Each of them held a cup of instant noodles, the savoury steam wafting from beneath the lids. It was the unmistakable, addictive aroma of artificial additives—a scent that served as a hook, piercing the air and snagging the appetites of every deity present.
In his past life, Gran knew people who lived for this smell. But for these gods, who had never encountered the glory of processed junk food, the mere scent was enough to make their mouths water.
"What is this sorcery? I am a God of Destruction! Why are my eyes watering?!" Champa cried, clutching his cup with both hands. He turned to his attendant, looking betrayed. "Vados! Didn't you say the eggs from my universe's Dong-Dong birds were the finest delicacy in all of Zen-Oh's creation?"
Vados remained silent. How could she tell him she'd been humouring him all these years?
"Hey, fatty! How do the delicacies of my Universe 7 taste?" Beerus laughed heartily. He hadn't expected the food Gran brought back to be this potent. If the smell alone was this intoxicating, the first bite was going to be legendary.
"Beerus, you absolute scoundrel! Why does your universe have food like this?!" Champa roared, his voice reaching a hysterical pitch. Just moments ago, he had been boasting about his bird eggs. Now, the mere thought made every cell in his body flush with embarrassment.
Gran couldn't help but let out a snicker at Champa's expense. The God of Destruction's head snapped toward him, and Gran quickly cleared his throat. "Lord Champa, the time is up. You can eat now."
The moment the words left his mouth, the group tore off the lids like starving animals. Within seconds, the air was filled with the rhythmic sound of slurping, followed by a chorus of exaggerated moans and sighs. Even Champa forgot his shame, diving into the noodles with reckless abandon.
"This is incredible! This is the peak of culinary achievement! Everything I've eaten before this was garbage!"
"I'm not leaving without taking millions of these back with me!"
"Hahaha! That's the pride of Universe 7 for you, you tub of lard! Still feeling smug?"
"Hmph! Fine, I'll admit it—Universe 7 wins this round!"
Gran smiled as he listened to their bickering. Even though he'd eaten countless cups of noodles back on Earth, tasting them again in this company made them feel like a five-star meal. That was the power of MSG.
The sight of eight beings—most of them wearing bizarre, high-fashion godly regalia—crouched on the side of a West City street, slurping instant noodles, was a strange one. To any passerby, they looked less like gods and more like a very eccentric group of vagrants.
A citizen walked by, glanced at them with pity, and tossed a Zeni bill toward them. Then a second person did the same. Then a third. Before Gran knew it, a small pile of cash had accumulated at his feet.
"Gran, why are they throwing money at you?" Beerus asked between slurps. He recognised the currency from when Whis used it earlier.
"You're so dense, Beerus," Champa scoffed. "They obviously see that we're almost finished with our meal and are offering up more tributes! Hurry up and finish so we can go trade that paper for more noodles!" He felt a surge of jealousy; Universe 7's mortals were surprisingly perceptive.
Gran looked at the pile of money, his face twitching. Tributes? They think we're beggars! He didn't dare correct them, though. If Beerus found out he was being pitied as a homeless person, he might actually vaporise the planet.
I am a Candidate for the God of Destruction, and yet here I am, being treated like a charity case, Gran sighed inwardly, reaching down to scoop up the cash.
Suddenly, a small voice chirped, "Mama, look at that poor little boy!"
"You have some pocket money, don't you? Why don't you give him some?"
"Okay, Mama!"
A young girl stepped forward and dropped a thick stack of bills in front of Gran. He looked up, his eyes widening. She had a round, cherubic face, sapphire-blue hair tied back with a red ribbon, and wore a jacket emblazoned with the Capsule Corp logo. It was a young Bulma.
"Are you okay, little brother?" Bulma asked, holding her mother's hand. "Noodles won't fill you up. Use this to go buy a real meal."
Little brother? Gran's mouth twitched. Bulma was born in Age 733, and he was born in Age 731. He was technically two years older, but since Saiyans remained small and childlike for so long, the seven-year-old Bulma actually stood taller than the nine-year-old Gran.
"I'm older than you," Gran muttered, stuffing the money into his belt. "You should be calling me 'Big Brother.'"
Bulma, already possessing a genius-level IQ and a matching ego, immediately took offence. "You little brat! Give me my money back! I'm not giving it to a meanie!"
"Finders keepers," Gran replied shamelessly.
"You're a horrible little beggar!" Bulma stomped her foot in frustration.
The bickering started to annoy the gods, especially Beerus. Did this mortal call his disciple a beggar? Beerus handed his empty cup to Whis, his expression shifting into the cold, terrifying mask of a Destroyer. He raised a finger toward Bulma, a spark of purple Hakai energy flickering at the tip.
"Destruction—"
"Lord Beerus!" Gran shouted, breaking into a cold sweat.
Beerus paused, annoyed. "What?"
"Don't. Leave her be."
Beerus huffed. "Fine. Consider it a favour to you." He dissipated the energy and snatched his cup back from Whis to finish the broth.
Gran let out a massive sigh of relief. He looked at the still-fuming Bulma and shook his head. "You have no idea how close you just came to disappearing."
"Whatever!" Bulma huffed. "Just give me my money back!"
"Consider it payment for saving your life," Gran said. He looked at her for a long moment, marvelling at meeting the woman who would essentially drive the entire history of the Dragon Ball world. "I'll give you some advice: if you ever meet a guy named Vegeta, do yourself a favour and stay far away from him."
"Vegeta? Who's that?" Bulma asked, confused.
"Just remember it. He's an old rival of mine. And even if he survives our next encounter, he's going to be living in my shadow for the rest of his life." With that, Gran signalled the group, and they took to the sky.
"Mama! They can fly!" Bulma gasped, her eyes wide with wonder.
A week later, the group arrived at the base of Korin Tower in the northern forests. They had spent the last seven days scouring the planet for every cup of instant noodles they could find.
"So, Lord Beerus," Gran teased. "I seem to remember you saying you'd blow up the planet if the noodles weren't good."
Beerus remained silent, looking the other way.
"Hahaha!" Champa mocked. "Don't you know by now? Your master is all bark and no bite."
"Shut it, fatty! Weren't you the one who said those bird eggs were the best thing in the universe?" Beerus countered. Champa turned bright red, the memory of his previous boasting stinging like a fresh slap.
While the two brothers bickered, Whis and Vados walked toward the base of the ancient tower. They touched the structure, a look of contemplation on their faces.
"Sister, does this feel familiar to you?"
"I can't quite place it, but there's a sense of recognition," Vados replied. The carvings and the architecture felt incredibly ancient, even by their standards.
"Gran, you said the Senzu beans came from this planet, correct?" Whis asked.
"Yes, they're kept at the top of this tower," Gran said, walking over. He knew the tower held more than just beans—it held the Ultra Divine Water and the sacred vats that could see through time.
"Senzu beans?" Vados asked.
Gran pulled two green beans from his belt and tossed one to each Angel. They examined the small legumes closely.
"The healing potential within this is staggering," Vados noted, her expression turning serious. "It's comparable to our own angelic restoration magic."
"Indeed," Whis added, tossing the bean back to Gran. "It restores physical stamina and heals injuries instantly. In some ways, its efficiency is even more impressive than our magic." Whis didn't ask how Gran knew about such things. Gran was a walking enigma, and at this point, Whis had learned to accept the boy's "intuition."
"Shall we go up and see the source?" Whis suggested.
The group began to ascend. Gran led the way, followed by the Angels and the Supreme Kai trio. Below them, Beerus and Champa were still trying to throttle each other.
"Wait! Where are they going?" Beerus finally noticed the others were gone.
"They're leaving us behind!" Champa yelled. "This is your fault for starting a fight! You're always ruining everything!"
Beerus didn't argue. He cracked his knuckles, a dark look in his eyes.
"What... what are you doing?" Champa stammered, backing away.
"Giving you a taste of my 'brotherly love' before we catch up."
A moment later, Champa's screams echoed through the forest. Eventually, a battered-looking Champa and a grumpy Beerus caught up with the group at the summit.
At the top of the tower, Korin the cat-immortal stood by the railing, watching the approaching figures. Cold sweat poured down his fur.
"That pressure... It's overwhelming! Is it divine energy? Who are these people?" Korin scrambled back as the eight figures landed on the plaza. The sheer weight of their presence forced the cat to his knees.
"A cat?" Whis mused, looking at the small white feline. It was just an ordinary cat that had lived a long time through minor spiritual cultivation. It clearly wasn't the origin of the tower's mysteries.
They toured the small sanctuary, noting the jars of Ultra Divine Water and the mystical vats. Whis and Vados remained unusually quiet, their eyes scanning every detail with gravity. A pot of Senzu beans and water that could see through time weren't things that should naturally exist on a mortal world. The Ultra Divine Water, in particular, contained a lethal toxin that only someone with immense latent potential could survive.
Everything about this place suggested a history much deeper than any Earthling could comprehend.
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