An old and a young woman, looking almost like sisters, were drinking tea together.
Bulma tied her hair into a fresh side ponytail and said softly, "It's been three years. They should be coming soon, right…" She set down her cup and gazed out at the blue sea and sky, resting her cheek on her hand. "I wonder what he looks like now…"
Across from her, Hathaway was flipping through a magazine, steam rising from her cup of hot tea. Without looking up, she smiled and said, "Want to see?"
Bulma blinked, resting one cheek on her hand, and honestly nodded, "Yeah, I want to see."
"Jarvis," Hathaway said, "Have Goku and the others arrived on the island? I just saw the phoenix fly out."
"Yes."
"Oh? They're already back on the island?" Bulma was surprised and stood up. She went out onto the balcony and looked toward the beach. At that moment, Jarvis projected a faint green air screen, floating next to Bulma.
On the screen—
Four figures were swiftly moving through the forest surrounding Taro Island. Among them, a young man with a shaved head wearing a white tank top was the tallest. The shortest was a man wearing a small black round hat. Taller than the man with the hat but shorter than the big bald guy was a small bald figure in a white martial arts uniform. Between the small bald figure and the big bald figure was a young man with messy black hair seen from behind...
"He's gotten so tall!"
Bulma was astonished but also excited, her heart pounding. Even from behind, she recognized that figure as Goku.
She hadn't expected that in just three years, Goku's height would have shot up so much. His back looked broader and more muscular — really like a grown man. Yet Bulma felt like this guy was still the carefree little boy from yesterday...
Hathaway walked over and smiled, "So, want to touch up your makeup a bit?"
"Grandma!" Bulma blushed slightly but thought about it and tugged Hathaway's hand, pouting playfully, "Help me decide what style suits me…"
---
Meanwhile, on the other side, after Goku and the other three landed, they received a telepathic message from Taro and followed his aura, flying with the phoenix above the forest toward their destination. Soon, they arrived at a clearing and saw Taro standing with his back to them.
This was the very place where Goku once trained to transform into a Ozaru. Goku immediately recognized it and smiled involuntarily.
"Master!" Krillin called out, carrying a cloth bag that jingled. He set it down and opened it, revealing six orange-yellow Dragon Balls, shining with a resonant glow.
Goku took out the four-star Dragon Ball he carried and smiled, "Master, all seven Dragon Balls are here."
Tien and Chiaotzu stood silently.
The phoenix flew over and perched like a little red sparrow on Taro's shoulder.
Taro turned around with a calm expression, having been waiting here all along. Three years had passed, but his appearance hadn't changed — still looking about thirty, with gray-white hair and an air of world-weariness mixed with elegance.
He didn't look at the Dragon Balls but scanned Goku, Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu one by one... Under his gaze, Tien felt like everything about him was seen through by Master Taro — no secret could be kept. His martial progress, strength, even his spiritual cultivation seemed completely exposed.
Krillin's heart was pounding; he wasn't sure if Master Taro was satisfied or dissatisfied with their progress...
"Come," Taro nodded slightly, standing in place. He extended one hand toward Goku and the others and said directly, "Attack me together. Use your full strength."
---
Gohan was flying through the air; Muten Island was already in sight. Like Bulma, he counted the days and thought the three-year mark was approaching, so he came to see if Goku and the others had returned. Soon, he arrived above the forest at the edge of the island.
At that moment, he sensed several intense bursts of energy colliding on the island.
The old man smiled faintly: "It's Goku and the others... Heh, they've grown much stronger!"
Not thinking further, since it was obvious the one fighting Goku and the others was his own master, Taro, Gohan decided to visit Hathaway first to have a cup of tea.
"You come too, let's go up together," Taro's voice echoed softly in his mind.
"Hiss… this is really something!" Gohan shook his head but flew over anyway. He descended from the sky and saw four figures on a clearing surrounding a gray-haired man standing still in the center. Their attacks were as fast as lightning, fierce like rushing fire, and their coordination was very fluid. Often, when Krillin's whip-like leg strike—charged with four times the power of the Muken—was deflected by Taro's hand, Tien's full-strength palm strike would immediately follow.
But it was still caught by Taro's raised hand. With a pull, Taro grabbed Tien's fist. At this moment, Taro could clearly sense everything inside Tien's body: which muscles were tensed, how his ki was flowing, where the energy was thickest, and where it was about to burst forth—like reading a pattern on the palm.
He said, "You want to brew the Tsuken while in the Muken state? Try reversing it!"
Tien was startled, wondering what "reversing it" meant, before being swung out with a stronger force from Taro's side.
"That move where Master uses the opponent's force is truly…" Gohan was dazzled watching. He could feel Tien's palm strike contained the explosive power of four times the Muken. Even if he himself stepped in, he wouldn't dare to dissolve it so casually.
If Gohan used a higher multiple of Muken, he would either have to dodge or interrupt Tien's strike head-on. But unlike his master, who could easily handle the four-man assault from Goku and company without breaking a sweat.
Especially… Gohan could feel that the power Taro used was definitely not stronger than that of Goku and the others.
In fact, Taro hadn't even used the Muken fist yet.
Despite the combined assault of Goku, Tien, Krillin, and Chiaotzu, he was still relaxed and fluid, effortlessly countering and even offering guidance.
"Muken… six times!" At the moment Tien was thrown flying, Goku's figure sped up. He flashed several times and charged toward Taro, who had the Phoenix perched on his shoulder. His ki boiled inside him, containing six times the explosive power, all gathered into his right fist. The air around the punch seemed stirred by the concentrated intent, as if it were emitting a low roar.
A punch unleashed—
"Pierce Strike!"
Only then did Taro slightly raise an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest. Goku's punch already surpassed the level he'd seen three years ago at the World Martial Arts Tournament. It carried a trace of the "Dragon Fist " he would develop in later years when his martial arts mastery was complete.
But Taro still lightly caught it, without unleashing any ki stronger than Goku's. Yet, he managed to catch that furious punch, whose actual strength already exceeded a sixfold Muken, with ease.
Master's moves really defy all logic… Gohan watched in awe.
"Don't just watch, Gohan. Try catching Goku's punch," Taro said, reaching out and grabbing Goku's arm. With a skillful pull, Goku was moved involuntarily. Despite Goku's current power, he still felt like a child in Taro's hands.
Taro twisted Goku around, his palm rapidly striking Goku's arm dozens of times, then hit Goku's back. Instantly, Goku raised his fist toward Gohan, who was watching nearby—
"What's this…" Goku showed excitement. He felt a surging power gathering in his fist. His whole body seemed uncontrollable as he charged at Gohan, his right fist trailing fierce wind, which seemed to morph into a dragon-shaped ki flow.
What was this?!
Tien, Krillin, and Chiaotzu were shocked. Watching Goku's punch, they instinctively felt that if it were them, they absolutely could not withstand it… No, Tien's eyes widened—this punch could not be dodged!
Once the Dragon Fist was unleashed, under its overwhelming momentum, there was no escape, no avoidance.
"Master really…" Gohan wiped cold sweat from his forehead. In his eyes, a vague divine dragon seemed to coil around Goku's fist. The old man with the white beard roared, "Muken!"
Boom!
Hathaway, who was carefully helping Bulma pick out clothes and doing her makeup, heard the distant rumble. She shook her head, "Really, they come back and immediately start fighting with those kids…"
Bulma, sitting in the chair, was lightly touching up her eye makeup. "What?"
"Nothing much. Goku and the others probably won't stay on the island long. You'd better make good use of your time." Hathaway said quietly.