In the blink of an eye, another year passed by after everything went its normal way.
"Trunks! Where are you!?", shouted Bulma from somewhere in the house.
Darc came over to her while smoking an e-cigarette. He actually got this habit after being constantly near smokers but didn't want to influence his health too much with real smokes. After getting his ki back he also started to reduce using even the electronic one. With his ki he could push out those substances out of his body anyway. In a way it was just a little gimick chewing gum to pass the time.
"Are you searching for Trunks again?", he asked her when he was closer.
Bulma sighed and looked at him. "Go find him. It is about time for his bath. At some point, I will probably go insane if this goes on. Why is it that he had to inherit your immense energy?", she said to him.
"It's not really that high. And blame Arkis for showing him how to use flight. If she didn't use herself as a flying cradle from time to time so that he fell asleep, he would never come to the idea to fly. At least not so soon.", rebuked Darc with him not being at fault.
"That paternal aunt of his...Where is she anyway? At times like these she is always never to be found as if she knows that I would scold her for this...", she mumbled.
Darc snickered and looked around. Then he sensed his environment and looked up to the ceiling. Little blue eyes looked back at him in total silence from the ceiling. Trunks was floating there and tried to remain as silent as possible. Unlucky for him Darc could sense ki again after his body recovered to some point.
"There you are, little buddy. Come to daddy.", smirked Darc and outstretched his arms. But Trunks had other ideas. After being noticed he tried to flee.
Bulma saw that and snorted. "Well, look who is being favored after Arkis had her way."
That hurt Darc a little bit, to tell the truth. "Oh, so you want to play like that." He put his electric cigarette away into his pockets and vanished. Shortly after he reappeared with Trunks in his hands. The little guy was laughing brightly after being caught and seemed to have enjoyed the little game of tag.
"It's not like he doesn't like me. He is just mischievous. He pretty much knows only Arkis and I can catch him.", he said to Bulma.
"Is that so? Trunks, come to mommy." This time it was her outstretching her arms and look and behold Trunks wanted to go over. So Darc let him go and he flew straight to Bulma's arms. "Good boy. Now we go bathing." After hearing that though he instantly started to struggle and squirm. But he wasn't strong enough yet to really pry himself away from his mother.
After all, Bulma became a lot stronger than normal people after Darc helped her to get back into form. That was probably the first time she ever asked to be taught about training and stuff from him.
Actually. Bulma, in general, had a knack for it since she was more aggressive and her smarts helped out. But sadly she didn't really seem all too fond of it as well. So she only trained after her figure was back to being in top condition. No more than that.
Come to think about her tomboyish behavior. It declined somewhat. She started to behave much calmer and more ladylike. That said she still had outbursts if something doesn't suit her taste but that's her charm. Most of the time she is even right in being angry.
He even scanned her angry outburst with the scouter just out of fun and what he saw shocked him. A whopping 2k of BP. Maybe his teachings are just too good? Well, nevermind that. Bulma went away with Trunks to bathe him and Darc only sighed out.
That little rascal himself is already such an energy bundle. He could even compete with Saiyan children. Would a 400 in BP be considered mid-class? He probably should ask Maiz his people what strength at birth signified what class. Just out of curiosity.
Then Darc went ahead to do what he actually planned. He walked to the training room and directly went in even though a red sign told him that the room was used at the moment.
He went through the first door then it shut behind him and the gravity increased and the second door in front opened slowly to let him into the gravity chamber.
Inside it, he saw Lite training. Darc walked leisurely inside and came over to the console to look at the number displayed on it. "You reached 130 times of gravity. Very good. I think it is about time to let you join the team that you are going to work with. Your spaceship is already at the western headquarters. Let's finish up here. Alice.", he commented on Lite his progress. Alice reacted to Darc his command and returned the gravity back to normal.
Lite breathed out and started stretching himself. Then he took a towel. "This chamber is amazing. It's unlike heavy clothing that can hurt the joints. Here your whole body gets trained the same amount. Every fiber in your body gets strengthened. You should have let me train here much sooner.", he told him.
"Stop complaining. There are reasons why I didn't let you. Now, finish up getting ready and let's move. I will teleport us to a certain place first and then we go to your team. Oh, and you will become the guy in command. Don't let your authority get undermined. The people you will work with respect strength. Don't get outdone by them.", he warned him. Even though it would be hard for him to keep up. And at some point, he would lose to their progress. At least that is how Darc thought.
---
Finished up Lite placed a hand on Darc like always and they both disappeared with a KaiKai. They reappeared on a green planet. It was Namek.
"Phew, been a long time since I was here.", said Darc and looked around.
"Wow, there are some high energy signatures on this planet. And one of them is extremely high!", exclaimed Lite in surprise after sensing the energy. Namekians knew how to hide their energy but it looked like right now some of them trained.
"Hmm, that signature...It should be Nail.", answered Darc after figuring out who the ones were that exuded those. "Let's go there."
"Alright.", agreed Lite and both flew straight to Nails location.
A short while after flying they already could see a figure doing its forms a little bit to the side of the grand elder's house. It was Nail. He noticed the approaching figures and looked up. Lite immediately recognize the look of him and could see the resemblance of Piccolo. Good thing Darc already told him that this race is not evil and Piccolo was a special case on earth.
"Hey! Nail. Long time no see!", came from Darc and he landed with Lite.
Nail chuckled after recognizing him. "Darc! Well, it has been so long that you already changed by so much!" Then he looked at Lite. "And who is this?", he asked.
Darc smiled and put his arm around Lite his shoulders. "This here is my childhood friend Lite. He also does martial arts."
"Hey there.", grinned Lite in response.
Nail nodded at his greeting and then analyzed him. "By the control of his energy, he seems pretty strong. Can we compare a little?", he asked Lite.
Lite nodded and Darc went to the side. Both of them started to get into their respected stances and went at each other. They exchanged fists pretty casually at first but slowly increased their speed and power. But at some point, Lite was flung around like a ragdoll by Nail.
After seeing that Nail stopped the exchange and Lite patted away the dust from his clothes.
"You really became strong, Nail. Very well done.", commented Darc. "Can you put out your maximum energy, please? I want to look at something."
"Sure.", agreed Nail and charged up. Darc activated the scouter. He could feel that Nail was somewhat around the same level as Lite. Just a tad stronger maybe but with the scouter, he could see the real amount. With his energy, it became harder to judge weaker people more accurately lately.
"260.000 BP...You really increased your power by a lot in those years! Considering you don't have a gravity chamber makes it really something. Well done.", said Darc.
Nail let his energy drop and he smiled "I may have more brute strength but Lite has a very good foundation. So, are you here for elder Guru to help him advance? If my guess is correct you are here for that, no? Or is it the Dragon Balls?", asked Nail now.
"There are Dragon Balls here?", asked Lite now.
"Yeah, there are. And we are not here for them. We really are here for elder Guru. With that Lite will probably outpower you, Nail.", smirked Darc now.
Nail only snorted "Then it means I only need to train harder. And as long it is good people that get stronger it is okay in my point."
"Who is this Guru you are always mentioning?", asked Lite again. He always nodded at Darc if he mentioned him because he trusted Darc but hearing his name so often made him curious now. especially after hearing that it would make him stronger. To be truthful he was just confused at most when Darc was telling him about stuff. He had an attention span of a goldfish.
"He is our elder and father to many of our race.", answered Nail to him.
"Elder Guru also can tap into the potential of people and increase their energy. That is what we are here for. Now, shall we do it?", explained Darc and Nail nodded.
After seeing Guru he looked somewhat older than before. No wonder because he only had about 6 years left to live now. Nonetheless, he was very happy to see Darc again and after some small chat, he agreed to unlock some of Lite his potential.
And just as guessed his potential brought him to whopping 1,2 million in BP. It was a smaller increase in multiplier than Krillin but that was probably because he was already stronger than him. Also, he ended up with more energy than Darc himself after having his power unlocked.
Elder Guru wanted to tap some more of Darc his potential but it didn't seem to work anymore. Looks like only elder Kai would be able to tap into that last bit. But Darc didn't bother about that. At some point, he would get the chance. And if he really wanted and needed the power he just had to break the Z Sword.
Saying their farewells to the elder and Nail they both teleported to the western headquarters of the GP and went straight to the place where the Saiyans were training. Right, Lite would become the commander of them and be a link for Darc to control and contact them.
After all, Arkis had already a lot to do herself. Even if she didn't complain much. This would take some burden from her.