Steam filled the bathroom, the frothy water sloshing over the edges of the large bathtub.
Yamiru leaned back against the tub, Yamiru nestled quietly in his arms. He idly twisted a lock of her damp golden hair between his fingers, watching as water droplets slid from the ends and landed on her flushed, trembling skin. They traced the curve of her shoulder before pooling in the hollow of her collarbone. Their heads tilted together, whispers exchanged between breaths.
"I missed you so much..." Yamiru turned, her lips brushing against his jaw, his neck.
Yamiru kissed her forehead, the corner of her brow, her eyelids. "Me too."
"How's Launch?"
"Who?" Yamiru blinked, caught off guard.
After spending over 40,000 years in the Dragon Ball world (20+ in this timeline), how was he supposed to remember a minor character who once stripped to distract Nam in the first tournament arc?
"Must've misremembered," Yamiru laughed.
---
Spiritual Realm • Mortal Court • Seventh Universe
A streak of golden light tore across the sky, darting past islands representing planets of Universe 7—swift as a comet. Before long, it arrived above the Earth's designated island, hovering in midair wreathed in a golden aura.
Super Saiyan Bardock had arrived.
Gine was the first to rush up, throwing her arms around him. Bardock patted her back, then looked past her to the figure floating nearby—a golden-haired, blue-eyed mirror of his own face. But this version crackled with lightning, his energy surpassing Bardock's own.
The moment Yamiru had unlocked the Spiritual Realm's access, Bardock instinctively understood the method to enter. He'd also sensed the deliberate call from Earth. And upon arrival, that overwhelming Super Saiyan energy—stronger than his—had drawn him like a beacon.
"So it is you, Goku," Bardock said, a rare smile tugging at his lips.
On the ground, Raditz overheard and scowled. "Obviously it's Kakarot?"
Goku, still riding the adrenaline of his Super Saiyan 2 state, smirked—an expression that carried an almost roguish edge.
Bardock studied him approvingly. "You've surpassed everyone, Goku. Is this a new Super Saiyan form?"
He'd assumed the only transformations beyond the standard Super Saiyan were the legendary Super Saiyan God. Yet here was Goku, blazing a path entirely his own.
"Yeah," Goku said. "I'm calling it 'Super Saiyan 2.'"
Bardock nodded. But then Goku added, "Though... I haven't surpassed everyone."
With that, he powered down, black hair returning as he wiped sweat from his brow. The new form still demanded adjustment.
As they landed, Bardock frowned at Goku's words.
'Joke?' Goku's energy had dwarfed even his own—a Super Saiyan mastered years ago. If Goku hadn't left Earth, then... someone here had surpassed a Super Saiyan 2?
'Who? How?'
"Yamiru?" Bardock repeated when Gine supplied the name, as if the syllables might rearrange into sense. "That Yamiru? The one who—the same Yamiru?"
Gine sighed. "Yes, that Yamiru. The one who helped revive us."
Goku rubbed his neck. "I don't think he even used his full power during our tournament final. Mostly, he was just... guiding me to break through to Super Saiyan 2. Then he ended the fight." His eyes sparkled. "I really wanna see how strong he is now!"
"..." Bardock fell silent.
It wasn't about pride or some belief that Goku should reign supreme. But even for Saiyans—without transformations, without S-Cells—no amount of gravity chamber training could bridge the gap to such monstrous power. Reaching hundreds of thousands in battle power? Near impossible.
He, Goku, even Raditz hadn't outpaced Earth's martial artists through effort alone. Their biology had carried them. Bardock, forged in the merciless crucible of space, knew this better than anyone.
And because he knew the odds...
He couldn't fathom how Yamiru had defied them so utterly that Goku would say, "He wasn't even trying."
Goku grinned. "When you see Yamiru, Dad, prepare to be shocked."
Bardock nodded. Nearby, Raditz snorted. "Yeah, he's a freak now. Can't even sense a flicker of energy—"
A blade of killing intent sliced his words short.
Piccolo glared.
"You," Bardock said, recognizing the Namekian from his earlier training at Kami's Lookout. "Even you've grown formidable, former Kami." His gaze then shifted to the scowling figure beside Raditz.
Vegeta stiffened under Bardock's scrutinizing gaze.
"Prince Vegeta?" Bardock's voice was steady, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "What's he doing here?"
If the prince had come to Earth with ill intentions, Bardock wouldn't hesitate to put him in his place—though, given the destruction of Planet Vegeta, the whole "prince" title didn't carry much weight anymore.
Gine and the others quickly stepped in to explain—how Vegeta had mysteriously appeared on Earth with no memory of why he'd come, how he'd been singularly focused on becoming a Super Saiyan and growing stronger, enduring even Bulma's sarcasm and Raditz's taunts without retaliation. He clearly had no hostile intentions toward Earth.
"He... doesn't remember?" Bardock's brow furrowed, a flicker of unease passing through him.
Gine tilted her head. "Speaking of which, what happened during those six years you were gone?"
"..." Bardock hesitated, then shook his head. "That's... a story for later."
Goku and the others didn't press further. Honestly, with Goku and Bardock's strength—not to mention Yamiru, who seemed even stronger than Goku—there wasn't much they couldn't handle. Whatever it was, it could wait.
As one, the group left the Spiritual Realm and returned to Earth.
---
West City • Capsule Corporation • Nightfall
Under the darkening sky, a massive feast was underway on the grassy lawn of the Capsule mansion.
The Saiyans—every last one of them, including Gine—were demolishing mountains of food with their usual ravenous enthusiasm. Bulma, her belly slightly rounded, giggled as she filmed the spectacle on her phone.
The title of her new video?
"Special Feature: The Shocking Reason Goku Eats So Much...!"