"Over two hundred years ago, I took in my first personal disciple," said Taro. "His name was Aragon. He was your eldest senior brother. But after two centuries, he's long since passed away."
"The second personal disciple was Goku's grandfather—Son Gohan, as you both know."
"Today, I formally take you two as my disciples. You only need to remember one thing between the three of you: martial arts is not for bullying the weak with strength. It is for self-cultivation, for nurturing one's character, for strengthening the soul, and for pursuing the Great Way. I will never allow any of my disciples to disgrace this sect. If I ever discover someone using their skills for personal gain and wicked deeds—I will not spare them."
Taro spoke calmly, one sentence after another, barely pausing and giving Goku and Krillin little chance to respond.
But with every word he said, Krillin grew more solemn. Taro's presence was overwhelming. His earlier daydreams of becoming a martial arts master and returning to flaunt his power before his fellow monks at Orin Temple quietly faded away.
Yes—he had longed to learn martial arts to grow stronger, so that when he was bullied, he could fight back… not to become a bully himself.
If he turned out that way, then how would he be any different from those cruel monks who used to pick on him?
"Do you both understand?" Taro glanced at them, his voice calm but immediately jolting Krillin from his thoughts.
Goku pressed his palms together and bowed, his expression relaxed, mouth curving into a smile. "Got it, Master."
Krillin pushed away his scattered thoughts and imitated Goku, pressing his palms together and bowing deeply. "Master, your disciple understands."
"Good enough for now. That's all for today…" Taro nodded slightly. "Jarvis will show you to your rooms. You're free to look around. When it's time for dinner, the Phoenix and Jarvis will let you know. Rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, 4:30 sharp, I'll be waiting for you at Mirror Lake at the foot of the mountain."
With that, he turned and strolled away without looking back at Goku and Krillin.
"Whew…" Krillin let out a long breath.
Goku looked at him curiously. "What's up with you?"
Krillin scratched his nose—then remembered he didn't have one—and chuckled awkwardly. "Don't you feel a lot of pressure in front of Muten Rosh… I mean, Master? He's really intense…"
Goku tilted his head. "Is he? Sounds like you're the weird one! Haha!"
Krillin fell silent. I really don't have anything in common with someone who grew up with Son Gohan…
He glanced toward the direction Taro had gone, and suddenly, something Taro had said echoed in his mind—
"Today, I formally take you as my disciples. You only need to remember one thing between the three of you…"
Three?
Krillin frowned, thinking hard.
At that moment, Goku clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Come on, let's go find the Phoenix and go hunting in the woods! I bet it knows where all the tasty stuff is. Huh? What's with that look on your face?"
Krillin's expression was growing stranger by the second. He looked at Goku, then around the empty, glassy hall.
"You only need to remember one thing between the three of you…"
Three…
He was just about to whisper his suspicion to Goku—after all, someone like Muten Roshi wouldn't make such a simple slip of the tongue.
But then, Krillin's eyes stopped on Goku's innocent face.
And suddenly, every hair on his back stood on end.
He remembered something—
Me,
Son Goku,
and that other Son Goku.
"I… won't… accept it!"
"Why should I…"
That night—the terrifying black giant ape roaring at the moonlit sky—that image came crashing back into Krillin's mind, striking him with a deep, inexplicable tremor.
One,
two,
…three!
"What's with you?" Goku waved a hand in front of Krillin's face, laughing. "You're so weird! Let's go!"
And with that, he bolted out of the room.
You're the weird one… Krillin thought. You're way too carefree…
Krillin snapped back to his senses. He let out a silent sigh and, in the end, pulled himself together and followed after them.
That evening, Bulma and Hathaway cooked together, whipping up a lavish spread of food.
As the world's number-one rich and beautiful heiress, Miss Bulma wasn't exactly known for her culinary skills, so she mostly played the role of assistant to Hathaway. After so many years, Hathaway could've mastered any craft if she practiced for ten years—be it tailoring clothes, cooking fine meals, or dressing up her husband.
"Hehe…" Hathaway looked at Bulma, whose face was smudged with oil yet still wore a look of serious focus, and chuckled to herself.
"She suddenly takes an interest in cooking… and even follows in my footsteps, traveling around with a homemade Dragon Radar… heh."
She glanced toward the door. Outside, Goku was being dragged off by Krillin—he'd just been tricked into eating a few absolutely awful fruits by the Phoenix and now, stomach growling, he'd followed the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.
The night passed in lively chatter and a satisfying meal.
Later, Goku and Krillin were assigned to share a room by Jarivs. Krillin took the opportunity to catch up with Jarivs, trying to return the necklace to the Phoenix, only to be mocked and refused—the Phoenix had a prettier one now, which left Krillin grinding his teeth in frustration.
Bulma and Hathaway shared another room. That night, the young girl and the stunningly youthful "granny" lay on the large bed, facing each other, whispering secrets and blushing from time to time...
As for Taro, he sat cross-legged in mid-air outside the house under the night sky, eyes closed in deep thought.
Though the night was chilly, it felt like a warm breeze to him. The world was hushed, all life in slumber—but in his inner sight, the entire island seemed to breathe in quiet rhythm…
His thoughts lingered briefly on the stone atop the central mountain. The vibrant life force within was beginning to resemble that of a living creature—it was likely nearing the moment of emergence.
He didn't dwell on it. For Taro, cultivation was already a natural part of his existence.
When he opened his eyes again, the first rays of dawn had just risen on the horizon, reflected in his pupils like sunlight on the surface of a still lake.
He slowly exhaled, disturbing the mirror-like lake below. The ripples swept through the lush forest in a fan-shaped wave, brushing through it with a gentle rustle. On the beach, the waves retreated layer by layer, and the delicate waves from this fan-shaped area radiated across the vast ocean, spreading far, far away...
He landed lightly by Mirror Lake and confirmed the time—it was exactly 4:30 a.m.
Turning around, he saw a lively and energized Goku and a sleepy-eyed little bald Krillin walking over. Goku was still wearing the martial arts uniform Taro had conjured up earlier, and Krillin had also changed into one just like it. When Taro looked their way, Krillin immediately perked up.
"Good. Not late," Taro said with a smile, remembering something from long ago. "Now, start by running two laps around the forest to warm up…"