"I'll contact you separately about the location," Champa said with a smug little laugh. "Do your best, Beerus."
"Hmph. You talk as if Universe 6 has already won."
The call ended.
Beerus immediately turned to Whis. "Search the universe. Find every strong mortal we have. This time, we're going to crush Universe 6 so badly Champa never recovers. The Super Dragon Balls are whatever; this is about pride. No matter what happens, I am not losing to him."
Whis stayed quiet.
Beerus stroked his chin. "Although using the Super Dragon Balls to wish for a planet full of good food would be a decent idea."
Whis still said nothing.
"Whis," Beerus snapped, "stop staring into space and start looking for strong mortals."
Whis gave him a complicated look.
"What?" Beerus asked.
Before Whis could answer, Beerus started laughing again. Whis tilted his head, confused. "And what is Beerus-sama laughing about this time?"
"Let me laugh first. I'm still thinking about the Earth swap." Beerus grinned so broadly his mouth nearly reached his ears. "Champa really is pathetic, isn't he? Even this tournament between our universes is something he has to obey like an order. Tell me I'm wrong. That so-called God of Destruction has barely any standing left in Universe 6 now."
He laughed harder the more he talked.
Whis waited for the laughter to run its course before speaking. "Beerus-sama, if this really is a tournament between mortals from our two universes, then there is one problem."
Beerus's smile stayed on his face.
"What problem?"
"The strongest mortals from Universe 7 were all transferred to Universe 6 with Earth."
Beerus's smile froze.
For a full thirty seconds, he looked as if Whis had made him swallow something worse than Buu's cooking.
"What… did you just say?"
Whis sighed softly. "At the moment, Universe 7 no longer has many powerful mortals left."
"That's impossible." Beerus grabbed his own head. "The universe is huge. There has to be someone strong somewhere."
Whis did not argue.
"Search properly," Beerus growled, clenching his fists so hard his teeth nearly ground together. "I refuse to believe we can't find anyone."
"I'm searching."
Whis raised his staff and began sweeping through Universe 7.
Ten minutes passed.
Beerus leaned close, eyes fixed on him. "Well?"
"No good, Beerus-sama." Whis shook his head. "More than thirty years ago, the Grand Priest held a God of Destruction Selection Tournament to choose a new God of Destruction and Supreme Kai for Universe 18. Beerus-sama was sleeping at the time and would not wake up no matter what I tried, so I had to bring someone from our universe to participate."
Beerus blinked. "That happened? Who won? Don't tell me it was Broly."
"It was Broly."
Beerus relaxed a fraction. "This tournament is supposed to choose mortals, right? Broly has become a god, so he doesn't count. Bardock is strong too, but he's also a god now. The real problem is that Goku fellow. He hasn't become a god, has he?"
"Goku is currently a Supreme Kai candidate."
"A candidate is not a real god." Beerus's eyes sharpened. "Then he can still enter. Which means we need someone stronger than Goku."
"That will be difficult. If such a person had been easy to find, I would have brought them to the tournament thirty years ago."
"Find one anyway. We cannot lose to Universe 6."
After a brief silence, Beerus remembered something. "Who did you take back then?"
"Frieza."
"He's dead now, right?"
"Yes."
"Has he reincarnated?"
Whis checked with his staff and soon replied, "No. He is still imprisoned in Hell."
"Then we start with him."
"Very well. We can go to the Other World now."
Whis was about to depart when Beerus suddenly stopped him. "Wait. What has the Supreme Kai been doing all these years? He should know if there are any suitable candidates."
"We could contact him," Whis said. "But I would not place too much hope on it."
"Ask him anyway. This concerns Universe 7's pride."
Whis contacted Universe 7's Supreme Kai and explained the tournament.
"A tournament with Universe 6?" Shin sounded startled.
"I only need one thing from you," Beerus said, his face dark. "Do you know where any strong mortals in our universe are? Find them. Now. We cannot lose this match."
"Well…" Shin scratched his head awkwardly. "It seems all the powerful mortals from our universe went to Universe 6. I really don't know of any others."
"You useless bastard!" Beerus exploded. "What have you been doing all these years? How could you just watch every powerful mortal in our universe run off to another one?"
"Beerus-sama, are you really blaming me?" Shin sounded deeply wronged. "You were the one sleeping the whole time, and for a very long time too."
"Stop making excuses and find someone."
"Then I'll ask Elder Kai if he knows."
"Which elder?" Beerus asked.
"The Elder Kai you sealed inside the Z Sword," Shin said, with clear resentment in his voice.
Beerus slapped his forehead as the memory returned. "Right. That old man. I hope he's more useful than you."
A moment later, Shin relayed Elder Kai's answer. "Elder Kai says Beerus-sama should come to the Sacred World of the Kai so we can think of a solution together."
"You idiot!" Elder Kai's voice suddenly burst through the call. "Go pick Beerus-sama up yourself!"
Beerus flinched.
The old man's lungs were still impressive.
Shin used Kai Kai and appeared beside Beerus and Whis, then brought both of them to the Sacred World of the Kai.
"Beerus-sama, it has been a long time," Elder Kai said, bowing.
"Skip the greetings. Think. Are there any strong mortals we can use?"
"I'm thinking." Elder Kai stroked his chin.
"I thought of one," Beerus said. "What about Frieza?"
"Frieza?" Shin froze, then pointed at the halo floating over his own head. "Isn't he dead?"
Beerus stared at the halo.
Only then did he realize Shin had one.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you dead?"
"You killed me, Beerus-sama," Shin said miserably. "Have you forgotten?"
Beerus looked at him, then at Elder Kai, and finally relaxed a little. As long as one Supreme Kai was still alive, Beerus himself would be fine. Otherwise, he would have disappeared too.
"When did I kill you?"
"It's already in the past," Shin said with a tired sigh.
"Whis, revive him."
"Yes, Beerus-sama."
Whis raised his staff and swept it toward Shin. The halo vanished in an instant.
Shin touched his head, then broke into a delighted smile. "I'm alive? Thank you. So this is what Angels can do. Incredible."
"Enough. Frieza," Beerus said. "What do you think?"
"He is acceptable, but he has already lost to Goku before," Shin said. "Even if he joins, I doubt he can win."
"Then use him to fill a spot," Elder Kai said. "Or train him a little. Perhaps he has room to improve."
"Fine. Frieza takes one slot." Beerus settled that much at once and ordered them to keep thinking.
The group fell into silence, each trying to come up with another candidate.
Cooler crossed their minds, but someone like him could only fill a number. He was not someone they could expect to carry the match.
The longer Beerus thought, the angrier he became. He finally punched Shin on the head. "This is your fault. Why didn't you protect our Earth? If Universe 7's Earth had not gone to Universe 6, would I have to think this hard?"
"Beerus-sama, how is that my fault?" Shin clutched his head, tears nearly coming out from the pain. "You were the one sleeping forever."
"Shut up and find people."
"Actually," Shin said after a moment, "I just remembered something. Goku once said he used a Time Ring to go into the future, and he trained for a long time under the Supreme Kai of Universe 6 in that future."
Beerus narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
"Maybe in some future timeline, Universe 7's Earth was never swapped with Universe 6's," Shin said, growing more excited as he spoke.
Elder Kai nodded in approval. "Finally, a decent idea. We can go to a future timeline and find mortals who still belong to Universe 7."
"You know nothing," Beerus snapped. "Changing time is illegal."
"We wouldn't be changing time," Elder Kai said with a sly smile. "We would only visit a certain point in a parallel timeline and bring people over for one tournament. That is all."
"Beerus-sama should come with us," Shin suggested, suddenly enthusiastic.
"I heard nothing about this," Beerus said immediately. "If you're going, go yourselves." Then he glanced at Whis. "This doesn't count as a violation, does it?"
"As long as they do not alter our own timeline and only bring mortals from a parallel timeline to participate in a tournament, it is not technically a violation," Whis said. "It does sit close to the edge, but if handled carefully, the method is workable."
Beerus thought it over and finally accepted it. "You two go to another timeline and look for candidates. I'll find Frieza, then see if there are any other usable mortals here."
Universe 6 had taken all of Universe 7's best mortals.
If he pulled candidates from a parallel timeline, who could blame him?
The two sides split up.
Meanwhile, on Universe 6's Earth, Bulma's birthday party was nearing its end.
The prize drawing had already finished. Chi-Chi won third prize, Emily took second, and Gine received the right to use all seven Dragon Balls.
After the drawing, Champa and Vados descended from the sky and landed near Ken.
"Ken, about the tournament with Universe 7," Champa said directly. "Who are we sending?"
"A tournament?" Goku's ears practically perked up. "Great! I'm joining."
"Goku is one," Ken said.
"Count me in," Vegeta said.
"Vegeta is one too."
"Can I join?" Buu asked, pointing at himself.
"Gods are not allowed," Ken said. "Only mortals can participate."
"Oh." Buu looked a little disappointed.
Piccolo immediately responded. "Only mortals? Good. Then I'll enter too."
Ken nodded.
Kale turned to Gohan. "Gohan-nii, let's join too."
"Sure," Gohan said.
"Gohan can sit this one out," Ken said. "Kale can join."
Kale looked confused. "Why can't Gohan-nii participate?"
"His current level still needs work. He can join once he improves."
Goku scratched his head. "If only mortals can join, what about my brother Zarek?"
Champa chuckled. "I have a very good candidate."
Everyone looked toward him.
"His name is Hit," Champa said, clearly pleased with himself. "Universe 6's greatest assassin."
"Then Hit gets the spot," Ken said.
"Hit?" Goku grew even more excited. "Is he strong?"
"Of course," Champa said, smiling proudly. "You'll see when the time comes."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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