Gran had naturally overheard what was said, but since the dinner had been quite spectacular, he decided to let it slide. Soon, the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically as Gran and Broly began inhaling the food on the table with reckless abandon.
Whis remained characteristically elegant, savoring every mouthful with deliberate care, yet his hands moved with such blinding speed that even Gran and Broly struggled to claim their fair share of the feast.
Time ticked away, and the piles of food dwindled. Goku had already stopped eating—not because he was full, but because he simply couldn't keep up with the three of them.
He sat there, wearing an expression of pure disbelief, wondering if his "Big Brother Gran" had specifically come over just to mooch a free meal. Chi-Chi had initially harbored some doubts about Gran being a member of Goku's race, especially since he lacked a tail, but after witnessing his appetite, she was thoroughly convinced.
Fortunately, she had prepared an enormous amount of food; otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough to satisfy the group.
Two hours later, everyone finally set down their utensils. Gran leaned back with a grin. "Well, Whis? How was it? Not bad, right?" Whis elegantly dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"Lady Chi-Chi's culinary skills are truly remarkable. I never imagined dinosaur meat could be prepared so exquisitely." Chi-Chi was momentarily stunned by the formal praise.
Bulma, sitting beside her, gave her a nudge and whispered seriously, "This gentleman is the strongest being in the universe, and he's giving you a compliment!"
Chi-Chi's eyes nearly popped out of her head. The strongest in the universe? What kind of level was that? Unlike his wife, Goku's reaction was one of pure excitement.
"Big Brother Gran, is this guy really the strongest in the universe?" Seeing that look in Goku's eyes, Gran knew the battle-hungry Saiyan was already itching for a spar.
"Yeah," Gran nodded before turning to Bulma. "Do me a favor and give these two a crash course on the hierarchy of the gods."
With the meal finished, it was time for the next phase of his plan. Bulma pouted, grumbling, "You're so annoying, Lord Gran. Can't you just tell them yourself?" Despite her complaining, she gave in and began explaining the celestial order to Goku and Chi-Chi.
She detailed everything she had learned from Whis: the Supreme Kais, the Destroyer Candidates, the Gods of Destruction, and the Angels. By the time she finished, both Goku and Chi-Chi were staring at them with wide, vacant expressions.
Watching the series' protagonist wear such a look gave Gran a subtle, satisfying sense of amusement.
After a long silence, Goku finally found his voice. "Big Brother Gran... you're really one of those 'Destroyer Candidates'?"
"That's right."
"My god... I had no idea there were so many powerful gods out there!" Goku's expression shifted from shock to pure, unadulterated zeal. His body actually began to tremble with anticipation.
Gran felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. Already getting fired up? You couldn't even touch us right now! Still, he had to admire it—the refusal to be intimidated, the eternal optimism, the relentless drive to improve—that was the heart of the Dragon Ball legend.
Bulma, watching Gran's smirk, felt suspicious. She wondered if he had come here just to flex his status. Even Whis was curious; he knew Gran had come for Goku's son, but he couldn't quite figure out the endgame.
Gran suddenly stood up and walked over to a small cradle where little Gohan was lying. He picked the boy up and looked at Chi-Chi. "Chi-Chi, what do you plan for Gohan's future?"
"Oh!" Chi-Chi scrambled to her feet, bowing deeply. "Lord Gran—"
"Enough with the formalities," Gran interrupted. "Just keep calling me Big Brother Gran, as Kakarot does."
"Understood." Chi-Chi didn't doubt his identity for a second; a man who could shatter the sky was clearly someone special. Seeing that he was still approachable, she relaxed and spoke softly.
"Now that the world is at peace, I plan to raise Gohan to be a world-renowned scholar." As she mentioned the word 'scholar,' her eyes sparkled with hope.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone gave her a strange look. Whis, in particular, had initially thought Goku was joking, but seeing the mother's conviction, he realized she was dead serious. He began to understand why Gran had come here. He wants to change her mind, Whis thought to himself.
Bulma spoke up, sounding worried. "Chi-Chi, Goku is the hero who defeated King Piccolo! Shouldn't his son be trained as an elite martial artist?" Chi-Chi wasn't angry; she simply explained her logic. "But King Piccolo is gone. Earth is at peace, and the future belongs to the educated. There's just no need for fighting anymore."
"Who says the Earth is at peace?" Bulma tried to argue, but Gran stepped forward with Gohan in his arms. "The Earth might be at peace for the moment," he said coldly, "but what about the threats lurking in the universe?"
"But Big Brother Gran, aren't you a Destroyer Candidate? If there's a crisis, surely you wouldn't just sit by and watch?" Chi-Chi's tone suggested her mind was still made up.
"I am a god, yes," Gran said, his voice dropping to a chilling level. He allowed a fraction of his divine pressure to leak out—a cold, indifferent weight that felt like a supreme being looking down on ants.
The hearts of Goku, Chi-Chi, Broly, and Bulma began to race. It was terrifying. "But why should I care about your crises? We are gods, Chi-Chi. To us, a mortal crisis is just a factor in universal development. We don't interfere with the life and death of mortals."
Gran walked out of the house with Gohan, the others trailing behind him in a state of growing dread. "Let me tell you a harsh truth, Chi-Chi. What if a crisis is actually caused by one of us? What would you do then?"
"What do you mean? Why would you cause a crisis?" Chi-Chi was still young and hadn't been hardened by years of struggle yet. Her resolve was finally starting to waver.
"Because we can," Gran said. He stepped outside and looked at Whis, then pointed a single finger at the ground. "If a God of Destruction is in a bad mood, this is the result."
A white beam of light shot from Gran's finger. Whis sighed, knowing Gran was about to blow up the planet just to make a point. He tapped his staff, momentarily dropping the protective barrier he had placed on the Earth. A split second later, Gran's energy pierced the crust.
BOOM!
The Earth disintegrated in a massive explosion, a brilliant firework show blooming in the dark vacuum of space. Goku, Chi-Chi, and Bulma were perfectly safe inside Whis's protective bubble, but they were frozen in place by the sight.
"Goku... our home... the Earth... where is it?" Chi-Chi stared at the blackness, then down at her feet. They were floating in the middle of a star-filled void.
"It's gone... Big Brother Gran blew it up!" Goku whispered in disbelief.
"What about my father? What about the others?" Chi-Chi cried.
"They're dead. Master Roshi, Krillin—everyone!" Goku grabbed Gran's shoulders, shouting, "Why did you do it?! Why would you blow up the Earth?!"
Bulma didn't react; she knew Whis could fix it. But Goku and Chi-Chi were in total despair. "I'm simply showing you that the peace you see isn't real," Gran said calmly.
Before he could finish, Goku swung a desperate punch at his head. "Why, Big Brother Gran?! They're all dead! I'll never forgive you!!"
Inside the barrier, Goku attacked relentlessly. "You're too weak," Gran said, holding Gohan with one hand and effortlessly parrying Goku's strikes with the other. "Chi-Chi, do you see now? Sometimes danger doesn't come from humans. If—"
Suddenly, Chi-Chi joined the fray, screaming, "You killed my father! I'll kill you!"
The sound of frantic blows echoed inside the bubble. Gran took on both of them at once, feeling a bit bored by the "tickling" attacks. Bulma stifled a laugh. That's what you get for blowing up the planet, Lord Gran!
"Whis!" Gran finally sighed, signaling for the restoration. Whis, holding back his own amusement, waved his staff. Under the effects of a Temporal Do-Over, time flowed backward, and the Earth was instantly restored.
Goku and Chi-Chi found themselves standing back in front of their home as if nothing had happened. Chi-Chi froze mid-swing. "What... what just happened?"
Goku was speechless. Had someone made a wish on the Dragon Balls? But the Dragon Balls and Kami should have been destroyed. Bulma spoke up to clear the confusion. "Mr. Whis rewound time. He's an Angel, and his power is even more terrifying than the Destroyers."
"I..." Goku trailed off, lost for words.
"Can I talk now?" Gran looked at the couple. "There is always someone stronger, and the whims of the gods are unpredictable. If they are unhappy, they can wipe out entire star systems. Just like I showed you, that was a threat from outside your world. Without enough strength, do you really think you can survive?"
Both Goku and Chi-Chi fell silent. The raw display of power had shattered their worldview. They finally realized how precarious Earth's safety truly was. "And Earth's peace isn't as absolute as you think," Gran added, looking down at Gohan with a meaningful gaze. "There are more crises waiting for you in the future."
He was thinking of the Androids—the timeline Future Trunks came from, where Gohan's "scholar" dream resulted in him neglecting his training, losing an arm, and eventually dying at the hands of the Androids.
He thought of the strongest Z-warrior who, in another life, could make even Jiren sweat, but in this one might end up being toyed with by Frieza's pathetic soldiers. It was infuriating to think about.
"Big Brother Gran, what exactly are you trying to say?" Chi-Chi's voice wavered. Her resolve was clearly crumbling.
"What I'm saying is this..." Gran handed Gohan back to her. "If the day comes where Gohan loses his life because of this 'scholar' dream... could you ever live with yourselves?"
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