I will be surprised if no one asked this before and I would be happy if it is answered already although I haven't located it just yet!
From Einstein's original paper "Does The Inertia of a Body Depend on it's Energy Content" 1905. I am wondering if maybe my original thinking is not right. I always thought that energy increased as velocity increased. End of story.
But as I hear videos and read books the mantra seems to be mass increases as velocity increases. So which is right I wonder. I know I left gamma out of the equation in the question. Assume it is there thank you.