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"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Krillin demanded. "Contrary to what you've heard, fighting requires movement."
Then, Chiaotzu started hovering above the tiled floor. Krillin's eyes bulged at this sight, but that was enough to let his guard down and Chiaotzu flew at him without warning. He struck Krillin with his body and phasing behind him as Krillin flew back, kicking him around the arena to phase and kick again. Gine was more disturbed by Chiaotzu's doll-like manner in which he attacked Krillin without even expressing an emotion on his face, rather than by the fact that he could fly as everyone else was.
Krillin was bounced around like a toy, but quickly adapted and broke free of the onslaught. Finding his footing again, Chiaotzu tried to launch his flying body at him again, but Krillin went for a strike instead. He landed some punches on Chiaotzu and sent the doll reeling, Krillin took advantage of this and pressed his offensive with a power kick. But the doll boy quickly leapt off the ground and just hovered out of reach. A cowardly tactic, if anybody asked Gine.
Yet the audience was slack-jawed at the sight of Chiaotzu hovering, more than seeing his avoidance of the fight.
"I assure you folks that this is not an illusion! Chiaotzu is actually walking on air!" The announcer said, he too in disbelief.
"I'm seeing it, but I'm not buying it." Oolong said, amazed.
"It's true." Gine said matter-of-factly. "I can do that too you know."
Everyone stared at her in utter shock. "How can you just say that?! That should be impossible!" Bulma said.
It doesn't take much, she thought. Remembering how she learned to fly on Planet Vegeta, just channeling her energy to counteract the pull of gravity.
"Any more impossible than Kakarot or Yamcha shooting lasers out of their hands?" Gohan quipped, backing her up.
Bulma said nothing for a moment, unsure how to respond for a good minute. Then turned back to the fight.
"DODOM RAY!" Chiaotzu shouted as he fired a heat blast at Krillin, he jumped away from it just in time, but Chiaotzu fired another to make him keep having to dodge.
A cry came from further down the line of spectators as Gine and the others looked. It was the man they saw earlier wrapped in gauze and smelt like burnt flesh. Gine could feel the anguish coming from him flaring up at the sight of Chiaotzu's attack.
"Is that the..." Bulma started.
"That'll be your friend if he doesn't get out of the way." Crane remarked.
"Then, the person who burned him was..."
"That's right, Chiaotzu." Crane snickered.
They all looked at him shocked and horrified, then turned to the ring. They could not believe something as innocent (if not disturbing)-looking as that doll-boy can do something so horrid.
Chiaotzu amped up his barrage of Dodom Rays, blasting the ring around Krillin from his high ground. If he kept it up long enough, Krillin would run out of places to jump or get tired. It was a trap.
"Krillin! It's too dangerous! Get out!" Launch cried out.
"Yes, girl, if you value your friend's life, then I suggest you persuade him to give up the match." Crane threatened.
Gine couldn't believe what she was hearing, give up the match? Now that Crane was resorting to threatening the lives of her son's friends to make them do something no Saiyan with any ounce of pride would do for some stupid competition, Gine wasn't sure if she could hold herself back from tackling Shen and striking him down where he stood.
"Krillin, give up!" Launch and Bulma cried.
"No!" Came a surprising protest from Oolong. "Warriors stay and fight."
Gine whipped around to him and starred, amazedly. How could this perverted pig be the voice of reason?
"He'll win." Oolong said.
"He will." Gine echoed, then did something she thought she wouldn't do.
"Go Krillin!" Gine stood up and cheered. "Show that doll what a real warrior is like!"
The whole gang stared at her like she had two heads. This was the first time they had ever seen her get involved with what's happening in the tournament since they first arrived. She herself didn't think she would either since it was just a silly competition. Now she was supporting her son's friend like it was all that mattered. Gine felt slightly embarrassed by her loud and proud encouragement. Was this tournament getting to her?
But she somehow had got them to lift their spirits from Crane's threats, and they turned to the ring without fear.
"Yeah, you heard her! Go Krillin!" Bulma cheered, then everyone joined her.
"Hey! Cue ball! Grow some backbone, will ya?!" Blonde Launch said, she must have sneezed without them looking. Gine let her embarrassment slide as they all cheered for him at once.
The bombardment continued until it looked like Krillin would have to fly out of the ring, but he made a last second sidestep and started lightning sprints around the ring in random directions. His erratic movements seemed confusing enough for Chiaotzu to come down from the air, wondering what his opponent was up to.
Then, "KYA!" Krillin charged with a flying kick.
Chiaotzu suddenly lifted himself high up again, letting Krillin fly past under him before he could strike. Krillin looked frustrated that his ruse didn't work, and was now back in the trap he was in.
"Chiaotzu!" Crane shouted. "Enough playing around. Finish him!"
"What's the matter? Not able to make good on your threats?" Bulma mocked.
Crane and the gang bickered back and forth, but Gine could sense there was something even more malicious than seen before coming from Crane than she had felt before.
"Kaaaaaaa….meeeee….."
Gine whipped her head back to the ring, surprised to see Krillin cupping his hands. He could do that too?!
"Haaa...meeee…." Krillian continued the chant, as Chiaotzu charged up his attack.
"No! Krillin!" The gang panicked. With the amount of heat and energy charged up from Chiaotzu, Krillin was as good as dead.
"Dodom Ray!" Chiaotzu fired at Krillin, the beam closing the distance to him.
Then in speed only she can follow, Gine saw Krillin jump from the attack and perform his erratic sprinting pattern. He held it for a few moments until the dust settled from the blast and suddenly jumped up behind Chiaotzu.
"HAAAAAA!" A blue beam fired from Krillin's cupped hands, and Chiaotzu was sent flying.
Before she could cheer for Krillin's brilliant move, Chiaotzu stopped before hitting the ground. He floated back to the arena worse for wear, still wearing that unsettlingly expressionless look. Damn, she momentarily forgot that he could fly.
"I'm not surprised that often, but I didn't know Krillin was that strong!" Bulma said amazedly.
Gine did have to give him c
redit for being able to do that, a human child pulling off energy attacks only a Saiyan could.
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Want to read more?
The next 10+ chapters are already available on my Patreon!
By joining, you'll get:
📖 Early access to future chapters
🗳️ Polls to shape the story
🎁 Exclusive content for Patrons
🔥 Bonus scenes & content you won't find anywhere else
👀 Don't fall behind—others are already ahead!
👉 patreon.com/FanfictionTakashi
(If link doesn't show, just search on Google: FanfictionTakashi Patreon)