The whole ship went dead quiet for one heartbeat after Goku appeared. Then it exploded.
"GOKU!!!"
"DAD!!!"
"KAKAROT!!!"
Goten and Trunks jumped up and down. Gohan's mouth fell open. Master Roshi dropped his drink. Mr. Satan almost fell off his chair. Even the music seemed to stop for a second.
Goku looked around at all the happy, shocked faces. He gave the tiniest smile (the kind that didn't reach his eyes), then his face turned hard and serious again.
"Everyone," he said in a loud, clear voice that carried over the whole deck, "stay on the ship. No matter what you see or hear, do NOT come outside the ship. Promise me."
Vegeta pushed through the crowd, arms still crossed, eyes narrow. "Kakarot, what nonsense are you talking about now? Where have you even been?"
Before Goku could answer, a loud SLAP! cut through the air.
Chi-Chi had marched straight up to her husband and slapped him across the face so hard his head turned a little. The sound made everyone freeze. Goku didn't move, didn't rub his cheek, didn't even blink. He just kept that same cold, serious look.
"Goku, where HAVE you been?!" Chi-Chi shouted, tears in her eyes and fists shaking. "Months! MONTHS without a single word!"
Goku opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Whis stepped forward from behind him, smiling his usual calm smile.
"Oh my," Whis said lightly, looking Goku up and down. "You really have become much, much stronger, haven't you, Goku? Good job." Then his purple eyes lifted to the sky. He tapped his long staff on the wooden deck twice—tap, tap—and a huge, glowing blue bubble suddenly appeared all around the ship. It shimmered like glass and covered everything, from the top of the tallest mast down into the water. "There. Now everyone will be safe."
Everyone looked up.
High above the ship, floating in the bright blue sky, stood a man in shining golden robes exactly like Beerus's, only darker, almost black at the edges. His hair was wild and red, his eyes glowed the same angry red, and dark purple destruction energy crackled around him like lightning. Two tall figures in black hoods and masks stood quietly at his sides.
Beerus walked out onto the deck, licking pudding off his fingers, looking annoyed.
"Rishi," Beerus called up, arms crossed behind his back. "How long do you plan to just stand there looking dramatic?"
The man in the sky smiled, but it was a cold, scary smile.
"Beerus," he answered, voice deep and icy. "It has been eons since I last saw your lazy face."
Beerus yawned. "Rishi, if you surrender right now, I might let you keep a little bit of your life. I'm having a nice day—there's ice cream, barbecue, pudding, pretty girls in swimsuits… I don't want to ruin it fighting you."
Rishi's smile disappeared. Dark energy exploded around him like a black fire. The wind howled. The sea got rough. His eyes burned bright red.
"I didn't come here for games, Beerus," Rishi said. "I came to destroy, to conquer, and to avenge every wrong you and the other Gods ever did to me. Step aside—you and your angel—or die."
Beerus sighed like someone had just asked him to take out the trash. "Whis, keep the humans safe. This is going to be annoying."
Purple destruction energy started glowing around Beerus as he floated slowly up into the sky.
Down on the deck, everyone started talking at once.
"What's happening?!" Yamcha asked, voice high.
"Who are those two creepy guys next to him?" Tien asked, three eyes wide.
Rishi's red eyes moved down and locked on Goku.
"Ah… the Saiyan," Rishi said, stretching one hand out and curling his fingers. "Come here, warrior. You will fight me first."
Goku's face stayed cold. "Lord Beerus," he called without looking away from Rishi, "let me handle him."
Beerus stopped, thought for half a second, then shrugged. "Fine. I still have half a chocolate pudding waiting." He floated back down and landed on the deck, already looking for his spoon.
Vegeta stepped forward, fists tight. "Kakarot, what aren't you telling us?"
Whis turned to Vegeta with that same calm smile. "Prince Vegeta, you will be fighting one of Rishi's attendants."
Vegeta's eyes flashed with excitement. "Finally." He cracked his neck and floated up.
From the side of the ship, Caulifla shouted, "Kale! We're taking the other one together!"
Kale nodded, eyes huge but determined. The two Saiyan girls from Universe 6 shot into the sky like rockets.
Gohan took one step forward. "I'm going too—"
BAM. Piccolo's green hand landed heavy on Gohan's shoulder and held him in place.
"You're not," Piccolo said quietly. "This isn't like anything we've ever faced, Gohan. You're strong—stronger than ever—but it still won't be enough. Let your dad, Vegeta, and the girls handle it. Trust them."
Gohan clenched his teeth, looked up at his father already glowing with silver-blue energy high in the sky, and finally nodded. "Okay."
Android 17 leaned against the rail, cracking his knuckles. "If this goes wrong, we're all toast. Literally."
Android 18 rolled her eyes. "Then let's hope Goku remembered to brush his teeth after training for six months."
Up in the sky, the three battles were about to start.
Goku floated forward until he was right in front of Rishi. Their power made the air shake and the ocean below whip into huge waves. Vegeta faced one of the black-hooded figures. Caulifla and Kale stood side-by-side ready to fight the other.
Rishi smiled again, slow and dangerous.
"Let's see if the stories about you are true, Saiyan."
Goku's hair flashed bright silver for just a second, his new power rolling off him like a storm.
Down on the ship, inside Whis's blue shield, everyone watched with wide eyes and held breath. Children hugged their parents. Bulma stood quietly at the back, still feeling the warmth between her legs from earlier, heart beating fast for a whole different reason now.
The sky cracked with the first explosion of power.
The real fight had begun.