"So, that's how it works."
After witnessing the process twice, Gran finally grasped the principle behind Chronoa's healing—it wasn't conventional medicine or magic, but time reversal.
"Alright then, let's move. I'm taking you to another location where you can master space-time energy much faster."
"Where to?"
"You'll see in a moment."
Chronoa gave a mischievous smirk before turning back to Goku and the others. "The timeline should be stable for a while. You should all head back and get some rest. If anything else pops up, I'll contact you through your Time Rings."
As Chronoa prepared to lead Gran out of the Time Nest, Goku suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Gran! I admit defeat this time. But I'm going to train harder than ever—next time, you have to accept my challenge again!"
"Deal," Gran replied, unable to suppress a smile.
It didn't matter which timeline he was from; Goku was always the same. He never backed down, and he never gave up in the face of a powerful opponent.
"And what about him?" Gran glanced toward Vegeta.
Sensing Gran's gaze, the newly conscious Vegeta finally spoke. His words, however, caught Gran off guard.
"I'm... glad to see that a version of you from another timeline could become this powerful. But don't expect me to lose next time."
With that, Vegeta flicked his left hand. The Time Ring on his middle finger erupted in a silver-white glow. When the light faded, Vegeta had vanished completely.
"Father!" Seeing his father depart, Trunks gave Gran a respectful nod before following suit.
"That guy..." Gran muttered, half-impressed and half-annoyed.
"Grandpa Gran, I'm heading home too! Bye-bye!"
A high-pitched voice rang in his ears, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was that brat, Pan. She was standing next to Goku, both of them waving as their Time Rings began to glow.
Just before they disappeared, Gran shouted one last thing: "Kakarot! If you really want to get stronger, ask the Old Kai when you get back. Ask him if he knows anyone named Beerus or Whis!"
In the Dragon Ball GT timeline, the events take place roughly fifteen to twenty years after the Super era. Yet, despite those extra years of training, Goku's Super Saiyan 4 form only reached the fourth tier of power. If he had someone like Whis to mentor him, there was no way his strength would be so limited. In the Super timeline, Goku's power skyrocketed after just a few sessions with an Angel.
There were many theories back in his old world—some said the GT timeline was an "abandoned" one where the divine hierarchy was flawed, which was why Destroyers and Angels were nowhere to be found. The fact that Goku and the others didn't recognize Gran's Destroyer attire suggested they had never even seen a God of Destruction.
Whether they actually existed in this timeline was something Gran wasn't sure of; they were just theories, after all. He figured Goku would have to find out for himself. If Beerus and Whis were around, the GT crew's power would absolutely take off.
Goku and Pan looked stunned for a split second, wanting to ask more, but the power of the Time Rings whisked them back to their own era before they could utter a word.
The Time Nest was now quiet, leaving only Gran and Chronoa.
"Nothing else to say? Can I take you now?" Chronoa asked, sounding a bit impatient at the delay.
Gran's lip twitched, but he had to ask. "Lord Supreme Kai of Time... Goku didn't recognize my clothes. Is it possible their timeline doesn't have a Destroyer or an Angel?"
As the overseer of time, he knew she had the answer.
"Guess!" Chronoa stuck her tongue out playfully. Without another word, she grabbed Gran and warped them out of the Time Nest.
GT Timeline – Sacred World of the Kai
An old man and a younger deity sat beneath a massive tree, while two green, fox-like creatures stood nearby. These were the Old Kai and Kibito Kai of the GT era.
Suddenly, two figures shimmered into existence behind the foxes.
"Oh?" The Old Kai looked up with a smile. "Goku, you're back from your mission?"
Goku and Pan stood there, but Goku didn't offer a greeting. Instead, he looked puzzled. "Old Kai, I have a question for you."
The Old Kai and Kibito Kai traded confused glances. Goku's tone was unusually serious.
"What is it?" The Old Kai stood up, tucking his hands behind his back.
Pan couldn't wait. "Old Kai, do you know two people named Beerus and Whis?"
Gran had told them to ask, and while she didn't know why, it clearly seemed important.
The moment the names left her lips, the Old Kai nearly jumped out of his skin.
"WHAT?!"
He lunged forward, grabbing Pan by the shoulders and shaking her. "Where did you hear those names?! Who told you about them?!"
Goku frowned. "Old Kai, what's wrong? Are they bad guys or something?"
"Bad guys? You, idiots, know nothing!" The Old Kai looked toward the heavens and sighed deeply. "They are a God of Destruction and an Angel!"
Gran, of course, knew nothing of the chaos he had caused back in the GT world. Currently, Chronoa had brought him to the Space-Time Rift.
He had been sucked into these turbulent currents once before, but seeing them again was different. There wasn't just one; thousands of them swirled before him, a dense, terrifying web of energy that could make anyone's heart skip a beat.
"If I get sucked back in there, I might never come out," Gran muttered, swallowing hard.
"It's not that dramatic," Chronoa giggled, covering her mouth. "If your raw power reached the level of the twelve Angels in Zeno's multiverse, you could escape on your own."
"Oh? You know how strong Whis and the others are?" Gran's interest was piqued. "What level are they exactly? And how far off am I?"
Punching Beerus and kicking Zeno had always been a bit of a dream. With his current martial arts mastery, he wasn't sure he could take Beerus yet, but he felt he had already surpassed him in mental state and raw output. But compared to Whis, the Grand Minister, or Zeno... well, Gran was self-aware enough to know he wasn't there yet.
"The Angels?" Chronoa tilted her head, thinking it over. She shook her head. "Honestly, even I'm not entirely sure. I've never seen them use their full power. All I know is that you've still got quite a way to go."
Well, that's helpful, Gran thought sarcastically. He shifted gears. "Then what about you, Supreme Kai of Time? What's your power level?"
He suspected her raw power hadn't reached the Angel level yet.
"What?" Chronoa rolled her eyes. "You looking for a fight with me now?"
"Not at all. Just curious."
"Hmph. Men and their curiosity usually lead to trouble! She sighed but decided to answer. "Fine. It's not like I rely on raw power to fight anyway."
Gran nodded. In various stories he'd heard, Chronoa was never a front-line bruiser; she was more like a supreme support character.
"So, your strength is..."
"Currently? I'm only at the first tier of the Godly Realm."
"What?!" Gran's eyes nearly popped out. He figured she'd at least be at the level of a Destroyer candidate—Tier 3. But Tier 1?
Wait... she said "currently." He remembered that she had transformations of her own. Her power would likely skyrocket in those states. The little brat was definitely holding out on him.
"Alright, enough chatter. Follow me." She flew toward the rifts.
"Where are we going?"
"Into the turbulence."
"Are you serious?" Gran stopped dead. "You want me to master space-time energy inside that mess?"
"Ding ding! Correct!" Chronoa turned back to face him, smiling brightly. "This is the gap between dimensions. It's saturated with the laws of time and space. Those rifts you see? That's where the power is most concentrated and volatile. You felt it before, didn't you?"
Gran fell silent.
"What's the matter?" Chronoa teased. "Scared of a little turbulence?"
"Scared? Please. This stuff can't hurt me." Gran's eyes darted around. He was a little traumatized. Being trapped forever with no idea what was happening was a nightmare.
"Tee-hee!" Chronoa giggled like a schoolgirl. "Relax. That Time Ring on your finger lets you ignore the gravitational pull of the rifts. If you want to leave, you can use the ring to bridge the gap."
"Really?" Gran looked at the ring, his eyes gleaming. "Is this thing that useful?"
"I told you, being a Time Patroller has its perks." She turned back around. "Now stop acting like a nervous wreck and keep up!"
She dove into the swirling energy. Gran didn't hesitate this time; he powered up and followed. As he entered the field, he felt that same terrifying suction.
"Use the ring!" Chronoa shouted over her shoulder.
Gran reacted instantly, thrusting his hand forward and focusing his will on the Time Ring.
Hmm!
The ring glowed with a brilliant silver light, and a stable tunnel cut through the chaotic energy ahead.
"I see!" Gran realized the trick. He stepped through the tunnel and arrived at the eye of the storm—the center of the turbulence.
Here, the suction vanished. Aside from the occasional "Space-Time Storm Blade"—shards of energy that could slice through reality—it was relatively calm. And for someone like Gran, those blades weren't much of a threat.
"Alright, Supreme Kai. How do I start?"
"From what I've seen, your Destruction energy works on the principle of reducing things from 'one' to 'zero.' It requires a specific mental state..." Chronoa explained, trailing off as she shook her head. "But Space-Time power is different. It doesn't have those strict requirements. If your talent is high enough, even a normal person can grasp it."
Gran knew she was right. Someone like Guldo from the Ginyu Force wasn't particularly strong, yet he could freeze time.
"Mastering this is hard to put into words. It's something you have to feel, not be told. See the energy swirling around you? Just stay here and meditate on it. That's your method."
"That's it?" Gran blinked. Then, a realization hit him. "Wait... so you're saying that even if you hadn't pulled me out earlier, I eventually would have figured this out on my own and walked out by myself?"
Chronoa's eyes darted away guiltily.
It was true. Given Gran's terrifying talent, it was only a matter of time before he mastered the energy and escaped the rift. But she had swept in and "tricked" him into becoming a Time Patroller first, only to bring him right back to the place she "saved" him from.
"You little..." Gran was so annoyed that he actually started laughing.
Chronoa looked at him cautiously. "You're... you're not mad, are you?"
"Oh, I'm definitely mad."
"Hey! You're a high-and-mighty Destroyer candidate! You can't get mad over something so small!" She stomped her foot, looking flustered.
Gran's lip twitched. Seeing the little goddess looking so aggrieved—as if she were the victim—made it impossible actually to stay angry.
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