"Similarly, the Gods of Destruction are not allowed to kill. Aside from being forbidden from using Destruction, they, like the other contestants, are also not allowed to fly on the stage," the Grand Minister continued to add.
The gods present were all silently thinking about how to better eliminate their opponents and lead their own universe to victory.
"Just like the previous martial arts tournament held between Universe 6 and Universe 7, the prize for this Tournament of Power will once again be the Super Dragon Balls. The winner can use the Super Dragon Balls to realize any wish, no matter how far-fetched it may be," the Grand Minister said with a smile. He turned his gaze toward Universe 6, specifically looking at Champa, and asked, "Is that alright, Mr. Champa? Please hand over the three Super Dragon Balls you collected previously. We will take responsibility for collecting the remaining ones to ensure all seven are gathered before the competition."
Champa: "..."
Champa's mouth twitched slightly, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. His heart was full of reluctance.
He had searched for a long time to collect these three Super Dragon Balls, and now he had to hand them over on a silver platter.
Faced with the Grand Minister's request, Champa didn't dare to refuse. He could only nod and reply, "Yes... alright, I'll bring them out right away."
"Um... Lord Grand Minister, may I have permission to speak?" the Supreme Kai of Universe 3 suddenly raised his hand and asked cautiously.
"Please speak, there's no need to be formal," the Grand Minister nodded, signaling him to speak his mind.
"Thank you very much, Lord Grand Minister." The Supreme Kai of Universe 3 gave a couple of sheepish laughs and rubbed his hands together, asking, "We already know that the reward for the outstanding contestant is the Super Dragon Balls, but... are there any other rewards for the winning universe? For example, raising the universe's level or increasing its resources?"
"There is nothing," the Grand Minister said flatly, as if speaking of a trivial matter.
The Supreme Kai of Universe 3 was instantly speechless. The smile on his face froze, and he stood there in a daze.
Nothing at all?
Then what is everyone fighting so hard for?
After a brief moment of blankness, the Supreme Kai of Universe 3 asked persistently, "Eh? I see... so you mean the reward for the winner is honor?"
"No," the Grand Minister shook his head and explained with a smile, "For the winning universe, we do nothing. That in itself is the reward."
The gods were all taken aback.
They looked at each other, momentarily confused.
What does 'doing nothing is the reward' mean?
This is too strange. I don't understand the Grand Minister's meaning at all.
"It's actually quite simple," the Grand Minister tucked away his smile, his expression becoming serious. "For the winning universe, we do nothing and let it continue to exist. As for the losing universes, they will be personally erased by Lord Zeno and completely removed from the list of universes."
The gods present instantly widened their eyes, each one of them stunned. The expressions on their faces changed from confusion to terror.
Erasing universes?
This is too cruel!
After a brief moment of blankness, the Gods of Destruction and Supreme Kais were shivering with fear, their bodies beginning to tremble slightly.
"Because Lord Zeno said before that there are a bit too many universes now and they're a hassle to manage, he only intends to keep one universe in existence," the Grand Minister slowly explained. "Originally, we planned to decide which universe to keep through a lottery. However, since Mr. Goku proposed the idea of holding a Tournament of Power, Lord Zeno felt this way was more interesting and decided to let the outcome of the tournament decide. Only the winning universe will be allowed to live."
"Huh? You actually planned to use a lottery to decide which universe stays? That's way too casual!" the Supreme Kai of Universe 9 couldn't help but cry out.
The fate of a universe was actually going to be decided by a lottery?
The gods were all speechless, their hearts full of lingering fear.
Thank goodness for the Tournament of Power. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have a chance to resist and would be at the mercy of the heavens.
"This truly is an unexpected turn of events, completely beyond my expectations," Whis remarked from the side with a sigh.
How is this completely different from what Hit said before?
Hit had said that in the parallel world he experienced, at least four universes would remain.
He hadn't expected that in this world, only one would be left. The difference was too great.
"Only one universe can remain?" Belmod, the God of Destruction of Universe 11, had cold sweat dripping from his forehead, his face looking extremely grim.
Although Universe 11 had Jiren and Toppo, their chances of winning against Son Goku and Broly were probably not high.
"If a universe is erased, what will happen to us gods? Will we disappear along with it?" Rumsshi, the God of Destruction of Universe 10, asked cautiously, his voice even trembling a bit. He didn't want to disappear just like that.
"Please do not worry," the Grand Minister smiled, his face cold. "Except for the Guide Angels responsible for leading, all of you gods will disappear along with your universes and completely cease to exist in this world."
The Gods of Destruction and Supreme Kais present were instantly petrified. Their faces became even grimmer, and some even slumped directly into their seats, their eyes full of despair.
They didn't even have a chance to resist; they could only fight for the qualification to live through the competition.
"The Tournament of Power will be held in the World of Void," the Grand Minister changed the subject, his tone becoming peaceful again. "I will build a specially made, massive arena there to ensure all contestants have enough space to fight. When the time comes, I will personally teleport everyone to the World of Void. Please gather and wait at the designated locations in your respective universes. Do not be late! Those who are late will be left behind and lose their qualification to participate. Please be mindful of the time."
"How long is it until the tournament starts? How much time do we have to prepare?" Son Goku turned to ask Whis beside him.
He had to notify everyone as soon as possible and get ready for battle.
"Counting from now, there are less than thirty-nine hours left. Time is very tight," Whis mused, a hint of gravity in his eyes.
"Additionally, the tournament has strict limitations: it is forbidden to use any weapons or strength-enhancing drugs. If any contestant violates the rules, the entire universe's team will lose their qualification and be directly judged as losers," the Grand Minister emphasized the rules again, his words carrying an unquestionable authority. He then slowly spread his arms. "Well then, I shall now send you all back to your respective universes. Time is short, so please prepare as quickly as possible. Good luck to you all."
Shua!
In just an instant, a soft white light enveloped the gods present.
The next second, everyone disappeared and returned to their respective universes.
Son Goku also followed Whis, Beerus, and the Supreme Kai, appearing together on Beerus' Planet in Universe 7. The familiar scenery of the planet came into view.
"Goku, you bastard! I told you before not to casually get close to Lord Zeno and not to make any strange proposals. Now look what happened! You've caused such a huge mess!" Beerus barked angrily, his tail standing on end, his eyes full of fury and lingering fear.
"I didn't expect this kind of thing to happen either..." Son Goku scratched his head, looking innocent.
"Oh my, oh my. Mr. Goku actually doesn't need to blame himself. By doing this, you've essentially given our universe a chance to survive," Whis said with a smile, smoothing things over from the side with a gentle expression. "After all, if it were decided by a lottery, the probability of Universe 7 remaining would only be one-twelfth, which is almost like leaving it to fate. But by holding the Tournament of Power, we have strong warriors like Mr. Son Goku and Mr. Broly, so our chances of winning are much higher."
Hearing this, Beerus suddenly fell silent.
Whis was right.
Compared to a lottery, the Tournament of Power was indeed a better choice. He just didn't want to admit that his previous worry was unnecessary.
"That's right. Our Universe 7's chances of winning are still very high. After all, we have Goku, Broly, and Vegeta—all of whom are strong enough to rival a God of Destruction," the Supreme Kai also chimed in, grinning with a tone full of confidence. "Even without those three, Gohan and Frieza's strength is also very formidable. They can completely handle the contestants from other universes."
"It's still too early to say that. The priority now is to quickly determine the list of contestants, as we need ten of them," the Supreme Kai tucked away his smile and proposed.
"That's right. Time is very tight. We must decide on the ten contestants as soon as possible and let them familiarize themselves with the rules. It would be best if we could conduct a simple synergy training session," Whis nodded slightly, agreeing with the Supreme Kai's proposal.
"Hmph, you're fine. Even if our universe is erased, nothing will happen to you," Beerus glanced at Whis with a hint of jealousy and dissatisfaction.
He didn't want to disappear just like that. He hadn't had enough of the universe's gourmet food yet.
Being a God of Destruction was great.
He could just lie flat every day.
"Hohoho, because I am just a Guide Angel sent from another world and do not belong to any single universe, I won't be affected even if the universe is erased," Whis covered his mouth and chuckled. "But please rest assured, Lord Beerus. I believe Mr. Goku and the others will definitely win and won't let you disappear."
"Is that what a Guide Angel means?" Son Goku scratched his head, a hint of deep meaning in his eyes as he looked at Whis.
"But... the most pitiful ones are those ordinary humans and innocent creatures. They clearly did nothing wrong, yet they will be implicated and erased together because their universe loses," the Supreme Kai lowered his head, unable to bear the thought.
As a guardian of the universe, the Supreme Kai truly couldn't bear to see such an ending.
"The Supreme Kai is right. How about I go to Zeno's Palace right now and plead with Lord Zeno again? Ask him not to erase the losing universes, okay?" Son Goku rubbed his head and proposed with a serious face, truly unable to bear seeing innocent lives vanish.
"It's better not to do that," Whis hurriedly shook his head, his expression becoming grave. "This is a decision made jointly by Lord Zeno and the Grand Minister, and there is no room for change. If you rashly go to plead and make Lord Zeno feel that you are questioning his decision, making him unhappy, he might just erase Universe 7 directly without even giving us a chance to compete."
"Is... is that so? It's that serious?" Son Goku's expression froze, and the smile on his face instantly vanished.
"It's too late for you to realize how terrifying they are now. You shouldn't have made that Tournament of Power proposal in the first place," Beerus snorted a couple of times.
"It's useless to say these things now," the Supreme Kai sighed with a look of helplessness. "It seems we can only rely on the efforts of Goku and the others. Only by winning the Tournament of Power can we save Universe 7 and all its life."
"Alright, since we can't change the rules, we just have to do our best! We must win the competition!" Son Goku clenched his fists, his fighting spirit reigniting in his eyes.
To protect the life of the universe, he had to go all out.
"Let's go to Bulma's place first. Gather everyone together to discuss the selection of contestants and the battle plan," Beerus thought for a moment and directly ordered.
"Oh my, why not go directly to Goku's house? The food Ms. Chi-Chi makes is so delicious. We could discuss while eating; how comfortable would that be?" Whis asked with a smile.
"Son Goku's yard is too small; it can't hold many people at all. It's nothing compared to Bulma's place!" Beerus glanced at Whis and said crossly, "Besides, just because you like the food at Son Goku's house doesn't mean I do. I prefer the gourmet food made by Bulma's top-tier chefs! Anyway, who knows if we'll ever get to eat it again. Might as well have a good meal before we disappear."
Son Goku: "..."
Son Goku looked speechless.
At a time like this, Beerus is actually still thinking about eating. What a glutton.
"Actually, Lord Beerus's idea is also a good one. After all, most of the ten contestants are on Earth. Gathering at Bulma's house is more convenient, and her place is large enough for some simple training," Whis tapped his forehead and agreed with Beerus's proposal.
Shua!
Under the Supreme Kai's lead, several people simultaneously performed Instant Transmission and appeared in Bulma's yard in the blink of an eye.
Subsequently, Son Goku used Instant Transmission to bring over his father Bardock, his mother Gine, his wife Chi-Chi, and his sons Son Gohan and Son Goten.
The Supreme Kai, meanwhile, made a special trip back to the Sacred World of the Kai to bring over Broly, the Elder Kai, and Kibito.
Seeing this lineup, everyone knew there was something important to discuss. One by one, they set aside their usual casualness, their expressions turning grave as they gathered around the table in the center of the lawn, waiting for the Supreme Kai to speak.
The Supreme Kai cleared his throat and explained the rules and rewards of the Tournament of Power, as well as the cruel truth that "losing universes will be erased," without hiding a single detail.
"You... what did you say? The losing universes will be erased? How is this completely different from what I heard from Hit before?" Vegeta looked at the Supreme Kai in surprise, then turned to Whis, his eyes full of doubt.
Hit had clearly said that four universes would remain. Why had it become only one in this world?
"The timelines and events of each parallel world can be different; this is a very normal phenomenon, so there's no need for surprise," Whis replied with a smile and a calm expression. "I heard your conversation with Mr. Hit before. In the parallel world he experienced, Lord Zeno did indeed leave four universes. However, the situation in our world is different. Lord Zeno felt that leaving only one universe would be simpler."
"Forget it. Anyway, among those four universes Hit mentioned, our Universe 7 wasn't included, so there's no point in thinking about it now," Vegeta shrugged indifferently and didn't say much more.
Fortunately, they now had the Tournament of Power, so they still had a chance to fight for survival.
"Furthermore, unlike the parallel world Mr. Hit is from, the Tournament of Power in our world allows the Gods of Destruction to participate," Whis added as a reminder. "However, it's not by directly adding the God of Destruction to the contestant list, but through a summoning method. Each universe has only one chance to summon its own God of Destruction to help on the stage. The time on stage is only one minute. Once the time is up, the God of Destruction must leave the stage."
"We can even summon a God of Destruction to the stage?" Vegeta was stunned.
"But with only one minute, what can be done?" Gine couldn't help but ask. "Can it really make a difference?"
"Of course it can," Beerus took over the conversation with a proud smile. "If possible, within one minute, I could definitely eliminate many contestants! If we're lucky, it's even possible to knock out an entire universe's team! After all, I am the strongest God of Destruction in all the universes. If I take the stage, I could completely knock all opponents off the arena within one minute!"
"Is one minute really enough? Lord Beerus, don't go bragging now," Son Goku looked at Beerus, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"Of course it's enough! When have I ever bragged?" Beerus snorted a couple of times, his tone full of confidence.
"If Lord Beerus were to actually do that and quickly eliminate all opponents, this Tournament of Power would become completely unwatchable. There's a high probability that Lord Zeno would find it boring and then directly erase our Universe 7. After all, his original intention for holding the tournament was for it to be interesting," Whis said with a smile, throwing a bucket of cold water on the idea.
Beerus: "..."
Beerus instantly shuddered and didn't dare to say any more nonsense.
He didn't want his impulsiveness to lead to the erasure of Universe 7; that would be a huge loss.
"However, if we summon Lord Beerus to the stage, other universes will surely summon their own Gods of Destruction immediately to stop him. After all, no universe would be willing to let its contestants be quickly eliminated," Bardock took over the conversation, musing in a low voice and analyzing calmly. "In that case, the possibility of Lord Beerus eliminating other universes' contestants would likely be small, and it might even turn into a chaotic brawl."
"Yeah... Dad's right. The Gods of Destruction of other universes certainly won't sit idly by," Son Goku nodded thoughtfully, finding Bardock's analysis very reasonable.
"Therefore, the chance to summon Lord Beerus must be used at the most dangerous moment—for example, when our contestants are in a bind or encounter an opponent they can't face. Only then can it have the greatest impact," the Supreme Kai analyzed, stroking his chin. "We can't easily waste this precious opportunity."
"That's indeed the case. This opportunity is too important and must be used cautiously," Whis nodded slightly, agreeing with the Supreme Kai's view.
"But then again, with Goku and Broly's strength being so great, it should be very difficult for contestants from other universes to face them, right?" The Elder Kai stood with his hands behind his back and let out a long sigh of relief, his tone full of relaxation. "With the two of them, our Universe 7's chances of winning should be very high. There's no need to worry too much."
"That may be so, but we still need to be fully prepared. After all, other universes might also have hidden powerhouses; we can't lower our guard," Whis tucked away his smile, his tone becoming serious. "The most important thing now is to first determine the list of contestants. Once the ten contestants are decided, we can proceed with the subsequent preparations."
"Me, my dad Bardock, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Frieza..." Son Goku immediately listed the names of the contestants.
This lineup already had eight contestants.
"There are two left. Who would be suitable?" Son Goku scratched his head.
Piccolo: "..."
Piccolo's face darkened.
Why didn't you mention me?
"Ah... and Piccolo!" Son Goku looked at Piccolo.
Piccolo gave Son Goku a side-eye.
"That leaves only the last contestant," Whis said with a smile.
"If we can't find anyone else, let's choose Buu," the Supreme Kai proposed. "Although Buu's strength is quite different from Goku and the others, he can heal! That way, we can be perfectly safe."
"Right, there's also Buu!" Son Goku nodded. "I'll go bring Buu over right now."
With that, Son Goku disappeared with an Instant Transmission.
In that lightning-fast instant, Son Goku had already appeared before everyone with Buu.
The air swirled slightly, kicking up a bit of dust.
Besides Buu, Son Goku's other hand was also lugging a still-shaken Mr. Satan.
Mr. Satan's legs went weak, and he nearly slumped to the ground. Fortunately, Videl stepped forward quickly to support him.
"Dad?" Videl held her father's arm, her voice full of concern.
Mr. Satan looked around blankly and rubbed his eyes hard, as if he had just woken from a dream.
He looked around at the gathered crowd, his mouth slightly open, but no sound came out.
"With this, all the contestants are gathered," Whis said, his hands folded over his scepter, a composed smile hanging on his lips.
The sunlight fell on his pale purple skin, casting a soft glow.
"Not bad, not bad," Beerus curled his lips in satisfaction, showing a row of teeth. He turned to look at Bulma, who was standing to the side, and waved his hand impatiently. "Don't just stand there in a daze; hurry up and get some food! Before the universe is erased, I want to have a good meal!"
Bulma stood with her hands on her hips, tilting her head to look at Beerus, her sapphire-like eyes full of confusion. "Are you joking? With Goku and the others here, how could our universe possibly lose?"
"Nothing is absolute!" Beerus shook his head, a hint of gravity flashing in his crimson eyes. "What if Lord Zeno just wants to erase Universe 7? Who can say for sure!"
The corner of Bulma's mouth twitched involuntarily. The color instantly drained from her originally rosy cheeks, and she stood there in a daze, as if nailed to the spot by those words.
A breeze brushed through her azure hair, but it couldn't brush away the panic that suddenly surfaced on her face.
After a brief moment of blankness.
Bulma's voice carried a tremble: "My child hasn't even been born yet, and the universe is going to be erased?"
As she spoke, Bulma's hands involuntarily moved to her bulging abdomen.
"Ms. Bulma, there's a suitable blanket here," Whis smiled gently. At some point, a soft white blanket had appeared in his hand.
"What?" Bulma blinked, momentarily unable to understand the meaning of those words.
Vegeta, standing beside her, also furrowed his brows, his arms crossed over his chest, revealing a look of confusion.
Pa!
Whis suddenly gave Bulma's belly a gentle glare.
Shua!
Bulma's belly flattened at a speed visible to the naked eye, returning to its original flat state.
At the same time, a pink and tender little infant appeared out of thin air, lightly falling into the blanket Whis had already prepared, being gently wrapped up.
To be continued…
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