In an instant, about twenty people surrounded Zhou Zilong. Their eyes were filled with hostility and murderous intent, as if they wanted to tear him apart.
Zhou Zilong clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. He moved in a flash and charged at one of them. Before the man could react, Zhou Zilong swept his legs out from under him, dropping him to the ground.
Seeing this, several others rushed at Zhou Zilong. But their movements seemed incredibly slow to him. He easily dodged their attacks and knocked them down one by one with his fists and feet.
In no time, Zhou Zilong had knocked down everyone surrounding him. His movements were light and swift, like a nimble leopard weaving through the jungle. After all, he was currently holding his battle power to around 20, so dealing with people whose battle power was only about 7 was easy.
The three-meter-tall brute's expression changed dramatically. He hadn't expected an ordinary-looking young man to be so powerful. He couldn't help feeling flustered, but quickly regained his composure.
"Kid, you've got some skill, I'll give you that. But don't forget, the Predator Mercenary Group isn't to be trifled with!" the brute said viciously.
Zhou Zilong smiled faintly. "We'll see if your group has what it takes. Even if your boss shows up, I'll knock him down today!"
After all, with battle power in the hundreds of thousands, Zhou Zilong was already one of Earth's strongest fighters at this point in the Dragon Ball Z timeline. Unless something came along to destroy the planet, he could practically do whatever he wanted.
The three-meter-tall brute pulled out an object that looked like a button and said, "Kid, you sure talk big. If you've got the guts, take this item from the Predator Mercenary Group. We'll come looking for you later!"
Zhou Zilong took the object. Drawing a deep breath, he replied firmly, "Why wouldn't I?"
After the mercenaries left, Zhou Zilong carried the unconscious, two-meter-tall brute on his back and hurried to the town's medical center. The doctors inside busily treated the brute's injuries. Zhou Zilong didn't stay long; he briefly explained what had happened, then left. When he returned to Turtle Hermit's House, he saw Master Roshi playing with the lifelike female robot he had built. A warm feeling rose in Zhou Zilong's heart. He walked over to Master Roshi, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master, I'm back!"
Master Roshi looked up. Seeing the solemn expression on Zhou Zilong's face, he asked, "Zilong, what's wrong? Did you run into trouble?"
Zhou Zilong took a deep breath and told Master Roshi everything that had happened. He explained how he had stepped in to help, how he had clashed with the Predator Mercenary Group, and what worried him—as well as his determination.
Master Roshi listened in silence for a moment, then patted Zhou Zilong on the shoulder. "Zilong, you did well. You didn't do anything wrong. You were protecting innocent people. As your master, I'll support you with all my strength!"
"Master, I want to learn more martial arts techniques to deal with the Weiba Mercenary Group. Could you teach me some moves?" Zhou Zilong asked earnestly.
Master Roshi nodded. "All right. I'll teach you a technique I created myself, a move from the Turtle Hermit School—the Kamehameha!"
The sea breeze drifted gently by, and waves beat rhythmically against the shore. On the beach in front of Turtle Hermit's House, Master Roshi prepared to teach Zhou Zilong a powerful technique—the Kamehameha!
Master Roshi stood on the beach, and his body slowly began to change. His seemingly frail frame swelled like a balloon, his muscles becoming clearly defined and brimming with strength. He held his hands in a shape like a flower bud, and blue-white energy gradually gathered in his palms.
Zhou Zilong was excited to see the move that had long been teased in the original story as one you shouldn't try to beam-clash with against the Son family. It was also one of the most frequently used techniques in Dragon Ball.
"Watch closely, Zilong. This is the essence of the Kamehameha," Master Roshi said gravely, his voice full of authority and confidence.
With a mighty shout—"Ka-me-ha-me-ha!"—a dazzling beam shot from his palms toward the sea. The force instantly sent the waves surging upward into a massive wall of water, which then crashed down with a deafening roar.
Master Roshi lowered his hands, and the energy dissipated. He turned to Zhou Zilong, his eyes shining with expectation.
Zhou Zilong nodded and took a deep breath. Following Master Roshi's instructions, he positioned his hands like a flower bud, closed his eyes, and felt the energy flowing through his body.
"Ka~me~ha~me~ha!" Zhou Zilong shouted. He felt energy begin gathering between his hands, like a warm current flowing through his body.
When the energy had gathered to a certain point, Zhou Zilong suddenly opened his eyes and thrust both hands forward. A blue-white beam shot from his palms toward the sea.
Though the beam wasn't as powerful as the one Master Roshi had released, it was enough to raise a sizable wave. Looking at what he'd accomplished, Zhou Zilong smiled with satisfaction.
"Excellent! You've grasped the basic principles of the Kamehameha," Master Roshi praised him. "But to truly unleash its power, you'll need to keep practicing and work toward understanding it."
Meanwhile, at the Predator Mercenary Group's base, a huge figure was harshly reprimanding the three-meter-tall brute Zhou Zilong had beaten earlier. The towering man was Golden, the Predator Mercenary Group's combat instructor. Known as the Violent Fist Overlord, he was the group's second-in-command and was responsible for using force to solve every problem.
"A-Tai, I clearly haven't been training you hard enough. You actually lost to some nobody punk!" Golden's voice thundered across the empty training ground.
The three-meter-tall brute, the mercenary Golden called "A-Tai," was now enduring a barrage of attacks from him. A-Tai blocked the incoming strikes and tried to explain himself. "Instructor Golden, it really wasn't my fault! That kid was just too strong. His attacks were incredibly fast—I couldn't block even one!"
A flash of anger crossed Golden's eyes. He swung his fists even faster, forcing A-Tai to retreat again and again. He knew A-Tai was one of the strongest fighters in the mercenary group, so losing to an unknown nobody was a tremendous disgrace.
"A loss is a loss. Don't make excuses!" Golden roared. "Starting today, you're doubling your training! I'll make you understand that there are no weaklings in the Predator Mercenary Group!"
A-Tai was unhappy, but could only silently endure Golden's fury. He knew that as a member of the Predator Mercenary Group, failure meant facing even more brutal training.
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