Chapter 85: Aware of Emptiness
"Son Goku", Japanese translation of "Sun Wukong", the Monkey King and hero of the Chinese folktale 'Journey to the West'.
Also "Son Goku", "the child aware of emptiness".
"Th...that idiot!" The Supreme Kai was shaking fearfully. "He's got to realise moving the whole planet like that will have serious consequences!"
"Well..." Kibito said doubtfully, "everyone still alive on Earth has some level of ki...perhaps he was counting on that to let them all survive." Scientifically, it's a bit of a stretch that the consequences weren't worse...I'm surprised the planet's crust and mantle aren't seriously deformed, for one thing.
"Haha!" Goku grinned. "That sounds more like the kind of stupid thing my brother and I would come up with! Gohan's really grown up!" He turned back to Old Kai, still dozing, hand still outstretched in his direction. "I just wish I could go help...I wonder how long now?"
"Hmm? Eh?" Old Kai yawned, raising his head slowly. "Oh, I'm done. I guess I must have been done for a while now—sorry, I fell asleep..."
"W...What?!"
Buu staggered back, a vertical slice carved diagonally down from shoulder to hip. Damn it all...I'm lower on energy than ever before! This boy...! A shiver of true fear seethed in his mind at the damage inflicted to him by Gohan's tenacious fight. Finally, energy depleted, Buu fell, collapsing onto his front and lying there twitching.
Gohan, twin streams of blood dripping to the ground from his mouth, felt his Super Saiyan energy leave him. Guess...even the Tree of Might's energy isn't infinite... He tried to take a step forwards, felt tortured muscles protest in his abdomen, and realised the sheer force of Buu's last attack. He couldn't manage another step, falling to the ground next to Buu. He felt like he'd been put through a meat grinder; unable to raise a hand to finish Buu off. And unlike him...I won't recover! "I'm...sorry, Videl..." he whispered, more blood pooling on the rock around his head. "...did my best..."
"Oh yes, I'm done," Old Kai said happily, nodding. "Your potential's fully unlocked. I wouldn't worry about the delay, it's more dramatic this way."
"Come to think of it..." Goku stood, stretching his aching legs, cramped from sitting still for a full day. "I do feel...different." He felt his ki flowing through him, and it was so gentle and natural it took him a second to realise that he'd gotten stronger—he was more powerful than ever, without even needing to turn Super Saiyan. "Hey...my transformations...I won't need them now, will I?"
"Very astute. No, all your power is available as you are; and a good deal more than you had before. All that flashy transformation business is unnecessary, really."
"Awesome!" Goku gave the old guardian a thumbs-up, then turned to Kibito. "I'll be needing to get back to Earth, then."
"Yes..." Kibito hesitated. "Only...you have powered up, but not by that much. You're certainly not as strong as a Super Saiyan 3, and even that form is far outclassed by this new Majin Buu. Are you sure—"
"Don't worry about it." Something about Goku's smile convinced Kibito that the saiyan knew what he was doing. "I can beat him. Trust me."
"If you're certain." Kibito let Goku place a hand on his shoulder, then vanished with Instant Movement. They materialised on Earth, in the middle of a grassy field—Kibito had put himself out of the line of fire, deciding to let Goku handle the fighting. "I hope you can live up to our hopes. The universe is crying out for a saviour."
"Hey, I'm just the right guy in the right place, is all," replied Goku, laughing. "Oh! Before you go...well, I've been wearing the old turtle hermit's outfit for years. And no disrespect for him, but it's been so long since I trained under him...can you magic up a change of clothes for me?" For some reason...all of a sudden, a feeling's gone, one that I never even knew I had. For all these years, on some level, I've still been thinking of myself as Roshi's pupil. Now, after this ritual...I feel like my own person.
"Certainly. What did you have in mind?"
"Just reach out with your thoughts; I'll show you. You've got telepathy, and my own mental powers aren't too shabby. But, uh..." He sensed Buu's energy rising; slowly at first, but accelerating. "...better hurry."
Buu rose to his feet, internally seething with fury. I don't believe it! I am superior to these mortals—none of them even comes close to my strength—and yet more than once they've brought me so close to death!
Well. He straightened his back, breathing slowly as his regeneration finished its work, restoring him to his former glory. Finally with time to rest, he felt his energy recovering as well. All it took was a few moments, and he was back at full power. "Hmph! Had I been in this state when I fought Gohan, he would have posed no threat at all! So pitiful that I let myself get dragged down to that level...I must be more careful in future." In any case, now I'm back at 100%, I should finish them all off immediately-
Who...is that?
A corona of blue-white light heralded the new arrival, but his flight and landing were silent. Buu stared for a second, then recovered his composure. "Ah. Son Goku. Tien's full of respect for you..." Goku cracked a smile, approaching Buu at a leisurely pace. "Not that it's deserved—I'm sure you recall the ease with which I defeated you the last time we met." Silence. Say something, damn you! After letting a few more agonising seconds drag themselves out, Goku responded.
"I've powered up a little since then," he replied evenly, coming to a halt in front of Buu. He was clad in a loose-fitting light blue gi, held together with a white belt and orange bands at the wrists and ankles. It was completely clean of insignia, with no symbols of allegiance of any kind. His old Power Pole, retrieved from the ruins of the Lookout, was slung over one shoulder with a simple rope.
"Yes, exactly as you say—a little. I can feel your ki, and you're still not even at the level of a Super Saiyan 3—and even they are nothing to me at full power. I'd much like to know how, exactly, you plan to kill me!"
"Kill you?" Goku cocked an eyebrow at this. "Nah, I'm just here to fight you."
Break sat up groggily, feeling surprised at how uninjured she was-she must have run out of steam from using the third form too quickly to get seriously hurt by Buu's attacks, and was actually feeling quite refreshed upon waking up. This self-assessment was soon forgotten when she saw the scene in front of her. Oh man, everyone's down...! But...Goku? I thought he was dead...what's he doing? He can't beat Buu with that kind of power...
"You can feel it, can't you?" Piccolo was standing behind her, trying not to let on that he was about at the end of his endurance—Buu's savage beating had taxed his regeneration to its limit (and his was nowhere near as miraculous as Majin Buu's), and he hadn't even expended the energy it'd take to restore his outfit. "Goku's severely outmatched..." He's not even as strong as I am now...though if he'd been at this level during our fight, it wouldn't have been so simple. "When Buu starts to attack Goku, we hit him from behind. Got it? Numbers, at least, are still on our side."
"Right," Break said grimly, gulping at the thought of going up against Majin Buu again. She didn't transform yet—better to wait for the last moment, to retain the element of surprise and conserve energy besides.
"But..." Goku warned. "I won't let you continue this path of destruction. Normally, I don't like taking life, even my enemies. However, you...you started life as a mindless beast, only caring about destruction. And for some reason, no matter how smart you've got, you still just want the same thing. I guess you find it fun. Well, no more." His eyes narrowed, an undeniable certainty coming into his voice. "You've killed my friends, my family, and countless innocents besides! For all of them...it ends here, Buu!"
"Heheh..." Buu rolled his head back, beginning to laugh his terrible laugh. "Ahahahaaa! Your power might be nothing to speak of, but as a comedian, you're peerless! I could—"
"Kaioken," Goku whispered.
"What did you—"
"TIMES THREE!"
The noise that followed would be impossible to do justice to using simple onomatopoeic sound effects. It was not quite a VOOM; a simple VRAAAM doesn't suffice either; but these are about the closest approximations.
It was an express train the size of a galaxy roaring past. It was the engine-roar of the devil's own motorbike. It was the thunder of a million cannons firing in unison. It passed beyond normal perceptions of mere sound, the titanic vibrations felt in every violently-shaking cell in one's body.
This nonverbal battle-cry was accompanied by a blaze of red light, and a flicker of movement from Goku's arm. Not even a flicker, at that; the aftermath of movement, the impression that there had been movement, tremendously fast and forceful, but you had just missed it, and the arm was back in its original place at the saiyan's side.
Buu stood stunned for a moment, stumbling back slightly as the shockwave washed over him. Then he felt it; a rumble, a terrible lurching pain, and a large circular section of his chest simply vanished, atomised by the crushing force of what was undoubtedly the hardest punch ever thrown by mortal being.
Buu blinked. "W-Wh—"
Another flare of red, and Goku's leg swiped out, taking Buu's feet out from under him. As he floundered in the air, Buu swung angrily at Goku, but his target was long gone well before his attack arrived. An uppercut to the chin hurled Buu into the air, landing him in a sprawled heap on the ground.
The stab in his mind, the shock of such a huge power level, jolted Gohan awake. He tried to lift his head, making the supreme effort to stay conscious. "D...Dad...?"
Goku relaxed his aura again, rolling his shoulders. "I'd say that's a pretty good warm-up. You?"
Buu choked on his words. "How...?" This was the first time in his unnatural life that he'd ever been surpassed by an opponent like this, that he'd ever come up against a fighter so clearly superior to him; and at the height of his power, too.
Piccolo and Break, still hiding nearby, were equally stunned. "What changed him so much?" Piccolo wondered aloud. "How's he doing this? Buu took on all of us together, and tore right through us!"
"And Goku just floored him like it was nothing..." Break whispered in agreement. And it's not just a physical change...his spirit is so...calm.
Meanwhile, Goku stood waiting for Buu to get up. "Go on, take your time," he said good-naturedly. "I'm in no rush."
"Y...You!" Buu growled, getting shakily to his feet. His wounds were healing, but slower than before. "What did you do?! Answer me!"
"If you really want to know, I guess." Goku shrugged. "I could never use the Kaioken technique effectively while transformed. It became pretty much impossible at Super Saiyan 2. But...well, I'll spare you the details, but all my Super Saiyan power, and then some, is now unlocked in my normal state. The energy's a lot calmer and easier to control than ever before. It's still a lot to magnify like this, so I can't push it up by a factor of ten or twenty like Tien and the others could, but a threefold Kaioken is all I need to beat you." He paused. "Which raises the question...why don't you use the Kaioken? You have absorbed Tien, after all. It'd be an interesting challenge for me, actually." Goku gave it a few seconds, but Buu didn't respond or attack. "So. You can't. Let me guess—your magically-granted energy, like Super Saiyan power, is incompatible with the Kaioken? That, or your base power is just so large you can't multiply it. I'd guess some combination of both." The normally-simple fighter's imagination and highly-specialised intelligence became fiercely engaged when it came to combat.
"You talk too much..." Buu mumbled.
"You know what?" Goku said, grinning. "You're right. Times three!" His power shot up again, and he thundered forwards, an opening punch catapulting Buu away through the air. Buu shrieked in frustration, pulling himself to a halt, then flinching as Goku appeared behind him, right leg swinging. Again, the attacking limb melted into a blur of movement before returning to its original position. This time, the sound wasn't quite so apocalyptic, but now three holes in rapid succession blasted themselves into Buu's midsection, each sending out a cylindrical shockwave straight behind him, carving tunnels through the ground as the aftermath of Goku's blows passed over the Earth.
"Hey, impressive!" Goku taunted. "In the time it took for me to kick through you three times, you managed to almost turn your head to face me! Didn't think you were that fast."
"Don't you mock me!" Buu yelled, then flinched as Goku readied himself to attack again, before Buu's wounds from the previous assault had even healed. However, both were thrown off-balance by a sudden deep rumble, seeming to come from directly underneath them. Ferocious winds sprung up, uprooting trees and scattering them across the land.
"Wh-What's...?" Worry crept into Goku's voice.
"Oh...oh, I see. That's just precious." Buu spoke with malicious joy. "Your son must have known he couldn't move the entire planet without any serious consequences. I'd say he stirred up the magma in the mantle—but now the disturbance has finally reached the surface, we're starting to feel the effects. Saving this world may just have turned it into a barren wasteland—a dead shell of a planet!"
"That may be so, but...you've got bigger problems right now." Powering up again, Goku snatched Buu's antenna and dragged his head downwards, flattening the creature's face on his knee before using a kiai to throw him away again. "HRAAA!"
Rock formations began to crumble as the disruption in the Earth's crust grew. The winds picked up to gale force, carrying along whole boulders and storms of smaller rocks. Goku idly deflected one such boulder as it bounced up at him. Buu is an interesting opponent, he thought, observing Buu's face 'pop' back out into its original position after being squashed flat by his knee strike. I mean, what's he even made of? Chewing gum? Anyway. "I'm about done, Buu. There's no point dragging this fight out any longer...you're not even making me try hard. I'm going to end you now."
"You...impetuous...!" Buu seethed, steam gushing from the pores on his head and shoulders. "I am immortal! The likes of you can never—!"
"HAAAAH!" Goku, flowing around a counterattack like water, landed a crushing punch to Buu's stomach, but scarcely had Buu staggered away from the force of the hit, when another four impacts made themselves known one after the other, each successively thrusting Buu further away from Goku, feet scrabbling desperately for purchase on the rock beneath. Don't tell me...in that instant, he landed five blows at once?! And I didn't even see him use the Kaioken...he's switching it on and off for just as long as it takes him to hit me, to minimise energy loss...he could keep this up all day. "D...Damn you!" He gasped. "You won't win! GHAAA!" This particularly interesting noise was the result of Buu launching a mouth beam, which Goku faced head-on, grasping the oncoming attack between both hands and wrestling it to the side before releasing the redirected blast.
However, this took time, and as he was doing this Buu sprung, launching himself at Goku in an attempt to get the saiyan on the defensive. Goku sighed, activating the Kaioken and casually dodging a whirlwind of attacks from Buu, finally catching Buu's swinging arm and bringing it to a dead halt. Goku jumped, placing both feet on Buu's chest and wrapping his arms around Buu's wrist, then pulled. Buu's arm tore clean off, trailing pink chunks, and Goku held it up contemplatively in front of him. "Y'know, that was kinda anticlimactic. I mean, you gonna react or anything? I just tore your arm—"
"HAH!" Buu shouted triumphantly, flicking his antenna forwards and firing his transformation beam. Goku thought fast, raising Buu's detached arm to block. The beam struck the pink, rubbery arm, 'shattering' it into a cloud of tiny candies.
"'Hah!' yourself," Goku chuckled, rubbing his nose.
"Grrr..." Buu grumbled, regrowing his arm with some effort. Above them, the sky was churning itself up into a mass of small storm-clouds, rapidly forming and dissipating. The shaking of the ground was growing more regular.
Growing serious once more, Goku placed his hands in the Kamehameha position. It's over...this attack will finish it.
Buu realised the danger, thought quickly, and formed a plan. He smashed his fist into the ground, sending out a massive shockwave and shattering the terrain around him. Through the sudden storm of flying debris, Goku lost sight of Buu. He's masked his energy, too! Damn it! He flew up out of the cloud, searching the surrounding area.
Buu, crouched behind a nearby overhang, smiled. Perfect. He's completely lost me. Now... he focused his eyes on Piccolo and Break, tensed up, and shot at them. To achieve maximum speed, he had to go to full power, which meant it'd only be a couple of seconds before Goku intercepted him; but it also meant Piccolo and Break saw him coming, which was exactly what he wanted.
"Defend yourself!" Piccolo shouted, raising his guard. Break nodded, an explosion of light and sound heralding her Super Saiyan 3 transformation. Buu easily bypassed their strikes, grabbing each of them around the neck. Just at that moment, Goku came rocketing in from above, colliding feet-first with Buu and knocking him deep underground (which only served to exacerbate the now-constant rumbling from below). "Nice try!" Goku called, landing gracefully.
"G...Goku!" Came a choked voice from behind him—Goku turned to see Break and Piccolo still being grappled by Buu's now-disembodied hands.
"What the heck—" As he watched, the hands melted into an expanse of pink Buu-stuff, rapidly expanding and completely enveloping them. Damn it! Can't attack it without hitting them too! Then again, maybe Piccolo— It was too late. The nightmarish sight of the twin shifting pink masses lurched into the air, then arced over Goku's head and shot downwards, meeting Buu on his way up. The blobby, rapidly-changing morass quickly spread to encompass Buu's entire body, a truly horrific process. "Ahahahaha!" He yelled, triumphant.
"No!" Goku hissed. He's absorbing them...just like Tien...and they're both a lot stronger than he was! This can't be good...
Eventually, the bubbling, writhing mass settled down, solidifying, hardening, shrinking into a solid shape. Goku had to work not to hold his breath.
"Ahhhhhhh..." The hiss of air across Buu's tongue, the mere breath, sounded malicious, venomous. Finally, his new form was revealed. Majin Buu was now even taller, and his head-antenna had grown substantially, now stretching down to the back of his knees; the third eye was also gone. Most notably, his top half was no longer naked, but now sported a billowing white cape with jutting shoulderpads, an exact clone of Piccolo's. A blue-in-gold Super Saiyan-like aura burned around him. His haunting eyes, still black voids fixed with thin, hollow red circles, seemed to pierce into Goku's soul. "Well, Son Goku? What do you think? You should feel honoured!" he laughed. "You are present to witness the birth of the ultimate being! Tien Shinhan's intelligence...Break's power...and a generous helping of both from Piccolo. Not to mention my own talents. You will have the privilege of being the first victim of the new Majin Buu."
"Rrrr..." Goku trembled, his anger directed at himself as much as at Buu. "You...monster..." I've failed them...I came here to stop this, but he's just taken two more! But...I can't let that distract me. I can still win. He took one deep breath, clearing his mind and calming his body. "All right, then." The friendly, eager light reappeared in his eyes. "Guess it's time I started fighting seriously."
Mystic Goku's theme here: Kokoro no Hane (Japanese version), the second DB Kai ending. I wanted something peaceful and soothing, so the 'runners-up' were Pray, the first Gintama opening, I'll Give You Romance (English version), the original Dragon Ball ending, and Hands Up (Japanese version), the, um, sixteenth (?) One Piece opening. Go ahead and use those too if you want.
By the way, I've thought of a way to make Episode of Bardock make sense, and to link it into the plot. Expect to see it in Even Further Beyond. Unless I change my mind. Which isn't too unlikely, to be honest.
Some numbers, for those who like them:
Super Buu: 4.5
Mystic Goku: 2
Mystic Goku (Kaioken): 6
Canon Mystic Gohan: 6
Super Buu (Break and Majin Piccolo absorbed): 10
Canon Super Buu (Gotenks absorbed): 9
Canon Super Buu (Gohan absorbed): 10.5
Remember, no proportionality, just "X is greater than Y". So to sum up, 'mystic' Goku is equal to initial Majin Piccolo at base level, and to mystic Gohan at Kaioken x3; and Buu with Piccolo and Break absorbed is between Buutenks and Buuhan.
There wase a scene with Raditz and Launch that I didn't have time to write, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it in this chapter or later anyway, so it's fine. Though it did make this chapter a little on the short side. Then again, it's past 6 in the evening on Sunday, my main concern right is making sure what is written is in good enough shape to be uploaded.
And finally, something I'd like to hear your thoughts about: Super Saiyan 4. What do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea? How about the look and design? Is there an alternate fan-version that you like the idea of better (for instance, Dragon Ball AZ's 'SSJ4')? Leave any answers in reviews or PM, I'd love to hear what you think. I'll put my view next chapter.
Oh, did I say finally? Well, I lied. Another thing. Break Through the Limit's TV Tropes page is always growing, and it's completely awesome, and I thank you guys for that. It is interesting, though, that there are plenty of links to trope pages from the story page, but as far as I can tell no links on the trope pages to the story page. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, it's just an odd thing. Then again, not all pages have links to fanfics anyway, so I guess it's not just this story.
Which reminds me! I told the author I would help with Savior of Demons' TV Tropes page a while back. I never did. If you're reading this, Roketto, sorry. I'll still do it if you want, though honestly I've never really written anything for TV Tropes, so I wouldn't have a clue where to start. I suppose the next time I inevitably get onto the site I'll just add any tropes that I wander across and think I've seen in the story.
And speaking of which. I've recommended a few fics in the past, and Savior of Demons is another. It's not exactly 'Frieza becomes good' (I mean, I'm pretty sure that's the premise of The Fall of Lord Frieza, which is also pretty good)...I mean, it's a good few chapters in and he hasn't had any kind of shift of opinion towards good at all. Given the premise ("becoming more than what fate shaped you to be"), I'd say he's eventually going to come around, but it looks like it's going to treat it realistically.
AND SPEAKING OF FICS I ENJOY some of you have been asking me when Bringer of Death will update. I'm not sure why you thought I would know, but whatever; at the time, I answered honestly; I didn't know. Well, if you don't know already, it is back. It's begun to update again, and now that I've told you that I'm sure my view count will plummet as you'll all be spending time over there reading that I'M KIDDING OF COURSE seriously now, I love BoD, and I know plenty of you do too, so...yeah. There's that.
...
Wow, that "another thing" turned into lots of things. I just do not know when to shut up. (Anybody who knows me in person can attest to this.)
Q: Nice work Raditz, moving the Earth right back, wonder what TFS Vegeta and Nappa would say if they saw you do that?
A: Vegeta: See? Like I said! Power levels are bullshit!
Nappa: Wait...Raditz is part of a group, and he isn't the Raditz of the group?
Q: Seriously Radtiz,Break and Gohan your Giving SSJ3 Out like Candy Man Seriously
A: Ehhhh...only one more character than canon.
Q: Hey I love your story. I hope it gets even better. Super 18 was pretty useful in my opinion, the more time Buu was stalled the more time Piccolo, Gohan, Break, and Goten had to train. I think Goten may have a chance against Buu if he plays it smart and focuses on his goal, distraction. I wonder what Gohan is going to get, could it be... THE POWER POLE?!
A: Nope, but it has now made an appearance. (Also, your username is "BTTL fan". I'm flattered!)
Q: ...Gohan and Raditz moved the Earth...I...I'm not even going to think of what would happen if they just moved it an inch back and forth...but to move the planet that much that it dodged Buu's attack and then they removed it back to it's original position? Honestly I think they screwed the planet up more than any bad guy could dream. I really hope there are some repercussions for this and not just have the Dragon Balls fix everything. Like have the Dragon(s) or one of the Supreme Kais explain why they shouldn't just move a planet to save it and warn them not to do it again.
A: As we're starting to see here, yes, there are negative effects. At least it's not destroyed. However, I do have to disagree on "an inch". With an object the size of the Earth, an inch isn't going to make any difference at all.
Q: hmm... Given how Gotenks reached SSJ3 and this fic's foreshadowing of characters gaining the same abilities of their future counterparts in a much earlier fashion, it is not a stretch for Break to learn SSJ3.
1. She felt her future self use SSJ3 when she was little.
2. She learned the LSSJ form when she was little.
3. She saw her father use SSJ3.
4. She was pushed by an evil Piccolo to tap her full potential.
5. She mastered the LSSJ and SSJ2 forms which are weaker than this evil Piccolo.
6. She surpassed evil Piccolo in power were Gohan could not.
-If all this foreshadowing doesn't remind the readers of the canon equivalent then they can't be helped.
And it's great how you attribute Gotenks creativity to Goten. He's not quite the Krillin of the group and he's not the soft copy of Goku either. I also like the way he reached SSJ2 (from ch83)
RE: Brolli and Break
I'm still not gun-ho about it but between canon DBZ, a sayajin's slow aging, and most frozen people in fantasy not aging until thawed, I can give the legendary crack pairing a pass.
A: I-It's like you just dealt with all my insecurities about the controversial plot points I've used in one swoop!
Q: aha great chapter goten made up moves as gotenks did that's great he seemd like a great fighter at such a young age and gohan made it to a super sayien 3 bosch hope after this he trains and get stronger and is he able to hold the super sayein 3 form out longer because off the fruit ?
A: Yup.
Q: Goten vs. Buu is very enjoyable to read, from all perspectives! The way you describe Buu's regenerating is wonderfully visceral. I love how Goten has developed a range of interesting techniques to compensate for his lack of power. Including the Ghost Kamikaze Attack. That seems like a very 'Goten' move, more so than Trunks. Oh wow, Gohan has a fruit from the Tree of Might?! I didn't see that twist coming AT ALL! The scene of Gohan trying to reign in his SSJ3 power, then letting it go, has got some great impact. I will say, though, that moving a planet like that is gonna have some consequences, & since Gohan's so book-smart...he oughtta know that. Even shifting it back into its original orbit, at that speed, will severely damage the crust, & possibly the liquid mantle. I don't see this ending well for poor Planet Earth! ...Do I detect a reference (or two) to Gohan's theme song, Unmei no Hi: Tamashii Tai Tamashii?! ᴗ Eeeeee! ...I admit, I kinda love that song, so I recognized the translated lyrics immediately.
A: Yes, that's what it was. It's a really great song.
Q: A very interesting turn of events. I'm not 100% certain that's how Super Saiyan 3 would work (or if that's how the Tree of Might fruit works, considering Turles said its only giving you energy from a planet, but its a unique take on achieving the form, making it seem more like Gohan needed to achieve it or his energy would destroy him.
Although, the way you wrote it, it sounded kind of like he can only survive by staying in Super Saiyan 3.
A: I would say that he's now 'burned through' that power and can use it safely. But obviously I'm no grand authority on the Tree of Might, so that's just my guess.
Q: Great chapter i like what your doing with super buu he so amazing and he using tien abilities against the z fighters ? Great work i wonder who he will absorbed next?
A: Wonder no longer!
Q: First off I'm increasingly uncertain how I feel about your SSJ3 additions. I whole heartedly agree with your logic - it makes sense extraneous circumstances are necessary to get to SSJ3 otherwise Vegeta would have gotten it in canon without a doubt - but the more I think about it the more I question that. Frankly speaking, DB GT really wasn't canon, and as much as things with the characters PROBABLY went how Toriyama would have gone, his vision may have had Vegeta achieve the form over time. Hell it took him basically 3 years to get regular SSJ after he saw Goku have it, probably a similar amount to get SSJ 2 after Gohan, and was then never shown fighting after he saw Goku with SSJ3. I'm not saying he would definitely have it, I'm just saying canon never allows for even the exploration of the option, and so assuming that it requires an odd circumstance is questionable. From what I'm seeing in your story, you assume that the form requires an 'external' well of energy - otherworld energy, tree of life energy, LSSJ energy - and while I can 100% get behind that, it does allow for a bit of abuse when the characters realize it. Goten could just get the form by someone forcing an energy transfer into him, Goku could tap the Mystic well, bursting his potential wide open. I'm just saying it has flaws.
A: Hmm, I see what you're saying; however, in terms of that specific example, I don't think just having someone transfer energy would count as 'special circumstances'.
Q: My second point is about the 'potential' nonsense that everyone talks about. Now I'm all for having peoples natural abilities be different, but there has to be a limit to that line. Fact of the matter is, so many characters have had their "potential" unlocked only to surpass it later. What was the point then? Why not just call it a boost? If there is one constant in DBZ it is that Goku WILL be stronger tomorrow than he is today. Would that not mean his potential is infinity? Gohan was always touted as 'someone with great potential,' and when he trained, he too grew stronger every day, and therefore SHOULD have infinite potential. And as much as calculus may have tried to tell me otherwise, I'm pretty sure infinity infinity, so why on earth would Gohan get a bigger power up than Goku? Or frankly any Z fighter?
A: I always see it like this.
Gohan has 'potential'. He was born with a naturally-high power level, and benefits from external power unlocks and boosts more than most people, due to having a lot of 'hidden' or potential power.
Goku has 'talent'. He is better than most people at training to improve his own power, and improves faster through ordinary training than most.
And in terms of 'potential', I tend to think of it as 'potential at the moment'. Gohan's power-up on Namek was his maximum at that point; he couldn't even conceive of a power like a Super Saiyan's. His power-up in the Buu saga was the most his body was able to support at the time; if he trained hard afterwards, he could, well, 'break through his limits' and have the potential to get even stronger.
Q: Anyway, SSJ3 Break seemed...off, but I understood where you were coming , she's probably at the bottom of the list.
1. Raditz has more experience, making him the clearly better one with this form.
2. Technically, Gohan's power was artificial, but definitely effective. Plus, he has combat strength advantage over Break.
3. Break is seven...'nuff said? /End Sarcasm. Well, not only that, but the fact that she had an advantage to achieve this form means it was't earned as much as Raditz's, but definitely more than Gohan (this can be debatable considering his experience and power is right up there with everyone elses.). But I'd be lying if I'd say I didn't spot out the fact you're giving Raditz's family a lot of credit (then again, it is a Raditz fic.)
A: Probably true, yeah.
Q: I love this fic, no fusion as of yet is a bummer, but you make up for it substantially. It's probable that you're not going to put fusion in this as of yet; maybe wait it out so you have something for Even Further Beyond.
Mystic Goku...hmm...My guess is that the Old Kai was wrong in saying he didn't have much hidden potential, and he actually had a lot of suppressed potential that will be brought out with it. Could be wrong though, you've surprised me more than once in this series.
Seriously can't wait for that Battle of Gods though, that's gunna be some epic shit. Keep up everything you do my man.
A: Indeed, no fusion yet. Interesting, hm?
And about mystic Goku...you were sort of right, sort of wrong.
Q: I kind of like how the characters aren't as they are in canon. Instead of everyone being weaker versions of Goku we have a group of specialists: Raditz with experience in Other World, Goku as the martial arts expert, Gohan as the thinker, Break for raw power, and Piccolo and Goten as the guys who go for the jugular.
A: I never thought of that. Good point.
Q: I just remembered Tien was the one who knew the Spirit Bomb. And he was absorbed. Uh-oh...
A: Don't worry, you have to be pure of heart to use the Spirit Bomb, remember?
Q: Lastly: what happened to the Fruit of the Tree of Might? We only ever saw Turles eat a bit of it in the film. Did the energy of Gohan's powerup destroy the rest? Did he eat the whole thing? Save some for later? Did he eat the seeds? Could they still plant a tree somewhere if it doesn't drive Gohan crazy (sadism and ego being something I always atrributed to Turles' upbringing and mental issues rather than the fruit itself)? There's another whole story in there among the possibilities.
A: No, there was only one. And Turles actually ate a second one in the film, eating almost all of it (I think he left the core, like eating an apple).
Q: lolmg you posted the review I posted upon catching up. Which raises the question are these legitimately all the reviews you receive? Or do you just grab ones that stand out. Regardless I love it! Moving planets and eating forbidden fruit and not sacrificing yourself pointlessly like so many fallen heroes before you. Good job Gohan. And is he totally quoting Wheelo, from the fight he wasn't present for? :( Wait...that sounds stupid on multiple levels...well then I don't know, even though some of it sounds familiar.
A: Nah, if I answered every single review (much as I'd love to), I'd be here all day. And Gohan's lines were actually, as pointed out, from Unmei no Hi: Tamashii Tai Tamashii (the song that plays in the Japanese version when Gohan goes SSJ2).
Q: Just wanted to say, this is the most awesome Fanfic I've ever read! I love the idea of Raditz becoming a good guy. I just can't believe you killed Hercule! How could you do such a thing!
A: Oh, he's not dead. He's just lulling Buu into a false sense of security; there's no way someone as weak as Buu could kill Hercule. Okay no, he's dead.
Nappa: Ah, so that's the Raditz of their group!
Vegeta: Hold on, Raditz is a Super Saiyan 3 now, why are you still using his name as a byword for weakness?
Nappa: Because he still sucks in canon. And I will never let him forget it.
Raditz: ...God damn it, Nappa...
Nappa: Eyyy.