"Do you think it's possible that the Seventeen and Eighteen from the two worlds simply have different personalities?"
While flying in silence, Piccolo suddenly spoke up, breaking the heavy atmosphere among the group.
"It's definitely possible. Otherwise, why would they have just let us go?" Tien agreed, nodding thoughtfully. Krillin and Yamcha exchanged uncertain looks, seeming to ponder the same possibility. As for Vegeta, he had already stormed off alone in anger.
Trunks, however, immediately shook his head in denial.
"Impossible. Seventeen and Eighteen are evil by nature. I've seen it with my own eyes—they destroyed cities for fun, killing people for amusement! The entire world fell into despair because of them!"
"But the fact remains—they didn't kill us, did they?"
"..."
Trunks fell silent. Deep down, he couldn't deny that the Eighteen they had just met felt different from the one in his world. Yet his memories of the future were so deeply ingrained that it was hard for him to change his belief.
Taking a deep breath, Trunks forced down the confusion in his heart and said solemnly, "Whatever the case, we should find Mr. Son Goku first. After that, we'll figure out a new plan to deal with the androids."
"That's all we can do for now."
...
As for Vegeta and the others' retreat, Lazuli didn't pay it any mind. She simply turned and flew over to Eriri's side.
"Eriri, how was my performance just now?" Lazuli asked proudly, as if seeking praise.
"Not bad."
Receiving Eriri's approval, Lazuli's face lit up with a radiant smile.
Nearby, Seventeen didn't interrupt his sister's conversation. Instead, he walked over to stand beside Sixteen.
"Sixteen, what are you planning to do next?" Seventeen asked casually, patting the taller android on the shoulder.
"I'm going to find Son Goku... and kill him."
Sixteen turned his head toward the direction of Mount Paozu, a faintly gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Dr. Gero is already dead. Why are you still following his orders?" Seventeen asked with visible confusion.
He had always hated following Gero's commands—that defiance was what had gotten him sealed away in the first place. In the past, he might have fought Goku just for fun, but after seeing Lazuli effortlessly crush Vegeta, he no longer found the idea interesting.
Yet Sixteen didn't answer. He merely smiled quietly, as serene as ever.
Seventeen sighed helplessly and shrugged. He was used to Sixteen's silence by now.
"Well, if you insist on going after Son Goku, I'll tag along. I don't have anything better to do anyway."
He glanced toward Lazuli, who was chatting with Eriri and Arifureta nearby. From that look alone, Seventeen could tell his sister had already decided to stay with Eriri.
And from his brief interaction earlier, Seventeen had gotten the impression that Eriri didn't like him much. So he saw no point in tagging along.
Whatever happened after he helped Sixteen deal with Goku—he'd decide that later.
Still, even though he already guessed his sister's intentions, he decided to ask her directly.
Raising his voice, Seventeen called out, "Eighteen, Sixteen and I are heading out to find Son Goku. Are you coming with us?"
Lazuli glanced back at him briefly, then turned her gaze toward Eriri, silently seeking her opinion.
Eriri immediately shook her head.
So Lazuli turned back to her brother without hesitation and said, "Seventeen, I'm going to stay with Eriri. You two go ahead without me."
Seventeen didn't argue. He simply nodded lightly, then turned and flew off with Sixteen in the direction where Trunks and the others had gone.
When the two reached the skies above North City, Seventeen suddenly spotted a car parked by the roadside below.
"Wait, Sixteen."
Hearing Seventeen's words, Sixteen immediately stopped flying and looked at him curiously.
"I just had an interesting idea. How about we take a little road trip—drive our way to where Son Goku is?" Seventeen said with a grin, not waiting for Sixteen's reply before descending toward the car below.
Sixteen simply smiled softly, offering no objection as he followed behind. To him, killing Son Goku wasn't something that needed to be done in a hurry. If he could enjoy the beauty of nature along the way, all the better.
...
On a highway, a pink four-seater sports car sped forward at over two hundred kilometers per hour.
Eriri sat behind the wheel, one hand casually resting on the steering wheel while the other leaned against the window. Arifureta lounged in the passenger seat beside her, her smooth white legs crossed and resting lazily on the dashboard. Lazuli sat alone in the back seat, leaning forward slightly.
"What? I can't believe Dr. Gero actually created such a terrifying ultimate android..."
Lazuli gasped softly, her hands gripping the back of Eriri's seat.
The three weren't just traveling—they were chatting along the way, exchanging bits of their stories.
Through the conversation, Eriri and Arifureta learned about Lazuli's life before she became an android, while Lazuli, in turn, learned about Eriri and Arifureta's origins.
Beyond their casual talk, Lazuli also learned much about the Dragon Ball universe itself—the existence of Zeno, the Angels, the Gods of Destruction, and the Supreme Kais, as well as the countless other universes beyond their own.
Then, at some point, the conversation shifted to androids.
Lazuli knew that the android known as Sixteen wasn't a modified human like her and her brother but a fully mechanical construct—a being created entirely from scratch.
Naturally, that led Eriri to mention Cell, the ultimate bio-android, and to explain the conditions required for him to achieve his perfect form.
When Lazuli learned that Cell would have needed to absorb both her and Seventeen to reach perfection, she couldn't help but cry out in shock.
"Eriri, if you hadn't come to this world, would that thing... would Cell have absorbed us?"
"Yes."
Eriri's calm answer made Lazuli shiver slightly in fear. She couldn't help but feel a wave of relief—thankful that Eriri had appeared in this world. Not only had Eriri given her freedom, but she had also spared her from the terrifying fate of being absorbed by Cell.
Her gratitude toward Eriri grew even deeper.
But a moment later, she thought of her brother, who was now somewhere far away, and a look of concern crossed her face.
"If that's true... then Seventeen must be in danger!"
"Eriri..."
Lazuli leaned forward, looking at her with worried eyes.
Though she hadn't joined her brother, that didn't mean she didn't care about him. Now, knowing the kind of danger he might face, her heart was filled with anxiety.
"Don't worry," Eriri said reassuringly. "Cell's first form isn't stronger than Seventeen. And besides, Sixteen is with him—he's much stronger. As long as they don't underestimate their opponent, Cell won't be able to win."
Eriri reached out with one hand, playfully pinching Lazuli's soft cheek as she gave her a comforting smile.
"Even if Seventeen lets his arrogance get the better of him and ends up getting captured, I'll send you to him before Cell can absorb him."
"I see... then I can relax," Lazuli said, visibly relieved as her tension faded.
"Alright, enough worrying. Let me show you something more interesting~" Eriri said with a mischievous grin.
As soon as she finished speaking, an image appeared across the car's windshield—projected like a holographic display.
In it, Vegeta stood atop a small mountain, fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and stared furiously into the distance.
Suddenly, with a furious roar of frustration, golden flames erupted violently around Vegeta as he transformed once more into a Super Saiyan.
"Damn it!!!"
Vegeta screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing through the mountains. The ground beneath his feet and the surrounding peaks crumbled under the sheer pressure of his ki, turning everything within several kilometers into rubble.
"Why! Why!! Why!!!"
"Isn't a Super Saiyan supposed to be invincible?! How could I be completely powerless against that damned android?!"
"I am the most elite of Saiyans—the Prince of all Saiyans! Once I became a Super Saiyan, I was supposed to be the strongest in the universe!"
Vegeta's roar was full of anguish and fury. The humiliation of being utterly defeated burned in his heart. Realizing that even his full strength wasn't enough to overcome a fraction of Lazuli's power filled him with despair.
He couldn't comprehend how to bridge that vast, tenfold difference.
"No... that's not right!!!"
Vegeta's aura exploded again, the resulting shockwave sinking the surrounding terrain by several meters.
"I am Vegeta! No matter how strong my enemies are, I will surpass them!"
"I'll prove it... I'll surpass them all!!!"
...
Back inside the speeding sports car, Eriri chuckled as she turned to Arifureta and Lazuli.
"So, what do you think of this little performance of his? Pretty entertaining, right~?"
"It's definitely amusing," Arifureta said, smirking slightly. "But he really does take his pride seriously, doesn't he?"
"Hmph, I won't give him the chance to surpass me!" Lazuli said confidently, crossing her arms.
She clearly wasn't bothered by Vegeta's vow of revenge. In her eyes, his power was nothing worth fearing.
Of course, if she ever saw how powerful Vegeta became during the Dragon Ball Super era, she might not have spoken so casually—but with Eriri's support, Lazuli's words weren't entirely unfounded.
After watching Vegeta's furious outburst, Eriri quickly lost interest. With a flicker of thought, the live image on the car's windshield changed. Vegeta's image disappeared, replaced by Trunks, Krillin, and the others.
...
While Eriri and her companions continued their scenic drive, Trunks and the others had already arrived at Mount Paozu.
Goku, having taken the special heart medicine Trunks brought from the future, was now in stable condition, though still unconscious.
After checking on him, Piccolo returned to the Lookout, while Tien went off to find Chiaotzu.
Before leaving, Krillin had confirmed their next rendezvous point.
Although they hadn't yet learned that the androids' true target was Goku, the group decided to take him to Master Roshi's Kame House for safety and to discuss their next move there.
Because of Goku's fragile condition—and Chi-Chi's inability to fly—they traveled by airship.
Kame House wasn't close, but the aircraft Krillin piloted could reach speeds of over a thousand kilometers per hour, so the journey wouldn't take long.
Meanwhile, Bulma had returned to West City, waiting anxiously for updates on the android incident. During the flight, Krillin used the ship's communicator to call her home.
"Hello, this is Krillin. Is Bulma home?"
After a brief crackle, a familiar but slightly anxious voice answered, "This is Bulma. Krillin, have you seen Eriri recently? I forgot to ask her for her contact info last time."
Hearing the urgency in her tone, Krillin froze for a second but quickly replied honestly.
"Yes, we saw her. She's with the androids."
Bulma's voice shot up several octaves. "What?! You mean you fought her?!"
"No, no—we didn't fight."
"Oh, thank goodness. If you had, I wouldn't forgive you!"
The threat in her tone made Krillin, Yamcha, and Trunks all sweat nervously.
They couldn't even defeat a single android—how could they possibly dare to fight Eriri?
Krillin quickly coughed twice to change the subject. "Ahem, anyway, Bulma, let me update you on the android situation."
—
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