Earth?
Aside from instant noodles, what could Earth possibly have?!
"Ugh!"
At the mere thought, the two of them simultaneously made a gagging motion. At this moment, they looked exactly like people who had been forced to eat nothing but fish for eight years—completely traumatized.
"..."
Gran quickly hopped off his chair and backed away from them, looking at them with pure judgment. "What is wrong with you two?"
It was just a trip to Earth for some good food. He really couldn't wrap his head around why they were reacting so violently.
"No!" Beerus and Whis shouted in unison.
They exchanged a look. Beerus nodded and marched over, grabbing Gran by the shoulders with an expression of absolute gravity. "Do you have any idea how long we've been eating instant noodles?"
"?"
"You were training for eight years! We've been eating instant noodles for eight years straight!!"
"??"
"No more Earth trips! We are done with instant noodles! We want hot pot! Roasted whole lamb! A full fish banquet!" Beerus was practically screaming.
Behind him, Whis stood in silence, hopeful expectation.
Gran was speechless. So that's it.
Instant noodle additives were tasty enough, but even he would get sick of them after three meals a day. He couldn't imagine eating them for eight years. However, he had to give it to them—they actually had the stomach to endure that misery for nearly a decade. Judging by their reaction, those ten billion cups of noodles were probably still tucked away somewhere. They were so stingy they wouldn't even throw them out!
The only word Gran had for this was: impressive.
"Lord Beerus, Whis... Earth's cuisine isn't just instant noodles," Gran said, prying Beerus's hands off his shoulders and taking a step back.
"What do you mean?" Whis narrowed his eyes.
A cold, menacing aura suddenly flared around Beerus. Was it possible this kid hadn't taken them to the best spots back then?
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Gran took two more steps back, waving his hands cautiously. "Look, Lord Champa was there last time! If I had taken you guys to the truly delicious spots, that fat cat would have crashed the party too!"
Gran gave a mischievous grin. "Lord Beerus, surely you didn't want Lord Champa tasting the best Earth has to offer on his very first visit, right?"
"..." Beerus went silent.
Whis blinked, watching Beerus's expression change. It was obvious now: Gran had intentionally held back the good stuff. Should they let him off the hook?
"Hahaha!" Beerus suddenly burst out laughing, hands on his hips. In the blink of an eye, he was beside Gran again, slapping him on the back with approval. "Well played, kid! That fat pig treats bird eggs like legendary treasures—feeding him instant noodles was probably the highlight of his life."
Gran's shoulder thudded under the force of the slaps. "So... you aren't mad anymore?"
"Not at all. You did the right thing. Even I haven't tasted the rest of Earth's food yet; there's no way I'm letting him beat me to it." Beerus snorted. He still remembered Champa trying to sneak around his backyard; there was no way he was letting that glutton get a win.
"Then let's go," Beerus said, suddenly impatient to taste something better than noodles.
"Right." Gran glanced at Whis, who had looked like he was about to lecture him a moment ago. Whis seemed to ignore the look, gazing up at the sky and whistling a tune.
Gran smiled and didn't push it. He waited for the two of them to place their hands on his shoulders.
"Let's go."
With a surge of Instant Transmission, the three of them vanished instantly.
Earth, The Lookout.
Mr. Popo stood at the edge of the Heavenly Realm, looking up with a slight frown. "They're back already?"
"Are they going to kill me again?"
"Wait... he's already reached the Divine Realm?!"
Earth, West City.
With a pop, Gran appeared on a busy street with Beerus and Whis in tow. The sudden appearance of the trio caused quite a stir among the pedestrians. Gran's young, handsome appearance specifically triggered screams from passing girls and women.
Gran ignored the attention and looked up at the sky.
"What are you looking at?" Beerus glanced at the "stupid mortals" before following Gran's gaze.
"Looking at the Lookout."
The first time Gran had come to Earth, he had "killed" Mr. Popo.
"You aren't planning on killing anyone else, are you?" Beerus chuckled, remembering the incident. He shot a look at Whis. The real culprit back then was Whis, since he was the one who ordered Gran to test the guardian.
"It was Whis's fault," Gran grumbled, looking back down. "He knew exactly what was going on but made me go test the guy anyway. I ended up killing someone for no reason; it was actually pretty awkward."
"..." Whis gripped his staff a little tighter. "I've noticed your training has been a bit lax lately. Perhaps I should give you both a 'special lesson' when we return."
"Hey Gran, didn't you say you were taking me to eat?" Beerus hooked his arm around Gran's neck, pushing him forward. "I'm so hungry I can't even hear what Whis is saying!"
"I didn't hear anything either. Let's go find some food."
Gran started scanning the area for the food district. He planned to feed these two first, then go find Son Goku. Watching the two of them walk shoulder-to-shoulder like brothers, Whis didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. Nothing he could do—they were both his disciples! He quickly followed after them.
Half an hour passed. The sun began to set, casting an orange-red glow that stretched their shadows across the pavement.
"Hey, brat! You said you were taking me to eat! Where's the food?!" Beerus growled, still clutching Gran's neck.
"That's weird... where is the food street?" Gran was genuinely confused. He had walked through half of West City and still couldn't find the specific district he was looking for. It wasn't that there weren't high-end restaurants around, but the food streets had more variety—more soul.
"If you can't find it, we could always go back for noodles," Whis suggested.
"Whis, shut up!" Beerus glared at him. Eight years of noodles wasn't enough for him?
"If we can't find the street, I'll just take you to one of the fancy—"
Gran stopped mid-sentence. From the other side of the planet, a mysterious, magical power surged.
"That's...!" Beerus let go of Gran, his expression turning sharp.
"The power of miracles," Whis said, looking toward the source of the energy.
Miracle power? Gran's eyes widened. On Earth, aside from the Guardian and Mr. Popo, who else possessed that kind of power? It was obvious: someone had summoned Shenron!
Gran did the math in his head. Age 749 was the year Bulma and Goku first searched for the Dragon Balls. According to the timeline, they would eventually run into Emperor Pilaf, who would summon the dragon to wish for world domination. But in the end... Oolong would swoop in and make a very different wish: a pair of girls' panties.
"So the search for the Dragon Balls has reached its climax?" Gran muttered. He looked up.
Sure enough, the sky was darkening. In a short while, the full moon would appear, and Goku would transform into a Great Ape.
"Lord Beerus, let's go find a girl. She'll definitely know where the best food in West City is!"
Gran grabbed Beerus and Whis before they could react and used Instant Transmission to warp them away.
Earth, Western Hemisphere.
At the top of a castle, the trio appeared with a pop. The sky was pitch black, and a massive green dragon circled overhead.
It really is the final stage of the arc, Gran thought with excitement. This was an iconic moment in history; he was glad he wasn't late.
Beerus glanced at the dragon in the sky and looked down. "You said a girl knew where the food was. Where is she?" He couldn't care less about the dragon; he just wanted his meal.
"Don't worry, she'll be here in a second!"
Gran scanned the castle. The girl he was referring to was, of course, Bulma. As the daughter of the richest man on Earth and a native of West City, she knew the place better than anyone. He just needed her to be their guide. However, he realized Bulma wasn't outside yet—she was likely still locked up by Pilaf.
Suddenly!
"Your wish has been granted!"
As Shenron spoke, a pair of white girls' panties fluttered down from the sky, landing right on the face of a small pig.
For a moment, the world seemed to hit the pause button. The atmosphere was dead silent and incredibly awkward. Even Beerus and Whis were stunned into silence.
Unlike the gods, Gran doubled over, clutching his stomach and laughing hysterically. He finally got to see this legendary moment in person!
"There is actually someone in this world stupid enough to waste a wish like that on a dragon? They must have a hole in their brain," Beerus said flatly. The wish was ridiculous, but as a god, he was largely indifferent to the follies of mortals—unless they involved food.
Whis gave a soft chuckle. "The Wish Orbs are items that defy the laws of nature. Every time the dragon is summoned, a price must eventually be paid. It's quite a shame for that pig to waste a wish so carelessly."
A price? Gran blinked. He thought of the Shadow Dragons from GT. Was that what Whis meant?
"Whis, I've used the Dragon Balls before, but it didn't seem like there was a price," Gran asked tentatively.
"You really think there's such a thing as a free lunch in this universe?" Beerus asked, looking over.
"Yeah!"
"??"
"Lord Beerus, you never pay when you go out to eat. That's literally the definition of a free lunch."
"..." Beerus felt his fist itching again.
Seeing them about to bicker again, Whis quickly intervened. "Gran, these items that defy nature appear free, but as they grant wishes, they absorb the negative energy and 'evil' of humanity. If that energy reaches a certain threshold, the consequences for mortals could be dire."
It really is about the Shadow Dragons, Gran realized. He asked curiously, "If these things are so dangerous, why don't we gods just get rid of them?"
"Why would we?" Beerus shook his head. "As that old man in the Kaioshin Realm says, everything in existence has a purpose. These orbs might defy natural laws, but they also guide the evolution of civilizations. I have no reason to destroy them."
By "guiding evolution," Beerus meant that the hunt for the Dragon Balls created conflict, and civilization often advanced through struggle. Once collected, they could grant knowledge, technology, or power—factors that directly stimulated the development of the universe.
"There are pros and cons, Gran," Whis added, holding his staff. "The orbs don't necessarily lead to disaster, as long as they aren't overused."
"I get it." Gran knew the Dragon Balls shouldn't be summoned too frequently; they needed time to purify the negative energy within.
"Where is this girl you mentioned?" Beerus asked, growing impatient.
"Lord Beerus, can I ask one more thing?"
"Make it quick!"
"Where exactly did the Dragon Balls come from?"
At that question, both Beerus and Whis went quiet. After a long pause, Beerus spoke. "Those orbs are connected to the Dragon God, Zalama. That's enough questions. Once your strength reaches a certain level, you'll naturally learn those secrets."
Gran didn't dare ask more.
As time passed, the sky grew darker until a bright full moon appeared. Beerus was on the verge of losing his temper when suddenly, a faint surge of power erupted from inside the castle. A massive Great Ape burst through the roof.
"Here we go!"
Gran's excitement spiked. This was Son Goku, the most iconic figure of the Dragon Ball world! Looking at the Great Ape, Gran noticed its power was incredibly low. He estimated the transformed Goku only had a power level of about 200. Since the Great Ape form multiplies a Saiyan's power by ten, that meant Goku's base power was currently around 20.
It made sense, though. Goku only had a power level of 10 when he first left Mount Paozu.
"Wait... a Saiyan is here?" Beerus looked surprised. He turned to Gran with a knowing look. "It seems your real reason for coming here wasn't to find a girl who knows about food, was it?"
Whis also glanced at Gran but remained silent.
"Correct," Gran nodded, making no attempt to hide it. "Just before Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, one of my kinsmen was exiled to this planet."
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