The afterlife trembled as the four Kaios gathered on King Kai's fractured planetoid, halos glinting above their heads. "Disaster!" the Southern Kai wailed, his rotund frame quaking. "King Kai's dead—BoJack's gang broke free!" The Northern Kai—newly slain, halo fresh—cringed as his colleagues erupted.
"Who'd dare kill a Kai?!" the Western Kai snapped, her sharp features twisting.
"BoJack's loose—we must reseal them, or the galaxy's ash again!" the Eastern Kai barked, his lanky form pacing.
King Kai rubbed his temples, shame etching his round face. "It's my fault. Earth—my domain—birthed a monster. An android, Cell, crafted by their scientists. He killed me, snapped the seal tied to my life. BoJack's free because of it."
The Western Kai's eyes blazed. "Curse those Earthlings! Cell's next after BoJack!"
"Agreed," the Eastern and Southern Kais growled, fury mirrored in their glares. Cell's audacity—slaying a Kai, unleashing chaos—was unforgivable.
"Don't underestimate him," King Kai warned, voice grave. "Cell's no mere construct. His power rivals BoJack's—maybe exceeds it. He's rampaging through the Northern Galaxy, challenging every strong soul, obliterating planets he bests. Evil incarnate."
The others recoiled. "Rivaling BoJack?!" the Southern Kai gasped. "Two titans now? We're doomed—worse than before!"
"We've no choice," King Kai pressed, rallying them. "BoJack and Cell must fall."
"Easy words!" the Western Kai scoffed. "How?"
"To the Grand Kai," the Southern Kai sighed. "He'll know."
They turned to depart—then King Kai's antennae twitched. "Wait! Earth—someone's summoned Shenron! This could be our shot!"
The others lit up. "Shenron? Seize it!" Earth and Namek alone held such power—hope dangled within reach.
On Earth, a desolate plateau stretched beneath a storm-charged sky. Bulma clutched little Trunks, her face etched with despair. "They're all gone…" Cell's massacre had claimed the Z Fighters—Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo—leaving her son's future a fragile thread. Yet defiance sparked in her eyes. "No—there's still a chance."
The Dragon Balls. After Piccolo's fusion with Kami, Dende's ascension as Earth's god had restored them. Bulma had scoured the ruins, Trunks in tow, gathering fourteen—twice the expected haul. Dende, hovering nearby, gaped. "Fourteen?! I didn't make extras—my power can't!"
Bulma hefted a five-star ball, smirking faintly. "They're linked—hold one, feel the rest. No radar needed." She glanced at Trunks, his tiny hand gripping her sleeve, then dumped the orbs in a heap. "For you, kid—we're done betting on Cell's mercy." He'd spared Earth for Goku's senzu bean, but she wouldn't trust a madman's whim. Raising her arms, she shouted, "Come out, Shenron!"
Thunder cracked, the sky darkening as if the world held its breath. Two colossal energies surged. A green dragon, red-eyed and twenty meters tall, coiled into view. "State your wish—" It froze, jaw dropping. Beside it loomed Renkai—hundreds of meters of golden-scaled might, dwarfing the Earth Shenron like a skyscraper over a shed.
Bulma's breath caught, Trunks clinging tighter. The smaller dragon blinked up at Renkai. "Who… are you?! Am I not Earth's only Shenron?"
Renkai's massive head tilted, studying the scene—Cell's aftermath, Bulma's resolve. "Rare sight," he rumbled, voice a deep quake. "Summoning Earth's Shenron and me at once? Bold move." A cigar materialized between his claws, swelling to match his scale. He lit it with a spark, puffing a cloud that engulfed the smaller dragon.
"Cough—hack!" Earth Shenron flailed, swatting smoke. "Nonsense! I'm Shenron!" It glared up, defiant despite the size gap.
Renkai flicked ash onto its head, smirking. "Just a runt." He turned to Bulma, his tone softening slightly. "Bulma of this world—any wish, I'll grant. Speak."
She blinked, jarred from shock. A wish—salvation—dangled before her. But Earth Shenron, wiping ash with a scowl, cut in. "Don't listen to him! I'm the real Shenron—your wishes are mine to fulfill!"
Bulma's gaze darted between them—Renkai's towering, cigar-chomping menace and Earth Shenron's indignant familiarity. "Two dragons…" she murmured, confusion tightening her grip on Trunks. The Earth Shenron she knew; this giant, reeking of smoke and authority, was a stranger. Who held her son's future?
Above, the Kais watched through King Kai's fading senses, tension mounting. "Two Shenrons?!" the Western Kai hissed. "What's this mean?"
"Opportunity," King Kai breathed. "If they're both real, we've got double the power to fix this mess—Cell, BoJack, all of it."
Bulma squared her shoulders, voice trembling but firm. "I… I need to save Earth—my son. Which of you can stop Cell if he returns? Or worse?" The stakes pressed down, her world's fate hinging on the answer.
Renkai exhaled another plume, eyeing her with faint amusement. Earth Shenron bristled, ready to retort—the clash of dragons teetering on the edge of chaos.
***
Support me on Patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Oskin