Dragon Ball Roshi-Chapter 174 - : The Island Journey Again

The setting sun cast a scattering of light and shadows over the distant ocean, while several black dots, resembling sea birds, darted across the shimmering horizon. Occasionally, the dark sea surface rippled as if fish were leaping out of the water, splashing the waves.

The little girl sat on the phoenix's warm, broad, and sturdy back, gazing at the stunning sunset in the distance. Blushing, she murmured, "It's so beautiful..." She lowered her head and stroked the soft feathers at the back of the bird's neck, their red hue like a beautiful, burning flame. The little girl's lips curved into a serene, pure smile as she asked, "What do you think, Ash?"

The phoenix flapped its wings, a sound of nostalgia in its motion — it hadn't been called like that in a long time. It emitted a series of clear, melodious calls toward the vast, colorful sunset sky.

The sky echoed with the little girl's sweet giggles as the phoenix carried her through the air. The wind whipped past her ears, and the feeling of limitless freedom gave her an exhilarating sense of joy. She had never been this happy before!

Whoosh. The phoenix circled in the sky before descending toward the island below.

From a distance, Ninn, perched on the phoenix's back, saw her grandparents talking beside a massive spherical object on a grassy patch near the villa. The phoenix beat its wings gently and landed smoothly, folding its wings and turning its head to call softly. The little girl was ready to jump off its back—

"We don't need to travel right now, just provide a safe environment," Taro said to Hathaway, who nodded thoughtfully. "I'll set aside the improvements for now. I can finish those tomorrow."

The spaceship, a modified version of the First Special Forces team that Taro had brought back, had been a project Hathaway had been working on bit by bit since their marriage. Currently, its propulsion and energy systems had some issues, but as long as they didn't require it to function as a spaceship and used it as a "house" for interstellar travel, it was more than sufficient.

Hathaway knew her husband's plan: he intended to act as the "power" source with his Instant Transmission ability. Since they couldn't be sure if their destination would support Earth's atmosphere, the "house" would provide the necessary shelter.

Taro reached out and touched Hathaway's purple hair, which was no longer as smooth and beautiful as it used to be, now mixed with many white strands. He looked at her profile, which still held the same contours and silhouette as when he first saw her thirty years ago. He whispered softly, "Thank you for everything."

Hathaway turned and smiled. "Old man..."

Taro chuckled. Just then, they heard the little girl's excited exclamations and laughter. They both looked over to see Ninn floating in mid-air, her small body supported by an invisible force as she balanced herself with a look of astonishment and joy. She laughed endlessly. Taro smiled faintly and, with a slight gesture, levitated her toward him with telekinesis.

"Grandpa, did you do this?"

As Ninn floated over, she clung to Taro's back, her tiny arms wrapped around his neck, blinking her big eyes with curiosity. She remembered how, not long ago, Grandpa had taken her and Grandma on an Instant Transmission from her great grandparents to this place over the ocean. It was simply incredible! And Ash, the beautiful red bird, had grown large and majestic, able to carry her through the skies!

"Yes, you're quite a handful, little girl," Taro said without moving a muscle, but his telekinetic power gently stroked the little girl's head. Ninn giggled, her laughter sweet and clear. After a moment, the little girl hesitated, and Hathaway, who had noticed, asked, "What's on your mind, Little Ninn?"

"Well..." The little girl hesitated but finally spoke, encouraged by her grandmother's kind gaze. "I'm a strange little girl..." She spoke in a small voice. "I can stay underwater without breathing for a really long time. When those bad guys came after Mommy when I was little, I would hide in the pool." Seeing both Grandpa and Grandma laugh, the little girl's expression fell. "That's terrible, right? I'm a weird girl."

"No, no, no," Hathaway stifled her laugh and gently corrected her. "If that's the case, then your dad is a 'weird dad' first."

"Dad's like me?" Ninn's eyes brightened. These were her little secrets, things she hadn't told her father, whom she had only known for two years — but she had shared them with her grandparents, whom she had just met hours ago. Of course, she didn't know that her abilities were inherited from Tam, who in turn had received them from Taro.

Taro shook his head and said, "You're more like your dad, but really, you all take after me." He reached out and gently lifted the little girl from behind his neck, turning to the sky and shouting, "Flying Nimbus!"

Ninn's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly looked up in the direction of her grandpa's call. Soon, a thin line of bright yellow appeared across the dimming sky. The Flying Nimbus came to a halt next to Taro. He placed the little girl on it, and sure enough, Ninn stood firmly on the cloud as if walking on solid ground.

Back at Hathaway's parents' house, Taro had used telepathy to learn about Ninn's past, so he knew how much the little girl had always been fascinated by her father's mention of the Flying Nimbus. He also understood the gray childhood memories she carried before she was four. Taro didn't want her to dwell on that; it was all in the past.

"Let's go, Nimbus!" Ninn cheered, flying up into the sky. The phoenix flapped its wings and followed her. The sky was filled with the sound of the little girl's joyful laughter and the phoenix's clear calls.

"What a lovely child..." Hathaway smiled as she gazed at the sky. Taro nodded, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the far horizon. There, a dark spot was approaching. He smiled. "They've finally arrived."

---

Tam kept a stern face as he piloted the helicopter over the vast ocean. It wasn't that he didn't trust others to fly it, but he knew well that no outsider had ever been able to approach the island his family owned. He had seen it many times as a child — fishermen, pirates, and even bandits, all turned back the moment they came near the island, as if caught in some invisible force.

This was probably one of his old man's tricks. Tam wasn't sure how it worked, but one thing was certain — he could get through.

As the familiar island came into view, his emotions became complicated. In fact, he had once returned here on a yacht years ago, but all he did was look at the shadow of the island on the sea from afar before turning back without getting closer.

Was this place home? No, maybe it was once, but now, the house he shared with his daughter was his true home. This island was nothing but a dusty memory.

"What's that...?" Tam paused for a moment, noticing something in the sky above the island. A patch of yellow clouds was drifting by — was that... the Flying Nimbud? He fell silent, his face reflecting a mix of emotions. After a moment, he scoffed, muttering under his breath, "Just a trick to entertain kids..." His eyes lingered on the flying cloud, imagining the little girl riding it, laughing and cheering with joy. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

As the helicopter touched down on the island, Ninn waved from the ground, riding the Flying Nimbus and chasing after it with the Immortal Phoenix. She saw her father disembark and excitedly shouted, "Daddy! I'm here!" The quiet little girl now looked like an energetic wild child. Tam smiled slightly, waving back at his daughter, but as he turned, his face immediately hardened again.

Was he supposed to forgive them that easily? Impossible!

When he saw no one had come to greet him, he snorted and walked toward the house he hadn't stepped into in many years.

Hathaway already knew Tam was coming and was preparing dinner. The main environment and furniture in the house were protected by Taro's sealing magic, and it looked almost exactly the same as it had twenty-one years ago, though it lacked the warmth of life. This was the reason Hathaway could tell that Tam hadn't returned in all that time. Now, with the fire burning, it truly felt more like a home.

"You're back," Taro said, sitting cross-legged in mid-air in front of the villa, facing the setting sun while practicing his martial arts. He opened his eyes when he saw Tam arrive and spoke.

Tam pursed his lips, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. He snorted coldly, not responding to the remark, but said stiffly, "I'm taking Ninn back."

"No rush, I plan to take her and your mother on a trip," Taro replied, lowering his legs and standing on the ground before sitting cross-legged again.

"No need! If it's a trip, I'll take Ninn myself! You don't need to trouble yourself!" Tam sneered.

Taro shook his head. He pointed to the sky with a smile, "I plan to take them to the stars."

Tam's pupils constricted. He glanced over at a huge spherical object in the yard, something that looked like a space capsule. Could it be a spaceship? He quickly turned his gaze away, snorting, "Ninn still has to go to school! Don't waste your time!"

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As for interstellar travel? He didn't doubt his mother's abilities at all...

"A child so young, going to school?" Taro shook his head, his eyes fixed on the little girl who was now riding the Flying Nimbus, with the Phoenix flying beside her. He added, "And I'm not asking for your approval, just informing you."

Tam fumed, "She's my daughter!"

"She's also my granddaughter," Taro said calmly.

"What right do you have..." Tam gritted his teeth. Just then, Hathaway walked out of the house, wiping her hands on her apron, and said irritably, "Alright, both of you calm down..." Tam looked at her, noticing the white strands in her otherwise dark purple hair. His heart tightened, but he still kept a cold expression.

"Grandpa! Daddy!" The little girl jumped down from the Flying Nimbus, running over to grab Tam's hand, then tugged him toward Taro with her other hand. She looked up at them in confusion — her dad's face was stern, while her grandpa's was calm. The little girl silently judged them and asked, "What's wrong with you two?"

"Let's go inside for dinner," Hathaway said, glancing at the Phoenix and waving with a smile. "You must be tired of eating raw food by now. Come on, come inside."

The Phoenix flapped its wings happily and followed Hathaway inside.

Tam, pulled by his daughter, quickly assessed the situation. If he left now, he'd waste more time going back and forth. How could he let Ninn stay with these two? "She's my daughter!" He snorted and, still holding his daughter's hand, followed her into the house.

Ninn, holding one hand of her dad and the other of her grandpa, bounced along, happily following her grandmother and her new little friend, Ash! The little girl thought, today is the happiest day ever!

---

The next day, when Tam woke up in his room, he noticed a small piece of paper on his bedside. He instinctively felt a jolt in his heart and looked outside to see the day already brightening. In a rush, he got up, tore the paper off:

[Tam, I guess you don't want to go with me and your father, so we'll take Ninn out for a while. We'll be back in a month, and your father and I will take good care of Ninn. Don't worry.]

Bang!

Tam angrily crumpled the paper in his hand and punched the bed, gritting his teeth. "It must be that old man's idea..." The old man, of course, referred to his father. He grumbled as he rubbed his head in frustration before finally putting on some clothes and heading outside. He saw a red shadow flying toward him.

"Didn't take you with them?" Tam muttered to himself. The Phoenix hopped over to his side, standing with him at the door, watching the rising sun in the distance. They looked like two comrades-in-arms, side by side. The golden sunlight bathed Tam's hard features, softening them for a moment. He murmured to himself, "Well... it's just for a month..."

Looking up at the vast, endless, tranquil sky, the man eventually turned back into the house with a calm expression.