As Kaso rose into the sky, the crowd—just beginning to quiet down—erupted once more.
"Look—!"
"It's Lord Kaso!"
Saiyan or Lolita, it didn't matter—everyone cheered with all their might.
To the Saiyans, Kaso was more than a prodigy—he was their savior. Before Planet Vegeta's destruction, it was he who had, by himself, saved every Saiyan present. Without him, they would've been reduced to ashes.
To the Lolita Clan, though Kaso had once threatened their entire race, he'd also annihilated the Sharberans on their behalf. Their ancestors had once served the Saiyans, so their return to the fold didn't feel unnatural.
Now, the small figure floating in the sky carried with it a shroud of mystery.
No one knew the extent of his power. Only that not even Bardock or Ausbi'er could match him.
He was a child-shaped enigma.
"…Such a showoff," Bardock muttered at the edge of the arena, glancing at his list of teams.
But despite his grumble, he had to admit—
Kaso was starting to have the makings of a true leader.
Floating mid-air, Kaso raised both hands gently.
The arena went silent.
He swept his gaze across the 400+ people gathered below—nearly everyone on Planet Sadala. Most were Saiyans, but a significant number were Lolitas.
Saiyans were famously prideful. Just look at Vegeta in the anime—arrogant to a fault. Though the current group wasn't as cold or ruthless, they weren't exactly easy to lead, either.
But over the past year, the Lolita Clan had proven their worth. By modifying Dr. Brief's gravity chambers, they had earned the Saiyans' respect and shown that their contributions could elevate the entire race.
And they'd done more than that.
With their technological prowess, the Lolitas had helped modernize Sadala, designing training equipment tailored to Saiyan physiology. Eventually, the Saiyans realized they couldn't do without them.
They were now a single people.
The Lolitas had even built a fleet of spaceships, all docked in the R&D zone—preparations for the day they would once again roam the stars.
Looking at those ships, Kaso knew:
The Saiyans were never meant to be grounded.
They were born to fight, born to conquer, born to evolve.
For the past year, he'd worried—if word got out that Saiyans still existed, Frieza's forces might come to finish the job.
But that wasn't the scariest threat.
The real danger was Beerus.
If the God of Destruction had learned of their survival, it wouldn't just be Frieza. Both the Saiyans and the Frieza Force would've been wiped out.
But yesterday… Kaso had dealt with that threat.
"We've been on Planet Sadala for a year now," Kaso's youthful voice rang through the sky like a sovereign's decree.
The entire arena listened in solemn silence.
Bardock frowned. Where had the kid disappeared to yesterday? And now he was back, acting like a general giving a war speech?
Philiya, too, looked up curiously at the "little brat" in the sky.
Kaso paused briefly, then said clearly:
"Our power—every one of you has seen it with your own eyes."
Under King Vegeta's rule, the max power level of elite Saiyans had capped out around 15,000. That had once been considered the limit.
But now?
Even the average soldier had broken through 20,000.
The Saiyans had shattered their own mental ceiling.
Even Bardock had been stunned by his own progress. He never dreamed of reaching his current level.
"I have an announcement."
Kaso looked over the crowd, voice steady:
"Starting tomorrow… Saiyans will be split into groups to venture into the universe for live combat training."
Silence.
Then—
Shock exploded through the arena.
Bardock flew into the sky at once, shouting: "What are you thinking, kid?!"
Kaso didn't respond immediately. He scanned the crowd—and found no fear, no panic. On the contrary… the Saiyans looked excited.
Eager.
Of course. This was the battle race.
"Uncle Bardock," Kaso said calmly. "Aside from Frieza, what do we have to fear?"
"…"
Bardock paused.
He'd always believed Frieza, with a power level of 530,000, was an untouchable force. He figured they'd have to wait until Kaso surpassed that—or until Kakarot awakened as a Super Saiyan.
But now that Kaso put it that way… Bardock had to think again.
Over the past year, thanks to the gravity chambers, his power had climbed to 120,000.
That was nearly on par with Captain Ginyu, leader of Frieza's elite squad.
And don't forget—Saiyans can transform into Great Apes.
If Bardock transformed… 120,000 × 10 = 1.2 million.
That was already beyond Frieza's known level.
His heart pounded.
But Kaso knew exactly what Bardock was thinking.
If only it were that simple.
Frieza's true power was 120 million—not 530,000. What Bardock imagined was still an illusion.
But it didn't matter. As long as Frieza didn't come personally, no one under him would be strong enough to threaten Sadala.
And so long as the Saiyans hid their tails, they could easily pass as another similar-looking warrior race.
Bardock fell silent.
It was a quiet acknowledgement of Kaso's decision.
The crowd erupted.
The Saiyans were ecstatic.
They were beyond tired of endless training.
They craved battle. Craved challenge. Craved war.
This was their calling.
But not everyone was thrilled.
The Lolita Clan looked worried.
So long as the Saiyans stayed on Sadala, there was hope that someone would one day reach the legendary transformation recorded in ancient texts.
But right now?
The Lolitas didn't believe anyone had yet reached that level.
Philiya shot into the sky.
She had been made the new clan leader by Ewenie a year ago. She couldn't let her people be dragged into something reckless.
"You little brat—I forbid it!" Philiya said coldly, frowning.
"Shut up."
Kaso's voice turned ice-cold in that instant—void of warmth, totally unlike his usual self.
She didn't understand anything.
"Y-You…!"
Philiya's chest rose and fell, her finger trembling as she pointed at Kaso.
Why was he being so stubborn? He wasn't like this before.
But before she could say more, an elderly Lolita flew into the air.
Ewenie.
She gently lowered Philiya's hand, shaking her head.
She had heard everything Kaso had said.
With Saiyan pride being what it was, there was no way they would follow orders from anyone else.
But more than that, she knew—
Kaso wouldn't lead them to ruin.
After all, during the destruction of Planet Vegeta, it was Kaso who had saved them all.
~~~------------------
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