The Origin of Parallel Timelines

Speaking of parallel timelines, we had to talk about the parallel timelines in the Dragon Ball World.

Okay, let's sort out the concept of parallel timelines in the Dragon Ball World. (The following is entirely the author's personal opinion.)

First of all, why did parallel timelines come into being?

They were created when factors that did not belong to a given timeline interfered with it, causing its original course of development to change. Only traveling counterclockwise created new parallel timelines; traveling clockwise had no effect. The Supreme Kai could use the power of the Time Ring to travel clockwise into the future, but traveling counterclockwise was strictly forbidden. This showed that clockwise travel did not result in the birth of parallel timelines.

In Dragon Ball Super, when the Tenth Universe's Supreme Kai, Zamasu, took out the Time Rings, there were six rings in the box, indicating that there were six parallel timelines in total. From his conversation with Zamasu, it could be learned that the Twelfth Universe had once produced an advanced civilization capable of creating time machines. A parallel timeline was created there—timeline B, with the main timeline being timeline A.

Since the divergence between these two timelines occurred in the Twelfth Universe, the development of Universe Seven was unaffected, and the plots of the two timelines unfolded exactly the same way.

In timeline A, Future Trunks could not find Dr. Gero's laboratory, or perhaps he only found ruins and failed to discover the laboratory hidden underground. As a result, Cell in timeline A developed safely.

For this reason, Future Trunks of timeline A used a time machine to return to the past, thereby creating timeline C. He delivered the medicine, found the laboratory before Androids 17 and 18 were activated, obtained the blueprints for the two androids, successfully created a remote control, and destroyed the androids. Since there was no Cell in timeline C, Future Trunks did not take the embryo in the underground laboratory seriously. At most, it was on the same level as Androids 17 and 18. After defeating the androids, he also had no reason to train with Vegeta, leaving his strength severely lacking.

After Future Trunks of timeline A returned, he used the remote control to defeat the androids. During that time, he might also have gone to the underground laboratory to search for the embryo. However, Androids 17 and 18 had destroyed the upper part of the laboratory, which more or less affected the lower levels as well. When Cell was born, he had also wrecked the underground laboratory beyond recognition. This gave Trunks the false impression that the embryo might have already died under the attacks of Androids 17 and 18, causing him to lower his guard. In the end, he was ambushed by Cell of timeline A, who used the time machine to return to the past, creating timeline D.

The early development of timeline B was also the same as timeline A, but when it came time to travel back to the past, a change quietly occurred. Future Trunks of timeline B traveled to timeline D in his time machine, creating timeline E. The later development of timeline D then proceeded exactly as in the story, so timeline D was the story timeline.

Future Trunks of timeline B returned to timeline B, defeated the androids, destroyed Cell, defeated Babidi and Dabura, and then Goku Black appeared. In the end, it was erased by Grand Zeno.

Because timeline C had the help of Future Trunks from timeline A and had no Cell, it safely made it through the android arc. As for the later Majin Buu arc, it would most likely have passed through that safely as well. Since Goku of timeline C had the medicine, he did not die. After training for seven years, he would most likely have reached the level of Super Saiyan 3; even at worst, he would have reached Super Saiyan 2. Taking care of a Dabura would have been effortless. Since Goku had not died, Vegeta would not have stubbornly insisted on fighting Goku, and Majin Buu naturally would not have been revived.

In timeline D, the main storyline timeline, after development reached the Super era, the Tenth Universe's Supreme Kai apprentice learned from Universe Seven's Supreme Kai Shin that there was a human, Son Goku, who was even stronger than gods. He developed a loathing for this and conceived evil thoughts, ultimately being destroyed by Beerus, thereby creating timeline F. This happened because Future Trunks of timeline B could not defeat Goku Black and came to timeline D for help. Influenced by the presence of Future Trunks from timeline B, Beerus destroyed Zamasu. Beerus had been affected by factors from another timeline, thus creating a new timeline.

In timeline E, no Future Trunks traveled through time. Goku died from heart disease, the androids ran rampant, and Cell secretly developed until he finally became Perfect Cell. Whether he would later be controlled by Babidi or killed by Majin Buu was unknown.

Timeline F developed basically the same as timeline D, but without Future Trunks coming to seek help, Zamasu successfully stole Goku's body and traveled to timeline B, where he and the Zamasu of timeline B caused chaos on Earth. Goku there could only keep growing stronger in Zamasu's body, because Zamasu had destroyed the Super Dragon Balls.

In timeline G, because timeline B was erased by Grand Zeno, Future Trunks of timeline B used the time machine to return to a point before Babidi and Dabura appeared. There, both Future Trunks of timeline B and Future Trunks of timeline G were present. With two Future Trunks standing guard, they would most likely be able to live safely.

All the parallel timelines that had appeared in the Dragon Ball story were here.

There were seven timelines in total. One had been erased by Grand Zeno, leaving six, corresponding to the six Time Rings.

These six timelines were all under Grand Zeno's administration. They possessed complete divine systems and fell under Grand Zeno's jurisdiction, collectively known as the entire universe.

Those fan comics and GT were classified as time-space fragments, incomplete universes.

Okay, that was enough about parallel timelines. Let's get back to the story.

Future Trunks settled down here just like that.

The number of people Gogeta trained went from one to two. It did not matter—herding one sheep was herding, and herding two sheep was still herding.

Future Trunks was far stronger than Trunks. Future Trunks was at least at the level of Super Saiyan 3, while Trunks had not even reached Super Saiyan 2. They were both Trunks, so why was the gap so huge? Gogeta sighed inwardly.

Future Trunks's transformation was already perfect. His Super Saiyan 2 form had the strength of Super Saiyan 3 and had reached its limit. If he wanted to improve further, he could only try Super Saiyan 3 or God Ki. As it happened, Gogeta was studying it too, so the two began researching it together.

Future Trunks had spent some time in the Super timeline training with Vegeta, so he was very familiar with God Ki.

Future Trunks: "Getting beaten up by Dad every day, how could I not be familiar with it?"

And so, some time passed.

Half a month later, Gogeta had mastered God Ki and learned the Super Saiyan God transformation. Super Saiyan Blue was not possible for the time being; he needed to become more familiar with and gain better control over God Ki first.

Future Trunks had also made a little progress. He believed that before long, he would be able to complete the transformation as well.

As for Trunks, he had only reached the second stage of Super Saiyan. He had barely learned how to transform before Future Trunks gave him a lesson. Future Trunks could barely use God Ki freely and needed a test subject, so Trunks suffered and was used to test his moves.

Seeing how powerful another version of himself was, Trunks went all out and trained like his life depended on it. He was showing signs of developing in Vegeta's direction.

Time rewound to more than half a month earlier, on Earth.