Bulma blinked, then her eyes lit up. She hurried forward and scooped the Dragon Ball into her hands.
"Don't touch my grandpa! That's my grandpa's keepsake!" Son Goku panicked.
"This is called a Dragon Ball—how can it be your grandpa?" Bulma rolled her eyes and took two more Dragon Balls from her pouch.
Goku stared, wide-eyed. "You… you have a grandpa too? Two of them?"
"There are seven Dragon Balls in total. They give off a faint glow, and each one has from one to seven stars inside," Bulma explained.
"Oh… Grandpa's has four stars." Goku peered at it closely.
"These two are ones I found a long time ago and kept at home," Bulma said.
"You're looking for Dragon Balls?" Goku asked, innocent as ever.
"Yup. Finding all seven isn't easy," Bulma nodded.
"Why do you need them? Are you going to make prayer beads?" Goku asked.
"No. When all seven are gathered, Shenron appears, and Shenron can grant any wish," Bulma said. "About eleven years ago, some annoying guy assembled them and wished for someone to survive in outer space."
"Annoying guy?" Goku looked lost.
"Not important," Bulma waved it off. "Point is, I'm collecting them again to make my own wish."
Goku nodded like he half-understood.
"Give me your Four-Star Ball," Bulma suggested.
"No. It's my grandpa's treasure." Goku clutched it tight, afraid she'd snatch it.
"I'll buy it—ten thousand zeni. Bet a country bumpkin like you's never seen that much money." Bulma pulled out a 10,000-zeni coin and handed it over.
Goku bit it. "Doesn't taste good."
Bulma: "…"
"Forget it. How about we go look for the rest together? Treat it as training," Bulma offered.
"Training?" Goku scratched his head.
"You're a Saiyan. Saiyans are supposed to train while growing up. If you stay in this mountain forever, you'll amount to nothing—your own people will push you around," Bulma teased.
"I don't get it, but going out sounds fun," Goku said. "But I'm keeping this ball on me."
"Fine, keep it," Bulma agreed.
She tossed a fresh Capsule—foom!—a sedan unfolded. Bulma took Goku down the mountain paths.
"So fast! Way faster than I can run!" Goku hung half out the window, watching the scenery stream backward.
Bulma kept her eyes on the road.
Dusk crept in after a while.
"It's dark. We'll camp here tonight." Bulma parked and hopped out.
"I'll sleep outside then," Goku nodded.
"I'll give you a house. You stay in that one; I'll be in the other." Bulma flicked out two capsules—pop, pop—two prefab houses appeared.
She walked Goku through his place and showed him how to use the bath and fixtures.
"Remember, I'm a girl. Boys and girls are different. You are not allowed to sneak into my room. Got it? Boys don't just walk into a girl's room," Bulma warned.
"Why would I sneak into your room?" Goku asked, baffled.
…
Goku learned fast; he figured out soap and showers in no time. Bulma watched TV, then nodded off.
Night passed without incident.
In the morning, they were back on the hunt.
Goku found a sea turtle and escorted it back to the ocean. The turtle promised a reward if they waited by the shore.
Soon enough, Master Roshi rode in on the turtle's back.
"You're the one who saved Turtle?" Roshi asked Goku.
"Grandpa, who are you?" Goku blinked.
"I'm the Turtle Hermit," Roshi said. "You saved Turtle—let me give you a gift."
"A gift?" Goku blinked again.
"Come, Immortal Phoenix!" Roshi called.
Nothing came.
"That phoenix died of food poisoning…" Turtle muttered, sweating.
"Oh. I forgot," Roshi nodded.
"An immortal bird can die?" Bulma deadpanned.
"It was named in hope of immortality," Roshi stroked his beard. "Then we'll switch… Come, Flying Nimbus!"
A golden cloud shot out of the blue, drifting to Roshi's side. Goku and Bulma both gaped.
"This is the Nimbus. It's yours," Roshi said, pleased to show off in front of a pretty girl.
"How do you eat it?" Goku asked.
"You don't eat a precious cloud!" Roshi scolded. "You sit on it and go wherever you think."
"It can fly to the sky?" Goku beamed.
"Cool, right? But only those with a pure heart can ride it. Crooked hearts fall right off. I'll demonstrate!"
Roshi hopped and plopped down.
Splat.
He fell straight through, landing hard on his butt and nearly throwing out his back.
"Master, your back okay?" Turtle asked. "At your age, take care of your waist."
"Mind your shell! My back is fine!" Roshi snapped.
Bulma laughed until she shook.
Roshi: "…"
"Let me try." Goku sprang onto the cloud. The Nimbus soared; he looped and flipped before settling by Bulma and Roshi again.
"Mm. You pass," Roshi nodded.
"Grandpa, got a gift for me too?" Bulma said sweetly, eyeing the Nimbus.
"Hm?" Roshi glanced at Turtle. "Did this girl save you as well?"
"No," Turtle shook his head.
"I gave you saline!" Bulma huffed.
"There's only one Nimbus… I can give you something else… with conditions… heh heh—"
"Hold it. What's that on your neck? Lemme see!" Bulma's eyes flashed; she'd spotted the pendant.
Roshi removed it and handed it over.
Bulma waved Goku over. He examined it.
Yep—a Dragon Ball.
"Perfect. That makes four," Bulma said, pocketing it. "Thanks."
"I didn't agree yet… The conditions—" Roshi started.
"Enough. Don't say another word." Bulma flicked a bank card for one million zeni into his hands.
Roshi: "???"
I wasn't asking for money…
"Take the cash and go to the city. You can find ten of whatever you were after, right?" Bulma rolled her eyes.
Roshi's eyes sparkled. Why didn't I think of that?
"We're off, Goku." Bulma tugged Goku away.
Roshi stood windswept at the shore, suddenly unsure if a million was enough—and whether that ball was worth far more.
Their journey continued. Bulma met Oolong and Yamcha. Yamcha fell for her at first sight; Bulma wasn't impressed. Oolong didn't get to take advantage of her either.
When they finally gathered all seven, the Pilaf Gang snatched them. Shenron rose, but at the last second, Oolong blurted his own wish and bagged a… very specific item of ladies' apparel.
…
Universe 9 — Deep Space
At Ken's location, the radiant sphere had grown to the size of a basketball. Watching it swell day by day, Broly's face was all expectation.
Eleven years had passed. Broly had grown into a full adult—well over 180 centimeters, baby-faced no more.
Majin Buu looked the same as ever, round and pink, orbiting a hundred meters from the light.
Waiting was torture. But Broly's resolve never wavered, as if standing sentinel for a king's return.
…
Universe 7 — Supreme Kai Realm
"Supreme Kai, have you noticed something?" Kibito asked.
"What is it?" Shin glanced over.
"Majin Buu seems to be gone."
"Gone? Isn't he always with that Galactic Patrolman?" Shin frowned. "Sleeping, last I checked."
"I looked yesterday. He's not there," Kibito said, uneasy.
Shin scanned toward Patrol HQ, searching for Buu's ki—and blanched. "He's gone… Where would he go?"
"No idea. Should we ask that Patrolman, Merus?" Kibito suggested.
"Let's ask. It's been a peaceful decade or so—Buu hasn't caused trouble. But if he's missing, I have a bad feeling," Shin said darkly.
"Kai-Kai!"
In an instant, Shin and Kibito appeared in Merus's quarters.
Merus wasn't home.
They ransacked the place anyway. Kibito even lifted a vase and peered inside.
Shin: "…"
"Kibito… why the vase?"
"He can turn into smoke," Kibito said, self-righteously.
"Fair point," Shin muttered.
The door opened. Merus stepped in. "Supreme Kai, Kibito—welcome. Looking for something in my room?"
"Merus! Where did you hide Majin Buu?" Shin barked.
"Hide? I didn't hide him. Buu is in Universe 9," Merus said plainly.
"Come again? Which… universe?" Shin looked lost.
"We're in Universe 7. Buu went to Universe 9," Merus said. "He's with Broly."
"With Broly? Weren't they trying to kill each other?" Shin asked, baffled.
"They're best friends now," Merus replied.
Shin: "…"
Kibito: "…"
One Buu was headache enough. Add a Legendary Super Saiyan? Wonderful.
"Which universe again? Universe 9? And this is Universe 7?" Shin pressed.
"Yes, my lord," Merus nodded.
"Don't joke. There's only one universe. From how you talk, there are several?" Shin chuckled, not buying it.
Merus decided not to argue.
"Thought so—caught you making things up!" Shin snorted. "We see through you. I'm the greatest god in the universe; there's nothing I don't know!"
"Tell us where Buu is, or we'll out your identity and you won't last a day in the Patrol," Kibito threatened. "We spared you years ago only because you behaved. Time to talk."
"Fine, fine." Merus sighed. "I resealed Buu on Earth. Try there."
"Resealed on Earth? Really?" Shin blinked.
"If I said it was fake, would you believe me?" Merus said weakly.
"That part sounds believable. Good—wise of you," Shin nodded.
They vanished.
A heartbeat later, they were on the dead Earth.
While they were gone, Merus conjured a Buu-like seal and teleported it to Earth.
On the planet, Shin and Kibito stared around, aghast.
"Supreme Kai, did Buu ruin this?" Kibito whispered.
Shin's face darkened in mourning for humanity—then he frowned. "Doesn't feel like Buu… More like humans waged a modern war with nuclear weapons."
"Let's find the seal first," Kibito said.
They quickly found a conspicuous Buu-shaped seal. Both men's eyes misted.
Found you at last.
They hugged, almost giddy enough to dance on the dead world.
"Merus must've lost control and sealed him again," Kibito guessed.
"Likely," Shin agreed.
"What do we do with the seal?" Kibito asked.
"Leave it. The planet's empty," Shin said after sensing. "On a dead world, Buu can't cause waves."
"Good plan," Kibito nodded.
"Now that we've found it, we can relax," Shin smiled.
"Exactly," Kibito said.
They instant-transmitted away, never noticing the huge vortex hovering only three kilometers off.
Back home, Shin fell into thought.
"What is it, my lord?" Kibito asked.
"That Merus talk about the edge of the universe… What do you think?" Shin asked.
"He was deflecting. There's no other universe. Beyond the edge is nothing," Kibito insisted.
"Should we check anyway?" Shin said.
"Better not," Kibito shook his head fast. "What if it's a trap? We'll get dragged into some unknown God of Destruction's realm again!"
"You… do have a point," Shin conceded.
"At least we found Buu's seal. That damned thing… Why won't it die?" Kibito gritted his teeth.
…
Universe 9 — Deep Space
"Achoo!" Buu sneezed and scratched his head.
"What?" Broly glanced over.
"Feels like someone's talking about me," Buu muttered.
"Merus probably misses you," Broly smiled.
"Hmph. I don't like him," Buu said. "I like you."
Broly: "…"
They stayed side by side, guarding Ken.
One day. Two days. One month. Two months. One year. Two years. Three…
Thirteen more years slipped by.
The radiance thickened around Ken, the sphere shaping into the outline of a man.
Broly and Buu looked at each other, eyes suddenly red.
"He's coming back?" Buu trembled with excitement.
Broly nodded hard, brimming with hope.
Twenty-four years of waiting—at last.
"Great!" Buu clapped like a kid.
Broly stared, taut as a bowstring, at the forming silhouette.
A streak of violet-red burned across the far stars.
Buu pointed, mouth open.
Broly saw it too. That color—unmistakable.
"A God of Destruction from another universe," Broly frowned.
Buu nodded.
"Let's hope he doesn't meddle," Broly said. "Hide your ki."
Buu, having learned from Broly, suppressed his aura completely. Broly did the same. They couldn't risk disturbance now.
Ken was almost back.
…
Far away, Quitela tore across space in a violet-red flare toward the God of Destruction Realm. Something glittered in the distance—an oddly brilliant patch of stars.
He looked closer. In that patch, a radiant figure was condensing—already vaguely human.
"What's this? A new angel being born?" Quitela rubbed his eyes—and spotted a plump pink figure nearby.
That pink guy… looked like someone from that God of Destruction selection tourney over twenty years ago.
What's he doing here? And that other one… looks familiar too, though I can't remember him.
Let's have a look.
Quitela altered course and, in a blink, hovered near the ward Broly had raised. He let his aura dim.
"Quitela?" Buu's face tightened.
Broly gave a grave nod. They'd heard plenty from Ken and Merus: apart from Beerus, Quitela was the second-strongest God of Destruction.
"Is that… the essence of the cosmos?" Quitela drifted closer and soon noticed the ward.
"What's this?" he sniffed. "You two put up a barrier out here. What for?"
He reached out and tapped it.
Crack.
The whole dome shuddered, nearly collapsing.
"Oh? Sturdier than it looks," Quitela smirked.
"Don't," Broly's face went cold. His voice cut like ice.
"What, an angel in there?" Quitela peered at the light.
"Yes. Don't enter the ward," Broly said, forcing calm. This was not the time.
"Do you know who you're talking to?" Quitela narrowed his eyes, a chill behind the smile.
Gods of Destruction are used to walking sideways through their universes. Angels are strong—but detached. And they have that fatal taboo: if an angel deliberately kills, or even harbors murderous intent, they disappear. The Grand Priest had let it slip at a banquet long ago, drunk on Zeno's sake. The angels' faces had changed; the Gods of Destruction had listened well.
No wonder angels never fight.
So in their own realms, they swagger freely.
"Sorry… if I spoke out of turn, please forgive me," Broly said through clenched teeth, one arm quietly barring Buu from charging.
"Beat him and I'm the second-strongest," Buu muttered.
"Don't. Ken is still reforming," Broly hissed, eyes murderous for an instant.
"…Fine. I won't hit him," Buu sulked.
"Oh? Was that an apology?" Quitela cupped a hand to his ear. "Louder. I didn't hear."
"I'm sorry!" Broly forced it out, louder.
"You know who I am? The pink blob told you, right?" Quitela chuckled. "And don't pretend you don't know me, pinky. You were Merus's tag-along, weren't you? He toss you aside? Now you two found a newborn angel to cling to?"
"Makes sense," Buu nodded.
"And if I go inside your little ward?" Quitela slid forward and phased through.
Broly hesitated, glanced at the half-formed Ken—then held. Any fight now could blast Ken apart. Twenty-four years could not be wasted.
He swallowed the urge.
"I'm in," Quitela snickered—then slipped out again. "Now I'm out."
Broly locked eyes with him.
"I go in, I come out. What are you gonna do?" Quitela laughed, toying with them like children.
Buu shot Broly a look. "We could… you know."
Broly shook his head. Not yet. Not until Ken was stable.
Quitela kept needling. "In—out—your barrier's pointless. Why bother?"
Broly and Buu stared him down, ready for any sudden move.
"Those eyes… I see hatred," Quitela sang. "Come on then."
"I don't want to fight. Please leave," Broly said, face like iron. "Don't push me."
[End of Chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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