It Shall Be Called the Turtle Hermit School

In Age 3036 of Zeno's Calendar, the buffer star region between Universe 6 and Universe 7 was officially named the "Connection Sea." This void, once filled with Alpha's memory fragments, had become a peaceful hub where all civilizations could travel freely. The Turtle Hermit patrol ship cruised slowly along the edge of the sea of stars, while the main screen on the bridge remained tranquil.

Talos stood before the observation window. His temples had begun to gray, and his orange gi had faded from countless washes, though the "Turtle" character on his chest remained clear. Fifteen years ago, when he had first brought his daughter aboard this warship, she had still been a child unable to distinguish even cross-universe signals. Now, she was the most dependable node of the Turtle Hermit School's new generation, demonstrating the opening stance of the school's basic martial arts forms to a new group of trainees on the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6.

"There are no abnormalities in the Connection Sea today." Bulma's voice came from the laboratory at the Lookout on Earth. Her hair was completely silver now, and she spoke half a beat more slowly than in her youth, but the fingers tapping at her keyboard remained precise. Behind her, Trunks and Gohan were calibrating a new generation of cross-law scanners.

King Vegeta sat in the bridge's secondary seat, the golden patterns within his deep-blue aura now completely fused with his normal state. He no longer hounded Goku for sparring every day, but every so often, the two still fought in the plaza at the Lookout. In Bulma's words, "Those two old men's hobby costs more floor tiles than the youngsters' training."

Goku crouched before the console, flipping through Bulma's newly written operations manual, his tail swaying gently behind him. "I looked over the Turtle Hermit's second-generation upgrade plan. The core engine still uses Cell factors, right?"

"The amplification properties of Cell factors are the most stable. Majin Buu cell remnants can only serve as supplementary energy; they can't replace the core." Bulma adjusted her goggles. "Your daughter is in charge of the second-generation upgrade plan. She understands cross-universe engines better than you do now."

Goku grinned.

Krillin and Lazuli sat side by side at the primary and secondary nodes of the Star Topology Network. The network now covered every Turtle Hermit School patrol station across all twelve universes. If any node showed an abnormal fluctuation, they could complete energy allocation across the entire universe within three seconds. There were more cracks in the S-1 bracelet on Lazuli's left wrist than when she was younger, each one sealed beneath a fine golden coating. She lowered her gaze to it, her voice soft. "She's started pretending she isn't tired in front of her daughter too—just like her father."

Krillin followed her gaze toward Talos in the corner of the bridge and replied quietly, "You were the same back then."

Lazuli did not deny it.

On New Planet Namek, Piccolo stood upon the stone platform outside the Grand Elder's palace. The younger generation of combat-type Namekians was undergoing advanced Qi Fractals training. He had opened the Night Watchers observation station to all civilizations and translated Alpha's memory fragments into the common language of the twelve universes. Carved into a stone tablet was the sentence he had spoken years ago in the depths of the station: "Observation is protection; recording is meaning." Beneath it, New Planet Namek's youngest trainee had carved another line: "The Turtle Hermit School endures without end."

After returning to Earth, Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu opened a small training hall beside the Mount Paozu dojo. Its sign read "Three-Eyed Immobilization Style"—not because they were founding a separate school, but because they wanted to teach the precision and control they had learned from the Turtle Hermit School to more children with no martial arts foundation. Nappa and Lapis served as resident instructors. The enrollment requirement was either "survive three moves against Lapis" or "get worked into the ground by Nappa's extra training and still be willing to come back." The walls of the hall were covered with training photos of the new generation.

At dusk, the beach outside Turtle Hermit House hosted the Turtle Hermit School's annual gathering, with everyone present. Goku and Chi-Chi sat at one end of a long table, with Gohan and Goten gathered beside them. Bulma and King Vegeta sat beneath a coconut tree, while Trunks and little Goten chased each other in the distance, their tails tangled together. Piccolo, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Nappa, and Lapis came over from the direction of the dojo—Nappa carrying a brand-new broken pillar on his shoulder, claiming it was a memento of today's record-breaking training volume. Krillin and Lazuli sat on the reefs by the shore, while Puar dozed in Lazuli's lap.

Talos's daughter returned from Universe 6, her uniform still carrying the residual warmth of cross-universe transit. Behind her followed a group of equally young disciples from the new generation of the Turtle Hermit School. She approached Talos and Lazuli, clasped her hands in front of her, and performed a standard Turtle Hermit School disciple's salute.

"Dad, Mom. The Universe 6 patrol mission is complete. There were no abnormalities in the Connection Sea today."

Talos looked at his daughter, then at the new generation scattered across the distant beach in orange gis—some practicing straight punches, some weaving Qi Nets, some collapsed onto the sand from Nappa's extra training. He turned to Master Roshi. "Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit School is no longer just Earth's Turtle Hermit School."

Master Roshi rose from his deck chair with his cane and took out the copy of Mutaito's Notes that had been passed down through three generations. Mutaito's handwriting on the title page remained clear: "The martial way is the way of protection." Below it were, in order, Master Roshi's name, Zhao Tiexin's name, Talos's name, King Vegeta's name, Krillin's name, Lazuli's name, Tien Shinhan's name, Piccolo's name, Nappa's name, Lapis's name, Chiaotzu's name, Bulma's name, Chi-Chi's name, Trunks's name, Gohan's name, and Goten's name. And on the newest page, in childish yet neat handwriting, was Talos's daughter's name.

Master Roshi flipped to the final blank page, and everyone fell silent. He handed the notes to Talos.

"Talos, this page—you write it."

Talos accepted the notes with both hands and remained silent for a long while. Every disciple of the new generation on the beach straightened up. His daughter stood behind him, her left hand gently holding her mother's wrist.

He raised his pen and wrote—

"From the moonlight of Mount Paozu to the starlight of the Connection Sea. From Master Zhao Tiexin teaching me the first stance of the Tiger-Subduing Palm beside a waterfall, to my daughter teaching that same opening stance to a new generation of trainees in Universe 6. From Master Roshi saying, 'The Turtle Hermit School can be defeated, but it cannot be intimidated,' to King Vegeta sending three infants away before the destruction of a planet. From the Night Watchers burning themselves away in the last cycle of the universe, leaving behind the final observation station, to Alpha waiting alone in the void through the breath of an entire universe just for a single reply. From the Creator saying, 'The reset protocol is suspended,' to Zeno saying, 'All universes will remain.' Enduring without end. That is the Turtle Hermit School."

He stopped writing, closed the notes, and offered them back to Master Roshi with both hands. Master Roshi did not take them. He merely removed his sunglasses, wiped them with the corner of his shirt, and put them back on.

"The notes are finished. But the Turtle Hermit School isn't." He turned and looked toward the sunset slowly sinking beyond the distant sea. "Master, did you see it?—enduring without end."

The waves lapped against the shore, and orange gis fluttered softly in the evening breeze. In the kitchen of Turtle Hermit House, a fresh pot of seafood porridge bubbled away, steaming hot. The cat called Puar jumped down from Lazuli's lap, ran to the stove, and rubbed against Master Roshi's ankle.

The Turtle Hermit patrol ship cruised slowly through the starlight of the Connection Sea. Another unknown star region awaited exploration, and another group of young disciples stood ready to depart. And the moonlight of Mount Paozu remained as bright as it had been many years ago, when that infant first set foot on Earth.