On his way to the Tokyo offices, Zaboru smiled as he thought about Akira Toriyama. When he decided to finally move forward with developing Chrono Trigger, Zaboru made a conscious choice to involve Toriyama in the project. In this world, Akira Toriyama wasn't as famous as he was in Zaboru's previous life—Dragon Ball Z hadn't debuted yet, and Toriyama was still focused on Dragon Ball. But regardless of his current fa, Zaboru wanted to honor the legacy he rembered.
Besides, Toriyama was easygoing, and the developnt team had no issues working with him. His involvent was mainly focused on adapting the character designs. Although Zaboru had already created the core character styles, he had deliberately avoided mimicking Toriyama's aesthetic so that Toriyama could reinterpret the designs in his own signature way—just as it should be. Sure, Zaboru could have replicated the style himself, but he chose not to. He wanted to respect Toriyama's creativity. That decision filled him with genuine happiness.
The Dragon Ball manga has been running for over three years now, and the story is already into the 180s in terms of chapter count. Progress has been fast—partly because, in this world, Hakushensha mangaka are paid extrely well. Zaboru even implented a policy at Hakushensha, ZAGE's manga publishing subsidiary, where weekly mangaka who can produce more than one chapter per week receive substantial bonuses. This incentive has fired up the creative energy in the industry, pushing many artists to produce at their best.
Thanks to this accelerated pace, Zaboru estimates that Dragon Ball Z will begin serialization soti early this year. So far, the manga's storyline is following the sa path as it did in his previous life, which gives him confidence in what's to co.
Next year, he's also planning to finally begin production on the Dragon Ball ani through YaDo, ZAGE's animation-focused subsidiary. But that depends on whether Yasu Domachi can successfully carry out Zaboru's directive to expand YaDo's capabilities and infrastructure to handle more ani projects. If all goes well, it will mark a major step forward for ZAGE's presence in the animation industry.
Zaboru arrived at ZAGE Tokyo, where the team working on Chrono Trigger was still hard at work. Overall, the progress looked excellent, and if everything stayed on track, the ga would be ready for release by late November.
Zaboru approached Akira Toriyama with a friendly smile. "Akira-san."
Toriyama looked up, a little surprised at first, then smiled warmly. "Oh, Zaboru-san! Hello."
"Sorry to bother you during your busy schedule," Zaboru said politely.
Toriyama shook his head, grinning. "Not at all, Zaboru-san. Honestly, it's been a great experience working here—and the pay's not bad either, hahaha."
Zaboru chuckled. "Glad to hear it, Akira-san."
He leaned in slightly. "So, what do you think? Do you like the Chrono Trigger story so far?"
Toriyama nodded with enthusiasm. "Yeah! It's really sothing else. The way the story can branch out into multiple outcos—it's fascinating. I'm honestly in awe, Zaboru-san. I guess this is the real advantage of storytelling in video gas, huh? Unlike manga or books, where you only get one ending."
He paused for a second, his eyes still scanning the draft material. "Each path feels aningful, and every decision matters. It's like giving players the power to shape the world with their own hands. I never realized how imrsive that could be until I started seeing how this ga works."
Toriyama leaned back, a look of genuine admiration on his face. "It's not just entertainnt—it feels like an entirely different dium of storytelling. One where emotion, timing, and consequence all blend together. That's really exciting. It makes wonder how far this format can go."
Zaboru nodded. "Exactly. In gas, the player's choices shape the experience. It's not just about telling a story—it's about letting the player live it. Every decision they make ripples through the world, changing outcos, revealing new paths, and making the journey truly personal. That's the kind of narrative I want to bring to life—sothing dynamic, layered, and unforgettable."
Toriyama's expression turned thoughtful. "I hope one day Dragon Ball gets its own ga."
Zaboru smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It will, Akira-san. Just keep doing your best. I'm a huge fan of Dragon Ball, you know."
Suddenly, Zaboru struck a Kahaha pose right in front of him.
Toriyama burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I'm so glad to hear that!"
Zaboru then made his way to the developnt floor. He walked over to Shinji Mikami, one of ZAGE's top developers. "So, how's the progress going so far?" he asked.
Shinji smiled. "Overall, it's going great, boss. Right now, we're focusing on fleshing out the story you gave us. It's pretty complex though—with those 13 different endings? That's seriously insane, in a good way."
Zaboru grinned. "Good. Let know if you run into any blockers—whether it's story-related or technical. I'll be right there to help."
He felt at ease seeing the team in action. The developers at ZAGE were incredibly efficient—not just because they were talented, but because they thrived in a healthy, inspiring environnt. They worked with passion, not pressure. On top of that, they were constantly influenced by one of Zaboru's passive abilities—sothing he called the "Aura of Influence"—which subtly enhanced their focus, creativity, and overall productivity.
After checking on a few more things across the floor, Zaboru returned to his office, a satisfied grin on his face.
"Early November—ti for the big fighting ga tournant," Zaboru chuckled to himself. This year's event promised to be packed with action, featuring a full lineup of ZAGE titles. Among them was Dead or Alive, which, despite being relatively new, had already gained a strong following among competitive players.
There was sothing uniquely charming about watching early-stage tournants. Many of the players were still getting used to the ga chanics, which led to unpredictable matches—sotis brilliant, sotis chaotic, and occasionally downright hilarious. But that was part of the appeal: the raw energy, the learning curve on full display, and the excitent of seeing new talent rise through trial and error.
For the preliminary matches, Zaboru had already organized events across Japan and the USA. As usual, he set up small arcade tournants in various cities, giving local players a chance to shine. The winners of those regional events would go on to compete for one of eight coveted spots in the Final ZAGE Fighting Tournant, scheduled for next month.
Zaboru suddenly thought to himself, "And next month, my manga will finally be officially released." He chuckled at the thought. He had been quietly working on it during his spare ti—late nights, small breaks between works, even while traveling. Now, after months of effort, it was nearly ready. The final revisions were done, the art was locked in, and the publication schedule was set. Next month, it would hit the shelves—and he couldn't wait to see how readers would respond.
To be continue
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