PART SIX: PAN'S FIRST FIGHT TO THE DEATH!

Chapter 30

Translated by Prince Vegeta

In the ring, two of Sauza's henchmen came looking for him, each finding a piece of his body, and brought it to Universe 8. The elite members of the Ginyu Force were dumbfounded. Even if they had lost, at least they were in one piece! At the same time, Frieza started an argument with Coola. After the defeat of his brother, he could criticize him with ease, and he never would be deprived of such a moment…although, again, their father, Cold, had to separate them.

Meanwhile, Kulilin walked slowly back to his universe Universe. Behind him, someone who thought him to be familiar called out:

"Kulilin! Hey! Kulilin!"

Turning around, the little white bearded man wondered why this person called - especially a person with strange hair and a muscular body. It was obvious: this person was a Saiyan. Suspicious, but far from being afraid, he walked toward him. The Saiyan had on a faint smile, which was odd.

"Um, who are you, Saiyan?" the old man asked.

"It’s me, Goku! It’s very cool that you're participating! You also got to be an old master! Did you achieve your dream of getting married?"

"You talk to me like I'm your friend..." whispered the bald man.

Goku was surprised. He had nothing to say while looking at the counterpart of his best friend. Kulilin looked at Universe 18.

"I do not know you, but I know your Saiyan friend."

"You mean Vegeta?"

"I even know Piccolo, too bad most of your universe contains many monsters..."

"Monsters? Piccolo is not bad," tried to say Goku.

But Kulilin did not seem to believe him and continued: "Saiyans, demons, Coola's Empire, Androids, Babidi. This place gives me the creeps!"

He turned his back to Goku, and went back to the Universe of Universe 13, while Yamcha and Tenshinhan were waiting for him.

The Saiyan just stood there for a moment. He wondered what happened to Kulilin. He surely replaced Muten Roshi, but he did not know him. Yet he was friends with Yamcha and Tenshinhan, and in his universe, it was because of Goku that they met in the first place. Maybe in Universe 9, Goku still lived in the mountains? Or maybe Bulma never came to Goku's house in search of the Dragon Balls? Or was he killed before he met Kame-Sennin? Or, it was always a possibility that Grandpa Gohan had never dealt with him or didn't find him. The possibilities were endless.

Then, an announcement was made by one of the Vargas:

"We finished the first half of 32 rounds. We are now beginning a lunch break."

Throughout the stadium, participants and spectators were more or less hungry, and they expected the lunch break much before, with a lot of impatience. At the same time, the organizers had not announced the incoming fights. Goku returned to his universe, eager to have some good food. His first son was waiting for him.

"What did you guys talk about?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Not much," the Earth's savior replied.

"Why?"

"Um, well, he didn't recognize me..."

"Really?"

This little information surprised Gohan. Since their childhood, especially when traveling with Kulilin and Bulma to Namek, they had known each other. Goku had told him all about their adventures with Bulma, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Oolong, and Piccolo. It always had seemed obvious that the force that created the Z Fighters was his father. Without Goku, then they would not have gone to Namek, and Kulilin would have not received the major power boost from the Grand Elder. Tenshinhan and Yamcha would have not been so strong if they had not trained under Kaio-sama, who they knew about through Goku. So then, what made Kulilin so strong, even strong enough to defeat Sauza so easily?

"He also knew Vegeta and Piccolo," pointed out the Super Saiyan.

That seemed even stranger to Gohan. At the time, Piccolo Daimao was defeated by Goku, and then fought Nappa and Vegeta, and what if a different Saiyan was sent to Earth? Did that cause all the changes? Did Kulilin beat Piccolo instead? Did he face Raditz? Gohan no longer had any time to think about this endless subject.

"There! We finally prepared the tables. You can eat now," said their universe’s Varga.

Indeed, behind Gohan was a large table. The Vargas were setting up the plates, utensils, and the food, enough for the exact number for the people in Universe 18.

Gohan begin looking around. In the first area, he could see the Kaioshins. Then, the participants of Universe 2 came out of their door, or at least most of them; Gohan did not recognize any one of them, and neither did Piccolo, but Son Goku did.

"Hey! It's Arale! She and I met when we were kids! She was stronger than me then. But why is she there?"

Other than Arale, there was a small man who had the hairstyle of a Super Saiyan, and a battle outfit, but the color was very different. He also had horns on his head, which made him look like a little demon. Then, a third person appeared. He looked like a cat, rather blue, with giant ears and an ear-to-ear smile. He didn't look that impressive. Many other people were also there: A man-fox with a bushy tail, a little man in disguise as Superman, a girl with multicolored hair, a little vampire-werewolf-koala, little round men resembling apples with antennae on their heads with 2 enormous fangs protruding out of their mouths (They seem to be just a head), other animals that were standing on 2 legs, or animal-men... They had pointy ears anyway. Apart from Arale, there was no one that our friends were able to recognize.

Gohan went on. In Universe 3, the Z Fighters only recognized Tapion, but there was also someone, lurking in the shadows. In Universe 4, there was Buu. Universe 5 was completely empty. Universe 6 had part of the Bojack Gang and the "Kat Girls," as they had come to be known. In Universe 7 sat the Super Namek. Universe 8 was crawling with Frieza's family and their small band of soldiers. Then there were the humans of Universe 9, but the Vargas seemed to be preparing the tables big enough for only 3 people. The rest of the universes remained the same... No new fighters...

While Uub, Pan, Goten, Goku, Vegeta, Bra, Videl, Piccolo, and Trunks were choosing where to sit, a purple Varga approached them.

"I'll be taking your orders," announced the bird-like creature.

"Oh! I'll take that and this!!," screamed Goku while looking at the pictures on the menu." Oh! And that too!"

"What size would you like, sir? We have small, medium, large, and gargantuan. We know that the fighters here are big eaters, so even the size small is pretty decent."

"Um... I'll take a... large," submitted Goku.

"No," said Gohan." He doesn't want large, he wants gargantuan."

"Um... I don't think you understand," replied the Varga. "Gargantuan, and even large, is too much. We made this size for giant participants, like that 8-foot Namek over there. I'm sure he would want that size. You look like you are a medium... Oh! I get it! You are ordering for the whole table!"

No, no," said Gohan." Gargantuan for him, me, and Vegeta. A few glasses of water for Piccolo, and gargantuan for Goten and Trunks too. I think Bra will take large, and large for Uub and Pan too, and small for Videl."

The little bird was surprised. A large for that scrawny girl who was barely bigger than him and a large for an even smaller girl who was his size! For him, the amount of food in small size would be enough to last for 2 days!

Ultimately, the people of Universe 18 chose what they wanted, but the Vargas had to prepare all that in such little time, and in the audience, there were a few million people there that they had to feed too...

The Vargas went to their command center, and a few minutes later, everyone's food arrived. Piccolo sat at the end of the table (his cape might interfere...). Trunks and Goten sat next to each other, but often giggled, or bickered, so Vegeta separated them by putting Bra between them. Trunks found himself between his sister and father, and Goten was sitting between his best friend's sister and Piccolo, who never joked.

Uub and Pan sat next to each other, across from Trunks and Goten, and Gohan and Videl took the last 2 vacancies.

At the control center, there were scrambling Vargas everywhere managing the fighters and the spectators, not to mention all the artificial gravity and mechanics problems. Then, a leader Varga, a little larger than the others, received a few reports. Then, a Namek came to visit him.

"Everything is going smoothly," said the Namek.

"I know, I know..." the chief replied.

"There has been no clashing over universes," said the Varga, while standing upright." They seem to be following the rules."

"What about the dead and the wounded?"

"Some of them refuse our care, like the participant of Universe 11, who is near death."

"We cannot force them..."

"There are currently 3 deaths, sir."

"Are the dragon balls ready?"

"Yes, and they are safe. There should be no problem."

"Good. Is that all?"

"Well, there were 2 Nameks of Universes 16 and 18 – counterparts – who came to meet us in Universe 20 to talk about the frozen participant."

"Oh yeah? Do they know him? Or are they just curious?"

"They claimed to have fought him in their past. Although they tried to hide it, they seemed a little scared. They recommended not to thaw him out."

"What are their names?"

"Piccolo. The name of the frozen man is Broly."

"Broly? Okay then, we shall use this name in the match. Go tell the Kaioshin about this."

The Namek left the room and went to the Kaioshin. When he said the name 'Broly', all the Kaioshin recognized it.

"Wasn't that the name of that Legendary Saiyan?" asked the youngest god.

"Yes, he was supposed to be the most powerful being ever," replied the oldest.

"You know him?" asked the Namek.

"Well, let’s say we met him once too," said the only participating god, while looking straight at the block of ice that contained Broly.

This chapter marks the end of the first printed novel, which is available at the conventions.