Earth.
Goku used Instant Transmission and appeared in an instant beside Gohan and Piccolo on Mount Paozu.
"Oh — Gohan, Piccolo, you two are training again!" Goku said, with mild surprise.
Gohan's become awfully dedicated.
Could he really have reincarnated?
Nothing else explains why his whole personality suddenly changed.
Wasn't his biggest dream to be a scholar?
"Dad!" Gohan's gaze snapped up. He greeted him immediately.
"Son Goku — what have you even been doing?" Piccolo said with a dark expression. "Your own son — and you just leave him here?"
"Right, so... I came back to check in. And if Gohan really does want to get stronger, I'll take him somewhere to train." Goku rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "And also — Gohan, why don't you tell your dad what you told me. About what's coming."
Piccolo shot Goku a flat look and then addressed Gohan. "Tell him."
"Dad — in the future..." Gohan organized his thoughts, ready to explain the Androids.
"Gohan — Dad already knows about the future." Goku waved it off and cut him short.
"Huh? Dad already knows?" Gohan blinked.
Piccolo arched an eyebrow, mildly surprised.
How does Goku know?
Did the Supreme Kai's group tell him?
"Was it the Supreme Kai who told you?" Piccolo asked.
"Well... so — we all need to train hard and be ready for the Androids in three years." Goku sidestepped the question with a relaxed smile, his confidence entirely intact.
"Yes, Dad!" Gohan nodded firmly, then looked at his father with a more serious expression. "Dad — also. This is the medicine for your Viral Heart Disease. Trunks brought it back from the future specifically for you."
"Got it." Goku took the vial and tucked it away.
Just to be safe, I'll hold onto it.
In case that purple herb Old Kai gave me turns out not to work.
Old Kai does spend an awful lot of time reading certain books. Makes it hard to be fully confident.
"Gohan — I want to take you somewhere to train." Goku gave Gohan's shoulder a pat.
"Yes, Dad." Gohan nodded, subdued but eager.
"Piccolo — do you want to come? You know the place well." Goku gave him an easy smile.
Piccolo: ????
"It's the Lookout. There's a room there called the Hyperbolic Time Chamber — a year inside is only one day outside." Goku explained. "I think if Gohan trains seriously for a few months in there, surpassing those two Androids should be no problem."
Piccolo: ...
"No." Piccolo's expression went flat. He refused without a second's hesitation. "I am not going anywhere near that old man."
"Haha — don't be like that, Piccolo. Maybe one day you and Kami will fuse into one person." Goku laughed.
"I would rather die than fuse with that old fool!" Piccolo said, firm and absolute.
"Alright — I won't push you. Gohan and I are heading up." Goku placed his hand on Gohan's shoulder, then gave Piccolo a friendly wave. "We'll see you, Piccolo."
"The Lookout?" Gohan had never been there before. He waved to Piccolo. "Uncle Piccolo — I'll see you later."
"Train hard. Become strong enough to beat the Androids when the time comes." Piccolo said with a quiet nod.
"I will." Gohan answered.
Whoosh!
Goku activated Instant Transmission with Gohan and they vanished — materializing on the Lookout in the blink of an eye.
"Oh — Lord Kami, Mr. Popo. Nice to see you." Goku greeted them with a smile.
"Hello, hello..." Gohan gave a polite bow alongside him.
"Goku? What brings you here?" Kami said, mildly surprised.
"I want to bring Gohan here to train." Goku said plainly. "Lord Kami — there's the Hyperbolic Time Chamber here. I want to take Gohan in to train."
Kami: ...
Kami went quiet. His mouth twitched. He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
"What is it, Lord Kami?" Goku blinked, not understanding the expression.
"That... Vegeta has already gone inside with Trunks." Mr. Popo interjected from the side.
"Huh? Vegeta and Trunks went inside? When?" Goku was mildly taken aback.
"Almost a full day ago — about five hours left before the day is up." Mr. Popo counted back and answered.
"They've been in that long?" Goku scratched his head with a puzzled murmur. "Trunks didn't go straight back to the future?"
"He did not." Kami shook his head.
"Is that right? So Trunks went in there to train." Gohan said, echoing the question.
"He did." Kami nodded.
"Good work, Vegeta..." Goku said approvingly, and felt increasingly certain — Vegeta had most likely reincarnated, just as Frieza had.
Otherwise, how would Vegeta have known about this room?
The number of people who know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber isn't large.
Krillin and the others wouldn't have mentioned it to Vegeta.
"Vegeta and Trunks have already been in that long." Goku said, taking it in.
"Yes." Kami nodded.
"Gohan — let's wait out here. Once they finish, you and I can go in." Goku said with a warm smile.
"Yes, Dad." Gohan answered agreeably.
Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
"Dad — I'm starting!" Trunks said, drawing a long breath, his expression focused and intent.
"Go ahead — show me everything you have." Vegeta said, and a note of genuine anticipation entered his voice.
"Yes, Dad!" Trunks clenched both fists. His pupils narrowed.
BOOM!
A massive wave of power erupted from Trunks.
Golden light blazed from his body, blazing and crackling.
His hair surged upward as he pushed every last bit of his energy to its peak.
Vegeta extended his senses — and his expression relaxed into a quiet, satisfied smile.
Good.
Trunks' strength right now is close to what Gohan showed in his challenge against Cell in my previous life.
Genuinely impressive.
Although — it did sting a little.
Kakarot's training method really is the more effective one.
Had I used my own methods, Trunks would not be this strong.
"Come." Vegeta beckoned.
Trunks blinked, glancing at his father with a hint of surprise. "Dad — aren't you going to transform?"
"I don't need to." Vegeta smiled with easy confidence. "Full power, Trunks. If you can land a hit on my face — I'll take you to an amusement park."
"An amusement park?" Trunks blinked.
Vegeta: ...
I was thinking of little Trunks and it slipped out.
"That's not the point. Start your attack." Vegeta's expression went cool and hard.
"Then — here I come, Dad!" Trunks stopped hesitating, charged straight at Vegeta, and launched a full-force barrage of punches and kicks.
Trunks' speed kept climbing. The force behind his strikes kept growing. His fists left trails of afterimages in the air.
Vegeta dodged at full speed.
Approximately twenty seconds passed.
CRACK!
Trunks' punch connected directly with Vegeta's face.
Vegeta: ...
Vegeta gritted his teeth and clenched his fist — but held back the instinct to retaliate.
"Dad — are you alright?" Trunks immediately pulled his arm back, worried.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Vegeta's expression eased. He rubbed his sore cheek without any concern.
"Maybe Dad should still go Super Saiyan." Trunks suggested.
"No need." Vegeta shook his head. "We can go out now."
"Go out?" Trunks blinked. "You mean — we're ending the training and leaving?"
Vegeta nodded.
"There's still over five hours until the full day is up." Trunks checked the clock on the wall.
"There's no point staying longer than necessary. Continued training past this point would just put strain on the body without real benefit." Vegeta said easily. "Besides — you've already hit your current ceiling."
"But... I still can't reach Super Saiyan 2 like you." Trunks murmured.
"Super Saiyan 2 doesn't come that easily. We'll find another way." Vegeta smiled, with a hint of something unspoken.
"But regardless — with my strength as it is now, dealing with those two Androids shouldn't be difficult." Trunks said, his smile growing more assured.
"Of course not." Vegeta said, as certain as ever.
At Trunks' current level, he could hold his own against Perfect Cell for half an hour without losing. Dealing with Android 17 and 18 was more than manageable.
"Let's go." Vegeta moved first toward the exit.
Trunks followed, still maintaining his ordinary Super Saiyan form.
Creak...
The Hyperbolic Time Chamber door swung slowly open.
Goku, waiting outside, picked up Vegeta and Trunks' Ki at the same moment and couldn't help being mildly surprised.
Still five hours to the day — and they're already out.
The moment Vegeta stepped out of the Chamber, he picked up Goku's Ki at the same instant.
Vegeta stopped and immediately called Trunks to halt.
Trunks paused, puzzled.
"Now that we're out, no need to hold the Super Saiyan form any longer." Vegeta murmured to Trunks quietly. "Let your body relax. Don't stay tensed."
Trunks: ...
"Understood." Trunks nodded and powered back to normal.
I can sense Mr. Goku. And Master Gohan.
Dad probably doesn't want them to see how I look.
Right — after everything, I really have gotten incredibly strong.
I should be able to handle those two Androids with ease.
If I'd known training with Dad would make me this strong, why was I ever afraid of them?
The two of them walked through the long corridor and emerged outside.
Trunks immediately spotted Master Gohan standing beside Goku.
"Mr. Goku — Master Gohan!" Trunks stepped forward with a bright, polite greeting.
"Trunks... your energy has risen quite a bit. I can feel you've gotten a lot stronger." Gohan said, slightly stunned, studying Trunks up and down. He seemed like a completely different person.
"I have my father to thank for that." Trunks said, his smile growing more confident with each word. "Master Gohan — I'm going back to the future soon. I'm going to take out those two Androids with my own hands."
"Wait — your strength is already beyond those two Androids?" Gohan's mouth dropped open.
"Yes — well beyond." Vegeta said from the side, with a quiet, satisfied smile.
Gohan turned to look at Vegeta with an expression of complete disbelief.
Vegeta's smile spread.
Kakarot — returning the favor you gave my son to yours isn't too much, is it?
"Not bad, Vegeta." Goku said with an approving laugh.
"Ho there, Kakarot — you came here to take your son into the Chamber?" Vegeta said, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"That's right. Taking Gohan in for some training." Goku admitted. "I didn't expect you to have beaten us in there."
"Hmph." Vegeta crossed his arms.
"Speaking of which, Vegeta — you wouldn't happen to have reincarnated, would you?" Goku asked directly.
Vegeta: ...
Vegeta froze. He stared at Goku, genuinely caught off guard.
Beside them, Gohan's expression shifted rapidly through several shades.
Uncle Vegeta reincarnated?
Like me?
"What are you talking about, Kakarot?" Vegeta snorted immediately and made up his mind — he would deny this to his dying breath.
You think I'd tell you I reincarnated?
If I tell you that, winning against you loses all of its satisfaction.
"Is that so?" Goku laughed and made no move to push it.
"Reincarnated?" Trunks shot a deep, searching glance at Gohan, then looked at his father.
Did Dad reincarnate too?
That can't be right. Surely not.
Master Gohan has already reincarnated.
The odds of someone else reincarnating on top of that...
"Kakarot — get in there and train." Vegeta stepped forward and gave Goku's shoulder a firm clap. Then he turned to Trunks. "Trunks — let's go."
Vegeta launched into the sky without ceremony.
Trunks didn't leave without manners — he bowed to Gohan first, then turned to Goku. "I'll be on my way, Mr. Goku."
"Trunks — are you planning to go back to the future today?" Goku asked.
"That's the plan." Trunks nodded.
"If you pushed it back by a day — is your future mother in any danger?" Goku asked.
"Huh? What does Mr. Goku mean by that?" Trunks blinked.
"I want Gohan to go back with you." Goku said with a warm smile, ruffling Gohan's hair.
Gohan looked up at his father in quiet surprise.
Why does Dad want me to go with Trunks?
Has he already figured something out?
Uncle Piccolo saw through it — surely Dad can see through it too.
What does Dad actually know?
Gohan swallowed a mouthful of uncertainty and nodded along. "Yes... I... I want to see Trunks' future world too."
"Then — I'll wait for Master Gohan to finish training and go back to the future together!" Trunks could barely contain himself.
Even though Trunks felt fully confident he could handle the Androids on his own, fighting side by side with his Master — finishing them off together, right in front of his Master — that would mean something different. For Master Gohan, that would matter.
"Thank you, Trunks. I'll train hard." Gohan said, his expression serious and earnest.
"Give it everything you've got, Master Gohan. We'll fight together in the future." Trunks smiled.
"We will." Gohan gave a firm nod.
"I'll be going, then. Mr. Goku, Master Gohan — I'll go catch up with my father first." Trunks waved, gave Kami and Mr. Popo a respectful bow, then launched into the sky after Vegeta.
Once he caught up to Vegeta, Trunks mentioned the delay.
"If he wants to come to the future with you, that's fine." Vegeta said without objection.
Good that Gohan goes.
My son needs an audience for his moment of glory.
If it's just the two of us — who watches him shine?
Me? There's no satisfaction in that.
"Is Kakarot going too?" Vegeta asked.
"Mr. Goku didn't say." Trunks shook his head.
Vegeta said nothing more.
"Gohan — time for our training." Goku said, turning to his son.
"Yes, Dad!" Gohan answered with genuine eagerness.
Goku gave Kami and Mr. Popo a brief word, then led Gohan into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
He walked Gohan through a quick orientation of the room's layout.
Then Goku led Gohan outside into the white expanse.
"What a vast world — white stretching out in every direction, nothing anywhere." Gohan looked around in wonder.
"Be careful not to wander too far. If you get lost out there, you'll starve before you find your way back." Goku said lightly.
"Noted." Gohan nodded.
"Gohan — there's enormous power hidden inside you. We'll train here for a while. Once you've transcended the Super Saiyan, I'll take you somewhere else." Goku smiled.
"Transcend the Super Saiyan?" Gohan blinked.
"Only by transcending the Super Saiyan do you have a real shot at the two Androids. Right?" Goku laughed.
"That's... yes." Gohan nodded, then looked up at his father. "Dad — I feel like Trunks has already transcended the Super Saiyan."
"That's right." Goku confirmed, then shifted his tone — easy became earnest as he looked at Gohan. "Gohan — the path of the Super Saiyan is much longer than you'd think. If you don't mind — let Dad show you a quick demonstration."
"A demonstration?" Gohan blinked.
CRACK!
Golden light erupted across Goku as he entered his Super Saiyan form.
"Look — this is the Super Saiyan. Ordinary Super Saiyan. You can already do this one." Goku said, gesturing.
Gohan was briefly at a loss.
Dad — why are you demonstrating this? You know I can do it.
Crackle — crackle—
Lightning arcs wound around Goku's body. He shifted into Super Saiyan 2.
The new transformation hit Gohan like a wall — the sheer weight of the energy pouring off his father stopped him cold. His jaw dropped slowly.
That power...
Is this Dad's true strength?
So Dad can transform into this.
I've been living in ignorance.
"This — this —" Gohan could barely get a word out.
With power like that, wiping out those two Androids would be like swatting flies.
As expected of Dad.
"This is the Super Saiyan that surpasses the Super Saiyan. Super Saiyan 2." Goku said with a smile.
"Super Saiyan 2... which means..." Gohan's pupils contracted sharply. Something dawned on him.
If simply transcending the Super Saiyan was the end, it wouldn't warrant its own name.
"And then..." Goku's energy began to flood outward. Golden light blazed without limit, washing across the white world and turning it gold.
Goku's hair began to grow — rapidly, cascading downward past his waist.
Gohan's eyes went completely blank. He stared at his father's new form with a stunned expression that wouldn't settle.
"This is Super Saiyan 3." Goku grinned.
"Dad is incredible... that kind of power would make those two Androids trivial, right?" Gohan said, overwhelmed with excitement.
"And then... and then..." Goku took a deep breath.
"And then?" Gohan said, eyes already wide.
There's more?
Dad can transform again?
CRACK!
Goku shifted — and red fur rippled across his body. His tail turned the same vivid crimson. His hair went black.
Immense power — power that shook the fabric of the dimensional space itself.
CRACK — CRACK — CRACK—
Fractures appeared throughout the white void.
Goku: ...
Gohan stood completely still, staring at the cracks spreading through the dimensional space, unable to process what he was seeing for a long moment.
On the Lookout, Kami's eyes went wide enough to lose his chin.
What in the world?
Where are those spatial cracks coming from?
"Lord Kami..." Mr. Popo was trembling visibly.
"It's Goku! It's coming from inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber! What on earth is he doing in there?!" Kami stood there stunned, cold sweat pouring from his face.
"What is Goku doing?" Mr. Popo couldn't find the words.
Fortunately, the cracks sealed themselves quickly. The energy releasing hadn't been large enough to sustain them.
Goku had caught himself the moment the space fractured and immediately reined in his energy.
I genuinely don't want to crack this whole dimension open.
That could potentially leave me and Gohan trapped in here permanently.
"This — this — this —" Gohan was completely undone. He could barely string syllables together.
"This is Super Saiyan 4." Goku said, smiling easily.
"Super Saiyan 4!" Gohan's eye twitched. The awe hit him like a physical force.
"And..." Goku continued.
Gohan: ...
Gohan had given up on speaking entirely.
There's more?
Dad has gotten this strong?
"Is there — is there a Super Saiyan 5?" Gohan preempted the answer before Goku could get there.
To be continued…
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