Goku adjusted the Time Ring and carried Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Kale, Future Trunks, and Mai back into Trunks's timeline.
The moment they arrived, Gohan stared across the lifeless planet below. No cities glowed beneath the clouds, no voices rose from the surface, and he could not sense a single living person.
"So this is Earth in Trunks's timeline…" His anger flared before he understood what he was seeing. "Zamasu wiped out everyone on the entire planet!"
"Calm down, Gohan," Piccolo said. "This is Universe 6's Earth."
Embarrassment replaced Gohan's outrage as the mistake sank in.
Piccolo surveyed the dead landscape stretching beneath them. According to what they had heard, humanity had destroyed itself in a global war. Radiation still poisoned the air, and nothing grew across the scorched ground.
"I'm surprised Champa never erased this planet."
"Fuwa told me Earth is hidden in a remote part of the universe," Goku explained. "Unless someone goes looking for it, it's easy to miss."
"Enough sightseeing, Kakarot," Vegeta snapped. "Take us to Universe 7."
Goku transferred the entire group to the other Earth.
Goku Black and Zamasu sensed their arrival almost immediately and raced toward them. When they saw the number of people gathered around Goku, their initial caution gave way to mockery.
"You brought quite a crowd," Goku Black said. "Do you honestly think numbers will save you?"
Zamasu laughed beside him.
"If this becomes a contest of numbers, you've already lost."
The remark left Goku and the others searching the sky in confusion. Only two enemies stood before them.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Piccolo asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Zamasu replied, offering nothing more.
Vegeta had no interest in their riddles.
"Kakarot, the impostor is mine."
"You're sure you can handle him alone?"
"Of course. You focus on sealing the immortal one."
"Got it."
Piccolo folded his arms and settled in beside Gohan and Kale.
"We'll stay out of the way for now."
Vegeta tilted his head toward the distance, silently challenging Goku Black to follow. The thief accepted with a derisive smile, and the two flew away from the others to claim their own battlefield.
Once they were alone, Goku Black looked Vegeta over with open contempt.
"You had one day. What could you possibly have accomplished in that time? Have you already forgotten how easily I defeated you?"
"Those are bold words from someone hiding behind Kakarot's face."
"You certainly sound confident. Did you invent a new transformation?"
"You're about to find out."
"Then stop wasting my time and show me."
Rosé-colored power erupted around Goku Black, raising his hair as he transformed into Super Saiyan Rosé.
Vegeta answered with a roar of his own. His body expanded, red fur spread across his torso, and his hair lengthened as Super Saiyan 4 emerged.
Goku Black's amusement returned.
"That's the same form you used yesterday."
"You should look more carefully."
Flames suddenly rolled across Vegeta's aura.
His hair changed from black to a fiery red, while God ki poured through the already immense power of Super Saiyan 4.
Goku Black's confidence finally gave way to caution.
"Your hair turned red."
"Ready to begin?"
"Is that Super Saiyan God?"
"Close." Vegeta savored the confusion on his face. "This isn't an ordinary Super Saiyan God transformation. I've stacked its power on top of Super Saiyan 4."
"Stacked them?" Goku Black scoffed. "Those transformations are fundamentally different. Combining them should be impossible."
"Kakarot from the GT timeline found a way to merge Super Saiyan 4 with God ki, so naturally I can go even further." Vegeta's aura surged around him. "Unlike that Kakarot, I'm a genuine God of Destruction apprentice. If a mortal can bring divine power into Super Saiyan 4, then doing this should be easy for me."
Goku Black could find no immediate flaw in that logic, and the pressure radiating from Vegeta made arguing feel increasingly pointless.
"You're finished, Black."
"Stop looking down on me!"
Goku Black fired an energy blast in fury.
Vegeta shifted his head aside, allowing it to streak past him and detonate among the ruins. His mocking smile only deepened.
"I said stop smiling!"
A second blast followed.
Vegeta hopped over it, landed directly across from Goku Black, and surged forward with a punch.
Goku Black caught the fist, but the force behind it drove shock through his arm and stripped the arrogance from his face.
"Your speed… your strength… What did you do?"
"I'll show you."
Vegeta tore into him.
Each punch broke through Goku Black's guard and forced him farther backward. He tried to counter, but Vegeta's attacks came too quickly, battering him across the battlefield without giving him room to breathe.
"How did you become this strong in a single day?"
Vegeta drove a kick into his chest and launched him away.
Goku Black hit the ground, bounced through the remains of a street, and punched through the shell of a ruined building. He corrected himself before landing, planted one hand against the pavement, and slid backward until another structure collapsed beneath his weight.
When he returned to the sky, humiliation had hardened his face.
"I will not lose to someone like you."
"Having trouble accepting it, Pink Kakarot?" Vegeta asked. "You can surrender whenever you're ready."
"You expect a god to surrender to you?"
"Then I'll beat the surrender out of you."
They collided again, but the result remained the same. Goku Black could barely defend himself against Vegeta's new power.
From a safe distance, the others followed the battle.
"Dad became unbelievably strong," Trunks said, unable to hide his excitement.
Goku glanced at Piccolo.
"He used the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, didn't he?"
"He did."
"That transformation looks a lot like the one the other me used during the tournament." Goku studied Vegeta's red hair and layered aura. "What did we call it?"
"It's not exactly the same," Piccolo explained. "The Goku from that timeline infused Super Saiyan 4 with God ki until the form reached its peak. Vegeta has taken the power of Super Saiyan God and stacked it directly on top of Super Saiyan 4."
Gohan followed the distinction.
"So if Vegeta fought that version of Dad again…"
"Vegeta would win," Piccolo said.
Before Gohan could respond, Kale gently pulled him several steps away from the others.
"What is it, Kale?"
"Gohan-nii… it feels like everyone else keeps making enormous leaps while the two of us barely improve." Concern tightened her voice. "At this rate, your father and Vegeta may eventually surpass me."
"You're right. We can't afford to stay comfortable." Gohan looked back toward the battle with renewed determination. "Once this is over, we'll train properly."
Kale answered with a firm nod.
Trunks remained focused on Vegeta.
"That's Dad! He's incredible!"
"Keep going!" Mai shouted, pumping one fist into the air.
Goku decided it was time to deal with Zamasu.
He pulled out a capsule and threw it onto the ground. Smoke burst around it, leaving a large ceramic jar marked with the character for plum.
"What's that for?" Trunks asked.
Gohan and Kale stepped closer, equally curious, while Piccolo recognized the general idea and remained quiet.
"I'm going to seal Zamasu inside it."
An explosion interrupted them.
Goku Black screamed as he crashed nearby, tearing through the ground before stopping within sight of the group. Everyone looked toward the smoke as Vegeta emerged from it, still wearing the same infuriatingly pleased smile.
Goku Black forced himself back into the fight, only to receive another merciless beating.
"Still enjoying yourself, Pink Kakarot?" Vegeta asked as blood ran from his opponent's mouth. "Once I'm bored, I'll erase you. Then you won't even have the chance to surrender."
A figure shot in from the side and kicked Vegeta away.
He rolled once through the air, corrected his balance, and landed cleanly. Zamasu had stepped between them.
"We should finish him together," Zamasu told Goku Black.
The suggestion scraped against Goku Black's pride.
Losing to Ken was one thing. Broly had also surpassed him. But now Vegeta was humiliating him as well.
Before he could decide whether to accept the help, Goku raced forward with the jar tucked under one arm.
"This is my chance to seal him!"
Zamasu turned when Goku landed nearby.
"You used to be a Supreme Kai apprentice," Goku said. "You should understand that an honorable fight is settled one-on-one. Stay out of theirs."
Zamasu began walking toward him.
"You intend to fight me again?"
"I'll keep you entertained."
Goku Black's attention drifted toward the jar beside Goku. He had no idea what it was or why they had brought it onto the battlefield.
Several energy blasts nearly struck him while he was distracted.
He twisted away from them and found Vegeta already closing in.
"You should worry about your own fight," Vegeta said.
Their battle resumed above the ruins.
Zamasu regarded Goku with amused contempt.
"You still haven't understood. I'm immortal. Nothing you do can kill me."
"I don't need to kill you."
Blue fire surged around Goku as he transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.
"This technique will take care of you anyway."
Zamasu's confidence wavered.
Piccolo immediately recognized Goku's stance.
So that was his plan.
"Mafuba!"
Green, spiraling energy poured from Goku's hands and wrapped around Zamasu.
The immortal god's scream twisted with the current as his body was pulled into a violent rotation. He fought to break free, but the technique dragged him steadily toward the waiting jar.
Goku forced both hands downward.
The vortex plunged into the opening, taking Zamasu with it.
"I did it!"
Goku slammed the lid into place.
"Trunks, help me secure it!"
"Right!"
Trunks rushed forward, and together they wound rope tightly around the lid until there was no chance of it opening by accident.
"Is that enough?" Gohan asked.
"Almost. We only need the sealing talisman."
Goku reached into his pocket, pulled out the paper Master Roshi had given him, and pressed it against the jar.
Then he finally looked at it.
A scantily dressed woman smiled back at him from the paper.
"What is this?"
Trunks leaned closer.
"Why is there a woman drawn on the seal?"
Gohan recognized it before anyone else.
"That's one of Master Roshi's nightclub discount coupons."
Kale looked up at him.
"Gohan-nii, what is a nightclub?"
Gohan's face tightened.
"I'll explain another time."
"Move aside," Piccolo said as he approached the jar. "I can draw the proper talisman."
Relief lasted only until he admitted the problem.
"I haven't done it in years, so I'll need at least a minute to remember the exact pattern."
Goku brightened at the reminder.
"That's right! Kami knew how to draw sealing talismans. He even used the Mafuba against Piccolo during the World Martial Arts Tournament. Since you merged with Kami, you should still have those memories."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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