Dragon Ball Roshi

"Thirty years ago, you were able to gather the seven Dragon Balls thanks to those special colorful feathered birds... but now, you no longer have those birds by your side. How do you plan to find them?" Kami asked after returning from the Underworld, noticing Taro was still present.

"He said he's already collecting the Dragon Balls," Mr.Popo interjected.

"What?" Kami exclaimed in surprise. He leaned on his staff and walked over to Taro, standing by the edge of the temple. He looked down at the world below, searching for a while, until he finally spotted the crimson divine bird that Taro controlled. He was puzzled. "Wait, can this bird sense the Dragon Balls locations too?"

Taro smiled and nodded, not wanting to elaborate further.

Kami stood silently beside him. In that moment, he had an odd feeling... It was as though this mortal beside him was the true guardian deity of Earth.

When Earth faced a crisis, he, the so-called Kami, was powerless. He couldn't do anything, and even the reinforcements he had summoned had almost been killed because of his actions. Fortunately, Taro had returned from his cosmic training with incredible power, saving Earth from disaster.

And what could he, the so-called Kami, do? The only thing he had contributed was offering the seven Dragon Balls.

The complexity of these feelings was difficult to express.

The Phoenix, harnessing the immense power that Taro had imparted to it, soared across the Earth, wings spread wide as it sensed its surroundings. Being forged from the seven special colorful feathered birds that could sense the Dragon Balls' locations, it naturally inherited the same extraordinary ability.

While flying over a human city that had been partially destroyed, the Phoenix was noticed by the humans who were in the process of rebuilding.

Some people looked up and pointed to the sky, surprised: "What is that?"

"Such a huge bird!"

"Look, that bird is glowing!" Someone noticed something unusual.

The white "holy light" surrounding it... was all too familiar! Not long ago, most people still vividly remembered the voice that had brought them hope, helping them defeat the evil spirits—the "Light People."

"It's Master Mu! It must be Master Mu! It's his divine bird!" someone shouted excitedly, gazing at the crimson Phoenix flying overhead, their eyes full of reverence.

"Yes! Yes! That's right! Who else but Master Mu could have such a divine bird? Who else could have a bird like this, if not with Master Mu?" another person realized.

In an instant, everyone began to agree, pausing their work to look up at the divine bird soaring in the sky, their voices filled with gratitude for Master Mu's benevolence.

The Phoenix curiously observed the excited humans below. Though it knew deep down that this was its homeland, it had spent most of its time following Taro since it was created, traveling across mountains and forests to search for the Dragon Balls. It had rarely seen Earth's humans.

"Vroom—vroom\~\~" One person jumped onto a battered off-road motorcycle, not even bothering with a helmet, starting the engine and speeding after the Phoenix overhead.

Others followed suit, getting into cars that were still operational. But, alas, the main roads of the city had been torn apart, making it difficult for the cars to continue.

Groups of people, a few at a time, chased after the divine bird flying through the sky, their voices full of excitement and admiration.

Leaving the city, the Phoenix's flight pattern changed. It suddenly stopped, let out a loud call, and veered off, descending towards the ground below.

"The divine bird is landing!" The man on the motorcycle shouted excitedly, revving his engine and kicking up a cloud of dust as he sped toward the spot.

"Let's go see!" The others who had followed quickly chased after him.

Soon, the group found the Phoenix in a barren field, glowing with white flames, flapping its wings in low altitude. It hovered over an old man sitting beneath a dead tree. The old man, looking gaunt and withered, held an orange-yellow sphere in his gnarled hands.

The Phoenix gently chirped as it landed, walking toward the old man. The old man had never seen such a magnificent bird before and was a little startled. But with no energy left to run, he allowed the bird to approach. The Phoenix gently extended its wings and pecked at the old man's hand that gripped the Dragon Ball.

"Did your family and friends fall victim to those demons as well?" The old man's voice was raspy. Seeing no hostility from the bird, he relaxed a little. His voice was weak, as he had been waiting for death here for a long time.

Buzzing sounds grew louder as several motorcycles kicked up yellow dust and sped toward the scene, their engines screeching to a halt. The people who had followed the bird were disheveled, stepping off their bikes and glancing at each other, hesitating before slowly walking over.

"Excuse me, sir... Are you... Master Mu?" They saw the Phoenix calmly perched near the old man and couldn't help but wonder.

Some even knelt down before the elderly man, bowing repeatedly and shouting, "Thank you, Master Mu, for saving our lives!"

The old man, too weak to react, finally noticed the people around him. He hoarsely asked, "What are you doing... what about the demons? Aren't you afraid they'll find you and kill you?"

"Are you not Master Mu?" As the Phoenix remained calm, one person gathered the courage to approach the old man. They then realized, the old man was frail and ordinary-looking, not at all like the powerful figure Master Mu was said to be.

"Master Mu?" The old man was confused.

"He's the one who helped everyone, who wiped out the demons!" someone else explained.

"Voice...? Oh, I thought I was just hallucinating earlier..." The old man leaned against the dead tree, speaking with a breathless voice. The crowd fell silent. It turned out the old man had mistaken Master Mu's voice for a hallucination!

Looking at the Phoenix, one of the group noticed the bird was focused on the old man's hand and quickly spotted the orange-yellow sphere.

"Th-This... this..." The person stammered, pointing at the Dragon Ball in the old man's hand, their face turning red.

"What's wrong with you?" someone asked, slapping him on the back.

"Dragon Ball!!" Another person cried out.

"What?"

"It really is the Dragon Balls! The ones Master Mu spoke of, the ones that can grant wishes and bring back the dead!!"

"It's true! The orange-yellow ball with the red five-pointed star! Just like the one Master Mu showed us!!"

"This divine bird was indeed sent by Master Mu to help gather the Dragon Balls and revive the dead, right?"

"Of course! Master Mu would never lie!"

The old man was even more confused. He looked at the excited crowd around him, stuttering, "What... what are you talking about? Master Mu... Dragon Balls..." He glanced at the ball in his hand, and the others followed his gaze. The Phoenix pecked at the ball, too.

After a round of explanations, the old man recalled the "voice" from earlier and, with tears welling up, his cracked lips trembled. "So, it wasn't just a hallucination? The demons are gone... My family... My children... they can come back?"

"Of course! Master Mu's promises are never false!" Seeing the old man's tragic condition, the crowd's hearts ached. They pounded their chests in firm assurance, their confidence stronger than ever.

In the darkest of times, if it weren't for Master Mu's miraculous powers, how could any of them still be alive today?

The Phoenix picked up the Dragon Ball from the old man's gnarled hand—it was a three-star ball. It let out a soft chirp, as if expressing gratitude. Then, it flapped its wings and soared back into the sky.

"Divine bird, please gather all the Dragon Balls for Master Mu, and bring back the dead..." The crowd watched as the bird flew away, praying in their hearts. Finally, they helped the old man into a car, slowly driving back to the city, where everything was being rebuilt: homes, futures, and hopes...

---

Nanka spent the entire night cleaning up the ruins of the Muten School Dojo. He buried every body and broken corpse he could find. The night was cold, and soft moonlight bathed the area. Holding a small stone in his arms, Nanka lay down in the front yard, frowning as he tried to sleep.

In his dream, he seemed to see his fellow disciples materializing from the moonlight, waving at him, smiling. Then, in groups of three or five, they began practicing martial arts, sparring with each other. Everything was just like before the demons appeared... Then, with a massive explosion, everything was engulfed in flames, destroyed. Beautiful faces were torn apart by blood, turning into lifeless corpses.

"Ah!" Nanka woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat. He turned his head and saw the faint glow of dawn on the distant mountain ridge. After a moment of silence, he slapped the dust off his clothes, stood up, and walked to a well. As he lifted a bucket of water from the ground, he stumbled—

'Lan, I got here first! I'm going ahead!'

'I'm the senior! You're the junior! Don't be rude!'

'Senior Qian, I feel sticky all over... Can I go first and wash up?'

The scenes of the past flashed before his eyes, and the familiar voices echoed in his mind.

Nanka's nose tingled, and he fought the urge to cry. He drew some water from the well, drank a little, then tightened his broken belt and straightened his posture. He exhaled, then began practicing martial arts in the ruined courtyard. This was the daily routine of the Muten School—rain or shine, year after year, it had become ingrained in him.

"Thud."

Something fell from the sky, landing in front of Nanka. It rolled and stopped at his feet. He paused in his movements, his eyes narrowing. On the ground lay an orange-yellow sphere, which seemed to faintly show a figure waving at him.

With a "thump," Nanka's excitement got the better of him, and he knelt down, carefully picking up the Dragon Ball. He gripped it tightly, afraid it would slip away. A distant, long cry reached his ears, and Nanka quickly looked up. He saw the shadow of the Phoenix flying across the sky, red like a flame.

'It will be alright, child. Listen to your master, go back first. I promise... Once the demons are gone, I'll revive all the people of the Muten School.'

Nanka touched the top of his head. His master had said those very words, gently patting his head. He murmured, "Grandmaster, you seem like a god..."

He slowly lay on the ground, gazing up at the pale sky, lifting the three-star Dragon Ball in his hand. Looking at the clear orb, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

And so, with the immense power granted by Taro, the Phoenix swiftly traveled across the human world, using its enhanced abilities to search for the Dragon Balls. As it was formed by the seven birds, it had a strengthened connection to the Dragon Balls, allowing it to search with exceptional efficiency.

In the vast grasslands, the Phoenix found a one-star Dragon Ball among a pride of saber-toothed lions. Its fierce presence terrified the king of the prairie, making them tremble. After it flew away, they remained in awe, crouching in place. The nearby natives saw this and revered it as a divine bird, later carving it onto their tribal totem.

Flying past the Muten School Dojo, the Phoenix dropped the one-star Dragon Ball and continued flying in the opposite direction.

In the steep mountain cracks, the Phoenix raked its claws across the rocky surface. With another flap of its wings, it easily sent the debris flying and casually snatched the six-star Dragon Ball.

Passing by the Muten School Dojo, it dropped the ball again.

In the ruined village, the Phoenix found the six-star Dragon Ball, and as it flew past Muten School Dojo again, it dropped it.

At the bottom of a vast abyss, at the peak of a thousand-foot-tall ice mountain, in desolate, uninhabited wildernesses, the Phoenix's figure was often seen. It would swoop by, using its claws or beak, carrying a found Dragon Ball as it flew into the sky.

Whenever it passed over the ruins of human cities, it was often spotted. People would instinctively guess that the divine bird was sent by Master Mu. When keen-eyed individuals saw the Dragon Ball in its claws, they became excited and bowed, watching it fly away, eagerly awaiting the moment the divine dragon would appear, as promised By Master Mu.

"Ahh—"

The Phoenix soared, letting out a long cry as it passed the Korin Sacred Land.

The Cat stood by the tower fence, watching the busy Phoenix while stroking his whiskers and smiling. He thought back to the time when Taro first climbed the tower, and when he had borrowed the Flying Nimbus to play with his daughter. He recalled the Taro who had summoned the divine dragon over thirty years ago, and even further back, the Taro who, together with Mutaito, had sealed King Piccolo...

Time had passed, a century gone by. The young man who once sought the martial way with sincerity had not changed his heart. Now, once again, he was saving Earth and mankind. He had surpassed his master and all the martial predecessors.

And beneath Korin Tower, the indigenous man, the boy who once was the child of Ubumajin, was now an old man with white hair. He stood with his children and grandchildren, squinting his eyes as he watched the white light of the divine bird flying away, his group marveling at the sight.

The Phoenix continued its journey. As a spiritual bird, it knew exactly what it was doing. Even when it was still seven separate beings, it had witnessed Taro summon the divine dragon using the seven Dragon Balls it was now searching for. It still remembered that moment.

Suddenly, in mid-flight, the Phoenix heard someone calling from the ground. Normally, it wouldn't have paid attention, but the content of the calls sparked its curiosity. It flapped its wings and descended.

On the ground, a tall man was kneeling as he moved forward. With each step, he bowed his head to the earth, shouting hoarsely, "Please, Master Mu, appear... Please, Master Mu, appear..." His head was bleeding, his voice raspy, but his face still bore an unyielding expression of determination.

Flap, flap...

The crimson Phoenix landed in front of the man, its claws gently placing the last Dragon Ball, the four-star ball, on the ground, eyeing the man who was continuously calling for the Master Mu.