Chapter 76: The Strongest Earthling
On the spaceship, Franklin had already told Lala about Master Roshi and Goku's personalities. He hadn't originally planned to bring her along, but because of her insistence, he could only give in. Though speaking behind someone's back wasn't exactly polite, he still felt the need to warn her in advance about Master Roshi's particular "interests."
"Ahem, Brother Franklin," Roshi said, his voice light and teasing. "That young lady beside you seems quite extraordinary herself. Mind introducing her?"
His sunglasses made it impossible to tell where his eyes were looking, and that uncertainty made Franklin wary. Although Roshi had restrained his lecherous tendencies since their first meeting, Franklin knew full well that the old man's perverted nature hadn't changed in essence.
"This is my fiancée, Lala Satalin Deviluke. She's not from Earth—she's a Devilukean. She's accompanying me to gather the seven Dragon Balls. I've run into some trouble lately and will need to borrow Shenron's power."
As he spoke, Lala stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his, smiling brightly.
"Hello, Grandpa! You can just call me Lala like Lin does. Could you tell me where Goku's house is?"
Seeing Roshi's sudden excitement, Franklin frowned helplessly. He really shouldn't have brought Lala along—now who knew how long it would take to get Goku's address out of him?
Roshi instantly sensed Franklin's frustration. He coughed twice and straightened up, putting on a more serious expression.
"What sort of trouble are you in? Maybe I can help somehow?"
Looking at Roshi's frail, elderly appearance, Lala glanced at Franklin, then said playfully, "Oh, we couldn't trouble you, Grandpa. This is a wager between Lin and my father. If we asked for someone else's help, my father might not be happy."
Lala's smooth response caught Franklin by surprise. He smiled and continued, "Sorry, Master Roshi. This problem is more serious than I expected. I'm not sure how strong King Piccolo was, but the enemy this time is at least as powerful—probably stronger. As Lala mentioned, it's tied to a bet, so I'll handle it myself. If possible, I'll climb Korin Tower again. If I can drink the Ultra Divine Water, I should have enough strength to get through this."
Roshi's eyes widened in shock. "You don't even know how strong King Piccolo was? You haven't climbed Korin Tower or drunk the Ultra Divine Water?"
The more he heard, the more surprised Roshi became. He stared at Franklin in disbelief.
"So you weren't joking before—you really are a time traveler? You haven't fought King Piccolo yet?"
At that, Roshi's expression turned awkward. "Ah… sorry, I might've said more than I should have."
Just then, the sound of splashing water came from behind them. Roshi immediately seized the chance to escape, pointing over Franklin's shoulder. "Ah, Krillin's here! You can ask him about Goku's location—they're in touch often. I've got something urgent to handle, so I'll leave you two to it."
In a flash, Roshi had vanished into the small house at the center of the island. Franklin sighed helplessly—he had already guessed the general situation. His next trip back in time was probably coming soon.
"Hey, Franklin! It's really you! Must've been four or five years since we last met, huh?"
Hearing the cheerful voice, Franklin looked up to see a familiar bald figure flying toward him. His eyes lit up. Though this was technically their first meeting, he couldn't help but feel fondness for Krillin, a character he had grown up watching.
"Sorry," Franklin said. "The version of me you knew probably isn't the one standing here now."
Krillin froze for a moment, then quickly realized what Franklin meant. After sensing his energy carefully, he exclaimed in shock, "It's true—you're so weak right now! I heard you say you're looking for Goku?"
"Yeah," Franklin replied. "I ran into some trouble and need his Four-Star Dragon Ball."
Krillin nodded in understanding. "Got it. I'll take you there—no problem. I haven't seen Goku in a while anyway."
As Krillin prepared to take off again, Franklin scratched his cheek a little awkwardly. "Hold on, no rush. If it's okay, could I test your current power level first?"
Krillin smiled and landed back on the ground. "You saved my life once—no need to ask. Go ahead."
Without hesitation, Franklin activated his True Sight.
Name: Krillin
Age: 22 / 456
Race: Human
Bloodline: Human
Physical Cultivation: Body Tempering, Stage 1000 (Quantitative change leading to qualitative change; body comparable to a Wandering Realm cultivator)
Spiritual Cultivation: Qi Refining, Stage 800 (Quantitative change leading to qualitative change; can faintly manipulate ambient spiritual energy—comparable to a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator)
Mind Cultivation: Mortal Heart Realm
Techniques: Turtle School
Skills: Kamehameha, Flight, Destructo Disc, Afterimage Fist, High-Speed Movement, Ki Blast, Solar Flare…
Talent: None
Overall Power Level: 1806
Krillin's power level far exceeded Franklin's expectations—it was more than double his own. This wasn't just a simple difference in numbers; Krillin could practically crush him with one hand.
"Did you… take some kind of drug, or make a wish to Shenron? How did your power skyrocket like this?"
Seeing Franklin's astonished face made Krillin grin with satisfaction. "Heh, I've been waiting for that reaction. Totally worth the effort!"
After basking in the moment, Krillin laughed. "You told me years ago that Earth would face a planet-destroying crisis in five or six years. You said to prepare in advance. Since then, we've trained like maniacs. With Bulma's gravity chamber helping out, our strength has improved by leaps and bounds. So, Franklin, what do you think—am I strong enough now to protect Earth?"
Thinking of the Saiyans with power levels over 10,000, Franklin calmly shook his head. "At best, you'd manage to die with your body intact. If you want to help Earth survive, you'll need to increase your power by…"
He thought for a moment, recalling how Goku's tenfold power-up had been judged as effectively doubling his combat rating in his own system. Then he said, "You'll need to multiply your current strength by at least a hundredfold."
Krillin's triumphant grin instantly collapsed. "I've already improved more than a hundredfold since before! And now you're telling me I need to do it again? If you'd said I needed a ten-thousandfold increase, I'd have just given up and gone home!"
Franklin nodded knowingly. "Good. Now I know how to motivate you. Keep at it, Earth's strongest man. When Goku becomes a Super Saiyan, you'll become a Super Earthling. Don't just stick to Turtle School techniques—your potential's not bad. Try creating your own style. Study some Daoist texts from Huaxia—concepts like Foundation Establishment and Core Formation. Experiment with things like Heaven and Earth Manifestation. Don't let your mind hold you back—dare to innovate."
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