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But before anyone could say a word, the vision shifted to Babidi and... Majin Buu.
Shin's face went pale. His voice cracked. "T-That's... Majin Buu! No... Did we fall right into their plan?!"
Trunks' eyelid twitched.
(Just as I thought. Majin Buu's already been revived.)
Shin gasped. "Damn it! Ancestor, Majin Buu is back!"
He hurriedly recounted Majin Buu's terrifying history to the Old Kai, his voice trembling.
The Old Kai gave them both a sidelong glance, his expression utterly unimpressed. It was clear he didn't have much faith in either Shin or Kibito. Two Kais who couldn't even pull the Z Sword out of a stone were hardly inspiring.
Instead, he turned his focus to Trunks.
After all, it was Trunks who had freed him. And Trunks' power and potential was unmistakable. From Shin, he learned that both Trunks and Gohan had recently been defeated on Earth. The Old Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I can unlock this kid's potential," He said. "Make him stronger."
Trunks smirked slightly. "That'd be great, Old Kai, but actually, Gohan's stronger than me. Can you do both of us?"
That was Trunks' true intention. With his knowledge of this universe, he knew exactly what the Old Kai was capable of, and just how powerful Gohan could become with his hidden strength fully drawn out.
The Old Kai stared at him, unamused.
"You trying to kill me with exhaustion?" He grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"C'mon, Great Elder Kai," Trunks said with mock reverence. "If you help both of us power up, we'll be able to stop Babidi and Broly. And hey, if we pull it off, won't the credit go to you?"
Trunks piled on the flattery like whipped cream on a sundae, and it worked.
The Old Kai stood a little straighter, his expression brightening. "Well... when you put it like that... I suppose I could manage it."
A mystic circle appeared beneath Gohan and Trunks, glowing with divine energy. The Old Kai took his position and began the long, spiritual process of unlocking their latent potential.
Time passed. The crystal ball hovered nearby, showing the evolving crisis on Earth. Kibito and Shin sat close, eyes glued to the orb, their expressions tense.
Then, suddenly,
"Look!" Shin shouted. "That monster, he's working with Babidi after all!"
"And who's that emerging from the smoke?!" Kibito added, shocked. "What kind of energy is that?!"
"Wait... Who is that person? He's resisting Babidi's magic, and he just knocked Broly flying!"
The two of them practically screamed in unison.
"QUIET!!" The Old Kai barked, glaring at them. "You'll ruin the ritual!"
Trunks, however, narrowed his eyes.
(Resisting Babidi's control… No way. Could it be... Dad? Did he finally emerge from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?!)
"Focus, Trunks," the Old Kai reminded him sharply.
Trunks smiled faintly. "Right. Sorry, Old Kai."
The ritual continued. The glow intensified as their hidden potential surged upward. As time went on, the images in the crystal ball grew increasingly chaotic. The two Kais couldn't hold back any longer.
"Something's wrong! Ancestor, this is worse than we imagined!" Supreme Kai shouted in alarm.
"What now?" The Old Kai grumbled, clearly irritated. "It's just two minor threats. Once I'm done unlocking their potential, it'll all be over."
But Shin was panicking. He dropped to his knees and urgently slid the crystal ball closer to the Old Kai, Trunks, and Gohan.
"See for yourselves!"
Trunks and Gohan opened their eyes at the same time and turned toward the crystal ball.
The images they saw hit Trunks like a shockwave. Above Earth, a massive horde of Frieza's old army had somehow escaped from Hell... and they were attacking Majin Buu.
Then the image shifted again, Babidi was rallying his forces, and behind him loomed the monstrous shadow of Hildegarn.
Whoosh!
The crystal ball trembled again, now showing the Lookout. There, hovering mid-air, a strange, purple-colored Cell was locked in a furious beam clash with Goku and Vegeta.
And both of them were in Super Saiyan 3.
But they weren't winning. Trunks and Gohan immediately sprang to their feet.
"Old Kai! Aren't we done yet?!" Gohan asked anxiously.
The Old Kai opened his eyes and gave a sly smile. "Actually... you've been ready for a while."
Trunks stood there stunned. So much had happened in just one day. Even with their power now unlocked, it felt like the scale of the chaos might still overwhelm them.
Suddenly, the crystal ball flashed again, flooded with light.
Goku and Vegeta were about to be swallowed by Cell's devastating Kamehameha.
Trunks shouted, "Kibito! Please, get our dads out of there, now!"
Seeing the sheer desperation on Trunks' face, Kibito finally grasped the urgency of the situation.
He vanished in an instant. And one heartbeat later, he returned, Goku and Vegeta in tow.
Goku blinked, looking around. "Huh? Weird. I was aiming for King Kai's planet with Instant Transmission... where are we?"
"You're in the Sacred World of the Kais," Kibito Kai explained solemnly.
"Trunks?!" Vegeta's voice cracked as he spotted his son. "You're alive?!"
Without thinking, he grabbed Trunks by the shoulders and shook him hard, almost lifting him off the ground.
Trunks felt the world spin.
(Wait, Dad thought I was dead? Is that why he went berserk on Broly? So he really has changed... Ugh, I'm getting dizzy.)
Trunks' thoughts echoed inside Vegeta's mind and Vegeta suddenly stopped shaking him. He looked Trunks up and down more carefully, then narrowed his eyes.
[This power... he's stronger.]
Then he looked at Gohan.
[Even Gohan's energy has skyrocketed...!]
"Whoa! Gohan! You've grown so much!" Goku said warmly as he approached his son, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.
Seeing his father after so many years, Gohan's eyes welled up. He pulled Goku into a tight embrace. No words were needed in that moment. After a long pause, Goku smiled and said, "I can feel it, Gohan. You're way stronger now."
Gohan nodded, glancing at the Old Kai. "It's thanks to him. He unlocked our full potential, both mine and Trunks'. We're much stronger now."
Goku and Vegeta both turned to look at the old man in disbelief. That this frail-looking elder could awaken such power?
The Old Kai simply waved a hand and chuckled dismissively. Trunks glanced at him and thought to himself:
(What if the Old Kai unlocked Dad and Goku's potential too...?)
That thought rang loud and clear in Vegeta's head. His eyes darted to the Old Kai, suddenly considering the possibility. At that moment, Goku turned toward Trunks, realizing something.
"Wait... you're Trunks, right? Vegeta and Bulma's boy!"
Trunks smiled politely. "Yes. Hello, Goku Ojisan."
Goku ruffled his hair with a laugh. "Haha! You know, Chi-Chi always wanted a second kid. If I hadn't died back then... my boy would probably be around your age now."
Before Goku could say more, Vegeta smacked his hand away from Trunks' head with a scowl.
"Kakarot! We don't have time for this. We need to focus on the real problem!"
Vegeta grits his teeth, muttering in frustration: [Damn it, Kakarot... You pat Trunks on the head like he's yours. I've never even done that...]
Goku's expression turned serious. "Vegeta, listen, what I said earlier, about fusing, it's something we really need to consider."
Vegeta growled. "Forget it! Don't even say that word again!"
Seeing how firmly Vegeta rejected the idea, Goku sighed and turned his attention back to Gohan.
Meanwhile, Vegeta walked silently over to the Old Kai.
His eyes narrowed.
(If this old man can make them that strong... maybe...)
[End of Chapter]