"It's called a Senzu Bean — try one. They're amazing." Goku smiled and gestured for him to eat. "Go on, Broly — you're in for a surprise!"
Broly popped the bean into his mouth, crunched through it thoroughly, and chewed thoughtfully.
The taste is pretty ordinary.
You call this good?
But the moment Broly swallowed, he went completely still — and his eyes gradually lit up with quiet wonder.
It actually is good.
My strength is completely restored the moment I ate it.
That Frieza character never once let me eat my fill.
"Broly — let's spar!" Goku smiled and extended the invitation.
"Spar?" Broly didn't follow.
"Fight. Like this." Goku threw a few punches and kicks at the air to demonstrate.
"...Alright." Broly nodded.
Old Kai: ...
You're actually going to fight. Right here.
Back on Earth.
Watching Goku and Broly vanish, Vegeta was so angry he could barely see straight.
Kakarot, you absolute idiot.
Trunks came all the way here from the future to bring you medicine for your Viral Heart Disease — and you just take off without a second glance?
What is going on in your head?
Vegeta squeezed his fists until his knuckles went pale.
If I could Instant Transmit, I'd track that fool down and give him a piece of my mind.
Gohan and Trunks were standing in the wind looking equally bewildered.
The two of them stared at each other, temporarily speechless.
"Master... Mr. Goku just... left?" Trunks genuinely didn't know what to say.
"Trunks — just give the medicine to me. When Dad comes back, I'll make sure he takes it." Gohan sighed with tired resignation.
"Yes, Master." Trunks produced a small vial and handed it over.
"Thank you, Trunks." Gohan said, carefully securing it.
"Well... if that's how things are... you already know what's going to happen in the future, Master, so I don't need to say much more. I should head back as soon as possible." Trunks said, his expression growing serious. "When I get back, I'm going to train hard. Three years from now — I'll come back and fight side by side with you."
"Alright. I'll find a way to... let everyone know what's coming. Give them time to prepare." Gohan nodded with quiet resolve.
"Understood, Master." Trunks stepped forward again and pulled Gohan into another fierce embrace.
Neither of them wanted to let go.
This farewell. There's no telling if there will be another one.
"Take care of yourself, Trunks." Gohan said, his voice low.
"Give it everything you have, Master." Trunks said with a firm nod.
Both of their eyes were red — but both of them held the tears back by force of will.
"Train hard. And be careful — please, Trunks." Gohan urged, not once but several times.
"I will. Don't worry, Master Gohan." Trunks answered. "Getting to see you again here — I can't tell you how much it means to me."
Trunks had said he was going to say goodbye, but in practice, neither of them could bring themselves to end it. They kept trading words, back and forth, without stopping.
From a distance, Vegeta watched the two of them up in the sky.
"Why do our son and Gohan seem to get along so well?" Bulma couldn't help asking.
"It's natural. In the future, it was Gohan who taught our son Trunks how to fight." Vegeta said, taking it in stride. "He came to this era and found this time's Gohan. Probably brought back some feelings."
"You can tell — they're really enjoying talking to each other." Bulma blinked and nodded.
"Although... I wonder if that foolish boy has gone and told this era's Gohan everything that happens in the future." Vegeta suddenly realized something, and it didn't sit well with him. He tells everyone else but not his own father.
"Hmph. I'm his biological father and he's keeping me in the dark." Vegeta snorted, clearly put out.
"Well — in the future, he never met you. It makes sense he'd feel more at ease with someone else, doesn't it?" Bulma said with a light smile.
"Fair point." Vegeta acknowledged. "We didn't start to understand each other until we spent that year training together in that alternate dimension."
"When we get a chance, make sure we keep him for dinner." Bulma reminded him, more than once, clearly worried their future son might slip away.
Vegeta gave a quiet nod.
"Where did Goku go?" Bulma asked.
"He's taken that Broly somewhere to fight, obviously." Vegeta said, seeing straight through Goku's motivation without any trouble.
"Is that Broly fellow strong?" Bulma asked offhandedly.
"He beat Frieza, so he has something going for him. But compared to me — not even close." Vegeta said with calm confidence.
Elsewhere, Krillin and the others were all staring at Trunks and Gohan up in the sky with varying degrees of confusion, completely unable to place the unfamiliar young man.
"Did you see that? He transformed into a Super Saiyan." Yamcha said, genuinely stunned.
"I saw it!" Tien nodded. "I didn't think there was anyone else who could do that besides Goku."
"Vegeta can transform into a Super Saiyan too, can't he?" Krillin added.
"Wasn't the Super Saiyan supposed to only appear once every thousand years?" Yamcha muttered in mild exasperation. "And now there's a whole bunch of them at once."
Piccolo stood quietly observing for a while, ears perked and listening carefully.
As he caught fragments of the conversation between Gohan and Trunks, something shifted in his expression.
He hadn't heard anything about Gohan's reincarnation.
But something was off about Gohan.
Why has he suddenly become so mature?
And that boy Trunks — he seemed to be talking about something from the future.
What happened in the future?
Something significant, by the sound of it.
"I really am going now." Trunks said again, making his second attempt at a farewell.
"Take care." Gohan nodded, his expression grave.
Trunks bit down, didn't allow himself another moment of hesitation, turned, and shot off into the distance like a blazing streak of light.
Vegeta didn't rush.
He waited until Trunks had flown a considerable distance — and then, with Bulma still in his arms, set off after him at a leisurely pace.
Vegeta had already made up his mind. He would follow Trunks back to the future timeline and dispose of those two Androids himself.
Or alternatively, keep Trunks here and take him into that dimensional space for a year of training, then send him back to handle the Androids with his own hands.
There were plenty of approaches.
Beyond that — Vegeta genuinely wanted to return to his own era.
It had been the first thing on his mind since the moment he reincarnated.
The problem was that Vegeta couldn't work out how to get back.
He couldn't reach the Sacred World of the Kais yet, and had no way of getting a message to the Supreme Kai.
Reaching Lord Beerus or Whis would also work — but Lord Beerus was almost certainly still asleep at this point in time.
Vegeta would have to be patient.
In any case — the score with Goku Black would be settled. Sooner or later.
In the original timeline, Fused Zamasu had beaten Vegeta to the point of complete incapacitation — though he had survived. But in this era, Vegeta had run out of breath in that final moment and died — which was how his soul had crossed into this body.
Gohan watched the direction where Trunks had disappeared, rubbed his eyes, and sank into thought.
How do I explain this to everyone?
Will they even believe it?
Whoosh!
At that moment, Piccolo flickered and appeared at Gohan's side.
"Uncle Piccolo!" Gohan greeted him.
"This sounds fairly serious, doesn't it." Piccolo said, looking at Gohan steadily.
"Huh? You heard?" Gohan looked startled.
"My hearing is unusually sharp. I caught most of the broad strokes." Piccolo said quietly.
Gohan: ...
"What did Uncle Piccolo hear exactly?" Gohan asked, a little anxiously.
"That boy Trunks — he came from the future, didn't he. Tell me what happened there." Piccolo's brow furrowed.
Gohan looked at him carefully and realized with quiet relief that Piccolo apparently hadn't picked up anything about his own reincarnation. The weight in his chest eased slightly.
No one else can know about my identity.
The changes in this timeline are enormous.
Frieza became many times stronger than either Trunks or I expected.
He was almost on the same level as the Androids.
If the Androids in this era end up stronger than ours — what then?
Is it because of my reincarnation, or because Trunks came here, that things shifted so much?
Gohan opened his mouth, ready to tell Piccolo about the Androids.
But Piccolo spoke first. "Let the others come over too. They should all hear this."
"Yes, Uncle Piccolo." Gohan nodded.
"What are you all standing around for? Come here — there's something important." Piccolo called over to Krillin and the others.
The group came together and descended to a wide, open stretch of ground below.
"Gohan — Piccolo — what happened? Who was that guy?" Yamcha asked.
"Yeah, Gohan — you seemed to know him pretty well." Krillin added.
"Well... Uncle Piccolo, Uncle Krillin — you might not believe this, but his name is Trunks. He came from twenty years in the future, in a time machine." Gohan took a slow, steady breath and revealed Trunks' identity to the assembled group.
Good thing Uncle Vegeta isn't here. Even with the name Trunks out in the open, it shouldn't cause too much trouble.
And looking at the situation now — Uncle Vegeta and Aunt Bulma are already together.
So this era's Trunks should still be born.
"From the future?" Krillin blinked.
"Twenty years from now?" Yamcha said, thrown off.
"You're joking..." Tien's third eye opened wide.
"Nobody interrupt. Let Gohan finish." Piccolo's brow furrowed.
"I just have one question — why can this Trunks fellow turn Super Saiyan?" Krillin raised his hand urgently.
"Because... he's Uncle Vegeta's son." Gohan answered.
A collective silence fell over the group.
That kid Trunks is Vegeta's son.
"So he's Vegeta and Bulma's son?" Krillin connected the dots at once and leaned in with wide eyes. "Really?"
"Yes." Gohan confirmed. "But please — everyone needs to keep this quiet. If Aunt Bulma and Uncle Vegeta find out in advance, this era's Trunks might never be born."
Krillin nodded agreeably.
Tien and Chiaotzu said nothing and simply listened as though hearing a story.
Only Yamcha felt a quiet, unpleasant pang inside.
They have a son this old in the future?
"That's all just the buildup — the important part comes next." Gohan sighed, and in that moment he sounded like someone far older, his eyes carrying a weight that didn't belong to a child.
The mood around him shifted. Everyone leaned in.
"Trunks came to our era... originally to find my dad. Dad had to leave, so he ended up telling me instead." Gohan said, forcing a small, strained smile onto his face. His expression darkened. "Trunks said that three years from now — on the morning of May 12th, around 10 a.m. — on a small island nine kilometers southwest of South City, two terrifying enemies will appear. They possess a kind of destructive power that no one in this era can even imagine."
The words landed like a stone. Everyone went very still.
"Aliens?" Yamcha asked.
"Frieza was a cosmic emperor and Goku still put him on the ground." Krillin said lightly.
"With Goku as strong as he is, even aliens shouldn't be a problem, right?" Chiaotzu offered.
"All of you — quiet. Let Gohan keep talking." Piccolo had a bad feeling that wouldn't go away.
Everyone fell silent.
"No — that's the thing." Gohan shook his head. "They're Androids — created right here on Earth. You could call them robots."
"Androids? Robots?" Yamcha blinked.
"The scientist who built them is Dr. Gero — formerly of the Red Ribbon Army." Gohan said.
"The Red Ribbon Army? Wasn't that whole organization wiped out by Goku ages ago?" Krillin's eyes went wide.
"Yeah — your dad took out every single one of them back then." Yamcha confirmed.
"But Dr. Gero survived. He continued his research." Gohan drew a slow breath and went on. "And the two Androids he created — Android 17 and Android 18 — are extraordinarily powerful. And vicious. They killed Dr. Gero himself... which means the only purpose left to them is killing and destruction."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
"The worst part is — in the future world, only Trunks is left standing. One warrior fighting alone." Gohan continued. "And there are two of them. Trunks against them both — he's completely outmatched."
"Two of them, and only Trunks?" Krillin said, something uncomfortable stirring in him. "What about the rest of us?"
"Only Trunks is left as a fighter twenty years from now." Gohan said quietly. "In the battle three years from now — Uncle Piccolo, Uncle Vegeta, Uncle Krillin, Uncle Yamcha, Uncle Tien, Uncle Chiaotzu... every one of you is killed by the Androids. I survive a little longer — long enough to teach Trunks how to fight. But I'm killed by the Androids too, four years before he comes here."
As he said the last part, Gohan turned and looked up at the sky.
In that moment, the memory of his own death was sharp and immediate.
Android 17. Beat to death by Android 17.
This time — I am going to train. I am not going to let that fate play out again.
No one spoke.
All of them dead.
That was horrifying.
"When Uncle Piccolo dies, the Dragon Balls disappear with him. No more wishes — no one can be brought back." Gohan said. "Because the Androids keep taking lives, the world Trunks lives in is like a living hell."
As he spoke, Gohan's eyes filled with tears.
Piccolo: ...
Why does this sound like something you lived through yourself?
"Wait — what about Goku?" Krillin suddenly came back to himself. "You haven't mentioned him dying."
"My dad doesn't fight in that battle. Because before it happens, he'll come down with Viral Heart Disease... In just an hour he..." Gohan's fists clenched tight. His eyes went red. "It's so fast there's no time to even gather the Dragon Balls to save him."
Piccolo went silent. He couldn't find a single word of comfort.
"Wait — Gohan, don't be upset... Goku is going to get Viral Heart Disease?" Krillin said, shaken.
"Goku dies from an illness?" Yamcha didn't know what to say.
"And a Senzu Bean can't cure it?" Tien felt a hollow ache settle in his chest.
"Fortunately — Trunks came from the future specifically to bring the medicine for my dad." Gohan's voice steadied slightly. "It's incurable in our time, but twenty years from now there's already an antidote. The medicine will save his life."
As he spoke, Gohan produced the small vial Trunks had given him.
"So there's a cure after all. Vegeta's son really is a good person." Krillin let out a long breath of relief.
"All of this stems from my father's death..." Gohan murmured. "Because he died first, the rest of us fell one by one. I believe Aunt Bulma figured that out — and that's why she built the time machine and sent Trunks here to save him. To change our fate."
Another long silence fell.
"I know it's not ideal... history will change. But this terrible history — I think it's better if it changes." Gohan said quietly.
A moment passed.
"Look — Gohan, you're still young. What if that kid was making it all up?" Yamcha couldn't help himself. "Coming from the future, time machines — I'm not exactly convinced."
"If you'd rather not believe it, feel free to go about your life." Piccolo snorted, and stepped forward to take Gohan by the wrist. "Enough said. Gohan — come train with me."
"Yes..." Gohan smiled with mild embarrassment, but felt a warmth spread through him.
"Hold on — three years from now, where do we gather?" Tien asked.
"May 12th, three years from now. Approximately 10 a.m. A small island nine kilometers southwest of South City." Piccolo said without hesitation. "Get there an hour early — so nine o'clock on that island."
With that, Piccolo took Gohan by the wrist and left without delay.
Once Trunks had flown to a deserted area, he immediately pulled a Capsule from his pocket and threw it.
POP!
The Capsule expanded into a Time Machine.
Trunks lifted off from the ground and began to fly toward it.
"Dad. Mom. Please don't die." Trunks murmured quietly to himself as he prepared to step aboard and return to his own time.
"Stop right there."
A voice rang out behind him.
Trunks went rigid. He turned his head mechanically.
Standing behind him were Vegeta and Bulma.
"Mom—" Trunks said reflexively.
"Mm!" Bulma responded with a bright, happy nod.
Trunks: ...
Wait — why did you answer that?
"I — what I meant was... I'm about to leave." Trunks said quickly, face going red, his expression suddenly shifty.
"Trunks. We already know who you are." Bulma said with a warm smile.
"Huh?" Trunks' mouth fell open. He stared at Bulma with wide, stunned eyes.
Mom and Dad both know my identity?
And she just used my name.
Master Gohan — how did you let that out so fast?
This era's me will still be born, right?
That should be fine. By the looks of things, Mom and Dad are already together.
"You came all this way from the future — why wouldn't you come see us?" Vegeta said, with unmistakable displeasure.
"I... that is... well..." Trunks rubbed the back of his neck, at a complete loss for how to explain.
"Oh, come now, Vegeta — don't be hard on him." Bulma laughed and stepped forward, studying her future son from every angle with obvious delight. The more she looked, the more she liked what she saw. "You know what — Vegeta... he really does look just like you. Cover the hair and they'd be practically identical."
"Hmph." Vegeta crossed his arms and struck his most imperious pose.
Trunks: ...
"Trunks — don't be shy. Come home with Dad and Mom. Your grandparents are going to be over the moon to see you." Bulma said warmly, taking Trunks' arm.
"Y — yes... Mom..." Trunks nodded firmly, then turned with a pink face to look at his father. He said it quietly: "Dad..."
"Speak up. Did you skip a meal?" Vegeta rolled his eyes.
Trunks: ...
"Vegeta — is that any way to talk to your son?" Bulma puffed out her cheeks.
"Fine." Vegeta let it go.
"So this is the Time Machine I build in the future?" Bulma shifted her gaze to the machine and walked around it several times, clicking her tongue in genuine admiration. "Future me is something else."
Trunks had run completely out of words.
Master Gohan, you really do have a big mouth.
In no time at all, both Mom and Dad know everything.
"Put the Time Machine away. Come home first." Vegeta instructed. "Going back to the future can wait — those two Androids can't have found your future mother's hiding place yet."
"Yes!" Trunks nodded and sealed the Time Machine back into a Capsule.
Whoosh — whoosh!
Vegeta scooped up Bulma and took to the sky. Trunks followed behind.
He watched his father and mother — and they seemed genuinely close. Something warm settled in his chest.
Mom had told him — Dad is a good person.
And looking at them now — Dad may have a cold exterior, but he clearly cares for Mom. The way he holds her — afraid she might fall.
"Vegeta — you're hurting me!" Bulma cried out. "Loosen up a little..."
"If I don't hold on tightly, you'll fall." Vegeta muttered.
"You're squeezing too hard, it hurts." Bulma said with a pout.
Trunks: ...
Maybe I read that wrong.
Sacred World of the Kais.
Goku stretched out his limbs and finished his pre-fight warm-up.
Broly watched him with an expression of total calm.
"Come on, Broly! I'm ready. Let's go." Goku dropped into his fighting stance.
"Alright." Broly nodded.
In the next instant, Broly launched himself straight at Goku without hesitation.
"What speed!" Goku's eyes lit up. He met Broly's charge with a powerful punch.
THUD!
Their fists met in the air.
The force of impact sent an explosive wave of energy blasting outward in every direction.
Old Kai, watching from the sidelines, was caught by the shockwave and flung into the air — tumbled head over heels — and crashed back down hard enough to nearly throw out his back.
"These two!" Old Kai yelped in pain.
BOOM — BOOM — BOOM!
The fight between Goku and Broly began in earnest. Within moments they had traded hundreds of exchanges.
Both were still in their base forms.
Neither could gain the upper hand.
Old Kai was completely dumbstruck.
This Broly is this strong?
Goku is a reincarnate — he fought his way back to his absolute peak.
And he's only managing a draw with Broly?
No — actually, I think Goku is playing.
More accurately: Goku is having fun.
As the fight raged, the Supreme Kai and Kibito came flying in from the distance, drawn by the massive waves of energy and the noise. They stared at the sight of Broly and Goku locked in combat, faces slack with bewilderment.
"Lord Grand Supreme Kai — who is that?! I'll stop him!" The Supreme Kai announced, thrust both palms forward —
CRACK!
An invisible pulse of divine power washed over Broly.
Broly instantly froze — unable to move.
Old Kai: ...
To be continued…
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus