Blue skies stretched endlessly overhead while white clouds drifted peacefully across the heavens.
Stepping onto the winding path of Snake Way once again, Son Goku could not help but recall the days when he trained here under King Kai.
His heart was filled with complicated emotions.
There was nostalgia, longing, and deep contemplation.
King Kai, his pet monkey Bubbles, and the cricket-like Gregory were all old friends to him.
Back during the Cell Games, after sacrificing himself against Cell, he had remained in the Other World and continued cultivating under King Kai for another seven years.
Because of that, this place carried countless memories for him.
Goku lightly stomped against the stone ground beneath his feet before bumping his fists together.
Thump.
Thump.
“Haha, my power really is weak right now.” Son Goku laughed helplessly.
It had been many years since he experienced such weakness.
Compared to the overwhelming might of Super Saiyan 4, his current strength felt pitifully small.
He missed the towering power and invincible body he possessed during that transformation.
A slight ripple appeared in his heart as he clenched his fists tightly once more.
With a loud shout, Goku suddenly released his Qi.
Boom!
A burst of white energy erupted from his body like blazing flames and surged into the sky.
However, compared to the strength he once possessed in his previous timeline, this amount of power was no different from comparing a grain of sand to the endless stars or a firefly to the bright moon.
There was simply no comparison at all.
“If Bulma were here, she’d definitely be able to explain this situation.” Son Goku scratched his cheek while thinking silently.
In his mind appeared the image of the genius scientist who managed to create a time machine capable of crossing timelines with her own hands.
Besides that, he could also ask King Kai about the matter of his rebirth.
King Kai had lived for hundreds of thousands of years and possessed an incredible amount of knowledge.
Perhaps he would understand what had happened to him.
“Even if King Kai doesn’t know, once I become strong enough, I can go to the Sacred World of the Kai and rescue Old Kai.
Maybe he’ll know how to return me to my original timeline.” As for relying on Shenron, that would only be his final option.
Unless absolutely necessary, Goku did not want to use the Dragon Balls carelessly again.
The lesson brought by the Shadow Dragons remained deeply engraved in his heart.
Even if he believed that, with the advantage of starting over, he could eventually surpass his previous limits and eliminate the Shadow Dragons alone, it would still be better if such creatures born from negative energy never appeared in the first place.
There was no need to bring disaster to the Universe again.
No matter how much he thought about it, Son Goku still could not understand the reason behind his rebirth.
“Forget it.
Thinking about it won’t help.” Goku scratched the back of his head and forcefully set aside his confusion.
If he could not understand something, then there was no point dwelling on it.
The most important thing was becoming stronger.
That had always been his way of thinking.
Complicated internal struggles simply did not suit him.
At the thought of meeting King Kai again, Goku’s mood instantly improved.
After making up his mind, Son Goku leaped high into the air as white Qi surged around his body.
He placed two fingers against his forehead and focused intensely on sensing the energy of King Kai’s Planet.
He was already incomparably familiar with the life signatures there.
It did not take long before he found them.
Whoosh!
Using Instant Transmission, Son Goku instantly appeared in the sky above King Kai’s Planet.
“It really hasn’t changed at all.” A smile appeared on Goku’s face.
The familiar life energies of King Kai, Bubbles, and Gregory continuously flowed from the small green planet below, making every cell in his body feel refreshed.
Back in the past, it had taken him half an entire year to run across Snake Way.
Now, he crossed the distance in an instant.
King Kai’s Planet soon entered his sight completely.
His gaze passed through the drifting mist and landed upon the lush green grass below.
Every tree, every road, and every blade of grass felt incomparably familiar.
To Son Goku, this place was practically his second home.
Several small houses stood quietly on the tiny planet.
A curved road wrapped around the surface while an old car rested nearby, and scattered clusters of trees added vitality to the peaceful scenery.
Goku slowly descended from the sky and landed gently on the ground.
The moment his feet touched the earth, he slightly bent his knees and adapted to the ten times gravity of King Kai’s Planet.
After quickly adjusting himself, he strode forward toward a familiar figure nearby.
A black-furred monkey was currently playing alone.
“Bubbles, long time no see.” Goku smiled brightly and casually raised his hand in greeting.
Bubbles widened his round eyes in surprise.
The monkey stopped moving and tilted his head curiously while staring at the unfamiliar man who had suddenly appeared.
Curiosity filled his expression.
In Bubbles’ eyes, the strange person standing before him had messy black hair, a martial arts uniform with the Turtle School symbol on the chest, and a completely unfamiliar face.
Most likely another martial artist who came to train under King Kai.
“Ooo ooo, gulu!” Bubbles blinked his intelligent eyes and let out several questioning sounds.
Son Goku immediately laughed.
Naturally, he understood what Bubbles was trying to say.
Bubbles was asking who he was and why he came to King Kai’s Planet.
During his previous lifetime, because of his intense cultivation, the growth of his spirit, body, and Qi had reached an extraordinary state, allowing him to awaken certain supernatural abilities such as Telepathy.
Besides Telepathy, he had also developed abilities like Dream Communication and even the power to read memories.
Goku crouched beside Bubbles and smiled warmly.
“My name is Son Goku.
You don’t know me right now, but I’ve already known you for a very long time.”