At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, Yuujin was already woken up by Master Roshi. Goku, perched on Yuujin's shoulder, yawned constantly.
"Yuujin, starting today, I will officially teach you the Turtle Hermit style of martial arts."
"Yes, Master!"
Master Roshi had a stern look on his face, and Yuujin felt a surge of excitement inside.
Finally, his training was about to begin!
"First, before we begin, I need to tell you what martial arts really are."
"Learning martial arts isn't about showing off or fighting to be the best, nor is it to impress pretty girls with your strength. These are all wrong ideas!"
"We learn martial arts to keep our bodies and minds healthy, and with that healthy body and mind, live a meaningful life. That is the way of Turtle Hermit martial arts. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Master!"
Though Yuujin said he understood, he couldn't help feeling a bit ashamed inside.
The reason he wanted to learn martial arts was to become strong, to face future enemies, and maybe even to build a big harem once he grew up and gained great power. However, he knew that Master Roshi's words were right.
Even though he couldn't live up to it himself, he decided to remember it. If he ever had disciples in the future, he would pass these words on to them exactly as they were. Let his disciples accomplish what he couldn't!
Master Roshi, thinking Yuujin had truly understood, nodded with satisfaction and added,
"Although we don't practice martial arts to fight, if you ever see someone abusing their martial skills to bully the innocent, that person becomes our enemy. Don't hold back and teach them a good lesson!"
"Yes, Master!"
This was no problem for Yuujin. Although he didn't consider himself a good person, he wasn't a bad one either. If he encountered someone who truly needed help, he would gladly lend a hand.
"Alright, let's start your training now."
"First, we'll go for a light jog. Follow me!"
"Yes!"
Yuujin followed Master Roshi as they began to jog. Goku, still on his shoulder, cheered him on happily.
Because Master Roshi was guiding Yuujin's training, they had left Turtle Island the day before and moved to another nearby island.
This island was enormous, home to hundreds of residents, making it an ideal place for training.
Just like when Master Roshi trained Goku and Krillin in the original story, he had Yuujin jog around the island, deliver milk to the islanders with a crate in his arms, run laps around street trees, climb mountains, wade through waterfalls, cross swamps, and swim in a lake filled with sharks.
Although these seemed like simple, ordinary tasks that one could train alone, it wasn't that straightforward.
The human body is a very delicate instrument. Knowing when and what to train, how much to push the body, and how to stimulate its potential without injuring oneself is crucial. Maximizing the effect of training without overdoing it requires experience.
Yuujin didn't have that experience yet, but he knew Master Roshi did. So he followed every instruction carefully.
The first day was just an introduction to the training, but even so, Yuujin was exhausted and near collapse. Fortunately, being a pure-blooded Saiyan, after eating enough and getting some sleep, he was almost fully recovered.
From the second day, the training became even stricter. Master Roshi brought out a heavy turtle shell for Yuujin to wear and told him he must wear it at all times — during training, meals, and even sleep. And every so often, he would replace it with an even heavier one.
Although the training was painful and torturous, Yuujin gritted his teeth and persevered.
Not just for his own dreams and ambitions, but for the future survival of Earth, he had to work hard.
In the not-too-distant future, one terrifying enemy after another would arrive on Earth. If he didn't want to die or leave his fate in someone else's hands, he had to become strong enough!
Days passed, seasons changed.
Whether under rainstorms or thunder and lightning, Yuujin trained diligently every single day.
Before long, three years had passed...
"Run, jump, run, jump, la la la…"
"Run, jump, run, jump, la la la…"
"Run, jump, run, jump, la la la…"
On a rugged mountain path, three figures were running while chanting slogans.
In the front was Master Roshi, carrying a turtle shell, followed closely by Yuujin, also carrying a turtle shell, and behind him, Goku, with a smaller turtle shell strapped to her back.
Three years had passed, and now 9-year-old Yuujin had grown much taller, his youthful face losing some of its boyishness. Goku had also grown from a baby who could only babble to an adorable little girl.
At first, during daily training, Goku would just sit on Yuujin's shoulder and chant along, but as she grew, she began participating in the training too.
While ordinary children on the island were still playing with mud at this age, Goku was already completing the daily training with Yuujin and Master Roshi. Even Master Roshi often marveled at what kind of monster this little girl was.
Thud!
Behind them, a massive dinosaur collapsed to the ground, panting heavily with its tongue hanging out.
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Dinosaur!"
Goku turned and waved cheerfully at the exhausted dinosaur as she ran.
Every day, when they passed through the dinosaur's territory, it would chase them, and every time it would end up exhausting itself to the brink of collapse.
Watching the three humans run away, the dinosaur's eyes welled with bitter tears, but soon, they were replaced by a fierce determination.
"Those hateful humans, tomorrow I will definitely eat you!"
After running a lap around the island, finishing their morning training, the three returned to the Turtle Hermit house by the sea.
Panting heavily, Goku lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
Though she could now train with them, she was still young, and this level of training pushed her to her limit.
To be continued…