She spotted Master Roshi at a glance.
"You're... Master Roshi?"
Master Roshi looked over at Bulma, too.
"You're..."
Master Roshi immediately remembered Bulma, but couldn't remember her name.
"So it's you! You're the girl who went on adventures with Little Goku before.
I remember—I even gave you the Flying Nimbus!"
Bulma nodded at once.
"Yes, yes, you remember me! That's wonderful.
By the way, Master Roshi, where exactly do you live?
I remember you used to live on an island not far from the coast.
How come I went to that island several times but never found you?"
In her previous life, Bulma had often visited Kame House. How could she not know where it was?
But she also knew Master Roshi had moved.
So she'd gone looking for Goku, searching all the nearby islands, too.
But finding Little Goku in the vast sea of people,
especially without his tail as a distinctive feature,
had proved incredibly difficult.
She'd gone looking several times and still hadn't found him.
Master Roshi nodded. "Ah, yes, I used to live there.
But Goku, Krillin, and Chi-Chi needed to train,
so I took them with me and moved to a bigger island."
Bulma was startled. "What?"
Master Roshi explained, "I took on a few disciples. One is Goku,
one is named Krillin, and there's also a girl named Chi-Chi."
Having lived two lives, how could Bulma not know Krillin?
But why was Chi-Chi with Master Roshi?
Bulma immediately asked, "Chi-Chi? Do you mean Ox-King's daughter?"
Master Roshi nodded right away. "Yes, yes, Ox-King's daughter! You know her?"
As he spoke, Master Roshi's eyes grew lecherous.
"So, how about coming by my island after the tournament?"
Bulma nodded at once. "Sure! Take me with you when you leave. I'm looking for Goku!"
Master Roshi blinked.
"What exactly is Goku to you? Why do you care about him so much?"
A faint blush appeared on Bulma's face.
She covered her cheeks and whispered, "I like him!"
Master Roshi was shocked.
"What? He's still a kid!"
Bulma glanced at Master Roshi.
"People grow up, you know!"
Master Roshi couldn't help swallowing.
"Well, well. Young people these days are really something. They're already into raising them from childhood..."
Bulma: "..."
Just then, Goku, Krillin, and Chi-Chi climbed over the wall
and came over.
But when the three looked toward Master Roshi, they all noticed Bulma.
Their reactions, however, were all different.
Krillin had never seen Bulma before. His eyes lit up when he saw her. "Wow, what a pretty girl!"
Chi-Chi paused, then a hint of wariness appeared in her eyes, but it quickly gave way to composure.
Goku's face broke into a smile, and he happily walked over to Bulma.
"Bulma, what are you doing here?"
Bulma bent down and gave Goku's cheek a hard pinch.
"Goku, you little rascal, you're awful!
I gave you the Flying Nimbus and even took you to my house,
but nearly a whole year has gone by and you haven't come to see me once.
Did you almost forget about me?"
Goku rubbed his reddened cheek,
looking aggrieved. "Ow, that hurts! How could I forget you?
You have no idea—I've been training with Master Roshi,
from four in the morning until night, every single day. I haven't slacked off once."
Bulma hadn't really been angry, and her smile returned at once.
"Really? Have you gotten stronger during that time?"
Son Goku nodded. "Of course!"
As Goku looked Bulma over, he said, "Bulma, it's been a while. You seem prettier!"
Bulma tapped the tip of Goku's nose and smiled. "What, after a few months apart,
have you learned how to flatter girls?"
Goku smiled. "No, I'm not trying to make you happy.
I'm telling the truth. You got your hair permed, didn't you?"
Bulma ran a hand over her big curls and smiled. "Mm-hmm! I did.
It's the popular wavy style lately. Do you like it?"
"Yeah, it looks nice!"
Bulma turned her gaze toward Chi-Chi and Krillin.
She asked curiously, "Hi, Krillin and Chi-Chi!"
It was rare for such a pretty girl to greet Krillin.
Krillin looked up at Bulma shyly. "Hello. Pleased to meet you!"
Chi-Chi gave a slight nod and said coolly, "We meet again, Bulma!"
Even though Bulma could see the hostility hidden in Chi-Chi's eyes, she only smiled without saying a word.
Even if Chi-Chi saw her as her biggest rival for Goku, Bulma didn't dislike her.
She was only a little girl.
The girlish jealousy Chi-Chi showed
wasn't annoying at all; it was actually rather cute.
Having lived another life, Bulma already understood.
In this world, she was the only one who loved Goku, whose pure heart never changed.
The one she loved would always be that passionate young Son Goku, whose heart hadn't been corrupted by money.
Chi-Chi was different from her. She was just an ordinary woman.
She wanted Goku to give her a better life.
With her head start, Bulma knew that Goku would definitely be hers in this life.
As for Chi-Chi, if she still felt the same way about Goku when she grew up,
she could only do as her father wished and become Goku's second wife.
With Bulma keeping things in order and the wealth of her Capsule Corporation behind them,
Chi-Chi wouldn't have the right to scold Goku or any reason to complain that he didn't earn money.
It had been a long time since she'd seen Little Goku,
and the more Bulma looked at him, the more she liked him.
If you loved him, you should let him be happy and let him truly be himself.
Just then, the announcer began, "The World Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin.
The top eight contestants, please gather in the tournament hall as soon as possible!"
Chapter 44: The Tournament Officially Begins
Hearing the announcer call for everyone to gather,
Bulma immediately called out, "All right, it's time to gather. You'd better head over!"
Son Goku nodded. "See you in a bit, then. We're off!"
Goku, Chi-Chi, and Krillin hurried toward the tournament arena,
and all three easily leaped over the wall.
Watching the little Goku, Bulma wore a wide smile.
"He hasn't changed. He's still so little!
I'm 17 now, and he's 13.
By the time he's 18, I'll be 22. That's still a bit too old.
Sigh..."
Bulma's eyes gleamed with wisdom.
"After Goku comes of age,
I'll gather the Dragon Balls again and wish to be four years younger.
Then I'll be the same age as Son Goku. Yes, that's settled!"
When Bulma came back to her senses, she realized Master Roshi had disappeared.
"Huh? Where's Master Roshi?"
A moment later, the diligent announcer appeared on the tournament platform.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"The twenty-first World Martial Arts Tournament is now officially underway!"
"Here's the match order for the top eight!"
"First match: Krillin vs. Baku!"