PART THIRTY THREE: THE LEGACY OF VEGETTO

Chapter 162

Translated by npberryhill, edited by Guilarai

A thick palpable tension had swept over all the individuals present in the ruins of the inter-universal battle arena. The almighty Vegetto of Universe 16 was still pinned down by an unknown magic, employed by Gast of Universe 7 who stood behind him.

Covered in blood, tears, and debris, Son Bra was still collapsed in front of Vegetto. And between her and her father stood Goku and Vegeta of Universe 18, both having rushed to the defense of the teenage girl — protecting her from the fusion’s murderous fury.

All the others present had gathered around like a gallery of jurors at a trial. Yet Vegetto still hadn’t calmed down, it seemed he wouldn’t until judgment had been rendered on his daughter for her crimes. So, everyone was convening to come to a decision regarding the matter.

“I agree with Goku,” Trunks of Universe 12 spoke up first. “It’s that scoundrel Babidi who subjected anyone with impurity in their heart to his will. Even scumbags like Freeza and Kakarotto obeyed his orders. That’s not to mention all the spectators he was able to turn against one another, I doubt any of them were acting of their own free will. Why should Son Bra be any different?”

“Did you not hear a word I just said?” Vegetto shot back. “She’s faced off with stronger magic than this before, she knows how to deal with it already! The only way she could’ve submitted to Babidi at her level is if she just let herself go — and knowing her, that wouldn’t surprise me!”

“Why would she have allowed herself to fall under his control?” Goku asked. “You compared your daughter to Broly, but you know that monster as well as we do — how could you say something like that? What happened that would force you to consider killing her?”

Considering the question, Vegetto and the other residents of Universe 16 present all reminisced back to Son Bra’s latest disaster...

The sky had turned completely black for a short time, but it had just resumed its usual azure tint. A bright light flashed above the lookout, scattering seven luminous streaks down towards the surface.

On the ground knelt Son Bra, weeping hot tears as she avoided the furious gaze of her father. He towered over her from his height. Nearby were Dende, Gohan, Bulma, Chichi, Trunks, and lastly Son Goten, who had just been resurrected moments ago — his sister had accidentally killed him during their last getaway.

“Oh Goten, are you all right?” Chichi worried, throwing her arms around him.

“It’s okay, Mom, uh, keep it together,” Goten said with a faint smile. “It was kinda weird being on this long windy path, waiting in line all surrounded by clouds, but I had some good company.”

He winked at his friend, who smiled back at him. Goten had been killed in the crossfire with several galactic warriors that Son Bra had defeated. No doubt these enemies, condemned to be nothing but floating clouds, had helped the young Saiyan make light of the situation.

However, the two young people both lost their smiles when they saw Bulma and Vegetto. A truly petrified girl was beneath them, and the two parents were arguing bitterly.

“Um... So can anyone tell me what happened?” Goten asked.

“How can I put it...” Trunks said hesitantly. “Bra reached Super Saiyan 2.”

“Oh, well that’s nice! So is that why your mom and dad are yelling at each other?”

“Well, do you remember when Bra turned into a Super Saiyan, the very first time?”

Son Goten was about to respond when he caught on to what Trunks was insinuating, and decided to remain silent.

“Exactly,” Trunks continued with a slight nod. “She didn’t just pulverize her enemies when she transformed. She took you out, plus an entire solar system. There were millions of deaths. It took Shenron several minutes to put everything back in order.”

“Wait, she killed me?” Goten repeated, shocked.

“She totally lost control, yeah. Way worse than the first time. She deliberately targeted the next closest planet, and you with it. Things are really serious.”

“I see, well that explains the shouting match they’re having about her,” Goten said bitterly. “I don’t like the thought that she actually killed me, that’s for sure, but — if she lost control with level one, it was bound to happen again when she reached level two. We’re gonna do like last time though and teach her how to control it, right?”

“I’m not so sure...” Trunks replied.

Before Goten could ask why, he heard Bulma’s voice rise to pitches rarely ever reached, even for her.

“...KILL OUR DAUGHTER!!? What is wrong with you!? I know she made a mistake of cataclysmic proportions but, no good father would ever say that to such a young girl, especially when it’s his own daughter!”

“We’re past talking about teaching her better!” Vegetto replied sharply. “The first time, Gohan and I managed without a problem. But now we’re talking about galactic security! If she doesn’t learn to control herself quickly, I won’t have any other option. What do you suggest I do to make her understand that she’d better listen to me this time?”

“Ask Gohan, maybe?” Bulma snarled furiously. “He’s been able to calm her down several times, and without once getting upset the way you do! And he certainly doesn’t make threats! Shenron fixed all the damage and I think she understands her mistake. With the punishment you just gave her, she’ll have a lot to think about, but this... you are way overstepping, Vegetto!”

“She doesn’t care! She’s got no awareness of the kind of damage she’s capable of doing! Do you think she blames herself for all those deaths, for Goten? That girl has to learn the value of life, and if she doesn’t make an effort I’m going to teach her my way... the hard way!”

“Stop!” Chichi interrupted, rushing towards them, Gohan following behind her.

The woman drove her finger into Vegetto’s chest forcefully, taking a stand next to Son Bra.

“Now you listen here. We certainly understand the severity of her mistake, and so does she, believe me, but enough is enough! I also blame her for killing our child, and we’ll most definitely punish her for it. But to say you’re going to kill her, I can’t accept that and neither will Bulma. It’s not a good idea and it never will be!”

“And what if she becomes the greatest threat the universe has ever known, what am I supposed to do then?” Vegetto persisted. “Tell me, should I spank her and give her a lecture on how slaughtering billions is wrong? No, I swore to the Kaioshin that I would watch over the universe, and Son Bra has proven herself a dangerous threat. Either she’s on the path to control now, or I’ll do the right thing myself.”

“And you call yourself a father?” Chichi snorted back. “Goku would’ve never dreamed of saying something so horrible. And I’m sure Vegeta wouldn’t have either, even though he was far from an angel.”

“Well I’m not them!” growled Vegetto. “And none of their children are potential psychopaths. Bra is MY daughter, and therefore it’s my responsibility to make sure she’s no threat to anyone.”

Bulma’s eyes welled with tears, staring at him and unable to utter a word, while Chichi continued arguing furiously. Trunks and Goten, for their part, were unmoved, appalled by Vegetto’s attitude. Their real dads would’ve never threatened them. Vegeta himself had sacrificed his life against Majin Buu to protect his family. Was that same Vegeta really still inside of this fused warrior, who was somehow able to suggest killing his own daughter?”

Son Bra remained caught in the middle of this storm of arguments. She understood that she was the one that had caused the disaster, but what traumatized her was the way her father was overreacting — well, she considered it an overreaction. All she heard was that he wanted to get rid of her, fearing that she might become too strong. But she’d finished the mission and killed the enemies, that was the point, right? Why hadn’t he instead congratulated her on reaching the next level? The Dragon Balls were there to fix everything, why were they getting so upset. Goten was back alive, everything was fine, right?

She barely even felt Gohan’s hand rest on her shoulder sympathetically, trying to reassure and comfort her. Even though he agreed that she had gone too far, he couldn’t blame her. Once upon a time, he himself had felt the overwhelming rush of arrogance brought on by Super Saiyan two, and it ended up causing Goku’s death. Bra was going through the same guilt, and it was a tough lesson, one that would undoubtedly serve as a powerful reminder. But the girl looked to be completely shaken after Vegetto’s violent threats, and he was going to have to redouble his efforts to keep her from spinning out of control. Vegetto was right about one thing, he definitely wasn’t acting like Son Goku anymore...

“I’ve given her countless chances,” Vegetto replied to Goku. “She killed Goten back in our universe. She obliterated an entire planet that was inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. Time after time her power overflows and she just lets it run wild. And yet we’ve always forgiven her and done our best to help train her to contain it. But just look at this latest massacre! What other option is there? Tell me!”

Son Goku paused, he didn’t agree with Vegetto’s reasoning but he gave no response. Even though Bra had killed Piccolo, Gohan, and many other innocent and good people, he still didn’t see her as the culprit. Looking at her, all he saw was a victim of Babidi’s treacherous magic. But what he also noticed was that Vegeta’s gaze was just as focused.

The Southern Kaioshin stepped forward to speak next.

“We’ve dealt with Babidi’s magic before, back in my own universe,” he stated angrily. “His father, Bibidi, was an expert practitioner of the dark arts. He was a fiend, who relished in corrupting mortals to spill blood for him across the universe. At the time, we discussed and concluded that his subordinates were all merely slaves, pawns he had forced into service. He had a talent for subduing troubled minds, tortured souls, and those with impure hearts. Although Son Bra acted in a heinous and atrocious way, and does indeed deserve punishment, I judge that Babidi himself, the infamous wizard, must receive the majority of the blame. He alone deserves the death penalty.”

Most of those present heaved a sigh of relief. Certainly with the pronouncement coming from one of the divine lords, his verdict would stand.

But others disagreed...

“It’s hard to say,” Eleim of Universe 19 said bitterly. “We don’t know anything about this sorcery stuff or magic. I know one of our own was manipulated... But from the memories shared by Buu, Naurb seemed to have retained some sense of his personal individuality. If Babidi’s slaves are able to retain a part of themselves, then Son Bra has just demonstrated that she is still capable of great cruelty even now. And it is obvious that she must answer for her actions to my people, for the murder of Phipsil and Nedwook.”

Son Bra stubbornly kept her eyes on the ground in front of her, almost entranced and distanced away from the reality of the moment. She was so consumed with guilt and shame that she was starting to wish she’d never been born.

All her life she’d only ever been a problem for her family, her father in particular. He was right, she was a heartless monster. She had never truly regretted killing Goten, or the other thousands of innocent people during her youth. Not until now. All of those years worth of regret, feelings she’d never truly had, were flooding her mind. They were the same emotions Babidi had used in order to gain control of her.

And now that the wizard had unlocked those pent-up feelings, she wanted only one thing: to die. Death was the only escape, the only freedom from her torment. What other penance was there for everything she had done?

“If I may...” Buu of Universe 4 began to speak.

“Shut up,” Vegetto cut him off angrily. “This is none of your business!”

“On the contrary, I can offer you an additional perspective,” Buu hissed between his teeth. “My knowledge in the field of magic is most extensive, and Babidi’s is no exception. He searches for the deepest darkest desires, the most negative emotions, regret, evil thoughts within, and converts a person through them. He takes their morality and twists it, warping their perception. Friends become enemies, love becomes hatred, suffering becomes strength. Babidi is an expert, I’ll give it to him.”

“You’re only confirming everything I’ve said,” Vegetto interrupted sourly. “It was the perfect opportunity for her to have fun and let out all her accumulated frustrations. She was the dream prey for your old master!”

“Hey, I’m just giving you the facts, do what you want to with them,” Buu sneered before leaving the debate.

“It seems relevant to me that I hear the defense of Son Bra herself,” Android #16 of the 12th universe said.

The girl looked around blankly. She was desperate and just wanted it all to finally end.

“I have nothing to say,” her broken voice finally responded. “Everything is my fault. I killed Piccolo, Gohan, all of your friends... I don’t deserve mercy. Please, just let Vegetto kill me, let’s get it over with.”

“You see, even she admits it!” Vegetto exclaimed. “I’m telling you to let me go right now. This is my duty!”

“No,” Gast said, tightening his psychic hold. “This debate is far from over. How is it your business to execute your daughter? Why would we allow this? Enough blood has been shed today, I will not permit a father to commit such an act before my eyes.”

“I’m not acting as her father, but as the protector of my entire universe — as the defender of all of her future victims,” growled Vegetto. “Why is that so hard for you to understand?”

“Vegetto, everyone has the right to redemption,” Gast replied sternly. “Even more so for your own flesh and blood. As a father, your paternal responsibility is to guide and help raise her, not deal out death and judgment as you see fit. You would carry the weight of regret for the rest of your life. You’d never be able to forgive yourself.”

“I forbid you to lecture me on this any more, Namekian. You know nothing! If Bra yielded to this wizard’s influence, it was out of pure selfishness, and proof of her worsening madness! She couldn’t control herself, and she already knew what the punishment would be if this kind of thing happened again!”

“You’re clearly in no position to say that.”

Vegetto painfully raised his head, seeing that Vegeta of Universe 18 had been the one to speak.

“You and I are both far from being saints, it seems to me,” he hissed contemptuously, looking on with disdain. “Need I remind you that we submitted to the same magic? Willingly. We basically baited him into enslaving us, just to satisfy, how did you say... our pure selfishness?”

Vegetto frowned with displeasure, while Son Bra seemed to snap back to reality at the words.

“Dad... Dad submitted to Babidi?” she stuttered.

“That’s got nothing to do with this!” Vegetto railed. “I... we knew full well what we were doing, and we stayed in complete control of our will!”

“I say it’s exactly the same situation,” Vegeta retorted. “We did it for power, for the sole purpose of confronting Goku as equals, disregarding the risk of freeing Majin Buu. That’s what happened. If I recall, we even killed dozens of innocent people to achieve our goal. And we’ve done far more terrible things than that, all voluntarily... yet we were still forgiven. There’s no way you could know this, as it didn’t happen in your universe, but King Enma allowed me to be resurrected in spite of my crimes. So I won’t allow you to take such a stance against your own daughter, when you and I have done far worse!”

“Shut up, I don’t care at all about the story of your universe! We took different paths, to me you're nothing but a memory, I’m no longer you or Son Goku! And my daughter is my problem and mine alone!”

“Wrong.”

Gotenks took a step forward, looking angrily at his father. Goten of Universe 16, from inside, was mainly speaking.

“We’ve already been over this. I’ll admit, Bra was never able to master level two and occasionally goes berserk. And you made it clear to us that your big brilliant idea to solve all this was just to kill her if she ever lost control again. But you’re not the only one with the right to judge. This affects our whole family, this is our universe too. Bra is your daughter, but she’s also my sister. I also get a say in whether or not she’s passed the point of no return.”

Trunks of Universe 16 joined him, handing the wounded Goten of the 18th over to Uub.

“That’s true, Dad,” he said. “If Bra were to ever become our enemy, it would be all of our responsibility. And if some magical manipulation is involved, we have magical ways to deal with that too. We’ve already discussed all of this. If you kill Bra now, don’t expect Mom to welcome you back with open arms, or me for that matter. Quit thinking like you’re alone!”

“Fools!” Vegetto shouted. “You still don’t understand? She sold her soul to Babidi, she killed Gohan, if you don’t think that’s the point of no return, what is? Have you already forgotten she sent you to Otherworld too, Goten?”

“Of course I haven’t forgotten,” Gotenks answered. “But I refuse to believe she succumbed to Babidi of her own free will. You, on the other hand, did exactly that. Vegeta just said so, you deliberately got him to target you. You knew about his powers, so you were able to resist. But Bra isn’t you, Dad. She doesn’t have your pride, your experience, she’s still a young girl! She has her flaws, but as a brother I can say with full confidence that she would’ve never betrayed us to a bastard like Babidi of her own free will.

He pointed to Son Bra.

“You threatened to kill her, yet she grew up treating us all like trash. Pretentious, overwhelmed by Saiyan pride, and boring to no end. She was insufferable, that’s true, and honestly she still kinda is as a teenager. But she’s my little sister. We all saw her grow up, we lived together. And I know that deep down she has a good heart, even if she can be foul and freak out sometimes. Gohan told me that he lost his good sense too when he transformed into Super Saiyan 2. Don’t you think that if even Gohan did that we can give Bra the benefit of the doubt?”

Son Bra stared at her brothers in disbelief. After she’d done nothing but drag them down her whole life, how were they still standing up for her? She didn’t deserve their affection, much less their forgiveness.

“But Bra has a total lack of empathy,” Vegetto replied, fidgeting. “She felt no remorse at all for her actions so far. Do you expect me to believe that she miraculously changed, that suddenly she’s comparable to Gohan back then? You’re in no position to lecture me when you’ve done absolutely nothing to help me. You’ve been outclassed for a long time. If Bra goes wild again, I’ll be the only one capable of acting!”

“It’s true how much we rely on you, Dad, no one here will say otherwise,” Gotenks replied. “When I see how much my counterpart, the other Goten, struggled to protect his family, it makes me aware I should become stronger too. We’ve depended on you too much. Gohan doesn’t want to have to fight anymore, and neither do I. That’s why you’ve been training Bra in our stead. But now, you’re suggesting that I need to train... in order to defeat my own sister? What if I surpass you and I go nuts, would Bra have to train to defeat me then? It’s an endless cycle! I understand preparing for a possible threat. But to practice fighting the people I love to the death, just in case? That’s not a plan.”

He glanced at Trunks, who nodded.

Son Bra’s remorse intensified, and she burst into tears again. It was then that Bra of Universe 18 spoke up.

“Your daughter broke the mind control all by herself. I saw it with my own eyes, she knows what’s important now. From today on, she’s taken charge! Look, she’s even mastered control of level two with no problem!”

Vegetto paused, turning to inspect his daughter carefully. He had to admit that she’d reacted admirably when he had attacked. She’d defended herself, and without any excess or glint of madness. But she’d disappointed him far too often for him to accept this miraculous evolution.

“...Father...”

His eyes met her tearful gaze. Bra had come to her senses.

“Did you really think I would submit to Babidi of my own free will?” she asked. “I know you have a low opinion of me, and rightly so, but to think I would do such a thing...”

“Explain it to me then, Bra,” growled Vegetto. “Just how did you succumb to his influence? I trained you in how to resist this kind of magic, I was counting on you being able to handle yourself in exactly this kind of situation. It shouldn’t surprise you that I assume the worst, when all your life I’ve been preparing you for a moment like this!”

“... it was the voices.”

“Ah! So that’s your excuse? The voices? What voices?” Vegetto snapped.

“All the horrified screaming, thousands of terrified voices crying out, I felt their pain, their suffering!” Bra shouted. “While I was sleeping they bombarded my senses, and I couldn’t take it anymore — when suddenly I felt the... the magic from Babidi...”

Everyone remained silent as they heard the girl out. Vegetto continued staring at her unreadably.

“I see...” Gast finally said. “Hatchiyack, the cries you heard were from him, the monster I defeated in my fight. They caused you to experience the suffering of all your victims and the pain of the people you’ve hurt. But this is also proof you are not a monster, young Saiyan. You do indeed feel the pain of others.”

“But... I have no excuse!” complained Son Bra. “I would never kill Gohan, and yet I did just that. I was weak against Babidi, it should’ve never happened!”

“Again, if I may...” Buu chuckled. “Vegetto was also on his knees when that monster started screaming. And he’s supposed to be the strongest in all the universes, right? Just putting things in perspective, young lady.”

“Dad too?” Bra gasped.

Vegetto began to growl more loudly with frustration. He felt pathetic, exposed, looked down upon by all the wretches beneath him — him, the hero of his universe, of all existence even!

“Do you begin to understand now, Vegetto?” Gast resumed. “Under such circumstances, anyone could’ve been broken by Babidi’s magic. No one is perfect, neither you nor your daughter. And you can’t place the burden on her to be as strong-willed as you are. She’s but a child. And a father should have faith in his child, should seek to save them, not kill them.”

“Bullshit!” cried Vegetto, trembling. “You have no right to judge me!”

“And why not?” Gotenks reacted. “Every important decision seems to somehow fall on you alone to decide, without even asking the rest of us. Nobody’s perfect, Gast just said so. That includes you. You’re both hot-tempered and fallible. You say you’re the only one that can stop Bra, but it’s no thanks to you that we stopped her today. She managed to end this crisis herself, without your help, and without you having to kill her.”

Vegetto tensed, looking at Gotenks with what appeared like full hatred.

“Say that again?” he angrily grumbled.

“This is exactly what I’m talking about, Dad,” Gotenks continued. “You have such impatience that you get carried away all the time. And you only ever try to solve your problems with force. If you get overwhelmed by a situation, you just run away and let others deal with it. Who took care of Bra after she first transformed? Where were you when Buu trashed everything at the tournament, you left after you got disqualified! I realize you struggle with being overwhelmed by anger, but you have to understand that we often pay the price for that. And here you say that Bra has no self-control, but try pointing the finger at yourself as her model!”

“You...” Vegetto was squirming now.

“We’ve seen you get upset a lot, Dad...” Trunks of Universe 16 added. “You like to overflow with criticism at other people, yet you can’t ever be talked back to.”

“Because I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Today?” Gotenks asked. “No, you’ve committed no crimes, Vegetto. But you blame Bra for feeling no regret for her mistakes. What about all the crimes you committed as Vegeta? How many civilizations did he destroy that were never restored by the Dragon Balls? Neither of you have shown even the slightest regret for anything, even your past actions. And you have just as much blood on your hands as she has, if not more.”

“I’m not Vegeta!”

“Sure you are,” Vegeta said.

Gotenks turned hastily, wondering if he’d just offended the original Vegeta. But he was actually smiling.

“You’re not the first to bring that up,” he continued. “Bulma once asked me about it, several times actually. She never was able to accept my explanation either. Vegetto and I have no regrets for our past deeds. It was our job and we did it, that’s all there is to it.”

Some of those watching on were horrified by what they’d just heard.

“I know what Vegetto hates and it’s not that Bra killed weaklings, but that she did so accidentally.”

“Ve...Vegeta!” Goku stammered. “Don’t tell me you’d ever go back to your old ways so easily! I know you’ve changed.”

“Don’t worry, ‘Son Goku’”, Vegeta said, insisting on using his Earth name rather than Kakarotto. “What drove me to be cruel back then was my greatest weakness — to crush all others at any cost... I’ve grown beyond that need now. But as for downed Vegetto here, I’m not so sure.”

The ‘downed’ Vegetto grit his teeth, suppressing a surge of rage. Those words, carefully chosen to infuriate him, had hit him just as expected.

But he was wrong! He could crush Vegeta with a single finger! The wretch! He was wrong... right?

“We have to come clean with you,” Trunks added with embarrassment. “We’ve often wondered if one day... it’ll be you that we have to protect the universe against.

Vegetto was unable to answer, stunned by what he’d just heard.

He remembered the warning Mori, the Namekian leader, had given him a long time ago.

“Why would your child destroy the universe? No Saiyan would destroy a planet just for fun.”

“Some people have wanted to.”

“Like you?”

“The thought may have crossed my mind.”

...

“These are all just excuses.”

“Say what?”

“Even if they were to lose their mind they’ll always be your child, and should be much less powerful for a long time. You’ll be able to bring them to their senses. But I fear the one who poses a potential danger to the universe is you. Who will be able to calm you down if you choose not to control yourself?”

“I just told you I —”

“—that you know how to control yourself, but you inwardly fear the opposite. You sense a growing darkness within yourself, and it frightens you. You worry your children may inherit it.”

“So you’re saying I’m a danger to the universe?”

“Much more so than your future children. Perhaps one day they will be the ones who have to stop you.”

– ...

Vegetto was unable to answer, having buried that question in his mind long ago but now having it resurface to torment him. His children were right and he knew it. But he refused to hear it.

To recognize his own darkness would be an acknowledgement. Witnessing Son Bra’s own wild rampage highlighted the danger he himself posed. And he refused to see himself as the universe's greatest threat — he was created to fight Majin Buu, the true ultimate scourge of the universe.

He constantly hugged the spotlight, self-congratulating his merits and taking all the best roles. He showcased his destiny as a hero and his heiress at every opportunity. But she had just betrayed the expectations, and even if he were about to admit it wasn’t her fault, it pissed him off — inwardly he knew the failure was his own. The guilt he felt confirmed he was the culprit of the story. And that enraged him further.

He glared at Gotenks and Son Bra fiercely. She looked away, but suddenly felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Vegeta of Universe 18.

“Don’t look away, Bra,” he said. “Chin up, hold his gaze. We are just as guilty as you. We’ve all made mistakes and committed acts we aren’t proud of. Including Gohan, whom you hold in such high regard. You are entitled to the same forgiveness that I received, now that you’ve understood the scope of your actions.”

Vegeta then donned a benevolent smile towards the stunned young girl.

“It falls to you, then, to become better — this is an opportunity to prove to your father the kind of person you want to become. Show him he’s wrong about you, that he can be proud of you.”

With total incomprehension, Bra could only stare at him as she felt tears of an altogether different sort begin to well up. For the first time, her heart had been genuinely softened by kind words. It was as if she was suddenly aware of the extent of the damage she’d caused all her life, but also the extent of the love her family had for her. Her brothers, Pan, her parents... even Vegetto. She knew he’d done his best, even though he was obviously not cut out to be a father. She couldn’t blame him. But she could no longer align her life with that of her father. She had to change, for the good of everyone.

She dared to direct her eyes, misted with tears, into the furious gaze of her father. A sort of tense silence had settled over everyone as the others cast awkward sideways glances at one another.

Finally, Bra straightened up, relaxing out of her Super Saiyan two state. She apprehensively approached her father, who was still pinned on the ground, yet she had a new light on her face now. And it was something her father didn’t fail to notice.

“Dad... I’m sorry,” she said, shaking. “I regret my previous actions. You’re right, I should’ve been better than Babidi. If I’d only been stronger, I would never have committed these monstrous crimes. I’ve been weak... I am weak.”

As Vegetto was about to react, Son Bra continued, changing her tone.

“All my life, I’ve felt a growing resentment within me, and I’ve burned with frustration. All these negative emotions I’ve carried, I realize now that we both share them. I grew up following after you, trying to gain your approval. But because I modeled myself after you, I allowed myself to fall prey to the same overwhelming negative emotions. And I vow to never let that happen again. I was on the wrong path, because you were my role model. And I’ll always admire you, Dad, but becoming the strongest fighter in the universe is no longer my goal. I don’t want to be stronger than you anymore.”

She approached her alter-ego, the surprised girl watching her carefully, and pointed.

“I want to become stronger than her.”

“Become... stronger than some kid obsessed with fashion?” Vegetto repeated, dumbfounded. “What kind of reasoning is that?”

“I’m not just talking about brute force, that’s not all that counts,” Son Bra continued. “Through her help, I realized that being the best isn’t all about fists. There are so many that are stronger than me... Piccolo, Gohan, the Heloites from Universe 19... My weak version is much better than I am. I have to become a better version of myself.”

Bra and Vegeta from Universe 18 both had begun to smile, listening to her speak. Finally, she had started down a pathway that led to the understanding of true Saiyan pride. She was embarking with a whole new trajectory, difficult but virtuous. And they both knew that with that mindset, she’d be capable of overcoming any hardship that lay ahead.

As for Vegetto, he was still speechless, helpless, and disturbed. After observing the scene carefully, Gast Carcolh decided to release his psychic hold on Vegetto, withdrawing his hand.

“Well, I think this incident is now closed,” he said.

The fused warrior felt the pressure around him lift suddenly, and he was able to straighten back up.

“I’ve... regained all my strength!” he wondered aloud. He then turned angrily to his children, and then to Gast.

“How quaint, faith in your children, offering redemption,” he cursed, the impassive Namekian still giving his attention. “But you’re not the one who will have to deal with this kid after everyone goes back home! What am I supposed to do the day she hits level three? When the day comes that she surpasses me and is able to destroy everything?”

“I have confidence,” Gast replied with a smile. “You’ll know what to do. If she were to find herself overwhelmed by her powers again, you — her father — will be able to find a solution other than killing your own child. I have faith in her, and I have faith in you.”

Vegetto still trembled with anger, but he did his best to suppress it. Now was not the time to get upset. He took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles, knowing that all eyes were on him. A few sighs of relief broke out as he did, from Son Bra, Gotenks, and Universe 16’s Trunks — they each stared silently at one another. It went without saying that their eventual return home would not take place under the most lighthearted conditions.