After so many years of training, Yamiru had come to deeply understand the meaning behind Korin's old saying: "Perhaps having no use is the greatest use of all."
If Yamiru had merely trained blindly without reflection—without pondering the nature of strength, the essence of power, the true meaning of cultivation—he would never have been able to control the demonic energy that far exceeded his natural limits. Nor could he have digested the insights from merging with Yamoshi, let alone used his divine authority to reshape his afterlife body at a level surpassing even a Super Saiyan.
If he could possess Yamoshi's body again, under the right conditions, he might even push that Saiyan's physique and spirit to evolve into Super Saiyan 2, or even Super Saiyan 3—then return with that "experience" in hand, self-destruct once more, and use his divine authority to reconstruct his body at those unfathomable heights.
But that chance was gone.
Sherie, the one who had enabled his "soul transfer," had already left.
She and her brother Leslie had been forced into slumber because their universe was erased by Zen-Oh. If Yamiru remembered correctly, there had once been 18 universes in the Dragon World, but by Goku's era, only 12 remained. Zen-Oh seemed only to destroy—never to create.
Whether Sherie and Leslie would ever awaken again was uncertain.
As a deity, Yamiru could theoretically use magic to temporarily possess a mortal's body—much like Kami had done to enter the World Martial Arts Tournament alongside Goku in the original timeline.
But he had no idea where Planet Sadala was located, nor how many light-years away it might be.
Besides… even if he could use Yamoshi to "level up" again, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
Not because he'd grown arrogant with power.
But because—after realizing that his "shortcut" had left him with a body barely compatible with his current strength, one that now struggled to grow any further—he had understood something crucial.
There were always limits.
His true limits had never actually changed.
Years ago, he, Master Son Gohan, and the revived Bardock had theorized that the path of cultivation was a series of barriers, each higher than the last. The height of these barriers varied by race.
For example:
- Most Saiyans naturally reached around 1,000 in battle power by adulthood.
- Most Earthlings, without training, barely hit 5. Even with rigorous training, reaching 100 was considered extraordinary.
- Exceptional cases like Master Roshi could surpass 200, earning him the title of God of Martial Arts.
- Few Earthlings ever went beyond—even Mutaito, Roshi's master, likely never exceeded 300.
Because King Piccolo himself hadn't surpassed that number.
Yet even 300 was still far from the true first barrier for an Earthling's body.
That first true limit was marked by energy overflowing the body, manifesting as the iconic white ki flames seen in the original series.
Once a martial artist reached this stage, they could train their ki far more efficiently—which was why fighters like Krillin experienced explosive growth, leaping from a few hundred to thousands in power, far surpassing their masters.
But for Earthlings, only the most exceptional individuals, through relentless effort, could touch and surpass that first limit, triggering the ki eruption. When Yamiru and Gohan had discussed this, Bardock and Gine had fallen silent.
When pressed, they admitted they couldn't relate—because most Saiyans could naturally exceed 500 in battle power just by eating and lazing around.
Still, Bardock recalled a period in his youth when his strength had surged rapidly, aligning with Yamiru and Gohan's theories. He also confirmed their next hypothesis: The body had limits. So did ki.
After the initial overflow and explosive growth, another barrier emerged—somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000.
Bardock, King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta, and even Krillin (after his potential unlock on Namek) all plateaued here.
- King Vegeta died there.
- Bardock broke through via gravity training and Senzu Beans, skyrocketing in power.
- Krillin… it was unclear if he ever truly surpassed it post-Namek.
Beyond that? Another wall—somewhere around 2-3 million, judging by Bardock's experience and the manga's portrayal of Goku and Vegeta.
And at 2-3 million?
All three had cheated—by transforming into Super Saiyans, vaulting straight into the hundreds of millions.
With their cells reborn as S-Cells, their limits had become something else entirely.
But Yamiru?
He was different.
By reshaping his body this way, Yamiru had attained a battle power exceeding 200 million—yet his Earthling essence remained unchanged.
He had indeed bypassed the natural limits that would have constrained an ordinary human, but in doing so, he now stood at a height no Earthling had ever reached. And the new barriers before him were correspondingly more solid than ever.
So solid that no visible path of breakthrough existed.
Was his only option to keep "cheating" by possessing Saiyans?
But if he was going to rely entirely on Saiyan traits to grow stronger, why hadn't he just wished on the Dragon Balls to become a Saiyan hybrid from the start? Or even remake himself in Goku or Vegeta's image?
Now, with power surpassing 200 million, Yamiru found himself facing the same frustration he'd experienced back when his strength was merely 200.
Different numbers.
The same roadblock.
Yet his perspective, his accumulated insights, were not the same.
He realized: Every breakthrough came with a sturdier barrier.
Every limit surpassed only led to a higher, more insurmountable one.
There would always come a day when progress stopped—when one had to accept defeat.
Like Yamcha.
Like Krillin.
Even like Vegeta during the Buu Saga.
If that was the case… why hadn't he just given up at 200?
Why not retire like Master Roshi, living freely without struggle?
In meditation, thoughts of Super Saiyan God, Heaven's energy, Hell's miasma, realms, limits—all tangled together like threads. Yamiru struggled to find a path he could grasp.
His mind flashed back to his time as Yamoshi, receiving energy from five righteous Saiyans, ascending to godhood through their ritual…
---
When Yamiru finally emerged from his meditation, Mr. Popo informed him, to his surprise, that two years had passed.
"It didn't feel like it at all…" Yamiru murmured.
He wasn't hungry. Wasn't tired. Didn't even feel the stiffness of sitting for two years—his legs weren't numb.
Mr. Popo smiled. "Perhaps the dead perceive time… differently."
Yamiru fell silent.
The golden halo above his head had been steadily channeling Heaven's energy, maintaining his body's basic functions outside of battle.
And the small portion he'd diverted over those two years had now accumulated into a substantial reserve.
Though he still hadn't found a clear path forward in strength, Yamiru felt no frustration—only a strange, detached calm.
If he didn't use the stored energy soon, it would dissipate, returning to the Other World. So Yamiru flew down from Korin Tower, hovering above the clouds, and attempted once more to create the Flying Nimbus.
In theory, if Heaven's energy could shape flesh, it could manifest as any form of matter.
But reshaping his body was a divine ability granted to him as a deity—an automatic process.
Trying to directly mold the energy into a Flying Nimbus proved far more elusive. He attempted to fuse it with ordinary clouds, but those were just condensed water vapor and dust—maybe some drifting electric charge. How could they merge with pure divine energy?
The second attempt ended, once again, in failure.
Yamiru's reaction remained uncharacteristically indifferent.
He had tens of thousands of years. What was the rush?
Yet, deep down, a faint warning stirred.
Was something… off about his state of mind?
Why worry? another voice countered. No need to overcomplicate things.
Returning to Korin Tower's palace, Yamiru gazed at the vast sky, lost in thought.
"Mr. Popo," he suddenly asked, "do I seem… different to you?"
"Hmm…" The attendant tilted his head. "More like… someone from Heaven now."
Yamiru nodded silently—because at that moment, he sensed it.
Someone was climbing the tower.