The Lookout above Korin Tower
"Mr. Popo, that Son Gohan seems like no ordinary child, does he?" Kami asked with a furrowed brow.
"Mm! His soul is extraordinarily powerful," Mr. Popo replied, his dark face utterly expressionless.
"I wonder whether his birth will be good or bad for Earth!"
"Since he's Goku's son, I doubt he'll do anything to Earth," Mr. Popo said calmly.
"I hope you're right!"
Korin Tower
"Korin, let's get down to business. Where's the Ultra Divine Water?" Son Gohan asked.
"Follow me!"
Korin led Son Gohan to the storeroom beneath the platform!
"That's the bottle where the Ultra Divine Water forms on its own. It should be more than half full now. Even the strongest people on Earth can only drink a tiny sip! Your father, Sun Wukong, was the only one who ever drank half a bottle!" Korin said, pointing with his wooden staff at the porcelain bottle in a wall alcove.
"Half a bottle?"
Son Gohan walked slowly toward the alcove, picked up the Ultra Divine Water, and gulped it all down!
"Hey, hey, hey! You're only two years old! No matter how strong you are, you shouldn't drink that much!" Korin hurriedly warned him.
But it was already too late!
"Burp!!!"
Son Gohan let out a satisfied belch!
"Korin, get out of the stairwell and let me outside! I can't hold it in!" Son Gohan strained to control his body and suppress the terrifying energy. Even speaking was incredibly difficult, and for a moment, an inhuman green hue flashed across his face.
At his words, Korin hurried out of the way!
Son Gohan instantly vanished, moving at high speed into the air beyond Korin Tower.
"Yah! Hah!!!"
His terrifying, powerful aura made the Earth tremble!
Several active volcanoes erupted outright!
Martial artists of renown across the Earth looked up toward Korin Tower!
"Korin Tower? That aura feels both familiar and strange. Is it Sun Wukong?" On a small island in the middle of the ocean, a bald man gazed upward and murmured to himself.
On a desolate, uninhabited wasteland!
"Why? Why is this happening? I've trained like my life depended on it, so why are there still beings this powerful?!" King Piccolo dug his fingers into his palm, drawing purple blood.
"T-Tien, is that Sun Wukong's energy?" Chiaotzu asked.
"It feels a little like his, but it isn't!" Tien Shinhan said with a frown.
Mount Paozu
"Gohan... Korin Tower... the Ultra Divine Water?" Sun Wukong mused.
Korin Tower
"Pant, pant!" Son Gohan gulped down air like a bellows!
"What incredible toxicity!!! No wonder Father will develop the Heart Virus later! The Ultra Divine Water pushes the heart's function to its utmost limit, strengthening its ability to pump blood and speeding up its operation. That, in turn, boosts one's combat power! But to refine the Ultra Divine Water, you need a powerful amount of ki and a strong body to begin with. Father must have had a combat power of only around a hundred when he drank it. The poison stayed dormant in his heart, but as his combat power grew, that trace of poison could no longer harm him. Then he learned to use the King Kai Fist, putting a strain on his body and giving the dormant poison a chance to flare up!"
Through the Ultra Divine Water, Son Gohan immediately deduced the reason Sun Wukong would suffer a heart attack in the future!
Son Gohan clenched his fist. This more-than-half bottle of Ultra Divine Water had also helped him break through that final sliver of a bottleneck. He could clearly sense that he could transform into a Super Saiyan whenever he wished!
And with his limits shattered, his base form's ceiling had risen too. He felt his potential surging without end!
3.05 million, 3.1 million... 3.3 million points!!!
His body had also grown about ten centimeters taller!
After steadying his breathing, Son Gohan returned to Korin's residence!
"Son Gohan... your ki is so powerful! I can't even sense your limits!" Korin stared at him in disbelief.
"I have no limits," Son Gohan said, his voice full of authority.
"What a monster! Even more of one than Sun Wukong!" Korin was at a loss for words.
"Are you going up there?" Korin asked.
"I still need to visit Kami's Lookout," Gohan replied. He was very curious about the mysterious Mr. Popo.
"Until next time, Korin!"
Gohan slowly rose along the central pillar and arrived at Kami's Lookout!
"Hello, Kami and Mr. Popo!" Son Gohan greeted them politely.
"Son Gohan, you're powerful," Kami said with a frown.
Mr. Popo remained expressionless.
"Earth is my home, and my family is here!" Son Gohan understood exactly what Kami meant.
"Good. Did you come because you want to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Kami asked.
Son Gohan shook his head.
"The time isn't right yet. I came to ask you to have Piccolo go somewhere with me. You must be curious about your origins, too, right? Earthlings come in all shapes and forms, but none of them can regrow severed fingers or create Dragon Balls like your people can."
"You're saying I'm not an Earthling? Who are you, and how do you know so much? You're only two years old!" Kami's voice was filled with shock.
"Before I answer that, I'd like to hear what Mr. Popo thinks." Son Gohan didn't answer Kami's question. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Mr. Popo's dark face.
"There are many mysterious things in this universe. Some powerful beings remain after death, their souls undying, and can be reincarnated through certain means. They don't even need to pass through the Other World," Mr. Popo said, offering his theory about Son Gohan.
At his words, Son Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.
The most dangerous thing was letting someone else's imagination run wild. Mr. Popo's explanation gave him the perfect cover story!
Son Gohan followed Mr. Popo's lead. "Whatever happened in my past life has nothing to do with me anymore. I was born on Earth, so I'm an Earthling. Even if my father is an alien, he considers Earth his home."
"That's for the best," Mr. Popo said, his face expressionless.
"Mr. Popo, I'm more curious about your origins than my own," Son Gohan said gravely, his muscles tensing as he grew fully alert.
"Curiosity can kill a cat," Mr. Popo replied without answering.
An invisible pressure bore down on Son Gohan, leaving him gasping for breath!
"Mr. Popo!" Kami called out, intervening.
"Yes, Lord Kami." Mr. Popo withdrew his pressure.
"Pant, pant... So Kami knows Mr. Popo is no ordinary person, too!" Son Gohan gasped.
"I was able to take over as Kami, so I'm no fool. Though I don't know Mr. Popo's origins either, the history of the Lookout shows that he has never done anything to harm Earth, nor has he ever controlled or interfered with Earth's development. That's enough for me. If we're talking seniority, Mr. Popo is the true god of Earth," Kami explained.
"I was prying too much. Sorry, Mr. Popo. I'll probably need your help again in the future," Son Gohan said humbly, adopting an apologetic posture.
After all, strength was what mattered. The stronger fist had the final say!
And his fist still wasn't as big as Mr. Popo's!
"Kami, please contact Piccolo for me!" Son Gohan said, getting down to business.
"Give me a moment. I don't know if he'll come, though," Kami said uncertainly.
"Tell him that if he doesn't come, he'll never have another chance to surpass my father," Son Gohan said calmly.
That was rubbing salt in the wound. Son Gohan's words had hit Piccolo right where it hurt!
"I'm sure he'll come..." Kami silently sent Piccolo a telepathic message.