From every corner of the world, three-inch crystalline spheres, each featuring one to seven stars, flew up into the sky and shot toward God's Temple, more commonly known as the Lookout.
They landed right at Kami's feet, glowing and flickering.
These spheres were the Dragon Balls, the objects that could grant any wish the user desired.
Kami stomped his staff and declared, "Come forth, my creation! Shenron!"
The Dragon Balls shone brilliantly, and a blinding light erupted from them. A luminous, serpentine shape emerged, coiling into the sky. When the light faded, a gigantic green dragon loomed over them, his gaze respectful yet momentarily startled at seeing Piccolo, or rather, Taro, in the flesh, especially after having witnessed his own death at Piccolo's hands.
"My lord, what wish do you wish for?" Shenron asked politely.
"Shenron, my creation, hear my wish. Sever the bond of life that ties me to Taro. Let his death no longer mean my own."
Shenron's eyes flared bright red, his deep voice rumbling like thunder. Though momentarily surprised, he could see that Kami understood the weight of this wish.
"A simple wish. It shall be granted."
The sky darkened. Lightning crackled.
Suddenly, both Kami and Taro gasped, clutching their chests as they fell to their knees. Something inside them was tearing apart, a painful, wrenching separation of their very souls, until finally, with an silent snap, the connection broke.
The sky returned to normal. The pain faded. Both released their grips on their chests and took deep, steadying breaths.
"The bond is now severed. Your lives are your own. Farewell, Kami-sama."
Shenron's form began to glow, dissolving into light that streamed back into the Dragon Balls. The balls then shot into the sky, scattering across the world.
Taro breathed heavily, never having experienced such agony in his life. Nearby, Kami struggled to stand, leaning on his staff with Mr. Popo's help.
"What is your plan now, Taro?" Kami asked.
Taro rose to his feet on his own, steadying his breathing before gazing up at the sky. "Get stronger."
Kami studied him intently. "From what I can sense, you're not seeking strength to conquer the planet. What is your true objective?"
Taro met his gaze. "Survive, I guess. Earth will be in danger. I'm going to prevent that."
Kami searched his eyes and found no trace of deception.
"Do you need my assistance?" Kami offered.
"Yes." Taro turned to face him fully. "From what I remember, there's a room here called the Room of Spirit and Time, right?"
Kami raised an eyebrow. 'I should be grateful to those two humans who raised him,' he thought. Without their influence, he dreaded to think what might have happened if he'd been forced to confront Taro. Even now, he could sense Taro was holding back his true power.
"You wish to use it?" Kami asked.
"Yeah." Taro nodded politely. "Can I?"
Kami glanced toward Mr. Popo. "Mr. Popo, prepare the room."
"Understood." Mr. Popo bowed slightly and headed into the temple.
Only the awkward silence remained between them. Kami decided to break the ice.
"How is your new life?" Kami asked.
"It's normal. Nothing special," Taro replied.
Kami offered a sad smile. "Send my regards to them."
Guilt weighed on him. Two ordinary humans had managed to raise Taro into a good person, something he himself had failed to do with his other half, despite all his efforts to purge the evil from it.
"I will." Taro nodded.
Kami's expression grew serious as he finally asked the question that had been weighing on him. "But can you explain something to me? How do you know about this place? Even Demon King Piccolo didn't know it existed. And how did you find out about my temple?"
Taro met his gaze evenly. "I can see the future."
It was technically both a lie and the truth. He had seen the future of the Dragon Ball world, he had read the entire manga.
Kami's eyes widened slightly before he composed himself. He hadn't expected Taro to possess future sight, but it explained much. It also brought him some relief, this ability might be one of the reasons Taro had not fallen to evil.
"What did you see?"
Taro's voice was calm but grave. "A lot of threats. Things I need to prepare for."
Kami's worry returned tenfold. 'What kind of threats could make him push himself this hard?' He asked aloud, "What threats did you see?"
"A family of space emperors. An experiment subject. A being made of evil itself." Taro spoke vaguely, but each statement pointed to the major villains of Dragon Ball's history.
Kami absorbed this, and suddenly Taro's relentless training made sense. His motives aligned with protecting Earth, not conquering it. Kami had been monitoring Taro ever since he'd learned of his existence.
"I will help you whenever I can," Kami said quietly.
A few minutes later, Mr. Popo approached them. "The room is ready."
The three of them walked into the temple, with Kami and Mr. Popo leading Taro through its corridors until they reached a massive door, waiting silently for him.
"How long do you plan to stay inside?" Kami asked.
"The maximum limit." Taro's voice left no room for negotiation. "I don't want to waste time."
Kami nodded. "I'll open the door when two days in the real world have nearly passed."
"Thanks for helping me." Taro meant it.
"No problem."
With that, Taro entered the room, and the heavy door closed behind him, leaving him alone in the endless white void.
Kami turned to Mr. Popo, his voice thoughtful. "Mr. Popo... I think Taro could be my next successor."
Mr. Popo raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Kami-sama?"
"Yes." Kami nodded slowly. "From what I've seen and heard, he didn't lie. He had no need to. And his humanity runs deeper than I ever expected. I'm grateful that egg found those two humans."
"I understand, Kami-sama." Mr. Popo paused. "But what if he rejects it too? Like the last one?"
"Then we'll find another." Kami gazed toward the closed door. "I'm sure among the humans on Earth, there must be someone worthy."
. . . .
Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Taro stood in his weighted training suit. Facing him was his clone, but something was different. This clone wore the original clothes Taro had arrived in, and their power levels were evenly split, each exactly half of Taro's full strength.
The technique had come from the memories he'd inherited upon becoming Demon King Piccolo's son. Along with it came other abilities from the Demon King's arsenal, including magic that could create matter from nothing.
Taro cracked his knuckles and settled into a fighting stance.
'Two days outside means two full year in here. Let's make every second count.'