Merus did not argue. He lifted his staff, gave it a light sweep, and a huge projection opened above Capsule Corporation's yard.
The image showed Bardock and Beerus facing each other over the mountains, with Buu floating off to the side like a spectator who had bought the best seat in the house.
Goku's eyes lit up at once. "Dad's amazing."
"Grandpa, you can do it!" Goten shouted, bouncing on his toes.
Zarek folded his arms and gave the projection a hard look. "If you lose to a cat, you don't deserve to be my dad."
Gine snapped her head toward him. "Zarek, did your father hit you too lightly earlier?"
Zarek immediately pretended he had not heard her and kept his eyes fixed on the projection.
From another part of the yard, Gohan raised his voice too. "Grandpa, keep going! Beat that God of Destruction!"
Trunks, caught up in the mood, tugged at Vegeta's sleeve. "Dad, should we cheer for Goten's grandpa too?"
Vegeta glared at him. "Shut up."
Trunks blinked, completely lost.
What did he do?
Chi-Chi was even angrier than the children. "That unreasonable stray cat started a fight over pudding! Father-in-law, teach him a lesson!"
The projection carried everyone's attention to the mountains.
Bardock hovered above the shattered peaks, red divine fire rolling around him, his long hair shifting in the wind. Beerus watched him from across the sky, still annoyed, but no longer dismissing him outright.
Bardock moved first. He closed the distance in a flash and drove in with a heavy punch, but Beerus met him faster, slapping a palm into his chest before the strike could fully land. Bardock was knocked back at once, and Beerus followed with a kick that sent him crashing down into the mountain below.
The impact shook the range. Rock split, the mountainside collapsed, and broken stone buried Bardock under a rolling wave of debris.
A moment later, red light burst through the rubble. Bardock shot back into the sky and stopped in front of Beerus, battered but steady.
Beerus's eyes sharpened with real interest. "Not bad. What was your name again?"
"Bardock."
"Good. I'll remember it."
Bardock gave a low snort and settled back into his stance.
Beerus looked him up and down, his attention returning to the clothes Bardock wore. "And that outfit. You really are dressed like a God of Destruction."
"I am one."
"Which universe?" Beerus asked. "You don't look like an apprentice. You're the real thing. I go to sleep for a while, and now some universe has replaced its God of Destruction without me hearing about it?"
"Universe 9," Bardock said.
Beerus's expression changed. "Universe 9?"
Bardock said nothing more. He had expected that reaction.
Of course Beerus was surprised. The man had slept through everything. While Beerus was snoring away, entire universes had changed, and even Universe 7 was no longer the place he remembered.
Beerus frowned. "Universe 9's God of Destruction is Sidra. What happened to him?"
"He died."
The words landed harder than any punch Bardock had thrown so far.
Beerus stared at him. "What did you say?"
"Sidra died," Bardock said calmly.
"How?"
"He provoked someone he shouldn't have."
Beerus's face darkened. "Who?"
"A very powerful god," Bardock said. "Powerful enough that even the guards have to bow their heads in front of him."
Beerus's first thought was obvious. "You mean Zeno-sama?"
"No."
That made Beerus pause.
Not Zeno-sama?
Then the Grand Priest?
But the Grand Priest killing a God of Destruction outright was not something Beerus had ever heard of. Sidra was not especially impressive, but he was still a God of Destruction. A god at that level dying while Beerus slept was not a small matter.
"The Grand Priest, then?" Beerus pressed.
Bardock only smiled.
Beerus's irritation rose immediately. "Say it."
"I've told you enough," Bardock said. "The rest is for you to figure out. A lot happened while you were asleep, Beerus. More than you can understand all at once."
Beerus's mouth tightened.
That answer told him something and nothing at the same time, which made it even more irritating.
Bardock's expression hardened. "I trained all these years because I wanted to defeat you."
Beerus let out a short laugh. "With that level of skill?"
"With this level of skill," Bardock said.
He vanished as soon as the words left his mouth.
Beerus kicked backward without turning. His heel caught Bardock under the chin just as Bardock appeared behind him, knocking him off balance before his punch could connect. Beerus followed with a blow to the chest, then flipped and drove Bardock down again with a heavy kick.
Bardock dropped toward the forest like a shell fired from the sky. He caught himself only a few yards above the ground, teeth clenched, red aura roaring as he forced his body to stop.
Then he shot back up.
This time his punch carried enough force to tint the sky red around him. The air shook as he came in, but Beerus simply raised his hand and pressed down.
Bardock's fist struck Beerus's palm.
Beerus's arm moved slightly.
Nothing more.
"For a God of Destruction, you're strong," Beerus said. "You might even be around Quitela's level."
Bardock remained silent.
"You know Quitela, don't you?"
"The yellow rat."
"That one." Beerus smiled, then his expression cooled. "But compared to me, you're nowhere close."
He kicked Bardock in the head before Bardock could pull back. The hit left Bardock dazed, and Beerus used his grip on Bardock's arm to whip him high into the air.
Buu saw the situation turning bad and appeared beside Bardock, catching him before he could fly farther.
Beerus watched them with open contempt.
"You okay?" Buu asked.
Bardock gave a bitter smile. "He really is the strongest God of Destruction. I'm nowhere near him."
"Only Broly can handle that guy," Buu said.
"Then heal me, Little God of Destruction."
Buu blinked. "You still want to fight him?"
"One last try. If it doesn't work, I'll stop."
"Oh." Buu nodded and raised his hand. Healing light spread over Bardock's body, closing injuries and restoring his strength.
Beerus recognized the technique at once, but made no move to interrupt. "Healing, huh? Fine. Recover properly. It's more interesting that way. Or you can both attack me at once."
"No need," Bardock said as his energy steadied. "I'm enough."
"No matter how many times he heals you, you won't beat me."
"If this fails, I admit defeat," Bardock said.
Beerus's interest returned. "You still have another transformation?"
"No. This is my strongest form." Bardock lowered his voice. "But I haven't pushed it to the limit yet."
"Then show me this limit."
Bardock's expression grew heavier.
Back in Bulma's yard, everyone watched the projection hanging in the sky. The fight was far from Capsule Corporation now, so without Merus's image, all they would have seen was distant light.
Krillin glanced at Goku. "Can your dad still raise his power? He isn't bluffing, right?"
Something smacked the back of Krillin's head before the question finished sinking in.
He spun around, clutching his skull. "Ow! What was that for?"
Zarek glared at him. "Don't talk about my dad like that, bald guy."
Krillin stared. "You were the one wishing him dead earlier!"
"He's my dad. I can say what I want. You don't get to." Zarek gave him a sharp look. "And who are you calling short?"
Krillin trembled with anger and turned to Goku. "Goku, do something about your brother!"
Goku laughed. "If Dad said he can do it, then he can."
Krillin stared at him.
Goku had changed.
Was he not supposed to be his best friend?
"Watch carefully, Zarek," Goku called. "The real fight starts now."
"I don't need you telling me that," Zarek muttered, but he did not look away from the projection.
Merus leaned toward Ken. "Can Bardock really go higher?"
"Yes," Ken said.
"He's already level 54," Merus murmured. "Even if he pushes further, gaining two levels would be impressive. Beerus-sama is level 58. That gap is not small. One level is already enough to crush an opponent if both sides are near the top. Beerus-sama has mostly been playing around."
"Then watch."
Merus stopped talking and focused on the projection.
Bulma sighed as she looked up with everyone else. "My birthday party turned into a movie screening."
Whis and Amarella also watched the projection quietly.
Over the mountains, Bardock's face had turned completely serious.
His God ki surged.
The red fire around him thickened, then deepened, pouring out in heavier waves. Lightning crawled across his body, brighter and denser than before, while the air around him began to warp under the pressure.
Then the color changed.
The red flame snapped into blue.
Even Beerus's eyes widened.
Bardock himself looked down at his hands, stunned for a heartbeat by the blue glow surrounding him.
Why had it changed?
In the yard, Goku nearly shouted with excitement. "Dad did it! That's Super Saiyan Blue Three, right? Amazing! I only just learned Super Saiyan Blue, and Dad can already go to Three!"
Vegeta stood frozen.
For one miserable second, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
If his father were still alive, he would have been stronger than Kakarot's father.
Buu stared at Bardock with wide eyes, unusually quiet.
Beerus's face darkened. "So changing color doesn't count as a new transformation, does it?"
"I didn't know it would turn blue," Bardock said, still looking at the light around his body.
The surprise faded quickly, replaced by a sharp, controlled excitement. His power had changed completely. It was not simply more God ki; it felt cleaner, stronger, and far heavier than before.
The problem was stability.
Bardock could feel the form straining against him. The power would not last long, and if he failed to control it, it would scatter.
"I don't have much time," Bardock said, lifting his eyes to Beerus. "So I'm going all out. Be careful."
Beerus raised a hand, but his expression was no longer casual. He could feel the difference too. Bardock had changed completely. This was not the same opponent he had been toying with a moment ago.
"Come on."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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