Chapter:49The Crane’s Provocation - Legend of gine !!

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They all went out to eat later that night, with Puar bringing Yamcha some food from the restaurant so he could enjoy what they were having too. Gine was touched by how well Kakarot's friends treated Yamcha and stuck with him, even if he was useless to the tournament now, and gave him some decent food instead of the horrific medical slop they served as hospital food. Gine was even more aghast at how humans managed to survive at all using such primitive medical practices and technology she saw in the hospital. If only they had healing tanks, she thought, and Yamcha's leg would've been fixed by now.

Kakarot scarfed down his dinner faster than usual, and by usual it was by the bowl-full per gulp.

"Kakarot, don't focus all your energy on one adversary." Roshi warned him. "There are plenty of matches to be fought before you have the chance to take on Tien. Concentrate on the now."

"I'll try Master." Kakarot said with a mouthful of food and was quickly elbowed by his mother.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, dear." Gine chided.

"Sorry" He replied, his mouth still full and the lesson ignored.

Gine was about to chew her son out more when her anger got redirected and amplified elsewhere. Kakarot noticed this and followed her gaze. Then scowled.

Crane, Tien, and that unsettling-looking doll/boy took a seat at a table right next to them. Their gazes not breaking until a waiter came up to him.

"Bring us the best dishes you have to offer!" Crane boosted, deliberately loud. "We're here tonight to celebrate the flawless victory of my star pupil, Tien!"

Now this was just getting ridiculous, thought Gine.

"Tell us, how does it feel, Tien... Knowing you decimated Turtle's prime fighter?"

"Crushing Yamcha was as easy as clenching my fist. It was no real challenge." Tien gloated.

"He was a coward. He was completely unprepared." Crane laughed mockingly.

Gine was seething internally, this insolent little old man coming here to deliberately humiliate her son's friends in public AND call one of her friends who fought well enough, a coward, one of the worst curses you could ever toss around a Saiyan... was a whole new level of arrogance she hadn't seen in a very long time. And the more he laughed the more she wanted to get up and ram her fist through his face and paint the wall with his brain. She could do it...

"Stop laughing!" Said Kakarot as he stood from his chair, Gine and everyone looked at him. "At least Yamcha is honest."

Gine was so proud of him standing up for his friend, even though he was still talking with his mouth full.

Tien got up, as if preparing to defend his master if need be.

"No, Kakarot!" Roshi got up and placed a hand on him to get him to sit back down. "This isn't the time or place to fight."

Gine wondered why, and felt almost hurt, that her son's master would deny her son's Saiyan privilege to defend his friend's honor. But then she remembered sourly that any fighting among the competitors outside the tournament ring during the event would get them all disqualified. But she wondered why they should have to abide by such stupid rules if their opponents were clearly provoking them into breaking them. Didn't that count? Where was the justice of it all?!

"Please, don't make a scene." Bulma pleaded to Kakarot, but he didn't hear her as he stared Tien down for a good long minute. The entire restaurant seemed to go quiet at the tension unfolding. Some of the staff were too scared by them to try and tell them to leave.

"I'll go wash my hands." Kakarot broke the silence and walked away.

Everyone except Gine let out a sigh of relief that a fight had been avoided.

Crane and his student's meals arrived shortly. "Tien... eat hardy. Your technique today was flawless." Crane then spoke over his shoulder towards Roshi. "Unlike some competitors!"

Roshi got up and slid next to Crane. "If you got something to say, say it to my face."

As soon as Roshi sat down, Crane mockingly howled "Ew, I can't stand the stench of a loser! Waitress! I demand another table at once!"

Roshi snapped and wheeled around to face Crane. "You fowl nuisance! Why don't you get a real hat?!"

"Got one, thanks!"

"That one squawks!"

"Hey! What's that on the floor? Did you lose another tooth?!"

"At least mine are real!"

"They're real alright. Real ugly!"

"Oh nice one. Where did you get that joke, from your stupid hat?!"

Gine lost her appetite as the two masters squabbled like school children. Humans. she thought wearily...

Sitting beside her, Gohan saw how Gine had crushed her metal utensils in her hand without her noticing, curling it into her fist while giving Crane a murderous glare he had seen before. The look of someone on the verge of snapping and delivering a killing blow.

Gohan was growing worried for Gine, seeing how irate Crane was making her. He never knew Master Shen, nor how Roshi knew him before, and was unsure of just how cruel the Crane Hermit could be. He eyed his star pupil Tien too, thinking of what he did to Yamcha, and the little argument and Gine shared from earlier. Knowing how strong she was and how sensitive she had been to ridicule given her history, Gohan worried what Gine would do if Crane stressed her patience too far...

This was not how he wanted Gine to be introduced to the larger world on Earth. Perhaps bringing her to the tournament may not have been a good idea afterall. But he decided to

keep that thought to himself, hoping things would get better tomorrow.