"Want to learn? I'll teach you."
Standing in the crater that was once the tournament stage, Yamiru spoke these words as the white light around him faded. The golden hues of dusk spilled over his shoulders, illuminating Goku's newly regenerated right arm under Piccolo's healing touch.
In mere moments, Goku—who had been on death's doorstep—was back on his feet. Though his clothes were reduced to tattered pants, his body was fully restored.
"Thanks!" Goku grinned at Piccolo, though half his hair remained conspicuously absent. Not that he cared.
Piccolo glanced at Yamiru, who raised a hand with a smile.
He didn't need healing.
Even without conjuring a Senzu Bean on the spot, Yamiru had other methods—like borrowing nature's energy through the Spirit Bomb technique and absorbing it with his divine cells.
But the quickest way? Drawing power from the Celestial Realm.
Technically, as a former Kami, he no longer had the authority to freely tap into its energy…
But since when did Yamiru care about rules? If he still knew the technique, he'd use it. King Yemma probably wouldn't complain.
As for the Kaioshin…
The energy Yamiru borrowed was a drop in the ocean of the Other World—which itself was just a fraction of the vast Cosmic Realm. The supreme deity of the cosmos had bigger things to worry about.
Amid the cheers of the announcer and crowd, Yamiru and Goku stood side by side in the ruins. Bulma, Tights, Gine, and the others rushed over as the two shared a laugh, arms slung over each other's shoulders.
And so, the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament concluded under the setting sun.
Champion—Sato Yamiru!
---
Yamiru cheerfully collected his prize money before rejoining the group.
Bulma was busy fussing over Goku's lopsided haircut, while Gine reassured her that Saiyan hair grew back quickly. Only then did Bulma relax…
Krillin and Chi-Chi stared at Goku's new look, their shared thought bubble practically visible: 'Super Saiyan with half a head of hair…'
Piccolo lingered nearby, arms crossed, radiating aloofness.
Tights twirled her handbag, lost in thought, until she spotted Yamiru approaching. "Over here!"
Yamiru hugged her, planting a kiss on her lips—only to notice Raditz and Vegeta still hanging around.
Raditz was one thing, but why was the Saiyan Prince still here?
Not that Yamiru had anything against him, but Vegeta wasn't exactly the social type. Storming off in a huff seemed more his style.
Feeling Yamiru's gaze, Vegeta gulped, muscles tensing as he took an involuntary step back.
Being around these people was agonizing.
But… after seeing Raditz—once a weakling—now capable of crushing him with one hand, after witnessing the godlike power of Super Saiyan Kakarot… he couldn't bring himself to leave.
"So, who is he?" Goku asked.
Bulma looked at Gine, who explained, "He's Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince. After Planet Vegeta's destruction, he and Raditz survived because they were on missions elsewhere. But why he came to Earth…?"
That was the question. Goku, Bulma, and even Krillin were curious. Judging by his energy, this guy was dangerous.
Gine (current Kami), Piccolo (former Kami), and Yamiru (original Kami) all turned their attention to Vegeta.
Raditz, too, studied his former leader.
Having been "educated" by Bardock on Earth himself, Raditz now felt a strange responsibility to… enlighten the prince.
But first, they needed to hear Vegeta's answer.
"I forgot."
The group collectively deflated.
'Forgot? What kind of excuse is that?'
"Did you get lost?" Goku asked, baffled.
"Who gets lost and winds up on Earth?!" Bulma groaned, ruffling his half-bald head.
Gine mused, "When Saiyans come to a planet like this, it's usually to conquer or destroy it."
Raditz nodded. "Yeah." They'd done it plenty of times before.
Vegeta clenched his fists, face darkening. If these people turned hostile, he wouldn't even make it off the ground.
Especially that Yamiru guy—the one who'd beaten Super Saiyan Kakarot. His gaze was the most unnerving of all.
And the most terrifying.
'Even more terrifying than... than...'
Vegeta suddenly froze.
'Than who?'
'F... F-something...?'
"He doesn't seem to be here with ill intent," Yamiru mused, studying Vegeta's shifting expressions. "Did someone beat him so hard he lost his memory?"
He recalled finding Vegeta bloodied and unconscious in a crater.
Piccolo coughed. "That was me."
"Huh?" Everyone turned to him.
"Ran into him on the street. He tried to attack me..." Piccolo shrugged. "So I knocked him out. Probably when his memory got scrambled."
Krillin and the others exchanged glances. So... Piccolo had punched the memories out of him?
Chi-Chi gave Vegeta a pitying look. 'Poor guy. Randomly picks a fight on Earth, and it turns out to be Piccolo—the former Guardian who just fought Super Saiyan Goku.'
'Talk about bad luck.'
Vegeta seethed but had no rebuttal.
He genuinely couldn't remember why he'd come to Earth. Maybe... maybe that hit had really messed with his head?
Raditz sneered. "Whatever his reason, he'd better not cause trouble. Otherwise..." He cracked his knuckles. "You know what'll happen, Vegeta. These aren't people you can mess with. No one's saving you."
Humiliation burned in Vegeta's chest. Clenching his fists, he forced out through gritted teeth:
"I... want to know... how to become a Super Saiyan!"
"I will become one!" He glared at Yamiru, Raditz, and Goku. "And I'll surpass all of you!"
"Ugh, this guy's the worst!" Bulma rolled her eyes 'Where did this so-called prince crawl out from?' "You wanna be a Super Saiyan too? Pfft—"
Raditz just scoffed, refusing to dignify that with a response.
Gine and Goku shared a look. The latter grinned. "Sure. If you can surpass us, give it your best shot."
Goku meant it earnestly—but to Vegeta, it sounded like mockery.
'Just wait! Once I learn the method, I'll leave you all in the dust!' Vegeta vowed inwardly, blood boiling.
Raditz rolled his eyes at his expression.
"The method sounds simple, but it's not easy..." Gine said softly.
Indeed, the three keys to becoming a Super Saiyan—power, S-Cells, and rage—were straightforward. But how many could actually achieve it?
Goku had the power and S-Cells but needed Bulma's VR training to stoke his anger. Gine had S-Cells and a calm heart but lacked combat prowess—she'd been a meat-packing worker, not a warrior. Raditz had power and anger but was severely lacking in S-Cells.
In Gine's eyes, only Bardock had possessed all three.
And now... could Vegeta?
Yamiru chuckled.
He had no issue sharing the Super Saiyan secrets.
In fact, the S-Cells—inherited from Yamoshi—acted like a "Sunflower Manual" for someone like Vegeta.
(Sunflower Manual is a reference to a Chinese romance)
'Just as the martial arts manual "Sunflower Manual" required castration, tempering one's heart to cultivate S-Cells would neuter Vegeta's malice.'
The more Vegeta pursued this path, the more his violent nature would be "tamed."
To increase S-Cells, he'd need a peaceful heart—to embrace life on Earth...
'Like in the original story, where Vegeta admitted he'd grown fond of this planet, softening his cruelty... Wasn't that proof his S-Cells had multiplied?'
As long as Vegeta dove headfirst into the Super Saiyan grind, he'd at least never become a true monster.
Yamiru was more than happy to let things play out.
'Did Goku realize this too?'
'Probably not.'
'The guy might seem simple, but he's sneakier than he looks.'
As evening fell, the group prepared to leave—first stop, a celebratory feast in West City, paid for by Yamiru's prize money (at Tights' insistence). Yamiru didn't mind.
But the moment they stepped out of the tournament grounds, they were swarmed.
Camera flashes blinded them. Reporters shouted questions. Crowds pressed in from all sides.
Goku was already a celebrity, but after today's performance? The world had gone mad.
There was no pushing through this.
---
Under a blood-red sunset, several figures rose from Papaya Island, soaring over the ocean toward the horizon.
Yamiru carried Tights on his back, the wind whipping their hair wildly.
Beside them, Goku—at Gine's reminder—summoned an energy barrier to shield Bulma from the cold breeze…
[End of Volume]