Dragon Ball, Saiyans Don't Just Want to Get Stronger!

Only after closing the bedroom door and sealing off the quiet within did Vitelli let out a long sigh, as if he had finally shed a thousand-pound burden.

The next second, he bolted toward the Gravity Chamber in the backyard like a wild horse unleashed, his speed so fast that he left a blurred afterimage in the morning mist!

"Click!" A dull locking sound echoed as he firmly bolted the heavy alloy door of the Gravity Chamber from the inside.

"Training! I need to train!"

Vitelli leaned his back against the cold metal door, feeling the familiar, oppressive atmosphere of the room, a look of relief and the faint joy of a narrow escape appearing on his face.

Heaven knows how mentally draining this week of dating had been for a training fanatic like him!

He felt that accompanying his girlfriend to shop, travel, and sightsee was more taxing than doing ten thousand squats under five hundred times gravity!

Inside the Gravity Chamber, Vitelli stretched his limbs, his eyes turning sharp once more. He took a deep breath and focused his intent.

"Hah!"

Golden light erupted! A violent yet condensed golden aura instantly enveloped his entire body, his hair standing on end and turning a brilliant gold, his emerald pupils flashing with a calm light amidst the radiance.

He intended to try training under gravity while in his Super Saiyan state; this would not only temper his strength but might also help him adapt to and master this form faster, perhaps even touching the threshold of "Full Power," where the aura is contained and consumption is minimal.

However, the ideal was plump, but reality was skeletal.

Five hundred times Earth's gravity pressed down like a tidal wave, but as it landed on Vitelli in his Super Saiyan form... it felt like he was wearing a coat that was just a little bit heavy?

Forget pressure; this didn't even count as a warm-up!

"Tsk!"

Vitelli curled his lip in frustration, the golden aura dissipating rapidly like a receding tide, and his hair returned to black.

"It really doesn't work; compared to my base state, there's no pressure at all."

He had no choice but to honestly deactivate his transformation, standing in the center of this high-pressure field in his base state, once again feeling that mountain-like, crushing weight.

Soon, the tightness in his muscles, the sensation of his blood rushing, and the fulfillment brought by the minute growth of his power under extreme pressure surged back, causing him to let out a satisfied hum.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom.

Bulma, who should have been fast asleep, quietly opened her eyes.

She tilted her head to listen to the almost imperceptible yet hurried footsteps outside the door fading away, until the dull sound of the Gravity Chamber door locking echoed through the house.

"Pfft..."

She couldn't help but laugh out loud, burying her face in the soft pillow as her shoulders shook slightly.

After a long while, she lifted her head, rolled her eyes at the ceiling with a playful, annoyed look, and muttered under her breath:

"Hmph! Stinky man, training freak! You blockhead!"

After muttering, she wrapped herself tighter in the quilt and turned over, sinking back into a satisfied slumber in the bedding that still held Vitelli's warmth.

Sunlight spilled gently through the gap in the curtains onto the corners of her smiling lips.

Life seemed to have returned to its familiar track: training, eating, and accompanying Bulma.

But in Vitelli's disciplined, three-point-one-line life, a new fixed extracurricular activity had been added—regular visits to the Lookout.

To repay Mr. Popo for his crucial guidance on power control last time, Vitelli had gone to great lengths.

He specifically sought out the top 2D handicraft master in West City, using special alloys and materials to meticulously craft a lifelike, detail-packed Shenron model.

When he presented this gift, which shimmered with a mysterious luster, to Mr. Popo on the plaza of the Lookout, the dark eyes of the eternally expressionless servant of the gods seemed to brighten slightly.

Although he remained his usual stoic self and said nothing.

The way he carefully took the model, his fingers gently tracing the dragon scale textures, and the fact that he wouldn't let it leave his hands, silently declared his extreme satisfaction with the gift.

Kami, standing to the side, watched Mr. Popo's attachment to the model, then looked at Vitelli, who had come empty-handed with no intention of bringing a gift for him, and his wrinkled green face tightened slightly.

Finally, he let out a heavy "Hmph!", flicked his sleeves, and with his hands behind his back, walked away with a clearly disgruntled gait, turning to disappear into the depths of the Lookout.

"Uh? What's up with... Kami?"

Vitelli was left confused by this sudden cold shoulder and asked Mr. Popo in bewilderment. (He had just graduated from university in his past life, and in this one, his brain was filled with muscles.)

Mr. Popo, cradling the Shenron model, simply shook his head silently, still not speaking.

Vitelli didn't dwell on it; he had another purpose for this visit: "Mr. Popo, I came this time to continue my training with you. I feel there is still much room for improvement in my precise control of power."

Mr. Popo finally looked up, stared at Vitelli for a moment with those vacant eyes, and spoke slowly, his voice still flat and waveless:

"What I can teach, I already taught last time. The clarity of mind, the harmony of power, the stability of the foundation... the rest of the path is one you must walk yourself. Now, I have nothing new to teach you."

Having said that, he hugged his beloved model and turned to leave the plaza to attend to his duties.

Watching Mr. Popo's short, stout back—which seemed to hold some profound meaning—disappear into the corridor of the Lookout, Vitelli stood on the empty plaza, feeling the biting cold wind at high altitude. After a long while, he sighed deeply:

"It seems that when it comes to training, one can only rely on oneself in the end..."

Time flew by, and another peaceful and fulfilling year passed.

On this afternoon, the sun was just right.

Bulma was wearing light summer clothes, lying comfortably under a huge parasol in the courtyard, flipping through the latest technology magazine.

Suddenly, a vibrant voice came from above:

"Hello! Are Vitelli and Bulma here?"

Bulma looked up at the sound, only to see a golden cloud hovering above the estate, with Son Goku sitting atop it, looking just as he had when they last met.

He had grown a little taller, and the childishness on his face had faded, yet his eyes remained clear and bright, carrying that familiar, innocent smile.

"Huh? Goku!"

Bulma sat up in surprise and waved at the sky.

"What are you doing here? Come on down!"

Goku steered the Flying Nimbus to a graceful landing on the lawn, looking around the exquisite estate with curiosity.

"Bulma! I finally found you!"

He greeted her happily, then craned his neck to look around.

"Doesn't Vitelli live here? I can't sense his energy at all."

Hearing that he was looking for Vitelli, Bulma didn't bother getting up.

She lazily reclined back onto her beach chair and pointed a finger toward the massive metal structure in the backyard.

"Looking for Vitelli? He's got a pretty cool new hairstyle—his hair turned gold. See that building? He's training in there. Just go ahead and ring the doorbell."

"Golden hair?"

Goku scratched his head, walking toward the Gravity Chamber with a curious expression.

He pressed the doorbell, the crisp "ding-dong" echoing clearly through the quiet courtyard.

"Vitelli! Are you in there?"

Inside the Gravity Chamber.

Vitelli, maintaining his Super Saiyan Full Power form, was hovering cross-legged in mid-air.

The golden aura around him burned silently like a gentle flame, his energy restrained to the absolute limit, almost blending into the surrounding environment.

He kept his eyes closed, immersed in the subtle flow of power and the perfect coordination of his body.

The sound of the doorbell and Goku's familiar voice pierced through the heavy alloy door and reached his ears.

"Kakarot?" Vitelli slowly opened his emerald eyes, a hint of confusion flashing across them. "What is this kid doing here?"

With a slight shift of his will, he landed lightly, and the golden aura surrounding him vanished in an instant.

He walked to the door, and with a hiss, the heavy alloy door slid to the side.

"Goku? What brings you here to find me?"

Vitelli looked at the young Saiyan, who seemed to have grown a bit taller and whose energy had become much more refined.

The moment Goku saw Vitelli, his eyes lit up like searchlights!

He keenly sensed the terrifying, abyss-like energy radiating from the other man. Just standing before him made his body instinctively tremble—a physiological reaction he couldn't suppress when a weakling faced a powerhouse!

"Wow! You're so strong, Vitelli!"

Goku shouted excitedly, not a trace of fear on his face, only pure fighting spirit and exhilaration.

"I'm actually trembling just standing in front of you! That's amazing! How did you do that?"

Vitelli looked at him, annoyed, and reached out to pinch Goku's still-slightly-chubby cheek, squeezing hard. "State your business. Since when did you learn how to butter people up?"

"Butter people up?" Goku winced, struggling while asking in confusion, "What's that? Is it a type of horse meat I can eat?"

Vitelli: "..." He was completely defeated and simply let go, sighing as he rubbed his forehead.

"Ugh... you kid... never mind. Tell me, what is it? You didn't come all this way just to compliment me, did you?"

Goku rubbed his reddened cheek and grinned, his fighting spirit soaring. "I came to ask you to join the World Martial Arts Tournament! I didn't get to fight you in the last Martial Arts Tournament, and it was such a shame! This time, I'm definitely going to beat you!"

He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with intense battle intent.

"Oh~?"

Vitelli curled his lips into a playful arc, looking Goku up and down.

"You're quite confident, Kakarot. But..." He reached out and tapped Goku on the forehead.

"With your current strength? You're still far off, you brat!" As he spoke, he made a move to pinch his cheek again.

"Ah! Damn it! No more pinching my face!" Goku agilely jumped back, protesting with puffed-out cheeks.

Vitelli laughed, pulled his hand back, and said seriously, "I won't be participating in this Martial Arts Tournament."

"Huh? Why?" The excitement on Goku's face instantly collapsed into disappointment.

"Because you guys," Vitelli shrugged, his tone carrying an infuriating sense of obviousness, "are all just too weak. Do you even have to ask? Fighting you feels like bullying children."

Seeing the light fade from Goku's eyes, Vitelli changed the subject, a mischievous glint in his gaze.

"However... since you're so eager to improve, I could help you get stronger. Do you want to give it a try?"

"Eh?! I can get stronger?!" Goku's eyes lit up again instantly. "What method?!"

Vitelli turned and walked straight back into the Gravity Chamber, tossing a single sentence over his shoulder: "Want to know? Keep up!"

"Huh? How come you came over by yourself? Where is Goku?"

At dusk, Bulma looked at Vitelli, who had just finished a shower and appeared beside her looking refreshed with damp hair, and asked curiously.

"That kid Goku?" Vitelli plopped down onto the beach chair next to Bulma, picked up the half-finished juice she had been drinking, and took a generous gulp without ceremony. "He's in the Gravity Chamber training his life away. Tell the chef to prepare extra for dinner—let's say... hmm, three times my usual portion. Otherwise, it definitely won't be enough for that kid to devour."

"Oh~~"

Bulma drew out the sound, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Since Goku has hogged your precious Gravity Chamber, what are you going to do? Do you want me to haul out the first-generation Gravity Chamber my dad built for you from the warehouse? It's a bit old, but it's better than nothing, right?"

Vitelli leaned back comfortably against the chair, gazing at the brilliant sunset on the horizon, and slowly shook his head. "No need."

His tone was calm and resolute. "For me now, it doesn't make much of a difference whether I have a Gravity Chamber or not."

Bulma keenly caught a subtle hesitation in his words and turned her head to look at him. "Hm? What happened?"

Vitelli turned his head to meet Bulma's concerned gaze and said frankly, "I... have hit a bottleneck again."

"Eh?!" Bulma's expression shifted slightly. She sat up straight immediately, her tone laced with nervousness. "A bottleneck?! You aren't going to disappear for days without a word again, are you?!" The memory of Vitelli's last "disappearance" still left her feeling uneasy.

Seeing Bulma's sudden tension, Vitelli felt a warmth in his heart and reached out to hold her slightly cool hand. "This... probably won't happen for the time being."

He smiled, trying to put her at ease, but then added with some uncertainty, "Though... it's hard to say this time. Breaking through a bottleneck sometimes requires... a catalyst."

He paused, looked into Bulma's still-worried eyes, and stated his plan. "How about this, do me a favor tomorrow."

"What favor?"

"Gather some well-known chefs and pastry chefs to the estate."

Vitelli's eyes became serious, even carrying a hint of... anticipation?

"Chefs?" Bulma was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant. She let out a huff of annoyance, her small mouth pouting slightly as if she wanted to throw a little tantrum.

This training maniac wasn't thinking about spending time with her, but was thinking about food first?

But on second thought, the way Vitelli usually indulged and tolerated her made the small dissatisfaction in her heart instantly melt into helplessness and indulgence.