Mount Paozu.
Heh heh heh!
Gohan was throwing punches and kicks at Piccolo with intense focus and commitment.
Piccolo blocked for a moment, then drove a sharp palm strike into Gohan's back.
Gohan stumbled and nearly fell.
But he quickly steadied himself, turned around, and looked back at Piccolo with a smile.
Piccolo: ...
Something stirred in Piccolo's chest — a deep, wordless surprise.
Because in that moment, Piccolo saw something in Gohan that reminded him unmistakably of Goku.
That quality — the mind that thinks of nothing but the fight — was written all over Gohan right now.
It had never been there before.
What happened to this kid?
He's like a completely different person.
When they had returned to Earth with Vegeta, Gohan had said he intended to train seriously with Piccolo.
Then he went home for three nights, and completely changed his mind — said his real dream was still to become a scholar.
And with that, he had put down his fighting gloves and thrown himself into academic work with total dedication.
For nearly a year, Gohan had studied with genuine, unwavering focus.
And then, three days ago, Gohan had shown up at Piccolo's door and said he wanted to train.
Piccolo had felt a surge of joy — though he kept his expression cold and told Gohan off: "If this is another one of your three-days-on, two-days-off situations, you'd better go straight back to your books."
"No — I mean it, Uncle Piccolo." Gohan's eyes were steady with resolve.
And so Piccolo had resumed training Gohan.
But this time, Piccolo could immediately sense that something was fundamentally different.
The look in Gohan's eyes had changed too — more grounded, more mature than before.
What brought this on?
"Thank you, Uncle Piccolo." Gohan smiled, looking over at him.
"It's nothing..." Piccolo nodded, his expression neutral as ever. "But — since you brought it up — why did you change your mind? Didn't you want to be a great scholar?"
"I thought it over." Gohan's expression grew serious, and he clenched both fists tight. "The Earth needs me to protect it."
Piccolo: ????
Is this really the same Gohan I know?
The old Gohan would never have said anything like that.
"Dad should be back soon, shouldn't he?" Gohan looked up at the sky.
"Your father... hasn't come back in a while?" Piccolo asked, mildly surprised.
"Well..." Gohan scratched the back of his head.
"Hasn't he been away training?" Piccolo said.
"I know... Dad should be on Yardrat right now, learning Instant Transmission." Gohan said with a small smile.
"Yardrat?" Piccolo blinked, his brow furrowing.
Goku went all the way to Planet Yardrat to learn Instant Transmission?
Hold on... didn't he learn Instant Transmission from King Kai?
Does he need to go to Yardrat to refine it further?
Piccolo felt a growing sense of confusion.
"Alright, Uncle Piccolo — time for me to get a little more serious." Gohan took a long, measured breath and looked at Piccolo.
Piccolo: ...
So you weren't being serious with me just now?
"Of course — show me your real strength." Piccolo smiled, completely unruffled.
"Then..." Gohan's Ki surged wildly, the full force of his power bursting free.
When Piccolo felt the sheer weight of what Gohan was releasing, he was stunned to his core and needed a moment to recover.
When did this kid get to this level?
He was nowhere near this strong three days ago. Absolutely nowhere close.
In three days — how did he jump this far?
"Now that's more like it. I suppose I should get serious too." Piccolo's mouth curved into a genuine smile.
BOOM — BOOM — BOOM!
Neither of them wasted another word. They launched back into their aerial duel with everything they had.
Gohan and Piccolo's silhouettes wove and flickered through the sky, leaving a trail of afterimages in their wake.
Goku arrived nearby and watched with wide eyes, unable to stop scratching his head.
When did Gohan get this strong?
And his fighting instinct — it's sharpened to something completely different from before.
Before, even when Gohan was strong, he had almost no fighting instinct. He was always a bit hesitant, a bit reluctant.
But now — looking at Gohan's eyes, all Goku can see is the fight.
"Remarkable." Goku murmured.
BOOM!
Piccolo suddenly flickered into a blind spot behind Gohan and drove a kick into his back.
Gohan's body tumbled through several aerial rolls — but just before he would have hit the ground, he snapped back into control, surged upward, and reappeared directly in front of Piccolo.
"Your power has genuinely gone up — but there's still quite a gap between us." Piccolo said, smiling.
"I haven't even transformed yet, Uncle Piccolo." Gohan said evenly.
Piccolo paused.
"Let me see if I can transform into a Super Saiyan!" Gohan took a deep breath — and a golden light ignited across his body.
CRACK!
Gohan's hair surged upward. He blazed into his Super Saiyan transformation.
Piccolo stood there, stunned.
Watching from the side, Goku's eyes had gone wide. He stared at Gohan's transformation with disbelief.
Gohan can turn Super Saiyan now?
That's incredible.
A wave of pure joy washed through Goku's chest.
"You — you — you..." Piccolo couldn't close his mouth. His jaw nearly hit his own feet.
"Not bad — I can finally transform. I have Uncle Piccolo to thank for that." Gohan smiled warmly.
"How — how did you manage to become a Super Saiyan?" Piccolo asked, completely at a loss.
Goku came flying over from the distance while they were still talking.
"Gohan — that's incredible! Haven't seen you in a while and look at you — you've gone Super Saiyan!" Goku said, absolutely delighted.
"Dad!" The moment Gohan saw his father, he flew straight at him, eyes brimming.
"Gohan — why are you crying?" Goku said, a little bewildered.
"I... the wind blew some dust in my eyes, that's all." Gohan sniffed, rubbed the corner of his eye, and gave his father a wide grin.
Goku suddenly had the feeling that Gohan was slightly unfamiliar to him.
He couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.
Gohan looked at his father with quiet gravity.
What can I do?
Before long, Dad's going to die from the Viral Heart Disease...
Is there any way to cure it?
Wait — don't we have the Dragon Balls?
Asking Shenron for medicine to cure Viral Heart Disease — that should work, shouldn't it?
It has to.
Last time, it came so suddenly. There wasn't even time to gather the Dragon Balls. From the moment Dad collapsed to when he died — it was barely an hour.
This time — I am not going to let him die.
If Dad doesn't die, those two Androids won't be able to run wild either.
Gohan had been reincarnated.
He had come from the future timeline of the Androids — killed by Android 17 — and his soul had drifted to this point in time and merged with the younger Gohan of this era.
When he'd first opened his eyes, everything had felt disorienting and unreal.
But quickly, the truth had settled over him.
Mom is alive.
Uncle Piccolo and Uncle Krillin — everyone is alive.
The realization had flooded Gohan with overwhelming emotion.
That same day, his mother had told him to study hard. Gohan had been completely unable to even think about books — he'd told her as much and gone straight to find Piccolo.
The moment he'd seen Piccolo, his eyes had gone red.
I get to see Uncle Piccolo alive again.
The joy of that was genuine and immense.
Piccolo had spotted the red-rimmed eyes and been thoroughly thrown off.
What could have possibly hurt you this much?
"Gohan — did something happen?" Piccolo had asked, puzzled.
"Nothing... wind and dust." Gohan had scratched the back of his head sheepishly and wiped his eyes.
In the three days that followed, Gohan had trained without stopping.
Three days of absolute, committed training.
And after three days, Gohan had largely recovered the power he'd held in his previous life.
His previous life's strength had been nothing extraordinary — roughly comparable to Trunks, and no more. But given his current physical condition, returning to that level had been straightforward.
"Gohan, you really are something — managed to turn Super Saiyan before I even noticed." Goku said with admiration, ruffling Gohan's hair.
"Dad — I want to train seriously and do my part to protect the Earth." Gohan said with quiet resolve.
"You're not going to try to be a great scholar anymore?" Goku asked, puzzled.
"I thought it through — Dad, Uncle Piccolo." Gohan nodded. "The Earth doesn't need another great scientist or scholar. What it needs are strong fighters. I'm going to protect it. Even when you're not here, I'll do everything in my power to make sure no one causes harm on this planet."
"That you've come to think this way — that really means a lot." Goku laughed warmly, then dropped his voice and leaned toward Gohan. "By the way — your Uncle Piccolo still has dreams of ruling the Earth one day."
Piccolo: ...
Piccolo's expression went black on the spot.
You know my hearing is exceptional. I caught every word of that.
Gohan burst out laughing despite himself.
"Haha, Piccolo — heard that, didn't you? Just a joke, don't take it to heart!" Goku laughed.
"That is NOT funny!" Piccolo snapped.
A quiet warmth settled over Gohan.
The era where Dad and Uncle Piccolo are both still alive.
This is such a good time to be alive.
I want to hold onto this.
I'll give everything I have to protect the people I love.
But... how am I supposed to defeat those two Androids?
At my current level, I'm still no match for them.
There's still three years before they appear.
I have to use that time well. I need to get strong enough to surpass them.
And if all else fails — I'll find a way to get to Dr. Gero's lab and put a stop to those two Androids before they're ever activated.
But first things first — I need to use the Dragon Balls to get a cure for Dad's heart condition.
I can't let Dad die again.
"Oh, Goku — have you heard about Vegeta?" Piccolo said suddenly.
"Vegeta? What about him?" Goku blinked.
"About a year ago, we ran into him out in space. He came back to Earth with us." Piccolo replied. "After that, he went straight to Capsule Corporation... Bulma broke up with Yamcha and got together with Vegeta."
"Oh? Really?" Goku paused, then scratched his head.
That's different from how I remember it.
As far as I know, at this point in the timeline, Vegeta and Bulma shouldn't be together yet.
When Future Trunks showed up, Vegeta and Bulma hadn't even gotten together.
I remember Bulma was still in Yamcha's arms when they flew in...
"You don't seem surprised at all." Piccolo studied Goku quietly.
"Ah... should I be?" Goku laughed. "But honestly — now that I think about it, this might work out. I remember when we first met Bulma, her biggest wish was to find her prince charming. Vegeta is the prince of the Saiyans. Looks like she finally got what she wanted — isn't that a good thing?"
Piccolo: ...
Piccolo was briefly rendered speechless.
You say that like it makes perfect sense, and yet I can't find the words to disagree.
Gohan quietly wiped a bead of sweat from the side of his face.
Aunt Bulma and Uncle Vegeta got together early?
Is this a butterfly effect caused by my own reincarnation?
"Vegeta's been training hard too, apparently — probably wants to surpass you." Piccolo added.
"Good. I hope Vegeta gets as strong as he can. Fighting alongside him one day would be great." Goku nodded, sincerely rooting for Vegeta to grow stronger.
"Let's just hope he keeps himself in line and stays out of trouble." Piccolo said, thoughtfully.
"I'm going to check on how Vegeta's training is coming along." Goku said, pressing his index and middle fingers to his forehead, ready to Instant Transmit to Vegeta.
But the moment he reached out — he couldn't find Vegeta's Ki signature anywhere.
"Strange — where's Vegeta's energy?" Goku looked puzzled.
Piccolo reached out with his own senses. He also came up empty.
Gohan tried as well. Nothing.
"He's not in combat mode, so he's probably suppressing his Ki voluntarily?" Piccolo guessed.
"That's possible. We can check in with him later." Goku said, unconcerned.
Capsule Corporation. Gravity Chamber.
CRACK!
Vegeta ignited his Super Saiyan God transformation and moved freely through the 300-times gravity environment as though it were open air.
BOOM — BOOM — BOOM!
He threw punch after punch and kick after kick into the empty air.
Then his entire body blazed to life in blue light as he unlocked Super Saiyan Blue.
He held that state for an extended period of training.
Eventually, Vegeta powered down to base form, breathing hard, a deep fatigue settling into his limbs.
After a full year of relentless training, he had finally restored Super Saiyan Blue to its absolute peak.
Just now, when Vegeta had used Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, he had been tapping into godly Ki.
Godly Ki was imperceptible to Goku and the others — which was why they couldn't sense his location.
Creak.
Vegeta opened the chamber door and stepped out without hurry, had a proper meal, and let his body recover.
"How did it go? Have you recovered to your peak?" Bulma asked, looking over at him.
"Fully recovered." Vegeta confirmed, then added, "But that's still nowhere near enough. I've only recovered what I had in my previous life. I need to surpass it."
"You mentioned earlier that in Trunks' future timeline — after the Androids were dealt with — someone called Fused Zamasu appeared?" Bulma asked, somewhere between bewildered and amused.
"Yes." Vegeta said.
"Trunks' future really does have the worst luck..." Bulma said with a quiet sigh.
"This time, I won't allow any of that to happen." Vegeta said firmly. "Once I've trained a little more, Goku Black and Zamasu won't stand a chance against me."
The two of them were still talking when Vegeta suddenly looked up toward the sky, his expression sharpening.
"What is it, Vegeta?" Bulma asked.
"Strange... is that Frieza's Ki?" Vegeta murmured, staring at the sky with a slight frown.
"Frieza? The emperor Frieza?" Bulma said, mildly startled.
"His Ki is far stronger than I expected. What's going on?" Vegeta was genuinely puzzled.
At this point in the timeline, Frieza shouldn't be particularly strong.
With my current level, I could put him down without even transforming.
So why does his Ki feel like this? This is close to Golden Frieza levels.
"About ten minutes from now, he'll arrive on Earth." Vegeta's mouth curved upward into a quiet smile, and a look of genuine anticipation crossed his face.
Even Golden Frieza is nothing to fear now.
My current form surpasses him completely.
"Ten minutes — Frieza will be here in ten minutes?" Bulma said, a small, delighted shock crossing her face. Her eyes lit up. "I want to watch. I've never actually seen what Frieza looks like!"
Vegeta: ...
A brief silence.
"You should come." Vegeta nodded slightly. "As I recall, in this period — if things follow the original history — our future son Trunks should appear and take care of Frieza."
"Really? That's when Trunks shows up?! Wonderful — I get to see my future son!" Bulma said, barely containing her excitement.
"Although..." Vegeta's brow furrowed slightly. "Frieza has gotten considerably stronger than expected. Even with Trunks showing up, I'm not sure he'll be able to handle him."
"Wait — didn't you tell me before that our future son Trunks cut Frieza in half with one swing of his sword?" Bulma blinked at him.
"History has changed. The butterfly effects from my reincarnation, most likely." Vegeta said, thinking it through.
"That would make sense." Bulma tapped her chin.
Vegeta said nothing more. He reached out, scooped Bulma up, and took to the sky with her.
Mount Paozu.
"Is that Frieza? That guy is back!" Goku suddenly picked up Frieza's Ki and couldn't help frowning.
"It is Frieza, no question." Piccolo said, his tone grave.
"Didn't I tell that guy's two lackeys to pass the message along — that Frieza shouldn't come to Earth? Why did they not listen?" Goku rubbed his hands together, then shook his head. "Forget it. This time, I'll finish him off for good."
"Frieza?" Gohan blinked — and stepped forward. "Dad, let me handle him."
Goku: ...
Goku looked at Gohan for a long, measuring moment, then gently shook his head and put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Dad — what is it?" Gohan said, reading his father's expression.
"Gohan — even though you've become a Super Saiyan, Frieza is far stronger than we're expecting." Goku said quietly. "Keep training. This one isn't for you yet."
"You're saying that even as a Super Saiyan, I'm not a match for Frieza?" Gohan said, visibly thrown.
The history really has diverged from what I know.
I've achieved Super Saiyan. And I still can't beat Frieza?
Something isn't right.
"Come on — let's go take a look." Goku said, stretching a hand out to Piccolo and Gohan, then added with sudden surprise, "Wait — I can pick up Vegeta's Ki now. Let's go meet up with him."
Neither Piccolo nor Gohan objected.
Whoosh!
Goku activated Instant Transmission and the three of them vanished — reappearing beside Vegeta in a single instant.
Vegeta was still in the air, carrying Bulma.
Seeing Goku appear with Gohan and Piccolo, Vegeta stopped in place.
"Kakarot!" Vegeta greeted him with a look of burning eagerness, the corner of his mouth tugging upward with undisguised satisfaction.
This life, I'm finally going to put Kakarot in the ground where he belongs.
No matter how hard he trains, there's no way he overtakes me now.
I became Super Saiyan Blue nearly twenty years ahead of him.
And Super Saiyan Blue isn't even the ceiling. Once I show him Super Saiyan God, Kakarot is going to be absolutely floored.
"Hey — Vegeta? You and Bulma are really together?" Goku said with an easy smile.
"That's none of your business." Vegeta said, and shot him a flat look.
"I have to say though... Vegeta, you're impressive. I can feel that you've gotten a whole lot stronger." Goku said, still smiling.
"Hmph. I surpassed you a long time ago, Kakarot." Vegeta said, his smile growing ever more smug.
"Is that right? Well, that's amazing, Vegeta!" Goku said, nodding with genuine admiration and laughing.
"Goku — long time no see." Bulma called out cheerfully.
"Haha! It really has been ages." Goku waved back with a grin.
"That's enough catching up — Frieza's ship has already started to descend. It's coming down over there!" Piccolo cut in, pointing to a location in the distance.
"Let's go." Goku said.
Whoosh — whoosh — whoosh!
The group flew together toward Frieza's landing zone at full speed.
At the same time, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu had also sensed Frieza's powerful energy signature and were converging on the area.
"Is that Frieza's Ki?" Tien said, his voice low.
"Looks like it." Yamcha confirmed with a nod.
"Didn't Jaco move Frieza to some far-off planet at the edge of the universe? Only a year of peace, and now he's back already." Krillin let out a long sigh.
"Yeah." Tien said, his voice heavy.
"But while we're at it — Yamcha, you've gotten over the whole Bulma thing, right? It's been a while." Krillin asked with a smile.
"What kind of question is that, Krillin?! Of course I have!" Yamcha snapped.
"Oh! Look — it's Goku and the others!" Krillin suddenly pointed toward the sky nearby.
Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo were visible in the air above.
"And Bulma — she's being carried by Vegeta." Chiaotzu said with a wince, shooting a sympathetic look at Yamcha.
Yamcha: ...
You people are being exceptionally cruel right now.
"Hey, everyone." Goku called over from a distance.
"It's great that Goku's here. Even if Frieza's back, he's no match for Goku." Krillin let out a small sigh of relief.
"Agreed." Tien nodded.
The group touched down beside Krillin and the others.
WHMMMM...
Frieza's spacecraft blazed across the horizon and came screaming down toward the earth below.
It landed.
"Goku — looks like Frieza is yours again to deal with." Krillin said with a light smile.
"Sure. This time I'm going to finish him once and for all. No more chances." Goku said, his expression growing serious.
That said, Goku hadn't actually moved.
Krillin: ...
Yamcha and the others all stared at Goku blankly.
Frieza has already landed.
Goku, why are you just standing there?
"Goku — what are you doing? Go fight Frieza." Krillin urged.
"Hmph. Not yet." Vegeta snorted.
"Yeah... let's wait a moment..." Goku echoed.
Everyone present looked deeply confused, glancing between Goku and Vegeta.
Goku and Vegeta also happened to glance at each other — and both found the other's behavior mystifying.
Why do you want to wait?
Who are you waiting for?
By now, Frieza had stepped out of the ship with Broly and a dozen or so underlings.
"Broly — look. This is Earth. Not bad, is it?" Frieza said pleasantly, gesturing for Broly to take in the scenery.
Broly turned his head left and right, curious about everything he saw.
Frieza did the mental calculation.
Going by how the old history went, the Super Saiyan with the sword should be appearing right around now.
Why hasn't he shown up yet?
Do I need to say something that's roughly what I said last time to trigger his appearance?
"Broly — say what I'm about to tell you. Say: 'The Super Saiyan still has three hours before he can return to Earth — should we keep waiting?'" Frieza said, turning to Broly.
Broly: ????
Broly stared at Frieza with an expression of complete and total confusion, unable to make any sense of what was being asked of him.
To be continued…
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