"Destroy the moon?" Gohan also looked up at the sky, then lowered his head and smiled bitterly. "Master, please don't joke with me. Even if I had the power to destroy the moon, firing a ki blast here to hit it would take who knows how long... How could I possibly destroy it? No, no, it's impossible."
Taro chuckled softly to himself, thinking, How would you know if you don't try? Your current strength far surpasses the 'me' from the original story.
Hathaway walked over from behind. Seeing the harmonious scene between grandfather and grandson, she couldn't help but smile. When Goku had reverted to his original form after Taro sliced off his tail, he had been left without clothes. So Hathaway had gone back to Gohan's hut, found a cotton blanket, and brought it over for Gohan to wrap around Goku.
The phoenix perched on Goku's head for a while but soon got bored. It flew off again and landed on Taro's shoulder—this spot was much more comfortable.
"Master, about Goku..." Gohan looked at the boy in his arms but hesitated to speak.
Taro said slowly, "I know what you're worried about..." He paused, then looked at Goku, who had turned his head in Gohan's arms and was staring at him with wide, blinking eyes. He said, "The violent tendencies within this child stem from his bloodline. They can't be severed completely with spiritual magic alone. If we want to dissolve and resolve them, there's no other way—it has to be up to Goku himself."
Gohan let out a long sigh. "Master, you've given Goku quite the ordeal."
"What? Feeling sorry for him?" Taro looked at his disciple with a smile.
"No... Well, maybe a little." Gohan first shook his head, then nodded, holding the innocent and clueless Goku in his arms. "But I also understand—just like a fine blade, the more it's tempered, the sharper it becomes. This trial... it's part of Goku's destiny. Master," he looked seriously at Taro and asked, "what are your hopes for Goku? How far do you think he can go in the future?"
Taro didn't answer directly but asked in return, "What do you think?"
Gohan gave a carefree smile and let out a small laugh. "No matter what, I believe this child will surely surpass me. And for some reason... I have a feeling," he paused, gazing into Taro's calm eyes, and said word by word, "that Goku will become the one who gets the closest to you."
Taro smiled meaningfully but neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Master, you're far too powerful—so much so that I can't even look up to you. As for those who say I've nearly caught up to you... heh, they have no idea. Master, you are a true god living on Earth..."
Gohan spoke from the heart. Seeing that Hathaway, who had walked up beside Taro, was about to chime in, Gohan waved his hand with a smile. "No need, Mistress. I'm just a little emotional." He sighed, then looked at his grandson in his arms and affectionately ruffled his hair. "Goku, Goku... you'd better grow up well."
Little Goku blinked his wide, clueless eyes, not understanding why the people around him were looking at him with such strange expressions. But he still giggled happily, revealing a few tiny baby teeth and babbling joyfully.
In high spirits, the family of four—plus a red phoenix—spent the night chatting outside Gohan's small home by Mount Paozu.
Even though he was barely over a year old, Goku was oddly energetic. Once Hathaway used a device to access a holographic mini-game via Jarvis, he was thrilled, playing with great enthusiasm. Of course, most of the time, the little guy was just flailing his limbs around aimlessly, simply fascinated by the lights and images.
---
As dawn broke, golden sunlight spread across the deep forests and mountains, driving away the night and reviving all life.
Little Goku had fallen asleep in the latter half of the night, tired out from all the excitement, and Gohan had carried him back to the hut.
With morning come, Taro and Hathaway prepared to take their leave.
Gohan escorted his master and mistress, chatting along the way. From the slope to the valley, past the brook, along a winding mountain trail—they somehow walked all the way to the foot of the mountain without realizing it.
"All right, no need to see us off any further," Taro stopped and said.
"Go on back. Goku might wake up hungry," Hathaway said gently, the phoenix resting on her shoulder, standing beside Taro.
Gohan nodded. "All right, I'll leave it here then. Master, Mistress..." He clasped his hands and bowed. "I'll raise Goku well. I won't let you down."
Taro waved. "Take care of yourself... As for martial arts, you can teach him however you see fit, but don't rush to expose him to Muken or the Virtual Earth Network just yet."
"Yes, understood," Gohan replied, hands at his side.
"Let's go."
And so, Gohan returned to Mount Paozu, while Taro, Hathaway, and the phoenix departed from the mountain's base, stepping onto a rural path.
---
It was early morning. The air was fresh, and the scenery in the countryside was beautiful. Taro didn't teleport them home or fly through the skies, choosing instead to walk hand in hand with his wife down the dirt road.
With a lovely companion and a divine bird, wildflowers blooming on both sides, the fields of wheat, orchards, winding rivers, and distant misty mountains all exuded peace and serenity. The couple strolled together, whispering and laughing. The little red bird occasionally flew around them, sometimes bringing wild fruit, sometimes fluttering to tease a small animal, or soaring above them with cheerful chirps—it was all quite delightful.
"Gohan really adores little Goku," Hathaway said with a smile, holding Taro's hand.
"Maybe it's just fate," Taro replied.
"Mm." Hathaway agreed completely. Then, with a curious look, she turned her head to Taro and asked with a smile, "You care a lot about Goku. Do you really think, like Gohan said, he might one day get close to you... or even surpass you?"
"What do you think?" Taro turned to her with a smile as well.
"Hah," Hathaway's smile bloomed, and she pursed her lips, raising an eyebrow. "Getting close, maybe. But surpassing you? I don't think so. Right, Little Red?"
She looked up and asked the phoenix. It chirped twice, but who knew whether it was agreeing or not.
"You two," Taro chuckled, tightening his grip on Hathaway's hand. "Goku... after I forcefully removed the impurities in his nature, he became a pure martial arts prodigy. But those things... were still a part of him."
As he spoke, Taro found himself at a loss for words. So he simply said, "In the end, the future belongs to the future. Goku's path will depend on how he walks it. All I can do... is stand behind him, and believe in him."