Three thousand kilometers south of Southern City, there lay a deserted island.
Its white sands were even finer than Papaya Island, and the water shimmered a crystal-clear Tiffany blue.
The sea breeze rustled the coconut leaves, and a few seagulls lazily circled low over the shore.
Suddenly, without warning, the air seemed to tear for a moment, and two figures appeared out of nowhere on the beach.
Bulma still had her hands tightly wrapped around Krillin's neck, her eyes shut, eyelashes trembling slightly.
The brief sensation of weightlessness had been unnerving, like her body had been broken down into atoms, sent off in an envelope, and then painstakingly reassembled.
"We're here," Krillin's calm voice sounded above her.
Bulma cautiously opened one eye and saw not the noisy martial arts arena, but an endless expanse of ocean.
"This… where are we?"
She let go and felt the soft sand under her feet, her face a mixture of disbelief and awe.
"We were on the island just a moment ago. How… how did we get here in the blink of an eye? Is this your new technique?"
"Instant Transmission."
Krillin didn't hide anything. He casually removed his battle-worn shirt, revealing his lean, sculpted muscles.
He stretched in the sunlight, each joint popping crisply, like tiny bursts of energy.
"Distance doesn't matter when I want to go somewhere," he said.
He walked to the water's edge, scooped up some sea water, and splashed it on his face. The cool touch eased the tension that had been coiled tightly in his body.
Opening the system panel, he checked his stats:
Host: Lin Fei (Krillin)
Strength: 2500 (MAX – Earth Arc)
Speed: 2500 (MAX – Earth Arc)
Stamina: 2500 (MAX – Earth Arc)
Mental: 2500 (MAX – Earth Arc)
Skill: Instant Transmission (Beginner → Improving)
The mental energy consumed by that teleportation had been negligible. With his current mental power, even circling the Earth hundreds of times with Bulma in tow would feel effortless.
"This skill is basically cheating," Krillin thought.
With it, everything from escaping danger to supporting allies to… going on dates would be effortless.
"Instant Transmission…"
Bulma watched Krillin's back with complicated emotions. This man constantly surprised her.
From his sudden growth spurt to his world-shaking power, and now space-jumping, he was like an endless treasure chest, each layer revealing something that could upend reality.
But her scientific instincts were quickly subdued by her fluttering heart.
"Wait! You said this is our honeymoon trip?"
She looked around at the deserted landscape, hands on her hips.
"The scenery is nice, but there isn't even a hotel! Are we sleeping on the sand? And I didn't bring a change of clothes!"
"You'll need your Dragon Radar for this," Krillin said, pointing at the small device at her waist with a playful smile.
"Dragon Radar? You mean to find Dragon Balls and wish for a villa?"
Bulma tapped the radar, and seven scattered dots immediately appeared across the globe.
"No, that would be too much of a shortcut," Krillin shook his finger.
"Think about it Dragon Balls are usually hidden in the most remote corners of the world. Deep oceans, snowy mountains, ancient ruins."
"The journey to collect them is the perfect world tour."
He leaned in and gently tapped her nose.
"And with Instant Transmission, we don't need slow planes or long travel times. One moment we can watch the aurora in the polar regions, the next we can buy your favorite cake in West City."
"Then, in the next instant, we can catch dinosaurs in the primeval forest and roast them… just like I promised Goku."
Bulma froze.
This… this was next-level. Instant Transmission combined with the Dragon Radar turned what should have been a dangerous adventure into a whimsical, spontaneous trip.
"And," Krillin's voice deepened, tinged with seduction, "for the next few days, it's just the two of us. No Goku with his endless appetite, no lecherous Master Roshi, just you and me."
Bulma's face flushed again.
This man knew exactly how to use his extraordinary powers in the most ridiculous yet thrilling ways.
"Hmph, fine. You're persuasive," she said, pocketing the radar, though a smile tugged at her lips.
"But the first stop has to be West City. I need my capsules, a bath, and a change into… hmm, that swimsuit that makes your nose bleed!"
"As you command, my lady," Krillin said with a comical salute.
"Who's your lady?"
"Then… the Queen?"
"That's more like it!"
Krillin laughed and picked Bulma up again.
This time, she didn't resist, resting comfortably against his chest, tracing circles on his abs with her fingers.
"Next stop, West City Capsule Corporation."
With a thought, the two vanished into the breeze once more.
Meanwhile, several thousand kilometers away on Papaya Island…
"Achoo!"
Goku sneezed violently while devouring a roasted pig leg, nearly flinging it across the table.
"Are you sick, Goku?" Chi-Chi asked, wiping his mouth and looking at him lovingly.
"Did you catch a cold from the fight? I told you not to wear sleeveless shirts! Once we're married, I'll make you a thick one…"
"No…" Goku rubbed his nose, confused.
"I just feel like something really fun is happening without me. And… when will Krillin deliver on that promise to roast a dinosaur?"
Nearby, Master Roshi stared at the long bill in his hand, frozen like a gray-white statue.
"Three… three million Zeni?!"
"That's just the deposit, sir," the restaurant owner said, rubbing his hands with a grin.
"The champion said, since it's a celebration, we should have the best. And you saw Goku's appetite we've already gone through three entire cows in stock."
"Krilllllin!!!"
Roshi's scream echoed across the island.
Far away in West City, Krillin lay in Bulma's ultra-luxurious bathtub, large enough for fifty people, enjoying the fully automatic massage.
System Message: Host has exited combat mode, entering rest period
Current Main Arc: "The World Martial Arts Tournament" completed
Next Arc: "Saiyan Invasion" begins five years later. During this period, the system will enter semi-hibernation
Host should use this time to enjoy life, or develop new skills. True strength cannot rely on the system alone
Krillin exhaled in contentment, grabbing a floating rubber duck beside him.
"Five years, huh?"
For Saiyans, five years might be just a nap.
But for someone with Genius Intellect and the Saitama Template, it was enough to accomplish a lot:
Develop Instant Transmission to span dimensions
Research integrating the Serious Series with Dragon Ball energy to create a real finishing move
And more…
The bathroom door opened.
Through the misty steam, Bulma entered in a semi-transparent silk robe, carrying two glasses of red wine, her cheeks flushed in a way that could steal a man's soul.
"Hey, Krillin… if we're going on a Dragon Ball adventure, shouldn't we train a bit more first?"
Krillin felt a heat rise to his nose.
Looks like these five years of training were going to be anything but boring.
"You're right," he said, taking the wine. His expression turned serious, even more so than when fighting Goku.
"This is an S-rank mission. I have to give it my all."