Son Gohan was stunned, not understanding what was going on for a moment.
"Alright, you two master and disciple start talking in riddles the moment you meet. Come on, let's go inside and check on that kid, Goku," said Hathaway from the side. She took Taro's arm, and after Gohan gave a sheepish bow, the three of them went into the house together.
By the time they entered, Kakarrot was already awake. He sat on the small wooden bed, a fierce scowl on his face, clearly contemplating what mischief to get into next. Gohan was surprised at the sight. "Huh? He's already back to full energy?"
The Phoenix perched on Gohan's shoulder had been preening its feathers, but suddenly lifted its head and locked eyes with Kakarrot on the bed. "Chii…" it uttered a sound with no clear meaning, flapping its wings slightly while matching Kakarrot's fierce gaze.
Taro casually flicked his fingers toward the Phoenix with a hint of ki. "Alright, settle down. It's not like he can do anything right now."
Not like he can, not won't—Gohan took note of his master's wording. Hathaway, standing nearby, had a faint sense of what her husband might have come here for.
Kakarrot sat on the bed, and ever since the trio entered, he hadn't thrown a fit or made a fuss. Instead, he scooted back like a frightened animal, eyes wary and alert. "Who's he afraid of?" Hathaway was surprised—not that Kakarrot was afraid of someone, but that he was afraid at all. For such a young child to display such clear signs of caution was unexpected.
"That's why I say, this kid's potential is extraordinary," Taro said suddenly, with a smile.
He understood. Perhaps Kakarrot, through instinct, sensed something threatening from him, which led to his defensive behavior. Yet beneath those wary eyes, there was also confusion—as if even Kakarrot himself didn't know why he felt fear. He was only a little over a year old, with no complete memory or logical reasoning capabilities. A child acting purely on instinct.
That evening, the four humans and one bird sat outside the small house, enjoying a barbecue.
Since Kakarrot could eat meat now, and the Phoenix loved grilled meat, Taro and Gohan went with the flow. Hathaway followed Taro's lead, so the plan was set. Although Kakarrot had spent the whole afternoon tense like a wild animal due to Taro's presence, the moment he saw the grilled meat, he completely forgot his worries and started competing with the Phoenix for bites, feasting with delight.
Just like his wariness toward Taro, his hunger and love for meat were also part of his Saiyan instincts—and clearly, his appetite won out.
"Hehe, this child is even cuter when he's eating," Hathaway chuckled. She hadn't eaten much meat and was now enjoying the wild berries she picked with Taro and Gohan while they prepared the food. Watching Kakarrot ferociously compete with the Phoenix over grilled meat, she couldn't help but laugh.
Gohan laughed too. "Honestly, he's great most of the time. If only he had a bit more self-control."
"Yeah…" Hathaway sighed. She turned to glance at her husband, who was quietly staring at the fire. Knowing Taro as well as she did, she understood—he was definitely deep in thought again.
As expected of a Saiyan… barely over a year old and already this physically gifted, Taro thought as he watched Kakarrot devour meat beside Gohan, his face smeared with grease.
If Earthlings all had Saiyan-level physiques—and combined that with the training programs he had built for the Martial Union and the Virtual Earth Network—what kind of world would that be?
Taro shook his head slightly. Saiyan physical potential was impressive, but it came with its dark side. The catalyst for Super Saiyan transformations, for instance, lay in the volcanic rage buried deep within them. Still, their ability to grow stronger through battle and their astonishing recovery rate were undeniably superior.
As for Fabeli's side, their research on his Divine Tree cells didn't seem to be progressing much… Perhaps they lacked the deep foundational knowledge like the ninja world had, or maybe other factors were at play. What if the research subject was switched to...
Taro looked at Kakarrot, who had littered the ground with bones and was still tugging at Gohan for more meat to be picked off for him. In any case, something to consider later.
The family was still enjoying the barbecue when the clouds overhead began to clear, and a cold silver light spread across the forest floor.
"Moonlight?"
A cool night breeze blew past. Hathaway tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up. Sure enough, a full moon gradually emerged from behind the clouds—round and bright like a silver disc. Tonight was a full moon night.
Gohan stiffened. He quickly looked up and muttered, frowning, "Tonight's the full moon?"
Taro didn't look up. Instead, he scanned their surroundings. The moonlight illuminated the ground in a silver glow. Gohan's newly refurbished home, the nearby trees with signs of damage, and the surrounding ravines and pits—all caught his attention. "Tell me, did this child see the full moon once before?" he asked.
"You knew, Master?" Gohan responded reflexively. Then he smacked his forehead and shook his head. "Right, it was you who warned me to be careful on full moon nights… Goku," he called, turning to lead Kakarrot back inside to avoid him staying out under the moon.
Hathaway furrowed her brows as she looked at Kakarrot, who was beside Gohan. The boy, distracted by their conversation and the sudden moonlight, had tilted his head back to look at the sky—and was now frozen in place, staring upward. Even the meat in his hand had fallen to the ground unnoticed.
What was this child looking at? Hathaway followed his gaze to the sky and then back at Kakarrot's dazed expression. The full moon?
"Cawww…" The Phoenix had stopped fighting for meat. It flapped its wings and flew into the air, warily watching Kakarrot.
Thump-thump… thump-thump!
Kakarrot's chest began to twitch rhythmically. The sound of his heartbeat grew louder and louder, shaking his chest cavity, becoming audible to the naked ear!
"Well, since he's already seen the full moon… Master, Mistress, let's take a few steps back," Gohan sighed and stood.
Beside him, Kakarrot's heartbeat was growing more intense, his body trembling. He stared unblinkingly at the full moon, his pupils gradually turning crimson!
Taro glanced at Gohan. "Last time this kid transformed—what did you do?"
"What did I do?" Gohan looked confused, then replied honestly, "I just held him down and waited for the night to pass." He sighed. "Goku turns into that when he sees the full moon… Master, I remember you warned me, but I didn't think this was what you meant."
As expected, Gohan had never realized that cutting off Kakarrot's tail would end the transformation.
Instead, he had used the most brute-force method—fighting the giant ape version of Kakarrot with his own strength, suppressing him without hurting him, and enduring the whole night until the full moon passed and the ape turned back into the boy.
Taro understood perfectly.