Troubles at the Tenka'ichi Budōkai

Preliminary Preparations

Piccolo's offspring and Goku exchange cold smirks before the offspring walks away. Tenshinhan asks if one of Piccolo Daimao's henchmen survived, and Goku quietly tells him to keep it quiet so they do not cause a commotion. Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu notice the exchange and ask what is going on, but Goku deflects by saying the guy looked strong.

A young woman approaches and taps Goku on the shoulder, calling him by name. Goku has no idea who she is, and she storms off in frustration. Krillin asks who the cute girl was, but Goku is clueless. The officials announce the start of the preliminaries with only 72 entrants, far fewer than previous tournaments. As the block drawings begin, Tenshinhan telepathically instructs Chiaotzu to scatter everyone across different blocks, including Piccolo's offspring.

Goku vs. King Chapa

Goku draws number 2, placing him in Block One's opening match against King Chapa. Chapa declares that things will be different this time. The match begins, but Goku does not move. Yamcha observes that he cannot sense any trace of Goku's energy, and Tenshinhan recognizes that Goku has achieved complete emptiness, making him unbeatable for someone of Chapa's level.

Chapa charges in with a kick, but Goku vanishes. Chapa looks skyward expecting Goku overhead, but Goku is behind him and drops him with a single tap to the back of the neck. The crowd is stunned.

The Cyborg Assassin

Everyone is impressed, including Piccolo's offspring, though he dismisses these moves as insufficient against him. Krillin, Yamcha, and Tenshinhan each advance through their own preliminary matches without trouble. Chiaotzu, however, is overwhelmed and loses to a fighter wearing a strange helmet and goggles. The victor remarks that Chiaotzu is only still alive because he held back to avoid disqualification. Tenshinhan looks up at the figure, who greets both him and Goku by name. To their shock, it is Tao Pai-pai, alive and rebuilt as a cyborg.