Instinct

Part 1: Tranquil Fury

Authoress' Note: Oh. My. Goodness! Dragon Ball Episode 130 was truly epic! I watched the raw version to the best of my ability (though I missed the first few minutes of the slugfest, I watched this later when the subs were provided), and I was NOT expecting the episode to be SO well-animated.

The ending though—what the heck? Yeah, a cop-out for Goku to lose the Mastered Ultra Instinct, but if you really think about it, this here is like Frieza enacting revenge right after transforming into his golden form, and then going to Earth without really mastering it. Furthermore, I was a bit surprised that crazy Saiya-jin held that long enough to do that level of damage to himself.

And don't get me started on what my latest idea came from. That scene with Jiren was seriously the epic moment I thought: Oh no, he shouldn't have done that.

Then, I thought of the most messed up idea, especially after Jiren's horrible heel turn moment and the fact that no one other than Goku did something: what if he did not save them in time?

Alright, that's probably not a good thought, but everyone was probably thinking it and the fact that the Zenos and Grand Priest were too busy watching the fight to regard the rules at that moment should be something to consider while I was writing this shameless story.

I'm sure there are others who had the same idea I had and decided to run with it, but my version will have some differences from others. All I can say is this episode literally provoked a writing fire in me that I'm running with, at least until the final episode's released. This is my take of episode 130.

And no, I'm not ignoring the elephant in the room with a certain plot twist at the end of the episode for a good reason, 'kay? If you didn't see it, go watch before reading this. Otherwise, you've been warned that there is a HUGE spoiler waiting.

~Chibi Mirai Gogeta

Instinct

Part 1: Tranquil Fury

Jiren found himself embedded in the katchin-type material, the smoldering anger of the righteous Saiya-jin's speech grating on his nerves. How could this Son Goku, the menace and scourge of Universe 7, speak of such ideals when it was his fault that their respected universes were hanging by a razor-thin edge? Had this monster, this bastard who refused to fall even when his stamina should have long since expired, the gray-skinned alien would not have found himself fighting for not only for his universe after the others failed him. Furthermore, the fact that he had fought for strength after many had abandoned him, leaving him in pure isolation against this crazy monkey man who was fighting just because others put their trust in him of all people.

How could such a lesser being like him speak of such a fleeting notion about friendship? About comradery so... so openly? Jiren felt he had every right to reject this—that strength was the only true absolute to worry about, and not of something fragile as friendship. That word was a poisonous lie that he had long since abandoned, his sense of trust in others broken just like his family that had been senselessly massacred along with his master by the monster that killed them mercilessly.

The dark memories flashed through his mind's eye as he stared at this Son Goku—the lives that were lost due to the violence, the injustice of the what the murderer had stolen from him at such a viable age. Ever since that day his master fell, Jiren vowed revenge against all those who were against the meaning of justice, the ideals that he had borne upon his soul. Abandoned, he trained in absolute solitude, devoting his entire being in becoming the strongest he could become.