"It's not that his energy is strange," Trunks whispered, his voice low and tense. "It's that he has no energy at all."
Beside him, Goku placed a hand on Trunks' shoulder. "You're not quite right there, Trunks. It's not that he doesn't have any ki—it's that we can't sense it."
Vegeta crossed his arms, his expression grimmer than usual. "Exactly. We've encountered this before. Trunks, Pan—think."
The two looked at each other, a realization hitting them simultaneously.
"Father... are you saying he's a God?" Trunks blurted out. Aside from Androids, deities were the only beings whose presence they couldn't naturally detect.
Pan stared at the entrance to the Vault of Time, her hand covering her mouth. "Vegeta said that Saiyan was from his era... but he's become a God? How is that even possible?"
A heavy silence fell over the group, their faces etched with shock.
"As much as I hate to admit it, he is indeed a deity," Vegeta said, breaking the quiet. He narrowed his eyes. "And if I'm not mistaken, his martial arts mastery has reached a terrifying level—a state of total refinement, where every movement returns to its simplest, most efficient form."
"No, you're not seeing things!" Goku added, his voice filled with a rare, focused gravity.
"Every breath he takes, every step he makes... It's filled with the essence of martial arts. It's the very level I've been striving to reach. I never expected to run into someone so formidable here in the Time Nest!"
Pan had been skeptical of Vegeta's assessment, but hearing her grandfather—the man with the highest martial arts intuition among them—confirm it made her believe. If Goku said this guy was a monster, then he was a monster.
"My God," Trunks swallowed hard. "To think there's someone out there even stronger than Uncle Goku!"
"Tch! Dammit!" Vegeta growled, his pride stung. "Kakarot surpassing me is one thing, but how the hell did one of my former subordinates end up eclipsing me like this?"
Goku didn't move; he just started cracking his knuckles, a familiar, excited grin spreading across his face. "Man, the mission we just finished was way too easy. Now that I've run into a powerhouse like this, I have to see what he's made of!"
Pan rolled her eyes. Her grandfather's battle-hungry nature was showing again.
"If you two have things to do, go ahead and leave," Vegeta said, waving Trunks and Pan off. "I'm staying. I want to ask him exactly what he's been through all these years."
Leave? Not a chance. Having encountered such a mysterious expert, Trunks and Pan were just as curious to see the extent of his power.
And so, the four warriors from the GT timeline hunkered down beside the gates of the Vault of Time, waiting for Gran to emerge.
Inside the Vault of Time.
Gran was oblivious to the group waiting outside. The Vault's interior fully captured his attention.
Despite its library-like appearance, there wasn't a single physical book in sight. The space was cavernous and largely empty, save for glowing, intricate patterns on the walls that Gran didn't recognize.
Weren't the Scrolls of Eternity supposed to be kept here? Where are the timelines?
"It seems the King of Time isn't here right now," Chronoa remarked.
"Oh?" Gran turned to her. "What does that mean?"
"When the King of Time is in the Time Nest, He—or She—usually resides right here in the Vault. Since there's no sign of them, they must be out in the multiverse."
"I see." Gran felt a pang of disappointment. He had hoped to see what the ultimate ruler of time actually looked like, but it seemed that goal would have to wait.
"What about that ring you mentioned?" Gran asked.
"Hold on."
Chronoa walked toward a specific section of the wall. Silver light gathered in her palm as she pressed her fingertips against the stone.
Hum!
A rift opened in the wall—a pocket dimension filled with several ornate silver boxes. Chronoa retrieved one and presented it to Gran. "Here. This is yours."
Gran took the box and opened it. Resting inside was a silver ring. Unlike the Time Rings used by the Supreme Kais, which featured two simple intertwined loops, this one was engraved with the Time Patroller emblem: a circle formed by two arrows chasing each other.
As Gran slid the ring onto his finger, a flood of information rushed into his mind—instructions on how to use it, the forbidden laws of time travel, and a comprehensive map of the various timelines.
With a thought, he realized he could now use the ring to traverse the corridors of time or even return to the "past." However, the warnings were clear: changing the past without authorization would create dangerous new parallel timelines, much like Future Trunks had done.
"You should have the basics and the rules down by now," Chronoa said. "It's not just a travel tool; it's also a communication device I'll use to reach you. It's vital to your role, so don't lose it."
"Don't worry, it's not going anywhere." Gran admired the ring, then looked at her. "So, am I officially a Time Patroller now?"
"You are."
"Good." Gran was prepared to activate the ring to return to his original universe.
"Wait!" Chronoa shouted, stopping him in his tracks.
"What now?"
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Back to finish collecting the Super Dragon Balls," Gran replied matter-of-factly.
"And what about mastering Space-Time power?" she huffed.
"Collecting the Dragon Balls is my priority—"
Chronoa cut him off with a wave of her hand, projecting a shimmering image into the air. "Look. It seems Beerus and the others are already taking care of that for you. You don't need to rush back. You're better off staying here and mastering the laws of time and space first."
The projection showed the aftermath of Gran's battle with Quitela. He watched as the Grand Priest descended, restoring the three destroyed universes to their original states. Just as Chronoa said, Beerus and Whis were already on the move, continuing the search for the remaining Super Dragon Balls.
"Those two..." Gran felt a warmth in his chest. He took a deep breath. "Alright. Since Lord Beerus has it covered, I'd just be getting in the way. I'll stay. I'm counting on you to teach me, Lady Chronoa."
"Don't worry. With your talent, you'll master it in no time."
Chronoa watched him intently. He had mastered the Destruction power in just three days. While Space-Time laws were significantly more complex, she figured a genius like him wouldn't take that long.
Maybe 100 years... no, 10 years should be enough, she thought.
Gran had no idea what she was thinking. If he did, he would have lost it. He had spent over 300 years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to prepare for the Destroyer Tournament, and he was nearing his limit for shut-in training.
As Beerus said, life was for living, and he hadn't even begun to explore the wonders of the Dragon Ball world. He only agreed because he assumed Space-Time power would take a few days, just like the Hakai did.
"Alright, let's get started then," Gran said, blissfully unaware of the potential "decade" ahead of him.
"Follow me."
Chronoa turned and headed for the exit. Gran followed closely behind.
As they stepped out of the Vault of Time, Gran immediately spotted four figures huddled in the corner of the courtyard.
Chronoa blinked. "Aren't you four supposed to be resting? What are you still doing here?"
Goku didn't even look at Chronoa; he blurred forward, grabbing Gran by the shoulders with an excited grip. "Your name is Gran, right? I see you've got a Time Ring now. That means you're one of us!"
Gran's lip twitched. No matter which timeline Kakarot came from, his personality was always the same. "And what if I am?" Gran asked, his voice laced with amusement.
"Since we're all Time Patrollers now, we should get a feel for each other's strength. It helps with teamwork on missions, right?" Goku chuckled, his eyes sparkling. "I challenge you to a fight!"
Behind him, the rest of the GT crew gave Goku a silent thumbs-up. That "clueless" excuse was actually a pretty clever way to force a sparring match.
Gran sighed, fully expecting this. However, a smirk played on his lips. "Sure. Why not?"
He was curious to see just how strong the GT version of Goku had become.
"All right!" Goku cheered, jumping around like a kid despite being a grandfather.
Vegeta stepped forward next, his eyes searching Gran's face. "Gran... tell me. How did you survive that planet all those years ago?"
"Take a guess," Gran replied. Even if he explained it, GT Vegeta wouldn't know who Whis was, as Beerus and Whis were seemingly non-existent in the GT timeline.
Vegeta's jaw tightened. "Fine. If you won't say that... then tell me how you became a God."
"No."
"You—!"
"Me what?" Gran tilted his head, his tone mocking. "You're asking all these questions because you want to know how strong I am, right? Well, I'll give you a chance to find out."
He crooked his finger at Trunks and Pan as well. "That goes for you two, too. All of you... Come at me at once."
The provocation was blatant. Trunks and Pan froze in surprise.
"Arrogant brat!" Vegeta's forehead throbbed with a visible vein. He felt guilty about abandoning his men, but Gran's attitude was pushing his buttons.
"Grandpa, this guy is way too full of himself!" Pan fumed.
"Father," Trunks' voice turned icy, "since he's asking for it, let's show him exactly what we can do!" The Saiyan blood in his veins burned; he couldn't stand being looked down upon, regardless of how strong the opponent might be.
"Lady Chronoa, step back," Vegeta commanded.
"Understood!" Chronoa knew this was just a spar, so she scurried a safe distance away.
"You really think becoming a God makes you untouchable?" Vegeta stared at Gran, then pointed a thumb at his own chest in his iconic pose. "I'll show you today... the true power of Super Vegeta!"
" 'Super Vegeta' huh? This should be fun," Gran laughed, recognizing the infamous "Vegeta's Curse" pose.
The courtyard grew still as the two sides squared off. Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, and Pan locked their sights on Gran. Having lived through the battle with Omega Shenron, these warriors were at the peak of their respective histories.
Just how strong are they? Gran wondered.
A light breeze swept through the Time Nest, shaking a single leaf from a nearby tree. The moment that the leaf touched the ground, the peace was shattered.
Trunks and Pan vanished, launching a coordinated pincer attack. Two streaks of light blurred across the space, appearing simultaneously in front of and behind Gran.
"Take this! You arrogant jerk!" Pan leaped into the air, her leg whistling through the wind as she aimed a vicious kick at Gran's head.
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