Age 762.
Universe 7.
The Other World — Snake Way.
Son Goku slowly opened his eyes, turning his head as he stared around in confusion.
…Where am I?
Isn't this Snake Way?
I remember Shenron taking me away…
So why did he bring me here?
Goku immediately checked his body.
"Huh?"
"I'm big again?"
"And my tail…?"
"Where did my tail go?"
Then he lifted his head and looked upward, spotting the golden halo floating above him.
"So… I'm still dead?" Goku scratched his head.
Whatever. I should check on Earth first.
Pan and Gohan… they're okay, right?
"Hm…"
Goku pressed his index and middle fingers to his forehead, preparing to use Instant Transmission to return to Earth.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't activate it.
"That's weird!"
"This body feels really weak!"
"How can I not even use Instant Transmission anymore?"
"And my ki control, my overall power level… it feels like…"
"…like I've gone back thirty years."
Snake Way?
"I should go see King Kai."
"Maybe he knows what's going on."
"I clearly remember Shenron sending me into outer space, and then my consciousness started fading…"
Goku shot into the air and sped forward along Snake Way.
"This body…"
"…it's way too weak!"
"What in the world happened?"
Before long, Goku reached the end of Snake Way and immediately looked up at the sky.
"Still the same old place!" he grinned, flying straight toward King Kai's planet.
The next moment, Goku hovered above the planet—only to be yanked downward by ten times Earth's gravity, nearly crashing into the ground.
Goku: "..."
What the heck?
Can this body seriously not even handle ten times gravity anymore?
Gritting his teeth, Goku struggled against the crushing force before slowly descending onto King Kai's planet.
"King Kai! I'm here! You still sleeping?" he shouted—then suddenly felt something was off.
Didn't this planet explode during the Cell incident?
When did it get restored?
As his voice faded—
A black-furred chimpanzee walked over from the distance, staring at Goku with an expressionless glare.
"Oh! Bubbles! Hey, long time no see!" Goku waved cheerfully.
Bubbles: "????"
Who are you?
Why are you acting like we're close?
How do you even know me?
"Where's King Kai?" Goku asked. "Still sleeping?"
Bubbles pointed toward the house, studying Goku curiously.
Goku looked over just as King Kai stepped out, rubbing his sleepy eyes. His face darkened immediately.
"Who are you?" King Kai demanded. "What are you doing here?"
"King Kai, when did you restore this planet?" Goku asked, puzzled. "Didn't it get blown up a long time ago?"
King Kai: "????"
What nonsense are you talking about?
"Oh—right, King Kai," Goku scratched his head, even more confused. "Why did I suddenly grow up again? Wasn't I supposed to be a kid?"
Then he pointed at the halo above his head.
"And how did I die again? Was it because of the Shadow Dragons?"
King Kai was even more confused than Goku.
You've got to be kidding me…
You're asking me how you died?
Shadow Dragons? What the hell are you talking about?!
"How's Earth doing?" Goku continued, firing off questions. "The Shadow Dragons were defeated, right? Pan and Gohan are okay, right?"
King Kai was completely lost.
This kid… is he sick?
"So," King Kai said darkly after listening, "why exactly did you come here?"
"I came to ask you those questions," Goku replied honestly. "You don't know?"
Something still felt wrong. Goku looked King Kai up and down, muttering to himself.
"…Guess you don't really know either."
"Maybe I should ask the Old Supreme Kai."
"You—wait, what did you just say?" King Kai stiffened. "The Supreme Kai?"
This brat has zero manners.
Talking about my boss—the greatest god in the universe—right to my face?!
Do you think that's appropriate?!
"But I can't use Instant Transmission," Goku said, scratching his head. "And my body's way weaker than before. It's really strange."
"…You know the Supreme Kai?" King Kai asked cautiously, his mouth twitching.
"Yeah," Goku nodded. "We're pretty close."
"…What's your name?" King Kai suddenly asked, his heart pounding.
Goku: "????"
"I'm Goku," he said. "King Kai, are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?"
He stepped closer, studying King Kai more carefully.
Something was definitely off.
After a brief silence—
"…What year is it right now?" Goku suddenly asked, looking around.
"You're from Earth, right?" King Kai replied flatly. "By your calendar, it's Age 762."
He rolled his eyes.
This guy's definitely lost it—forgotten even the year.
Goku froze.
Age 762?
Gohan was born in Age 757…
So only five years have passed?
That means Gohan is just five years old now?
At this point in time…
…I died because I sacrificed myself to defeat my brother Raditz?
Could it be…
…I was reborn?
No wonder this body feels so strange!
That explains why King Kai doesn't recognize me.
At this point, I should've just arrived on King Kai's planet.
Alright.
If I've been given a second chance, then I'll train properly this time.
I won't let monsters like Baby or the Shadow Dragons threaten the universe again.
I need to reach Super Saiyan 4 as soon as possible.
First step—get used to this planet's gravity.
"Hey, kid!" King Kai barked. "What are you spacing out for?"
This guy shows up rambling nonsense…
"Ah—nothing," Goku laughed, scratching his head awkwardly. "I just figured a lot of things out."
"You really know the Supreme Kai?" King Kai asked skeptically.
"Haha… kind of," Goku said vaguely.
King Kai: "..."
This kid is seriously annoying.
"King Kai," Goku said with a grin, "can I train here for a while?"
"You came here to train?" King Kai finally understood.
"Yeah," Goku nodded, rolling his shoulders. "Now that I know what's going on, everything's simple."
"Hmph!" King Kai snorted. "Fine—but if you want me to train you, you'll have to tell me a really funny joke first."
"Otherwise, no deal."