On Divine Martial Battle Star, even the low-class Saiyans now generally had a battle power exceeding 100,000, while the mid-class Saiyans ranged from 300,000 to 500,000. With their combined strength, sweeping through those weak star systems would take only half a year...
For the East Galaxy, more than half its territory had already been reclaimed. For Jiyande and the others, the goal was no longer out of reach.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jiyande and the others dropped to one knee in unison, their voices ringing like steel. "Yes! We will not fail Your Majesty!"
"Go." Barros waved a hand.
They exchanged glances, then turned and shot into the sky, streaking upward like bolts of light.
Just as Broly was about to take off, Barros suddenly called out to him. "Broly!"
"Hm? Your Majesty!" Broly paused and looked back, a trace of puzzlement between his brows.
"Take this." Barros flicked his sleeve. A small cloth pouch embroidered with cloud patterns landed squarely in Broly's palm. Inside were ten Senzu Beans.
"Senzu Beans." Broly didn't refuse. He tucked them into his clothes.
He understood: Barros had prepared them as a precaution, in case he ran into trouble.
Even though he was so confident that across the North Galaxy—or even the entire universe—no one but Barros could withstand three moves from him, making the Senzu Beans seem almost pointless—
He still accepted them.
Because that little pouch held more than Senzu Beans capable of bringing the dead back to life. It carried a weighty trust.
A flicker passed through Broly's eyes. He didn't thank Barros; he simply nodded, then turned and left.
Barros watched him go, then spoke again, his voice low but clear. "If you're ever in real danger, activate Legendary Super Saiyan Mode at once. I'll come bring you back myself."
Broly's figure trembled slightly as he was about to take off. Without looking back, he lifted his chin a fraction, then transformed into a blazing white streak. In the blink of an eye, he tore through the sky and vanished in the distance.
Barros stood where he was, watching the light disappear, wisdom and coldness shifting in his eyes, now bright, now dim.
The attack on Bardock Squad during their return, and its location in the northern reaches of the North Galaxy—this had been completely beyond Barros's expectations.
But the more he thought about it, the heavier his doubts grew. A thread of unease lingered in his mind.
There was no question about Bardock Squad's strength. Even if a star-system-level overlord showed up in person, they might not be able to surround and kill the squad. The opposite could happen: the squad might strike back and leave their attackers dead on the spot.
To wipe out the entire squad, the enemy would have to be a top-tier galactic powerhouse with a battle power of at least ten million.
King Cold was a veteran powerhouse of the Frieza Race, but Barros had no solid proof that he had anyone like that under his command.
Still, one thing was certain to him:
Bardock had already met the requirements to become a Super Saiyan.
The squad's destruction would drive him into a frenzy of rage, and he might well break through. If he succeeded, his battle power would rise far above ten million—beyond the reach of any ordinary galactic overlord.
If someone with that level of power had still been forced into an unknown fate, with no trace of him left...
Then King Cold must have acted in person.
But was one Saiyan squad really worth King Cold making the journey himself, let alone taking action personally?
Or had Bardock and the others never been the target at all—
Were they only bait, pawns sacrificed to lure Barros out?
He couldn't figure it out or make sense of it. There were flaws everywhere, yet no answers anywhere.
But Broly was different.
He had overwhelming strength, Senzu Beans as a safety net, and a promise that rang true.
Barros was certain: even if King Cold set a perfect trap, the only thing he'd end up biting off was a chunk of Barros's flesh.
A Super Saiyan against the supreme king of the Frieza Race?
Barros's lips curved in a faint, mocking smile, threaded with amusement—
He hoped King Cold wouldn't be stupid enough to drive Broly into a Legendary Super Saiyan rampage this time. Otherwise...
The real show would only just be beginning.
Not long afterward, a silver-gray battleship quietly left port, broke through Divine Martial Battle Star's atmosphere, and headed straight for the northern reaches of the North Galaxy.
Not long after Broly left, Barros stood in the hall for a long while, preparing to set out for Planet Namek.
Suddenly, he pressed two fingers together and slowly touched them to his forehead. Closing his eyes and focusing, he began tracing the lingering traces of Bardock and his squad's ki.
Now that he had Planet Namek's coordinates, there was no need to rush the journey.
At that moment, he was more eager to confirm one thing: whether Bardock was alive.
But after searching for a long while, his fingertips trembled and his brow furrowed—
In the end, he found nothing.
A thought stirred. Blazing golden flames suddenly surged around Barros. His hair turned a dazzling gold, and his eyes shifted to a clear emerald green.
Having transformed into a Super Saiyan once more, Barros lightly touched his forehead with two fingers and focused again, sensing for Bardock's ki.
This time, he locked onto his target almost instantly.
The corners of his mouth relaxed, and he let out a quiet laugh. In his eyes, normally as cold as ice in his Super Saiyan state, a light flashed that he couldn't conceal—
This wasn't ordinary joy, but barely restrained shock and elation.
Ripples spread through the empty space at the center of the Imperial Hall, and Barros's figure vanished with them.
The North Galaxy, northern star region.
A pale blue world teeming with life floated quietly in space.
Barros appeared out of thin air. The instant his feet touched the ground, his gaze swept over the surroundings.
A trace of surprise appeared in his eyes—
This planet bore a startling resemblance to Earth in the Dragon Ball World.
He shook his head lightly, the corners of his mouth lifting, then flashed away and vanished from sight.
The next moment, he stood right in front of Bardock.
"E-Emperor? Why are you here?" Bardock jerked his head up, his face full of shock.
But before the words had even left his mouth, he froze. His jaw slowly fell open and stayed that way.
"E-Emperor! You... you've become the Legendary Super Saiyan too?!" He pointed at Barros's radiant golden hair, staring fixedly at his appearance, eyes wide with disbelief.
A Super Saiyan!!
The ancient rumor he had once believed to be nothing but fantasy;
The forbidden name that had made Frieza so wary he slaughtered every Saiyan on Planet Vegeta.
But now, the legend was no longer beyond reach—
Not only was a living Super Saiyan standing before him, but he himself...
Had truly entered that realm as well.
Seeing Bardock so stunned he couldn't speak, Barros gave a slight nod. The golden flames around him quietly receded, and he left his Super Saiyan form.
"I'm not the Legendary Super Saiyan of the old legend." His voice was calm, every word clear. "There are two kinds of Super Saiyans: the ordinary form and the legendary form. The ordinary form has golden hair and green eyes. Any Saiyan who reaches the required battle power can awaken it. But the 'legend' you've heard of is something entirely different."
Before Bardock could speak, he continued, "The Legendary Super Saiyan appears only once every thousand years. It's an innate gift, something one is born with. An ordinary Saiyan could spend an entire lifetime and never attain it."
Innate and acquired, origins and advancements: the two were worlds apart and could never be confused.
Bardock stared for a moment, then hesitantly nodded, seeming to understand, though not quite.
Barros's gaze darkened. His eyes fell on Bardock's battered body, and his expression turned cold. "Who did this? Where's your squad? Why are you here alone?"
Bardock shuddered. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, and searing grief and bone-deep hatred surged in his eyes!
After a moment, he drew a deep breath and slowly began to describe the ambush—
According to him, the squad had been passing through the northern star region of the North Galaxy on their way back...
Before they could figure out what was happening, the attack had already begun.
At first, there had only been a few star-system powerhouses with battle powers in the millions. Bardock and his squad hadn't given them a second thought, assuming they would be easy prey.
But just as they brought down the first enemy, a terrifying presence that completely overwhelmed them suddenly appeared.
The man was so powerful that Bardock and the others could barely breathe, let alone even think about fighting back.
More chilling still—he looked exactly like Frieza.
At this, a glint flashed in Barros's eyes, and a name came to mind.
Knowing he was outmatched, Bardock had still charged forward, holding the enemy back at the cost of severe injuries and giving his teammates a chance to catch their breath—
They seized the moment to complete their Great Ape Transformation!
Unfortunately, even after they had all turned into Great Apes and their battle power had surged to the ten-million level, they had still been utterly helpless against the enemy who looked so much like Frieza. They were cut down one by one.
He had watched his comrades, his brothers, fall before his eyes, one after another. He had been powerless to help, forced to watch as their blood sprayed across the sky.
Regret cut into his heart like a knife; rage surged through him, burning away all reason—
In that instant, Bardock had completely erupted!
Or rather, in the grip of his boundless fury, he had truly awakened... the power of a Super Saiyan!!
A Super Saiyan.
At first, the enraged Bardock hadn't realized that he had changed.
He had only felt power surging endlessly through his body. His rage hadn't faded; instead, it had settled into a bone-chilling murderous intent.
While he was still bewildered, Cooler had suddenly frozen on the other side and cried out, "Super Saiyan!"
Putting the pieces together and feeling the boundless power welling up inside him, Bardock had finally realized that he might really have entered that fabled realm seen only once in a thousand years.
The power didn't let him down. In his new form, he moved like lightning and drove Cooler back within just a few moves.
But then the unexpected happened.
The enemy who looked so much like Frieza had actually evolved once more, right there in front of him. His battle power skyrocketed, and he completely overpowered Bardock!
By then, Barros didn't need to guess—
With his resemblance to Frieza and his ability to transform multiple times, the man's identity was already obvious:
Cooler, Frieza's older brother.
Barros looked at the deep, unshakeable gloom in Bardock's eyes, and a sharp gleam flashed repeatedly in the depths of his own.
Bardock looked dazed as he slowly raised his eyes and silently stared at Barros.
He hadn't said a word, but Barros already understood what was on his mind—
The question he wanted to ask was:
"Why... even after I became a Super Saiyan, couldn't I beat Cooler after he transformed?"
"Your Majesty, you know who he is?" Bardock froze, then clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice. "I clearly reached the strongest Super Saiyan form. Why couldn't I overpower him?"
His eyes burned with rage, mingled with disbelief and confusion.
But Barros didn't answer right away. He simply tossed him a Senzu Bean and said calmly, "Swallow this first. Once your injuries have healed, transform again—the answer will become clear."
Before you continue