"Brat, didn't your teacher ever tell you? You should show some respect to your elders!"
Since Goku and Gran were essentially from the same era, Pan was naturally his junior. Gran shifted his body slightly, and Pan's small foot caught nothing but air. As Gran moved, Trunks aimed a low sweep at his legs, but Gran simply performed a light hop, effortlessly evading the strike.
"How is this possible?" Pan's jaw dropped.
"How can your reactions be that fast?" Trunks asked, unable to believe his eyes.
"You two aren't half bad," Gran said, taking two steps back.
From that brief exchange, he had already seen through their strength. These two youngsters were impressive; their current base forms held a power level of roughly 500 million.
However, he hadn't forgotten that these kids could transform. He wondered what stage they could reach now—Super Saiyan 3? Or perhaps Super Saiyan 4?
"Don't get too full of yourself!"
Gran meant the praise sincerely, but to their ears, it sounded like a blatant insult.
"Pan, let's give it everything we've got!"
The two juniors powered up—one reaching Super Saiyan 2, the other Super Saiyan 3. In her Super Saiyan 2 state, Pan's power broke through to 50 billion. Meanwhile, Trunks, in Super Saiyan 3, surged to a staggering 200 billion!
"Is that the limit? I suppose it'll do."
Gran had expected them to be capable of Super Saiyan 4. He beckoned them forward with a curl of his finger. "Keep it coming."
"Arrogant!"
BOOM!
Their combined power swept across the entire Time Nest as they launched another fierce assault.
The sheer force of their energy whipped up a violent hurricane, uprooting the surrounding trees, yet they couldn't land a single blow on Gran. His movements were crisp, efficient, and natural—a masterpiece of martial arts.
"Kakarot, what kind of technique is this?"
Vegeta had intended to observe Gran's capabilities first, but he was currently stunned. He couldn't make sense of Gran's reactions at all.
"I don't know what state he's in, but his mastery of martial arts is definitely higher than mine!" Goku said, his excitement growing.
Vegeta scoffed internally. Isn't that obvious?
Unable to hold back any longer, Vegeta launched himself at Gran like a cannonball. The moment he moved, Goku followed suit, taking a different angle of attack rather than just following behind Vegeta.
Seeing this, a slight smirk played on Gran's lips. He dodged the juniors' fists without even glancing at Goku, instead turning into a blur of light to meet Vegeta head-on.
"Bring it on!!"
Vegeta's blood boiled with excitement. He raised his fist, ready to clash with Gran.
Suddenly—THUD!
"Super Vegeta... maybe don't do that thumb pose next time."
A fist slammed into Vegeta's abdomen, sinking a full ten centimeters into his gut. As Gran pulled his hand back, a massive spray of blood erupted from Vegeta's mouth.
"So... so fast!!"
Vegeta clutched his stomach, hunched over like a cooked shrimp. The agonizing pain made his eyes bulge. The man's movements had looked slow, but they were deceptively, terrifyingly fast.
Vegeta hadn't tasted defeat like this since the Omega Shenron incident. He never imagined he'd be floored in a single blow—especially by someone who used to be his subordinate!
Seeing Vegeta's miserable state gave Gran a surge of satisfaction. He felt like tormenting him even more.
"Father!"
Furious and desperate, Trunks blinked behind Gran. Pan appeared at Gran's side, and Goku blocked his front. The three of them had Gran surrounded.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
They unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks, their limbs moving like streaks of lightning. Goku, in particular, displayed an instinctive reaction time reaching the third tier, every strike infused with his martial will.
And yet...
Despite being triple-teamed, they couldn't graze him. The battlefield expanded rapidly. Goku grew more alarmed with every passing second. How is this possible? Why can't we touch him?
"Don't lose focus in a fight, Kakarot."
Gran moved with the agility of a spirit, dodging Trunks' energy blasts and Pan's strikes with ease before appearing behind Goku. He raised his hand, aiming for the back of Goku's neck.
The movement mirrored Beerus's first encounter with Goku on King Kai's planet—smooth, stylish, and lethal. But just as Gran was about to strike...
ROAR!
An immense explosion of power erupted from Goku as his form shifted. Red fur, black hair—the Super Saiyan 4 transformation. Goku used the burst of speed to escape his position.
Gran paused, then looked up at the four fighters, finally settling his gaze on Goku.
"Third-tier physical instinct... and the peak of the fourth tier of the Godly Realm," Gran smirked.
The Dragon Ball GT timeline was set far in the future. Based on the Dragon Ball Super timeline, it would take another 15 to 20 years to reach this point. Given that this Goku had survived the Omega Shenron incident, possessing Tier 4 Godly power wasn't that surprising.
"And what about him?" Gran looked down at the "Super Vegeta" currently face-down on the ground.
"Aaaargh! Unforgivable!!"
Vegeta scrambled to his feet, veins bulging on his forehead. With a roar and a surge of crackling lightning, he too transformed. He entered the Super Saiyan 4 state, though his power wasn't quite as exaggerated as Goku's; he sat at the peak of the third tier.
"At least he's reached the level of a Destroyer candidate. Not too embarrassing, I suppose." Gran mused after finishing testing their limits.
Pan was panting heavily. "Grandpa... is he really a Saiyan? How can a Saiyan be stronger than you?"
Trunks gritted his teeth, trying to maintain his composure. "No wonder he was so arrogant. He actually has the strength to back it up!"
Goku's heart was racing. He had nearly been taken out just now. "It's not just his martial arts; it's his energy. We can't sense his presence at all. That puts us at a massive disadvantage!"
As they conferred, Vegeta let out another roar. "Gran, I won't let you get away with this!!"
Deep down, Vegeta knew he had wronged Gran in the past. But he was the proud Prince of all Saiyans; being floored by a former subordinate was an unbearable humiliation. He would reclaim his dignity with his fists! He'd leave Gran with his life... barely.
BOOM!
Enveloped in a golden aura, Vegeta's SSJ4 power caused the entire Time Nest to tremble. Chronoa shook her head. "Vegeta is as impulsive as ever. He's in for a rude awakening."
The tremors intensified as Vegeta peaked his power. Under the watchful eyes of Goku and the others, Vegeta vanished. A golden streak flashed across the open space before the Time Vault, his speed generating a gale that tore nearby structures to shreds.
However...
THUD!
A dull impact echoed through the Time Nest. Immediately, the raging energy vanished. Silence—heavy and absolute—fell over the area. Trunks and Pan stood frozen, looking like they had seen a ghost. Goku's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Vegeta, in his Super Saiyan 4 form, was standing right in front of Gran. His fist had stopped a mere centimeter from Gran's face.
As for Gran? His fist was once again buried in Vegeta's gut. The same punch. The same move. The same result.
"Gah...!"
Another spray of blood erupted from Vegeta as he instantly reverted from Super Saiyan 4 back to his base form. A total knockout. Despite having Tier 3 power, he had been finished in a single blow once again.
"I... I was floored again... Impossible..." Vegeta gasped, clutching his stomach as he sank to his knees, before losing consciousness and collapsing.
"I knew it," the little Chronoa muttered, face-palming. Gran was the ultimate enforcer she had recruited—a man who could take down actual Gods of Destruction. Vegeta never stood a chance.
Pan was trembling. "This is insane! Vegeta might be a bit weaker than Grandpa, but he's a universal-tier fighter! How could he be one-shotted even in Super Saiyan 4?"
Goku was equally stunned. "No wasted movement. Every strike is a killing blow. His control over his power is perfect—I can't even tell how strong he truly is. Is this really possible for a Saiyan?"
"FATHER!!!" Unlike the others, Trunks lost his reason at the sight of his father's defeat. He charged at Gran recklessly.
"Trunks, stop! Vegeta's not dead—"
Goku's warning was too late. Halfway through his charge, Gran's body flickered. With a soft thud, Trunks collapsed in his tracks. Unlike Vegeta, he wasn't coughing up blood; he had simply been knocked unconscious.
In just a few moments, two of the four fighters were out of commission.
"Grandpa..." Pan started to panic. Before she could finish, a ghostly figure appeared behind her.
"Little one, don't point those big feet at me next time, or I'll have to give you a spanking," Gran said, lightly tapping her on the head.
"Pan!" Goku shouted, rushing over.
Gran turned his sharp, piercing gaze toward the approaching Goku. The air froze. It was the same overwhelming pressure Jiren had used to pin down Hit during the Tournament of Power.
BOOM!
Under the sheer pressure of Gran's "glance," Goku, in his Super Saiyan 4 state, was sent flying backward.
"How... How is this possible?" Goku lay on the ground. He knew his own strength, yet compared to Vegeta, his defeat had been even more absolute. He couldn't even withstand the man's stare. It was beyond comprehension.
"Grandpa, are you okay?!" Pan turned pale, flying over to help Goku up.
"I'm fine." That last hit hadn't actually injured Goku, but the psychological shock left him trembling. This man was a Saiyan, yet he had fought this entire time in his base form. What would happen if he actually transformed? Unknowingly, an image of Gran as an invincible, insurmountable wall formed in Goku's mind. This was what a true peak warrior looked like.
"Kakarot, let's call it a day."
Having gauged their strength, Gran lost interest in the fight. He had space-time powers to master. He turned and walked back toward Chronoa.
The silence returned to the Time Nest.
"Grandpa... I don't think Mr. Gran is a bad person." Pan watched his retreating back, remembering the playful tap on her head. He had clearly held back; otherwise, she would have ended up like Trunks.
"Yeah. If the Supreme Kai of Time recruited him as a Time Patroller, he must be alright." Goku's heart still hadn't settled.
As Gran walked away, he overheard Pan calling him "Grandpa Gran" in her thoughts, causing him to stumble slightly. Well, he was from the same generation as Goku and Vegeta. Being called "Grandpa" by Pan was... technically accurate.
"Hahaha! So, how does it feel to suddenly be upgraded to the 'Grandpa' rank?" Chronoa teased.
Gran shot her a flat look. "If you have time for jokes, you have time to start my training in space-time power."
"Fair enough." Chronoa looked over at Goku and the others and waved her hand. A silver-white energy enveloped Vegeta and Trunks. Under the influence of her time magic, their injuries vanished instantly.
Gran's eyes widened. "Time power can be used like that?"
Chronoa lifted her chin proudly. "There's a lot you don't know. I simply rewound the state of their bodies to a point before they were injured." Seeing Gran lost in thought, she added, "It works on the same principle as this. Watch."
She waved her hand again. Under the flow of time power, the shattered buildings and uprooted trees mended themselves, returning to exactly how they were before the battle began.
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