Another day had passed, bringing Frieza's deadline for destroying Planet Vegeta ever closer. More and more Saiyans were returning to their homeworld via spacecraft, including Bardock, the father of Son Goku.
As their ship approached Planet Vegeta's orbit, Bardock caught sight of Frieza's massive mothership in the distance. The unsettling feeling in his heart grew even stronger.
"Look, it's Frieza's ship," one of his crewmates pointed out, staring nervously at the enormous spacecraft.
Bardock sat in the cockpit, arms crossed, his face dark with unease. "I don't know what Frieza is up to, but he personally coming to Planet Vegeta can't be a good sign."
"I heard it's been stationed there for a while. But it's really strange, isn't it? Why call all of us back to the planet? If it were a major mission, he could've just contacted us through our scouters. There was no need to summon everyone."
"Take off your scouter, now! Be careful what you say!" Bardock warned.
"Oh, right!"
The smaller Saiyan hurriedly removed his scouter. In truth, most seasoned Saiyan warriors held no real loyalty to Frieza. They only served under him as a means of survival.
"Everyone's returning one by one," another crewmate observed.
"I don't trust this. That bastard is definitely up to something," Bardock muttered. However, most of his kin were still too caught up in the thrill of conquest to realize that danger was looming ever closer.
...
After landing in one of Planet Vegeta's bustling Saiyan settlements, Bardock learned from other warriors that Frieza had been inquiring about the legend of the Super Saiyan. This revelation confirmed Bardock's worst fears. With growing urgency, he rushed home to his mate, Gine, and made the decision to send their youngest son away to a remote planet.
Gine was a petite Saiyan woman, her soft, unkempt hair framing her delicate features. Unlike most Saiyans, she was gentle and non-combative, working instead in the food processing sector.
Hearing Bardock's plan, she was immediately distressed. "Why, Bardock? Kakarot is only three years old! We haven't even taught him how to speak yet!"
Bardock explained, "I can feel it—Frieza is planning something terrible. It's too dangerous for Kakarot to stay on Planet Vegeta. Tonight, I'll steal a pod and send him to another planet. If it turns out to be nothing, we'll find him and bring him back."
"But…" Gine hesitated, her heart heavy with sorrow. Eventually, however, she relented.
That night…
Bardock infiltrated a research facility and stole a newly constructed spherical spacecraft. Since it hadn't yet been fitted with tracking equipment, it was the perfect vessel for their son's escape. Carrying the pod to a secluded location, he and Gine carefully placed Kakarot inside.
The small child whimpered inside the pod. Gine placed a hand on the glass, her eyes filled with sadness. "Don't cry, Kakarot. If everything is okay, we'll come get you soon."
"…Bardock, why don't we just run away together?" she pleaded.
"We can't. Our power levels would make us easy to track. Kakarot is safest on his own," Bardock said firmly.
Gine's face fell. "Raditz is out on a mission with Prince Vegeta. He should be safe… If something does happen to Planet Vegeta, he'll have to find Kakarot on his own."
Bardock nodded. "I found a planet called 'Earth' in the archives. It's a low-level world with no real resources or value. That makes it the perfect hiding place."
The couple pressed their palms against the pod's glass, gazing at their son one last time.
With a deep breath, Bardock activated the launch sequence. The pod slowly ascended into the sky before blasting off into the stars.
"Goodbye… You have to survive."
"We'll come for you soon."
"…Watch out for the Galactic Patrol…"
A small star twinkled in the night sky, disappearing into the infinite abyss. Bardock and Gine watched their son's departure in silence, holding each other tightly. They had no idea that the child they sent away would one day grow into a warrior who would change the fate of the entire universe.
Their son, Kakarot, was about to embark on the most glorious journey of his life.
...
Meanwhile, in a vast, rocky canyon…
The sun hung high in the sky, its brilliant light illuminating the landscape. The air was clear and crisp, with not a single cloud in sight. The sky was a beautiful, endless blue, as if freshly washed by the rain.
At the heart of the canyon sat a massive, pitch-black spherical gravity chamber. Standing over eight meters tall, its metallic surface gleamed under the sunlight. Six thick support beams anchored it deep into the rocky terrain. The machine hummed softly, its systems maintaining a steady gravitational pull.
Outside, grains of sand whipped against the chamber's surface, collecting in small dunes around the structure.
Inside the gravity chamber, an eerie stillness filled the air. The gravity was currently set to eighteen times normal Earth gravity, and the atmospheric pressure had been increased fifteenfold. The intense environment weighed heavily upon the chamber's occupant, crushing down with an almost unbearable force.
Within this grueling setting, a young boy with jet-black hair was training relentlessly. Sweat dripped from his face as he moved, each punch and kick executed with precision and force. His muscles burned, but he refused to stop.
"Huff…"
After what felt like an eternity, he finally shut off the gravity controls. Instantly, the crushing weight vanished. Taking a deep breath, Raiga stepped out of the chamber, wiping sweat from his brow. He took a swig from his water bottle before checking his scouter.
"810 power level," he muttered, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Of course, his training couldn't compare to what Son Goku would achieve in the gravity chamber later on. But Raiga knew better than to push himself too hard. His body was still young—overexertion would only lead to long-term harm.
Thus, he had carefully structured his training routine. He spent half the day enduring gravity training, then switched to standard exercises in the other half. This balanced approach allowed his body to steadily adapt and grow stronger.
Perhaps because he had been born on Planet Vegeta, which naturally had ten times Earth's gravity, his growth wasn't as explosive as Son Goku's. Even under eighteen times gravity, his battle power had only increased to 810.
But Raiga wasn't discouraged. In fact, he was more than satisfied with his progress.