"Are you sure that all of the Saibamen are done for?" Bulma turned to Krillin with a look that stuck guilt onto Krillin's face even though there was no reason for it.
"I already told you, Bulma, we've checked it multiple times. It's not like those little things tried disguising their Ki so there's no way we've missed any," Krillin shrugged. He had no idea how he could have proved the fact that the Saibamen were all beaten any more than he already has.
"I just have to be sure, because if we resurrect all the people slain by the Saiyans or their cohorts, we need to know that the Saibamen aren't still rampaging around killing people," Bulma explained the reason for her paranoia.
"Wait, is that how the Dragon Balls work?" Bardock wondered. The Dragon Team had given him a whole different explanation earlier. "You just collect them and ask for what you want?"
Everyone looked at the Saiyan as if he was the village idiot. Dressed in a flowery shirt that he borrowed from Dr. Brief as while his wounds could have been healed quickly, his armor had been totaled in the brawl with Vegeta, Bardock shrugged.
"I guess it makes sense that I was given false information. You had every reason to think of me as your enemy," Bardock rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed dealing with the realization that he was lied to.
"This makes a very fine point, should we really be summoning the Divine Dragon with this guy around?" Yamcha pointed to Bardock. "What if he kills us all and takes the wish for himself?"
"Don't worry, it's going to be fine," Bulma turned to Dr. Puri who appeared to be shaking in awe before the splendor of the Dragon Balls laying in a formation before her. "Bardock helped us fend the Saiyans off and he's Goku's father, isn't he?"
"Hmph… You've got no reason to soil your pants. I'm not gonna kill you lot. I just want my son back. He's the reason I came to this planet, to begin with…" Bardock explained as he crossed his sinewy arms over his chest wearing a serious expression.
Dr. Puri nodded and gulped heavily. It wasn't clear what exactly summoned such a reaction in the young woman in the lab coat, if it truly was the presence of the Saiyan invader in their home or if it was the awesome spectacle of the crystalline orange jewels with stars on them and the promise for anything in existence being within their power to grant.
"Can ya guys hurry up? I'm gettin' hungry already and gettin' 'ere was a hassle already…" Yajirobe scratched his wild, black hair and picked his nose. He truly had been on quite an errand these last couple of days, tasked with gathering the Dragon Balls only to face the Saiyan threat and the Saibamen himself only to then have to deliver the gathered Dragon Balls to the Capsule Corp in West City again.
"Hey, when you make the wish, don't word it like that," Bardock asked. "Don't just ask for the humans to be revived. My own squad lost their lives fighting the Saibamen too. In their states, it wasn't much of a fight but they're good people, they deserve to be brought back too."
"Are you kidding me? They would have killed all of us if given the chance!" Bulma pressed her hands to her hips, casting an inflammatory glare in Bardock's direction.
"It's because of me. If I told them to treat you guys as allies, they'd have taken it without a second's hesitation. Our squad has a bond of loyalty that no other group of Saiyans share." Bardock pointed out. "They didn't deserve to be murdered like that. If they ever die, let it be in a proper battle."
"They're Saiyans," Tenshinhan brought up. "If we bring them back, wouldn't they have grown in power significantly?"
"No. They've been killed. Saiyans only grow stronger adapting to that which comes close to killing them but doesn't. Don't quote me on that, I've never heard of a dead Saiyan returning to life but I don't believe that death would have had any effect on their battle power," Bardock answered, still arguing for his case.
"It's not right to leave them dead when we can bring them back," Krillin joined in on the conversation. "We all made the choice to let them live when we beat them so it wouldn't be wrong to bring them back and fix the Saibamen making that choice for us."
"Wouldn't that also resurrect those other two Saiyans though?" Yamcha scratched his head.
"No. I'm not sure who killed the first one, it might have been Chayote, but Piccolo did join her on the battlefield so he's far more likely to have killed the first one. The second one didn't die at all. His Ki fled outside of our range during the climax of the battle. It's fair to say that Piccolo let him escape," Upa rubbed his chin, pondering on this problem.
"Why would he let that bastard escape!?" Bardock clenched his fists.
"Who knows? Piccolo's not here to explain his case. He might have helped us save the Earth this time but he's not part of the Dragon Team. He was just a third party whose interests lied in beating the Saiyans just like ours," Tenshinhan pointed out.
"I believe we should give Bardock's squad another chance," Upa stated. "After all, most of us have been on the wrong side of morality at least once in our lives, haven't we? We've all fixed our ways but we'd have never become the great protectors of Earth's peace if that chance at redemption would have been taken away from us."
"Well, if God himself thinks it's right, we can't possibly disagree…" Tenshinhan nodded. Upa approached the Dragon Balls and raised his arms over his head, calling forth for the Divine Dragon to appear and fulfill their wish.
The sky turned black in seconds with thick layers of noxious-looking, black clouds covering it. Lightning lashed, leaving bright lacerations on the gloomy horizon before one stray jolt hit the collected Dragon Balls and made them flash with bright light. One that beamed upward in the shape of a flashy pillar of light that soon began taking a shape of its own, coiling in a serpentine manner and wriggling, rising toward the sky as it did so. Just as soon as the beam of light took life of its own, it materialized into the form of a gigantic Divine Dragon breathing out hot air before the gathered observers.
"What is it that you want this time, state your wish!" the Divine Dragon exclaimed, shaking the ground beneath everybody's feet as he spoke in a booming and authoritative tone. Even Bardock had lost his cool and marveled at the Divine Dragon in respectful shock.
"Well… How to say it…" Yamcha rubbed the back of his head, growling and fussing to himself in how better to word his wish as they only had one shot at it.
"Please resurrect everyone killed by the Saiyans!" Bulma threw her fist out into the sky, sharing none of her ex-boyfriend's hesitation.
"Everyone ever killed by the Saiyans? That might be a tall order, I am not sure that I could do that… No, it appears that I am more powerful now than ever if that is truly your wish, I can bring back everyone ever killed by the Saiyans in the span of one year period," the Divine Dragon declared.
"More powerful… Than ever?" Upa pondered.
"What does that mean?" Dr. Puri approached the godly human with curiosity beaming from her face.
"If I had to guess, tying the Divine Dragon to Piccolo has made it grow more and more powerful, the more powerful Piccolo becomes – the greater is the Divine Dragon's power," Upa pointed out. "I believe that soon enough his power might become such that the usual limitations for wishes might not apply."
"What's wrong!? State your wish now!" The Divine Dragon grew restless, raising the tone of his voice and frightening most of those gathered.
"Divine Dragon, please bring back everyone good killed by the Saiyans or their cohorts on Earth," Bulma corrected her wish. There was no use in bringing back any bad folks that the Saiyans might have ended up killing and resurrecting people on destroyed planets would only serve to bring more suffering as they'd end up floating in the void of empty space until they died again.
"An elementary matter…" the Divine Dragon flashed his red eyes. Bardock pushed through Yamcha and shoved Chiaotzu aside to approach the great being before him.
"Did you resurrect my teammates too?" he asked the Divine Dragon, worried that they might not have qualified as "good" as defined by Bulma.
"I did not. Their bodies have been completely destroyed so there is no use in bringing their souls to Earth. When I resurrected one named Son Goku he also wanted to let you know that he won't be back from the Otherworld until he is done with his training," the Divine Dragon explained. Bardock collapsed on his knees, gritting his teeth in grief for his teammates that he had lost forever.
"Vegeta… You bastard… I'll make you pay!" Bardock bellowed into the clouded sky.
"Your wish has been granted. My job here is done!" the Divine Dragon declared with his form becoming lightning again and dispersing into a wild flock of sparks as the Dragon Balls rose from the ground, rotating in their perfect formation before they flew off to various corners of the Earth, becoming stone shortly after landing in their new locations.
"That's just like Goku to say that…" Bulma placed her hands over her hips, looking vexed by Son Goku's proclamation to the Divine Dragon. The sudden return of the television broadcast and the impromptu interviews of all the baffled folks that were certain they had died but had now come back to life breathed in new happiness into the room – the Saiyan threat was now done with.
"Hmmm… So those are the Dragon Balls…" Dr. Puri rubbed her chin, taking notes on a flimsy sheet of paper tagged to a wooden board.
"You don't need to take notes of how they work. We've dealt with them enough times to know that already," Bulma smiled at her new assistant. "Anyway, you've been a great help, Dr. Puri, you've stayed here and worked with me even when the entire world was in danger. I appreciate that sort of devotion, I'd promote you but, truth be told, you're already in the top spot available to employees due to your crazy qualifications."
"Perhaps I can take over the Capsule Corp then?" Dr. Puri turned to Bulma as the woman of curly, auburn hair fixed her glasses before canceling her serious expression, substituting it with a warm smile. "Just kidding, Bulma-san…"
Everyone but Bardock chuckled before Bulma stepped out in front of the group and demanded their attention. "Alright. We've not seen each other for way too long. I think it's been seven whole years since we've gotten together. What was it? Goku's wedding? That must be it… Anyway, I propose that we all get together in Kame House and catch up. After all, the Dragon Team seems to be ever-expanding and we need to strengthen these new bonds we've made along the way. Naturally, Dr. Puri and Bardock are also invited."
"Hmph… I'll pass." Bardock turned away. "I need to prepare for the assault on Planet Vegeta and my vengeance."
"That would be a mistake," Tenshinhan approached the Saiyan warrior and pressed his hand to Bardock's shoulder. It was something that Bardock didn't quite like but it was something that he tolerated for now. "I know a thing or two about vengeance and, in my experience, it is pointless and solves nothing. Given Vegeta's defeat, we are certain to have to deal with him in the future so your best chances at closing that chapter for you is by training and fighting alongside us rather than rushing off alone to your certain doom."
"What do you know!?" Bardock lashed out, pulling his shoulder from under Tenshinhan's hand and putting his fist in between the two. "I am a Saiyan warrior that draws power from the pain of his squad. It is clear that my nature is that of an avenger. Through my bond with my squad, I grow stronger. Vegeta threatened my wife Gine when we fought, I can't allow anything bad to happen to her. It's not safe for her on that planet anymore."
"Do you really think Vegeta will be rushing to Planet Vegeta?" Chiaotzu wondered. "Piccolo stopped him after all. Maybe he'll be headed somewhere closer where he can heal?"
"Hmmm… Maybe the little shrimp is right?" Bardock pondered. "Vegeta had his ass handed to him by low-class trash and a Namekian. The last thing he wants to do is to show his face around Planet Vegeta, parading in his pathetic failure and exposing the sensitive nerves behind the façade of his pride. That dick is going to go anywhere but Planet Vegeta."
"There. So your wife isn't in any immediate danger, is she? Even if your destiny is to strengthen yourself through bonds, your bonds have just been severed. You've burnt and raged but you've burnt those bonds out. There's no way you can draw strength from your squad again. So how about you begin forming some new bonds instead of pushing them all away?" Bulma got all over Bardock's face with her trademarked Earthling persistence which forced Bardock's angry scowl to fade as he leaned back away from the woman in embarrassment that he looked very keen on hiding.
"Fine. I have no idea where this Kame Island is but it has to have better clothes than this…" Bardock pointed at his unbuttoned flowery shirt that was multiple sizes too small for him.
"Hmm… I think that besides Muten Roshi's own shirts, you'll only find lewd bikinis and the Turtle Gi uniform there," Yamcha thought out loud.
"Heh, Bardock already looks like a spitting image of Goku. If he puts on a Turtle Gi, there'll be no telling the two of them apart!" Krillin pointed out, everyone in the room that knew Son Goku to erupt into a wild fit of laughter that only served to embarrass Bardock further.
"You're not with the rest of the chaff?" Piccolo approached Chayote from behind as the Saiyan sat on the edge of the God Temple, overseeing the vast horizon and wondering how God could see anything meaningful off of here.
"They're in danger around me. I always act like I'm doing my best to protect them but I end up putting them into only a deeper hole. If it weren't for you…" Chayote mumbled, looking more crushed and beaten than she was before Mr. Popo helped her recover from her injuries.
"Don't think I saved you from subjugation as a favor for you. I did so to better serve my own interests," Piccolo declared as if it was his obligation to deny any hints of decency budding from inside him every time he did something good.
"Yeah… Tells a lot when the worst demon we have to offer did a better job protecting the Earth than me. I thought I had my rage, my nature under control just because I accepted it but I guess just accepting your problems isn't the same as solving them," Chayote pointed out as she looked on ahead off of the tower.
"You can traverse through the universe, right?" Piccolo inquired.
"Yeah, it might take a while for us to get to the other corner of it but…" Chayote nodded.
"That doesn't matter. We can use Kami's spaceship. It's a whole lot faster than yours." Piccolo replied, making Chayote stand up and turn around as Piccolo's words sounded confusing. "I want you to bring me to Planet Namek. That's where I actually belong. That's where both my predecessor and Kami are from and that's our home. Just like you, it feels like I don't belong here."
"I can do that. That way you won't be a threat to Earth, though, you've had seven years to try something and you were the strongest warrior on this planet before Bardock's recovery from his injuries. It almost makes one wonder if you ever wanted to conquer this planet, to begin with," Chayote shrugged.
"That's exactly why!" Piccolo grit his teeth with a hiss. "Something's wrong with me. Whatever King Piccolo did by forcing the fusion with Kami, it's not natural. I… I sometimes am not sure about who I am or what I want anymore. Back when I clashed with Vegeta, some part of me I didn't even know was there emerged and inspired me to fight back. At that moment, it seemed like my entire body burned with the need to protect Earth, that need gave birth to the right answer to the problem," Piccolo pointed out as he looked at his own right hand as if he couldn't recognize his own body.
"If that part is so strong in you, are you sure you want to leave Earth? Why not just protect it?" Chayote wondered.
"Because… That's not me! Or even if it is, it's just a part of me. I can't be the only freak like this. Planet Namek must have all the answers. Planet Namek is the place where I belong, don't you think? You said it yourself – if I settle in there, I won't be here to threaten Earth anymore." Piccolo stated.
"Yeah, fine, I'll take you to Namek. With my spaceship it would have taken about three years but if you claim that there's a faster ship on Earth…" Chayote shrugged. "I used to have a really awesome spaceship that I used to gather the Ultimate Dragon Balls with but that one got totaled when I crash-landed on Earth."
"I meditated on the matter and I could access some vague images of a spaceship that looks a lot like the memories of my predecessor. It must be the spaceship that Kami used to get to Earth." Piccolo pointed out.
"Come to think of it, I do recall Mr. Popo mentioning something about a spaceship in Yunzabit Heights. I think we used it as a sample of tech when Dr. Brief built my spaceship…" Chayote nodded to herself. "Fine, I'm off to space too so I guess it won't hurt throwing you off on Namek as gratitude for saving my life and the whole Earth. I've come to like this little planet a whole lot."
"Heh, you've had to give up Paradise for it…" Piccolo smirked, revealing to Chayote that he had some of Kami's knowledge of her origins at least.
"Yeah well… I guess I've made my own little paradise here so I don't regret a thing," Chayote shrugged.