West City, Capsule Corporation headquarters.
The first rays of morning sunlight broke through the clouds and fell across the enormous domed complex of buildings.
In one corner of the estate stood an independent panoramic glass training room.
There were none of Dr.
Brief’s dazzling high tech gravity devices in here, only a few simple yoga mats, a pot of clear tea, and a room full of green plants.
Son Gokai sat cross legged on a meditation cushion, his breathing long and slow, barely perceptible.
If a skilled ki sensing expert had been present at that moment, they would have been astonished to discover that Son Gokai’s ki signature had completely vanished.
He was like a stubborn stone, or a blade of grass, perfectly blended into the natural surroundings around him.
“Hah…” After a long while, Son Gokai slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, the previously still air seemed to be stirred by some invisible force, the green plants inside the room moved without any wind, and even the birdsong from outside the window fell silent for a brief moment.
But the next second, that imposing pressure receded like a tide, replaced by a warm and genuine simplicity.
‘The S Cell activity should have increased a great deal compared to a year ago,’ Son Gokai thought, clenching his fist and feeling the stirring power within him, carrying a certain golden potential.
Over this past year, he had not driven himself to extremes the way Vegeta did.
On the contrary, his life had been quite “leisurely.” He had accompanied Bulma shopping, watched movies, tasted all manner of food, occasionally sat in on university lectures, and sometimes sat in the garden to enjoy the sunshine.
But this did not mean he had let the martial arts go to waste.
On the contrary, he had been pursuing a deeper form of training, the refinement of his state of mind.
The source of a Saiyan’s power, beyond anger, was the quality of their “ki.” And in the lore filled in by Dragon Ball Super, S Cell concentration determined the threshold for achieving the Super Saiyan transformation.
‘At my current level, without invoking any talisman, relying solely on this body trained to its limit and my application of ki, my base combat power should have already broken through the two hundred and twenty mark,’ Son Gokai estimated inwardly.
It was worth noting that Tien Shinhan at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament had a combat power of only around one hundred and eighty.
And the old King Piccolo, who had plunged the entire world into terror, had a combat power of approximately two hundred and twenty to two hundred and forty before his youth was restored.
‘In other words, even without relying on any talisman, I could now hold my own against the newly unsealed old King Piccolo on a roughly four to six or even five to five basis.’ ‘If I invoked the Ox Talisman’s power boost, or the Horse Talisman’s limitless endurance…’ Son Gokai’s mouth curved into a self assured arc.
‘Then the question would no longer be whether I can win, but how I choose to finish him.’ As for Piccolo with his youth restored (combat power 260 and above), Son Gokai was fully confident that with the talismans’ power he would not lose and could even defeat him outright.
And of course, if things were really dire, one round of his passive stacking would guarantee the win.
‘This World Martial Arts Tournament is no longer a challenge for me, but simply a performance showcase.’ “Click.” The training room door swung open.
Bulma walked in dressed in a cool summer outfit and a sun hat, with two plane tickets in her hand.
Bulma now, after a year of companionship (and flourishing), had become even more radiant and glowing, the youthful awkwardness of a teenage girl gradually giving way to a self assured and enchanting air.
“Gokai!
Still not done training?” Bulma waved the tickets in her hand, “The plane is all ready!
We should be leaving for Papaya Island!” Son Gokai stood up, and in that instant the gentle, warm bearing switched in a flash to an upright and sharp heroic presence.
He walked over, naturally took Bulma’s travel bag from her hand, and reached out with the other to take her hand.
“Let’s go, time to claim the championship that belongs to us.” Papaya Island, a tropical island in the southern part of the Earth, was the host location of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
The climate there was hot year round with abundant rainfall, giving it an exotic, southern island atmosphere.
When the luxury private jet carrying Son Gokai and Bulma landed on the island, there was still a full day before the tournament officially began.
Unlike the original story where everyone arrived right at the last moment, Son Gokai preferred to be more unhurried about it.
The two checked into a high end hotel on the seafront.
That evening, a sea breeze drifted through the air.
Son Gokai stood on the hotel balcony, gazing out at the martial arts arena ablaze with lights in the distance.
‘Tomorrow, Goku and the others should be arriving.’ Son Gokai was genuinely fond of that foolish younger brother of his.
Though he knew Goku must have endured plenty of hardship under Master Roshi’s training (things like tilling fields by hand, delivering milk, and dodging sharks), this was precisely the foundation of Goku’s growth.
The next day, in the early morning.
The weather on Papaya Island was exactly as Son Gokai remembered, with torrential rain pouring down.
The streets that had been bustling with people moments before instantly fell empty, with most martial artists sheltering under overhangs from the rain or heading to the registration area early.
“This rain is really coming down.” Bulma held a clear umbrella and clung tightly to Son Gokai’s arm, “Do you think that idiot Goku is getting soaked?” “Don’t worry, a little rain is nothing to a kid with his constitution.” Son Gokai had not put up an umbrella.
Strangely, those dense raindrops, upon falling to within about three inches above his head, seemed to be stopped by an invisible ki shield and slid away to either side automatically, not even dampening the hem of his clothing.
This was a refined application of “ki,” as well as a passive body protection aspect of the Rooster Talisman’s telekinesis.
The two strolled through the rain toward the registration area.
Just then.
“Oh come on!
When is this rain going to stop!!” An aged but powerful complaining voice rang out from under a tree ahead.
Then came a series of hurried footsteps.
“Hurry, hurry!
Or we’ll miss the registration!” Son Gokai stopped walking, and a smile touched the corner of his mouth.
“Here they come.” Through the curtain of rain, three figures could be seen running in their direction.
Out in front was a small statured young man in an orange red martial arts uniform, carrying the Power Pole on his back.
Even through the veil of rain, the overflowing vitality radiating from him was unmistakable.
Behind him came a short, bald little monk with six circular scars on his forehead, carrying an enormous bag on his back and huffing and puffing as he ran.
Last of all was an old man in a black suit, wearing sunglasses and carrying a turtle shell on his back.
It was Son Goku, Krillin, and Master Roshi.
“Huh?
Is that…” Sharp eyed Son Goku spotted the familiar figure in the rain with a single glance.
Even though they had not seen each other for a year, and even though that figure had become taller and more upright, the familiar ki was something he could never mistake for anyone else!
“Brother!!” Son Goku let out a great shout, stamped the ground hard, sending a huge splash of water flying, and shot forward like a cannonball.
“Goku!” Son Gokai extended his arm and caught the younger brother who came hurtling at him.
“Wow!
Brother!
It really is you!!” Goku hung on Son Gokai excitedly, with no concern whatsoever for whether the mud and water on him would dirty his older brother’s clothes.
“I’ve gotten super strong this year!
I can push around really really big boulders now!” “Yes yes, I can tell.” Son Gokai ruffled the still prickly hedgehog hair on Goku’s head and took a read of Goku’s ki.
Just as he expected, it was several times more refined than a year ago.
Though his base combat power still could not match Son Gokai’s current level, that rate of growth was genuinely impressive.
I found this one intresting