LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 2: Misinterpretations
The man who was about to merge with Gohan was now inside a massive energy tunnel, the sight was breathtaking. So much beauty in that metaphysical scene, showing how reality twisted in ways the mind couldn't even describe. But that hardly mattered to the man—or rather, it was as if he wasn't paying attention to it at all. His mind was racing with the information he had received just before being pushed out of the "waiting room."
The idea of merging with the character of Son Gohan, the half-Saiyan, filled him with excitement. Such a strong character with terrifying potential. He had been disappointed with what happened to Gohan in the new continuation of Dragon Ball Super, but it made sense. Gohan had never been as fond of fighting as the other members of Goku's group. He still enjoyed combat as a sport, but it wasn't the dominant part of his life. The old man wondered if his memories would change that aspect of Gohan.
As he was lost in thought, the journey between worlds continued. The man grew even more excited to join the main cast of Dragon Ball, now fantasizing about his future adventures in this fantastical world. Then, at some point, he exited the tunnel, deprived of an unforgettable scene. But now, he found himself in a translucent, spirit-like body, hovering over a vast landscape of towering mountains with countless peaks, dense vegetation, crystal-clear rivers, and large dinosaurs visible in certain areas.
The man marveled at the natural beauty of this place, untouched by industrialization. He etched this image into his memory, intoxicated by its allure. Then, a strong pull dragged him away, snapping him out of his trance. He found himself flying toward the top of one of the hills, where he spotted a small, rustic cabin that he recognized as the house where Goku had grown up.
'Little Gohan must be hiding there, playing hide-and-seek,' the man thought, convinced his reasoning was correct.
As he approached the cabin, he prepared himself, closing his eyes and waiting for the fusion with open arms. Little did he know that if he had kept his eyes open, he would have noticed that there was no young Saiyan in that cabin—only a short, stocky old man with a white mustache, dressed in a traditional orange and black qipao (martial arts uniform). This was Son Gohan, the human, who was currently polishing a bright sphere with four stars inside.
The spirit then merged with the old Gohan's body, and the two souls began to converge, becoming one. A exchange took place between them—memories, ideas, knowledge, and experiences merged. This continued until a common ground was found, and the fusion began to stabilize, forming a strong and radiant soul. A new Son Gohan was born in that moment.
When he opened his eyes, Gohan wore a complicated expression. He saw his reflection in the polished Dragon Ball in his hand—an aged face with gentle eyes. His calloused hand, weathered by years of martial arts training, slowly reached up to touch his face. Feeling the touch, the old man let out a sigh.
"Seems I was mistaken, hehe…" He laughed at his error in believing he would merge with Son Goku's son. He had completely forgotten that the protagonist's grandfather was also named Son Gohan. "Well, no use crying over it…"
Looking at the Dragon Ball in his hand, he knew what was coming. Goku hadn't arrived on Earth yet, which left two possibilities: either Planet Vegeta still existed, or it had already been destroyed, and Goku was on his way. He knew how to confirm this, but he lacked the means to do so. Gathering the Dragon Balls was possible, but he was old and didn't know where the others were. Some, like the one in Oolong's village, with Gyumao, or with his master, Muten Roshi, could be found. He knew where his master and Gyumao lived, and he could go there to retrieve them, but that would also affect the canonical history of his grandson's world.
Gohan pondered for a while. He could visit his master and confirm if he had the Dragon Ball, at least. Going to Gyumao or Oolong could wait. For now, he needed to decide what was best in the short term. With his knowledge of how to train the body and Ki more efficiently, he could get his body into better shape and avoid being killed by an Oozaru in the middle of the night.
"Alright, training is my bread and butter for now!" Gohan said aloud.
He stood up and walked to a small shrine where he placed the Four-Star Dragon Ball. With confidence, he stepped into the yard of the house, planning his training.
'My body is old, though I'm now older than I was in my previous life. Still, this body is better than the one I had in the other world.' Gohan thought as he left the cabin. 'It's best to start with mobility training, then move on to something more functional. Starting a garden and building things, like Master's training, might be a good idea!' A plan to grow stronger took shape in his mind. Now outside, the old martial artist watched the sun beginning to set.
'Tomorrow, I'll start my physical training and meditation. I need to learn to fly as quickly as possible—it'll save me a lot of travel time. Once I can fly, I can go straight to Master, visit Gyumao, and even search for the abandoned temple where Pilaf found the One-Star Dragon Ball.' He continued his planning. 'If I can prevent Pilaf from confirming the existence of the Dragon Balls, it'll save me a lot of trouble during the first arc and the Red Ribbon arc. I'm not sure if it would affect the return of Piccolo Daimao, nor do I know if I'll have enough time to gather the other Dragon Balls. The priority is to get the one with Gyumao.'
As he watched the sun set behind the mountains of Mount Paozu, Gohan let out a soft sigh. "Maybe I can regain my youth when I gather all the Dragon Balls. My back might not hurt as much as before, but who wouldn't want to be young and healthy again?" Gohan said aloud to himself.
With the last rays of sunlight disappearing below the horizon, Gohan made his way back to his cabin to eat something and sleep. The day might have passed quickly, but now he knew that major events were just around the corner. He had to prepare for them as best as he could.
'If possible, I might even become a half-Saiyan. Becoming a pure Saiyan would be problematic, with a ton of behavioral and biological differences,' Gohan thought, his knowledge as a die-hard Dragon Ball fan coming into play. 'After analyzing the entire original manga that Toriyama-sensei published, I realized that Saiyans have a harder time feeling emotions. Joy, love, and anger do appear, but it's much more difficult. Goku might be an exception due to his head injury. This also explains the Super Saiyan trigger—an intense emotion must stimulate the S-cells to initiate the transformation. Anger is the easiest to generate, regardless of the cause. Half-Saiyan hybrids have more potential due to their easier access to strong emotions. Young Son Gohan growing stronger through anger is entirely plausible. Humans, when experiencing a massive adrenaline rush, can display feats of strength slightly above the normal standard. This doesn't take away from the great potential of Goku's son, but it explains why hybrids naturally have superior potential.' Gohan reasoned as he grabbed some fruits and dried meat to eat.
'Well, regardless of whether I become a Saiyan or not, I need to get stronger and learn to fly first. Trying to take a step bigger than my leg would only bring me trouble,' the old man thought, getting his priorities straight. Preparing to stay alive was more important than regaining his youth or changing his race.
After eating, the old Gohan changed out of his qipao into simple pajamas. He climbed into his modest yet comfortable bed, pulled up the covers, closed his eyes, and drifted into a pleasant sleep.