Galactic Patrol Headquarters
"Oh? You claim the North Kai sent you? And what proof do you have?"
In front of Gohan sat the Galactic King a green, octopus-like alien whose bulbous eyes studied him with curiosity.
"Your Majesty, whether I have proof or not isn't important. Surely you have a way to contact the North Kai? Just ask him."
The Galactic King chuckled. "Bold words… You sound awfully confident in yourself." He didn't seem offended by Gohan's bluntness in fact, his interest grew.
Closing his eyes, the King released an invisible wave of mental energy.
King Kai's Planet
"Huh? The Galactic King? He hasn't called me in over a thousand years…" King Kai was puzzled, but accepted the telepathic link.
"It's been far too long, Lord North Kai!"
"How have you been, Galactic King?"
The two exchanged a few polite but clearly hollow greetings.
"It's been ages. I've missed our talks."
"Yes, yes, same here," King Kai said dryly. "Now, why are you calling?"
"I have someone here… judging by his race, he's a Saiyan named Son Gohan. He says you sent him. Is that true?" The King peeked at Gohan, then shut his eyes again to continue the telepathic conversation.
Gohan could tell instantly the King was using some kind of special mental technique to speak with King Kai.
"Gohan? He's at your place?" King Kai was momentarily stunned.
"He claims you sent him. If that's not true, then he must be lying…"
"No, no, I know him. I did send him," King Kai hurried to smooth things over. "He's a talented fighter. I told him to start from the bottom, but it looks like he's skipped a few steps and gone straight to you."
Though he had no idea what Gohan was planning, King Kai knew that if Gohan was using his name, it couldn't be for trouble. And with the looming threat of Frieza, he couldn't afford for Gohan to run into serious danger.
"If that's the case, then all is well. Don't worry, Lord North Kai, I'll take care of him," the Galactic King replied, quickly picking up on the protective undertone in King Kai's voice.
And when King Kai added, "Give him the dangerous missions he's strong, and it'll be good training," the King understood the hidden message: train him, yes but keep him safe.
"I understand. I'll keep him out of real danger." The link ended; telepathy was taxing even for someone like him.
Back at Headquarters
"All right, kid. I've confirmed your story. King Kai says I should give you some good training," the Galactic King said with renewed curiosity.
He knew Saiyans were a warrior race, but their strength was nothing compared to the might of the galaxy's real powers after all, Frieza had destroyed their homeworld with ease. So why would King Kai go out of his way to protect this one?
"Thanks, Your Majesty. Can I follow him?" Gohan pointed toward Merus without hesitation.
"Oh? Sharp eye you've picked one of the Patrol's top operatives. Plenty of people want to be assigned to him. Are you that confident?"
"I've been here a few minutes, and besides you… he's the only one I can't read." Gohan's words were polite, but his meaning was clear: I'm strong only the truly exceptional are beyond my sight.
The King laughed. "Interesting. Merus, he's yours no objections?"
"None, Your Majesty. I'll take him now."
"Go on, then."
As the two left, the Galactic King mused silently: A curious Saiyan… half-blood, yet hiding immense strength, and none of the usual Saiyan brutality. Barely four years old, but with the composure of a seasoned veteran. A trainee Angel… and a hybrid Saiyan… what kind of spark will that create?
If Gohan could have heard the King's thoughts, he would have been stunned. This was not the same bumbling Galactic King from the anime this one could see straight through Gohan's heritage, his power, and even knew Merus's true identity.
Walking with Merus
"Merus, uh… is it okay if I call you 'big bro'?" Gohan asked, hiding his nerves.
Of course he knew exactly who Merus was Merus, a trainee Angel, younger brother to Whis of Universe 7. He'd come to train under the Galactic Patrol before becoming a full-fledged Angel.
In Dragon Ball Super's later arc, Merus would sacrifice himself for breaking Angelic law to aid Goku against Moro… though Gohan couldn't quite remember if Merus had been revived afterward he'd crossed over before Season 2 aired.
Gohan's real reason for coming to HQ wasn't the Galactic King it was Merus.
With Beerus still asleep and Whis constantly by his side, Gohan couldn't risk visiting the God of Destruction's world.
That left only two other divine-level contacts: the Supreme Kai… and Merus.
But Shin, the current Supreme Kai, was inexperienced and poorly informed, with an arrogant attendant, Kibito. The Elder Kai's release wouldn't happen until the Majin Buu arc well after the Super Saiyan 2 era. And though Gohan in that future had grown rusty, he'd still been far stronger than his current self. He wasn't sure he could pull the Z Sword from its resting place yet.
So Merus was the safest and most promising choice.
Merus, even as a trainee Angel, had already mastered Ultra Instinct to a refined degree, second only to Whis himself. And if Gohan could build a good rapport, it might prove invaluable later.
"Call me whatever you want," Merus said casually. "First, I'll show you around. Once we've run a couple of missions together, you should be able to handle assignments on your own. With your strength, most won't give you trouble."
"Heh… you noticed, huh?" Gohan scratched his head, smiling sheepishly.
"I can tell you mean no harm," Merus replied evenly.
"Right. I'm here to learn and broaden my horizons. I can't gauge your power, which means you're stronger than me so I want to train under you." Gohan didn't bother hiding his motives.
"I like your honesty. Let's go."
"Heh-heh! Okay!" Gohan followed, practically bouncing with anticipation.
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