Popo's Guidance

Goku walked across the Lookout's plaza. On the other side of the plaza, someone was feeding birds, seemingly nothing special. Goku approached him and introduced himself with a smile. "Hello, I'm Goku. I heard this is Kami's Lookout, and I came to train under Kami."

The man looked up at Goku, smiled, and rose to his feet. His tone was calm. "My name is Popo. I am Kami's servant. If you want to see Kami, you must defeat me first."

Goku broke into a brilliant smile. "Defeat you? Great, then let's go!"

Goku and Popo engaged in an intense duel on the Lookout's plaza. The roar of wind and the sounds of colliding power rang out as they exchanged blows at high speed. Goku's aura surged violently as he maintained twelve times gravity, attacking Popo with everything he had.

Popo's body made almost no unnecessary movements. His motions were light and nimble, and every clash perfectly blocked Goku's attacks without even a trace of excess aura leaking out. The tremendous pressure behind every one of Goku's strikes barely elicited any reaction from Popo. His footwork was practically a lesser version of Ultra Instinct.

That meant Popo had complete control over his ki and could wield it with incredible precision in battle. Goku tried to break through Popo's defense by increasing his attack speed, but every time he struck, Popo could evade with the smallest of movements.

This guy is ridiculously strong! Goku thought.

In the end, Goku stopped and caught his breath. Looking at Popo before him, he realized that he still had not fully mastered control over his ki.

Popo smiled at Goku. "Your speed and strength surprised me, but there are too many unnecessary movements in your attacks."

Just as Goku was about to lower the gravity on his Gravity Bracelets, Kami's voice suddenly came from within the Lookout, clear and imposing. "Come in, Son Goku."

Popo looked at Goku from the side and gave a slight nod, signaling for him to follow. "Come. Kami has summoned you."

Goku followed Popo into the Lookout. When they reached its depths, Goku finally met Kami.

Kami stood at the center of the Lookout. He looked somewhat similar to King Piccolo, with green skin and a stern face.

Kami's gaze fell upon Goku as he studied him with interest. "You came here to train, didn't you?"

Goku smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes. I have many areas I need to improve, and I hope to receive more guidance."

Kami nodded, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "Your aura is far from ordinary—stronger even than I expected. In that case, Popo will continue to guide you."

Goku's heart stirred slightly. He could finally receive training on a higher level.

Kami's calm voice rang out. "Popo, take him to train."

Goku nodded gratefully and followed Popo toward the training grounds.

Popo brought Goku to the Lookout's plaza. The surroundings were silent, and a gentle breeze drifted past. Popo looked at Goku calmly, pointed to a stone slab in the center of the plaza, and said, "Goku, sit there. Think of nothing. Keep your heart calm, like a stone."

Goku was briefly stunned, then understood. Popo wanted him to set aside his thoughts and train his state of mind.

He went to the stone slab, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and tried not to think about anything.

Popo observed from a short distance away. "Goku, your power is formidable, but if your heart is not calm, it will be difficult for you to grasp the true martial path."

The next day, Popo brought Goku inside the Lookout and stopped in a room shimmering with multicolored lights. Operating a machine, Popo said to Goku, "This machine can travel to any space. Your task now is to go to Mount Paozu and retrieve the Sacred Crown there."

Goku nodded and walked to the center where the lights intertwined. Strange energy enveloped him, and the scenery around him shifted rapidly like phantoms. In the blink of an eye, amid the changes of time and space, Goku arrived in an entirely new world.

He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and could not help grumbling inwardly, Does this count as being transported to another world for the second time? The Lookout actually has something this amazing...

Goku lightly leaped onto a mountaintop and looked up to see a towering mountain piercing the clouds. At its summit rested the goal of his journey—the Sacred Crown. Without hesitation, Goku dashed toward that mountain as swiftly as the wind.

Before long, Goku reached the summit. Before him stood an ancient altar, with the Sacred Crown placed at its center. Goku knew that this training was meant to sharpen his perception and evasive abilities. He reached out, picked up the Sacred Crown, and placed it on his head, grumbling inwardly, This feels like putting on some kind of cursed headband.

He closed his eyes and sensed the changes around him. Suddenly, dark clouds filled the sky, thunder rumbled, and bolts of lightning darted through the clouds. Goku focused, using his perception to predict the lightning's attacks. However, the lightning was too fast. At first, he was struck several times, each hit making him bare his teeth in pain. "This feeling is seriously intense!"

Thunder crashed repeatedly as lightning struck him nonstop like enraged dragons. Amid the roar, Goku continued training his perception and evasive movements. His reactions steadily improved, and gradually, he began to catch the signs before the lightning descended. He adjusted his posture with agility, his movements becoming lighter and swifter until they were nearly synchronized with the lightning itself.

Meanwhile, inside Kami's Lookout, Kami and Popo watched Goku's performance on Mount Paozu through a screen. As they saw him gradually find his rhythm amid the heavenly lightning and nimbly evade the bolts, they marveled at his extraordinary comprehension.

When the final rumble of thunder faded from the mountaintop and the sky returned to calm, Popo activated the machine and teleported Goku back to the Lookout. Popo smiled in praise. "Goku, your performance was excellent. In such a short time, you mastered such advanced movement techniques."

Kami stepped forward, nodded, and looked at Goku with satisfaction as he softly recited an ancient incantation. Goku only felt a slight lightness atop his head as the Sacred Crown flew up from his head and hovered in the air.

On the third day, Popo activated the teleporter, and Goku appeared beneath a massive waterfall. The booming crash of water was deafening. This time, Goku's training was to learn precise control of ki and use it to split the waterfall.

Goku stood before the waterfall, took a deep breath, focused his mind, gathered his strength, and pointed a finger slightly toward the water directly ahead. He tried to release his ki. However, the instant it was released, it poured out like a rushing torrent. With a tremendous boom, it blasted a hole directly into the rock behind the waterfall. Goku scratched his head with a wry smile and muttered to himself, "Looks like I need more practice to learn how to keep my ki within the smallest possible range."

So Goku began trying again and again, feeling the flow of ki within his body as he attempted to control its intensity. After repeated attempts, he gradually discovered the technique of concentrating ki at a single point, and the ki released from his finger steadily became more stable. Facing the waterfall once more, he precisely gathered a thread of ki at his fingertip. Whoosh— In that instant, a wide gap opened in the waterfall.

Inside Kami's Lookout, Kami and Popo watched Goku's training beneath the waterfall through the screen. When Goku successfully split the waterfall, an unmistakable flash of surprise appeared in Popo's eyes. He sighed softly, "Goku's comprehension is even greater than I anticipated."

Kami nodded slightly, watching Goku's figure on the screen. "To master control over ki in such a short time... this child truly is different."