Goku opened his mouth, then closed it.
Then opened it again, only to hesitate once more.
Piccolo finally spoke for him.
"Technically, Goku has beaten Frieza twice," he said, voice flat, "and he came close to killing him…"
Relief washed over Bardock's face. "So it really happened. Otherwise the Saiyan Empire wouldn't have risen so smoothly."
"No matter what… thank you for fulfilling my lifelong wish. I'm proud of you, Kakarot…"
Hearing that, Goku couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I didn't kill him."
The smile froze on Bardock's face.
"Then… with your current strength, you could still kill him easily, right?"
"He can't," Piccolo shook his head.
It wasn't that they didn't want Frieza dead.
But right now, even setting aside the power gap, the bigger problem was this: Frieza had just fought alongside them to save Universe 7.
He had even shed blood for Earth.
Maybe protecting Earth had never been the tyrant's intention, but results mattered more than motives.
On the subject of Frieza, Piccolo was conflicted in the exact same way Goku was.
It was… awkward, no matter how you cut it.
The trace of joy vanished from Bardock's face, replaced by a heavy seriousness. "Even if you two team up, you still can't beat him?"
Piccolo frowned.
If they added Gohan, they could probably crush Frieza without effort.
But truthfully, there weren't many people left who hated Frieza enough to throw their lives away just to kill him.
Most of them wanted something else now.
They wanted to surpass him with their own strength, then stand there and quietly enjoy the sight of Frieza raging furious and helpless.
Just imagining that would've been unthinkable in the past.
Piccolo realized his mindset had changed.
It was… unsettling.
And he couldn't even tell when it started, or what had caused it.
Goku's expression hardened. "I don't need to team up with anyone. I'll beat Frieza with my own hands."
Piccolo nodded. "That's exactly what I'm thinking."
Bardock sighed.
Back then, he'd believed the same thing.
And it hadn't ended well.
But almost immediately, his fighting spirit flared back to life, blood surging with excitement.
Back then, he couldn't even transform into a Super Saiyan.
Now, he was touching the threshold of Super Saiyan 4.
And he'd just witnessed his own grandson smash through the limits with that unbelievable transformation.
For a Saiyan, nothing mattered more than breaking through ceilings and battling stronger foes.
"People say a child killing their parents is a Saiyan's fate," Bardock said quietly. "But I've never believed in that."
"These years… under that mask's control, I did countless things against my will."
He gave a self-mocking laugh.
"I used to be a complete bastard. If you can't forgive me, that's fine. But… I want a chance to make up for what I've done wrong."
Goku and Piccolo both hesitated.
At that moment, Gohan his severed arm restored and injuries fully healed flew over.
The instant he saw Bardock's face, he froze, stunned speechless.
"Gohan," Goku said, "that's your grandpa…"
"Grandpa?" Gohan looked confused for a second or two, then his eyes widened violently. "Grandpa?! You're my grandpa?!"
"Gohan…" Bardock's eyes turned wet. "I'm sorry. When your life was hanging by a thread, I didn't save you. That wasn't really me back then. I wasn't on their side."
Gohan's face grew solemn. He nodded slowly. "I understand."
No wonder Dad and Uncle Piccolo couldn't bring themselves to finish him.
This man… was the grandfather Gohan had never met.
"Dad, Uncle Piccolo… I'm fully recovered now." Gohan swallowed, then forced the word out. "Grandpa… he's not an enemy. We don't need to worry."
Goku and Piccolo exchanged a glance.
At last, they lowered their guard.
Feeling that thin strand of family warmth, Bardock's chest eased.
"G-Grandpa…" Gohan asked carefully. "How do we restore Earth to how it was?"
Bardock froze.
Earth was already a wasteland.
The land was shattered. Lava spewed. Toxic smoke drifted everywhere.
Above it all, the Tree of Might's canopy blotted out the sky. Its thick roots burrowed deep into the planet's core, vines spreading wildly as it sucked away what little nourishment the world had left.
Land, sky, ocean everything was dead silent.
Not a hint of life remained.
After a long silence, Bardock slowly shook his head.
"Once it drains all the nutrients from a planet, it reverts back into a seed. Even if you destroy it now, the planet won't return to what it used to be."
"My knowledge is limited," he added. "I only know Turles' crew harvested the Tree of Might's fruit by bringing destruction and disaster to countless worlds…"
"There's really no way?" Gohan's voice tightened.
He'd beaten the enemy yet still hadn't protected Earth.
And an Earth that could no longer support human life would soon face mass extinction.
Piccolo sighed. "We have to wait a year, then ask Shenron."
At least Dende had improved the Dragon Balls, removing most revival restrictions and allowing three wishes.
But during that year, anyone left on Earth would still be doomed.
For now, they were basically homeless.
The situation was grim.
Goku slapped his forehead. "I can send the survivors to King Kai's planet first. I don't think he'll mind "
Piccolo stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"No, Dad." Gohan cut in. "King Kai's planet has ten times Earth's gravity. And it's tiny. It can't hold many people."
Just as they were discussing what to do next
A figure shot straight toward them.
Turles!
"HAHAHAHA!" Turles threw his head back and roared. "This planet really is top quality! The fruit of the Tree of Might gave me power beyond imagination!"
"Now you'll all become my slaves, and the name of the Turles Crusher Corps will shake the entire universe!"
"You're the one who did this to Earth," Goku said, fists tightening, "and to Gohan. Right?"
Piccolo's knuckles cracked.
Turles paused, then stared past them. "Bardock… where's your mask?!"
Bardock's brow furrowed. "I'm myself again. I'm not anyone's puppet. Not anyone's tool."
Turles' voice turned sharp. "And you think that's worthy of Lady Towa? She's the one who saved you from Frieza and gave you a thousand years to train "
"She only wanted to control me with that mask to achieve her own ends," Bardock said coldly. "My grudge with the Dark Demon Realm won't end so easily."
Goku and the others' expressions shifted.
They hadn't expected Bardock to carry a past like that.
"As long as we oppose the Dark Demon Realm…" Piccolo said first, firm and decisive, "we're family."
At that, Gohan, Goku, and Bardock looked at each other.
"Family…"
Turles snorted. "Keep dreaming. Saiyans don't get dragged around by sentiment."
"Since you're my people, I'll give you one more chance to choose."
"…Submit, or resist?"
He took a bite from the dark red fruit in his hand.
Crunch.
It shattered in his palm, and a wave of evil aura surged upward. Turles' muscles ballooned as black-and-crimson flames ignited around him.
"Then fight," Piccolo snapped, launching first.
Gohan followed, transforming into his white-haired form.
Goku and Bardock attacked from left and right, striking together.
Turles sneered, crossing his arms over his chest, letting all four fists slam into him head-on.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Turles coughed blood and went flying, smashing through mountain after mountain.
His mind screamed in disbelief.
"Impossible! I ate the fruit how can I still be weaker than these four?!"
He got distracted for a heartbeat and took several more brutal blows, his face swelling purple, teeth nearly knocked loose.
Turles exploded.
"This is shameless! Four-on-one? You cowards! You won't fight me one at a time?!"
The Son family only laughed coldly.
"We're trying to save Earth," Gohan said, eyes like ice. "We don't have time to play with you."
Turles turned to run.
As if they'd let him.
Goku used Instant Transmission to appear in front of him and kicked him right back.
Bardock's ki blast hit Turles dead-on.
RUMBLE!
When the dust cleared, Turles was covered in wounds, his clothes shredded into tatters.
Gohan and Piccolo stepped forward together, two fingers each brimming with energy, pressing toward his head.
"Tell us how to restore Earth!" Gohan barked.
Turles, cornered, was filled with unwilling rage.
"No… I haven't lost. I still have one last move. Evil ki right. Evil ki can corrode their minds!"
The moment Turles leaked even a thread of that sinister aura, Bardock saw through him.
"Careful!" Bardock warned. "Don't let that aura touch you!"
Piccolo and Gohan instantly pulled back.
Then the storm hit.
A relentless barrage followed, punches overlapping like a rain of iron. Every strike carried crushing power, pressing down on Turles like a mountain.
Turles gritted his teeth.
Ripples shook the space around him, but his evil aura couldn't even graze their clothes before he was beaten into daze.
He lasted only a few seconds.
Then Turles went limp and collapsed into the dust.
At last, the threat was truly ended.
Not long after, everyone regrouped.
Staring at the ruined Earth, they were all wearing the same expression dark, heavy, helpless.
Bardock poured cold water on their hopes.
"This planet can't be saved. Even if you interrogate Turles, you won't find a way to undo it. I fought beside him many times. I know exactly what the Tree of Might does."
"He's right," Kibito said solemnly. "Other than the Sacred World of the Kai, no planet can bear the Tree of Might's burden. Plant it on a normal world, and destruction is inevitable."
"What did Elder Kai say?"
"The ancestor couldn't solve it either." Kibito shook his head. "Turles already ate all the fruit. Even if we destroy the Tree of Might by force, there isn't enough essence left to feed Earth back to life."
It was crushing.
"Maybe… we can move the surviving humans to another planet," Bulma suggested.
"Yeah," someone agreed. "Didn't Levos get authority over the nearby star sector from Frieza? There should be plenty of worlds suitable for Earthlings."
"That's a solution," Piccolo admitted, "but only Goku can use Instant Transmission. He can't possibly save everyone."
Everyone sighed again.
"Why isn't Levos back yet?" Yamcha muttered. "If it were him… he'd definitely have a way."
"No idea if that guy's even out of danger…" someone said quietly.
They'd already heard from Piccolo where Levos had gone, but no one knew when he'd return.
"Fighting nine Gods of Destruction…" Yamcha shuddered. "Just thinking about it is terrifying."
"I hope he's safe."
"At his level now… we can't even understand what he's doing anymore…"
As they spoke, Piccolo's expression suddenly brightened.
"Good news!" he said, voice rising. "Dende just told me Levos left a backup plan. Before he left for the tournament, he already asked Dende and Mr. Popo to make a new set of Dragon Balls!"
"What?!" Everyone stared. "New Dragon Balls?!"
You could do that?!
Hope surged back into their chests.
"Then Earth still has a chance!"
All of them immediately insisted on going to the Lookout to see for themselves.
Moments later, the Lookout was lively again.
"Dende, where are they?" Goku asked eagerly. "Show us!"
Dende looked nervous. "They're stored inside the Lookout… It's not very convenient to move them."
"Move them? Not convenient?" Piccolo's brows knit. Something about that sounded off.
Yamcha slapped Dende on the shoulder. "Come on, they're just a few glass marbles, right? What, the box is too heavy?"
"No!" Dende waved frantically. "It's not that. These Dragon Balls are… much bigger than before. Even Namek's Dragon Balls are nothing compared to them…"
As he spoke, he pushed open the door leading deeper into the Lookout.
Goku was the first to dart inside.
The next second, his scream echoed out.
"WHOOOAAAAA !"
"Goku!" Everyone panicked and rushed in
Only to hear a chain of sharp inhales.
"So big…!"
Yamcha's mouth twitched. "This is what you meant by 'not convenient'?"
In the center of the hall lay seven orange spheres, each one taller than a person. Their surfaces pulsed with light in a steady rhythm.
Inside each, red five-pointed stars floated different counts in each ball mysterious and almost unreal.
"They're enormous!" Bulma gasped. "With Dragon Balls this big… could they grant literally any wish?"
Dende hurried to explain. "They can't be used yet. Mr. Popo and I only processed them according to Mr. Levos 's instructions. The final step still needs him."
"The final step… what is it?"
"He didn't say." Dende hesitated, then offered his own suggestion. "I hope these Dragon Balls will be bound to Mr. Levos , and he'll personally create Shenron and give it life."
"So we're just one step away from summoning Shenron with these?" Piccolo asked.
"Yes." Dende nodded. "Just that one step."
Piccolo thought for a moment, then nodded. "A dragon's wishes can't exceed its creator by too much. The stronger the creator, the stronger the Dragon Balls."
"And since Cell Max has our Namekian Dragon Clan bloodline…" Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "Levos really is the best choice."
"Perfect!" Everyone lit up. "Once Levos gets back, Earth can be saved!"
"Dende, you have to upgrade these properly!"
"Anything the Earth Dragon Balls and Namekian Dragon Balls can do, these must do too!"
"And as for restrictions remove whatever can be removed!"
Everyone talked over each other, piling suggestion after suggestion onto the creation of the new Dragon Balls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
"Want to stay ahead of the game?Advanced chapters are up on my Patron. If you're enjoying the ride, swing by and check them out."
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"