Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The bright morning sun shone high in a cloudless sky, a sign of another great day for planet Earth. Busily scurrying through the kitchen of their simple city-house, two parents were preparing breakfast. "Pan," Son Gohan called out to his daughter, "breakfast is ready!"
“Is she up at least?” Videl, the man's wife, asked, placing one last box of cereal on the table.
Before Gohan could reply, the patter of footsteps came hurtling down the stairs from the second floor. The man grinned at the sight, readjusting his glasses with a small gesture.
'No doubt about it, she's awake,' Gohan inwardly chuckled.
The fourteen year old girl, dressed in a kimono and wearing a red stick on her back, had already bolted for the front door.
“Mom! Dad! I’m heading out!”
“Hey! Where are you going dressed like that?” her mother intoned, raising an eyebrow.
“Grandpa promised that today I'm gonna get to train with Uub. Seriously, I am not gonna miss this!"
“You don’t even know where they are,” Gohan replied, sipping on his drink.
But the orange liquid nearly bolted from his mouth a second later, at the sudden surge of a powerful ki signature. It was too far away to determine its exact position, but Gohan could definitely sense who it belonged to. And if he could detect it, so could Pan. The girl fired a mocking nod her father’s way, bumping against him as she rushed outside—the door slamming behind her was almost enough to make her hesitate.
“I’m off!” yelled the young Saiyan fighter.
“But...” her mother called out a second too late. She sighed in defeat, turning to her husband. “That girl just does whatever she wants...”
Gohan nodded to her, but with an air of distraction. His mind was focused on following his daughter’s energy as she flew. He’d continue tracking her the entire flight, around ten minutes, just to be sure she arrived.
“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about her safety, Videl,” Gohan said with a reassuring smile. “She’ll be with Dad, so there’s really no danger. Well, apart from the normal aspects of training...”
“Gohan,” Videl replied, crossing her arms. “You do realize she had class this morning! She’s in high school now, the whole missing for training thing is starting to get old,” she argued, visibly upset.
“Ah, I wouldn’t worry too much,” her husband answered with a gentle smile. “Those classes are mostly remedial anyway, she’ll catch up. And besides,” Gohan continued, rising from the table, “even I missed a few years of study—at the time I was even younger than her...”
Videl sighed, looking out the kitchen window almost longingly. Her young daughter could barely be seen in the distance, a faint speck on the horizon riding upon a yellow cloud.
“I still think we let her get away with too much…”
“Videl, dear, she’s already an entire grade ahead of the other students. If there was a problem, trust me, I’d insist she study. But the truth is, Pan’s even more talented than I am.”
“It’s a time of peace, though...” Videl replied, hands on her hips. “Her priority should be her classes for the moment, while she practices martial arts in her spare time!”
“Honey, you’re going to have to cut that out,” Gohan chuckled, smiling in recollection. “You’re starting to sound just like my mother.”
“Eh, I know,” Videl replied, seemingly agitated at herself—she certainly had not intended to become like Chi Chi. “It's just... I want her to be able to get a really good job when she grows up. Fighting should be a hobby, something secondary...”
Gohan got up to move closer to his wife, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"That’s just the way it is, Videl. There’s really nothing we can do about it... She's been following in her grandfather’s footsteps ever since she could walk. And besides, you worry too much. She might even grow up to be both the smartest and strongest one of us all."
“But Gohan, surely—”
“If it'll make you feel better, I’ll invite Dad over to dinner tonight.”
Videl's face brightened. “That's a great idea!”
Suddenly gazing up at the wall clock, Gohan realized that he was running late to work—something that had never happened in all his years.
“Go on, darling,” Videl said to her husband, following his eyes. “You’re gonna to be late.”The thunderous booms of powerful blows echoed through an isolated mountainous region, reverberating through the pillars and plateaus. The shock waves produced could be felt through the ground for miles around, though there was nothing but deserted wasteland in each direction. Occasionally mixed in to the destructive background noise was the shout of battle cries. These were the screams of those pushing themselves to give their all, to fight with their full strength.
The commotion disturbing the mountainous landscape was, in fact, an incredible battle between two most exceptional warriors. The battle, which was a simple warm up match between the pair, was taking place at speeds unimaginable for the average human being. The quantity of power being emitted by the two of them must have been equivalent to at least a million humans.
After a few minutes of training, the two friends—master and disciple—took a little break and began talking.
"I didn't sweat a single bead, sensei," Uub said, almost complaining about the ease of things. He was the younger of the two; brown skinned, dressed in a red-orange martial arts gi, and twenty years old. "I'm not even out of breath...""That's the point of interval training." His sensei Goku replied, scratching his head with one finger, slightly embarrassed. "The training methods you wanted to do would’ve put the entire planet at risk."
Uub, now sitting on a nearby rock, took in the surrounding landscape that he and his sensei had been battling in.
"Yeah, this area has already gotten pretty pulverized from our brief bit of training, hasn't it?" he observed, noticing the various craters and shattered structures.
"Nah, don't worry. It wasn't our fight that caused all the damage here. Well... actually, maybe a little... Haha," Goku replied, having a brief flashback. "If I recall, this is the location where Vegeta and I first battled," he said to his disciple.
"Vegeta? Really!?" Uub exclaimed.
The young warrior, reincarnation of the mighty Majin Buu—the monster who’d nearly destroyed the universe—closed his eyes and took in the landscape, trying to imagine what had undoubtedly been an epic duel nearly thirty years ago.
"Alright, so are you inspired now?” Goku said, standing up suddenly and clapping his hands. The boy nodded. “Then let’s get back at it!"
"Alright!" replied the young man, his voice renewed with enthusiasm.
"Good. This time, I’m counting on you to surpass your current level! As usual, try to keep up."
Goku took his stance. With bent legs slightly spread apart and fists clenched, the Saiyan began summoning his power, refraining from his Super Saiyan transformation for the time being. A blue and white aura surrounded him and his hair flowed in the sudden wind he’d created.
Opposite him, Uub began to power up as well, his cry louder and more sustained. A white aura instantly surrounded the boy.
"Push it, Uub! Go higher! Go further than you–"The teacher was suddenly cut off by a surge of energy from Uub, who’d emitted a slightly larger amount of power than before. Goku smiled, surprised.
"Good job, Uub. But,” he smirked, “can you keep up with this?"
The blueish-white aura surrounding Goku suddenly flared alive with a golden hue, his hair shining along with it. His Super Saiyan eyes were greenish-blue as always. While the Saiyan’s power had not increased too dramatically, it definitely put his strength above Uub's, who was only half as strong as Goku now. However, his master had taught him a useful technique for situations just like this, a technique that he immediately used.
Uub’s muscles bulged and, with a roar, he yelled, "Kaioken!"
The white aura surrounding Uub went scarlet red. His muscles took more volume as his blood vessels swelled to allow faster blood flow. His strength multiplied, and before long it exceeded that of his master. Goku, who was not shaken, clenched his fists even harder and began to draw in more power. With another flash, his hair stood even further on end, leaving only a single lock over his forehead. His muscles had also increased in volume, and sporadic bolts of lightning crackled through his aura.
‘Time for the next level...’ Uub thought to himself.
Uub concentrated with his every effort as he passed through level after level of Kaioken. “Times three... Four... Five...” He continued stage by stage without rushing.
This time, just as Goku wanted, Uub hoped to reach a higher level than he ever had before. For months on end he had hardened his body to be able to withstand higher levels of power.
Yes... This was it... This time for sure he’d surprise his master! Just a little more effort and concentration and— 'What the hell?' Uub thought suddenly, breaking his focus and power.
"Grandpa!"
"Hey, hey! I know that voice!" Goku said, releasing his power and looking up to the sky along with Uub.
The figure approaching them was a young girl of fourteen, clearing the last hundred meter gap between them at full speed. The quarter-saiyan adeptly navigated down to their position and jerked to a halt.
"Grandpa," Pan said, touching down with an angry look on her face. "You promised that you wouldn't start without me!"
"Sorry Pan! But we were ready to go and you still weren't here... But hey, tell me, why did you come on Kinto'un?"Pan put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, taking a position which showed that the answer was obvious. "Since I came here to train with you two I didn't want to waste any energy by flying."
"Ah, of course."
"Do you think she can keep up with us?" asked Uub with a smile as he approached.
"Of course I can! I don't bear the Son family name for nothing!" the young girl countered, then turning to her grandfather. "Grandpa, I saw Uub using the Kaioken! When are you going to teach it to me?"
"You don't need it, Pan, I've told you before. I only taught Uub because he can't turn into a Super Saiyan."
"But neither can I!" Pan said, clearly whining.
"Of course you can," replied Goku. "You just need to put in some more effort to get there."
"But... With the Kaioken I wouldn't need—"
"Okay, okay," Goku interrupted, trying to change the subject, "we'll see later. For now let's take it slow with a small energy increase."
"But we just did that!" Uub interjected.
"I don’t need to do that!" Pan said in agreement.
"Don't be silly," said Goku. "We'll train seriously, don't worry about that, but for now let's start with a little run."
"Okay..." sighed Pan and Uub simultaneously.
They were ready to follow Goku's lead when he suddenly stood up and began scanning the sky. He’d felt something approaching their location, and it didn't take long before they saw what had puzzled Goku. A strange little robot was flying straight in their direction.

"What is it?" asked Uub.
"It looks kind of like one of Bulma's machines," Goku replied curiously.
The robot, which looked like a rocket propelled sphere with very short legs and one eye, came to a stop in front of the puzzled Earthlings. The craft emitted a low metallic sound and began to whistle like an old television. The single eye suddenly began to shine, and a hologram image displayed between Goku and the robot—the image of a Namekian.
"Mr. Piccolo?" Uub said in confusion, surprised by the image.
"No, it’s not him,” Goku said, suddenly serious.
"Warriors of the Earth," began the Namekian, "you three have been chosen, based on the qualification that you are among the strongest fighters in this universe. Each of you are hereby invited to participate in the grandest martial arts tournament ever to be imagined."
"A tournament?" said Pan, obviously very interested in the idea.
"I wonder..." began Goku, before the Namekian continued.
"We look forward to greeting you in person at the palace of Kami-Sama."
When he finished, the hologram blurred before revealing the image of Piccolo.
"It's a long story," Piccolo said through the device, "but this is apparently no joke. I knew you’d be all over something like this, Goku, so I allowed them to contact you. Make your way here and we’ll discuss everything..."
The image disappeared, and the robot left as quickly as it came.
"Was that message intended for only the three of us?" asked Uub.
"I don't think so," replied Goku, turning to his two disciples. "He mentioned the strongest fighters in the universe. Surely that means he’ll contact Vegeta and Gohan too."
"This is serious, isn't it?" asked Uub.
"We’ll see. We shouldn't waste any time though. Hold onto me for instant transmission, and we'll pick up Gohan and the Briefs family along the way."
Uub placed a hand on Goku's shoulder while Pan clung onto his belt. Goku placed two fingers on his forehead and sought out Ki from the location of his son's house. He immediately felt Videl’s ki signature and instantly beamed to that location, taking Uub and Pan with him. It took Goku only a minute to realize why he didn't feel the Ki of his son, which was easily a thousand times stronger than that of his wife. Gohan was away...
"He's at work, as usual," Videl said, after Goku quickly explained the situation.
"Well we just have to pick him up then, right, Grandpa!"
"Wait!" said Videl. "I want to come with you."
"Sure, come along!" said Goku. "I can feel Gohan's energy now, and he's on the move... Wow, even though he hasn’t been training, Gohan's speed is impressive. He’s something else."
"And Vegeta?" asked Pan.
A smile quickly spread across Goku's face. "You know, I have a feeling something like this will be right up his alley. We should get Goten and Trunks, while we're at it. They're both at home."
Pan sparkled with joy.
"Yes! It's been a while since I've seen Grandma! Hey! Should we get Grandpa Satan, too?"
"Well, I'm sure Buu got the message too. We'll probably run into him at the lookout. Alright guys, hang on!"
This time with Videl, Goku teleported everyone to Chi-Chi’s. There, they found Goten and Trunks, the latter of which was visiting in order to avoid boredom at the Capsule Corporation. Goku briefly explained what little he knew about the situation to the two young fighters. He then asked everyone, along with Chi-Chi, who insisted on coming along, to hold onto him. With a quick flash he then teleported everyone to Dende’s palace.
Unbeknownst to everyone, a small spherical robot appeared at the house of Goku only minutes later to bring the message to Goten and Trunks. The robot would return empty-handed...It was essential to Vegeta that he train each morning at the crack of dawn, though the Brief’s house could attest he was usually up well before that. Over a decade ago, when he’d first come to Earth, he’d trained inside a vessel his father-in-law had built, one which could simulate artificial gravity much stronger than normal. Following his many battles on Earth, particularly against Goku, he eventually requested something entirely different. His objective was both to push himself further than ever before and also to mask his progress from the other Saiyan. In fact, Vegeta wanted to be cut off from any and all distractions of the Earth—not being able to sense others was a price he was glad to pay for his own privacy.
After several months of planning and a good deal of trial and error, Dr. Briefs finally came to Vegeta with his schematics. According to his design, he would create a secret room under the Capsule Corporation as the prince’s new training facility. While the convenience and dramatically improved gravity settings were undoubtedly pleasing to Vegeta, he was quite disappointed to learn that the technology to hide his Ki did not yet exist in this world...
Unwilling to accept that hinderance, Vegeta even went to Dende’s lookout and inquired about the dragonballs—his wish being to ask for the technology to shield his Ki signature. However, Piccolo and Dende flatly refused his request, claiming it would be a grievous misuse of Shenron’s power. While this angered the prince, the Earth’s guardian made amends by offering him use of the Room of Spirit and Time as often as he liked. The other-dimensional training ground had been rebuilt to allow guests to remain inside for a longer period of time. Since that time, Vegeta had developed a habit of alternating between his new training room under Capsule Corp and the Room of Spirit and Time.
On this particular day, however, Vegeta was unable to make it up to Dende’s lookout—despite the demands of his rigorous training schedule. His wife and daughter planned on going shopping and had informed him that he HAD to accompany them—something even he simply couldn’t get out of...
Drenched in sweat, he found himself face to face with his wife, Bulma, whose hands were firmly placed on her hips.
"Vegeta!" Bulma screamed, inches from his face. “You're late!"
"Ptch!” he grumbled. “Bulma, at least let me get in my morning workout!"
"We said we we're leaving at eight o'clock!" replied his agitated wife.
“It's not even eight yet!" came the Prince of Saiyans retort.
Bulma’s face remained stern as ever. "You've got ten minutes, mister" she stated. "Do us all a favor, take a shower and find some decent clothes to wear. You being a prince know as well as anyone that public appearance is important."Vegeta softly grinned and headed towards the bathroom.
‘Tch. What a pain in the ass,’ the warrior thought.
Behind Vegeta, eyeing his exit, Bulma smiled to herself before turning. ‘Hmph,’ she thought, biting her lip. ‘I’ve got to but that man some sexy jeans today...’
Twenty minutes later, Vegeta walked out of the Capsule Corp building dressed quite elegantly. He could be more than presentable when he cleaned up, wearing nice dress shoes and pants with a formal jacket covering his shirt. Before him stood his wife and his daughter, Bra, who were obviously at the forefront of fashion.
Without saying a word, Bulma came up and gripped the arm of her husband, who blushed with slight embarrassment. The trio began to leave their family home when Vegeta suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He had an odd feeling, as if he was being watched. Just then, a flying spherical robot with short metal legs appeared about two meters in front of him. He wondered at first if it was one of his wife’s many side projects, but the unfamiliar design made it apparent that this was not the case.
The little robot silently landed on the ground in front of him and played the same holographic message that his rival had received roughly two minutes earlier from the Varga and Piccolo.
After the message concluded, the robot lifted off into the air again, flying towards the palace. The smug smile that had gradually begun to appear on Vegeta’s face, having been invited to fight in a “glorious tournament”, had reached it’s peak. The prince turned to his wife with an excited smirk. “Well, too bad...” he said, doing his best to suppress his enthusiasm. “I had so looked forward to our day of shopping...”
While the effort didn’t go unappreciated, there was no way he was going to fool his wife and daughter. “I’m sorry, girls. Bulma, Bra, it seems something important has come up...”But his wife wouldn’t have a bit of it. “Oh no you don’t!” she exclaimed. “You promised that the three of us would go shopping, and that’s what we’re gonna do!”
Women and their bickering had always nagged at Vegeta, but he’d learned to go with the quirks. Bulma, in particular, was worth it. But this was an occasion when he refused to yield. “We can go shopping another time, it’s not like you’re missing some big sale. Right now I have to go to the lookout, this can’t wait.”
Bra, who knew her father all too well, was fully aware that this time it would be useless to try and change his mind. "Okay," she said with a smile, "then we'll all go to the palace together in the plane!"
Vegeta sensed the trap coming a mile away. "Hah! So you can trick me into going where YOU want to go?" he laughed. "Nice try, but I'll make better time going there on my own."
The Prince immediately lifted into the sky and blasted off in the direction of the palace, leaving the two women behind fuming with anger. Unphased, Vegeta smiled to himself as he flew through the air. "A tournament? Finally, something worth my time!"
Renewed with excitement, Vegeta accelerated, even transforming into a Super Saiyan to multiply his speed. In his haste he didn’t notice the little spherical robot in his path, and grazed it as he rushed by, knocking it distressfully to the ground.

At the palace, Piccolo stood motionlessly in thought, arms crossed and eyes closed. ‘What could possibly be the purpose of such a tournament?’ he thought to himself, a question that had been on his mind ever since he received the information.
Piccolo suddenly opened his eyes and uncrossed his arms. A familiar Ki was quickly approaching the palace. After only a few seconds, Gohan appeared, scaling the altitude of the lookout at an astonishing rate of speed. He halted about ten feet above the tiled surface, letting down the white aura that surrounded him. The Saiyan-Human hybrid quickly inspected the palace by scanning the mysterious ship, the Namekians, and the bizarre bird-like aliens. Next he spotted Piccolo and Dende, and dropped a couple of feet in front of them before walking in their direction.
"Hey, guys!" he said to his two old friends.
Dende was visibly pleased to see the man. "Gohan!" he exclaimed, "It's been too long since you've paid us a visit!"
"I know, Dende," Gohan replied with an honest smile. "Sorry, I've been busy at the university lately, but the holidays just started so I should have a little more free time.""You made it here pretty quickly, Gohan," congratulated Piccolo.
Gohan modestly began scratching the back of his head. "Yeah," he replied, "but my speed is probably the only thing I've retained since I stopped training."
Piccolo was a bit surprised. "Speaking of training, seeing you like this sure brings back memories," he said with a little smile.
"Oh, it's probably because of these." Gohan removed his glasses from his shirt pocket and put them on. "I put them in my pocket so I wouldn't lose them on the way here."
"Hmm... They definitely add age to your appearance," replied Piccolo.
Dende's attention suddenly shifted. "Vegeta's here..."

Arriving in the same way as Gohan, the Prince of Saiyans landed in front of trio nearly without slowing down, creating a blast of air which forced Dende to shield his eyes. With obvious arrogance, Vegeta asked directly if Goku had arrived yet, a question that seemed apparent.
"He'll be here soon," replied Piccolo. "Don't worry."
Vegeta replied with an arrogant smile. "Hmph, as if I would be worried about that low-level clown!"
"Hey, Piccolo," said Gohan, skillfully changing the subject. "What do you think about our visitors?"
Vegeta, who was interested in the question, crossed his arms and waited to hear Piccolo's answer.
"Nameks are Nameks," said Piccolo. "They can always be trusted. These Vargas... seem honest at least. I don't sense any hostility from them. They claim to be from another universe..."
"Is that even possible?" asked Vegeta skeptically.
"Theoretically not," replied Gohan pensively. "But time travel is not theoretically possible, either, even though we know firsthand that it is. They must have had one hell of a technological advance for that to be possible... Going from one universe to another must use a lot of energy."
Gohan turned and examined the Vargas and their ship. "I wonder if they would let me study that..."
Suddenly, a group of seven people appeared out of nowhere next to the quartet, to which Vegeta immediately reacted. "Trunks!" said Vegeta with obvious annoyance. "Where the hell have you been? I looked all around the Capsule Corp for you today!"
Trunks nervously turned to Goten, seeking any form of support from his friend.
Videl approached Gohan and lovingly straightened out his shirt, which the flight had crumpled, and Chichi took the time to reprimand Goten's lack of formality. Uub looked all around him at the group of warriors in fascination. Vegeta, on the other hand, spoke menacingly to Goku.
"Kakarotto! What took you so long? You've made us wait!"
"Sorry, Vegeta..." Goku replied with a smile on his face.
"You're awfully slow for someone who can teleport..." said Vegeta.
"I had to pick everyone up first," replied Goku, who did not manage to change Vegeta's bad mood.
"Couldn't they have just flown here themselves?"
"If you were this anxious, Vegeta, why didn't you come find me instead?"
"Here we go again..." mumbled Piccolo to himself.
"Great idea!" said Vegeta. "Next time I'll come grab you by the skin on your ass!"
"Oh sure! Give it your best shot!" countered Goku with a pleasured smile on his face, taking a stance.
Vegeta's eyes jubilantly lit up. "What an excellent idea, Kakarotto!"
Vegeta then also took a guarded stance, much to the worry of the Nameks and Vargas. Embarrassed at the situation, Chichi intervened. "Goku!" She said, staring at her husband intensely.
Goku suddenly became tense as his smile was erased from his face.
"Oh, uh... Chi-" Goku began.
"Don’t make a fuss!" Chichi said cutting Goku off. "Do you think you're in a school playground or something? When will you grow up?"
Goku did not know what to say. It was true that for a fight against Vegeta, pleasure tended to prevail over reason. "Uh..."
Suddenly, a strange, thundering noise was heard for several seconds. The Vargas, fearing a storm, began scanning the bright blue sky. The group of Earthlings, however, knew exactly what the noise was, and they all turned their eyes to Goku.
"Ha ha, it's just my stomach, guys!" said Goku. "I left in a hurry and forgot to eat.
While Vegeta and Chichi scoffed with an air of boredom, Uub was perplexed. "But we had breakfast just before we started training..."
"But that was two hours ago!" said Goku. "All of that training raised my appetite. Where's Mr. Popo? Oh! I'm sure he's already preparing all of my favorite dishes! Mr. Popo! Helloooo?"
Everyone remained silent as Goku ran inside of the palace to the kitchen. Trunks then attempted to break the silence. "So, uh, Dad," he said. "Where're Mom and Bra? They didn't want to come?"
"I think they're coming by plane," replied Vegeta without even looking.
A small Varga suddenly approached the group timidly. "Um... Excuse us..." the Varga began.
"Don't worry," Piccolo said. "He'll return soon. When Son Goku gets hungry, it's impossible to take his mind off of food. But you can join us if you'd like. We can discuss the details of this tournament over a bite to eat." A sudden thought tore a giant smile into Piccolo's face. "Of course, with all of these Saiyans around the food might not last that long."
The Varga returned to his group and informed the others that their stay might last longer than expected...

Mr. Popo finished preparing all of the food and lined up the dishes on his floating magic carpet, which was being used as a long makeshift table. Bulma and Bra soon arrived at the palace.
Bulma, much like Gohan, was fascinated by the Vargas and their technology, while Bra thought that the aliens were cute due to their small size and fashion sense. She even went as far as to pet one of the creatures, causing him to "purr" before quickly distancing himself, looking rather embarrassed.

During the meal, only Goku and Pan, who was fond of imitating her grandfather, gorged themselves with food. The others instead focused their attention on the Vargas, who were seated at the end of the carpet, while they further explained the aspects of the tournament.So as you know," the Varga began, "we came from a universe entirely different than the one you know. The Nameks who came here with us are also from our universe."
One of the Namekians advanced slightly and reached out. He held in his hand a thin circular object, which became slightly warm and caused the air above it to behave in strange ways. Images began to appear above the object, which instantly sparked Bulma's curiosity.
"A hologram?" she asked.
"Yes, it appears to be," replied Gohan.
"You exist within a multiverse," the Varga continued, "which is to say, multiple universes. They are all similar, with many of the same causes and effects. However, one single event that happens differently in one universe will cause it to diverge from the others. For example, in one universe, the sky of your planet could be red, and in another universe it could have been conquered by aliens."
The Varga was cut off by the noisy eating sounds emitting from Goku and Pan. The two noticed that the room had suddenly gone quiet and looked up at everyone, with noodles hanging out of their mouths. Knowing they stopped talking because of the noise they were making, Goku and Pan quickly slurped up the rest of the noodles and gave the speakers their attention.
"Yes... As I was saying," the Varga continued, "another example is our universe. In our universe, and ours only, the Vargas inadvertently discovered technology that allowed us to travel from one universe to another. The gods decided that the universes should remain closed, but they allowed us to organize one unique event..."
"Hey, that's the Supreme Kaioshin!" Goku exclaimed suddenly, noticing the purple-skinned god on the hologram.
"We allied ourselves with the Nameks of our universe," said the Varga, ignoring Goku's comment, "to organize a tournament between the strongest warriors of all the different universes. The winner of the tournament will get three wishes from the eternal dragon of Namek."
"The Dragon Balls of the other universes will be used to resurrect anyone who dies in the tournament," said the Namekian with the hologram. "And aside from the winning prize, the warriors of the tournament should find much excitement in the prospect fighting all of the powerful opponents."
"The tournament is unique and completely safe," continued the Varga. "Our question is: would you like to participate?"
The group around the table began to talk amongst themselves, and didn't quite know if they trusted the story or not. Vegeta, who remained silent, found it a little hard to concentrate with all of the different conversations happening around him. Goku finally cut in.
"This is a great opportunity! Uub will be able to test his powers without any risk. There're too many restrictions here."
"I don't trust this multiverse story at all," said Vegeta, "but there's no way you're going to enter a tournament without me, Kakarotto! I have a few surprises in store for you."
"Um... We have a question." said Trunks and Goten simultaneously.
Can we fight as a team?" asked Trunks.
"No," replied the eldest Namekian. "Fights are one against one. You lose if you cannot fight for thirty seconds or if you forfeit. Weapons are allowed as long you enter the ring with them. Once you enter the ring no outside force is allowed to help you. We will detail the finer rules later. "
Trunks and Goten both smiled contently.
"That's fine by us!" said Goten.
"We register Gotenks," said Trunks. "He is among us, but you can't see him, and we’ll come along as spectators. Is that okay?"
"Yes," replied the Namekian, "spectators are greatly encouraged, and anyone is allowed to participate. One person even enrolled their unborn son. We don't care if you create this Gotenks just before the fight."
"Then I'll come as a spectator also," said Piccolo.
"Me too!" said Gohan without hesitation.
"You are the eighteenth universe to participate," said the elder Namekian. "This will be the number registered to your universe."
Without delay Vegeta instantly stood up. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he exclaimed. "Let's go!"
"I can't wait to get there!" said Pan excitedly.
"I'll stay here," said Chichi. "I find this tournament idea ridiculous. Gohan, surely you're not gonna let my granddaughter participate?"
Gohan shot a glance at Videl, leaving the decision up to her.
"Well..." said Videl. "It could be beneficial to her..."Chichi crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned away pouting.
Trunks looked to Goten. "It looks like we have to start practicing fusion again."
"This is gonna be amazing!" Goten replied with evident eagerness.
"Gohan," said Goku, "are you sure you don't want to enter the tournament?"
"Yeah," replied Gohan. "I've stopped training for too long and haven't been in a fight in years."
"But with your power alone you could probably go far in the tournament," said the young Uub.
"Forget it!" Vegeta intervened. "Gohan is worthless. I could beat him with my eyes closed!"
The remark made Gohan smile. "If it makes you happy to think so, Vegeta."
Vegeta also smiled, remembering a time nine years ago...Nine years earlier, at the Palace of Kami-Sama...
Piccolo and Dende stood atop the Lookout, speaking with one another as they often did. This particular day, they would soon be joined by company, as they felt three familiar Ki signatures quickly approaching the palace. It was none other than Goku and Uub, as usual, as well as Goku's granddaughter Pan. Upon their arrival, the young girl appeared visibly excited to have been traveling with her grandfather. As for Uub, finding himself at such a sacred and holy place made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Goku smiled as he turned to the two Namekians.
"So Vegeta isn't here yet?"
"No, you three are the first," replied Piccolo with a smile on his face. "Do you really intend to fight him again?"
"Well, I hope so..." Goku replied, a distinct gleam in his eye.
"Hello!" Pan exclaimed as she landed near the two Namekians.
Piccolo and Dende, pleasantly surprised by the upbeat politeness of the child, replied almost timidly. Uub greeted them in a soft and respectful voice, bowing religiously. He was quite nervous to be face-to-face with the god of Earth.
"Hello, Kami-sama... Hello, Mr. Piccolo," Uub spoke, bowing timidly.
The new younger generation seemed to ingratiate their elders with great respect... Which was a far-cry from how it had been in Goku's youth. But in his mind friends were never far apart, and if they saw each other regularly there was no point in formality. He'd always failed to see the point in such trivial greetings!
Dende faced the two young warriors-to-be. "Are you two also fighting?" he asked.
"N-no!" Uub replied hastily, adding a hint of panic in his voice. "I'm just here to watch."
"Yeah, me too!" said Pan, jumping lightly into the air with excitement. "I'm really looking forward to this!"
A figure suddenly appeared, descending from the heavens... then, the proud Saiyan prince landed on the surface of the lookout; he headed immediately towards Goku.
"Are you ready to lose?" sneered Vegeta.
"Yeah right! That would be one hell of a surprise!" replied Goku. "So are you ready?"
"Not yet," Vegeta answered, crossing his arms. "I would prefer your son be here for this."
"My son? You mean Gohan?"
"Obviously, Kakarotto!" Vegeta growled irritably.
"But, what for?""Do NOT argue with me! Just teleport and bring him here; I'll be waiting!"
"Sheesh... Alright, Vegeta," replied Earth-raised hero. "I'll see what I can do..."
Goku then placed two fingers on his forehead and disappeared... He returned a few minutes later accompanied by his eldest son Gohan, dressed in work clothes.
"Daddy!" exclaimed Pan, who was always delighted to see her father.

"Pan?" Gohan greeted her, surprised his little girl was at the palace. "You're here too?"
"The Room of Spirit and Time might not function correctly with five people," Piccolo noted aloud.
"Yeah I know, but don't worry about it," replied Goku.
Without hesitation, Vegeta walked swiftly past the group and into the special room, much to the unease of Gohan.
"What? Vegeta? Why are you here?!" exclaimed Gohan.
"I actually prefer it when they don't have an audience," said Dende. "When they fight in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, at least their fights only lasts a few seconds to us."
Piccolo was surprised at the remark. "What difference does it make?" he asked.
"It's just, their power is so great that I'm always afraid they'll accidentally destroy the room," Dende said.
"It is possible," the other Namek mused. "But I'm sure we can trust them," he continued. "Besides, Gohan is going in with them this time. I'm sure he wouldn't let anything like that happen."

Eleven year old Uub and five year old Pan were amazed at what was taking place before them. Two of the greatest warriors in the universe, Goku and Vegeta, were fighting in front of their very eyes at Super Saiyan level two. Uub had known Goku was powerful since the first time they'd fought at the Budokai, but he had never seen him display this level of power.'How could Goku-Sensei possibly expect me to become his replacement?' he wondered to himself.
Standing beside the apprentice, Pan was equally excited. She'd always loved fighting, and often thought back to her first time in the Budokai. The golden auras, the fire balls, and the roar of the strikes amused her greatly. The adorable youth raised her fists in the air triumphantly and jumped about, encouraging her grandfather to do his best. Gohan, the last of the spectators, sat quietly on the entrance steps watching the fight. He now understood why Goku and Vegeta had asked for the Room of Spirit and Time to be improved. It was because the Earth had suffered great damage from Goku and Vegeta's battle years ago.
"They've improved a lot," Gohan said to himself. "Very impressive."
Their fight lasted for quite a long time, as any true rival battle should. After a extremely intense clash, Vegeta slowly began to gain the upper-hand, delivering more blows than he took. The other Saiyan was beginning to show signs of wear, losing his energy, and the Saiyan Prince even blocked an energy attack from Goku without flinching.
"Vegeta's energy is really impressive," Gohan observed. "But if Dad loses, it's only because..."
Vegeta powered down to Super Saiyan level one and stared angrily into Goku's eyes. "Stop patronizing me, Kakarotto! You're obviously holding back!"
"Huh? Oh, right, well I could go to Super Saiyan three, I guess," the other Saiyan replied. "But the last time I did, our fight ended way too quickly." Goku chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "It just wasn't interesting or fun, to be honest. Besides, after all of this time, shouldn't you be able to transform into Super Saiyan three yourself?"
Vegeta's clothes were torn and scorched from the battle, yet he folded his arms across his chest. "TCH! Level three is useless, Kakarotto. I intend to do much better. But if you continue holding back against me, I won't be able to!!!"
"What could be better than having super-long hair and no eyebrows?" Goku laughed humorously.
"Isn't it obvious?" the prince mused. "Super Saiyan three devours energy too rapidly, surely you've noticed. It may be powerful, but its time limit demands a price I'm unwilling to pay. I WILL find a better solution!"
Goku raised an eyebrow skeptically. "But, to surpass level three wouldn't you have to master it first?"
"Perhaps," replied Vegeta. "But it just so happens there is a person in this very room who's even stronger than level three... And he doesn't need a single transformation."There was a brief pause while Goku turned towards his eldest son. Uub and Pan, who were on either side of the half-Saiyan, began to look at him as well. The warrior-turned-scholar seemed somewhat unsettled by himself being mentioned, and he felt equally uneasy from Vegeta's gaze.
"That door is our one and only way out of this place, Gohan," Vegeta announced suddenly, raising his arm in the half-Saiyan's direction. "You had better protect it, understand!?"
"Vegeta, wait! What are you doing!?" Goku interrupted, even as Vegeta continued to accumulate more power.
Ignoring the protest, Vegeta ascended to Super Saiyan level two and continued forming a sphere of crackling energy in his hand.
"Pan!" Gohan shouted quickly. "Get out of the way, fast!"
For the first time in her life, Pan caught a glimpse of the fearsome side of her father that she'd always heard about, but had never seen.
"Big... Bang..." Vegeta began.
"Gohan!" Goku yelled.
"Attack... !" Vegeta roared.
The blue sphere slammed directly into the hands of Gohan, who yelled out as it struck, surrounding himself with a near translucent white aura. The scientist would have been knocked back by the sheer power of the blast, but he braced with his entire body in midair, levitating intensely. Nonetheless, his glasses shattered and his white button-up ripped apart around his body.
The ground rumbled deep beneath the white surface as the shock wave of the blast circled around the seemingly endless room, and an explosion of light blinded all in the area. In spite of the massive amount of power concentrated into the blast, Gohan had effectively stopped it on an instant's notice. Apart from two mere yards of rubble left in the blast's wake, there was no damage; there was only the faint white smoke that rose off of Gohan's unscathed hands. The retired warrior had not been damaged in the slightest by the attack; there was neither blood nor even the slightest scratch anywhere on him."You see, Kakarotto? That is exactly the kind of power I'm talking about," an exhausted Vegeta said, letting his hair slowly fade back to black.
"Vegeta!" Gohan roared through gritted teeth. "You...You...!!" The man couldn't even find the right words. He was equally astonished as he was filled with unbridled rage towards the reckless Saiyan Prince. "So THIS is why you practically dragged me here!?" he growled.
"Don't be such a baby," Vegeta replied, ignoring the question. "Piccolo will be able to fix your clothing when we return. And as for your girl, she's perfectly fine, you yourself saw to that." Vegeta approached and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder, much to the surprise of the half-Saiyan. He allowed a small grin. "Besides, I've dreamed of doing that for more than ten years," the prince chuckled. "Don't be too angry with me, hehe."
Goku finally spoke again, breaking the tension as he walked towards the other two. "But, Vegeta, Gohan has the power of the gods in him. His strength has nothing to do with train—"
"You and I are finished," Vegeta announced, cutting Goku off. "No more of this sparring. It seems I will never find a stronger opponent, so I will just have to find the answers by myself."

Once they'd returned to the lookout, Vegeta lifted into the air to fly off, but was interrupted. Gohan hurried after him, running past Piccolo and Dende, both surprised to see Gohan in rags.
"Wait, Vegeta!" Gohan yelled. "Why!? Why did you do all this? Sometimes I think I'll never understand what's going on inside that head of yours!"
Vegeta turned and stared at Gohan dumbly, as if the answer was obvious.
"You work to expand your mind, to discover why atoms go bling and blong and what not, isn't that right?" replied Vegeta. "Well, I work to push my limits, the find and exceed new heights, to be the greatest Saiyan warrior alive. Do you understand?"
Vegeta turned to leave when Gohan suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, stunning the prince. Vegeta turned back towards the son of Kakarotto, whose facial expression had hardened dramatically.

"Vegeta," Gohan said, calmly but firmly. "If you ever do that around my daughter again... I'll kill you..."
"Noted," replied the prince with a smile.
Vegeta then vanished in a quick flash of light. Gohan watched him disappear, calmed himself, then turned around. "Bling...and blong?" he murmured quizzically.
"Dad!" Pan shouted, appearing behind her father and grabbing his arm. "I didn't know you were so strong!""Hi, Pan... You're not hurt are you?" asked Gohan, his concern obvious.
"No way!" she replied. "You stopped the whole blast! I'm fine!"
Pan was really proud of her father, now seemingly more than ever before. Her broad smile and admiring eyes spoke volumes about what she thought of him. Goku and Uub then arrived out of the palace and joined Gohan and Pan.
"Son Gohan... What incredible power!" exclaimed Uub. "I've never seen you in combat before!"
"Yeah, Gohan doesn't really enjoy fighting," said Goku. "I'm proud of how strong he is, but he hasn't really trained since the fight with Cell... It's kind of a shame, actually."
"Is he... Stronger than you?" Uub asked.
"Well," Goku shrugged, "he was ten years ago, that's for sure. Since then, Vegeta and I have trained extensively every day. Uub, even you haven't seen my true power yet--nor have you seen Gohan's... But I can see you becoming as strong as him someday!"
"Really? But..." Uub began. "When I see how strong the three of you are, I just can't see how I—"
"You have to trust in yourself and your power, Uub," Goku replied. "In ten years you could become stronger than all of us!"
Uub didn't have as much confidence in himself as his sensei did, but he vowed to try his hardest to become stronger.
"Come here, Gohan," said Piccolo. "I'll fix up your clothes."
"Thanks, Piccolo," his old student replied.
"Gohan..." Goku said as he approached his son. "Don't be mad at Vegeta, okay?"
"I'll try, dad. It just pisses me off that he put Pan in danger."
"C'mon!" replied Goku. "It was fun and no one got hurt!"
"Grandpa's right!" said Pan.
"You were really impressive, Mr. Gohan!" Uub added with encouragement.
"Right, well..." Gohan murmured. "Let's just forget about it."
Gohan flew away from the lookout calmly, but the image of Pan in danger still lingered in his mind. "Damn you, Vegeta..." he muttered under his breath.
Pan, who was (for once) more interested in her father than her grandfather, flew up behind him to fly home together...
The memory of what had transpired in the Room of Spirit and Time brought a grin to Vegeta's face.
"There's only one way to find out if you've remained the strongest of us, Gohan!" he chuckled.
"Sorry, Vegeta, but no way," replied Goku's eldest son, pushing up his glasses with a finger. "I'm not like my father, so there's really no chance of you goading me into a fight with words. I'm fine being a spectator."
"I really hope I'll be up to Goku-sensei's expectations," Uub said quietly. "And I definitely hope to I'm able to impress Gohan and Vegeta-san."
Probably out of apprehension, Goku put a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his pupil. "Don't worry, Uub. I'm sure you'll pull through just fine."
Uub felt blood rush to his cheeks. "I will do my best."
"And Grandpa Satan?" asked Pan. "He didn't come, so..."
"Well, you could always go see him yourself and ask," Goku suggested.
Pan stood up enthusiastically. "Okay! Are you coming with me!?"
"Sorry, Pan, not this time," Goku answered. "You'll have to go alone I'm afraid. I need to go see someone before we leave for the tournament."
"Okay, well, I'll see ya!"
"Pan wait!" Videl cried, already too late. Her daughter had developed a bad habit of rushing off without permission, always hurrying to and fro (to avoid being scolded). She blasted off at full speed toward Satan City, a trail of light dancing through the sky behind her. Normally, Pan might have been bothered that her grandfather didn't want to accompany her, but since she'd get to see her other grandfather too, she was plenty happy.
Gohan wrapped his arms around Videl's shoulders with a warm and reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, she’ll be back in a few hours. Besides, at that speed I doubt anything would be able to catch her! She's fine..."
Videl smiled. "I know, but she should still ask for a permission... She's just a little girl, after all."
"I'll see you all in the morning," Goku waved, announcing his departure. "Don't leave without me!"
Goku then disappeared so fast that even Uub didn't have time to react. "Oh! Goku-sen... sei..."
It was obvious to everyone where Pan had picked up her bad habits. Her grandfather had taken off hurriedly, without even bothering to tell them where he was going. How often had Chichi seen him disappear from the house for days or weeks at a time? Oeven years? Over a lifetime of marriage however, Chichi had grown tired of ranting about it. After all, he always returned...eventually; even from the dead.
Bulma suddenly broke the silence that Goku imposed by his abrupt departure. "Well, I don't think I'm going to go with you guys, but I can at least do something useful. I'm guessing that this tournament won't be a cakewalk... so, I'll make you all some special armor that absorbs minor damage..."
"Do you mean the same ones you did back before the Cell Games?" asked Vegeta.
"Of course," replied Bulma. "It'll probably take me all night, but I'd feel better knowing that you guys are well equipped."
Chichi frowned. "I don't need you taking care of my husband! He has everything he needs at home... Gohan! Be a good son and go get your father some fresh clothes."
"Sure. I’ll grab them on my way, mom," replied Gohan.
"Wait, I'll come, too," said Videl.
"Goten," said Trunks. "We should find a cool deserted place to stay the night! What do you think?"
"Good idea!" his best friend replied with a nod.
With that, Gohan, Videl, Trunks, and Goten all flew off in different directions, leaving only Vegeta.
"And just like that we're alone," said Piccolo.
Vegeta looked him in the eye. "So what? I could care less, I just can't wait to flatten everyone in this tournament."

Bulma hung herself on Vegeta’s shoulders. "Will you fly me back home, dear?"
"If you insist..." sighed Vegeta. "And you, Bra?"
"I'm going to take a capsule and fly to Satan City," his daughter replied.
"As you wish," Vegeta growled.
After leaving a capsule plane for her daughter, Bulma was carried away in the arms of her husband. "You know..." Bulma grinned slyly, tightening her grip and snuggling closer to Vegeta. "I intend to enjoy our last night together before you leave...""Idiot!" Replied Vegeta, blushing. "Say it in front of everyone, why don't you...!"

Kame House. For many, including Bra, it was nothing but an isolated island devoid of anything interesting. For others, however, it had long served as a warm paradise and convenient meeting spot. For a lucky few, of course, it was also the house that they call home.
Living on the small island for the last century or two, Muten Roshi usually spent his time fishing on the back of his turtle, Umigame, or (most frequently) watching scantily-clad women do aerobics on TV; that is, when he wasn't face-first in one of his dirty, suggestive magazines. His behavior hadn't changed at all since he'd first met Goku and Kulilin, not even when the latter had settled in permanently with his wife, #18, twenty-five years ago.
When Goku had arrived on the island via teleportation, he immediately heard Kulilin and Roshi vying about the same recurring theme they had for decades.

"No, it is not!" Goku's best friend said.
"You have no right to give me orders, you rascal!" the old Turtle Hermit replied. "I am your master and you owe me some respect!"
"Oh give me a break, I surpassed you years ago."
"It doesn't matter! I remain by far the oldest and just for that you owe me respect."
The old man sat up suddenly when he saw the Saiyan warrior. "Oh! Goku!"
Kulilin turned, surprised. "Goku?"
The Saiyan passed through the doorway of Kame House, wearing a wide smile as usual.
"Hey, guys!" Goku said with a wave of his hand.
Muten Roshi had sensed his arrival, as a matter of habit. Kulilin, on the other hand, had felt him immediately. Since his marriage, and especially the birth of his daughter, he had maintained a constant attitude of vigilance. He hoped to obtain a better understanding of his environment in order to detect possible dangers.
Muten Roshi was glad at the sudden arrival though, and didn't hesitate to tease his former pupil. "So, Goku, what brings you here? Stopping by to see if I'm still alive?"
A broad smile lit up Goku's face. "I've got big news! In a nutshell, I'm going to be participating in a tournament between different universes. Since it reminded me of the old days, I came to see if you're interested, Kulilin."
His old friend looked at him with interest. "Hmm, sounds mondo cool. I'd like to hear more details first. What is this tournament exactly?"
"I wanna know, too," said Roshi.
Not having much choice, Goku explained as best he could what little he knew about the adventure to come.
Kulilin crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
"This tournament idea is quite intriguing!" said Muten Roshi. "However, with only the strongest fighters from each universe being selected, the level of fights there could be, heh...well, beyond my level to say the least."
Kulilin became more serious. "Yeah, I feel the same to be honest. This all sounds way out of my league! It's been a long time since I've trained... But I could still come and support you!"
A female voice came out of nowhere. "Out of the question."
Marron had just arrived with her mother. Both looked beautiful, dressed to the latest in fashion, though maybe a little too rebellious in #18's case. Her age never seemed to betray her beauty. Being a cyborg had its advantages.
"Dad," said Marron. "You promised we would go shopping. You can't leave now!"
"Ah, I completely forgot."
Kulilin seemed sorry watching Goku. "I wish I could come... But..."
Goku laid a compassionate hand on the shoulder of his disappointed friend. "Don't worry, Kulilin. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."
"I'm sure it'll be at least as intense as the Cell games, don't you think?"
"There's a good chance!" replied Goku with a smile. "I'm really looking forward to it."
Goku looked at his hand and made a balled fist gesture of strength before looking Kulilin in the eye. "It reminds me of our very first tournament. Remember?"Kulilin's face lit up. "Of course... How could I forget that? Good times..."
For hours the two friends happily reflected on their past. Eventually, Goku was invited to eat dinner, and then to sleep over at Kame House. Muten Roshi came to join in on the nostalgic conversation that lasted late into the night...

Miles away from Kame House: Satan City
Satan City was quite a contrast to the small island where Kame House was located, with numerous skyscrapers overlooking the typical hustle and bustle of city life. Satan City was named twenty-seven years ago after Earth's greatest hero's pseudo victory against the evil Cell. Obviously, only a privileged few knew the real truth, a handful of people that included Buu.
But now the hero of Earth was retired. He was indeed getting older. In fact, he often complained about back pains. Today was no exception. When Pan arrived at his villa in the heart of the city, he asked to Buu to use one of his tricks to help him.

The little girl threw her arms around her grandfather's neck. She couldn't stop talking. She hurriedly explained to him all of the tournament details, raving about participating in such an event. Satan didn't completely understand the story, and it seemed pretty farfetched. But after all, the stories about the Saiyans seemed equally farfetched, so who was he to judge? Nevertheless, the smile of Pan, as she spoke, was indicative of his feelings. Her beautiful enthusiasm was refreshing to see and hung a big smile under the champion's mustache... A smile that died quickly when she arrived at the true purpose of her visit. A silence settled for a few seconds before her grandfather came to respond. "Aaaarggghh, my back! It's my back again! It's getting worse! Aaaahh... It's impossible... I don't think I can go... What a shame!"
Pan was taken aback. "But grandpa..."
Buu put out a hand toward the old man, holding in the other a huge lollipop. "It's okay... I'll take care of you...""You're not gonna come either?" asked Pan.
Another pause. Buu imagined himself as the winner of the tournament. If he were to win he could have an entire galaxy of candy all to himself. A huge smile filled his face before a voice ended his daydream. "Your delivery has arrived, sir."
A servant, dressed in all white, entered the room and bowed slightly. "My candy?" asked Buu.
"Yes sir," confirmed the servant. "Three truckloads of candy."
Buu's face lit up. "YAY! Yahoo hooo!"
It seemed evident to Pan that Buu would not enter the tournament. While Buu was going to begin devouring his candy, Pan asked her grandfather if they had not been visited by a small robot.
"Hmm," Satan reflected. "So that's what that was. We thought it was a new type of camera or spies who wanted to film us. Buu turned it into chocolate and ate it..."
Certainly Buu has not ceased to amaze the young girl...
The next morning, Goku was ready to leave. He was thoughtfully staring into the vastness of the ocean when Kulilin, along with #18, joined him to offer one last bit of encouragement before he took off.
"So there's a reward?" asked #18.
"Yeah. I think it's a wish through the Namekian Dragon Balls..." replied the Saiyan.
Kulilin threw a surprised look to his wife. "Would you be interested?"
Smiling, she turned away closing her eyes. "I have everything I need, right here."
She gently dropped a kiss on the cheek of her husband before returning home, leaving behind a small man whose modesty had scarlet red cheeks ablaze.
With a big smile, Goku placed two fingers on his forehead, looking at his friend. "See ya..."Kulilin smiled, raising a thumbs-up to his friend. "I trust you... You'll win!"
The image of Goku's wide smile of confidence warmed the heart of Kulilin as his friend disappeared in an instant.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning when the serenity of the sanctuary of Dende, Kami-sama of the Earth, was broken. Gohan and Videl had arrived a few minutes earlier, flying slowly. The scientist half-Saiyan was carrying a suitcase containing clothes for him, his brother Goten, and their father.
Dende welcomed them and they talked quietly, walking a bit while they waited.
The arrival of Vegeta and Bulma together was surprising... The Prince of Saiyans had been driven by his wife to the Lookout, and the Prince almost never traveled by airplane.
Vegeta was the first to exit the aircraft, his arms crossed idly. Bulma appeared immediately after, cursing him... A small silver suitcase in hand.
"Vegeta! Need I remind you that YOU have to take it? I will not be your luggage-carrier!"
"I don't need it!" growled the Prince of Saiyans.
"Vegeta!" barked the blue-haired woman.
Vegeta grunted and proudly displayed his most annoyed facial expression. "Fine, give me that!"
The dispute had publicly embarrassed him, and he knew Bulma was stubborn... He grabbed the suitcase containing the capsules that Bulma had prepared with a sudden gesture that startled Bulma. Vegeta moved at a brisk pace toward the son of his greatest rival.
"Gohan," said Vegeta. "I have a mission for you."
"Uh, okay." Gohan was a little surprised. "What is it?"
"Here, you're in charge of this," ordered Vegeta, handing the suitcase over to Gohan.
"Vegeta!" yelled Bulma from further behind. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Kakarott's brat isn't even participating," replied Vegeta turning to his wife, calmer than before. "He might as well make himself useful."
"VE - GE - TA!"
Gohan ran his hand through the handle of the suitcase to take it. "It's okay, Bulma. I don't mind..."Bulma was annoyed. "But Gohan..."
"You always were too nice for your own good," Piccolo said from behind his former pupil.
Gohan replied simply with a smile and a raised eyebrow in acceptance. Desiring to change the subject, Vegeta muttered aloud. "And as usual, Trunks has no interest in being punctual!"
Piccolo answered almost ironically with a deep voice. "Actually he and Goten arrived quite a while ago! They went to take a shower..."
"Oh?" Said Bulma surprised. "For once he's up before his father?"
"Well he certainly wasn't up half the night having—"
Vegeta suddenly stopped himself, realizing that the explanation for his late awakening was likely to be embarrassing... He quickly concluded after a light groan. "Nevermind."
"The Vargas are here..." informed Piccolo, raising eyes as his short antennae quivered.
All of the warriors heads rose together to watch as the ship of Vargas and Namekians came in for a landing...The approaching ship came in for a landing at the palace and instantly settled in front of the group of warriors. Goku arrived by teleportation seemingly just as the ship came to a halt, and at that same moment Uub appeared out of the palace, where he'd spent the previous night.
An almost gentle, metallic buzzing sound could be heard as the airlock of the futuristic spaceship was released. Just then, a large, circular, levitating plate appeared from the hull and began to descend from the ship. On the plate stood a group of Namekians and Vargas, touching down on the lookout just in front of the Z fighters.
Goku and his student had just joined the rest of the group when a small airplane came into sight above the palace, which circled a bit before landing close to Bulma. Bra then emerged from the plane and hastily turned it back into its capsule form. As soon as she joined the group, one of the Vargas began to speak. "Well... Is everyone here?"
Videl let out a long sigh and turned to her husband. "Pan hasn't arrived yet, Gohan..."
Instinctively, Gohan looked down at his watch, still holding the suitcase which Vegeta had so graciously imposed on him. Sensing his daughter, he smiled. "Don't worry... She's almost here."
A large suitcase stood at Gohan's feet, which contained clothes for him, his brother, and his father.
"Hey, Bulma," Gohan began. "You don't happen to have any empty capsules, do you? I seem to have won the contest for the most luggage..."
"Well, darn it... Sorry, Gohan, I should have thought to bring some," Bulma grumbled as she turned to her daughter. "Do you have one, sweetie?"
Bra replied with a sigh, the same exhaustive groan typical of all adolescents when they're asked to do anything. "Yes, mom..."
Bra had rushed to the palace because she thought she was late. Now she was agitated because she had to sacrifice the precious time she had gained to search for a stupid capsule that her mother could have easily searched for herself...
Uub was lost in thought and anticipation, even as a hand suddenly fell onto his shoulder. "So, Uub... Are you ready?" Goku asked with a huge smile.
The startled apprentice nearly jumped. "I-er, I... Think so," the young warrior stammered. "At least, I'm looking forward to the chance to prove myself..."
As usual, his Saiyan mentor had nothing but reassurance to offer. "Nothing like a good tournament for that. There's no better way to experience the best fights. Some of my favorite fights ever, like my duel against Tenshinhan, happened at the Tenkaichi Budokai..."Goku turned and met eyes with Piccolo. "Same thing with Piccolo. And I've yet to find more excitement than I had at the Cell Games, even against Frieza or Majin Buu."
"Kakarotto!" the voice of Vegeta suddenly snapped curtly. "Call me crazy, but it sounded like you were suggesting that our own battles weren't--"
"Oh, no, of course not, Vegeta!" the other Saiyan replied, cutting off the prince. "Our fights are in a league of their own, irreplaceable really. Each time we fight is another chance to get stronger--I'd fight you everyday if I could. You know, come to think of it...I've really missed our battles..."
Vegeta was obviously satisfied with the answer, smirking quietly before he replied. "Just so you know, at this tournament I intend to prove the gap between our powers is a thing of the past..." he sneered with a gleam in his eye. "Prepare yourself!"
Gohan stood up suddenly with a pleased look on his face. "Hey! There you are, Pan!"
Pan had arrived at the rear of Dende's palace. Setting down on the grey tile, she hurried around the main building, picking up speed along the way. As she crossed in front of the main entrance, Trunks and Goten suddenly emerged without warning, causing Pan and Goten to collide headfirst with one another.
"Ow, that hurt!" Pan cried, having fallen on her knees rubbing her head, one eye closed. "Uncle Goten! Be more careful!
"What!?" Goten replied, taking a tone with her. "Clearly you were the one who was being reckless! Why were you running so fast anyway?" Although Goten was agitated, he maintained his friendly expression. After all, Pan was his favorite (and only) niece.
"You know, Goten, she's right," Trunks added with a chuckle. "Despite her speeding, we ran a red light."
"Huh..?" Goten replied, confused.
Trunks waited (in vain) for his friend to get the joke. "Eh, maybe I'll come back later with a better joke..."
A voice caught the attention of the small group, excitedly calling them to hurry. "Hey, kids!" Goku yelled. "Lets go, move it!"
Goku waved towards the Vargas as he approached the ship."Jeez..." Goten gaunted as the trio joined the rest of the group. "He didn't have to embarrass us in front of everyone, yelling at us like we're still kids!"
The participants and spectators took their places on the circular levitation plate while those staying behind wished them the best of luck. As the platform, Videl began to inquire about the absence of her father.
"Your grandfather didn't want to come?" she asked her daughter.
"No, he's still having problems with his back..."
Videl gave a small smile, being sure not to tear down her daughter's image of the World Champion. "Ah yes, his back... What a shame..."
"Attention, everyone," said one of the Nameks. "We will soon be taking off."
Bulma shouted one last bit of encouragement before the group left. "Good luck! And please be careful..."
A Namek reassured her with a smile full of warmth. "Don't worry, there’s nothing that the Dragon Balls can’t fix... Besides, there's no reason why anything should go wrong anyway."
The circular plate buzzed and began to vibrate as it levitated the group into the ship. The plate finally reached the inside of the ship, revealing a single large, white, and almost empty room. The entire group observed their surroundings curiously, but only Goku spoke of his astonishment. "Wow! It's awfully big in here... I bet it's pretty convenient for training on long trips... Sure brings back memories."
"Well," said one of the Vargas. "We're all here, so we can take off. The rules will be explained on the mother ship."
Outside, as those staying behind walked away, the ship began to light up and quickly took off into the heavens where the orbiting mothership awaited them. Bulma watched the ship until it could no longer be seen, seeming immediately sad. "Well... Looks like I'm going home... By myself."
Dende tried his best to comfort her. "Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate to contact you if I hear any news, good or bad."
Bulma looked at him sympathetically. "Thanks, Dende. I know I can count on you."

Everyone on board felt a slight buzz followed by a strong click. The ship had docked perfectly with the mothership. A Varga invited all of the passengers into the larger ship via the circular levitation platform. Goku and Vegeta were the first ones out, disdaining the nervousness of all the others.Goku, alone with Pan, walked around the large room with curiosity and amusement, while Piccolo and Vegeta, true to themselves, were still on the defensive. As for Uub, he could only mutter a quick "wow", noting with admiration the size of the large dome around their heads, which allowed him to gaze at the vast ocean of stars in space.
While everyone continued to take in the details of the ship, Goku impatiently asked one of the Vargas how long the trip was going to take, to which the Varga hastened to reassure him. "Not long at all. We will arrive at the tournament universe momentarily. We call it "Universe Zero". It's a place with no organics whatsoever, so there is no chance that the events of the tournament will harm any pre-existing lifeforms. Now, if you could gather your comrades we can enter the next room and discuss the rules of the tournament... And officially record your entries."
The rest of the passengers, including the other Vargas and the Nameks, turned towards the noisy demonstrations of the enthusiastic Goku with a visible look of disdain.
Within a few moments, the group of Earth's warriors gathered and followed a small Varga through a long, white corridor. The hallway eventually led to a small and somewhat cramped room, in contrast to the vastness of the rest of the ship. The area contained a number of chairs, all facing a large blue screen filled with black, alien letters.
Gohan, who was sitting in the third row behind Goten and Trunks, broke the silence. "So... How long until we arrive?"
"In about ten minutes," replied the Varga. "Our engines will take care of the inter-universal travel while I explain the rules."
The Varga paused for a moment to allow everyone to get settled. This time allowed the ship's computer to translate the alien letters into a language that the participants of Universe 18 could understand. The Varga began to read, detailing when necessary, and answering any and all questions.
"How long do we have to enter the ring when we're called to fight?" Trunks asked, who wondered if the time limit would conflict with the amount of time it takes to fuse.
"Once you are called you have one hundred-twenty seconds to enter the ring," replied the Varga. "If you aren't in the ring by then you'll automatically forfeit."
"That's more than enough time," whispered Goten to his friend.
"You are not allowed to fight at any time outside of the official matches," the Varga instructed them. "Also, you cannot receive any kind of external assistance during a fight, but you are allowed to enter the ring with any materials you would like, be it weapons or anything else.""Ch! As if we need weapons," growled Vegeta.
"Uh," the Varga continued, "as you wish. Now, you lose if you are unable to fight for thirty seconds, or if you are knocked unconscious, immobilized, dead, or are invisible for that same amount of time. Referees must have you in their line of sight at all times, and in this regard, I advise you not to move too close to your universe during a fight to avoid suspicion of cheating. I repeat, any outside help whatsoever is strictly prohibited."
"Are we allowed to give up during a match?" Uub asked with a raise of his hand.
"Of course. You are allowed to forfeit a match at any time. You also have no right to attack an opponent who has forfeited. If you do so, it is an automatic disqualification."
For once, Goku was attentive. "What about the limits of the ring, if any?"
"There really aren't many... any kind of movements you like are allowed during the matches... though it is recommended that you stay away from the spectators and the other competitors during your fight. You must also consider that if you move too far away from the ring to the point where you can no longer be seen, you will obviously be disqualified. It's best to keep the ring as your central battle zone. You'll all get a better understanding once you see the stadium."
At this point, the mothership began to roar and vibrate, and continued to do so for about ten seconds. When the tremors stopped, the Varga informed them that they had arrived in Universe Zero.
"Before departing, I'm going to need the identities of each participant," the Varga said.
Goku gladly undertook the formality, stating the names of Uub, Vegeta, Gotenks, Pan... and Gohan. The mention of his name startled Gohan, and he immediately protested.
"W-what? Come on, Dad! You know that's out of the question!"
Goku didn't let up. "Come on, son, it would do you a lot of good to fight again. You were fantastic against Cell and Majin Buu. I want to see what you're capable of these days."
"No, I just don't want to," replied Gohan, who turned to the Varga. "I apologize for that. Don't sign me up."
"No problem," said the Varga. "So let me confirm. We have Goku, Uub, Vegeta, Gotenks, and Pan... Is that correct?"
Everyone confirmed that the list was accurate.
"Okay, then we're ready to go."
The Varga then invited the group into a much larger room filled with huge windows that allowed everyone to see space, the stars, and a huge grayish asteroid surrounded by many colorful moons."I thought there was nothing in this universe," Gohan wondered aloud.
"That was indeed the case," replied the Varga. "What you see was created by us through our technology. See? We're approaching the stadium."

The mothership quickly approached the enormous stadium in which the tournament would be held. As the ship got closer, the warriors of Earth began to see many different types of star-ships stationed around the arena.
"If you would like specifics," the Varga began, "the arena is two-thousand feet in diameter and is eight-hundred meters at its highest point, which is at the top of the dome where the referees are located. The ring is that small planetoid that you see in the middle of the arena. It has a diameter that varies slightly in between realities, but roughly speaking, I would say it's about fifty meters."
"It looks a lot like the planet of King Kaio," said Piccolo.
"I wonder what its gravity is..." Goku said, who was growing more and more impatient.
"It is almost ten times that of your planet," answered the Varga. "That is what it takes to compensate for the gravity of the asteroid."'Artificial gravity,' thought Gohan. 'This asteroid is too small to draw us, then.'
During the approach phase of the mothership, Uub and Pan were amazed at the spectacle before their eyes. Bra, however, did not appear to share their enthusiasm. In fact, she found the design of the arena slightly outdated. As for Piccolo, he immediately recognized Frieza's ship... though he was careful not to make a remark.
"Is there oxygen?" asked Piccolo.
"Of course," the Varga replied. "We installed a system of gravity to maintain a breathable atmosphere on the surface. Within the depths of the asteroid, we've developed machines that produce what is necessary to breathe."
"Can we walk around the surface outside of the arena?" asked Goku, who was still a fan of jogging.
"Yes of course. If you wish, you can walk anywhere you like."
"Cool!" Goku replied simply.
The ship finally landed outside of the stadium. When the engines stopped, a hatch opened up revealing the Varga in charge of Universe 18. The Varga walked out of the ship, followed by the Universe 18 group, who were all busy scanning everything they could see. A tournament in another universe! There was cause for celebration and ecstatic enthusiasm all at once!
"Universe 18..." said the Varga. "This is where you enter. You are free to wander wherever you want, but please do not quarrel with the other universes. Remember that you only have two minutes to enter the ring when your name is called."
With that, the group finally approached the stadium. They followed a wide corridor with many doors on either side. Straight ahead of them was the inside of the stadium. Goku would have liked to run, but he managed to hold back.
"This is where you, the residents of Universe 18, will be living temporarily," the Varga instructed. "There are rooms, beds, even a place to cook food if you need to... And now, finally, this is the combat arena!"
"Whoa! Fantastic!" exclaimed the Fighters in pure astonishment.
Goku was finally in his element. From his vantage point, the stadium looked even bigger! The number of spectators was impressive, and easily exceeded ten-million. In addition, it seemed that there were many experienced martial artists present, though they all blended together. In a group of such sheer magnitude it was difficult to pinpoint any one particular Ki, even a Ki close to their vicinity.
"It's huge!" Videl said to her husband as Uub and Pan ran to the limits of their universe's space."It's too cool!" Pan yelled enthusiastically.
The Varga began to speak in a slightly more serious tone. "You may potentially meet people that you recognize... some you may even think you know. Just remember, they come from entirely different universes from yours, and may not meet with your expectation... so don't be caught unprepared. I will now leave you be... but one last thing. The tournament could start anytime, from twenty minutes to two days from now. Everything will depend on how long it takes to fill up the remaining universe spaces."
"And for the draw?" asked Goku again.
"The matches will be entirely random. An announcement will be made when that happens."
With that, the Varga left the group. Goku remained thoughtful for a moment. "Twenty minutes or two days... well, I certainly hope it's just twenty minutes!"Piccolo stepped through observantly, taking note of the designated viewing patio in front of each doorway. "So, this space is reserved for us, Universe 18. Looks like most of the other areas have already been filled, which means the tournament should officially start as soon as these last two areas get filled."
Gohan walked up beside him, pausing. "So then, the seventeen spaces to our left could potentially have all kinds of different--"
The half-Saiyan cut off midway through his sentence. He'd been the first one to take a closer glance at the groups to their left, and needless to say, he was amazed. "Woah! Look, guys, it's..."
Goku, who'd walked up beside him, and Vegeta, last out, both turned their heads as well.
"Cell!"
Goku seemed just as shocked as his son. The whole idea of alternate universes was quite vague in his mind, and he hadn't really thought through the concept, nor realized what it made possible--until now. There he was, though, right in front of him. Cell stood as smugly and confident as ever.
"You again," the green creature remarked, seemingly unamused by the added presence of Goku and the others. "Here I am, surrounded by two Gohans...ridiculous," the insect murmured to himself.
This Cell was visibly identical to his Universe 18 counterpart, as he'd appeared in his perfect form during the Cell Games. He stood directly in the middle of his balcony, arms folded, and had apparently been waiting patiently for his first match to be called. From their vantage point, the Earth's heroes couldn't see the small, blue Cell Jr. standing between his legs, except for Piccolo, who was tall enough to catch a small glimpse.
"He knows who we are," Piccolo observed quietly. "In his universe, he most likely killed us all, no doubt making him the strongest warrior left."
"You're probably right," replied Goku. "But I don't think that's what he was talking about. Look!" he continued, pointing to the balcony that was numbered 16. "It's us!"
Behind Cell, Goku quickly scanned the Universe 16 patio. He saw Gohan, an identical Gohan to the one he knew, speaking with Piccolo, as well as Trunks and Goten cracking jokes with each other. Then there was Videl and even Bra, who was leaning against the ark of their space's door. They all seemed identical to the versions he himself knew.
"Let's go check out the other universes!" Trunks said excitedly, hopping over the low wall at the edge of Universe 18's patio.
Goten followed immediately. He caught up with Trunks right away, but the latter had stopped three meters ahead, uttering a quiet "ooh"...
Trunks had noticed his father... Or rather, an alternate version of his father from Universe 13. Prince Vegeta wore white Saiyan armor with gold epaulettes, a blue tunic, and a red cape, and was accompanied by a larger, more muscular man to his right. The other Saiyan was bald and bore the same type of armor, but was dressed in simple black shorts instead of a blue tunic and wore a sneering glance. Behind him was another man with long black hair reaching down to his lower back. His expression was much the same as the others, as was his armor. The last warrior of the group...was, well, none other than Goku! But his dark eyes spoke volumes about his nature. In fact, this Goku had remained "Kakarotto", the man Goku would have become if he had never hit his head as a child.
Universe 13's Prince Vegeta had his eyes turned off to the left, and his gaze conveyed his utter disgust. Trunks and Goten wondered what had him so ticked off, and began looking around. There was no one currently in Universe 12, so its inhabitants were probably inside. Over in Universe 11 they noticed Dabra the demon, but he wasn't the focus of Prince Vegeta's rage. The next universe was packed full of warriors--two dozen or so, Saiyans from the look of them, as well as a few Namekians. Universe 9 was empty as well at the moment, though in Universe 8 they saw...Freeza!!
The Frost Demon was in his final form, but slim, not with the added bulk of his full power. He also wasn't part cyborg. Trunks and Goten had easily recognized him nonetheless; Bulma had shown them a picture of what he looked like. While she was repairing #16 before the Cell Games, she had obtained all of the images within Dr. Gero's robot spy, including images of a cybernetic Freeza.
Freeza glanced over at the group of four Saiyans wearing a look of vague amusement. There was no doubt that in his universe, he himself had killed Vegeta.
"There are so many bad guys here that our dads fought in the past," Trunks said, his eyes coming to a stop on Bojack in the Universe 6 space.
"Hey look, it's Majin Buu!" cried Goten, pointing towards Universe 11's wing.
The pink, baby-faced, djinn came out of the interior of space 11 to join Dabra. Last to exit the doorway was none other than Babidi, still as ugly and wrinkled as ever.

"This sure brings back memories," Trunks reminisced as he took in everything.
"It's the perfect occasion, man!" exclaimed his friend eagerly. "Gotenks will finally beat Majin Buu, once and for all!"
"It doesn't look like he's gotten any stronger," Trunks said.
"Yeah, but we're so much stronger!" replied Goten. "We're not little kids anymore!"
"Oh, we've got this!" they exclaimed in unison.
Behind the pair, Vegeta's eyes lingered for a moment on Universe 10's wing. Even from this distance, he still managed to find himself... again. Despite the beard, he recognized his counterpart easily enough by his face and haircut. Standing behind the Universe 10 Saiyan was his father, King Vegeta. His hair was graying, his back was hunched... he looked like nothing but a decrepit old man."What did you see, Dad?" asked Bra behind him.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Vegeta replied simply.
Vegeta walked a few feet away... It wasn't seeing himself that bothered him...not really. What was so curios to him was that in that universe, the Saiyans were still wearing primitive rags. They were mere animal skins! These Saiyans were far from being technologically advanced. These Saiyans also all had tails, a feature that Vegeta, along with his alter ego of Universe 13, both now lacked.
Gohan and Piccolo both noticed that Vegeta was pacing back and forth irately. They glanced over at Universe 10 to see the cause of the disturbance.
"There are two groups," Piccolo noted. "I sense the presence of Nail as well as a few other Namekians."
"This looks like a universe where Freeza never showed up," Gohan theorized. "These primitive warriors almost certainly can't transform into Super Saiyans."
Trunks suddenly had a realization. "Hey! No Freeza? That means my grandfather should be there!"
Trunks shot Goten a glance. "Maybe... I guess mine might be there too!" said Goten. "Let's go check it out!"
As the duo ran toward the balcony of Universe 10, Gohan called out behind them. "You're really gonna try to talk to them?" he chuckled, remembering what Raditz was like. "You'll be disappointed..."
Unlike his naive younger brother, Gohan had witnessed first-hand the brutality of a full=blooded Saiyan; they were nothing like the quiet, composed Vegeta from Universe 18. Gohan remembered their violence and cruelty well. These were warriors so devoted that they didn't even care about killing their own family members...
Gohan turned towards Vegeta's daughter. "What about you, Bra? Don't you wanna go meet your grandpa with your brother and Goten?"
"Tch, are you serious? Have you seen what those animals are wearing?" the girl replied, rolling her eyes with disgust. "I'm not gonna be seen anywhere near those apes!"
"Oh right, I forgot how picky you are about the way people dress," sighed Gohan.
As Goten and Trunks made their way, they passed pretty close to Freeza's balcony, but with all of the ambient stadium noise around them they couldn't really make out any of the conversations taking place.
"Saaaaaaiyans...again," Freeza grumbled.
"It appears as though our race is notably absent in many of these so-called alternate universes," his father mumbled, arms crossed to match his son's. "A shame really, as we'd most certainly eliminate their scum from existence."
Freeza's father was none other than King Cold himself. The older Frost Demon wore armor like that of the Saiyans, unlike his son, as well as a cape, the trademark of sovereignty. He was also recognizable by his extreme height and the horns on his head, which closely resembled Freeza's second form.
"All of this will change," added a purplish-white alien, comparable in size to Freeza and probably from the same family. "You can be certain of that."
"Oh? And to what are you referring exactly, brother?" Freeza asked without bothering to turn.
"Now that we've found Namekians that are actually compliant, that grant wishes instead of sacrificing their pitiful lives to protect those ridiculous dragonballs..." Cooler began. "We're not going to miss this opporitunity! Soon all the universes will belong to us."
Cold's smile twisted with cruelty and satisfaction. “And every world contained within them. I see I've taught you well, my son. Hehehe."
Freeza, however, was less enthusiastic. "Let's just hope that none of these universes contains the Super Saiyan of legend."
Freeza had always feared the Legend of the Super Saiyan... Which is what had led him to the conclusion, in many different universes, that planet Vegeta needed to be destroyed...

Finally reaching the low wall of the Universe 10 patio, Trunks called out to the primitive Saiyans. "Hey! You're the King, right? Can I talk to you?"
"Who dares address me with such indignity?" Vegeta growled from behind his beard.
"Not you, stupid!" Trunks replied. "It's your father I wanna talk to!"
"What!?" the King shouted. "You dare insult me, boy!?"
"Hey, don't have a come apart, old man," Trunks said defensively. "Where I come from you're the Prince of Saiyans, not the King. So where's your father?"
"Tch. As if I care one bit what happened in your universe. As for my father, the previous King Vegeta, he's right here." Vegeta said, grumbling and managing to calm down slightly, before pointing a thumb at the old man that stood behind him.The former King, now quite advanced in age, approached Goten and Trunks out of mere curiosity.
"Woah," Goten remarked. "You guys look a whole lot alike, despite the age difference I mean."
"Hey, are ya'll rich?" Trunks asked bluntly. "You know, I'm CEO of the largest company on my planet."
"Have you got a huge palace?" asked Goten.
"How old are you anyway?"
"Hmph!" the old King Vegeta scoffed, bombarded with questions.
"Calm the hell down, you brats," one of the other Saiyans yelled. "The King doesn't have the time or patience to deal with your ignorant babbling!"
The old King Vegeta began to cough... rather seriously. As his struggling persisted, the Saiyan who'd defended him felt slightly embarrassed, and remained at his side as if his presence was helping...
On the Universe 18 patio, Gohan and Piccolo watched the two half-Saiyans engage the group from Universe 10. As Gohan watched, he eventually grew slightly curious with an idea himself. "Hey, dad... aren't you interested in going to meet your father? An opportunity like this shouldn't be wasted."
Goku was somewhat taken aback. "Meet him? Uh, I don't really know... I guess I don't really view him as my father, so..."
"I suppose, but what if he wants to meet you?"
"I really wouldn't even know what to say."
"So twisted..." said Piccolo.
Piccolo began to slowly levitate, flying towards Universe 10's space. He flew over the primitive Saiyans, who wondered aloud just what Piccolo thought he was doing. Piccolo landed at last in front of the group of Namekians.
"Hello, Nail."
Nail's eyes met his. "Greeings, brother. You're from the new group, correct?" asked Nail.
"A piece of advice," said Piccolo immediately, ignoring the rhetorical question. "Be cautious of these Saiyans... Where I come from, they made their livelihood by slaughtering entire populations."
"I see. Well, for now there's no reason to worry," replied the warrior who had fused with Piccolo over thirty years earlier. "These Saiyans don't currently have space technology. And from the looks of it, there's little chance of them developing it.""So..." Piccolo began, somewhat surprised. "Is there no one named Freeza in your universe? He's a galactic tyrant, you'd probably know of him."
"Freeza, huh?" Nail repeated, glancing over at Universe 8. "We heard rumors about him while fleeing our planet during the great cataclysm. But we were fortunate, it seems. He, along with all the members of his family, the ones over there, were all killed by someone called Kaioshin."
"Kaioshin..?"
"Yes, the same Kaioshin that's over in the balcony of Universe 1 right now, the smallest one." Nail said, pointing to the five gods in the universe of the organizers.
The gods were easily recognizable. What is most noticeable at first glance is their hair, which is the same for each: like a spiky crest on the skull. Only the hair of the goddess was slightly different, which flowed down to her shoulders. They also were all wearing earrings and the same type of serge.
The small man with the mustache, the oldest of the gods, had a lock of hair hanging over his forehead. He was easily recognizable by the mustache, as he was the only god who had one.
Between the small Kaioshin that Universe 18 was familiar with and the female Kaioshin of the west stood the greatest of the gods: the Kaioshin of the south. He stood over twice the height of the Varga that was currently conversing with Universe 1. He was imposing, and his build was clearly well-suited for physical combat.
In contrast to the physically adept southern Kaioshin, Dai Kaioshin, leader of the Kaioshin, was more stocky, smaller, shorter, definitely heavier, and his arms were around half as large as those of southern Kaioshin. Also noticeable was that he didn't wear the same type of serge that his counterparts wore. One might think that his outfit was tailored specifically to be more comfortable. It was just a short jacket over his clothes, which were rather thin and flexible.
Finally, the smallest of the gods was tinged light purple. He seemed to be the youngest, and not the strongest, either, in spite of the fact that it was he who defeated Freeza in his own universe as well as universe 10. Piccolo also concluded that this Kaioshin was not as strong as the one from Universe 18 was during the events of Majin Buu... He began to imagine how the fight would have unfolded against the universal tyrant..."I should go speak to them..." Piccolo said to his old "friend".
"Of course. But first, I feel as if I know you... What is your name, brother?" asked Nail, very interested.
"It's Piccolo. Freeza attacked your planet in my universe and by chance I managed to come across you. You'd given him everything you had, but he'd still left you bloodied, beaten, and dying. You decided to fuse with me so that with our combined might I could stand up to Freeza... and it worked, for a while anyway..."
"I see," said Nail, smiling. "Well that explains your great power..."
While Trunks continued questioning the old King Vegeta, Goten made his way towards one of the other Saiyan warriors. "Hey, I'm looking for someone specific! The father of... uh, Kakarotto!" he said, having to think a second before he remembered his father's Saiyan name.
"Kakarotto? Never heard of him," answered the primitive Saiyan.
From the back, a man emerged from the crowd, gently pushing a Saiyan woman out of the way. He was fairly well muscled, had a scar across his cheek, and had a few scars across his chest. "I once had a son named Kakarotto..." replied the Saiyan. "But he is dead now."
"Woah!" Goten gasped upon seeing him, fists clenched with a look of delight on his face. "When I see that face, there's no doubt it's you!"
"Me... What?" replied the Saiyan, confused.
"Is your wife here?" asked Goten. "Can I get a photo of you two? With me in the middle?"
"What's a "photo"?"
"Did you even bring a camera, Goten?" Trunks asked mischievously.
"Oh... Uh... Well, no... Damnit."
"Just who are you anyway?" asked Baddack finally.
"Well, believe it or not, we're your descendants," said Trunks. "I'm the grand-son of old King Vegeta.""And I'm your grand-son," said Goten to Baddack.
"So you brats are our descendants from another universe?" asked the old King, annoyed.
"Exactly!" the two friends replied at the same time.
"Look, I'll show you," said Trunks, as he pulled out one of the few family photos he owned from his wallet. "Here's my home, my mother, my sister, and my father, who is sulking because he doesn't like pictures. Finally, I've got to be honest, you definitely look way better without a mustache..."
"TCH! Still insulting me!? You'll regret ever being born, brat!"
King Vegeta grumbled inwardly, but contained his wrath. Even in another universe, how was it that he could've raised up children that were so unbelievably rude? It must've been their mother's fault. After all, these were obviously "bastard" children.
"What a shame!" King Vegeta exclaimed. "You're not even real Saiyans!"
Vegeta's remark seemed textbook to both of the half-Saiyans as well as Piccolo. He was practically a copy of Vegeta from thirty years earlier.
"Oh please!" replied Trunks. "Fully Saiyan or not, the two of us could crush all of you easily!"
"Yeah!" Goten added. "You wouldn't stand a chance!"
Standing somewhat frozen in front of the two half-Saiyans, the primitive Saiyans weren't quite certain whether or not the kids were joking... Or if they really were that strong. Regardless, they were far from even suspecting the existence of Super Saiyan, much less the several different levels of Super Saiyan...Piccolo continued his conversation with Nail of Universe 10, the pair still standing casually on the patio. "I suspect there's a reason so few of the universes here contain Namekians," he said after a quick glance around the stadium.
"Indeed. Our people differ very little from one universe to another..." Nail finished his thought. "Although, there are still a few exceptions, such as Universes 1 and 7."
"The first universe, you say?" asked Piccolo, somewhat perplexed. "The Kaioshins?"
"Don’t you feel it? They’ve never experienced any worldwide disasters like the great cataclysm. I'm guessing they know nothing of the atrocities or struggles we've faced."
"So, the reason they organized this tournament... was so that the Nameks of the first universe could participate?"
"No, that's not it," replied Nail. "It’s my understanding that those among them who were planning to participate each unregistered after the discovery of Universe 7... take a look over there..."

Casting his eyes towards the balcony of Universe 7, Piccolo saw...a green giant! There stood a Namekian greater than even Piccolo himself. He leaned against the back wall, eyes closed, full of stoic calmness. The warrior was even taller than the door! He was at least three meters tall if not more. In any case, this Namek was the single most impressive specimen of his species; his long flowing cape only strengthened his presence.
"In order to defeat Frieza," Nail continued, "all the Nameks in his universe merged into a single being. The end result was him, a true "super" Namek, with all the strength of our entire race combined."
"A Super Namek..." repeated Piccolo. Up until now, Piccolo had thought that he, himself, had become a Super Namek. But this Universe 7 warrior brought a whole new meaning to the term.
"It apparently served its purpose quite well," said Nail. "He easily destroyed Freeza, but there was an unexpected drawback: the Dragon Balls. After the fusion, they were left inert, and though he tried, he was unable to create new ones. As I understand, he traveled the universe in search of a replacement. It seems at long last he's found what he's been searching for. The Dragon Balls presented to the winner may be able to finally grant his wish."
Piccolo grunted, curious what wish this super Namek could possibly want.
"During his many adventures in space he met many powerful creatures..." Nail continued. "He defeated a green lizard monster that threatened the galaxy, then a pink demon. In fact, both of those creatures are here from other universes."
"Yes, I think I may know who you're talking about..."
"I'm pretty sure I've figured out his wish, too. He wants to be separated into all the individual souls he once was, before fusion. With all that taken into account, I think he's heavily favored to win this tournament."
Certainly, everyone could count on him to put up an incredible showing, at the very least. While his Ki wasn't overwhelming at the moment, he no doubt was a master at concealing it. Piccolo was, to say the least, stunned by the imposing warrior... If all the Nameks in his world had fused, they were likely to become more powerful than him by far!
"So, are you participating?" Nail asked.
"No. Where I'm from, my power has been long surpassed by too many. Fighting would be pointless for me. But what about you? You seem to be the strongest of your universe... I'm assuming you registered?"
"Yes, I did. Although, I hold no allusions about defeating that super Namek and I can certainly recognize the Ki of Freeza and many others. I still want to go as far as I can--even if only to represent my universe. Three other Namekians registered with me," Nail said, designating a few other Nameks behind him.
"Ah! Cargot, I remember you," said Piccolo, recognizing the Namekian thanks to the memories of Nail within him. "But... In my universe you had no real fighting abilities..."
"Correct, but I learned, studying and training with the best," replied Cargot. "I can't remember what changed my mind really, and the elder Nameks told me the sudden interest was strangely unfounded."
"I see," said Piccolo. "Well, I wish you the best of luck regardless...and that goes for all of you. But feel free to forfeit if your efforts here aren't enough. It's just a tournament, there's there's no good reason to throw your life away."
Each of the Nameks glanced at one another for a moment before Nail answered with a smile. "Thank you for the advice, my friend. We will take it into consideration."

On the other side of Universe 10's space, Trunks and Goten had just about finished speaking with the Saiyans. They really had nothing to learn from them, so they left.
"Let's go back to our area," suggested Trunks.
With that, they headed back to space 18. Along the way they crossed paths with Goku, who seemed to be heading towards the universe patio they had just left. Before either could ask Goku what his intentions were, Goten became distracted by something more interesting. "Look, the participants of Universe 19 are finally here!" he said, pointing towards their balcony.
The fighters of Universe 19 were quite numerous. From a distance they all looked more or less the same. They all wore the same type of armor, a metallic alloy fiber that appeared quite durable. They also were armed with what appeared to be basic weaponry, and one of the fighters even seemed to have a rocket launcher on his back! Many of the fighters also wore unique helmets. Upon closer inspection, the warriors varied physically. Some were tall, some short, some with minor armor, and some with full bodied suits. Also immediately noticeable was the haircut of the largest, which bristled back past his ears.
While Trunks and Goten jumped over the low wall into their universe's area, Goku timidly approached his father from Universe 10; Piccolo's ears twitched, attentive to the conversation about to unfold.
"We look very similar," said Goku.

"Yeah?" replied Baddack simply, annoyed at having to meet yet another stranger.
A silence fell between them for several long seconds...
"So, apparently my name used to be Kakarotto, but I didn't know about that until I was grown. Since childhood I was called Son Goku."
"Yes, you do resemble Kakarotto. I'm Baddack," said the father of Goku coldly."Hmm..." said Goku, folding his arms.
Another pause...
"You don't, uh, look very strong..." said Goku finally.
"What!?" exclaimed Baddack. "You dare say that to me!? From the day you were born I had to go out of my way protecting you and your ridiculously laughable power level! The second you were finally killed was the second I finally felt relieved. Good riddance!"
"Huh? Was I really that weak?"
"Worse than you can imagine..." replied Baddack. "You were a Saiyan of low power from birth. Even your own brother was ashamed of you."
Goku showed a little grimace at the mention of his brother. When Goku had faced Raditz, he had definitely been inferior. But now...
Baddack said nothing more, and didn't seem interested in getting to know his son from another universe, so Goku departed. Ultimately, he didn't have anything to say to the man he had never known either. Upon returning to Universe 18's patio, along with Piccolo, Goku saluted the new arrivals--Universe 19's spectators and combatants. However, only a single warrior returned his greeting. Suddenly, Pan's voice called out to everyone.
"Look! The last spot has been filled." Her voice conveyed her surprise. "But is that really the fighter for Universe 20?"
Three Vargas and two Namekians were pushing a levitating platform from behind (Gohan wondered if it was anti-gravity technology or a mere air-cushion). On top of it lay a large block of ice that had been crudely cut.
"There's someone inside the ice," Goku said observantly.
Piccolo, with his piercing eyes, quickly discovered who it was. However, he didn't expect his revelation to trigger such panic. "Th-that's Broly!"
"What!?" shouted Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan in utter shock.
As Vegeta and Goku approached the patio of Universe 20, followed soon after by Piccolo and Gohan, a Varga began to explain. "We found him frozen in the vacuum of space. If he is alive when his match is called, then we'll allow him to participate."
"That, is a very bad idea," added one of the Nameks next to him, staring at the giant frozen in the fetal position.'How could they bring a monster like that here?' Goku thought, trembling as a bead of sweat rolled off his forehead.

"It's horrible!" Bra of Universe 18 shouted, her voice almost too sincere.
"So, even you can sense how dangerous he is, Bra?" her father asked, somewhat glad that his daughter was actually paying attention to things for once.
"What? No! But... Did you see his outfit?" Bra asked them--the other Saiyans taken aback, almost shocked. "Just look at those bracelets on his arms. So tacky! It's a visual travesty!"
Vegeta didn't even bother answering the remark... His second child was undoubtedly a far cry from discovering her Saiyan spirit... Her mother's fault without question!
As they took in the full view of all twenty universes, the Z fighters now saw just how many familiar foes there were. There was Cell of Universe 17, who returned their stare with a not so subtle frown. Then there was Majin Buu of Universe 11, Freeza of Universe 8, Bojack and Zangya of Universe 6--they even saw the two cyborgs #17 and #18 smiling sadistically from their balcony. These were no doubt the same two cyborgs that had terrorized Future Trunks his entire life."Oh man..." Trunks shivered as he remembered the frigid beating he and Goten had taken from Broly as kids ("fight" was a big stretch, considering how badly they were beaten).
"Um, how about we leave?" Goten continued, following the idea of his best friend, also rather terrified of having to face Broly.
"Pansies," Vegeta mocked. "What's wrong? You registered as Gotenks, didn't you? You should have no problem if you have to face him."
"Don't be so sure, Vegeta," Goku noted. "You're forgetting that his power constantly increases every second! After twenty years, there's no telling how powerful he's become."
But Goku's words didn't unnerve Vegeta in the slightest. "Tch. He may have beaten me years ago, but now... I could crush him!"
"Don't be so sure of yourself..." said Goku.
"You guys seem like you know almost everyone here," Uub said as the group returned to their area.
"Yeah, that's true. But don't worry too much," reassured his mentor. "Most of them are well below our level now. We will be able reenact legendary encounters!"
'Especially against Broly...' he mentally added.
Suddenly, a display of fireworks exploded in the sky, and a lively piece of music blared over the loudspeakers. It was a clear sign--the tournament was officially about to start! Up in the grandstands, the millions of people woke up in a single bound and roared.
Goku was more excited than ever due to the massive audience like none he'd ever seen, and he couldn't wait for the battles to start. Uub, on the other hand, was both anxious and nervous. Pan was too happy and impressed to be nervous, and her attention suddenly shifted to a small, disk-shaped object flying over the small ring planet. On this object crouched a slightly small, green and blue creature, who had a head equipped with ten eyes and two vertical mouths. He spoke into two microphones at once, which he held in two of his four hands.

"Inhabitants of the Multiverse!" the creature began, his voice both grave and acute but perfectly audible and understandable as it resonated throughout the stadium.
The creature allowed a moment of silence. That one single sentence had driven the audience wild! They shouted, whistled, howled, and even stomped their feet (or paws)! Goku had never seen a crowd so happy about the opening of a tournament (or a crowd so large, for that matter).
"Fans of martial arts and fighting in general!" he continued. "You have all gathered here to witness the most incredible, most amazing, most competitive tournament that has ever existed!"
Again, the cries of the millions of spectators filled the stadium, which covered up the announcer's voice for several dozen seconds.
"You will witness the titanic battles of the strongest beings in the entire multiverse! Sixty-four fighters! Sixty-three fights in total! Twenty different universes! And, especially, one single winner!"
No doubt, this presenter knew how to get a crowd going! And not just the audience, as Goku found himself repeatedly saying "Go, go!" as he stomped his feet. But even if Goku had to wait, he had to admit that he loved the anticipation.
"All participants are now present!" the presenter continued. "The matches have been drawn up! It's only a matter of minutes! No, seconds! Everyone, give a quick thank you to the organizers of Universe 1, who planned and arranged this tournament purely for your viewing enjoyment! And to arbitrate these fights, myself and my twelve twin brothers will be your commentators!"
These brothers of his appeared around him in an instant. They all looked the same. Each of them greeted the audience, and each of them appeared to have the same voice, completely indistinguishable.
"It's finally time! Here is the first match of the tournament! I now call to the ring... (A moment of silence, the last, final moment of silence before the real start!) From Universe 13... Nappa!"
"Alright!” Nappa said. “I’m up first! Watch and learn, guys!"
"Against... Cargot of Universe 10!"
Nappa flew toward the ring... And Cargot did the same. Both fighters landed on the spherical surface... The fight was about to start!The presenter's voice boomed out into the audience a final time. "Let the battle begin!"
The presenter had barely finished his sentence when Nappa instantly charged his foe. The latter had already been in a defensive stance, which allowed him a sliver of time to parry the Saiyan’s first blow with his left forearm. The Namekian blocked the Saiyan's next two blows as well, before attempting to counter with an uppercut—which failed when the bald colossus leapt sharply backwards.
Bracing in another stable defensive stance, the Namek exhaled. His opponent quickly continued the assault, delivering a horizontal kick that the Namek parried with his elbow. The block even threw Nappa off balance, and Cargot intended to press his advantage.
Cargot advanced forward to to continue the assault, but was taken aback by the speed with which his opponent recovered his balance. Nappa was back on him instantly with a barrage of powerful fists, this set even stronger than the last. The Namekian was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the Saiyan’s raw force, and had began a slow retreat backwards under the onslaught of incoming blows.
"You know," Nappa said with a smirk, clearly not out of breath. "I killed your entire race back in my universe. The whole species, wiped out completely."
Cargot didn’t respond, though Nappa clearly had hoped to provoke a reaction from him. The Saiyan loved getting in his opponent’s heads, destabilizing them mentally—but Cargot wasn’t fooled. He maintained his focus and composure as he continued parrying the Saiyan’s assault.
"That's none of my business," he managed to finally reply, between two attacks.
Up in the grandstands, the audience hadn’t decided on a consensus of who to cheer for. The majority cheered on both fighters for putting up such a great showing. Of course in Universe 10, the other Namekians wished good luck to their comrade, while those of Universe 13 merely hoped the fight would end quickly rather than Nappa continuing to fool around.
"This Nappa is much stronger than the one we knew," noticed Gohan of Universe 18.
"True," added his father. "But it's also apparent that he's aged consideraHis movements are fast enough, but they're a bit...stiff..."
"This Namekian is also quite strong," Piccolo observed, who was watching the match very closely (after all, he had been killed by Nappa). "He’s definitely a true warrior like Nail and myself. His strength doesn't seem that far removed from Nappa's... But..."
"Oooh!" said one of the presenters. "The warrior from Universe 13 is starting to take the lead! His increasingly powerful blows are connecting with Cargot! Oh, Nappa just landed a serious blow to Cargot’s face!"
Spitting blood, Cargot began losing major momentum—he could hardly attack at all. He had no time to find an opening... ‘There!’ he thought to himself when he finally noticed one.
Unfortunately for Cargot, Nappa had left this opening exposed on purpose as a misdirection, and planted a huge punch to the stomach of the Namek. Cargot doubled over, gasping. His eyes met with those of his sneaky opponent just before Nappa landed another powerful kick that propelled him several meters away. Nappa stared down at the lifeless body of his opponent and let out a small sigh... The Namek hadn’t moved.
"Took him long enough," growled Vegeta of Universe 13.
"And thirty seconds! Nappa is declared the winner!" said the enthusiastic voice of the announcer.
"Hahaha, that was nothing!" Nappa said before returning to his space. Two Nameks came to the ring to bring Cargot back to his space.
"Well," said the presenter, "it was a good fight, regardless of how quickly it was decided! Without any further delay, let us announce the second match of the first round... Freeza of Universe 8 against Jeece of Universe 8!"

The Red Magma’s eyes shot wide open as he exchanged a terrified glance with his best friend Butta. A huge drop of sweat beaded up and trickled down the forehead of the white-haired man. "Wait, we can still fight even though we're from the same universe?"
He hadn’t spoken it rhetorically, however, as he hoped the draw was merely a misunderstanding. Jeece held his breath as he awaited confirmation from the Vargas.
"The fights are randomly chosen between he entire pool of fighters," the presenter replied into the microphone in order to clarify this point for everyone.
Freeza, who stood just in front of Jeece and Butta, turned slightly to catch the terrified gaze of his henchmen. The cruel leer of the galactic tyrant was a harsh reminder of reality to Jeece. Clearing his face, he faltered. "Er... I forfeit."
He was booed loudly by the spectators, who responded as expected to the second fight of the tournament ending before it began. This time, their disappointment was somewhat justified. The presenter wasted no time in declaring Freeza the winner by forfeit, and announcing the next fight: Son Goku of Universe 18 against Mahissu of Universe 10.
"Already? That’s lucky!" said the Saiyan from Earth. "Let's go!"
As he flew toward the ring, he heard encouragement from Goten. On the other side of the spherical tournament ring, his "primitive" Saiyan opponent was already waiting for him.
"Tch, this pathetic match isn’t even a warm up..." Vegeta criticized.
"Maybe, but they could be stronger than people think, Vegeta," said Gohan, trying to convince him that the fight might still be interesting. "What if they’re all suppressing their power levels like we do?"
"Do you honestly believe that?" Vegeta responded.
"Well... No... But..."
"I've been around these types for a long time. Hiding one's power is a rare talent..."
"Both fighters are in the ring!" informed the host with a loud voice. "Let the fight begin!"

"You're a Saiyan?" asked Goku, slowly putting himself into position.
"I'm not talking to a renegade with no tail," replied his opponent, who remained upright and immobile.
"Not very friendly... But how did he guess I was a Saiyan? My hair? Or maybe he heard me talking to my father? Well... No need to use full strength... But he isn't human, either... Maybe a little strength!"
At the speed of light, Goku, smiling, threw his fist forward. Facing him, Mahissu barely had time to open his eyes before a massive invisible shockwave slammed into his stomach, lifted him off of his feet, and hurled him violently through the air. Mahissu ricochet off the ground several times before finally skidding to a halt, a trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth.
Surprised, Goku approached him and crouched. His opponent didn’t budge. "Hey, are you okay?"
"S... Son Goku of Universe 18 wins!" stammered the presenter, incredulously.

The referees, as well as the Universe 1 organizers, paced with nervousness. They hadn’t expected three fights to end so quickly! The audience wasn’t even sure what had happened. Some had caught on that it was a type of air pocket, but began to grumble that they didn't get a good fight yet again.
In the Universe 19 balcony, one of the fighters had plainly seen what had happened thanks to the helmet on his head. Their advanced technology had analyzed the attack, calculated its force, and even recorded slowed-down images. The only thing he managed to say at the time was "Powerful...!"
Back in the ring Goku was standing idly, arms crossed. He had a feeling of déjà vu, but he couldn’t put his finger on what had caused it. Two Namekian organizers brought Mahissu back to his own balcony, dropping him gently on the ground. The Nameks and Saiyans of Universe 10, after witnessing the fights they had been in, began to wonder what they were doing at such a tournament. Vegeta of Universe 13 took the opportunity to heckle and belittle the whole group, calling them pathetic and low-leveled.
"I forfeit." said one of the Universe 10 Nameks, before being joined by others.
"Hmph, cowards!" insulted the King Vegeta of Universe 10.
While Goku returned to the Universe 18 patio, still trying to figure out his déjà vu moment, he saw Goten approach him with a thumbs-up. Behind his son, Pan ran towards her grandfather, arms outstretched hoping he’d pick her up. Uub congratulated his sensei on the win. Goku finally snapped his fingers and exclaimed. "Chichi!"
"What?" Uub asked, not understanding the sudden jubilation of his sensei.
As Goku began to explain his deja vu, the four Saiyans from Universe 13 approached their space...
The group from Universe 18 watched as these Saiyans approached them. It was the smallest of the group who spoke, arms crossed with an arrogant smile on his face. Vegeta of Universe 18 felt a sense of déjà vu himself.

Finding this universe to be far more interesting than Universe 10, Vegeta approached the group of Saiyans as his counterpart began to explain who they were. "We are the Super Saiyans, and I am the future winner of this tournament," he said, pointing a thumb at himself.
While almost everyone of Universe 18 gathered before the Saiyans, their leader, Vegeta continued. "Disregarding your ridiculous clothes, I’d say you're the closest group to us, as you have Kakarotto with you... but... a Namek?! I suppose you had a possible divergence while fighting Freeza on Planet Namek, right?"
"Interesting," thought Vegeta of Universe 18. His counterpart had already given him a lot of information. In this universe, they had faced Freeza... but..."Obviously we diverged before that," analyzed Piccolo, who had theorized a quick scenario to explain the presence of Nappa, Raditz, and especially Goku. "Your Kakarotto was not sent to Earth as a baby, was he?"
Goku stood a mere two feet from his counterpart, with only the low wall of his space separating them. Kakarotto replied proudly. "No, I was sent to Earth. I killed all of the humans and the others picked me up twenty years later. Together we went to Namek to find the Dragon Balls."
"You killed...all of the humans!?" Goku repeated, shocked by his counterpart.
"And surely Kami-sama also," Piccolo said, guessing that’s how Kakarotto had learned about the Dragon Balls.
"While on Planet Namek, we fought and destroyed Freeza... I discovered the secret of the Super Saiyan there! What about your group?" Vegeta of Universe 13 asked.
"To put it simply..." Goku began, ready to tell their story... From the very beginning!
"We were better," Vegeta of Universe 18 cut in.
He turned, ultimately uninterested in this group. It was obvious how this band of four Saiyans had survived for so long... But before leaving the conversation, he allowed himself one last remark. "Funny... While your Kakarotto may have killed all of the Earthlings, I killed Nappa myself back on Earth."
"Impossible... You and I never went to Earth, only Raditz went there!" Replied Nappa, who was just as shocked as Goku before him.
While the small psychological battle was balanced by Universe 18 Vegeta, Piccolo hastened to add. "And I killed Raditz when he came to Earth. And inadvertently, our Kakarotto also..."
"Hehehe," Goku grinned, remembering his sacrifice.
"You killed me... How dare you, vermin!?" Raditz yelled after a slight moment of hesitation. To learn that he was killed, even in another universe, was not at all comforting.

"Calm down, Raditz," ordered his chief. "We’re not here to fight against them or anyone else outside of the official matches..."
A silence fell. Everyone was trying to discern the behavior of the other universe. Trunks and Goten felt a slight tension. Nothing serious, but it was a bit chilling, especially the other Prince Vegeta... Trunks tried to change the subject. "These primitive Saiyans are gonna be damn disappointed with their results here."
Universe 13 Vegeta showed a sadistic smile again. "The funny thing will be Freeza. I look most forward to killing him a second time."
"Not only you, but I’m guessing it would be a pleasure for many of the universes," Gohan intervened.
"Hey, I'll be the first to confront him in the second round," Nappa pointed out.
Gohan was attentive. "You think you can beat him?" he asked, interested.
"Of course!" Vegeta replied, annoyed. "What do you think, kid?"
"I don't know... In my universe, Freeza killed you, Vegeta."
"And in mine it was I who killed him!" replied Universe 13 Vegeta. "Was your Freeza stronger than ours? Or was I just weaker?"
Gohan did not know what to say... Using Universe 8 as a comparison, it would appear that Freeza was about the same in every universe. How could this Vegeta have been stronger than the Universe 18 Vegeta if he had not faced Goku on Earth to receive his near-death Zenkai power boost?
"Don't over-exert yourself," said Universe 13 Vegeta, who saw the perplexed look on Gohan's face. "I have another, simpler question: if Freeza killed me, who killed him?"
"I defeated him," replied Goku, finally joining the conversation.
"Ahah! That's me!" Kakarotto repeated in front of him, rather proud. H shot a small, mocking grin at his chief Vegeta... Who returned with a look that threatened him to stop the taunting, which Kakarotto did at once.
"I also transformed into a Super Saiyan against Freeza," Goku said.
"What got you so angry?" asked Vegeta, curious.
"Well..."
"Freeza killed his best friend, Kulilin," Goten cut in, who felt proud to tell his father's story. "He nearly killed Piccolo, too, but Piccolo isn't that weak now! Today, he could crush Freeza easily!"
"Um, Kulilin..." Kakarotto reflected, folding his arms. "He was a bald dwarf, right? And Piccolo was, like, the Namek over there?"
"Yes," Goten simply said.
"Well, these two were on Earth and... Heh heh... I killed them both. Shocked?"
With these words, Kakarotto had hoped to take advantage of the psychological battle... But it was in vain. Gohan and Goten looked at each other. They had already realized that Kulilin and Piccolo were long since dead in Universe 13, making the mental attack ineffective. However, the two brothers had the same idea.
"You want to be shocked?" Gohan laughed with the same smile as Kakarotto.
"You will be shocked," Goten said finally, taking the same position.
"You are my father!" they shouted, both pointing a finger at Kakarotto, who cringed, his eyes widening with surprise.
Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz all laughed hysterically. No doubt they could hear from afar, especially Nappa.
"Who would have thought Kakarotto could be a father?" Vegeta of Universe 13 said between laughs. "Imagine it, Kakarotto, you, a papa-hen! Haha!"
Bra, who had heard her alternate-universe father, advanced between Gohan and Goten. She looked at her brother before quickly saying, "You'd better hold your tongue too, Prince," emphasizing last part with as much malice and sarcasm as she could put into a single word.
"Yeah," said Trunks, "you're ultimately no better than him because..."
"You are our father!" the two siblings said in the same fashion as Gohan and Goten, pointing a finger each at Vegeta, who had stopped laughing immediately.Vegeta didn’t know how to react. He could counter to stop their cackling, or just look at his children from another universe... Until finally, it finally dawned on him that if the four of them didn’t have offspring, it would be the end of the Saiyan race in their universe...
The announcer’s voice sounded again. "Sorry for the wait, ladies and gentlemen! Universe 10 had the most participants, and every Namek save for one just forfeited. We had to remove them from the roster, but we can finally continue!"
"Kakarotto, come, we're returning to our balcony," said Vegeta, who had already began to leave, followed closely by Nappa and Raditz.
"Alright," said Kakarotto, who turned to his Universe 18 counterpart. "I wonder which of us is stronger... I'd love to fight against you. Much more than against any of these losers!"
"We now call to the ring #17 of Universe 14 and I'K'L of Universe 15!"
"Ah, someone we don't know!" Goku exclaimed, trying to imagine the surprises of this I'K'L, "An interesting battle!"#17 of Universe 14 looked to his right at the space of Universe 15. There was one person standing there, a woman, dressed in a rather ridiculous fashion. She wore a kind of turban that clashed with the rest of her clothes and a cape that did not hide the tail sticking out of her back.
#17 then proceeded to detail her face. "Not much better," he thought. She seemed completely dumb-founded. A giant mole near her nose made her even uglier than she already seemed, her wide eyes with only two lashes, and her giant, gaping lips...
An amused smile spread across #17's face. "I'll still enjoy myself, even if she's repulsive."
"Wha... Already?" the curious warrior exclaimed.
#17 was astonished. What was the problem? Does the warrior not want to fight right now?
"But my I'K'L is not born yet!" the woman continued.
"Born?" What #17 had mistaken for a giant belly... actually contained a unborn creature, which only vaguely looked like a human. It also became apparent that the mother was not human either (while she turned, #17 could see her round, alien-looking ears), but she still looked similar. This creature developing in her womb, however, was completely... hideous.
"Please, allow me a few more hours!" the mother called out.
"Impossible," the presenter finally declared. "It's a forfeit."
The public passionately protested that the fight didn't take place.
"Well, that was quite easy." #17 boasted.
I'K'L's mother glared at him.
"One way or another it would have ended quickly," the cyborg continued. "You're fortunate that I didn't have to beat up your offspring."
With that, #17 joined his sister.
"Do you think this #17 is stronger than the one we fought in our universe?" Gohan asked.
"Who cares!?" Vegeta remarked. "Even if he were 3 times as strong as he was we would still crush him.""I wouldn't know," said Goku. "I've never fought him."
"Dad, in the next round you’ll finally fight #17!"
"Ah yes, it's true! I just hope he's strong enough..."
"If I recall, I remember Trunks saying that our androids were stronger than his." said Piccolo, rejoining the conversation.
"Yes, I remember." Gohan replied, nodding. "He even had a theory about it. His theory was that there is no such thing as infinite energy."
"So the more time that passes, the weaker they get... Logical." Piccolo replied, uncrossing his arms.
"Then what about Cell?" Vegeta asked out of curiosity.
The four of them turned to look at the space 17. Cell had not moved an inch since the beginning of the tournament.
"I guess Cell is a more complicated case..." Gohan replied. "We'll have to wait for his fight to measure him."
"Well, in any case I'm looking forward to fighting one of them in the next round!" Goku said with a renewed smile.
"Southern Kaioshin of Universe 1 against Butta of Universe 8!" the presenter suddenly declared.

Both of the warriors touched down on the ring. They were both very large, and almost to equal size with one another. If this were the smallest Kaioshin, the size difference might have amused the audience.
Butta placed his hands on his hips while his opponent stood straight, hands at his sides. The blue-skinned warrior hoped to win this match to bring back honor to the Ginyu Force after Jeece's bad luck... In retrospect, Butta was glad he wasn't in his place, but who cares! First, he needed to know his opponent's strength. In order to do so, he laid a finger on the button of the device on his ear. Some numbers appeared on the greenish screen covering his left eye. Butta laughed. "That's it? 500 units!? Haha! I'm at least a hundred times stronger than you! Haha! Also, I'm the fastest being in the universe, so you had better give up!" Butta finished by pointing his thumb at himself, one hand still on his hip.
"Really?" his opponent simply as he instantly disappeared.
Butta looked around, but in vain... Less than a second later his opponent was right in front of him.
"Well," said the Kaioshin in front of Butta, who retreated back out of shock. "I just ran around you one-hundred times! Do you think you're as fast?"
"I... I'm the fastest being in the universe!" stuttered the elite soldier while sweating profusely.
Butta had no time to say more, as his opponent disappeared yet again. He reappeared, his fist placed firmly into Butta's stomach... The god had knocked out his opponent with one strike despite the strong armor of the latter. Clearly, the strength of the Southern Kaioshin was not 500 units...
"The fastest, eh?" Southern Kaioshin repeated. "In your universe maybe."
About to pass out, Butta heard the remark and became enraged. Hands clutching his stomach, legs trembling, and a trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth, he managed to let out a last couple of words. "Im... Impossible... So fast..."
The Kaioshin, still facing his opponent, decided to launch one final reply with a smile. "I'm not the fastest. My build slows me down."
Butta could no longer move, and after a couple of seconds fell into unconsciousness. When he was declared the winner, Southern Kaioshin returned to his space. He was congratulated by his comrades, although they had been sure of victory from the start. The Southern Kaioshin did not pay attention; he preferred to focus on the identity of his next round. While the henchmen of Frieza fetched Butta, the warriors of our universe commented on Southern Kaioshin's performance.
"Haha, he beat him even quicker than I did," Goku said with a smile.
"The Kaioshin are not to be taken lightly," said Piccolo. "The Eastern Kaioshin killed Frieza in their universe."
"So he was actually stronger than the tyrant?" Vegeta retorted.
"And this Southern Kaioshin appears to be even stronger than him," replied Piccolo.
"I wonder if he's on the level of Super Saiyan 2..." Gohan wondered aloud.
"Impossible to know until we see him fight someone stronger," Goku said. "I'm actually a little disappointed that we didn't get the chance to see more..."
"We will, Dad," Gohan replied. "The weakest went first, but look! We still have CellBuu, Bojack, Broly..."
"Hmm..." Goku was not convinced. Bojack might not be that powerful... Cell could be good. Buu? His regenerative powers might make for an interesting fight... Broly's power depends on how long he was frozen... Goku just hoped that his power increase froze along with his body.
"Hey, just go ask Cell how he won," Goten suggested with a bit of hesitation. "It could at least give us an idea..."
Looking over at Cell, Gohan became curious. "If he died in his universe, would that mean he's stronger than a Super Saiyan 2?"
"Wanna go, Dad?" Goten asked.
"Sure, let's go. Gohan, you coming?"
"No thanks, I'm not interested," Gohan said, recalling all of the pain and suffering his friends went through at the hands of this creature and the death of his father, all thanks to his own mistakes.
Goku and Goten then headed toward Cell's space. Once they were at the edge of their space, just behind the wall that separates their area and Cell's, Cell looked directly at them...
"Cell," Goku began, "we would like to know what happened in your universe."
"I have nothing to say... I will not repeat myself."
"He must have spoken to our counterparts in Universe 16," Goten concluded, perceptive for once.
"Can you at least tell me if you killed me?" Goku insisted.
Cell smiled. "Who knows..."
"What about me?" Gohan asked, finally approaching. Curiosity prevailed over the contempt he felt toward the green creature.
"You..." Cell began. "You got me upset. You were nothing but a whining little kid."

Immediately, Gohan jumped over the barrier to see Cell face-to-face. He stopped less than a meter from Cell. Cell uncrossed his arms and held his gaze, while the Cell Jr. behind his legs stepped back.
"A whiner, eh? You know, in my universe it was I who killed you."
"Hm... Doesn't surprise me. The you from Universe 16 said the exact same thing," Cell said aloud. To himself, he thought, "I guess I should be wary..."
"I tried to push out your "hidden power" by killing all of your friends..." Cell continued. "But it didn't work. I was extremely disappointed, Gohan."
Gohan looked at Cell, surprised. This meant he was below Super Saiyan 2? The Cell Juniors would have killed everyone... His father, Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo... Everyone. This would explain the presence of one of them along with Cell... Gohan, holding back the rising rage he felt, attempted one last time to gauge his power. "Have you faced anyone named Bojack?"
If Cell knew Bojack, it would mean that Goku sacrificed himself. The death of King Kai and the destruction of his planet would have freed Bojack, Zangya, Bujin, and the rest of his henchmen... It would also mean that Cell had fought Gohan's Super Saiyan 2, and that he had returned even stronger... But Cell frowned. "Bojack? Never heard of him."
"So can you tell us what you did after you killed us?" Goku asked, approaching as the Cell Jr. returned to snuggle against his "father".
"Oh, I vaguely remember watching my "children" destroy your planet," Cell said as he patted his Cell Jr. on his head. "It was quite amusing."
The Son family was taken aback by this almost paternal attitude. Not knowing what to say, they returned to their space without another word..."What a bore..."
Bra knew how to pass the time. She thought coming to an event like this could be fun... What a mistake. The first couple of battles were painfully boring. The public openly agreed, and the boos could be heard from every angle. It didn't help that the next match was slow to be announced. The organizers must have been talking amongst themselves... Lost in thought, Bra hardly noticed Pan trying to comfort her.
"When your brother or your father fight, it should be more interesting for you, right?"
"I don't know," simply replied the purple-haired girl.

Bra had never really been close friends with Pan... In fact, they saw each other rarely; only on occasions such as this or at reunions at the Capsule Corporation... The had played together a lot at one point in their lives, but their interests soon diverged; one wanted to fight, and the other preferred fashion.
Because of this, Bra had always found Pan's behavior and way of thinking to be immature. She found that even their physical differences influenced their way of thought. Bra, only two years older than Pan, was rather large and well formed. Pan was the size of a ten year old child at the most (according to Bulma). Moreover, she treated the fact that she wasn't "flat" as an excuse that "fighting was not compatible with feminism." Also, when you look at her mother, Videl...
"Hey, are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening, Pan," Bra replied. "I was just lost in thought."
"So you weren't listening!"
"Umm..."
Bra rose. It had been about twenty minutes since they started this uninteresting conversation. That was enough!
"I'm gonna have a look around... You coming?" Bra asked, more out of politeness than from an actual desire to accompanied by her junior.
"No way," replied the little girl as she jumped up from the bench. "The fighting could resume at any second. I'm gonna join my mom."Rarely, Videl would visit and speak to the Briefs family. It was more like the two girls were forced to talk to each other rather than having a real conversation. It must be confessed that Videl and her daughter were much better at fighting than gossiping!
Luckily, Gohan returned with his brother and father. Videl came to find her husband, who stopped walking to wait for his other two family members to join the rest of the group.
"Same as thirty years ago," Gohan replied. "I'm not even sure I learned anything about it."
"But you're stronger than him, right?" Pan asked, who had just joined her parents.
"Of course, no worries there," reassured her father with a gentle pat on her head.
Nearby, Goku repeated the conversation with Cell word-for-word to Vegeta and Piccolo, while Goten left the area with Trunks.
"I think he's mocking us," said the Saiyan Prince as his rival finished, arms crossed.
"Indeed," Piccolo replied. "This is a tricky case, don't forget. Everything he says could be a lie."
"I would've liked to learn more about him," Goku complained.
"Is the presence of Broly not enough for you?" the Namekian remarked, arms also crossed.
"He may just remain frozen..." Vegeta replied with little belief in his claim.
"While on the subject," said Piccolo, ignoring the complains of his former enemy, "I want to go talk to the organizers about him. He worries me..."
"You think you can do something about it? You?" Vegeta replied, surprised, with slight disdain in his voice.
"We’ll see."
Without another word, Piccolo flew over to the space of Universe 20, where some Vargas and Nameks were busily tending to the block of ice containing Broly.
Gohan approached his father and Vegeta without Pan or Videl, who were speaking to each other. (Pan was telling Videl about how she was going to win her first match).
"Where’s Piccolo?" Goku's oldest son asked.
"Talking to the Vargas about Broly," His father answered by simply looking.
"Oh... So what do you think of these Vargas?" questioned Gohan.
"I still don't trust them," Vegeta said quickly.
I like them myself," Goku answered. "Because of them, we get to participate in this amazing tournament!"
"I don't like the gathering of so many monsters," Gohan asserted, agreeing with Vegeta for once. "The Vargas definitely had a bad idea.""You're too paranoid, Gohan," said his father, pointing at him. "It's not like you at all. Is there really anyone here who could pose a threat to us? That Universe 16 seems to be identical to us... If something bad happens, I'm sure good will prevail."
"I hope," Gohan simply said, turning his head to Pan.
Goku put his hand on the shoulder of his son. "Don't worry about it. But you know, if you're so worried, you could always participate..." Goku tried once again to persuade his son.
"Oh please, just stop, Dad!"
"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Goku laughed as he took a few steps back. "Hey, where's Uub?"
Eyes seeking his pupil, the teacher found him jogging past the space of Universe 15...

"Well... At least he's serious," Goku commented.
"Are you surprised?" Gohan asked. "He's your student."
"I must be a good teacher!" Goku joked. "Hmm... Universe 15. That's the universe of that "Icicle" person, right?"
"His name is I'K'L, Kakarotto. I'K'L," Vegeta sighed with a tinge of annoyance.
"But yes," Vegeta continued. "A new-born fighting in a tournament," he mocked, turning his head to look at space 15.
"This tournament just keeps getting stranger," said Gohan.
"He might just be incredibly strong at birth!" Goku hoped, jovial.
"Hmph, impossible!" Vegeta scoffed. "You know that even Broly was only 10,000 units at birth!"
"Oh," Goku said, slighty disappointed by his rival's remark. "You had never said it to us..."
"Want to go talk to him? Er... Her? I mean... It?" Gohan proposed.
"Can't hurt. " Goku replied.
"Alright, I'll go," said Gohan, turning to walk.While Gohan left his space, he could hear Goku and Vegeta talking about what they would wish for if either of them won the tournament. He would have liked to hear their conversation a little more, but Videl stopped him to ask where he was going.
"I want to go talk to I'K'L. I mean, I'K'L's mother."
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course."
Together, Gohan and his wife walked toward the wall defining their area, where Trunks and Goten stood talking, pointing out the different universes and giving their own thoughts on each one.
"What are you guys up to?" Gohan asked as he jumped over the low wall.
"We're giving a prognosis," his brother replied. "Trying to rank all of the fighters."
Gohan was surprised that his brother even knew what "prognosis" meant. "So, what's your conclusion at the moment?" He asked as he politely helped his wife over the wall.
"Gotenks will kick ass, of course!" said the two young warriors together.
"What would you wish for, then?" Videl asked this time, still clinging to her husband's arm.
"Hmm. That's a good question," replied Trunks. "Goten, do you have any ideas?"
"Not really..." replied his best friend. "I haven't even thought about that..."
"We'll leave you here to think, then!"
Gohan and Videl continued their journey, leaving Trunks and Goten in thought like Vegeta and Goku.
"Shall we continue our grand tour?" Gohan's wife asked.
"Yes, of course."
Holding hands, Gohan and his wife slowly walked toward their destination. They discussed each universe they encountered along the way, starting with the 19th. They passed Uub along the way while crossing the space of Universe 2, of which all of its fighters were absent. Uub bowed without stopping, and the two lovers gave him a gesture of encouragement. Universes 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 all seemed too empty...
Gohan gave his opinions on each universe he was familiar with. While passing Universe 14, they crossed paths with Bra, who looked as bored as ever and was walking in the opposite direction. They didn't say much to each other, but they all noticed the shy smile that Uub gave to Bra, who crossed them again while jogging.
After Uub passed them by, Videl noticed a smile on Bra's face, a smile that spoke volumes. Vegeta's daughter looked away and continued her journey. While Gohan and Videl finally arrived at space 15, Videl wondered if there was some sort of crush between Uub and Bra.
"They're young..." Gohan began. "Bra is pretty cute, it wouldn't surprise me."
"But Bra is more into fashion... and Uub is into fighting."
"Maybe she's into strong fighters? And I think it would be hard finding anyone stronger than him."
Squeezing her husband's arm a little harder, Videl snuggled against him. "That reminds me... Of twenty years ago..."
Gohan and Videl stopped just outside of Universe 15's space. While the mother of I'K'L looked at them, Gohan took Videl in his arms. Their eyes met, and seemed to commune... Finally, they brushed their lips together for a kiss; a kiss with the same fiery passion that has not changed for twenty years. After a few moments, when there seemed to be nothing else in the universe besides the two of them, Videl suddenly felt embarrassed. "She's staring at us..."
The lips of her husband left her so that he could turn his head and look. He turned his head and saw the woman of Universe 15.
"Hello!" Gohan said, raising his hand to greet her.
The woman did not respond or move, but her eyes hardened.
"Do you not know how to talk?" Gohan tried yet again to establish communication.
"Of course, I know how to talk!" the woman replied dryly.
She seemed very upset. "If my I'K'L was born," she went on, "then you would not want to talk to me! You would have realized the strength of my child and trembled!"
"Hm... A baby can't be that strong," Videl advanced with good reasoning.
"I cannot tolerate such nonsense from such a flat-chested lady," replied the woman.

"Me, flat!?" Videl said furiously, arms stretched along her body, fists clenched, and head bent slightly forward. "At least my chest doesn't hang past my stomach!" She retorted.
"You know nothing of real beauty," the woman simply replied.
Videl attempted to cross over into her space, but Gohan quickly stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.
"No. Drop it, Videl."
"But, Gohan! I'm not gonna-""Who cares what she thinks?" Gohan cut. "It's just one person's opinion. She doesn't want to be friendly, and we have no right to look for problems with the other competitors... Let's just drop it and go."
"Yes... You're right," Videl replied, calming down.
"Too bad... Another universe we learned nothing from," Gohan pensively said as the two of them were halfway back to their space.
"I'm sorry, Gohan. I got carried away."
"Don't worry about," Gohan replied. "If you didn't say anything back I surely would have."
Videl blushed. "Oh, Gohan..."
They arrived back at their space together with Uub, who continued his warm-ups. Gohan and Videl saw that Vegeta and Goku were arguing over the best possible wish.
"A giant cream puff!" Goku shouted.
"A sports car!" Vegeta replied, sweating.
"Uh... My cream puff is way more creative than your car. I win!" Goku said with a sense of triumph.
Vegeta growled... Even if this game was stupid, he would just lose. It was good in a sense, it actually suited him. It would prove that he doesn't mind losing as much as his rival.
"What are you two arguing about?" Videl asked.
"Well, we talked about what we would wish for, and Vegeta told me my idea was stupid. I said no, that his idea was worse, and gave an example."
"He provoked me," Vegeta followed, "telling me that I would never find a wish worse than mine. But after some reflection, I think I've found a wish that's much more stupid!"
"I see..." said Gohan. "Isn't all of this a bit... childish?"
"Say that again!" Vegeta screamed, but with no real anger.
A presenter suddenly cried into the four microphones he held in his four arms. His voice echoed loudly. “The tournament continues, ladies and gentlemen! We now call Majin Buu of Universe 11 and Bujin of Universe 6 to the ring!""Buu! Buu!" cried the Djinn from Universe 11 in his high-pitched squeaky voice, hurting Dabra's ears.
"Go, my Majin! Show yourself worthy of my expectations! If you win, I'll give you candy!" Babadi screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Yay!", exclaimed Buu, extremely delighted at the prospect of such a reward.
Behind Babidi, Dabra, the Lord of the Underworld, grumbled... He found this reward incredibly puerile. Very often, that Majin Buu acted like a complete idiot. And over there, Babadi was acting quite "gaga" as he addressed Buu...
Dancing lightly, hopping from one foot to another, Majin Buu suddenly flew at breakneck speed, arms forward, yelling his name.
"Buuuu!"In the ring, Bujin had already taken his fighting position. He smiled, awaiting his opponent. For him, there was no doubt that he was going to win. After all, he was one of the most well-known Galactic Mercenaries. It had been a long time since he had suffered defeat.
And then again, losing would not be taken kindly by his boss, Bojack. He could be fired from the team! Ah, it nostalgically reminded him of the day that Bido—
BAM!
Bujin had seen nearly nothing. His opponent had hit the ground and punched him directly without warning. "Candy-foot" gave him a good right hook to the middle of the jaw.
Rising immediately, Bojack's henchman put his hand to his left cheek. It had already swelled incredibly. "AH! Bastard! He attacked me without warning!" He thought to himself as he felt blood trickling from his left nostril. "Now my nose is bleeding, too! He'll see!"
Waving his arms and hands before a perplexed Majin who remained motionless, Bujin of Universe 6 cried out, "Power of Illusion!"
His power spread throughout the entire stadium... All living beings within the perimeter saw the same illusion. Strange clocks twirled and spun around the ring, which had become a luminous ball that changed colour every four seconds.
In the Universe 6 wing, Zangya, the woman in the group commented, "Well, well. He improved his technique? Since when?"
"Not bad," said the space pirate. "This technique quickly destabilizes weak minds and increases the strength of his telekinesis. That Majin Buu looks like a kid stuffed with marshmallows. He's even the same color as one! He won't last long.
Bujin had laid his hands on the ground, which had begun to crumble as large chunks of rock began to levitate in the air between Bujin and Buu, who observed all of this with an amused eye.
"Ooh! Magic! He said with a grin on his face.
"Hmph, you won't be smiling for long," thought Bujin.
he used his power of telekinesis to throw the ten metal-colored blocks at Buu. Though the velocity of the projectiles was staggering, the Djinn easily dodged them with little amused shouts of "Oh, oh". As a slightly larger chunk was about to hit him, Buu jumped up, playing leapfrog with it...
"INCREDIBLE!" exclaimed one of the 12 announcers into one of the two microcphones. "Majin Buu of the universe 11 is provoking his adversary by playing with his attacks!
"Take that!" cried Bujin as he channeled his power.
The projectiles suddenly regrouped, hitting the djinn in his stomach, causing him to fly off the ground. Unfortunately for Bujin, the attack did no damage to his opponent. Worse, the djinn was still playing! Buu used the 'Buku Jutsu' technique to fly around the ring quickly and hit Bujin right behind his head. Bujin stumbled and fell forward, while Buu landed quietly at his feet. Buu's adversary got up quickly, tears streaming from his eyes due to the immense pain, while his left nostril started to bleed once again. Majin Buu grinned, amused by Bujin's pain.
"This isn't over, yet!" cried Bujin as he attempted to use his telekinesis once more.
"That's it?" sighed Majin Buu, disappointed and no longer laughing. "But I can do magic too, look!"
Smiling once again, Buu moved his antenna, whose end illuminated in a pink light for a moment. Suddenly, Bujin's illusion transformed. The ring became a ball of chocolate, the clocks became sugar pancakes, and the projectiles Bujin launched changed into muffins, doughnuts, lollipops, and ice cream.
"Hmm yummy," said Babidi's creature.
In the Universe 18 wing, Goku couldn't help but comment, "This is almost making me hungry!"
Bujin gaped in astonishment. This did not please Buu, who rushed towards him, upset, giving him a strong left hook punch. Bujin, awakened by the blow, got up once more, discovering a second swollen cheek. Now he was bleeding from both nostrils. "This guy is too fast and too strong" he thought, angry.
He tried once again to use his telekinesis to send his opponent right into a chocolate éclair and cream puff.
Buu swallowed the cream puff and caught the chocolate éclair in his arms, sending it back at Bujin immediately with a grunt. Bujin failed to dodge the éclair and it crushed him. Finding himself on the ground, Bujin found it incredibly difficult to escape from the heavy éclair... When he finally succeeded, he realized that it was the fourth time he had been knocked down. Still kneeling and breathless, he became more angry. Bojack and Zangya had never before seen him in such a state of defeat... Buu's illusion faded and the stadium was brought back into vision.
"This Bujin is nothing compared to Buu," Vegeta declared, losing interest in the fight.
"Yeah, not surprising," specified his rival Goku, whose eyes were fixed on the ring above his head.
"He still has at least one more technique left. When he used it on me, I was paralyzed and lost control of my Ki... I couldn't become a Super Saiyan... Maybe it'll work on Buu, too," Gohan said, before suddenly remembering that once he became a Super Saiyan 2, he had broken through the technique with ease.
From the Universe 11 wing, Babadi grew weary of the games. "Majin Buu!" he cried in his old, scratchy, and frail voice. "Hurry up and finish him!"
But the Djinn did not budge. He still wanted to have a little more fun.
Finally rising to his feet, Bujin had recovered a bit in the calmness. He thought to himself, "This Majin Buu... he's very strong... and very fast, too... I'll have to use my most powerful technique.
"Energy Bonds!" he cried, holding out his arms before him.
Instantly, nearly invisible lines of energy came out of Bujin's fingers, making strange sounds and quickly encircling Majin Buu. If Buu were to move, the bonds would tighten, preventing the movement of the Djinn. But he didn't seem bothered...
Over the last several decades, Bujin had improved this technique. At first, it only blocked the enemy's movements. Then, it had evolved to restrict the Ki of his prisoner and block it. This power was very effective on many people. In general, once Bujin would paralyze his opponent, one of his friends would take the opportunity to give the coup de grâce.
However, this time, Bujin had to defeat his opponent alone. He used his technqiue to fully sense the power of his opponent... and was paralyzed in fear.
"This guy, what a huge amount of Ki! It's impossible! It easily surpasses Master Bojack's Ki! Fortunately, I've developed my technique to make it work on anyone!" Bujin sneered.
"Now you die! This technique can cut through Katchin, the hardest metal in the universe!" He shouted to his opponent, who was still paralyzed. "MAX POWER!" he finally said, focusing the strength of his technique.
The bonds then tightened, closing up suddenly with incredibly force. Buu, himself, was surprised: he had just been divided into fifteen pieces! His master Babadi was shocked and gasped. Even though he knew the regenerative capacity of Majin Buu, he didn't like see his "baby" undergo such things. Next to him, Dabra smiled. It didn't really bother him if Buu were to be defeated like this. But he also knew that he would survive. Meanwhile in the 18th Universe, Gohan imagined being a victim of this technique, when he confronted Bujin so long ago... He hadn't stand of a chance...
“Aha!” Bujin cried, blood still flowing from his nose. “I won! My technique is the ultimate!”
Suddenly, almost as quickly as they had been cut, the pieces of Majin Buu regrouped and recollected, and his pink body reappeared in good health, his childish face smiling...Bujin was speechless. Buu waited for a response, but none came. He then looked to Babadi in his world, who gave him the signal. Buu then rushed to Bujin, who still did not move. After all, he had played his final card...
But a cry from Zangya managed to wake him in time. Buu seemed to attack the right, with a punch. Bujin tried to protect himself by placing both hands in front of him. But the blow came from the left to hit him in the face. A second shot hit the belly, as Bujin recoiled, staggering under the impact of the first assault. He had no time to counter and was again struck in the right, without seeing anything... Bujin fell on his back and fell into unconsciousness.

Buu celebrated his victory by placing one foot on Bujin’s chest, raising one arm with clenched fists. The audience applauded, and the announcers declared Buu the winner.
“Dabra,” said the sorcerer Babidi, smiling. “Can you ask our guests if we can have some candy for our Majin Buu?”
“Tss... at your service...” the demon said reluctantly. He thought to himself, “How stupid can he be! That tub of lard can make his own stupid rewards with a mere thought!”
While Dabra was about to enter Universe 11’s apartment to find an organizer, the Z-fighters discussed Buu’s strength. “He looks just as powerful as when I faced him as a Super Saiyan 3,” Goku said with a smile. “He shows promise.”
“It's a shame,” lamented Uub, “I thought I’d finally be able to see the power of my incarnation, but this fight hasn’t shown much...”
“Oh yeah,” replied Goku. “It’s true that Mr. Buu from our universe never fought with as much passion as he did when he was evil... So, I guess his next opponent will be... the South Kaioshin?”
“The Supreme Kaioshin that we know told us that the South Kaioshin was the most powerful of the gods. If I remember correctly,” Gohan said, his arms crossed. “He was killed by Kid Buu...”
“So it could be a very good fight in the second round,” Goku said. He turned to his pupil. “Uub, I think you’ll see Buu’s true power by that point.”
“So by then I will have fought once... I wonder who my opponent will be...”
“Hmm... a fight with Dabra wouldn’t be too bad. You’re certainly stronger than him anyway,” Goku said looking to the Universe 11 space along with his friends.
At that time, Buu had just returned to his world to claim his reward of candy (Dabra that brought in his arms). Looking at Universe 11, the 18th Universe finally noticed someone in Universe 12. He was a young man who had just come out of his private space. He had long hair, purple, almost fell over his shoulders, and carried a sword on his back, which gave him the look of a charismatic warrior. But his eyes were hard as he looked at the Universe 11 wing next to him. While Majin Buu looked like a silly little kid, the young warrior in the blue jacket distrusted him with extreme caution.
“Hey! That’s Trunks!” Gohan yelled.
“Huh? Are they calling me?” asked Universe 18’s Trunks.
“Not you,” said Vegeta, “The one from Universe 12.”
Vegeta was indeed the first to notice the Trunks who came from the future to prevent the attack of #17 and #18. But he said nothing.
“I'll go talk to him,” Gohan was already starting, alone this time.
Goku and Uub remained in their space like Vegeta, but kept an eye on Universe 12.
As Gohan walked quietly towards Trunks, Bojack and Zangya from Universe 6 talked about Bujin, who had just returned from a Healer Namek.
“He lost, what an idiot,” said the blue woman with orange hair.
“His opponent is endowed with a weird ability to regenerate. Bujin stood no chance,” said Bojack quietly, who did not want to repeat the same mistake he did by killing Bido for his incompetence...
“If it was you who had fought him, would you have won?” Zangya asked.
“Who knows,” the space mercenary simply said. “I would simply pulverised him. I doubt he’ll regenerate once he’s blown to a billion pieces,” Bojack boasted a smile before cackling loudly.“This Bujin is stronger than the one we fought against before, but Buu defeated him so easily,” thought Universe 12’s Trunks. He had indeed fought Bojack’s Gang once, with Gohan and the others...

“Are you the Trunks who came from the future?” asked a voice he recognized behind him.
“Oh! Son Gohan! But… Why are you asking me this again?”
“So you recognize me but ... you haven’t traveled back in time?” Gohan asked again as he began to think that this Trunks was not the one he knew.
“Well, yes, but you've already asked me...”
“Uh ...”
Gohan and Trunks both remained perplexed for a few seconds. Trunks noticed the presence of his father in Universe 18 and not far from him he saw Videl ... who was also present in Universe 16 ... and there was another Gohan! Trunks understood immediately.
“Oh, I get it,” he said suddenly. “You’re not from Universe 16?”
“Oh no, I'm from the 18th,” Son Gohan said with a glance of the universe 16 that had intrigued him since they arrived. “I suppose,” continued the semi-Saiyan, “it was the other me out there who had already come to talk to you, then?”
“Indeed, it was a few hours ago.”
“So I'll avoid asking the same questions,” said Gohan with one hand behind his head, a bit embarrassed.
“It wouldn’t bother me, you know. And to answer you, yes. I was from the future. We even fought Cell together, and it was you who won. You grew up very differently from adult Gohan who was my mentor.
“We meet again, but this time I'm the elder... And I imagine that the world we live in shapes the personality of the people.” Gohan tried to explain the difference between him and his counterpart of the future that Trunks had known. “If I remember correctly, he continued, the whole thing happened there about... thirty years ago! It should be much less for you right?
“About ten years, yes. I am glad that my father is doing well in your universe. In the sixteenth, he disappeared, from what I understood.”
“Hm... So there really was something that made the world different from ours... Universe 16...” Gohan was thoughtful. “So, you don’t know more?”
“Not really ... There I only know Piccolo, you and myself... so ...”
“I see... it's not easy to integrate with a group of people that you don't know well... In Universe 13, there are three Saiyans who are with your father...”
“I saw them earlier. I didn’t go talk to him... He didn’t inspire me as much as your Vegeta did. He looked even colder than he did when I first met him ten years ago. In the past… I mean ... um ...”
“Thirty years ago, completed Gohan smiling. These time-travel stories can get chaotic sometimes... It’s hard to backtrack...”
“The worst was with Cell ... I'm still not sure I understand his history... Especially when he said he had killed me to take the machine to travel back in time...”
“You can always ask... I'll leave you alone. But a word of advice: I went to talk to him just now and... I can’t be certain of what he says...”
“Cell is an intelligent creature,” assured Trunks, “if he feels that he has no interest in telling us the truth ... He won’t tell us...”
“What is certain is that he beat us all...”
“It’s the same for the androids of Universe 14. In that universe, I had to have been killed before leaving in the past... or I might have been killed in the past and never went back... or something...”
“There’re lots of possibilities,” cut off Gohan who already knew what Trunks would say. “But actually... We should all be dead in this world too, which might’ve allowed #17 and #18 to dominate.”
“I hope my mother is fine, at least...” Trunks was uneasy.
“Don’t worry, she's a fighter. I'm sure she survived. She survived well with your father!” said Gohan as a joke.
“Yes it's true,” said Trunks with a little laugh too. “At least he became good thanks to her...Unlike the "Prince Vegeta" of Universe 13. I wonder what his reaction would have been if my mother had come to watch the tournament...
“She wasn’t interested in us,” said Gohan.
“I know, same thing with me. She had a lot of important work on the road. The Capsule Corp. was back in service, better than before!”
“Oh that's right! So rebuilding your world is going well, then?”
“Yes. Oh also I have someone to introduce to you. He’s still inside but is expected soon to join me...”
“Oh? A son, perhaps?” Gohan asked, smiling.
“Oh, uh...” Trunks began blushing. “I might have a steady girlfriend but not a child...”
“It will come!” Gohan assured that he still saw Trunks as his former mentor. “I’ll confess that for me it was faster than I would have thought.”
“Do you have children?”
“A daughter, Pan. I'll introduce you if you want.”
“It would be an honor, Gohan!”
“I’ll return with her,” said Gohan starting.
“Wait... seriously... what do you think of this tournament?” asked Trunks
“I don’t know... How about you?”
“I’m having trouble fully trusting the Vargas... but when they told me about alternate universes, I immediately hoped to find you, my father, and all the others. It was good that I came!”
“Yes, that’s so true! This is a unique opportunity and in fact... # 16!”
Gohan had observed the android. The large robot, completely artificial, with orange hair (with the same hair-style as Uub), wearing a green armor with the symbol of Capsule Corp, came out of interior space to join Trunks and Gohan at a quiet pace. Gohan was surprised to see him appear so.
“Ah, there you are,” Trunks was turning to the android. “I found him in the rubble of the laboratory of Dr. Gero,” he said to Gohan. “Mom had rebuilt him and now, #16 is one of the cornerstones in the reconstruction of our world.”
“#16!” Gohan repeated when the robot was in front of him. “You saved our world too, you know... It’s thanks to you that we beat Cell. I'm really happy to see you!”
“Trunks told me,” replied the android, in a rather serious voice. We are both willing to protect nature. So I'm helping to rebuild the world as I can.”
“And are you participating?”
A smile lit up the face of large robot. “Yes, I did not want to at first, but... when I felt the presence of Son Gokus, I changed my mind. It seems that there are several here. I would like to kill at least one.”
“Uh ... Well, my wife seems bored by herself,” said Gohan suddenly noticing that Videl was alone sitting on a bench. “I'll go. I’ll return with Pan later, Trunks. Good luck!”
Trunks and #16 watched Gohan jump over the wall to escape the morbid discussion, as he headed for his wife... # 16 took the opportunity to ask Trunks. “I guess my sense of humor was not well received?”
Next to the puzzled android, Trunks laughed.
When Gohan saw Videl bored alone on this bench, he only thought of her. He didn't like the fact that he had been neglecting his wife to go and have fun, even if she was close by. This was partly because he had to cut his discussion with Trunks and #16 short. However, he still had so much to ask! But it was only a short delay, Gohan promised to return later with Pan.
Gohan reached the low wall that separated him from Videl and noticed that she had not taken her eyes off him since he left Universe 12. He effortlessly jumped of the wall and joined his wife, sitting next to her, wrapping his arm around her back.
"I saw an old friend. Trunks from the future. You know, against Cell..."
"Wait... what? What are you talking about?" Videl interrupted. "We spoke to him an hour ago..."
"Huh?"
"Ahem," another Gohan, standing to the left of the one sitting next to Videl, imitated a cough in order to be noticed.

"Whaaaa!! I'm in the wrong space!" Gohan suddenly yelled, jumping up, blushing and embarrassed. He immediately apologized to his counterpart.
"I'm really sorry!"
"It's nothing... I guess," Gohan laughed. How could he possibly blame himself?
Universe 16's Videl found herself facing two perfectly identical Gohans. She blushed, embarrassed, too. Next to her, Videl thought she heard a faint voice.
"Hey Gohan, what are you doing there?"
Videl from Universe 18 had approached them. Even worse, she had traveled through Universe 17. Alone, without even flinching, she quietly walked past Cell, who tracked her movements with his eyes.
"Hi Mom!"
Pan appeared behind her mother along with Pan from Universe 18 (who appeared from a different direction). Fortunately, the two girls were dressed differently, so it was easy to distinguish between them, unlike the two Gohans and Videls.
"Hello, Pan," Videl said, remaining seated on the bench.
U18 Pan wanted to discuss with her mother from an alternate universe, but she immediately noticed that her counterpart was quickly approaching with a smile.
Although they were dressed differently, both Pans immediately recognized and approached each other joyfully. U16 Pan, dressed in canvas pants and two long-sleeved t-shirts, grabbed her U18 counterpart, and they embraced each other, laughing.
"That's so wierd!" said the two girls in unison.
"I never thought I'd actually see myself here!" rejoiced one of the two young girls.
"Me neither!" replied the other. "This deserves a souvenir photo!"
"Yeah! I thought so, too! Luckily, I brought my camera!"
"Me too! I'll go get it right now," said Universe 18's Pan.
"No, come with me," replied Universe 16's Pan. "We'll take mine; it's much closer."
Pan grabbed her counterpart's hand and took her inside to the Universe 16 alcove.
Her counterpart reacted immediately. "Oh, normally I'm not allowed to come here. Even if..."
"I don't think there'll be any problem," they concluded at the same time.
She laughed again and continued to walk down.
"Hold on, shh..." the Pan with the T-shirt suddenly whispered. "Grandpa's still asleep... Try not to wake him up."
"Grandpa came, too?" asked the student of U18 Goku, imagining that she was talking about Mr. Satan.
"Of course. He wouldn't have missed it for the world! Wait, this is my room. I'll be right back, okay?"
U16 Pan entered the room that she had designated as her one. For a minute, U18 Pan remained alone, looking for the eyes of Mr. Satan somwhere, but it was too dark. ... However, there was no more time to check. Her other self had left the room with a capsule in her hand.
"Let's go back outside!" she said, leading U18 Pan by grabbing her hand once again.
As they left, they noticed that the two versions of Trunks and Goten were talking. Beside them, the Gohans and Videls were discussing, while the two Piccolos, not far away, remained motionless.

As U16 Pan activated the capsule, U18 Pan moved quickly to ask Piccolo a question.
"Are you not going to talk to your counterpart in my Universe, Mr. Piccolo?"
"I'm not really the type that likes to talk about myself... Anyway, I see you're wearing the Nyoï Bo. Who trained you?"
"Well, my grandpa did," Pan said proudly. "Son Goku!"
"Goku?" Piccolo was surprised. "Ah, I should have guessed... Well, then. Tell him I said hello, okay?" he finally said with a smile.
Pan was left motionless for a moment as she wondered what the Universe 16 Namek could have possibly meant, when suddenly, her alter-ego called. She was ready to take the photo.
Quickly returning a smile, the two Pans embraced each other arm in arm and took the pose. The little flying machine intelligently positioned itself in front of them, quickly managing its altitude and distance from the girls, before taking the shot under a light flash. Two copies came out of the slot. U16 Pan walked over to remove them and pressed the button on the machine to recapsule it and put it away. Universe 18's Pan walked close by again to take a copy of the photo. Both Pans were delighted to have this memory in their hands.
As the two girls excitedly discussed the photo, both Trunks's and Gotens were chatting nearby.
"So, did you..." began Universe 18's Goten.
"Subscribe Gotenks?" U16 Trunks finished, "Yes we did," he added smiling.
"It'd be fun if we were to meet in the tournament!" said U16 Goten, excitedly
"Yeah, but I wonder how it'd end!" U18 Trunks replied. "But I especially hope that the fusion doesn't fail. If it does, that would be horrible!"
"For sure," U16 Trunks added.
"Say, guys," began U16 Goten, "Trunks and I have a few little things we need to adjust. Is that okay?"
"Of course," said Universe 18's Trunks after glancing at his friend from his own universe. "I think we already know what we need to do," he added with another glance to his counterpart.
"We'll meet again, then," said U18 Goten, wrapping his arms over his counterpart's shoulders.
The two groups both separated. Both Trunks's headed immediately to Universe 12, where they hoped to discuss with their alternate self. They hoped to hear a lot, including about their mother.U18 Goten, after watching his friend and his friend's double take off, asked his counterpart, "So... you wanna talk about... our girlfriends?"
"Absolutely!" the other grinned. "It's not every day that you can think about the same thing twice at the same time!"

Goku, Uub and Vegeta had decided to leave Universe 18's wing. The former Prince of Saiyans intended to visit his son in Universe 12 out of curiosity to see how Bulma was doing. But when he saw his 2 sons heading over to talk to the third, he changed his mind, only to follow Goku into Universe 16's wing. After all, there were still many mysteries to discover about these alternate universes.
When they arrived, they observed those present. They had noticed two Gotens, two Gohans, two Videls, Piccolo , two Pans and a girl who looked strikingly similar to Bra. At first glance the two Pans seemed similar, except for the clothing.
"We're all the same here, unless...?" Goku began, desperately trying to formulate a conclusion.
The two Gohans approached each other and U18 Gohan asked, "Why did the Vargas choose our two universes if they are identical?"
"There is a difference..." Universe 16 Gohan noticed Goku, watching him as if he had not seen him for twenty years. "And it's quite a large one..."
"I don't seem to be here," remarked Uub as he continued to search for a counterpart.
"Oh my! ... Grandpa!"
Universe 16's Pan suddenly abandoned her counterpart and jumped onto Goku grabbing his neck, tears in her eyes, but with the same cheerful smile. Uub, surprised, stepped back in the wake of the girl's spirit.
"At last I meet you!" Pan said as she wept on the neck of her grandfather. Meanwhile, Goku's pupil approached the gaze of the Saiyan.
"Ho, two Pans! That's so cute! Hmm...." Goku began to formulate a hypothesis.
"So, in your universe, would I be dead... again?" he wondered aloud, glancing towards the sky as he imagined the halo of an angel above his head.
Vegeta almost chuckled. On one hand, it amused him that his friend was still dead in the other Universe. Then again, where was he...? "Does that mean I'm dead too?!" he thought to himself, his smile fading at thethought.
A calm, rough voice suddenly sounded through the doorway of the entrance to Space 16. ... A shadow and a single hand covered with a white glove, emerged first.
"Clearly, our two universes separated the moment I appeared..."
As he exited the shadow of the entrance, the warrior revealed himself.

He was average height with a strong build. His black hair was raised up and a few strands fell over his forehead. He emitted an incomparable presence. The man was dressed in a blue tunic, under which lied an orange gi. On his ears were two visible earrings. He was a Saiyan... or rather, the fusion of two Saiyans. At his appearance, Vegeta and Goku were incredibly surprised.
"Vegetto!!" They shouted simultaneously, both fighters taking one step back under the effect of the surprise.Goku and Vegeta stood still as the reflection of their old fusion, Vegetto, proceeded calmly. He had a stern look, but a friendly smile. He pulled up alongside Bra.
"So that's what makes us different then," thought Gohan.
Piccolo of Universe 16 thought that there were too many people in that space... he took advantage of everyone's attention on Vegetto to overshadow his disappearance.

"How did you beat Majin Buu if you and Vegeta didn't fuse into me?" Vegetto asked Goku as Pan rested.
"Oh I see... Buu is locked within this boy," analyzed Vegetto after a quick glance at the young man in dark skin. "How did you do that?"
"Hm... Well, it's a bit complicated," Goku began.
"After we fused into becoming Vegetto, we were absorbed by Majin Buu," Vegeta said. "Once we dropped the energy shield, our bodies separated and I crushed the Potala earrings."
"So this is where our universes differed... I almost chose to do the same and drop the barrier. But, after some hesitation, I finally opted to keep it.
"Oh, that reminds me," said Goku suddenly. "We never knew why our bodies had separated."
A brief moment of silence settled. Everyone thought about it for a few seconds before Vegetto broke this moment.
He said to himself, "Had I known at the time, If I had let down the shield, I would have become Goku and Vegeta once more..."
He did not need to finish his sentence. He did not need to. Everyone understood what he was implying. Uub came forward and offered a solution. "There's a Majin Buu in Universe 11. Maybe you could ask him to–
"No," the fused Saiyan cut off Uub in the middle of his sentence. "Today, and as of twenty years ago, I am a whole person. I am Vegetto... Goku and Vegeta are dead.
"So I was finally right, somehow..." Goku said with a small smile."We could go and ask the Kaioshin of Universe 1 about our fission in Buu's body," Vegetto proposed. "But before that, how did that boy appear?" he asked, pointing at Uub.
"This is Uub, my student. He is the reincarnation of Majin Buu. I think King Enma fulfilled my wish after I defeated Majin Buu.
"King Enma? Tsss... He refused me this favor, especially because of you," said Vegetto in severe regard to Vegeta.
"Me?! I am part of you, so it's your fault too." retorted the Prince of Saiyans.
Vegetto smiled before asking Uub, "How strong are you?"
Uub was silent for a few seconds. "You'll see in my fights" he replied timidly, but also dryly and with respect. He had not appreciated the fact that Vegetto had cut him off earlier.
"I can't wait to see it! And otherwise, what have you done for the last twenty years?"
"We've been training!" responded Goku.
"To push the limits of the Saiyan body," Vegeta added. "And you?"
"I've been working around for the sake of... well, justice. What else?" Vegetto answered.
"Eat Chichi's good dishes," said Goku suddenly, remembering that Buu's battle against Bujin had made him hungry.
"Ah, yes!" Vegetto almost cried, losing all seriousness. "It makes me hungry already! I always loved her chicken!"
"Oh, really?" Goku asked, also losing all seriousness.And for a few minutes, Vegetto and Goku faced off, drooling stupidly listing all of the dishes they loved most. But they tried to regain some semblance of seriousness when Videl asked shyly, "Excuse me, um... Mr. Vegetto, how do you deal with... um ... Bulma and Chichi?"
"Good question!" Vegetto snapped out of his trance as the whole Universe 18 waited for his answer. "It's still funny, I think you asked me the same thing twenty years ago," he said looking at the Videl of his universe, who acknowledged with a nod of his head. "Simply put, I haven't completely abandoned Chichi, but I'm in a relationship with Bulma... with whom I had a daughter named Bra."
A silence... Vegetto stared at Universe 18, but could not find what he sought. He then asked, "Tell me, Vegeta. Is it going well with Bulma?"
"Of course, you fool! What do you think?" Vegeta snapped.
"You don't have a second child?"
"I do, she's also named Bra"
"She didn't come? Wouldn't she be very strong?"
"Not as strong as she should be... it's her mother's fault. But yes she's here."
"Well I don't see her anywhere?"
Vegeta scanned the area for her too... with his eyes. Because in this arena, it was nearly impossible to properly sense or distinguish the auras unless they were nearby. "So where did she disappear off to?" Vegeta wondered.
"She was walking around, we walked past her earlier," specified Gohan of Universe 18.
"She's over there," pointed Uub... who turned a little red when everyone looked at him. But he stood his ground and stated, "She's talking to the girls in Universe 6."
"There's Bojack," Gohan said.
"I'll go. You never know what can happen in a place like this," offered Bra of Universe 16, who spoke for the first time before those of Universe 18, starting immediately.

As she passed by the Universe 6 wing, Universe 18's Bra could not help but notice the group of four girls dressed in old-fashioned and dated clothes. The fifth girl in Universe 6 was a red-head. Her and Bojack's sidekick, Bujin, was still unconscious at their feet. Bra decided to go see the group of four to discuss... After all, they were all girls, here... it was rare at to see them at tournaments like this and they could probably find similarities, even if their clothing tastes were not the best.They were considered friendly at first, and the discussion started well. Bra couldn't remember all the names. ... There was this long-haired girl named Kat, and there was Syd. But who was this one already? Bra could no longer remember..
Anyway, they soon talked about fashion and the ideas between the two groups were very different. The tone rose slightly. A few friendly insults rang out, and some of the girls giggled, which annoyed the red-head Zangya elsewhere.
But it was not serious. After all, this type of "disputes" was common among girls. But in the context of the tournament, it could create problems.Fortunately, U16 Bra reached the Universe 6 wing. With her relatively more imposing stature (compared U18 Bra's), she calmed the enthusiasm of the other girls and almost ordered the other Bra to return to her space... Turning their backs to Universe 6, the two Bras started when U16 Bra suddenly heard Zangya whisper, "Good riddance". She turned and stared down the redhead and said, "You, you're no better than the others..."
Zangya almost freaked out and hit that "bitch" as her smile faded, but Bojack placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Thus, the two Bras left Universe 6 smoothly. Walking side by side, U16 Bra asked, "So, did you learn anything interesting about them? Their power?"
"Not at all. I don't really care about such things."
"But you're... nothing," U16 Bra was forced to tell her counterpart.
"Don't tell me that, you're worse!" U18 Bra retorted. "You and your tomboy tank-top! You look like you're going to fight like a delinquent!"
"What about you?" said U16 Bra, stopping, almost shocked.
U18 Bra did not reply and continued to march back to Universe 18's wing... U16 Bra went on her way to her own Universe's wing passing many other Universes, including Universe 12, where she noticed her brother, Trunks and U18 Trunks discussing with U12 Trunks. As she passed, she allowed herself to listen.
"So, what are you doing in life," asked Trunks, carrying a sword on his back.
"I'm a CEO. I sit behind a desk," answered one of the two other Trunks's
"Sometimes I fire people," added the other. "I spend a lot of time looking at my secretary."
"Sometimes I pretend to read reports," said the second Trunks, turning his head. Both their lives did not seem very different.
The two Trunks's smiled, which confirmed that they were indeed identical. One of them said, "I often go on walks with the ladies in Accounting. There are so many pretty young girls who always greet me in the morning, saying, 'Good Mooooooooooooooooorning Mr. Briefs' and then giggling."
Future Trunks' eyes had widened as he listened to his two counterparts. They were completely different from him. He then made a list of his own activities:
"I help reconstruct the whole Earth. I give food to those who have lost everything. I try to make the world better, as before. There are villages that haven't any water or resources for years. #16 and I can easily travel quickly with capsules. Almost no planes have been flying recently, but we've been able to rebuild manufacturing plants at the same level as twenty years ago. It's been a few months since we've been able to mass-produce capsules. And finally, I work in the fields, often by hand, to help rebuild an effective crop market. The old Androids liked to burn crops and leave us at the brink of starvation.
This time, it was U16 and U18 Trunks who were shocked. There was a great moment of awkward silence... Bra left without knowing how the Trunks's would restart their discussion. What made her feel safe was that the Trunks who wielded a sword seemed much more mature than her brother... U12 Trunks had told about his adventure and his maturity was undoubtedly because of his experiences...
The 12 announcers suddenly announced the next fight: Tidar of Universe 19 against Uub of Universe 18. Goku's student received some words of encouragement from Universe 16 and his master, and flew to the ring.
Universe 16's Bra returned to her space as Vegeta and Goku returned to their own. Unfortunately, the two parties did not cross paths. Bra found it a shame, as she wanted to talk to them a little, also. But she understood that they wanted to observe the fight of one of their own seriously.
As she jumped over the wall of Universe 16, Bra glanced at Universe 19. The famous Tidar was preparing to enter the scene..Tidar had no intention of losing. He had been trained for that, and after many years of practice, he had mastered his armor. Tidar was indeed the oldest of the military elite commando on Helior, their home planet. The group was composed of the best fighters with the best technology. They were directly selected by representatives of the Supreme Council of the Heliotes. And the group arrived in order to make a wish on their behalf.
A fighter with a big heart, Tidar had engraved two principles into his brain: fight and win.
"Careful, Tidar," said one of his companions behind him, "My radar's getting some crazy readings on this group. Use full strength from the beginning."
"Right," he replied simply, before thinking, "no need to tell me."
Motivated, he activated his jetpack, with an old reactor connected to the back, and flew into the ring. During the few seconds of flight, Tidar grumbled inwardly. He was wearing armor from the previous generations, but from what they had seen so far... it should be more than enough to win the fight.
Tidar arrived at the ring, where his opponent, Uub of Universe 18, was waiting calmly.
The latter was also ready to win. Equally motivated, he could not see himself disappoint Goku nor Vegeta, for whom he had gained great respect as a result of his fight with Goku nine years ago.
Tidar barely had time to land one foot onto the ring, when suddenly...
"Let the fight begin!" cried the announcer, as Uub nervously assumed his fighting stance.Immediately, Tidar reactivated his jet-pack and rushed right over to his opponent. Despite the armor's size and bulk, his speed was quite impressive. He raised his fists, never imagining that he'd have to resort to using such a pathetic move. However, he had been able to judge Uub's speed. The latter easily dodged his opponent with a quick dash to the side. As the nano-warrior maneuvered his jet-pack, he drew his first conclusion. Uub was moving very fast, without armor too, and without unnecessary movements.
Anticipating a counterattack, Tidar maneuvered to take off vertically in the air. Luckily for him, he had avoided a right uppercut from Uub. The boy stood down on the ring while the Formerly Elite Fighter flew higher, several feet above him. Tidar thought to himself, "What's going on? Doesn't he know how to fly? Even still, it wouldn't matter. It'd be the exact same scenario even if all he knew was how to jump high enough."
He descended to the ground a little further, turning off his jet-pack and preparing his next attack as Uub resumed his fighting stance with a smile.
In Universe 19, several members of the Elite Commando discussed.
"He seems to know what he's doing," said one.
"That's good," said another, "But this dark-skinned boy is far from fully–"
"You think the boy's just testing Tidar's power level?" asked the first man.
There was no response... the other man didn't reply. A mere look at the ring spoke volumes. He hoped that Tidar wouldn't underestimate his opponent. His fear suddenly vanished for a moment when he recognized Tidar assuming the strike position for performing the missile attack that he knew so well.
Uub attacked. Tidar activated his armor and rapidly fired his missiles. His armor seemed to morph, especially in the back. Several flaps opened to reveal mini-missile launchers. Forty shots were released, whistling, humming, and emitting thick smoke. The attack lasted no longer than three seconds. However, the young fighter had plenty of time to avoid and even play leap-frog with the missiles. It was not difficult for Uub to avoid the attack and he soon found himself right in front of the grand Tidar, who had seen Uub vanish for a movement; his eyes were unable to follow him.
Uub struck his palms against the mighty soldier's torso, but not with maximum force. Nevertheless, Tidar flew backwards, crashing heavily on his back, smashing half of the missile launchers. As he rose, he noticed that Uub was looking at his own hand with a strange look."Woah," Uub spoke aloud, "His armor weighs a ton! Good thing I'm okay right now. ... If I had hit him harder without noticing, I..."
He stopped, clearly hearing a strange whistle... the missiles had returned to him!
"Homing missiles... His electronics have better reflexes than he does," laughed Uub.
With a single wave of his arm, Uub created a shockwave that exploded all the missiles into nothing but large clouds of smoke after a deafening noise... Suddenly, the clouds seemed to head towards Uub, who dodged them with several backward somersaults."These explosions are very powerful and concentrated," Uub analyzed once far enough. The clouds dissipated quickly without reaching him. "Are these... chemical clouds? Woah! It's a good thing I didn't touch any of them."
"Hmm, your student is quite cautious," remarked Gohan to Goku in Universe 18's wing.
"Oh, you think so?" Vegeta replied with, again, an unpleasant look.
"Those acrobatics just brought him closer to Tidar," Goku said, his eyes fixed on the fighting.
Tidar used the distraction to take the advantage and because of Uub's distraction to grab him from behind. The latter's reflexes kicked in and Uub elbowed the man, breaking free from his grip. He walked away, leaving Universe 19's fighter's armor's right flank broken as a result of the impact. Uub turned around an assumed a defensive stance, staring down his opponent.
Tidar knelt on one knee, one hand lying limp on his thigh, the other on the ground. He clenched his teeth in pain from the blow.
In Universe 19's wing, everyone suddenly seemed disappointed, as if they were watching a sports game in which a key player had lost a great chance to score a point.
"Shit! Just a little more and it would've been perfect!"
"If only he had released it a bit later!"
"God DAMMIT! It was too good of an opportunity!"
"Don't worry guys, Tidar's not giving up yet! Look at his stance!"
Next to Universe 19, Goten and Trunk from Universe 18 overheard the men talking about Tidar. However, they didn't understand what the last guy meant. Tidar was just kneeling in a weakened state. The two friends looked at each other, unsure of what they should expect. But EVERYONE understood a few seconds later.
All around Uub, ten cylindrical objects seemed to rise out of the ground. The young man jumped at the same time as the strange objects exploded. The flames rose to devour Uub's pant's leg, cutting it short. His boots and skin withstood the heat, besides a minor burn here and there.
"Tsk, what a joke," said Uub. "These bombs... he had to have launched them when he put his hand on the ground..."Tidar didn't stop there. He activated his other gadgets quickly. He aimed his left arm towards his opponent, his left cuff shot off three blue laser beams and Uub was able to barely able to move his arm in time. Tidar spun and pointed his second arm, shooting three more laser beams. Uub jumped again, suddenly screaming in pain as a shot hit his arm. He looked at his left arm where there were three intense burn marks, depicting the immense power in the laser beams. Avoiding more bursts, Uub rushed towards Tidar to attack, but he inadvertently activated another defense mechanism.
From the cuff of Tidar's left arm, came a small missile that exploded two meters from Uub. Suddenly, a gray stripe emerged from it, widening for a split second before morphing into a net. It was made of an extremely resistant special alloy. Tidar hit a button on his forearm and activated the electricity. With the lightning running through the net, the volume began to close in and the temperature rose rapidly.
Uub yelled, thinking of only one thing: FREEDOM!! Augmenting his strength with a simple Kaioken, he managed to break through the net. His body raged with a crimson red aura as he rushed towards Tidar, on edge. But the armored warrior flew away with his jet-pack.
This time, Uub attempted to chase his opponent, but his attack was already anticipated. The armored soldier dropped several objects designed to explode at the slightest physical contact. Uub hit each of them individually and sped away right before they exploded.
Uub's hands felt numb. Despite their small size, the explosives were quite dense. Uub wasted no more time to think about it and dashed up to Tidar. Uub punched Tidar violently, crashing him into the energy shield. The attack created a small shock wave, accompanied by a shrill noise. Tidar tried to kick Uub horizontally, but the latter evaded it and took the opportunity to get behind his enemy.
Grinning, Uub grabbed Tidar in a bear hug similar to how Tidar had done to Uub earlier. He thought he had the advantage. But his opponent still had more tricks up his sleeve. This time, Tidar sent another electric shock down his armor, making Uub scream violently. The pain was surprisingly strong and as the current continued to flow, the muscles of the young man remained contracted. He could not let go.
Tidar would normally be protected by his armor. But he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right flank. Remembering his drive to join the Elite Commando Unit, he resisted the pain to the best of his ability. After dozens of seconds, Tidar turned off the electric current, assuming Uub would die by the voltage.Uub stopped screaming, slipping into unconsciousness as he crashed to the floor. Tidar sweated and breathed heavily. His whole body trembled and he was suddenly very cold. He glanced at Uub, who was still smoking as he fell through the air. Tidar smiled to himself, "What luck!"
"He's gonna fall onto the missiles' shrapnel!" cried one of Tidar's friends in Universe 19.
"C'mon, wake up, Uub!" yelled a stressed Goku. He didn't want the tournament to end so quickly for his pupil.
Uub slammed into the ground, the shockwave waking him up. His body in pain, Uub rose painfully and by that time Tidar was shouting in victory. He pressed another button and activated a new trap. The shrapnel burst into flame, creating long red flames rising two meters above the ring... Uub swallowed in fear.

Tidar stopped smiling when he noticed the location of where is opponent was standing. The flames had taken a strange shape, a type of bulb. Unwilling to take any chances, Tidar hurried towards Uub, knowing that there were only a few seconds before the flames dissipated. He maneuvered his jet-pack to get behind Uub. He didn't descend normally to save time, rather he chose to simply turn off the propulsion and crash to the ground. He fell a few meters, and the flames died down as he planted his feet firmly into the ground. Uub was standing before him with his back facing his opponent, his white aura protecting him from the flame.
"Motherfucker!" yelled Tidar as he released a blade from the right cuff of his armor.
Uub turned his head, but had no time to avoid the attack.
"God's Blade!" cried Tidar, giving his blade a quick wave upwards. Suddenly a large wind was emitted from the bottom of the blade moving rapidly towards Uub. Uub covered his face with his arm to protect himself, but he felt nothing. Nothing but a small shockwave. This surprised him, but after all... the sword itself had not touched him.
"Impossible! He found a way to avoid it!" grumbled one of Tidar's partners.
"No! Look!"
The planet-ring... was cut in two. Tidar smiled in certain victory. Uub folded his arms, smiling, too.
"And?" said Uub, still sneering.
A sudden silence fell over the area. Suddenly, Uub's left arm came clean off his shoulder and fell to the ground, surprising EVERYONE, including the spectators. Uub stood motionless, staring down at his arm, stunned.
"Not only did he cut down the ring, but he also cut down Uub's arm!!" yelled the announcer.
The young warrior looked at his shoulder, afraid of what he would see... Nothing. Well, not really. His arm was lying limp on the floor! Uub's eyes widened, he ceased breathing and the pain of the fierce attack on his left shoulder augmented. No longer able to stand the pain or sight of his arm, he yelled.
Tidar screamed as well, believing that it'd be fun to gloat and explain how he defeated his opponent.
"This blade is extendable and forged to a nanometer's dimensions. It cuts through anything!"

Uub lost all sense of reason. Trembling, sweating, with a sudden headache and obscured vision.. he could no longer bear to hear Tidar's words. It was too much! Once again, he had been tricked. What would he tell his teacher? Uub turned quickly to face Tidar, held out his remaining arm and yelled with all his might, releasing a torrent of violent energy that he launched at the man who had cut off his arm.
Surprised, Tidar had barely had any time to activate his shields. It held out... only for a few seconds...
"N.. NO!!"
His shield shone like glass. His armor burst open in a few microseconds and his body vaporized in an instant...
In Universe 19, 18, and in the audience, everyone was surprised by the terrible attack that left no chance for the Heloïte... Uub, trying to regain his senses, exhaled.
"Tidar was..." began one of the announcers.
"Reduced to ashes!" finished a second.
"Uub is the winner!" announced a third announcer, as the victor picked up his arm.
In Universe 18's wing, Goku did not seem very happy about the announcement...In one of the chambers allocated to Universe 4, a warrior, awakened by the explosions of missiles, yawned. Literally rising with a bounce, he scratched the antenna on his head, and had a strange feeling. He sensed something very... personal, not far from there. The pink, bipedal creature took three steps forward and looked towards the exit... to the ring where the fight was taking place.
"Hmm... So that's it..." the great warrior said aloud to himself.
Stretching quickly, he finally decided to leave the shelter of his space... and left to show the participants of Universe 19.
After picking up his arm, Uub suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline rising within him. The pain faded and he felt no fatigue. But he knew it would only be temporary. He had to find a way to cure it if the worst happened.
Jumping rapidly, he landed before his friends in Universe 18. "Quick! Can you fix this?"
He instinctively directed the question to his master, Son Goku. But the latter, taken aback, could only answer, "Um..."
"You weren't careful enough," Vegeta said, his arms crossed and head held high, with the air of royalty that he still loved to use.
"That's not what I'm asking!!" cried the young man, panicked.
He hyperventilated for a few seconds. He heard the warriors in Universe 19 begin to stir. Some were outraged... and it was his fault...
"He killed Tidar!" the most edgy of them suddenly shouted, beginning to jump over the small boundary wall. Two, then three of his colleagues hurried to restrain him. Trunks and Goten, more by curiosity than by a desire to defend their space in case of an invasion, rushed over.
Trunks tried to calm things down. "Well, he'll be revived at the end of the tournament. Don't worry about it?"
"Don't you have any senzus?" replied Uub, determined to resolve his first priority: to heal his arm!
"Well, no," replied Goku.
Uub dropped his head down. He thought desperately to himself, "What am I gonna do?"
"Ask a Namek," proposed Pan, who thought while noting Piccolo's return to their space.
"Great idea, Pan!"
Indeed, they were promised a cure that was within the limits of their means due to the tournament. But could a healer Namek really rebuild an entire arm or stick it back? Well, today was not that day that our heroes could learn the answer to their question. Because before the organizers arrived, someone else made them a proposal...
"I can heal your arm..." said a voice behind the one-handed boy. "But it won't be for free..."

Uub turned around to come face to face with... Babadi!
The wizard flew over the small wall, but did not exceed the boundary between Universe 18 and the center of the arena. He was accompanied by Majin Buu on his right and Dabra, who smiled idly, on his left. Of the three, it was the demon who seemed most threatening. Babadi looked like a stumpy, old little creatyre and Majin Buu looked like a big, sweet-eating baby. Appearances were most definitely deceiving.
"Ha! You can't even do it. It's your Majin Buu who will," Uub replied calmly as he continued to lose blood. "I'm ashamed that my powers came from you!" he said finally, looking at the pink Majin.
Indeed, Uub had once asked Goku where his power came from. His master had then explained everything about Majin Buu and Babadi. In fact, Goku had taken the chance to tell Uub the whole story, from Raditz's arrival to Frieza's genocide on Namek to Cell's legendary tournament.
"We're not interested in your deceitful proposal," Piccolo said as he approached, arms crossed, with a menacing, but cautious air.
"Too bad, just keep bleeding then." replied Babadi in turn, smiling and shrugging.
Uub's severed arm strangely began to shine a bright, pale light. With an indescribable sound, it rejoined Uub's left shoulder. The wound disappeared in a second, the arm was fully reattached, and even a few pieces of clothing that were cut were replaced.
Uub had regained his whole body, and was completely cured of his struggle: his breathing suddenly grew calmer, his heart rate fell by half, as if he were at complete rest, and all perspiration ceased. All this surprised Uub. He looked at Babadi, ... who was as surprised as him.The sorcerer turned his head to his Majin Buu, and scolded, "Buu! I didn't tell you to heal him!"
But the fat creature did not understand what had happened. However, the one who had healed Uub was nearby. Standing as straight as the letter I, arms folded the same way as Vegeta, the tip of his antenna was still glowing. Pink, muscular, with holes in arms and head, the creature had a strange expression. He seemed both friendly and aggressive, giving the impression that it was unwise to annoy him, but that it was also possible to completely start a conversation with him. The effect was even stranger for Uub. for some unclear reason, he found the stranger more friendly than anyone else.
Telepathically, Uub said, "Thank you very much!"

"It's... Buu!" said Piccolo, sweating at the sight of the being that had once destroyed the Earth. He continued to perspirate profusely as he remembered how he had failed to fight Buu on his own when Gotenks defused and before Gohan's arrival!
"This is the same Buu as the one we fought," said Goten, Trunks beside him nodding.
"No, look at his antenna," corrected Gohan. "This Buu seems stronger..."
"I only did that to hassle Babadi," Buu finally said. He was beginning to fed up that people where making assumptions about him. "Or maybe because you have a little bit of Buu in you," he continued, looking at Uub. "Or it's the fact that all of you exist as absorbed into me, that makes me feel close to you," he finished, looking at everyone in Universe 18.
"Even me?" Goku asked, as if he might have escaped that criteria.
"Of course," replied Buu calmly with this clear response... which was followed by supplementary explanations. "Everything that exists and contains some power, in my universe, is now in me."
The warriors of Universe 18 hadn't said a word, their eyes fixed on the one who was their world's greatest menace... Also, if he really had absorbed everyone in his universe, the fact that he could conceal his power would be just fantastic! However, not a drop of Ki emanated from him. "So that's why we didn't feel him coming," concluded Gohan.
Beside them, Babadi was frozen. He was there! Before him! It could be him! The TRUE Majin Buu he had tried to resuscitate! Not that big pink balloon he had tortured himself with for the last twenty years! Truth be told, Babadi had never before seen the creation of his father before he had released him. He tried so hard to gather the necessary energy... only to find an obese child!
"Majin Buu!" he cried, looking euphoric now, raising his arms and his mouth wide open.
"No."
Though he had replied simply. However, his eyes were hard... It was so terrifying that Babadi's joyous antics immediately ceased.
"What do you mean, 'No'?" he managed to ask, perplexed.
"I am no longer Majin Buu. I am just Buu." He put on a diabolical smile and pointing a finger at Babadi's troupe, he added quietly, "I want to tell you that in my universe, I killed you. And you, Dabra, I turned you into a cookie and ate you. As for you, Majin Buu, I have absorbed you."
"H-How is this possible? You raised a hand against your master!?"
Buu extended his arms towards Babadi and illuminated it. He prepared to fire a powerful Ki blast.
"You're not my master. You never were..." he said gravely as Babadi faced the greatest fear of his life.
Buu ceased his argument by lowering the arm. He turned without another word and marched to his space: Universe 4.
"One second!" Goku shouted as if speaking to an ordinary person. "I wanted to know if you've absorbed everything that's in your universe? Along with the houses, islands, and the planets, too? Did you transform the suns into candy?"
Buu slapped his forehead, muttering to himself. Obviously he should have been clearer when speaking to Son Goku... He turned his back to the group and recognized all the members... little Videl had greatly changed. The two tiny Saiyans had grown into men, and... there were some new family members.
I have absorbed all the people whose power was interesting to me. Those with gifts or special skills. At the time, if I had more brains than Mr. Candy-Brain over there, I would have absorbed Dabra instead of eating him. As you know, there not many people in the universe that are worthy of being absorbed... But in short, I have not absorbed whole populations.
He wanted to add for Videl, "Yes... your father is still alive." But he knew that the sentence could easily be interpreted as an insult to his lack of power rather than good news... Her own father in her universe was most probably alive. However, he preferred not to start the topic, as it could continue to a long conversation, the details of which would not please the lady...
This troop of warriors surely never imagined that he, himself, had personally killed each earthling with a ki blast after a lousy excuse from a desperate Piccolo. Buu was no longer the murderous psychopath he was back then.
Babidi, still frightened, looked at Uub, then turned on his heel and returned to Universe 11's wing.
Universe 18 watched both Buu and Babadi's troupe without saying a single word.
Suddenly, Uub broke the silence after a moment. "I... I'm going to apologize to Universe 19..."
Goku was slightly surprised. He said nothing and followed his student's eyes. As Uub went around the boundary to Universe 19, two men approached him, while another was holding the man who attempted to assault him earlier. Uub spoke to them for dozens of seconds, apologizing properly, even bowing. The two warriors in armor looked a moment, then one of them, after thinking quickly, closing his eyes and folding his arms, reluctantly accepted the apology.
When Uub returned, Goku congratulated him for having learned the moral of the experience. To apologize for his action was very big of him. And for Universe 19 to accept the apology was equally big, if not greater! As Uub returned to his teacher's side, the latter laid his hand on his shoulder, smiling, and his student smiled in return, proud.
Uub's smile suddenly faded, and his faced expressed slight incomprehension as he pointed a finger in the opposite direction. "Is that Vegetto? Looks like he wants to see Universe 4's Buu"
"Hmm... You're right," Goku confirmed. "I wonder what he wants."
Goten, nearby, intervened, "You know, he is half you. Shouldn't you rather be asking: 'What am I doing?'"
"What?" Goku simply replied instantly.
"Idiot," retorted Trunks next. "If it's half, he should say... um... 'What is half-me doing?' or 'What is semi-me doing?' "...
Vegeta slapped his forehead. "How puerile! All that suspense and it was pointless!"
"Anyway, it's a good thing we brought some extra clothing, right?" said Gohan to Goku and Uub.
"Oh, yeah! Go and change clothes, Uub," advised the master to his student.
"Alright!" Uub nodded and bounded towards his room.Buu sensed Vegetto arriving. Buu stood, immobile, near the boundary wall separating his space, waiting for the fused Saiyan to arrive. The Saiyan, smiling, greeted him with one hand as he approached and then, reaching over the wall, he jumped over to sit down.
"Hey!" He greeted simply. "Didn't see you there."
"Me neither," lied Buu. "How interesting..."
"Really? I thought the same thing, too. I guess you noticed Universe 20's fighter."
"The ice cube? Yes, it interests me, why?"
"I want to confront it."
"And?"

"I want you to help me."
"No way. That opponent will be mine."
"Come on, let him be mine. And I promise that we will fight."
"We can still fight after I've defeated him."
A pause settled. The two warriors were looking for a big challenge here. They seemed to agree on certain points.
"Listen, I've already fought this guy. I want to face him again."
"If you've already fought him, it's my turn," retorted Buu by pointing his finger at Vegetto.
"If you fight Broly, I refuse to confront you," Vegetto said, folding his arms and turning his head to one side, sulking.
"You still might not have the choice," retorted Buu, who still had not out of arguments.
"Aha! You admit that can cheat to fight whoever you want!"
"Don't pretend, I know you already knew."
"Hmm... you're pretty smart," said Vegetto with a smile.
"I'm not fooled. After all, you and I have much in common. It is the Goku and Vegeta within me. That part of me is excited about the fight against you. Goku wants to face the side of Vegeta that is within you and Vegeta wants to face the side of Kakarotto within you."
"If I don't face Broly, and I find myself against you... I'll forfeit."
"You would never."
"Obviously, you don't know me as well as you think. Vegetto is much more different than just having Vegeta and Kakarotto together," replied the Saiyan.
Vegetto stood backup, ready to go. He took two to three steps and turned his head slightly.
"I want to fight Broly in the first round... That still leaves you time to think. See ya!"
Vegetto returned to his room, leaving Buu in the same place to consider his proposal. As he walked, he smiled. He knew that Buu could cheat to fight whoever he wanted. But what the fused warrior may never know is that Universe 18's Goku had done the exact same thing to be able to fight Uub in the first round of the Tenkaichi Budokai, ten years earlier.At the command center, the Vargas and Nameks were busy restoring the ring for the next match.
"The fusion of the ring is complete," said a Varga, sitting at his terminal which showed the image of the ring which had become a big bubble filled with green liquid.
"Perfect. Begin solidification," ordered a second Varga near him.
The data was posted up on the screen of a small bluish Varga. The process went smoothly during the first few minutes of the ring's solidification.
"The next match will be: Nail of Universe 10 against Reacum of Universe 8!" Announced the host when it was completed.
"Ah. This is an interesting fight," said Piccolo, for the first time truly interested in the fight.
"A good match in perspective, and a well-balanced one, at that," he thought as the two competitors prepared to enter the ring.
He stared into Universe 10. Nail was warming up. He stretched quickly, with the encouragement of his friends, including Cargot who had regained consciousness for several minutes. He warned Nail of Nappa's power and that Nail be careful against Reacum. Although these two adversaries were not from the same universe, Nappa's power level testified that they could all be as strong, if not stronger.
After a gesture of thanks for his friend, Nail flew towards the ring, for his own fight..."All right! It's my turn!"
Reacum smiled. His opponent was a Namek. This should be simple enough. He was luckier than Jeece, at least. And he could never be as imprudent as Butta. The latter had just recovered from his defeat. He got up painfully, with a stomache ache. Clearly, the Kaioshin had made a good shot.
"Hurry up and win, Reacum," ordered Frieza.
"Okay, sir," he replied with an attentive pose. "But first, I need a modified scouter."
Reacum and Freeza turned around to face a deformed head with mottled purple skin.
"Kiwi, where is it?" Freeza asked impatiently.

"Well, we found a problem, Lord Freeza. It turns out that too many people here makes the scouters unstable, causing them to explode. Fixing the scope of the analyzers about 10 units seems to be the only thing we can do..."
"Ten units is a problem," said Freeza with his arms crossed. "Well, go ahead and give one to Reacum."
The latter outstretched his hand, waiting for the scouter, indicating that Kiwi was a slave in his service.
"This is... the only one we modified like that..." Kiwi replied shakily.
As Freeza got excited, Reacum intervened. "Uh, actually, it's okay. I'll just take Butta's."
He walked to his companion, making little noises as his massive foot stomped the ground with each step. He quickly grabbed Butta's scouter, modifying the apparatus to fit his right eye.
He looked at Jeece and Burta and said, "If you guys lost, it's because you didn't do the Dance Presentation! Ready! Go!"
"Reacum!" Freeza cried, "Stop these jokes immediately and fight before you're disqualified!"
The Ginyu Force member did not even bat en eye. He did not even argue and flew straight off into the ring... while Jeece and Burta continued their silly dance. As he landed on the ring, his opponent was ready in fighting position.One of the announcers announced the start of the match. Reacum stiffened... then suddenly began to make strange movements with his arms and shouted, "Special Force... Ginyu Commando!"
He added ridiculous leg movements. He finished on one foot, facing Nail, who was embarrassed to see such shameful poses before him, shouting his name, "Reacumm !"Just as he finished shouting he charged at Nail rapidly, yelling with a smile void of seriousness... For Reacum, this fight would merely be a formality.
Nail managed to narrowly dodge Reacum's rush by moving to his right. He took advantage of the slight imbalance to give his opponent an upward vertical kick. But Reacum had strong reflexes and dodged the blow by letting himself nearly fall backwards.
The Namek responded with a quarter turn by chaining another kick, this time a horizontal one, but in a quick flash, his opponent found himself almost on all fours, allowing him to avoid the attack.
Realizing that his back vulnerable to attack, the Namek turned and leaped forward to minimize the distance between them. Suddenly, they rushed at each other and chained attacks and counter attacks at high speeds. For about twenty seconds, neither fighters seamed to have the upper until Reacum bellowed his "Reacum Kick," with a credible and effective position and movement of attack. Nail was hit in the face and was thrown into the air, heavily crashing to the ground several feet away.
In Universe 13's wing, a Bald Saiyan was carefully observing the fight. At the start of the fight, he had let it slip that he wanted the tall one to be eliminated. He then grinned when Nail was struck by Reacum's kick.
Vegeta, turning his head towards his great friend, challenged him. "Well, it seems that Reacum is stronger than that Namek."
"Well, if that's true then Nail is much weaker than that Caracagot thing," Nappa replied simply.
"Even if, by some chance, you both faced a Namek in the first round," Raditz intervened, "it's unfortunate that
you won't meet in the tournament. We'd be able to see who's the best out of you two and maybe you'd have kicked his ass like he kicked yours at the time."
Nappa and Vegeta looked at Raditz"...Yeah.. at the time..."
"Hey look! The Namek's getting up," declared Kakarotto, distracting his three friends who went back to observing the ring.
"You want some more?" asked Reacum sarcastically, as a white aura surrounded the Namek as he stood up on his legs.
A few seconds passed as neither fighter moved. Then, suddenly, Nail cried out, clenching his fists and revealing his true strength. His aura raged more violently.
The Ginyu Commando's scouter beeped. He quickly read the number as 58,000 and rising, albeit slightly. Certainly, the limit must have been close to 60,000.Reacum had no time to comment on the strength as the Namek charged at him, creating a small crater where he stood less than a second earlier. Nail managed to land his first shot. His fists pierced the armor, landing in Reacum's stomach. Reacum gasped. Nail followed up with a second punch to the face this time, which made his enemy stagger. The scouter fell to the ground and Nail crushed it, almost unintentionally. The Namek continued to barrage Reacum with many punches and it seemed Reacum was having difficulties. He retreated again and again.
Finally, Nail violently attacked from the left, which brought down his opponent. He outstretched his right arm, palm open with his three fingers joined together and his aura reappeared. Shouting again, a wave of energy struck Reacum, who had just begun to recover. The explosion that followed was violent.
As the dust began to settle slowly and Nail caught his breath, Nappa let out a grin... which faded almost as quickly when Vegeta said, "Not powerful enough. And indeed as the dust disappeared, everyone discovered a pretty beaten up and bruised Reacum, but he was still standing, with his armor crumbling. He smiled, rubbing the dust off his chest.
He replied simply, "Not bad... that wasn't bad at all... My turn!"
He opened his bleeding mouth and a light appeared within. He then shouted the name of his technique, the Reacum Eraser Gun. A powerful energy beam collided with Nail that, even with protection with one arm, he could not resist its force.
Smoke and dust rose into the air. Craters appeared in correspondence to path the energy wave. on the land, lay the Namek, whose body was still smoking. He tried to stand up by leaning on his right arm because he had lost his left arm and part of his ribs.
Reacum approached him laughing. He grabbed the dying Namek by the left wrist and lifted him up.
"No Resistance! You're no different from the Namekians we slaughtered back home..." he said still grinning.
The image of Reacum flaunting his superiority annoyed Nappa, triggering a memory of his experiences.Thirty-two years earlier...
After a discussion with their master, Lord Freeza, Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz left the command center of Freeza's ship. Walking briskly down the hall, the began to discuss. "How the hell does he expect us to attack Helior in such short time? Three days!? Is he serious?" Nappa wondered aloud, edgily. "We'd have to end our current mission now!"
"He's laughing at us," added Vegeta, just as upset.
"If only we had one more person..." growled the bald Saiyan.
"Hold on, maybe we can get some help," intervened Raditz behind the other two.
The two Saiyans stopped and turned.
"How would you do that?" demanded the Prince of Saiyans, arms folded across his white armor.
"My little brother is probably still alive. He was sent to a distant planet whose inhabitants are not strong at all. If we can find him..."
"I thought your brother was only two units when we sent him," said Nappa mockingly. "Even as an adult, he wouldn't be very strong. There's no point."
"Nappa's right.... But why not?... At worst... Yeah, he might be helpful."
"I should leave as soon as possible to check... but..."
"Don't worry. We'll finish our current mission in two standard days and we'll expect you two to attack Helior with us. Go on now, don't waste any time."
Without another word, Raditz turned on his heel and ran to his pod, ready to find his little brother, Kakarotto, on Earth. Behind Vegeta and Nappa, two people appeared.
They called out, "Well, well. If it isn't our friends: the Saiyans?"
Turning around, Nappa and Vegeta found themselves face-to-face with two members of the famous Ginyu Force. Reacum, the tall orange-haired man, and Guldo, tiny in comparison to his friend, the plump creature with greenish eyes wide apart...
"What do you want?" Nappa asked Reacum spitefully as they approached.
"Calm down, we just want to talk to Frieza. We want to take care of Helior ourselves," said Guldo.
"Don't make me laugh!" laughed Vegeta, "You would never survive!"
"Joke while you can! You're just upset that you're not part of the Legendary Ginyu Force!"
"No way!"
"Tsk, anyway," replied Nappa, "Lord Freeza entrusted US with the mission."
Reacum was thunderstruck. "How? Impossible! Well... at least there's the chance that you'll all die, good riddance, and then we can take it!"
"What did you say?" said an enraged Nappa, clenching his fists.
"Oh, don't get excited, little one. Keep your strength, you'll need it."
"You motherfucker!" Nappa snapped. "Don't think I'm inferior!"

He threw himself at Reacum, fist forward... but the latter stopped him with one hand gripping his wrist. Worse, he lifted Nappa up into the air. Since Reacum was larger than Nappa, he stretched his arm over his head, grabbing the Saiyan's wrist tightly and laughing. Vegeta's pride struggled to witness the event, but he clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. He almost touched the ground... While the Prince of Saiyans was preparing to respond, Nappa attacked Reacum with his good arm and Reacum parried it easily.
Suddenly, Freeza, intervened behind them, "That's enough."
His voice, calm and cold, was enough to force compliance. Vegeta stood up, loosening his fists and Reacum let go of Nappa, who fell to his knees, rubbing his sore right hand.
"Reacum, Guldo, follow me immediately."
Freeza turned around. With a last, far-from-friendly look at the Saiyans, both members of the Ginyu Force left. Vegeta glanced at his partner, grumbled, and left him too. Nappa rose, grabbed his throbbing hand and looked behind him. Since then, he hated Reacum.

Reacum struck Nail, who seemed to be dying, in the face. Laughing, he punched him strongly in the head, abdomen and what was left of his ribs. The torture never seemed to end, but finally, the big redhead paused to admire his work. A big mistake! Nail took the opportunity to take a quick breath. His eyes fixed onto Reacum and from his eyes came out two yellow laser beams that managed to pierce his enemy.
Reacum fell to his knees, let go of the Namek's wrist and put his hands to the two wounds on his torso. He breathed heavily and evilly.
Rising, Nail allowed himself before explaining to Reacum, "You should've been more careful." The latter looked at him and tried to withstand the pain. He was astonished to see that Nail had regenerated his body in just a few seconds' respite! Nail tore off his jacket and threw a kick that Reacum could not avoid.
Reacum crashed to the ground and lay still. But his thoughts were tangled. He was furious. He remembered himself facing Nappa more than thirty years ago. He was stronger than him. He always had been. And somehow, by chance, they both faced a Namek from the same universe, certainly of equivalent power. Nappa had won so quickly.. and he.. he was losing.. or even dying? He was not careful, he realized suddenly...
And he deserved his death...
"Death? No, I'm not dying here! Not against the green thing! Impossible!"
Reacum seemed to come back to life. He screamed, causing Nail to cringe in fear. Nail turned around in defense. But, though he was enraged and screaming, Reacum remained on the floor. The Namek preferred to secure his victory... He walked over and violently landed his foot firmly into the belly of the man on the ground, shattering away a piece of armor.
This time, silently, breathing calmly, Reacum sank into unconsciousness. The announcers began the count. Nail breathed in relief because, despite his ability to regenerate, he was now running out of energy.
"And THIRTY! Nail wins this fight!" declared the presenter.
Sighing, the Namek immediately left to join his room to rest and be congratulated by his friends. In the ring, the Namekian organizers were busy bringing Reacum to his Universe, where Freeza ordered to bring him into the ship's treatment room. He was accompanied by the rest of the Ginyu Force, all with worried faces.
In Universe 18's space, two men and a Namek were talking about the fight that had just finished.
"It's too bad that we didn't have Nail helping us against this commando on Namek!" Gohan said after they had discussed the strengths and techniques that made Reacum reckless. (Goku also benefited from Reacum's imprudence to explicitly sho Uub that it could be fatal.)
"I wonder what he was doing instead of helping us on Namek," Vegeta replied to Gohan, remembering that they were being crushed by Reacum until Son Goku's arrival.
Beside the Saiyans, Piccolo twitched slightly. Had Vegeta forgotten that Nail was within him? Hold on. Did he even know? The Namek was about to tell them that he fought Freeza himself to save time... but changed his mind... to bad... he didn't specify that he was too broken...

In Universe 8's wing, as Freeza raged inwardly, Coola approached him with a hand on his shoulder. To Freeza's surprise, he thought his brother came to boost his morale. Pfft, what an idea!
"Haha! The Legendary Ginyu Force is just too strong! HA! They all lost, and so quickly!"
"Coola, stop bothering your brother," King Cold intervened before the fighting escalated.
"We'll see how well you minions will do," retorted Freeza looking at Sauza who was standing right behind Coola. "And we'll see how you'll do, yourself!"
"I am under no illusion, I..."
He was interrupted by the announcement of the next fight... Trunks of Universe 12 against... Coola of Universe 8!With the announcement of the fight between Trunks and Coola, almost everyone in Universe 18 began to cheer. It was now time for them to witness a fight featuring their old friends.
"Hey, I can see how I'm doing," laughed Universe 18's Trunks.
"It'd be funny if he lost," muttered Goten beside him.
"It's okay. There are three of me here. I'm entitled to three lives. You only have two of you! Ha ha!" countered Trunks.
Son Goten whispered, "Hey! That's cheating!"
"The kids are right," Goku intervened. He walked over from a group that consisted of Gohan, Vegeta, and Uub over to the side. "Coola is Freeza's brother, so their power levels must be pretty close. ... There's no doubt that he's hiding his true power, but I think we can make an off-hand guess..."
"I hope that he's continued to train over the years, unlike the idiot son I have over here," Vegeta grumbled, insisting on every last word. He provocatively glared at his son, who turned away with a grin after his eyes met his father's. Though it did not seem like it, Vegeta could (if he truly wanted) very well have forced his son in Universe 18 to do pushups or run a few hundred miles.
Trunks left his space after ending his conversation with #16 with a quick smile. At the other side, Coola flew off from his area and landed on the ring. He stood erect, arms and legs crossed. He must have found it stylish. In a way, he had class. At least, he enough class to impress his minions. The look and his eyes demonstrated his strong character, his strength, and his will. He was the type that would never let victory escape, of that he was certain."Fate must have a sense of humor..." said Trunks to his adversary as he landed on the ring.
"What are you talking about, boy?" replied the voice of the despicable son of King Cold.
"You are the only one of your family that I haven't fought yet," Trunks continued as he stretched.
"I'm delighted..."
"What is your power level?" cut the semi-Saiyan. "Are you stronger than Freeza?"
"Of course!"
Coola nearly lost his composure. He thought to himself, "What is that thing? Who is that man? Surely not a Saiyan, he has purple hair... Regardless, it would be best to quickly eliminate him!" Coola slowly raised his arms and his wrist... He extended his finger, pointing it at Trunks. The latter assumed his fighting stance, having finished stretching, and fixed his eyes on his opponent. Suddenly, a reddish-pink laser beam fired from Coola's fingertip to Trunks, who dodged it with a simple turn.
"Not bad..." he smirked.
Cooler continued to fire, several bursts this time, but Trunks dodged them all... even those fired by Coola as he flew in the air.
"That's enough," Trunks finally slapped down a beam with the palm of his hand. "I'll tell you one last thing."
"And what could that be?" Coola descended, noticing that the hair of his enemy seemed to rise up slowly... almost as if a wind was rising below him...
"You're also the only member of your family..."
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, followed by a shining light that dazzled the eyes of Freeza's brother for several seconds. When Coola finally opened his eyes, the hair of the man before him had become golden yellow and he exuded an aura of the same color. ... More than that, his eyes, too, had changed color. Strangely, the man now seemed cramped in his clothing. Coola witnessed it for the first time. Trunks, sneering, finished his sentenced as he rushed towards the Frost Demon.

"...That I didn't kill!"
Coola's eyes widened when he thought he saw Trunks vanish into thin air. But suddenly, he reappeared, inches away from his nose. Coola stared into his opponenents frightening eyes. He thought to himself, "Those eyes... this look.. what is this? I've never seen this before in my life."
Trunks dealt the first punch to Coola's stomach. He followed up with a slight uppercut, then a kick to the ribs. Taking advantage of his speed, he moved slightly to get behind Coola and violently kicked Coola's tail, making the Frost Demon bellow in pain. He raised his left hand to his sword, while with his right, he parried a punch from Coola, who turned around. But clearly, it wasn't enough.
The Saiyan seemed to spin, but Coola was unable to track his movements. Trunks landed from the air and slashed Coola, creating a long gash on his purple and white back. The tip of the blade crashed down and lodged itself in a small trench on the ground.
In Universe 8's wing, Freeza laughed at his brother's struggle. He thought to himself, "This is good for him, a good lesson of humility... But wait... where did that golden-haired guy go?" Freeza lost sight of him ... and Coola had the same problem. Trying to predict the Saiyan's next move in advance, he turned around, extending his leg to strike, but he failed. Trunks was there behind him, but he easily parried the kick.
"I'll show you how it is... to be the fastest and strongest," Trunks calmly said.
Disappearing once again, Trunks was unable to be seen by Coola's eyes during the twenty seconds that followed. Coola took hit after hit, whether by fists, feet, or the sword... Trunks' sword slashed him furiously. Fortunately for Coola, the injuries were minor. Suddenly, Coola snapped, exuding an agitated force, concentrating a shock wave that drove Trunks back. Finally... he was free to focus, to distance himself and predict his opponent's next move.
In Universe 8's wing, Freeza had completely lost all confidence. He was stunned now that he could clearly see his brother's condition after the sequence of attacks. Behind him, his father was equally amazed.
Coola stood, breathless, sweating and... losing...
"I'm not done yet," said Trunks, who truly did not want to give Coola any breaks.
Trunks charged Coola, sword in front. Coola retreated but the sword gashed his chest. Following the momentum, Trunks gave Coola a violent kick to his left rib cage. Coola fell to his knees and Trunks hit his back and Coola launched forward 2 or 3 meters. His knee had left a mark on the ring... as if the ground, though hard, were made of sand and dust.
"Wait!" yelled Coola quickly between two sharp breaths. He raised his hand forward, as a sign of saying 'stop' as he placed his other hand on his sore left ribs. The cut on his chest was bleeding... "It's a shame," he continued. "You're showing off, but I'm sure you're nothing without your weapon!"
Trunks smiled because any observer could tell that the sword was definitely not the reason for his enormous advantage over his opponent. It seemed that evil and stupidity definitely ran in the family...
"I only brought it for the fun of the event," Trunks said after a few seconds of thought. He firmly planted his sword into the ground and walked slowly, still as a Super Saiyan.
"You're honest with me, now... I will be too..." Coola advanced, getting up, "...and show you my true power!"
Smiling, he clenched his fists and concentrated his strength more intensely. He began to grow taller and his muscles expanded. Protuberances appeared on his legs and natural arm bands, and a crest grew on his head. The tip of his tail was now covered by a solid white layer, like a bone, but more resistant. Trunks noticed other things during the metamorphosis...

"His wounds are healed... and he's releasing a lot more power."
Had he not heard that even Freeza could also transform several times?
Coola took two steps forward and was already within range of attack. He lifted his leg and fiercly struck Trunks' chin with his foot. Trunks flew several yards away, only to recover and land on his feet.
"You're amusing," he said, rubbing the back of his hand under his chin.
Coola took no notice and quickly released several bursts of energy. But Trunks parried all of them away, sending them into the air. All the balls were lost in the sky.
Coola noticed something. Why did he launch the enrhy into the sky when it'd be easier just to send them in all directions, instead? "Would he," he thought to himself, "by chance..."
He had to check if his theory was right... especially since it would give him an enormous advantage.Trunks saw Coola fly immediately and once the Frost Demon was above him, he launched a volley of badly-aimed energy balls. But this time, his target was not Trunks... but rather everwhere but him.
And yes, if his opponent was the kind of Samaritan as Coola had thought, then the boy would would try to deflect each ball so that none of them hit the audience, which would be a disadvantage for him.
Some of the rays landed right near Trunks, who blocked each attack. The other, more distant ones, struck through the ring and hit the ground below, often landing in the other universes' wings, like in Universe 18's as Pan narrowly dodged one of the beams.
Trunks, however, did nothing to stop them. His kindness was not so apparent... did that mean he knew about Coola's trap?
The audience, indeed, was almost hit. The attacks were violently attacking, but a protective barrier activated, blocking the impact several meters in front of the audience. All the people were dazzled by the explosions in front of their eyes.
Trunks, who had flown up because the ring had become unstable, saw that his hypothesis was confirmed: the public was well-protected. The Vargas had planned that, too.
Coola charged, taking Trunks from behind. He raised his fists and did not miss a step... But the semi-Saiyan was too fast. Turning quickly, he parried Coola's fist with a jerk, he grabbed the Frost Demon's wrist and pulled it towards himself to give him a mighty headbutt. Coola seemed to fall backwards. Trunks grabbed his tail and spun it around several times to send him into the ring, where he collided violently under a cloud of dust. Trunks simply waited there... and glanced at his father in Universe 18.
Coola recovered gradually... He crawled in the dust and his head hit something... hard. He rose and found himself facing his opponent's sword, still stuck in the ground.
As Vegeta from Universe 18, looked away from his son, seeming to ignore him, Trunks sensed his opponent coming back from behind him to strike him with his own sword... Turning once again faster than Coola would have liked, he caught the sword with two fingers... The scenario reminded him of a good memory.

"It really is a habit that runs in the family..."
"Do.. Don't take me for a fool" yelled Coola, attempting a kick while holding the sword.
Trunks parried with a knee to the stomach of Coola, who yelled in pain.
"You tried all your dirty tricks, didn't you? Just like your father."He dealt a violent blow to Coola's stomach. The Frost Demon nearly lost consciousness as Trunks repeatedly struck him by kicking and dropping him into Universe 8's wing, in front of a petrified Freeza and King Cold. Coola lost consciousness before he even touched the floor.
"You're not even worth killing anymore," said Trunks, storing his sword in his sheath and reverting to his normal state. He cast a glare at the other two in the family. He sneered, anticipating their reaction to his statement...
"Oh, by the way... I am a Super Saiyan. See ya!"
"Victory for Trunks!" announced the announcer while King Cold and his son did not budge an inch/
The.. the Super Saiyan? No, a Super Saiyan! Did that mean there was more than just one? Their thoughts intersected quickly in shock. It was impossible! Impossible!
Freeza quickly studied all the universes. There was no way in hell so many Super Saiyans could be in the same universe, it was ridiculous! Oh dear god! In Universes 16 and 18... this Trunks was also present... that made three! Way too many! And the others? Universe 10... not impossible... Universe 13? Vegeta... he had come to taunt several hours ago, claiming he was a Super Saiyan... was he just trying to scare them or was he... telling the truth?
Freeza trembled slightly. He had not felt a fear such as this in so long... His father tried to reassure him.
"You're going to the next round to face Nappa. We know for sure that it's impossible for him to be a Super Saiyan."
"I won't be humiliated by these filthy monkeys!" Freeza replied, annoyed.
"As soon as the ring and grounds are restored," said the announcer as pieces of the ring approached to merge together and the walls of the arena, obviously made of the same material, were recovering in place as if by magic, "Universe 10's King Vegeta will fight against Universe 18's Vegeta!"
"Ho! Ho ho!" cheered Universe 18's Goten and Trunks, eternal adolscents.
"No time to vegetate!" finished Goten, to the amusement
of his friend.
"Hey, Vegeta, you're up!" Goku said happily. "Wait a sec... where is Vegeta?"
Indeed, Vegeta was no longer in Universe 18's wing...Vegeta walked calmly. There was no doubt that the Trunks of the future – that of the universe 12 – was stronger than the offspring of his universe. It unnerved him a little...
He arrived near the outskirts of Universe 12's wing while Trunks was violently beating down Coola near the end. #16, nearby, did not remove his gaze from the Saiyan Prince. The Android had been silently observing Prince Vegeta from Universe 13 in the same manner. There was a silence between the man and machine... Neither of them was the type to break the silence... Uncharacteristically, Vegeta broke the silence.
"You're more in shape than you are in my world right now," he said sarcastically, turning his back to lean against the low wall.
"You too," simply replied the Android, grinning inside.
Vegeta gasped for a second. That damn robot! Since when did Androids understand sarcasm? Especially, this one, of the three? And in two words he had replied so crisply! Vegeta thought he was being clever by bringing up the Android's destruction in his universe, but had forgotten that he, himself, had died in Universe 12... That robot was lucky to-...
"Dad?"

Trunks had just arrived. He was very surprised to see his father waiting there before his world.
"Hi Trunks."
"Uh ... hello," simply said his son, a little shy and embarrassed. He had so much to say, but now Vegeta was in front of him ... where to start?
"How you doing now?" Vegeta asked, genuinely interested in his son.
"Well ... very well," answered semi-Saiyan, not daring eye contact with his father, yet still smiling.
"How is your mother?"
"Very good! If I had known... I would have asked her to come... it would have given her so much pleasure to see you again..."
"And your girlfriend?"
“What? Uh, how do you... I... umm..." Trunks blushed.
"Trunks, in my universe, you don't stop having girlfriends. I know you're more serious than my son but I heard that you had someone."
"But, I never mentioned it... no!"
"Yeah, Gohan told me."
Glowing red, Trunks said, "Impossible!"
"I confess, I lied," Vegeta was smiling, "He didn't say anything, but you just revealed it."
Trunks grew silent, more embarrassed than before... Vegeta laughed... and this surprised his son, who had never seen him do so. He lost his discomfort, smiled back, and finally laughed before volunteering further information.
"She's fine. We’ve been together for almost two years, now. We already talked about a future and all..."
"I see ... Looks like I have a better chance of being a grandfather with you than with that other offshoot," Vegeta was watching his own son in the space 18. The teenager was still talking with his friend... Son Goten. In fact, it was the son of Son Goku who was having a bad influence on his son!
"I spoke with him earlier. It's impressive. I knew there'd be differences, yet..."
"Yeah, I noticed that you're still training?"
"That's right. On my way home, in my present, so your future, I thought about Gohan against Cell, and the level he had reached. I trained to one day reach that level too."
"And did you manage?" Vegeta asked, very interested.
Trunks did not answer...
"You can tell me, we're no longer facing Cell. I won't take it badly if you're stronger than me. But know that I had already reached that level two decades ago."
"Already?"
Vegeta smiled. Trunks did also. The father broke the silence again.
"I'm gonna head back to my wing, my fight will start soon it seems," he said when he noticed that the ring was almost repaired.
"See you later, good luck with your fight Dad."
"I don't need luck... These guys are small-fries for me ..."
And he went away just like that, leaving Trunks with a smile. He was really happy to find that to be so ... And he could not wait to get home to tell all this to his mother!
"That guy?" Trunks thought suddenly. But... wasn't that himself? Trunks made note that he would learn about his father during this fight. Moreover, this fight... Once his dad won, in the second round... Counting and grouping them by previous pair...Yes! In the second round, he should be fighting against his father!While Vegeta came back into Universe 18's space, he put two fingers to his chin and looked thoughtful. Gohan and Trunks came back, and the former asked, "Do you mind going up against your father?"
Trunks, who for once had something tactful better prepared than Gohan, ventured to correct it with a smile:
"It's himself, not his father."
"Oh yeah?" retorted Gohan.
"But I do not care about him," suddenly declared Vegeta. "I'm trying to calculate when I'll finally be able to confront that clown Goku!"
Again, Gohan was surprised to hear "Goku" from Vegeta's mouth, he who kept saying "Kakarotto" all the through the years, even when they were no longer enemies, but rivals. He always called him that way when he was angry. But for twenty years, after the fight against Buu in fact, he had begun to call him Goku with increasing frequency. Besides the first time he had said that, everyone was almost shocked.
Looking back, Gohan was at a small party with friends to celebrate their victory over Majin Buu when it was first noticed! During the festivities everyone had stopped to look at Vegeta, who had become quite red. Bulma even asked him if he had not taken a hit on the head.
Since then, Vegeta had become much quieter, more pleasant in fact. But for Gohan, Piccolo, and even Kulilin, who had heard for a long time, "Kakarotto", it was still weird.
"Everything is ready," the host finally said, "The two competitors are preparing!"
Vegeta flew to the ring immediately. He had not finished calculating the time when he would meet his universe’s Goku ... Too bad he was going to end this fight quickly and go back to thinking about it right after.Both Vegetas came to the ring exactly the same time, with the same movements with his arms crossed in front of their opponent. The Universe 18 Vegeta eyed his other self. First, he had a goatee ... it made him less credible. And his clothes looked ... kind of seedy, too simple, too brown. Finally, the last detail, King Vegeta has his Saiyan tail.
"What did you do to your title?" finally the king said, pointing fixedly.
"You know, in my house I have no one to rule."
"Nobody ... ?"
King Vegeta had heard that his people had been massacred in other universes. They were very weak! "But what about the real one?" he wondered.
The king decided to attack, without stopping the discussion. There was a point he wanted to check.
Attacking fists, the other Vegeta avoided his blows without getting tired. He asked:
"What happened to your people?"
"My people?"
"You have no subjects over which rule?" again asked the bearded king, while his opponent had to parry his fist.
"Now I rule ... no, I share my life ... simply. And not with subjects or vassels, but much better ... It's called a family."
Universe 18 Vegeta struck once to his right, throwing his counterpart. The latter rose, spitting a little blood, and began churning words out, angrily, accusingly.
While flying towards his opponent at high speed, he said:
"Family? Ho! It's your brat who insulted me just now?"
Bam, Universe 18 Vegeta stopped him with a hand gripping his hair and, whirling, threw his counterpart a little further, finally falling to the ground.
"It's his mother who was badly educated," then he replied.
Rising, a hand through his hair, King Vegeta continued his questions:
"You have traded your people for a family do you say?"
Almost mad with rage, Vegeta thought to himself, “this turncoat..!”, pouncing on his enemy as earlier. But the other stopped him easily, put him down quickly and pinned him to the ground with a foot.
"How weak... I have to ultimately thank Freeza. Nothing, you're nothing but a ghost of what I would have become if I had stayed on a pitiful planet named after me."
King Vegeta felt anger seething inside. "How does he mock a ‘pitiful planet’ named after him? That's his name, which was chosen as the one of the world! He truly denied his title of King of Saiyans?!"
"Like the other universes down there," said Vegeta, "You’re what I would have become if I had not found serenity on Earth."
"Hey Vegeta”, Raditz of Universe 13 said, “it sounds like the Universe 18 you is looking at you."
"What would you say if you could talk to the other you?" Nappa said.
"Surely they find me more classy in my brand new armor," Vegeta of Universe 13 smiles, "and you must admit, that one’s not very handsome with a beard."
"I knew that wearing a beard like my father would be ridiculous," Universe 18 Vegeta continued by setting down the 'king', as if he had heard what the members of Universe 13 had just said. "You confirmed it. But physical appearances aren't everything. Finally, he let the bearded man take a pause. Universe 10's Vegeta knew, even if he had not done so for many years, that he had only one slim chance to win.
"The Galick Gun, eh?” Universe 18 Vegeta said. "Go on, try to balance this fight with it, if you insist."
"Tell me, what is your goal if you do not rule?"
"Pushing my limits... and... fighting an old friend."
King Vegeta, dissatisfied with this response became enraged. After a few seconds of concentration of his strength, he shouted the name of the technique and carried out the attack. Opposite him, Vegeta stopped it with one hand without flinching. Even his hand did not reflect any damage, no scratches, no nothing."Is that all? You're really pathetic..."
"You talk a lot, and you don't have a tail! Aha!"
The King conjured a ball of light energy above his left hand while the Galick Gun began to fade.
"Close your eyes," cried the old King Vegeta to his people in space 10 when they saw this technique. "Nobody look at the sky! Otherwise we will not even fit in the arena!"
“Transform yourself into a full moon!" cried the current king in turn, swinging the ball of energy high in the night sky.
"Nappa, Raditz ..." Vegeta was calmly watching his Universe 13 acolytes.
"We know," replied the Saiyan with long hair, hiding his eyes with one hand.
Laughing, U10 Vegeta was transformed. His opponent did not care. He looked as always: cool, calm. The king began to grow rapidly, his hair and nose distorting, and his mouth, which became a snout, lengthened, and his clothes were torn quickly. Curiously, his beard was gone. Once at its maximum size, the Oozaru he had become let out a howl. It was strange, because from a distance, it looked like a big circus monkey on a ball...
"No one can defeat the king of the Saiyans!" Oozaru Vegeta yelled while beating his fists against his chest.

He attacked with a kick, as if to play with the ball that was the ring. But Universe 18 Vegeta dodged a bound on the side. The attacks continued, Oozaru stomping and smashing, but he could never touch his tiny foe. He tried to crush him then ... But his opponent, just stretching his arms above his head, escaped unhurt.
"Wha-?! .. How can you lift me so easily?!"
Universe 18 Vegeta gave him a small boost ... This was enough to rock the giant ape who toppled to the bottom, though the gravity of the ring was not enough to bring down a body as heavy as that of an Oozaru.
Having found his fight more difficult, King Vegeta jumped an incredible height to find the ring again ... But the other Vegeta, still folded arms, immediately attacked by a kick in the belly of the Oozaru, who spat in pain, gasping."The joke has gone on long enough," seeing that the Vegeta who was his opponent could not really do anything...
But still, it was still slightly surprising: the Oozaru jumped again, easily springing up, and threw forth from his mouth a thick line of energy that gushed into the ring and Vegeta. He simply held out an arm in front of him, and released his own energy beam. The two collided, there was an explosion, and then the radius of Universe 18’s Vegeta continued its journey as if nothing had happened, rushing in towards the Oozaru. He managed to push the ape into the artificial moon, piercing it. His trajectory ended in a small explosion.
Universe 18 Vegeta flew to recover the body of his now-humanoid opponent, in order to bring him up to Universe 10, where all the Saiyans still kept their eyes closed.
"You can open your eyes, Universe 18 Vegeta said to his father from another universe."
The old king then opened his eyes to find his son naked on the wall, and another son from another universe facing him, still with folded arms, who held his gaze a few seconds before turning on his heel. With that, Vegeta was had truly, permanently destroyed his former self...
"Universe 18 Vegeta - winner of the match!" shouted the leader in the microphone while the rival of Goku begin to think about when he would meet Kakarotto ...In Universe 10, the Saiyans began to panic. Their King Vegeta, who was the most powerful of them, had lost, and pathetically at that.
"The king has lost?" wondered again one of the Saiyans, who did not believe it yet.
While two of his accomplices attended to the naked King on the ground, the old Vegeta, the former king, had to bring himself to admit the truth:
"It seems that the participants of this tournament are at a much higher level than we could imagine."
Removing his cape, the old Saiyan offered it to cover his son to end his humiliation. The ironic side of the matter was that he had lost against himself ... At least there was a universe where he was even stronger. This was a meager consolation prize ...Universe 18 Vegeta returned quietly, arms crossed as usual. He received a few quick congratulations from his children, but it did not matter. It was not a real fight, just a warm up.
"Tell me Vegeta, what did you say?" Goku asked, smiling.
"You don't need to know," replied his rival.
"Oh come on, tell me, I want know," insisted Goku the clown.
"Forget it Kakarotto!" The Prince of Saiyans said, frustration edging his voice.
"I heard it all," said Piccolo nearby to annoy Vegeta a little.
Goku, wearing a silly expression, approached Piccolo, a gleam in his eye:
"Piccolo, go ahead, tell me everything," he whispered in his ear.
"If you repeat it, I'll kill you!" Vegeta assured the Namek.
Goku laughed. There, he had managed to annoy Vegeta, mission accomplished! Piccolo remained like a marble statue, while Vegeta turned his back on everyone's pouting. The alien leader chose this moment to start the next fight:
"Now, Baddack of Universe 10 against Pan of Universe 18!"
In the audience, some thinkers questioned. In section forty-two, seventh story, row S, in a box that spanned three hundred and eight square mile, a Metamor, wearing a dark jacket and displaying his beautiful abs, asked his neighbor, "This is the third time we have Universe 10 against Universe 18, right?"
"The viewers will see nothing..." replied a confident, monkey -tailed man dressed in orange, almost the same kimono that Goku wore, but with a different symbol. And then, as if he were to be justified for such a remark, "It's all because of the chapter title..."
His neighbor said nothing.
"But I'll bet it was decided long ago”, cut in a blonde with blue eyes. “This tournament is historic, so that means historians may have already written its history and its outcome! There may already be thousands of people reading this story! I'm sure of it! I'm a historian, myself!"
As the Monkey-tailed man whipped out a revolver, ready to commit suicide in the face of such idiocy, his neighbor's eyes were riveted on the package that the blonde held, an onigiri. The latter gave it to him, and the Metamor devoured it greedily ..."Excellent, it's my turn!" exclaimed Baddack from Universe 10.
Pan jumped for joy. "My turn already!" Even better, against her great-grandfather! She could not have been happier.
"Now pay attention to your opponent, and be careful," Videl told her, kissing her on the forehead to encourage her.
"Don't worry," assured Goku as he approached his happy granddaughter. "My father isn't really hard to beat, she'll turn out fine!"
"Pan!" cried a young girl, arriving at a run, who was called... Pan!
"Pan!" cried the first of Universe 18 to her counterpart of Universe 16, who already jumped on her to embrace and encourage.
After two or three turns on themselves, they stopped, clasped hands:
"You have the chance to fight against our great-grand-father! I envy you!" Universe 16's Pan said.
"But maybe you'll get an opponent with a higher power level!" Pan replied to the other, smiling.
"I hope so!"
Little did she know, she would. And it would not turn out good.
"Pan, go, go," said Gohan, who was paying attention to ensure that she was not disqualified for not having been in the ring in time.
"Yes!" she replied, taking off, still smiling.
"Good luck," shouted her counterpart and friend who remained in Universe 18 alongside her mother.
Opposite, Baddack was cracking his knuckles. The fact that his Universe lost its King didn’t really shock him.
"It won't stop me having fun," he said with a smile, almost sadistically.He flew quickly and arrived at the same time as his opponent in the ring. There he noticed that it was only a kid. But the proud Saiyan warrior paid no attention to this 'insult'.
"You're my great-grandfather!"
"Huh? I never had any grandchildren... No matter; I won't be holding back my shots!"
"Me neither, let's go!"
In Universe 10, King Vegeta awoke painfully.
"Are you awake, sire?" asked one of his subjects kindly.
"I lost?" said the King, still disoriented, sitting down, rubbing his aching head with one hand.
"Against yourself," countered immediately another Saiyan. The revelation hit him.
"Baddack made the next fight," says another. "He will save our honor."
Baddack was indeed known for his great strength, how he was born of lower class and had, over the years, demonstrated skills and force more and more developed, making him one of the most feared warrior Saiyans. If Vegeta was not so strong, he would have approached the King of the Saiyans in challenge.
His professional and personal sacrifice pushed him into the ranks of the elite. It did not take him by surprise, and they rarely avoided his punches. Several Saiyans’ groups could confirm from the depths of their memory that they never came out unscathed from a battle against Baddack. He who...
"I'm really happy to see you!" Pan screamed, pouncing on her great-great-grandfather, hugging him nimbly around the neck with her little arms, making him nearly fall backwards in shock.
Baddack grabbed the body of the clinging child with both hands and pushed, but it was impossible, she was like a leech on him, crushing his face in her belly. Pan, with her head against her great-grandfather's hair and face, made Baddack look like a person unable to remove the most grotesque party mask.
Below, more than a dozen Saiyans opened their eyes to the vision of the humiliation of Baddack.
Baddack managed to throw away the pesky child, but she rebounded on him, in an attack position this time.
Baddack was surprised at her speed and strength. Placing his arms outstretched, he countered the assault of the girl, but the shock made him step back a few feet still, his feet leaving the ground marred. He tried to push ... in vain."Hey! Let me go!"
"Grandpa!"
"Get off of me, you freak!"
Baddack couldn’t really do anything... she was a master. Pan managed to climb on him, and climb on his shoulders. Clutching his hair, she played rodeo, with the confused Saiyan as the bull. She was playing like crazy while her great-grandfather was desperately trying to get her down.The audience seemed just as amused as Pan, and laughed a lot.
None of the Saiyans in Universe 10 dared to say anything. They were too shocked by such a spectacle.
"Awful ..." King Vegeta still managed to sigh.
Pan then decided to get down from the shoulders of her opponent. While the latter was quickly massaging his shoulders, Pan grabbed her staff and... struck quickly, leaving no time to give the warrior a chance against the attack.
Once again, Baddack began with a blow to the head, before receiving other small attacks with the same weapon. Pan struck quickly and efficiently as she had been taught: a few shots at the ankles and knees, and also on the wrists. She allowed his blows to force him to make slow movements in order to have an advantage over the long pole.
Baddack got mad, and when he still had one hand on the new bump on his head, he tried a powerful punch. Pan quickly hit her stick in his back, attacked, and yelled, "Rock!" as her fist launched forward against that of her ancestor.
Baddack felt a sharp pain on his fingers. He shook his hand as if to try to abate the pain... but he recovered quickly. Pan shouted "Rock!" with every punch she gave to counter those of her opponent, then suddenly changed technique.
"Scissors!" she said when two fingers of her right hand poked the eyes of Baddack.
"Paper!" she cried then, an attack with the palm of her hand, pushing off her opponent.
She ran to him to catch him, grabbed his arm, carried out a quick decision to land him on his stomach and sat on his back clutching her legs, pulled them in towards her.
Baddack was fed up with this monstrous torture, he couldn’t do anything and his whole body was sore.
"I give up!" he cried, sweating, tapping on the floor.
"What, already?" Pan was surprised, a sadder air replacing her previous enthusiasm.
"Pan wins by forfeit!" cried when one of the twelve announcers, ending Baddack‘s ordeal.
At Universe 10’s balcony, King Vegeta became angry in silence. Baddack returned, looking shocked. Just as he arrived, Vegeta said, "We’re leaving."
Behind him, the other Saiyans expecting to participate later were actually quite happy with this decision. They did not like the idea of being beaten like Baddack, or humiliated as their King was, or Mahissu, or worse: being killed!
"Bring us back home," the King said to a Varga present in their space.
"You don't want to wait until the end of the tournament?" the Varga asked, amazed, following the Saiyans who already engulfed in the corridor behind one person... one Saiyan.
"You don't want us to treat your injuries?" he inquired when they did not answer him, trying to make them stay.
Baddack brought up the rear with a dignified air. He suffered multiple bruises and red eyes that reflected the fingers that had penetrated them, but his attitude said, "Tsk, these scratches? It's nothing!" His king did the same, and walked like a monarch, though he wore a cape wrapped like a towel.
"We will not continue to be so humiliated," King Vegeta grunted, clenched fist.
"We forfeit also." Nail was behind the blue Varga.
The Varga was seized with a sudden burst: the whole universe in his care was gone! He could say goodbye to his promotion! It was not until tomorrow that his colleagues would stop ribbing him for being incompetent..."Yes!" Goten and Trunks cheered in Universe 16 and 18. In an efficient manner, the Nameks hope to profit on the return to their world before being eliminated!
"But you won your battle ..." muttered the Varga, almost sadly, to Nail.
"I can’t stay, I am sure to lose," he replied, smiling, but still leaving a small local Varga surprised.
Indeed, for Nail, they did not level either. Cargot was beaten easily, when he was number two of the Nameks. He himself had struggled against Reacum. In the next round, he would fight this Uub of Universe 18. He thought he had a small chance of winning, but then what? In the third round there was a choice of King Kaioushin, then a Supreme God of the Universe, and a pink demon that would be overkill. He had no chance, it was realistic. His friends agreed with him - after Cargot and Nail, other Nameks no longer wanted to participate. They had seen what they needed to see, it was not necessary to stay longer.
Pan of Universe 18 returned to her space, to be welcomed by her parents and her counterpart in Universe 16, under the glaring eye of Vegeta.
"Damn”, thought the prince who never became king, “they only have to congratulate her if she also happens to lift a pebble, or thinks about breathing while they are here! She’ll probably find herself against Cell in a few rounds and then there will be a worthy fight!"
While Pan and Pan did a little dance, the official announcement was made.
"We announce... the forfeit of the entire Universe 10!"
This declaration was followed by protests from some viewers. But ultimately, it was also for their good. They would see less fighting from low level warriors, so more fun. For Vegeta, it was all the same.
"Good for them, they had nothing to do here," he said.
"Maybe it's a shame but," Gohan replied.
"I would have liked to say goodbye to Nail..." Piccolo thought, without letting his emotion show.
"I hope it'll be my turn at the next fight!" Universe 16 Pan said to her Universe 18 counterpart. That way we would end up in the second round!
"That would be great!
Unfortunately, fate decided otherwise when the presenter announced, "Followed by… Kakarotto of Universe 13 versus Kat of Universe 6!"
"Oh no ... Universe 16 Pan said... Now even after one of the rounds we won't meet... Perhaps the third round if I'm next?"
"It would be nice, said the Pan in the red kimono. But will we get to the third round? I'll have to beat one of the two... Kakarotto is like Grandpa.."Maybe he’s less strong?"
"I'm sure," Goku said behind the girls. "It’s impossible that your grandfather can be beaten by... hmm... himself, right?"
"They said they were Super Saiyans..." Universe 18 Pan complained.
"Oh don't worry," replied her counterpart, "You can beat him, I'm sure! Let's first see what this Kakarotto does in his fight."
Goku was turning to the ring.Nappa laughed raucously upon realizing that Kakarotto was about to fight a girl from Universe 6, who in no way looked as though she belonged in a tournament of powerful fighters. Nappa's companions looked for a moment as though they were embarrassed by his boisterous laughter.
"These Vargas guys must think you're a wimp, Kakarotto," Nappa said. "That's why they're making you fight this chick!"
"Just because I have to fight a girl doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy myself”, said Goku's alter-ego, while grinning and cracking his knuckles.
Kakarotto then shifted toward the spherical arena, while maintaining the vigilant attitude that had saved him more than once during his experiences in Universe 13.
In the 6th Universe Balcony, Kat's friends were encouraging her. With long, flowing black hair, and her beautiful, yet graceful facial features, Kat was akin to how a female human of Earth might appear with no more than 20 standard years of age, as was the case with her three friends.
While adjusting her gloves for the upcoming fight, Kat smiled, as she was looking forward to it.
On her planet, she had not only been the physically strongest, but had mastered the planet's best techniques of melee combat.
"Kakarotto! He's my type!" Kat said to her friends, with a sly grin. "If he's anything like that other hunk in the orange gi who looks like him, then he's probably very strong. But as you all know, I know just what to do.”
"Good luck, Kat!" her friends yelled almost in unison, while Kat knelt to pounce upward toward the ring.
Standing about five meters closer to the 6th Universe Balcony's wall nearest the spectators, members of the Bojack Gang were beginning to find the cheery optimism to be somewhat intolerable."These giggling idiots are beyond annoying," Bojack said.
"They want to make fools of the most beautiful boys in this tournament," Zangya said. "It disgusts me!"
"We'll just kill them all when we get back to our universe," Bojack said.
"Well, if she is more than she appears to be and defeats this guy, you might even get to kill her in the third round," Zangya said. "Then, you can show her why she should never annoy me.”
Kat pounced from the ground, and her strength was readily apparent. She soared into the air, achieving a distance from the ground greater than that of the top of the spherical arena. Right before she descended from the top of her arched path, she flipped forward a few times, perhaps to impress the audience.
"This athlete from Universe 6 is honoring us all with her beautiful gymnastics display!" one of the announcers shouted via the loudspeakers. "Look at that grace! Look at that - oh no, she's falling fast!"
To her great surprise, the arena's gravity forced Kat to accelerate quickly forward. She fell several meters, unable to control her descent.
"Ow!" she yelled, when her rump made contact with the arena floor.
"Fortunately, this isn't a gymnastics competition, otherwise, the judges would have given her a zero!" the announcer said with amusement after recognizing that Kat was relatively unhurt by the fall.
"Damn," Kat said, while recovering from the fall by kneeling forward. "Usually my landings are much better, and -"
She suddenly realized a detail about the ring that she had previously not understood.
"But ... this gravity is like 10 times ours!" she shouted. "No one seemed bothered by it before!"
She now understood why her entrance had been less than desirable. The higher gravity had indeed interfered with her approach.
The fact that no one else had seemed bothered by this intensity of gravity prompted Kat to become quite nervous.
She became even more nervous when, upon looking toward her opponent, she saw that Kakarotto, like the fighters who had been in the ring before him, seemed unaffected.
‘Him ... I'll have to use all my powers ...' she thought to herself, while standing up and dusting off her miniskirt.
'This won't take long,' Kakarotto thought to himself. 'After I defeat this chick, I'll then defeat a ridiculous little girl in the second round. After that, I'll fight Trunks or Vegeta. Trunks is a Super Saiyan, despite his normal hair color, but I'm a Super Saiyan too, and I'll defeat him. Vegeta from Universe 18 likely hasn't shown his full strength, but even so, there's still a chance he might be weaker than my universe's Vegeta!"Kat then attracted Kakarotto's attention, with a wink and a wave of her right hand, almost in a seductive manner.
"Hello, you!" she said, with a joyful giggle, while Kakarroto blushed.
Indeed, Kakarotto hadn't expected that she would be so ... alluring.
'Her miniskirt ... her cleavage ... no, wait! I can't let myself be distracted!' Kakarotto thought within. 'Who the hell does she think she is? There will be plenty of time for fun later. Right now, I just need to get this over with. Hey, I'll just do what my alter-ego from Universe 18 did!'
Kakarotto forcefully punched forward with his right hand, straight toward Kat. Just as Goku had done against Mahissu, the punch created intense air pressure that was swiftly moving forward.
To Kakarotto's surprise, Kat's appearance blurred, and the invisible air attack passed straight through where Kat had been visibly standing.
Kakarotto had time only to raise his right eyebrow in shock before Kat suddenly reappeared in front of him about a half-meter above the arena floor and then kneed him in the face. The impact of the attack manifested in a cacophonous boom of sound, but despite what the audience heard, Kakarotto grinned, with his face relatively unscathed, and his feet had in no way moved from where they had been before the attack.
"Not bad at all," Kakarotto said, while maintaining the grin on his face, while Kat lowered her right knee.
'He isn't even scratched!' she thought nervously, while beginning to step backward from Kakarotto.
She then yelled aloud while rushing forward toward Kakarotto, bringing her right fist backward in preparation for a punch.
"You can hide your energy very well...,” Kakarotto began to say, right before Kat shifted from in front of him and left an afterimage, reappeared behind him, and then was back-slammed in the face by Kakarotto's left fist.
"...but your energy isn't the only way I have to find you," Kakarotto said. "Your knee strike from earlier definitely shows me that you're more powerful than you appear. Maybe you even have a power level of about 10,000. But it doesn't matter. As you can see, you're no match for me.”
'Damn it!' Kat thought to herself in pain, while recoiling away from Kakarotto. "And he isn't even using one percent of his power! I can't win like this. I didn't want to resort to this, but...”Quickly after wiping her nose, which fortunately was not broken, Kat readied herself for her next attack. She closed her eyes for a moment, and Kakarotto did not move, waiting to see what she was planning to do.
When Kat finally opened her eyes, Kakarotto saw that her pupils had shifted from blue to pink. She then looked to the heavens, and from Kakarotto's perspective, many types of women's underwear were beginning to fall from above, including panties, thongs, and swimwear.
"This is incredible!" the 12 announcers shouted together almost in unison. "Kat has a fine gift!"
Kakarotto reached out with his right arm up toward the apparently falling items, reaching particularly for a sexy swimsuit.
In the balconies for Universes 16 and 18, Trunks and Goten, being the mischievous pranksters that they were, were finding the situation to be hilarious.
"If one thing's for sure, Oolong would have been happy to be here!" Goten of Universe 18 said, with a grin.
"If Oolong would have been merely happy to be here, imagine how Master Roshi would have felt to see all of this!" Trunks of Universe 18 said, right before they laughed some more.

Kat realized that Kakarotto had been quite distracted by what was nothing more than an elaborate illusion, and she knew she needed to take the opportunity to strike at him again if she was to win.
She rushed forward and managed to grab Kakarotto's head while he was distracted by the illusory underwear, intending to break his neck.
She tried with all her might ... and Kakarotto would not budge.
Kakarotto then recognized what she had tried to do and slammed Kat in the nose again for her attempt.
The illusion dissipated, and some of the announcers who had blushed because of the illusion then returned to their normal skin color.
"Kat is down!" stammered one of the announcers, looking intently upon the fight and wondering what would happen next.
"Shit, I didn't even want to go as far as that, but it looks like I might need to go farther," Kat said, knowing that if she wanted to progress to the second round, she needed to pursue her last available option.
'This technique will work,' she thought to herself, while beginning to sexily spin, with waves of feminine essence emitting from her.
"Pheromone attack!" Kat shouted, while continuing to spin, causing Kakarotto to stare toward her. All around Kat, light-pink haze was forming and then spreading out across the arena.
After the haze spread throughout half of the arena and had covered much of Kakarotto's vision, Kat stopped spinning, causing the haze to disappear almost immediately.
"What is she - " Kakarotto begin to ask, interrupting himself right when he clearly saw her.
He instantly became enthralled by her beauty to an extremity, and to him, in those moments of euphoria, her sexiness and charm were unparalleled.
Kat's right hand was placed in a provocative position by her right thigh, while her left hand was to the left side of her face, drawing further attention to her splendor.
"My handsome warrior...,” she began to say, with her eyes captivating Kakarotto even more than they had before.
"She's ... she's gorgeous!" Kakarotto said, with her beauty overcoming all his senses.
"You shall lose this match, for my pleasure," Kat said, with her voice sounding all the sexier to Kakarotto's ears.
Kakarotto had heard her say the word 'pleasure,' and he found the word to be agreeable. He then fully noticed her luscious lips, and they were shiny, yet lush with wonder...
Approaching with the most suggestive of walks, and then caressing him with tenderness upon her arrival, she sought to take further advantage of the Saiyan.
"Handsome stallion,” Kat began to say, while moving her left hand across the back of Kakarotto's hair, "declare that you forfeit.”
She then nuzzled her nose against Kakarotto's left cheek, and Kakarotto remained motionless for many moments.
Without warning, Kakarotto grabbed Kat's wrists, and Kat noticed that his facial expression was unyielding in focus upon her.
"I...I love you!" Kakarot shouted. "Bear my child!"
"What!" Kat shouted, in alarm.Kat was beyond shocked!
Did he really say that he was in love her?
She had known her Pheromone attack to be effective, but to this extent? It had never happened before! And on top of that, he wasn't even fully listening to her, and instead wanted her to obey him! Despite her attempts to break free from his grip, she couldn't escape.
"You will come with me to my universe," Kakarotto said, with a voice of authority. "Now, get into the 13th Universe Balcony!"
Kat sensed that the situation was rapidly deteriorating, and in desperation, she knew that she had to try as best as she could to enable her plan to still succeed.
"Er ... okay, but forfeit first," she said, while unsure of how Kakarotto would react.
"Silence!" Kakarotto yelled, right before smacking her across the face. "Do what I say, woman!"
Kat fell to the ground, then after a few moments, got back up, while rubbing her reddened right cheek with her right hand.
Then, she raised the middle finger of her left hand so Kakarotto could clearly see it.
"Go to Hell!" she shouted. "What do you think you're doing!"
Kakarotto swiftly approached and violently kicked upward into her chin, sending her rapidly backward.
"I said silence!" Kakarotto shouted, and before Kat could fall to the arena floor, Kakarotto punched her across the face with his left fist.
Kat now had many scratches across her body, her hair was disheveled, and her jacket was torn, with only one cord keeping the jacket on her chest, although her modesty was still concealed.
"He is totally mad!" Kat screamed. "I give up! I give up!"
"I said- " Kakarotto shouted, while winding up another punch with his right hand, causing Kat to look away in dread.
She was crying in fear - the fear of being hit again.
She fully expected to be hit, and she didn't even defend her face with her hands, knowing that it would not be enough.
However, just as Kakarotto was about to punch her, someone intervened.
Kat opened her eyes.
She saw a man who was not as tall as Kakarotto and who was wearing similar armor and a red cape, with his hair pointed upward.
Vegeta of Universe 13 had grabbed Kakarotto's right wrist, stifling his movement."Hit her again, and you're out of the tournament," Vegeta said. "Or worse, all four of us could be sent back to our universe without having the opportunity to use the Dragon Balls here.”
"Ve-...Vegeta!" Kakarotto said, surprised that Vegeta had appeared so suddenly near him.
In fact, he felt very strange, as if he had not been fully aware of the last few minutes.
Vegeta turned to face Kat, scornfully, while she remained kneeling on the floor, exhausted from the ordeal.
"As for you, you'll think twice before turning on a pervert!" Vegeta said.
"A...pervert!" Kat shouted, fully realizing how terrifying of an ordeal it had truly been.

"With Kat's forfeit, Kakarotto wins the match!" an announcer said, while Vegeta and Kakarotto began to fly back toward the 13th Universe Balcony.
Kat was now standing where she had been kneeling, and was now trembling as well.
After some brief grief due to the intensified gravity, her friends had made their way to her, and were now directly in front of her.
"He was ... terrifying," Kat said, while her friends sympathized.
"He should be ashamed for what he did," one of her friends said. "I'm surprised, though, that your technique didn't fully work on him."
"His power is too extreme," Kat said. "We need to leave this place!"
Two of her friends were open to the suggestion, but one among them, Syd, adamantly wanted to stay so she could compete in her match.
Kat was clinging to the arm of one her other friends while they began to return to the 6th Universe Balcony. While she knew she would cheer for Syd when it was eventually her turn to fight, all Kat truly wanted to do, as a result of the trauma she had experienced, was to go home.
In the 16th Universe Balcony, Vegetto and Bra were in the midst of analyzing what had happened.
"That was some quick decision-making on Vegeta's part," Bra said."From the moment he heard Kat shout that she wanted to give up, Vegeta knew that he had to act as prudently as possible," Vegetto said. "I sensed that he knew that he needed to stop the fight. Kakarotto is not like the version of Goku to whom I owe half of my existence; he's much more violent. Vegeta knew that the fight wouldn't stop unless he forced it to stop. Before Kakarotto could punch Kat again, Vegeta was a step ahead."
While Bra relatively agreed with her father's assessment of the situation, she still felt somewhat uncertain about it.
Vegetto's comments suggested that he had been able to sense Vegeta's internal escalation of psychological tension, and not merely his energy. Had this actually happened, or was her father merely making inferences after the fact?
As with similar stories, she wondered whether or not her father had embellished this one...With the conclusion of the fight between Kakarotto of Universe 13 and Kat of Universe 6, the tournament's participants and spectators were awaiting the announcement of whom would fight next.
Of the registered fighters from Universe 18, the only one who had not yet fought was Gotenks. Even though Gotenks had not yet graced the tournament with his absurd jokes and playful foolery, Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 were in the midst of being quite absurd and playful even so, while others in the 18th Universe Balcony were focusing on matters of significance.
"It's a shame that Vegeta decided to stop Kakarotto from hitting Kat after she gave up," Pan said. "Don't get me wrong; I'm glad she wasn't hit again. All I'm saying is that if grandpa's alter-ego did hit her, that jerk would have been disqualified from the tournament."
"He sure deserves to be disqualified," Gohan said. "It's hard to believe your grandpa could have turned out so ... horrible had things been a bit different."
"I'm glad grandpa would never do any of that," Pan said. "But next round, I'm supposed to fight that creep. I really wish I could've avoided that. Honestly, papa, I'm not so sure I want to fight here anymore if it means I have to fight him."
"We're here to fight, Pan, and no matter what our opponents are like, we should at least try our best to fight them," Goku said, with a modicum of forcefulness in his voice. "Otherwise, we'd be wasting our time here."
Pan did not verbally respond, and solemnly reflected upon her grandpa's words as she looked toward the spherical arena above. She knew he was right and knew she needed to remain brave. She also hoped, for the sake of her counterpart from Universe 16 who soon was to fight one of her father's most hated enemies, that she, too, would remain brave.
"Still, I think Kat is very lucky," Uub said, causing Pan and Gohan to redirect their attention toward him. "If Kakarotto had been stronger, or even more aggressive, he could have killed her without the Vargas properly reacting in time."
"Maybe so," Gohan said. "I wonder if they're working on a way to respond faster when a situation like that happens."
As if on cue, the blue Varga in charge of attending to the 18th Universe Balcony surprised its occupants by suddenly and silently arriving from behind them with an answer to their concerns.
"If you're wondering about our ability to retain control over the tournament, have no worries," the Varga said, with what could reasonably be described as a smile. "If Kakarotto's friend had not intervened, you would have seen that Kakarotto would not have been able to hit Kat that final time. Since she forfeited, if Kakarotto's punch had gotten any closer, he would have been immediately disqualified and sent back to his universe. Each of the directors of the universes, like me, has a remote control for returning participants who either dangerously break the rules, or are simply too dangerous. Observe!"
The small Varga opened up his vest and revealed what had been the concealed left side, from Gohan's perspective.
The Varga then patted, but did not firmly press, a grey rectangular object that was within an interior pocket.
To Gohan, it appeared that the device was very slim and lightweight. In fact, it appeared to be equipped with only one button.
"Each of us has one of these devices at the ready at all times," the Varga said.
The Varga then took the device out of its pocket and, while grabbing it with one hand, further showed it to the curious fighters and spectators of Universe 18.
"I know that you all are very strong and very fast, but when any of you fight, I keep a finger on the button, just in case," the Varga said. "All the directors do this for the universes under their supervision. It doesn't matter how fast a warrior is, as we can send that warrior back to his or her universe in an instant without any problems."
The Varga suddenly saw six of the people of Universe 18 redirect their attention to the Varga's right ... toward two of the universe's other guests. The Varga looked toward the two boys, one with disheveled black hair and the other with hair that was lavender and relatively well-kept. He saw that the two of them were entertaining themselves with a remote control, not only by repeatedly pressing its single button, but by throwing the remote back and forth like a ball.
The Varga thought it looked rather fun, actually, and that the remote they were messing around with looked relatively like the one he was holding in his ... hand?

"What! Impossible!" the Varga yelled, upon recognizing that he was no longer holding the remote control and that somehow, the boys had acquired it.
He had been holding it in his hand! He had not seen anyone move! The boys had not only swiped the precious item, but their roughhousing with it likely had degraded some of its components! The damage would be deducted from his pay, for sure!
Gohan and Bra shifted behind their respective siblings and struck them in the back of the head. They were by no means impressed with the childish behavior. Had Trunks and Goten learned nothing about being courteous and refraining from taking things that did not belong to them?
The remote now was lying on the floor, and Goku took the opportunity to retrieve the remote and give it back to the Varga.

"Obviously, we can easily prevent you from using this," Goku said, upon handing the remote to the Varga. "Goten is far from being the fastest here."
"Hey! That's not true!" Goten shouted, as he was rather bothered by what his father had said.
Trunks began to laugh, but a comment from his father quite thoroughly made him stop laughing.
"I wouldn't make fun of Goten if I were you," Vegeta said. "You're only slightly stronger than him. And don't forget - you're weaker than your counterpart from Universe 12!"
Trunks then thought of the conversation that he and his counterpart from Universe 16 had decided to have with Trunks from Universe 12. At the time, he had been ashamed of the fact that his counterpart from Universe 12 seemed to commit noble deeds and help others on a daily basis, while his own life had been one that was far easier, and more care-free. Vegeta's comment about the difference in their strengths intensified his downtrodden feelings even further.
Gohan then spoke up, as he felt that he needed to address an important point with the Varga as a result of what had happened.
"Since it was so easy for those two numbskulls to swipe your remote control, couldn't anyone who is fast enough and knows about the remotes just steal some of them and knock other participants out of the tournament by sending them back to their universes?" Gohan asked.
"Thankfully, no," the Varga said, while placing the device back into his interior jacket pocket. "This remote and all the others can only be used by a Varga. The remotes were designed to only function after detecting a special electronic signature that only we, the Vargas, possess."
"Is it kind of like a fingerprint?" Gohan asked.
"It's more than than, actually," the Varga said. "The remote has various protocols to counter any attempt to copy or even clone a Varga's body."
"Very impressive. Bulma would be interested in this," Gohan said softly, more to himself than anyone else.
While Trunks and Goten were sulking near the wall of the balcony closest to the audience section, and while nearby, most of the other guests from Universe 18 were continuing to speak with the Varga, Vegeta squatted and began to draw a tournament chart in the sandy soil with his right index finger.
He had not remembered some of the competitors' names, such as Mahissu, or even Bujin, but he decided that listing only the winners of each of the fights in the first round was sufficient for creating the chart.
Vegeta wanted to know in advance exactly what he would have to do and what would have to happen for him to be able to fight certain opponents with whom he greatly wanted to fight. The chart would enable him to have a clearer picture of this, and upon completing the chart so that it reflected the outcomes of battles up to that point in the tournament, he began to strategize.
"So, first I'll crush Trunks," Vegeta said, loud enough that his son of Universe 18 heard the comment.
"What!" Trunks shouted, slightly anxious as to what his father was planning.
"Not you!" Vegeta shouted, without even turning to look toward him.
It was quite unfortunate, but those at the tournament who had observed the exchanges between Vegeta and his son from his universe might have perceived that Vegeta believed his son to be nothing more than a fool.
Vegeta then resumed his scheming.
"Then, I'll fight the winner between Pan and the other Kakarotto," Vegeta said, while looking toward Pan from his universe and then snickering right before speaking to her. "Hey, Pan! Lose your next match! Make me happy!"
Pan jumped backward with a startle.
"Huh?" she asked aloud.
"If you refuse to do so, I'll hit you," Vegeta jokingly said, with another snicker.
"But ... that's a threat!" Pan shouted.
"Nope, it's the randomness of the rounds!" Vegeta said, with a smirk.
"Dad, Vegeta isn't being nice!" Pan said, almost with tears.
She knew that she needed to remain brave, but she also was in no way happy with the fact that she might have to fight Vegeta. She in no way believed that Vegeta would show any restraint!
"Vegeta, stop bothering Pan, please," Gohan said, with a tone of frustration because of Vegeta's brashness.
Gohan didn't want to appear overprotective, and in fact, he didn't feel that Vegeta had truly done anything wrong to Pan. After all, this was a tournament of martial arts combat, in which aggression was the norm.
However, Gohan wondered to himself what Pan would do if presented with other tournament challenges.
'How would she react if she had to fight me in this tournament?' he thought to himself. 'Would she refuse to fight me, or would she fight me as thoroughly as her grandpa would if he had to fight me? Regardless, she will not have to fight Vegeta in the tournament if she doesn't manage to defeat the misguided version of dad from Universe 13. Kakarotto seems even more dangerous than our own Vegeta did when I first met him. Since he apparently has no qualms about hitting grown women, would he also have no qualms about hitting young girls? I ... just don't know.'
Without saying a word to anyone, Gohan kept these considerations to himself. After all, there was still time before the second round in which to contemplate these matters further, and if necessary, act on them ...
Goku had observed Pan's complaints about Vegeta's behavior, but he had decided to not interfere. It was clear to Goku that Pan, likely because of her age and inexperience, did not yet possess the emotional maturity to better respond to Vegeta's taunting. Goku hoped that her experiences in this tournament would enable Pan to become not only physically stronger, but emotionally stronger as well.
Goku found it to be all too true that Pan, so far, had been having too much fun with martial arts. She had mistaken martial arts for a mere game, and despite the relative rivalry between her and Uub, only the latter was serious enough about martial arts to have made good progress as a result of his training.
After reflecting upon all of this, Goku decided that regardless of what happened in the tournament, Pan would benefit from a more rigorous training regimen that would begin after they returned to their universe.

In the 16th Universe Balcony, Gohan and Vegetto were in the midst of discussing what they regarded as the rather unexpected behavior of Vegeta from Universe 18.
They had acknowledged that Vegeta of Universe 18 had not only willingly talked with his son from Universe 12, but during the fight with his counterpart from Universe 10 had made comments indicating his outright rejection of many of the values he had once cherished. Gohan and Vegetto had been especially surprised to hear Vegeta, in the midst of his battle against Vegeta from Universe 10, acknowledge his counterpart from Universe 13 as what he would have been like if he "hadn't found inner peace on Earth," suggesting that he was pleased this had happened and that the other versions of Vegeta were inferior for not having found that peace.
"He is very different from the Vegeta I remember," Gohan said, while crossing his arms.
"It seems he changed much over 20 years ...," Vegetto said, while considering how Vegeta of Universe 18 compared to the version of Vegeta within himself."What do you think happened?" Gohan asked.
"I don't know," Vegetto said. "He seems even calmer than my predecessor had been right before fighting Buu ... perhaps we should try talking with some of the others in Universe 18 to find out more about this."
Gohan nodded. He was indeed very curious about Vegeta's behavior, and he had wondered about the grin that Vegeta had possessed when taunting Pan ... as he could not readily describe what it meant. In fact, he wondered if Vegeta of Universe 18 had turned out as he had largely because of his decades of interaction during times of peace with Pan and all the other offspring of his and Goku's families.
In thinking of Pan from Universe 18, Gohan decided that he wanted to briefly talk with his daughter from his universe.
When he turned to talk with her, however, he noticed that she was nowhere to be found in the 16th Universe Balcony!
'Oh!' Gohan thought to himself. 'There she is, talking with her counterpart in the 18th Universe Balcony!'
It seemed to Gohan that both versions of Pan had become quite close with each other since the start of the tournament, probably even closer than the versions of Trunks and Goten had become.
"It looks like they've become friends," Bra said, while arriving to the right of her father and farther to the right of her brother.
"Yes, but after the tournament, they will need to say their goodbyes and will never get to see each other again," Vegetto said.
"Bra, don't you want to make some friends here?" Videl asked, while arriving to Gohan's left and then clinging to his left arm.
"No. My counterpart is too different from me," Bra said. "And those girls from Universe 6 are of no interest to me ..."

"Too bad there's not a female version of Broly here!" Vegetto said, with a laugh. "You could have become friends with her!"
"And then what? I'd remain a woman with refined tastes, and she would probably have muscles so big that it would be unsightly!" Bra said.
"Not necessarily," Vegetto said. "In fact, she might even look like you, but with all the gems and stuff that Broly wears!"
With Bra's sour facial expression, she made her father more than aware that she was less than amused with the idea.
"Relax! I was only joking!" Vegetto said, causing Bra to slightly lighten her mood. "Anyway, I can't wait to see Broly's strength!"
"Aren't you worried?" Gohan asked.
"No, not really," Vegetto said, right before acknowledging the presence of someone who had returned. "Hey, Piccolo! You're back!"
Indeed, Piccolo had been absent since shortly after many of the fighters and spectators of Universes 16 and 18 had formally met each other, and had not returned until now. For much of the time, he had been in the 20th Universe Balcony to talk with the Vargas about Broly.
"What's new?" Gohan asked.
"Nothing, really. I haven't yet talked with my counterpart from Universe 18, if that's what you want to know," Piccolo said. "As for Broly, the Vargas are determined to let him fight, despite our advice."
"Good!" Vegetto exclaimed.
"They told me that they have a system they can use to send participants back to their universes," Piccolo said. "Each Varga directing one of the universes has a device, and there is a master device located in their main control room up there."
Piccolo pointed toward the pillar protrusion that extended above the audience section, indicating the location of the main control room.
"It is principally from there that the Vargas are supervising this tournament," Piccolo said.
"Hm...," Vegetto said aloud, signifying his contemplation.
He stood for a moment, perplexed and yet thoughtful, and then turned toward the 4th Universe Balcony to address Buu.Although they were physically separated by hundreds of meters, they still could communicate via telepathy, as the art was by no means a secret to Vegetto.
*Hey Buu,* Vegetto said, summoning his attention via telepathy. *Have you noticed the devices the Vargas possess to send fighters back to their universes?*
Although Buu did not answer, Vegetto continued his communication.
*When either you or I fight Broly, it may be necessary to block the Vargas from using their devices to send him back to his universe,* Vegetto said telepathically, while grinning.
Vegetto waited for an answer, but it never came. He then wondered exactly what Buu had in mind ...

In the 18th Universe Balcony, Uub once again expressed surprise that two counterparts could be so different from each other.
"I'm still shocked that Kakarotto from Universe 13 was aggressively hitting Kat the way he was, but fortunately, our Goku isn't like that!" Uub said.
"Clearly, Kakarotto never experienced life with his universe's version of my mother," Gohan said. "She never would have tolerated any of that crap. Actually, she probably would have dominated him in many ways."
"It's because our own Kakarotto is married to his woman that he became so submissive!" Vegeta shouted, taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity to not only demean his rival, but to confess his dislike of Chi-Chi's overly assertive nature.
While Trunks and Goten exploded with laughter, Videl, Gohan, Uub, and especially Goku sighed at the insult.
"Speaking of assertiveness, I wonder how strong my counterpart from Universe 13 is," Vegeta suddenly asked aloud. "Is he a Super Saiyan? A Super Saiyan 2? Higher?"
Considerations of his counterpart's abilities made him somewhat nostalgic. He had dreamed for years of becoming a true prince of Saiyans, with the distinction of being the strongest in his universe! But he had abandoned the idea, instead finding his rivalry with his own Kakarotto to be worthy enough.
"Wait a minute, Vegeta," Goku suddenly said. "Didn't Bulma recently make you wash a few hundred dishes after losing a bet? Yeah, that's right! I remember coming to Capsule Corporation one afternoon and wanting to spar, but she said you were in the middle of cleaning them!"
This time, Videl, Gohan, and Uub joined Goten and Trunks in laughter, while Vegeta began cursing.
He had certainly had a rough time on the day he had lost that bet! And nothing he had said or promised had been able to persuade Bulma to negate the deal!
He had to face the facts ... regarding character level, Bulma was not far from Chi-Chi!Pan of the universe 16 and Pan of the universe 18 continued to play together, also at the same time enjoying the small refreshments served by the Vargas until the next fight. Having fun on the big field that was offered to them under the ring, they finally decided to go visit the world 6.
When they arrived, they noticed that the young Kat still had tears in her eyes. Kneeling, she tried to change her friends' minds to leave and return home immediately.
Both Pans jumped over the wall and came to meet them. Encouraged by a friend of hers, Kat rose. The four young women stood before the two girls.

"What do you want?" asked the blonde-haired women, who reached for her sword hanging from her hip with her right hand.
"Ha! Don't kid yourself! We are much stronger than you," said the Pan of the universe 16.
The other Pan, of the 18 universe, was slightly surprised. She also thought that all those of her world were stronger than this group of four girls. Yet she had not thought to say that directly in front of them. Was it one of the small differences between herself and her counterpart of the universe 16? Influenced by Vegetto maybe?
The group of six girls in the universe remained silent. One of them had almost started to argue, but had changed their mind. They had seen many people from the universe 16 and 18 fight. There were the Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta. And even the kid, Pan, beat another Saiyan... They knew the Saiyans "well" from their history books...
The woman, who stood behind them with her black hair cut short, looked for a moment behind her, to Bojack and his two friends. They knew him too. Bojack was a reign of terror in their galaxy... he was a real pirate. Fortunately for them, the Bojack gang was not aware of their existence, until today. They wondered if it was not a mistake on their part and have shown up to the tourney...
"We know we are far from the level of some fighters here, including that of the one of Bojack..." finally confessed the blonde, but we will do our best. So you take care of your own business.
Kat looked at her friend who had just spoken, who seemed to say "just do your best", which she thought is not enough and it would be better to go away quietly. Beside her, the woman with long hair nodded. They had discussed this with pleasure with Bra, of the universe 18, but it was enough. She, at least, did not want to talk to little girls...
"Your attention dear friends," finally began one of the Vargas. "The next fight will begin in a few minutes!"
"We better go!" exclaimed one of the Pans. Both were disappointed to have lost some of their limited time in Universe 6.
Joining hands, they jumped over the wall and then ran to their respective universes'.
"Its surprising," said Bojack while folding his arms. "these girls know about us so much... but we have never even head of them!"
"They do not pose a threat to us, so don't worry," said Zangya, while putting her hand through her golden hair.
"We will demolish them when we go back home and find their hiding place," said Bujin.
"We call to the ring Cell of Universe 17 and Dabura of Universe 11!" said a purple Varga.
This news delighted many. In universe 11, Dabra uncrossed his arms.
"Hehe, it's finally mine!"
Warming up himself with large shoulder movements, he smiled, and then after a glance at Babidi, flew to the ring.
"Majin Buu," Babidi began with a sadistic smile. "If Dabra loses, I'll let you eat him."
The Djinn jumped for joy and shouted his name. After several seconds of euphoria, he stopped screaming and looked up to the ring to see the fight finally about to begin. He had only one desire: to see the demon lose!
In universe 17, Cell smiled.
"Ah, finally. This tournament became far too boring ... I'm never in the ring!"
With his ego, he continued to himself, unaware that his small Cell Junior was twisting between his legs.
"But at least there are many promising opponents," he said, thinking especially at the worlds 16 and 18, that he knew best. But there was this universe 8,with Freeza, and it was partially interesting. For others, there was Trunks and # 16 in the world 12, # 17 and # 18 in the world 14, this big guy in universe 6, and he was still wondering if he could defeat Majin Buu in universe 11 and his powers of regeneration.
"I hope this Dabra is strong enough," Cell continued.
Quietly, he flew to the ring, and landed gently, arms folded against the devil. In universe 16 and 18, Gohan and Piccolo discussed the upcoming fight.
"Now we can see Cell's power," said Gohan.
"You are the only one who has fought both, Gohan. You are the best one who will be able to compare them," Piccolo said, arms crossed, looking towards the ring.
"I will watch this fight with great attention," replied Gohan.
In the universe 16, Vegetto was leaning against the wall of the entrance. He was eager to see this little battle. Bra joined him to lean against the wall next door, so they could talk quietly.
Behind Gohan and Piccolo of the universe 18, stood Vegeta and Son Goku."I cannot wait to see the progress made by Cell!" Goku said.
"I bet there has been none at all," replied the prince of Saiyans.
"Hm... you think?" asked his rival, curiosity on his face.
"Anyway, if he wins the next two rounds, he will find himself againt me, and I could slaughter him!"
"Hey, do not go to fast Vegeta, you have to beat Trunks first.
"He's okay, but not as good as me."
"During the Cell Games, you were close, in terms of force. I still wonder which one of you would have won in a duel.
"The winner would obviously be me, Kakarotto! And don't question my superiority!"
"Hey Vegeta!" said Goku, "You never said how your training was in the Room of Spirit and Time! Tell me!"
"No."
"Come on!"
"I do not remember it," Vegeta replied.
"But if..."
"No!"
"I'll ask Trunks..."
"Kakarotto!"
"Just kidding!"
The Vargas' loudspeaker interrupted the frenimies:
"The fighters are up! Let the battle commence!"
Watched by thousands of spectators, Cell and Dabra got ready for their battle.
"Tell me," began Dabra," Have we met in your universe?"
Cell quickly devised several possible answers. He might as well tell the truth, he choose the most appropriate response, and most fun.
"Who knows?" How about yours?"
"Never. How about a warm up?"
Cell said nothing. A warm up? Why not? After all, he did not know his opponent at all. He might as well.
With a smile, Cell accepted the request. He uncrossed his arms, his legs parted slightly for better support and waited. Dabra noticed the defensive position of Cell. Having also won a smile, he attacked.
The blow he gave to the face of the green creature was an inordinate delay. Cell parried easily with one hand, and attacked with the other, far from being at its maximum. Dabra dodged the attack in turn by pivoting on itself. He grabbed the hand of Cell that had grabbed his fist and took advantage of his movement to dodge add strength: he sent Cell into the air. But he maneuvered it easily to stop dead just a few meters above the ground. Head down, he saw Dabra pounce on him again. He slipped away without difficulty several punches and kicks before being surprised by an attack at the foot faster than others. Hit on the neck, he fell quickly to the ring, but made movement with his legs, two seconds remaining crouched while Dabra arose against him, quietly.
"So," he said.
"How interesting..." Cell retorted by attacking.

This time it was he who turned around his opponent to knock him out of moves more quickly and accurately. Dabra parried and slipped for a long time before getting an elbow in the stomach, which made him spit.He gasped for a short time, then he attacked a con-kick with the right knee against Cell, who expected it. Falling to his knees, Dabra tried an elbow on his neck, to no avail as Cell had a small roll forward to dodge. Rising quickly, he charged again at Dabra, looking a little less sarcastic, more seriously. Fast and powerful blows were exchanged at breakneck speed. Several times, each of the two opponents managed to hit the other. Some shock waves were felt in this exchange of blows. Finally, after several long minutes neither of the two fighters had no advantage over the other, they separated.
Now standing about ten meters from each other, the real fun would begin. Dabra took another position, and told his opponent:
"Now,I will show everyone the power of a real demon! I will not hold back!"
Cell smiled. It pleased him that he did retain more. He also planned to go to his next level. Dabra attacked, with confident air, pouncing on his opponent, right arm extended forward, hand open, closed left fist, ready to land a punch. Cell began to avoid by grabbing Dabra's neck by the right hand, then he avoided the punch that was trying to touch the face. Two steps backwards, he parried a nudge that made Dabra swivel. Moving forward, he turned once again to finally reach Cell face another nudge.
Falling to the ground, Cell grumbled. Dabra flew while Cell got up. The devil lost his smile for a more warlike and he rushed towards the green creature who served as his opponent. The latter jumped to the devil. Their forearms collided violently. Their speed made them turn around before being separated again. Both fighters turned at the same time and both threw a ball of energy. They collided and exploded, leaving for a moment a cloud of dust. Cell and Dabra had quickly returned to fight into a melee.

No spectators could see how the confrontation had taken place under the cloud of dust, but before it dissipated, Dabra stormed up to land on the ring. Cell flew vertically, slowly, to rest in turn, smiling, obviously happy to have kicked his opponent before.
"You are doing pretty well," priased Dabra.
"You have not seen any thing yet."
The way he answered displeased the devil, who, after shaking his fists and teeth, rushed again on Cell. The latter managed to see the great movements of his opponent. Rapidly contracted his muscles and his body moved so violently counter the attack of the servant of Babidi. He gave a violent kick. Dabra had just enough time to slow its speed and put his arms before him to counter the attack. The shock was more violent than any blow that had been given so far. Under the shock wave, broke the ring around the impact point. Dust accumulating in the shock wave, the spectators saw no more than a blur around the two combatants.

Dabra felt a sharp pain in his forearm, but then attacked with an uppercut that his target. Cell flew through the air with a jaw pain, and could not defend against Dabra who had caught up. Catching his legs, the demon swung rapidly on itself, on dozens of towers, each time taking more and more speed, before dropping his opponent in the direction of the ring. Cell crashed over under a mass of dust. Dabra did not wait longer. Arms forward, palms open, he cried when he swung a strong concentrated attack of ki. The ball of energy came crashing into the ring, half of which exploded on impact. The battle went on.Dabra's successful attack shocked many, especially in Universes 16 and 18. Cell had pretty much been dominating the beginning of the fight, but was not fast enough to dodge the ki attack that the Demon King had released.
The ring was broken in half, pieces were falling everywhere, and a large cloud of gray dust obscured the view of the spectators. Dabra, hovering, barely remained visible, but there was no news of Cell. Even the announcers were trying to trace him through the thick dust.
"I think this Cell isn't as strong as we thought," said Gohan from Universe 18
"He doesn't have the speed of a Super Saiyan 2..." said his father behind him.
"I highly doubt that he perished with that attack, nonetheless..." continued Piccolo, knitting his eyebrows.
The dust cloud was finally beginning to fade... Cell appeared, standing straight with his arms folded behind him. Dabra, above him, winced. That was no ordinary attack that he had launched.
"Could he have possibly moved to dodge and then returned to the impact to make us think that he hadn't moved?"
Cell uncrossed his arms, murmuring, "Interesting... Time to get serious." He turned and quickly flew to Dabra.
The latter was astonished by his opponent's speed and failed to counter the knee that hit him the stomach. Once again, the attack made him wince and spit blood. But he recovered and counterattacked. With a broad and precise movement, he managed to deal a violent kick behind Cell's head. The blow rang in Cell's head for a second, giving Dabra the opportunity to move on to other attacks: a punch to the stomach, an uppercut, a kick under the chin and another to the stomach before a final blow to the face. But this time, Cell blocked the last attack with his forearm and stared at the demon... smiling.
Grabbing the demon's arm, the bio-android kicked his opponent who failed to recover before being dropped by Cell after he finished having fun. Dabra seemed to be unconscious and floated in the air... until Cell approached him once again. The demon opened his eyes and released a ball of ki. It did no damage to the green creature who blocked with his arm, but the distraction allowed him to grab the crest on Cell's head, enabling him to jump over the android and land quickly a few feet away.
As the smoke from the ki ball faded, Dabra outstretched his arms and yelled. Cell did not look back, only being able to whisper a mere, "shi..." before being hit by the full force of the attack in the back. The explosion that followed was loud, and once again, Cell was shrouded in a cloud of smoke.Dabra laughed in victory. Babidi, in Universe 11's wing, did the same, also thinking it was over. But suddenly, the demon fell silent and bit his tongue out of the astonishment that was provoked by the scene unfolding before him. Cell stood there, smiling and standing in perfect condition, amid the dust that was quickly dissipating. He was holding out his hands behind his back, and they were lightly burned and scorched, smoking because of the attack.
"You bought that?" Cell asked with a smile, not even looking back.
"Such reflexes!" Dabra had to admit, "He's strong..."
Cell had heard, and sneered once again. He began to say to his opponent, "Same for you. In fact, you're probably the strongest fighter I've ever had the chance to meet."

Dabra got angry before retorting, "Of course I'm the strongest! I am the Lord of the Dark Kingdom of the Demons!"
In Universe 18's wing, Gohan told his friends, "I feel like my suspicions about his power are confirmed..."
"No improvement?" asked Goku.
"No. It's exactly the same power as it was at the beginning of the Cell Games."
In Universe 16, the same topic rose, but Vegetto replied, "We all know that it's impossible that he didn't improve in twenty-seven years."
"Dabra's power level is also identical," analyzed Gohan.
"For Dabra, that's normal," Piccolo intervened. "He doesn't seem like the kind to train, like Freeza and his family."
Dabra took a deep breath. In his lungs, the oxygen reacted with other chemicals. When the demon felt he was ready, after only a few seconds, he opened his mouth and exhaled violently. A powerful shot of yellow and orange flames was released like a geyser in the direction of the green creature.
The flames clashed with Cell's vivacity. He deployed his energy effectively, creating around him a shield of energy that the fire could not cross. But Dabra did not cease his attack yet. Drawing in on his ki, he accelerated the chemical process in his lungs. His whole body heated up. The audience could even see the heat haze around him, creating perspiration that dripped profusely off the red demon's skin. The flames themselves changed color with the added power: they went from yellow to red to blue, expanding the surface area of the attack.
But after several long seconds, Dabra was exhausted, and Cell's shield still glowed consistently. Worse, it was growing in volume. Lightning began to flash over the transparent sphere, which covered over a meter in diameter at the moment. Ever expanding, the shields were already hitting the breathless Dabra.
Gathering his strength, he clasped his hands, picking up speed, and gave a powerful blow to a single point of impact on the shield. Under the force of the strike, the shield became deformed, as it was were flexible and
supple... but to a certain limit. The shield burst like a soap bubble, with the same popping noise. It seemed laughable, almost funny, to the audience that was expecting a huge explosive noise.
Cell did not even budge. He sneered and looked at his opponent, who regained his breathing laboriously, but didn't show anything in his eyes. The fruit of the genius of Dr. Gero gave a distasteful look to the demon before pointing his fingers.
"What a waste of energy... try to dodge this!" he cried at last with a sadistic and confident grin.
From his fingers sprung a multitude of beams: bright purple, narrow, and very fast beams that zoomed straight to Dabra. As he managed to avoid them, not without difficulty, many people recognized the technique: Universe 16 and 18, but also Freeza and his family.
The youngest son was the most astonished. "But..." he said, losing all poise, "my technique!"
Cell possessed the cells of several of the most powerful beings in the universe. In addition to Son Goky, Vegeta and Piccolo, he received those of Freeza, obtained through a small robot that was manufactured by Dr. Gero. The result was Cell's ability to reuse various techniques that were not his own.
However, he had improved. Freeza felt it. The bright rays seemed more violent and rapid than his own. "This Cell... could he be at even a higher power level than me?" he asked himself. He turned his head slightly to the right at his big brother... He was easily defeated by a young man... Once again, Freeza wondered what his actual chanced were of winning the tournament...
Dabra, after avoiding a good fifty laser beams, saw one of them pass by only a few inches from his chest."Urk... That was fast... and he's even faster!"
Cell smiled once again. He was having lot's fun playing with his opponent
"This is just too easy."
In less than half a second, Cell placed his hands to his temples, fingers spread. He shouted the name of an effective technique that saved the life of Son Goku and his friends several times, a technique that was once the mark of a man who was robbed of cells.
"Taiyoken!"

A powerful light emitted and invaded the stage. All the people who were facing Cell were dazzled. The same can be said of Universe 18. While Goku, his children, and Uub had time to protect their eyes, Pan did not have this reflex and seemed to go blind for several long seconds. Vegeta, himself, had not covered his eyes with his arms like everyone else. Idly, he had just closed his eyelids, like Piccolo... or not. The latter began to rethink his fight against Freeza. He recalled having suffered the same attack of violent lasers. These few seconds of nostalgia from a bygone era in which he was finally number 3 in the universe (Damn! And now he was definitely the fifth strongest...) made him lose the split second he needed to turn a blind eye in order to avoid being blinded by Cell's Taiyoken. Embarrassed and almost ashamed, he bowed his head slightly, hoping nobody would notice his temporary blindness.
Dabra had been quick. He had noticed Cell's new position and was prepared for anything. Taking advantage of his speed, he managed to dodge the latest round of violent death beams and positioned himself behind Cell. The latter saw him move, but had no time to turn, unless he wanted to?

From his right hand, Dabra conjured a sword of dark energy. In a clean, precise and powerful movement, he cut Cell almost at waist level. And arm and a wing fell to the ring, three-quarters of his abdomen had been separated from his waist. The effectiveness of this word greatly astonished Cell. He did not expect it at all. It was the first time this Dabra had dealt him so much damage. The latter, surprised that his sword did not strike throug, redoubled his effort to finish the job, yelling, "DIE!"
However, nothing moved. His forces clashed with an invisible wall. The sword did not move an inch: Cell was holding the sword in his left arm and did not allow any valid motion to be made.
"Are you only capable of attacking from behind?" asked the humanoid insect.
"Wha...?"
Cell slowly took the blade off his body... and turned to Dabra, still clutching the sword. With a victorious smile, he snapped:

"Anyway, you can't kill me with this!"
He broke the tip of the sword with his hand... which became dust that dissolved into the air. The rest of Dabra's sword disappeared when he smiled to mock his foe.
"Kof! With a half-open body.. and one arm off, you've already lost!"
Cell smiled again. Definitely, this Dabra over here believed it too... He underestimated his opponent a lot. With a cry, Cell was regrowing his arm and wing and sewed up his stomach (as if by magic) to his legs."You were saying?" Cell amusingly asked, stretching his new arm.
"But... how?" the demon managed to say, frozen with fear. "You should be seriously injured!"
Dabra knew that few creatures could regenerate. He was not surprised that the Namek could do so, but had not failed to note the huge drop in his energy. The fact that this warrior of an unknown race could regenerate was already impressive, but the fact that he could do so without losing energy... It was monstrous! Only one other creature could do so... Majin Buu!
In Universe 11's wing, Majin Buu was not moving. He watched with a curious eye, his hand on his very round chin. Beside him, Babadi became enraged.
"That idiot! He's gonna get it if this keeps up!"
A few meters from each other, the two opponents faced off. Cell suddenly pressed two fingers against his forehead and prepared an attack that he had stolen through his cells, precisely, from a Namek.
"Take that! Makankosappo!"

He launched Piccolo's signature technique: a ball of energy followed by a beam surrounded by a purple spiral that rushed toward the demon who was too tired to dodge. He was hit in the chest and seemed to withstand the technique for a fraction of a second, but was finally pierced and ended up coughing blood.
In Universe 13, two warriors, amused since the tournament began, commented on the fighting they saw. This latest attack did not render them speechless.
"Tsss... Being affected by such a simple technique," said Raditz quietly."Did he take that on purpose?" chained his brother Kakarotto.
Little did they know that in half the universes present at the tournament the same Raditz had been tricked by Piccolo's Makankosappo twice, one time in which Son Goku, aka Kakarotto, had to sacrifice both their lives for the technique... If only they knew... they would have heart attacks!
Dabra, dying, did not give up... He had one last card to play! Had he known, he would have used it much earlier!
"I'm going to finish this!" he said to his opponent, breathless, his pierced body bleeding to death, with one eye closed, at the brink of unconsciousness...
Dabra spat. But this time it was not blood. It was white with saliva, a pasty little substance. Cell did not expect it, and had no time to avoid the spittle that landed on his left thigh. Immediately the saliva solidified and covered more and more of Cell's body at a staggering rate, gathering momentum as it spread.
"Ugh! What? What did you do to my perfect body?!"
At that moment, his leg was already fully transformed into stone and the right leg was almost finished as well... The cursed spit was climbing slowly towards Cell's belly and chest.
"You're done for, insect!" said Dabra, "I've won!"
Cell seemed to be caught off guard while his upper torso was being encased in stone. Dabra felt victorious...
"Did you really believe that?" Cell was finally grinning and stopped struggling like a poor animal trapped in a corner.
Dabra instantly lost any sense of victory to Cell's eternal sneer. The latter grabbed his head with both hands and... ripped it off! A spray of blood covered the gray stone sculpture that was once Cell's body, which fell to the ring, its arms already petrified into stone. Cell's head fell a bit more slowly to the ground... And the stone body cracked into a thousand pieces after landing.
"He killed himself?" wondered Dabra as he looked at the ring.
He was hoping for that to be the case. He was weakening and was already unable to maintain flight. He slowly lowered his altitude.
On the ground, the head of Cell began to speak, still grinning.
"A suicide? Been there, done that!"
Concentrating his ki, the bio-android instantly regenerated, literally from head to toe. Dabra's distressed face showed that he could no longer endure any more. Managing to whisper one final word, he fell head first to the ground beside the cracked stone body of Cell.
As he rose, Cell congratulated his opponent all the same."Saliva that encases bodies in stone... not bad. Nice try..."
"Cell won," said Gohan to Universe 16's Piccolo. "He was actually stronger than Dabra."
"The regeneration helped a lot," added Piccolo to counter his former pupil's argument. "But he's still weaker than when he came back, after your father's sacrifice."
Cell possessed the cells of Piccolo, a Namek. Their race was also known for their amazing hearing, which obviously Cell had inherited. And he was very interested in the discussion that took place.
"Weaker, eh?" He thought as he smiled. "So I perfectly managed to hold myself to the level I was at the beginning of my Cell Games."
"Thirty seconds have passed!" cried the announcer. "Cell from Universe 17 wins!"
"They're gonna be in for a treat when they fight me now," Cell thought as he returned to his wing where a Cell Junior was waiting to congratulate his father. "On the other hand... I wonder howt they beat me in their Universe if my failed suicide did happen. I was clearly superior to this Son Gohan..."
As he arrived at his area in front of his blue Mini Cell, the creature made by Dr. Gero thought back to those days... twenty-seven years ago...Twenty-seven years ago...

Son Gohan had become powerful ... He had proven that Cell was outclassed with just the few blows he had landed on him. Cell had made the same mistake as Vegeta before him, allowing his opponent to excel ... only to be defeated.
Having failed with the Kamehameha, he powered up, increasing his strength, at the cost of his speed. Now he was making the same mistake Trunks had made during their confrontation prior to the Cell Games, but it was futile. Cell had no chance. Gohan's attacks were precise and powerful, causing him to stagger and almost lose consciousness.
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain throughout his entire body. He felt paralyzed; it was as if his innards were being torn apart. Eventually, he vomited ... someone.
“That's ... # 18! He vomited # 18!” cried Kulilin.
Son Gohan, with his superior Super Saiyan 2 aura, looked down at the cyborg who was lying in a pool of whitish digestive fluids, before once again setting his sights on his opponent, who was still writhing in pain. After several moments of pain, his body changed ... There he stood, frightened, in the form he had been in prior to absorbing # 18 once again... The very same form that "Super Vegeta" had outclassed. Now it was really over for Cell. Even without Gohan and Goku, Vegeta and Trunks could eliminate him. Perhaps even Piccolo could, after all no one knew how much he had improved from his training in the Room of Spirit and Time. The teenager had grown tired of this fight.
“Fighting you isn't of interest to me anymore. It's over for you”. Gohan sighed.The green creature clenched his fists. He was furious. How? How could this kid have such power? How had he defeated him? It's not possible!
Cell cried out with all his might:
“You ... You'll pay dearly for this!”
Cell focused all of his ki within his own body. Within seconds, he had doubled, even tripled in volume, swelling up like a giant balloon.
Once he reached his maximum volume, Cell laughed strangely, telling Gohan:
“It's over! In one minute I'll explode! I won't die alone… I'll take the entire planet with me!”
“H...how?” Gohan wondered how he could have let this happen.
“Heh heh! …and don't bother begging me to stop, because I can't!”
“I won't let you do this!” cried the boy, warning Cell.
“Oops! I don't recommend you attack me! The slightest shock may cause me to blow myself up prematurely! Heh heh heh! Only thirty seconds left!”
Son Gohan was distraught ... What do I do? He'll destroy everything...
“— Twenty seconds!”
"I didn't consider all the risks! Dad was right!"
“D...dammit!” said the young man as he fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists, leaving marks on the ground. “This is... It's my fault! I should have ended it right away!”
“Ten seconds!” Cell cried, overjoyed to have won even if he’d die.”
His death would be beautiful. He had lived his dream to have the perfect body, to defeat Goku, and even his son who had surpassed him. And all the terror he had inspired! What a joy it had been!The monster continued to boast...
“It's a draw, but I am very satisfied by the look of fear on all of your faces! Ha ha ha!”
Cell suddenly stopped laughing. Between him and Son Gohan, Goku had appeared.
“Eh?” he said with surprise as Goku put a hand on his swollen belly.
“Good job Gohan! You were great!”
“Da...Dad?
“Tell your mother I'm sorry I had to leave...”
With these words, Son Goku teleported along with Cell ... Saving the Earth and his friends ... They reappeared on a small green planet, populated by just a small blue god and his monkey.
“Sorry Kaiou-sama, but I had no other choice”. Goku had not been able to say anything else when Cell exploded with a scream of despair...
Son Goku apologized profusely to Kaiou-sama. Because of him, he was dead, as well as Bubbles. As they were flying towards Enma's place, Son Goku wondered:
“I don't see Cell's spirit, was he sent straight to hell?”
Kaiou-sama stopped suddenly.
“You're right ... He isn't here! Yet everyone must see Enma after death!”
“What does this mean?” asked Son Goku, as he began to wonder. Then he came to a realization that made him shudder.
“This means Cell isn't dead! He's still alive!”
“H ... how?On Earth, everyone gathered around Gohan mourning. Kulilin approached the cyborg, # 18, picking her up. Vegeta asked:
“What are you doing with that cyborg? If she's still alive, then kill her!”
“No!” replied Kulilin, “She isn't so bad...”
Suddenly, a violent wind pushed back the whole group, surrounding them in a dust storm. At the origin, there was an aura of evil, a powerful aura surrounded by blue lightning. No one saw who it belonged to, but they knew this ki all too well.
“This ... this aura is...” Vegeta began.
“No..!” Trunks said, frightened.
“It's not possible”, Piccolo said through gritted teeth.
Yet it had happened. The creature stretched out his arm, pointing a finger. A thin beam shot out violently toward the group. It went past Piccolo, Vegeta, and Gohan, nearly hitting Tenshinhan and finally ... it struck and pierced through Trunks, who fell to the ground heavily.
“Hahaha! Who's the lucky winner?” asked the monster. “Oh? It's Trunks?”
Everyone turned to the familiar voice. The smoke cleared and there he was, Perfect Cell. His terrifying ki was even greater than before and his body was covered with an aura much like that of Gohan as a Super Saiyan 2.
“How? How'd he do it?” asked Yamcha.
Cell explained: he had also been just as surprised as them. As his original nucleus from which he came from had not been destroyed, he was able to regenerate himself, like Piccolo. And due to his Saiyan cells, he came back even stronger since he had recovered from what should have been a fatal injury.
“Additionally”, he continued, “I am now able to use the instant transmission like Son Goku. In short, I'm back with an even more perfect body than before! Not only did Son Goku fail to kill me, but he left me with some great gifts!”
Son Gohan, who had powered down into a normal Super Saiyan, stood up, using his anger to once again exceed that level. His hair stood up on his head once more and lightning surrounded his body. He smiled.
“Eh? What's so funny? Have you gone mad?” asked Cell.
“I'm just happy to have the chance to avenge my father who died because of my own arrogance. I'm just dying to crush you!”
“Ptui!”, Cell spat, “Don't be so sure of yourself... It will not be so easy this time”.
Vegeta, who had been behind Gohan, had turned to see him transform. But his eyes looked back at Yamcha and Tenshinhan who were tending to Trunks. The poor boy, his chest had been pierced and he had taken his last breath.
“T...Trunks...”
He exploded with anger, thinking of the losses they had suffered. He thought of Kakarotto, who had sacrificed himself, and his only son, who lost his life without a chance to defend himself. It would not be a kid who would deal with Cell, but him, the prince of the Saiyans! Screaming, he rushed toward Cell, who had been surprised by this reaction. He transformed into a Super Saiyan, and launched a Kikoha with all his might toward the green creature. He continued launching more bursts of golden energy without regard for his own safety. Drawing from his anger, he harnessed an enormous strength.
He stopped after several tens of seconds, exhausted ... He breathed a while ... until Cell appeared before him in an instant, with no visible damage. Striking him with the back of his arm, Cell sent Vegeta crashing to the ground. Barely conscious and Super Saiyan, but no longer could he move. He would not be able to avoid Cell's next attack.
“Die, Vegeta!”
Dr. Gero's monster cried as he threw a ball of energy at the Prince of Saiyans. Son Gohan hurried to try and rescue Vegeta, but he was too late, he hadn't been fast enough: the attack hit the teenager on his left side, exploding on impact.
When the smoke cleared, Gohan was injured, lying on Vegeta who still could not move. The young Super Saiyan stood up slowly in pain, noticing that he could barely move his arm and left leg. But he kept his sights on Cell...as he rose.
“We've played around enough, I'm going to end this now”, Cell said, assuming the stance for the Kamehameha.
Son Gohan was in disbelief. Piccolo, terrified by what was going on, asked Kulilin if they had any senzu left. Unfortunately, they had already used them all after their battle against the Cell Juniors. The Namek winced. Gohan would have to deal with this alone, wounded, against this super Perfect Cell...
“The time has come”, continued Cell. “You're going to die along with your entire planet!”
Cell's ki increased. It was even more impressive than before. Behind Gohan, Vegeta began to crawl away.
“What a disgrace! I became nothing but a burden for you. I'm sorry, Gohan.”
This surprised him. If Vegeta apologized ... then he must have really thought they had no chance ... Furthermore, Piccolo cried, furious at being so powerless.
“So?” Cell said, proud of himself. “I have a power capable of destroying not only the Earth but the entire solar system! Come Gohan, show me your strength!”Gohan had seemed to have admitted defeat, sure that his enemy would finish him off this time, when Cell noticed the young boy talking to himself. After a few seconds he saw that the young man had found some determination. Focusing his ki, he prepared his Kamehameha with only one hand.
“Die!” Cell cried as he launched his attack toward Gohan.
The two Kamehameha Waves clashed, forming a giant ball of light that made the earth tremble... Both attacks were initially of equal strength. But gradually, the teenage Super Saiyan was weakening.
“Cell has the upper hand!” Piccolo cried. “Dammit!”
“It's over for you!” Cell cried. “I'll finish you off!”
Through Kaiou-sama, Gohan's father tried to support him, hoping to give him the strength and courage to defeat Cell, but the boy fell to his knees.
“I can't ... go any further ... sorry Dad, I can't do it, it's too much for me”.
“No Gohan!” his father cried. “You can do it! You can defeat him! You have to believe in yourself and draw out all of your power!”
But, Gohan was exhausted; he couldn't even maintain the level of Super Saiyan 2. Cell shouted one last time triumphantly:
“Farewell Gohan! Give your father my regards!”
Before the eyes of his friends, Gohan was blown away by the power of Cell's Kamehameha, which killed him before he literally disintegrated. When the attack faded, the dust eventually dispersed into the air. There was absolutely nothing left of Gohan's body. Cell had won the Cell Games, which he himself had convened. Cell observed the crater left by his attack with pride. His opponent was gone and now nothing could oppose him, aside from a few humans and a Namek who were still shocked to have lost everything in a split second. But they certainly did not pose any real threat to him.
Kulilin fell to his knees. Near him, Tenshinhan and Yamcha were barely standing. Piccolo had just lost the person who mattered most to him. He felt distraught. He knew he was soon to disappear. He who had once protected the planet as Kami-sama ... And Dende? He had just been appointed God of the Earth...just a few days ago.
And Son Gohan? His father had believed in him, and this was the result! The fools! They brought a child to be slaughtered!
“It's over”, he said, his eyes wide with horror.Cell was exhausted. The Kamehameha had consumed a lot of energy. He had to admit, even injured, Son Gohan had still packed quite a punch…but now it was finally over. Satisfied with his victory, he decided that he must now deal with the remaining participants... to ensure his supremacy.
He looked at his opponents... They were completely distraught. They knew they had lost. Cell smiled, out of breath. "I am exhausted...This might be your last chance!"
Vegeta had crawled away during the struggle. Gohan was dead and he was to blame. Cell, who had come back from the dead even stronger than before, had taken the life of his son as well.
The Saiyan Prince exploded with anger, dashing towards Cell, bombarding him with balls of energy, not once considering the consequences of doing so. Did he really think he could beat him? The attack had no effect whatsoever on Perfect Cell, who would have destroyed the Prince of Saiyans earlier had Gohan not intervened and saved him ... losing his left arm and half of his energy in the process...During the clash of the two Kamehameha, Vegeta had considered intervening to help. Ultimately, he had abandoned the idea, thinking it would make no difference...What could he do? Maybe he should have tried something, he thought as he looked at Cell, his blood boiling.
"It's...all my fault !" The prince uttered to himself, focused his energy and transforming into a Super Saiyan.

"Haaah!" he exclaimed.
It was useless and he knew it. Kakarotto, Gohan, Trunks, all had perished. And now...only he remained.
Cell smiled as he observed this scene. He could still have a little fun after all, and so he allowed them to attack him.
Vegeta concentrated his energy and got into the stance for one of his best attacks. A few yards away, Kulilin picked himself up. It seemed clear that this was their last chance. He turned to his friends. "Don't just stand there!" he cried. Tenshinhan and Yamcha nodded and like Vegeta, they all prepared their most devastating attacks. They surrounded the monster, positioning their bodies side by side. Tenshinhan flew a few meters above the ground and brought up his hands to form a triangle, which he aimed at Dr. Gero's monster. Yamcha and Kulilin concentrated their energy as well, each charging a Kamehameha as their energy took the form of light in their hands. Desperately, they tried to generate as much power as they could.
Piccolo had remained in place, watching as the Saiyan and the Earthlings were doing all they could with their last chance. Memories of Gohan filled the Namek's thoughts. He was his best friend, his only friend, and he was no more. He had to attack, at least to honor his memory. He put two fingers to his forehead, concentrating his energy. Then he launched his attack with everything he had as the others did the same:
"Final Flash!" shouted Vegeta as he produced the most powerful attack that he ever had, for the sake of avenging his son.
"Shin Kikoho!" exclaimed Tenshinhan, firing his ki in bursts as his friends, Yamcha and Kulilin, each fired their Kamehameha with all their strength.

All at once, they attacked. It was the first time that all of these warriors had united their strength at such a critical moment, into a single attack. Cell smiled as he watched all their attacks as they came toward him, all different but similar in power to each other. The fools were so naive...He put two fingers to his forehead and used the technique that Goku had taught him just before he died.As the attacks crashed into where Cell had stood, they exploded on impact. Vegeta, who had managed to keep track of Cell's ki as it appeared just behind him, turned and saw with horror that Cell had escaped the attack.
Cell slammed him with his fist, not allowing the Prince of Saiyans a chance to defend himself, sending him crashing straight into the ground causing a crater. The blow had been sharp and powerful, but Cell was far from having used all of his strength. Vegeta got up in pain, covered with wounds caused by crashing into the ground with such force. He looked back at Cell who slowly came and stood before him, taunting him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, hesitating a few seconds before finally pouncing on his opponent: Cell was mocking him!
The exchange that followed was very much to the advantage of Gero's monster. He easily avoided every blow of his adversary; amused to embellish some...sometimes willingly allowing them to connect, but he suffered no damage. Cell went so far as to openly humiliate the Saiyan...giving him two slaps to the face. Red faced, Vegeta looked up at Cell. Cell pointed his finger at him, ready to launch an attack that would kill him for sure.
Piccolo had seen the whole thing, and although he did not like Vegeta much, he knew he needed his help. Quickly, he put two fingers to his forehead and then pointed them at Cell while flying rapidly towards the two combatants. The Makankousappo struck Cell's arm, catching him slightly off guard, but he deflected the trajectory of the attack. Vegeta had been saved in time and as he was recovering, he watched as Piccolo arrived at full speed, but Cell stopped him short of landing with a knee to his stomach. The Namek gasped as he was struck again by an uppercut that sent him into the air.While Cell watched Piccolo in the air, he received a kick to his face from the Saiyan Prince, causing him to stagger back two steps. Vegeta continued the assault with several kicks, as he screamed with rage.
Kulilin helped Piccolo up. Beside them, Yamcha was sweating in fear, trembling. What could they do? There must be some way! He noticed suddenly that Tenshinhan, who was still in the air, was approaching Cell and the Saiyan, but what could he do? Had he lost his mind? He was clearly no match for Cell!
After a short while, Vegeta found himself on the ground once again, virtually dominated. Cell had regained control of the fight. Once again, the Saiyan had to rely on Piccolo, who violently sent an elbow to Cell's face, taking advantage of the kinetic effect of speed, allowing Vegeta a chance to breathe.
A quick look between the Namek and the Saiyan Prince was enough, they knew they would have to fight together...before the two warriors, Cell stood up with no difficulty.
"Shin Kikoho!" Tenshinhan cried, above Cell as he launched his attack...but Cell had already moved to avoid it. Vegeta and Piccolo noticed this and proceeded to attacked Cell together. In just a few seconds, Cell got rid of the Saiyan and amused himself with the green warrior. Tenshinhan flew just above them once more...Piccolo knew...he had to hold Cell!
Tenshinhan was on the verge of losing consciousness as he focused his energy into a new Kikoho...The two warriors fighting relentlessly moved as well! Cell knew the man above him, he would not allow himself to get hit by that attack as he had done before!
Piccolo was on the ground, spitting up blood as Cell stared at Tenshinhan, who thought his heart could stop beating at any second. Then, something unexpected happened: Vegeta grabbed Cell from behind, shouting to Tenshinhan, "Do it!"
Had it been a desperate move on his part, or...? Either way, the Earthling did not hesitate to launch his attack.
Vegeta did his best to hold onto him, but Cell was still able to overpower him, freeing himself from the grip of the Saiyan and striking him for even daring to hold him. In a split second, he put two fingers to his forehead and teleported near Tenshinhan, easily avoiding the Kikoho which Vegeta was barely able to avoid himself.
As the explosion sounded, raising a giant cloud of dust, Cell looked into the earthling's eyes, inspiring a great fear.
"You'll never get me that way, you miserable fool..." he said with a smile as he grabbed his arm and turned to throw him towards Kulilin, who had begun to fly to help his friend, but he couldn't catch him, the speed was too great. After crashing into Kulilin, the two fell on Yamcha, who tried to break their fall."Enough playing around." Cell exclaimed, more for himself than the others.
"Makankousappo!"
Cell again put two fingers to his forehead to teleport and avoid Namek's attack, reappearing behind Vegeta. Placing one hand on the Saiyan's back, he fired a ki attack, piercing him before he even had the chance to turn around. Spewing blood, his hair became black once again as he fell to the ground, dead. Piccolo and the three humans struggling to stand trembled.

Cell unleashed his energy, surrounding himself in a golden aura with blue flashes around his body, challenging the survivors:
"Who's next?"
As Kulilin positioned himself to execute an attack from several angles with Tenshinhan and Yamcha, Cell moved quickly...appearing behind Piccolo, who had no time to react. With fast and precise sweeping motions of his hand, he cut the Namek into several pieces, slicing his arms and torso.
"How horrible!" Yamcha managed to say as he trembled all over.
"He knows no mercy. He will finish us all off one by one!" Tenshinhan said as he thought of Chaozu... He knew he would never see him again...He was exhausted after launching so many Shin Kikoho...he knew if Cell attacked, it would be the end…
"Farewell, Piccolo!" he said with his hands out, fingers spread, ready to launch another attack.
He had not considered that Kulilin would intervene. He was enraged, but his mind was clear as he quickly prepared a Kienzan, launching it with all his might at Cell...but he stopped the attack, with what seemed to be an invisible shield around him. He had used his ki to make a blast powerful enough to stop the attack...
While the Kienzan levitated in front Cell whirling, he increased the power that had repelled it, and sent it back to Kulilin saying,
"You forgot something!"
With impressive speed, the little bald earthling managed to narrowly avoid his own attack. The disc had missed by just a few millimeters. Cell was surprised, but continued to follow the path of Kienzan. He increased its speed as it headed toward Yamcha and Tenshinhan. It was headed for Tenshinhan, who was unable to dodge it as Kulilin did due to his fatigue... It cut him cleanly through the torso diagonally.
Horrified that his own attack had been used against one of his best friends, Kulilin trembled all over.
"Ten ... Tenshinhan!"
Parts of the earthling's body fell to the ground. Yamcha, who had been standing next to him, couldn't believe what he had just seen. He rushed Cell, overcome with a rage unlike any he had ever felt before.
"You monster!" Yamcha shouted with rage.
He used his fastest melee attack, the technique of the wolf. Cell allowed the attacks to hit him without moving an inch, just as he had when Satan attacked him prior to his fight with Goku. Kulilin came and joined in as well, but none of their attacks made Cell even flinch. Once he had had enough, he made a slight movement of his wings so fast that it created a shock wave. Kulilin was blown away, but Yamcha stood firm, focusing his energy, he exclaimed,
"Take this! Sokidan!"
Yamcha controlled the sphere of energy he created, with the movements of his arms and hands. Along with the Kamehameha, this was his best technique.
The sphere hit Cell hard, exploding on impact. Yamcha was exhausted; he knew he wouldn't win this fight. His rage slowly faded, and the realization of his defeat took over...but not for long.

Cell appeared behind Yamcha, who could barely move. He raised his arm, ready to attack. The perfect warrior easily broke the poor earthling, with the blows that followed. With his clothes torn and his bones broken, he finally collapsed, lifeless.
The only one left standing now was Kulilin. As Vegeta had done before him, he launched a barrage of balls of energy at his enemy desperately trying to push on as long as he could, but of course, it was ineffective. Cell arose from the dust and faced Kulilin, grabbed him by the neck. He flew upward with incredible speed taking Kulilin with him. They quickly found themselves in space. Cell was also made up of Frieza’s cells, Frieza who could survive in outer space, and he knew that this was not the case for humans.Kulilin's death was quick, but horrible. He soon realized he could no longer breathe; the very low air pressure in space caused his blood to boil, while the ambient vacuum froze his body as this same pressure caused his organs to cave in. As blood spewed from his mouth, Kulilin passed away...his eyes still fixed on the blue planet that he had lived on.
Cell put two fingers to his forehead once again, performing this technique that had certainly proven to be very helpful.
"It was fun..." he said, now alone, as Kulilin's body floated in orbit. "I still have one thing left to do here... next I'll massacre the entire Earth!"
He teleported once again, reappearing in the center of the capital. The people there immediately recognized him as the monster that had threatened to destroy the Earth on TV just a few days ago. Despite the interruption of the broadcast during the tournament, they had hoped that their hero, Satan had defeated the monster, but they had seen the horrible creature as he emerged. They cried out in fear. They were all doomed; no one was left who could possibly save them now.
Cell gazed for a moment at these insects that were so desperately trying to flee, but it was futile...it didn't matter where they ran.
"I won't have all the fun to myself..." Cell said, as an idea came to him.
As he had done during the Cell Game in order to anger Gohan, Cell gave birth to several Cell Juniors.
And so the Earth became nothing more than a playground for Cell and his children...and this planet was only the first on a long list...Cell walked off to rejoin his space in the Universe 17 balcony. Since Dabra would not be able to make it back to his universe, two Namekians were sent to carry him. He was obviously unconscious and bleeding profusely from the gaping hole in the middle of his chest, yet still alive to the amazement of the Namekians. They rushed him over to the universe 11 balcony and laid him at the feet of Babidi and Majin Buu.
“Don’t worry,” said one of the Namekians, “we will treat you now”.
“Not so fast!” cried Babidi before the Namekians could begin their healing. “I have not yet decided if I want him to be cured!”
“But… He’s dying!” gasped the Namekian, astonished at Babidi’s refusal of treatment.
“This is his punishment for losing,” continued the sorcerer, “we don’t want your healing, we will deal with this situation ourselves. Now if you would leave us…”.
The Namekians looked at him incredulously, unsure at first if they should do as they were told, but finally, reluctantly, turned and left the balcony.
“So… be it…” sighed Dabra.
“I wonder how long you’ll survive without treatment!” squealed Babidi with a sadistic grin on his face. He was thrilled over the little game he had found to make him forget the humiliating defeat of his subordinate.
While Universes 16 and 18 were animatedly discussing the power levels of the previous fighters, the MC came on over the loud speakers:
“What an amazing fight! Next up is Pan of universe 16 fighting against Bojack from
universe 6!”
“Cool, it’s my turn!” thought Pan, excited that she would finally get a chance to fight.
She looked over and saw her Universe 18 counterpart who was experiencing a mixture of happiness for her and jealousy because she wanted to participate so badly!
“Good luck!” yelled the Pan from Universe 18 with a smile on her face.
“Thank you! I’ll see you after I win!” Universe 16 Pan shouted back with the same smile.
After receiving encouragement from her Universe 18 counterpart, this Pan passed by her mother who kissed her before she headed out to the ring. She had one foot up on the low balcony wall when her father stopped her:
"Pan?"
"Yes father?"
Her father picked her up by her shoulders so she was at eye level and said:
“My darling, I know Bojack. He’s incredibly mean, and much stronger than you are”.
“I won’t forfeit!” cried the girl.
She knew who Bojack was of course, her father had told the stories of him many times… but she refused to give up without a fight, to do so would be such a shame! She was certain that her counterpart from universe 18 would feel the same way.“I’m not asking you to,” replied Gohan, “just… be very careful”.
“I will, don’t worry!” she said more calmly, smiling at her father.
With that she finally took off toward the arena, ready for her fight. When she landed, Bojack was already standing there, arms crossed.
“Dad…” said Universe 18 Pan to her father, “do you think she has a chance of winning?”
Gohan did not answer immediately. Goku, who was standing with them, turned and met the gaze of his granddaughter. He didn't smile, but he didn't look defeated either.
“I don’t know Pan.” Gohan finally answered. “It depends how much training your counterpart may have done… She may be on his level…”
“But… what about me?”
Gohan knew what she was asking. After a few more seconds he turned and faced his daughter:
“No, you’re not strong enough to beat Bojack.”
Suddenly, Pan felt her legs start to tremble. What would happen to her? She crossed her fingers and silently hoped that she would one day be as strong as her Universe 16 counterpart, that would mean she had a fighting chance.
“The fighters are ready! The fight can begin!” shouted the announcer.
"It will end quickly.” Said the space pirate quietly. He knew he would be victorious in less than a minute.Pan attacked immediately. She quickly dashed in front of her opponent and struck him violently in the belly… but it had no effect! It felt as if she had punched a piece of metal, he felt unbreakable, and his abs absorbed the shock of the blow without so much as a flinch. The granddaughter of Vegetto retreated quickly, but Bojack pursued her instantly with a shout.
Pan clearly saw the punch coming, and was able to dodge it as she leapt into the sky. The pirate's fist crashed into the ring causing an earthquake that disfigured the small gray sphere. His raw power took the small girl by surprise.
“Father was right, he’s very strong. I have to push it right from the start.”
“You’re small, and fast” complimented Bojack as he looked up at Pan.
In response the girl clenched her fists as she focused her strength. Gritting her teeth she let the power consume her. Her hair stood on end, slowly taking on a golden color. Her ki multiplied rapidly as a bright light enveloped her. Her eyes turned from a deep black to a vibrant blue-green. As her muscles expanded well beyond normal proportions she finished her transformation with a cry.

The fighters and spectators from Universe 18 were clearly impressed. Uub instantly wondered if the Pan from his universe was hiding the same power, while Pan, who can definitely not transform yet wondered to herself how her counterpart had done it. Goku, who had been smiling throughout the entire transformation knew that his own Pan was not far away from the same transformation, she just has to be pushed a bit farther.
Pan from 18 was clearly the most awestruck of the group. She could barely move because she was so stunned. Her counterpart was so obviously stronger than her… a super saiyan! She had often dreamed of what it would be like to transform, but to see her counterpart do it for real… She looked down at her hands. She realized then that her grandfather was right, this power laid dormant inside her as well! She didn’t need kaioken, she would transform one day… and surprise everybody!
Bojack was also surprised. He knew this transformation… he had seen it before somewhere… but where? He couldn’t remember, but he could sense that the girl’s power had definitely risen.
Above his head floated the Universe 16 Pan. She remembered her first time transforming into a super saiyan, how could she forget? The excitement of that instant was unparalleled. She didn’t have time for pleasant memories though, her opponent was strong, she had to focus!
“Here we go!” cried Pan as she streaked towards her opponent with new-found speed.
She threw a punch, which Bojack managed to parry with his right forearm. He was again surprised by the speed of his opponent, since she had become much quicker since obtaining that golden aura. Pan continued her assault, throwing punches and kicks at Bojack’s face and body. Her small size was an advantage, one that she knew very well how to use against her bigger, bulkier opponent. She was able to dodge his counter-attacks, to the point where it looked almost easy.
Pan managed to connect with small blows once in a while, especially after parrying one of Bojack’s blows. She blocked her opponent's punch with one leg, quickly lashing out with her other foot and connecting with Bojack’s face.
Despite her flexibility and responsiveness, Pan’s blows simply didn’t have enough power behind them to do much damage. Although Bojack barely felt her attacks, he was becoming increasingly annoyed by them. She was like a mosquito that he simply couldn't swat.
In the Universe 16 balcony, Gohan was starting to worry. He had faith in his daughter, but he was also intelligent enough to realize that her blows were having very little effect. Pan was strong, especially for her age, but she was simply not in the powerhouse league of Bojack. He hoped that Pan would be able to wear him down…
Bojack tried throwing another punch at his opponent's annoyingly small head, only to have it met by Pan’s forearm. This time though, Pan threw a bit more force into her counter attack, landing a violent blow on the pirate’s cheek. The force of the blow caused him to stumble backwards a bit. He winced slightly as he stared down the teenager, who noticed that even the force of this attack did very little damage. At this rate it would take hours to beat him… she would be exhausted by then!
She knew she has to speed up the fight. She had one very effective technique at her disposal, but was it the right time? She decided it is the only way, so she laid her trap. She waited for Bojack to throw a punch. Using his over-extended arm she flipped over his head, facing his back while suspended upside down in mid air.
"Kamehame... Ha!"
She unleashed her full-powered kamehameha wave point blank into Bojack’s unguarded back. The closeness of the attack increased the effectiveness dramatically. A great example of this was during the cell games 27 years ago. Goku charged his kamehameha to full power before transporting himself behind cell, completely blowing off his upper half! In contrast the same technique had been useless against Broly… How effective would it be against Bojack?
As Bojack was struck by the blue attack there was a huge explosion, followed by Bojack’s plummet to the ground. Still levitating, Pan slowly reoriented herself to the ring. After the taxing kamehameha wave it took her a bit to catch her breath. Beads of sweat dripped down her tiny forehead.
In Universes 16 and 18, both Videls continued to shout encouragement to their daughter. Both Gohans, on the other hand, were gritting their teeth. It would be very surprising for Bojack not to survive this attack and they both know it. They resisted to urge to shout to Pan, to tell her to stop the fight. Somehow, it subconsciously reminded them of Videl’s fight with Spopovich twenty years ago. Had Pan inherited Videl’s legendary stubbornness? That remained to be seen…
For now, Bojack remained on the ground, motionless, covered in dust and scratches. It was impossible to know if he was knocked out or if he was simply pretending. Pan, who was quite pleased with the power of her last attack, landed softly; not far from him. Her mother was ecstatic and cheering from the Universe 16 balcony:
"Bravo Pan! You won!"
“No…” said Gohan quietly. “The real fight is just getting started”.
Videl started to panic. “What is he saying?” she wondered. She turned to look at her husband; on his face was nothing but fear.
“Gohan! What is it… you’re scaring me!”
After a few seconds he answered:
“Bojack has not yet shown his full strength. There is not much more she can do… if he transforms… it’s over. She should give up now!”
Videl, more panicked than ever, turned back to the ring. She had encouraged Pan up to this point, but now she just wanted her daughter to give up and come back to her safely.
In the ring, Bojack had started to move again. He slammed his fist hard into the ground. He grabbed a piece of broken ring and shattered it in a fit of rage. He slowly started to get up. Once he had gotten to his knees he stared at the girl. His eyes were hard. He was clearly angry, and in his eyes Pan saw what can only be described as a sudden urge to kill… and she was the target!
In the Universe 6 balcony Zangya and Bujin, Bojack’s acolytes, stood there laughing, while Kat and her gang stood not far off watching them. They were finally starting to fear for the little one. She was just a child, and seeing Bojack’s cronies laughing like they were did not bode well.
“This little one will experience the fury of Bojack!” cried Zangya with Machiavellian glee.
"The poor little girl, I would not want to be in her place!” added Bujin with a smile.
“What a stupid idea to include such a young girl. They will soon regret that decision.”

“It’s really a good thing, their entire group will be demoralized, making them easier to defeat! All of universe 16 will suffer from the loss, ha ha ha!”
In the middle of the ring, Bojack seemsed to explode. As he stood there shouting, his strength started to skyrocket. His skin turned from blue to green, and his muscle mass increased significantly, so much so that his jacket was reduced to only so much tattered cloth and it was ripped to shreds by his hulking frame. A huge green aura enveloped his body, and the wind from his energy sent Pan flying. The tiny planet that served as the arena began to shake before suddenly shattering into three different pieces!
Pan quickly regained her footing on one of the large chunks of ring, then stood there starting to tremble. “His power has increased!” she thought. “It’s huge! Even the kamehameha wave was unable to damage him… what should I do father?”
As she wondered this, Bojack suddenly left his feet, dashing full speed straight at the confused and frightened girl…Ba-dum ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dum. Pan's heart rate was accelerating rapidly and beating loudly. Bojack was bearing down on her and she felt completely outmatched, nothing she did worked! The fear she felt caused her to panic, so much so that she was unable to dodge her gree attacker's powerful punch to her belly. Pan flew at full speed toward the stands, unable to move or catch her breath.
She struck the Vargas' energy shield that was protecting the public. The shock of the impact gave her some idea of where she was, and gradually she was able to regain her breathing. Holding her stomach, she remained suspended, away from the ring, and specifically away from Bojack.
What a blow! She was almost knocked in in a single shot... he was so powerful, and so fast! She had to come up with a solution fast!
Suddenly a strange noise was heard from the ring, which now consisted of each piece revolving around the others according to physical laws governed by the amazing Vargas' technology. Bojack was still not finished demonstrating his power... he had a big smile on his face, revealing his large white teeth.
Pan managed to avoid the next enormous punch thrown by her opponent by dropping a few meters below it. His attack struck the shield, which vibrated violently for a few seconds, causing the spectators to shake from the impact. Some spectators were fleeing the arena after getting an up close look at the Universe 6 fighter.
Pan dashed away from her opponent, she still had a hand holding her stomach, causing her to move more slowly that she wanted to. She headed toward the smashed ring, where she hoped to use the ring and her agility to her advantage. Bojack followed in hot pursuit.
The small girl turned and threw a small ball of energy that hit her target right in the head, stopping him dead in his tracks. The surprise attack gave the girl the time to hide behind a piece of the ring. She quickly let her aura disperse, lowering her power in hopes that he would not be able to detect her.
The smoke that was encompassing Bojack's head dissipated to reveal his face, completely injury free. He was a bit dusty, but still smiling. Then he started laughing. The whole stadium could hear his big, crazy laugh. He was so certain of his victory. He stopped suddenly, his smile fading momentarily. In his right hand appeared a small ball of energy. With a shrill whistle he hurled it at the ring. The explosion destroyed another piece of the small planet, and caused Bojack to start laughing anew.
The granddaughter of Vegetto took advantage of this moment to hide behind a piece of the ring. While she hid she gathered her strength and thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't hit by her opponent's long ranged blast.
"Show yourself!" yelled the pirate before rushing into the pile of debris that was left of the ring.
Pan changed her positioning but soon found herself face to face with the a murderous, sadistic looking Bojack. Letting out a small squeak of surprise, she panicked and launch one of her less effective attacks. It didn't compare to the kamehameha, but was useful at times. Quickly she placed her hands against her forehead, shouted the name of the technique, and launched the attack at Bojack:

"Masenko!"
It was an attack she had inherited from her father, who had learned it from Piccolo when he was just five years old. This technique had diminished power but rewarded the user with a short charge up time. Using the explosion as a distraction, she quickly flew up and stood on the largest piece of the ring.
Back emerged from the attack completely unscathed and quickly set down on the opposite side of the same piece. The he slowly started walking towards the girl, who again began to panic. She could clearly hear her opponents slow but sure footsteps. It seemed like nothing she could do would stop him.
But she must do something! Putting aside her growing fear, she got into position:
"Kame..."
Bojack continued to advance, he was just twenty meters away now."Hame..."
The pirate smiled and stopped after taking a few more steps, examining his opponent's attack: a bright blue light was eminating from between the girl's hands.
"Ha!"
Reaching towards Bojack, Pan unleashed the full power of her Kamehameha wave. The sudden attack was both powerful and fast at the same time, quickly spanning the fifteen meter gap between herself and the green humanoid. The latter, smiling as always, waited patiently for the kid's strongest technique: reaching out a single hand, he stopped the kamehameha! Then, with a quick upward movement of his arm, he forced the attack to deviate from it's path. The blast harmlessly crashed into the shield behind him.

Pan knelt on the ground, trembling, sweating, her breathing shallow. Her heart was pounding. Opposite her, Bojack was still laughing. He felt a slight sting in his hand but that was it. He was simply amused by the child.What could she do? Pan was distraught, even her best technique had been ridiculed... she thought of her father, Gohan. What would he say if she lost? Surely it would be nothing, he would just be happy she was safe and sound. Vegetto? He would be disappointed, but he would understand. What about her counterpart in Universe 18? They have the same character so she would also be disappointed, but she would realize how strong he was. But Bra? Bra would certainly make fun of her! She was always boasting around her, she would remind her of her defeat for years to come! No! She couldn't let that happen! She must persevere by any means!
Pan stood up, a new look on her face: she looked determined, strong, unbreakable. She clenched her fists and her golden aura reappeared. Her strength seemed even higher than before, although only slightly. In any case, she would use all her power to win!
With a shout she lunged at Bojack, who was still smiling. She threw a punch at him, which Bojack blocked with his arm. She threw a second punch, which was again parried. She picked up the pace launching kicks and punches but all we blocked. Worse than this: Bojack was not even fazed by the attack. He didn't even move, just stood there blocking attacks. He was an indestructible wall that Pan could simply not break through. Sore legs and hands were the only things she had to show for her efforts.
She redoubled her efforts, striking at him constantly, again and again. She was losing speed and strength though, becoming more and more exhausted. Suddenly, Bojack caught her in his arms. He started to squeeze and shake her, hard. Pan screamed in pain, to the horror of her mother. She endured the pain for several long seconds.
"It's time to give up little one" said the attacker, finally dropping her at his feet.
Give up... suddenly the words sounded sweet in Pan's ears. Give up... it would be so simple, so easy... and the pain would go away. She would return to Universe 16 where she would be comforted by her parents, and protected by her grandfather...
Protected by her grandfather... always... always?
Bojack laughed, but was suddenly stopped dead: the girl at his feet, almost inert, suddenly sprang back to life. Her golden aura reappeared. Without giving him a chance to more she violently turned herself, kicking the ankle of her opponent. The blow made him lose his equilibrium, and for a second he found himself floating horizontally. Pan jumped with all of her strength, headbutting him right in the belly. She continued the attack with a surprise knee to his belly, then an uppercut. She hurried away and clenched her fist, the intensity of her aura increasing.
Bojack flew a few meters into the air and stopped. Tired after taking a few shots, he remained levitating, looking at the girl below. Now she was starting to do well, he must kill her quickly. He saw the girl was planning a new attack. He waited a little bit, just to see.
Pan calmly focused her energy, then conjured a ball of energy in the palm of each hand that glowed yellow. Seconds later she threw them at Bojack. He easily deflected them. Pan tried again.. then again... the same attack, faster and faster each time. Bojack deflected it every time, then he noticed that some of the beams were missing him. So while continuing to deflect blows, he said to his opponent:
"Are you blind, or just so tired you can;t aim?"
He laughs again seeing that her direct attacks have ceased. Finally he stopped laughing, and understood: all of the attacks that he had deflected, and every one that passed by him... it was all calculated! Now Bojack found himself surrounded by hundreds of yellow energy spheres.
"Son of a bitch! I'll crush you!"
Pan permitted herself a smile. Then, as Piccolo had quire recently taught her, controlled the energy balls with her arms, quickly bringing them to bear on his chest. The first wave contacted Bojack. The explosion was huge. Pan repeated this twice, and each time some fifty balls instantly launched and the green pirate before exploding.In the Universe 16 balcony, Vegetto glanced at Piccolo, smiling. He was delighted that he had taught Pan his technique. But she had improved it even more! It was impressive.
Pan from Universe 18 was even more impressed. She knew the masenko, but this new technique that her counterpart used, she had never seen it before. She hoped it was enough to finish off Bojack.
Pan, back in the ring, fell to her knees. Huge drops of sweat fell from her nose to the ground. She was completely exhausted, but it was worth it. Now, Bojack was surely... alive and without any serious damage?
"Impossible!" she thought when she saw her opponent in the air, uninjured even after this devastating attack... Pan smiled, not out of pleasure, but at herself, at her weakness. It was clearly over now. She knew it. Everyone knew it. So why sit there and be humiliated any longer?
Her father was right, she should have been more cautious. This guy was really powerful. How could she defeat him now? She was so young...
What weakness... what shame...
Pan stood up. Her legs trembled slightly under her weight, even though she did not weigh much. She closed her eyes for a moment, a smile on her face. Ah, if only she had met someone from Universe 10 like her counterpart! Now it was too late.
"Now... its time to give up..." Pan thought finally as she started to raise her right arm.
That's when Bojack suddenly landed in front of her! Pan stopped short, the smile faded from her face and her eyes open wide. He was so big she couldn't even see all of Bojack at the same time!
"You little brat..."
He quickly grabbed her by the neck. A strange noise coming from her throat, Pan immediate realized her inability to breathe and her blood went cold. Laughing heartily, Bojack lifted her with his arm outstretched.
Pan tried to free herself from his grop. She struck the edge of her hand repeatedly on Bojack's wrist... without success. She gradually weakened, tears streaming down her face. Her tongue, surrounded by drool, seemed to be searching for the last breath of air... her hair again became black. She sank into unconsciousness...
Meanwhile in the Universe 16 balcony Vegetto and Gohan stood their ground wanting more than anything to intervene, and Bra was trying to encourage the crying Videl next to her. The Videl and Pan from Universe 18 were also in tears, holding hands with each other.
Taking one last stand, with her last ounce of courage and strength, Pan tightened her fists. Her hair turned back to gold, and her aura reappeared after a few seconds. In a short span of time she bludgeoned a few kicks and punches onto the muscular arm of Bojack. In the Universe 16 balcony, Bra and Videl suddenly had hope that this would work.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop, along with the laughter of Bojack. He ended the young teenager before she ever had a chance to give up. A crack sounded in the arena. Her hair turned black, and from the labored breathing and the terrible pain in her neck... she was delivered... it was all over: Bojack had squeezed hard enough to break the neck of Pan. Not content with just killing her; he tossed her away, like a discarded rag. The frail and lifeless body of the young girl fell...
The second death of the tournament involved a teenager...
Pan fell, immobile. Bojack victoriously stood in the ring for a moment to witness the girl's descent.
At the same instant, the announcer shouted into his microphone," Pan has died, making Bojack from Universe 6 the winner!"
A dryness echoed in the words of the announcer. Not even the death of a child had an influence on the tone of these announcements! In a tournament where killing was permitted, it could only be expected...And it was true that her death would only be temporary...But still...
"Pan!" cried her mother, flying towards her, weeping and stretching out her arms to catch her daughter.
But it was Son Gohan who suddenly appeared behind Pan to catch her. He appeared so quickly behind her, his arms already in the correct position that he seemed to have teleported. He bowed his head down, descended slowly to touch to the ground, and followed Videl, distraught.
A ghastly smile was perceptible on the face of the muscled, rough, green-skinned man. "Was that it? Too bad I had to show my real strength in the first round...Anyway my next opponent is this Cell..." he thought, glancing toward his opponent from Universe 17.
Vegetto and Son Goku gathered around Universe 16's wing. The Videls from Universes 16 and 18 were shocked. They collapsed to their knees, crying, when Bojack had broken their beloved teenage daughter's neck....The Son Gohans had clenched their fists and teeth...And when Bojack literally threw their daughter, Universe 16's Gohan had gone to catch her, much quicker than his wife.
Now, a fundamental difference existed between the two Universes...
In Universe 18, Videl quickly surrounded her daughter in her arms for comfort. Pan had just lost a friend, and it was even worse to see herself die...She stood in tears, trembling, as she benefited from her father's presence to reassure her. Gohan looked at his counterpart in Universe 16. He had just lost his own daughter and the only thing he could cling on to was her resurrection at the hands of the Vargas at the end of the tournament. But...could he maintain his anger? Even in Universe 18, Gohan was calm, but inwardly he fumed. This Pan was really close to his daughter. If he, himself, was at his breaking point, what about his counterpart in Universe 16?
As Gohan walked slowly towards his wing in Universe 16,
Several discussions spawned everywhere. In the audience, it was about the ruthless Bojack, the second person to kill someone in the tournament, or even the fact that an age limit did not exist...In the 13th Universe, that of the 'Super Saiyans,' Kakarotto amusedly said, more to himself than to his companions, "Those fools. That's what they get for letting that brat enter, hehe."
"They're going to be more than sorry," said Raditz beside him. "In a few seconds, they'll all be eliminated."
"Huh? Why?" Nappa wondered aloud, as he approached the brother, Kakarotto.
"Because it's forbidden to fight outside of the matches..." Raditz said, "And this group does not have a nervous Vegeta like us to stop simpletons."
"Hey," said Kakarotto, very embarrassed that his attitude had been distorted by the Pheromone Attack. "I was..."
No sooner had he started his sentence was he interrupted by a strong power that seemed to suddenly appear in Universe 16. Even though Gohan was burning inside, his face only expressed his disgust...He was not the one who was giving off this new power...
"You're gonna die, Bojack!!" shouted Bra, transforming instantly into a Super Saiyan, like Pan did several minutes earlier.
Many people were surprised by the girl's sudden transformation. In Universe 17's wing, Cell, after being surprised by Pan, was once again shocked. And this girl seemed no weaker than Pan...
In Universe 18, everyone was astonished. The first to be bewildered by the girl's power was none other than her own counterpart. Vegeta looked at her for a moment, and it became evident that this was not a secret that she had been hiding... Vegeta did not admit it, but it pleased him to know that she had the capability to become a Super Saiyan. Pan was also astonished...First her counterpart, now Bra...it didn't help her regain confidence in her strength. If even Bra could transform, in one Universe or another, she was definitely stronger...What could she do?
Beside Son Goku, whose face was smiling with surprise, Uub was almost amazed. A Super Saiyan Bra, who was actually training... What class! What strength! What poise! However, as Uub kept his eyes fixed on her, from head to foot, she suddenly seemed full of rage and readied herself to fly.
"No, Bra! Not outside of a match!" Piccolo yelled, holding out his arm, but unable to reach her. Indeed, Bra was already preparing to rush headfirst at Bojack, who was just beginning to enter his Universe's wing.
She was finally stopped by her father, Vegetto, who grabbed her shoulders.
"Piccolo's right. We'd be sent back to our world and Pan wouldn't be brought back to life at the end of the tournament."
Bra continued to scream inwardly in anger. She turned to the stare of her father, who saw that she was less controlled. It would be bad if she got too angry right now... Vegetto continued to talk to calm her down.
"Look, even your brother, despite his legendary rage is backing down. So don't go into your usual tantrum..."It was true that Gohan, as an adult, was always calm and cheerful... However, he was also seen to explode in power through well-justified rage. Some might even say that it was the source of his strength. Some Cells in certain universes could confirm that...some Bojacks in certain universes, as well! Similarly to Gohan, Bra often burst in a fiery temper...and that meant Vegetto would have to talk her out of it. Uub heard these words and winced. The Bra from his universe was a capricious girl and far from simple. But she had never thrown such a powerful temper like this...
The moment Vegetto finished speaking, Gohan reached a low wall that separated the Universes. Rather than jumping over it, he continued walking and stepped right through it...as if it was nothing...as if the wall didn't even exist. The barrier exploded under the force of a power yet unseen, an aura filled with anger.
"Here, Gohan," said Piccolo, keeping calm as usual, conjuring in his hands a hollow object, about the same size as Pan.
"Thanks, Piccolo-san," replied his former student by placing his daughter inside the container.
After staying at her side for a moment with his wife, Gohan's vigil was suddenly interrupted behind him by Bra.
"Big brother! Bojack must die! I will..."
"You're not doing anything, Bra! Bojack played by the rules. We're not allowed to attack him."
"So you won't even lay a hand on him? Don't you want payback for your daughter?" Bra continued angrily.
Son Gohan trembled a lot. Bra was not helping him calm down at all. He took off his glasses. His eyes sought his wife, whose presence comforted him already...but it wasn't enough. Giving her his glasses, he turned, shook his fist, and allowed some of his anger to explode with his ki. A violent white aura surrounded him.

After the surprise of Bra's strength that far surpassed that of Pan, perhaps even that of Bojack, the spectators and combatants of the 19 other universes were amazed by the power that emanated from Gohan.
In Universe 19, which represented the universe filled with "nano-warriors," a nickname they obtained from the large number of people who did not know them, one of the combatants measured the energy that seemed to emit from the half-Saiyan and spread throughout the stadium with a Force Sensor.
"Is the asteroid shaking?" asked one of the armored warriors.
"My sensor's detecting a huge flow of energy!" his panicked friend replied as he analyzed each fighter.
In Universe 4, the only fighter present folded his arms and smiled.
"Ah, I see that Son Gohan hasn't lost a single bit of his power! How interesting!"
In Universe 17, Cell was even more surprised. Is this how strong Son Gohan was as an adult? What strength! At the time, he had been so impressed by Gohan's power level back when he had to commit suicide. But this...this was something entirely different!
As for the Namek in Universe 7, who seemed to be sleeping since Universe 18 arrived...he opened his eyes for the first time, intrigued by this power."Bra!" said Gohan, placing himself in front of her with his fists clenched. "If you want to let off steam, hit me. But don't put our participation in danger...and Pan's resurrection with it!" he cried at last when his power increased as a result of his anger. His rage shook the entire asteroid. Small pieces of the ring that had fallen into Universe 16's wing were flying around Bra and Gohan as a result of his raging white aura. Even Bra slightly trembled against the unusual expression on Gohan's face.
Bra stopped straight in her tracks at the sound of her brother's idea of vengeance for Pan. She loved Gohan and Videl's daughter...She was her niece...She wanted revenge, but at the same time she couldn't go against her brother. He was right...
"Ok..." she said at last after calming down and turning her head towards the ground.
Gohan remained angry enough to maintain his aura for three long minutes. Vegetto knew that his son would not let it go, that he would resist the urge to kill Bojack again. However, he maintained close supervision, just in case.
As the tension gradually faded, in Universe 18's wing a little girl was frightened. She, too, had seen the expression on her Universe 16 father's face...and she was afraid. She could never do something that would make her father, the real one from universe 18, have a face like that...
Other than that, her fighting spirit had also disappeared. Her joy in participating in this tournament? Gone... Did she believe herself to be...immortal? Perhaps... Was it the presence of her father and grandfather, Vegeta and Uub, Trunks and Goten (who could fuse into Gotenks and get even stronger) that had comforted her for so long? Had she allowed herself to believe that nothing could happen to her? That if anything happened to her, they would save her, the way Kat was saved by Universe 13's Vegeta who stopped Kakarotto?
Could she die, as well?
"Dad, I think I'll stop here," she cried softly, "I don't wanna die too!"
The girl relinquished the embrace of her mother and stared at her father. Videl stood up, one hand on her moth, still quite shocked by the death of Pan. Her real daughter continued to speak to her husband.

"Plus, she lost and...she was a lot stronger than me..I'm far from this level of fighting."
Son Gohan regarded his daughter. She was not wrong. And deep inside, part of him wanted her to give up, to play it safe. But in fact... Rather, they should be encouraging her, reassuring her.
"Pan, you could be as strong as her if you wanted to... You two are identical. You'll transform in no time."
Bra took advantage of this remark to speak a bit. She thought it would be best to divert the topic, not to stay on Pan's death. It wasn't really a bad idea.
"That other Bra, on the other hand, isn't identical to me. We don't have the same father...and I could never be a Super Saiyan..."
"You probably could if you trained more!" Vegeta said very seriously, trying for the umpteenth time to convince Bra to train.
"Not interested. Did you see that hairstyle? And I don't want to become all muscles and no brains like you and Goku."
"What did you just say?" cried the Prince of Saiyans, galled at this remark. Did his daughter seriously take him for a brainless idiot for so long?
Son Goku himself was somewhat amused. In fact, he wasn't going to try to prove her otherwise. He had learned a long time ago to ignore these kinds of things...
Son Gohan continued to speak to his daughter.
"You can forfeit at any time, and I won't let any enemy hurt you if the fight is over. You know, I'm sure to be much faster than Vegeta, if the time comes to. And besides, I know this isn't something to take lightly, but especially here, one death won't last that long. It's weird, I know, but think of it that way," he continued to say to his daughter.

In Universe 11, Babidi was getting impatient. After the defeat of his Dabura, he only remained to get his wish with Buu. Waiting for the second round would be long. And the organizers seemed to be taking their time to repair this ring...and these imbeciles were crying over a death...
"What a bunch of wimps!" he said as if it would help him wait. "My Dabra is dead too and I'm not complaining about it!"At his feet, the demon slowly opened his eyes and managed to breathe, "I...I'm not dead, yet!"
Buu, behind Babadi, was entranced by his master's words. Approaching, he asked with a huge smile, "If he's dead, can I eat him?"
Exhausted and angry at being ignored, Dabra continued to defend himself, "I'm not dead, dammit! Argl! Keuff..."
As the Demon king lost consciousness, the ring finally recomposed into one huge sphere. The announcer took the opportunity to announce the next match: Tapion versus Caracoru!
"The next match was going to be Universe 10's Caracoru against Tapion of Universe 3”, the host announced, "but since Caracoru forfeited, Tapion's the winner”.

"Um, yeah. Remember that the entire Universe 10 had dropped out at the same time, thus creating a large number of forfeits because their matches had remained in the battle program's table". As soon as he finished, he was certain that there were more Nameks than Saiyans who had dropped out.
Universe 3 had remained relatively empty since Goku and his friends had arrived, even though the tournament had already begun. Tapion was the first of his universe to fight. At the announcement of his name, he was quietly released from inside his wing. He was followed by someone smaller, who seemed to levitate, but he stopped right before the door where Tapion exited the room. This left the unrecognizable someone lurking in the shadows.
Tapion himself had finally decided to stay outside. Now that he was seen, what was the point in hiding anymore? He was of medium height, had large pointed ears that stuck out, and had orange hair in a Mohawk style. He wore rather conventional clothes, but had a beautiful sword strapped to his back. He was a swordsman, like Universe 12's Trunks and Universe 11's Dabura.
Tapion smiled. Clearly, he was happy not to have fought. Stopping right in the middle of Universe 3's space, he said, "That's fine by me. I just have to wait until the second round. My next opponent's going to be the winner of the next fight...I'll see what he's worth in this next fight...".
"For the next match," the announcer continued, "we ask for Sauza from Universe 8 against Kulilin from Universe 9!"
Upon hearing this news, Goku was very surprised.
"Huh? Kulilin? I didn't see him!"
He was very enthusiastic. Seeing his old friend participate, even if he was from another universe, would be so cool! He wasn't going to miss a single bit of that fight, and afterwards he was anxious to go and talk to him!In Universes 8 and 9, both participants were preparing themselves... Sauza, Kooler's henchman smiled. He was able to fight and win for his master. Lord Kooler would be so proud of him! But before that...he did a quick little dance with his two teammates, who did not participate with him, unlike almost the entire Ginyu Force. The dance he provided was almost as silly, useless, and even shameful! But who cares! Sauza had always done it, and so far he wasn't dead!
When they had finished, mocking both of the jealous members of the Ginyu Squad, who were their rivals, three people came out of Universe 9's interior room on the right.
The first was tall, brawny, and rather bald. He wore a fighting tunic, partly covered by a cloak that he wore on his shoulder. He seemed rather well preserved: a little wrinkly, but nevertheless, quite old. His name was Tenshinhan.
Right behind him was someone roughly the same size. He wore an orange tunic that was familiar to many in the tournament: it was that of Muten Roshi! This fighter looked incredibly handsome. He looked strong, although his muscle mass seemed slightly less than his bald friend's. Unlike the latter, in fact, he had long dark brown hair that, in battle, fell down to his neck. This guy looked quite young, certainly about twenty years old. His name was Yamcha.
As the two tall men stopped to look left and right, Yamcha glanced behind him into the doorway of the room. From the shadow of the area emerged a little man...backwards! He wore a huge shell on him and seemed to be bald. It seemed as if he couldn't see much behind him, probably because he tripped as soon as he started walking into the arena! He had only walked a few meters, moving childishly, in just as silly a fashion as the little dance that took place in Universe 8 at the time. As he arrived near the ring, donning an orange tunic, he turned at last, smiling.
He was quite bald, with six orange-colored dots on his forehead between two white eyebrows. He wore a gray and white beard that merged with his gray and white mustache, and his eyes reflected a long life, filled with adventure! He looked kind of like a fusion of Kulilin and Master Roshi...but this was not the case. Kulilin had taken up the style of his former mentor.
"Well, it's my turn!" he said with a wink, as if everyone could see it up close.
It was time, now. Sauza outran Kulilin and flew to the ring. The little bald man, in turn, jumped before he could be disqualified...
As Sauza the commando landed quietly, he heard a loud noise behind him. As he turned around, he saw the old man on the ground, sitting on his ass. He got up slowly, leaning on the cane he held in his right hand, muttering, "My shell weighs quite a lot on this ring...about as much as it did on the planet of Kaiou-sama...just a little more than that, I believe...”
"An old geezer," Sauza sighed. "This match won't take long at all!"
Kulilin finally got up and turned to his opponent, who had already insulted him. Wrinkling an eyebrow, he recognized the purple-clad man... But it had been so long ago...
"I believe one of my friends killed you when I was young..." he told Sauza, recalling his youth. "And you haven't aged at all since that day! That's so unfair...I'm jealous."
"Me? Killed? I don't care. This time it'll be I who kills you!
"Hmm... Being confident is good, but not at this point, my friend."Sauza's smile faded and he rushed towards the 'old geezer'. With a strength and speed that certainly ranked in the top ten or even five in his universe, he was certain that the old bastard wouldn't be able to dodge it. Yet... that's exactly what Kulilin just did. He jumped effortlessly over his opponent, avoiding a punch, despite his one-ton heavy shell... No, the gravity was multiplied by ten, so it actually weighed 10 times as much!
Sauza was able to track Kulilin's movements without much difficulty.
"Tsss, behind you!" he said, as if to mock the 'slowness' of the old fart...even though he had dodged that last attack.
Preparing an attack with the edge of his hand, flying through the air, he struck with all his might... But instead of Kulilin, the old master had turned, allowing Sauza to hit his gray shell. Usually when hit at that strength, most objects would shatter. Usually it wouldn't be so bad!
The shell had resisted the slash attack and his hand was nearly reduced to a pulp. Sauza screamed, trying to hold back a small tear in his eye. It was a rather humiliating injury.
Kulilin raised his finger like a professor who was giving advice. Closing his eyes, he said, "Now now, my friend... You shouldn't hit Katchin metal. It can really hurt a lot..."
Several people among the fighters in all the universes were surprised. They knew of Katchin, the hardest metal in the whole universe. King Kold's army had already found it, but in too small quantities. They were unable to forge it for use as a weapon or armor.
In Universe 16, Vegetto and Gohan also knew of this metal, like Universe 18's Gohan and his father Goku. The latter had thrown a huge block at Gohan was training to wield the Legendary Z Sword to fight Buu. The sword snapped in two, which surprised everyone present. They were afraid at the time that they had broken the only weapon capable of defeating Buu...
In Universe 19, the nano-technologists also knew of this precious metal. They knew how to manipulate and even recreate it themselves. The elite forces' armor was made of, at least in an alloy, natural or synthetic Katchin.
Katchin or not, Sauza was determined to put the little baldy in his place. He had been lucky so far! He approached him once again, crying "You senile old fart! I'll teach you a lesson!"
He stopped out of reflex to dodge an attack. Kulilin had launched himself admirably, without any useless gestures or difficulty, straightening his legs that were ready to hit Sauza's face. But thanks to the latter's incredible reflexes, he stopped in time and managed to dodge it. He leaned back, thinking that his opponent would pass over him.
He was wrong. Kulilin stopped short a few inches from him. He remained in this position for a short time, as if floating in the air, and began to whirl suddenly and quickly. He found himself in the ideal position to land a kick on Sauza's left cheek.
The strike was hard, but Sauza stood firm and did not fall. He retreated one step in shock, while Kulilin gracefully fell to his feet with more flexibility than any man his age.
"That bastard," thought Sauza, his sore cheek red and scratched. "He's fluid and fast... “But," he thought, noticing that they were fighting so far away from each other, "this midget can't hit far, I must use that!"
As if he guessed his opponent's thoughts, Kulilin simply attacked. He extended his arm and fist into Sauza's belly. The stroke was rather slow compared to what he could normally do, but it allowed Sauza to take a step back to take advantage of the lengthening gap between him and the shorter man.
Quickly, Kulilin dropped his cane and with his newly freed hand, he grabbed the rope that served as a strap to his shell, freed his right shoulder and with a large swing he used the shell as a weapon to compensate for his lack of range. Sauza had no time to prepare himself and gasped when he received the blow: even his armor, known to be strong and flexible, didn't adequately protect him. His eyes bulged in pain.
Kulilin kept his armor under his right arm. He quietly turned his back to his foe a few feet away, taking his time to resume the fight and turning his head towards Sauza.
"I may be old, but you remain an eternal sucker!"
Sauza could no longer control himself. This was getting too ridiculous!
"Enough!" he cried.
He clenched his fists and let his power accumulate. A white aura tinged with purple surrounded him. Obviously he was a little more serious, and this time he attacked without leaving many openings.
He launched a few balls of energy at the bald midget, who dodged them with a simple jump. Sauza continued the assault, but Kulilin dodged them as he pretended to glide through the air at the last moment. His opponent increased the pace and this time Kulilin could no longer avoid the fire power. He protected himself behind his shell. There was no explosion. Kulilin and the shell were pushed backwards by the ki balls until after a while, when they started to deflect off the shield.
As Kulilin pushed his back against the Katchin carapace, Sauza returned to ground level, his body still surrounded by the maleficent aura as he prepared a new attack. This time, it was one big ray of light, no more balls of energy. Before the energy wave could hit him, the bald one seemed to disappear...and reappear where he had dropped his cane. He picked it up quickly and ran quickly towards Sauza, who had just begun to turn his head towards him, surprised by the old man's speed. Kulilin attacked...with his cane. First with a knock on the head, then a fist to counter Sauza's punch, then another hit to the knee, and then the ankle joint, Kulilin attacked. Sauza lost his balance and Kulilin continued his multiple-hit-assault to pressure points and weak spots until he finally backed down.

Sauza got up, angrier than ever. "Okay, you're fast...but it's time to test your resistance, Old Turtle!" he cried, raising his right arm, which glowed with a sharply shaped violet aura and emitted a small crackling sound. "This technique even cuts through metal!" he finished screaming.
"Scuff my beautiful shell?" Kulilin said, raising an eyebrow. "No way! It's precious to me!" he said, finally dropping his cane.
He bent his legs slightly apart, stretched his right arm towards the starry sky, palm open and fingers spread. He concentrated his ki and made a yellow disk appear spinning at full speed over his hand. Kulilin shouted the name of his signature technique: "Kienzan!"
Sauza dashed at his opponent, armed with his right arm reinforced by the violet aura. Kulilin used his momentum to take a step and launched his Kienzan at his enemy. The attack sped at top speed and quickly clashed into Sauza's technique, which seemed to create resistance...but just for a few seconds during which strong crackling and humming could be heard as the audience held its breath.
The energy blade was then suddenly sliced by the disc.
The Kienzan cut through Sauza's fingers first, and then through his entire torso diagonally, before continuing on to the stands and the starry sky in a strange parabolic arc before fading away all alone. Sauza fell on his back."Impos...sible...Inferior... Monster!" he managed to say before dying as Kulilin picked up his cane.
"This end really fits you, I'm sure..." said the old man before starting to return to his wing.
"Victory of Kulilin from Universe 9! Get back to your personal spaces..." said the announcer into his microphone.
In the control room of the stadium, a Varga began to speak to one of his colleagues.
"Is the announcer stupid or what? One of the fighters is dead; he can't get back to his space..."
"Yeah, another hotshot if you ask me... The underpaid and incompetent kind of guy..."
"You mean...like us?"
The Varga laughed. The others soon followed suit...until their leader surprised them with a visit and fired them after finding suitable substitutes...
In the ring, two of Sauza's henchmen came looking for him, each finding a piece of his body, and brought it to Universe 8. The elite members of the Ginyu Force were dumbfounded. Even if they had lost, at least they were in one piece! At the same time, Frieza started an argument with Coola. After the defeat of his brother, he could criticize him with ease, and he never would be deprived of such a moment…although, again, their father, Cold, had to separate them.
Meanwhile, Kulilin walked slowly back to his universe Universe. Behind him, someone who thought him to be familiar called out:
"Kulilin! Hey! Kulilin!"
Turning around, the little white bearded man wondered why this person called - especially a person with strange hair and a muscular body. It was obvious: this person was a Saiyan. Suspicious, but far from being afraid, he walked toward him. The Saiyan had on a faint smile, which was odd.
"Um, who are you, Saiyan?" the old man asked.

"It’s me, Goku! It’s very cool that you're participating! You also got to be an old master! Did you achieve your dream of getting married?"
"You talk to me like I'm your friend..." whispered the bald man.
Goku was surprised. He had nothing to say while looking at the counterpart of his best friend. Kulilin looked at Universe 18.
"I do not know you, but I know your Saiyan friend."
"You mean Vegeta?"
"I even know Piccolo, too bad most of your universe contains many monsters..."
"Monsters? Piccolo is not bad," tried to say Goku.
But Kulilin did not seem to believe him and continued: "Saiyans, demons, Coola's Empire, Androids, Babidi. This place gives me the creeps!"
He turned his back to Goku, and went back to the Universe of Universe 13, while Yamcha and Tenshinhan were waiting for him.The Saiyan just stood there for a moment. He wondered what happened to Kulilin. He surely replaced Muten Roshi, but he did not know him. Yet he was friends with Yamcha and Tenshinhan, and in his universe, it was because of Goku that they met in the first place. Maybe in Universe 9, Goku still lived in the mountains? Or maybe Bulma never came to Goku's house in search of the Dragon Balls? Or was he killed before he met Kame-Sennin? Or, it was always a possibility that Grandpa Gohan had never dealt with him or didn't find him. The possibilities were endless.
Then, an announcement was made by one of the Vargas:
"We finished the first half of 32 rounds. We are now beginning a lunch break."
Throughout the stadium, participants and spectators were more or less hungry, and they expected the lunch break much before, with a lot of impatience. At the same time, the organizers had not announced the incoming fights. Goku returned to his universe, eager to have some good food. His first son was waiting for him.
"What did you guys talk about?" Gohan asked curiously.
"Not much," the Earth's savior replied.
"Why?"
"Um, well, he didn't recognize me..."
"Really?"
This little information surprised Gohan. Since their childhood, especially when traveling with Kulilin and Bulma to Namek, they had known each other. Goku had told him all about their adventures with Bulma, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Oolong, and Piccolo. It always had seemed obvious that the force that created the Z Fighters was his father. Without Goku, then they would not have gone to Namek, and Kulilin would have not received the major power boost from the Grand Elder. Tenshinhan and Yamcha would have not been so strong if they had not trained under Kaio-sama, who they knew about through Goku. So then, what made Kulilin so strong, even strong enough to defeat Sauza so easily?
"He also knew Vegeta and Piccolo," pointed out the Super Saiyan.
That seemed even stranger to Gohan. At the time, Piccolo Daimao was defeated by Goku, and then fought Nappa and Vegeta, and what if a different Saiyan was sent to Earth? Did that cause all the changes? Did Kulilin beat Piccolo instead? Did he face Raditz? Gohan no longer had any time to think about this endless subject.
"There! We finally prepared the tables. You can eat now," said their universe’s Varga.
Indeed, behind Gohan was a large table. The Vargas were setting up the plates, utensils, and the food, enough for the exact number for the people in Universe 18.
Gohan begin looking around. In the first area, he could see the Kaioshins. Then, the participants of Universe 2 came out of their door, or at least most of them; Gohan did not recognize any one of them, and neither did Piccolo, but Son Goku did.
"Hey! It's Arale! She and I met when we were kids! She was stronger than me then. But why is she there?"
Other than Arale, there was a small man who had the hairstyle of a Super Saiyan, and a battle outfit, but the color was very different. He also had horns on his head, which made him look like a little demon. Then, a third person appeared. He looked like a cat, rather blue, with giant ears and an ear-to-ear smile. He didn't look that impressive. Many other people were also there: A man-fox with a bushy tail, a little man in disguise as Superman, a girl with multicolored hair, a little vampire-werewolf-koala, little round men resembling apples with antennae on their heads with 2 enormous fangs protruding out of their mouths (They seem to be just a head), other animals that were standing on 2 legs, or animal-men... They had pointy ears anyway. Apart from Arale, there was no one that our friends were able to recognize.Gohan went on. In Universe 3, the Z Fighters only recognized Tapion, but there was also someone, lurking in the shadows. In Universe 4, there was Buu. Universe 5 was completely empty. Universe 6 had part of the Bojack Gang and the "Kat Girls," as they had come to be known. In Universe 7 sat the Super Namek. Universe 8 was crawling with Frieza's family and their small band of soldiers. Then there were the humans of Universe 9, but the Vargas seemed to be preparing the tables big enough for only 3 people. The rest of the universes remained the same... No new fighters...
While Uub, Pan, Goten, Goku, Vegeta, Bra, Videl, Piccolo, and Trunks were choosing where to sit, a purple Varga approached them.
"I'll be taking your orders," announced the bird-like creature.
"Oh! I'll take that and this!!," screamed Goku while looking at the pictures on the menu." Oh! And that too!"
"What size would you like, sir? We have small, medium, large, and gargantuan. We know that the fighters here are big eaters, so even the size small is pretty decent."
"Um... I'll take a... large," submitted Goku.
"No," said Gohan." He doesn't want large, he wants gargantuan."
"Um... I don't think you understand," replied the Varga. "Gargantuan, and even large, is too much. We made this size for giant participants, like that 8-foot Namek over there. I'm sure he would want that size. You look like you are a medium... Oh! I get it! You are ordering for the whole table!"
No, no," said Gohan." Gargantuan for him, me, and Vegeta. A few glasses of water for Piccolo, and gargantuan for Goten and Trunks too. I think Bra will take large, and large for Uub and Pan too, and small for Videl."
The little bird was surprised. A large for that scrawny girl who was barely bigger than him and a large for an even smaller girl who was his size! For him, the amount of food in small size would be enough to last for 2 days!
Ultimately, the people of Universe 18 chose what they wanted, but the Vargas had to prepare all that in such little time, and in the audience, there were a few million people there that they had to feed too...
The Vargas went to their command center, and a few minutes later, everyone's food arrived. Piccolo sat at the end of the table (his cape might interfere...). Trunks and Goten sat next to each other, but often giggled, or bickered, so Vegeta separated them by putting Bra between them. Trunks found himself between his sister and father, and Goten was sitting between his best friend's sister and Piccolo, who never joked.Uub and Pan sat next to each other, across from Trunks and Goten, and Gohan and Videl took the last 2 vacancies.

At the control center, there were scrambling Vargas everywhere managing the fighters and the spectators, not to mention all the artificial gravity and mechanics problems. Then, a leader Varga, a little larger than the others, received a few reports. Then, a Namek came to visit him.
"Everything is going smoothly," said the Namek.
"I know, I know..." the chief replied.
"There has been no clashing over universes," said the Varga, while standing upright." They seem to be following the rules."
"What about the dead and the wounded?"
"Some of them refuse our care, like the participant of Universe 11, who is near death."
"We cannot force them..."
"There are currently 3 deaths, sir."
"Are the dragon balls ready?"
"Yes, and they are safe. There should be no problem."
"Good. Is that all?"
"Well, there were 2 Nameks of Universes 16 and 18 – counterparts – who came to meet us in Universe 20 to talk about the frozen participant."
"Oh yeah? Do they know him? Or are they just curious?"
"They claimed to have fought him in their past. Although they tried to hide it, they seemed a little scared. They recommended not to thaw him out."
"What are their names?"
"Piccolo. The name of the frozen man is Broly."
"Broly? Okay then, we shall use this name in the match. Go tell the Kaioshin about this."
The Namek left the room and went to the Kaioshin. When he said the name 'Broly', all the Kaioshin recognized it.
"Wasn't that the name of that Legendary Saiyan?" asked the youngest god.
"Yes, he was supposed to be the most powerful being ever," replied the oldest.
"You know him?" asked the Namek.
"Well, let’s say we met him once too," said the only participating god, while looking straight at the block of ice that contained Broly.The Vargas were overwhelmed!
They had planned a vast amount of food but... They could not have been prepared for this! The spectators and for participants ate separately from one another... for spectators, it had been fine, but the tournament participants ate far more than what had been expected. After all twenty universes had made their orders, it turned out that too many of the participants were asking for vast amounts of food! Eventually, the chief cook had to decide on a change of plans... Instead of serving the twenty universe all at once, they were to be served one at a time... randomly according to what they had already been able to prepare. Some saw their entire order arrive quickly, others received just a portion of their order... and some ended up receiving nothing at all for several long minutes. The head chef broke out in a cold sweat...

As for the first universe of the Kaioshins, their servings weren't very extraordinary. The female Kaioshin had took a small portion, while the others took portions of a medium size. It was a bit more than expected, but it still went okay. The second universe, had many people. The cook did not know exactly how many attended, but there was at least a dozen people... Some took small portions, others took medium portions. But it was still a lot considering that a small portion could feed a family of Vargas... Surprisingly, in Universe three, simply three portions of different sizes were served.
But the entire plan was about to be turned completely upside down. From the control terminal of the fourth universe, which housed only the one who called himself "Buu". The little purple Vargas who was in charge of the universe came to the head chef, sweating nervously, and a little embarrassed. So the cook went ahead and asked, "Let me guess... Not a small portion, but an medium one right?"
"Uh, no..." the poor purple Varga answered hesitantly."Oh? Then a large portion? In that case, here we go!"
"N-not even... It's even more than... gargantuan..."
"Could I have mistaken the universe? A large portion should be enough to feed one of the universes of this tournament consisting of several people."
"The worst part is... that it requires at least three orders of a gargantuan size..."
The cook was shocked! Three servings of this size!? It was large! It would be enough to feed an entire city of Varga with that! Incredible!
"Well.. Ok then.. It works" said the head chef trying to appear impassive, as if he had already foreseen everything, which was far from the truth.
After taking careful note of the large order, and started the machine responsible for preparing it, he called for the next Varga, who was responsible for the fifth universe.
"No orders for this universe" the Varga said as it simply held an empty order book in its right paw.
"How can that be? Well, it's a bit of a relief after the order of the fourth universe. Next!" he cried, ready to move on to the next universe.
It was the sixth universe, housing Bojack's gang as well as the group of girls. The latter only took two orders of a small size, they had decided to share amongst themselves following the advice of their support Varga. Bojack, dubbed the killer of children by the four girls from the same universe, and Bujin, both took an medium sized portion while a small portion was served to Zangya. Who would have thought that all the women of all the universes were watching their figure? The head chef, without any doubt in his mind! And never had there been a contradiction to this!
Universe 7 brought yet another shock! The Namek giant who measured over two meters high, possibly three, had to eat a lot! He seemed very strong, surely he consumed a lot of energy. The head chef had betted on a gargantuan portion. But that wasn't the case at all.
"He asks for water, that's all" the Varga said to the head chef.
"W-water? Just water? Hmm... Yes! Yes, of course, it's a Namek after all..."
The head chef continued to sweat profusely. What a hard job this was! He had never been dropped by all orders, and it was far from over. The eighth universe had ordered a large number of dishes, since there were many participants from that universe. But the portion sizes at least seemed reasonable. It was the same with universe 9, the portions ordered weren't to out of the ordinary.
Luckily, everyone from the tenth universe had already left! The head chef had planned a lot for them, since he had been told ahead of time that the Saiyans were very big eaters. The news had come as a great relief after having to fulfill the order of the fourth universe! However, the head chef's joy was short-lived: Two gargantuan sized portions were ordered for the "Majin Buu" of the eleventh universe! But where could those two possibly be putting everything they ate?
Trunks of the twelfth universe ordered an medium portion, while #16 ate nothing. Next was the thirteenth universe which housed the four "Super Saiyans". This time the head chef had (almost) been able to anticipate the order. He expected a large portion for each participant. However, it was four gargantuan orders... These Saiyans were too proud to order anything but the largest portions available. Nappa had no way of knowing that for once, he would not be able to finish what was on his table ...As for Trunks, it was the opposite. He had modestly taken the recommendations the Vargas made to him literally, and had no idea that he would still be a little hungry after his meal ...His battle as a Super Saiyan had taken a lot out of him.
In the fourteenth universe, which housed two cyborgs. Two small portions seemed to be enough for thems...
The head chef began to get depressed ... what if he had not planned enough? What if he ran out of stock? His career would be ruined! When the Varga in charge of the fifteenth universe entered, the head chef was beating his head against a wall. Everyone had been far bigger than he had anticipated!
"Let me guess... I had planned for a small portion, but far more than that was ordered right?"
"No, no" the Varga assured without much understanding, considering he was unaware of the orders taken by the other universes "It is a small order."
"Victory at last! I am not done for after all! Yippee!"
The head chef was overjoyed, and he showed it in his movements, his dancing body showed a slight bit of madness... which would soon worsen...
"I'm here for the sixteenth universe's order" said the next Varga as the head chef continued to dance a bit.
"I hear you, friend. I guess they all ordered medium sized dishes?"
"No, no. There is a small portion, two medium sized dishes and seven gargantuan orders...
"The sixteenth universe you say? Wait, surely there is some mistake. I seem to remember that there are two women and a girl in sixteenth universe. It can't be just one of them with a small order!""The little girl is now deceased. The oldest woman takes a small portion, but the other girl asked for a gargantuan order."
"Gasp! A gargantuan order? For a woman?" The chef thought when he saw her, the ground would crumble beneath her feet. After a dozen commands he had set had failed, one of his fundamental principles had broken as well. What had he done wrong in life to deserve this? These creatures were absolutely filthy! They were eating everything!
"After this tournament, I'm getting a new job..." said the head chef, noting the large order.
Cell, of the seventeenth universe, asked for nothing. However in the eighteenth universe, even more gargantuan dishes were ordered... The men of the nineteenth universe each asked for small-sized portions. And for the last block, the twentieth universe... nothing was ordered! There was literally nothing left anyway! They could still make up for the lack of food using the tons of popcorn and hot dogs that were to be provided for the public... that should have been enough.
"Phew... Finally almost done..." the head chef said once they had almost finished preparing all the meals.
As he lounged in an armchair after all that hard work, another Varga came to him with more bad news:
"Say uh, how are we going to get all these gargantuan dishes to the participants?"
Damn! The halls were too small for such quantities of food prepared!
"I... I quit... I'm done... Farewell...!" he shouted as he fled from the Varga.

The Vargas had planned for everything beforehand. Perhaps not in terms of food, but the number of employees serving. There was about two thousand small Vargas working. They came suddenly as if from nowhere and flowed around the stands to serve the tens of millions of hungry viewers. Some servers were fitted with a simple and broad tray filled with various sweets, others were pulling a trolley full of drinks with their little furry legs, all offering free snacks. In the shade, in the heart of the asteroid used as a place in the tournament, it was another thousand Vargas helped Nameks, who cooked.
After preparing the meals for the spectators, the cooks were still very busy with the orders of the twenty universes. One of the Varga noted the frozen participant of universe twenty... "Surely a block of ice like that does not eat" remarked a little insightful Varga top bleachers.
In their space, The Kaioshin were discussing the "Legendary Saiyan" as well."In your opinion, how strong is this Broly?" the female Kaioshin asked the others.
"He is supposed to be far superior to us correct?" answered the somewhat big Kaioshin.
"Should we really be allowing this?" asked the youngest Kaioshin. "I mean... even if he is frozen... it's dangerous to just keep him around like this..."
"It's not for us to decide", said the oldest of the Kaioshin. When we decided to hold this tournament, we were clearly asked by the Vargas to not intervene on their choices for the combatants. We accepted, and we'll stick to that decision."
"Yes but... This Broly... shouldn't be taken so lightly." said the young East Kaioshin. "It's the same as it was with Majin Buu, how can we not do something about this? What if we had not dealt with Bibidi back then!?"
At these words, all the Kaioshin turned to the space of the eleventh universe, where Babidi, son of the sorcerer Bibidi, was waiting patiently for the rest of the tournament, with Majin Buu behind him, grinning like a child.
During his fight with Bujin, the Gods had seen the extent of the pink monster's power. Although Majin Buu was not at all like they had imagined he'd be, he was clearly still incredibly powerful! And perhaps even worse... in the fourth universe, there was another fighter who was called "Buu". His body was far better suited for fighting... It was also clear that his power was significantly above his counterpart from the eleventh universe, not to mention his intelligence!
"Don't worry," assured the South Kaioshin, who was participating in the tournament. "Certainly, there are very strong fighters here, but the Vargas have a functional system to return those who break the rules back to their own universe. Whether it be Majin Buu, Broly, or any other, there is no danger. As for the others, leave them to me!" he said jokingly.
His fellow Kaioshin found it in themselves to smile. The south Kaioshin had the habit of trusting those around him. It was true that apart from two or three fighters, the others surely didn't pose much of a problem. The entirety of the tenth universe's participants had left very quickly after most of their 8 participants had suffered failures...
And the second universe? None of them seemed very powerful... but none had participated yet, but they would soon.Most of them seemed happy most of the time. Many of them were very small, and spent most of their time playing. There were other more mature looking adult characters that appeared to be stronger. But exactly how were they all involved with each other?
Unlike many of the present universes, the people of the second universe did not seem to have met each other prior to this this tournament. Most were spotted one at a time by Vargas to be brought to the tournament. However, this tournament, in which even the Gods were participating, was far from being the most appropriate place for most of them. There was even a little girl that wore a white t-shirt with "Arale" written on it... There was also a little demon kid that seemed to be only a little older...
As the long tables were set up by themselves, appearing from under the ground, the participants and spectators of the second universe each reacted rather randomly. Some had already figured out that it'd be meal time and began to ask questions:
— "I'm Shu", said the sixteen year old young man dressed in blue, orange, and brown, introducing himself to the man sitting beside him wearing an orange bandana on his head. The man wearing the bandana made no reply. Was he just... dumb? In any case, he had said nothing since he had been there. But Shu had heard others say that his name was "Eight"... Shu did not lingered for a moment on his attempt to get him to speak a word... But they just looked at one another side by side... There was also this "Arale" playing with a weird little guy wearing a gas mask... as well as a ... a turd with pink eyes and a mouth...? At the sight of it, Shu, the young man with messy dark hair, looked away. The odd blue cat caught his interest. What his name ? He had heard it before... He had kept repeating his name in the Vargas ship... Ah yes! Nekomajin Z! Such a strange name. He was talking to two small demons, just as large as Shu. Both had pointy ears, like many others here(was it how everyone was in their world?). But while one was not unlike a human, the other was pink and had his hair pulled back."In my world I am the strongest! I will win this tournament for sure! You know the people of the eighteenth universe? Well they are all in my world too! They're friends of mine. As proof, they wear the same outfit as me! See? See!?" the cat wearing a red kimono said to the two demons, tugging on his shirt to show it clearly. "I am stronger than all of them!" he continued.
The pink demon kid interrupted saying "My name is Beelzebub... And what puzzles me is... that guy from universe 11."
"That big balloon looking guy?" asked another child with pointy ears.
"No, the other guy, Dabra ... He looks a lot like... My father... although he's much smaller... But what if it's him!"
"Your dad sure got beaten up." Nekomajin said simply.
"Hey! Don't you dare! My dad is much stronger than him! It just seems odd to me, that's all!"
"Maybe you should talk to him ... Before he dies..."
It's true that... Dabra was clearly dying... And if Beelzebub wanted to know more about him, he would have to talk to him soon... But not yet... The food had arrived! Before sitting down in turn, Beelzebub locked eyes with the someone from universe 3 next door. Tapion. He had not fought, but he looked quite confident. Was he strong? Did he have any special abilities or something? Or was it just a look used to deceive his opponents?
No one in universe 2 knew, so they were curious to see him in action. Even more curious was that shadow that remained at the entrance... He did not eat who did not eat with him. One table had appeared, and only Tapion settled there to eat his meal, which was served at the same time as the meals were served for the people in the universe 2 space. While everyone in these two spaces was served a small pile, the Vargas were busy taking an enormous amount of food to universe 4's space, using anti-gravity vehicles.As Buu sat, waiting for his food to be served, he followed the conversations that were forming here and there, including the one about Broly. He was so eager to face him! This desire came directly from the traits of Goku that still existed in him. The Vegeta in him also wanted to prove his superiority, but there was more to it than that. Buu had absorbed thousands of different people, and his thinking was partially influenced by them all, not by one or two in particular. He had absorbed people even prouder than Vegeta! All those influences inside him gave him a great urge to fight Vegetto as well.
Buu knew that Vegetto shared this feeling...but there was a dilemma. Buu guessed that Vegetto would refuse to allow Broly to fight anyone but him...but had Vegetto guessed his intentions?
"Well...I'll eat first and take care of it after..." Buu thought as finally, his freshly made meal was served to him.
After all, Vegetto would be obliged to defend himself, if Buu decided to attack...
"Your order has arrived, sir. The dishes are hot and were prepared with great care", said a Varga.
Buu was slightly surprised... The poor Vargas...
"Thank you...I will improve the quality a little." he said simply as he rose from his seat to approach his steaming hot food.
The tentacle on his head moved, pointing at the vehicles that were transporting all the food he had ordered and in a flash of light, everything turned into loads of candy!
The Varga was shocked for a good ten seconds, there were loads of candy... What a waste! If he told it to the cook, he would surely commit suicide! All that good food that was so beloved by the Vargas...changed into vulgar sweets...the Varga in charge of the fourth universe had already disliked the fighter he was serving, but with that, he hated him outright!
"This guy is a real demon! How could he do this to us?" he uttered to himself quickly starting to leave; he couldn't stand the sight of seeing Buu eat his candy.
Buu threw candy into his mouth with a big smile after he had reduced the gourmet meal into a load of sweets that he liked! He certainly could have ordered sweets from the start, but then he would have missed the bewilderment of the Varga, and that would have been a shame! In universe 11, the other Majin Buu had not missed this transformation of food into candy, and it gave him great ideas for later... coming soon ... See you soon!Unlike the space for Universe 5, in which no participant had seemed to appear, the space for Universe 6 was served several dishes. But for the girls, there was a lack of appetite as they questioned their presence in this tournament...
Kat had lost and she had the greatest physical strength out of them all... Even worse, by coming here, they had revealed themselves to Bojack. They had shown their strength and special skills, and it came with a great risk. Bojack couldn't possibly know where they came from, but couldn't he figure it out? It was a huge risk for something so little, thought the charm-wielding fighter.
Two separate tables had appeared earlier for the two groups to eat separately. Good thing considering cohabitation between them would have been impossibly tense. Around their round table, the four girls sat silently at first, then began to discuss their next move...as Bojack watched them, smiling. Bojack, the space pirate, who had even killed a little girl, would surely continue to kill many more after this tournament, in order to know where these girls came from. He was curious. Kat had surprised him, she was pretty strong, and he did not think that there were people like that left in his world. She was far from being on his level, but still.
"Some of them seem friendly...I like the one with dark brown hair, myself. The one with the cape over there next to that 'Cabbage' guy," said the oldest of the young women.
"You have strange taste" replied the second fighter.
"This is scary!" Kat interrupted. "Imagine if I had fought against Bojack, he would have had no mercy! He killed a young girl with his bare hands!"
"Calm down Kat, it's over", comforted the fourth participant. “Stay calm, we'll keep fighting and... If we all lose in the first round, then we'll go...and Bojack won't be able to follow us since he'll be continuing to the second round... In the meantime, let's just eat..."
Kat was slightly comforted at the idea. Still, waiting until the end of the first round was a bit too long for her, but she had no choice, she didn't want to go home alone! But in the back of her head...she hoped that her friends would lose their matches...without dying of course. She didn't usually think so selfishly, but her fight against Kakarotto had temporarily traumatized her.
The redheaded Zangya, at the other table, was satisfied. She loved to see others cower in fear of their strength. This Kat was reacting just like so many other victims before her had. The only thing she hated was that in their world, people feared Bojack's very name and not hers... She was much less well-known than her boss, and it bothered her a bit.
As she drank from her glass, she glanced at Bojack... He was quiet despite his appearance. He was delighted to have broken a young girl, even if he had been momentarily surprised by her speed. Now he was eagerly anticipating his second round match against Cell. "A fight between two greenish monsters, interesting!" Zangya said with a smile as she put down her empty glass.
Looking straight ahead, she noticed the large Namek in Universe 7. He too was very green... He had been drinking for ten minutes; many large empty glasses were already lined up at the head of the table. Many others were left as he slowly emptied another through a straw. He almost seemed like a tourist on holiday. This guy had remained calm the entire time, a little too calm. At times he almost seemed to be sleeping! Yet the matches that took place were interesting and noisy... It was strange that a big guy like him didn't bother to even take a look at these fights. Was he so powerful that he was sure of his victory, and therefore felt no need to pay attention to the matches between his opponents? He had opened his eyes when Bojack had killed the girl and her father had been enraged...but what could that really mean? Many people in the arena waited impatiently for his fight to come, eager to see what he could do. Not to mention finding out who was the participant from the fifth universe.

Conversely, everyone knew the potential of the eighth universe, and no one expected much from them. Coola had fought with all his might, and hadn't lased very long. His right hand, Sauza, had been killed. Three members of the Ginyu squad had already been defeated. One had been left in a critical condition, Reacum, who was still in the treatment room. It seemed it would all be up to the strength of Freeza, who had passed the second round after Jeece had forfeited. He would be up against Nappa of the Universe 13. However, perhaps there would be others participating from this universe.
The meal allowed the members of the Ginyu squad to recuperate, while leaving Reacum in the care of the Vargas. Two tables had appeared in space eight: one was prepared for the lords of the universe: Freeza, Coola, and their father King Cold. The second, longer table was for all of their minions. The first to be served were obviously King Cold and his sons. Only Coola did not eat his portion; he just drank the green liquor that had been served, which had a very good taste, but without moderation, was quickly making his head a little fuzzy. Opposite from Cold and Freeza, Coola muttered to himself, mumbling about his opponent allegedly cheating in their match... Depressed, he chose this moment to reflect on a lot of bad memories of other things that he had gone wrong in his life. Freeza took this opportunity to mock his older brother.
"Oh oh oh oh! You are in a lamentable state Coola. It's been a while since I've seen you like this! In fact, the last time..." Freeza continued, pretending to be trying to remember, "... I believe it was when you could not manage to have a son!"
"Silence Freeza!" Coola shouted with a deep distorted voice, "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Bah," Freeza shrugged, "this explains why my empire is always greater than yours. Just because you won our last fight you think you're better than me, but your fondness for alcohol should slow you down in your progression, and slow your reflexes!"
"Freeza," Freeza's father, Cold intervened. "Stop behaving like a child...It's unbecoming."
"But if our positions had been reversed, he would have done the same!" Freeza protested quietly.
"And you, Coola, stop drinking..." Cold continued, with a stern look at Coola.
After all, he did not like to see his eldest son like this. Since when did he like to drink this kind of drink? It had a strange effect on his son... The more he drank...the more he wanted, and when he drank he would complain and whine. It would soon become unbearable.
"Anyway, I will show you what true strength is," continued Freeza. "I will beat that Saiyan, Nappa, quickly! I will humiliate him! That pathetic Saiyan, he won't even touch me!"
Freeza laughed almost stupidly. Even in the unlikely event that he'd be beaten by Nappa, he had at least passed to the second round. And oh my, it was a nice win against Coola! After Nappa he would either be matched against another Saiyan, whose name he had forgotten, or a humanoid with a number for a name...neither seemed too dangerous... But he decided he should be cautious: Coola had been beaten by a weak looking guy...
Aside from the three conquerors of the eighth universe, the Ginyu squad also discussed the upcoming fight. Unfortunately they didn't have much left to be hopeful for in this tournament. They spoke only of dishonor, defeat, and humiliation.
"If only I hadn't been so unlucky!" Jeece grumbled while eating a big piece of meat. "I could have won if I had not been matched against Lord Freeza!"
"We lost our strength and our chance a long time ago." Butta said before gulping his entire drink in one go.
"You're all zeroes" Kiwi interrupted, "You were pathetic! You should have let me participate instead!"
"Don't you say anything!" Jeece said, defending himself, "You're no match for the fighters of this tournament either! And either way, you played the game! And you lost!"
Kiwi thought back to what they had done several days earlier, when the Vargas had arrived with their idea of the Multiverse Tournament... The three members of Ginyu squad and Kiwi were present at a fight to the death between two fighters, or rather, two slaves. The event wasn't exactly rare, but in this battle, it was clear to everyone who would win. So Reacum, Butta, and Jeece placed bets on the better warrior and, when Kiwi would do the same Jeece said:
"You can't bet on the same one as us, it takes at least one that bets on the other to make a real bet. If you don't do it, then you might as well be criticizing Lord Freeza!"
He had no choice...as usual. He had long been oppressed by these three of the Ginyu Squad. On this bet, the one who lost would be forced to resign from the Multiverse Tournament of the Vargas... And voila! Now he was unable to participate, and the other three had lost!
"But now look at you!" Kiwi defended himself to make fun of the Ginyu Squad's losers. "A coward who forfeits, a fool who thinks he's the fastest in the universe and is defeated with one hit, and another getting screwed up by a simple Namek! Pitiful!"
Jeece and Butta said nothing. Kiwi had a point...
"If only Captain Ginyu was still here...it wouldn't have been like this..." Jeece added, aware that everything happening to them was due to the absence of their leader. "Had he been here...he wouldn't have lost, he would have given us courage and strength... He was the best... He would have won his first match, and the next one!"
"Without him," said Butta, "our squad really isn't the same...not to mention Guldo... How can we compare to how we used to be with just the three of us? Our combat effectiveness is greatly reduced..."
"It could have been worse though..." Jeece said, trying to comfort his companions, and himself. "Coola's commando lost too. Sauza was the only one who participated and he was killed, by a decrepit old man no less!"
They looked at the other end of the table where the two companions of Sauza mourned the death of their leader, whose body, or rather the two separate pieces of it, had been taken back to the ship.
But Butta recalled something... At one time, Sauza and Ginyu had fought over who would be the leader of the Freeza's special squadron. The fight had been long and hard for both elite soldiers, and Ginyu had managed to win...but their strength was nearly equal. Sauza was stronger than Reacum or Jeece, and faster than Butta, even he had to admit... And he lost against an old man of Universe 9. Sauza...had he weakened that much over the years? Or was this old turtle man really so strong? And what of his two companions who had come along with him?
Butta looked to his left at the universe next door... Universe 9... he was curious to know just how strong they really were.In the space of Universe 9, Kulilin, who was one of the participants in the last round of the first half, seemed rather calm. His presence and his wisdom were felt by the people around him, yet he was anxious. He talked to his friends a lot about the ups and downs about the tournament, and had described many of his former enemies.
In universe 8 stood Coola. In the past, Coola was a formidable opponent! Kulilin and his friends had somehow managed to defeat him, but were puzzled by the fact that he had a younger brother, Freeza, whom they had never heard of. But they were sure they could defeat Freiza. Terrible enemies overall!
"Fortunately, I had to fight Sauza..." thought Kulilin, lowering his head slightly. Beside him stood Tenshinhan, arms crossed. He hoped that he would face someone very soon, preferably Yamcha. He smiled when he met his friend's eyes, both thinking of the same thing. If they fought, it would be very interesting! If Tenshinhan did not get Yamcha, there would be many more worthy opponents, such a the highly advanced participants of universe 19, the Bojack Gang and the giant in universe 7. With Tenshinhan's brute force, endurance, and skill, he was surely superior to many fighters.
A table finally appeared from the ground, which indicated that their meal would arrive shortly. Yamcha, Kulilin, Tenshinhan and the other earthlings of their group settled there. Yamcha placed himself at the head of the table. They took the opportunity to talk to each other.
"Nice job against Sauza!" Yamcha said to his faithful friend. "It was awesome compared to the trouble he gave us last time!"
"Thanks!" he answered with a slightly aged voice. "But next round, I will fight this Tapion, and since he did not fight this round, I don't know anything about him."
Yamcha looked at the Kaioshin. The God of the Gods! He surely would be a challenge if anyone in his group fought him.
"I get it, Yamcha," said Tien while looking at him with his three eyes and a smile. "Always the first to rush into danger at full speed. We should really save our energy.
"Do what you want!" Yamcha replied. "I not going to fight under the radar. I want to shine!"
"You say this because you think you are stronger than Tenshinhan!" said Kulilin.
"That very well might be the case!"
"We haven't sparred for a very long time so far! You'll see lots of surprises from me!" said Tenshinhan.
"Eh..." said Yamcha. "I would prefer not to fight each other very soon, or get eliminated early. If we don't lose, the would be a bigger chance for our universe to win."
Nobody said a word. The matter was resolved. If Kulilin beat Tapion, he would surely face Cell, and after seeing his spectacular performance against Dabra, it would be very hard to defeat him. And maybe Freeza, and then Vegeta! The latter easily won his match, owning his counterpart Oozaru like it was nothing.
"I realized, that many people have conterparts," said Yamcha.
"Like Trunks from universe 12. He is identical to ours," said Tien.
"There are also two Trunks' in the 16 and 18," said Kulilin. "Do you think they are all sons of Bulma?"
"It would not be surprising," said Yamcha. "We would have to ask them."
"There are also two Videls in the 16 and 18, identical to ours," stated Kulilin.
"I wonder if they are participating," said Yamcha.
"Me too. That weird Saiyan that greeted me like a friend after my match was from universe 18. He was like a gentle Saiyan. Difficult to imagine," asked Kulilin.
The Vargas brought a variety of drinks and placed them on the large table. The trio of powerful warriors started eating with chopsticks, while the rest of the table used forks and spoons.
"You can always change their attitude over time... It feels just like it was yesterday that Tenshinhan was a complete asshole," started Yamcha.
Tenshinhan barely blinked and then finished his drink. Then he smiled.
"Aren't Trunks from our universe and universe 12 Trunks very alike?" asked Kulilin.
Yamcha was silent for a moment. He knew where his friend was going. Trunks of the 9 and Trunks of the 12 seen very similar, like brothers indeed, but with the same name. Universe had a visit from universe 12 Trunks, before the tournament, and had told that he was the son of Bulma too. Then they watched him defeat Coola like it was nothing.
"When Trunks of the 12 turned Super Saiyan, I was surprised. He was so nice, yet he was one of those terrible Saiyans!" said Tenshinhan.
Yamcha looked at Tien with a surprised face. Kulilin started laughing, but then choked on his meal so those laughs turned into a couple of coughs.
Yamcha suddenly clenched his fist and griited his teeth.
"If one of those monsters raped Bulma, I will kill him! So what if I break the rules!" screamed Yamcha.
"Calm down Yamcha, calm down. What if Bulma and this Saiyan liked each other? Bulma could like anyone. She has a big heart behind that nice pair of..." Kulilin ended."Cough, cough!" said a voice next to the old master.
"What is it Trunks? Are you choking on your food?"
"Could you stop talking nonsense, please Master Kulilin? Anyway, what happened in other universes is none of our our concern," replied Trunks.
"Yes, its better not to talk about it," said Videl who was sitting across from Trunks, thinking about her counterpart's expression when her competing daughter died.
Kulilin understood and became serious. They ate in silence until the conversation took on a new subject.
"Do you think Babidi himself is participating in the tournament?" Tenshinhan asked.
"Well, there is no risk," calmly replied Kulilin when Yamcha nodded.
Tenshinhan found himself gazing at Babidi, and examining Cell. Earlier, during his fight with Dabra, he had use the Taiyoken. How could he know it? Did he know other techniques that Tenshinhan invented? The question arose other competitors. The little girl killed by Bojack knew the Kamehameha, the favorite move of Muten Roshi, and now Kulilin...
Tenshinhan looked to his right. Universe 10 was empty, but there fight was still on, so Yamcha might win the first round without a fight! Then he looked at the eleventh, watching Babidi containing Buu.
Babidi and Buu ate on the same table, while Dabra was on the ground, dying. The sorcerer was ignoring the dying demon. He had lost, so now he was paying the consequences. Perhaps it would have been better if he had died immediately! Majin Buu was very cheerful. With his great spirit, Buu transformed all his foods into candy, as did his counterpart from the universe 4. Not only did the former transform his own food, but also that of his master! Babidi hated it. Despite his commands, Buu just turned every dish into sugary junk! It became a pile of sweets, and he always gobbled it up.
Babidi tried to stop it with his powers, but the djinn was to strong! All in all, he had to use the sentence he hated the most.
"Calm down or I will turn you into a cocoon!" shouted Babidi.
Buu calmed down immediately. He ate nothing, but scowled, pouted, crossed his arms, and turned red with anger. What a bratty child!
The doings of Buu amused Trunks of universe 12. He calmly ate his meal, while 16 was silent, just as usual, folded arms back, as if asleep. It's not like he did not like the presence of the android, but he wished if he could he with his friends of the universe 16, or the 18. There there was Goku, and his father Vegeta, though Vegetto felt very different from the two fusees.
Trunks had made his decision, and that he would eat dessert, with his friends of the 18, if they let him. Of course, Trunks knew they would not deny him a seat. His next fight was against his father. Their last real battle took place in the Room of Spirit and Time, before the Cell Games. Today, Trunks was ten years older, and his father was more than twenty years older. How strong could he be now? Trunks still had a surprise or two. But he also thought of Gohan, to return to his former mentor and his father would give himself pleasure. He thought it would not be the right time to greet his friends of the 16 because Gohan had lost his daughter... Trunks had to pass them to get to the 18th Universe.The warriors of Universe 13 ate like complete gluttons. Prince Vegeta, the brothers Kakarotto and Raditz, and old Nappa all took huge mouthfuls; the food was served continually for half an hour. The Saiyans’ round table was filled with large, empty bowls and trays of garbage that the Vargas were desperately trying to clear. But the servers were obviously outnumbered, exhausted by the unusual level of stress. Their blue, green, and yellow feathers dripped with sweat.
As they ate, the four Saiyans took the opportunity to discuss the tournament, which so far had gone well for them. Two of them had already won their matches easily. They were quick to discuss:“That Namek was nothing!” Nappa said, tearing a huge chunk of meat from a bloodied white bone. “Anyway, I’m glad Reacum lost to one of them. Those slugs were right to run away – I would have enjoyed exterminating them all a second time!”
“You’re really a pig, Nappa,” Kakarotto answered from across the table. He ate everything just as neatly … that is, by spreading grease and crumbs everywhere.
“You’re in no position to tell me that! At least I beat up a warrior, not a girl!”
“She was probably stronger than your Cargot,” replied the double of Son Goku.
“Pah! Don’t make me laugh. I would have beat her just as quickly. How could you fall for that bitch so unnecessarily?”
“That’s normal. At least I’m sure to pass my next round against the little girl! You can’t possibly beat Freeza.”
Nappa was silent for a moment..... He even stopped chewing on his chicken leg (in any case, it was fairly tasteless) to think. That was rare for him!
It was true that his next fight was against Freeza, the tyrant whom they had humiliated when Vegeta had defeated him by becoming a Super Saiyan. Could they repeat that feat again today?
“I saw Freeza laugh when he looked at us just now,” interjected Raditz from Nappa’s left. “I think he will take great delight in eliminating you.”
Nappa knew his friend was right … then suddenly a tremendous idea occurred to him!
“But of course!” he shouted so loudly that it embarrassed the others; they stared at him curiously. “Heh, heh, heh!” the giant continued, folding his arms and nodding his head with a smile. “I know how to defeat Freeza! He won’t recover. This will be humiliation like never before!”
Nappa laughed, his big mouth wide open. His friends wondered what his idea was, but Nappa refused to tell them.
“It’s a surprise. Everyone will be thrilled! Ha, ha, ha. I’ll take him all the way back to the beginning!”
He began eating again, taking even larger bites. Raditz had almost finished with everything he had to eat; he took the opportunity to speak:
“Enjoying our fights, Vegeta? I am looking forward to winning my own as well. Especially if I fight those weaklings from Universe 2 over there – they look so ridiculous!”
“The ones from Universe 10 were insects as well,” added the leader of the Saiyans.
“Ah, yes the 10th universe. I enjoyed the fight against Father. Kakarotto, what about you?”
“I don’t give a damn,” his brother replied, continuing to eat.
“It’s true that you’ve never known him – I would have liked to see you fight against him, as much as your fight with the kid from 18!”
“Bahaha! Raditz, on the shoulders of his dear father. Ha!”
Raditz glared at Nappa. Of course he would think of a ridiculous scene like that. Small wonder that in Universe 18, Vegeta had killed him with his own hands!
“You’re a little too sentimental, Raditz,” said Vegeta with a smile. “Perhaps that’s why you haven’t become a Super Saiyan.”
That insult hurt; he would have liked to be one too! The Super Saiyans had golden, shining hair, such power, such appeal! But he got stronger every day anyway…he hadn’t given up hope for his own transformation someday. Perhaps it would be in this tournament!
“Speaking of other universes and all that – I think it’s a shame,” began Kakarotto, finishing his bowl, “that my counterpart will win a lot of fights, but I can meet him in the fifth round. The semifinals, in fact.”
‘I hope I don’t have to face someone as strong as Vegeta,’ he thought, glancing to the left. Kakarotto looked across at Nappa – the big Saiyan probably knew that he would lose against Freeza, or definitely against this Son Goku if he could somehow defeat the son of Cold. Kakarotto was anticipating some remark from the general, but he only smiled. What was he thinking about? Could he be hiding something – a technique, a new power?”
Vegeta paid no attention to Nappa and Kakarotto. In fact, he didn’t really care about Nappa’s, or really even about Kakarotto’s. All that mattered to him was his own victory. He was thinking of a different character: Trunks from Universe 12, who had so easily beaten Cooler. According to the fighters from Universe 18, this was the son of his counterpart.
The alternate Vegeta smiled, tempted to imagine, if only for an instant, what his life would have been like if he had been able to settle down and father children. It reminded him of the words of his double from Universe 18: “We were better.” Was he implying that what happened in his universe was the best possible outcome for him? What did the Vegeta from Universe 18 want – to be the greatest power in the universe? To be the true Prince of Saiyans? That had already happened in Universe 13; he himself had defeated Freeza.What astonished Vegeta most was the huge difference in status between the two Princes of the Saiyans. He had become the absolute master of the universe. People bowed before him, trembling at the mention of his name. The weak pursued him, cheering at his strength. He had all the women he wanted; all his desires become reality. He was Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, singly omnipotent at the top of the universe!
The other, from Universe 18 – he was not even the leader of his little band! This group seemed like a bunch of children who had come to a picnic. There didn’t even seem to BE a leader. They all spoke as equals; Vegeta was lost in the shadows of the group. He was low – at his lowest, in fact. The Kakarotto in his universe mocked him; why didn’t he put him in his place with a right hook?
And his children – an immature kid so weak that he wasn’t even participating. The father even seemed disappointed by his son’s combative nature. His daughter was a princess – her haughty and contemptuous tone pleased him, but the little bitch was even weaker than her brother! Apparently, this Vegeta had never given her any training.
Among the Saiyans, there is no weaker sex. The girl’s strength was pitiful, probably thanks to the weak planet on which they lived; that’s the only way such a lapse could have happened. A miserable life without honor, failed children – how could he consider his shabby existence better than that of the Master of the universe? There was definitely something wrong about him.
There was also the battle between this Vegeta and the other from Universe 10, a King in his own right. He had easily defeated his opponent while the king was an Oozaru; Vegeta wondered how his counterpart could be so sure of himself, so at peace.
Among the confident warriors, there two in the space reserved for Universe 14, twins within nothing but numbers for names. When they arrived at the tournament right after his own group, the girl had mocked them openly, but particularly Vegeta. Supposedly, they had toyed with him and killed him in their world – was it true? Vegeta wanted to ask his double if he knew these two microbes, but he quickly changed his mind. What interest? He could never fall for the girl – never be so ensnared by his heart! They couldn’t be that strong, anyway. And yet…this girl did know his name!
Vegeta watched them. They ate quietly, only consuming a small amount of food. The woman, #18, had already finished and waited for her brother, her head in her hand, elbow on the table. She seemed bored – maybe she was just eager for her first fight? She also seemed a bit disgusted that her brother was pitted against Goku in the second round…why? Would she enjoy that fight more herself? To top it off, he talked about it while mocking his sister!“Finally,” he said, “I’m going to be able to finish our stupid mission!”
“It will certainly be better than destroying the same cities over and over for thirty-six years,” complained the pretty blonde woman. “I fight hard… I can’t wait!

“Your turn will come, don’t worry,” said her brother as he swallowed his pasta. “Yum! Good food, that’s what is missing.”
“And who killed the last cook on Earth, huh?” asked his sister with a provocative look.
“All right, how was I to know that it was the last one? It’s not my fault if earthlings are so worthless in the kitchen! Even women are no longer good for anything.
“You want to say that again?!” 18 shouted, rising and slamming her fist against the table.
“I’m not talking about you! Gosh.”The cyborg sat down, realizing she had overreacted. She was just bored; she did nothing. It was fun to throw balls of energy around, blowing up everything, but it had been decades since they had encountered a real population. The hunt for humans was isolated now. What a change to have such a huge audience around her! Also, most were not human beings – aliens, monsters…she knew her brother would love to go into the stands and just start killing everyone.
But they were facing great fighters, too; that excited her. Simply destroying everything would mean losing the opportunity to meet new people. If these birds could really send them back, that would be the peak of frustration!
She looked around at the other competitors. There was an odd woman in the space reserved for Universe 15 still waiting for her child – what an idiot! Who would register her offspring before they were even born?
As she sat, still touching her transparent belly, a small Varga approached her. Holding a pen and asmall notepad, he asked her what she wanted for dessert:
“I feel he’ll be born soon!” exclaimed the mouther of I’K’L, hoping that the birth would happen and her son could still participate despite the forfeit against #17 an hour earlier.
The Varga looked at the strange animal swimming quietly in the open uterus. He didn’t seem to move more than would be expected; the only changes were the inflation and deflation of her belly, as if the infant was breathing the liquid in the mother’s womb. If this baby was trying to get out now, the Varga would rather be anywhere else! He was really tiring of this woman. Ever since they had entered her universe and invited her to come to the tournament, she had been a nuisance. Why had their sensors pointed to her? She walked slowly; surely she couldn’t fight. Even a small Varga soldier could surely crush her. Yet she put on hairs, acting high and mighty; he was glad the organizers had eliminated her quickly. What a joke! Just thinking about it, a small smile lifted the corner of his beak.
“Sure, sure, we’re waiting. By the way, what do you eat?”
He wished he could leave quickly without worry about her. He was there to take a dessert order; nothing more. Birth or no birth, he wouldn’t stand there for thirty years!
I’K’L’s mother couldn’t believe her eyes. The delivery was coming soon; how could this duck talk like that? The bird waited for half a minute, then turned on his heel. Had he been afraid of her? Of course, he hadn’t; after hearing no answer to his question, he assumed she didn’t want to eat anything, then left the unpleasant lady.
He would have much rather taken care of the next space, Universe 16, rather than this woman. The people in that area looked much more welcoming, even if they ate a lot! Of all the universes, it was obviously this one who ate the most – particularly this guy named Vegetto who ate for at least thirty! It was too much to count (it would take too long; just a glance was enough)! The number of empty bowls and dishes on his side, piled on the floor in front of him and around him for a lack of space, made the others look like they ate nothing. One compared to him; his daughter Bra was the only woman to eat dishes of such dramatic size. On the other hand, Gohan and Videl didn’t eat as much; this was understandable; seeing their daughter die had ruined their appetites. As for Piccolo, he drank only a little water and sat quietly.
No one spoke; Vegetto simply devoured every dish!
In the space for Universe 16, Son Goten and Trunks had plenty of time to predict what would happen later in the tournament. With big smiles they shared with their family and friends as they finished their meal:
"Our victory is assured" they proclaimed mischievously. "Everything is going according to plan, the second part of the round is ours!"
Piccolo opened his eyes wide. What would follow would certainly be silly and totally illogical as usual. The great Namekian sometimes wondered how one could be the president of an international company with such a temperament. In their Universe, they never battled Vegetto and Bra. Yet they thought they would remain...
"Explain your logic, microbe" the favorite sister said to Trunks, "I need a laugh right now."
Trunks, used to being called a "germ" by his sister, ignored the remark and explained:
"So, it's very simple. Papa's gonna put a spanking on you and you'll be removed. Then the only adversary left to fear will be Gotenks. Although I think we're stronger than you, sis, it's no matter because fate has spoken against you and you will lose to dad."
"Well then, you have access to the old fortune teller Baba?" said the girl as she crossed her arms.
"Exactly, and it cost us a premium. I can't even tell you the price of an inter-universe call! I had to sell a subsidiary to pay for it!" Trunks joked.
"Absolutely" Goten added seriously, "but he was losing money anyway, the factories were at a deficit. They tried to sell anti-capsules. Giant capsules that can hold only one or two items inside. A resounding failure!"
Gohan managed to smile despite his grief.
"So if I understand correctly," said Vegetto, "you must have the presence of mind to know that you can not beat me, but Buu from Universe 4, Broly from Universe 20, the Super Namekian from Universe 7, and your double from 18? None of them scare you?"
"Ha, ha," said Goten, "I can already see them imprinted on the sole of the great Gotenks' shoe."
"Sure... and if you expect to win the tournament, how do you expect to win against me?" again asked their father, interested in their response.
"Well, this is where fate and the God's have already intervened against you, we are sorry for you, but they are totally biased. They've decided to pass an order that you should be defeated early, perhaps in your first fight. It is against one of the prettiest girls from Universe 6."
"Yes, the redhead" Goten added."No you idiot! The redhead, she's with that bastard Bojack. Did you not notice the color of her skin? No, it's another one.. She will use her charms like the one did against Kakarotto, and you'll kindly give up."
"Yes, initially, we would say it was because you don't hit girls but we know it doesn't bother you..." added the brother of Gohan.
The mood suddenly got heavy. Goten knew he had not been very subtle, and lowered his head, pretending to be interested in his food.
"Anyway," Trunks said, trying to change the mood, "you won't lose by force, but by magical powers on behalf of the moon or something."
"You obviously haven't watched "The Adventures of Vegetto" on TV, son. I am also immunized against all kinds of magic. I crushed the most powerful magician of all, Babibi."
"I don't watch cartoons. Besides, 3D aliens aren't compatible with the TV in the house. And I'm not even in your cartoon. It sucks." Trunks replied.
"Oh, sorry, the show had to be about a hero. On top of that, since you do nothing but sit around all day, you couldn't even play a younger version of yourself."
"It's certainly not because I'm locked in an office all day that I do nothing..." Trunks retorted.
"No physical movement anyway. Your arms are as soft as caramel and Gotenks will be crushed by Uncle Krillin or a moron from the Ginyu squad" added Bra, who rarely gave up a chance to make fun of her brothers.
"Who's left from that squad anyway?" asked Gohan. I think I remember... the little guy that can stop time, and Ginyu himself right?
"The rest of them I haven't seen. I even feel that they aren't there" said his father.
"Someone had to stay and guard the empire, I guess..." concluded Son Gohan.
"Eh-hem!" Trunks cleared his throat. Quit getting away from the more interested topics... namely, us. Once Vegetto has lost, the lady will meet an insensible brute in the next round. She we be defeated by the guy with the big hair from Universe 13, one of the perverts."
"That's Raditz, the brother of Go... Kakarotto" specified the Namekian.
"And voila! Insensible to the charms like his brother, he will win. Then in the next round he will meet Gotenks, who will avenge the damsel in distress!"
"You're not supposed to avenge damsels in distress you're supposed to save them" intervened Videl who had only half been listening to what they said.
"Oh yea! But then the wrong person would be eliminated."
"So, then you win. And what is your wish?" Vegetto asked."Uh..." said Trunks.
"Well..." said Goten.
"I think we're going to ask Shenron to shave Bra's head" replied the purple-haired boy.
"It's Porunga" muttered Piccolo without being fully heard.
"Bald... for life!" specified Goten.
Bra kept her calm for the time being. She knew that these two buffoons could get away with making fun of her in the presence of Vegetto who could protect them from her... nonverbal response. Since she had no reply, she remained silent.
"No, actually... I have one wish to ask," Goten said, suddenly serious, "and it's not Shenron I'll ask.
"Porunga" said Piccolo between his teeth.
"I'll ask the organizers permission to take a walk through the Universe 6 area, after the tournament."
The others remained silent for a moment.
"We won't stay long. A few minutes, yes, just a few minutes..."
Son Goten had finally broken the atmosphere... They all returned to their meals and ate in silence. Vegetto felt the ki of each person sitting at the table increase... anger and hatred had caused it to rise. This eventually passed, but it was true that this charming family, except Gohan, had never really experienced the horrors of war, and even though everyone knew that the death of Pan was temporary, they still found it difficult to accept.
What was making them all crazy over it was the sadistic laughter of the monster Bojack. If Pan had died to a strike or a major attack they would have certainly accepted it, but this way... No, Bojack should pay one way or another.
Bra knew that if she turned into a Super Saiyan she could crush this idiot in a few strikes. Oh yes, his size was no match for her anger. At that moment she hated that her brother and father had paused to follow the rules of this idiotic tournament when a real mission loomed before them. Who cared about the tournament?
That's what she thought: "Do you really believe that a bunch of sparrows could prevent us from acting? Hell we have Vegetto with us... He has traversed dimensions, made and unmade governments. He had defeated intangible beings and awoken evil Gods simply for the purpose of eliminating them. How can a remote control contain him? Oh no, if he wanted to he could crush Bojack, the organizers, and the other fighters. A massive free for all would break out and they would have fun! It would be fast, they would annihilate those other baffoons that called themselves competitors. Then Bra could finally unleash her rage on somebody with a high power level other than her family. If the luck of the rounds gave her a weak opponent it would not do at all. Since she didn't have the right to kill an opponent she must let them leave the ring in one piece. She had to let go of her anger.
Gohan felt his sister's hostility. He was thinking...
"Your anger is justified, but don't forget Bra, that your anger is your worst weakness... As a father I would never want this evil to happen to my only daughter, but as a teacher, I know how much suffering is a part of learning. Moreover, I suspect that during your and Vegetto's mission in the world, you have had to handle things that are disreputable for a child barely entering adolescence... I feel that Pan is like my father... and so are you. I know that you will die many times in your life. How can I believe otherwise? Some time a danger will come, perhaps even during this tournament, that you will not always be able to match. Your adventures are just beginning, I just hope mine are over."
The tension was gradually fading. Piccolo looked out of the corner of his eye at the Super Namekian of Universe 7 who was drinking through a straw. Piccolo had exceeded the power of all Namekians long ago, but this one surely must be even more powerful. Silent as a grave and solid as a rock, that Namekian, the last of it's kind in the world, had not come to test his abilities. No, he had to win the tournament. He was determined, but did he have the necessary strength? For once, Piccolo regretted not taking part in the tournament because he wanted to fight this enemy. As for the small Pan... the daughter of his protege... He felt his sadness, but he was not the kind to give a pat on the shoulder.
The meal contidued. The Vargas came to the door with a tray to fill with all their dishes. The frustration did not last long however.
"So who do you think will win?"
This time the question was serious, it was Piccolo who had asked after all.
"Duh, me" said Vegetto with a full mouth.
"Nobody here worries you? Not even this Super Majin Buu? continued the Namekian.
"Oh him... He'll be by far my most dangerous opponent. Pure power is not a question, I place him as one of the strongest, plus he has all the powers of the Buu we know: unlimited energy, regeneration, endless magical powers... If we add all the other mysterious warriors he could have absorbed, you can count on new techniques, a keen intelligence, in short, an amazing opponent certainly. But still... Against me..."
The answer seemed obvious... Is Vegetto too sure of himself?
"And Broly?" asked Bra, "You're making a big fuss about him..."
"Um, Broly is a special case. His power must have been growing constantly for years... Producing a terrifying result. And then he is still in the Legendary Super Saiyan form so insensitive to blows. Eventually the ice he is in will break from his high power level. I think he is the one with the biggest power here. One brutal and enormous strength" he said, resuming a big bowl of noodles, "An indestructible monster growing more dangerous every second... But he will get eliminated and sent back to his Universe" he added, "He will attack the audience for sure".
"So you can't beat him?" asked Goten, who had a grain of rice at the corner of his mouth, noticing that his father had avoided a direct answer.
"Of course I can. But unless I am his first opponent, he will get sent back for non-compliance because he'll attack the crowd before his opponent can get his attention. If it was me I'd run directly in front of him. Ha ha!
"This would only be possible if Buu agreed to cheat for me..." he thought, then an announcement was heard at the same time.
"Your attention please, dear fighters and spectators! Please finish your meal quickly! The tournament will resume in ten minutes... The next fight will be with Vegetto from Universe 16 against the unknown participant of Universe 20!"
This unexpected announcement caused almost every member of universe 16 to choke. Especially Trunks, he had to bang on his chest to unblock his airway. Goten's bowl had slipped from his hand and he had hit his hand on the table while trying to recover it. Son Gohan spit out everything in his mouth while Bra fell back out of her chair. Only Piccolo, who had his arms crossed, seemed to not react... only he knew that he was just as shocked as the others. But he also understood immediately... All of this was a result of a plan that Vegetto had set up with Buu of Universe 4... He had acquiesced to the request of the merged Saiyan... but why? The Namekian thought about it for a moment... then his gaze fell on the space to the right.The space reserved for Universe 17 was the quietest in the building. Unlike the Universes with many participants and spectators such as 2 and 8 of the Cold empire, 16 and 18 or 10 before they left, Universe 17 included just two creatures. They did not move much, and they did not eat anything, unlike Universe 4 for example who's only participant sat eating a huge pile of candy.
Cell stood patiently, arms crossed, and staring hard. Only his eyes were active, moving in all directions to effectively observe everything around him. Standing next to him was his son, who looked around at the people in the stands, and moved around a bit, but still remained on good behavior. What excited him was the thought of a fight, but it was taking far too long. Cell hope he would have the chance to fight an unknown opponent who would take his little creation for granted. The small blue Cell was very strong, fast, and agile; possessing a destructive potential that his small stature did not reveal in the least. He would have a good chance of winning his next fight.
Cell had but one desire for himself: to win his next fight against Bojack. He had gotten a good look at him in his fight against Pan, the daughter of Gohan. In the beginning there was nothing impressive, but due to his small transformation he proved to be much more interesting. The daughter of Son Gohan was not strong enough, unsurprisingly, even as a Super Saiyan. Bojack killed her with one hand... she had not been able to survive. Therefore it promised to be a good fight! He should be almost as strong as Dabra!
In any case, Cell had no doubt about his next victory. And in the third round, he would meet the winner of the battle between Krillin and Tapion... For the former, no problem even if he did seem different from the one he knew, and not just his age... About Tapion... he didn't know anything about him, and since he had not yet fought, there was nothing to be deduced about him... not until the second round anyway... But he didn't look too impressive... no doubt that Cell would win against him.
In the next round, he would have to fight against Trunks from Universe 12 or Vegeta from Universe 18... Or maybe even the Son Goku of Universe 13 who was called Kakarotto... Trunk had 10 years to increase his power, Vegeta had more than thirty years, and Kakarotto was very different from the past's Son Goku... "Definitely weaker than him" thought Cell, who would enjoy the chance to fight any counterpart of Son Goku's.
In any case, Cell looked forward to seeing all these fights to get a more complete picture of his opponents... and he hoped to fight Son Goku himself in the semifinals! With luck, his Cell Junior would make it to the final from the other half of the draw, which would make him an easy winner of the tournament... and then he could make his wish... because Cell had become far more powerful than before, an incredible force that Son Goku and his friends could never have imagined!
In their position within the 17th Universe Balcony, Cell and one of his Juniors, even with their exceptional hearing, were amazed by how much louder the total sound from the 18th Universe Balcony was than that of the 16th Universe Balcony.
Cell watched with disgust at the Saiyans’ voracious eating habits.
While Goku of Universe 18 was eating a lot, Vegetto of Universe 16 was eating far more. In fact, Vegetto was eating more than Goku and Vegeta combined!
Gohan and Videl of Universe 18, however, were eating better than their counterparts from Universe 16. It was understandable, after all, as their Universe 16 counterparts had just seen their daughter killed in combat against Bojack.
Their own daughter right now was sitting next to Uub, and she was fighting him for one last piece of meat. In the midst of her epic battle for that last piece, she gave her parents a quick smile, then refocused her efforts.
The happiness of their own daughter, while completely appreciated, prompted Gohan and Videl to reflect upon the horrid fate that had befallen their daughter’s counterpart. While they were not Universe 16 Pan’s actual parents, their care and compassion were unequivocally, and understandably, sincere.
“Can you imagine, Gohan? Had things been a bit different, it could have been our own daughter who faced that monster,” Videl said.
“I don’t think I would have let her get in the ring,” Gohan said, to slightly reassure her. “I think my counterpart let Pan fight Bojack because she achieved her basic Super Saiyan transformation. However, if Bojack had grabbed our daughter’s neck the way he grabbed hers, I would have intervened.”
Videl saw a certain gleam in her husband’s eyes, and it reflected frustration and sadness.
He was wondering how another version of himself, who in many ways was similar, had let this happen without intervention. He even briefly wondered if his counterpart from Universe 16 regretted what had happened.
No, it was almost certain that he regretted what had happened, and Gohan knew his counterpart might feel progressively worse with time.
Because of all of this, and since the beginning of the meal, Gohan wondered if he really should let Pan withdraw from the Multiverse Tournament, as she had earlier said she wanted to do, or if he should encourage her to stay in the tournament while maintaining cautiousness.
Her grandfather had been outspoken about the fact that he did not want Pan to exit the tournament so soon after it began. While Goku was energetically eating, he noticed Gohan and Videl’s anxiety, and sensed that Pan, despite her apparent cheeriness and playful quarreling with Uub, still was very nervous.
“So, what have you decided to do, Pan?” Goku asked her, after finishing his most recent plate among a vast many.
“I … don’t know, Grandpa,” Pan said. “I’m a little scared.”
The little girl looked down, as if this revelation had made her ashamed.
Uub placed his right hand on her left shoulder, and when Pan looked at him, he smiled.
“I’m a bit scared too, Pan, but I’m not going to let that stop me,” Uub said. “I realize how much you may be surprised by some of the fighters here. I’m still amazed, myself. There’s no question that we need to be cautious, but I plan on doing my best to win even so.”
Uub turned to Goku, as if he wanted his master to validate the sentiments. Uub had, after all, learned much as a result of his fight against Tidar.
Goku responded by directly addressing Pan.
“Your next fight is against the ‘other me’ from Universe 13,” Goku said. “You're not going to not let him win so easily, are you?”
“I ...,” she began to say, with hesitation.
“You always want to fight against me, so this is your chance now!” Goku said. “Think of it, Pan! You will be able to fight against someone who basically is the ‘jerk version’ of me!”
Pan momentarily smiled at the thought, although her smile quickly faded after she made another consideration.
“But, surely he can transform into a Super Saiyan! I could never beat that!” Pan said.
Goku crossed his arms, considering the situation and thinking of various possibilities.
“Well Pan, you have the potential to transform, too!” Goku said. “It could happen, if the conditions are right. Actually, you might even end up becoming a Super Saiyan the same way your dad did!”
Gohan remembered very well the circumstances that enabled him to ascend to Super Saiyan for the first time. Unlike his father, whose Super Saiyan transformation had been unlocked on the battlefield in response to not only a need, but a natural psychological stress trigger resulting from Krillin’s death by Freeza’s actions, Gohan’s Super Saiyan transformation had resulted from a simulated psychological stress trigger.
Decades ago in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, when Goku had been training Gohan in preparation for fighting Cell, Goku had told Gohan to focus his anger and apply the strength of that emotion to his overall power. He had told Gohan to think of Cell and all the horrors he had committed, but Gohan then reminded his father that he had never actually seen Cell.Goku then told Gohan to think of Freeza and the many horrors Gohan had seen him commit, and through this, and further training, Gohan was able to master the basic form of Super Saiyan.
Perhaps it would be possible to train with Pan a little bit outside the arena, before her fight against Kakarotto.
“It seems Goku’s advice might be helpful,” Videl said to Gohan. “Talk with Pan about this – I think it would be a good idea.”
Gohan nodded and exchanged places at the table with Videl so he could be closer to his daughter and talk with her. He wanted her to understand that through properly harnessing her anger, it could indeed be possible for her to achieve the Super Saiyan transformation.
Pan had already heard much of what Gohan was talking with her about – stories about his experiences, those of her grandfather, and even those of Vegeta. However, she felt as though she couldn’t fully relate to their stories of hardship, as she had grown up in a time of relative peace, just as her uncle Goten and Trunks had in the first seven years of their lives.
However, she still listened well, as she felt motivated. If she wanted to respectably fight Kakarotto, or even win, she would need to become a Super Saiyan! She knew she must!
While Gohan spoke with his daughter, Goku continued to eat his gargantuan meal with gusto. In fact, everyone else had almost finished their meal, but Goku, true to his traditions, had at least 10 more plates to finish.
However, different priorities occupied Uub’s thoughts. He looked up in front of him, and his gaze briefly met Bra’s own. He was greatly captivated by her beauty, but her general behavior and disdain for fighting had always caused there to be a certain distance between them. Moreover, she was Vegeta’s daughter! Uub could not imagine himself daring to ask her out on a date, as per all the various things Vegeta might do in response. Also, the subjects she liked to talk about were not often of interest to Uub. In the end, Uub felt it to be a teen romance that was not meant to be, ... or was he merely making excuses for himself? He was, indeed, fairly shy.
Yet, there was another person who intrigued him. Bra of Universe 16 was a girl of a very different sort, despite having the same mother and the same name. Uub began to look toward the group in the 16th Universe Balcony, and he especially focused on Bra. She had turned into a Super Saiyan when Pan had been killed, and her energy level seemed quite high. She was far beyond the power level of Bra from his own universe, and he loved it. He even thought to himself about how awesome it would be to fight against her, but they were on different sides of the tournament bracket ... to fight her, he would first need to defeat many opponents, as would she.
He next would have to fight either Majin Buu of Universe 11 or South Kaioshin, Then, he would likely have to defeat Goku, his own master! Among the potential opponents he would face in the fifth round, there were many of significant capability and power who could become his challenger, including Vegeta of his own universe, Trunks of Universe 12, or Cell!
While Uub thought of the prospects, Goku finally finished his meal! The Vargas then offered him dessert before the start of the next fight, which Goku had not been expecting!
Right after the Vargas left to acquire the dessert, the announcement that Vegetto and Broly would fight amazed all in the 18th Universe Balcony. But Broly and Vegetto were not the only competitors whom Goku was interested in. He was scheduled to fight #17, and he was extremely eager to do so. When Trunks of Universe 12, years ago, had arrived in Universe 18, his alternate past, to warn Goku of the then-looming threat of the cyborgs, Goku had been enthused about the possibility of fighting them, despite all Trunks had said about what had been their vastly superior power. However, when Trunks had told him that his counterpart from Universe 12, his alternate future, had died of a heart disease and had not had the opportunity to fight the cyborgs himself, this had frustrated Goku, for he felt his counterpart had not had the opportunity to fight a war he deserved to fight.
As a result of the progression of events that led to Cell achieving his perfect form and Gohan ultimately defeating Cell, Goku had never actually met #17, although this time, he would fight #17’s counterpart from Universe 14, face-to-face! Even though the difference in their abilities by now was quite extreme, Goku still knew he would have some fun.
Then, in the third round, he was to face either Nappa or Freeza, two opponents he had defeated before, and whom he was eager to defeat again!
And in the fourth round, he hoped to be able to fight without limitation or refraining from using his full power. Yes, the prospect that he would fight Uub was awesome for Goku, who was eager to use his true maximum capacity in battle.
The dessert then arrived! As Goku was preparing for his next round of food, Trunks of Universe 12 approached the group from Universe 18. He wanted to eat with them and talk about the adventures they’d had, and to see how they’d progressed in life. Talking with them again itself was something his mother would love to hear about; the fact that the entire group of Universe 18 heartily welcomed him to their table and offered him a place to sit was even better.
Videl left the seat she had been sitting in so that Trunks could sit between Gohan and Goku, and directly across from Vegeta. Videl then sat where Pan had been sitting and placed her on her lap. They talked of Trunks’ world, earnestly listening to the progress of reconstruction and becoming quite appreciative of the fact that #16 of Universe 12 had been a significant asset to those efforts. Trunks elaborated upon how he’d found #16 in Dr. Gero’s Laboratory and then repaired him with Bulma’s help, causing Gohan to reminisce about #16 from his own universe.
Gohan would have liked to have talked with Trunks about Majin Buu and Babidi, especially with regard to whether the duo had ever threatened the Earth of Trunks’ universe. However, he knew there was not much time until the tournament was to resume, and he anticipated that Trunks might have a lengthy story to tell. He therefore refrained from asking Trunks about this crucial issue, although he intended to eventually ask him.
Trunks soon realized, as a result of interacting with the group, that his father of Universe 18 had come to possess a noticeably different personality than had been the case in the time period of the battles against the cyborgs and Cell. Right before Trunks had left Universe 18 following the Cell Games, in fact, he had noticed that his father’s personality had slightly changed. But now, the difference was unmistakable.
However, while Trunks found Vegeta’s evolved outlook on life to be of great interest, he in no way planned to refrain from demonstrating his full power against his father because of it. Unlike in their struggles with Cell right after he had achieved his perfect form, Trunks in no way wanted to refrain from showing his father his full power in their upcoming fight during the tournament’s second round. Besides, Vegeta would not want Trunks to show restraint.
Trunks also was intrigued by the fact that Tapion was present in the tournament. Tapion’s sword seemed to be of remarkable craftsmanship, and Trunks was fascinated by the possibility of having a sword duel with a warrior of such honor ... He also was envious of Kulilin, for he would have the opportunity to face Tapion in the next round.On a serious note, Trunks also wanted to talk about the issue of Broly’s potential unleashing upon the tournament. However, before he could refer to the subject, his counterpart from Universe 16 and Goten of that universe arrived at the small wall barrier between the 17th and 18th Universe Balconies.
Even though Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 were still standing within the 17th Universe Balcony, they were seemingly ignoring the presences of Cell and his Junior, whose gazes reflected their contempt of the Saiyans’ sudden intrusion.
Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 focused on their friends in the 18th Universe Balcony and enthusiastically waved hello to them before asking for permission to enter.
“Yo, can we join the party?” Trunks of Universe 16 asked.
“Another meeting of the Trunks trio! Yeah, come on in!” said Trunks of Universe 18.
The two Saiyans then jumped over the wall and landed in the 18th Universe Balcony. Had they stayed even a few moments longer in his balcony, Cell had been planning to throw them over the wall himself, although their promptness had spared them that confrontation.
As Trunks of Universe 16 walked closer to the group, Trunks of Universe 12 laughed to himself. He had never imagined before the start of the Multiverse Tournament that he would meet two other versions of himself from other universes while they were all the same age. It was true that because of his time travel adventures, he had already technically met both Trunks from Universe 16 and Trunks from Universe 18 when they had been younger than two years old, although for all three of them to be the same age and able to talk with each other was astounding. Of course, this was the second time since the start of the tournament in which the three of them had talked with each other and been in the same universe balcony, but Trunks of Universe 12 still found the experience to be quite surreal.
“So, did you guys enjoy lunch?” Goten of Universe 18 asked.
“No, actually,” Goten of Universe 16 said. “Vegetto ate just about everything!”
“We had a bit to eat, but you could say that we’re still hungry,” Trunks of Universe 16 said.
“Do you have any leftovers?” Goten of Universe 16 asked.
“Just a bit of dessert left, but sorry, no other food,” Goku said. “Gosh, he really ate almost everything?”
“Kakarotto, how the Hell are you surprised by this?” Vegeta asked.
“Well, since he’s the two of you together, he quite often eats more than even you could possibly imagine,” Trunks of Universe 16 said. “Yeah, he ate the overwhelming majority of the three or four courses we were served.”“In fact, I think there was some food that might have come to our table and most of us just didn’t realize it,” Goten of Universe 16 said.
“The food from our table appeared to be disappearing way faster than we were eating it,” Trunks said.
“Wow, I had no idea that once we merged, we’d have so much of an appetite!” Goku said.
“Actually, speaking of that, ... could you all tell me more about fusion?” Trunks asked.
All who were present from Universes 18 and 16 quickly redirected their attention toward him. It was true that he did not know this concept well, although through logical deduction, he had begun to suspect that there was a connection among Goku, Vegeta, and Vegetto.
“We could do more than tell you,” Goten of Universe 18 said.
“Yeah, we could show you if you want!” Goten of Universe 16 said.
Trunks of Universe 18 and Trunks of Universe 16 agreed.
“Let’s go outside the arena so we can show you,” Trunks of Universe 18 said, as he rose from the table, ready to depart. “You’ll see how awesome it is!”
“Wait just a minute,” Trunks of Universe 16 said, while trying to carefully carry as many cakes as he possibly could, so he could feast on them later. “And, ... okay. I’m ready.”
“So am I!” said Goten of Universe 16, who also was carrying loads of cake.
Trunks of Universe 12 felt obligated to follow, although he would have preferred having the opportunity to discuss the imminent threat of Broly.
With their cakes secured, Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 flew upward, quickly followed by Trunks and Goten of Universe 18.
Trunks of Universe 12 then departed as well, waving a quick goodbye to all who remained in the 18th Universe Balcony.

The five “friends,” once outside the arena, flew far away so they would not be readily seen by anyone else. Once out-of-sight, Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 began to explain the principles of fusion to Trunks of Universe 12.
“My dad, Goku, taught us fusion so that we could fight Majin Buu,” Goten of Universe 18 said.
“Are you referring to your universe’s counterpart of the fighter from Universe 11?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked.
“At the beginning, yes,” Trunks of Universe 18 said. “However, we soon had to fight another version of Buu who looked like the one from Universe 4.”
“The principle of fusion is that two fighters join their powers and abilities together, becoming an even more capable warrior!” Goten of Universe 16 said. “The result is amazing!”
“While our dads used magical earrings to fuse and become Vegetto, we’ve fused many times using a different method,” Trunks of Universe 16 said. “We’ll show you it right now!”
“Yeah!” shouted his counterpart from Universe 18.
Suddenly, however, Goten of Universe 18 realized that it would be tactically inadvisable to fuse at that moment.
“Wait!” he said, to the others’ surprise. “Unlike Vegetto, our fusion lasts only 30 minutes, but it takes 30 more before we can fuse again. We’re going to need all the time we can get if Broly wakes up and attacks us! Sorry, man. We're going to have to refrain from showing you our fusion right now.”
“Hey, it’s no problem,” Trunks of Universe 12 said. “I understand.”
“My dad will take care of Broly; don’t you worry,” Trunks of Universe 16 said, while Trunks of Universe 12 became amazed by the boldness and confidence of the assertion.
“I’d still rather not take a risk by fusing now,” Goten of Universe 18 said. “However, we could still do the moves!”
“Movements?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked.
“Yes! The fusion technique we use is a dance!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.
“A ... dance?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked, with significant disbelief.
“Yeah, it’s called the Fusion Dance!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.
“At first, after we saw the motions, we thought the idea was stupid and that it sucked,” Goten of Universe 18 said. “After a while, though, we gave it a chance and it turned out to be great!”
Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 then began to demonstrate the Fusion Dance, starting from the initial position and slowly displaying the motions, all while Trunks of Universe 12 stared at them with astonishment.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Trunks of Universe 12 said. “Is this some sort of a joke?”
After having seen that demo, he very much hoped it was.
“No man, it really works!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.
‘Damn, I’m glad I’ve avoided the embarrassment of having to dance to become stronger,’ Trunks thought to himself, amazed that such a technique could exist and that two alternate versions of himself had actually agreed to perform it.
“Dude, you should totally try it out!” Trunks of Universe 16 said.
“Yeah, try it with me!” Goten of Universe 16 said.
Trunks of Universe 12 nervously smiled while thinking of a way to get out of this.
“Well, ... uh, ... I’ve got #16 waiting for me back at the arena, so I’d better get back there!” Trunks said, as he attempted to fly away from his counterparts and the two Gotens.
However, he quickly saw the two Gotens appear in front of him, and as he looked behind him, he saw his two counterparts.
Each Goten had a rather ridiculous grin on his face, and it became clear to Trunks of Universe 12 that the four of them weren’t going to let him leave unless he partook in the festivities.
After accepting the fact that he was going to be participating in the charade, he became uptight with a feeling of humiliation, although he chuckled for a moment upon seeing Trunks of Universe 16 scarf down one of the cakes he’d brought with him in what appeared to be five bites.
Trunks of Universe 12 followed for many minutes the movements of his counterparts and the Gotens, all to learn a dance that seemed beyond absurd and which, had his “friends” not insisted it to be an actual technique, he would have regarded merely as a ridiculous joke.
When they finally decided to stop, Trunks of Universe 12 felt in the mood to destroy something. While he knew this was an overly aggressive response to what had happened, he decided to resolve the feeling by punching Freeza in the face upon the next available opportunity.
As they were flying back to the arena, Trunks of Universe 12 then asked his counterparts and the Gotens a key question.
“Is is true that you all fought Broly?” he asked.
“Good times,” Goten of Universe 16 sarcastically said.
“We’ll tell you all about it,” Trunks of Universe 18 said, before beginning his stories.