Dragon Ball: Paradise Lost

Competitive Pride And Humility

"Alright, we're all split up!" Krillin exclaimed.

"How's that so exciting for you?" Chayote turned to him baffled. "You'll have to wait longer before you fight someone strong..."

"No, it's better to take on the strongest guys the very last, trust me!" Goku grabbed Chayote by the elbow and pulled on it. Both the young man's energy, as well as the fact that it was a Saiyan claiming so, helped Chayote to get onboard with the hype.

"If you say so..." she shrugged, considering to keep this Earthling ritual in mind. To her, it still seemed a little like Earth itself – Earthlings were cowardly so they postponed the really tough fighting until it was unavoidable. Still, if Goku was onboard... He was nothing if not genuine. He spent much more time on Earth and if he would have known fighting strong opponents later on to be different he'd not have held it back.

"The preliminary fights to determine the eight finalists of the World Martial Arts Tournament will now commence! Please confirm your assignment by comparing the number you drew against the chart and gather at the appropriate ring!"

Chayote raised her head up. She noticed Goku and the others heading toward the chart to check the numbers they've drawn. Yamcha looked back at Chayote who just mingled on one foot. He turned around and pressed his hands onto his hips.

"What's wrong? Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"Oh, I've already checked my number. My training with Baba was... Unnatural." She shrugged.

"I see..." Yamcha smiled, staring at Chayote for a couple of seconds with an inspired look before following Krillin and Goku to the chart.

"The rules are simple: you will fight one-on-one, if you fall out of the ring, are knocked out or give up – you lose. The use of all weapons is prohibited. There is no time limit from this point, therefore, please fight it out to your heart's content until a true winner is determined!"

Chayote closed her eyes and let the darkness envelop her. Farther ahead, to the north by the charts, Goku raised his arm and spoke to Krillin. Yamcha turned back with an encouraging nod. They were wishing each other good luck. This ability of Baba's was too amazing to pass-up. If only Chayote could have devoted some more time to mastering it. Right now she was nowhere near seeing the future but she was great at seeing the present.

"Enjoying yourself? Should I feel glad you haven't picked up on fortune-telling quite yet? It's no good to just stare at the future, you'll end up wasting your life and turning into an old prune..." Baba's voice rang in Chayote's head. It appeared that the old crone was quite capable of mental communication, just like Muten Roshi.

"I figure that if I keep staring into the present enough, I'll eventually see the future, just like you." Chayote thought to herself. She wasn't able to speak mentally yet but those who were were used to reading one's thoughts as a potential reply to their telepathy.

"Normally I'd say you're full of it but... Who knows... A freak of nature like you might actually do it. When you first asked me to show you a thing or two, whatever you were trying to see, I was just humoring you. Just for the laughs... Even someone like me, a master that walks between the world of mortals and the Otherworld freely, needs a crystal ball but you... You just picked up on centuries of training in a snap." Baba spread gleeful signals in her mind, chuckling this way.

It must have been because of the vast difference in the strength between the two. Also because of the fact that Chayote was delving not only into the realm of psychics like Baba but also into martial arts as well. These two weren't quite the same but it was easier to learn how to bake cakes when one had practice with making perfect omelets than without such experience.