"The illusion after a breakthrough can easily make one lose themselves. But… maybe Super Saiyan 3 isn't my limit yet!"
Zeru's eyes flickered as he clenched both fists.
"Haaah!"
With a loud shout, his body expanded slightly. His power level didn't increase at all, but the golden aura surrounding him surged several times stronger.
"Breaking beyond Super Saiyan 3 is really difficult…"
After maintaining this full-power state for over ten minutes, frustration began to rise within him. He could clearly feel a massive hidden energy deep within his body, yet he couldn't fully release it. The feeling was suffocating.
"Now that I think about it, it's no wonder Goku only mastered Super Saiyan Blue after reaching Super Saiyan God. Rushing like this might mess up my mindset."
Zeru took a deep breath, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. "Still… I have to try. I feel like I need some kind of trigger…"
With that thought, he returned to his base form and let out a soft sigh.
But then—
He accidentally glanced at the full moon.
In that instant, his pupils shrank, and his heartbeat surged.
"What-?It's a full moon'.
His expression changed drastically. Just as he tried to look away, his body suddenly began to expand.
Boom!
His clothes tore apart as he transformed into a gigantic Great Ape.
"ROAR!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In his Great Ape form, Zeru roared wildly, pounding his chest.
Boom!
Opening his mouth, he fired a massive energy beam, piercing straight through the planet's surface.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After rampaging for several minutes, the Great Ape's heartbeat began accelerating rapidly.
"My consciousness… is coming back. I'm in Great Ape form…"
Zeru suddenly stopped, staring at the full moon in space. Memories of his past life and his current life began to surface in his mind.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
At the same time, his massive body began to rise into the sky.
Thump… thump… thump…
This time, his heartbeat slowed—deep, heavy, and steady.
Boom!
A crimson light erupted from his body. When the light faded, he was still in Great Ape form, but—
His size had shrunk significantly.
And his fur had turned red.
"This is… the prototype of Super Saiyan 4?!"
Even with his eyes closed, Zeru could feel the overwhelming transformation within his body. Shock slowly appeared on his face.
Why…
Why was his evolution beyond Super Saiyan 3 leading to Super Saiyan 4 from Dragon Ball GT?!
Before he could think further, intense pain surged through his body. He opened his eyes and let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"AAAAAARGH!"
Boom!
That scream seemed to break some kind of limit.
His energy—his power level—began skyrocketing without end.
500 billion.
600 billion.
700 billion.
…
Every second, his power increased by another 100 billion.
Finally—
His power stabilized at 2.08 trillion.
Using the conversion of 1 trillion equals 10,000 billion, his power had reached an astonishing 2.08 trillion.
"This… this really is Super Saiyan 4?!"
The pain vanished, replaced by a deep sense of exhilaration. Looking at his current form through his status panel, Zeru's face filled with excitement.
Long black hair cascading over his shoulders.
Dark eye markings.
No golden aura.
A body covered in red fur.
The red-furred warrior.
This was Super Saiyan 4—the iconic transformation of the GT timeline.
In the eyes of many Dragon Ball fans, this form was the coolest of all.
Of course, Ultra Instinct Goku from Dragon Ball Super was also incredibly cool.
But if he had to choose…
Zeru felt that Super Saiyan 4 was the most classic, the most iconic.
Still, Ultra Instinct wasn't a Saiyan-exclusive transformation—it was a divine realm even gods struggled to reach.
There was no reason he couldn't pursue both.
"Wait… does that mean the Dragon Ball world I reincarnated into is the GT timeline?"
Zeru suddenly realized, his expression turning complicated.
Thinking back carefully…
When he had been reading that doujin before transmigrating, its setting had been in the Dragon Ball GT timeline.
So because of that… he had ended up here?
"Then… do Beerus and the Angels even exist in this world?"
Zeru's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
In GT, the enemies weren't gods of destruction—they were entirely different threats, even connecting to the Dragon Ball AF storyline.
"Hard to say… I'll take it one step at a time. But I'm leaning toward this being a GT timeline without Beerus and Whis."
At that thought, excitement surged within him.
He even considered immediately gathering the Super Dragon Balls.
But—
After thinking it through, he dismissed the idea.
Originally, he wanted the Super Dragon Balls to enter the divine realm and surpass Super Saiyan 3.
But now…
If this was truly the GT timeline, then his path was clear.
A mortal evolution path.
Super Saiyan 5. Super Saiyan 6. Even Super Saiyan 7.
The divine transformation route no longer suited him.
"I wonder… which is stronger—Super Saiyan 5, or Ultra Instinct Goku?"
The thought flashed through his mind, igniting even greater excitement.
If he ever had the chance—
He absolutely wanted to fight Ultra Instinct Goku.