__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Planet Vegeta.
Bardock stood silently, watching the space pod carrying Harry, Celari, and Gine shrink into a distant dot. He waited until even his scouter couldn't pick up their signals anymore before finally exhaling—a long, heavy sigh that seemed to lift the weight off his shoulders.
"At the power level of Planet Aoyun's inhabitants, you shouldn't face any real danger," he murmured to himself, as if talking to them across the stars. "Celari and Gine are in your hands, Harry. With your brains, I know they'll be fine. I just hope this storm blows over soon. Once I'm sure things are stable here, I'll come find you."
With that, Bardock turned away, his expression hardening.Now that Harry, Gine, and Celari had safely left Planet Vegeta, there was nothing left to hold him back.
Time to act without restraint.
Planet Kanassa… there's no way that mission is as simple as they claim. Even King Vegeta told me to keep an eye on Frieza's motives. Could there really be something on Kanassa that Frieza wants hidden?
He clenched his fists. Better prepare everything I can before departure.
As the twin suns of Vegeta began to rise, the planet stirred to life. Warriors filled the streets, exchanging greetings and loud laughter. Many nodded to Bardock as he passed—respect shining in their eyes.
After all, who on this side of the city didn't know Bardock?The pride of the lower-class warriors.The strongest among them.
A few minutes later, Bardock reached his home. He spent a short while checking his armor and gear, then left without hesitation.
This house—he supposed it was "home" in a way—but without his family, it was just walls and a roof.A home is where your family is. Without them, it's only a shelter.
As he prepared to head to the royal city to meet his squad, a strange chill crawled up his spine. Bardock froze, brow furrowing, his gaze sweeping the empty street before settling on a shadowed corner.
He didn't move, just stared for a long moment.
Someone was watching him. He could feel it.
But that made no sense—if anyone were there, his scouter should've reacted.
"Am I imagining things? Or have I just been running on fumes for too long…" he muttered.
With a sharp breath, Bardock flared his aura and shot into the sky toward the capital, leaving only a gust of dust in his wake.
The instant he disappeared, the dark corner shimmered—and a Saiyan stepped out, clad in an unfamiliar, reinforced battle suit.
"Damn, that was close! Bardock's instincts are freakishly sharp—no wonder his power's over ten thousand."
He tapped the small device on his arm. "Good thing I had the signal jammer on. If he'd caught me, I'd be dead meat."
He straightened, eyes narrowing. "No time to waste. I need to report everything about Bardock's family to the King!"
In a flash, he blasted off toward the royal palace.
Inside the palace of the Saiyan royal city, King Vegeta sat high upon his throne. Before him, one of his elite soldiers was delivering a report.
According to recent intelligence, Frieza was growing wary of the ancient Saiyan legend—the Super Saiyan—and was preparing to act against their race. Reliable sources even suggested that Frieza's forces were already mobilizing, planning to descend on Planet Vegeta soon.
"Hmph!" King Vegeta scoffed, his lip curling. "Just as I thought. Frieza calls himself the emperor of the universe, claims to control everything… yet he fears a legend. Pathetic. He thinks he's manipulating me, but I've long been preparing to deal with him."
There was a flicker of pride in his tone.
The Emperor of the Universe, afraid of a Super Saiyan—that alone proved the Saiyans were destined to rule the cosmos.
"The elite warriors stationed off-world are returning one by one," the soldier continued. "At this rate, we'll have nearly eighty percent of our forces back in time."
King Vegeta's eyes lit up. "Excellent! If Frieza dares come here to suppress us, then this king will make sure he never leaves! Once all our top fighters are gathered, even Frieza—with his so-called hundred-thousand power level—and that old fool King Cold, won't stand a chance!"
His voice echoed through the vast hall. His arrogance was boundless.But he had no idea how naive that confidence truly was.
At that moment, the grand doors creaked open again. The air in the throne room turned tense. Even the elite soldier at King Vegeta's side immediately dropped into a guarded stance.
The king motioned for him to withdraw, and the warrior vanished from sight.
A tall Saiyan entered—Arieta, the one assigned to monitor Bardock and his family.
"Your Majesty," he said, kneeling. "Just as you predicted, Bardock has sent his wife and children off-planet. He's now in the capital, likely to meet his squad before departure."
King Vegeta gave a curt nod.
He didn't particularly care that Bardock had sent his family away. They were weak, low-class Saiyans—barely worth attention.
Especially Bardock's younger son—power level of two. Practically nothing.
"So, Bardock hasn't run off himself. Good. He knows his place." The king leaned back on his throne, his tail flicking lazily. "He's probably gathering his men for the Kanassa mission. There's no need to keep watching him. You're dismissed."
"Yes, my King!" Arieta's relief was obvious as he backed away and hurried from the chamber.
He'd hated that assignment from the start. Watching a warrior like Bardock, without knowing why—it reeked of danger.
Once he was gone, King Vegeta's gaze shifted toward the shadows beside the throne.
Another figure emerged.
The king questioned him briefly—confirming whether Bardock's wife and child had filed travel records, and asking for updates on "that matter."
When the spy finished his report, King Vegeta waved him off and sat alone in silence.
The enormous hall felt emptier than ever.
The legendary Super Saiyan… could it really be that kid?
His expression darkened.
Lately, whispers of the legend had spread more and more frequently, and even he—King Vegeta—found himself questioning it.
He remembered the day his own son was born. Prince Vegeta's power level at birth: 2,000.A record-breaking number—unheard of in Saiyan history.
He had believed his son would be the one to fulfill the legend, the pinnacle of Saiyan evolution.And to be fair, Vegeta had never disappointed him.
But then came another child.
A child even more terrifying.
One born with a power level of ten thousand.
Far beyond the prince's.
That memory made the King's fingers tighten against the armrest.
Could it be… him?
"..."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________