"Speak your wish..."
The night sky shimmered with a soft glow, and the Shenron, visible in its full glory, repeated its line.
Yamiru released Tights' hand, lowered his head in thought, then slowly looked up again. However, he didn't immediately voice his wish. Instead, he began, "Over three years ago, I left the Papaya Island Martial Arts Temple, which hosted the World's Strongest Martial Arts Tournament, and embarked on a journey to find Paozu Mountain..."
"......"
If Shenron could express emotions, it would likely be bewildered at this point. In all its rare appearances, it had never encountered a wish maker like Yamiru. After all the effort to gather the seven Dragon Balls and successfully summon it, Yamiru wasn't excitedly rushing to make a wish — he was casually chatting instead?!
But, having read the manga, Yamiru knew that this Shenron wasn't some puppet or tool; it was an intelligent magical life form.
It could communicate.
In the manga, Shenron even told Master Roshi and the others that when Goku hurriedly took the Power Pole, it was to search for the gods in the temple. And this dragon was resurrected by the gods in the sky at the request of Goku. The more powerful Namekian Dragon, Porunga, had even given Bulma an "OK" hand gesture, showing just how much character it had... a truly lively being.
So, in front of this intelligent and spiritually aware Shenron, Yamiru thought that rather than immediately stating his wish, it might be better to first express his thoughts.
He decided to "negotiate" with Shenron. If it didn't work out, he could always make concessions or try another approach.
Rushing to make a wish without thinking could mean missing out on a bigger or more complete wish — something Yamiru knew well. A negotiation was about maximizing your benefits. He wanted each wish to be like a negotiation with Shenron, bargaining until the very last moment.
"After leaving Slope City, I encountered the Rabbit Gang."
By now, as Yamiru spoke of the bloody past, he no longer felt the anger he had once had. Instead, there was only sorrow and regret for the innocent lives lost.
Of course, due to the presence of children like Bulma — Goku didn't matter — Yamiru didn't delve too much into the gory details and was somewhat vague with his words. However, Master Roshi caught on, and let out a soft sigh. The old turtle couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Tights grabbed Yamiru's hand, which he had just released.
Yamiru asked calmly, "Shenron, I want to know, is there any chance for the people who were killed by the Rabbit Gang to be revived?"
"......" If Shenron had a temper, it might have already been cursing. 'According to the usual process, you summon me, make a wish, and I grant it. But now you're asking me all these questions — how am I supposed to know if this counts as fulfilling your wish?!'
Fortunately, Shenron remained composed, not showing any emotions. After a brief flash of its red eyes, it spoke in its booming voice, "Unfortunately, the ones who died after being turned into carrots were neither virtuous nor evil. As a result, their souls entered the underworld and quickly reincarnated. Without souls, even I cannot revive them."
"In reincarnation? That really happens?" Tights exclaimed, surprised. "Then, does that mean there's a heaven too? I've heard of hell, so is there also a heavenly realm in the underworld? What exactly is the underworld like?" Seemingly inspired by Yamiru's behavior, she started asking Shenron a series of questions. It was too magical not to ask.
"Of course, there is a heaven... The underworld, also known as the Other World, is another universe located above the human world..."
Shenron slowly responded, but as it continued, it fell silent, as though it had withdrawn into itself.
Even though Tights continued to curiously ask questions, Shenron no longer responded, repeatedly urging, "Speak your wish..."
Goku expressed his concern, "Is it angry?"
Bulma answered, "Maybe..."
"..." Yamiru, however, felt that it might have been Tights' questions that touched on something sensitive for Shenron, or perhaps something that couldn't be explained directly. He shook his head and stopped his eager girlfriend, who still seemed ready to ask more questions. Instead, he turned to Shenron and asked, "If I want Goku to completely control his Great Ape transformation, Shenron, what can you do for him?"
Shenron: "......" Is this even a wish?
But Shenron, after all, was kind-hearted.
"Just as you described, allowing him to fully control that transformation ability..."
Shenron answered slowly, its tone calm and unwavering.
"Will he be able to retain his consciousness after the transformation?"
"Yes... The inability to maintain consciousness is merely a minor genetic flaw, which can be easily fixed."
"Nice!"
Just as Yamiru had anticipated, it was better to make such a wish early, as Shenron's powers on Earth wouldn't be able to affect Goku's body if left for later.
This wish was actually the reason Yamiru had taken Goku from Paozu Mountain in the first place, a decision made from the very beginning. While he trusted Master Gohan and wasn't overly worried about him being crushed by the Great Ape after learning of its weakness, there was still the "what if" factor. Yamiru didn't want to take chances, so he decided to ask Shenron to eliminate any potential risks.
"......" Shenron waited for a while, noticing that Yamiru still hadn't made his wish, even going so far as to ask, "Shenron, if I make a wish like this, is there anything you'd like to add?"
Crack!
In the distant sky above Earth, a faint sound of wood snapping could be heard, drifting in the wind...
Above the Turtle Hermit's house, Shenron fell silent for a moment before adding, "The energy required for the Saiyan Great Ape transformation usually takes a full moon cycle to replenish. If the transformation occurs continuously within a month, it will place a huge strain on the body, and in severe cases... it could even be fatal."
"Now that's a big help!" Yamiru said happily, giving Goku a light tap on the head. "You should thank Shenron!"
"Bulma, looks like your guess was right," Tights said to her younger sister. Back at Satan's castle, Bulma had speculated that Goku's tail cells absorbed the energy from the moonlight, activating stored energy in his tail cells whenever he gazed at the full moon, triggering the transformation. Now, Shenron's reminder seemed to confirm that guess.
Bulma nodded, while Goku remained clueless, and Master Roshi, having never seen Goku transform, was even more confused.
Now, could they finally make the wish?
Shenron, who had a good temperament, didn't have such complex emotions but still repeated in a somewhat impatient tone, "So, speak your wish..."
"Just a moment!"
Yamiru raised his hand to stop them, apologizing before running over to Master Roshi. After exchanging a few words with the old turtle, Master Roshi was surprised but nodded and removed his heavy shell from his back, tossing his staff onto the beach.
Shenron: "......"
'You're already thinking about the scattered Dragon Balls while I'm still here? Don't think I can't hear you!'
Of course, Shenron didn't have such complex and lively emotions. This was all just Yamiru's playful imagination... and, to be fair, it was his girlfriend, Tights, with her vivid imagination, who had come up with this in the first place.
"Alright, alright..."
Yamiru returned and raised his hand in an "OK" gesture, loudly declaring, "My wish is for Goku to completely control his Great Ape transformation!"