He felt it—
There was a familiar aura surrounding Zhi Zun Bao.
It wasn't a Saiyan aura—but something... similar to his father Sun Wukong's.
The kind of fearless presence that dared to grin even in the face of the most powerful enemies.
Dhritarashtra watched it all coldly.
"A bunch of ants."
He raised the Jade Pipa again.
This time—he held nothing back.
He plucked all five strings!
BZZZ—!!!
A sound wave ten times more powerful than before surged toward the three of them like a tsunami!
Zixia's face changed. She turned and stepped in front of Goten and Zhi Zun Bao, holding the Violet-Azure Treasure Sword across her chest—
BOOM!
The sound wave crashed into the Violet-Azure Treasure Sword. Zixia was sent flying and slammed heavily to the ground, spitting blood.
"Sister Zixia!" Goten shouted.
"Fairy Zixia!" Zhi Zun Bao rushed over too.
Dhritarashtra coldly raised his hand.
"Leave none alive."
The Heavenly Soldiers raised their spears—
Just then—
A drop of blood fell from Goten's wounded arm and landed on the back of Zhi Zun Bao's hand.
Zhi Zun Bao froze.
The drop of blood seeped into his skin.
And disappeared.
Then—a golden glimmer lit deep within his pupils.
It wasn't reflected light—it was gold rising from the depths of his eyes—
In that instant, countless images flashed through Zhi Zun Bao's mind—
South Heaven Gate, the Flat Peach Garden, the Alchemy Furnace, Five Finger Mountain, the Golden Cudgel—
And a figure with its back to him.
The figure slowly turned around.
A golden monkey's face.
Sun Wukong.
"You... finally came," the figure said.
"No..." Zhi Zun Bao murmured. "Were... were you calling me?"
"Old Sun has been waiting for you all this time."
"Waiting for me to do what?"
Sun Wukong smiled—
"Waiting for you—to become Old Sun."
BOOM!
Zhi Zun Bao's consciousness exploded!
He jerked his head up—the gold in his pupils had spread across his entire eyes!
He didn't know what he was doing—
But he spoke.
His voice was hoarse and low, carrying the weight of something that had endured five hundred years—
"Old Sun..."
He looked down at his hands.
"...has been waiting for you for a long time."
Goten's eyes widened.
That voice—it was exactly the same as the one in the Moonlight Box!
"Zhi Zun Bao" stood there, but his whole bearing had changed.
His stance had changed—he was no longer the crooked, shambling bandit. He stood with his back straight, like a Sea-Calming Divine Needle.
His gaze had changed—no longer carefree, it was so deep it seemed to see through five hundred years of time.
He looked down at his hands, then slowly clenched them.
"This body... is too weak."
He raised his hand and made a fist toward the sky.
Something strange happened.
In the distance, Five Finger Mountain—the sacred mountain that had suppressed Sun Wukong for five hundred years—trembled slightly.
Vaishravana's Primordial Pearl Umbrella suddenly shook violently!
"What is that—" Vaishravana's face changed. His treasured umbrella was actually shrinking against his will!
Zixia clutched her chest and stared at Zhi Zun Bao in disbelief.
"You... are you—"
Zhi Zun Bao—or rather, the being temporarily occupying his body—turned and looked at Zixia.
A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes.
"Zixia."
His voice had softened considerably.
"Five hundred years."
Tears streamed from Zixia's eyes.
She recognized that voice.
"It really is you..."
Goten looked from Zhi Zun Bao to Zixia, completely at a loss.
"Um... could someone explain what's going on—"
"There's no time to explain." Zhi Zun Bao—or rather, Sun Wukong—cut him off.
He looked up at the sky.
Stronger golden light was approaching from the horizon.
The Jade Emperor's imperial procession was on its way.
Sun Wukong, controlling Zhi Zun Bao's body, turned to look at Goten and smiled—the smile was exactly the same as the one in the Moonlight Box.
"Kid."
"Your suppressed power will fully return on the night of the full moon."
Goten froze.
"How do you know—"
"Because—"
Sun Wukong pointed at the sky.
"That moon isn't from your Dragon Ball World. But it works the same way."
Goten abruptly looked up.
A full moon was slowly rising in the sky.
It wasn't the fifteenth day of the month.
But the Moonlight Box was glowing.
Sun Wukong smiled.
"Go on. Show the Heavenly Court—"
His gaze sharpened.
"—the true power of the Saiyans."
With that, his body went limp and collapsed.
Zhi Zun Bao—was Zhi Zun Bao again.
He stood up, rubbing his head. "Why am I lying on the ground... What just happened...?"
Goten didn't answer.
He looked up at the full moon, feeling the power boiling within him—
The suppression was weakening.
The Moonlight Box was resonating.
His Saiyan blood was roaring.
Goten clenched his fists, and golden energy blazed into the sky—
This time—
It shone brighter than ever before.
Before you continue