"Merged? Uncle Piccolo?" Gohan blinked, and the memory suddenly surfaced — Uncle Piccolo had fused with Nail back on Namek.
And the Grand Elder had said that if Piccolo ever fused with the Guardian, he would be a match for a Super Saiyan.
Looking at Uncle Piccolo's ki now — it really was beyond an ordinary Super Saiyan.
"They must be at the Lookout." Gohan mused.
"The Lookout? What is that place?" Future Vegeta blinked, and without waiting for an answer, immediately launched himself into the air.
He did not know where the Lookout was, but he could lock onto the ki signature and find it that way.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks flew up after him.
All of them headed for the Lookout at speed.
Future Vegeta pushed to his maximum.
When he arrived above the Lookout, the first thing he saw was Piccolo standing there — and he was taken aback.
That's the Namekian Piccolo, isn't it?
How did he suddenly become this powerful?
The past me just said... he merged with someone?
He just merged with someone and got this strong?
And at this moment — I get the feeling this Namekian has already surpassed Kakarot's Super Saiyan transformation.
Wait—
That's Kakarot!
Aren't people who died of natural causes impossible to revive?
Oh — I get it. He came here from the past, same as the other me.
"Hm? Two Vegetas — which one is the Vegeta from our era?" Goku called out with a cheerful wave.
"Hmph — isn't that obvious?" Vegeta gave Goku an exasperated look. "Can't you tell by looking at the clothes?"
"Right, you're right." Goku nodded and laughed.
"Kakarot — you shameless piece of work!" Vegeta's irritation ratcheted up another notch, his glare fixed on Goku.
"What? Vegeta — why are you talking to me like that?" Goku blinked.
"Gohan is six years old, and you already took him to Old Kai to have his dormant power awakened?" Vegeta snapped.
"You figured that out?" Goku scratched his head and smiled — then glanced over at Trunks and said warmly to Vegeta, "But you're no slouch yourself, Vegeta. Getting Trunks to achieve a new transformation using that method — that was genuinely impressive."
Vegeta: "..."
Kakarot — you actually saw that, didn't you.
Across the way —
"Wait — isn't this Gohan? Why are you so small?" Krillin stared at Gohan in surprise, even walking a full circle around him. "Oh — I get it. You came here from the past with Goku, didn't you?"
"Yes, Uncle Krillin." Gohan nodded.
"And you — are you Vegeta's son Trunks?" Krillin looked at Trunks. "I can't believe how much you've grown."
"Hello, Mr. Krillin." Trunks greeted him politely.
Piccolo stepped forward and affectionately ruffled Gohan's hair.
"Uncle Piccolo." Gohan quickly returned the gesture with a bow.
"Actually — where is the Gohan of this era?" Piccolo asked again, pressing the point. "I just did a full scan of Earth on my way here. I couldn't find him anywhere."
Gohan: "..."
Trunks: "..."
The two of them exchanged a guilty glance. Neither knew where to begin.
Then they drifted close together.
"Master Gohan — so your soul crossed through time and space to the past... which means the Gohan of this era can't be revived anymore, right?" Trunks asked in a quiet, pained voice.
"Yes... that's how it seems." Gohan gave a strained smile and nodded slowly.
"What do we do? Should we tell everyone?" Trunks whispered. "Though, trying to explain it is going to be pretty complicated..."
"You're right. And there's something else..." Gohan lowered his voice, his expression darkening. "Buu showing up in this timeline — the timing was off. I wonder if the butterfly effect from my soul crossing over caused it."
"So... how do we tell everyone that you can't be revived?" Trunks rubbed his temple.
"If it comes to it, I'll just say I went on to reincarnate." Gohan scratched his head and suggested.
"I guess that's the only way." Trunks gave a quiet nod.
Gohan then went over to Goku and quietly laid out his thoughts.
"Alright — if that's what you want, then we'll leave it at that." Goku offered no objection. He understood his son had his own reasons.
"Thank you for understanding, Dad." Gohan said gratefully.
"Everyone — don't bother looking for Gohan!" Goku then said to the group. "I stopped by King Yemma's office not long ago. He said Gohan has already moved on to reincarnate."
"What?! He reincarnated?!"
The entire group was stunned.
"Why would he reincarnate?" Krillin asked in bewilderment. "Wasn't life in Other World good enough?"
"Well, um..." Goku was at a loss.
"Maybe... the Gohan of this era had grown tired of the quiet life in Other World." Gohan stepped in and gently finished the sentence.
Piccolo looked at Gohan for a long, steady moment.
Is that really the kind of thing a six-year-old Gohan would say?
"Everyone — whatever the case may be, those two Androids have been taken out by Trunks, and this era has its peace restored." Goku immediately steered the conversation, turning to the whole group. "So my plan is to head back to the past right away — with Vegeta and Gohan."
"What? Goku — already? At least stay for a meal." Krillin was reluctant to let him go.
"Alright, if that's the case, let's eat first." Goku nodded, and glanced over at Vegeta. "We'll eat at Bulma's place."
"Hmph." Vegeta grunted, but raised no objection.
Future Vegeta felt increasingly out of sorts.
How does it feel like most people here can beat me in a fight?
Whoosh!
Future Vegeta was the first to shoot into the air and leave the Lookout, flying back toward his own home.
The rest of the group returned to the Capsule Corporation headquarters.
The meal was a modest one — in a world still deep in its post-apocalyptic state, edible food was genuinely hard to come by.
When the meal was finished, Goku and Gohan said their goodbyes to the friends of this era.
Before leaving, Vegeta pulled Trunks aside.
"Dad — I'm going to stay and train hard for three more years. After that, I'll come back to the past." Trunks clenched his fists, his expression resolute.
"When you board the Time Machine and come to our era three years from now — there's one thing you need to remember." Vegeta's tone turned serious.
"What is it, Dad?" Trunks asked.
"There's an Android called Cell. He's going to ambush you, kill you, and then use your Time Machine to travel to our era." Vegeta revealed what he knew about Cell.
"What? An Android called Cell — how come I've never heard of this one?" Trunks was taken aback, then looked puzzled. "And how does Dad even know about him?"
"Never mind how I know." Vegeta said shortly. "Here's the short version: Cell isn't in his perfect form yet. He needs to absorb Android 17 and Android 18 to complete himself. Because you already killed 17 and 18 in this era, his best option is to use the Time Machine and go back to the past to absorb them there."
"Something like that is really happening?" Trunks' expression went stiff, his face growing heavier.
"Even so — even if Cell reaches his perfect form, your Super Saiyan 2 is more than enough to finish him off." Vegeta added.
Trunks: "..."
"So I don't need to be afraid of that guy." Trunks felt a small wave of relief, and a smile came through.
"Still — be careful, and do not let your guard down." Vegeta placed a hand on Trunks' shoulder.
"I will — I'll be on my guard, Dad!" Trunks nodded firmly, then a thought struck him and he laughed with mild embarrassment. "Actually... I need to go back to the past with Dad anyway. I still need to bring the Time Machine back."
"Go back first. Once the Time Machine is fully charged, come back here and pick me up." Vegeta said with a faint smile.
"What? You're not coming back now, Dad?" Trunks was confused by his father's plans.
Vegeta nodded wordlessly.
"Do you have something unfinished in this era, Dad?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta said nothing.
Trunks had no choice but to pass this along to Goku.
"Vegeta — you're not coming back?" Goku asked, surprised.
"Kakarot — before you go back, take me to the Sacred World of the Kais." Vegeta said to him.
"The Sacred World of the Kais? What do you want to go there for?" Goku was puzzled.
"None of your business." Vegeta grunted.
"Alright — I'll take you there now." Goku offered no pushback.
Vegeta gave a small nod.
Goku placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder and used Instant Transmission.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Goku and Vegeta landed on the Sacred World of the Kais.
"Vegeta — so when do you plan on coming back?" Goku asked.
"Head back first. Get the Time Machine charged and have Trunks come collect me. Then I'll return." Vegeta said, smiling faintly.
"Alright — I'll head off then." Goku nodded, waved at Supreme Kai and Kibito who were approaching from a distance, and vanished with a flicker.
In the moment Goku had taken Vegeta away —
Piccolo had quietly placed a hand on Gohan's head.
"Uncle Piccolo..." Gohan looked up and greeted him warmly.
"You're the Gohan of our era, aren't you?" Piccolo studied him with quiet certainty.
Gohan was startled. He immediately looked around.
"Don't worry — I know exactly where everyone is. None of them can hear us." Piccolo reassured him.
"Uncle Piccolo... how did you see through it?" Gohan sighed helplessly.
How does Uncle Piccolo keep seeing through me?
"I knew something was off." Piccolo's brow furrowed slightly. "I knew something was off."
"My soul somehow crossed through time and space on its own, ended up in Dad's era, and merged with the me of that time." Gohan scratched his head.
Piccolo gave a slow nod.
"I'm not trying to hide things from you, Uncle Piccolo..." Gohan said, a little uncomfortable. "It's just that the whole thing is hard to believe — and the more it gets talked about, the easier it is to create butterfly effects... Also, worth mentioning — in our era, the Frieza who came back was several times stronger than the Androids."
"What? Frieza was several times stronger than the Androids?" Piccolo's expression shifted.
"So — please don't tell anyone about me, Uncle Piccolo. The last thing we need is for something even more terrifying to show up in this era." Gohan drew a slow breath, his eyes going serious.
Piccolo gave a silent nod.
Whoosh!
Goku returned via Instant Transmission.
"Uncle Piccolo — I have to go now. Take care of yourself." Gohan said, reluctant to leave.
Piccolo smiled and ruffled his hair one more time.
Goku then said his farewells to the Piccolo and Krillin of this era and the others, and boarded the Time Machine with Gohan and Trunks.
"Goku — come back and visit sometime!" Krillin waved hard.
"Come back, Goku! Gohan too!" Bulma called after them, equally reluctant to part. "Both of you!"
Goku smiled and waved.
Whoosh!
The Time Machine powered up, spinning rapidly and lifting into the air.
Flash!
The Time Machine vanished from the spot.
Sacred World of the Kais.
"Vegeta — what brings you here?" Supreme Kai asked.
"Supreme Kai — do you know where Kakarot of this era is?" Vegeta asked, expression unhurried.
"Kakarot?" Supreme Kai blinked.
"Supreme Kai, Vegeta is referring to Goku," Kibito explained from the side. "That's his Saiyan name."
"I don't know." Supreme Kai replied immediately.
Vegeta: "..."
Did you really have to answer that quickly?
"If my guess is right, there's a good chance he's training at King Kai's. Now—" Vegeta narrowed his eyes and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument, "Go and bring him here."
"Vegeta, do you have any idea who you're talking to?" Kibito was the first to lose patience, rounding on Vegeta with a sharp reprimand.
Vegeta's expression went cold. His sharp eyes found Kibito.
That single look was enough — Kibito began to tremble on the spot, as if the temperature had plummeted around him.
How can Vegeta's eyes be this terrifying?
"Kibito — Vegeta is not a bad person." Supreme Kai raised a hand toward Kibito, smiling. "You have something to ask of Goku?"
"Just bring him here. That's all you need to know." Vegeta grunted.
"Well... the past Goku did save the entire Earth and restore it to life." Supreme Kai thought it over seriously, gave a small nod, and used Instant Transmission to vanish.
In the blink of an eye, Supreme Kai had brought the Goku of this era back with him.
"Hm? Vegeta?" Goku looked at Vegeta in surprise.
"I've brought Goku. What is it you want to do?" Supreme Kai asked.
"I heard there's a Z Sword somewhere here. Where is it?" Vegeta asked pleasantly.
"The Z Sword? What are you trying to do?" Kibito's face tightened.
Supreme Kai's pupils contracted slightly.
How does he know about the Z Sword?
"Pull it out and receive a great power boost — isn't that right?" Vegeta said, his mouth curving upward.
"That's... that's correct." Supreme Kai nodded, expression guarded.
"You want to pull out the Z Sword to increase your strength?" Kibito caught on and immediately let out a dismissive snort. "Don't be ridiculous. The Z Sword is not something any ordinary person can pull out. I haven't been able to — and even Supreme Kai himself still hasn't managed to free it!"
"Stop rambling and just tell me where it is!" Vegeta gave a cold snort, his patience visibly thinning.
"Alright — follow me." Supreme Kai offered no further objection.
If he wants to try pulling it out, let him.
Majin Buu is already gone.
Let him have a go at it.
Under Supreme Kai's lead, the four of them flew toward the high cliff face where the Z Sword was embedded.
"I still don't really follow any of this... what Z Sword?" Goku scratched his head, confused. "And — are you Supreme Kai?"
"Yes... yes, I am." Supreme Kai nodded and smiled at Goku warmly.
"Vegeta — you came back to life. I'm really glad." Goku smiled at Vegeta again.
Vegeta said nothing.
"Though, Vegeta... you feel noticeably stronger." Goku looked at him more closely, and the more he looked, the more he sensed something out of the ordinary.
Vegeta's mouth curved into a quiet smile.
More than noticeably stronger.
I'm stronger than you by a margin you couldn't begin to measure, Goku of this era.
Though showing off in front of you feels a bit unsporting.
You're not the Kakarot from my timeline.
Crack!
All four of them landed on the cliff where the Z Sword was embedded.
"So this is the Z Sword you were talking about? Just pull it out and gain tremendous power?" Goku studied the sword carefully, then looked at Vegeta. "Vegeta — can I try first?"
"Hmph — suit yourself." Vegeta smiled faintly, with absolutely no expectation that Goku would manage it.
After all, from Vegeta's perspective, the Goku of this era had died relatively early. And even if his body had been preserved, without any powerful opponents to push against, how much could his power have really grown?
At most he reached full-power Super Saiyan.
Nothing higher. That's the ceiling.
"Alright — here I go!" Goku rubbed his hands together and gripped the hilt firmly.
"I'd advise you not to bother trying," Kibito said, plainly unhelpful. "This is the legendary Z Sword. Even Supreme Kai hasn't been able to pull it free. You humans certainly won't manage it."
"AAAAHH!"
Goku bore down with everything he had and let out a shout.
Ten seconds passed.
The Z Sword did not move even a fraction.
"No good... it's wedged in incredibly deep. I can't budge it at all." Goku let go and blew on his palms.
Vegeta: "..."
The way you just phrased that is a little strange.
"Hmph — as expected." Kibito smiled with smug satisfaction.
"Enough, Kibito — let Goku try again." Supreme Kai cut him off.
Crack!
Golden light blazed from Goku's body, his hair standing on end. He transformed — Super Saiyan.
"Super Saiyan, is it?" Kibito said with a mild smile. "Even as a Super Saiyan, I suspect it's still futile."
Supreme Kai shot Kibito a look.
Kibito promptly closed his mouth.
"AAAAHH!"
Goku threw himself at the sword again.
It still didn't move.
"This sword is seriously strange!" Goku exclaimed, the golden aura around him intensifying.
Clunk!
The next instant — the Z Sword embedded in the cliff suddenly gave a slight shift.
Kibito's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
You can't be serious.
Is Goku actually going to pull out the Z Sword?
Whoosh!
Goku surged with renewed force and pulled — straight up into the air, the sword coming with him.
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta watched in silence, and the shock that settled over him was genuine.
Kakarot can achieve Super Saiyan 2.
He had not transformed — but in the moment he freed the sword, he had clearly pushed his power to a Super Saiyan 2 level.
Kakarot reaching this level, even in a world with no worthy opponents to spar against.
Unbelievable.
Damn it.
And the me of this era can't even go Super Saiyan yet.
What a gap.
"Phew... this sword weighs something else." Goku attempted a few swings and felt his arms strain with every movement.
Supreme Kai was stunned.
Kibito's jaw came dangerously close to the ground.
A human pulled out the Z Sword.
No wonder his son could defeat Majin Buu.
It all makes sense now.
"Goku — how does the sword feel? Has any extraordinary power come to you?" Supreme Kai asked, flushed with excitement.
"Not really... it's heavy, and that's about it." Goku said thoughtfully.
"Heavy?" Supreme Kai looked confused.
"What do you mean?" Kibito asked.
"Here — you try." Goku held the sword out toward Kibito.
Kibito instinctively reached out to take it.
But the moment his hand touched the Z Sword, a crushing weight rushed up from nowhere and crashed over him like a wave from the deep.
The sword pulled Kibito straight down toward the ground.
Slam!
The Z Sword drove itself deep into the earth of the Sacred World of the Kais.
Kibito's back nearly gave out. He winced and straightened with visible effort.
But the humiliation stung more than the pain. He seized the hilt, put every last drop of strength into it, and tried with everything he had to lift the sword.
The Z Sword did not budge.
Vegeta stepped forward, raised one hand, and lifted the sword effortlessly.
Goku stared. The shock hit him somewhere deep.
Vegeta picked that up that easily?
Supreme Kai and Kibito gaped at Vegeta with wide, unbelieving eyes.
Just how strong is Vegeta?
"Come out, Old Kai!" Vegeta grinned — teeth white and bright — and gave the sword a single, sharp pulse of force.
Crack!
The sword shattered in his grip — splitting into several pieces that clattered to the ground, leaving shallow craters where each fragment landed.
The sight of it made Supreme Kai and Kibito's eye twitch so hard it nearly hurt.
"Vegeta — what are you doing?! Why did you destroy the sword?!" Kibito cried out.
"Vegeta! You—!" Supreme Kai was so furious his whole body shook.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, from within one of the broken fragments, a faint shape emerged.
The shape swirled and shifted, solidifying into an ancient, strikingly ugly old man.
He was dressed in Supreme Kai's robes, and he coughed heavily several times before turning his cloudy eyes across the faces present, finally settling on Vegeta.
"You — you're the one who let me out?" Old Kai stepped forward and clapped Vegeta on the shoulder, grinning.
"This person is..." Supreme Kai was at a loss.
"That robe..." Kibito's eyes went wide.
"I am the Supreme Kai who preceded the 15th generation." Old Kai announced proudly, puffing out his chest with deep self-satisfaction. "Sealed away for tens of millions of years — and finally back in the open air... the air is so fresh!"
"Old ancestor!" Supreme Kai's mind caught up and he immediately stepped forward to bow respectfully.
"We pay our respects, great ancestor!" Kibito followed with a bow.
"Every generation worse than the last... to think that this legendary sword was ultimately freed by a human." Old Kai shook his head and sighed.
Supreme Kai and Kibito lowered their heads, looking thoroughly ashamed.
"Old Kai?" Goku scratched his head.
"Good work, kid!" Old Kai nudged Vegeta with an elbow and smiled. "Go on then — say the word. Whatever you want, I'll do my best to grant it."
"Anything at all?" Vegeta perked up with sudden amusement.
"Of course — no problem." Old Kai answered readily.
"Then — give your life to Kakarot. Let him come back." Vegeta pointed at Goku and said it to Old Kai as straightforwardly as a man ordering breakfast.
Old Kai: "..."
To be continued…
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