"Contestant Botamo has fallen out of bounds! Trunks of Universe 7 is the winner!" The referee reacted immediately, raising his flag and announcing loudly.
"Way to go, Trunks!" Goten jumped up excitedly below the stage, feeling happy for his friend.
"Goten, you might not even get a chance to fight. I'll just eliminate the rest of them myself," Trunks said, giving Goten a thumbs-up with a victorious smile.
"Leave some for me," Goten pouted, looking a bit unhappy.
Champa, his face dark, grabbed Frost—who was about to head out—and pulled him close, whispering a long string of instructions while spit nearly flew into Frost's face.
Frost nodded vigorously, indicating he had noted everything and didn't dare to be the least bit negligent.
"Remember, you must win no matter what! Losing to a kid from Universe 7 is a total disgrace to Universe 6! If you lose, just you wait for your punishment!" Champa snorted and slapped Frost heavily on the shoulder, the force making Frost stumble.
Frost's expression grew serious as he fixed his gaze on Trunks, no longer daring to underestimate him.
"Now, let us welcome Contestant Trunks to continue his battle against Contestant Frost of Universe 6!" The referee's voice rang out again, announcing the start of the next match.
"So even after winning, you have to keep going for the next one," Goku remarked, rubbing his chin as he watched Trunks on the stage.
"It's Frieza!" Gine's face paled when she saw Frost's appearance. She couldn't help but cry out, her body trembling slightly with eyes full of fear.
"Frieza? Is he very powerful?" Videl asked curiously.
"The Saiyans did many bad things under Frieza's rule," Gine said in a low, trembling voice. "And it was Frieza who destroyed Planet Vegeta... Luckily, Bardock had a bad premonition beforehand, so we sent Kakarot to Earth. Otherwise, he would have lost his life too."
"So that's why Uncle Goku came to Earth," Videl said as the realization hit her, finally understanding Goku's background.
"Don't call him Uncle Goku, call him Dad," Gine said with a smile, a hint of teasing in her eyes.
Videl's face instantly turned red like a ripe apple, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Don't you want to become Gohan's wife?" Gine whispered into Videl's ear, giggling.
"I've heard Gohan mention Frieza a few times before. Isn't he dead?" Videl quickly changed the subject, pointing at Frost on the stage. "Besides, the referee called him Frost."
"Then he must be the Frieza of Universe 6," Gine guessed.
"In any case, he's a very powerful guy, right?" Videl asked.
"Most likely," Gine nodded gently, her expression grave. "It's said that Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta because he feared the birth of a Super Saiyan. His strength is unfathomable."
"A Super Saiyan? Nowadays, it seems like every Saiyan can transform into one," Videl said, wiping sweat from her forehead, feeling like Super Saiyans weren't so rare anymore.
"Raditz still can't," Gine remarked casually.
Hearing Gine's words, Raditz couldn't sit still. He fidgeted in his seat, his eyes twitching as his expression soured. He wailed inwardly.
Mom, can you not air my dirty laundry at a time like this? It's really embarrassing!
Goku, meanwhile, was looking toward Hit. The more he looked, the more interested he became, sensing a unique aura from the man.
Goku then took the initiative to approach Hit, specifically eyeing his head with curiosity.
Hit had been resting with his eyes closed, as if everything around him was irrelevant. Sensing Goku's presence beside him, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Goku with a faint smile.
"Hello, are you Hit?" Goku didn't mind Hit's cold gaze at all and reached out to greet him with a bright smile.
Hit gave Goku a side-eye, ignored him, and prepared to close his eyes again.
"I'm Son Goku," Goku introduced himself, completely unbothered. "I probably won't get a chance to fight in this tournament, so I'm just getting familiar with your face. We should spar sometime when we have the chance."
Hit: "..."
Hit's face darkened, his mouth twitching as he cursed inwardly.
What the hell do you mean by 'getting familiar with your face'?!
And what do you mean by 'won't get a chance to fight'?!
Are you really that confident your universe will win?
"Which position are you fighting in?" Hit couldn't help but ask, his tone still cold.
"Last," Goku grinned, showing off two rows of white teeth.
"Oh? You think your people can secure the final victory?" Hit asked flatly.
"If I'm not mistaken, Vegeta should be able to defeat everyone on your side," Goku said, scratching his head with a smile, his voice full of confidence in Vegeta.
A few veins popped on Hit's forehead, and his gaze grew sharper.
Your universe is truly confident enough to be called arrogant!
"But speaking of which, I feel like I've seen your head somewhere before," Goku rubbed his forehead, peering curiously at Hit's head as if trying to recall something.
"Seen my head somewhere?" Hit frowned, not quite understanding what Goku really meant.
Is there something special about my head?
Goku thought about it seriously, and then, as if realizing something, he peeked inside his own pants before nodding thoughtfully.
Cabba, watching from the side, was dumbfounded. His mouth twitched as he silently criticized Goku.
My fellow Saiyan, do you have no manners?
Although I noticed Hit's head was a bit unique long ago, I never thought of it that way.
But now that you've looked there, I finally understand what's so unique about his head...
You're too wicked!
"You... what do you mean?" Hit's face turned black. Seeing Goku's actions, he instantly understood, and his eyes filled with rage as he clenched his fists.
"Mhm, I get it now," Goku chuckled, wearing an "I understand" expression.
Hit's face instantly turned green, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
That 'I get it now' is a bit too much!
"Son Goku, if you think your universe is guaranteed to win, you are dead wrong," Hit snorted, suppressing his anger. "This time, I won't let your universe win so easily!"
"Eh?" Goku blinked, staring blankly at Hit as he mulled over the true meaning of that sentence. "What do you mean by that? Have you competed against our universe before?"
Hit realized he had slipped up and immediately shut his mouth, saying nothing more.
I almost let it slip.
"What do you mean by 'this time'?" Goku was relentless, digging for answers as his curiosity was piqued.
"It's nothing, don't worry about the details," Hit gave Goku a side-eye, his tone stiff. "You'd better prepare yourself. I won't lose to you easily."
"Eh? You talk like you've seen me before," Goku rubbed his head, even more curious now. "Do we know each other from before?"
The corners of Hit's mouth curled into a faint smile as he looked at Goku with a complex gaze. "In a way, yes."
Goku studied Hit intently again. The more he looked, the more he felt something was off, sensing a familiar aura from the man.
"Have we really met?" Goku asked again, his tone becoming more certain.
"No," Hit answered flatly, his eyes flickering.
"Actually, since the first moment you appeared, I noticed you've been watching me," Goku said with a smile.
Hit: "..."
Being called out on his thoughts, Hit's cheeks felt a bit hot. Luckily, his dark skin made it hard to tell.
"Whisper it to me—have you been reincarnated too?" Goku suddenly lowered his voice, leaning in close to Hit's ear, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Hit's entire body shuddered violently. His expression shifted repeatedly as he snapped his head toward Goku, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
How does he know?!
"So it's true," Goku said with a mix of surprise and joy, scratching his head. "That's not fair. Are you all playing at reincarnation?"
Hit: "????"
Hit was momentarily dazed. What did he mean by "you all"?
Was someone else reincarnated too?
"On our side, Vegeta has also been reincarnated," Goku whispered into his ear, as if sharing a massive secret.
Hit: "..."
Hit was stunned, his mouth slightly agape, unable to speak for a long time.
Vegeta was reincarnated too?
That guy...
No wonder he looked so confident; he was acting with total assurance!
"When were you reincarnated? At what point in time?" Goku was suddenly interested and kept pressing for answers.
"After the Tournament of Power," Hit said calmly after composing himself.
"Tournament of Power? What's that?" Goku blinked, completely confused. He had never heard that name before.
"What? You don't know?" Hit was slightly taken aback, feeling a bit surprised.
Goku shook his head, his eyes full of bewilderment.
"You'll find out later," Hit smiled, offering no further explanation.
It was better to let him experience some things for himself.
"So, you've been training hard since you were reincarnated, right?" Goku asked, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
"Of course. I won't lose to that guy again!" Hit snorted, his gaze turning sharp. He gave Goku a deep look and added, "And I certainly won't lose to you."
"Who's 'that guy' you're talking about?" Goku caught the important information and immediately asked.
Anyone Hit cared about that much had to be incredibly powerful.
"You wouldn't know him even if I told you," Hit rolled his eyes, his expression calm, not wanting to say more.
"Just tell me. How will I know him if you don't tell me?" Goku was relentless, nudging Hit's ribs with his elbow like a curious child.
Hit's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly.
This guy is truly over-familiar!
He's exactly the Son Goku I know, hasn't changed a bit.
Though, treating my head like your bathroom earlier was a bit much!
"Jiren of Universe 11," Hit said helplessly, finally giving the answer. His tone carried a hint of gravity; clearly, the man named Jiren had left a deep impression on him.
Hit had indeed been reincarnated.
He had returned after the Tournament of Power.
In that battle, Universe 6 had lost and been personally erased by Grand Zeno.
But when Hit woke up, he found to his shock that he had been reincarnated.
Moreover, the point of reincarnation was three months before the tournament against Universe 7.
Because of this, Hit had gone into seclusion to train, tirelessly polishing his strength day and night to ensure his power reached a new level.
"Jiren? Is he strong?" Goku was instantly interested, his eyes bright and full of excitement as his battle-hungry cells began to stir.
"In our previous life, even if you and I teamed up, we were no match for him," Hit answered truthfully. He paused and added, "No, to be precise, you weren't willing to team up with me. You insisted on fighting him one-on-one and nearly lost."
"Jiren? I'll remember that name!" Goku nodded seriously, his fists instinctively clenching. "If I get the chance, I have to spar with him and see just how powerful he is."
"You should work hard too," Hit smiled, then changed the subject. "Since that Vegeta guy was reincarnated, his current strength should have already surpassed yours, right?"
"Yeah," Goku grinned, not minding at all. "I'll be watching your match closely later to learn a thing or two."
"You'd better be prepared. I'm coming for you in this tournament, Son Goku."
A thick battle intent surfaced in Hit's eyes, and the air pressure around him seemed to drop a few notches.
"Great! I really want to fight you too," Goku nodded vigorously, an expectant smile on his face. "Then I'll head back now. Good luck!"
With that, Goku turned and walked away with a light step.
Goku and Hit had spoken in very low voices, like the faint buzzing of mosquitoes. Everyone else was focused on the intense match on the stage, so no one paid them any attention, and no third party heard their conversation.
Goku returned to Vegeta and the others.
Vegeta frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping over Goku with a look of scrutiny. "Kakarot, what did you run over there to say to Hit? That guy isn't exactly easy to get along with."
"Nothing... nothing much. Just some small talk, asked him what he likes to eat," Goku answered a bit guiltily, his eyes darting around as he instinctively scratched his head.
"Small talk? You're truly over-familiar!" Vegeta rolled his eyes, clearly not believing the nonsense, but he didn't press further.
"By the way, Vegeta, have you ever heard of the Tournament of Power?" Goku changed the subject, suddenly asking.
"What Tournament of Power?" Vegeta looked blank, his brow furrowing deeper. He had never heard the name before.
"Then have you heard of a guy named Jiren? Apparently, he's from Universe 11," Goku asked again, his eyes fixed on Vegeta, not wanting to miss a single expression.
"Never heard of him... why the sudden question? Did Hit tell you that?" Vegeta looked at Goku strangely, then cast a long look toward Hit's direction, his gaze turning serious.
Just then, Hit raised his eyes and looked toward Vegeta.
Their gazes collided in mid-air, as if invisible sparks were exploding, and the air was filled with a sense of confrontation.
"If you don't know, then forget it," Goku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, not pursuing the matter further.
Since Vegeta didn't know about the Tournament of Power or Jiren, it meant that Hit's point of reincarnation was even further ahead than Vegeta's.
What exactly is the Tournament of Power?
Goku was filled with curiosity, feeling like a small paw was scratching at his heart.
"Kakarot, what's wrong?" Bardock saw his son's complex expression—frowning one moment and smiling like an idiot the next—and stepped forward to ask with concern.
"Ah... Dad, it's nothing..." Goku felt that explaining would be a bit of a struggle, as it involved reincarnation and the future, so he simply didn't go into detail. He added, "It looks like Vegeta might not have such an easy time winning this tournament. That Hit guy seems very powerful."
"Is that so?" Bardock merely glanced toward the stage, not particularly interested in a match of this level.
At this moment, Trunks and Frost stood facing each other on the stage, the atmosphere tense and ready to explode.
"Is that guy... the Frieza of Universe 6?" Bardock remarked, looking at Frost's face, which was almost identical to Frieza's.
"He looks a lot like him. I wonder if he's a good guy," Goku nodded, studying Frost with an innocent expression.
"Hello, please take care of me," Frost suddenly smiled. The smile looked very friendly as he humbly reached out his hand to Trunks.
Trunks was taken aback, not expecting the opponent to be so polite. He quickly reached out to shake it. "Hello."
"Though you're young, your strength doesn't seem weak. Let's have a good match and show our true abilities," Frost said with a smile, his tone sincere.
"Ah... okay," Trunks nodded, his favorable impression of the man increasing significantly.
"It looks like this guy is much friendlier than the Frieza on our side," Goku laughed, feeling his previous worries were unnecessary.
"Hmph, still as insidious, cunning, and pretentious as ever," Vegeta said flatly, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at Frost, as if he had already seen through the disguise.
"What do you mean?" Goku didn't quite understand and scratched his head.
"You'll find out in a bit," Vegeta didn't want to explain too much. He just stared coldly at Frost on the stage, waiting to see him reveal his true colors.
"The second round begins now!" the referee announced loudly, raising his flag.
The moment the match started, the smile on Frost's face vanished instantly. His gaze turned sharp, and he launched a fierce attack on Trunks with lightning speed.
Frost threw a heavy punch at Trunks, the wind from the strike whistling with the sound of breaking air.
Trunks reacted quickly, hurriedly raising his hand to block the incoming fist. With a dull thud, Trunks felt a wave of numbness in his arm.
Immediately after, Trunks counterattacked. His fists rained down on Frost like hailstones—sharp, relentless strikes.
Frost suddenly felt a mountain of pressure. He could only barely manage to parry, constantly forced backward.
After several rounds of exchange.
Trunks caught an opening and kicked Frost away.
Frost's body tumbled through the air. Seeing that he was about to fall out of the ring, he tapped the ground at the edge of the stage, using the momentum to bounce back. He whistled toward Trunks like an arrow from a bow, even faster than before.
Bang, bang, bang!
The two were soon locked in a fierce confrontation on the stage. The sound of clashing limbs was constant, and the energy fluctuations made the entire stage tremble slightly.
However, Trunks continued to fight in his base form, without transforming into a Super Saiyan.
After fighting for a while longer.
Bang!
Trunks spotted an opportunity and delivered a kick, slamming Frost from the air down onto the stage below with a loud crash.
Frost crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He quickly leaped up, but a faint smile appeared on his face, his eyes sparkling with a strange light.
Trunks landed slowly, wagging a finger with a relaxed expression. "Lizard Uncle, show your true strength, or I won't be polite."
Frost: "..."
Frost's face darkened, and the veins on his forehead jumped.
That 'Lizard Uncle' nickname is a bit too much!
"Hehehe, you truly aren't an ordinary kid. You're stronger than I imagined," Frost said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible malice. "But do you think this is my true strength? How naive."
Clap!
As Frost spoke, his body suddenly made a series of crackling sounds. His physique began to change, muscles bulging and his aura surging instantly as he transformed directly into his final form.
Seeing Frost's transformation, Vegeta was momentarily stunned, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
In his previous life, Vegeta remembered that Frost had first transformed into his third form, only being forced into his fourth form by Kakarot.
He hadn't expected that in this life, the guy would go straight to his final form.
But Vegeta soon understood why.
Because Trunks had transformed into a Super Saiyan earlier, Frost likely knew the gap between them. He didn't want to waste time and went straight to his fourth form to end things quickly.
"Come! Young Trunks! You should show your true strength too! Don't hide it!" Frost chuckled and took a combat stance, a powerful aura radiating from him.
"Alright, then I won't be polite!" Trunks didn't hesitate. Golden light erupted from him, his golden hair standing up instantly as he activated his Super Saiyan transformation. His aura surged, not losing to Frost's at all.
The two wasted no more words and charged at each other simultaneously. Their speed was like lightning, leaving only two afterimages darting across the stage.
After several rounds of exchange, Frost clearly felt the powerful pressure the brat was putting on him. He was gradually falling into a disadvantage.
This won't do. If I keep fighting like this, I'll definitely lose to this kid.
I cannot lose! Absolutely not!!
Frost gritted his teeth, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes. A tiny poison needle suddenly poked out quietly from his arm.
The poison needle was hidden very deep; it was impossible to notice without looking very closely.
To be continued…
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