Master Roshi's eyes lit up with desperate hope. "In that case, do you have a way to go back? If you could bring some powerful Saiyans here to kill those two brutal androids, the humans in our shelter could finally be saved."
But almost immediately, his face fell into shadow again. "Though I suppose that's impossible," he said with crushing disappointment. "You said you came here by accident. There's probably no way to travel between timelines at will."
Karnel touched his nose thoughtfully before responding. "Actually, I do have a way to return to my timeline, but there's a black-faced enemy with terrifying strength lurking somewhere in this world. I need to find and destroy him before I can leave with peace of mind. Besides," he added with a slight grimace, "there currently aren't any other warriors in my timeline who could handle these androids."
The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted their conversation. Gohan returned, leading a small group of survivors: Bulma, the Ox King, his daughter Chi-Chi, and the shape-shifting pig Oolong from this timeline. When Gohan caught the tail end of Master Roshi's words, his face blazed with anger and determination.
"Master Roshi, those two androids, Trunks and I will destroy them ourselves! I want to take my revenge personally!"
Master Roshi opened his mouth to argue that with the entire Earth devastated and humanity on the brink of extinction, there was no room for martial arts pride when facing such monsters. But seeing the unwavering resolve in Gohan's eyes, he swallowed his words and stepped aside dejectedly.
Karnel studied the approaching group carefully. This timeline's Bulma was strikingly different from the vibrant genius he knew from his own world. Her hair was shorter and duller, her face gaunt and prematurely aged by years of constant fear and hardship. The weight of survival had carved deep lines around her eyes that spoke of countless sleepless nights.
Chi-Chi looked at her son with red-rimmed eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Gohan, were you out looking for those murderers again? Please don't go. You're all I have left. If you die too, what will I do all alone?"
Gohan gently wiped his eyes, his voice thick with emotion. "Don't worry, Mom. I believe I'll soon have the strength to defeat those androids."
The sight of these once-proud Earth warriors reduced to such desperate circumstances left Karnel silent for a long moment. The contrast with his own timeline was stark and heartbreaking.
"Gohan, who is this?" Future Bulma asked, studying the unfamiliar Saiyan with suspicious eyes. "I thought you and Trunks were the only Saiyans left on Earth."
"This is Karnel. Where's Trunks? Is he training alone in the practice room again? I'll go get him." Gohan hurried toward the door without waiting for an answer.
Karnel watched him leave, then turned to address the remaining survivors with a gentle tone. "I'm Karnel, a Saiyan from a parallel timeline. I'm friends with Vegeta and the others there."
Future Bulma's eyes narrowed with skepticism. "You said you came from another timeline, but I've never heard Vegeta mention you before. I have no memory of you at all. How exactly did you get here?"
"That's because I never existed in your timeline's past," Karnel explained patiently, then gave them a brief account of his accidental arrival and the circumstances that brought him here.
"I see," he concluded, accepting a cup of water from Oolong. "I simply don't exist in your world's history."
Karnel had a theory about this phenomenon. As someone who had originally traveled to the Dragon Ball world from elsewhere, his arrival had likely split the timeline into parallel paths, one where he existed, and one where he didn't, allowing events to unfold according to their original course.
Chi-Chi's voice trembled with desperate hope. "You said you're from the past... is Goku still alive there?"
"Yes, he's doing very well. In my timeline, Gohan is still just a child." Karnel's smile was genuinely warm.
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful!" Chi-Chi whispered, thinking of her husband who had died of a heart attack years ago. Her eyes filled with fresh tears as she leaned against her father, the Ox King, for comfort.
Future Bulma thought of Vegeta, tortured to death by the androids, and her voice cracked with emotion. "Since you have the power to face that black-faced enemy, you must be incredibly strong. Please, I'm begging you, kill those androids. Vegeta... Vegeta suffered so much before they killed him."
Although this Bulma looked different from the spirited genius with lavender hair he knew, her desperate plea touched something in Karnel's heart. Still, he looked conflicted.
"Destroying those two half-human, half-machine abominations would be easy enough," he said, rubbing his temples. "But I promised Gohan that I'd leave it to him and Trunks to handle personally."
At that moment, Gohan returned with Trunks, who appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. As soon as they entered, Trunks caught the end of the conversation between Bulma and Karnel.
"Aunt Bulma, I... I think..." Gohan's voice was filled with guilt as he finally realized how selfish he'd been, completely disregarding everyone else's feelings and suffering.
"No, Gohan!" Chi-Chi's voice rose sharply. "You can't go after those demons anymore. I won't let you risk your life fighting them again!"
Karnel observed Trunks carefully. Despite his young age, the boy's face carried the weight of adult responsibility. It made sense, with the fate of Earth resting on the shoulders of just two surviving Saiyans, the crushing burden had forced him to mature far beyond his years.
As the two mothers argued quietly with their sons, Karnel chose not to interfere. He found a weathered wooden stool and sat down, watching the family dynamics play out while contemplating the difficult choices ahead.