Tien and Yamcha flew through the sky for a long time. Tien used the Crane School's flying technique, and Yamcha rode a hoverboard. The sun was already starting to dip toward the horizon when they finally reached their destination—King Chappa's temple.
The temple was far away, deep in the southwest region, surrounded by a wide stretch of desert. From the air, the place looked peaceful, sitting near the edge of a barren land. The wind carried a sense of heat, and the hot air shimmered around them. It was a lonely but strong-looking place.
Tien glanced down as they approached.
"We're here," he said calmly.
This was the temple of King Chappa, one of the strongest martial artists in the world. It was also where he trained his students. The building was large and solid, with clean lines and strong walls, showing the discipline of the man who built it.
The exact coordinates of this temple were SSR 249905 C. Tien and Yamcha had started from Capsule Corporation near WST 3338926 K. The distance between those two points was huge. But for strong fighters like them, who could fly faster than most vehicles, it had only taken a few hours.
Tien floated high above the temple and looked down with sharp eyes. He closed his eyes briefly and focused his senses.
"King Chappa is inside," he said, eyes still closed.
Yamcha hovered beside him, looking curious.
"I sense other strong fighters too," Tien added. "Probably his students."
Then his brow lifted slightly. "There's another one… someone almost as strong as King Chappa. Interesting."
He didn't spend long wondering who it was. Instead, Tien gave a short nod and slowly began to descend. His clothes fluttered behind him as he dropped toward the earth. Yamcha followed without speaking, trusting his friend's judgment.
Tien landed softly in front of the temple's great front door. It wasn't made of wood or glass like normal buildings—it was a large, heavy metal gate, specially built as a test.
The rule was simple: only someone strong enough to push open the door was allowed to enter. It was King Chappa's way of keeping out the weak and lazy.
Tien didn't hesitate. He placed one hand on the door and gave it a gentle push.
Creeeeak.
The door opened smoothly, as if it weighed nothing at all.
Inside, a group of men were training hard. Some were punching the air, others practicing forms, sweat dripping from their foreheads. When they heard the door open, they all turned at once, surprised. No one ever got through that door without significant effort—until now.
At the far end of the hall, on a raised platform, sat King Chappa. He wore traditional training clothes and sat with perfect posture, his eyes calm and watchful.
As soon as he saw who had entered, his eyes widened with recognition.
"Tien Shinhan?!"
He stood up quickly and stepped forward, his face now serious.
"You're the winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament," Chappa said firmly. "I remember it clearly. I lost that year to Goku in the prelims… but you beat him and won the whole thing."
Chappa paused, studying the tall man in front of him.
"You were once called the strongest man in the world," he added.
Then his eyes slid toward Yamcha. Something about him looked familiar too, though Chappa couldn't place it. But it didn't matter—his focus was on Tien.
Chappa stepped down from the platform, waving a hand to his students.
"Everyone, step back."
The students obeyed, moving silently to the sides of the room.
Now standing just a few steps away from Tien, Chappa pressed his hands together and bowed slightly.
"What can I do for you, Master Tien?" he asked with respect. His voice was calm but firm. He wasn't afraid.
Chappa didn't think he was weaker than Tien anymore. He had trained every day since his loss to Goku. He had improved, grown stronger, learned from his mistakes.
Tien didn't speak right away. He looked around slowly, taking in the temple. It was clean, organized, and strong. It stood proud even though the land around it was dry and harsh. Chappa had clearly taken care of this place. It said a lot about him.
Tien gave a small smile.
"Hello, King Chappa," he said kindly. "It's good to see you remember me."
He bowed back, just slightly.
"Sorry for coming without notice. I didn't come here to challenge you or your school."
"I came because I have a favor to ask."
Chappa raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Tien continued.
"I am building a kingdom," he said clearly. "And I want you to be my minister."
"I believe you have the strength and the leadership I need. I hope you'll consider this offer seriously."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Chappa looked surprised. He had expected a fight, or maybe a demand. But this? He was being asked to join something bigger, to leave his land and people behind?
"I see," Chappa said slowly.
He crossed his arms and looked straight into Tien's eyes.
"But… why would I leave my home?"
He pointed toward the students.
"These men have trained with me for years. This temple, this land… I built it with my own hands. My whole life is here."
Chappa's voice was calm but firm.
"I respect you, Tien. But I don't have a reason to follow you."
Yamcha felt a little nervous. Chappa's answer made sense, and it didn't sound like he would change his mind. Yamcha glanced at Tien, hoping his friend had a plan.
Tien wasn't worried. His face stayed calm. He had already guessed Chappa's way of thinking. This man didn't care about power or titles. He cared about martial arts.
Tien held up his hand, palm facing upward.
"I didn't come empty-handed," he said.
A small glowing ball of energy appeared above his hand. Soft, blue light filled the room.
"This is Ki," Tien said simply. "It's the secret behind higher-level martial arts."
Chappa stared at the energy, wide-eyed.
Tien kept going.
"The reason you lost to Goku wasn't because you were weak—it was because he could use this, and you couldn't."
"I trained under Master Shen of the Crane School. Like Goku, I've learned to control my Ki."
"If you agree to become my minister… I'll teach you this power."
Tien smiled as the energy vanished from his hand.
Chappa stood frozen for a moment. His eyes were still fixed on the space where the energy had been.
He had seen fighters use Ki before—Goku, Roshi, and others—but no one had ever offered to teach him. He had spent years trying to understand their strength, training harder and harder, hoping to catch up without knowing what he was missing.
Now, the answer stood in front of him.
Still, he wasn't ready to say yes.
"I'm tempted," Chappa said honestly. "But I want to be sure of one thing."
He bowed again, deeper this time.
"Please fight me," he said. "Let me see this power for myself."
"If you truly are stronger than me because of this Ki… I'll join your kingdom."
"But if I can match you without it, then I will stay here, and I hope you'll respect that."
Tien didn't answer right away.
But inside, he was already smiling.
He had expected this.
Chappa's heart was full of pride, and his mind was full of martial arts. There was only one way to earn his loyalty—and that was to defeat him.
Tien didn't mind.
This was the kind of challenge he liked.
This was the kind of loyalty he respected.
Soon, King Chappa would see for himself the difference between a strong man… and a warrior who had reached the next level.
Advanced chapters ahead on patréon
www.patréon.com/ImagineMaker