"Hey, Sixteen, what are your plans next? I'm thinking of finding an animal sanctuary to work as a forest ranger."
Seventeen asked Sixteen curiously.
"In that case, I'll go with you."
Sixteen had always loved animals, so when he heard Seventeen's plan, he was happy to join him.
"Alright, after I say a few words to No.18, we'll head out."
Seventeen nodded, then immediately flew toward where Eriri and her companions were.
However, he didn't get too close. Instead, he stopped about ten meters away from them.
Seeing her younger brother arrive, Lazuli paused her chat with Eriri and Arifureta and turned to look his way.
"Eriri, I'd like to have a few words with Seventeen."
"Mm, go ahead. You don't need my permission for that."
"Mhm~"
Lazuli smiled softly, then flew over to Seventeen.
After a short conversation between the two, Lazuli returned to Eriri's side.
Having finished saying his farewells to his sister, Seventeen turned and waved at Sixteen behind him before flying off in a chosen direction.
Seeing that, Sixteen quickly followed. Within moments, they were side by side in the air.
Then, their flying speed suddenly increased dozens of times. Within seconds, the two figures vanished from sight.
Krillin and the others who remained on the ground watched Sixteen and Seventeen leave without any intention of stopping them.
At this point, things had already come this far, and they no longer had any reason—or will—to stop the androids from doing as they pleased.
After all, from what they'd seen in these past few hours, these androids didn't seem to possess the destructive tendencies that Future Trunks had described.
Speaking of Trunks, he now found himself deeply confused. He was certain—this timeline's Seventeen and No.18 were completely different from the ones in his memory. He couldn't understand what had caused such a divergence.
As for Eriri, Arifureta, and Lazuli, after Sixteen and Seventeen left, they too saw no reason to stay any longer.
Communicating with Krillin and the others wasn't something they had any intention of doing.
So in the next moment, the three of them disappeared from the sky entirely.
...
"Piccolo, should we follow Goku and the others to West City?"
Retracting his gaze from where Eriri and her companions had vanished, Krillin scratched his bald head and asked the calm-faced Piccolo beside him.
Piccolo didn't answer immediately. His expression grew slightly serious as he thought it over.
After about ten seconds, he finally nodded slowly.
"Let's go as well. If those two make any trouble and anger those two great beings, it could be disastrous."
"Yeah, true. Goku's a bit reckless after all. And if we all go, it'll also show some respect."
Yamcha grinned as he spoke.
"Alright then."
Krillin nodded in agreement before turning to the silent Trunks, who seemed lost in thought.
"Trunks!"
Krillin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Ah? Krillin, what is it?"
"Nothing much, just wondering what your plan is. Are you going to stay here or return to your own timeline?"
"I think I'll stay for now. Even if I went back, with my current strength, I wouldn't stand a chance against my version's Seventeen and No.18. I'll stay here and focus on improving my power first."
"That's probably for the best. Then let's head to West City together."
Trunks naturally had no objections to this plan and nodded without hesitation.
...
Meanwhile, Eriri, Arifureta, and Lazuli had returned to the mall where they had been shopping before and resumed their unfinished spree.
As for Son Goku—after picking up Bulma at Kame House—he immediately flew her to West City without a second thought.
He had left Chi-Chi behind at Kame House, since right now, his biggest priority was training with Whis. Everything else could wait.
"Bulma, quickly gather all your chefs. We're about to host two extremely important guests, so please prepare as much Earth cuisine as possible."
As soon as they arrived at Bulma's home, Son Goku wasted no time and got straight to the point.
"Wait a second, Son-kun! What's the rush?"
Bulma glared at Goku, taking a moment to recover from the disorientation caused by the sudden Instant Transmission.
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
Goku raised his hands apologetically and smiled sheepishly.
"Who exactly are we hosting that requires such urgency?"
"It's very urgent! We're entertaining Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction, and his teacher, Whis. Vegeta's already bringing them here as we speak."
"Oh, the God of Destruction, huh? I've heard Eriri mention him before—supposedly one of the most powerful beings in the universe. If that's the case, then yes, we definitely need to prepare a proper welcome."
Bulma nodded in realization. Back when she first met Eriri, she had learned quite a bit about the universe's most powerful beings and various secrets from her.
Though Bulma herself had no fighting power, her knowledge of the universe far surpassed that of Goku and the others.
Without another word, she turned around and started making arrangements for the feast.
Meanwhile, Vegeta, Beerus, and Whis were quickly approaching West City.
In less than a minute, the three figures appeared in the sky above Bulma's mansion, descending into the courtyard under Vegeta's lead.
"Hey, Son Goku, where's the Earth food you promised? I don't see anything."
Beerus glanced around the estate, but there was no sign of the delicacies he'd been anticipating. His expression darkened as he turned to Goku.
"Hahaha, Lord Beerus, good food takes time to prepare, you know~"
Goku scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
"Hmph."
Beerus let out a cold snort, then folded his arms behind his back and found a spot to sit down, with Whis quietly standing beside him.
"Lord Beerus, Lord Whis, the main dishes will take some time to prepare. Would you like to try some instant noodles to tide you over in the meantime?"
Vegeta approached them respectfully as he made the suggestion.
"Instant noodles? Is that some kind of exquisite cuisine?"
Beerus tilted his head curiously.
"Of course—it definitely won't disappoint you."
Before coming to Earth, Vegeta's diet had mostly consisted of energy-based sustenance where flavor was secondary. Ever since he first tried instant noodles, he had been quite impressed with their taste.
Confident in his recommendation, he quickly set off to fetch some.
"Well then, don't just stand there—bring it over!"
At Beerus' command, Vegeta responded enthusiastically. He immediately turned and hurried to the storage area, grabbing two cups of instant noodles and a large pot of boiling water before quickly returning to the courtyard.
"Lord Beerus, this is instant noodles."
Like a servant presenting a precious treasure, Vegeta handed the two cups to Beerus and Whis.
Both took their portions and examined the packaging curiously.
"So this is what you call instant noodles. How do you eat it?"
Hearing that, Vegeta smiled knowingly and began explaining the process step by step.
Following his instructions, both Beerus and Whis successfully prepared their noodles.
After three minutes, they lifted the lids, and an irresistible aroma surged upward, the steam carrying the scent straight into their noses. Their eyes instantly sparkled with excitement.
"This smell!!!"
"So fragrant!"
Beerus and Whis inhaled deeply, their faces melting into pure delight as they basked in the rich, savory aroma. Without another word, they eagerly picked up their forks and began slurping.
In that moment, no words were needed. The only thing that existed in their minds was the overwhelming, heavenly flavor of instant noodles.
In less than ten seconds, both cups were completely empty—down to the last drop of broth.
"It's... absolutely delicious!"
Beerus closed his eyes, savoring the lingering taste of the noodles with utter satisfaction.
For a supreme foodie like Beerus—who had never tasted true cuisine before—this single cup of instant noodles completely redefined his understanding of what "delicious" meant.
Even though it was just instant noodles, he felt his trip to Earth had already been worth it.
And now, his anticipation for the upcoming feast only grew stronger. If even this simple "snack" was so divine, he could hardly imagine how incredible the main course would be.
But while waiting for the real meal, he certainly didn't mind enjoying another serving.
Opening his eyes, Beerus eagerly turned to Vegeta and ordered:
"Vegeta, bring me another cup of noodles! No—make it two!"
"And me as well, Vegeta. Please bring me two more cups of this marvelous instant noodle!"
Whis, standing beside him, looked equally delighted as he made his request.
"No problem, I'll get them for you right away."
Without hesitation, Vegeta hurried back to the storage area. When he returned to the courtyard, he brought out every single cup of instant noodles from the pantry—five full boxes in total, each containing a different flavor.
Beerus and Whis showed no restraint whatsoever. They quickly tore open the packaging, pulled out the cups, and began another round of noodle indulgence.
Watching the two of them slurp so enthusiastically, Goku couldn't help but feel his own appetite awaken. For a moment, he even felt tempted to grab a cup himself.
Just as Beerus and Whis finished their second servings and were about to start on the third, more than a dozen chefs wearing white uniforms entered the courtyard, led by Bulma.
Each chef took out two Capsule Corp capsules, pressed the buttons on top, and tossed them onto the ground.
With a series of bang! bang! sounds, several cooking stations and heaps of ingredients instantly appeared, neatly arranged along both sides of the courtyard.
"Gentlemen, everything is ready. The cooking can begin at any time."
Bulma approached Beerus and Whis with a friendly smile. Since they were the only unfamiliar faces here, she easily guessed who they were.
Beerus and Whis, upon seeing the neatly arranged cooking stations and ingredients, immediately stopped making more noodles. They swallowed unconsciously as they admired the setup.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Tell them to start cooking already! I can't wait to taste more of Earth's delicacies."
Beerus said impatiently, his tone far from polite.
Bulma, however, didn't take offense. She simply clapped her hands lightly.
At the sound, the dozen chefs immediately began their work in unison.
Beerus and Whis moved closer to a takoyaki station, watching the chef intently as he began preparing the dish.
As time passed, the courtyard gradually filled with the mouthwatering aroma of countless dishes. Beerus and Whis couldn't help but close their eyes and take deep, satisfied breaths.
And they weren't the only ones. Goku, too, was practically drooling in anticipation of the feast.
At that moment, a commotion came from the sky. Six figures descended from above, landing beside Goku.
It was Krillin and the others, arriving from the earlier battlefield.
"Gohan! You're here too."
Seeing his son, Goku waved happily.
"Dad!"
Gohan immediately ran to his father's side, greeting him with a cheerful voice.
Krillin also approached Goku and covered his mouth with his hand, whispering quietly:
"Goku, what's the situation right now?"
"Everything's going great! Lord Beerus seems really satisfied with Earth's food."
"That's good, that's good!"
Krillin patted his chest in relief, letting out a long breath.
Vegeta merely gave Krillin and the others a brief glance before looking away, having no intention of greeting anyone—even though among them stood his future son.
In contrast, Bulma immediately walked up to Future Trunks with a warm smile, showering him with motherly concern.
At the moment, young Trunks wasn't around; Bulma had left him in Mrs. Brief's care when she went to check on the time machine.
Although Future Trunks blushed slightly at his young mother's affectionate fussing, his heart was filled with warmth and joy.
As for Beerus and Whis, they paid no attention to the crowd. Their eyes remained fixed on the chefs and the sizzling dishes before them, eagerly awaiting the moment the feast would be ready.
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