"Father… I have another question," Aimo asked, his eyes serious. "That guy who calls himself the God of Destruction… what was the result of your fight with him?"
The memory of Beerus still made his heart tremble. Before that battle even started, the pressure alone was like standing at the gates of hell. If Bardock hadn't shown up when he did, Aimo knew he would've been long dead. The scene of that clash had burned itself deep into his mind.
Bardock crossed his arms and spoke calmly.
"My fight with Beerus? Hmph… there was no winner and no loser. Neither of us came out on top."
To Bardock, the result wasn't important — it was the battle itself that mattered.
Aimo's fists tightened. "So even you, Father… you couldn't beat him? That God of Destruction is really that strong?"
He wanted to believe Bardock was invincible. In his heart, his father was a warrior no one could surpass.
Bardock could see what his son was feeling. He placed a hand on Aimo's shoulder and said with a firm voice:
"Aimo, the universe is far too big for that kind of thinking. Don't fool yourself. There's always someone stronger, always a sky above the sky. Never think you've reached the top — in this endless cosmos, Saiyans are nothing but a grain of sand."
Aimo lowered his head, confused, but he listened. Bardock knew this lesson had to be drilled in early — otherwise, his son would lose himself in arrogance.
Super Saiyan Training
Bardock's eyes sharpened. "Before I left, I taught you the paths to Super Saiyan 2 and even Super Saiyan 3. I want to see how far you've come. Show me."
Aimo straightened up immediately. "Yes, Father. After you showed me the way, I never slacked for a moment. I've fully mastered Super Saiyan 2… but I haven't trained much in Super Saiyan 3 yet."
Golden light exploded around him. His aura roared as sparks of blue and white lightning wrapped his body. His power multiplied a hundredfold.
"This is my result!" Aimo said proudly, standing tall in his Super Saiyan 2 form. His power shook the air itself, enough to crush any warrior on Planet Sharada.
But Bardock's eyes didn't waver.
"Not bad," Bardock said flatly. "But still not enough."
The words hit Aimo like a cold splash of water. His aura faltered slightly, but he stayed silent, waiting for his father's next words.
The True King
"I came back for two reasons," Bardock continued. "One was to see how the Saiyans were doing under your rule. The other… was to tell you that from this day forward, I won't interfere in Saiyan matters anymore. From now on, you will lead this race on your own."
Aimo's eyes widened. "Father, you mean…?"
Bardock nodded. "Yes. You're the King of the Saiyans now. To make sure you can protect our people, I'll leave you one last gift — a hidden power you can use in times of crisis."
Through his mind, Bardock transferred the knowledge. Aimo gasped as the divine technique flowed into him.
"This is the path to becoming a Super Saiyan God," Bardock said. "It's not like Super Saiyan 3. That takes endless training. But this—" He smirked. "Gather six righteous-hearted Saiyans. Five will lend their power to one. The chosen warrior will transform, gaining godly ki, even if only for a short time. That is the form of the Super Saiyan God."
Aimo was stunned. "Super… Saiyan God…?"
"You don't need to understand it all now," Bardock told him. "Just know that when the day comes and you're cornered with no way out, this will be your last resort. Or…" Bardock's eyes narrowed. "You can keep pushing yourself and break past your limits on your own."
Aimo clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. Bardock turned away, waving his hand as he walked deeper into the palace.
"From now on, it's up to you, Aimo. You're the King. Handle things your way."
Aimo bowed deeply. He knew his father wouldn't look back. From this moment on, everything was in his hands.
The Queen's Farewell
Later, Bardock met Seria, the Saiyan Queen. She rushed into his arms the moment she saw him.
"Bardock!" she cried. For months, she had lived in fear that he was gone forever.
He held her gently. "I'm here, Seria. Don't worry."
Then, face to face, Bardock told her the truth: he wasn't from this era. He had only come here by accident. Now, with Whis's help, he finally had a way back to the future.
Seria listened silently. When he finished, she smiled softly. "I always knew you were different. That's why I fell in love with you. I've been prepared for this day for a long time. Thank you for being with me, Bardock. You don't need to explain more… I understand."
Her acceptance lifted Bardock's last weight. For three days, they stayed together quietly. No words of goodbye — just silent understanding.
The Supreme Kai's World
On the third day, Whis appeared behind Bardock.
"Bardock-san, three days have passed. Are you ready?"
Bardock turned, eyes sharp. "Yeah. I'm done here. Let's go."
With a wave of Whis's staff, divine light swallowed them, and the two vanished.
They appeared in the Supreme Kai Realm, where the Old Kai was lecturing Shin, Leila, and Pawa. The young Kais sat like scolded students while the Grand Supreme Kai watched, smiling at the memory of his own training.
Then — a surge of rainbow light split the sky. Bardock and Whis appeared before them.
The Grand Supreme Kai smiled warmly. "Long time no see, Bardock."
And with that, the next chapter of Bardock's journey began.
Supreme Kai's World
"Thank you, Supreme Kai." Whis replied with his usual smile. This was already prepared in advance.
"Master Whis, Bardock, please wait here. I'll bring the Time Ring." The Grand Supreme Kai turned and walked away.
As he left, the other Supreme Kais gathered. The Old Kai sood with his hands behind his back, leading East Supreme Kai Shin, West Supreme Kai Leila, and South Supreme Kai Pava.
"Strange… Lord Beerus didn't come with you, Whis?" the Old Kai asked, glancing around. Seeing no sign of the God of Destruction, he secretly sighed in relief.
(If that purple cat had shown up, he'd definitely pick a fight with me again…)
Whis chuckled softly. "Lord Beerus is asleep right now. It'll be a while before he wakes up." Then, with a sly smirk, he added, "Old Kai, remember the last time we met? Back then, you hadn't been sealed in the Z Sword by Beerus. Hard to believe… billions of years have passed since then."
The Old Kai's face darkened instantly. Whis really knew how to hit a sore spot.
"So… the one who sealed our ancestor was Beerus-sama?" Shin finally understood. He had always wondered why the Old Kai was trapped in the Z Sword, but the answer had never been clear until now.
"Tch. And here you always acted so mysterious," West Kai Leila teased, folding her arms. "Turns out you just ticked off Beerus and got sealed away for it. That's it?"
The Old Kai scowled, embarrassed.
South Kai Pava shook his head. "Incredible… to think even the Old Kai suffered because of Lord Beerus. Truly, the God of Destruction is terrifying. Not only strong, but petty too…" He silently warned himself never to cross paths with Beerus in the same way.
"Are you juniors satisfied now?" the Old Kai barked, glaring at them. Still, he sighed — so much time had passed. What use was it to stay angry?
Whis gave his usual playful laugh. "Hohoho~ Sorry, Old Kai. I didn't mean to upset you."
The Old Kai forced a smile. "Forget it. It's ancient history." (If only I could strangle that damn Beerus in my dreams…)
Bardock's Purpose
West Supreme Kai Leila stepped closer to Bardock, studying him with curious eyes. "By the way, Bardock… what brings you to the Supreme Kai Realm? Is there something important?"
Bardock answered directly. "Yes. I need to use the Time Ring."
"The Time Ring?!" Leila gasped. "That's a sacred item only Supreme Kais can use! Wait… don't tell me you're going to become a Supreme Kai?!"
Bardock nodded once.
The three young Kais were shocked. Shin's jaw dropped. "A mortal… becoming Supreme Kai?!"
South Kai Pava, however, shrugged. "He's a Saiyan, but he's done more for the universe than most gods. I see no problem with it."
"Quiet, all of you," the Old Kai cut in. "This matter is more complicated than you think. It's not something you can decide."
The young Kais went silent.
Soon after, the Grand Supreme Kai returned, carrying a small ornate box. "Whis, Bardock. Here it is — the Time Ring, along with Potara earrings."
The box opened, revealing five rings. One silver Time Ring, four others tied to parallel worlds. Beside them, a pair of shining platinum-colored Potara earrings.
The Old Kai's eyes narrowed. He recognized those earrings — they weren't for ordinary use.
"Bardock, if you wish to use the Time Ring, you must first become a Supreme Kai candidate," the Grand Kai explained. "Wear one earring. That will give you the right."
Bardock picked up an earring and placed it on his ear. The moment he held the silver ring, a flood of cosmic law surged into his body. His mind filled with instructions on how to use it.
[So this is the power of time and space… incredible.]
He turned toward Whis. "I've put on the earring. What now?"
Whis smiled calmly. "As I said before, Bardock — the Time Ring is only a medium. To actually reach five million years into the future, you'll need my power as well. Together, the ring and my Angel's energy will open the time-space tunnel."
"But once we pass through," Whis added seriously, "returning will not be simple. Time won't flow the same. When we come back, it could be months later… or hundreds of years. Even I can't control it perfectly."
Bardock narrowed his eyes. "So even though it looks like I'm controlling time, in reality… time is playing with me."
Whis nodded. "That's right. Time is tricky, Bardock-san. Once you start, there's no turning back. Are you ready to travel?"
Bardock fell silent. Memories of his wife and daughter in the Demon Realm surfaced. He clenched his fist. (I can't just leave without telling them the truth…)
Finally, he spoke. "Whis, I've got the ring now. But before we go to the future… there's somewhere I need to go first."
Whis gave a knowing smile. "Of course. I'll wait."