Undercurrents

Somewhere on Earth.

Time slipped quietly by amid training.

Six months later.

Gohan crawled out of a massive crater, covered in dust, blood at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes gleamed.

Goku stood some distance away, a rare hint of satisfaction on his face. "Not bad. That punch finally had a little something to it."

Gohan spat out the sand in his mouth, inwardly ranting wildly. Not bad? Dad, that punch nearly blasted half my head into the ground, and that's called "a little something"?

But he had to admit that these six months of training had truly transformed him.

At first, he had been nothing more than a punching bag. Now, he could occasionally last more than a dozen moves against Goku, though he still spent most of the time getting beaten up.

Gohan wiped the blood from his face and grinned. "Again!"

He had realized something: Progress? No, his dad had finally learned to hold back a little.

Capsule Corporation, Gravity Chamber.

"Four hundred and twenty times."

Vegeta's hoarse voice echoed through the gravity chamber as his body endured terrifying pressure.

Bulma stared at the monitor, her brows tightly furrowed. "Four hundred and twenty times gravity... your body has already gone beyond its limit, Vegeta."

"I know." Obsession burned in Vegeta's eyes. "That's why I have to keep going."

Bulma fell silent for a few seconds. "...Do you want something to eat? You haven't eaten in three days—"

"Not hungry."

Golden energy erupted once more.

Bulma watched the readings on the instruments spike wildly, her heartbeat quickening. The ki within Vegeta was infinitely close to that threshold.

Just one step away.

Just a little more.

But he simply could not take that step.

Bulma shook her head and muttered, "That madman..."

Piccolo's investigation made a breakthrough in the sixth month.

Deep within a mountain range in the north, he discovered abnormal electromagnetic fluctuations—an energy signature unique to artificial lifeforms.

Dr. Gero's laboratory was there.

Piccolo decided to investigate it himself.

Before leaving, he found Gohan and, unusually, said a few extra words. "I'm going north. It may take a few days."

Gohan nodded. "Be careful."

"If I'm not back in three days..." Piccolo paused.

Gohan cut him off directly. "Uncle Piccolo, can you stop talking about death all the time?"

Piccolo glanced at him and, unusually, did not argue.

He turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the clouds.

Watching his back, Gohan knew that Uncle Piccolo probably would not come to any harm on this trip.

After all, according to the original plotline, Piccolo was a man who lived into the later stages of the Cell Saga.

But for some reason, Gohan still felt uneasy.

Over these six months, Gohan had also grown rapidly.

He began to realize that, as a transmigrator, he possessed a tremendous advantage—he knew the strengths and weaknesses of every training system in the Dragon Ball world.

Goku's "beast instinct" emphasized instinctive reactions and explosive power, but lacked endurance.

Piccolo's "calm analysis" emphasized tactical coordination and stamina, but lacked explosive force.

Krillin's energy waves were excellent for long-range attacks, but put him at a disadvantage in close combat.

Tien Shinhan's Four-Body Technique balanced hardness and softness, but had an excessively high threshold.

And he could combine the strengths of every system.

Thus, Gohan began experimenting with a completely new fighting style:

Before Goku's attack arrived, he would use Piccolo's analytical ability to predict its trajectory; at the instant of counterattack, he would use Goku's beast instinct to push his body to its limits; and at the crucial moment of a killing blow, he would use Krillin's energy wave to make up for the damage.

This kind of fusion required extremely high mental control.

But Gohan happened to possess it.

He was a transmigrator.

He had complete memories of the Dragon Ball world's plot.

He had the body of a four-year-old child, but the mind of an adult.

Goku seemed to sense Gohan's change as well. That day, he stopped attacking and looked seriously at his son. "Gohan, lately... you've changed a lot."

Gohan gave a confident smile. "Dad, I just found my own path."

Goku froze for a moment, then smiled too. "Good. Then use your own path to defeat me."

Gohan silently added in his heart, Remember those words, Dad. Don't blame me for hitting too hard when the time comes.

Bulma watched the monitor in the control room, her emotions a tangled mess.

Vegeta had failed again.

At four hundred and fifty times gravity, the threshold of Super Saiyan was right before him, yet he simply could not cross it.

Looking at the Saiyan prince trembling all over in the gravity chamber yet still standing, Bulma suddenly felt a pang in her heart.

He was already so strong.

Why couldn't he get past it?

Bulma didn't understand.

But she knew this man would not give up.

He never did.

Deep within the Northern Mountains.

Piccolo hovered above a mountain peak, surveying the terrain below.

His sensing ability told him there was a massive hollow within the mountain. That was Dr. Gero's laboratory.

Piccolo took a deep breath, preparing to infiltrate it.

Suddenly, an aged and sinister voice rang out from the darkness:

"So you've come... the half-breed of Saiyan and Namekian..."

Piccolo's entire body tensed.

He had been discovered.

Meanwhile, in a corner of Capsule Corporation, Vegeta once again failed to break through the limits of Super Saiyan.

Golden energy flickered around his body, then went out.

Vegeta knelt inside the gravity chamber and slammed his fist viciously into the ground.

"Just a little more..." His voice was hoarse, filled with despair and rage. "Just a little more..."

In the depths of space, aboard Cell's spaceship.

An aged figure stared at the data on the screen, muttering to himself.

On the screen was a photograph of Son Goku, with several large words beside it: "Super Saiyan."

The aged figure turned around, revealing a wrinkled face and eyes filled with obsession.

It was Dr. Gero.

More than twenty years ago, his Red Ribbon Army had been destroyed by Son Goku.

For more than twenty years, he had been researching and waiting.

All for this moment.

He turned and looked at the three sleeping android bodies behind him: Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18.

Then he gave a sinister smile.

"Son Goku... Super Saiyan... just wait."

"My androids will surely surpass you."

The three-year training period had officially begun.

And somewhere in the universe, a pair of eyes was watching Earth.

Undercurrents had already begun to stir.

The storm was about to arrive.