EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

Chapter 12: Meeting the Turtle Hermit

Though he had actually been intending to mess with Master Roshi a bit, Vahn didn't even hesitate to whip out a jacket to go with Bulma's outfit. If she didn't want to be gawked at, going out of his way to allow it to happen wasn't in line with his character. Rather, as she clearly only wanted to be seen by him, at least for the time being, he had an obligation to protect her from others.

Seeing that Vahn had produced a pilot's jacket that perfectly complemented her outfit, Bulma's face practically lit up. She would have settled for just about anything, but, as a woman who took pride in her appearance, she would much rather have something fashionable than tacky.

"Thanks. I would have preferred a [REquip] System but I suppose this'll do for now."

Donning the perfectly tailored jacket, the smile on Bulma's face became even more prominent as the notion she would no longer have to purchase clothes or visit a Tailor briefly crossed her mind. She might enjoy shopping, but, if given the option, she would much rather stay home and work on her inventions. Being the most prominent socialite in West City was incredibly stressful…

Smiling wryly in response to Bulma's remark, Vahn resisted the urge to caress her head as he shifted his attention towards the old man approaching them atop Turtle's back. In response, Master Roshi immediately raised his hand in greeting, shouting, "Hey there! You four must be the kind folks that helped my good friend, Turtle! The name's Master Roshi! Nice to meet you!"

Returning the old man's gesture, Vahn stepped out ahead of the group just as Master Roshi jumped into the air. The presence of two beautiful women had compelled him to show off, so, while Turtle continued to approach the shore normally, Master Roshi flipped through the air with the finesse of a gymnast before landing softly in front of Vahn's group.

Never one to shy away when she had something on her mind, Bulma immediately piped up, asking, "Master Roshi? I'll admit, you're pretty spry for an old man but isn't it a little arrogant to go around introducing yourself Master?"

Rather than taking offense to Bulma's words, Master Roshi maintained a friendly smile as he stroked his beard. Turtle had told him all about Vahn and his party during their trip, so, while he would have normally bemoaned her lack of respect, he instead focused on Vahn, asking, "Young man, are you a martial artist? Your balance is impeccable and your physique demonstrates your extraordinary level of commitment. How about a little spar…?"

Thinking he would open Vahn's eyes to heights unreachable through conventional training, Master Roshi was surprised when the former shook his head, a casual smile on his face as he said, "Though I appreciate your intentions, my level is a bit too high for the standards of this world. Why not have a training bout with this little fellow? I'm sure he would benefit quite a bit from the teachings of his Master's Master…"

"Master's Master…?"

Shifting his attention to Goku, a look of realization briefly flashed across Roshi's face as he noticed the former's tail. He had never actually seen Goku, but, as the Master of Gohan, he had heard quite a bit about the troubled boy his 'young' disciple had found in the mountains.

"Of my two living disciples, only one of them has mentioned a young boy with a monkey tail. You must be Son Goku, Gohan's Grandson."

Surprised to hear Roshi mention his Grandpa, Goku's expression lit up as he asked, "You knew my Grandpa!?"

Stroking his beard, Roshi's smile became reminiscent as he answered, "Know him? Of course, I know him. I was the one who taught him martial arts some sixty years ago. Tell me, how is your Grandpa these days? I haven't heard from him in years."

Though a hint of melancholy bled into his expression, Goku retained a smile as he said, "Grandpa died a few years ago. I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you sooner."

Hanging his head a nearly inaudible sigh escaped through Roshi's nose. This wasn't the first time he had outlived one of his students. Gohan was just one of the ones he was most proud of, so, hearing about his death, Roshi couldn't help wishing the 'youth' had accepted his offer when he revealed to him the truth of his biological immortality…

"No need to apologize, my boy. In fact, I should be the one saying sorry. As Gohan's Grandson, it should have been my responsibility to take you in. At the very least, I should have paid you a visit to make sure everything was okay…"

Though he had isolated himself from the rest of the world for a number of reasons, Roshi couldn't help lamenting at times like this. Unfortunately, the only medicine for regret was letting things go and doing your best to move forward. Gohan wouldn't have wanted people to mourn him. He was the kind of man that believed death should be celebrated. Not for the event itself, but for the glory of the life that preceded it.

As Goku was the living embodiment of everything his former student stood for, Roshi's expression gradually solidified into a serious, battle-hardened expression as he added, "Very well. Now that it's come to this, I want you to show me everything your Grandfather has taught you. As a student of my student, I have an obligation to correct your mistakes…"

Planting his staff in the ground, Roshi removed the 40kg shell from his back before leaning forward with his hands behind his back. While this was going on, Vahn whispered something into Goku's ear before giving the young Saiyan a supportive pat on the back. In response, Goku set aside his Power Pole before adopting a stance with both arms spread out.

"Oh, a little pre-fight advice? I take it that man is your new Master then…?"

While adjusting his stance into a low squat, Goku answered, "He's not my Master. Uncle Vahn is my family…"

Raising his brows, Roshi was about to ask for clarification when Goku suddenly charged at him like a bullet.

("Nice speed…")

Side-stepping the toddler-sized projectile, Roshi attempted to chop Goku in the back of his neck only for the latter's tail to grasp his wrist. This was an exceptionally dangerous maneuver, but, so long as Master Roshi didn't grip his tail directly, Goku could use it to grab and hang from objects. (A/N: Young and poorly trained Saiyans lose their power when their tails are grasped with sufficient strength.)

Surprised by Goku's maneuver, Roshi nearly took a foot to the face as the young Saiyan used his tail as leverage to twist his body. In the same motion, Goku threw out his right hand, surprising the old master a second time with a handful of sand.

Thanks to his sunglasses, Roshi was largely unaffected by the surprise attack. He was also beginning to take Goku a little more seriously, so, the moment the young Saiyan attempted to sweep his legs, Roshi raised his feet in a manner that left his upper body in the exact position he started. Then, in a single swift motion, he springboarded off of Goku's head, vaulting high into the sky as he remarked, "You're not half bad, kid. With a bit of polish, it won't be long before you surpass both me and your Grandfather."

Though his words were slightly embellished, Roshi would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by Goku's speed and strength. The boy clearly had talent, and, so long as it was nourished properly, he would invariably become one of the strongest in the world.

Landing a few meters away from where Goku was standing, Roshi placed his hands behind his back a second time before saying, "It's time to end this…"

Undaunted by the suffocating aura that had begun to leak from Roshi's visibly swelling body, Goku jumping forward with a loud, "Haaaaa…!". Vahn had told him to hold nothing back, so, the moment he reached the apex of his jump, he extended his foot like a spear aimed towards Roshi's head.

With a slight smile on his face, Roshi leaned forward in a way that caused the light from the sun to refract off his head. Goku wasn't actually blinded by this but it was more than enough to cause him to squint. At that exact same moment, Roshi extended his arms to the side, his body appearing to flicker as Goku's kick passed through him.

Crashing into the ground, Goku barely had time to utter a confused, "Huh…?" before a far more tangible version of Roshi appeared right behind him, explaining, "That would be the after image technique. Good fight, kiddo."

Without waiting for Goku to respond, Roshi attempted to chop the back of his neck a second time. To his surprise, Goku raised his shoulders as if he were trying to retract his neck into his body. In the same motion, he jumped backward with all the force his legs could muster on loose sand.

Though he was somewhat surprised by Goku's maneuver, Roshi's speed allowed him to step back much faster than the young Saiyan could launch himself. As a result, Goku ended up landing hard on the ground, his body leaving a short trail through the sand as Roshi appeared next to him and said, "Good instincts. If you were a bit stronger and faster, you might have been able to catch me by surprise."

Extending his hand to Goku, Roshi helped the young Saiyan stand before subsequently helping to dust off his clothes. At the same time, Vahn, Sarina, and Bulma walked over, the latter commenting, "Wow. I've never seen a fight like that one. You're really strong for a little kid, Goku."

Rubbing the back of his head, an awkward laugh emanated from Goku's throat. He didn't actually mind receiving compliments but it felt weird to be called strong when he hadn't even been able to land a clean hit on his opponent.

Seeing through Goku's thoughts at a glance, Vahn beat Roshi to the punch by using cleaning magic and saying, "Bulma's right. If you were to compete with others around your age, you would be able to defeat each and every one of them. Losing against skilled Masters who have years, if not decades of training under their belt is nothing to be ashamed of."

Punctuating his words with a gentle ruffling of Goku's hair, Vahn was about to ask if Sarina wanted to have a go at the old man before Roshi interrupted, saying, "Well said, young man. It seems your body isn't the only thing you've trained over the years. Tell me, who is your Master? Which schools have you trained under…?"

Shaking his head, Vahn rose to his feet before answering, "That's a conversation for another time. For now, I believe there is a different matter you wished to discuss?"

Though he briefly squinted his eyes, Roshi didn't attempt to press Vahn to disclose information he wasn't willing to give. Instead, a grandfatherly smile developed across his face as he caressed his beard and replied, "Ah, yes, I had nearly forgotten. Thanks for the reminder."

Stepping away from the group, Roshi picked up his turtle shell and staff before popping his neck and saying, "I wanted to thank you for what you did for my friend. I can't guarantee you'll be able to use it, but there's no harm in letting you try."

Having planned out everything prior to his arrival, Roshi punctuated his words by pointed his staff towards the horizon and shouting, "Come to me, Flying Nimbus…!"

…

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bulma is already thinking like one of Vahn's lovers…','Master Roshi is fated to outlive each and every one of his students…','Scheming old man xD…')

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