By the time Raditz landed the spacecraft on the island, Master Roshi and the others had already been waiting for quite a while.
After a brief exchange, Master Roshi announced, "Starting tomorrow, Krillin, you'll train with Yamcha and follow your usual daily routine. You'll need to double the workload. You don't want Goku to leave you too far behind, do you?"
Krillin and Yamcha certainly didn't. They were already raring to go. If he said to double it, they'd do twice as much.
"Raditz, wait here for me tomorrow. I'll tell you what to do then. It's getting late, so let's all wash up and get some sleep."
With that, everyone dispersed, feeling a little drowsy.
The night passed quickly. Raditz got up early and waited in the same spot as the day before.
He'd been so excited the night before that he'd barely slept at all.
After giving Krillin and the others some basic pointers, Master Roshi came over to see him.
"Bring out the spacecraft. I'll take you somewhere."
Following Master Roshi's instructions, Raditz took him to their destination.
A huge island appeared before them. A vast rainforest covered one part of it, while broad stretches of barren rocky ground lay elsewhere. Great dinosaurs could be seen hunting other creatures across the rocky terrain.
"We're here. Over there."
Master Roshi pointed toward a spot near the edge of the rainforest, where a simple wooden hut stood.
"For the next few months, perhaps longer, you'll live here on your own."
"While you're here, you'll have to find your own food and water in this forest."
"On top of surviving, you'll need to complete the assigned training every day. It's all written on this paper."
Without waiting for Raditz to answer, Master Roshi left him a sheet covered in writing, then rode off on the sea turtle and disappeared into the distance.
"If you can't keep it up, you can leave." Those were the last words that drifted back from afar.
Raditz watched Master Roshi vanish beyond the horizon, then looked down at the paper in his hand.
"This really is hellish training." The paper read:
Daily Physical Conditioning Summary
"Complete horse stance, frog jumps, and a run around the island."
"Chop wood and till the land."
"Hike through the forest and rocky terrain."
"Go out to sea and catch fish."
"Note: You may attempt the last two tasks as you see fit once you're able to protect yourself. The first two may be adjusted as needed."
After reading Master Roshi's requirements, Raditz could only think that no ordinary person could possibly complete them.
"But for me, with my Saiyan abilities..."
And so, the young warrior began his solitary life on the island.
On the first day, Raditz didn't start training as instructed. Instead, he went into the forest to look for a source of water.
Master Roshi had left a large supply of food in the hut, but it would only last one person a month, so finding water was urgent.
The forest was thick with trees and crawling with snakes and insects. There weren't any major dangers, but it was easy to lose your way.
Fortunately, Raditz found the right spot. There was a lake not far from the hut, and he could see several large fish swimming in it.
On the second day, having solved the water problem, Raditz began his training routine.
At first, even one of the three exercises—horse stance, frog jumps, or running around the island—was enough to leave Raditz collapsed on the ground. The pain in his body reminded him that he'd reached his limit.
But the pain couldn't shake his resolve to grow stronger.
Thinking of the future bosses in Dragon Ball, he knew he couldn't rely on the Z Fighters alone to survive the coming dangers. His fate belonged in his own hands!
Little by little, day after day, he endured the initial hardship, and his body adapted to the intense training.
His stamina and endurance improved significantly. He could now finish the first three exercises in a day and had even begun increasing the workload.
Of course, his Saiyan abilities played a crucial role. Whenever he fell asleep like a corpse, he'd wake the next morning full of energy.
"SaIyans really are a warrior race. Their recovery puts Earthlings to shame."
Raditz flexed his well-built arms.
"If I keep this up a little longer, my body should be able to handle everything Master Roshi assigned for one day."
Time slipped by as Raditz tirelessly sweated through each day, and before he knew it, three months had passed.
During those three months, Raditz not only completed Master Roshi's tasks but also unexpectedly learned to sense the ki flowing within him.
He had to thank all those dangerous treks through the rainforest and rocky terrain.
When danger struck in the form of roaring dinosaurs or giant pythons lying in wait, Raditz had no choice but to use the device on his right hand to gather the ki in his body and release an energy wave.
After escaping danger time and again, he gradually began to feel the flow of ki within him.
He still couldn't control the ki in his body on his own, but this had laid a solid foundation for the future.
"Phew—"
After finishing his daily training, Raditz let out a long breath.
"I wonder how much longer this training will last. Spending so long alone on this island is starting to make me feel a little crazy."
What Raditz didn't know was that Master Roshi was watching his every move from a nearby tree.
Master Roshi came to the island every day. He had told Raditz to survive on his own, but he wasn't going to let him actually die out there.
He'd watched Raditz change. At first, he couldn't meet even one requirement. Now he handled them with ease. It was a complete transformation.
"No matter what, as long as you stay true to yourself, I'll teach you just as I taught Goku," Master Roshi thought.
Seeing that the time was right, Master Roshi climbed down from the tree.
He walked up to Raditz. "You've finished the basic training for this stage. You've done an excellent job."
"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you the Turtle School's martial arts for real. I hope you'll keep up the good work."
"Okay." Raditz barely reacted to Master Roshi's sudden appearance.
He did think Master Roshi had the bearing of a grandmaster.
The night passed without incident.
When Raditz got up early, he took a moment to compose himself, ready to face his lessons with renewed energy.
Unfortunately, he'd gotten ahead of himself.
Master Roshi didn't teach him any special martial arts. It was the same old routine: running, horse stance, frog jumps, chopping wood, tilling the land, and swimming.
The difference was that he now had to chop wood and work the fields with his bare hands, and he had to wear his weighted shell all the time.
"Yeah, that's very Dragon Ball," Raditz thought, too exhausted to complain.
But he understood that this was the Turtle School's way: "find joy in hardship and keep things simple." It was a martial art that forged the body by turning ordinary activities into training.
Chopping wood, farming, running, and swimming could all become part of one's training. Of course, getting enough rest and food was important too.
Master Roshi didn't just leave Raditz to train blindly. After three months of intensified workouts, he began sparring with him.
Through direct attacks, he showed Raditz how to put power behind each move and how to block.
By striking him, he demonstrated techniques for yielding and neutralizing force.
A morning of sparring always left Raditz battered and bruised, hurting but happy.
Then he'd continue with his afternoon physical training.
Another six months passed with this routine. Once Raditz could trade simple blows with Master Roshi, Master Roshi had him leave the island and return to Kame House.
"From now on, you'll train with Krillin and Yamcha. I'll also teach all of you the theory behind ki," Master Roshi said.