"Found it?" The Supreme Kai blinked in surprise and immediately took to the air.
Vegeta and the others followed close behind, landing beside Goku and looking down.
On the ground below sat a mechanical device resembling a spaceship hatch. This device was all too familiar to Goku and Vegeta—it was the entrance to the wizard Babidi's spaceship.
In their previous life, Babidi had used magic to shift their surroundings between different stages, but he could never move the location of this specific hatch. It was like a video game: clear one level, the hatch opens, and you descend to the next.
Now, this very hatch had appeared right in the middle of the spectator stands at the World Martial Arts Tournament. It seemed Babidi had laid his plans here long ago. With such a dense crowd, finding it would have been nearly impossible under normal circumstances.
"Cunning bastard! He hid his magic right in the middle of a crowd. No wonder we didn't sense it!" Vegeta gritted his teeth and let out a sharp huff.
"Is that Babidi's magic?" The Supreme Kai asked, momentarily stunned.
"If we smash this platform, we'll find Babidi in no time!" Vegeta smirked and dropped down from the sky.
Seeing Vegeta's cold, imposing demeanor, the spectators quickly scrambled to make room for him. Vegeta raised his fist, ready to shatter the device with a single blow.
Goku and the others made no move to stop him. The crowd, however, began to buzz with confusion, having no idea what was happening.
Why is there a strange device on the ground?
Is this some special setup by the World Martial Arts Tournament committee?
The Announcer was just as lost. What is going on? Why is it so chaotic?
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm!" The Announcer, a veteran of several tournaments, immediately stepped in to maintain order. "Mr. Goku, please head backstage. This is not the place for a social gathering."
"Ah... we're not just chatting. This is important," Goku turned back to explain.
"Whatever it is, it can wait until the match is over," the Announcer insisted.
"This concerns the fate of the Earth... or rather, the fate of the entire universe," Goku replied.
"Regardless of whose fate it is, please cooperate and proceed with the tournament," the Announcer replied stubbornly.
Goku was speechless. For a moment, the Announcer reminded him of Chi-Chi.
In his previous life, when Goku wanted Gohan to train with him, Chi-Chi had insisted that nothing—absolutely nothing—should interfere with Gohan's studies. When Goku asked if she cared about the fate of the Earth, she had shouted back: "That's right! The fate of the Earth is none of my business! Interfering with Gohan's studies is just wrong!"
The Announcer's stubbornness was the spitting image of Chi-Chi's. Goku decided it was better to stop arguing.
Surprisingly, the Announcer's intervention actually calmed the rowdy crowd for a moment. Meanwhile, many eyes remained fixed on Vegeta, curious to see what he was up to.
Vegeta cocked his fist, aiming for the hatch. He chose to use his physical strength rather than an energy blast to avoid harming the innocent bystanders. After all, the Vegeta of today had truly become a good man.
Inside Babidi's Spaceship:
"They finally found us!" Babidi snarled, his heart simmering with resentment.
"Relax. Even if they found it, it's no big deal," Dabura sneered. "They're just a few humans with high power levels. I am Dabura, the King of the Demon Realm!"
As he spoke, the third eye on Dabura's forehead flickered.
Babidi glanced at Dabura, his expression growing solemn. "We can't let them destroy the ship," he said gravely. "Open the entrance and let them in!"
"Go, open the hatch!" Dabura barked at a subordinate. The minion scrambled to comply.
Back at the Tournament Grounds:
Just as Vegeta was about to punch the entrance into scrap metal—Creeeeak!
The hatch swung open on its own. Vegeta paused, hovering just above the opening. A smirk played on his lips as he tipped forward and dove straight in.
"Wait for me, Vegeta! I'm coming too!" Goku called out, immediately giving chase.
The Supreme Kai, Kibito, and Piccolo followed suit, leaping into the abyss.
"18, let's go," Krillin suggested.
"I'll pass. You go ahead," Android 18 said, shaking her head.
"Alright then. Be careful—this is turning out to be more trouble than we thought," Krillin said seriously.
"If it gets too dangerous, just run. There's no shame in it," 18 reminded him.
"Got it," Krillin nodded, then jumped in after the others.
Gohan flew over as well, but Videl caught his arm. "I'm coming too," she said firmly.
"It's dangerous down there... we don't know what we're walking into," Gohan said gravely.
"I survived the Cell Games, didn't I?" Videl teased with a grin. "Besides, I want to see my Gohan save the universe."
Gohan's face turned beet-red. In a moment of heat-headed bravery, he nodded vigorously, agreeing to take her along.
"But the moment things get dangerous, you run. Do you hear me?" Gohan emphasized.
"I hear you!" Videl chirped. Gohan scooped her up and leaped into the hatch.
By now, more than half of the tournament's competitors had vanished.
"Goten, did Dad and the others just fly away? Where did they go? Do you know?" Trunks stared blankly at the spot where his father and the others had disappeared, looking utterly lost.
"I don't know... I have no idea what's happening," Goten shook his head.
"Stop shaking your head! You're bumping into my... eggs!" Trunks winced.
"Uh..." Goten grinned sheepishly. "Should we follow them?"
"I... yeah, let's go check it out," Trunks hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow.
But just as Trunks took flight—Creeeeak!
The hatch slammed shut. Then, something even more bizarre happened.
Whoosh!
Right before the eyes of the stunned crowd, the hatch vanished into thin air. The ground returned to smooth marble, without so much as a scratch to show it had ever been there.
"It's gone! What happened?"
"That whole group just disappeared!"
"I saw that round thing open, and it was pitch black inside..."
"Is that the way to Hell?"
"Did they all just jump into Hell?"
"Are you stupid? Who jumps into Hell for fun?"
The spectators buzzed with wild theories. The Announcer, meanwhile, felt a massive headache coming on.
How did they all just disappear? How am I supposed to run a tournament like this?
Left speechless, the Announcer could only trudge off to consult with the committee.
Inside the Spaceship:
Goku and his companions descended deep into the ship, landing on what appeared to be the third level.
Meanwhile, at the very bottom, Babidi and Dabura were watching them through a crystal ball, smirking at their progress.
"Hehehe! That idiot Supreme Kai brought everyone right to us!" Babidi's grin widened. "This makes it even easier to drain their energy. The day of Majin Buu's awakening is drawing near!"
"Lord Babidi, you arrived on Earth a long time ago, didn't you?" Dabura asked.
"Indeed. I arrived seven years ago," Babidi nodded, making no secret of it.
"Which means... you've already modified Majin Buu's seal?" Dabura pressed.
"You certainly know a lot," Babidi shot him a sidelong glance.
Dabura's lips curled into a faint, calm smile as he met Babidi's gaze. Babidi quickly looked away, his fists clenching. He felt a nagging sense of unease.
The King of the Demon Realm was becoming increasingly difficult to control. He addressed him as "Lord Babidi," but his eyes held a glimmer of something far from loyal.
I must have been out of my mind, Babidi thought. Why did I bother controlling this guy? He's the King of the Demon Realm! If I lose my grip on him for even a second, he might kill me! I need to wake my Buu up as soon as possible. Only with Buu will I feel truly safe.
"Dabura, they're inside. Go guard the first stage," Babidi suggested, his mouth twitching.
"Do those weaklings really require me to guard the first stage?" Dabura chuckled, then issued his own order. "Where is Pui Pui? Let him take the first stage."
"Yes, sir!" Pui Pui stepped forward to accept the command. "Don't you worry, Lord Babidi, Lord Dabura. I'll show them exactly what I'm made of!"
With that, Pui Pui took the elevator to the first stage. As the doors slid open, he strode out with confidence.
"Hakai!"
Vegeta didn't waste any time. He stepped forward, unleashing a wave of Destruction energy.
Pui Pui's eyes bulged in terror. He tried to dodge, but it was already too late. The Hakai energy washed over him instantly.
Poor Pui Pui. He hadn't even been on screen for three seconds before Vegeta's Hakai erased him from existence, leaving not even a speck of dust behind. In his final moments, his eyes were filled with pure spite.
At least let me finish my introduction! You killed me the second I showed up! That's just cheating!
"Vegeta, wait! Show some mercy!" the Supreme Kai cried out.
But it was too late. Pui Pui was gone—reduced to nothingness.
"Hmph. Just a nobody. Keeping him around is a waste of time," Vegeta smirked dismissively.
The Supreme Kai was speechless. Aside from Goku, everyone else—Gohan included—broke into a cold sweat.
Sure, the guy looked like a nobody, but they could have at least interrogated him. They could have gotten valuable information out of him. Now that he was erased... they had nothing.
"Seriously, Vegeta? We could have at least asked him about Babidi," the Supreme Kai said, caught between a laugh and a cry of frustration.
"There's nothing to ask. I've already figured it out," Vegeta huffed. "Babidi set this up in advance, linking his ship to the World Martial Arts Tournament to drain our energy more efficiently."
"Vegeta's right. I get that feeling too," Goku added thoughtfully.
"And... what about the anomaly with Majin Buu?" the Supreme Kai asked.
"We'll find out when we see him, won't we?" Vegeta rolled his eyes. This Supreme Kai was just as useless as the one from his previous life.
"It's simple: Babidi came to Earth early, modified Buu's seal, and has been quietly absorbing energy from Kakarot, Gohan... and even Cell," Vegeta added casually.
"Dad, Piccolo, the door over here is open," Gohan pointed to the hatch in the center of the room.
Goku and the others glanced toward it, then leaped down to the next level.
The Bottom Floor:
"With Pui Pui out there, we should be able to absorb a decent amount of energy," Babidi grinned expectantly. Dabura remained silent.
Then, they watched through the crystal ball as Vegeta erased Pui Pui the instant he appeared.
Babidi's smile froze on his face. Dabura's eyes widened slightly.
The energy that man just released... it's not ordinary! Since when did Earth have someone this powerful?
"Is... is Pui Pui dead?" Babidi stammered. "He didn't even get a word out before he was killed?"
"He has some skill. He's more impressive than I thought," Dabura remarked with a light chuckle.
"What do we do? Who's next? Dabura, maybe you should go? That way we can absorb their energy more effectively," Babidi said, panic rising. He had thought Pui Pui was strong, but the man had been deleted instantly.
"Don't we still have the magical beast Yakon?" Dabura smirked. "Me? Go out to deal with them? They aren't worth my time."
Babidi's mouth twitched. Then, he heard Vegeta's explanation through the monitor, and his face paled.
"This man... it's like he knows everything," Babidi muttered.
"So he knows. It doesn't matter," Dabura said dismissively. He turned to Babidi with a smile. "So, the anomaly in Majin Buu's seal... that was your doing, Lord Babidi? You modified it to absorb the energy leaked from their previous battles?"
"That's right," Babidi nodded.
"And how much energy can it hold now?" Dabura asked with a smirk.
"Well... since the seal was modified, the energy required for his awakening has increased significantly. Now, even a heavy impact won't wake him up," Babidi said, feeling a headache coming on. He was starting to regret modifying the seal. If he hadn't, a strong blow might have been enough to force Buu out in an emergency. Now, Buu required a massive amount of sustained energy to wake.
"Whatever. You're right," Babidi gritted his teeth. "Awakening Majin Buu is the only thing that matters. Everything else is secondary."
The Second Stage:
Creeeeak!
The elevator doors slid open, and the magical beast Yakon stepped out.
"Hakai!"
Vegeta raised his hand, and a surge of Destruction energy instantly enveloped Yakon.
"Hey! Vegeta! This one was supposed to be mine!" Goku complained.
"Hmph." Vegeta's lips curled into a faint smirk.
Yours? Why should I leave him for you? I haven't had many chances to use Hakai on actual people yet. Using these villains for practice seems like a perfect choice.
Poor Yakon. He had just stepped out of the elevator, hadn't even had a chance to flex his claws, before Vegeta's energy erased him completely.
"Bastard!" Babidi screamed in a fit of rage. "That's cheating! Are you just camping the spawn point? At least let us say a few words before you start fighting!"
"Curse them! I was going to transport Yakon to his favorite Planet Idasa!" Babidi was shaking with fury.
"Fine. It looks like I'll have to handle this myself," Dabura narrowed his eyes.
"Really? Dabura!" Babidi was overjoyed. "Thank goodness for you!"
"I will guard the third stage personally. I will wound them, and the energy from their injuries will be fed directly to Majin Buu," Dabura said, his face full of confidence.
"I'm counting on you, Dabura..." Babidi took a deep breath and asked cautiously, "Are... are you sure you can handle this?"
"Am I sure? I am the King of the Demon Realm!" Dabura chuckled. "There is no one in this world who requires me to use my full power."
"Good. That's good," Babidi sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Goku and the others had arrived at the third level of the spaceship.
"Vegeta, is it my turn next?" Goku suggested.
"Hmph, Kakarot, you wish. You should know who's coming out next, shouldn't you?" Vegeta scoffed.
Goku was speechless.
"Let's play rock-paper-scissors, for fairness," Vegeta said with a smile.
"Alright, that's a good idea. It's settled then," Goku agreed, then turned to Gohan. "Gohan, you want to join?"
"No need to add Gohan, just the two of us!" Vegeta interjected.
"Then I'll sit this one out," Gohan waved his hand.
"Okay, then it's just the two of us against that guy!" Goku nodded, scratching his head.
In my previous life, Gohan, Vegeta, and I did play rock-paper-scissors here. Vegeta threw rock, and Gohan and I both threw scissors. So Vegeta won first and fought Pui Pui.
But this time, we haven't played yet. So... Vegeta will probably still throw rock, right? If I throw paper, I might win. Yes, that's the plan!
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
Goku and Vegeta played. Goku threw paper. Vegeta threw scissors.
Goku was speechless.
"Kakarot, your memory is quite good, isn't it?" Vegeta grinned triumphantly, patting Goku's shoulder.
"Huh? I lost?" Goku felt a headache coming on.
"I merely predicted your prediction, that's all," Vegeta's smile grew even wider.
This time, I'll be the one to deal with Dabura, the King of the Demon Realm. Last time, Gohan fought Dabura for ages without a clear winner.
This time, watch me fix that guy. Would it be too anticlimactic to just erase him with Hakai?
Also, the Supreme Kai mentioned... if Dabura finds the Demon Realm's Third Eye, his power will increase significantly. Even if your power increases, how high can it go?
Vegeta looked expectantly at the elevator door, patiently waiting for Dabura to appear.
Goku scratched his head, saying nothing more.
Piccolo, Gohan, Videl, Krillin, the Supreme Kai, and Kibito all watched with expressions of eager anticipation.
Creeeeak!
The elevator doors opened, and Dabura stepped out.
Goku focused his gaze and indeed saw Dabura. However, Goku observed carefully and noticed that Dabura was different from his previous life. The "M" mark on his forehead was gone, replaced by an eye—a perfectly round eye, like a bouncy ball, with a red pupil.
Goku scratched his head and stroked his chin, looking thoughtfully at Dabura.
"Dabura!" The Supreme Kai's expression changed repeatedly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in alarm.
Vegeta clearly noticed Dabura's unusual appearance but paid it no mind, merely smiling disdainfully.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone," Dabura said with a smile. "You truly are impressive, effortlessly defeating Yakon and entering the third level! I must commend you for your outstanding performance! However, your good fortune ends here. From now on, I, the Demon King, will personally step in and give you a proper beating!"
"Hmph, Demon King Dabura! Your opponent is me! Don't get it twisted!" Vegeta jabbed his thumb at his own nose.
Dabura immediately turned to look at Vegeta. This guy is not simple, easily defeating Pui Pui and Yakon.
"You mean... you want to challenge me alone?" Dabura chuckled.
"To deal with someone like you, I alone am more than enough," Vegeta sneered.
"Very well, you're confident!" Dabura burst into laughter. "It's been a long time since anyone spoke to me like that! I hope you don't regret it!"
"Vegeta, be careful! Don't get overconfident!" The Supreme Kai's face changed color again and again, and he quickly warned, "Did you see Dabura's third eye?"
"Such an obvious eye, how could I not see it?" Vegeta rolled his eyes at the Supreme Kai.
"With the third eye, his power will increase significantly," the Supreme Kai said gravely.
"Hmph." Vegeta completely ignored him.
"Dabura, when did you find the third eye?" The Supreme Kai quickly asked.
"I got them wholesale. I have plenty. Do you want one?" Dabura glanced at the Supreme Kai, speaking indifferently.
The Supreme Kai was speechless. Wholesale, my foot! And plenty of them! You're lying through your teeth!
"You're lying, I don't believe you!" The Supreme Kai said, full of doubt.
Dabura decided not to bother with the Supreme Kai anymore. Too foolish!
"What? Just because you have a third eye, you're suddenly so confident?" Vegeta was completely unfazed, his smile growing even brighter.
Back at the World Martial Arts Tournament Arena:
The departure of Goku and the others caused a considerable commotion throughout the venue.
"As you can all see, several contestants have inexplicably left. Such a thing is truly unprecedented," the Announcer said, still holding the microphone and trying to maintain order. "The staff are currently in discussion, so please wait a moment!"
To be continued…
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