Chiki wrote:We can't say for certain, I think it's much more detailed than that.
It can't just be a coincidence that Goku and Vegeta only go SSJ for weaker guys like Final Form Frost, Magetta and Cabba but not Final Form Frieza, Hit and Copy Vegeta.
And I was actually beginning to wonder if anyone still adhered to that ridiculous two base theory... Well at least it's somewhat entertaining and refreshing to see old news resurface every now and then.
That said, I'm going to break this down as simply as possible, so that there is no room for misinterpretation.
What is the two base theory?
The two base theory was never stated to be a thing; it was some random fan-made theory that flooded numerous threads in hopes of justifying Piccolo's stellar performance against Frost.
How can Base Goku be so powerful?
Goku absorbed the powers of an SSG. This concept was outwardly manifested on two separate occasions:
First and foremost, he performed exceptionally well against Beerus during the events of BoG, despite fighting in base form.
Secondly, he was apparently able to tangle with Monaka-Beerus, who was seemingly exerting far more ki than he did against SSJ3 Goku, Ultimate Gohan, Mr. Buu, and Gotenks.
But Base Goku was shown exhibiting a different aura against Final Form Frieza.
If this SBG aura is a thing, it sure as heck isn't a consistent means of supporting its cause.
But we've never seen such large power increases in the past.
This series has long held a track record of introducing new characters who could easily trump even the strongest of their predecessors while powering up existing ones with little to no consistency in the amount of improvement. In fact, the only thing that's been consistent is the progressive increase in strength for both new and old characters. I can't recall there ever being a set amount that a particular character was limited to; so even if Piccolo went from Perfect Cell-tier to some unspecified Buuhan-busting level, it really doesn't surprise me.
I mean, would anyone have guessed that Frieza could become this powerful a few years ago? Or that some Zarbon-tier fodder could gain the power to beat down Base Gohan and post-RoSaT Piccolo in merely 4 months?
In-universe explanation to Piccolo's power-up?
Piccolo trained with a weakened Ultimate Gohan for a decent amount of time. I don't think I need to explain this one in-depth if you've seen the Android arc.
Why were Goku and Vegeta initially leaning towards keeping Buu on their team over Piccolo?
I honestly don't think Goku and Vegeta gave a shit about who fought on their team, as long as there was
some foundation to fall back on during a time of despair. We're talking about a battle-hungry Saiyan duo, who presumably prioritized fighting the powerhouses of Universe 6, over strategizing and forming the best team. In any case, Even if Piccolo was a few notches above SSJ Vegetto, the difference would appear negligible to them, as their mind-boggling progressions likely make anything from the Buu arc seem trivial. Meaning, they probably knew that no one but them would make or break the situation, and that if they themselves were to lose, the remaining members would make little to no difference.
If Piccolo could become so strong, why didn't he just train during the Buu arc?
Simply put, he lacked a credible sparring partner to train with during Majin Buu and Babidi's brief reign of terror, as Gotenks was either all over the place or taking a nap. By the time Gotenks was in the RoSaT, there was no time to train, as Super Buu was already watching them all like a hawk.
From an out-of-universe standpoint, it's much akin to how Frieza refrained from training before embarking on his journey to Earth with Cold; power increases weren't part of the story at the time nor necessitated in any shape or form.
As some of the others have pointed out, we've seen plenty of inconsistencies scattered throughout GT and to a lesser extent Z; this is likely just another example of that.
Personally, I find these inconsistent power ups rather amusing, as they add flexibility and ultimately help make things more dynamic.
