Random Thoughts.....What Are You Thinking?

Trunks has attacked Goku, much to everyone’s confusion, but Bulma quickly smacks some sense into him. Trunks is amazed to see Goku still alive, since last he knew Goku died during the battle with Cell.

Goku says that “a lot” has happened since then, and Bulma asks Trunks what’s going on. Hearing that this young man is named “Trunks”, Beerus and Whis confirm that this is also kid Trunks’ name, and guess that time travel shenanigans are afoot.

Meanwhile, the Pilaf Gang continue to make a fuss about Future Trunks being Bulma and Vegeta’s illegitimate child and what a scandal this all is, so Bulma finally explains for everyone that the two Trunks are simply two different versions of the same person, from different time periods. Kid Trunks is shocked to learn that this newcomer is a version of himself from the future.

Everyone goes outside to the time machine, which Bulma explains is her great invention. Future Trunks notes how he previously used it to come to this time line when kid Trunks was just a baby. Whis is impressed that a human could really build a time machine…but points out that it’s a serious crime to travel to the past or future, or otherwise manipulate time.

Meanwhile in the future, Goku Black continues to be perplexed at his inability to locate Trunks. He can’t find Trunks’ ki anywhere on the planet. However, there’s a sudden reaction from the ring on his finger. This “Time Ring”, as he calls it, creates a portal…

Back in the present, Whis explains how time is ordinarily only supposed to flow in one direction. If you turn back time to travel to the past and, for instance, pluck a flower, this can have an enormous effect on all later history. Cities and even entire cultures can change, and whole planets can vanish from the universe.

That’s why time travel is strictly regulated, even among the gods. Trunks is surprised to hear Whis mention “gods”, and Bulma explains that Whis and Beerus came from “the world of the gods”.

Beerus says that he could destroy all of them for this crime, and Bulma freaks out, saying that she wasn’t actually the one who built the time machine: it was only her future self! Beerus thinks it hardly makes a difference though.

Meanwhile, Trunks desperately begs Whis for mercy…but Whis explains that Beerus is the god, not him (he’s just an attendant). Trunks now begs Beerus to punish him alone and spare his mother, and Beerus agrees to overlook the offense if they treat him to a new food. Bulma provides some fish sausages, which satisfy Beerus and Whis.

Over in the fields, Piccolo and Kuririn have finally finished the harvest. Chi Chi tells them about the reappearance of the time machine and Future Trunks, so they hurry over to Capsule Corporation. Goten wants to go too, but Chi Chi is adamant that he needs to study for his test.

Bulma (with the Pilaf Gang tagging along) goes into the time machine to check out its condition. She discovers that it has run out of fuel, meaning Future Trunks can’t return to his own time. However, just as Bulma wonders what her future self had in mind, she discovers a notebook in her own handwriting, addressed to herself.

Vegeta asks Trunks what’s gone wrong in the future. Did Majin Boo appear? Trunks explains that no, he was able to defeat Dabra and Babidi and successfully prevent Boo’s resurrection, with help from the instructions Kaioshin gave him (though it was a difficult fight). However, afterwards an even more fearsome foe appeared…

At this point, Trunks again apologizes for attacking Goku. When he saw Goku, he mistook him for this new opponent, and assumed he had failed to travel back in time. In fact, the enemy in the future calls himself “Son Goku”, and looks just like him. However, he wears black clothing, and so they in the future have taken to calling him “Goku Black”. Bulma complains about this clichéd name, but Future Trunks says it was her future self who coined it.

Trunks goes on: when this “Goku Black” appeared on Earth, he said he would exterminate all the Earthlings “for the sake of justice”. Black said he has already wiped out several planets and their inhabitants like this. After fighting against Black for a year, there are now very few Earthlings left in the future. Even Bulma was killed shortly before he came to the past.

Vegeta criticizes his son for “shamelessly” running away, but Bulma steps in, saying the answers are all in the notebook she found. It’s a message from her future self: besides notes (in Bulma’s bad handwriting) it also contains a disc, all full of data for repairing and maintaining the time machine.

With this, Bulma can create more fuel, allowing Trunks to bring Goku and Vegeta back with him to the future to defeat Black. Goku is up for the task, but Vegeta insists he’ll be the one to defeat this future Kakarot. Meanwhile, Beerus thinks they’re all underestimating the complexity of time.

Goku requests a short sparring match with Trunks, in order to help him gauge how strong Black must be. Trunks quickly powers up to his Super Saiyan 2 form, so Goku follows suit. In order to prevent any collateral damage from the match, Bulma activates a protective force field around Capsule Corporation.

Goku is impressed with Trunks’ strength, but Trunks notes how it was no use against Black, who kept powering up more and more as they fought. Hearing this, Goku becomes Super Saiyan 3, and blocks Trunks’ full power blow with just his fingers.

Though Trunks is quickly beaten, Goku is still impressed at how much he’s improved all on his own. And yet this means Black must be even stronger. Trunks confirms this, saying that Black is at least as strong as Goku, if not stronger. Goku is happy to hear this.

Piccolo and Kuririn arrive, but before Trunks can fill them in on the story, a portal appears in the sky and Black steps out. He quickly spots Trunks, then Goku. “So, you’re Son Goku?” “You’re Black, I take it?” The two eye each other intensely…