Monster! Oolong!

"They did something? It looks like something strange has happened." It wasn't just Bulma; even Master Roshi was staring up at the Flying Nimbus and the two brothers in confusion.

"Goku! Wuchen! What's wrong? Come down already!" Bulma shouted again. What was going on with the two brothers? Had they fallen asleep? On a cloud? Were they really that carefree?

There was no immediate response. After quite a while, the Flying Nimbus finally began to descend.

"Shh. Don't disturb Goku." Wuchen landed on the Flying Nimbus and immediately hushed Bulma, who had opened her mouth to speak. Then he jumped down and motioned for everyone to follow him off to the side.

"Young man, did that little boy named Goku do something special?" Master Roshi asked with some curiosity. Bulma was just as curious. "How can Goku fall asleep up there? Isn't he afraid of falling?"

Wuchen would rather not explain. But Bulma's shouting might disturb Goku, and it wouldn't do to fly farther away on the Flying Nimbus, so he had come down to give them an explanation.

"Goku and I have trained in the mountains since we were little. Today was our first time seeing the ocean, and he had some insights. He's contemplating nature right now. He mustn't be disturbed, or it could harm his mind."

He hid the truth within the truth. Wuchen didn't want to reveal anything about their training, but he didn't mean to lie, either. He just wanted to gloss over the matter.

Bulma was speechless at his explanation. These two brothers really were a pair of weirdos.

First, one of them wore a fake tail to look fashionable. Then they said mysterious things she couldn't understand. Now they were saying things she could understand but that still made no sense. Maybe they had some kind of mental problem.

"Training? Contemplating nature?" Master Roshi, however, looked thoughtful.

He recalled the time, hundreds of years ago, when he had received guidance from Korin at Korin Tower. Back then, he had practiced a similar kind of meditation.

He kept glancing at Goku on the Flying Nimbus. Goku seemed immersed in some unknown state, unmoved by anything around him. Master Roshi was a little shocked and began to consider taking him on as a disciple.

But then he thought of how it might interfere with his "studies," and dismissed the idea.

"I see. By the way, I haven't given you a gift yet. Let me think. What would be a good gift for you?"

"You're too kind, Master Roshi. We only did a small favor for you and never expected anything in return. The Flying Nimbus alone has already left my brother and me overwhelmed. We really can't accept anything else from you."

Wuchen firmly declined. The gift really was too generous.

The Flying Nimbus was one thing. Thanks to it, Goku had the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the ocean's changing nature. That was the greatest opportunity of all.

Master Roshi was taken aback for a moment, but then he remembered that Wuchen could ride the Flying Nimbus and understood.

After thinking it over, he realized he couldn't come up with anything suitable to give them just then, so he took Wuchen's words as an excuse to let the matter drop. After saying goodbye, he glanced at Goku, who sat with his eyes closed in concentration on the Flying Nimbus, then rode away on the Sea Turtle.

Bulma, on the other hand, was both angry and regretful. That's right, they still had a chance to get another gift, yet she had paid such a huge price for the Dragon Ball... What a rip-off.

It wasn't until dusk that Goku slowly opened his eyes, unable to hide his delight.

"Don't get proud or impatient. Next, you'll need to attach a spirit to your Soul Core. Unlike last time, this Origin Soul already has a fire attribute, which both complements and counters the water you've just comprehended. You must carefully maintain the balance!" Wuchen immediately warned him sternly.

"I understand, big brother," Goku replied quickly, tamping down his excitement.

"You've done very well, but the path of cultivation is full of dangers. You must always proceed with caution; you can't afford to be careless for even a moment." Wuchen had nearly gone astray during his early cultivation in his previous life. He didn't want Goku to get carried away, but neither did he want to discourage him too much.

"I understand, big brother." Goku smiled and took Wuchen's words to heart.

"What are you two brothers whispering about now? You're driving me crazy! You get something good and then just play by yourselves, leaving the search for the Dragon Balls entirely to a delicate girl like me."

Bulma pointed at the Three-Star Ball she had "traded" for from Master Roshi, then at the Flying Nimbus beneath Goku's feet. She was about ready to explode.

The brothers exchanged a glance and smiled awkwardly. Bulma was left with no way to stay angry. She shouldn't have—shouldn't have gone looking for the Dragon Balls in the first place.

They left the beach and rested on a nearby rise.

The next morning, the brothers practiced with their staffs as usual. Once Bulma got up, they continued on their way.

Seven days later, the three of them arrived outside a village. The Dragon Radar showed that one of the Dragon Balls was inside.

"Why isn't anyone here? It doesn't look abandoned, either." The three of them strolled into the village, but couldn't see a single person. Every door was shut tight. In broad daylight, the place was as quiet as the dead of night.

"Knock! Knock!"

"Is anyone home?" Bulma tried knocking, but got no response.

Wuchen frowned. He could sense people inside the houses. Their auras were weak—even weaker than Bulma's—but they were definitely there.

"We're travelers passing through, not thieves. We'd be grateful if you could spare us a bowl of water."

Perhaps it was Wuchen's youthful voice. The door opened a crack, and a middle-aged man peered out. After looking them over, he slowly came outside, gripping an iron axe tightly in his hand.

"It's not Oolong. Everyone, come on out," the man shouted without answering Wuchen.

One by one, doors opened throughout the village. Men and women, young and old, came out and surrounded the three of them.

"Young people, you're from out of town, aren't you? Hurry and leave this place while you still can," an old woman said, breaking the silence.

"Ma'am, have you been attacked by bandits?" Wuchen asked, voicing his guess. So far, it did look like the sort of scene you'd see before bandits raided a village, with every household keeping its doors shut.

"Bandits? No, a monster far more terrifying than bandits!"

"It's Oolong, the one who specializes in snatching girls!"

"A month ago..." Wuchen's question brought forth a flurry of angry and frightened voices as the villagers all began explaining what had happened.

As it turned out, a monster named Oolong planned to come to the village that very day and abduct the women!

"A monster who steals girls!" Bulma was furious. "Goku, Wuchen, you two help everyone defeat this Oolong!" She had already seen how strong the brothers were on their journey and immediately put their names forward.

Neither brother objected. Wuchen was curious about this so-called monster. Goku was curious, too. He wondered if this Oolong would be good to eat.

The villagers, however, weren't convinced. They urged the three of them to run away, but when Goku demonstrated a little of his strength, they finally began to hope and put their trust in the three travelers.

Wuchen then told everyone to hide indoors. He and Goku hid nearby and waited for the monster Oolong to arrive!