Hot, dry, and too sandy. That's how Trunks described the scenery in his head, even though that was the least of his worries. He laid face down in a sea of burning hot sand as his body radiated with pain. His head palpitated while blood ran down the front of his face. Stabbing pain in his sides told him that most of his ribs had been broken. The scalding temperatures of Las Noches made his lungs long for a droplet of water. His spirit had already been crushed several times that day.

However, he still drew breath, and as his father taught him, if he could still breathe, then he could still fight. His eyes barely opened as he struggled to stand.

"I don't think I could even look at a beach after this," he wheezed as he spat sand out of his mouth. "Damn it. If there's any god out there listening, we could really use divine intervention right about now."

"Poor Mr. Briefs." A man teleported in front of Trunks and startled him. Trunks looked up and saw the person responsible for all of his agony: Sosuke Aizen. Trunks trembled, triggering Aizen to return a sadistic grin. He picked up the half Saiyan by his torn shirt and spoke in a soft softly. "After all this time, you still don't get it? I am your god. Now bow."

Aizen released Trunks, but before he hit the ground, Trunks received a vicious gut punch. He dropped to his knees and clutched his stomach as he coughed onto the sand.

Somebody. Anybody, please. Help us!

Seven Months Earlier

"Vegeta, can you at least pretend to be happy right now?" Bulma asked as she approached her husband in his lawn chair.

The Saiyan prince lay with his arms crossed, sporting his signature "Badman" shirt and khakis. "Hmph, these things aren't my cup of tea. I'd much rather be training right now."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, and you can train with Goku all you want after. But can you not be... you for at least a couple of hours?"

"And here I thought this was my birthday party."

Bulma sighed as she turned and walked away. "Whatever. Just don't complain if you don't get any food." As she walked towards the rest of her guests, she glanced at her watch and muttered to herself. "I just hope Trunks gets the cake here on time."

For the first time since they had been together, Bulma had convinced Vegeta to let her throw him a birthday party at Capsule Corporation. All of their friends and allies helped him celebrate his fifty-third birthday. Only Piccolo, Beerus, and Whis were absent. Piccolo had grown tired of social gatherings, while Beerus fell into a deep nap, prompting his attendant to stay by his side.

The past five years on Earth remained peaceful. This seemed to please everyone else except for Vegeta and Goku. Sure, they could spar each other, Whis, or Beerus when he awoke, but they knew it didn't invoke the same fear that got their blood pumping and forced them to surpass their limits. This especially bothered Vegeta, who felt content at his family's safety, but deep down longed for a new challenge. However, he realized his wife took the time and effort to plan his celebration, so he stood up to enjoy some of the food.

Vegeta approached the food table, where Goku and Majin Buu sat, chowing down on everything they could lay their eyes on. "Well Kakarot, I see that you and Buu have taken all the food for yourselves, like always."

"Oh hey, Vegeta," Goku replied with half of a pork bun in his mouth. "You came just in time. I've been saving you this food, but Buu over here's been trying to steal it from me."

Vegeta took his seat and grabbed his fork. "Hmph, how nice of you."

"By the way, have you seen Goten anywhere? Chi Chi's been looking for him since we got here."

"I haven't. I think he's been out with Trunks all day. They're probably goofing off, as usual."

Elsewhere, Goten and Trunks strolled down the bustling streets of West City. With a blue sky above them and the summer sun shining down, neither one had a care in the world. In two weeks, classes at Satan City University would begin, and with Goten enrolling in the fall, the two of them would finally start their college experience together. Trunks held a rather large white box that contained his father's birthday cake, while his friend talked through a common problem amongst young men.

"So what do you think I should do, bro?" Goten asked. "Should I text her again or should I just leave it alone?"

"Well, I think you should wait a day," Trunks answered. "And if she doesn't reply tomorrow, maybe it's best if you move on."

"Yea, you're right. It just makes me so anxious, you know? I hate not knowing what somebody else is feeling."

"Been there, done that. You just gotta let it go. I was the same way, but I just figured that it's better to grind now in school, and maybe focus on a relationship later. I mean, you're about to start your freshman year, dude. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

"That's true, but how was freshman year, anyway? Are the classes easy?"

"Eh, I think they're pretty easy. Some professors are hard asses, though. Other than that, it's pretty great. You meet chill people, and the parties can get pretty wild-"

Trunks stopped as his foot tripped over a crack, causing him to juggle the cake.

Goten laughed at his friend's clumsy efforts. "Woah, Trunks. Maybe take a break from monologuing before your mom gives you a one-way ticket to Other World."

Trunks controlled the box and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the help. I really appreciate you laughing while my life flashed before my eyes."

"Seriously though, be careful with that. If your mom sends you to Other World, then my mom is booking me an express ticket straight to King Kai."

"Or worse, they'll make us train with our dads."

"Well, I know you hate training with your dad. I think it's nice sometimes, but sometimes I would just rather be doing other things."

"That's easy for you to say. Goku doesn't shove you into four hundred G's and use you as a punching- "

Out of nowhere, a rushing pressure overwhelmed everyone in the area. Neither Goten nor Trunks knew where it was coming from, but the intense feeling paralyzed them both. The fear that rushed their bodies made it even harder to breathe.

Without Ki to protect themselves, the civilians felt crushed under the massive weight of this strange power. Cars crashed into each other while the window glass on buildings shattered.

As quickly as the pressure came, it disappeared. Though it felt like an eternity to them, it had only lasted about four seconds. Both boys sweat as they gasped for air. Mass hysteria ensued as people screamed in terror and ran for their lives.

"Holy shit," Goten whispered while trying to catch his breath. "That was… unreal."

Trunks looked at Goten with wide eyes while his body shook. "Fuck, that wasn't just one person. There were multiple people with those power levels. Goten, we have to get going!"

Once Goten got a hold of himself, they both raced back to Capsule Corp as fast as possible. When they got back, Trunks dropped the cake down on the nearest table before meeting up with the other Z Fighters. They all stood together, just as terrified as Trunks and Goten had been.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said with clenched fists. "How many did you count? It must've been at least ten of them."

"Yea, I got around that same number," Goku responded. "But it felt like there were more."

Gohan stepped in and tried to compose himself. "Dad, if you're saying there are over ten people with that projected that amount of power, then we're in big trouble."

"But where did they go? There's no way energy like that could disappear that fast. I should've been able to track them." Without warning, Goku put his fingers on his forehead and quickly blurted out, "I gotta go," before using his Instant Transmission to teleport away.

Seeing Goku that rattled vividly painted the situation in everyone's heads. A powerful enemy appeared out of the blue, and at the mercy of this unknown threat, their planet and lives had been temporarily spared. Fear had never disrupted their peace so quickly, and the Z-Fighters' look of worry had scared their loved ones who could not sense energy.

Amid all this, however, Vegeta's grin crept back onto his face. "Well, I should consider myself lucky. I finally have some worthy adversaries to destroy."

Seeing Vegeta's determination instilled a sense of hope in the others. They ended the party, but the warriors agreed to take up their training again to prepare for another battle.

Meanwhile, Goku headed to the Lookout Tower to see if he could find any assistance. "Dende! Please tell me you got any sort of reading on those guys."

The Guardian of Earth lowered his head. "No, I couldn't. They caught me off guard just like they did for you guys."

"Damn, they've gotta be somewhere."

Goku ran out to the edge of the tower. Piccolo had already been standing there, scanning for the invaders. "There's nothing down there, Goku. I think that they might have left Earth as fast as they arrived."

Once more, the Saiyan put his two fingers on his forehead. "Alright, guess I gotta look a little further. By the way, we're gonna need to start training again, so meet up with Gohan as soon as possible."

He waved his hand goodbye to Dende and his attendant, Mr. Popo, before leaving. Goku promptly teleported to King Kai's planet in Other World, only to be told more of the same answer from him. Goku figured he would try one more person and used Instant Transmission to get to the Sacred World of the Kais. Once there, the Supreme Kai met him with the same response.

"Dammit!" Goku shouted while crossing his arms. "Whoever they are, these guys are good. I guess we got ourselves a real doozy on our hands."

"So what are you going to do?" asked the Supreme Kai. "Surely Vegeta and you are strong, but even you two can't handle that many enemies at once."

"You're right. I guess all of us are gonna have to train harder to beat these guys."

"Actually, Goku," said an older voice. "I think I might have come up with a 'secret weapon', if you may."

"Grand Elder," the Supreme Kai said as he turned to face the Elder Kai. "Do you mean the-"

"Hush, you whippersnapper! I'm leaving it as a surprise."

"But..." The Supreme Kai sighed. "Yes, Grand Elder."

"Now Goku, I've come across a useful fighting method that I picked up from Universe Six."

"A new fighting method?" Goku questioned. "Are you talking about Hit's time skip?"

"Even better. If perfected, this will increase the user's power tenfold."

"Woah, get outta here!"

"Yes, yes, it's quite powerful. However, I think it would be best to recommend this to the younger generation. I'm going to ask that you bring me Goten and Trunks so that they can begin training in Universe Six to unlock this power."

"No problem, they're gonna love this!"

With that, Goku used his Instant Transmission to teleport himself back to Capsule Corp to tell Vegeta the news.

"Increase their power by tenfold?!" Vegeta asked. "What techniques are they going to teach him?"

Goku shrugged shoulders. "Beats me. The Old Kai wouldn't let me in on it. He says it's a surprise for them."

Vegeta grinned. "Fine by me. He needs to get off his ass and start his training immediately." He yelled to his nearby son. "Trunks, get ready! You're going to Universe Six to train!"

"What?!" Trunks exclaimed. "Why Universe Six?!"

"Because I said so!" yelled Vegeta. "Now get your things together and move out!"

"Well, do I get a say in this?"

"Meet Kakarot at his house in an hour or I'll work you to the bone in that Gravity Chamber."

"Okay, just checking." Trunks turned and started walking towards his room to pack. He grumbled to himself, "Well, at least he only threw away the last two weeks of my summer."

"Looks like we're gonna have a good fight on our hands," said Goku.

"Hopefully," Vegeta smirked. "We'll head to Whis in the morning and resume our training."

Goku agreed and headed off to his home at Mount Paozu, where he tried to convince Chi-Chi to let Goten leave Earth two weeks before his first semester of college. He proposed the idea calmly, but Chi-Chi, just as she had been with Gohan, remained adamant that he stayed and prepare, citing that he hadn't even moved into his college dorm yet.

However, when Goku's face had turned from his usual cheeky smile to a stern look, Chi-Chi knew her husband couldn't yield. "Chi-Chi, if Goten doesn't get stronger somehow, then there won't be an Earth for him to study on."

"Are these guys really too much for you, Vegeta, and Gohan to handle?" she asked. Goku nodded as Goten walked out into the kitchen with a suitcase in his hand.

"Don't worry, Mom," Goten said. "I'll only be there for two weeks, and I'm bringing my books there too so I can study in my free time."

His mother sighed, then smiled. "Just make sure you make the most of your trip and don't cause any problems. You'll be in trouble if you don't come back stronger than your father."

Goten giggled at his mother's comment, but felt dreadful at these fresh developments. He had to leave and learn from some aliens in another universe. Fantastic. Who knew what kind of weird food they would eat over there? He wouldn't even be able to use his phone. His dad didn't know how long it would take and if he was still there after school starts, his mom would kill me. But at least Trunks would be there with him.

As the sun set at Capsule Corporation, Trunks prepared to head out to meet up with Goku and Goten, suitcase in hand. As he walked down the hallway to the front door, he heard his mother call his name. He spun around and saw her running up to him with something in her hands. Trunks' eyes lit up when he finally recognized what his mother gave him. On top was a deep blue denim jacket with a Capsule Corp logo, with a pair of pants, a black sleeveless shirt, and a belt under it. He had only seen it in pictures, but Trunks knew this outfit belonged to his future counterpart from the battle with the Androids.

Bulma placed the clothes in her son's arms. "I was digging through some old things when I saw these. I thought you'd like them."

"Woah," Trunks awed. "Thanks, Mom. I think I'll wear these to Goku's house."

His mother smiled. "Well, put them on quickly before your father yells at you." She then handed him a small walkie-talkie. "Put this in your bag, too. I made it so that we can still talk even when you're in Universe Six."

Trunks nodded, grabbed the walkie, and raced back to his room to try the clothes on. He slipped them on and looked in the mirror. It scared him how well he fit. He felt that destined to wear this outfit. He liked the Saiyan armor that was already packed in his suitcase, but this one had a stylish and nostalgic feeling. After stuffing the rest of his belongings and the walkie-talkie in his suitcase, he left his room.

When he made it to the front door, he saw that his family stood waiting for him. He gave his mother a hug and promised to call her when he arrived at his destination. Then he hugged his little sister, promising her he would bring her back a big souvenir and take her to a water park when he returned. Finally, he faced his father, who smiled at his outfit and told him not to slack off. Trunks rolled his eyes and said a last goodbye to them before generating his aura and flying towards Goku's house.

While he flew there, he had similar thoughts to what Goten had. In all honesty, he would rather play video games or lie on the couch doing nothing than go to an unknown place to train for an unknown enemy. However, with the support of his family and the accompaniment of his best friend, he felt more optimistic about exploring that unknown. After a few minutes, he arrived at Mount Paozu and knocked on the door.

Goku answered, and beamed at what he saw. "Woah! Talk about a blast from the past."

Trunks smiled. "Hey Goku, sorry I'm late."

"It's no problem. We're in no rush at all."

Trunks walked in, greeted Chi-Chi, and fist-bumped up his friend. "Well, look at that," Trunks remarked. "I'm not the only one who went through a costume change." Trunks referred to Goten, who wore the gi his father had when he fought on Planet Namek.

"Oh, this thing?" Goten replied. "I thought I'd dust it off and give it a try."

"Well, I think you both look great," said Chi Chi.

Goku smiled. "You guys ready?"

They both nodded in agreement and said their last goodbyes to Chi-Chi before Goku transported them all to the Sacred World of the Kais. They teleported right behind the Elder Kai, and Goku loudly exclaimed that they had arrived, causing the old man to jump for his life.

"You young people have some nerve," Elder Kai yelled at Goku. "First, you don't even get here at a decent hour, and then you try to scare me?!"

"Hehehe," Goku chuckled. "Sorry, Old Kai. I'm just so excited to see what they're gonna learn."

The elder composed himself. "Well, don't do it again." He dusted himself off and turned to address the boys. "Ah, so you're Goten and Trunks. It's nice to meet you two."

They both bowed in unison and quickly blurted, "It's nice to meet you too, Supreme Kai."

"Actually, that would be me," said the younger Kai as he and his attendant, Kibito, approached them. They both hung their heads in embarrassment and apologized. "It's of little concern. Now, Grand Elder, would you care to explain to them the nature of their training?"

"Yes, yes," said Elder Kai. "I suggest you all take a seat. This is going to be a fairly complicated matter to explain." They all sat down and waited in anticipation for Elder Kai's details.

Down on Earth, Bulma and Vegeta had laid in bed, but the Saiyan could not sleep. He stared at the wall and pondered about the strange events of the day.

There's had to be something more to it. It had to have meant something. Did they just forget to mask their presence before they came? No, those power levels didn't belong to amateurs. They meant to send them a warning, or they flexed their power to intimidate. Are they after the Dragon Balls, or something else?

Vegeta sensed something faint but close by. He immediately rose out of bed and put on his battle suit.

Bulma woke up frightened about Vegeta's frantic behavior. "Vegeta, what's the matter?"

"Just stay here," he replied. "I'll take care of this."

Vegeta quickly ran outside to confront the foe. He reached his front lawn and looked left and right, but saw no one there until he heard a voice above him.

"A palace fit for the prince," a man said as he floated down to the ground. "Not bad. I would say that you've grown, but I'd be lying."

Vegeta's eyes met the man that spoke, but he looked on in utter disbelief. "Im-Impossible!"

The man smirked at Vegeta. "From galactic conqueror to doting father. Well, at least you're not under Frieza's tail anymore."

"I think it would be disingenuous to say that I was the only one who was under his tail, don't you think?" Vegeta finally stood up straight but clenched his fist. "Now I think you better explain how you're still alive, Grimmjow."

A/N: I beg of you, read this.

Power scaling-wise, the Bleach Universe is buffed to make the story more compelling. As the story progresses, you'll see where several characters fall in the hierarchy of strength. In terms of actual canon, BLEACH CHARACTERS ARE NOT STRONGER THAN DRAGON BALL CHARACTERS. NOT EVEN CLOSE. Now that you've read this, do not leave a comment about power scaling in regards to the canon of both series. I'm already aware of most, if not all of their feats. I've already said this, but some people don't read it.

You can critique me on the actual contents of my story, details I got wrong, even power scaling within the narrative, but take the "Bleach isn't blah blah blah" comments somewhere else, because I don't care. And for the sake of decency, don't tell me I shouldn't have wrote this at all. That's toxic and embarrassing. This is fan fiction, and if this one's not for you, just leave.

I've had this concept living in my head for a couple years, and I'm finally glad to be sharing it. It's gonna be a long one, but I'll do my best to keep you guys engaged. One small thing is the DBS part of the story will not involve the events after the Broly movie, e.g., Moro and the Bleach part of the story will take place post-TLA.

I put a lot of work into this, so I hope you enjoy it. Sometimes I'm slow with updates, but I won't quit until it's done.