PART SEVEN: THE LUNCH BREAK WE'VE ALL WAITED FOR!

Chapter 34

Translated by Davidstarlingm

The warriors of Universe 13 ate like complete gluttons. Prince Vegeta, the brothers Kakarotto and Raditz, and old Nappa all took huge mouthfuls; the food was served continually for half an hour. The Saiyans’ round table was filled with large, empty bowls and trays of garbage that the Vargas were desperately trying to clear. But the servers were obviously outnumbered, exhausted by the unusual level of stress. Their blue, green, and yellow feathers dripped with sweat.

As they ate, the four Saiyans took the opportunity to discuss the tournament, which so far had gone well for them. Two of them had already won their matches easily. They were quick to discuss:

“That Namek was nothing!” Nappa said, tearing a huge chunk of meat from a bloodied white bone. “Anyway, I’m glad Reacum lost to one of them. Those slugs were right to run away – I would have enjoyed exterminating them all a second time!”

“You’re really a pig, Nappa,” Kakarotto answered from across the table. He ate everything just as neatly … that is, by spreading grease and crumbs everywhere.

“You’re in no position to tell me that! At least I beat up a warrior, not a girl!”

“She was probably stronger than your Cargot,” replied the double of Son Goku.

“Pah! Don’t make me laugh. I would have beat her just as quickly. How could you fall for that bitch so unnecessarily?”

“That’s normal. At least I’m sure to pass my next round against the little girl! You can’t possibly beat Freeza.”

Nappa was silent for a moment..... He even stopped chewing on his chicken leg (in any case, it was fairly tasteless) to think. That was rare for him!

It was true that his next fight was against Freeza, the tyrant whom they had humiliated when Vegeta had defeated him by becoming a Super Saiyan. Could they repeat that feat again today?

“I saw Freeza laugh when he looked at us just now,” interjected Raditz from Nappa’s left. “I think he will take great delight in eliminating you.”

Nappa knew his friend was right … then suddenly a tremendous idea occurred to him!

“But of course!” he shouted so loudly that it embarrassed the others; they stared at him curiously. “Heh, heh, heh!” the giant continued, folding his arms and nodding his head with a smile. “I know how to defeat Freeza! He won’t recover. This will be humiliation like never before!”

Nappa laughed, his big mouth wide open. His friends wondered what his idea was, but Nappa refused to tell them.

“It’s a surprise. Everyone will be thrilled! Ha, ha, ha. I’ll take him all the way back to the beginning!”

He began eating again, taking even larger bites. Raditz had almost finished with everything he had to eat; he took the opportunity to speak:

“Enjoying our fights, Vegeta? I am looking forward to winning my own as well. Especially if I fight those weaklings from Universe 2 over there – they look so ridiculous!”

“The ones from Universe 10 were insects as well,” added the leader of the Saiyans.

“Ah, yes the 10th universe. I enjoyed the fight against Father. Kakarotto, what about you?”

“I don’t give a damn,” his brother replied, continuing to eat.

“It’s true that you’ve never known him – I would have liked to see you fight against him, as much as your fight with the kid from 18!”

“Bahaha! Raditz, on the shoulders of his dear father. Ha!”

Raditz glared at Nappa. Of course he would think of a ridiculous scene like that. Small wonder that in Universe 18, Vegeta had killed him with his own hands!

“You’re a little too sentimental, Raditz,” said Vegeta with a smile. “Perhaps that’s why you haven’t become a Super Saiyan.”

That insult hurt; he would have liked to be one too! The Super Saiyans had golden, shining hair, such power, such appeal! But he got stronger every day anyway…he hadn’t given up hope for his own transformation someday. Perhaps it would be in this tournament!

“Speaking of other universes and all that – I think it’s a shame,” began Kakarotto, finishing his bowl, “that my counterpart will win a lot of fights, but I can meet him in the fifth round. The semifinals, in fact.”

‘I hope I don’t have to face someone as strong as Vegeta,’ he thought, glancing to the left. Kakarotto looked across at Nappa – the big Saiyan probably knew that he would lose against Freeza, or definitely against this Son Goku if he could somehow defeat the son of Cold. Kakarotto was anticipating some remark from the general, but he only smiled. What was he thinking about? Could he be hiding something – a technique, a new power?”

Vegeta paid no attention to Nappa and Kakarotto. In fact, he didn’t really care about Nappa’s, or really even about Kakarotto’s. All that mattered to him was his own victory. He was thinking of a different character: Trunks from Universe 12, who had so easily beaten Cooler. According to the fighters from Universe 18, this was the son of his counterpart.

The alternate Vegeta smiled, tempted to imagine, if only for an instant, what his life would have been like if he had been able to settle down and father children. It reminded him of the words of his double from Universe 18: “We were better.” Was he implying that what happened in his universe was the best possible outcome for him? What did the Vegeta from Universe 18 want – to be the greatest power in the universe? To be the true Prince of Saiyans? That had already happened in Universe 13; he himself had defeated Freeza.

What astonished Vegeta most was the huge difference in status between the two Princes of the Saiyans. He had become the absolute master of the universe. People bowed before him, trembling at the mention of his name. The weak pursued him, cheering at his strength. He had all the women he wanted; all his desires become reality. He was Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, singly omnipotent at the top of the universe!

The other, from Universe 18 – he was not even the leader of his little band! This group seemed like a bunch of children who had come to a picnic. There didn’t even seem to BE a leader. They all spoke as equals; Vegeta was lost in the shadows of the group. He was low – at his lowest, in fact. The Kakarotto in his universe mocked him; why didn’t he put him in his place with a right hook?

And his children – an immature kid so weak that he wasn’t even participating. The father even seemed disappointed by his son’s combative nature. His daughter was a princess – her haughty and contemptuous tone pleased him, but the little bitch was even weaker than her brother! Apparently, this Vegeta had never given her any training.

Among the Saiyans, there is no weaker sex. The girl’s strength was pitiful, probably thanks to the weak planet on which they lived; that’s the only way such a lapse could have happened. A miserable life without honor, failed children – how could he consider his shabby existence better than that of the Master of the universe? There was definitely something wrong about him.

There was also the battle between this Vegeta and the other from Universe 10, a King in his own right. He had easily defeated his opponent while the king was an Oozaru; Vegeta wondered how his counterpart could be so sure of himself, so at peace.

Among the confident warriors, there two in the space reserved for Universe 14, twins within nothing but numbers for names. When they arrived at the tournament right after his own group, the girl had mocked them openly, but particularly Vegeta. Supposedly, they had toyed with him and killed him in their world – was it true? Vegeta wanted to ask his double if he knew these two microbes, but he quickly changed his mind. What interest? He could never fall for the girl – never be so ensnared by his heart! They couldn’t be that strong, anyway. And yet…this girl did know his name!

Vegeta watched them. They ate quietly, only consuming a small amount of food. The woman, #18, had already finished and waited for her brother, her head in her hand, elbow on the table. She seemed bored – maybe she was just eager for her first fight? She also seemed a bit disgusted that her brother was pitted against Goku in the second round…why? Would she enjoy that fight more herself? To top it off, he talked about it while mocking his sister!

“Finally,” he said, “I’m going to be able to finish our stupid mission!”

“It will certainly be better than destroying the same cities over and over for thirty-six years,” complained the pretty blonde woman. “I fight hard… I can’t wait!

“Your turn will come, don’t worry,” said her brother as he swallowed his pasta. “Yum! Good food, that’s what is missing.”

“And who killed the last cook on Earth, huh?” asked his sister with a provocative look.

“All right, how was I to know that it was the last one? It’s not my fault if earthlings are so worthless in the kitchen! Even women are no longer good for anything.

“You want to say that again?!” 18 shouted, rising and slamming her fist against the table.

“I’m not talking about you! Gosh.”

The cyborg sat down, realizing she had overreacted. She was just bored; she did nothing. It was fun to throw balls of energy around, blowing up everything, but it had been decades since they had encountered a real population. The hunt for humans was isolated now. What a change to have such a huge audience around her! Also, most were not human beings – aliens, monsters…she knew her brother would love to go into the stands and just start killing everyone.

But they were facing great fighters, too; that excited her. Simply destroying everything would mean losing the opportunity to meet new people. If these birds could really send them back, that would be the peak of frustration!

She looked around at the other competitors. There was an odd woman in the space reserved for Universe 15 still waiting for her child – what an idiot! Who would register her offspring before they were even born?

As she sat, still touching her transparent belly, a small Varga approached her. Holding a pen and asmall notepad, he asked her what she wanted for dessert:

“I feel he’ll be born soon!” exclaimed the mouther of I’K’L, hoping that the birth would happen and her son could still participate despite the forfeit against #17 an hour earlier.

The Varga looked at the strange animal swimming quietly in the open uterus. He didn’t seem to move more than would be expected; the only changes were the inflation and deflation of her belly, as if the infant was breathing the liquid in the mother’s womb. If this baby was trying to get out now, the Varga would rather be anywhere else! He was really tiring of this woman. Ever since they had entered her universe and invited her to come to the tournament, she had been a nuisance. Why had their sensors pointed to her? She walked slowly; surely she couldn’t fight. Even a small Varga soldier could surely crush her. Yet she put on hairs, acting high and mighty; he was glad the organizers had eliminated her quickly. What a joke! Just thinking about it, a small smile lifted the corner of his beak.

“Sure, sure, we’re waiting. By the way, what do you eat?”

He wished he could leave quickly without worry about her. He was there to take a dessert order; nothing more. Birth or no birth, he wouldn’t stand there for thirty years!

I’K’L’s mother couldn’t believe her eyes. The delivery was coming soon; how could this duck talk like that? The bird waited for half a minute, then turned on his heel. Had he been afraid of her? Of course, he hadn’t; after hearing no answer to his question, he assumed she didn’t want to eat anything, then left the unpleasant lady.

He would have much rather taken care of the next space, Universe 16, rather than this woman. The people in that area looked much more welcoming, even if they ate a lot! Of all the universes, it was obviously this one who ate the most – particularly this guy named Vegetto who ate for at least thirty! It was too much to count (it would take too long; just a glance was enough)! The number of empty bowls and dishes on his side, piled on the floor in front of him and around him for a lack of space, made the others look like they ate nothing. One compared to him; his daughter Bra was the only woman to eat dishes of such dramatic size. On the other hand, Gohan and Videl didn’t eat as much; this was understandable; seeing their daughter die had ruined their appetites. As for Piccolo, he drank only a little water and sat quietly.

No one spoke; Vegetto simply devoured every dish!