Before Age... a certain year, a certain month, and a certain day...
Planet Plant.
Suddenly jolting awake from his sleep, Bardock was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he was certain he had just had a very strange dream; though for the moment, he couldn't recall what it was.
His mind still a bit hazy, Bardock shook his head and looked at his hands to refocus his gaze and calm himself down.
"What… exactly is going on? Is it that damned precognition ability again?" he muttered to himself, clearly troubled by this ability.
It had been more than ten years since he traveled from the future back to the past—back to Planet Plant.
In all that time, he had never left the planet.
On one hand, he helped the Inhabitants of Plant resist outside invaders. On the other hand, he constantly trained, enhancing and stabilizing his strength.
Ever since his arrival, when he killed Frieza's ancestor, the space pirate Chilled, Bardock had been plagued by repeated attacks from members of that race.
Truth be told, it was precisely because he kept slaughtering their elite warriors one after another that his name had spread indirectly, and he had come to be regarded as a great terror by that race.
The golden-haired Super Saiyan.
Moreover, because Chilled's people kept invading Planet Plant, it inadvertently attracted many other forces and organizations who came to investigate.
As a result, Bardock had truly become Planet Plant's supreme guardian, always at the front lines, fending off the endless stream of outsiders.
In fact, it was a classic case of "an innocent man gets into trouble because of his treasures"—because the Inhabitants of Plant possessed a healing liquid capable of treating any injury, they became a coveted target for countless forces.
Coming from the future, Bardock naturally understood just how valuable that healing liquid was.
In other words, without him, he suspected Planet Plant wouldn't have even lasted until the Tuffles came to invade; it would've already been forcibly taken over by other forces.
Let alone the Saiyans, who only migrated to this planet after their homeworld, Planet Sadala, was destroyed and the Tuffles had already invaded and occupied Planet Plant.
All in all, Bardock knew very clearly that he had arrived in the past very early.
Protecting Planet Plant?
Was Bardock really that kind of person?
Yes… and no.
The biggest reason he stayed on this planet was because he was waiting…waiting for the chance to return one day.
Or rather, for another accident to happen, one that would reveal the truth behind time travel.
In truth, it was also fortunate that Bardock wasn't like the vast majority of Saiyans—bloodthirsty and ruthless, willing to do whatever it took to achieve their goals.
Otherwise, on Planet Plant, he absolutely wouldn't have gotten involved with the Inhabitants of Plant. Even if he didn't wipe them out, he would have treated all the natives as slaves under his rule.
All in all, after the time-travel, Bardock established a good relationship with the Inhabitants of Plant while living on Planet Plant.
Especially with a few individuals, like Berry and his father.
Getting up from bed, Bardock had just steadied himself, ready to step outside for some fresh air, when a sharp pain suddenly pierced through his brain the moment he moved.
Then, his body fell backward; not crashing hard to the ground, but instead landing along the edge of the bed.
As memories came flooding in, Bardock began to recall the dream. At the same time, a strange spiritual body appeared in his mind and conveyed some words to him.
His eyes widened, and his mouth opened in shock and disbelief.
"Ta—Talot…
"Thirteen years have passed…
"Earth…
"All is well…"
He sprang up hastily, and after confirming the pain in the head wouldn't return, Bardock's face lit up with excitement and anticipation.
Due to certain unusual circumstances, he had been pulled into the future through a dream, and there, he met Talot, who had already grown up.
"This sensation… it's too real to be a mistake. And that spirit's message… Planet Namek? Using the Dragon Balls to travel through time?"
For a moment, Bardock was overcome with the desire to leave Planet Plant immediately and search for this so-called Planet Namek.
In fact, the Dragon Balls weren't unfamiliar to him. A few months before his time-travel, on Planet Cereal, he had already used the Dragon Balls to make a wish; for the safety of his family, and for his children and Talot to grow up healthy and strong.
All these years of cautiously staying put had left him feeling that his time-travel was strange, and perhaps only temporary, and that he could be pulled back at any moment. So he played it safe, step by step.
It had never occurred to him that he could take the initiative and actively try to return to the future, to his era.
"Thirteen years… That means Talot, you're just 18 now, and you've already surpassed me with such incredible strength! And you've become a Super Saiyan, too!
"The visions I had through my precognition ability weren't wrong. You really did manage to defeat Frieza, didn't you?! Because Kakarot is on Earth, you've all been waiting there…waiting for me to return!"
Bardock spoke to himself as he got dressed, then stepped out of the house.
He had no idea what the future truly held.
Talot indeed intended to eliminate Frieza, but the time hadn't yet come, and his strength still wasn't quite enough.
"You're all waiting for me. How could I keep living in such a daze? Just wait, it won't be long before I find Planet Namek! Then, with the power of the wish from the Dragon Balls, I'll return!" Bardock's words were filled with unwavering determination.
He stepped outside.
By now, daylight had long since broken. Because he had visited the future in his dream, he had only just now awakened.
Now that his mind was made up, Bardock formed a plan.
He had to leave Planet Plant as soon as possible. No matter what the planet's future held, he needed to pursue his future.
"Bardock, you're not training today? Usually by this time, you're already drenched in sweat." A soft, gentle voice called out. Bardock looked up—it was Berry.
He still remembered vividly the scene when they first met over ten years ago. Bardock was someone who cherished friends and didn't forget things easily.
"Berry, you really don't need to bring me food every day. I can handle my own meals," Bardock said.
Ever since he arrived here, Berry had brought him food from time to time.
At first it was just once every few days, but as Bardock continued to help Planet Plant fend off invaders and protect the land, the Inhabitants of Plant began bringing him food more frequently, sometimes two or three times a day.
At first, Bardock didn't think much of it, but over the years, it gradually made him feel a bit embarrassed.
Even after trying to refuse many times, the response he got left him with nothing to say.
That was: even though he wasn't one of the Inhabitants of Plant, he had always protected Planet Plant. He possessed great power, and still trained constantly to become stronger and resist powerful enemies. The Inhabitants of Plant, who had no combat ability, could only support him in other ways—like providing food to help with daily needs.
Speaking of which, some odd things had happened over the years. The Inhabitants of Plant eventually came to realize how powerful Bardock's genes were. There were even some female Inhabitants of Plant who approached him, hoping to produce strong offspring.
Naturally, Bardock had sternly rejected them.
For a time, he had even intentionally left the area.
Later, when the Inhabitants of Plant realized their mistake, nothing like that ever happened again.
Fortunately, Bardock was the only one who knew about this. If Talot ever found out, he'd probably be at a loss for words. It would definitely remind Talot of Tarble, Vegeta's brother who showed up later in the original work… and Tarble's wife, Gure.
A true love that crossed the boundaries of species.
Though who knows what kind of "species" the resulting child would be.
.....
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