Before the Long Journey

The next morning, sunlight at Mount Paozu streamed through the window onto the wooden floor, warm and cozy.

Son Gohan stood at the door and spoke.

"Mom, I'm going somewhere else to train. I won't be back for a while."

Chi-Chi nodded, reluctance on her face as she tried to force a smile.

Lazuli leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Her short golden hair shone softly, smooth and glossy.

She raised her delicate brows but said nothing. Her expression was somewhat strange, and she pouted.

Son Gohan turned to her.

"Lazuli, it's fine for you to stay here. If you get bored, you can go hang out with Android 16 and Android 17."

"Anyway—this will always be your home."

Lazuli nodded coolly, her cherry lips parting slightly. She was clearly not very happy.

Son Gohan was sensitive and noticed Lazuli's unhappiness, so he comforted her.

"Alright, don't be upset."

Son Gohan reached out and ruffled her golden hair. The strands slipped through his fingers, soft and silky, carrying a faint, distinctive fragrance.

Lazuli did not dodge, allowing his hand to rub the top of her head. Her pretty face reddened slightly, the blush spreading to her ears. Paired with those blue eyes and delicate features, she truly was beautiful.

Seeing this scene, Chi-Chi immediately got excited, her eyes lighting up.

Son Gohan was all too familiar with that look—it was the look of someone shipping a couple, complete with a meaningful smile at the corner of her lips.

She hurriedly tugged on Son Goku's sleeve beside her and gave him emphatic looks.

How could a blockhead like Son Goku understand any of that? He blinked blankly at Chi-Chi. "What is it, Chi-Chi?"

"..."

Chi-Chi's smile froze on her face. Then she raised her hand and slapped the back of Son Goku's head.

Smack!

It rang out crisp and loud.

"You really are—!" Chi-Chi was so angry she could not even finish her sentence.

Son Goku covered the back of his head, his face full of innocence. He truly had no idea what had happened.

The mood was broken as well. Lazuli turned her face away, somewhat embarrassed, while Son Gohan awkwardly withdrew his hand and turned around as though nothing had happened, heading out the door.

"I'm off."

White energy erupted from his body. He shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward West City.

The little house on Mount Paozu shrank into a tiny dot behind him and soon vanished from sight.

Before long, Capsule Corporation.

Bulma was tinkering with a new device in her workshop. Hearing a knock, she quickly set down her work and went to open the door. When she saw Son Gohan, she looked somewhat surprised.

"Gohan? What brings you here today?"

Son Gohan smiled. "I brought Aunt Bulma a gift."

He then took out a Tree of Might fruit from his inner space. His inner space had expanded several times over since it was first opened, growing from just two or three square meters to around ten square meters.

He calculated inwardly that, at this rate, by the later stages, wouldn't this space expand into an entire inner universe?

When the time came, he could simply suppress his enemies inside that inner universe. Wouldn't that mean everything there was under his control? Thinking of this, he could not help but snicker.

Bulma looked at the silly grin on his face and accepted the fruit with a puzzled expression. "Gohan, what made you think of bringing me a gift?"

Son Gohan collected his thoughts and answered softly, "Aunt Bulma has always treated me so well. As a junior, it's only right that I bring you a little gift."

Bulma chuckled at his words and reached out to rub his head. "This child is much smarter than that wooden block Goku."

She put the fruit into her mouth and took a bite. The flesh was crisp and melted in her mouth, while a warm current of energy flowed down her throat and spread throughout her body.

A faint golden glow radiated from her body, and the changes were almost immediate.

The dark circles left behind by years of staying up late doing research vanished completely. Every tiny flaw in her dull skin faded away, leaving it fair, tender, and smooth again, as though she had returned to her early twenties.

Her figure was also sculpted into something even more perfect, with clearly defined curves. Her entire aura rose to a new level, leaving her completely renewed.

Even her energy and mental power surged considerably. For a researcher, mental power was more important than anything.

Bulma lowered her head to look at her hands, touched her face, then rushed over to a workbench and picked up a reflective metal plate to examine herself.

She froze.

"Gohan— I love this gift!"

She smiled so widely that she could not close her mouth, then turned and leaned over to kiss Son Gohan on the cheek.

"Thank you so much! I was planning to ask Shenron for a wish after a while, but this saves me the trouble!"

Son Gohan wiped the saliva from his face without minding it and said, "Aunt Bulma, could you prepare a few black jackets and black casual cargo pants for me?

"I want them in all sorts of sizes, so I can switch to larger ones as I grow up over the next few years. The material should be the kind suitable for fighting—breathable, stretchy, and stylish."

"Alright, alright!" Bulma readily agreed, in an exceptionally good mood. "I'll prepare enough food and supplies for several years too. Leave it to me!"

"Mm, I'll come pick them up this afternoon."

"No problem!"

Son Gohan sensed Dende's direction and activated Instant Transmission. His figure vanished from the workshop, and in the next moment, he appeared on Kami's Lookout.

Dende was tending to a potted plant at the edge of the lookout. When he saw Son Gohan suddenly appear, a smile immediately blossomed across his green face.

"Gohan! What brings you here today?"

"I had nothing to do, so I came to visit you." Son Gohan walked over to his side. "How's Shenron coming along?"

"Shenron will still take some time." Dende set down the watering can and said seriously, "I want to use the greatest amount of magic power to make him as good as possible. When the time comes, he'll be able to grant three wishes."

"That would be perfect." Son Gohan smiled, then reminded him, "There's no rush. Take your time."

"Once Shenron is complete, the first wish will be to revive the good people killed by Cell. The second will be to reinforce the Earth and make it as hard as possible. The third can be anything."

Dende nodded earnestly. "I understand, Gohan."

Son Gohan stayed at the lookout for a while longer and asked Mr. Popo a few questions about training.

There was little expression on Mr. Popo's dark face, but every word he spoke was profound. His insights into one's state of mind benefited Son Gohan greatly—keeping the heart still as water and one's energy sunk as deep as an abyss sounded simple enough, but putting it into practice was a lifelong lesson.

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Before long, it was nearly evening, and Son Gohan rose to say goodbye.

He activated Instant Transmission again and returned to Bulma's home.

Bulma was waiting for him on the living room sofa, several boxes laid out before her. When she saw Son Gohan suddenly appear, she stood and went to greet him.

"Gohan, everything's ready. Try it on."

She took a black casual jacket from one of the boxes, along with a black undershirt. The material was soft and flexible to the touch, clearly made from the finest combat-grade fabric.

Son Gohan took the clothes and went into the next room to change.

Bulma's eyes lit up, and she praised him without restraint. "So handsome! This outfit—you're practically a dashing young hero! It looks so much better! You'll definitely be a huge heartthrob when you grow up!"

Son Gohan felt a little embarrassed by her praise and lowered his head to tug at his cuffs.

Bulma took out several capsules and handed them over. "Here, Gohan. I prepared all kinds of styles, with sizes ranging from small to large. And the food and supplies are packed to the brim—enough to last you several years."

Son Gohan accepted the capsules and sincerely thanked her.

"Then I'll be going. I'll come visit again next time."

"Okay, bye-bye!"

Instant Transmission activated.

Whoosh—

His figure vanished from the living room, and in the next moment, he appeared in the depths of space.

Endless stars surrounded him, dreamlike and illusory. In the darkness, planets slowly revolved in the distance, their light crossing distances of billions of years to fall upon his eyes, shining brilliantly.

Son Gohan floated beside an uninhabited asteroid and closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness deep into his dantian.

The rainbow-colored Dimensional Seed floated quietly within the space inside his body. Its glow was full and gentle, the entire crystal clear and flawless.

The high-quality energy it had absorbed during his last battle with Cell, combined with the natural accumulation of this period, had already filled it completely.

It was time.

Son Gohan opened his eyes.