"I'm not entirely sure exactly how many times it increases power. I think I remember Dad saying... it's something around 3,000 times," Gohan replied, rubbing his chin as he carefully recalled the details.
"So what's my power level now?" Goten counted on his fingers, but he quickly found that ten fingers weren't nearly enough. His little face scrunched up into a confused ball.
"Is it 3 trillion?" Raditz was trembling all over, his voice shaking. He felt like his entire worldview had been flipped upside down.
"Eh? Is it 3 trillion?" Goten couldn't figure it out either, so he looked up at Gohan for the answer.
"You could also call it 3 trillion," Gohan replied nonchalantly, as if he were mentioning a perfectly ordinary number.
"Stop... stop joking! How could anyone possibly raise their power to that height? That's absolutely impossible!" Raditz refused to believe it, shaking his head repeatedly. He felt like he was on the verge of a total breakdown.
"There's also Super Saiyan 5.5," Goten said, and the aura around him began to surge once again as he prepared for another transformation.
Raditz's mouth twitched, and he let out a silent wail in his heart.
There's more? Are you ever going to stop transforming? Please, I'm begging you, don't change again! I can't take much more of this!
Raditz felt dizzy and lightheaded; the world was spinning around him. He could barely stand, his body swaying unsteadily.
"Pop!"
Goten didn't care about any of that. Brilliant red flames instantly erupted around him, layering the Super Saiyan God form on top of his Super Saiyan 4 base. His aura became even more terrifying, and the space around him began to warp slightly.
"Hehe, this is called Super Saiyan 5.5," Goten grinned, showing off his pearly white teeth. He looked incredibly proud of himself.
Raditz's eyes rolled back in his head. Unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, nearly fainting on the spot.
You guys have to be messing with me! Super Saiyan 5.5? That name sounds absolutely ridiculous!
"We probably shouldn't even try to calculate the power level for this transformation..." Gohan said, looking at the fallen Raditz with a growing headache. "Since it includes divine energy, it's quite a hassle to figure out, and the numbers are just too staggering."
"Yeah," Goten nodded, agreeing with his brother, and didn't push the matter further.
"Uncle Raditz, do you still want to spar?" Goten looked down at Raditz on the ground and let out a brilliant, expectant smile.
Raditz's face turned exceptionally pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He scrambled up from the ground and waved his hands frantically.
Spar? I'm not sparring with you! I can't even beat you in your base form, and now you're turning into Super Saiyan 5.5 to fight me? That's just straight-up bullying!
"Ah... my stomach hurts. I don't know what's wrong—maybe I ate something bad? My stomach really hurts!" Raditz's eyes darted around as he quickly cooked up an excuse. He clutched his stomach and crouched on the ground, squeezing out a pained expression. Cold sweat continued to pour down his face.
Of course, this wasn't from pain—it was from pure terror. With my measly power level, fight this kid? I must have been out of my mind to even think of such a ridiculous thing.
"Uncle Raditz, are you being possessed by Mr. Satan?" Goten tilted his head, looking at Raditz with total confusion. Mr. Satan was famous for using this exact trick to dodge fights.
"Huh? Is my dad here?" Videl, who had been busy clearing the dishes inside, heard the name "Satan" and came running out excitedly, looking all around.
Gohan: "..."
Videl circled the courtyard, but after seeing that her father wasn't there, she pouted with disappointment and went back inside to finish the dishes.
Seeing this, Goten returned to his base form. He looked at Raditz and gave him an even brighter smile, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
Raditz's heart was a mess of emotions—embarrassment, shock, and a heavy dose of helplessness. Are little brats these days really this strong?
"Raditz, for the next period of time, I expect you to master the Super Saiyan transformation as quickly as possible," Bardock ordered sternly, looking at Raditz who was still faking it on the ground.
"What? I don't know how!" Raditz jumped up immediately, shaking his head vigorously with a look of pure resistance. Becoming a Super Saiyan wasn't something that happened easily.
"To become a Super Saiyan, your base power level needs to be at least 1 million. You're only at 30,000 right now; you have a lot of room for improvement," Bardock mused, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Raditz: "..."
Raditz's eyes rolled again, and he nearly fainted for the second time. He clutched his chest, feeling as if he were suffocating.
A power level over 1 million? Dad, you've got to be joking! I'm only at 30,000—how long is it going to take to reach 1 million?
"But... how am I supposed to raise my power to that level?" Raditz asked blankly, having no idea where to start. I went through a thousand refinements in Hell! I was beaten to a pulp by all those powerful guys! Even after all that, my power is only 30,000. How can I ever reach 1 million?
"You'll be training with me for the next few days. I'll guide you," Bardock replied flatly.
"Well... alright then..." Raditz hesitated for a long time but finally gave in. After all, it was his father's command, and he truly did want to get stronger.
And so, another three days passed.
Finally, the day of the tournament against Universe 6 arrived.
For the past few days, Goku had been meditating in a quiet mountain area about a kilometer from home. He hadn't moved an inch, remaining deep in his cultivation state.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two streaks of light flashed across the sky at extreme speed, landing in the courtyard of Goku's house. It was Vegeta, arriving with Trunks.
At that moment, Bardock was in the courtyard training Raditz. Bardock moved like lightning, launching constant attacks, while Raditz scrambled to dodge. Every now and then, he'd take a hit and let out a cry of pain.
Raditz had been beaten quite badly over the last three days, his body covered in bruises. However, the results were clear—his power level had already risen to 50,000. It was quite an achievement.
"Prince Vegeta?" As soon as Raditz saw Vegeta, he stopped dodging and stepped forward to bow respectfully.
"So the one resurrected by the Dragon Balls was Raditz," Vegeta glanced at Raditz. His expression was flat; he wasn't particularly surprised.
"Prince Vegeta, it's been a long time," Raditz greeted him with a slightly fawning smile.
"There's no need to call me 'Prince' anymore. There are hardly any Saiyans left, and I don't have much interest in being the King of Vegeta anyway," Vegeta said calmly.
"Right... okay," Raditz nodded, feeling a bit awkward with Vegeta's new attitude.
"Has Kakarot still not finished his training?" Vegeta looked toward where Goku was meditating. He saw that Goku was still sitting there, completely still.
"Dad has been training like that for the past few days," Gohan stepped forward to explain.
Just then...
"Pop!"
Goku's eyes suddenly snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. He leaped up from the ground with light, swift movements. Then, in a blur, he instantly appeared right next to Vegeta.
"Oh? Vegeta, you're back!" Goku looked at Vegeta with an excited grin, his voice full of anticipation. "When does the tournament start?"
After saying that, Goku realized something was a bit off. He immediately turned his gaze toward Raditz and started circling him, rubbing his chin in deep thought. His eyes were full of curiosity.
Raditz had long heard that Goku's strength was unfathomable. Being scrutinized and circled like this made him freeze up in terror. He trembled all over, not even daring to breathe.
"Who are you? You look familiar—I feel like I've seen you somewhere!" Goku muttered, staring at Raditz's face with a slight frown.
Raditz: "..."
Bardock: "..."
Vegeta: "..."
Everyone present looked at each other, each more speechless than the last. You could practically see the dark lines of frustration sliding down their foreheads.
"You idiot! I'm Raditz, your older brother!" Raditz couldn't take it anymore and yelled at Goku, his voice full of exasperation.
"Oh... so it's Raditz! I thought you looked familiar," Goku said, clapping his hands as the realization hit him. "When did you get resurrected? I hadn't heard anything about it."
"I..." Raditz was just about to explain the story of his resurrection.
"Vegeta, when did you get back? Whis told me you were sucked into a space-time rift and that it would be hard to return," Goku suddenly changed the subject, completely ignoring Raditz and looking at Vegeta with curiosity. Clearly, he was much more interested in Vegeta's experience.
"Hmph, it was just a tiny rift. I only stayed there for a few hours before coming back," Vegeta tilted his chin up with a proud, cocky smirk.
"Hahaha, Vegeta, with that much confidence, you must have gained some new insights in that other timeline," Goku laughed, his voice carrying a hint of admiration.
"For this tournament against Universe 6, I'm going to defeat every single one of their fighters by myself!" Vegeta puffed out his chest and announced grandly.
"Hey, leave some for me! I want to see what Universe 6 is capable of too!" Goku cried out, looking a bit hurt and slighted.
"Rock-paper-scissors! Whoever wins gets to go first! How about that?" Vegeta suggested, his eyes gleaming.
"Alright, it's a deal!" Goku agreed readily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
Goku and Vegeta threw their hands out at the same time. Goku chose paper, while Vegeta chose scissors. Goku had lost, and his face immediately slumped in frustration.
"It feels like I never win at rock-paper-scissors against Vegeta," Goku scratched his head, sighing with disappointment.
"It's nothing special; I just predicted your prediction," Vegeta laughed even more brilliantly, his grin practically reaching his ears.
Bardock: "..."
Bardock had been standing there so long his legs were starting to go numb. He felt like he'd been waiting forever.
Wait a minute, Kakarot. You've been awake for quite a while now, and I've been standing right here—can't you see me?
As expected, this kid was just like his mother—the silly and innocent type whose mind was only on fighting and tournaments.
Raditz was also huffing with anger, his chest heaving. I'm your own brother! You said exactly one sentence to me and then just tossed me aside?
However, seeing his father's face turning beet red with impatience, Raditz suddenly felt a lot better. This brother of mine might have only said one thing to me, but he's completely ignoring Dad! Dad's been waiting all this time for a heartfelt reunion! You unfilial son!
"Dad, um..." Gohan couldn't take it anymore. he stepped forward quietly and gave his father a gentle reminder.
"Gohan?" Goku nodded and looked at Gohan with a questioning gaze, wondering what was up.
Gohan had no choice but to point directly at his grandfather, Bardock, giving his father a very obvious hint.
Goku finally snapped out of it. It was as if he had only just noticed Bardock. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked Bardock up and down.
"Kakarot, you've grown up. You finally recognize me," Bardock said, a kind smile appearing on his face as he gazed at Goku with pride.
"Who... who are you? You look just like me... wait, you're not me from the future, are you?" Goku was even more shocked. He took a step forward and asked urgently, "Did something big happen in the future? Has a super strong opponent appeared?"
Bardock: "..."
A drop of cold sweat slid down Bardock's forehead, and his mouth twitched slightly. How does this kid's brain even work?
"You... you don't recognize me?" Bardock asked, a bit stunned and incredulous.
Goku looked completely confused and gave an honest shake of his head.
"Dad... Kakarot lost his memory after he came to Earth. He doesn't remember much of anything," Raditz interjected, unable to watch any longer.
"Eh? Raditz, you called him 'Dad'..." Goku looked at Raditz in shock, then back at Bardock, his face written with utter amazement.
"Now do you know who he is?" Raditz snorted, sounding quite annoyed.
"You called him 'Dad'... then what should I call him?" Goku scratched his head, muttering to himself in confusion.
Raditz: "..."
Raditz's face went dark, and he nearly fainted. This idiot brother of mine is a lost cause!
"Oh! You're my dad?" It was as if a lightbulb had finally gone off in Goku's head. He laughed, scratching his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that! I just finished my training, so my reactions are a bit slow."
"Kakarot, seeing you grow so strong makes me very proud," Bardock stepped forward and gently patted Goku's shoulder, his voice full of fatherly love.
"Eh? Didn't Raditz say Dad was dead?" Goku looked at Raditz and then back at Bardock, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Technically, I should be dead," Bardock replied. "But my situation was similar to Vegeta's. A space-time rift appeared at the scene back then, and I was pulled through it, ending up a thousand years in the past."
"A thousand years in the past? That's amazing!" Goku was stunned, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"When Vegeta was coming back, a space-time rift happened to open up on my end too, so I just followed him back," Bardock explained with a smile.
"So that's how it is," Goku nodded thoughtfully. He then turned to ask Vegeta, "Vegeta, so did you go back a thousand years too?"
"No, I likely went to a parallel world five or six years in the future," Vegeta answered truthfully, his tone flat.
"Five or six years in the future?" Goku froze for a moment, then asked excitedly, "Was I really strong then? Much more powerful than I am now, right?"
"I don't know," Vegeta snorted, giving Goku a massive eye-roll. He then added, "I was with you on Planet Cereal, fighting a guy named Gas."
"Gas? Never heard of him," Goku shook his head, then muttered dismissively, "Whatever, it's not important. I'll deal with it when I run into him later. We'll just have a fight and find out then."
Vegeta didn't say another word, merely responding with a cold huff.
The scene fell into a brief silence.
"Kakarot, you've been training for so long. How's your progress with Ultra Instinct?" Vegeta broke the silence, asking cautiously with a hint of provocation in his voice.
"It's still not quite there... something always feels off. I don't think I've fully mastered it yet," Goku shook his head slightly and muttered to himself, a trace of frustration on his face.
"Hmph, mastering Ultra Instinct isn't exactly a walk in the park," Vegeta let out a sigh of relief, a proud smile spreading across his face. His expression clearly screamed, I knew it.
"Yeah, you're right," Goku nodded, not bothering to argue.
Then, Goku took a long, deep look at Bardock. Bardock's face remained relatively expressionless, but his eyes carried a hint of fatherly affection that he couldn't quite hide.
"Dad, you seem pretty strong. Let's find some time to have a spar," Goku suggested with a smile, his voice full of anticipation.
"No problem at all," Bardock nodded, readily agreeing.
As they were talking...
"Father-in-law! Mother-in-law is awake!"
Chi-Chi's voice suddenly rang out from the distant room, filled with surprise.
Goku blinked, looking toward the direction of Chi-Chi's voice in confusion. Chi-Chi had poked her head out of the window, shouting excitedly to Goku and the others outside.
Bardock felt a surge of joy. Forgetting everything else, he blurred into motion and sprinted toward the house, appearing in the room in an instant.
Goku was even more baffled. Who are the "father-in-law" and "mother-in-law" Chi-Chi is talking about? And who woke up?
Driven by curiosity, Goku immediately followed the others as they hurried into Gine's room.
By now, Gine had woken up with Chi-Chi's help. Although her face was still a bit pale, her spirit was much better. After taking the special medicine for her viral heart disease and letting it repair her heart over the past few days, she was completely cured.
"How are you feeling?" Bardock stepped forward quickly, his eyes full of worry and concern.
"Bardock..." Gine called his name softly. She then took a step forward and hugged him tightly, her tears falling like pearls from a broken string.
Bardock: "????"
For a moment, Bardock didn't know how to react. He stood there frozen for a few seconds before slowly raising his hands to gently pat Gine's back, trying to comfort her.
Gine wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. She then looked at Raditz and Goku standing nearby, her eyes filled with tenderness.
"Mom..." Seeing this, Raditz obediently stepped forward and gave a small greeting.
"Raditz... you've grown so much," Gine sighed, her eyes shimmering with excitement as she looked him over carefully.
Raditz let out a sheepish little grin.
"Kakarot... is that you?" Gine immediately turned her gaze to Goku, her eyes full of motherly love.
Goku pointed a finger at his own nose, looking more confused than ever. I just sat there meditating for a few days. How did I wake up to all these familiar yet strange faces?
"You idiot, Kakarot, this is Mom," Raditz rolled his eyes and gave Goku a nudge.
"Mom?" Goku scratched his head, still unable to wrap his brain around it.
"Don't you remember your mother?" Gine let out a soft laugh, her tone full of patience.
Bardock was stunned, staring at Gine with wide eyes. Is she really getting into character this quickly? Technically, you shouldn't even know who Raditz and Kakarot are.
"Gine... you..." Videl was also amazed. She stepped forward and looked closely at Gine, sensing that something was different about her.
"Videl, thank you for taking care of me all these years," Gine said with a smile, her voice sincere.
Videl scrutinized Gine again and realized she really was different from before. Her eyes held a lot more maturity and gentleness; she no longer seemed as naive and clueless as she used to be.
"Could it be... you've regained the memories of your past life?" Bardock suddenly realized what was happening and asked excitedly, his eyes full of hope.
"Yes. During the days I was asleep, I had a very, very long dream..." Gine said softly, her gaze distant. "In the dream, I met you on Planet Vegeta, and later we had Raditz and Kakarot... everything was so real."
Bardock: "..."
Bardock's heart was flooded with emotion, and his eyes grew a bit misty. Gine had actually regained her memories. That was wonderful news.
"In that dream, I remember we stuffed Kakarot into a spherical space pod and sent him off to Earth..." Gine said with a smile, her eyes full of nostalgia. "Time really does fly. It's gone so fast that I've become an Earthling, and I'm even classmates with Gohan."
Gohan quietly wiped away a bead of sweat, his mouth twitching slightly. My grandmother is my classmate. Who would ever believe that? I should really consider switching schools.
To be continued…
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