Chapter 7: The Turtle Hermit
I walked up to the house and knocked on the green door. I was most surprised at who answered. It was the turtle hermit. He looked just like he'd been depicted in the stories. The sunlight reflected off of his bald head and again off of his red sunglasses. His mustache and beard were shaggy and covered most of his mouth. He wore an orange kung fu jacket and blue kung fu pants and held a staff.
"Goku? You're back?" asked the turtle hermit.
"Mr. Turtle Hermit! I didn't expect you to answer the door," I said with a bow.
"Well why wouldn't you? This is my house after all," he answered.
"Well yeah, but I just thought how since you were also alive centuries ago, during the time of Goku," I explained.
"Has it been centuries already? Felt like just yesterday. That Fountain of Youth water does not disappoint," he said.
"Well I apologize to disturb you Mr. Turtle Hermit-" I begin.
"Please, call me Master Roshi," he says, "and it's no disturbance at all. Your company is rewarding. You sure do look like Goku. Ever since my turtle died and since I haven't gone on a date in years, all I have to look forward to every morning are my exercise tapes," he says, gesturing to the television. There were women on the screen doing leg lifts in leotards.
"Uh...that's nice," I say, "anywho I came to your island today because it says on the dragon radar that you have a dragon ball that I need."
"I do, but I can't give it to just any boy who knocks on my door. How do I know that I can trust you?" he asked.
"Well I'm a grandson of your greatest student, Goku; I'm gathering the dragon balls to wish my family back to life, who were killed in the recent earthquake; and I'm able to ride your nimbus cloud," I say, gesturing to the yellow cloud, floating over the sand.
"You're Goku's grandson? Well I see the resemblance. But what's in it for me?" he asked.
"My company," I said in a question-like tone, "As you said it's rewarding."
He nodded and walked inside. The dragon ball sat on a red pillow in the middle of his black coffee table. It was the five star ball. He stepped back outside and handed it to me. I put it in the gray bag and tucked it into my belt.
"You know if you're after the dragon balls you're going to need to know to fight," he said.
"I'd say I know some moves," I say.
"I could train you and make you stronger than you'd ever think you'd be, just like I taught Goku," he said.
"Thanks, Master Roshi, but I think I'm doing pretty well for myself as of now."
"Well, if you change your mind I'm always here."
I nodded, smiling, and turned to the nimbus, when he called out behind me.
"Hey, kid, what's your name?" he asked.
"Kakarot," I answered.
"After Goku's Saiyan name. How do you know about him?" he asked.
"His experiences are told through stories, although these days they're only myths. Only a handful of people actually believe in them," I explain.
"What happened to him?"
"Nobody really knows. Some say he had to grow up again and died of natural causes, some say he became the new guardian of the Earth, some say he became immortal, some say he disapeared to train with the Shenron for all eternity and will show up whenever the Earth is in danger," I explained.
He nodded, "Take care, Kakarot. I hope to see you again."
"Goodbye, Master Roshi," I call back as I hop onto the nimbus cloud and fly away.
I look down at the radar. It says that there's a dragon ball on land out to the east. For a while the farthest I could see was all water, just ocean. It wasn't until sunset when I finally came across land. It was a beach. Further out I could see a road connecting to a neighborhood. I still wasn't very close to the dragon ball. I rode the cloud all night until I decided to sleep on the nimbus.
I was awoken when I felt a powerful blast hit my side. It felt like a train ramming me at full force, and burnt worse than a branding iron. It knocked me right off the nimbus and I fell from what seemed like two hundred yards. I hit the ground at full force and passed out.