Mr. Popo's Divine Skill

On the Lookout, the group gazed at the fused Piccolo, some stunned, others thrilled.

Only Mr. Popo stood with misty eyes, whispering, "Guardian..." Regardless of his true identity, they had spent over a century together, and the bond between them ran deep.

"Gohan, let's head back. Your mother must be getting worried," Goku said.

"Yes, Dad! Goodbye, Uncle Piccolo!" Gohan replied.

The two took flight, descending from the Lookout and heading toward Mount Paozu.

Piccolo stood at the edge of the Lookout like the Guardian, though the staff that symbolized the position was no longer in his hand.

Mr. Popo turned to Vegeta and said, "Follow me. I have prepared what you requested." Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and followed Mr. Popo into a vast chamber.

Inside stood a Training Puppet that resembled Vegeta. As he stared at it, he realized this was what Mr. Popo had been preparing for the past two days.

"Vegeta, I don't know who you truly are, but I am certain that you and this body are not the same person," Mr. Popo said, his face expressionless.

It seemed the system was right! The lack of synchronization between his soul and the body had given Mr. Popo a clue.

"Goku used this puppet when he was a child. If you spar with it, you will gain unexpected insights," Mr. Popo added.

Could this be the foundation of the Ultra Instinct Kakarot learned as a child? Vegeta wondered.

As the words faded, Vegeta lunged at the puppet with blinding speed. The puppet remained indifferent. Just as Vegeta's fist was about to connect, the puppet raised a hand. It looked slow, yet in a split second, its palm met Vegeta's fist. It was as if Vegeta had intentionally struck that exact spot. Vegeta was shocked. Is this the legendary Ultra Instinct? Didn't Whis say that only Angels and the God race could master it? How can a puppet made by Mr. Popo use such a technique? Who exactly is he?

At that moment, the Saiyan's bloodthirsty nature boiled over. Casting aside his doubts, he charged again. As they traded blows, no matter how Vegeta attacked, he couldn't touch the puppet's body, leaving him gasping for air. The puppet remained unmoved, its feet never leaving a one-meter radius.

A sense of fury mixed with helplessness filled Vegeta. With a roar, he shouted, "Killing Intent Fist!" His battle power erupted, the terrifying aura shaking the entire Lookout. His power level surged from 700,000 to 3.5 million. He charged at the puppet with speed several times greater than before.

Mr. Popo's eyes narrowed. Watching this technique he had never seen before, he muttered, "Such a powerful skill. It increases his combat power fivefold. It doesn't look as strong as the North Kai's Kaio-ken, but it lacks the side effects that damage the body, allowing for endless combat. Who is he, and why does he know such strange techniques?"

"You puppet, how dare you look down on me! Galick Cannon!" Vegeta roared. He gathered energy in his cupped hands, forming a flower shape. A massive beam of yellow energy shot toward the puppet at high speed.

The puppet remained indifferent. The moment the energy struck, it shifted its body slightly to the left, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth. Vegeta controlled the energy blast with his hands, flicking them upward. The beam tore through the roof, shot into the sky, pierced the atmosphere, and vanished into space.

Outside, everyone watched the energy blast in shock, stunned that Vegeta's current strength was bottomless.

Only Piccolo stood there like a stone pillar, unmoved. After all, even with the Killing Intent Fist, Vegeta's power was only 3.5 million, still a distance away from him. He could shatter that beam with a flick of his hand.

If Vegeta knew Piccolo looked down on him like this, he would surely transform into a Super Saiyan in a fit of rage.

"Vegeta, if you keep going like this, you will never learn what I intend to teach you. Your muscles are constantly tense; if you cannot relax, you cannot perceive the puppet's movements. You must let your body fight naturally. In battle, let your body dodge attacks on its own, rather than having your brain think and then relay it to your body. That wastes too much time. While it may seem fast to ordinary people, in my eyes, you are slower than a snail," Mr. Popo explained.

Vegeta pondered Mr. Popo's words; they were similar to what Whis had taught him and Kakarot in the original timeline. In the original, Vegeta could never master this technique. Could it be that I will never learn Ultra Instinct in this life? If this continues, won't I be stuck with the title of 'Eternal Second-Best' again?

"Try again. If it doesn't work, I will teach you another method. Perhaps the Saiyan atavism technique is more suited for you," Mr. Popo continued.

"Saiyan atavism?" Vegeta asked, puzzled.

"Yes, your Saiyan ancestors! Hundreds of millions of years ago, they even ruled the entire Universe 7, forcing the gods into retreat. If it weren't for the one standing at the pinnacle who erased him, perhaps I wouldn't be standing here teaching you today!" Mr. Popo's unchanging expression finally flickered—a look Vegeta had seen many times: pure fear.

Vegeta thought about how the original story never mentioned this. Are there many unknown secrets in the Dragon Ball world?

"Teach me. I truly cannot master the technique that lets the body fight on its own," Vegeta said. Neither of them uttered the words "Ultra Instinct." Mr. Popo assumed Vegeta didn't know it, and Vegeta didn't want to reveal that he knew too much. The more one says, the more one errs; he had already caught Mr. Popo's attention and didn't want to expose any more.

"Very well. I don't have the specific technique, but I can transmit some scenes of the battles from that era. You must comprehend them yourself." As he spoke, Mr. Popo extended a dark finger toward Vegeta's brow. Vegeta felt an explosive pain in his head and couldn't help but scream.

"I have transmitted them to your mind. You cannot fully accept all the battle scenes yet, as you are too weak. I have sealed most of them; for now, you can only see the wars your ancestors waged as they began their path to dominion," Mr. Popo said expressionlessly.

Vegeta broke into a cold sweat, the pain in his head gradually fading as Mr. Popo applied the seal.

Mr. Popo waved his hand, and the puppet he had created dissolved into a pile of sludge. Vegeta stared at him in shock, a sense of humiliation washing over him. The puppet he had been fighting was just a pile of mud! His anger flared, though he didn't notice that with his rage, his S-Cells had slowly risen from 75% to 90%. Ten percent more, and he would meet the conditions for transformation.

The two walked out of the Lookout.

Once outside, Vegeta said to Piccolo, "We leave in two months. Be prepared! Don't be arrogant; the enemy on Namek, that most powerful emperor, is ten times stronger than you are now!"

Piccolo replied in disbelief, "What? I thought I was invincible. To think there is always someone stronger..." He immediately set aside his newfound pride.

"Hmph. Besides, he is nothing in this universe. There are plenty of people stronger than him," Vegeta said dismissively.

Cell, Majin Buu, Gods of Destruction, Angels, Moro—which of them wasn't stronger than Frieza? Although Frieza had gained a massive boost in the Dragon Ball Super timeline, it seemed like a short time, but that was the eruption of the foundation he had built through meditation and torture in hell.

With that, Vegeta flew toward West City.

At Bulma's house, she was still clanging away at the spaceship in her workshop. It looked vastly different from its original state, having expanded nearly tenfold.

Vegeta walked in and asked, "Bulma, how is it going? How is the ship coming along?"

"The exterior is almost done, but the inside is still empty. It will take another twenty days or so—the sleeping quarters, the gravity chamber, music, the bathroom..." Bulma explained while working.

"Those aren't important. The most important thing is the gravity chamber; make sure it's done right!" Vegeta interrupted.

"What do you mean 'not important'? You don't need them, but I do! I want to see the aliens too!" Bulma said with a haughty pout.

"What? You're coming too? No. It's too dangerous; entire planets get destroyed. If you die, I'll have to waste a wish to bring you back," Vegeta said.

He was clearly worried, yet his tone remained harsh.

"Relax, relax! I know you're worried about me. If things go south, I'll leave in the escape pod. I'll leave the ship for you guys; I dismantled the essentials from your companion's ship and turned the wreckage into a simple escape pod. Besides, do you have so little confidence in your ability to protect me? Or are you just worried about me?" Bulma said, looking at the man with a smile.

"Hmph, who's worried about you?" Vegeta retorted.

"It's late. Let's go rest..." Vegeta added, his tone turning suggestive.

Bulma looked at Vegeta's lecherous grin, her face flushing slightly. "You're annoying, I'm not done yet!" Despite her words, having just gotten a taste of it, she put down her tools and walked toward the bedroom, arm-in-arm with Vegeta.

After their foreplay, Vegeta looked at Bulma tenderly and said, "Alright, I won't bully you today. You haven't rested enough. I was just looking for an excuse to get you to take a break!"

Bulma gazed at the domineering, charming prince before her, deeply moved. Perhaps he was only this gentle at moments like these. Outside, he was always the man with immense pride, cold to the point of being heartless.

"What, can you hold back? Let me help you," before the words were even out, Bulma ducked under the covers... (Details omitted; use your imagination!)

Vegeta looked at the person who had given so much for him in astonishment, his heart filled with profound emotion.