"Qigong Cannon!"
Tien Shinhan fired his Ki Cannon with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The Qigong Cannon was a forbidden technique that consumed an enormous amount of Ki and could prove fatal due to the tremendous recoil it inflicted on the user's body. Even if one survived the attack, it would certainly shorten their lifespan, a technique that should never be used under normal circumstances. However, its devastating power was undeniably proportional to its terrible cost.
He unleashed it at maximum power, steeling himself with the determination to achieve at least a mutual defeat.
Smoke billowed upward as fragments of combat suits scattered through the air. The earth cracked and split, everything in the attack's path swept away by the tremendous force. Tien lowered his trembling arms and peered through the dissipating smoke with blurred vision.
"Ugh... that was scary."
But the obese Saiyan still lived.
His clothes hung in tatters, and he wasn't completely unscathed—burns and cuts marked his massive frame. However, all his limbs remained intact, and he stood on the scorched ground with disturbing ease.
Witnessing this crushing reality, Tien Shinhan collapsed powerlessly to the earth.
"Hmm, what a shame..."
The gap in power between himself and the Saiyan was far greater than he had imagined. But this bitter defeat would serve as a valuable lesson for the future.
Glancing toward Chiaotzu, who had fallen earlier and undoubtedly returned to the afterlife already, Tien closed his three eyes with resignation.
I'll use this defeat as fuel for growth. Next time will be different.
With that final resolution, his spiritual journey ended.
"Dead... but what was up with those guys? They kept using bizarre techniques."
Panbukin, the corpulent Saiyan who had slain Tien and his companions, gazed down at the motionless Earth warriors with puzzlement.
Just when their fighting power seemed pathetically low, it would suddenly spike dramatically—shining as bright as the sun, multiplying into four separate bodies, sprouting additional limbs, firing energy beams from their eyes. In short, they were enemies that defied all logic and understanding.
And that final technique... considering the vast difference in their power levels, there should have been no way to inflict any meaningful damage. Yet somehow, impossibly, it had left scars across his body.
They were truly ominous and mysterious opponents.
"Hey, Panbukin!"
A voice called his name from above. Panbukin raised his head to see one of his comrades hovering in the air, a warrior clad in sleeveless combat armor with a distinctive wild hairstyle.
This was a battle-brother who had been fighting in the opposite sector, and also his closest friend among their squad, boasting the highest combat ability of their group.
"Bastard, how long are you going to waste time conquering one measly city? We finished off all the residents in our sector ages ago."
"Wait, that's not it, Bardock. There were some interesting fighters here."
"Oh? Interesting fighters?"
The Goku-like warrior called Bardock regarded Panbukin with skeptical curiosity.
Panbukin turned to point at the corpses of Tien and his companions, but they had vanished without a trace. The bodies that had definitely been there moments before were gone, as if they had never existed at all.
"Huh? What the hell? They're not there...?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"W-wait just a second! What's going on here? I swear Bardock was right here just a moment ago!"
Bardock seemed inclined to believe his comrade's account and activated his scouter to scan the surrounding area. Naturally, there was no response, and he sighed in exasperation.
"Alright, alright. I'll pretend they were there. Now let's finish conquering this planet and head home."
"No, it's true! There was this strange bald guy with three eyes right here!"
"Yeah, yeah, the three-eyed bald guy... wait, you mean a three-eyed alien? Seriously? There's no way beings like that would be on a backwater planet like this."
As Bardock spoke dismissively, the rest of their squad gathered around Panbukin. All were low-class warriors, but they were comrades who had fought together through countless battles.
One of them, the only female member with short-cropped hair, Celipa—placed a reassuring hand on Panbukin's shoulder.
"Look, just let it go and wrap this up. Bardock's been getting antsy because he wants to head home quickly. Today's his wedding anniversary with Gine, after all."
"Shut up! Let's just finish conquering this damn planet!"
Bardock roared at Celipa's teasing words, though whether from genuine anger or embarrassment was unclear. The other Saiyans who witnessed this exchange grinned with amusement.
★•°
From Lizette's perspective, the entire experience lasted only a few seconds.
Krillin and the others had closed their eyes to journey into the past, then snapped them open in unison, expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
Everyone had returned safely, each warrior frantically touching their own bodies and scanning their friends' faces to confirm they were truly alive and unharmed.
Judging by their reactions, they had been thoroughly defeated in that timeline.
Lizette stepped forward to address the shaken warriors, deciding to offer comfort first.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. How was your journey to the past?"
Lizette withdrew a small bell from within her robes, and it chimed with a crystalline sound. The Rabbit Carrot materialized from nowhere, presenting a tray of steaming tea to Krillin and the others.
Yamcha looked surprised, which made sense, as he had encountered the creature before. For now, Lizette simply wanted to convey that the Rabbit Carrot was no longer an enemy.
"...I was completely defeated. Those were the Saiyans—the enemies we must face..."
Tien spoke through gritted teeth, his voice heavy with frustration, while Krillin and Yamcha bowed their heads in somber silence.
They had been beaten so thoroughly that they couldn't even muster complaints about the experience.
Even Chiaotzu seemed subdued, which made Lizette wonder if perhaps she had pushed them too hard with this glimpse of the future.
However, Tien quickly lifted his head with renewed determination blazing in his eyes, and pleaded earnestly with Lizette.
"Kami, I've realized how inexperienced I truly am. I want to become stronger... Please train me!"
"Me too! I won't let that weird green monster's suicide attack get me this time!"
Yamcha's voice resonated powerfully alongside Tien's declaration.
It didn't particularly matter, but apparently he had also been killed by a Saibaman's self-destruction in that timeline. Just how incompatible was this guy with Saibamen? ...Well, perhaps in some twisted way, they were perfectly matched.
"Me too! At this rate, I'll just be a burden to Goku!"
"If Tien-san is doing it, then so am I!"
Krillin and Chiaotzu responded in turn, and now all four had expressed their commitment to the upcoming training.
Lizette nodded in satisfaction and snapped her fingers with decisive authority.
Suddenly, the limbs of all four warriors became impossibly heavy, rendering them nearly immobile.
It was the same Ki restraint that had been administered to Goku, and which Lizette herself currently wore.
"Whoa!"
"Oh my God, what is this?!"
"The Forced Ki Control Restraint... I call it the Ki Spirit Lock. This will suppress your maximum Ki output and force you to move by consciously focusing energy into your hands and feet. Please wear this at all times for the next year while training at this temple. When removed, your maximum energy level will have increased by two or three times."
She delivered almost the same explanation she had given Goku previously. Don't call it recycling, even divine beings found repetitive exposition tedious.
"Let's begin with manipulating Ki and learning to sense it properly. However, we don't have much time. Goku spent three years mastering this training, but I expect all of you to achieve mastery in six months."
"So you want us to learn in one-sixth the time it took your grandson... That's fine. That's exactly what I want. Otherwise, it'll be impossible to catch up with him while he's training under King Kai or whoever."
Tien laughed defiantly at the ambitious timeline Lizette had set, sweat beading on his forehead despite his confident words. Having such unwavering determination was exactly what she needed to see.
Everyone was now generating enough focused energy to move despite the restraints. Essentially, it was the same principle as firing a Kamehameha or Dodonpa—otherwise, there would be no need for restraints at all.
Even Master Roshi could increase his maximum fighting power using basic Ki manipulation. However, freely controlling and using one's Ki to detect opponents' positions and movements remained beyond most fighters' abilities.
First, they needed to become completely comfortable with these fundamentals. Without mastering Ki control, there would be no point in facing the Saiyans, who possessed overwhelming natural strength.
"Well then, let's begin immediately."
Lizette clapped her hands together and announced with a radiant smile that training had officially commenced.
However, Krillin would later recall this moment quite differently:
He swore he glimpsed the silhouette of a demon lurking behind the goddess's sweet smile.
At that moment, Krillin became certain that this year of training would be absolute hell—and indeed, his prediction proved entirely accurate.
"She may look like a goddess of love and mercy, but don't be fooled. Deep down, she's a god of war... she's seriously merciless..."
After completing the full year of training, Krillin spoke these words while visibly shuddering at the memory.
★•.
One year.
During this grace period, which seemed lengthy but was actually quite brief, Lizette accomplished everything within her power.
She forcibly applied Spirit Locks to Piccolo (much to his protests), spent time playing with Korin, recruited both Mr. Popo and the Rabbit Carrot to assist with training sessions, continued teasing Korin mercilessly, intensified her own personal training regimen, lavished affection on Korin, and implemented virtually every training method she could conceive of.
She also intercepted the telepathic conversations between Goku, Bulma, and the others, advising them to carefully calculate their return travel time when they were eventually revived to avoid any major delays.
This would prevent the significant timing issues that would otherwise occur.
Next, she located Majin Buu's sealed egg and reinforced it with her completed Heaven's Gate technique.
If by some catastrophic mistake it were to be revived ahead of schedule, the consequences would be disastrous. For now, she needed to ensure that no one could lay hands on it.
The container holding the sealed egg was placed within the Room of Spirit and Time, so even if Buu were somehow resurrected, he would remain trapped forever.
The egg, the container, and the Room of Spirit and Time, a triple seal of absolute security.
Additionally, when Lizette sensed that Garlic Star, the demonic home planet, was approaching Earth's solar system, she obliterated it completely with a concentrated energy blast.
This malevolent celestial body possessed the troublesome property of amplifying demonic power, and if circumstances deteriorated, there was a significant risk that Garlic Jr. could be resurrected.
More importantly, the most frightening scenario would be if Dabura, who would appear in future conflicts, fell under the Garlic Star's corrupting influence.
Dabura was already formidably powerful, but if he received additional enhancement, he would become utterly unmanageable.
Therefore, she had decided it was prudent to take preemptive action and eliminate the threat immediately.
Left unchecked, the star would likely have made contact with Earth within a few years, making this decision undeniably wise.
A full year passed, and finally, with just one week remaining before the fateful day, Lizette concluded the intensive training program.
As expected, forcing continuous training would only exhaust them unnecessarily, so she believed they deserved some rest and recovery time.
"Everyone, you have endured my training for the past year with remarkable dedication. I have nothing more to teach you. In one week, the Saiyans will finally arrive on Earth."
"It's finally time."
"My fists are itching for action."
Undaunted by Lizette's sobering announcement, Tien and Yamcha responded with barely contained battle lust.
They were warriors through and through. Though not to the same extent as the Saiyans, they possessed an innate desire to test their newfound strength against worthy opponents.
"We will rest for the remaining week. Please ensure that everyone returns to peak condition and optimal mental state."
"Yes!"
Everyone answered with enthusiastic determination, and the assembly was dismissed.
Their fighting power had increased dramatically over the year, and perhaps, contrary to the original timeline, at least one person besides Krillin might actually survive the coming battle.
However, considering Vegeta's overwhelming strength, the possibility of casualties remained very real.
She wanted them to enjoy themselves, at least for this final week.
...Or so she had thought, but all four warriors continued their training relentlessly even after returning to the surface, showing no signs of fatigue or boredom.
Lizette's concern had been unnecessary.
Additionally, Goku, who had returned home just in time the previous day, also resumed training without pause.
Were they all training addicts?
And then the fateful day arrived.
Earth finally welcomed its two alien invaders.
Lizette immediately sensed two immensely powerful energy signatures descending toward the planet and used long-range telekinesis to redirect their small attack pods away from populated areas.
Normally, they would crash-land in the center of a major city, killing and injuring countless innocent people. She would not allow such senseless destruction.
The sudden impact prevented the two aliens from properly controlling their spacecraft, forcing them to crash-land in the remote Paprika Wasteland instead.
Gohan and Piccolo were already waiting for them at the designated location, prepared to escort the invaders to the original battle site via the shortest possible route.
After confirming that the pods had landed safely in the intended area, Lizette rose into the air.
"Well then, let's go. Follow me, Rabbit Carrot, Mr. Popo."
"It's finally beginning."
"Yes, Kami-sama."
Taking the Rabbit Carrot and Mr. Popo with her, Lizette flew toward the Paprika Wasteland.
As expected, when it came to the Saiyan invasion, even Lizette, who had maintained a relatively carefree attitude until now, took direct action.
When she arrived, the two Saiyans had just crawled out of their damaged pods, so Lizette descended before them with perfect timing.
"Welcome, alien visitors. Our planet greets you."
"Your planet, you say..."
"I see. So you've been waiting for us."
The two warriors laughed fearlessly as they emerged from the wreckage, brushing debris from their battle armor.
Naturally, they didn't appear remotely concerned despite the crash landing, maintaining an air of casual confidence.
They stood upright, dusted off their hands dismissively, and regarded Lizette with arms crossed in haughty superiority.
Following her lead, Mr. Popo, Piccolo, Gohan, and the Rabbit Carrot materialized and took positions alongside their divine leader.
"Just to confirm, what exactly brought you to Earth?"
"That voice... I see, so you're the one who killed Raditz."
Vegeta responded to Piccolo's question with his own inquiry, his scouter gleaming ominously.
The device also functioned as a communication system. From the sound of Piccolo's distinctive voice, he had instantly identified him as Raditz's killer.
"Hey Vegeta, that guy's a Namekian."
"So it seems. No wonder Raditz was killed."
Namekian, clearly a term referring to an alien species.
Piccolo, learning for the first time that he was extraterrestrial, registered obvious surprise and shock across his features.
"I see. I've heard rumors that Planet Namek possesses mysterious orbs that will grant any wish if collected, and apparently that's true. It's also said that Namekians possess great fighting abilities alongside their mystical powers. You were the one who created the Dragon Balls, weren't you?"
"...Heh, thanks to you, I now understand more about my origins. But unfortunately, I'm not the one who created the Dragon Balls. I'm a combat specialist."
Piccolo shifted into a battle-ready stance.
Gohan responded by entering his own fighting posture, while Lizette's expression sharpened despite maintaining her natural composure.
Observing this tense standoff, Nappa gave a revolting smile, his thoughts clearly taking a disturbing turn.
"Oh, I thought this was some worthless backwater planet, but isn't her face absolutely exceptional? Actually, looking around... is it just this woman, or...? Either way, if we sold her to some wealthy collector, we could get more money than we'd make from conquering ten other low-tier planets. Hey Vegeta, can we take this woman home with us?"
"Nappa. Since when has your attack pod become a two-seater?"
"Oh, right... tch, damn. Well, I guess I'll just have to enjoy her here and dispose of the remains afterward."
Listening to their casual discussion of her fate, Lizette's expression transformed into a serene smile.
Her face radiated such gentle tranquility that it seemed impossible she was about to engage in mortal combat.
With that peaceful smile gracing her features, Lizette unleashed a perfectly aimed Spirit Cannon blast, focusing every ounce of energy directly at Nappa's groin.
"~~~~!!!?"
Nappa writhed in absolute agony, his face contorted in an expression suggesting the world was ending, before collapsing to the ground while clutching his crotch in desperate protection.
No matter how resilient a Saiyan's physique might be, certain anatomical areas remained impossible to condition through training.
The testicles were vulnerable organs protected by nothing more than a thin layer of skin, an absolute vital point that could never be strengthened. It was an unavoidable weakness inherent to male biology.
Nappa continued twitching spasmodically while Vegeta observed the scene with detached interest.
Lizette smiled warmly at both warriors and spoke with chilling politeness.
"My apologies. I truly despise vulgar gentlemen. Next time I'll crush them completely, so please be more careful with your words."
Vegeta maintained his outward composure, but a bead of sweat slowly traced down his forehead.
---
[Character Battle Power Levels]
Note: Goku's original power increase has been adjusted slightly from the source material.
Lizette:
Base battle power: 120,000 Remove heavy equipment: 150,000 Remove spirit lock: 450,000 Burst limit (up to 20x): 9,000,000
Son Goku:
Base battle power: 8,500 Kaio-ken x2: 17,000
Piccolo: 9,000
Mr. Popo: 5,700
Tien Shinhan: 5,400
Krillin: 5,100
Yamcha: 4,950
Rabbit Carrot: 4,300
Chiaotzu: 4,000
Son Gohan: 981
Son Gohan (enraged): 2,800
Korin (not participating): 4,200