The summer sun blazed fiercely. Though the dampness over the sea eased the heat somewhat, once it grew hot, it was still almost unbearable.
A small island stood in the middle of the sea. Calling it an island would have been generous—it was more like a protruding rock, because it was simply too small.
Looking out from the island in every direction, all one could see was an endless expanse of seawater.
Normally, an island like this would have been completely unsuitable for habitation, whether because of its lack of food sources or its inconvenient transportation.
Yet a red-tiled cottage occupied most of the tiny island. Several banana trees had been planted around it, while lounge chairs and parasols stood outside. Clearly, someone lived here.
Whirr, whirr, whirr—!
The sound of propellers drew nearer and nearer. A black dot appeared in the distant sky, and before long, it had arrived above the island, revealing its true form.
The strange helicopter had barely landed outside the red-tiled cottage when its door was pushed open. Out came an old man carrying a turtle shell, a... clothed pig walking upright, and a little floating cat.
The most astonishing sight came last: a huge turtle slowly crawled out.
"You really got here fast. You only called this morning, and you've already arrived this afternoon."
The old man at the front looked quite advanced in age, his snow-white beard hanging to his chest. Yet even with that massive turtle shell on his back, he moved as briskly as ever, rushing to the helicopter's landing spot in just a few strides.
"Master Roshi, look at how advanced technology is these days. Do you think it's still your era, where you ride a turtle everywhere?" the second eldest brother beside him said.
That was right—it was the