Porunga

The Namekian Dragon Balls are different from the ones on Earth.

They are much larger, each one the size of a basketball, with surfaces shimmering in a golden light. The seven Dragon Balls are arranged in the center of the stone house, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura.

"State your wish," the Grand Elder says weakly. "The Namekian dragon, Porunga... will grant it for you... Nail, you translate into the Namekian language."

Son Goku takes a deep breath.

He knows these three wishes will determine his future path. He must be cautious, precise, and must... maximize his gains.

"The first wish—please grant me the ability to perform the Yardratian Instant Transmission!"

Nail loudly translates the request into Namekian.

"That is simple!"

A flash of red light flickers in Porunga's eyes, and a beam of golden light shoots directly into Son Goku's mind.

"BOOM—!!!"

Son Goku feels countless pieces of information flooding his consciousness—the folds of space, the coordinates of ki, the folding and leaping of dimensions... These are the secret racial techniques that the Yardratians spent thousands upon thousands of years developing, yet now they are branded into his soul as if they were his own.

He closes his eyes, sensing the space around him. The wilderness of Namek, the faint ki of the children in the distant village, and even... the direction of Earth in the far-off starry sky. Every location has a unique "ki coordinate"; as long as he can perceive it, he can cross light-years in an instant.

"Incredible..." He opens his eyes. With this, he no longer needs to travel to Yardrat to study, nor does he need to waste over a year of time.

"The second wish!" Son Goku's voice is even firmer, his fists clenching involuntarily. "Please grant me the ability to survive in outer space! No oxygen required, no protection needed; my physical body must be able to move freely in a vacuum!"

Nail translates once more.

The Dragon Balls shine again, this time with a hint of life force in the radiance.

Son Goku feels a subtle yet profound change occurring within his body.

His lungs seem to have gained a strange conversion ability, capable of turning cosmic rays directly into life energy; a layer of invisible, ki-based protective film forms on his skin, capable of resisting vacuum and extreme temperatures; his cellular structure is fine-tuned to maintain life activities through "ki" in an oxygen-free environment.

He clenches his fist, feeling the changes in his body, and a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"The third wish!"

Son Goku takes a deep breath and states the most important wish of all. His voice is steady, yet carries an unquestionable resolve:

"Please grant me... the method to cultivate Godly Ki!"

A deathly silence falls over the stone house.

Nail's translation cuts off abruptly, his three eyes wide with shock. "God, Godly Ki?! What are you saying?! That is—"

"I know," Son Goku says calmly, though his mind is racing. "Godly Ki is the threshold for becoming a deity. Without it, no matter how great the talent or how pure the bloodline, one can never touch the true realm of the gods."

He looks at the Grand Elder, his eyes filled with determination:

"Beyond Frieza, there are even stronger enemies. Beyond the Super Saiyan, there are even higher realms. I need... the key to that realm."

The Grand Elder is silent.

He looks at Son Goku, those cloudy eyes seemingly seeing through everything. Then he smiles, a smile tinged with... understanding?

"Nail," the Grand Elder says softly, "translate. Let Porunga... answer this wish."

Nail swallows hard and finishes translating the wish in a trembling voice.

High in the sky, Porunga's blood-red eyes suddenly widen. His voice is no longer the hollow echo from before, but carries a tone of... hesitation:

"This wish... cannot be granted."

Son Goku's heart sinks. Cannot be granted?! Is it beyond even the Namekian Dragon Balls?

But Porunga's voice continues, rolling like thunder:

"The power of gods... is not something we can forcibly bestow. The status of a deity is a manifestation of universal law, not 'power,' but 'divine rank.' If your mortal flesh were to be forcibly infused with divine power, there would be only one outcome—total annihilation of both body and soul."

Son Goku freezes, his mind racing.

Divine rank? Not power, but rank?! That's right... in the original story, the Super Saiyan God required the ritual of six righteous Saiyans, and Ultra Instinct required a breakthrough in state of mind. Divine power was never something "given," but something "cultivated!"

Porunga's voice sounds once more, carrying an ancient and solemn rhythm:

"I can bestow the 'method' upon you, but the 'fruit' you must prove for yourself. The method to cultivate Godly Ki can be imprinted upon your soul. Yet, whether you can master it depends entirely on your heart, your will, and your enlightenment. This is my limit, and it is the law of the universe."

The Grand Elder nods weakly, his voice hoarse but clear: "Child... Porunga is right. Divine power involves the origin of the universe. If the Dragon Balls could create gods at will, the order of the universe would have collapsed long ago. God of Destruction Beerus, Supreme Kai Shin... they either possess innate divinity or have achieved it through eons of cultivation; there is no such thing as 'reaching the heavens in a single step.'"

Son Goku fell silent.

So that's how it is... It's not that Porunga doesn't want to grant it, but that he cannot. Divine power isn't like combat power, a type of energy that can be infused; it is an "authority," a "realm." Just like in the original story, when Whis trained Son Goku and Vegeta, he taught them the "method" rather than simply bestowing power.

Besides, Grand Elder is right. My current strength is still too low. If a godhood were forced into me, I might truly explode and die.

He lifted his head, his eyes regaining their clarity.

"I understand. Then... please, impart the cultivation method for Godly Ki to me."

Porunga's massive head nodded slowly, and his blood-red eyes erupted with golden light one last time. This time, the radiance was not blinding, but deep and distant, as if the history of the entire universe were flowing within it.

"As you wish."

"BOOM—!!!"

The golden light transformed into a pillar, enveloping Son Goku entirely.

In an instant, a massive influx of information flooded his mind—

The essence of divine power: It is a force that transcends "Ki," not destruction, but "rules."

The balance of destruction and creation: Divine power requires the user to understand both ruin and rebirth simultaneously, like the very breath of the universe.

The cultivation method for Godly Ki: Starting from sensing the Ki of nature, to resonating with heaven and earth, and finally allowing the "rules" to merge with the "self."

This information was so vast that the impact on his consciousness was immense. Fortunately, Son Goku's soul as a transmigrator held firm, but the agony of the infusion forced him to his knees, clutching his head, teeth gritted, as cold sweat poured down like rain.

"Ugh... Aaaah!"

So painful... It's not physical pain; it feels like my soul is being stretched apart! This information isn't for the "me" of now; it's prepared for the "me" of the future!

The golden light lasted for three full minutes.

When the radiance finally faded, Son Goku collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

"Godly Ki, divine power..." he murmured to himself.

The cultivation method for Godly Ki was too profound, like a celestial tome written in the language of the universe's birth, every page weighing a thousand tons. Even though it had been infused into his mind, Son Goku felt that he might not be able to "read" it all even if he spent two years.

This is the key to opening the door of the gods. Although I cannot use it yet, nor even understand a tenth of its mysteries... one day in the future, I will eventually complete the evolution of my life...

He struggled to stand, his legs still weak, but his back remained straight.

Three wishes, all fulfilled.

Son Goku walked to Grand Elder's stone bed and bowed deeply, his waist bent at a ninety-degree angle, his voice hoarse yet sincere:

"Thank you, Grand Elder. This kindness... I, Son Goku, will never forget."

Grand Elder smiled weakly, his antennae drooping powerlessly, his aura even fainter than before: "Go... child... go and become stronger..."

Son Goku nodded heavily.

In the time that followed, Son Goku began to consolidate the Instant Transmission technique on Namek.

Although the wish granted by Shenron had saved Son Goku over a year of learning the theory behind Instant Transmission, there was still a gap between learning the knowledge and mastering the practice.

A month later, having fully mastered Instant Transmission, Son Goku bid farewell to Grand Elder and used the technique to return to Earth.

With this, the journey to Namek was successfully concluded.