Smith Doyle watched John Wick embrace his resurrected wife, the assassin's shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Around them, the Fraternity members stared at Helen with barely concealed fascination, a woman pulled back from death itself, standing confused and alive on the deck of a ship in international waters.
Several pairs of eyes tracked the seven Dragon Balls as they streaked away across the sky, golden contrails fading into the distance.
Smith could practically hear the thought forming in every assassin's mind: If I fall in combat someday, could I be brought back the same way?
While the others processed what they'd witnessed, Smith withdrew into himself. His consciousness sank inward, descending into the system space where his Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle System resided.
The interface materialized around him, familiar now after months of use. Three wish summon options that had been grayed out and dormant now pulsed with renewed energy, available once more.
Smith selected the Character Summon first.
The system space transformed. He stood at the base of a massive meteor field, chunks of celestial rock hovering overhead. Within each meteor, spheres of light contained silhouettes, potential character templates waiting to be drawn.
Smith studied the available options. The roster had changed since his first summon. He could make out young Goku, young Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi, Tao Pai Pai, Master Shen, Nam, King Piccolo... and deeper in the meteor field, barely visible, an adult version of Son Goku.
His pulse quickened. Goku or Piccolo would be the jackpot draws. Saiyan bloodline or Namekian, either one would be a massive upgrade.
He examined the character silhouettes more carefully. Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha all wore gi with the turtle school symbol, suggesting significant power levels. At minimum, they'd be at the strength they possessed during the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.
Of course, if I draw Nam, that's the worst possible outcome. The Cross Arm Dive won't help me survive what's coming.
After a moment's consideration, Smith activated the summon. The small miniature figure of him in front launched forward, hands cupped at his side. Blue energy gathered between his palms.
"Ka... me... ha... me... HA!"
The Kamehameha wave screamed upward into the meteor field. One of the light spheres shattered.
Congratulations! You have received: Young Son Goku Character Template
A card materialized before him, hovering in the air. The illustration showed a young boy in an orange and blue gi with the turtle school kanji, the Power Pole strapped to his back, riding the Flying Nimbus cloud. His hands were positioned in the Kamehameha stance, energy crackling between them.
Skills Included: Kamehameha, Turtle School Martial Arts
Effect: Upon use, gain the bloodline and abilities of Young Son Goku
Smith's face split into a genuine smile. Perfect. Aside from the adult Goku hidden in the deepest layer, this is the best possible draw. Even Piccolo can't compare.
The combat power wasn't certain yet, but the turtle school gi meant Goku was at least at his 22nd Tournament strength, roughly 180 power level. Possibly as high as 260 if this was post-King Piccolo fight Goku.
Either way, it was an enormous upgrade. More importantly, it came with Saiyan potential. Bandit Yamcha's template had improved his combat, but offered limited growth potential and no ki control. This would fix both problems permanently.
With Saiyan blood, I have a clear path forward. Zenkai boosts, ki manipulation, and eventually... the Super Saiyan transformation.
Smith turned his attention to the Item Summon next.
The meteor field shifted, light spheres rearranging to display different contents. He could make out Senzu Beans, single beans, bags of beans, entire jars. Saiyan attack pods. Namekian spacecraft. One of Frieza's massive capital ships. Ultra Divine Water. First and second-generation Saiyan armor. Medical pods. Gravity chambers. Capsule Corp technology. Scouters of various models.
The variety was staggering. Some items appeared in multiple generations or sizes. Smith even spotted what looked like Bulma's time machine from the distant future timeline.
I want everything here. But I only get one draw.
He activated the summon. The Goku figure launched another Kamehameha upward. Another light sphere shattered.
Congratulations! You have received: Medical Pod (Treatment Chamber)
Smith nodded in satisfaction. Perfect synergy with the Saiyan bloodline I just acquired. Fight, take damage, heal in the pod, come back stronger. The gravity chamber would've been nice, but with Marvel's technology, I can probably commission one through SHIELD or Stark Industries eventually.
Two highly compatible draws in a row. Smith felt momentum building as he selected the final option, Partner Summon.
The meteor field shifted again. New silhouettes appeared: Turtle, Upa, Bora, Oolong, King Furry, Android 8, Pilaf, Dende, Korin... Smith's eyes widened as he spotted Bulma among the options. Even Babidi and King Kai lurked in the depths, though their silhouettes were indistinct.
King Kai or Babidi would be dangerous. I'm not ready to deal with entities at that level. Hell, Babidi could mind-control me if I'm not careful.
He triggered the summon before he could overthink it. Kamehameha. Shattered light sphere. A summoning card appeared.
Congratulations! You have received: Support-Type Combat Partner - Bulma Brief
Smith's eyes went wide. His heart hammered in his chest.
Holy shit. This is incredible.
Bulma Brief, genius inventor, creator of the Dragon Radar, founder of Capsule Corporation. One of the greatest scientific minds in the Dragon Ball universe, responsible for reverse-engineering alien technology and creating innovations that changed her world.
With her, I don't need to draw a gravity chamber, she'll build one. She can create a Dragon Ball radar for the next cycle. The Capsule Corp storage technology alone is worth billions. I just acquired a scientific department unto herself.
Smith's mind raced with possibilities. Medical technology, weapons development, spacecraft engineering, Bulma's expertise covered an impossible range. And unlike some of the more dangerous summons, she was completely trustworthy. Her loyalty to her friends was absolute.
The three wish summons were complete. Smith withdrew from the system space slightly, not yet ready to use his new acquisitions. He opened his eyes and gestured to the Fraternity members.
"Take us back to port. John, get Helen somewhere comfortable. The rest of you, dismissed."
Brooklyn – Fraternity Headquarters
The ship docked after nightfall. Smith issued brief instructions, get Helen medical attention, debrief the crew, maintain operational security about what they'd witnessed, then went straight to the private training room in the headquarters' lower levels.
The room was reinforced, soundproofed, and monitored only by systems he personally controlled. Whatever happened next, he wanted privacy.
Smith locked the door and sat cross-legged on the padded floor. His consciousness sank back into the system space. The Young Son Goku character card appeared in his mental grasp, pulsing with barely contained power.
A thought occurred to him, and he paused. If I use this, will I grow a tail? Saiyans have tails as children. That's the key to the Great Ape transformation, ten times power multiplier, though it requires the full moon. And more importantly, it's the foundation for the Super Saiyan 4 path.
The possibility excited him. The tail was more than cosmetic, it was a strategic asset and a symbol of his new nature.
Only one way to find out.
Smith activated the character card.
The card dissolved into motes of light that swarmed over his body. Energy surged through his nervous system like liquid fire. His muscles burned and restructured. His bones groaned as they reinforced themselves, becoming denser without adding bulk.
Heat flooded his veins, pure Saiyan blood replacing his previous physiology. The sensation was overwhelming, almost painful, but Smith gritted his teeth and rode it out.
Then came the tail.
Pressure built at the base of his spine. His tailbone extended, pushing outward. Fabric tore as brown fur emerged, growing rapidly into a fully formed Saiyan tail. The appendage moved instinctively, coiling around his waist like a belt.
The Scouter on his face activated automatically, tracking the energy transformation. Numbers scrolled across the display at dizzying speed.
Power Level: 9... 30... 90... 150...
The numbers climbed higher, then finally stabilized.
Power Level: 189
Smith stared at the readout in surprise. 189. That's young Goku at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, before he drank the Ultra Divine Water but after training with Kami. And my original power level was added on top of his base template.
He'd expected the template to replace his existing strength, not stack with it. This was even better than anticipated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~