"That's not for you to decide!" Bardock snarled, gathering energy in his hands. "I'm not planning on dying until I've beaten you!"
A powerful blast erupted from his palms and struck Gas at point-blank range, forcing him to release his grip. Bardock immediately followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks, knocking Gas to the ground before putting some distance between them.
He stood there panting, his chest heaving as exhaustion began to take its toll. Gas, on the other hand, was practically shaking with rage. No matter how much punishment he inflicted, the Saiyan refused to stay down.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gas demanded. "You know you can't win, so why keep fighting? Are you trying to make up for your sins before you die? Do you honestly think saving that brat will somehow atone for everything you Saiyans have done?"
"No," Bardock answered.
"Then what? Revenge?" Gas pressed. "Is this because we killed that Namekian and the Cerealian woman? You hate us that much?"
"That's not it either."
"Then why are you fighting?" Gas shouted, losing what little patience he had left. "What the hell is going through your head?!"
Bardock took a deep breath, and a brilliant golden aura suddenly erupted around his body. His hair remained black, but the energy surrounding him had changed dramatically.
Gas froze for an instant, startled by the unexpected transformation. He quickly recovered and lunged forward with a punch, only for Bardock to raise his hand and catch his fist.
Gas stared at him in disbelief, struggling to understand how the battered Saiyan had suddenly become so much stronger.
"Do you really have to ask?" Bardock replied with a cold snort. "When you're fighting for your life, what kind of idiot wastes time thinking about anything besides winning?"
He drove his fist into Gas's stomach with tremendous force, sending him flying backward.
"GAAAH!"
Gas coughed up a mouthful of blood as pain shot through his body. His face twisted in agony, and the realization that Bardock was overpowering him only made his fury worse.
"H-How is this possible?!" Gas snarled. "Saiyans are only supposed to have one transformation! The Great Ape!"
"That's just because you don't know anything about us," Bardock replied calmly. "Every time a Saiyan breaks through their limits, we can evolve and become much stronger."
"Don't give me that crap!" Gas roared, slamming his head against the ground as his eyes rolled white with rage. "There's no way some lowly Saiyan could surpass me! It's impossible!"
Bardock wasn't interested in arguing. He charged forward and unleashed another relentless assault, battering Gas with punches before gathering his energy into a massive blast.
The attack struck Gas directly, engulfing him in a tremendous explosion that shook the surrounding forest.
When the dust finally settled, Gas lay unconscious at the bottom of a large crater. His enlarged body had returned to its original size, and there was no sign that he would be getting up anytime soon.
...
Back in the present, Gas suddenly shuddered as the memory faded, returning his attention to the Tournament of Power arena.
His eyes immediately locked onto Goku, and his expression darkened with renewed hatred. Even after more than forty years, he hadn't forgotten the Saiyan who had beaten him so thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Goku had returned to Vegeta after his unsuccessful attempt to speak with their counterparts from the GT timeline.
"Man, Vegeta, you're really unfriendly in that other timeline," Goku complained.
Vegeta smirked at him. "Hmph. Couldn't get any information out of him, could you?"
"Information?" Goku blinked, confused. He hadn't been trying to gather intelligence in the first place, although Vegeta's comment did remind him of the two unfamiliar fighters. "Oh, right! Vegeta, what do you think about those two guys?"
Vegeta studied Granolah for a moment before answering.
"That green-skinned one looks like a Cerealian."
"A Cerealian? Never heard of them."
"Our people invaded their planet a long time ago," Vegeta explained grimly. "From what I heard, the Saiyans wiped out practically everyone there. Your father was probably involved in that attack too. You should ask him about it when he gets here."
"My dad?" Goku immediately began looking around the arena, searching for Bardock among the gathered fighters.
In fact, Bardock had already arrived with Universe 9's team and was making arrangements for his fighters before the tournament began.
When he noticed Goku looking in his direction, Bardock glanced over. He finished giving his team their instructions, then walked toward Universe 6, his attention quickly settling on Granolah.
"Dad!" Goku called out as he approached.
Zarek, who was standing nearby, said nothing. He merely gave a small snort and looked away, apparently unwilling to greet his father in front of everyone.
Goten was considerably more enthusiastic.
"Grandpa!"
He ran straight toward Bardock and threw himself into his arms. Bardock caught him with a warm smile and affectionately ruffled his grandson's hair before turning back toward Granolah.
"Granolah. You've really grown up."
Granolah stared at him for a moment before recognition finally dawned.
"Wait... You're the Saiyan who saved me and my mother?"
He could hardly believe he was standing face-to-face with the man who had protected them all those years ago.
"If it hadn't been for you, we would've..."
"That was a long time ago," Bardock replied with a faint smile. "I'm glad to see you're doing well enough to represent Universe 7 in this tournament."
"Thank you!" Granolah said earnestly, bowing his head in gratitude.
"Your mother would be happy to see how you've grown," Bardock continued. "Give this tournament everything you've got. Make her proud."
Granolah lowered his head, sadness briefly clouding his expression. His mother had been dead for so many years, and hearing Bardock speak about her brought back memories he had never managed to put behind him.
But there was still hope.
Beerus had promised that if Granolah performed well in the tournament, he would find a way to bring his parents and some of his fellow Cerealians back to life.
Remembering that promise, Granolah took a deep breath and straightened his posture. The sadness in his eyes gradually gave way to determination.
"Do your best," Bardock encouraged him, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat.
Goku, meanwhile, was eager to hear about the team his father had brought to the tournament.
"Hey, Dad! How strong are the fighters from your universe?"
"They're not bad," Bardock replied with a small shake of his head. "But honestly, they can't really compare to Universe 6's team."
"Really? Then what are you gonna do?"
Goku's excitement quickly turned to concern as he considered what that meant for Bardock.
If Universe 9 lost the tournament, his father would be erased along with everyone else in that universe. His mother would disappear too, and there was nothing Goku could do to prevent it if another team emerged victorious.
Then an idea suddenly occurred to him.
If Universe 6 survived and he managed to earn the Super Dragon Balls, he could wish for all the erased universes to be restored. That would bring his parents back, along with everyone else who had been eliminated.
The solution seemed obvious once he thought of it, and Goku felt a renewed determination to see the tournament through to the end.
He had people he wanted to protect, and that conviction had never wavered.
Bardock seemed to understand what was troubling him, although he approached the matter rather differently.
"Your mother and I might end up disappearing," he said with a smile, "but knowing that you've grown up so well here is already more than enough for us."
Goku scratched his head, unsure how to respond to something like that.
"There's one thing I'd like you to remember, though," Bardock continued. "If your mother and I really do disappear, and Universe 6 manages to survive, take your older brother back with you when you get the chance."
"You mean Raditz?" Goku asked, suddenly remembering his eldest brother. "Oh, right! I almost forgot about him!"
"Hmph. Why bother with that loser?" Zarek interrupted from the side. "Just leave him wherever he is."
Bardock slowly turned toward his youngest son, struggling to believe what he'd just heard.
He had raised three sons, and somehow the youngest had turned out to be the most aggravating of them all. Every time Zarek opened his mouth, Bardock found himself wanting to knock some sense into him.
Who on earth had this brat taken after?
[End of chapter]