After 1.7 billion years of serving as a God of Destruction, Goku was finally given a chance to retire.
He had been invited to the palace of Future Zeno and Present Zeno, located in another dimension—as the Grand Priest had explained during their last training session, around 500 thousand years ago, if he remembered correctly.
As the strongest God of Destruction across all 13 universes since taking the position, Goku had achieved wonders throughout existence—both through divine destruction and lawful justice. It hadn't been easy at first; he struggled with the guilt of annihilating entire worlds. But over time, by repeatedly eliminating truly evil planets and seeing peaceful, flourishing ones take their place, he eventually came to terms with it.
One thing that helped greatly was the Redemption Program he initiated—an initiative that salvaged the pure-hearted inhabitants from planets slated for destruction and relocated them to newly created worlds, courtesy of the Supreme Kai.
Goku had also pursued knowledge. Though nowhere near the level of geniuses like Bulma or Gohan, he still managed to graduate from the godly curriculum Whis provided—with flying colors. Most of the material was equivalent to basic college-level education, but for Goku, it was a big accomplishment.
Eventually, both Zenos granted him permission to use the Super Dragon Balls.
"Think of it as a... separation bonus," the Grand Priest murmured with amusement.
"STATE YOUR WISH," the Dragon boomed.
Goku had pondered his wish for a long time. In fact, he already knew exactly what he wanted.
"I want to be with my wife and kids, for as long as I can," he said in the Language of the Gods.
"GRANTED!" the Dragon replied, and everything faded to black—though he heard faint goodbyes from the Zenos, Whis, and the Grand Priest.
Year 756
Six months had passed since Goku defeated Piccolo at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Now he had settled in the 439 Mountain Area, at the far edge of the Ox-King's territory, living a peaceful life with his wife, Chi-Chi.
A young Goku was alone, practicing some new techniques, while Chi-Chi had gone to West City to visit Bulma.
After a few hours of intense training, Goku suddenly collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as waves of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. Seizures followed, accompanied by unbearable pain coursing through his entire body, Tempering, Evolving. He struggled for a while but eventually lost consciousness.
A few minutes later…
Goku awoke on the grassy ground, still disoriented by the effects of his wish. He was in a serene meadow, surrounded by trees and flowers. In the distance stood a small house—more of a hut—with a large tree beside it.
'Where am I?' Goku wondered, the last clear memory being the wish he made to the Super Dragon Balls.
Before he could gather his bearings, a familiar voice called out from the hut.
"Goku! Honey, where are you?" shouted a voice he missed dearly.
He turned toward it—and there she was. His wife, Chi-Chi.
He hadn't seen her in 1.7 billion years. She had been the only woman he ever truly loved. The last time he saw her was on her deathbed, surrounded by family and friends. There was no illness, no poison, no injuries—just age catching up to her.
Overcome with emotion, Goku stood up and rushed to embrace her tightly, then lifted her chin and kissed her—leaving his confused wife stunned.
"I missed you, love," Goku said, grinning like an idiot, just like in his younger days—at least mentally. Physically, he was young again.
"Oh, wow!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "If I knew you were going to miss me that much just from a quick trip to West City, I would've gone a long time ago!"
Goku chuckled at her remark—until his stomach growled with a loud BRRRRRRRRR.
"Well, that's my cue to get cooking," said Chi-Chi with a smirk, noticing Goku's awkward, blushing expression.
"Sorry," Goku replied sheepishly, an unusual sight that made her raise an eyebrow. She had never seen him so... polite. But she shrugged it off and smiled lovingly at him.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll whip up something in no time!" Chi-Chi said with a determined look, heading inside to prepare enough food to feed a small army.
Goku watched her fondly until she disappeared into the house. Then he laughed aloud.
"It worked!" he exclaimed.
He was back—in the past, in his youthful body, long before Gohan was born. In fact, from the faint Ki signatures he felt while hugging Chi-Chi, he guessed the baby hadn't even formed yet.
'Which reminds me…' Goku thought as he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
'I wonder just how strong I am now.'
He focused deeply, searching through his body and soul, trying to sense his Ki, magic, and psyche. Within seconds, his eyes flew open.
He felt it—the unmistakable presence of powers that shouldn't exist in this timeline.
The divine energy of a God of Destruction.
Goku scratched the back of his head. This wasn't a dream. He'd even teleported to a nearby uninhabited planet using Instant Movement, just to confirm by transforming into a Super Saiyan.
The results left him stunned. He still retained all his powers from the future.
"Well, that's a good thing. I won't need to train as much anymore, which means more time for Chi-Chi and the kids," Goku said, smiling to himself.
"Goku! Lunch is ready!" Chi-Chi's voice called from inside the cottage.
He stood up, grinning.
There was only one thing on his mind now:
"Hunger is the enemy."