The sun shone brightly through the window, casting warm beams of light across the room. The gentle light filtered through the curtains, illuminating the tangled sheets and the two bodies lying within them. Zane sat up slowly, his muscles sore but satisfied, as he rubbed his eyes. His shirt was discarded carelessly on the floor, and his body was littered with scratch marks, bites, and the lingering evidence of the previous night's passion. The marks on his neck were still faintly visible as he ran a hand through his hair, a satisfied grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
Next to him, Bulma slept peacefully, completely bare, her clothes strewn haphazardly across the floor. Her breathing was slow and even, a serene expression on her face. Zane couldn't help but glance at her one more time before slipping out of bed. He stood, stretching his arms over his head, and then walked toward the bathroom, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He brushed his teeth quickly, followed by a quick shower, the hot water easing his muscles.
After a few minutes, Zane emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed. He glanced over his shoulder one last time at the peaceful figure of Bulma, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath. He left the room quietly, heading outside to clear his head.
The backyard of Capsule Corp was still peaceful in the early morning light, the sun just beginning to rise fully. In the distance, Zane could see Vegeta, already hard at work, his body moving with discipline as he did push-ups with fierce determination. His eyes narrowed slightly, watching the prince of all Saiyans. He stretched again, cracking his neck with a low, satisfying sound, before walking casually toward him.
"Do you always get up this early?" Zane called out with a yawn, his tone casual and almost bored.
Vegeta paused, noticing him but not stopping his workout. He straightened up, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, then glared at Zane, his pride ever-present. "A warrior must always be at their peak condition," Vegeta replied, his voice low but firm, his expression unwavering.
Zane rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Whatever you say, prince." He crossed his arms and leaned against the nearby wall, watching the other Saiyan's relentless training.
Vegeta's eyes flashed with barely contained frustration. His fists clenched at his sides. "Enough talk!" he barked. "How do I achieve Super Saiyan? Tell me now."
Zane's smirk widened, almost as if he found Vegeta's desperation amusing. "You're too weak." He said it so matter-of-factly that it stung, making Vegeta's blood boil.
"What did you say?" Vegeta's voice dripped with barely contained fury, his body trembling with the need to unleash his frustration.
Zane leaned in slightly, his smirk never wavering. "Let me explain. Super Saiyan is a 50x multiplier to your power, Vegeta. Right now, your power level is about 24,000, right?" Zane glanced at him, his eyes narrowing in thought. "If we do the math, after transforming, your power level would be, what? 1.2 million."
Vegeta's eyes widened slightly, his pride battling against his own curiosity. "1.2 million? That's an incredible power level! What are you talking about?" he asked, still not fully believing what Zane was saying.
Zane chuckled softly, almost pityingly. "I'm not finished. Goku's power level, before we even arrived on Namek, was around 348,000. If he achieves Super Saiyan, he'll reach 17 million, far surpassing you." Zane's gaze was steady.
Vegeta's jaw clenched hard, his teeth grinding together at the mention of Kakarot's name. "That clown's power level is 343,000! If he achieves Super Saiyan, he'll be even stronger than me?" Vegeta's voice was filled with fury, but there was a spark of fear hidden beneath the anger. "I refuse to be the third strongest!"
Zane waved his hand dismissively, clearly unfazed by Vegeta's outburst. "Your fate, Vegeta. You've seen it. Goku wasn't the only one who trained. His son and Krillin trained, too." Zane's voice remained calm and calculating. "After his fight with Frieza, Goku's power level probably shot up to 730,000. His son's power is around 120,000, a nice boost for him. And Krillin, the human, is at 85,000."
Vegeta's eyes burned with rage, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. "A fucking human is stronger than me? Prince Vegeta?!" he roared, practically foaming with anger. "How?!"
Zane smiled lazily, his tone nonchalant. "But you don't have to be weak for long." His grin widened. "I can train you. Picture this, Vegeta, your power is like a cup of water. The more you train, the more water gets added to that cup. But when it's full, that's when the real power comes in. Think of it like this: You fill that cup until it's about to overflow, and then add just a little bit more... and you become an ocean."
Vegeta stared at him, confused. "Overflow?" he repeated, clearly struggling to understand. "What do you mean by that?"
Zane sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead. 'I've been sighing a lot more these days,' he thought. "Let me break it down for you, prince." He stepped closer, his arms folded. "We need to get you as strong as possible. Once you're on the edge of achieving Super Saiyan, you'll hold that power inside. Hold it until you can't anymore. When your body is practically bursting with energy, that's when you'll transform and release it."
Vegeta listened carefully, his expression still serious but uncertain. Zane paused for a moment, and his mind drifted briefly to the events of the night before, with Bulma in his arms. He shook the thought away. "Actually... maybe release isn't the best word," he muttered to himself, but then quickly recovered, not wanting to explain his inner thoughts. "Never mind. Once you're overflowing with power, you'll be able to transform. Do you understand?"
Vegeta, still trying to process everything, nodded slowly. "I think I get it," he said, a hint of doubt in his voice. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Zane smiled, his arrogance palpable. "Good. Now follow me. We're going to train in the gravity chamber."
Zane led Vegeta to the ship and into the gravity chamber, flicking the switch to set the gravity at 10x Earth's normal gravity. The instant the pressure hit Vegeta, his legs wobbled beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. His body was unprepared for the intense weight.
Zane walked around the chamber with ease, completely unaffected by the pressure. "Get used to this," Zane said with a lazy smirk. "This should be nothing for you. You'll need to be able to move freely in this kind of environment before we start sparring."
Vegeta, struggling but determined, pushed himself to his feet. "And you're sure this will help me achieve Super Saiyan?" he asked, his voice strained.
Zane didn't miss a beat, his smirk never fading. "Vegeta, getting Super Saiyan is like a black person being late to a planned event. It's inevitable. It's bound to happen."
Vegeta's brow furrowed, his confusion growing. "A what person?" he asked, not sure what Zane was implying.
Zane waved him off. "Never mind. Don't think too much about it." He continued walking, clearly not interested in further explanation.
Zane returned to Capsule Corp later that day, feeling the cool air of the interior as he entered. He spotted Bulma moving around the house, looking tired, wearing an old shirt that barely reached her knees. She looked cute, though her exhaustion was obvious.
"Good morning," Zane said casually, his voice still a bit smug from the training session with Vegeta.
Bulma sighed, looking up from the task at hand. "Morning," she replied. "So, where'd you go off to?"
Zane leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Went to meet up with Vegeta. Talked about a few things... you know, training."
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms in mock frustration. "Is that all you guys think about? Training, power, and training? That's all I ever hear."
Zane chuckled, amused by her reaction. "You said training twice, you know," he teased.
Bulma rolled her eyes, but her smile was faint. "Whatever," she grumbled. "I'm tired. Can you carry me to bed, please?"
Zane sighed, already anticipating the request. With a dramatic eye-roll, he picked her up in a princess carry. Bulma giggled softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest.
As he walked toward her room, she leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. "You know," she whispered, "I'm not wearing anything under this shirt."
Zane's smirk grew. "I can tell."
"Good," she whispered back. "I was hoping you would."