(Yamcha P.O.V)
When Master Gohan suddenly told us to pack our things, a shiver of anticipation ran through me. In just a few moments, Goku and I were outside, each carrying a leather bag filled with clean clothes and water canteens. Gathered in front of the house, we listened as Gohan explained the reason for this sudden departure: our isolation had deprived us of contact with other people and of facing real-world challenges. That's why we would set out on a journey, exploring unknown lands, meeting people from all walks of life, and facing real bandits in true combat, sharpening our technique and enriching our fighting experience.
I was surprised. Even though Master Gohan had educated me and I could say I was fairly smart, I hadn't realized how much of a problem it was not to interact with other people. I'd been so focused on my own training that I never stopped to think about it.
My heart was pounding. Goku, standing beside me, wore a huge grin, clearly excited about the chance to venture out into the world beyond Mount Paozu. I understood the feeling, I felt the same way.
"I've taught both of you many things, how to fight and train, and even academic subjects. There's nothing more I can teach you. From now on, if you want to improve even further, you'll need to seek guidance from other teachers and gain experience by exploring the world" Gohan said.
He paused, crossed his arms, and added:
"Remember, we don't learn martial arts to pursue violence. We learn to master our body and mind so we can become the best version of ourselves!"
I was moved, his words touched my heart. Every drop of sweat and every moment of pain had been worth it. Each doubt I'd felt during training hadn't been in vain. I looked ahead, ready to thank him.
"The moment I hear that either of you is using your strength for evil, I'll personally hunt you down and give you the biggest beating of your life!" Gohan said, raising his fist. He clenched it so tightly I could see the veins bulging.
It was impossible not to flinch. All that gratitude I'd felt was instantly replaced by a chilling fear, and all I could do was let out a nervous laugh while a bead of sweat rolled down my temple. I should have remembered that, despite being a kind old man, he was still deadly serious when it came to martial arts.
"Don't worry, Master!" I managed to reply, my voice shaky but sincere. "We'll honor your teachings."
With a firm nod, Gohan ended the lesson. Smiling, he decided to give us a little direction for our journey.
"There's a small village nearby. Follow that trail and you'll get there quickly. Help the community however you can," Gohan said with a grin. "And while you're at it, try to earn a bit of money for the trip."
With that, Gohan turned and went back inside, closing the door. Alone now, Goku and I began our journey, feeling adrenaline mix with respect, every step from here on would be guided not only by the search for challenges, but by the purpose of honoring our master's legacy.
As Goku and I made our way down the winding trail that snaked around Mount Paozu, the faint morning light filtered into golden beams through the dense canopy, painting shifting shadows on the damp, leaf-covered ground. The air carried a faint scent of pine, mingled with the earthy smell of soil still wet from the morning's light rain. The wind whispered between the trunks as if carrying ancient secrets. With each step, the soft crunch of our boots against smooth stone set a nearly hypnotic rhythm, contrasting with the hurried beat of our hearts.
Suddenly, a strange and indistinct sound broke through the forest, echoing like a distant, enigmatic call. It shattered the calm of the grove, jolting our senses into sharp alertness.
"Could it be an animal hunting?" Goku asked.
"It's still too early for the mountain tigers to start hunting…" I replied. "Stay on guard…"
Step by step, our senses sharpened. The rustle of leaves beneath our feet blended with the quickening beat of our hearts. The narrow trail seemed to close in around us, as if the entire forest had stopped breathing. The distant sound, maybe a crack, maybe something else, was drawing nearer, growing louder, until it suddenly stopped.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the noise, a vacuum of expectation that made me think I could hear my own blood pounding in my temples. I froze, my body taut like a drawn bow, waiting for something, enemy or prey, to emerge from the darkness.
The rustling of a bush and the sight of a shadow moving onto the path snapped Goku and me into fighting stance, ready to respond to whatever threat might come. But what we saw was the opposite of what we'd expected. Standing in front of us… was a rabbit.
"Ha… hahahaha," I laughed, embarrassed. "Looks like we worried for nothing…"
"Let's keep going," I said.
Goku, standing beside me, nodded slowly.
"I got excited to fight just now…" he admitted, his voice tinged with disappointment.
We walked in silence for a few seconds before Goku spoke up with an idea.
"Do you think we'll find someone strong to fight in that village Grandpa told us about?" Goku asked.
"I doubt it. It's probably a small village with no real connection to martial arts. At most, there'll be a hunter who provides food for the people, but a hunter isn't the same as a martial artist," I answered.
"What about in big cities, like East City?" Goku asked again.
"I think you should be more worried about defeating bandits!" a familiar voice said.
Turning toward the voice, we found Master Gohan standing right behind us. He was also carrying a travel bag and the bamboo canteen he usually used for water, and in his right hand, he held the Nyoibo.
"Master, did you come to give the Nyoibo to Goku?" I asked.
The master chuckled softly at my question.
"That's one reason. The other was simply to give you a practical example of something you both need to improve during this journey," Gohan said, handing the red staff to Goku.
What did he mean by "showing us something we needed to improve"? All he did was appear out of nowhere… Was that it?
"Bandits? Why should we fight bandits, Grandpa?" Goku asked.
"Master, what exactly do you mean by 'points to improve'?" I asked, a bit hesitant.
"Did either of you notice when I got close? Or while I was approaching?" Gohan asked us.
Notice him? Was he talking about sensing his ki? That's when it hit me, Goku and I still had to focus in order to sense someone else's ki, but Master Gohan could do it passively, all the time…
"Looks like Yamcha figured it out!" Gohan said with a smile.
The master took his eyes off me and turned his attention to his grandson.
"Now, Goku, to answer your question, fighting bandits will be better than fighting martial artists for one reason: they fight dirty and without rules. It's the best way to keep you on your toes during a battle," Gohan explained.
It made sense. Back when I lived in Diablo Desert, I'd seen more fights than I could count. Gangs fought over food, territory, or just pride. In those brawls, I never once saw honor or rules. Anything could become a weapon, pieces of wood, loose stones, broken glass. Throwing sand in your opponent's eyes, kicking vulnerable spots, or even pretending to pass out just to strike from behind… everything was fair game. In that environment, winning meant surviving, and that justified any low blow.
"You can earn money by collecting bounties on wanted criminals or raiding a bandit hideout, but if you choose the second option, I expect you to return most of it to the original owners," Gohan said, his tone serious.
"Yes, Master!" I answered immediately. "But… Master, are you coming with us?" I asked sincerely.
Goku lit up at the idea.
"Come on, Grandpa, let's go on an adventure together!" he said enthusiastically.
"Not this time," Gohan replied, to Goku's disappointment.
"What? Why not?" Goku asked.
"I have somewhere I need to be as well, so I can't go with you," Gohan said.
Goku lowered his head, visibly disheartened. Still, deep down, maybe this was for the best. With the master around, we'd hardly get a chance to face real challenges, he'd probably solve everything before we could even move.
"But before I leave, there's one little thing I need to tell you about the limitation I'm going to set for you," Gohan said with a wide grin.
A chill ran down my spine. I knew that smile well, it always showed up right before some insane training he seemed to make up on the spot.
"You'll be traveling while wearing these turtle shells that weigh a hundred kilos!" Gohan paused briefly. "You must wear them at all times, taking them off only to sleep or in extreme cases when there's no other choice," he finished.
All I could do was sigh and accept it. This was typical of Master Gohan, coming up with crazy ideas… but I couldn't complain. The results spoke for themselves.
I watched closely as Master Gohan reached into the inner pocket of his qipao. His fingers searched for a moment before pulling out a small, slightly worn white capsule. With a precise motion, he tossed it toward me. I caught it easily in midair, and the moment I looked at it closely, I recognized it instantly, it was a Capsule Corp storage capsule, one of the older cylindrical models, with a faded blue button.
"In this capsule, you'll find pairs of heavy turtle shells for you and Goku. The weights range from a hundred to two hundred kilos, that's the heaviest I could manage, unfortunately," Gohan said, his expression tinged with regret.
I felt like crying. My master was unbelievable… I pushed the sadness aside, activated the capsule, and tossed it.
The moment it hit the ground, it burst in a thick cloud of white smoke, quickly spreading all around us. When the haze finally cleared, I found myself staring at a large metal crate, reinforced at the corners with polished steel, the Capsule Corp emblem embossed on its side.
I knelt down and heaved the lid open with some effort. Inside, neatly arranged in pairs, were several turtle shells. Each pair had a small tag tied with string marking its weight, 100 kg, 120 kg, 150 kg, all the way up to 200 kg.
Goku hurried over, his eyes shining with curiosity as he peered inside the crate. He knelt beside me and examined each shell as if he were choosing a brand-new toy. Despite the excitement on his face, I caught the slight furrow of his brow, a subtle hint of exasperation. Even in his enthusiasm, he seemed to sense how hard it would be to move while wearing one of these.
"All right, I've done what I came here to do. I'm heading out now," Gohan said, turning away.
"Bye, Grandpa!" Goku called, waving cheerfully despite the sudden farewell.
"Master… can you tell us where you're going?" I asked quickly, still curious.
"To Karin's Tower," he answered without even looking back, his firm steps fading slowly down the trail.
We stood there for a moment, watching him vanish among the trees. Once he was completely out of sight, we exchanged a silent glance and turned to the task ahead.
With some effort, we strapped the hundred-kilo shells onto our backs. The instant the weight settled on my shoulders, it felt as though a mountain had been dropped on me. Every step defied the body's logic. Goku staggered at first too, but quickly steadied himself with determination.
After taking a moment to catch my breath, I crouched down, closed the crate with the remaining shells, and pressed the button on its side. With a soft click, it collapsed into smoke and shrank back into capsule form, which I carefully tucked away.
"All right… let's go," I said, struggling as I straightened up.
The journey to the village Master Gohan had mentioned was long and exhausting. Though we didn't get into a single fight along the way, the weight we carried slowed us down so much that it took two full days to reach our destination.
We finally arrived at a small rural community, which we learned was called Aru Village, a modest settlement whose population was a mix of people dressed in cowboy-like attire, with some wearing accessories that seemed to be made of bird feathers.
Even though the village didn't seem to be in dire need of help, we still offered our assistance in local work, mainly hunting and construction. That's when we discovered that the region's hunter was already an old man, barely able to go out hunting anymore.
When we talked with him, we learned his name was Boko. He was the village's only active hunter, not by choice, but because there was no one to replace him. Most of the young people who might have taken the job had left for the big cities, like East City, chasing money and a better life.
When we offered our help, Boko gratefully accepted, clearly relieved. So for the next two months we joined him in his daily rounds. We helped with whatever was needed, from hunting in the woods to hauling and preparing the game. It was simple work but demanding, the hardest part was moving quickly with those shells strapped to our backs.
We also used that time, both in and out of the forest, to train one of the things Master Gohan had pointed out: sensing ki passively. Though I hadn't yet reached the required level of sensitivity, Goku, thanks to his natural intuition and brilliance, was the first to manage it. Just a few days into the training, he took to it like a duck to water.
I wasn't far behind. My progress was steadier and slower, but constant. By the end of those two months, I could accurately detect living presences across a considerable area, as long as I focused solely on that. The ability made hunting much easier, almost unfair. Boko, unaware that we were "cheating" by picking up animals' ki, even praised us, calling us geniuses at tracking and hunting.
At that moment, Goku and I were delivering the week's game to the villagers. To speed things up, we split up. After I finished my route, I headed back to the house where we were staying. Just before I could go inside, I saw Goku running toward me, urgency written all over his face.
"Yamcha! Grandma Paozu asked us to teach some self-defense to the girls in the village!" he panted, out of breath from the 100-kg shell, but clearly excited.
"Well… I may or may not have overheard Grandma Paozu talking to one of the younger girls about the dangers of the big city…" he began, looking away.
"And…?" I pressed him.
"And I kind of… butted into the conversation and said it could be solved with a punch or something…" he finished, forcing a laugh. A drop of sweat slid down the side of his temple as he scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed.
I sighed. Typical Goku, getting himself into things like that.
"When does she want us to start the lessons?" I asked, my tone a mix of resignation and acceptance.
"She said tomorrow, just after dawn, would be best," Goku replied.
I let out another sigh, another obligation scheduled for the next day without my consent. Resigned, I opened the door to our temporary home and went inside with Goku, Master Gohan's grandson.
After a quick meal, which, given Goku's appetite, was anything but quick, we got ready for bed. The next day promised to be, at the very least, interesting: my first time teaching a class, and I couldn't deny I felt a little nervous.