"Ladies and gentlemen, the World Martial Arts Tournament has officially come to an end. Thank you all for coming. Please be careful on your way home, and we'll see you at the next tournament!"
With the World Martial Arts Tournament over, everyone in the arena began to disperse, and the once lively scene gradually quieted down.
As the sun set, Ziye, Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, and Master Roshi emerged from the venue together, bathed in the evening light. Seeing them, Bulma hurried over and said excitedly, "Congratulations, Ziye! You won the tournament!"
"Thank you!"
Ziye smiled softly, nodded, and replied.
"By the way, I just got my prize money. Dinner's on me tonight!" Ziye suddenly said with a grin.
"Sounds great!"
"That's fantastic! We'll finally get something to eat!"
Goku said, drooling.
Then, led by Ziye, they headed to an upscale buffet restaurant. Ziye wasn't stupid—the prize money of five hundred thousand wasn't nearly enough to feed Goku, so this was naturally the best choice!
The group eagerly dug into the buffet, and Goku's appetite completely stunned everyone. He even brought the restaurant's owner and manager running over. But since they were in the business of serving customers, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and let the bottomless eater fill himself up. When they saw that Ziye had left four hundred thousand to cover the bill, the grim looks on their faces eased somewhat.
After dinner, they each returned to their own inns to rest. Early the next morning, everyone gathered again to say their final goodbyes!
"Do you know what you're planning to do now? Are you going back to training?" Yamcha asked the three of them curiously.
"Of course!" Krillin nodded.
Hearing this, Master Roshi shook his head repeatedly and refused. "No, no! I don't have anything left to teach you!"
"From now on, you'll have to find your own paths!"
"Okay."
The three nodded in agreement.
"Then... I'll go look for the Dragon Balls Grandpa left behind!" Goku said calmly, scratching his head.
"Goku, you're still going to look for the Dragon Balls?"
At Bulma's question, Goku nodded seriously.
"Yeah! They're the only keepsake Grandpa left me!"
Bulma didn't try to dissuade him. Instead, she quietly edged closer to Ziye, touched her flushed cheek, and said shyly:
"Ziye, what are you planning to do next? Want to come visit my house? It's really big!"
Ziye fell silent for a moment at Bulma's words, then shook his head with a smile. "Sorry, Bulma, maybe next time! I want to go out and see the world on my own. I'll come find you when I have the chance, okay?"
"Hmph, suit yourself!" Ziye's answer clearly left Bulma dissatisfied. She pouted, looking unhappy.
Seeing this, Ziye couldn't help shaking his head with a bitter smile. He understood Bulma's feelings for him, but she was only seventeen. Even if he had wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to take advantage of her.
"Krillin, what about you?" Ziye turned and asked him.
"I think I'll stay with Master Mutten for now," Krillin replied after a moment's thought.
Master Roshi was taken aback and immediately protested. "N-no, you don't have to! You can take care of yourself now. There's no need to keep following me."
"No! I'm not mature enough to stand on my own yet!" Krillin said with determination.
"W-well... all right!"
Hearing that, Master Roshi couldn't bring himself to refuse again and reluctantly agreed. Then he muttered under his breath, "Darn it, I was hoping to spend some time alone with Launch!"
"Ziye, are you going to look for the Dragon Balls with me, or set out on your own?" Goku came over and asked, puzzled.
"I think I'll go see the world on my own. Until we meet again, everyone!"
With that, Ziye waved goodbye to them, got into a taxi, and drove away!
Watching Ziye disappear into the distance, Bulma looked emotional. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey! Be sure to come visit me in West City when you get the chance!"
"I'm off too!"
"Flying Nimbus!"
After seeing Ziye off, Goku took the Dragon Ball Radar from Bulma, climbed onto the Flying Nimbus, and soared toward the horizon.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Ziye relied on what little he could remember from his previous life. He asked around as he traveled for nearly a month before finally finding Korin Tower.
"I finally found the right place!"
Looking up at the towering structure before him, Ziye let out a long breath.
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded behind him. Ziye slowly turned around and saw a muscular, broad-shouldered man with brownish-yellow skin, holding a spear. Beside him stood a child dressed much like him, staring at Ziye with a solemn expression.
"I mean no harm. I just came to try climbing Korin Tower," Ziye said calmly.
"So that's it! They say that anyone who climbs this tower can gain several times their strength," the man said, looking up at the towering structure with a moved expression.
"When I was young, I tried climbing it too, but I couldn't even see the top! Young man, you'd better head back," the man advised kindly.
"Don't worry. I'm confident I can do it!"
Ziye said firmly.
Then he bent his knees slightly, planted his foot hard against the ground, and launched himself thirty meters into the air. He caught hold of the tower's column and began climbing rapidly!
"Dad, that big brother looks really strong!"
The sight left the man so shocked he could barely speak. He had never seen anyone jump that high. He nodded repeatedly and said admiringly, "Yeah, maybe he really can make it!"
After climbing for nearly thirty minutes, Ziye finally caught sight of the top. His face lit up with excitement, and he gathered his strength once more before pushing onward!
"So this is the top of Korin Tower? Why isn't anyone here?"
Ziye looked around at the empty surroundings, puzzled.
Then his gaze fell on three strange jars nearby. He walked over and casually lifted the lid off one of them.
He leaned down to take a closer look. Inside the jar was clear water. The next moment, faint ripples spread across its surface, and a blurry image suddenly appeared in the water, gradually coming into focus.
"Holy crap!"
As soon as he saw what was in the jar, Ziye blurted out a curse.
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