Vegeta's gaze landed on Trunks. His eyes trembled slightly, unable to remain steady. He recalled the events of the past few days, until now, that strange voice had never made itself known!
It wasn't until the moment of Trunks's birth that Vegeta first heard that peculiar voice echo inside his mind.
At first, he refused to believe that the voice could possibly belong to Trunks. The very idea was absurd; how could a newborn speak, especially through telepathy?
Even stranger, he'd been watching Trunks closely the entire time, and not once had the child opened his mouth. But thinking back now, the voice had first appeared when Vegeta had considered severing Trunks' tail.
And again, just now, after he'd spoken harshly about Son Gohan, that same voice echoed in his consciousness.
Only now did Vegeta begin to piece things together.
Over the last few days, that mysterious voice had emerged repeatedly. It had helped guide him to ascend into a Super Saiyan and taught him to control the searing intensity of the transformation.
Every single time the voice had appeared… one person had always been there.
That person was Trunks.
It sounded impossible. Ridiculous, even. But Vegeta had indeed heard a single word clear as crystal: "Dad."
And now, an even more puzzling question weighed on him:
[How does a newborn like Trunks know so much?] As Vegeta's thoughts spiraled, the voice returned once again.
Trunks' tiny fists clenched tightly, and the horrific memories of the doomed future surged within his mind.
(Tch… What a cruel fate. I'm stuck as a baby now, unable to change anything.)
(In that future timeline… the Androids will wipe out everyone.)
(Krillin Ojisan… Tien Ojisan… Piccolo Ojisan… they'll all be gone.)
(Even Dad...)
(And in a few more years, big brother Gohan will also fall, giving his life to protect me. In the end, only Mom and I will be left to survive.)
Vegeta felt as though his nerves were being pulled tight by an unseen, colossal force. His emotions grew more turbulent with each passing second.
[A future timeline?!]
[Is Trunks really from the future?!]
[No… he's just a baby now.]
A bold and chilling thought began to take root in Vegeta's mind.
[Could he have been reborn, with memories of that ruined future still intact?!]
Though the idea sounded like something out of a cosmic legend, everything that had happened these past few days supported it.
From the mysterious resonance with his Saiyan tail that hinted at a long-lost Super Saiyan 4 lineage… to breaking through into Super Saiyan… and mastering the overwhelming rage that came with it.
There was no way a newborn could possess such intricate battle knowledge or insight into transformations.
Now, everything pointed to what Vegeta had initially considered an outlandish theory.
Still, it was only a guess. He had already achieved Super Saiyan, after all, and as for that nonsense about being killed by the Androids?
Vegeta scoffed at the thought.
[Hmph. Androids? What kind of joke is that? This prince refuses to believe that a couple of tin-can monstrosities could ever defeat me.]
In truth, Vegeta was more inclined to suspect something sinister; perhaps a malevolent spirit had latched onto his son.
Boom Boom Boom, !
A rapid barrage of explosions erupted in the distance. Towering mushroom clouds rose across the skyline, shaking the heavens.
From the far side of the city, chaos had erupted.
The streets echoed with screams as panic spread like wildfire. Trunks furrowed his brow, his baby face tightening in frustration.
(No way! Have the Androids already shown up?!)
Without a second thought, Vegeta and Son Gohan launched into the sky at the same time, racing toward the chaos that loomed ahead.
The wailing of emergency sirens echoed through every street of the city, and soon, a public announcement reverberated across every corner.
"All citizens, please evacuate immediately from the area of the explosion! Our city is under siege by a man and a woman unleashing unprecedented destruction! They refer to themselves as Androids, do not panic! The King has dispatched the Royal Guard to subdue the threat."
"In addition, the King has reached out to the young warrior who once defeated the Demon King Piccolo. Remain calm and do not lose heart!"
Son Gohan stared off into the blazing horizon, flames rising like the breath of a furious beast.
"Dammit… this is no ordinary attack. It's a massacre."
Just then, he sensed a familiar presence flickering in the chaos.
"That's Krillin Ojisan's Ki! Has he already arrived at the scene?"
More energy signatures followed, flooding his senses in rapid succession, and his expression darkened.
"This is way worse than I thought… Yamcha Ojisan, Tien Ojisan, even Chiaotzu- everyone's there!"
"I need to get there, now!"
Son Gohan powered up in a flash of golden light, preparing to launch into the air, only to stop dead in his tracks. It felt as if something invisible had frozen his body in place, his spirit refusing to move.
His mouth opened in disbelief, and his lips trembled.
"Kr… Krillin's Ki just vanished…"
Before his tears could fall, an even deeper agony struck his soul. Not just Krillin, Tien Shinhan's, Chiaotzu's, and Yamcha's… all of their energy signatures vanished, one after another, like candles snuffed out by a merciless wind.
"Everyone… they've all been killed by the Androids…"
Hot tears streamed down Gohan's cheeks, falling to the ground in shimmering drops of sorrow.
The attack had come too swiftly, so swift that even Trunks hadn't foreseen the slaughter.
But Bulma, holding the infant Trunks in her arms, immediately caught on. From Gohan's reaction alone, she could tell that Krillin and the others were gone, and Bulma understood exactly who the King meant when he spoke of the boy who defeated Piccolo.
But Son Goku was already gone.
With urgency and fire in her voice, Bulma shouted, "Gohan! I'll get the Dragon Radar for you right now!"
Before Gohan could answer, she gently laid Trunks into his cradle and sprinted toward her underground lab.
Once inside, Bulma tore through drawers and cabinets like a whirlwind. Cold sweat poured from her brow, but she dared not stop, not even for a breath.
She dug through piles of equipment and cluttered boxes until finally, hidden in a corner beneath spare scouters and circuit components, she found it.
"The Dragon Radar! I've got it!!" She exclaimed, snatching it up and bolting back outside.
By then, Son Gohan had landed on the ground. His cheeks were wet, but he was silently wiping away his tears, jaw clenched with resolve.
Seeing Bulma rush over with the radar, he took it without hesitation, his grip tight, like a drowning man grabbing hold of a rope.
He inhaled deeply, calming his heart, and without another word, blasted off toward the location of the nearest Dragon Ball at full speed.
Meanwhile, high above the ground, Vegeta hovered in the sky, eyes narrowed in shock as he gazed at the distant destruction.
"Could it be… the Androids have truly appeared…" He murmured under his breath, disbelief etched across his face.
At that moment, the wild theory he had about Trunks… seemed just a little less unbelievable.
(End Of This Chapter)