The Mysterious Mr. Popo

"Lin Chen, if you're looking to increase your strength, I might be able to help."

Just as Lin Chen was at a loss, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.

Lin Chen turned to look and saw Kami speaking.

"Kami? You can help me?"

"To be precise, it's not me, but Mr. Popo," Kami replied with a smile.

"Mr. Popo?"

Lin Chen turned to look at Mr. Popo, who stood nearby with an almost unreadable expression.

He could help him?

Mr. Popo's coin-like eyes were utterly calm as he gazed at Lin Chen with an innocent expression. "Since Kami says so, Mr. Popo is willing to give you some guidance."

"How do you plan to guide me, Mr. Popo? And, just so you know, I don't have much time."

Lin Chen didn't refuse outright. On the surface, he couldn't see what Mr. Popo could possibly teach him, given that his power level was only a few hundred. But he knew Mr. Popo was far from simple. Perhaps he really did have something to teach him.

"Mr. Popo knows roughly how strong you are. The usual methods won't help much, so Mr. Popo plans to teach you something else. As for the time issue, Mr. Popo can take you somewhere. Is that all right, Kami?"

Mr. Popo turned and asked Kami.

Kami nodded. "Mr. Popo, are you planning to go there? In that case, take Mr. Lin Chen with you."

"Certainly."

Meanwhile, Broly apologized to Lin Chen as well. "Sorry, Big Brother Lynx. I can't help you this time."

"It's all right, Broly. You're a good kid. Fighting really isn't for you."

Lin Chen didn't know whether turning a combat genius into this had been a blessing or a curse. But at least for Broly, this was the life he wanted most.

Then Lin Chen followed Mr. Popo deeper into the Lookout.

He walked behind Mr. Popo, passing through several corridors as they gradually made their way down to the bottom of the Lookout.

By then, Lin Chen had figured out where Mr. Popo was taking him.

"Are you taking me to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Mr. Popo?"

"You know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Mr. Popo asked over his shoulder, his face still perfectly calm.

"Yes. I actually have one of my own, on Planet Vegeta."

Lin Chen's Hyperbolic Time Chamber was currently on Planet Vegeta, where it served as a training ground for promising young Saiyans.

The chamber's gravity was nothing compared to Planet Vegeta's, but its vast, empty space placed a great strain on one's willpower. It was perfect for training the young Saiyans' mental fortitude.

Mr. Popo looked genuinely surprised to hear that Lin Chen had his own Hyperbolic Time Chamber. But he merely opened his mouth slightly, said nothing, and continued leading the way.

At last, after a long detour, the two reached the very bottom of the Lookout, where a huge golden door stood.

"We're here." Mr. Popo pushed open the door. "Since you know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Mr. Popo won't explain much. One year inside is one day outside. Training here shouldn't interfere with your schedule, right?"

"Not at all." Lin Chen smiled and walked in.

Soon, they found themselves in a vast white space, hot and low-pressure, with ten times Earth's gravity.

Without wasting any time, Lin Chen began training under Mr. Popo's guidance.

Only then did he understand what Kami had meant.

What Mr. Popo intended to teach him was how to control his ki.

"Mr. Lin Chen, you have tremendous power, but you're very poor at using it. If you unleash your full strength, you can easily destroy a planet, can't you?" Mr. Popo asked.

"That's right." Lin Chen nodded.

That was why he only sparred with Hanasia on Planet Vegeta. He had used Shenron to reinforce the planet.

If they fought elsewhere and Lin Chen and Hanasia let loose, one careless blow could destroy the planet.

"That's because you still can't control your power at will. A true master can wield enough strength to destroy the heavens and earth without letting it harm anyone else," Mr. Popo said.

Lin Chen nodded, deeply agreeing.

He remembered that in Dragon Ball Super, Beerus had once fought on Earth.

Beerus was so powerful he could destroy a planet with a snap of his fingers. Yet he fought on Earth for quite a while without damaging it at all.

In fact, as the Dragon Ball story progressed, some people thought its power system had fallen apart. They failed to realize that the top fighters had learned to control their power at will.

The sort of things that had happened early in the story—tearing apart the earth or punching through planets—were now things these masters could avoid.

Mr. Popo continued, "Mr. Popo heard from Broly that your training has always focused on strength and your body. That can certainly make you stronger in the short term, but strength and physical conditioning alone aren't nearly enough if you want to grow stronger."

"So from now on, Mr. Popo will teach you how to control your ki. Listen carefully."

"Mm-hmm." Lin Chen nodded.

Only after hearing Mr. Popo's words did he finally understand why he'd felt he was hitting a wall.

It turned out his control over ki hadn't kept pace with his body and strength.

It was like Lin Chen had a powerful weapon in his hands, but his body couldn't keep up with it, leaving him unable to wield it properly.

If he hadn't heard Mr. Popo explain it today, he might never have realized what was wrong.

Those few words alone made following Mr. Popo into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber worthwhile.

But that wasn't all that surprised Lin Chen. Next, Mr. Popo had him turn into a Super Saiyan and spar with him in that form.

"Mr. Popo, are you sure? One punch from me could kill you..." Lin Chen couldn't help asking.

"Go ahead and try. Mr. Popo is actually very strong," Mr. Popo said.

At that, Lin Chen remembered that in the original Dragon Ball story, Mr. Popo had indeed sparred with Super Saiyans. They'd been two little kids, but they were still Super Saiyans.

Thinking of that, Lin Chen smiled. "All right, Mr. Popo. Here I come!"

Whoosh!

The next moment, Lin Chen appeared right in front of Mr. Popo, his right fist flying toward Mr. Popo's face.

To be cautious, Lin Chen used only half his strength, but he pushed his speed to its limit.

Yet, somehow, Mr. Popo easily dodged the seemingly fatal punch by tilting his head to the side.

"What?" Lin Chen was stunned.