Chapter 7* – Shenron, Grant my Wish!

"Arise and grant my wish, Shenron!" Ajax exclaimed, his voice ringing out into the open air.

At his words, the Dragon Balls blazed with an intense white light, nearly blinding Ajax who had unfortunately been staring directly at them. The Dragon Balls crackled with energy, forming arcs of electricity that whipped at the ground. Menacing clouds gathered ominously overhead, covering the light of the sun and leaving the sky nearly pitch-black. A brilliant beam of light erupted from the Dragon Balls, extending upward into the heavens. Gradually, it thickened and transformed into the outline of a Chinese dragon.

With each passing moment, the beam solidified more, and Shenron's features began to become more distinguishable from the light. His formidable claws took shape, his luminescent green scales materialized, and his massive, majestic form twisted in the sky as he descended from the heavens with all the awe-inspiring grace befitting of a legendary dragon. Shenron lowered his head towards Ajax, Goku, and Bulma, his eyes flashing with a fiery red light.

"Holy shit, you're f*cking huge!"

"Ajax! Language!" Bulma snapped, cuffing the back of Ajax's head.

Truth be told, Ajax couldn't be faulted for his exclamation. He just couldn't help it. He had expected Shenron to be massive, yes, but perhaps with the girth of a Sequoia and the height of a Redwood, or maybe approximately the size of a small skyscraper. But this? This was like gazing upon a god. He felt like the King of Games looking up at Slifer snaking through the clouds or Kratos staring down Jörmungandr. Okay, maybe Shenron wasn't quite as colossal as Jörmungandr, but the point remains.

"Thank you." Shenron's thunderous voice bellowed. "Now state your wish and I shall grant it."

Ajax took in a deep lungful of air. This is it. This is his starting line and the beginning of everything. This is the moment that would determine the path his future would take for years to come.

"Shenron, what limitations do you face when it comes to wishes pertaining to fixing, changing, or enhancing one's body?"

"I cannot make alterations beyond the limit of what one's species can genetically withstand. I cannot change one's race. I cannot bestow abilities that possess the potential to violate the laws of the universe or those exceeding the capabilities of my own. I cannot create new life or physical forms that have not existed in some variation prior." 

As Ajax silently digested this answer, a profound sense of helplessness welled up within him, almost tempting him to burst into uncontrollable laughter. It seemed the Saiyan plan was going straight down the drain, an outcome he really should have seen coming. After all, why would the universe make it that easy for him? Ajax would like to cry now, thank you very much. He screamed internally, struggling to keep a rein on his expression.

'Son of a Bitch! The hard path is it!'

Across from him, a puzzled frown creased Bulma's brow in response to this odd question. Did curing a disease really necessitate such a specific inquiry? Nevertheless, she knew Ajax had a penchant for caution and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Ajax took a moment to consider the new information and affirm the reasoning of his wish. Thanks to Shenron's limitation, he is now painfully aware that obtaining a Saiyan body has just become a much more complex endeavor. At this moment, it would require a minimum of two wishes to accomplish: one for a Saiyan body that has 'existed in some variation prior' and another to transfer his consciousness into said body. However, he cannot assume he would have more than one wish so that plan isn't viable. Becoming an enemy of the Z Fighters at this stage was also out of the question, so he had to rule out wishes for immediate power or anything beyond his current knowledge, such as specific techniques or rare items. He is not at all confident in explaining his way out of that one either.

"State your wish." 

Ajax's eyes darted up to Shenron. "I'm sorry, just a minute! I'm just thinking of how to word my wish!"

"Very well. Be aware though that my patience is not limitless." 

Ajax hurriedly pressed on with his thought process. He had previously told Bulma that he intended to wish for a healthy body free of his disease, so his wish couldn't deviate too far from that. This means that, ideally, his wish needed to both rid him of his ailment and pave the way for his future path to power. Considering all these factors, the best bet probably is… Ajax parted his lips and began to speak.

"Shenron, please modify my current body into one that is capable of the following two abilities. One: adapting and overcoming any illness, injuries, negative physical conditions, and negative mental conditions currently or in the future. Two: becoming increasingly resistant or immune to said condition after recovering from it! Please grant that wish to the utmost limit of my own species or your power, whichever restriction comes first!"

Ajax nervously swallowed, his gaze rising to meet the colossal form of Shenron towering above him. Shenron remained silent for a brief, tense moment before narrowing his eyes, which looked far more intimidating on the dragon than Ajax had anticipated.

"Trying to skirt the limits of my power?" Shenron rumbled in a deep, resonating voice, his words dripping with authority. "Disrespectful, but I shall allow it, child. However, you'll soon discover that the body you've wished for might not work the way you intended it to. You shall learn of the limitations of your bloodline soon enough."

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Bulma, who by now has digested the contents of the wish, exclaimed, eyes wide with realization and looking decisively alarmed.

Shenron ignored her, his enormous eyes flashing with crimson light. "Your wish has been granted! I bid you farewell!"

Shenron shimmered with a radiant brilliance before transforming into a luminous beam of light. The Dragon Balls below them glowed ethereally once more and soared upward into the sky together with the beam of light, creating a dazzling display of colors. Then, in a spectacular burst, the light split into seven separate beams, each streaking off in a different direction, scattering the Dragon Balls across the already clear horizon.

Ajax, his heart still racing from the experience, flexed his hands in anticipation. He took a deep breath and braced himself for the transformative moment he had been waiting for. However, the reality that followed was anticlimactic. His body remained unchanged, with only a faint hint that the urge to cough had subsided slightly. The change is so minimal that Ajax is genuinely confused as if that's his wish at work or merely a placebo effect.

Bulma stormed over to Ajax, her face contorted into a scowl and eyes narrowed with irritation. She didn't waste a moment, confronting him head-on.

"That's not what you said you'd wish for!" she declared; her tone laced with accusation.

Ajax attempted to wear an innocent expression once more, but Bulma didn't buy it for even a millisecond.

"Don't you play those tricks with me!" she snapped, her displeasure dripping from her voice. "I know very well you knew exactly what you were doing. You're far too intelligent for anything less, so don't insult my intelligence by putting on an act! You're not some kid who doesn't understand what he was doing!"

Ajax shifted uncomfortably at the hostility in her gaze, realizing that his attempt to play it off had backfired miserably. However, a small spark of annoyance arose in Ajax's heart. He had tried his best to not wish for anything excessive and didn't believe he did anything to be worthy of such displeasure. What's Bulma's deal?

"I had a single shot! I was trying to gain as much of an advantage for myself as I could! What's wrong with that?"

Bulma's frustration boiled over. "What's wrong!? It's unfair, that's what! But that's not even the main issue here because you just wished for immortality!"

"What the f– no! Where did that even– I wasn't wishing for that! How did my wish translate to immortality? I can still be killed and I can still die. Nowhere in my wording did it say that I cannot be killed!" Ajax shot back, an aggrieved expression on his face.

Bulma crossed her arms, her skepticism lingering.

"Aging is also a negative physical condition."

"...and? Master Roshi has lived for 300 years. Goku told me that himself, so why don't you go pick a bone with Master Roshi?" Ajax retorted, his annoyance now showing slightly, "Look Bulma, I'm nine. I've never killed anyone before, and–

"Piccolo Jr. is six right now and he's never killed anyone either." Bulma interrupted.

"That's not a fair comparison!"

Goku, who had been in contemplative silence up to now, furrowed his brows as he mulled over the wish made to Shenron. Rather belatedly, he seemed to finally understand Ajax's wish, his pensive expression suddenly transforming into a highly animated one.

"Wait! I get it now!" Goku exclaimed, cutting into the conversation, his voice brimming with excitement. He turned to Ajax with a wide grin. "Does that mean you get stronger the more you fight, Ajax?"

Ajax was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. He blinked, a hint of confusion in his eyes as he tried to catch up to the rapid shift in conversation.

"Uh- yeah? I guess. That's the intention, at least."

The bright and excited smile on Goku's face grew even wider as he leaped to his feet. Goku entered a combat stance, his muscles tensing with anticipation. "Awesome! Let's spar right now!"

"…"

"Good idea! Goku, you have my blessing to punch him in the face! Beat his little ass!" Bulma added vindictively, causing Goku to tilt his head at her in a confused manner.

"Look, Goku," Ajax began with an awkward expression. "I wish I could, but I don't know how to. Even Bulma could knock me out right now." He rubbed the back of his neck, a wry smile on his face. "And I'm only just now supposedly starting to adapt and recover from my sickness."

Goku scratched his head in puzzlement as he tried to grasp the reality of the situation. "Oh, is that so...?" he mumbled, disappointment evident in his voice.

Then, suddenly, his face lit up with a realization so stark that both Bulma and Ajax could practically see the metaphorical lightbulb above Goku's head. He clapped his hands together in excitement.

"I've got it!" Goku exclaimed full of enthusiasm. "I'll bring you to Master Roshi's place! He can train you to be strong! Follow me!"

Excitement undiminished, Goku swiftly pivoted around and mounted his trusty Nimbus cloud. With a spirited whoosh, he took off, leaving both Bulma and Ajax to gaze in astonishment at his rapidly vanishing figure as he soared into the distance.

Ajax, still dumbfounded, turned to Bulma, his eyebrows raised in equal parts disbelief and bemusement. "Does he know I can't fly?"

Bulma let out a resigned sigh.

"Goku's too simpleminded sometimes," she explains, her tone indicating that she had dealt with such situations far too often. She then turned serious, her eyes locking onto Ajax's. "Also, just so you know, if you're going to turn evil and be the next Piccolo, Goku will stop you."

"Oh My God! Give me a break, Bulma! I don't want to rule the world!"

Bulma marched up to Ajax, her annoyance evident. With a swift and painful twist, she latched onto his ear, causing Ajax to let out a comical, exaggerated scream of pain.

"You little shit, you're the one in the wrong right now so don't give me attitude!" she scolded him, her voice laced with irritation.

Ajax's reaction was a blend of melodramatic agony, causing Bulma to arch an eyebrow and unapologetically tighten her grip even further. This was the sight that greeted Goku when he returned.

Goku's arrival prompted a pause in the ear-twisting as Bulma released her grip on Ajax, to his great relief. She turned to Goku with a raised eyebrow, her irritation not entirely dissipated.

"Hehe, I forgot you can't fly! Can you fly us to Master Roshi's?" Goku asked, either oblivious to the events he just saw or wisely choosing to not involve himself.

Bulma rolled her eyes. She turned back to Ajax, her voice snappier than before. "Come on then," she said, beckoning for both of them to follow her.

As the roar of the plane's engines filled the surrounding airspace, Ajax sneaked a satisfied grin behind Bulma's back despite the pain. Sitting in the cockpit of the jet, he heard nothing but the sweet sound of victory, knowing that he was progressing along THE MASTERPLAN, even if it involved some ear-twisting along the way.

***

THE MASTERPLAN:

Use the Dragon Balls - (COMPLETED)

Use the Dragon Balls to cure illness and set the foundation for the future - (COMPLETED)

 ***

DBA Corner: Dragon Balls (Part 1) 

Hello! The purpose of this corner is to provide some insight into how the Dragon Balls will function in the DBA Universe. To avoid revealing any spoilers for upcoming plot developments, I'll be breaking down this topic into several sections as the story progresses. This first section here will be a brief overview of the Dragon Balls' basic mechanics and a list of the known limitations so far.

So, in the canon storyline, it's mentioned that "Sheron cannot grant any wish that exceeds the power of his creator." This statement is problematic because it brings up the question of why Shenron is even necessary if he operates on the same power scale as his creator. On this topic, the canon itself is rather inconsistent, as Shenron can accomplish feats beyond his creators' capabilities but also can't conveniently advance the plot (such as eliminating the Saiyans).

When Dende assumed the role of Kami, he somehow enabled Shenron to grant more than one wish, even though he wasn't significantly more powerful than Kami. Suddenly, because it was demanded by the plot, Shenron was augmented and partially freed from the constraints of his creator's power.

In the DBA universe, Shenron and other immortal dragons are entities of and fueled by, magic. Hence, the limit of their power is determined by their creator's magical might and arcane proficiency, rather than their Ki capacity or physical strength. If Kami were to enhance his magical abilities or significantly deepen his understanding of magic, Shenron's limits would also increase. Conversely, if Kami were to suddenly attain the same strength as Beerus but lose all knowledge of magic, Shenron would be unable to even warm up a cup of ramen.

In the DBA Universe, Shenron functions as an enhancer, akin to a pulley system. Just as a pulley system allows one to apply a smaller force and generate a much greater one at the opposite end, Kami's magic represents the force one applies when pulling the metaphorical strings, while Shenron represents the force exerted at the other end of the pulley. If the "puller" (Kami) increases their maximum exerted force, in this case, their magical might, then Shenron can amplify the force he exerts at the other end accordingly. Note that when Shenron grants a wish, he does not use Kami's energy or magic.

Limitations of the Dragon Balls so far:

1. Cannot grant the same wish twice 

2. Cannot revive those who died of natural causes

3. Cannot mass revive those who have died for longer than one year

4. Cannot make modifications beyond one's species' capability to withstand. 

5. Cannot change one's race. 

6. Cannot grant abilities with potential exceeding the limitations of the universe or capabilities of Shenron himself. 

7. Cannot create or erase matter.

8. Cannot create or take life.

P.S. For those of you who may be wondering why Shenron deemed the wish disrespectful, let me draw a comparison to help clarify. Imagine you're in a gift exchange and you're the Secret Santa for your friend, let's call them Yūjin A. The rules state that the maximum allowable gift value is $25. Now, picture Yūjin A requesting a gift that costs precisely $25. How would you react in this situation? Likely a tad annoyed, right? Someone didn't factor in taxes and shipping fees. You might grumble a bit (or a lot), but most likely, you'll still buy the gift in the end. That's how Shenron feels.