The moment they stepped into the interior corridor of the spaceship, Bulma finally let out a long breath.
But the moment that sigh left her lips, she fell silent again.
Her shoulders drooped.
Her chest tightened.
Her expression dimmed with disappointment.
They had all watched Vegeta take her away.
Goku. Krillin. Gohan. Nail.
Not a single one of them tried to stop it.
Not one asked if she wanted to go.
No one spoke up for her.
The realization stung.
Vegeta sensed the emotional shift instantly.
He stayed silent.
Not because he did not care.
But because he understood her mood far too clearly.
Bulma was hurt.
And loneliness clung to her like a shadow.
The atmosphere between them turned heavy.
Quiet.
Close.
Vegeta wanted to comfort her, but he stopped himself.
Forcing words now would only insult her feelings.
He had already stepped in earlier to shield her from the awkward tension outside.
If he now tried to explain it with flowery words, it would feel cheap.
Fake.
So he simply stood beside her, back against the corridor wall, arms crossed, waiting.
Not urging.
Not lecturing.
Just staying near her, letting her feel that she was not alone.
After a long silence, Bulma inhaled slowly.
She gathered her emotions, lifted her gaze, and finally looked at Vegeta.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
"If you had not stepped in, I would not have known how to face them."
"No need to thank me. I did not do anything," Vegeta replied with a faint smirk.
"I just need you to come with me."
He brushed aside her gratitude, redirecting the conversation immediately.
Bulma understood what he was doing.
He was clumsy with emotions, but he cared.
She softened.
"So we really are leaving Namek and going to another planet," she said gently.
Vegeta nodded.
"Yes. The crisis here is finished.
The Dragon Balls will not function again for one hundred twenty five days.
So I will go to Planet Yardrat for now. The journey takes fourteen days.
After that, I will take you to the former Frieza Force Planet Seventy Nine.
There are enough supplies there to support your research for years."
As Vegeta spoke, he noticed Hera, the mushroom headed alien crewman, standing nearby.
Hera had clearly been waiting for instructions, but he also observed the interaction between Vegeta and Bulma with great discretion.
Every elite aboard the ship had already sensed it.
Bulma was not an ordinary guest.
She was different.
Important.
Perhaps even the future queen of the ship.
"Prepare for departure," Vegeta ordered.
"We leave now."
"Yes, Lord Vegeta. At once."
Hera hurried off, his posture respectful and energized.
Vegeta turned back to Bulma.
"We have already come this far. Do not tell me you plan to back out now," he said calmly.
"Even if you regret it, it is too late. I will not let you go."
He began walking toward the command room.
Bulma followed, her smile returning slowly.
The earlier sadness faded.
"I never said I would not go," she replied.
"There is nothing left for me on Namek anyway. I would rather travel with you.
And you promised, remember?
Wherever we go, you will protect me."
"Mm."
Vegeta's response was short, but firm.
Bulma slipped her arm through his.
Vegeta did not pull away.
Her cheeks warmed, turning pink.
Her heart fluttered.
But she did not hide it.
She felt it clearly.
Vegeta wanted her there.
He simply did not know how to say it.
They continued down the corridor together, steps slowly matching.
…
Outside the spaceship
Goku, Krillin, and Gohan only snapped out of their shock after the door closed.
"W-wait, this is really happening? Bulma was just taken away!" Krillin cried, grabbing his head.
It was too fast.
Too unexpected.
He had no idea what expression he was supposed to make.
"It should be fine," Goku said with thoughtful calm.
"Vegeta looks cold, but he has not done anything bad to us.
He helped us many times.
He probably brought Bulma so she can help fix his ship and build new gadgets."
He sounded confident.
Not because he trusted Vegeta completely, but because he understood him better now.
He was not worried about Bulma's safety.
He was worried that she might grow distant from them.
"But what about Grandpa Brief?" Gohan asked anxiously.
"What do we tell him if Bulma can not come back?"
That struck both Goku and Krillin like a meteor.
Right.
Bulma's father.
How were they supposed to explain this to him?
Nail stepped forward.
"Earlier I had strong prejudice against Vegeta.
After observing him… that prejudice is gone.
He will bring Bulma back safely.
He still needs the Dragon Balls. He would not risk losing her."
Dende added quickly,
"Vegeta uncle looks scary, but he is not a bad person."
The reassurance eased their tension.
"Let us just hope everything goes smoothly," Goku sighed.
"We should focus on training.
Without real strength, we can not protect anything."
As he finished speaking, the massive spaceship rose through the air, dust swirling in its wake.
Within moments, it pierced Namek's atmosphere and vanished into the stars.
Krillin watched it disappear.
"Bulma really went with him…
She sure is brave," he said.
Goku nodded with a faint smile.
"Bulma always decides her own path.
Vegeta is strong, but Bulma…
Bulma is strong in her own way."
They watched the sky grow quiet.
And so the journey began.
A half month that would change everything.
~~~~~~
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