"In other news, the martial artist duo that joined our government's war against the Red Ribbon Army has finally withdrawn. Fortunately, they were on our side, wiping out the enemy forces and supporting us.
Although their speed prevented us from getting clear images, we can tell that they are a man and a woman. Whoever they are, our king has declared that should they appear publicly, he will recognize them for their service.
For now, the war is over. The Red Ribbon Army has been eradicated and will no longer be able to cause evil in our world. We can enjoy the hard-won peace of our soldiers," said a news anchorwoman. Both her image and voice appeared on screens around the world.
Bulma, who was watching the broadcast, tried to contain her smile, but she couldn't help but twist her lips into an amused grimace. She simply shook her head and turned off the television.
"Goku attracted too much attention with his actions. Perhaps his Saiyan instincts kicked in. What's worse is that he made Chi-Chi join in his madness," she muttered before looking out the window.
She wasn't in her family's main house but in a mansion on a secluded, private island. The view was quite beautiful: There was a pristine blue sea, white sand, and coconut trees gently swaying in the breeze.
The most interesting thing she could see was the small figures emerging from the water and taking long leaps before falling into the sea. Mermaids, lured to this beach by Bulma's teacher, Son Gohan.
Now, the blue-haired girl allowed a soft smile to grace her face. It was interesting how Gohan had befriended these mermaids and seemed to have a special relationship with some of them.
Considering that these mystical creatures lived much longer than humans, Gohan must have been much younger than them, despite his aged appearance.
But Bulma knew that Gohan only appeared to be old. Thanks to his martial arts training, his understanding of the world, and Bulma's products, he was in quite good health.
Without using the immortal herb or making a wish, Gohan's body seemed full of vitality. This added to his cheerful and somewhat perverted nature. It was as if he had never stopped being 30 years old!
Bulma's gaze focused on an area of the beach where she saw her elderly master standing on a rock in the sea with his hands behind his back and a regal bearing.
'Is it just me, or is he doing that to show off?' Bulma thought, giggling because it was something Gohan would do, especially since the mermaids seemed to look at him every time they jumped.
But Bulma let it go; she had a party to prepare for. They were on this island because they had decided to celebrate here, and what better reason than the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army?
She closed her eyes and perceived the Ki of the surroundings in more detail. Some energy signatures familiar to her were approaching in the distance. Much farther away, a couple of strange presences were also on their way, but at a slower pace.
'Could it be them?' Bulma wondered, opening her eyes and watching Yamcha and Krillin land on the sand. The former held Muten Roshi.
"Old man! We already taught you how to fly, but you're still lazy!" Krillin complained, frowning at his teacher. The old man, wearing his usual clothes, brandished his staff toward his apprentice's head.
"You brat! Call me Master. Do you think you're capable of calling me old just because you've grown strong?" Muten Roshi snarled, though the smile on his face made it obvious that he wasn't really angry, despite his words and actions.
"I have no problem wearing it all the time, Master Roshi," said Yamcha, scratching the back of his neck as he watched Krillin's face turn red with embarrassment.
"You sure are a good student," Roshi nodded, looking off into the distance at Bulma.
"Not like Bulma. She didn't even lend me her submarine. I'll buy one myself," muttered the old man. Despite the distance, Bulma could hear him and responded in the most mature way she knew how: she stuck her tongue out at him.
Soon, other figures began to gather in the arena, such as Doctor Brief and Bikini. They threw several capsules on the ground, filling the area with the items needed for the celebration.
"We'll finally meet Bulma's bride!" Bikini shouted, hugging her husband's arm like an excited young girl. Doctor Brief could only use his free hand to hold Tama, his little immutable cat, to keep him from falling.
"But Bulma already said that they're not a couple..." Doctor Brief fell silent due to the terrified look on his wife's face. She opened her eyes and focused on him, making him feel as if a dangerous creature had him in its sights.
"Are they something? I didn't expect them to advance so fast!" Krillin muttered with a hint of envy in his voice.
His dream was to have a girlfriend! But he was content with his singleness, at least until he found out that this party was partly an excuse for Bulma to date a girl. All was at peace, except for the weird romantic vibe between Goku and Chi-Chi.
That is, until he found out that this party was partly an excuse for Bulma to date a girl. Although Lazuli seemed beautiful to him, Krillin didn't feel bad about Bulma, his friend. Instead, he felt happiness and envy, the healthy kind.
He felt like he could be left behind. However, a small flame burned in his heart for a girl he had recently started talking to on social media. Her name was Maron.
According to the pictures he saw, the girl seemed attractive to him, and she was interested in martial arts. The connection between them started because of the little tips Krillin had given him.
He had decided to take things slowly, but now he felt the pressure of being single. His mind was filled with anxious thoughts, and he began to overthink. Muten Roshi noticed this and patted his shoulder, snapping him out of his stupor.
"Krillin! Strengthen your mind. Let things flow naturally. Never push events, or they will go wrong," advised Muten Roshi, who was not only this young man's teacher but also his tutor.
Muten Roshi grew up in a different era and culture where masters not only guided their apprentices to become stronger but also gave them life advice. Essentially, they were like father or mother figures.
"Yes..." Krillin took a deep breath, clearing his mind.
"Well, anytime you want some romantic advice, you can tell me. You know, when I was young, I could be with ten women at a time..." Muten Roshi began to narrate his 'heroic' stories to his students, censoring the important stuff, of course, but what he left in was enough to make Krillin and Yamcha blush with embarrassment.
By this time, Goku and Chi-Chi had left the house to help Bulma's parents set things up. Meanwhile, two young men arrived on the beach: Lapis and Lazuli.
"Hey, Lapis!" Krillin greeted the black-haired young man familiarly, and Lapis reciprocated by high-fiving him.
"Are we late?" Lapis asked, showing his fist to Yamcha, who responded in kind. Over time, they had become acquaintances and chatted occasionally.
"No, we're just getting organized. I think we should help," Krillin said, pointing to the objects that should be used to prepare the place. Only Doctor Brief was doing something because Bikini had approached Lazuli, who was descending from the sky.
With shining eyes, Bikini watched Lazuli intently. Lazuli didn't understand why Bulma's mother looked so terrifying. The older woman nodded as if she had found something she rather liked.
"You're Lazuli, aren't you? My daughter has talked about you a lot, and I must say that her words can barely capture how beautiful you look," Bikini said matter-of-factly.
Lazuli felt a bit strange, but the woman's confidence was calming, so she simply nodded, her cheeks reddening from the comment about her appearance.
"Thank you! You must be Bulma's younger sister. With such a young appearance and glowing skin, you can't be older than her!" Lazuli praised Bikini, who burst out laughing, covered her lips, and, in a confident gesture, hugged the girl's arm.
"You're such a sweetie! But no, I'm her mother~ By the way, where's Bulma?" The woman looked toward the mansion and easily spotted her daughter watching from a window.
"Bulma Brief! Your friend is here! Why aren't you coming!?" Bikini shouted, making Bulma shiver.
'Shit! Mom called me by my full name!' The blue-haired girl didn't mind being yelled at in public; she was more afraid of her mom calling her by her full name. It had only happened once, and she had suffered a terrible punishment for it.
Her mom banned her from working with machines for a whole month. It was all because she had foolishly wasted one of her mother's makeup sets. But she wasn't to blame.
She had seen her mother do her makeup many times and was curious. However, she ended up ruining it. That's why her mother got so angry and gave her that cruel punishment. For Bulma, creating machines was one of her passions, along with learning and training.
Without wasting any more time, she deftly slid her body out the window, flew the rest of the way, and landed next to Bikini. She kept her head down, forcing her mother to put her hand under her chin to make her look up.
"I'm not going to forbid you from doing anything. Stop making that long face. But you should welcome your... friend, don't you think?" Bikini said, pointing at Lazuli, who still had a flushed face.
"Okay, stop it!" Bulma said, trying to stop her mother from continuing the topic. But seeing the mischievous smile on her mother's face, Bulma knew her suffering wasn't over; it was just beginning.
"Shh, Bulma~ Why so serious? You don't have to get like that. We're just hanging out while the men prepare everything," Bikini said, pointing to the group of men who were preparing everything. They had already made a lot of progress.
They had set up the grill and lit the coals. Several huge umbrellas and beach chairs had been set up, along with blankets that had been laid out on the sand.
"I think we could help, too," Lazuli suggested, trying to break away from Bikini's embrace. The woman clung to her tightly and turned to look at her with a smile.
"Let me ask you, Lazuli. What are your intentions for my daughter?" Like a model mother, Bikini started with the most basic question, surprising both young women, who understood the meaning of the question.
It was Bikini's way of making it clear that she approved of the currently friendly relationship between Bulma and Lazuli. She had always insisted that they were a couple, but now she simply said that they were 'friends.'
'Who thought my mother was stupid? She's an expert!' Bulma thought, before turning her head to see an airship descending in the distance with the two unfamiliar energy signatures she had felt earlier.
Two figures, a woman and a man, descended from the flying vehicle. The woman had thick red hair, a white robe, and a dress with a blue-and-red plaid pattern. She wore long black stockings.
If you looked closely, you could see that her belly was slightly bulging. With the way the middle-aged man was looking at her, it was clear that she was pregnant. This man, on the other hand, was wearing normal clothes. He didn't look like he was coming to a beach party, but rather to an important meeting.
Bulma recognized them quickly. They were Vomi and Doctor Gero.