The night was deep, stars twinkling overhead, yet the garden lawn of Capsule Corporation buzzed with lively energy.
Master Roshi and Dr. Briefs clinked their beer mugs together, laughing uproariously. Krillin, Yamcha, and Puar gathered around the grill, tearing into juicy, sizzling lamb skewers. Piccolo sat alone in a quiet corner with only a few drinks on his table, while Chi-Chi, after eating her fill, joined him with a cup of tea, content to observe the festivities. Vegeta had claimed an entire table for himself, piled high with food.
The largest table, of course, belonged to the Saiyan family—Goku, Bardock, Raditz, and Gine—their bottomless stomachs devouring food at an alarming rate. Robot servants scurried back and forth with endless carts of dishes, while Bulma circled them, phone in hand, narrating her impromptu vlog.
Mrs. Briefs sipped from a wine glass, watching her daughter with amusement before setting it down on a passing robot's tray. She picked up a dessert plate, took a bite, and smiled in satisfaction. Her gaze drifted toward the quieter part of the garden, where a certain couple sat by a babbling brook under the dim starlight.
Fresh from their bath, Yamiru and Yamiru looked relaxed, sharing sweets and laughing softly. After years apart, they had endless things to talk about.
Mrs. Briefs smirked and sauntered over, dessert in hand. "My, Yamiru, you've gotten even more handsome over the years. How about a date with me tomorrow?" she teased, offering the plate to Yamiru with a playful glance.
Tights took it and groaned. "Mom!"
"Please don't tease me," Yamiru said with a wry smile, accepting the bite Tights fed him.
After some light banter, the three rejoined the main gathering. By now, the Saiyans had slowed their ravenous eating—merely at a "six or seven-tenths full" stage—leaving room for conversation.
Master Roshi and Dr. Briefs, arms slung over each other's shoulders, stumbled over with beers in hand. Krillin and Yamcha followed, gnawing on grilled lamb. Chi-Chi, ever the dutiful hostess, quietly joined the circle. Piccolo remained in his spot—his hearing was sharp enough anyway.
Even Vegeta, cheeks stuffed with food, couldn't help but glance over.
---
"So, Uncle Bardock," Yamiru began, then suddenly faltered. The name he was about to say slipped from his mind like a forgotten lyric. His pupils flickered with gold as he frowned and continued, "You actually encountered Freeza's forces long ago… but it was like they were actively avoiding you. For years, you couldn't even track down Freeza himself…"
"Freeza…" Bardock swallowed a mouthful of food, his blank expression sharpening. "Right. Freeza."
He scowled, recalling, "That bastard seemed to know exactly why I was after him and how strong I was. He always managed to evade me."
Vegeta, slurping a forkful of noodles, walked over. "F-Freeza… that coward always feared the legend of the Super Saiyan! He—" The prince paused, noodles dangling from his lips, his brow furrowing. "He even destroyed our… planet…"
He trailed off, suddenly uncertain. 'Did Freeza really destroy Planet Vegeta? How do I even know that?'
Bardock gritted his teeth. "But it still doesn't make sense for him to avoid me like that! Even if Freeza hated the Super Saiyan myth, why wouldn't he face me once? It's like he was terrified of me before we even fought. As if he already knew what a living Super Saiyan was capable of."
The whole thing was bizarre. Had someone on Earth tipped Freeza off about Bardock? Impossible—only the people here even knew Freeza existed. And even if someone had warned him, would the tyrant have believed it so easily?
Yamiru pondered for a moment. "So, Uncle Bardock… did you actually kill Freeza?"
"That's the strange part," Bardock admitted, rubbing his temples. "I can't remember if I killed him. The only thing I recall is waking up badly injured on some planet. After that… I just knew I had to kill someone, but I couldn't remember who. I've been wandering the universe ever since…"
Master Roshi and the others exchanged confused glances. Had Bardock suffered brain damage from battle?
Vegeta's eyes widened. This "amnesia" of Bardock's… it sounded exactly like his own.
"This guy's the same as Bardock."
Piccolo suddenly flew over, looking down coldly at Vegeta. "He also said something similar—can't remember why he came to Earth at all. It's like temporary amnesia."
Everyone turned to stare at Vegeta, who tensed up under their scrutiny. If this group decided to turn on him now, he wouldn't stand a chance...
Yamiru frowned slightly. Something about this didn't sit right with him. It didn't feel like simple "amnesia".
"Why don't we just ask Shenron?" Goku suggested cheerfully, setting down his empty bowl. "Tomorrow, we can gather the Dragon Balls and ask him directly. That should give us answers, right?"
Krillin facepalmed. "Of course he cuts straight to the point..."
Bulma and the others considered it. Bardock and Vegeta themselves didn't know the truth, so there was no point in overthinking it. Better to enjoy the night and just collect the Dragon Balls tomorrow.
Besides—
"Bardock's fine, and Vegeta doesn't seem like a threat either," Gine said with a relaxed smile. "Really, there's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, you're right."
The mood lightened, and laughter returned.
Piccolo remained expressionless. Vegeta just scoffed.
---
Bardock, however, had been studying Yamiru intently.
"What's wrong, Uncle Bardock?" Yamiru asked with a smile.
"You defeated Goku?" Bardock cut straight to the point. "Super Saiyan 2 Goku? How?" He shook his head in confusion. "I can't sense even a trace of ki from you."
His question instantly drew the attention of everyone except the Briefs family.
This had been on people's minds since the tournament, but Yamiru had returned and fought so quickly that there'd been no time to discuss it.
Krillin and Yamcha paused mid-bite, greasy lamb legs in hand.
Even Vegeta slowed his chewing, ears perked.
At first glance, Bardock's words sounded odd—many here could suppress their ki, making it hard to sense them if one wasn't paying attention. But Bardock's strength and perception were top-tier. His judgment wasn't wrong.
"Suppressing ki" and "having no ki at all" were two completely different things.
Master Roshi understood this better than anyone. The moment he'd seen Yamiru again in West City, he'd been deeply shaken—he just hadn't brought it up until now.
In his understanding, only inanimate objects had no ki.
Every living being—whether a master martial artist or a mindless animal—possessed ki.
This had also been Goku's belief. After losing to Yamiru in the finals, this was the one thing he couldn't wrap his head around.
Now that Bardock had voiced the question, all eyes locked onto Yamiru, waiting for his answer.
"Seems like everyone's curious about this..."
Yamiru chuckled, casually wiping a smudge of jam from Yamiru's lips with a handkerchief. He glanced around at the expectant faces—Goku, Gine, Bardock, Raditz, Vegeta, Master Roshi, Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan…
After a moment of thought, he chose his words carefully:
"If Goku were to become a Super Saiyan God… he'd immediately become just like me."
"Untraceable."