A screen showed a transmission of a solemn-looking office and an old man in a black suit, hands clasped together, speaking. His most distinctive features were his dense blue fur and canine appearance, though his figure was very anthropomorphic.
Animal people were not uncommon in this world. Whether by nature or some chemical compound, such features were common on Earth. Considering the existence of intelligent animals, such as speech-capable dinosaurs, this dog-man was normal.
However, what was important was the resounding title this person possessed: he was the ultimate ruler of the world, the figure who represented the nearly complete unification of Earth under a single government.
He was the King of the World, of all nations, although these no longer exist in this unified world. This important figure appeared on all the screens of the Earth in a transmission in response to recent events.
"My dear compatriots, today I stand before you not as your king or leader, but as a father, family member, and friend.
We have all seen the news about the atrocities committed by the infamous Red Ribbon Army. We have already fought this dissident army, but their recent actions have crossed a line neither you nor I expected.
We will not tolerate it! It is time for us to take a stand and show these people that human lives are not to be played with. It is time to eradicate the Red Ribbon Army!" The King's words were heard by his populace, especially you, Doctor.
"Red's game is up, hehe... about time, I guess," a middle-aged man said. He was wearing a white robe that was somewhat stained with soot and oil.
Doctor Gero lost interest in the transmission, so he waved his hand and turned off the screen. It was a small improvement he had made to the original television design: censors that responded to his gestures and controlled its functions.
In his private lab at the center of the Red Ribbon Army, he had adapted everything, modifying every appliance and piece of equipment to his liking. He could easily find his own cutting-edge technology company and earn a place in the world alongside Capsule Corp., but he didn't care about getting rich.
But Gero didn't care about getting rich, at least not now. He had enough resources and funding to do every experiment and build any machine he wanted. Why burden himself with the responsibilities of managing a company?
All he had to do was ask for funding, and it would be given to him! However, it seems that it will now be a little more tedious to receive money because of the unified government's power.
'The Red Ribbon Army won't last long. Even if I help them, they only need to convince one relatively powerful martial artist to destroy everything,' Doctor Gero mused. Perhaps he would have been angry or indignant before.
After all, the Red Ribbon Army was like his personal bank, providing the resources and materials he needed for his research, creations, and breakthroughs. He would probably take revenge on the world if he lost such support.
But not now. He had a greater purpose and goal guiding his path that came to him when the emptiness in his heart grew more and more, especially after the death of his beloved son.
"Looks like I'll have to part ways with the Red Ribbon Army if I want to continue my peace research," Gero muttered before taking a special communicator he had created from his pocket.
"Why are you interrupting me? I already have enough to suffer through with nausea, and now you're distracting me!"
A woman's voice came out of the communicator, causing Doctor Gero to frown slightly before smiling.
"Vomi, shouldn't you be resting? After all, you're carrying our child..." Gero replied in a calm, soft voice, far from his previous cynicism. One could even say his words had a tender tone.
"You...never mind. Did you see that transmission? Red is sure to want more weapons. Are we going down with him?" asked Vomi, Doctor Gero's wife, exasperated.
"Maybe sooner, Vomi. Maybe sooner. After all, the resources Red has provided us with have saved us a lot of time. However, I don't want to be a pariah because of him until I complete my plan." Gero's eyes flashed with determination, but his wife's response snapped him out of his brief stupor.
"Haha, do you think you'll make it to the underworld? We previously thought such things were mere legends, but looking at those martial artists.... Gero, researching something like that requires more than just money.
We'll need power—real power that we can control and wield. Capsule Corp. has always offered me work. I'm sure you received those emails, too. But we can't join them." Vomi's words made Gero reconsider that previously discarded idea of creating his own company.
"A business led by the two of us? A tech one? Or a pharmaceutical one?" Gero asked, intrigued by his wife. She laughed loudly.
"HAHAHAHA! Gero, let's just do everything! Why limit ourselves? Look at how Capsule Corp. is expanding into every field, even aerospace. We should follow in their footsteps. With legal status, many things will become easier.
For example, we could openly explore the supposed 'Immortal Tower' of legend. Is there an immortal living at the top? Could you see Kami-Sama? Those old legends might have some truth to them!
"So, we need support and knowledge. If we anchor our claws into the government as Capsule Corp., we can access information that Red can't get." The tone Vomi used was like a demon's whisper, hitting straight to the main point of the matter and dazzling a scientist as staunch as Gero to her purposes.
"Well... I have an excellent name. Let's call this project Cell Industries," stated Doctor Gero. He cracked a smile when he heard his wife's laughter over the communicator.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Then let's defalcate Red and get the hell out of here!" With Vomi's constant laughter, the two scientists plotted how to trick Red into funding a supposed weapon that would help them deal with retaliation from the Earth government.
However, that weapon would never be under General Red's control because it didn't exist.
...
"Bulma, I want to go get the Dragon Balls." Goku approached Bulma, who was sitting in front of a holographic screen showing a direct transmission of the battlefield between the Red Ribbon Army and the Earth army.
"Hmm, are you sure? Some of the spheres seem to be in the hands of those guys," Bulma said, pointing to a Red Ribbon Army soldier. Goku's tail gently wagged with interest.
"Really!? That's cool! I've never faced guns; that guy with the squeaky voice doesn't count!" Goku replied, causing Bulma to pucker her lips in restrained laughter.
"If Pilaf heard you, he'd point angrily at you," the blue-haired girl commented, causing Goku to shrug.
"Never mind. But I never thought the king would act so fast. It's only been two hours since his broadcast, which interrupted my cartoons." Goku leaned against Bulma's back and put his head on her shoulder as he nonchalantly watched the broadcast of the conflict.
Goku wasn't bothered by what he saw on the screen. He felt only a slight interest. It wasn't because of the deaths, but because he wanted to face those missiles and bullets. He wanted to do what Bulma had told him she had done the night before.
Bulma didn't hide what had happened to her, except for some of her more personal interactions with Lazuli. She told her parents and other acquaintances everything, which sparked the young Saiyan's curiosity.
The next day, Doctor Brief attended the meeting held by the King of Earth and gave his opinion in favor of conflict. After all, some of the weapons his daughter had developed out of boredom could be used.
Perhaps others would disapprove of a scientist joining a war in this way, but the "bad guys" here were the Red Ribbon Army, and Capsule Corp.'s support was more logistical than anything else.
After all, no one wanted to live near a group capable of destroying villages, capturing populations to force them to work, and unleashing mayhem on population centers.
"When will you act? I can lend you a new radar I made. It's much more accurate than the old one," Bulma said, making Goku's eyes sparkle with excitement.
"That would be great! But what wish should I make? That's what they're supposed to be for, right?" Goku wondered quietly. Bulma simply patted the Saiyan's hair.
"You don't have to make a wish. Not that you need to. But having them guarded would be a good thing. With your current speed and strength, getting them would be easy enough. When you get back, we can have a little party on the beach. What do you think?" Bulma's proposal made Goku turn away from the girl and start jumping up and down in excitement.
"Give me the radar!" Give me the radar! The Saiyan began to shout, causing Bulma to get a headache. She quickly pulled a capsule out of her pocket and threw it at her younger brother.
"Go with Chi-Chi! She can help you a lot, and it's good for you two to spend time together," Bulma advised. Goku nodded.
"Okay, I'll go call her." He quickly left the room, leaving Bulma alone.
The conflict was still being transmitted on her screen, but she was no longer interested in watching it, so she touched certain places on the hologram, and a controller was projected.
The entire transmission was the work of a drone that she had made using the technology of Jaco's ship. Although the drone was at a high altitude, the conflict it recorded was of high quality, a sign of its technologically superior capabilities.
She drove the drone to a Capsule Corp. base, where several droids began scanning, maintaining, and replenishing the complex machine. Bulma was focused on other things at the moment, such as organizing her beach party.
Suddenly, a message notification popped up on the screen. At another time, she could have ignored it, but the sender made her decide to pay more attention to it.
It was a message from Vomi. Bulma had had slight contact with this woman, exchanging dialogue about technology. Bulma thought Gero was dangerous, but Vomi terrified her, so she always tried to stay on her good side.
[Pregnancy is killing me, and my husband is a fool. Do you know a place where I can relax?]
A smile grew on Bulma's face as a strange idea popped into her mind: What if she met this woman and her husband in person? What a good time Vomi had chosen to ask her such a question!
Soon, the blue-haired girl began organizing the party she had in mind. This time, a couple of guests who would perhaps be impossible in other timelines would be there.
Vomi and Doctor Gero would be attending. She just hoped that Gero didn't have a relationship with Lapis and Lazuli. From what she knew of the twins, though, their connection to the RR wasn't very deep, so that concern could be put aside.
However, curiosity gnawed at her insides. What wonderful things would happen at the event? Oh yes, she had to invite Whis, too! The best part of beach parties is the food. How could she let the angel miss out on the ocean's delicacies?