Training in the rules of Destruction?
Gran wanted to stick around and see if his "little brother" could successfully resolve his rage issues, but Whis and Beerus practically shoved him away. Ten years was an incredibly short window, and they couldn't afford to waste a single second.
Over the next few days, Whis instructed Gran to focus entirely on aligning his mind and body. During this period of adjustment, young Broly finally woke up.
When Broly first opened his eyes, he nearly lost control again. Before he had lost consciousness on Vampa, the last thing he saw was Gran gripping his father's throat; he was convinced Paragus had been murdered. Fortunately, Gran took him to see Paragus in person, and only then did the boy finally believe his father was alive.
However, that brief moment of near-instability gave the Old Kai and the others a front-row seat to the terror of the "Otis" physique. Broly hadn't even entered the "grass-green" state, yet his power had spiked to an absurd degree. If he ever managed to transform into that Full Power state, he would truly become an unstoppable God of War.
Of course, in Beerus's eyes, Broly was only a "God of War" in terms of raw strength. Once he lost his mind, he became a mindless engine of slaughter—a trait Beerus considered a mark of a "lower race."
As time passed and Gran neared the end of his mental preparation, Broly remained in the Sacred World of the Kai. Initially, the boy wanted to return to his father, but Gran convinced him that this was the only place he could truly master his internal rage.
Broly, having grown up in the brutal environment of Vampa, was surprisingly pure-hearted when not berserk. He was innocent, but he wasn't stupid; he was a teenager now and understood that his condition was a danger to everyone.
During his stay, Broly finally discovered what Gran meant by "delicious food." It turned out that the world offered things to eat other than the stringy carcasses and slimy eggs of giant monsters. The flavors were beyond his ability to describe—it was exactly what his "Big Brother Gran" had promised.
"Broly, try this! This one is great!"
Under a massive tree, Shin and the Old Kai were busy feeding the boy. There were heavenly fruits, divine spring water, and an assortment of delicacies Gran had brought back from Earth.
"Th-thank you, Lord Supreme Kais," Broly stuttered, having picked up some basic etiquette over the past few days.
On the other side of the lake, Gran, Beerus, and Whis watched the scene.
"You look like you're still worried about him," Whis noted, glancing at Gran.
Gran remained silent for a moment before asking, "Whis, the Old Kai mentioned searching for the Super Dragon Balls. Couldn't we just make a wish to Super Shenron...?"
Whis cut him off before he could finish. "You want to wish for Broly to retain his sanity even in that ultimate berserk state, don't you?"
Gran blinked, surprised that Whis had read his mind. Whis patted his shoulder and gave a light chuckle.
"Don't you remember the ridiculous wishes you tried to make on Namek? Like wishing for an immortal body that even Lord Zeno couldn't erase?"
Gran felt a blush of embarrassment. At the time, he was just testing the limits of a dragon that seemed a bit too boastful.
"Power obtained through external means is not the true path of martial arts," Whis continued. "The same applies to Broly. If he relies on an outside force to keep his sanity, it won't be a permanent solution. That's why the Old Kai hasn't brought it up again; it's simply unreliable."
This time, Gran interrupted. "Are you saying there's something wrong with the Super Dragon Balls?"
Beerus narrowed his eyes, and the atmosphere by the lake grew subtle. Whis paused before shaking his head. "The Super Dragon Balls themselves are fine. I'm simply saying that relying on external power to maintain one's mind isn't a real solution."
Gran breathed a sigh of relief. For a second, he thought the Super Dragon Balls were cursed or something. "If the balls are fine, then I think we should use them."
Gran had realized something: both the Old Kai and Whis had a natural bias against "shortcuts." But without a shortcut, could Broly's problem really be solved?
"We can have Super Shenron grant Broly sanity while he's in his berserk state, and then have him enter the Tower of Dimensions. Once his 'dimension' reaches a certain level, his own mental strength might be enough to maintain control even without the Dragon's magic. After all," Gran added, "if the Super Dragon Balls exist in this universe, there must be a reason for it. We shouldn't ignore them just because we 'dislike' external help."
Beerus and Whis exchanged a long look. It actually made sense.
"Very well. After the Hakaishin Candidate battle is over, we will search for the Super Dragon Balls," Whis agreed with a nod.
"Wait, really? Just like that?" Gran's eyes widened.
"You're right. Since they exist as a natural part of the cosmos, it is reasonable to utilize them," Whis said, seemingly coming to a realization of his own.
"That's great!" Gran was ecstatic. He looked back at Broly under the tree, relieved that the kid wouldn't have to suffer the torture of losing himself anymore.
"Gran," Whis said suddenly, his tone turning grave. Gran snapped his head back. "Broly can use the Super Dragon Balls, but you cannot."
Beerus added sternly, "With your talent, you will eventually surpass everyone. You must never rely on Super Shenron, and you must never leave any 'handles' or weaknesses that others can exploit! Broly is different; he is a mortal warrior. But you are a candidate for godhood. Once you grow strong enough, who would dare touch your little brother, regardless of how he got his power?"
The intensity in their voices startled Gran. Is the Super Dragon's power really that much of a liability? He nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, I'm not that stupid."
"Then, let us begin your training in the Rules of Destruction," Whis announced.
With his worries about Broly settled, Gran's mind and body entered a state of perfect harmony. Beerus, pleased with Gran's speed of adjustment, clasped his hands behind his back and looked out over the lake.
"I told you on Earth that to master Destruction, you need to reach a state of 'Self-oblivion'—the first level of mental mastery. You've already surpassed that requirement!"
Beerus couldn't help but grin. There were less than ten years until the battle of the Hakaishin Candidates. He highly doubted the candidates from other universes could reach the "Self-oblivion" stage in such a short time, let alone master the Hakai itself. With Gran, he was confident.
"Lord Beerus, what are you daydreaming about? You stopped talking," Gran pointed out.
"What do you think?" Whis chuckled, leaning on his staff. "He's clearly imagining the looks on his rivals' faces when they see you using the power of Destruction."
"Whis, you talk too much!" Beerus snapped. After spending so much time together, Whis knew exactly what Beerus was thinking before the cat even finished a thought. It was annoying.
"Fine," Beerus said, picking up a small pebble from the ground. "Your state of mind is qualified. Now, look closely at what 'Destruction' actually is."
He let the pebble float into the air and touched it with the tip of his finger. Gran watched every micro-movement.
POP!
The pebble vanished, but at the moment of its destruction, it released a violent ripple of energy. A sudden gust of wind swept across the Sacred World of the Kai, rustling the leaves of the great trees. The Old Kai and the others looked over, sensing the start of the training.
"Destruction isn't simply crushing an object with your Ki," Beerus explained, picking up another pebble and handing it to Gran. "It is the process of turning an object from one to zero. Did you understand what you just saw?"
Gran took the pebble but didn't speak. He had entered a strange state; his body looked relaxed, almost as if he were in a deep sleep while standing up.
"Here he goes again," Beerus whispered to Whis. Every time Gran learned a new martial art, he entered this "learning trance" that allowed him to master concepts at a frightening speed.
"Whis, what do you call that state?" Beerus asked enviously.
"I don't know," Whis smiled. "I'm more interested in how long it will take him to grasp the concept of Hakai."
"How long do you give him?"
"To just 'grasp' it? With Gran's talent, it shouldn't be hard. It took him a year to reach the 'Semi-Ultra' state of mind back then. I'd say he'll grasp Destruction in three days."
"Three days? I'll bet on half a month," Beerus said, sitting down on the grass. To "grasp" the concept wasn't the same as mastering the rule, but three days was still insane. It had taken Beerus himself half a month to truly get it.
An hour passed in silence. Suddenly, Gran's eyes snapped open.
Beerus jumped up from the grass, his heart racing. Did he get it already?! Whis remained calm, sensing that Gran hadn't quite cracked it yet.
"Whis," Gran said, recalling every detail of the pebble's disappearance. "Lord Beerus said Destruction is turning something from one to zero. But why did I see a violent surge of energy when the pebble was destroyed?"
Beerus felt a mix of relief and disappointment. He hadn't mastered it yet.
"Good observation," Whis said, taking the pebble from Gran. "At the moment of destruction, a massive amount of energy is released."
Whis tapped the pebble, and it exploded exactly like Beerus's had. "This energy surge happens because the object itself possesses energy. When you turn it into 'zero,' that inherent energy is released back into the universe."
"I see!" Gran nodded, but then a thought struck him. "Wait, when Lord Beerus destroys a planet, there usually isn't a massive explosion like that!"
Beerus puffed out his chest proudly. "That's because I've mastered the Rules of Destruction to a much higher degree."
Whis shot Beerus a look—help him, don't just brag—and turned back to Gran. "What Lord Beerus and I showed you was 'Entry-Level' Destruction. Or rather, it isn't even a true 'Rule' yet; it's just the effect of it."
Whis raised his hand. A flash of silver light flickered, and the destroyed pebble reappeared in his palm—his time-rewinding ability.
"Now, watch. This is the True Rule of Destruction."
A deep purple glow emanated from Whis's hand. It wasn't transparent like the previous force; this purple light was terrifyingly pure.
Hum...
Under the influence of the high-level Hakai, the pebble didn't explode. It simply dissolved into tiny specks of starlight and vanished into nothingness. There wasn't a sound.
"The Rules of Destruction are divided into nine stages," Whis explained. "When you move from entry-level to the First Stage, you will no longer trigger that energy explosion when destroying objects. To learn this, your heart must be free of anger, anxiety, and especially the desire for revenge. You must be empty of thought, focused entirely and solely on the act of Destruction itself."
"Any more questions?" Whis asked.
"None," Gran replied. He closed his eyes once more and returned to his trance.
Seeing Gran return to that eerie state of enlightenment, Beerus and Whis didn't linger by the lake; they made their way back to where the Old Kai was waiting. Under the shade of the massive tree, Shin was playfully interacting with Broly while the Old Kai watched them intently.
"Great Ancestor, there's no need to overthink it anymore," Whis said with a soft smile as he approached. "Gran and I have reached a decision."
"Oh?" the Old Kai asked excitedly. "Mr. Whis, what did you come up with?"
"We'll utilize the Super Dragon Balls."
"What? I thought we agreed not to rely on external power!" The Old Kai's brow furrowed again.
Beerus slumped into a chair and snatched a divine fruit from the table. Taking a large bite, he grunted, "We were looking at it the wrong way before. Broly isn't Gran. Even if he relies on outside help—even if it leaves him with a few 'flaws'—so what?"
The Old Kai realized what they were implying and found himself speechless. He sighed deeply. "Fine, do as you please! I've never been fond of external shortcuts, especially those that defy the natural order of power. But you're right; even Otis didn't have the potential to 'surpass' the ultimate ceiling. If he has flaws, he has flaws."
"We can just ask Champa to 'borrow' his Super Dragon Balls when the time comes," Whis added.
The Old Kai shot Beerus a skeptical look. "My only worry is that Lord Champa won't be so willing to lend them."
"He wouldn't dare refuse," Beerus muttered, the fruit in his hand instantly disintegrating into starlight. "If he doesn't lend them, I'll just beat them out of him."
Far away in Universe 6, Champa suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
With that settled, the deities shifted their conversation to the state of the other universes. Currently, every God of Destruction was racing against the clock, desperate to produce the strongest Hakaishin Candidate within these short ten years. Beerus and Whis, however, weren't worried in the slightest. As far as they were concerned, no other candidate could possibly keep pace with Gran when it came to mastering the Rules of Destruction.
Still, Universe 11's candidate had been established for quite some time. He likely already had a firm grasp on the power of Hakai.
The conversation eventually turned back to Universe 7. Shin noted that, according to his observations, the universe had begun to undergo subtle changes. The scattered Saiyans were being gathered—ten had already been recruited. To Shin's surprise, these Saiyans had even joined the Galactic Patrol.
Beerus found the development strange until Whis investigated and discovered Gran was the puppet master behind it all. His intention was transparent: he wanted to "exploit" his brother Merus to skyrocket Universe 7's Mortal Level. Whis didn't mind; if Gran wanted to mooch off his younger brother's tutelage, so be it. Merus had been getting a bit too rebellious lately anyway—giving him more responsibility might keep him grounded in his "sense of justice."
Beerus, on the other hand, felt a sense of pride. His candidate was finally growing up and taking his responsibilities toward Universe 7 seriously. As they chatted, they kept a watchful eye on Gran, waiting for the moment he would finally pierce the veil of Destruction.
Time flowed rapidly. Two days passed.
Gran remained immersed in his trance, his mind as clear as a mountain spring. The images of Beerus and Whis destroying the pebbles played on a loop in his head. Destruction is the transition from one to zero. It is the movement from existence to nothingness.
The heart must be empty of distractions. One must focus entirely on the act itself.
Suddenly, Gran reached down and picked up a small stone. His movement instantly caught the attention of the gods under the tree.
"It's only been two days... surely he hasn't gotten it this quickly?" Beerus whispered, his voice a mix of anxiety and thrill.
"Judging by his state, even if he hasn't mastered it, he must be close," Whis said, rising from his chair.
Shin and the Old Kai stood as well, holding their breath for fear of disturbing him. Every face was grave. Grasping the concept of Destruction was the prerequisite to actually practicing the Rule. Only then could Gran truly be considered a qualified Candidate God of Destruction. Little Broly, sensing the shift in mood, sat quietly by the table and continued to munch on his snacks.
The Sacred World of the Kai fell into a profound silence. Another half-day passed.
POP!
A sharp explosion echoed by the lake. Gran looked down at the dust in his palm and frowned. "No. Not yet. I'm missing something."
He picked up another stone. For the next several hours, the sound of small explosions punctuated the silence. At first, they were frequent, but as time went on, the intervals grew longer until an hour would pass between each attempt.
Finally, as the third day drew to a close, Gran closed his hand into a tight fist around a pebble.
HUM...
This time, there was no explosion. Instead, a violent ripple of energy erupted from his hand. A fierce gale swept through the realm, making the leaves of the world-trees hiss and rattle.
Did I do it? Gran wondered, his confidence wavering. He slowly opened his hand. There was no dust. No fragments. The stone was gone.
He had successfully grasped the essence of Destruction.
The Palace of Zeno
"Grand Minister, the little fellow has grasped Destruction," one of the Omni-Kings remarked.
"Indeed," the Grand Minister replied with a nod. "To comprehend the essence of Hakai in just three days... his latent talent remains truly frightening."
"Do you think the other little one—the one with the same body as Otis—will be able to fix his flaws?" the other Omni-King asked.
"Perhaps."
"Well then, show us the other universes. I want to see if any of the other candidates have figured it out yet."
"As you wish."
A half-minute passed as the Omni-Kings peered through the Grand Minister's staff. Then, they huffed in unison. "Hmph. A bunch of idiots."
Universe 7 - Sacred World of the Kai
"YES!!"
Seeing Gran manifest the true power of Destruction, Beerus let out an ecstatic roar and sprinted toward the lake. "Incredible! Hahaha! Gran, you monster! I knew you could do it!"
Beerus reached Gran and began slamming his hand down on the young man's shoulder in a series of enthusiastic thumps. THUD! THUD! THUD! The sheer force of his excitement caused the entire planetoid to tremble, earning a sharp glare from the Old Kai.
Only Shin seemed worried about Gran's physical wellbeing. Being slapped like that by the strongest God of Destruction... would Gran's shoulder even stay attached?
"Lord Beerus... please... a little lighter," Gran wheezed, caught between laughter and pain.
"Hahaha! Truly the pride and joy of Universe 7! You did brilliantly!" The Old Kai joined in, hobbling over to Gran's other side and joining in on the shoulder-slapping frenzy.
Gran: "..."
After the celebration settled down, the group returned to the tree where Broly was still eating. Beerus sat at the table, leaning in eagerly.
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