Whis observed the projection for a moment before speaking. "His control over his power is incredibly crude. It's obvious he's never had proper guidance from a true martial arts master. If we're measuring by power levels, he's sitting at roughly 3 million."
Gran blinked in surprise. Nineteen years ago, Vegeta had been saved four times using Sensu bean fragments after his encounters with Raditz and Nappa, which had boosted his power from 6,000 to 300,000. He couldn't believe that in nearly two decades, the prince's strength had only increased tenfold.
Even Whis found it baffling. He had seen the staggering potential of the Saiyan race through Gran, Goku, Broly, and even Roz from Universe 6. How could the so-called Prince of all Saiyans have stagnated like this?
"Let's see how he's actually been training all these years," Whis said, waving his staff again. A second screen flickered into existence, playing back a montage of Vegeta's life over the last nineteen years.
It turned out that after being nearly killed by Gran, Vegeta had discovered the secret of the Saiyan physiology: the Zenkai boost. He realized that surviving a near-death experience granted a massive surge in power. So, he decided to game the system.
For nineteen years, he scoured the galaxy for the most advanced medical technology available. He would have Raditz and the others beat him to the brink of death, only to crawl into a rejuvenation tank and do it all over again.
Vegeta's willpower was undeniably terrifying; he had endured the agony of near-death ten times and suffered critical injuries another fifteen times without flinching.
Gran stared at the screen, dumbfounded. He never imagined Vegeta would resort to such a cheap tactic. Then again, looking back at the original Namek arc, Vegeta had tried the same thing by having Krillin blast him so Dende could heal him.
It wasn't until he learned about Goku's gravity room training that he finally changed his ways. In this timeline, without that realization, he was still just trying to exploit a loophole.
"Gran, when I saved you back then, your power surged as well," Whis explained, shaking his head.
"That's because Saiyans have a well of latent power that is unlocked through recovery. But that well isn't bottomless. As Vegeta has shown, the boosts are massive at first, but they diminish the more you abuse them. Eventually, the effect vanishes entirely."
"The guy is an idiot," Gran muttered, joining Whis in his head-shaking. "Does he really think he can get something for nothing?"
He had hoped that by changing Vegeta's fate, the prince might become something more. Instead, he was a lost cause, always looking for a shortcut. It was no wonder he always stayed one step behind Goku.
"Lord Gran, if this Vegeta only has a power level of 3 million, isn't he just going on a suicide mission?" Bulma asked, her jaw dropping.
"If that's all he's got, then yeah, he's a goner."
Gran watched Vegeta sitting in his cockpit. A base power of 3 million was the baseline for a Super Saiyan transformation, but there were two other requirements: extreme rage and a sufficient amount of S-Cells.
While Vegeta was in a rage, his current lifestyle and mindset likely meant his S-Cell count was nowhere near high enough. He was heading toward a 120-million-power-level Frieza with only 3 million.
"Well," Gran said with a mocking smirk, "I suppose I'll enjoy watching him crash and burn."
Over the next few days, Gran kept an eye on the projection, but progress was slow. According to Whis, at the speed of that ship, it would take Vegeta another six months to reach Frieza's headquarters.
"I'm done watching. This is boring," Gran said on his seventh day on Earth. He gestured for Whis to put the screen away.
"Understood." Whis retracted the projection instantly. "So, what's next? Are we going to find some more delicious food?" He licked his lips in anticipation.
Gran looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon—prime time for dinner. "I've got just the place in mind. They serve some... unique delicacies there. You want to give it a try, Whis?"
Whis's eyes lit up. Usually, when Gran recommended food, it was a winner. "Yes, please! Take me to these unique delicacies!"
"I want to go too, Lord Gran!" Bulma chirped, skipping over to join them.
"You?" Gran looked at her as she made a silly face, sticking her tongue out. "Keep that up, and I'll give you a knuckle sandwich." He raised a fist playfully, then paused as a thought struck him. "Fine, you can come. But you have to do something for me in return."
"What is it?" Bulma asked, curious.
Gran glanced at Broly before turning back to her with a grin. "Build me a Dragon Radar."
Bulma blinked, looking disappointed. "Is that all?" She reached into a box of capsules, clicked one, and tossed it. Poof! A standard Dragon Radar appeared in her hand. "Here, take it."
Gran stared at it, then shoved it back into her arms. "Not this piece of junk. I need you to build me a Super Dragon Radar."
Bulma's mouth fell open. A radar for the Super Dragon Balls? Was there really another set of Dragon Balls out there? "Lord Gran, what do these Super Dragon Balls even look like?"
"Don't get too spooked when you see them," Gran warned. He nodded to Whis, who tapped his staff.
Several images appeared in the air. Bulma saw gargantuan, glowing orbs floating in the void of space, with entire planets orbiting them for scale.
"That's... that's impossible!" Bulma stammered. "Those things are the size of planets! How can something like that even exist?"
"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it isn't real," Gran laughed.
"Then... how big is the dragon they summon?"
Gran fell silent. He had only seen the Super Shenron in the anime; he hadn't seen it in person yet. He caught Whis looking at him with a knowing, slightly mysterious glint in his eyes.
"You'll see when the time comes," Gran said, feeling a bit self-conscious under Whis's gaze. "For now, just focus on making that radar."
"But Lord Gran, I've never even seen one of these things in person. How am I supposed to build a radar for them?"
"You'll figure it out." Gran knew Bulma was capable of it—she'd done it in the original story, after all. But he figured giving her a real sample to study would speed things up.
As a Candidate God of Destruction, he knew the galaxy like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where that "Nameless Planet" from the tournament was located. He just had to take her there.
"Gran," Whis interrupted, "even we Angels don't know the locations of all the Super Dragon Balls. Are you sure Bulma can handle this?"
"She can do it," Gran said firmly.
Hearing his confidence in her, Bulma's chest puffed out. "Don't you worry! I'm the best scientist on Earth. Even without a reference, I could probably turn a toaster into a Super Dragon Radar if I wanted to!"
"Pfft!" Gran and Whis both lost it, laughing at her bravado.
"Alright then, let's go eat."
Gran took off into the air, with Whis and Broly following close behind. Bulma lingered for a second, confused. Why weren't they using Instant Transmission? Regardless, she took flight and followed them.
The four of them streaked across the sky, taking in the beautiful Earth scenery as they headed west. Bulma started to realize they were heading toward Mt. Paozu, but she didn't say anything, assuming they were just passing through.
However, Gran eventually touched down in a lush, secluded valley nestled among the mountains.
"Wait," Bulma said as she landed. "Lord Gran, I thought we were looking for food? This is where Goku lives. What kind of delicacies could be here?"
"Just follow me," Gran smiled.
He knew that ever since Chichi married Goku, she had become a master of the household. Specifically, she was a master at turning dinosaur meat into gourmet meals.
It might look a bit rustic, but judging by the way characters like Videl reacted to it in the past, it was top-tier stuff. For Whis, this would definitely qualify as a "unique" culinary experience.
Plus, Gran had a secondary motive. He wanted to talk to Chichi and steer her away from the idea of turning Gohan into a pure scholar. That was his real mission today.
The four of them walked down a winding mountain path. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of wildflowers and the sounds of rare animals. Soon, they came across a dome-shaped house beside a sparkling stream.
"Lord Gran, this is Goku's new place," Bulma noted. She had visited a year or two ago and recognized the house he had built. "Are we just dropping in on them?"
"Exactly." Gran glanced at the house, then sensed the surrounding forest. "Looks like Kakarot isn't home yet."
He could sense two familiar signatures inside: Chichi and a very young Gohan. Goku's energy was further off, somewhere deep in the woods, likely training. Gran raised a finger, a tiny point of light flickering at the tip, and then flicked it into the sky.
BOOM!
The light exploded with a roar that shook the heavens, cracking the sky itself in a display of power visible for thousands of miles.
"There," Gran chuckled. "That should bring him running."
He felt Goku's energy signature suddenly spike and start racing toward the house at breakneck speed. Bulma rolled her eyes at the Candidate God. With his power, he could have just teleported Goku there, but he chose to be a prankster. Typical.
The front door of the house flew open, and a woman ran out, alerted by the noise. She wore a purple qipao with an orange shawl, and her hair was tied in a neat bun. She was quite beautiful.
"Who are you, people?!"
This was Chichi. She immediately dropped into a martial arts stance, clear proof of her training. "I'm warning you! My husband is a World Martial Arts champion! You'd better clear off if you know what's good for you!"
She kept glancing back at the house, clearly worried. And as if on cue, a small child's voice cried out from inside.
"Mommy!"
A fair-skinned toddler with a monkey tail ran out of the house.
"Gohan, get back inside! There are bad people out here!" Chichi cried, her voice laced with desperation.
Gran felt a pang of admiration. A mother's strength truly was something else. He had just set off an explosion that would have sent most people running for their lives, yet Chichi stood her ground to protect her son.
Suddenly, a familiar, frantic voice roared from behind them.
"Who are you?!"
"What are you doing at my house?!"
"Leave Chichi and Gohan alone! If you want a fight, you deal with me!"
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