Gas sailed through the air and crashed into the distant forest, sending a thick cloud of dust rising above the trees.
Bardock turned toward Monaito and shouted, "Listen up! This is my fight, so stop getting in my way and get the hell out of here!"
Monaito could only stare at him, unsure what to say to a Saiyan who seemed determined to get himself killed.
Bardock didn't wait for an answer. He shot toward the forest and resumed his assault on Gas, throwing himself into another fierce exchange of punches and kicks.
"Is that all you've got?" Gas sneered as he shrugged off the attacks. "Your punches barely tickle."
"RAAAAH!"
Bardock roared and poured more energy into his attacks, striking harder and faster as he tried to overwhelm his opponent.
"Enough already! I told you those pathetic attacks won't work!"
Red lightning erupted around Gas and surged toward Bardock. The electrical arcs wrapped around his body, sending violent shocks through him until he cried out in agony.
When the lightning finally faded, Bardock collapsed to the ground, his face drained of color and his body trembling from the punishment.
"I don't have time to keep playing with you," Gas said with a smug smile. "I suppose I'll have to release a little of my natural power."
Bardock looked up at him in disbelief. He'd already been struggling to keep up, yet Gas apparently hadn't even been fighting at his full strength.
Meanwhile, Monaito had made his decision. He hurried back to his home with young Granolah in his arms and retrieved two small Dragon Balls from a jar.
Each was barely larger than a marble, but Monaito knew exactly what they were capable of. As he held them in his hands, he couldn't help hesitating over what he was about to do.
"We're forbidden from using the Dragon Balls for selfish wishes," he murmured. "But if it's to help someone from another world... surely that should be allowed."
Monaito looked at the two Dragon Balls for another moment before finally making up his mind.
Back in the forest, Bardock had been knocked down yet again. Despite his injuries, he forced himself back onto his feet and glared at Gas.
"So you're from a race that can change its battle power, huh?"
"You haven't seen anything yet," Gas replied with a confident grin. "There's far more power inside me than I've shown you. Surely you've lost the will to fight by now?"
Bardock wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and laughed.
"Not a chance! It's the exact opposite! Fighting someone this strong gets me fired up!"
Gas's expression twisted with anger. He couldn't understand how someone who had already been beaten so thoroughly could still look excited about continuing.
"Shut your mouth!"
Gas drove his foot into Bardock's chest, then clasped both hands together and smashed them into him. The combined blows sent Bardock flying backward until he slammed into a nearby cliff.
He slid down the rocky surface and landed heavily on the ground, but even that wasn't enough to keep him down. Gritting his teeth, Bardock pushed himself upright and charged straight back toward Gas.
Far away, Monaito had already summoned the dragon using Planet Cereal's two Dragon Balls.
Toronbo's enormous blue body floated above the landscape, its serpentine form glowing against the night sky.
"State your wish. I will grant whatever wish lies within my power," the dragon declared.
"Please send Bardock back to his home planet," Monaito requested.
Toronbo immediately reached out to Bardock to confirm whether he would accept the wish.
In the middle of his battle, Bardock suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice inside his head.
"Bardock. Monaito has wished for you to be returned to Planet Vegeta."
"What the hell?" Bardock exclaimed, momentarily distracted. "Who's talking? What's going on?"
Even Gas paused his attack, confused by Bardock's sudden reaction.
"I am Toronbo, the dragon who grants wishes," the voice explained.
Bardock was no less confused than before, while Gas narrowed his eyes and looked around to see who his opponent could possibly be speaking to.
"Who are you talking to?"
Then Gas noticed the enormous blue dragon floating in the distant sky. Its glowing body resembled a gigantic serpent, unlike anything he had ever seen.
"What the hell is that thing?"
Unfortunately for Monaito, his attempt to rescue Bardock had already failed.
"He has refused your wish," Toronbo informed him.
Monaito stared at the dragon in disbelief. He had finally been given an opportunity to save Bardock's life, and the stubborn Saiyan had turned it down without a second thought.
"We Saiyans would rather die than run away from a fight!" Bardock roared.
He lunged at Gas and drove his fist forward, forcing his opponent to cross both arms in defense. The blow carried enough force to push Gas backward, his feet scraping across the ground as Bardock continued pressing forward.
Gas's frustration only grew as the battle dragged on.
No matter how many times he knocked Bardock down, the Saiyan kept coming back. He was like a pest that simply refused to die.
"I already told you! Your attacks are useless against me!"
Gas lashed out with a powerful kick and sent Bardock flying again. Bardock struck the ground and rolled across the dirt before finally coming to a stop.
He sat up slowly, rubbing his aching head as exhaustion began catching up with him. Before he could recover, another voice sounded inside his mind.
"Bardock, please listen to me!" Monaito pleaded.
Bardock sighed in irritation.
"First the dragon, now you? Would you people quit talking inside my head without asking?"
"I've already seen enough to know you're a good person," Monaito replied earnestly. "You have a kind heart, Bardock. I'm certain you'll go on to save others as well. That's why you have to survive!"
"Hmph. Too bad I don't like taking orders."
Bardock grinned through the pain and forced himself onto his feet once more. His gaze settled on Gas, and despite everything he'd endured, his fighting spirit remained as fierce as ever.
"I'm not leaving until I beat this guy!"
"Why won't you listen?" Monaito asked helplessly. "Then is there anything else you wish for? I want to do something to help you."
"What are you even talking about?" Bardock muttered. "What, are you asking me to make a wish on a shooting star?"
He thought about it for a moment before giving a casual answer.
"Well, if that's what you mean, then I guess I'd wish for my sons to grow up strong and healthy."
Monaito didn't hesitate. He immediately repeated Bardock's wish to Toronbo, who granted it before disappearing from the sky.
Monaito watched the dragon vanish and lowered his gaze toward the Dragon Balls.
"Perhaps that's how wishes should be used," he murmured. "To give hope to the future, rather than satisfy our own desires."
He had nearly used the Dragon Balls to force Bardock away from a battle the Saiyan had chosen to fight. Monaito now understood that he couldn't make that decision for him, however desperately he wanted to save his life.
Instead, he would do everything in his power to protect the hope Bardock had given them.
His expression softened as he looked toward Granolah, who was sleeping peacefully nearby, unaware of the desperate battle taking place outside.
Meanwhile, Bardock and Gas continued fighting in the forest.
Bardock was knocked down again and again, but each time, he stubbornly rose to his feet and resumed the battle. His body was battered, his energy was fading, and still he refused to surrender.
Gas finally reached the limits of his patience.
"How much longer are you going to keep causing trouble for me, you bastard?!"
An enormous surge of energy erupted from his body. His muscles expanded, and his entire frame grew considerably larger as he unleashed more of the power he had been holding back.
Bardock's eyes widened at the transformation. He had known Gas was hiding something, but the sudden increase in his opponent's size and energy still caught him off guard.
Gas gave him no time to react.
He charged forward and drove a massive fist into Bardock, knocking him flat before seizing him by the throat and lifting him high into the air.
"You're about to die!" Gas roared, tightening his grip. "And once I've killed you, I'll kill that Namekian and the Cerealian brat too!"
His expression twisted with fury as he glared into Bardock's face.
"In the end, you won't have saved a single one of them!"
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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