The aroma of fish stew lingered thick in the air, seeping out of Kame House and drifting across the island.
For two hungry kids sitting outside in the dark, it was torture multiplied tenfold.
Since Goku and Chi-Chi hadn't eaten and didn't want to watch Roshi and Krillin feast inside, they'd quietly slipped out to cool off under the stars.
Before long, a new sound echoed from within the house—
Roshi and Krillin fighting over the bathroom.
Chi-Chi frowned. "What's going on in there? Why are they taking turns rushing to the toilet?"
Goku replied calmly, "The pufferfish Launch cooked wasn't cleaned properly.
They've got food poisoning."
Chi-Chi's eyes went wide. "Good thing we didn't eat!"
"Yeah," Goku nodded. "A blessing in disguise."
Chi-Chi giggled. "Goku, you're so wise."
Goku blinked, speechless.
Having someone to bounce off like this… kind of nice.
But even if they weren't dealing with diarrhea, going to bed hungry wasn't exactly pleasant either.
As they chatted, Chi-Chi's stomach betrayed her—loud and clear.
Goku chuckled. "Hungry?"
Chi-Chi blushed, face glowing. "A little!
Still better than being stuck on the toilet, though."
"True."
Just then, Launch stepped outside holding two steaming roast chickens.
"You two must be starving," she said with a sly smile.
The kids jumped. "Launch, you—!"
She held a finger to her lips. "Shh. Keep it down.
Goku, you saved me today. I noticed.
These two birds just finished roasting.
Since Roshi and Krillin are out of commission, you two go ahead.
One each."
Both their eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Auntie Launch!" Chi-Chi beamed.
Launch winced. "Just call me big sister, okay?"
"Thanks, big sister!"
"Good kids," Launch chuckled. "Eat up. And if that's not enough, I'll bring you some rice."
"Thanks, Launch!!" Goku grinned.
The two of them huddled in a shady corner, devouring their roast chickens like starving wolves.
Chi-Chi tore off a leg and handed it to Goku.
"I can't finish a whole one. Here!"
"Thanks!"
Mid-chew, Chi-Chi paused. "Wait… wasn't Launch blonde earlier?
Why is she being so nice now?"
"No idea," Goku said between bites. "Don't worry about it—just eat!"
"…Goku, do you think Launch likes you?"
"Don't be silly. She's way older than me."
"…Right." Chi-Chi went quiet, deep in thought.
As expected, Roshi and Krillin spent the entire night in agony.
Launch, who hadn't eaten the fish herself, was perfectly fine.
The next day, she cooked something else—delicious as ever.
Unfortunately for Roshi and Krillin, their stomachs weren't ready to enjoy it.
Goku and Chi-Chi, on the other hand, had three amazing meals and lived like royalty.
A lovely day passed.
Finally, the time for real training had arrived.
On the third day, before dawn even cracked the sky, Roshi roused Goku, Krillin, and Chi-Chi.
Standing in the morning glow, Roshi began his long-awaited lecture.
"The training of Turtle School begins now.
But first, you must understand what martial arts truly are."
The three disciples stood straight, listening respectfully.
"Martial arts are not for overpowering others,
nor for using violence to get your way.
True training gives you a strong mind and body,
and with that—endless energy to live a fulfilling life."
Goku blinked.
He'd grown up under Grandpa Gohan's teachings—same school, same roots.
But his own training had always been harsh: ice-cold winters, blazing summers, carrying water up cliffs…
Sure, it was exhausting—but it made him stronger, faster, better.
He kept his doubts to himself and continued listening.
"That said," Roshi added, "when evil threatens the innocent,
you must stand tall and strike it down without hesitation."
"Understood?" he asked.
The three replied in unison, "Understood!"
Roshi smiled. "Good. Train hard, but don't forget to enjoy life too!
Now, let's warm up with a light jog!"
"One-two-one! One-two-one!"
Krillin: "One-two-one!"
Goku: "One-two-one!"
Chi-Chi: "One-two-one!"
At first, Krillin grinned.
"Huh, I thought Master Roshi's training would be brutal. This isn't so bad!"
But soon they reached a milk company.
Roshi stopped and walked up to the front desk.
"Hello, I'm the Turtle Hermit—I called yesterday about delivering milk."
"Oh yes, Master Roshi. Here's the client list and crates of milk."
Roshi turned to his students.
"Each of you take a crate. We're delivering these on foot."
Krillin blinked. "We're… delivering milk?"
Chi-Chi frowned. "How is this training?"
"It's part of the process," Roshi replied firmly.
The deliveryman raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you're not using a helicopter?"
"If we did, it wouldn't count as training.
Don't worry, we won't be late."
And just like that, the old master bounced down the road.
"Keep up! No slacking!"
The three students followed, hopping along in single file.
The island had mountains, valleys, and homes spread far and wide.
The terrain was rough, and the route was long.
What started as easy soon became grueling—especially with crates in hand.
Some roads required Z-pattern sprints. Others, frog-hops.
Only Goku managed to keep up effortlessly.
Chi-Chi and Krillin were soon soaked in sweat.
But Roshi had tailored the distance and weight perfectly to each student's level—
tough but doable.
Eventually, they reached their final stop: a quiet temple.
Roshi chatted with an old monk at the gate.
"Long time no see."
"You're still looking spry. Brought new students, huh?
How's the training going?"
"Just started," Roshi nodded. "But they'll all go far."
Krillin beamed. "Hehe, Master says we'll go far!"
Chi-Chi giggled. "Hehe."
Goku grinned. "Let's work hard together!"
Then Roshi mentioned something that lit a spark in all their eyes:
"If you train seriously,
you could all enter the World Martial Arts Tournament in eight months."
The monk raised his brows. "Really now? That's impressive."
Krillin's jaw dropped.
"Seriously?! In eight months, I could join the tournament where all the world's strongest fighters gather?!"