Frieza couldn't hold it in and asked, "That Ken you mentioned… he's a Saiyan, right?"
First he needed to confirm whether the Ken they were discussing was the same Ken he knew.
"Yes," Whis nodded.
"That's right, a Saiyan," Merus added with a nod, then looked at Frieza. "You must be Mr. Frieza?"
"Oh? You know me?" Frieza sounded mildly surprised.
By now Merus had returned to full Angel form: divine attire, blue halo, and his complexion restored from pale violet to Angelic blue.
Compared with his Galactic Patrol appearance, he looked like a different person, so Frieza didn't recognize him.
"I've heard of you—the Emperor of our Universe 7," Merus said evenly.
"Ohohoho… what an honor. You flatter me," Frieza answered with modest words and a dazzling smile.
Whis and Merus regarded him calmly, saying nothing.
"So that Ken you're talking about really is a Saiyan? The one who used to hang around with Vegeta?" Frieza snorted. "I've heard rumors. Supposedly he was once a prodigy among Saiyans, but then he practiced some bizarre technique and ruined himself… someone gave him a strange book, he trained from it, and turned into a washout."
Whis: "…"
Should I tell you I'm the one who gave him that book?
"No idea which idiot handed Ken that book—ohohoho…" Frieza began to chuckle with delight.
Whis's face tightened.
Who are you calling an idiot?
Merus sneaked a look at Whis and stifled a laugh. Watching lively drama was always fun.
"Back to the point—what's his power level now? I'm curious. Do you know?" Frieza asked.
"Power level?" Merus blinked. "As in that figure your scouters measure?"
"You do know a thing or two," Frieza nodded.
"By that calculation…" Merus started to estimate Ken's figure.
Frieza watched him with eager expectation.
"It's an enormous number—about a 10 with thirty zeros after it," Whis answered for him.
Frieza froze, then turned to Whis mechanically, eyes filled with shock.
"W-what did you say? A 10 with thirty zeros? Don't joke with me," Frieza's voice trembled, the color draining from his face.
"I'm not joking," Whis replied placidly.
Frieza stared, dumbfounded.
Really? I don't believe it!
How is that possible?
Absolutely impossible!
A mere Saiyan… how could his power level reach that?
"Then… is he the legendary Super Saiyan?" Frieza asked, rattled.
"He isn't," Merus shook his head.
Frieza: "???"
Not a legendary Super Saiyan—yet that strong?
Isn't that power level downright absurd?
What's my highest again?
Something like a 10 with seven zeros?
If that's true, that Ken would one-shot me!
"The legendary Super Saiyan just arrived," Merus said, pointing his staff toward the distant sky.
Frieza immediately looked. He saw a familiar figure—Ken—clinging to a woman's back, his tail looped around her waist.
"The legendary Super Saiyan? Who?" Frieza scanned for suspects.
Soon he noticed a child with a tail next to Ken.
The kid looked harmless and wide-eyed.
"Who's that little one? You mean the legendary Super Saiyan is him?" Frieza asked.
"Yes. His name is Broly," Merus nodded.
"Broly?" Frieza's brows knit tight. "That's definitely a Saiyan name."
He pressed the scouter over his eye to read Broly's power level.
Beep-beep!
The scouter quickly returned a value.
"Power level, ten thousand?" Frieza blinked.
"That thing's not accurate," Whis said mildly.
"I get it—he's the type who can suppress and control his power at will," Frieza said, enlightened.
"Former underling," Majin Buu perked up when he spotted Broly in the distance, grinning broadly.
"Hm?" Frieza glanced at the pink fat man beside him.
Former underling?
"Who are you calling your former underling?" Frieza asked.
"Broly," Majin Buu chuckled.
"You… you defeated him?" Frieza gaped.
"Mm," Buu nodded.
"Who exactly are you? Which universe?" Frieza asked, curious.
Majin Buu didn't understand the numbering, so he turned to Merus with a questioning look.
"We're also Universe 7," Merus answered.
"Mm. You heard him," Buu said to Frieza, all smiles.
"You're Universe 7 too? I thought a universe only sends one entrant. Are you competing as well?" Frieza asked, amazed.
"I don't want to compete. I just want tasty food," Buu shook his head. "But if I'm chosen as a God of Destruction, I can eat tons of tasty food, so I decided to enter."
Frieza: "…"
What kind of logic is that?
"Do you like chocolate?" Buu asked, eyeing Frieza.
Frieza was speechless for two seconds.
"It's… fine," he said at last.
"You're very obedient. Be my servant," Buu proposed.
Frieza flushed with fury, feeling utterly insulted.
Make me, the Emperor of the Universe, your servant?
Who do you think you are?
"What are you? Do you know who you're talking to?" Frieza snapped, pointing at Buu.
"Turn into chocolate," Buu said. The tentacle on his head twitched, and a purple bolt flashed.
Zzap!
The bolt engulfed Frieza.
"Ah—!"
With a scream, Frieza's body shrank and warped.
Plop!
In a heartbeat, Frieza had become a human-shaped chocolate, dropping by Merus's feet.
Merus had been focused on Ken's group and missed the flare-up.
Thanks to Ultra Instinct, when the chocolate landed, Merus casually shifted his foot to avoid being hit—then set his heel down.
Only after stepping did he feel something odd, as if he had stepped on… someone.
He looked down at the chocolate.
Why does this chocolate… look exactly like Frieza?
Merus glanced from the chocolate to Majin Buu.
Buu had been about to swipe the candy, but when he met Merus's chilly stare he flinched, immediately whistling at the sky as if he knew nothing.
Merus couldn't help a wry smile, then looked apologetically at Whis.
Whis covered his forehead, speechless.
The candidate I painstakingly picked just got turned into chocolate?
All the good candidates seem to have been taken by Ken and Merus.
I had to settle for Frieza…
"Change him back. Now," Merus said coldly to Buu.
Buu pouted. He'd worked so hard to make a human-shaped chocolate.
And now he had to undo it?
Still, daunted by Merus's strength, Buu fired another arc from his tentacle and bathed the chocolate.
Zap!
Frieza returned to his original form.
He gasped for air, drenched in cold sweat.
Just now, he'd felt as if he were already in the Other World, ready to take a number—only to be yanked back.
He stared at Buu with lingering terror.
"W-who are you, really?" Frieza asked warily.
"They call me Majin Buu," Buu smacked his lips, still eyeing Frieza. I should've grabbed that chocolate and eaten it. So close. What a waste.
"What? Majin Buu?" Frieza's eyes bulged in horror.
I remember Father warned me—never provoke Majin Buu!
This pink fatty is Majin Buu?
For goodness' sake…
What sort of monsters am I running into?
Huh? That person…
Frieza glanced upward and spotted a God of Destruction—Champa.
Isn't that Lord Beerus?
Frieza was both shocked and delighted.
But… why did Lord Beerus get so fat?
Then again, he does love to gorge himself. He probably put on weight.
Should I go say hello?
All across the stands, the other universes' Gods of Destruction had seen Buu transform someone into chocolate.
"See that, Toppo? Be careful. That pink lump from Universe 7 seems to use some peculiar magic," Belmod said, arms folded on his knees.
"I saw. It's a special move," Toppo nodded seriously. "Looks like dodging is the safest option."
"Raise a protective barrier on yourself so his magic can't pierce it. That should do," Belmod mused.
"Understood, Belmod-sama," Toppo nodded.
That pink fatty is troublesome.
Good thing the fool revealed his trick now.
That gives me time to plan.
If he hadn't shown it early, I might have taken a bad hit during the matches.
…
Universe 3's section.
"That pink fatty is also from Universe 7?" Mule's face darkened and his tone grew heavier.
"His magic is quite unusual," Camparri remarked.
"Could he be the one who killed my son…" Mule stared at Buu with suspicion.
By now Mule was practically obsessed—everyone looked like his son's killer.
And the thought of that pink fatty turning his boy into chocolate and eating him only made Mule's face uglier.
"Maji-Kayo, be careful of that magic when you fight," Mule ordered coldly.
"His magic shouldn't affect Maji-Kayo," Camparri interjected.
"What do you mean?" Mule blinked.
"Obviously, that spell won't work on a purely metallic body like Maji-Kayo's," Camparri said.
"That's excellent," Mule exhaled in relief.
…
Universe 10's section.
"Zamasu, you saw that pink fatty's spell?" Rumsshi warned. "Be careful. If it hits, you'll lose for sure."
"I'm a Kai. I'm a god," Zamasu said confidently. "That spell may not affect me."
Rumsshi gave him a curious look.
Where does that confidence come from?
"I don't know whether it will or won't. Just don't underestimate him," Rumsshi said at last.
"Yes, Rumsshi-sama," Zamasu replied quickly.
…
After several hours of starry sightseeing, Ken finally arrived in the nascent Universe 18 with Vados.
One look and he confirmed it—the strange universe he and Merus had seen before really was Universe 18.
It was tiny.
Aside from one star and one white planet, there was nothing else.
With only one planet… why do you even need a God of Destruction?
What, destroy the white planet?
Shouldn't a Supreme Kai be the priority right now?
No idea what the Grand Priest is thinking…
Ken, Vados, Broly, Champa, and Hit descended and landed before the Grand Priest.
Champa and Hit immediately knelt.
Vados bowed.
Seeing Vados only incline herself, Ken hesitated, then copied her and bowed as well.
Vados: "…"
She was speechless, but said nothing.
Father does seem to indulge Ken.
A bow should be fine.
He may very well metamorphose into a true Angel someday.
Angels don't kneel.
Broly looked at Ken, then at Vados, then at Champa.
After a brief pause, he sank to both knees and knocked his head to the ground several times before the Grand Priest.
"Broly, just one knee. The way you're kneeling now—people might think you're paying respects at a grave," Ken whispered.
"Uh…" Broly scratched his head. "What's a grave-visiting?"
Ken: "…"
Grand Priest: "…"
Vados: "…"
Champa shook like a leaf.
Seriously…
Ken, you menace.
What are you trying to do?
Get me killed?
Watch your mouth!
"Champa-sama's posture is correct. Copy him, and stop with the multiple kowtows," Ken instructed.
Broly glanced at Champa, nodded, and shifted to a single-knee kneel like Champa, no more head-banging.
A dark line practically slid down the Grand Priest's face.
Is this kid really fit to be Universe 18's new God of Destruction?
You greet me by banging your head multiple times…
And then Ken calls it grave-visiting…
"You're Ken?" the Grand Priest narrowed his eyes at him.
"Yes, Grand Priest," Ken said, composed.
Nothing to fear—like meeting an elder.
Besides, Ken knew the Grand Priest, despite the slightly villainous look, was like the other Angels at heart—a good person.
"Not bad," the Grand Priest said simply.
Ken: "???"
What does "not bad" mean?
What part of me is not bad?
"Work hard. Strive to metamorphose into a true Angel soon," the Grand Priest smiled.
"Okay. I'll give it my all," Ken nodded earnestly.
"Take seats in the stands," the Grand Priest instructed.
All at once, the other universes' Angels and Gods of Destruction turned their eyes on Ken.
Plenty of them were confused by Universe 6's arrivals.
Why did Universe 6 show up with so many?
Isn't each universe allowed only one entrant?
Universe 7 seems to have two, but that's because they have two Angels involved, so two entrants makes sense.
But what's with Universe 6?
Five people in total.
Champa was shameless—he'd brought three.
No one said you could bring extras.
"Marcarita, what's going on with Universe 6?" Belmod asked, puzzled.
"I'm not sure. I haven't spoken with Vados in quite a while," Marcarita shook her head.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]