Ghost-Masked Man

(Sorry, when writing this arc, I forgot that the Monkey Talisman could transform people. Please bear with it; revising the whole thing would be too troublesome. I'm truly sorry!!)

The noon sun scorched the earth, and even the air seemed to warp slightly from the heat.

In a bustling town several hundred kilometers from West City, the crowds went about their business as usual.

"Boss, how much is this mask?"

A clear voice rang out in front of a general store.

The shopkeeper was a short, fat middle-aged man. He had been using a palm-leaf fan to chase away flies, but when he heard the question and looked up, he froze.

Standing before him was a boy of around thirteen or fourteen.

The boy wore a simple short-sleeved martial arts shirt that revealed lean, defined muscles. He wore orange martial arts pants below, with a black sash tied around his waist.

Most striking of all were his deep, obsidian-like eyes and the brown tail swaying gently behind him.

"Oh... oh! You've got a good eye, kid!"

The shopkeeper came back to his senses and hurriedly put on a smile.

"This mask was modeled after the 'demon' characters from ancient eastern opera. It's only 500 Zeni."

The boy picked up the mask.

It was ghostly white all over, painted with blood-red fangs and glaring eyes. It did look rather ferocious.

"Interesting."

The corners of Sun Wuxiu's mouth rose slightly. He casually tossed down several bills, picked up the mask, and fastened it over his face.

"Keep the change."

Before his words had even faded, the shopkeeper saw a blur. A violent gust erupted out of nowhere, making the hanging ornaments in the store clatter wildly.

When he opened his eyes again, the boy was already gone without a trace, as though he had never been there at all.

In the wilderness outside the town.

A white streak surged forward at an inconceivable speed!

"[Rabbit Talisman: Divine Speed]!"

Behind the mask, Sun Wuxiu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Four years.

During those four years at Kame House, to strengthen his foundation and keep his body from becoming dependent on them, he had practically sealed away all of the Talismans' active abilities.

Especially the Rabbit Talisman. He had resisted using it, relying entirely on physical strength to swim in the sea and run along the beach.

It felt like someone used to driving a Ferrari had suddenly been forced to ride a tricycle for four years.

And now, all restraints were gone!

"This feels amazing!!"

Sun Wuxiu could not help letting out a long howl.

The scenery around him had already stretched into blurry lines.

Trees, rocks, and rivers were all flung behind him in an instant.

This speed had long surpassed the speed of sound, perhaps even reaching some far more terrifying realm.

He could clearly feel that the wind was no longer resistance, but a mount tamed by the Rabbit Talisman's magic.

"With my current normal battle power, plus the Rabbit Talisman activated at full power..."

Sun Wuxiu flew while quietly assessing himself.

"At this point in time, on the entire Earth, aside from the unfathomable Mr. Popo at Kami's Lookout, no one can possibly surpass me in speed."

"Even Old Kami would be no match for me if we were comparing movement speed alone."

The thrill of controlling such extreme speed stirred up his playful side.

When he passed a lake, he did not choose to fly over it. Instead, he relied on his incredible speed.

He ran across the water as if it were solid ground, leaving behind a white wake that took a long time to settle and startling countless waterfowl into flight.

Mount Paozu was already in sight.

"Whoosh!"

The gale stopped abruptly.

Sun Wuxiu's figure came to a complete halt before the familiar courtyard.

The transition from extreme motion to complete stillness was utterly smooth, as if he had been standing there all along.

Looking at the wooden house he had rebuilt with his own hands four years ago, a trace of warmth flashed through Sun Wuxiu's eyes.

Morning glories covered the fence, and several patched martial arts uniforms hung drying in the yard. They were the clothes he and Goku had worn as children.

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"Grandpa? Goku?"

Sun Wuxiu pushed open the courtyard gate and called softly.

No one answered.

The house was silent. A thin layer of dust had even gathered on the table, making it seem as though no proper meal had been cooked here in a long time.

"Not home?"

Sun Wuxiu walked to the stove and touched the bottom of the pot. It was ice-cold.

"Something's wrong."

He closed his eyes. The calm, still mind granted by the Tiger Talisman allowed him to instantly spread out his senses.

(Formally sensing ki should have been something Goku only learned to use after reaching Kami's Lookout. But there's no reason Master Roshi would not know how, so the author wrote it as something he already knew. It won't affect the reading experience.)

Although he still could not use ki to search half the Earth as precisely as people did in the later stages of Dragon Ball Z, finding two familiar ki signatures within the Mount Paozu area was effortless.

"Hm? Over there."

Sun Wuxiu opened his eyes and looked toward the southeastern mountain ravine.

There was a ki there that was immature, yet exceptionally vigorous, like the rising morning sun.

It was Goku.

"But... where is Grandpa's ki?"

Sun Wuxiu frowned.

He searched throughout his sensing range, but could not find any trace of Son Gohan's presence.

"Strange. Grandpa isn't at Mount Paozu? Did he go on a trip?"

Though he had his doubts, he was not overly worried.

Son Gohan was a martial arts master. On this Earth, there were very few people capable of threatening him.

"I'll drag that little brat out and ask him."

Sun Wuxiu touched the Demon Mask on his face and revealed a wicked grin.

"It's been four years. Let me see how much you, the 'protagonist,' have grown."

Beside the mountain ravine, a waterfall poured down in torrents, gathering into a clear, deep emerald pool.

A spiky-haired little boy was lying naked on a large rock by the shore.

His regrown tail hung in the water, swaying lightly like a nimble little snake and stirring up splashes.

It was twelve-year-old Son Goku.

"Come on... come on... my tail is delicious..."

Son Goku muttered to himself, nearly drooling.

His stomach had been growling for ages. His luck was bad today, and he still had not caught a big fish.

Just then, an undercurrent suddenly surged beneath the surface.

A giant monstrous fish over two meters long was drawn in by that lively tail. It slowly rose to the surface, opened its enormous mouth full of sharp teeth, and viciously bit down toward Goku's tail!

"Got you!"

Son Goku's eyes sharpened. The instant the monster fish snapped its jaws shut, he suddenly exerted force through his waist!

"Hah!!"

He leaped into the air and plunged headfirst back into the water. Not long afterward—

"Bang!"

The monster fish crashed heavily onto the grass, flopping desperately.

"Ha ha! Caught one! What a huge fish!"

Son Goku excitedly jumped over and punched the monster fish in the forehead. Its eyes immediately rolled back, and it stopped moving.

"Heh heh heh, grilled fish, grilled fish! It's been so long since I've had such a big fish!"

Humming an unknown tune, Son Goku prepared to drag the fish home.

Suddenly.

A chill rose up his back.

It was a beast-like instinct, honed through years of fighting wild animals in the mountains and forests.

"Who's there?!"

Son Goku spun around and assumed a defensive stance.

Within the shadows of the forest behind him, a figure had appeared at some unknown point.

The person wore a ferocious Demon Mask, arms folded across his chest as he looked down at him.

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