"Lord Beerus, Lord Champa, could you two please rein in your divine pressure?"
After wandering around Korin Tower, Gran returned to find Korin the Immortal still pinned to the floor, looking utterly defeated. He couldn't help but sigh. The two Angels radiated no pressure at all, having long ago reached a state of natural purity where their power was perfectly contained. The Supreme Kai trio was always disciplined and rarely let their presence leak out. But these two Destroyers? They truly acted as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
"Tch. Imagine being so pathetic that you can't even handle a little pressure. This fat cat is useless," Beerus muttered. He shot a sidelong glance at Korin, then at Champa, before finally withdrawing his aura.
Fat cat? The veins on Champa's forehead throbbed. He knew Beerus was taking a veiled shot at him. Gran suppressed a laugh, and seeing that Champa was about to blow his top, he quickly turned his attention to Korin.
"You must be the guardian of this tower. Tell me, who built this place? It wasn't you, was it?"
As soon as he spoke, Champa also withdrew his pressure. Suddenly, all eyes were on the small white cat. Finally able to stand, Korin felt the weight of their collective gaze—a different kind of pressure that made his fur stand on end. He didn't answer immediately; instead, he gathered his courage. "May I ask who you all..."
"We are the highest deities of this universe," Gran interrupted smoothly. "Under normal circumstances, we won't harm the Earth, so don't worry. Just answer the questions."
Korin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His hunch was right; these beings were far above the Guardian of Earth. But he couldn't help but dwell on Gran's words: Under normal circumstances. What happened when things weren't normal? Seeing the cat's nervous expression, Gran decided not to elaborate. A Candidate for Destruction had to maintain a certain level of mystique, after all. "Tell us everything you know."
"Yes, My Lord!" Korin stammered. "This is Korin Tower, and I am its guardian, known to the martial artists of Earth as Korin the Immortal. However, I didn't create it. I am merely its current caretaker. As for who built it or when... I honestly don't know. My best guess is that it has existed since the very beginning of this world."
The gods exchanged looks. It confirmed their suspicions; the tower was far older than the cat.
"And its purpose?" Gran asked, narrowing his eyes. Whis and Vados listened intently.
"It is a sacred ground for martial artists," Korin explained. "Anyone who can climb the tower through their own strength receives my tutelage. Its purpose is to preserve and pass down the various paths of martial arts to the people of Earth."
"Martial arts, you say?" Whis mused, looking the cat over. Despite his low power level, the cat's understanding of martial theory was profound. He had even cultivated a "Martial Heart." More impressively, his physical instincts were at the second stage—he was effectively a grandmaster among mortals.
Gran realised why Goku always seemed to stay a step ahead of Vegeta in the original story. With so many grandmasters teaching him the essence of combat, how could Vegeta ever truly catch up? Even if he did, it would only be temporary; Goku's foundational martial conviction was too terrifying.
"Since you say anyone who makes it up here can get your advice," Gran said, spinning around shamelessly, "do you see anything I need to improve on?"
The silence was deafening. Even Beerus looked embarrassed. Is this kid really going to bully a cat? How much more shameless can he get?
"My... My Lord," Korin stammered, wiping cold sweat from his brow. "From where I stand, your martial arts have surpassed anything I could fathom. You have reached the very limit of what a mortal can achieve. I... I have nothing I can teach you."
"A shame," Gran teased, before turning serious. "The Senzu beans, the vats that see through time, and that lethal Divine Water—where did those come from?"
Whis and Vados's eyes grew sharp. Those were not items that belonged in the hands of mortals.
"I don't know," Korin replied, pointing upward. "They were here when I arrived. Perhaps they are connected to the Heavenly Realm above. All these things exist to help train Earth's protectors. According to the will of the Heavens, any martial artist who passes my trial earns a 'ticket' to the realm above."
"The Heavenly Realm?" Everyone looked up simultaneously.
"If there's another island floating up there, we might as well check it out," Beerus said. He had noticed a secondary structure floating high above the tower when they first arrived.
"Whis? Vados? What do you think?" Gran asked.
"We've come this far. It would be a waste not to look," Whis agreed, sensing the cat was telling the truth. Vados nodded.
With a collective surge of energy, the group vanished from Korin Tower, leaving a bewildered cat behind. Korin collapsed against the railing, finally able to breathe normally. "What kind of gods were those? They nearly scared the life out of me!" He rushed to check his Senzu bean supply. To his relief, they were still there. A year ago, someone had stolen a massive chunk of his stash, leaving only a hundred seeds. At least these gods had some manners.
Up in the Heavenly Realm—the Lookout—the Guardian had already retreated inside the temple. Only Mr Popo remained, standing silently at the edge of the plaza. He had watched them since they set foot on the tower below, his expression as calm and unreadable as a still lake.
The eight figures landed on the tiles, their divine pressure causing the very air to vibrate. They stared at the dark-skinned attendant, and an eerie silence settled over the Lookout. To Gran, Mr Popo looked exactly like he did in the anime—pitch-black skin and a perfectly stoic face. In his past life, many fans theorised that Popo was something ancient and powerful. At the very least, his lifespan was incomprehensible. He had served every Guardian in Earth's history, watching them grow old and die while he remained unchanged.
"Whis, do you see anything?" Gran whispered. He suspected the magical items and the tower itself were linked to Popo.
"See anything?" Whis scanned the Lookout, his mind mapping every inch. He saw the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the graveyard of former Guardians, and the room capable of sending consciousness into the past. "Oh, I see plenty. And it is quite shocking."
"Indeed," Vados added, her voice grave. "This place involves the manipulation of Time."
"What?!" Beerus and Champa's eyes snapped wide. In the hierarchy of the multiverse, Time was a forbidden domain. Even Angels could only rewind it by three minutes.
"Is this creature committing the ultimate taboo?" Beerus's aura flared purple, and Champa began to condense a sphere of Hakai energy. As Destroyers, it was their duty to eliminate anyone meddling with the flow of time.
"Hold on, you two," Whis said, placing a hand on their shoulders. He looked at Vados, and they shared a silent, confused glance. "Gran, go and test him." He pointed toward Popo.
Are you serious? Gran thought. If he's as dangerous as you're implying, you're sending me to my death. But he knew Whis wasn't the type to gamble with his life.
"Lord Whis, Gran doesn't even know the rules of Destruction yet! Sending him is—" The Old Kai started, but Beerus cut him off. "Quiet, old man. We're right here. What is there to fear?"
Gran stepped forward. He didn't hold back. If Popo was the mystery he suspected, a half-hearted attack would be an insult.
Vroom!
A silver aura erupted around him, and his hair shimmered into a brilliant silver—Ultra Instinct -Sign-. Gran vanished. In an instant, he appeared behind Popo, his fist cocked back with every ounce of his power. This strike was enough to shatter a star system...
BOOM!!!
Popo exploded.
The Lookout fell into a deathly silence. Aside from the two Angels, everyone's jaw dropped. "How is that possible?" Gran stood there, staring at his fist. Wasn't he supposed to be a secret boss? Why did he pop like a balloon? Did I get that much stronger?
Vados calmly waved her staff, and the fragments of Mr Popo pulled themselves back together, resurrecting him instantly.
"There's nothing left to see here. Let's go," Whis said, his usual elegant smile returning as if nothing had happened.
"Go? Just like that?" Gran was bewildered. Beerus and the others were equally confused. One moment, they were investigating an ancient mystery involving the laws of time, and the next, they were leaving because a "weakling" got punched?
"I've seen enough to understand," Whis said cryptically. He didn't wait for an explanation, leading the group back into the sky.
Once they were gone, Mr Popo stood alone on the Lookout once more. "So, they noticed?" he murmured. "It seems I died for a moment there." He placed his hands behind his back and walked calmly back into the depths of the temple.
High above the Earth, a streak of rainbow light cut through the vacuum of space, heading back toward the Sacred World of the Kai. Gran looked back at the receding blue planet. He felt a bit of regret; he had wanted to see Kakarot.
Kakarot... you Pure-Hearted, stubborn fool. You really are a fascinating guy. According to the timeline, Kakarot had only been on Earth for about three years. Grandpa Gohan was likely still alive. Seeing a toddler wouldn't have meant much anyway. Grow fast, Kakarot. I hope you can at least see my taillights one day.
"So, what was that about?" Gran asked Whis. "Why did that 'Charcoal-face' go down in one hit?"
"Charcoal-face?" The group chuckled at the nickname.
"Before you attacked, did you sense anything?" Whis asked.
"He felt weak," Gran admitted. "Like he had almost no presence at all."
"And you, Lord Beerus?"
"Same," Beerus grunted. "The guy felt like trash."
Whis looked at the group. Champa and the Supreme Kais all agreed.
"You're all correct. His power was indeed weak. In Gran's terms, he was a total 'weakling.'" Whis paused, a mysterious glint in his eyes. "But tell me... since when has a weakling ever been able to stand completely unfazed while two Gods of Destruction and two Angels stood directly in front of him?"
Everyone froze.
"He didn't just stand there," Vados added. "He didn't even blink. His 'weakness' wasn't a lack of power—it was a lack of ego. He wasn't even 'there' to be sensed. He has no beginning and no end. He isn't a criminal, Lord Beerus. He is... a memory that refuses to fade."
Gran shivered. It seemed the mystery of Earth was far deeper than even he, a transmigrator, truly understood.
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