Beerus' face instantly darkened, and invisible veins seemed to bulge on his forehead as he shot Whis an annoyed glare.
"My apologies, my apologies… I was only making a small joke to help wake Lord Beerus up," Whis said quickly, suppressing his laughter—though the smile lingering in the corner of his eyes refused to disappear.
The two adjusted their direction, preparing to continue their journey.
However—
Whoosh!
Another small spaceship came speeding from a different direction. It noticeably slowed down as it approached Beerus and Whis.
The ship's external speaker lit up, and a rough, impatient voice was transmitted through energy vibrations that carried directly through the vacuum of space to their ears.
"Hey! You there—the purple cat! And that blue elf! Yeah, you two! I'm talking to you! Did you see a spherical mini spaceship pass through here just now? If you heard me, answer immediately!"
Beerus: "..."
Whis: "..."
"Damn it! Are you deaf? Answer my question!"
The voice inside the ship became even more arrogant when the two didn't respond.
"Destroy."
Beerus didn't even bother to glance at the ship. He simply uttered the word coldly.
Instantly, a ripple of invisible dark-purple energy spread outward like waves across water, enveloping the impudent spacecraft.
Pop.
There was no explosion.
No fire.
No debris.
The ship—and the arrogant voice inside it—were erased in an instant, as if someone had wiped them off a canvas with an eraser.
Reduced to the most basic atoms and scattered into nothingness.
As though it had never existed.
"An annoying fly," Beerus snorted, flicking his tail.
"Now we're really leaving, Whis."
"Yes, Lord Beerus."
Whis nodded lightly. Without another word, he tapped his staff gently.
A soft radiance, purer and brighter than starlight, began to bloom around him.
Whoosh!
The two once again turned into a streak of light that cut across the sea of stars, speeding toward the planet famous for its cuisine.
During the flight, Beerus seemed to ask casually—perhaps to chase away the last traces of sleepiness, or perhaps out of mild curiosity.
"By the way, Whis… that fly I just destroyed. Who was it?"
Whis raised his staff again. Images flowed across the crystal orb as it traced the past information of the now-vanished spaceship.
"Hoho, according to the remaining energy signals and database comparisons," Whis replied,
"the one inside that ship appeared to be the father of the Saiyan baby we saw earlier. His name was Paragus. He was probably tracking his son's ship signal."
"Another Saiyan!" Beerus narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing within them.
"I remember telling King Vegeta to find the most comfortable pillow in the universe for me. And what happened? He found it—but kept the best one for himself, offering me only the second-best!"
"These disrespectful wild monkeys!"
Whis listened quietly without interrupting.
"It seems the Saiyan race really has no need to continue existing," Beerus said coldly, making his decision.
"Whis. Contact Frieza immediately."
"As you wish, Lord Beerus."
At once, Frieza's familiar smiling face appeared within the crystal orb.
"Why, Lord Beerus!" Frieza's polite yet inherently sinister voice echoed through the connection.
"What instructions do you have for me? It would be my honor to serve you."
"I will soon enter a long period of sleep," Beerus said in an unquestionable tone.
"During that time, you will carry out the task of destroying planets on my behalf. Understood?"
"Hohohohoho—!"
Frieza let out a delighted, cruel laugh.
"Please rest assured, Lord Beerus! Destroying planets and watching them vanish in beautiful explosions is my favorite pastime!"
"Mm."
Beerus responded lightly, then suddenly added:
"Oh, and destroy Planet Vegeta while you're at it. That's all."
On the other end of the communication, Frieza's smile froze for a brief moment—before twisting into something even darker.
I was already worried that the Saiyans might produce the legendary Super Saiyan.
Lord Beerus… your order couldn't have come at a better time.
"As you command, Lord Beerus!" Frieza said, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice.
"I will make Planet Vegeta perform the most magnificent eternal lullaby for your slumber!"
The communication ended.
Beerus yawned and glanced one last time at the endless stars.
"Finally, some peace and quiet… Let's go, Whis. I hope the food you mentioned is good enough to make me forget about sleep for a while."
The two disappeared into the depths of the starlight.
…
Three months later.
Earth.
Across the vast blue ocean, islands of different sizes were scattered like pearls.
One of those islands was quite small, yet filled with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
The most eye-catching structure on the island was a rather strange house built in a traditional style.
At that moment, the owner of the house—known as the God of Martial Arts, Master Roshi—was alone inside his room.
He sat cross-legged on the floor with a pair of exaggerated sunglasses perched on his nose. Wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt, he leaned so close to an old tube television that his face was almost touching the screen.
On the TV, several lively young women dressed in sporty outfits were enthusiastically performing aerobic exercises, their movements full of youthful energy.
"Hehehe… that one's good… what a figure… oh! That smile is too sweet!" Master Roshi watched in complete fascination.
His cloudy old eyes sparkled as drool slowly ran down his white beard.
"Thank you for watching! Today's Happy Fitness Exercise program ends here! See you again at the same time next week!"
The lead girl blew a kiss toward the camera with an incredibly sweet smile.
Master Roshi felt as if Cupid's arrow had pierced his heart. His entire body went numb as he waved back unconsciously.
"Goodbye…"
The program ended.
The screen was replaced by a dull test pattern and buzzing static.
Roshi reluctantly pulled his gaze away and smacked his lips in disappointment before slowly pushing himself up from the floor with stiff old limbs.
He stretched lazily, his bones producing a series of crackling sounds.
"Ah… good times always pass too quickly," Roshi sighed.
He walked outside to get some fresh air—and to check whether the sea turtle he raised had returned.
It was dusk.
The setting sun painted the sky and sea a warm orange-red. The ocean surface shimmered like scattered gold.
A salty breeze drifted through the air, carrying the relaxed atmosphere of a tropical island.
Just as Roshi stood still and prepared to take a deep breath—
Whoosh!
A particularly bright meteor, trailing a long fiery tail, suddenly tore across the sunset sky and rushed toward Earth's atmosphere.
Master Roshi froze for a moment.
Then his old face lit up with excitement.
A meteor!
It had been a long time since he'd seen one this bright!
Such a rare chance!
Quick—
Make a wish!