Elimination Round

(3rd Person POV)

Arthur's wings had been flapping for fifteen minutes, yet Papaya Island remained elusive. He found himself still soaring over the city, passing buildings and floating vehicles. Onlookers pointed skyward, their faces a mix of awe and curiosity.

The stares didn't faze Arthur. He'd grown accustomed to being the center of attention, though in the past, those looks had been tinged with disdain rather than wonder.

"Sigh, I might as well have a rest," he muttered, shaking his head.

He'd overestimated his wings' endurance. After a mere quarter-hour of flight, fatigue set in, slowing his aerial progress. As he descended, his wings retracted, and he found himself walking down a bustling street.

'Maybe I should just book a flight,' Arthur thought, but his musings were cut short as he spotted a young woman about to be struck by an oncoming truck.

Without hesitation, he activated {Nether Surge}, enhancing his physique. In a flash, he was at her side, whisking her to safety on the sidewalk.

"Hey, you alright-" Arthur began, only to realize the woman he'd rescued was none other than a young Bulma.

Bulma stared at him, her face flushed. "Thank-"

Before she could finish, a voice boomed, "Hey, who the hell are you!?"

Curious, they turned to see a man with disheveled hair, his finger accusingly pointed at Arthur.

Bulma, indignant, retorted, "And who the hell are you, huh? How dare you point your nasty finger at such a handsome man!?"

The man's face fell, hurt evident in his voice, "Bu-bulma! Can't you recognize me?"

"Who are you!?" Bulma pouted, clearly not recognizing him.

"I'm Yamcha!" The man declared, his voice a mix of desperation and disbelief.

"Ya-yamcha!? Is that you?" Bulma's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, babe." Yamcha grinned, flashing a smile that revealed a missing tooth. "It's me. I was about to save you when that guy interrupted!" He jabbed a finger towards Arthur.

Bulma and Yamcha turned to Arthur. Bulma's cheeks remained flushed, which only fueled Yamcha's anger.

"Yamcha, don't be so rude! He just saved me..." Bulma chided softly. She bowed to Arthur, "Thank you for saving me."

She nudged Yamcha, adding, "Don't mind Yamcha, my boyfriend's just jealous."

Arthur regarded the couple before him with mild amusement. "Oh, so this middle-aged man is your boyfriend?"

"What did you say!?" Yamcha bellowed, fists clenching.

Bulma pushed him back, turning to Arthur with a coy smile. "Bo-boyfriend? Did I say that?"

"Hey- are you denying our relationship now?" Yamcha looked crestfallen, tears welling in his eyes.

Puar, floating nearby, patted Yamcha's shoulder consolingly.

Arthur smiled at the scene unfolding before him.

"Hey, since you saved me, how about you join us for a meal at my house?" Bulma offered shyly.

Yamcha's glare could have melted steel.

"Nah." Arthur shook his head, "Just consider my saving you a favor to be repaid when I need help in the future."

Bulma, persistent, tried again to convince Arthur. "Come on, you just saved my precious life! You deserve to be treated to something!" A blush crept across her cheeks.

Arthur paused, glancing at Yamcha, who resembled a jealous dog watching its owner eye a potential replacement. But Arthur's hesitation stemmed from a different concern. Despite knowing the Dragon Ball story, he realized he had no grasp of this world's geography or currency. Even if he could locate Papaya Island, checking into a hotel would prove challenging without local money.

Looking at Bulma's eager face, Arthur sighed, "Alright. I'll agree to a meal."

"Damn it!" Yamcha muttered through gritted teeth.

"Oh, shut it!" Bulma snapped, her annoyance palpable. "You still owe me! I've been calling you for weeks, and you wouldn't answer! I thought you'd ditched me!"

"You know I wouldn't do that, Bulma!" Yamcha pleaded, scrambling to explain.

Puar and Oolong, observing from the sidelines, merely shrugged at the couple's bickering.

Arthur silently followed the group. Though Bulma's anger at Yamcha was evident, he could see her underlying relief at his return. Puar, too, seemed overjoyed at Yamcha's presence.

Drawing on his knowledge of the Dragon Ball plot, Arthur knew Yamcha had just returned from a month of training in preparation for the Tenkaichi Budokai.

As they walked, Yamcha mentioned the tournament. Arthur's interest piqued, "You want to compete in the martial arts tournament?"

Yamcha turned to Arthur, his voice laced with resentment, "What is it to you?"

Arthur smiled, unfazed by the hostility. "Nothing. I'm also thinking of competing in the tournament."

"Oh, wow. You're a fighter too?" Bulma's eyes widened in surprise.

"Kind of," Arthur nodded, his tone casual.

Yamcha burst into laughter, with Puar joining in. "A pretty face like you actually thinking of competing in the tournament? Haha, that's rich!"

"Yeah, and if you do go to the tournament, you'll be up against Yamcha-sama! You wouldn't stand a chance!" Puar boasted proudly.

Arthur's smile remained unfazed. "Let's see about that."

As Bulma observed the exchange between Arthur and Yamcha, a thought struck her. "By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Arthur," he replied simply.

Bulma turned to Yamcha, her voice thoughtful. "Yamcha, I think Arthur might be a good fighter. After all, he just saved me from a truck earlier, remember?"

Yamcha snorted dismissively. "That's nothing." He added, a hint of embarrassment in his voice, "In fact, I was about to save you there, but Arthur was just nearer to you."

The conversation continued as they made their way to Bulma's impressive house. Panchy, Bulma's mother, warmly welcomed Arthur and Yamcha.

Over the meal, Bulma peppered Arthur with questions about his origins and fighting background, her interest obvious. Arthur offered measured responses, revealing little.

***

As evening fell, Arthur found himself on Papaya Island, thanks to Bulma's assistance. Despite her visible disappointment, he parted ways with the group upon arrival.

Arthur made his way to the tournament registration area, the place buzzing with energy and anticipation. Amidst the crowd, he spotted familiar figures - Goku and Krillin, accompanied by Master Roshi.

Arthur observed an amusing scene unfold: Goku reuniting with Yamcha and the others, while Puar transformed into a hammer, which Bulma promptly used to send the perverted Roshi flying. Shaking his head with a bemused smile, Arthur entered the registration building.

Soon, the elimination round began. Arthur noticed Yamcha eyeing him tauntingly from across the room.

"This guy's still salty about me saving his girl, huh," Arthur mused, glancing at the tournament bracket. He found himself in the same block as Yamcha, a coincidence that brought a smirk to his face. Arthur resolved to win this fight and teach Yamcha a lesson.

When Arthur's turn came, he relied solely on his physical prowess, easily defeating a humanoid wolf fighter. Murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd.

"Woah, that young man fights well."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Arthur's smile widened as he caught snippets of conversation around him. Turning his attention to the other tournament blocks, he witnessed Goku casually tapping a gigantic fighter, who stumbled and fell off the stage.

Arthur's expression grew solemn.

He understood the immense power Goku and Krillin had gained after seven months of training under Master Roshi.

Later, he observed Yamcha's fight, watching as the former bandit leapt and delivered a decisive kick to his tall, burly opponent's face.

But Arthur knew Yamcha wasn't the real threat.

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the true challenges: Goku, Krillin, and Jackie Chun - Roshi's disguise. These were the opponents he needed to watch out for in the tournament ahead.

Arthur's eyes widened as he witnessed Krillin's fight. The young monk's opponent was sent flying, crashing through a wall and continuing his trajectory until he collided with a distant structure. The display of raw power left Arthur increasingly pensive.

Despite having illustrated this very scene in the Dragon Ball manga back in his world, witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience. The reality of the situation began to sink in.