The morning sun streamed through the gaps in the curtains, filling the spacious bedroom.
Today was the 7th day after the end of the Tournament of Power, exactly one week after that dramatic competition.
As usual, Whitley woke up on time due to his biological clock.
He first gently moved Bulma's arm, which was draped over him. Hearing Bulma's soft hum, he carefully got out of bed and then tucked her in, afraid his young lady would catch a cold.
After all, winter was coming.
After a simple wash-up, Whitley changed into his black battle armor, ate a casual breakfast, and headed straight for the gravity room.
Although the Tournament of Power was over, daily training had long become an indispensable part of his life.
He knew very well that a comfortable life could easily dull one's fighting spirit. Only through continuous tempering could he face any challenges that might arise in the future!
Inside the gravity room, the heavy air was almost tangible. Whitley adjusted the gravity multiplier and began his daily basic training.
Sweat soon soaked his clothes, and his muscles gradually let out faint creaks under the high pressure.
His eyes were serious, trying to keep every movement focused and precise.
After the end of the Tournament of Power, apart from Whitley, almost everyone who had participated in that universe-survival battle had entered a brief "vacation period."
After several consecutive months of arduous training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, plus the high tension on the day of the tournament, even a battle maniac like Goku needed time to relax and recover.
Even Vegeta, who had always been known as the "king of grinding," had been "escorted" to the hospital by a pregnant Launch a few days ago and was now, for a rare change, obediently staying with her in the hospital room.
Whitley couldn't help but feel a little emotional when he heard this news.
Time really flew. Even that tsundere Vegeta was about to become a father.
It seemed that on his end... he and Bulma also needed to step up their game.
After finishing his morning training and taking a comfortable hot shower to wash away the fatigue and sweat, Whitley walked towards the dining room, refreshed.
It was now lunchtime, and there were already people in the dining room.
Vados was currently sitting gracefully at the dining table, taking small, continuous bites of the exquisite dishes served by the robot maids.
Like Whis, she was very interested in Earth's delicacies.
Whenever she tasted a dish that particularly suited her palate, her light purple eyes would brighten slightly, and she would let out a subtle and satisfied exclamation.
Only at times like these would Vados let go of her ever-present elegant demeanor, looking very much like a child who had discovered a new and fascinating toy.
And in stark contrast to her was Bulma.
The female president of Capsule Corp was currently listlessly poking at the food on her plate with a fork, her other hand constantly swiping through her phone screen, browsing reports from various company departments.
Her brow was slightly furrowed, her mind clearly not on the food at all.
Ever since returning to Earth, Bulma had been in this state most of the time. She had even temporarily shelved the research project on Android 21, which had been brought back, causing that crazy woman to remain in forced hibernation in a life support pod.
Seeing this, Whitley walked to his seat, sat down, and cleared his throat, trying to get Bulma's attention.
"Hmm?"
Bulma didn't even look up and said irritably, "What is it? Don't bother me right now, I'm swamped with company stuff lately."
She had indeed been overwhelmed recently. On one hand, there were the daily affairs of the corporation. On the other... Beerus had been催促 several times that the transport ships were about to reach the God of Destruction's Realm.
And how to arrange the supplies after they arrived at the God of Destruction's Realm? This made Bulma a little unsure.
The current Whitley could no longer be permanently stationed in the God of Destruction's Realm. After all, Beerus had already become the permanent God of Destruction of Universe 7~ (laughs)
This was the first time Bulma had dealt with an infrastructure project of this level, and it required her to invest a great deal of energy.
Whitley looked at Bulma's appearance and sighed in his heart.
He made up his mind, reached out, and gently but firmly took the phone from Bulma's hand.
"Hey? What are you doing?" Bulma looked up at Whitley with dissatisfaction.
Whitley put the phone aside, looked into Bulma's eyes, and said in a soft but very serious tone, "Stop looking at it, let's eat first. In the afternoon... let's go and get our marriage license."
"Huh?!"
Bulma was stunned. Her eyes instantly widened, and her mouth fell slightly agape. For a moment, she even suspected that she was having auditory hallucinations due to her recent overwork! "Wh-what did you just say?"
Ever since the end of the Tournament of Power, when Zeno and the Grand Priest had "forced" the marriage between Whitley and Vados, Bulma had been holding a grudge in her heart! She had been trying all sorts of ways to hint at it, wanting Whitley to take the initiative to get the marriage procedures on Earth done first.
But every time she started, Whitley would either change the subject or say, "No hurry, let's wait a little longer," which had once made her disheartened, thinking that Whitley's feelings for her might have wavered because of Vados's appearance.
"I said,"
Whitley found Bulma's disbelieving look rather amusing, and he also felt sorry for this woman who had always been so devoted to him.
He emphasized his tone and repeated clearly, "In the afternoon, we are going to the civil affairs bureau to register our marriage."
The expression on Bulma's face instantly changed from astonishment to ecstasy!
Her eyes curved into crescents, and her whole person seemed to light up!
She knew it! She knew that in her husband's heart, she was still the most important!
Bulma immediately jumped up from her chair and, like a cheerful little bird, rushed to Whitley's side and hugged his arm tightly, completely ignoring Vados, who was smiling and watching from across the table. She asked in a rapid-fire manner, "Are you really sure? Didn't you always say we were still young and not in a hurry? Why did you suddenly change your mind? Forget it! That's not important! When are we leaving? How about we go right now?!"
Whitley was stunned by Bulma's sudden enthusiasm. He looked at the food on the table, which he had only taken a few bites of, and was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. "Wait... we should at least finish our meal, right? Are you in such a hurry?"
"I am! Very much! Extremely so!"
Bulma nodded vigorously, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifting to the still-composed Vados opposite her, a hint of triumphant smugness on her face. "Forget about eating! Let's go get the license right now! After it's done, I'll treat you to a big meal! The best Michelin restaurant in West City, and you can eat until you're full, you Saiyan! How about it?"
Whitley shook his head helplessly, but looking at Bulma's expectant and urgent eyes... in the end, his heart softened. "Alright, alright, as you wish."
"Yay! Great!"
Bulma cheered, took Whitley's hand, and started running out. As she ran, she fumbled for the capsule containing her aircraft, even forgetting to grab her jacket.
"Hey, if I remember correctly," Whitley couldn't help but remind her, "the marriage registry office is less than two kilometers from our house, right? Are you taking a flight vehicle... isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
Bulma let out a light snort, too lazy to explain.
Should she tell Whitley that it was because she was afraid that if she were a second too late, an accident would happen, and that she wanted to use this registration to declare her sovereignty to a certain woman?
Just as Bulma started the flight vehicle and was looking down to adjust the flight parameters, the corner of her eye suddenly caught a figure in the back seat.
She whipped her head around and found that Vados had silently sat in the back seat at some point, still wearing that flawless, elegant smile.
"Hey!"
Bulma instantly bristled. "What are you doing following us, you woman? Today is the day Whitley and I are getting our marriage license! You go back and eat your meal! Didn't I already give you the authority to order your own food?!"
Vados's expression was calm, and she spoke in a placid tone. "Miss Bulma, have you forgotten? Lord Whitley and I were bestowed a marriage by Lord Zeno himself~ According to Lord Zeno's divine decree, I, Vados, am Lord Whitley's rightful wife."
"Hmph!"
Bulma immediately countered, "That speech of yours won't work on Earth! Earth has its own laws! Zeno's bestowed marriage has no legal effect here! On Earth, I, Bulma, am Whitley's soon-to-be legally protected wife!"
Whitley sat in the passenger seat, at a loss for words.
He felt his head start to ache again.
Hearing this, Vados showed a perfectly timed expression of surprise. "Oh? Is that so? That's truly... surprising. I never knew~ that Earth was so powerful that it could disobey the divine decree of Lord Zeno?"
She tilted her head slightly, putting on a thinking posture.
Then she said slowly in a seemingly innocent tone, "In that case, it seems that Earth is a little... disobedient. As an angel, I feel it is necessary to report this situation to Lord Zeno in detail. For a planet that does not comply with a divine decree, perhaps... suggesting that Lord Zeno erase it is the best choice to maintain the order of the universe?"
Whitley sighed in his heart. The moment Bulma had said that, he knew Vados would pull this move.
"You... you!"
Bulma trembled with anger at these words. She pointed at Vados, her words stumbling. "You despicable woman! Besides tattling and threatening me, what else can you do?!"
"Hehehehe~"
Vados let out an elegant chuckle. She looked at the fuming Bulma as if she had discovered an extremely interesting toy. "Bulma-san, you're very cute when you're angry. But, please rest assured, what I just said was just a small joke."
Her tone shifted, and she made her voice sound sincere. "After all, Earth is a planet that Lord Whitley loves and protects deeply, and it is also a place where I will be living for a long time in the future. How could I, Vados, do anything to harm Earth?"
Bulma turned her head away in a huff, no longer bothering with Vados.
She found that in a verbal confrontation, she, an ordinary person, was no match for this angel who had lived for who knows how many billions of years. Every time they spoke, she was at a disadvantage, which made her very annoyed.
A strange silence fell inside the flight vehicle.
Vados saw that Bulma was no longer speaking. She smiled slightly, gracefully leaned over, and affectionately hugged one of Whitley's arms, holding it tightly in her embrace.
The soft and elastic sensation instantly spread, making Whitley's heart flutter. He felt his blood flow unconsciously quicken.
But he still tried his best to keep a straight face, maintaining a surface of seriousness and composure, for fear that the sulking Bulma beside him would notice his "enjoyment."
However, Bulma saw this whole scene clearly in the rearview mirror!
She couldn't hold it in any longer and repeatedly cursed Vados under her breath as a "shameless," "vixen!" all the way.
Whitley, sandwiched between the two women, feeling Bulma's fuming anger on his left and the warm and lingering embrace of Vados on his right, felt a massive headache.
It seemed that this polygamous bliss was not so easy to enjoy...
The short few-minute journey felt exceptionally long to Whitley.
When the flight vehicle finally landed smoothly on the parking pad in front of the marriage registry office, Bulma almost immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, jumped out, and then grabbed Whitley's other arm.
She let out an unwilling snort and, pulling him forcefully, quickened her pace towards the entrance of the registry office, as if afraid that Vados would pull some other trick.
Vados followed behind them at an unhurried pace, still wearing that composed smile, as if everything was under her control.
When a young female staff member saw Whitley being "held hostage" by two stunningly beautiful women of different styles, she was completely stunned.
"M-may... may I ask what... business the three of you are here for? This is the marriage registration office... did you... take a wrong turn?" the girl asked, stuttering, her gaze darting back and forth between Whitley, Bulma, and Vados.
"Marriage registration! Me and him!"
Bulma took the lead and slapped their identification documents on the counter, her tone firm and decisive.
"Okay, please wait a moment."
The girl took the documents and began to skillfully operate the computer.
But her gaze would involuntarily drift to the quiet and extraordinarily elegant Vados standing at the side.
After much hesitation, she couldn't help but ask Whitley in a low voice, "Um... sir, may I be so bold as to ask, what is this lady's relationship... with you? She must be... your sister, right? Ahaha..."
She tried to use a reasonable guess to resolve the awkward situation.
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Vados's beautiful light purple eyes narrowed slightly, and a half-smiling curve appeared on her lips. "You are very concerned about our relationship. But unfortunately, you guessed wrong. Lord Whitley and I are, in fact, a married couple~"
"Huh?! A... a married couple?!"
The counter girl's eyes instantly widened, her voice distorted with shock, and the mouse in her hand almost fell to the floor!
These three... are all married? Th-this... this is too much information!
"Hey! Vados! Don't cause trouble here!"
Bulma's eyebrows shot up in anger. "Today is the day Whitley and I are registering our marriage! Are you doing this on purpose to spite me?!"
The counter girl came to her senses, a hint of vigilance in her eyes as she cautiously reminded Whitley, "Um... this... Mr. Whitley, I have to remind you... bigamy is a serious criminal offense in our country. You... you can't knowingly break the law!"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Whitley almost choked on his own saliva. He quickly waved his hands and explained, "A misunderstanding! This is a complete misunderstanding! This Miss Vados is... is a friend from abroad, she likes to joke around. I am currently single and unmarried! There is absolutely nothing like what you're imagining!"
As he spoke, he secretly gave Vados a look, signaling her to stop.
Vados received Whitley's look, shrugged slightly, and finally said no more, but the smile on her face became even more meaningful.
Only then did the counter girl breathe a sigh of relief, half-convinced.
She quickly focused and sped up the process of handling the marriage procedures for Bulma and Whitley.
She had worked at this post for several years and had seen all sorts of people, but a bizarre combination like today's... was a first for her!
Right now, she just wanted to get the procedures done quickly and send these great gods on their way!
After a small hiccup, the red marriage certificates were finally in their hands.
Bulma impatiently snatched them over and looked at them over and over, her face filled with a happy and satisfied smile.
She immediately took out her phone and started taking pictures of the marriage certificates from all angles, muttering to herself, "I'm going to post this on my social media! And on XX! I want everyone to know that I, Bulma, the young lady of Capsule Corp, am officially taken from this day on!"
Whitley looked at the happy Bulma and finally let out a sigh of relief.
This farcical marriage registration was finally complete!
He thought to himself, now I can finally have a few quiet days, right?
But!
He had clearly underestimated Vados's high level of initiative!
This angel, who usually seemed dignified and elegant, quiet and not quarrelsome, finally showed a completely different side on a certain night after Whitley and Bulma had registered their marriage.
It was a night with a bright moon and sparse stars... well, actually, it was a dark and windy night.
Whitley and Bulma, like an ordinary couple, were embracing in bed after a busy day, enjoying their cozy little world.
The two were whispering sweet nothings, their affection growing...
Just as the atmosphere was perfect and the two were preparing to do some interesting exercise! The bedroom door was silently pushed open.
A slender figure silently appeared in their bedroom in the dark.
"Who?!"
As a top-tier warrior, Whitley's senses were incredibly sharp!
But in this unguarded moment of intimacy, he was indeed startled by this sudden intrusion. He was instantly jolted out of his affectionate state with Bulma and subconsciously shielded her behind him.
Bulma also let out a short gasp, her voice a mixture of terror and the annoyance of a good moment being interrupted!
The two of them quickly wrapped themselves in the blanket.
When they saw clearly that the intruder was Vados, wearing a light, close-fitting nightgown, the fire in Bulma's belly instantly shot to the top of her head! "Vados! You bad woman! What do you think you're doing, sneaking in here?! Get out!" Bulma hissed with both shame and anger.
But Vados showed no embarrassment or intention of retreating.
She let out an ambiguous chuckle and, under the shocked gazes of Whitley and Bulma, she slowly walked to the bedside.
And then... she did something that made both of their pupils quake!
She gently untied the sash of her nightgown, letting the silky garment slide to the floor, revealing... (several words omitted here).
Then, amid another scream from Bulma and Whitley's completely petrified expression, she unhesitatingly threw back the blanket they were clutching!
The cool air on their skin made both Whitley and Bulma shiver subconsciously.
Vados ignored Bulma's fiery glare, elegantly bent down to look at Whitley, and said in a gentle voice that carried a hint of irrefutable authority, "Master Whitley, we... are a family, are we not?"
"Hiss—!"
Whitley took a sharp breath, his brain almost shutting down on the spot.
On this fateful night, for the first time, Whitley truly understood that an angel's body... in terms of touch, was not essentially different from a human's.
It was just that the psychological impact and a certain indescribable... sense of thrill, made him feel an unprecedentedly strong...
...
The scene shifts to another timeline, to that traumatized future world.
Trunks had been searching the ruins of Korin Tower for a long time.
The sacred place that once soared into the clouds, connecting the mortal world and the heavens, was now nothing but ruins and overgrown weeds.
He carefully searched every area that might hide a clue, hoping to find even one remaining Senzu Bean, or any relic related to Kami or Mr. Popo.
However, he found nothing.
The destruction of the androids and the erosion of time had long since erased all traces here.
Trunks stood up, dusted off his hands, and sighed with some disappointment.
He looked up at the gray sky and decided to fly up to see if any remnants of Kami's Lookout, which had once floated above Korin Tower, still existed.
But just then, the communicator he carried suddenly rang urgently.
"Hmm?"
Trunks was a little puzzled. At this time... Mom usually wouldn't contact him.
He immediately pressed the answer button.
Before he could speak, Bulma's anxious voice came through the communicator. "Trunks! Can you hear me? Come home quickly! Something's happened! Our house... has been robbed!"
"What?!"
Trunks's heart tightened. He didn't have time to ask for details and immediately replied, "I know, Mom! I'll be right back!"
He did not hesitate, and a powerful ki instantly erupted from him!
His body was enveloped in a golden aura, and he instantly transformed into his Super Saiyan state. Like a golden meteor, he sped towards West City at his fastest speed!
The exploration of the Lookout would have to be put on hold for now.
A few minutes later, Trunks landed in the courtyard of the Briefs' estate.
He rushed into the house and saw Bulma standing in the warehouse, looking worriedly at an open safe.
"Mom! Are you okay? What happened at home?" Trunks asked hurriedly.
"I'm fine."
Bulma pointed at the empty safe and said with a grave expression, "Look here."
Trunks looked in the direction his mother was pointing and saw that the thick safe, which was used to store important items, actually had a large hole corroded in its back!
The edge of the hole was very irregular, but this was clearly not a result of brute force, but had been formed by the slow corrosion of some kind of energy!
"This is... a new enemy? An android?"
Trunks's expression instantly became incredibly serious.
This kind of silent energy corrosion was definitely not something that an ordinary human or a general weapon could do.
And to be able to avoid his senses and sneak in here, the opponent's strength and stealth skills were extraordinary!
He even doubted if he himself could achieve such fine energy control.
"Mom, what was originally in this safe?" Trunks asked in a deep voice.
Bulma rubbed her brow and said with frustration, "Nothing particularly valuable, just some backup high-concentration energy I had prepared for the time machine, and... some core parameters for the time machine's construction that I had organized..."
At this point, Bulma's voice suddenly stopped.
She shot her head up, a look of realization on her face. "Wait! Energy! Core parameters! The time machine blueprints I had put in the warehouse before are also missing! Now even the energy and core parameters have been stolen! That thief... the person who stole the things... he wants to... build a time machine?!"
"Build a time machine?!"
Trunks's heart sank with a "thud," and a strong sense of foreboding wrapped around his heart like a cold snake.
The time machine was their only hope to connect to the past and change the future, and also their biggest secret!
If it were obtained and successfully replicated by someone with ulterior motives, especially a possibly existing android with infinite energy... the consequences would be unimaginable!
"It seems I have to hurry up and investigate!"
Trunks clenched his fists, his eyes sharp.
He had originally planned to start the time machine in a few days and travel to the past timeline to tell Whitley-san and Goku-san his experience in dealing with Androids 17 and 18, as well as information about Cell!
And to join forces to help everyone solve the threat of the androids!
But now, a new and unknown threat had appeared in the future timeline, and he had to prioritize dealing with the matters here.
The journey to the past timeline would probably have to be postponed for now.
...
And in the past timeline, at this time in the top-floor office of the Prince Logistics company in the suburbs of West City.
No. 18 was happily humming an unknown tune, carefully wiping the desks and chairs in the office, and arranging newly bought green plants and decorations.
She planned to redecorate this place and give Whitley a warm surprise filled with her own personal touch the next time he came to the company.
"Achoo!"
Suddenly, No. 18 let out a small sneeze without any warning.
She rubbed her nose and looked around with some suspicion. "Strange... why did I suddenly feel a chill just now? Could it be that... androids can also catch colds?"
She shook her head, pushed the strange feeling aside, and continued to focus on her decorating.
She imagined the surprised and appreciative expression on Whitley's face when he saw the brand new office, and a sweet curve unconsciously appeared on her lips.
Perhaps... she could also take the opportunity to offer him a... kiss full of love?
He should... be happy, right?
No. 18, with a wistful smile on her face, continued to hum and busily decorate this small world that belonged to her and Whitley.
And at this moment, Whitley was still fast asleep in a soft, large bed.
Beside him, Bulma and Vados were also breathing evenly, immersed in the beautiful dreams after a wonderful afterglow.
The sunlight outside the window was gradually brightening, heralding the beginning of a new day.
The three of them last night... were indeed all exhausted.
...
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