The next day, at the entrance of the village.
Kaido was getting used to his humanoid form. It had been thousands of years since he had stayed in his dragon form, and even during that time, it wasn't like he had stretched his legs much.
'I feel powerful, but I don't even know my power level. Luckily, I already know how to fly, how to use and sense Ki, and how to wield magic. I guess those are the perks of being a dragon.' he thought.
"Hm…" Kaido perked up, hearing a sound approaching from underground.
Strange grasshopper-like men emerged from a ship.
"What's going on?" Beelzebub asked, having heard it too with his sharp hearing, followed by Shiva and Thief.
"That's a Royal Army ship." Shiva observed.
"Indeed. It's been a long time, Shiva. I'm surprised to see you still alive."
"Zeu… I will have my revenge!" Shiva replied to the man standing before them. "Did your thirst for power also lead you to become a cyborg?" he added.
"That's a cyborg? It's ugly." Beelzebub commented.
'Something to blow off a little steam.' Kaido thought simply before charging at the Insect Soldiers.
"W-What is that giant lizardman?!" Commander Zeu shouted as he watched Kaido decimate his secret army in seconds, one by one.
'This is boring.' Kaido thought, crushing another insect soldier. He formed a sphere of Ki on his index finger, pointed it at the ship, and fired. The vessel exploded instantly.
"Aaaah!" Zeu screamed, watching everything he had prepared go up in smoke within seconds.
More Royal Army troops arrived.
Shiva used the distraction to shoot at Zeu's engine, forcing him to crash to the ground.
"Wait! Wait! Shiva! Let's talk! I'll let you return to the army, even become a general again!" Zeu pleaded as Shiva approached, pulling out a firearm. "Even Supreme Commander if you want!"
"You took everything from me. My wife. My child. Dead because of you." Shiva aimed his rifle at Zeu's head, but ultimately lowered it. "You will pay for your crimes. Isn't that right, General Are?" Shiva turned toward the newly arrived troops.
"Yes, Mr. Shiva. Arrest him. We will reveal what truly happened thirty years ago during the war." the general declared before leaving.
"I didn't understand any of that, but those insects were pathetic." Kaido commented on the events that had just unfolded.
"Long story." Beelzebub replied lightly.
"I see." Kaido answered, not pressing further.
Two weeks passed.
'I've lingered here too long. It's time I pay a visit to the Supreme Kai.' Kaido thought as he stood up and walked toward the village exit.
The village was lively. Demon children played in the streets. The market overflowed with new goods.
"Catch this, Lord Kaido!" a merchant shouted, tossing him a fruit. He caught it and took a bite.
"Not bad. Turn it into a drink." Kaido advised. Other merchants asked for his opinion. During the two weeks he had spent here, he had been warmly welcomed by the demon people.
"Lord Kaido, do you think I could become as tall as you?" a small demon asked.
"Orororo, it's possible, kid, but don't get your hopes up." he replied before continuing on his way.
At the village exit.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" Beelzebub asked, sitting on a rock.
"Indeed, kid. It's time I see more of this world." Kaido replied.
"Don't hesitate to come back." Beelzebub said, standing up with a smile.
"Hm." Kaido nodded, then transformed into his dragon form and shot into the sky.
During the week prior, Lucifer had told him where the Sacred World of the Supreme Kai Fuwa was located.
"Space really is something…" Kaido muttered as he traveled through it.
"Wait-space?!" he suddenly exclaimed.
'So I can survive in space… I really could've died stupidly.' He resumed flying at high speed, observing the cosmic spectacle around him.
'It's been two weeks since I've been free, and I still don't have a goal. After spending thousands of years doing nothing… that's pretty pathetic.' Kaido admitted to himself as he continued onward.
-----------
Not far from where Kaido was flying, inside a patrol ship.
"I swear, Lord Frost is going to send us to stir up trouble somewhere again soon." said an alien lying on his bunk while his partner piloted the ship.
"We're about to make a ton of money again. I can't wait." the pilot replied, before being interrupted by the beep of his scouter. He focused on a blue streak passing in the distance.
"What's that…?" he muttered. "A power level of… 7 billion?!"
"Why the hell are you yelling, you idiot, Bob?! It's my turn to take a break!" snapped the alien who had been about to nap.
"Come look at this, Tod." Bob replied, turning toward him.
"For fuck's sake…" Tod groaned as he got up and walked over. "There's nothing there."
Bob turned back and saw that the blue streak had vanished.
"I swear there was something. It had a power level of 7 billion."
"Stop talking crap. Your scouter's probably malfunctioning. Now let me rest, and because of that, you're piloting for another hour."
"Hm… maybe I imagined it." Bob murmured before refocusing on their route.
-----------
Unaware of the events concerning him, Kaido continued flying toward the Sacred World of the Supreme Kai Fuwa.
"I think this is the planet." he thought, recognizing it from the description Lucifer had given him and following the direction he had indicated. Kaido began descending toward it.
-----------
"What is this power heading this way?" Fuwa wondered, sensing an energy that surpassed his own. He hurried outside.
'Should I contact Vados?' he asked himself, slightly worried, fearing that someone might be targeting Champa's life.
"What in the world is that? A dragon?" He stared at the being landing on his planet.
"Who are you, and what do you want from me?" Fuwa asked, mustering his courage.
"My name is Kaido, and what I want is very simple." Kaido replied before shifting into his humanoid form.
'I'm not sure if he thinks that appearance is supposed to make me feel more at ease.' Fuwa thought before speaking again. "What is this 'simple' thing you want, mort-"
'That's strange… I can sense a hint of divine ki from him…' he realized mid-sentence. "el?"
"I would like you to transport me to Universe 7." Kaido said plainly.
"Oh… that's what you want." Fuwa replied, surprised, almost relieved. "Let me think."
'He's stronger than me, to begin with. And it costs me nothing to do this. I was expecting something worse. And if he turns out to be a problem, I'll be rid of him. Two birds with one stone. Decision made.'
"I accept. I will transport you, Kaido." Fuwa declared after what could generously be called careful consideration.
'Honestly, I didn't think it would be that easy.' Kaido thought. "Very well." he answered simply.
"Ahem… if you would step closer." Fuwa requested.
Kaido moved beside him. One instant they were on the Sacred World of the Kai. The next, they were in the vast emptiness of space.
"We have arrived. Universe 7." Fuwa said, before disappearing immediately, this time alone.
"He definitely wanted to get rid of me." Kaido muttered to himself, noticing how quickly the Supreme Kai had left him there.
He shifted back into his dragon form and began moving, heading toward a planet where he could sense life.
He had barely set off when someone appeared directly in front of him.
"Ohohoh, and what do we have here?" said the being standing before him.
'Whis.' Kaido thought, immediately recognizing him.
"A dragon, hmm. You're the first one I've encountered roaming free. Where do you come from?" Whis asked, one hand on his chin as he floated side to side, carefully analyzing Kaido.
"From Universe 6." Kaido replied.
"That's what I suspected. I briefly sensed the presence of that universe's Supreme Kai just now. And to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit…?"
"Kaido."
"A pleasure, Kaido. Whis… No further explanation? I see…" the angel commented, intrigued by this new arrival. "It is not my role to interfere. I merely wished to satisfy my curiosity." Whis added, preparing to leave.
"Could you transport me near Earth?" Kaido asked before he departed.
"Earth? And why is that?"
"I was there when I was in Universe 6. I'd like to see if they're different." Kaido improvised quickly.
"Let's see… Earth, you say." Whis glanced into the orb atop his staff, locating the planet. "Interesting world. A rather remote corner of the galaxy." he remarked once he found it.
"There should be excellent food there, if it's anything like the one I know." Kaido added, attempting to tempt him.
"Oh? Really? Well then, let us go."
Whis tapped his staff against empty space as though striking solid ground, and instantly teleported them near the planet.
From their vantage point, they could sense a battle raging below.
"The cuisine does seem promising… though there appears to be quite a bit of commotion. Ohohoh." Whis commented, revealing through his staff what was currently unfolding on Earth.
-----------
[ On Earth ]
A few minutes before Kaido and Whis arrived near the planet.
"Krillin, what are you going to do with that cyborg? Kill her." said Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans.
"I can't. Android 18 isn't that bad." replied Krillin.
"Tss… you disgust me." Vegeta scoffed.
Not far away, Gohan stood with his head lowered. His father, Goku, had just sacrificed himself to eliminate the threat looming over Earth, the being known as Cell.
Suddenly, the wind began to howl. Lightning cracked around them.
"Kh-this aura…"
"Impossible."
"This is absurd."
One after another, Trunks, Vegeta, and Piccolo exclaimed.
The gust intensified, and from within the storm, a beam of Ki shot out, piercing Trunks through the chest.
"Huh…"
Trunks collapsed, not even understanding what had happened.
"Hahahaha… Who did I hit?" a voice called from within the swirling dust.
He stepped out of the haze. Everyone stood frozen.
"So, Trunks…
You seem surprised? Very well, I shall explain.
It was, for me, a fortunate miscalculation. You see, inside my head there is a small mass, my nucleus." Cell tapped his forehead.
"As long as it remains intact, I can regenerate this body at will. Goku did not kill me. No… he gave me much more."
Gohan, consumed by rage, transformed instantly into Super Saiyan 2, a faint smirk on his face.
"Heh."
"What's so funny?" Cell asked.
"I'm happy."
"Happy?"
"Yes. I'll be able to avenge my father, the one I let die because of my pride."
"Sigh… I doubt it will go that way." Cell replied, now serious.
Beside them, Vegeta had just witnessed his son's death.
'No… it won't be Goku's son who takes revenge. It will be Trunks' father. Me!'
"Aaaaaah, you bastard!" Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan and unleashed a barrage of Ki blasts at Cell.
But Cell teleported in front of him and struck him in the stomach, sending him crashing into a distant rock. He prepared to fire one of his own blasts.
Then he froze.
"Kh… What is this power? Where is it coming from?!" Cell shouted.
He wasn't the only one who felt it. Gohan and the others sensed it too.
"Don't tell me this is another enemy…" Piccolo muttered, unable to recognize the Ki.
-----------
'Hmm… The Cell Games.' Kaido noted internally as Whis observed the events on Earth through his staff.
'It's almost like luck is smiling on me. The only enemies I've faced so far were those pathetic insect-men who gave me the most boring fight imaginable… and now another insect is being served to me on a silver platter.'
Still in his dragon form, Kaido began to laugh.
"Orororororo!" 'A perfect chance to test what I'm capable of.'
"What is so amusing?" Whis asked calmly.
"Nothing, nothing. Whis, enjoy yourself, taste whatever you like. I'm heading down there."
Without waiting for a response, Kaido surged forward, flying toward the location where he could sense all those energies colliding.
"It's time to have some fun."