This novel is finished and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Although during the Majin Buu arc, he had acknowledged that Son Goku was number one in the world, acknowledgment didn't mean acceptance. He was still always trying to surpass Goku.
"There's a chance. But I can't guarantee it. Like I said, I may not be able to choose Goku, but he's clearly been chosen by Dragon God Zalama. And Zalama's power is no weaker than the Supreme Kai of Time. Whether you can reach a higher level depends entirely on you."
"The only thing I can guarantee is this: as a Time-Space Patrol member, you'll face unimaginable opponents and be exposed to training environments far superior to what you've known."
Jiang Chen paused thoughtfully, then continued slowly.
This wasn't meant to discourage him.
As Jiang Chen said, Goku carried the power of Dragon God Zalama, and if he were truly chosen, his potential would be boundless.
Even Jiang Chen himself wasn't sure he could surpass Goku.
"I understand. I accept." Vegeta took a deep breath, then nodded.
"Looks like you made a wise decision. Take this. It should help you refine your training with divine ki." Jiang Chen smiled, then raised his hand. A phantom-like book appeared.
A stream of silvery-gray aura shot directly toward Vegeta. Soon, a silvery-gray mark appeared on the back of Vegeta's hand.
It was the Mark of Time.
With this mark, Vegeta could now be considered a qualified Time and Space Patrolman.
"What's this?" Vegeta's expression showed a trace of surprise. He instinctively began to sense the mark on the back of his hand.
Jiang Chen didn't interrupt him, simply standing there quietly, watching the battle in the distance.
Boom Rumble,
The battle kept escalating. The sky continuously cracked apart, and even layers of space were shattering.
Below, the Z Fighters couldn't help but look on nervously.
Time flowed by silently.
"It's over," Jiang Chen murmured softly, withdrawing his gaze.
Although Super 17 had absorbed Son Goku's power, it was clear that even so, he still couldn't compete with Super Saiyan 4 Son Goku at full power. As for his energy absorption technique, after experiencing it once, Goku had already taken note.
Naturally, he wouldn't allow it to happen again. In the sky, Goku now had completely suppressed Super 17.
His defeat was merely a matter of time.
"Aspara San!"
"Aspara San!"
The Z Fighters below finally reacted, each letting out a sigh of relief. As they did, they quickly noticed Jiang Chen and Vegeta.
One by one, they flew over.
Son Gohan, Goten, and Trunks immediately bowed in respect.
"Looks good. Your strength has increased quite a bit, too," Jiang Chen said with a smile as he looked at them.
After going through the battle with Super 17, the Saiyan genes had clearly been activated. Who said they were still no match? Jiang Chen could sense that the aura of these three, especially Gohan, Goten, and Trunks, had increased significantly.
It was completely different from before.
"Aspara San, you flatter us. We're still far from that level," Son Gohan said with a bitter smile.
Before, they hadn't noticed it. After the Majin Buu arc, Earth hadn't faced any serious threats. Their power, let alone on Earth, could be considered top-tier even across the universe.
But after facing Baby and Super 17, they now understood how terrifying the world truly was.
Their strength, in the current context, was simply not enough.
"As long as you train properly, it'll be fine! With your talent, you'll catch up quickly!" Jiang Chen shook his head and spoke sincerely.
Whether it was Gohan, Goten, or Trunks, All three had unquestionably top-tier talent.
With such talent, as long as they followed a proper training regimen, maybe not surpass Goku and Vegeta, but catching up wouldn't be too difficult.
"We understand!" Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all nodded firmly.
After everything they'd been through, and especially after Jiang Chen's words, their hearts were now resolute.
If Goku hadn't returned in time, they really would've been doomed.
This had been a huge lesson for them. And they now truly understood how important it was to increase their own power.
Jiang Chen gave a small nod.
He was quite satisfied with the change in them.
In the GT timeline of Time and Space, most of these people were practically useless, this was one of the biggest criticisms of the entire Dragon Ball GT series.
Now that changes have been made, it's undoubtedly for the better. While everyone was still conversing, The battle had finally come to an end.
With Son Goku disabling Super 17's energy absorption arms, a powerful 10x Kamehameha wave blasted Super 17 into the cosmic void, reducing him to dust.
"It's over!" As a radiant light exploded across the sky, only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Whew!"
Son Goku reverted from Super Saiyan 4, collapsing to the ground and landing on his butt.
"Dad!"
"Grandpa!"
As voices called out, the group quickly rushed over to him. Before long, everyone gathered together again.
"Goku, it looks like you've fully mastered Super Saiyan 4!" Jiang Chen said with a smile of congratulations.
"Hahaha!" Goku scratched his head with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Hmph!" Vegeta, having finally recovered from his dazed state, gave a cold snort.
"Let's go! Dad, we should restore Earth now! Dende has already gathered the Dragon Balls!" Son Gohan stepped forward and spoke up as well.
"Right, right, Earth should be restored too!" Goku quickly reacted and nodded.
Everyone then soared back to The Lookout.
Up on the Lookout, Dende had indeed already gathered the Dragon Balls.
As he recited the summoning incantation, the sky instantly turned pitch black.
"Speak your wish, O summoner of the Dragon Balls. Any wish can be granted. You have three." Shenron's deep, thunderous voice echoed.
With Shenron summoned, the group used the Dragon Balls to restore Earth to its original state.
They even resurrected Android 17.
However, the matter wasn't over just yet. The Black Star Dragon Balls, which had scattered across the universe, still needed to be collected.
This time, Son Goku and Vegeta decided to send Son Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Pan, and Bulla to carry out the mission together.
The main goal was to temper and train them. They had taken Jiang Chen's words to heart. And unlike before, the younger generation didn't resist the decision.
They readily accepted the task.
(Dragon Ball GT's storyline could be considered the most complete, but it's still criticized for character handling, turning Goku into a solo show, and for its inconsistent power scaling.)
(End of Chapter)