"This is... a Super Saiyan?" Tights looked surprised at the hand-drawn picture. "Uncle Bardock?"
Yamiru didn't particularly care whether the matter of traveling through time was kept a secret—especially from Tights—but... maintaining a little mystery actually didn't hurt, did it?
So, he simply smiled slightly, activated his "Fire Eyes and Golden Pupils," and blinked as he said, "Maybe it is, maybe it's not."
Tights gave him a light slap, put down the poster, and didn't pursue the matter further.
That evening, the house was filled with both the young and the old, two couples plus an elderly sage, all sitting down for a meal and chatting about many things.
Tonpo talked about how, back in the days of studying at the Superpower Academy, he had been obsessed with Elizabeth; Elizabeth admitted that she had only used her transformation powers to become beautiful; Tights exclaimed and suddenly remembered that her family had indeed once funded a school for superpowers, apparently near South City, and suggested they visit it tomorrow; Tonpo reminisced about how Yamiru, the unlucky kid, had struggled so much in South City, and how they had nearly been killed by a superpowered bully named Blue...
These past memories were long buried in Yamiru's mind, but as he thought about them now, he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, so he began to recount his journey to Mount Paozu.
Yamiru stuck to the lighter, more interesting stories from his travels. Tonpo and Elizabeth, who hadn't heard about his experiences after he left the second time, listened eagerly. It was indeed an incredible and interesting adventure that made them admire Yamiru's courage, while also feeling a strong sense of longing. However, Tights and Son Gohan knew that behind Yamiru's light-hearted tone, he was skipping over a lot of the bitter and painful parts, some even too difficult to revisit.
Son Gohan was a humorous old man, very much like his master, Turtle Hermit.
After a while, Tonpo threw a television capsule, opened the channel, and they all sat back to drink tea, snack, and watch TV.
"So, what's the plan this time?" Tights, who had come along with Yamiru and Son Gohan, still hadn't figured out what the two masters were planning. "Where are we going next? Back to Mount Paozu, or to West City?" Yamiru and Son Gohan exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, both turned to look at the open map on the table. Two routes that Yamiru had traveled before were clearly visible.
Yamiru said, "I want to walk the same path again. I wonder what it will feel like."
Tights immediately laughed and said with great interest, "Ah, this time you're not alone. Grandpa and I will come with you!"
"You need power, kid. Not from here," Son Gohan patted Yamiru's arm and shoulder muscles, then tapped his finger on Yamiru's forehead. "But from here."
"…" Yamiru stared at his clenched fist.
"I think he's wrapped himself up like that, not hearing anything, not seeing anything, not smelling anything, and not even feeling anything," Tights said, "but somehow, he can still defeat others. On a spiritual level, he's no longer an ordinary person."
Son Gohan smiled kindly and said, "Reaching that level is indeed not easy, but there is no fixed doctrine for elevating the soul. The method Yamiru chose might not be the only way to reach a higher level. However…"
The old man, full of wrinkles but radiating warmth, took his disciple's hand and gently patted it, saying, "As a master, I don't want my disciple to be like that. What I want, is for my disciple to open his eyes, open his ears, look at this world, listen to the chaotic noises around him, and then, amidst all that distraction, truly hear his own heart."
"Master…" Yamiru was moved, holding the old man's hand.
"Don't misunderstand," Son Gohan joked. "I haven't reached that level myself." Then he became sincere. "But, as a master, how could I not want my disciple to surpass me? I hope that, one day, you, Yamiru, can do what I can't, elevate your soul to the level that only exists in my imagination... I believe, if anyone can do it, it's you."
Son Gohan spoke slowly, with deep emotion: "That kid, who struggled with so much, knowing full well his potential was far less than Goku's, but still didn't give up on his own path... that kid will make it. If anyone in this world understands what it means to be weak, what it means to have power, and what it means to persist, it's you."
"Over the years, I've watched you change little by little, slowly becoming a better version of yourself, and as your master, I'm really pleased. You're great, you've done great, but forgive me for being selfish, I believe you can be even better…" The old man gazed at Yamiru's moist golden eyes. "You've told me about these eyes, and I believe they speak the truth. You have a heart of gold. Maybe it's sometimes covered in dust, but… it can be wiped clean, can't it?"
Tights had already started crying as she listened. She turned her head, wiped her tears, and smiled, saying, "Sorry, maybe I'm too sentimental."
"No, it was… a bit emotional?" Yamiru took a deep breath and said softly, "Master, this isn't like you."
Son Gohan grinned mischievously. "Alright, alright, I admit, there's never really been a suitable occasion to say such things, so I just blurted it all out at once."
"I will, Master," Yamiru promised. "This time, I won't blindfold myself or block my ears."
Just as the master and disciple, along with the disciple's wife, were getting emotional, Tonpo, sitting nearby, suddenly shouted, "What!? Oh, this is amazing!"
Yamiru and the others looked at him curiously, only to see that the couple was watching a news broadcast on TV.
The sudden fall of the Red Ribbon Army.
"...No one knows who wiped out this once most powerful military force on Earth, a terrifying organization as toxic as a tumor. Was it a hero? Or perhaps another new terrorist group? We have no way of knowing. The only thing we can confirm is that the Red Ribbon Army's base has been leveled to the ground, and countless expert teams are working tirelessly to analyze and uncover the truth behind the destruction of this terror base..."
The news anchor reported excitedly in front of the camera.
"The Red Ribbon Army has been destroyed?" Tights clicked her tongue in surprise. "It should've been done long ago."
"That's right!" Elizabeth agreed with Tights, "I heard they were really evil..."
Tonpo clapped his hands in approval. "Good job! I heard that Blue was also involved with the Red Ribbon Army. I wonder if he's dead too."
Yamiru and Son Gohan exchanged glances as they watched the news.
Son Gohan pondered, "Even Master Roshi couldn't destroy the Red Ribbon Army's base by himself... Their conventional military strength was one of their greatest assets. It wouldn't have been possible."
Tights asked, "Could it have been Uncle Bardock?"
Yamiru didn't think so. "If it was Uncle Bardock's doing, the site of the destruction... should have been more even."
Tights thought about the image of the golden, glowing Super Saiyan Bardock and nodded in understanding.
"Regardless, it's a good thing the Red Ribbon Army was destroyed," Son Gohan joked. "Maybe it was done by a god or a devil."
That was a bit too far-fetched. The others in the room were sweating at the thought.
---
The next day, outside the Superpower Academy on the outskirts, Yamiru and his group, after taking a tour, said their goodbyes to Tonpo and Elizabeth.
"Leaving again?" Tonpo shook hands with Yamiru, who was bending down. "Don't come back all defeated asking me for help again."
"Who knows?" Yamiru chuckled. "If I run into your son, I'll just kick him back home."
Elizabeth smiled, "Thank you."
Tights waved her hand, "Goodbye."
Yamiru and Son Gohan walked side by side, turning ahead and slowly walking away, while Tights followed behind.
An old journey, a new adventure.