Another half hour slipped by.
Gran stood atop a cylindrical building, Merus at his side.
"Done looking at the inmates?" Merus asked.
"The entire planet is a cage for the universe's worst criminals. There's no way I could see them all," Gran replied, scanning the horizon. The landscape was crowded with identical cylindrical structures, a sight that was as dense as it was unsettling.
He marveled at the sheer number of prisoners held there. Then again, considering the vastness of the universe, using only one planet to house its criminals actually made the population seem relatively small.
"And what's the verdict after your tour?" Merus asked with a light chuckle.
"Not bad," Gran said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Aside from Moro, there are actually a few interesting characters in here."
"Of course. You could say the top-tier combat power of Universe 7 is concentrated right here. It would be strange if it weren't interesting." Merus stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.
The two fell into a comfortable silence as the surroundings grew quiet. After a moment, Gran broke the silence.
"Well, it's time for me to head back." Gran patted Merus on the shoulder. "I'm counting on you to look after those Saiyans."
Merus looked back. "Don't worry. This isn't just for you; it's for my own sake as well."
"Good to hear," Gran smiled. "And don't you worry either—I'll keep my promise."
Gran was prepared to use Instant Transmission to depart, but Merus spoke up suddenly.
"Gran, you're a very interesting Hakaishin Candidate. I'm glad I met you." Merus's expression was uncharacteristically sincere.
Gran paused for a moment, then grinned. "I'm glad I met you too. See ya."
With a sharp pop, he vanished instantly. Merus stared at the spot where Gran had been for a long time, a slight smile finally tugging at the corner of his mouth.
To find validation—and a promise—from a Hakaishin Candidate... how intriguing.
Meanwhile, at Zeno's Palace...
"Grand Minister, it looks like young Gran is keeping Merus on his toes~"
"..."
"Are you going to look for an excuse to give Gran a thrashing?"
"No. This is Merus's own choice. I will not interfere with his decisions."
On a planet not far from Galactic Patrol Headquarters...
The environment was pristine—a perfect vacation spot featuring coconut trees, lounge chairs, beach umbrellas, and volleyball courts. Many aliens were enjoying the beautiful scenery.
"Jaco, have you gathered any good material for a novel lately?"
A mature woman with long blonde hair lay on a beach chair, looking over at Jaco, who was in the middle of a volleyball game.
"My sci-fi books usually sell so well, but the one based on you was a total flop."
Jaco, looking like his usual "Ultraman-esque" self, looked back and snapped, "Tights, you did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
The woman was Tights, the eldest daughter of the President of Capsule Corporation on Earth and Bulma's older sister. Years ago, Jaco had saved her from a group of thugs, and they had been close friends ever since. Tights had left Earth with Jaco to find inspiration for her stories and had since become a famous author. Unfortunately, the one book she wrote based on the "Elite" Galactic Patrolman Jaco was her only failure.
"Not at all! I used every writing trick in the book. It's not my fault the source material is unpopular," Tights teased. She sat up and took a sip of orange juice from a small side table.
"Impossible! I am the most brilliant member of the Galactic Patrol! How could I be unpopular? You're just talking nonsense!" Jaco was fuming. He abandoned the game and stomped over to argue with her.
Suddenly, a brilliant point of white light appeared in the sky. As it descended, the entire planet began to shudder under the weight of an immense, terrifying power. The vacationing aliens panicked—what was happening?
"Jaco, what is that?" Tights's face went pale as she scrambled to her feet.
"An incredibly powerful being is descending on this planet!" Jaco frantically pulled out his scouter. His model could detect power levels up to two million.
"Well? How strong are they?"
"Stop rushing me! I'm looking!" Jaco activated the scouter, and the numbers began to climb instantly.
Beep—500,000!
Beep—800,000!
...
Beep—2,000,000!
"That's impossible!" Jaco blurted out.
A split second later, the scouter exploded in his hand with a loud bang.
Tights swallowed hard. She knew exactly what that explosion meant. The newcomer's power was well beyond two million.
"Jaco, you said no one would dare cause trouble here because we're so close to the Galactic Patrol!" Tights cried out in fear.
"How was I supposed to know?! Two million... that's way beyond my league!"
"What do we do now?"
"We don't know if they're friend or foe. We run! I'll have Paragus send someone to deal with this."
Paragus had joined the Galactic Patrol two years ago, and Jaco knew exactly how much his power had grown. Though his base level was around 1.8 million, as a high-class Saiyan, his Great Ape transformation could reach a staggering 18 million. Jaco was confident Paragus could handle this.
"Move it!" Jaco threw a Capsule and grabbed Tights, intending to escape in a spaceship.
But the light in the sky dropped with terrifying speed. Before the ship's engines could even warm up, the mysterious figure landed right on the beach.
"We're dead!" Jaco and Tights screamed in unison from inside the ship.
However, a clear, cheerful female voice echoed across the sand.
"Big Sis!!"
Tights couldn't hear the words clearly through the hull, but the moment she locked eyes with the newcomer, her pupils shrunk in shock.
"Bulma!"
Tights had left Earth when Bulma was still a child. Even though more than a decade had passed, she recognized her sister instantly.
"Jaco, open the hatch! Now!" Tights demanded.
"I can't! We don't know if they're—"
"Shut up! That's my sister!" Tights pounded on the door.
Jaco's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Your sister? Isn't she an Earthling? How could she be this powerful?! He looked closer and realized the beautiful woman on the beach did look familiar—and she bore a striking resemblance to Tights.
He opened the hatch.
"Bulma!" Tights leaped onto the sand and ran toward her.
"Sis!" Bulma met her with teary eyes, and the two sisters shared a long-overdue hug.
After a moment, Bulma pulled back, her voice trembling. "Sis, it's been over ten years. Why haven't you come home?"
"Well... I wanted to gather more material for my books, so..." Tights looked away guiltily. "Never mind me—how did you end up all the way out here in space?"
Bulma wiped her eyes and huffed. "To find you, obviously!"
As they caught up, Jaco finally realized she really was Bulma. He remembered her now—she was the girl who had fixed his spaceship years ago when he had gone to Earth to eliminate a Saiyan (Goku).
"Wait a minute," Jaco said, hopping down from the ship. "You're an Earthling, right? You just flew in from the vacuum of space. Why aren't you wearing a pressure suit?"
He then glanced at the small child standing next to Bulma. He realized that the massive power he had sensed couldn't have come from Bulma. Was it this kid? Jaco felt his world-view crumbling. The child looked like an Earthling, but how could he possess such...
Then Jaco noticed something wrapped around the boy's waist. A tail.
"You're a Saiyan?!" Jaco shouted.
"Yep! Just like my big brother Gran, I'm a Saiyan," little Broly said with a polite nod. Without his berserker rage, he was actually quite adorable.
Gran? Who is that? Jaco and Tights exchanged confused looks.
"Bulma, you still haven't explained how you can survive in space," Tights asked.
"Oh, that? Well, in the last few years, several Gods have moved to Earth..." Bulma gave them a brief rundown of Gran and the other deities.
"What?!"
"Hakaishin Candidate? An actual Hakaishin? Angels? Eternal youth? And you learned to fly?!"
Tights covered her mouth, completely stunned. She had only been gone for a decade, and Earth had changed that much? Jaco was equally floored. Hakaishin? Angels? What kind of gods are these?
Seeing their reactions, Bulma tilted her head up proudly. This was her reward for being the "handler" for the three deities. Given her relationship with Beerus and the others, she could practically walk anywhere in Universe 7 without a care in the world.
"I've never heard of such gods, but based on those titles, they must be incredible beings," Jaco said, looking at little Broly. It made sense now—a child traveling with gods would never be ordinary.
Having cleared the air, Jaco finally relaxed.
"Sis, it's not that fun out here. Come home with me," Bulma said, gripping Tights's arm. "Once I get Whis and Lord Beerus in a good mood, I'll have them grant you eternal youth too!"
Tights's eyes lit up. "Eternal youth?!" But then she sighed and shook her head. "Those gods sound fascinating, but I'm in the middle of a new sci-fi novel. I'll come back once I finish it."
"But Sis..."
"Don't worry about me," Tights said, patting Bulma's hand. "I'm right near Galactic Patrol HQ. Nothing will happen..." Her voice trailed off, sounding a bit uncertain.
Bulma noticed immediately. "What's wrong? Is some bad guy giving you trouble?"
"No, no! I haven't provoked anyone," Tights said, then glared at Jaco. "It's this guy. He offended a space criminal recently, and I'm getting dragged into it."
Bulma turned a cold stare toward Jaco. He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze.
"Look, I'm a Galactic Patrolman," Jaco squeaked. "Making enemies with criminals is part of the job!"
"Hmph. You're so weak, yet you always act tough. No wonder the book based on you flopped," Tights teased.
"You...! If I'd known, I never would have brought you into space. All you do is mock me!"
"Not brought me? If it weren't for me and my sister, your ship would still be broken! And those Capsules you use? I gave you those!"
Bulma facepalmed as the two started bickering. It seemed their relationship hadn't changed at all over the years.
"Alright, enough. Who is this guy and how strong is he? I'll go take care of him for you." Bulma raised a small fist. Since she could fly, she had naturally learned how to use Ki blasts. According to Lord Gran, she was technically a powerhouse by most galactic standards. No one was going to bully her sister on her watch.
"You?" Tights looked at her skeptically. Bulma had mentioned eternal youth, but could a regular Earthling really fight off dangerous aliens?
"What's with that look? You doubt me?" Bulma, annoyed, pointed her hand toward the distant ocean and fired a Ki blast.
BOOM!
A massive mushroom cloud erupted on the horizon, the deafening roar ringing in Tights's ears. She stood there, frozen. Jaco was equally stunned. The girl who used to just fix his ship had become this powerful?
"That's... incredible!" Tights's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Hehe, I'm pretty tough now!" Bulma patted Broly on the shoulder and grinned. "And even if I can't handle it, we've got Broly here."
Tights's gaze intensified. This little Saiyan's power had broken Jaco's scouter; he could definitely handle a criminal.
"His name is Musku. His power level is around 80,000. He's currently on Planet Bell in the East Galaxy!" Jaco blurted out. With experts like this around, he wasn't about to miss the chance to hide behind them.
"Where's the East Galaxy?" Bulma asked, realizing she didn't actually know her way around space.
"We're in the center of the universe right now," Tights explained. "Even with a fast ship, it would take two months to reach the East Galaxy."
"Two months?!" Bulma's eyes widened. She had only slipped away while Gran was busy. Once he was done, she had to head back to Earth. She didn't have two months to spare.
Tights asked what was wrong, and Bulma explained that she was traveling with a Hakaishin Candidate. Tights and Jaco went silent. If she was under a god's supervision, there was no way she could just run off for a revenge mission.
"If you're busy, don't worry about it," Tights said with a forced smile. "I'll just keep laying low. As long as I stay near the Galactic Patrol, he can't get to us."
Jaco nodded. "Right. I'll report the situation to the Galactic King. Now that we have the Saiyans on our side, it's only a matter of time before he's arrested."
Despite her sister's reassurances, Bulma remained worried. Being hunted by someone that strong was a serious problem.
Right then, a figure suddenly appeared beside them with a soft humming sound.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Want more chapters? Support my Patreon/Razerizz