"Go on, child," Son Gohan said gently from behind Goku.
"Okay! Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandma, I'm going up now!" The eight-year-old Son Goku tightened his belt, his eyes gleaming with confidence. He was full of faith in himself, but also eager to see the strength of the other warriors and to face the upcoming challenges. Under everyone's gaze, he straightened his back, held his head high, and slowly walked to the edge of the arena.
Just as others were wondering whether someone his size could even climb up, little Son Goku gave a cheerful "Heh!" and did a perfect backflip on the spot, landing nimbly on the edge of the ring.
"Nice!" A spectator passing by and catching the match clapped and cheered upon seeing the boy's skill. "That little fella's got some fine moves!"
The other contestants looked on with mixed expressions. The man standing beside the old fighter who had locked eyes with Gohan earlier chuckled and said, "Hah, got shown up by a little kid, huh? Oh well, I'll send this little one home early for dinner. The Tenkaichi Budokai…"
As he spoke, he casually leapt onto the ring, then glanced down at Goku. "…isn't some childish game, kid!"
"What the hell? Is this guy seriously planning to bully a kid and then hop off the ring like nothing happened? Hmph, guess he thinks he's clever," someone sneered from below, pulling back the foot they'd stepped forward with.
Up on the ring, Goku just smiled and replied cheerfully, "That's right! My grandpa said the Tenkaichi Budokai is pretty good—it can help train me up… You're really strong, mister!" Despite his young age, years of Gohan's guidance had sharpened his senses.
"Mister…" The man twitched at the word and sneered coldly. "Your grandpa sure talks big—'pretty good'? Heh… you've got some nerve saying that! You're just a kid, so I guess you don't know—even the great Master Ta…"
"Young man!"
A sharp voice cut through the air from below the ring.
The man facing Goku frowned and looked down to see a gray-haired punk-looking guy (Taro), and beside him stood an elderly man with a round hat. The old man stared at him sternly and said solemnly, "Mind your tongue! The name of Muten Roshi is not something to be sullied in idle squabbles."
His voice rang out with righteous force, impossible to ignore. The martial artists, regular spectators, reporters, and even the two judges all nodded in agreement. Muten Roshi, in the eyes of the world—and especially those who practiced martial arts—was a figure of unmatched reverence.
To invoke such a name in petty taunts was an affront to the venerable master.
"Well said. The name of Muten Roshi is not to be disrespected by some brat," one elder martial artist muttered coldly, prompting murmurs of agreement throughout the crowd. The man on stage flushed pale, then green, then white, before finally swallowing his pride and bowing stiffly toward Son Gohan. "You're right, elder… I spoke out of turn."
Gohan nodded expressionlessly. Beside him, Taro shook his head while Hathaway giggled softly, wrapping her arm through his and whispering playfully, "Look at that, everyone really respects you."
"And you?" Taro asked calmly, his voice brushing into her ear.
"Me?" Hathaway leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled gently. "You've been my everything for a long time now… you already knew that, didn't you?"
Taro chuckled. "Let's watch the match."
On the ring, the referee wasted no time. He stepped between Goku and the other man, raised one arm, and shouted, "Match…" then swung his hand down. "…Begin!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he quickly hopped off the platform and stood by the edge to observe.
"Let's wrap this up quick…" the man grumbled, cracking his knuckles. He was ready to vent all his frustration on the kid and teach him what an adult's punch really felt like.
Goku remained pure and cheerful. After the match began, he gave a formal martial bow and said, "I'm Son Goku. Please take care of me."
The man scoffed, waved one hand, and beckoned, "Come on already!"
Goku finished the bow, then assumed the starting stance of the Muken style, the very one his grandfather had taught him personally. "Okay then… here I come!" Without a shift in his calm expression, he shifted his feet—and his tiny frame burst forward, leaving a blur in his wake!
"So fast!!"
"No way!!"
The martial artists in the crowd, many of whom had been watching lazily, jolted to attention. It was as if they were witnessing something completely beyond belief.
Gohan smiled… but then his heart skipped a beat. He suddenly turned sharply to look behind himself and his master—someone had silently appeared there. A plain-faced man with a mustache had somehow snuck up behind them.
And Gohan hadn't even noticed!
Who was this man?!
Gohan's instincts were screaming. He could tell the stranger had deliberately suppressed all signs of movement. Normally, even an ordinary person coming within several feet of Gohan wouldn't go unnoticed.
And this mustached man… was staring straight at the ring, then suddenly muttered to no one in particular, "So this is… the child you brought back from another planet?"
Gohan's heart thudded. Who was this man, to know such a secret about Goku?! And it seemed like he even knew his master? Gohan turned to look at Taro—and sure enough, Taro didn't seem the least bit surprised. Clearly, he'd been aware of the man's presence the entire time.
Of course, that was only natural. With his master's abilities, there wasn't a soul on Earth who could sneak up on him unnoticed.
So then, who was this man?
Taro didn't turn around. He simply said, "You actually came down… Kami."
Hathaway, surprised by his sudden murmur, blinked. But what really caught her off guard was the name he said—"Kami."
She glanced at Gohan, standing on Taro's other side, and saw him frowning and staring past them both. She followed his gaze—
And saw that it was indeed Kami!
Gohan understood at once who the man was. He'd once asked about the great stone on Muten Island, and his master had mentioned Earth's Guardian, Kami. Though he hadn't been told much, this was enough.
This mustached middle-aged man who had approached them—he was Kami, inhabiting a mortal shell.