Dragon Ball Roshi

After Goku and the others set off, Gohan returned straight to Mount Paozu to focus on self-cultivation and tranquility.

"A Saiyan's youth and prime last a long time. Five years from now... Goku will probably have grown up so much, even I—his grandpa—might not recognize him anymore, huh?" As he left, Gohan deliberately "muttered to himself" in front of Bulma, smacking his forehead and smiling. "How tall will he be? This tall? Or maybe this tall? Haha!"

As Bulma's face flushed almost crimson while seeing him off, Gohan laughed heartily and soared into the sky.

As for Taro and Hathaway, they returned to Muten Island with the Phoenix.

Riding the wind through the sea of clouds, the vast distance of ten thousand miles passed beneath them—cities, mountains, forests, rivers, and oceans blurred by. As they broke through the clouds and mist, a mysterious island at the edge of the boundless ocean, nearly unreachable by ordinary people, appeared in the distance.

"Ha, we're home." Hathaway's hair fluttered in the wind as she smiled in Taro's arms.

The Phoenix, burning like a divine flame, circled the two as Taro descended with Hathaway to the mountaintop at the center of Muten Island. Seeing the shattered stones along the cliff's edge, Hathaway murmured thoughtfully, "Piccolo... the second Great Demon King... unexpectedly became friends with Kakarot."

Taro looked up, gazing at the sapphire-like sky, and said calmly, "After all, when Kakarot first landed on Earth, it was right beside Piccolo's egg... Even then, inside the egg, his consciousness was probably beginning to awaken."

"A bond between evil hearts, huh... Still, the timing really was perfect, wasn't it, Taro?" Hathaway gave a slight laugh and pinched Taro's ear lightly, speaking with ease, "Don't tell me... when you sealed the egg Piccolo came from back then, you already foresaw this day would come? That's why you prepared a magic array to regulate the egg's vitality, letting it gradually loosen over time... right?"

"Well, now that you mention it... seems like quite the coincidence... So, young lady, do you believe I did it on purpose?" Taro lowered his head, taking her hand. "Is there really someone who can foresee things that far into the future?"

"Is there?" Hathaway snuggled into her husband's arms and gently asked, "Then let me test it... Mister Taro, can you foresee whether the Muten Roshi and his wife will still be this happy one hundred years from today?"

A breeze blew past. The Phoenix circled above before landing at the couple's feet on the mountaintop.

"Yes. I can see it clearly," Taro replied.

"Then... how about two hundred years from now?"

"Yes."

"Five hundred?"

"Yes."

"One thousand?"

"Yes."

Hathaway turned in his embrace, her back leaning against him. She took his hands and wrapped them around her waist, her own soft hands covering his. A serene smile, almost glowing with warmth, spread across her face as she murmured, "...Yes, I can see it clearly too. They'll be even happier than they are today."

Far away, the crimson sun on the horizon gleamed brilliantly, casting fragmented golden light over the ocean.

A wind blew from the sea, sweeping across the beach, through the forest, and around Muten Island—passing by the slope where Gohan trained a hundred years ago, the pool where Goku and Krillin once sparred, the forest where Piccolo resided, and the cliff Kakarot often climbed under moonlight...

Following the steep cliff upward, the wind brushed against the Phoenix's fiery wings and gently wound around the embracing couple—an immortal pair—bringing with it a warmth full of affection.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the four who set out to travel around Earth while searching for the Dragon Balls had just begun their journey.

They avoided big cities and traveled mostly through the wilds.

Tenshinhan, Chiaotzu, and Krillin were no strangers to rugged, off-road travel. Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu, in particular, had wandered the world under Tsuru's guidance, used to rough living. Krillin, too, had traveled alone to reach the Muten Roshi long before meeting Goku and Bulma.

As for Goku, it went without saying—cities or wilderness, it made no difference to him. He had grown up deep in the remote forests of Mount Paozu. In sparsely populated areas, he actually felt more at home.

"Beep!"

"Beep!"

As they ran along, Goku occasionally glanced at the Dragon Radar in his hand.

Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu had already heard about the Dragon Balls from Krillin and the others, but there was something that puzzled him. When he saw Goku checking the radar, his sharp eyesight allowed him to spot the Dragon Ball signal on the screen—it was, as expected, far from any city.

When they first set out, the four of them had looked together at the simplified map showing the general locations of the seven Dragon Ball signals. Aside from the Four-Star Ball that Goku carried, the other six weren't located near any major metropolitan area. They were either in remote forests, uninhabited valleys, deep ravines, vast grasslands, or even beneath the famous massive inland river…

"I meant to ask earlier," Tenshinhan said, striding along with ease despite the terrain. "You guys mentioned that after a wish is granted, the Dragon Balls scatter across the world… but why do they always end up far from cities?"

"That's probably Master Taro's doing," Krillin replied as he jogged behind Goku. "After all, human nature is complicated. Who knows what would happen if the Dragon Balls were used by the wrong people? That's why it makes sense to avoid densely populated areas—makes the Dragon Balls harder to find. It's only logical."

"Shenron may be powerful, but even he can't surpass Master Taro! If Master wanted, the Dragon Balls could scatter—or not scatter at all—it's totally up to him!"

Wouldn't that essentially make the Dragon Balls private property then…? Tenshinhan thought to himself, but quickly let it go. A treasure like this should indeed belong to someone worthy. Besides… the Muten Roshi was said to be the same age as his own master, and over the centuries, there had never been signs of abuse. Just imagine—if the existence of the Dragon Balls became public knowledge, how much bloodshed would follow?

If it led to the madness of all humanity, even someone like the Muten Roshi wouldn't be able to stop it.

Unless… he were willing to slaughter humanity entirely.

Lost in thought, Tenshinhan was already drenched in sweat. When they left that morning, Master Taro had magically modified his clothes to adjust their weight. Refusing to admit defeat, Tenshinhan had immediately matched Goku's weight setting—600 kilograms!

It almost crushed him to death on the spot.

But his pride wouldn't let him reduce the weight, so he continued forcing himself to adapt. Chiaotzu, on the other hand, lacked Tenshinhan's pride or stubbornness. He sensibly started at fifty jin (25 kg), but even so, after half a day's travel, he was completely exhausted.

Goku and Krillin, noticing their companions were struggling, deliberately kept their pace moderate.

That night, by the campfire, Goku, with Krillin's help, accessed the virtual Earth network for the first time.