"I saw him too, Dad," Raditz chimed in from the side, nodding quickly as he tried to make his presence felt.
"Yeah, I wonder if he's a good guy or a bad guy," Goku added with a nod, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Now then, will the contestants please step onto the stage," Vados greeted them with a smile, her voice crisp and pleasant.
"Have you decided who's competing on your side?" Beerus asked Goku, his gaze somewhat indifferent.
"Me, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten..." Goku listed them one by one, then looked at Bardock and Piccolo. "Dad, Piccolo, which one of you wants to join?"
"Count me out," Piccolo refused immediately without a second thought.
"I won't join either," Bardock shook his head, preferring to watch Goku and the others perform from the sidelines.
"Just pick anyone, there's no need to make it so complicated," Vegeta huffed before turning to Trunks. "Trunks, you're in."
"Okay, Dad," Trunks nodded vigorously, an excited smile spreading across his face.
Ultimately, the lineup for Universe 7 was finalized.
The five fighters were Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, and Trunks.
Beerus didn't care much about the roster Goku and Vegeta had put together; in his eyes, Goku alone was enough, and the others were just there to make up the numbers.
"Will the contestants from both sides please step onto the stage," Vados called out again with a smile.
The fighters from both universes stepped onto the stage together, each looking sharp and full of energy.
In the center of the stage stood an irregularly shaped table, with ten exam papers neatly arranged on top.
"At Mr. Vegeta's suggestion, we will begin with a written test before the matches start," Vados explained with a smile, holding a timer in her hand.
The contestants walked toward their seats together, preparing for this unusual "battle."
Goku soon noticed Cabba on the opposite side, whose aura felt strangely familiar to him.
Cabba was also momentarily stunned. Looking at Goku and Vegeta, he hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to greet them. "Hello. You're Saiyans too, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's right," Goku nodded, a friendly smile on his face.
Vegeta didn't say a word, merely giving Cabba a lukewarm glance.
After all, Vegeta had already lived through this scenario once before.
I know this plot.
Finally, a part of the story that only I'm familiar with. Kakarot has never experienced this, so I have a huge advantage.
"I'm a Saiyan too," Cabba said with a friendly smile, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"What? You're a Saiyan too?" Goku was genuinely surprised, not expecting to meet Saiyans in Universe 6. He turned to Vegeta, looking for confirmation.
Vegeta wasn't surprised at all, maintaining a calm expression as if he had known all along.
Goku slapped his forehead as the realization hit him.
Vegeta had already lived through all of this, so it was only natural that he wasn't shocked.
"Judging by your attire, you must live on Planet Sadala," Vegeta said with a smile, looking at Cabba's clothes.
"Yeah... you're right. Do you live on Planet Sadala too?" Cabba asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. He was eager to know how the Saiyans of Universe 7 lived.
"We live on Earth," Goku laughed, scratching the back of his head. He then looked at Vegeta with a puzzled expression. "Vegeta, didn't you say our original home was Planet Vegeta? How did it become Planet Sadala?"
"The Saiyans originally lived on Planet Sadala, but after an internal conflict led to the planet's destruction, we migrated to a planet called Plant," Vegeta explained with his arms crossed, unfazed. "A race called the Tuffles lived on Planet Plant. Later on, a war broke out between us and the Tuffles. We defeated them, and my grandfather's grandfather renamed the planet to Planet Vegeta."
"The Tuffles!" Goku's expression shifted slightly, his pupils constricting. "So there really are Tuffles."
"What... what do you mean?" Vegeta was taken aback, keenly picking up on the strange tone in Goku's voice.
"It was because of a Tuffle prince, a guy named Baby, that I transformed into a Super Saiyan 4," Goku whispered, leaning in close to Vegeta's ear.
"Baby?" Vegeta's mouth twitched violently. He shot Goku an annoyed glare, grumbling inwardly.
How many things do I still not know?
I've told you basically everything about my past, and only now does this guy mention the origin of Super Saiyan 4.
"What happened with this guy named Baby?" Vegeta asked, suppressing his confusion and feeling a bit tense.
Just as Goku was about to continue, Cabba spoke up curiously from the side: "Is Planet Sadala in your universe gone now?"
Vegeta nodded, confirming it for Cabba.
"I'll tell you more about Baby later, Vegeta," Goku suggested, glancing at Cabba.
Vegeta didn't object, merely huffing and turning his head away.
"By the way, where's your tail?" Goku asked, looking behind Cabba. Seeing that he didn't have one, he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, his eyes full of inquiry.
"Saiyans used to have tails, but they eventually disappeared," Cabba answered with a relaxed smile.
"Are you still a warrior race?" Goku followed up, leaning forward slightly.
"Yes... we are hired to take down bad guys," Cabba replied with a smile.
"It sounds like you're all good people, completely different from us," Goku laughed heartily, showing a bright smile.
"You over there, please sit down. The test is about to begin," Vados called out from a distance, her staff tapping lightly on the ground.
Goku and the others immediately took their seats at the table, sitting up straight.
"Now, let us begin. For anyone with even a modicum of intelligence, these ten questions are quite simple," Vados announced with a smile. "You have ten minutes. A score of 50 is required to pass."
As she finished speaking, the contestants picked up their pens and began the test, the nibs scratching against the paper.
Ten minutes flew by.
Everyone scored above 50 and passed the written test.
"Kakarot, what did you get?" Vegeta leaned over, his eyes instinctively darting toward Goku's paper.
Goku readily showed his exam to Vegeta.
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta was momentarily stunned, his eyes widening.
90!
Kakarot actually got a 90?
In his previous life, this guy had barely passed with a 50.
Does reincarnating also increase your intelligence?
"Well, I'm still higher than you. I got a 100," Vegeta quickly snapped out of it and gave a smug grin, waving his paper with his chin slightly raised.
Goku laughed, waving it off nonchalantly. "Impressive, impressive."
"Dad, I got a 50. I almost failed," Trunks said tentatively, carefully showing his paper to Vegeta, his voice laced with nervousness.
Vegeta's face instantly darkened, and he shot Trunks a look that could kill.
"Goten, what did you get?" Trunks asked, turning to Goten like he was reaching for a lifeline.
"60," Goten replied, scratching his head with an embarrassed look.
"Wait, Goten, did you actually know how to do this one?" Trunks pointed to a relatively complex math problem, sounding shocked. He remembered getting that one wrong himself, yet Goten had gotten it right.
"Nope," Goten said honestly, his gaze steady.
"Then why did you pick C?" Trunks asked, pointing to Goten's answer, even more confused.
"When in doubt, pick C, right?" Goten said with a serious face, scratching his head.
Trunks: "..."
Trunks silently wiped the sweat from his forehead, completely speechless.
"So you just guessed all these?" Trunks truly felt defeated by Goten.
"Hehe, pretty good, right?" Goten grinned, showing off a row of pearly white teeth.
"Alright, hurry up and decide the order of appearance," Beerus urged impatiently, his tail flicking irritably.
"Trunks, you're first," Vegeta said with a smile, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'm second. The rest can be in any order."
"Alright," Goku didn't object and nodded in agreement. "Then I'll go last. Goten will be third, followed by Gohan."
Goten and Gohan both nodded, indicating they were fine with it.
The order of appearance was set.
"Contestants, please wait a moment. The martial arts tournament between Universe 6 and Universe 7 is now officially underway," the referee announced into a microphone as he stepped onto the stage, clearing his throat. "First, let us all sing the Cosmic Anthem."
Bardock and the others looked at each other, speechless.
There's a singing part?
As the announcement ended, a cute little penguin waddled onto the stage, picked up the microphone, and began to sing in a high-pitched, childish voice.
"The universe is so big, so wide, and so vast!"
Though the lyrics were simple, the song carried a pure and infectious charm.
After finishing, the little penguin gave a deep bow to the audience and calmly waddled off the stage.
Gine: "..."
Videl: "..."
"So that's the Cosmic Anthem," Gine said as she snapped out of it, a smile playing on her lips and a hint of novelty in her eyes.
"You didn't hear it in your previous life?" Videl asked curiously, leaning in a bit closer.
"No," Gine shook her head. "In my past life, I almost never left Planet Vegeta. I spent my whole life living on that planet."
"Hurry up and tell me, how did you and Bardock meet?" Videl asked, her face full of gossip and her eyes sparkling like a curious kitten.
"You should call me Grandma," Gine huffed, intentionally putting on a stern face.
"Grandma who? Just tell me already. Let me get some of this juicy gossip," Videl giggled, completely unbothered as she gave Gine's arm a playful nudge.
Gine covered her face in exasperation; this girl was truly obsessed with gossip.
"And now, the matches officially begin," the referee's voice rang out again, breaking up the little scene below the stage. "The first round will be Botamo from Universe 6 versus Trunks from Universe 7."
"Go Trunks!" Goten shouted loudly, waving his arms vigorously at his friend.
Trunks nodded and gave Goten a thumbs-up to pump himself up.
"If you lose the very first match, your allowance for the entire year is confiscated!" Vegeta called out coldly to Trunks from the sidelines, his tone laced with threat.
Trunks' mouth twitched, and his expression turned incredibly grim as he wailed inwardly.
It's over. I have to take this seriously!
Trunks and Botamo stepped onto the stage together.
Botamo was a large, muscular bear-like being with golden fur.
Since Trunks was still young, he only came up to Botamo's knees. Standing together, the two formed a stark contrast.
"A wet-behind-the-ears brat? Are you competing before you've even been weaned?" Botamo looked down at Trunks with a sneer. "Can Universe 7 not even scrape together enough adult fighters? Sending a little kid to make up the numbers?"
"Hmph," Trunks snorted, clenching his fists and refusing to be intimidated by the other's presence.
"Hey, Beerus, your universe is pretty pathetic, isn't it?" Champa laughed mockingly from the side. "What's the deal with finding two little kids to compete? Are you looking down on Universe 6?"
"Don't worry about it. It's mainly because our universe has too many fighters to choose from. We just picked a couple to come over and play with you guys," Beerus replied with a smirk, his tone dripping with confidence.
"Tch, what a blowhard. If this kid gets killed, don't blame us for not showing mercy," Champa grumbled, his eyes full of disdain.
"Whatever you say," Beerus shrugged nonchalantly.
"Let the match begin!" the referee announced loudly, waving his flag.
"Kid, since you're young, I'll give you a few free moves. Go ahead and attack me however you like," Botamo said, standing with his hands on his hips and looking arrogantly at Trunks, as if the victory was already his.
"You said it yourself. Don't blame me for not holding back when you get eliminated," Trunks huffed, a flash of mischief in his eyes.
"Come at me," Botamo remained standing there with his hands on his hips, chuckling. "A little shrimp like you could hit me all day and you wouldn't even scratch me. You think you can eliminate me? What a joke."
"Then I won't be polite!" Trunks shouted as he rapidly powered up. His small figure shot toward Botamo like an arrow from a bow, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks with swift and sharp movements.
However, Trunks keenly noticed that his attacks felt like hitting rubber—soft and bouncy. They didn't seem to do any damage at all.
Looking at Botamo, the bear had a look of pure enjoyment on his face. He even performed a flashy spin, turning his back to Trunks.
Thud, thud, thud!
Trunks' fists rained down on Botamo's back like hailstones, producing dull thumping sounds.
Botamo looked even more relaxed, even letting out a comfortable moan. "Mmm... it would be even better if you used a bit more force."
Trunks' little face turned pale with anger, and he delivered a fierce kick to Botamo's shoulder.
Botamo still didn't dodge, letting Trunks' foot slam into him. He laughed and said, "Not bad, not bad. That's the perfect amount of pressure. I haven't had a massage in ages; you've got good technique, kid."
"Hmph, don't get cocky!" Trunks shouted in frustration. He immediately leaped back to put some distance between them, his brow furrowed as he thought of a strategy.
"This fighter named Botamo doesn't seem simple," Goku remarked, rubbing his chin as he watched the stage. "His body seems to be made of a very special material. Normal attacks are useless against him."
"He's a rubber-man. His body is composed of a rubber-like substance with extreme flexibility. Physical attacks can hardly hurt him," Vegeta said flatly.
"It looks like it won't be easy for Trunks to win," Goku nodded, resting his chin in his hand.
"If he can't even handle a guy like this, then he isn't my son," Vegeta said, giving Goku a side-eye, his voice full of confidence in his child.
"I'm just putting it out there, nothing happened between me and Bulma," Goku suddenly raised his hand and answered seriously, as if afraid Vegeta might misunderstand.
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta's face instantly turned green, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
You don't need to explain that!
It would be better if you didn't say anything at all!
Who even asked you?
"I was young and didn't know any better when I saw Bulma taking a bath. That... it's not a big deal, right?" Goku muttered softly when he saw Vegeta's expression wasn't right, his tone a bit nervous.
Vegeta took a deep breath, feeling his fists clench. He desperately wanted to punch this idiot into the horizon.
"You... what did you say? Say that again," Vegeta said, his whole body trembling with rage. The veins on his forehead were popping, his knuckles were cracking, and his eyes looked like they were about to spray fire.
"I didn't say anything," Goku said, sensing trouble. He immediately covered his mouth and shook his head like a rattle, his eyes full of guilt.
Vegeta's face shifted between red and white, his chest heaving as he struggled to suppress the urge to flatten the idiot in front of him.
On the stage, Trunks clenched his fists tightly, his face flushed red with frustration and unwillingness.
His attacks actually hadn't worked?
"Well, kid? Just give up already!" Botamo beckoned with a disdainful finger. "Go back and finish kindergarten before you try competing again, so you don't embarrass yourself here."
"Beerus, it looks like our universe is guaranteed to win the first match," Champa laughed triumphantly, giving Beerus a provocative look.
Beerus gave him a sideways glance but didn't bother responding, his eyes fixed intently on Trunks.
"Stop looking down on people!" Trunks snorted. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light erupted from his body. His golden hair stood up on its own, and his aura surged instantly as he activated his Super Saiyan transformation.
"What?" Botamo was stunned, the contempt on his face instantly freezing. He clearly hadn't expected this brat to have such a trick up his sleeve.
Seeing Trunks' transformation, Champa, who had been watching leisurely, suddenly widened his eyes. His expression turned to one of shock, and his body instinctively leaned forward.
"Vados, this kid's transformation doesn't look simple," Champa said in a low, serious tone.
"Yes, indeed. His energy has increased by at least fifty times," Vados quickly provided the answer, a sweet smile still on her face.
"You... what did you say?" Champa gasped in shock. "A fifty-fold energy increase? You've got to be joking! How is that possible?"
"Oh my, I'm not joking at all," Vados giggled, pointing at Trunks on the stage. "Judging by his current energy intensity, young Trunks' power has far surpassed Mr. Botamo's."
Champa's mouth twitched, and he swallowed hard.
This brat can actually transform?
"Now then, I'm going to start my attack again. Are you ready?" Trunks grinned, shaking his fists. Golden waves of energy swirled around his hands, making a humming sound.
"Don't think you're special just because you're glowing gold," Botamo snorted, trying to stay calm, though he was starting to feel a bit panicked inside.
Boom!
Trunks stomped hard, and the stage floor instantly cracked. He shot forward like a cannonball and threw a punch, slamming it hard into Botamo's body.
When Trunks' fist hit Botamo, it sank deep into the rubbery flesh as if it were stuck in a swamp.
Trunks was momentarily shocked. What's going on?
Botamo also wore a look of disdainful amusement, still standing with his hands on his hips, feeling incredibly smug as he intentionally puffed out his belly.
However, in the next instant, Botamo suddenly felt waves of intense pain. It felt like an electric current surging through his entire body, making him let out a scream.
Whoosh!
Botamo flew backward like an arrow from a bow, slamming heavily into the protective barrier surrounding the stage. A dull boom echoed, and ripples spread across the barrier.
Trunks was also sent flying back by the recoil, tumbling several times on the stage. His body slid uncontrollably toward the edge.
Just as he was about to fall off, Trunks reacted quickly, reaching out to grab the edge of the stage with all his might, preventing himself from falling.
Trunks hung upside down from the stage for a moment before scrambling back up.
The arena fell into a dead silence.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden reversal.
Botamo saw stars dancing before his eyes. His head was spinning, and he promptly passed out.
The force of Trunks' attack had been too strong—strong enough to easily break through Botamo's defense and directly injure his internal body.
However, Trunks had also been knocked back by the impact, nearly falling out of the ring in a heart-pounding moment.
"Botamo lost?" Champa was stunned, his expression turning quite ugly. He never imagined it would end this way.
Botamo was actually eliminated by a little brat?
This was too embarrassing!
Champa felt like he had completely lost face.
To be continued…
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