Hope

"Have you given up on living, Bulma?"

A voice jolted Bulma awake just as she was about to see heaven.

"Goku?"

"Have you come to take me to heaven?"

Through the haze, Bulma thought she saw Goku's figure.

Bulma lay weakly on the bed, but the light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Goku had come to take her to heaven!

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Son Goku."

The light in Bulma's eyes quickly dimmed, returning to that lifeless, walking-corpse gaze.

"Let me introduce myself."

"Gogeta. Tights's husband."

"Of course, not from this world."

Bulma remained exactly the same, without the slightest change.

"I can help you eliminate the two guys currently wreaking havoc on Earth."

Bulma's eyes brightened a little, but she still said nothing.

"I can help you revive Trunks."

"Really?"

Bulma instantly sat up and tightly grabbed Gogeta's arm.

"Of course. But before that, let me deal with those two annoying guys."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"I want to go."

Bulma did not want the hope before her to disappear. She chose to go with him, like a drowning person desperately clutching at a lifeline.

Gogeta raised his hand and cast healing magic. Bulma visibly became more alert. Then he used Instant Transmission, arriving where Babidi and Majin Buu were.

At that moment, Majin Buu was wreaking destruction to his heart's content while Babidi laughed wickedly.

"Hehahahaha~"

"Heh?"

Suddenly, Babidi's smile froze. His heart had been pierced through. He struggled to call out to Majin Buu, and the next second—

Boom~

He was blasted into pulp.

It was Gogeta's doing. At that moment, Gogeta and Bulma stood atop a ruined building, Gogeta's hand still raised.

When Majin Buu saw that Babidi was dead, he happily whooped and shouted.

"Whoo~ whoo~"

"The annoying guy is finally dead!!"

"Yay! Yay!"

"Don't celebrate too soon. I'll send you to join him in a moment."

Gogeta said coldly.

He attacked at full strength, instantly driving a fist into Majin Buu's face. Buu plowed a long furrow across the ground.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Majin Buu's head had been knocked crooked by the punch. After recovering, his fury surged. Smoke spouted from the holes atop his head and on his arms, then he raised one hand over his head and began gathering an energy blast.

"Big Explosion~"

"Attack~"

Gogeta unleashed his ultimate move. In a flash, he appeared before Majin Buu's face. Amid Majin Buu's terrified expression, he directly beat Majin Buu into pulp, leaving nothing behind.

"Done."

Gogeta lowered his stance, teleported to Bulma's side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Found him. Let's go."

The two vanished from the city's ruins. The devastated city was utterly deserted, with only smoke filling the sky and drifting on the wind.

On a jade-green planet, the Namekians were drawing water and working the fields when Gogeta suddenly appeared, startling many of them.

"Who are you?"

The Namekians watched Gogeta and Bulma warily. Were they invaders again?

After Gogeta explained why they had come, they were taken to the Grand Elder's hut.

"It's been a long time, Bulma."

The Great Elder before her was the very same Great Elder who had stayed at Bulma's home when Namek was destroyed.

"G-Great Elder!"

Upon seeing someone familiar, Bulma felt as though a lifetime had passed. Back then, she had been young, beautiful, lively, and adorable. Memories of the past resurfaced in her mind once more. Those wonderful days had been shattered by the ruthless androids, beginning a struggle that lasted more than a decade. Just when they had finally defeated the androids, Trunks had been killed. Bulma had felt as though the sky itself had collapsed. Yet as Earth slowly returned to peace, she had forced herself to pull through and live on. But the good times did not last. New enemies had appeared on Earth, and this time, no one could stand up against them. Bulma had already fallen into despair, wanting only to die.

How tragic!!!

"Great Elder, we came this time to borrow the Dragon Balls."

Bulma spoke excitedly. There was hope—there was hope!!

"No problem."

The Great Elder agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Dende, notify every village and have them bring the Dragon Balls here."

"Yes." The now-grown Dende swiftly departed.

Before long, Dende returned with seven people, each holding a Dragon Ball.

"Begin."

The Great Elder instructed them.

"Balabala~ Balabala~"

Dende recited a string of incomprehensible words and summoned Shenron.

"One who summoned me, you may make three wishes."

Porunga, Namek's Shenron, addressed the group.

"Please revive my son, Trunks."

Bulma made her wish to Shenron, while Dende translated beside her.

"That wish is very simple."

Porunga made an OK gesture. With a flash of his eyes, Trunks, far away on Earth, was revived.

"Please state your second wish."

Bulma hesitated. She did not know whether, after all these years, Earth's warriors were willing to be revived.

"Bulma."

"This is Goku."

Above the Other World, Goku rested a hand on King Kai's back and spoke to Bulma from afar.

"Goku!"

Bulma looked up at the sky. After so many years, she heard Goku's voice again.

"We won't be revived. After all, we've been dead for so many years, and Vegeta has already cleansed himself of his sins and been reincarnated."

After hearing Goku's words, Bulma fell silent. That was right—so many years had passed. Even if they were revived, how would she face them in this aged state?

Having Trunks was enough. Hadn't she made it through all these years like this?

Once she came to terms with it, Bulma no longer felt regret, and a smile bloomed on her face once more.

"I understand, Goku."

"Earth is in your hands, Bulma."

With those final words, Goku cut off the connection.

"Then revive everyone killed by Babidi, Dabura, and Majin Buu."

Gogeta made the suggestion.

Dende looked to the Great Elder. The Great Elder nodded, and Dende then made the wish to Shenron. With a flash, the wish was granted.

"Those are the only two wishes. Thank you very much, Great Elder."

Bulma thanked the Great Elder.

"You're welcome."

The Great Elder nodded in satisfaction.

Then Gogeta took Bulma back to Earth.

On Earth, Trunks stared at himself in shock.

"Wasn't I killed by a monster?"

"Could it be?"

Just as Trunks was still reeling in shock, Gogeta appeared before him with Bulma.

"Trunks!"

Bulma threw her arms around Trunks, her eyes already brimming with tears. Even this strong woman, who had single-handedly held up half the sky for an entire world, could not stop herself from crying at a time like this!

"Mom!"

Trunks held the person in his arms tightly. He did not even dare imagine how completely Bulma would have broken down after his death—parents sending off their children, their white hair seeing off black hair!

The two stayed like that for a while before Bulma finally composed herself.

"Thank you, Gogeta."

Bulma looked at the man before her, who resembled Goku and claimed to be her brother-in-law, and thanked him sincerely.