Whis shook his head. "It's fine, Lord Beerus doesn't need to come this time."
His eyes shifted back to his other self and Bardock. Right now, the focus was on solving this matter between them.
Both Whis nodded in agreement. Bardock didn't bother saying more to Beerus either.
In a flash, the three vanished from the God of Destruction's world.
Beerus let out a breath and relaxed, though his irritation quickly returned. Sleepiness crept back over him, but he couldn't go rest yet. He had to wait for them to return.
"Tch… right when I was about to nap too," Beerus muttered. "Always something annoying."
Even if he acted like it wasn't his problem, deep down he knew Bardock being a Saiyan made this matter his business too. The Saiyans of this timeline had only just been wiped out.
Zeno's Palace
High above all universes, at the Temple of Zeno, the Grand Priest stood calmly outside the main hall. In his palm, a sphere of divine energy swirled, showing a projection of Universe 7.
As the Grand Priest, nothing in the twelve universes escaped his sight. If he wished to see it, he saw it.
When Bardock arrived with Whis from the past, the Grand Priest had already known.
"This Bardock…" he whispered, smiling faintly. "A true anomaly. Across all time and space, not a single other case like him exists."
He closed his palm, dispersing the vision, and walked across the glowing crystal corridor.
At the end of the square, rainbow light flashed. Whis, his counterpart, and Bardock appeared together.
"You've arrived," the Grand Priest said warmly.
Both Whis bowed deeply. "We greet you, Lord Grand Priest!"
"Stand," he replied, still smiling.
Whis of this era spoke first. "Lord Grand Priest, this is my past self, and the Saiyan who traveled here with him. He says he came under your guidance, crossing time to reach this world."
"That's right," the Grand Priest answered easily. "I did instruct him. Telling you in advance would've changed nothing—you still needed to meet."
His gaze shifted toward Bardock. "Welcome back to your own era, Bardock. I already know what you intend to do here. Let me remind you: you may stay in this timeline with Whis' help and the Time Ring's power… but you must not interfere with the natural flow of history."
Bardock frowned. "Not interfere?"
The Grand Priest's eyes gleamed. "In truth, you are already someone abandoned by time. You can act, even influence events… but you cannot change history itself. Understand this well."
Bardock's eyes widened. Abandoned by time…?
His thoughts jumped back to everything he remembered from the "original" story. The future had to remain unchanged, or else new parallel worlds would be born, spiraling out of control.
The Grand Priest continued. "If history is changed too strongly, a new world splits off. If that world becomes unstable, Lord Zeno himself will erase it—just as six universes were erased long ago."
Bardock clenched his fists. "So what—you're telling me I came all this way just to sit and watch?!"
The Grand Priest chuckled. "Small things can be changed. But the grand flow cannot."
Then his eyes turned to the Whis of the past. "Assist him. Guide him. If there's something he wishes to attempt, you will help."
Whis bowed. "Yes, Lord Grand Priest."
Bardock was silent, thinking. Then he looked up. "Grand Priest, I have a request. Once I finish what I need to in this era… can I travel further ahead? To the future?"
Both Whis looked shocked. For a mortal—no, even a Supreme Kai-in-training—to ask such a thing was unthinkable.
The Grand Priest studied him carefully. "…You want to see the future?"
"Yes," Bardock said firmly.
The Grand Priest smiled faintly. "Very well. I'll allow it. But on one condition. Before you go forward, you must complete a task for me. If you succeed, I'll let you travel as far as you like."
Bardock narrowed his eyes. Even the Grand Priest needs me for something?
But he nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."
"Good," the Grand Priest replied, stepping back. "For now, return. When the time comes, I'll summon you again."
The rainbow light wrapped around them once more.
Back in Beerus' World
Beerus sat waiting impatiently when they reappeared. "Well? What did the Grand Priest say?"
Whis answered calmly, "Lord Grand Priest has allowed Bardock to stay in this era for now."
Beerus scowled, clearly annoyed, but said nothing more. Orders from the Grand Priest were absolute.
With Beerus grumbling back toward his chambers, and the Whis of this timeline excusing himself, only Bardock and Whis from the past remained.
Whis looked at him. "The Grand Priest has spoken. Tell me what you wish to do in this era, Bardock-san, and I will assist."
Bardock crossed his arms. "First, I need to check on Gine. After Planet Vegeta exploded, she was injured. When will she wake up?"
Whis raised his staff, showing Gine's form sleeping peacefully within. "She's fine. The blast only put her into shock. She should wake within a day."
Bardock let out a breath of relief. "Good. As long as Gine is safe."
But in his heart, he already knew he couldn't stay in this era forever. After saving Gine, he still had unfinished business…
Raditz. Kakarot.
He had to face his sons.
"Since Gine is safe, now I need to focus on my other goal. In this era, I still have two sons," Bardock said, shifting his thoughts from Gine to Raditz and Kakarot.
Whis from the past nodded. "Then I'll help you find your sons, Bardock-san."
With a calm expression, Whis released his angelic power. His divine sense spread across the entire 7th Universe in an instant. The countless planets and events of this timeline flooded into his mind.
After a short silence, Whis raised his staff, and a glowing projection appeared.
"Alright, Bardock-san. We can go now. Look—this is the planet your eldest son, Raditz, is on. He's not alone. Prince Vegeta of this era, Nappa, and a few other Saiyans are with him."
Bardock took a deep breath. The ease with which Whis found this information shook him. The gap between Saiyans and Angels was overwhelming.
Still, Bardock smiled faintly. "Thank you, Whis. Knowing Raditz's location means a lot."
"You're too polite. This is also Grand Priest's will," Whis replied, smiling lightly. "Hold on tight, Bardock-san."
In a flash of rainbow light, both vanished from the realm of Beerus.
Scene shifts – the planet Raditz is on.
Fifteen Saiyans had been dispatched to this world. Among them were Prince Vegeta, young Nappa with his thick black hair, and Raditz. The mission was to help Vegeta gain battle experience.
By the campfire, Raditz sat beside Vegeta and Nappa. Food sizzled on the fire.
"Prince Vegeta, are you sure it's okay to ignore Lord Frieza's order?" Raditz asked nervously. They had been ordered back to Planet Vegeta but stayed behind.
"Tch. Who cares? Just act like we didn't hear it," Vegeta said confidently, taking a bite of alien fruit.
Suddenly, Nappa rushed forward, panic on his face. "Prince! I just received a message… Planet Vegeta has been destroyed by a giant meteorite. Our people… are gone."
"What?!" Raditz's eyes widened. His voice cracked. "That can't be true!"
"It's real," Nappa said grimly. "Most Saiyans had already returned. They're all gone. Even King Vegeta… And Raditz, your parents too."
Raditz froze, his small hands shaking. "Father… Mother…" The words left his lips in a whisper, his world collapsing.
Vegeta stayed silent. After a pause, he muttered, "So what? If it's gone, it's gone…" but the shadow in his eyes betrayed his pain.
At that moment, rainbow light tore open the sky. Bardock and Whis descended quietly, watching from afar.
"There he is, Bardock-san," Whis said softly, pointing to the long-haired Raditz by the fire.
Bardock clenched his fists, his heart swelling. "Raditz…"
He wanted to go to him. But Whis blocked him.
"I can't let you meet your son," Whis said firmly. "If he learns you're alive, I'll erase his memory. Raditz is too important to this timeline. His role must remain."
Bardock's eyes shook, but he understood. Without Raditz, Dragon Ball's story would never begin.
"So… I can't meet him. Can't take him away. All I can do is watch?" Bardock muttered.
Whis nodded. "Exactly. Raditz is tied to the flow of history. But… if you really want to, when you travel to the future, you may find a moment where you can take him away."
Bardock smirked slightly. "Heh. So not now, but later… I get it." He turned his gaze to Raditz one last time.
[Raditz, my son. Your path will be harsh, but maybe one day I'll give you a new chance. Until then… survive.]
With that, Bardock turned away.
"Whis, you don't need to follow me for now. I won't disrupt this era's timeline. I just want to see how the universe looks after five million years of change," Bardock said before vanishing with Instant Transmission.
Whis stayed behind, watching. He didn't chase Bardock—because he trusted Bardock's word. And besides, the Angels would know instantly if Bardock stepped out of line.
Bardock floated in space, eyes closed. He spread out his mind, trying to scan the stars like Whis had shown him. He mapped planets, life signs, and energy signatures into a rough star map.
But after an hour, sweat dripped down his face. His vision blurred. "Tch… I barely managed half the universe. Just how the hell does Whis do this so easily?"
Even so, Bardock smiled. "Step by step. I'll reach that level someday."