71 Hopeless Try?

After Darc, Bulma and Arkis went home nothing much happened. Bulma also never came to talk to Darc about the matter she wanted to say at the table at his parents home. She just decided to wait until he himself came to the realization.

But that was a little bit of a lost cause because a few days later Darc and Arkis made their way to Kami´s lookout. Bulma made quite the tantrum about him leaving again so soon even though she knew he was going to do so.

Darc was surprised that she was this angry and talked with her about it and couldn't figure out where her anger came from out of a sudden. He just plain and simply blamed a certain day in a month for that and sighed.

Darc still left after telling her that it wouldn't take that long. And he reminded her that she still had a lot of stuff to do herself. Arkis stayed mostly silent and reassured Bulma that she would bring him back soonish.

That confused Darc again after seeing them being so...telepathic for some reason. Maybe he should read her mind? Nah, he made a certain rule for himself to never do something like that, unless it is necessary.

So finishing up at home, Darc and Arkis flew to the Lookout. It was their plan to got to King Yemma with Kami and from there start their way to the northern Kai´s planet. Well, if it even can be called a planet with that miniature size of the thing.

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Arriving at Kami´s the first thing they saw was Goku still training. But the Goku they met looked a lot like the one they met at the time rift. Younger but now much more the same height as that person.

"Hey, Darc!", called Goku after seeing them and walked over to them to chat. "Its been a while."

Arkis was still curious about something and walked around Goku and looked at his behind. She saw that his tail was gone. "It's gone? Your tail.", she said.

"Oh, yeah. Kami said that he wanted the moon back so he permanently sealed my tail with his magic. Well, it's better that way anyway since I would always turn into a giant monster and destroy everything around me...I did try to control it as Darc said but that ain't working at all for me.", he told her and put a silly smile on his face with his hand on his hand as if apologizing for something.

"So your control of ki is still as bad as always, I presume?", said Darc and pointed out his lack of progress. Is Darc maybe expecting too much from Goku since he knows his potential?

Even though he helped him understand his body more with things like guiding his ki with his own or how his Oozaru transformation works. He still didn't get it. He wasn't improving as fast as he hoped. Maybe the low-class warrior talk was not that far off? Well, let's not be so pessimistic. It's just that Darc his standards are already way higher than they should be.

Coming back to the main problem. The thing his Oozaru form brought was his unstable heart rate that would accelerate his ki output and just like Broly let him go insane if too much energy enters the energy cycle. So to keep sane he needs to control his heart rate calm for a short moment until his body grew to the Oozaru form and could compensate for his lacking body.

It's like him using 10 times Kaioken. The stress would be immense where his body goes into a subconscious state and shuts down. In the case of the Oozaru, turning him into an ape and killing everything while letting out the energy. So long he can keep the increase of power stable in intervals until he is fully and ape he can first stay sane and also enjoy and 10 times increase.

But alas, he doesn't get it. Oh, and Darc, of course, didn't tell him anything about the Saiyans. That would just screw things up. The thing about the tail was another thing. He just thought it would be convenient to tell him about his transformation since everyone else doesn't seem to tell him even though its something important.

And in this timeline, Goku wasn't at fault that Gohan died as well. So he wouldn't have guilt in his heart. Darc, of course, did think about that before telling him. And coming to a realization that old Gohan was already nearly 90 it was to be expected that he would die anyway. He probably is also enjoying himself in heaven right now...

"Well, I am doing good progress on ki control itself. But the transformation was still somewhat impossible. No matter what you tell me. Controlling my heartbeat at the moment I see the moon and slowly adjusting it is really hard. So cutting it off would be better.", replied Goku.

Darc sighed. "Alright, what's done is done...", he lamented. All the work explaining for naught. Kami is at fault here as well in some way. "Where is Kami?", he asked after thinking about him.

"He went inside. Probably resting or something. Lately, he hasn't been coming out much. It probably has something to do with Piccolo. He said that the demon king is becoming immensely powerful.", told Goku him.

"I see. So he is still worried...Well, I got some things to do. Keep up your training, Goku.", he said with a nod and started walking.

"Hey, wait. I was wondering. You are always teaching me stuff. Can we spar a little bit? I want to see how much I have improved.", interrupted Goku and stopped him from continuing to walk.

Darc looked back at him with arched up eyebrows. Then he turned his whole body in his direction. "Alright..." He placed a hand in front of himself and stretched out a finger. "I will use only this finger. If you can land even one hit on me I will teach you something useful. If not then keep training...", said Darc to him.

Arkis bunny hopped away to the side and watched the event unfolding with a smile.

Goku frowned since Darc didn't take him seriously. As a martial artist, there was no greater disrespect than not being taken seriously by someone. But what Goku didn't know is that every hit from Darc could kill him hundreds of times over, if he went all out. Just his presence would probably crush him. And it was funny for Goku to frown here while he himself at some point doesn't notice his disrespectful behavior to the other dragon team members.

But nonetheless, Goku went into his signature pose and gazed at Darc. Fighting spirit surfacing in his eyes and a bright smile on his face.

Then Goku vanished and used a speed so fast that one couldn't see anything. It took maybe a second and he appeared right beside Darc and tried to kick him. But just when Goku thought to get a hit in he felt Darc his finger stopping his momentum completely.

Goku was surprised and kicked with his other feet against his finger again and somersaulted backward. Staring at Darc for a while he sighed. "Okay, I give up...", said Goku without even trying anything further.

Darc smiled and his gaze had a slight glimmer. "Very good instincts...Just from that contact, you perceived my true strength. Or at least that I am way beyond your reach...For now at least. Just keep training.", chuckled Darc and started walking in the direction of Kami after putting his hand back into his pocket.

Arkis followed suit and running past Goku she showed him a pump-up fist for pushing forward and cheer him up.

Goku grinned to that. Before he started to train he readjusted his clothing a little and cracked his joints that a got a little bit of strain after using that speed. He still did use the weighted clothing that Darc gave him and going too fast would hurt his joints somewhat.

But even without them, he didn't think about going further at that spar. But that insight let his fire burn more brightly. Maybe now he would push even more and finally show better progress?