Zamasu, Apprentice Supreme Kai of Universe 10, paced quietly across the courtyard of his master's abode. When he reached the gate, he stopped and looked down the path.

I must decide.

He was about to leave…but ultimately, he turned back and continued pacing.

Time and time again, mortals fail to use the gifts we gods have given them, preferring to wallow in ignorant violence than to solve their problems intelligently. The gods have too often turned a blind eye to this—even Master Gowasu, wise as he is, seems perfectly content to let them stumble down this endless path to damnation. If it was only mortals, that would all be well and good…but their sins have repercussions, leaving so much damage on this beautiful world and thrusting unjust burdens upon we gods. Something must be done about this absurd cycle, or else the world may never achieve its full poten—

His thoughts came screeching to a halt as he tripped over a rock in his path, too lost in thought to see it. Zamasu fell flat on his face, and after taking a moment to groan and process the event, he picked himself back up and cleared his throat.

…I wonder how that got there?

He picked up the stone and went back to the gate, feeling he may as well keep the space clean. Paying much more attention to where he stepped this time, he noticed several scorch and scuff marks on the ground, and soon realized what he was looking at.

Yes, of course. Aftermath of my sparring match with that upstart mortal, Son Goku. How ironic, that this should be the perfect illustration of my point. That fool comes in fists swinging, wrecking the world around him—the Sacred World of the Kais, even—and this damage goes unnoticed, until it resurfaces in just the right way to make even a god stumble. Hmph. Really, that wretched Saiyan is the epitome of inane mortal behavior, isn't he?

Zamasu stopped, realizing he had gotten lost in thought again and taken a few steps too many. With a short sigh, he stepped back and gently tossed the rock out of the courtyard, and then faced Gowasu's home. He remained standing still this time.

I could tell that just from seeing him here. But now, having seen the footage of that strange tournament, I've had my evaluation confirmed. Why, I'm certain GodTube is littered with the records of his past misdeeds.

He stared intently at the door for some time. Eventually, after giving one last look over his shoulder and down the path, he sighed and headed back inside.

I must admit, I do have a certain morbid curiosity that needs sated. And it never can hurt to know more about one's enemy.

When Zamasu returned to the room he was staying in, he reluctantly accessed GodTube and ran a search, deciding to start with simply the terms "Son Goku". To his surprise, a massive amount of results came back.

"Astounding. Seems he's been busier than even I could've guessed…"

He took a minute to just scroll through the list. "Son Goku vs Frieza", "Son Goku vs Cell", "Son Goku takes driving lessons", "Son Goku vs Majin Buu"—it went on endlessly, and almost every title indicated a conflict of some sort. When he realized there was no end to the list, Zamasu decided he needed to just pick a place to start. With a few quick clicks, the results were organized in chronological order, and he clicked on the first and sat back.

"It's time I found out more about you, Son Goku. And I can see that even decades ago, you were still an arrogant, violent brute who…oh, no this one's named Bardock? Strange, they're identical…"

Zamasu stared at the screen, hand over his mouth. He'd spent the last several hours skimming over Goku's early life, and he had been right in a sense: the mortal seemed drawn to violence and conflict, causing much devastation even at a young age. Yet, that was not all he had seen.

He is far stronger than those around him…he could easily destroy them all. He doesn't gain much by keeping them around, strictly speaking, but for some reason…he does. He actually seems to enjoy their company, even if they can't provide much of a challenge to him. He still finds value in them. Stranger still, his relationship with his foes: many of those he faces off against seem to actually change as a result. Really, truly change, and grow…in a way I doubted mortals had the capacity to do…

He shook his head.

Fascinating as that may be, it is still only a few mortals. That does not mean it is the case for all. Should the world continue to suffer because a scant few possess the capacity to care for small measures of it? And even these that have changed—while I certainly give them credit, they remain obsessed with violence, like the lowly mortals they are.

Zamasu glanced at the next few videos on the list, which all mentioned "the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament."

Another festival of violence…

He tapped his fingers.

…Then again…even the gods practice the martial arts, myself included. Perhaps I am being a bit harsh on this event.

Feeling there was only one way to know for sure, he rolled his eyes in exasperation and clicked on the next video.

Zamasu watched with conflicted feelings as Vegeta fled Planet Earth, Goku thanking Krillin for not stopping him. The video ended, and Zamasu stood, taking the opportunity to stretch his legs a bit and resume pacing.

His reasons are selfish, purely vain—he just wants to fight him again, despite the potential risk the other Saiyan presents to his adoptive home planet. Not exactly a proud moment for him. But…

He glanced back at the screen.

That Namekian…if I understand correctly, he was born of a being made completely of evil. Yet despite that…he actually sacrificed himself to protect Goku's child. He came to care for the boy, and changed because of it—even he, a veritable demon, was able to learn and grow beyond his base tendencies towards evil.

Zamasu looked at the clock. It was late, and he knew it would be wisest to get some rest.

…This calls for further study. I have to know more.

Zamasu yawned. After many more hours, he had finally reached Goku's battle with Frieza, and watched it all the way to its conclusion. He rubbed his eyes and tried to process his emotions.

So that's how he obtained that transformation he used in our match. What an ugly, vicious thing, diving headfirst into rage to obtain power. Though I must admit, he did his best to control that outburst. He bought his son and friends as much time as he could, and even went out of his way to show mercy to that tyrant. He had absolutely nothing to gain from that, and should've known it was going to backfire horrendously…but he did it anyway. And that's even after going through the same thing with that Captain, who so rudely denied his gracious offer.

Zamasu blinked.

…Am I actually…sympathizing with this Goku?

A shudder ran through his body.

My word, lack of rest affects even deities in bizarre ways. That's enough of this.

He stood and made his way over to his bed, hoping to act before he got sucked into another video. Even still, however, he found his mind lingering on his research as he tried to sleep.

…Perhaps I'll watch more tomorrow. There are still many blanks to fill in…I should at least watch until he meets his Universe's Destroyer, I suppose—that shouldn't take much longer.

After another day of work, Zamasu resumed watching the chronicle of Goku's life, getting off to a rather infuriating start with the discovery of Trunks's trip to the past. Still, he continued watching. Once Cell had been defeated, Zamasu took another break, and reflected on the information he had just absorbed.

Truly astounding, the shift that occurred in these androids. Even the purely artificial one, made and programmed solely for violent revenge, learned such a deep appreciation for the world that he would sacrifice his existence to bring it peace. Indeed…it boggles the mind. And all this was made possible by time travel.

Zamasu sat back down, and found himself thinking back to something Gowasu had said.

Dark deeds are sometimes necessary for the greater good. This sin committed by one mortal enabled millions more to live, and radically changed the lives of a handful of villains for the better. Normally I could never condone such an action, to say nothing of Goku endangering his child in such a way…yet it turned out well in the end. So then, perhaps I too should do what I think must be done…

He scrolled down the list.

Wait, when does he meet the God of Destruction?

"Wretched mortal," Zamasu growled. "This is exactly my point."

On the screen, Majin Vegeta smirked at Goku, taunting him after the death of the tournament spectators. Zamasu paused the video and turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I was foolish to think that Saiyan would change. As all mortals do, he chose to regress to his base instincts, those of pointless evil and destruction. What further proof do I need?"

He was about to close the window. But still, he remained curious about the circumstances of Goku meeting Beerus, not to mention the fact that Goku was still dead at the point where he had stopped watching. Stopping now would leave him without vital information.

"…Well, I suppose I can suffer through a bit more…"

"…How peculiar."

Goku gave a salute as Kid Buu was finally destroyed. Zamasu was still upset at the damage done to the Sacred World of the Kais (it seemed no Universe could keep that realm safe from the Saiyans), but despite that, he had to admit his pleasant surprise.

This Vegeta managed to salvage himself after all. He realized his error, and did his best to save his loved ones, knowing what the cost would be, and then actually swallowed his pride and turned to other mortals for help. All these mortals, putting aside their differences to offer what help they can, and handle a threat even the gods could not. And at the end of it all…Goku actually took pity on that abomination, even after all that was good in it had been removed. He showed it respect, and hoped that it could be reborn…he was still willing to offer it a second chance.

Zamasu stared a while at the image of the two Saiyans. He hated to admit it, but they seemed to be proving him wrong. That left him quite confused.

Perhaps…

The last video ended. Goku had met Beerus, attained the power of the gods, fought against another Universe, and returned home once again. Zamasu rose from his seat, and stepped out into the hall.

The Destroyer chose not to destroy. The mortal who spent a millennium killing chose to show mercy. It was a peaceful resolution for all…not at all the end one could have foreseen.

He looked up as he walked, looking out the windows at the moon.

Son Goku himself…does not seem to have changed all that much. Yet for all his flaws, I do not know that I can say he is evil at the core of it all. Were that the case, I doubt he would have the effect he does on others, causing them to learn and change at preposterous rates. How ironic, that someone so constant could spur on evolution, that a mere mortal would inspire more growth than his own Universe's gods…

Zamasu reached the courtyard. Again, he approached the gate and stared down the path, knowing that he needed to make a decision. He didn't know how long he stood there. In the end, he reached out, and shut the doors.

Mortals are foolish, violent creatures. But…perhaps they are worth keeping around, in the end. It seems I do not yet know enough to say for sure. I have much more to learn.

Notes:

-Alternatively, "Zamasu Becomes a Dragon Ball Fan".

-I found myself contemplating two things: "how else could we have fleshed out Zamasu", and "how exactly does GodTube work?" Somehow they ended up merging. Oh, of course, it's Zamasu, I should've seen that one coming…

-Admittedly this is a bit barebones, but to do a proper, full analysis, I'd need to go back over the entire Dragon Ball series, and I don't have time for that, especially not for the sole purpose of doing this goofy oneshot.

-Also, um…the Tournament of Power being next might have a rather negative effect on this reformed Zamasu. But, who knows, maybe he'll at least remain patient and not resort to anything rash…again? Let's just try not to think about it.