Over the following days, Goku and Bulma grew even more natural around each other. Other than bathing and sleeping, they were together almost every moment. Whether they were eating, training, or simply chatting, Goku and Bulma could always find something to talk about. Though they had not seen each other for many years, the distance between them had not widened in the slightest. Bulma would occasionally joke that the two of them seemed to have returned to their childhood, to those carefree, innocent, radiant days.
Bulma often shared her latest inventions or interesting news from Earth, while Goku would sometimes bring up their childhood adventures or discuss training techniques with her. Their conversations were neither restrained nor awkward, as though they had been born with an unspoken understanding.
Whenever Bulma smiled at Goku, he always returned it with the same sincerity. There was no barrier between them. Bulma increasingly realized that Goku's smile was more charming than ever. Even if he merely said something like, "I'm hungry," or, "This is delicious," her heart would involuntarily start racing.
Meanwhile, in the distant depths of space, Vegeta and Nappa awakened inside the sleeping chambers of their spaceship. After such a long slumber, both of them were still somewhat groggy. Vegeta opened his eyes, swept his gaze over the ship's interior, and calmly said, "There's a small planet nearby. It should fetch a good price."
Nappa nodded, then followed Vegeta in operating the ship's instruments. The spaceship swiftly started up and flew toward that planet.
The spaceship crashed into the ground like a meteor, making the earth quake and sending dust billowing everywhere. Once it landed, Vegeta and Nappa stepped out of the ship.
The surroundings were deathly silent, and the air carried an aura of desolation. Ruin lay everywhere. Clearly, some disaster