"Jiren?" Goku blinked.
"Did Ken mention him to you?" Merus asked with a smile.
"Mention what?" Goku scratched his head.
"Jiren is the Supreme Kai candidate meant to measure up against you. In a few years, the two of you will be evaluated," Merus explained. "I brought him along this time so you can spar a little and get to know each other."
"Ohhh, got it." Goku nodded, finally understanding.
"So, Goku—do you think you can beat Jiren?" Merus asked, still smiling.
"He feels ridiculously strong… With my current strength, I'm nowhere near his level," Goku admitted, shaking his head.
Merus' expression turned faintly smug.
Yeah. That's what I thought too.
…
Watching Goku and Merus disappear into the sky, Kale fell into thought.
"Hey, Bier-nee… something about this is weird," Kale muttered, fed up.
"What's weird?" Bier asked.
"Merus-nii is going to be gone for fourteen hours… That's more than enough time for me to go play with Gohan-nii," Kale said, pouting.
"If you want to go, then go," Bier said with a chuckle. "Just make sure you finish the training Merus taught you first."
"I really can?" Kale's eyes lit up.
"Go ahead. It's fine." Bier nodded.
Kale practically vibrated with excitement—then her shoulders slumped again.
"Now what?" Bier asked.
"I don't even know where Gohan-nii is," Kale said, lips sticking out, disappointment settling onto her dark face.
"Easy. I'll find him," Bier said, raising her staff and using the crystal ball to locate Gohan.
Kale: "..."
"Bier-nee… aren't you famous for getting lost?" Kale said doubtfully. "Also, the fact you can even find your way back to Earth after leaving is already a huge improvement."
Bier went quiet.
That was a direct hit.
"In the sky over there, a lot of strong energy is gathering. The Gohan you're looking for is probably near that spot," Jiren said suddenly, pointing toward the Lookout's direction. "Even if he isn't, you can wait there. He'll likely show up."
"Huh? Yeah, I can sense something too. Thanks!" Kale said, and didn't hesitate. She turned into a streak of light and shot off toward the Lookout.
…
At the Cell Games arena, Cell rubbed the back of his head as he staggered to his feet, stunned.
Who knocked me out just now?
Bardock?
That shameless bastard.
Knock me out and run the second it's done?
If you've got the guts, come out and face me.
I'll make you regret it.
Cell ground his teeth, furious, but he couldn't figure out who did it. With no other choice, he returned to the ring and went back to obsessing over one thing.
I have to get Kale's cells.
If someone blindsides me again and I can't even identify them… that's unacceptable.
…
Merus was still carrying Goku through space at high speed when Ken came rushing in from the distance and stopped right in front of them.
"Ken! You're back!" Goku called out warmly.
"Ken… Goku needs to go to Namek in Universe 7," Merus said quickly, afraid Ken would misunderstand. "You weren't on Earth, so I offered to take him. Don't get the wrong idea."
"What would I misunderstand?" Ken laughed, completely unbothered. "If you're helping, then thanks. Please get Goku to Namek."
Merus: "..."
"I'm heading back to Earth," Ken said with a grin, then flashed past Merus in an instant.
Merus could only stare.
You're still like this…
Why not just take Goku yourself?
I'm only helping out.
With a sigh, Merus refocused and kept flying with Goku through the stars.
…
Kale arrived at the Lookout in no time.
"I didn't think this planet had a place like this," she murmured, genuinely impressed.
Her sudden appearance immediately put everyone on alert. Piccolo and Trunks flew over at top speed.
"Kale?" Piccolo said, then relaxed a little.
"Who's that?" Trunks asked. He'd never seen her before.
"She's the Legendary Super Saiyan from Universe 6 I told you about. Her name is Kale," Piccolo explained.
"You're Piccolo, right?" Kale said, recognizing him right away.
"I am." Piccolo nodded.
"Where's Gohan-nii?" Kale asked immediately, not showing much interest in anyone else.
"You came to find Gohan?" Piccolo understood at once. "Wait here. I'll contact him."
Piccolo reached out with telepathy.
Gohan received the message instantly and raced toward the Lookout.
Pop!
A flash of gold dropped onto the platform as Gohan landed in front of Kale.
Kale: "????"
"Y-you are…?" Kale stared, barely recognizing him.
"Kale, it's me—Gohan," Gohan said, smiling awkwardly as he scratched his head. "Uh… I'm in Super Saiyan right now."
"That's amazing! Gohan-nii can go Super Saiyan now?" Kale clapped, thrilled.
"Yeah. I trained really hard, and I finally got it," Gohan said, nodding.
"Gohan-nii, take me out to play! I only have fourteen hours!" Kale said quickly.
"Huh? Why only fourteen?" Gohan asked, confused.
"Merus-nii went out to handle something. He won't be back for fourteen hours," Kale explained.
"So what do you want to do?" Gohan asked.
"As long as I'm with you, anything is fine," Kale said with a bright grin.
Gohan thought for a moment. "Then… want to help me with homework? I've piled up a ton I haven't finished."
"Sure, sure!" Kale agreed instantly, clearly having no idea what "homework" meant. She sounded like she'd just been invited to some fun sport.
Piccolo: "..."
Trunks: "..."
"Homework?" Trunks muttered, then turned to Piccolo. "What does Gohan mean by 'homework'?"
"His mother assigns him a lot of study work," Piccolo said with a weary sigh. "And she demands he finish it properly every day."
Trunks quietly wiped sweat from his forehead.
For a second, my future timeline actually sounds kind of nice.
At least kids don't have homework there.
Then again… you can die any day.
So is it better or worse?
Pick your poison.
Gohan brought Kale home.
Chi-Chi looked the girl up and down, startled to see a kid she'd never met standing in her house.
Where did Gohan even find her?
You're nine years old—don't tell me you're already bringing girls home.
And of all times to surprise me with this, too.
"Mom, this is Kale. I brought her back so we can work on math together," Gohan said, greeting her properly.
"Hello, ma'am," Kale said, bowing politely.
"Right… okay." Chi-Chi nodded, still processing. "Go on, then. Study properly, both of you."
"Yes, Mom," Gohan said, then asked, "Where's Grandpa?"
"He went hunting with Gine," Chi-Chi replied.
Gohan didn't press further. He led Kale to his room, pulled out his homework workbook, and started going over advanced math problems with her.
"A cup of milk. He drinks half the cup, tops it up with water, drinks half again, tops it up again, and finishes it. How much water did he drink, and how much milk?"
Kale's head felt like it was about to explode.
"Gohan-nii… this is what you meant by homework?" she asked, miserable.
"Yeah." Gohan grinned. "Isn't it interesting?"
Kale: "..."
…
Near noon, Bardock returned from hunting with Gine.
Chi-Chi and Gine went to prepare lunch, while Bardock sat in the yard with his eyes closed, quietly resting.
For Bardock, life felt perfect now.
A happy family. Nothing mattered more.
He'd found his wife again. His son was grown. He even had an adorable grandson.
And that grandson was only nine and already had girls chasing him.
The girl pursuing Gohan even seemed to be a Legendary Super Saiyan.
If Gohan really ended up with her, their child might overcome the weaknesses in Saiyan bloodline genetics.
The only regret Bardock couldn't shake was Raditz still rotting in the Planet Sadala prison.
If Raditz came back, then the family would truly be whole.
I need to find a way to surpass Champa and bring Raditz home.
In the kitchen, Gine worked alongside Chi-Chi.
"Gine… you don't have to help," Chi-Chi said, embarrassed. "I usually handle all this myself."
Having your mother-in-law help cook on her first day here…
Wait. That sounds wrong.
Isn't it supposed to be me visiting her for the first time?
"It's fine, Chi-Chi. Don't be so formal," Gine said, exasperated. "And please don't call me 'Mother-in-law.' I'm only twenty."
"That's… fair," Chi-Chi said, face red. "I'm twenty-nine, so I'm actually older than you."
"Is reincarnation really a thing?" Gine sighed. "Sometimes I feel like Bardock is just messing with me."
"Do you like him?" Chi-Chi asked.
Gine didn't answer. She just nodded shyly, cheeks turning pink.
"I met Goku when we were little," Chi-Chi said, blushing too. "He told me he'd come marry me when he grew up. When I turned eighteen, I found him at the World Martial Arts Tournament, and we got married. The next year, we had Gohan."
"Was it that tournament from ten years ago?" Gine asked, surprised. "I watched it live. I vaguely remember someone named Son Goku getting married… I thought it was bizarre—who gets married at a tournament? So it was you two."
"Yep." Chi-Chi nodded, then shifted the topic. "Enough about me. Tell me about you and Bardock."
"There's not much to say," Gine replied. "He's been good to me." Then she hesitated and asked, "By the way… I heard my past self and Bardock had another son. How is he?"
"That was Raditz. He once came to Earth and tried to kill Goku," Chi-Chi explained while washing dishes.
"What? He did?" Gine stared.
"Most Saiyans seem pretty evil," Chi-Chi said. "Only a few turn out decent. That's probably why Raditz ended up like that."
"I don't know much about Saiyans," Gine said with a small smile. "I'll learn slowly over time."
At lunch, Chi-Chi insisted Kale stay and eat with them.
"So good!" Kale said after one bite, eyes sparkling. "Way better than the food at Galactic Patrol headquarters!"
Bardock didn't comment. He'd met Kale before, and there wasn't much to add.
"Gohan-nii, what do we do after lunch? Can we stop the homework for a bit?" Kale asked.
"No," Chi-Chi said sharply. "Homework first. Then you can play."
Kale: "..."
"Okay, Mom," Gohan said, resigned. "I'll finish it first."
…
At Capsule Corporation headquarters, in Bulma's home—
Whoosh!
Ken flew in from the distant starfield and landed in the courtyard like a falling comet.
The moment he returned, he ordered the chef robot to prepare a massive feast.
When the food was ready, he let Amarella out.
She had shrunk into her tiny, thumb-sized form again and happily ate atop the table.
"Ohhh… I haven't had food this good in ages," Amarella said, crying with emotion as she ate.
"You're exaggerating. It's only been three years," Ken said with a sigh.
"Do you even understand how long three years is?" Amarella rolled her eyes, annoyed. "You really are heartless, leaving me alone on that planet."
"You're the one who insisted on staying," Ken said, amused.
"You could've at least checked in on me once in a while," Amarella complained between bites.
"For an angel, three years is nothing," Ken said with a smile.
"That depends on what it is," Amarella huffed.
"Some things can be done in an instant," Ken said with a strangely meaningful grin.
"Like what?" Amarella stared at him, confused.
"I'll tell you later," Ken said, smiling in a way that made his intentions feel suspicious.
As they chatted, Bier walked over from the distance.
"Huh? Ken, where'd you get a tiny little person? That's so cute," Bier said, immediately spotting Amarella eating.
Snap!
Bier didn't hesitate. She reached out and grabbed Amarella in one hand.
Ken: "..."
Amarella: "..."
Do you have any manners?
"Aww… she's a tiny angel!" Bier said, astonished. "I've never seen an angel this small."
"Bier, don't be rude," Ken scolded. "You seriously don't recognize her?"
"Who is she?" Bier lifted Amarella closer to her face, examined her, then shook her head. "Nope. Never seen her. Is this one of your toys, Ken? Wow, I didn't think you were into this. That's shameless."
Ken: "..."
What hobby?
"You… you don't play with this little doll when you're lonely, do you?" Bier demanded, glaring.
"I'm Amarella!" Amarella finally snapped.
"Oh, it talks?" Bier gasped, impressed. "You made it really realistic."
And then Bier actually tugged at Amarella's top to look underneath.
Amarella: "..."
Amarella felt like a kitten being manhandled—completely helpless.
Her angel power was too weak right now to resist.
"Nice figure," Bier said thoughtfully.
"She's Amarella. Didn't Martinu tell you?" Ken sighed.
"Amarella? Who?" Bier shook her head again. "No idea."
"Technically speaking, she's your great-aunt," Ken said.
Amarella: "..."
Bier: "..."
"Stop talking nonsense," Bier snapped, face darkening.
"It's true. She's the angel of Universe 18," Ken said, resigned.
"Universe 18…?" Bier's expression stiffened. Then she seemed to remember something, her mouth twitching as she looked at Amarella with pure awkwardness.
She hurriedly set Amarella down on the table and tried to straighten her clothes.
Rip—
Bier slipped up and tore a clean line across Amarella's top.
A patch of pale skin flashed into view.
Luckily, no one else was there besides Ken and Bier.
Ken got a very clear look at a "barely covered" scene that Amarella definitely did not intend to share.
"Ah! Amarella-sama, I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean it!" Bier yelped, flustered as she scrambled to fix the outfit.
"I'll handle it," Amarella said through gritted teeth. In one flash, she swapped into a fresh set of angel attire.
"Sorry… really, sorry. That was completely my fault," Bier said, bowing again and again.
"Forget it," Amarella said, not even sure what to say anymore.
Why are young angels these days all so unreliable?
What did I do to deserve this?
I came here to eat, and I got treated like a toy.
Who am I even supposed to complain to?
…
In Universe 7, on New Namek, Merus finally guided Goku down to the planet's surface.
The Namekians were delighted the moment they saw Goku. Most of them recognized him and hurried over to greet him warmly.
Someone went to fetch Elder Moori.
"Son Goku…!" Elder Moori said, overwhelmed. "You saved our lives. You're our benefactor."
"Haha, it was nothing," Goku said, scratching his head. Then he got to the point. "Is there anyone here willing to go to Earth and become Kami? Uh… Earth in Universe 6."
"Earth…"
The Namekians fell into quiet thought.
That place is… incredibly far away.
"Actually, in our Earth's future, I went to Namek too, and I brought Dende to Earth," Goku said, still scratching his head.
"Dende?" Elder Moori nodded. "Good. I was planning to send Dende. I didn't expect Earth to already have a device that can change time."
"Uh… haha… yeah," Goku said, nodding awkwardly.
Elder Moori called Dende over.
"He's wanted to visit Earth for a long time," Moori said with a smile. "He's always talking about seeing Gohan and Krillin again."
"That's perfect. We'll take care of him," Goku said with a grin.
"Take care," Moori replied.
"Wishing Earth eternal peace!" Delta called out, waving.
"Alright—then we're heading back," Merus said, waving goodbye.
He lightly tapped the ground with his staff.
Whoosh!
Merus shot into the sky with Goku and Dende, and under the Namekians' gaze, the three vanished into the distance.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]