Who Am I

The rain over Papaya Island had finally stopped.

After a night of torrential rain, the tropical island seemed to have been glazed anew.

The air was filled with the salty tang of sea spray, the fragrance of damp earth, and the distinctive freshness of tropical broadleaf plants.

Sunlight pierced the heavy clouds like golden swords, striking the rain-soaked streets and sending up a thin veil of mist.

The island's most famous restaurant, the Full Feast, was now facing the greatest crisis in its history...

Or, perhaps, its greatest business opportunity.

"Boss! Ten more bowls of rice! Make them big!"

"And five more plates of that meat with the bones in it!"

A booming voice cut through the din of the restaurant, making the chandeliers overhead tremble.

In a corner of the dining room, plates were piled as high as a defensive wall, completely hiding the diners behind them.

The waiters dashed between the tables with loaded trays, sweating profusely as if they were running a relay race.

"Th-this is already the fifth round of extra servings..."

The restaurant owner wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he watched the numbers on the bill climb, excitement and fear warring within him.

"Does that spiky-haired young man have a stomach connected to another dimension?"

Behind the mountain of dishes, Goku was using both hands to devour the food in front of him at a dizzying speed.

He seized a whole golden-brown roast chicken and crunched it down, bones and all, his face beaming with pure happiness.

"Delicious! This is so good! I've been eating wild fruit and grilled fish for three years. I'd almost forgotten what rice tastes like!"

Goku mumbled through a mouthful of food, his cheeks bulging like a pair of food-stashing hamsters.

By comparison, Krillin, seated across from him, looked far more refined.

Krillin held a cup of hot tea and gently blew away the foam.

He still ate far more than an ordinary person, but ever since gaining Genius Intellect, he had gradually learned to control his body more efficiently.

He no longer needed to gorge himself to replenish his energy. Every cell in his body could extract the calories from food with maximum efficiency.

"Eat slower. No one's going to steal it."

Krillin set down his teacup and gazed thoughtfully at Goku's solid, almost steel-forged arms.

Although Goku was deliberately keeping his power suppressed, in Krillin's eyes—which could see through to the essence of things—

Goku was like a dormant active volcano, filled with an unsettling amount of energy.

"So, you spent all three years at the Lookout?"

Krillin asked, lightly tapping his fingers on the table.

"Yep!"

Goku swallowed a whole piece of medium-rare steak and let out a loud burp.

"At first, Mr. Popo taught me."

"He was amazing, like a black shadow. No matter how I attacked, I couldn't hit him."

"He taught me to be 'still,' as calm as the sky and as fast as lightning."

Goku set down the bone in his hand, a rare seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"Later, Kami sent me into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"That place was terrifying. It was all white, with nothing there. The air was thin, and the gravity was really strong."

"I only lasted a month before I couldn't take it anymore and ran out. I felt like I'd go crazy if I stayed in there any longer."

"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber..."

Krillin mused.

It truly was a sacred place for training, but it also tested one's mental fortitude.

"But the most amazing thing was that Kami sent me back to the past!"

Goku gestured excitedly.

"I met Master Roshi when he was young! He was still a pervert back then, sneaking peeks at girls while they bathed..."

"But I also met his teacher, Master Mutaito!"

That move, Waterfall Split—that ki was so cool! I also learned how to control the flow of ki."

Yamcha, sitting nearby, listened in stunned disbelief. The fork in his hand fell to the floor.

"Y-you went back to the past? Is that really possible? Goku, you're not hallucinating from hunger, are you?"

"It's true!"

Goku nodded earnestly.

"It felt really strange. And now I can sense a lot of things I couldn't before. Like..."

Goku suddenly closed his eyes, his ears twitching slightly.

"There's someone at the entrance with a really angry ki, coming this way fast. It's like a ball of fire."

As soon as he finished speaking, the restaurant's heavy oak doors were violently flung open with a bang.

The wind chime on the doorframe let out a wretched cry.

All the diners jumped in fright and turned to look.

A young woman in a blue-and-red qipao-style Martial Arts Uniform stood in the doorway.

She was tall, with skin as fair as jade, and her long black hair fluttered with anger.

Her features were exquisite. She should have been a gentle beauty, but at that moment, her lovely eyes blazed with tangible fury.

The young woman swept her gaze around the restaurant, then fixed it on the spiky-haired youth surrounded by a mountain of plates.

"Hmph!!!"

She gave a loud, angry snort, as if consumed by overwhelming grievance and resentment. The force of it even shattered the wineglass on the table beside her.

Goku's heart jolted. It was her again—the young woman from the registration desk earlier.