Goku knew that if he delayed any longer, his opponent would stubbornly continue using mysterious means to exhaust his own strength, hoping to defeat him… What a pity. Goku felt that under such pressure, he could still unleash even greater power, but he just couldn't stand by and watch the other "commit suicide."
"Hmph… I couldn't wish for better!" Tien's expression grew even more serious. The True Ki Cannon—or rather, the Tsuken—continued to be driven, burning his life force, transforming into a fierce power, concentrated at the major joints throughout his body. What kind of changes would happen…? Just like that bald guy last time, after taking off the wristbands, his aura suddenly surged?
"Goku is finally going to take off his wristbands!" Bulma said with a smile from the audience seats.
"This kid from the Crane School is really a bit obsessive. If Goku doesn't stop him soon, trouble's bound to happen," Gohan shook his head. His uncle seemed to have an extreme personality, and it turned out his disciples inherited that stubbornness as well.
Goku's motion to remove the wristbands was slow.
Hard… to take them off?
Tien's three eyes watched suspiciously, fixated on Goku's movement. Finally, Goku's left hand slid the right wristband off his fingers and casually tossed it aside. The wristband was just a piece of cloth, fluttering down in the air. And at that moment—
What was that?!
Tien's three eyes widened slowly. He distinctly felt that as Goku threw off the wristband, it was as if a huge mountain was lifted off his body. His aura suddenly burst forth with a "whoosh," like a flame igniting!
A mountain of pressure surged like a tidal wave toward Tien!
"So…"
Goku's voice still echoed where he was standing. His left hand rubbed his right wrist, but it was only an afterimage.
Where?
Where?!
Where did he go?!!
Tien's three eyes frantically scanned, trying desperately to catch Goku's movement trace… Sweat formed on his anxious forehead, his whole body reddened, veins bulging. He gritted his teeth, preparing to power up his Tsuken once again.
"…This ends now!"
Goku's voice sounded from behind him. Then, a foot landed firmly on the back of Tien's head.
---
"Hmph!"
Piccolo snorted coldly in the sky. A cold drop of sweat slid down his face, but quickly vanished in the cold wind up high. His white robe fluttered as he searched for a direction and flew toward the ground… better to study that book some more; maybe he could improve further.
---
"We won!" Krillin clenched his fist happily in the rest room.
---
"YES!!" Bulma jumped up excitedly and stuck her tongue out at Tien, who was knocked out by Goku's kick on the distant arena, making a funny face. "You lost! Tch!"
Gohan smiled and shook his head beside her.
---
"Ohhh! We won, we won!!" The crowd cheered, bursting into enthusiastic applause. Especially Goku's fans and supporters, who were ecstatic—some pretty girls even teared up and hugged each other tightly, moved to tears. Just a moment ago, seeing Goku getting beaten by Tien had made their hearts ache.
Tien's fans were displeased, suspecting Goku might have cheated—how did he suddenly win with one kick?
But in the end, these fans were new, and compared to the previous tournament's Goku, who had shined so brightly, or the Goku who was Gohan's grandson and a direct disciple of the Muten School, they looked weak. Amid the roaring cheers, Tien's fans trembled and felt lost.
"Tch! Groupies!" Bulma was actually annoyed and sat back down, frowning.
"Heh…" Gohan just smiled quietly, stroking his white beard, saying nothing.
---
"Tien…" Chiaotzu flew up from the audience to the ring, following the medical staff who had also rushed over backstage.
Meanwhile, the reporters on site quickly grabbed their pens and started sending out their reports:
"Top Four Complete!"
"Piccolo vs. Goku, the ultimate battle for first and second place!"
"Muten School versus the Mysterious School — which is stronger?"
"One side is an innocent youth, the other an evil demon king — which side do you support?"
"Analysis of Goku and Piccolo's respective strengths and weaknesses, and their fighting styles…"
---
Goku waved to the sea of enthusiastic spectators around him, then picked up his wristbands and put them back on. He rubbed the back of his head, acting like nothing had happened, and returned to the players' resting room.
"That was intense, Goku!" Krillin smiled at him. Now Krillin was the only one left in the rest area; Piccolo had flown away after winning against Krillin, while Tien had been knocked unconscious by Goku's full-power kick and was now taken away for emergency treatment due to aftereffects from the Tsuken.
Goku was deep in thought, pondering the subtle changes in Tien's aura during the match.
On Muten Island, Taro especially emphasized Goku and Krillin's control of ki.
He wanted to lay a firm and profound foundation for these two brothers right from the start. That way, their futures would hold even greater potential. Even without his guidance, they could still carve out their own vast skies.
"Krillin, you noticed the changes in his ki during the match, right?" Goku asked.
"Of course! Such a strange sudden shift in aura… how could I ignore it?" Krillin smiled, furrowing his brow. "Goku, you're not thinking of figuring out his technique yourself, are you? I know you have an eidetic memory for martial arts…but there's no need. We don't need that kind of thing—we still have Master's Muken technique!"
"Huh? Muken? What's that?" Goku looked genuinely surprised.
"Eh eh eh?! You don't know about Muken?!!"
"I don't!"
"You're Gohan's grandson, raised by him—I thought you'd definitely know about it… Well, when Jarvis told me I could go to Muten Island to become a disciple, he also told me to put Muken and the Muten Tower aside for the time being… And after arriving on the island, Master hasn't mentioned Muken once…" Krillin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Goku asked, puzzled, "So what exactly is Muken? Is it a really powerful move?"
Krillin dismissed the fleeting thoughts and smiled. "Of course! It's a very powerful ultimate technique!" He recalled how, when fighting Piccolo just after coming down the mountain, he had subconsciously used Onefold Muken, a secret to unleash one hundred percent of his power!
Then, the little bald head added, "It's way stronger than that weird three-eyed guy's trick!"