She sighed, clasped Vitelli's hand in hers, and said with resignation, "All right, all right! What can I say? You're the man I chose, after all. Eat as much as you want—I'll make sure there's plenty!"
Watching Bulma's adorable "I can't do anything with you" expression, Vitelli gently drew her into his arms and smiled. "It's not me who's going to eat it. I just want to run an experiment. I'll tell you about it if it works tomorrow."
"Huh?" Bulma pouted and flopped into his arms. The two of them nestled together in the wide beach chair, gazing at the sky, dyed golden red by the setting sun.
Vitelli rested his chin lightly on the crown of Bulma's head. The brilliant sunset was reflected in the depths of his emerald eyes, along with a hint of curiosity and anticipation about the unknown.
"I hope tomorrow..." he murmured. His voice faded into the gentle breeze. "I hope everything goes smoothly."
Chapter 16: Bulma Gets Angry
Brief Manor was quiet in the early morning. Sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, casting warm patches of light across the floor.
Vitelli and Bulma slept soundly in each other's arms, breathing evenly.
For once, Vitelli hadn't gotten up early to go to the Gravity Chamber. He was enjoying the rare luxury of lazing in bed.
However, the peace didn't last long.
"Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!"
A flurry of forceful knocks burst outside the bedroom door like firecrackers!
"Vitelli! Are you up? Are you up? Vitelli! Bang, bang, bang!"
Goku's energetic, booming voice and the loud knocking pierced straight through the door and into their ears.
"Mmm..."
Frowning as the noise disturbed her, Bulma grumbled in dissatisfaction and instinctively snuggled closer to Vitelli, burying her face against his chest.
Vitelli jolted awake. The sleepiness vanished from his brow, and a vein at his temple began to twitch.
Carefully slipping the arm Bulma had been using as a pillow free, he sat up quietly. Looking at Bulma, who had woken groggily and was frowning with her delicate brows, he said softly, "It's okay. Go back to sleep. I'll see what the hell that idiot wants so early in the morning."
His voice was full of irritation.
Still half-asleep, Bulma nodded and, like a cat that hadn't had enough sleep, pulled the blanket over her head and drifted back into dreamland.
Vitelli yanked open the door, his mood dark as a storm cloud.
Goku's excited face appeared outside.
"Vitelli! I got stronger! Your iron room was so useful! I feel like—"
Goku eagerly launched into an excited report about his training, chattering nonstop.
Without a word, Vitelli struck like lightning and pinched Goku's chubby cheek, twisting it hard!
"Ow!" Goku cried out in pain, but his excitement didn't fade. He seemed used to Vitelli's particular way of saying hello.
"You idiot! Why are you waking people up at the crack of dawn?!" Vitelli asked in a low, harsh voice.
"I got stronger, Vitelli!"
Goku didn't mind having his cheek pinched. His voice remained booming. "Really! That iron room is amazing! Even punching feels different in there!"
Watching Goku's excitement, Vitelli felt his temples throb.
He simply grabbed Goku by the back of his shirt, lifted him like an unruly puppy, carried him into the spacious living room, and tossed him onto the sofa.
"Enough, enough! Quiet! I'm going to wash up first. Tell me whatever you have to say after I'm done!"
Vitelli spoke irritably and turned toward the bathroom, muttering under his breath, "Seriously, you got a little stronger. Is that really worth getting this excited over? Country bumpkin..."
He seemed to have forgotten how thrilled he'd been when he first got a little stronger, eager to share the news with someone—if only he'd had anyone suitable to talk to back on Planet Vegeta.
As soon as he stepped into the bathroom, Goku's voice followed him again. "Vitelli! I'm starving! I haven't eaten anything since I started training last night!"
Vitelli stopped and rolled his eyes helplessly. He shouted toward the living room, "I heard you! Wait!"
He ordered the Robot Butler through the smart home system to prepare a hearty breakfast, then yawned and started washing up.
By the time he'd finished and returned to the living room, refreshed, Goku was already seated at the huge dining table, devouring the mountain of food before him.
Watching the food disappear at an absurd rate, Vitelli rubbed his stomach. He wasn't very hungry just after waking up, but...
"Might as well," he muttered, pulling out a chair and joining in.
The racket of the two of them eating heartily caught Mrs. Brief's attention. She had been tending lovingly to her flowers, plants, and little animals in the garden.
She set down her small pruning shears and curiously walked into the dining room.
"My, my~ You've got quite an appetite this early, Vitelli!"
Mrs. Brief smiled as she took in the magnificent scene at the table. Then her gaze fell on the unfamiliar Goku. "And who's this adorable little boy?"
Vitelli swallowed his food and introduced him. "Good morning, Mrs. Brief. This is Goku. He's a friend I met when Bulma and I were searching for the Dragon Balls."
"Oh, so you're Goku!"
Mrs. Brief immediately greeted him with great enthusiasm. She went over to him and, seeing the gusto with which he ate, couldn't resist ruffling his spiky hair. "You're so cute! Eat plenty, okay? There's lots more food at home!"
Goku's cheeks were stuffed full as he mumbled, "Mmm! Thanks, big sis!"
"Big sis?" Mrs. Brief paused in surprise, then burst into laughter at the unexpected compliment. She couldn't stop laughing.
"My, what a sweet little charmer! You sure know how to talk!"
Vitelli watched from the side, secretly astonished. What a kid! He really knows how to win people over! He's terrifyingly good at it!
At last, the sumptuous breakfast came to an end.
Vitelli took Goku to the Gravity Chamber in the backyard.
"How many times gravity can you handle now?" Vitelli asked.
Goku counted carefully on his fingers before answering, "Five times!"
Vitelli nodded and entered the command on the control panel. "Vrrrm..."
The lights inside the Gravity Chamber dimmed slightly, and an invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire space.
To Vitelli, the increased gravity felt like a breeze.
He looked at Goku. The other boy was still standing straight, breathing evenly. Clearly, he had already fully adapted to five times gravity.
"Not bad," Vitelli said, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You've adapted to five times gravity in just one day. That's just like you, Kakarot."
Goku grinned at the praise and excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Come on, Vitelli! Let's spar! I want to see just how big the gap between us is!"
"Hmm... all right. Let's give it a try."
Vitelli didn't waste words. He walked to the center of the training ground, crossed his arms over his chest, and raised his chin slightly, perfectly imitating the future Vegeta's "I'm invincible" swagger from his memories.
He crooked a finger at Goku. "Come at me with everything you've got. Let's see how much you've improved, Goku!"
Goku's expression turned serious as he immediately assumed the classic opening stance of the Turtle Hermit Style.
"Here I come! Hah!" he shouted. His body shot forward like lightning, and he thrust a fist straight at Vitelli's face!
Vitelli stood motionless. With a casual lift of his hand, he caught Goku's swift punch perfectly.
A slight twist of his wrist sent Goku flying like a punching bag!
"Show me what you can really do, you idiot! You're still holding back against me?" Vitelli sounded exasperated.
Goku landed with a nimble flip. The easygoing look on his face was gone, replaced by a serious expression.
He stopped holding back, and his speed exploded!
A storm of fists swept toward Vitelli as Goku shouted, "A-da-da-da!"
Vitelli's lips curled into a faint smile. "Now we're talking."
He stayed where he was, his body shifting like a phantom. His feet didn't move at all.
Every one of Goku's punches missed by a hair, without even brushing against Vitelli's clothes!
Seeing Vitelli dodge his all-out attack with such ease, Goku gritted his teeth and called out, "Afterimage Technique!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
In an instant, seven or eight afterimages of Goku appeared around Vitelli, all attacking at once! The strikes were real and illusory, enough to leave an ordinary opponent bewildered.
Vitelli couldn't even be bothered to distinguish between them. His voice carried a hint of disappointment. "Seriously, Goku? You think a little trick like this is going to fool me?"
As he spoke, the real Goku had silently slipped around behind him.
Goku clasped his hands together, a flash of excitement in his eyes.
While Vitelli seemed focused on the afterimages in front of him, Goku shouted, "Rock, paper, scissors! Hah!!!"
He slammed a rock-paper-scissors punch, channeling most of his strength into it, straight at the back of Vitelli's head!
But Vitelli seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.
He didn't even turn around. He simply tilted his head to the side, and the fierce wave of energy whistled past his ear!
At the same time, his right leg snapped backward like a scorpion's tail, delivering a lightning-fast upward kick to Goku behind him!
"Thud!"
The kick landed squarely on Goku's head. His missed attack had left him briefly frozen in place!
"Yaaah!" Goku had no time to block. He let out a scream and flew backward like a kite with its string cut, tumbling across the ground several times.
"Y-you're so strong!" Goku clutched his dizzy head and grimaced as he got back to his feet.
He rubbed his aching cheek, but his eyes burned even brighter as he crouched low again.
In an instant, he drove his foot into the ground. The floor trembled slightly as he shot toward Vitelli like an arrow, his momentum even more ferocious than before!
"Hah! A-da-da-da!!!"
An even denser combination of punches and kicks, each more powerful than before, came crashing down on Vitelli!
"Oh? Is that all you've got, Goku?"
Vitelli's voice remained calm.
This time, he didn't dodge. Just as Goku's fist shadows were about to reach him, Vitelli's hands darted out like butterflies among the flowers and seized both of Goku's wrists.
At the same time, his right foot shot up like lightning and slammed into Goku's unguarded stomach with a powerful front kick!
"Uwaaah!" Goku let out a pained cry. As if hit by a speeding truck, he doubled over and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
Clutching his stomach, he curled into a ball and couldn't get up for quite a while, managing only to groan in pain.
Watching Goku struggle, Vitelli didn't pursue him.
He knew that this stubborn kid was still nowhere near his limit.
Sure enough, after catching his breath, Goku slowly forced himself back to his feet, enduring the pain.
This time, he didn't charge in recklessly.
He lowered his head and silently drew both hands together at his waist, palms facing each other. A powerful energy began to gather between them, radiating brilliant blue light!
Kamehameha—
Goku's voice was low and firm, filled with the resolve to risk everything!
Seeing Goku prepare to give it everything he had, Vitelli's eyes flashed with approval.
He didn't want to casually wave his hand and crush an ultimate attack that Goku had poured all his strength into. That would be far too discouraging.
Sighing, Vitelli abandoned the idea of easily breaking the technique and slowly raised both hands, holding them out in front of his chest with his palms facing forward.
"If you want to clash beams... fine."
Vitelli's voice brimmed with anticipation.
After all, beam clashes were the ultimate romance for men!!!
A heart-stopping white light began to gather in his palms as well!
Both of them were wreathed in surging auras. Their powerful energy made the air inside the Gravity Chamber ripple and twist! The light grew ever brighter, illuminating the entire space as if it were broad daylight!