Power Trip: I Got Reborn in Dragon Ball with Broken Adaptation

Dust exploded around them as another combined blast tore through the gravity chamber wall — only to fizzle out in Kai's open palm.

"Really?" Kai yawned, catching a punch from Gohan without even turning to look. "That all you got? C'mon, guys. I thought I was training warriors, not overcooked noodles."

Goku came in from the left, fists glowing with power, and Vegeta from the right, his aura crackling with frustration. Their punches collided where Kai had been — only for him to casually hover above them, one hand behind his head.

"Oops," Kai said. "Missed me again. Shocking."

Krillin leapt up with a flying kick — Kai tilted just enough to let it whiff. "Krillin, buddy, that was cute. But I think a breeze from Bulma's hairdryer hits harder."

"You're not even trying!" Krillin shouted mid-spin, crashing into the wall.

"That's the point!" Kai called back. "Because if I did try, you'd all be unconscious!"

Below him, Gohan grit his teeth. "We've been training for weeks! How are you still this fast?!"

Kai smirked, spinning lazily in the air like a man doing Tai Chi while dodging a tornado. "Peak cardio avoidance and zero leg day. I'm basically a gym myth."

Piccolo fired a flurry of precise blasts upward — Kai caught one, spun, deflected two, and slapped the last aside with his foot like a soccer ball. "You guys are getting predictable," he called down. "Except for Vegeta. He's got that 'rage goblin' energy. Very spicy."

Vegeta's eye twitched. "I am going to kill you."

Kai grinned. "See? That's the spirit."

As the five of them regrouped, panting, bruised, and covered in sweat, Kai floated down slowly, arms crossed behind his head.

He was still only using 1% of his power.

'This is good,' he thought. 'They're growing fast. Real fast. But we'll need more than just brute force soon.'

His eyes drifted to Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta in particular.

'Once we unlock Super Saiyan… then maybe, just maybe… Super Saiyan 2? Hell, maybe even 3…'

He smirked.

'And then there's Super. Ultra Instinct… now that's something. A state of mind. A technique, not a transformation.'

Kai's heart beat faster with excitement. If Ultra Instinct wasn't just a Saiyan thing—if it was really a technique, like the manga said—then with his Instinctive Mimicry, he could copy it. All he had to do was push Whis hard enough to dodge instinctively, and it was his.

'Forget the gym. That's the ultimate flex.'

"Alright," he said aloud, clapping his hands. "Enough warm-up. Let's try something different. Vegeta."

The Saiyan prince straightened, still breathing hard. "What now?"

"You said something, back on Namek. About the Super Saiyan—legendary warrior, born of fury, blah blah pride blah."

Vegeta scowled. "And?"

Kai pointed to Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta. "Then let's try using that. Rage. Not as a tool — but as a trigger. I want you three to think about what makes you furious. What if I hadn't been there on Namek? What if Frieza won? What if your families died because you weren't strong enough?"

Gohan flinched. Goku's expression darkened.

Vegeta just stared ahead, jaw clenched.

"Tap into that," Kai said, voice low. "Let it out."

A heavy silence fell. The chamber thrummed with energy.

Goku's fists tightened.

"If that ruthless, heartless bastard had gotten away with it… If he'd hurt my friends…!"

His aura snapped — not just red with power, but hot gold, bright as the sun.

Lightning cracked around him. The pressure in the room shifted — like gravity itself leaned away from him in respect.

Goku roared.

His hair lifted, flashing from black to gold in a surge of light. His eyes turned teal. His body gleamed like fire given form.

Everyone froze.

Kai didn't even smile.

He just said, quietly, "Done."

Goku stood tall, golden aura blazing around him.

Vegeta staggered back half a step. "I… impossible. Kakarot… a low-class warrior…?"

Kai raised his system interface briefly and checked the new numbers. Goku's base had jumped since they began — he was easily at 50 million now. With the 50x boost of Super Saiyan…

'2.5 billion. Jesus.'

"How do you feel?" Kai asked.

Goku relaxed slightly, letting the aura fade. "Powerful. Like I've been holding back my whole life."

Kai nodded. "Good. Transform again."

Goku tensed, then with a roar, reignited the form — hair gold, aura surging, eyes blazing.

Kai turned to the others. "You guys are going to be training under him now. If anyone can push you to the next level, it's a guy who just broke the laws of physics by screaming."

Krillin still looked like he hadn't blinked in a minute. "So… should I start screaming too, or is that strictly a Saiyan thing?"

Kai glanced at his system.

[Analyzing Nearby Power Signatures…]

[Krillin: 5,450,000]

[Gohan: 15,000,000]

[Piccolo: 39,000,000]

[Vegeta: 45,200,000]

He sighed.

"…You can scream if you want. But, uh, don't pull anything."

Krillin narrowed his eyes. "That a short joke?"

Kai smirked. "You said it, not me."

Then he left them to try on their own, floating off toward the outer corridor.

But even as he stepped into the silence of the hall, Kai's mind was racing.

'Super Saiyan… Ultra Instinct… Super Saiyan God… Blue… UI Sign… So much left.'

He smirked to himself.

'The real game's just starting.'