The third plan

Trunks and Son Gohan both fell silent for a long while.

Memories of everything they had endured over the past decade flashed through their minds.

Tears welled up in the corners of Trunks's eyes.

Son Gohan let out a relieved breath. A weight lifted from his heart, leaving him feeling much more at ease.

His power had begun to rise again, breaking through the bottleneck.

The increase was small, but Son Gohan was delighted.

It meant the bottleneck had been broken. Super Saiyan 2 was within reach.

Trunks wiped his eyes and said, "It's finally over."

Son Gohan looked at him and smiled.

"Let's go home."

"Yeah, home." Trunks broke into a radiant smile.

The two, who were both like brothers and master and student, rose into the sky and flew toward Capsule Corporation.

Three days later.

The news was playing on television.

"Next, we have an announcement concerning the androids."

"To all the survivors on Earth: according to reliable information, the two androids who terrorized humanity for twelve years have been killed by a mysterious warrior. From this day forward, we... we humans are free."

The news report was brief, but it shook everyone who heard it.

Anyone with a beating heart choked up. Many dropped to their knees and bowed in gratitude to the unknown warrior who had stepped in and saved all humanity.

Twelve years of pent-up emotion erupted. Some cried, some laughed, and others sang and danced, slaughtering chickens and sheep for a feast.

At Trunks's home.

The three ate while watching the news on television.

Bulma took a small bite of fruit, then looked at Son Gohan and said:

"Gohan, I was the one who informed the kingdom that the androids were dead. But I know you've always kept a low profile, so I left out your names. You don't mind, do you?"

Son Gohan tore off a chicken drumstick and stuffed it into his mouth, making his cheeks bulge, then answered.

"Of course not. That's perfect."

"Good." Bulma nodded and smiled. "Gohan, you've become even more impressive than your father."

Son Gohan pulled a clean drumstick bone out of his mouth and set it on the table as he spoke:

"Heh, I've still got a long way to go. Trunks is impressive too."

"Of course Trunks is impressive too. He's been learning from you all these years, Gohan. You've taught him well."

Hearing Bulma's words, Trunks couldn't help puffing out his chest.

His face lit up with happiness.

After spending almost two years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Trunks was noticeably taller and bigger than he had been two days earlier. Bulma marveled at how her son really had grown up.

Bulma continued, "But that reminds me, why do you two keep your hair blond all the time now?"

"It's a kind of training, Mom," Trunks answered before Gohan could.

"Training? All right, then." Bulma didn't press the matter.

She wouldn't understand it anyway.

Son Gohan thought for a moment, then looked at Bulma and asked, "Aunt Bulma, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Well, do you remember Fortuneteller Baba?"

"Fortuneteller Baba? Oh, yes. I met her once when I was young. She lives in the desert, where she has a palace. Why do you ask?"

"I need to see her about something. Aunt Bulma, do you remember the way? Could you take me there?" Son Gohan's eyes lit up.

Bulma agreed without hesitation. "Of course. We'll leave once we've finished eating."

"Great."

"Gohan, can I come too?" Trunks asked.

"Sure, let's all go," Son Gohan said.

Not long after the meal.

Bulma took out a Hoi-Poi Capsule and tossed it onto an empty patch of ground. With a boom, it turned into a plane.

The three boarded the plane, flew out of West City, crossed the desert, and arrived at a lush green oasis, where Bulma brought the plane down.

It was hard to imagine that such a vibrant oasis could exist amid an endless desert.

It was Trunks and Son Gohan's first visit, and they looked around curiously.

Deep within the oasis stood an oddly shaped palace. Presumably, that was Fortuneteller Baba's home.

The three walked toward the palace.

They soon reached its entrance.

But the palace gates were shut tight, giving Son Gohan a bad feeling.

Son Gohan and Trunks exchanged a look.

Neither of them could sense any ki inside the palace.

In other words, there might be no one inside.

Still, they couldn't rule out the possibility that Fortuneteller Baba's ties to the afterlife meant she gave off no ki.

After all, Fortuneteller Baba was no ordinary person.

She was an emissary of the afterlife.

Bulma walked up and knocked on the gate.

They waited for a response.

Unfortunately, even after waiting quite a while, no one inside answered.

Fortuneteller Baba most likely wasn't in the palace.

"It looks like no one's inside," Bulma said helplessly.

"If only we could find Master Roshi. Given their relationship, he should be able to contact Fortuneteller Baba," Son Gohan said.

Bulma said, "We haven't heard from that dirty old man in over ten years. The androids probably killed him too. Sigh."

Master Roshi was either dead or had spent more than a decade holed up somewhere safe.

But given his personality, it was more likely that the androids had killed him.

After waiting a while longer, the three finally left empty-handed.

At Son Gohan's suggestion, they also made a trip to Penguin Village.

Unfortunately, they couldn't find Arale, the little robot girl.

Penguin Village did exist, but more than half of it had been destroyed, leaving it in ruins.

Arale and Dr. Senbei Norimaki were nowhere to be found. They seemed to have vanished into thin air without leaving a trace.

There was no telling whether they didn't exist in this world or had simply gone somewhere else.

The three returned to Trunks's home once again.

Bulma resumed repairing the spaceship. According to her, it would be ready in another day or two.

Bulma insisted that Trunks stay home to help.

Under Trunks's aggrieved gaze, Son Gohan left for Kami's Lookout alone.

Upon setting foot on Kami's Lookout again, Son Gohan got straight to the point.

"Mr. Popo, can you contact King Kai?"

King Kai was Son Gohan's target this time.

Even his search for Fortuneteller Baba had been an attempt to get in touch with King Kai.

He wanted to learn New Namek's location through King Kai.

This was his third plan: travel to New Namek.

Mr. Popo said, "I can, but you should know that I cannot interfere in mortal affairs, Mr. Gohan. What are you planning to do?"

Son Gohan smiled. "This doesn't count as a mortal affair. I'm only asking you to contact King Kai. That's just ordinary communication between deities."

"Oh, that's true." Mr. Popo looked as though realization had dawned on him.

"Exactly. To tell you the truth, I'm looking for King Kai so I can find a new guardian for Earth. Please contact him for me," Son Gohan said.

Find a new guardian for Earth?

Mr. Popo perked up at once and immediately contacted King Kai.

His method was remarkably simple and direct, seemingly requiring no skill whatsoever.

But Son Gohan knew he couldn't do it himself yet. There had to be some subtle secret behind it.

Mr. Popo simply tilted his head back and called into the sky, "King Kai, King Kai, are you there? It's Mr. Popo. I need to speak with you."

Son Gohan wasn't particularly surprised. He had seen stranger things.

The method seemed a little crude, but all that mattered was whether it worked.

Sure enough, before long, King Kai's voice rang out from the sky.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Popo. What is it?"

Mr. Popo immediately said, "Actually, King Kai, I'm not the one who needs you. Goku's son, Gohan, would like to speak with you. I'll let him talk to you directly."

"Oh, all right." King Kai's voice echoed through the sky.

Mr. Popo turned to Son Gohan beside him and said, "Mr. Gohan, put your hand on my shoulder, and you'll be able to speak with King Kai."

"Oh, okay." Son Gohan nodded and placed his right hand on Mr. Popo's shoulder.

The next moment, he felt a mysterious power connect him to North Kai.

He could now speak with North Kai.

North Kai said, "Are you Goku's son, Son Gohan? What do you need from me?"

Son Gohan said, "King Kai, I'd like to know New Namek's location."

North Kai said, "New Namek? Oh, I remember. Over ten years ago, you wished for Shenron to find a new planet suitable for the Namekians to live on, didn't you? Let me look."

"Yes, that's the one."

After a short wait, North Kai's voice came again.

"Found it. New Namek is the First Planet of the 35th Major Star System in the Lyra Constellation. Gohan, why are you looking for Planet Namek?"

Delighted, Son Gohan silently committed the location to memory, then replied, "Thank you, King Kai. I'm going there to find a new guardian for Earth."

"Oh, so that's it. Is there anything else? If not, I need to get back to racing... no, I need to get back to work," North Kai said hurriedly.

Son Gohan: "..."

I heard that, King Kai.

"Are my father and the others there right now?" Son Gohan asked curiously.

What exactly were they all doing?

North Kai replied, "Goku? They're not here right now. They've gone to Grand Kai's place to take part in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Anything else?"

"Oh, no, that's all. Thank you, King Kai," Son Gohan said.

"All right, goodbye!" North Kai hastily cut the connection and went off to race.

Son Gohan rubbed his chin and pushed those stray emotions out of his mind.

His expression gradually brightened.

With that, everything was going smoothly.

Third plan: ✔️