Ch. 152: Legacy
"Hey mom, Gohan, how do I look?" I asked, giving a little twirl. Today was an important day for me, and I was wearing a full pantsuit and holding a file under my arm. First impressions were important for things like this, after all.
"You look great, Hanna. Real smart-looking!" Gohan complimented me.
"You look like a little businesswoman! Does this mean that you're finally gonna give up on all of that delinquent fighting stuff and start diving into your schoolwork like a proper young woman now!? I'm so proud of you!" Chichi whined.
"You're so off the mark." I couldn't help but instantly retort. "Stop trying to force what you want onto me. I'm just going over to speak to Bulma about my dojo. Now that it's getting bigger, with the Namekian's help, I want to start working to establish it. Right now, it's technically just Pigero and myself, though Tien, Chiaotzu, and Uncle Raditz are staying there too at the moment. I have some big plans for it, and I need Capsule Corp's backing to do what I want."
After a little sparring session, where he'd been absolutely crushed by Pigero, Tien had asked him to swap techniques with him, and was currently in the dojo learning the Silver Mode technique in exchange for some of Tien's special techniques. Meanwhile, Raditz had been staying there basically the entire time he'd been on Earth, because of how easy it was. I'd extended the offer of staying there to Nappa and Vegeta, too, but Nappa didn't want to 'take advantage of my hospitality,' and Vegeta had apparently stolen a ship that Dr. Brief had been working on and disappeared pretty much immediately after learning that my dad was still alive, just as he'd done in canon.
"Your dad would be so proud of you! Turning his little hobby into a successful business! And at such a young age, too!" Chichi shouted, hugging me. Naturally, the first thing I did in response was to wiggle my way out of her grasp, run out the door, and blast off at full speed toward Capsule Corp.
...
"Aand... that's my presentation... what do you think, Miss Bulma?" I awkwardly ask Bulma, swinging my hands at my side and adding an honorific for good measure. I'd just finished an hour-long presentation on my plan, and I was nervous. While I could use my Core resources in order to push my plan along without Capsule Corp backing, there was a good chance that it'd end up arousing suspicions, so I was really hoping that this went well.
"You know you can drop the 'Miss,' Hanna. I've been friends with your dad since he was about your age, after all." Bulma chided me, standing up and taking another glance at all of the papers I'd given her, which were now strewn across the desk. "Look, what you're asking for is pretty big. Even for Capsule Corp, we can't just hand that kind of resource out without serious consideration... On top of that, even for you, your young age is a definite minus."
My head drooped. If Capsule Corp wouldn't back me...
"But!"
'Huh?' A ray of hope was shining through.
"But, you make a good point. When you're comparing the average person to nutso-strong idiots like you Saiyans, it's pretty clear that they're unable to protect themselves. Your plan is a great way to theoretically change that. Let's take it in stages. We'll have the guys and the Namekians help with this stage. With everyone's help, and us manufacturing it, then we should be able to implement it in only a couple of days. Then, we'll see how it's received before we invest in the second phase." Bulma told me, but I still had a certain reservation.
"What about the cost? The entire point-" I started, but Bulma cut me off.
"Don't worry about the cost. Even if the first stage here isn't well received, the investment will still do a lot of good. In my eyes, that would make it worth it and more. Besides, since it's just manufacturing, it's actually gonna be pretty cheap. That spaceship Vegeta took cost more than this should... That stupid jerk." Huh. It brought a fleeting smile to my face to know that even in this version of the Dragon Ball Universe, Bulma still seemed to have a small crush on Vegeta. Technically, she was still dating Yamcha, but he was cheating on her with half the city, so it was probably inevitable that she and Vegeta would still end up together.
But I had a few more details to work out with Bulma before I could relax.
Bulma and I pulled two consecutive all-nighters in order to work through the first stage of my plan and iron out all of the details before we were finally able to put it into action. Meanwhile, the Capsule Corp manufacturing plant was also working overtime. Finally, the day of reckoning arrived.
"Alright, everybody. Thank you for volunteering to help us with this. Pigero and I really appreciate it, and a special shout-out to all of you from Namek. The Legacy Dojo has grown so much that I hardly recognize it nowadays, all due to your incredible work!" Gathered around me in the dojo's new Grand Hall were over one hundred people, ninety percent of whom were Namekians of all ages. At my declaration of appreciation for them, about fifteen of the Namekians burst into tears. Those mainly consisted of the gardeners, who'd become absolutely obsessed with making the dojo's garden as beautiful as possible, but quite a few of the carpenters were crying as well. They honestly deserved it, though. In just two months, these Namekians had managed to turn my dingy dojo into something that looked like a luxury resort, tailor made for martial artists. We'd decided to call it Legacy, and had hung a sign in front of the new gate with a really cool painting of the name inside the mouth of a dragon.