Bulma Was Over the Moon

Just then, Rix opened his eyes too.

But as soon as he did, he looked ashamed.

"Sorry, Your Highnesses. I still haven't mastered how to use those two types of energy."

Tarble reassured him. "It's fine. Just keep trying, and you'll get the hang of it."

Vegeta frowned but said nothing.

Martial arts prodigies weren't growing by the roadside, ripe for the picking.

After all these years, he had long since understood that.

He just refused to admit defeat.

Hearing that, Rix's eyes grew determined, and he encouraged himself. "Yes, Your Highness. I'll work hard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Trunks flew over with Bulma and Son Goten, then landed.

Before they even touched down, Trunks spotted Vegeta and shouted, "Dad, we're here!"

Son Goten, dressed in a martial arts uniform, spotted Son Gohan too and called out, "Big Brother, I'm here!"

Before their voices had faded, all three landed safely in front of the group.

"Bulma, you're just in time." Vegeta pointed at Tarble and Rix beside him and issued his order without the slightest courtesy. "This is my younger brother, Tarble. The other one is one of his men."

"They're planning to live on Earth, so arrange a place for them to stay."

He didn't need to introduce them. Bulma's keen eyes had already noticed Tarble and Rix in their Battle Suits.

The tails wrapped around their waists told her they were Saiyans.

And Tarble's face looked a lot like Vegeta's.

Clever as she was, she had already figured out which of them was Vegeta's younger brother.

As for finding them a place to stay, that was child's play for the richest woman on Earth.

Beaming, she greeted them. "Oh, hello, Tarble. I'm Bulma, Vegeta's wife."

Tarble smiled back at Bulma, who had clearly made an effort to dress up. "It's nice to meet you, sister-in-law. I'm Tarble."

Rix chimed in at the right moment. "I'm Rix, Your Highness Bulma. It's an honor to meet you."

Hearing "sister-in-law" and then "Your Highness," Bulma was over the moon, her smile growing even brighter.

"Tarble, can I call you that from now on?" she asked softly.

Tarble nodded. "Sure, no problem."

Smiling, Bulma glanced at Trunks. "This is my son, Trunks."

She tugged him closer and prompted him, "Trunks, say hello to your uncle."

"Huh? Uncle?" Trunks wasn't too keen, but under Bulma's watchful gaze, he obediently greeted them. "Hello, Uncle Tarble. Hello, Uncle Rix."

As he greeted them, he secretly sized them up.

Huh, why are they so weak?

"Good, good!" Tarble answered, then suddenly remembered that he ought to give his nephew a present for their first meeting.

Oh no!

He'd forgotten to prepare a gift!

Wait, I've got it!

With that thought, he plucked the Scouter from his ear and held it out. "Here, Trunks. Your uncle came in a hurry and didn't prepare a present."

"Take this Scouter!"

Trunks looked at it curiously. "A Scouter?"

"What does it do?"

"It can measure someone's power level and display it as a number," Tarble explained. "But this one's maximum reading is too low. It'll need some improvements."

Trunks grew interested as soon as he heard it could measure power levels. "Really?"

He reached for it, then pulled back and looked to Bulma for permission.

Bulma smiled. "Your uncle gave it to you, so go ahead and take it. I can improve it for you later."

"Now, thank your Uncle Tarble."

Only then did Trunks reach out for the Scouter. "Thank you, Uncle Tarble!"

Seeing his friend get a present, Son Goten wanted one too. "Uncle Tarble, um... I want a Scouter too..."

As soon as he said it, he remembered Chi-Chi had taught him not to ask people for things.

His head dropped at once, and his little hands nervously pinched at his pants.

Tarble pretended to be puzzled. "And who might this little fellow be?"

Son Gohan walked over with an apologetic look and an awkward smile. "Sorry, Uncle Tarble. This is my younger brother, Son Goten. We're both Dad's... well... Son Goku's sons. That is, Kakarot's sons."

Then he earnestly began to lecture Son Goten, his voice gentle but stern.

"Goten, we shouldn't ask people for presents. Got it?"

"That's very impolite."

Son Goten rubbed his two index fingers together, lowered his head, and replied quietly, "Sorry, Big Brother. I forgot for a moment."

Seeing this, Bulma, in high spirits, stepped in to smooth things over. "Gohan, don't scold Goten."

"I'll make another one for him later and give it to him."

"That's too kind of you..." Son Gohan said with an awkward smile.

Bulma didn't feel like going back and forth with him, so she settled the matter at once. "It's decided, then."

Just then, she noticed several deep craters in the distance.

"Huh? Why are there so many craters over there?"

"Tarble, didn't you come with just one other person?"

Tarble gave her a brief explanation.

After hearing it, Bulma nodded in understanding. "So that's what happened!"

"Now that everything's settled, let's go to our place."

"Gohan, Krillin, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? We'll have a get-together at our house."

"To celebrate the reunion of the brothers, Vegeta and Tarble."

However,

Vegeta objected with a cold expression. "Bulma, don't make a fuss over something so pointless!"

Unfortunately for him, Bulma immediately planted her hands on her hips and snapped, "Vegeta, you've kept Tarble a secret from me all these years, and I let that slide!"

"Now I want to throw Tarble a welcome-home party, and you won't even let me?"

At that, Vegeta gave an arrogant snort and wisely shut his mouth.

When it came to arguing, there wasn't a woman alive who couldn't beat him—especially Bulma.

The truth was, he loved her far too much to argue with her.

At most, they bickered now and then. They never really fought.

And now, he also felt he owed Tarble, so he let Bulma make the arrangements.

He just didn't want to spend time with Yamcha and the others.

Seeing his expression, Bulma rolled her eyes, feeling a little helpless.

Then she turned to Son Gohan and the others and invited them again. "Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha, Chiaotzu—you'll all come, right?"

Faced with her warm invitation, Son Gohan and the others readily agreed.

Seeing that they had all accepted, Bulma immediately waved an arm. "Wonderful!"

Then she remembered something and looked at Son Gohan. "Gohan, is your dad home?"

"Don't tell me he's gone off to train again?"

Hearing that, Son Gohan scratched the back of his head sheepishly and grinned. "Aunt Bulma, my dad really did go train with Lord North Kai again."

"Dad probably can't make it, since there's no way to let him know."