A year later, Son Goku's two children were born, one to Chi-Chi and one to Bulma.
A week after the babies were born, Son Goku took them and his two wives to Mount Paozu to visit his grandfather, Son Gohan.
Mount Paozu, the wooden cabin.
Son Gohan held his two great-grandsons, grinning as his white mustache bounced. "Good! Good! They're both fine boys! Goku, what are you going to name them?"
Son Goku suddenly got a mischievous idea. He crouched nearby and poked the cheek of the baby Chi-Chi had given birth to, pretending to look troubled. "Grandpa, I was thinking of naming Chi-Chi's child Son Gohan..."
"No!" Son Gohan and Chi-Chi cried out at the same time.
Son Gohan glared, his mustache bristling. "I'm still alive and well! Are you trying to curse me?!"
"Exactly!" Chi-Chi said reproachfully, holding Wuhao. "Besides, Gohan is Grandpa's name. You can't just use it..."
"Then..." Son Goku scratched his head. He had actually already thought of names.
"Let's call him Son Gochi," he said, suddenly gazing at Chi-Chi with deep affection. "Gochi sounds like 'Chi' in Chi-Chi, and it also means 'miracle.' He's the miracle you gave me, Chi-Chi."
Chi-Chi was stunned.
Then her eyes reddened, but the corners of her mouth lifted into the loveliest smile. "Gochi... Son Gochi. All right, that's his name."
Bulma raised an eyebrow as she held the other baby. "And what about mine?"
Son Goku took the baby from Bulma. The little one grabbed his finger with astonishing strength.
"Son Gothao," Son Goku said with a smile. "The 'hao' in noble spirit. I hope he'll be a man of noble character, and..." He paused. "I hope he'll one day have power vaster than the universe."
Bulma pursed her lips. "That sounds pretty good. But..."
She suddenly leaned close to Son Goku and lowered her voice. "Gochi has the same sound as 'Chi' in Chi-Chi, and Gothao has 'hao'? Son Goku, do you think Chi-Chi's son's name is more meaningful than mine? Do you like Chi-Chi more?"
"Huh?!" Son Goku's eyes widened. The question caught him completely off guard. A scientist's mind really worked differently. He flailed his hands. "No, no! I love them both equally! And both names have great meanings!..."
"Then how about changing Gothao to Goma?" Bulma said, deliberately putting on a stern expression.
"Uh!" Son Goku imagined his son being called "Son Goma" and shuddered. "Maybe we shouldn't change it! I'm afraid the kid will beat me up when he grows up!"
"Hahaha!"
Watching them, Son Gohan burst into laughter, his white mustache trembling. "Good! Son Gochi! Son Gothao! Wonderful!"
The two little lives had officially received their names in this world.
West City, Bulma's Manor.
The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and into the living room. Two cribs stood side by side next to the sofa.
Son Gochi lay in the crib on the left, his black hair sticking up wildly. Son Gothao lay in the crib on the right, his inherited pale-blue newborn hair resting softly against his scalp.
"Waaah—waaah—"
"Wuaaah—wuaaah—"
The cries rang through the living room, one after another.
Son Goku sat cross-legged on the floor between the cribs, wearing his trademark orange martial arts uniform with the character for "Turtle" printed on the back. His eyes were shut, and his hands rested on his knees as if he were meditating, but his brow furrowed with every rise and fall of the crying. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
[ Gochi's on the left, Gothao's on the right...]
[Wait, which one was crying just now? The left or the right?]
[No... The left one just stopped, then the right one started crying, and then the left one started again... Are they both crying now?]
He secretly opened one eye and glanced at the two little ones, then quickly shut it again, pretending nothing had happened. He even murmured, "Calm as still water... calm as still water..."
"Goku!"
Bulma's voice came from upstairs, accompanied by the thump of her footsteps as she hurried down. She wore pajamas, her hair was a bird's nest, and dark circles hung beneath her eyes. She clutched a baby bottle in one hand. "You're pretending to sleep again! Can't you hear the babies crying?!"
"I can hear them..." Son Goku opened his eyes, looking innocent. His tail curled up behind him in dismay. "But I can't tell which one is crying... Their voices are getting more and more alike..."
"Idiot!" Bulma grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, hitting him squarely in the head. "Gochi has black hair, and Gothao has blue hair! You can't even remember that?!"
"But their hair's starting to look more alike..." Son Goku caught the cushion and muttered under his breath. "Besides, Gothao only has a few blue hairs left..."
"That's your imagination!" Bulma put her hands on her hips, then couldn't help yawning hugely herself. Tears welled in her eyes. "Ah... I'm so tired. Gothao fussed all night. That kid really is a Saiyan descendant—his energy is terrifying. He kicked his crib to pieces..."
"Gochi did too," Chi-Chi said as she came out of the kitchen, carrying two cups of hot milk. Faint dark circles hung beneath her eyes as well. "He woke up three times in the middle of the night and wouldn't sleep unless I held him. Every time I put him down, he cried. But..."
She looked at the cribs, her eyes full of affection. "Both babies are healthy, and they have strong lungs. That's enough. It means they'll both grow up to be strong martial artists."
Son Goku stood and walked over to Bulma and Chi-Chi. He looked from one to the other, then suddenly pulled them both into his arms.
"Hey! What are you doing?! So early in the morning..." Bulma blushed. Since getting married, she had become more sensitive. Caught off guard, she nearly dropped the baby bottle.
"Thank you both," Son Goku said softly. His chin rested lightly on Bulma's head, and his arm held Chi-Chi tightly too. "Thank you for giving me such adorable children. I... I'll protect you, forever and always. No matter who it is—even some monster from outer space—no one will lay a finger on you."
Bulma and Chi-Chi exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time.
"Idiot," Bulma said, turning her face away, though the corners of her mouth curled up and the tips of her ears turned red. "Why are you suddenly being so serious... You're making me cringe..."
"Exactly," Chi-Chi said, giving him a light punch. But she didn't pull away; instead, she leaned closer. "Go change the babies' diapers! That's what matters right now!"
"Yes!"
Son Goku trotted over to the cribs, then froze.
He looked at the two little ones waving their hands in their cribs, then at the diapers piled beside them, and fell into deep thought.
"Wait... How do you change a diaper again? Which part do you take off first? The front or the back?"
"Goku—!"
"I'll learn right away! Right away!"
When Son Gothao and Son Gochi turned one month old, Son Goku invited all the Z Fighters to gather.
Feeling that everyone's battle power was increasing a little too slowly, and that they had all already reached a certain level, Son Goku decided to have them all try gravity training.
Before you continue