The moon had risen in the sky as the sun set to end another day.
BOM!
The capsule Bulma had used opened to reveal a house with white walls, a round, dome-like structure of decent size, clearly holding around 2 rooms in total, all in a medium dynocapsule—a red 1 just above the brown door.
(Images here)
"Even a house?!… Those things are scary. You really are a witch, aren't you?" Goku took a step back, before taking a battle stance.
"Ah! Stop being so… Whatever, do you want to sleep outside? If not go get Zen, and bring him inside." Bulma walked inside, still trembling slightly as she opened the door and turned on the electricity.
Following behind her reluctantly was Goku, now carrying Zen on his back, despite the height and weight difference, it seemed to be fine.
It was a mixed room: a table with one blue cushioned chair, a TV next to the kitchenette's fridge, a potted palm tree next to a double wardrobe, a single double bed at the end of the room, and, finally, a door to the bathroom.
Walking all the way to the bed, before laying Zen down.
"How is it afternoon inside? It's already dark outside…" Goku looked around perplexed.
"It's technology, get here. I'll explain." Zen despite being tired and in pain responded.
"Wow, you're that much of a bumpkin… Hmmm, hehehehe." Bulma then had an idea and turned on the TV.
[Now on local news! There has been intense preparation for the 21st World Martial Arts tournament coming up on may of next year. The…]
The voice of the news anchor and the flashing lights of the TV caused Goku to step back on high alert, clearly confused by it.
"Hehehe!" Bulma was amused by his reaction.
"Hey!! There are tiny people trapped in there! What are they doing?!" Goku questioned with wide eyes.
"Relax, it's a TV, just let me explain," Zen called him again.
Despite being suspicious Goku listened, not fully taking his eyes off the device.
"Urgh!… You both smell! You'd better get in the tub after this chat!" Bulma grabbed her nose as she commented.
"Tub? What's a tub?" Goku looked clueless.
"Eww! That's disgusting… Really please explain everything to him, I don't know if I can handle any more of this." Bulma sat on the blue chair and began looking through and organizing her dynocapsules.
At the same time, Zen finally began explaining technology, and some basics to Goku, so the boy wouldn't stay as lost about things.
While they did that, Bulma took the chance to bathe first, before changing into her pink long shirt pajama, then coming out of the bathroom refreshed.
"Ok! I think I get it… It's so much. You know so much." Goku nodded happy to at least somewhat get what's going on with these things.
"Ah, I needed that after such a long day." She walked back to the blue chair, not quite able to stay standing too long yet, then turned to the boys. "You two still stink! Get on!!"
"Now, I rested enough. Let's bathe." Zen sluggishly got up and grabbed Goku's hand, taking him to the bathroom.
In there, he taught Goku how to bathe properly, and a few more tips on how people get behind about bathrooms, and some more basic etiquette.
"Hey! Yours is really long, and large! Even Granpa wasn't like that, will mine also get that big?!" Goku asked extra loudly, still not quite fully aware of mindfulness.
"Hahaha! I don't know, every guy is different. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine either way. Don't talk so loud though, it's rude for Bulma to hear you." Zen laughed it off.
Having heard just that from the other side, a red as tomatoes Bulma, got up, and immediately got into bed, putting her face on the pillow, and trying to force herself to sleep, to no avail.
After they were both done, they both came out of the bathroom squeaky clean.
"Huh?! What?! Don't look at me!" Startled by their presence and still not fully recovered from what she had heard prior, Bulma kept hiding her red face behind a pillow even as she turned to them.
"What? Haven't you dressed yet? You're so slow. Zen says we should let you dress alone cause you're a girl. So I'll go outside then… I'm hungry anyway." Goku walked outside without waiting for an answer.
"Sorry about that, take your time, don't worry, we'll be fine." Zen followed Goku seeming to be better already, though his step still had a slight limp.
Once, they both left the house closing the door, she sighed.
"Hmph!!!! STUPID GOKU! STUPID ZEN!! They don't know anything about being around a pretty girl! Urrghh!!!!" She let out the frustration with rough erratic movements of her arms and legs, though she quickly stopped as the pain from the fall still hit her. "AHHHH! Stupid pterodactyl! I want the dragon balls for a perfect boyfriend! Is it so much to ask for?!"
There was a pause, and she looked at the ceiling for a long time.
Eventually, she stopped. "I'm hungry too… I should call those idiots to eat."
Meanwhile, outside, the two boys had found and hunted animals. They were already carrying their prey, Goku got himself a wolf, while Zen caught 6 brown rabbits.
"We're back!" Goku said once they got to the door.
Hearing this, Bulma who had already prepared the dining table steadied herself, and took a deep breath, before walking to the door to open it.
"GIEEEE!!!" Bulma's eyes widened in horror at seeing the bloodied wolf in Goku's hands. "What is wrong with you?! No way in hell that's getting anywhere near my mouth!"
"I brought a rabbit… I told you she wouldn't like the idea of eating a wolf… Hey, you can just have it yourself." Zen, carrying much less bloodied rabbits, pats him on the head.
"Ok! More for me!" Goku nodded unbothered by it.
"Errghh... At least one of you has a bit of sense in their mind. You can bring the rabbits inside, but NO WOLF inside this house! You hear me?!" Bulma reinforced adamantly.
"Do you need help setting the campfire outside?" Zen asked Goku, as he got to the kitchenette and started getting ready to prepare the rabbits.
"No! I'll be fine thanks!" Goku walked a bit further from the house and also began preparing things for his meal.
"Wait?! You can cook?!" Bulma raised an eyebrow.
As Zen began to work the rabbits, memories and skills moved in tandem to create a spiral of improvement that would be impossible for most people.
'I was a college student before all this, in medicine, and I remember those all-nighters, as well as the many basic meals, I had to whip up for myself.' His hands moved more precisely after each action, almost self-adjusting each step as he saw something new. 'Now, however, things are different, I'm not just doing, I'm growing, evolving, ascending right now as I do it, is this the marvel of perfect talent and absolute potential?!'
Normally, it would have been a journey of work, requiring great lengths of time to reach new heights, yet Zen no longer retained those aspects of himself. His natural limiters had been removed, and the path ahead was pure infinity, an act of true possibility.
To affirm the new realm he had just entered, the notifications came, a demonstration of the monstrous combination of his omni-hybrid genetics even in their incomplete state could do, especially being aided by absolute potential and perfect talent.
[Notice]
[The skill 'Culinary Arts' has been acquired.]
In a singular moment of understanding, lines began to form on the rabbits, from their fur to their meat. Even other ingredients became puzzles to be solved. The level of precision was loose, and it didn't come from something else, but from himself, something that developed in real time.
Far from being perfect, it was serviceable, there were flaws. Many mistakes in the cutting, the portions, and the seasoning. Nothing in it came out the best it could get, coming together as a dish became greater than the sum of its parts.
The meat, vegetables, and sauces sizzled in the various pans sitting on the stove, simmering nicely at medium-high.
[Notice]
[The skill 'Culinary Arts' has gone from Rankless to Rank I becoming 'Basic Culinary Arts']
'Wow, so this is my growth… It's beautiful, and to think, I can always reach greater peaks. Isn't it the best? Truly, I could have never gotten a better new chance at life than this one.' Zen rubbed his eyes as he turned off the stove, tears almost escaping his eyes as the grandiosity of the scope of what he could become finally hit him as a reality, rather than a dream.
"Huh… So you really can cook… Didn't take you for the type." Bulma for a moment was a bit, lost for words before a pleasant smile reached her, despite her still stiff movements.
At the same time outside, Goku had gotten his own campfire together and roasted the wolf.
They soon took a seat at the table inside the capsule house, a stool having been added next to the table as the second seat, taken by Zen.
Taking a bite from dinner as she sat on the blue chair, Bulma, was once again pleasantly surprised.
"It's pretty good… Honestly, would not mind eating like this more often." She calmly took slow bites, eating with deliberate grace.
"Thanks! I'll make sure to get even better. If I'm doing something gotta strive for the best, and beyond." Zen on the other hand was much faster, making the most of each bite, and almost wild in his consumption of the food.
All while Goku outside, devoured his own meal. A gluttonous savoring of every bite without care for decorum or grace.
Later after that, and once the dinner was passed, Goku returned inside, before getting on the bed, enjoying its comfort as bedtime approached.
"Hehehe! This bed is so nice and soft!" He lightly jumped on the bed.
"Stop playing around and take that fake tail off. We're getting ready to sleep. I don't get why Zen didn't remove your tail yet." Bulma crossed her arms as she spoke to Goku.
"It's not cosplay, that tail is real," Zen said as he prepared the futon on the ground given to him for the night.
"It's real?! No way…" She carefully observed it until she saw it move, and tried to grab it.
"Hey! Don't do that! I get all weak!! Stop it!" Goku now lay on the bed as he tried to fight that weakness that had just befallen him, and looked terribly uncomfortable.
"Urgh! Sorry!!!… Gosh, it's actually real… Why do you have a real tail?" Bulma was perplexed looking at the boys for an answer.
"Hmm… I don't know. I thought everyone had one, but grandpa didn't, you don't, and even Zen doesn't..." Goku shrugged his arms and got himself comfortable on the bed.
"Don't worry too much about it. It's not that big a deal." Zen commented before getting comfortable in the futon himself.
"Seriously? Such buzz kills, fine ignore it, won't ya?… Good night, I guess." Bulma got on the bed next to Goku and got herself comfortable.
Good nights came to both boys before they focused on sleeping.
'Hmm, there's already more differences from canon… I guess, since she didn't bathe him, she doesn't think he's 14, so she doesn't mind sharing a bed with him… Maybe, regardless, I have to be careful not to cause changes that would stop my goals, especially the harem, I must uphold it fully. I'll find a way.' Zen smiled to himself before falling deep into sleep.
In the end, he knew that if he wasn't careful with this harem of his, certain important events and characters could be erased for good, but the odds alone were far from enough to discourage him.
_____________________________________________
The next morning came quickly, and the first to wake up was Zen, who got up and walked outside.
At this point, it was still early morning, barely day.
"Ok, yesterday, I got cooking, let's try fighting… This will be important in this world." Taking a deep breath, Zen took a stance he had learned from the media he had consumed, akin to a boxing stance.
From there, he began trying punches and kicks just like when he first woke up, the difference was that now, he was striving to reach that same feeling of enlightenment he got while cooking.
While that was going on, the black-haired boy being as much of an early worm, got up from bed and looked at Bulma, who had picked the blanket off, and found herself with her underwear exposed due to the dress being up from her movement, what caught his attention was something else.
"It's flat?… That's weird." Just as Goku was about to reach out to touch the area, he heard the noise from outside.
This immediately caught his attention as the noise was familiar, so he left the capsule house, to find Zen outside.
His movements did get minor adjustments as he found what felt best as the training advanced, but the 'moment' never came, even as he did so for a continued amount of time greater than when he cooked.
"Hmm… I am improving… I think, but it's not like yesterday, why?" Zen stopped to try to consider it.
"You're not a good fighter. The way you fight is very rough.… Also, do you know why Bulma has no balls?" Goku said as he approached.
"First, I'm a martial artist in training, so I am still learning; and second, girls don't have balls… I'll explain… So, why don't we spar after that?" Zen suggested.
"Hmm, Sure! Sparring sounds fun!" Goku nodded.
So, the white-haired young man took the time to explain the differences between boys and girls more precisely so that he could more easily recognize them.
"Got it?" Zen asked.
"Yeah! Girls sound weird, but I get it. Now let's spar!"Goku moved on from it before quickly taking a battle stance.
Following that, Zen took on his much less refined stance, still full of openings he could not perceive yet.
"Ok! Go on." He signaled.
Not wasting a moment, Goku dashed in, too fast for Zen to react even if he was holding back after seeing the lack of experience his new companion demonstrated.
Still, that didn't stop the gap from being apparent, three strikes came to push back on the much larger Zen, almost like he was as light as paper, and causing him to wince in pain.
Stopping himself from sliding more than a few meters(feet) back, the white-haired young man focused on as many movements as he could catch.
'I can't beat him as I am, I have to learn, learn as much as possible. If I want to become the best, I need to take in as much as possible, and then make it my own!' Zen was behind at each step of the fight, but not for a moment did he stop or give up.
Goku's movements were precise, confident, and heavy. Unable to keep up in raw power or skills, Zen chose to learn and adapt.
It was his nature, and slowly but surely the complete dominion was reduced to a great advantage.
As he began to block attacks and throw counters back, even though his blocking didn't help, and his attacks did very little the few times they did connect with this holding back Goku, it was still progress, growth that brought a smile to his face.
[Notice]
[The skill 'Martial Arts(Turtle School)' has been acquired]
The movements slowly became easier to read, though he was far from catching up, he was getting closer with each exchange.
It was not perfect, but the battle became intense, as the sparring started having a meeting of blows, as fits, and legs meet more than before.
Yet in the end, Goku was still winning by miles, even holding back.
"Hahaha! You're something else!" Zen complimented with a big smile on his face, clearly excited.
"You learn super fast! If we keep fighting you'll catch me. I can't wait for it!!!" Goku matched his opponent, wanting to see how far this could go.
While their battle raged, in the background filled with big brown rocks, one of them was moving.
This caught Goku's attention for a second and that got him punched in his face hard enough to push him back and refocus him.
Not letting this be the end of it, he retaliated.
A barrage of punches from him came at his opponent, who swiftly dodged them, before the white-haired young man went in for a sweep kick.
That moment was evaded with a jump that led Goku to kick Zen in the face, pushing him back once again.
Responding to this Zen ran in with the posture of a flying kick, before feinting into a high kick, which was blocked at the last moment.
Thus both of them created distance between them.
Breathing heavily, Zen was getting fatigued, while Goku seemed to still have energy to spare.
'One level above me, and the difference is a world apart… Hahaha! Isn't that so much fun?! I want to fight more, to learn more... I'm getting tired though…' He still felt some back pain from the incident yesterday in every move.
"Hey! You two! Enough roughhousing! Come get ready for the day! I only have 30 days of summer vacation to get those balls, and we're not wasting time!" Bulma who had just woken up, yelled at them, before it could go on.
"Awww! It was getting so much fun…" Goku sighed but stopped immediately.
"Hehehe, we'll get more time to do it other times." Zen pet Goku on his head as he walked towards the capsule with him.
At that time, a notification popped up.
[Notice]
[The user has gained battle experience, and grown. User's Power level(battle power) has risen to 7.]
'I see… So, I can grow through battle… Makes sense. Yet I didn't level up, I guess I need to grow to a certain threshold before that.' Zen nodded to himself another proud smile forming.
"Huh... Zen, is that rock moving?" Goku's attention now that the fight was over, got drawn back to the odd rock.
Turning his face to it, Zen smiled. "Let's go check."
"Hey! I called you two! Don't get distracted!" Bulma sighed in frustration.
Upon getting closer they found that the rock, in truth was not one.
"Oh! It's a turtle!" Goku smiled having his curiosity sated.
There it stood, muddy green turtle, out here in the grasslands.
(Image here)
"Oh hi, what's turtle like you doing this far from the ocean?" Zen asked calmly.
"Ehhh… Please, could you help me? I need saltwater, and if possible some seaweed." The turtle replied seeming quite desperate.
Following that, Bulma came closer after the lack of a response from the boys.
"What are you two-…. Is that a turtle? Why's a sea turtle all the way here?" She stopped in her tracks confused by this.
After that, they went to get a bucket of seawater and seedweed.
Having received it, the turtle hurriedly ate from it.
"Thank you! Thank you very much! As you have deduced, I am in fact, a turtle, a sea turtle." It said with a smile before it became a blank expression.
"We know that much!" Bulma rolled her eyes.
"Oh right. I was gathering mushrooms… Then… I… Well… I got… Lost. It's been a year since I left the ocean. I've been traveling around trying to find a way back, you see…" The turtle explained with an air of distress.
"Oh… You've been going the wrong way. Opposite actually, it's 120 KM south of here, it seems." Bulma said as she had gotten her map.
"Turtle! Want us to show you the way there?" Goku immediately offered.
"Oh? Seriously? You would do that?" The turtle was smiling again at the prospect.
"Whoa! Stop right there! Don't go around making promises! I told you both I only have 30 days! We can't waste time on that! Zen, please put some sense into his head, since he actually listens to you." Bulma shook her head vehemently, her fists resting on her waist as she spoke.
Not bothering with what she was saying, Goku had decided and lifted the turtle onto his back.
"Calm down, it's only a small detour, and we get to enjoy the journey. Yeah the Dragon Balls are the goal, but this is your vacation, don't you want to make the most of it so you have lots to say when you're back home?" Zen chuckled and then responded to her.
"Urgh!… You boys don't listen… But I guess it could be a great story to tell, rescuing a turtle is interesting enough… Fine! No wasting more time after it! Let me get things ready, and we'll go." Bulma sighed then went to get her things, though she didn't bother to change or get ready at this point.
Once the capsule house was stored, and the capsule 9 bike was back out, she turned to Zen.
"Hop on! We don't have time to waste." She wasn't taking her chances.
Goku was a complete anomaly, but Zen was still somewhat human in her eyes, so it was best to just get on with it.
So, the white-haired young man was about to get on behind her, when Bulma widened her eyes and jumped off.
"Actually! You take the wheel!" She said with slight redness on her cheeks.
"… Sure, then." Zen got on the bike, then Bulma got being him, holding on tight.
'Hehehehe! The muscle is strong! And he smells oddly nice despite moving around so much all the time… coffee… Chocolate… and peaches? How?!…' She got herself comfortable leaning her face into his back. 'Doesn't matter if I have to babysit some stupid turtle, at least I get a nice seat, and a good story to tell my parents and classmates, aren't I so generous to help out?!'
"Ok! I'll run up!" Goku commented ready with the turtle on his back.
From there, Zen started the bike, and his instincts kicked in.
[Notice]
[The 'Driving' skill has been acquired by the user.]
VRROM!
They moved on, making their way to the ocean with Goku running alongside the bike even with the turtle on his back.
Fast tracking through the grassland area, they soon reached an area filled with high cylindrical mounts, and among them, standing by looking down at them with binoculars was a big bearman.
Having a red mohawk, as well as red, white, and black armor with black shoes. He also carried a big saber that matched his size.
(Image here)
"Hehehe! Looks like some fancy ones with good stuff. Let's watch them cower!" Jumping down in quick succession, the bear bandit made his way to ground level.
THUD
He landed with weight.
"Hold it! You fools better hand over the good stuff, be food, or even that turtle. Gonna make my favorite meal!" The bandit bear smiled as it intercepted the path.
Zen had to make a swerve to stop abruptly, making sure to hold Bulma just in case. Goku had to stop as well, pushing some dirt forward as he did.
"Urgh! Goku! Hand it over!" Bulma immediately yelled.
"No! Stay calm, and stick to the turtle and Bulma. I'll handle this one." Zen got off the bike and walked up to the bear.
"Got it! Beat him up!" Goku encouraged.
"Hehehe! Oh, and what are you gonna do?! Just give it all up, and I'll be nice, even let you go untouched, I'm pretty reasonable, aren't I?" The bear bandit was amused by the white-haired young man who was half his size if that, standing there.
"Zen! Don't be crazy! Let's just hand the turtle over." Bulma sighed.
"Hehehe! Listen to your little girlfriend, I'll tear you apart in one hit, boy!" The bear bandit nodded.
"If you won't get out of our way, I'll have no choice but to beat you to a pulp." Zen took a battle stance, not intimidated in the slightest, this bear was smaller than the pterodactyl.
"Then die!" The bandit bear attacked, swinging his saber at him with great force.
However these attacks came in slowly from Zen's perspective, so he dodged each swing with ease.
"You got some moves, but that's far from enough!" The bear bandit swung in for a wide horizontal slash at full force to cut him in two.
"Goku! We've got to get out of here! This is crazy!" Bulma began to mount the bike, ready to drive off.
WHOOSH!
Having anticipated this movement, Zen ducks under the attack into a lower center of gravity punch, through to the bear bandit's gut.
BAM!
"Errgghgh!!!" The bear bandit was pushed back a few meters(feet), letting go of his weapon as saliva escaped him, and his hands moved to his belly before he passed out.
THUD
"Holy!… He won?…." Bulma was awestruck and turned to Goku with wide eyes remembering the boy had shown to be even stronger, and for the first time, it dawned on her what that really meant.
"Wow! That's crazy… Your friend is really strong... Just make sure he knows I taste awful, and horrible, hehehe!" The turtle commented.
"Yeah, I'm stronger, though. Plus, you don't look tasty anyway." Goku nodded seemingly proud of the white-haired young man.
As they were talking, Zen walked to the Bear bandit, and looted him, leaving only his underwear on him, as he put all the rest in his inventory. He got the full set of armor even if too big for him, the saber, and a pouch of dynocapsules.
[Notice]
[The user has gained battle experience, and grown. User's Power level(battle power) has risen to 7.5.]
Once that was done, Zen got back on the front of the bike, while Goku was still ready to keep carrying the turtle.
The road to the beach was still up ahead, and who knew what else they would find on this journey for the dragon balls. Furthermore, there was no knowing just how far, Zen would go with such immense potential.