"Frieza... just how strong was he?" Bardock's pupils narrowed slightly, and his expression shifted again and again.
The night wind swept across the wasteland, lifting tiny pebbles that pattered against the ground between them.
"His initial Combat Power was around 530,000," Reiz replied.
"Y-you... you've got to be joking, right?" Bardock's heart sank. His face grew even more troubled, and cold sweat beaded on his temples.
Combat Power of 530,000?
How could they fight him?
Even if they transformed into Great Apes and increased their strength tenfold, they would only reach 150,000.
They wouldn't even be worthy of shining his shoes next to 530,000.
Reiz smiled but didn't respond.
"Frieza's Combat Power is that high?" Gine was equally shocked, her voice trembling.
She instinctively hugged the Sphere Spaceship tighter, as if it were her only source of comfort.
Inside the ship, Kakarot seemed to sense his mother's unease and began whimpering softly again.
"Is that information reliable?" Bardock asked again, clinging to one last sliver of hope.
"It should be," Reiz said with a smile.
Bardock fell silent.
If this was true, then the Saiyans' vaunted Combat Power and record of conquering planets were nothing but a joke in Frieza's eyes.
"Wait... what do you mean by 'initial' Combat Power?" Bardock suddenly realized something and hurriedly pressed him.
Reiz rested his index finger against his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly as though he were trying to remember. "Frieza can transform. Each time he does, his Combat Power doubles. I remember him transforming three times, so he has four forms in all."
"What? He can transform that many times?" Bardock was utterly dumbfounded, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a fist.
"I think his second form has a Combat Power of one million, his third form two million, and his fourth form has a base Combat Power of three million," Reiz answered one by one, still sounding calm.
Bardock opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Gine's face turned pale again and again. Overcome with fear, she trembled as she held the ship.
Kakarot seemed to feel the inexplicable pressure, too. He stopped crying and stared out at the world with round, bewildered eyes.
"Frieza's peak Combat Power is three million?" Bardock murmured, his expression growing heavier and more uneasy.
He lowered his head and stared at the wasteland beneath his feet, silent for a long time.
"Reiz was right. No wonder he said... all the Saiyans together still wouldn't be a match for Frieza!" Gine sighed helplessly, feeling as if the sky were about to collapse.
With Combat Power that high, how could they fight him?
Bardock clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
He looked up at Reiz, his gaze complicated.
Reiz had meant to tell him that Frieza's true Combat Power was 120 million.
But after thinking it over, he decided not to.
Three million was already overwhelming enough.
If he told Bardock Frieza's true Combat Power, it would only drive him to despair and crush the last of his fighting spirit.
"Let's send Kakarot away first. That way, we'll preserve a living force for the Saiyans," Reiz said with a smile, stepping forward to pat Bardock on the shoulder.
Bardock didn't say a word. He only stared blankly at Reiz.
Three seconds passed in silence.
"What are you planning to do now?" Bardock asked, his voice low and hoarse.
"Since I can't leave this planet, I'll live or die with it," Reiz replied with a calm smile.
"Is that so? Then count me in!" Bardock raised his fist.
Reiz smiled faintly and raised his own.
Their fists met gently beneath the night sky.
"I should go. Get Kakarot off the planet as soon as you can," Reiz said. Then he wasted no time, becoming a streak of light as he sped toward the town.
A faint glow arced across the night sky and soon vanished into the distant darkness.
Bardock and Gine looked at each other, then at Kakarot inside the spaceship.
They both nodded slightly.
Then Bardock and Gine took the spaceship down into the wilderness.
They landed on a broad, flat stretch of ground, surrounded by rolling low hills. In the distance, they could just make out the towering silhouette of Star-Shattering Cliff.
The night wind swept through the wild grass with a rustle, adding a note of desolation to the silent wilderness.
"Bardock, was everything Reiz said true?" Gine asked softly, unease in her heart.
Her gaze remained fixed on the Sphere Spaceship. Through its transparent canopy, she could see the tiny figure inside.
"It didn't seem like a lie, and he had no reason to deceive us," Bardock replied, shaking his head slightly, his voice growing even lower.
He crouched down and began checking the ship's settings.
"If Frieza's Combat Power really is three million, we'd be completely helpless against him." Sweat ran down Gine's forehead, turning cold in the night wind.
"Even if we know we can't beat him, we can't just sit back and wait for death," Bardock said, clenching his fists. He looked up at the stars, his expression growing more resolute.
Countless stars glimmered faintly in the sky, tranquil and eternal.
"Let's send Kakarot away first," Gine said with a helpless sigh, her voice full of reluctance. She crouched down and gently stroked the ship's outer shell, as though caressing her child's face. "The ship is set to travel to a distant planet called Earth. It has plenty of food, but its people and resources aren't worth much, so it's an inconspicuous planet—a good place to send him."
Bardock nodded slightly and continued checking the ship's settings.
"If Bardock and Reiz are just worrying over nothing, we'll come get you soon," Gine said gently to Kakarot.
Kakarot stared at them with wide eyes, looking completely confused.
He didn't understand. It seemed like Mom and Dad didn't want him anymore.
Why were they sending him away?
Was it because he'd been bad?
"Remember, don't stare at the full moon for too long," Bardock repeated, gazing solemnly at his young son inside the ship.
"I'll tell Raditz about this, too," Gine said with a slight nod, her eyes already growing red.
"You have to survive," Bardock said, his face full of reluctance as he gently stroked the ship's outer shell with his large hand.
"Goodbye... Kakarot..." Gine's eyes reddened. Tears welled in them, but she forced herself not to let them fall.
Kakarot stared at his parents, confusion written across his innocent face.
He reached out a tiny hand and tapped the cabin wall, making a soft thumping sound.
The next moment, Bardock steeled himself and pressed the spaceship's launch button.
"Whoosh—"
The spaceship streaked across the night sky, bright flames shooting from its tail as it hurtled toward the vast cosmos.
In the blink of an eye, the spherical spaceship vanished completely, leaving behind only a trail of light that slowly faded.
Before you continue