"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?! I heard that!"
Caulifla's brows shot up as she shouted, stepping directly into Goku and Vegeta's path. She had overheard Goku's comment, and her temper was already flaring. Sure, there might be a grain of truth to it, but hearing Goku talk down about her, especially compared to a younger kid, instantly set her off.
"Hmph! What? Was Uncle Goku wrong?"
Before Goku could even open his mouth, Super Perfect Cell jumped into the fray. Spotting Caulifla's irritation, he seized the chance to stir the pot.
"My Big Sister is incredible! She can transform into Super Saiyan 4 with ease!" Cell pointed at Caulifla with a smug grin, sticking his tongue out. "And you? You're stuck at Super Saiyan 3 at best. Isn't it obvious who's stronger?"
He planted his hands on his hips, shaking his head with exaggerated pity. "And to top it off, you're way older than my Big Sister, yet you're still weaker. Tsk, tsk... How embarrassing."
Cell had been waiting for payback ever since their first encounter, where Caulifla had treated him like an annoying bug. Now he was taking full advantage of the opportunity.
Caulifla's aura erupted, golden energy flaring as she prepared to pounce. Seeing the chaos unfolding, the two Empty Shells quietly backed away, wanting no part of the crossfire.
Trunks stood off to the side like a statue, watching the ridiculous spectacle with absolute detachment. A single word from him would make Cell shut his mouth instantly, but he saw no reason to intervene.
As far as Trunks was concerned, the alliance with Universe 6 had served its purpose. Having fought Hit and learned from the experience, he had already absorbed those lessons into his own combat style. More importantly, Piccolo, the one person he was most concerned about, had advanced safely.
As for the Super Dragon Balls, his plan remained unchanged: he intended to follow the original trajectory and restore the erased universes.
Right now, Trunks was far more intrigued by Sarada, a Saiyan prince who had never existed in the original timeline. Trunks quietly observed him, curious to see how this alternative royal would handle the escalating drama.
---
"Come on, then!" Cell threw his head back, taunting Caulifla further. "What, you want a piece of me?! Fine by me!"
Caulifla nearly lost her mind. When had anyone ever dared to speak to her like that? She lunged forward, but before she could take a full stride, a strong arm cut across her path, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Calm down, Caulifla," Sarada said with a dry chuckle, holding her back.
"Let go of me, Sarada!" Caulifla twisted and pulled, gripping his arm with both hands to pry herself loose, but Sarada's arm remained unyielding.
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Sarada tried to reason with her. "The kid's got a big mouth, but technically speaking, he isn't entirely wrong."
That only poured gasoline on the fire. Caulifla's face turned bright red as a golden light exploded around her, forcing her into Super Saiyan.
"I SAID LET GO OF ME, SARADA!" Her furious scream echoed across the arena floor.
Kale immediately stepped up to back her friend. She knew starting a brawl with Universe 7 could derail their fragile alliance, but she couldn't just stand by while Caulifla was restrained.
"Kale, not you too," Sarada sighed, looking helplessly between the two. "Fighting among ourselves gets us nowhere. If you really want a rematch, at least wait until the tournament wraps up."
Kale kept her lips tightly sealed, glaring daggers at Cell.
Sarada shook his head internally. 'Man... I seriously need to help Kale fix her boundaries. She's glued to Caulifla twenty-four hours a day and doesn't even realize how co-dependent she's being.'
He considered stepping in with force, but she was his sister; he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with her.
Then a name crossed his mind: Z Broly.
Reflecting on their past interactions, Sarada realized Z Broly was one of the few people who could genuinely keep Kale in check. After all, the monster had completely suppressed her wilder impulses before.
'Hmm... maybe Z Broly really is the only guy who can keep her grounded,' Sarada thought, a faint grin creeping onto his face. 'When this is over, maybe I should try playing matchmaker. Might fix her habits and align her preferences all at once.'
Trunks caught the strange smile flitting across Sarada's face and blinked in subtle surprise. As a Saiyan prince, Sarada should have projected an air of cold authority, much like Vegeta. Instead, this prince was remarkably easygoing, carefree, informal, and utterly lacking the rigid pride typical of royal blood.
'He's a prince, but he acts like a complete goofball,' Trunks thought to himself with a trace of amusement.
Through their mental connection, Vegeta picked up on Trunks's thoughts, paused, and cast a glance over at Sarada wrangling Caulifla.
"Tch." Vegeta turned his head away. He didn't care about diplomatic squabbles, his only concern was how much strength the Universe 6 Prince actually possessed.
---
As the argument threatened to spin out of control, Goten quietly nudged Bulla. "Bulla, shouldn't you go break that up? You're kind of the reason they're arguing in the first place."
Bulla glanced at Trunks, then back at Goten. "Brother doesn't seem interested in stopping it. Should I really step in?"
"Just ask him," Goten suggested.
Bulla walked over to Trunks. "Brother, can I go calm them down?"
Trunks snapped out of his contemplation of Sarada's strange personality and nodded smoothly. "Sure. Go ahead."
With greenlit permission, Bulla strolled right up to Cell, who looked relieved to see backup arriving.
"Big Sister, you wouldn't believe…"
Before Cell could finish, Bulla zipped past him like a gust of wind, stopping directly in front of Caulifla.
"Wait, you're a Saiyan too?!" Bulla's eyes sparkled with playful excitement. "Awesome! I didn't think I'd meet another female Saiyan here!" She looked Caulifla up and down, then tilted her head. "Wait... where's your tail? Aren't Saiyans supposed to have tails?"
The sudden barrage of questions caught Caulifla off guard. Bulla turned toward Sarada with a cheerful smile. "Hey, mister! Do me a favor and let her go? That looks super uncomfortable."
Sarada had been observing Bulla closely. Recognizing her relaxed demeanor and lack of hostility, he promptly let Caulifla go.
The moment she was released, Caulifla dropped into a aggressive fighting stance. But Bulla didn't give her the chance to strike.
"Honestly, not having a tail looks pretty sleek," Bulla noted casually, twirling slightly. Then her tone grew more deliberate. "Though... a tail is actually a required condition if you want to achieve Super Saiyan 4."
Caulifla's aggressive posture instantly froze.
"If you had one," Bulla continued, a sly smile touching her lips, "you might be able to reach Super Saiyan 4 too. And as it happens... I know a great method to help grow one back."
The hostility in Caulifla's eyes evaporated, replaced instantly by intense curiosity.
Inheriting Bulma's sharp wit and Vegeta's Saiyan instincts, Bulla had read Caulifla perfectly. Pure-blooded Saiyans hungered for power above all else, and seeing Goku and Trunks in Super Saiyan 4 had clearly left an impression on her.
"Wait, seriously?!" Caulifla leaned in, completely hooked. "I can reach Super Saiyan 4 too?!"
Cell opened his mouth to throw another insult, but a single sharp glare from Bulla shut him up completely.
"Yep," Bulla smiled, turning to walk away. "Come over here with me and I'll explain the whole process."
Caulifla followed without hesitation, with Kale trailing behind them.
Sarada let out a long sigh of relief. "Whew... finally." But seeing Kale follow Caulifla like a shadow again, his matchmaker scheme hardened into a firm goal for after the tournament.
---
nearby, Frieza leaned casually against a decorative pillar, crossing his arms. "Tch. What a noisy bunch. Saiyan monkeys are insufferable no matter which universe they hail from."
Sarada glanced over at Frieza, then down at the unconscious Frost lying nearby on the floor. The uncanny physical resemblance was impossible to ignore.
"Oh?" Sarada raised an eyebrow. "So you're Universe 7's version of Frost?"
Frieza's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Do not insult This Great King by comparing me to that pathetic amateur. At the very least, I do not need to rely on cheap poison needles to win a fight."
Frieza walked slowly toward the unconscious Frost, an unnaturally polite expression settling over his face. He turned to Piccolo.
"Namekian... would you be so kind as to restore his stamina? Please."
Piccolo didn't suspect a thing. Assuming Universe 6 and Universe 7 were now allied in good faith, he saw Frieza's request as a gesture of teamwork. Without hesitation, Piccolo channeled his healing energy into Frost's body.
Vitality surged back into Frost's frame. Moments later, the Universe 6 emperor groaned and slowly pulled himself up from the ground.
He looked around, blinking in complete disorientation, as if pieces of his short-term memory had been cleanly wiped.
Watching from the side, Cell had to bite his tongue to keep from bursting out laughing. He knew the history between those two, Frost had openly swore vengeance against Frieza during their time in the Space Prison.
Piccolo had innocently healed Frieza's target right back onto his feet, completely blind to the malice behind Frieza's polite request.
As Frost stood there, thoroughly confused, a heavy hand landed silently on his shoulder.
Frost spun around, his eyes locking directly onto Frieza's cold, razor-sharp smile.
"Ohohoho..." Frieza purred quietly. "Long time no see, Frost."
(End Of This Chapter)
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