Bardock had, of course, long been aware of the eavesdropping and tracking functions in the power level scouter.
Due to the device's size, it couldn't support real-time eavesdropping technology. The signals were only received by the communication target when the scouter's communication was online, and the signal, along with its content and address, would be conveniently intercepted by Freeza's army's technical department. If the communication contained valuable information, it would naturally be reported to Freeza's supreme will—the "Cosmic Emperor" Freeza himself.
Bardock, who had never been fond of or even harbored suspicion toward Freeza and his son, had never worn the power level scouter in the past, even going so far as to hone a rudimentary ki sensing ability instead. In fact, if the device hadn't been so delicate and its mechanical structure so complicated that even the technicians on Planet Vegeta couldn't handle it, Bardock would have dismantled it long ago.
As one of the few elite Saiyans with foresight, Bardock had always rejected the trinket that Freeza had gifted to King Vegeta.
Although most Saiyan warriors didn't mind the convenience of this device due to their personalities, Bardock was not one of them. He had once spent some time humbly seeking advice from an inconspicuous technician assigned to Planet Vegeta, which made him realize that it wasn't just this power level scouter. Every device and piece of technology provided by Freeza's army to the Saiyans contained similar eavesdropping and tracking technologies.
It was at that moment that Bardock became aware of Freeza's wariness toward the Saiyans, which was different from his father King Cold's.
On the night Planet Vegeta was destroyed, Bardock used the method he learned to disable the listening function of the spaceship when he secretly sent Kakarot away.
After that, Bardock not only refused to wear the power level scouter, but he also avoided carrying it on him. He turned off the communication function, left the scouter with Gine, and told her not to turn it on unless it was to contact Raditz. Freeza's obsessive control over the Saiyans, far surpassing that of King Cold, made Bardock feel a trace of fear from the tyrant.
Perhaps, Bardock thought, Freeza had heard the legend circulating among the Saiyan race. King Cold had certainly heard it, but he never believed it. Freeza had, and clearly, the new king believed it. He took measures… and, eventually, the ultimate measure.
Recalling that day of destruction, a surge of anger flared in Bardock's heart, but he quickly reined it in. Years of combat had allowed him to keep a calm mind in battle. Moreover, his spiritual training in the Korin Tower dimension also greatly benefited him. Burning anger, when unable to kill Freeza, were simply unnecessary actions.
Bulma was happily dismantling the scouter Gine had given her. Even if she couldn't modify the language system, as long as she didn't break the structure, Bulma's brilliant mind would ensure she could reassemble it perfectly, so there was no fear of breaking it.
Bardock had great faith in this genius girl on Earth because he had been truly shocked by the profound research conducted by her and her father not long ago.
Tights placed the recorder on the coffee table in the middle of the sofa pile and played the Dragon's recording on loop:
"... The reason Yamoshi became the first Super Saiyan is that he was one of the few peaceful, justice-oriented Saiyans under the brutal rule of the Saiyan Empire at the time..."
"... His unusual calmness allowed his cells to transform into a special form when his power reached... about two million! Yamoshi vaguely felt that he could undergo some kind of transformation... and this transformation, triggered by a moment of anger, is what became known as the Super Saiyan..."
"... To become a Super Saiyan God, you only need six Saiyans with righteous hearts. If the power of five Saiyans is transferred into the body of the sixth, the Super Saiyan God is born..."
Tights played the recording several times before stopping. After a moment of thought, everyone glanced at each other. Tights put the recorder down.
She concluded, "So, the transformation condition for becoming a Super Saiyan has two basic requirements. The first is a base power level of two million, and the second is the mind of someone like Yamoshi."
"The second point, stated differently," Yamiru added, "is that the body must have a sufficient amount of S-cells. These special cells, which only appeared in Saiyans like Yamoshi, are transformed from ordinary cells because the Saiyan seeks justice—or, to look at it from a different perspective, because of their sufficiently calm mind. Goku's S-cells have increased significantly since living on Earth, as you all already know from when you were at Bulma's house."
Bardock nodded, while Son Goku looked puzzled, not knowing about it.
"Maybe you could have Bulma regularly check and compare the changes in the number of S-cells in your body, Uncle Bardock," Tights smiled. "As long as we find the right method, it'll be easy."
Bardock: "I will."
"But there's one thing in the Dragon's words that I'm very concerned about..." Son Gohan pondered, "It describes Yamoshi's transformation into a Super Saiyan as a kind of metamorphosis, and it even uses the term 'in a fit of rage'..." As he spoke, Tights played back the relevant part of the recording: "…Yamoshi vaguely sensed that he could undergo some kind of transformation... and this transformation, which was ultimately completed due to a moment of anger, is what we call the Super Saiyan..."
"S-cells increase because of a calm heart, but the final driving force for the transformation," Yamiru mused, "is anger, a completely contradictory emotion."
"No, strictly speaking,"
Bulma, who had been busy dismantling the scouter, even took time to join the discussion, not looking up as she spoke. "After all, the S-cells are converted from normal cells, and they don't completely lose some of the characteristics of the Saiyan's base cells. So, anger is understandable. Hmm..." She paused, considering, then said, "The basic Saiyan cells are complex yet simple, full of various possibilities, and the most superficial characteristic is the part of Saiyan nature that makes most of us hot-headed and combative. Clearly, the S-warrior, as the Dragon referred to it, is a 'mutated Super Saiyan' that amplifies this part. The Super Saiyans, led by Yamoshi, however, have discarded the interference of the wild nature given by the base cells, transforming into a completely new system..."
"Mutated Super Saiyan..." Gine's tail curled around in front of her, gently holding it. "Could it be the cells in the tail? It really feels strange. Indeed, we Saiyans transform into terrifying Great Apes when we see a full moon... Perhaps this transformation amplifies our original wild, chaotic side... Were all the S-warriors like that, as the Dragon said?"
"No," Bardock shook his head. "Since the tail is almost obsolete in our current era, the Great Ape transformation should be similar. It should already be very different from the S-warriors that the Dragon spoke of in the past." He paused and said, "You see, the vast majority of Saiyans on Planet Vegeta couldn't even retain their sanity after transforming into Great Apes. Only the royal family could. This proves that the Great Ape transformation... or rather, the remnants of the S-warrior transformation, is almost completely eliminated from our race."
The losers in history were also the failures in Saiyan evolution... Everyone felt a sense of sorrow.
Tights smiled. "In short, the three conditions for becoming a Super Saiyan: 2 million battle power, maintaining a calm heart to increase the number of S-cells, and finally, the anger that completes the transformation, right?"
What had originally seemed like an abstract legend now sounded very industrial and specific... Gine said, "But... 2 million battle power, when you think about it, that's really hard to achieve, right? How strong were our ancestors, Yamoshi and the others? Even if they didn't transform into Super Saiyans, in today's era, they would still be nearly unbeatable..."
Indeed! Everyone nodded. The number 2 million alone made their scalps tingle.
Even now, the highest battle power among them, Bardock, was only around 12,000. 2 million? It would have to be multiplied by ten or twenty times—could they really reach that?
However, Bardock seemed to have his own plans.
He smiled and said, "Actually, it might not be that hard. Didn't the Dragon also say?"
Bardock grabbed the recorder on the coffee table and rewound it to a specific segment. The Dragon's solemn voice came from the recorder: "…2 million, 20 million... what's the difference? Is the gap between strength really contained in these numbers..." Bardock then skipped to another part, "…Saiyans, as well as the fortunate ones in other universes across the whole cosmos, are all those who have been blessed with the lost brilliance of the Omni-King..."
The recording ended, and everyone looked at Bardock, with only Yamiru having an inkling of Bardock's thoughts.
"Although I don't know exactly what kind of being the Dragon meant by Omni-King, it might not be wrong," Bardock said slowly. "Gine, you should still remember, that when Saiyans are brought back from the brink of death, their battle power undergoes a tremendous increase. '2 million, 20 million—what's the difference?' Though it's somewhat different from what the Dragon meant, it's true that, for us Saiyans, a higher battle power seems achievable through simple, direct, and effective methods..."
"Such a thing?" Tights was shocked, Son Gohan was confused, and Son Goku was even more perplexed.
Yamiru thought to himself, "It's like using a cheat code! Though many Dragon Ball fanfics love to add limitations like 'the resurrection and power boost trick doesn't work after too many uses', the original series never mentioned this! At least, Super Saiyan's full power-level Cell was revived from the brink of death and even transformed into a form rivaling Super Saiyan 2! That's enough proof that this isn't about whether it works, but whether you're willing to use it... And the strange part is, that genetics gave the Saiyans this shortcut, but also gave them too much pride to take it. If it were any other race, they'd be using it all the time! The cheat would be used to the max!"
While he silently grumbled, Gine looked worriedly at Bardock. "Are you really going to use such a method? But... it's very difficult, and dangerous. Many Saiyans died without even being able to be saved..."
Bardock nodded. "Indeed, it's hard to measure the threshold of 'near death', and if the willpower doesn't keep up, or if they don't hold on long enough for the rescue to work..."
Tights and Son Gohan nodded. It was true; if one didn't approach death with the mindset of being willing to die, it wouldn't really be considered 'near death'. And if one was truly 'near death', it was a level where a single mistake could lead to death... If this was a shortcut to increasing power, it was clearly a path where the gods of death were lined up on both sides, welcoming you.
"Senzu beans," Bardock suddenly said. "Gine, did you forget about the Senzu beans on Korin Tower, the ones Yamiru ate?"
Gine was surprised, and Bulma paused her work, showing a look of realization.
Tights and her sister came to the same conclusion at the same time. She called out, "That's right! The Senzu beans can even grow back a severed leg... and completely restore energy. If we're careful, we could bring someone back from the brink of death!"
Bulma continued to work with the fine parts on the table and said flatly, "Even if someone does die, there are the Dragon Balls to revive them."
Yamiru, however, said, "No, with the Dragon Balls, it seems you can only bring the same person back once." He added in his mind: At least, that's the case with the current version...
No one had heard of this rule, but considering Yamiru had asked Shenron all sorts of strange questions in the past, they figured he might know some odd things.
"If that's the case, it's still very dangerous," Gine said worriedly. She didn't want Bardock to get hurt.
Bardock smiled and said, "I didn't say I'd rely on dying and being revived to increase my power. Even without trying, if you push yourself to the extreme in harsh conditions, you will inevitably end up in a similar situation—Gine, haven't you noticed? The gravity on Earth is much weaker than on Planet Vegeta, only about one-tenth of it."
Gine nodded. Son Gohan exclaimed, "In that case, Bardock and Gine's training on Earth would be less effective, right?"
"One-tenth…" Bulma said, "My dad and I can help you create a high-gravity training environment if you need it."
That was exactly what Bardock meant. He smiled and said, "Then I would be most grateful. With a high-gravity training environment, and the Senzu beans from that cat martial artist, we can increase our power without hesitation. Oh—should I say, we'll be increasing our ki. The term 'battle power' is a bit too narrow."
"It feels like we're strategizing for a game..." Tights suddenly laughed.
Yamiru secretly thought, "As expected, no one's an idiot here! Especially Bardock, who's always been an incredible combat genius… In the manga, Son Goku is also at the forefront of training with his companions… Bardock's ability to analyze information and formulate a path to getting stronger is completely normal."
The night deepened, but the conversation remained lively.
Bulma had slept on the plane in the afternoon and, with an interesting toy in hand, wasn't feeling particularly sleepy.
"...As for Super Saiyan God," Tights said, "Including Uncle Bardock, Aunt Gine, and Goku, that makes three. Maybe in ten or more years, Goku will have children, and we'll have enough Saiyans to create a Super Saiyan God."
Bardock said, "What's more important is the environment. Even if Kakarot has children in the future, without the proper guidance, they might end up like most Saiyans. Hot-headed, combative, with a temperament completely unrelated to the calm mind needed to increase S-cells..."
Gine, however, said, "Maybe it'll be four."
"You're planning on having more children?" Bulma asked curiously.
Tights moved closer and hugged Gine, whose slender body looked delicate. She teased, "Yeah, Aunt Gine looks so young. I almost want to call you Gine-nee. You and Uncle Bardock could have one or two more children, no problem. That way, Goku would have siblings. It'd be great!"
Bulma, straightforward as always, said, "Better have three. That way we can have exactly six."
Yamiru couldn't help but scoff, "Is this just to get you to see Super Saiyan God sooner? Having three kids is surely tough. Bulma, are you some kind of devil?"
This topic was playfully dismissed since gods and such seemed too far away, and there was no rush.
However, when it came to battle power, the eldest member of the group, Son Gohan, who had studied martial arts the longest, had a different perspective. "Actually..." he said carefully, unsure of how to phrase it. Seeing that Yamiru, Goku, and Bardock were all looking at him, the old man smiled and said, "I haven't dealt with experts with battle power in the thousands or tens of thousands, so I won't comment on that. But I think… although looking at the numbers, my battle power is 116, Goku's is 125, and Yamiru's is 140, looking at the numbers alone, no one is more than double anyone else, right?"
Tights and her sister nodded, and Yamiru seemed to be thinking deeply.
"But I think Yamiru has far surpassed me," Son Gohan said kindly, his voice low but firm. "Not just by a little."
Goku thought for a moment and added, "I also think Yamiru is way stronger than me. I probably couldn't last long against him now."
Bulma rubbed her chin. "So, the data on battle power and actual combat ability aren't linearly correlated?"
Even Bardock looked puzzled. "Is that so?"
In his understanding, a battle power of 20,000 should have twice the ability of someone with 10,000. Could it be that the battle power range of 100-something was too low, touching on a blind spot in Bardock's perception... In the past, those with such levels of battle power were usually enemies that Bardock had to deal with... It was rare to find a full-grown Saiyan with less than 200 battle power.
Son Gohan pondered, discussing it briefly with Yamiru, Son Goku, and Bardock. Then the old man said, "Perhaps that's the case. When the energy inside is low, meaning the battle power number is low, our combat ability relies mainly on physical strength. In such cases, every increase in energy significantly boosts the power of punches, reaction speed, and agility... However, the battle power detector can't measure these hard-to-quantify things. Is that possible, Bulma?"
Bulma said, "Based on what I've disassembled so far, the detector measures energy responses, which is what you all refer to as 'ki', the potential biological energy within the body... As for how much the increase in ki assists in physical attributes, I don't think that's measurable."
"And when the energy grows to a certain level, the basic physical effects no longer play a decisive role in combat performance," Yamiru continued from his master's reasoning, "At that point, it's all about whose ki is stronger. When ki is too weak, it's used to assist the body and propel it to fight, but when ki reaches levels of a thousand, two thousand, or even tens of thousands and millions, the body may just be a vessel for the ki. I can't imagine what kind of battle that would be like... Uncle Bardock, when you fought in the past, did you use energy to enhance your body or protect it?"
Bardock paused. "Of course, that's a basic technique."
Son Gohan and Yamiru exchanged a glance.
Yamiru said, "Then that's it. Ki nourishes the body, but it doesn't overdo it. But at your level, Uncle Bardock, the body itself can't keep up with the combat level and even needs ki to enhance and protect it—of course, as you said, that's a basic combat technique. So, the higher the power, the more the changes in ki correlate directly with the changes in strength. The higher the battle power, the more it matches the actual situation. Only at very low levels does the disparity between the data and the actual situation become very noticeable."
Bardock nodded. "That makes sense..."
But what use was this? These discussions weren't practically useful... Yamiru thought, "Well, it's pretty useful to me as a Dragon Ball fan. Improving the setting is fun. Jokes aside, this is part of refining and establishing a cognitive framework... If it's useless, maybe that's the greatest use." He silently repeated the Cat Immortal's words in his mind.
---
After a night of friendly conversation, everyone chatted, laughed, had some snacks, and drank tea, all of them gaining something from the discussion.
Son Goku's family had strengthened their bond, while Son Gohan and the others had expanded their knowledge.
Bulma also got an interesting new toy—she had successfully modified the battle power detector's language mode to Earth language and removed the communication functions. Eavesdropping and communication were bundled technologies, so even Bulma couldn't just remove the eavesdropping backdoor without also removing the communication function overnight.
Of course, the one who gained the most was still Bardock, followed by Son Goku and Gine.
And more specifically, it was Bardock. Gine had no intention of becoming a fighter, Son Goku was still too young, but Bardock had fought countless battles, his will as firm as steel, and his desire to grow stronger was unwavering... After the discussion that night, he was now incredibly clear about his future training path on Earth.
Get the Senzu beans, build a gravity room for training.
Work with Bulma to monitor the changes in his S-Cells.
Everything was to one day, transform into the legendary Super Saiyan!
And then... defeat Freeza.
---
The next day, everyone temporarily left the Capsule Corporation and headed to Bulma's house in West City.