"Then I'll pass," Yamcha said with a laugh.
Krillin heard the joke and laughed with him.
"We'll be back as soon as we can," Goku said, voice turning serious.
This was tied to the fate of his era. He couldn't go to the future and just abandon this world.
"Hmph. Go on, Kakarot—run to the future." Vegeta snorted. "By the time you crawl back, I'll have already dealt with this era's Androids!"
"If you can do that, that'd be amazing." Goku nodded, smiling.
"I've got an idea." Yamcha blurted, getting carried away. "What if we take out Dr. Gero—the guy who makes the Androids? We can ask the Dragon Balls. Shenron would know where he lives. Then in three years, we won't have to fight at all."
"Huh? Yamcha, that's actually smart!" Krillin's eyes lit up. "No fighting would be perfect!"
"If you idiots try anything unnecessary, I'll wipe you out on the spot. You hear me?" Vegeta snapped.
Yamcha's body jolted, his expression turning ugly.
Silence.
"Goku… what do you think?" Yamcha asked quickly.
"Sorry, Yamcha… I want to fight, if I'm staying here." Goku scratched his head. "And that scientist hasn't done anything yet. How can we go after him now?"
Yamcha's chest tightened. He couldn't find a reply.
"Yamcha, I want to fight too," Tien said quietly. "I want to see how far I can push myself. Even if I die, I won't regret it."
Yamcha just stared.
Tien, whose side are you on?
"For Trunks's future, and ours, let's win this!" Goku raised his hand.
Krillin and Gohan raised theirs with him.
Bulma stood off to the side and watched, saying nothing.
"Alright, everyone. Three years from now, I'm counting on you." Goku smiled. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Kakarot, getting cocky because you can go Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God?" Vegeta scoffed. "One day I'll beat you. Don't forget—I'm the future God of Destruction!"
With that, Vegeta shot into the sky in a streak of gold and vanished.
"The 'God of Destruction' Dad mentioned…" Trunks frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Trunks, go on." Bulma smiled. "You've wanted to see your dad, haven't you?"
"Y-yes… thank you… Bulma-san." Trunks's face reddened. He turned to Goku. "Goku-san, in two days we meet at Bulma-san's house, then we leave."
"Got it." Goku nodded easily.
Trunks became a streak of light and chased after Vegeta.
Vegeta flew straight back to Emily's house.
For him, this place counted as a home on Earth. The thought hit him harder than he expected.
Since Planet Vegeta was destroyed, he'd had no home. He'd drifted through the universe, never settling anywhere.
Now there was a woman waiting for him, day after day. The prince's heart softened without him noticing.
Vegeta landed in the yard.
Emily had been waiting, worried. The moment she saw him, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.
"You scared me to death, Vegeta… I thought something happened." She clutched him tight. "You're safe… thank goodness."
"Tch. He's here." Vegeta bared his teeth and pointed upward.
"Who?" Emily blinked.
Trunks landed right after, stepping into the yard and coming face-to-face with his young mother.
He froze, suddenly awkward, not knowing what to say.
"W-who is that?" Emily asked quickly. "Vegeta… your friend?"
"Hmph. My son," Vegeta said.
Emily went still.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Then her anger exploded, and she shoved Vegeta hard.
Vegeta didn't move an inch.
Emily bounced back as if she'd pushed a wall, stumbling several steps and nearly falling.
Vegeta didn't help her. He just watched, expression flat.
As a prince, Vegeta wasn't about to "take care" of Emily—especially not the Vegeta of this time.
"Vegeta! You have a son?!" Emily glared at him. "You bastard! You have a kid and you're still with me?!"
Trunks's stomach dropped.
If my sudden appearance splits them up…
Then the Trunks of this era won't exist.
"Mom… it's not like that." Trunks hurried forward.
"Who are you calling 'Mom'?" Emily's lips trembled with fury.
Vegeta, you've got nerve.
You not only have a son—you've got him calling me his mother.
People talk about getting forced into being a dad. I've never heard of a woman getting forced into being a mom.
"Vegeta, I hate you!" Emily snapped, turning to storm out.
She reached the doorway, then suddenly remembered—
This is my house.
She spun back around. "This is my house. You two get out!"
"Hmph. Clueless Earth woman." Vegeta folded his arms. "Kid. Explain."
Trunks swallowed. "Mom… just listen. I really am your son. My name is Trunks."
"Trunks?" Emily blinked. The name felt strangely familiar.
Back in high school, she and Bulma had joked about baby names. They flipped through names for ages and finally picked Trunks and Bulla.
They even agreed: whoever had a kid first would use those names, and whoever had one later could figure it out themselves.
It was a joke, but after Emily gave birth, she remembered that old promise and named him Trunks.
"You're saying your name is Trunks?" Emily looked him over again, still suspicious.
"I'm from twenty years in the future." Trunks forced a smile, ears turning red. "My dad is Vegeta. And... you are my mom."
"Twenty years in the future?" Emily laughed despite herself. "Could you at least make up something believable?"
"Tch." Vegeta clicked his tongue. "Stupid woman. You don't believe time machines exist? He came here in one."
"A time machine?" Emily still looked doubtful.
"This." Trunks pulled out a capsule and tossed it.
With a pop, the capsule expanded into a time machine.
"That thing is a time machine?" Emily circled it twice.
"Bulma-san spent years building it…" Trunks's voice dropped. "That future… it's awful." He gave her a quick summary of what happened.
Emily slowly started to believe him. She knew Bulma was a genius.
If Bulma built a time machine, it wasn't impossible.
"So lots of people die in the future?" Emily pressed a hand to her chest. "Okay, okay… at least Bulma and I are alive. Too bad your dad is dead, though."
Vegeta's eye twitched.
Trunks went silent.
"So you really are from the future." Emily's expression softened fast as she studied him again. "My son grew up handsome. I'm proud of you."
Two days later.
Everyone gathered at Bulma's house.
Goku and Trunks prepared to head to the future.
"Goku, be careful," Chi-Chi said, unable to hide her worry.
"Don't worry, Chi-Chi. I'll be back soon." Goku nodded, then looked at Gohan. "Gohan, take care of your mom."
"Okay! Good luck, Dad!" Gohan said.
"Trunks, are you coming back to visit?" Emily held his hand, reluctant to let go.
"I'll come back once in three years." Trunks nodded. "Mom, take care."
"Stay safe," Emily said.
"Yes," Trunks answered, glancing at Vegeta standing off to the side.
Vegeta didn't speak. He just watched Trunks step into the time machine.
Seeing Goku's family and Vegeta's family like this, Bulma's thoughts drifted.
Should I… start a family too?
Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Chiaotzu, and the others came to see them off.
Goku and Trunks climbed in.
The time machine wasn't big, but two fit fine.
If you squeezed, three would still work.
The time machine rose into the deep blue sky.
Goku and Trunks waved from inside.
Then the machine spun faster and faster.
In a flash, it vanished.
A few seconds later, it appeared over a barren region and descended slowly.
"Huh? Where are we?" Trunks's face tightened.
Goku hopped out—and immediately bent over and threw up.
"Goku-san, are you okay?" Trunks asked.
"I'm fine… just dizzy." Goku wiped his mouth. "That spinning got me."
Trunks stared.
Goku-san gets motion sick in a time machine?
"Goku-san, look…" Trunks's voice sharpened. "Something's wrong. Are we in some era we don't recognise?" He hurried to check the time setting.
No mistake. Twenty years in the future.
So why did Earth look like this?
His future Earth was bleak, but it wasn't this dead.
"It's like there isn't a single living thing anywhere." Trunks clenched his fists. "Did we come back too late? Did the Androids kill everyone?"
He checked the coordinates on his watch.
Then his confusion deepened.
"This should be the mountains eighteen kilometres outside West City…" Trunks looked around at the ruins. "Why is it a city's wreckage?" His eyes widened. "Wait. I remember this. One time when I went back, I ran into something like this. A vortex dragged me in, and only then did I reach the real Earth."
"This is Earth in Universe 6," Goku said. "Our Earth is Universe 7."
"Universe 6… Universe 7…?" Trunks looked blank.
"They're like mirror universes." Goku tried to simplify it. "In our time, the two Earths swapped."
Trunks looked even more lost.
"But right now…" Goku's tone dropped. "We're probably stuck in Universe 6. I don't know how we're getting back to Universe 7."
"Is it really that far?" Trunks asked.
Goku nodded.
"And there's worse." Trunks picked up a can of luncheon meat, cracked it open, and recoiled. "All the food's ruined. Something irradiated everything."
The meat had gone bad, and the stench hit immediately.
"We need to leave fast," Goku said. "Or we'll starve." He tapped his forehead. "Instant Transmission."
"Goku-san, you can do that here?" Trunks asked.
"I can bring you with me." Goku looked at the capsule. "Pack up the time machine first. Then I'll take you out of here."
"Yes." Trunks turned it back into a capsule and put it away.
Goku raised two fingers to his forehead and focused, reaching out across the stars.
Ten minutes passed.
"Got one." Goku exhaled. "There's a really strong ki. No idea who it is, but we can go ask."
Trunks nodded, forcing himself to breathe.
Anywhere is better than dying on this planet.
With a flash, Goku used Instant Transmission, taking Trunks with him.
In the blink of an eye, they appeared on a strange planet.
The sky was deep purple, with two suns shining overhead, bathing everything in steady light.
The surface was covered in emerald-coloured plants that gave off a faint blue glow. Some rose like giant mushrooms, others curled like vines, and others shimmered with bioluminescence that shifted with the surroundings.
Trunks stared around in shock.
We jumped here instantly…
Goku narrowed his eyes, spotting someone who looked familiar, yet not quite.
"Frieza?" Trunks blurted. "Is he still alive in our time?"
"Not Frieza." Goku laughed. "Universe 6 has its own version."
Trunks nodded, not fully following.
The Frieza-lookalike stared back, just as confused.
They appeared beside me in an instant.
Who are they?
"What are you two?" he demanded. "Why are you on this planet?"
"Hi." Goku waved. "I'm Goku. We need to get back to Universe 7. Do you know how?"
"I'm Frost." Frost nodded slowly, eyes flicking between them.
He considered killing them.
Then dropped the thought.
There was no point.
They appeared out of nowhere—better to find out who they were.
"Universe 7… I've heard of it," Frost said. "Mirror universe to ours, right?"
"You know about that?" Goku's eyes lit up. "That's awesome!"
"I've been on assignments with Champa-sama and the Supreme Kai," Frost said with a polite smile. "So I know a little."
"Then can you help us get back?" Goku said. "Please. We've got something we have to do."
"That might be difficult… but I can try to contact the Supreme Kai." Frost thought for a moment. "If he's willing, sending you back should be easy."
"Supreme Kai…" Goku's eyes gleamed.
If I'm going to become a Supreme Kai someday, meeting Universe 6's Supreme Kai would be perfect.
I want to see what he can do.
"Supreme Kai! Are you there? It's Frost!" Frost pulled out a strange communicator and spoke into it.
The device looked like a small spherical button, similar to how people contacted angels.
"Frost?" a voice answered quickly. "What is it?"
"Supreme Kai, two humans from Universe 7 showed up on Purple Cabbage Planet. They're trying to return to Universe 7," Frost reported.
"Humans from Universe 7 came to Universe 6?" the Supreme Kai said. "Wait there. I'm coming."
A moment later, he appeared beside them.
Goku stared at the plump, green figure.
Universe 6's Supreme Kai, Fuwa.
"You're the Supreme Kai?" Goku stepped forward. "Hi! I'm Goku. Someday I'm going to become a Supreme Kai too!"
Fuwa went silent and sized him up.
You… want to be a Supreme Kai?
"You're from Universe 7?" Fuwa asked, glancing past Goku at Trunks.
Goku nodded.
"If you can come from Universe 7 to Universe 6," Fuwa said, "why can't you go from Universe 6 back to Universe 7?"
Goku's eyes went unfocused. He scratched his head, stuck.
After a few seconds, he forced it out. "Okay, so… we live on Earth. In our time, Universe 6's Earth and Universe 7's Earth swapped. We used a time machine to come here, and that's why we ended up on Universe 6's Earth…"
Fuwa caught the key points immediately.
Earths swapping across universes.
A time machine.
Time travel.
He stood there, stunned.
"You time-travelled… back to the past?" Fuwa's voice shot up. "Do you have any idea what kind of crime that is?"
"Huh? I'm a criminal?" Goku blinked.
"Don't let Champa-sama hear that," Fuwa hissed near his ear. "If he finds out, he'll destroy you."
Fuwa looked at Goku and Trunks more carefully.
Their energy was unusually pure—no malice at all.
That surprised him.
Humans like this were rare.
Even someone as "pleasant" as Frost still carried something darker underneath.
These two didn't.
"Champa? Who's that?" Goku asked.
"God of Destruction," Fuwa replied.
"Oh." Goku nodded. "That's impressive."
Fuwa stared at him.
Why do I get the feeling you're not scared at all?
"I'll send you to Earth in Universe 7," Fuwa said, cutting it short. "That's where you want to go, right?"
Goku and Trunks nodded quickly.
"Grab on," Fuwa said.
They held onto him.
"Kai Kai!"
Fuwa vanished with them.
In the next instant, they appeared on Earth in Universe 7—right in front of Android 17 and Android 18.
Fuwa's brows knitted. "So this is what Universe 7's Earth looks like now… I see. You two did this."
"Androids!" Trunks's expression tightened. He drew his sword.
"Trunks, those are them?" Goku asked.
"Yes, Goku-san," Trunks said, tense.
Android 17 and Android 18 stared.
Wasn't Goku dead?
How is he here?
"I'm not seeing things, am I?" Android 17 grinned. "That's Son Goku."
"No wonder Trunks disappeared on us," Android 18 said, brushing her hair back. "Went out to bring help?"
Android 17 looked Fuwa over. "And who's the green weirdo? That's not Piccolo."
"You two have shattered this planet's peace," Fuwa said sharply. "What punishment do you think you deserve?"
"Oh?" Android 17 chuckled. "The chubby green guy's got a big mouth." He glanced at Trunks. "Not bad, Trunks. Two partners. You think that's enough to beat us?"
Android 18 pointed at Goku. "You're Son Goku, right?"
"Yeah." Goku nodded. "You're the Androids Trunks told me about?"
"Of course." Android 17 nodded. "Strongest Androids ever made." His grin widened. "And you're about to die." He turned to Android 18. "One each?"
"Goku's mine," Android 18 said, smiling.
"Fine. You take the green guy." Android 17 cracked his neck. "I'll take Goku. And Trunks? Let him cling to whoever he wants. He's not worth thinking about."
Trunks's grip tightened.
Right. Keep talking.
"Alright." Android 18 nodded. "But the next city's people are all mine."
"Deal," Android 17 said.
"Do you even know who I am?" Fuwa snapped. "I'm a god—the greatest Supreme Kai of Universe 6!" His voice rose. "You're killing people on this planet and disrupting cosmic peace. Crossing universes doesn't mean I'll ignore it!"
"A god?" Android 17 laughed. "So what? Does this world really need gods running it?"
Android 18 beckoned at Fuwa. "Hey, chubby green guy. Your opponent's me."
"Arrogant woman." Fuwa's gaze sharpened.
A crushing force hit Android 18.
She screamed as she was blasted backward, slamming into a building.
Steel rebar punched through her back and burst out her chest, blood running down the metal.
Android 18 died before she even understood what happened.
It's worth mentioning that Universe 6's Supreme Kai Fuwa and Universe 7's Supreme Kai Shin aren't far apart in strength.
If anything, Fuwa is a little stronger.
A Supreme Kai can't handle someone at Cell's level, but an Android is another story.
In the original story, after Piccolo fused with Kami, he was close to Android 17's level—yet when he met the Supreme Kai at the World Martial Arts Tournament, he chose to forfeit immediately.
Part of that is because Piccolo once held a "god" position, and the Supreme Kai sits above that.
But in raw strength, Piccolo still wasn't a match.
Orange Piccolo is a different case, later on.
That's why Fuwa could erase Android 18 so easily.
Goku stood there, stunned.
So this is what a Supreme Kai can do.
Trunks's jaw dropped.
If I knew someone like this existed, why did I go back to find Goku-san at all?
Android 18… gone instantly.
Android 17's grin collapsed. His body shook as he stared at Fuwa.
"W-what did you do?" Android 17's voice cracked.
"Your turn," Fuwa said coldly, snapping his gaze toward him.
An invisible force swept over Android 17's position.
Android 17 flipped away and dodged, then bolted.
"You can't run." Fuwa scoffed. "In front of a god, you don't get to escape."
He vanished and appeared right in Android 17's path.
Android 17 skidded to a halt.
Goku watched closely.
That was teleportation.
But it wasn't Instant Transmission.
Android 17 panicked and fired a massive blast.
The explosion thundered across the ruins.
Fuwa was already above it.
He flicked his hand, then clenched upward.
Android 17's body jerked and lifted, floating against his will.
"What?!" Android 17 thrashed. "Why can't I move?!"
"Anyone who breaks cosmic peace gets judged," Fuwa said, sweeping his hand again.
Android 17 slammed down like a cannonball, leaving a human-shaped crater.
Fuwa dropped after him and planted a foot on his chest.
Android 17 spat blood, convulsed, and went still.
Fuwa stepped off and dusted his hands, smiling to himself.
Trunks stood there, mind blank.
Sixteen years.
Sixteen years of terror.
And it ended like this.
Goku scratched his head, staring.
Fuwa glanced back at them.
Why are you two looking at me like that?
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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