Master Korin stared at Son Goku for a long time after hearing him ask for the Ultra Divine Water. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if he meant to cut straight into the boy's soul.
At last, he let out a heavy sigh. "Since you know how dangerous it is, why ask?"
[Time to put on a show!]
"Because I want to get stronger."
Son Goku's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar force. He took a step forward, his small body casting a long shadow in the sunlight.
"I know the Ultra Divine Water is poisonous. It could make someone suffer unbearable pain, make their heart explode, or kill them instantly. But..."
He lifted his head and met Master Korin's gaze with his dark eyes. There was no fear in them, only an almost reckless determination.
"If I'm not willing to risk my life, what right do I have to surpass my limits? How can I become the strongest in the universe?"
Master Korin's eyes widened, and his staff clattered to the ground.
"You—you little brat..." His whiskers trembled violently. "Do you even know what you're saying?! This is a gamble with your life! It's not a fight! It's not a competition! If you die, that's the end!"
"I know." Son Goku smiled, his expression so clear and pure it almost hurt to look at. "But I'm a Saiyan... No, I'm Son Goku. I'm not going to die here."
[In the original story, Goku drank the Ultra Divine Water here and then defeated King Piccolo. This is a turning point in fate... I have to take this step. Besides, Goku survived drinking it in the original story. The pain is definitely going to be awful—no one can take that pain for me—but the outcome is certain: I won't die. Since I'll survive, all that's left is to endure it. I've been enduring pain every day for years.]
"You—"
"I won't let you!!!"
A shrill voice suddenly cut Master Korin off!
Son Goku turned around and saw Krillin running over from the other side of the platform, gasping for breath. Sweat glistened on his bald head, and his face was full of worry and anger.
"Goku! Have you gone crazy?!" Krillin rushed up and grabbed Son Goku by the shoulders, his fingers turning white from the force. "What Ultra Divine Water... What deadly poison... You—you're going to drink that stuff?!"
"Krillin..." Son Goku was taken aback.
"I won't let you drink it!" Krillin's voice trembled, and his eyes reddened. "Getting stronger... surpassing your limits... You're already the champion! You're already strong enough! Why risk your life?!"
Son Goku looked at Krillin, warmth welling up inside him.
[Krillin... He was just like this in the original story. He was weak as could be, but he always rushed to the front to protect others.]
"Krillin." He gently took Krillin by the wrist and eased his trembling hands off his shoulders. His voice softened. "Calm down."
"How can I calm down?!" Krillin jerked his hands away and stumbled back two steps, the veins on his bald head bulging. "You're going to drink poison! You're going to kill yourself! How am I supposed to stay calm?!"
"I'm not killing myself." Son Goku shook his head, his eyes as firm as iron. "I'm choosing the path to becoming stronger."
"Stronger, stronger, stronger!" Krillin suddenly erupted, shouting at Son Goku with a voice choked by tears. "All you ever think about is getting stronger! Have you ever thought about... about your friends? What happens to Bulma if you die? What about Master Roshi? What about me?!"
Silence fell over the tower's summit.
The wind blew, and the bells rang out crisply.
Son Goku fell silent for a moment. Then he raised his head, looked into Krillin's bloodshot eyes, and suddenly smiled.
"Krillin." He stepped forward and patted Krillin's bald head hard. "Since when did you become such a crybaby?"
"I-I'm not crying!" Krillin wiped his eyes and glared at him stubbornly.
"Listen to me." Son Goku's smile faded, and his expression turned more serious than ever. "Let me ask you something. Why did you climb Korin Tower?"
Krillin blinked. "Because... because you said you were coming, so I..."
"No." Son Goku cut him off. "It's because you want to get stronger too, right? You want to catch up with me, not get left behind, and in the next fight... you don't want to just stand by and watch, right?"
Krillin opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"I'm the same." Son Goku gazed out at the rolling sea of clouds, his voice low and fervent. "I want to get strong enough that no one can threaten the people I care about. If someone stronger than me comes to Earth and causes trouble, and I can only watch you all get hurt while I'm helpless to do anything... I can't bear even imagining that kind of pain, much less experiencing it!"
He turned and looked Krillin straight in the eyes.
"If I back down now, then when the enemy comes, it won't just be me who dies. It'll be all of you too. And when that happens... I won't even have a chance to regret it."
Krillin's body stiffened.
"So," Son Goku said with a wide grin, flashing his white teeth as he clenched his fist against his chest, "instead of regretting it later, I'd rather risk everything now. This isn't suicide. This is... a martial artist's resolve!"
"Resolve..." Krillin murmured.
"And besides..." Son Goku winked, his tail swaying behind him. "Have you forgotten who I am? I'm Son Goku! The champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament! How could one cup of water take me out?"
Krillin looked at him—at the idiot he'd trained, fought, and grown up with since childhood. That face was brimming with the confidence that said, "I'm never going to lose." The radiance was so dazzling it was hard to look at.
"...You really are a hopeless idiot." Krillin finally lowered his head, his voice muffled. "A complete idiot."
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment!"
"I wasn't complimenting you!"
Master Korin stood to one side, quietly watching them. In his eight hundred years of life, he had seen countless martial artists—and countless greedy, cowardly, and arrogant souls. But these two children before him...
[One is willing to risk his life, and the other is willing to stop him. That old geezer Master Roshi... He sure did take in a few good students.]
He slowly walked forward, tapping his staff against the ground with a dull thud. "...Are you two done catching up?"
Son Goku and Krillin turned toward him at the same time.
Master Korin sighed, then slowly turned and headed deeper into the tower's summit. "...Come with me."
The interior of the tower's summit was dim and mysterious. An ancient, oppressive atmosphere filled the air, as if time had stood still here for hundreds of years.
Master Korin took a pottery cup from a hidden stone alcove. It held a clear liquid that glowed faintly blue in the dim light, beautiful as a star, yet filled with a deadly aura.
"This is the Ultra Divine Water," Master Korin said in a low voice. "I'll ask you one last time... Are you sure you want to drink it?"
Son Goku took the cup, feeling its refreshing coolness.
[In the original story, Goku drank the Ultra Divine Water and awakened his Saiyan near-death recovery potential, raising his battle power from 180 to 260. As for me now... My base battle power should be around 600. How strong will I become after drinking it?]
[Besides, the Ultra Divine Water's true value isn't that it raises battle power. It's that it awakens "future potential." It raises your ceiling, not your current level.]
He didn't hesitate.
"I'm sure."
"Goku..." Krillin clenched his fists behind him, his nails digging deep into his palms.
Son Goku turned around, gave him a thumbs-up, and grinned brightly. "Don't worry! I'll treat you to barbecue later!"
He tipped his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Before you continue