“I’m No Longer the Boy I Once Was, But You’re Still the Same as Before” (Part 1)
…
Broly’s body emitted a purplish-red glow as he swiftly followed after Ren. However, despite his impressive speed, Broly still couldn’t match Ren’s pace.
“Goku… you’ve already met up with everyone?” Krillin was still trying to process what had just happened.
“Yeah, thanks to Ren. If it weren’t for him, I might’ve ended up dying along with my brother,” Goku laughed heartily.
“What exactly happened?” Krillin asked. “What’s this about a battle in 10 months?”
“In simple terms, two other Saiyans will arrive on Earth in 10 months. When they do, we’ll have a fierce fight with them! So, I need to train hard to defeat that guy who’s 15 times stronger than my brother!” Goku clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination.
“Fifteen times stronger than your brother?” Krillin shivered. “Then how much stronger is he compared to you?”
Goku shook his head, then smiled and pulled out the Ultra Instinct Training Guide.
“What’s this?” Krillin leaned in to take a closer look. “Ultra Instinct Training Guide? What’s it for?”
“Ren gave me this training technique. He said if I master it, I’ll be able to defeat that Saiyan called Vegeta,” Goku explained with a grin.
“Really? Can I take a look?” Krillin asked eagerly.
“I’d like to see it too,” Master Roshi said, scratching his head and craning his neck to get a peek.
“I asked Ren earlier, and he said you guys can check it out,” Goku nodded. “But he also said that not everyone is suited for mastering Ultra Instinct… Krillin, you can help me figure it out. There are a lot of words in here I don’t recognize, and some sentences are hard for me to understand.”
“Sure! If there’s anything you don’t get, ask me, and I’ll explain it,” Krillin promised, patting his chest confidently.
Master Roshi joined in, flipping through the pages of the book. After reading a few pages, he scratched his head, noticing some similarities to his own training methods.
“This is an amazing technique…” Master Roshi marveled. “Goku, I think there’s nothing wrong with this… If you can really move your body without thinking, instinctively reacting to any situation… it’s incredible.”
“Isn’t it awesome?” Goku asked excitedly.
“It’s more than awesome. I’d love to try training it myself… with a girl nearby to feel my muscles twitching,” Master Roshi said, his face turning red.
Krillin: “…”
“Master Roshi, what are you even thinking?” Krillin wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Goku: “???”
“There’s a plane Bulma left behind. Why don’t we fly to her house?” Krillin suggested. “I can explain the parts you don’t understand while we’re in the air.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Goku agreed, nodding.
Capsule Corporation Headquarters.
“Is that really Ren? You know, his hair and tail color are quite distinctive,” Dr. Brief said, adjusting his glasses as he examined Ren.
“Doctor, it’s been a while,” Ren greeted with a smile.
“You’ve done well. I heard it took you 24 years to complete your transformation into a true angel,” Dr. Brief said with admiration. “The path to godhood sure is difficult.”
“Yes, these 24 years felt incredibly long,” Ren agreed.
“You really do look a lot like Vados now, except for your skin tone, the color of your halo, and of course, that tail,” Bulma added, comparing Ren to her memories of Vados.
“Has Vados not visited in a while?” Ren asked.
“Maybe she’s found another place to mooch off of after freeloading here for so long,” Bulma huffed. “She’s never around when we need her most. I was hoping she could help solve some of our problems.”
“The angels rarely interfere in mortal matters—it’s just their nature,” Ren replied, unfazed.
However, Ren believed that if Earth were ever in mortal danger, Vados wouldn’t just stand by. After all, the entire planet was practically Vados’ personal dining spot. She wouldn’t let her favorite “restaurant” be destroyed.
Vados knew that the people of Earth could handle their own problems through their efforts. Aside from the King Piccolo incident, most of the other events were relatively manageable.
“Ren’s back? Are you staying for good this time?” Bikini came over with a tray of fruit, smiling warmly.
“No, I’m very busy, so I can’t stay on Earth for long,” Ren answered.
“You’re leaving again?” Bulma sounded a bit disappointed. “I don’t care, you promised to take me on a trip to another planet, and you haven’t kept your word!”
“Alright, I’ll make time and take you on that trip,” Ren assured her.
“That’s better,” Bulma said, feeling relieved.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Broly came flying in from the distance, landing gently in Bulma’s yard.
“Is that… Broly?” Dr. Brief adjusted his glasses again. “He’s grown so much!”
Broly didn’t say much but nodded as a greeting.
“Go call Giru,” Bulma instructed a nearby robot.
“Understood!” The robot replied and left.
Within a minute, Giru, the small robot, flew over, its head blinking with lights. Upon seeing Broly, it immediately started scanning him.
After analyzing Broly, the blinking of Giru’s lights became even more rapid.
“What are you looking at?” Giru asked.
Broly: “…”
“I said, what are you looking at!” Giru snapped.
Broly didn’t respond, just smiled and gently patted Giru on the head.
“I’m no longer the boy I once was, but you’re still the same as before,” Broly said softly.
Giru: “???”
“Say it… what are you looking at?” Giru’s lights flickered faster.
Broly just smiled warmly.
Crackle… crackle…
Sparks flew from Giru, sending electricity over Broly’s body.
But Broly didn’t budge. That small shock didn’t affect him at all.
“Say it… what are you looking at?” Giru’s voice began to fade as its lights dimmed.
Broly stopped paying attention to it.
Bulma: “…”
“What did he just say?” Bulma whispered to Ren. “He said he’s no longer a boy, but Giru is still the same as before… I can’t believe Broly said something like that!”
“A lot has happened over the years. Broly grew up overnight,” Ren remarked.
“Giru almost cried…” Bulma’s eyes watered. “You know, Giru really missed Broly… but after 24 years, the child he once played with has grown up…”
Orange Star City – Martial Arts Tournament Arena.
“Hyaah!”
“Hah!”
Mr. Satan punched and kicked his opponent on the arena stage, eventually sending them running in defeat, waving a white flag.
“Congratulations to Mr. Satan for winning the 8th National Martial Arts Tournament!” the announcer declared loudly.
Mr. Satan raised his right hand, clenching his fist in triumph.
The tournament committee personally awarded him the champion’s belt and medal.
Mr. Satan’s face was filled with pride.
I’ve finally achieved my dream!
Hahaha… I, Mr. Satan, am now the world’s strongest man!
“Congratulations, Mr. Satan, on becoming the 8th National Martial Arts Champion!” The announcer approached him with a microphone. “Do you have any words for the crowd at this moment?”
“Someday, I’ll become the man who saves the world!” Mr. Satan declared boldly.
“Haha, sounds like you’re predicting the end of the world,” the announcer chuckled.
“If that day ever comes, you can call me the Savior!” Mr. Satan laughed even more triumphantly.
“I heard you got married a couple of years ago and now have a daughter,” the announcer continued.
“Yes, her name is Videl,” Mr. Satan said, his expression softening as he thought of her.
“Once again, let’s congratulate Mr. Satan on his victory!” the announcer led the crowd in applause.
The audience cheered, clapping enthusiastically, and even Majin Buu, sitting in the crowd, clapped along, delighted.
Slap!
The next moment, Majin Buu hopped onto the stage, appearing right in front of Mr. Satan.
The audience looked on in surprise, puzzled by the sudden appearance of the pink, round figure.
“Hehe, Satan! I missed you!” Majin Buu grinned widely.
“You’re…” Mr. Satan scratched his head.
“I’m Buu! I ate the chocolate you gave me!” Majin Buu introduced himself.
“Oh right, now I remember,” Mr. Satan said, slapping his forehead as memories of playing with this strange guy flooded back.
“I want chocolate,” Majin Buu said bluntly.
“No problem! I’m the martial arts champion now, so I’m even richer than before! I’ll make sure you’re stuffed with chocolate!” Mr. Satan pounded his chest, confidently agreeing, then turned to the announcer and audience. “Uh… he’s my best friend!”
Though the crowd found Majin Buu’s appearance odd, they accepted it, considering he was a friend of Mr. Satan.
After all, in this world, there are all sorts of strange people.
After leaving the tournament, Mr. Satan took Majin Buu shopping for tons of gourmet chocolates.
Majin Buu happily devoured the chocolates, grinning with every bite.
“Your chocolates are still the best,” Majin Buu said between bites. “They’re way better than the ones that guy, Merus, gave me.”
“Merus? Who’s that?” Mr. Satan asked. “Was he the guy with you back then?”
Majin Buu nodded.
“Where is he now?” Mr. Satan looked around curiously.
“He’s not here. I didn’t like him,” Majin Buu replied, his mouth covered in chocolate. “Maybe he’s dead.”
7th Universe – Galactic Patrol Headquarters.
Inside Merus’ room.
Holding his staff, Merus observed Ren and the others through the crystal ball, curiously glancing at Majin Buu.
Hearing Buu’s comment, Merus couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.
What kind of person curses a god behind his back?
Doesn’t he realize I’m the one who released him from his seal?
And how can the chocolate Satan gave him taste any different from mine?
Why is Satan’s better?
Merus shook his head, suppressing the urge to confront Buu. He withdrew his staff and returned to his Galactic Patrol duties.
It was said that on this day, Merus went all out while capturing prisoners.
The leader of the Galactic Bandit Brigade, Saganbo, was mercilessly beaten by Merus, suffering multiple bone fractures all over his body.
“I’ve never seen Merus this angry before,” said Jaco quietly to his fellow patrolman, Irico.
“Maybe he’s on his… uh, you know,” Jaco speculated.
Irico: “…”
“What did you just say, Jaco?” Merus’ face darkened.
I’m an angel… and a male angel at that! How could you say something like that?
“Uh… nothing! I was just saying the weather is great today, and, um… my aunt came to visit me,” Jaco awkwardly lied.
“I’m No Longer the Boy I Once Was, But You’re Still the Same as Before” (Part 2)
Universe 6, Earth, Orange Star City
This city, if nothing goes wrong, would eventually be renamed Satan City in the future.
However, the local middle school still retained its original name.
Mr. Satan was strolling around with Majin Buu, buying him loads of chocolates, and later invited him to his home for a meal.
“What do you want to eat?” Mr. Satan asked. “I’ll have my chef cook it for you.”
“I haven’t eaten anything in over 20 years. Just make all the tastiest things you can,” Buu replied.
“Haven’t eaten in 20 years?” Mr. Satan paused, then burst into laughter. “You’re such a joker.”
“Hehe,” Buu chuckled, not bothering to explain further.
As they headed home, Mr. Satan suddenly received a phone call, and his face turned grim as he listened.
“W-What? Let go of my daughter! I’ll give you as much money as you want, just don’t hurt her!” Mr. Satan panicked. “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say!”
After hanging up, Mr. Satan looked apologetically at Majin Buu.
Buu blinked in confusion, staring at Mr. Satan.
“Sorry, Buu, but my daughter’s been kidnapped! I have to go rescue her, so I won’t be able to have dinner with you tonight,” Mr. Satan said solemnly, clenching his fists tightly.
“I’ll go with you,” Buu grinned, sniffing Mr. Satan’s body.
“Huh? What’s that about?” Mr. Satan sniffed his own armpit and nearly passed out from the stench. “Uh, well… I just finished a match and didn’t have time to shower…”
“Your daughter… is in that direction,” Buu said, pointing toward the north.
“H-How do you know that?” Mr. Satan asked, astonished.
“I’ll take you there,” Buu said, grabbing Mr. Satan’s arm and taking off into the sky.
Mr. Satan’s jaw almost dropped to the ground in shock.
“F-F-Flying?!” Mr. Satan stuttered.
In no time, Buu flew to a partially constructed building about 10 kilometers away.
“That little girl over there—she’s your daughter, right?” Buu asked.
Mr. Satan rubbed his eyes and shook his head.
“She’s not?” Buu was confused. “You two smell very similar.”
“I mean I can’t see that far, it’s too far away!” Mr. Satan wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“Oh…” Buu understood, and flew straight into the fourth-floor open room of the building, where several kidnappers and Videl were waiting.
Bam!
Buu punched one of the kidnappers, sending him flying out of the building.
Whoosh!
The kidnapper fell to his death instantly.
“Uh… Ren told me not to kill anyone… but this guy messed with my friend. I think Ren won’t mind,” Buu muttered.
“S-Satan! H-How did you find this place?” the lead kidnapper panicked, aiming his gun at Mr. Satan.
The other four kidnappers quickly pulled out their guns, pointing them at Mr. Satan as well.
“Daddy!” Videl shouted, running toward her father.
Smack!
The lead kidnapper grabbed Videl by the hair and yanked her back.
“Videl!” Mr. Satan yelled, heartbroken. He shouted at the kidnappers, “You bastards! Come after me! Why kidnap my daughter? She’s only four years old!”
“Hmph, you’re just in time. Since you’ve come to die, don’t blame us for being rude!” the leader sneered. “However, if you hand over a billion zeni, I might consider letting you go!”
“Let my daughter go first, and I’ll transfer the money right away!” Mr. Satan gritted his teeth.
“Transfer money? Are you kidding? As soon as you transfer it, the police will track us down!” the leader laughed. “Boys, rough them up so they’ll never talk again!”
The four henchmen approached menacingly.
One of them struck Majin Buu’s face with the butt of his gun, leaving an imprint on Buu’s cheek.
“Hehehe,” the henchman sneered.
Splat!
Buu’s eyes flashed with killing intent, and with a single slap, he smashed the henchman into a pile of flesh.
The leader and the remaining three henchmen were petrified with fear.
“Shoot him! Shoot him!” the leader finally snapped out of it.
The remaining henchmen opened fire on Majin Buu.
But the bullets bounced off Buu as if they were nothing.
The sound of gunfire slowly faded, echoing in the open room.
The leader and his men were terrified beyond words.
“A monster!”
The leader and his henchmen turned tail and fled, abandoning Videl.
“Turn into chocolate!” Buu’s head tentacle sparked with purple energy, enveloping the fleeing men.
In an instant, they all transformed into human-shaped chocolates.
Buu casually picked up one of the chocolates and took a bite, spitting it out immediately. “Ugh, disgusting. Nowhere near as good as the chocolate a God of Destruction makes. It’s not even crunchy.”
Mr. Satan was left speechless.
Videl, too, stood frozen, her face pale with fear.
Capsule Corporation Headquarters – Bulma’s Home
At Krillin’s call, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu had all arrived.
Krillin explained everything about Goku’s brother, Raditz, to the three.
Hearing the news, they all became visibly tense.
In just 10 months, even more powerful Saiyans would arrive on Earth.
It was terrifying.
Goku couldn’t even defeat his own brother, let alone someone 15 times stronger, like Vegeta.
“I understand. Chiaotzu and I will train hard,” Tien said in a low voice.
Yamcha, on the other hand, nudged Krillin, lowering his voice. “Krillin, is that white-haired guy the Ren Bulma keeps talking about?”
“Yeah,” Krillin nodded.
“How strong is he?” Yamcha asked.
“Not sure… but he seems really strong,” Krillin guessed. “He’s a Saiyan, after all.”
“What’s that halo around his neck? Some kind of decoration?” Yamcha wondered.
“I don’t know. According to Bulma, he’s a god now, like he ascended through training,” Krillin explained.
“A god? Like the Guardian’s successor?” Yamcha questioned further.
“Who knows? Maybe his rank is even higher than that,” Krillin speculated, scratching his head.
“Come on! Higher than the Guardian? I don’t believe it,” Yamcha shook his head, feeling annoyed.
I’ve liked Bulma for so long… and yet, she’s always ignored me.
Is it all because of this guy, Ren?
“Wait a minute… why does Bulma look younger than before?” Yamcha suddenly realized and asked.
“Well… you might not believe this, but Ren restored her youth,” Krillin whispered.
“What? Restored her youth? Does he know magic?” Yamcha was even more shocked. “He’s not a wish from Shenron, is he?”
“You have quite the imagination…” Krillin chuckled. “I was hoping he’d help me get a bit taller… or maybe give me a girlfriend.”
“Hahaha! Krillin, you still don’t have a girlfriend?” Yamcha laughed, patting Krillin on the shoulder. “We should go out together sometime, somewhere really fun!”
“Where?” Krillin asked, puzzled.
“A place… Master Roshi goes there often,” Yamcha replied with a sly grin.
“You guys are unbelievable! When did you go without me?” Krillin rolled his eyes, feeling a bit left out.
“Hehe!” Yamcha laughed even harder.
“Make sure to take me next time!” Krillin said eagerly, then sighed. “But we’ve only got 10 months… if Goku loses, we’ll be in trouble.”
“Isn’t Ren a god? Even if Goku loses, I’m sure he’ll have a way to fix things,” Yamcha reassured him with a smile.
“You’re right, I guess there’s nothing to worry about,” Krillin nodded thoughtfully.
“Should I go introduce myself to that Ren guy?” Yamcha stroked his chin, contemplating.
“Go ahead,” Krillin shrugged. “I already said hi.”
“I’ll check him out,” Yamcha grinned. “Maybe I’ll test his strength—see if he’s the real deal or just a fraud!”
“Just don’t get carried away…” Krillin advised.
“Relax,” Yamcha waved it off, walking toward Ren.
Ren, not far away, was enjoying a delicious meal.
Sitting on the table, a tiny, thumb-sized girl was happily eating a piece of cake.
That tiny girl was Exquisite.
“Can you only stay that small?” Ren asked curiously.
“I can’t help it. My body is too weak… I have to shrink down to this size to avoid dissipating,” Exquisite sighed. “Also, I can’t move more than 1000 meters away from you. If I do, my angel power won’t be replenished, and I might vanish. I’d have to wait for you to return to restore myself.”
“Should I try leaving Earth?” Ren teased with a grin.
Exquisite: “…”
“I haven’t noticed any of my angel power being depleted. How exactly are you getting it from me? Are you absorbing my essence or something?” Ren asked, intrigued.
Exquisite blushed.
Well, you’re not wrong, but why does it sound so weird when you say it like that?
“Technically, it’s not your ‘essence’… more like the excess energy your body doesn’t use. Since I’m so weak right now, just absorbing that is enough to sustain me,” Exquisite explained in detail. “It’s like burning coal in a fire—some of the ash gets filtered out by your body, and that leftover ash comes to me… something like that.”
“Exquisite, don’t make yourself sound so pitiful. We’re angels, not coal ash,” Ren sighed.
Exquisite didn’t want to respond to Ren anymore.
You were the one who brought up the whole ‘essence’ thing…
It just feels wrong somehow.
Exquisite continued munching on her cake, and after finishing a small piece, she happily hopped around on the table like a little girl enjoying her birthday.
Ren watched her with a look of admiration.
She has such a cute side after all.
Just then, Ren glanced up and saw Yamcha approaching.
“Hey, are you Ren?” Yamcha tilted his head, scrutinizing Ren. “Are you the Ren Bulma keeps going on about? Shake my hand…”
Before Ren could say anything, or Yamcha could finish speaking, Broly abruptly stood up and waved his hand from a distance.
Bang!
Yamcha was instantly blown away by the sheer force of Broly’s gesture.
“Ow!”
Yamcha screamed as he flew through the air, crashing to the ground.
Upon landing, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his entire body twitching uncontrollably.
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