"Damn it… by my own strength?"
Trunks suddenly lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Loren.
"Yes."
Trunks understood.
He could become stronger.
In this era, there was Son Goku, his father Vegeta, and the unfathomable Loren.
He could train here.
He could grow stronger than any Android.
Then—
He would return.
Return to that desperate future and defeat the Androids with his own hands.
"I understand!"
Trunks clenched his fists, the fire in his eyes reigniting.
"I understand, Mr. Loren! Thank you!"
He bowed deeply.
Trunks truly wanted to stay.
To stay in this era—with his father, with hope, with warm sunlight.
But he couldn't.
In that future, his mother Bulma was still waiting for him.
She was his only family there.
His last remaining concern.
Trunks straightened, his gaze sweeping across everyone, finally resting on Vegeta.
His lips moved, but the word Father refused to come out.
"I… I have to go back first and let my mother know I'm safe."
His voice trembled faintly.
"Three years from now is when the Androids will appear."
"When that time comes, I'll return again."
"And I'll fight alongside everyone."
With that, Trunks turned without hesitation and ran toward the white time machine.
Vegeta snorted coldly and turned his head away, watching the purple-haired boy's retreating figure from the corner of his eye.
The hatch closed.
With a strange spatial fluctuation, the machine—carrying the future—vanished.
Silence fell once more over the barren land.
But this silence was far heavier than when Frieza had appeared.
A sense of crisis pressed down on everyone.
They had to become stronger.
Stronger—no matter the cost.
Just as the tension nearly solidified—
"Ah~~~~"
A long, lazy yawn rang out.
Loren stretched leisurely.
"Finally, that's all settled."
He clapped his hands, looking relaxed.
"Alright, everyone disperse. Go do what you need to do."
"If I don't head back soon, I'll miss prime napping time."
A vein throbbed on Vegeta's forehead.
He turned sharply and glared at Loren.
"You bastard! Aren't you worried at all?!"
"Worried?"
Loren looked at him like he'd heard something absurd.
"What's there to worry about?"
"Aren't you all going to train yourselves to death anyway?"
He spoke matter-of-factly.
"With you battle maniacs around, Earth's perfectly safe."
"So I can sleep soundly."
"You…!"
Vegeta trembled with rage—but had no rebuttal.
Goku scratched his head with a wry smile.
"Loren… you're not going to train with us?"
"Train?"
Loren waved his hand dismissively.
"Nope. Too tiring."
Why train when I can just choose to become stronger later and directly surpass your three years of hard work?
That was Loren's way.
Clock out.
Go home.
Sleep.
Capsule Corporation
Boom—!
The Gravity Room door slammed shut.
Vegeta immediately cranked the gravity to the highest level he could withstand.
Crushing pressure descended.
His body sank as bones groaned under the strain.
Sweat drenched his battle suit instantly.
The Androids.
Kakarot.
And… Loren.
One figure after another flashed through his mind.
"I, Vegeta… Will surpass all of you!"
Mount Paozu
Goku sat at the table.
Across from him, Chi-Chi's eyes were red.
"…That's what happened."
Goku told her everything—Trunks's future, word for word.
No Dragon Balls.
No companions.
Not even himself.
Only Gohan, hunted in despair, and a world drowned in slaughter.
Chi-Chi was silent for a long time.
Then she stood, walked to the wardrobe, and took out Goku's brand-new orange training gi.
She also took out a smaller one.
For Gohan.
"Goku."
Her voice was firmer than ever.
"If that future is truly so desperate…"
She handed him the clothes.
"Go."
"Take Gohan with you."
"Promise me one thing."
Goku nodded solemnly.
"You must win."
Tears slipped down Chi-Chi's face.
"Don't let our Gohan see that future."
"Never."
Goku nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, Chi-Chi!"
He smiled, waved, took Gohan—and shot into the sky toward the Lookout.
Earth's strongest warriors had begun their hellish training.
Three years.
Only three years remained.
Elsewhere…
Deep underground.
An unknown research facility.
Cold metal walls.
Instruments glowing with eerie green light.
At the deepest point—
A massive glass stasis pod.
Inside lay a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Short golden hair.
Porcelain skin.
Perfect, icy features.
The designation on the pod read:
Android 18
Within the pod, her long eyelashes fluttered—almost imperceptibly.
Inside her consciousness—
A place that should have been empty.
Pitch black.
A blurred silhouette appeared.
A man.
Lazily reclining—perhaps on a beach, perhaps in grass.
Warm sunlight outlined him in gold.
His face was unclear.
But Android 18 felt something unfamiliar.
An emotion that quietly rooted itself deep within her core logic—
Logic designed only for hatred and destruction.
[Name: Loren]
[Battle Power (Normal State): 8.8 million]
[Battle Power (Super Saiyan State): 440 million]
[Skills: Super Saiyan Transformation, Kai-oken (Tenfold, No Side Effects), Instant Transmission (Kaioshin Version), … (Folded)]
[Special Status: Lazuli's (Android 18) Favorability 30]
[Description: Three years from now, a crisis will descend. Host, please prepare. However, since the deadline is still far away, you may now enjoy a long and leisurely vacation.]
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic Dragon Ball: I Became Invincible by Being a Lazy Salted Fish! Part 1 & 2 (Dragon Ball Z & Super) is now fully completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 Dragon Ball (Chapters 1–343)
Organized into 42 posts, with multiple chapters per post for easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this story 💙