"You little rascal!"
Whis chuckled helplessly, then lowered his voice. "Well, since you're all so curious, I suppose there's no harm in telling you."
"A few thousand years ago, my sister and I had a bit of a contest. In the end... I lost."
As Whis spoke, there wasn't a hint of bitterness or resentment in his voice. He stated it as a simple, objective fact.
"You lost?!"
The Kai trio—the Elder Kai, Shin, and Kibito—all stared with eyes wide enough to pop. In their minds, Whis was the pinnacle of existence: elegant, polite, and possessing power so mysterious it bordered on the infinite. How could their Universe 7 Angel lose to the one from Universe 6?
Just like in the manga, Gran thought to himself. He wasn't nearly as shocked as the others. But a question lingered: Was Whis truly weaker than Vados now?
"My, my. You all look so disappointed," Whis said with a light hum.
"How could we not be?" the Elder Kai muttered dejectedly. "You're the strongest being in our universe. If you lost, doesn't that imply Universe 7 is inferior to Universe 6?"
Shin and Kibito nodded vigorously, their spirits sinking.
"There's really no need for that," Whis sighed. "Is it not perfectly natural for an older sister to be stronger than her younger brother?"
"Whis!" Gran suddenly interjected. "Among all the official Angels, aren't you the youngest?"
The Kai trio's eyes snapped toward Whis. That was it! If there was a significant age gap, it made sense for the power levels to differ. It wasn't that Whis was "weak"; he just had less time to cook!
Whis covered his face with his hand. Do these people have to prove something so desperately?
"Mr Whis, tell us!" the Kais urged.
Gran remained silent, but his eyes held a knowing glint. He knew that aside from Merus (the Trainee Angel), Whis was indeed the youngest—and arguably the most naturally gifted. Despite spending aeons "laying low" and napping alongside Beerus, he was still only a hair's breadth behind Vados.
"Among the formal Angels, I am indeed the youngest," Whis admitted with a helpless nod.
"Hahaha! There it is!" The Kai trio actually hugged each other, jumping up and down in a display that was both ridiculous and heartwarming. "Our Angel isn't inferior to anyone!"
"Honestly, you lot..." Whis smiled, watching their childish celebration. But when his gaze shifted back to Gran, he found the boy looking at him with an uncomfortably sharp, perceptive stare.
This kid... does he already know the true extent of my potential? Whis felt a brief shiver of surprise before shaking it off. Only the Grand Minister and his siblings should know such things.
From a distance, a cold, feminine voice rang out:
"Lord Champa, I shall overlook it this time. But if there is a next time... you know the consequences."
"Yes, yes! I was wrong! I'll never do it again!"
Three figures descended from the sky. Champa's face had been swollen into something resembling a lumpy pancake. Gran blinked. Did Vados beat him that badly?
Actually, looking at the smirk on Beerus's face, Gran realised what had happened. In the Dragon Ball world, the relationship between Beerus and Whis is a master-servant bond built on friendship. But Vados and Champa? Vados is the babysitter, and Champa is the unruly toddler.
"Damn you, Beerus! I'll remember this! Don't let me catch you slipping!" Champa roared the moment his feet touched the grass.
"Oh? Talk about ungrateful," Beerus scoffed, crossing his arms. "If I hadn't stepped in, Vados would have been the one to hit you. Do you think you'd even be standing right now if she had?"
Champa went silent, unable to argue. Gran realised Beerus had "saved" his brother by beating him up first—a very Saiyan-style act of brotherly love.
"Greetings, Lord Champa, Lady Vados," Gran said, stepping forward with a polite bow.
Champa stopped glaring at Beerus and turned his attention to the boy. "Such talent... what a waste!"
Gran tilted his head. What does the 'pancake' mean by that?
"I hate to admit it, but Beerus is too stubborn to die. He'll outlast every other Destroyer. You'll be an 'Apprentice' for the rest of your life! You'll never get the title!"
Gran's face darkened. Champa's mouth really is filled with venom. He looked at Beerus, whose expression had already turned blacker than a burnt pot.
"It truly is a shame," Vados added with a sly smile. "Such a gem, wasting away under my silly brother's guidance. If you were with me, I could 'train' you to be far more impressive than Lord Champa."
Train me? Gran's mind immediately flashed to an image of himself tied to a chair while a whip-wielding Vados stood over him with a devilish grin. He shook his head violently to clear the mental image. This Angel is dangerously mischievous.
The bickering died down as the group settled by the lake.
"Gran," Whis asked suddenly, "now that you've finished your rest, what are your thoughts?"
Everyone turned to the boy. Gran felt a bit self-conscious under the gaze of two Destroyers and two Angels, but he spoke clearly:
"After becoming a Destroyer Candidate, I was obsessed with catching up to Lord Beerus. I pushed myself to the absolute limit every single day.
I realise now that was a mistake. A fatigued mind and body only slow you down. It creates flaws in your martial arts foundation. Breaking my power bottleneck just by sleeping proved it to me: You can't rush greatness.
The true essence of martial arts is the balance between labour and rest."
Whis and Beerus looked increasingly satisfied as the boy spoke. Champa, on the other hand, let out a long, agonising wail toward the sky.
"BEERUS!" Champa shouted, lunging forward to grab his brother's shoulders. "I have never begged you for anything in my life! Give me this apprentice! I'll trade you anything!"
Vados turned to Whis with a sugary-sweet voice. "Whis, dear brother... I've never asked for a favour either. Give the boy to me?"
Whis ignored them completely. He looked at Gran with an inviting smile. "Since you're well-rested, are you ready to begin training your Level of Existence (Dimension)? If you break through, you will become a true God."
The air grew still. A God under the age of ten? The thought was terrifying.
"No," Gran said, shaking his head.
Shin and Kibito gasped. Why would he say no? He loved training!
"Whis, didn't you say I was too tired?" Gran looked at his hands. "I've only rested for a month. My mind is refreshed, but my new power—that 1.2 billion base—hasn't been consolidated yet. If I rush into the next stage now, my foundation might become unstable."
Whis's eyes sparkled with pride. He had been testing the boy. If Gran had jumped at the chance for more power, Whis would have been disappointed. But Gran had developed the most important trait of a master: Judgment.
"Excellent," Whis nodded. "I may be your tutor, but only you truly know your own limits. The fact that you can turn down more power to ensure your foundation is solid... that makes me very happy."
"You actually tested me?" Gran huffed, looking annoyed. "How devious, Whis!"
Champa's eyes were practically on fire. Seeing the deep bond between Gran and his mentors was the final straw. He hadn't come to Universe 7 to be outclassed in everything.
"I can't take it anymore! Vados, bring them out! Bring out the Don-Don Bird eggs!"
Champa had three goals for this trip:
Find out why Universe 7's rank jumped. See the legendary apprentice. Crush Beerus's spirit with the ultimate delicacy.
He had failed the first two. Now, he was betting everything on the eggs.
"As you wish," Vados said, her voice a bit hesitant. She tapped her staff, and an oval storage container appeared on the grass.
Inside were eight simple, speckled eggs.
"This is it?" Beerus poked one of the eggs. "This looks like a regular bird egg. You came all this way for this?"
Whis and the Kais leaned in, sceptical. Was this really the pinnacle of Universe 6 cuisine?
Gran, however, felt his lip twitch. He knew the truth. Don-Don Bird eggs were the most ordinary eggs imaginable, but Vados had been gaslighting Champa for years into thinking they were a rare delicacy.
It's time for a trip to Earth, Gran thought, a mischievous grin forming. If we're having a food war, it's time to introduce these Gods to the ultimate weapon: Instant Ramen.
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