Swoosh—!
After a barely perceptible sound, Whitley appeared in the grassy front yard of the Briefs' estate with three androids and one small Cell in tow.
The afternoon sun was perfect, and the breeze was gentle.
For a rare change, Bulma wasn't holed up in her lab tinkering with her new inventions. Instead, she was lounging leisurely on a beach chair, wearing loose casual clothes, a straw hat, and sunglasses, blissfully enjoying her perfect afternoon tea time.
On the small table beside her, a colorful glass of fizzy fruit juice, complete with a small umbrella and filled with ice, was fizzing away.
Bulma had already known that Whitley was about to return with a group of people and was feeling quite smug.
Goku and the others had returned earlier and told her that Whitley had found several very powerful new "employees." Her company's logistics business would definitely become bigger and stronger in the future!
Bulma's heart was filled with joy and emotion!
She was happy that her husband didn't forget to poach talent for their company even when he was out fighting!
With the addition of these powerful androids, the security of shipping valuable new products or urgent goods for clients would be maxed out!
Perhaps she could really turn the "Prince Logistics" she had joked about before into the world's number one logistics company on Earth!
And she was touched that Whitley had taken something she had mentioned offhandedly so seriously!
He clearly had no interest in managing the company himself, only knowing how to train and fight all day, yet he was willing to go to such lengths for her!
As expected of the good husband she had chosen! He was so good to her!
Upon hearing the sound of Whitley's return, she sat up in surprise, a brilliant smile blooming on her face as she took off her sunglasses.
She called out towards Whitley's direction in a delighted tone, "Hubby! You're ba—"
But the moment she saw the figure clinging to Whitley's back, all her surprise and words instantly froze on her face!
It was a woman!
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman with skin as white as snow, so beautiful that she was almost unreal!
A tall, well-proportioned woman with a unique aura, who was at this moment intimately clinging to her husband's back, her arms wrapped around his neck!!!
"WHITLEY!!!!"
The smile on Bulma's face vanished instantly, replaced by disbelief and a towering rage!
She shot up from the beach chair, pointed a finger at Whitley and No. 18 on his back, her voice rising with extreme anger and disappointment, even becoming a little shrill.
"What is the meaning of the woman on your back?!!"
"When did you start keeping one on the side?!!"
"Keeping one on the side is bad enough! But you dare to bring her home so openly?! Right in front of me?! Whitley! Are you provoking me?!!"
She felt as if her heart had been squeezed viciously, instantly feeling a sour pain!
All the joy and emotion from before vanished, replaced by a cold disappointment and a blazing fire of anger!
She must have been blind! To think she had chosen such a philanderer!
How long had he been out? And he had already brought back such a beautiful woman?! And was carrying her on his back?!
On Whitley's side, he had just landed. He had originally wanted to greet Bulma affectionately when he saw she was home and share the results of his "recruitment" trip.
But... Bulma's furious, head-on questioning made him jolt!
Oh, crap!
I forgot I still had No. 18 on my back! Now I'm caught red-handed! I can't wash myself clean even if I jump into the Yellow River!
"No! Bulma! Let me explain! It's not what you think!!"
Whitley quickly and clumsily pulled No. 18, who was still clinging to his back with a "this is a good show" expression, off him and set her aside like a hot potato.
He rushed forward a few steps, wanting to pull Bulma into his arms to comfort and explain as he usually would.
"Fine! I'll listen to your explanation!"
Bulma took a sharp step back, dodging his embrace. She crossed her arms, her eyes as cold as the permafrost on the Yunzabit Heights!
"But you are not to hug me! If you can't explain this clearly today, you can forget about ever hugging me again!!!"
Whitley looked at Bulma's furious gaze and his heart instantly sank.
After all... he had indeed been a little tempted by No. 18's beauty earlier. Although he had held his ground in the end, the process...
It did make him feel a little... guilty.
His eyes subconsciously darted away for a moment, not daring to meet Bulma's gaze directly.
And Bulma knew him so well.
The moment she saw his evasive eyes, her heart sank with a "thud"!
This was a clear sign of guilt! He really did have something going on with that woman?!
In an instant, Bulma's heart sank to the bottom.
But unexpectedly, the volcanic anger on her face quickly subsided.
She first took a deep breath, then, with an extremely calm and even scrutinizing gaze, she looked the nonchalant, even slightly provocative, No. 18 up and down.
Then, she turned to Whitley, her tone unusually calm and rational. "Come, follow me inside. We... need to have a good talk."
After speaking, without giving Whitley another chance to speak, she stepped forward, accurately pinched his ear, and twisted it hard!
"Ow! Gently, gently! Bulma! My ear is going to fall off!"
Whitley deliberately grimaced. He didn't dare to resist at all. Bent over, he was unceremoniously dragged by the ear by Bulma, like a misbehaving schoolboy, towards the main house.
In the front yard, only a few dumbfounded androids and one gloating little green creature were left.
No. 17 subconsciously touched his own ear, swallowed hard, and whispered to No. 16 beside him, "This Miss Bulma... is our boss's girlfriend? What... what's her background? She can't be just the young lady of Capsule Corp, right?!"
To be able to treat a强者 with such unfathomable power, who could take them all out with a wave of his hand, like this? Her identity must be extraordinary!
No. 16 put Cell, who was on his shoulder, down on the ground. His calm eyes flickered a few times, as if retrieving data from his analysis.
A moment later, he answered in his steady electronic voice, "According to the records in my database, this Miss Bulma is the daughter of Dr. Briefs, the owner of Capsule Corp, and is also the current president of the corporation. Her own battle power seems to have been stimulated by some means and appears very superficial. From a data analysis perspective, she is indeed a relatively ordinary human female."
No. 17 had a "You've got to be kidding me" expression on his face. "An ordinary human? An ordinary human can just drag our future boss away by the ear? Scold him to his face and he doesn't even dare to fight back? That's completely unreasonable! This..."
But No. 18 suddenly interrupted him.
She looked at the two disappearing at the doorway, a playful smile on her lips. "This is very reasonable."
She crossed her arms and analyzed with a smile, "It seems our boss is a very sentimental person. He can't bear to use even a shred of his power to resist or harm the woman he loves. You could tell from the way he just meekly submitted without any of a strong warrior's dignity. To think he possesses such terrifying power..."
Her smile deepened, and a look of interest flashed in her eyes. "A man like that... heh, is very interesting. Very interesting indeed."
No. 17 was surprised. He turned to look at No. 18 and asked uncertainly, "No. 18, you... you don't actually have a thing for him, do you? Just because he doesn't hit women? And is afraid of his wife?"
No. 18 retracted her gaze, glanced at No. 17, and let out a light snort, her tone carrying a natural assertiveness. "So what if I do? Are you, No. 17, allowed to surrender so readily for 'room and board,' but I, No. 18, am not allowed to pursue my own love and a long-term meal ticket?"
No. 17's expression became a little strange. "But... he already has a girlfriend! And from the looks of it just now... their relationship is clearly very good, very loving..."
"I know!" No. 18 cut him off decisively, her chin lifted slightly, a confident and even aggressive smile on her face. "But so what? They're not married! And even if they were, so what? The man I, No. 18, have set my sights on, I'll just have to snatch him from that woman's hands!"
No. 17: "..."
He felt that his logic couldn't quite process his sister's fierce way of thinking.
Just as No. 17 was at a loss for what to say, an energetic voice came from the direction of the front hall. "Yo! You're here! Didn't Whitley come back with you? I thought I heard his and Bulma's voices just now."
From the front hall, Goku walked out as he spoke.
He was holding a half-eaten, fragrant giant bone-in piece of meat, his mouth greasy, a look of blissful satisfaction on his face.
No. 17 and No. 18 were silent upon hearing Goku's question.
No. 16 maintained his usual cool expression.
Only Cell at the side had a gloating and contemptuous smile on his small face. "That Whitley was just being disciplined by an Earth woman named Bulma! He was even dragged into a room by the ear! Hahahahaha! That's hilarious! I thought a powerful being like him was omnipotent and had no weaknesses! To think he was so easily defeated by a weak Earth woman! He has no dignity as a strong warrior at all!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his smile turning to humiliation and rage. "For me, a perfect being, to have to work under such a person! This is a true insult to me, Cell!!!"
Goku's face was calm after hearing this. He just said "oh," as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
He waved the bone in his hand and said casually, "So Bulma took him away? Then we'll probably have to wait a while. Dinner is ready. I'll go call them. You guys go on in! Oh, right! When you go in, you have to watch out for Vegeta trying to sneak food!"
Everyone looked at the obvious "evidence" in Goku's hand, their expressions a little hesitant.
Then, Vegeta's furious roar immediately came from the front hall. "Kakarot!!! You food-stealing bastard, how dare you slander me?! I would never do something so classless!!!"
"Ah! Vegeta found me!"
Goku scratched his head sheepishly and tried to hide the bare bone behind his back to get away with it.
No. 17 couldn't help his curiosity and asked, "Son Goku, you... don't you find it strange at all? Mr. Whitley clearly has such great power, why would he be... treated like that by Miss Bulma?"
He really couldn't find the right word to describe what had just happened.
Goku let out a strange "huh?" and asked with a look of pure confusion, "What's so strange about that? It's very normal, isn't it?"
As if remembering something, he said with lingering fear, "Chi-Chi is much scarier than Bulma when she's angry! She's loud, and she throws frying pans! I can only hide from her..."
No. 17: "..."
Chi-Chi?
Who was this peerless expert?
His database had absolutely no information on her.
"This... Miss Chi-Chi, is she also a powerful warrior like Mr. Whitley?"
"Chi-Chi is not a strong fighter," Goku explained with a grin, waving his hand. "Chi-Chi is my wife. Her power is very weak, probably... hmm..."
He thought hard, made a gesture, and then continued, "When I move at night, I don't dare to use too much force, for fear that I might accidentally... UH!! Oh no!"
Goku suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, a "I'm doomed" expression on his face. "Chi-Chi said I can't talk about this kind of thing to outsiders! I let it slip!"
No. 17: "..."
He was completely speechless. He felt that his database needed a complete update, or maybe just a reformat and reinstall!
These people's relationships and power systems were too complex and bizarre!
"Alright, alright! You guys go on in and eat! I'll go get Whitley and Bulma!"
Goku decided not to dwell on his slip of the tongue. He muttered to himself, "Not eating is bad for you..." and walked towards Whitley and Bulma's bedroom.
In Goku's simple worldview, nothing was more important than eating!
Eat well, sleep well, play well, and fight seriously!
This was what Master Roshi had taught him long ago, and it was the principle he had always lived by.
When he arrived at the ornate door of Whitley and Bulma's bedroom, just as he was about to knock, he faintly heard some strange, intermittent sounds from inside.
It was Bulma's voice, with a strange kind of panting and whimpering that he had heard from Chi-Chi during a massage. "Hub... hubby... I was wrong... sob... I really know I was wrong... I'll never doubt you again... Aah! G-gent... gently... you can't press there..."
Then, it was Whitley's voice, which sounded a bit... rampant and smug?
"Hah?! You know you're wrong now? Hmm? Too late! Weren't you so tough when you were twisting my ear just now? My Bulma! I still prefer your rebellious look from before! Come on, do me a favor and bring it back!"
"I can't take it anymore, you're pressing too hard! Hubby!!!"
"MUDA MUDA!!! EAT MY SECRET FINGER TECHNIQUE!—PHASE RUSH!!!!!!"
"YAAAAH!!!!"
Bulma's scream followed, and then the sounds gradually became indistinct...
Are they getting a massage? ...But it's daytime.
Goku hesitated, wondering if he should knock and remind them.
It was already dinner time. If they didn't eat soon, the food would get cold.
Cold food would taste much worse!
But... if he knocked now, would he be disturbing them?
He suddenly remembered a long time ago, when he was still a little kid.
There was a similar situation once. He had foolishly run up and knocked, and the result... was that the door was opened by a dark-faced Whitley, who had picked him up, placed him over his knee, and given him a solid spanking that lasted a very, very long time!
The feeling was still fresh in his memory!
Goku subconsciously touched his own butt.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, a flash of inspiration!
'As long as I don't knock, it's fine, right? I can just shout! That way, I can remind them, and I won't be disturbing them! I'm so smart!'
Goku was instantly confident, feeling that he had thought of a brilliant idea.
He first cleared his throat, then gathered his ki and condensed his voice.
With a super-loud voice, full of sunny vitality and enough to penetrate the soundproof door, he shouted, "BU—L—MA—!!! WHIT—LEY—!!! TIME—TO—EAT—!!! IF—YOU—DON'T—COME—EAT—NOW—THE—FOOD—IS—GOING—TO—GET—COLD—!!!"
The voice was loud and resonant, and it probably echoed through half the estate.
In the room, Bulma's originally somewhat ambiguous and muffled voice instantly turned into a scream of extreme terror and shame!
"YAAAAH!!!!"
Then, all the movement in the room stopped abruptly! It fell into a dead silence!
But the next second, Whitley's flustered voice came from the room. "Quick, eat the Senzu Bean... swallow it..."
Goku didn't know what had happened inside. He nodded in satisfaction, feeling that he had perfectly completed his mission.
He stood obediently by the door with his arms crossed, waiting, his mind still on how sumptuous tonight's dinner was. He had to eat a lot later!
But he waited by the door for a long time, and there was no response from inside. The atmosphere gradually became frighteningly quiet.
'Hmm? Did they not hear me?'
Goku was a little puzzled and was about to shout again.
Just then—
BANG!
The bedroom door was violently pulled open from the inside!
Whitley stood at the doorway, a piece of clothing casually draped over him, his body still a little damp.
His face showed no emotion; it was abnormally calm.
Even... a little frighteningly calm.
The moment he came out, he quickly slammed the door shut behind him, as if there was some priceless treasure inside that no one could see.
Then, he slowly turned around, and a... very twisted and strange "smile" appeared on his face.
He looked at Goku and spoke in an exceptionally "gentle" voice, "Goku... how has your master treated you usually?"
Goku tilted his head, feeling that Whitley was acting a little strange. "Huh? What's wrong, Whitley? You seem... not very happy. Also, when did you become my master? This isn't the first time you've said that, is it?"
The "smiling" muscle on Whitley's face twitched, but he tried his best to maintain it, his tone still "gentle." "That's not important..."
Smack!
His hand landed on Goku's shoulder, with a little too much force.
The next second, the "smile" that Whitley had been struggling to maintain completely collapsed!
His mouth stretched into a nearly ferocious, teeth-gritting grin! A suppressed, violent anger burned in his eyes!
"Come with your master for a trip, Goku."
Whitley's voice seemed to be squeezed from between his teeth. "When a person does something wrong, they have to pay the price. That's just the way it is."
Goku looked bewildered. "Did something wrong? What did I do? I just called you for dinner..."
Whitley didn't listen to his explanation and said with a savage grin, "And the price you have to pay this time... is not heavy."
He looked Goku up and down and said slowly, "How about lying quietly in bed for a month or two? Don't worry, I'll be very 'merciful.' I guarantee I'll pick a hospital room with a beautiful view and a quiet atmosphere for you!"
After speaking, Whitley didn't give Goku any time to react!
Swoosh—!
Instant Transmission activated! The two of them vanished from the bedroom doorway in an instant!
...
The God of Destruction's Realm.
At this moment, Whis was elegantly brandishing his staff, effortlessly dodging Beerus's storm-like attacks as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
Beerus was surrounded by purple destruction energy, his speed and power pushed to their limits, yet he could barely touch the hem of Whis's clothes.
And just then—
Swoosh!
Two figures appeared out of nowhere near them!
It was the furious, almost tangible Whitley, and the bewildered, still-clueless Son Goku!
"Oh my~?"
Whis stopped his movements, his calm eyes instantly filled with curiosity.
He sized up the two, whose auras were completely off, especially Whitley, who was exuding a low-pressure aura, and asked curiously, "What happened, Whitley-san? You seem... very angry?"
Beerus also stopped his attack, a look of surprise on his cat-like face, as he sized up the strangely atmospheric pair.
This guy Whitley, he usually came to the God of Destruction's Realm either to train or to fight him.
This was the first time he had seen him in such a frenzied state, as if his wife had left him.
"Whis!"
Whitley spoke directly, his tone stiff, with no intention of exchanging pleasantries. "I need to borrow your other-dimensional space! Now! Immediately!"
Whis's curiosity was about to overflow!
But seeing the almost-spitting-fire look in Whitley's eyes, he knew that now was not the time to pry.
He was very understanding and didn't ask any more questions, just waved his staff lightly.
VMMMM—!
A distorted, strangely glowing spatial entrance instantly opened beside them.
"Please, use it as you wish," Whis said politely, a graceful smile on his face.
As for what had actually happened... he could just use his staff to watch what was about to happen in the other dimension later, couldn't he?
"Thanks!"
Whitley said his thanks, then unceremoniously grabbed the still-confused Goku like a chicken and plunged into the other-dimensional space entrance!
Swoosh!
The two of them disappeared inside, and the entrance quickly closed, as if it had never appeared.
Whis's figure also vanished from its spot in an instant.
The next second, he had already appeared on the soft lawn where he usually rested and had tea.
He conjured a fine tea set from somewhere and began to leisurely brew black tea.
At the same time, a faint light emanated from the staff in his hand, and the crystal ball at its top began to display the scene inside the other-dimensional space.
Beerus also instantly appeared beside him, plopped down, and unceremoniously stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth, urging indistinctly, "Quick, quick, quick! Project it! Let me see what that kid Whitley is so mad about!"
Even the dozing Oracle Fish was attracted by the commotion and flew over with its small fishbowl, joining the crowd of onlookers.
Whis obliged. A beam of light shot from the top of his staff and formed a clear light screen in the air, showing the real-time scene inside the other-dimensional space.
In the image, Whitley had, without a word, directly erupted with a powerful ki!
BOOM!!!!
A deep red aura shot into the sky! His hair instantly grew long and turned black-red, his upper body was covered in red fur, and his tail reappeared and became thicker!
Super Saiyan 4—Whitley, had appeared!
"Oh, wow!"
Whis couldn't help but exclaim as he elegantly sipped his tea. "This transformation called Super Saiyan 4, no matter how many times I see it, it always amazes me! The perfect combination of the Great Ape's power and the Saiyan's form, returning to primitive wildness while containing infinite possibilities... what a vibrant form!"
He was mainly amazed by this transformation's ability to tap into life's potential and its wild beauty, which was completely different from the combat aesthetic of the angels, who pursued ultimate calmness and perfect control.
Beerus nodded subconsciously after seeing the wild power and perfect combat form of Whitley in the image.
But he quickly came to his senses and, as if to defend the dignity of a God of Destruction, immediately voiced his opposition. "Hmph! What's so amazing about it! It's just a bit more powerful, a bit more potential, and a bit more honed combat instinct! All flash! It's completely a wild path! Not presentable at all!"
Whis covered his mouth and chuckled lightly. "Hehe~ it seems Lord Beerus is a little jealous~ After all, this kind of transformation that can significantly enhance one's own life potential is very rare~ Who would complain about having higher potential? Wouldn't you agree?"
Beerus, having been called out, snorted and turned his head away, no longer bothering with Whis, and concentrated on watching the battle on the light screen.
In the image, Whitley was chasing Goku and beating him up relentlessly!
And it wasn't a sparring-like beatdown, but a brutal, no-holds-barred assault!
"I'll teach you to eavesdrop!!!"
"I'll teach you to be a nuisance!!!"
"I'll teach you to interrupt a good thing!!!"
"I'll teach you to almost make me go find the Dragon Balls!!!"
"I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget today, you little bastard!!!"
Although Goku had also transformed into his SSJ4 form and was fighting back with all his might, he was clearly at an absolute disadvantage, being beaten by Whitley to the point of crying out, running and hiding his head.
Whis listened to Whitley's curses. As smart as he was, he gradually formed a guess, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face. "So that's how it is... it seems that Goku-san did something very 'inappropriate' at a very 'critical' moment~ for example... interrupting some important 'communication'?"
Beerus didn't think that far. He was just getting more and more alarmed as he watched.
Because he found that this guy Whitley's power was actually increasing with his anger!
Although the increase was not large, this characteristic of his power growing with his emotions... was just too absurd!
"Saiyans... what a monstrous race!"
Beerus muttered under his breath, his fists clenched unconsciously, feeling no small amount of pressure himself.
Unlike these two, the Oracle Fish was completely just watching the show.
It was holding a snack it had pulled from somewhere in its fin and stuffing it into its mouth, its body twisting excitedly in the fishbowl, and it was even muttering, "Hit him! Hit him good! Yes! Punch him in the chin!"
"Oh! A nice dodge by Son Goku!"
"Ooh, ooh, ooh! That was a vicious move! So exciting! Much more interesting than reading this novel!"
...
Whitley teaching the "nuisance" Goku a lesson in the other-dimensional space aside.
At this time on Earth, the bedroom door of the Briefs' estate opened again.
Bulma had already freshened up and changed into a decent set of loungewear. Apart from her face being slightly flushed and her eyes a little watery, she looked no different from usual.
She came to the dining room, a hostess's graceful smile on her face, and warmly greeted the several new "employees." "Everyone, please don't just stand there! Sit, please sit! Make yourselves at home here, don't be formal!"
She pointed at the dazzling array of delicacies on the dining table. "Please eat whatever you like, don't be polite! The kitchen is fully stocked, and the chef is on standby. I guarantee everyone will eat and drink to their heart's content!"
However, apart from Vegeta and No. 18, everyone else didn't have much of an appetite.
No. 17, No. 16, and even Cell were still immersed in the terrifyingly oppressive aura of Whitley's earlier outburst.
They were still shaken, feeling that their heartbeats had not yet completely returned to normal.
Although Vegeta was also surprised by the strength of Whitley's outburst just now, he had already witnessed Whitley's true power and was somewhat immune to it.
He snorted, couldn't be bothered with so many things, and just picked up his utensils and began to quickly sweep through the delicacies on the table.
And No. 18 was completely different.
Her beautiful blue eyes, far from being fearful, were shining with an even brighter and more determined light!
The stronger Whitley was, and the more he showed his consideration and "fear" of Bulma, the more she found this man charming!
This kind of strong, sentimental man with a clear "weakness" (strong emotions) was simply perfect!
So what if there was a Bulma? Just a mere Earth woman, on what grounds could she monopolize such a man?
Even if Whitley was still attached to her now and couldn't bear to part with her, she, No. 18, had absolute confidence!
With her beauty and strength, with just a little bit of maneuvering, she could sooner or later snatch Whitley from Bulma's hands!
After all, a good man as strong as Whitley was only truly worthy of a woman who was equally strong, beautiful, and eternally unchanging like her!
At this moment, No. 18's competitive spirit and desire for conquest were completely ignited!
A palace drama had been quietly kicked off without anyone noticing.
The palace drama queen, No. 18, was about to make her shining debut!
...
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