Bardock, Gine, and Kakarot

Now that Bardock had been caught red-handed by Reiz, his heart was still racing with panic.

After all, exiling Kakarot was a private decision made by Bardock, not an official order.

Being spotted by King Vegeta's teacher now left Bardock feeling deeply unsettled.

If Reiz were to report this to King Vegeta, it would be considered an illegal act.

Should that day come, not only would Kakarot be recalled, but Bardock himself would face severe sanctions.

Gine was even more on edge, her face pale as she gripped the spaceship tighter, as if protecting it from a mortal enemy.

"Is this Kakarot?" Reiz ignored the sharp, wary look in Bardock's eyes and asked with a faint smile.

"Huh?" Bardock was momentarily stunned, unable to process the question.

How did he know Kakarot's name?

Reiz offered no explanation, instead turning his gaze toward the sphere spaceship, his expression softening.

"Kakarot, I am Reiz." Reiz waved at the infant inside the spaceship, flashing a gentle smile.

The little one inside seemed to sense something; his crying paused for a fleeting second as he stared out through the transparent hatch with wide, round eyes.

But soon, he opened his mouth again and began to wail, "Waa, waa, waa!"

Bardock was completely bewildered.

Gine's beautiful eyes widened, and for a moment, she was left speechless.

The Prince's teacher was actually greeting Kakarot.

This was an immense honor for Kakarot.

In truth, Reiz was quite fond of Kakarot.

As the protagonist of Dragon Ball, Son Goku possessed a pure heart that never changed from beginning to end.

Even though people would later tease him as "Dog-ku," he remained the same innocent and kind-hearted Son Goku.

"Kakarot." Reiz crooked his finger at the infant, his smile growing even brighter.

Bardock's mouth twitched.

Why does it feel like you're calling a dog?

"Waa, waa, waa!" Kakarot gave him no face at all, crying even louder as his tiny fists hammered against the cabin wall with a rhythmic thudding.

Gine's face drained of color; she hurriedly stepped to the side, shielding Kakarot behind her, terrified that Reiz might do something to her child.

"Reiz, what exactly is your intention?" Bardock took a step forward, blocking his wife and child, his gaze turning sharp once more.

Although he had heard of Reiz's reputation, if the man dared to harm his family, Bardock was not one to be trifled with.

Reiz glanced at him, his smile undiminished.

"I can tell that your son, Kakarot, will become a truly remarkable warrior in the future," he remarked softly, a faint smile lingering on his face. "Even the Prince would find it difficult to compare to Kakarot."

Bardock froze.

Gine froze as well.

Reiz actually held Kakarot in such high regard?

An infant with a power level of only 2?

Bardock's expression grew complex.

Of course, he wanted his son to become a powerful warrior, but... his power level was only 2.

No matter how he was trained, how strong could he possibly become?

"He... his power level is only 2... If he can just grow up healthy and survive, Bardock and I would already be satisfied," Gine interjected, her voice tinged with bitterness and helplessness.

As a mother, her greatest wish was never for her son to become a mighty warrior, but simply for him to live in peace.

On this planet governed by the law of the jungle, that wish itself was a luxury.

"Go on, hurry and send him away," Reiz said, waving his hand at Bardock and Gine. "Let him leave this planet."

Bardock's pupils contracted slightly.

"You... you already knew?" He stared at Reiz, his expression conflicted.

"Bringing an infant to such a remote area in the middle of the night—it's not hard to guess your intentions, is it?" Reiz chuckled.

Bardock's eyes darted back and forth.

For a moment, he even considered whether he should eliminate this man named Reiz to prevent any future trouble.

Exiling Kakarot was a secret decision between him and Gine; if word got out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But after thinking it over carefully, Bardock suppressed the urge.

The man didn't seem to have any malicious intent, so he decided to let it go.

"I'm off." Reiz waved his hand, intending to leave.

This matter had nothing to do with him, and he had no desire to get involved.

"Wait a moment!" Bardock suddenly called out to him.

Reiz paused his steps, looking back to ask, "Is there something else?"

Bardock did not speak immediately; he removed his scouter and pointed a finger at the one Reiz was wearing, his gaze heavy with meaning.

Reiz was slightly taken aback, then smiled and took the scouter off his own eye.

He knew what Bardock wanted to say.

"I heard that the Frieza Force is going around asking about the Super Saiyan," Bardock said in a low, hushed voice, as if afraid of being overheard. "I believe you should be aware of this, right?"

"I have indeed heard of this matter," Reiz nodded slightly.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Bardock's voice grew deeper, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "I have a feeling that Frieza is definitely plotting something."

Reiz looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

Bardock's intuition was indeed very accurate.

In the original story, he was one of the first Saiyans to sense Frieza's conspiracy.

Unfortunately, no one believed him.

"Your premonition is correct," Reiz said slowly, his tone turning serious. "Within a month at most, Frieza will come to destroy this planet."

Reiz chose not to hide the truth from Bardock.

After all, Bardock was a decent man.

In the original story, he was a true warrior and a competent father.

To secure a glimmer of hope for his wife and child, he fought desperately until the very last moment.

He trusted that Bardock would not go around blabbing about it.

Besides, in the original story, even if Bardock had spoken about Frieza destroying Planet Vegeta, the problem was that no one would have believed him.

Everyone would have likely laughed hysterically, thinking Bardock was talking nonsense.

"You... what did you say?" Bardock's expression shifted, his pupils constricting violently. "Does the King know about this?"

Reiz shook his head: "He doesn't, and he wouldn't believe it."

Bardock fell silent.

He knew that what Reiz said was the truth.

Given King Vegeta's personality, he would only dismiss such words as absurd.

That King was currently immersed in the dream of a Saiyan revival; how could he possibly believe that Frieza would turn against them?

"Besides, even if he did believe it, what use would it be?" Reiz spread his hands, revealing a helpless smile. "All of us Saiyans combined are no match for Frieza."