In the temple, Yuujin, Goku, and the other women were welcoming Bulma and Chi-Chi back.
"How was it, Bulma, Chi-Chi? Everything went smoothly?"
After sharing a warm embrace and kisses with the two, Yuujin asked.
"Hmph, with Chi-Chi and me handling it personally, how could it possibly fail?"
Bulma smirked smugly. "We had the former Kami and the elder of Namek help strengthen the Dragon Balls. Not only has the wish-granting power been amplified, but now Shenron can grant three wishes each time he's summoned!"
However, a shadow of worry crossed Bulma's face as she added, "But the Dragon Balls haven't regained their power yet. It'll take at least four months before we can summon Shenron again."
West City had been destroyed by Dr. Gero and Android 19, and countless people lost their lives. Bulma was desperate to use the Dragon Balls to restore her hometown to its former state. If they had to wait four months, many of the deceased might already have been reincarnated, making it impossible to revive them with the Dragon Balls.
"That's easy," Yuujin said, tapping Bulma's forehead lightly with a smile. "Just put the Dragon Balls in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. A few hours in there, and they'll be fully recharged."
Bulma's eyes lit up. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Yuujin, I love you!"
In her excitement, she hugged Yuujin tightly and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Since time inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber flows hundreds of times faster than outside, the Dragon Balls would regain their power in just a few hours. Without wasting time, Bulma ordered a few maidservants to place the Dragon Balls in the chamber and retrieve them later.
"Bulma, Chi-Chi, is it just me, or have your energy levels increased significantly?" Goku's curious voice broke the air as she observed Bulma and Chi-Chi closely.
Everyone else also noticed this now—both Bulma and Chi-Chi were radiating much stronger energy than before!
"Hmph, finally noticed, huh?" Bulma grinned proudly.
"On our trip to Namek, the Grand Elder of Namek helped Chi-Chi and me unlock our latent potential, boosting our power significantly. Now Chi-Chi and I are both incredibly strong!"
Unlike the original Dragon Ball story, this timeline's Namek hadn't been invaded by Frieza's forces, and the Grand Elder was still alive.
Yuujin, aware of the Grand Elder's ability to unlock latent potential, smiled knowingly. Normally, few could approach the Grand Elder, let alone receive his help. But Bulma and Chi-Chi had managed to gain this rare benefit.
"Bulma, Chi-Chi, unleash your full power," Yuujin urged, eager to see how far they had progressed.
Nodding, both women released their energy. A powerful aura flared around them, and Yuujin, wearing a scouter, measured their battle power. The results confirmed their significant growth.
Bulma, whose battle power had been just a few thousand due to years of consuming Esenji and occasional training with Yuujin, had now surpassed ten thousand. While modest by Yuujin and Goku's standards, this was a massive leap for Bulma.
Chi-Chi, on the other hand, had reached an astonishing level. Her base battle power was now in the tens of millions. With her mastery of the Kaio-ken technique, even at tenfold, Chi-Chi could unleash a power exceeding hundreds of millions.
If she were to face Frieza now, Chi-Chi alone could easily annihilate him. For a human, Chi-Chi's growth was truly remarkable.
"Well done, Chi-Chi," Yuujin said, gently patting her forehead.
Blushing slightly, Chi-Chi felt elated knowing her strength would be more useful to Yuujin.
"Yuujin, who's that?" Bulma's gaze shifted to Android 18.
"She's Android 18. From now on, she'll be one of our companions," Yuujin replied, introducing 18 to Bulma and Chi-Chi while recounting the events that had transpired on Earth during their absence.
Hearing about Dr. Gero's demise at the hands of his own creations and Yuujin's victory over Androids 16, 17, and 18, both Bulma and Chi-Chi were visibly stunned.
"18, I'm Bulma, Yuujin's wife." Bulma smiled warmly. "Welcome. Let's all get along from now on."
"I only agreed to give him a chance to pursue me. I haven't decided to join you all yet. If I ever get bored here, I'll leave immediately," 18 replied coolly, her tone neither cold nor warm.
"Come now, don't say that. You've already fallen into Yuujin's hands; there's no escape!" Bulma teased, looping her arm around 18's. "Trust me, we've all been there. As future family and sisters, let's take care of each other!"
"…," Android 18 muttered.
"…," Yuujin sighed.
A few hours later, the Dragon Balls regained their power in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Bulma summoned Shenron and wished for West City to be restored to its original state.
Afterward, Yuujin and his companions headed to Dr. Gero's lab. Under Yuujin's orders, Snake Princess and her Red Silk Girls secured and occupied the facility.
Dr. Gero's genius was evident in his inventions, which even Bulma marveled at. Sadly, his talents were wasted on vengeance and world domination.
In the lab's depths, Yuujin discovered Cell in its embryonic state. Though it posed no threat now, the data showing its potential power terrified even Bulma and the others.
Rather than destroying Cell, Yuujin had other plans. He ordered the Red Silk Girls to transfer all of Dr. Gero's research and equipment to the temple.
Cell's strength in the original Dragon Ball storyline had pushed Goku and the others to their limits. Yuujin, however, saw this as an opportunity. While Cell was still in its development phase, Yuujin considered modifying it to create a version loyal to him.
To Be Continued…
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