Frieza looked out the window. The sky was filled with all sorts of spaceships belonging to his subordinates, his gaze cold and ruthless.
"Lord Frieza, since we've found him, should we immediately send the First Special Forces Squad to..." Dr. Grotto asked cautiously.
"No. The First Special Forces Squad isn't enough to deal with him," Frieza said, his back turned, his voice indifferent.
"How could that be? The First Special Forces all have power levels in the millions!" Dr. Grotto was shocked, finding it hard to believe. "The energy signature we detected was actually within a very low range..."
Frieza replied coldly, "Don't you understand yet? People like him have mastered the technique of concealing their power level!" The emperor of the universe wore a look of disdain. "A petty trick evolved through a lifetime of sneaking around... Hmph. Bring me Dr. Deflorit!"
Dr. Grotto gave a respectful reply and withdrew.
"Twenty-five years... just about twenty-five years. And it had to be exactly twenty-five years!" A strange gleam flickered in Frieza's eyes. "Back then you said that within twenty-five years at most, I'd meet my end… Hmph. Now that the time is nearly up, I want to see just how exactly I'm supposed to die!"
He clenched his fist, feeling the power within him—greater than ever before—and let out a cruel, bloodthirsty grin.
"Before such power… what can you possibly do? This time, don't think you can escape from me again."
Soon, the aged Dr. Deflorit entered.
He was the old scientist aboard the spaceship back when Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta.
"Dr. Deflorit, are the 'vessels' I requested ready?" Frieza floated around, hands behind his back, tail swaying in the air as he drifted closer.
Dr. Deflorit nodded. "They're ready to be used at any time."
Frieza looked down at the aging alien scientist and asked, "And the results?"
Dr. Deflorit answered confidently, "As long as they're not detected, they'll be completely effective!"
Frieza smiled in satisfaction. Turning away, his tone became chilling. "Relay my order. Summon Vegeta and the Ginyu Force back. Have them board those 'vessels' and send them to the target planet ahead of time."
"Understood, Lord Frieza."
Watching Dr. Deflorit leave, Frieza's eyes grew colder. He murmured, "The Ginyu Force's dances are getting uglier by the day… And Vegeta, do you really think I don't know about that little power-suppressing technique you picked up from who knows where? Heh heh heh..."
He sneered, his aura exuding a sense of dominance over everything.
This time, the one who had humiliated him again and again… would know neither life nor death!
---
Vegeta had just stepped out of the rest chamber when he received the notice.
"Didn't I say not to assign me any missions for the next ten days?" He frowned, his expression turning icy.
"B-but this is a direct order from Lord Frieza… He's asking you and the Ginyu Force to return to the central planet immediately. It seems there's an important mission to be arranged," the alien who delivered the message looked pale. Vegeta's power level, over ten thousand, and especially the murderous aura from surviving countless battles, made the alien tremble in fear.
"Ginyu Force..." Vegeta muttered the name, a faint, almost imperceptible cold smile flashing across his face. He said indifferently, "Prepare a vessel."
"Y-yes, right away!" The alien hurried off.
Ten minutes later, on Base Planet No. 421, Vegeta was already aboard a spherical spacecraft heading toward Frieza Force's central planet.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe—
The five members of the Ginyu Force—Ginyu, Recoome, Burter, Jeice, and Guldo—smiled one after another upon receiving Frieza's call.
"So it's that guy Vegeta!" Guldo, short and toad-like in appearance, ground his teeth. He held a grudge against Vegeta, and just hearing the name made his blood boil.
"Guldo, looks like you'll get your chance for revenge!" said Jeice, with red skin and long white hair.
"I can't wait to give that Vegeta a good time on this mission… He's the last Saiyan, after all.
''Heh heh, we've got to have some fun with him!" Recoome, who in the original timeline toyed with Krillin and Vegeta and even broke Gosen's neck, cracked his knuckles and grinned.
Burter, known as the fastest in the universe, also smiled. "I hear Vegeta's gotten quite arrogant lately. Looks like we'll have to show him the strength of the Ginyu Force..."
Ginyu, cold and stern, interrupted his subordinates' chatter. "Let's move out. Don't delay Lord Frieza's plans!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, five spherical ships launched, heading for the same destination as Vegeta.
Their target this time… was Earth.
After more than twenty years, Frieza had finally detected Taro's ki. He immediately summoned his elite forces, made his preparations, and was brimming with confidence. It seemed he was finally ready—
To finish this in one swift stroke.
The humiliation Taro had dealt him back then—Frieza had never forgotten, not for a single day.
---
Earth.
High above the ocean, beyond the lands…
A flying craft zoomed through the sky, and right beside it, flying at the same speed, was a golden cloud!
Seated on that golden cloud was a half-grown child.
"Hehehe…"
The boy wore finely tailored clothes marked with the CAPSULE logo of the Capsule Corporation. Sitting atop the Flying Nimbus, he gazed down at the shimmering ocean below with a smile as pure as crystal. His laughter was clear and carefree.
What made the scene even stranger was the furry brown tail swaying behind him, trailing lazily against the soft yellow cloud.
Inside the nearby flying vehicle, a stylish woman with purple hair and black sunglasses looked over at the boy on the Nimbus and smiled.
"Be careful, Gosen~"
"Okay, Mom~" the young Gosenreplied obediently, beaming brightly as he waved his little hand at his mother.
Suddenly, a loud cry echoed from above.
"Little Red!"
Gosen's eyes lit up as he looked up and saw a flash of crimson fire. He grinned widely and waved his little hand excitedly.
Driving the aircraft, Bulma looked up and smiled. "She's welcoming you… Go
han, we're about to see your dad. Excited?"
"Yeah! Super excited!" Gosen chirped, his voice sweet and innocent.
"Haha, then let's speed up!" Bulma laughed, childlike herself. She pulled the control lever, and with a whoosh, the craft accelerated, leaving the phoenix behind in the dust.
"Woohoo, let's go, Flying Nimbus!" Gosen laughed too, riding the cloud without fear. The wind rushed past, but he kept on grinning like a carefree little wildling.
Bulma often marveled at how perfectly her son had inherited her fearless spirit—and his father Goku's pure-hearted simplicity.
"Caw—caw—!"
Like a streak of red lightning, the phoenix chased after them.
By the time Bulma and her son arrived at Muten Island, Hathaway was already waiting—and not too pleased.
"You're a mother now! Don't you have any sense of caution? Letting little Gosen ride the Flying Nimbus? He's still so young—what were you thinking?" Hathaway scolded, jabbing a finger at Bulma's forehead.
Bulma, holding her son, grabbed his little hand and guided it to pat Hathaway's face. Giggling, she said, "The Nimbus has a mind of its own—it's perfectly safe! Don't be mad, okay? We don't want great-grandma getting angry, right, kiddo?"
"Yeah! Great-grandma, don't be mad! You're not as pretty when you're mad!" Gosen echoed cutely, backing up his mom.
Cradled in Bulma's arms, his brown fluffy tail dangled behind him, swaying gently in the air.
Hathaway couldn't stay mad. She broke into a smile.
Bulma set Gosen down and let him go play with the phoenix. Bathed in the island's gentle sea breeze, she felt herself relax.
Casually, she asked, "Where's Grandpa Taro?"
"Gosen came to the island, and now the two of them are in the gravity chamber. I think they're observing Goku's training," Hathaway replied, shaking her head, watching Gosen play on the lawn with the phoenix. A fond smile touched her lips, but her answer was half-distracted.
Then, with a glance toward Bulma, she leaned in and whispered with a grin, "I heard from Grandpa Taro—Goku's training is almost done~"
"Really?" Bulma's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. Lately, Goku had been coming home less and less—it seemed his training was reaching its final stretch.
Even though her husband was obsessed with training, Bulma didn't mind. She was open-minded and understood from the start what kind of man she had married. Like Hathaway beside her, she was smart enough to know exactly what she was getting into and had prepared herself for it.
That said, of course she'd be happier if her husband could spend more time with them.
"Gosen~ Come here, let's go find Daddy together~!" Bulma called out happily.
"Daddy?"
Gosen was still playing tag with the phoenix, making it look quite flustered. The moment he heard his mother, he looked up with a grin and ran over, feet pattering excitedly across the grass.
Hathaway watched the mother and son walking away and thought to herself: The mix of Saiyan and Earthling blood really is incredible… I think Taro said something similar before—that Gosen might even have more potential than Goku.
"Sweetie, do you miss your daddy?"
Outside the gravity chamber, Bulma bent down, smiling brightly at her adorable little son.
"I do!" Gosen answered clearly, then tilted his little head. "Do you miss Daddy, Mommy?"
Bulma scrunched her nose and grinned. She bent down and scooped him up, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I miss your daddy so much!"
"Yeah! Miss him sooo much~!"
Gosen waved his hands and wagged his tail, mimicking her in his baby voice.
Bulma looked down at her precious son with pure adoration. She just couldn't get enough of him—he was so cute she wanted to nibble on him. She couldn't help but kiss him again.
Not far off, old Son Gohan had been watching the whole time. His kind smile never left his face. Gosen reached out to tug at Gohan's white beard, and the old man just chuckled, letting the little guy play around as much as he wanted.
Just then, the door to the gravity chamber opened...