Chapter 118: I Am Yamcha, I Seek Guidance from Master Mutaito
Inside the five-times gravity chamber, Yamcha was currently teaming up with Mewtwo to battle the Dark WarGreymon.
The two cooperated seamlessly, and even without relying on the Chrono Digizoid Armor, the Dark WarGreymon was beginning to show signs of strain under their combined assault.
One had to admit—Chrono Digizoid truly was a rare and valuable treasure.
Even Mewtwo's full-powered Psychic Break couldn't leave a single scratch on it.
Combat had always been the best way to improve strength. Although Yamcha didn't possess the Saiyan trait of constant growth through battle, his progress was still remarkably fast.
At the very least, Dark WarGreymon was gradually unable to keep up with Yamcha's pace.
It couldn't be helped—Digimon mainly improved by absorbing data, and physical training didn't benefit him nearly as much.
With scientific research handed over to Mewtwo and base security entrusted to Dark WarGreymon, Yamcha began preparing for his next dimensional journey.
It had been quite some time since he challenged Tien Shinhan, who had a battle power of 180.
Now, he was planning to witness the might of the strongest warrior in this world.
Periodic power assessments had almost become a routine for Yamcha.
Excluding movie characters, the strongest beings on Earth right now—aside from the dormant Majin Buu whose seal's location remained unknown—were the God of Earth and Mr. Popo in the Lookout, and King Piccolo who lay deep under the ocean.
Yamcha wasn't particularly interested in Kami or Mr. Popo. His eyes were naturally drawn to King Piccolo.
Even though, once the Z saga began, even low-level grunts in Frieza's army or the Saibamen in the Saiyan arc had higher battle power than him…
In terms of sheer oppressive presence, King Piccolo remained the most intimidating boss in the original Dragon Ball series.
Upon his appearance, he ordered the death of Goku's childhood friend Krillin, severely beat Goku himself, and even the life-sacrificing Mafuba (Evil Containment Wave) attempt by Master Roshi failed to stop him. He gathered the Dragon Balls to restore his youth and saw a significant boost in power.
With a wave of his hand, he could level a city. The human military was helpless before him.
If Goku hadn't drunk the Super Divine Water and broken through his limits, the Earth would've faced utter despair.
According to official data, King Piccolo's peak battle power was 260. While there's no exact stat for his strongest technique, the Explosive Demon Wave, it's safe to assume he far surpassed even Tien Shinhan using his full-power Kikoho.
He was a perfect benchmark for testing one's strength.
Of course, Yamcha had no intention of diving into the ocean to rescue the aged King Piccolo. The one he wanted to face was King Piccolo from another timeline.
There were no cities lined with tall buildings, no bustling streets filled with traffic, no capsules, no mobile phones, no internet or Wi-Fi—there weren't even televisions here.
The houses were made of bricks and tiles, carrying an ancient charm.
Fruits and vegetables were natural and unprocessed.
If Yamcha didn't already know where he was, he might have suspected he'd landed in another world entirely.
People rose at sunrise and rested at sunset.
Entertainment was minimal, but if one had to name something, it would be martial arts.
Almost everyone knew a move or two.
This was an era where martial arts flourished, where the strong gathered in droves.
Yet among all martial artists, there was a common consensus—there was only one who stood at the pinnacle of martial arts today, the most revered grandmaster of the era:
Master Mutaito.
An elderly farmer wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel draped over his shoulder, looking back at the neatly planted rows of rice seedlings. He nodded in satisfaction and leaned on his hoe, catching his breath.
"Excuse me, sir, do you know where I can find Master Mutaito?"
The voice behind him caught the old man's attention.
Turning around, he saw Yamcha, dressed a bit differently from the locals.
"Young man, you're looking for Master Mutaito? You're asking the right person!"
"See over there?"
The old man pointed toward a beautiful mountain not far in the distance. "Master Mutaito's dojo is located right up there."
"Came to become his disciple, right?"
After eyeing Yamcha up and down, the old man continued knowingly, "Lately, many people have heard of Master Mutaito's name and come seeking apprenticeship. But the master's standards are incredibly strict—he hasn't accepted a single one."
Perhaps it was rare for him to meet someone new, but the old man seemed to open up, chattering on endlessly.
(Editor's Note: Latest chapter first published on 69 Book Bar!)
Yamcha didn't respond, simply smiling and shaking his head.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered becoming Mutaito's disciple. Back in his initial plans, Master Roshi was Plan A and B, Master Shen was Plan C, and Master Mutaito was Plan D.
Only if the earlier options didn't work out would he consider Mutaito.
Though Mutaito was the master of both Roshi and Shen and likely stronger than either, apprenticing under him wasn't necessarily the best choice.
Unless one accepted the anime-original scenario in which Master Mutaito easily defeats Goku during his training at the Lookout.
But for someone who could easily beat the Goku who drank the Super Divine Water and defeated King Piccolo to then fail to beat King Piccolo himself? It made no sense.
In the original manga, despite being the top martial artist of his time, Mutaito was completely outclassed by King Piccolo. He lost easily the first time and only managed to seal him away using the Mafuba at the cost of his own life.
Bidding farewell to the old man, Yamcha began his ascent up the mountain where Mutaito's dojo was located.
It had to be said—the scenery from several hundred years ago was far more beautiful than in his own time.
Age 461—this was 300 years before the main events of Dragon Ball. This was the year when the original Kami of Earth passed away and was succeeded by the son of Katatz. It was also the year Katatz's son separated his evil side to become the infamous King Piccolo.
The Grand Elder of Namek once remarked that if this Kami had never split himself, he would have been a peerless genius among Namekians—a true all-rounder who might have even surpassed Frieza someday. But after the split, both his power and potential dropped significantly.
A real pity.
Had he ascended to Godhood without the split, Dragon Ball's story could have been even more fascinating.
The mountain was vast and tall, but to the current Yamcha, it was a trivial obstacle. He reached the grand dojo effortlessly.
At that moment, Master Mutaito was training his disciples on the training grounds. Yamcha's unrestrained aura naturally caught his attention.
"I am Yamcha. Greetings, Master Mutaito."
"I humbly request your guidance."
Though he came to challenge King Piccolo, testing the strength of the world's current top martial artist beforehand wasn't a bad idea either.
(End of Chapter)
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