"Well, well, what a surprise! It's been only a few years, and someone's already managed to climb all the way up again."
As Master Korin spoke, he slurped the fish in his mouth down in one gulp, then pulled a perfectly clean fishbone from between his paws.
"Mmm, delicious. Melts right in your mouth."
There it was—the legendary "melts-in-your-mouth sulfuric-acid mouth."
Still licking his fingers, Korin asked lazily, "So, you're here to challenge the Super Holy Water, huh?"
"I just finished lunch, and it's not healthy to exercise right after eating. You'll have to wait until I've rested a bit."
Before Naruto could say a word, Korin pulled out a small jar, fished out a green bean, and tossed it to him.
"Oh, right—you must be hungry too. Eat this. It's called a Senzu Bean. Eat one, and you won't need to eat again for ten days."
If I eat that now, I'd be a fool, Naruto thought, and silently stashed away his second life-saving treasure.
Just as Korin was about to continue, Goku and Tien finally reached the top as well.
"Goku? You again?" Korin blinked, surprised. Then his eyes turned to Tien. "And another climber? What's going on today? Two successful challengers in one day? I haven't seen that happen in three hundred years."
He circled Tien once, then said in admiration, "The aura around you is quite strong."
At that moment, Master Roshi also reached the top.
"Mutaito—uh, Roshi? You old geezer, what are you doing here?" Korin's confusion deepened.
Roshi snapped, "Don't you 'old geezer' me! You've got no right to say that—you're twice my age! If anyone's the old one here, it's you."
Indeed, Roshi was a bit over 320 years old, while Korin was at least 800—more than twice his age.
"You're not all here for the Super Holy Water, are you?"
For centuries, there had been a legend about Korin Tower: that in its upper sanctum was a magical water called the Super Holy Water. Supposedly, drinking it granted immense power, but only those who passed Korin's test could obtain it.
Of course, anyone who had passed the test knew the truth—the so-called Super Holy Water was nothing more than ordinary cold spring water.
Naruto raised a finger to his lips. "Shh. Please wait a little longer, Master Korin. We'll talk once everyone's here."
"Oh?" Korin squinted and looked down the tower. "There are still two more challengers coming up?"
Korin had the ability to sense ki, though his range was limited.
An hour later, Yamcha, Krillin, and Chiaotzu finally staggered to the top. Unlike Naruto and the others, who looked perfectly fine, the three of them were gasping for breath—exactly like young Goku had been after his first climb years ago.
"What's with today? One after another!" Korin said in disbelief, then turned to Master Roshi for answers.
Roshi's face grew serious. "Piccolo Daimaō has appeared."
"What?! Impossible!" Korin's eyes widened—well, as much as his slitted eyes could. "And all that… just while I was eating a fish?"
He suddenly spun around, his short legs scurrying across the floor as he dashed to a nearby jar. Lifting the lid, he peered inside intently.
A minute later, a bead of sweat appeared on Korin's forehead.
"That demon king… he's really returned."
Turning back to Naruto and the others, he asked, "So you're here for me to train you?"
He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry to say this, but with your current power, there's nothing more I can teach you."
Korin's voice grew heavy with regret. "That demon king's strength is overwhelming. As much as I hate to admit it… I'm no match for him."
"But," he added after a pause, "if you truly have the resolve to risk your lives, there is one thing that might help."
"What is it?" Roshi asked quickly.
"The Super God Water," Korin explained.
He went on to describe its effects. The Super God Water was an extremely toxic liquid capable of unlocking hidden potential and vastly increasing one's power.
In the original history, Goku had drunk it and hovered between life and death for an entire day and night. His power level had risen from 180 to 280.
That might sound like a mere hundred-point increase, but in terms of ratio, it was a 1.55-fold boost in strength—no small feat.
Still, considering its potential, it seemed wasteful to use it now.
If a Super Saiyan-level Goku were to drink the Super God Water, how high would his power rise? If Krillin or Tien drank it in the later arcs, how much stronger would they become?
Using it now would be a waste.
And there was another problem.
"It's poisonous," Roshi summarized grimly. "Over ten powerful warriors have died after drinking it. And it might not work at all."
He glared at Korin. "Are you messing with us?"
Indeed, before Goku had survived it, Korin himself had considered it nothing but a deadly poison—after all, it had a record of killing more than ten skilled fighters.
Of everyone present, only Goku and Naruto might survive it—Goku through sheer endurance, and Naruto perhaps through his mastery of yang energy. For the rest, drinking it meant almost certain death.
"Then there's nothing else I can do," Korin said, ears drooping.
"Actually, Master Korin, there is another way, isn't there?" Naruto said, pointing upward. "There's still him, right?"
"Oh?" Korin's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about him?" He paused, thoughtful. "But… I'm not sure if he'd even agree to meet you."
That was true. Though the God of Earth was technically Korin's superior, the two had hardly interacted. Their last contact had been… what, several hundred years ago?
Naruto shrugged. "We won't know unless we try. It's better than standing here doing nothing while the demon king destroys the world."
The two locked eyes for a moment, until Korin finally sighed and looked away.
"This is a token."
From somewhere within his fluffy white fur, Korin pulled out a small bell and handed it to Naruto. Where exactly he'd been keeping it was anyone's guess.
"To reach the Temple, you'll need another item. Luckily, Goku already has it with him—so that's no problem."
At the very top of Korin's Sanctum was the entrance to the Lookout, the domain of the God of Earth.
The key to reaching it was the Power Pole on Goku's back. The God had originally entrusted it to Korin, so that Korin could select promising warriors and send them up for divine testing. But the lazy cat had long since given up on that idea—no one, he thought, could ever pass those tests. Eventually, after being pestered endlessly by Master Roshi, he'd just handed the staff over to him.
Now, inserting the Power Pole into the round socket at the top of the sanctum, Goku shouted:
"Extend! Power Pole!"
With a whoosh, the red staff shot skyward, carrying the six of them toward the heavens—toward the God's Temple above.
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