Dragon Ball Roshi

Chapter 12 – You Climb, I Fly

But when Tsuru saw the succulent meat dripping with fat, he couldn't help but feel his mouth water. After days of eating only seafood, even a simple plate of vegetables would have seemed like a feast. Without hesitation, he sat down beside the improvised grill and tore off a large piece of juicy roasted meat.

At that moment, a man and a woman emerged from the tent, both dressed in Native American attire. Their bronze-toned skin was painted with tribal designs, and their hair was adorned with feathers from wild birds.

The man, shirtless and muscular, radiated strength and authority. The woman, equally athletic, had a toned body that made it clear she was far from fragile.

The native man casually carried an electric pot wrapped in a fresh cloth. Upon seeing Tsuru devouring the meat, he raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Taro, is this the companion you mentioned?"

"Yes, Ubumajin. His name is Tsuru. We've come together to climb Korin Tower." Taro replied, having already finished his meal. He remained seated and pointed to the imposing tower with his still-greasy hand.

The woman hurried to fetch a basin of fresh water. Taro thanked her, quickly washed his hands, and dried them on his clean pants.

Tsuru, still chewing on the meat, glanced at the massive Ubumajin and thought, "With that physique, he must be incredibly strong."

"I don't want to discourage you, but even you, Taro, who can kill a saber-toothed tiger with one strike, will find it difficult to climb this tower." said Ubumajin, tilting his head to gaze at the Korin Tower, which seemed to pierce the heavens. He sighed before continuing: " It's nearly impossible. I've tried several times, and at my best, I climbed for an entire day before I couldn't go on. The worst attempt nearly killed me; I didn't have enough energy to climb down and almost fell."

"A saber-toothed tiger? So while I was struggling to get here, all this happened?" thought Tsuru, swallowing the revelation of Taro's skills. "Could he really have become that much stronger than me?"

He finished his meal quickly, wiping the grease off his fingers on his tattered pants. Without even looking up, he commented disdainfully:

"It's just a tower. How hard can it be?"

Tsuru was brimming with confidence in his Ki manipulation skills, and his words reflected this.

Ubumajin frowned, clearly annoyed.

"This isn't an ordinary tower. Over the years, countless warriors have failed..." He paused suddenly, as if recalling something.

Tsuru smirked sarcastically.

"So someone has managed to reach the top, haven't they?" He guessed that Ubumajin knew something about Mutaito, Taro's master, and added with a touch of scorn: "Just because you can't doesn't mean others can't."

Tsuru's bluntness spared no one. The only reason he wasn't ruder was that he'd just finished the roasted boar prepared by others.

Ubumajin, his expression serious, replied honestly:

"Yes, not long ago, we saw an elder descending the tower. But he was like a celestial being, something beyond our reach." Ubumajin said hesitantly before adding. "And you are no match for him either."

Tsuru wiped his hands on his pants and let out a cold laugh.

"That celestial being is my master!"

During their journey from Mount Mutaito, Tsuru and Taro had talked extensively, especially about the Bankoku-Bukkiru-Shou and the magical beans Mutaito had created. Both agreed that he had likely developed this technique during his training at Korin Tower.

Ubumajin's eyes widened in shock.

"You... are disciples of that elder?" He exchanged glances with his wife, both sharing the same expression of astonishment.

"He's right. The elder you mentioned is our master, Mutaito." Taro confirmed with a calm smile. "He climbed with ease, and as his disciples, we cannot disgrace him."

Ubumajin opened his mouth but found himself unable to say anything further.

He belonged to a lineage that, generation after generation, had protected the sacred forest surrounding Korin Tower. Among them, only the most outstanding warrior had the right to reside in the clearing at the base of the tower. Each warrior, in their time, challenged the seemingly endless tower. Yet, without exception, all failed.

Ubumajin was the warrior of his generation. He, too, had attempted to climb the tower and, like the others, failed.

To his surprise, the two young men before him displayed unwavering confidence, as if scaling Korin Tower was not a feat worthy of note. This stirred a mix of unease and challenge within Ubumajin.

Although he had already witnessed Taro's strength in the forest—where Taro had brought down a saber-toothed tiger with a single strike—Ubumajin wasn't entirely impressed. He could perform such a feat himself, though perhaps not with Taro's ease and composure.

Ubumajin respected Taro's abilities and had decided to welcome him with hospitality, but that didn't mean he fully admired him. To Ubumajin, Taro was remarkable, someone worthy of becoming a friend, but not necessarily superior.

Now, hearing that both young men were disciples of the elder who had descended the tower, Ubumajin remained skeptical. After all, no matter how talented they might be, they seemed too young to have fully absorbed the teachings of such a powerful master.

Taro noticed Ubumajin's doubts reflected on his face but chose not to say anything. He knew that soon enough, the climb would speak for itself.

As soon as Tsuru finished eating, now growing impatient, he suggested:

"Let's climb already. Weren't we planning to find your sister? We still have a long way ahead of us."

He stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders as his well-defined muscles moved impressively. Tsuru walked toward the base of the tower with determination.

"Let's go. Hand me that package." Said Taro, pointing at the bundle in Ubumajin's hands, which contained the electric pot from the Great Demon King.

Ubumajin hesitated, alarmed.

"You're going to carry that during the climb? This thing isn't light!" He was well aware of the weight of the object, having carried it for a while himself. Though small, it was surprisingly heavy. To Ubumajin, the idea of climbing with this additional weight seemed absurd.

Taro simply smiled and effortlessly took the bundle from Ubumajin's hands.

"Thanks."

The package's original cloth had already worn out during their sea crossing, and Taro and Tsuru had taken turns carrying it up to this point. However, for Taro, it seemed as if he were carrying nothing but air.

He also approached the base of the tower. At that moment, Tsuru glanced at him briefly.

"Go ahead and climb first." said Taro with a calm smile.

Tsuru grumbled, leaped impressively, and reached a height of more than 30 meters. He landed lightly on the tower's surface and began climbing like a wild animal, moving quickly. In mere moments, he was already significantly high.

"That's..." murmured Ubumajin, watching the scene in astonishment alongside his wife.

What they witnessed next was even more incredible.

With the heavy bundle in hand, Taro didn't even attempt to climb the tower. Instead, he stayed at the base and, in a mysterious display, began floating upward.

"See you at the top!" Taro exclaimed, excited to experience flight for the first time. He channeled his energy, and with a sound of air displacement, shot vertically, gliding along the tower at high speed.

"He... Taro is flying to the top?" asked Ubumajin's wife, perplexed.

"Looks like it..." replied Ubumajin, still staring skyward in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Tsuru was exerting himself to climb the tower as quickly as possible, determined to be the first to reach the top. His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he felt something approaching from behind.

Then, he heard Taro's laughter echo:

"Tsuru, taking it slow, aren't you? I'll go ahead!"

Tsuru turned abruptly and saw a dark shadow pass beside him. He looked up in horror, only to see Taro's feet moving farther away into the sky.

It was then that he recalled the moment Taro had casually sat on a wooden plank without sinking it into the water.