On a small island in the middle of the sea—Kame Island.
A bald, short boy rowed a tiny boat across the waves until he reached the little pink house that stood at the island's heart.
He stepped onto the shore, bowed respectfully, and called out, "You're Master Roshi, right?"
The old man chuckled. "Indeed I am."
"My name is Krillin, from a faraway village in the East. Please, Master Roshi, I beg you to take me as your disciple!"
Roshi stroked his beard and laughed. "Sorry, I don't take students that easily. You'd best head back."
Krillin didn't flinch. Instead, he pulled out a magazine with a beautiful woman on the cover and offered it with both hands.
"Please accept this magazine as a small gift, Master Roshi."
Roshi had intended to refuse—but the moment his eyes landed on the cover, they refused to look away.
The model's pose, her smile… she was far too distracting.
He instantly snatched the magazine, flipping through the pages eagerly while mumbling, "Hmm… I'll think about it."
Within seconds, his face turned red with excitement, a lecherous grin spreading wide.
After a moment, Krillin asked expectantly, "So, Master Roshi, have you decided yet? Will you take me as your student?"
The old master reluctantly closed the magazine and sighed. "You said your name was Krillin?"
"Yes, sir!"
Roshi handed the magazine back with visible pain in his eyes. "Here, take this. I'm too old to be swayed so easily. I can't just accept anyone."
Krillin blinked. "Oh, is it because there's not enough? Wait—I've got a few limited edition photo albums too!"
He quickly unstrapped his travel bag and began rummaging.
At that, Roshi's hand twitched. Limited editions…? He suddenly decided maybe the boy wasn't so bad after all.
Just then, a golden cloud streaked across the sky and descended upon the island.
"Master Roshi!" a familiar voice called. "I came to train under you!"
Roshi turned, blinking in surprise. "Oh, it's Goku! Did the Ox-King send you here?"
Goku leapt from the Flying Nimbus, landing neatly on the sand.
"No, I didn't see him," he replied, confused. "I came on my own."
In truth, Goku already knew there were easy ways to get accepted—he just needed to bring Launch someday.
"Ahh, so it wasn't the Ox-King who told you," Roshi said with a knowing nod. "That means fate brought you here.
Your grandfather asked me to train you. and I told my old student, the Ox-King, to find you—but it looks like he and his daughter couldn't catch up."
"Oh, so that's what happened," Goku said, nodding in understanding.
At that moment, Krillin finally found what he'd been looking for—a stack of glossy magazines.
"Master Roshi, I found them! Please, take a look!"
Roshi's eyes lit up like twin suns as he took the pile from him.
Within seconds, the old hermit was completely engrossed, flipping page after page, drooling slightly.
The two boys stood awkwardly beside him, completely ignored.
Krillin turned to Goku with mild irritation. "You here to train too?"
Goku grinned at the small, round-headed boy. He found him oddly endearing.
He hadn't expected to arrive at the perfect time to meet Krillin.
'Nice,' Goku thought. 'Having him around will make training way more fun.'
He nodded. "Yeah! I'm Son Goku. Nice to meet you."
Krillin smirked. "Well, I got here first, so that makes me the senior disciple—and you, the junior."
Goku took a step closer and raised a hand to compare their heights. "But I'm taller."
Krillin frowned. "That's just your hair! If we're talking actual height, I'm taller!"
Goku folded his arms. "Master Roshi hasn't accepted you yet."
Krillin shot back, "He hasn't accepted you either!"
Still flipping through the pages, Roshi added lazily, "He's different. His grandfather was my student.
That means taking him in was already decided."
Krillin's jaw dropped. "So you're a connection case, huh?"
Goku rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. "Heh, I guess so. Grandpa arranged it."
Despite his older mental age, Goku didn't act superior.
He knew they'd be great friends one day—and putting on airs wasn't his style.
He just wanted to be real with Krillin, to meet him at eye level.
Still, with Krillin trying to one-up him, there was no way he'd back down either.
Just then, Roshi finally looked up.
"Goku, where's that blue-haired girl you were traveling with?"
"She went back to West City," Goku replied.
"West City? School?"
"Yeah. She said her vacation's over and she has to study."
Roshi sighed in disappointment. "Ah, a student, huh? What a shame."
Then his gaze turned toward Krillin. "A few magazines aren't enough to make me take you as a pupil.
I have a rule—anyone who trains under me must bring along a lively, adorable young lady.
You know my preferences, right?"
Krillin's eyes gleamed with mischief. He leaned close and whispered something into Roshi's ear.
The old man froze mid-breath. His wrinkled face turned red as a lobster.
"Well now! Didn't think you were so mature for your age. Very well, very well!
Go with Goku and find me that girl—ride the Flying Nimbus!"
"Yes, Master Roshi!" Krillin saluted.
But before they could move, the roar of an engine filled the air.
A small aircraft was approaching fast.
The three of them turned to look—and there, at the controls, was the Ox-King, with Chi-Chi waving enthusiastically from the copilot's seat.
Krillin's eyes sparkled. "Wow! What a cute little girl…"
Goku, on the other hand, frowned deeply.
"Chi-Chi? What's she doing here?"