Over the next three days, Master Roshi poured out everything he knew—starting from the basics of ki cultivation, breathing and meditation methods, to signature techniques like the Kamehameha and even stories from the World Martial Arts Tournament. Aside from the Evil Containment Wave, which he deemed too dangerous, he withheld nothing. To his amazement, both children absorbed each lesson with ease and genuine enthusiasm.
"I have nothing more to teach!"
Master Roshi finally sighed, waving his hand helplessly. His eyes drifted from Aira—whose chaotic aura had transformed into something far steadier and more controlled—to Rhode, who now stood with a newfound calm confidence.
"From now on, as long as you keep cultivating, your strength will naturally grow."
"Old man… thanks."
Aira's curt voice broke the moment. She spoke with her usual cold arrogance, then immediately turned her head away as if pretending the words hadn't come from her at all.
"This girl is truly contradictory…" Master Roshi muttered, chuckling as he glanced at Rhode, who simply smiled back.
Before he could say anything more, his body suddenly flew several meters back, tumbling across the ground. Aira's threatening voice echoed right after:
"Old man, don't force me to kill you!"
Despite the dramatic scene, Master Roshi returned completely unharmed. He brushed off the dust, grinning mischievously as he sidled up to Rhode and whispered, "See? A tsundere little fellow."
This time, Aira didn't bother hitting him again. She merely snorted, making it clear she had heard him but chose to let it slide—only because he had been her teacher.
In just three days, Aira had fully mastered the foundation of ki cultivation and the techniques Roshi taught. For the first time, she realized how clumsy her previous use of power had been—crude, wasteful, and far from unleashing its true potential. Even though the time was short, she could feel her strength rising, subtle yet unmistakable.
Before this, months could pass without her feeling even the slightest improvement unless she was in battle. But now? Noticeable growth after only three days—this was unprecedented.
Rhode had undergone a transformation as well. After observing the two closely, Master Roshi discovered that Rhode's ki truly matched his personality: upright, calm, stable, and unwavering. And Aira, contrary to his first impression, wasn't naturally evil—just a fierce, prideful child shaped by the brutal culture of the Saiyans.
If she stayed with Rhode long enough, Roshi believed she might never become gentle, but she would certainly never become a true villain.
"Master Roshi, let's have a good meal today!" Rhode called out cheerfully. With everything they needed to learn already taught, he decided this was the right way to mark their upcoming departure. Turning toward Aira, who was still training, he shouted, "Aira, let's go buy some food."
With a quick farewell to Roshi, he grabbed Aira and the two soared into the sky toward the nearest town.
"These must be the shortest-trained disciples I've ever had…"
Master Roshi murmured as he watched their silhouettes fade into the horizon. He stroked his beard, his expression complicated. "Saiyans… Are all lifeforms in the universe this powerful?"
The knowledge he had gleaned over the last three days left him both awestruck and uneasy. For every Rhode—gentle, principled—there could just as easily be extraterrestrials whose arrival meant disaster. And Aira, despite her fiery temper and eagerness to fight, at least had Rhode to restrain her.
If others came without such restraint… who could stop them?
I need to do something.
The thought pressed heavily on his mind. But among Earth's martial artists, no one he knew could compare to Rhode, much less Aira.
What should I do…?
His gaze drifted over the blue sky and shimmering waves. He remained lost in thought until Rhode and Aira returned, arms full of food.
Master Roshi finally broke his silence. "Now that you've learned to cultivate… are you going back to your own planet?"
As the three of them ate and drank heartily, enjoying the feast, Master Roshi, realizing that his teaching of cultivation had come to an end, felt a flicker of curiosity and couldn't help but ask Rhode a question.
Rhode shook his head casually, his expression indifferent. "No, we've decided to live on Earth from now on. This planet is quite habitable, especially the food—it's much better than on our planet!"
"Rhode is right!"
Aira, sitting beside him, nodded vigorously while muttering with her mouth full. Clearly, this fierce little Saiyan had been completely conquered by the simple pleasures of Earth's cuisine.
Master Roshi had been momentarily stunned when he heard that the two youngsters intended to stay on Earth permanently. But almost instantly, the worry etched between his brows melted away. Isn't the problem solved? he thought. No matter how powerful other extraterrestrials might be, as long as Rhode and Aira were around, Earth wouldn't face any real danger. After all, these two would never stand idly by while the planet they had chosen as home was threatened.
"Hahaha, that's wonderful!"
With the gloom in his heart gone, Master Roshi downed several large glasses of beer, and his mood immediately brightened.
"Master Roshi, this ball is quite pretty. Can I borrow it to play with for a while?"
As they continued enjoying the meal, Rhode's gaze fell upon the three-star ball Master Roshi wore around his neck, and he spoke up.
"This ball?"
Master Roshi, caught off guard by Rhode's interest, removed it from his neck and examined it curiously. Aira, noticing this, reached out and grabbed the three-star ball, turning it over in her small hands. But no matter how she looked at it, it was simply a crystal-clear sphere with three stars inside. Apart from its flawless shape, there was nothing else remarkable about it.
"It's just an ordinary ball, Rhode. What's so interesting about it?"
Having confirmed that it was indeed just a simple ball, Aira lost interest immediately. She casually tossed it back to him, muttering a complaint under her breath.
Aira felt Rhode was becoming less and less like a true Saiyan. A Saiyan's mind should always be on combat, on improving strength—but here he was, distracted by a mere ball.
"This… a… ball certainly has nothing magical about it," she remarked, folding her arms in slight annoyance.
Rhode simply smiled, treating her like the spirited child she was, and didn't argue. Instead, he emphasized the words with a teasing tone.
"Hiccup! Speaking of which, there's a legend that has long circulated on Earth. It says there are seven Dragon Balls scattered across the world. If you gather them all, you can summon Shenron, who will grant you any wish you desire!"
As he spoke, Master Roshi remembered the legend he had heard countless times in his life. While hiccuping from the beer, he explained the story to Rhode and Aira, finally glancing at the three-star ball in Rhode's hand.
"Hiccup! Speaking of which, Rhode, this ball is remarkably similar to the legendary Dragon Ball…"
Clang!
"Hoo hoo hoo~"
Before he could finish, Master Roshi, overwhelmed by the alcohol, completely lost consciousness. He collapsed onto the table in a deep sleep, snoring loudly. No matter how they called or shook him, he remained unresponsive, leaving Rhode and Aira to watch in mild amusement.