Launch's eyes widened. Her hand unconsciously moved toward her waist.
"Future Gohan? Piccolo, are you serious? You're not joking with me, right?"
Piccolo snorted.
"Do I look like I'd joke about something like this?"
"It's true, Mom!"
Meiqi bounced over to Launch, her golden ponytail swishing behind her.
"He really is Big Brother Gohan! He came in a time machine! Look—he's wearing the same clothes Dad wears, and he even knows your name!"
Launch's expression shifted from suspicion to shock. She stared hard at Future Gohan's face.
That outline—seven parts like Goku.
And the delicate features around the brows… unmistakably Chi-Chi.
"…Yeah." Launch swallowed. "You really are Gohan."
Gohan nodded. "It's me, Aunt Launch."
Launch stared at him like she couldn't believe her eyes.
Then she noticed it.
The jagged scar on his face.
The bandages on his arm—
and only then did she realize the truth.
His arm was gone.
"T-This—" Launch sucked in a cold breath. "Oh my God… your arm… how did it—?!"
Even Piccolo—usually sharp enough to catch everything—only now truly registered it.
His face darkened.
The shock in his chest felt like it had no bottom.
Gohan lowered his gaze, then looked at Chi-Chi… and at Launch.
"Aunt Launch… can you help me get Mom inside?"
Launch snapped out of it. "O-Of course!"
She hurried to Chi-Chi's other side.
Together, she and Gohan lifted her and carried her into the house.
Up close, the wounds hit even harder.
The battle-worn air around him… that exhaustion carved into his bones…
Launch's heart clenched.
Snow and Violet exchanged a look and quickly stepped aside to make room.
Once everyone was inside, Snow and Violet finally reacted properly.
Violet hesitated.
"Do you… want me to make some hot tea?"
"That would help. Thank you."
Future Gohan didn't know who she was, but he still spoke with genuine gratitude.
Violet softened.
"No need to thank me, Gohan. We're family."
"…Family?"
A ripple of unease passed through Gohan.
He suddenly realized how unfamiliar this world felt.
They gently placed Chi-Chi on the couch.
Launch, experienced and fast, pressed Chi-Chi's philtrum.
Chi-Chi's eyelids fluttered.
"…Mm…"
She weakly opened her eyes—and the moment she saw the faces around her, memory surged back like a flood.
Her gaze snapped to Future Gohan.
Tears rose immediately.
"Gohan… will Goku really… get sick and die…?"
Future Gohan knelt beside the couch and held her hand.
"Mom, don't be afraid. That happened in my timeline."
"I came back… to change it."
He reached into his clothes and pulled out a small bottle.
"…Right now, viral heart disease can't be cured."
"But in the future, we developed a specific medicine for it."
"I brought it here."
Chi-Chi clutched the bottle like it was treasure.
"Thank goodness… if we have this… Goku won't die…"
Gohan nodded, voice steady.
"With this, Dad should be fine."
Chi-Chi looked at the label anxiously.
"How do I give it to him? Should I make him take it now?"
Gohan shook his head.
"Not yet. It won't work if he takes it early."
"Keep it safe."
"When he actually starts showing symptoms… then give it to him."
"There are instructions."
Chi-Chi nodded rapidly, still holding it to her chest.
"I understand… I'll protect it."
Then—
her eyes drifted again.
And she finally noticed.
His missing arm.
She jolted.
"Gohan… your arm…"
Her voice cracked. "Were the enemies really that terrifying…?"
Gohan lowered his head.
His voice turned heavy with pain.
"Everyone died."
"I'm the only one left."
"What is one arm… compared to that?"
Chi-Chi reached up, trembling fingers brushing his cheek.
"You suffered so much…"
She pulled him into her arms.
Gohan's body stiffened for a moment—
then he held her back.
His tears finally broke loose.
"…Mom…"
Piccolo's patience snapped.
Even if Goku wouldn't die anymore, the android threat still sounded like a nightmare.
He needed details.
Now.
His voice dropped low.
"Gohan. These androids—what are they? Where did they come from?"
Chi-Chi loosened her embrace.
The air in the room grew heavy.
Future Gohan inhaled and began speaking—like reciting a tragedy he'd memorized through pain.
"Do you remember… when Dad destroyed the Red Ribbon Army as a kid?"
Everyone nodded.
"They were wiped out… but Dr. Gero survived."
"He built androids to get revenge."
"Three years later, they appeared."
"They were uncontrollable."
"They killed Dr. Gero."
"Then they tried to kill Dad."
"But Dad… had already died from the illness."
"They lost their target."
"So they started killing everyone—randomly."
"We fought together… but we couldn't stop them."
"One by one…"
"…everyone died."
Little Gohan peeked from behind Bula, only his wide, frightened eyes showing.
"T-They're… that strong…?"
Bula clenched her fists, angry.
"If Dad was alive, they wouldn't stand a chance!"
Meiqi nodded fiercely.
"Yeah! If Dad was alive, he'd beat them!"
Future Gohan froze.
He looked at the two girls again—then at Chi-Chi.
Confusion tightened in his eyes.
"Wait…"
"Why are there… two of you?"
Chi-Chi blinked. "Two…?"
She pointed quickly.
"Gohan, they're your little sisters. You don't recognize them?"
"…My sisters?"
Chi-Chi introduced them one by one, still bewildered.
"This is your sister, Bula. And this is Meiqi."
Launch and the others stared at Gohan, waiting.
Gohan's confusion deepened into disbelief.
"But… in my future…"
"Dad only had me."
Launch blinked hard.
"That can't be right. Are you saying… in your world, I never had Meiqi with Goku?"
Future Gohan stared at her like the floor had tilted.
Then he looked at Bula.
Meiqi was Launch's child.
So Bula was…
He already knew the answer from her hair.
He asked anyway, voice tight.
"Then… her mother is…?"
Bula puffed out her chest proudly.
"My mom is Bulma!"
Gohan's head spun.
"…So this world really is different."
"…Completely different from my past."
Everyone else looked lost—time travel logic wasn't something you "felt out."
But Piccolo latched onto the core.
"So history diverged much earlier than you thought."
Future Gohan's eyes lit up, as if Piccolo had thrown him a rope.
"Yes!"
"That must be it."
He began thinking aloud, sorting his memories.
"In my past… Aunt Launch lived at Kame House at first."
"Then she left early… and disappeared."
"Dad only had me."
"And…"
His eyes moved to Violet and Snow.
"I've never seen these two women either…"
Violet crossed her arms, thinking.
"In your world… maybe I never met Goku."
Snow rubbed her chin.
"That's possible. One small decision can change everything."
"If I hadn't found Goku back then, I would've gone back to the village…"
Piccolo's voice stayed calm, but the pressure beneath it was dangerous.
"If the past has changed this much…"
"Then parts of the future might not match either."
"But the androids… are still a threat."
Chi-Chi finally steadied herself and sat up fully.
She looked straight at Future Gohan.
"Gohan… tell me the truth."
"In your future… what happened to me?"
The room fell silent.
Future Gohan lowered his eyes.
After a long pause, he spoke—quietly.
"When the androids attacked…"
"Dad was already gone."
"I was at school."
"You were alone at home."
"They destroyed Mount Paozu…"
"…and you turned to ash with it."
Chi-Chi's lips trembled.
But she forced herself to nod.
"I understand."
"At least… it sounds like I didn't suffer long."
Her gaze softened as she looked at him.
"But you… you carried everything."
Then she straightened, resolve building in her eyes.
"Now we must stop it."
Gohan didn't know what to do with that kind of faith.
Chi-Chi suddenly grabbed his remaining hand gently.
"Your bandages… they're crude."
"Let Mom redo them properly."
Future Gohan tried to refuse—
but Chi-Chi's eyes were unshakable.
He could only nod.
Piccolo interrupted sharply.
"Wait."
"Gohan—did your world have senzu beans?"
Gohan shook his head.
"The androids learned about Korin."
"They killed him."
"Senzu beans disappeared early."
"And after you died, Piccolo…"
"…the Dragon Balls were gone too."
Chi-Chi's anger flared.
"They killed Korin? That kind cat…?"
Piccolo's fists clenched.
His face turned cold.
"…Damn it."
"How could the world become that?"
"Without Goku… were we really that helpless?"
Gohan shook his head, voice heavy.
"Don't blame yourself, Uncle Piccolo."
"It wasn't that we were too weak…"
"They were too strong."
"Even when I became a Super Saiyan…"
"I still couldn't beat them."
Everyone stiffened.
"You… became a Super Saiyan…"
"And still lost?"
Gohan nodded.
"I could barely handle one."
"But there were two androids."
Chi-Chi's thoughts snapped to another name.
"Vegeta… what about Vegeta? Did he die too?"
Future Gohan exhaled.
"Uncle Vegeta self-destructed in battle."
"But even that…"
"…didn't hurt them."
His voice darkened further.
"And Krillin… Tien… Chiaotzu… Master Roshi…"
"They all died one after another fighting the androids."
No one spoke.
The future he described was too heavy to breathe.
Piccolo finally broke the silence.
"Launch, Chi-Chi… can either of you contact Bulma?"
"Find out when they're coming back."
"We need a family meeting—now."
Launch nodded, already reaching for the phone.
"Bulma should have her phone… I don't know if there's signal on Namek, but I'll try."
Future Gohan's head snapped up.
"…Bulma… on Namek?"
He stared, stunned.
"Aunt Launch… you said Namek?"
"Namek shouldn't exist anymore. It exploded."
Piccolo's eyes narrowed like a blade.
"…Exploded?"
"Why would Namek explode?"
The room went still again, everyone turning toward Future Gohan.
Little Gohan peeked out with wide eyes.
Even Meiqi quieted.
Future Gohan swallowed hard, sweat forming on his brow.
"In my timeline…"
"Frieza destroyed Namek."
"Dad almost didn't escape."
"He found one of the Ginyu Force's ships at the last second…"
"But he didn't know how to operate it."
"He accidentally ended up on Planet Yardrat…"
Piccolo's expression became painfully complicated.
"So in your past… Namek is gone."
"…And the Namekians died."
Gohan nodded.
"Yes."
"When the Namekians died… the Dragon Balls disappeared."
Then Gohan added, trying to reassure them:
"In my world, about one year from now…"
"Frieza and King Cold come to Earth for revenge."
"But don't worry."
"That's when Dad returns."
"He defeats them easily."
Piccolo stared at him like he'd just heard a bad joke.
"…Frieza?"
Gohan blinked. "Yes. Is something wrong?"
Piccolo's voice turned sharp.
"You're telling me Frieza comes back…?"
"He's already dead."
"I watched Goku turn him into ashes on Namek."
Future Gohan froze.
"…He died the first time? Completely?"
Everyone nodded.
Launch muttered grimly, "Goku doesn't leave loose ends."
Future Gohan's brain visibly stalled.
"…How can the difference be this big?"
Piccolo continued, laying out the chain like a verdict:
"After Frieza died…"
"Nappa was left behind on Namek."
"By accident."
"That accident saved us."
"He found the Ginyu Force ships."
"He discovered King Cold's plan through the communications system."
"He warned the Namekians."
"Elder Moori contacted me."
"I asked Goku to help."
"So we saved Namek."
"And that's why I'm here…"
"Training you three little monsters on Mount Paozu."
Future Gohan sucked in a breath.
"Nappa… alive…"
He stared at them, realization settling like a weight.
"…Then this world…"
"…is already completely different from the one I lived in."
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