Amidst the vast sea of clouds in the sky, a faint yellow mist swirled, thick and heavy, as if condensing into a tangible form—only to slowly dissipate without external reinforcement, dissolving back into the endless white haze.
Higher above, beyond the clouds, outside the Karin Tower, two figures could be seen engaged in a one-sided skirmish.
Or rather… a monkey-headed young man was relentlessly lunging at a poised and graceful woman.
The woman held a wooden staff, from which dangled a water pot filled nearly to the brim. The monkey-headed youth moved with agility, his footwork silent—a far cry from the clumsy movements he had when he first climbed the tower three years ago. Yet despite his progress, he couldn't so much as graze the pot even once.
Quiet as Sky Fast as Lightning. That was how Mr. Popo saw Annin's movements.
Just like Kami.
Annin weaved effortlessly through the confined space of the tower, her expression serene. The pot swayed only slightly, not a single drop spilling.
Suddenly, she paused, glancing beyond the clouds.
'Yamiru's ki just vanished… Did he go back to the Other World? To see King Kai?'
Seizing the moment, the monkey's eyes gleamed. While Annin was distracted, he lunged again—only for his vision to blur as a sudden weight pressed down on his head.
Annin stood firmly atop his skull, tapping his forehead with the butt of her staff.
"How many times must I say it?" she chided. "Don't rely on your eyes! Just because I'm not looking at you doesn't mean I can't see you."
The monkey slumped, disheartened. Three years… and it feels like I haven't improved at all.
---
Other World
End of the Snake Way
King Kai Planet
A pair of feet abruptly landed on the grass, startling Bubbles, the gorilla, who nearly jumped out of his fur.
Squinting against the backlight, Bubbles sniffed cautiously before recognizing the towering figure—the same man who had visited three years ago, nearly shaking the planet apart and scaring him half to death.
"Long time no see." Yamiru pulled out a bunch of bananas. "Promised you these last time—Earth's bananas."
"Ook!" Bubbles snatched the entire bunch without hesitation.
"His name's Bubbles," came a slow, amiable voice.
Yamiru's senses immediately mapped the ki's shape—a round, oddly cheerful silhouette. Turning, he confirmed it was none other than King Kai.
King Kai waddled over, eyeing the golden halo above Yamiru's head as if checking for authenticity.
"Thought you'd be in Heaven," he remarked. "Took me a while to realize you were still on Earth."
Yamiru briefly explained—his merits were great, his duties as Earth's god unfinished, including dealing with the planet's greatest threat and constructing the Temple of the Gods. Thus, King Yemma had granted him special permission to remain in the mortal realm.
King Kai listened, then summed it up: "So you just wanted to stay on Earth, huh?"
Yamiru chuckled, offering no denial.
"Doesn't matter. You'll return to Heaven eventually…" King Kai muttered, adjusting his antennaed cap. He studied Yamiru closely, his expression shifting to awe. "Up close, you're even more unbelievable. This power… it's the real deal."
Bubbles, munching on a banana, watched as King Kai circled Yamiru just as he had earlier, muttering things like "How is this possible?", "A miracle", and "Is this stealing Heaven's power?" Bored, the gorilla scratched at flees and resumed grooming.
"Alright, let's test that move I mentioned last time…"
King Kai, now thoroughly intrigued, pulled Yamiru into a spar.
A Kai wants to spar with me? Yamiru, still new to godhood, felt an uncharacteristic flicker of nervousness—until his Golden Veil flared, dispelling the unnatural doubt.
Piccolo Jr. was once so arrogant, yet after fusing with Kami, he became a stammering mess in front of the Kaioshin. Completely out of character.
His gaze flicked to his wrist. The golden dragon mark remained inert, offering no reaction to his earlier unease.
The energies of Heaven and Hell—pure and impure ki—both altered the body and mind. The latter twisted beings into demons, while the former repaired and reshaped flesh, granting divine abilities with appointed roles. But perhaps the divine ki, and the mantle of godhood itself, also subtly warped the spirit…
With these thoughts in mind, Yamiru squared off against King Kai on the grassy field, assuming the Turtle School's opening stance.
At his current level of skill, Yamiru had long since transcended the constraints of any Earthly martial arts school. Adopting the Turtle School stance now was merely a matter of nostalgia and habit.
King Kai made the first move, his short, rotund body surprisingly agile.
Yamiru suppressed his power to match King Kai's level, engaging in a relaxed exchange.
No matter how fast King Kai was, Yamiru was faster. No matter how strong his strikes, Yamiru could effortlessly absorb and counter them.
Perhaps sensing the futility, King Kai—mid-flurry—suddenly grinned. His ki surged dramatically!
Before Yamiru could react, King Kai's fist connected squarely with his cheek.
The punch sent Yamiru's head snapping to the side, his feet tearing grooves into the grass as white flames erupted beneath him. With a surge of power, he resisted the force, pressing his face back against King Kai's pudgy fist. Yamiru retaliated with a grab, but King Kai let out a yelp, his body erupting in a crimson aura as he disengaged.
So this is the Kaio-ken... Yamiru observed the now-distant King Kai, wreathed in red energy.
King Kai knew he stood no chance of actually defeating Yamiru—this was just a proud demonstration. "Well? Impressive technique, isn't it?"
"It certainly is," Yamiru conceded. "You've doubled your base ki output—sustained, not just momentary."
That distinction was critical. Many techniques could unleash attacks far exceeding the user's normal power, but those were singular strikes—dodgeable, even interruptible. The Kaio-ken, however, elevated the user's entire combat capacity.
"I call it the Kaio-ken," King Kai boasted, though even maintaining this basic two-fold multiplier visibly strained him. Sweat beaded on his round face.
Yamiru attempted to replicate it, exhaling deeply before shaking his head. "I understand the principle... but I can't execute it." He frowned.
King Kai dismissed his Kaio-ken, mopping his brow. "Of course not! Multiplying 1 by 2 and 10,000 by 2 are entirely different concepts. The physical toll scales accordingly—even a 50% Kaio-ken would subject you to stresses thousands of times greater than my full double multiplier. Your body would never withstand it!"
As the chubby deity wagged his head, Yamiru pondered, then nodded—before suddenly inhaling sharply.
Before King Kai's bewildered eyes, Yamiru's body erupted with a series of crackling pops. Like an inflating balloon, his frame expanded violently—his torso thickening multiple times over, his arms swelling to the girth of his former waist, his legs transforming into towering pillars of muscle that seemed to root into the planet itself.
Veins bulged across Yamiru's forehead as he loomed over King Kai, now a literal giant whose shadow engulfed the stunned deity.
"An... old teacher of mine... once developed... a similar technique," Yamiru ground out, each word strained.
King Kai, still mopping sweat in the shade of his colossal student, could only stare.