Goku goes back in time

The grand stadium was packed to the brim. Banners fluttered, cameras flashed, and the crowd buzzed with excitement. The World Youth Exhibition, held once a years, had drawn the strongest young fighters from across the globe. But this year, anticipation reached new heights—because of three names.

"Videl! Mr. Satan's daughter!"

"Erasa and Sharpner! Her mysterious, insanely strong friends!"

Reporters flooded the arena, eager to snap photos and gather interviews. Every screen was replaying viral clips of Erasa casually lifting 500kg, Sharpner smashing boulders with a single strike, and Videl executing aerial flips like a seasoned martial artist. Their recent training had turned them into rising stars—and the world was watching.

The trio stood together in their tournament gis, exuding a quiet confidence. Despite the attention, they remained focused. They remembered the words of their mentors.

From the stands, Yamcha leaned over to Krillin with a grin."Looks like our students are gonna steal the spotlight today."

Krillin chuckled. "As they should. Chichi really whipped them into shape."

Gohan nodded beside them. "They've worked really hard. This will be good for them."

Goku laughed heartily as Goten sat on his shoulders. "Man, this takes me back. It's great seeing the next generation so fired up!"

The trio had been advised to rest the day before, but their energy was hard to contain. Videl was bouncing on her feet, stretching and focused. Erasa took deep breaths, centering her mind like Krillin taught her. Sharpner did slow punches, remembering Yamcha's lessons on flow and footwork.

The tournament officials called all youth contestants to the staging area. Fighters of all kinds gathered—some traditionally trained, others wild brawlers, and even a few foreign prodigies. Yet none could take their eyes off the three in particular.

In the VIP area, the Tournament Committee quietly whispered among themselves."Those three... they've surpassed last year's champions already."

"The girl—Erasa—was scouted by three martial schools. She refused all of them."

"And Sharpner? His energy output in the pre-check nearly shorted our sensors."

"And Videl... she's on another level. Her pressure feels... dangerous."

The crowd erupted in cheers as the announcer, an energetic man in a bright yellow suit, stepped onto the platform.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the World Youth Exhibition Tournament!"He pointed toward the contestants entering the arena."This year, we have fighters from all over the world! But let's give a special welcome to the hometown heroes—Videl! Erasa! And Sharpner!"

The stadium roared as the trio stepped forward. Gohan smiled proudly. Chichi clapped enthusiastically, yelling, "Remember your forms!" Yamcha, Krillin, and even Goku stood, waving at their students.

As the crowd continued to cheer for Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner, a sharp, cold laugh pierced the air from one of the VIP balconies above the arena.

"How adorable," came a voice laced with contempt. "Children playing warriors in front of children."

All eyes turned—at least, those close enough to hear the mocking tone. Standing atop the stone balcony, arms folded and chin raised arrogantly, was an old, familiar figure draped in a dark crane-emblazoned gi—Master Shen, the infamous rival of the Turtle School.

Behind him stood four young martial artists clad in sleek black uniforms trimmed in silver and red—his new generation of Crane School elites.

Yun, the lithe and smug eldest disciple, leaned casually against the railing, his long hair tied back."They're a joke. All flash, no technique."

Saya, with cold eyes and a razor-sharp tongue, crossed her arms."Typical crowd-pleasers. Let's see how well they perform when someone actually fights back."

Kuro, bulky and stone-faced, cracked his knuckles."That Sharpner guy? Looks strong—but I bet he's slow. Too much muscle, not enough flow."

Ren, the youngest with sharp features and a deceptively calm demeanor, smirked."That Erasa girl. Her energy's all over the place. Weak ki control. I could fold her in five moves."

Master Shen scoffed. "Fools."

The Crane students sneered as they observed the cheers below. Videl had noticed the cold stares and whispered something to Erasa and Sharpner.

Sharpner smirked. "You feel that too?"

Erasa narrowed her eyes at the balcony. "Yeah. Bad vibes. Those guys aren't here for fun."

Videl clenched her fists. "Let them laugh. If they step into the ring with us... we'll show them what real strength looks like."

In the stands, Yamcha and Krillin had noticed Master Shen too. Krillin frowned. "That old snake's still teaching?"

Yamcha crossed his arms. "Looks like he's trying to make a comeback with new blood."

Goku blinked. "Wait, that's Shen? Huh... haven't seen him since Tien and Chiaotzu walked away from him."

Gohan, ever calm, said softly, "If they're from the Crane School, our friends should be careful. They play dirty. We should keep an eye out."

Below, the match pairings for the opening rounds were being finalized. The Crane students watched intently.

"Let's see," Yun murmured, "if these 'champions' survive the qualifiers. If not, we'll just wait until they climb far enough to crush them ourselves."

Master Shen's eyes narrowed with predatory intent.

"Let them shine now... it'll make their fall all the more satisfying."

Tournament Begins

The World Youth Exhibition roared to life with explosive energy as the preliminary round commenced—a brutal battle royal, with eight blocks of twenty-five fighters each. The rules were simple: only one could advance from each block. The only way to win was to knock everyone else out of the ring or leave them unconscious.

The audience's excitement was palpable, but beneath the cheering, the true warriors sized up their enemies.

Block C – Ren's Fight

The moment the match started, Ren didn't even move.

The other 24 fighters burst into motion—rushing, shouting, clashing—but Ren simply closed his eyes and exhaled softly. His Crane School gi barely fluttered as two fighters lunged toward him.

Then, in a blur—thwack!—a knee to one man's gut and a palm strike to the other's throat sent both flying out of bounds before they even registered what hit them.

Ren moved like a serpent, weaving between attackers. He wasted no movement, no energy. When a heavyset brawler swung a hammer-like fist toward him, Ren ducked low and swept the man's legs, flipping him cleanly over the ring edge with one leg.

Another pair tried to sandwich him in a pincer attack. Ren snapped upward with a high arc flip, landing behind them, grabbing both by the collar and slamming their heads together before hurling them over the boundary.

Within 45 seconds, the match was over.

Ren stood alone, arms folded, not a speck of dust on his uniform.

Block E – Saya's Fight

Saya entered the ring with her arms behind her back, expression cold and unreadable.

The moment the fight began, she vanished from sight.

A sharp gust of wind exploded at the center of the battlefield, and one contestant flew out of the ring screaming. Another flew in the opposite direction.

Gasps echoed from the stands as Saya materialized mid-air, flipping over an incoming fighter and landing a spinning axe kick to the top of his head that cratered the stone tile beneath his feet before launching him into the barrier wall.

She was vicious and surgical. Every blow she delivered was aimed to disable—knees, ribs, pressure points. A fast-moving twin duo tried to overwhelm her with speed. She calmly caught one's kick with her elbow and drove a knee into his thigh, fracturing the bone. The other tried to retreat—only to be dropped by a single flicking jab to the solar plexus.

Less than a minute later, all 24 of her opponents were unconscious or groaning on the ground outside the ring.

Saya stood alone, her lips curled slightly in cold satisfaction.

Block G – Yun's Fight

The crowd had grown excited watching Blocks C and E, but Block G's ring brought an eerie silence.

The bell had only just rung—when Yun raised a single hand.

"Let's make this quick."

The moment someone charged him—a tall, cocky fighter with spiked hair and a red belt—Yun vanished in a whisper of movement.

CRACK!

The red-belted fighter slammed into the arena wall outside the ring, unconscious.

Then began a dance of domination. Yun used one finger to redirect punches, one step to trip, one breath to parry. He wasn't just fast—he was infuriatingly graceful. Every motion was performed with such flourish that it felt like he was taunting the others.

Two martial artists with some formal training tried to coordinate, one attacking high, one low. Yun pivoted, leaned back, and let both miss—then jabbed both simultaneously in the jaw and gut, sending them sprawling.

Within 30 seconds, Yun had cleared the ring.

He dusted off his shoulders theatrically and offered a mock bow to the judges, smirking.

"Next time, give me real opponents."

Block A – Videl's Fight

Unlike the Crane students, Videl didn't rush or show off.

She took her stance calmly, eyes scanning the fighters. Many of them looked at her—the daughter of Mr. Satan—as a celebrity, not a threat.

That changed quickly.

The first fighter who approached her—a muscular grappler—laughed and lunged. Videl pivoted, grabbed his wrist, twisted it behind his back, and hip-threw him cleanly out of the ring.

The crowd gasped.

Three more fighters came at her together. Videl crouched low, dodged a punch, and then exploded upward with a flying knee into one fighter's chin. She spun mid-air and dropped another with a hook kick before planting both feet on the ring floor and shoulder-throwing the last into the edge of the arena.

As the match went on, Videl didn't dominate with overwhelming strength—but with technique, discipline, and fluidity. Her movements were refined, graceful, and precise.

Some fighters tried to team up, but Videl's situational awareness and footwork allowed her to avoid being cornered. She often used her opponents' size and weight against them—redirecting, trapping, locking, then ejecting them from the ring.

It took her longer than the Crane students—but when her final opponent attempted a flying kick, Videl grabbed his ankle mid-air and flipped him upside-down, slamming him to the ring floor before kicking him gently over the edge.

The crowd roared with approval.

Goku grinned in the stands. "She's good. Real good."

Krillin nodded. "That's a solid foundation right there. Calm. Tactical. She doesn't waste energy."

Chi-Chi smiled proudly. "She fights like a true martial artist."

Block B – Sharpner's Fight

The ring cracked under Sharpner's boots as he stepped forward, cracking his neck.

Unlike Videl, Sharpner didn't wait.

When the bell rang, he charged forward like a freight train, slamming into the nearest cluster of fighters with a roar that echoed across the battlefield.

He didn't use finesse—he used power, grit, and speed.

A spinning backfist floored one man. A powerful shoulder charge sent two more flying like bowling pins. Sharpner was fast, surprisingly so, and every punch he threw carried brutal weight behind it.

A long-range kicker tried to keep him at bay with swift jabs and side-kicks. Sharpner timed the rhythm, caught the leg, and spun him overhead before chucking him out of bounds with a grunt.

Another fighter tried to trap him in a lock—but Sharpner flexed and broke the hold, elbowed the fighter in the chest, and followed up with a ground-shaking suplex.

The match lasted about two minutes, as Sharpner had taken some time to warm up—but once he found his rhythm, he began plowing through fighters like a tank.

When he was the last one standing, he simply raised one fist into the air and let out a triumphant howl, the crowd cheering wildly for his explosive, brawler-like style.

By the end of the opening round, five warriors had advanced to the next stage, including:

Videl (Block A)

Sharpner (Block B)

Ren (Block C)

Saya (Block E)

Yun (Block G)

The crowd buzzed with anticipation as Block D still raged on—where Erasa and Kuro were yet to be seen at their full power.