Tarble nodded to Vegeta and the others, then looked over the changes in his own body and exclaimed, "So this is a Super Saiyan..."
He felt power continuously surging through him, and he was incredibly energized.
It was like he'd taken a stimulant.
At that moment, he really wanted to find someone to fight and blow off some steam.
No wonder the Saiyans were a warrior race!
Their desire to fight was practically ingrained in their bones.
Even he, a well-adjusted young man from the new century, had been affected.
After a brief sigh, he returned to his normal state.
As soon as he did, his excitement and restlessness finally began to subside.
The next second, two lines appeared before his eyes again.
[Congratulations, host. Your battle power has broken through the Fourth Dimension. Binding slots +1.] [Please bind a qualified target as soon as possible to unlock higher training multipliers.]
After reading the two lines, his face lit up with delight.
Then, brimming with joy, he waved to Vegeta and the others and called out happily, "I did it!"
Ever since arriving in this Dragon Ball Super world, he'd always felt a sense of urgency, anxious about how weak he was.
Now he'd finally become a Super Saiyan and taken an important first step.
His taut nerves relaxed a little, too.
But he knew full well that becoming a Super Saiyan wasn't enough!
He still had to get stronger!
Just then, Vegeta and the others gathered around him.
"You really did it, Tarble." Vegeta praised him sincerely.
There was a hint of envy and relief in his voice.
If it had been any other Saiyan, he might have felt jealous.
But Tarble was his own little brother!
Over the years, being around Son Goku, Bulma, and the others had changed his temperament considerably.
He now valued his family more than any other Z Fighter.
"Congratulations, Prince Tarble, on becoming a Super Saiyan!"
Licks congratulated him again, looking just as thrilled as if he were the one who'd transformed.
Trunks said happily, "Uncle Tarble, congratulations on becoming a Super Saiyan!"
"Mr. Tarble, congratulations on reaching a new level," Dende said admiringly.
Mr. Popo stood like a wooden post, expressionless.
Tarble smiled and nodded to them. "Thank you, everyone."
Just then, Vegeta suddenly attacked Licks.
He flashed forward, appearing in front of Licks in an instant.
Before anyone could react, he casually fired an energy blast that struck Licks in the chest.
"Ah—"
Licks let out a piercing scream.
Thud!
He fell to the ground, then spat out two mouthfuls of bright red blood.
In an instant, excruciating pain washed over his entire body, and his head began to spin.
But he was still conscious.
His eyes were bloodshot, full of confusion and resentment.
"Ve... Vegeta..."
"Wh... why..."
He had served faithfully, protecting Tarble at every moment.
So why was Vegeta trying to kill him?
He'd had a chance to become a Super Saiyan, too!
Why kill him?!!
In that moment, he was consumed by hatred for Vegeta.
Everyone except Tarble was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
The next instant, they all began to protest.
"Dad! Why did you kill Uncle Licks? Why?!"
"Mr. Vegeta, why would you do that?"
Mr. Popo said nothing. He merely furrowed his brow and watched Vegeta warily.
"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted. He couldn't be bothered to explain, and simply ordered Dende, "Dende, do me a favor and heal him!"
"If you wait any longer, he'll really die!"
At that, Dende immediately understood Vegeta's intentions, his pupils contracting sharply.
He remembered that Vegeta had used the same trick back on his home planet, Namek, to increase his strength quickly.
Only one thought came to mind—
This guy just said he wanted me to help with a little favor. Could this be what he meant...?
Once he understood, he snapped angrily, "You're absolutely insane!"
There was no time to dwell on it.
After cursing Vegeta, he immediately crouched down and began treating Licks.
In less than five seconds, Licks was revived.
The moment his mind cleared, he sprang to his feet with a whoosh.
His gaze at Vegeta held not only wariness, but deep resentment.
"Why?!!!" Licks asked through gritted teeth.
By now, he'd completely forgotten the honorific he was supposed to use.
For decades, he'd followed King Vegeta's orders and protected Tarble.
His good friend Tomato had even given his life to save Tarble.
Even so, Licks had never abandoned Tarble and fled on his own.
It was no exaggeration to say that without him and Tomato, Tarble would have died countless times over.
And what had he gotten in return?
Vegeta had actually tried to kill him!
Now, his heart had gone completely cold.
Vegeta faced his question with an impassive expression. "Hmph. Don't you want to become a Super Saiyan as soon as possible?"
"Try sensing your strength now. You should meet the requirements to transform!"
Seeing Licks still on guard, Vegeta had no choice but to instruct Trunks, "Trunks, use your Scouter to check his battle power."
"Then try transforming into a Super Saiyan."
"Hmph! We Saiyans don't need weak warriors!"
"Once this is done, hurry home for dinner. I'm not going to sit around here starving while I wait for you."
After speaking, he glanced at Licks, then powered up and shot into the sky.
Tarble watched, feeling both speechless and helpless.
Vegeta could have explained beforehand, but instead he'd chosen a way of doing things that was bound to cause a misunderstanding.
He really was overbearing and arbitrary!
Still, Tarble knew that Vegeta was much better than he used to be.
In the past, he might well have killed Licks outright.
Sigh!
It was up to him to smooth things over again.
"Licks, I'm sure Big Brother Vegeta had his reasons for doing this!
"Just do as he said for now and see if your strength has changed."
After reassuring Licks, he turned to Trunks, who was still standing there in a daze, and urged him on.
"Trunks, what are you waiting for?"
"Hurry up and check your Uncle Licks's battle power!"
At that, Trunks finally snapped out of it. "Oh! Right, I'll do it now!"
Dende then explained Vegeta's intentions as well, helping to reassure Licks.
He didn't want to see another conflict break out among the Saiyans. Even now, he still vividly remembered the battle between Son Goku and Vegeta during the Majin Buu saga.
Whenever he thought about it, he still felt shaken.
"Mr. Licks, I know what Mr. Vegeta intended. He wanted to help you increase your strength quickly."
"Back on Namek, when he faced the powerful Frieza, he had no choice but to use this shortcut to quickly increase his strength."
"Your Saiyan race really is unusual. You can increase your strength after being revived from the brink of death."
"And the increase is astonishingly large."
Actually, even before Dende spoke, Licks had already been sensing whether his strength had changed.
Before you continue