Seagulls squawked as the salty sea breeze drifted through the air.
It was yet another sunny day, a perfect one to avoid going out and instead stay home watching aerobics.
On a small island in the middle of the sea, the trendy Kame House echoed with dynamic music and the occasional "One, two! One, two!" accompanied by raucous laughter.
In front of a television showing a spandex-clad fitness instructor, an old, bald man with a turtle shell slouched with a perverted grin. Suddenly, the reflective lenses of his sunglasses gleamed.
"Hmm? Someone's coming? Oh, it's Gohan's boys… and others? Never mind, I'll deal with them later…"
Master Roshi immediately identified the four approaching energy signatures. Two were particularly strong — especially one of them, which was nearly as powerful as his star pupil. It was surprising to see such progress in just two years. The other two, however, were quite ordinary.
"One, two! One, two, Hehehe…"
Pretending not to notice, Master Roshi continued drooling over the legs and curves on the screen.
Outside, there was the sound of a vehicle landing, the Nimbus Cloud flying off, and the distinct pop of a capsule being retracted.
"Master Roshi, it seems you have visitors." muttered the old turtle as it shuffled over and tapped Roshi's shell.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. They haven't knocked yet, have they?" Roshi's eyes remained glued to the white curves on the TV.
"You call yourself a master, but you're so rude!" The old turtle sighed.
Finally, there was a knock at the door.
"Excuse me, Master Roshi, are you home?" called Yamiru.
Goku, who had relied on the Nimbus Cloud to lead the way, added, "Master Roshi, are you in? Oh, hey, this window's open…" There was some rustling as Goku climbed through the open window. Spotting Roshi seated in front of the TV, he grinned. "Aha, you're here!"
Outside, Bulma sighed. "How rude."
Yamiru walked over to the window, gesturing for Goku to come closer. After whispering a few words, Goku nodded, ran up to Roshi, and shouted directly into his ear, "Grandpa! It's me, Goku! How are you?!"
Master Roshi nearly had a heart attack.
This was karma, he thought as he clutched his chest, adjusting his sunglasses. Finally, he turned to face Goku, then looked out the window to see Yamiru, Tights, and a young girl with twin braids standing in a row.
"Well, well, isn't this Yamiru? You've grown so much!" Acting as though he had just noticed them, Roshi walked to the door and opened it. "What brings you here to visit this old man? How's Son Gohan?"
"Master Gohan is still strong and in good health," replied Yamiru, bowing respectfully as Gohan's senior disciple.
Roshi chuckled. "Strong or not, in a few more years, he'll be gone like the rest of us. That's just life. Still, that rascal has lived quite a long time."
As he chatted with Yamiru, Roshi's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, kept darting toward Tights.
"This is Tights, and her sister Bulma," Yamiru introduced. "They're the daughters of Dr. Brief, the president of Capsule Corporation."
"Oh, Dr. Brief! The famous billionaire? Must be loaded, huh…" Roshi exclaimed, though he didn't seem particularly interested.
Yamiru leaned in and whispered something to Roshi.
The old man grunted, coughed lightly, and nodded.
Yamiru bowed again in thanks.
"What are you whispering about?" Tights asked suspiciously.
"Little girl, why are you staring at me like that?" Roshi suddenly noticed Bulma's intense gaze.
Bulma hesitated, debating whether to pull out her laser gun and point it at the old man. But remembering her promise to Yamiru not to use the dangerous weapon again, she held back. Instead, she looked up at Master Roshi's wrinkled face and said, "You really don't seem like a good person. Better be careful around you."
"What nonsense!" Roshi huffed, his beard quivering in indignation. "I am a Master, how could I not be a good person?"
Meanwhile, the old turtle, busy hiding an adult magazine behind him, broke into a cold sweat.
Goku, completely at ease, clasped his hands behind his head, hooked one foot around the other, and let his tail sway lazily. Smiling, he said, "Bulma is a good kid who can ride the Flying Nimbus. She probably wouldn't lie, right?"
"Oh? That's surprising…" Roshi coughed, quickly changing the subject. "So, the four of you came all this way — there must be something you need."
A few minutes later.
"I see…"
Roshi retrieved his three-star Dragon Ball necklace. "So, the Dragon Radar can't find the last Dragon Ball's signal, and you've come to ask me where Fortuneteller Baba lives so she can help you locate it…"
He mulled over the request, tempted to use the opportunity to satisfy his own desires. But recalling Yamiru's earlier whispered words...
Sigh! Agreeing so quickly had been a mistake!
"Can you help us?" Tights asked, pressing her hands together in front of her head in a pleading gesture.
"…" Bulma hesitated, then imitated her sister's pose.
"I wonder if we could just ask the Nimbus to find her..." Goku muttered, his tail wagging as he considered the idea. Then, grinning, he said, "But since Master Roshi has a Dragon Ball here anyway, I guess we have to come back. Oh well!"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It's not really a secret anyway," Roshi relented. "Anyone determined enough could find out about the fortuneteller in the desert. I'm just surprised that even you, Yamiru, know about her."
"Don't underestimate me," Yamiru said. "I've traveled across more than half the world on foot, after all."
Tights nodded. "That's true."
Bulma added, "Now that I think about it, it does make sense."
Inspired, Goku exclaimed, "I want to do that too someday! It sounds like great training!"
Roshi pulled out a map and marked the location of Fortuneteller Baba's palace in the desert to the southwest.
With their destination set, the group of four immediately began preparing to leave.
They decided not to take Roshi's three-star Dragon Ball right away. Instead, they would first locate the final Dragon Ball at Baba's palace, then return to Kame House to gather the complete set. That way, they could summon the legendary Shenron right there. Tights, as a novelist, was particularly excited to see what the dragon would look like.
As Yamiru and the sisters boarded their plane and Goku hopped onto the Flying Nimbus, Roshi watched them from the doorway.
"Here's some advice…"
Yamiru rolled down the plane window, and Goku turned to look at the old man standing on the beach. "What advice?"
"Don't die," Roshi said bluntly. "That's the advice. If you feel like you're in over your heads, just give up."
Yamiru didn't laugh. Instead, he nodded seriously and replied, "We'll keep that in mind."
If they couldn't defeat Baba's ghostly warriors, they still had Bulma, the wealthy heiress, with them. Worst case scenario, they could just buy their way out and work off the debt later.