Eight years have passed.
Eight years of training, planning, preparing, waiting for the inevitable moment when history would begin to unfold.
And now?
Now, it was finally happening.
Celes sat on the edge of a rocky cliffside, the wind brushing against her skin as she looked out over the vast landscape of the world below. The night sky stretched endlessly above, stars scattered across its canvas, but her focus wasn't on the view, it was on what she knew was coming.
"It's almost time."
For years, she had lived in quiet anticipation, knowing that the world was far larger than Gohan's secluded home, knowing that soon, the chains of isolation would break.
Bulma would appear any day now, beginning her search for the Dragon Balls, unknowingly setting off the chain of events that would define the future.
And Goku?
Goku would finally leave this place, stepping out into the world beyond his childhood innocence. He would begin his journey, his search, the path that would ultimately make him into who he was meant to be.
Everything was about to change.
She exhaled slowly, letting the thought settle.
"I've been waiting for this moment."
Because now, it wasn't just about surviving.
It was about playing the game.
And she was ready.
As that though settled, Celes leaned back slightly, her blue eyes narrowing as she focused inward. It was time for a status check, to analyze her progress, ensure everything was on track, and confirm the full extent of her current abilities.
She activated Raphael's system, allowing the structured data to overlay in her mind.
Current Status:
Age: 15
Power Level: 457,687,324
Base Form: Legendary Super Saiyan 2 (Permanent)
Transformation Progress:
LSSJ2 (Permanent): Fully integrated at age 11, now her base form.
LSSJ3 (In Research for Permanent Integration): Research initiated at age 11, expected completion at age 13, ensuring full mastery without stamina drawbacks.
LSSJ4 (Unlocked & Completed!): Fully adapted at age 12, making it her strongest transformation thus far.
LSSJG (Completed!): Research began at age 12 and was fully mastered by age 13—a transformation achieved through the Natural Divinity bestowed by the Wisdom King, Raphael.
LSSJR (Upcoming Research): Progression begins following the completion of LSSJG, with an estimated three-year development period, full mastery anticipated by age 16. This transformation is achieved through the fusion of Mortal Ki and the Natural Divinity bestowed by the Wisdom King, Raphael.
Current Abilities & Combat Mastery:
Kai Kai (Instant Teleportation): Fully mastered at age 10, allows effortless teleportation across planetary, interstellar, and interdimensional ranges without requiring an energy signature.
Shin's Healing Ability: Fully mastered at age 10—can heal any level of injury, including critical wounds and near-death conditions, and restore stamina for full combat readiness.
Ki-Shaped Weaponry: Can shape Ki into weapons, such as forming a knife-like edge for precise attacks (as seen when cutting Goku's tail).
Energy Suppression: Can mask her power, preventing others from sensing her true strength.
Advanced Ki Control: Absolute mastery over energy manipulation, allowing her to refine attacks and eliminate wasteful movements.
Combat Style Optimization: Raphael has enhanced her instinct-based and strategic combat, ensuring she's near impossible to predict in battle.
Mental Fortification: Fully immune to telepathic attacks, psychological manipulation, and mind control.
Strategic Awareness: Always analyzing opponents, ensuring maximum efficiency in fights without arrogance or reckless overconfidence.
Ultra Instinct & Ultra Ego Study (Preliminary): The foundation for self-moving instinctive reactions (Ultra Instinct) and battle-driven power enhancement (Ultra Ego) is now being laid, ensuring she can master both philosophies in the future.
Celes blinked, shaking off the deep focus of her status review as a familiar voice echoed across the landscape.
"Dinner time!"
Goku's excited call rang through the air, carrying the unmistakable enthusiasm of someone who never skipped a meal.
She exhaled, letting a small smirk form on her lips.
"Tch. Some things never change."
As powerful as she had become, as much as the world was about to shift, there were still simple constants—and Goku's love for food was one of them.
She pushed herself to her feet, stretching briefly before turning toward the source of his voice.
It was time to eat and enjoy the moment—before the future came rushing in.
The sun had barely crested over the horizon when Celes began her morning routine—intense training, sharpening her techniques, refining her mastery of Ki control.
Her movements were effortless, precise, the product of years of discipline.
Hours passed, the quiet solitude of morning training giving way to the casual atmosphere of midday lunch.
That's when she heard Goku's voice, bubbling with excitement.
"Hey, Celes! I brought a visitor!"
She turned, her sharp eyes landing on someone unfamiliar, a young woman with bright blue hair, stylish clothes, and an unmistakable air of confidence.
Bulma.
"Well, well," Celes thought, crossing her arms as she studied the girl.
Canon had officially begun.
As the group enjoyed their meal, Bulma casually glanced around the house, her sharp eyes scanning the shelves as she absentmindedly chewed.
Then, she froze mid-bite.
Her gaze locked onto a small, orange sphere, its surface smooth marked with four crimson stars.
"Wait a second"
She quickly set her chopsticks down, leaning forward as excitement bubbled in her voice.
"Is that a Dragon Ball?"
Goku blinked, glancing at the object without much thought.
"Oh yeah! Grandpa gave me that a long time ago," he said casually. "I just kept it here."
Bulma's eyes widened in shock.
"I've been searching for these! Can I, have it?"
Gohan, who had been quietly eating, raised an eyebrow at the exchange but said nothing just yet, watching the situation unfold.
Celes, on the other hand, took a slow breath, her mind already calculating the sequence of events that had just begun.
Goku tilted his head, still chewing as he looked at Bulma in confusion.
"Why do you need it?"
Bulma straightened up, brushing off her hands as she pulled a small device from her pocket, a circular radar with a blinking display.
"I'm collecting all seven Dragon Balls!" she announced proudly, tapping the screen to show the active signals.
Gohan raised an eyebrow while Celes observed in silence, already knowing the importance of this moment.
"When all seven are gathered," Bulma continued, eyes shining with excitement, "the Eternal Dragon appears and grants any one wish you want!"
Goku blinked, processing the information.
"Whoa… really?"
Bulma nodded eagerly.
"Yep! That's why I've been traveling all over, looking for them. This radar tracks their locations, and lucky me, one of them was here!"
Goku grinned, his excitement growing as he thought about Bulma's adventure.
"Alright, you can have it!" he said cheerfully, crossing his arms. "But only on one condition"
Bulma raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Huh? What condition?"
Goku pointed at himself, his expression bright and eager.
"I want to come with you!"
Bulma blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"You want to travel with me to find the rest of the Dragon Balls?"
Goku nodded eagerly.
"Yep! It sounds fun!"
Celes, who had been silently observing the exchange, let out a quiet sigh.
"Well, this is happening," she thought to herself.
Bulma, considering Goku's request, glanced at the other two at the table, Gohan and Celes.
"Well, what about you two?" she asked. "Are you okay with him coming along?"
Gohan set down his chopsticks, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"Honestly, I think it's a good idea," he admitted, glancing at Goku. "You're old enough now to explore the world, meet people, and have experiences outside of this house."
Goku grinned, clearly pleased with his grandfather's support.
Then, Gohan turned to Celes.
"What about you?" he asked. "Do you want to go with Goku?"
Before she could answer, Goku beamed and jumped in eagerly.
"Yeah, you should come, Celes! It'll be fun!"
Celes, arms crossed, let out a quiet sigh as she considered it.
She already knew how this journey would unfold.
But the real question was, what role would she play in it?
Celes exhaled, letting the offer settle in her mind.
She could go.
She could travel alongside Goku and Bulma, experience the journey firsthand, ensure everything stayed on track.
But that wasn't necessary.
With her power level, the adventure would be effortless, reducing every challenge to nothing before Goku had a chance to grow. And that wasn't the point of this journey.
Goku needed to struggle, learn, and evolve on his own.
He needed to step into the unknown, face challenges without an invincible safety net at his side.
After a moment, she shook her head.
"I'll pass," she said simply.
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Why?"
Celes smirked slightly.
"Because if I go, this journey will be too easy. And Goku won't grow the way he's supposed to."
Gohan nodded in understanding.
"You always were ahead of things," he said with a knowing look. "But if you're not going with him, what's your plan?"
Celes leaned back, her mind already shifting toward the next phase of her personal mission.
Now that Goku was leaving the house, she had other goals to fulfill.
Things that had been waiting for this very moment.
Celes smirked slightly, leaning back as she casually responded.
"Just a few things I've been meaning to handle."
Gohan raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to it, but knowing better than to press.
Bulma looked between them, intrigued but ultimately shrugged it off.
Goku, however, grinned, eyes full of excitement.
"Well, you better be back in time for the World Tournament!" he said eagerly. "If I enter, we should fight!"
Celes finally gave a definitive answer, glancing at him with a knowing expression.
"I'll be gone for a year," she said.
Gohan nodded in understanding, the timeframe making sense now.
"That's quite a while," he remarked. "You're planning something big, huh?"
Celes simply smirked, offering no further details.
As the afternoon sun hung high in the sky, lunch wrapped up, and Goku rushed inside, gathering all the essentials for his adventure.
Celes, Bulma, and Gohan stood outside, the warm breeze rustling through the trees as they waited.
Bulma had her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. "How much stuff does he need? It's not like we're heading into deep space!"
Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. "That's just how he is, always making sure he has everything, even when he doesn't need half of it."
Celes remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the doorway.
She wasn't watching out of impatience, she was taking it all in.
This was the beginning. The first step toward the journey that would shape the future.
And soon, Goku would step outside, ready for the world to finally meet him.
(Words: 1759)