"I feel like my skin has gotten better. What's going on?" Remembering how she'd turned the bathwater murky while bathing earlier and had to change it several times before she was finally clean, Bulma was utterly baffled. It was as if her sweat glands had done a whole year's work in a single day.
It couldn't have been from exercising too much. She'd prepared thoroughly for this trip, bringing plenty of transportation Capsules. It wasn't as if she'd been hiking.
Besides, searching for the previous Dragon Ball had taken quite a bit of effort, but nothing like this had happened.
"If anything unusual happened today, it was meeting those two strange boys. And eating their fish. Could it be because I ate that weird fish?" At the thought, Bulma grew excited. That fish seemed to have beauty-enhancing and skin-nourishing effects.
As Bulma pondered this, Goku came out dressed in his old clothes. He might as well not have bathed at all.
"Are you done? Good, there's something I want to ask you." As soon as she saw Goku, Bulma went right up to him. "Goku, the fish you treated me to earlier—you caught it, right? Where did you catch it? Can you tell me?"
"In the lake," Goku answered seriously, thinking that this woman was so silly. Where else could fish be found?
"...I mean, never mind. I couldn't catch that kind of fish myself anyway. I might even lose my life in pursuit of beauty."
"Um, Goku, can I ask you a favor? About that kind of fish—can you catch more? I'd like to buy some."
"You like eating fish? You were so reluctant at first... I get it. You must never have eaten fish before. You poor thing. If you like it, I'll give you one next time."
"Great, it's a deal. Once we've found the Dragon Balls, make sure you catch me another big fish like the one from last time." Bulma was overjoyed and immediately made an agreement with Goku.
A short while later, Wuchen came out after his bath. "It wasn't the fish. The vegetables and fruit are what changed you. If we can bring Grandpa back to life, I can give you more of those vegetables and fruit."
Yes, he'd heard their conversation. It seemed that after eating fish cooked with spirit fruit and spirit ingredients, the woman had expelled the impurities in her body, bringing about certain changes.
"Vegetables and fruit?" Bulma recalled eating the fruit. She didn't think he was lying. Perhaps they were some marvelous fruits no one had discovered yet. "Then it's a deal. Don't you dare go back on your word."
"To thank you for treating us to fish and fruit, I'll treat you to a big meal too." In high spirits, Bulma immediately took a heap of food out of the refrigerator to share with Goku and Wuchen.
"This thing called bread tastes awful." Perhaps he was used to big meals of meat and fish, but Goku didn't enjoy it.
"Goku!" Still, he obediently ate after Wuchen scolded him. It was worth noting that Wuchen ate very little that meal, far less than usual.
They say a full belly makes you think of... sleep. It was time for bed.
Since there was only one bedroom, Bulma planned to sleep in the bed while the two brothers slept on the floor.
Wuchen, however, said the thing called a sofa was quite comfortable and refused her suggestion that they share the bedroom. He and Goku went to sleep on the living room sofa instead.
In her room, Bulma found the two brothers rather peculiar. "It's rare to find such well-behaved boys. What a pity they're so young. If only they were a little older... Oh, what am I thinking? Go to sleep!"
Before long, Bulma fell into a deep sleep. At dawn the next day, she stretched at length. She'd slept especially well, and her body felt wonderfully light. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt quite a bit stronger too.
"Hm? Where are they?" When she left the bedroom, no one was on the sofa. She stepped outside and saw the two brothers swinging sticks. "No wonder they're so strong. They train so hard." The sight of Goku knocking down the Pterosaur with a single swing was still fresh in her mind.
"Sink your energy to your lower abdomen. Focus on your breathing, and watch your stance..."
"What language are you speaking? I can't understand a word." Driven by curiosity, Bulma walked over. Wuchen was chattering away to Goku, but she couldn't understand him at all.
Yes, Wuchen was speaking the language of his previous life, which Goku knew as well. Goku had grown up immersed in both languages, so he was bilingual without needing to be taught.
Because the two languages had many different words, the language from Wuchen's previous life was more convenient for teaching cultivation. Naturally, Bulma couldn't understand it.
"It's nothing. Since you're up, let's get going," Wuchen urged when he saw that Bulma had woken.
"So mysterious." Bulma turned and went back to pack. If he didn't want to tell her, fine.
"Big brother, what's that? A turtle? Why does it look so strange?" Just then, Goku spotted something: a huge Sea Turtle.
"A Turtle Beast. It seems to have mutated a little." Wuchen didn't recognize the giant Sea Turtle either. "Shame we didn't bring a pot. Turtle soup would've been nice."
"Is it tasty, big brother? I want some!"
"Kind people, could you give me a bucket of salt water? Seaweed would be even better." Like Bulma, the Sea Turtle hadn't understood the brothers' whispered conversation and immediately asked them for water.
"!" Wuchen was slightly startled. Was this Turtle Beast about to become a spirit?
"Are you really tasty?" Goku asked the Sea Turtle with the curiosity of a little kid, drool trickling from his mouth.
"Ah?! No, I'm not edible. Look how hard my shell is. How could I possibly taste good?" The Sea Turtle pulled its head into its shell and spoke timidly.
"Is that so? All right, then who are you? Why did you come here?"
"I'm a Sea Turtle. I live in the sea, on Turtle Hermit Island. I don't know how I got lost. Could you take me back? I'll repay you." The Sea Turtle stuck its head out again and pleaded earnestly.
Turtle Hermit Island? A hermit? The Sea Turtle's words slightly startled Wuchen. Were there immortals in this world? That shouldn't be possible. There wasn't even any spiritual energy—how could anyone become an immortal?
"What's the sea? Is it tasty?" Regardless of Wuchen's reaction, Goku asked the classic question.
"Have you two really never seen the sea?" Bulma had finished packing and come over. She also took out an electronic map. "Let me check. The nearest stretch of coast is a hundred and eighteen kilometers from here. How did this Sea Turtle make it all the way here?"
"Bulma, do you have salt water? He seems thirsty." Seeing Bulma, Goku hurried to ask for salt water on the Sea Turtle's behalf.
"You're impossible." Annoyedly, she took out a Hoi-Poi Capsule and brought out the house she'd just packed away. Then she went inside and took out a bucket of salted water.
After drinking the source of life, the Sea Turtle felt wonderfully refreshed—its whole self, its whole turtle, was at ease. It asked the group again to take it back to the sea.
Goku and Bulma disagreed. Goku wanted to help, while Bulma thought it was a hassle.
Wuchen, meanwhile, said nothing, though he was astonished.
From the looks of it, Bulma didn't find it strange at all that this pitifully weak Sea Turtle could talk. And that was strange.
A beast speaking like a human, without a trace of cultivation—how bizarre. A delicate young woman finding this perfectly normal—how bizarre.
"Let's take it there. We can't just leave it to die." Driven by curiosity, Wuchen cast the deciding vote. What a fine excuse about not leaving it to die, when he'd been the one wanting turtle soup just moments ago.
"You guys!" Bulma was a little annoyed, but before she could snap, she seemed to think of something.
She immediately took out the Dragon Radar and checked it against the electronic map. One of the Dragon Balls was right by the nearest sea. "I can't do anything with you two. Let's go."
And so, the group—and the turtle—set off toward the sea.
Before you continue