For Levos, the simplest solution was to find Fortuneteller Baba and bring Goku back to the living world for one day.
After that, they could use Instant Transmission to reach New Namek, summon Porunga, and either wish to restore the Dragon Balls or bring back a new Guardian.
As long as the Dragon Balls could be restored, the world could slowly be rebuilt, returning to the way it was before the androids ever appeared.
As for the threat of Majin Buu, that would be even easier.
Levos just needed to tell Goku about the Supreme Kai's realm. If Goku went there and released the seal on the Elder Kai, the Elder Kai could then contact Beerus, the God of Destruction.
Dealing with someone like Majin Buu, Beerus could probably flick him out of existence with just one finger.
Even if they couldn't reach Beerus, or if Beerus simply didn't care to intervene, they could always borrow the Potara earrings and summon Vegito.
Of course, before bringing Vegito into battle, the Elder Kai would have to unlock Goku and Vegeta's latent potential.
By then, the mysterious Vegito would surely dominate Majin Buu in a landslide.
Just thinking about it made Levos chuckle.
"Hey! What are you grinning about? You look so shady right now!" Bulma eyed him warily, subtly sliding her foot toward the pistol on the ground.
Levos quickly snapped back to the moment."My plan is actually pretty straightforward…"
He briefly outlined the plan for Bulma.
As she listened, Bulma's tense expression slowly eased.
"That Beerus guy… is he really as terrifying as you say?"
Levos gave her a peculiar look.
You literally slapped a God of Destruction in the future. Honestly, you're scarier than he is.
By the end, Beerus practically became your family's live-in babysitter.
"Beerus stands at the absolute pinnacle of the universe. If he goes all out, he can destroy an entire universe with his bare hands."
"His power is beyond question."
"But right now, the key is whether we can successfully complete the first step. If that fails, nothing else will matter."
The plan sounded good, but Levos knew he couldn't afford to take it lightly.
"Doctor, do you know where Fortuneteller Baba is?"
"She has a castle in the desert. I visited her when I was younger. I still remember the way."
"How far from here?" Although Levos was a Dragon Ball fan, he'd never really paid attention to the geography.
His focus had always been on those crazy superpowered brawlers.
"If we take a flying vehicle, it shouldn't take more than two hours."
"Perfect. Let's go now!"
"What's the rush? We're out of fuel. Even if we get more, it'll take time to refuel."
Levos wanted to see Goku as soon as possible. Only then could he finally stop worrying.
This apocalyptic world was steeped in despair. Every day felt like it could be his last, and that constant pressure made him feel incredibly unsafe.
When Bulma mentioned they were out of fuel, his heart sank.
He really didn't want to travel by land. It would take too long and the dangers along the way were unpredictable.
This wasn't the peaceful era he knew. Out here, people could easily kill you over a scrap of bread.
"We don't have much time. Majin Buu's seal could break at any moment, and when it does, humanity could be wiped out in seconds!"
Levos was worried Bulma didn't grasp the urgency of the situation.
"Panicking won't help. Buying fuel takes time." Bulma sat down in front of the computer and pulled up a familiar webpage.
Levos blinked and quickly leaned in to look.
"Survivors usually trade and exchange information on this forum," Bulma explained while scrolling through the listings.
[Super Rare] A Dancing Blue Frog, Will Trade for 10kg of Compressed Food!Long-term High-Paying Purchase: Soda, Sandwich Cookies, and Other Snacks. Expiration Dates Don't Matter!
"Found it!" Bulma tapped the keyboard, placing an order on a post selling fuel.
"You can actually buy stuff like this?" Levos' eyes lit up.
"Now we just wait for them to deliver." Bulma stood up. "I'll go prepare the trade goods. Stay here."
"Sure. By the way, Doctor, can I use the computer for a while? This forum seems pretty interesting."
"Go ahead."
Once Bulma left, Levos quickly dived into the forum.
If he wanted to understand this timeline, intense web surfing was essential.
Unsurprisingly, the post about the blue frog trading for food was flooded with sarcastic comments and insults.
"Is the poster insane? People can barely feed themselves now. Who would trade that much food for an ugly pet like that?"
"Better just cook and eat it! Though I wonder if it's poisonous… I've never seen a frog that color before."
"Could've been dyed. Looks like a scam! Reported to the admins!"
"Yeah! And those antennas on its head look so fake!"
Heh. Cute little thing though.
Levos skimmed the picture attached to the post and quickly scrolled past.
"Hmm?"
The next post made his pupils constrict.
A red 'R. R.' logo?
The profile picture of the seller looking for soda and snacks was strangely familiar.
Levos was instantly alarmed.
Wasn't that the emblem of the Red Ribbon Army?
They were still active?
He immediately became wary of the organization's movements. There was no telling if they were plotting another scheme to threaten the world.
But why were they buying soda and snacks?
Those items must have expired at least a decade ago by now. They were long past being practical resources, more like luxury collectibles.
In a post-apocalyptic world where food was scarce, who would still be hoarding processed snacks from the old days?
"I can't figure it out."
Levos rubbed his temples, frustrated.
He hadn't slept at all since arriving in this world two days ago, constantly on edge.
Maybe he was just overthinking it. What could expired snacks possibly be used for?
Besides, anyone could use that logo as a profile picture.
After surfing the forum for a while longer, Levos rubbed his dry, stinging eyes.
"Why is Bulma taking so long?"
Standing up from the desk, he walked out of the lab.
He soon found Bulma sitting in a dim corner of the corridor, crouched on the ground.
At her feet was a picture frame, an old photo of her and Trunks, both smiling brightly.
Bulma rested her face on her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly.
In Levos' mind, Bulma had always been the strong, independent type.
He hadn't expected to see this vulnerable side of her.
It seemed all the tragedies in Dragon Ball had concentrated in this future timeline.
In another timeline, Bulma was killed by Goku Black, leaving Trunks to grow up without his mother.
In this one, it was the mother who lost her son.
Levos completely understood how Bulma must be feeling.
But the harsh reality left no room for prolonged grief.
"Doctor? Have you finished preparing the goods?"
Bulma's body stiffened slightly. She quietly murmured a soft 'yeah,' picked up the photo, gently wiped it clean, and carefully hung it back on the wall.
"Once the Dragon Balls are restored… everything will get better."
Meeting her reddened eyes, Levos could only offer this one fragile comfort.
In silence, they returned to the lab.
The wait was agonizing, especially when hope felt so close.
Beep Beep Beep!
A car horn sounded outside.
Both Levos and Bulma immediately perked up.
They had finally arrived!