The whole arena fell silent, then erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers. After all, seven of the eight fighters from the North Galaxy had advanced, putting immense pressure on the fighters from other galaxies.
"North Galaxy fighter Yamcha has lost the ability to fight! West Galaxy fighter Pikkon advances to the round of sixteen!"
In the North Galaxy rest area, Yamcha was brought back by medical personnel and slowly regained consciousness. He pounded the ground in grief and wailed: "Why am I always the unlucky one? Running into such a monster in the first round?"
Vegeta glanced coldly at him: "Unlucky? True strong warriors never worry about luck. I wish I could meet this Pikkon sooner."
Yamcha gritted his teeth in hatred, 'This bastard who had stolen my girl actually had the nerve to make sarcastic comments.'
Perhaps it was fate. In the round of sixteen draw, Vegeta's name was paired with Pikkon's.
"Hahaha!" Vegeta laughed loudly. "Just what I wanted. I'll show them who the true strong warrior is!"
After stepping onto the stage, Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan without hesitation. Golden Ki surged skyward, and his powerful pressure made the entire arena tremble slightly.
"Indeed a strong opponent. I'll have to give it my all too!" Pikkon's expression grew serious as he removed his weighted clothing and dropped it onto the stage. The heavy garments landed on the stage with a thud that shook the entire platform.
Seeing this, Krillin and the others' expressions changed slightly. Based on their past experience, it seemed the one who removed their weights usually won.
When the match began, Vegeta launched the first attack, turning into a golden streak of light and charging straight at his opponent. His fists and feet were wrapped in destructive energy, each strike capable of destroying a planet. However, Pikkon moved like a phantom, evading attacks by the narrowest of margins, while his counterattacks consistently landed on Vegeta's weak points.
Three minutes passed, and Vegeta hadn't even touched Pikkon's clothes, yet he had already taken dozens of heavy blows.
"Damn it!" Vegeta, enraged, raised his power level further. His hands moved at high speed, instantly firing hundreds of powerful energy blasts.
Seeing Vegeta use the [Prince's Battle Method], Setsuna slightly shook his head: "It's over."
Sure enough, facing the overwhelming barrage of energy blasts, Pikkon didn't dodge. Instead, he took a deep breath, brought his palms together in front of his chest, and then thrust them forward.
"Thunder Flash!"
A highly concentrated blast of blazing white flame erupted. The light was dazzling as a star, carrying unstoppable force. It instantly obliterated all incoming energy blasts and then struck Vegeta with its remaining power.
Vegeta was knocked out of his Super Saiyan state, falling like a kite with its string cut to the edge of the stage.
"North Galaxy fighter Vegeta has stepped out of bounds! West Galaxy fighter Pikkon advances to the quarterfinals!"
The referee's voice echoed through the arena. The entire venue erupted again. The West Galaxy spectators cheered wildly, and the East and South Galaxy spectators were no exception. There was no help for it… six of the eight quarterfinalists were from the North Galaxy. Their dominance was suffocating. Pikkon's clean victory preserved a shred of dignity for the other galaxies.
In the North Galaxy rest area, Yamcha was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh and laughed: "Haha! Strong warriors indeed don't worry about luck. But it turns out the strong warrior was Pikkon!"
Vegeta walked back to the rest area, his face black as ink. His fists were clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh, but he couldn't say a word.
Shame.
This was a shame even harder to accept than losing to Kakarot.
In the quarterfinals, Krillin and the others faced Setsuna and the Saiyans, so they were all defeated.
Soon, the semifinal matchups were set:
Setsuna vs. Pikkon...
Son Goku vs. Trunks.
In the first semifinal, Setsuna and Pikkon took the stage one after another.
Pikkon's expression was more serious than ever before. He had heard that the man across from him was the one who defeated Frieza in the living world.
"Please give me your guidance," Pikkon said respectfully, bowing.
Setsuna nodded slightly: "Let's learn from each other."
The referee waved his hand: "Match... begin!"
Pikkon moved first. Without his weighted clothing, his speed was at its peak. A straight punch aimed directly at Setsuna's face. But the next moment, Pikkon's pupils contracted sharply. His fist had passed through Setsuna's afterimage. Setsuna had somehow appeared beside him, his right hand forming a knife and lightly chopping towards his neck.
Pikkon hastily sidestepped to evade, simultaneously sweeping his left leg like a steel whip. But Setsuna's figure swayed slightly like a reflection in water, causing the fierce kick to miss, while his left index finger pointed at Pikkon's ribs.
'Fast! Too fast! And his movements were so natural, without any warning, without any openings.'
Pikkon was alarmed. He retreated with all his might, creating distance. But Setsuna followed like a shadow, always maintaining a distance perfect for striking.
"What's happening?" The more Pikkon fought, the more alarmed he became. His proud combat intuition was completely useless against Setsuna. The opponent's speed didn't seem faster than his, yet he felt an illusion of being unable to react at all. It was as if every part of the opponent's body had a mind of its own, as if no reaction time was needed at all.
In the spectator stands, Vegeta stared intently at the stage, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had personally experienced Pikkon's strength just moments ago... the opponent's combat awareness was terrifyingly strong. Yet before Setsuna, Pikkon's fighting style was completely seen through.
Vegeta clenched his fists: "I thought after transforming into a Super Saiyan, my strength was getting close to his... but this... this is on a completely different level!"
On the stage, Pikkon had been pushed to the brink. He let out a fierce yell, his aura surging as his fists turned into a storm of afterimages.
"Meteor Barrage!"
Facing this impenetrable onslaught, Setsuna finally got serious. His pupils took on a faint silvery-gray luster, and a barely perceptible silver glow emanated from his body. He had only been testing the waters before... now he was truly entering Ultra Instinct -Sign-.
Setsuna's movements became even more concise and efficient. A knife-hand strike to Pikkon's wrist, an elbow to his ribs, a knee to his abdomen... There were no flashy techniques, only the most fundamental strikes. But such ordinary attacks completely dismantled Pikkon's [Meteor Barrage].
Pikkon was forced back repeatedly, blood trickling from his mouth.
From the high platform, the Grand Kai, who had been observing the whole time, widened his eyes in astonishment.
"Th-this is..." his voice trembled, "Ultra Instinct? The legendary technique of the gods?"
He remembered the realm mentioned by the former Supreme Kai, a divine domain that even the Supreme Kai might not be able to master!
Cold sweat beaded on the Grand Kai's forehead. He recalled boasting before the tournament that he would personally guide the champion in special training. But now... how could he possibly guide such a monster?
On the stage, Pikkon wiped the blood from his mouth, a look of determination in his eyes. Close-quarters combat was completely outmatched... he had to bet everything on his final technique.
He took a deep breath, gathering all his aura between his palms. The blazing white light grew brighter and brighter, and the terrifying pressure made the entire arena tremble.
"Thunder… Flash!"
A blast of blazing white flames several times stronger than the one that had defeated Vegeta erupted.
"Sorry, but the afterlife is actually my home turf." Setsuna brought his hands together in a diamond shape. "Sekishiki Meikai Ha!"
Tien's eyes widened, 'Wasn't that my technique?'
Countless soul energies converged, and a massive gray-white beam shot forth, meeting the blazing white blast in mid-air. Almost effortlessly, the beam instantly obliterated Pikkon's Thunder Flash, then struck Pikkon in the chest, sending him flying.