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"Meow… and how exactly did you know I've got good stuff hidden up here?" The Cat Hermit squinted at Broly, studying him for a long moment. He sensed no evil aura on the boy, no malicious intent in his heart either. Only then did he finally relax.
"Uh, Master Roshi told me," Broly blurted out without blinking. "He said you've got all kinds of rare treasures here, like the Flying Nimbus. He even warned me that if I ever made it up here, I shouldn't forget to ask you for a few things." As he spoke, Broly casually shoved the Turtle Hermit into the line of fire.
"Oh, so you're that shameless old man's disciple, meow! Your strength is already pretty impressive, and you even know how to fly. Most of the treasures I keep here won't do you much good, meow. That being the case… let me introduce you to something special I've been cultivating."
The Cat Hermit lifted a finger. "These are Senzu Beans. Eat one and all your injuries, inside and out, heal instantly. And you won't feel hungry for ten days, meow. Pretty incredible, right? Fighters get hurt all the time. If you take a serious wound that's hard to recover from, one of these brings you right back. Amazing, isn't it?"
Hearing that this boy was actually the apprentice of that shameless rascal, the Cat Hermit was completely at ease. The man's morals were questionable, sure, but his eye for talent was trustworthy. Otherwise the Cat Hermit never would've trained him or let himself be nagged into handing over treasures like the Bansho Fan and the Nimbus.
"I see. Well then, just give me a few hundred of them!" Broly said, disappointed that the Cat Hermit hadn't mentioned the Ultra Divine Water. Honestly, the Senzu Beans were only half the reason he'd climbed the tower. The real target was that water.
"Meow! Do you think Senzu Beans grow like candy in a jar? A few hundred? Absolutely not, meow! Three. I'll give you three at most. I only cultivate a few dozen in total. If I give them all to you, what am I supposed to eat when I'm hungry, meow?"
The Cat Hermit's fur practically stood on end. Truly worthy of being Master Roshi's disciple. Same shameless attitude.
"You seriously eat these when you're hungry? Aren't cats supposed to like fish?" Broly asked, still confused by this particular detail from the original story.
"Fish? Hm? What… meow!!! You said fish? You have delicious fish?" The Cat Hermit ignored the word at first. Then five seconds later, the meaning hit, and he jumped several meters high.
Broly smirked inwardly. A cat is still a cat. Deep down, fish is king.
"I don't have fish, but I've got canned fish. Same delicious flavor, and it keeps for ages." As he spoke, Broly pulled out a can from the system store, popped it open, and waved it under the Cat Hermit's nose. The aroma alone nearly knocked him out.
"Young man… do you have more? How about a trade? I'll exchange Senzu Beans for your canned fish. One Senzu Bean for five cans," the Cat Hermit said, giving up on the "meow" entirely and switching to "young man."
"What? This is the best canned fish in the world. It's extremely rare and incredibly expensive. Five cans for one Senzu Bean? I'd go broke! No way. One can for five Senzu Beans is more reasonable."
Broly's eyes glinted. Finally, the old cat jumped into the trap all on his own. Perfect timing. Broly was already planning to pry some treasures out of him; no way he wasn't going to take advantage now.
"Meow! We can negotiate. If you've got enough cans, I can give you a discount. One Bean for four cans? Or… three? What, still no? Two? Meow… still no? Fine, one can of fish for one Senzu Bean. Best I can do. Take it or leave it."
The Cat Hermit saw exactly what Broly was doing, but the canned fish was too delicious to care. Something that tasty had to be expensive. He didn't think Broly was lying about that part at least. The two finally agreed on one can per one Senzu Bean, one thousand trades in total. They both happily sealed the deal.
And yes… the Cat Hermit had just said he only had a few dozen beans. But morals can't be eaten, so who cares.
Broly almost cracked up laughing but forced himself to put on a tortured, reluctant expression. "Fine. Deal. Give me an hour and I'll gather the cans."
"Alright, meow. I'll go check if I have enough Senzu Beans. If not, I'll grow a few more."
"Good. Make sure you hurry. I'll be back soon."
"Of course, of course." The Cat Hermit, imagining his glorious new life filled with endless fish, could barely keep from dancing.
The moment the words left his mouth, Broly teleported back to Bulma's house.
Meanwhile, the instant Broly disappeared, the Cat Hermit lost it completely. He was shaking with excitement, eyes squinting shut with joy. "I've struck gold! I've struck gold! I never thought the beans I eat to fill my stomach could get me mountains of delicious canned fish!" Laughing wildly, he darted into a storage room at the top of the tower.
At the exact same time over at Bulma's house, Broly was grinning just as hard, repeating to himself, "Hit the jackpot! Hit the jackpot!" He felt so light he could've floated.
Of course he wasn't going to ask Bulma to help gather the fish. He directly spent ten measly points in the system shop for a thousand cans. Then traded them for a thousand Senzu Beans worth ten thousand points in the shop. Ten points into ten thousand… a thousand-fold profit. If only deals like this popped up every day.
Both of them felt like they'd scammed the other, grinning like maniacs.
One hour later, the Cat Hermit finally finished preparing a thousand Senzu Beans. Broly showed him how to use a Capsule. The Cat Hermit waved his paw, and the mountain of canned fish instantly vanished, who knows where he stored it. Then he handed Broly a big bottle filled to the brim with Senzu Beans.
Broly's heart sang. He immediately stashed them in the system space before the Cat Hermit could change his mind. "By the way, keep growing more when you're free, alright? I'll be back with more fish."
With this many Senzu Beans in storage, Bulma would never have to worry about him getting into fights again.
"....."