Main timeline.
Universe 6, Earth.
On a mountain near South City.
"What time is it now?" Gohan asked Bulma.
"9:30. In thirty minutes, the androids should show up," Bulma said, checking the time.
They waited a little longer.
"Someone's coming this way," Piccolo said suddenly. "Not an enemy."
"Vegeta?" Krillin blinked. "Does he count as a good guy or a bad guy?"
Emily's eyes flared. She shoved the baby into Bulma's arms, then marched behind Krillin with an angry stomp.
"Uh-oh," Krillin said, an awful feeling crawling up his spine. "Killing intent—"
Thud!
Emily's fist cracked down on his bald head.
Krillin yelped, baring his teeth.
What is wrong with this woman? Since when is she this violent? How did I ever fall for someone like her? Not cute at all.
"Say one more bad thing about Vegeta and I'm not letting you off," Emily huffed. She turned back to Bulma, scooped Trunks into her arms, and held him close.
Krillin: "..."
Rubbing his throbbing scalp, Krillin felt completely wronged.
I was just being honest! Why are you hitting me?
Whoosh!
A hovercraft shot in from the distance and set down on the mountain beside them.
"Yajirobe!" Krillin called out.
"I'm not late," Yajirobe said flatly. His eyes swept the group. "Goku still not back?"
"No… maybe something happened in the future," Krillin said with a nod.
"These are from Korin," Yajirobe said, thrusting a pouch forward. "Senzu Beans."
Krillin took the pouch with both hands, grinning. "Yes! With these, at least we've got a chance to stay alive."
"Later. Good luck," Yajirobe said, already powering up the hovercraft to leave.
"Yajirobe, you're not fighting with us?" Krillin asked.
"Hmph. Goku's not even here. I'm not sticking around to die," Yajirobe snapped. "I've got plenty I still need to do."
The hovercraft lifted and sped off.
"Doesn't this feel off?" Tien said, voice heavy. "It's already past ten, and I still can't sense any androids."
"Yeah…" Krillin nodded.
"Are we sure Trunks was telling the truth?" Yamcha wondered. "Or did history change so much the androids don't exist in our time?"
"History changing doesn't mean they vanish," Piccolo said coolly.
"The weird part is we can't sense anything at all," Yamcha muttered. "If there really are androids that strong on this Earth, we should feel them no matter where they are."
Boom!
As he spoke, a thunderous blast ripped across the sky. The hovercraft up above erupted in a fireball.
Everyone jolted.
"Yajirobe!" Krillin shouted.
"Look—two people are attacking his craft!" Piccolo's eyes sharpened as he stared into the blue sky.
Two figures hovered high above—too far away to make out clearly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They dropped from the sky in a blur and vanished into the town below.
"Did you see them?" Krillin asked urgently.
"Not clearly," Piccolo said, frowning. "And I can't sense their ki at all."
"Maybe because they're androids," Gohan said. "So there's no ki to sense."
"That makes sense," Piccolo said with a nod. "If we can't track them by ki, we search with our eyes."
"Wait—if we find them, then what?" Krillin asked.
Because we can't beat them.
"If you spot them, flare your ki to signal everyone," Piccolo said at once. Then he turned to Gohan. "Gohan, Yajirobe's still alive. Go get him."
"Yes, Piccolo-san!" Gohan nodded.
"Move!" Piccolo ordered.
With Goku gone, Piccolo was the one holding the team together.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fighters shot toward the city, splitting into several streaks of light.
Gohan peeled off, heading for where Yajirobe had gone down.
In the town below, Android 19 and Android 20 strolled right down the road, bold as daylight.
Both wore hats that hid the transparent material on their heads.
"19," Android 20 said coldly, "we're settling the debt with Goku's father. One way or another."
"Yes," 19 said, irritation seeping through. "Last time, I went out before my energy supply was fully restored. If I run into him again, I'll make him pay."
"You were lucky," 20 said, exhaling. "Your body wasn't damaged beyond repair. Reattaching your head was enough to restore you."
His tone softened, almost fatherly. "I want a better host body for my experiments, but I don't want to lose you."
"If there's no new host, we should activate 17 and 18," 19 suggested.
"Not yet," 20 said, shaking his head. "Their energy output is far beyond my projections, and they're… unstable. My original plan was to find a superior subject and transplant his bloodline into our bodies."
He narrowed his eyes. "But Saiyan blood simply isn't compatible with us."
19 stayed silent.
In truth, the pair had already activated them once. For years, 20 had obsessed over merging Saiyan genes into himself—strong enough to control 17 and 18 without fear.
The idea was beautiful. Reality was brutal.
No matter what he tried, Saiyan genes refused to fuse with his body.
Getting Saiyan blood, at least, was easy. A spy robot only needed a sample.
"Hey!" an old man called out, suddenly stepping up to them. "Did you see that? A hovercraft exploded in the sky just now!"
19 turned, then walked over.
"You saw it too?" the old man asked again.
Then he noticed something wrong. The man's face was pallid—dead-looking—and the expression on it made his skin crawl.
"Y-you… what are you doing?" the old man asked, backing up.
The old man's son stood nearby with a cigarette, glancing over without much expression.
Thud!
19 slammed his head forward—straight into the old man's face.
The old man screamed once and dropped dead on the spot.
His son froze, mind going blank.
What did we do to you?!
19's fist snapped out and launched the son across the street.
He crashed into a building, leaving a deep human-shaped imprint in the wall.
19 licked the blood from his hand, smiling faintly—as if killing felt good.
Beep-beep-beep!
A car rolled in from the road, horn blaring at Android 20 standing in the middle of the street.
20 didn't move.
"Hey! Get out of the way, idiot!" the driver shouted, leaning out the window.
20 spread his fingers and jabbed his hand into the car's body like it was soft clay.
The driver stared, stunned.
Crunch!
20 yanked his hand back out, tearing out a mess of parts. The car sparked violently, metal clattering and crackling.
The driver's brain short-circuited.
You… you're a monster—
Snap!
20's hand shot forward and clamped around the driver's throat.
The driver flailed, helpless.
With one brutal lift, 20 hauled him upward—until the man's head punched through the car roof.
The driver's face twisted, eyes bulging, blood failing to reach his brain.
Crack.
20 calmly snapped his neck. The driver went limp.
"Aah—!" A girl passing by saw everything and shrieked.
Beep-beep!
"High energy readings approaching," 20 said, startled. "Is the detector malfunctioning?"
"It's not," 19 said, nodding. "I got the same reading."
"That number's far beyond any normal human," 20 murmured.
"If you'd installed detectors three years ago, we would've known Goku's father's energy level," 19 said, expression blank.
"He'll show himself," 20 said with a snort. "Just like Goku always does. That energy could be Goku—or his father."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They rose into the air and looked down over the streets.
A cautious figure stepped out below, scanning the area.
"Not Goku. Not Goku's father," 19 said. "Ninety-six percent likelihood: Yamcha."
"At least he has plenty of energy," 20 said. "Let's absorb it. For our model, the best path is simple: absorb more and more energy. Enough, and we'll surpass 17 and 18."
"Yes," 19 said.
They dropped down behind Yamcha.
Yamcha sensed something off, turned, and saw two strangers.
"Hey—did you see where those killers went?" he asked.
19 smiled softly.
Yamcha's stomach dropped. "…Don't tell me."
"It was us," 20 said, smiling.
"Wha—!" Yamcha kicked off the air and sprang back, shouting, "Guys—!"
Smack!
Before he could get another word out, 20 lunged and clamped a hand over Yamcha's mouth.
Then 20 lifted him high by the face.
Yamcha struggled wildly, but the grip was iron.
In that instant, he felt like a chick in an eagle's talons—no strength, no leverage, nothing.
Worse, his power was draining away, being pulled out of him.
No mercy.
20 drove his palm straight through Yamcha's torso.
A bloody hand burst out through Yamcha's back.
Yamcha's life vanished in a rush.
20 pulled his hand free.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien arrived in a blur, landing nearby.
"Yamcha!" Krillin shouted.
20 tossed Yamcha aside like trash.
"He's still alive," Piccolo said immediately. "Krillin, take him to where we left the Senzu Beans. Feed him one."
"Got it," Krillin said, scooping Yamcha up and shooting into the sky.
19 and 20 didn't pursue.
"You're androids," Piccolo said coldly. "So you finally showed yourselves."
The two androids stared at him, surprised.
"How do you know we're androids—and that we'd appear here?" 20 asked, frowning. "Even Goku's father didn't know that."
Piccolo: "????"
Goku's father?
Have they already met him?
"Answer me," 20 said, face hard.
"No rush," Piccolo said. "We can talk after we trade a few blows."
"Fine," 20 said, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"Come with me," Piccolo said, rising into the air.
"Trying to get somewhere empty?" 20 sneered. "No need. I'll help."
Twin beams fired from 20's eyes.
Boom-boom-boom!
They tore into the city. Explosions rolled across an entire section, smoke boiling upward as the blasts kept coming.
In seconds, half the green island city was swallowed by fire and debris.
Piccolo's face darkened.
"Happy now?" 20 mocked. "There—an empty battlefield. I even held back. Half the island's still alive."
"How do you know my name?" Piccolo demanded.
"I know your name," 20 said, smirking, "and I know his too. You're Tien, right?"
Tien didn't answer.
"Enough," Piccolo growled. "If you want a fight, follow me!"
Whoosh!
Piccolo and Tien led the androids away at top speed.
With a Senzu Bean, Yamcha recovered completely.
"Yamcha," Krillin said, "you said they can absorb energy?"
"I don't know exactly how it works," Yamcha said grimly. "But once they grabbed me, my energy started disappearing."
"Dr. Gero really built something nasty," Emily said, sighing. Then she turned to Bulma. "Hey, you've made robots too, right?"
"My robots are amazing," Bulma said, giggling.
"How amazing?" Emily asked, curious.
Bulma tilted her head thoughtfully. "Beating a hundred Vegetas shouldn't be a problem."
Emily: "..."
"Bulma, you're the worst!" Emily snapped, glaring.
Don't use Vegeta as a unit of measurement.
"I'm just stating facts," Bulma sighed. "But… she's already…"
"Dead?" Emily blinked.
"Not exactly," Bulma said, looking up at the sky. "She just sealed her memories away."
…
Universe 7, a distant planet.
"Broly, are we sleeping here tonight?" Ai shimmered with light.
"Yeah," Broly said, gently patting Ai's round body.
"This place is so nice. Ai likes it," Ai said, sounding genuinely happy.
Broly lay back on the ground, hands folded behind his head, staring up at the star-filled sky.
Ai hovered beside him, watching the night with him.
One man and one robot—together, and it somehow looked completely natural.
…
Universe 6, Earth.
"If he can really absorb energy, that's way too dangerous," Gohan said. "I have to tell Piccolo-san!"
He shot into the sky.
"Honestly… I don't want to go," Yamcha said through clenched teeth. "I can't do anything to them. If I go, I'm just dying for nothing."
"I'll bring Senzu Beans," Krillin said, already taking off.
"Krillin! You don't know how dangerous those androids are!" Yamcha shouted.
But Krillin was already gone.
Yamcha: "..."
Staying behind with Bulma and Emily felt pathetic.
The men were out there fighting.
"…Damn it," Yamcha muttered. "If I can't win, I can at least go see what's happening!"
He flew after them.
Soon, only Bulma and Emily remained on the mountain—Emily holding baby Trunks.
And, somehow, Yajirobe was there too, striking a "cool" pose nearby.
"You're not going?" Emily asked, turning to him.
"Of course I'm not," Yajirobe said.
"I heard you're kind of a big deal," Emily said. "Even one more person helps."
"She's right," Bulma added. "Your friends—and Earth—are on the brink. Until Ken and Goku get back, even buying time matters."
"Is that so?" Yajirobe said, unmoved.
"How can you be this calm?!" Emily yelled.
"Shameless," Bulma snapped.
Yajirobe almost started crying.
You two women are unbelievable… teaming up to bully me!
"I can't fly…" he said miserably.
Bulma: "..."
Emily: "..."
…
After flying for a while, Android 20 noticed the terrain ahead—rocky ridges and towering stone formations, perfect for hiding.
"Piccolo," 20 said, "where do you think you're going? We fight here. You don't get to choose."
He dropped to the ground.
Piccolo scanned the area.
A flat clearing, surrounded by stone outcrops—good cover if things went bad.
So that's their plan.
"Before we start," Piccolo said, "tell me how you knew about us."
"I'll tell you," 20 said with a small smile. "But answer a few questions first."
"Go ahead," Piccolo said.
"Where is Goku? Why isn't he here?" 20 asked.
"He had to leave. He won't be back for now," Piccolo said, not mentioning the future.
"Then… where's Goku's father?" 20 asked.
"Why are you bringing up Goku's father?" Piccolo frowned.
"Answer," 20 said sharply. "Don't ask what you shouldn't."
"I don't know," Piccolo said slowly. "Are you saying you've already met him?"
"No comment," 20 said, face like stone.
"I answered you," Piccolo said. "Now answer me."
20: "..."
Does that count as answers?
"Whatever," 20 said at last. "It doesn't matter if you know. We've been watching you for years with small surveillance robots—since the World Martial Arts Tournament. All the way through Goku's fights with you… and with Vegeta."
His voice turned colder. "After Goku destroyed the Red Ribbon Army, our research began. One goal: how do we kill Goku? What kind of android can erase him?"
"Because you hate him?" Piccolo asked.
"Yes," 20 said. "Goku shattered the Red Ribbon Army's dream of ruling the world. Dr. Gero was left alone, consumed by his work."
"You sound like Dr. Gero himself," Piccolo said, eyes narrowing.
20 froze, a flicker of alarm in him.
This one's sharp.
"Don't be ridiculous," 20 said in a low voice. "I'm Android 20—built by Dr. Gero. Dr. Gero is dead."
"Fine," Piccolo said with a nod. "Now I get it. One more thing—did you spy on the battle on Namek too?"
"No need," 20 said coldly. "Goku's fight with Vegeta told us his true level. He'll grow with age, sure, but not by a massive amount. Too bad for him—he wasn't here. Otherwise he'd die."
"You miscalculated," Piccolo said. "Namek is where we truly broke through."
He turned to Tien. "Stay out of it. He's mine."
Boom!
Piccolo flared his power—ki surging outward in a violent wave.
Tien stared, stunned.
He's gotten this strong?
Namekian… I'm nowhere near him.
"Not bad, Piccolo," 20 said, eyes gleaming. "Your energy's far beyond our calculations. But we won't panic. I don't even need to fight—19 alone can beat you."
"Then come on," Piccolo said.
Whoosh!
Piccolo shot straight at Android 19.
19 raised his guard.
In a blink, Piccolo vanished, reappeared behind him, and drove a kick into his back.
19 rocketed away and slammed into a nearby rock mountain.
He burst out of the rubble and charged back.
Piccolo slipped aside, dodged, then climbed into the air.
"Makankosappo!"
Two fingers to his forehead—spiraling energy drilling forward.
19 grit his teeth and slapped it aside, batting the twisting blast away.
He lunged up, and the two collided in a fierce exchange.
As the fight raged, Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha arrived and landed near Tien.
"Piccolo-san…" Gohan said, worry on his face.
"Don't stress," Tien said, watching in awe. "Piccolo's got the upper hand. He's insane… how did he get this strong?"
Piccolo overwhelmed 19—blow after blow, leaving him no room to answer.
"…So was the energy-absorption thing just in my head?" Yamcha murmured, watching.
"Amazing," Krillin said, impressed. "That's Piccolo for you—when it matters, he delivers."
"Piccolo-san, you've got this!" Gohan shouted.
Boom!
Piccolo hammered 19 down out of the sky.
He crashed into the ground, leaving a crater—then calmly climbed out like nothing happened.
"Look at that," Yamcha said quickly. "He's getting smashed and he doesn't even react."
"Do androids not feel pain?" Tien guessed.
"Makuhodan!" Piccolo roared, firing a surge of energy.
Android 20's eyes lit up.
Now that's nice.
That spiral beam wasn't easy to absorb. This one?
This one's perfect.
"Wahaha!" 19 laughed, lifting his right hand and catching the incoming blast.
In a flash, Piccolo's energy vanished into 19's body.
Krillin went pale.
Gohan's eyes widened.
"He absorbed it!" Tien shouted.
"So it's real!" Yamcha yelled. "That bastard!"
"Piccolo-san, stop using that!" Gohan shouted. "He can absorb our energy!"
Piccolo: "..."
So that's it.
No wonder it felt wrong.
At least I didn't put much into it. Even if he absorbed it, it won't be much.
19 sneered, then shot toward Piccolo.
Piccolo braced to meet him—
Thud!
Someone moved faster.
A heavy kick smashed into 19's side the moment he rose, blasting him away.
19 screamed, tumbling across the ground before stopping in a wrecked heap.
Android 20 spun around, shocked.
A figure hovered above them—hair standing up, battle armor on, a contemptuous smile on his face.
Vegeta.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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