Baozi Mountain.
"Dad, I did it! Do you want to see my new form?" Counting his past life's years, Son Gohan was barely in his early twenties. Having just broken through to Super Saiyan, the excitement in his voice was impossible to hide. He wanted to show off.
"New form? Let me see!" Son Goku's eyes lit up in excitement.
After exchanging a few words with Mr. Popo about "plenty of time in the future," Gohan used Instant Transmission to return to Baozi Mountain.
"Better transform outside. I still can't fully control it yet. If I wreck the house, Mom's going to be mad." Gohan shot a cautious glance toward Chi-Chi, who was washing dishes.
"Alright, alright, let's go to the lake!" Goku zipped away in a burst of speed.
Gohan followed right behind.
At the lake in the heart of Baozi Mountain, Gohan closed his eyes, focusing his energy.
"Haa!"
Golden ki flared, hair turned gold, eyes shifted to green.
The second transformation wasn't as earth-shaking as the first. Only the surrounding trees and flowers took some damage. Thanks to his deliberate suppression, there was no massive energy shockwave. Yet Goku still felt a terrifying pressure emanating from his son.
The transformation of a half-Saiyan lacked the raw, primal savagery of pure Saiyans. Even as a Super Saiyan, Gohan's aura retained a calm, controlled edge.
"Gohan… this energy… it's so strong I can't even sense its limit!" Goku's jaw nearly hit the ground.
"That's right, Dad. In numbers, your battle power is around twelve thousand. When I transform and go all out, mine hits two hundred and fifty million." Gohan stated the difference plainly.
"Two hundred and fifty million?! Did I hear that right? Millions? That's… twenty thousand times stronger than me?!" Even Goku's naturally slow mind caught up this time.
"Dad, I went to a planet called Namek this time. There…" Gohan recounted his recent journey, slipping in the truth about his heritage that he was an alien from the Saiyan warrior race, sent to Earth after Planet Vegeta's destruction.
He attributed all of this "knowledge" to his latest travels.
"According to Saiyan legend, my current form is the once-in-a-millennium Super Saiyan."
"Super Saiyan… just hearing it sounds amazing! Gohan, hurry and teach me how to transform!" Goku's eagerness was palpable.
"You can't yet, Dad. Didn't I tell you? Your base power level has to reach at least three million before you can even touch the threshold. And your breakthrough will be harder than mine. You'll need an extreme emotional trigger. Pure rage, or absolute fighting spirit, could work as a catalyst."
"Three million?! But I'm stuck at twelve thousand. No matter how I train, I can't break through this limit." Goku frowned.
"Honestly, Dad, Piccolo's at about your level now. Remember, Saiyans are a warrior race. We get massive power boosts when recovering from near-death. You get what I mean?" Gohan winked.
"Haha! Piccolo, here I come!" When it came to fighting, even Goku could take a hint.
"Don't forget to grab Senzu Beans from Korin Tower!" Gohan shouted after him.
"Got it, Gohan!" Goku's voice faded as he vanished.
"This father really is impatient. Time for my own training plan… I wonder if King Kai will teach me the Kaioken."
With a soft whoosh, Gohan vanished, heading straight for North Kai's Planet.
In the grand scale of the universe, whether it was the galaxy, the afterlife, or even the Sacred World of the Kais, they were simply different planes within Universe 7.
Gohan's mastery of Instant Transmission let him travel anywhere in Universe 7, just like Goku would in the future after learning it on Yardrat, though Goku still needed to sense ki to lock on.
North Kai's Planet.
"Wu, wu wu…"
The moment Gohan appeared, Bubbles ran over, chattering as if asking, Who are you?
"Hello! You must be North Kai's pet, Bubbles." Gohan greeted warmly.
"Wu, wu wu!" Clap clap!
Bubbles clapped his hands as if saying, That's right!
"Hey, who are you?" A voice called from behind.
Turning, Gohan saw none other than North Kai himself.
"Greetings, King Kai. I'm Son Gohan from Earth. Kami sent me here to train with you. He said you're the strongest in the galaxy!"
Flattery never fails.
North Kai's lips curled upward immediately.
"A kid from Earth, huh? You speak well. Though, to be fair, I'm only the strongest in the North Galaxy." He chuckled modestly.
"Oh, you're too humble. Kami says your Kaioken is nothing short of divine. That's why I've come to learn it from you."
Of course, Kami had never said such a thing, but as a child, Gohan had no problem telling a harmless lie to avoid tedious explanations.
"Oh? Even Earth's Kami knows about my Kaioken?" North Kai's delight was obvious.
"That's right. He told me to learn from you with the utmost respect."
"Alright, alright! You've got a good tongue on you. No need for the usual joke test. I'll teach you!" North Kai was already hooked.
"Thank you, King Kai." Gohan bowed.
"To learn Kaioken, you need a strong body." King Kai approached, squeezing Gohan's arms and legs, patting his back. "Incredible… You look like a two-year-old, but your body's this strong? And your bones aren't even fully developed yet."
In the vastness of space, strange races were common, but Gohan's strength at his apparent age was shocking.
"So, do I qualify to learn Kaioken?" Gohan asked.
"Hmm… Let's test you first. Catch Bubbles"
Whoosh!
Before King Kai could finish, Gohan flashed forward and scooped Bubbles into his arms.
"My planet's gravity is ten times Earth's, yet you move so easily?" King Kai's eyes widened.
"Any other tests?" Gohan asked casually.
"Alright, take this hammer and hit Gregory, then I'll teach you Kaioken." With a wave, King Kai conjured a small wooden mallet.
"Gregory!"
A strange insect-like creature flew over.
"What is it, King Kai?" Gregory spoke fluent human speech.
"Fly as fast as you can. Don't let him hit you," King Kai instructed.
"No problem!" Gregory said confidently.
"Oh really?" Before Gregory could react, Gohan was already behind him.
"You… we haven't even started!" Gregory stammered.
"I'm not hitting you yet. Go ahead and run." Gohan smiled.
Gregory darted away at full speed, but no matter how fast or where he stopped, Gohan was always right behind him.
"This is boring. Can't you go faster?" Gohan yawned.
"You!" Gregory was flustered, while King Kai's eyes gleamed.
"Alright, Gregory, stop. You're no match for him. Gohan, come here."
"Hmph!" Gregory zipped away in frustration as Gohan floated down to land.
"Does that mean I pass, King Kai?"