PART THIRTY THREE: THE LEGACY OF VEGETTO

Chapter 161

Translated by npberryhill, edited by Guilarai

The Room of Spirit and Time...

Son Bra’s gaze was low, a silent frown besetting her face. She kept her eyes down to avoid her father Vegetto’s stern look.

“You have to learn self-control, this is a problem,” he stated firmly. “You nearly destroyed the Earth this time, you got carried away. Don’t you realize Gohan had to knock you out to save everyone and calm you down?”

“...I didn’t do it on purpose,” Son Bra murmured, still avoiding eye contact.

“You must learn proper control of your power,” Vegetto continued. “Start by transforming into a Super Saiyan.”

“I can’t,” his daughter growled. “I’d have to get angry.”

“That’s a problem,” Vegetto said. “Think back to your first transformation, what caused it? What made you get angry?”

“I’m too weak, that’s all! You’re the strongest in the universe, and they say I’m strong too but, I can’t even touch you all!”

“Gohan told you that, right? You’re only six years old. As you grow up, your power will become much easier to control — that’s why you’re training with me. But you let your emotions and impulses overwhelm you. You have to think about channeling them, directing and focusing them so anger doesn’t get the best of you. This room is the perfect place to practice, there’s no risk of accidentally killing anyone.”

“Sorry...” Bra grumbled weakly.

“If you plan to become a warrior, you must take all this into account, Son Bra. Earth is our home, your family is on it. You can’t accidentally hurt our planet, much less destroy it. You said there are no rules — but those who ignore them are lawless beings, like Cell, Freeza, Majin Buu; fiends and scoundrels and destroyers. We however are protectors, those that inhabit this world rely on us. If we ignore that responsibility, we’re no better than the villains. Do you understand now?”

“Yeah...”

Son Bra had hardly paid any attention to her father’s instruction. All she cared about was getting the lecture over with so she could get to the actual training. She was confident that if she obeyed she could learn better control of Super Saiyan, finally taking the next step. But the excitement over developing new powers continued to overshadow any sense of responsibility. To her, the Dragon Balls were like an oops button, and if they couldn’t fix something then her father’s omnipotence surely could...

“Alright then! Let’s get started!” Vegetto exclaimed, clapping his hands.

The father and daughter were together in the endless void of the Room of Spirit and Time.

“So, what can I do to get you riled up...”

Vegetto reflected on the dubious gaze of his daughter. His experience as a father was a bit limited. Even if he hated the idea, he was going to need to draw on the experiences of Goku and Vegeta. Gohan, Goten, and Trunks were their children, and now his, but there was still a bit of awkward distance between them. Neither Goku nor Vegeta had been amazing fathers, especially not Vegeta. But this was different, Son Bra was his fully biological child, she came from him.

He recalled Goku’s memories with Gohan, asking him to imagine that Freeza was destroying him and all of his friends in order to help him achieve Super Saiyan. It was a tough process, but eventually Gohan had not only reached but mastered Super Saiyan, and in a relatively short time.

In the case of Bra, it was a lot more delicate. She lacked Gohan’s experience and background, and certainly didn’t share his values.

She was also far more powerful, coming off as a capricious kid that let her emotions run wild. Her power was constantly going to her head and she would lose control. Even so, she couldn’t even transform at will yet, she had to be coaxed into anger to unlock Super Saiyan each time.

Vegetto had an idea... the only one he could think of anyway. Unbeknownst to him, in an entirely different universe, Son Goku was applying that exact technique at the same time — to a young human prodigy that he’d dreamed of one day meeting.

“If that’s the way it is... too bad.”

“Alright...” he suddenly yelled, his tone harsh. “Come on... you little brat! Get up, I’m gonna teach you how it’s done!”

The girl looked flabbergasted, the sudden silence between them rife with tension.

“What did you call me?” Bra asked, confused.

“Er... you heard me,” Vegetto affirmed. “Little pests like you, can’t do a useful damn thing until I literally drag it out of you. Do you even want to become a Super Saiyan? Then quit being a wimp and come fight me, little snob!”

Son Bra didn’t know what was happening, still stunned. What had gotten into her father? He’d been stern with her before, sure, but he had never flat out insulted her. Rather than anger, she instead felt surprise and unease.

Vegetto himself was quite embarrassed by the words coming out of his mouth, but he continued anyway. Without noticing his daughter’s tearful look, he pushed it even further, hoping to get the desired reaction.

“What are you waiting for? Are you gonna be like the rest of the girls your age or are you gonna grow up and do it yourself? You’re a big girl, aren’t you? So get up and transform! If you want to follow me out into the universe and become as strong as I am, stop whining! I’m tired of you shaming me in front of everyone by being my clumsy daughter, so hurry and let go!”

The girl was speechless, for once. Was her own father insinuating she was... weak? Ordinary? A stupid brat?

The brutality of the words was starting to sink in, and Vegetto felt an increasingly intense air between them. Somewhere within his psyche, Vegeta’s haughty nature was clashing with Goku’s innocent clumsiness. Vegetto seemed completely incapable of even the slightest pedagogy towards his daughter — and thus, he sank into a complex feeling of pride mixed with unease. To him, it was inconceivable that his own daughter, his direct descendent, the heiress of the most powerful being in the universe, could so uncaringly threaten the Earth as she’d done by losing control. If she couldn’t control herself, who was to say that the warnings of the Kaioshins and the Elder Namek wouldn’t come true? She was a reflection upon his own mental stability and thus a bad omen...

He was taking into consideration her enormous power level at birth, knowing that control at her age was certainly a challenge. She was just a child, the energy being released from her was too much. Only one other person in the universe was known to have faced such a problem, Broly the Legendary Super Saiyan. Luckily, Vegetto was far superior to Paragus at parenting. There was certainly not the level of desperation that must’ve called for a tiara to shackle and subdue her. Hopefully, she could learn self-control on her own... just like he was working on his...

But what he kept forgetting, paradoxically, was that Son Bra was just a child...

Her head was now clouded with mixed and confused emotions. Most of all was the uncertainty, the pain and misunderstanding and anger. It wasn’t the kind of rage Vegetto had hoped for either, this was a capricious fury, exasperated by her Saiyan blood. The fused being had never really considered just how much Son Bra had in common with her mother Bulma. It was way more than he thought and, combined with her Earthling upbringing, it had created a girl that was a literal uncontrollable ticking time bomb.

Suddenly, Son Bra transformed, her Super Saiyan eyes glaring up at her father while filled with tears.

“Perfect!” Vegetto exclaimed joyfully. “So no—”

A Kikoha straight to the face suddenly interrupted him. He took no damage, but his head was covered in black smoke. Stunned, he looked at the young girl that had targeted him.

“I hate you!” she cried. “Why are you being so mean to me, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“C... calm down, Bra!” Vegetto exclaimed, panicked. “Look, you’re a Super Saiyan, it worked!”

“I don’t care!” she roared back, sinking more into her childlike temperament.

She continued her assault, with Vegetto still being unsure how to react.

For two whole days this spectacle continued in similar fashion. No matter what approach Vegetto tried, it seemed he had lost the admiration of his daughter, who out of stubbornness had refused to listen to him. At times, she managed to transform, but Super Saiyan or not she was continually flinging energy attacks at him and refusing to heed his advice.

Covered in soot, his clothes having gradually ripped, Vegetto had gone from astonishment to frustration to impatience. His daughter was too chaotic for even him to control, if there was a suitable approach to all of this he hadn’t found it yet. But at this point, he’d already started growing numb to the situation. If this kid refused to listen to her own father, the great Vegetto, that was her problem. He didn’t have time to waste on thankless training that was going nowhere fast, definitely not entire days.

He failed to realize that it was also a reflection on him, that the qualities in Son Bra that were most irritating could be found within himself as well. In spite of rejecting his two past lives, he was still mired in their old experiences and only drew their worst mistakes from them. The internal turmoil of it all had drained any patience or delicacy he had left, preferring instead to run away from his interpersonal conflicts rather than find alternative solutions.

The breaking point came as he let out a sudden rage-induced howl, terrifying Son Bra.

“I’m fed up with this, you’re pissing me off!” Vegetto exclaimed, pointing at her. “I’m trying to teach you self-control but you won’t even bother listening! If you don’t care about learning to properly control your power and getting stronger, fine, go fend for yourself — but so help me if you destroy a single miserable building on this planet! You’ve been warned!”

With those words, Vegetto left his daughter, the girl trembling from head to toe. In the distance, she could hear her father still complaining about her under his breath.

“Stupid brat! She doesn’t listen, she won’t cooperate, and actively makes everything harder! I’m done!”

She stared blankly ahead, feeling deeply inadequate, disappointed in herself but also feeling a biting lingering bitterness growing towards her father.

Something between them had snapped.

The silence within the arena was palpable. The tension of absolute quiet, deafening. Yet, it was as if everyone could hear the rage bubbling up in the mind of Vegetto. Yet his non-expressive face still was impossible to decipher.

Buu of Universe 4 watched him with twinkling eyes of mischief, but it was ultimately Goku who spoke first.

“How awful,” he said, a bit tense. “Babidi and his slaves crossed every line...”

“I should’ve crushed that pest, then none of this would’ve happened,” Vegeta spat angrily.

“No,” admitted the Southern Kaioshin regretfully. “We are to blame for not expelling Babidi immediately after Majin Buu was eliminated. The failure is ours.”

“Do not carry the weight of that burden, venerable deity,” Gast Carcolh replied. “The true culprit is this wizard, hatching such a heinous scheme. You could not have foreseen anything of this magnitude.”

The Kaioshin uttered an angry growl, to the amusement of Buu — who himself was the true author of all the chaos. Babidi had certainly hatched the scheme, but Buu had enjoyed chipping in here and there to contribute to the plan’s quality and blood spectacle.

But still, Buu’s attention never left the greatest warrior of Universe 16, whose face was still unreadable. It was as if he wasn’t even listening to the conversation around him. His focus was entirely directed at the teenager who continued weeping on the ground a few steps in front of him...

A few seconds later, Vegetto slowly crossed the distance between them, positioning himself in front of his tearful daughter. The latter continued trembling, her eyes stubbornly avoiding him.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on them now.

“Vegetto?” Goku said, worried. He now recognized the gaze of utter contempt.

“Is what Buu showed us the truth, Bra?” Vegetto asked coldly. “Did you kill all these people?”

Son Bra continued shaking, staring at the ground and moaning.

“Look at me when I ask you a question! I want an answer, and I want you to tell me if all this really happened!” Vegetto yelled.

Through strenuous effort, the Saiyan girl managed to straighten up, turning her tearful eyes towards the severe gaze of her father.

“Y... yes...” she whispered, her voice breaking. “It’s... it’s my fault, everything that happened...”

Without a word or warning, an unblinking Vegetto slapped her hard, knocking her back down.

Everyone turned to them in horrified shock — except Buu, who reveled at the sight.

“Vegetto, what are you doing?” Goku exclaimed, stunned. “She’s not under Babidi’s spell anymore!”

“Silence!” interrupted the fused warrior. “Is that all you have to say for yourself, Bra? Do you think I feel reassured now, after hearing you admit to what you’ve done?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear!” she pleaded, scratching the ground. “I know it was me that did all this, of course I know that, but I wasn’t in control!”

Vegetto backhanded her coldly, slapping Bra back onto the ground while everyone watched in bewilderment.

“Control?” he growled. “Your entire life we’ve been talking about self-control, Bra! I devoted my existence to ensuring that at the very minimum you could gain the smallest amount of it. All that effort for nothing! You’ve killed Goten in the past with absolutely no remorse, and now you have the gall to cry in front of me when you’ve just sliced Gohan in half? NO! You’ve learned nothing, and now you’ll face the consequences! I warned you!”

“Hey, hold on!” Uub said, panicked. “There’s no point in violence, the fight’s over, Babidi’s been defeated! He was the culprit responsible for all of this, Son Bra was just the tool he used!”

“Did you not even hear her?” Vegetto retorted scoffingly. “She just admitted fault. And this isn’t the first time she’s crossed the line, she’s even killed one of her own brothers before, and do you think she felt any remorse then? No, she was just obsessed with becoming stronger! Her singular focus, a blind spot so big she would attack the whole world without hesitation. She’s crazy and out of control, no better than Broly, and you’ve all seen the proof. After what we just witnessed, I can’t and won’t stand by without acting.”

“Indeed, if these images are true,” the South Kaioshin added, “she has indeed committed the most heinous atrocities. However, we cannot overlook the true culprit, as this young human has just stated. Furthermore, now is not the time to pass judgment upon her for these crimes, we have other priorities.”

“Oh, but now is the perfect time,” Vegetto insisted. “Gohan would never allow it, always stepping in to defend her. But he’s not here right now, and why isn’t he? Oh right... because the high and mighty little goddess sadistically murdered him. This time, I’ll use common sense and do the right thing myself!”

“Wait, you aren’t going to...?” Trunks of the 16th started to ask.

Gotenks also tensed, his father’s words terrifying him. The Universe 16 Goten within the fusion knew only too well what Vegetto’s words meant. And sharing his thoughts and memories, Trunks of the 18th was able to sense the same deep anguish.

“No!” the boys said simultaneously, with Gotenks’ voice.

Vegetto took a step towards Son Bra, forming a short energy blade in his outstretched fingertips. Everyone flinched, horrified by the execution about to play out before them. Son Bra’s tears began to flow again, knowing she was doomed.

“Vegetto, this makes no sense, you’re way over the line!” Bra of Universe 18 shouted, looking on. “In the end she fought off Babidi, she didn’t want to do any of this!”

“As similar as you may look, you two are nothing alike,” Vegetto replied. “You don’t know how many times she’s faked hints of regret! She behaves like a spoiled brat, killing innocent people without batting an eyelid. She has no respect for the lives of others, she only cares about herself! Whatever the excuse is this time, she’s faced worse wizards than Babidi. He’s just a worm in comparison. The mere suggestion that she could be controlled by him is inconceivable! I have to do this now, before she reaches level three, there’s no other choice. If I don’t, she’ll soon be beyond even my power to stop!”

Universe 18’s Bra turned desperately from person to person, hoping that one of the others there would react. Buu merely scowled and shook his head.

“This is a family matter, it’s none of my business,” he said simply. “They should settle it themselves.”

Finally, a pointy-haired Sayian from the 18th Universe stepped forwards, positioning himself between Vegetto and Son Bra. The girl's eyes widened in shock, in utter disbelief at what she was seeing. Vegeta himself stood defiantly in front of Vegetto, his back to Son Bra, earning a surprised look from the fused warrior.

“I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” Vegeta growled, clenching his fists calmly. “Just because you’re angry and you feel justified, you think it's okay to commit filicide? I can’t believe that you would dare to even think about executing your own daughter!”

“It’s my duty”, Vegetto spat. “Her power is too dangerous, the innocent life that has been spilled demands retribution. I’ve tried guiding her, I’ve been patient, she won’t learn or listen — then she sells her soul to the first wizard that comes along just so she can let off some steam while I’m away! Don’t try to lecture me about what a good father should be, this is about guaranteeing the safety and security of everyone!”

“Because you’re so perfect, apparently?” Vegeta replied furiously.

Vegetto paused for a moment, his face hardening even more as Vegeta continued.

“Well you’ve got one thing right, I don’t see a father here in front of me. You’ve not only failed in educating your child, you also hide behind her like a shield you can point the blame at! Don’t you see those tears? Do you really think she’s acting? Are you that hard-hearted?”

“Shut up,” the fusion growled, ignoring Vegeta’s words. “You know nothing of my universe and my offspring. She’s no innocent sweet girl like yours, this is a savage and violent killer without empathy. I’ve given her chance after chance, and what does she do the first second I’m gone? Unleash her cruelty! Babidi’s just a pathetic cover. This isn’t the first time she’s slaughtered innocent people in her uncontrolled rage. But I swear, it will be the last.”

With a sudden Kiaï, Vegetto knocked Vegeta backwards and out of the way.

What happened next no one was able to react to.

Son Bra stared up at him in horror and panic.

“...Please, Dad, forgive me... It was all the voices, those horrible cries...”

Normally, the girl’s father would have softened his heart at such tears and words, which seemed sincerely regretful. But Vegetto’s rage burned definitively, his patience having been completely exhausted.

Her childhood slip-ups had all been forgiven, he’d even been reasonable when she attempted to control herself against Zangya. He’d put up with her rebellious teenage shenanigans, insults, and condescension — all of which were traits Bulma herself had possessed when she was younger. At her advice, Vegetto had been understanding.

But this latest outburst felt deeply personal, he considered it no less than betrayal. For the cruel murder of Gohan, Piccolo, and other innocents, all while sporting a sadistic smile... there was no going back.

His daughter was officially dead to him, a lost cause, a definitive threat that he was responsible for neutralizing.

Hardening his gaze with rage, he kicked Son Bra in the stomach, sending her flying to the other end of the arena. A trickle of blood fell from her lips as she gasped.

“Hey!” exclaimed Uub, the unprecedented violence challenging his understanding.

“Vegetto, NO!” Goku yelled also.

Buu whistled to himself, inaudibly, at the brutal display. That kind of blow would have destroyed a mountain like it was a sandcastle. And Son Bra just took it without blocking.

The latter managed to free herself from under the rubble that had fallen on her. She staggered and collapsed back to her knees, gasping for breath. The tears from her eyes still flowed, only now mixed with blood.

“I never wanted this, I swear to you... I’m begging you, believe me!” she moaned, nervously scratching the ground.

But Vegetto’s exasperation with her perceived hypocrisy, an opinion he’d already determined as fact, blinded him. He transformed into Super Saiyan and rushed her. Terrified, Bra of the 18th called out.

“No! Dad, stop him!”

Vegeta didn’t need his daughter’s panicked plea to motivate his actions, but it added fire to the flame. He transformed into Super Saiyan 2 and moved at full speed in front of Vegetto. Joining him instantly was Goku, also fully transformed.

“This has gone too far, Vegetto!” Goku said, holding his arms out. “She’s not with Babidi any more, you’re crossing the line right now!”

“Get out of my way or I’ll crush you too,” came the reply, Vegetto’s low threatening tone not concealing any of his ire.

“Where’s all this anger coming from?” Vegeta criticized. “This is your own child, dammit!”

“Exactly!” Vegetto raised his voice. “She’s my mistake, my responsibility, so I’ll do what I should’ve done years ago. Out of my way!”

With another powerful Kiai, he launched the two Saiyans into the air, with everyone else nearby unable to even approach — such was the magnitude of Vegetto’s Ki. He then rushed Son Bra again, gathering enough strength in his fist to put an end to her for good. The terrified Saiyan girl, relying on nothing but survival instincts, suddenly transformed into Super Saiyan 2 herself, reflexively blocking her father’s fist.

For half an instant, Vegetto didn’t know how to react, stunned by his daughter’s unexpected resistance. Somewhere in his soul, hidden deep down, a grain of pride swelled that she was finally able to master the transformation at will. But his mind was already deadset, guided only by rage.

How dare she resist?

How dare she evade justice, the punishment she knew she deserved?

“YOU DARE?” Vegetto yelled, immediately transforming into Super Saiyan 3.

Without realizing, the father was making the same mistake as his daughter. Poisoned by anger, his mind had lost all rational thought. The singular focus of getting rid of her at all costs had blinded him completely.

He had proudly paraded his daughter in front of everyone before, and then rather than save the universes she’d put them all in danger. She had exposed his incompetence as a father, making him look like a fool in front of everyone one too many times.

Not only that, but she was living proof of his own darkness, a mistake he had to correct at any cost.

Enraged, he raised his fist, committed to the final and irreparable act, ready to bring it to bear on his terrified daughter. Son Bra’s nightmares had become reality, the object of her fears about to end her. This was just like in the vision Babidi had shown her, the one she thought she could escape. The one that was inevitable no matter what she tried.

“Stop!” shouted Gotenks and Trunks of Universe 16.

But just as Vegetto swung his fist, his powerful arm charged to kill, the fused warrior suddenly collapsed onto his knees — gasping for breath. His long golden hair disappeared with his Super Saiyan aura, leaving the man in his base form, stunned. Everyone, bewildered, were unable to even speak.

Behind Vegetto stood Gast Carcolh, the Super Namekian, his arm outstretched. With a singular gesture, he’d created some kind of invisible force or pressure that had immobilized the Saiyan like a paralytic. Amazingly, the great Vegetto had just been neutralized.

“What the... I don’t have any more strength!!” he panicked, shaking.

In that moment, for the first time in his life, Vegetto felt truly helpless. He was unable to even move, let alone defend himself. Being at the complete and total mercy of others was a terrifying thought, which flooded his mind with fear as he came to the realization.

With all his might, he tried to get back up, but the same pressure forced him down. By some mysterious power, Gast was able to keep him completely under control — and apparently had no intentions of letting him run loose.

“Vegetto, that’s enough,” the Namekian said with a deep voice. “You are not the only one affected by this situation. If you truly seek a resolution, you must be willing to talk things through with civility. There has been enough violence, you mustn’t let yourself get carried away like this.”

“Im... Imbecile!” Vegetto grimaced. “Your opinion is irrelevant, you have no say, this is between me and my demented daughter! Now release me immediately!”

But the words only further affirmed Gast’s determination, causing the pressure on Vegetto to increase even further — the fusion let out a painful yell. Meanwhile, everyone around had begun to get a bit closer. Son Bra gazed at the Namekian with a look of complete amazement and disbelief.

“... Why would he?” she whispered.

Goku and Vegeta quickly rejoined the group also, with Vegeta giving Vegetto an extremely disappointed glare while he dropped to a knee next to Son Bra. The girl turned to face him in surprise yet again.

“Not too shaken up are you? Are you hurt?” he asked.

“I... why do you even care about me?” she groaned, still feeling the dark gaze of Vegetto on her.

“There’s been far too much death,” Goku stepped in, answering while he still kept an eye on the fused warrior. “I can understand why you feel this way, Vegetto, but it’s still completely inexcusable to go after your own daughter! How can you not see that Babidi is the culprit in this story!?”

“Indeed, she is very clearly the victim of his mind control magic,” Gast added, clarifying. “Why do you still see her as evil? We all saw that she broke his spell and freed herself from the wizard’s control.”

“Victim?” Vegetto repeated angrily. “Freed herself? She should’ve never succumbed to him to begin with! Babidi’s pathetic brainwashing is a joke, his control is easy to break! I’ve done it in the past, even Cell managed to do it! Bra just has no self control. Her only obsession is to become stronger, and she defies all rules and consequences. And for such a puny increase in power, she surrendered the little sanity she has!”

“And just what gives you the right to be so judgemental?” growled Vegeta.

“I’ve already told you, my daughter isn’t like yours. Our Bra is a sociopath, I’ve had to supervise and babysit her since she was a kid, her power makes her completely insane! Yet again, she’s just proven that she has absolutely zero control, and it’s up to me to stop her before she destroys our entire universe by reaching level 3!”

As Vegetto continued arguing the same tired points over and over, Universe 16’s Pan slowly approached Son Bra. The tearful girl, still tormented by her father’s accusations, looked up at Pan, a bit startled. At the sight of Pan’s face, she was devastated once again.

“How...” Gohan’s daughter asked through her tears. “How could you kill Dad? Did you at least hesitate, before doing something so awful?”

A fleeting vision of Son Gohan being sliced clean in two appeared in Son Bra’s mind. She couldn’t deny the truth — she’d felt absolutely nothing at the time. She had been guided by her bloodlust alone, overcome by her own superiority.

Seeing Son Bra’s face fall with guilt again, Pan took that as an admittance and slapped her as well, before walking away and collapsing on the ground. The young girl cried and cried, until it felt like her young body couldn’t produce even one more tear. Sharing a similar pain, her counterpart from Universe 18 also clenched her fists. But, something in her look differed. Seeing her grandfather and Vegeta both rush to the side of Son Bra in defense had struck her, they wouldn’t do something like that without good reason.