The concept of dying and coming back to life might be hard to swallow in other worlds, but in the Dragon Ball universe, it was perfectly normal.
If you hadn't died at least a few times, you could barely call yourself a true powerhouse.
Bulma didn't press the issue further. Instead, she spoke with earnest persuasion:
"It's good you understand. Just don't be so reckless next time. Can you really beat both Androids by yourself? Don't you know how incredibly powerful they are? You're always rushing into things.
Last time you lost an arm, and this time you nearly lost your life."
Gohan hunched his shoulders and mumbled, "Yes, yes, yes."
"And you, Trunks, you're twelve years old now. Use your head! Don't just think 'kill, kill, kill' and 'charge, charge, charge.' If both of you die, what am I supposed to do?"
Trunks also drew his head back, not daring to reply.
He secretly peeked at Gohan, only to find Gohan was also sneaking a glance at him.
The two of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Laughing? You two find this funny?"
They immediately adopted serious expressions again and buried their heads, vigorously devouring their meal.
With two Saiyan-blooded gluttons present, the food on the table was quickly wiped clean.
Fully satiated.
Gohan felt a warmth spread through his body. He sensed his strength rapidly recovering, and soon, it shattered his previous limit.
"This... this is the unique ability of the Saiyan bloodline. Every time we recover from a near-death experience, our strength increases dramatically." Gohan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, an inexplicable excitement bubbling up.
He knew this was likely a finite resource, similar to potential, and once it was completely tapped, it would be gone.
Otherwise, Saiyans could simply exploit this loophole to become invincible, rendering every other race pointless.
Before, Android 18 had been completely dominating him.
But now, maybe they could fight evenly, or even—if he was bold enough—it wasn't impossible for him to overpower Android 18.
Hmph.
A sharp glint flashed in Gohan's eyes as he imagined crushing Android 18's head.
But fantasy was one thing, and reality was another. Gohan didn't have the sudden impulse to rush out and engage the Androids in a brawl right now.
Are you kidding me?
Android 17 was right next to 18.
That guy wasn't some pushover who just stood there looking pretty. Gohan knew that 17's power was even greater than 18's.
Rushing over now would be pure idiocy.
The current Gohan valued his life greatly. Without absolute certainty of success, he had no intention of actively provoking those two scourges.
The old Gohan, whenever he gained power, would become arrogant, as if a portion of his intelligence was converted into strength, making him reckless.
But after merging with the other soul, that flaw had completely vanished.
Not only did he now cherish his life, but his mind was also exceptionally calm.
"Gohan, stay here for the next few days. Rest up and heal your wounds. Don't go running off anywhere, understand?"
Bulma said this while clearing the messy table.
She looked at Gohan, and a pang went through her heart as she remembered the image of him as a lively, sensible child. Her eyes filled with tenderness.
He was once such a vibrant, youthful boy.
Now, he was left with only one arm, bearing the weight of the entire world's safety on his shoulders.
What a heavy burden.
Sigh.
"Yes, I understand, Aunt Bulma." Gohan nodded and helped Trunks clear the dishes.
His eyes darted around, and he continued, "Aunt Bulma, did Uncle Vegeta ever ask you to build a Gravity Room? Is it still around?"
The old Gohan certainly hadn't known about this, but the current Gohan knew it better than anyone.
He remembered that Bulma had converted a spaceship for Vegeta into a dedicated Gravity Room.
Vegeta usually trained inside it.
However, the previous Gohan had been completely unaware of its existence and hadn't utilized it, instead spending his time aimlessly training with Trunks outside.
But this was understandable. For one, Gohan genuinely hadn't known.
Secondly, all the Z Fighters had died when Gohan was nine. With no one to teach or consult, achieving Super Saiyan on his own was already a miracle.
There were far too many things Gohan didn't know.
Bulma paused when she heard Gohan's question.
Then she replied, "Yes, there was. I converted the ship he brought back into a Gravity Room and left it at the old Capsule Corp site. However, the Androids attacked the company once, so that spaceship is likely damaged."
"What do you plan to do with it?"
Trunks, standing nearby, perked up his ears.
He was extremely curious about the past, especially anything concerning Vegeta.
What kind of person was his father, really?
Gohan explained, "I naturally want to use the Gravity Room for training. I suddenly realized that if Trunks and I train our bodies using the high gravity, we might be able to defeat the Androids much sooner."
"Really?" Bulma's eyes widened.
She was undoubtedly a genius when it came to technology, but when it came to martial arts and training, she was completely clueless.
"Yes, definitely." Gohan nodded. "I'm going to go look for it now. I'll be back soon."
"Gohan, I want to come too," Trunks said eagerly.
"Alright," Gohan agreed.
"Be careful. If you can't find it, I can always build a new one, though materials and equipment are scarce now, so it might take a while," Bulma cautioned.
"We know. We'll just take a look and come right back."
Gohan and Trunks flew toward the old site of Capsule Corporation.
While flying, Trunks couldn't help but ask, "Gohan, what kind of person was my dad, really?"
"Your dad, huh?" Gohan recalled Vegeta's image, then smiled. "He was a very proud man, and incredibly competitive."
"So, who was stronger? Dad or Mr. Goku?" Trunks asked, his face full of longing.
Trunks, in that moment, was just like any ordinary child asking about the father he never knew.
Gohan glanced at Trunks, unwilling to shatter his innocent fantasy, and chuckled, "They were equally powerful."
Hearing Gohan's words, Trunks brightened. "Hehe, I knew it! Mom always said the same thing."
Gohan was slightly surprised. *Bulma said that too?*
Soon, the two arrived at the former site of Capsule Corporation.
This area had once been the most prosperous part of West City.
Now, however, all its former glory was gone, replaced by utter desolation.
Looking down from the sky, the ground was riddled with craters.
The skyscrapers were heavily damaged, and many surfaces were covered in damp moss.
Gohan scanned the area from above.
He quickly locked onto his target.
"Found it. It's over there."
A spherical object, roughly ten meters in diameter, lay haphazardly in a large crack. It was almost certainly the spaceship.
Gohan and Trunks descended and approached the sphere.
"It really is the spaceship," Gohan said with pleasant surprise.
Although the ship was covered in moss and had a large hole ripped in its side, it was definitely a spaceship.
Trunks, seeing the object for the first time, was incredibly curious.
He poked and prodded it, ending up with a hand covered in moss.
Gohan walked around the ship.
He finally located a protruding button.
Gohan thought to himself, "The ship is definitely damaged. I don't know if the Capsule button still works. I'll have to take it back and let Bulma look at it; maybe she can fix it."
Thinking this, Gohan pressed the button firmly.
Immediately, the ship began to vibrate, followed by a loud "BOOM!" and a burst of smoke, before shrinking down into a capsule that Gohan caught in his hand.
Trunks, who was still touching the ship, jumped in surprise.
"Gohan, you could have warned me! You scared me half to death."
"Haha, you're not that easily scared. Come on, let's head back," Gohan laughed, putting the capsule away.
The two returned the way they came.
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