While Whitley and the others were in the midst of a fiery battle with Cell MAX in the ruins of East City in the future timeline, with energy flying everywhere...
At this moment, Zeno's palace was as quiet and solemn as ever, standing outside the universe with a sense of timeless eternity.
In the center of the exceptionally grand hall, the captain of the Universe 11 Pride Troopers, the burly Toppo, was standing with his head bowed respectfully.
Before him was Lord Zeno, who was sitting on his huge divine throne, swinging his short little legs.
And at his side stood the Grand Priest, with a gentle smile on his face, yet exuding an aura that commanded the utmost respect.
"Toppo pays his respects to Lord Zeno and Lord Grand Priest."
Toppo's voice was loud and steady, and he bowed with the utmost reverence.
The Grand Priest gently raised his hand, and a soft force lifted Toppo up.
He said in a flat tone, "There is no need for such formalities, Toppo."
His gaze turned to the God of Destruction of Universe 11, Vermoud, who was standing beside Toppo with a relaxed expression, and even a hint of "I'm finally free."
Only then did he turn to Toppo and ask slowly, "Toppo, how long has it been since you became a candidate God of Destruction?"
Toppo thought for a moment and answered in a deep voice, "Reporting to Lord Grand Priest, it has been seven years since Toppo became a candidate God of Destruction."
"Seven years... that is not a short time."
The Grand Priest nodded slightly and continued, "The God of Destruction of your Universe 11, Vermoud, has recently submitted a request to me to abdicate his position. He has recommended you, believing that you are the best candidate to take over the position of the God of Destruction of Universe 11. Toppo, what are your own thoughts on this matter?"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, a look of unconcealable surprise appeared on Toppo's face.
He whipped his head to look at Vermoud beside him and asked in a tone filled with disbelief, "Lord Vermoud, did you really... submit a request to abdicate to Lord Grand Priest? May I ask why?"
Vermoud looked at Toppo's surprised expression, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.
He patted Toppo's shoulder and said in a relaxed tone, "That's right, Toppo, you heard me correctly. I am planning to step down and get some good rest. As for why I recommended you..."
He reined in his smile a little, and his eyes became serious. "I have seen your efforts and progress over these seven years. You are righteous, tenacious, and possess a strong conviction and sense of responsibility. Your understanding of the duties of a God of Destruction is also becoming deeper and deeper. I believe that in time, you will definitely become an excellent God of Destruction! I have high hopes for you, Toppo!"
Toppo fell silent upon hearing Vermoud's encouragement.
He lowered his head, his brow furrowed, as if in a fierce internal struggle.
After a long while, he finally looked up, his gaze first turning to the Grand Priest, and finally landing back on Vermoud's face.
He slowly but very firmly shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Lord Vermoud. I appreciate your good intentions, but... I'm afraid I cannot agree to take over the position of God of Destruction."
"What?!"
This time, it was Vermoud's turn to be surprised.
The relaxed expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced by astonishment and confusion. "Why? Toppo, your strength is already sufficient! You've only been studying for seven years, and you've already initially mastered the power of destruction, and you can even barely use Hakai! Among all the past candidate Gods of Destruction, your progress is already considered very excellent!"
Vermoud was really a little anxious.
Toppo was a seedling he had carefully selected and cultivated for seven years! His character, ability, and potential were all very satisfactory to him.
If Toppo was unwilling to take over, then his retirement plan would probably have to be postponed indefinitely!
He might have to stay in this position for another few hundred or even a thousand years before he could find another successor like Toppo, who suited his tastes in all aspects!
Thinking of the overwhelming amount of work... Vermoud felt a faint ache in his brain.
Toppo did not answer Vermoud's question directly but turned his gaze back to the ever-smiling Grand Priest and asked respectfully, "Esteemed Lord Grand Priest, Toppo has a question. I wonder if... Lord Grand Priest could answer it for me."
"Feel free. Go on, what is the question."
The Grand Priest seemed to have already expected him to ask.
Toppo took a deep breath and asked the question that had been circling in his mind for a long time. "May I ask, Lord Grand Priest, that... Mr. Whitley, the candidate God of Destruction of Universe 7, how long did it take him to completely master the power of destruction?"
Hearing Toppo mention Whitley, an imperceptible strangeness flashed in the Grand Priest's deep eyes. The curve of his lips seemed to become more pronounced, and he asked back in a teasing tone, "Oh? Are you sure you want to know how long Whitley took? Toppo, I must remind you, the answer to this question may be far beyond your expectations, and may even... deal a considerable blow to your confidence. Do you still want to know?"
There was no hesitation on Toppo's face. He nodded heavily with a firm gaze. "Yes! Lord Grand Priest, please tell me the answer! I want to know... just how big the gap is between me and a true genius!"
"Hehe, as you wish."
The Grand Priest chuckled lightly. The smile, in Toppo's eyes, seemed to carry a hint of "you asked for it."
Under Toppo's expectant and prepared-for-a-blow gaze, he said the number in a clear and steady tone. "According to his teacher, the angel of Universe 7, Whis, the time it took for Whitley from first coming into contact with destruction energy to completely mastering and freely using the power of destruction was..."
He paused slightly, seeming to enjoy the gradually freezing expression on Toppo's face. "...less than three months."
"Th-three... months... less than?!"
Toppo's pupils contracted to the size of a pinprick, the muscles on his face instantly stiffened, and his breathing even stopped!
Three months... less than?!
He had spent seven years and was still just hovering at the threshold, having barely touched the surface of the power of destruction. And that Whitley... had actually only used... less than three months?!
To completely master it?!
This answer was like an invisible heavy hammer, viciously smashing into Toppo's heart.
He knew Whitley was strong. His performance at the Tournament of Power was there for all to see.
But he had never thought that the other's talent on the path of a God of Destruction was so terrifyingly inhuman!
This was no longer a gap; this was a chasm! The distance between a mortal looking up at the stars!
Toppo stood there in a daze, his mind a complete blank, the words "less than three months" still echoing in his ears, completely destroying his confidence.
The Grand Priest quietly observed his reaction. Only after he had recovered a little did he ask gently, "Well then, Toppo, now that you know the answer, what are your thoughts?"
Toppo suddenly snapped out of his great shock.
He looked up, and the shock and frustration on his face receded like a tide, replaced by a near-deadly calm.
He looked at the Grand Priest, then at the anxious and confused Vermoud, and said, word for word, "I'm sorry, Lord Grand Priest, Lord Vermoud. I... take back what I said before. I am not 'afraid I cannot agree,' but... I am certain that I am not qualified to take over the position of God of Destruction."
"Oh?"
The Grand Priest raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he were not surprised by this answer, but he still asked, "Why do you belittle yourself so? you don't need to compare yourself with Whitley. The situation of every universe and every god is different. Strength is not the only standard to measure qualification. Your character and sense of responsibility, both Vermoud and I have seen. Besides, once you officially take over, there will be a corresponding angel to guide you and help you grow and master your power faster."
The angel of Universe 11, Marcarita, who had been standing by Vermoud's side, also elegantly stepped forward at this moment.
She had a proud but not impolite smile on her face and said in a clear voice, "That's right, Toppo-san. Please believe in my teaching methods. They are very efficient and impressive~ I guarantee that your strength will be significantly improved in a short period of time."
Vermoud, who was standing at the side, shivered involuntarily upon hearing Marcarita's seemingly gentle words, as if he had recalled some not-so-pleasant experiences.
However, Toppo still shook his head firmly, his reason very simple. "Lord Grand Priest, Miss Marcarita. Whitley-san possesses such astonishing talent and strength, and yet he is still just a 'candidate' God of Destruction. And I, Toppo, a person of low strength who has spent seven years to barely touch the threshold, if I were to become an official God of Destruction now and wield the power of destruction over a universe... don't you think that in itself... is a very strange and even unreasonable thing? I cannot accept it with a clear conscience."
Hearing Toppo's heartfelt words, a hint of admiration flashed in the Grand Priest's eyes.
He nodded slightly in agreement. "For you to have such thoughts proves that you indeed take the duties of a God of Destruction very seriously, and are not simply pursuing power and status. This clarity and self-awareness is very rare."
His tone shifted, with a hint of regret. "But, Toppo, are you really not going to reconsider? you have to know, opportunities are not always there. If you refuse this time, I'm afraid... there will probably be no next time."
Toppo said no more, just bowed deeply to Zeno and the Grand Priest again, and then silently retreated to the side and stood respectfully, using his silence to show his final decision.
"Sigh..."
Vermoud looked at Toppo's firm expression and let out a heavy sigh, his face filled with loss and helplessness. "It seems... I won't be able to get rid of this position of God of Destruction for a while... I really want to go back to my hometown early, open my own circus, and live a relaxed and free life..."
Just as the atmosphere in the great hall became a little heavy and regretful due to Toppo's refusal, Lord Zeno, who had been sitting on his divine throne, swinging his small feet, as if his mind had been wandering, suddenly spoke.
His unique, slightly naive and innocent voice echoed clearly in the great hall. "Hey, Grand Priest~ since Toppo doesn't want to be a God of Destruction..."
He tilted his small head and said something that caught everyone off guard. "...then just let Whitley be the God of Destruction for Universe 11! He's already super strong, isn't he?"
Zeno's light words were like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake!
The Grand Priest was stunned. He stood there and subconsciously began to consider the feasibility of Zeno's proposal.
His gaze involuntarily drifted to Marcarita, who was still maintaining her elegant posture, but whose expression also seemed to have a hint of an imperceptible ripple due to Zeno's words.
Suddenly, a mysterious and... "I'm looking forward to a good show" smile slowly appeared on the Grand Priest's lips.
Under the shocked and almost petrified gazes of Vermoud and Toppo, the Grand Priest turned to Zeno and bowed gracefully.
He replied in his eternally calm and gentle voice, "I will obey your divine decree, Lord Zeno. Your proposal... is indeed very constructive."
He paused slightly and added, "However, according to Whis's previous report, Whitley-san is currently in a parallel future timeline dealing with some matters and cannot be contacted for the time being. I'm afraid we will have to wait until he returns before we can inform him of this appointment."
Lord Zeno waved his small hand, a nonchalant expression on his face as he said in a milky voice, "The Grand Priest can make his own decision on such matters~ but!"
He suddenly, as if he had remembered something very important, emphasized seriously, "When the Grand Priest informs Whitley to come to the palace, he must remember to have him bring me gifts! Delicious gifts from that place called Earth! You must remember to remind him! You can't forget!"
"Yes, please rest assured, I will remember."
The Grand Priest smiled and agreed.
He could already imagine the expression on Whitley's face when he found out that he had not only been promoted but had also been directly transferred to Universe 11 to be a God of Destruction.
Especially... when he found out that his partner would be this somewhat malicious Marcarita...
That scene would surely be quite interesting!
...
The scene returns to the ravaged future timeline of East City.
Whitley was currently sitting leisurely on the edge of a tall building, with the now-awakened No. 21 leaning against him.
And beside the two of them was Dr. Hedo, whose worldview had been shattered, his expression a little dazed.
And in front of the three of them were popcorn and coke. Whitley was currently eating popcorn while enjoying the intense battle in the distance, which was like a special effects blockbuster.
Goku, Vegeta, and the others were teaming up, and the fierce battle with Cell MAX was earth-shattering, with energy flying everywhere!
Dr. Hedo was holding the popcorn and ice-cold coke that Whitley had just taken out of a capsule and handed to him, but at this moment, he clearly had no appetite.
His gaze would unconsciously drift to No. 21, who was snuggled tightly in Whitley's arms, a hint of a blush still on her face.
His expression was complicated and strange, and... he was at a loss for words.
Finally, he couldn't hold it in any longer.
He pushed up his crooked glasses, and Hedo mustered his courage and asked in as tactful a tone as possible, "That... Whitley-san, please forgive my directness and rudeness. May I ask... what is the relationship between you and No. 21 right now?"
Hearing this, Whitley looked down at No. 21 in his arms, his eyes meeting her watery gaze.
He smiled slightly, very naturally planted a light kiss on No. 21's smooth forehead, and then looked up and said to Dr. Hedo with a matter-of-fact tone, "No. 21 is my woman. Isn't that obvious enough?"
"Crack—"
Dr. Hedo could almost hear the sound of his own heart breaking.
He stared blankly at the couple before him, who were displaying their affection without any regard for others, feeling his own heart tremble.
You have to know that in their circle of scientists who dealt with machines and data all day, a great beauty like No. 21, who was both beautiful and intelligent, was a proper group favorite! A goddess-level existence!
Who among them didn't carefully protect her and secretly admire her?
But who would have thought... how long had it been?!
Not only had the goddess regained her sanity, but she had... she had been so easily conquered by a man from the past who, apart from being a little good at fighting, didn't seem to have anything special about him?!
This speed, this efficiency...
Dr. Hedo felt that his youth had ended before it had even begun.
He suppressed the twitching at the corner of his mouth, took a deep breath, and asked another question that had been bothering him and that he found very absurd. "Then... what you said to me just now... that you claimed to be Trunks's father... that... that was just a joke, right? You said that to liven up the atmosphere, or for some special reason... right?"
Dr. Hedo clung to a final sliver of hope, looking at Whitley with eager eyes.
Whitley took a piece of popcorn that No. 21 fed to him, chewed a few times, and then shook his head at Dr. Hedo, saying in a flat tone, "I wasn't joking with you. Bulma is indeed also my woman."
"HUH?!!!"
This time, Dr. Hedo really shot up from the ground, and the popcorn in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud."
The finger he pointed at Whitley was trembling violently, the expression on his face as if he had seen a ghost.
He was so shocked he couldn't even speak properly. "Y-y-y-you... you're saying... that... that head of the Capsule Corp... that genius among geniuses... Miss Bulma?! The Miss Bulma of our timeline?!"
Whitley found his almost-fainting appearance a little funny, and a little helpless. "Is that so strange? And it's not just the Bulma of your world. The younger, more beautiful Bulma of my timeline is also my woman."
Dr. Hedo: "..."
He stood with his mouth agape, looking at Whitley's "don't make a fuss" expression, and was completely speechless.
The shocked expression on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep resentment that was almost tangible.
The next second, under the astonished gazes of Whitley and No. 21, Dr. Hedo, without any warning... burst into tears!
He grabbed the communicator on his ear, as if he had found someone to confide in, and his voice was choked with sobs as he cried into the communicator, "No. 1! No. 2! I... sob sob sob... I... I want to die..."
Gamma 2's energetic but slightly puzzled voice immediately came from the other end of the communicator. "Doctor? What's wrong, Doctor?! Are you hurt?! We'll be right there!"
"I'm not hurt... No. 2... sob sob..."
Dr. Hedo's tears couldn't stop flowing, and he cried with great sadness. "I... I'm heartbroken! Sob sob sob sob..."
Whitley, who was standing beside him, heard this, and the muscles on his face twitched violently, dark lines appearing on his forehead.
From the sound of it... the person you've had a crush on all this time is my wife?!
In Dr. Hedo's world... no! In the circle of Earth's researchers, as a genius inventor, the patent owner of the capsule, and the head of a vast business empire, Bulma was simply an untouchable goddess in the hearts of countless tech geeks!
She was the perfect combination of wisdom, beauty, and wealth!
And that wasn't all!
Now even the genius female scientist from their own circle, Dr. Gero's top disciple—No. 21—had also been conquered by the same man at lightning speed!
This double blow was simply devastating for a simple-minded, single young man like Dr. Hedo, who had always buried his head in research!
How could he not be envious? How could he not be jealous? How could he not... be heartbroken?!
And at the same time, on the distant battlefield.
Trunks, who was coordinating with Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 to constantly attack Cell MAX, suddenly found that the movements of the two androids beside him had stopped.
The two of them simultaneously held the communicators on their ears, their expressions becoming extremely strange.
Then the two of them, in unison, turned their heads and looked at Trunks with an indescribable expression.
Trunks felt a little creeped out by their stares and subconsciously stopped his attacking motion, asking in confusion, "What's wrong, you two? Could it be... something happened to Dr. Hedo?! Did an enemy sneak-attack?!"
Gamma 2 did a flip to dodge a sweeping energy wave from Cell MAX, then looked at Trunks again, his expression a mixture of conflict and complexity.
Finally, under Trunks's questioning, he stammered, "Uh... well... in a sense... something did happen. Because... because of that Mr. Whitley you brought with you, Dr. Hedo... has just announced... that he's heartbroken."
Trunks: "...???"
He was completely stunned, his brain unable to process this information for a moment.
Heartbroken? On a battlefield of life and death? And because of Whitley-san? What the hell was going on?
"Trunks! What are you staring at! Do you want to die?!"
Vegeta's furious roar exploded in his ear like thunder, and only then did he snap back to reality.
He quickly composed himself and re-entered the battle.
But the huge question mark in his heart just wouldn't go away.
He found an opening in Cell MAX's attack and quickly moved to Gamma 2's side. While warily staring at the behemoth not far away, he couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "What on earth happened? Why is... Dr. Hedo's heartbreak related to Whitley-san?"
While bombarding Cell MAX's knee with his arm cannon, and with the background noise of Dr. Hedo's "Don't say it! No one is allowed to say it! It's too embarrassing!" roars in the communicator, Gamma 2 hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he couldn't resist his gossipy heart and revealed in a low voice to Trunks, "Because... that Whitley personally admitted... that the two goddesses the doctor has had a crush on for a long time... are... are all his."
Trunks: "!!!"
The expression on Trunks's face instantly froze, and he almost dropped the long sword in his hand.
He stared at Gamma 2 with wide eyes, as if to confirm that he hadn't misheard.
Gamma 2 thought for a moment and felt that since he had already said half of it, there was no point in hiding the rest.
So he ignored the even more piercing "DON'T SAY IT!!!!" wails from Dr. Hedo in the communicator.
He leaned close to Trunks and added the most crucial sentence in an even lower voice. "And one of them... is your mother, Miss Bulma of Capsule Corp."
Trunks: "..."
After a long while, Trunks suddenly felt that this world was sometimes... full of unexpected surprises!
Finally, he reached out his hand and, under Gamma 2's confused expression, took off his communicator.
He put the communicator to his mouth, took a deep breath, and said slowly, "Dr. Hedo, that... my mother is very happy now. Please... do not disturb him."
Faced with this finishing blow from Trunks, Dr. Hedo cried even more sadly.
I didn't say I was going to disturb her! Don't you understand what a crush is, you kid!
...
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