Gran didn't harbour high expectations for the Dragon's wishes. He knew that many restrictions bound Eternal Dragons; wishes like the ones he had joked about were far beyond Porunga's power.
Even the Super Dragon Balls had their limits. In the Dragon Ball Super timeline, Zamasu had wished for an immortal body from Super Shenron, yet he was still erased—along with his entire future timeline—by Zeno.
Strength that isn't gained through one's own cultivation is, in the end, never truly one's own. Gran's ultimate dream since arriving in this world was to surpass Beerus and stand on equal footing with Zeno. If he relied solely on external power, how could he ever reach the pinnacle of martial arts?
"Nail, ask him for me: Why am I able to survive in the vacuum of space?" Gran finally spoke his real query.
"????"
Everyone's eyes widened in sync. Just a moment ago, weren't you asking for exaggerated immortality? Now you're asking a biology question?
"What are you looking at? Hurry up and wish!" Gran barked at the group.
Having a dragon grant him various "cheat" abilities was meaningless. Forget Zeno; even the Angels like Whis could likely strip away such granted powers in an instant during a fight. It was better to have nothing than something that wasn't earned. However, using the Dragon to clear up his own confusion was a perfectly valid use of the resource. After all, Saiyans naturally cannot survive in a vacuum; he needed to know why he was the exception.
"Yes!" Nail looked up at Porunga and repeated the question in Namekian.
Shin and Kibito stood there with blank expressions. What kind of ghost of a wish is this? Any being whose divine dimension has reached the level of King Yemma can survive in space. You're at the Peak Grand Kai level—why are you even asking this?
Up above, Porunga was also stunned. He asked tentatively, "Lord Candidate, are you sure this is your first wish?"
Gran frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"No... no, not at all!" Porunga wiped his brow. He wouldn't dare argue with a future Destroyer. He began to explain: "Lord Candidate, for an ordinary person to gain the ability to survive in space, a miracle-worker like a Dragon, an Angel, or the Grand Minister can grant that desire. However..."
Gran clenched his fists. He knew Whis could have given him that ability, but Whis hadn't. Yet, here he was, breathing just fine. Did someone else make a wish for the Saiyans? Did my transmigration cause a butterfly effect?
As Gran was spiralling into a mental rabbit hole of theories, Porunga continued:
"Aside from those methods, one can also overcome this physical limitation through the Cultivation of Dimensions. Once one's 'Dimension' (divine rank) surpasses that of King Yemma, the body naturally adapts. And you, Lord Candidate..."
Porunga paused for a beat. "Your dimension has long since reached the Peak Grand Kai level! If your dimension breaks through once more, it will reach the same level as the Lord Supreme Kai. That is why you can survive in space!"
BOOM—!!
Gran's eyes nearly bulged out. A tidal wave of shock crashed through his mind. He had considered every possibility—even the idea of another transmigrator making a wish on his behalf. But the truth was far simpler.
"My dimension is at the Peak Grand Kai level? How is that possible?!"
Gran stared at his small hands. In the two years he had been in the Dragon Ball world, he had never once consciously practised "Dimension Cultivation."
Shin and Kibito exchanged a look. They realised something was very wrong—it seemed the child himself had no idea of his own divine standing!
"Nail, ask him: Why is my dimension at the Peak Grand Kai level?!" Gran demanded.
Whis clearly knew the answer, but Gran couldn't wait another second to find out what was happening to his own body.
"As you wish, Lord Candidate!" Nail translated.
Porunga's eyes began to glow with a deep red light. Usually, a single pulse was enough to grant a wish or find an answer. But thirty seconds passed, and Porunga's eyes remained crimson. Gran's palms were sweating. Does even the Dragon not know?
"Lord Candidate!" Porunga's eyes dimmed. He spoke with an immediate apology: "I am sorry... I do not know the answer to your situation!"
Boom—!
Gran's mind reeled again. He wasn't asking for the power of a god; he was asking for a status report on his own soul! And Porunga was clueless?!
"Lord Candidate, that inquiry has consumed the second wish! Please state your third wish quickly—I am losing my strength!" Porunga's voice grew faint.
The Grand Elder added urgently, "Lord Candidate, Porunga has been out for a long time. If the third wish isn't made soon, he will vanish!"
Gran snapped back to reality. "My third wish: Leave one hundred Senzu Beans for the keeper of Korin Tower on Earth, then transfer every other Senzu Bean in existence to me!"
He wasn't going to be totally heartless; he left enough for "seeds." But seeing as Porunga was about to flicker out, he had to act fast. Nail barked out the command.
Hmm!
Porunga's eyes flashed one last time. As three massive water vats filled with Senzu Beans appeared beside Gran, the dragon transformed into a streak of light, and the seven Dragon Balls scattered across Planet Namek.
Meanwhile, on Earth
At the top of Korin Tower, the Cat Hermit, Korin, was napping in his chair. He remained blissfully unaware that the mountain of Senzu Beans he had painstakingly grown had just vanished.
High above Korin Tower, floating in the void, sat the Lookout, the sanctuary of Earth's Guardian. At the edge of the palace stood a pitch-black figure. At the moment the Senzu Beans disappeared, a flicker of emotion crossed his otherwise stoic eyes.
He looked toward the stars, specifically toward Planet Namek.
"Peak Grand Kai Dimension... Semi-Ultra Instinct... Tier 1 Physical Instinct..." The figure murmured. "Interesting."
Back on Namek
Shin looked at the three giant vats of beans. "What's the point of using your last wish on some beans?"
He actually wanted to ask Gran more about his "Dimension" issue, but seeing the kid's confused face made it clear he was just as lost.
"These are miraculous beans," Gran said, picking one up. It looked like a common dried bean, but its effects were legendary. "No matter how grave the injury, as long as you have one breath left, eating this will restore you instantly."
In his original plan, Gran was going to fly to Earth himself. But he realised it was only Age 739. Goku was still a toddler, and the Z-Warriors didn't even exist yet. Going to Earth just for beans felt like a waste of a trip when he could have the Dragon do the heavy lifting. This way, he could get straight to the "searching for strong opponents" part of his plan.
"Instant recovery as long as you're not dead?" Shin's eyes went wide. That was even more potent than Kibito's healing magic! He reached out to take one.
Slap! "Ow!" Shin nursed his hand. "What was that for?"
"You're not even hurt! Do you have any idea how precious these are?" Gran glared at him. In the later parts of the series, the Z-Warriors would be lucky to have one bean to split between them!
Ignoring Shin's pouting, Gran turned to the Grand Elder. "My business here is done. Thank you for allowing me to use your Wish Orbs."
"It... it was our honour to assist a Candidate Destroyer!" The Elder wiped his brow. He didn't quite understand the boy—one minute he was asking for absolute immortality, the next he was asking for vats of beans and obscure lore questions. But as long as no evil was done, it was a win for Namek.
"A favour is a favour," Gran said, looking at the Elder meaningfully. "I made a promise to the Yardratians, and I'll make it to you: if Namek is ever in trouble, call out the name 'Whis.' I'll have him listen for you."
"..." The Grand Elder was moved but also slightly unsettled. Why did the boy sound so certain that Namek would face trouble in the future?
"Alright, time to go." Gran looked at the vats. "How should I carry these?"
"Are you wondering how to lug those around?" Shin smirked. "I can help."
With a wave of his hand, a rift in space opened—a sub-dimension. Gran remembered that in the anime, Shin used this trick to pull out the Katchin (the hardest metal in the universe) to test the Z-Sword.
"Nice! You're actually useful for something!" Gran chirped, happily hauling the vats into the spatial storage.
"Hey! I didn't say you could move in!" Shin grumbled, half-amused.
"Don't worry, I won't let your help go unrewarded. Just keep following me, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about the Supreme Kais. I'll even help you free Old Kai from the Z-Sword in a few years. Deal?"
"Old Kai? Who is—wait, tell me more about him!" Shin, being shorter than Gran, scampered after him. The two "little" gods chattered as they used Instant Transmission to vanish from the spot.
"??" Kibito stood there, his eyes blinking in confusion. By the time he realised they were gone, he let out a frantic yell: "HEY! WAIT FOR ME! I'M NOT IN THE CAR YET!!!"
He quickly used his own teleportation to chase them.
The Destroyer's Realm
A month had passed since Whis left for the Omni-King's Palace. Today, a rainbow light descended.
"Phew, finally back." Whis stretched his neck by the lake and let out a long sigh.
He should have been back weeks ago. But on his way back from Zeno's palace, he ran into his eldest sister, Cus (the Angel of Universe 10). She had dragged him to her universe, claiming that since Beerus was always sleeping anyway, Whis had nothing better to do than spar with her for a month.
"Sister's power is truly frightening," Whis muttered, shivering at the memory of their training. He still had no idea what her true ceiling was.
He made his way to the chamber where Beerus slept. He opened the door and walked inside. The purple cat was sprawled out on a golden disk, surrounded by floating "Hourglass Bombs."
Suddenly, Whis produced a megaphone out of thin air. He cleared his throat and shouted:
"LORD BEERUS, IT IS TIME TO WAKE UPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!"
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