Chapter 18

The two stand above Dr. Gero's laboratory. Gohan thinks for a moment, raises his hand, and throws an energy bomb down.

"Boom!"

The energy bomb explodes. The light is radiant, the ground shakes, and flames shoot up into the sky. The entire laboratory is blown to pieces, and a huge mushroom cloud rises. The explosion is heard hundreds of kilometers away. In the strong explosion, the weathered stone forest is flattened instantly, leaving a deep pit several kilometers in diameter, with thick smoke billowing.

Looking down at the deep pit, Gohan nods with satisfaction and flies away with Trunks. They quickly return to the Capsule Corps.

Bulma is still tinkering with the time machine. Gohan and Trunks unload Dr. Gero's legacy, filling the room with shocking discoveries.

"Did you two go robbing?" Bulma asks, stopping her work in surprise.

Gohan nods, "Yes, we found Dr. Gero's laboratory. Aunt Bulma, take a look at these. Are they useful to you?"

"Uh, did you get all of these from Dr. Gero?" Bulma quickly stands up to inspect the items.

Gohan replies, "Yes, I brought them back thinking they might be useful."

Bulma picks up a notebook and flips through it. As she reads, her surprise grows.

Bulma sighs, "Dr. Gero was a super genius, but he took the wrong path. Artificial humans, perpetual energy reactors, genetic engineering... these are all genius ideas."

Seeing her excitement, Gohan knows he did the right thing.

"How about it, Aunt Bulma, are these things useful?"

Bulma smiles, "They are very useful. Gohan, you did a great job. It's good you didn't destroy these things. Dr. Gero's scientific research is invaluable. With these, I might finish the time machine a year ahead of schedule. Plus, I can learn from the perpetual energy reactor for other projects."

Bulma talks excitedly, her face lit up with energy.

For the first time, Trunks sees Bulma so animated. She seems to have regained her youthful vigor.

Gohan laughs, "We've gained a lot today. We should have an extra meal tonight."

"Yeah, extra food," Bulma replies without looking up.

Half an hour later, Bulma finally emerges from her deep dive into knowledge. She immediately instructs Gohan and Trunks.

"You two help put all these things in the empty room next door. Remember to sort and organize them so I can check them later."

The two get busy again, moving items one by one. After they are done, Gohan and Trunks head to the gravity room to practice for a few hours. Practice is endless.

...

The next day, the three of them place the seven Dragon Balls on the open space near Capsule Corps and summon Shenron. The sky darkens suddenly, and after a burst of lightning and thunder, the familiar dragon hovers in the clouds. Its huge blood-red eyes flash, and its dragon whiskers sway, noble and majestic.

"Wow, wow, wow!" Trunks exclaims, seeing Shenron for the first time. His eyes light up, and he keeps yelling. It is so awesome. He daydreams about having a mount like this, his mouth crooked with excitement.

Meanwhile, Dende and Popo stand on the edge of the Lookout, observing the world. They naturally see Gohan and the others summoning Shenron.

Shenron's voice resounds through the sky: "The one who summoned me, tell me your wish. I can fulfill three wishes, any wish..."

"Can I really wish for anything?" Trunks asks excitedly.

"Of course, any wish within my power," Shenron responds.

Gohan rolls his eyes. "Don't you know your limits? Is it appropriate to brag like this?" he thinks.

Gohan looks up at Shenron with a tilted mouth. Feeling Gohan's gaze, Shenron's huge dragon body twitches. Is he looking down on him?

Gohan smiles, "Since you said so, I will make a small wish."

Shenron has a bad premonition but still responds, "Tell me your wish."

"Please improve my strength to the level of a God of Destruction or an Angel," Gohan requests.

Three black question marks appear on Shenron's head: ???

Silence.

Outrageous!

What?

Is this something I can do? Shenron thinks.

Gohan looks at Shenron, and Shenron looks back. After a few seconds of silence, Shenron lowers its head: "Sorry, this wish is beyond my ability. Please change your wish."

Gohan's mouth twists, "Didn't you just say any wish is okay?"

"Sorry, any wish within my ability. What you asked for is beyond my power," Shenron explains.

Seeing Shenron's lowered demeanor, something in Trunks' heart breaks. Where is Shenron's majesty?

Although he doesn't know what a God of Destruction or an Angel is, he realizes Shenron can't make any wish come true. Shenron boasted, and his image collapses instantly.

As for the wish, Gohan, Trunks, and Bulma had already discussed it last night.

The first wish: to resurrect the humans killed by the androids. The number is countless, as many as billions, accumulated over more than ten years. Ultimately, Shenron can only resurrect those killed in the past year.

This wish is easily fulfilled. Countless people resurrect with bewildered looks on their faces. The total number: 250 million. It shows how cruel and bloody No. 17 and No. 18 were, slaughtering hundreds of millions in just one year.

The second wish: to restore the cities and equipment on Earth destroyed by the androids. This wish is also easy to fulfill. However, with the current small population, many restored cities become empty, overgrown with weeds and vines, resembling ghost towns.

The third wish: to strengthen the Earth, making it more resilient.