Cat Hermit watched Raditz head toward the palace's basement level, puzzled. Only when he saw Raditz climb down the stone slabs onto the stone pillar did he understand.
"Raditz, are you giving up?"
"No, Korin." Raditz's voice came from below, clear and resolute. "I'm going to climb Korin Tower again."
"You're clever. Climbing such a tall tower really can train your body." Cat Hermit nodded knowingly.
Just as Cat Hermit had said, Raditz could feel himself getting stronger.
Climbing the tower and training with Cat Hermit had both helped.
Still, Raditz felt that the Senzu Bean had played a big part, too.
After recovering from the brink of death, his ability to grow stronger should have been activated.
He planned to take on the long climb again and further hone his body.
"Compared to Sun Wukong, he lacks a little talent and strength, but at least he didn't take a shortcut like Master Roshi when he passed the test."
"He's got plenty of grit. He's a promising young man."
Cat Hermit watched the figure descend rapidly, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye, and remarked with some feeling.
Raditz slid down quickly, reaching the ground before long.
He didn't immediately start climbing again. Instead, he found Upa and asked him to use the Scouter to check his battle power.
Though the Scouter's readings weren't completely accurate, they could still tell him something.
"95," Upa reported, reading the number on the lens.
"Not bad. That's nearly ten points higher." Raditz clenched his fist, feeling the strength within him.
The visible improvement in his strength filled him with excitement.
When every bit of effort brought clear results, the motivation to keep going came naturally.
After staying the night at Upa's home and getting plenty of rest, Raditz set out again.
Just like last time, he chose to play it safe.
As long as he didn't fall, that was enough.
It took the same two days and two nights to reach the top. Though he was so exhausted he could barely stand, he didn't pass out like he had the first time.
"Korin, I'm back."
Cat Hermit looked at the boy before him. He was disheveled, but his eyes were bright. "Impressive perseverance."
Then he tossed him a bean.
Raditz didn't waste any time. He ate the Senzu Bean and instantly returned to peak condition, then immediately began a second round of trying to snatch the Sacred Water from Cat Hermit.
This time, his speed, reflexes, and stamina had all improved. Even so, he still couldn't keep up with Cat Hermit.
The gap remained enormous. Cat Hermit strolled about at ease, clearly not using his full strength.
This training continued for six days, after which Raditz returned to the ground once more.
On his third climb, Raditz went as fast as he could. He noticeably cut down the time, reaching the top in just one day and one night.
During their usual contest to snatch the Sacred Water, Raditz no longer cared about the water itself. He focused all his strength on fighting Cat Hermit.
Cat Hermit noticed the change and realized Raditz had seen through the truth about the Ultra Sacred Water. He stopped pretending and began trading blows with Raditz, one move at a time.
Four months later.
"Big Brother Raditz, why do you keep climbing Korin Tower over and over? And why are you carrying such a heavy pack?"
"Is the immortal up there unhappy with you and making you climb again?" Upa asked Raditz, voicing the question he'd been keeping to himself.
"No, Upa."
"I'm doing this because I want to. Of course it's to get stronger." Raditz explained with an exasperated laugh.
"So... how much is it this time?"
"Hmm, it's a little higher than last time. It's 134." Upa read out the number displayed on the Scouter.
"Good."
Raditz took a deep breath, feeling fairly calm about the number.
This was the result of four months of hard training.
It wasn't spectacular, but for Raditz, it was no small achievement.
After all, a Saiyan's innate ability wasn't triggered every time.
In fact, Cat Hermit's test had ended a long time ago. Raditz had simply insisted that Cat Hermit train him for another month.
Before Raditz came down this time, Cat Hermit had said there was nothing more to teach him.
But Raditz hadn't returned to the top of the tower to train.
"Sorry to trouble you, Korin."
"Raditz, you really don't know when to quit." Cat Hermit leaned on his cane, sounding exasperated, though there was more admiration in his voice.
"Haha, Korin, I didn't come here to train this time." Raditz got straight to the point. "I wanted to ask if I could trade with you for some Senzu Beans."
After spending four months together, Raditz had grown familiar with Cat Hermit. It was time to prepare for his plans going forward.
"Senzu Beans?"
"I do have quite a few. I only manage to produce a handful each year, but after centuries of saving them up, I've still got a decent stock."
"If you're asking for a trade, you must know what they're used for."
Cat Hermit turned and brought out a clay jar full of beans.
"How about this? I can give you a jar, but you have to agree to one condition."
"What condition?" Raditz's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.
A whole jar! Judging by how many were inside, there had to be at least a thousand Senzu Beans.
"Someday in the future, when Earth is in danger, you have to step up and do what you can." Cat Hermit spoke slowly.
When Raditz fell silent, Cat Hermit added, "Don't rush to refuse. You only have to do what's within your power."
"If it's beyond your abilities, you can choose to look after yourself."
Though they'd known each other for less than half a year, Cat Hermit had already gotten a general sense of Raditz.
He was meticulous, had his own ideas, knew exactly what he wanted, pursued strength relentlessly, and had the tenacity to keep going until he achieved his goal.
More importantly, it seemed that endless potential lay within him.
Whenever Cat Hermit thought Raditz had reached his limit and could no longer improve, Raditz would manage to draw out even greater strength and surpass his previous level.
The improvements were small, but they added up over time.
He had perseverance and potential.
Someone like him was destined for an extraordinary future.
Cat Hermit had never been able to see into his heart, so he decided to use this condition to guide him a little, hoping he would stay on the right path.
Raditz had no idea what Cat Hermit was thinking. He was too caught up in his excitement.
"Of course. I'm part of Earth, too."
If he couldn't do anything, he'd keep to himself.
If he could, he'd do what he could.
Earth's future was full of disasters, but Goku was there, wasn't he?
Raditz took the jar Cat Hermit handed him and pulled out a Hoi-Poi Capsule that contained something.
He'd originally planned to use it for the trade, but now it was unnecessary.
"A little something to show my appreciation." Raditz opened the Capsule.
With a "pop," a huge refrigerator appeared in the hall.
Cat Hermit looked at the enormous refrigerator that had appeared out of nowhere and twitched his nose.
"Well, Korin, thank you for all your guidance these past few months. I'll come visit again."
"I'm off."
Cat Hermit watched Raditz disappear from sight, then slowly went to open the refrigerator.
The fresh, fishy smell wafted toward him.
"Fish from the mortal world... It's been a while since I've tasted that." A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes. "Thoughtful of him."
After reaching the ground, Raditz said goodbye to Upa and his father, then got into his aircraft and set off for West City.
Four months had passed, and Raditz wanted to see whether the doctor had finished building the Gravity Chamber.
There was about a year and a half left before the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament began. Raditz planned to use that time to raise his strength as much as possible.
It wasn't for the tournament, but to prepare for the crisis that would follow it—the emergence of King Piccolo.
"But... I feel like I've forgotten something." Raditz muttered to himself, puzzled.