Warning: contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Super #86!
The latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super shows the climax of the Granolah Arc, but the result of the battle has left readers with two big questions. Goku unlocked a mysterious new power that seems to have a connection with his Ultra Instinct transformation, and Granolah showed an unexplained strength and connection with Bardock, Goku's father.
The big villain of the Granolah Arc was Gas, a member of the criminal family known as the Heeters, who became the strongest warrior in the universe after using the wish-granting power of the Dragon Balls. The wish made Gas stronger than the most powerful warriors at that moment, including Goku, Vegeta, and Granolah, who had previously used the Dragon Balls in the exact same way. After a long battle where they were constantly at a disadvantage, Goku, Vegeta, and Granolah managed to defeat Gas, but the way they did that created a couple of very intriguing mysteries.
In Dragon Ball Super #86, Granolah returns to the battlefield after being almost killed by Gas, and he asks the Saiyans to buy enough time to charge one final attack to end the fight. Goku and Vegeta do their best to hold off Gas, who gets even more powerful after deciding to burn his vital energy to the max. When all hope seems lost, Goku - who just passed out - suddenly reawakens in his Ultra Instinct form and creates a giant energy construct that blocks Gas and then launches him up in the sky, where Granolah hits him with his charged attack, taking him out in one hit.
It is still unclear what kind of power Goku unlocked at that moment, and why, after he passed out, he awakened in his Ultra Instinct form. The ability to create energy constructs was Gas' trademark move, and previously in the chapter, the villain said that, after his final power-up, his power has been liberated from his flesh. This would explain how Goku can project his energy in that way. However, this does not explain the connection with Goku's Ultra Instinct, or why the Saiyan warrior woke up right after passing out. Also, Granolah had been completely outmatched by Gas previously, so it's hard to understand how he had so much power left that he could take out his enemy in one hit.
When Granolah tells Goku his plan, he explains that, while asleep and recovering from his wounds, he heard the recording of Bardock that Goku and Vegeta listened to, learning of how the Saiyan had defeated Gas years before. Listening to Bardock's story gave Goku and Vegeta a big boost in terms of pride and conviction, but it's unclear how that is connected to Granolah's miraculous comeback.
This chapter of Dragon Ball Super had all the excitement needed from the conclusion of the biggest fight in the arc, but it also teased readers with mysteries that are sure to have a big impact on the future of the story - namely, how did Goku wake up in his Ultra Instinct form, and what was behind Granolah's unlikely comeback?
Dragon Ball Super Chapter #86 is available now from Viz Media.