"It's been a long time, Mr. Popo."
Gran spoke calmly, his gaze shifting toward young Goku.
"?"
Being stared at by this older boy felt a bit strange to little Goku. At the same time, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
"Kakarot, you've finally set foot in the Heavenly Realm!" A slight smile played on the corner of Gran's mouth.
It was currently Age 753. According to the timeline, it was indeed time for Goku to arrive at the Lookout.
Once here, Mr. Popo would pass down various martial arts secrets and eventually teach him the fundamental concepts that would lead to Ultra Instinct. It was during these next three years that Goku's martial arts foundation would be forged into something as solid as a rock.
"Kakarot?"
Goku blinked, the name sounding just as familiar as the person.
Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed through his mind. Goku's large, round eyes widened. "You're the big brother who was with Bulma—Gran!"
Back when he had defeated the Pilaf Gang, he had encountered an older boy who called him "Kakarot." That person was the man standing right in front of him.
"That's right, it's me."
Gran walked over to Goku. Compared to four years ago, the boy's appearance hadn't changed much, though a closer look revealed he had grown about two or three centimeters taller.
"Kakarot, where are you headed now?" Gran reached out and ruffled the boy's hair as he reached his side.
"Mr. Popo said I have to go and retrieve a Sacred Crown," Goku replied, clearly happy to see a familiar face.
"The Sacred Crown, huh?"
Gran glanced up at Mr. Popo before looking back down. "Then you'd better train hard."
This was a specific event in the story in which Popo would transport Goku to a mysterious world. In that world stood a mountain called Mount Goro, which housed a crown resembling a tightening circlet.
Once put on, the crown could not be removed. Furthermore, wearing it would summon lightning; only by being struck unconscious by the bolts would the crown finally fall off.
Popo's goal in sending Goku for the Sacred Crown was to teach him not to rely solely on his eyes, but to learn to "hear" the world around him so he could dodge the lightning and retrieve the prize.
"Mhm!"
Goku nodded vigorously, looking endearingly earnest.
"Go on in. I'm about to leave Earth myself," Gran said, patting Goku on the shoulder.
Ever obedient, Goku turned and walked into the pitch-black room.
"Lord Gran."
Mr. Popo, still standing by the door, suddenly called out.
Gran turned back, puzzled. "What is it?"
"Lord Gran... just how far has your strength reached now?"
Popo's voice was filled with genuine curiosity.
Gran paused. He looked at his own hands and then back at Popo, studying the attendant for a long moment as if trying to see if the other could see through him.
"You can't see through me, Mr. Popo?" Gran asked, squinting slightly.
"In the past, even if you weren't leaking power, I could still see a glimmer of it," Popo said, frowning. "But you are different now. I can no longer fathom your true strength."
Hearing this, Gran's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"Your ki control is perfect. That is the part I cannot see through. However, I can still discern some aspects of your martial arts through your movements and bearing," Popo added, his tone becoming more subtle.
"Can an Angel still see that much?"
Gran's expression slumped immediately. His moment of pride hadn't even lasted three seconds.
"It is inevitable that an Angel would see through some of your martial arts. The gap in our realms is simply too large. As long as you move, we can see things that ordinary people cannot."
"I see."
Gran nodded. From Popo's words, it seemed that only his physical instincts and mental state were still transparent to someone of an Angel's caliber.
"Well then, it is time for me to send the little one to his training," Popo said, looking at Gran. "Lord Gran, though I am unsure of the exact level you have reached, I suspect that even if all the Destroyer Candidates were to attack you at once, you would not lose."
With that, he turned and vanished into the darkness of the room.
Watching Popo's retreating back, Gran pursed his lips, his thoughts unreadable. Through the doorway, within that black void, Goku had already been transported away. A moment later, Gran vanished as well.
The Sacred World of the Kai.
Under a massive tree, Beerus and young Broly were lying on their sides in the grass, munching on potato chips. Nearby, Whis sat at a tea table, calmly sipping his tea. The Old Kai sat cross-legged behind the tree in meditation, while Shin observed the universe.
"Whis, didn't Gran say he was only going into that time chamber for one year? Why isn't he back yet?" Beerus swallowed a mouthful of chips and let out a yawn.
Whis glanced at the crystal ball atop his staff. "It appears he has just exited the chamber."
The moment the words left his mouth, Beerus bolted upright. The Old Kai snapped out of his meditation, and Shin dropped the crystal ball he was holding. They all stared at Whis with expectant eyes.
Whis was about to take a sip of tea, but under the intense pressure of their stares, he set the cup down. "What is it?"
"What do you think it is?" Beerus snapped. "How strong is Gran now?"
The Old Kai nodded feverishly. "Yes, exactly! Gran trained for over three hundred years in there. Has he made a new breakthrough?"
Shin didn't speak, but his eyes betrayed a desperate hunger for the answer.
"Calm down, everyone."
"Fine, we're calm," Beerus said, trying to settle himself. "Now, out with it."
Whis took his staff and peered into the crystal ball. "I'm not sure if it's the distance, but I cannot clearly see the extent of his power."
Beerus's temper flared. "Whis, are you messing with me?"
"Oh-ho-ho! Lord Beerus, how could you say that? You know me better than that." Whis hid a snicker behind his hand.
"It's because I know you that I think you're messing with me!" Beerus growled. "Stop the nonsense. Did he break through or not?"
Whis stopped teasing and took on a serious tone. "Judging by his movements and demeanor upon exiting, he has achieved breakthroughs in every aspect of his martial arts. It is only his raw power that I cannot discern."
"???"
The group looked at one another in shock. Even Whis couldn't see Gran's current power? Could the distance really be the reason?
"He is controlling his power with such perfection that unless he actively releases it, even I cannot pinpoint its level," Whis explained, shaking his head.
Boom—!
The realization hit them like a physical blow. Beerus, in particular, knew exactly what that meant. To achieve the level of control Whis was describing was a feat usually reserved for a true God of Destruction.
Of course, once he actually started fighting and leaked even a sliver of aura, the Angels would know his strength instantly. But the fact that he could hide it meant his control was already at the Destroyer level.
"That guy...!"
Beerus suppressed his shock and took a deep breath. "Since he's out, why hasn't he come back to the World of the Kai?"
"He disappeared right after leaving the chamber. It seems he's gone to clear his head," Whis said, taking a light sip of tea.
To clear his head?
The group was stunned for a moment before the logic set in. Gran had been training relentlessly for over three hundred years; he was bound to be exhausted.
In martial arts, there is always an emphasis on a balance between work and rest. It seemed Gran had truly taken their advice to heart.
Whis set his teacup down. "Lord Beerus, when Gran was discussing his plans, he mentioned he would take a period of rest in the third year before returning to have his potential unlocked. We should just wait patiently for his return."
"..."
There wasn't much else they could do. Beerus slumped back onto the grass; the Old Kai returned to his meditation; Shin went back to observing the universe; and young Broly continued eating.
On the surface, they looked calm, but inwardly, none of them was. Knowing that Gran's strength was now something even an Angel couldn't easily read sparked a flicker of hope in them.
Perhaps...
Universe 4, Sacred World of the Destroyer.
Quitela stood by a lake, his face pale and his brow furrowed in a grimace, as if enduring endless torment.
"Cognac, those ancient creatures I asked you to find—did you find them?"
"I have found one."
"Good. We're going to recruit him as a Destroyer Candidate!"
"..."
Cognac stood to the side, frowning. "Lord Quitela, awakening such an ancient being is quite dangerous for a universe. Making him a Destroyer Candidate... are you sure about this?"
"Dangerous?" Quitela shook his head. "If our universe ends up at the bottom of the rankings, that is dangerous."
The upcoming Destroyer Candidate Battle Royale had a punishment mechanism, and no one knew how Grand Zeno would penalize the bottom three universes. If the punishment was erasure, they were finished.
"Don't worry, Cognac. Just like I use the experts of other universes, I'm simply using this ancient creature. I have no intention of actually letting him become the next master of this universe. If things go south, I'll just destroy him once I'm done with him. That should put your mind at ease!"
Not every powerful person is fit to be a God of Destruction. One must start as a candidate and pass courses on the nature of destruction.
Only after their training is deemed satisfactory and they receive the approval of both the Destroyer and the Angel can they inherit the title. Of course, the candidates currently being gathered by the various universes were mostly unqualified; they were merely being recruited to satisfy Grand Zeno's mandate.
Thinking of this, Cognac said no more. He grabbed Quitela, and the two transformed into a streak of rainbow light, soaring into the sky.
Universe 6.
Inside a Time Chamber on the Destroyer's planet. This place was very similar to the Room of Spirit and Time—a vast, white void with similar temperature fluctuations and gravity. A year had passed in the outside world, and only three figures remained inside.
"I really think something is wrong with Hit!"
Champa stood a short distance away, looking at the cross-legged Hit with an exasperated expression. "This guy's talent for killing is terrifying, so why is his aptitude for Destruction so poor?"
Vados replied matter-of-factly, "It took him over three hundred years of meditation, but he has finally grasped the concept of Destruction. That's actually not bad."
Champa looked at her, incredulous. "Do you even hear yourself?"
"Oh-ho-ho~" Vados giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hand before changing the subject. "Lord Champa, you've gathered so many Destroyer Candidates. Which one have you finally decided to send to the Battle Royale?"
Champa fell silent for a moment. "It has to be Hit."
"What about the Saiyans? Several of them grasped Destruction long ago. Their talent is quite high."
"I can't deny their talent," Champa said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Besides mastering the Power of Destruction, one of them even managed to learn my Ultra Ego..."
Champa looked toward Vados. "But this Battle Royale isn't just a playground for geniuses. It's a gathering of the strongest opponents in the entire multiverse. I need the one with the highest combat ability and the best survival skills. That's the only way we make it to the end!"
Vados nodded. Her Lord Champa was right. When it came to survival, Hit was easily the top choice among all of Universe 6's candidates. As for raw strength, his assassination techniques were nothing short of supernatural. Compared to Hit, the Saiyans were still a bit green. Of course, the Saiyans were mostly limited by their training time. If given the same amount of time as Hit, the outcome might be different.
Unfortunately, the Saiyans didn't possess the immense lifespan that Hit did. In this temporal world, those Saiyans had only trained for fifty years.
"Lord Champa, if you want the strongest and most resilient, should we awaken those ancient beings? They would certainly fit your criteria," Vados suggested with a smirk.
Champa's face went dark instantly. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"An idiot? Actually, yes!" Vados nodded while laughing.
"You...!" Champa fumed.
Vados quickly pacified her Destroyer, and Champa eventually "forgave" her with a huff.
"Even though those ancient creatures aren't much in the eyes of a God of Destruction, letting them become candidates is out of the question! Their unpredictability is too high. This event is happening right in front of Lord Zeno; if they were to offend him, the sky would literally fall!"
Champa shuddered at the thought. Vados continued to laugh heartily; she obviously knew the risks and was just teasing him.
"Besides..." Champa glanced at Vados. "We aren't fighting alone this time. We have Gran. We don't need to resort to such bizarre tactics!"
At those words, both of them fell silent. In a competition where it wasn't a "winner-takes-all" survival match for a single universe, Universe 6 and Universe 7 were never truly enemies. With Gran on Universe 7's side—given his talent and his use of the time chamber—how powerful would he have become?
"Lord Champa, do you think Gran might have actually reached the level of a true—"
"Don't ask me. Maybe!"
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