…

[Goku PL: 103 -> 110]

 

'+1 Tail' 

 

That last part, Yamcha added in his head. 

 

Goku spun his tail like a helicopter and flew toward the ring. He couldn’t help but stare at it wide-eyed, how does that even work?

 

Even in his previous life, Yamcha wasn't good at physics, but he was good enough to know that isn't how that's supposed to function. This is a whole new world, fuck logic, right? Also, the laws of fundamental physics were probably different here.

 

Goku was about to land on the ring using his tail like a helicopter; Yamcha shot a Ki blast at his friend, throwing him on the ground. He wasn't taking any more chances with Goku taking Deus Ex Machina power-ups. 

 

"That should take care of that."

 

But once again, Goku shot two Ki waves out of his palms and used them as propulsion to put himself on the ring. The young Saiyan landed back on the ring, with a wide smile on his face. "Wow, you've gotten really strong, Yamcha. I can't even keep up with you anymore."

 

Any other friend would have been jealous of their friend being better than them even after all their effort. But Goku wasn't like that. He had a massive smile on his face and seemed genuinely happy.

 

Yamcha was happy that his friend was happy too. 

 

So he blasted Goku in the face, pushing him over the edge. He also shot a finger beam and ‘accidentally’ hit Goku’s tail, getting rid of that troublesome problem for now.

 

"Yamcha is the winner!" The announcer declared. 

 

"Ow! That was a dirty shot!" Goku got up while rubbing his face. That Saiyan body was strong. A human on the same Power Level as Goku would have been knocked out for days. 

 

'That's such a cheat body.'

 

He might be the last person who should complain about that since Yamcha could handle his chest being pierced, and would live as long as he had HP… probably. Yamcha wasn't sure about that since he had never tried it before. But he did lose an arm once and regained it after eating a Senzu Bean. 

 

'Goku will probably get a Zenkai Boost from this. No wonder the Z Fighters will become irrelevant in the future. Hell, even I might become irrelevant if I don't try and keep up with everyone else.' 

 

"Well, you should look out for sneak attacks like that, Goku. Never trust your enemies too easily," in the original show, Goku was very trusting. Too trusting. 

 

Yamcha didn't know whether his words here would change Goku, but if he were a betting man, it would be that Goku wouldn’t change. 

 

Yamcha jumped off the stage and went over to Nam. He was on a stretcher, but at the very least his body was all together. His skin was still pale and his face pallid, but much better than before. Only his arm was in a cast. The Buddhist-looking man turned toward Yamcha and bowed his head politely. 

 

"Yamcha, you helped me despite me being your competitor. I owe you my life."

 

"Don't thank me," Yamcha scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. Taking genuine compliments like this wasn't easy for him. Especially when to Yamcha this wasn’t anything big, he had enough senzu beans to eat them as snacks.

 

It was like your boss saying he has noticed you spending extra hours at work when you have been spending more time there only because the internet is down at home. "I would have done the same if it was anyone else."

 

Even when compared to that, Nam’s gratitude was too much. Yamcha could see it in his eyes that Nam would do almost anything if he told him to. Getting such loyalty for a small price made him feel like Santa Claus getting credit for the parents when they actually bought the gifts.

 

"Then that's even more of a reason to thank you. I heard from the doctors that you gave me miraculous medicine. Sorry for making you waste such a precious thing on me. If used on someone else, it could even save their life." Nam got up from his bed and bowed down to his waist. "I am forever in your debt."

 

"N -No…" Yamcha was very uncomfortable with this. He wanted to tell the man that Senzu Beans weren't unique to him since he had many of them, as in around a hundred thousand, maybe even more. Yamcha never bothered counting them all out. 

 

Also, he couldn't tell Nam that he had a lot more beans like that. Since Tao might be listening in on them, he didn't want to give out his secret to the master assassin. 

 

"Don't worry too much about it, Nam. Just think of this like it was fate, and nothing more."Suddenly, Yamcha remembered something and took out an empty capsule. "This is a capsule and pressing that button on top helps you store things in it or take things out. You can use this to get water for your people."

"I… don't know what to say…" Nam looked at the capsule as a complicated look came over his eyes. "But I can't accept such a gift. Even with this capsule, I don't have the money to buy water."

 

"Money?" Yamcha looked at him, confused. "You can get water from free public sources. There is a well outside of this building."

 

Nam drops to his knees, and tears start spilling like waterfalls, not even caring for one of his arms still in a cast. "Yamcha, I will ensure my people will always remember your name. I will pay back this great debt in this lifetime."

 

"Don't worry too much about it," Yamcha shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. He walked toward Nam and pulled him up from his knees, and while doing so, he put a Senzu Bean in his hand. "For the arm."

 

Not doing at least this much, and trying to become someone worthy of such needless admiration. Why did he help Nam? Because he wanted to. Yamcha knew that if he sent Senzu Beans around the world, he could help more people, others in even more desperate situations than Nam, but then it ran the risk of an enemy getting his hands on them. A better person would have taken that risk, Yamcha wouldn’t.

 

Nam looked down at the Senzu Bean and then back at Yamcha. The shining grateful look in Nam's eyes would blind even an angel. "This…"

 

Yamcha put a finger to his own lips, a universal signal to keep quiet. Tao was probably around here somewhere. Even if he wasn't, there might be someone listening in on them.

 

Also he didn't want Nam to do something troublesome, like pledging his life to him. Having responsibility for one life, his own, was already more than enough.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen! The Semi-Finals will now start," the Announcer, Johnny yelled out in excitement.  "Our ring is a little broken from the last fight, but I'm sure we can work with something like this. Like people thinking they can fix a broken relationship by going to therapy."

 

Tao, Krillin, Ranfan, and Yamcha looked serious, and none laughed at Johnny's attempt at a joke. 

 

"Tough crowd," Johnny coughed awkwardly on his hand. "Anyways, the next fight will be Yamcha against Ranfan."

 

Both of them got on stage, and the people from the audience were happy with the show she had put on against Roshi. 

 

Some of the audience even hollered in joy. 

 

"C'mon baby, pull them out again!"

 

"Puff that chest up with pride, girl!"

 

Ranfan frowned at the derogatory comments. 

 

"Begin!" Yelled out the announcer. 

 

Fwish!

 

Yamcha was behind Ranfan, and just as she was about to pull her tank top up, he grabbed her by the shirt, behind her neck. Picking Ranfan up like a cat and putting her outside the stage. 

 

"Huh?" She looked around, confused. 

 

Yamcha didn't comment and just walked back to the middle of the stage. Some of the men from the crowd booed him. 

 

'Screw off, you bastards. I just saved your lives from death by orbital laser.'

 

"Next fight is… Tao and… Krillin," Johnny announced the next fight hesitantly. It seemed to Yamcha like he didn't want this fight to happen either. Glancing toward Krillin, he noticed the young baldy's hands were shaking. 

 

'It looks like the announcer isn't the only one afraid of this fight.' Yamcha reasoned. He couldn't blame the kid for showing fear after Tao's brutal show against Nam. 

 

Even Yamcha, who liked to think of himself as a reasonably calm man, was affected by that fight, even if he didn't like admitting it. However, he was influenced by the opposite of Krillin. 

 

'It would be best for Krillin to give up as soon as the fight starts. There's no sense in getting crippled for nothing. Not like he will get a power boost from that either.'

 

"You can do it! Krillin!" Goku cheered him up from the sidelines.

 

This situation reminded Yamcha of Neji vs Hinata and Naruto being an absolute dipshit. "Goku, I don't think it's a good idea to be cheerleading someone toward their death."

 

"Heh, you don't know, Krillin. He is very powerful and will win this fight," said the Saiyan with complete confidence. 

 

Yamcha might have believed him too if it wasn't for Observe, and he could see Krillin's power level was 82. He didn't know how strong Tao was, but he should be in the lower hundreds range with power level-wise. The only other person who could handle the current Tao was Master Roshi, in his buffed-up form, but he… well…

 

The two walked on stage, bringing Yamcha's and everyone else's eyes onto him.

 

 Surprisingly, he wasn't smiling or even keeping up the facade of being calm. His face was like that of a raging buddha statue. 

 

'Seems like my words affected him more than I thought. So he can dish out but can't take it. I better keep an eye on this. Just in case he slips up and tries killing Krillin.'

 

Yamcha moved a couple of steps closer to the ring and got ready to intervene at a moment's notice. 

 

"L -Let the fight begin!" the announcer screamed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. 

 

"Ka-Me-Ha-Me-" Krillin made the first move and shot out a fully powered Kamehameha Wave.  "HAAAAAAA!!!"

 

Tao was surprised by this, but he dispelled the shockwave generated by a yell. "HA!"

 

The smoke cleared out, and Tao seemed like he was about to take his anger out on Krillin. Only to find the young boy lying on the ground, too tired from the previous Kamehameha Wave.

 

At least, that's what it seemed like to most people.

 

'Krillin, you smart baldy. You gave it your all, living up to Goku's expectations, and saved yourself pain simultaneously.' Yamcha only needed to use Observe to see that the little monk wasn't unconscious.

 

"Tao is the winner!" The announcer… announced. 

 

"You little bastard! You think weaklings can mess with me!" Tao's anger spilled over, and he charged toward the downed Krillin. The little boy's body shook. He was scared.

 

But before Tao could kick the downed Krillin, Yamcha appeared in the ring. He had a smile, and he wasn't faking it this time. The popping veins in Tao's forehead brought him joy. Yamcha was on guard, he wasn’t under the illusion that Tao would ever play fair. 

 

‘C’mon, I know you’re angry. Make a reckless move.’ He wanted the assassin to attack recklessly and without preparation. But sadly, Tao was a man who had lived for hundreds of years. He would never make such rookie mistakes even when angry.