Krillin lay on the stage, shocked as he looked at Goku and shouted, "This is impossible! Isn't your tail your weakness?"
Goku laughed and replied, "Yes, my tail used to be a weakness, but over the past three years, I've trained hard to make it no longer a liability."
"So, Krillin, I'm sorry to disappoint you!" Goku said cheerfully.
"Dammit!" Krillin stood up from the stage, now aware that he could only fight hard; his trump card was no longer effective.
Krillin charged at Goku again, but Goku had already gauged Krillin's limits and decided to end the battle. He increased his speed, dodged Krillin's attack, and struck him with a knife-hand blow directly to his neck.
The powerful strike hit Krillin's vagus nerve, causing him to faint on the stage.
Seeing this, the host immediately began the countdown without waiting for Goku to remind him. After ten counts, Krillin did not regain consciousness and was ultimately declared eliminated, allowing Goku to advance to the finals.
Thus, only the final match remained in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament: John vs. Goku.
To secure their best viewing spots, many spectators chose not to go for meals and stayed around the arena until the afternoon match began.
Soon it was 2:30 PM. The host took to the stage, and the previously lethargic audience instantly perked up, applauding enthusiastically.
"Good afternoon, dear friends! The next match is the final of this tournament and will determine the champion. Both participants are disciples of Master Roshi: John and Son Goku."
"Now, let's welcome our competitors with thunderous applause!"
As the host finished speaking, loud applause erupted in the venue.
Amidst the cheers, John and Goku stepped onto the stage.
"Goku, it seems we haven't fought since we first met years ago," John remarked.
Goku nodded and said, "That's right. You promised several times to spar with me but never did. This time you have no excuse to avoid it."
John replied, "Of course! Let's have a good match; winning or losing isn't important—having fun is!"
The host intended to interview them but John interrupted: "Let's save interviews for after the match; right now we just want to start!"
Hearing John's words, the audience echoed loudly in agreement: "Match! Match! Match!"
Unable to go against public opinion, the host declared loudly: "Alright then! Since everyone insists so much, I announce that the final of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament officially begins!"
John and Goku assumed their stances and charged at each other. Instantly, intense sounds of combat filled the arena.
If John had gone all out from the start, a winner would have been clear quickly. However, he wanted to gradually release his power to bring out Goku's full potential.
True to his reputation, Goku began on the defensive against John's initial pressure but grew stronger as they fought. Despite John holding back his strength, Goku managed to keep pace with him using various brilliant techniques.
Watching from the sidelines were Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien Shinhan; they were continually amazed by how far both fighters had come.
Krillin remarked: "At their current level of power, only legendary gods could defeat them!"
Yamcha added: "I remember when we first met; Goku was already strong while John was just an ordinary martial artist. I never expected they'd grow this much."
At that moment Tien Shinhan asked: "Have you known them for many years?"
Krillin answered: "Yes! Including this year; it's been four years since we first met while training under Master Roshi."
On stage, John shouted at Goku: "Goku! Watch my ultimate move!" He raised both hands skyward as energy rapidly gathered around him. Countless energy blasts shot from John's hands toward Goku.
Goku spun and dodged numerous energy blasts that rained down on him. The blasts struck the stage with force, kicking up dust that obscured his vision.
Coughing through the dust cloud while observing carefully for John's movements, Goku suddenly felt a kick strike his left side and was sent flying.
John called out: "Goku! You're too focused on what you see with your eyes; pay attention to the movement of energy instead."
"Your eyes can miss things sometimes; no matter how well someone hides their presence, they can't completely conceal it."
As he spoke again from Goku's blind spot, John landed another hit on him.
Getting hit repeatedly wasn't an option for Goku; he chose to spin in place. This created a tornado on stage that swept away dust and debris.
With visibility restored on stage—now pockmarked from their battle—both fighters engaged again. They exchanged powerful Kamehameha waves until ultimately Goku was overwhelmed by a massive explosion from John's attack.
It was evident now that Goku's strength was inferior to John's; defeat was merely a matter of time.
However, neither John nor Goku cared about that; both were enjoying their match immensely.
Goku said to John: "Can you unleash your full power? I want to see how big our gap really is!"
John nodded in agreement: "Of course! If you want to see it that badly, let's go!"
Seeing that John wasn't preparing an attack immediately, Goku decided to take the initiative instead.
Goku unleashed everything he had—but despite his full power assault—he couldn't land a single hit on John after dozens of attempts. Finally seizing an opening during one of Goku's attacks, John delivered a powerful punch.
Goku clutched his stomach and staggered backward before collapsing onto the stage with a thud.
In the end, John claimed victory with absolute strength and became champion of this martial arts tournament.