While Kasso and Ausbie were eating roasted meat.
Far away, at Frieza's headquarters in the North Galaxy.
A gigantic planet brimming with advanced technology.
Numerous small planets surrounded it, forming a dense, orderly ring centered around the enormous planet—a defensive system capable of both offense and defense.
Its defensive capabilities went without saying. Advanced space technology had wrapped the surrounding planets up tight, like an impenetrable fortress. Not even a fly could get inside.
With the command center at headquarters and its various elite forces, it was truly a fortress-like formation!
An oval-shaped miniature aircraft, shaped like an egg and patterned in alternating black and brown, had an opening at the front of its top. Inside sat a sinister-looking alien.
His eyes were bloodred, his lips purplish black, and beneath each eye ran a line like a bloody tear. His purple shell gleamed against his deathly pale skin. Together with the icy aura he gave off, it was enough to make anyone shiver. He was Frieza!
"Mr. Dodoria, those Saiyan monkeys have been getting restless lately!"
Frieza folded his hands in front of the miniature aircraft. As it glided forward a short distance, he narrowed his venomous, diamond-shaped eyes and gazed up at the sky, letting out a faint, rather elegant sigh.
Dodoria had a plump build, pink skin, and fleshy spikes on his head and arms.
At King Frieza's greeting, he hurried forward, not daring to delay for a moment.
"Those Saiyan monkeys don't know what's good for them. Serving King Frieza is their honor. If it weren't for their decent battle power, I'd have dealt with them long ago!" Dodoria said disdainfully.
"Ahahaha!"
Frieza let out a sinister, shrill laugh that rang throughout the lavish palace. His oval aircraft spun around in place before turning back toward Dodoria. "Mr. Dodoria, I'm most pleased that you're willing to ease my worries!"
Dodoria looked delighted. He was thrilled that his polite remark had earned King Frieza's praise.
He quickly bowed with one hand, making a gesture of allegiance.
"I swear to serve King Frieza unto death!"
Frieza nodded in satisfaction at his gesture. Suddenly, his expression turned stern, and a terrifying aura burst from him.
His tiny body contained such terrifying power that the aircraft surrounding him seemed like a mere decoration, utterly incapable of resisting his aura.
It swept through every corner of the palace, carrying with it the icy chill of the deepest hell.
Crack!
A thin layer of frost formed in the dark corners!
Dodoria trembled all over. Was it over? Had he said something wrong?
"Mr. Dodoria, would you care to see the most beautiful fireworks in the universe?"
Frieza's cold, raspy voice entered Dodoria's pink ears.
Dodoria immediately understood, and he was ecstatic. King Frieza wasn't blaming him. He knew that whenever King Frieza said those words, a planet would be destroyed!
If nothing unexpected happened, Planet Vegeta was probably doomed this time!
"Just you wait, Saiyan monkeys!"
Dodoria had long since grown sick of the Saiyans, who weren't especially strong but were arrogant as hell.
"Mr. Dodoria, send King Vegeta an order. In one month, have him summon all the Saiyans currently away on missions. I want to pay Planet Vegeta a visit."
"Oh, and I hear he has a son with great potential. Have his son come to headquarters and serve me!"
"Understood!"
Planet Vegeta.
King Vegeta sat at the head of the table, with Saiyans filling the seats on either side of him.
Their tails were wrapped around their waists, and they wore specially made Battle Suits. Among them sat a Saiyan who looked a lot like Goku.
"King Vegeta, why have you summoned us? Is something urgent?" Bardock asked with a furrowed brow.
Gine had given birth to Kakarot just two months earlier. While he was taking care of her, he had suddenly received an urgent summons and hurried over.
Only after arriving did he realize he wasn't the only one who had been summoned. Other members of the clan with high battle power had also been called in.
What could possibly require summoning so many powerful clan members at once?
Were they going to invade some advanced planet?
"Frieza has issued an order for us Saiyans to summon everyone who's away within the next month."
"Hm?" Bardock sat in the corner, feeling a little puzzled.
"What on earth does Frieza want?"
"Is he planning to invade another advanced planet?"
The other Saiyans began talking noisily among themselves.
Bardock looked around. It turned out he wasn't the only one thinking that way.
King Vegeta raised both hands, motioning for them to quiet down.
"Frieza said he wants to visit Planet Vegeta, so he ordered us to call back all the Saiyans to welcome him. For now, let's get everyone back first."
King Vegeta continued, "Our Saiyan people have been developing well lately. When Frieza comes, make sure they don't discover what we've been up to."
"All right. If there's nothing else, the meeting is adjourned!"
After speaking, King Vegeta dismissed everyone. He still had to arrange for Vegeta to go to Frieza's headquarters!
After the meeting, a feeling of unease stirred in Bardock's heart.
The meeting seemed to have lit the fuse on a powder keg, setting off a storm in his once-calm mind. He was unsettled, no longer at peace.
That night, after taking care of the household chores, Bardock and Gine went to bed.
Half an hour after falling asleep, Bardock was drenched in sweat, his face filled with fear, as if he were having a terrifying nightmare.
Bardock tossed and turned.
Suddenly!
Bardock straightened up and sprang upright.
He sucked in great gulps of air, his face covered in beads of sweat. Anyone with trypophobia might have felt a shiver inside at the sight!
Thump, thump!
Bardock's heart pounded violently.
How terrifying!
Frieza was terrifying!
Usually, after waking from a dream, he only remembered it vaguely. He hadn't expected this dream to feel so real, as if he'd experienced it firsthand. Even after waking, he remembered every detail vividly.
In the dream, Frieza had a battle power of 530,000. He was terrifyingly strong!
The Saiyans didn't even have anyone with a battle power of 20,000!
Even in their Great Ape forms, they only had a battle power of a little over 100,000!
They couldn't match him!
"Bardock, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Gine had been startled awake by his sudden movements!
"N-no, I'm fine!" Bardock didn't want Gine to worry, so he hurried to reassure her.
After living with him for so many years, Gine knew what was on Bardock's mind almost as well as he did. He simply didn't want her to worry!
"Then let's get some more rest!" Gine thought it over. Nothing had happened among the clan lately, so it probably wasn't anything serious.
"Okay!" Bardock lay back down.
Frieza's order wasn't that simple. What had happened today was exactly the same as in his dream!
What should he do?!
Before you continue