This is a bonus chapter :)
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"I'm back, Bulma!"
The moment he arrived home, Whitley was met with the warmest of welcomes from Bulma.
"Honey!"
Bulma's cheerful cry was like the most beautiful music. She shot up from her chair and leaped accurately into Whitley's open arms.
Whitley caught her steadily, feeling the soft, warm body in his embrace and the undisguised longing and joy.
"Haha!"
Whitley laughed heartily, holding Bulma and spinning her around several times, making her giggle as her blue short hair flew in the air.
Only when Bulma laughingly patted his shoulder did he reluctantly place her on the spacious, soft sofa in the living room, adjusting his position so she could sit comfortably in his lap.
"I'm back."
Whitley lowered his head, his forehead touching hers, and said in a low, gentle voice.
A happy blush spread across Bulma's face, and she nodded vigorously.
The two shared a tender moment before Bulma finally spoke.
"Did you go and take care of King Piccolo just now?"
Bulma asked casually, her arms around his neck. But she clearly wasn't too concerned about the great demon king who had almost destroyed the world; her attention was entirely on her lover, who had finally, after so long, come home.
"How did you know I was the one who took care of him?" Whitley asked, a little curious.
"Idiot! It was on live TV."
Bulma replied helplessly, then, as if remembering something more important, her sapphire-blue eyes instantly lit up.
She spoke with a glow of excitement and enthusiasm.
"Was what that Mr. Popo said earlier true? Does Kami really want you to take over his position? To become the new Guardian of Earth?!"
"Popo?"
Whitley was stunned for a moment before he understood. Seeing Bulma's excited expression, as if she had just won the lottery, he couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically.
"You don't really want me to be that Guardian, do you?"
"Of course, I do!"
Bulma nodded vigorously, shaking his arm with a grin, her eyes sparkling with longing.
"That's the Guardian! The legendary 'Kami-sama'! He's a character from stories! Aren't you tempted, honey? Just think, if you become the God of Earth! When I tell my girlfriends, how impressive would that be!"
Whitley shook his head decisively and pinched Bulma's excited little face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Give me a break, grandma! This 'Kami-sama' position really isn't as good as you think."
He held Bulma and put on a serious expression.
"Let's not talk about other things for now, let's just talk about one point—if I really become the Guardian of Earth, then I basically can't leave the planet easily. I have to guard it at all times. So what if one day our Miss Bulma has a whim and wants to go see a comet in outer space, or wants to travel to another planet? Are you going to fly a spaceship all by yourself, drifting alone in the vast, empty universe? What are you thinking?"
His description made the excitement on her face freeze instantly. The image Whitley described involuntarily appeared in her mind—
Her, piloting a spaceship alone, facing the boundless but cold, starry sky, with only herself, completely alone...
The thought alone was enough to make her shudder.
"Hiss..."
Bulma sucked in a breath of cold air, her mind instantly clearing.
"That's true! That's not okay! Absolutely not!"
She immediately shook her head like a rattle, clinging tightly to Whitley's arm.
"Forget it, forget it! We're not doing this Guardian thing! Whoever wants to be it can have it! Our travels together are more important!"
Seeing that he had successfully bluffed Bulma, a mischievous glint flashed in Whitley's eyes.
He tightened his arm around her waist and continued with a smile:
"And besides... it's hard to say whether the current Guardian is willing to stick to his previous promise and pass the position to me."
"Hm?"
Bulma looked up in confusion.
A meaningful curve appeared on Whitley's lips. "He wanted to pass the position to me before because he knew his time was short and he was planning to sacrifice himself to completely eliminate King Piccolo. So he needed a powerful successor to protect the Earth. But now..."
He dragged out the last word, "King Piccolo has been dealt with by me, so his own death has been postponed for now. Do you think an old guy who has just survived and has been the Guardian for hundreds of years would so readily hand over the symbol of his status and authority to... well, an alien who, in his eyes, is probably a bit 'unpredictable'?"
He added another sentence:
"Heh. Although he's an alien himself."
Bulma blinked her big eyes, processing the meaning behind Whitley's words. She gradually understood, her small mouth slightly agape.
"You're saying... Kami is an alien? And he's very likely to go back on his word?"
"Not likely, highly probable."
Whitley shrugged.
"But it doesn't matter. We weren't interested in the first place anyway. Let the old man continue his hard work. We'll be happy to be free."
Seeing that Bulma seemed to still be thinking about the Guardian matter, Whitley didn't want her to waste her energy on such trivial things and immediately changed the subject.
"By the way, there's something more important I have to tell you."
"Hm? What?" Bulma's attention was successfully diverted.
Whitley said seriously, "In a little while, the God of Destruction, Beerus, will be coming here."
"God of Destruction? Beerus?"
The name was unfamiliar to Bulma, but she seemed to have heard it mentioned by Whis by chance.
The title "God of Destruction" made her realize that this might not be a simple matter.
"Yes," Whitley nodded.
"He's the god that Whis serves, with the power to easily destroy planets and even galaxies. That guy has a very, very big temper, and he's extremely willful and moody. When he gets here, if he says something unpleasant or is arrogant, and you don't like it..."
Whitley paused, looking into Bulma's eyes. "Don't be impulsive. If you can, try not to confront him to his face. I'm not his match for now. I can probably protect you, but if we really have a falling out and go all out, I'm still no match."
Hearing this, Bulma was stunned for a moment, then rolled her eyes with a flirtatious flair.
She poked Whitley's chest with a slender finger.
"Hey! In your mind, am I some spoiled brat who throws tantrums regardless of the situation? I'm not stupid! If I know he's a big shot I can't afford to offend, why would I confront him? I'll just serve him good food and drinks, alright!"
Although she had a straightforward personality, as the young lady of Capsule Corporation, she knew basic social etiquette and understood the stakes.
But Whitley just smiled and shook his head, catching the finger she was poking him with. His eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp.
An invisible, deadly aura faintly emanated from him.
"No, Bulma, you've misunderstood! I'm not telling you to endure it, and I'm definitely not telling you to be afraid of him."
He looked directly at Bulma and said, word by word, clearly and firmly:
"I mean, if you can avoid it! But if he really makes you angry, if he offends you and makes you feel wronged, you don't have to be afraid of him at all! Scold him if you need to! Confront him if you want! You don't have to have any reservations!"
"Why?!"
Bulma was stunned. She even suspected she had heard wrong.
Just a moment ago, he said he couldn't beat him, that he was no match, and now he was telling her to scold him as she pleased?
A resolute light shone in Whitley's eyes.
"I won't let my woman, Whitley's woman, be wronged. At worst, I'll just fight him! Although my overall strength is not as good as his right now, if I really risk my life and burn everything I have, I'm very confident I can land a heavy blow on him! I want him to know that there's a price to pay for messing with my woman! Even if he is a God of Destruction!"
Whitley's words were firm and decisive, carrying an unquestionable resolve and a hint of madness.
This wasn't a joke. He was serious! For Bulma, he would dare to raise his fist to a god!
Bulma's heart was deeply touched. An indescribable warmth and sense of security instantly enveloped her, and her eyes grew a little hot.
She was just about to say something...
Suddenly!
A cold, indifferent voice, as if devoid of any emotion, sounded right beside their ears without any warning:
"Oh ho~~ Is that so?"
The voice was not loud, but it carried a bone-chilling feeling!
Whitley and Bulma's hair stood on end in an instant!
At the same time the voice sounded, the space in the center of the living room rippled like the surface of water. A brilliant, rainbow-like stream of light appeared out of thin air and instantly took shape!
The light dissipated, revealing two figures.
Standing in front was the God of Destruction Whitley had just spoken of—Beerus!
The newcomers were none other than the God of Destruction, Beerus, and his attendant angel, Whis!
Beerus was small and slender, wearing a strange divine attire with purple markings. His skin was a light purple, hairless, and his head was shaped like an elegant and cold hairless cat.
His golden, slit pupils were currently sizing up Whitley with great interest, a playful curve on his lips.
An aura of destruction, as if it were the end of all things, emanated from him, suffocatingly.
Standing half a step behind Beerus, still elegant and holding his staff, was Whis.
At this moment, Whis was elegantly covering his mouth with his hand, his purple eyes curved into crescents, filled with undisguised schadenfreude—
Clearly, Whitley's bold declaration of "risking my life to land a heavy blow on him" had been heard, word for word, by the two of them.
"Kid,"
Beerus's golden eyes locked onto Whitley. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, a smile that carried the dangerous air of a predator.
"From what I just heard... you seem to be very confident in your own strength, don't you?"
The air in the living room instantly froze. Bulma subconsciously tightened her grip on Whitley's arm, her palm sweating slightly.
Whitley's heart also skipped a beat, but his strong mentality and his months of training allowed him to quickly calm down.
He gently patted the back of Bulma's hand to reassure her, then stood up with composure, a perfectly polite smile on his face.
"Lord Beerus, Teacher Whis, welcome to the Briefs' estate."
Whitley bowed slightly, his movements fluid and natural, as if he weren't the one who had just been caught talking tough.
Bulma also reacted immediately, quickly standing up and switching to a warm and proper social smile.
"Welcome, welcome! You must be tired from your long journey! The luncheon is already prepared, all the best delicacies of Earth. How about... we eat while we talk?"
She cleverly changed the subject, diverting the focus of the conflict to the food.
Beerus's golden, slit pupils scanned back and forth between Whitley and Bulma. The invisible pressure made the temperature in the living room seem to drop a few degrees.
After a long while, he finally let out a heavy snort from his nose.
"Hmph! Delicacies? Let me tell you beforehand, if the taste of the food does not satisfy me..."
Beerus's gaze swept over Whitley and Bulma, finally landing on the bustling city skyline of West City outside the window, his tone icy.
"I will destroy you and this worthless planet."
This naked threat made Bulma's smile stiffen slightly, but she quickly adjusted and her expression returned to normal.
Whitley, however, acted as if he hadn't heard the threat. Instead, he smiled confidently, even with a hint of teasing.
"Don't worry, Lord Beerus. Regarding the taste of the food, I can only say..."
He paused deliberately, then uttered two words with conviction, "Guaranteed!"
Bulma timely led the two gods to the meticulously decorated, luxurious dining room.
The huge dining table was already laden with a dazzling array of delicacies.
Just as Bulma had "accidentally" revealed earlier, the "pufferfish sashimi" was as thin as a cicada's wing, glowing with a pearly luster under the lights.
The "dinosaur ribs" were roasted to a crispy exterior and a tender interior, the rich aroma of meat mixed with the scent of fruitwood smoke filling the entire space.
The "Dreamy Rainbow Pudding" was like a work of art, with seven colors layered on top of each other, exuding a tempting sweet fragrance.
In addition, there were countless other carefully prepared dishes, their intertwined aromas mouth-watering.
Beerus's gaze fell on the table. His golden, slit pupils narrowed slightly, and his nostrils twitched almost imperceptibly.
Whis's eyes lit up even more, a clear look of anticipation on his face.
And then... there was no "and then."
Only after Beerus and Whis truly started eating did Whitley deeply understand the perfect combination of "a god's eating speed" and "a starving ghost reincarnated."
Where was the cold and majestic Beerus from a moment ago?
He looked as if he hadn't eaten in hundreds of years, his hands moving as fast as lightning!
The knife and fork in his hands became afterimages, accurately forking the largest piece of rib, stuffing it into his mouth, and swallowing it after two chews without even spitting out the bone.
The sashimi was sucked into his mouth like a stream of water, and the pudding was eaten one spoonful after another, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
He didn't even bother with basic table manners, his cheeks bulging, and he made a purring sound like a cat.
The food was also being crunched loudly.
Although Whis's movements still maintained the elegance of an angel, his speed was no less impressive!
He could always accurately predict Beerus's next target and, from a more clever angle, "snatch" the most delicious part onto his own plate a step ahead, before delivering it to his mouth with slow but extremely efficient movements.
It was as if the two of them were engaged in a silent food-grabbing war. The plates were visibly emptying at a rapid rate.
Watching the God of Destruction fight over a few pieces of meat until he was red in the face, Whitley's mouth twitched, and he screamed internally:
"Seriously, bro? Huh? I'm asking you, is it really necessary? You guys are gods! Can't you have a little divine dignity?!"
However, complaints were complaints. Seeing the rapidly disappearing food, Whitley also got anxious.
If he didn't make a move, he probably wouldn't even get a sip of soup!
He immediately joined the "battlefield," burying his head and desperately shoveling food into his own mouth.
For a time, the only sounds at the dining table were the clatter of cutlery and the sounds of chewing and swallowing. The atmosphere was incredibly "intense."
Bulma watched the three "hungry wolves" eat, half annoyed and half amused.
She couldn't get a word in edgewise and could only constantly direct the robot servants, "Quick! Two more servings of ribs! Add an order of pufferfish sashimi! Is there any more Dreamy Pudding in the kitchen? Make two more servings! Speed! Speed!"
She was as busy as a logistics commander, while not forgetting to put food that Whitley couldn't reach into his bowl—after all, in front of the two "professional players," Whis and Beerus, Whitley's food-grabbing speed was still a bit inferior.
This luncheon, which could be called a "divine feast," ended at a whirlwind speed.
The mountain of plates on the table told the story of the fierce "battle" that had just taken place.
Except for the constantly busy Bulma, the three of them—Whitley, Beerus, and Whis—were all unceremoniously slumped in their large, comfortable chairs. Each had a toothpick in their mouth, a hand on their noticeably bulging stomach, and was letting out satisfied burps, lacking the strength to even lift a finger.
The dining room was filled with the lingering aroma of food and an extremely lazy atmosphere.
While enjoying the feeling of a full stomach, Whitley turned his head and, with a teasing smile, looked at Beerus beside him.
"So, Lord Beerus? Was the meal to your satisfaction?"
Beerus squinted his golden cat eyes in satisfaction. Hearing the question, he let out a lazy "Hmph."
But this time, there was no coldness or threat in the "Hmph." Instead, it carried a post-meal laziness and... well, a little bit of a tsundere attitude from being conquered by the food.
He even rolled his eyes at Whitley, uncontrollably, because he was so full—of course, the eye-roll wasn't directed at Whitley, it was purely from being stuffed.
Time passed slowly in the pleasant feeling of satiety.
When the food had been digested a bit and the heavy feeling in their stomachs had eased, Beerus's golden, slit pupils opened again, a renewed interest shining in them.
He sat up straight, stretched his neck, making a soft cracking sound, and his sharp gaze turned to Whitley.
"Kid,"
Beerus tossed the toothpick from his mouth, his tone a mix of amusement and bellicosity.
"I heard you say when I came in that you could land a heavy blow on me if you got serious? Now that we're full, it's a good time to get some exercise. How about it, want me to give you a chance to try?"
Hearing this, a strong fighting spirit instantly erupted in Whitley's eyes!
He shot up from his chair, his face filled with undisguised excitement and eagerness.
"I'd love nothing more, Lord Beerus!"
He had long been craving a real battle to test the results of his hard training in the God of Destruction's Realm!
Whis's strength was too unfathomable, so he wouldn't consider him for now. But the Beerus before him was undoubtedly the best touchstone!
"Let's go!"
Beerus grinned, and his figure instantly turned into a streak of purple light, piercing through the dome of the dining room and shooting into the sky!
Whitley followed closely, turning into a streak of golden light and chasing after him.
"Hey! I want to go too, wait for me!"
Bulma quickly ran to the yard, took out a DynoCap, and with a "pop," produced a small aircraft. She got in and quickly ascended to follow them.
Whis, on the other hand, floated up unhurriedly, hovering beside Bulma's aircraft as if he were weightless.
While casually protecting Bulma from the effects of the battle, he wore a leisurely smile, as if watching a play.
High above a desolate desert plain, far from West City.
Whitley and Beerus faced each other in the air, separated by several hundred meters.
The strong wind whipped at the corners of their clothes.
Below was a vast, ocher-red land, completely uninhabited, a perfect place for an all-out battle!
Beerus casually crossed his arms, his posture lazy, but his golden, slit pupils were locked on Whitley.
He extended his right hand and beckoned to Whitley with a finger, a provocative smile on his lips.
"Come on, kid. You make the first move. Use all your strength and entertain me. Let me see what Whis has taught you these past few days."
Whitley ignored Beerus's taunt and did not immediately power up into his Super Saiyan form.
He slowly closed his eyes, as if becoming one with the whistling wind around him.
His entire body stood quietly in the void, as if in a meditative state.
His ki suddenly vanished from the world. An ordinary person would not even be able to sense his presence.
However, beneath this extreme tranquility, an invisible storm was brewing!
Whoosh—!
With Whitley at the center, the surrounding air suddenly became thick and heavy! An invisible force field rapidly expanded!
Suddenly!
Whitley's tightly closed eyes snapped open!
In the depths of his dark pupils, it was as if silver starlight had exploded!
An indescribable, sacred, and vast ki erupted like a dormant volcano!
VMMMM—!!!
There was no earth-shattering eruption of aura, no blinding light.
A very thin, almost transparent layer of light, emitting a faint silver glow, appeared on the surface of Whitley's body!
Beerus, who had been waiting for Whitley to make a move, had his pupils instantly dilate. He stared at him with a horrified expression, as if looking at a monster.
Unconsciously, he muttered, word by word, "Ul-tra In-stinct!"
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