[October 3, Age 769. I saw a strange robot in the Yunzabit Heights. It moved with astonishing speed and possessed immense strength. I suspect it was built by the Red Ribbon Army.] [March 28, Age 776. Something unusual happened in Penguin Village: the wreckage of a mysterious machine fell from the sky.] [Morning of August 15, Age 778. Strange energy fluctuations erupted in the Great Gobi, 300 kilometers north of North City.] [July 7, Age 777. Someone claiming to be a member of the Red Ribbon Army appeared in Pasley Town, West City.] [...]
From reports like these, Bulma selected thirteen leads submitted by people online.
Earth's population was already small.
Before Android 17 and Android 18 died, most people had lived in hiding in the mountains and forests, with little access to news.
Getting this many leads was more than they had expected.
Yunzabit Heights, Penguin Village, the Great Gobi north of North City, Pasley Town, Papaya Island, Jiang City, the Cloud Sea Desert...
After careful consideration, Son Gohan and Bulma picked the three most promising places.
They were:
Yunzabit Heights.
The Great Gobi north of North City.
The Cloud Sea Desert.
On the first day, Son Gohan and Bulma went to search the Yunzabit Heights.
After a full day, they found nothing.
They ruled out the Yunzabit Heights.
By the time they returned to West City that evening, Trunks had gathered all seven Dragon Balls and laid them on the table. They could summon Shenron and make a wish whenever they wanted.
Earth's Dragon Balls were much smaller than Namek's.
Namek's Dragon Balls were as big as basketballs.
Earth's were only about the size of a fist.
All seven lay in a neat row before Trunks.
Resting his chin on his hands, Trunks wondered what he should wish for.
Then he saw Son Gohan and Bulma come home.
Trunks sprang to his feet, his face bright with excitement as he eagerly announced, "Gohan, Mom, I found all the Dragon Balls! When are we going to summon Shenron and make a wish? I can't wait."
"No rush," Son Gohan said. "Let's give it a few days, until we've checked the leads we picked out."
"Oh. Okay, then." Trunks lowered his head, visibly deflated.
Curious, Bulma asked, "Trunks, is there something you want to wish for?"
"Yeah," Trunks replied.
"Don't waste the wish, now. Come on, tell me what you want," Bulma pressed.
"But... won't it stop working if I tell you?" Trunks asked, a little worried.
Bulma burst out laughing. "No. This isn't a birthday wish. You're making a wish to Shenron. It doesn't matter if you tell someone beforehand."
"Okay. I want to ask Shenron to let the three of us live happily together forever," Trunks said.
That was his wish?
Bulma: "..."
Son Gohan: "..."
Both fell silent.
Neither had expected that to be the wish Trunks wanted to make.
They thought of how excited he had been all day, rushing around to find the Dragon Balls.
It felt as though something had struck both adults square in the heart.
Their gazes softened as they looked at Trunks.
Son Gohan ruffled Trunks's hair and smiled. "Trunks, you don't need to wish for that. We're going to stay together anyway."
"Really?" the thirteen-year-old asked, looking up.
"Of course." Son Gohan nodded firmly.
"I thought you'd wish for world peace," he added.
"I'm afraid even Shenron couldn't grant that one. Haha," Bulma said.
The next day, Bulma stayed home to fine-tune the Time Machine.
Son Gohan and Trunks flew to the Mala Great Gobi north of North City.
The Mala Gobi lay 300 kilometers north of North City.
It covered more than ten million square kilometers, a vast expanse.
Vegetation was scarce there. Most of the land was desert and weathered rock.
There were oases in the desert, but they were few and far between.
A few shrubs clung to the weathered rocks, stubbornly growing there as if to show humanity their tenacity.
Under the blazing sun, waves of heat rose from the Gobi, making even breathing difficult.
But Son Gohan and Trunks were no ordinary people.
After enduring the extremes of heat and cold in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, they barely noticed this heat.
It was nothing.
The two flew over the Great Gobi.
"Trunks, let's split up," Son Gohan said. "You go this way, and I'll go that way. If either of us finds anything, raise your energy as a signal and we'll meet up. Got it?"
"Got it, Gohan." Trunks nodded.
They parted ways.
Each carried a round Scouter as they began a thorough sweep of the area.
Half a day passed quickly.
Son Gohan flew with his full attention on the ground below, studying it closely.
After a while, a forest of weathered stone appeared ahead.
It stretched for countless miles, with no end in sight.
Bare-trunked trees had taken root in the weathered rock and stubbornly grown there.
Son Gohan frowned and flew into the stone forest, the Scouter in his hand.
After he had gone more than ten kilometers in, the Scouter suddenly began to vibrate.
"Hm?"
Delighted, Son Gohan raised it to eye level.
A red dot flashed brightly on its screen.
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