The Seventh Universe – Earth
With a sharp hum of energy, Rayden, Broly, Cell, and Paragus appeared within the Heavenly Temple on Earth via Instant Transmission.
"Rayden, why are you here?" Dende asked, clearly confused. It was rare for Rayden or even Gohan to visit the Heavenly Temple, as they were constantly training.
"I've repaired the Dragon Balls," Rayden said calmly, reaching into his storage ring. "I'm handing them to you for safekeeping."
He pulled out all seven glowing Dragon Balls, setting them gently before Dende.
"That's amazing!" Dende exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. He had already learned from Gohan just how dangerous the corrupted Evil Dragons had been. Now that the Dragon Balls had been restored, Earth was safe from further Dragon-related catastrophes—for now.
"Mr. Popo, please take the Dragon Balls inside and store them," Dende instructed.
"Yes, God-sama," Mr. Popo replied, his tone and expression as calm and unreadable as always. He accepted the Dragon Balls from Rayden and turned to carry them into the temple.
Mr. Popo had long been a mysterious figure. He had served at the Heavenly Temple even before the current lineage of Earth's gods. In fact, his origins stretched back to a time before even Kami first took up the mantle of Guardian.
According to the records and the original tales:
During the time of King Piccolo, Mr. Popo had already possessed strength capable of defeating Piccolo Daimao, yet he chose not to interfere.
During the Majin Buu crisis, Mr. Popo had easily deflected attacks from Super Saiyan Trunks and Goten.
Rayden had always harbored curiosity about this enigmatic being. He wanted to uncover the truth behind Mr. Popo—why someone so powerful remained in such obscurity.
Swish!
Rayden suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Mr. Popo, throwing a punch aimed directly at his back.
Dende, Broly, Cell, and Paragus were completely stunned. Why was Rayden attacking Mr. Popo?
Was Mr. Popo secretly an enemy in disguise?
But just as Rayden's punch was about to land, Mr. Popo subtly shifted his posture. Without even turning around, he dodged the blow with uncanny precision—as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
A normal fighter would have been caught off guard.
Even Goku or Vegeta, if unprepared, might've taken the hit.
But Mr. Popo? He wasn't surprised in the slightest.
This man is no ordinary caretaker. He's hiding something.
Rayden gritted his teeth. Power surged through him. Lightning crackled from the skies, striking around him like the wrath of a storm god.
His black hair turned silver-white, growing longer until it reached his waist. His chest and hands were covered with matching fur, and a long silver tail swayed behind him.
Super Saiyan 5.
Without hesitation, Rayden lunged forward and resumed his attack.
Mr. Popo turned slowly, expression still blank.
Rayden launched a flurry of strikes—fast, precise, relentless. But no matter how fast he moved, Mr. Popo simply dodged. Not a single hit landed.
Then—
Boom!
With one swift kick, Mr. Popo sent Rayden flying.
"Argh!" Rayden let out a grunt as his body curled into a pained arc midair. He tumbled backwards, crashing to the ground and reverting from his Super Saiyan 5 form.
"Rayden, are you okay?" Broly appeared beside him instantly, catching him before he could fall further.
"Mr. Popo, you…?" Dende was stunned. He had always known Mr. Popo as a mild-mannered caretaker—gentle, quiet, respectful.
But this display of power?
Even Cell lost his composure, fury bubbling over. "You've been hiding your strength! What are you planning, Mr. Popo?"
"Cell, wait!" Rayden stopped him, still breathing heavily.
"But Rayden—!"
"I know… but something's not right here."
Mr. Popo remained calm.
"Rayden," he asked plainly, "what are you trying to do?"
Rayden straightened himself and looked him in the eye. "Mr. Popo, you have power far beyond anyone here. Why do you remain at the Temple, serving the gods generation after generation?"
Mr. Popo replied without emotion. "Popo has his own duties to fulfill here at the Temple."
"Duties?" Everyone was still reeling from the idea. "You have such strength—why stay on a small planet like Earth?"
None of them had ever suspected anything strange about Earth. But Mr. Popo's words shook that assumption.
He finally sighed, seeing their determination to understand.
"When I was young," he began, "my master left me on Earth. He told me never to leave, and to guard the seal here."
A seal?
Mr. Popo continued. "At the dawn of the cosmos, there were 20 universes.
18 universes were governed by the father of the current Zeno—Great Zeno.
The 19th universe was the domain of the Dragon God Salama—the Dragon God Realm.
The 20th universe was the Dark Demon Realm, ruled by Mechikabura.
For eons, all three realms coexisted in peace.
But the peace shattered when the Dark Demon Realm grew resentful of Great Zeno's control over 18 universes. They demanded he relinquish some.
When negotiations failed, Mechikabura launched a full-scale invasion of the 18 universes.
Naturally, Great Zeno retaliated, and thus began a war that raged for hundreds of millions of years.
Neither side could overcome the other.
Then, a rumor spread: the Dragon Balls from the Dragon God Realm could grant limitless power and fulfill any wish.
So the war paused.
Neither side dared enter the Dragon God Realm and risk offending Salama.
Instead, they sent their subordinates across time and space to gather Dragon Balls.
After acquiring unimaginable power, both sides resumed their war with greater ferocity. But no one paid attention to the price.
The Shenrons—once noble beings—became corrupted.
They turned into Evil Dragons.
Time and space across the multiverse descended into chaos. Entire planets, galaxies, and even timelines were destroyed.
Even the Dragon God Realm was corrupted. Salama discovered his own followers had been twisted into Evil Dragons.
Enraged, Salama led his people and the corrupted dragons out of the Dragon God Realm to make both Great Zeno and Mechikabura pay.
Another war broke out, this time three-sided.
Eventually, the suffering became too much.
The universes burned. People died. Some even sacrificed themselves in massive explosions to halt enemy forces.
Six of Zeno's 18 universes were obliterated. The remaining 12 barely held on.
That's why the current universes are so weak. Not because of your limitations—but because of the cataclysmic losses suffered back then."
Rayden and the others listened in stunned silence.
"My master," Mr. Popo continued, "couldn't bear it anymore.
He descended where the three factions clashed and stopped the war with his overwhelming power.
With the help of Great Zeno, he restored the Evil Dragons back into Shenrons.
Salama, heartbroken, closed off the Dragon God Realm forever.
Now, no one can enter or leave it—unless approved by Shenron and Salama himself.
As for Mechikabura—his forces devastated, his pride shattered—he refused to concede.
So my master sealed the entire Dark Demon Realm… right here on Earth.
And I was left to guard the seal."
The group stared at him in shock.
Mr. Popo added solemnly, "Time travel was banned soon after.
Anyone discovered interfering with time would be punished severely. Time patrols were formed, composed of powerful warriors from across the universes.
And as for the Temple of the Gods?"
He looked up at the sky above them.
"My master built it atop the seal. I have remained here ever since. Watching. Guarding.
My master disappeared, as did Great Zeno.
And Zeno's son took over, claiming the other six universes were 'erased' by his will.
That was just a cover story.
In truth, they were casualties of that ancient war."
The group was speechless.
"And now," Mr. Popo said gravely, "the seal has begun to loosen."
"What?!"
Everyone reacted at once.
"The Dark Demon Realm… is breaking free?"
Mr. Popo nodded.
"Yes. The peace is unraveling. And the chaos is ready to return."
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