EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

Chapter 44: Progress : Resolution

Though Bulma normally slept like a rock, the Laws at play in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball all but guaranteed that something would happen to interrupt moments that had gotten too serious or tender. Thus, less than three seconds after Vahn had wrapped Tights in his embrace, the befuddled bluenette invariably opened her eyes, asking, "What's with the racket? Can't a girl sleep in peace…?"

Summoning inhuman levels of strength, Tights managed to liberate herself from Vahn's embrace before promptly disappearing into the attached bathroom before Bulma could completely awaken and gather her senses. This left Vahn with a wry smile on his face, but, understanding there was no meaning in forcing the matter, he allowed Tights to cool off in the bathroom as he sat on the edge of the bed and answered, "I came by to get Chi-Chi and ask if your sister wants to participate in the morning training." â??â??

Hearing the words 'morning' and 'training', a groan emanated from Bulma's throat as she combed her fingers through her hair. There had been a time when she would proactively ridicule those who exercised a lot. She genuinely believed it was a waste of calories and hindered the development of the brain. With Vahn's cooking allowing her to eat as much as she wanted without having to worry about her figure, she had even less of a reason to exercise.

Unfortunately, Bulma was as competitive as she was intelligent. She might not harbor the desire to become powerful, but, seeing Sarina and Chi-Chi train every day compelled her to at least make an effort. It was also an opportunity to spend time with Vahn, so, after mulling over how unreasonable life could be, Bulma managed to summon the motivation to lightly smack her cheeks before balling her hands into fists and exclaiming, "Yosh! You can do it, Bulma…!"

Restraining a chuckle, Vahn offered the self-psyched bluenette a cup of water before planting a kiss on her exposed forehead and softly whispering, "I'm looking forward to seeing you in your workout clothes…"

Feeling even more motivated, a gratified smile developed across Bulma's face as she gave Vahn's shoulder a weak punch and said, "You dog, you. Get out of here so I can freshen up." in a smiling tone.

Raising his hands in a playfully defensive gesture, Vahn promptly alighted from the bed before casting a brief glance towards the bathroom. Tights was currently eavesdropping with her ear to the door, so, while Bulma was gulping down the cup of water he previously supplied, Vahn let his voice transmit directly into her ears as he teased, "I hope to see you as well…"

Not expecting Vahn's voice to sound in her ear, Tights jerked her head away from the door and nearly stumbled onto her bottom. Instead, an invisible force cushioned her blow, gently lowering her to the ground as Vahn departed the room with a smile…

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Though he nearly facepalmed when Chi-Chi showed up wearing a pale purple, nearly flesh-colored gymnastics leotard, Vahn ultimately let it slide as he really didn't have an argument to make against it. It was nearly identical to the leotard she wore at school, so, while it looked inappropriate to see a young girl moving about and exerting herself in an ostensibly flesh-toned leotard, it was apparently pretty common among stage performers and athletes.

The bigger issue was that she primarily wore such clothes because she felt threatened and slightly inadequate when compared to Sarina, Bulma, Cheelai, and even Tights. Sarina, in particular, was the person Chi-Chi wanted to overcome with all her might. She greatly envied the older girl's figure, so much so that she did things like keeping track of her development in a journal and stealing Sarina's undergarments to see how they fit her.

Fortunately, while Chi-Chi was a veritable firecracker in terms of competitiveness, she didn't actually feel any feelings of hostility or resentment towards the other girls. In her mind, such notions would be making excuses, so, rather than resent others for their talents and abilities, she pushed herself to overcome them.

To their credit, Sarina and Bulma actually supported Chi-Chi's drive to become the 'ultimate wife'. In fact, the only reason Chi-Chi had been able to steal Sarina's lingerie is because she had gone out of her way to wear actual undergarments rather than using the [REquip] System to produce them. She had noticed Chi-Chi periodically checking the laundry hamper whenever they were getting changed or preparing to take a bath, so, after realizing what the petite Princess was after, she readily offered up a pair of her unmentionables as a tribute. She and Chi-Chi actually shared a number of physical characteristics, so, in many ways, watching Chi-Chi was like observing a past version of herself.

Though she understood Vahn's reasoning, Sarina understood firsthand how frustratingly painful it could be to be prohibited from being with the one you loved. Thus, while Chi-Chi viewed her as an obstacle she needed to overcome, Sarina regarded the resolute warrior princess as an astonishingly capable little sister. It was also remarkably gratifying to be someone else's goal, so, while she wasn't too afraid that Chi-Chi would surpass her, she worked hard to ensure it wasn't easy…

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While the girls were running laps around a large course Vahn had created to emulate the training of the Turtle Hermit School, he and Broly were meditating in the middle of a clearing pockmarked with a series of burn marks and massive craters. The young Saiyan had insisted he be allowed to train, so, after observing him grow more than six centimeters in a single month, Vahn ultimately relented.

Soon enough, Broly would tower over everyone else in the Godhand Pavilion at an imposing 203 centimeters. The boy was quite literally on the cusp of becoming a man, so, understanding it was only a matter of time before he began training in earnest, Vahn decided to help Broly lay a strong and stable foundation. He didn't want the Legendary Super Saiyan relying too much on his innate transformations. Rather, knowing how much potential dwelled within his young protege, the thing Vahn intended to focus on, more than anything else, was control.

"Breathe in…feel the air spreading through your lungs and imagine pushing it down into the pit of your stomach…good…now, as you breathe out, I want you to imagine all the impurities in your body exiting your throat…"

Adhering to Vahn's words, Broly exhaled what he imagined to be a stagnant breath. He believed wholeheartedly that Vahn wouldn't lead him astray, so, while he couldn't yet sense Ki, he obeyed the former's teachings without question.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn pulled out a golden apple before tossing it to Broly and saying, "Good. While Ki exists within each of our cells, it concentrates within the navel and the organs vital to sustaining life. The intestines, the organ located within your gut, is one of the most vital organs as it deals with the conversion of nutrients and the processing of waste. As a pure-blooded Saiyan, the rate at which you convert food into energy is remarkably swift. Our goal is to get you to a point where everything you eat and drink is converted without any waste being generated…"

Though the Ki in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball was remarkably similar to the Chakra seen in Naruto, the vast majority of people lacked the 'circuitry' required to manipulate it efficiently. There was nothing like mana circuits or a chakra network present. Instead, every single organic cell within a person's body served to store and aid in the manipulation of Ki. It was, quite literally, the life force of every creature inhabiting the Universe.

As a Saiyan, Broly's innate physiology allowed him to convert calories into additional energy, but, as could be expected, the conversion rate was horrendous. For an average human, they would need to consume and store upwards of 25,000 calories just to produce a single, measurable unit of Ki. Broly was able to consume more than twice that in a single sitting, but, even with his remarkably efficient physiology, only around 10% of the calories he imbibed was converted to useable Ki.

While the consumption of food was among the least efficient ways to expand a person's reserves, it was the foundation atop which control was built. The more efficiently you could convert the energy within the food you eat, the quicker you could recuperate and expand your reserves during training. If you managed to reach 100% efficiency, you would eventually reach a point where you could even draw energy from the environment, your enemies, and, the Universe itself…

"Now, eat. This time, rather than attempting to track your breath, I want you to focus on each and every single bite you take. Focus on the food sliding down your throat, entering your stomach, and dissipating into your body. Attempt and feel the energy contained within the food saturating your cells and then imagine it condensing just beneath your navel. If you do it correctly, you should feel a sensation similar to tingling that becomes gradually warmer the longer you focus on it…"

Placing his left hand on his abdomen, Broly took a large bite out of the energy-rich apple before attempting to adhere to Vahn's guidance. The food he had been consuming since his arrival at the Godhand Pavilion actually made this form of training much easier, as, compared to a normal apple, containing a mere 95 calories, even the most diluted form of an Avalon Apple contained upwards of 50,000 calories. A couple of bites was all it took to satiate even the most gluttonous of individuals.

Making things even easier, Vahn both monitored and helped to direct the flow of Ki within Broly's body. He had long reached the point where he could keep track of another person's intent, so, as Broly focused on following his directions, he made sure the young Saiyan's Ki always reacted the way he expected. Positive reinforcement and quick results were essential during the early stages of training, so, while his actions were only a few steps away from doing it for him, Vahn made sure to reward Broly's hard work with guaranteed results.

While this might stunt the growth of others, but, with a functionally bottomless well of potential, the sooner Broly learned the control his power, the sooner he could start mastering it. The most important thing was providing him with quick results while simultaneously inflating the amount of time it would take to reach said mastery. Vahn had learned that by reinforcing the notion it would take months, years, or even decades to advanced to a certain level, he could drastically reduce the odds of his students developing an ego. Everyone he had ever trained looked up to him, so, even if they had far surpassed their peers, they would continue to push themselves, driven by the verifiable notion they still had a long way to go. After all, compared to the power he was able to demonstrate, even attaining the concept of infinity was just exposing the tip of a very large iceberg…

Seeing the youth's hair begin to flare up as a result of the energy condensing and radiating from his body, a smile developed across Vahn's face as he whispered, "Exceptionally well done…at this rate, it should only take you around ten-to-fifteen years to thoroughly surpass Frieza…"

Hearing Vahn's words, a rare flash of emotion appeared on Broly's face as he eyed the golden apple in his hand, whispering, "I'll do it in nine…" before taking another large chunk out of its inordinately white and juicy flesh.

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(A/N: Broly over here radiating that big d**k energy even though he's only 138cm tall xD…)