The atmosphere in the Briefs' estate living room was a bit delicate.
Goku, with a wronged expression, was complaining to Bulma like a tattling child, recounting how Whitley had deceived him.
As Bulma listened, she first raised her eyebrows in surprise, then shot an annoyed glare at Whitley, who was standing nearby trying to pretend he was admiring the scenery.
After hearing Goku's complaint, she first instructed the robot butler, "Go prepare the most sumptuous meal, and make a lot of meat!"
Then she reached out, accurately grabbed Whitley's ear, and twisted it hard!
"Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! Gentler, babe!"
Whitley immediately cooperated, grimacing and begging for mercy.
"You!" Bulma's tone was chiding. "Goku is already so simple-minded, and you still trick him like that? Does it make you happy to see him upset? If you're really that bored, you can come and run errands for me!"
Faced with his wife's demands, what could Whitley do?
He could only nod repeatedly and agree with a placating smile, "Yes, yes, my fault, my fault. Running errands, right? No problem! You can count on me!"
Soon, a dazzling and aromatic luxurious feast was brought to the table by the robot maids.
A whole roasted sheep, golden and crispy; juicy giant dinosaur meat; and all sorts of exquisite and tempting desserts...
The sight made Goku instantly forget his grievances, and he was practically drooling on the floor.
His eyes shone with a blissful light, wishing he could just pounce on the food and start eating.
Whitley looked at the table of food but suddenly said, "Let's wait a moment before we start. I'll call that guy Vegeta over too. He's actually not a bad person, just a bit of a tsundere, has a foul mouth, is a little short, a little stubborn... ahem, anyway, you guys might become good friends in the future."
Hearing this, Goku immediately stopped drooling over the food and nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Since everything before was just you tricking me, Whitley, and Vegeta didn't send people to kill everyone, then he's not a bad person!"
Whitley smiled at his words and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "He was about to kill you and he's still not a bad person? That's you alright, Scummarot."
After saying this sentence that left Goku confused, Whitley's figure flashed and he instantly disappeared from the dining room.
...
On the summit of a perpetually snow-covered mountain range somewhere on Earth.
Amidst the howling cold wind, Vegeta stood alone at the highest point with his arms crossed. His damaged battle armor flapped loudly in the wind.
The wounds from his fight with Goku had not yet healed, and some of the smaller cuts were still faintly seeping blood.
His face was grim, his eyes gazing at the rolling sea of clouds in the distance, his thoughts unknown. He exuded a low-pressure aura that warned others to stay away.
Swoosh!
Whitley's figure appeared behind him without any warning.
"Yo, Vegeta," Whitley greeted with a grin. "Wanna grab a bite? My place has prepared a super delicious feast!"
Vegeta's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't turn around, only letting out an extremely cold snort from his nose. "Hmph!"
In his heart, this bastard Whitley had used the method of slandering him with false rumors to successfully provoke that idiot Kakarot into transforming, becoming a Super Saiyan just like him, and even allowed him to be defeated in front of his own subordinate!
This utter humiliation, he, Vegeta, had noted it down! And he would remember it for a lifetime!
Whitley paid no mind to his cold attitude, walking forward with a grin and familiarly slinging an arm over Vegeta's shoulder.
This action made Vegeta stiffen all over again.
Whitley, however, subconsciously measured their height difference—Vegeta's head only reached about his chest level.
"Pfft—"
Whitley couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Vegeta whipped his head around and stared daggers at him, the anger in his eyes beginning to brew. "You... what are you laughing at?!!"
Whitley quickly waved his hands, offering an insincere apology. "Sorry, sorry, I really couldn't help it... It's all your fault for being too short! I mean, Kakarot and I have been shooting up in height these past few years, how come you don't seem to have grown at all? Did your growth spurt stop?"
Whitley was now exactly 1.8 meters tall, and Goku was about 1.75 meters, while Vegeta...
He estimated Vegeta might not even reach 1.65 meters.
"You...!"
Vegeta's face instantly turned bright red, veins popping on his forehead as if his tail had been stepped on.
He practically roared his retort, "I am a Saiyan! The prince of the noble warrior race of Saiyans!!! I may not be tall, but my power level is high!!! You bastard, Whitley! Don't you dare laugh!!!"
As he spoke, he threw an angry punch towards Whitley's face!
Whitley watched Vegeta's completely flustered and exasperated state and laughed even more joyfully.
His shoulders shook, completely ignoring the punch that landed on his face, which felt like nothing to him. "Hehe... hahaha... I'm sorry... but it's just so funny..."
Vegeta's expression was as ugly as if he'd seen his father's murderer!
If looks could kill, Whitley would have been drawn and quartered by now.
Whitley finally had his laugh, wiping the tears from his eyes and patting Vegeta's shoulder.
He spoke half-jokingly and half-seriously, "So, Vegeta, who are you comparing your power level to? Goku? Goku just defeated you. Or... can you beat me?"
He paused, then deliberately added in a punchable tone, "How about I don't fight back and just stand here and let you attack me with all your strength for ten minutes? Let's see if you can even break my defense."
Vegeta's face, which had just started to calm down, instantly turned red with anger again!
He panted heavily, and it took him a long time to force out a sentence through gritted teeth, "Ka... Kakarot's victory wasn't honorable! It... it was you who interfered in our fight! Otherwise, I would never have lost!"
Whitley shrugged indifferently. "Alright, alright, it was all my fault, okay? All my fault. So now, Your Highness Prince Vegeta, are you going to eat or not? If not, Kakarot and I are going to start. There's so much good food, are you sure you don't want any?"
An expression of extreme struggle and conflict appeared on Vegeta's face.
On one hand, he really didn't want to give this detestable Whitley the time of day.
But on the other hand, after the high-intensity battle, his stomach was indeed growling with hunger, and he had some idea of how delicious Earth's food was...
In the end, hunger triumphed over pride.
He snorted heavily, turned his head away, and said in the tone of a mighty warrior, "Hmph! I'll go! It's a perfect chance to show you! I might not be your opponent now, but at the dining table, you are definitely no match for me, Vegeta!!!"
Whitley silently retorted in his mind, 'Good grief, what a strange sense of rivalry...'
"Alright, alright, Your Highness, God of the Dining Table, let's go then."
Whitley placed a hand on Vegeta's shoulder.
Swoosh!
The two figures instantly vanished from the cold mountain peak.
The next moment, they reappeared in the warm, comfortable, and food-scented dining room of the Briefs' estate.
The moment they arrived, Vegeta violently shrugged his shoulder, disgustedly shaking Whitley's hand off as if he had touched something filthy.
Without even looking at Whitley, he walked straight to the dining table, found an empty seat, sat down with a plop, crossed his arms, and lifted his chin high, trying hard to maintain his arrogant posture.
But... his tattered battle armor and the wounds on his face really didn't help his proud image.
Goku, who had been drooling crazily at the feast with a glazed look in his eyes, immediately greeted Vegeta with a grin when he saw him. "Yo, Vegeta, you're here!"
Vegeta didn't deign to look at him properly, just snorted from his nose and said to Goku in a firm tone, "In our next battle! The winner will definitely be me!"
Without giving Goku a chance to reply, he immediately picked up the knife and fork beside him and launched a fierce assault on the food on the table with the speed of lightning!
That speed, that ferocity, it was as if he wasn't eating, but fighting an intense battle!
Seeing this, Goku also became anxious and shouted, "I won't lose!"
Then he immediately joined the dining table war.
Whitley looked at the two who had instantly started to wolf down their food, even occasionally provoking each other with their eyes, and couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart, 'These two are truly... a star-crossed rivalry...'
Watching the two eat until their faces were red, he wasn't foolish enough to fight for food with these two reincarnated starving ghosts.
He turned and slipped away to a small adjacent dining room to enjoy his own food.
Are you kidding? Does he not know what getting special treatment is? Bulma definitely saved better food for him!
After they were full, Goku and Vegeta were both slumped in their chairs without any decorum, their stomachs round and bulging, feeling that even lifting a finger was an effort.
But even so, the "war" between them was not over.
"Burp... that... that plate of roasted meat just now, I ate three more pieces than you! I win! Kakarot!" Vegeta announced with difficulty, letting out a belch.
Goku was just as stuffed, but he retorted unconvinced, "N-no you didn't! You started before me! You cheated, Vegeta! It doesn't count!"
"Nonsense! That was a tactic!"
"It's still cheating!"
The two were slumped in their chairs, even their arguing sounding weak.
But they continued to bicker endlessly.
After recovering some strength, the two actually started to struggle to get up, preparing to find a place to compete again, using their fists to decide who had won just now...
Just then, a refreshed Whitley, having eaten and drunk his fill, strolled back into the main dining room.
Seeing the state of these two, his eyes darted around, and he took the opportunity to fan the flames. "Oh? It seems neither of you is willing to submit to the other, huh? Just competing is boring. How about... you two try to challenge me?"
He paused and threw out a very tempting proposal. "I will only dodge the entire time, and I absolutely won't attack. If either of you can land a hit on me, or if one of you can make me feel pressured, then that person wins! How about it? Do you dare to try?"
This proposal excited both Goku and Vegeta!
Goku was often bullied by Whitley and had long been looking for a chance to have a proper fight with him, even if it was just to land a single hit!
As for Vegeta, it went without saying. He had been crushed by Whitley when he was very young, and now he thought of nothing but personally beating this bastard up!
Even just making him feel pressured would be enough!
Goku and Vegeta turned their heads to look at each other almost simultaneously, and in an instant, they saw the same intention in each other's eyes.
The two immediately struggled to their feet. Although their stomachs were still very full, their fighting spirit had been rekindled!
They looked at Whitley, eager to try.
Seeing this, Whitley showed a "just as planned" smile. "Good! Full of spirit! Let's go! We'll find a deserted place and have a good spar!"
However, just as the three were rubbing their fists, ready to go out and find an open space to start their two-on-one fight, a voice suddenly came from the dining room entrance, interrupting their plans.
"I'm telling you—you Saiyans!"
Bulma stood there with her hands on her hips, a helpless look on her face.
"Can't you think of anything else besides fighting? Especially you, Whitley!"
She pointed accurately at Whitley and said, "Did you forget what you promised me just now? Didn't you say you would help me?"
Whitley's body stiffened, and the excited expression on his face instantly collapsed.
Bulma paid him no mind and directly gave her order. "Mom has already negotiated the acquisition with the largest livestock farm in the west of the city. Here's the contract!"
She stuffed a document into Whitley's hand.
"The owner is still waiting there. You go and sign the contract, pay the money, and then get the relevant procedures done!"
Whitley looked dumbfounded at the contract in his hand, pointed at his own nose, and asked in disbelief, "Me... I'm going to sign a contract? And do paperwork?"
He was a mighty God of Destruction, albeit a candidate. But... running an errand like this?
Bulma nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world and urged him, "Yes! Who else? Should I go myself? I'm very busy! Go and come back quickly!"
Whitley: "..."
What else could he say? He could only fly away dejectedly with the contract, like a frost-bitten eggplant.
After dispatching Whitley, Bulma's gaze turned to Goku.
"Goku!"
"Ah? Here!" Goku's body subconsciously stood up straight.
"The core component of the large-scale ecological simulation capsule that my dad custom-ordered from the northern industrial zone is finished, but that factory has too many orders right now and can't arrange for delivery."
Bulma took out another piece of paper with an address on it and handed it to Goku. "This is the factory's address. Go and help me pick it up! Remember, that thing is very precise and heavy, so remember to put it in a capsule before bringing it back. Be careful during the process, don't break it!"
"Huh?! I'm picking up a delivery?"
Goku was stunned for a moment, but seeing Bulma's unquestionable gaze, he didn't dare to object. He had to take the paper and flew away dejectedly as well.
Finally, Bulma's gaze landed on the only remaining Saiyan at the scene—Vegeta.
Vegeta suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure and became uncomfortable all over.
He looked a little nervously at the Earth woman with a powerful aura before him. His intuition told him that this woman was much more difficult to deal with than Whitley and Kakarot!
Bulma looked Vegeta up and down, seeming to think about what task to assign him.
Soon, she had an idea and directly ordered, "Your name is Vegeta, right? I'll give you the Dragon Radar. Go and help me collect all seven Dragon Balls. I have a use for them later."
"What?!"
The veins on Vegeta's forehead instantly bulged again. Making him, the noble Prince of Saiyans, go around the world looking for some balls?!
He suppressed his anger and tried to maintain his dignity. "Why should I take orders from you to go..."
Bulma didn't give him a chance to finish, directly cutting him off and throwing out a sentence, "Oh? You're not willing? Then forget it. Originally, Whitley seemed to have mentioned that he has a training method that can make you all stronger... Since you're not willing to help, I'll just have Whitley teach it only to Goku when he gets back. You can go now, see you later."
After speaking, Bulma made a gesture as if to turn and leave.
When Vegeta heard the words "get stronger," his eyes instantly widened!
The struggle in his heart began to surge like waves!
Dignity? Face? Compared to getting stronger, what did those matter?!
"W-wait!"
Vegeta practically gritted his teeth to get those two words out.
His expression flickered, and finally, the ultimate desire for power overwhelmed everything else.
But although he had given in, his words were still stubborn. "I'm... not helping you, I just happened to be full and had nothing to do! ...What is this Dragon Ball thing? What's the use of collecting those balls?"
Bulma stopped, a satisfied smile on her face, as if she had expected this outcome all along.
She took out the Dragon Radar and tossed it to Vegeta, casually explaining, "They are orange-yellow balls with star patterns inside, about this big."
She gestured with her hands.
"There are seven of them scattered all over the world. When you gather them all, they can grant any wish. Alright, I'm very busy, I'm leaving."
After speaking, Bulma turned and left the dining room, heading straight for her laboratory, leaving Vegeta standing there alone, stunned.
Vegeta subconsciously picked up the device called the Dragon Radar, staring blankly in the direction Bulma had disappeared, her casual words echoing in his mind:
"...grant any wish."
"...grant any wish?"
"...GRANT ANY WISH!!!"
In an instant, a monstrous wave surged in Vegeta's heart!
The bitterness of defeat, the anger towards Whitley, the jealousy towards Kakarot, the anxiety over his own weakness—
It was as if he had suddenly found an outlet and a solution!
His breathing involuntarily became heavy, and his eyes shone with the light of extreme excitement and ambition!
"G-grant any wish..."
He repeated in a low voice, his hand holding the Dragon Radar trembling slightly with excitement.
If... if this was true...
Then he, Vegeta, could...
---
500 power stones = 1 bonus chapter
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