The atmosphere grew heavy as the story reached its climax. Despite his intense curiosity regarding the outcome, Whis remained silent, careful not to interrupt his father's narration.
"That state of Otis's was indeed remarkable. Within just a few decades, he actually gained the courage to seek me out." The Grand Minister's smile faded, his expression turning solemn. "If he could have controlled that state with his own consciousness, it would have been quite impressive."
"Unfortunately, Otis had one fatal flaw: he was a mere mortal. By the time he faced Lord Zeno, he was already a hundred years old. And the final result..." The Grand Minister paused.
Whis held his breath, his palms sweating.
"The final result was that Otis was 'one-shotted' by Lord Zeno," the Grand Minister said, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia.
"As I suspected!" Whis exhaled deeply. The result was exactly what he had expected. After all, the opponent was Zeno—the invincible, absolute ruler of the multiverse.
Suddenly, the Grand Minister spoke again: "When I say he was 'one-shotted,' I mean he was defeated instantly. However, he did not die in that battle."
"What?"
"Lord Zeno thought he was quite 'fun,' so he spared his life." The Grand Minister looked out at the distant stars. "Otis returned to Universe 7, but he was gravely injured. Within a year, his body reached its limit, and he finally passed away."
As his father finished the story, the memories in Whis's mind began to resurface. He remembered it all now—Otis was truly a legendary figure.
"Whis, that transformation of Otis's actually had two fatal weaknesses. Do you know what they were?"
"I do. One was the loss of reason, and the other was his lifespan." Even without seeing Otis in person, Whis could clearly sense the weaknesses from the description.
Loss of reason was one thing, but that "limitless power growth" was likely the real problem. How could a physical body possibly support infinite power? It was obvious: that method of power required burning one's very life force!
"It seems you've figured it out." The Grand Minister nodded approvingly. Whis had always been bright, even if he did have to serve a God of Destruction who was lazy to the core.
He sighed and continued, "Otis was a mortal, but his constitution was terrifyingly robust. He could recover rapidly from even the most severe injuries. Under normal circumstances, he could easily have lived for a thousand years. But every time he transformed, it placed a massive burden on his body. Repeatedly breaking his limits left the sheer impact of that power irreversible scars on his physical form. It was a fighting style that traded years of life for seconds of strength."
The Grand Minister shook his head. "By the time he fought Lord Zeno, Otis's body was already failing. Near the end, he nearly died from his own power, causing his body to implode. If Lord Zeno hadn't found him amusing and saved his life, Otis would have died on the spot. Even so, he couldn't survive more than a year after returning to Universe 7."
That was the legend of Otis. Despite the numerous flaws of his Supreme Berserk State, he was a mortal who dared to stand before the King of All. The Grand Minister admired his spirit, yet felt pity for such a genius.
Whis felt a similar admiration. But then, a thought struck him: Otis was Gran's ancestor.
Wait! Ancestor?
Does that mean Gran might be capable of this transformation, too? Whis's face instantly paled.
"Whis, regarding that little fellow you've taken in... I don't know if he can transform as well, but if he can, I suggest you advise him to abandon that path." The Grand Minister clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the stars. "Without reason, one is ultimately just a beast with power."
Whis relaxed his grip and nodded. "I didn't see Otis myself, but I understand now. That Supreme Berserk State is a mistake."
Without reason, how can one control power? Without reason, how can one utilise power? Without reason, how can one cultivate their divine dimension to increase their lifespan?
As his father said, without reason, a warrior is just a beast driven by slaughter. Such a person could never become a truly supreme powerhouse. Whis would never let Gran walk that path.
When Gran returned, Whis planned to teach him about the Divine Dimensions and the Rules of Destruction. This would allow Gran to ascend from the peak of the mortal realm to the rank of a God of Destruction. His mortal Ki would transform into Divine Ki, and his lifespan would increase exponentially.
Besides, with Gran's talent, the Divine Dimension of a Destroyer wouldn't be the end. He might one day reach the Dimension of the Angels, or even the Grand Minister. After all, his father had said Gran possessed the potential to "surpass."
"Of course," the Grand Minister added suddenly, "Everything in this world exists for a reason. Existence is justification. If Otis had been able to solve those two fatal flaws, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Train the boy well. His potential is frightening; both Lord Zeno and I are keeping an eye on him."
With that, the Grand Minister turned and walked back into the palace.
Boom—!!
Whis's heart hammered. Even Lord Zeno is interested in Gran?
But what did his father mean by "Existence is justification"? Whis stood before the palace for a long time, brow furrowed, before finally leaving with a mind full of questions.
Inside the Omni-King's Palace
"Grand Minister, what did Whis want?~"
"He wanted to ask about Otis. He also wanted my evaluation of his new Candidate God of Destruction."
"Oh? Those two Saiyans~ they're so interesting, especially that little one named Gran~"
Zeno, looking like a colourful lemon-drop, looked up momentarily before returning to his game of "Planet Match-3."
The Grand Minister stood by Zeno's side, his persona as a lecturing father gone, replaced once again by the cold, stoic attendant of the King of All.
Universe 7, Northern Galaxy, in the vacuum of space, en route to Planet Namek.
"Gran! Can you please stop destroying the planets I just created?"
"No. These planets are useless. Lord Beerus went through a lot of trouble to destroy them; why are you bringing them back?"
Gran fired a 20-meter-wide energy blast, and a developing planet in the distance instantly erupted into stardust.
"Besides, I'm doing this for your own good. If these planets aren't cleared out by the time Lord Beerus wakes up, you'll be in big trouble!"
"Is that 'Beerus' guy really that scary?" Supreme Kai Shin hovered nearby. During their journey from Yardrat, he had learned a great deal from Gran. He now knew that there were twelve universes, each with its own God of Destruction and Supreme Kai.
"Shin, let me explain this to you one more time!" Gran turned around, annoyed. "Even though the God of Destruction and the Supreme Kai are technically equal in rank, when you're talking about a Destroyer, you use a title. You call him Lord Beerus."
"But why?"
"Because we Destroyers have the bigger fists! If you think you can take us in a fight, feel free to call him whatever you want!" Gran shook his tiny fist with a devious grin.
"..." Shin shuddered and fell silent.
"Alright, I'm heading to Planet Namek now. Are you still following?"
"Of course. I still need to hear more about the duties of a Supreme Kai."
"Fine. Then give me a lift to Namek."
When Gran left the Destroyer's Realm, Whis had given him a star map of Universe 7. However, he didn't know what the Namekian Ki signature felt like yet, so he couldn't teleport there instantly. He could get there on his own by chain-teleporting along the map's coordinates, but why walk when you can ride?
"Why do I have to take you?" Shin asked, confused. "Can't you use Instant Transmission?"
"Don't talk back. Are you taking me or not?"
"..." Shin's lip twitched. "Fine, fine, I'll take you." He was worried that if he refused, Gran would stop telling him about the history of the Kais.
"Then let's move." Gran placed a hand on Shin's small shoulder.
Without another word, Shin used Kai Kai (his version of teleportation), and the three of them vanished from space.
Planet Namek
Years ago, a great cataclysm had struck this planet, but the environment had since recovered. The sky was green, the grass was blue, and a gentle breeze blew—a picture of absolute tranquillity.
Zing!
Gran, Shin, and Kibito appeared instantly.
"So this is what Namekian Ki feels like?" Gran memorised the signature the moment they landed. Next time, he wouldn't need to hitch a ride with Shin.
"Why are we here?" Shin asked.
"To see the legendary Dragon Balls, and maybe make a few wishes."
"Dragon Balls? What are those?"
"The Dragon Balls are also known as Wish Orbs. Collect all seven, say the right incantation, and you can summon an Eternal Dragon..." Gran patiently explained to the ignorant Kai.
Shin was about to ask more, but Gran cut him off. "Follow me."
Gran sensed a "weak" Ki—weak compared to him, but significantly stronger than the other signatures on the planet. Undoubtedly, that was the location of the Grand Elder.
Zing!
Gran touched his forehead, and the group teleported instantly.
The Grand Elder's Peak
On a massive stone pillar stood a white house. On the second floor sat a giant Namekian. His skin was dry and withered like fallen leaves; one glance told you he was in the twilight of his life.
Suddenly, the sleeping Grand Elder (Guru) snapped his eyes open!
Though old, Guru had not yet reached the extreme frailty seen during the later battle with Frieza.
"What is this... these three immense divine pressures?" Guru's voice was ancient and deep.
Like the Yardratians, Namekians are a miraculous race with many special abilities. Guru was the master of these arts. He had just sensed three terrifying divine presences descending upon Namek.
"According to Porunga, besides King Yemma, there are the Grand Kais. Could a Grand Kai have come here?" Guru could feel the sheer weight of their presence; it was far beyond anything King Yemma could possess. And one of the signatures was even more overwhelming!
"And who is that? Could it be... the legendary Supreme Kai?" Guru, as the creator of Porunga, knew many ancient secrets.
"They're here!" Guru looked ahead.
In the middle of the empty hall, three figures materialised out of thin air.
The pressure from the three was so intense that even though Guru was sitting, his back arched slightly under the weight of their combined Ki.
Gran looked up as soon as he landed. The Grand Elder was just as massive as in the anime, though not quite as ancient-looking. It made sense—it was currently Age 739, twenty-three years before the start of the Namek Saga.
"I wonder... are you three the legendary Grand Kais and the Supreme Kai?" Guru could not stand due to his physical condition, but his tone was deeply respectful.
"Oh? You recognise us?" Shin was surprised.
Gran wasn't surprised at all; he knew Guru possessed mystical insight. However, he was slightly amused that Guru had lumped Kibito and himself into the "Grand Kai" category. Gran didn't bother correcting him.
"It truly is the Lord Supreme Kai!" Guru looked at Shin, whose divine pressure was the most recognisable. "What brings such exalted beings to our humble planet? If the Namekians can assist you, we shall do so with all our strength!"
"You must be the Grand Elder of the Namekians," Gran said, getting straight to the point. "We've come to borrow your Wish Orbs for a moment."
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