Just as she had suspected.
Aliens had invaded Earth, only to be successfully stopped by Son Gohan and Trunks.
Earth-chan had escaped disaster once again.
It was a good thing Gohan and Trunks were on Earth. Otherwise, who knew what terrible things might have happened?
Remembering the havoc the Androids had caused in the past, Bulma felt a wave of fear.
Then Bulma asked Trunks about his tail.
To Bulma, a tail on a human looked awful and was extremely dangerous.
She had seen Son Goku turn into a black-furred ape who had lost his reason with her own eyes.
So it was only natural that she felt some aversion to it.
But even so, she couldn't withstand Trunks's relentless pleading, and in the end had no choice but to accept that her son had grown a tail.
After clearing away the dishes,
Bulma trimmed Son Gohan's and Trunks's hair.
And just like that, the morning was over.
That afternoon, Videl flew her jet to Capsule Corp.
Trunks opened the door and stared at Videl in surprise.
"Can I help you? Who are you looking for?" Trunks asked.
Videl was wearing a loose tracksuit that afternoon, giving her a simple yet elegant look. She wore only light makeup, and her eyelashes fluttered as she stood there dressed like the girl next door.
But Trunks was sure he had never seen this pretty young woman before.
Videl gave Trunks a quick once-over and said politely, "Hello. I'm looking for Gohan."
"Gohan? You're a friend of his? Then I'll take you to him," Trunks said.
"Sorry for the trouble," Videl said.
"No trouble at all. Come with me," Trunks said, leading the way.
"Okay," Videl replied, following behind him as she watched his tail swish from side to side.
She couldn't help asking, "Are you Gohan's younger brother?"
Trunks grinned. "That's right. We're brothers by choice, even though we have different parents."
"Huh?" Videl stared at him.
Brothers by choice, even though they had different parents? What did that mean?
Trunks continued, "Hehe, Gohan and I grew up together. He's my big brother and my teacher, and I owe him a lot."
Videl looked enlightened. "I see. You're the young master of Capsule Corporation, right? I know your mother. She's an amazing woman."
"Uh, 'young master' sounds way too stuffy. My name's Trunks. Just call me Trunks," he said.
"Okay, Trunks."
"What's your name, miss?"
"I'm Videl."
They chatted as they walked, and Trunks led Videl to Son Gohan's room.
Son Gohan was flipping through some of Bulma's notes.
He had realized he might have a bit of a knack for science.
He could actually understand some of the simpler concepts.
Maybe I really am suited to becoming a scholar.
Exploring the endless world of science would be pretty cool, too.
No, no. I can't.
Son Gohan quickly shook off the frightening thought.
Becoming a scholar was out of the question. The idea was simply too terrifying.
Reading couldn't save the Dragon Ball world.
Huh?
Someone was coming.
Son Gohan looked up and saw Trunks entering his room with Videl.
"Gohan, this young lady's here to see you," Trunks said.
"Okay," Son Gohan replied with a nod.
Trunks gave Son Gohan a knowing look, then glanced at Videl as if he understood everything.
Then he hurried off.
"Gohan," Videl said with a smile. "It's so good to see you're all right."
Standing before her was Son Gohan, the low-key hero who had saved the Earth.
Even now, Videl was convinced that no more than five people knew what had really happened yesterday.
What did any of it matter?
Was it worth it?
He really was too modest.
As far as she knew, the man standing before her had already saved the Earth several times.
It really brought that old saying to mind:
There was no such thing as a peaceful life; someone was simply bearing the burden for the rest of us.
It tugged at the heartstrings, but it was fitting.
Son Gohan smiled. "Hehe, come with me. I'll explain the Flight Technique in more detail."
They left the room and found a quiet spot.
Son Gohan continued explaining the Flight Technique to Videl.
Videl listened carefully, asking Son Gohan whenever she didn't understand something.
Two and a half hours later, Videl said goodbye and left.
Before she went, Son Gohan told her she could practice on her own now and didn't need to travel all the way to West City.
After all, he had already taught her everything he could. All she needed now was time to practice.
But Son Gohan hadn't expected Videl to show up at the same time the next day.
On the third day...
And then, on the fourth day,
Videl finally sensed the presence of ki.
A gentle breeze stirred around her, lifting the hem of her clothes and sending her long hair swaying.
Then Videl's feet lifted twenty centimeters off the ground, and she hovered in the air. Before long, however, she was panting and had to return to the ground.
Her ki was simply too weak to sustain her for long.
Videl wasn't discouraged. If anything, she was thrilled.
She had seen a wondrous door slowly open before her, revealing a colorful, fantastic world within.
Night fell.
A full moon hung high in the sky.
Tonight was the night of the full moon.
Mount Paozu.
Son Gohan stepped out of the house and walked onto a wide, grassy clearing.
He studied the silver moonlight on the ground, made up his mind, then raised his head to look at the moon.
The moment he saw the full moon, Son Gohan's pupils rapidly dilated, and his whole body went rigid.
Thump!
Thump-thump!
His heart began pounding wildly, as if an electric shock had run through him.
The beats were dull, and they grew louder and louder.
Thump, thump-thump!
Within seconds, his heartbeat thundered like a drum.
Son Gohan clenched his fists. It felt as if an ancient beast had awakened inside him.
The beast was bloodthirsty, frenzied, violent, and furious.
Wave after wave of negative emotions washed over his body.
At that moment, Son Gohan felt that his veins no longer carried blood, but his fury and feral rage.
"Aaaaaah!"
A furious roar burst from his throat.
Every beast on Mount Paozu that heard him flattened itself to the ground, trembling.
The birds in the woods burst into flight all at once.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thump!
His heartbeat grew faster and more rapid.
Son Gohan's face twisted into a grimace, then began to change shape.
The veins bulged in his arms, and his clothes burst apart.
Son Gohan's body swelled at incredible speed. In an instant, thick black fur covered him from head to toe.
Before long, Son Gohan had become a black Great Ape.
The Great Ape stood twenty-five meters tall, its entire body covered in black fur. Its two lantern-sized, blood-red eyes radiated a terrifying ferocity, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura emanated from it.
The Great Ape lowered its head and looked at its enormous hands, then walked to a nearby river.
He stared at his reflection in the water and spoke in a human voice. "This thing is so damn ugly."
His voice rumbled like thunder, with a hint of Shenron in it, though it carried far more rage.
But the fact that he could speak showed that Son Gohan had retained his reason after transforming into a Great Ape. He hadn't become a mindless giant ape.
Son Gohan himself hadn't expected to remain so clearheaded.
It was completely different from the frenzied giant ape he had imagined.
But he soon understood why.
It was the result of the two souls within him having perfectly fused.
One soul belonged to this world, and the other had come from another.
After the two souls fused perfectly, Son Gohan's comprehension had improved tremendously, and his mental and spiritual strength had undergone a complete transformation.
They were dozens of times stronger than before.
That was why Son Gohan could remain clearheaded and rational after transforming into a Great Ape.
Before you continue