...
Before heading to the Seventh Universe, Belmod and Rumsshi first worked out the details of their cooperation, such as how to spread the news of the Universal Martial Arts Tournament throughout their universes and so on.
Only after that did they begin making their way toward the Seventh Universe.
...
Earth — Bulma's Estate
Bulma sat beneath a patio umbrella, eating ice cream. Sitting across from her was Tights.
"Big Sis, your man has been completely dejected ever since Gohan beat him. Aren't you going to do something about it?"
Bulma took another bite of ice cream before looking toward the estate.
There was another person there.
It was Vegeta.
Ever since Son Gohan had defeated him, Vegeta had spent every day lying on a lounge chair.
He stared blankly at the sky, looking utterly dispirited.
"Sigh!"
Tights sighed.
She got up from beside her sister and walked toward Vegeta.
"Vegeta."
Tights stopped beside him, frowning.
Vegeta didn't get up, but a faint ripple appeared in his previously lifeless eyes.
"What is it?"
"Why aren't you training?"
"Training?"
Vegeta sat up and gave a bitter laugh.
"What's the point of training? I can't even defeat Son Gohan."
As he spoke, the image of a small figure surrounded by lightning flashed through his mind.
So there was actually another transformation beyond the Super Saiyan?!
"But if you don't train, won't you be even less capable of defeating them?"
"It's useless. We both spent an additional two years training inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, yet he managed to surpass the Super Saiyan transformation. And me? I'm still patting myself on the back over a tiny increase in strength!"
Vegeta collapsed back onto the lounge chair, looking utterly helpless.
"You..."
Seeing Vegeta this depressed, Tights was deeply disappointed.
"Didn't you say you were the Prince of the Saiyans? Even Raditz and Nappa are still training. How can you just give up on yourself like this?"
"..."
Vegeta felt humiliated and simply closed his eyes.
What could he do?
He couldn't even defeat Son Gohan, his junior. And compared to Son Goku and Broly, he was even further behind!
From a distance, Bulma watched while eating her ice cream.
She curled her lips.
This Vegeta was such a loser. He couldn't even compare to a single hair on Lord Gran's head!
Suddenly!
SMACK!
The sound of a slap rang throughout the estate.
Bulma froze.
Her sister had actually slapped Vegeta!
"Get up!"
Tights grabbed Vegeta by the collar and pulled him upright.
The two stared directly at each other.
"Didn't you say you'd protect me for the rest of your life? If you're this weak, how are you supposed to protect me?"
"I..."
Vegeta covered the side of his face where she'd slapped him, his eyes darting away.
Tights became even more furious at his reaction.
If this had been the old Vegeta, he would've exploded with rage by now.
But look at him!
He was acting like a complete coward!
Was this really the proud Prince Vegeta she knew?
"Do you remember Trunks?"
Tights roared angrily.
"He's the son of Vegeta from another timeline. If the Vegeta from that timeline had been as powerful as Son Goku, how could he have failed to protect his own son?"
"..."
"Vegeta, what if we have children someday and you continue being this depressed? Do you want our children to suffer the same fate as that Trunks?"
Tights' eyes reddened.
The moment those words left her mouth...
BOOM!
Something exploded inside Vegeta's mind.
He remembered the tragic fate that had befallen Trunks.
"NO!!!"
Vegeta suddenly shot to his feet.
"I will never allow the tragedy of the future timeline to happen to you!"
Tights was startled by his sudden reaction.
But when she saw the fury burning in Vegeta's eyes, she knew it.
The fighting spirit of her man had returned.
"I'm sorry for making you worry!"
Vegeta tightly embraced Tights.
Tights didn't say anything.
She simply remained quietly nestled in his arms.
Seeing this, Bulma was completely dumbfounded.
He recovered his fighting spirit that easily?!
Wasn't this practically a joke?!
But so what?
It wasn't as if Vegeta thought that simply regaining his fighting spirit meant he could defeat Goku and the others...
Erm...
Bulma shook her head.
Forget it.
She looked down on this version of Vegeta, but no matter what, he was still her sister's man.
As long as he could make her sister happy, that was enough.
She should probably stop stepping on him all the time.
"I'm going to train!"
Vegeta released Tights and prepared to return to the Gravity Room.
But suddenly, he stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Tights became worried.
Her man had only just recovered his fighting spirit.
He wasn't going to fall back into depression again, was he?
"Don't worry, Tights. I'm just thinking about how I can become stronger."
Vegeta turned around and explained.
Only then did Tights breathe a sigh of relief.
Vegeta stood motionless on the grass, his brows furrowed.
He accepted that he was weaker than Gran.
After all, Gran had been personally acknowledged by a God of Destruction, and his talent was simply superior to Vegeta's.
He also accepted that he was weaker than Broly.
After all, Broly was the Legendary Super Saiyan who appeared only once every thousand years.
But Son Goku and Son Gohan?
Why the hell were they stronger than him?!
He was an elite-class warrior!
He was the Prince of the Saiyans!
Could his talent really be inferior to those two low-class warriors?
And especially Son Gohan!
Not even counting the time he had spent inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he was only around eight years old!
Something was definitely wrong!
Vegeta closed his eyes and began thinking.
What exactly was different between him and the father-and-son pair of Son Goku and Son Gohan?
After thinking for a while, his eyes suddenly snapped open.
He walked toward Bulma.
Under the patio umbrella, Bulma popped the last bite of ice cream into her mouth.
"Bulma, do you know why Kakarot is so strong?"
Vegeta's sudden question made Bulma violently spit out the ice cream in her mouth.
Tights followed after him.
When she heard Vegeta's question, she was speechless.
"Vegeta, have you lost your mind? Bulma is just a scientist! She's not a martial artist. How could she possibly know?"
Bulma raised her head.
She looked at Vegeta as though he were an idiot.
"Do you even hear yourself?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying. But I'm out of ideas! I have no idea how Kakarot and the others became so powerful!"
Vegeta's face flushed as red as a monkey's backside.
The mighty Prince of the Saiyans had actually reached the point where he had to ask a woman for advice.
How humiliating!
Vegeta spoke in an almost pleading tone.
"Please. You're so familiar with Kakarot. You must know something. Could you at least try to help me, for Tights' sake?"
The once-arrogant Prince of the Saiyans was actually pleading with someone!
Bulma was genuinely stunned.
She looked at her sister.
Then she looked back at Vegeta.
Could starting a family really change someone's personality this much?!
"Bulma, why don't you try to help Vegeta figure it out?"
Tights suddenly pleaded with her as well.
"..."
Bulma was speechless.
She was just a scientist!
And yet, somehow, she had reached the point where people were coming to her for advice about martial arts.
Was this even scientific?!
END OF CHAPTER
Disciple of Beerus - MrBehringer's Secret
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