At that moment, a virtual screen materialized before Goku's eyes, accompanied by a soft, ethereal chime.
Dimensional Transversal System
Notification: Energy points have exceeded 10,000,000,000.
System is now fully activated.
The Fantasia Gate is now open for unrestricted use.
Goku blinked in surprise. He pulled up the full system interface. His energy points read: 13,200,000,000.
No wonder, he thought. The planet he had just destroyed was the heart of the Cold Dynasty. While sparsely populated, every being there possessed a significant battle power, making them "high-value" targets for the system's conversion. The yield was immense.
If that were Earth… he mused, even with each life only granting a single point, the total would dwarf this due to the sheer number of creatures. Quantity has a quality all its own.
He examined the updated system functions. Previously, the Dimensional Transversal Device was limited to anime worlds. Now, the newly unlocked Fantasia Gate granted access to any world of fantasy—novels, films, video games, comics—the entire spectrum of imagination was open to him.
A thrill of anticipation ran through him. The urge to step into a new world was powerful, but discipline held him back. First, finish what I started here.
His next original goal had been to seek out the North Kaiō to learn the Kaiō-ken. But that was now pointless. As a Super Saiyan, his power was multiplied fifty-fold; stacking Kaiō-ken on top would shatter his body. And the Genki Dama (Spirit Bomb), while devastating, held no appeal—it was a borrowed power, slow to gather, antithetical to the Saiyan path of cultivating one's own innate strength.
Finding a real challenge at this stage is going to be tough, he conceded. For now, back to Earth.
With a thought, he vanished.
---
Elsewhere, in the Northern Galaxy, on a desolate, windswept planet, a powerfully built young man suddenly stiffened. His head snapped upward as if struck by an invisible force. A wave of pure, unadulterated rage contorted his once-placid features.
"KAKAROT!!!"
The roar shook the very atmosphere. As he screamed, golden light erupted from him—a wild, uncontrolled explosion of power that signified a Super Saiyan transformation.
"Wait! Broly!" A middle-aged man appeared swiftly at his side, clutching a peculiar device that glowed with a strange, pacifying energy. "Calm down, Broly! You must control it!"
The man was Paragus. The berserker before him was his son, the Legendary Super Saiyan—Broly.
"Focus on my voice… calm…" Paragus repeated, manipulating the controller. Slowly, the rampant aura receded, and Broly's breathing steadied, though a deep, simmering hatred remained in his eyes.
"Come, Broly. It's time to return."
As he led his son away, Paragus's brow furrowed with grim calculation. The catalyst has appeared far sooner than projected. The gears of destiny are turning ahead of schedule. It seems my plans must be accelerated.
---
Back on Earth, at Capsule Corporation, Goku enjoyed a long, relaxing bath with Bulma and the other women, followed by a well-earned rest. Refreshed and humming a tune, he stepped out of the steamy bathroom and used Instant Transmission.
He appeared on the familiar, sun-bleached sand outside Master Roshi's island home. There was one more person here he intended to meet.
The door of the small house creaked open. A woman with striking blue hair stood in the doorway, blinking in confusion at the stranger who had suddenly appeared.
"Y-you… who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
Goku's face broke into a warm, familiar grin. "Yo, Launch! It's been a few years. You've only gotten more beautiful."
"Huh?" She tilted her head, genuinely perplexed. "Do I… know you?" This was the gentle, blue-haired Launch—adorably unaware.
"Come on! Has it really been so long you've forgotten? I'm the one who helped you outrun those policemen years ago."
Launch studied his face, her eyes widening slowly with dawning recognition. "You… are you… Goku?"
"The one and only," he said with a chuckle. "Is the old master home?"
"Ah! It really is you, Son Goku! I can't believe how much you've grown in just over two years!" She brought a hand to her mouth in surprise. "Master Roshi? He's… in the bathroom."
"The bathroom?" Goku smirked, immediately understanding. "Let me guess—hiding in there with his 'special' magazines again." He then leaned casually against the doorframe, his smile turning playful. "So, Launch… have you missed me these past couple of years?"
As he spoke, he gently took one of her hands in his.
"G-Goku… you… you've become such a tease!" Launch's face flushed a deep crimson. She tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was effortlessly firm.
"Me? A tease? I'm just being friendly!" he laughed, his other hand beginning to stray toward her waist.
"Goku, please… don't…" she stammered, utterly flustered. The gentle Launch was defenseless against such boldness.
"Don't what? Be more specific," he teased, his fingers lightly brushing her side.
"I-It's just that… Ah… Ah… ACHOO!"
A gust of wind carried a speck of dust. Launch sneezed violently.
In an instant, her gentle demeanor vanished. Her hair flashed from blue to a vibrant gold, her posture shifting into one of aggressive alertness. Gentle Launch was gone; Blonde Launch had taken over.
"You little punk! Trying to cop a feel?!" she snarled. Without hesitation, she drove a sharp, practiced punch into Goku's abdomen. As he took the blow without flinching, she spun away, her hand darting to a hidden holster.
Where she produced the submachine gun from was a mystery, but produce it she did. BRRRRAT! A hail of bullets tore through the air, striking Goku center-mass.
He didn't bother to move. The bullets pinged off his chest and fell harmlessly to the sand, leaving not even a smudge on his skin. He began walking toward her, a slow, unstoppable advance.
"Y-you monster!" Blonde Launch gasped, her bravado cracking. "Guns don't work?!" She turned to bolt.
In a flash, Goku was behind her. His arms wrapped around her, pinning her against him. Before she could shout another curse, he dipped his head and captured her lips in a deep, claiming kiss.