"Wha... Whitley-san!!!"
Dr. Hedo stared at the figure standing tall before them, who had nonchalantly blocked the world-ending energy with a single hand.
He was trembling so violently with emotion that, aside from shouting Whitley's name, he couldn't form another complete sentence.
It was... an immense ecstasy, like being pulled from the depths of hell back to the world of the living in an instant!
After completely neutralizing the suffocating pillar of destructive energy, Whitley slowly retracted his palm and gave it a casual shake.
He turned his head to look at the four behind him, who were in a truly miserable state—
The unconscious Trunks, the severely damaged Gamma 2, the battered Gamma 1, and Dr. Hedo, whose face was pale but whose eyes were red.
"Don't worry. You're... safe now."
As if imbued with some kind of magic, or perhaps it was the last straw...
Upon hearing that reassuring guarantee, the nerves that Dr. Hedo had kept strung tight finally, completely snapped.
The long-suppressed grief and the relief of surviving burst forth like a breaking dam!
He could no longer hold back his tears. They streamed down like floodgates opening, and he began to sob uncontrollably, like a wronged child.
Whitley didn't comfort him. He turned his head back, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto the two Zamasus in the sky, who looked stunned and uncertain that their attack had been blocked.
He spoke concisely to Broly, who was standing next to him, already eager for battle, a berserk green energy beginning to surge around him:
"He's all yours, Broly. Show that imposter who the real legend is!"
After speaking, he turned his back, not even glancing at the battle in the sky, as if he already knew the outcome.
He strode toward the injured group, simultaneously pulling several still-green Senzu Beans from his pocket.
"RRAAGH—!!!"
Broly stared intently at the Zamasu in the sky, who had a face almost identical to his own but exuded an aura he found utterly repulsive. A low, menacing growl, like that of a beast whose territory had been invaded, rumbled in his throat, filled with brutality and battle lust.
Upon hearing Whitley's words, his massive body crouched slightly, every muscle instantly tensing like a fully drawn bow!
The next second—
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A deafening sonic boom, loud enough to tear the sky apart, exploded!
The ground where Broly had been standing collapsed into a giant crater. His entire body had already transformed into a green bolt of lightning, impossible to follow with the naked eye, hurtling toward the Zamasu in the sky with unparalleled ferocity!
Whitley didn't even turn his head, as if the terrifying boom behind him had nothing to do with him.
He walked straight to the unconscious Trunks, knelt, pried his mouth open with one hand, and stuffed a Senzu Bean inside.
The Senzu Bean had barely gone down his throat, and the effect was instantaneous!
"Cough, cough...!"
Trunks coughed twice and his eyes snapped open.
His eyes still held the lingering pain of the blow and a trace of confusion. The instincts honed by long-term combat made him flip neatly to his feet, his body subconsciously snapping into a fighting stance.
His gaze was fierce, warily scanning his surroundings, searching for the green demon who had defeated him.
But when his blurry vision quickly focused and he saw Whitley standing before him with a smile, he froze.
All the wariness, all the tension, all the defenses... in front of this powerful and reliable man, they unconsciously, completely, relaxed.
His tense body went slack, and an immense sense of security washed over him.
"Wha... Whitley-san!"
Trunks shouted in pleasant surprise, his voice still a bit hoarse, but his joy was unmistakable.
Whitley nodded at him, then looked down at Gamma 2, who was lying nearby, his body completely wrecked, with wires and parts exposed.
He was just about to feed another Senzu Bean to 2, to test if the miraculous bean would work on an android like him.
Dr. Hedo, who had just managed to stop his tears, saw this and quickly wiped his face, calling out to stop him:
"Whitley-san, don't waste the Senzu Bean. 2 is a purely mechanical android. His internal structure is completely different from a biological organism. The Senzu Bean won't have any restorative effect on him."
He looked at 2, his eyes filled with pain. "Don't worry, I can definitely repair him perfectly once we get back to the base!"
Only then did Whitley put the Senzu Bean away.
He looked at Gamma 1, who was standing silently but still in a ready stance, and nodded at him in approval.
He then clapped Trunks firmly on the shoulder. Feeling the solid touch of the young man, the lingering fear and anxiety he'd felt upon arriving—seeing Trunks nearly beaten to death—finally subsided.
'Phew... That was close! I almost blew the promise I made to Future Bulma! If I'd been just a little later...'
The thought of confidently promising Future Bulma that Trunks would be fine, only to almost witness a tragedy the moment he arrived, made Whitley feel a wave of guilt.
They absolutely could have arrived at least half an hour earlier, avoiding this hair's-breadth crisis.
But... why the delay?
Whitley's gaze, filled with exasperation, shifted to Marcarita, who had been intentionally keeping her distance from him ever since they arrived, pretending to look at the scenery with her arms crossed.
Earlier, while piloting the Time Machine through time, this Angel... after hearing him frankly admit he had 5 women, including Vados... had gone completely nuts, as if someone had stepped on her tail. She'd thrown a fit in the cramped cabin!
She was either deliberately finding fault or just glaring at him like he was garbage...
This was Whitley's first time piloting this large, Bulma-modified Time Machine by himself, and he wasn't yet proficient.
With her causing such a ruckus, he got flustered, and his hand slipped, causing a slight error in the arrival time input!
Luckily, he reacted fast, relying on his powerful senses and quick reflexes to correct it manually.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been half an hour late; they would have arrived this time next year!
Marcarita seemed to sense Whitley's gaze.
Knowing she was in the wrong, she guiltily avoided his eyes for a second. But her pride quickly forced her to look back, her pale pink eyes meeting Whitley's with stubbornness and defiance.
She hesitated, then, as if making a decision, walked straight toward the severely damaged, immobile Gamma 2.
As she walked, she stammered in an awkward, yet elegant, tone:
"Hmph! Th-The... the earlier incident... It-It was my fault! I admit it!"
Her cheeks flushed slightly after saying this, but she immediately tried to save face, protecting her pride.
"B-But... you're also at fault! Who... who knew you'd have so many women! That's... that's just... too... too shameless!"
As she spoke, her staff emitted a green glow full of life, which flowed like water onto Gamma 2's broken body.
"I, Marcarita, am not the kind of woman who makes trouble and refuses to admit her mistakes!"
She lifted her delicate chin slightly, trying to look as haughty as possible.
"Their injuries... just consider this... hmm... my apology and compensation!"
Whitley looked at Marcarita's tsundere act—clearly trying to apologize and compensate, but stubbornly putting on an "this is the Angel's gift" air. The annoyance he felt suddenly faded.
He even felt that this woman... aside from her stinking attitude and hair-trigger temper, her essence... wasn't so hard to get along with?
Maybe even a little... cute?
As his thoughts drifted...
"Ta-da! Perfectly repaired! I feel full of energy!! Hahaha... Doctor! I'm completely restored! And the system feels even smoother than before!"
Gamma 2 did a kip-up and bounced to his feet. He moved his arms and legs, his voice full of life.
2 turned to Marcarita, a brilliant smile on his face.
"This... uh... kind auntie? Thank you so much!"
"A... AUNTIE?!!!!!!!"
The expression on Marcarita's face instantly froze.
It then visibly darkened, a clear "💢" appearing on her forehead.
Her grip on her staff tightened.
Gamma 2 looked at Marcarita's dark face, her striking silver-pink twin-tails, and her exquisite but mature features, and had a moment of "realization." He quickly corrected himself:
"Oh, right! My mistake! Your... uh... lovely silver hair? My bad, I misspoke! Thank you so much, you... kind... grandma?"
"GRA... GRANDMA?!!?!?!"
Whitley, listening from the side, felt his mouth twitch uncontrollably. He discreetly shuffled a few steps away, afraid of getting hit by flying oil or parts when this tactless android exploded.
He looked up at the sky, refocusing on Broly's fierce battle with the Zamasu-possessed Broly. As for the "BONK! BONK!" sounds of Marcarita's staff hitting 2's metal head behind him, he decisively chose to ignore them.
At this moment, the battle in the sky seemed to have entered a white-hot stage. The roar of clashing energy was endless, and shockwaves continually rolled out in all directions.
But Whitley could see clearly that although Broly's attacks were fierce, he was actually far from serious. It was more like... he was toying with his opponent?
But this fighting style... why does it look so familiar?
"AAAAAAAAHH!!! HAAAA!!!!"
Zamasu, occupying Broly's body, was attacking Broly in a frenzy.
Fists and energy blasts rained down like a tempest! He was trying to use absolute power to crush this mortal who dared challenge a god!
However, facing this storm of attacks, the real Broly seemed exceptionally calm, even... casual?
He often didn't dodge, letting attacks powerful enough to shatter planets slam solidly into his formidable body with dull thuds. But the attacks couldn't even make him take a step back!
A wild smile, mixed with excitement and ferocity, began to spread across Broly's face.
He seemed to be enjoying this clash of pure power, especially since his opponent had a face almost identical to his own!
BOOM!
As Zamasu lunged in with a full-power punch, Broly didn't even look. He delivered a lightning-fast side-kick in mid-air, striking Zamasu's chest first!
"Uwaaah—!"
Zamasu felt an irresistible force, as if his sternum was about to shatter!
He cried out, tumbling uncontrollably through the air for a dozen rotations before he managed to stabilize himself, thanks only to his powerful body.
He looked up at the man in the sky, who was enveloped in a thick green aura like a descended god. The shock and disbelief in his eyes could no longer be suppressed!
"How can this be! Your power... How can your power be greater than mine?!!"
Zamasu's voice was distorted with shock and rage.
"I am Zamasu! I am a supreme god!!! I possess this perfect body! You lowly mortal... you insignificant insect... Pwuaaah!!!!"
His roar of disbelief hadn't even finished before Broly's figure once again appeared in front of him, faster than his eyes could track!
The response was Broly's massive, energy-wreathed fist, which slammed solidly into his abdomen!
"PUH!!!"
BOOM!!!
Another sonic boom!
Zamasu felt as if his organs had been rearranged. The intense pain made his vision go black, and he couldn't stop himself from vomiting blood!
He was once again sent hurtling like a meteor toward the war-torn land below, his body blasting a huge crater in the earth!
He lay at the bottom, staring blankly at the green figure in the sky, his shock absolute.
'Why... Why is this happening?! My power combined with this body's power... Shouldn't I be the strongest?!'
"Tch!"
The other Zamasu, who had been floating in the distance, felt his face burn with shame as he watched "himself" get so utterly, one-sidedly thrashed.
His other self, a noble god, had taken a powerful body, only to be beaten senseless by that body's original owner from another timeline?
This was an enormous insult to him as a god!
"Zamasu!"
This timeline's Zamasu instantly appeared at the edge of the crater, shouting at the "self" who was struggling to get up.
His expression was dark, his face ugly as he stared at Broly, whose power in the sky was still rising as if without limit. He spoke in a low, rapid voice:
"It seems you are not his match! Stop fighting alone; you're only embarrassing us! I will distract him, you find an opening for a fatal blow!"
The Zamasu in the crater wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly stood up.
He cracked his neck, feeling a deeper, more berserk power awakening from his extreme rage. A wild, savage smile, one that looked more and more like the Broly opposite him, spread across his face.
"Hehe... Haha..."
He didn't answer the other Zamasu. He just let out a low laugh, his body erupting in an even more violent green aura, and charged back at Broly like a mad dog!
This time, his attacks were even crazier, even more reckless!
Seeing his other self attack in such an uncivilized, beast-like frenzy, a strange discomfort flickered in Zamasu's heart.
But he quickly suppressed it and followed him into the sky, keeping a relatively safe distance from the battle. He began to fire off various energy blasts, trying to interfere with and limit Broly's movements, to create an opportunity for "himself."
Whitley observed from below.
He watched the Zamasu who had taken Broly's body, seeing the reason and clarity in his eyes being rapidly devoured by a primal madness and brutality. His fighting style was becoming more and more like the old Broly's, an undisciplined impulse for destruction. He understood immediately.
'Just as I thought... The blood of the Legendary Super Saiyan isn't so easy to control. This Zamasu is gradually turning into another, insane Broly!'
"It seems this Supreme Kai has been rather affected by the power he stole. His movements have lost all discipline and divine elegance, leaving only the brawling of a beast."
Gamma 2 was currently squatting in a corner, holding the new bumps on his head and drawing circles.
And Marcarita, having finished her "lesson," came to stand near Whitley.
She seemed to have forgotten her earlier need to keep her distance, naturally standing just behind and to the side of him as she watched the battle.
Whitley subconsciously glanced at Marcarita. His gaze swept over her exquisite, proud profile, and his mind inappropriately recalled Gamma 2's earth-shattering "Auntie" and "Grandma."
Combining that with her current, serious analysis of the battle, a strong sense of "gap moe" and amusement welled up, and he suddenly couldn't hold it in. A "Pfft" escaped his lips.
"What are you laughing at?!"
Marcarita snapped her head around, glaring at him, her pink eyes full of suspicion.
Is this guy thinking something rude?!
"N-Nothing!"
Whitley quickly suppressed his smile, but his shoulders were still shaking.
He forced a composed expression, staring at the sky as if he hadn't turned his head.
"I... I just thought of something happy."
"Something happy?"
Marcarita looked skeptical, completely unable to follow his train of thought.
"In a situation like this, what could you possibly think of that's happy?"
"I... My cat had kittens yesterday!"
Whitley spouted the first nonsense that came to mind, trying to bluff his way through.
Marcarita: "..."
Hearing this obviously fabricated, half-hearted lie, she rolled her eyes, exasperated.
This man can't even lie convincingly? Does he take me for an idiot?!
She stared at Whitley for a long time, her gaze so sharp it felt like it could see right through him.
Just as Whitley was starting to sweat, his scalp tingling, Marcarita finally spoke in a slow, certain tone:
"You were... laughing at me, weren't you? Because of what that tin-can idiot said?"
Whitley's body stiffened. He immediately stared at the sky with a grave expression, as if Broly were in a desperate fight.
If it weren't for the fact that Broly was still completely dominating the fight against the two Zamasus, Trunks, who knew Whitley a little, might have actually believed his worried performance.
Trunks: 'This new lady, the one who's so dignified but also kind of fierce... could she be Whitley-san's... next one?'
He secretly sized up Marcarita, coming to this conclusion.
...
Setting aside the intense, yet bizarrely comical, scene in the future timeline, let us turn our gaze back to Earth in the main timeline.
At this time, on Earth's Lookout.
Piccolo was staring at Kami with a baffled expression.
He stood with his arms crossed, his green brow furrowed, his tone clearly impatient:
"What are you trying to say? Did you call me all the way to The Lookout just to spout this nonsense and waste my time? I don't have time to play riddles with you!"
Kami looked at this younger version of himself, born from his own evil, who had now walked a completely different path. A complex emotion crossed his old face.
He sighed deeply and explained calmly to Piccolo:
"Piccolo, the Earth is now full of powerful warriors. Not counting the unfathomable Whitley, just look at Son Goku, Vegeta, those androids, and the other Saiyans... Among them, how many can you defeat, or even fight on equal terms with?"
Piccolo's face darkened instantly.
Ever since he had over-ambitiously sought revenge on Goku, only to be "sincerely" praised from head to toe by the seemingly simple-minded guy—
"Piccolo, you're so strong!" "Piccolo, that move is amazing!" "Piccolo, your skills are great!"
—and then, the instant he used his full power, was nonchalantly and utterly defeated by an opponent who wasn't even serious... Piccolo had clearly recognized the chasm-like gap between them and had never sought that humiliation again.
And ever since he had luckily participated in the Tournament of Power, seeing the true, vast world and its monstrously strong warriors, Piccolo had been training desperately every day!
But for some reason, no matter how hard he tried, how much he tortured himself, his power growth remained despairingly slow, as if he had hit an invisible ceiling.
He had always thought it was his own limited talent or a flaw in his training methods, and his heart was filled with unwillingness!
But it wasn't until this old man had mysteriously summoned him just now, and told him the stunning truth about how they were originally one being, and how their separation had left their power incomplete and limited their potential, that he finally understood!
So that was the root of it!
A surge of anger and stubbornness at being tricked by fate welled up. Piccolo turned his back to Kami and said stiffly:
"That's none of your business! My lack of power is my own problem! I will find my own path to strength, through my own methods and will! I don't need your pity!"
With that, he strode away, wanting to leave this suffocating place.
But the moment he turned to leave, Kami suddenly moved!
He lunged forward, his hand grabbing for Piccolo's arm!
Piccolo's expression sharpened! His combat instincts took over, and he reflexively caught Kami's wrist.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Piccolo's eyes were sharp, his hand tightening. "Old man, don't forget! You're no longer a match for me!"
Kami ignored Piccolo's warning.
An extremely complex smile appeared on his ancient face.
It was a smile of release, of resolution, and... even a subtle hint of a plan succeeding?
In a strangely calm voice, he said, loud enough for Piccolo and the ever-present Mr. Popo to hear:
"That Paragus outside The Lookout, the one who's always making noise and freeloading, I find him very disagreeable. Remember to teach him a lesson later, get him to quiet down."
Piccolo was stunned. Why was the old man suddenly talking about this?
"Just what are you doing?!!"
The ominous feeling in Piccolo's heart grew stronger. He tried to pull his hand away but was horrified to find that, even though Kami was far weaker, his hand was now welded to the old man's wrist!
He couldn't pull away, he couldn't even open his fingers! A vast, gentle, yet irresistible energy was pouring from Kami's wrist into his body!
"The Earth, and the people on it, no longer need a powerless Kami like me, hiding on The Lookout."
Kami's voice was calm, filled with the relief of a mission completed.
"That child, Broly, though he has terrifying power, is pure and good-hearted. Mr. Popo, his future guidance and mind-cultivation are up to you. Please... guide him down the right path."
A deep sadness and reluctance clearly appeared on Mr. Popo's dark, stoic face.
He gave Kami a deep look. "Yes, Kami-sama. Popo... knows what to do. Please, rest assured."
Kami took one last, lingering look at The Lookout, his home for centuries, filled with memories and attachments.
But in the end, it all dissolved into clear-eyed resolution.
He looked back at Piccolo, who was now frozen by the influx of energy, his face filled with shock, and gave his last instruction:
"Remember what I just said... Piccolo."
The next instant—
VMMMM!!!!
A pure white light erupted between Piccolo and Kami!
The light wasn't blinding; it was warm, like a mother's embrace, and it completely engulfed them both!
"Wh-What is this?!!"
Piccolo only had time for one shout before his consciousness felt as if it had fallen into a warm ocean, beginning a rapid fusion with another, ancient, vast consciousness!
Countless unfamiliar memories, insights, and knowledge flooded his mind!
In just a few breaths, the soft white light that had filled The Lookout receded like the tide.
When it was gone, the figure of the old Kami was no more.
Only Piccolo... his appearance unchanged, but his eyes now holding a new depth of wisdom and his aura far more profound... and the silently bowing Mr. Popo remained, standing quietly in the empty, silent hall.
One was immersed in grief and farewell.
The other was lost in immense shock, absorbing and adapting to the massive amount of information and power that had suddenly flooded his mind.
After a long time, Piccolo slowly opened his eyes.
"Kami-sama."
Mr. Popo looked at the man before him and spoke instinctively.
"I am not Kami, and I am not Piccolo. I am just... a Namekian who has lost his way."