"I actually think Bulma and Grandpa have just gotten shorter," Son Goku said as he stepped forward.
With a curious expression, he compared their heights with his hands.
"Th-that's because you've grown a lot taller over these three years!" Bulma replied irritably, the corner of her mouth twitching.
"Really? Maybe I did grow a little taller."
Goku scratched his stiff spiky hair and smiled shyly yet confidently.
"Mm."
Broly simply nodded after looking at the dramatically changed Goku.
To Broly, Goku growing taller and stronger was only natural—just like how he himself got a little stronger every day.
"This kid… really is full of surprises…" Master Roshi muttered while looking at the tall, confident young man standing before him.
The childish boy from three years ago had completely disappeared.
Time truly passed quickly.
Roshi glanced at Broly beside him again.
Back then, Broly had also suddenly shot up from a small kid to a grown young man.
Old Friends Arrive
"You all look well! We meet again at the same old place!"
Several familiar voices suddenly called out from the distance, breaking the moment of surprise.
Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu walked toward them while chatting happily.
Krillin was the one who had spoken.
"Long time no see, Master Roshi," Tien said politely with a smile, nodding in greeting.
However, Broly, Bulma, and the others were still stunned by Goku's transformation.
For a moment, they simply stared at the four newcomers without responding.
"What's wrong? No reaction?" Yamcha stopped walking, puzzled by everyone's blank expressions.
"Hahaha! Our changes must have shocked them!" Krillin laughed confidently.
He ran up to Roshi, puffed out his chest, and tried to stand as tall as possible.
"Master Roshi! Take a good look at me!"
"I trained hard for three years! I've grown this tall!"
Roshi: "..."
Roshi stared at Krillin's still rather modest height and shiny bald head.
His lips twitched slightly.
But he didn't have the heart to crush Krillin's enthusiasm.
Confidence is good… but…
Well…
Krillin Recognizes Goku
"Krillin, you look really energetic," Goku said warmly as he walked over and patted Krillin's shoulder.
"Eh?" Krillin froze when he heard the familiar voice.
He looked up at the tall, handsome young man in front of him.
But the smile was unmistakable.
"You… you're Goku?!"
"Of course I am. What's wrong?" Goku nodded casually.
"You idiot! I missed you so much!" Krillin shouted excitedly.
He jumped forward and hugged Goku tightly, pounding his back.
"You really did it! Three years ago you said you were going to train with Kami, then you completely disappeared!"
"I thought you forgot about us!"
"Huh? That's really Goku?" Yamcha widened his eyes and stepped closer to examine him.
"I can see the resemblance in his face," Tien said calmly while crossing his arms.
All three of his eyes showed surprise.
"The change is incredible… I almost couldn't recognize him," Chiaotzu added softly while floating nearby.
"But Broly hasn't changed at all," Yamcha said, glancing toward him.
Compared with Goku's transformation, Broly looked almost the same as three years ago.
Aside from becoming more muscular and mature, his lazy, uninterested attitude toward everything remained exactly the same.
The group gathered together, observing each other's changes and sharing stories from the past three years.
The atmosphere quickly became lively and joyful.
Even the light rain seemed gentler in celebration of their reunion.
The Tournament Begins
Just then—
"Attention all participants of the World Martial Arts Tournament!"
"The preliminary rounds will begin shortly. Please gather inside the arena immediately!"
The referee's loud voice echoed through the broadcast system.
"It's starting!" Krillin said excitedly while cracking his knuckles.
He was eager to test the results of his three years of training.
"Grandpa, did you prepare Turtle School uniforms for us?" Goku suddenly asked Roshi.
"Don't be silly," Roshi waved his hand with a proud smile.
"You're all grown up now."
"You each have your own style."
"You can't wear the same Turtle School uniforms forever."
"Go on and do your best!"
"Let me see how much you've improved in three years!"
"Yes!"
Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien answered in unison.
Their voices were full of determination.
Broly Still Refuses
"Broly, are you really not entering the tournament?" Krillin asked again unwillingly.
Deep down, he still wanted to fight this mysterious powerhouse.
"Not entering," Broly replied calmly, shaking his head.
"Man… we trained like crazy for three years," Yamcha sighed helplessly.
"One of our goals was to defeat you."
"If you don't participate, the tournament feels like it's missing something."
"That would be boring."
"That's easy." Roshi's eyes suddenly lit up.
He stroked his beard and proposed an idea.
"How about this?"
"The champion of this World Martial Arts Tournament…"
"…will earn the right to challenge Broly!"
"How's that for a prize?"
"I don't want to fight," Broly immediately glared at Roshi.
"Nope! This time you listen to me!" Roshi said firmly, putting on the authority of a senior.
"This is an order!"
"As a member of the Turtle School, you can't avoid fights forever."
"That settles it!"
Broly: "..."
Broly clicked his tongue but didn't argue anymore.
He silently accepted it.
After all—
The old man fed him and gave him a place to live.
He could at least give him that much respect.
"Hahaha! Then it's decided!" Krillin clapped happily.
"If winning the championship means I get to challenge Broly…"
"I'll definitely take the title!"
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