.
With the stage cleared, it was now riddled with craters.
The two resumed their battle, and eventually, they clashed with their Kamehameha waves. In the end, Goku was overwhelmed by the powerful explosion and was knocked to the ground.
At this point, everyone could see that Goku's strength was inferior to John's, and his defeat was only a matter of time.
However, neither John nor Goku seemed to mind, and both were enjoying the match.
Goku said to John, "John, can you show me your full strength? I want to see how much stronger you are than me."
John nodded and said, "Of course. Since you want to see it, let's do it."
Seeing that John wasn't going to attack first, Goku decided to take the initiative.
Goku unleashed his full power, but against John's full strength, Goku's consecutive attacks were all neutralized. Finally, John seized the opportunity and struck Goku with a powerful punch.
Goku clutched his stomach and stumbled back a few steps before collapsing on the stage.
In the end, John's absolute strength won him the championship of the tournament.