The Great Battle Ends

After the great battle concluded, Son Goku summoned Shenron once again. The dragon's massive body coiled high above Kami's Palace.

"The second wish has been granted. State your final wish," Shenron's majestic voice echoed across the heavens.

The group looked at one another. The cities destroyed by Ultimate Cell and the innocent lives lost had already been fully restored by the second wish just moments ago.

Young Trunks stepped forward, looking up at Shenron with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Shenron, can you restore the future timeline where Gohan and I come from—the world that was destroyed by Ultimate Cell—back to how it was?"

Shenron's red, slit-like pupils flickered, and then he spoke in a deep, resonant voice, "I am sorry, but that wish is beyond my power."

Upon hearing this, the light in Young Trunks' eyes dimmed.

Future Trunks stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder. Although he had suspected this might be the outcome, hearing it confirmed still left him feeling a wave of disappointment.

"It's alright," Future Trunks said softly, offering comfort. "At least the tragedy of this world was not repeated. You still have Gohan, and you have all of us."

"If you have no other wishes to make, then I shall take my leave," Shenron's deep voice rumbled once more.

"We have no other wishes for now. Thank you, Shenron," Son Goku said.

The moment Shenron transformed into seven streaks of golden light and shot into the sky, Son Goku quickly gathered the Dragon Balls and handed them to Popo for safekeeping, just in case they were needed again.

Everything had finally settled.

Yet, amidst the celebration, Krillin seemed somewhat despondent. His mind was filled with the image of the beautiful blonde woman from before Cell's appearance, and the soft whispers that still lingered in his ears.

Because Cell had been completely vaporized along with his core by Son Gohan's massive Kamehameha, he had not spat out Android 18 as he did in the original timeline.

Krillin scratched his head, feeling a strange sense of loss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

In the days that followed, Earth finally welcomed a period of true, long-awaited peace.

The ruins of the cities had been restored to their original state by the power of the Dragon Balls, and the streets were once again bustling with traffic and noise, as if nothing had ever happened.

The Z Fighters also returned to their own peaceful lives.

Mount Paozu, the Son Family home.

"Gohan is going back to school?" Son Goku asked, his mouth stuffed with meat buns, his voice muffled.

Young Gohan, dressed in a neat shirt and carrying a schoolbag, nodded somewhat bashfully. "Yes, Dad. I want to become a great scholar. Although fighting is important, I prefer my studies."

Chi-Chi stood nearby, wiping away tears of emotion, and pulled Young Gohan into a hug. "That's wonderful! My good Gohan is finally on the right track! You truly are a good son!"

Son Goku swallowed his food and scratched his head. To be honest, after witnessing the world-shattering power of Adult Gohan, he had expected Young Gohan to be fired up as well; he hadn't expected the boy to choose his textbooks instead.

Son Goku felt a slight disappointment, but everyone had their own path, and he wouldn't force his son.

"Well, since you've decided, then study hard!" Son Goku grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

Young Gohan nodded vigorously. "I will, Dad!"

Watching Young Gohan's retreating figure, Son Goku turned to look out the window. The terrifying strength displayed by Adult Gohan and that immense power known as "Super Saiyan 4" acted like a giant magnet, pulling at both him and Vegeta.

The road ahead was still long, and Son Goku was determined to see the scenery of those higher dimensions for himself!

During this time, Future Trunks bid everyone farewell and returned to the future.

At the Turtle Hermit House, the sound of the waves remained constant.

Every day, Krillin and Yamcha spent their time doing basic training or lying on the beach soaking up the sun.

Bulma had returned to her home in West City, burying herself in her laboratory. She was frantically researching the residual data collected from Android 16, attempting to crack that extraordinary energy model.

A week later.

The Western Wilderness.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Deafening sonic booms exploded in the sky one after another. Three figures turned into afterimages in mid-air, colliding from the ground all the way to the high atmosphere, each clash kicking up visible shockwaves.

"Watch out! Dad, Uncle Goku!" Young Trunks shouted, his agile form suddenly pivoting in the air.

He crossed his arms, forcefully blocking a heavy kick from Vegeta, then used the momentum to spin and lash out with his right leg like a whip toward Son Goku, who was attacking from the side.

Bang!

Son Goku crossed his arms to protect his chest, but the immense force sent him flying back hundreds of meters. He tumbled several times in the air before barely stabilizing himself, his face flushed red.

"You're amazing, Trunks!" Son Goku adjusted his stance, and a white aura flared violently around his body.

Vegeta wiped the dust from his face and shouted, "Again!"

The two turned into streaks of light once more, flanking Young Trunks from both sides.

Young Trunks wore a serious expression, setting himself in a focused stance. After enduring such heavy blows, his heart—the heart of a warrior who wanted to protect others—had become even more resilient. I have to become stronger. If I were strong enough, I wouldn't have needed to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I could have defeated the Androids, I could have defeated Cell, and Mom wouldn't have had to die!

At that thought, Trunks nearly lost control of his inner energy, and a flicker of gold leaked out.

On a high cliff not far away, Piccolo and Son Gohan stood together, watching the battle in the sky.

"Trunks has certainly made some decent progress in his fighting techniques," Son Gohan said, sitting on the ground as he grabbed a piece of roasted meat and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling his assessment. "Still, Dad and Vegeta have improved quite a bit too; their energy is much stronger than before."

"Saiyans really are monsters," Piccolo remarked, standing to the side with his arms crossed.

"Galick Gun!" Vegeta roared, veins bulging on his forehead as he thrust his hands forward, unleashing a blinding yellow beam of light that forced Trunks back.

The three of them fought with blows landing squarely on flesh, the shockwaves carving deep, bottomless trenches into the wilderness below.

Neither side had transformed into a Super Saiyan; they were merely testing each other in their base forms.

Vegeta let out a cold snort and crossed his arms, his face looking as sour as if someone owed him millions. "Trunks, your technique is pathetic. You're a disgrace to the Saiyan name. Release all your energy and fight me properly."

Son Gohan chuckled softly and turned to look at Vegeta. "Uncle Vegeta, your standards are too high. His martial arts foundation is still quite weak, after all. If he loses control of his strength, your current base combat power might not be able to handle it."

Upon hearing the words "base combat power," the corner of Vegeta's eye twitched violently.