The next day—
After Piccolo finished informing everyone, he returned to Mount Paozu, where Chi-Chi immediately shared what she called a "good idea."
Piccolo still preferred solving problems head-on, with strength and battle.
But this time, he didn't argue.
Instead, he gathered everyone as quickly as possible. After a vote, the majority agreed: they should deal with Dr. Gero in advance—before his Androids could ever be completed.
And so, the search began.
For two full days, they chased every lead they could think of—old Red Ribbon traces, abandoned routes, rumors, any suspicious labs, any hidden facilities.
But in the end…
They found nothing.
The Dragon Balls had been used only recently and still hadn't recovered their power, meaning they couldn't summon Shenron. With no trail and no wish available, the group had no choice but to temporarily shelve the plan and wait until the Dragon Balls were usable again.
…
Meanwhile, on a small island near South City—
Dr. Gero had already noticed.
Through his electronic reconnaissance drones, he'd seen their movements and realized they were trying to find him.
And yet…
He didn't care.
He didn't relocate.
He didn't set traps.
He didn't even bother responding.
Because he knew something they didn't.
Neither he nor his Androids had ki.
Meaning they had no "presence" to sense.
No matter how strong Goku and the others became, they couldn't simply close their eyes and track him the way they tracked enemies with energy.
Finding him wouldn't be that easy.
And besides…
The most important thing was this—
His lifespan was almost over.
At this rate, he might not even live long enough to witness Son Goku's end with his own eyes.
So instead of wasting time playing defense, he chose the only path that mattered:
Speed.
He would rush the completion of Android 19—
Then use 19 to remodel his own body into an Android, extending his life by abandoning the limits of flesh.
…
Days passed again.
By evening, Mount Paozu had returned to an eerie calm.
The mountain air was quiet.
The sky was quiet.
Even the wind felt restrained.
Then—
A spacecraft tore through the clouds and descended at high speed, landing near one corner of Mount Paozu.
The roar shook the peaks.
The ground rumbled underfoot.
Chi-Chi and the others rushed out of the house at once.
"A spaceship—!"
"It's Goku! They're back!"
The hatch opened.
Goku stepped out, and the moment he saw Chi-Chi sprinting toward him, he spread his arms without thinking.
"I'm back!"
Chi-Chi slammed into his chest, wrapping him up tight.
Goku hugged her back, surprised by the strength in her arms.
"Chi-Chi… what's wrong? Did you miss me that much?"
Chi-Chi pressed against him as if she was afraid he'd vanish if she let go, then lifted her head to stare at his face.
"Goku… do you feel okay? Anywhere uncomfortable?"
Goku blinked.
"No… I'm fine. Why?"
Bulma, standing nearby, looked completely lost.
"Chi-Chi… did you have a nightmare or something?"
Chi-Chi shook her head.
Bulma immediately softened and patted her.
"Hey, don't be scared. We came back safely, didn't we?"
Then she brightened, unable to resist sharing her own excitement.
"And listen—yeah, we were gone longer than expected, but we handled a lot."
"We didn't just deal with King Cold."
"We also killed Frieza's brother, Cooler."
"From now on, there shouldn't be anyone left who can threaten us."
Right then—
Piccolo walked up, face grim and heavy.
"You're finally back," he said coldly. "Something major happened."
Goku turned, startled.
"Huh? What major thing—why's your face so green?"
Piccolo's expression stiffened.
He didn't find that joke funny in the slightest.
He forced himself to stay serious.
"Future Gohan came here in a time machine."
"He didn't wait for you. He left."
"But he left behind a warning."
"In the future, there will be terrifying Androids."
"Extremely powerful."
"…Future Gohan?"
Goku's eyes widened.
For a moment, his brain refused to process it.
Someone came back?
That shouldn't happen.
And if someone did come back, it should've been Trunks, not Gohan.
But then his gaze flicked to Bulma—
And understanding hit him in an instant.
In this world, Bulma was his wife.
Which meant…
There might not even be a Trunks at all.
At that moment, Vegeta and Nappa also stepped down from the ship.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed, sharp with interest.
"Piccolo," he asked, "what did you just say?"
"A powerful enemy in the future?"
Piccolo didn't waste time.
"This is the short version."
"When Goku was a kid, he destroyed the Red Ribbon Army."
"One scientist survived—Dr. Gero."
"To get revenge on Goku, he created powerful Androids."
"They appear three years from now."
"And in that future… everyone dies to them."
Nappa's face changed instantly.
"What?! We all die to Androids?!"
"That's what Future Gohan said," Piccolo replied.
Nappa immediately threw his hands up, refusing to accept it.
"Come on! Kakarot and Vegeta can both become Super Saiyans now!"
"And Frieza's whole family is dead!"
They're obviously the strongest warriors in the universe—how could they lose to some Androids?!"
Vegeta stared at Piccolo too, waiting for an explanation.
Piccolo shook his head.
"The Androids may be stronger than you think."
"Future Gohan could become a Super Saiyan as well."
"And he still couldn't defeat them."
"Also… there are two."
The sunset's last light spilled into Mount Paozu's courtyard—
And the atmosphere turned heavy, suffocating.
Bulma swallowed.
"Even Goku couldn't beat them?"
Piccolo inhaled slowly.
"In that future… Goku didn't die in battle."
Bulma's face tightened.
"Then how did he die?!"
Chi-Chi answered, voice trembling but firm.
"A viral heart disease."
"A heart virus so severe that even Senzu Beans can't cure it."
"Heart disease?!"
Vegeta froze for a heartbeat—
Then burst into loud laughter.
"HAHAHA!"
"What kind of joke is that?! Kakarot, you die to a stupid illness?!"
Goku didn't respond.
Something felt wrong.
He clearly remembered that reward—he shouldn't get sick for thirty years.
And he wasn't even close to that limit yet.
Nappa scratched his bald head, still looking baffled.
"Wait… that's ridiculous. How does a Super Saiyan get heart disease?"
Bulma immediately grabbed Goku's arm, panic flashing across her face.
"Don't worry. If we know in advance, we can stop it."
"I'll develop medicine. I'll figure it out."
"And even if science can't solve it—we still have the Dragon Balls—"
Chi-Chi shook her head quickly.
"Bulma, you don't have to worry about that."
"When Gohan came, he brought the cure."
"In twenty years, there's already a special medicine for the virus."
"He said Goku only needs to take it when the symptoms begin, and he'll recover."
Bulma's eyes lit up.
"Future Gohan brought the cure?! That's amazing!"
She turned toward Goku, relief almost making her dizzy.
"Goku… you don't have to die anymore…"
Goku nodded slowly, almost mechanically.
But inside, his mind was full of questions.
He remembered the Dark Dragon Ball he'd seen on Namek—
Maybe this wasn't just time travel.
Maybe the Dark Dragon Ball had created extra timelines.
Maybe the Gohan who came here wasn't even from their "true" future—
But from some offshoot world that had already diverged.
Still…
One thing didn't make sense.
If someone was supposed to come back, it should've been Trunks.
So why was it Gohan?
Before he could chase that thought any further—
Bulma suddenly jumped into his arms, grinning in pure relief, completely disrupting his focus.
Goku sighed internally and decided not to overthink it.
He wasn't afraid of danger.
And if sickness truly wasn't supposed to happen, then it wouldn't.
Besides—
No matter how strong the Androids were, could they be stronger than Super Saiyan God?
He already had a method to leap forward in power if he really wanted to.
He just hadn't used it, because everything so far still felt controllable.
And because that form still needed a foundation—his base strength—to rise further.
He didn't want to raise the ceiling too early and limit his long-term future.
And honestly…
Using Super Saiyan God to crush enemies like Cell or Majin Buu—
Wasn't that basically cheating?
He knew himself too well.
In his previous life, once he used cheat tools in games, even great games stopped feeling fun.
That power had to remain a trump card.
And beyond Super Saiyan God…
There was still a long road ahead.
…
Vegeta, however, was stuck on a different detail.
Future Gohan could become a Super Saiyan too.
And when he compared it to himself, something felt wrong.
A half-breed? Competing with me?
He stepped forward sharply.
"Even if Future Gohan becomes a Super Saiyan, not every Saiyan is equal."
"He's a half-blood Earthling-Saiyan. His growth can't compare to mine."
"Future Kakarot dies of sickness—fine."
"But what about me?"
"Did I lose to the Androids too?"
"Or did I leave Earth?"
Piccolo's answer was cold and direct.
"In that future, you couldn't beat them either."
"You chose self-destruction."
"And even then… you still couldn't kill them."
Vegeta's smile froze.
"And me…"
Piccolo's voice dropped further.
"I died protecting Gohan."
"I was pierced through the chest."
"And once I died… the Dragon Balls disappeared."
Vegeta went silent.
For several seconds—
No one spoke.
Then suddenly—
"No."
"Impossible!"
Vegeta exploded in rage, his aura cracking the earth beneath his feet.
"How could I ever use self-destruction?!"
"And even if I did—how could it still not kill them?!"
Piccolo sneered.
"Because that's the reality."
"The Androids have infinite energy."
"And their bodies are tougher than you can imagine."
"According to Gohan…"
"They can take a Super Saiyan's full-power attacks head-on…"
"And remain unharmed."
Nappa's legs went weak.
He dropped straight onto the ground.
"T-then we're dead for sure…"
Chi-Chi stepped forward, eyes sharp.
"Don't panic."
"We already thought of a plan."
Everyone turned toward her.
"The Androids were made by Dr. Gero."
"So if we eliminate him before he finishes them…"
"The danger disappears before it ever begins."
"We already tried searching. We couldn't find him."
"But we can use the Dragon Balls."
"They haven't recovered yet, but the Androids won't appear for three years."
"When the Dragon Balls regain power, we can gather them again and make the wish."
Bulma's face lit up instantly.
"That's it! That's perfect!"
"Foolish!"
Vegeta cut her off like a blade.
"You think you can change fate with a cheap trick?"
Chi-Chi hesitated. "W-We can't?"
Vegeta roared, golden aura erupting around him like a raging storm.
"Listen carefully, Earth women!"
"Saiyans would rather die than do something like that!"
"A true warrior crushes his enemy with power!"
Bulma snapped back, furious.
"What do you mean 'something like that'?!"
"This isn't a game!"
"This is Earth's fate!"
Then she spun toward Goku, gripping his arm.
"Goku! You agree with the plan, right?!"
She shook him hard, desperate for his support.
But Goku shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Bulma…"
"Honestly…"
"I want to fight too."
Bulma stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
"…What?"
"Are you insane?!"
Vegeta laughed, satisfied.
"Heh. Earth woman—you wouldn't understand."
"Kakarot is a Saiyan too."
"He has battle blood in his veins."
"I knew he'd choose to fight."
Then Vegeta swept his gaze across everyone and raised his fist, voice turning dangerous.
"Anyone who dares interfere with my final battle against the Androids…"
"I will not forgive."
Piccolo nodded slowly.
"I originally planned to train and defeat them with my own strength as well."
"If Goku and Vegeta both insist on fighting…"
"Then we'll do it that way."
Seeing Chi-Chi and Bulma still tense, Goku stepped forward and tried to reassure them.
"In that future, I lost because I got sick."
"But now we know in advance."
"I won't repeat that mistake."
"From today onward, we have a new goal."
"We train harder than ever."
"And we'll become stronger than that future version of ourselves."
Their fear didn't vanish—
But their fighting spirit ignited.
Bulma finally spread her hands, exasperated.
"Fine. I can't do anything with you lunatics."
"If Earth's protection is on your shoulders…"
"Then we can only go crazy along with you."
Chi-Chi nodded firmly.
"Then let's all do our best."
"I don't want our world to become a wasteland."
Meiqi instantly raised her small hand.
"Let's fight for world peace!!"
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