"Mom didn't come?" Goku asked, glancing toward Universe 9's viewing stands.
His mother wasn't much stronger than an ordinary Earthling, so there was little chance of her participating in a tournament like this. Still, he'd hoped she might at least come to watch.
"No, I told her to stay home," Bardock replied.
Bardock had recently brought Gine to live with him in Universe 9, where they could finally spend some time together. Zarek, however, had refused to move with them, preferring to remain in Universe 6.
Before Goku could ask anything else, an angry voice suddenly called out from the Universe 7 team.
"Bardock! You're still alive!"
Gas's eyes lit up with excitement as he recognized his old enemy. After all these years, he'd finally found the Saiyan responsible for one of the most humiliating defeats of his life.
Bardock turned toward the voice, but the unfamiliar face left him puzzled.
He'd noticed Gas earlier without recognizing him. The wish that had made Gas the strongest in the universe had also drastically changed his appearance, turning the boy Bardock remembered into a taller, more mature-looking warrior.
Even without those changes, Bardock probably wouldn't have recognized him immediately. More than a thousand years had passed since Bardock's early adventures, and his battle with Gas had been just one incident among countless others.
For Gas, however, that battle had defined much of his life.
The irony was that while Gas had spent decades obsessing over Bardock, Bardock had almost completely forgotten he existed.
"Who are you?" Bardock asked.
Gas stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm Gas! I never imagined I'd run into you here!" he snapped, barely containing his anger. "What was that earlier? Were you deliberately pretending not to notice me?"
"Gas?" Bardock repeated, searching his memories. "Doesn't ring a bell."
Gas nearly exploded with frustration. He'd spent years thinking about their next encounter, imagining how satisfying it would be to finally defeat Bardock, only to discover that his rival couldn't even remember his name.
Before he could remind Bardock exactly who he was, another familiar voice interrupted.
"Well, well! Look who it is!" Frieza exclaimed with an amused smile. "Aren't you the Saiyan who tried to resist me when I destroyed Planet Vegeta? So you're Goku's father!"
Bardock certainly recognized Frieza. Unfortunately for the tyrant, Bardock had long since reached a level where their old grudges held little interest for him.
He gave Frieza a passing glance, then turned back toward Goku and resumed their conversation as though nothing had happened.
Frieza's smile stiffened.
Gas was equally speechless. Both had expected a much stronger reaction, yet Bardock was treating them like complete strangers who had interrupted a family reunion.
"Don't get so full of yourself, Bardock!" Frieza snapped. "Just because you're wearing a God of Destruction's uniform doesn't make you special! What, do you think you're actually a God of Destruction?"
Gas immediately turned toward Frieza.
"Wait, what? A God of Destruction? You mean him?"
Before Frieza could answer, Beerus appeared beside him and delivered a vicious slap that sent him flying straight into Gas.
The two collided and tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap.
"You idiot!" Beerus shouted. "Bardock is a God of Destruction now! Show some respect!"
Beerus knew perfectly well that Bardock was one of Ken's Gods of Destruction, and he had no intention of provoking someone with that kind of backing.
If Bardock lost his temper and used Hakai on Frieza and Gas, Universe 7 would lose two of its strongest fighters before the tournament even began.
That was the last thing Beerus wanted.
Hearing that Bardock really was a God of Destruction, Gas felt his remaining confidence drain away. The Saiyan who had defeated him decades ago had somehow ascended to a position far beyond anything Gas had imagined.
He'd already seen how terrifyingly powerful Beerus was. If Bardock belonged to the same class of gods, what chance did he have of settling their old score?
Meanwhile, Frieza struggled back to his feet, still furious over the humiliation.
"A God of Destruction?" he muttered, turning toward Beerus. "He wasn't even at the last God of Destruction apprentice selection tournament! How did he get that position?"
Beerus merely snorted, showing no interest in explaining the circumstances.
Whis, however, was happy to satisfy Frieza's curiosity.
"Oh my, Frieza, there's no need to get so worked up. It's quite simple, really," he explained pleasantly. "Ken erased Universe 9's previous God of Destruction, and afterward, he recommended Bardock as the replacement."
"Ken?!" Frieza exclaimed. "He has the authority to do something like that?!"
Frieza could hardly believe it. Not only had Bardock become a God of Destruction, but the young Angel presiding over the tournament apparently had enough influence to appoint one.
At that very moment, Ken was floating above the center of the arena, surveying the growing number of fighters and gods arriving from the different universes.
He soon noticed a young Saiyan flying toward him at high speed.
"Ken!" Zarek called, coming to a stop before him and giving a respectful bow.
Ken looked at him with mild surprise. Goku's younger brother wasn't supposed to have any reason to approach him before the tournament.
"What is it?"
"I want to represent Universe 9 in the tournament. Can I?"
Ken studied the boy for a moment before smiling.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!" Zarek nodded firmly, pointing toward his own eyes. "Look at me! See how serious I am? I've never been this serious about anything in my life!"
"Then you should understand something first," Ken replied. "If you compete for Universe 9, there's more than a ninety percent chance you'll be eliminated along with that universe."
"I've thought about it, and I've made up my mind!"
There was no hesitation in Zarek's answer. Whatever his usual attitude, he was determined to stand with his father this time.
Ken slowly descended toward the arena and turned his attention to Bardock, who had been watching the conversation.
"I refuse!" Bardock declared before anyone could ask for his opinion.
He knew exactly how dangerous the situation was. Universe 9's team was nowhere near strong enough to compete with the best fighters gathered here, and the chances of their universe surviving were painfully slim.
Bardock had personally searched Universe 9 for capable mortal fighters, but despite his efforts, he hadn't found anyone particularly impressive.
Most of his chosen fighters would struggle even against Zarek, let alone powerhouses like Goku and Vegeta.
He wasn't about to let his youngest son throw away his life on a team that was almost certain to lose. If Zarek remained with Universe 6, at least he would have a reasonable chance of surviving the tournament.
Zarek, however, had no intention of accepting his father's decision.
Without another word, he rushed toward Universe 9's team, picked out the fighter he considered the weakest, and delivered a powerful kick.
The unfortunate competitor shot through the air and landed more than a hundred meters away. By the time he hit the ground, he'd already lost consciousness.
Zarek turned back toward his father with a satisfied grin.
"See? I've already knocked one of your fighters out. Now you're short a person!"
Bardock stared at him, completely speechless.
The other Universe 9 fighters glared at Zarek, furious that some brat had suddenly attacked one of their teammates.
Their anger quickly gave way to uncertainty when they remembered who he was.
This was their God of Destruction's own son.
That certainly made it harder to complain, although they still couldn't believe he'd attacked a fellow member of their universe just to force his way onto the team.
Ken watched the unconscious fighter for a moment before turning back to Bardock.
"Well, Bardock, since Zarek has decided to represent Universe 9, you might as well make the arrangements."
Bardock looked from Ken to his stubborn youngest son, then toward the fallen competitor. With one of his fighters unconscious and the tournament about to begin, he no longer had much room to argue.
"Understood," he answered reluctantly.
And just like that, Zarek had secured himself a place on Universe 9's team.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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