Dr. Gero's arrival provided the androids with a clear command structure. They all hovered motionless in the air, awaiting their creator's instructions with mechanical precision. The artificial beings in this timeline appeared remarkably obedient compared to their counterparts elsewhere.
"I never expected to find living humans still existing, especially ones who destroyed my favorite creations," Dr. Gero stepped forward and glared at Raditz and Trunks with venomous hatred. "You'll pay dearly for that transgression!"
"However, I have a far better plan. I'll transform you into androids and make you my ultimate masterpieces!"
Gero's wild white hair fluttered in the cold wind as he laughed with manic abandon, prompting the surrounding androids to echo his voice in unison. Everything he declared was accepted without question—in this world, he had become a god! Their faces remained as cold and expressionless as porcelain dolls, and even the younger models resembled beautiful but soulless figures. They shouted frantically in support, yet their eyes remained utterly indifferent to suffering.
Trunks shuddered involuntarily, sensing the complete absence of authentic life in their mechanical forms.
"Why?" Trunks drew his legendary sword and pointed the gleaming tip directly at Dr. Gero, his voice sharp with accusation. "Why did you eliminate humanity and force everyone to become artificial?"
"You haven't realized the obvious benefits yet, so naturally you ask such foolish questions," Gero replied with condescending smugness. "Androids possess eternal life and unlimited power—who wouldn't want such gifts? Hahaha, I even transformed myself into an android!"
He removed his tall top hat with theatrical flair, displaying his cybernetic skull modifications like trophies.
Immortality and overwhelming strength were undeniably tempting prospects.
"But you never bothered asking for human consent, did you? What if people didn't want your 'gift'?" Raditz sneered with obvious disgust.
Gero shrieked with fanatical enthusiasm, "That's precisely why I'm a genius! I devised the perfect solution! The reason humans resist android conversion is their fear of being seen as outcasts—so I simply transformed everyone! Their pathetic human thought patterns now accept my absolute control, creating perfect harmony."
"Unfortunately, there were far too many humans to convert efficiently, so I had to reluctantly eliminate the excess population," Gero actually displayed a regretful expression—not mourning the dead, but lamenting that his grand vision couldn't reach absolute completion.
Trunks felt momentarily stunned as righteous fury ignited throughout his entire being.
Having lived through the android-dominated timeline, he understood the horror more deeply than anyone. He absolutely could not accept this cavalier disregard for human life and dignity. Even if this distorted reality was merely a temporal branch, he would destroy Gero completely.
"You bastard!!!" Trunks finally erupted with uncontainable rage. He transformed into Super Saiyan and shot forward like golden lightning, his eyes cold and filled with lethal intent.
His sword blazed with brilliant energy as the devastating strike descended. The earth itself echoed the blade's arc and split open, sending ruins tumbling into newly formed chasms with thunderous rumbling.
Raditz's eyes widened slightly in surprise at what happened next.
The blade was caught bare-handed. Trunks's devastating slash had been pinched between Gero's fingers, his aged palm somehow possessing infinite strength that locked the weapon like an iron vise.
"Such excellent raw material," Dr. Gero smiled and surged forward with supreme confidence.
Trunks increased his power output and ascended to Super Saiyan 2, the pressure on his sword's edge intensifying dramatically as he resisted Gero's assault. The doctor recoiled in shock—why had this warrior suddenly transformed again? The force transmitted through the blade had increased exponentially, nearly cleaving his enhanced body in half.
Gero retreated swiftly, his form flickering with enhanced speed. He had tested the Super Saiyan's capabilities, but hadn't anticipated Trunks possessing a second transformation with power far exceeding his calculated limits.
"Impossible!" Gero's confidence evaporated entirely.
Looking down, he saw his clothing shredded by the sword's overwhelming pressure, the oppressive energy still making his mechanical heart race with something approaching fear. Trunks stood before him wreathed in golden flames and silver lightning, appearing more like a divine being than any mere android.
Damn it! No wonder he had defeated the androids with such ease—he'd been concealing this trump card. Gero's optical sensors blazed with deadly intent, but his resolve remained unshaken. He spread his arms wide as if to embrace the entire world.
Following some unspoken command, the other androids split their forces—some rushing toward Raditz and Trunks, others converging on Gero himself. Trunks's blade moved with supernatural speed, cutting through mechanical bodies like soft butter. Against Super Saiyan 2 power, both their attacks and defenses proved utterly worthless.
Raditz casually crushed android skulls while observing Dr. Gero's ongoing transformation. The artificial beings were systematically feeding their energy reserves to their creator, stimulating his evolutionary process. Though android power couldn't be measured by ki, Gero's growth was visible to the naked eye. His muscles swelled dramatically, his stature became noticeably taller, his optical sensors pierced with awe-inspiring murderous intent, and his white hair flowed like a battle banner.
Since Gero's original designation was Android 20, he was likely becoming Super Android 20! Trunks had only recently achieved Super Saiyan 2 and remained at the lower end of that transformation's power spectrum. If Super Android 20 could reach BoJack's strength level from their recent tournament disruption, this would provide valuable combat experience for the young warrior.
Raditz decided against immediate intervention, adopting a wait-and-see approach.
The android population steadily decreased as Super Android 20 finally achieved completion! Gero released a bone-chilling shriek and shoved away the remaining mechanical donors, his cold voice carrying across the wasteland: "Human! I've changed my mind—I'm going to kill you instead!"
Trunks severed a nearby android and glanced at the enhanced Gero diving toward him.
He sheathed his sword and rocketed upward with a sharp whoosh, leaving electric trails as he drove his fist toward Gero's head. But the moment impact should have occurred, Trunks realized he'd struck only empty air—there was nothing but an afterimage!
Gero's true form materialized behind the young Saiyan, displaying a cruel smile as he clasped both hands together and brought them down like a sledgehammer.
A straight figure plummeted toward the ground.
BOOM! An inverted cone-shaped crater hundreds of meters in diameter immediately formed, sending dust and debris flying several stories high while the ground trembled violently. But Gero showed no triumphant expression—his optical sensors tracked movement as he whirled and blocked with his elbow.
Trunks's counterattack was deflected again!
This time Trunks felt genuinely surprised. His lightning-fast assault immediately after hitting the ground had been anticipated by Gero, and the mechanical response had been equally swift. How was such reaction time possible?
Trunks's expression hardened as he flanked to Gero's side, launching a devastating leg sweep. The android received the technique smoothly, and after blocking it, responded with countless shadowy fist strikes in rapid succession.
Thousands of manic punch phantoms attacked simultaneously. Trunks focused his concentration completely on defense, managing to parry every assault.
The earth continued sinking during their battle as the craters grew wider and deeper. The whistling air pressure generated by their fist-winds pulverized the remaining ruins even further. Trunks and Gero maintained their deadly exchange, each collision carrying tremendous destructive force. They concentrated their energy within precise attack ranges—otherwise they might accidentally destroy the entire planet.
Both figures flickered across the sky in high-speed combat. Often Trunks would land a solid hit on Gero, only for the android to immediately counterattack, but Gero's offensive remained more ferocious overall. Head-butts, elbow strikes, and destructive optical beams forced Trunks into continuous retreat.
Yet Super Saiyan 2 remained Super Saiyan 2. Taking advantage of Gero's overly aggressive assault, Trunks seized an opening and flanked to the side, delivering an uppercut that launched his opponent skyward.
As Raditz had predicted, this enhanced Gero possessed both demonic corruption and significant power augmentation. Combined with the energy absorbed from countless androids he'd created, his strength rivaled BoJack's tournament-disrupting capabilities.
This was precisely the challenge needed to stimulate Trunks's continued growth!
Other androids attempted to interfere in the battle, but Raditz raised his mental power, and the overwhelming psychic pressure dominated the battlefield. Many fragile androids were instantly crushed under the invisible force.
"Who gave you permission to interfere?" His cold words carried absolute authority that intimidated the entire world.