News of Gaino's return spread across Planet Vegeta. What no one had expected was that Gaino, who couldn't sense ki, had come back completely unharmed. It was truly inconceivable.
Saiyans faced near-certain death when carrying out missions. Only Saiyans with sufficient strength returned unscathed, such as elite or high-class warriors. They had the power to complete their missions flawlessly.
When Gaino's parents, Bum and Tasha, learned that their son had returned, they were overjoyed. They hurriedly prepared a meal and waited for him to come home.
Before long, Gaino's voice rang out. "Dad, Mom, I'm home!" Bum, Tasha, and Laiya quickly rushed out of the house. Seeing the smile on Gaino's face, the weight in their hearts finally lifted.
Gaino walked up to Bum and Tasha. "Dad, Mom, I'm back."
Tasha pulled Gaino into her arms, tears slipping down her cheeks as she said, "My little Gaino is finally home."
Though Gaino wasn't her biological son, after raising him for five years, Bum and Tasha had long since come to think of him as their own child.
"Mom, don't cry. I came back safe and sound, didn't I? Look, I've even gotten stronger after going out on a mission!" Gaino said.
Gaino showed off his muscles. Seeing him like that, Tasha burst out laughing. She turned him this way and that, inspecting him all over, then said, "Not a scratch on you. You really are my good boy."
Gaino turned to Bum. "Dad, I'm home."
Bum looked him over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Mm. You've gotten stronger, and a little taller, too." Men didn't need to say much to each other. Sometimes, a single look was enough to understand.
Just then, a voice piped up. "I missed you so much, too, Gaino, big brother! But as soon as you got back, you ran into Mom and Dad's arms and ignored me. I'm mad!"
Hearing that, Gaino hurried over to Laiya. "Of course I know you were worried about me, Laiya. How could I ignore you? Look, what do you think I brought you?" Gaino took out a colorful stone that shone with a rainbow of light.
Laiya gasped when she saw the stone in his hand. "What a pretty stone! Are you giving it to me, Gaino, big brother?"
Gaino nodded.
Laiya took the stone, a smile spreading across her face. "I knew you were the nicest to me, Gaino, big brother."
Seeing that Gaino had cheered Laiya up, Bum and Tasha said to her, "Laiya, shouldn't you invite your brother inside to eat?"
"Oh, right! Come on, Gaino, big brother. Mom made a whole tableful of food for your return. Let's hurry!" Laiya said, taking Gaino by the hand and leading him inside.
After the two kids went in, Tasha said to Bum, "I really hope Gaino grows up soon. Then our Laiya can marry him."
"You're in such a hurry," Bum said. "Gaino's only five, and you're already thinking of marrying off your daughter."
"I have a feeling Gaino will become the strongest warrior among the Saiyans."
"Can you sense Gaino's ki?" Tasha asked.
"I can," Bum replied. "It's very weak, but it's definitely there."
"Exactly. Gaino had no ki in his body before, but now he does. That means he'll keep getting stronger."
"But his ki is still so weak," Bum said.
"So what if it's weak? Don't you know that one of the Saiyans on Planet Vegeta was once a Low-Class Warrior, but through his own efforts, he became a High-Class Warrior?"
"You mean Bardock?" Bum asked.
"Exactly, Bardock. That proves that with enough effort, even a Low-Class Warrior can become a High-Class Warrior. We've all seen how hard Gaino works, so we should have faith in him."
"All right, let's go inside. Our little Gaino must be busy stuffing himself right now!"
Bum and Tasha went inside and saw that every dish on the table had been eaten. They were stunned. How had these two little ones become such big eaters?
Laiya said indignantly, "Mom, Dad, do you know what happened? My brother ate all the food on the table, and I didn't get any!"
"What! Gaino ate all the food on the table by himself?" Bum and Tasha exclaimed.
"Yeah! Gaino, big brother ate all of it by himself," Laiya replied.
Gaino rubbed his bulging belly and said with an adorable, sheepish look, "I didn't know I'd gotten such a big appetite. Maybe it's because I've developed ki. I'm more active now, so I need to eat more."
Bum and Tasha nodded. That had to be the reason.
But Gaino knew it was because of his Ancient Saiyan Bloodline. He hadn't realized he could eat so much. While eating, he'd felt that his body needed a lot of energy, but he hadn't expected to have such a huge appetite.
"It's fine. It's good to have a big appetite! I'll make another tableful," Tasha said.
That day, two figures clashed again and again in the training room. White shockwave rings appeared one after another as the sound of blows filled the room. It was Laiya and Gaino sparring.
Laiya was frustrated. She hadn't expected her Gaino, big brother to become so strong after going on just one mission. He could fight on equal terms with her now. Before, she had completely overwhelmed him!
Before long, a figure went flying. It was Laiya. Gaino darted down and quickly caught her.
"I'm done, Gaino, big brother. We've been fighting for so long, and you're not even out of breath," Laiya said.
"This little bit of training isn't enough to make me breathe hard," Gaino replied.
Laiya was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Gaino. "Gaino, big brother, how did you get so strong? I can't even beat you anymore."
"Maybe I'm a genius," Gaino said.
"I don't believe a word of it," Laiya replied.
Gaino hadn't expected the Ancient Saiyan Bloodline to be so incredible. When he had first started sparring with Laiya, he hadn't been able to beat her. But as time went by, his fighting skills steadily improved. It really was true that improving in battle was the best way for a Saiyan to train.
Just then, Bum walked in. "Laiya, Gaino, the King wants to see you at the palace."
On the way there, Gaino asked, "What does King Vegeta want with us, Dad?"
"I don't know. We'll find out when we get there," Bum replied.
They arrived at the palace and looked toward King Vegeta, seated in the highest place. Bum said, "M-my King, I've brought Laiya and Gaino."
King Vegeta said, "Gaino, I hear your battle power is now on par with Laiya's. I'm assigning the next mission to you and Laiya."
"Your Majesty, please give us our mission," Gaino said.
"You will conquer Planet Rad. You have five years. In five years, I expect to see that planet become Saiyan territory."
"Yes, we obey your command, my King," Gaino and Laiya replied.
Gaino was delighted. He could finally leave Planet Vegeta. He and Laiya boarded a spaceship and headed for their destination.