She set down her pruning shears, her face lighting up with a delighted, gentle smile. "Oh my~ Bulma's home! And who's this? Your boyfriend?"
Bulma immediately puffed out her chest and nodded excitedly, a hint of pride in her expression.
"Yep! Mom, this is Vitelli, my boyfriend! He's going to be living with us from now on, too! He's super strong!"
She made a point of emphasizing that last part.
Mrs. Brief warmly approached and looked Vitelli over carefully. Her gaze roamed over his sharply defined features and the perfectly sculpted muscles she could sense even through his clothes. Smiling, she said, "Oh my, welcome to Brief Manor, sweet little Vitelli~ What a handsome young man! How about going on a date with Auntie?"
"Mom!"
Bulma instantly bristled, her face turning bright red as she stamped her foot and grumbled, "What are you saying? Vitelli's my boyfriend!"
Mrs. Brief's overly forward invitation caught Vitelli off guard, and a rare, awkward blush appeared on his face.
He hurriedly bowed and greeted her politely and formally. "Hello, Mrs. Brief. I'm Bulma's boyfriend, Vitelli. Thank you very much for taking me in. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Seeing Vitelli trying to keep his composure only made Mrs. Brief laugh more merrily. She waved a hand. "Oh, don't be so formal, sweet little Vitelli. Just make yourself at home. Bulma's found herself such a wonderful boyfriend—her father will be delighted, too."
Her smiling eyes continued to roam over Vitelli as if she were sizing him up, making him feel a little uneasy.
He grumbled to himself, Bulma's mother is so warm and uninhibited that it's hard to keep up with her. Looks like Bulma's still too conservative...
And so, Vitelli settled in at Brief Manor.
With Bulma's introduction, he also met her father, Dr. Brief, the founder of Capsule Corp.
The middle-aged man had a head of tousled blue hair, wore a lab coat, and had eyes brimming with pure scientific curiosity. Vitelli actually felt more at ease around him.
Vitelli skipped the pleasantries and made his request directly. "Dr. Brief, thank you very much for taking me in. I have a spaceship, and I'd like to give it to you to study as a token of my gratitude and payment. I'd also like you to help me build a Gravity Chamber specifically for training."
He handed over the spaceship Capsule and a document detailing what he wanted in the Gravity Chamber.
Dr. Brief took the Capsule containing the spaceship, and his eyes immediately lit up. He was clearly much more interested in the spaceship than in his future son-in-law.
He readily agreed. "A Gravity Chamber? No problem! Leave it to me! This is fascinating!"
He immediately took the Capsule and the documents into his workshop, forgetting even to say goodbye.
Bulma, standing nearby, pouted unhappily and tugged at Vitelli's arm. "Hey! Vitelli! What's that supposed to mean? I can help you build a Gravity Chamber! Why did you have to ask Dad? Don't you trust my abilities?"
Seeing Bulma's unhappy expression, Vitelli's lips curved into a mischievous smile.
Without another word, he slipped an arm around her, effortlessly picked her up, and slung her over his shoulder. Then he strode toward her room.
"Ah! What are you doing? Put me down, you jerk!"
Bulma cried out and struggled, pounding Vitelli's back with her little fists, though it felt more like playful affection.
Vitelli chuckled and leaned close to her ear, whispering so softly that only the two of them could hear, "It's not that I don't trust your abilities, my dear Bulma. It's just... you don't have much free time right now. With me around, you won't have time to build a Gravity Chamber."
"Y-You're talking nonsense!"
Bulma's face turned scarlet, and she struggled even less.
Bang! The door slammed shut.
From inside the room came the faint sound of Bulma's coquettish protests and cries, but before long, they were replaced by another, far more heart-stirring melody, flowing with rhythm.
The room filled with the free-flowing harmony of youthful vigor and romance.
From then on, Vitelli's days became very regular and fulfilling.
In the mornings, he did intense physical training in the manor's spacious backyard.
Until the Gravity Chamber was ready, he had to rely on the ultra-heavy alloys Dr. Brief found for him to train under added weight, or practice high-intensity sprints and evasive maneuvers.
He pushed himself to wring every last bit of potential from his body during each training session. The heavy clangs of metal often made Mrs. Brief jump whenever she passed by.
The afternoons mostly belonged to Bulma.
Sometimes he joined her in the lab to tinker with all sorts of unusual inventions. Sometimes she dragged him shopping along West City's bustling commercial streets. Other times, he simply sat quietly beside her as she studied or worked on her research.
Vitelli found Bulma's talent for technology truly astonishing. In her hands, complicated equations and blueprints seemed to come alive.
As they spent their days together, their relationship quickly grew closer. Vitelli found himself enjoying the tranquility of life on Earth and the warmth Bulma brought him more and more.
However, their peaceful days were interrupted by the notice that Bulma's university term was about to begin.
"Honestly! This is so annoying!"
The night before classes began, Bulma lay in Vitelli's arms, complaining unhappily. "I taught myself everything they cover at university ages ago. I even helped write the textbooks! Why should I waste time going to class? It's so pointless!"
She clung tightly to Vitelli like an octopus, her face full of reluctance. "I really don't want to be away from you for even a moment..."
Vitelli looked down at the girl in his arms as she pouted, his heart softening.
He gently stroked her silky blue hair and comforted her in a warm voice. "All right, Bulma. You still need to finish your studies. It's part of your life experience. And the school's right here in West City. It's not like we won't see each other. Be good. Just think of it as a chance to get out and meet some new friends."
"Hmph! I don't want to meet any new friends! Those people don't even understand quantum mechanics! (I don't understand it either.)" Bulma remained stubborn, but she had clearly calmed down a little.
Early the next morning, at Bulma's insistence, Vitelli drove her to university himself.
Even after they reached the area near the school, Bulma took her time. Before getting out, she clung to Vitelli's arm and muttered with a pout, "You'd better miss me! Come pick me up early this afternoon!"
"Of course. I'll be here early."
Vitelli held back a laugh and leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead. At last, the lovestruck genius reluctantly went through the school gates.
Watching Bulma glance back at him again and again before disappearing into the campus, Vitelli leaned against the car door and shook his head with an indulgent, helpless smile. "Good grief. Girls in love are so clingy. Even I, a proud warrior, am almost melting."
Still, the feeling of being needed and relied upon was new and comforting to him.
Where should he go next? Vitelli considered.
Dr. Brief was still hard at work on the Gravity Chamber, so Vitelli couldn't count on it for now.
Ordinary weight training barely had any effect on his body at its current level of strength. It was practically useless.
He needed somewhere that could truly push his body's potential.
"Right, Korin Tower!" The idea flashed through his mind. It had Senzu Beans, Ultra Divine Water, and Master Korin, the cat sage who had lived for eight hundred years.
Besides, Senzu Beans—treasures that could heal injuries and restore stamina in an instant—would be strategic resources in future battles. He needed to stock up in advance.
He also wanted to see Earth's sacred martial arts grounds for himself.
He acted at once. First, he went to West City's largest seafood market and used the bank card Bulma had given him to buy nearly every kind of fresh fish from almost every stall. He packed the fish into two Hoi-Poi Capsules.
Then, as the stunned vendors and passersby watched, he shot into the sky. He became a streak of light and sped in the direction marked on his map, toward the legendary Korin Tower that connected the human world to the heavens.
At the top of the towering Korin Tower, Korin was dozing with his beloved staff in his arms when all his fur suddenly stood on end!
A powerful, pure presence, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression, was rapidly approaching from far away!
Its power far surpassed that of any human martial artist he had ever encountered. Even Kami's presence seemed gentle in comparison.
"What?!"
Korin nearly jumped in shock. He tightened his grip on his staff and stared down at the sea of clouds below with wide eyes.
What is this ki...? Who could be so powerful...? Are they friend or foe?
Vitelli had deliberately suppressed his outward ki to around 500 battle power, but to living beings on Earth at this point in time—especially one as perceptive as Korin—it still felt like an enormous blaze in the dead of night, radiating pressure.
After a moment's hesitation, Korin finally gave up on hiding.
Forget it... I can't get away anyway. His target is clearly this place. His ki is powerful, but there's no obvious hostility or bloodlust... I'll wait here.
Master Korin took a deep breath and did his best to steady himself. Adopting a mysterious, inscrutable pose, he stood by the platform entrance and waited for the uninvited guest to arrive.
Whoosh!
A figure pierced through the clouds like an arrow and landed steadily on the floor atop Korin Tower, making almost no sound as he descended.
"Hey there. You're Master Korin, the guardian of Korin Tower, right?"
Vitelli smiled in a friendly way at the plump, snow-white cat before him. The cat held a wooden staff, and its eyes betrayed its nervousness and wariness.
He casually tossed over the two Hoi-Poi Capsules filled with fresh fish.
"Here, a little gift for our first meeting. They're filled with all kinds of fresh fish I picked up at the West City market."
Korin caught the Capsules instinctively, looking a little dazed.
Fish? That certainly appealed to him. But Vitelli's next words immediately made him understand the purpose of the gift.
"How about trading these fish for some Senzu Beans and Ultra Divine Water?"
Vitelli's tone was casual, as if he were discussing something trivial.
As he spoke, he seemed to decide that his disguised ki of 500 wasn't enough to convey his sincerity—or perhaps he wanted to make his offer more convincing—so he deliberately let out just the tiniest trace of his true ki. It was only enough for Korin to more clearly sense the power hidden beneath his calm exterior, vast as an ocean.
Buzz!
Korin felt an invisible pressure envelop him, leaving him barely able to breathe!
The paw gripping his staff trembled slightly, and the fur along his back stood on end once more.
He looked at Vitelli with a bitter smile, his eyes seeming to ask, Do I even have a choice?
"C-Certainly." Korin tried to keep his voice steady. "Please wait a moment."
He turned and walked, moving a little stiffly, toward the area beneath the platform where the Senzu Beans were stored.
He took out a small, empty clay jar and briskly filled it with plump, lustrous Senzu Beans. Then he carefully carried it over to Vitelli.
"These are the Senzu Beans you asked for. As for the Ultra Divine Water... I won't hide it from you: it's poisonous. Are you sure you want it?"
Vitelli accepted the heavy jar and nodded in satisfaction. After hearing Master Korin's description of the Ultra Divine Water, he thought it over and said, "I'll pass on the Ultra Divine Water."
He gave up. He didn't want to end up with Heart Virus like Kakarot someday.
After he clearly turned down the Ultra Divine Water, the Senzu Bean trade went more smoothly than he had expected.
"Thanks, Master Korin."
He weighed the jar in his hand and thought of the events that lay ahead. He decided to add, "By the way, here's a suggestion. Whenever you have some free time, try to grow as many Senzu Beans as you can. Trust me, they'll be very useful in the future."
He didn't say exactly what they would be useful for, but his confident tone left Master Korin wondering what he meant.
With that, Vitelli didn't wait for Korin to respond. He didn't even glance toward the faintly visible Lookout above Korin Tower. He leapt away, became a streak of light once again, and sped toward West City, vanishing into the vast sea of clouds in the blink of an eye.
Master Korin stood there, staring blankly at the two Hoi-Poi Capsules of fresh fish in his paws. He watched the direction Vitelli had disappeared in, then looked down at his paws. Only after a long while did he murmur, "Very useful...? Just who is this man?"
Vitelli's final words and his overwhelming ki filled Korin with questions and a faint, inexplicable sense of foreboding.
On the Lookout's plaza.
Kami and Mr. Popo stood at the edge like two statues.
Kami's eyes were tightly shut, fine beads of sweat on his forehead. His fingers had turned white from gripping his staff so tightly.
Mr. Popo remained expressionless, but his lifeless eyes were fixed on the direction of Korin Tower below.
The instant Vitelli's ki appeared atop Korin Tower, Kami's eyes flew open. His pupils were filled with unprecedented solemnity and a trace of... fear!
"He went to Korin Tower! That ki... Even though he's deliberately holding it back, its true nature is astonishing! It's even more concentrated than when I sensed his awakening burst in the wilderness last time! Popo, I feel... he's grown stronger!"
Kami's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.
The trace of ki Vitelli had released at the top of Korin Tower was like a pebble thrown into deep water, sending clear ripples through the peaceful Lookout.
Mr. Popo nodded solemnly. "Yes, Kami. His ki is like a dormant volcano, containing far more power than we had estimated. It seems he made a deal with Master Korin."
Kami's heart was in his throat. He concentrated on sensing the activity below, ready for Vitelli to come visit at any moment. He had even prepared for the worst.
However, the scene he had expected—a sudden leap straight up to the Lookout—never happened.
After lingering atop Korin Tower for a little while, Vitelli's ki turned around without hesitation and sped away toward West City!
"He... He's just leaving?"
Kami froze, his taut nerves slow to register what had happened. His wrinkled old face was filled with astonishment.
He had imagined countless possible conversations and even conflicts, but it had never occurred to him that Vitelli would leave without even coming near the Lookout!
A hint of relief seemed to cross Mr. Popo's dark face. "Yes, Kami. He's gone. It seems... he has no intention of disturbing the Lookout's peace."
Kami stood where he was, gazing down at the sea of clouds, which had already grown still again, his feelings conflicted.
The oppressive presence had vanished, but the doubts in his mind had only deepened.
What is this man up to? Did he go to Korin Tower just for the Senzu Beans? What did he mean by what he said to Korin?
Vitelli's behavior was completely beyond his understanding. Could he really have come to Earth just to travel and live here?
The thought struck Kami as absurd, but he couldn't find a more reasonable explanation.