"Didn't expect you to be so wealthy!"
Yamiru walked into the double-decker bus, looking around left and right, unable to resist complimenting Tonpo, the pig-headed man, who was following him into the vehicle.
This was a motorhome. The first floor had a small kitchen, a small living room, and a small bathroom. The second floor mainly consisted of a few small bedrooms. It was essentially a mobile home that could handle all basic needs.
"If I really had money, I wouldn't buy this kind of motorhome. I'd just buy an apartment in the center of South City!" Tonpo stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking a bit frustrated. "You won't let me go, so what exactly do you want to ask?"
"Of course, I'm interested in the magic you used, the superpowers that leopard used earlier, and the Superpower Academy you mentioned. But first, drive the bus. While you're at it, get your thoughts together. Don't stutter when I ask you, or else you'll get beaten up."
Yamiru pushed Tonpo toward the driver's seat.
It wasn't that Yamiru couldn't drive, but he wanted to keep the pig-headed man busy. If Tonpo tried to slip something past him, such as putting laxatives in his food or drink, Yamiru would be stuck in the bathroom no matter how strong he was. Based on how the pig-headed man had acted in the past, it wouldn't be surprising if Tonpo tried something like that.
"First, I want to ask you your name."
Yamiru stood behind the driver's seat, casually giving Tonpo driving directions while asking the question.
"My name?" Tonpo's short hoof stepped on the gas pedal as he looked confused. "I've already told you, I'm Tonpo."
"Your real name?"
"Yeah."
"Is that really your real name?" Yamiru asked suspiciously.
"Why would I use a fake name?" Tonpo replied, feeling perplexed.
Yamiru thought for a moment, then asked, "How old are you?"
"Sometimes I'm older, sometimes I'm younger, depends on whether or not I transform."
"I'm asking about your age!" Yamiru said, exasperated. "Stop playing dumb."
"18 years old," Tonpo muttered, pouting.
"You're 18?" Yamiru was surprised, taking a step back to examine the pig-headed man's physique. "With your build, you're about the same size as me."
"Look at my face and say that again!" Tonpo growled, clearly annoyed. "I'm a pig! How can I be the same as you? Is it that strange that I'm shorter? I was born like this! Why do you care?"
"Yes, that's makes sense," Yamiru nodded.
"Now I'm even more annoyed!" Tonpo slammed the car horn in frustration.
Looking at his age... it probably wasn't that oolong... Yamiru couldn't quite figure out what he was feeling right now. If he called it regret, it was because he hadn't met the perverted pig from the original Work. But was there really anything to regret? He didn't like that stupid pig anyway. But if he said it didn't matter at all, it didn't seem to be that simple either. If this pig in front of him was really the one from the original Work, then this was the first time Yamiru had met an "original character" since coming to this world. Thinking about it like that, it felt kind of meaningful.
After more than half an hour, the double-decker bus slowly stopped in front of Yamiru's small house on the outskirts.
Tonpo got out and looked around at the desolate place, unable to resist sneering, "So poor, so remote!"
"It's fine, it's the same to me."
Yamiru got out of the car, not too bothered by Tonpo's disdain.
He wasn't lying.
For someone like Yamiru, who couldn't live without Wi-Fi in his previous life...
Being transported to the Dragon Ball Earth—a world without the internet, without a single familiar face, and with no entertainment that aligned with his tastes—whether he lived in a city or in the countryside, what difference did it make?
"Such noble character!"
Sometimes, Yamiru admired himself. After crossing over, he had become so zen.
But the reason he was so zen, indifferent to everything, might also be because he had lost all his life goals... Thinking about it like that, he couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic.
"Such a strange person!" Tonpo silently evaluated as he watched Yamiru's back.
Entering Yamiru's small house, Tonpo was even more shocked by how shabby it was. The tiny place only had a desk, a broken chair, and a small wooden bed.
"Isn't this the poster for the World Martial Arts Tournament?" Tonpo's sharp eyes caught sight of the poster on Yamiru's desk. "Oh, so you're interested in this."
"You know about the Martial Arts Tournament?" Yamiru casually asked.
"Not really, I've heard it's a small competition where all sorts of random people can participate," Tonpo shrugged. "Even animal people and monsters can join, so it's really low-tier."
"You're an animal person yourself, alright?" Yamiru was speechless. "Are you saying that a tournament that doesn't restrict animal people is high-tier?"
Tonpo said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "What else? Many animal people and monster people are born with extraordinary strength, so such fighting competitions should definitely limit their participation. Just look at professional fighting leagues—they reject animal people fighters. Even if they perform well, the audience doesn't really like them. And..."
He grinned and shrugged. "The only ones who can be champions are pure-blooded humans!"
Like Mr. Satan from the comics? Yamiru pondered.
Perhaps the reason why the previous champions of the World Martial Arts Tournament, like Son Goku, didn't have much fame, was because the tournament itself, being so mixed and disorganized, wasn't looked down upon by society.
As for Satan, who apparently won the tournament—Yamiru could think of a couple of reasons for his fame. First, it could be because before winning the tournament, Satan was already a champion in the professional fighting leagues, with his celebrity status. So when he won the tournament, he brought along exposure and fame to the event.
Secondly... perhaps the tournament underwent reforms after Satan's victory.
For example, during the Majin Buu saga, the tournament was much bigger, and the number of animal people participants had noticeably decreased.
Wait, why am I thinking about the World Martial Arts Tournament again?! Yamiru suddenly realized.
In a moment of distraction, he found himself thinking like a Dragon Ball fan discussing on a forum...
During this moment of distraction, the pig-headed Tonpo had actually grabbed two posters of the tournament and was flipping through them, especially getting to the back of the old poster, where Yamiru had drawn Super Saiyan Goku.
"What are you doing? Don't go around flipping things!" Yamiru snatched the poster out of Tonpo's hands, putting it back on the desk.
"What's this drawing? Not bad, pretty cool," Tonpo said. "Much cooler than you."
Isn't that obvious? Yamiru thought to himself. If I were cooler than a Super Saiyan, I would have already punched Frieza, kicked Majin Buu, and casually chatted with the Destroyer and the Angel. Instead, here I am, wasting time talking to you.
"You're in my custody right now, so you better be serious," Yamiru warned the pig-headed man. "We're in the middle of nowhere, I could just steam you, cook you, and no one would ever know. The police wouldn't even care."