Chen Kotaru showed no surprise upon hearing the words "Crane School." He simply nodded and assumed a battle stance.
Though the Crane Hermit was theoretically as renowned as the Turtle Hermit in martial arts, in reality, both he and the Crane School were far less famous. Unlike the Turtle Hermit, he wasn't known as the "God of Martial Arts."
Moreover, the Crane Hermit was a recluse who only cared about money and rarely appeared in public. His reputation remained within a small circle. Perhaps some remembered him a hundred years ago, but nowadays, almost no one even knows who he is.
But if we're talking about his brother, that's a different story entirely.
The world's number one assassin—Tao Pai Pai—now that name everyone knows.
"Haah!"
Yamcha and Chen Kotaru attacked at the same time. Chen Kotarus martial arts style was the Star Style, featuring a masterful technique called Phantom Heart Fist.
His punches created phantom illusions, making it hard to know when you'd been hit. Combined with his exceptional speed—possibly the fastest human Yamcha had ever seen in the Dragon Ball world—it was clear he was a speed-based fighter.
Unfortunately, his opponent was Yamcha.
If Chen Kotaru's fists were like phantoms, then Yamcha himself was like a mirage—you could see him, but never touch him.
This was a unique technique Yamcha developed, merging the Body Rhythm Disruption Technique stolen from Killua with the Crane School's martial arts.
After several exchanges, Chen Kotaru was clearly falling behind.
Another punch passed right through Yamcha—yet again, it missed.
"There!"
Chen Kotaru suddenly turned around and launched a powerful straight punch at where Yamcha had just appeared.
"I've figured out your footwork trick—it's just a feint based on shifting your pace!"
Phantom Heart Fist!
Chen Kotaru's punch landed right on Yamcha's body—but there was no sensation of hitting anything solid.
It went right through him!
Another illusion?
No—this time it wasn't an illusion. It was an Afterimage!
More precisely, it was the Afterimage Technique.
"Too bad—you haven't figured me out at all!"
Yamcha's voice came from behind him.
The footwork trick had just been bait. The real confusion came from the Afterimage Technique.
'Crap!'
Realizing he had fallen into a trap, Chen Kotaru turned quickly to defend.
But once you're a step behind, every step after is a losing one.
Yamcha's twin palms struck Chen Kotaru's shoulders. In an instant, both of his arms went numb.
Chen Kotaru relied heavily on his arms—Yamcha had effectively disabled his combat ability.
And Yamcha wasn't done yet.
A sweeping kick knocked Chen Kotaru off balance, and a spinning whip kick sent him flying out of the ring, eliminating him.
"Winner: Yamcha!"
Yamcha claimed a flawless victory.
Chen Kotaru was actually quite strong—probably stronger than Yamcha's original appearance in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament—but Yamcha now was on another level.
"Using odd footwork to create illusions, then fast movement to generate afterimages, followed by a surprise attack… A brilliant strategy. Even I would've fallen for it the first time."
From the final round arena, King Chappa praised Yamcha without reservation, acting the part of a seasoned pro.
"For someone your age to have reached this level is already remarkable."
"If I weren't here, you'd probably be this year's champion."
"But too bad—I am here. And I've already seen through your techniques."
"You don't stand a chance!"
As the referee announced the start of the match, the two fighters clashed fiercely.
King Chappa's hands blurred into countless afterimages, as though he truly had eight arms. Even Yamcha had to admit—his Eight-Arm Fist was incredibly fast. Without Crane Hermit's training, he might not have been able to dodge the relentless flurry.
Afterimage Technique!
Yamcha used it again—but King Chappa saw through it easily and even landed several hits.
"Using the same move twice won't work on me."
Confident in his successful tactic, King Chappa was feeling smug, thinking he had fully gauged Yamcha's strength.
'So this kid's limit ends here... quite the impressive youngster.'
"Ha ha ha ha ha..."
With peace of mind, King Chappa laughed loudly. "I'm thrilled—truly thrilled. It's been ages since anyone gave me such a fight."
"But you think this is my limit?"
"I've only used a fraction of my true strength."
He held up his right hand, leaving a tiny gap between his thumb and index finger.
"If you don't go all out, don't blame me for eliminating you."
Yamcha narrowed his eyes, uncertain whether King Chappa was bluffing. His aura hadn't changed at all—but his words didn't seem like a joke.
Could it be that in this version of the world, King Chappa was actually strong? Maybe he was hiding his true power?
It wasn't impossible...
After all, Yamcha still hadn't confirmed what kind of Dragon Ball world this was.
If this version of King Chappa was truly powerful, it wouldn't be that surprising.
'Alright... let's test him first.'
Time to reveal the second layer of his disguise:
Ripple User!
"Ripple Breathing Mode!"
Yamcha slowly closed his eyes. With a rhythmic breathing technique, golden sparks of electricity danced around him. His hair began to rise slightly.
When he reopened his eyes, they seemed to shine with golden light.
The next instant—Yamcha vanished from the arena.
"I told you—repeating the same move won't work on me."
King Chappa confidently prepared his stance. "Behold my Eight-A—"
Before he could finish, Yamcha's fist had already slammed into his chest.
"Pffft!"
King Chappa coughed up a mouthful of blood. Without a moment of pause, he was blasted backwards like a cannonball.
BOOM! A massive crash echoed through the arena as a wall collapsed. King Chappa's body was half-buried in the rubble. His legs twitched a few times—then went still.
'?!!!!'
Yamcha stood frozen in disbelief.
Didn't you just say you were only using a tiny bit of your power? Didn't you say I should show you my true strength?
That was just a part of mine!
So you were… bluffing?
Honestly, Yamcha could've dropped that classic line right now:
"I wasn't even trying yet, and you already fell?"
Wait—no, that's not the main issue right now.
Yamcha's expression changed drastically as he rushed toward the rubble.
"King Chappa, don't die on me!"
(End of Chapter)