Bulma was fully absorbed in tinkering with a small device on the workbench, not noticing Chiga and the others who had just stepped inside.
Chiga's eyes landed on the object—it was Raditz's old scouter. He had discarded it casually at the time, but it must have been picked up by Goku and later handed to Bulma.
Known for inheriting her father's genius, Bulma handled even alien technology with remarkable ease. She had dismantled the scouter for research and was now carefully piecing it back together.
Chiga and the others chose not to disturb her, silently watching. After a few minutes of concentrated work, Bulma reassembled the scouter. She lifted her mask, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Finally done! Turns out this thing isn't so complicated after all."
Stretching her arms, she turned toward the door and froze when she saw Chiga and the others. Startled, she stumbled back, tripping over a wrench on the floor. She fell toward the corner of a table—dangerously positioned to strike her head.
Whoosh.
Chiga appeared behind her in a blur, catching her before she could hit the table. His speed left everyone stunned.
Bulma blinked up at him, speechless for a moment, then whispered in awe, "You look cool…"
Chiga smiled faintly. "Sorry for startling you. Are you alright?"
Realizing she was still in his arms, Bulma flushed and straightened quickly. "I-I'm fine!"
Looking toward her mother, she asked, "Mom, who are these two?"
Mrs. Brief still hadn't recovered from witnessing Chiga's incredible speed. Before she could answer, Chiga politely introduced himself and also introduced Lazuli.
Lazuli moved to stand firmly at Chiga's side, her gaze locked on Bulma with open suspicion. She already regretted coming along—first the mother stared, now the daughter too? Why was everyone so interested in her Chiga?
Chiga pointed to the scouter resting on the table. "This device looks interesting. Is it one of your company's projects?"
Bulma, never one to hold back, pressed the scouter into Chiga's hand. "Try it on."
He slipped it over his ear, and she pressed the button. Numbers flickered between 1 and 2—the usual range for Earth women. For reference, a farmer with a rifle once barely reached 5.
Curious, Chiga turned the lens toward Lazuli. The number stabilized at 3, higher than most Earthlings, showing her body was naturally stronger than average.
Though he already understood how scouters worked, Chiga feigned curiosity. "What exactly does this measure?"
Bulma leaned closer, lowering her voice mysteriously. "Believe it or not, this belongs to aliens."
Chiga raised his brows, playing along with a surprised expression. Lazuli, however, was genuinely intrigued and leaned in as well.
But Bulma pulled back with a playful smirk, wagging her finger. "That's all I'll say. The rest is top secret—if word got out, it might cause panic."
She didn't realize the scouter's original owner had been defeated by the very man standing before her.
Lazuli only pouted, feeling entirely safe beside Chiga. Aliens or not, nothing could harm her as long as he was around.
Chiga set the scouter back down with a nod. "Interesting, but alien matters are too far removed from ordinary people. Let's focus on Earth's technology."
Bulma blinked at him in surprise. She had wanted to tease him into paying attention to her, but he brushed it aside so easily.
Lazuli smirked inwardly. Go back to your alien toys, Bulma. Don't even think about Chiga.
Suddenly, the roar of a sports car engine echoed outside. Bulma's expression darkened instantly.
Mrs. Brief gasped lightly. "Oh my, that must be Yamcha."
Bulma snorted, irritation bubbling up. "Who else? He spends all day fooling around, driving that car like a maniac."
Her eyes flicked briefly to Chiga and Lazuli standing close together. A trace of envy filled her expression, though she quickly shook her head and turned toward the door.
"Come along," Mrs. Brief urged warmly, tugging Chiga forward. "You're all young, I'm sure you'll get along well!"
Despite his reluctance, Chiga allowed her to lead him, with Lazuli trailing close behind like a shadow.
Outside, Bulma's angry voice rang out. "Yamcha! This is going too far! What is this supposed to be?!"
By the time Chiga and the others arrived, Bulma was waving a woman's jacket in Yamcha's face.
Yamcha rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uh… this? It must've been left in my car by one of my cousins…"
"Cousins?" Bulma's glare sharpened. "First it was lipstick, now it's clothes. Is your cousin that forgetful, or do you have dozens of them?"
Caught, Yamcha avoided her gaze entirely.
Bulma's disappointment was plain. Her tone softened, though her eyes remained hard. "Do what you want, but remember—we have less than a year before what's coming. Goku and the others are training day and night. Don't take this lightly."
Because Raditz had been dealt with by Chiga, and Goku hadn't died, Yamcha still didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. Believing Bulma had calmed down, he quickly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know!"
He then spotted Chiga and the others behind her, his mood shifting instantly. "Hey, Bulma, who are they? I've never seen them before."
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