The next day, Krillin and the others learned from Jarvis about the new Dragon Ball Kakarot had brought back.
"Well, well, Kakarot, sneaking out in the middle of the night to play hero and rescue a damsel, huh?" Krillin chuckled mischievously as he sidled up to Kakarot. "So? Was the girl pretty?"
Once Jarvis had explained the whole situation, Krillin grabbed Kakarot by the collar, demanding he give a proper explanation.
Damn it, I haven't even met a single pretty girl yet, and this bastard Kakarot beat me to it!
The little bald head was full of tears on the inside.
"You're so annoying. Hero saving a beauty, my ass. If that Jarvis guy hadn't spoken up, do you think I'd have even bothered with that woman?" Kakarot smacked Krillin's hand away irritably and jabbed a finger into his forehead. "What's your problem, huh? Just because you're that old geezer's student doesn't mean I won't beat the crap out of you!"
Krillin stepped back, rubbing his forehead. Kakarot's finger was like an iron rod—he nearly left a bruise on his bald head.
After spending so much time joking around with his good buddy Goku, Krillin could never really stay mad at him. Before he knew it, he'd start bickering with Kakarot, only to get ruthlessly shut down again. It was kind of awkward.
Tien didn't want to look at this guy at all. His energy was completely different from Goku's. Goku was calm, upright, and carried a noble, righteous aura. But when Kakarot's personality took over, that energy turned into something purely evil—cold, brutal, and violent.
Anyone in their right mind would naturally prefer Goku over Kakarot.
"All of you, stop trying to act friendly with me!" Kakarot snarled, casting a fierce glare around the group. His gaze swept over Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu. Seeing each of them avoid his eyes made him sneer inwardly. He said coldly, "Let me make this clear—I'm not that wimp Son Goku. I'm a proud Saiyan warrior! I was sent to this planet to wipe out the human race! So show me some damn respect!"
"Hmph. Wipe out the human race? You really think you can?" Tien couldn't help but sneer, his voice icy.
Damn it. If it weren't for that old man… Kakarot's glare was even colder than Tien's tone. He shot Tien a nasty look, then snapped impatiently, "You done yet? Get out here already!"—he was talking to Goku.
Whenever Kakarot took over the body, Goku would dive into the virtual Earth network to deal with a backlog of training requests.
Taro had ordered Goku to regularly accept challenges or coaching requests to earn points or virtual currency. As his master, Taro didn't want to see his prized disciple end up broke after marriage like in the original story. Not that things were heading that way—Goku, in this world, likely wouldn't end up with Chi-Chi thanks to the interference.
Even though Earth's martial artists now had many ways to make a living, Goku clearly wasn't the type to go find a job. So the "Coaching" function in the virtual Earth network was the perfect gig for him.
Hathaway often teased him, saying Taro had gone to great lengths for his precious disciple.
Conveniently, Goku really enjoyed sparring with others.
He wasn't picky about opponents. Sure, fighting stronger foes thrilled him more, but he was just as happy to go up against weaker ones. His childlike nature and extraordinary talent meant he could grow from any battle.
Not long after, Kakarot's fierce expression faded, replaced by Goku's innocent, gentle gaze.
The change in temperament was like night and day.
All the evil and coldness vanished, replaced by upright and righteous energy.
Krillin asked curiously, "Goku, how many 'coaching sessions' have you and Kakarot done in total?"
Goku scratched his head. "If you count Kakarot's too…" He ticked his fingers. "I think over a hundred now! Heehee!"
"Whoa, then you must've made a ton!" Krillin exclaimed, then added jealously, "Tch, the reigning champion really is different! Goku, you're so popular!"
"Haha…" Goku laughed sheepishly.
"Son Goku," Tien suddenly said, "now that you've climbed to the fifth level of the Muten Tower and have already won the World Martial Arts Tournament once, you won't be allowed to enter the next one, you know?"
"What?!" Goku cried in shock.
"You didn't know?" Krillin was speechless.
"What do I do… I've already…" Goku counted on his fingers again. "Yikes, I'm already on the fourth level! This is tricky… Should I keep climbing the tower or stop so I can join the next tournament? Ugh… this is a real dilemma!"
Seeing him so torn, Chiaotzu floated over and asked curiously, "Which one do you want more—joining the tournament or climbing the tower?"
Goku looked seriously conflicted. "I want both!"
"Hehehe, just keep climbing the Muten Tower… The next World Martial Arts Tournament champion has nothing to do with you anymore!" Krillin chuckled, slapping Goku on the shoulder with smug satisfaction.
Tien gave a small smile. "Feeling that confident, huh?"
Krillin grinned. Along the way, he and Tien had sparred many times. Without using the Muken or Crane Style techniques, Tien had originally been slightly weaker. But now, they were evenly matched. The short, scar-faced, bald guy and the tall, three-eyed bald guy stared each other down—sparks flying from their eyes.
"You guys forgot about Piccolo, didn't you? I don't think either of you can beat him right now!"
Tien and Krillin turned to see Goku standing there with his hands behind his head, feet crossed, one toe lightly touching the ground, his tail swaying lazily behind him… Is this guy secretly scheming something? the two bald heads thought at the same time. But looking at the pure, innocent expression on Goku's face, it was clear he had no such intent.
"Piccolo, huh… yeah, he's a tough one. Seems like he's an alien too, with an amazing racial gift…" Krillin wiped his sweat and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Man, that's so unfair—an alien with special abilities. Damn…" He glanced at Tien and got even more annoyed. "And you're part Three-Eyed Tribe, aren't you, Tien? Ugh, all of you…"
Tien suddenly smiled and said, "But that's exactly why—you're the only one among us with the potential to become the strongest human martial artist after Master Taro, aren't you?"
Krillin slowly began to smile…
And so, the four of them continued on their journey, walking toward the sunrise.
Since Kakarot had found a Dragon Ball, they no longer felt the urgency to rush to Korin Tower. Taking out the map, they replanned their route. All four of them understood that Master Taro's intention for having them circle the Earth on foot was about the journey, not the destination.
Otherwise, Taro wouldn't have given them three whole years to do it—if it were just about covering distance, they could've made a full circle in under a year. No, he gave them three years so they could explore as much of the world as possible, see more sights, gain deeper understanding, and push their martial arts to greater heights.
Wandering, pausing, moving again—they stopped at small towns now and then to restock essentials. With the virtual currency and points they earned in the network, they could easily exchange for real money. Especially Goku—he was already a little rich guy now, and Krillin had shamelessly mooched several lavish meals off him.
Over half a month later, after crossing a vast primordial forest, they looked up—and finally, the towering spire that pierced the clouds was right before their eyes.