Seeing Goku defeated so easily, Vegeta, Piccolo, and the others were all struck with horror. It had only been a little over three years since the Android incident, and they hadn't expected such a terrifying foe to appear. The problem was, this person looked exactly like Goku.
"Hmph, pathetic!" Goku Black's contemptuous smile widened. "In that case, I'll start by eliminating you!"
As he spoke, Goku Black aimed his hand at the fallen Goku, intending to fire a Ki blast to finish him off. Piccolo and the others were instantly on high alert. If Goku died, this world would return to its former apocalyptic state.
At that critical moment—
WHOOSH!
A Time Machine appeared out of thin air. Its sudden appearance immediately caught everyone's attention.
"What is that thing?" Goku Black paused, not in a hurry to kill Goku just yet.
"It's... Trunks is back!" Krillin blurted out.
"A Time Machine?" Piccolo said in a low voice.
"Idiot! Why did you choose to come back now of all times!" Vegeta was furious, unable to help shouting. Couldn't you have just stayed in that past world? Why come back to die?
"Oh? So Trunks is back!" Goku Black was delighted. "Perfect. This way I can eliminate them one by one, leaving them with no way out."
"What a perfect time to return! Did he come back specifically to die?" Zamasu smiled faintly.
The Time Machine landed slowly, and the hatch opened. Trunks and Gohan flew out, quickly appearing on the scene.
"Dad!" Gohan immediately rushed to his father's side, pulling him up from the ground.
"Gohan?" Goku was stunned.
"Dad, are you alright?" Gohan asked anxiously.
In principle, the Goku of this world was Gohan's biological father—or rather, the biological father of Gohan's soul. His physical biological father was the Goku from the GT world.
"Dad!" Trunks also arrived at his father's side, then immediately looked at Goku Black and Zamasu. "Who are they?"
"Trunks, you shouldn't have come back!" Vegeta said solemnly.
"Father, you mean..." Trunks paused, then realized. "Are you worried about me?"
"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted, not wanting to answer.
"Hahaha! Father, you can rest assured. I've learned a new transformation from the you of the past!" Trunks gave Vegeta a reassuring look and grinned.
"What? Can you turn Super Saiyan 3 now?" Vegeta asked flatly.
"It's not Super Saiyan 3, it's Super Saiyan God!" Trunks said with a smile.
"Super Saiyan God?" Vegeta's eyes twitched in shock. After a brief silence, he shook his head gently.
"Father, what's wrong?" Trunks was confused.
"It's useless," Vegeta said in a low voice. "Did you see that guy's transformation? The rose-colored one."
Trunks turned to look at Goku Black. Only then did he notice that the man looked almost exactly like Mr. Goku.
"Eh? Isn't he Mr. Goku?" Trunks was dazed, then glanced at the Goku beside Gohan and realized the other man wasn't Mr. Goku.
Vegeta didn't answer. Of course that man wasn't Kakarot.
"How can he look exactly like Mr. Goku?" Trunks frowned slightly.
"Hmph, who knows!" Vegeta snorted.
"I've never seen that color of transformation before," Trunks added. "How did he turn that color?"
"He said it's what happens when a Super Saiyan God breaks through!" Vegeta explained simply.
Trunks was stunned again. When a Super Saiyan God breaks through, don't they turn Super Saiyan Blue? Why is it rose-colored?
"In other words, his strength is at least above a Super Saiyan God!" Trunks understood, his expression becoming more grave.
Vegeta didn't answer, but the look in his eyes made his meaning clear.
"It's okay, we have Master Gohan!" Trunks smiled, not taking it to heart. He was secretly relieved that Master Gohan had come back with him this time. Otherwise, he didn't think he'd be a match for them.
Gohan helped Goku up and looked at Goku Black and Zamasu with fury. When he saw Goku Black, Gohan was visibly stunned. How does this person look exactly like my dad? Who is he?
"Gohan, be careful. That guy who looks like me is no joke!" Goku said, rubbing his aching body.
"I understand, Dad," Gohan nodded.
"Gohan, I didn't expect you to return from the past," Krillin came forward to greet him.
"Yeah, it's been a long time since we've seen Gohan," Tien remarked.
"Gohan," Piccolo stroked Gohan's head with affection. Gohan scratched his head and greeted them all one by one.
Goku Black and Zamasu didn't stop them. They had plenty of time. They would let them say their goodbyes—a final mercy from gods to mortals.
"Master Gohan, let me go first," Trunks stepped forward. Gohan nodded, not objecting. Since Trunks could turn Super Saiyan God, Gohan felt defeating these two shouldn't be a major problem.
"Trunks, Gohan, just as Vegeta said, you shouldn't have come back," Zamasu smiled contemptuously. "Wouldn't it have been better to stay in that other parallel world? Now that you're back, you won't be leaving!"
"I belong to this world. My home is here, of course I'd come back!" Trunks clenched his fists tightly.
"Hmph, since you've come back to die, I'll grant your wish," Goku Black sneered, beckoning to Trunks and Gohan. "Come, both of you together!"
"No, I'm enough to handle a guy like you!" Trunks said. Flames erupted around him as he immediately activated the Super Saiyan God transformation.
Seeing Trunks turn into this, Goku Black and Zamasu were slightly surprised. This guy can actually turn Super Saiyan God! Goku, Vegeta, and the others were also amazed. No one had expected Trunks to achieve this form.
"Impressive! Trunks, I really underestimated you!" Goku Black clapped. "I didn't expect you to be able to turn Super Saiyan God!"
"Hmph, enough talk!" Trunks' expression was solemn as he turned into a streak of fiery red light and flew straight at Goku Black.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The two quickly engaged. However, after several rounds of confrontation, Goku Black delivered an upper-cut that landed squarely in Trunks' stomach. Trunks' face contorted in pain, a fist print bulging from his back. He stumbled back several steps, nearly falling.
"Hmph, pathetic. I thought you were so confident because you were something special," Goku Black smiled contemptuously.
BAM!
As he spoke, Goku Black delivered a flying kick that sent Trunks tumbling to the ground.
"Hehehe, this endless power is finally manifesting in me!" Goku Black was ecstatic. "It's perfect that you've returned. Once I eliminate you, the Zero Mortals Plan can be carried out even better!"
BAM!
Goku Black kicked Trunks again. Trunks flew high and fell heavily, the flames around him dissipating as he returned to his normal state.
"Not good! Trunks!" Goku's face turned pale. He hadn't expected that even as a Super Saiyan God, Trunks would be no match for Goku Black.
Krillin and Tien were also grave. Piccolo looked up at the sky. Why hasn't that guy Yamcha come down with Dende to heal Goku yet? He hadn't expected even Trunks to lose to Goku Black.
"It's no use, Master Gohan," Trunks forced a bitter smile and shook his head at Gohan.
Gohan nodded, also realizing this opponent was not simple.
"Is Goku's son, Gohan, next?" Zamasu asked with interest.
"Come on! You'll be in despair soon enough!" Goku Black smiled contemptuously, looking at Gohan provocatively.
"Gohan, be careful!" Piccolo said with concern. "Your Mystic state probably isn't as strong as a Super Saiyan God, right?"
"Uncle Piccolo is right," Gohan nodded and grinned at Piccolo. "But I have a new transformation."
"A new transformation?" Piccolo was stunned. Goku's eyes lit up with anticipation.
BOOM!
Gohan didn't hesitate and directly activated his Beast Form. Seeing Gohan's new transformation, everyone except Trunks was frozen in shock. This new form looked incredibly powerful—it gave off the feeling of ten thousand beasts stampeding. The sheer pressure made it hard to look at him directly.
"This... how is this possible?" Goku Black stammered.
"His hair turned the color of a god's!" Zamasu gritted his teeth.
"But he doesn't have divine Ki, only massive energy!" Goku Black breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "It's just that his energy is very strong! Much, much stronger than a normal person's!"
"Are you sure?" Zamasu asked.
"The first time might not work... but by the second confrontation, I'll definitely be able to take him down!" Goku Black analyzed in a low voice after careful consideration.
"Then let's proceed with the plan," Zamasu nodded, unconcerned.
"Come, son of Goku!" Goku Black beckoned to Gohan. Hurry up and injure me! I'll just wait for my other self to heal me. My strength will surely improve even more, and then I'll surpass you!
"Hmph, in that case, I won't be polite!" Gohan's eyes flashed with killing intent, becoming cold as ice.
WHOOSH!
In the next instant, Gohan blurred and appeared directly in front of Goku Black.
BAM!
Gohan delivered a heavy punch that landed squarely on Goku Black's chest.
SPURT...
Goku Black sprayed a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward rapidly, feeling as if his heart was about to shatter.
"Die!" Energy flashed in Gohan's hand, covering Goku Black.
WHOOSH!
Goku Black's body was instantly consumed by Gohan's energy, turning into cosmic dust. He was as dead as could be.
The jaws of everyone present hit the floor in horror.
"Next, it's you!" Gohan's mouth curled into a slight arc.
Goku and the others were frozen again, looking at Gohan with disbelief. That guy who looked exactly like Goku... was he killed? Just like that?
Technically, it was one move. Gohan had seemingly killed him with one punch, but to make sure he was thoroughly dead, Gohan had released a Ki blast. Now he was truly finished.
"This... how is this possible?" Vegeta was beyond shocked. He had thought Trunks becoming a Super Saiyan God was impressive, but Gohan was so much stronger. There was no comparison. Goku Black could easily defeat Trunks, yet Gohan could easily instant-kill Goku Black.
"You... what did you do?" Zamasu couldn't even process it, his confident smile frozen on his face. My other self was killed by this kid?
"He's dead, right? He shouldn't be able to revive?" Gohan smiled faintly.
"You... you kid, why aren't you following the script? Shouldn't we test each other out first? How could you just instant-kill him?" Zamasu was suddenly frantic, his hand trembling as he pointed at Gohan.
"That's because you're too weak," Gohan answered flatly.
There was another reason Gohan didn't mention. During the battle with Cell, Gohan felt he had almost made a catastrophic mistake. If his father hadn't used Instant Transmission to take Cell to the Sacred World of the Kai, the consequences would have been unthinkable. It was terrifying! If his arrogance had caused his friends to die, it would have been an unforgivable sin.
Another thing that unsettled Gohan was the dream his mother, Chi-Chi, had mentioned. In that dream, his father had died along with Cell. Gohan felt that perhaps his mother's dream was a reality from another parallel world... and that was why he didn't want to mess around anymore.
Furthermore, seeing the ruined state of this world upon his return had ignited a fire of rage in his heart that wouldn't subside. To be honest, Gohan's hatred for Cell wasn't that high. In comparison, he hated the Androids of this world much more. If hatred was a scale, the Androids were at 100, while Cell was at most 50. Goku Black and Zamasu were higher than Cell, at least 70, because Gohan felt the same vibe from them as those two detestable Androids. They wanted to destroy all of humanity, just like the Androids who killed for sport.
Zamasu's face changed repeatedly as he looked at Gohan in terror. He never expected Goku's son to be this strong—to instant-kill his other self! Now only I am left, and I can't beat him. I have to go to another timeline to bring reinforcements!
"Hmph, just wait! I'll be back! When I do, you'd better wash your necks and wait for the slaughter!" Zamasu threw out a parting threat and prepared to use Instant Transmission to leave.
WHOOSH!
Zamasu's figure began to blur. Gohan paused, then immediately let out a sharp "Ha!" toward Zamasu's position. An invisible wave of energy rapidly covered Zamasu.
BAM!
Zamasu's body was directly shattered into pieces by Gohan's powerful energy. Goku and the others were stunned again. Just by shouting 'Ha,' that green guy was torn to pieces? Gohan has become too strong!
However, a shocking scene occurred. The shattered pieces of Zamasu's body quickly flew back together, restoring him to his original form.
"Can this guy regenerate?" Tien said in a low voice. Piccolo also frowned deeply.
"So you can regenerate!" Gohan snorted, unconcerned. He charged forward and kicked Zamasu high into the air.
BOOM!
Gohan waved his hand at the Zamasu in the sky, and an even more powerful energy covered him. The energy consumed Zamasu completely. Everyone was stunned again. Those two arrogant guys had been wiped out by Gohan just like that.
"As expected of Master Gohan!" Trunks remarked with deep emotion.
"Gohan, good job!" Goku was proud of his son.
"Is he dead this time?" Krillin asked with concern.
"After being hit like that... he should be dead," Piccolo nodded.
"No!" Gohan frowned, his expression changing slightly.
"What's wrong, Gohan?" Goku asked.
"Over there!" Gohan suddenly turned to look to the side. He reached out and made a grabbing motion, physically pulling the newly restored Zamasu from the distance.
Zamasu was terrified and looked at Gohan in shock. Is this kid a demon? I just used my immortality to restore my body, and he snatched me right back?
BAM!
Gohan grabbed Zamasu by the neck and delivered a heavy punch to his face. Zamasu's face was flattened, and he howled in pain.
"Your recovery is quite impressive!" Gohan snorted. Energy erupted from his hand, directly piercing Zamasu's chest.
However, a surprising scene occurred. Zamasu's chest began to heal rapidly.
"Hahaha! It's useless! You can't kill me!" Zamasu laughed maniacally.
"What do you mean?" Gohan was stunned. Goku and the others also pricked up their ears.
"Because I am immortal!" Zamasu gave a mocking smile. "No matter what you do, I will not die."
"Immortal!"
Everyone repeated those words, then turned their gaze toward Vegeta. Long ago, when Vegeta first came to Earth, he had collected the Dragon Balls specifically to wish for immortality. Frieza had been the same.
Vegeta: "..." Why is everyone looking at me?
"That's right, I am immortal!" Zamasu's smile returned as he jeered. "You'd better watch yourselves! Let me go now, and if you apologize properly, I might consider sparing your lives!"
"Again!" Gohan refused to believe it. He threw Zamasu high into the sky and consumed him again with pure Ki. Then, Gohan reached out and snatched the newly restored Zamasu back.
"It's not working," Gohan said, his head hurting a bit. Even that didn't kill him? Is he really immortal? What should I do? How can I eliminate him completely?
Gohan tried several other methods to see if he could kill Zamasu. But no matter what he did, Zamasu always recovered.
"Hehehe, once you've exhausted all your energy, it'll be my turn to kill you!" Zamasu was smug and decided not to leave. He had wanted to escape, but since he couldn't, he would stay and drain their energy. What my other self couldn't do, I'll do myself. That idiot! Dying just like that!
"Gohan, have you noticed... his recovery speed is getting slower and slower," Piccolo said suddenly.
"Yeah, Uncle Piccolo, I noticed that too," Gohan nodded, having already spotted that detail. Although the guy claimed to be immortal, his recovery speed was indeed slowing down. It seemed immortality must have a limit.
"How is your energy consumption?" Piccolo asked.
"It's okay, Uncle Piccolo!" Gohan smiled slightly. "I'll find a way to kill him. I won't let him run wild in this world!"
"I think I have a solution." Goku grinned, having come up with a brilliant idea.
Upon hearing Goku's words, everyone present turned to look at him.
What good ideas can Goku come up with?
"Since we can't kill him, let's seal him away!" Goku said with a smile. "I remember Master Roshi used the Evil Containment Wave. It was Master Roshi who used it back then..."
At this point, Goku looked in Piccolo's direction.
Piccolo: "..."
Piccolo didn't speak, after all, the current Piccolo was the result of Kami and Piccolo assimilated.
Krillin and Tien Shinhan both turned to look at Piccolo.
Piccolo, the former Demon King, has now become a protector of humanity.
"But where is Master Roshi?" Goku scratched his head again, intending to bring Master Roshi here.
"Since it's the Evil Containment Wave, we don't need Master Roshi anymore; I can do it myself." Piccolo smiled slightly.
"I know a little bit too," Tien Shinhan added.
To be continued…
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