Meeting Son Goku

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Uncle Goku."

Trunks, his blue hair falling to his shoulders, spoke up.

Unlike Vegeta, Trunks's changes did not appear quite as obvious.

"Kakarot, you are no longer a match for me."

Having emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Vegeta was brimming with excitement, his bright eyes filled with the pride of a Saiyan Prince.

His golden hair remained unchanged, shimmering with brilliance.

Super Saiyan Full Power!

He had reached the same form as Karotis!

Of course, that was only what Vegeta believed.

"Hurry up and go in, Kakarot."

"Once I have destroyed the Androids, I will also defeat the version of you that emerges from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

Son Goku did not respond to Vegeta, instead observing his appearance with a serious expression.

The once-ferocious Vegeta now gave him a feeling of unusual peace and naturalness, as if an ordinary Earthling with no combat experience were standing before him.

His martial arts intuition told him.

Vegeta's current state was the direction he would strive toward in the future.

Having realized this, Son Goku said with a sincere expression:

"Congratulations, Vegeta, on reaching a brand-new level of Super Saiyan."

Upon hearing this, the smug smile that had been plastered on Vegeta's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of displeasure.

But being the proud man he was, he would not simply accept this misattributed praise in silence.

Even if the person offering it was Kakarot.

"I am not the first Saiyan to reach this realm."

Vegeta crossed his arms, let out a cold snort, and turned away.

"It was Karotis."

Son Goku was stunned, then suddenly enlightened, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his face.

So, on this evolutionary path of the Super Saiyan, there was someone who had traveled far ahead of them.

That is truly wonderful!

Son Goku spoke bluntly:

"You mean that mysterious Saiyan who defeated you, right?"

"Could you take me to meet him?"

Veins bulged on the forehead of the turned-away Vegeta, and he roared through gritted teeth:

"Baka, Kakarot!"

Vegeta got right in Son Goku's face, spraying him with spit.

"In your dreams, there is no way I would—"

"No need, I am here, Son Goku."

Before Vegeta could finish his sentence, an abrupt voice rang out, answering Son Goku's request.

Son Goku and Vegeta turned their heads simultaneously to look.

They saw that, at some point, Wang Shen, Lazuli, Android 17, and Android 16 had arrived.

Along with Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien Shinhan.

They had all appeared on the Heavenly Temple together.

Wang Shen had heard every word of the conversation between Vegeta and Son Goku just now.

"Huh? Why did you all come up here!"

Son Goku was taken aback to see so many people.

"Son Goku, I've heard so much about you. Back when you were fighting on Namek, I was actually watching the battle."

Wang Shen walked up to Son Goku and Vegeta, smiling.

Since the plot had already changed, he no longer cared about the potential impact he might have on Son Goku.

Three Saiyans stood in a triangle!

It was just that.

Looking at Wang Shen and Vegeta, both with golden hair, Son Goku felt a strange sense of being out of the loop, as if he didn't quite fit in!

Wang Shen looked at Vegeta's golden hair, sensing his unique aura that differed from ordinary Saiyans, and felt genuinely happy for him.

"Congratulations, Vegeta. You've also successfully mastered Super Saiyan Full Power!"

Son Goku interjected, "You must be Karotis, right?"

"Yes."

Wang Shen nodded.

"You can also call me by my Earth name, Wang Shen!"

"So you have an Earth name too? That's great."

"Vegeta keeps calling me by my Saiyan name; I can't get him to change it."

"Kakarot, we Saiyans are the most powerful warrior race in the universe. You should be proud of that."

"And that goes for you too, Karotis. In any case, I will never give myself some Earth name!"

Vegeta scolded Son Goku and Wang Shen, his expression incredibly serious.

He truly regarded his Saiyan identity as the pride of his life.

Vegeta glanced at Lazuli and the other two behind Wang Shen and said in a deep voice:

"Karotis, you're with those Androids again."

When the subject turned to them, Wang Shen, who had been smiling and laughing, immediately turned serious and said:

"Actually, the reason I came up here this time is to tell you about the Androids."

Speaking of matters concerning the Earth's crisis, Son Goku also put away his playful demeanor.

Trunks took a look at Lazuli and the others, then asked with an anxious expression:

"Has the Android crisis already broken out?"

Seeing that everyone had turned their attention to him, Wang Shen finally spoke:

"I've said it many times: the Android 17 and Android 18 of the future are evil, but the Androids of our world are inherently kind."

"At the very least, they haven't killed a single person up to this point."

Seeing Wang Shen still defending them even now, a warm current flowed through Lazuli's heart, lingering for a long time.

She gazed at the high-spirited Wang Shen with eyes as gentle as water.

Wang Shen continued:

"What I want to say is that the true Android crisis in our world is Cell."

Piccolo and Krillin nodded heavily.

Wang Shen looked at Vegeta, who had just successfully mastered Super Saiyan Full Power, and couldn't help but chuckle as he said:

"Unlike 17 and the others, Cell is an Android that can grow."

"If he absorbs 17 and 18, he will evolve into his Perfect Form. By then, even Super Saiyan Full Power won't be a match for Cell!"

As for this "Full Power," it was naturally not the off-the-charts version that Wang Shen possessed.

"What!?"

Vegeta exclaimed in shock!

Wang Shen suppressed a laugh and said:

"I originally thought Cell would appear when 17 and Piccolo were both exhausted to ambush 17, but he didn't show up. I didn't even sense a shred of his energy."

"So, Cell has disappeared for now."

Son Goku frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart as well.

He had also been keeping an eye out for traces of Cell, but he had never sensed his energy and had no idea where he had gone.

Krillin asked in confusion:

"If Cell has disappeared, isn't that better? He won't be able to come out and cause destruction."

"No."

Piccolo countered:

"I've fought Cell. His ambition is vast; he won't be content to just disappear quietly. He must be plotting an even greater conspiracy."

"Perhaps he saw that 17 and 18 were always by Wang Shen's side and couldn't find an opening, so he went to look for another way to evolve into his Perfect Form."

Piccolo looked at Wang Shen and speculated.

He had a deep understanding of Wang Shen's strength.

His own strongest killing move hadn't even caused a ripple before him.

Not to mention Cell, who was inferior even to him.

At this point, Wang Shen suddenly remembered something and asked Trunks:

"Trunks, did you go inside Dr. Gero's laboratory to destroy the Cell embryo?"

Trunks was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said:

"It was Krillin and I who destroyed it."

"Then there is nothing to be done."

Wang Shen pursed his lips, utterly baffled.

"We will just have to meet force with force and water with earth."

Wang Shen wasn't afraid of Cell reaching his perfect form; he was simply struggling to adapt to the plot suddenly slipping out of his control.

It seemed he could no longer rely too heavily on the story he knew so well.

This was a real world.

Even the slightest change could trigger countless ripples at any moment.

In the end, he would have to rely on his own strength to resolve everything.

"Exactly!"

Son Goku chimed in:

"Since we can't control the information regarding Cell, we must do our utmost to grow stronger to face whatever crises may arise in the future."

"Cell will show himself sooner or later."

Son Goku was brimming with energy; feeling the strange yet powerful auras of Wang Shen and Vegeta, his heart was filled with yearning.

"Next, I am going to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to seek a breakthrough as well!"

"Gohan!"

"Yes, Dad!"

Son Gohan had been staying at the Heavenly Temple with Son Goku the entire time.

As if infected by Son Goku's fighting spirit, Wang Shen smiled in gratification.

This is the Son Goku I know!

But rest assured, no matter what changes may come, I will be here to back you all up.

I keep my word!

Cell, you had better become strong, otherwise, I won't be able to let loose.