Huh? So Soft?

"It must be because I'm too tired. I'm hallucinating!"

"No, judging by the fight they had earlier, Wuneng beat that Big Dumb Dragon like it was a toy. So is this reading accurate?"

Bulma's mind was in a muddle. On one hand, the battle power rankings seemed completely at odds with everything she knew. On the other, the facts were right in front of her, and she couldn't very well refuse to believe them.

When she finally came to, she realized that the two boys and the dragon—who had been talking about their appetites just moments ago—were all still looking at her. She couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

"So, how strong are the three of us?"

Wuneng glanced at Bulma, who was wearing the Battle Scanner, and asked casually.

"These readings are basically our true battle powers. The three of us don't know how to hide our energy yet. At most, we can focus our minds more when we're in a fighting stance, which might raise our battle power by a point or two. That's about it."

Son Goku and Ribut looked at the two of them in confusion, then exchanged a puzzled glance.

After Wuneng explained the Battle Power Index to them, their enthusiasm for food was temporarily put on hold. They hurried over to Bulma and waited for her to announce their readings.

"Seven, thirteen, and thirty-nine?"

When they heard their battle power readings, each of them reacted differently.

Wuneng simply nodded to show he understood, then turned back to prepare the prey. Son Goku, meanwhile, widened his eyes and kept glancing over at Wuneng, muttering to himself.

That guy really has gotten stronger again! I've been trying to catch up all these years, but there's still a gap between us!

"Haha! I'll definitely catch up to him and surpass him. Then I'll give him a good thrashing and show him who the big brother is!"

Ribut looked from Wuneng to Son Goku, seeming to have a full-on crisis of faith.

"Which one of us is supposed to be the apex predator here?! Are these two half-humans really that strong?"

"Should I find a female monkey and have a half-dragon, half-monkey? Maybe then my son's battle power will be as impressive as theirs!"

"After all, a dragon and a monkey ought to make a stronger combination than a human and a monkey!"

Ribut rarely felt discouraged. When the gap between them was small, he'd only feel resentful. When it was large, he'd usually feel admiration.

But when they were no longer even on the same level, all he could do was look up at them.

"By the way, what's my battle power?"

Seeing that the others all had readings, Bulma, who was still wearing the Battle Scanner, couldn't help feeling curious.

After thinking it over, she handed the scanner to Son Goku.

"Goku-san, could you test mine too?"

"Sure! I watched Wuneng use it earlier. I'll do it!"

Without another word, Son Goku took it, put it on his ear, and pressed the scanning button.

"Beep beep beep..."

"Your Battle Power Index is... 2!"

"Hahahaha, Bulma, your Battle Power Index is only 2!"

"I remember Wuneng said my Battle Power Index was 2 when I was born, too!"

When the reading popped up, the simple-minded Goku burst out laughing.

Bulma, on the other hand, blushed bright red at how low her battle power was. She gritted her teeth, wanting to punch Son Goku, but worried it would ruin her ladylike image.

Everyone had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere grew a little heavy. Wuneng lit a campfire nearby and quickly called them over, bringing everyone back to their senses.

"Hey, Bulma, since we've got nothing else to do, come try my cooking!"

The whole roasted wolf in his hands sizzled and dripped with fat, filling the surrounding area with its delicious aroma.

Bulma had been a little afraid of the wolves, but somehow she found herself accepting Wuneng's invitation. She joined the others around the campfire and waited for the food to finish cooking.

Taking advantage of the lull, Wuneng tried to comfort Bulma, who was feeling a little down.

"Don't take what Goku said to heart. He's still a bit too innocent."

"And you don't need to worry too much about battle power."

"For one thing, it's because our races are different. Planet Vegeta's gravity is ten times that of Earth's, so our babies need a certain amount of strength just to survive when they're born."

"Besides, everyone has their own strengths. My brother and I don't have your pretty face or your brains!"

Wuneng's reassurance sent Bulma's feelings into a dizzy whirl. Before long, all she could think about was his praise.

"Son-kun~"

Seeing the way Bulma was looking at him, Wuneng quickly cleared his throat.

"The wolf meat is a bit chewier than dog meat, but it's tasty, too."

Once the first wolf was roasted, he carved it up and called Goku and Ribut over. The three boys and the dragon formed a circle and began sampling Wuneng's delicious cooking.

After putting another wolf on a spit with practiced ease, Wuneng kept roasting as he answered their questions.

"The Battle Power Index isn't as simple as just adding numbers together. According to the scanner, Bulma's battle power is 2 and yours is 7, Ribut. Does that mean four Bulmas could beat you?"

"In reality, if three more people with Bulma's battle power joined her to gang up on Ribut, they'd just be giving him a little extra food."

"Of course, battle power can't measure someone's absolute strength, either."

"Battle power points are fixed, but people aren't."

"Don't put too much faith in battle power readings. Sometimes, fighting takes skill and technique—and, most importantly, an unyielding will to fight!"

"If battle power readings were all that mattered, why would anyone bother fighting? They could just scan each other, and whoever had the lower reading could surrender!"

As Wuneng talked, the mood gradually lightened. Bulma took all kinds of fine wine out of her Capsule, and soon everyone had drunk themselves silly. They each found a place to sleep and soon fell into a deep slumber.

In the morning, sunlight streamed through the window frame. Bulma's tightly shut eyes crinkled slightly as she slept. She felt as if her chest were constricted and she couldn't catch her breath...

It seemed like she was having a nightmare, but maybe she wasn't. She kept mumbling something, and one long leg had slipped out from under the blanket, twitching again and again as if she were uncomfortable.

"Ah!"

Wuneng was roused from his drowsiness by a scream. Still half asleep, he rolled over.

"Goku, stop making noise. I want to sleep a little longer."

"WUNENG!"

Bulma looked down at the small hand resting on her chest, her anger surging. She practically ground Wuneng's name out through her teeth.

A sudden chill ran through Wuneng, and he woke up instantly. He instinctively looked up, only to see a face that had gone red from being smothered.

His hand felt something soft, and he even gave it an unconscious pat.

"Huh? It's so soft?"