Bardock didn't stay in the Demon King's Palace for long.
High above the Demon Realm, he looked down at the ruined land with a cold, distant gaze.
"Without Ashe here, this place isn't worth my time," he muttered.
With just a thought, Bardock vanished back into the universe.
He had seen enough. The Demon Realm of this era wasn't worth it. He wandered the stars for a while, visiting all the known planets recorded in his memory. Each one had changed with time.
Five million years may not mean much to gods, but for ordinary life, for planets, for evolution itself—it was huge.
Just as Bardock was about to leave the galaxy, a massive disc-shaped spaceship appeared.
He recognized it instantly.
It was Frieza's main ship.
The timing was almost too perfect. The ship wasn't rushing—just gliding on a slow interstellar cruise. But it was headed straight toward him.
Inside, Frieza stood before the viewing window, admiring the endless stars. By chance, his gaze lined up perfectly with Bardock's.
In that moment, Frieza froze. His body trembled, cold sweat soaking him.
That figure—so familiar, so terrifying—reminded him of the Saiyan who had resisted him until the bitter end.
Frieza frantically scanned the area, his scouter picking up nothing. "Am I... imagining things?" He pinched his forehead, shaking off the thought.
But it wasn't an illusion. Bardock had been there the whole time, watching with a mocking smile before disappearing once again into space.
"Why didn't I kill him?" Bardock thought calmly. "Because there's no need. Kakarot will finish him in the future."
Realm of the Gods
Meanwhile, in the world of the Gods of Destruction, a female Saiyan had awoken.
It was Gine, Bardock's wife, rescued from the destruction of Planet Vegeta.
She had been in deep sleep, but now, thanks to Whis, she was safe.
At first, she was anxious in such a strange place, but Whis gently explained the situation. Even so, when he mentioned Bardock traveling through time, Gine refused to believe it.
"To cross history itself... That's too much. Unless Bardock tells me himself, I won't believe it," she thought.
And then—Bardock appeared.
The moment she saw him, her eyes widened. "Bardock!"
She ran to him, full of relief and disbelief.
But Bardock looked different now—no battle armor, but a black outfit, rings on his fingers, earrings in his ears.
"Is this really my Bardock?" she wondered aloud.
Whis gave Bardock a look, and Bardock began explaining everything. For ten minutes, he told Gine about what had happened, the past, the future, and his mission.
It was too much to process. Gine fell silent. Finally, she shook her head and said softly, "Bardock... I don't know if I can believe all of that. I just need to know—are you still my Bardock?"
"Of course," he answered without hesitation.
From afar, Whis watched quietly, about to leave—when suddenly, he received a summons from the Grand Priest.
[Already...? Father is calling Bardock this soon?] Whis thought, surprised.
He contacted Bardock telepathically. Bardock simply replied: [I understand.]
He turned to Gine. "There are things I still have to take care of. Stay here and wait for me. I'll be back."
"I'll wait for you, Bardock. But don't take too long!" she answered firmly.
With that, Bardock joined Whis. The angel tapped his staff, releasing rainbow-colored light that swallowed them both.
Outside the twelve universes, at the very peak of existence, stood the Palace of Zeno.
The Grand Priest was already waiting when Whis and Bardock arrived.
"Grand Priest," Whis bowed respectfully.
"Whis, you may step back. I wish to speak with Bardock alone."
Whis hesitated, confused, but obeyed and withdrew.
"Come with me, Bardock," the Grand Priest said with a mysterious smile, leading him inside.
They walked through a shining crystal corridor, images of past, present, and future flashing along the walls.
Bardock's eyes widened. "This place... it's the Corridor of Time and Space?"
"Correct," the Grand Priest said. "Every timeline, every parallel world, all can be seen here."
"Why bring me here?" Bardock asked bluntly.
"You'll know soon enough," the Grand Priest replied, smiling even wider.
They walked deeper until the Grand Priest stopped before a glowing time node.
Bardock looked closer. His eyes narrowed.
It was the era of Goku Black and Zamasu.
"You want me here?" Bardock asked sharply. "What does this have to do with me?"
"This is the most stable timeline so far," the Grand Priest explained. "I want to see what changes occur with you in it."
Bardock frowned. "Why me? Why now?"
"You'll understand when you grow stronger," the Grand Priest answered simply. "For now, your task is only this—guide Goku and Vegeta of this world to become stronger."
Bardock was stunned. "That's it? Just guide them?"
The Grand Priest nodded. "Nothing more."
After a long stare, Bardock finally smirked. "Fine. Sounds interesting enough."
He raised his hand. The time ring on his finger glowed, opening a tunnel to the node. Without hesitation, Bardock flew inside.
The tunnel closed behind him.
The Grand Priest stood smiling faintly. Everything was unfolding as he planned.
Parallel Space-Time World No. 1269 – Earth
Goku and Whis had just returned from Zeno's Palace.
With Zeno's matter settled, it seemed everything was finally over.
The Z Fighters and their families gathered at Capsule Corp, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Every battle seemed to end the same way — destruction followed by a short calm.
But just when everyone thought the nightmare of "Goku Black" was finally over—
The sky suddenly turned black.
Above Capsule Corp, space itself split open, a massive rift tearing across the sky. A violent storm of time and space poured out.
Thunder roared. Wind howled. Lightning split the heavens. Then—everything went silent.
A crushing aura spilled out of the rift.
Whis and Beerus stiffened immediately, both sensing the overwhelming pressure.
Goku and Vegeta dropped into fighting stances without hesitation.
The aura was unbelievable—greater than anything they'd felt before.
And yet… strangely familiar.
"Wh-what's going on?!" Goku's body shivered as his instincts screamed at him. "This doesn't feel good at all…"
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "Tch… Damn it. This ki… it's terrifying."
The vortex swirled, exploding with sparks of chaotic energy. Then a figure slowly stepped out.
It was Bardock.
The rift sealed behind him, the storm faded, and sunlight bathed his body. He inhaled deeply, almost surprised by the fresh air.
"…This Earth really is taken care of," he muttered, noticing the gardens Bulma had built.
But his thoughts were cut short—he could already feel countless strong energies locking onto him.
Future Trunks froze when he saw Bardock's face. His heart nearly stopped.
"Black…?! G-Goku Black?! How… how is this possible?!"
Goku stared too, fists clenched. "No way… Lord Zeno erased that world! How can he still be alive?!"
The ki was nearly identical. The face was identical. To them, it could only be Goku Black.
Vegeta gritted his teeth. "Tch… don't tell me Zamasu survived even that."
Beerus glared at the figure in the sky. "Is that really him? That aura… and he has a Time Ring."
Whis, however, smiled faintly. He had already heard from the Grand Priest.
"Don't worry, Lord Beerus. The truth will reveal itself soon. Consider this… a new test."
Bardock's eyes swept across the battlefield, stopping on Goku and Vegeta. His gaze softened for a brief second.
"The boy whose power level was only 2 back then… has grown this far?" he thought.
He smirked, then let his aura flare. A crushing wave of ki slammed down on the Z Fighters, forcing them back.
Goku and Vegeta stood their ground.
"Black!!!" Goku roared, blasting off the ground to confront him. Vegeta followed, silent but burning with tension.
Bardock hooked a finger, smirking. "What's wrong, Kakarot? Afraid to move?"
"Don't underestimate me!" Goku shouted. "You won't win like last time!"
Bardock crossed his arms casually, not even fazed. "If you're not confident, you could always bring Vegeta along. Not that it'll matter."
Vegeta scowled. "Hmph! We'll finish you this time, Dark Man." His blue aura erupted as he transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.
Goku transformed too, azure flames shooting skyward. But he wanted more. "Vegeta, let me take him first. I need to do this."
"Tch…" Vegeta clicked his tongue, but stepped back. "Fine. Don't disappoint me, Kakarot."
Bardock chuckled. "Brave… or just stupid? Either way, show me."
Scarlet sparks suddenly crackled within Goku's blue aura. Bardock's eyes narrowed. "Kaio-ken… on top of Super Saiyan Blue?"
"HRRRAAAAHHH!!!" Goku roared. The aura around him exploded, red and blue twisting together.
"Kaio-ken… Times TWO!!"
The air shattered with the sheer force. His power doubled instantly, shaking the entire world.
Bardock smirked. "So this is your answer, Kakarot… Interesting. Show me how long you can keep it up."