"Dad, Kale and I aren't going," Gohan said.
Goku did not think much of it. "All right."
He placed a hand on Vegeta, Piccolo, and Zarotenks, and the four of them vanished from Earth in a flash.
Gohan watched them go and let out a helpless laugh. "Supreme Kai is in trouble."
"I still want to hit him myself," Kale muttered, fists tight. "But if that many people beat him first, I'm worried there won't be enough left."
Gohan laughed again, this time with no idea how he was supposed to answer.
Shin was absolutely doomed.
…
Universe 7, Sacred World of the Kai.
Elder Kai stood in front of the crystal ball looking like he'd aged another thousand years in a single afternoon.
"Explain this," he snapped, pointing at the image inside it. "Explain exactly what I'm looking at."
Shin, still with a halo floating over his head, tried to recover some dignity. "I think… maybe he went home to eat first, and then he'll start killing people?"
Elder Kai nearly broke something in his own jaw from clenching it. "Idiot! Like Goku said, since Majin Buu woke up, has he actually killed anyone?"
"He killed two people," Shin said quickly.
He quickly explained what had happened with the thug with the pompadour and his lackey. Elder Kai immediately used the crystal ball to replay the scene and see it for himself.
The more he saw, the darker his face became.
When the thug's actions played out in full, Elder Kai rounded on Shin. "You're a Supreme Kai. Tell me, did that man deserve to die or not?"
Shin shrank. "When you put it that way… he did."
"Then what are you still arguing for?"
"I don't know either," Shin said, miserable. "Maybe Majin Buu slept for so long that he woke up nicer?"
Elder Kai stomped so hard the ground shook. "I truly don't know what to do with you."
Goku arrived with Vegeta, Piccolo, and Zarotenks at that exact moment.
Shin turned, relief lighting up his face far too soon. "Goku! You're here. Then everything must have ended safely."
Vegeta shoved Goku aside and walked straight past him.
His boot slammed into Shin's stomach.
Shin folded around the kick and hit the ground, trembling.
Piccolo stepped in next and launched him upward with another kick.
Zarotenks shot after him and drove a rising punch into Shin's body, sending him even higher.
"What are you doing?" Kibito shouted.
Vegeta's eyes snapped toward him. "You too. I almost forgot."
He slapped Kibito into the ground.
Piccolo and Zarotenks followed up without a word.
By the time they finished, Kibito lay beside Shin, bruised, swollen, and questioning every decision that had brought him into divine service.
Elder Kai watched the whole thing and did not lift a finger.
Frankly, he felt they had a point.
Then Vegeta turned toward him.
"And you."
Elder Kai's face stiffened. "Think carefully before you start. Majin Buu has very little to do with me."
"Majin Buu doesn't," Vegeta said. "Emily does."
Elder Kai's confidence disappeared.
Vegeta's face had gone green with rage. "You were planning to do what with my wife?"
Elder Kai whirled toward Goku. "Goku! Why did you tell him?"
"I didn't," Goku said.
"You didn't need to," Vegeta snarled. "I fused with that idiot. I know exactly what happened."
His fist drove Elder Kai into the ground.
Elder Kai howled.
Vegeta rounded on Goku next. "And you, Kakarot! If you were so generous, why didn't you offer Chi-Chi to this old bastard?"
Goku blinked. "I don't think I'd like another man touching Chi-Chi."
Vegeta's eye twitched.
"Then why would I like it if another man touched my wife?"
"Oh." Goku scratched his head. "I thought you didn't care about that stuff."
Vegeta's aura exploded.
"Kakarot…"
Red fur spread across him as he forced himself into Super Saiyan 4, fury pouring off him in waves.
Goku did the sensible thing and vanished.
Vegeta stood there trembling with rage, looking like he was one step away from blowing apart the entire Sacred World of the Kai.
Zarotenks, meanwhile, looked down at Shin. "Piccolo, why does he have a halo?"
Piccolo followed his gaze and only then seemed to notice it. "He's dead."
"Dead?"
"He probably got himself killed," Vegeta said coldly.
Shin twitched on the ground, tears gathering in his eyes.
What sin had he committed to deserve this much punishment?
After a long string of apologies—delivered from the dirt, with excellent sincerity—Shin finally managed to calm the three of them down. Vegeta, Piccolo, and Zarotenks decided his attitude was acceptable enough to stop hitting him.
Shin personally took them back to Universe 6's Earth.
And just like that, the Majin Buu incident ended in the most ridiculous way possible.
…
Universe 6, outer space.
"Ken, it looks like the Buu situation is over," Merus said, watching the image in his staff's crystal. "Were we flying too slowly?"
"If it's over, it's over." Ken smiled. "There will always be stronger opponents waiting for Goku and the others."
"Then are we still going back to Earth?"
"You don't have to," Ken said. "But Earth is my home."
Merus fell quiet.
Then he smiled awkwardly. "Can I come eat at your house? It's been a long time since I had food from Bulma's place."
"Then come."
Bardock said nothing beside them.
He had been away for a very long time. Now that home was finally within reach, he felt an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.
The three of them turned into streaks of light and headed for Earth.
The next morning, after Majin Buu had returned to Mr. Satan's house, Ken, Merus, and Bardock landed at Capsule Corporation headquarters.
Bulma stood waiting with her arms crossed and her lips pushed into a pout. "So you do remember how to come home."
"Bulma, get us something to eat," Ken said, walking in like he had only stepped out for an afternoon.
Bulma's pout sharpened. "Wow. You come back after all this time and immediately ask for food? What is this, a hotel?"
She complained, but she still ordered the kitchen robots to prepare a feast.
Bardock bowed to Ken. "Ken, I should go home. I haven't been back in a long time."
"No need," Ken said. "Contact everyone and have them gather here."
Bardock nodded. "Understood."
Bulma had just finished giving orders to the robots when she heard that and sighed.
Of course. Coming home himself was not enough. He had to invite everyone else too.
They had not even had time alone yet.
"Bulma," Ken said, turning to her with a smile, "if I remember right, today is your birthday."
Bulma froze.
Then her eyes brightened. "It is. I almost forgot."
"Happy birthday."
Her annoyance melted all at once. "So you picked today to come back because of my birthday?"
"That's right."
Ken raised his staff and gave it a light wave.
Something bright and golden appeared in the sky above the yard.
"Careful," Ken said. "Don't let it land on you."
Bulma looked up and found a huge, glittering mass of gold descending toward her lawn.
It settled with a heavy thump in the yard, sunlight pouring across its surface.
Bulma hurried over, her eyes widening as the enormous golden mass settled into the yard with a heavy rumble. Sunlight danced across its surface, forcing her to shield her eyes for a moment before she stepped closer.
"What is this?" she asked, though she already had a strong suspicion.
Ken smiled faintly. "Gold. Your birthday gift."
Bulma stared at him, then at the mountain-sized pile of precious metal, then back at him again.
"You brought me a mountain of gold?"
There was a brief silence.
Then her face lit up so brightly that it looked like she might outshine the gold itself.
"Not much," Ken said casually. "Only a hundred tons."
The smile on Bulma's face immediately froze.
"A hundred... tons?"
She slowly turned her head back toward the glittering mountain.
For a few seconds, she simply stood there staring.
Then the scientist in her took over.
Numbers began flying through her mind at terrifying speed. Weight. Purity. Market value. International reserves. Commodity prices.
Her eyes widened further with every calculation.
At current market rates, a hundred tons of gold was worth roughly six hundred billion.
Six hundred billion.
Not six hundred million.
Not six billion.
Six hundred billion.
Even for someone like Bulma, who had grown up surrounded by unimaginable wealth and now controlled Capsule Corporation, that number was absurd enough to make her heartbeat speed up.
Capsule Corporation was already the richest company in the world, but six hundred billion appearing in the yard was still six hundred billion.
"Ken," Bulma said, pressing her cheek against his, happiness practically shining out of her, "you really are the best."
Ken said nothing.
Women.
Her family already had more money than most countries, yet one small mountain of gold still made her glow like this.
"Call everyone quickly," Bulma said, already imagining the looks on their faces. A birthday party was good, but a birthday party beside her very own gold mountain was better.
Ken nodded and sent a message through his staff, calling everyone to Capsule Corporation.
…
Mr. Satan's house.
"Where's my money?"
Android 21 kicked open the front door and marched inside.
She'd gone back and forth on it, but in the end, she decided to collect what she was owed.
That kind of money could buy a lot of things, and if the fat monster was here, then fine. Even monsters had to be reasonable, right?
Mr. Satan was giving Buu a massage when Android 21 burst in.
Buu opened one eye.
Android 21 saw him too, and her face changed, but she forced herself to stand her ground. "You promised me that money. When are you paying?"
"Satan," Buu asked, "who is she?"
Mr. Satan hesitated, then explained what had happened at the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Buu listened, then raised his antenna.
"Turn into silicone."
Purple-white light flashed from his antenna and struck Android 21 before she could move.
Her body hardened in an instant, transforming into a lifelike silicone doll and toppling onto the floor.
Mr. Satan stared.
Buu grinned. "Satan, this is for you."
"For me?" Mr. Satan looked at the motionless doll, then back at Buu. "Why would you give me this?"
"I saw something like it in your closet last time," Buu said. "You like these, right? This one used to be real, so it's better."
Mr. Satan's face turned red.
Why had Buu been looking in his closet?
Buu tilted his head. "Why do you like that kind of thing anyway? I saw you playing with the one in the closet. You looked really happy."
He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
Buu shook his head, unable to understand it. What was so fun about that?
Didn't Satan already have women around him?
"It's, uh…" Mr. Satan scratched his head, sweating. "Sometimes people try different hobbies."
Buu accepted that answer because he had no reason not to.
Mr. Satan approached Android 21's doll form and stopped again, too unsettled to touch it. "This is… not really appropriate, is it?"
"Do whatever you want," Buu said.
Then Ken's voice appeared in Buu's mind.
"Buu."
Buu perked up. "Ken? You're back? Did Broly and Ai come back too?"
"They're on their way. They should arrive in about forty minutes."
"Oh."
"Come over," Ken said. "It's Bulma's birthday today. We're celebrating."
Buu looked at Mr. Satan. "Can I bring Satan and his daughter?"
"That's fine."
The call ended.
After that, Ken contacted Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, and the others. One group after another began arriving at Capsule Corporation.
Goku's family, Vegeta's family, and Krillin's family arrived first. Krillin brought Master Roshi and Turtle as well.
Goku came over with Gohan, Goten, and Chi-Chi to greet Bardock.
Bardock nodded and rested a hand on Goku's shoulder. His eyes shifted to Gohan, and a faint smile touched his face. "Gohan's really grown up."
Gohan smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.
"And Goten looks exactly like Kakarot did when he was little."
Bardock ruffled Goten's hair, and Goten beamed up at him.
The group spent some time chatting and catching up in the yard.
Meanwhile, the massive pile of gold beside Capsule Corporation continued to draw everyone's attention. It gleamed so brightly under the sunlight that even people trying to act uninterested kept sneaking glances at it.
"Is that really gold?" Goku asked as he walked over and poked it with a finger. "It feels kind of soft."
"Gold is actually a soft metal," Gohan explained. "And it's extremely valuable."
Master Roshi stared at the golden mountain with shining eyes. "How much is something like that worth?"
Bulma's smile widened immediately. "Oh, not that much. About six hundred billion."
Master Roshi went completely still.
Krillin did too.
In fact, nearly everyone present froze for a moment.
The mountain of gold continued to sparkle in the middle of the yard, while Bulma stood beside it looking immensely satisfied.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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