"You're right," Karnel acknowledged with a casual shrug. "I came here for something else. I was hoping to trade those fish I just gave you for some senzu beans."
Senzu beans were truly miraculous, capable of instantly restoring a person from near-death with just a single bean. Such an item was even more valuable than the legendary gold elixir of immortality!
"If it's just senzu beans you want, help yourself to those containers over there," Korin replied, waving his paw dismissively. The cat clearly had little interest in the beans that had been his primary diet for centuries, the mere mention seemed to make him nauseous after his feast of fish.
Karnel walked to the large cylinders Korin had indicated. Opening the lids, he discovered three enormous containers filled to the brim with small, green beans.
'Incredible! Karnel thought, eyes widening. There's so many here! Yet when Goku and the others needed them in the future, there were barely any left, sometimes having to wait days for just one bean to be ready. How many did King Piccolo's spawn Tambourine destroy?'
Without hesitation, Karnel took an entire container, tens of thousands of beans, and transferred them directly into his universal capsule storage. He also filled a small cloth pouch with a few hundred beans to hang at his waist for easy access.
Looking at the cat master, Karnel realized that Korin didn't fully understand the true value of what he possessed. He couldn't bear to think of these precious beans being destroyed in the future conflicts as had happened in the timeline he knew.
"Master Korin," he said seriously, "you might want to secure those remaining beans somewhere safe. Don't think of them as mere food, these beans will be crucial to saving this planet in the future."
"What... what are you talking about?" Korin looked genuinely perplexed. As far as he knew, the beans were simply sustenance, albeit with remarkable healing properties. The idea that they could be key to planetary salvation seemed absurd.
Seeing the sincerity in Karnel's eyes, however, the wise cat decided not to dismiss the warning. He nodded and moved to hide the two large containers of senzu beans, setting them aside for future use rather than casual consumption.
Karnel nodded with satisfaction. The two remaining jars would be sufficient for the Earth's future defenders. He pictured the Z Fighters of the future, imagining their tactics: "If I can't defeat you with strength, I'll outlast you with senzu beans, retreat, recover, and return to battle until my power matches yours..."
He couldn't help but smile, imagining the frustrated expressions of future villains like Frieza when confronted with opponents who kept returning to battle fully healed. The thought was so amusing that Karnel had to suppress a laugh.
With a slight cough to regain his composure, Karnel bid farewell to the cat master. "I'll be going now, Master Korin. That large box of fish should last you quite a while. Farewell!"
Looking up at the structure extending beyond Korin's tower into the sky, Karnel launched himself upward toward Kami's Lookout.
"Mr. Popo, that warrior with the terrifying power from a year ago is approaching," observed the black-skinned attendant, setting down his watering can as he sensed Karnel's approach.
"Is that so? After observing him for over a year, I don't believe he harbors evil intentions. Let's see what brings him here," sighed Kami, the Earth's guardian, whose clothing bore the symbol "God."
Karnel flew past the edge of the Lookout, landing gracefully on its white tiled surface. He took a moment to observe Kami with interest.
Kami was, in fact, a Namekian who had fled to Earth. Shortly after his birth, the planet Namek had faced a catastrophic climate change. To preserve their species from extinction, the elders had sent the child Kami (then called Piccolo) to the distant Earth in a spaceship.
Countless years later, a warrior named Garlic had come to Earth to contest Kami's position as guardian. The previous guardian was overthrown, and after Piccolo defeated Garlic, he formally assumed the role of Earth's God.
Soon after becoming guardian, however, Kami had been contaminated by the negative thoughts emanating from humans on Earth. The evil within his heart separated and became the Demon King Piccolo. The Demon King began a campaign of destruction across Earth, but was soon sealed inside an electric rice cooker by Master Mutaito's Evil Containment Wave technique, a sealing that cost Mutaito his life.
"Foreign warrior, your power is immense," Kami said, breaking the silence as Karnel studied him. "The strength hidden within your body is truly fearsome."
Interrupted from his contemplation, Karnel decided to play mysterious. "I'll tell you a secret... You're not human like the people of Earth. You're different..."
"Ah, I see! That explains why I've always felt different from others," Kami replied with newfound understanding.
"You're a Namekian from the planet Namek," Karnel said more seriously. "If you ever have the chance, you should visit your homeworld."
"It's of little consequence," Kami responded, a brief flash of excitement crossing his face before returning to his normal stoic expression. "I've lived on Earth for thousands of years. This planet is my home now."
"I've heard there's a special chamber here, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Might I be permitted to use it?" Karnel asked, shifting to his true objective.
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber can only be entered twice in a lifetime," Kami explained. "A year inside is equivalent to a day outside. If you wish to enter, Mr. Popo will show you the way." With that, Kami entered the temple and disappeared from view.
"Visitor from the stars," Mr. Popo said without emotion, "this is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Remember, you may only enter twice in your lifetime, and you cannot remain inside for more than one year. I will open the door for you at this same time tomorrow." The dark-skinned attendant led Karnel to a small structure atop the Lookout.
Karnel entered the chamber and found it largely empty except for a table stacked with various preserved foods. With his supply of senzu beans, however, he wouldn't need those provisions.
After releasing the gravity chamber from his universal capsule, Karnel began what would be a full year of intense training in this timeless void.
50 times gravity! 60 times! 80 times! ... 200 times!
Throughout the year, Karnel progressively increased the gravity from 50 times Earth's normal to an astounding 200 times. His training regimen was relentless, exercising to exhaustion, consuming a senzu bean when tired or hungry, then immediately resuming his rigorous practice.
By the time he emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Karnel had fully adapted to 200 times Earth's gravity. His combat power had reached an incredible 5.5 million!
After his time was up, Karnel exchanged respectful farewells with Kami before departing the Lookout.
Despite having spent a subjective year in the Time Chamber, Karnel decided against using his second allotted visit immediately. The endless white void, devoid of scenery and harsh in its environment, had taken a mental toll. At least for now, he had no intention of returning.
5.5 million combat power!
Impressive as it was, Karnel had not yet transformed into a Super Saiyan. The necessary trigger, rage, had not manifested naturally.
From his knowledge, there were two paths to achieving the Super Saiyan transformation:
The first was like Goku's transformation, reaching a power level around 3 million and experiencing extreme anger could trigger the change.
The second method required reaching 10 million combat power naturally. At this level, the body could no longer contain such immense energy, like water overflowing from a full tank. Upon reaching 10 million, the transformation would occur spontaneously.
With his unique abilities enhancing his potential, Karnel wasn't interested in the first method. He wanted perfection, and the second approach clearly yielded superior results. A Super Saiyan transformed through anger might only gain a 50-fold increase in power, while one who transformed naturally at 10 million would achieve a higher power increase. The difference was too significant to ignore.