Sacred World of the Kai, GT Timeline
Kid Goku stared at Gohan with a hint of lingering fear in his eyes.
"Still want to keep going?" Main timeline Gohan asked him.
"Nope. No way. You're way too evil. My Gohan is much more pure-hearted!"
Kid Goku frantically waved his hands.
"Hmph. You were the one who started playing dirty."
Gohan snorted in disdain.
"Hahaha, Kakarot, seeing you get humbled like that makes me incredibly happy!"
Vegeta threw his head back and laughed.
"I only bit you once. You're really that petty?"
Goku grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"What was I supposed to do, bite you back? Then it really would be a case of dog biting dog."
Gohan said lazily, eyes full of mischief.
The universe flipped upside down in that instant. Just listen to him does that sound like something a decent person would say?
"Comparing Dad to a dog doesn't sound right at all."
GT Gohan finally spoke up to defend his father.
"In a sense, he's your dad not mine."
Main timeline Gohan didn't care at all.
It wasn't even the same timeline.
Black Goku was also "Goku." He couldn't just run around calling everybody "Dad," could he?
"You little brat… you're a lot more devious than the Son Gohan from this timeline."
Elder Kai walked over now that the fight was over, eyeing Gohan with interest.
"It was just a friendly spar."
Gohan sighed, putting on an innocent face.
"Hey, that method you mentioned for boosting my strength what is it?"
Piccolo finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Elder Kai, can you still unlock his potential?"
Gohan didn't answer Piccolo directly. Instead, he pointed at GT Gohan.
Elder Kai shook his head.
"Not by much. He can't even achieve that form anymore."
He was talking about Gohan's exclusive "Mystic" / Ultimate form.
In the GT timeline, Gohan had neglected his training for far too long. He couldn't even transform into his Mystic state anymore.
"Then what should I do?"
GT Gohan clenched his fists.
"You've got two options. One, train seriously and reclaim that form that belongs to you. Two, walk the path of Super Saiyan transformations. But I don't recommend that. If I remember right, once you transform into a Great Ape, you completely lose control of yourself."
Main timeline Gohan laid it out clearly.
"…Alright."
GT Gohan had no choice but to pick the first route.
But his expression was full of frustration and gloom.
Of course Gohan understood what he was thinking. In the kid's heart, "Mystic Gohan" still couldn't compare to Super Saiyan 4.
"Hey. Watch closely."
Main timeline Gohan took a breath.
"Haaah!"
He stepped straight into his Mystic state.
Silence. Despair. A suffocating, deathly shadow swept across the entire world.
Everyone's eyes snapped toward him at once.
"What is… that?"
GT Gohan was stunned.
"This is my Mystic form. The path to that form isn't simple. You might never reach my level, but if you stick with it, you can absolutely catch up to Super Saiyan 4. Understand?"
Gohan naturally knew there was no way this version of Gohan could replicate his version, where the very Law of Death had merged into his transformation.
But there was still Beast Gohan.
According to his own deductions, that white-haired, red-eyed Beast form from Dragon Ball Super was essentially a second stage of the Mystic form.
And even in Super's broken power-scaling, they said that Beast Gohan's strength rivaled Goku's Ultra Instinct.
He had handed that Gohan hope. Whether he could realize it or not would depend on him.
Still, Gohan believed that even this alternate version of himself without the Primordial Qi and Eerie Qi had limitless potential. He was certain GT Gohan could break through his limits as well.
"I understand! Dad, I won't go back to Earth for a while. I'm staying here to train!"
GT Gohan's eyes burned again as he made his decision.
"Good."
Kid Goku nodded heavily, fully approving his son's resolve.
Piccolo and Vegeta both showed gratified smiles. They were getting old. In the days to come, Gohan would be the pillar holding everything up.
"Alright then. Let's head back to Earth and take care of Piccolo's matter."
Main timeline Gohan said.
He grabbed Goku and the others and instant-transmitted them back to Earth.
Heavenly Lookout, Earth
Gohan's eyes locked firmly onto Mr. Popo.
Under that stare, Mr. Popo was so nervous his hands had nowhere to go.
"Goku, Goku, what's going on? Why is he looking at me like that?"
Mr. Popo whispered.
"I dunno!"
Kid Goku was also confused why this alternate-timeline Gohan was staring holes through Mr. Popo.
No bottomless feeling… so this Popo is completely different from the one in my timeline.
Gohan couldn't sense any unfathomable pressure from him.
"Alright, hurry up and tell me how you're planning to increase my battle power."
Piccolo finally broke the awkward silence.
"Oh, right. Dende, that ability the previous Grand Elder of Namek had the one that unlocks potential. Can you use it?"
Gohan asked.
"No. You have to reach a certain age before you can."
Dende shook his head.
"Gohan, if we're talking about unlocking potential, can't Elder Kai just do it?"
Goku looked at him in puzzlement.
Bull. If Elder Kai does it, how are the Shadow Dragons supposed to appear? How is Piccolo supposed to get the 'bonus prize' from Shenron? And without that bonus, how's he supposed to awaken his boundaries?
Gohan cursed internally.
Out loud, he put on his most serious face.
"With how much your power has accumulated over the years, you've already surpassed the limit that ability can touch. Namekian potential unlocks work better on their own race anyway. Isn't that right, Dende?"
"Uh… ah… y-yeah, I think… I think that's about right."
Dende actually had no idea, but for the sake of his dignity, he still chose to go along with Gohan's explanation.
"So that means I have to wait until Dende grows older?"
Piccolo gritted his teeth.
"Right, there is one more method… we could make a wish to Shenron."
Dende suddenly said.
"Isn't Shenron supposed to be unable to exceed the power of his creator?"
Piccolo frowned.
"I can enhance him. Piccolo, just wait a minute."
Dende hurried off, returning with the miniature dragon statue he used to upgrade Shenron before.
Then he picked up a container of strange liquid and was about to pour it over the figure.
"Hold it, Dende!"
Gohan quickly stopped him.
He hadn't brought Piccolo back just for this. With Super 17 already erased in advance, Earth had never faced that crisis. They would never have needed to use Shenron to solve it.
So he had used "help Piccolo grow stronger" as an excuse. His real goal was to lure out the Shadow Dragons.
If Dende enhanced Shenron again, Gohan was worried the Shadow Dragons' power would also scale up accordingly.
"What's wrong, Gohan?"
Dende asked, confused.
"Let's at least gather the Dragon Balls first before enhancing him."
Gohan reminded him.
"You're right. Then I'll start collecting them."
Piccolo could hardly wait. He flew straight to Capsule Corp, grabbed Bulma, and took her Dragon Radar.
An hour later…
Piccolo came back carrying a cloth bag with seven distinct shapes clinking inside.
"There's something wrong with the Dragon Balls."
Piccolo's brows were locked in a deep frown.
"What do you mean?"
Vegeta stepped forward.
Clatter.
Seven Dragon Balls rolled out of the bag.
On closer inspection, their once-perfect orange surfaces were now laced with cracks, wisps of purple smoke slowly seeping out of them.
Dende froze for a moment, then his face changed drastically.
"A disaster… a huge disaster…"
"What are you talking about, Dende?"
Piccolo demanded.
"I don't know… but I can feel that these Dragon Balls are going to cause a terrifying calamity."
Dende's expression was full of fear.
"Then what do we do? Summon Shenron or not?"
Goku asked.
"Summon him. Even if there's a disaster, we'll deal with it."
Gohan stepped forward.
Not summoning him was not an option. If the Shadow Dragons did not appear, he had no way to return.
He had a feeling that the place Shenron took Goku to after defeating the Shadow Dragons that final destination was exactly where he needed to go.
"Alright. Then I'll summon him. Come forth, Shenron, and grant my wish!"
Piccolo shouted over the Dragon Balls.
Buzz
Instead of glowing gold, the seven Dragon Balls released a plume of black-purple smoke.
The Shadow Dragons were born.
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