Licks's Dramatic Rise in Power and His Attempt

I hadn't realized it until I sensed it, but the moment I did, Licks was utterly stunned.

The hatred in his eyes was instantly replaced by deep surprise.

He now believed most of what Dende and Vegeta had told him.

After glancing at Trunks, he willingly released his ki.

By then, Trunks had finished reading the results.

He flailed his arms and cried out in astonishment, "Whoa!"

"Uncle Tarble, Uncle Licks's power level is up to five million!"

"Uncle Licks, did you hear that?"

"Your power level has reached five million!"

"That's incredible—it's gone up tenfold!"

"Uncle Licks, did you hear me?"

The more he said, the more excited he became.

He was thrilled not only because Licks's strength had soared, but also because his father hadn't lied to him.

After recovering from a near-fatal injury, a Saiyan really could grow stronger at an incredible rate!

Before checking the results, Trunks's hand had been trembling.

Now, his whole body was trembling too.

His excitement and joy had replaced his earlier unease.

He had grown very fond of Licks over the little more than a month they'd spent together.

After all, Licks had let him experience the life of a prince firsthand.

No naive young boy could resist the temptation of being a prince.

The number "five million" reached Licks's ears, and his eyes suddenly widened.

F-five million?!

Had he really reached a power level that seemed like something out of a fantasy so easily?!

In the next instant, he realized he'd wronged Vegeta.

Still, the man had suddenly attacked him and left him gravely injured. He'd even come close to dying.

There was no way he could simply forget that.

Besides being battle-hungry, Saiyans were also very vengeful.

Though he still felt resentment, Vegeta truly hadn't tried to kill him.

Otherwise, with the man's power level of over a hundred billion, Licks couldn't possibly have escaped with injuries that mild.

He would have died then and there.

For a moment, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.

His feelings were complicated.

Seeing that he no longer seemed so hostile, Tarble seized the opportunity. "Licks, try to get used to your increased strength. Then see if you can transform into a Super Saiyan."

Licks answered vaguely, "All right."

Once he'd collected himself, he looked up and saw the uncle and nephew standing before him, their eyes full of hope and kindness.

In the end, he slowly nodded.

Whether it was Vegeta having the Namekian named Dende save him, or the fact that they'd told him everything he needed to know about becoming a Super Saiyan, he owed them.

He could also say that he had Tarble to thank for it.

Over the past month, he'd seen how Vegeta treated Tarble. It was nothing like how he treated an unrelated Saiyan like Licks.

But what was he supposed to do with his anger, if he had nowhere to vent it?

There was only one thing to do: turn that anger into motivation and try to transform into a Super Saiyan!

With that thought, he began gathering energy throughout his body and channeling it into his back, roaring as he did.

"Aaaaaah!"

Boom!

A tremendous wave of ki erupted in an instant!

Tarble, Dende, and Mr. Popo flashed away, putting some distance between themselves and Licks.

Trunks's base power was far greater than Licks's, so he didn't really need to move away.

But when he saw the three of them retreat, he followed suit, then stared intently at Licks in the distance.

You can do it, Uncle Licks!

As Licks continued to shout, his ki rapidly climbed.

Gust after gust of energy swept in every direction.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled above Kami's Lookout once again.

In less than five seconds, golden light began to shimmer in Licks's black hair, and golden flames of ki flickered around him.

Seeing this, Tarble smiled faintly.

That was a good sign!

Even if Licks failed this time, he should succeed after a few more tries!

But then—

The next moment, things unfolded in a way that went far beyond Tarble's expectations.

Licks proved him wrong with his actions.

In the blink of an eye, Licks transformed completely into a Super Saiyan.

Tarble looked on, somewhat stunned.

But it wasn't over yet.

Less than two seconds after transforming, Licks was forced back into his normal state.

What's more, he dropped to his knees with a thud and gasped for breath.

Sweat poured down him in heavy drops.

Seeing this, Tarble let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Now that was normal!

If every Saiyan were a genius, why had they remained so weak despite waging war across the universe for so many years?

With that thought, he turned to Dende and asked, "Dende, could you help Licks recover his strength?"

Dende was also still stunned, but he immediately replied, "Oh, sure. No problem."

He hurried over to Licks and helped him recover his strength.

A short while later,

Licks was back on his feet, fully recovered. He thanked Dende gratefully.

"Thank you."

The Namekian had saved his life, so naturally he wasn't going to treat him coldly.

After living on the planet where Guping was for so many years, most of the hostility in him had long since faded.

If Vegeta hadn't suddenly attacked and gravely injured him, he would have been fairly even-tempered.

He wouldn't have angrily cursed the way he had before.

As the saying went, like master, like subordinate.

His change in temperament was largely due to his original self, Tarble, as well as the environment he lived in.

"N-no need to thank me. Really, it's fine."

Seeing Licks suddenly return to his usual self, Dende wasn't quite used to it and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Um, try again."

"I'll stay nearby and help you get your strength back."

Seeing how flustered he was, Licks laughed. "All right. Thanks, then."

Dende shook his head gently and encouraged him. "You can do it."

Then, with a whoosh, he returned to Tarble and the others.

Seeing Licks stand up and prepare to try again, Tarble cautioned him, "Licks, don't rush it."

"Don't forget, when you gather your ki, you need to start slowly and build up speed!"

"If you're still angry, take this chance to let it out."

Licks was taken aback at first, then nodded firmly. "Yes, I understand, Your Highness."

He knew what Tarble meant by his anger.

In truth, he wasn't nearly as furious anymore.

After quickly composing himself, he made a second attempt to transform into a Super Saiyan.

Following the technique Vegeta had taught him, he focused his ki in his back.

Boom!

Less than a minute after Kami's Lookout had calmed down, a violent storm of ki swept across it once more.

"Ahhhhh!"

His cathartic roar rang throughout Kami's Lookout.

Fortunately, Licks didn't use his ki to amplify his voice. Otherwise, it would have affected most of the Earth.

Even so, the sudden surge in his ki still threw the heavens and earth into turmoil.