Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

41. Chapter 40: A New Threat

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Chapter 40: A New Threat

2 months after the death of Frieza…

Bulma and Chi-Chi both sat there, in front of the computer screen, speaking to everyone back on Earth. A lot had happened over the past 2 months…

Immediately after Goku and Vegeta's victory…

After they felt Frieza's energy signature disappear, Gohan and Raditz took off without hesitation. Chi-Chi and Bulma were left to worry for nearly 20 minutes, but the two of them eventually returned with an unconscious Goku and Vegeta slung over their shoulders. Once it was confirmed that Frieza was well and truly gone, plans were set into motion to achieve the original goal they had all come to this planet to do: revive all of their fallen friends.

Raditz immediately got into contact with King Kai and had him connect them to Kami. The Guardian of Earth, already suspecting that they would be necessary, had gathered the Earth Dragon Balls. They wish they had to make was clear, Planet Namek had to be returned to its pre-Frieza state. The wish to Shenron was made to bring all the living people and creatures of Planet Namek back to life.

The return of the Namekians triggered the return of another, unexpected figure as well: Grand Elder Guru was back. Summoning Porunga again, the wish was made to the Namekian Dragon to return Planet Namek to its former state. With the third wish completed, Porunga vanished for another Namekian year, or 130 Earth days.

Everyone then went to the Grand Elder Guru for guidance on what to do next. However, the ancient Namekian revealed to his children that he did not have long left, even before Frieza had injured him so gravely. But, he did not seem saddened by this. He had lived a long and full life. He had laid the foundation for his race to live on, passing on all his knowledge and wisdom to the next generation. Even so, there were still some last matters to attend to.

First, Guru turned to his attention to Tsuno. As he asked for the younger elder's hand, Tsuno complied. In flash of gold, Guru transferred his connection to the Namek Dragon Balls and his status as the Grand Elder.

Then, Guru called over to Piccolo. The foreign Namekian didn't know why, maybe it was the essence of Nail in him, but he genuinely felt compelled to approach the Grand Elder. Guru placed his massive hand on Piccolo's shoulder, thanking him for his courageous aid in saving the home he never knew. Piccolo wanted to reject the statement, insisting that he never cared about his race. But instead, he silently accepted the great man's praises.

And then, in a whisper, Guru expressed his gratitude to Nail. Piccolo was taken aback, but the Grand Elder gave a fatherly smile and called Nail an excellent son.

As a final act, Grand Elder Guru asked to be presented the heroes of Planet Namek, the slayers of the wicked Frieza. Goku and Vegeta, both unconscious, were brought before the aged Namekian and he placed a hand on each of their heads. The two Saiyans both glowed with an ancient light, and then Guru pulled his hands away.

His long and earnest work done, having been holding on for the last couple days only by sheer force of will, Guru took his final breath and settled into his chair. There, he passed on for the final time. This time, with a happy smile on his face.

The mourning period was brief, but not sad. The Namekian people celebrated the life of their great leader and father with tears in their eyes. They then immediately got to work. The farmers got back to farming, the children resumed their studies and played when it was done, and the new Grand Elder Tsuno made a promise to everyone from Earth: within 3 months, the Namekian Dragon Balls would be back and be stronger than ever.

In the present…

Roshi nodded, waiting for Bulma to finish speaking before he himself spoke. Once Bulma was done, the old man asked another question. "So how is everyone since then?"

Bulma shrugged. "Sort of the same, sort of different."

The scientist leaned back in her chair. "Piccolo was pretty weird for a while there. He actually seemed kinda sad about the Grand Elder Guru dying, but that's probably just Nail shining out through him. He was there for the entire funeral, he even helped out with burying Grand Elder Guru next to that unknown grave..."

Roshi nodded. "Maybe he's starting to come around from his old, evil ways."

Chi-Chi interjected. "I'd like to think he's becoming a nicer person. He's been very polite with me. And he's been keeping Gohan entertained between meals and studying with their training sessions~"

Roshi flinched, seemingly surprised at how accepting of training Chi-Chi suddenly was. Bulma nodded in agreement with Chi-Chi. "They aren't the only ones enjoying training either."

Roshi nodded. "Goku, eh?"

Bulma nodded back. "It's crazy... but Goku, Raditz and even Vegeta have been at it near non-stop!"

Roshi gasped. "V-Vegeta?!"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah! Saiyans are nuts! Palling around like a mob of old friends. Like Vegeta wasn't recently an enemy and they didn't recently kill the apparent Emperor of the Universe!"

Chi-Chi crossed her arms in a huff. "It must be because those damned tails grew back! Goku was always so much wilder with that thing attached!"

Roshi's jaw dropped. "G-Goku's... tail... grew... back?!"

Bulma nodded. "Y-Yeah. When Grand Elder Guru did whatever he did to Goku and Vegeta before he passed on, their tails both popped out all of a sudden. They both seemed really confused when they woke up and saw 'em."

Roshi was sputtering. "B-B-B-B-But that can't be! Vegeta I can understand, but Kami removed Goku's tail permanently! How is it back?!"

Bulma thoughtfully stroked her chin. "If I had to guess... I would say that the transformation into the Super Saiyan state caused their Saiyan biorhythms to go nuts and sorta... reset them. But it would be irresponsible to think that Grand Elder Guru's influence didn't have a hand in all of this. That old guy seemed to have a gift to pass onto everyone before his time came up…"

As Bulma continued to mumble to herself about Saiyan biology, Chi-Chi spoke up. "But, yeah. The tails are making Goku and Vegeta go wild! And I feel so bad for poor Raditz too..."

Roshi nodded. "Why is that? Is the poor guy fallin' behind Goku and Vegeta?"

Chi-Chi nodded back. "Yeah. But, not for lack of trying. He's just juggling so much all at once..."

Bulma frowned. "Trying to keep up with his little brother and Vegeta, taking the time to make sure Gine's body is ready for when she comes back, and spending so much of his day checking on Bardock..."

Roshi stroked his beard. "Bardock, eh? I imagine losing his wife must have been hard on him."

Chi-Chi glanced away from the screen, a pained look on her face. "He was so happy to hear that Frieza was gone. It's the first time I've seen him genuinely happy about something. But... when he saw Gine..."

She wiped tears from her eyes and Bulma continued. "He... looked so lost. He saw Gine's body and... he just left. He's been wondering Namek for the past 2 months, not saying anything to anyone."

Roshi nodded. "He sounds like a lost soul. Poor fella."

Chi-Chi sniffled. "We've been trying. Raditz, Goku, and I both. Taking him food and trying to talk to him. But something inside him has changed. I haven't seen him cry, scream, or get upset... but something inside his head has just... broken..."

Meanwhile, in a far off Namekian field…

Golden energy flared as Goku and Vegeta clashed against one another. Each of the Super Saiyans fought to the best of their ability, exchanging blows faster than the eye could comprehend.

Vegeta shot around behind Goku and tried to slam him over the head with a double-fist smash. But as he slammed his arms down, the prince was surprised. Goku's tail shot up and wrapped around Vegeta's wrists. And then, with a quick spin, Goku threw Vegeta towards the ground.

The Prince scoffed and spun in the air. He shot a massive blast towards the ground to cushion his fall and then, landing on his feet, Vegeta fired two more blasts into the air. Goku smirked and then countered with two blasts of his own. The result of these blasts clashing was a massive, fantastic explosion.

Goku hovered there, waiting for the next attack to come. He was surprised by Vegeta shooting out from the smoke, a fist drawn. Vegeta threw his punch at Goku, but Goku caught it. The Saiyan from Earth threw a punch of his own, but Vegeta caught it. The two of them floated there, holding each other in place. Unable to move, they each boosted their power as high as they could, hoping to push the other off. The two Super Saiyan powers flared against each other and resulted in a small, flashy explosion.

Neither Goku nor Vegeta was hurt, they separated and smirked at each other, looking ready for more. But then, after a moment, both Saiyans let out a lighthearted chuckle and released their Super Saiyan forms. The two of them were having the time of their lives, trying to outdo one another with their new power and gain the lead in what was becoming quite a hot rivalry.

It was clear that in the past 2 months since battling Frieza, Vegeta had greatly closed the gap between himself and Goku. But that wasn't the only thing to improve. Vegeta's attitude had progressed quite a bit as well. He was still an asshole, but less hateful about it. He cracked his neck and sighed. "I hate to admit it, but working with you has actually served to make me a lot stronger..."

Goku smiled wide and chuckled. "You just hate to admit that you're starting to like all of us~!"

Vegeta instantly frowned. "Don't push it."

Goku floated over to Vegeta, acting like his normal, goofy self. "Aw come on! You know that you're starting to like everyone! You love Chi-Chi's cooking! And you and Bulma are starting to get along! And-"

Vegeta slugged at Goku in the face, but Goku took it in stride as he ducked, smiling warmly. "I mean...you and Piccolo still don't get along, but I think that's just because you two aren't used to each other yet."

Vegeta was bitter and silent. Goku sighed. "Fine, I'll stop."

The Saiyan from Earth tapped his fist into his palm. "Oh! I know! How about we train some more with the other form!"

Vegeta put on a confident smirk. "There we go. I'd be up for that. But we need to go and find Raditz. He can't just stand aside and avoid training all day. He's a Saiyan too! I expect him to be at his best so that I have more challenging opponents to fight against in the future!"

Goku snickered and nodded. "Yeah! I feel the same way!"

Vegeta turned and began to fly away. "Also, I need him to be strong in case some random idiot decides to let the next threat live."

Goku frowned. "Oh, come on, man! Can't you just let that one go? I didn't... Hey! It's Raditz!"

Vegeta turned and he and Goku both saw Raditz flying by in the distance. The older brother was holding a parcel and looked focused on whatever he was doing. Goku and Vegeta both flew over to him and Goku called out. "Hey! Raditz!"

Raditz turned to see his brother and Vegeta approaching and sighed. He stopped as they flew up to him. "Hey, Kakarot. Vegeta."

Vegeta glanced down at the parcel. "What are you carrying there?"

Goku sniffed. "Whatever it is, it smells delicious!"

Raditz held it up. "It's dinner for Dad. If you're hungry, Chi-Chi has started on dinner for everyone else. So you should probably hurry up and head that way before she comes looking for you. You know how she can be when people are late."

Vegeta stared at the parcel. "For Bardock, eh?"

Raditz frowned. "Yeah..."

Goku cocked his head. "How is Dad, anyway?"

Raditz shrugged. "I... can't answer that. He'd have to talk for me to tell you anything other than that he's alive..."

The mood quickly shifted to sullen and tense. Raditz shook his head. "Listen, go eat. And then, once dinner is over and you've both had some time to rest, I'll join you guys for some more training..."

Raditz smiled, making the bags under his eyes more apparent. "Okay...?"

Goku put on a cheerful smile. "Right! Sounds good, Raditz!"

Vegeta sarcastically shrugged. "Whatever."

The three Saiyans nodded at each other and then they split off. Goku and Vegeta flew off back towards the Capsule Ship and Raditz flew in the direction of Bardock's energy signature.

Meanwhile, over a ridge near the Capsule Ship…

The Namekian wind blew over the field as two warriors cried out. The pages of one of Gohan's books fluttered in the breeze as he and Piccolo sparred against one another. Things have been really good for the two of them lately. Ever since Chi-Chi had given her blessing for some training, with a focus still being on academics, Gohan had been a lot less stressed. His mother's approval of Piccolo, after the Namekian had saved them from Frieza, was a welcomed change indeed. And although he would never verbalize it, Piccolo was a lot happier as well.

With his new capacities from his father and from Nail, the Namekian was at a level he had never thought of before. And with his friend and pupil training with him, he was getting to exercise it against a worthy challenger. Gohan and Piccolo both kicked at one another, their legs crossing. Piccolo proved to be the stronger warrior and sent Gohan flying back. The boy tumbled across the ground, but quickly recovered and stood up. "Nice kick, Mr. Piccolo!"

Piccolo shook his head. "Don't think you're so big that you can complement me, brat! Your kick was sloppy!"

Gohan smiled and took a fighting stance. "Yes, sir! I'll get it right next time!"

Piccolo took a fighting stance of his own. "I'm sure you will."

Gohan and Piccolo clashed again. As the two of them fought, they started talking to one another. "So, Mr. Piccolo, are you still gonna try to take over the Earth?"

Piccolo was a bit shocked by the question. Gohan tried to take advantage with a quick jab, but Piccolo caught it. "No."

He punched Gohan in the stomach and tossed him away. "Earth is nothing more than a trinket my father wanted at the end of the day. All I really want is to hand Goku his ultimate defeat!"

Piccolo fired a weak ki blast at Gohan as the boy was standing up, knocking him onto his back. "Do you have an issue with that, kid?"

Gohan stood, brushing himself off. "I..."

He took another fighting stance. "No. As a matter of fact, I'm happy that you still want to do that. I'm sure it would make my dad happy to know that one of his favorite rivals is still out to beat him! But if you were to hurt or kill my dad..."

Gohan leapt at Piccolo, a blast charged in his off hand. "I'd probably have to seek revenge!"

As his pupil grinned, Piccolo couldn't help but do the same. The Namekian levied his hand towards the boy and fired a blast of his own. "You're still too weak to be that cheeky with me, runt!"

Gohan threw his blast and, to Piccolo's surprise, the boy's attack negated his own. Gohan dropped from the sky and, catching Piccolo off guard, kicked the Namekian in the face. Piccolo glared down at the scrappy half-Saiyan... but then he smiled. "I'm glad to see that once I'm finished with Goku, I already have another rival in the making!"

The boy smiled wide. The two of them prepared to go at it again, but then an all-too-familiar sound started echoing out. A wooden spoon clattered against a metal pan as Chi-Chi came flying over the ridge. "Dinner time, you two! Pack up the books and the training gear and get over here!"

Piccolo and Gohan looked to one another and sighed, following Chi-Chi's orders without question.

In front of the Capsule Ship…

The tables were set up and the spread was truly impressive as everyone gathered for another one of Chi-Chi's spectacular dinners. The group had run out of Earth food a month ago, but Chi-Chi made do with what she had around her. Several platters of Namekian seafood were spread across the table. Alongside them were several items made from the fruit of the Namekian trees were on display. It all smelled amazing, cooked with the Mt. Paozu/Fire Mountain touch.

And the group from Earth was not alone. As Chi-Chi laid out all of her hard work, Dende, Talus, and Tsuno joined them as well. Chi-Chi, being the kind host, happily showed them to the kettle of hot tea and the juice from the Namekian fruit.

Tsuno sipped from his mug and smiled warmly. "Thank you for your hospitality!"

Chi-Chi winked. "Thank you for joining us. And please, I know that Namekians get by just fine with water, but I insist that you try a plate of my cooking~"

It was a peaceful environment. Dende and Gohan both sat at a table together, laughing and joking around as Gohan ate. Piccolo sat on the other side from them. The three of them were quickly joined by Goku, who was all too happy to join them in cutting up.

Over at the food-serving table, Vegeta snapped his fingers. "Hey! Hey! Kakarot's woman! Where's the bread?! I demand bread!"

Chi-Chi, a vein popping from her forehead, smashed her tongs down against a pot of steamed Ajisa stew. "You can wait a minute, you impatient ass! It's still baking! And should know damn well by now that my name is 'Chi-Chi'!"

Vegeta growled under his breath. Chi-Chi snapped the tongs at him. "Don't you take that attitude with me! Don't think that you're too 'super' for me to let you starve!"

As Vegeta and Chi-Chi stared down at each other, Bulma called over. "Hey! Vegeta! Quit fighting with Chi-Chi and come over here! I need to talk to you about something!"

Vegeta broke away from Chi-Chi and walked over to the rock Bulma was sitting on. He sat in the grass next to her and started eating. "What do you want?"

Bulma pointed over to the project she had been spending 2 months on, the four recovered Ginyu Force Attack Balls. "I think, using the parts from the pod that you came here in, I managed to fix up the four of those pretty well. I'd like you to test fly one for me. Okay?"

Vegeta spat out a ligament from the Namekian crab he was eating. "Test fly to where?"

Bulma pointed up. "Nearest planet and back. Think you can handle that?"

Vegeta nodded. "Yes, Earth woman, I can handle that."

Bulma sighed. "Bulma."

Vegeta glared over at her. Bulma clarified. "My name is 'Bulma'."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Fine, Bulma, I'll test drive your repaired pod for you after I take a nap."

Bulma smiled. "Thanks, Vegeta."

All in all, everything was good and everyone was at peace. They laughed and made merry and brightly discussed the future. And not a single one of them noticed the lens of a stealthy spy drone snapping pictures in the distance.

Far off, in a distant Namekian plane…

Raditz scanned the ground at he flew, eventually finding what he was looking for. Down on the ground, looking haggard and worn. Since the last time he had seen him, Raditz could tell that Bardock hadn't slept from the bags under his eyes. The older Saiyans gait was slouching and sluggish. His movements were imprecise and sloppy. He was still wearing the damaged armor from 2 months ago. Bardock was a wreck.

Raditz didn't even bother with the preamble of calling out to him. Instead, the eldest son simply landed and thrust the parcel at his father. Bardock didn't look at Raditz, he simply snatched the food from his son and continued walking without a word. Raditz remained tight-lipped. He just waited, hoping that Bardock would say something. But, once a good 100 feet had been made between them, Raditz finally spoke up. "Why don't you come back, Dad?!"

Bardock didn't stop walking. Raditz turned and glared at his father. "Hey! Answer me!"

Still nothing.

Raditz was grinding his teeth. He shouted at his father, even though Bardock kept walking. "Come back! Join us! Frieza is gone, Dad! We won!"

Nothing. Raditz was practically shaking. "We've all spoken to her! King Kai let us! Don't you realize how badly you're hurting her by refusing to speak to her?! She doesn't know what she did to make you so upset!"

Bardock slouched over a nearby hill. As he disappeared over the horizon, Raditz called out one more time. "What's wrong with you, Dad?!"

Over the hill, Bardock continued his march forward. After hearing Raditz take off, screaming in frustration, Bardock sighed. He needed a break. He continued his shuffling walk until he came across a cave. The older Saiyan walked in and sat down, ripping open the food parcel and eating it with his hands.

Bardock fired a blast at a nearby pile of wood and lit it up. The warmth of the fire settled onto his skin and Bardock continued to eat in silence. But then, ghostly whispers started echoing through his head again.

"Wouldn't it be nice to retire on Earth~?"

Bardock gripped his fist, remembering how cold she was.

"I just want to relax together... live a little..."

He clenched his teeth and remembered the look frozen on her face.

"I don't want to die alone... again..."

He thought of the sadness in Raditz and Chi-Chi's voices. He knew that they were right, but... he couldn't face her again. Not after all of this. Not after he had failed her like this. He let her die, again, to that heartless bastard.

Frieza's laughter echoed through Bardock's head and he began to shake. He was furious. Furious at Frieza, furious at life, furious at himself. And then, another familiar feeling hit. Bardock felt another Future Vision coming on. As the look into the future came to him, Bardock snarled in frustration. Before it could start, he smashed his head against the wall of the cave behind him and put it to a stop.

Bardock sat there, feeling the warmth and the wetness as it oozed down the back of his head and down his neck. The Saiyan was fading in and out of consciousness, and he didn't know what to say or do. He just went limp and... his mind started going to a pretty dark place. As he thought about Gine's face, her silly laugh and her cheerful smile, Bardock slowly closed his eyes. But then he heard a faint sound that was totally alien to Planet Namek and Bardock's eyes snapped open. He turned his head and, to his shock, Bardock clearly saw a stealth drone zipping by.

He stood, taking a brief break from the demons in his head, and then he gave chase to the drone.

A short distance away, in a small quarry…

Bardock came up upon the ridge of a small quarry and suppressed his power down to nothing. Carefully and quietly, the Saiyan sneaked up behind a rock and spied down into the cavernous canyon. Below, Bardock saw a miniature interstellar travel ship, a radar dish, and two soldiers that he did not recognize: a pink, lizard-looking guy and a green-skinned, older fellow with a white beard.

Bardock didn't take either of them too seriously. They didn't look like fighters. They were probably just a couple of Frieza Force nobodies looking for their boss. Bardock watched as the green one plugged his drone into the side of the ship and pressed a button. He couldn't make out what the two of them were saying to one another, but something here felt off. And then, the pink one turned and Bardock saw the symbol on the breastplate of his armor. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. These were NOT Frieza's men.

Down in the quarry, the pink guy shook his head and studied the pictures on this tablet in his hand. "Crazy to think about, eh Kumquat? That some random gutter trash could just roll up and off Frieza like that..."

Kumquat shook his head. "I'm not paid to think about it, Pompom. You should learn to adopt that mindset, you'll live longer. We aren't here to speculate on how Lord Frieza was killed, we're just here to gather information on his killers."

Pompom cocked his head, turning to face his older companion. The older gent turned away to check on the drone. "But, it's just weird to imagine what'll happen next. Things are gonna heat up quick. There'll probably be a draft and an invasion."

Kumquat shook his head. "No. The King will most likely not be pleased by all of this. I imagine that the response to this problem will not take that long to carry out."

Suddenly, a loud snap echoed out behind Kumquat. He turned just in time to see Pompom's corpse fly into the side of the ship. And then, lightning quick, he was seized by a Saiyan in severely damaged armor.

Bardock drew his fist back, coating it in energy, and snarled at Kumquat. "Who in the hell are you?!"

Kumquat saw the fear in Bardock's eyes and chuckled. "Going by that look, you already know who I am. Or, at the very least, what I represent. Do you not?"

Before Bardock could respond, the drone sounded from its place on the side of the ship. "IMAGE UPLOAD COMPLETE."

Kumquat chuckled again. "And it would appear that you are too late."

Bardock snarled. And then, screaming in frustration, he threw his fist forward.

Back at the Capsule Ship…

Bulma watched as Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz inhaled their food with barely a breath between each bite. Ultimately, a question popped into her mind. "You know, I've been wondering for a long time now. Why the hell do you Saiyan eat so damn much?"

The Saiyans turned to Bulma with their mouths full. With one big gulp, Vegeta swallowed. "Simple. Like most living beings, we need nutrients to keep up our health and strength. However, we Saiyans require such on a significantly larger scale."

Chichi snapped her head to the side to stare at Vegeta. "Wait, what? Are you saying that Saiyans are... prone to excessive eating by nature?"

Raditz wiped his mouth. "Not exactly. You see, the potency and intensity of our energy is simultaneously a blessing and a burden, operating on an all-or-nothing nature. With it, we can retain our strength and stamina much longer than most races. Likewise, by limiting our physical efforts, our energy lets us go without any additional nutrients for several months at a time unhindered."

Vegeta chimed back in. "One the other hand, as soon as we start exerting ourselves too much, our energy burns through our accumulated nutrients that much faster. What was previously several months of fuel becomes mere hours. Think of it this way. Every physical effort requires a source of energy. Even healing requires such an energy. That is why we heal so fast, our energy goes into overhaul, burning through our accumulated nutrients."

Bulma looked at her food, really considering those words, now feeling a little guilty for how she always looked at Goku with disgust at how he ate. Raditz noticed that. "Don't feel too bad. We Saiyan are survivors if nothing else. Like fighting, adapting to harsh environments is second-nature to us. Likewise, this effect of quickly burning through nutrients has its benefits. We digest and metabolize almost instantly, quickly turning it into useable fuel, making it hard to grow obese or suffering from indigestion or cramps."

Bulma smiled at that and passed her bowl over to Goku. "You know what? Suddenly, I'm not so hungry."

Goku looked at the bowl. Not needing to be told twice, he smiled as he took it. "Thanks!"

Suddenly, the happy family dinner was interrupted by the shocking sight of two corpses slamming onto the table. Pompom and Kumquat's dead eyes stared up at the lot of them and Chi-Chi shrieked in shock. Goku, Vegeta, Raditz, and Piccolo all turned their attention to the grand return of Bardock.

Goku instantly stood up. "H-Hey, Dad! What happened?"

Bulma, reacting to both the return of Bardock and the corpses on the table, shouted at the top of her lungs. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Bardock blew Bulma off. "We have a problem! A really serious problem!"

Piccolo turned his attention from Bardock and towards the corpses he had returned with. As he did, the Namekian was met by the sights of shock and horror, respectively, on Vegeta and Raditz's faces.

Piccolo glanced from them and down to the corpses of Kumquat and Pompom again. "What's the matter? Who are these two?"

Bardock shook his head. "I don't know who they are, but their names don't matter."

The irritated Saiyan picked up Kumquat and pointed to the crest that adorned the breastplate of his armor. "This symbol is the problem!"

Gohan was confused. "That symbol? Wh-What does that symbol mean?"

Raditz's mouth and throat were dry, but he spoke. "Th-That is... the symbol of House Cold. House Cold is led by..."

He swallowed. "King Cold. And King Cold is... Frieza's father..."

As Raditz trembled, Bardock and Vegeta both looked as if they were going to crumble right then and there. They had defeated Frieza! He was gone! But now... NOW THIS?!

Bardock took a deep breath and then spoke bluntly. "This is, amazingly, even worse than having to deal with Frieza. Cold is the only warrior in the entire universe that Frieza actually acknowledged as stronger than him. And I mean a true warrior unlike his lazy-ass son was. Cold knows we're here. He knows what we've done. He knows where Namek is and it wouldn't take him long to track us back to Earth."

Goku shrugged. "Is that it? That isn't so bad! When he shows up to Earth, we can defeat him just like we did with Frieza!"

Vegeta finally spoke up. "No, Kakarot. It's not that simple."

Everyone turned to Vegeta and the prince spoke. "Frieza was an out-and-out sadist. He always wanted to have a hand in killing people that defy him. Cold is a sadist as well, but he's also a business-first type of person."

Chi-Chi spoke up. "So, what does that mean?"

Bardock interjected. "That means that this planet and Earth could both be blown into pieces from a distance and we would never know until it's too late."

With that comment, everyone started freaking out. Raditz, Bulma, and Chi-Chi started to panic. Gohan was scared. Dende, Talus, and Tsuno were all horrified. Even Piccolo and Vegeta seemed incredibly unnerved.

But as everyone else panicked around him, Goku remained calm. The Saiyan from Earth stood with a smile. "Guys! Why are you all panicking?"

All eyes turned to Goku and the Saiyan nodded at his friends. "If the problem is that this Cold guy is going to come to Namek and Earth, then we don't we just prevent that from happening and go to him instead?"

Everyone's jaws dropped. Goku chuckled and folded his arms behind his head. "We can go there and try to work things out with him. And if that doesn't work, we can just kick his butt like we did with Frieza!"

Silence fell over the group for a few moments, but then Vegeta spoke up. "Y-You want to go to King Cold's home and take care of things right then and there?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah!"

It took Vegeta a moment to process that Goku was being serious. But then, the prince quickly adopted a smile. "Kakarot... I like that idea. I like that idea a lot, actually!"

Bulma gasped. "Wh-What?! You can't be-"

Bardock cut her off. "This is a really stupid idea. But... I was about to suggest it myself. We need to make sure the Earth and Namek are safe and we cannot leave anything to chance. If the two of you are up for it, then we should all rest up and head out as soon as possible."

Goku and Vegeta both nodded in agreement. Vegeta smirked. "Well, well. Welcome back, Bardock!"

Bulma spoke up again. "H-How do you plan to even go there in the first place?"

Goku pointed over to the Ginyu Force Pods. "You fixed up those four ships, we'll just have to borrow a few of them if you don't mind~"

Bulma was speechless. Goku turned from her to Gohan and Chi-Chi. "You guys will be okay while I'm gone, right?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah, Dad! We'll be fine!"

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes and sighed. "I swear, this is going to be the rest of my life, isn't it?"

The wife shook her head, but then she smiled. "But I know that we don't really have a choice. So go ahead and go, Goku. Just... promise me that you'll come home in one piece, okay?"

Goku quickly nodded and Chi-Chi let loose a small chuckle. She walked up to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "Well then, you three fools go and rest up. And while you're doing that, Bulma and I will repair your clothes. Can't have you going to overthrow an evil king in rags, now can we?"

Goku and the others agreed and they led the way back into the ship. They were quickly followed by Gohan, Piccolo, and the other Namekians. Bulma was the last to follow, sighing in exasperation. "This is all just crazy..."

And, with all of them gone, Raditz was left standing there, a plaintive look spread across his face.

Several hours later…

After a long rest and another meal, Goku, Vegeta, and Bardock all stood next to their Battle Pods. With their newly-repaired outfits (orange gi, blue and white battle armor, and black and green battle armor respectively), the three Saiyans were saying their final goodbyes before heading off to the next battle.

Goku stepped up to Piccolo and offered a handshake. "Piccolo, I know that we still have our differences, but can I trust you to watch over Earth while we're gone?"

Piccolo hesitated just a bit, but he nodded and shook his rival's hand. "Of course. But the second you return, I plan to settle things once and for all."

Goku smiled. "Looking forward to it."

He walked away from Piccolo and over to Gohan and Chi-Chi. Goku picked up his son and chuckled. "You're getting so big!"

Chi-Chi stepped up to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. "Remember, you promised to come home in one piece, right?"

Goku responded by wrapping his tail around Chi-Chi. He pulled her close and the two of them shared a kiss. "Yeah! Of course, I promise~"

Chi-Chi blushed and smiled, burying her head in her husband's chest. "Oh, Goku~"

As Goku enjoyed a few moments with his family, his brother, dressed in his brown and teal gi and chest armor, came walking up to them. Goku smiled and offered a handshake. "Raditz! You'll help Piccolo defend the Earth, right?"

Raditz frowned at his brother. Goku cocked his head. "Is something wrong?"

He slapped Goku's hand away and spoke. "This is crazy! Suicidal even! King Cold is the most vicious monster that this universe has ever faced!"

Goku nodded. "I know. Dad and Vegeta told me all about him while we were eating! But that doesn't mean he's unbeatable!"

Raditz clenched his teeth. "So... my dad, my little brother, and my former boss just plan to waltz up to his front door and put a stop to him all on their lonesome?"

Goku nodded. "We should be able to! At least, that's what I think!"

Raditz snapped. "Well you know what I think, Kakarot?!"

Goku flinched. Raditz gripped his fists tight. "I think that... I think that I'm scared. And that the thought of facing King Cold makes me want to throw up. But... I think it would be shameful for me to stand to the side while the three of you do this. There are four Attack Balls, four full-blooded Saiyans present... and, as much as I hate it, I will not be the only one to not contribute..."

Goku smiled. He reached out his hand and put it on his brother's shoulder. "We're happy to have you with us, Raditz! Let's go and finish this together!"

And so, the four Saiyans walked up to their pods. Vegeta chuckled. "Nice to have you along, Raditz. You can be Cold's punching bag while the rest of us fight him."

Bardock was calm, almost too calm. "Shut up, Vegeta."

The four of them got into their Attack Balls and took to the air. Goku waved by to everyone on the ground and then, the four ships flew into the stratosphere. On the ground, Tsuno and Talus both stared into the sky with concern clear on their faces. Talus spoke up. "Do you think they're going to be okay? Chasing after a bigger monster than Frieza seems risky..."

In spite of Talus's doubts, not a single person from Earth had any fear in their hearts. They knew that they would see those four again.

In space…

Bardock got onto the radio and spoke to the other three. "I got the coordinates to Planet Cold before I blew up those guys' spaceship. This isn't going to be a short trip, so it would be for the best to go into artificial hibernation until we get there."

The other three agreed. And, after explaining to Goku how artificial hibernation worked, all four of them went down. They all knew that next time they woke up they would be in for an even greater challenge than ever before.

And so…

After the four Saiyans left, another month seemed to pass like it was nothing. After that short time, Grand Elder Tsuno's adjustments to the Dragon Balls were finished. Together, the group from Earth and the Namekians summoned the great Eternal Dragon, Porunga. As thanks for all they had done to save Planet Namek from Frieza, the Earthlings were given the first two wishes. Using the powered-up abilities of Porunga, they wished for all of the damage that had been done in the Saiyan Invasion of Earth to be undone.

Porunga granted this wish with ease and began to implement his power. First, on Earth, the entirety of East City reappeared in a flash. All of the damage that Nappa had done when he and Vegeta appeared on Earth was undone.

For the second wish, Porunga restored every innocent slain life from Earth. The people of East City all reacted in shock and confusion. On Kami's Lookout, the warriors of Earth all rejoiced at the feeling of being alive once more. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaoztu were all thrilled.

At the same time, a glowing surge appeared before Porunga, which produced Krillin. And adding the truly joyous moment, Gine came walking out of the nearby Capsule Ship. The Saiyan mother stared in awe at Porunga, being caught off guard when Gohan and Chi-Chi ran up to her for a hug. Once that shock had worn off, Gine looked around. "Where's Bardock? I need to talk to him..."

As Gohan and Chi-Chi explained what was happening to Gine, Piccolo spoke to Tsuno. "Okay, our problems are taken care of. Now for yours. You need to find somewhere to move this planet to. Somewhere where threats like Frieza will never find it again."

Grand Elder Tsuno nodded. "I agree."

With the travelers from Earth having finally completed their original goal, the time finally came for goodbyes.

The Namekian people all faced their allies from Earth and expressed undying gratitude for all that they had done. The Earthlings returned this gratitude with gratitude of their own. Thanks to King Kai's telepathic aid, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu all thanked the Namekians for giving them a second chance at life.

Gohan and Krillin shared one final moment with Dende, the three of them declaring an unbreakable friendship with one another. Dende seemed close to tears, but he swore to his friends that they would all meet again someday.

The Earthlings boarded their Capsule Ship and took off, so that they would not be lost from their home once Namek was moved. The Namekians watched as their new friends finally left to go home, and then Tsuno made the final wish. He requested the dragon to find a place to relocate Planet Namek to. A safe place where vicious beings such as Frieza would never find them again. Porunga was able to quickly fulfill this desire.

From space, the Earthlings watched as Planet Namek vanished in an instant, leaving an empty spot in the solar system where it once stood.

Once again, in spite of missing a few people, everything was looking up for the warriors of Earth. And so, as they traveled back to Earth, the martial artists all trained together, using the gravity chamber that Goku and Raditz had used on the trip to Namek.

Mentally, the warriors on the ship and the warriors on Earth all came to the same conclusion. They needed to up their training. If any threats such as the Saiyans or Frieza ever showed their faces again, the Z-Fighters needed to be ready to meet those threats!

As Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo trained, pushing themselves to their limits, Bulma and Chi-Chi gathered up in one of the side rooms. Chi-Chi passed her time by coming up with new study lessons for Gohan, and Bulma was more than happy to help with that when she wasn't fiddling with what little technology she was able to salvage from Frieza's stuff.

While the two of them kept themselves busy, however, Gine sat off to the side. What Gohan and Chi-Chi had told her didn't sit well with the Saiyan mother. And so, for most of the trip back to Earth, she found herself staring out the window into space. She didn't doubt Kakarot, Vegeta, Raditz, or Bardock's strength. She counted on them to be able to handle matters with Cold... but she was still forlorn when it came to thinking of her husband. Gine stared out into space, her face glazed with worry for Bardock.

Something in the back of Gine's head told her that the greatest hardships had yet to come.

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

A small fireplace crackled in a dimly lit room. All that was visible was a single, yellow alien and a massive chair containing a much larger life-form. The alien stood there, gripping onto a massive bottle of wine and staring up at his master. After a long silence, the larger figure spoke. "I take it, by the look on your face, a development has occurred, Kikono?"

Kikono flinched. "I... I am sorry to report, My Liege, but... we have lost contact with Kumquat and his subordinate..."

The larger figure leaned back, the rich leather chair he was in creaking. "Oh, yes. I expected no less... Captain Ginyu's report was rather thorough."

He glared down at the tablet in his lap and cycled through the pictures of Frieza's killers on it. He traced his finger over the brown lump of fur coming out of one of their waists. "Saiyans..."

He lowered his hand down, an empty goblet sitting in his grip. Kikono shrieked and immediately opened the bottle in his hand. "F-Forgive me, Your Excellency!"

As Kikono filled the goblet, he jumped in fear when his master whipped the tablet into the fireplace. The larger being spoke in a tired voice. "How ridiculous..."

He raised his goblet and took a sip, watching as the flames licked the device and melted the picture of the Saiyan in orange. The Saiyan's face distorted and shifted in the flames. The figure lowered his wine and stared at his reflection in it, seeing an evil, aged gaze staring back at him.

He stared into the fire again, watching as the orange Saiyan melted into nothing.

And then, King Cold smiled and laughed.