Ch. 431 The Preliminary Round The Z fighters went to the dressing room to change. They wer

Ch. 431 : The Preliminary Round

	The Z fighters went to the dressing room to change.  They were
hurried by the staff because the tournament had already begun.  However,
their pride does not let themselves to be manipulated.  Piccolo glimpsed
at the camera man and used his "ki" to destroy the cameras.   "Piccolo-san,
why do you do that?," Gohan asked Piccolo.  "You don't want your friends at
school uncover your disguise, don't you?" Piccolo smiled at Gohan.
"Thanks!!!," Gohan was moved by his old friend.  Meanwhile, Vejita went
straight without paying attention to anyone.  On his way to the changing
way, Goku chatted with his old friend Kuririn.  Goku is surprised how Kuririn
got his hair back.  Kuririn did not explain much in detail, "but more amazing,
I am with #18 now," Kuririn told Goku.  "Remember the little girl when I came
over," Kuririn asked, "she is our child."  "Your child!!!????,  You can
do "that" with a robot????," Goku was shocked.  "Hey, she is not a robot,
she is a cyborg.  She is very much like a human,"  Kuririn knew Goku will
never get it, so he did not bother to explain any more.  Meanwhile, Trunks
was chatting with Goten.  "Hey, isn't that your dad, aren't you moved?", Trunks
asked Goten.  "Yeah," Goten answered but he was still very confused at this
point.  "But still my father(Vejita) seems stronger," Trunks said.  "But
my brother (Gohan) said my father is the #1 in the whole universe," Goten
told Trunks.  On their way several news reporters approached the Z fighters,
but the cold-blood look of Vejita and Piccolo scared them off.  Finally,
after changing, the Z fighters entered the preliminary round.  On the platform,
a man with grey hair approached the Z-fighters.  "I know you guys.  You are
the ones, not Satan, who defeated Cell."  The man identified himself as the
newsreporter during the Cell Game.  "It's great that you guys come.  Otherwise,
there won't be any serious competition.  The is not much competition here,
you know?  By the way, where do you guys come from?" , the reporter asked
Goku.  "Well, I come from up there," Goku pointed to the ring above his head,
which symbolized that he was dead.  "I returned from death for one day to
fight here," Goku explained.  The reporter was stunned into silence.
"Well, I guess with you guys, anything is possible .....  Anyway, do your
best, best wish to you all,"the reporter left.  The Z fighters were lead
to the main platform, where the announcement made about the preliminary round
was announced.  "Hello, everyone, welcome.  Today, we have more participants
than we ever anticipate.  In total, there are 194 fighters, gathering from
all over the round.  However, only 16 will be allowed to fight in the
final rounds.  Our champion last champion, Mr. Satan, was automatic qualifier.
Therefore, only 15 among you can fight in the final rounds.  You will
be selected by a "punch machine."  The machine will register how forceful
your punch is, and the top 15 participants will be qualified to go to the
next round.  But before that, let's see our Mr. Satan try on the punch machine.
"  "Punch machine?????," all the Z-fighters pondered on the stupid idea.
At one corner, Mr. Satan, cheered by everyone,  approached the punch machine.
"Let's see if anyone can beat me today," Satan said arrogantly.  "A lot,"
Kuririn thought to himself.  Mr. Satan took off his outfit.  He punched
into the punch machine with all his might.  "123!!!  123!!!!," everyone 
applauded.  "Ok, thanks Mr. Satan.  There probably won't be anyone who can
break the record, but let's start now.  #2 please comes to the punch machine
and try out."  Several people went.  "94....110.....54....." but none could
break Satan's record.  "#84 please," it was #18's term.  "Oohh , a WOMAN....
I would like to fight with HER.," some of the male participants made sexual
insults toward #18.  #18 paid no attention.  She lightly hit into the
punch machine.  "704," no one could believe it.  "Hmm, I'm sorry.  There is
a mechanical problem somewhere, please wait for a while as I fix it," the
staff examined the punch machine.  To their belief, no human could go beyond
Mr. Satan's 123.  "Just hit a lightly...we don't want any unnecessary 
attention," Kuririn told #18.  "Shut up.... all right," #18 was fustrated.
#18 hit the punch machine again, intentionally using one finger.  The machine
registered 230.  Everyone was shocked to silence.  Eventually, all the
Z-fighters broke Satan's record, however much they tried to conceal their
stregnth.  Piccolo .. 230, Kuririn..154, Goku ..187.  Vejita was not
interested in hiding his power.  He stood next to the punch machine.
"Move over," he told the staff.  Vejita puched into the machine effortlessly
and the machine was blown apart.

P.S. :  The numbers on the punch machine are not exactly the same as on
	the comic.  But the point they are there is too give you an idea
	how much stronger than Satan the Z-fighters are as portraited by
	the author.