"Madam, here's the delivery you requested."Two delivery men carefully unloaded a large metal barrel from their vehicle.
"Thank you. This is what you asked for in return."
Bulma opened a small case that held her remaining Hoi-Poi Capsules. She hesitated for a moment before reluctantly handing over the last one.
Levos watched from the side, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Capsule Corporation may have collapsed long ago, but surely the stockpiled supplies from the peaceful era were enough to last Bulma a lifetime.
Why did she look so pained handing over just one capsule?
Noticing Levos' puzzled expression, Bulma sighed softly, as if she had read his mind.
"If we flaunt our wealth in times like these, we're just making ourselves a target."
You don't show your fortune to the world.
So that's how it is.Smart, as expected. Levos couldn't help but admire her.
Anyone who had managed to survive in this apocalypse was no ordinary person.
Bulma's voice softened, but her eyes dimmed slightly.Back when Trunks was still with her, she hadn't needed to be this cautious. She had often attracted trouble, and when people coveted her wealth, Trunks had always been there to settle things.
Even the vast Capsule Corporation grounds remained untouched all these years thanks to the deterrence of Trunks' overwhelming power.
Bulma pulled out another small case from her pocket, neatly filled with four rows of Hoi-Poi Capsules, at least thirty in total.
Levos rubbed his eyes hard. He had briefly scanned the market while surfing the forum earlier and had learned a bit about the current prices.
An empty capsule alone could be exchanged for its volume's worth of food.
And who knew what kind of priceless items were stored inside these particular capsules?
Even in the apocalypse, Bulma was still the undisputed richest person on Earth.
"If I remember correctly… it should be capsule number 12."
Bulma carefully selected one, pressed the activation switch, and tossed it onto an empty patch of ground.
Boom!
With a muffled burst, the air expanded sharply.
In a puff of smoke, a sleek, compact flying vehicle appeared as if conjured by magic.
The pinnacle of Dragon Ball's black technology!
Seeing capsule tech in action for the first time, Levos was genuinely awestruck.
He stood there for a long while, trying to wrap his head around the science behind it, but simply couldn't.
"All set. We can depart now. Do you need anything else before we go?"
Levos snapped out of it, realizing Bulma had already refueled the aircraft and was now casually leaning against it, smoking a cigarette while eyeing him with mild curiosity.
"I'm good. But we might need to prepare a payment for Fortuneteller Baba."
"Looks like you really know that greedy old hag." Bulma snuffed out her cigarette and patted the two bulging travel bags at her feet. "Already thought of that. Money's worthless now, it's nothing more than scraps of paper. I can give her as much as she wants."
Levos hesitated.
Bulma gave a light laugh. "Even if she wants supplies instead, I've got that covered."
Reliable.
It felt like Bulma was even more invested in persuading Fortuneteller Baba than Levos himself.
They boarded the aircraft and silently fastened their seat belts.After a moment, Levos finally spoke.
"Doctor… if things don't go the way I've imagined, please don't lose hope."
Bulma's hand paused mid-motion.
Then she spoke, light but firm.
"That's strange. Why would I lose hope? Your plan has given me more hope than I've felt in the past twenty years combined."
"This is already the most beautiful hope I've seen. So I will do everything I can to make it come true."
"Isn't that how you feel too?"
Levos had sought Bulma out for help, but he hadn't considered that the plan he proposed was something she desperately wanted as well.
Faced with Bulma's rhetorical question, Levos raised an eyebrow.
"Then I guess we're officially partners with a shared goal now."
Flying above the abandoned city, Levos cautiously peered downward.
West City was in complete ruins.Everywhere he looked, collapsed buildings lay scattered across the barren landscape.
The streets were overgrown with weeds. It was impossible to tell how long this place had been abandoned.
On the surface, it seemed as though no human life remained.
But having lived in an underground shelter himself, Levos knew better.
Most of humanity had been wiped out by Androids 17 and 18, but a small number of people had survived.
Although the android crisis had passed, the habit of living underground wasn't something people could shake overnight.
Humans truly were a remarkably resilient species.
[Greetings, Earthlings.]
Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out, echoing directly inside their minds.
"Who's speaking? Who are you?!" Bulma cried out in alarm.
The aircraft trembled violently, spinning out of control as it plummeted toward the ground.
The unexpected disruption rattled Levos. "Doctor, don't worry about that now, just stabilize the aircraft first!"
Bulma reacted quickly, pressing a series of buttons on the control panel, regaining control and steadying the flight.
After switching to autopilot, she finally let go of the steering handle.
"You heard that voice too, right? What's going on?!" Bulma's face was still pale as she turned to Levos.
Before he could answer, the voice returned.
[There's no need to look for me. I'm not anywhere near you.]
[I'm using magic to speak directly to every one of you.]
[Allow me to introduce myself. I am the greatest magician in the universe, Babidi!]
[I now formally invite all the strongest warriors on Earth to participate in the latest World Martial Arts Tournament!]
[The location will be here in West City. The time? Three days from now at noon.]
[The rules will be exactly the same as your previous tournaments.]
[If you have any questions, you can ask me directly.]
[Oh, by the way… if you just keep chanting my name in your mind, you'll be able to communicate with me.]
[Ah, someone already contacted me! I bet you're curious about what they're asking, so I'll just share the conversation with everyone.]
A new voice, clearly not Babidi's, rang out.
"Um… what's the prize for winning the tournament?"
[A prize? The champion will become my subordinate.]
"Become your subordinate? That's the prize? Who would join a tournament like this?"
[Oh? I suppose I didn't make myself clear. After the tournament ends, I'll destroy the Earth.]
[But if you become my subordinate, not only will you survive, I'll grant you tremendous power.]
"What?! You can destroy the Earth? Who would believe that?"
[Close your eyes, everyone. I'll send you a little demonstration.]
Bulma immediately shut her eyes.Levos hesitated briefly but soon followed.
Before his eyes, a bird's-eye view of an island appeared, a large, abandoned city sitting atop it.
[See this city?]
[For those who doubt my power, just watch what happens next.]
A towering figure with light red skin suddenly appeared in the sky above the city.
[Let me introduce my most trusted lieutenant, the King of the Demon Realm, Dabura!]
[Dabura, don't go too hard. I'd prefer not to destroy the Earth just yet.]
"Understood, Lord Babidi. I'll be careful."
Dabura's lips curled into a wicked grin as he took a deep breath.
BOOM.
A blinding red flame, brighter than sunlight, erupted from his mouth.
In an instant.
The entire city vanished without even an explosion. It simply evaporated into nothingness.
All that remained was a massive, pitch-black crater where the island's city once stood.
[Hahaha! See? Even if you Earthlings hide underground, you'll still be reduced to ash!]