As always, the Dragon Ball Super staff shared a few draft pages from the latest chapter one week ahead of its publication (on February 20). This is a good way to stir up fans’ expectations, but this must be the most exciting tease they ever got since the manga started. The drafts are in Japanese, but many fan accounts (such as @DbsHype) translate them into English and share them on X.

This preview picks up from Goku’s return to Earth at the end of the previous chapter. After perceiving Gohan’s ki when he quickly transformed into his Beast form, Goku decides to visit his son to check his progress, after being away on Beerus’ planet for many years. Of course, the first thing Goku wants to do is spar with Gohan, and the preview ends just before their match starts.

Goku and Gohan’s First Manga Battle Will Answer Many Questions

Dragon Ball Super by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, chapter #102

Interestingly, Goku and Gohan have never fought in the manga, including Dragon Ball Z. The exception is the time they spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when training for the Cell Games, when they must have had many sparring matches, but these were never shown. In the Dragon Ball Super anime, Goku and Gohan had a sparring match to train for the Tournament of Power (in episode #90), which ended in Goku’s victory, but this was never shown in the manga and, more importantly, it happened before both obtained their current most powerful forms, Ultra Instinct and Beast.

Akira Toriyama’s statement that Gohan is currently “stronger than anyone” after awakening his Beast form made waves among the Dragon Ball community, which has been hotly debating the topic. The upcoming sparring match in chapter #102 of Dragon Ball Super, thus, could provide a clear answer. More importantly, it will serve to firmly introduce the Beast transformation into the series, as it appears from the preview that Gohan has now a better understanding of it, thanks to training with Piccolo. Hopefully, this means that fans will also get a better explanation about this still-mysterious power.

Ultra Instinct Goku vs Gohan Beast Is What Fans Have Been Asking For

Finally, the chapter also shows two unlikely characters, Carmine and his bodyguard Soldier #15, being unwittingly dragged to Beerus’ planet to witness the battle. It’s likely that their presence will only played for comedic effect, but they may also come back with some secret that will lead to the future return of the Red Ribbon Army. It’s also possible that, after witnessing Goku and Gohan’s power, Goten and Trunks will feel more motivated to pick up their training.

Overall, the two most recent chapters of Dragon Ball Super have provided a breath of fresh air for the series, which was struggling in terms of fans’ reception during the controversial Super Hero Arc. Now, the battle between Goku and Gohan will not just be a first-ever for the manga, but also hopefully answer the question of which form is superior between Ultra Instinct and Beast.