AN: Before saying anything, read the entire chapter and read the AN at the end of it.
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"Is this what it looks like to have the power to set the world on fire?" Bulma murmured as she flew to the location of Sura's former castle and saw the destruction she had caused.
Aside from her awe at her power, Bulma also felt concerned. After all, the Earth was full of life. What if one of her powerful attacks landed in a place where there were innocents?
There were many ways this could happen. Her enemy could evade or deflect her energy, allowing it to happen. Or worse, they could trick her into evading, causing destruction. They might even hold a populated place hostage, tying her hands.
Yes, there were Dragon Balls capable of repairing anything and reviving anyone who had not died of natural causes, such as old age or disease, at least once.
But Bulma didn't want to rely on the Dragon Ball. Relying on an object, no matter how powerful or useful, made her uneasy. After all, it raised questions about personal ethics, something no one wants to confront.
'It doesn't matter if my attack destroys that city. If I kill innocents, I can revive them.' 'Am I going to die? It doesn't matter. My friends can revive me. I'd better train in the Other World in the meantime.'
Bulma considered many questions and thoughts like these a poison to the psyche, which is why Trunks' first appearance didn't please her so much. That dependence on Goku doomed the future and himself!
'Goku can take them all on. If he were alive, he'd finish them off. We have to keep him alive.' Goku is powerful, but it's not fair to let him take over everything because, when he inevitably dies, things like Trunks' timeline will happen.
Had he concentrated wholeheartedly on becoming strong, he could have dealt with the Androids himself! Perhaps the young hybrid's lack of strength was due to a lack of a good teacher. Although the alternate version of Gohan was an excellent educator, he was essentially still that young pacifist who didn't want to fight.
It was only after Trunks was defeated and trained by Vegeta that the young Saiyan learned to distrust others. However, perhaps due to his father's inadequate training, Trunks became overconfident and made mistakes similar to Vegeta's.
'Lucky I don't have to deal with a kingdomless prince much lower than me!' Bulma sighed as she hovered in midair, still gazing at the scorched ruins her charged attack had created.
A steaming, glassy basin would perfectly describe the area devastated by Bulma. She didn't feel guilty because she knew the people she had killed deserved it, but an idea began to surface in her mind.
'What if I reinforce the Earth? I already control my power adequately, but inevitably, the terrain and nature will suffer damage. Besides, the enemies I face may not have the same regard for this world as I do.' Bulma had had this thought for a long time, but she knew that, for now, she could only rely on the Dragon Ball for that. She disliked this idea because she disliked these artifacts.
'Wishes without consequences are always doubtful.' This was another reason why Bulma didn't collect Dragon Balls and abuse them with wishes.
She could wish to breathe in space, but she already had a technique prototype that would allow her to fight in a vacuum. She could wish for greater power, but couldn't she train to be stronger? She could even wish for a superior lineage, but she was already a mutant with incredible abilities. Why would she want a monkey tail or purple and white skin?
Many of the typical reincarnates' wishes were not something Bulma cared about because she could achieve those goals on her own. Resurrection was perhaps the only exception; it might be the only wish she was willing to make other than the one that had already been fulfilled for her.
"There's not much to do now... what if I create that portal?" Since Bulma was the only one who had come closer to look at her work, she could speak freely about her thoughts.
Lazuli only peeked in from a distance before walking away because she didn't find anything interesting. Meanwhile, Mera was looking forward to celebrating her freedom.
Gora remained silent, then shrugged and headed off into the distance. There was no hatred or reluctance in his emotions, only peace—something Bulma felt when she used her empathic abilities on the man.
If she had detected any ill emotion toward her, she would have been more cautious around Gora. However, the man seemed fed up with Sura's rule, and since she could sense no evil in his energy, she let him go.
Then, Bulma realized she didn't have much to do. She didn't want to go into space because she knew she would inevitably want to fight. That would bring trouble and cause her to be crushed by people far stronger than she is.
This made Bulma bored, which is why she was encouraged to invade this dimension and destroy Sura. She should have had an intense fight for hours before winning with an energy shock. However...
"It's all over just like that. Looks like I need to look for challenges... so, let's make that portal and kill a god!" The blue eyes of Bulma shone brightly as she thought about how she could fight intensely against a planetary parasite whose power resembled that of a god.
She wanted to fight Lavos!
...
"Welcome, Lazuli! Come in. You too, Lapis." Bikini, who was watering a sunflower, looked up as the duo descended from the sky. Her face constantly danced with the enjoyment of the sunlight and water.
Lazuli, with short hair, jeans, and a white T-shirt under a short black jacket, fell softly to the ground. Her arrival wasn't abrupt for Bikini because she had been visiting the Brief family home almost daily for the past year.
"Thank you for the reception." Although Lazuli was already familiar with her mother-in-law, she was still respectful to this woman, the one with the highest status in Bulma's strange and colorful family. She was Lazuli's girlfriend.
They were girlfriends! How could they not be? Over the past year, they had grown very close. They trained together, and Lazuli had even had a few training fights with Goku, Yamcha, and Krillin.
Likewise, Lapis' integration was just as smooth; he had befriended the boys and had even declared Muten Roshi as his teacher.
Although the old hermit said nothing, the way he paid attention to the young man's practice indicated his approval. The boy had excellent social skills, so he responded to Bikini very differently from his sister.
"Good morning, Mrs. Brief! You look as bright as ever!" Lapis complimented, causing the older lady to burst out laughing before she waved her hand carelessly.
"Ah, you little rascal. You're too young to charm me. By the way, Bulma is in her lab with her father and a few other old men. Lazuli, can you make her bathe more often? It's awful to see her constantly covered in oil and soot!" After accepting Lapis' compliment, Bikini complained to Lazuli, causing the blonde to pull an uncomfortable face. She didn't know how to respond.
"That project has consumed her, hasn't it? It's made Goku want to fight me all the time!" Lapis growled, touching his head in a reflexive gesture. After all, the Saiyan was fond of bashing his enemies' heads in with a stick.
Fortunately, the potions made by Bulma helped heal the damage, so Lapis didn't become any more stupid. According to his sister, he didn't need a broken skull to be stupid. Maybe this comment came from how siblings get along.
"Bulma has been very enthusiastic about that project since that day," Lazuli commented, remembering the big explosion created by Bulma. From that moment on, the blonde understood that she lacked the strength to create something like that. Instead of feeling jealous, she trained harder.
She not only trained with the youngsters, but also asked Muten Roshi and Son Gohan for advice. They guided her, impressed by her determination. Who would dare limit someone who wanted to improve so badly?
After chatting briefly with Bikini, the siblings entered the Brief family home, knowing how to find their way around. Despite its moderate size on the outside, the inside was incredibly huge—the work of space technology mastered by Doctor Brief.
Why wouldn't one take advantage of every inch of Earth that was his? This place was huge! There were also plenty of droids roaming around, cleaning everything up.
It wasn't necessary to use vehicles to get around, but to someone unfamiliar with the house, it would seem like a maze. The pair of twins easily reached a metal door with an electronic lock, and the door opened automatically before they could do anything.
"Ah, the true comforts of technology." Despite being accustomed to this, Lapis was always amazed by the advanced technology in Bulma's house. After all, he and his brother lived in a rustic cottage, far from anything as technologically advanced as this mansion.
"Come on, Lazuli. When are you getting married? I want some of these comforts at home!" Lapis leaned deftly on his younger sister's shoulder, causing the blonde to look sideways at her older brother with evil eyes.
"Don't you study zoology? Go live on an isolated island with animals!" Lazuli retorted, making Lapis rub his chin and think about it.
"That wouldn't be a bad option," muttered the boy as the two walked through the door and arrived at a large, mechanical lab full of randomly scattered parts.
They quickly spotted Doctor Brief with a cigarette in his mouth and his trusty cat on his shoulder. He was working with a holographic display alongside Doctor Norimaki. They were discussing something.
"With this, the portal can be opened anywhere in the world or timeline, and you won't need to carry the big, hulking thing," said Brief, pointing to a small, gauntlet-shaped device projected on the screen.
"It's a good use of the space-time anchor we created by accident. I never thought of such a result," muttered Norimaki, causing Doctor Brief to nod. He remembered all the new technology this project had brought about.
Elsewhere, Doctor Omori was checking a strange cylinder filled with blue liquid. Next to him, Doctor Gero was taking note of some measurements.
"The fuel is stabilized and does not react with many energy bands. It is useful for our purposes," said Omori, indicating the thick blue liquid that seemed to contain stars.
"The crystallization process has already started. The results are visible." Gero knew those 'stars' were valuable energy crystals, not the liquid itself.
Lazuli heard all this, but without the knowledge and context, she couldn't understand much. She focused on Bulma's ki as she worked with tools on a large, circular object mounted on a stand.
The blue-haired girl used her hair to hold the various useful objects she was using while employing her hands to install a delicate-looking, important-seeming piece of metal.
Over this year, Bulma's appearance has changed, becoming more mature. She wore a navy blue sports top and tight gray pants. There were oil stains on her face, but she didn't seem to mind, as she was fully focused on her work.
Only after she finished her work did Bulma step away from the machine, leaving her tools held by her hair. This served as a sort of alert, drawing the attention of the four doctors present.
"Is it... complete?" asked Doctor Norimaki, fascinated by the machine on which five great human minds had toiled.
"Yes, space, time, mechanics, mysticism, and energy. We have finished our portal." Bulma rubbed her forehead and wiped away the sweat. After all, she had pushed her mind to its limits to do things properly.
"Hmm? Lazuli! You're just in time. Come. Let me introduce you to the result of our year's work." When Bulma noticed her girlfriend, she ran over to her and hugged her, rubbing her head on her girlfriend's chest and dirtying her white T-shirt with the oil and soot on her face.
"Youth," said Doctor Omori as Doctor Brief lit another cigarette, realizing he had lost his tender daughter.
Is this the fate of all fathers?
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AN: As you can see, there's not much to tackle for now unless I get cerebral palsy and an alien invasion or King Piccolo appears out of nowhere for some magical reason. I won't be doing a new tournament arc except for the Cell Games, the Buu Saga Tournament, and the Tournament of Power, if at all. Based on what has been seen before, Bulma will travel to timelines connected to Dragon Ball. IT'S NOT A MULTIVERSE STORY TYPE TRAVELING TO OTHER ANIMES, OR I WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THE TAGS AND SYNOPSIS.
Please read carefully. The things Toriyama touched on have a strong connection to Dragon Ball, like Chrono Trigger. It also continues Bulma's exploration of other timelines because, in Dragon Ball, everything except the other 11 universes is based on alternate timelines. Some time skips are also necessary. After the short adventure in the altered timeline where Lavos fell on Earth (Chrono Trigger), the King Piccolo saga will begin, with its respective time skips and radical changes. The old green will get his ass kicked before he can reveal the true cunning and intelligence of the Namekians. Then, the Saiyan/Freezer saga will begin, with all the changes Bulma has made. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!