Looking down from high altitude.
The semi-circular Kami's Lookout floated not far from the atmosphere.
Lush greenery covered its surface, and several buildings rose up, appearing fantastical and ethereal—truly worthy of the name 'Lookout'.
Gohan and Trunks landed.
Trunks looked left and right, unable to take in all the sights.
With wide eyes, he bounced twice on the ground of the Lookout, then darted off, curious about everything he saw.
He kept asking, 'Gohan, is this really where Kami lives?'
'Yes, it is.'
Seeing Trunks' excitement, Gohan couldn't help but smile faintly.
He was still a child, after all; his happiness was impossible to hide.
Of course, Gohan was also happy.
At the very least, the Kami's Lookout had not been attacked by the Androids, and everything was currently intact.
This meant the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was still usable.
'I wonder if Mr. Popo is still here?'
Thinking this, Gohan followed Trunks toward the cluster of buildings.
There was an archway there; passing through it would lead to the true Kami's Lookout.
Currently, they were still in the front section of the Lookout, on the plaza.
'Gohan, what does Kami actually look like?' Trunks, running ahead, turned back to ask.
'Is he super tall, handsome, and really, really cool?'
Gohan recalled Piccolo's appearance and couldn't help but chuckle. 'He is pretty tall.'
But handsome? Not exactly.
After all, using the word 'handsome' to describe a Namekian was quite strange.
Since they fundamentally lacked gender distinctions.
Just then,
Gohan's pupils contracted.
He sensed someone emerging from the doorway of the Lookout, shrouded in darkness.
Gohan stared intently at the doorway and stopped walking.
'Trunks, stop.'
'Huh.' Hearing this, Trunks also stopped.
Following Gohan's gaze, he too noticed the figure stepping out of the doorway.
A figure that carried no ki, and one he couldn't even sense any life energy from.
'What is that...' Trunks couldn't help but take two steps back.
What exactly was this?
Even the Androids, though they lacked ki, still had life energy signatures.
'Is that Mr. Popo?' Gohan squinted.
As he spoke, the figure finally emerged from the darkness.
Or perhaps, he was darkness itself.
If it wasn't Mr. Popo, who else could it be?
He was pitch black all over; aside from the clothes he wore, there was no other color on his body.
He was intensely dark.
Seeing that it truly was Mr. Popo, Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Popo looked at Gohan, then at Trunks, and said, 'Mr. Gohan, you have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you for a very long time.'
His face was completely black; it was impossible to discern any expression.
He spoke without any emotion, sounding much like a robot.
'Waiting for me? What for?' Gohan asked.
Mr. Popo replied, 'Since Kami died 12 years ago, no human has come to the Lookout. I have waited here for 12 full years, and now Mr. Gohan has finally arrived.'
'I would like to ask you, Mr. Gohan, would you be willing to become the new Kami?'
Hearing this, Trunks' eyes lit up.
Cool, that was so cool.
Gohan was going to be the new Kami.
There was nothing cooler than that.
But Gohan's next answer stunned him.
'I apologize, Mr. Popo, but I do not wish to become the Kami of Earth,' Gohan said, shaking his head.
Mr. Popo showed no disappointment; Gohan's answer was within his expectations.
Nevertheless, he asked, 'Oh, why is that?'
Gohan said, 'Because even if I became the new Kami of Earth, it wouldn't help me defeat Androids 17 and 18.'
'Furthermore, as far as I know, being Kami comes with certain restrictions, doesn't it? For example, Mr. Popo, haven't you looked closely at the mortal world these past few years?'
'For over a decade, the Androids have wreaked havoc, slaughtering people everywhere. The mortal world is suffering terribly, with no one to answer their prayers. What, then, is the purpose of the Kami's Lookout?'
'Isn't it supposed to protect Earth?'
Mr. Popo, knowing he was at fault, lowered his head.
'I am very sorry, Mr. Gohan. As the guardian of the Kami's Lookout, I am unable to interfere with mortal affairs.'
Hearing Mr. Popo's words, Gohan grew angry.
Which damn deity set up these restrictions?
Didn't you go down to Earth to help find the old Kami's spaceship back then?
Why is it impossible now?
He hadn't understood these rules originally.
But because of the other soul that had merged with him, he had gained a new, omniscient perspective.
Because of this, he also knew that there were actually many ways Earth could have been saved.
But what good were solutions?
Absolutely no one cared.
For all these years, no one had paid any attention to Earth.
They had forcefully dumped a desperate mess onto the shoulders of a nine-year-old child.
This world had completely become a forgotten world.
Who could possibly know how Gohan had managed to survive these past ten years?
No one would save them; they could only save themselves.
If only someone had paid a little attention, Earth wouldn't be in this state now.
For example, if Mr. Popo had descended, brought him to the Lookout, taught him how to train, and revealed the secret of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Gohan felt he could have managed the situation—at least it wouldn't have been this miserable.
Or, if the North Kai had contacted him right when the disaster began and given him the address of New Namek.
Then he could have taken a spaceship to Namek, gathered the Dragon Balls, and revived all his comrades.
But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Now, over a decade later, they were still ignored.
It was as if they, all of them, had forgotten about Earth.
Even if they found New Namek now, their former comrades probably couldn't be revived anymore.
What truly fueled his rage was the fate of his deceased comrades.
Though it felt disrespectful, he hated their inaction.
North Kai could perhaps be excused because he managed too many planets and simply forgot about Earth.
But what about them?
If nothing unexpected happened, those comrades should have retained their physical bodies and been training either in the Other World or on Kai's Planet.
So how could they have gone over a decade without checking in?
Was it because they had no attachments after death?
Or was it some other reason?
As Gohan thought this, he couldn't help but wipe the dampness from the corner of his eye, then fiercely clenched his right fist.
He involuntarily put more force into his stance, and his ki suddenly swelled.
A shockwave of energy exploded outward, centered around him.
The ground beneath his feet cracked open with several sharp fissures, and golden aura flared up around him.
Gohan himself never would have expected that his first burst of rage after his rebirth would happen here.
It was well known that Gohan was always a gentle person, and his rage level had always been a mystery.
But that rage could also be called his greatest cheat code.
If he got angry enough, the grass on Android 17 and 18's graves would probably be over ten feet high by now.
Seeing Gohan suddenly erupt with power and transform into a Super Saiyan,
Trunks and Mr. Popo were both startled.
'Oh my god, Gohan's power is incredible. With ki like this, he can probably defeat the Androids now,' Trunks thought, utterly shocked.
Mr. Popo waved his hands and apologized profusely, 'Mr. Gohan, please calm down. I truly have no choice; it is my duty. I cannot interfere with mortal affairs, and besides, I couldn't defeat them either.'
He thought his previous answer had angered Gohan.
'Hoo—'
Gohan exhaled, forcing himself to calm down.
He understood instantly.
Damn it, it was all due to the plot holes created by that rotten old hack, who couldn't even be bothered to patch them up.
He dissipated his powerful aura and said, 'My apologies, I was rude just now.'
He knew he had been somewhat morally manipulative.
Whether others chose to intervene was their freedom.
But whether he got angry or not was Gohan's business.
He had endured too much over the past decade.
'It's nothing, nothing at all.' Mr. Popo waved his hands repeatedly, relieved.
He then asked, 'Since you are not here to become Kami, what is your purpose for coming, Mr. Gohan?'
Gohan stopped wasting time and said directly, 'We want to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Is that possible?'
'Ah, so Mr. Gohan knows about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. That is certainly no problem. Please follow me, both of you,' Mr. Popo said, gesturing for them to follow, then turned and walked into the temple.
Trunks looked at Gohan.
'What are you looking at? Let's go,' Gohan said.
'Oh.' Trunks immediately followed.
Gohan also strode inside.
'Gohan, your ki was amazing just now,' Trunks said, turning his head as they walked.
'It won't be long before you surpass that power,' Gohan said seriously.
He wasn't bragging.
With the aid of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for training, Gohan was very confident.
Trunks would definitely grow strong quickly, surpass the power Gohan had just unleashed, and then become even stronger.
After walking for a while, the three of them stopped in front of a large door.
Gohan looked up.
He saw a pendulum clock hanging directly above the door.
Mr. Popo said, 'Mr. Gohan, this is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.'
'The flow of time inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber is different from the outside world. One year spent inside is only one day passed outside.'
'However, each person can only use two days of outside time in their entire life, so Mr. Gohan must keep track of the time. If the time limit is exceeded, the door will automatically vanish, and you won't be able to get out.'
Gohan nodded. 'Understood.'
Mr. Popo said, 'But I worry too much. It's impossible for anyone to stay inside for two full years. Heh heh, Mr. Goku ran out after only a few months back then.'
Gohan: '...'
'Alright, go inside.' Mr. Popo said, pushing open the door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Did such a miraculous place truly exist in this world?
Trunks poked his head in and saw an endless, white, unknown world.
Plan Two: ♦
...