Nappa awakened inside a reinforced room.
The chamber had been specially prepared—thick metal walls, a small bedroom, and a bathroom. It wasn't luxurious, but it was comfortable enough to live in. Most importantly, it was secure.
To ensure he wouldn't cause any trouble, I had sealed his ability to channel ki.
His raw physical strength was still there, but without ki he couldn't reinforce his body or launch attacks. For now, that was enough.
The mechanical spine I installed would allow him to walk again, but it would take time for his body to adjust.
At least… that was what I expected.
Instead, to my surprise, Nappa managed to stand only a few hours after waking up.
I watched through the observation screen as he slowly pushed himself upright, gripping the side of the bed.
"…Huh," I muttered. "Saiyan physiology really is something else."
The mechanical spine supported his movements perfectly. In fact, if he adapted properly, it might even allow him to control his ki more efficiently in the future.
But it also served another purpose.
Leverage.
If necessary, I could disable the spine remotely.
It wasn't something I liked thinking about, but securing the future required difficult choices. I had already proven that change was possible by sparing Raditz and helping him grow stronger.
This was simply another step.
For now, I left communication with Nappa to Raditz. Among all of us, Raditz understood him the best.
From what I could theorize, Nappa still clung tightly to his Saiyan identity. His pride as an elite warrior defined his entire life. Serving the Prince of all Saiyans had been the foundation of that identity.
Without Vegeta, Nappa was a warrior without purpose.
Raditz, at least, understood that feeling.
Meanwhile, I had my own work to do.
My previous armor had exploded into millions of pieces during the accident in the training room. Rebuilding it from scratch wasn't ideal, but in a way, it was an opportunity.
While experimenting with new materials, I discovered a metal alloy that conducted ki far better than anything I had ever tested before.
I named it Blue Moon Alloy.
The new generator core was significantly more compact and far more efficient.
With the improved design, my armor could now multiply my base power level up to fifty times.
Of course, that level of output came with limitations.
At a fifty-times multiplier, the armor could only function for about ten minutes before exhausting my ki.
However, reducing the multiplier dramatically increased its endurance.
At ten times my base power, the armor could operate for three hours or more.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the projection of the new armor design floating above my work table.
"In theory, it's perfect," I muttered.
Then I shook my head.
"No… that's wrong."
Perfection didn't exist.
Something that worked perfectly for one situation could fail completely in another. True engineering wasn't about perfection—it was about adaptation.
The armor now had several improvements.
First, a gravity field generator.
Unlike the gravity bombs I used against Vegeta, this system could generate localized gravity fields that affected only my opponent. In combat, I could increase or decrease gravity around them anywhere between negative one hundred and one hundred times Earth's gravity.
Second, the ki absorption system.
Just like my previous armor, it could absorb incoming energy attacks. However, I had added a filtering mechanism.
Absorbed ki would now be purified and stored, allowing me to replenish my own reserves if necessary.
In theory, that meant I could keep fighting even after exhausting my natural ki.
But one problem still remained.
Stamina.
Even if my ki was replenished, my body could still become physically exhausted.
"Still not perfect…" I sighed.
The armor could also perform limited self-repairs using the Oracle module, though it required ki to function. Even my tail was now protected by segmented armor plating.
In an emergency, I could even use it as a weapon.
I glanced at the prototype suit standing silently in the workshop.
"It's better," I admitted quietly.
"Far better than the last one."
But it was still only a step forward.
Later that evening, Raditz and I visited the hospital.
Goku was recovering in a quiet room, wrapped in bandages from the strain of the Kaioken.
Raditz stood awkwardly near the door while I entered.
Goku smiled weakly when he saw us.
"Hey, Bulma… Raditz."
Raditz crossed his arms, looking uncomfortable.
"…You fought well."
Goku laughed softly.
"That's probably the first compliment I've heard from you."
Raditz looked away.
"Don't get used to it."
I chuckled quietly and left them to talk. Building trust between them would take time, but at least it was a start.
Family bonds weren't something that could be forced.
They had to grow naturally.
Outside the hospital, I looked up at the night sky.
Chi-Chi had already begun using the sixteen training drones I built for Goku. She and Gohan were training together, though not nearly as intensely as Gohan's brutal training with Piccolo in my previous timeline.
And that was exactly how I wanted it.
Gohan deserved a childhood.
In my original timeline, he had barely experienced peace. First Raditz, then Vegeta and Nappa. Then Frieza and his army on Namek.
After that came the Androids… and eventually, tragedy.
I still remembered how it ended.
Gohan died young.
That memory still haunted me.
But that was a different timeline.
Here, things were changing.
Maybe Gohan would still grow into the warrior he was meant to be.
Maybe he would even surpass his original potential.
But this time, he would do it at his own pace.
I exhaled slowly.
"Enough thinking about the past."
The future wasn't written yet.
And if I had anything to say about it—
It never would be again.