Over the past two months, ripples of activity had spread across the multiverse as the various universes began rigorously training their chosen candidates. While others were frantically preparing, the situation in Universe 7 was... peculiar.
On the Sacred World of the Kai, the Old Kai sat cross-legged under a massive tree, eyes closed as he focused on his inner peace. Nearby, Shin peered through a crystal ball, monitoring the cosmos. Beerus and Whis, meanwhile, were lounging on beach chairs by the lakeside, soaking in the sun.
Gran was nowhere to be found.
"Lord Beerus, that summarizes the recent developments in the other universes," Whis said with a light chuckle, recounting the events of the last two months.
"The other Destroyers are raising their candidates like poisonous insects in a jar—pitting them against each other to find the ultimate survivor. Are you quite sure you don't want to recruit a few more candidates yourself?"
"Recruit more for what? This whole battle was practically arranged for Gran," Beerus replied, propping his head up on his hand. He glanced toward the Old Kai. The old man had been performing purification rituals—bathing and burning incense—for two months now. It was strange. "Besides, I already have a genius like Gran. Why would I look at anyone else?"
Beerus shot Whis a suspicious look. "Are you just bored? Is that why you're egging me on?"
"I was merely suggesting it, Lord Beerus. No need to be so serious," Whis giggled.
Beerus huffed and looked back at the meditating deity. "Speaking of which, where did Gran run off to? I was just about to start teaching him the Rules of Destruction."
"I'm not entirely sure. He mentioned going to find a 'War God' of the Saiyan race and bringing him back. I don't quite follow his logic."
"A War God?" Beerus yawned. "Frieza wiped out Planet Vegeta years ago. How are there still so many Saiyans floating around the cosmos?"
"Isn't it better to have more? Given their talent, and with Gran to lead them, our universe will surely benefit."
Beerus rolled his eyes. He knew Whis was subtly poking at him again for ordering the destruction of the Saiyans in the first place. Finally, Beerus sat up, his expression turning grave as he watched the Old Kai. "And what about that old fossil? He's been meditating and burning incense for two months. Is he planning something big?"
"I can't say for certain, but I can tell he's fine-tuning his state of being," Whis noted, his eyes narrowing.
"Let's go. He's waking up. Let's see what he has to say."
As the two approached, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the great tree, cool and refreshing. The Old Kai slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing like an eagle's, his divine aura feeling more refined and vibrant than before.
"Old man, what have you been up to lately?" Beerus asked. Whis stood by silently, observing with an inquisitive eye, while Shin pricked up his ears from across the clearing.
The Old Kai exhaled a long, heavy breath and stood up, stretching until his joints popped like gunfire.
"Still not talking? Don't make me hit you," Beerus threatened, raising a fist.
"I'm preparing for the Battle Royale ten years from now, obviously," the Old Kai snapped, rolling his eyes. "That fight isn't just about the Destroyer; it involves the Supreme Kai as well! For the glory of Universe 7, I have to do my part!"
Beerus's face went flat. "So you meditated for two months? That's your 'contribution'?"
Shin burst out laughing, only for the Old Kai to dash over and clock him over the head before scurrying back. He cleared his throat. "Are you both playing dumb? Can't you guess what I'm planning?"
Beerus and Whis exchanged a look. Suddenly, a realization struck them both.
Potential Unlock.
"You mean..." Beerus's voice held a hint of excitement.
"Exactly!" the Old Kai smirked. "Lord Beerus, given your... 'stellar' reputation, our candidate is definitely going to be ganged up on. To put it bluntly, even Champa might try to have his candidate get a few kicks in just to spite you!"
The Old Kai's concern was valid. Gran's training time was simply too short. If other Destroyers awakened ancient monsters that had lived for millions or even hundreds of millions of years, Gran would be at a severe disadvantage. It was an inherently unfair matchup. To ensure the safety of his "protégé" and the honor of the universe, the Old Kai refused to sit idle.
"Would that fat pig really dare?" Beerus growled.
"Once the bottom three universes are eliminated, the rest are safe. At that point, who knows if Lord Champa will stir up trouble just to improve his own ranking?"
Beerus found himself speechless. Knowing Champa, that was exactly what he would do. "Setting that aside... in your current state, can you really unlock Gran's potential?"
Both Beerus and Whis knew that beneath the Old Kai's dirty magazines and eccentric hobbies lay a legendary secret technique: the ability to draw out a person's latent power beyond its natural limits.
While others—including Whis—could perform similar feats, they usually came with heavy side effects or relied on "shortcuts" as Dragon Ball wishes. But the Old Kai's technique was different. It had no side effects and often granted the recipient a mysterious, empowered state.
"Can you handle it?" Beerus asked again. Unlocking a mortal's potential was one thing, but Gran was a deity with monstrous latent power. Beerus and Whis were worried the old man might literally work himself to death trying to tap into it.
"I can!" the Old Kai declared, clenching his fist. "As long as my stamina holds out, the ritual will be perfect."
"Good! Then I'll teach Gran the Rules of Destruction first, and then you can perform the ritual!"
The two deities looked at each other and burst into laughter. With the strongest Destroyer and the oldest Supreme Kai working together, they didn't even know how to spell the word "lose."
Watching them, Whis couldn't help but smile. Universe 7 was finally heading in the right direction.
The North Galaxy
A handsome young deity appeared in the vacuum of space, consulting a star map. In the original timeline, Broly had been exiled to Planet Vampa, located on the fringes of the North Galaxy.
"Found it."
Gran locked onto the coordinates and placed two fingers to his forehead. With a soft pop, he vanished.
Planet Vampa
The sun beat down mercilessly on a landscape of endless sand and raging storms. The environment was hellish, with temperatures soaring near 60°C. Inside a dark cavern, a father and son lay resting.
They wore the standard armor of the Frieza Force, their brown tails wrapped tightly around their waists.
"That damn King Vegeta... once I get off this rock, he's a dead man!" Paragus rasped. He was still in his prime, far from the withered old man he would one day become. His lips were cracked and bleeding from dehydration, and his eyes were sunken and clouded with dust.
Next to him lay a young boy who didn't even flinch at his father's cursing. He had heard these rants every day since he could remember; they were simply part of the background noise of his life.
"Broly... go fetch a monster egg. I need something for the thirst."
"Yes, Father."
Young Broly's face was a mask of stoic calm. He stood up and walked toward the cave entrance. On this planet, the only food sources were the carcasses of giant beasts or their eggs—and the nearest nest was over a thousand kilometers away.
Broly stepped out into the blistering heat. The air shimmered with distortion. With a slight frown, he took to the skies, transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward the monster den. Despite the crushing heat, Broly arrived at the nest, immediately drawing the attention of the massive, spider-like creatures guarding it.
"ROAR!!!"
The beasts lunged. Broly met them head-on. Within seconds, the cave was silent. His movements were raw and brutal, but there was a flicker of genuine technique—the result of his father's harsh training.
As Broly reached for an egg to take back, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
Gran looked at the small boy. He had sensed a massive surge of power earlier, and seeing Broly in person confirmed it. In terms of raw numbers, this child already possessed a power level between 700,000 and 800,000. Considering Goku was his age and barely hovered around 20, the gap was astronomical.
Truly, the Legendary Saiyan was a freak of nature.
The two stood in silence, observing one another. To Broly, Gran's clothing was strange, but he clearly wasn't a monster. He looked... like an actual person. Like his father.
"Who... who are you?" Broly asked, his voice halting and clumsy from lack of social interaction.
"My name is Gran. I'm one of your people—a fellow Saiyan. I've come to take you back with me."
Gran was blunt. He had considered Broly ever since Whis told him the story of the ancestor, Adonis. The Grand Minister himself had acknowledged how terrifying Broly's constitution was. Previously, Gran was too busy with his own training, but now that Broly was reaching an age of reason, it was time to bring him into the fold.
Other universes were training candidates like monsters; if a Tournament of Power ever happened, Universe 7 needed more than just a few strong fighters. They needed God-tier powerhouses. Plus, having a Legendary Saiyan as a "younger brother" sounded pretty stylish. Gran was already mentally drafting the ultimate roster: Broly, Frieza, Buu, Goku...
"My people? Take me back?" Broly tilted his head. "Back to where my father is?"
"No. I'm taking you to the Sacred World of the Kai. Your power is incredible, but it has a dangerous weakness," Gran said, shaking his head. "There's an old man there who specializes in studying racial lineages. He might be able to help you control that unstable nature of yours."
If everything existed for a reason, then Broly's berserk state wasn't necessarily a "mistake"—it just needed refinement. If they could fix his instability, Broly would become an unstoppable asset.
"I don't really understand... but will you come with me to see my father first?" Broly's speech was becoming more fluid as he spoke.
"To see Paragus?" Gran's lip curled into a smirk. He remembered how much Paragus hated the House of Vegeta. "Fine. Let's go see your father."
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