As Son Goku prepared to leave, his eyes drifted toward the stasis pod that was already open.
A quiet unease settled in his chest.
If nothing else—
That empty chamber meant one thing.
No. 16 had already walked out.
This world…
Was still different from the one in his memory.
And then—
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.
[In your previous life, you trained hard to face the Androids.
But the sudden onset of your heart virus caused you to miss the fight, leaving you with regret.
Your life has restarted. In this life, the heart virus that held you back no longer exists.
You have decided to truly enjoy battle—
and enjoy the results of your three years of training.]
[Mission: Defeat Android 17, Android 18, and Android 16—individually.
Reward: Talent +10.]
Goku blinked.
The system…
It hadn't shown up in ages.
For a moment, he was genuinely surprised.
Then the corner of his mouth twitched.
He couldn't help complaining inwardly:
So it only appears when I have regrets, huh?
Do you have any idea what kind of hell these three years were?
Naturally—
The system offered no reply.
Goku was still zoning out when Krillin's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Goku! What are you spacing out for? Let's go!"
Goku exhaled softly and looked at him.
"Krillin… remember this lab."
"After we handle what's in front of us, we need to come back here."
Krillin blinked. "Come back? Why?"
Goku's gaze slid once more toward the empty pod.
"This is Dr. Gero's lab. There might be something important inside."
Krillin nodded immediately. "That makes sense… but we should bring Bulma."
"Otherwise you and I won't understand half of what's here."
Goku nodded. "Yeah."
With that, the two of them flew out.
—
A short while later, everyone arrived at a desolate mountain range.
Vegeta frowned. "This far is enough. Stop going deeper."
Androids 17 and 18 exchanged a glance.
No words.
Just one look—like they'd already agreed.
They both descended and landed.
Vegeta immediately roared, golden aura exploding outward—
His hair turning gold, eyes flashing green.
Super Saiyan.
Android 17 froze for a second, tilting his head.
"Huh?"
"Why did you change color?"
"And… the feeling is totally different now."
Vegeta sneered. "That's all you've got to say?"
"My Super Saiyan transformation is just 'a different feeling' to you?"
His expression sharpened.
"Let me ask you something."
"Why were you created?"
Android 17 frowned. "Why… created?"
"Yes."
17 thought for a moment. "It's more like why we were modified, but same thing."
Then he shrugged.
"To fulfill Dr. Gero's obsession."
"To kill Son Goku."
Vegeta's smile widened, vicious and satisfied. "As expected."
"But you don't get the chance."
"Because I'm going to crush both of you right here!"
Android 18 brushed her bangs back, voice light. "Even if that's the 'mission'…"
"We don't like listening to that old man."
"And we just heard you say…"
"Dr. Gero is dead?"
Vegeta nodded sharply. "Yeah. Kakarot killed him."
18's lips curled. "Then there's even less reason to listen to him."
Vegeta's brow twitched. "What are you talking about—'not listening'?"
Then a mocking expression formed on his face.
"Don't tell me…"
"You're scared after seeing my strength?"
"Heh. So even puppets can feel fear?"
18's eyes narrowed. "Stop calling us puppets."
"You think I'm scared of you? Don't be ridiculous."
Vegeta pointed at her. "Then come at me."
In the same breath—
18 stepped forward and punched.
Vegeta lifted his arms to block—
BAM!
Her fist slammed into his guard hard enough to make his arms go numb.
Vegeta's eyes sharpened.
Before he could adjust, her other fist came in—
He blocked again.
One punch, then another, then another—
Her fists turned into a machine-gun barrage.
Vegeta was forced backward, deflecting and absorbing blows in rapid succession.
He kept retreating—
Until his back hit a mountain wall.
But Vegeta wasn't purely defending.
Even under pressure, he was building timing.
Waiting.
Then—
He stomped, shattering the rock beneath him, and launched forward like a cannon.
His fist thundered toward her face.
18 moved lightly—almost lazily—slipping past the punch as if it were slow.
Vegeta was aggressive by nature, brutal and relentless.
The moment she dodged his swing—
His knee drove upward like a spear.
18 barely had time to react.
She crossed her arms and blocked.
BOOM!
She was launched backward—
Crashing through a section of mountain and vanishing into rolling dust.
Down below, Android 17 watched with quiet surprise.
"Interesting…"
"Vegeta's strength is way above the data."
Future Gohan stared, stunned.
"This timeline… Vegeta is actually this strong?"
Nappa grinned proudly from the side. "Of course."
"He trained in the gravity room for three years."
Future Gohan glanced at him—
And said nothing.
In his world, Nappa had slaughtered plenty of people.
He'd even killed Piccolo.
Only because Goku and Piccolo were both still alive here did Future Gohan force himself not to act.
Dust continued to billow.
18 still hadn't come out.
Vegeta lifted his chin and shouted, veins throbbing.
"Stop pretending!"
"That kind of attack can't hurt you—come out!"
"And besides…"
He sneered. "Puppets don't even feel pain, do they?"
A second later—
18 walked out of the dust, calmly brushing dirt from her clothes.
She looked… relaxed.
Almost bored.
The only difference was that her outfit was a bit dirtier.
Her smile never left her face.
Vegeta's anger surged.
"What are you smiling at?!"
"I'll break you into pieces and see if you can still smile then!"
He pointed with one hand—
A Big Bang Attack blasted toward her.
18 jumped.
Clean.
Effortless.
The blast slammed into the mountain behind her—
And erased an entire peak into flat ground.
Vegeta's expression tightened.
"So you're more agile than I expected…"
Piccolo's voice cut in, sharp and warning. "Vegeta. Don't get careless."
"She's far stronger than the Androids Goku killed."
"Not even the same level."
Vegeta smirked. "I know."
"If she didn't have real ability…"
"I'd already have turned her into scrap."
18 spoke, casually.
"You weren't using your full power."
"You weren't even fighting seriously."
Vegeta's chest swelled instantly, the praise hitting his ego like a drug.
He lifted his nose with a smug grin. "Obviously."
"If I got serious, Earth would be destroyed."
18 put her hands on her hips.
"But I haven't gone all-out either."
Vegeta's smirk froze for a fraction—
Because he hadn't even realized.
Then he laughed it off.
"Oh? Then stop holding back."
"Use your full strength."
"Otherwise you'll regret it."
18's lips curled. "You said it."
"Fine."
"I'll stop holding back."
"Come."
Vegeta beckoned with his finger. "Bring it!"
Then—
18 vanished.
Her speed wasn't just higher—
It was like she had switched dimensions.
BAM!
Her forehead smashed into Vegeta's forehead.
Vegeta stumbled backward in shock.
A swelling bump rose instantly on his brow.
He gritted his teeth and swung—
But she dodged like a shadow slipping past a blade.
Then—
Her fist buried into his abdomen.
"Ugh—!"
Vegeta's whole body spasmed.
His muscles tightened uncontrollably as pain exploded through his core.
He staggered, saliva—and something darker—leaking at the corner of his mouth.
18's leg snapped out.
A whip kick.
Vegeta shot backward like a missile and crashed into a mountain of shattered rock—
Dust detonating around him.
Future Gohan's face turned white.
"Vegeta!"
He turned sharply toward Goku.
"Dad, I have to help him! If this keeps going, he'll die!"
Goku raised a hand, stopping him instantly.
"Don't."
"Even if Vegeta dies…"
"He won't accept you stepping in."
"If you help him, you'll crush his pride."
At that moment—
Vegeta walked out of the rubble, eyes cold.
He glanced at Future Gohan with pure contempt.
"Hmph. Half-breed Saiyan."
"No warrior spirit at all."
Future Gohan's teeth clenched.
In his world, he remembered Vegeta as ruthless and cunning on Namek—
A man who played the Frieza Force like chess pieces.
He had never imagined Vegeta could be this stubborn… and this arrogant.
Android 18 crossed her arms and looked at Vegeta calmly.
"You've seen my strength."
"You're not my opponent."
"If you want to surrender, surrender."
"I'm not interested in killing someone who gives up."
Vegeta roared. "Don't joke with me!"
"I'm not surrendering!"
"That just now wasn't me losing—"
"I was testing your strength!"
"Don't get cocky!"
18 tilted her head. "Oh?"
Vegeta glanced at the others, then back at her.
"And let me make this clear—"
"Even if I die…"
"I will never team up with Kakarot and the others."
At that moment—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause.
Android 17 was clapping, amused.
"Not bad, Vegeta."
"That attitude… really is worthy of a Saiyan prince."
Vegeta spat blood to the side and snorted.
"You're just a brat and you're judging me?"
"Hmph. Getting praised by a puppet like you…"
"Where's my dignity in that?"
17 smiled. "I respect warriors."
"I respect you."
Then he looked past everyone—
His gaze stopping on Goku.
"Son Goku. Our fight can wait."
"Right now, this is a fair duel between 18 and Vegeta."
"I want your people to stay out of it."
Goku nodded. "I like fair fights too."
"Don't worry. No one's interfering."
Vegeta scoffed. "Hey, puppet."
"Stop yapping."
"These guys are pacifists."
"Even without your warning, they wouldn't jump in."
He lifted his guard again.
"Continue."
18 brushed her bangs back, eyes gleaming.
"After all that speech…"
"To respect you…"
"I'll go all-out."
Vegeta beckoned again. "Do it!"
In the next heartbeat—
18 appeared in front of him and punched him square in the face.
"A—!"
Vegeta's scream tore through the sky as his body shot away like a broken rocket.
He burst out of the rubble again—
But 18's elbow dropped like a hammer.
THUD!
Vegeta hit the ground.
His eyes rolled back.
And he went limp.
Out cold.
Krillin swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Vegeta… lost…"
"Are you kidding me…"
"He's that strong, and she knocked him out with one hit…"
Piccolo's throat went dry. "So this is how strong they are…"
"She wasn't even using her full power earlier."
"If that's the case…"
"We might not even be qualified to fight them."
Nappa's voice shook. "A woman is this strong…"
"Vegeta… she won't kill him, right?"
Future Gohan's expression tightened with dread.
"How… how is this happening?"
"I felt it earlier…"
"These Androids are stronger than the ones in my world."
Krillin immediately turned to Goku.
"Goku… it's on you now. We can't help."
"Do you have confidence?"
Goku nodded calmly. "Relax, Krillin."
Krillin's chest loosened instantly.
"Good… I knew you would."
At that moment, 18 looked toward Goku and spoke casually.
"Aren't you carrying those senzu beans?"
"Feed him."
"If you don't, he'll die later."
Future Gohan's eyes widened.
"What…?"
"You beat him."
"You're not going to kill him?"
18 shrugged, almost annoyed.
"He keeps provoking us, calling us puppets—yeah, he deserved a beating."
"But it was a fair duel."
"He doesn't deserve to die for that."
Future Gohan stood there, stunned.
He remembered what Goku had said earlier—
That this world was different.
That even these Androids might be different.
And now… he couldn't help questioning himself.
Could Dad be right?
Are the Androids in this world… really not villains?
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