Soon Bardock was taken back to prison, but this time only to collect the papers confirming his departure.
Vaske and Bardock agreed to live together for ten days before Bardock left for his mission.
Vaske had a good budget for a house from his camp coins. When converted into Saiyan credits, it came to around 20,000. That was enough to buy a smaller house with a large outside yard on the outskirts of the city, with some money still left over.
It felt like Vaske's first residence all over again—but this one wasn't falling apart.
He bought it as fast as possible, and they moved in the same day.
Vaske started thinking about what he should teach Bardock before he left to conquer his assigned planet. The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.
He decided to teach him everything.
He called Bardock, who was doing basic body training in the yard.
"Bardock, come here."
"Yes?"
"I have something to teach you."
"If it's going to put me in trouble, I don't need it."
"It's nothing like that. It's something I discovered while trying to make ki blasts."
That was a lie.
"Oh. Show me."
Vaske pulled out his scouter from camp and handed it to him.
"Put it on."
Bardock did.
"Detect my power level right now. It was 6000 at maximum but i showed less"
"4600."
"Okay. And now?"
"347"
"How is that possible? How do you do that?"
"I'll teach you. But you won't master it in just ten days. I'll teach you the theory."
"Alright. LET'S START!" Bardock shouted excitedly.
While Bardock was learning, Vaske told him many things—how to act around elites and noble Saiyans. Most importantly, never show your full power or your progress.
"It's like becoming a dying star. You shine bright for one second, and the next you die from unexplainable accidents."
Bardock had very good ki control and natural talent for sensing energy.
Vaske didn't know if it was because Bardock had a teacher, or because Bardock started with a lower power level than Vaske had—but no matter the reason, his talent was real. Bardock managed to sense ki after only one hour of meditation.
It was his first time trying to be so calm, so it took effort.
It seemed Goku inherited Bardock's genes. If only he had kept his intelligence.
Vaske sighed.
While Vaske watched Bardock train, Bardock thought about how helpful his brother was.
Time passed quickly.
Soon it was nightfall, with only one day left before Bardock would depart for a random planet he knew nothing about yet.
Vaske wanted to help him more.
He decided to spend the remaining savings from the house to buy Bardock a weapon.
Bardock's own credits from his successful mission had been taken for reparations to the families of the Saiyans he killed in the bar.
That angered him deeply.
Trash was being fed on his back, and he couldn't do anything about it.
He remembered those families standing behind the Blaze Riders Captain in court. He didn't care that they didn't know the full story.
They made those idiots. Idiots they were.
A weapon would help Bardock kill weaker enemies without wasting ki, and it would be more reliable against weak opponents than bare hands.
Vaske walked through the city searching for something suitable. He saw many signs, but none resembled weapon shops or smiths from his past life. He began looking through store windows, earning annoyed looks from passing Saiyans.
He didn't care.
Eventually, he found a shop and went inside.
"Do you have any swords that are very durable and won't dull? Something perfect for weaker opponents under 500 power level. Budget is 5,000."
The Saiyan shopkeeper studied the young Saiyan carefully.
"There is one kind of weapon. You wouldn't really call it a sword. More like a dagger or knife. Around forty centimeters long. I can show you."
"Alright."
The shopkeeper returned with a wooden case. Inside was a blade that looked like a bayonet.
"Can you guarantee it won't break or dull? And what material is it made from?"
"I guarantee it. If it breaks, I'll replace it."
Vaske thought the Saiyan was stupid. As if someone could return a broken weapon—or even return alive.
"It's made from Duraxil," the shopkeeper continued. "One of the best materials for weapons. Heat resistant, non-corrosive, doesn't absorb blood, and doesn't chip when struck. For a blade this size, it's 4,500 credits. Larger swords can cost over 100,000 depending on craftsmanship."
"Many Saiyans don't like using weapons, but other races do. First contact was during the war on Hckiron. The inhabitants used Duraxil swords with great skill, making many small injuries on Saiyans. Some even cut off tails. That ended when elites were deployed."
Vaske bought it. The shopkeeper included a free sheath.
When Vaske returned home, Bardock was again doing body training.
He already looked much healthier than when he left prison.
They followed Vaske's eating plans, consuming massive amounts of meat and food bars. Bardock didn't complain.
Night passed.
Soon Bardock received orders to report to the airport.
They arrived together.
Vaske pulled out the sheath and handed Bardock the knife. Bardock had seen Vaske carrying it but hadn't asked.
Vaske explained what it was and how it could help.
Bardock thought for a moment.
"It'll be useful against weaklings like the ones on Planet Herta."
He accepted it easily. He wasn't raised around Saiyans who dismissed weapons as toys, so he didn't carry that pride.
At security, a female Saiyan checked his data.
"Blue area, sixth corridor, tenth pod. Destination: Planet Oionia. Gravity is 1.2 times Vegeta. Recommended battle power: 2,000. There are beings with power levels reaching 9,000."
Vaske listened and felt it was another scheme against his family.
Still, he knew that if Bardock survived, he would someday give even Vaske trouble.
They walked together to the pod.
There was a paper in front of it showing Bardock's name and destination.
The twins looked at each other and fist-bumped.
As Bardock stepped into the pod, he placed two fingers on his forehead and flicked them outward—a final goodbye.
The pod lifted almost instantly.
At twenty meters, it paused, rotated west, then shot forward at insane speed.
Before Vaske realized it, Bardock was already out of sight.
Vaske started thinking about what he should do now that he was alone. Right now he was waiting for orders to conquer whatever planet they would assign him next. But there would still be some time before that. Only very few Saiyans went to conquer planets without resting for a while.
At the moment, Vaske was also waiting for his squad mates and commander to return from their mission. The planet they were clearing was relatively close, but it would still take around twenty days to travel there and return. It was a stronger planet, but with a full squad it usually took about three weeks to clear and sell.
Vaske wondered what he should do besides training and quickly realized there was nothing else to do on this planet.
So he grabbed his scouter and headed outside the city, toward the south pole of Vegeta.
The scouter would be used for communication, similar to phones, with a small difference: if he was somewhere unreachable, he couldn't send messages, but he could still receive them. It was useful for regrouping Saiyan groups and commanding.
Soon he arrived at the very south pole.
When he scanned the area with his scouter, he detected many life forms, but nothing stronger than 2000 power. None of them were humanoid. One resembled a bear and had cubs, so it was extremely aggressive.
He went to the other side and started using ki to dig into the ground.
Shortly after, he formed a small underground house. It was cozy and would be used as a resting place for the next two months or so.
Vaske planned to use the extreme cold to train his body. Of course, he wouldn't use ki to defend himself from the temperature—only physical exercise.
Soon he began training. At first, he was freezing, but as he pushed through more and more repetitions, he found he could go much further without reaching failure. He trained day by day, and his physical strength grew at rapid speed.
One day he received a message that his squad had returned and that he should be ready for deployment at any moment.
So Vaske stopped what he was doing and decided to head back to his base.
When Vaske arrived, he started eating like an animal. He hated the idea of all that food rotting away, so he devoured everything. It was a massive amount—there were animals that weighed hundreds of kilograms.
After an hour and a half of eating, only bones remained in the underground house.
He picked up his scouter and decided to check the results of his training.
He fully powered up.
6805
That meant he had gained roughly 11.5 points per day over seventy days of training.
Alright, let's keep it around 5000. That would be enough to gain respect even in front of elites.
Elites ranged anywhere from 5000 to 10000, and above 10000 were super elites. The King and most captains of elite squads were super elites. You could count them on two hands—maybe a foot.
Vaske flew quickly toward the city, reaching the walls in about fifteen minutes. He stopped flying and approached the guards to gain access. Soon he was inside and headed to the location mentioned in the message.
There he found some kind of sweets shop, filled with all kinds of sweets he had seen at the assortment.
When he entered, he saw a Saiyan eating at abnormal speed.
He recognized him immediately.
It was his new captain.
The Saiyan looked rough, with many scars across his face. His hair resembled Broly's. When he noticed Vaske staring, he signaled with his tail for him to come closer.
Vaske did and sat opposite him.
The captain finished the remaining sweets and finally started talking.
"Alright, newbie. Tell me more about yourself."
He casually stuck his little finger in his ear.
Vaske knew he didn't really care, but he answered anyway.
"I was born with a power level of 762. I graduated in my second year of elite camp by winning the tournament. I don't yet have experience conquering planets. My current power level is around 5000."
The captain continued poking his ear.
"Kid how long can you last in Great Ape form?"
"Last time I checked, around one hour and ten minutes."
He nodded.
"That's impressive."
Vaske nodded back.
"But you're still lower barrel," the captain continued. "There are around 120 people in our unit, including you. Seventy are middle-class Saiyans, ranging from 1500 to 5000. Then there are elites—forty-eight of them—ranging from 5000 to 10000."
"And finally, super elites. That's me and my vice-captain, Macron."
"Oh—and I forgot to introduce myself," he said, slapping himself lightly. "I'm Kronah. I was born with a power level of 724, and I can use Oozaru for seven hours."
"I know you might ask why you're lower barrel. It's not just because of your power level, which could qualify you as either middle or elite class. It's because of your Oozaru duration, which is a measly one and one-sixth of an hour."
"On average, our group lasts four hours in Great Ape form. You'll have to find a way to improve fast, or you'll become dead weight—or a casualty under other Great Apes."
Vaske nodded.
"I understand, Captain. But may I ask your power level?"
"That's a bit rude, wouldn't you agree?"
He hummed for a moment.
"Last time I checked, around 12,865. But there's that Vegeta fellow who was hard to deal with. He's probably not just stronger in power level, but also in technique and fighting sense."
Vaske stayed silent, but his thoughts moved quickly.
So he speaks casually about King Vegeta… Vaske realized. That means he's close to him. Probably in the same position I am.
He understood immediately.
Kronah wasn't just a captain.
He had been made to help Prince Vegeta reach kinghood and then maintain his reign. A blade in the shadows, loyal to the crown.
So he must have been Vegeta II's right-hand man…
Vaske clenched his fist slightly.
Which means I'm being shaped to become Vegeta III's.
Vaske wanted to go home and rest, so he asked bluntly:
"Sir, do you need anything from me right now?"
Kronah replied, "For now, nothing. But could you lend me some money? I forgot mine at home."
A vein bulged on Vaske's forehead, but he treated it like a minor inconvenience.
"Alright, sir. This is all I have. Take it."
It was around fifty credits—enough to live modestly on Planet Vegeta for ten days.
Kronah took it.
"Thanks, newbie. You're free to go."
Vaske saluted and started running toward his house. He hadn't been there for over two months.
He just wanted to lie down on a bed instead of hard ground.
So he did exactly that.
After washing himself, he fell asleep instantly.