"I can understand," Trunks said with a nod, taking a deep breath as he worked to steady his surging Qi.
Flash!
In the next instant, a red light flickered across Trunks' body as he reverted to his base form, his deep crimson tail vanishing along with the transformation. Gohan also reverted from his Beast form, his aura returning to its usual peaceful state.
"Can my father transform into a Super Saiyan 4 as well?" Gohan asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"After we went to the Grand Demon Realm, the first one to achieve Super Saiyan 4 was indeed Mr. Goku," Trunks answered, his tone full of admiration. "After we returned, my father and I followed suit and completed our own Super Saiyan 4 transformations!"
"So, even Super Saiyan 4 is no match for Black Vegeta?" Gohan's brow furrowed once more.
"That's right," Trunks said, lowering his head with a heavy expression. "At least with my current strength, there's still a massive gap in a direct confrontation... Furthermore, that guy can transform into a Super Saiyan 4 as well!"
"What? Is that true?" Gohan looked visibly moved and quickly pressed for more details. "Is it my father's kind of Super Saiyan 4, or the Grand Demon Realm's version?"
"It should be the kind Mr. Goku has; his tail has already grown out," Trunks said, recalling Black Vegeta's appearance during the transformation.
"I see," Gohan said thoughtfully. "I've seen your Super Saiyan 4; it's not much different from my father's transformation back then. Although the forms vary slightly, there's almost no difference in strength. It seems you've both just awakened the dormant Great Ape power through different methods."
Trunks didn't answer, simply nodding silently as a flicker of worry crossed his eyes. Nearby, Goten and young Trunks watched the exchange with rapt attention. Seeing his future self so powerful, young Trunks' eyes were filled with envy as he clenched his fists and made a silent vow. I'm going to be that strong one day!
Inside the house, Bulma was on the phone with Jaco, her fingers dancing across the communicator. "Jaco! Do me a favor and contact Merus! It's an emergency!"
"Merus? What do you want with him? He's busy right now," Jaco's voice came through the communicator, laced with confusion.
"Hurry up! This is a matter of life and death for the Earth!" Bulma urged.
"He's not at the base right now; he should be out on a mission. I'll try to get in touch with him, but I can't guarantee he'll pick up," Jaco replied before starting to operate his equipment.
"Please, this is truly important. Not a second can be wasted," Bulma said, her eyes fixed on the communicator, her palms starting to sweat.
Jaco soon established a connection with Merus and concisely explained that Bulma was looking for him.
"I understand. I'll get in touch with Mrs. Bulma immediately to see what's going on," Merus replied in a steady tone. He ended the call with Jaco and dialed Bulma's number directly.
"Merus, thank goodness you picked up," Bulma said with a sigh of relief. "Something major has happened on Earth. Can you help me contact Whis? I need him to reach Goku and Vegeta, who are far away in another universe."
"Earth? Alright, I'll contact Whis right away. I should be able to reach him soon," Merus agreed without hesitation, his tone crisp and professional.
Universe 11, Planet Belmod.
Although Toppo had activated his Destroyer form, with the violet-red energy of Destruction swirling around him, there was still a massive gap between him and Broly. They simply weren't in the same league. Furthermore, Broly hadn't even brought out his true strength; he had merely transformed into an ordinary Super Saiyan and was already beating Toppo so badly he couldn't tell up from down, leaving him with no way to fight back.
Broly's brutal manhandling of Toppo continued, as if he were playing with a lifeless doll. Toppo's screams were incessant, sounding so pathetic it was unbearable to listen to.
WHAM!
Broly seized Toppo's tattered collar and hoisted him high into the air like a helpless chick, his eyes carrying a hint of impatience.
"Do you submit?" Broly asked, his voice booming.
Toppo was just about to open his mouth to say he submitted.
SLAP! SLAP!
Broly didn't give Toppo a chance to speak, delivering two heavy slaps across his face. The blows were so powerful Toppo's cheeks swelled and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The words Toppo was about to say were forced back down his throat, leaving his heart filled with humiliation and rage.
"I asked if you submit!" Broly said, continuing to rain slaps down on Toppo's face, each one more powerful than the last.
Toppo: "..."
Toppo felt as if a hundred thousand "Grass Mud Horses" were stampeding through his heart, and he was screaming internally. You won't let me speak! This is totally unfair! Have the guts to let me finish my sentence!
"Why aren't you saying anything? Still not submissive?" Broly delivered another slap to Toppo's face, making the other man's head ring.
"That's enough!" Belmod finally couldn't take it anymore.
Seeing his pupil bullied like this, Belmod felt as if his pride as a God of Destruction was being dragged through the dirt. He let out a roar of fury at Broly. Broly glanced sideways at Belmod, his gaze full of disdain, showing no fear whatsoever toward the God of Destruction.
"Kid, what's with that look? Are you trying to provoke a God of Destruction?" Belmod's nose was practically twisted with rage. His expression turned icy as a powerful wave of Destruction energy erupted from him, making the entire planet tremble.
"Hmph," Broly grunted, completely ignoring Belmod. He delivered one final punch to Toppo's face, knocking him senseless. Then, as if he were tossing out trash, he hurled Toppo into the distance.
Whoosh!
Toppo traced a long arc through the air as he plummeted toward the ground.
Flash!
Dyspo was quick on his feet, rushing forward to catch Toppo just before he hit the ground. He carefully laid him down and checked his injuries, his expression grave.
"Too weak," Broly said, shaking his head. He turned his back on Belmod and even casually picked his butt, the gesture dripping with provocation.
Belmod flew into a towering rage, his entire body shaking as the veins at his temples throbbed. He strongly suspected this kid was provoking him on purpose, showing absolutely no respect for his status as a God of Destruction. In the next instant, Belmod bolted upright, his Destruction energy growing even denser. He was about to personally step in and teach Broly a lesson, showing him the true power of a God of Destruction.
Beerus let out a chuckle and stood up as well, stepping in front of Broly. He looked at Belmod with a smug grin. "What's this? Is a God of Destruction going to personally move against a mere mortal? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out?"
"Beerus, stay out of this! He provoked me first! I won't let this slide!" Belmod snarled, his eyes full of fire.
"I didn't see anything like that. All I see is a God of Destruction trying to bully a junior," Beerus said with a light laugh, showing no intention of backing down. "Besides, even if he did provoke you, he's my man. If you dare lay a finger on him, I won't hesitate to give you a thumping and show you who the strongest God of Destruction in the universe really is."
Belmod's teeth were gritting with hatred, his hands clenched into tight fists. But he also knew the gap between himself and Beerus. If they really fought, he certainly wouldn't come out on top. He could only seethe with impotent rage, his heart filled with frustration.
"I have to say, the level of your universe is pretty pathetic. This pupil of yours is completely useless—nothing but a waste of space," Beerus laughed, his tone mocking as he intentionally goaded Belmod.
Belmod was shaking with fury, yet he was powerless to do anything but watch Beerus act so arrogant.
"Does your universe have anyone with a bit more skill? If so, bring them out already. Don't waste our time!" Beerus' grin grew even more brilliant. That punchable, smug expression made Belmod want to slam Beerus' head into the ground and grind it in just to vent his frustration.
Whoosh!
As they were speaking, a bright streak of light shot toward them from the depths of space with lightning speed, carrying a powerful aura.
THUD!
Jiren descended from the sky and landed on Planet Belmod. The impact sent a web of cracks through the ground. His sharp gaze swept over his surroundings before finally settling on Belmod. Seeing Jiren arrive, Belmod's heart finally settled, and a smile appeared on his face. Excellent! Jiren is finally here. Let's see Beerus try to act arrogant now!
"Oh? Who's this guy? His aura is pretty strong," Beerus muttered, taking a deep look at Jiren as a flicker of interest crossed his eyes.
Just then, Beerus felt his communicator vibrate slightly. He pulled it out and saw that Whis was calling, so he immediately picked up.
"Whis, what is it? I'm right in the middle of watching an interesting match," Beerus asked casually.
"Mrs. Bulma has asked me to relay a message. It's a matter of great importance. Lord Beerus, please let Mr. Goku and Mr. Vegeta take the call," Whis' voice came through the communicator, his tone serious.
Beerus nodded and called out to Goku nearby. "It's for you. Whis is looking for you." With that, Beerus tossed the communicator over from a distance.
Goku caught the communicator and soon saw Whis on the video screen. "Hey, Whis! What's up?" Goku asked with a smile.
"Please have Mr. Vegeta come over as well. You should both hear this; it concerns the two of you," Whis suggested gravely.
Goku waved to Vegeta, signaling him to come over. Vegeta stepped up, looking curiously at Whis on the screen, wondering what could have made Whis so serious.
"I'll transfer the video call directly to Mrs. Bulma so she can tell you herself. She knows the full story," Whis said, not wanting to play middleman.
Pop!
The screen flickered briefly before Bulma's face appeared. She looked exceptionally grim.
"Vegeta? Goku! I finally found you. I've been worried sick!" Bulma let out a long sigh of relief before calling out to someone off-screen. "Trunks, come here! Talk to your father and Mr. Goku."
Hearing her voice, Trunks immediately flew over and appeared beside Bulma, his face a mask of grief and rage.
"Trunks?" Goku and Vegeta were both stunned. Seeing this Trunks, who was significantly older than the one they knew, they immediately realized he was the Trunks from the future. A bad feeling instantly took root in their hearts.
"Father, Mr. Goku!" Trunks' expression was grave.
"Trunks, what happened? Has something gone wrong in the future again?" The bad feeling in Vegeta's heart grew stronger, and his brow furrowed.
"It's Zamasu! Zamasu has appeared again! This time, he swapped bodies with you, Father!" Trunks' voice was low, his eyes burning with rage. "And except for me... the Mr. Goku, Mom, and all our other friends in my world... they were all... they were all killed by him..."
As he spoke, Trunks' head dropped, and he couldn't stop the tears from falling as he broke into sobs. Then, fighting through his grief, he recounted everything that had happened in the future world, including Black Vegeta's atrocities and the tragic state of the world.
Vegeta's expression instantly turned exceptionally grim, his eyes filled with rage and murderous intent as his fists clenched tight.
"Eh? The future me died again?" Goku was caught between a laugh and a cry, but he quickly sobered up, his face turning serious.
"Zamasu, again! That bastard actually dares to cause trouble again!" Vegeta gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to charge into the future and tear that Black Vegeta into a thousand pieces.
"Vegeta, are you sure the Zamasu we sealed away didn't escape?" Goku asked.
"There's absolutely no way. That jar was sealed tight. If you don't believe me, ask Lord Beerus; he can testify to it," Vegeta huffed, sounding a bit annoyed by Goku's doubt.
Goku didn't hesitate and immediately ran over to ask Beerus. After all, this was too important—it concerned the safety of the future.
Vegeta: "..." I told you to ask, and you actually asked? How can this guy be so honest to a fault?
Goku really did go over to ask Beerus. He felt that since such things were happening in Trunks' parallel world, it was best to get to the bottom of it here.
"What jar? I don't remember any jar," Beerus said with a blank look.
Goku had no choice but to describe the small jar that sealed Zamasu in great detail.
"Oh, I remember now. That jar looked pretty weird, covered in those strange runes. I saw it in my palace," Beerus nodded. "I even opened it to see what was inside."
"Eh? You opened it?" Goku's mouth twitched, and he let out a cry of shock, his heart jumping into his throat. "And then? Did the Zamasu inside escape?"
"And then? Then some weird guy popped out and started yelling at me! He was incredibly arrogant!" Beerus huffed, sounding a bit annoyed. "He came out foul-mouthed, calling me some 'stupid cat.' I couldn't take it, so I just Erased him."
"Erased him?" Goku let out a long sigh of relief, the weight finally lifting from his chest. As long as Zamasu had been eliminated, that was all that mattered.
"What? Do you know that guy? Who was he?" Beerus asked, his brow furrowing slightly. He still had a bit of an impression of that guy who dared to yell at him.
"That was Zamasu, the North Kai of Universe 10. He's a very dangerous person with an immortal body who wanted to wipe out all of humanity," Goku answered seriously.
"So, were you the one who put that disgusting jar in my bedroom just to annoy me?" Beerus' face turned dark as he gave Goku an unfriendly look.
"It wasn't me! Vegeta put it there! He said it would be safest with you," Goku said, clearing himself completely and throwing Vegeta under the bus without a second thought.
Vegeta: "..."
Don't sell me out! Kakarot, you bastard! Vegeta cursed in his heart, gnashing his teeth with a fierce desire to punch Goku.
"By the way, that guy has an immortal body. Lord Beerus, does your Destruction technique actually work? Can it kill him completely?" Goku asked, his tone laced with a hint of unease. After all, Zamasu's immortal body was a real thorn in their side.
"Hmph. You said it yourself—he has an immortal body. But so what?" Beerus said with a light chuckle, keeping them in suspense as he left the rest unsaid.
"So, does that mean he'll still recover?" Vegeta asked, growing tense as he leaned in with a look of worry. If he had known this would happen, he never would have left that jar in Beerus' palace.
"An immortal body means the physical form cannot die and can recover infinitely," Beerus explained with a brilliant grin. "However, if what you destroy is his soul, then even if the body is immortal, it's nothing more than a soulless husk. It will dissipate sooner or later!"
"So he's really dead? Completely gone?" Goku let out a long sigh of relief, a smile breaking across his face.
Vegeta also felt the weight lift from his shoulders as his heart finally settled.
"Honestly, you two... it's not like you haven't been to the Underworld before. You've both died, yet you don't even know this basic common sense?" Beerus huffed, sounding a bit annoyed. "When dealing with those with immortal bodies, as long as you completely annihilate their soul, the body loses its life force and dissipates on its own. They are nothing to fear."
Goku nodded thoughtfully, feeling that Lord Beerus was absolutely right. How did I not think of that myself? Vegeta followed suit, nodding in agreement with Beerus' explanation.
"Trunks, did you hear that? That Zamasu is already dead, completely eliminated by Lord Beerus," Vegeta said into the communicator, his tone carrying a hint of comfort for his son.
"I knew it would be like that..." Trunks nodded, but his brow soon furrowed again. "I suspect that the Zamasu who appeared in our parallel world must be the Zamasu from my father's world. Otherwise, why would he swap bodies with my father instead of Mr. Goku? I heard from the 'me' of this world that in the tournament against Universe 6, Mr. Goku didn't even get a chance to fight. It was my father who defeated everyone single-handedly. That might be what drew Zamasu's attention."
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta's face turned dark. While what Trunks said was true, hearing it put that way made him feel strangely annoyed. What do you mean 'why would he swap with me instead of Kakarot'? Is that something a son should say to his father?
"It takes a day to charge that Time Machine, right?" Vegeta asked, taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation.
"Yes, Father. It still needs a day to reach full capacity," Trunks confirmed.
"Wait for me. I'm going to the future with you to handle that guy personally. I'll make him realize just how foolish it was to steal my body!" Vegeta clenched his fists tight, three veins throbbing at his temples, his eyes burning with a resolute murderous intent.
Ever since Gohan had handled the Zamasu situation before, Vegeta had been a bit envious. He had always felt that Zamasu was his fated enemy. After all, Vegeta had been reincarnated because of Zamasu; he had to settle this grudge with his own hands. This time, Vegeta intended to go to the future personally to deal with the Zamasu who had swapped bodies with him—Black Vegeta—and wipe away the shame once and for all.
"Alright, Father. I'll wait for you at home," Trunks said with a joyful expression, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I get to fight alongside my father again! This time, we'll definitely defeat that bastard!"
"If there's nothing else, that's all for now," Vegeta said in his usual gruff tone before ending the call.
"Yes, sir," Trunks replied, respectfully waiting for the connection to break.
The call ended, and the screen faded to black.
"Vegeta, I'm coming with you," Goku said, stepping forward with a firm tone. Since this matter involved the fate of his future self and his friends, Goku had to go; he couldn't just stand by and watch.
"Hmph. Do whatever you want," Vegeta said, glancing at him sideways without any objection.
Immediately, Goku and Vegeta walked up to Beerus and recounted everything that had happened in Trunks' world, hoping to gain his permission.
"Do you have any idea? Changing time is an illegal act. Under normal circumstances, even if I Erased you, you'd have no right to complain," Beerus said with a dark face, his voice icy. He was clearly displeased with the act of traveling through time so casually.
"Lord Beerus, don't be like that..." Goku laughed, trying to soften the mood. "After all, what's happening in that parallel world is closely linked to us. It's possible the Zamasu from our world swapped bodies with Vegeta before going to Trunks' world to commit his crimes."
"Swapped bodies?" Beerus paused, his brow furrowing slightly. He was clearly curious about this claim.
"That bastard used the Super Dragon Balls to swap bodies!" Vegeta snarled, his entire body shaking with rage at the thought of his body being usurped by Zamasu.
"How do you know all this?" Beerus asked, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Vegeta.
"Trunks told me," Vegeta said without hesitation, passing the buck to Trunks and keeping his own reincarnation a secret. His expression was flawless.
Beerus fell silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of his chair as he sank into thought. As for Vegeta's claim, Beerus didn't doubt it. After all, Trunks was from the future, so it wasn't surprising that he knew these things. What truly annoyed Beerus was that someone actually dared to swap bodies with Vegeta and had even used the Super Dragon Balls to do it.
"Zamasu? Who was that again? To think he has such guts," Beerus asked again, his tone laced with a hint of impatience.
T/N: Today the novel has officially ended on my Patreon guys. It has been annincredible journey and it would not have been possible without anyone's support. Also do support me on Patreon as well so I would keep on bringing such good and new projects for you guys!
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