Granolah watched Vegeta with a guarded look as the God of Destruction ate enthusiastically in front of him. They're surrounded by several bento boxes filled with what Whis said was Vegeta's favorite food: Maguro Nigiri, which the attendant brought with him back from the mortal world. Vegeta was happily gorging down the food, exclaiming how he missed eating this since they entered the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time 22 days ago. The joyful expression in the destroyer deity's face made Granolah think about how far different it was from what he had seen from him a few minutes earlier.
Granolah recalled the hellacious burning he experienced when Vegeta decided to unleash the beast within him. He had never felt so terrified before. It felt as if he was living in a nightmare happening in hell itself. Vegeta's rising power shook the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, changing their surroundings into a dimension filled with swirling darkness similar to a black hole which Granolah thought he would get sucked into. When Granolah screamed for Vegeta to stop as he couldn't take it anymore, he did. It was as if Vegeta just woke up from a dream. Once he snapped out of his trance, everything disappeared and they were back to the original white and empty space they were in.
Blinking as if he was just brought back to reality after being lost in his dream, Vegeta turned to Granolah, seeing the horrified look the Cerealian held. But instead of comforting him or apologizing for what happened, he was furious. "Leave me alone. Don't bother me," he spat out angrily before he walked away.
That's when Granolah realized what just happened. The flames that surrounded them were the product of Vegeta's intense rage and desires for more power, manifesting through the horrifying image of the monstrous giant monkey that represented his true nature and source of fearsome destructive power. The hair-raising beastly roar signified how much the God of Destruction wanted to let himself out of this cursed existence, as if he was an animal trapped in a cage he couldn't destroy no matter how much devastating power he had. So despite already being the strongest, he still wanted to grow even stronger in his hopes for freedom.
Vegeta, who was chewing at his food, turned to Granolah and stared at him curiously as he heard the Cerealian's thoughts about him. Seeing that the God of Destruction was looking at him, Granolah cleared his throat and averted his eyes away.
Vegeta swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "You got it all wrong, Granolah… What I want is to simply be at the top, as Number One, as I should always be."
"At least, he's now in a better mood than these past 22 days," Granolah thought to himself, finally looking back at Vegeta, who rolled his eyes off him and gave him a silent snort.
"Are you serious? But aren't you already the most powerful and most fearsome God of Destruction?" Granolah asked in disbelief.
"I don't set any limits to the power I could attain, I strive to be the best," Vegeta replied. "Yes, I may be the most powerful in this Universe right now, but being the strongest now doesn't mean that I will always be one if I prevent myself from growing and improving. Being the strongest or second strongest only reflect a matter of time. At any given moment, someone even more powerful than me may appear, and then that title could be stripped away from me. I have to ceaselessly grow stronger so I can maintain my place at the top and break through my limits as well. I have a reputation to hold after all."
"You do have such an obsession for power, don't you?"
"Hmph! Speak for yourself."
"Unlike you, my only purpose for gaining power was to avenge my people from the Heeters."
"That's your only goal in your life? Pffftt... How foolish of you," Vegeta snorted.
"What did you just say?!" Granolah demanded.
"If you manage to satisfy your vengeance, what are you planning to do after that?"
Granolah was stumped at the unexpected question. He shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "I don't know. Maybe I will take Monaito away from Planet Namek and have his leg operated on Planet Shugaru. We may rent a place there until he's fully recovered."
"So you're leaving Planet Namek?"
"I have no other choice. We cannot return there since you cursed the land."
Vegeta gave Granolah an impish grin, "Hmph! Have you forgotten that you two were the reasons why Planet Namek is suffering my divine punishment?"
"I know that, of course. But why aren't you punishing us instead of pouring out your wrath to the entire planet? They are innocents. Monaito made those Dragon Balls without any intention for anyone to know about it, he created them for the sake of his hobby. He didn't expect anyone to summon the Eternal Dragon to make a wish. It was I who broke your law so you should be cursing me instead, not them."
"I already told you that I do not tolerate any mistakes, whether only one person is involved or not. The mistake of one person is the mistake of the entirety of the people. Knowing that would prevent one from acting selfishly for the sake of his people and they would look out for one another. The divine punishment I poured upon Planet Namek has nothing to do with you. It will serve as a lesson for them to never repeat their mistake again. The fact that they are still existing in my Universe shows that I already gave them my mercy. Now it's only up to them to find a way to survive. Your own punishment though, you shall reap from what you sow. Your life was already cursed the very moment you met me, so there's no need for me to do that with you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Monaito already told you that anyone who associates with me is cursed with a fate to be destroyed in one way or another. This fate is inescapable, yet I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself by giving me a reason to show you my mercy through how you will wield that power I allowed the Eternal Dragon to grant you. Don't be satisfied with just destroying the Heeters, those are short-sighted goals at best. I want you to push yourself harder, and don't stop until you become the best. Of course, that doesn't mean I will let you surpass me. You're still going to have fierce competition through me. But don't let any of that stop you from striving to reach your goals to be the best."
"If you do that, will you lift your curse and show us mercy?" Granolah asked.
Vegeta didn't answer, he simply returned to eating his food. Once he was done, he told Granolah to follow him.
"Come with me. You are going to do some Spirit Control training with me," he said.
"Spirit Control?" Granolah repeated.
"Through this technique, you will be able to achieve the balance of mind, spirit, and body. Once that is achieved, you will be able to tap into your nascent power and will help you master how to control every bit of your power."
"Alright, Vegeta-sama," Granolah agreed.
Chapter 30: Attack on Planet Namek
Bulma said goodbye to Chichi and Krilin as she finished her job for the day. In her hands was a plastic bag with takeaways of spare sushi. As she rode a bus on her way home, she began to wonder about what Whis just revealed to her earlier that day. She wanted to inwardly slap herself for being so rude about him. She did her best to understand Vegeta despite all of his mood swings and angry outbursts towards her. She thought she did, yet he would always call her off about just assuming things about him. She thought that he was just plainly rude and too prideful that's why he was acting like a jerk towards her. She even called him a tsundere for it. But just because she had enough of him after what happened to Anaheim and Cayena, and thinking of other people as well such as Himawari Maeda, and her parents too, she gave up on him, thinking that no matter what she did, it won't change his mind about destroying the Earth. It disappointed him so much that he decided to just leave without another word, without letting her know when he would return to destroy the world.
Whis' visit earlier gave her an assurance that everything will be fine though. Vegeta left without destroying the Earth because of her efforts, he told her. The things she did for him weren't in vain after all and it somehow made her feel a little glad and quite relieved.
As Bulma walked on the streets leading to her apartment, she wondered when Vegeta and Whis would return, where Vegeta went, and what he was doing right now. She thought that he was probably busy eating what his guide angel just bought for him. She giggled at the thought of his happy face as he chomped down several Maguro Nigiri at once.
But when she found her home as small and lonely as it always was, all her laughing faded away as she dropped her things on the floor. Her earlier laughing expression slowly melted into a melancholic and disappointed look as she fell to her knees.
"What the hell am I expecting? Of course, he's not going to return that soon…" she grumbled to herself, frowning. She shook her head to forget the unwanted thoughts and pick up her things she dropped on the floor.
Three months passed by within the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, Granolah was able to finish his Spirit Control Training with Vegeta's guidance. The two faced off in another sparring session…
"Now, come at me at full power!" Vegeta commanded Granolah with an imperious tone.
"Yes!" Granolah responded. He unleashed a powerful green aura and began to power up to his maximum power. Due to his mastery of Spirit Control, he was now able to tap into every bit of energy he had and was now stronger than when he first entered this training space.
Despite his power though, Vegeta stood unfazed right in front of him. He was just standing there, as confident and stoic as ever, with his arms crossed against his chiseled pectorals.
"I shouldn't have to say this, but don't hold anything back," Vegeta said.
"I won't!" Granolah assured.
Just as their previous sparring sessions, Granolah's condition to win against Vegeta was if he managed to land a single hit on his face. Vegeta gave him another handicap this time, that in this session he will not use his arms and his hands, so Vegeta will have them crossed against his chest during the entire sparring. In any case that Vegeta uses one of his hands to attack or even block, Granolah would win as well.
With a leap from the ground, Granolah charged at Vegeta. The God of Destruction's arms remained crossed in front of his chest as he blocked all of Granolah's strikes with his legs.
"This isn't enough!" Vegeta roared at him, swiping his right leg and kicked Granolah sidewards.
Granolah halted his momentum midair and snorted, letting out a cocky smirk and a snarky remark, "Are you talking about me or yourself?!"
"Tch! Just shut the hell up and fight!"
Granolah flared his green aura and propelled himself forward, throwing several combos at the God of Destruction which Vegeta effortlessly blocked with his lower body.
"Heh! I guess you've gotten a little better than last time!" Vegeta openly praised, feeling the strength of Granolah's attacks stronger than it was from earlier.
"Not compared to you. Since the last time, you never leave yourself open again! And because of that, I can barely see an opening to attack you."
"Is this really all you got? You must be mocking me, aren't you?" Vegeta growled at him.
"I'm not done yet!" Granolah roared, aiming a straight punch to the God of Destruction's face.
Vegeta's guard suddenly slipped when he heard Bulma's voice in his head. She was wondering where he went off too, disappointed in not finding him in her home.
"There it is!" Granolah thought to himself, finally finding an opening to the God of Destruction's seemingly unbreakable guard.
His punch clearly hit Vegeta with a clean shot. It wasn't enough to send the deity backwards but it hit him straight on the face, much to his own surprise.
"Damn it, how could I let myself get hit by that lousy attack?!" Vegeta thought to himself as he gazed at Granolah.
Frowning, he raised one hand and grabbed Granolah's wrist. The Cerealian immediately flinched when he perceived pain shot through his arm due to Vegeta's squeezing grip while he removed Granolah's fist on his face.
"Heh! Don't get so cocky. That one was a free cheap shot," the God of Destruction growled. He raised his hand to flick a finger at the center of Granolah's forehead, which immediately sent Granolah flying backwards for several meters.
"Hey, hey… aww… Aw! That hurts! No fair! You said you won't use your hands! Ouch! Aah!" Granolah complained, grimacing in pain.
"Hmph! You gullible fool! Do you honestly think I go through my words?" Vegeta continued with a nasty smirk. "Don't kid yourself, Granolah." Then he turned around, putting his hands over his hips. "That should be enough for now. You're still a far cry from where you should be."
Granolah pouted. "Damn it… If I only knew you were such a dirty, lying bastard… For a god, you surely do not honor your word."
"Were you actually expecting me to congratulate you for a job well done and give you a reward or something? Hmph! Don't be ridiculous. A God of Destruction only brings punishment, death, and devastation. Rewarding mortals for a job well done isn't in my job description. If you have time to complain then maybe you should use it to improve yourself instead of whining."
Granolah just grumbled to himself. Vegeta chuckled, in his thoughts he inwardly admitted that Granolah has improved drastically since mastering the Spirit Control Technique and he won that sparring session, but of course, he won't openly say that to Granolah. Vegeta noted that it was he who should be improving himself. He got too cocky, thinking that he already had the voices under control and this sparring session only proved him wrong.
Vegeta returned to where Whis was watching them spar.
"That was certainly impressive of Granolah-san, milord. Don't you think he deserves a reward after that improvement?" Whis asked him.
"Give it to him if you want. I couldn't care less," Vegeta said.
"Alright, but what happened to you back there?"
Vegeta frowned back at his attendant before he grunted in irritation.
"I thought I already had the voices under control. For some reason, it just came back out of nowhere. What the hell did you tell that Earthling woman, Whis?"
Whis chuckled lightly, looking like a kid who was caught lying by his parents, "Oh… So you heard?"
"I would appreciate it if you stop sticking your nose into my problems. Aren't guide angels supposed to be neutral? Not siding between what's good or evil? Why do you seem to take her side?"
"Oh, I think you got me wrong about that, Vegeta-sama. I'm not siding with anyone. I just did that so I would know what's happening with you since you refused to tell me anything about it. You were right, we guide angels are neutral, but we are tasked with taking care of the God of Destruction of our assigned Universe and help you keep the balance of this world. As I observed lately about your behavior, I decided to do my job and know what's bothering you. And it just happened that Bulma-san opened up to me. You know she's worried about you, and that your behavior confuses her as much as you are vexed about hers."
Vegeta simply snorted back.
"You do understand one thing, don't you? Why did the voices come back to haunt you again after 1239 years? I tried to make her understand why you behaved in such a way and why you continue to deny what she was seeing through you. I believe that if you only told her the truth from the start then she would have understood you a little better. I didn't do this because of what's right or wrong, I only did my job as your guide angel because I saw how much this is bothering you and how it is causing the power of the Secret of Self-Indulgence technique within you to resurface and take control of you. And being the strongest among all of the Gods of Destruction, you know how dangerous it would be if you suddenly lose control."
Vegeta considered Whis' words for a moment. He understood that just like him, Whis is bound to his duties as well. While he didn't like anyone butting in on his personal problems, he saw that it was Whis' right and duty to know what his problem was. Being one of the two beings who helped raised him, just like a mother-figure to him, Whis must be concerned about him as well, not just for the balance and existence of this Universe.
So Vegeta nodded in understanding, "I see, I understand now... But don't worry about that anymore. I'm fine and in proper control of everything. What you saw was just a mere lapse in my thoughts due to her abrupt distraction that caught me unexpectedly off-guard."
"As you say, Vegeta-sama. Always keep an eye on what's distracting you and find a way to eliminate them. If you don't do this, it will become problematic for the both of us. I already helped you with regards to Bulma-san, now you must find a way to fix what's within you. Remember that only you can fix that."
"Yeah..."
Both suddenly turned their heads in Granolah's direction when they heard something had stirred within Granolah's mind and heart. The Cerealian was a few feet away from them, seemingly minding his own business as he talked to his Artificial Intelligence. Oatmeel had notified Granolah that Macki just left a voicemail. Granolah ignored the notification, not wanting to deal with any of the Heeters right now. But when Oatmeel told him that Macki said that they're on their way to Planet Namek, threatening that if he didn't go there immediately to surrender the Namekian Book of Legends or the information of Dragon Balls to them, Elec would unleash Gas and everyone on Namek will be killed.
Meanwhile, the Heeters' spaceship arrived on Planet Namek. They were surprised to see the once beautiful green planet in shambles as it suffered an intense scorching weather and drought, something which Elec was delighted to know, suspecting that the God of Destruction must have done this because of Granolah. Macki reported that she wasn't able to get in contact with Granolah but she left him a voicemail, hoping that the Cerealian would receive it soon. Elec just laughed her off and said that it is time for them to release Gas.
Within the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, Granolah suddenly became completely aggravated and distressed. He ran towards Vegeta and Whis and asked them to take him back to the mortal realm as soon as possible so he could save the Namekians from the Heeters' evil plans. Vegeta didn't allow him, saying:
"As I said earlier, this still isn't enough! I will not allow you to quit this training until I say you're strong enough!"
"I don't have time for this! Monaito is in danger out there! Not just him, even Tsuno… Moori… I can't just ignore them!" Granolah argued.
"Do you honestly think they will still trust you after you killed one of their brethen? Forget about them! They were all fated to die right there," Vegeta told him.
"How did you know that?!"
"Because I know so!"
Granolah just stared back at him with a look of incredulity. Of course, Vegeta knew this because he's the deity responsible for death, but how could he think of it this way? He's really such a cruel, cold-hearted god.
"Forget about them, Granolah," Vegeta convinced him. "If you truly value your life and still want to have your power and vengeance, you have to make sacrifices. This softness will bring you down and will prevent you from reaching your goal."
Granolah glared back at the God of Destruction, a fearsome tension came in between them as the Cerealian asked him through his gritted teeth, "Is this how you lost your kingdom and your people? Did you sacrifice them for the sake of having your vengeance and getting this power and position you now enjoy?"
"Life in this Universe is a game of survival. Only strength and power matters in this world. Everything else is just a delusion for the weak. The strongest and the most powerful survive and stay on the top, the weak either serves the strong or perishes by the hands of the most powerful. This is reality, Granolah. So if you want to survive, then grow stronger, train harder, and forget the things that make you weak! The concern you have for those weaklings will be your downfall!"
Now those cold-hearted, cruel words made Granolah so mad at him.
"That's not true! The Namekians taught me that the strong should save and protect the weak from those who threaten to harm them! That there is a reason why the strong are blessed to have such powerful strength and that is to be a savior and protector of those who cannot defend themselves! They also showed me that emotions can also become one's greatest source of power if it's about the right thing. How could you say such a thing, Vegeta-sama?!"
Vegeta scowled at Granolah's words. Something in his phrase caught him completely off guard. He remembered that when he was still a very young child, as the Prince of the mighty Saiyan Warrior race and the most powerful fighter among his people, he was raised by his father to become the protector and the savior of the Saiyans (and consequently, of all people in the Universe) against the evil Galactic Emperor, Freeza. It was because they believed that only he had the power to become the Legendary Super Saiyan and bring an end to Freeza once and for all. Even Beerus berated him for believing that he was always meant to save and protect his people years after the genocide of the Saiyans. In the end, he was never a savior nor a protector, he was always destined to become a destroyer of not just the Saiyans, but everything that existed in this Universe. All those years his father spent to raise him as the Saiyan warrior he should be were wasted due to his desire for a greater power and his vengeance. Now look at where he is, he's still existing but with a cursed fate he had to endure for all eternity. At least, he's alive and is the most powerful among all...
...Right?
But for some reason, something within Vegeta's chest gnawed. It made him doubt his earlier words after being reminded of a part in his young, mortal life. Angered, Vegeta gave Granolah a fierce glare and then, the Cerealian abruptly gasped out loud as his head snapped upwards, his mind filled with visions of his dire future that the God of Destruction was showing him. Granolah saw the Namekians being brutally massacred, and himself going into a berserk rampage after finding Monaito's dead body, and then he saw Elec laughing maniacally back at him. Granolah roared out of his rage and he blindly attacked Elec, only to be thwarted by the murderous madman that Gas had become, being effortlessly blasted into dust by him.
And then, Granolah felt himself being thrown into the lake of fire where the endless screams of agony and suffering came from the cursed souls whose destination in the otherworld was hell itself. The fire that engulfed him was excruciating, even more than the flames that Vegeta unleashed in the sacred space three months ago. He screamed, and then everything was gone. He fell down into his knees, panting and quivering with fear as he wondered about what he just saw and felt. His face was pale and filled with pure terror.
Vegeta stared down at the devastated Cerealian with a stoic gaze and said with a deep, cold, and intimidating tone of voice, "I only speak the truth, Granolah. You are going to get yourself killed right there if you go right now. And if you die in there, all of your sins, your penchant for vengeance, and your selfishness will land your pitiful soul to hell. You have defied the commandment of the deities about the Dragon Balls when you summoned the Eternal Dragon and made that wish that shook the balance and reality of this Universe. You have killed a lot as well for the sake of your 'job', stepping into my territory of death and destruction. This is the eternal punishment I will bestow upon you if you defy me once more, Granolah…"
Vegeta's scowl slowly turned into a mischievous smirk, and the way he stared down at Granolah was sinister.
"But there is another way for you to avoid that fate though, and if you truly want to save the Namekians from their inevitable end, you have to make the contract with me. Agreeing to the contract I offered you will save you all the trouble, from being brutally killed by Gas to suffering an eternal punishment in the lake of fire, because once I'm done with the Heeters, I will destroy your entire existence! It will be as if you were never born into this world. That would be better than suffering in hell for all eternity."
Meanwhile, on Planet Namek…
Elec, Oil, and Macki watched in delight as their youngest sibling, Gas, went on a berserk rampage all throughout the planet, mercilessly slaining all Namekians he saw without any remorse. Without their strongest warrior, Nail, who was killed by Granolah, the Namekians stood no chance.
The elderly and a few Namekian children tried hiding away along with a Namekian warrior called Piccolo, Nail's younger twin brother, who decided to join them so he could protect them. But even with a prodigy warrior like him, he was no match for the mighty Gas. Just as Gas was about to finish those Namekians, an unexpected man came into their aid, appearing out of nowhere through thin air, and kicked Gas away into a boulder far away.
"Hurry up and run away from here! Now!" he commanded.
"Granolah?! Is that you?!" Monaito gasped.
"Granolah, you bastard… What the hell are you doing in here?!" Piccolo growled.
Granolah turned away in shame without saying anything.
"I came here to save you all…" he responded in a low, ashamed tone.
"And what makes you think that I will trust you to protect us?!" Piccolo grabbed him by the collar and growled furiously at him as he bared his fangs at the Cerealian, "You killed Nail, you bastard! Aside from that, you were the reason why the God of Destruction descended here to curse our planet! You summoned the Eternal Dragon yourself and now everyone is suffering because of you! The Heeters are here because they're hunting you down. I should bring you to them and let them kill you just as you did to my brother!"
Granolah could clearly tell just how much abhorrence Piccolo had with him, and it's just as Vegeta told him earlier. While Elder Moori told Granolah that Namekians are usually kind-hearted people and that they believed that anger and vengeance would only bring about their own destruction, it seemed that Piccolo doesn't share the same ideology as the rest of his people, or perhaps, his perspective was changed since he already faced the inevitable, he was either desperate or upset enough to forget his ideologies and become this hateful, bitter guy towards Granolah. Who could blame him though?
The elderly tried to calm the furious Piccolo down. "Guys, now is not the time to argue about this. We have to do something."
"You're right. Let's just surrender this guy and everything will be over," Piccolo decided. "Although I highly doubt that would be enough for them to leave us."
Piccolo roughly pushed Granolah off him.
"You don't have to surrender me to them or anything. I will go to Elec myself. But you should know that they were only looking for me because they believe I have the Dragon Balls or any information about it," Granolah told Piccolo.
"The Dragon Balls? How did they know about that?!"
"Who knows? I learned about its existence because of them. If they didn't tell me about it, I wouldn't have done any of this. I fell right into their trap and now, you're all suffering because of me. I'm sorry, everyone. Rest assured that this wish won't be wasted, I will use it to put an end to this and make things right once and for all, even if it takes my life!"
Vegeta was standing alone inside the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time after he told Whis to take Granolah back to the mortal world.
"The Namekians taught me that the strong should save and protect the weak from those who threaten to harm them! That there is a reason why the strong are blessed to have such powerful strength and that is to be a savior and protector of those who cannot defend themselves! They also showed me that emotions can also become one's greatest source of power if it's the right thing!"
Those were the words that Granolah threw back at him. When he heard those words, flashes of his childhood memories came back to haunt him. The faces of his father, mother, younger brother, his people, his home planet, came into his mind. Faces that once adored him, respected him, filled with the hope that he would one day rise to become the Legendary Super Saiyan who would protect them, and save them from the iron-fist rule of the evil Galactic Emperor, Freeza. He was their long-awaited salvation, their only hope. A blessing given to them by the deities, one who was supposed to rule and bring a change in the history of not just the Saiyan warrior race, but of the Universe as well. But because of his own selfishness, he ended up causing his own people's doom and eternal suffering in that wretched place called Mu. His people's smiling faces faded into a disturbing phantasm of them crying out in their ceaseless anguish in that place.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed, eliciting a deep groan through his throat as he fought hard to push away the damn screaming voices in his head trying to torment him and threatening his sanity.
When he offered the contract once more, for the last time, Granolah boldly declared that he was refusing. Vegeta was taken aback by Granolah's foolish decision. He didn't expect for the Cerealian to still deny the contract even after he showed him his doomed fate.
"You fool! Why would you throw away your remaining life for the sake of those weaklings?!" Vegeta demanded him furiously.
"It's because it is my responsibility," Granolah responded through his gritted teeth.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!"
"What happened to the Namekians is my responsibility. It was all my fault, so I will have to step up, take responsibility for my mistake and actions, and use this power that I acquired to protect them!"
"How could you speak like that? Didn't you wish for that power to seek your vengeance? I did not allow the Eternal Dragon to grant your wish just for you to waste it on such useless things!"
"You're right. I did wish for this power so I can avenge my mother, my people, and my home planet from the Heeters. But talking to you just now made me realize that mistake. I am not a cold, ruthless, selfish monster like you who prided yourself with your strength so much it allowed you to be blind to what's right or wrong. You only cared about your power, you didn't care about anything else, that's why your outlooks about life in this Universe are selfish and dumb! I'm not like you, I will choose how I will use this power!"
"What?! Selfish and dumb, you say?! There is no good nor evil for a God of Destruction, Granolah. What's right or wrong doesn't even matter to me! There's only death and destruction in my power, nothing else. It's just a job I had to do."
"As I said, there is a reason why you were placed in that position of power, Vegeta-sama. Your power is all about death and destruction, yes, but you decide when you should use it or not! It's just like how you offer us your contract, we are allowed to choose whether we go through it or not... Isn't that right? What's the point of your contract? Was it really just because you just wanted to destroy your target or your contractees? Or was there something else behind it? Think about it. Just like me, I know that you have a choice on how you will use your powers. And I decide that I will use it to correct my wrongdoings, to use it just as how the Namekians taught me. To save and to protect the weak from those who would harm them, even if it's against the Heeters, or someone like you! I will not allow you to stop me from coming back to Planet Namek!"
Vegeta was left completely stunned there while Granolah asked Whis politely to return him to the mortal world. Out of his ire, Vegeta told Whis to: "Throw Granolah back to the trash where he belongs! Go ahead and die there, stupid Cerealian! See if I care! Hmph!" as he huffed in the air, crossing his arms over his chest like a pouting, pampered child who didn't get what he wanted.
Vegeta heard Granolah thank him for the time he spent training him, for the chances he gave him, and his apology for constantly denying his contract. Then Granolah said that he was glad to become friends with someone like him even if he knew that Vegeta won't see him as a friend, and his last goodbye. Vegeta refused to look back as Granolah left the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, thinking over their earlier disagreements.
So here he was…
Vegeta remembered Cayena's wish to be destroyed, reasoning that her destruction along with her beloved Anaheim would give her peace. He recalled Atla's reasons for his desire for Moai's destruction, for the sake of Lemuria, and to free Arlia from his reign of terror. Keisaku and Anaheim both seek justice for what happened to their loved ones. All of these for the reason of their love for others. Love that brought them their own destruction as well.
And because of love, Granolah was willing to seek his own death in his attempt to save the Namekians from the Heeters' evil plans. Granolah was correct when he said that Vegeta can choose when and how he would use his power of destruction, he could have destroyed the Heeters forty years ago but he decided not to for the sake of his own entertainment. This didn't bring the damned agonizing voices to his head because he was still seeking their destruction one day through Granolah, who must repay his mother's debt to him.
But his plans didn't work out well. The fun he was looking forward to was replaced by utter frustration and disappointment. The same feelings he had when he left the Earth resurfaced once more. His fists shook on his sides as he gritted his teeth together.
He really should have destroyed them all when he had the chance.
Was it already too late for him to stop these stupid, annoying mortal feelings growing rapidly at his supposedly cold heart?
"Damn it all to hell…" he growled irately.
He shouldn't allowed this to happen to him. He was such a fool, and now he had to pay dearly for this irresponsibility in his part.
Macki and Oil looked at the rubble of rocks where Gas was sent flying by the mysterious intruder with a dumbfounded look and jaws dropped in disbelief. Wondering what just happened to their youngest sibling, they turned towards Elec's direction. Their older brother was looking at the scene rather calmly.
An enraged Gas emerged from the rubble, maddened even greater by the fact that he was caught off guard by that powerful kick. Frantically searching for the aggravating bastard who did this to him, Gas was completely bewildered when he saw the man who was walking towards him.
The man's green, wavy hair and sharp, red eye were signature features of the restless spirits that haunted his hellish nightmares, the people of Planet Cereal he had brutally murdered in cold blood over forty years ago.
"Look at who decided to show his face around here? It's our traitorous friend, Granolah!" Elec welcomed sarcastically with a mocking grin plastered on his face.
Granolah halted his footsteps and glared at the eldest and leader of the Heeters. His left red eye burned with his fiery rage. "Elec…" he growled through his gritted teeth. His face was deeply scowling.
"Where have you been all this time, huh? Where is the Namekian Book of Legends and the information of the Dragon Balls we ordered you to bring us?"
"I tore the book apart and used the Dragon Balls myself, Elec. You knew all along that I would summon the God of Destruction for what you told me, and I fell right into your trap. You wanted him to destroy me, but he told me the truth. How dare you, you bastard… I… I am going to make you pay for what you did to my people, especially my mother!"
"Ooh… So you already know the truth? So what? Your father betrayed us, Granolah. You, your mother, and your people only had to suffer because of him. We kept you alive for the sake of you paying the debts of your father, but then, here you are only proving to us that the blood flowing through your traitorous father was also flowing through your veins as well. Like father, like son indeed. Too bad."
Granolah growled, clenching his teeth together. "Why you…" he snarled.
"Now that you are here, we can finally end you. You have ruined our plans for universal domination and you will have to pay the price for your insolence. Did you know? Gas here hates you so much. It was because of your parents that he became like that. Go ahead, Gas. Go and do whatever you want with this Cerealian."
Gas snarled like a bloodthirsty animal, a response as if to say yes. He quivered with the anticipation to kill. Granolah's presence only surged his hatred for the Cerealians even further as his mind conjured the fearsome illusions of the ghosts that haunted him for forty years. He raised his hand and a spear magically appeared out of nowhere. With a loud roar, he hurled the thing towards Granolah who simply placed his index and middle fingers on the center of his forehead and disappeared to thin air. The said spear passed through an afterimage before it went through a wall of an empty house not far away.
Everyone gasped in disbelief, "He disappeared?!"
Granolah fazed below Gas and with a loud yell, declared, "This is for all of my people you killed!" His right fist plowed right through Gas' gut, causing the youngest Heeter to gag blood out of his mouth.
"What?!"
"This is for my mother!" Granolah roared, sending a powerful uppercut to Gas' chin, sending him flying in the air.
Granolah disappeared on the ground once again, only to appear above Gas in the blink of an eye, his hands clasped together above his head. "And this… is for all the years you used me like I was a slave to your whims!"
He striked Gas' back with a mighty double axe-handle attack, causing the Heeter clan member to plummet into the ground, creating a deep crater where he crashed.
"Yeeesh! He's beating Gas like nothing!" Macki screeched.
"Impossible! How did Granolah grow this strong in such a short amount of time?" Oil uttered in consternation.
"Hmm… This is indeed strange. He was never this powerful before. What has Granolah done to himself? It seems Soshiru was indeed right about him after all," Elec muttered calmly.
"Well, what can I say? It seems that you indeed have become stronger. I can totally see where your confidence comes from. But do you honestly think you can win against us just because you managed to gain this power?" Elec told Granolah still with his cool and collected countenance.
"Of course, it's because I am now the strongest in this Universe!" Granolah declared with a proud smirk plastered on his face.
Macki giggled, "Strongest in the Universe? Did you have some kind of nice but stupid dream?"
"His anger made him quite the delusional one," the burly and muscular Oil chuckled.
"Did you use the Dragon Balls to gain this absurd new strength of yours?" Elec asked.
"So what if I did?" Granolah replied.
"Just as I thought," Elec said, finally descending into the ground from being in the balcony of his ship. He circled Granolah like a predator does to his prey. "So the Legend about the Dragon Balls is indeed true after all. Now I'm beginning to understand why Planet Namek is suffering right now. The God of Destruction must have poured his wrath upon this planet after what you did. No wonder why you're running away. But then, how come you're still existing? I know he favored you for some time, but this is something else. Why would the God of Destruction spare you from divine punishment when it's clear that you have defied his law?"
"He allowed me to exist for the sole purpose of destroying you myself!" Granolah declared.
"Hmph! How ungrateful of you," Elec said. "Have you forgotten what we did for you and Monaito all these years, Granolah? We could have killed you the very moment we found you two, but because I find value in your skills, I allowed you to live and gave you a job."
"I never asked you to spare my life! If I had only known what you did to my mother and my people, I wouldn't have accepted your offer!"
"Of course, you didn't. But Monaito did."
"What?"
"In exchange for your life, he asked me to use you as I see fit. So I offered you the job you have enjoyed for most of your life."
Granolah remembered that day when he first met Elec. He was around eight years old back then but he was already making his name with his skills as a bounty hunter. While he was busy training, Elec approached him to offer him a job that would require his skills, to hunt for whatever things Elec would want for himself. Of course, Elec offered him a handsome pay for all the trouble, and Granolah accepted it for the sake of Monaito.
"He only did that so we could survive! He didn't have much choice!" Granolah defended his foster father.
"Is that what you think happened? How foolish of you, but fine. Think what you want," Elec stated, finally stopping next to his utterly beaten youngest brother. "But if you think that your wish of becoming the strongest in the Universe is enough to stop us, then you are wrong."
"What did you say?!"
"Don't you know? The headband Gas was wearing here serves as a limiter. It restrains quite an immense primordial power that can only be released when we allow our basic instincts to be unleashed. Gas has the most potential among our clan and when he lets out this power, he loses control and all sense of himself!"
"What?!"
Elec turned his back against Granolah and faced his brother. "Get up, Gas!" he ordered.
The confused and beaten Gas immediately sat up, looking up at his older brother. Elec leaned forward with a smile, his fingers tugging on the straps of the seemingly primitive-looking headband around Gas' head. With an abrupt pull, it snapped off Gas' head and drop on the ground next to him.
Gas' eyes suddenly rolled at the back of his head and he let out a powerful roar, his head snapping backwards. A devastating pinkish aura exploded around his body. Two white horns protruded downwards from the sides on his head as his muscles expanded to gigantic proportions, ripping his upper clothing. Clouds gathered across the sky of Planet Namek and lightning flashed around them. The ground shook with great intensity as Gas finally went berserk.
"That's right, Gas," Elec urged. "Let it all out. Your rage, your hate, your fear. Use those feelings to unleash your true power and annihilate all the fools who stand in our way!"
Granolah stepped back, shocked and terrified at the tremendous power he was sensing from Gas. He never would have thought that Gas was this powerful at all!
With a burst of pinkish red light, Gas' energy burst outwards. Granolah was unable to see what happened when the beast Gas had turned into attacked him in a berserk rampage. All he could feel was himself being pummeled relentlessly by the unhinged monster.
When Gas was about to give him the finishing blow, a Namekian suddenly appeared out of nowhere between Granolah and Gas, causing him to receive the deadly strike of Gas' clawed hand to his heart and save Granolah's life.
"Mo-Monaito..!" Granolah gasped.
The last of the Cerealians was completely devastated. How did Monaito get in there despite his difficulty with his mobility? Why did he do that?
The sight of Monaito's old, limp body impaled around Gas' massive arm caused the Namekian warrior Piccolo to go mad and seek to avenge his fallen Namekian brother. Even he wasn't able to stop the old man from trying to protect his adopted son from Gas' killing blow. Out of his fury, he kicked the defenseless Gas away as soon as he removed his hand off Monaito's already dead body. Granolah caught Monaito in his arms, who was already in tears. Monaito's purple-colored heart Gas was grabbing earlier dropped next to his body after he was sent flying by Piccolo's unexpected kick.
"Monaito!" Granolah whimpered. The old man was dead on the spot so Granolah wasn't even able to say anything to him, not even a goodbye. He embraced his adopted father and grieved. "Monaito! Please! No! You can't die on me! No!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Granolah! Snap out of it and we have to fight this monster!" Piccolo told him. "If you want to avenge Monaito and the other people the Heeters have killed, snap out of it and fight!"
Granolah raised his head to looked up to Piccolo and nodded, "Yes."
He gently put Monaito down and told him, "I'm sorry, Monaito. I am going to seek justice and avenge you for what they did to you… and to everyone they have killed!"
Gas let out a loud scream of madness and he unleashed a destructive shockwave that blew away all the rubble that fell on him. He turned to face Piccolo and Granolah with a rage-filled expression.
"Why you..." he snarled furiously. "You are going to pay for that, you worthless insects!"
Granolah rose from the ground and stood next to Piccolo, both falling in their fighting stances. Piccolo told him about his observations of Gas' movements, saying that they have to find an opening to attack, which would be easy as Gas' only instinct was to attack and not defend. That was how he was able to hit him earlier. Granolah agreed.
With a yell, Granolah and Piccolo charged towards Gas. But despite their team up, their power was clearly no match against Gas. Piccolo suddenly had a plan of distracting Gas and allowing Granolah to power up to his maximum power, and charge up his most powerful attack. Despite knowing that it would burn away his remaining life span, Granolah made a decision to sacrifice his life to stop this beast and his clan from doing evil things anymore.
At the back of his mind, he silently apologized to Vegeta for being such a fool, for not listening to him. But if this was his punishment, he would gladly take it.
Vegeta heard his apology within the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time and caused the God of Destruction to feel something that made him want to immediately go to Planet Namek. Despite being harsh towards him, he had to admit that the months he spent training with Granolah in this space had somehow made him care for the Cerealian more than he expected. He hesitated though, he shouldn't interfere with Granolah's fate any longer. It was a choice the foolish Cerealian made.
But his words still bothered Vegeta.
"To save and to protect the weak…"
Those words that Granolah said kept on repeating in his mind and it was bothering him up until now. It brought back unwanted memories from his young, mortal life as the Prince of the Saiyan Warrior Race, who was raised as a warrior destined to become a savior and protector of his people from any threat.
"You are blessed to be the strongest, to be in a position of power to defend the weak and the powerless."
He was a prince meant to become a powerful king, one who would lead and bring a change to his kingdom.
But only for him to become a God of Destruction.
A killer, a destroyer, a monster.
The one who brought death and destruction to everyone he should have saved and protected.
And now, his people are suffering ceaselessly on Mu.
"I will choose how I will use this power!
"There is a reason why you were placed in that position of power, Vegeta-sama. Your power is all about death and destruction, yes, but you decide when you should use it or not!"
To save and to protect…
To kill and destroy…
"I'm sorry, Vegeta-sama," Granolah's voice spoke through his mind.
Vegeta gritted his teeth together out of his building frustration and anger.
"Darn it all…" he growled.
Suddenly, his eyes flashed a fuschia light, then a burst of outrageous dark purple energy erupted from Vegeta.
Piccolo had restrained Gas by using his arms that he could extend for several meters. He hurled Gas into the skies so Granolah could fire. The youngest Heeter clan member was sent soaring into the heated skies of Planet Namek by Granolah's full-powered attack.
Granolah declared to the Heeters that he didn't kill Gas at all, as everyone looked on Gas' burnt and unconscious body falling from the sky.
"I won't kill him. Now go and leave this planet and never come back to bother us again!" he said.
The remaining Heeters looked on in complete shock at what just happened. Elec lost his earlier calm composure as he angrily clenched his teeth together and cursed at himself and Granolah. If only the God of Destruction agreed to make a contract to rid this Cerealian bastard's life for him, he wouldn't have so much trouble.
"Damn you, Gas. You are really such a useless piece of trash!" he growled. He turned to return to his ship, "Let's go, Oil! Macki!"
Oil and Macki turned to their elder brother, "We're leaving?" Oil asked, puzzled by his older brother's decision.
"Shouldn't we at least retrieve Gas first before we leave?" Macki suggested.
"Who cares about that good-for-nothing fool! He has no use to us if he cannot kill those who get in our way! Let him die for all I care!" Elec yelled.
"Elec! Are you crazy?! That's our younger brother out there–ack!" Macki gasped. Her words earned her a painful slap across the face from Elec.
"Shut up! Now if you want to be with him then go! I will leave you all in this stinking, cursed place!"
While the Heeters siblings argued, Granolah fell to his knees on the ground, coughing out lots of blood. Piccolo turned to him and asked him if he was alright.
"I'm fine. I just overdid it. Charging up that last attack took a lot out of me, including my remaining life span," Granolah replied.
"What?" Piccolo gasped in disbelief.
"This is the price for the wish I made. I sacrificed my lifespan for all this power."
"You can't be serious! How could you agree to such a thing?!"
Before Granolah could say something to respond, a sudden flash of light interrupted everyone from their chatter as a portal opened up from the light. Vegeta slowly walked out of the strange hole, with an odd expression across his face as he looked on at Granolah, who finally collapsed backwards. Everyone turned to his direction as Whis joined him from watching the fight from a distance.
"That's the God of Destruction!" Piccolo gasped.
Ignoring the gawking people around him, Vegeta stepped towards Granolah's dying body. He could see the flame of his soul as thin and small as a spark. The magenta glow of his eyes faded as he dropped to his knees and pulled Granolah close to him.
"Granolah, you idiot. Nobody told you to pull that stupid stunt. How dare you waste your remaining life span for this? You could have just…" Vegeta said, his usually cold, imperious voice breaking.
Granolah tried to open his eyes to stare at the figure he only could recognize due to the flame-like shape of his jet-black spiky hair.
"Vegeta-sama, is that you?" Granolah asked weakly.
"Hn," Vegeta responded softly.
Granolah smiled. He never thought he would ever hear that voice again.
"You're here. So that means I am going to die… right? Hehe…"
"Your life energy is barely a small spark now. You won't last any longer."
Granolah weakly nodded, understanding. "I see…"
"Despite all the power you had, you chose not to kill Gas."
"As I told you before, I am not like you."
"Even when you're dying like this, you're still saying such stupid things, you idiot."
"Hey, I did a great job, right? I finally avenged everyone, right?"
Despite not agreeing to Granolah's way of taking vengeance, Vegeta still nodded, "Yeah."
A small smile appeared on Granolah's face, "That's a relief. At least, my sacrifice wasn't in vain…"
"..."
Granolah focused his blurring vision on Vegeta looking down at him with an expression he had never expected from him. It was a look of regret, of pity, the kind of face someone makes when they feel so bad about someone they wanted to help but couldn't really do anything about it. He could tell that the God of Destruction was grieving for him and it somehow made him glad to have seen this soft side to the proud, cold, and ruthless god. In the end, Vegeta wasn't a lost cause. Granolah knew that there was a chance for him to change his evil ways.
So he made a wish for Vegeta.
"Hey, Vegeta-sama… Can I ask you… a favor as my dying wish?" inquired Granolah in a slow, weak voice.
"What is it?" the God of Destruction asked.
"Please find the true purpose of your existence... That way, you will be able… to accept who and what you truly are… and have a more meaningful life..."
Hearing Granolah's wish, Vegeta's eyes widened slightly in his shock. Granolah was making a wish not for himself, but for the sake of the God of Destruction. Why would Granolah bother to ask him this one favor? Does the Cerealian really think that Vegeta wasn't as lost as he thought he was?
"I know that you believe that power is everything and that you pride yourself for being the most powerful in this Universe… but… find the reason for your strength and power... why you were born with it, why you were destined to be the God of Destruction of this Universe… Don't deceive yourself into thinking that you… were only meant to kill and destroy without any other purpose or meaning aside… I believe that your powers could bring mortals something else other than that…"
Granolah's voice started to drift away. His eyes closed half-way already. So this was how it felt to die. His life flashed before his eyes as he stared blankly at the God of Destruction, and the vision of him being thrown into the lake of fire came to him. It was frightening, but he had accepted his fate.
Vegeta stared at Granolah, silently wondering about the last time he felt such empathy and pity for a dying mortal. He thought that was a very long time ago, but perhaps he was wrong about that. He lowered his eyes and held Granolah's hand with his right hand as if to comfort him, nodding, "Okay…"
It was unexpected for Vegeta to agree with a mortal's wish as easily as that, without the God of Destruction yelling or berating the Cerealian about his assuming thoughts on Vegeta's sudden display of pitiful emotions or offering him a contract in exchange for the wish. Vegeta simply agreed, while doing his best to push away all the tortured voices threatening his sanity, focusing his mind on his plan of making the Heeters pay for this later. Despite the pity he was feeling for the dying Granolah, his anger was greater, although he was desperately trying to keep it under control. It was similar to desperately grasping on something for dear life else he would lose his control and destroy everything there is in this entire galaxy.
Granolah smiled again, a sad one this time, unaware of Vegeta's internal struggles to keep himself restrained. "I'm sad that I won't be able to go where my mother and Monaito are. Well, at least, I guess I will meet my father again…" he said. His left eye became filled with flowing tears as he imagined the faces of Muezli and Monaito. At least, he was able to give them the justice they seek using his own hands, without making a contract with the God of Destruction. They must be proud of him because of that.
"Thank you, Vegeta-sama, for allowing me to get my revenge. For letting me face death with my pride and honor intact. I may have done very terrible things that earned me a place in hell, but I feel relieved despite all of that. At least, I am now free from being a slave of the monsters who destroyed everything in my life."
Granolah closed his eyes, then his body slumped as if it was a puppet that had its strings cut off, and then he was lifeless. Vegeta saw Granolah's life force fade away like a blown candlelight and his soul come out of his dead body, but the God of Destruction still stared at the limp mortal body he was embracing. The wind blew around him as if to mourn the death of Granolah, the mortal whom Vegeta, the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, recognized and respected for being a true warrior until his last breath.
The mortal who reminded him of who and what he used to be as Saiyan mortal.
He thought that Granolah was similar to him, until he realized that he was wrong.
Granolah was better than him.
Vegeta knew that he used to be like Granolah, a stubborn, proud warrior who always stood for his own convictions, not allowing anyone to change who and what he is. But after becoming a God of Destruction, he slowly changed and forgot what made him the proud and mighty Saiyan Prince. Since when did he become so twisted?
A ki blast out of nowhere burst towards Vegeta but he was completely unaffected by it. His invisible but destructive energy had dissipated the deadly projectile into sparks.
Gas stepped forward, swaying like a mindless zombie. His appearance was gruesome and utterly grotesque. His body was burned all over and he looked like he was a walking corpse already. Despite that, he had a psychotic grin as he gazed down at Vegeta and Granolah.
"You… I know you… I know who you are… You're that guy I fought many years ago… You defeated me… I cannot forgive you for that. I hate you…" Gas uttered with a low, creepy voice, pointing at the God of Destruction.
Vegeta had never felt such rage ever since he became the God of Destruction. He had allowed this foolishness to go on long enough. Fun's over and it's about time for him to finally put an end to this absurdity once and for all.
"You are such a fool, Granolah. If you only made a contract with me, then you wouldn't have to…" he said through his gritted teeth.
The gust of chilling wind began to blow stronger as it spun around Vegeta while he set Granolah's dead body down to the ground, making Gas narrow his eyes in alarm. The youngest of the Heeters Clan could sense that something terrifying was happening with the God of Destruction.
The destroyer deity was extremely furious.
And it wasn't just any typical fury that he would usually display, Vegeta's silence was scary. His rage was seething inside of him, threatening to burst out and unleash a terrifying divine punishment into this unfortunate world. His demeanor suddenly got extremely menacing and he became even more intimidating than usual.
And it completely frightened the man who caused the death of the one who wished to become the most powerful mortal fighter in the universe.
Gas staggered a few steps backwards, gasping in fear when he saw that the purple smoke rising out of the furious deity was forming into the face of the sleeping beast within Vegeta. The Oozaru, the demonic Giant Monkey. A Saiyan's true, beast form.
With his hair flowing against the wind, making it look like a blazing fire, Vegeta slowly raised his glowing magenta eyes to give Gas a deadly gaze. The action made everyone shudder when they felt their cores of existence pulse powerfully and continuously. Everything around them seemed to tremble upon the wrath of the deity responsible for giving the divine punishment of all mortals in this Universe.
"Stay right here. Wait for me, Granolah. Watch me destroy them all for you. They will all pay for what they did to you. They will suffer a punishment even worse than destruction itself!"
The God of Destruction's wrath overflows!