"A God of Destruction?" Cooler's expression twisted again and again. "Beerus-sama? That doesn't make sense! Hasn't our family been working for Beerus-sama all along? Did we mess something up? We've destroyed plenty of planets for him!"
"Of course not Beerus-sama." Frieza snorted. "I mean a God of Destruction from another universe."
"You're saying… there are other Gods of Destruction besides Beerus-sama?" Cooler froze, then asked with a jolt of disbelief.
"Cooler, you're behind the times." Frieza let out a soft sigh and tossed out a mocking remark. "How do you not even know that?"
Cooler's face darkened.
No one told me. How would I know?
"Cooler… this universe is a lot more complicated than we thought. Besides our universe, there are eleven more, and each one has its own God of Destruction." Frieza gave him a simple explanation. "As far as I know, long, long ago, when we pushed toward the edge of the universe, that border region was called the World of Void. Cross that vast World of Void and you can reach other universes. Nobody ever told you that either, did they?"
Cooler slowly shook his head. Hearing it laid out like this, he had to admit he'd learned something.
So other universes really exist.
"Then how did you manage to offend a God of Destruction from another universe?" Cooler's tail swayed as he asked.
Frieza: "…"
"Stop talking nonsense. Show me what's happening on Planet Namek, right now." Frieza ground his teeth. He had no interest in bringing up the humiliation, so he shoved the topic aside and barked the order at Cooler.
"What? You're still going to Planet Namek?" Cooler's eyes shifted.
"Hmph. A God of Destruction beat me down, sure, but there's no way he stays on that planet for long. I'm finishing what I didn't finish!" Frieza clenched both fists tight. "Damn it… those little ants must've used this chance to gather the Dragon Balls. The wish is mine. You low-life creatures can forget it."
A subordinate rushed to scan Planet Namek, then hurried back to report that they hadn't found any sign of that rat-faced guy.
Instead, they'd spotted a strange dragon. Its appearance had plunged all of Planet Namek into darkness.
"A strange dragon?" Frieza stiffened, his expression shifting fast. "Don't tell me… they used that thing to make their wish?"
The moment he said it, Frieza strode up, triggered the ship's hatch, and shot out into space. He became a streak of light and tore toward Planet Namek.
"I won't forgive you! You stole my Dragon Balls and made your wish first! I'm ripping you apart one by one!" Frieza roared, accelerating until a bright trail of flame carved through the starfield.
As Frieza's figure vanished into the distance, Cooler fell into thought.
"Cooler-sama, should we go help?" Salza asked.
"I already said it. This is Frieza's problem. Let him handle it." Cooler's face stayed calm, his tone indifferent.
"Yes!" Salza answered.
"Then… Cooler-sama… should we leave this sector?" Dore stepped forward to ask.
"No rush. Let's see what happens first." Cooler narrowed his eyes. "Point the feed at Planet Namek. I want to watch Frieza bully those little ants."
…
Planet Namek.
Goku and the others finally gathered all seven Dragon Balls and summoned the dragon.
Porunga floated in the dark night sky, his massive body glowing with a green light.
Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, and Kale all stood there stunned, heads tilted back, mouths slightly open as they stared up at the enormous dragon.
"He's huge… way bigger than Earth's dragon…" Krillin breathed. "So this is the real deal?"
"Yep, I see it." Goku laughed. "Namek's dragon."
Most of the time, Goku only cared about training and getting stronger. When it came to dragons and the like, he mostly just wanted to see what they looked like.
That was all.
And that kind of mindset was exactly why he'd go on to become someone extraordinary.
"The shape's different too… nothing like Earth's dragon." Gohan muttered.
"This is my first time seeing him as well." Dende sighed.
Kale trembled and quickly hid behind Gohan.
"Don't be scared, Kale. That's Porunga. He won't hurt you." Gohan held her hand and smiled to reassure her.
"If Gohan-nii isn't scared… Kale won't be either." Kale nodded hard.
"Honestly… don't laugh, but the first time I ever fought, I was scared too. It felt like the world was about to end." Gohan smiled, a little embarrassed.
"Really?" Kale felt her chest loosen.
I thought I was the only one.
So everyone feels that kind of fear.
"I'll protect you while you're here." Gohan said softly.
"Thank you, Gohan-nii… you remind me of my sister." Kale's voice wavered, and tears slipped down.
"Your sister? She's not with you?" Gohan blinked.
"No… Merus-nii took me off my planet and brought me to Galactic Patrol headquarters…" Kale explained.
"Then once you've trained enough, go back and find her." Gohan said with a smile.
Kale nodded hard, feeling a lot better.
"Gatherers of the Dragon Balls, speak your wish. I will grant up to three wishes, as best I can!" Porunga's booming voice rang out across the sky.
But as his voice fell, his gaze snapped to the Grand Elder standing there.
"Grand Elder, have you restored your youth?" Porunga greeted politely.
"Thanks to Ken, I've regained my youth." The Grand Elder smiled and nodded at Porunga. "Right now, I can feel explosive power in every part of my body."
"Ken? The Saiyan who wants to become an angel?" Porunga's eyes widened, and fat beads of sweat rolled down his face. "I remember him!"
Last time he made a wish, he didn't even do it properly. He just kept messing with me.
"That was a long time ago." The Grand Elder gave an awkward laugh.
Porunga immediately looked toward Vegeta.
Vegeta's face twitched.
Why are you staring at me? Move your eyes away.
This dragon's got some nerve. Is this because you toyed with me over twenty years ago?
"Enough chatter!" Piccolo's expression changed. "I can sense a massive ki coming in from deep space! Frieza's back, isn't he?"
"It's Frieza's ki." Goku's face turned serious. "Make the wishes, now!"
"Hurry and speak them." The Grand Elder nodded, urging them on.
"Awesome. A real dragon really is generous—three wishes." Krillin laughed, then snapped back to business. "No time to admire him. First wish: bring back everyone on Earth who was killed by Vegeta, Nappa, and the Saibamen."
Vegeta's eye twitched.
That bastard.
"When did I ever kill an Earthling?" Vegeta barked, veins popping on his forehead.
"Uh… Vegeta, sorry… you came with Nappa, and you released the Saibamen, didn't you?" Krillin shot back.
Vegeta snorted, grinding his teeth.
That damn bald guy.
But he was still injured, and with the wish in progress, he didn't dare go too far.
If the dragon refused, he'd be stuck fuming with no way to force it.
"That is impossible. I can only revive one person at a time." Porunga's voice rumbled.
"Huh?" Krillin got hit like a lightning bolt.
"You can't revive a bunch of people at once?" Goku asked, confused.
"Sorry, I can't… though maybe it can be improved later." The Grand Elder picked up the explanation, thinking it over. "It might be possible in the future, but not now. Besides, weren't you only worried about people who've already died twice?"
"True." Goku laughed. "If Namek's dragon could revive everyone, we wouldn't have to use Earth's Dragon Balls."
The Grand Elder didn't answer.
This kid…
You call that "wasting" them?
"Then revive Chiaotzu." Piccolo suggested.
"Dende, please. Bring back Chiaotzu on Earth." Krillin said quickly.
"Yes." Dende stepped forward and made the wish in Namekian.
Porunga fell silent.
A brief silence.
"The one called Chiaotzu… he's in Universe 6 right now, correct?" Porunga asked.
Dende looked blankly at Krillin.
"Yeah… seems like it." Krillin nodded.
Porunga: "…"
"Porunga, is that wish hard to grant?" Goku suddenly had a bad feeling. "You can't grant wishes across universes?"
"Normally, I can't." Porunga's face tightened. "But there happens to be a passage near Earth. Through that passage, I can barely manage it… but it drains me."
These people all have some special connection to Ken, don't they?
Every time, it's some wish that makes my life difficult.
Crossing a whole universe just to make a wish… you've got nerve.
Ten full seconds passed.
"The first wish is granted." Porunga's face glistened with sweat.
This is exhausting…
One wish and I've burned through most of my strength.
Granting a wish across universes is brutal.
If Earth didn't have that passage, it would've been impossible.
"Thank you, Porunga." Goku said quickly.
"Speak your second wish!" Porunga's voice no longer carried the same thunder as before.
"Hey! The last two wishes are mine!" Vegeta snapped, limping forward and grabbing Dende by the collar.
"Let him go. I speak Namekian. I'll make your wish." Piccolo said flatly.
"Hmph. That's more like it." Vegeta's face brightened, but he kept a wary eye on Piccolo. "Piccolo, you'd better not try anything. If you screw me over, I'll make you die ugly."
"Then fine." Piccolo suddenly looked up. "Porunga, we don't have any wishes."
Vegeta panicked on the spot. He staggered up into the air and waved frantically at Piccolo.
"Piccolo, you bastard!" Vegeta shouted. "Make my wish! If you don't, once I become a God of Destruction, you're the first one I'm coming for!"
"Piccolo… hurry up. Frieza's almost here." Krillin sounded half-collapsed. "Stop messing with him…"
"Frieza will arrive in under three minutes." Goku's face stayed grim.
"Go on." Piccolo snorted, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Say your wish."
"First wish, let me, Vegeta—" Vegeta shouted.
"You mean the second wish." Piccolo grinned with confidence. "Relax. My timing's perfect. We've got time."
"Second wish! Make me, Vegeta, immortal!" Vegeta clenched his jaw and forced the words out.
Piccolo immediately relayed the wish in Namekian.
Porunga's huge eyes swept toward Gohan, and he gave a light nod before answering, "Understood. But that wish cannot be granted. I do not have the power to give immortality to a human."
The Grand Elder and Nail glanced sideways at Gohan and stayed silent.
Dende looked back at Gohan and wisely said nothing.
Gohan froze.
Why are you all looking at me?
"So Frieza was right." Vegeta didn't notice their looks at all. He clenched his fists and rushed on. "Then give me powerful regeneration. Can you do that?"
Piccolo tweaked Vegeta's words slightly in Namekian and passed them to Porunga.
"That wish can be granted!" Porunga nodded. "I can give him regeneration comparable to Majin Buu!"
"Who's Majin Buu?" Vegeta asked, curious.
Porunga looked at Vegeta with sympathy.
Poor guy…
Same wish, but it's not for you.
"To put it simply, the regeneration I grant is cellular regeneration. As long as even a single cell survives, you can regenerate and restore yourself." Porunga explained.
Vegeta's eyes widened with shock and joy.
Perfect.
So I'm basically immortal.
"Against humans, that kind of wish is indeed a huge advantage." Porunga continued. "I will now grant your second wish!"
As he spoke, an invisible divine power flashed within Porunga's eyes and instantly washed over Gohan's body.
Gohan blinked, stunned.
"Piccolo-san…" Gohan could feel something strange shifting in him.
"Shut up!" Piccolo snapped.
Gohan fell quiet.
Why won't you even let me talk?
I can really feel my body changing.
Fine. If you don't want me to speak, I won't.
Vegeta waited in silence for his own body to change.
A moment passed.
Nothing happened.
"Your second wish has been granted." Porunga's voice rumbled.
"W-What? It's granted? Then why do I feel absolutely nothing?" Vegeta's unease spiked.
"There's a delay. That's normal." Piccolo explained. "Reshaping your body takes time."
Porunga: "…"
That sounds reasonable, so I'll keep my mouth shut.
Vegeta thought it over, and Piccolo's explanation seemed solid.
A delay made sense.
It's not like you instantly become a regeneration type.
Right. Change like that would take a gradual process.
"Third wish, now." Piccolo urged. "Frieza's almost here."
"Third wish!" Vegeta started, then suddenly remembered something and looked up. "Can that wish also let me survive in outer space?"
"Yes." Porunga looked toward Gohan as he answered. "Without altering your Saiyan biology, I have given you regeneration. As for surviving in outer space, for someone with that constitution, it's like a skill. If you grasp it, you can live in space."
Porunga's eyes were enormous—each one was practically human-sized—so even though Vegeta felt like the dragon wasn't looking at him, it didn't really register as suspicious.
Vegeta's face lit with smug satisfaction.
"Hmph. Then I've got no more wishes. You deal with the rest." He waved grandly.
Piccolo didn't respond.
Pathetic.
Should I wish and give him the same thing Gohan got?
Piccolo was about to decide when the Grand Elder spoke.
"Can Earth's dragon revive all Namekians killed by Frieza's group, even across universes?" The Grand Elder turned and asked Piccolo.
"I don't know." Piccolo shook his head. "Ask Earth's Kami. I'm not him."
"Can you contact Earth's Kami?" the Grand Elder asked. "If you can, please ask whether he can revive all Namekians killed by Frieza's group. Please."
"I'll try." Goku nodded and reached out to King Kai.
With that attempt, he connected.
"I understand… but since it's across a universe, we don't know if Earth's dragon can grant a wish that reaches Planet Namek." King Kai's voice echoed in Goku's mind.
"Then please, King Kai, try right away." Goku answered.
King Kai didn't waste a second and immediately contacted Universe 6 Earth's Kami.
"King Kai? Good thing I've had Mr. Popo gathering the Dragon Balls on the lookout for emergencies…" Kami spoke quickly, then paused as he processed it. "What? Revive all Namekians killed by Frieza's group on Planet Namek? In my experience, that's easy. Shenron can do that without trouble, as long as they haven't died twice."
"I mean… can the wish be granted across a universe?" King Kai asked.
"Across a universe? What do you mean?" Kami sounded lost.
"Just summon Shenron and ask him." King Kai sighed.
Kami didn't fully understand, but he immediately summoned Shenron at the Lookout and made the wish as instructed, asking Shenron to revive all Namekians killed by Frieza's group.
Shenron: "…"
Shenron fell silent on the spot.
"Across a universe… that wish… I'm sorry, Kami-sama. I can't grant it." Shenron said.
Kami froze.
"What does 'across a universe' even mean?" Kami couldn't make sense of it.
"Simply put, Earth and Planet Namek are not in the same universe right now." Shenron explained. "Earth is currently in Universe 6, while Planet Namek belongs to Universe 7. Granting a wish across universes… the distance is just... Please forgive my inability."
Kami had no answer.
How did this turn into crossing universes?
Kami immediately relayed the result to King Kai.
King Kai was about to tell Goku it couldn't be done.
Then Kami suddenly spoke again—Shenron had tried once more and said it was possible after all, just extremely draining.
King Kai went quiet.
"Why is it possible now?" Kami asked.
"I don't know why, but a passage has opened between us and Universe 7. Through that passage, I can grant the wish." Shenron answered. "Do you want me to proceed?"
"Please do." Kami nodded. "I'm counting on you."
"It may take some time. This kind of wish drains a great deal of strength." Shenron replied.
A full minute passed.
Huge beads of sweat rolled down Shenron's face. His massive body shuddered slightly, his form visibly dimming.
Granting that wish left even Shenron looking unsteady.
"The wish… has been granted…" Shenron let out a long breath.
"Do you need to rest before you go?" Kami asked.
Shenron: "…"
Isn't sleeping my rest?
Shenron waved a claw, and his form dispersed into the sky.
The seven Dragon Balls scattered across the world, and the sky brightened again.
"King Kai-sama, the wish has been granted. Please tell Goku and the others." Kami said respectfully.
"Alright." King Kai nodded and passed the message to Goku.
…
Universe 7, Planet Namek.
High above the planet.
"Right. Good. Exactly like that." Ken nodded in satisfaction, stepping in to pat Merus on the shoulder. "Honestly, Merus, you're getting better and better."
Merus had just helped open a passage for the dragons—letting Shenron's wish reach Planet Namek.
Otherwise, granting a wish across universes was still extremely difficult for a dragon.
"It's nothing." Merus smiled, drawing his staff back. "Just a small favor. Consider it repayment for how they looked after Kale."
With a soft flash, the passage beside Merus vanished.
"Merus, you're starting to look more and more like an angel." Ken gave him a thumbs-up.
Merus didn't answer.
I am an angel.
Do you hear yourself?
"But seriously, Merus—have you been training properly lately?" Ken asked, curious.
"More or less." Merus smiled. "For me, time at Galactic Patrol headquarters counts as training."
"I'm level 59 now. I'm basically at the peak of 59—one step from 60. What about you?" Ken asked.
"Y-You're almost level 60?" Merus blurted, stunned.
How long has it even been?
Why are you leveling so fast?
Last time I saw you, you said you were only level 58.
Do you level up by the calendar?
Do you just auto-level when the time comes?
"Yeah, yeah. I'm almost 60." Ken nodded seriously. "Three days at most. I've got that feeling."
"Level 60… that's the level a real angel has." Cold sweat slid down Merus's face.
"If I hit level 60, which angels could I beat?" Ken asked, eyes bright with anticipation.
Merus didn't want to talk.
Are you leveling up just to fight?
"I'll rephrase that. That didn't sound right." Ken laughed. "Angels don't have violent tendencies, right… so are there any level 60 angels?"
"No." Merus's gaze dodged, and he gave an awkward smile. "The lowest are all level 65 and above."
"What a shame…" Ken said, disappointed. "Guess I've still got to work hard before I can spar properly with a real angel."
"This little angel is obviously not telling the truth." Amarella couldn't listen anymore. She shook her head. "Universe 9's Campari is probably the weakest angel in the whole multiverse. If you really reach level 60, go spar with him."
"Huh?" Ken lit up. "Campari's only level 60?"
"At least, the last time I sensed him, he was level 60." Amarella replied. "Now, I don't know."
"When was the last time you sensed him?" Ken asked.
"About five hundred years ago." Amarella thought for a moment.
Ken stared at her.
"Amarella, that's not fair… five hundred years. I don't buy that he didn't go up even one level." Ken scolded.
"You don't get it." Amarella sighed. "You think leveling past 60 is easy? At my peak I was only level 65, and after that, I couldn't push it no matter what. For most angels, going from 60 to 61 might take tens of millions of years of training."
Ken went silent.
Tens of millions of years.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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