"Super Saiyan... tell me now!" Vegeta's eyes blazed with anticipation as he hurled the fishing rod into the stream with such force it created a huge splash. He leaped to his feet, fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely contained excitement.
Karnel sighed softly and extended his hand with a casual gesture. An invisible force pulled the discarded fishing rod from the water, droplets cascading from its length as it floated back to his grasp.
"Transforming into a Super Saiyan isn't particularly difficult," Karnel said, his tone almost conversational. "But as I mentioned before, you're missing something crucial."
He paused, studying Vegeta's expectant face with knowing eyes. "That missing piece is what I call the heart of protection. Tell me, Vegeta, is there anyone or anything in this universe that you would risk your life to protect? Something so precious to you that you'd face certain death before allowing harm to come to it?"
"The heart of protection?" Vegeta's expression shifted from excitement to contempt. "Don't be ridiculous! There's nothing in this pathetic universe worth, ME, Prince Vegeta! Risking his life for. This sentimental nonsense has nothing to do with becoming a Super Saiyan!"
Karnel chuckled, the sound carrying a hint of melancholy. "You're both right and wrong. Strictly speaking, having something to protect isn't required for the transformation, but it certainly makes the process far easier."
"Then stop wasting my time with philosophy!" Vegeta's aura flared, and he launched an energy blast into the peaceful stream. The explosion sent several large fish flying through the air, their lifeless forms splashing back into the water with white bellies turned skyward.
"Patience, Vegeta. Let me explain both methods available to you." Karnel raised his hand, and time itself seemed to flow backward around the stream. The dead fish reversed their trajectory, their wounds healing, their eyes brightening with renewed life as they were gently returned to the water.
Vegeta's mouth fell open, his anger momentarily forgotten. "What kind of power is that? Can you actually resurrect the dead?"
"Just a minor application of time manipulation," Karnel replied with a dismissive wave. "Nothing worth dwelling on. Now, the first method is actually quite straightforward, the same technique Kakarot used during his battle with Frieza on Namek."
He leaned back against a tree, his expression growing serious. "All you need is a power level of approximately three million combined with a state of extreme rage. Simple, wouldn't you say?"
Three million... Vegeta's mind raced as he processed this information. And rage...
"My current power level is around 2 million after training in the gravity chamber," he muttered, more to himself than to Karnel. "Reaching three million shouldn't be impossible with enough training..."
Vegeta closed his eyes and clenched his fists, his face contorting with effort as he attempted to force himself into a state of fury. His teeth ground together, his face flushed red, and veins bulged on his forehead, but it was clearly forced, more like someone holding their breath than genuine anger.
"Heh." Karnel watched the display with amusement. "That's exactly why the heart of protection is so important, Vegeta. True rage, the kind that triggers Super Saiyan transformation, can't be manufactured on command. It comes from the soul-crushing grief of watching something precious be destroyed or killed."
Vegeta relaxed his stance with a frustrated exhale. "Damn it! I can't feel anything resembling real anger. Are you suggesting I should find someone to care about just so I can watch them die?"
Is this man completely dense? Karnel thought, barely suppressing an eye roll.
"That approach would be utterly pointless," he explained patiently. "The emotion must be genuine. It only works when someone you truly cherish faces danger or death. Take Kakarot's transformation, he witnessed his dear friend Krillin being murdered by Frieza right before his eyes. The combination of grief and righteous fury allowed him to shatter the barriers of Saiyan limitation and ascend to legendary status."
"That low-class warrior..." Vegeta's hands trembled with frustration. "There has to be another way! I refuse to believe that, I, Prince Vegeta, the elite of all Saiyans, must rely on such weakness to achieve what is rightfully mine!"
He paused, his brow furrowing in thought. "When I consider it, there truly isn't anyone I care about. Raditz and Nappa? Those incompetent fools got themselves killed, I wanted to eliminate those pieces of garbage myself! How could I possibly lower myself to protect such worthless specimens?"
Karnel nodded sadly, having expected this response. "This is precisely why I suggested following in Kakarot's footsteps. He possesses a remarkable ability to form genuine connections with others. Anyone who isn't completely consumed by evil finds themselves drawn to his sincerity and becomes his friend."
"Impossible!" Vegeta's pride erupted like a volcano. "I am an elite Saiyan warrior! I will never, NEVER, lower myself to befriend that third-class reject!" He gestured wildly, his voice echoing across the peaceful landscape. "You mentioned a second method. What is it?"
Karnel's expression grew more serious. "The second path is the one I took, but I must warn you, for someone in your current position, it will be exponentially more difficult."
"Difficult?" Vegeta scoffed. "Nothing is too difficult for the Prince of all Saiyans!"
"Ten million."
Karnel continued, "If your base power level exceeds ten million, you'll naturally break through the Super Saiyan barrier without needing any emotional catalyst. The resulting transformation will grant you a battle power of approximately five hundred million, significantly stronger than the emotion-triggered version."
He paused, letting the magnitude sink in. "However, this path requires absolute dedication. Even with advanced gravity chambers and optimal training conditions, reaching ten million through conventional methods could take decades. By the time you succeed, Kakarot may have already ascended to heights you can't even imagine."
Ten million... The number echoed in Vegeta's mind like a challenge. Without his enhanced training methods and temporal manipulation abilities, even Karnel wouldn't have dared attempt such a feat in a reasonable timeframe. But for Vegeta, with his current resources and stubborn pride preventing him from forming meaningful connections...
The choice between paths stretched before the Saiyan Prince like a crossroad.