DB Multiverse

Chapter 14

Translated by Virgilio212 and proofread by ZenBuu

Enjoy the read — this was the Buu-point!

"Wouhou!"

Failing to unleash powerful exalted cries in the vacuum of outer space, Buu inwardly rejoiced as he sped through the infinite dark shadow of the universe, performing agile somersaults as he drifted through the Northern Galaxy.

It had been two weeks since he left Earth to resume his exploration. He felt happy to finally be free from the psychological burden that had tormented him for months. No more existential questions! The endless tug-of-war between moral values and the urge for carnage was over! He was no longer the Buu originally created to destroy the universe and its populations. Nor was he the savior hero of widows and orphans he thought he had become as a result of his recent good deeds. He could kill whoever he wanted, spare whoever he wanted, absorb whoever was worth it... make friends and feel emotions without fear.

Ultimately, affection was still something he struggled to accept, as he had never been appreciated before, and found it hard to do the same for others. He was so superior that nothing truly mattered to him. If he loved Earth and its inhabitants deeply, it was because he had lived there through both the worst and the most beautiful experiences of his life. He felt something for the sand world because its people had managed to move him and welcomed him with great admiration. Taking out those trashy Frieza deserters to help them made him feel good. Helping the weak wasn’t pathetic — on the contrary. But that didn’t make him a samaritan. He realized he didn’t care. He was above all of it. Only his mood and his desires would serve as the true drivers of his actions during his exploration.

As proof, Buu flashed a devilish grin as he hovered in place and launched a volley of Kikohas toward several nearby planets, which exploded in spectacular showers of sparks. He laughed in ecstasy as he continued on his way.

The universe was all his.

Not as a possession, but as a toy filled with millions of possibilities.

And he could do whatever he wanted.

After a few moments, Buu stopped in the middle of the vast emptiness of space, a thought passing through his mind. Exploring the universe was a great calling, but... where to begin?

Now that his personality had solidified, he no longer wanted to experiment with right and wrong — he only wanted to explore. But space was boundless. Millions, perhaps even billions of planets and galaxies, scattered at every turn. Even though Buu was the strongest being in existence, he was aware that he was merely an atom in a molecule of tiny dust within these dark, endless expanses. Drawing out the universe’s potential to unexplored heights by absorbing all these talents was a thrilling task — but oh, so colossal!

Buu looked around, lost and disheartened. He had no starting point.

But then, a radiant smile lit up his face, betraying the joy of an innocent child.

That was the beauty of it all: he could truly do whatever he wanted.

He was free!

With a loud, joyful laugh muffled by the freezing cold of space, Buu resumed his journey, making it his first mission to explore every star he came across — from the tiniest comet to the largest gas giant. If he encountered a supernova, he would study the phenomenon. If he witnessed a solar explosion, he would stop to observe it and even take the full impact just to see the effects — of course, taking proper precautions. Dying foolishly was out of the question.

This exploration would be endless — he knew that — just as the universe was. But so was his time. He would never die of old age; he was naturally free from the limits of aging and bodily decay. The only way he could die was if every one of his cells were obliterated. And even a monumental, planet-scale explosion wouldn’t faze him. He was invincible. And that feeling pleased him greatly.

So many glowing points in the distance, all around him, stretching beyond sight. Should he pick one at random? Should he sense power levels to find a populated world? Should he continue the experiments he had started — like studying the various kinds of minerals he had discovered? He had begun to accumulate some scientific thought and knowledge since absorbing Bulma and a handful of other alien scientists, but he realized that was only the beginning. He could do anything, but he would never lose sight of his goals: to fill that vast, empty library that was his mind — with absorption and with his own research. The former would fuel the latter.

Showing a mischievous smile of pleasure, the Djinn headed straight to the nearest star without hesitation, paying no mind to what it might be. No matter how inhabited or completely barren it was, its mere existence in the universe was enough to spark Buu’s curiosity. Everything was worth seeing, at least once.

For several weeks, Buu connected with stars and planets without feeling even a hint of fatigue or exhaustion. He was thrilled and eager for the challenge ahead. Even a single rock floating in the interstellar void brought immense joy to his mind, inflamed with insatiable curiosity. He enjoyed figuring out the meteorite’s origin, the path it had taken, whether it was caused by an explosion or a collision, and how long it had been drifting in the dark emptiness. This wouldn’t change his life, and it was undoubtedly far less exciting than encountering new living species, but the feeling of leading scientific expeditions using the neural faculties of Bulma and her alien companions was a true delight.

These abilities served the Djinn well and gave him a sense of satisfaction as intense as when he defeated the Earthlings in their bitter fight. He savored every second he spent living and applying the knowledge he had accumulated.

What fascinated Buu the most wasn’t so much the composition of the celestial bodies, but the flora and fauna he discovered on many of those worlds. Not to mention intelligent and advanced species like the ones he had met the previous year, his heart swelled whenever he encountered new kinds of animals and plants, new ecosystems that defied all Earthly logic. The receptors in his body also responded to this feeling of satisfied curiosity with echoes of memories — fragments of vivid emotions that resonated throughout Buu. But the Djinn ignored them, for it was his own heart that trembled with pleasure.

This was a moment for Buu to ask himself an important question: should he absorb other beings that showed any form of life, like unusual trees or insects with peculiar morphologies? Could he simply do that? The idea was tempting, and the experience could certainly be worthwhile. His body had stabilized permanently after absorbing Son Goku. However, there was a risk that absorbing, say, a mollusk could make the consistency of his body and brain become completely sluggish. Or assimilating a plant might drain him of his thoughts, leaving him wanting nothing more than to be a leaf drifting on the stellar breezes.

No. Animals and plants, just like rocks and minerals, would only be studied, and the knowledge he gained from them would be stored in his mind. Only conscious beings who had developed a talent would be absorbed and merged with the Djinn, so that their arts and abilities became his own. He wouldn’t risk taking anything else. His body was the greatest mystery to him, and he doubted he would ever solve or even fully understand it. He had been designed by Bibidi to be an invincible and ruthless warrior, but even the wizard might not have understood how the Djinn’s body worked. Probably no one could. He was a unique being — forever misunderstood.

One day, when he encountered an alien species on a world covered entirely by water on its surface, Buu had the chance to enjoy the fascinating study of beings whose morphology allowed them to live at the bottom of the sea. Their language was unfamiliar to him, but in Earth’s dialect, these bizarre creatures could be called “mermaids”. Buu remained content with this name throughout his stay, and endeavored to learn their language and culture on his own, instead of absorbing a native right away.

At first fierce and cautious, the creatures learned to tolerate his presence among them, sensing no hostile intent. Throughout their lives, they had only known marine life, and a stranger from outer space did not immediately inspire trust. However, Buu was able to be courteous and friendly, learning to communicate through sign language, and after a few days, through their local tongue.

His learning ability was excellent and quite fast, although the few obstacles he encountered frustrated him intensely, reminding him that fighting was truly his only strength. On the other hand, the challenge had a certain appeal. Being perfect was already boring enough. At this point, Buu couldn’t understand Cell. Becoming perfect on your own — even if it was an endless, eternal pursuit — was much more exciting.

One of the mermaids in particular was skilled at crafting jewelry from pearls and other materials gathered from the ocean’s depths. Buu quickly searched the seabed, but found little of real interest, except for some types of algae well adapted to the dark, oppressive environment. After spending some time analyzing them, Buu quietly absorbed the mermaid for her crafting skills and, before her companions realized one of them was missing, he flew off into space.

Later still, on another world...

Buu stood on the surface of a planet almost entirely covered by giant vegetation: colossal trees with leaves the size of a large Earth oak. As Buu passed by this bright emerald-green orb in space, his gaze was irresistibly drawn to the verdant aura that reminded him somewhat of the planet Namek, through memories from his receptors. He felt nostalgic, and the pleasant surprise of seeing a planet with such enormous plants was a fascinating mystery to explore: how could life like this develop? Under what conditions? By what causes? How did nature’s whims and the random factors of existence come into play?

What Buu valued most in the world, after his freedom and omnipotence, was the feeling of ignorance — the fact of not having a certainty, an absolute answer. His body was an exception, as it frustrated him more than anything else. But any mystery that demanded study, reflection, and exploration was a true delight he would never tire of. Of course, having the final say and being able to explain things brought a brief, stimulating sense of satisfaction, but knowledge itself was, in the end... boring. The destination wasn't the best part of his story. It was the journey.

For a week, Buu worked to understand the flora and fauna of this world that seemed supernatural, to say the least. His biology skills improved greatly, making him realize that with a solid understanding of how a world is built and the right combination of specific elements, he could create entirely new ecosystems. Or maybe not, since he had only discovered a small number of planets, and who knows — those combinations might already exist somewhere. But it gave Buu ideas for the future: to create new worlds of his own, to be the father of new hybrid species, both plant and animal!

On this planet, he came across a tree that managed to withstand several of his powerful blows. He had to try again and again, going so far as to unleash almost the full extent of his strength just to uproot it from the ground where it was firmly anchored. It was as if the tree and the planet itself refused to let this old pillar of bark leave the surface. The only material that could have given Buu so much trouble was katchin — the hardest metal in the universe, according to the Kaioshins. This was a new phenomenon for Buu to study, and he rejoiced. This way of life pleased him greatly! Nothing would stop his happiness as he traveled the universe, spreading both joy and terror along the way, for his own pleasure.

But then, one day among so many...

While Buu was fully focused on his task, settled in a clearing he had created to analyze the felled trunks, the Djinn sensed a disturbance in the atmosphere around him but couldn’t understand its origin or nature. Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass echoed, as if walls of glass were exploding all around him. Hooded figures appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the Djinn, who was completely shocked. He barely had time to make a defensive gesture when the mysterious attackers stretched out their arms toward him and chanted the same words in unison. Buu caught a few recognizable words, and terror seized him. Instinctively, he raised his aura and began moving as fast as he could.

The attackers also raised their auras and recited the final part of the chant. Buu then felt himself being pulled into a relentless whirlwind that dragged him inexorably toward a precise point. He gritted his teeth, his eyes glowing with deep fear, barely able to contain his anger as he shouted, clenching his fists:

—"Absolutely... OUT OF QUESTION!!"

He managed to escape the spell’s area at the last minute and landed a few meters away, breathless. To his dismay, he realized that half of his body had still been pulled in, now trapped inside a massive pink sphere — the very one that had served as his prison for millions of years, right in the center of the circle formed by the mages. They too were exhausted from their combined efforts and watched Buu, a little farther off, distorted but still free.

Filled with boundless fury mixed with a deep sense of panic within him, Buu regenerated the rest of his body and lunged in rage toward the terrified individuals, shouting:

—"You scoundrels! I’m going to kill every last one of you!"

The mages had little time to defend themselves or make any move to escape. In a murderous frenzy, Buu unleashed all his power and literally pulverized each sorcerer with a phenomenal strike. Using his energy, he vaporized some, beheaded others, and, overwhelmed by a sudden surge of pure rage, expanded his aura into a massive dome of purple light that stretched for miles around him. Forests, hills, and even mountains were engulfed by the Djinn’s energy and reduced to dust. The shockwave tore through the skies, splitting clouds and the very atmosphere itself.

Moments later, the immense smoke from the explosion cleared, revealing a massive crater. Buu had destroyed about one-eighth of the planet with his instinctive act. The Djinn floated several dozen meters above the center of the crater. Breathless, his arms hanging limply in the air, his face showed deep anguish marked by sweat streaks running down his cheeks. He stared at the devastated ground, perplexed and still in panic.

Rolling intact to the bottom of the crater, the pink prison remained firmly sealed. Buu almost lost connection with that part of himself trapped inside. But he still felt the sensations of that imprisoned portion of his body: paralysis, darkness, and terror. In that abject magical cell, he had been sealed and rendered harmless.

Seething with rage, Buu allowed himself to descend into the open pit. He stretched out his crest and used his magical powers to try to open the prison — or at least make it disappear. With great effort, he managed to unlock it and completely dismantle it. He couldn’t do anything from the inside, but he could open it from the outside. He was very lucky not to have been trapped forever.

—"That can't be real..." he said in a hoarse voice. "I almost went through that again — how was that even possible? Where did those guys come from?"

Many questions raced through his mind, and he couldn’t think clearly. Who were these beings that had almost managed to seal him with the same spell that Bibidi and his vile offspring had used? These individuals were undoubtedly mages and had carefully prepared their attack. They managed to trap him without him sensing their presence and only partially contained him. Maybe it was due to a lack of energy? Or perhaps he had moved quickly enough to escape the full reach of the magical spell as best he could...

Either way, they knew where to find him and how to attack. It wasn’t a minor spell. There was no other formula besides Bibidi’s to imprison him again. And it wouldn’t be a low-level — or even mid-level — sorcerer capable of replicating it on their own. Besides, it was obvious that Buu was their target, so this ambush had only one purpose.

To neutralize him.

Buu walked through the crater for several minutes, filled with doubts and boiling with rage. His fear had lessened somewhat, but his mind had never been so active. If his enemies knew how to torment him with his weakness, it was clear that others would come to get rid of him.

Who could want to seal him again? The Earthlings? No, he had made himself clear to them, and they had no contact with sorcerers — that much was certain. A brotherhood of mages? Another descendant of Bibidi? Survivors from a world he had attacked who had sworn revenge?

As he walked, he noticed a torn piece of cloth caught under a rock — the only thing left of his attackers. Buu quickly grabbed it and stared intently at the fabric before clenching his fist in fury.

Whoever the coward was that dared to attack him, they must have done so fully aware of the possibility of failure. Very well, they would get what they deserved for their insolence.

Buu was going to find them.

And make them suffer.