Dragonball Super manga Volume 6 (Chapter 31)

 By Mark Rodriguez

The Zenos have announced a huge battle royale tournament for several universes. There can only one winning universe and the rest will be erased from existence. Each universe has to select ten members to take part. Goku started on that right away as he heads out to visit Krillin and Android 18. Elsewhere in Universe 11, the God of Destruction Belmod succeeds in enlisting Jiren since the prize will be whatever wish he wants from the Super Dragonballs. What will happen now?

 

"Chapter 31: The Super Warriors Gather" opens back to the Cell Game, as Cell is in the middle of a difficult fight. He's surprised the opponent is even stronger than him. The opponent is none other than Mr. Satan who tells him that the world has a superhero. We see Mr. Satan fight Cell as this is part of a talk show re-telling how Satan saved the world. Mr. Satan says it brings back memories since this happened 10 years ago. 

The interviewer says that afterwards everyone that was killed by Cell came back to life. He asks Mr. Satan how this happened. Mr. Satan says that superheroes can make miracles happen and that's one of them. The interviewer says superheroes are beyond human understanding. Krillin, Android 18 and Marron are watching this on TV. Krillin says they asked Shen Long.

The interviewer adds the fact that there were witness reports of a young man seen where Cell had disappeared. The TV shows Android 17 looking back towards the camera. The man asks Satan if he knows anything about him and Satan assures him that the threat of Cell is completely gone. The man brings up that Satan saved the world again seven years later, which is where Android 18 turns off the TV. Marron says she was watching that. Krillin notices the doorbell and goes to see who it is. The door cam shows it's Goku.

Goku is welcomed inside and Android 18 says they just ate but he can offer him something to eat. Goku says he'll take a small snack since he just ate at Bulma's. That small snack was three helpings and Goku finished it all. He compliments 18's cooking and she says Krillin prepared it. Krillin asks what brings Goku over and he proceeds to explain. 

Afterwards Krillin asks if there's a penalty for the universes that lose. Goku says he's not sure, as he recalls Beerus telling him not to tell them about the universes getting erased or he might scare his friends out of joining. Krillin considers it, and since they're a team, he agrees to it. Android 18  declines as she has to watch over Marron and won't fight for free. Goku says Marron can stay with Bulma since she has an amusement park and an aquarium. 18 asks why she should go through that all trouble and fight without a prize.

Goku says the prize will be ten million zeni. 18 says it will be a million each once they split it. Goku say it'll be ten million per person. Seeing that it will be 20 million between Krillin and herself, 18 agrees. Goku asks about 17. Android 18 says he's working at a wildlife sanctuary but forgot what its called. Krillin says Kami Sama can see anyone from his temple, so he can ask him. Goku heads off to see Dende.

Goku goes to Kami Sama's Temple and sees Dende and Mr. Popo. Goku notices how much Dende has grown since the last time he's seen him. Dende can sense they're in trouble again when he detected that Kaioshin and Beerus were on Earth recently. Goku says they're in big trouble and Mr. Popo adds that it's his fault. Dende says he also knows that Goku gave their universe a fighting chance. He also knows that Goku is there to find out where Android 17 is. Dende says he is in a large island in the South and he can take him there.

Suddenly the entire Temple moves, shooting forward with everyone still on it. Goku asks what's going on. Mr. Popo says the Temple can move wherever they want which helps them keep an eye on the entire Earth. As they travel, Goku wonders what made Android 17 a good guy after he came back to life. Mr. Popo explains the Androids were regular humans programmed to be evil by Dr. Gero. Dende says when Krillin wished for their bombs to be removed, it must have helped Android 17 regain his humanity. Goku doesn't get it but he gives credit to Krillin for doing so.

Dende says Android 17 has a family now and works conserving wildlife. He's also become a lot stronger over time and Dende remarks he's be concerned if he was still their enemy. Goku is surprised and Mr. Popo says that he's been so busy in outer space he hasn't been keeping track with what's been happening on Earth. Dende asks if Goku knows about the kid with extraordinary abilities in a small village nearby. 

We see a small kid working in his village. Dende says that Goku should show him how to use his power correctly when he's a little older. Goku asks why since that isn't his style. Dende explains that the kid is actually the reincarnation of the evil version of Majin Buu. His soul was cleansed and he was born again as a human. The boy is named Uub and Dende tells him to remember that name. Uub seems to notice he's being watches and stares up to the heavens. Goku says he'll remember that name, and Dende says this is why he has to ensure Zeno doesn't erase their universe.

 

They finally arrived and Dende points out the island that Android 17 is on. Goku swoops down towards it and finds that the island is full of dinosaurs. It's at this moment that Goku realized he doesn't know what Android 17 looks like and wishes he had brought Vegeta along. Due to Goku being sick with the heart virus, Goku never got to meet Android 17 during the Cell arc, and by the time he got better, Cell had already absorbed the Android.

Just then several people drive past in jeeps, claiming that they'll be rich once they get to the minotauruses.  Goku wonders if one of them is Android 17, even though he was told he was working alone. Goku lands on the jeep and yank the main guy's mask off. The man asks who he is. Goku introduces himself and asks if the wearing the mask makes him stronger. One of the men says Goku must be friends with the wildlife conservationist and the Saiyan realizes that none of these guys are Android 17. Just then one of the men points out that 17 has arrived. The leader tells his men not to back off and to start shooting. They shoot at Android 17 who is easily able to swat the bullets away without a problem. He warns them all not to damage the forest.

The leader pulls out his own gun, but Android 17 zips right up to the jeeps and grabs two of the men by their shoulders. He tosses them off of the jeeps. 17 leaps from jeep to jeep and throws the men off them. he heads towards Goku, who was still wearing the mask, and takes a swing at him. Goku blocks the attack and both of them are surprised.

Android 17 throws several rapid fire punches that Goku is fast enough to either dodge or block. 17 winds back for a punch and Goku, still disguised by the mask, turns Super Saiyan 2 and flies out of the way. Android 17 flies towards him at full speed and knocks him back with a headbutt. Goku stops himself before he can crash into a mountain and takes the mask off. He is impressed by Android 17's strength and turns into Super Saiyan 3.

 

Android 17 flies towards Goku and kicks him towards the forest. He doesn't want any damage to fall upon it so he flies after Goku. Goku teleports before he can hit the ground and re-appears behind him. Goku tries to introduce himself but Android 17 throws his hands out, sending the Saiyan flying back with his power. With Goku knocked into the sky, 17 raises an arm and charges up a huge ball of ki. Goku yells out his name and 17 stops, recognizing his voice. Goku turns back to his normal form and lands back on the ground. He's surprised 17 recognizes his voice.

Goku says he never seen him before. Android 17 explains he could see and hear Goku while he was absorbed inside Cell. He asks Goku if he's now working with those poachers. Goku wanted to talk to him, but Android 17 says he's too busy since there might be more poachers around. He flies off and says Goku can help him if he has nothing else to do, but warns him not to harm the forest.

After a while Goku and 17 round up all the poachers on their ship and send them away, warning them to never come back. 17 explains that the poachers were after minotauruses' horns to sell for big money since they are an endangered species.

Some time later, Goku and 17 are eating by a campfire. 17 is told about the tournament and he shoots it down. Goku says he can win ten million zeni and 17 says his job pays well so he's not worried about the money. 17 is in charge of watching over the whole island and can't leave it. Goku says Goten and Trunks can watch over the island. 17 tells him to go ask someone else. Goku says 17 has a family and their lives depend on this. 17 felt Goku was hiding something and wants to hear the real reason that he's inviting him to the tournament.

After the campfire was put out, 17 now knows the full story. However, 17 feels if the universe gets wiped out, that just the way it goes. Goku says Android 17 and Krillin will be there and he can see them again. 

Android 17 touches his chest and remembers the bomb he had inside him. We get a flashback, sometime after Cell was destroyed and everybody left. 17 asks 18 what happened as he realized the bomb inside him was gone. 18 tells him a guy named Krillin wished to Shen Long to remove them. 17 asks what he had to gain from that. 18 says she isn't sure, but since Son Goku is dead, they no longer have a purpose. She says she's going to live her life freely and flies off. 17 mutters to himself that he owed Krillin.

 

Android 17 asks Goku if the Super Dragonballs can grant any wish. Goku says they're more powerful than the ones from Earth. 17 wants to use the wish to get a boat. Goku says he can just buy one since he mentioned his job pays well. 17 says he wants to buy a cruiser that costs 5 billion zeni so he can take his family around the world. Goku asks where his family is, and 17 informs him that they live on a nearby island. He says his kid is still young and the island is too dangerous so he relocated to the island himself. 

Goku says that type of wish can be made with the Earth Dragonballs, and 17 says he doesn't have the time to find them all. Goku says he's glad that 17 isn't planning to use the Dragonballs to wish for world domination, which offends him. Goku says when they win he can give 17 his wish since he really has nothing to wish for. 17 stands up and says he'll give the tournament a shot. 

Mr. Satan wraps up his interview and cancels any other plans since he has important business to discuss with Buu. He tells Buu that they have another tournament in space to get to, but Buu is deep asleep. Mr. Satan panics.

At Capsule Corp, Bulma and the rest organize the list of fighters on a blackboard but even if they can get everyone their nominated, they only have nine. Bulma starts to consider Yamcha when suddenly Mr. Satan calls back. Mr. Satan tells everyone that Buu won't wake up. He hibernates for two months once a year. This angers Beerus and Whis reminds him that he sleeps for years at a time. Mr. Satan offers to fight in his place.... which everyone thinks is a horrible idea.

Beerus, Whis and Kaiohshin ponder that with Buu pulling out, now they're down to eight. Vegeta says they'll have to ask Gohan now. Whis says they need to call Goku first. Bulma informs Goku, via a communication device, that Buu can't join the team. Goku goes to see Piccolo, who is angry that he got them into this mess. Piccolo asks for senzu beans, not for the tournament but to train Gohan. He'll train him until the tournament starts since he feels they won't be able to win without him.

 

The bonus panel shows Yamcha in his baseball uniform saying he needs to train to keep from getting rusty once in a while, just in case. Puar backs him up. Poor Yamcha.

My Thoughts- 

While I still think Vegeta randomly bringing up Android 17 felt completely out of nowhere last chapter, this one does a good job of remdinding fans that he was brought back to life after Cell was destroyed. We even gets flashbacks and such showing that apparently 17 appeared in the same spot Cell was after the wish to made to revive all his victims. As you might remember, Goku sacrificed himself to get rid of Cell before he could self-destruct, so with their main target (as well as Dr. Gero) dead, 17 and 18 were free to live their lives. 

I'm a bit confused by 18 calling Krillin 'little old guy' when he told 17 that their bombs were wished away. Not sure if that some sort of weird mistranslation and they meant to say 'little bald guy'. 

One disturbing revelation was the fact that 17, and presumably 18, were still aware the whole time they were part of Perfect Cell. He also still remember this even after being revived after the fact. This might explain how 17 said he recognized Goku's voice in his Buu Saga cameo, given he never met Goku at the time before Super retconned this.

One thing that was kinda dumb in this chapter is Goku apparently not remembering that he wished for Majin Buu to come back as a good guy so they can fight again someday. Now granted, Goku had no way of knowing he would come back as Uub, but when Dende mentioned him, rather than being surprised, he should have said something like 'oh, that's right!'. The chapter acts if Goku forgot he ever did that, despite that being such an epic way to bring the Buu Saga to a close.

 

As for differences between the manga and anime versions, we got to see Goku VS 17 in two different contexts. In the manga 17 confused Goku for another poacher and so the fight was more intense as the Android wasn't holding back. In the anime they agreed to a friendly spar to test each other out. In the manga Goku only used Super Saiyan 2 and 3, in the anime Goku went straight from Super Saiyan to Super Saiyan Blue. The anime had Goku resort to Super Saiyan Blue for almost everything too quickly, even in a friendly spar match against Krillin. The manga has Goku rely more on his classic Super Saiyan forms and not jump to his God forms right away. I noticed the manga also seems to show off Super Saiyan 2 a lot more, making up for how it became forgotten after Super Saiyan 3 was introduced.

 

The anime also threw in a subplot where Goku hid the fact that the universe risked getting erased in the tournament, tellig only Gohan and Mr. Satan beforehand. While Goku is also doing that here, it had more scenes in the anime. There was also the subplot of Yamcha finding out about the tournament and preparing himself for whenever the crew would ask him to join. Sadly the crew was never really intending to invite him. The manga at least had Bulma consider him before Mr. Satan called the group and made them forget.

Probably one of the biggest differences between the manga and anime versions was that Gohan already knew what was going on, especially after the mini-tournament against the Trio of Danger of Universe 9. In the manga, while he has been mentioned several times, he hasn't appeared yet in this story arc. I do like seeing Goku respect his wishes of not wanting to be a fighter and bug him with the tournament right off the bat.

One missed opportuniy in both the anime and manga was just bringing up the fact that Android 17 now had a wife and kid without ever showing them. Like not a flashback or not even 17 pulling out his wallet to show some pictures. Both Androids were pretty stoic during their first story arc. We got to see 18 warm up towards Krillin, I would have been curious to see some flashback or something to show how the hell 17 would have warmed up to... well... anyone. While the Android/Cell saga has the Androids focus more on their mission, and then trying to get away from Cell, I just don't see 17 wanting to date anybody... let alone get married and have a kid.

Another thing both versions have is the insistence of having Buu sleep through major events for the sake of keeping him out of the story. It gets old and annoying and shows Toyotaro and Toriyama don't know what to do with him. It's mostly due to Buu's overpowered regeneation ability. It's much more dramatic when a villain uses it to their advantage to cause more problems in the story than when a good guy has that ability because that makes things too easy for the good guys.

One last thing to bring up is how much of a manipulator and liar Goku has become for the sake of the story. This kind of expands on the Buu Saga where Goku tried to promise Elder Kaioshin a date with Bulma or Videl in exchange for him training Gohan. Here Goku is making promises he can't keep and withholding information for the sake of enlisting his friends into the tournament. Goku might not be the smartest guy in the series but he knows enough of how his friends work to get them to do what he does. He can bribe 18 with money, bribe Roshi with women, use Vegeta's pride against him and so forth. I guess not even Goku can stay completely innocent and wholesome forever.

We'll see what happens next issue as the crew still needs to complete their roster. The other universes are preparing as well.