"Of course we can," Beerus nodded, the smile on his face growing wider. "And bring Broly along too. That guy's power is perfect for a sparring match with a God of Destruction."
"Broly? He might not want to leave the Sacred World of the Kai. He's been training there lately and doesn't really like crowded places," Goku said, shaking his head as he thought about Broly's solitary nature.
"Doesn't matter. Just knock him out and bring him along. By the time he wakes up, we'll already be there," Beerus said with a mischievous chuckle.
Goku: "..."
"Yeah, that works. Simple and direct," Goku nodded. He didn't object, thinking it was actually a pretty good way to get Broly to come along.
With Broly there, Goku felt he could breathe a bit easier. After all, he knew how strong Broly was, and they could look out for each other if things got serious.
So, Goku readily agreed to Beerus's suggestion.
"Once we're done eating, I'll take a quick nap and then we'll head out. I need to be well-rested for a good fight," Beerus said, his smile brightening as he began to imagine sparring with the other Gods of Destruction.
"Oh boy... if Lord Beerus takes a 'nap,' who knows how many years he'll be out for," Whis giggled mockingly.
Goku: "..."
"It's just a catnap this time! Thirty minutes, tops! I swear on my status as a God of Destruction!" Beerus said, patting his chest with a look of firm resolve.
"Which universe's God of Destruction are we going to fight?" Goku asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Flash!
Beerus raised his hand, and an elegant box materialized in his palm, covered in intricate patterns.
"This box has numbers 1 through 12 inside. Whichever one we draw is the universe we go to. It's all up to luck," Beerus said, holding the box out to Goku.
"Alright!" Goku was instantly interested. He excitedly reached into the box and felt around, his fingertips brushing against the cool metal of the tiles.
Snap!
Goku pulled out a tile and held it up to his eyes. He raised an eyebrow.
Beerus's face darkened, a vein bulging on his forehead. He nearly crushed the gift box in his hand.
Everyone else was also completely speechless, their mouths twitching.
Goku had drawn number 7—their own universe.
Can we not be this random?
Of all the numbers, why did it have to be 7? Is this a joke?
"So... do I have to spar with Lord Beerus first?" Goku asked, holding the tile and looking at Beerus with an awkward smile.
Beerus, with a dark expression, snatched the tile away and crushed it into powder with his bare hands, letting the dust blow away in the wind.
"Redraw! That one doesn't count," Beerus muttered, a cold sweat on his face as he looked away.
You really have a knack for drawing, don't you!
I should have taken 7 out first. What a mistake!
Goku didn't think much of it and reached back into the box. He felt around for a bit, tapping his fingers against the remaining tiles.
Then, Goku pulled one out and squinted at it. "Number 6? Is that Universe 6?"
Beerus: "..."
Beerus's face turned green. He glared at Goku, feeling his blood pressure go through the roof.
Is this kid doing this on purpose?
We just dodged one, and now another?
"Isn't the God of Destruction for Universe 6 Lord Champa? If we head over there now, we can still catch him for a spar, right?" Goku asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling. "Let's chase him down before he gets too far. I've been wanting to fight him, too."
"That one doesn't count either! Champa doesn't count. He's too weak; fighting him is boring," Beerus said, snatching the tile from Goku and crumpling it into a ball before tossing it aside.
Goku: "..."
"Maybe Lord Beerus should just pick a universe. We don't need to draw; it feels like this box is just for show anyway," Goku said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He felt like this drawing process was way too much work.
"I'll do it," Beerus huffed, clearly annoyed with Goku's luck. He gestured toward the box, and an invisible force surged inside.
Snap!
A tile automatically floated out of the box—number 4. It sat quietly at the bottom of the box.
"Universe 4?" Goku blinked. He didn't really have any memory of that universe.
"Perfect. We're going to Universe 4! I like this number," Beerus grinned. He had finally gotten one he was happy with.
"Okay!" Goku nodded vigorously. As long as there was a fight, he was happy.
Nearby, Vegeta's face was a mess of emotions. He was so angry he was shaking, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white and his nails were digging into his palms.
What the hell is this?
You're going out to fight other Gods of Destruction—a perfect chance to get stronger—and you aren't even bringing me along?
Lord Beerus is really going too far!
He didn't even mention my name. Does he really think I'm not strong enough?
"What about me?" Vegeta asked, his voice dark and full of suppressed rage as he stared intensely at Beerus.
"You want to go too?" Beerus blinked, looking over at Vegeta. He clearly hadn't expected him to volunteer.
"Of course! Why would I miss something like this? I'm not going to pass up a chance to get stronger," Vegeta said through gritted teeth, his tone full of stubborn pride.
"Fine, go if you want. One more or one less doesn't make a difference to me," Beerus said casually, not really objecting. "But let me tell you now: the opponent is a God of Destruction, and they are incredibly powerful. If you get 'Destroyed,' even Whis won't be able to bring you back. Don't come crying to me later."
Vegeta snorted, completely unfazed.
"Is it really that dangerous?" Goku asked, his mouth twitching as he hesitated. "I thought we were just sparring. How can someone get 'Destroyed'?"
"Even if it's just sparring, if you go and provoke a God of Destruction and really piss him off, you can't complain if he decides to erase you. Gods of Destruction aren't known for their good tempers," Beerus huffed with a note of warning.
"Then I'm not going. He hasn't done anything to me, so there's no reason to risk being 'Destroyed' just for a fight," Goku said firmly. He had no intention of throwing his life away for nothing.
Beerus: "..."
Beerus's face darkened. He felt like he was about to explode, cursing Goku a thousand times in his head.
If you don't go, how am I supposed to show off?
I was planning on taking you along to give the other Gods of Destruction a piece of my mind! You're really being difficult!
"Hmph. If you won't go, I will. Kakarot, you coward! If you aren't willing to take a little risk, how do you ever expect to be the strongest warrior?" Vegeta took the chance to mock him, his eyes full of disdain.
"If it was just a friendly spar, I'd be happy to go. But looking for trouble? No thanks. I don't want to start unnecessary problems," Goku said, sticking to his guns. He wasn't going to let Vegeta's words sway him.
Beerus was so angry he was grinding his teeth, his cheeks puffed out like an angry cat.
A brief silence followed, the atmosphere inside the flight cube becoming incredibly awkward.
"No! You have to go! This is a great chance to get stronger, and you'll regret it if you miss out!" Beerus barked, his tone carrying a note of command. He then added, "Don't worry. I won't go looking for trouble, but if he looks for trouble with me, I expect you to step in!"
"Well, that's fine then. If someone else starts it, I'll definitely help out," Goku nodded in agreement. That sounded much more reasonable to him.
Beerus let out a small sigh of relief, feeling lucky.
Good. This kid is easy to fool. Otherwise, my whole plan would have gone up in smoke.
"But wait... isn't Lord Beerus the strongest God of Destruction? Why would you need my help?" Goku asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Oh boy... what Mr. Goku says is true. However, if a mortal can easily defeat an opposing God of Destruction, the 'damage' dealt is completely different than if Lord Beerus did it himself. The former is much better at crushing their pride," Whis explained with a playful smile.
"Exactly," Beerus nodded, looking very pleased with himself.
Goku: "????"
Goku didn't quite get it. He frowned even deeper.
What does he mean, 'damage is different'? Pride?
I shouldn't even be as strong as Lord Beerus yet. How could I easily beat a God of Destruction?
But it didn't matter. As long as he wasn't the one starting trouble, Goku was fine with it. He'd just see how things went when they got there.
"Then it's settled! We'll go to your place for a meal, then I'll take a nap, and after that, we're off to Universe 4 to fight their God of Destruction," Beerus said, his mouth curling into a wide grin. He looked as though he had already won.
Goku nodded vigorously, an excited smile on his face, fully agreeing with the plan.
"Lord Beerus... jumping straight to challenging Lord Quitela of Universe 4? Isn't that a bit much? Lord Quitela is quite powerful," Whis whispered, leaning in close to Beerus.
Beerus: "..."
"Now that you mention it... you might have a point. Maybe we should pick a different universe..." Beerus said thoughtfully, tapping his finger against his knee. "But I've already said it. If I change my mind now, it'll hurt my dignity. I can't have that."
"Oh boy... which universe were you thinking of instead, Lord Beerus?" Whis asked with a curious smile.
"Maybe Universe 11... I've never liked that Belmod guy anyway. It'd be good to go pay him a visit," Beerus mused. "Maybe I'll just 'redraw' the tile and say I got 11."
"Actually, Lord Beerus, you don't need to go through all that trouble. Just take Mr. Goku straight to Universe 11. With his intelligence, he won't even be able to tell the difference between Universe 11 and Universe 4," Whis whispered into Beerus's ear with a mischievous grin.
"You're right! Let's do that. You're a smart one, Whis," Beerus nodded, thinking it was a brilliant idea.
Even if they went to Universe 11, Goku would have no idea where they were.
If Belmod from Universe 11 introduced himself, they could just say they took a wrong turn.
Or they could say they had some business in Universe 11 before heading to Universe 4. Goku wouldn't care about the details; he was never sensitive to things like that anyway.
Vegeta: "..."
Vegeta's face grew darker by the second. His brow was furrowed tight, and his hands were clenched into trembling fists.
Am I really being ignored this easily?
With my current strength, is it really possible I still can't beat Kakarot?
I don't believe it! No matter what, I'm going along for this challenge against the other Gods of Destruction.
I'll show you all just how powerful I've become. Stop keeping all your attention on Kakarot!
"Dad, Gohan, do you guys want to come? We can go see what the Gods of Destruction from other universes look like together," Goku asked, turning to Bardock and Gohan with an expectant look.
"It would be good to go take a look. It's a chance to see the powerhouses of other universes," Bardock nodded. He didn't object, and a look of genuine interest appeared on his face.
"Grandpa, Dad, I think I'll pass," Gohan said with a shake of his head and a gentle smile. He glanced at Videl, who was standing beside him. "Videl and I are actually planning our wedding... I was wondering if you'd be back in time to attend, Dad?"
Videl's face turned bright red. She lowered her head shyly, her hands twisting nervously together.
"Huh? You two are getting married? When? That's amazing!" Goku blinked, a look of pure joy breaking across his face. He looked at Videl and was genuinely happy for them.
"If everything goes according to plan, we're getting married on the 1st of next month," Gohan answered, his voice full of anticipation.
"So that's in about twenty days, right? That should be enough time." Goku rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, then turned to Beerus. "Lord Beerus, we have enough time, right? We'll be back for Gohan's wedding?"
"It shouldn't be a problem. It's just a few fights in another universe; it won't take that long," Beerus said with a dismissive wave.
"Then it's settled!" Goku grinned, feeling a weight lift off his chest.
Whoosh!
The flight cube cut a graceful arc through the starry sky. Like a shooting star, it raced toward Earth, the distant stars blurring past them.
Two hours later.
The flight cube landed smoothly on Mount Paozu, and the fresh scent of earth washed over them.
Chi-Chi had already prepared a massive spread of food. The enticing aroma of a feast drifted through the yard.
"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Goku... you're all back!" Chi-Chi rushed forward to greet them with a warm, welcoming smile. "Lord Beerus, Lord Whis, and everyone else—hello! Welcome, please come in."
"Goku's wife, take these two eggs and cook them up. Make sure they taste good," Beerus said, pulling two Don-Don Bird eggs from his robe and tossing them to Chi-Chi with an expectant look.
Chi-Chi caught the eggs and cradled them carefully in her hands. She looked them over and then asked, "How do you want them? How about stir-fried with chives? That'll make them taste really fresh."
Beerus blinked, looking a bit confused. He had never even considered that Don-Don Bird eggs could be cooked that way.
After a brief pause, Beerus nodded. "You can stir-fry them? Sounds interesting. Let's try it."
"Oh boy... Lord Beerus has always had them boiled. He's never tried any other way," Whis explained with a curious smile.
"One boiled and one stir-fried with chives? That way we can see which one tastes better," Chi-Chi suggested with a confident smile.
"Works for me!" Beerus agreed. He was suddenly very excited to try this new style of cooking.
"Everyone, please take a seat! I'll have the food out in just a moment," Chi-Chi said warmly before turning back toward the kitchen.
Everyone began to take their seats. The massive round table in the yard was soon filled with people.
Videl and Gine went into the kitchen to help Chi-Chi, while Goten and Trunks followed them, jumping around in excitement.
For this occasion, Chi-Chi had prepared an extra-large round table that could easily seat fifty or sixty people. It even had a large rotating center—a lazy Susan—making it easy for everyone to reach the food.
Soon, Chi-Chi and the others began bringing the dishes out one by one. The table was quickly covered in plates of food that looked and smelled incredible.
The first dish was a fragrant roasted chicken. Its golden skin was glistening with oil and gave off a mouth-watering scent.
Beerus sniffed the air, his eyes lighting up. He couldn't wait and immediately reached out to grab a drumstick.
As soon as he took a bite, Beerus's eyes seemed to sparkle with a rainbow of light. A look of pure bliss washed over his face.
Holy cow! What is this?
How can it taste this good?
I've never had meat this delicious in my entire life!
Beerus was stunned. He made quick work of the drumstick, even smacking his lips afterward. He wanted another one immediately.
But when Beerus reached out again, he found that the drumsticks had already been rotated away. He could only watch longingly as the plate moved further and further from him.
Whis also took a piece of chicken. As he tasted it, his eyebrows began to dance, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. The flavor was indeed exceptional.
Luckily, Chi-Chi had prepared plenty. Ten whole platters of roasted chicken were brought out in sequence, and Beerus finally managed to get his hands on another drumstick.
Beerus devoured the second drumstick, his face covered in oil and a look of pure happiness in his eyes.
Next, the second dish—braised pork belly—was brought out. It was served in several large bowls to make sure there was enough for everyone.
Beerus used his chopsticks to take a small bite of the pork. The rich, savory sauce and the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture left him speechless.
His eyes widened in surprise.
The taste of this braised pork was on a whole different level—better than anything he had ever eaten before.
Beside him, Whis's eyebrows were dancing non-stop. He was clearly just as conquered by the meal as Beerus was.
The third dish was braised pig trotters. They were soft, savory, and smelled amazing. Beerus couldn't stop singing their praises as he ate.
Plate after plate of food was brought out, each one unique and delicious.
As he ate, Beerus began to feel that something wasn't right. He turned a dark look toward Whis, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Whis's eyebrows were still dancing as he enjoyed the meal. Since there were many dishes here that even Whis had never tried before, every bite was a new and delicious experience for him.
"Hey, Whis! You knew about food this good and you didn't tell me sooner? How dare you keep this from me!" Beerus snapped, his tone full of both hurt and anger.
"Oh boy... Lord Beerus never asked. I just assumed you knew," Whis said with a mischievous, innocent smile.
"Curse you... you were just holding out on me. That's not cool at all," Beerus rolled his eyes, fuming. But his chopsticks didn't stop for a single second as he continued to pile food onto his plate.
"Ho ho ho..." Whis just laughed and didn't bother to argue, continuing to enjoy the feast.
Just then, Videl brought the boiled egg over to Beerus and set it down carefully. "Lord Beerus, your egg is ready."
Beerus looked at the bowl containing the Don-Don Bird egg, and his mouth twitched. A wave of disappointment washed over him.
At that moment, Beerus realized that the egg probably tasted quite ordinary. Compared to the other delicacies on the table, it wasn't even worth mentioning.
What a disaster!
I actually used a wish on the Dragon for something as boring as this.
If I had known Earth had food this good, I would have wished for something else entirely.
"Goku, this is your reward. You can have this egg," Beerus said, his eyes darting around as an idea popped into his head. He handed the boiled egg to Goku, wanting to see his reaction to this "delicacy."
Goku took the egg with a confused look. He was a bit lost, not knowing why Beerus was suddenly giving him a reward.
"Why am I getting a reward? I didn't really do anything special," Goku asked, scratching his head.
"Congratulations on your excellent performance in the tournament against Universe 6," Beerus made up a reason on the spot, an unnatural smile on his face.
Goku: "..."
"But I didn't even fight in the tournament. I wanted to, but Vegeta was the one who did all the work," Goku said, shaking his head in confusion. He didn't understand why Beerus was saying this.
Vegeta's face turned even darker, a vein bulging on his forehead.
I was the one who had the best performance! I'm the one who saved the day and beat all those powerhouses from Universe 6!
That egg should be my reward!
And yet, you gave it to Kakarot!
This is too much!
"If I give it to you, just take it! Why do you have so many questions?" Beerus barked, his tone impatient as he tried to stop Goku from digging any deeper.
"Alright, alright. I thought you'd give it to Vegeta; he really carried the team this time," Goku laughed. He didn't think much more of it and readily took the egg. He peeled back the shell, revealing the white egg and the yolk inside.
However, Goku didn't eat it himself. Instead, he carefully cut a piece with a knife and handed it to Gine and Bardock.
"Mom, Dad, you guys try it first. Let me know how it tastes," Goku said with a smile, his voice full of filial respect.
To be continued…
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