Taro kept his eyes closed, his mind still replaying every detail of the prophetic dream he had tonight.
Back when he returned from Grand Kai's Planet and traveled to Namek with a young Ninn, he had once pondered the nature of foresight and prophetic dreams in a conversation with the Grand Elder.
The Holy Mage had a prophetic dream, foreseeing the destruction of Magic Planet by Freeza's twin-star army. Later, due to Taro's wish on Namek severely disrupting the course of history, the future in the dream shifted—this time, he arrived just in time to save the entire Magic Star population.
Even Beerus, the God of Destruction, had experienced prophetic dreams.
In his vision, he fought a mighty Super Saiyan God in a fierce battle. And as fate unfolded, events aligned exactly as foretold—Goku, with the help of his allies, ascended to become a Super Saiyan God and dueled Beerus.
And now…
Taro had a similar dream. However, what he foresaw was the latter half of his life with Hathaway. If he did nothing, would things truly unfold as they did in the dream? Strangely, he felt an odd sense of calm—neither overwhelmed by the emotions of the vision nor relieved that it was merely a dream.
It was as if his heart held no great joy or sorrow… perhaps because he already knew he would never take that path.
The night ahead was a deep, endless black, the distant rustling of trees and the crashing waves of the sea reaching his ears. For Taro, who constantly absorbed the faint natural energy around him in every movement, the island, the ocean, and even the entire world felt like a living, breathing entity. Every pulse of nature resonated like rhythmic breathing.
---
Walking with the wind, Taro slowly descended toward the base of the mountain.
Meanwhile, somewhere within the dense forest encircling the island, a sleeping phoenix suddenly opened its eyes. An unspoken bond stirred within its heart, and its gaze instinctively turned toward the dark night—toward the exact place where Taro stood.
Flap—
Like a spirit of the night, the crimson figure of the phoenix flickered through the forest and shot into the sky.
Hathaway, seeing Taro leave the mountainside, suddenly felt an inexplicable pull. She hastily threw on a nightgown, wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and left her room. As she walked through the crystalline corridors, the walls glowed faintly, illuminating her way. Soon, she arrived at the lift that descended to the foot of the mountain.
Taro raised his hand toward the pitch-black sky. A crimson glow ignited within the darkness, and the phoenix landed gently on his arm. It obediently shrank its form, adjusting its size to perch more comfortably.
"Good boy…" Taro stroked the phoenix's flawless red feathers. The creature purred in contentment, lowering its head and closing its eyes.
At that moment, an overwhelming mental force surged into the phoenix's spirit world—an immense, unstoppable tide, as vast as an endless ocean.
Taro's consciousness merged seamlessly with the phoenix's thoughts, his presence hovering like a phantom above its spiritual realm.
Man and beast, bound by blood, achieved an unprecedented level of harmony.
Taro closed his eyes, allowing his mind to fully immerse in the phoenix's spiritual domain. Before long, with the phoenix's cooperation, he could begin to perceive—no, see.
One… two…
His layered spiritual senses expanded at an incredible speed, radiating outward from Martial Immortal Island in all directions across Earth.
Three… four…
The range grew wider and wider, covering the vast ocean, stretching onto the land, passing through desolate wilderness, bustling cities drenched in neon lights, and remote villages shrouded in silence…
Five… six… seven.
"Excellent."
With the phoenix perched on one arm, Taro raised his other hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together as he slowly lifted them.
As his fingers moved, the mental energy he had locked onto seven targets instantly dissipated—except for seven strands of spiritual intent that firmly anchored them in place.
Then, in a sudden flick, Taro's two fingers snapped upward!
This simple motion sent a heavy, unseen force rippling across Earth like a hidden tidal wave. In an instant, seven invisible waves reached the seven individuals he had marked through the phoenix's power.
In the dense tropical forest of the south, an orange-yellow sphere with a red five-pointed star lay quietly on a tree branch. Suddenly, without anything approaching or touching it, it trembled slightly.
At the bottom of a mountain stream outside a small village, the Two-Dragon Ball slowly floated up, breaking through the water's surface. Droplets clung to it, refracting the moonlight into a dreamlike glow.
Beneath the icy cliffs of the northern mountains, the Three-Dragon Ball shot out from the depths of a pitch-black abyss, transforming into a streak of orange-yellow light.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
From different corners of the world, six tiny streaks of light simultaneously streaked toward the same direction, tracing beautiful arcs across the night sky.
The One-Dragon Ball!
The Two-Dragon Ball!
The Three-Dragon Ball!
The Five-Dragon Ball!
The Six-Dragon Ball!
The Seven-Dragon Ball!
They all flew unwaveringly toward a single target over the vast ocean.
Stepping out of the passage at the mountain's base, Hathaway lifted her gaze and saw something departing from their home at the mountainside. As she watched the familiar twinkling orange-yellow glow, she murmured, "Is that… the Four-Dragon Ball?"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Seven orange-yellow spheres floated in a circle above Taro's raised fingers, pulsating with a bright radiance as they resonated with one another.
The Phoenix looked up at the orbs, as if it had not played with them in a long time.
With a casual flick of his hand, Taro tossed the seven Dragon Balls onto the ground, where they landed in a perfect circle. Their resonance intensified, and the frequency of their shimmering light increased.
"Come forth, Shenron."
He spoke calmly.
Boom!
In an instant, the world was split into two hemispheres, engulfing everything in darkness.
A golden light erupted from the Martial Immortal Island, surging into the sky like a divine dragon.
…
"That is…"
Hathaway was left speechless as she stared in astonishment at the immense green dragon emerging from the golden lightning in the distance. Coiling into the shape of an infinity symbol, it lowered its body, its head bowing toward the ground.
"You who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls… Speak your wish… No matter what it is… I shall grant it…"
A deep, resonant voice boomed from the magnificent dragon.
"What's going on!?"
Son Gohan had naturally been awakened by the commotion. Bursting out from his house on the mountainside, his attention was immediately seized by the golden light and the dragon in the night sky. Then, sensing his master's wife's energy near the base of the mountain, he descended toward her.