"100x multiplier?!"
Bardock was stunned, quietly realizing the sheer, overwhelming gap between himself and Lynx—it was like heaven and earth.
But at the same time, Lynx's explanation had pointed Bardock to a clear path towards greater power.
Even if he personally didn't possess the talent to reach such heights, perhaps the knowledge he learned today could someday help his son.
"All right, Bardock, Hannah—come at me!"
Lynx's sharp command jolted them awake, both quickly refocusing.
"Let's go!"
With a loud battle cry, Bardock unleashed all of his ki without restraint.
Hannah followed, charging a ki blast at full power and hurling it straight at Lynx.
In that instant, golden ki erupted around Lynx like a storm. The ground trembled, and the very air seemed to shake.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion tore through the landscape. Everything was swallowed by a flash of golden light.
Hummmm...
As the radiance slowly faded, Bardock and Hannah were laying unconscious on the ground.
.......................................................................................................
Not long after, inside a house that had seemingly materialized in the wasteland, Lynx handed a steaming cup of coffee to each of them.
"Sorry, I guess I went a little overboard."
"Your Majesty, you bullied me..." Hannah said, pouting pitifully.
Bardock rubbed his aching head, grimacing in pain.
"Hahaha," Lynx chuckled.
Even though he deliberately restrained himself, the sheer gap in strength was just too overwhelming. Hannah and Bardock still took a hit they weren't prepared for.
"Still, thanks to the two of you, I've now fully mastered my new transformation."
Even mid-battle, Lynx had maintained total mental clarity. After three years of honing his mental strength, he had achieved complete control over his Legendary Super Saiyan 2 form.
I wonder what comes after this form? Legendary Super Saiyan 3? Or perhaps some new evolution...
Lynx inhaled deeply, his expression brimming with anticipation.
At his current rate of progress, reaching the level of a God of Destruction no longer seemed impossible.
"By the way... what year is it now?"
The thought had just occurred to him—he'd been immersed in training for so long that he'd lost track of time.
"Your Majesty, it's Earth year Age 756—around February or March," Bardock replied.
Judging by how precisely he remembered Earth's calendar, it was clear Bardock had been closely monitoring his son, Son Goku.
"That means the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament is coming up soon? I remember I promised Tights I'd go watch with her... Hannah, have you seen her lately?" Lynx asked.
Hannah shook her head. "Tights has been holed up writing again. I haven't seen her in a while."
"Well, this is the perfect chance to check in on her. What about you, Bardock?"
Bardock hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'll go too."
"Great! Let's head back to Planet Vegeta first. Come on, Hannah!"
"Yay!"
"Oh—Your Majesty, there's something I wanted to ask your opinion on..." Bardock said hesitantly.
"What is it?"
After a brief pause, Bardock said, "Your Majesty, ever since we acquired the fruits of the Tree of Might, the average power level of the Saiyans on Planet Vegeta has risen drastically. Kakarot is falling further and further behind his peers."
"I've been thinking... maybe it's time to give the boy some guidance. But I remember you once said we shouldn't interfere with his training on Earth, so..."
Lynx immediately understood Bardock's concern.
With ki training now standard on Planet Vegeta, the Saiyan race was growing stronger by the day.
In comparison, Son Goku—though Saiyan himself—was lagging behind his peers.
Back when Lynx first came to this world, he admired the original Dragon Ball cast. To preserve the original storylines, he'd tried not to interfere with Earth too much.
But by now, it was clear that the original story's events would no longer unfold as expected. Maybe it was time he stepped in.
"Very well, Bardock," Lynx said. "After this tournament, I'll personally give Kakarot some guidance. Leave it to me."
Relieved, Bardock smiled. "If Your Majesty is willing to help, that's more than I could ask for."
As the World Martial Arts Tournament drew near, Lynx and his group traveled to Earth in advance to watch the competition.
On May 7, the tournament grounds—located on a southeastern island—were drenched in steady rain.
At the entrance, Lynx, his family, Bulma, Oolong, and Puar arrived together.
As they stepped out of the vehicle, they saw Master Roshi and Launch standing nearby sharing an umbrella.
"Hey! Bulma! Oolong! Puar!" Launch waved enthusiastically at them.
Roshi, upon spotting Bulma's dazzling outfit, started drooling. He was just about to approach her when—
His instincts screamed danger.
He froze mid-step.
Because he spotted Lynx and his terrifying family once again.
"Master Roshi, long time no see," Lynx said with a smile, giving a small wave.
"Hahaha, yes... long time no see..." Roshi said with a stiff laugh, breaking into a nervous, awkward laugh before quickly turning to greet Bulma and the others.
There's no way I'm messing with that monster again...
Fortunately, after a quick greeting, Lynx shifted his attention to Tights.
"Lynx, where are Bardock and the others? Didn't they come to Earth with you?"
"I told you, didn't I? Goku's all grown up now—he looks exactly like Bardock. Bardock is afraid of being recognized, so he's laying low," Lynx explained.
"You Saiyans really are something," Tights muttered. "What's wrong with father and son seeing each other?"
Just then, Tights suddenly stopped mid-sentence and turning her head sharply to one side. Lynx and Hannah followed her gaze.
"There are five decent power levels coming this way," Tights said.
"Each around 400... the strongest one's 500. Could it be Kakarot and his friends?" Hannah guessed.
Lynx was surprised too—Goku's group had grown a lot stronger than they were in the original timeline.
A moment later, five figures darted past and came to a stop in front of Roshi and the others.
"Krillin! Tien! Yamcha! Chiaotzu! You made it!" Roshi and Bulma ran over to greet them.
"Long time no see, everyone!"
The four smiled warmly, exchanging greetings.
"Wow, it's been three years... you've all gotten so much stronger!" Master Roshi said proudly.
"We trained at Korin Tower with Goku for a year," Krillin said, puffing his chest, "Then we got the chance to train in the Heavenly God Palace, just like he did!"
"In the Heavenly God Palace? Incredible! No wonder you've all gotten so strong," Roshi exclaimed. "By the way, where's Goku? Didn't he come with you?"
"Goku? He's right here," Krillin said, gesturing behind him.
Only then did Roshi and the others notice the young man standing just behind them—he looked oddly familiar.
Bulma squinted, rubbing her eyes. She swallowed hard and asked in disbelief, "Wait... are you... Goku?"
"It's me!" Goku laughed, removing the cloth wrapped around his head. "Didn't recognize me with this on?"
"It really is Goku!"
Roshi and the others were stunned. Everyone gasped. The once-small, mischievous boy had grown into a tall, striking young man.