"Bottleneck?!"
Bulma sat bolt upright. The relaxed smile vanished from her face.
She knew Vitelli all too well. His greatest obsession and joy was getting stronger, and his power stalling out was bound to be a serious blow to his mood.
"What's going on? Has the Gravity Chamber reached the limits of its design? Or... is it something to do with your body?" she asked urgently, her mind already racing through technical specifications and biological knowledge.
Vitelli shook his head, propping up his chin with one hand as he fell into thought.
His gaze went distant as he muttered to himself, "I don't know... Let me think..."
In his mind, memories of all the different ways to get stronger in the Dragon Ball anime flashed by: training under King Kai? The accelerated time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? Breaking through on the brink of death? Or even having the Grand Elder on Namek unlock his potential...
"Could I... go find King Kai?"
He murmured the possibility, then shook his head, rejecting it almost at once. "Too much trouble, and Kaioken wouldn't do much for me... Or maybe I could ask Kami to let me use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
His eyes brightened at the thought, but soon dimmed again. "No... That place is too special. It's a trump card for turning things around at a crucial moment. I can't waste it just to break through a bottleneck..."
Seeing Vitelli frown as he sank into deep thought, Bulma didn't disturb him.
She simply sat quietly beside him, watching with warm, steadfast eyes.
She believed in her partner. Whatever method he ultimately chose, she would be his strongest support, providing everything he needed—technology, resources, and her unconditional trust.
Time passed in silence.
After a while, Vitelli sprang to his feet, a glint of resolve in his eyes.
He turned to Bulma. "I've thought of something. I need to go out for a while. I might not make it back for dinner... Don't wait for me."
Bulma nodded. "Okay. Be careful."
Vitelli said no more. He shot into the sky like a streak of light and raced toward the distant Korin Tower, which connected heaven and earth.
He flew so fast that he kicked up a whirlwind in the courtyard.
Only after his figure had vanished completely into the blue sky did Bulma snap back to her senses. Her delicate face filled with an unprecedented gravity.
"Vitelli... He actually... He actually said he might not come back for dinner?!"
She murmured, her voice rising. "This is bad! He's not even interested in eating?! This... this is unprecedented!"
If something could make a Saiyan lose his appetite, it had to be ten times worse than she'd thought!
Vitelli flew at breakneck speed, heading straight for the towering Korin Tower.
He landed on the platform at the top, perfectly at home there. Master Korin, the white cat, was holding his staff and watching him with wary resignation. Vitelli waved casually.
"Hey, Korin. Same as usual—the fish is in the Capsule. Got the Senzu Beans ready?" His practiced movements made it seem like an everyday transaction.
Master Korin looked at the Hoi-Poi Capsule Vitelli tossed him, then at his "quit stalling and make the trade" expression. His whiskers twitched, but he resigned himself to counting ten plump, emerald-green Senzu Beans from a jar in the corner and handing them over.
They both felt they'd gotten a good deal, and neither could be bothered to haggle.
Vitelli put away the Senzu Beans without lingering. He leaped through the invisible barrier at the top of the tower and flew toward the Lookout, floating high above the clouds.
At the edge of the Lookout's pristine white courtyard, Kami and his attendant, Mr. Popo, stood waiting like statues untouched by time.
Compared to their alarm when Vitelli had first arrived on Earth, they were remarkably calm now.
After all, for the past few months Vitelli had flown up every few days. He claimed he was passing by Korin Tower to bring Korin some fish, and sometimes stopped at the Lookout to admire the scenery from the outer edge.
After enough visits, Kami had gone from extreme wariness to... habitual suspicion.
When Vitelli landed lightly on the Lookout's spotless floor, Kami's green, wrinkled face remained expressionless. His deep-set eyes stayed fixed on Vitelli as he got straight to the point. "What exactly are you after on Earth?"
He'd been holding that question in for a long time. Vitelli's actions seemed harmless, but his unfathomable power remained Kami's greatest concern.
Vitelli rolled his eyes dramatically, looking at Kami as if to say, "Here we go again."
He spread his hands, his tone half exasperated, half teasing. "What am I after on Earth? Your weak planet? Your backward technology, aside from the Hoi-Poi Capsules? Your Dragon Balls, which make people jump through hoops and haggle just to grant a wish? Come on, give me one reason to invade Earth!"
He pointed at the Lookout beneath his feet. "Or is it that this place is so peaceful, it's good for spacing out?"
Kami was at a loss for words in the face of such a blunt, almost cutting reply.
Thinking it over, he had a point... Apart from the Dragon Balls, Earth seemed to have nothing worth coveting for such a powerful alien. But aside from the one time he'd accompanied his little girlfriend, Vitelli had never gone looking for the Dragon Balls.
As for women... Kami glanced at Vitelli's handsome face, which currently wore an expression that said "don't bother me," and silently dismissed the unlikely idea.
Kami fell silent for a moment. His taut nerves eased slightly, but his wariness remained.
He changed the subject, his tone softening. "Then what brings you here today?"
He'd noticed that Vitelli seemed different from his usual carefree, aimless visits. There was a hint of earnestness in his expression, as if he were looking for an answer.
Vitelli grinned, baring his even white teeth. "That's easy. I wanted to ask if you have somewhere especially sturdy and durable. I need to unleash my 'ki' at full power for an experiment. If I do it down below, I'm afraid I might lose control and flip a tectonic plate, hurting people or ruining the flowers and grass."
Kami gave a slight nod without asking why. He pointed a thin finger at the gleaming floor beneath them, his tone carrying a hint of pride. "The Lookout is made from divine power and the strongest materials on Earth. It can withstand your strength. If you want to show what you can do, you can do it here."
Vitelli's lips curled into a playful smile, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Oh? You sure? Just so you know, if I break anything, I'm not paying for it!" He made sure to give fair warning.
Kami nodded impassively. "That's fine."
He gestured for Mr. Popo to move back a little, then stood where he was, his cloudy eyes fixed on Vitelli as if silently telling him to begin.
Vitelli would never turn down a chance to get something for free.
He walked to the center of the Lookout's courtyard and slowly closed his eyes. The surroundings fell silent at once, leaving only the wind howling high above.
He clenched his fists at his waist, focused his mind inward, and began to feel the immense ki within him, guiding the tremendous power lying dormant throughout his body, surging like molten lava.
By his own estimate, his power level had already surpassed five million!
In theory, that was well beyond the threshold needed to become a Super Saiyan. But transforming wasn't a simple matter of numbers. It was more like a genetic lock that required a specific key or an intense emotion to unlock.
Vitelli had never transformed before. All he could do was experiment, guided by vague memories and instinct.
The first method that came to mind was the one Vegeta had taught the Saiyan from another universe in Dragon Ball Super: concentrate his power at a certain "point" on his back and imagine that it was the source and switch for his power.
"Concentrate... Gather... Imagine it's a switch... Turn it on..." Vitelli repeated silently. With intense focus, he tried to direct all his wild energy toward the area between his shoulder blades, like streams flowing into the sea.
He could feel the energy gathering behind him. The muscles in his back grew warm and taut, and a sense of immense power began to build.
Yet... he was still just a little short!
It was as though a membrane, thin as a cicada's wing yet impossibly tough, stood in his way. No matter how he pushed or guided the energy, the power capable of destroying the world couldn't break through the final restraint and complete its transformation.
It was like water reaching its boiling point but still somehow being one degree shy of boiling!
"Damn it!" After trying for ages to no avail, Vitelli cursed under his breath, overcome by frustration.
"People in the novels I read in my previous life got transported to the Dragon Ball world and either became strong just by logging in with a system or transformed by shouting because they were born with Super Saiyan blood... But when it's my turn, I don't even have a system, and getting Super Saiyan 1 is as hard as being constipated! I've got to grind it out myself, bit by bit!"
He opened his eyes and let out a long, resentful sigh. There was no doubt about it: the first method had failed.
"Looks like I'll have to try the most basic, most classic method—anger!"
Vitelli's gaze sharpened as he closed his eyes again. He began digging frantically through his memories for anything that could make him furious.
The one milk candy that a bigger kid had stolen from him at the orphanage?—Well... back then he'd only felt wronged and cried. Now it just seemed kind of funny.
Being mocked at school as a "motherless, fatherless stray" and saddled with the nasty nickname "Mutt"?—Hmm... That kid had later been beaten so badly he barely recognized himself. The anger had long since faded. He was even a little proud of himself.
Being cruelly dumped by his first girlfriend at university?—Uh... he'd only been upset for two days before meeting a prettier, more interesting senior at the library. He couldn't work up any anger over that!
Being forced to become Vegeta's bodyguard on Planet Vegeta?—Well... Vegeta had been so pitifully bullied by him, and he'd even stood him up and come to Earth alone... How was he supposed to get angry about that?
"Damn it! This is infuriating!" The more Vitelli thought about it, the more frustrated he became, and the more frustrated he became, the angrier he got. But that anger didn't come from those distant memories he'd long since made peace with. It came from his predicament right now!
"Why is it so easy for everyone else to get stronger?! They just check in, soak in hot springs, and boom! Why do I have to work myself to the bone training? Even transforming is a pain in the ass! Is this stupid transformation mechanic out to get me?! Huh? Look at me when I'm talking to you!!! You piece of trash!!!"
The intense frustration, resentment, and self-doubt caused by how difficult it was to transform poured into him like water splashing into a vat of boiling oil!
BOOM!!!
Without warning, a golden aura of unimaginable, frenzied power exploded out of Vitelli! Like a volcano dormant for billions of years erupting without warning, a dazzling golden light swallowed him up, forming a colossal pillar that connected heaven and earth and shot straight into the sky!
Terrifying golden shockwaves surged outward in a ring, battering everything around Vitelli like a tangible tsunami.
Kami and Mr. Popo, standing nearby, had no time to react. They felt an irresistible force slam into them!
"Ugh!" Kami managed only a brief cry before the old man's body was flung away like a leaf in a gale. He crashed heavily into a distant wall of the Lookout with a thud, then slid to the ground, his staff flying far away.
Mr. Popo's dark figure fared no better. The violent waves swept him up, sent him tumbling through the air several times, and finally dropped him onto the hard floor with a thump.
Faced with this sudden burst of power, which seemed capable of shaking the stars, the entire magnificent, sturdy Lookout let out a deep, sustained groan under the strain! The white floor shook violently, fine dust trickled from the ceiling, and the Lookout's seemingly solid decorations swayed wildly!
The Lookout looked as if it were suffering divine punishment!
"Aaaaaah!!!"
At the heart of the pillar of light, Vitelli roared with fury and pure release, as if his chest were about to tear apart!
The golden aura around him danced and surged wildly, its shape changing dramatically. His short, jet-black, spiky hair seemed to be pulled upward by an invisible force. One by one, the strands stood on end, and before their very eyes the black drained away beneath the golden light, replaced by dazzling, pure gold!
His tightly shut eyes snapped open! For a moment, the golden light made his pupils disappear, leaving only the whites of his eyes. The veins on his forehead bulged like coiling dragons. His muscles swelled to their limit beneath the golden light, and his bones crackled.
"Damn it!!! HAAAAAA!!!"
With that heart-wrenching cry, as if he were trying to shatter the sky, Vitelli's transformation was complete!
The blinding golden light dimmed slightly but still wrapped around him like burning flames, forming a raging golden blaze.
His hair, standing straight up, had turned completely golden! His emerald-green pupils returned, like two cold jade stones set in a face made sharper and more striking by his surging power, its wild beauty all the more pronounced.
An indescribably powerful, oppressive aura swept through the entire Lookout like a storm!
Super Saiyan—Vitelli!
He hovered half a foot above the ground, looking down in delight at his hands, which were wrapped in golden flames. He felt the raging power surging through him like an ocean, dozens of times stronger than before, if not more!
The bottleneck that had troubled him for so long was as fragile as paper before this power!
Joy washed over him in an instant!
But after the initial rush came an utterly absurd thought: he'd done it. He'd transformed!
But the reason he'd managed to become a Super Saiyan... was that he'd been furious over his inability to transform?! What was that supposed to mean? He got angry because he couldn't transform, and that anger made him transform?
The logic was a perfect loop! It was the strangest transformation in Saiyan history!
Vitelli hovered in midair, feeling the explosive power within him. His golden hair moved without wind in the blazing aura. His emerald eyes swept over the wrecked courtyard, finally settling on Kami in the distance, who had just struggled to his feet. Covered in dust, Kami stared at him in utter shock, as if he'd seen a ghost.
Vitelli's lips slowly curled into an... expression too complicated to describe.
He'd gotten angry because he couldn't get angry, and that had made him transform?
Holy crap... that actually worked?!
Bulma Was Beside Herself with Worry
The instant Vitelli completed his Super Saiyan transformation, an indescribable, terrifying aura surged across the entire Earth like an invisible tsunami, radiating from the Lookout atop Korin Tower!
The aura was powerful, frenzied, and filled with a destructive pressure.
Inside Kame House, out on the ocean, Master Roshi was bent over in an extremely lecherous pose, his old face almost pressed against the TV screen as he watched the latest exciting rerun of the "Global Aerobics Tournament."
Suddenly, an irresistible, violent aura slammed into him! His body pitched backward uncontrollably, and he landed hard on his rear with a thump. His sunglasses slid crookedly across his face.
"Ow!"
He cried out in pain, then struggled for a while before finally getting back to his feet. The lecherous excitement on his face was instantly replaced by utter shock.
He rushed to the window, staring toward Korin Tower with his cloudy old eyes. Cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of his floral shirt.
"Th-this aura... It belongs to that boy Vitelli?! How... How could it be so terrifying?!"
He murmured to himself, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Compared to this aura, the power Vitelli had shown at the Martial Arts Tournament was like a firefly beside the moon!
Just then, Krillin came in through the door, cheerfully holding a bulging wallet. "Master Mutaito, I finished my work training! The boss said I was fast and good at hauling bricks, so he paid me three people's wages!"
He spotted Master Roshi's disheveled appearance and pale face and froze. "Master, what happened? Did you throw your back out again?"
Master Roshi finally managed to recover from the aftershock of that heart-chilling aura. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart, then shook his head with a complicated expression.
"N-no, I'm fine. I'm just... getting old. My legs aren't as nimble as they used to be."
Only after accepting the wallet Krillin handed him did he manage to force a smile. "Good job, Krillin. Launch put your dinner in the fridge. Remember to heat it up yourself."
After Krillin left, still confused, Master Roshi turned back toward the seemingly peaceful sky. The shock on his face lingered.
His fingers, gripping the windowsill, had gone slightly white. He couldn't help murmuring to himself, "So... that punch... wasn't even close to your limit... Vitelli... Just what are you, boy?"