"The healing effect of Senzu Beans really is amazing. That bright red handprint disappeared in an instant."
Kid Goku completely believed Tien Shinhan's explanation, and now he twisted the knife even further, striking Yajirobe right where it hurt.
How could that handprint not be red?
He slapped me so hard I went flying!
The more Yajirobe thought about it, the more wronged he felt. He even began to suspect that following them up Korin Tower had been a mistake in the first place.
"So that's it! I was wondering why Brother Tien suddenly hit him.
It was to help him experience the effects of a Senzu Bean!"
Chiaotzu was about as innocent as Goku and never suspected anything was wrong with Tien Shinhan's explanation. Now he voiced his realization as though everything had clicked.
Only Master Korin stood to the side with narrowed eyes, having clearly seen through everything.
He did not particularly care whether the Senzu Beans were eaten or used to heal injuries.
Still, seeing Yajirobe looking so put-upon, he could not help finding it funny.
What an interesting bunch of martial artists!
"Well, Yajirobe? Want another taste of a Senzu Bean?
If you need it, I don't mind helping you again."
"No, no! Senzu Beans heal really well. I've already experienced it firsthand!"
Hearing Tien Shinhan actually offer to help him again, Yajirobe was so frightened that he immediately raised the hands he had just lowered and covered his face again.
He had no desire to experience being sent flying by a single slap again.
Hunting down on the ground might be a hassle, but at least it was better than getting slapped by Tien Shinhan.
The Senzu Bean he had just swallowed had indeed given him a satisfying sense of fullness while healing his injuries.
But Yajirobe still found it hard to accept filling his stomach at the expense of his face.
Rather than that, he might as well go back down to the ground and keep hunting to fend for himself.
"Sorry, Master Korin, but I've changed my mind. I think I'd better keep the entire stock of Senzu Beans here with me."
Tien Shinhan stopped paying attention to the now well-behaved Yajirobe and turned to explain to Master Korin.
"Haha, it doesn't matter whether you take most of them or all of them. I can grow more with a little time anyway. Go ahead and take them."
Master Korin waved a hand indifferently.
Senzu Bean yields were low, but compared with his own long lifespan, the little time it took to replenish his stock was not something he cared about.
Before Tien Shinhan, Goku, and the others, the last person to climb Korin Tower had been Master Roshi, over three hundred years ago.
Now that this stock of Senzu Beans had been given to Tien Shinhan, who knew how many more centuries would pass before the next group of martial artists managed to climb Korin Tower?
As far as Master Korin was concerned, there was plenty of time to replenish his stock of Senzu Beans.
Tien Shinhan thanked Master Korin, then raised his head to look above Korin Tower's main hall.
"Since Chiaotzu has made it up here too, it's about time we headed to Kami's Lookout."
Having secured the treasure that was the Senzu Beans from this fortuitous encounter, Tien Shinhan turned his attention back to continuing his training and growing stronger.
Aside from the Ultra Divine Water, which he was not yet prepared to challenge, there was nothing left at Master Korin's place that could improve his strength.
And so Kami's Lookout became the next destination Tien Shinhan was eager to reach.
Master Korin nodded in agreement.
If they had not been waiting for Chiaotzu to arrive, Tien Shinhan and Goku could have set off half a day earlier.
After some discussion, Tien Shinhan, Goku, and Chiaotzu went to Kami's Lookout together.
As for Yajirobe, he did not dare follow Tien Shinhan any farther to join in the fun, so he stayed in Korin Tower's main hall for the time being.
Whoosh-
This time, the three of them did not have to keep climbing. Instead, they stood directly on top of the Power Pole.
As they waited for the Power Pole to grow thicker and longer, it was like riding an elevator open on all sides, breaking straight through layer after layer of swirling clouds and mist until they were delivered to the center of Kami's Lookout.
The very moment the three arrived at Kami's Lookout, the first person to appear before them was a short, stocky fellow whose entire body was pitch-black, with only the whites of his eyes and his lips a different color.
"Whoa! He's so black!"
Goku jumped in fright and immediately cried out.
"Hello. I'm Popo, Kami's servant. You can call me Mr. Popo."
As Tien Shinhan listened to Mr. Popo introduce himself, related memories surfaced in his mind.
Although Mr. Popo called himself Kami's servant, he was also, in fact, Kami's companion.
Indeed, Mr. Popo had existed even longer than the Kami who lived at Kami's Lookout.
Before the current Kami became Earth's god, Mr. Popo had already been living at Kami's Lookout.
And in the Dragon Ball story, after the current Kami fused with Piccolo and Dende succeeded him as Earth's next god, Mr. Popo was still there.
Not only that, but before the current Kami, many generations of gods whom Mr. Popo had accompanied had lived at Kami's Lookout.
One could say that gods came and went, but Mr. Popo remained.
That alone showed how mysterious Mr. Popo was!
Just looking at those eyes, which concealed great wisdom behind an appearance of simplicity, it seemed as though he had already seen through every secret in this world.
"Hello, Mr. Popo. I'm Tien Shinhan!"
"I'm Chiaotzu!"
"I'm Son Goku!"
As Tien Shinhan took the initiative to greet Mr. Popo, Kid Goku and Chiaotzu immediately spoke up as well.
Mr. Popo nodded.
"Kami has some matters to attend to at the moment, so he can't come to see you right away.
You were invited to Kami's Lookout to receive further training as a reward for your bravery in the fight against King Piccolo.
Would you be willing to accept?"
Mr. Popo got straight to the point, directly offering Tien Shinhan and the others a round of intensive training.
That kind of straightforward communication suited Tien Shinhan and the others perfectly.
As dedicated martial artists, they all pursued higher realms of martial arts, so naturally they would not refuse.
But unlike Goku and Chiaotzu, who knew nothing about it, Tien Shinhan knew perfectly well that Kami was not staying away because he had matters to attend to.
Rather, it was because King Piccolo was the evil part he had cast out when he became Kami.
Kami and the aged King Piccolo looked exactly alike, so naturally he could not readily show himself.
For now, Kami was still hesitating over whether to appear, and he also wanted Mr. Popo to test the three martial artists' talent.
Only if the three performed well in Mr. Popo's test would Kami make up his mind to appear before them.
"Sorry for the trouble, then, Mr. Popo. Further training is exactly what we've been hoping for!"
Tien Shinhan did not dwell on Kami's situation. Instead, he was eager to begin Mr. Popo's training.
For someone like him, who had broken his human limiter, every period of training brought a considerable increase in battle power,
He did not want to miss any worthwhile training.
For ordinary people, time was money.
But for Tien Shinhan, who had broken through human limits, time was battle power. Training time, especially, meant soaring battle power!