The World Martial Arts Tournament had come to an end. With the clamor fading, even the sea breeze on Papaya Island seemed to grow lazy.
The organizing committee worked efficiently, and soon handed out the prize money to all the winners.
Son Goku had undoubtedly won the championship's massive 500,000 Zeni prize. Grinning from ear to ear, he spun around on the spot with the check in his hands, already calculating how much delicious food he could buy.
Though Tien Shinhan had settled for second place, he still received a sizable prize. His expression remained stern, but his deeply furrowed brows relaxed a little. Lin Fan had made it to the semifinals and received a reward of 100,000 Zeni.
To Lin Fan, that 100,000 Zeni meant a great deal.
It was the first real fortune he had earned through his own abilities since arriving in this strange and dangerous world.
The thick stack of bills felt heavy in his hand, and carried the distinctive smell of ink. It gave him a sense of security that was hard to put into words.
He was finally no longer that penniless "five-second fighter" who had wandered the wilderness naked.
This money was enough to cover his basic needs and even... buy some common medicinal ingredients for experimenting with alchemy.
"Wow! Lin Fan, you've got a lot of money too!"
Son Goku came over, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the bills in Lin Fan's hand. His tail swayed curiously. "You can buy so many meat buns with that!"
Krillin was happy for Lin Fan, too. "That's great! Now you won't have to keep wearing Bulma's old clothes!"
Bulma put her hands on her hips, wearing an expression that said, "You poor people have no idea what money is worth." "You're this happy over just 100,000 Zeni? That's not even enough to buy one of my latest limited-edition handbags!"
But when she looked at Lin Fan, her eyes shone with even more interest than they had when she saw the prize money.
After the awards ceremony, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Bulma grabbed Lin Fan just as he was about to leave and pulled him aside with a conspiratorial air. Her big blue eyes were full of excitement and curiosity.
"Hey, Lin Fan!"
She lowered her voice, as if worried someone might overhear a huge secret. "Now that the tournament's over, you must have some time. Tell me the truth! What's the deal with all those strange abilities of yours—the 'Shockwave' that shattered the stone slabs from the inside, the 'Calm Heart Mantra' that clears people's minds, the 'Wind Riding Technique' that lets you fly without using ki, and finally the 'Transparent Shield' that blocked the Tri-Beam and the 'True Qi Fist' that hit people from a distance? How do they work?"
She listed all the techniques Lin Fan had used in the ring as if reciting a catalog, her eyes growing brighter by the second. "This isn't ordinary martial arts or ki, is it? I checked, and the energy signatures are completely different! It's more like... an entirely new energy system! It's called 'True Qi,' right? You mentioned it before!"
Seeing Bulma's expression—the look of a scientific maniac confronted with an unsolved mystery—Lin Fan couldn't help smiling to himself. He nodded and admitted, half-truthfully, "You could put it that way. It's a form of energy... more focused on inner cultivation and precise control, unlike the explosive use of ki."
"I knew it!"
Bulma was so excited she nearly jumped. She grabbed Lin Fan's arm. "This energy is incredible! You don't need a huge amount of it to produce all kinds of unusual effects! If we could figure out how it works and put it to use..."
Her mind was already racing ahead, and her words came as fast as an Impact Gun firing. "We might be able to develop an entirely new energy system! Or more efficient protective gear! We could even... make equipment that gives people real superpowers! That's way more interesting than just making an Impact Gun with more power!"
Lin Fan put on a suitably troubled expression. "Research won't be easy. I only know what it does, not how it works. Many of my ideas are still theoretical, and I lack the means and equipment to test them. Cultivation itself also takes a great deal of time and resources..."
"Equipment? Resources? Money?"
Bulma waved a hand, her rich heiress confidence flaring up at once. "What kind of problem is that? My family has all of those in abundance!"
She stared at Lin Fan with shining eyes and made the offer she had been planning all along. "Lin Fan, come back to West City with me! My family has the most advanced labs in the world! We've got every kind of analytical instrument, material, and energy source you could need! My dad's company can provide any rare resources you want! As long as you're willing to cooperate with me on some... well... 'friendly' research, and teach me how to cultivate that 'True Qi,' you can use all those resources however you like! What do you say?"
Afraid Lin Fan might refuse, she hurriedly added, "Room and board included! I'll pay you a salary—ten times your tournament prize! No, a hundred times! And I can help you buy whatever 'cultivation resources' you need! Sounds like a good deal, right?"
Looking at Bulma's eager, sincere face, Lin Fan felt secretly delighted.
This was exactly what he needed!
A stable environment, a top-notch laboratory, a steady supplier of resources, and a chance to get closer to the core technology of this world.
Bulma's investment was worth far more than the 100,000 Zeni prize.
He didn't agree right away. Instead, he pretended to ponder for a moment, then slowly nodded under Bulma's expectant gaze. "Since you're so generous, Miss Bulma, and so interested in this field... I'll have to impose on you. Perhaps... combining science with ancient cultivation techniques really could produce something new."
"Yay! That's fantastic!"
Bulma cheered happily and immediately started making plans. "I'll have my family prepare the best lab! Oh, and think about what equipment and materials you'll need, then make me a list! And another thing—how exactly do you cultivate 'True Qi'? Do we need special instruments to monitor its flow?"
Seeing how eager she was, Lin Fan smiled. "We'll have to take our time and proceed step by step. For now, perhaps we can start by making a few simple things to test some ideas."
"No problem! Whatever you say, we'll make it!"
Bulma agreed without hesitation. To her, Lin Fan was no longer just a martial artist, but a fascinating scientific mystery!
The two of them struck their partnership right there by the seaside, in a way that was almost playful, yet utterly serious.
When Son Goku and Krillin learned that Lin Fan was going to West City with Bulma, they were a little sad to see him go, but happy for him, too.
"You're going to the big city, Lin Fan! Remember to eat lots of delicious food!"
Goku said through a mouthful of celebratory barbecue, his words muffled.
Krillin asked curiously, "Lin Fan, will you compete in the next World Martial Arts Tournament? You'll be even stronger by then, right?"
Lin Fan smiled as he said goodbye to them. "I will. Next time we meet, let's have a good match."
Master Roshi watched through his sunglasses as Bulma excitedly dragged Lin Fan along while chattering about "energy frequencies" and "resonance theory." A knowing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he muttered, "Heh, that crazy girl from the Brief family may have just stumbled across something incredible..."
And so, the World Martial Arts Tournament journey came to an end.
Rather than continue training under Master Roshi like Goku and Krillin, Lin Fan climbed into Bulma's luxury sports car and headed for the technological metropolis known as West City.
The scenery sped past outside the window. Lin Fan looked at the check for 100,000 Zeni in his hand, then at Bulma beside him, chattering endlessly about her boundless hopes for their future partnership.
His journey through the Dragon Ball World was about to enter a whole new stage.
Scientific cultivation?
Perhaps it really was worth a try.
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