On Turtle Island.
A short, bald little guy paddled a small boat up to Kame House and stood before Master Roshi.
"Are you Master Muten?"
"I am!"
"My name is Krillin. I've come from a very distant place in the east. Please, Master Muten—take me as your disciple!"
Roshi chuckled.
"Sorry. I don't take students lightly. You should head back."
Krillin didn't even blink. He pulled out a magazine with a swimsuit model on the cover and offered it to Roshi.
"Please accept this as a small gift, Master."
Roshi was about to refuse—until he saw the cover. His eyes glued themselves to it.
That girl was way too hot.
He snatched the magazine right away, flipping through it as he said, "I'll think about it."
The more he looked, the more his face turned… unmistakably pervy.
After a moment, Krillin asked, "So, Master Muten… have you decided? Will you take me?"
Roshi closed the magazine and looked over at him.
"Your name was Krillin, right?"
"Yes, Master."
Roshi forced himself to hand the magazine back, teeth clenched.
"Take it back. I'm old. I won't accept students so easily."
Krillin froze.
"Is it… not enough?"
He hurriedly unshouldered his pack and started rummaging through it.
"Wait! I've got more—limited-edition photo albums!"
The moment Roshi heard "more," he suddenly couldn't bear to kick Krillin out.
While Krillin searched, a golden cloud floated down toward Kame House.
"Grandpa Roshi!" Goku shouted. "I'm here to become your student!"
Roshi blinked. "Oh? Goku? Did the Ox-King send you?"
Goku jumped off the Nimbus and landed lightly, confused.
"I didn't meet him… I came on my own."
After all, Goku knew it wasn't hard to find Roshi—just bring Launch over and you'd get there.
Roshi's eyes widened. "So he didn't call you here? I see… Looks like you've got fate with us! Your grandpa asked me to take you in, so I had them go look for you."
Goku nodded. "Oh, okay."
Just then, Krillin finally found a whole stack of photo books.
"Master Muten! I found them! Please take a look!"
He presented the pile.
Roshi grabbed them, thrilled, and started browsing without a shred of shame.
He completely ignored the two boys.
Krillin shot Goku a contemptuous look.
"You here to train too?"
Goku was delighted. Krillin was small and kind of cute.
And the timing was perfect—he'd arrived just in time to meet him.
If Krillin trained with him, things wouldn't be boring here.
What a coincidence.
Goku nodded. "Yeah. I'm Son Goku. Nice to meet you."
Krillin sniffed. "You came after me. So you're the junior disciple. I'm the senior."
Goku stepped close, held his hand up to compare height.
"I'm taller than you."
Krillin bristled. "That's because your hair adds height! If we count real height, I'm taller!"
Goku said calmly, "Master Muten hasn't agreed to take you yet."
Krillin snapped back, "He hasn't taken you yet either!"
Roshi, still reading, said lazily, "He's different. His grandpa was my disciple, so taking him is already decided."
Krillin's mouth twitched.
"Wow. Didn't expect you to be a nepotism kid."
Goku rubbed his head and smiled sheepishly. "Heh heh… I didn't know either. Grandpa arranged it."
Even though Goku's mental age was older, he didn't feel superior at all.
He was sure Krillin would become a close friend.
Showing off in front of friends was pointless.
So he opened up honestly, trying to talk to Krillin as an equal.
But Krillin clearly wanted to stay on top, so Goku pushed back.
At that moment, Roshi turned his head.
"Goku, where's that blue-haired girl who was with you? Didn't come?"
Goku shook his head.
"She went to West City for school."
"School?"
"Yeah. She traveled with me during summer break, but school started again, so she can't adventure with me now."
Roshi sighed in disappointment.
"Oh… still a student. What a shame."
Then he looked at Krillin.
"Just a few magazines won't make me take you. My school has a rule."
Krillin brightened instantly.
"To train under me, you must bring me a lively, cute girl."
He waggled his brows. "You know my taste, right?"
Krillin leaned in and whispered in Roshi's ear.
Roshi listened a couple seconds and immediately turned beet red.
"Oh my… you're so young and already this thoughtful. Very good. You and Goku go on Nimbus and bring her to me."
Krillin nodded stiffly. "Yes, Master!"
Before they could leave, a plane came roaring in toward the island.
All three looked up.
In the cockpit was the Ox-King, and Chi-Chi in the passenger seat waved hard at them.
Krillin's eyes lit up.
"Whoa… what a cute little girl…"
Goku frowned.
"What's Chi-Chi doing here?"