After a week of searching across the planet, the two young Saiyans had six of the Dragon Balls in their possession. They only had one more left: the four-star ball.
They had to go through a lot to get them. They even had to swim across an entire ocean to find one that was on another continent, located near the Southern Capital.
On another occasion, they witnessed with their own eyes the exact moment the five-star sphere was devoured by a huge dinosaur. Of course, they had to hunt it down to obtain it. Afterward, they took advantage of the opportunity to have lunch with the prehistoric animal's meat. Something similar happened to what had happened to the first sphere they found.
The star ball was the simplest of all. They found it in a small village, where the chief promised to give it to them in exchange for getting rid of some bandits who were terrorizing the town and its inhabitants. It took them no more than a minute to defeat the vandals, who fled in terror, never to return.
The most incredible thing was that both of their pranks were at their limit during that short week. They tried not to fall into the temptation of doing anything stupid that would get them into more trouble or delay their mission.
"Okay, Goten, we're almost done. According to the radar, the last sphere is somewhere around here. Try to search really well."
However, something mysterious happened. While Trunks was busy searching through some bushes, Goten felt a kind of calling, as if someone or something was demanding his attention.
Son began walking straight through the dense forest, like an automaton, almost hypnotized. Without realizing it, he walked for almost five minutes until he reached a small clearing where the last sphere lay before him, perfectly perched on a rock, as if someone had left it there.
Little by little, the Saiyan approached her and took her in his hands. The four-star ball began to emit an intense golden glow upon contact with her body heat, as if trying to transmit something to her. The boy was absorbed by the scene before his eyes. Only Trunks's screams were able to bring him out of his strange trance-like state.
"Hey, Goten! Where have you been? Why are you leaving without warning?"
Immediately, Trunks' figure appeared from some nearby bushes, just a few meters from where Goten was standing.
"There you are! Why did you leave without..." But his question hung in the air. He couldn't finish it when he realized his friend had already grabbed the remaining sphere. "Hey, well done! You found it pretty fast! How did you know it was here?"
"I-I don't know... I just felt it... It was like the sphere was calling me..."
Trunks' face expressed utter confusion. He looked at his friend as if he'd gone completely crazy. The response couldn't have been stranger.
"Ehhh… yeah, whatever you say… What do you think if we go to Kamisama's temple right away and summon Shenlong there?"
Putting his thoughts aside, Goten nodded vigorously, and the young people began their journey to the immense. When they arrived at the Sacred Land of Karin, they met a tribe of Indians who claimed to be the protective guardians of the great tower.
They were extremely hostile and were ready to attack and drive away the two young intruders. But everything calmed down immediately when Bora, the enormous chief of the tribe, appeared.
Bora noticed Goten's uncanny resemblance to Goku. After all, the little Saiyan looked like a carbon copy of his father when he was the same age. Upa, the son of the tribe's chief, also noticed the boy's striking resemblance to his childhood friend.
After the two had duly introduced themselves, the tribe's attitude toward them changed completely. Goku was considered a hero in those lands. Any friend of Goku's would be welcomed, especially if it was none other than his son.
They gave the two young travelers a joyful welcome, inviting them to a magnificent banquet and to stay with them for the night so they could rest properly. The next morning, the boys could begin their climb to Kamisama's temple, and since they already had the seven Dragon Balls, they were in no hurry.
That night, the two young Saiyans ate and slept better than they had during the entire week they spent searching for the spheres.
Both Goten and Trunks woke up very early that morning, which was unusual for them. They wanted to get to Kamisama's temple as soon as possible.
After bidding their hosts a proper farewell, they began climbing the enormous tower at ridiculous speeds, much faster than Goku did as a child. Instead of climbing it, they ran on its surface, just like Tao Pai Pai did many years ago.
The incredulous Indians immediately realized how strong the boys were. They realized that no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn't have been able to stop them. And they didn't even know about the training clothes they were wearing.
For their part, the two Saiyans tried not to slow down for even a moment. But when they were more than halfway there, they began to tire a little due to the extra weight they had to carry.
"This thing never ends! It feels like it's endless!" Goten exclaimed as he was unable to see the top of the tower.
"I could swear this thing has some kind of magic that makes it seem longer. We've traveled so many miles, and we're not there yet. There's only so much distance between Earth and heaven. At this rate, we should already be in space!"
Trunks was right. It seemed almost unreal that the tower could be so tall. But after a few minutes, they managed to glimpse a large dome at the top, which belonged to Master Karin's house.
The old cat was already waiting for them. He knew they would be there at any moment. But he had no intention of putting them through the ordeal of obtaining the Ultra Sacred Water, because he knew it would be useless. The boys were so fast for him that they could snatch it away without realizing it.
When the two children arrived, Master Karin greeted them kindly and gave them water to quench their thirst, while ordering Yajirobe to fetch some Hermit Crab Seeds. Since the cat could read minds, he knew the children were planning to train in the Time Room, so he thought this might help them in their training.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Cat," Goten said with a small bow, just as they were about to leave again.
"HAVE MORE RESPECT, YOU INSOLENT BOY! I'm not just any cat! I'm Master Karin!"
"As far as I'm concerned, he just looks like an ordinary cat," Trunks commented, clasping his hands behind his head, deliberately disrespecting the old master. He wanted to tease him a little more on purpose.
"Yes, you're right. I don't think he has to be someone so important just because he can talk. I know many other animals that can talk too."
"AAARRGGG! YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY ARE ALL DISRESPECTFUL! Not even Goku had such rude manners when he was a kid!"
The little cat was so furious that he wanted to hit them with his cane, so Yajirobe had to intervene and restrain him by force. He didn't know many people, as he was a reclusive teacher, but in his more than 800 years of life, he had never met such rude boys.
"Oh, but you're in such a bad mood, Mr. Cat! If you don't calm down, you're going to have a heart attack! After all, you're a veeeery old cat..." Trunks finished with a mocking smile.
"Yes, Mr. Cat, you should take your medicine, or you might get sick."
"Please! Will you just leave? I can barely hold him!" Yajirobe warned, his face covered in scratches, as he struggled to contain the rampaging beast. Now, Master Karin was beating him with his cane, trying to free him at all costs.
"See you next time, Mr. Cat! Thanks for the seeds!" the two insolent young men said goodbye in unison, as they jumped onto the roof of the dome and began to climb the sacred staff to Kamisama's temple.
"It's about time, you two dwarves. You took a while down there with the cat, didn't you?" Piccolo greeted them in the temple gardens, arms crossed and with his typical serious look.
They did respect Piccolo, since he trained them when they were children. Not to mention that he was capable of hitting them hard on the head if they went too far with their stupidity.
"We already have all seven Dragon Balls. We thought it would be best to make the wish right here," Trunks replied as he took the precious balls out of a capsule.
¡BOOOMMM!
Once the smoke cleared, they could see the seven spheres gathered in a circle, shining incessantly with their mystical golden glow. With a small signal, Trunks indicated to Goten that he should be the one to summon the Dragon God, just as Bulma had instructed them.
"GET OUT OF THERE, SHENLONG AND FULFILL OUR WISH!" The little Saiyan shouted.
Immediately, the sky went completely dark all over the world. A great many black clouds began to cover the firmament, as if a dangerous storm were about to occur at any moment.
The spheres were shining brighter than ever when, without warning, a powerful lightning bolt from the sky landed violently on them.
An immense column of golden light emerged from the seven magic balls, so brilliant that everyone present was forced to cover their eyes to protect themselves. Powerful gusts of wind began to blow and shake everything vigorously, shaking the palm trees in the temple garden back and forth, causing them to bend as far as the ground.
The column of golden light, composed of a strange electricity, continued to ascend rapidly, while it began to twist on itself and snake through the skies, drawing a mysterious figure that little by little began to take shape.
A terrifying and powerful roar filled the entire place, coming from the eternal dragon that was beginning to emerge from the flashes emitted by that golden light. Its mere presence cast a mystical energy everywhere, incomprehensible to any living being. It wasn't ki, but rather a divine sensation exuded by that terrifying monster called Shenlong.
Its enormous size was so incredible that the extradimensional creature could be observed from almost anywhere if it weren't for the fact that the temple was located too high, out of sight of any human being.
No matter how many times he'd seen him, Piccolo continued to be impressed and filled with nostalgia by the mere presence of that imposing being. Of course, his Namekian blood made the experience seem more normal, as if it were in his genes, just like Dende and Mr. Popo, who had shown up at the place.
But Trunks and Goten were a different matter. They were so shocked they could hardly believe what was before their eyes. The gigantic, snake-like dragon must have been several kilometers long. It had long whiskers similar to those of a catfish, as well as terrifying, blood-red eyes.
It had four short, muscular legs, each composed of four toes, ending in powerful, sharp claws. The beast, while hovering in place above them, made a ceaseless, serpentine motion with its entire monstrous body.
When it seemed impossible to be more amazed by the presence of that divine being, the dragon opened its enormous mouth and began to speak.
"TELL ME WHAT YOUR WISHES ARE. I CAN FULFILL ANY THREE OF THEM, ANY THAT YOU WANT," growled Shenlong's powerful voice, which boomed as loudly as the thunder of a raging electrical storm.
"Go ahead, you were the ones who collected the spheres," Piccolo said, snapping the two children out of their trance, still in shock at the presence of the Dragon God.
"W-We want you to rebuild the Moon of planet Earth, which was recently destroyed, p-please," Trunks asked, his voice slightly shaky.
"THAT'S A VERY EASY WISH TO GRANT. I'LL DO IT RIGHT AWAY."
Immediately afterward, Shenlong's red eyes began to glow brightly, as they usually did whenever he was granted a wish. After a few seconds, his eyes went out, returning to normal.
"I'VE ALREADY FULFILLED YOUR FIRST WISH. NOW TELL ME WHAT THE SECOND IS AND I WILL GLADLY GRANT IT."
"Did he really do it already? It seems like absolutely nothing happened," Goten said in disbelief. The boy thought something much more incredible would happen.
"If Shenlong says it's done, then it's true. We just have to wait until it gets dark, and we'll surely be able to see the moon," Dende replied calmly. "Okay, have you thought about the second wish?"
Piccolo feared the worst. He wanted to tell Shenlong to leave as soon as possible and not grant any more of their wishes. But Goten's voice spoke before him.
"We want you to rebuild the entrance to the Time Room so our dimension can connect to it again!"
The Eternal Dragon remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
"I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. OPENING ACCESS TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION ISN'T EASY, BUT I THINK I CAN DO IT." His eyes began to shine again, repeating the same process as before. "I'VE ALREADY FULFILLED YOUR SECOND WISH. NOW TELL ME WHAT THE THIRD WILL BE."
Once again, the boys went ahead of a worried Piccolo; however, it was to announce to Shenlong that that was all for now and that he could leave.
With that, the mighty Dragon began to shine again, a blinding radiance that completely covered him. Little by little, he began to lose his shape until he disappeared completely. Now, in the place where Shenlong's imposing figure had been, the seven Dragon Balls were floating very high, then shot off in different directions until they were lost to sight.
The spheres had been scattered around the world again, but not turned to stone. However, it would take some time before they could be used again for the remaining wish.
Slowly, the clouds began to clear, and the sky regained the clarity of day, thus dispelling the gloomy darkness that had loomed all around.
"Who gave you the idea to make the reconstruction of the entrance to the Time Chamber your second wish?" Piccolo asked the two little Saiyans, knowing that such an idea couldn't have come from them.
"My dad asked us to. He said it would be a shame to never use the room again, since training in it brought fantastic results. Besides, he said we might need it in a future emergency."
"I see. It seems like something typical of Goku. Maybe he's planning on using it soon."
"Actually, Lord Piccolo," Goten spoke again, "he also asked us to train on it for a full year. We weren't keen, but we agreed as part of the punishment for destroying the Moon. It was either that or spend a whole year grounded doing chores and not being able to see each other."
A few minutes later, Mr. Popo returned to report that the Time Room had indeed returned to normal. The entrance, along with the other facilities, had been successfully rebuilt.
The news left Dende quite pleased. "It was certainly a good idea on Goku's part. You never know if they'll have to use it someday to become stronger in a short time. After all, training for a whole year in there is equivalent to one day in our dimension."
"Yes, on more than one occasion, the room has been quite useful. Just let me warn you a couple of things, dwarves. You mustn't spend more than two years at a time inside it; otherwise, the entrance will disappear. Don't stray too far from the entrance either, or you'll be lost in there forever. Do you understand?"
Receiving no response, Piccolo turned around to realize the two insolent brats had left him talking to himself. The boys had hurriedly left and had already entered the room.
"That pair of idiots will never change. I hope they don't do anything stupid in there..."
The Time Room is an extraordinary place. Inside, gravity was ten times that of Earth, so the boys' training clothes must have weighed approximately ten tons. Now they could tell the difference.
Furthermore, the weather conditions were brutal. Without warning, it could fall into darkness, where temperatures could drop to -50°C, while during the day, the scorching heat could reach 50°C. Furthermore, the air was thinner and much less dense. Oxygen was scarcer.
However, that wasn't the most incredible thing. The strange dimension had different space-time laws than those on Earth. Time passed differently within it, much faster, while its size was unlimited. Except for the entrance and the small structure built around it, it had only a white, empty space inside, which extended to infinity. It was like being in nothingness.
Both Trunks and Goten trained inside it for almost a month as children, so they were already used to it. Near the entrance were the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and storage room, everything they needed to survive for the year.
Inside that room, the two young Saiyans would spend a full year of their lives training arduously, perfecting their techniques, increasing their physical strength, speed, and endurance. Being in such a desolate and harsh place represented a psychological challenge, so it would also help strengthen them mentally.
They even had a lot of time to practice the fusion, to the point that they had managed to remain transformed into Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks for almost the entire half hour that the famous Metamoru technique lasted.
After spending the entire day training, the boys would return to the entrance for a well-deserved swim, a meal, and, of course, plenty of sleep to regain their energy. But as the months passed, they both realized they could fight for much longer periods of time.
While they already had prodigious physiques for their age, their muscles were now much more defined and hard as steel. Of course, this was also due to the greatly increased ki of both of them.
"Ufff... Boy, am I starving! I hope you have lunch ready!" Trunks exclaimed as he came out of the bathroom and towel-dried his hair. "These three weeks of nonstop stuff have really worn me out."
That day, it was Goten's turn to cook. Once the little boy had a good shower, he began preparing dinner, if you could call it that. He was terrible at cooking, even worse than Trunks, but they had no other choice. They had to divide up the few duties they had. Besides, they were always so hungry after training that they didn't pay much attention to the taste of the food.
They were so hungry that they ate the enormous amount of food poured into the pots and pans in complete silence, without saying a word, as if they had never eaten a single bite in their lives. Afterward, they both retired to bed, completely exhausted, leaving the dirty dishes for later.
"Hey, Goten, this year has gone by a lot faster than I thought. My clothes don't even weigh me down anymore; it's like I'm not even wearing them." Trunks commented, lying on his bed while casually staring up at the bedroom ceiling. "Do you think our mothers suspect we were here for a year?"
Even though they'd only been on Earth for a day, the boys had grown during that year in their room, not to mention Trunks's hair, which reached almost his shoulders and had to be tied back in a ponytail. The change they'd undergone after being away from home for just over a week was very evident.
"Oh, what do I know, Trunks! Could you let me sleep? I'm too tired."
"Well, it's not that bad! I just wanted to know what you thought. Tomorrow will be our last day in here. We should take advantage of it and have a final stand. What do you say?"
But after a few seconds, he didn't receive any response. Trunks knew his friend very well and knew exactly what had happened. Sure enough, when he turned over, he saw Goten fast asleep and in his usual messy position, with the sheets thrown to the floor and his arms and legs spread out, taking up almost the entire space of his bed.
"Arrrggg, I hate it when he falls asleep and leaves me talking to myself! No way, at least we don't have to sleep together. Otherwise, he'd be kicking me all night."
Soon, Trunks also fell into a deep sleep. Now, the two would have to rest a lot if they wanted to regain their energy. Tomorrow would be quite exhausting for several reasons.
The next day's battle proved to be of enormous proportions. The floor of the room was shattered everywhere, a result of the dangerous energy techniques the boys threw, as well as the brutal impact of their blows and the powerful ki released from their bodies.
Both started the fight in their base state, but after a few hours, they immediately jumped to the ascended Super Saiyan state, a transformation that by the way, they had learned to master very well.
From this point on, the fight continued for several hours, becoming much more intense and rapid. The speed at which they were fighting was extremely high, as was the level of concentration both had. They were so engrossed in their fight that they failed to notice an extremely important detail: they had strayed too far from the entrance.
Trunks intended to show his friend a little trick he'd learned and was saving for just this moment. But the tiny distraction from his thoughts opened a small gap in his defense, through which a precise kick from Goten filtered in.
BAAAAMMMMM!
The powerful crash of Trunks' body slammed violently against the white floor of the room. The kick, which landed directly in his face, left him somewhat dazed for a couple of seconds.
As he stood up again to counterattack, he realized how far away they were.
"Hey, wait! Stop a second!"
"What's wrong? Do you want a little break?" Goten asked, still floating in the air and maintaining his fighting stance, a confident smile on his face.
"That's not it, idiot! Do you even know where we are? I think we're lost..."
Trunks's words brought him back to reality. He was so focused on the fight that he didn't even notice how far they had gotten from the entrance. They were simply in the middle of nowhere, lost. If they didn't do something, they could be trapped there forever.
Wasting no time, Goten began circling the area, trying to glimpse something in the distance, but it was impossible. His gaze was lost in the endless white horizon before him. Trunks took flight and joined him to help him search, of course, without any success.
"What do we do now? I don't want to be trapped here!" Goten exclaimed, visibly nervous. Getting lost in a place like that must have been a terrible experience. You'd end up dying slowly, without anyone ever hearing from you again. "Do you have any idea how to get back?"
"Of course not. I'm as disoriented as you are. I think we'll have to fly until we find the entrance."
Trunks's proposal wasn't at all hopeful. Trying to find the entrance in an infinite place like this was a task, at best, impossible. They might even end up going deeper and deeper into the room, moving away from the only exit they had. There was no need to discuss it among themselves. They knew it wasn't a good idea.
"I don't know, Trunks. We could get even more lost since we have no idea which direction to fly. We have to think of something else..."
They both began to reflect, trying to find an idea within their minds that was worthwhile.
"I got it!" Trunks suddenly shouted. "Remember when Lord Piccolo destroyed the entrance during the fight against Majin Buu and we got stuck?"
"That's right! We can open a hole like that time! We just have to merge!"
Immediately, the two landed, still in Super Saiyan form. They then took a safe distance to properly perform the fusion. They had practiced it extensively inside the room, so they would have no problem doing it successfully. Thus, the two young Saiyans began the steps of the ridiculous Metamoru Dance.
―¡FUU
Once they joined their index fingers together, a sphere of golden light completely covered the boys, expanding ever larger until it reached a gigantic diameter. The powerful ki emanating from within expelled enormous gusts of wind that extended for miles around.
In short, a spectacle of flashes worthy of admiration, if not for the fact that they were both alone in the middle of nowhere. Finally, an immense column of golden light, much thicker than the one that emerged from the Dragon Balls, soared high into the air until it was lost from sight in the infinite sky of that strange dimension.
"TATARARAAAAN!" Super Gotenks is here!
One of the most notable characteristics of those warriors who underwent fusion was the confident, arrogant, and presumptuous attitude that formed part of the personality of the new being born after the union. Perhaps it was due to the unimaginable power the individual acquired, but it certainly added to their disadvantage during combat, as they weren't taken seriously.
But they weren't done yet. Despite their astonishing ki, the boys had to take their fusion to the next level and surpass Super Saiyan levels if they wanted to break through the space-time barrier in the Time Chamber.
―AAAAAAAAAHHH! ―Was the powerful scream that came from Gotenks' throat, while the young warrior clenched his hands tightly and began to raise his ki violently.
The power that flowed from his body was so great that the Time Room shook as if a terrible earthquake were occurring, as if the dimension was trembling with fear from the incredible amount of energy that the Saiyan was expelling.
Electricity began to course through his body. It was nothing more than the objective expression of ki that had become tangible, that had acquired a physical appearance due to its intrinsic immensity and could not be contained within that powerful being, who seemed to have no limits to his strength and continued to elevate it ever higher.
The gritted grimace on Gotenks's face demonstrated the sheer effort it took to push his powers to their limits. His muscles began to swell, a product of the immense energy building within them. His pectorals, biceps, and quadriceps grew at least twice their size, while veins popped out across their surfaces.
Soon, the unmistakable sign of the end of her monstrous transformation began to appear, when her blond hair began to grow little by little, turning into long, shining golden spikes that descended further and further, to the point where her hair ended up almost touching the ground.
With a final flash, as if a thousand lightning bolts flashing at the same time, the transformation was complete.
And there was Super Gotenks 3 in all his magnificence!
The warrior's appearance, despite his height of no more than five feet six inches, was extremely imposing. His muscles, his golden aura, or perhaps the constant electricity coursing through his body were responsible. But nothing was more terrifying than his stern emerald gaze, complemented by his prominent, eyebrowless forehead, characteristic of the Super Saiyan Stage 3.
"Well, it's time to leave this horrible place. So I'd better not waste any more time."
Gotenks then clenched his fists again and shouted, unleashing his massive ki even further, if that were even possible. With this, he managed to open a glowing hole in front of him, appearing in the air as if an invisible crystal had shattered, corresponding to the fabric of space-time shattering under his unimaginable power. It was his raw strength in the form of energy that was responsible for this distortion of reality.
But unlike the time they escaped from the room with Piccolo, the glow from the hole didn't allow them to see what was behind it. They couldn't see the garden of Kamisama's temple, much less.
They also didn't have time to stop and think about further details, as the portal began to slowly shrink, threatening to close again. It would only stay open for a few seconds. If they didn't get through soon, they'd have to open it again, and the task wasn't as easy as it seemed. Without further ado, Gotenks jumped through.
No sooner had Gotenks completely passed through the glowing hole than it closed behind him, as if it had never existed. He had already left the Time Room.
Taking a quick look around, the Saiyan realized that he was not in the temple, but in the middle of a narrow dirt path surrounded from side to side by a thick forest.
"This isn't Kamisama's temple. Apparently, the portal transported me to another place on Earth." He muttered to himself in his strange voice, which was a kind of mix between Goten's and Trunks's─. Bahh, no way! The only important thing is that I managed to escape from that damned place! I'll never make the same mistake again! ―The powerful warrior gave a deep sigh, while rapidly decreasing his ki.
¡Poof!
A small cloud of smoke covered him, revealing, once it dissipated, the two boys separated once more. One of the things they learned during their training in the room was to undo the merge at any time they desired, without having to wait for the thirty minutes to end.
"That was easy enough. When we fuse, we're way too powerful," Goten commented in a somewhat arrogant tone.
"You're right, but you have to admit you were almost panicking," his friend replied with a mocking smile.
"Of course not! It's just... I... I got a little nervous, but that's all!"
"Yeah, whatever you say, Goten. Admit you were scared!" Trunks continued teasing him, wanting to provoke him and dare him to do something stupid. "But hey, what can I say... poor you if you didn't have a friend as great as me..."
"What are you saying, idiot! We'll leave together! If I hadn't been there, you wouldn't have been able to escape either!" Little Son shouted angrily, clenching his hands.
Suddenly, their silly discussion was interrupted by a calm, relaxed, almost monotonous voice that addressed them without warning.
"This place is very dangerous for two children like you. Are you alone?"