(Somewhere In The Far Reaches Of Universe 7, On Lord Beerus's Planet. . .)
Roughly two whole weeks had passed since the day after the fight with Broly and some random guy that crash landed on Kuzuku's front lawn. Truthly an eventful week that left him a bit much more than he could chew but needless to say, he swallowed it down with stride. Aside from that, now that he had managed to get Kale and Caulifla established as rivals, training them had now become more of a competition between the two young female Saiyans albeit the occasional self-belittlement when Caulifla would one up the timid girl during training. Really, it was taking all of his will power to keep him from slamming his head into the wall when he nearly thought all the progress he made would go out the window in a single day. A thought that weighed on his mental stamina that's for sure. Nonetheless, he had to admit that since that change, his two apprentices had improved rapidly since their unfortunate one-sided battle against Ize. Something that he expected to dwell on their confidence but that was too early to assume now would it? Which was part of the reason why he decided to give them a bit of a break from his type of training today so that he could have some space to himself.
Especially since 21 was revealed to be pregnant with his kid which was a whole other ordeal he had to sort out. Truthfully, most of his time was spent between teaching, occasional work for Bulma, and taking care of his pregnant wife who couldn't stay away from the nearest form of pastry that she could find. The mere thought mentally made him groan as he knew that it was partly because of her morphed anatomy but seriously. . .she was going to run his wallet dry at the rate she was going. Not only that, but it didn't help him all that much as their foreign. . .well alien or. . .whatever: their unexpected guest! Yeah, that's better. Ryo basically has been coming in and out of their property as he did his own thing which consisted of exploring and getting to know the planet he had just landed on. It was kind of relaxing to know that he hasn't done anything terrible yet but whenever he came back with some random sweets that he could never figure out how he managed to obtain some of those, 21 would somehow manage to get her hands on some. It was so consistent that he could have sworn that she made a deal behind his back and the two are conspiring against him. Great. . .a new foe has arised and he has no way to combat them. Just fantastic. Oh, and don't get him started with the "mood-swings". He was starting to realize why Zugo had a homemade bomb shelter dug up from a far away place from his house.
That said, the soon-to-be dad pushed those thoughts aside as soon as he heard a thought interrupt his flow. A voice that was drilled into his head as rough and serious from his days training with him as he spoke his Saiyan name, "Kolard, pay attention you damn brat!" He blinked a few times as he floated above the lake after missing completely on his bone-crushing right hook aimed at his target that was nowhere to be seen. Confused, the primal Saiyan looked around a bit as his Grand Super Saiyan 4 fur tingled and raised as he felt danger approaching. However, his mind was totally out of sync with his body and before he knew it; a strong yet skillful blow from what felt like the hardest metal in the universe struck him in the back of his head. He winced in pain as he was sent hurling into the water below, the impact causing a large rise of water to sprout from the lake as it towered the area.
Vegeta scrunched his eyebrows, his teeth grinding in annoyance at how lack lustered his awareness was just now, "Tch. . .that dumb brat. He literally pulled a Kakarot just now!" Hearing this, the owner of the Saiyan name known as Kakarot had decided to flow closer to the Saiyan prince in hopes of asking what he meant; his eyes showing confusion.
"What do you mean by that, Vegeta?" Goku all but questioned. "Did Kuzuku do something that I would do?"
The Saiyan prince couldn't believe his ears at how oblivious this clown was. But what did he expect? This "clown" was a natural martial arts genius so his remark really held little weight to it. He scoffed, refusing to give him a proper answer as he should be able to figure it out himself, "Do you really have to ask? You should be able to figure things out by now."
"Hmmm. . .should I?" Goku all but playfully asked further, earning an annoyed grunt from his rival.
However, their small chit-chat was interrupted by a muse hum from the figure floating towards them, his staff in hand as he simply chuckled at the comedy scene playing out in front of him.
The angel twirled his staff in his hand slowly, "Now, now, no need to be rude Vegeta. Besides, you still haven't conquered your own weakness, have you?" Still confused, Goku raised an eyebrow but Vegeta simply narrowed his eyes at the Angel's comment. It was true that he still was tense and hyper focused during battle. But that was simply how he was born to do it, his way of fighting. . .A way of fighting fitting for his character that he built his pride upon. Knowing that, the smile on the angel's face said it all, as if he were testing him to respond in the correct way and form. With a smirk, he already knew how to reply as he huffed in amusement.
"Does it matter? I already said that I don't desire that Ultra Instinct Kakarot acquired. I'll simply aim for something that surpasses it!" Vegeta confidently proclaims.
Nodding in agreement, Whis was satisfied by his answer, "Well said, Vegeta. Now. . ." He turned his attention back down towards the waters just in the nick of time.
On cue, Kuzuku resurfaced from the water, his body drenched as he had reverted back into his base form from the strike. He was slightly dazed though not enough to the point that he could spit out the excess water that entered his body. Yup, getting rocketed at speeds faster than the world's fastest jet into a large body of water located on a planet owned by a destroyer god. He deserved that wholeheartedly for letting his thoughts get in his way of battle.
"Kuzuku boy, we'll be taking a break so once you're done taking your bath come meet us," Whis jokingly remarked.
As he watched Goku and Vegeta revert back into base, Whis had already made his way down onto the solid, dry, and most certainly not wet ground across the lake where the lounge chairs and umbrella resided for only himself and his God Of Destruction. Subsequently, his two more experienced sparring partners followed him while Kuzuku sat in the water in full contemplation on how badly he got destroyed. I mean. . .it wasn't so bad getting beat by the single, most powerful force in his Universe that's only rival is a humanoid purple-cat with a short temper.
But, the young Saiyan had to admit. . .,"Smooth, Whis. Very, smooth. . ." He sighed before flying up out of the water with his clothes dripping wet from sitting too long. His lean, muscular toned body refracted the light as if he were some divine being which was only partly correct but digression is needed for this. Wasting no time, he flew over to the area where his party had landed, his eyes instantly spotting them waiting for him to land as Whis sat on the lounge chair to get away from the sun. . .well three suns. Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta seemed to be standing near a rock which looked to be the perfect sitting spot to enjoy a conversation.
Seeing this, he took a dive towards it and landed graciously on top of the boulder that rested itself near the group. Kuzuku sighed, taking his seat as he waited for the inevitable scolding he was going to get. One that he knew he deserved. Though, Goku was the first to acknowledge his presence as per usual with his chuckle.
"Yo, I actually thought you were going to stay in there a bit longer!" Goku jested.
Laughing a bit, Kuzuku sheepishly scratched his head as he wringed out the excess water from his gi, "I would but I feel like that'd be a bad move. I'd like to head home not completely battered today, otherwise 21 will send me to Otherworld."
"Yeah, heheh!" the hero of Earth grinned, his hands resting firmly on his hips, "I still need to collect the firewood for Chi Chi later so I'm gonna need to save some strength for that too."
Vegeta scoffed, "Pfft, letting your wives take control of your lives? How pitiful." Kuzuku wanted to say something though unfortunately Goku had already beaten him to the punchline that he had come up with. A small competition between them to see who can tease the Saiyan prince the best.
"This is coming from the guy who nearly couldn't come to train on Whis's planet today because Bulma wanted you to watch Bulla for five minutes," Goku mischievously chuckled as he blushed out of embarrassment.
Kuzuku couldn't help himself, his face contorting into a fit of laughter as the hero of Earth did the same. By this point, Vegeta was all but fuming and was about ready to pulverize them with a quick Final Flash to one of the suns. Though, he second that since this wasn't his planet to which if it does end up destroyed the Earth will probably be space dust with a mere sneeze from its owner. So what did he do? He endured it while plotting his revenge against the two later is what he did. Otherwise, this would not be a training visit anymore.
Chuckling from his lounge chair, Whis decided to stand up to calm the three down as he felt it was about time for him to give guidance, "Alright, that's enough. We can't have our Saiyan prince destroying everything around us now?"
"Heheh~yeah! You're right, Whis! My bad!" Goku snickered, his attempts at getting rid of his giggles failing multiple times to the point that it only made his rival more agitated. It didn't help that Kuzuku wasn't faring much better but eventually he managed to get himself under control just in time for Vegeta to do his patent growl to the side.
After getting their undivided attention, the blue skinned angel cleared his throat of the faint sign of chuckles before adding, "Now, I would like to point out that you three have improved a lot from this training session alone aside from our little youngling getting sidetracked," The smal remark at his absent mind was enough to make him slightly blush, his eyes darting to the left to avoid the staring h as if he did something wrong. Needless to say, Whis chuckled and continued.
"However, you three are still lacking in some areas. For starters, as you are probably aware of Goku," Whis noted, earning a small reaction from the hero of Earth, "You still haven't been able to tap into Ultra Instinct again or even it's Omen state. I won't put it past you since it still was something unexpected to say the least. . ."
Goku sheepishly scratched the back of his head in a typical mannerism he's displayed throughout the years, "Yeah, I think the biggest part is that I don't understand why it happened."
"Mhm. . ., well I suppose it was a bit too much to expect you to remember what I said when you first began my training along with Vegeta," the Angel all but smirked as he then turned his eyes to the Saiyan prince who seemed to have a hint at what he could be talking about. When it comes to the analytical side of fighting, Vegeta always did have a slight edge in reading things compared to Goku. Knowing this, he hummed musely before continuing, "You see, I don't need to address this to our prince here since he's well aware of why striving for Ultra Instinct isn't going to work for him. That is because Ultra Instinct in of itself relies on the user allowing their body to move without any other thoughts deterning away from a reactive decision. In short terms, the basis of Ultra Instinct is mostly mental before physical and technical."
The last part caused Kuzuku to raise an eyebrow, "Technical? As in what?"
"Why of course, Martial Arts," Whis immediately answered with a smile, pointing over to Vegeta, "In terms of Martial Arts; who do you think has the most experience of the three?"
The question in of itself earned him a blank moment of silence until Kuzuku finally realized it. His eyes immediately darted over to the cheerful hero who simply chuckled as he knew who he was referring to. Needless to say, Whis couldn't help but smirk, "Now you get it? In terms of pure Martial Arts experience and technique, Goku has you both beat in that aspect as from what I've been told, he's been studying Martial Arts teachings since he was a child. This is different from what Saiyan military combat can teach you which is why Vegeta knows Ultra Instinct is far from his grasp. Isn't that right, Vegeta?"
Grumbling under his breath, he simply turned his eyes away as he responded, "Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it as much as I hate to admit it. . ." The angel nodded.
"But that's not to say that was the only reason as well. Goku didn't just learn Ultra Instinct from simply practicing any Martial Arts. If that were the case, then anyone could have done even with the most mediocre fighting style," Whis added, "From watching Goku for all these years, it seems his Turtle Hermit Style shares similar principles to Ultra Instinct. Perhaps his training for so long under that style specifically along with various other masters combined with his Saiyan biology allowed him to access Ultra Instinct in a manner never seen before. . ."
Curiously, Vegeta suddenly asked in confusion, "Wait, what do you mean never seen before? I thought that his changing appearance was normal. Are you saying. . ."
"Why yes," Whis interrupted, his eyes narrowing in on Goku specifically, "Ultra Instinct was never a transformation. It was always a technique. Something in mannerism to King Kai's Kaioken though it doesn't grant them a power-boost. That said, the form Goku took was a transformation resulting from his own power and potential. That potential was so deep that it manifested into a form that subconsciously utilizes Ultra Instinct without him really having to understand it. . ."
They all were silent at the revelation. The fact that the very thing that was so nigh-impossible for the gods of destruction to learn throughout millions of years of training wasn't something that came in the form of a divine transformation. No, it was always a technique down to it's very core and what they witnessed was perhaps something that has never happened since the literal dawn of time. That spoke a lot of volume for how special Son Goku really was to the point that it left the other two Saiyans baffled. Heck, even the person who achieved this feat himself was bewildered by his own accomplishment.
As they contemplated and tried to process everything Whis had told them, the Angel chuckled lowly, "Now that you all understand that, the most likely reason as to why Goku managed to pull it off during the tournament was because he was forced into a corner where all those extra thoughts during fighting were necessary to be discarded when he was backed into a corner. That combined with everything else is why he managed to perfect Ultra Instinct albeit the state before his silver-hair form was incomplete because he couldn't remove them all. In time I believe you, Son Goku, could reach that silver-haired form a lot sooner than you think. Or maybe. . ."
His sudden pause left Goku confused but he decided it was best not to explain too much. It was only in theory but if his silver-haired form was a result of his cultivated Martial Arts experience under the Turtle Style along with his Saiyan potential at such a high-intensity then perhaps that state is simply. . .well all-in-all, it's still just a theory. No need to jump the gun just yet until time passes. It was really up to Goku himself to figure it out.
That aside, he turned to the final Saiyan who required guidance. He was perhaps the most intriguing one out of the three, simply because the Angel had not run into a case like his before. The young man stared as he waited for him to talk, his words coming out in a more upbeat tone as this was the main part of his lecture that he wanted to get to. His eyes and smile were glued onto Kuzuku as he spoke, "Now, onto you, Kuzuku. . ." Flinching, Kuzuku felt he was really preparing to get onto him from the gecko which made him both slightly flattered and a bit nervous at the same time.
"I haven't seen anything like you before. Since the beginning, Beerus had his eye on you and even requested me to train you to learn God-Ki like Vegeta over there. But, even after learning God Ki, you didn't achieve Super Saiyan Blue like the other two. I'll admit, it caught me off guard but you manage to pull through and find your own path to the point that you unlocked quite a formidable power towards the final moments of the tournament," Whis clasped his hands together as if he was delighted at his. . .unprecedented development.
Nervously chuckling, Kuzuku rested his hand over his shoulder since he knew the obvious weakness he had despite achieving such great power, "Heheh, yeah. . .it's all great and well but it's pointless if that power can end my life at any moment, right?"
"Precisely, and I think I've got a little strong theory as to why that's the case," the Angel unraveled, earning a peaked interest from the primal Saiyan.
"Wait. . .already? That was fast, especially since you only saw the form in action twice now right?" Kuzuku asked, impressed by his analysis skills.
Agreeing, Goku chimed in as well with a compliment of his own, "Wow, Whis you really are on a roll today with the training."
"Heheh, well call me an overachiever if I must say," Whis chuckled with slight pride, "Now, as I was saying, this is still in theory but from what I've noticed and gathered, that transformation you call Super Saiyan 5 in nature is indeed a Saiyan-like transformation in its purest form. However, due to the wild nature and your lack of control, your Saiyan-like Ki runs rampant to the point that it creates an imbalance with your God-Ki qualities. This results in an unstable fluctuation of energy that is simply too much for the body to handle in addition to your attacks and even your defense become inconsistent throughout a fight. It's the reason why you were unable to defeat Jiren or Broly especially since you were rushing your attacks rapidly. Each time you did that, you only sped up the rate of change in power to which your body couldn't keep up."
"I see. . ., damn! To think something so obvious was happening without me knowing and I did it twice!" Kuzuku hissed, his fist balled up in self-frustrations.
However, Vegeta couldn't help but wonder, "If that's the case, then what is he supposed to do? If he tries to end the fight quickly he'll simply kill himself faster. But, if he doesn't rush then his opponents would simply wait and stall till he burns himself or even dies. Sounds like a lose-lose to me." At last, the very question that brought him to the juicy part of his lecture. He knew that if he mentioned Kuzuku's weakness in Super Saiyan 5 then he would be able to properly lead them to a new type of path he's come up with. One that doesn't result in all three of them trying to learn a technique that only one of them achieved through sheer coincidence and decades of Martial Arts experience.
"I'm glad you asked, Vegeta. In fact, the answer to that question involves the training that you three will be doing in order to further improve," Whis insinuated.
"A new training?" Goku muttered with glee.
Although, the Saiyan Prince raised an eyebrow, "What type of training?" The Angel chuckled at his question before answering.
"To be blunt, it's improving your Ki in all three aspects; Mind, Spirit, and Body," He revealed.
There was a small silence between them with three confused Saiyans simply staring at the God of Destruction attendant with equally widened eyes. What the heck did he mean by that? Needless to say, Whis was the least bit surprised by their reaction and continued, "Let me explain. You are all aware that the multiverse itself is vast. Due to that, there are beings out there who could defeat you if you aren't careful. Some that can probably destroy your very soul, drain your life-energy or even probably disintegrate you with a touch because of some biological ability or some sort. Tell me, how well do you think you can fare against people who can do that if they are just as strong, fast, and powerful as you are now?" As expected they remained silent at the question.
It made sense as to where he was getting at. What could they do to stop someone from pretty much defeating them with a single touch no matter how powerful they are. If they had the ability to simply bypass their hard-earned durability then what good was it anyways. Sure, there aren't a lot of fighters out there to contest them but one did show that with abilities with similar unfairness was able to do things such as that. A certain assassin from Universe 6 that was formidable if allowed to kill. It wasn't like they weren't outright saying they wouldn't resist such things but they weren't confident either. Heck from what Goku remembers, he literally resisted being erased from existence at one point. Taking the silence as an answer, Whis decided to go further.
"I understand that, no matter how much power you acquire, you are still vulnerable to those types of things. But, despite there being people like that out there, do you want to know why Beerus is regarded as the strongest God of Destruction?" Whis asked. Quietly due to the seriousness of his voice, the three waited for his follow-up answer patiently. Cracking a smirk, the Angel revealed without wasting more time on anticipation, "Before he became a true God of Destruction, Beerus had a great refinement and grasp of Ki in general. This even translated to his God-Ki as well."
"His. . .God-Ki?" Vegeta uttered.
"Don't mind me asking, is there really that big of a difference other than a power-boost when it comes to God-Ki?" Kuzuku inquired.
Following up, Goku couldn't help but add as well, "Yeah, I honestly thought that it simply gave us enough power to compare to actual gods. . ."
"Why of course. . .well from an initial standpoint, God-Ki does grant an increase in power though it's rare to find in mortals and few have it. But the main aspect of God-Ki is the ability to manifest feats or powers that are beyond the normal boundaries of the universe. To get a better understanding, you must understand regular Ki first." Whis noted, "You see, in the case of normal Ki, the basis of improving it is through its three main aspects; Body, Mind, and Spirit. Body being your enhanced physical attributes that many acquire through simple physical training such as Speed, Stamina, Strength, Agility, and many other traits. Then there is your Mind, the component that grants you protection from being controlled or shattered. Typically, this is for those who have strong will against those that try to take them over. But lastly, is Spirit; the aspect that protects your very existence and soul from being destroyed, possessed, or even taken away."
Kuzuku cupped his chin in thought, "I see where you're getting at. But now what does God-Ki have to do with all this?" The Angel smiled.
"Remember, God-Ki may feel like a huge boost in power but it is mainly because it greatly enhances all three of those components immensely. Your defenses against such powers that are meant to wiggled their away around your raw power can be render almost ineffective. But that isn't what's special about it. When one reaches the level of mastery with God Ki, they become what's known as a 'singularity' or a unique existence entirely. Furthermore, there is a chance for them to manifest new abilities as a result as well, though that depends on the affinity and strength of the owner. In a more narrow sense, God-Ki is a realm of power that would take someone with normal Ki years or even eons to accomplish the same thing. That said, Lord Beerus is probably the best out of all the Gods of Destruction in this regard while also achieving an imperfect Ultra Instinct to boot." Whis concluded.
It was a lot to soak in. To think they possessed such an amazing little gift and they never even knew about it's secrets. All this time, they just assumed that they got more powerful and could heal from injuries a lot faster than normal because of the God-Ki they acquired. But now that they finally learned the truth, this has made them all the more motivated to perfect it. Especially since it was something that their God of Destruction perfected to the point that he's even far above his fellow gods.
Vegeta smirked, his knuckles cracking as he couldn't wait to learn the method Whis had come up with, "Sounds intriguing to me. . .what do we have to do to obtain such power?"
Humming, the Angel couldn't help but remember the only two methods that could possibly work. Especially since all three of them weren't the normal bunch, "Well, since you all aren't naturally born gods and all, the most logical method is for you to fine-tune your normal Ki in all areas so your God-Ki can naturally follow suit. Eventually it'll start to mimic your regular Ki to the point that it doesn't feel like it's there since it will copy your Saiyan-qualities almost perfectly as it adjusts to the comfort of the user. That said, it's not like it'll be gone nor people outside the ability of being able to sense God-Ki will be able to sense it. However, only a few really managed and actually did it this way from my years of training God of Destruction candidates."
"There's another method?" The Saiyan Prince questioned.
"Hmm, yes. But you wouldn't want to do it since it involves just taking away all your mortal-like Ki and converting it into a God. Once that happens, not only it'll be harder for you to develop but since you'll lose the Saiyan traits in the process, you'll lose the ability to turn Super Saiyan in general," Whis smirked.
The reaction from the three of them was practically priceless as they went pale at the thought. No Super Saiyan? Yeah, better stick with the first method because that sounded like a world they didn't want to be in. Chuckling, the Angel knew they'd rather go with option one, "Now, unfortunately for you three, for the first method to work, you'll have to realize that you rely on something too much. Something that you were just now afraid of losing." Confused, it took a bit for it to register in their heads as to what he meant. Damn, it was almost like he was reading their minds. . .
"Wait. . .don't tell me. . .," Vegeta muttered in all seriousness.
"Yup. . .when you fight and even train, you rely on your transformations to give you a push without realizing that it hinders your God-Ki and body getting accustomed to each other. In order for this to work, you'll need to train in your natural states," He confirmed.
Confused, Goku scratched his head since he didn't quite get it, "Wait, how come that is the case?"
"Well. . ." the attendant sighed, jesting, "God-Ki will settle better when the host is in its most natural form. You didn't come out the womb with golden hair now, did you?"
Finally getting it, the hero of Earth let out a gasp, "Oooohhh, heheh! Now I get it, silly me!"
"That said, try to emphasize on using your transformation as least as possible, especially during training. When you train, focus on perfecting those 3 aspects and learn more about them as well as yourself. Each of you may be weaker in some areas than the other. But remember, this process is a long one and you will not know when the training is completed until you immediately feel the difference. But until then, in order to continue fending off foes while trying to perfect this method, I strongly suggest you focus on becoming better fighters rather than seeking more power for now." Whis strongly insisted.
Understanding this, the Saiyan trio collectively nodded though Kuzuku was probably the most needing of this. For a whole month he pondered on what to do about Super Saiyan 5 and after the Broly fiasco, he definitely felt that the form was too risky for the rewards to the point that he almost scrapped it entirely. But now that there was some hope at him being able to stabilize his incomplete transformation as well as getting stronger overall then it was definitely worth a shot. It was a win-win in his book now. He just had to be patient and focus on the things that he was told. Especially since they were not something strenuous sounding and more relaxing. A type of training he needed with all the things he has going on back at home. His sister is pregnant, then his wife, while also having to train two students that are now rivals, and last but not least another outer space guest that crashed landed on his porch. Yup, things he had to deal with before he even start something really serious like intense sparring.
While he was in his train of thoughts, Goku couldn't help but realize the time, his face slowly getting pale as he recalled something, "Oh crap! Sorry guys, I have to head out! I promised Goten and Chi Chi that I will take them fishing with me with Gohan and Videl! I'll take your advice and put it to use later Whis, so thanks!"
"No problem, just give me good results and I'll be happy," Whis assured.
Smirking, Vegeta rested his hand on his rival's shoulder as he knew his time was up as well, "I'll take my leave as well. I have to go check on those runts from Universe 6. I bet they already far surpassed those girls they came with already"
"Oh yeah~?" Kuzuku mused, "I wouldn't count my students out of the race, Vegeta. They've improved a lot, trust me. Especially under who they are training right now."
The Saiyan prince's eyes widened a bit, his smirk returning as he caught on to his plan, "Not bad. . .I almost forgot about her." The comment alone made him snicker as Goku was confused by the whole ordeal. Though, he didn't dwell on it since he was in a rush and wasted no time searching for the nearest power level he could find close to his house. It only took a second for them to vanish without a trace, thus leaving the young Saiyan and Angel alone on the grassy field near the palace.
Sighing into a smile from a good day of training, Kuzuku decided it was best for him to head home to his pregnant wife, "Well, thanks for the training today Whis but I better head back. I don't know if I should leave 21 alone for any longer than I have now."
"That's understandable for a pregnant woman, Kuzuku. But, do you have a moment? I'd like to add one little thing to your training specifically," Whis insisted.
Questioningly, the primal warrior stared at him, "Huh? Am I getting special treatment?"
"Heheh, you could say that but it's more suited for you than the other two since they have developed into their own respective fighters," Whis chuckled and noted, "You see, Goku is more laid-back, confident, and carefree when it comes to fighting. These attributes allow him to relax more when he fights and it's perfect since it helps him achieve Ultra Instinct. On the other hand, Vegeta is serious, tense, and perceptive. He's the type of fighter to pay attention to every detail in a fight. But you Kuzuku. . ."
"Hmm?" the latter hummed at the sudden pause.
Whis glanced at him with narrowed eyes, almost as if he were staring into his very soul. Out of all the fights in the tournament of power, he's been keeping a close eye on him as well as Goku and Vegeta. From his fights from beginning to end, he's shown one thing that caught his eye as a fighter, "You are a combination of the two. When you fight, you are carefree and relax yet when things get serious, you can not only maintain composure but also become more analytical and perceptive. In simple terms, it's like you are a blend of both Goku and Vegeta as fighters yet in comparison to each of their respective aspects, you are still lacking in experience which is understandable. But that's not all. . .tell me with this in mind; do you think the Turtle Style works best for you?"
"Huh? Ummm. . .I don't know really, it's just the first Martial Arts I've learned to be honest. I'm not as experienced in it as Goku is though," Kuzuku answered.
"Fair answer. . .now with that said, have you considered branching away or discovering something other than that style?" Whis continued to question.
His eyes widened, "Branching. . .away? No, not reall-"
"Well then," the angel interrupted abruptly, "The point I am trying to make here is that perhaps the martial arts you've been using aren't the best for you. I recommend that you try and develop a style that works best for you rather than trying to imitate Goku who's been training in that style since he was a child. I think you have that type of potential in you."
". . ."
Kuzuku was silent at the suggestion. It was true that up to this point that he's been using the Turtle Style because he felt that he had to stick to it out of respect. However, he knew from then on that the style was a bit hard for him to truly understand, mostly because he didn't train under it, of course. It was what led him to develop some other techniques based on the Turtle Style that well suited him. Now he was being given the green light by the strongest being in his universe to try and create an entirely new martial art or at least discover one better suited? Tempting but would it be the right move? The amount of time it would take along with him having to perfect it would probably be a while. But that said, it doesn't sound so bad but where would he even begin. In fact a better question is; what suits him in the first place?
The internal struggle was visible on his face until Whis snapped him out of his thoughts with a simple gesture; his palm resting on his shoulders in encouragement, "Don't overthink it." The assurance was enough to make him calm his pondering a bit.
"Ah, okay but even if I do that, I feel like I've already learned everything when it comes to martial arts. . .that there is not much else to learn in that aspect," Kuzuku murmured.
Whis chuckled, "I don't think so and that was the sole reason why I wanted you to learn a new style. This training isn't just to refine your Ki but also to teach you three something valuable that correlates to martial arts. I feel for you, if you start from scratch then you'll get what I mean as Goku and Vegeta will probably figure it out before you." He had a blank expression on his face as he processed the final words he said to him before he turned to go about his business. Eventually, he smiled, feeling more encouraged to give his advice a shot before muttering under his breath.
"Will do, Whis. . .Will do. . .,"
(Back On Earth, Zugo Residence Close By Satan City Wilderness Area. . .)
It was a rather calm and relaxing afternoon to say the least for the Astackian soon-to-be-father. He sat on his handcrafted couch that he made since he didn't want to spend money on a sofa that didn't meet his expectations. In all fairness, he did have to admire his own work as it felt a million times softer than the ones that his pregnant wife wanted to pick out. So much for that when she at times would instantly pass out from the moments of its touch. On that note, he took a sip of his ice tea as his mind wandered onto more. . .glaring issues. For starters, since the unraveling of Zugo's inevitable doom as one of the few Astackians to reach the supposent final stage that his early opponent mentioned in the tournament. He had to figure things out fast. . .otherwise, he might as well kiss his life goodbye. Frankly, the Astackian had no clue as to when it would occur. Ten? Twenty even? It was only a matter of time before he became a mindless killing machine like fate has set for him. The mere thought of this weighed on him heavily to the point of mental exhaustion. Even training now has been hard to maintain out of fear of progressing too much. It was understandable, his transformation hasn't even reached "maturity" as Vyrian would call it. Meaning he'd be even stronger as he grows older before reaching his own peak.
Mentally, he sighed at the last thought no matter how good it initially sounds. The only person who really knew about all this was his best friend Hudo and even though he's fully supportive, it hadn't helped him find the solution. As of right now speaking, his fellow Astackian had gone off somewhere to do some research or some sort at Kami's Lookout with Dende. God knows what he could be learning from up there but power to him he guessed. However, once he placed his cup down, the doorbell to his round cottage home that was pretty big for a standard one echoed throughout the house. He raised an eyebrow, contemplating, "Huh? Who could that be? We literally live out in the wilderness for christ sake and the Ki signature doesn't feel familiar. . ."
Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the luxury to see, think and guess on who it was as the sound of his wife from upstairs had filled his ears.
"Zugo! Mind getting that for me!" His wife requested in an almost playful manner.
Reminding himself about the other instances of her switching from cheerfulness to flat out rage when he was too slow to comply to his request made him get up from his comfort spot a bit quicker than he thought. He stumbled a bit to the door close to the living room area and opened it, his expectations on it being the monkey that he sure does love so much. If not and it was someone simply trying to do their best impression on what a real-life pop-up ad would look like then he can easily scare them off like he always does. But neither came to meet his expectations. His eyes widened with a bit of an intriguing look in his eyes. Standing before him were two recognizable faces that he's seen from watching the rest of the tournament. Their obsidian eyes mimic each other with one looking a bit more shy in contrast to how much of a mug her company had. They were Saiyan alright, but definitely not from this universe but still Saiyan. The real question was: Why are they here on Earth or better yet, why are they in front of his house.
With those questions repeating in his head, the feisty female Saiyan didn't waste time to ask, "Is this home uh. . .Riley's?" The Astackian almost didn't register her words for a moment thus delaying his response.
"Ummm. . . yeah and I assume you two are from Universe 6? Zugo answered before asking, "How in the hell did you get her address? She didn't even participate in the tournament."
Hearing this, Caulifla folded her arms in a matter-of-fact tone, "Who else? We got it from Kuzuku of course? He went training today with the old man and the Prince so he sent us over here. Something about his sister being able to help us achieve Super Saiyan 3."
Zugo slightly froze for a moment, his brain processing everything she just said, "Did. . .did this dumbass really dump his students to his pregnant sister just so he could go train? Just by her tone she sounds like the type of person to start something without thinking. If that's the case, if Riley gets even a bit mad then I might be going back to the bomb shelter for what? The fifth. . .no, SIXTH time. . .!" At that thought, he inwardly breathed and sighed, his fingers already pinching the bridge of his nose from the predicament that he's been put in. Either this was a strategic revenge plot on him for accidentally destroying his computer that one time or Kuzuku had lost his brain cells from that fight with Broly. Either way. . .
"Okay. . ." The Astackian sighed, muttering, "I'm so gonna kick his ass when I see him."
"Huh?" the more dominant of the two female Saiyans frowned in confusion.
Her response to his silent cursing brought him back to reality. He needed to play the good husband today and do the best thing he could think of before tragedy strikes, "Look, I don't think my wife can come see you right now. She's-"
"Oh, who do we have at the door Zugo!?" a delighted voice called from behind him.
His face went pale as he didn't have time to whip around to motion her back to the bed that she had been resting on due to her abnormal nausea routine. Before he knew it, she had already leapt onto his back, giving him a loving and tight hug around his waist as she hanged off him like a child. On normal days, it was cute but in the state she was in now, that cute angel demeanor could turn into a devil in a flash. As he was practically petrified, his wife decided to look over his shoulder to see who was at the door, her eyes glistening with slight awe as she spotted the Universe 6 female Saiyans.
"Hey, Zugo! These girls are Saiyans! The ones from the Tournament of Power, right!?" Riley energetically asked.
Defeatedly, her husband sighs into his reply, "Yeah. . .Kuzuku apparently sent them here to see you specifically." Admittedly enough, she was slightly confused as her eyes dictated that she was most likely wondering as to why that was the case. Nonetheless, she wasn't one to turn down her brother for a favor unless it involved her sacrificing her precious snacks that she stashes away from Zugo with the help of 21. At this point, it's become a network between the two for the past two weeks and so far it's been working out pretty well.
That said, she hopped off the Astackian's back and squeezed around him to properly introduce herself with a smile on her face, "So, my brother sent you two huh? I'm Riley. . .well I guess you could add Ayoma at the end too but it doesn't matter. I saw you two take on Goku during the tournament of power and I must say, I like ya!"
"Heh, no big deal," the spikier hair Saiyan chuckled pridefully, "Anyways, the name's Caulifla and this here is my prod-rival, Kale! Heheh!"
Riley smirked before taking a glance at the slightly more confident Kale who nearly shivered at the gaze. Silently, she nodded and continued to ask further as she affirmed, "Caulifla and Kale. . .got it! Well, what brings you to my establishment?" Caulifla characteristically placed her hands on her hips, her boldness matching her tone.
"For training of course. Your brother sent us her claiming you can help us become Super Saiyan 3's for today since he went training with Goku and Vegeta," She answered.
There was a small moment of silence, the winds rustling against the flowers planted in front of the home's paveway. Though, as soon as it stopped, Riley couldn't help but smirk, "I see, typical Kuzuku if I had to say. Alright, I'll help you out a bit for today if that's what he wants." Her response earned her a wide, bright smile from the Universe 6 female warrior.
"Really! Whoooo, hooooo! You hear that, Kale!" Caulifla cheered, patting her back to which Kale could only awkwardly nod and smile.
As for Zugo, the worst case scenario really is looking far from the scenario and more towards reality. He was at his end and he should be making his way to the bombshelter right now otherwise he's gonna get caught in the crossfire. It was the only way, especially since in that pregnant rampaging state of hers, her Ki sensing skills are pretty much nonexistent. Despite this, he still had one hope to divert her away from this decision.
"Now hold on a minute, Riley," Zugo said, gaining the attention of his wife, "You are in no state to train right now. Remember, you're pregnant."
His reminder made her pout. Ever since she revealed herself to be pregnant, she has been quite limited in what she can do or not. For one, real training was out the window as she couldn't risk the baby's health from pushing her own body beyond her limits. Then upon Zugo's recommendations, her hours of work have been cut short despite her being only the lifter of the construction team due to pretty obvious reasons. It was still shocking for the rest of the gang that she hasn't gotten some crazy popularity. Like imagine walking down the street to see a nearly slim woman carrying dozens of metal bars with one hand? That at least warranted something.
Nonetheless, with her Saiyan side also looking to fight back in some way, "But, Zugoooooo~! It's not like I'll be sparing them. All I gotta do is give them tips on how I ascended, right? Besides, if you allow me to help them then I'll give you a special reward~."
His ears perked up at the sound of reward as his brain quickly picked up on what she meant. Especially from the coy smile she was giving him. Truthfully, it has been a while since the last time she did it. . .oh how much he loved it when she scratched his head like a pupp-WAIT! Nope, not admitting that even to himself otherwise he'll never let it down.
"Fine," Zugo sighed, "As long as the pup's health is in mind then you can train them for the day."
Riley's face glistened with glee, her eyes shining along with her shaggy black spiky hair that was worn into a ponytail. He hadn't noticed before but the fact that she was in nothing but a tank-top and some shorts really made her cuter in his eyes. Especially her size compared to him due to her being only slightly taller than Caulifla. Though, before Riley could celebrate on such a small victory, Kale couldn't help but intrude.
"Umm. . .," The slightly less timid Saiyan muttered, her voice almost falling deaf to their ears but nevertheless they still picked up on her voice, "Don't mind me asking but does that mean you are expecting around the same time as Ms. 21?"
If silence could manifest as anything then it'd probably be stone itself. As to why? Well, when you have an Astackian and his Saiyan wife frozen in place as if they just heard Zeno was planning to erase them anyways, then you could probably make the comparison very well. Needless to say, they were both shocked for two separate reasons. One being out of fear of finding out how she was sneaking in stashes of junk food into her room that her husband has yet to figure out; while the other was pondering what in the hell she meant by that.
"Wait. . .21? That means, don't tell me the monkey boy really did it? Damn. . .," Zugo muttered, his response calm from trying to process the news. The same guy who basically struggled to ask his current wife who was previously his long-term girlfriend about marriage really. . .yup, guess he had to hand it to him. It took seven months but he still did it in less than three years. But that also leads to another thing. He glanced down at Riley who had a nervous look on her face. He didn't know why as he raised an eyebrow. Did she know about this the entire time?
That is when the light-bulb in his head clicked. When he initially found out Riley was pregnant, he had to force her to cut-down on her eating habits. Much like Kuzuku's wife, she was someone who didn't eat the healthiest in the world, her optimal choices always being the nearest bags of chips that she could find when a whole steak was sitting right in front of her. As stupid as it sounds, he's grown used to it and accepted it throughout the years they were together. But for about a month, she heard Riley complain about the lack of snacks as whenever she would buy more, he had to accompany her so he could hide them away from her. This often leads to the mood-swings becoming a bit more. . .violent. Thank god no SWAT teams or heavily armed police forces came to her tantrums. Otherwise, there would be bodies littered across his front lawn. But he digressed and continued on his thoughts as just recently she hasn't complained for about two straight weeks. . ., "Two weeks. . .21 being pregnant. . .and they both have terrible eating habits. . ." After that thought, he calmly turned with a small smile on his face, his expression earning a fearful yelp from his ever-so lovely yet deceptive wife.
"Riley. . ." Zugo muttered.
". . .," She almost forgot how to speak until she feigned with an adorable tone, "Yes dear~"
The Astackian wasn't going to lie, it almost worked but today was definitely not going to be the day, "You can train them after you hand over all of the stash bags of chips you hidden from me. . .either that or I hunt them down myself. And while you're doing that. . .heh. . ." He paused, his grin unwavering from his face as he reached for his phone that he finally had a use for.
"I need to make a quick call, okay?" Zugo informed me.
The Universe 6 Saiyans were confused as to what was going on but judging from the look on Riley's face was enough to tell that she probably did something bad. Whatever it is, all the Astackian's wife could really do was timidly nod before re-entering the house, "Ye-yes, dear. . ."
(Meanwhile At The Ayoma Residence Home, Near Mount Pao. . .)
"Mhm! This taste soooooooo goooood! Where did you find this type of creampuff, Ryo!?"
chuckled at the majin scientist squeals of joy from taking a bite out of the chocolate covered cream puff. As payment for her repairing and working on his ship that he crashed weeks earlier, the newcomer had made a deal to help her sneak in some sweets due to Kuzuku banning her a few days later. Since then, it had pretty much been a two man job, especially since if Kuzuku so much as sensed her go near a candy store then he'd teleport to her location immediately to return whatever she purchased. Especially since he's also hid all of the baking materials leaving her stump. But 21 was far more clever than her husband gave her credit for. By using Ryo as a means to import the good stuff, she can enjoy her sweets to her heart's content as long as she hides them away properly. However, the whole operation expanded when she found out Riley was having a similar problem thus leading to the three-way network they had set up to sneak in treats without their husbands noticing.
"Well, I actually saw them at this stand near some weird store selling vases. Also, I didn't know Earth had such a big circle made of white metal! And people go and ride on it too!" Ryo answered with excitement.
His amazement and simple mind was enough to make 21 giggle, "You mean a ferris wheel. It isn't the most exciting ride but it's meant for people to enjoy the heights. But that doesn't really suit us since we can fly and all."
"Mhm, but I can tell that the normal people on this planet can't fly now can they. It's kind of amazing that they've built all this by themselves. These. . .Humans you call them." the space-traveler complimented.
"I assume you haven't seen a lot of planets with technological advancements such as Earth, right?" 21 asked, her smile resting on her face as she placed the remainder of her creampuff on her plate.
She was more or less curious about the other planets that Ryo had seen during his travels. From what she had gathered about him so far is that despite having potential for combat, he seemed more interested than learning and exploring places leading Earth to be a playground of his dreams to him. But what she didn't expect was how easily he was amazed. From what she could tell, aside from Bulma and Herself, Universe 7 isn't the most advanced universe out there with technology that would be considered basic compared to the higher mortal level universes.
That aside, she let her curiosity overtake her as she listened to him talk, "Well, it's not like the other planets were that far behind. It's just that they even had basic knowledge about flight and all that other jazz beforehand. But this planet is limited in that knowledge yet they are able to construct such large structures with their own two hands. I think that is even more impressive if you ask me."
"Fair point," she said, cupping her chin before asking another question, "Say, you've never told us but what is your race exactly?"
She thought the question was innocent and fair in of itself seeing how he was staying and learning about this planet species. Not only that, he learned about the remaining Saiyans who live on Earth as well which was an added incentive to answer her question. Though unexpectedly, she noticed the cheerful young man in silence for a short moment. It was as though he was having trouble figuring out the right words to her question. He sighed half-heartedly and smiled, "Funny you should ask, I actually have no idea. One thing for sure, I sure do look a lot like these humans but I also feel like I'm not. It's weird."
"Don't you have parents?" She added, raising an eyebrow at his reply.
But Ryo shook his head, "No, well. . .I don't know. From what I remember I was found in some old, mossy temple. Aside from that, I have no clue as to what I am really."
"An old temple, huh. . .?" 21 nearly whispered. That was weird to say the least. Did he live in that temple since he was a baby or something? If so, how in the world did he survive for so long to be found? But what struck her the most was his features, more particularly his eyes. Perhaps they were something unique to his race considering how slitted they were.
She thought, pondering on such trivial things until Ryo snapped her out of her thoughts, "Oh, how could I forget! I got the chips that Kuzuku's sister requested!" He waved the chips in front of her to show proof to which she smiled. Reliable as ever she thought. 21 couldn't help but start to compliment and thank him for his services but. . .her mouth was instantly silenced at the sight that she had feared most. Her eyes widened as she went pale at the figure who had instantly teleported into the room, his arms crossed with a smile on his face as he held his phone near his ear.
Oblivious to this, Ryo couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion, "Huh? What's the matter? Is something wron-". He paused as soon as he heard the familiar voice reverberate in his ears.
"Yup, caught them red handed. I've got to hand it to them, Zugo, they had us for quite a good amount of time. I'll talk to you later. . .," the figure said, his thumb subsequently pressing the hang-up button. He casually shoved his phone into his Gi's pocket as he looked down at his wife who sat on the couch facing the space-traveler. Her expression practically said everything as shock, fear, nervousness, and the awkward smile was all wrapped into one package. He sighed, and placed his hands on his hips as he smiled not out of joy but disappointment, "Yah just couldn't restrain yourself for 9 months, huh sweetheart?"
"Heheh, could I at least get a participation reward in the form of one more bite?" 21 nervously chuckled.
Looking around at the numerous candy wrappers on the floor, the large amounts of half eaten cakes that were practically bought for parties, and the large box of cream puffs that were nearly gone, Kuzuku knew his answer to that suggestion. Especially since he knew that wasn't the only box she ate this entire time he's been out, "That's adorable but no. I'll give you a moment to say goodbye to any form of pastry, sweets, and candy for the next 2 weeks."
Hearing this, all 21 could muster was a weak whimper as Kuzuku watched her sulk in her defeat. Knowing her and her mood-swings, she's really going to be depressed to which he had to comfort her for god who knows how long but aye, that's the price to pay when you gotta keep your wife healthy during pregnancy. A price that he's willing to endure as he chuckled along with Ryo who felt sorry for the sweets craving scientist.
A/N: Ah yes, a little mischief and training chapter.
Alright, some things about this chapter. This chapter in particular with the beginning half was what I wanted to get to. As you can already tell, I am trying to expand not only on God-Ki lore but also Ki in general. The reason why I'm doing this is because of two things. One; some abilities acquired will be detrimental for future fights as well as spicing them up. Two; I always felt that God Ki in general should have meant more than how it was depicted in the anime and manga. These reasons were why the fist part of the chapter spent so much time on Goku, Kuzuku, and Vegeta's training as it's a new concept added to Tenkai specifically. That and focusing on the Universe 6 Saiyans development isn't that new compared to previous training chapters I've made.
Ending on that note, I surprisingly manage to bust out this chapter quicker than I expected. Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it! Until we meet again!
