God of Spacetime Destruction

Trunks was left dazed by the conditions Popo had just thrown at him.

"God of Spacetime Destruction?" Trunks swallowed hard, turning to look at Son Gohan beside him.

The scale of this matter had completely exceeded his comprehension. Originally, he had only wanted to borrow the Dragon Balls to make a wish, but now he was being dragged into universal laws, Dragon God Zalama, and even the task of crossing different timelines to erase a so-called "source of chaos."

Trunks couldn't make up his mind. He habitually deferred the decision to the reliable man before him.

Son Gohan did not answer immediately.

He calculated rapidly in his mind. The sheer volume of information in Popo's words was overwhelming and difficult to verify, but he had no leverage to refuse. For one, this was currently one of only two known ways to save the future timeline; for another, facing someone who was likely an Angel, or perhaps even an existence more ancient than an Angel, the consequences of a flat refusal would certainly be dire.

But there was one thing he had to clarify.

"Why choose us?" Son Gohan stared directly into Popo's calm, emotionless eyes. "There are many powerful warriors on Earth. My father, Son Goku, Vegeta, or even my younger self. If you just need hired hands to clean up those distorted timelines, couldn't they do it?"

Popo stood silently in place.

"Because they cannot," Popo's voice was ethereal, devoid of any inflection. "Miracle Power has distorted the cause and effect of space-time. Only those who have completely broken free from their original destiny can remain unaffected by the repulsion and assimilation of those temporal causalities."

Trunks was stunned. He felt that what Popo said made some sense. After all, they had accidentally returned to the past from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, which did indeed mean they had broken free from their original fate.

But Son Gohan's muscles tensed abruptly at that moment.

Those who have broken free from their original destiny.

Popo's words sounded fine on the surface, but they seemed to carry a hidden meaning, as if he were pointing directly at him!

He was not the real Son Gohan. He was a soul from another world, occupying this shell. From the moment he descended, the predetermined fate of this timeline's "Son Gohan" had been completely shattered.

Popo!

This black, rotund man who had spent years sweeping floors and planting flowers at Kami's Palace was truly unfathomable!

Son Gohan felt a chill run down his spine. But soon, he forcibly suppressed this sense of crisis. What if he was just overthinking it?

More importantly, Popo had just mentioned the "God of Spacetime Destruction."

If he agreed, it meant he could legitimately gain access to the Divine Technique that stood above the aura of mortals—the Hakai Energy.

With the physical strength of a Super Saiyan 4 combined with the energy capable of erasing everything, he would have the capital to contend with a true God of Destruction. Even if the mission failed, he could still return to his original timeline and borrow the Super Dragon Balls from Beerus and Champa.

This deal was a win no matter how he calculated it.

"I understand," Son Gohan nodded. "I accept these terms."

Popo turned his gaze toward Trunks.

"Me too!" Trunks clenched his hands into fists, his eyes filled with resolve. "I must restore the world to its original state and let Mom and everyone else live!"

Popo nodded slightly.

He raised his dark, rounded hands, palms facing upward.

Hum.

Two golden lights condensed in Popo's palms, then transformed into two uniquely shaped golden bracers. The material of the bracers was neither gold nor wood, and their surfaces were covered in intricate, ancient patterns, radiating a majestic and sacred aura.

Son Gohan recognized them at a glance.

They were identical to the items worn on the wrists of the Seventh Universe's God of Destruction, Beerus.

"Put them on," Popo handed a bracer to each of them. "These are your tokens as Gods of Spacetime Destruction. Through them, you can contact me from any timeline. At the same time, they are also vessels to contain your power."

Son Gohan slipped the golden bracer onto his only wrist. The size was a perfect fit, as if it had been custom-made for him.

The moment the bracer clicked into place.

"Now, close your eyes," Popo's voice echoed in their ears. "I shall bestow upon you the seeds of Hakai Energy."

Son Gohan and Trunks closed their eyes as instructed.

Popo extended two fingers and tapped them each on the center of their foreheads.

BOOM!

Son Gohan felt a mass of extremely violent purple energy explode within his mind. This energy was completely different from the "Ki" he was familiar with. It did not rely on flow or the concept of endless renewal; its sole purpose for existing was destruction.

A pure, ultimate erasure.

The purple energy surged from his forehead, rampaging through his limbs and bones. The Super Saiyan energy pool within Son Gohan sensed the threat and instinctively tried to resist. Golden and green auras flickered uncontrollably across his skin.

"Do not resist it," Popo's voice pierced through the roar of the energy. "Use your spirit to guide it and settle it within the bracer."

Son Gohan focused his mind, guiding the volatile, purplish-red energy along his meridians until it gathered into the golden bracer on his right wrist.

The ancient patterns on the bracer lit up with a blinding purple light for an instant before gradually fading away.

Trunks finished his guidance as well. He opened his eyes, drenched in sweat, and stared at his left wrist with shock. He could clearly feel that a terrifying power, capable of easily erasing his own body, lay dormant within this small bracer.

"This is merely the seed of Hakai Energy," Popo withdrew his hands. "As for how much you can develop this power and integrate it into yourselves, that depends on your own comprehension."

Popo paused, then continued.

"I have already imprinted the cultivation methods into your minds. Next, I will transport you to the first target timeline. Due to the influence of the Original Dragon Balls, the timeline there has undergone severe mutations."

"Wait a moment," Son Gohan suddenly spoke up, interrupting him.

Popo looked at him.

"Before we set off, we need to make some preparations." Son Gohan pointed to his empty belt. "We ate every last Senzu Bean we had while dealing with Cell. An unknown space-time is bound to be dangerous, so I need to head to Korin Tower first and get some more from Korin to keep on hand."

Trunks nodded repeatedly; when heading into unknown dangers, Senzu Beans were absolutely essential.

Popo looked at Son Gohan and shook his head.

"There is no need for such trouble."

Popo reached out and grabbed at the empty air in front of him.

A heavy, coarse cloth bag appeared out of thin air in his hand. Popo tossed the bag casually to Son Gohan.

Son Gohan caught it instinctively. The bag was quite heavy, and he could feel the texture of grains rubbing against each other through the fabric.

He pulled the drawstring open and took a peek inside.

With just one glance, Son Gohan's expression froze completely.

Green.

The bag was filled to the brim with plump, round Senzu Beans!

"There are one thousand here," Popo said, his tone as indifferent as if he were holding ordinary peas. "That should be enough for you to handle the difficulties ahead."

Trunks leaned in to take a look and nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets.

One thousand Senzu Beans!

In their original timeline, he and Gohan had practically been forced to split a single Senzu Bean in half just to make it last.

Yet Popo had just conjured a thousand of them with a flick of his wrist!

Son Gohan gripped the cloth bag tightly, his shock no less than that of Trunks. This was no sleight of hand; the special, life-filled aura radiating from the bag was undeniably genuine.

Creating something from nothing!

And mass-producing, at that, these magical items that defied biological logic to instantly heal fatal wounds.

Just how many more trump cards was this guy, Popo, hiding?

"Keep it safe," Popo said, ignoring their astonishment. "There is not much time left. That mutated space-time is expanding rapidly. If it makes contact with the main timeline, we will have a massive problem on our hands."

Son Gohan quickly snapped back to reality and tied the bag securely to his waist. Regardless of who Popo really was, the logistical support he was providing right now was top-tier.

"We are ready." Son Gohan looked at Trunks, who nodded solemnly in return.

Popo turned around to face the vast, white void.

He raised both hands and, with what looked like a casual gesture, pulled at the air in front of him.

Rip.

There was no energy fluctuation, nor any blinding light or special effects. The void of space before them was torn open by Popo's bare hands like a piece of worn fabric, revealing a pitch-black fissure.

Inside the crack, countless bizarre and surreal images flickered frantically like a revolving lantern; it was a turbulent flow of time where innumerable parallel space-times were intertwined.

"Go," Popo said, pointing at the fissure. "Your bracers will guide you to the space-time where the Original Dragon Balls are located. Cut off the source, then either correct or destroy that space-time."

Son Gohan and Trunks exchanged a look.

The next moment.

Both men erupted with white ki, their figures turning into two streaks of light as they dove into the pitch-black temporal rift without a moment's hesitation.

As their figures vanished completely, the fissure began to close rapidly.

A few seconds later, the vast, white void returned to its deathly silence, as if nothing had ever happened.

Popo stood quietly in place, watching the spot where the fissure had disappeared.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward, revealing a smile of unknown meaning.