I was sitting in a Capsule Corp flying car, feet dangling just above the floor, watching the ocean stretch endlessly beneath us like a painted backdrop. The water sparkled under the sun.
Bulma was in the pilot seat, relaxed, confident, one hand on the controls. Yamcha lounged beside her, arms behind his head, pretending he wasn't checking his reflection in the glass every few minutes.
And then there was me.
Clean. Fed. Wearing clothes that fit.
Still half-convinced I'd wake up any second back in a hospital bed with a concussion and a lawsuit coming their way.
"So," Bulma said casually, not looking back, "you really going to ask Master Rosh to train you?"
"Yep," I said honestly.
Yamcha snorted. "He turns down people all the time."
"I know."
Bulma glanced at me through the mirror. "You don't even have Ki, do you?"
"Nope."
She blinked. "…then why Roshi?"
I smiled, small and polite.
"Because," I said, "he's the kind of guy who trains people before they're impressive."
That earned me a thoughtful hum from her, which I took as a win.
The island appeared on the horizon not long after, a tiny speck of sand and palm trees in the middle of the endless blue. One house. One turtle-shaped roof. One very iconic mailbox.
Kame House.
My stomach twisted, not with hunger this time, but nerves.
This was Master Roshi.
The man who trained Goku.
The man who trained Krillin.
The man who once blew up the moon.
And I am not a hot chick.
No pressure, my dude....
Mins later.
The car descended smoothly and touched down near the shore. The moment the engine powered down, I heard a sharp, energetic voice shout:
"HEY! BULMA!"
I turned just in time to see a short, bald guy in an orange gi sprinting toward us, kicking up sand with every step. He skidded to a stop, hands on his knees, grinning like he'd just spotted free dessert.
"Hi, Yamcha! Hi, Bulma!" he said cheerfully.
Then his eyes landed on me.
The grin faded.
He leaned closer, squinting.
"…who's the kid?"
Bulma hopped out of the car and stretched. "This is Ben. He wants to meet Master Roshi."
Krillin straightened.
"…why?"
"Because," I said before Bulma could answer, "I want training."
Krillin blinked.
He looked me up and down. Slowly. Thoroughly.
"You don't look like you can do a push-up," he said.
"That's fair," I admitted.
Yamcha snickered. Bulma smirked. Krillin looked even more confused.
Before he could ask anything else, the front door of Kame House creaked open.
And out walked the legend himself.
Master Roshi was exactly how I remembered him.
Short. Bald. Thick white beard. Sunglasses that probably violated several safety regulations. Hawaiian shirt open just enough to suggest that decency was optional.
He leaned on his cane, squinting at us through the dark lenses.
"Well, well," he said, voice scratchy but amused. "If it isn't Bulma and Yamcha. What brings you kids here?"
His gaze drifted to me.
And stopped.
I felt it instantly, that pressure you get when someone who's actually dangerous is paying attention to you. Not hostile. Not curious.
Just… assessing.
"And who," he said slowly, "is the little shrimp?"
I swallowed.
"My name's Ben," I said. "Nice to meet you, Master Roshi."
"Hm," he hummed. "Polite."
That was somehow worse than if he'd laughed.
"So," he continued, tapping his cane lightly against the sand, "what do you want?"
I took a breath.
"I want training."
There it was.
Krillin stiffened again.
Roshi didn't even hesitate.
"No."
Just like that.
Flat. Casual. Final.
"I'm too old for that," he said, already turning back toward the house. "Go enjoy being a kid."
My heart sank, but only for half a second.
Because I came prepared.
"Your sister sent me."
Roshi froze.
Mid-step.
The air changed.
Slowly, painfully slowly, he turned back around.
"…what did you say?"
I met his gaze and did not blink.
"Fortune Teller Baba," I said. "She sent me."
Bulma's head snapped toward me. "Wait...what?"
Krillin looked between us. Yamcha frowned. "You know Baba?"
Roshi stared at me like I'd just insulted his entire bloodline.
"…why," he said carefully, "would my sister send you here?"
This was it.
I went all in.
"Because," I said, "you still owe her money."
Dead silence.
The waves crashed gently against the shore, blissfully unaware that I'd just committed social suicide.
Roshi's shoulders sagged.
Actually sagged.
"…I was really hoping she'd forgotten about that," he muttered.
Bulma's mouth fell open.
Yamcha stared.
Krillin gasped. "You owe money?"
Roshi rubbed his face with one hand, groaning. "That woman never forgets anything…"
I nodded solemnly, doing my absolute best not to laugh.
"She said," I continued smoothly, "that instead of paying her back in cash, you could pay her back by training me."
Everyone but Master Roshi hit the sand with her legs up.
Bulma annoyed said.
"You kidding right?"
I gave her my most innocent look.
"Nah," I said.
She didn't believe me for a second.
Roshi sighed deeply, shoulders slumping like a defeated general.
"…fine," he said. " I'll train you, you brat."
"But," Roshi added, raising a finger, "it will be hard."
I didn't answer right away.
Instead, I smiled.
Not a happy smile.
Not a polite smile.
A wide, toothy, absolutely unhinged grin born from desperation, relief, and the pure joy of getting away with Bullshit, I absolutely shouldn't have.
Everyone seems creeped out.
Roshi squinted at me.
"…that's a little creepy, kid."
I straightened, wiping the grin off my face.
"Sorry," I said. "I've had a rough few days."
Roshi tapped his cane against the ground again.
"Training starts tomorrow," he said. "No complaints. No excuses."
I nodded immediately. "Yes, sir."
"And if you quit," he added, "I tell Baba you wasted my time."
I nodded harder.
"Good," he said. "Krillin, you'll train with him."
Krillin squeaked. "Me?!"
"You wanted a training partner, didn't you?" Roshi smirked.
Krillin looked at me.
I waved.
He sighed. "more like bady-sitting to me."
Bulma knelt in front of me, "make sure you eat well"
"I will," I promised.
Probably.
The sun dipped lower as we all stood there, the ocean glowing gold around us.
I'd made it.
No Ki.
No strength.
Just lies, timing, and a Fine understanding of Dragon Ball lore.
And as Master Roshi turned back toward his house, muttering about his sister and her impossible memory, I knew one thing for certain:
My life had officially gotten much more fun.
And somehow… I couldn't stop smiling.
Ben power level: 1