Intrigued, King Kai wondered if Goku's sudden fainting spell had sparked some kind of breakthrough.
"Tell me about this method. Perhaps I can be of assistance," King Kai offered.
"Well, King Kai, I think I've identified the source of the Super Saiyan 3's energy leakage. It may be because I'm not... complete, which prevents the form from ever reaching its true potential," Goku blurted out, voicing his thoughts.
King Kai was perplexed. "Not complete? Goku, what part of you is missing?"
Goku simply glanced towards his rear.
"Your tail?" King Kai realized what Goku was referring to.
The tail—once a symbol of the Saiyan race's true power.
"Precisely. My tail was removed by Kami using some special technique, and it's never grown back. If I could regrow my tail, I have a feeling I could take things to the next level," Goku emphasized.
Ever since mastering Super Saiyan, he had deemed his tail an unnecessary appendage, even a hindrance in battle.
Years of suppressing the area where his tail once grew, combined with the accumulation of time, had filled the void with flesh. Regrowing it wouldn't be an easy feat.
It wasn't until Old Kai forcibly removed his tail that he realized how crucial it was to a Saiyan.
After listening to Goku's explanation, King Kai pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"There's a saying among you Saiyans: when the full moon rises, it's when you reveal your true power."
"Based on your explanation, it seems that the tail has always been an essential part of your Saiyan heritage."
"However, it's been many years, and your tail hasn't grown back. It's unlikely it ever will."
"Let me consider what could be done to help you regrow it. There must be individuals in the universe with such abilities."
Naturally, King Kai wouldn't refuse the opportunity to help Goku reach new heights.
After all, Goku was his student, and the stronger he became, the better. His strength allowed King Kai to boast with confidence in front of the other Kais.
"No need for you to trouble yourself with that, King Kai. I just need to borrow the Dragon Balls," Goku said, setting his sights on the wish-granting orbs.
"The Dragon Balls? Isn't that a bit much for something so trivial?" King Kai asked, puzzled.
Regrowing a tail seemed like a minor matter. With a little effort, he could easily find someone with the ability to make it happen.
"If it were just about regrowing my tail, I wouldn't even consider using the Dragon Balls. But after all these years, isn't it time you were brought back to life?"
"I always felt a pang of guilt because I dragged you into that mess with Cell," Goku said sheepishly, looking at the halo above King Kai's head.
He had no other place to take the self-destructing Cell except for King Kai's planet.
King Kai was still dead, and should another crisis occur, he didn't want to inadvertently kill him for good by bringing more self-destructing villains to his planet.
"Goku... you..." King Kai was touched by Goku's words.
After all these years, he had assumed Goku had forgotten about his death.
Turns out, his student still cared.
Thank goodness he can't read minds, or he'd be cursing me for thinking that!
"Well then, King Kai, I'll be heading back to Earth." Without further ado, Goku waved goodbye to King Kai, locked onto Bulma's ki signature, and teleported away from King Kai's planet.
...
Earth.
Since Majin Buu's defeat two years prior, Earth had enjoyed an era of unprecedented peace.
Mr. Satan was hailed as the world's hero, humanity's memories were erased by Shenron, and Fat Buu had integrated into human society.
The other Z fighters had returned to their lives.
Krillin, striving to make a living, became a police officer, maintaining law and order in West City.
Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu founded a dojo, becoming martial arts masters and teaching their skills to ordinary people.
Gohan dedicated himself to his studies, growing closer to Videl. The two were deeply in love and had begun discussing marriage.
Due to the world's newfound peace, Gohan abandoned his training, allowing his skills to deteriorate, steadily becoming Gohan the scholar.
Meanwhile, Piccolo remained on Kami's Lookout, continuing his training. Although he recognized the gap between himself and the Saiyans, he never stopped pursuing his own limits.
As for Vegeta, ever since Goku defeated Majin Buu, he had acknowledged Goku's strength. However, he refused to settle for being number two.
As the proud Saiyan Prince, he vowed to dedicate every moment to training, striving to catch up to Goku and ultimately surpass him.
Located several miles from Capsule Corporation was a luxurious estate.
This was Bulma's private sanctuary, her personal resort.
She spent her leisurely days on the estate.
Vegeta's gravity training room was also located here, where he was currently pushing himself to his limits.
Bulma, on the other hand, lay on a sun lounger, sipping a blue cocktail and relaxing.
Just then...
A sudden whooshing sound broke the tranquility.
Goku teleported in front of Bulma.
"Hey, Bulma!" Goku greeted her cheerfully.
"Goku?!" Bulma was surprised by his sudden appearance.
She knew Goku didn't usually seek her out unless he needed something or required her help.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Goku? What brings you here?" Bulma asked, rising from her sun lounger, removing her sunglasses, and looking at him inquisitively.
"I need to borrow the Dragon Radar. I have some things I need Shenron's help with," Goku replied, getting straight to the point.