The weather in West City today was not good. There was no bright sunshine, and a gentle breeze was out of the question.
At this moment, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and occasional flashes of lightning.
A wave of humidity slowly rolled in, as if a downpour was imminent.
Such bad weather was the perfect day to curl up in a room and sleep in.
But Whitley was different from ordinary people. He was currently lying comfortably on a beach chair in the front yard, wearing only a pair of loose beach shorts that exposed his well-built upper body.
He paid no mind to the weather conditions above him. The robot servant, after its warnings about the bad weather proved ineffective, helplessly glided over, placed a glass of iced sparkling beverage and a few exquisite snacks on the small table beside him, and then left, looking back every few steps.
It couldn't stay here. If it started to rain and its parts got rusty or waterlogged, it would be a lot of trouble for the mistress to repair.
Whitley casually picked up a small, neatly arranged, bright red piece of watermelon and put it in his mouth. The sweet juice burst in his mouth, and he let out a satisfied sigh. He leaned back, his whole body sinking into the soft beach chair, feeling the strong wind caress his skin.
This feeling was incredibly refreshing for him, having just finished training in the gravity room.
"Ah... this is the life..."
Whitley couldn't help but let out a contented sigh, as if all his troubles had been temporarily blown away by the strong wind.
But then his gaze drifted to another beach chair beside him—
And the figure on it, in almost the exact same posture as him.
"Sigh..."
Whitley sighed silently in his heart. 'It would be even more perfect if this guy Beerus wasn't here.'
Beerus, beside him, obviously didn't hear his inner thoughts, or wouldn't have cared even if he did.
Beerus unceremoniously picked up the drink the robot servant had specially prepared for Whitley and downed it in one go.
Then he let out a loud, satisfied burp and smacked his lips in enjoyment. "Burp~ It really is comfortable here. You Earthlings really know how to live... By the way... when are those ships flying to the God of Destruction's Realm going to deliver the goods?! It's been over two years, right? Isn't your efficiency a bit too slow!"
Whitley let out an annoyed snort, not even bothering to lift his eyelids. He leaned back in his chair and retorted weakly, "That drink was mine! Are you busy or not? If not, could you please be quiet and let me have some peace? Doesn't a Lord God of Destruction have any official business to attend to?"
He really needed some quiet time right now.
Last night, the "accident" that had happened between him and No. 18 at the company had, as expected, not been hidden from Bulma.
When he had pushed open the lab door with a "ready to face death" mentality, he had seen Bulma standing in front of a giant 3D projection, and on the projection was a clear playback of the elevator's security footage—
It was the exact moment when No. 18 had suddenly leaned in and forcibly kissed him!
At that time, Bulma had slowly turned around after hearing the noise behind her. There was no expression on her face.
She just stared at him quietly with her beautiful blue eyes, which were usually so bright but were now filled with disappointment and sadness.
Whitley had frozen at the doorway on the spot.
All the excuses he had prepared, all his "bravado," had vanished in an instant, leaving only guilt and panic.
How could he explain? That he didn't have time to react? That he was forced?
Bullshit! Even he wouldn't believe such nonsense!
It wasn't as if Bulma didn't know his strength. Was his Ultra Instinct trained for nothing?
If he had been unwilling, let alone an android, even if Beerus had suddenly sneak-attacked him, his body would have automatically reacted to evade!
But...
He had just frozen at that moment—
Or rather, his subconscious had never even thought of dodging!
Looking at Bulma's silent gaze, which was more painful to him than any scolding, Whitley felt as if something was stuck in his throat. His usual glibness, the ability to anger Vegeta and the others to the point of jumping, was completely useless at this moment.
In the end, a thousand words were reduced to a single, dry, "I'm sorry."
Thinking of Bulma's silent back as she turned away from him then, Whitley couldn't help but let out another heavy sigh.
Matters of the heart were truly more tiring than a fight.
Beerus, beside him, felt his teeth ache from all the sighing.
In his impression, this guy Whitley had always been fearless!
When they first met, he had been neither servile nor overbearing in the face of him, a God of Destruction, and had even dared to raise his fists and fight him to the death just to determine a winner.
But now? To think he would be troubled by matters of love to such a miserable extent?
"It seems I have to be extra cautious when dealing with matters of the heart in the future..."
As Beerus secretly warned himself, he also thought of his idiot brother, Champa. "Especially, I have to keep a close eye on that idiot Champa. I can't let him be tricked by some bad woman!"
However... the mention of Champa instantly soured Beerus's mood.
He remembered yesterday, when Lord Zeno had suddenly sent two expressionless guards.
The news they delivered still sent a chill down his spine when he thought about it now.
Lord Zeno... was actually interested in his and Champa's purely physical "friendly spar"!
He had even revealed that he might use this as an opportunity to hold a martial arts tournament for all the universes!
This news had given Beerus, who had been disciplining Champa at the time, a huge shock!
And that fool Champa had been so scared he had almost wet his pants on the spot!
That guy Champa had left his own universe without permission and even fought with him. That in itself was a huge taboo!
Fortunately, Lord Zeno didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter, but instead found it "interesting"... otherwise, the God of Destruction of Universe 6 could have been replaced on the spot! Even he, Beerus, could have been severely implicated!
"Sigh..."
Thinking of the uncertain future of the martial arts tournament, and his own universe's not-so-optimistic "talent pool," Beerus couldn't help but let out a long sigh, a hint of worry on his brow.
And his sigh, in turn, surprised the nearby Whitley.
Whitley turned his head and looked at this sighing Lord God of Destruction with some curiosity. He couldn't help but tease, "Yo? Did the sun rise from the west today? The great Lord God of Destruction, Beerus... is actually sighing? What's the matter? Could it be... you're having some relationship troubles too? Got dumped by some woman you have a crush on?"
Beerus leaned back in his chair, resting his head on his hands. He ignored the teasing and instead let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
"Thank goodness for what?" Whitley was bewildered by his nonsensical words.
Beerus looked at the blue sky and explained slowly, "Thank goodness our Universe 7 still has you. But that idiot Champa, he's in for a rough time over there..."
"Champa? What's wrong with him?" Whitley was even more confused. What did this have to do with Universe 6?
Under Whitley's questioning, Beerus briefly told him about the news from Lord Zeno's guards yesterday, and that Lord Zeno might hold a martial arts tournament for all the universes in the near future.
"Although it's just an idea for now, from what I know of Lord Zeno..." Beerus's expression became serious. "Once Lord Zeno finds something 'interesting,' he implements it very quickly. I estimate... it will probably happen within this month."
Whitley shot upright from his beach chair upon hearing this, the sorrow from his relationship problems instantly replaced by shock!
The Tournament of Power?!!
Th-this... how is this possible?!
It was only Age 765 now!
In the original story, at this time, the androids hadn't even officially appeared! Cell was nowhere to be seen, let alone the even more absurd Majin Buu later on.
The Tournament of Power was something that happened much, much later?!
Why was it moved up so much?! Just because Beerus and Champa had a fight, and Zeno saw it?!
After the immense surprise, Whitley instantly threw his romantic troubles to the back of his mind! His sense of crisis was maxed out!
He shot to his feet and, without caring for anything else, yelled at the still-lying Beerus, "Beerus!"
"Here!"
Beerus subconsciously answered, his body even reflexively sitting up a little straighter.
"You already said that Lord Zeno might hold a Tournament of Power for all the universes!"
Whitley's tone was urgent, carrying an unquestionable sense of immediacy. "And you're still lying here?! How can you sleep at a time like this?! Can't you have a sense of urgency!!"
He pointed at Beerus and quickly gave his orders. "Get moving immediately! You go and contact the other reasonably strong fighters in Universe 7! I'll be in charge of specially training Goku and Vegeta and the others! We must start preparing immediately! There's not much time!"
Beerus was stunned by his sudden outburst and series of commands and was about to nod in agreement.
But the next second, he snapped out of it!
Wait... that's not right!
The one standing in front of him was Whitley! The candidate God of Destruction of Universe 7! His subordinate! Not a guard sent by Lord Zeno, and certainly not Lord Zeno himself!
He had actually been intimidated by this guy's presence?! And had even subconsciously taken his orders?!
Beerus's face instantly turned hostile, his purple pupils narrowing into dangerous slits.
He slowly stood up from his beach chair, crossed his arms, and looked up at the much taller Whitley. "If... I'm not mistaken, Whitley," Beerus's voice carried a hint of danger, "your 'Ultra Instinct' realm... hasn't broken through to the next stage yet, has it?"
"Yeah! What's wrong! You got a problem with that?!"
Whitley also crossed his arms, imitating Vegeta, and answered with such righteousness, as if he were the one in charge.
Beerus was so angered by his attitude that he laughed, his whiskers twitching. "If I'm not mistaken... I! Beerus! Should be the God of Destruction of Universe 7, right?! Who gave you the courage to speak to me with such an attitude?! Hmm? Was it that... Liang something-or-other you mentioned before?"
Faced with Beerus's almost tangible threatening gaze, Whitley, far from being afraid, just sneered with disdain.
He slowly walked up to Beerus, bent down close, and a "threatening" smile appeared on his face as he said in a low voice, "Well then, my great Lord God of Destruction, Beerus~ have you ever deeply considered a certain question?"
"What question?" Beerus asked, confused.
"If... and I'm just saying if... our Universe 7 unfortunately loses in this tournament for all the universes that Lord Zeno is holding... what kind of fate do you think... we will face?"
He paused, and seeing Beerus subconsciously start to think, his tone became deep. "What if, and I'm just saying what if, what if Goku and Vegeta and the others are defeated first, and I, facing the combined assault of the strong fighters from the other universes, am also unfortunately defeated. Then... what do you think... the final fate of our Universe 7... will be?"
"The fate of Universe 7..."
Beerus stroked his chin, his expression gradually becoming grave.
He had only been worried about himself and Champa being punished and hadn't carefully considered the consequences of losing the tournament...
And given Zeno's child-like mentality but supreme power...
Just then, a calm voice, tinged with a hint of someone who enjoys a good show, came from the side. "That's right~ Lord Beerus~ the fate of Universe 7 then~"
Whis had appeared at some point, holding a freshly brewed cup of black tea, and with a smile, he said the most terrifying words in the most relaxed tone. "It will just be... erased by Lord Zeno~ simple, right?"
And upon hearing the word "erased," the gravity on Beerus's face instantly turned to horror!
He had never thought of it that way! Or rather, he hadn't dared to!
With Whis's "reminder," Beerus was instantly panicked! A cold sweat broke out on his back!
"Wh-Whis!!"
Beerus grabbed Whis's arm and asked urgently, "Do you know of any other relatively strong fighters in the universe?! Quick! Let's go find them immediately! We have to prepare first!!"
"Oh? Me?"
Whis shrugged helplessly and spread his hands. "With all due respect, Lord Beerus~ the people I know who are even remotely decent... seem to be, basically, all on Earth already~"
Beerus: "..."
Beerus was silent, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.
Although he knew that his angel was usually lazy and not very attentive to managing the universe's affairs, but...
What did "all the strong fighters I know are on Earth" mean?! So in the entire vast Universe 7, apart from Earth, there were no other decent fighters to be found?!
"Hmph! Then we'll go find the Supreme Kai!"
Beerus didn't give up and was about to set off immediately. "That old geezer! He's lived for so long, he must know of other hidden experts in the universe!"
Just as Beerus was about to drag Whis into action, Whitley suddenly reached out and stopped him.
"Wait a minute, Beerus," Whitley said thoughtfully. "Don't be in such a hurry. I think... I actually know of a very decent guy. You can go and find him first."
"Who?"
Beerus paused, looking at Whitley with some surprise. "You... you have such a wide network? You actually know of other hidden masters in the universe?"
Whitley ignored him and continued, "That person... is also a Saiyan. And not an ordinary Saiyan, but the legendary—Super Saiyan!"
"The legendary Super Saiyan?"
A look of confusion appeared on Beerus's cat-like face. "If I remember correctly, aren't you, Son Goku, and Vegeta all Super Saiyans? Why do you say that one is the legendary one? Is there a difference?"
Whitley shook his head, not explaining the difference between the legendary Super Saiyan and a normal one in detail, just saying, "It's a long story, I'll explain it to you when I have the chance. He should be on a planet called 'Vampa' right now. As for his current power... it's hard to judge accurately, but I can be sure that with a little bit of training and guidance, he can definitely become one of the top experts in the world! His power could very well be... even stronger than the current Goku and Vegeta!"
This time, Beerus was truly shocked!
In his opinion, Son Goku and Vegeta's strength was already quite good; they were warriors he acknowledged.
But he never expected that there was such a treasure hidden in the universe. Someone potentially even stronger than those two?
"How does he compare to you?" Beerus asked subconsciously.
Whitley: "..."
He fell silent, just looking at Beerus with a "you must be kidding me" expression.
Beerus's old face flushed red, and he immediately realized he had asked a very stupid question.
If some random person could be stronger than Whitley, then this guy's Ultra Instinct would have been trained for nothing.
"Ahem!"
Beerus coughed awkwardly to cover up his gaffe, immediately changed the subject, and his tone became decisive again. "Whis! Let's go! Target—Planet Vampa! We leave immediately!"
"Very well, Lord Beerus~" Whis replied with a smile, but then "kindly" added, "But your question just now really made you seem a little... hmm, foolish~"
A dark line appeared on Beerus's face, and a vein popped on his forehead. "Shut up! Let's go!"
Before Beerus could finish, as if not wanting to give him a chance to retort, Whis immediately raised his staff.
Swoosh—!
A soft light flashed, and Beerus and Whis's figures instantly turned into a streak of light and disappeared over the horizon, leaving only Whitley standing alone in the yard.
Whitley looked in the direction they had disappeared and sighed helplessly. "It's just one thing after another... trouble just keeps coming."
The relationship crisis hadn't been resolved, and now the crisis of the universe's survival was imminent.
He couldn't be bothered with Bulma being mad at him anymore. He turned and walked quickly into the front hall, picked up the phone, and called Goku's house on Mount Paozu and the Saiyan camp near North City one after another.
He had to start drilling Goku and Vegeta immediately! Time was short!
As for the androids... Cell hadn't grown up yet, so he would just inform No. 16, 17, and 18 for now.
After sending a notification to No. 18 and the others, Whitley began to ponder the Tournament of Power again.
When he thought of the strange and powerful opponents from the other universes in the Tournament of Power from the original story, far from feeling pressure, Whitley's heart burned, and his desire for battle began to rage!
"Hah! Finally... there are strong enough opponents to fight to my heart's content!
His eyes shone with excitement. "I hope you don't disappoint me... Jiren!"
...
The call connected.
"Hello? Goku? It's me, Whitley."
"Huh?! Whitley! What's up? Are you treating me to dinner?"
Goku's happy voice came from the other end of the line.
"Dinner my ass! Listen, get to my place in West City immediately! It's very important!"
"Important?"
"Don't ask so many questions! Just get over here! It's about special training! A very, very strong enemy will appear soon! So strong that even you guys are no match!"
"Huh?! Really?! An enemy so strong that even Vegeta and I are no match?!!"
Goku's voice rose an octave, filled with extreme excitement and anticipation, as if he wanted to jump through the phone right then!
But then, Chi-Chi's anxious and angry voice could be faintly heard from the other end. "Goku-san!!! What did you just say?! You're going to fight again?! No! I absolutely disagree! Have you forgotten that you have to earn money to support the family?!"
"Chi-Chi, let me explain! This time it's for real! It's a very, very important battle! An enemy so strong that even Vegeta and I are no match! Whitley is finally willing to help me and Vegeta with special training!"
"I'm not listening! What enemy, what enemy! Whitley is so strong, just let him handle it! You have to go and earn money first! Gohan is about to reach the age for cram school! We're still a long way from having enough for that! Until you've earned enough money, you're not allowed to go anywhere! And you're definitely not allowed to fight!!!"
Chi-Chi's voice was firm and unquestionable.
Whitley held the phone, listening to Goku's anxious explanations and Chi-Chi's resolute objections, and couldn't help but sigh again. "Every family has its own problems... Goku's life isn't easy either."
In comparison, Vegeta's side was much smoother.
After the call connected, Whitley was concise. "Vegeta, get to my place in West City immediately. I've prepared special training for you!"
There was a two-second silence on the other end, and then came Vegeta's cold and brief reply, "On my way!"
Beep... beep... beep...
The call was hung up decisively.
Whitley nodded in satisfaction. "As expected of Vegeta, so efficient!"
But then... he remembered something...
He seemed to have heard Bulma mention before that Launch's due date... was very soon?
Was it really okay for this guy Vegeta to agree to come for special training without a second thought?
"Forget it..."
Whitley felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his brow. "It seems, in the end, I'll have to have Bulma step in and coordinate things."
He put down the phone and stood up, walking towards the backyard.
Ever since Bulma had "caught" him yesterday, she had temporarily moved her living quarters to the guest house in the backyard.
She had even said that she didn't want to see him for the time being.
But who was he, Whitley?
His thick skin had been certified by Beerus! Do you hear that, Solar Flare?
You can't see me just because you say so, Bulma?
Hmph! A domestic dispute must be resolved quickly! Otherwise, it will affect his mood for preparing for the upcoming battle!
It seems...
It's time to use his ultimate killer move!!!
He took a deep, grave breath. After adjusting his expression, he casually picked a few roses from Mrs. Briefs's garden, hid them behind his back, and then headed for the backyard.
At this moment, by the window of the guest house in the backyard, Whitley peeked in through the glass. Bulma was sitting on the sofa, seeming to be reading... a fashion magazine?
But Whitley keenly noticed that the magazine seemed to be upside down! And he hadn't made any effort to hide his footsteps.
And after hearing Whitley's footsteps, although Bulma's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, she quickly forced herself to calm down and continued to pretend not to have noticed him.
There's a chance!
Noticing this, Whitley pushed open the door and strode up to Bulma.
Under Bulma's surprised and even astonished gaze—
Thud!
He knelt down without a word! The movement was clean and decisive!
"Wifey!!! I was wrong!!!"
Bulma: "..."
The magazine in her hand fell to the floor with a "thud." Her beautiful large eyes were wide as saucers, completely thrown off by Whitley's sudden "manly kneel."
"Y-you... get up first!"
Bulma had never thought that Whitley would apologize so decisively, and on his knees!
"The one I love most is you, Bulma! No. 18 was just a beautiful accident. Marry me, my Bulma!"
Whitley produced the roses from behind his back with a "swoosh" and forcefully shoved them into Bulma's hand.
Bulma looked at the roses that had been shoved into her hand and was speechless.
In her twenty-plus years of life, she had never seen such a shameless person!
But... why was she a little happy?
In any case, in the end, Bulma forgave Whitley, and seemed to have forgotten about the existence of a certain No. 18.
Hmm...
One can only say... congratulations?
...
Get 10 chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"