Cognac blinked in surprise. What was this guy planning?
"That candidate of Beerus's said he wouldn't let me off the hook!"
Quitela felt a wave of indignation wash over him. He was a dignified God of Destruction, yet here he was, being threatened by a mere Destroyer candidate. If word of this got out, he'd be the laughingstock of the multiverse.
But he was powerless to change it. Since being punished by Grand Zeno ten years ago, his strength had dwindled significantly.
If he were to face that monster—the one who had already touched the martial arts realm of the Angels—he couldn't confidently say he'd emerge victorious. If he gave the brat any more time to grow, he was as good as dead.
"We're going to Universes Six and Seven to find the Super Dragon Balls. It's the only way I can return to my peak, and the only way I can kill that monster!"
Cognac had mentioned the Super Dragon Balls to him years ago, and Quitela had been obsessing over them ever since.
"Lord Quitela, have you lost your mind?" Cognac's eyes widened. "Super Shenron could certainly heal your injuries, but do you really think Lord Champa or Lord Beerus would just agree to lend them to us?"
"Who said anything about borrowing? We'll just steal them." Quitela shook his head. "Knowing Beerus, he hasn't rested a wink in these last ten years preparing for that Destroyer Candidate Battle Royale. Now that it's over, he'll definitely be falling into a deep sleep."
"And what about Lord Champa? The Super Dragon Balls are scattered between both the Sixth and Seventh Universes."
"That fat pig, Champa?" A sharp glint flickered in Quitela's eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, his assassin candidate has very little of his lifespan remaining because he spent too much time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
If Champa doesn't want his prize fighter to die of old age, he'll definitely take that assassin into the Dimensional Tower to train. One will be asleep, and the other will be locked away in a tower. It's the perfect opportunity..."
Quitela grew more excited as he spoke, already visualizing the moment he'd gather the Super Dragon Balls and restore his broken body. Hearing his analysis, Cognac stood there, dumbfounded.
He had to admit, based on Beerus's personality and Hit's current condition, Quitela's guess was likely very close to the truth.
"Lord Quitela, perhaps you should just let this revenge business go," Cognac sighed. Having served Quitela for so many years, it wasn't as if he lacked affection for the deity, and he couldn't help but offer a word of caution.
After all, Gran was a genius favored by both his father, the Grand Minister, and Zeno-sama himself. Quitela's revenge was doomed from the start.
"Let it go?" Quitela looked at Cognac with a bitter smile.
"I'd love to let it go. But ever since I sent Oma to ambush Gran all those years ago, it's been a fight to the death between us. If I don't kill him, I'm the one who ends up dead. So... let's go. Destination: Universe Six!"
"Understood." Cognac gave a final sigh, realizing there was no stopping him. He would just have to see this through to the end with him.
As Cognac and Quitela stepped out of the Destroyer's Palace, the four Red Cube subordinates were still standing guard at the entrance. Cognac paused as he passed them, eventually shaking his head.
Their potential was far too low; none of them seemed capable of shouldering the mantle of a God of Destruction. Would one of these four really be the future of Universe 4?
"Cognac, let's move."
"Yes, my Lord." Cognac followed, manifesting a Cube and vanishing from the Destroyer Realm with Quitela in tow.
In Universe 7, the cosmos was thriving.
Gran was currently unaware that Quitela had begun a plot to steal the Super Dragon Balls. He was currently leading Bulma and Broly onto a bustling planet on the edge of the universe. High-tech aircraft zipped through the sky above a prosperous civilization.
"Wow, the technology here is incredible!" Bulma exclaimed, wandering the streets. To the passing aliens, she looked like a wide-eyed country bumpkin. They had no idea she was a scientific genius who viewed their advanced ships as little more than toys.
"Big brother Gran, I thought you said we were going to destroy a planet. Has this one reached the threshold for destruction?" Broly asked.
"What do you know?" Gran gave the big guy a playful glare before calling out to Bulma. "Bulma, wait up!"
"What is it, Lord Gran?" Bulma turned back.
"The tools I asked you to prepare—do you have them?"
Bulma blinked. "What tools?"
Gran's face darkened. "What else? The tools to build the Super Dragon Ball Radar!"
"Oh! You mean those? I keep them on me at all times." Bulma pulled out her case of Hoi-Poi Capsules and shook them at him.
"Good. Everyone, follow me." Gran suddenly took to the sky. Broly followed immediately, and a confused Bulma hurried after them.
As they ascended, an alien hiding in the shadows of the city quickly sent a transmission: "Lord Cooler! I've spotted the one called Gran!"
This planet sat at the junction of the East and North Galaxies. The East Galaxy had once been ruled by Cooler, but eight years ago, he had vanished without a trace.
Some said he was dead; others said he had gone into seclusion to train. Whatever the case, his absence was a fact. In reality, Cooler had encountered a young Broly and had nearly been beaten to death. Gran had been the one to save his life.
To wash away his humiliation and eradicate the Saiyan race once and for all, Cooler had entered a period of intense training. Before disappearing, he had ordered his subordinates to report any sighting of Gran or Broly immediately.
Eight years had passed. On a blue planet in the East Galaxy, where 98% of the surface was frozen, a training chamber had been carved into the tallest iceberg.
A scout outside the chamber received the message and rushed to the intercom. Shortly after the news of Gran's location was delivered, the heavy doors hissed open, venting a cloud of white steam. A figure emerged.
"You found Lord Gran?"
"Yes, sir! Reports say he is on a nearby planet."
"Dismissed."
Once the scout left, the figure looked at his hands, a smirk playing on his lips. "What an intoxicating power. Lord Gran should be quite pleased when he sees how far I've come."
Currently in his sleek, "Final Form" state, Cooler's eyes narrowed with lethal intent. "And once I've paid my respects to Lord Gran... the Saiyan extinction plan begins!"
The memory of the pain young Broly had inflicted on him still burned. He looked up at the ceiling of the cavern, enveloped himself in a white aura, and rocketed upward.
With a deafening crash, he tore through the iceberg and flew straight into the vacuum of space, heading toward Gran's coordinates without the need for a ship.
Deep in space, Gran led Bulma and Broly toward a nameless planet. After an hour of flight, they touched down on a world of deep, crimson rock.
"Lord Gran, do you want me to start building the Super Dragon Ball Radar now?" Bulma asked curiously.
"Obviously." Gran rolled his eyes. "Go on, let's see what you can do."
Bulma didn't move. The two of them stood there, staring at each other.
"Well? Get to work."
"Lord Gran, I need the actual object! How am I supposed to calibrate a radar for a Super Dragon Ball if I don't have one to scan?"
"Ah..." Gran rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I forgot to mention. The Super Dragon Ball is actually right under our feet."
This crimson world was the very planet where the Tournament of Destroyers between Universes 6 and 7 would eventually take place.
"What?" Bulma's eyes went wide. She had seen the photos Whis had shown her. A Super Dragon Ball was the size of a planet and looked just like a regular one. She scanned the horizon—nothing but red rock.
Seeing her skepticism, Gran laughed. "This planet is the Super Dragon Ball. It's just covered in millions of years of space dust." He knew that if he hadn't seen the original story, he wouldn't have believed it either. "Watch this."
Gran raised his foot and slammed it down. CRACK. Fissures instantly spider-webbed across the planet's surface, spreading at a violent speed.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Bulma and Broly scrambled back.
Fortunately, Gran had controlled his strength; the cracks stopped after a few hundred miles. Then, with a thunderous roar, the ground fell away.
Beams of brilliant gold light erupted from beneath the crust, illuminating the dark void of space with a divine radiance. The trio had to shield their eyes, unable to look directly at the exposed core. As they turned away, the very stars seemed to hum with a sacred melody.
When the light faded, they slowly turned back. The Super Dragon Ball wasn't fully exposed—only a massive section had been uncovered—but even that glimpse revealed the polished, golden surface and a portion of one of the massive red stars inside.
"So this is a Super Dragon Ball..." Even Gran was humbled by the sight.
"Lord Gran... it's... It's huge!" Bulma's mouth hung open.
"Yeah. It really is." Gran walked toward the edge of the chasm, followed closely by the others. Looking down into the depths, he saw the internal glow of the four-star ball. Golden light flowed within it like liquid divinity.
"Lord Gran, a dragon summoned from these must be able to grant literally any wish, right?" Bulma asked, her voice hushed.
"Any wish?" Gran went silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I think Super Shenron is like the Dragon of Earth; there are probably things even he can't do."
He wasn't just guessing. While Super Shenron could restore things erased by Zeno—making him seem omnipotent—could he truly grant a wish to surpass Zeno or the Dragon God Zalama?
Bulma's excited expression dipped into disappointment. "Oh. I thought he was truly limitless."
"Don't be too disappointed," Gran said, patting her shoulder. "In my eyes, there may be limits. But to a mortal, he might as well be all-powerful."
Perspective was everything.
To someone like Bulma, wishes for eternal youth or immortality were the ceiling of imagination. "Alright, let's not waste time. Start building that radar."
"Can I ask one more thing, Lord Gran?"
"You're very talkative today. What is it?"
"Once we collect them all... what are you going to wish for?"
Before Gran could answer, Broly spoke up. "It's not for Big Brother Gran. The wish is for me."
Bulma gasped, her curiosity piqued even further, but a sharp look from Gran silenced her. She sighed and tossed a Hoi-Poi Capsule. A fully equipped laboratory house materialized, and she stepped inside to get to work.
Looking at her retreating back, Gran patted Broly on the shoulder. "We'll have your problem fixed in no time."
Broly nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Big Brother Gran!"
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