Chapter 50: The Earth God Appears

After saying this, John Doe walked to a square beside the temple and began meditating in a cross-legged position.

This was a training method often used by Piccolo and Tien Shinhan in the manga, and John Doe had also come to appreciate this method of training.

Meditating in a cross-legged position doesn't directly increase one's ki or physical abilities, but it is an excellent way to regulate and balance the ki within the body.

The reason why Vegeta is always inferior to Son Goku is that Vegeta's ki is always fierce and hot (as explained in the Super Moro arc). This fierce ki prevents Vegeta from calming his mind.

Without a calm mind, Vegeta's control over his ki is weaker than Son Goku's.

To cultivate Ultra Instinct or the Destruction technique, one's ki should not be fierce or uncontrolled. Instead, it should follow the mind's intentions.

Meditating in a cross-legged position is an excellent way to regulate the balance between ki and the body.

Popo curiously glanced at John Doe. He wasn't a god and didn't have the ability to see the entire Earth from the temple.

So, Popo didn't know John Doe's strength, only that he had defeated Piccolo Daimao.

However, from John Doe's training method, Popo could tell that John Doe had a high level of mental cultivation.

In contrast, the boy named Son Goku, standing before him, seemed much simpler. Although the ki in his body wasn't evil, it was filled with killing intent, and there was no attempt to hide it.

John Doe paid no attention to Goku and Popo's training. He quickly immersed himself in his own world of cultivation.

It wasn't until Goku called out, "John Doe, Mr. Popo says I've finished my training, and we can meet God soon," that John Doe snapped out of his meditation. He stretched and said, "Finally done with training?"

Then, looking at Goku, John Doe added, "Not bad. Your strength has increased significantly. It seems you've learned a lot from Mr. Popo in these few days."

Goku nodded happily and laughed, "Hehe, John Doe, if we fought again, I might not be weaker than you!"

John Doe nodded and said, "Don't worry. We still have three years until the next World Martial Arts Tournament. We have plenty of time to train together."

The two of them approached the temple entrance, and soon, Mr. Popo emerged from the doorway. "God will be out soon!" he said.

However, as he spoke, John Doe noticed that this usually expressionless face seemed to smile briefly, with a hint of cunning in the smile.

After a while, a tall figure slowly emerged from the temple, stepping out of the darkness and into the light. The first thing that became visible was his clothing, with a large "God" character written on it, clearly indicating his identity.

When he finally stepped fully into the sunlight, revealing his face, Goku immediately exclaimed, "You, you, you, you're Piccolo Daimao!" Then, taking a step back, Goku assumed a fighting stance.

However, John Doe stopped him and said, "Goku, he's not Piccolo Daimao."

God, with great interest, asked John Doe, "Mr. John Doe, why do you think I'm not Piccolo Daimao? Most people would assume I'm Piccolo Daimao when they see my face."

John Doe replied, "It's because of the ki. Piccolo's ki is filled with violence, slaughter, and bloodshed. But the ki within you is calm, peaceful, and kind. I've only seen this kind of ki in the Cat Hermit, so I'm sure you're God, not Piccolo."

Hearing John Doe's explanation, Goku also realized that God's ki was different from Piccolo's. It was only recently that Goku had begun to master the use of ki, so he hadn't been able to distinguish between God and Piccolo's ki at first.

God sighed and slowly said, "Actually, Mr. Goku is not wrong. In a way, I am Piccolo, and Piccolo is me. We are two sides of the same coin."

Goku blinked in confusion, not fully understanding. John Doe, on the other hand, remained calm.

After a while, neither of them asked the expected question, "Why?" God coughed awkwardly and continued, "Hundreds of years ago, before I became a god, I was an ordinary martial artist. In just a short span of ten years, I became the strongest martial artist in the world. With no further progress to be made in martial arts, I heard about the existence of God."

"So, I came to the Lookout, hoping to become the apprentice of the previous God and eventually become the new God."

"But my master took one look at me and saw the darkness hidden within my heart. So, he rejected me."

"I trained hard at the Lookout, eventually expelling the darkness from my heart and becoming the new God."

"But I never expected..."

"But you didn't expect that the dark part of your being would become Piccolo Daimao in the mortal world, bringing darkness and slaughter to all living beings, right?" John Doe continued.

"So, you feel deep regret, don't you?"

God nodded with a hint of guilt and said, "Yes. Technically, Piccolo Daimao is a part of me that was separated from my body. I should have dealt with him, but I had my own selfish thoughts and hesitated. Fortunately, a great martial artist among humans sacrificed himself to seal away Piccolo Daimao."

"I don't think it was just selfishness. It's because you and Piccolo share the same life force. If he dies, you die, and if he lives, you live. So, you couldn't take action, right?" John Doe directly pointed out the unique connection between God and Piccolo.

God's heart trembled, and he said in a dejected tone, "So, you know everything. Does that mean you also know that Piccolo isn't truly dead?"

John Doe nodded and said, "I knew it when I saw you."

Upon hearing this, Goku realized that Piccolo wasn't truly dead and became anxious. "Ah, Piccolo is still alive! Then, aren't Grandpa Gohan and the others in danger?"

God explained, "Don't worry. I've been keeping an eye on Piccolo. The current Piccolo, or Piccolo Jr., is still too weak. He doesn't have the strength to cause trouble, and as long as you're here, he won't dare to go on a killing spree."

John Doe asked, "Then, God, why did you call me and Goku here? Is it to prepare for the future threat of Piccolo?"

Hearing John Doe's question, God nodded solemnly and said, "Yes. Piccolo Jr. has fully inherited the thoughts and consciousness of the old Piccolo, and he also has a younger body. So, I can be sure that when the time comes, Piccolo Jr. will be even more formidable than the old Piccolo."

"Therefore, I hope you will train at my Lookout and ultimately defeat the new Piccolo Daimao."