The God of Destruction's Realm of Universe 7, which had been bustling with people and filled with the flames of war just a day before, now seemed exceptionally empty and quiet.
The clamor of the scene had dissipated, leaving only the wreckage of the battle and a strange sense of tranquility after the great war had ended.
And apart from the victorious Universe 7, in the distance, the spectators from Universes 1, 5, 8, and 12 were still hovering.
These four universes, which were exempt from participating due to their high mortal levels, saw their gods and attendants not leave immediately. They all watched from afar with curiosity and a hint of imperceptible envy.
Everyone wanted to see what kind of reward the victor of this dramatic Tournament of Power, Universe 7, would receive from Lord Zeno.
Lord Zeno had long since jumped down from his high divine throne and, with his short little legs, "patter-patter," ran up to the group from Universe 7.
His round little face was filled with excitement and happiness, his gaze locked directly on the most dazzling figure in the crowd, Whitley.
"Whitley! Whitley!"
Zeno ran up to Whitley, took the corner of his clothes in his small hand and shook it gently, tilted his head up, his large eyes shining with expectation. "You won! So amazing! To think you won the tournament with only one person eliminated! Everyone's performance was great!"
The moment these words were spoken, Cell, who was trying to shrink his presence behind No. 16, instantly flushed red, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.
He muttered, "That was an accident... a sneak attack..." while trying to shrink further behind No. 16's broad back. No matter how much No. 16 tried to comfort him in his calm tone, he refused to come out.
Seeing Cell's predicament, the crowd couldn't help but let out a series of well-intentioned chuckles, which diluted some of the lingering tension in the air.
A reward... huh?
Whitley looked at the innocent Zeno before him and smiled helplessly.
Then, under the elegant and noncommittal gaze of the Grand Priest, he naturally squatted down and easily picked up Lord Zeno.
This action instantly made the surrounding Zeno guards' eyelids twitch wildly, and they gritted their teeth!
But they did not dare to step forward and stop him, and could only watch as Whitley once again "desecrated" their supreme king.
"Hee hee!"
Zeno found this perspective of being held up high very novel and interesting.
Far from being displeased, he laughed happily and patted Whitley's shoulder with his small hands.
"Whitley, Whitley,"
Zeno wrapped his arms around Whitley's neck, leaned close to his ear, and asked mysteriously in a milky voice, "Quick, tell me, what reward do you want? Anything is possible!"
Hearing the words "anything is possible," Whitley, holding Zeno, frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
The plot from the original story quickly flashed through his mind—the prize for that Tournament of Power had seemed to be the Super Dragon Balls, but in reality, it was an ultimate test of the winner's character.
If Goku and the others had made a selfish wish at that time, the entire Universe 7 would probably have been erased by Zeno in an instant!
But the situation this time was clearly different.
Zeno was asking for a request directly, without providing the Super Dragon Balls as an intermediate step.
This... probably isn't a trap, right?
Whitley subconsciously looked up at the smiling Grand Priest not far away, trying to see some clue in his deep eyes.
But the Grand Priest's expression was like the most perfect mask, completely flawless.
This made Whitley a little nervous.
"Lord Zeno! Is any reward really possible?"
While Whitley was weighing the pros and cons, an excited and eager voice sounded from behind him. It was Goku!
This battle maniac's eyes were shining, his face clearly written with "I have a bold idea."
Lord Zeno poked his small head out from Whitley's arms and nodded very affirmatively at Goku. "Yep! Anything is possible! What do you want?"
Seeing the "I'm about to say something shocking" expression on Goku's face, alarm bells went off in Whitley's mind!
A strong sense of unease instantly welled up!
"Oh no!"
Whitley almost blurted it out and immediately shouted to Vegeta and Broly, who were closest to Goku, "Vegeta! Broly! Quick! Cover his mouth!!"
However, Vegeta was standing with his arms crossed, his tsundere face still immersed in the bitterness of his last battle!
And Broly had just calmed down from his berserk state, his mind still a little fuzzy...
Neither of them was able to react in time to carry out Whitley's "emergency directive"!
In that split second, Goku had already excitedly shouted out his wish, which was enough to give Beerus a heart attack. "Well then, Lord Zeno! Can you have a figh—"
"Mmph mmph mmph!!!!"
In the nick of time! A purple figure pounced on Goku at a speed that surpassed all limits!
It was Beerus!
The God of Destruction of Universe 7 had, at this moment, unleashed the fastest speed of his entire life. The moment before the "t" of "fight" left Goku's mouth, he had used all his strength to clamp his hand over Goku's mouth, forcefully stuffing the fatal half-sentence back down!
"Phew... phew... th-that was... close..."
Beerus held his hand over Goku's mouth, so scared that his own face had turned pale. He was panting heavily, his back soaked in a cold sweat!
He simply couldn't imagine what would have happened to the victory Universe 7 had just won if he had let Goku say that "have a fight" wish!
Thank goodness! Thank goodness he had reacted quickly!
Lord Zeno tilted his head, his small face full of confusion.
He looked at Goku, who was still struggling with a "mmph mmph," and asked curiously, "Huh? What was your request? I didn't hear you clearly just now. Can you say it again?"
Whitley immediately took a few steps back with Zeno in his arms, creating some distance from Goku, while at the same time putting on an awkward but polite smile and quickly smoothing things over. "It's nothing, it's nothing, Lord Zeno, don't mind him. His head..."
Whitley pointed a free finger at his own temple, making a "you know" expression. "...is not quite right sometimes. He often says some inexplicable nonsense."
"Huh? Is that so?"
Zeno took him at his word, and his gaze on Goku was instantly filled with sympathy. "His name is Son Goku, right? How pitiful..."
Goku: "???"
Next, under the lead of Whitley, Beerus, Bulma, and the others, the members of Universe 7 had a relatively "normal" discussion.
After all, this championship was a collective honor, and the wish they made should preferably benefit the entire Universe 7.
After a lively discussion, they finally reached a consensus:
To request Lord Zeno to raise the overall ranking of Universe 7 to the same excellent level as Universes 1, 5, 8, and 12!
This way, Universe 7 would no longer have to worry about being erased due to a low ranking in the future!
Zeno blinked his large, round eyes after hearing this request, then turned his head to look at the Grand Priest beside him. The meaning in his small eyes was clear: Grand Priest, this request is a bit complicated. It's your turn to explain and operate.
The perfect smile on the Grand Priest's face seemed to stiffen almost imperceptibly, and he sighed softly in his heart.
This condition proposed by Universe 7... was, to be honest, very troublesome!
The improvement of a universe's ranking was essentially dependent on the development of the mortal civilizations within it. This was a very rigid indicator!
And to forcibly raise the ranking was like giving a top university's admission notice to an average student. Although it could be done with Zeno's authority, it was, after all... against the rules.
But...
The Grand Priest's gaze quietly swept over Vados, who was standing quietly by Whitley's side, and a deeper smile appeared on his lips again.
There's always a way.
He took a step forward, cleared his throat lightly, and drew everyone's attention. "The request you have all made..."
The Grand Priest's voice was gentle and clear. "Lord Zeno and I, in principle, agree."
"In... principle?"
Whitley keenly caught this word, and the bad feeling in his heart rose again.
He was all too familiar with this kind of rhetoric from his past life! It was usually followed by a "but"!
Sure enough, the Grand Priest continued.
He first took Zeno from Whitley's arms and gently placed him on the ground.
Lord Zeno was also very well-behaved, standing quietly by the Grand Priest's leg, looking up at Whitley, thinking about when they could do that again.
"Ahem,"
The Grand Priest cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the members of Universe 7, and finally landing on Beerus. "Universe 7, according to my latest assessment, its true comprehensive ranking has already risen to the mid-tier of all the universes after Whitley-san became the candidate God of Destruction, cleared a large number of useless planets, and optimized the universe's energy environment. In this, Beerus, you, as the God of Destruction, have contributed greatly."
Beerus immediately bowed and said in a loud voice, expressing his determination, "Yes, Lord Grand Priest! This is all my duty! I, Beerus, will definitely work even more diligently in the future!"
But what Beerus was thinking was: Just hurry up and dump this troublesome business on Whitley, so I can go back and sleep in peace!
The Grand Priest nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject, his gaze returning to Whitley. "However, to directly raise the universe's ranking to the top tier is, after all, against the rules. But... there is indeed an excellent opportunity right now that can allow Universe 7's ranking to achieve a leap. It's just... that this requires you, Whitley-san, to 'work a little harder'."
"Wait!"
Hearing this, Bulma's womanly intuition instantly put her on guard.
A bad feeling welled up in her heart, and she immediately interrupted the Grand Priest. "What does Whitley need to work hard on?"
She subconsciously stood in front of Whitley, like a mother hen protecting her chick.
The Grand Priest still maintained his elegant smile, his tone calm and steady, as if he were stating the most natural fact. "It requires Whitley-san to work hard and complete his wedding with my daughter, Vados, as soon as possible."
"What?!"
"Get married?!"
"What does that have to do with the universe's ranking?"
The scene was instantly in an uproar, and everyone was stunned.
They looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and disbelief.
How could Whitley and Vados getting married raise the universe's ranking? Did that make sense?
"Huh?! Wait! On what grounds?!"
Bulma was the first to explode. She jumped to her feet, pointed at Vados, and looked at the Grand Priest. "Why does raising the universe's ranking require Whitley to marry that... that bad woman?! I, Bulma, am Whitley's properly wed... oh no, his official girlfriend! Whitley has already proposed to me! I am his future wife!"
Whitley also frowned, his gaze turning to Vados, trying to get some hint from her, to see if this was a "forced marriage" drama that she and her father had colluded on.
Vados felt Whitley's gaze and shook her head lightly, then nodded slightly, her expression complex, as if it contained apology, expectation, and a hint of imperceptible cunning.
Whitley was a little confused by her contradictory signals and didn't fully understand her meaning.
"Miss Bulma, please calm down."
The Grand Priest waved his hand, signaling Bulma to be calm, and then explained unhurriedly, "You must understand that the ranking of a universe is related to the height and uniqueness of the entire universe's civilization. It is a very serious matter. Other universes that wish to raise their ranking require their civilizations to go through long years of effort and development. But Universe 7 now has a unique advantage."
He slowly walked up to Vados, took her hand, and then also took Whitley's hand, placing their hands together.
"As we all know, since the birth of the universe, there has never been a precedent of an angel marrying a mortal—especially a mortal as outstanding as a candidate God of Destruction who has been granted the authority of an angel. Lord Zeno's bestowed marriage has already made history. But if Whitley-san and Vados can be formally married, this will be a 'first' in the truest sense, recorded in the annals of the universe's history."
The Grand Priest's voice carried a bewitching power.
"This kind of rule-breaking, era-making act, is it not in itself an elevation of civilization's height and the ultimate expression of uniqueness? And is this not also a... 'sublimation' of civilization?"
At this point, the Grand Priest bent down slightly and looked at Zeno by his leg, asking respectfully, "Wouldn't you agree, Lord Zeno?"
Lord Zeno tilted his small head up, trying hard to digest the Grand Priest's words, which sounded reasonable but were a little difficult to understand.
His large, round eyes were filled with a look of contemplation. After a long while, he nodded with partial understanding and echoed in his childish voice, "I... I guess so? What the Grand Priest says has always been very reasonable!"
Anyway, he didn't understand, but what the Grand Priest said must be right!
"Hehe."
The Grand Priest let out an ambiguous chuckle, straightened up, and faced the people of Universe 7, his tone becoming unquestionable. "You have all heard? Even Lord Zeno has acknowledged this. Then this matter is settled. After you return to Earth, Whitley-san will complete the wedding with Vados as soon as possible. At that time, as a reward for this groundbreaking union, the ranking of Universe 7 will be automatically raised to the second place in all the universes! As for the first place... you will have to continue to work hard in the future."
Apart from a few, like Whis and Vados, most of the people present were dizzy from the Grand Priest's "logically tight" speech.
Although they felt something was strange, they couldn't find a reason to object. They could only look at each other and discuss in low voices.
And Bulma was so angry her teeth were itching!
Her chest heaved violently. She glared fiercely at the Grand Priest, then at Whitley, who had a "I'm also helpless but this is for the universe" expression, and finally shot a murderous gaze at the smiling Vados.
This bad woman! As expected, she's on a whole other level! She actually teamed up with her dad to use the future of the entire universe to force a marriage?!
Whitley looked at Bulma, who was on the verge of exploding, and was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.
He sighed, let go of Vados, and reached out to gently pull the trembling Bulma into his arms, comforting her in a low voice, "Don't be angry. Don't worry! After we go back, we'll go and get the marriage certificate first, and we'll have our wedding first, okay?"
"Hmph!"
Bulma buried her face deep in Whitley's chest, pounded him a couple of times, and complained in a muffled voice, "That's more like it! If you dare to lie to me, I'll... I'll never talk to you again!"
Although she said that, the hand that was holding Whitley tightly did not loosen at all.
Vados looked at Bulma, who was acting coquettishly in Whitley's arms, and did not show any displeasure.
Instead, the pleasure in her eyes was almost overflowing.
She gently placed her own hand back, her fingertips brushing against his palm as if to say, "It's fine, I have plenty of patience and means."
Just as this "wedding storm" had temporarily come to an end, Lord Zeno remembered something else, looked up at Whitley, and asked again, "Oh, right, Whitley, you were the most outstanding contestant in this tournament, you can have a separate reward! What do you want? Hurry up and say it. For you, anything is possible!"
Zeno's large eyes shone with expectation, clearly remembering Whitley's powerful performance of "one punch, one kid" with fresh memory.
Whitley gently stroked the blue hair of Bulma in his arms while quickly thinking about what reward he should ask for.
Just then, a figure quickly walked up to Zeno and the Grand Priest and bowed respectfully. It was Beerus!
"Lord Zeno! Lord Grand Priest!"
Beerus's voice carried a hint of nervousness and determination.
"Huh? Beerus, you have a request too?" Zeno looked at him curiously.
"Yes, Lord Zeno!"
Beerus took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision!
He swallowed, and his voice was a little nervous but firm. "Lord Zeno! Lord Grand Priest! I, Beerus... admit that my knowledge is shallow, and in fulfilling my duties as a God of Destruction and governing the universe, I am far inferior to Whitley! For the sake of the future of Universe 7, I implore Lord Zeno and the Grand Priest to allow... the position of the God of Destruction of Universe 7 to be formally passed on to Whitley!"
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked!
"Huh?"
Zeno tilted his head, even more confused. "Beerus, you don't want to be a God of Destruction anymore? But... you've only been one for a few tens of thousands of years, right? You're still very young."
In Zeno's concept, a few tens of thousands of years was indeed equivalent to "young."
"Uh... well..."
Sweat broke out on Beerus's forehead, and he quickly organized his words to explain. "Lord Zeno! It is precisely because I feel that my ability to govern the universe is limited and cannot compare to Whitley's, for the better development of Universe 7..."
"Lord Zeno!"
Whitley suddenly interrupted Beerus's words.
He had a gentle smile on his face, but his gaze on Beerus was meaningful.
As if to say, "You old geezer! Trying to dump your responsibilities and run away? Not a chance!"
Zeno's attention was immediately drawn to Whitley. "Whitley, have you thought about what reward you want?"
"Yes, Lord Zeno, I have," Whitley said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the expectant crowd, and finally landing on Beerus, who had suddenly felt a chill down his spine. "My request is very simple. It is—"
Whitley deliberately dragged out his words, looking at Beerus's instantly tensed expression as he slowly said, "Please, Lord Zeno, order that Beerus will forever be the God of Destruction of Universe 7!"
Silence!
A deathly silence!
Beerus was stunned, the expression on his face instantly freezing.
Zeno was also stunned, his small mouth slightly agape, not quite understanding the meaning of Whitley's request.
And everyone else, including Bulma, Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, and so on...
Everyone was stunned! Their gazes darted back and forth between Whitley and Beerus, their minds unable to process this information for a moment.
This request... was too... creative?!
"I... I don't agree to this request!!!"
Beerus was the first to react, instantly flying into a rage, the veins on his forehead popping!
He couldn't even be bothered with the etiquette in front of Zeno and the Grand Priest. He pointed at Whitley and retorted loudly, "Whitley! What the hell do you mean by this?! I quit!!"
At his side, Whis finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
He covered his mouth with his sleeve and let out a joyful chuckle. "Ohohoho~ oh my~ Lord Beerus, this is... wonderful~ it seems that your entire life, oh no, your entire eternal divine life, will be 'dedicated' to the prosperity and stability of Universe 7~ how touching~"
Hearing Whis's clearly schadenfreude-filled sarcastic remarks, Beerus was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to go and "reason" with Whis.
"Ahem."
The Grand Priest cleared his throat lightly, and an invisible pressure instantly calmed Beerus down.
He looked at Whitley, a hint of inquiry and confusion on his face. "Whitley-san, are you sure this is your request? Don't you want some... reward that can further enhance your own power? For example, I can personally guide you in training a deeper level of Ultra Instinct. I believe that with your talent, in time, your achievements will be no less than mine."
The Grand Priest's proposal made many of the gods present show expressions of surprise and envy.
To be personally guided by the Grand Priest?! What an honor!!!
Whitley was a little tempted, but he quickly firmed his resolve.
He bowed respectfully to the Grand Priest and said sincerely, "Thank you for your high regard, Lord Grand Priest, this junior is extremely grateful. But... my request is still this."
He paused, looked at the "life is meaningless" Beerus, and a "sincere" smile appeared on his face.
"After all... our Universe 7 cannot lose such a 'diligent and responsible,' 'experienced' God of Destruction as Lord Beerus! It's like... hmm, the West cannot lose Tifa!"
Although the Grand Priest was baffled by "Tifa," he roughly understood Whitley's meaning.
He looked at the desperate Beerus, then at the determined Whitley, and finally turned his gaze to Zeno.
Zeno didn't think much of it.
He thought Whitley's request was very interesting, and it could also make the lazy Beerus work all the time, so he very readily nodded his small head. "Alright! Since this is the reward Whitley wants, then so be it! Beerus, you have to be the God of Destruction of Universe 7 forever! That's my order."
"Lord Zeno! I..."
Beerus still wanted to struggle.
"Beerus," the Grand Priest spoke, his tone calm but with an unquestionable authority! "This is Lord Zeno's grace, and also Whitley-san's 'good intention.' You should just accept it."
Beerus: "..."
However, in the subsequent discussion of the details, perhaps as compensation for Beerus's "eternal godhood," Lord Zeno generously exempted Beerus from the life-link between the God of Destruction and the Supreme Kai!
This also meant that in the future, Beerus would no longer have to worry about dying inexplicably in his sleep because some unlucky Supreme Kai had an accident!
This news made Beerus, who had felt that he had lost out big time, feel a little better.
At least... he could sleep more soundly, right?
Just as the matter of the reward was basically settled, Whitley pointed to the unconscious Android 21, who was being held like a sack by No. 16, and tentatively requested of Zeno and the Grand Priest, "Lord Zeno, Lord Grand Priest, I wonder if you would allow me to take this stowaway who trespassed on the Tournament of Power back to Earth? I still have some questions about her origin and purpose that need to be investigated."
Lord Zeno was not concerned about this and nodded casually. "Alright, then I'll leave her to you. But remember, you can't just let her go. After all, time travel is a very serious crime!"
"Please rest assured, Lord Zeno, I will handle it properly!"
Whitley immediately promised, and at the same time, he squatted down again, picked up Zeno, and gently rocked him like a child, making Zeno giggle.
The Zeno guards nearby were completely numb to this scene and could only silently look away, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
"Everyone! I've already contacted home, the victory banquet is about to be ready! We can all party to our heart's content when we get back!!!"
Bulma announced loudly at this time, trying to wash away the unpleasantness of the earlier wedding incident with joy.
"OH!!! Long live Bulma!!!"
The crowd immediately let out a cheer, and the atmosphere became lively again.
The Grand Priest looked at this lively scene and smiled and nodded.
Then he raised his hand and waved it lightly.
A huge spatial rift unfolded before everyone like a scroll. On the other side of the rift, the scenery of Earth could be vaguely seen.
He took the hand of Zeno, who was a little reluctant to leave and wanted to attend the victory banquet, and said in a gentle but non-negotiable tone, "Whitley-san, remember to complete the wedding with Vados as soon as possible. Lord Zeno and I will not disturb your celebration. Lord Zeno has been out for a whole day, it is time to return to Zeno's palace to rest."
Zeno pouted unhappily but still obediently waved to everyone. "Everyone, let's play together again in the future!"
"Goodbye, Lord Zeno! Goodbye, Lord Grand Priest!"
Everyone bid farewell to Zeno and the Grand Priest, and then, with the joy of victory and the relief of survival, they passed through the spatial rift one by one and returned to Earth.
The gods of the other universes also left after bidding farewell to Lord Zeno.
Beerus and Whis also walked into the spatial passage one after another.
Before stepping in, Whitley looked back and saw Zeno's obviously reluctant little eyes. A thought moved him, and he quickly turned back.
He half-knelt before Zeno and comforted him in a soft tone, "Alright, Lord Zeno, don't be so down. In the future, whenever you're free, you can come to Earth as a guest anytime. I and everyone will definitely be good hosts!"
"Huh? Really, Whitley?"
Zeno's large eyes instantly lit up. "You have to keep your word!"
"Don't worry!"
Whitley smiled and held out his little finger. "I, Whitley, always keep my word! Let's make a pinky promise!"
Zeno looked at Whitley's little finger curiously and also mimicked him, holding out his own chubby little finger and hooking it with Whitley's.
"Well then, see you next time, Lord Zeno, Lord Grand Priest."
Whitley stood up, waved to Zeno and the Grand Priest again, turned and strode, his figure disappearing into the spatial rift.
As Whitley's figure disappeared, the spatial rift also slowly closed.
The God of Destruction's Realm of Universe 7, which had been bustling with people just a moment ago, was now completely quiet, with only Zeno, the Grand Priest, and their attendants.
"Well then, we should also be heading back, Lord Zeno," the Grand Priest said, looking down at Zeno. "You still have work to do. The erased universes need you to find a time to restore them. After all, this lesson should be enough to keep them on their toes for a while. And..."
The Grand Priest looked at the downcast Lord Zeno, a smile on his face.
"And, there is still a lot of Earth food that Whis sent over. You can see which ones suit your taste when you go back. Next time, you can have Whis send more Earth food that suits your taste to Zeno's palace."
Zeno had no intention of restoring the erased universes yet.
But the thought of those novel and delicious Earth foods immediately diluted that bit of disappointment. He urged impatiently, "Okay, okay! Grand Priest, let's go back quickly! I can't wait!"
"Hehe, as you wish."
The Grand Priest chuckled lightly, and a soft light emanated from his body. The next moment, their group turned into a brilliant streak of light and instantly vanished from the empty God of Destruction's Realm.
...
A long time later, a leisurely figure rose from a corner of the God of Destruction's Realm.
The Oracle Fish stretched and floated lazily in its exquisite fishbowl.
As it yawned, it rubbed its eyes with its fin and looked around in confusion. "Strange... how come I woke up and those two guys, Beerus and Whis, are gone?"
The Oracle Fish muttered, "Could it be... that lazybones Beerus actually went out to work on his own initiative?"
It took out a bag of treasured little snacks from a corner and began to eat with relish. As it ate, it calculated in a low voice, "I have to eat more quickly while Whis is not here... otherwise, when he comes back, he'll definitely try to steal them from me..."
...
Meanwhile, in West City, Earth, in the spacious front yard of the Briefs' estate.
A grand outdoor victory banquet had already begun!
Whis let out a light sneeze. He looked at the food before him and no longer maintained his elegant image.
The long dining table was laden with delicacies from all over the world. The lights were bright, and the music was melodious.
The scene was filled with the laughter of the crowd.
...
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