As Turles appeared at the villa with Trunks, he saw Bulma soothing the baby. A wave of nostalgia washed over him.
After all, he hadn't seen Bulma or his daughter, Bulla, for an entire year.
He stepped forward and pulled Bulma into a firm embrace, making Trunks, who was standing right behind him, feel incredibly awkward.
Even if this isn't my exact timeline, she's still my mother biologically. Is it really okay for you two to be hugging like this right in front of me?
Bulma pulled back from Turles's arms and gave him a playful roll of her eyes. "Stop it. Bulla just fell asleep. You have no idea how much of a handful she's been..."
She then turned to Trunks. "Trunks, thank you for your hard work. Turles's training must have been incredibly strict, wasn't it?"
"Mom, Master Turles was actually very good to me. I feel terrifyingly strong now. Once I go back, I should be able to handle the Androids easily."
Bulma's expression stiffened slightly. To be honest, having Trunks call her "Mom" was something she still wasn't quite used to. Even if he carried her blood, she still couldn't fathom why her future self would have ever fallen for Vegeta...
"That's good then. Let's go eat. And remember, you must protect your mother, okay? She's had such a hard life..."
Trunks nodded solemnly. "I will!"
After a hearty meal, Trunks prepared to return to his own timeline. "Master Turles, Mom... once I've dealt with the Androids, I'll come back to visit. I'll be heading off now."
"Alright. But be careful. Don't be careless, you hear me? I hope the situation with Cooler taught you a lesson."
"I understand, Master Turles. I'm off."
"Goodbye, Mom! Goodbye, Master Turles!"
Trunks boarded the Time Machine and pressed a series of buttons. The machine began to hover, and with a flash of white light, it vanished along with Trunks.
Watching Trunks disappear, Bulma leaned into Turles's side. "Hubby, Trunks will be okay, right?"
"Of course. He was trained by me. Dealing with the Androids will be a piece of cake. Besides, I told him he can come find me anytime if he runs into an enemy he can't handle."
"That puts my mind at ease."
"But Bulma," Turles said, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "I haven't seen you for a year. How are you going to compensate me?"
Bulma's face flushed red, and she shot him a flirtatious look. "You're so shameless! It's not even dark yet!"
"Heh heh heh... isn't that even better? Come on, my lady, just give in to your husband!"
"Stop it, the baby is still sleeping!"
"Heh heh... don't worry. I'll be gentle..."
The next morning, Turles looked at the sleeping Bulma with a doting smile.
As he checked the attribute points in his system, he was suddenly stunned.
"What the...?! You really can pick up anything, can't you? Time Travel? You can even pick up the attributes of an item?! Haji-tong, you're something else!"
"Host, this is just a basic operation. Don't be so surprised," the system replied. "It's only natural. After all, don't you want to see other timelines? Like the GT timeline, for instance?"
The system's words echoed in Turles's ears like a devil's temptation. He had to admit, he was genuinely intrigued. If he took a stroll through a timeline like that, his power level would skyrocket through the roof.
Suddenly, Turles remembered something important. "Oh no! I forgot to tell Trunks about Cell! He should be fine, but what if something happens to Future Bulma?"
Turles scrambled out of bed. Bulma opened her eyes groarily, looking at him in confusion. "Hubby, what are you doing?"
"I forgot to tell Trunks something vital. I need to go to his timeline."
Bulma was instantly wide awake. "Huh?? You can go to his timeline?!"
"Yeah. It's an application of Time Power. As long as I have the coordinates, I can arrive there precisely. Since there are countless timelines, you can't find the right place without them."
"Can I go with you?"
Seeing the look of anticipation on Bulma's face, Turles nodded. "Sure, why not? It's no big deal."
"Great! Hubby, wait for me!"
"I need to prepare some things!"
Bulma jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, and rushed out the door.
A few hours later, Bulma was finally ready. She walked over to Turles, who was holding Bulla. "Hubby, let's go. I've prepared a lot of supplies for my future self."
Turles nodded. "Alright, honey. Hold on tight. We're leaving."
Bulma hugged Turles, and with a flash of white light, the family of three vanished.
The Future Timeline.
The once-blue sky was choked with smoke and haze. The entire world was grey and somber. On the ground, ruined skyscrapers lay in heaps, and the stench of blood and decay hung heavy in the air. Everything pointed to the fact that this future was a cruel, apocalyptic nightmare.
"Is this... West City?"
Bulma looked around in disbelief. Her face went pale at the sight of the devastation, and a wave of nausea hit her.
"Trunks will be okay, right?"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Let's go straight to his house. I can already sense his Ki. We can meet your future self while we're at it."
In an instant, he vanished with Bulma and Bulla.
When they suddenly appeared in front of Future Bulma, she jumped in fright.
Seeing Turles's familiar face, she fell into a momentary daze. "Son-kun?"
Then, she shook her head. "No... Son-kun has been dead for years."
Looking at the haggard, exhausted Future Bulma, Turles felt a pang of sympathy. He sighed and said, "I'm Turles. Trunks should have told you about me."
Future Bulma finally snapped out of it. Looking at the familiar figure and the much younger version of herself standing beside him, she couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Yes, Trunks had mentioned them. This younger version of herself was truly someone to be envied...
"Hello, past me. I never imagined there would be a day where we would meet face-to-face."
She then noticed the baby in Bulma's arms, and a flicker of emotion appeared in her eyes. "Is this your child with Turles?"
Present Bulma gave a happy, radiant smile. "Yes! This is our daughter, Bulla. Isn't she adorable?"
Future Bulma was lost in thought for a moment. "Yes... she's a lovely child."
"Right? Anyway, my husband and I came over to bring you some supplies. Here, take this."
Present Bulma pulled out a small box—a container for capsules—and handed it to her future self.
Future Bulma took it, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much. But... how did you get here? Did you use a time machine too?"