Dragon Ball Roshi

Upon hearing about the Other World Tournament set to take place in fifty years, Bam expressed his desire to give it a try. King Kai responded that, given his current state, if he wanted to compete at that level, he'd need to spend a few years on the Grand Kai's Planet, training and exchanging techniques with its many martial artists. Staying on King Kai's Planet wouldn't offer much more for him to learn.

Besides, martial arts were only a hobby for King Kai. His naturally laid-back personality made him eager to send Bam off to the Grand Kai's Planet after a few years of training, ensuring he'd have peace again.

"Are there a lot of strong fighters on the Grand Kai's Planet?" Bam asked curiously.

"Of course!" King Kai pushed up his small round sunglasses. "Think about it—how many lives exist in the entire universe? Just in the North Galaxy alone, which I oversee, the number is incalculable—billions, trillions! Across the East, West, South, and North Galaxies, lives are constantly ending every year, every day, every minute. Souls flood into the Underworld like rivers of sand. And among those countless souls, how many martial artists do you think there are? Far too many to count!"

With his hands behind his back, King Kai paced as he continued, "On most intelligent planets, a tradition of martial arts inevitably emerges. While some civilizations see martial arts decline and even vanish due to advances in technology or other factors, the number of martial artists' souls entering the Underworld each year is still astronomical. Among these martial artists, those whose deeds in life qualify them to ascend to Heaven may, like you, have the chance to regain a physical body and continue training in the Underworld."

He paused and turned back. "Though such individuals are a small fraction of the whole, you must consider the scale—this happens every single year! How long has the Milky Way existed? How long has the universe existed? As long as the universe has existed, so too has the Underworld, and so has the Grand Kai's Planet! How many beings have died over those countless eons? And among those who've passed, how many martial artists have reached Heaven and made it to the Grand Kai's Planet? Now tell me—do you think there are strong fighters there or not?"

Bam couldn't help but gape in amazement. After a moment, a curious thought struck him. "But with so many people... doesn't the Grand Kai's Planet get overcrowded?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over King Kai's small planet. Even if the Grand Kai's Planet were many times larger than this, it still couldn't hold that many people, could it?

King Kai was momentarily caught off guard, coughing and clenching his fist. "Ahem, well, my planet might be a bit small… but the Grand Kai's Planet is huge! At least… ten times larger than Earth, I'd say!"

Bam strained to imagine what "ten times larger than Earth" could look like.

"Stop trying to picture it! Your Earth is just a tiny, insignificant speck in the grand cosmos!" King Kai snapped, holding up a finger for emphasis. "Compared to the entire galaxy, Earth is about the size of…" He stomped on the grass beneath his feet. "...a single grain of dust here on my planet!"

Bam was even more confused. "Then isn't it even stranger? If Earth is so small, and if all the universe's top martial artists end up in the Underworld, how could a place that's only ten times the size of Earth possibly hold that many people?"

"Ha! First of all, you need to understand… not just anyone can set foot on the Grand Kai's Planet. Only those with truly monumental achievements can make it from Heaven to the Grand Kai's Planet," King Kai explained, pointing a finger at Bam. Then, with a stern look through his black sunglasses, he gestured toward Taro, who had been silently listening. "And you—let me tell you—not everyone gets a personal recommendation from a Kai as I've given you!"

Bam finally understood. If not for being brought here by the master Mu, he would likely have never had the chance to set foot on King Kai's Planet, let alone the Grand Kai's Planet. At best, he would have spent his "afterlife" as a mere soul in Heaven.

What he didn't know was that even Mitsurugi, who had slaughtered countless demon clans on Earth, had spent many long years striving in Heaven before finally earning the opportunity to visit the Grand Kai's Planet. Coincidentally, he arrived just in time for the last Other World Tournament—only to be eliminated in the very first round.

"Of course, being qualified to enter the Kai's Planet is one way to filter people out," King Kai continued, glancing meaningfully at Taro again. "But on the other hand…" He paused before adding, "You have to realize that the natural lifespan of most beings in the universe isn't particularly long. Generally speaking, it's less than 300 Earth years."

He folded his arms and went on. "Now, while the dead no longer have the concept of lifespan, even those martial artist souls who qualify for Heaven or the Grand Kai's Planet do so only because of their remarkable accomplishments or exceptional talent in life. But how many of them, I wonder…" He smirked. "Can truly endure the 'suffering' of immortality?"

Though these individuals were technically dead, their retained physical forms made them semi-alive. It wasn't unreasonable to describe them as "immortal."

"Immortality can be painful?" Bam asked, puzzled at first. Then, following King Kai's gaze, he noticed the silent Taro standing nearby. A realization seemed to dawn on him, and his expression turned contemplative.

"Ha! Immortality painful? Nonsense!" King Kai chuckled, shaking his head theatrically. "I've never found anything painful about living forever! What's so bad about it? I was born this way—long-lived by nature—so I don't see what's so unbearable about it."

King Kai sighed dramatically before continuing, "But the ones who do find it painful… Well, they're just you ridiculous mortals. Over the years, I've seen far too many on the Grand Kai's Planet—supremely powerful martial artists—who, simply because they've 'had enough', couldn't handle it anymore and voluntarily chose to reincarnate!"

He shook his head with a sigh.

"Yeah…" Bam muttered, placing himself in their shoes. He looked down at his body, then up at the golden halo above his head. A faint sense of empathy crept into his voice. "Not everyone can continue like us, neither truly alive nor truly dead. In the end, it's just a rare few. But our family, our friends—what of them? They aren't nearly as fortunate. If it were me…" He trailed off, imagining the scenario, before letting out a light sigh and a wry smile. "I don't know how long I'd last, either. Maybe… I'd choose to reincarnate in the end, too."

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