A parallel universe. Earth.
Surrounded by beautiful, rolling mountains, Goku was enjoying a rare moment of leisure with his friends.
They split up to search for wild game, adding a sense of adventure to the picnic.
Beneath a small tree, Gohan, who had been resting quietly, suddenly opened his eyes. A faint spark seemed to flash within his pupils, and his entire presence changed in an instant.
At the same time, none of the others noticed anything unusual.
They had no idea that, in that very moment, Gohan had become a different Gohan altogether.
In truth, Gohan was clashing with an opponent within a bolt of lightning.
"If I take over this world's version of myself, then what happens to the original me here?"
[Notice: The body you are currently using is generated based on your own parameters and is not connected to this world's Gohan. The local Gohan has been temporarily transferred to a special space and will return once the match concludes.]
After receiving this explanation, Gohan understood.
Since his strength and body were entirely his own, the upcoming battle should pose no serious problems. After all, Turles was not truly a formidable opponent.
Even if, as he suspected, the Gohan of this world was a reincarnated existence.
He still had a way to win.
"Hey, Gohan, why aren't you playing with us?"
While Gohan was lost in thought, Krillin tiptoed over, clearly trying to scare him.
Gohan had already sensed his presence and smiled.
"I was trying to slack off for a bit, but Uncle Krillin caught me right away."
Although he found a story driven match like this somewhat strange, he followed the spirit of adapting to local customs and greeted Krillin and the others naturally.
Even so, his attention never left the energy field surrounding Earth.
Turles had always been ruthless, and now there was even the possibility of reincarnation. There was no telling what methods he might use.
If Gohan wanted a decisive victory, he had to remain vigilant.
Yet even after the picnic ended, he sensed no hostile energy approaching Earth, as if Turles had no intention of appearing at all.
"Gohan, you seem distracted today," Goku said gently after everyone had left, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.
Gohan looked up at the version of his father from this world, feeling unexpectedly emotional.
He had not anticipated meeting another version of his father before his own returned.
Though they belonged to different worlds, both fathers shared the same pure heart.
That realization filled Gohan with a quiet warmth.
He shook his head lightly.
"It's nothing. I just feel a bit uneasy."
"Uneasy?"
Goku rested his hand on Gohan's shoulder, eyes widening as he thought.
Suddenly, his expression shifted.
"Are you worried Chi Chi might check your homework? But we already talked about it. It should be fine, right?"
Hearing his father's guess, Gohan could not help but laugh.
Here was one of the strongest warriors in the universe, yet utterly obedient when it came to his wife. No wonder people joked that Chi Chi was the most powerful being of all.
Shaking his head, Gohan replied, "It's not about homework."
Mid sentence, he suddenly remembered that, at this point in time, his father had already trained on King Kai's planet.
Goku's body was now capable of enduring a tenfold Kaio Ken.
Since this match carried narrative significance, did that mean he could learn the Kaio Ken here?
After all, the technique was still extremely useful to him.
With that thought, he asked, "Dad, could you teach me the Kaio Ken?"
"The Kaio Ken?"
Goku paused, then nodded.
"Of course. King Kai says martial arts should be passed on to warriors who are talented and righteous. You clearly qualify."
Gohan immediately relaxed. He had always worried that King Kai might forbid others from learning the technique.
In the world he knew, only his father had mastered the Kaio Ken.
If Saiyans avoided it, that made sense. Compared to the immense strain of the Kaio Ken, Super Saiyan was far stronger and more stable.
But others never using it at all always felt strange.
Especially Uncle Piccolo. If Piccolo had learned the Kaio Ken, he might have been able to face Cell alone in the future.
Unfortunately, in the original timeline, Piccolo had never learned the technique.
"But why do you suddenly want to learn it?" Goku asked. "This technique isn't easy. It takes serious effort to master."
"I just want to learn it," Gohan replied softly. "I can't let Dad fight alone forever."
Hearing his son's heartfelt words, even Goku, who was usually emotionally simple, froze for a moment. Then he smiled.
"That's good. Train hard. I want you to grow into an independent warrior."
"I will."
"But you'll have to tell Chi Chi yourself."
At the mention of her name, one of the universe's greatest fighters instantly became cautious.
"I understand," Gohan said.
He had no intention of dragging his father into trouble. After all, this was not his own world.
He had only asked about the Kaio Ken.
Out in space.
A massive spacecraft moved silently toward the blue planet.
Inside, a dark skinned man with wild hair sat upon a throne, his gaze fixed on the void ahead.
"Kakarot," Turles muttered coldly. "We'll meet again soon."
His eyes burned with ambition.
"This time, I will complete my transformation here. I won't give you another chance. Witness it. A new ruler of the universe will be born on this planet."
"Lord Turles, do you know much about this world?" Amond asked cautiously.
Everyone could see how much importance Turles placed on this planet.
"A little," Turles replied. "This planet is excellent nourishment. It should yield fruit of exceptional quality from the Tree of Might."
"Then shall we…"
"Land immediately, but suppress your power," Turles ordered. "There are some troublesome individuals on that planet."
"Understood."
After issuing his command, Turles continued to stare ahead.
Last time, this world had given him hope of becoming a universal emperor.
And yet, it was also here that he had been defeated and killed by Kakarot, another low class warrior.
Fortunately, destiny favored him.
He had been reborn before that battle ever took place.
Armed with his memories, he now held the advantage.
Back on Earth.
Gohan, who had just begun learning the Kaio Ken from his father, suddenly looked up.
His thoughts had been drifting toward space when he sensed several malevolent energies approaching Earth.
But just as they were about to enter the planet's atmosphere, those presences vanished entirely.