The Saiyan Heritage and the Loneliness of the Warrior

Hello, dear readers!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's celebration!

Since I started watching Dragon Ball Z years ago, influenced by my husband, I've always wanted to learn martial arts. That dream finally came true last year when I began practicing Karate at a traditional Dojo in my city—and even better, with my husband by my side.

This experience has been incredible and has inspired me in many ways! Recently, I also started watching Cobra Kai, and I'm loving the early seasons. Between the Karate lessons and episodes of the show, I learned that "Martial Arts School" might not be the most appropriate term to describe Lettie's school in the fanfic. The term "Dojo" better reflects this type of environment.

So, starting from this chapter, Lettie's school will be referred to as a "Dojo." Additionally, those who re-read the earlier chapters will notice that I've already updated all mentions of the old term to the new one.

Thank you all so much for your support and kindness so far! May 2025 be a wonderful year filled with great readings and amazing moments!

With love,

Nathalia Croft

--------------

PICCOLO

Oh, how light I felt! How wonderful was the peace that washed over me!

I could hardly believe it… I was flying side by side with the woman who was now my… fiancée!

Yes, it was true! Lettie and I were ENGAGED!

How had the worst day of my life suddenly turned into the best?

But there was no time to stop and celebrate. We were heading into a war against the Androids, and we needed to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible. The other fighters needed our help.

"Piccolo…" Lettie called. "Please forgive me."

I turned to her, confused. "Why are you saying that?"

She lowered her head, her hair whipping in the wind as we flew at high speed, but I caught the sadness in her eyes.

"Because of me, we had to leave the battlefield and abandon our friends. We left Gohan, Krillin, and Tien at the mercy of Android 20." Her eyes grew red as she continued. "I-I… I felt so useless while fighting against that Android… I couldn't defeat him! It was so… humiliating." She looked at me, her gaze heavy with regret. "What kind of Saiyan warrior am I?"

My heart tightened at her words. Without hesitation, I moved closer and intertwined my fingers with hers.

"You're the kind of warrior who have given your all in this fight and realized that our enemies are far stronger than we anticipated. I say this for myself, too."

Lettie squeezed my hand and forced a little smile. "Thank you. You're the only one who can make me feel better." She sighed. "Do you think we still have a chance to defeat Android 20? I mean, Android 19 is already eliminated. If 20 is destroyed too, then that terrible future that Trunks warned us about won't happen, right?"

I pressed my lips together in thought. "Maybe we do." I couldn't suppress a playful smile. "Now, more than ever, I have a reason to win this fight. No Android in this world is going to keep me from marrying you."

"Oh, wow!" Lettie laughed warmly. "You're really in love AND impatient. I like this new side of you."

"For your information, miss, I've always been like this deep down. I just didn't know how to… uh… express it. And just so you know, ever since I died and had that dream, I've wanted to marry you, with all the bells and whistles, okay? I want to be able to look at you without hiding it, to hold you whenever I want, to kiss you, to make love with you all night long, and—"

I held my breath. Damn it! For the second time, I let my mouth get ahead of me. Love truly does put us through some humiliating moments. How ridiculous!

Lettie was staring at me, her face flushed red. But despite her embarrassment, my fiancée did not hide a mischievous expression and a gleam in her eyes. Reading her feelings, I sensed deep joy and contentment. We squeezed our hands a little tighter.

Things were like that with Lettie. Any awkward topic became fun.

But something interrupted our fun—or rather, someone.

"Mr. Piccolo! Miss Lettie!" exclaimed none other than Future Trunks, his eyes wide. "W-What are you doing here?"

It was strange to see the teenage version of the baby we'd seen with Bulma just hours ago on that plateau. Lettie seemed to think the same, as she stared at him in astonishment.

"Trunks?!" I replied. "I could ask you the same. You really came back!"

Silence fell, and I glanced at Lettie. She was still looking at the boy, but now her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Then, suddenly, she launched herself forward and hugged him.

"Oh, Trunks, dear!!!" Lettie cried. "I'm so relieved you're okay! Please, tell me how your mother is… Tell me how Naíma is!"

For a moment, I'd almost forgotten about the bond Lettie had formed with baby Trunks. Now, her concerned behavior toward his older self made perfect sense. More than that, I had momentarily forgotten that the adult version of my little daughter existed in his future.

At first, Trunks seemed confused by Lettie's sudden hug, but he quickly returned it, surely allowing himself to feel the maternal warmth she radiated with her affectionate gesture.

"We're all safe and well," he replied as they pulled away. "My mother is healthy, and Naíma is as clever as ever. They both said they miss you a lot."

Lettie couldn't hide her emotions. "I was so worried something terrible might have happened to you all! But now, hearing your news, I feel like my heart might burst!"

Indeed, as I read Lettie's feelings, a great hope emanated from her. Her relieved smile was contagious, affecting both Trunks and me.

"I'm glad to see you two are okay as well." Trunks turned to me, looking me over with clear admiration. "Wow, Mr. Piccolo! I sense an incredible power coming from you! Did you fuse with Kami?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "The time was right, so we did the fusion."

"Oh!" Trunks broke into a grin. "By my calculations, that also means you two have made up, right?"

Lettie and I exchanged surprised glances. The kid didn't miss a thing.

"Yes…" my fiancée answered with a shy smile. "In fact, Piccolo already proposed to me."

"Really?!" Trunks' face lit up. "That's wonderful!"

"You… uh… You're invited to the wedding ceremony, if you'd like," I added awkwardly. It was still strange for a tough, reserved guy like me to discuss such personal matters with anyone besides my fiancée.

"Thank you so much," he said. "I just hope I'm still alive to attend to it."

A heavy silence fell.

"Oh…" Trunks cleared his throat, looking down. "Sorry about that. It's just… I've lived in a world full of tragedies for so long, it's hard to believe anything good could happen amidst all this." He raised his head and forced a smile. "Anyway, I can't wait to tell Naíma the news! She'll be thrilled! I hope I get to meet her younger self in this timeline."

"I'm sure she'll adore you," Lettie replied, keeping the same optimistic tone.

"By the way, where is she?" Trunks asked.

"At the Lookout with Mr. Popo," I answered. "I thought it was too dangerous to leave her at Goku's house, especially now that he's suffering from the heart virus. The place could become an easy target."

Trunks furrowed his brow, visibly confused. "What? B-But I'm certain I gave Mr. Goku the medicine when I came three years ago!"

"Yes, dear…" Lettie said, gently patting his shoulder. "You did, but unfortunately… he didn't take it. I just hope it's not too late for the medicine to work."

Trunks grimaced and scratched the back of his head. "Oh… Wow… I… uh… Okay. I hope it works too." He sighed, clearly trying to mask his frustration. "Anyway, that's definitely not good news, considering what I just found out."

"What is it?" I asked, my unease growing as I sensed Trunks' feelings, which radiated deep fear.

"You're making me worried," Lettie added when the boy took too long to answer.

"Well…" He looked at us with anguish. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it." He paused for a moment, then revealed, "You're fighting the wrong Androids."

Silence.

What did Trunks just say?

How could we be fighting the wrong Androids?!

Lettie voiced my question, just as shocked as I was.

"Before I came to find you," he replied, "I landed not far from here and came across the head of a fat blue Android near a crater."

"Yes, that's Android 19," I said. "Vegeta destroyed him."

"Huh?? Android 19?" he gasped in disbelief.

"Trunks, please," asked Lettie, alarmed, "why are you reacting like this? What's the problem?!"

He stared at us, astonished, and answered, "I've never seen that blue Android in my life!!!"

Lettie and I exchanged horrified looks.

"What?!" I replied. "Are you saying Androids 19 and 20 don't exist in your timeline?!"

"HUH?? THERE'S AN ANDROID 20???" Trunks exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"Yes!" Lettie affirmed with urgency. "Piccolo and I are on our way back to the battlefield where he is with the other warriors. He injured me, and I needed care at the Lookout!"

Trunks was in shock.

"T-T-This can't be!" He grabbed his purple hair. "In my timeline, we fought OTHER Androids—number 17 and number 18! They're siblings! Who is this Android 20?!"

"He's a disgusting old man," I replied, filled with disgust as I recalled what he did to my fiancée. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's Dr. Gero himself in an Android version."

"Oh no…!" Trunks put his hand to his forehead. "Could my time travel to the past have altered the events??"

No one could answer. We just looked at each other, an intense sense of worry consuming us.

"See, Piccolo?" my Enemy threatened suddenly. "What good did your fusion do? It was useless!"

For a second, fear and anxiety tried to take over me, but then I remembered the calm voice of my Friend and his advices. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and ignored my Enemy.

The fear and anxiety dissipated, giving way to strength and courage.

"That's enough," I said finally. "We don't have time for speculation. Let's return to the battlefield right now! I don't care what number the Android is—whether they're fat or thin, tall or short, man or woman, blue or transparent—we must defeat them to prevent Earth from descending into utter disaster!"

They both looked at me with determination, agreeing with my words, and we flew off at full speed through the skies.

When we returned to that maze of rocks, we found Gohan, Krillin, Tien, and Vegeta as a Super Saiyan still fighting Android 20, who was still missing the arm I ripped off in my fury. As we approached, they stopped fighting, surprised by our sudden arrival.

"AUNT LETTIE!!!" Gohan flew to hug her. "You're recovered!!! I was so worried and… OH! Isn't that the guy from the future??"

Both Vegeta and Android 20 didn't seem pleased about the interruption of their fight, but everyone focused on the young man floating between Lettie and me, who turned red from their gazes.

"Yes," confirmed my fiancée. "We found Trunks on the way here, and he came with us."

"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!" someone exclaimed loudly.

That someone was Vegeta.

Everyone shifted their attention from Trunks to Vegeta, who was pale as a sheet, staring in disbelief at the young man beside me.

For the first time in his life, Vegeta addressed Lettie in a civilized tone, "W-W-What did you say? W-W-What is this boy's name??"

Lettie covered her mouth with her hands, finally realizing that, like her brother, she had revealed information that had been a secret to most of those present. She looked at me, and I nodded for her to proceed. There was no point in keeping that information hidden anymore. Sooner or later, everyone would discover the young man's identity.

"Yes, Vegeta…" she confirmed cautiously. Lettie then placed a comforting hand on Trunks's back. "This boy who came from the future to warn us about the Android threat is your son."

Trunks remained timid and tense as Vegeta stared at him, stunned and even paler. The others also radiated feelings of astonishment at the revelation.

However, our focus abruptly shifted when Trunks finally spotted Android 20, scrutinizing us from a lower point among the rocks.

"W-Who is he?!" Trunks turned to Lettie and me, sweating nervously. "Is that Android 20 you mentioned??"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Vegeta approached us, clearly still not recovered from the shock of learning Trunks's identity. "What are you saying, boy?! Isn't this the Android you warned us about?!"

Trunks was trembling, glancing between his father and Android 20. I looked at Lettie, whose expression revealed extreme anxiety.

"What does this mean?" Trunks murmured to himself.

Silence.

Then my fiancée confirmed what I was thinking, "You were right, Trunks. The Androids in your future are different from ours!"

A series of gasps and exclamations of "What?!", "How?!" and "No way!" erupted from the others at her statement. Android 20 remained silent, watching us with a dark expression. What on earth was going through his mind? I couldn't read his feelings!

So, did this mean there were more Androids beyond numbers 19 and 20? How many existed in total?!

Regardless, I didn't have time to ask more questions because something caught our attention: a small aircraft approaching our battle site.

"Hey!" Krillin pointed. "Isn't that Bulma in there?"

"It's her," Tien confirmed. "And it looks like Yajirobe is sitting in the passenger seat holding…"

"BABY TRUNKS!!!!!!!" Lettie shrieked beside me, showing an indignation I rarely saw her display. "H-H-How could she bring a baby to a battlefield?!?!"

Teen Trunks shared the same feelings as my fiancée. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!!!" he shouted, waving his arms at the aircraft. "IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!!!"

A chill ran down my spine as Android 20 looked at us, let out a sinister laugh, and said, "Now's my chance! I already told you that you have no salvation, and I'm not lying! Soon, Androids 17 and 18 will come to kill you all!"

His tone was so malicious that everyone's sense of dread washed over me like a cold wave, and then, without warning, he launched a powerful pink energy ball with his one good hand, bringing a devastating gale of destruction across the entire area.

The only thing I heard before flying off to protect Lettie and Gohan was a desperate Trunks yelling for Bulma. The sound of her aircraft's wreckage crashing among the rocks mixed with the explosion's roar.

After a long, deafening minute, silence fell.

Slowly, I opened my cape, finding Lettie curled up inside, holding Gohan tightly. As we always did, we made sure everyone was alright. Thankfully, nothing had hit us—except for some shards of rock against my back, which was already healing. But I could sense something was troubling Lettie. She was frantically looking around as if searching for something. It was only then that my super-hearing picked up her fearful whispers, "Trunks… Trunks… Trunks…"

Our eyes met, and I didn't need to read her feelings to understand what was racing through my fiancée's mind:

Have baby Trunks died in the explosion?

Have teen Trunks also died in the explosion?

Tears welled up in Lettie's eyes as we stood there, the horrific thoughts circling in our minds.

It was then that a sound similar to a choir of angels filled our ears: a baby crying.

Lettie's face lit up. The three of us rushed toward the sound through the rocks, and she gasped in relief when we saw a young man with purple hair standing in a corner, bent over Bulma and her baby, making sure they were alright, just as Lettie, Gohan, and I used to do.

As we approached, Krillin and Tien (carrying a passed out Yajirobe) also arrived to make sure Bulma and the baby were safe.

"OH, MY PRECIOUS CHILD!" Bulma cradled her baby, trying to calm him amidst all the terror. "Shh, shh, it's alright… Mommy's here…" She then looked up at the young man before her. "I-I don't know how to thank you, sir! You saved our lives! I-If you hadn't pulled us out of my aircraft in time, my baby and I… we would have… w-we…" She bowed her head and sobbed.

We exchanged uneasy glances; it seemed Bulma was still the only one among us who didn't realize the young man before her was the same baby she now held in her arms—only from the future.

Lettie, moved by compassion rather than indignation that Bulma had brought a baby into battle, knelt beside her friend and gently patted her back to comfort her.

Teen Trunks, however, was furious—not with Bulma, of course, but with Vegeta.

Vegeta was the only one in our group who didn't come to check on Bulma and the baby. He remained hovering in the air, as Super Saiyan, shouting furiously into the air for the Android, who had clearly escaped during the explosion.

Trunks shot toward Vegeta and hovered before him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE THEM?!" he demanded.

"…What?" Vegeta replied.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT YOUR WIFE AND SON!!!"

"Oh." Vegeta waved dismissively. "I couldn't care less about either of them, you fool!" He floated closer to Trunks. "If you're not here to help us fight, then stay out of my way!" With that, he flew off among the rocks.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group. Even from a distance, I could see the devastated look on Trunks' face after hearing such callous words from his father.

It was impossible for me not to feel sorry for the boy. After all, even though I had considered Naíma my daughter since the day I met her, I had technically acknowledged myself as her true father only a few short hours ago. Therefore, hearing a father so nonchalantly claim he didn't care about his wife and son, as Vegeta had, hurt deeply.

A painful sadness overtook me, for Trunks was consumed by an intense feeling of rejection. No child should ever feel that way.

A few minutes later, once everyone had calmed down, we gathered in a circle to discuss our next steps. Even Vegeta joined us, having given up on searching for Android 20. Bulma then confirmed my theory: Android 20 was none other than Dr. Gero himself. She had seen a photo of him in a scientific journal, and they were identical. As grotesque as it sounded, we speculated that he had turned himself into a super-Android to escape death and finally achieve his plan of world domination. Ugh! I couldn't believe I had once entertained the idea of doing something so foolish myself. And who would have thought that today my greatest desire was to marry the woman I loved and live a quiet, peaceful life with my family?

But the tension in the group escalated again. The baby cried as soon as he saw Vegeta's face, who then began throwing a fit at Teen Trunks, claiming that the boy had given false information about the Androids. Trunks argued that the only logical explanation was that History had changed, probably due to his use of the time machine.

"I believe it's best if you tell us everything you know about the Androids from your timeline," I suggested. "That way, we can avoid any more misunderstandings."

"You're right, Mr. Piccolo." Trunks took a deep breath and continued, "Android 17 is a young man with long black hair, and Android 18 is a pretty blonde woman who wears an outfit similar to mine. Both have cold eyes and wear earrings. When you see them, you'll know who they are."

"Do they absorb energy with their hands too?" Lettie asked, cradling the now-sleeping baby in her arms and with a much relieved Bulma by her side.

"No…" Trunks pressed his lips together. "It's hard to believe, but their energy is… unlimited."

"UNLIMITED ENERGY?!" Vegeta shouted. "DOES THAT MEAN EVEN MORE TROUBLE FOR US?!"

The baby woke up crying again. Lettie shot a sharp glare at his father.

"Bulma, where is Dr. Gero's lab?" Vegeta asked, approaching her. "He's probably heading back there!"

"Well…" Bulma sighed wearily. "According to the journal, it's in the mountains near North City. There's a rumor it's hidden in one of the caves."

"But he's probably far away by now," Krillin said. "There's no way to catch up to him."

"There's still time!" Vegeta smirked. "Did any of you see him flying?"

"That's right!" exclaimed Gohan. "He must have taken off running!"

"Yes," Vegeta confirmed. "And he'll keep using that advantage until he reaches his laboratory. He can't be far from here, I'm certain of it!"

A silence fell for a moment. If Vegeta's line of thought was correct, then we had the beginnings of a plan. A good plan. I hated to admit it, but Vegeta seemed to be right. I searched Lettie's gaze to hear her opinion, but she shook her head at me.

I took a deep breath. Another thing I hated to do: go against my fiancée's judgment.

Forgive me, Lettie.

"I understand your plan, Vegeta," I crossed my arms. "You want to destroy the laboratory before Dr. Gero wakes up Androids 17 and 18, don't you? Honestly… it's not a bad idea."

Vegeta then turned to me, still wearing that same smug smile. "Oh, Piccolo… I would never do something so cowardly. I WANT TO KILL THOSE TWO ANDROIDS WITH MY OWN HANDS!!! THAT'S ALL I WANT!!! THE FIGHT WITH THOSE OTHER ANDROIDS WAS FAR SOOOOO BORING!!!" He then took off into the sky, his Super Saiyan aura blazing around him.

I stood there, frozen, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. Slowly, I turned to Lettie, who gave me a small, understanding smile, as if to say, "I warned you, dear."

Damn it.

Forgive me, Lettie.

Meanwhile, Trunks flew after Vegeta, trying to stop him.

"Don't do this!" He spread his arms in front of his father. "You're underestimating the Androids! We need to destroy the lab before they wake up, just like Mr. Piccolo suggested!"

Trunks and Vegeta locked eyes for several long seconds. Then, Vegeta laughed derisively and flew away. For the second time, Trunks caught up to him and blocked his path with outstretched arms.

"LISTEN TO ME!!!" the young man pleaded. "If we don't make it in time, we must avoid fighting until Goku recovers from his illness!"

"We don't need to wait for Kakarot!" Vegeta retorted. "Can't you see me?! I can transform into a Super Saiyan! Besides, I'm an elite soldier, far above him! So GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" He then shot off into the skies.

Trunks lowered his head, sniffling. I glanced at Lettie. She was holding the baby in her arms with a strong maternal tenderness. Deep down, she longed to do the same for the older version of that baby. Beside her, Bulma also stood with her head bowed, a shadow covering her eyes, though it didn't hide the shimmer of a tear rolling down her face.

Oh, Vegeta… Why are you doing this?