Chapter 14: Meeting Master Roshi

After waiting for about an hour, a small black dot finally appeared on the distant sea surface.

Goku, with the best eyesight, shouted, "John, Bulma, look! There's an old man over there!"

"Where, where?" Bulma asked excitedly, standing up to look out at the deep sea.

When she could only see a black dot, Bulma complained to Goku, "What kind of eyes do you have to see that far?"

Indeed, Goku was right. Not long after, a bald old man with a white beard, draped in a turtle shell, appeared on the sea's surface, being carried by a sea turtle.

The sea turtle quickly swam to the shore, and Master Roshi jumped off its back. Seeing three people in front of him, he asked his turtle, "Who are these three people that saved you?"

Despite Bulma insisting that the turtle shouldn't be sent back and should be given to the bear monster, the sea turtle knew Bulma was just an ordinary person and didn't deny that she was one of its saviors.

The sea turtle pointed to John with its fin, saying, "Mr. John agreed to take me back to the shore."

Then it pointed to Bulma, saying, "Ms. Bulma gave me a bucket of saltwater to drink, saving me from dehydration."

Finally, it pointed to Goku, saying, "Mr. Goku defeated a bear monster, preventing me from being eaten."

"Wow, so many people saved you. I need to think about what gifts to give them," Master Roshi murmured to himself.

At this moment, Bulma noticed the Dragon Ball hanging around Master Roshi's neck, glowing because it was close to the three Dragon Balls that John and the others had collected.

Bulma tugged on John's sleeve and said, "Hey, John, look at the Dragon Ball hanging around Master Roshi's neck. It's a three-star ball."

John also noticed the Dragon Ball immediately and whispered to Bulma, "Wait and see what gift Master Roshi prepares for us. We can consider trading for that Dragon Ball later."

Master Roshi then decided on a gift, raised his cane, and shouted, "Come here, Immortal Phoenix!"

But after a few awkward seconds, only a few sea birds were seen in the distance, with no sign of an Immortal Phoenix. One sea bird even dropped bird droppings on Master Roshi's head.

Master Roshi was furious and wanted to roast and eat the bird that insulted him, but the sea turtle stopped him, reminding him that everyone was still waiting.

Master Roshi wiped the droppings off his head with his handkerchief and asked, "Where did that Immortal Phoenix go?"

The sea turtle, not wanting to speak but seeing Master Roshi still fixated on the matter, whispered, "Master Roshi, you forgot? The Immortal Phoenix died of food poisoning last time."

Although the whisper was quiet, everyone around heard it clearly.

Master Roshi, embarrassed, used the same handkerchief to wipe his sweat, accidentally smearing the bird droppings on his face. He angrily threw the handkerchief away and washed his face with seawater.

After cleaning up, Master Roshi said, "I thought giving the bird the name Immortal Phoenix would make it live forever. But life is unpredictable, and no one knows what the future holds."

"Since that's the case, I'll give you an even better gift." With the same gesture and similar words, Master Roshi shouted, "Flying Nimbus!"

Again, there were a few seconds of silence. Just as Master Roshi began to sweat again, a pale yellow cloud flew from the distant sky, quickly reaching Master Roshi.

Bulma and Goku were both amazed, unsure of the cloud's purpose.

Master Roshi proudly explained, "This is a gift from Korin the Cat. It has accompanied me for hundreds of years. Now, I will give it to you."

Goku looked at the yellow cloud and asked, "But how do I eat it?"

Master Roshi quickly said, "It's not for eating; it's for riding. It allows you to fly freely in the sky, but only those with pure hearts and no distractions can ride it."

"Let me show you," Master Roshi said, demonstrating the Flying Nimbus's power.

He walked to the cloud and jumped onto it, but to everyone's surprise, he fell through the cloud.

The sea turtle hurriedly helped its master up, asking, "Master Roshi, are you okay?"

"Strange, why can't I ride it?" Master Roshi wondered.

At this moment, Goku eagerly said, "Let me try!" He jumped onto the cloud and did not fall through.

"He, he, he can ride it, Master Roshi," the sea turtle exclaimed.

Master Roshi was astonished. The boy could indeed ride the Flying Nimbus. It seemed he was truly destined for it.

Master Roshi stood up again, saying, "It looks like this gift is well-suited for you. You can try flying with it."

Goku then flew the Flying Nimbus through the sky and over the sea, making Bulma envious.

Bulma asked Master Roshi, "Can I have a Flying Nimbus too?"

Master Roshi shook his head, saying, "I only have one. Miss Bulma, you'll have to choose another gift."

Bulma looked enviously at Goku flying in the sky on the cloud and said, "Alright, what other gift do you have for us?"

Master Roshi hesitated. Although he was a master, he didn't have many valuable items. The Flying Nimbus was one of the few impressive gifts he could offer.

At this moment, John nudged Bulma and pointed to the Dragon Ball around Master Roshi's neck. Understanding, Bulma said, "Since you can't think of another gift, how about giving me the Dragon Ball hanging around your neck?"