Mutaito

One day, on a beautiful island, a towering green mountain stood in the center, surrounded by a dense cluster of rolling, smaller hills.

This island was a modernized city, where the sea breeze carried the unique, humid moisture of the ocean to nourish the island city.

The clear, blue water merged with the sky, creating a shimmering scene where the two became one; here, one could gaze at the azure sea and sky, and listen to the rhythmic crashing of the waves.

Along a small bluestone path where peach blossoms were in full bloom, the crimson petals resembled the smiles of young maidens, bringing a faint, serene fragrance to the air.

Walking along this tranquil and beautiful path, Selyne could not help but beam with joy. She called out to the person beside her, "Look at how beautiful the scenery is here! Should we settle down here? That way, we can stay for a while whenever we finish a mission!"

The reason she liked this place so much was largely due to the Earth's delicious food and the scenery before her eyes.

"Heh, alright then, let's settle down."

Chaya spread his hands; he was fine with whatever made her happy. Ever since Selyne had grown up, she had become increasingly disobedient. After coming out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, she didn't even call him "brother" anymore, addressing him by his name instead.

Sigh, children really become more independent as they grow up, Chaya lamented.

Standing on the mountain peak and looking down at the entire island, he suddenly realized that it looked strangely familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

However, this was his first time on Earth; if he felt familiar with it, it must have been from seeing it in the original story. Chaya found a bookstore, bought an atlas of island cities, and finally found information regarding this particular one.

"Isn't this the island where Son Goku trained under Master Roshi?" Chaya looked surprised.

Though called an island, it was actually just a peninsula, with a portion of the area connected to the mainland.

There weren't many famous islands in the original story: the first was Kame House, where Master Roshi lived; the second was the island where Son Goku and Krillin trained by plowing fields and delivering milk after becoming Master Roshi's disciples; the third and fourth were Papaya Island, host of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, and Southeast Island, host of the 23rd; and finally, there was the Southern City Island that appeared later in the Android Saga.

"If this is the island where Son Goku and the others will train in the future, doesn't that mean Kame House is nearby? What a coincidence!"

A smile inadvertently tugged at the corners of Chaya's mouth. He hadn't expected that a random stroll would lead him near the island where Master Roshi lived, though he had no intention of disturbing the old master.

For one, his goals for coming to Earth were basically achieved—he had the Senzu Beans and the training methods, so there was no need to seek out Master Roshi. Secondly, even if he did meet him, Master Roshi's frail strength wouldn't offer him any benefits, so he decided to leave him be.

Thus, to satisfy Selyne's request, Chaya marked out a plot of land on a hillside and built a simple wooden cabin using timber.

The morning sun rose, and the sunlight was bright and pleasant.

The warm, gentle rays bathed the bluestone path. Between the blades of grass, mist swirled, refracting colorful scenes under the sunlight, while the crimson peach blossoms, like the smiles of young girls, made the entire island glow with a charming radiance.

On a verdant, low-lying hill, a small bluestone path wound down along the terrain. A stream seeped out from the rocks between the peaks, nourishing the water plants on both banks before converging into a babbling, clear spring.

"Heh, I haven't been to Earth in so many years. I never imagined that technology would have developed to such an extent."

In a cool, shaded spot halfway up the hill, beside a stone bench, an old man with silver hair and a white beard, dressed in a white martial arts uniform, watched the vibrant life of the city below with a smile.

On the upper left corner of his white uniform, a red character for "Martial" was written.

However, what made it strange was that a golden halo floated above the old man's head—the halo of the dead, indicating that he was actually a soul from the Other World.

The Other World was a truly miraculous place.

It connected Heaven and Hell, and a magical Snake Way linked it to the higher dimension of King Kai's Planet.

Souls arriving in the Other World, no matter how powerful or prominent they were in life, had to undergo judgment by King Yemma after death. Following his judgment, those who were good had the chance to ascend to Heaven, those who were evil were cast into Hell, and those who were neither were immediately reincarnated.

Only those who had performed great deeds or possessed noble character in life would possess a halo, signifying their qualification to ascend to Heaven.

The identity of this white-haired old man was extraordinary; he was Mutaito, the grandmaster of martial arts who had defeated King Piccolo three hundred years ago to save the world, and the master of both Master Roshi and Master Shen.

Three hundred years ago, after sealing the Great Demon King, Mutaito had died from exhaustion. Given his achievements, he could have ascended directly to Heaven, but he had chosen to remain in the Other World. Today was the day Mutaito was to return to the mortal realm, after which he would be reincarnated.

Upon returning to the mortal world, Mutaito did not go to see his two disciples, Master Roshi and Master Shen. Instead, he wandered silently through various cities, eventually finding himself on this coastal island city.

Watching the prosperity and peace of the human world three hundred years later, Mutaito's heart was filled with joy. Especially upon learning that his two disciples had both established their own schools and become great martial arts masters, Mutaito felt deeply gratified.

Just then, two figures on the other side of the mountain path caught his attention—a young boy and girl.

From them, Mutaito felt an aura that made his blood boil.

"Young friends, may I ask which school you belong to? To possess such power at such a young age is truly remarkable."

Following the voice, Chaya turned back in surprise, only to see an old man with silver hair and a white beard smiling at them.

Who is this old man? The Ki inside him is actually much stronger than Kami's!

Sensing the profound power emanating from the man, Chaya was stunned. This aura was already approaching a Battle Power of 6,000; he hadn't expected such a master to exist on Earth. Seeing the large "Martial" character on the man's uniform and the ethereal golden halo above his head, Chaya's expression shifted, and he seemed to have guessed the old man's identity.

"Could it be Master Roshi's master, Mutaito? That's right, only Mutaito could possess such power on Earth. It seems he didn't give up his training even in the Other World," Chaya thought with certainty.

Those who performed great deeds in life had the chance to continue training with their physical bodies after death, but this was rare. Based on Mutaito's current state, Chaya judged that he possessed his physical body.

"Are you Master Mutaito?"

Now it was Mutaito's turn to be startled. He hadn't expected anyone to be able to call his name. He asked with surprise, "You know my name, young friend?"