Goku was rushed to the hospital.
Without senzu beans available, it was the only option. Kaioken had pushed his body far beyond its safe limits, and even I didn't have the medical technology yet to repair that kind of internal damage quickly.
While he recovered, I turned my attention to the next step.
Namek.
Using the old spaceship that once belonged to Kami, I finally managed to retrieve the coordinates to Planet Namek. The information had been buried in its navigation system for years, but once I knew where to look, it wasn't difficult to extract.
The journey was now possible.
But before leaving Earth, I had a few things to finish.
Mechanical Upgrades
After installing a mechanical spine for Nappa, I returned to Raditz's modifications.
His ribcage reinforcement, spinal stabilizer, and mechanical heart were already functioning well, but they weren't optimized for his Saiyan biology.
Especially not his tail.
"If the full moon triggers your transformation," I explained while adjusting the diagnostic screen, "I don't want you turning into a full Oozaru."
Raditz crossed his arms.
"And why not? That's our natural power."
"Because you might lose control," I replied. "And a giant ape rampaging through the battlefield isn't exactly helpful."
He grunted but didn't argue.
"So instead," I continued, "I recalibrated your systems. If your tail receives lunar energy, your power will still multiply—but your body will only expand partially."
Raditz raised an eyebrow.
"A compressed transformation?"
"Exactly," I said with a small smile. "You get the power boost without turning into a skyscraper."
"...Not bad," he admitted.
Still, another concern lingered in the back of my mind.
During my fight with Vegeta, I had pushed both myself and the Oracle system further than ever before. Something about that battle had felt different.
Exciting.
Thrilling.
And… unsettling.
It was as if something inside me had responded.
I couldn't quite explain it.
But I intended to investigate it sooner or later.
The Dream
That night, the answer came to me.
Or rather, it came as a nightmare.
The sky was dark.
Above me hung a massive full moon.
It called to me.
Something deep inside my chest responded to it, pulling at my instincts. My vision turned red, my heartbeat thundered, and an overwhelming surge of power filled my body.
Then—
I woke up.
My heart was pounding.
"That felt… way too real," I muttered.
As I sat up, I felt something strange behind me.
Something moving.
Slowly, I turned my head.
And froze.
"A… tail?"
A long brown tail swayed behind me.
For a moment, I simply stared.
Then the scientist in me took over.
Genetic Analysis
Within minutes I was in my laboratory, drawing blood samples and feeding them into the analysis system.
Lines of genetic data scrolled across the monitors.
My eyes widened.
"My genetics… stabilized."
Not only stabilized.
They had changed.
My Saiyan DNA had fully integrated.
"Fifty percent Saiyan…?" I whispered.
That was impossible.
The serum should have only produced a partial hybrid.
But the data was clear.
My body had adapted far beyond the original projection.
Fortunately, my human genetics were still dominant in terms of appearance.
Aside from growing about five inches taller, I still looked mostly the same. My muscles were stronger and more defined, but nowhere near the bulk of someone like Goku or Raditz.
Still…
If my genetics had changed, then my power level had likely changed as well.
There was only one way to know.
Testing My Limits
I stepped into the training room and took a slow breath.
"Alright… let's see."
Gradually, I released my ki.
The pressure inside the room rose.
Higher.
Higher.
Finally—
The scouter reading stabilized.
"Three thousand…"
I folded my arms thoughtfully.
Strong, but not extraordinary. On Namek, that level wouldn't matter much.
"I guess I'll have to train more."
Then another thought occurred to me.
"What happens if I use the armor?"
Curiosity won.
"Armor… equip."
The suit materialized around my body instantly.
My power surged.
Three thousand.
Ten thousand.
Twenty thousand.
Forty thousand.
Sixty thousand.
The entire training chamber trembled violently under the pressure.
"Okay, that's—"
Suddenly the system alarms screamed.
WARNING: CORE INSTABILITY
"Oh no…"
The generator had never been designed to handle a base power level above fifteen hundred.
Back when my power level was around nine hundred, the system strain had been manageable.
Now?
The overload was catastrophic.
The generator core destabilized instantly.
My power dropped back to three thousand—
And then the armor exploded.
Aftermath
The blast hurled me across the training room.
I slammed into the far wall with a loud crash.
Dust settled slowly.
"...Ow."
My armor lay scattered in pieces around the room.
At that moment the door burst open.
Raditz rushed in.
"What happened?!" he demanded.
His scouter blinked rapidly as he scanned me.
"That massive power spike earlier—was that you?"
I pushed myself up, brushing debris off my clothes—what remained of them, anyway.
"My armor couldn't handle my new power level," I said calmly.
Raditz stared.
"You're telling me that explosion came from your own equipment?"
"Pretty much."
He looked me up and down.
"…You're not even seriously injured."
"Just a few scratches," I replied. "No broken bones."
Saiyan durability had its advantages.
Raditz shook his head slowly.
"You're insane."
"Probably."
I crossed my arms thoughtfully.
"My base power is about three thousand now. With the armor, it jumped to sixty thousand."
Raditz's eyes widened slightly.
"Sixty thousand…"
"But the generator couldn't handle it," I continued. "Which means I'll need to design a new armor from scratch."
Preferably one that didn't explode.
"I'll also bring my equipment to Namek," I added. "My power might increase again once we get there."
Raditz smirked faintly.
"You're planning upgrades already?"
"Always."
I stretched my arms before heading toward the exit.
"For now, though, I'm taking a shower."
Raditz glanced at the destroyed armor pieces again.
"…Good idea."
I paused at the doorway.
"And Raditz?"
"What?"
"Don't worry about the explosion."
He folded his arms.
"I wasn't."
I smiled slightly.
Because the truth was simple.
If sixty thousand felt that powerful…
Then the future battles on Namek were going to be very interesting indeed.
But first—
I needed some rest.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges.
And probably more explosions.