Part 35, Chapter 175.

PART THIRTY FIVE: RETURN MATCH FOR SUPER VEGETA

Chapter 175

Translated by npberryhill, edited by Guilarai

In the Vargas' box, the organizers were debating their next steps. Only five matches remained. The conclusion of their event was approaching. They now needed to allocate their time in a way that would maximize the suspense.

Furthermore, Babidi's attack had delayed their schedule. They were unable to decide whether to continue the quarterfinals, schedule a meal break, or even allow a night's rest before the next match, pitting Buu of Universe 4 against XXI of Universe 5.

"Why not just ask everyone what they want?" said Sei, the Varga who had been the main announcer for the past halfway through the event.

"Good idea," replied Arckou, one of the announcements managers, taking the microphone. "Dear participants, dear spectators, as the organization has been severely disrupted, we'll let you choose: would you like a night's rest, or—"

"Or lunch?" "A voice behind him exclaimed as a gloved hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. 'That's good, lunch!'

'QUACK!' Arckou trembled from head to toe and collapsed, his feathers ruffled, his heart pounding. Standing behind him, amidst the astonished organizers, Vegetto grinned foolishly, a trickle of drool at his lips.

'Vegetto!' Sei called out angrily. 'You don't have the right to come and go as you please in our lodge! Go back to your space immediately!'

'Yes, yes,' sighed the Saiyan, rolling his eyes. 'One can have a little fun, no?' Vegetto teleported back to his universe, discreetly giving his companions a thumbs-up. The announcement of a potential meal had seized him with a sudden urge; he longed to devour gargantuan quantities of food. This would only slightly satisfy him, but it would put him in a better mood.

His immense anger toward Son Bra earlier had driven him to transform into a Super Saiyan 3, further draining his energy. He could hold out a little longer, but if he didn't get his hands on some Senzu Beans soon, things could quickly turn ugly for him.

He looked at Son Bra, who averted her eyes, frightened. He was still furious with her, but with some hindsight, he had to admit she seemed different. He blamed her for all the wrongdoings she'd committed in the course of her life, but deep down, he knew it was that Babidi vermin who was truly responsible for the latest one. She had broken free from his magical control and seemed to regret her actions far more than before. She had never seemed so sincere as she did today.

Unfortunately, he had endured too many outbursts from her, having to correct and repair her, to feel any deep affection for her again. He felt humiliated in the eyes of the other universes, both by his powerlessness and the poor image of a father he had projected. He knew he too was guilty. Gast and Son Gohan's words echoed in his head. And while the part of Son Goku within him understood them, the part of Vegeta responded with virulence. This mixture made Vegetto's unique personality unstable.

Son Bra was the outward reflection of her father's hidden darkness. That's why he couldn't bear to see the result of his actions and wanted to get rid of her. He, too, regretted having attacked her so violently in front of everyone. But that didn't change his mind: if Son Bra were to lose control one last time, he would end her for good. He refused to accept the idea that his own child could be as dangerous as Broly, the worst nightmare of all the universes. Vegetto felt lost. And his hunger didn't help matters.

After receiving confirmation from the various universes and spectators, the Vargas set about setting up tables and bringing meals to the participating areas and the stands.

However, within the kitchens, where thousands of Vargas were busy preparing the food, a clamor of protest was rising, led by the great chef Etchecoin, the finest culinary artist among the Varga people. A multiple nominee for the Golden Quill, their society's highest honor, he had thus far managed to meet everyone's demands, despite the depression of several of his sous-chefs.

But this time, all the employees were angry. They remembered having nearly burned out during the previous meal, thanks to wandering Charybdis with monkey tails in several universes. The gargantuan portions they had ordered had depleted their supplies, and replenishing them had been an absolute chore. The cooks had exercised their right to strike, and the tournament organizers were having trouble convincing them to return to work.

“Please,” pleaded Susu, one of the managers. “You can’t do this to us, right in the middle of the event! What will the bosses say?”

“That’s final!” replied Chef Etchecoin, crossing his arms. “We can’t accept working conditions like these! This wasn’t the original plan. It’s like we’re trying to feed fifty universes at once, or ten times our entire population! These Saiyans are bottomless pits, and I refuse to let our fine cuisine disappear into those black holes they call stomachs!”

“Yes!” agreed one of the birds behind him.

“Down with the Saiyans!”

“Fed up with the tournament!”

“We were lied to. They were supposed to have bird-like appetites!”

“And we’re force-feeding them like geese!” “I’m fed up with being ripped off. They’re stealing our thunder, so we’re going to give them a piece of our minds!”

“Take note!”

Susu sighed in discouragement. She knew how the sponsors would react to such pressure. Not to mention those Saiyans! She was starting to get to know these people, and things were bound to escalate, for sure…

“I’ll go talk to those Saiyans,” said Chef Etchecoin. “If they agree to settle for average portions, we’ll work. Otherwise, they’ll just have to eat the arena’s rocks!” With that, he left the kitchens and headed towards the nearest universe, and one of the ones that had caused them the most trouble: Universe 18. As he arrived at their table, located in their space, he was greeted by one of them, a man named Son Goku, who addressed him with a broad smile:

"Hey! You've come to take our order, haven't you? We've been waiting for you!"

"No!!" the chef retorted sharply. "We're not taking orders from Saiyans anymore, we're on strike!" Son Goku was stunned, so much so that he dropped his cutlery. Beside him, Pan wore the same expression as her grandfather, devastated by what she had just heard. Vegeta narrowed his eyes in displeasure, while their respective children, Bra, Trunks, and Son Goten, burst into laughter. “There you have it, they’ve found the weak point of the strongest beings in the world!” Goten exclaimed.

“From now on, the universe will be ruled by cooks!” Trunks added, a tear of laughter escaping his lips.

In Universes 16, 13, and 12, which had also been classified as undesirable and to which other sous-chefs had visited, the reactions were similar.

Naturally, Vegetto was upset, knowing that his Saiyan nature, amplified by fusion, was the problem in the eyes of these birds, which didn’t improve his mood. Son Bra barely reacted, still distraught. She had lost her appetite. As for Pan, she had slipped away shortly before the sous-chef arrived, to join her counterpart from Universe 18. She wanted to get as far away from Son Bra as possible. In Universe 12, Trunks had been visited by a sous-chef because he had been categorized as a Saiyan. However, since he had been reasonable since the start of the tournament, the Varga agreed to take his order, especially since the other member of that universe wasn't eating anything.

However, in Universe 13, the reaction was completely different.

"EXCUSE ME?" Kakarotto shouted, clenching his fists. "You'd better give me something to eat, bird, before I put you on the spit!"

"Calm down right now, or you'll be expelled immediately!" reacted the Varga from their universe who was accompanying the sous-chef. "We're working on a solution that will satisfy everyone, but if you assault our staff, we'll be forced to send you home."

"Okay, but Kakarotto is right," retorted Nappa. “You have no right to deprive us of meals.”

As usual, Vegeta said nothing. His thoughts were focused on Universe 9 and Raditz, who still hadn't reappeared. He was beginning to have a very bad feeling. He preferred to leave his space, letting his fellows get worked up on their own, and flew off towards the Earthlings' universe.

While Goku and Pan were struggling to stay alert, Gohan approached Chef Etchecoin and, in a conciliatory voice, said,

"So you really can’t serve us?"

"No," the chef retorted harshly. "Unless you're happy with limited quantities, we refuse to serve you."

"Is there nothing we can do to convince you?" asked the half-Saiyan. Chef Etchecoin thought for a moment. This universe wasn't one to be easily riled. His interlocutor seemed reasonable and well-mannered. After all, the problem was the workload; their staff was exhausted. The solution came to him naturally.

"Very well, I have an idea," he said with a wicked smile. "Work for us in the kitchen, and you'll get your meal."

"What?" reacted Goku.

"You'll participate in preparing the meals with our teams. When I'm satisfied with your work, we'll prepare your portions.”

"I'm not hungry," Vegeta said immediately, getting up and walking away, under the amused gaze of his daughter, who had been expecting this reaction.

"Sounds good to me!" Son Goku rejoiced. "Let's go get Chi Chi, then!" Chef Etchecoin narrowed his eyes in perplexity. What was "Chi Chi"? A food-making machine? Son Goten grabbed his father's shoulder and said,

"Don't bother the Vargas, and especially not Mom. It's time to grow up, Dad. It's time for you to learn how to use a microwave."

"A what?" his father repeated. The chef's eyes widened, stunned by the absurdity of this conversation. Tearing his eyes away from what seemed to be the very embodiment of stupidity, he picked up his walkie-talkie and relayed the message to his fellow Saiyans gathered around him.

Shortly after, the members of Universe 18, Kakarotto and Nappa from Universe 13, and Son Gohan, Videl, and Pan from Universe 16 were all assembled, guided through the staff corridors toward the kitchens.

"To the stoves, kitchen hands!" Chef Etchecoin exclaimed authoritatively.

“You’re not planning on taking part, Vegetto?” asked Piccolo from Universe 16.

“No, no need, it wouldn’t do any good anyway,” replied the Saiyan. “The only thing that could help me is a few Senzu Beans. Do we have any left?”

“Sorry, Vegetto, but no. We used them all… earlier, as you know. And they didn’t reappear when Buu restored everything to normal.”

“I see…” Vegetto glanced angrily at his daughter, who stubbornly stared away, leaning against the wall of their space. However, in his eyes, she was less to blame than the Djinn from Universe 4, who seemed to have forgotten, whether intentionally or not, to bring back their precious Senzu Beans.

“Perhaps you should ask the Vargas to take you on a round trip to our universe?” suggested Piccolo. “To stock up on Senzu Beans before returning.”

“If my calculations are correct, the next harvest will be good in a week. I took enough to last until then, but we don’t have any left at home. I suppose I can hold out for a few days.”

“We can also ask Porunga to conjure some up the next time they call on him.”

“No, it’ll be fine, I tell you. No need to make waves after everything that’s happened. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself. The tournament will be over soon, and we’ll go home. I can hold out.” Piccolo watched him for a few moments, doubtful. When Vegetto got his mind set on something, he wouldn’t let it go. He argued that he could withstand his hunger, but the last time he’d been close to a critical point, death had been just a step away. Vegetto was determined to prove to all the universes that he was untouchable, at any cost. Piccolo hoped it wouldn't be fatal for him.

While his companions headed towards the kitchens, and the various universes went about their business, Uub preferred to keep to himself. Vegeta's fight against Cell had captivated him, and he was delighted by his other mentor's victory.

However, now that a break was possible after all that, it was time for him to investigate something. An irresistible force of attraction, an object of curiosity that ignited a burning desire within him. He wasn't afraid. He didn't intend to report it. He wanted to learn. He wanted more.

Moving quietly, he passed by the balconies of Universe 1. The Supreme Kais were conversing amongst themselves and paid him no attention. But Buu, trapped inside his sphere, turned his eyes towards him and met his gaze. An outsider wouldn't have noticed anything unusual in that exchange. Yet, something was happening between them. They understood each other.

Discreetly, and after making sure no one had followed him, Uub entered the corridor dedicated to Universe 4 and went into the apartments. He wasn't at all surprised to see Buu before him, fully formed and free to move about.

He had known from the beginning that the Djinn was free. Buu had made this clear to him, more or less subtly. It was him, in his dream, behind Anju's face. It was him who had allowed him to access his inheritance from another life, his Majin magical powers. It was him, once again, who was pulling the strings of this tournament. How could it have been otherwise? Buu couldn't possess such powers, bring everyone back to life, restore everything to normal, control the situation so easily, and yet be unable to find the arena or neutralize Babidi.

Buu was one side of a coin, and he was the other. Without knowing him, he nevertheless knew everything about him, unconsciously. His fascination erased any hint of fear or mistrust. On the contrary, he was confident.

“I see we understand each other,” Buu said, smiling, as if echoing his thoughts. “I’ve waited a long time to be able to speak to you like this, Uub, without being hindered by others.”

“I feel the same way,” the human replied. “I know how powerful you are, and I know everyone fears you, sees you as an absolute threat. Yet, if you had wanted to, you could have done absolutely anything you wished. You are… extraordinary!”

“I know,” Buu said with a smirk. “But so are you, young man. We are both heirs to an enslaved and evil creature that managed to transcend its condition to become something far better. Your destiny, your potential, are different from mine, but they foreshadow a bright future. I am simply more advanced than you.” “That’s why I’ve come to see you,” said Uub. “Can you make me the greatest magician of all time?”

“The greatest after me, perhaps,” replied Buu, crossing his legs. “There were many magicians in my universe, more powerful than Babidi, even though he was part of a certain elite. They are now within me. It’s possible you’ll meet them in your own world someday. In which case, I’ll make sure you become the best in your universe.”

“Thank you, Master Buu,” said Uub, bowing. He had barely finished his martial arts training when he found himself under the tutelage of a new teacher. But such had been the teaching of Master Roshi and Goku: one never stopped learning and evolving. He was now a true fighter. But he was still only a novice in the realm of magic. It would be sheer madness to pass up such an opportunity to learn from the strongest being in this field, especially when it was himself.

Buu gave him an affectionate smile and stood up, positioning himself near a wall of the apartment. Extending his hand, he conjured a portal to an unknown destination.

"Then let's not waste any time," he said jovially. "Let's go!"