Universe 11.
At Pride Troopers headquarters, the atmosphere was heavy.
Jiren stood with his arms crossed, brows knitted tight, watching the footage playing on the screen.
"Unbelievable… Universe 7 was hiding this many monsters."
From the moment Kale went berserk and suppressed several top fighters all by herself, the room had gone deathly silent. That violent green aura felt like it could burst through the screen at any moment, and the sheer destructive force she displayed sent a chill through even the Pride Troopers.
"Her power kept rising without limit," Dyspo said, eyes sharp. "If that guy called Frieza hadn't stalled her with his own body… the consequences would've been unimaginable."
Then Puar entered the match, and the mood in the room sank even further.
"Crushed… it was a complete, total crushing!"
The Troopers murmured among themselves, shaken by the monster Universe 7 had produced.
Toppo asked in a low voice, "Jiren. If you fought her… how confident are you?"
Jiren hadn't said a word until now.
But at that moment, he spoke slowly.
"If we're only talking raw power, I'm far behind. But the strongest in Universe 7 isn't Puar ."
"There's someone else."
His eyes had barely lingered on Kale or Puar . They'd been locked on one figure the entire time: the young man named Levos.
From the effortless, unhurried way Levos handled his brief exchange with Caulifla, to the way he calmly soothed the rampaging Puar with a few light gestures…
Jiren's gaze grew sharper and sharper.
Others might marvel at Kale and Puar 's destructive might, but in Jiren's eyes, that young man was the truly unfathomable one.
There wasn't a single wasted movement on him. Every action was precise, almost surgical, as if everything had already been measured and accounted for.
It wasn't just strength.
It was a higher realm entirely.
"Jiren…" Toppo felt the change in his teammate's presence and asked, voice deepening. "You mean…?"
Jiren rose to his feet. For the first time in a long while, battle intent flared in his eyes like a fire.
He didn't answer.
He simply turned, and walked step by step toward his training chamber.
The aura around him was denser than before, sharper than before like a blade finally drawn.
The Pride Troopers watched his back and understood immediately.
"Jiren… actually got fired up."
"Then we can't slack off either." Toppo's voice echoed through the wide hall. "For the coming tournament starting today the Pride Troopers begin special training!"
"We will protect our universe."
…
Universe 7, on the sealed Supreme Kai's Planet.
Inside a metal flagship, Cooler fell into silence.
He had watched the full video as well, and his heart was no longer calm.
"Son Goku… Puar … Levos…" he murmured, voice cold as ice. "That cooperation back then was only meant to buy time for me to absorb this planet. I didn't expect them to grow this fast…"
"And that idiot Frieza meeting someone as dangerous as Levos and failing to crush him early what a disgrace to the title of 'Emperor of the Universe.'"
What Cooler couldn't accept most was that his foolish little brother had actually lost, in battle, to someone like Frost an underhanded snake.
It was humiliating. A stain on their entire race.
Just then, a communication request came through. A goat-like figure appeared on the screen muscular, youthful.
Moro.
"Cooler," Moro said, voice grim, "I trust you've seen it too. The fighters Earth sent aren't much weaker than us. If we keep fighting each other like this, we'll both get wrecked and other forces will profit."
"Say what you want, Moro," Cooler snorted. "What do you want?"
If this ancient freak hadn't appeared out of nowhere, he'd have taken the Supreme Kai's Planet long ago.
Back then, he wouldn't just be mass-producing mechanical black-gold Coolers his true body would have undergone a qualitative leap as well.
"Heh." Moro licked his lips. "My demand is simple. We sign a ceasefire."
"First, we take this planet, drain it dry, and then we talk about how to deal with Earth's bunch."
Cooler narrowed his eyes. "Not a bad proposal. But I want one more clause in that agreement."
"Oh?" Moro tilted his head. "And what would that be?"
"If a third party tries to steal this planet's resources, we join forces and drive them out."
Cooler had been building his intelligence network for years. His information advantage dwarfed Moro's and his Galaxy Prisoner rabble.
Not long ago, he received news that the Saiyan Empire was preparing to invade the Supreme Kai's Planet.
This planet was top-tier even by universal standards. Sharing it with Moro was already the limit of his concession.
Anyone else daring to lay a finger on it?
Impossible.
In truth, if he and Moro hadn't already fought several massive wars neither able to truly finish the other Cooler would never have yielded a fraction of profit.
If the Saiyan Empire hadn't chosen this moment to barge in, Cooler would've rather kept battling Moro indefinitely.
After all, for some reason, no matter how badly this planet was damaged, it regenerated endlessly.
And there was something even stranger.
Every time the planet took a catastrophic hit, it was almost like… someone's voice could be heard, cursing and swearing.
Of course, none of that mattered to Cooler.
The leaked tournament footage and the Saiyan Empire's invasion were the real reasons he was willing to sign an agreement.
Moro agreed without hesitation.
The ceasefire was established. Each side defined its territory and began draining the Supreme Kai's Planet at full speed.
The call ended. Cooler stared into the depths of the starfield.
"The Emperor of the Universe…"
"…will always be one."
…
Meanwhile, on a desolate planet
Granolah lay prone on a naturally formed rocky sniper nest, his right eye's special scope locked onto a bandit crew repairing a ship in the distance.
He wore headphones but instead of music, an old recording played.
"Run! Those tailed monsters "
"...Frieza's army… it's Frieza's army…"
A sharp crackle burst from the communicator, snapping Granolah out of his thoughts.
It was his client: the Heeters.
"Granolah. Mission change." Elec's voice came through. "Abandon your current target. Go to Earth. New assignment."
"Earth?" Granolah frowned. "Never heard of it. What job could some backwater place possibly have?"
"The enemies you've been paying us to find… have appeared."
"They're on Earth."
Granolah froze.
For years, he'd let the Heeters drive him like a weapon because he needed money.
And because he was searching for his enemies.
But Elec had once told him that the newly risen Saiyan Empire did not contain the enemies he sought.
"This Saiyan Empire was founded by survivors who rebelled against King Vegeta," Elec had warned him more than once. "It has nothing to do with the Saiyans who destroyed Planet Cereal."
"Don't worry. We're deep partners. If your enemy ever shows up, we'll notify you immediately provided you keep doing your job for us…"
"…Fine." Granolah's eyes ignited. He folded up his sniper rifle. "I'm leaving now."
"Thank you, Elec."
Frieza… Saiyans…
…
Heeters Headquarters.
Elec ended the call.
In the room, his siblings all felt an invisible pressure hanging in the air.
"Elec," Macki spoke first curvy, confident, yet her tone held caution. "Can Granolah really probe Earth's strength? Won't it just provoke those tournament monsters?"
"Granolah's hatred is directed at Frieza and the Saiyans. Whatever happens won't trace back to us."
"But… why do this at all?"
Elec's eyes were cold.
"That one called Puar is strong. Stronger than I expected. Even if Gas fought her… the outcome is hard to predict."
Everyone's hearts jumped.
In their minds, Gas boosted to the extreme by Planet Cereal's Dragon Balls was already an unbeatable existence.
But the tournament footage that had suddenly spread across the cosmos had shattered their certainty.
"We need Granolah to keep her occupied," Elec continued. "Then we take Earth, and dig out the secret behind their strength."
"The secret behind their strength?"
"We've been using Dragon Balls to strengthen ourselves again and again," Elec said quietly, "yet that Puar appeared out of nowhere and displayed power that easily surpasses us."
"You think there's no secret behind that?"
Macki's eyes lit up as she understood. "If we get that secret… it'll be even easier to dominate the universe!"
"Don't get complacent." Elec's voice was flat. "Sitting on the 'Number One' throne is harder than we imagined. Even though our bodies were enhanced by Toronbo…"
"Recently, just to keep up with 'Universe Number One'… the Dragon Ball wishes have drained the life force out of those 'human mines.'"
"What?!" Macki blurted, shocked. "Those were long-lived races we worked so hard to capture lifespans of at least a thousand years!"
Years ago, Elec had discovered a loophole in Planet Cereal's Dragon Balls.
If you forced someone else to make the wish for you, the life-shortening backlash and other side effects wouldn't touch the beneficiary at all.
Using that method, the four siblings' strength had skyrocketed.
And the longer-lived the species you used, the greater the boost the wish produced.
But this was the first time the wishes had drained the "human mines" completely dry.
"Elec… what do we do now?" someone asked, voice tight.
"First, we make a wish for Granolah." Elec stood and walked to the window, looking down on the planet they enslaved below. "He's the perfect test subject. His potential is on par with Gas."
"This time, I'll test a brand-new method of wishing… using him."
After hearing Elec's plan, Gas and Oil fell silent.
Only Macki voiced doubt.
"Elec… will your new idea really work?"
Elec sneered. "If we don't try, how will we know? And if it succeeds…"
"…we can climb back to the top of the universe."
Once the siblings reached agreement, they contacted Granolah again.
"Granolah. We obtained a piece of tournament footage involving your enemies. Watch it first."
"The Saiyans from Earth in that video… they're the culprits who destroyed Planet Cereal."
After a long time, Granolah's response finally reached Heeters HQ.
His voice sounded drained, almost hollow.
"Elec… I'm too far beneath them. Damn it… I hate being so powerless!"
Elec immediately softened his tone, full of concern.
"I'm sorry, Granolah. I didn't expect things to be like this. If there's anything you need us to help with… just say the word."
Granolah hesitated for a long time.
Then he finally spoke.
"Elec… can I borrow the Dragon Balls' power? I'm willing to pay everything I've saved…"
Elec sounded reluctant and troubled.
"You know this, Granolah. Using the Dragon Balls costs me a heavy price. Buying a wish is expensive far beyond what an ordinary person can afford."
"If it lets me get revenge, I'll do anything!" Granolah's emotions surged.
"Good. That's the spirit!" Elec said brightly. "For justice and to make the wicked pay I'll help you to the very end!"
Granolah was deeply moved.
He never imagined Elec who usually measured everything by value and money would actually step in for the sake of justice.
"Granolah," Elec continued, "I'll use the Dragon Balls to wish you into the Universe's Number One warrior. But your enemies are too strong, and the dragon's power is limited."
"So it can only compensate your strength… in other ways."
"And you'll still need to pay a certain price."
Granolah didn't think twice.
"Do it, Elec. Any price I'll pay it."
"Excellent." A smile curled on Elec's lips. "I'll have preparations made."
Soon, several aliens were dragged before Elec.
"If you want your families and friends to live, you'll make the wish exactly as written on the note."
Two Dragon Balls, each the size of a ping-pong ball, spun above Elec's fingertips.
The aliens' eyes held hatred, fear but more than anything, despair.
Their people were under the Heeters' control. The slightest resistance meant slaughter.
Only obedience gave them and their families a thin, desperate chance at survival.
An intense orange light flashed.
A teal, loach-like creature appeared above the hall.
Toronbo.
"Speak," the dragon said. "State your wish. Any wish I will do my best to grant."
The first alien trembled forward, taking the note from Macki.
"P-Please… please grant Granolah eternal life…"
Toronbo lowered his head.
"Impossible. That is beyond my power."
"Unless you are willing to pay with your lifespan… I can try."
"A lifespan… as the price?" The alien shook violently.
"Will you accept?"
"I… I accept."
A red gleam ignited in Toronbo's eyes.
The alien's body began to age visibly faster and faster until his flesh withered, his skin sagged into deep folds, then peeled away and rotted…
Finally, he collapsed into a pile of white bones.
At that same moment, far away, Granolah felt an enormous surge of vitality flood his body like he'd become several years younger in an instant.
Toronbo spoke again.
"I have done my best to grant your wish."
"I have transferred your entire remaining lifespan to Granolah. Since true immortality is impossible, I have compensated with double your lifespan."
With that, Toronbo dissolved into orange light and returned to the two Dragon Balls.
But before the balls could fly away, Elec held them in place and once again spoke the Namekian incantation to summon the dragon.
"Come forth, Dragon… continue granting my wish…"
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