The Sacred Temple.
The air here was thin, gravity was faint, and all around stretched an endless sea of clouds, as though this were the very edge of the world.
Son Gokai slowly descended onto the red tiled floor.
A fat man, entirely black skinned, dressed in Arabian robes with a turban wrapped around his head, stood waiting there.
Mr.
Popo.
The Guardian’s attendant, always expressionless, yet possessing unfathomable strength.
“You’ve arrived.” Popo’s voice carried no fluctuation whatsoever.
“Mr.
Popo.” Son Gokai nodded.
“God is waiting for you.” Popo turned and led the way.
Deep within the temple, Son Gokai finally met that old man, leaning on a cane, his face full of wrinkles, his skin a deep shade of green.
The Guardian of Earth.
Also the benevolent side split off from the Great Demon King Piccolo.
“Welcome, Earth’s martial artist, Son Gokai.” The Guardian’s eyes, filled with wisdom, gazed at Son Gokai, seeing through his identity with the very first sentence.
Son Gokai wasn’t surprised.
It was only natural that the Guardian, who could observe everything in the world below, would know where he came from.
“Greetings, Guardian.” “I already know your purpose here.” The Guardian said slowly.
“Within your body lies an extremely terrifying power, a power so great it makes even me tremble.
If you were to walk down a wicked path, the Earth would face utter ruin.” “But I have seen your heart.” The Guardian pointed at Son Gokai’s chest.
“There, a peaceful, righteous energy resides, and also a certain mysterious power, the talismans, that I cannot fully perceive.” “You wish to train here in order to grow stronger, is that right?” “Yes.” Son Gokai answered plainly.
“I know the Earth will face many crises in the future, and there are enemies that I, in my current state, cannot possibly defeat.
I need to undergo a transformation here, in this place closest to the gods, both in spirit and in body.” The Guardian fell silent for a long while.
He turned and looked out at the sea of clouds below.
“Though I do not know what crisis you speak of, I trust what I see in your eyes.” “I can guide your training, and can even have Popo bring you into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, though it’s still too early for that.” “However, you must promise me one condition.” The Guardian turned back around, his gaze burning intently as he looked at him.
“If one day the Earth faces a catastrophe of total destruction, and I myself am powerless to stop it, please, you must step forward and protect this planet.” “Even if the opponent is a god, or a demon.” Son Gokai smiled.
Wasn’t this exactly the purpose that had brought him to this world in the first place?
“I promise you.” Son Gokai vowed solemnly.
“As long as I exist, the Earth will exist.” The Guardian nodded, relieved.
“Good.” “Then, starting from today, you shall stay and live here.” “Over these three years, I will help you understand what true ‘Divine Martial Arts’ really means.” Meanwhile, down on the ground.
“BOOM!!” The headquarters building of the Red Ribbon Army collapsed with a thunderous crash.
A small boy, covered in wounds all over his body, leapt out from the rubble, gripping the four star Dragon Ball tightly in his hand.
(The four star ball had originally been kept at the house on Mount Paozu, but had been stolen.) “Whew…
it’s finally over!” Son Goku wiped the dust off his face, his eyes shining with excitement.
“Now then…
where should I go next?” The gears of fate meshed together at this very moment.
The two brothers, one in the heavens, one on the ground, both giving everything they had to grow stronger, for the reunion three years from now, for that wider future ahead.
The Sacred Temple, above the sea of clouds.
Here there was no concept of the passage of time, only eternal silence and thin air.
On the red tiled plaza, two figures were engaged in a strange sort of “battle.” One of them was Son Gokai, dressed in a pure white training uniform.
At this moment, his eyes were tightly shut, even his ears were sealed off, yet his entire body moved like a feather drifting on the wind, shifting through the air in patterns that seemed random yet were extremely fluid.
Across from him, that entirely black skinned Mr.
Popo held a wooden staff with a bell hanging from it, gliding around him like a ghost.
“Ding, ding.” The sound of the bell rang out on his left.
Son Gokai didn’t move.
The next instant, the staff silently thrust toward his back.
However, just as the staff was about to brush against the edge of his uniform, Son Gokai’s body seemed to defy the laws of inertia, shifting half an inch to the right in a motion both abrupt yet perfectly natural.
The staff struck nothing but air.
“Well done.” On Mr.
Popo’s ever unchanging poker face, a rare look of approval appeared.
“As silent as the sky, as swift as lightning.
Gokai, you have already touched that threshold.” Son Gokai removed his earplugs, let out a long breath, and was just about to bow in thanks, when he noticed Mr.
Popo tilting his head, looking at him.
“Gokai, have you forgotten something?” “Forgotten what?” Son Gokai paused.
“I’ve been focused lately on sensing the flow of energy, I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.
Wait!” He suddenly remembered something, his expression changing instantly.
“Mr.
Popo, what day is it today?” “By the time down below, the World Martial Arts Tournament should have been held yesterday.” Mr.
Popo said unhurriedly.
“As for now, it should be the morning of the second day after the tournament ended.” “Oh no!!!” Son Gokai’s air of an enlightened master crumbled instantly.
“This is bad, this is really bad!
I got so caught up in training I completely lost track of the days!
Yesterday was the finals?
Doesn’t that mean I stood everyone up?!” Recalling the image of Bulma losing her temper, a chill ran down Son Gokai’s spine.
“Um, Mr.
Popo, Guardian, I need to head down right away!
Sorry, sorry, I’ll bring you some local specialties next time!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Son Gokai dashed straight to the edge of the temple.
“Rabbit Talisman, Extreme Speed!” “Whoosh!!” His entire body transformed into a streak of light, rushing frantically down toward the world below.
On the ground, Papaya Island.
Although the World Martial Arts Tournament had already come to a successful close the day before, with Son Goku living up to expectations by defeating Tien Shinhan to claim the championship, the excitement on the island had not yet faded.
At the entrance of a luxury oceanview hotel, everyone was packing up their bags, preparing to leave.
Though everyone was in good spirits, there was a faint sense of disappointment lingering in the air that was hard to hide.
“That guy…
he really didn’t come.” Bulma, dressed in a carefully chosen off shoulder red dress and wearing a sun hat, gripped the Dragon Radar tightly in her hand, her lips pouted enough to hang a bottle on.
“Saying things like ‘I’ll be back soon’ and ‘for the sake of the future,’ what a lying, no good jerk!” “You big idiot, Son Gokai!
I dressed up this nice and you couldn’t even show up as a ghost!” Beside her, Oolong muttered quietly, “Maybe Gokai got lost up there…” “Shut up!” Bulma shot him a glare, then let out a sigh, her expression turning a bit gloomy.
“Even just showing his face would have been nice.” Not far away, Son Goku, who had just won the championship, was also standing with his Power Pole on his back, staring blankly up at the sky.
“Goku, what’s wrong?
Aren’t you happy about winning the championship?” Krillin came over and asked.
“I am happy.” Goku scratched his head.
“But, big brother didn’t get to see it.
I really wanted to show him how strong I’ve gotten.” “Senior Brother Gokai must have been held up by something important.” Krillin comforted him.
“After all, he’s training up with God.” Master Roshi and Tien Shinhan stood off to the side.
After the fierce battle the day before, Tien Shinhan had been completely reformed, and no longer walked the wicked path of the Crane School.
Just as everyone was chatting idly, waiting for their charter flight.
“Hmmm.” A chilling, heart stopping sense of dread suddenly blanketed the entire hotel plaza.
Anime: Villain Scientist Chat New Novel guys support me.
I found this one intresting