Three choices?
Shane settled his nerves, rubbing his chin as he carefully weighed his options. Fortunately, he had a passing knowledge of all three worlds, so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage regarding information right from the start.
Among them, Baki could likely be ruled out first. The reason was simple: the power scaling was just too low. All the top fighters in that world combined would likely be solved with a single punch from him. A place without pressure wouldn't allow him to break his limits again, let alone gain the power to suppress Imu's true body.
As for the remaining Dragon Ball Z and Bleach...
"Both carry significant risks."
The risk in Bleach lay in its entirely different cultivation system. For someone like him, performing a physical crossover midway, he might not be able to master that world's power, potentially wasting a whole year.
As for Dragon Ball Z... the risk was purely that the power ceiling was absurdly high. Dangerous, evil enemies came in thick, relentless waves. If his luck was poor and he crossed over only to see a short, purple-skinned midget staring back at him...
"Hmm?"
While Shane was deep in thought, he noticed two lines of small text at the bottom right of the screen. They were easy to miss if one didn't look closely:
[High-fidelity simulated worlds are the product's design goal]
[Compared to the actual existing original worlds, there is a certain gap in intensity]
Shane's gaze lingered on those small words, his brow furrowing slightly.
"A gap in intensity?" he murmured to himself. "In other words, all the characters in the simulated world will be considerably weaker than the originals..."
That lowered the risk significantly. It seemed there was no need for further hesitation. If he was too intimidated to step into a simulated version of Dragon Ball Z, how could he talk about challenging Imu? How could he talk about rewriting this world?
"I choose Dragon Ball Z!"
Shane's finger tapped the option decisively. Golden light rippled across the system interface, and the text began to shift:
[Selected World: Dragon Ball Z (High-Fidelity Simulation)]
[Time Dilation Ratio: 1 Week (Real) = 1 Year (Simulation)]
[Reminder: During the simulation, the system trading market still follows real-world time. Upon returning after one year, you cannot bring out any items from the simulated world.]
Understood. That made sense. In the simulated world, the only thing he could gain was his own self, tempered through a thousand refinements. No external objects. This suited his taste perfectly. After all, he had reached his current height through his own effort and sweat, hadn't he?
Shane dialed Kuina's number and explained that he would be going into seclusion for a week of training. Then, with eyes bright, he looked back at the panel.
Time to head out. The moment had finally come.
Shane grinned. The pressure from Imu's true body still hung high in the sky. He didn't want to fail at the final hurdle and end up like a second Gecko Moria. To prevent that, even if the road ahead was fraught with danger, he would welcome it!
"Let's go!"
Whirr!
A flash of golden light filled the decaying shrine. The figure vanished like a leaf in the wind, disappearing without a trace.
Earth, Northern Hemisphere.
Beneath a mountain range of snow-capped peaks that stretched as far as the eye could see lay a vast, endless prairie. Waves of green grass swayed gently in the wind; the temperature was pleasant.
When Shane regained consciousness and opened his eyes, this was the sight that greeted him.
"This should be Earth, right?" Shane looked up at the sun and muttered. As long as it wasn't Namek...
He took a moment to sense his body and immediately noticed a crucial anomaly. The gravity here seemed slightly weaker than in the world of One Piece. He tested his limbs and found his movements were lighter and faster than usual. A casual stride carried him several metres. A small hop sent him several metres into the air.
"Interesting..." Shane raised an eyebrow. Under this gravitational difference, his speed and explosive power had increased by a small margin. Was it because the Earth in the Dragon Ball world was naturally smaller than in One Piece? Or was it the "intensity reduction" of the simulation?
It didn't matter. All he needed to know was that he could exert even greater power in this world. First, he needed to find the nearest human city and figure out the timeline. He looked into the distance and could just make out the silhouette of a city on the northeastern horizon.
There!
Shane activated the Sky Walk, ascending high into the air. With a flash, he turned into a blur and streaked toward the city.
Swoosh!
He was extremely fast, and before long, he had closed half the distance. But then...
"Huh?!"
Shane skidded to a halt in mid-air, looking toward the southeast. In that direction, behind a high ridge dozens of kilometres away, several exceptionally violent energy fluctuations were pulsing intermittently. It felt as though someone was engaged in a fierce battle.
Shane immediately expanded his Observation Haki to its limit, covering the area. He had fought too many enemies to count; with his wealth of experience, even at this distance, he could accurately judge their general strength.
There were three people—two against one. The two fighting together felt roughly equivalent to Warlords, while the one they were ganging up on possessed a terrifying aura approaching that of a Yonko.
Interesting. Though he didn't know who they were, it seemed he had run into some decent fighters only minutes after arriving.
"Let's go have a look!"
Swish!
Shane pivoted and accelerated toward the source of the energy fluctuations.
Dozens of kilometres away on the high plateau.
A green-skinned warrior wearing a white turban stood back-to-back with a black-haired young man in an orange martial arts gi. Both were panting heavily, covered in blood.
"What's wrong? Is this all you've got?"
Hovering opposite them was a Saiyan wearing a scouter and battle armor, arms crossed, flicking his tail playfully. "Figures. After all, one of you has a power level of only 332, and the other is just 334. I suppose I can only blame myself for having high expectations!"
The Saiyan threw his head back and laughed arrogantly. "The two of you combined aren't even fit to be opponents for Raditz! It seems today truly is your end!"
"Damn it!" Piccolo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up unsteadily, gritting his teeth. "What's the matter, Goku? Don't you have any new techniques you can use?!"
"Heh... sorry," Goku panted even harder. "I really don't."
"Hmph. Did you get lazy with your training just because you got married and had a kid?" Piccolo gave a bitter laugh. "Unbelievable. To think I spent my time training diligently to invent a new trump card..."
Special Beam Cannon!
It was a finishing move he had recently perfected. If he could pull it off, it would surely defeat this alien who claimed to be Goku's brother. But it required a long time to charge his energy...
"Buy me some time," Piccolo whispered. "This move was originally meant for you, but now I'll have to use it on this guy as a last-ditch effort."
"Right," Goku nodded. "I'll find a way to stall him."
"What are you two whispering about?!" Raditz snapped impatiently, a cruel grin on his face. "You might as well hurry up and die! Let me send you on your way—huh?!"
His expression suddenly shifted. He looked toward the northwest in shock and suspicion.
Someone was coming! The scouter had just warned him that someone even more powerful than the two in front of him was rapidly approaching!
"Eh?" Goku was stunned. He turned to look at Piccolo.
"Yeah, I feel it too," Piccolo looked up, equally astonished. This aura was aggressive and surging. The pressure it gave off... was almost on par with Raditz!
Who was it?! So powerful and yet unfamiliar—it definitely wasn't Tien, Yamcha, or Krillin. Could there be a hidden martial arts master on Earth?
Swoosh!
The aura's speed increased. In the blink of an eye, it approached like a meteor from the horizon, reaching the battlefield and descending straight down.
Boom!
The ground between the three of them exploded into a massive crater, making the earth tremble. The violent air currents forced Goku and Piccolo to shield their faces with their arms. Raditz narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming solemn. He reached up to his scouter and tapped the button.
Beep-beep-beep!
As the dust gradually settled, a tall figure draped in a black cloak stepped out.
"Power level... 1,300?!"
Seeing the numbers displayed on the scouter screen, Raditz's face paled. "Hey, you've got to be kidding me! How can there be someone as strong as you on Earth?!"
This was bad. His own power level was only about 200 points higher than this newcomer. In a one-on-one fight, he was naturally confident he could win. But if he had to face this man along with his foolish brother and the green-skinned guy, a three-on-one situation would be dangerous!
"Huh?" Raditz suddenly seemed to sense something, his expression becoming even more bewildered. "Strange... Why am I sensing a familiar racial aura? Hey, are you a Saiyan too?"
"A Saiyan?"
Shane stepped out of the dust and raised an eyebrow at Raditz's words. He had only used a one-time Saiyan bloodline boost before; could it actually be detected? What an interesting world.
"My apologies," Shane glanced at Goku and gave a wide grin. "Me? I'm a born-and-bred, 100% pure-blooded Earthling."
An Earthling!
Goku and Piccolo had been incredibly tense, their hearts in their throats. One Saiyan was hard enough to deal with; if another one arrived, wouldn't Earth be doomed to be ruled? Now, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Friend!" Goku called out urgently. "Did you sense a threatening presence invading Earth and come to fight? Be careful! This guy is really strong!"
"Shut up!" Raditz roared. He suddenly lunged forward, charging at Goku. "I don't care who this guy is! Anyone who dares interfere with my mission will die! I'll take you two out first to get you out of the way!"
Before, he had been playing with his brother, passing up many opportunities to end the fight because he wanted to toy with them like a cat with a mouse. But the situation had changed. This black-haired youth who dropped from the sky made even him feel pressure. He decided to stop holding back! He would quickly finish off these two weaklings with power levels in the 300s, then have a life-and-death battle with that newcomer!
"Look out!" Piccolo's pupils shrunk. He instinctively threw a punch to intercept.
However, Raditz's speed was too fast for the naked eye to follow. In an instant, he was in front of Goku, a cruel grin on his face as he drove a fist wrapped in a fierce gale toward Goku's solar plexus!
Die first, Kakarot! Even if he was his younger brother, Raditz was a pure-blooded Saiyan. Saiyans didn't care about family bonds!
In that split second—
Swoosh!
Shane's figure appeared between the two like a ghost. He even had time to look up with interest and examine Raditz, whose figure was rapidly enlarging in front of him. Only then did he unhurriedly raise his right hand. Dark Armament Haki surged forth, coating his entire hand in a deep black sheen.
Thud!
The shockwave from the collision of the two forces caused the ground for hundreds of metres to crack and cave in. Raditz felt as though his right hand had been clamped by an indescribable, massive force. No matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't move an inch further.
How is this possible?! Raditz looked stunned. Refusing to believe it, he threw a left hook—fast and vicious. He managed to slam it into the man's chest before Shane could raise his other hand.
Boom!
"I got you! You're too slow!" Raditz's cruel grin began to form, only to freeze in the next instant.
He felt as if his fist had struck an immovable mountain of steel. Forget wounding the man—this person didn't even flinch. He remained rooted to the spot, without so much as a wobble!
"Is that all the strength you have?" Shane looked down at the fist against his chest and sighed with disappointment. "I was actually excited for a moment. I guess I shouldn't have expected much from someone at the bottom of the Saiyan rankings."
"You bastard..." Raditz gritted his teeth. Before he could finish, Shane had gripped his wrist like a bolt of lightning and executed a shoulder throw!
BOOM!!!
The ground was smashed into a massive crater hundreds of metres wide. Raditz was dazed and disoriented, embedded deep into the earth as dust filled the air.
"Wow!" Goku's eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open far enough to fit Krillin's head inside. "S-so strong! Piccolo, hey Piccolo! Did you see that? That terrifying Saiyan was actually..."
"Shut up! You idiot, be quiet! I'm not blind!" Piccolo stared at the back of Shane's figure as he walked toward the crater, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
This guy... he definitely claimed to be an Earthling, didn't he? Where the hell did this monster come from? Has he been living in seclusion training? With this man around, even if I killed Goku later, how could I ever rule this planet as King Piccolo?!