When Daddy Was Strong

Chichi yo anata wa tsuyokatta (父よ あなたは強かった) is the 213th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Cradle from Hell Arc.

Genma realizes that Ranma has become stronger than him.

Father Defeated
On one cold snowy night, Ranma and Genma are stuck inside a small tent while the blizzard rages on. After two days of being stuck in the mountain, their only food left is a single cup of instant ramen. They decide to fight over who gets it. After a brief fighting, Ranma slurps down the noodles while Genma lies defeated, his glasses shattered.

They return to the dojo where Akane asks if something happened to Genma. They both walk into the dojo to see what he's up to, only to find that Genma had been asleep the whole time. Ranma wakes him up by kicking him in the face, and Genma suddenly feels the need to test something of utmost importance. He challenges Ranma to a practice match, which must be without holding back. Genma launches a flurry of punches, but Ranma dodges them effortlessly. Then, with a single flying kick, Genma is down and Soun calls the match.

Having beaten his father so easily, Ranma wonders if he is unwell. Genma confirms the hard truth revealed in the brief fight: he is now weaker than his son. He remembers the good old days when he would steal Ranma's food by easily disposing of him time after time without ever losing. He mumbles (loud enough for everyone else to hear) that he must not let Ranma know about this. Ranma grabs his shoulders to get his attention, then 0with a smile on his face tells him about all the food Genma stole from him.

New Training
Genma asks Soun for training, and Soun obliges to help. Then, without doing a thing, the two continue to play. Genma then flips the board over and blames playing go all day for his diminishing skills. Genma, now in his panda form for unknown reason, tosses and turns while resting in, wondering what he should be doing. Ranma then chimes in and tells him that he will help him. They have another brief fight in which Ranma is victorious, then he beats his father again and again for every bits of food he stole from him.

Akane later tells Ranma not to be so harsh on his father, saying he might learn a new technique and beat him. Ranma takes this to mean that he should finish off his father before this happens and takes off. He quietly opens the door to their room and finds Genma lying sideways, legs crossed and straight and hands together above the head. Ranma instantly recognizes this to be the Carp on a Cutting Board pose, which in the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts means unconditional surrender. Genma tearfully explains the surrender, but Ranma feels that he is being overly dramatic. That night, the two have grown increasingly suspicious of each other. They both get up on an instant and get into a defense posture, thinking the other was planning a surprise attack.

Next morning, Ranma wakes up to see a sign telling him to not follow. Genma has apparently gone somewhere to train. Kasumi remarks that Soun is missing as well, which worries Ranma, thinking that his father may be out learning a deadly new technique. Akane, meanwhile, is on her daily morning jog and passes by a playground before noticing Soun and Genma in his panda form together. Genma was apparently playing with a tire while Soun watched. Ranma then shows up, likening his training to be more befit for a circus. Genma starts yelling at Ranma via signs, and Ranma changes him back so he can talk normally. He declares that as of now, he and Ranma are no longer father and son in order for the upcoming fight to truly be a duel between two men. They schedule the duel to be in one week.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Genma Saotome (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Soun Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (panda)