Dragon Ball V: Chaper 3

​There was a lot of preparation to take care of before Raditz arrived, and that wasn’t just limited to training. The universe was a big and horrifically scary place; Raditz was small potatoes compared to what was out there. It was our duty to be as prepared as possible for it all.

​That was why I found myself once again attached to Goku’s back as Nimbus descended into the sprawling streets of West City. I had my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs locked around his torso, my small frame pressed against his broad back as we dropped altitude, plummeting towards a massive home set upon a field of green grass.

​“BULMA!” Goku bellowed from what felt like a hundred feet up, his voice carrying across the entire neighborhood like a foghorn. “HEY, BULMA! WE’RE HERE!”

​I winced as my eardrums gave a threatening buzz. “Goku, I’m right behind your head.”

​“Oh, sorry!” He chuckled, lowering his volume slightly “Hey Bulma! Are you home?”

​We touched down in the front yard of Capsule Corporation, and I climbed off his back and straightened, craning my neck to take in the monolithic structure before me.

​Capsule Corporation was somehow even more impressive in person than it was on the show. The main building alone was the size of a shopping mall, rising up and up and up. I could see smaller buildings around all bearing the same logo, yet not one of them were even half the size of this thing.

​I wonder how many rooms this place has, I thought, still staring upward. There had to be at least a thousand, right? Maybe even two.

​People on the sidewalk across the street had stopped to gawk at the giant man and little girl who came from the sky on a golden cloud. I glanced over just in time to see one woman tug her child closer and hurry, shooting us a look like we were something from a circus act.

​Fair enough.

​An energy approached form the house and out stepped a very familiar young woman with bright blue hair. Bulma seemed annoyed with her friend as she stepped onto the lawn, stalking over with a scowl on her face.

​“Goku, please!” Bulma hissed as she walked up. “There’s a lot of important stuff happening in that building and I’d prefer it if you didn’t accidentally cause someone to blow something up!”

​“Sorry, Bulma!” Goku grinned, looking only a little sheepish. He dug into his pocket and produced a small capsule, holding it up between his fingers like a trophy. “But I’ve got something for you!”

​Bulma’s tirade stopped short as the capsule was presented. Her eyes blew wide, staring at it with something akin to reverence. “Wait, thats…”

​“Yep! It’s the ship Kami told me to bring over. Wanna see it?”

​Goku moved to release the capsule, but Bulma’s hand shot our, grabbing his wrist before he could press the button.

​“Not here!” She hissed, a tremor of excitement in her voice. “Come with me; I’ve already got a lab set up for it. You can put it in there.”

​At this point, I figured it was probably a good idea to make myself known so Bulma wouldn’t assume I was a random kid Goku picked up off the side of the road. I stepped forward as we followed her.

​“Hi, Miss Bulma.”

​Bulma glanced over her shoulder as she walked, her eyes briefly flicking down to me before doing a quick double take. She slowed, her expression shifting into something I could only describe as startled recognition.

​“Oh! Goku, you didn’t tell me you were bringing your kid!”

"Huh?" ​Goku looked down and laughed. “Oh, she’s not mine. She’s just training with me!”

​“I’m Videl Satan,” I introduced with a small bow.

​“So polite! It’s nice to meet you, kid,” Bulma smiled, patting me on the head. I bore with it for the second that it lasted, before Bulma turned away, heading around the side of the massive building. “Follow me. I’ll show you where to put that thing.”

​The fact that she barely questioned my presence showed just how excited the scientist was. We followed her around the side of the building, past a cluster of smaller structures that probably acted as storage or other labs.

​Bulma led us to a large set of double doors at the back of the main building, punching a code into a keypad that beeped in response. The doors hissed open, revealing a cavernous laboratory that was so enormous it made my jaw drop.

​It felt like an entire aircraft hanger had been dedicated to the task, lined with tools and workbenches and assistants that watched curiously as we stepped inside. In the center of the room, a large circular platform had been cleared, surrounded by screens and equipment I couldn’t make heads or tails of.

​“Right there,” Bulma said, pointing at the platform. “Pop it right in the middle.”

​Goku clicked the capsule and tossed it. Smoke billowed with a pop, and when it cleared, Kami’s shit was sitting on the platform. It was covered in moss and looked like a gross bug in my opinion, but the assistants ooh-ed and ah-ed like it was the most incredible thing they’d ever seen

​“Oh wow,” Bulma breathed, starstruck. She ran a hand along the ship. Moss crumbled away  with her touch, revealing rugged metal that had clearly taken a beating from the harsh mountain winds. “It’s even more impressive than I thought it would be. I’ve been working on designs for ships capable of interstellar travel, but if this thing is the real deal...”

​She shuddered in excitement, her eyes alight with a mad fervor. She circled the ship, muttering some scientific jargon as her assistants came forward with clipboards and scanners. I decided it was probably a good idea to talk before she got too lost in her newest project.

​“Miss Bulma?” I spoke up, raising my voice just enough to be heard over the murmuring of her assistants.

​Bulma hummed as she leaned down to inspect something underneath the ship.

​“Miss Bulma?” I spoke up again, raising my voice just enough to be heard over the murmuring of her assistants. “I have a request.”

​Bulma hummed as she leaned down to inspect something underneath the ship. “Mm? What is it, sweetie?”

​“I was wondering if it would be possible to build a gravity chamber. A machine that could amplify beyond Earth’s normal level. It’s for training,” I added as she slowly turned to stare at me.

​Bulma’s face was contemplative. “It’s possible, but it’s definitely not easy. On top of that, I’m not sure it’s safe. Our bodies were meant to withstand a certain threshold of gravity. Going above or below that could definitely be bad.”

​“Unfortunately, it’s necessary,” I insisted. She raised a brow at my tone, before nodding slowly.

​“It’ll take some work,” she said.

​“How long?”

​Bulma chewed her lip, glancing back at the ship. “If I prioritize it after I’ve had a chance to really study this thing... maybe a few months? Maybe longer if something else comes up.”

​“That’s fine,” I said, and I meant it. A few months was well within the window before Raditz showed up. “Thank you, Miss Bulma.”

​She waved me off. “Don’t thank me yet. It’s going to take a little while to even get the blueprints done, much less actually build the thing.”

​She shook her head. “In the meantime, I’ve got a new toy to play with, so if you’ll leave me to it?”

​Goku nodded. “Will do! Thanks again, Bulma!”

​He scooped me up and plopped me onto his back before I could protest, and we headed out the way we came. The assistants parted for us like water, too focused on their boss’s rapid-fire instructions to pay us any mind.

​“See you soon!” Goku called as we exited the lab.

​“Bye, Miss Bulma!” I added.

​“By sweetie! Shut the door behind you!”

[Elsewhere…]

​Hercule scratched his head. He looked at his map, up, then back down again. How in the world...

​“Am I gonna cross a whole ocean just to get there!?” He cried into the wind. Sun-baked and utterly exhausted, the journey here had already taken its toll on him, but he couldn’t rest. Not when his little girl was working just as hard as he was.

​Still, according to the map, his destination was in the middle of the sea. He expected a boat or something when he got to the beach, but there wasn’t one. There wasn’t even a single other person as far as the eye color see!

​He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted across the empty sand.

​“HELLO!? ANYONE!? I’M LOOKING FOR THE TURTLE HERMIT’S HOUSE!”

​The wind blowing past him was his only answer. It carried grains of sand into his clothes and hair, making his already miserable day just a little bit worse. Hercule Satan stood on the beach, staring out at the endless expanse of blue, and felt his soul leave his body.

​“Your telling me i walked up and down a mountain for thee days and now I gotta swim across a whole ocean?” He groaned, a moment away from throwing the map into the water. “This is messed up!”

​Hercule sank to his knees in the despair, hanging his head. This was terrible. How in the world was he going to---

​“You could just ask for help, you know?”

​Hercule’s head snapped and he was met with... A turtle.

​A regular-sized sea turtle was sitting maybe ten feet away, staring at him with an expression that was way too human for his liking.

​Hercule stared at the turtle. The turtle stared back. Hercule looked around. Nobody else was on the beach.

​“...Turtles can talk?”

​The turtle tilted its head. “I can.”

​Hercule’s eye twitched. He looked left and right, expecting someone to pop out and tell him he was being pranked. No such luck. He was on his own, except for thi thing.

​“Okay,” he said slowly, getting to his feet and brushing sand off his pants. “Okay. Talking turtle. Sure. Why not.”

​The turtle didn’t seem that offended by his reaction. “You’re looking for Master Roshi’s place, right? Kame House?”

​Hercule’s blinked. “How did---uh, I mean yes. Yes, I am! You know where it is?”

​“Or course I do. I live there.” The turtle shifted, its shell scraping against the sand as it turned to face the ocean. “My names Turtle. I was just out for a swim when I heard you yelling. You’re lucky I was around; not many people come this way.”

​Hercle looked between the turtle and the endless ocean. He coughed, trying to seem nonchalant. “Uh, I don’t suppose you can help me get there, can ya? Please? I’ve been walking for days and my legs are about to fall off.”

​Turtle stared at him and Hercule had no idea what is was thinking. Then it turned and slowly began to amble toward the waterline, dragging itself through the sand as it struggled towards the crashing waves.

​Hercule watched the turtle go, his shoulders slumping. “Figured as much,” muttered.

​He turned away, already trying to think of a way to get to his destination. He scanned the horizon, only to stop as he noticed the turtle was lingering at the edge of the water, looking back at him.

​“Well?” The thing asked in a lazy drawl. “Are you coming or not?”

​“Uh, what?”

​“You wanted me to show you the way, didn’t you?” The turtle rolled it’s big eyes, turning back towards the surf. Get in the water and grab on; I’ll show you where you need to go. Or just stand there and I’ll go alone if you don’t think you’re up to it.”

​Hercule’s brain lagged a moment as he received the offer, before he suddenly scrambled toward into the water, following after the turtle as it sank below the waves and began to swim out towards the open ocean. “W-Wait! I’m coming!”

​The ocean was cold and choppy, but the turtle had pretty much no trouble gliding through it, even with Hercule hanging onto it and slowing it down the whole way. It sailed through the water like it was butter, but the same couldn’t be said for Hercule who nearly drowned three times on the way there.

​But he’d put up with worse on the trek to the beach, and thoughts of his little girl kept him going even when he thought he was going to fall in the water or cough up a lung from inhaling saltwater He just grabbed on harder and dealt

​But eventually, hours later, the end was in sight. Hercule lifted his head, eyes stinging, and saw his salvation through the spray in the form of a tiny island and a house painted bright pink.

​Hercule crawled onto the sand collapsed face-first into the warm sand, groaning. As the waves lapped at his heels.

​“Made it,” he wheezed. “I made it.”

​“There you go,” The turtle crawled up beside him. “Told you I’d get you here. You’re welcome.”

​Hercule lifted his head just enough to glare at the creature, then let it drop back into the sand with a wet smack.

​He spent a few minutes breathing sand before he got enough strength back in his limbs to lift himself back to his feet. Looking around, there wasn’t anything around on the tiny island other than the house, a tree, and... An old man in a lawn chair.

​He had a magazine draped over his face and was snoring loudly. Looking closely, Hercule felt his cheeks heat up as he saw the racy image of the woman on the cover. It was a bikini magazine, the kind that he hadn’t seen in years.

​This old man was a pervert! But where was Master Roshi?

​“Hey, old man! Where’s the hermit!” Hercule called out, his voice hoarse from the saltwater he’d accidentally inhaled.

​The snoring continued uninterrupted. The magazine rose and fell with each breath, the bikini model on the cover grinning up at the sky.

​“Hey!” Hercule tried again, louder. “I’m looking for the Turtle Hermit! You know where Master Roshi is?”

​The old man remained in his slumber and Hercule gritted his teeth, feeling eyes on the back of his head. Great. Even the turtle was laughing at him.

​He stomped over to the chair, reached out to shake the old man’s shoulder. “Hey---!”

​CRACK

​A knobbed purple staff smashed into the back of his hand. Hercule yelped, yanking his stinging hand back and cradling it against his chest.

​“It’s rude to interrupt someone’s nap, you know?” An aged voice drawled. Hercule’s head snapped to the side to find the old man had somehow gotten out of his seat and was now standing beside him. He was clutching a knobbed, purple staff which was clearly the source of Hercule’s pain.

​The old man sniffed, rubbing his nose as Hercule backed away. “Only pretty young ladies are allowed to put hands on the merchandise, I’ll have you know.”

​Hercule stared at the old man who stared back underneath his sunglasses.

​“So what’re you looking for me for?” The man asked, one hand behind his back as he hunched with the help of his staff. “I hope it was worth interrupting a good dream.”

​Hercule rubbed the back of his hand, still stinging from the staff strike, and straightened up, looking slightly bewildered. “You’re Master Roshi?”

​“The one and only,” the old man said. “I don’t suppose you have a name?”

​“Hercule Satan. World-class martial artist.” He puffed out his chest on instinct, striking a pose despite his soaking wet clothes and the sand stuck to every inch of his body. “And I’m here for training!”

​Roshi looked him up and down, taking in his soaking wet appearance and the massive, cocky smile on his face. Slowly, the Turtle Hermit shook his head.

​“No.”

​Hercule blinked, his pose deflating somewhat? “H-Huh? What do you mean, no?”

​““I mean no. I have no interest in training someone like you. You’d be best off in one of the usual dojos. Your type always ends up there anyway.”

​The old man turned away with a sad shake of his head, slowly meandering towards his home. Hercule watched him go, frozen by what she had just been told.

​“W-Wait!” he called out, his hand reaching forward. “You can’t just say no! You didn’t even see what I can do!”

​“Oh I’ve seen more than enough,” Roshi said without turning back. “You talk big, and I can tell you’ve had some training, but you’ve got no patience, no actual desire to learn. Judging by the way you woke me from my nap, it’s clear that  the way of the Turtle Hermit is not for you.”

​“You can’t—!” Hercule’s mouth snapped shut and he took a deep breath! “Look, I didn’t swim across an entire ocean hanging onto a turtle to get turned away at the door! At least give me a chance!”

​Roshi studied him for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. Hit me with your best shot.”

​Hercule blinked. “...Huh?”

​“You think you’re all that, why don’t you show me what you’ve got. If you can impress me, even a little, I’ll consider it.” Roshi set his staff aside, cracking his back and holding his fists up. “Come on. I don’t have all day.”

​Normally, Hercule would be hesitant to fight an old man. Even if he was a master martial artist, the Turtle Hermit looked like he was about to keep over at any second. But Hercule had spent the last week trekking across the country on foot for his daughter’s sake, and he wasn’t about to stop now.

​“DYNAMITE KICK!”

​Hercule’s body left the ground at speed, closing the distance between himself and the old man faster than he could blink. His foot screamed through the air like a bullet, sailing towards Roshi’s jaw to end the fight in one blow!

​But there was no connection. Hercule expected to feel his foot connect with something solid, to knock the old man in the jaw hard enough to send him sprawling, but there was nothing but air.

​He landed a few feet away, turning around in sheer bewilderment. His eyes locked onto Roshi, standing a few feet away without a care. The old hermit let out a yawn.

​“Is that all you’re capable of? That’s more disappointing than I thought.”

​Hercule grit his teeth, embarrassment burning hotter than the sun on his back. He’d telegraphed that one, he realized. Of course the old man saw it coming a mile away.

​“Alright, how about this!” Hercule planted his feet, drawing his fist back as he channeled every ounce of strength he had into his right arm. “MEGATON PUNCH!”

​He surged forward, driving his fist toward Roshi as hard as he could. Most people couldn’t even react to his attack; it was like a bullet, packing all of her explosive force of a bomb. There was no way he could dodge!

​To Hercule’s complete and utter shock, his fist cut through empty air. He stumbled forward, momentum carrying him past the old man by several steps. He whipped around, breathing hard, to find Roshi had barely moved from where he was standing a moment ago, and yet it felt like he’d missed by a mile.

​“Ooh, you almost had me that time!” The old man laughed, and Hercule grit his teeth, realizing he was being made a fool of.

​Hercule’s pride burned at the insult but he kept his cool. This guy was the real deal, he could see that now. This was the legendary Turtle Hermit, Roshi. The old man who barely came up to his chest could probably do him in before he blinked, if he wanted.

​The thought terrified him. It had been a long time since he had come up against someone like this. Hercule’s mind flashed back to that faithful day in his master’s dojo, his last day as a student, and his master’s last day on earth.

​Since then, he’d vowed to never take a fight he was sure he couldn’t win. There were some real freaks out there, and the guy standing in front of him was one of them. He should be running.

​But then where would that leave him? A failure? A bad dad who let his little girl down? Like hell.

​Taking a deep breath, Hercule dropped his flashy stance and settled back into his roots. Back when it was just him and his master in the dojo, grinding through the basics until his knuckles bled.

​Roshi’s eyebrows rose a fraction at the shift. “Oh?”

​Hercule closed the distance without a word. This time there was no flair to his attack, no flash and roar for the invisible crowd. It was just a straight jab, aimed at the old man’s solar plexus.

​Roshi sidestepped, of course, but Hercule was already rotating into a hook, using the missed jab’s momentum to spin his body. The hook grazed the air where Roshi’s face had been a heartbeat before, passing only millimeters away from his big white beard, close enough to feel the hairs on his chin.

​He pressed forward. A low kick, a knee, an elbow, each technique flowing into the next without pause, without the theatrics he’d built his career around. His breathing was ragged and his muscles screamed from the ocean swim, but he bit down on the exhaustion and kept throwing.

​And Roshi kept dodging. But he wasn’t laughing anymore.

​Sweat dropped onto the ground as Hercule and Roshi danced across the sand. The turtle watched from a distance as the man named Satan tried to live up to the hype he’d accrued for the past several years.

​Minutes passed in hours, and Hercule was running out of steam. He tried for one final hook, a desperate lunge aimed at the Turtle Hermit’s face.

​Roshi’s staff slipped past Hercule’s guard and tapped him square in the chest, causing him to freeze in place. The strike had no power behind it, but the message was clear. The fight was over.

​Hercule stumbled back, a cold sweat breaking out on his face as he dropped to one knee, panting heavily. Sweat poured down his face from that brief exchange, mixing with the drying saltwater that already coated his skin.

​Opposite him, Roshi wasn’t even breathing hard, nor did it seem like he had out any real effort in. He hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat, but for some reason, he seemed almost impressed.

​“Hmm,” Roshi hummed, stroking his beard. “So there is something under all that noise.”

​Hercule looked up, exhaustion painting his face as Roshi studied him.

​“Hmm... Your technique is sloppy, your fundamentals are rusty, and you’ve got more bad habits than I can count on both hands.” Roshi mused. “Yes, you’re a mess, but you’ve got guts. And when you stopped showing off, you actually showed me something worth seeing.”

​A moment passed. Wind blew across the island, and the turtle slipped into the surf as he saw the battle was over. Hercule barely noticed,b trying to get breath back into his lungs and waiting for his heart to stop beating so danm loud.

​Finally, Roshi nodded. “Alright, I’ve decided, I’ll take you on!”

​Hercule’s face lit up, “R-Really old man? You mean it?”

​“I don’t usually say things I don’t mean, youngster,” Roshi said, wobbling back over to his seat. “You’re probably the least talented martial artist I’ve ever seen, but you’ve got heart, and that counts for something here. Welcome to the Turtle Hermit School.”

​Hercule didn’t even have the energy to cheer. He fell back into the sand, chest heaving as he started up at the cloudless sky.

​I did it, sweetie, Hercule thought, a mile-wide grin stretching across his face at his achievement. Fatigue took over as his body finally got the rest it deserved, pulling his eyes shut.

​“Now go ahead and get some rest,” Roshi chuckles followed him into the land of dreams. “Cause you’re gonna need it...”