"How is that possible?!"
Whis's eyes widened, and he shot up from his chair.
The person walking out was indeed Gran, but according to his calculations, Gran should have needed at least three years to gain complete control over his body's power.
It had only been a month. How was he already out?
Gran walked toward the lake, not a single wisp of energy leaking from his body. This was a sign of absolute mastery over his power.
"Mr Whis, I'm out!" Gran arrived at the lakeside, wiping a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth. His gaze was filled with resentment.
"It seems you've completely mastered your power," Whis said, regaining his composure. He stared intently into the boy's eyes.
One month? How on earth did this kid do it? Besides his dimensional affinity, could he also be a martial arts prodigy?
"..."
Hearing Whis's words, the resentment in Gran's eyes deepened. "Mr Whis, do you have any idea what I've been through this past month?"
"I have a general idea."
"Mr Whis, that place is no place for a person to be!"
With a pained expression, Gran began to recount his experiences in that mysterious world.
The environment was incredibly harsh. The temperature would soar to over 60 degrees Celsius during the day and plummet below freezing at night.
In addition to the temperature swings, there were sandstorms, tornadoes, hailstorms, and torrential downpours.
Even more terrifying, the world was filled with countless giant beasts, each one always slightly stronger than he was.
The moment Gran entered, he was targeted by these beasts. From beginning to end, he was in a constant life-or-death struggle to escape.
All the while, an immense, unquantifiable gravitational force pressed down on him.
Temperature, beasts, gravity, hunger, stamina... these problems plagued him every single moment.
If he couldn't achieve absolute control over his power, the beasts could sense his location at all times.
Fortunately, the constant pressure of death forced him to completely master his "ki" and gain control over every last shred of power within his body.
Gran said irritably, "You're too cruel, Mr Whis! You didn't tell me what it was like in there beforehand, leaving me in such a wretched state!"
"Not at all. Even if I had told you, given your previous level of control, you still would have ended up just as wretched," Whis replied, sitting back down in his chair.
He suppressed the shock in his heart and continued, "Besides, wasn't it because of this one month of hardship that you were able to master your power completely?"
"..."
Gran looked down at his hands. For some reason, he felt that completely mastering his body's power hadn't been that difficult.
"Let me tell you something else. Lord Beerus once entered that room as well."
"He did?" Gran was stunned.
Whis nodded. "Back then, Lord Beerus was just like you. His control over his power was extremely crude."
"It was only after surviving the great escape in that room that he finally mastered every bit of his own strength."
Gran's curiosity was piqued. "How long did Lord Beerus stay in there?"
That mysterious world was bizarre. The environment, the beasts, and the gravity seemed to change in response to a person's power.
The stronger you were, the more intense the pressure became. In that situation, the only option was to use every ounce of your strength to escape; there was no other way.
Gran was eager to know how long Beerus had stayed, as it would give him a benchmark to compare himself to the God of Destruction.
"I think it would be better if you asked Lord Beerus yourself." Whis shook his head.
He had predicted that Gran would need at least three years, since Beerus himself had taken a full year to master his power.
Logically, Gran shouldn't have been able to match Beerus. Who knew... he had completely misjudged him.
"Huh? Is the gap between Lord Beerus and me really that big?" Gran mumbled when Whis didn't answer.
"What do you mean?" Whis frowned, not understanding what the child was saying.
The little Gran sighed helplessly. "Mr Whis, you won't tell me how long Lord Beerus was in there. Obviously, you don't want to discourage me!"
"After all, he's a God of Destruction. He probably got out in less than half a month! As expected, I'm still too far behind!"
As he said this, Gran looked up at the sky, a dejected look on his small face.
Whis: "..."
Beerus is the one who's far behind you. I'm just not telling you because I'm afraid you'll get a big head.
However... this trial had revealed something new. The boy, Gran, was also a martial arts genius.
Dimensional affinity and martial arts... a dual prodigy? This is getting more and more interesting!
Just then, Gran sat cross-legged on the grass and spoke again. "Mr Whis, I've completely mastered my power, haven't I? But why does it still feel so wild?"
As he spoke, he let out a wisp of his energy.
BOOM!
The ki that leaked from Gran was as ferocious as ever, like that of a primordial beast.
"Mastering your power and your power remaining wild are two different things. Or rather, the latter is a deeper level of martial arts," Whis said, giving Gran a strange look.
This little one actually understood that having wild energy was a bad thing. However, the wildness of one's ki was related to their state of mind.
Sending Gran into that space wasn't meant to train his mental fortitude.
It was to force him into relentless life-or-death battles in an extremely harsh environment to master every bit of his power.
Judging from Gran's current control, he had undoubtedly succeeded.
"Then how can I calm my power down?"
"Don't be hasty. Everything requires a balance of work and rest," Whis pointed to the cooking station in the distance and smiled.
"Go on. First, make up for the month of delicious food I've missed, and then we'll talk."
In reality, Gran's time in the mysterious space wasn't his true training; it was merely the preparation.
Only by mastering his power could he lay the groundwork for what was to come: training his mind, his dimensional level, the laws of nature... and Ultra Instinct.
Whis had said he would guide Gran's training, and he intended to be responsible.
A tall building rises from the ground up; everything must be done step by step. There was no room for haste.
Of course, how much Gran could learn would depend on his own talent. If he could understand everything Whis had to teach, Whis wouldn't hold back.
"..."
Gran looked down at his blood-soaked body, completely speechless.
I've been on the run for a month and haven't even had a proper rest, and you're already asking me to cook for you?
Even a man on his way to the gallows gets a moment to breathe!
'Hmph! I'll make dumplings later and make you eat nothing but the wrappers!'
A thick, almost tangible aura of resentment enveloped the small Gran.
Suddenly, a magical light covered his body. He instantly felt a warm sensation as his stamina and injuries began to recover rapidly. It felt so good!
"Thank you, Mr Whis! I'll go make you food right away!"
The resentful look in Gran's eyes vanished in an instant, and he dashed toward the cooking station.
"Pfft!"
Gran's dramatic change in expression made Whis burst out laughing. Having such an amusing child in the God of Destruction's world... seemed quite nice.
Over on Gran's side, he had said he would make dumplings, and he was a man of his word.
Since Whis had healed him, he supposed the guy wasn't all bad. He'd let him eat half the dumplings with fillings!
........
Frieza's Headquarters, inside a palace.
"Lord Frieza, Vegeta has returned from his mission," Dodoria reported, bowing toward the throne above.
Frieza sat in his hovering pod, asking calmly, "Did the listening devices pick up any information?"
"Yes, my lord. Vegeta's squad lost another Saiyan. They are now down to six members."
"Anything else?"
"Also, my lord, according to Vegeta, there are still quite a few Saiyans scattered across the universe," Dodoria said with a wicked smile.
"Among them is Raditz's younger brother, who was apparently exiled to a barren planet. I believe the planet is called Earth."
"Earth? Never heard of it. How strong is he?"
"..."
Dodoria's face suddenly turned red, holding back laughter.
Frieza's expression darkened. "Well?"
Dodoria quickly apologised. "My apologies, my lord! It's just that Raditz's brother's power level is so ridiculous. He was born with a power level of only 2!"
"A power level of 2?!" Frieza's pupils shrank, and the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
A Saiyan with a power level of only 2! Is that even a number a living being can have? A dog is probably stronger than that!
Frieza's face flushed red, and he could no longer contain himself.
"Oh-hohohoho~~~"
"..."
Dodoria had always thought his lord's laugh sounded like an imbecile, but he would never dare say it.
"My lord, since there are still so many Saiyans out there, should we send someone to eliminate them to prevent future trouble?"
"Do you think a cripple with a power level of 2 is worth our time? Don't waste it," Frieza's smile vanished in an instant.
He waved his hand. "Go. Keep sending Vegeta on planet-clearing missions. My planet-brokering business needs them."
"Yes, my lord!"
My lord may be unpredictable, but what's wrong with just wanting to be a real estate mogul of the universe? As long as I follow him, I'll live a life of luxury. Dodoria held his master in great respect.
Dodoria bowed and left the palace. After he departed, the idiotic laughter echoed from within once more.
"Oh-hohohoho~~~"
"To be able to produce a cripple with a power level of 2... how does such a garbage race dare to call itself a warrior race?!"
Elsewhere, the young Vegeta had just returned to Frieza's headquarters when he received a new mission. His face instantly turned dark.
Raditz asked, "Vegeta, what's wrong?"
The young Vegeta turned, his voice laced with killing intent. "That bastard Frieza is sending us out on another mission!"
"What?" Nappa exploded in anger. "He's really treating us like cattle!"
"Shut up!" The young Vegeta suppressed his rage. Ever since Planet Vegeta was destroyed, his squad's treatment had nosedived. "Let's go!"
Defy Frieza's orders? The young Vegeta was small, but he wasn't stupid.
Without Planet Vegeta to back him, if he dared to disobey Frieza, the Ginyu Force would likely eliminate him in the next second.
"He wants to keep sending us on missions? Fine, we'll go on a mission. But this time, we won't be back for three years!"
"Yes, sir!" Raditz and the others' eyes lit up.
Soon, seven small spaceships departed from Frieza's headquarters once again.
...
The God of Destruction's World.
Another week passed. Gran had now been in the God of Destruction's world for over a month.
"Hah!!"
A sturdy-looking little boy hovered in the air. He fired an energy blast forward, then transformed into a streak of light and chased after it.
Reaching the front of the energy blast, he pushed forward with both hands, firing another blast from his palms.
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion echoed through the sky.
"He really has mastered every bit of his power. This kid is a monster!" Whis stood by the lake, watching the commotion in the sky and nodding in approval.
The smoke in the air cleared, and Gran reappeared, unharmed by the colliding blasts.
"Still too wild!" Gran hovered in the air, looking at his hands.
It had been over a month since he arrived in the Dragon Ball world.
He had first come to the God of Destruction's world, then entered a mysterious world for a great escape.
As for his power increase, according to Whis, his current power level was 320,000.
After being guided by an Angel for over a month, such a small increase was too low. In fact, that wasn't the case.
Strictly speaking, Whis hadn't even started training Gran yet; he had merely sent him into that mysterious world.
Besides, Gran was only six years old and still in his foundational stage. His potential had only just been awakened.
The increase from 160,000 to 320,000 was thanks to the countless life-or-death escapes in that world.
"Mr Whis." Gran descended from the sky, saying helplessly, "I feel like my power is still too wild. It always causes me to make misjudgments in battle!"
"Ohohoho~" Whis chuckled. "The fact that you can notice that is quite impressive."
"So what should I do to calm my power down?"
"First, make me a complete dumpling feast, and then we'll talk!" Whis pouted.
A week ago, when this kid was making dumplings, he mixed a batch with no fillings. Half with fillings, half just wrappers—what kind of person does that?
Gran grinned, showing his teeth. "Who's the one who didn't warn me about the horrors of that room beforehand?"
"If you don't want to cook, then I won't teach you."
"You fiend, Whis! Fine, I'll do it!" Gran stomped over to the cooking station and got to work.
Whis watched his small back and chuckled. "Trying to outsmart me? You're still too green!"
Half an hour later, Whis finally enjoyed a wonderful dumpling feast. No wrappers-only dumplings. It was delicious!
After Whis finished eating and tidied up, Gran stood by the lake, his eyes shining. "Alright, it's time you taught me how to calm my power down, right?"
Whis rolled his eyes but didn't tease him further. "You can now control your power freely, but do you know what power is?"
"Power? Isn't power just... power?" Gran feigned confusion. He had a good idea of what Whis was about to teach him. It was probably related to "ki."
As expected.
"It is ki!" Whis said calmly. "All things have ki. Ki is the source of a person's power. Only by increasing your ki can you increase your power."
Gran looked thoughtful. "So my power is wild because my ki is wild?"
"Correct." Whis gave Gran a look as if to say, 'This simpleton can be taught.' "You are a Saiyan. You must have fought across the universe and have some understanding of other aliens, correct?"
"Yes."
"You Saiyans, as well as those aliens, are all the same. The constant warfare has thrown your ki into chaos," Whis said with a sigh. "If your ki is in chaos, how can your power not be wild?"
"Then how do I calm my ki?" Gran suddenly remembered something Whis had said a week ago and asked tentatively, "Is the 'state of mind' you mentioned before the way to solve the wild ki issue?"