Dragon Ball Human

The 20-kilogram weight barely affected Yamiru's movements at his current level.

Nearly three years ago, when he was delivering packages in the Southern City, he could already rely on brute strength to push over an anthropomorphic elephant. After over half a year of training on Mount Paozu, his abilities had improved dramatically. The Yamiru of today could easily toy with his former self using just one finger. A mere 20 kilograms was nothing.

Or so he thought.

This morning, as his master led him down to the town below the mountain, Yamiru noticed that the path was more winding, challenging, and energy-draining than usual.

What initially felt weightless now began to exert its presence.

"Oh my, my," Master Roshi said with a spring in his step, tapping his staff as he kept pace. "Gohan, I didn't expect your method of training disciples to be so uncreative."

Son Gohan replied sheepishly, "I believe that Master Roshi's method is most in line with the philosophy of Turtle School.""

"Is that so? Hahaha, in that case, there's nothing to be done." Master Roshi laughed, clearly pleased by the compliment. Through his sunglasses, he caught a glimpse of the small figure of Goku, struggling to keep up alongside Yamiru. "Still, I never imagined your little grandson would participate in such rigorous training."

"For now, Goku only trains in the mornings. He can't handle the afternoons yet — it would be bad for his body," Son Gohan explained. Moreover, Goku wasn't carrying a turtle shell. Thanks to his Saiyan physiology, his durability, resilience, and stamina far surpassed those of a human, allowing him to barely keep up with Yamiru's daily routine.

"Hmm..." Master Roshi murmured, falling silent as he continued to observe.

Son Gohan couldn't quite discern what his master was pondering, but he had a vague suspicion that Master Roshi had taken a particular interest in Goku.

At the town's courier station, the four of them — master, disciple, grandson, and guest — each sipped from a steaming cup of milk, exhaling in unison with a satisfied "Ah."

The townsfolk, unfamiliar with Master Roshi, were curious about the elderly man. Seeing Yamiru carrying a turtle shell similar to that of the strange old man made it all the more amusing.

Much like the mountain trails, Yamiru's milk delivery route was also newly adjusted, adding numerous detours and challenges. To complete his deliveries on time, he now had to carry the increasingly heavy turtle shell and run a longer route within the same timeframe.

"One-two, one-two..."

As he sprinted, Yamiru softly chanted the Turtle School mantra. Beside him, a sweat-drenched Goku struggled to keep up but still echoed the chant in his childish voice, keeping pace.

Amid the rhythm of their steps and the mantra, Yamiru found himself entering the unique meditative state Son Gohan had described — a state central to the Turtle School's philosophy.

Work hard, Study well and Eat and Sleel well.

Just by holding onto this simple, wholehearted mindset and immersing himself in his training, he seemed to experience immense benefits.

The Ki mirrored the Mind.

Changes in ki, in turn, affected the body.

In this way, the cyclical essence of the Turtle School's philosophy unfolded before his eyes.

While Goku, unaware of the intricacies and uninterested in them for now, couldn't grasp these concepts, Yamiru — driven by his knowledge of another world — found himself faintly touching upon the essence of martial arts training.

After delivering milk to every household, the four of them regrouped for lunch.

Afterward, they took a relaxing collective nap under the particularly blue sky, with the gentle breeze adding to the day's comfort.

When Yamiru woke up, he resumed his afternoon training of tilling the land with his bare hands.

Ever since he could tangibly feel his growth, even the most grueling exercises had become enjoyable. The more his body ached and toiled, the more his heart seemed to rejoice and grow livelier. Knowing his efforts bore fruit made the struggle worthwhile and meaningful.

While Yamiru happily pushed himself to his limits that afternoon, Master Roshi, Son Gohan, and Goku wandered around Mount Paozu.

The two elders never tired of admiring the mountain's scenery, while Goku's lively personality and extraordinary recovery speed had him bouncing back quickly from the morning's fatigue after lunch and a nap. By the time they returned to Yamiru, he had already collected his afternoon wages and was waiting for them.

"Hey, over here!" Yamiru waved, having bought two popsicles with his earnings. They were the kind that could be split in half, perfect for the two elders and two youngsters to share.

Goku, always eager to take big bites, suffered for his enthusiasm. He chomped off half his popsicle in one go, only to grimace as his face turned pale. "Ah! So cold!"

The two elders chuckled as they led the boys back toward the mountains.

"Oh, right."

Along the way, Son Gohan suddenly remembered something and pulled out an orange orb from his pocket.

"Found it on Mount Paozu. It looks just like the one on Master Roshi's necklace." Son Gohan inspected the orange-yellow orb with its four red stars. "Master Roshi's has three stars, and this one has four ..."

"What a coincidence," Master Roshi remarked. "I found mine while diving for pearls in the ocean. It's not a gemstone, but I kept it because I thought it looked nice. I never expected you to find such a similar one."

Yamiru, startled, nearly swallowed his popsicle in one gulp. After regaining his composure, he said, "Master, Master Roshi, this is a Dragon Ball."

"Dragon Ball?" The two elders seemed unfamiliar with the term.

"It's said that if you collect all seven of these, you can summon the Eternal Dragon and have any wish granted," Yamiru explained. "I remembered this legend when I saw two identical orbs. Tights and Bulma mentioned it before."

Son Gohan looked intrigued. "Oh, so it's that magical?"

"Any wish at all?"

Master Roshi fell silent, muttering an "Hmm", as his sunglasses concealed his eyes. It wasn't hard to guess he might have been contemplating some less-than-wholesome wishes.

Goku, curious, reached out to take the four-star ball. Son Gohan tossed it to him, but Goku immediately tried to bite it, prompting Son Gohan to snatch it back in alarm. Unlike most things Goku chewed on, the Dragon Ball wasn't small enough to swallow without consequence. Yamiru, meanwhile, couldn't help but chuckle as he imagined Goku's future self in Dragon Ball GT, with a four-star ball embedded in his forehead.

Regardless, the Turtle School members were a simple lot. Even if all seven Dragon Balls were laid out before them, they wouldn't be consumed by greed or senseless desires. In a way, they each possessed an innocent and pure quality.

Even Yamiru, a transmigrator, felt only a brief excitement when Son Gohan seemingly stumbled upon the four-star ball as if by destiny. He harbored no desire to pursue the Dragon Balls or concoct wild, unrealistic wishes.

If one couldn't even trust oneself and relied on the Dragon Balls to transform their life, wouldn't that extinguish their inner spirit?

A person who doesn't believe in themselves has no value in effort. Abandoning one's convictions may yield short-term gains, but it forfeits a true future.

Even Golden Frieza, after failing in battles for the Dragon Balls, ultimately achieved his power through relentless personal training.

Of course, Yamiru hadn't thought that deeply about it.

He simply had no subconscious desire to take shortcuts using the Dragon Balls.

If he ever realized this about himself, he would probably admire his own resolve. "Well done, Yamiru," he might say. "You have the makings of a true Martial Artist."

Master Roshi turned his head slightly, his sunglasses reflecting Yamiru's determined profile.

Two days later, Master Roshi departed Mount Paozu.

He left the Flying Nimbus with Goku, then summoned a large, fiery red bird to carry him away.

"The Phoenix..." Yamiru muttered, watching the black dot vanish into the sky. "Wonder how long until it dies from food poisoning. What a waste!"

"Hmm?" Son Gohan caught part of his disciple's muttering but didn't have time to dwell on it. As he turned back, he noticed something behind Goku, who was rolling around on the Flying Nimbus with a cheerful grin — a fluffy, brown tail had sprouted from the boy's backside!

"What?!" Yamiru followed Son Gohan's gaze and spotted it too.

"It seems Jaco was right. Saiyan tails don't grow back gradually but reappear all at once at a certain stage," Yamiru mused. "I remember during the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku's tail suddenly grew back, allowing him to defeat that gum-chewing dinosaur guy. Maybe it's an evolutionary trait to protect immature tails from early harm while catching enemies off guard? Saiyans really are a cheat-code race."

Son Gohan and his disciple approached Goku. While Yamiru distracted the boy, Son Gohan swiftly removed the tail with a single motion.

Little Goku didn't even realize his tail had regrown before it was gone again.

The two exchanged a glance and tossed the tail far away.

For now, they had secured another six months of peace. At least until the next full moon, they wouldn't have to worry about Goku transforming unexpectedly.

"This isn't a permanent solution. We'll have to figure out something eventually," the two pondered.

---

Life on Mount Paozu returned to its tranquil rhythm.

Training, resting.

Playing, living.

The Turtle School's way of life absorbed Yamiru completely. Even the smallest improvements brought him immense joy.

Sunrise to sunset, spring to autumn.

Unnoticed, another year had passed.

In Age 739, as the first leaf of autumn fell, Yamiru realized he had spent two full years on Mount Paozu.

It marked his fifth year in this world.