Dragon Ball Super‘s latest manga chapter takes a break from the thrilling action and dark drama of the new “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc, to begin setting the stage for a final battle. That moment of respite saw Goku and Vegeta retreat into separate corners to embark on their respective new training sessions. For Vegeta, that meant coming to the Planet Yardrat in order to learn more of the Yardratians strange techniques; but for Goku, the next stage of training involved putting himself under the tutelage of the Galactic Patrol’s elite agent, Merus. Goku’s goal for training with Merus is to once again unlock his Ultra Instinct power – but as we learn in Dragon Ball Super chapter 52, Goku may not be the only Ultra Instinct fighter headed for the battlefield!
WARNING: Dragon Ball Super SPOILERS Follow!
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Previous chapters of the Dragon Ball Super manga have revealed Merus to be a powerful warrior, who is truly worthy of being the galactic policing force’s top agent. During the course of the “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc, Merus has taken on Moro in a one-on-one fight and not only held his own, but (thanks to his tech)had the ancient sorcerer on the ropes. In the previous chapter Goku decided to spring a surprise sparring session on Merus, putting the Galactic Patrolman through the paces of his various transformations. Merus handled Super Saiyan 1 – 3 with no problem, and didn’t seem phased by a brief exchange with Super Saiyan 4 Goku. In this latest chapter, Goku (in base form) is trying to prove he can move fast enough to draw out his Ultra Instinct, but Merus is always a step ahead of him.
Goku finally gets frustrated, remarking that Ultra Instinct requires him to “empty my hear and mind,” but that, “When I’m fighting, my emotions are all over the place.”
It’s then that Merus responds with a surprisingly confident instruction about what Goku needs to do to achieve Ultra Instinct again:
“Rage, grief, joy – those strong emotions can translate to prodigious power. Just like your Super Saiyan transformation. But the technique you’re after is the opposite. It will activate when you achieve self-control in the face of a jarring shock to your emotions. Such is Ultra Instinct.”
The level of intimate knowledge of Ultra Instinct that Merus imparts on Goku practically spells out that he has mastered the technique himself. We don’t get that confirmation directly in this issue, but Merus certainly hints as to that fact, when he takes Goku into a Chamber of Spirit and Time, with the promise of revealing a power too great or the physical world outside.
Are you curious to see Merus power up to Ultra Instinct? And what does it mean that he, too, can master it? Let us know in the comments!
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is out now. Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami block Saturday evenings. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release is available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and Crunchyroll.
