"Here, have some water first," Ken said, casually changing the subject as he handed Broly a bottle.
Of course, Ken knew that Broly's father, Paragus, was still on Planet Vampa.
But there was no way he was bringing Paragus along.
Paragus, like most Saiyans, had a heart full of malice and was always trying to control Broly. If his spaceship hadn't malfunctioned on Planet Vampa, he would've definitely tried to keep Broly under his thumb and use him as a tool to seize power.
Ken had no interest in keeping someone like that around.
Broly, on the other hand, was different. He was a much purer Saiyan—his personality even resembled Goku's in some ways.
Ken only wanted to take Broly with him.
Broly took the water bottle from Ken, turning it over in his hands with a puzzled look. He clearly didn't know how to open it and looked up at Ken in confusion.
"Like this… then this… and this." Ken demonstrated with another bottle, pressing a button to reveal a straw, then took a sip.
Broly mimicked Ken, opened the bottle, and sucked on the straw.
Immediately, his eyes lit up, full of excitement and wonder.
What was this stuff?
Why did it taste so good?
Gulp gulp gulp…
He downed the entire bottle in no time.
Wiping the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, Broly even smacked his lips contentedly.
He felt so incredibly happy.
"Good guy…" Broly looked at Ken with deep gratitude.
Ken: "…"
You're calling me a good guy… just because I gave you a bottle of water?
"Want some ham?" Ken took out a slab of ham and handed it to him.
Broly's eyes filled with confusion again, and like a curious pup, he leaned forward to sniff it.
Once he caught a whiff of that savory aroma, his eyes sparkled with joy, confusion, and a touch of hunger.
The next second, Broly snatched the ham and took a huge bite.
One bite—and his whole world changed.
Everything he'd eaten before now felt worse than garbage.
This was what real food tasted like.
The happiness hit him so hard that tears started streaming down his face.
He wanted more.
He was crying because he was hungry.
"Don't worry. There'll be plenty more delicious food waiting for you in the future," Ken said with a smile.
Broly nodded furiously and quickly devoured every last bit of the ham. Then he looked up at Ken with big, hopeful eyes… and licked his lips.
Ken: "…"
"Broly, you're a person, not a dog," Ken teased with a chuckle.
"Dog?" Broly blinked, clearly unfamiliar with the concept.
"You'll understand one day," Ken said, smiling.
"Papa…" Broly suddenly turned his head, looking off in the direction of Planet Vampa.
"I'm not your papa. Just call me Ken from now on," he said gently.
Broly scratched his head hard, unsure how to respond.
…
Back on Planet Vampa.
When Paragus returned from his scouting trip, he was greeted by a scene of chaos near their home.
"That brat Broly… did he go berserk again?" Paragus scowled. "That damn kid! Making a mess of everything!"
He glanced around and began searching for Broly.
"Where is that little punk now?" he muttered, calling out Broly's name.
But there was no response.
Still, Paragus wasn't too worried. Broly had lost control before and gone missing. He usually came back after calming down.
The longest Broly had ever been gone was seven days.
What Paragus didn't know… was that this time, Broly was never coming back.
"Two years! Two damn years I've been stuck on this godforsaken planet!" Paragus roared up at the sky in despair.
…
In the vast starry void…
Ken's spaceship streaked through space, leaving a bright arc in its wake.
His next destination: Earth.
There were a lot of useful things on Earth.
Like Senzu Beans.
While Ken could heal himself with Divine ki, once that energy ran out, he wouldn't be able to treat himself until it recovered—unless he had a few Senzu Beans handy.
Back on Namek, he'd depleted nearly all his energy purging the planet's negative energy, and it had taken several hours to fully recharge.
With a Senzu Bean, that whole ordeal could've been avoided.
Plus, Ken wanted to collect some Earth delicacies and store them in Capsules.
Most importantly, he planned to modify the spaceship into capsule form so he could carry it with him.
Although Ken could survive in space, his current flight speed was nowhere near that of the spaceship.
Until he could fly faster than a spaceship, this vessel remained his best way to travel.
Broly, of course, still couldn't survive in the vacuum of space. If needed, Ken could use Earth's Dragon Balls to grant Broly the ability to survive in space.
If Broly stayed obedient, that is.
If he started acting out like Vegeta, Ken had no problem sending him straight back to Planet Vampa.
The ship zoomed toward Earth at incredible speed.
Ten more days passed.
Finally, through the viewing window, Ken saw a familiar yet distant sight—Earth.
From space, the blue planet looked like a shining gem, glowing softly with enchanting light.
In the vast emptiness of space, Earth appeared so small and fragile… like a lonely orphan quietly drifting through the void.
Yet it was this very lonely planet that carried the hopes and dreams of countless lives.
Broly saw the planet too. He rubbed his eyes and stared in awe.
It was probably the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
"Thi… this is…" Broly stammered, pointing at the blue planet and turning to look at Ken.
"That's Earth," Ken answered.
"Papa…" Broly suddenly remembered—his father was still back on Planet Vampa.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]