Bidding farewell to Karin, Kaiser flew toward the Lookout above Karin Tower.
In a blink, he arrived.
"Oh?"
"Intriguing."
Stepping onto the Lookout, Kaiser sensed something amiss.
Divinity... intense divinity!
Though the beings here weren't strong,
Their divine authority was undeniable.
"Young man."
"You're powerful."
Kami emerged from the Lookout, Mr. Popo trailing behind.
Mr. Popo was akin to an Angel.
His strength varied.
He'd trained young Goku, laying the foundation for Ultra Instinct.
By the Buu Saga, he could spar with Super Saiyan Goten and Trunks.
"Just an ordinary being with divine authority."
Kaiser observed Kami.
At this stage, Kami was invincible.
But decay clung to him.
His lifespan was short... thirty years at most, by Earth's reckoning.
No wonder he'd later merge with Piccolo.
"I sense divine energy in you."
"Are you a god in your world?"
Kami studied Kaiser curiously.
This young man's arrival was no surprise.
Shenron had brought him.
"I'm merely mortal, but I've received God Blood, making me a demi-god of sorts."
"Is there a way for mortals to become gods?"
Kaiser asked directly.
"If you wish, I could pass the title of Earth's God to you."
Kami replied calmly.
He was old, no longer fit for the role.
"Hm?"
"Not a planetary god."
"I mean gods above you."
"Like… King Yama, or… a Kai."
Kaiser's words startled Kami.
"You know of the Kais?"
"Did Shenron tell you?"
Kami frowned.
Kais governed the universe.
This cosmos was split into four regions, named for galaxies.
The North Kai ruled the North Galaxy.
Their strength?
The creation lineage in Dragon Ball was weak.
Pathetically so.
But their divine status stood firm.
Be it Kai, Great Kai, or Supreme Kai,
They were true gods.
Their rank was lofty.
Some transcended death itself.
Even in death, they bore a halo.
Souls couldn't be destroyed.
Only a Destroyer could annihilate souls.
True death meant no soul remained.
"Lord Kami, I just want to know if mortals can become gods."
Kaiser's gaze burned with intent.
Fusing with Dragon Ball's divinity would be a game-changer.
Beyond planetary gods, divine ranks carried immense power.
And authority.
It could transform Kaiser fundamentally.
"I don't know."
"King Yama and Kais live eons longer than I."
"They were gods before I became one."
"But for planetary gods, I can confirm it's possible."
"I ascended from mortality."
"But my godhood is incomplete."
Kami sighed.
To become Earth's God,
He'd split off his evil half.
That half wrought havoc on Earth.
It haunted him still.
Even creating the Dragon Balls couldn't undo the damage.
"A planetary god?"
Kaiser frowned.
He wasn't opposed to becoming Earth's God.
But only Dragon Clan Namekians could craft Dragon Balls.
In Dragon Ball's lore, the Dragon Clan served Salama, the Dragon God.
Though Salama was missing,
The Super Dragon Balls remained.
Kaiser feared becoming Earth's God would bind him.
In the original Dragon Ball,
Gods, even Kami, bowed to Supreme Kais.
The hierarchy was rigid.
Even mighty Beerus knelt before Zeno.
Kaiser sought to amplify his divinity.
Not become Zeno's servant.
With Zeno's childish whims,
A random purge could erase him.
Gone in a flash.
Not the outcome Kaiser wanted.
If he could, like Goku or Vegeta,
Wield divine power as a mortal,
That'd be ideal.
How were Destroyer or Supreme Kai candidates chosen?
Excluding planetary gods,
Only Destroyer or Supreme Kai roles were viable.
Destroyers offered the best shot.
Even as a candidate, he'd learn Autonomous Ultra Instinct and wield destructive energy.
"I understand. Thank you for clarifying, Lord Kami."
Kaiser smiled.
No rush.
He was at Dragon Ball's starting point.
There was plenty of time ahead.
Having anchored this world, Kaiser could return anytime.
With no time limit on his mission, he could train here indefinitely.
Though this world wasn't ideal for Cosmos cultivation,
Progress wasn't impossible.
And Ki offered another path.
Realizing this, Kaiser felt no rush.
He could exploit the time difference.
Declining Kami's offer, he returned to West City.
"Back so soon?"
Bulma, now in a new outfit, tinkered with a computer displaying incomprehensible code.
"Writing a program?"
Kaiser asked curiously.
"Yeah, for the Gravity Chamber."
"Kaiser, how much gravity do you need?"
Bulma inquired.
"Up to 500 times, for now."
Kaiser thought briefly before answering.
At 500x gravity, without using Cosmos, he'd achieve real training.
Even Vegeta, later on, trained at just 100x gravity.
"Got it."
"But I don't have materials to withstand that yet."
"I'll need to research more."
Bulma chewed her pen, fingers dancing across the keyboard.
"No rush."
"Take your time."
Kaiser smiled.
Early Dragon Ball was quite safe.
In an open area, Kaiser began sensing Ki.
A faint strand flowed through his body.
Through divine vision, he saw it steadily growing.
"My body isn't weak in this world."
Kaiser mused.
Cosmos required honing the five senses to their limit to touch the Sixth Sense.
In the Saint Seiya world, Saint candidates matched Captain America's strength.
Some surpassed him.
They could throw sonic or light-speed punches with raw physicality, amplified by Cosmos.
That wasn't mortal.
With God Blood, Kaiser's life energy was robust.
But Ki wasn't a Saint's system.
Awakening it to Saiyan levels would be tough.
"It won't reach Dragon Ball's later extremes."
"But Ki can heal hidden injuries and strengthen my body."
"That's enough."
"I could even spread it in the Sanctuary."
"It'd make awakening the Sixth Sense easier."
"Even without it, Ki grants strength beyond the five senses."
"Ki is perfect for building a foundation."
Kaiser marveled.
Even if he couldn't master it deeply,
This was more than he'd hoped for.
He felt his vessel strengthening under Ki's flow.
"Combining Ki and Cosmos might let me forgo Cloths."
Kaiser pondered.
But ditching Cloths was premature.
Even Olympus' main gods needed God Cloths.
All Olympian God Cloths had vanished, supposedly taken by Zeus... no one knew where.
Poseidon wore self-forged Scale Cloths.
Hades donned supreme Surplices.
Athena wore Sacred Cloths.
No God Cloths in sight.
Even in the Heaven Saga, Apollo and Artemis appeared without them.
Time passed.
Kaiser trained Ki in the Dragon Ball world.
A month flew by.
"Kaiser!"
Bulma's excited voice reached him.
Meditating, Kaiser opened his eyes.
"It's done?"
Catching the leaping girl, he asked gently.
"Done! I built it."
"Your Gravity Chamber."
Bulma beamed, awaiting praise.
"Amazing!"
Kaiser didn't hold back.
She was a young girl... praise went a long way.
He followed her to the Gravity Chamber.
"Here's the gravity control device."
"As you wanted, it goes from 10x to 500x."
"This is the emergency call device."
"If you're hurt or the chamber malfunctions, I can cut power externally."
Bulma patiently explained its functions.
Kaiser was eager to try it.
"I want to test it."
Bulma stepped out.
Kaiser took a deep breath and activated the device.
Buzz!
The air grew heavy.
"10x gravity feels like nothing."
Kaiser stretched.
No effect.
Beep, beep, beep…
He cranked it to 50x.
"Hm?"
"I feel resistance now."
Kaiser moved his limbs.
No Cosmos... just raw strength.
"This is God Blood's effect?"
"My body's this strong?"
Kaiser was surprised.
At 50x gravity, he felt only slight restraint.
As the gravity climbed,
It hit the chamber's limit.
Hiss!
"Now I feel it."
Kaiser hunched slightly.
At 500x, without Cosmos, it strained him.
Step…
He took a stride, then moved freely.
Swish!
Swish, swish!
"The Gravity Chamber is a godsend."
In moments, Kaiser felt his Ki surge.
As his life force grew,
His Cosmos stirred subtly.
Not dramatic, but measurable.
The growth was modest.
"Looks like I need to tweak my training plan."
"I might reap enough rewards in this world…"
***
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