A.N: I mean, I might as well say this. This chapter is more of just a buildup to Block B. I hope everyone enjoys it regardless.

Chapter 23

A Long Way Down

Block B Begins

Goku could barely contain his excitement with the end of Block A. The fighters in the Urban Tier had fought so hard, and they were in one of the weaker tiers. "Ha! I'm so excited!" Goku squealed.

Vegeta scowled. "You can't be serious? Compared to what we can do, that's nothing. Honestly, some of those fighters looked like they were moving in slow-motion compared to us." He pointed out.

"Well, I think they're still impressive." Gohan offered. "A lot of those fighters were just normal humans. So the fact that they're strong enough to be chosen to fight in a tournament like this...well, I think there's something to be said about that."

"Yeah, but even normal humans in our universe are capable of unbelievable feats." Piccolo countered Gohan's optimistic statement. "I mean look at Krillin and the others."

Elsewhere, Toriko was gobbling down his 50th portion. "Oh, Block A's over already?" Toriko had tuned out the fighting to enjoy the incredible food that was constantly being brought to him by what he could only assume to be 5 star chefs in this world.

"Yeah, it was...well, it was nothing compared to what I've seen you and the others do." Toriko's partner, Komatsu admitted. "Still, it was something. I wonder what Block B's going to be like? I think they mentioned before Block A started that each one would have some sort of gimmick. That labyrinth was pretty unique. So I can't help but wonder what they'll do next."

This actually made Toriko pause in his feast. "The possibilities are endless, Komatsu. Just by the smell, I can tell this 'world' we're all in...it's unlike anything we've experienced or been to, kinda like the Gourmet World."

"Seriously?" Komatsu looked at Toriko in wonder. "This world is as amazing as the Gourmet World was?"

"For a vastly different reason," Toriko admitted, "this world...there are so many unfamiliar but fantastic scents that linger in this world. For me, it's this world's way of telling me that the possibilities that can occur here are simply endless. It's getting me really excited."

"You say that, but you lost interest in Block A to gorge yourself." Komatsu deadpanned.

Toriko laughed. "Not gonna bother denying that. But hey, I got all I needed from sniffing all of them while they were in the heat of battle. They're something, even if I'm stronger."

Komatsu shook his head at Toriko mentioning his nose once more. "Seriously, we've known each other for years, and yet that sense of smell of yours never ceases to amaze me." He muttered before humming. "So I guess it really doesn't matter what they do next, huh? It'll be amazing either way, simply because this world is amazing and the possibilities are endless."

Komatsu smiled. "Yeah, I think I like looking at things from that perspective."

"Helps you look forward to things more if you treat every possibility with a positive attitude, huh?" Toriko grinned. "Consider that another lesson from your buddy, Komatsu."

Meanwhile, the young Joseph Joestar was making his way back to his group. There was a strut in his step, to the point where he was practically bouncing with every step. "Two knockouts. I am feeling good today." Joseph said in a sing-song tone of voice. "Feeling very nice."

Then, almost immediately, that good feeling went away as Joseph was suddenly addressed by a very familiar voice. One he really should have expected to hear again, and yet was still frozen in shock upon hearing it. "I thought that was you, JoJo."

Indeed, Joseph never thought he would hear that voice again. A part of him was terrified to hear it. However, a part of him was...sincerely happy. Of course, a little voice in his head was telling him to turn around and confirm it was indeed whom he was hearing.

And so, Joseph turned around, and was treated to the sight of a certain Pillar Man, who awoke his masters once upon a time in Italy. Wamuu, the Pillar Man, had an unreadable expression from the sight of the Hamon user he had grown to respect so much as a rival in the time they spent together. "Wamuu?!" Joseph knew by now that the dead were participating in this tournament. But he was still so shocked to see this one again.

Wamuu remained impassive as he walked up to Joseph. Joseph let out a small eep and dropped into his fighting stance. "Easy there, big guy!" Joseph exclaimed. "I'm sure you want a rematch, but we can't do it here!"

Wamuu then gave a small smile and a curt nod to his old rival. "It pleases me to see you once more on the field of battle, JoJo." He said respectfully. "You cannot fathom the jubilation I feel at the mere possibility of facing you once more. My only regret thus far was that we could not meet in the labyrinth."

G-geez, so he was in the labyrinth? Oh man, glad I did not run into him. I don't think I'd have a plan for taking on Wamuu again. Joseph frantically thought to himself.

Wamuu continued to speak. "I cannot shake your hand like a human, because of my own physiology, but JoJo...if the day comes that we do fight once more, may it surpass our battle in the colosseum!" He told him.

Joseph got over his shock and fear and remembered a very important fact. This was Wamuu, not Esidisi and certainly not Kars. At that moment, Joseph smiled, forgetting the fear he felt from seeing one of the Pillar Men again. "I...can honestly say I'm glad to see you again as well, Wamuu." Joseph told him sincerely. "We may have been enemies...and you were the man who killed Caesar...and yet I cannot bear any hatred in my heart towards you. You lived by your own code, and stayed true to your honor until the end. No man worth his salt could hate someone like that."

"That being said," Joseph continued, "if you are unlucky enough to go up against me again, I won't hold back, big guy."

Wamuu smirked. "I hope not, JoJo. I want to see if you've become even stronger since I left your warrior's path. I truly give praise to the Overseer for bringing me back and granting me the chance to fight strong enemies just like in life. However, you are the one I want to fight the most. I want that rematch, JoJo, my greatest enemy and rival."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see what fate has in store for us, Wamuu." Joseph responded to his deadliest rival.

Oh man, I really don't think I can beat him the way I did. I need to come up with a new strategy. Yeah right! Easier said than done! It's freaking Wamuu for crying out loud! Joseph was still freaking out on the inside.

"And who knows," Joseph continued, "with how big the universe is, you might find someone even better to fight than me."

Wamuu then glared at Joseph, making him turn pale. "Do not put yourself down, JoJo." Wamuu told him. "You were the man who defeated me, after all."

Joseph gasped, realizing this was Wamuu's way of complimenting him, as well as calling him out on his nonsense. Then, before he could continue to converse with his old rival, he heard the voices of the announcers.

"Well, the labyrinth has been removed from the colosseum, folks." Kaji spoke up first. "And you all know what that means? It's time we get started on Block B!"

"First, we shall select what kind of matchup the 120 Block B fighters will be competing in." Daisuke spoke up second. "As a general rule though, do not expect the labyrinth to be used again. It had its day in the limelight, so it is time we move forward."

"Afterwards, we'll explain the rules, and all who are participating in Block B will be asked to move onto the battlefield to prepare for their turn in the spotlight." Said Kaji.

"Please, turn your attention to the screen in the middle of the colosseum, which is about to present the name of the battle Block B will be partaking in." Daisuke ordered.

Everyone, spectators and participants alike, turned to the floating screen in the middle of the colosseum. In moments, words appeared on the screen, words that formed the name of this particular battle.

"Long Way Down!" Kaji and Daisuke said in unison.

"Oof, hope none of the good folks of Block B are afraid of heights." Kaji laughed.

"Is that spoiling what the fight entails?" Daisuke asked curiously.

"Dude, nothing's really hidden in a name like 'Long Way Down.'" Kaji pointed out.

"...Fair enough," Daisuke said after a brief pause, "we will now explain the rules for Long Way Down, and much like Labyrinth, they are quite simple."

"All 120 fighters in Block B will be placed atop a platform that will rise into the air. From there, the goal is simple: last 64 standing wins." Daisuke began. "The only way to eliminate your competitors is to ring them out, however. Of course, special exceptions will be made if a contestant is near death."

"Flying is allowed, but only for five minutes at most. And, you need to spend the exact amount of time on the ground you spend in the air before you can fly again. Don't think you can cheese your way to victory." Kaji interjected.

"From there, anything goes. This isn't like the last one, where it's about stealth and hunting your enemies." Daisuke explained.

"This is more about your ability to use destructive force to knock your enemies off the platform. And I can't stress this enough, you have to knock them off the platform to eliminate them." Kaji reiterated. "I mean, you certainly could drive them to the brink of death, but that could very well turn you into a heel. And trust me when I say this, you do not want to be a heel in a tournament like this. It's one thing to be a heel in staged events, but nothing about this is staged. Being a heel in a place like this can actually be quite demoralizing because now the whole crowd hates your guts. And as someone who's been doing this for a long time, let me tell ya, the demoralized fighter always loses."

"I'm sensing a pattern in each of these." Nico Robin spoke up, surprising her shipmates.

"For real?" Usopp was surprised to hear this. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Robin."

Robin hummed. "Each of these have a particular theme used to test a certain aspect of fighting." She pointed out. "The labyrinth was meant to test Block A's ability to seek opponents and their understanding of 'fight or flight'."

"And with this one, it's just as that Kaji said." Robin continued. "They're testing Block B's destructive power and their endurance. And what better way to do that, than to use a battle system where the only way to eliminate someone is to ring them out."

Robin folded her arms. "I think we can expect each of these 'prelim' battles to have some sort of theme. Speed, adaptability, extra parameters to win fights, the possibilities are endless. When it's finally our turn, we need to be prepared for anything they throw at us."

"Hopefully it's nothing direction oriented." Sanji gave Zoro a deadpan expression. "Because we can count a certain Mosshead out right then and there if it is."

"Screw you!" Zoro yelled. "You better pray you don't end up fighting a woman! Or better yet, it's not mud-wrestling or anything like that! Because you're screwed if that's the case you pervy cook!"

"How about we start our own personal tournament right now, you and me, Mosshead!" Sanji screamed, getting right in Zoro's face before inexplicably bursting into flames.

"Bring it on!" Zoro screamed right back. "I've been waiting for an excuse to cut you up!"

"Oh, you mean like how you blinded yourself?" Sanji pointed at the scar over Zoro's closed eye.

"You don't even know what happened there, don't give me that crap!"

"SHUT UP!" Nami, screaming voice of reason, stepped in and smashed both two into the ground.

"And now that that's all been explained," Daisuke spoke up, as though he had been waiting for Zoro and Sanji to end their argument. And hey, with how omnipotent the people running this world seem to be, they may very well have been waiting, "we will now take this opportunity to send the same psychic messages to the contestants of Block B."

"Once you receive those messages, get your butts down to the battlefield, and get ready for the express elevator going up." Kaji ordered. "And seriously, if you're afraid of heights, I advise you to get over it ASAP. You're not going to last long, otherwise."

"...You know, I'm actually going to have to agree with you on that one, Kaji." Daisuke admitted.

"For real? Dang, is the universe coming to an end?" Kaji joked.

"I'm just saying, with how this type of preliminary match is laid out, it would be best for any contestants who are afraid of heights to get over it. Right now. Otherwise, their time here is going to be very short."

And with that, the 'psychic messages' were sent to all 120 contestants of Block B. With Class 1A, Denki Kaminari, Eijirou Kirishima, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, Fumikage Tokoyami and Mezo Shoji roze to their feet. "Alright, looks like the five of us are up." Kirishima grinned. "Watch in awe, fellow classmates. Some real men and a totally awesome gal are about to do some work."

"Our chance to show the results of our training is here!" Iida excitedly noted.

"Give 'em hell, fellas." Hanta Sero grinned. "With Todoroki getting through, you've got no right to lose."

"And you've gotta win for Sato." Mina Ashido pointed out.

"Don't do anything stupid." Kyouka Jiro added, looking particularly at Kaminari.

"You'll all do great." Ochaco Uraraka assured them.

"Represent Class 1A with strength and honor." Momo Yaoyorozu told them.

All six students nodded and made their way down to the battlefield. Meanwhile, Yang Xiao Long let out a whoop of excitement, leaping to her feet. "Time to go kick some ass!" She said with a cheer.

"You've got this, Yang." Ruby Rose assured her big sister.

"Of course I do." Yang said confidently. "Give my best to Blake and Weiss when they get back, Rubes. And let them know I'll be joining them in the elimination rounds soon enough."

"Keep a cool head, kiddo." Qrow Branwen told her. "Remember, you're fighting a lot of people who will be just as strong as you are."

Yang gave her uncle a mock salute and made her way to the battlefield. Elsewhere, Jonathan Joestar took a deep breath and popped his neck. "Okay," he said with a smile, "looks like I'm up. Wish me luck, everyone."

"You'll do great, Grandpa." Old Joseph Joestar said to his long lost grandfather.

"Of course he will!" Robert E.O. Speedwagon said with a grin. "You're the best, JoJo, never forget that!"

"Jonathan, please be careful." Erina Joestar said to her new husband.

"I will." Jonathan began making his way to the battlefield.

I still don't fully understand what has happened to Dio, nor do I understand what kind of fate has befallen my bloodline since my era, Jonathan thought to himself, however...I am still a proud Joestar until the end. And as such, for my family's honor, I will win!

Father, Baron Zepelli, watch over me. Jonathan said to the two men he respected deeply. I will make you both proud.

Finally, Kenshin Himura rose to his feet, making Kaoru Kamiya gasp in surprise. "Kenshin…" she said softly, immediately worrying for his safety.

He smiled at Kaoru. "It seems I'm up, Ms. Kaoru, that I am." He told her. "Don't worry about me, I'll probably just play defensively for most of this. Honestly, I'd rather just throw the fight, but I think doing well in this tournament will bring honor to your dojo's name. And, that's why I'm here with you, right?"

Kaoru fell silent at this. She then smiled and nodded. "Do your best, Kenshin. That's all I ask of you."

Kenshin laughed. "I won't dishonor you, Ms. Kaoru, that I won't." He promised, leaving his spectator's box with those final words.

Minutes later, all 120 contestants of the Urban Tier's Block B were now standing in the arena. "Please note if any of you start any fights right now, you will be immediately disqualified." Daisuke warned them.

"You can get to beating the crap out of each other when we actually give you the signal to start." Kaji told them. "Speaking of starting things…"

Suddenly, the battlefield began to rise into the air, shocking everyone present. "What...what is this?" Jonathan gasped in disbelief.

"Fascinating…" Kenshin could only say.

Yang Xiao Long just laughed while the six students representing Class 1A gazed at the rising battlefield they were standing on in shock.

"Whoa!" Goku exclaimed from the stands. "It really is just the Tournament of Power!"

The battlefield rose 300 feet into the air. "This...this is insane!" Kaminari yelled. "I thought we weren't supposed to die in tournaments like this."

"We'd hit terminal velocity for sure." Iida noted.

"Don't be alarmed...well, too late for that, I guess." Kaji giggled.

"If you are ringed out of the battle, you will be teleported to safety." Daisuke promised. "We are well aware of how dangerous a battle like this would be otherwise, in a tournament where killing is prohibited."

"Well that's a relief." Kenshin muttered. "I really don't want to kill anyone, that I don't."

"They could've given us a little bit of warning at least." Kirishima groaned.

"I advise you all to look sharp though, because we are beginning the countdown to start Long Way Down!" Kaji exclaimed.

Immediately, 120 people dropped into fighting stances. "Let's all promise to meet up in the elimination rounds!" Iida smiled at his classmates as they all nodded.

"5...4...3...2...1, and start!"

Block B has begun...

A.N: Honestly, part of the reason I wrote this chapter? I literally forgot Wamuu was part of Block A and I felt terrible about it. Wamuu is one of my favorite JoJo antagonists simply because of how unique he is. So many JoJo antagonists are irredeemable monsters (seriously, if it weren't for the horrible things the big bads in each part had done, they'd almost be cartoonishly evil because of how 'irredeemable' they are). Wamuu was a unique one simply because he's not really evil. He's just an antagonist. If the guy had not been so loyal to Kars, he wouldn't have been a threat at all.

And let's be real here, that final showdown between Joseph and Wamuu in the Colosseum? Totally awesome. Still gets high marks for the buildup that fight got.

Hope everyone enjoyed this buildup to Long Way Down. We'll be back to the fights next time, folks.