After listening to Latilis' explanation, Trunks finally understood a bit more about what was going on inside the Saiyan Empire.
Even if he ignored orders and forced his way to the Empire's homeworld, meeting his uncle probably wouldn't be easy at all.
As a puppet emperor, Tarble was surely being watched closely by Paragus at all times. There was no reason Paragus would let Trunks casually step into the Empire's internal power struggle.
"Captain Ginyu, what do you think?" Trunks asked.
When the group left Earth, they'd brought along two high-end fighters as well: Ginyu and Cell Junior #1. After following Frieza for so many years, Ginyu had seen a lot and counted as half a strategist.
Ginyu narrowed his eyes, staring at Bajitena. "You've definitely got a problem! You say Tarble's a puppet, but you still brought Saiyan Empire soldiers to pick Trunks up and take him back…"
Trunks snapped to attention. "So, Bajitena whose side are you on, really?"
Bajitena folded her arms, chin lifted in pride. "Even an idiot could see it. I, Bajitena, will never submit to Paragus."
"We feel the same," Nanaba and Latilis said, holding their heads high.
"You're not completely stupid, Prince," Bajitena said, a hint of approval in her eyes. "Even if His Majesty Tarble's plan fails, at least there's someone to carry on."
"What plan does my uncle have?" Trunks asked immediately.
"Unless you agree to help His Majesty Tarble complete his plan, I won't reveal a single thing."
Trunks hesitated.
He didn't really know what kind of person his uncle was, and he couldn't fully trust Bajitena and the others either.
Master Roshi leered with a grin. "Based on this old man's vast experience judging people, a girl this cute definitely can't be bad."
"I agree," Krillin backed him up. "To earn the loyalty of three beautiful young ladies, that Tarble guy must be decent."
"…Fine." Trunks exhaled. "I promise I'll help my uncle carry out his plan."
For some reason, every time Trunks looked at Bajitena, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. That was the biggest reason he chose to believe her.
"Good." Bajitena's tone remained lofty and imperious. "After these past few days, you've earned my approval. I'll tell you now."
After a long while, Trunks was so shocked by his uncle's audacious plan that he couldn't speak.
"You're saying my uncle originally made a deal with the Heeters… and planned to use the Cereal Dragon Balls to revive my father?"
"Correct. But when they went to make the wish, they discovered Prince Vegeta had already reincarnated. So His Majesty changed his approach he decided to have us search for your father's reincarnation."
"And then what?" Trunks finally forced himself to speak, breaking the dead silence.
"Then we help him recover his memories… and restore his power."
"His Majesty Tarble believes that once Prince Vegeta returns, he'll crush Paragus' schemes and prevent the tragedy of Planet Vegeta from happening again within the Saiyan Empire."
Now everyone understood.
Tarble had staked all his hope on Vegeta's return.
"But how do we find Vegeta's reincarnation?" Krillin asked the key question.
"Ask Lord Zuno!"
"Lord Zuno?" Everyone blinked.
"Yes." Bajitena nodded. "He's the ultimate information broker someone who knows everything in the world."
"That powerful?" Krillin frowned. "He can even find a reincarnation? That's ridiculous."
"Sounds like a scam," Master Roshi grumbled. "No way that's real."
"You'll see soon enough."
After the conversation ended, the Earth group gathered in a private cabin for another discussion.
"Master Roshi… don't you think Bajitena is kind of… weird?" someone asked.
Roshi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I feel like I've seen her shadow in someone else… but who? It's hard to guess."
Oolong nodded quickly. "And Nanaba and Latilis too. The moment I saw them, I felt like they were familiar."
"They're cute, sure…" Krillin muttered uneasily, "but I've had this creepy feeling the whole time. I haven't even dared to ask them out…"
Trunks pinched the bridge of his nose, cutting off their discussion about girls.
"Did you notice? Ever since that 'almost grew a tail' incident yesterday, our strength has all increased a lot."
Everyone nodded.
"I don't know what happened," Master Roshi said, "but I feel younger. Like my energy's overflowing."
"Same here, Master Roshi."
"So why did our strength suddenly jump?" Krillin wondered.
Before they could reach any conclusion, the ship descended onto a small planet filled with Japanese-style buildings and tiled roofs, almost like a peaceful old town.
"This is Lord Zuno's planet?" Krillin leaned out, eyes wide with curiosity.
Bajitena was the first off the ship. She led them to Zuno's palace.
A long line stretched out in front of the entrance.
A staff member approached with a clipboard. "Guests, do you have an appointment?"
Bajitena nodded. "We do. We're here on behalf of His Majesty Tarble of the Saiyan Empire, to ask Lord Zuno a question."
The staff member flipped through the clipboard for a long time before finally finding it. "Ah an appointment from seven years ago. Please wait. We'll arrange your meeting shortly."
"Seven years in advance?!" Krillin nearly choked. "If someone booked today, how long would they have to wait?"
"More than ten years."
The Earth group was stunned.
"So Zuno's that popular…" someone muttered.
"For the Saiyan Empire's future," Bajitena said coldly, "His Majesty Tarble started planning years ago. This time, we must learn where Prince Vegeta's reincarnation is."
"He firmly believes that if his brother Vegeta were still here, he'd lead the Saiyan Empire to real glory not let it be controlled by an ambitious madman like Paragus."
They didn't wait long before finally meeting the "all-knowing" Zuno: a strange figure with an enormous head and a topknot-like hairstyle.
"You may ask Lord Zuno anything," Zuno's attendant drawled lazily. "But first, you must offer tribute."
"Tribute?" Trunks frowned.
The attendant explained, "Kiss Lord Zuno's cheek, and you'll earn one question."
The moment those words left his mouth, Bajitena's expression twisted with discomfort.
Kiss that weird-looking guy?
Her Saiyan pride couldn't accept it.
"Bajitena, it's for His Majesty Tarble!" Nanaba urged.
"For the Saiyan Empire, this sacrifice is worth it," Latilis added.
"…Damn it." Bajitena clenched her teeth.
In the end, she steeled herself, stepped forward, and pecked Zuno's cheek at lightning speed.
"All right. You may ask."
Before Bajitena could speak, Oolong blurted out suspiciously, "Do you really know everything?"
Zuno nodded calmly. "Yes."
"…Huh?" Everyone froze.
"That was the first question," Zuno continued. "And it has been answered."
"WHAT?!" The group exploded. "That counts?!"
"Yes." Zuno nodded again. "The second question has also been answered."
"…What the "
Everyone was furious, but before they could protest, Bajitena snapped, voice sharp as a blade.
"Shut up! Stop wasting our questions!"
Krillin panicked, whispering, "Did we just waste two already…?"
Zuno's ears were sharp. He immediately answered expressionlessly, "Yes. That was the third question. Questioning is over. Escort them out."
"You You bastards!" Bajitena trembled with rage, nearly going berserk on the spot.
Nanaba reacted fast. "Bajitena! Keep offering tribute! We finally got a chance to speak to Lord Zuno!"
Bajitena shuddered. Left with no choice, she swallowed her humiliation and kissed him again.
Zuno looked intoxicated, yet his tone stayed cold. "You must offer tribute on both cheeks to qualify."
"What?!" Bajitena nearly snapped.
Her pride already couldn't tolerate this, and now the demands were getting worse.
"For the Saiyan Empire… it's worth it…" she muttered to herself.
After struggling for a long moment, she kissed Zuno on the other cheek too.
"Congratulations," Zuno's attendant said. "You have earned three questions again."
When Bajitena turned around, she saw Nanaba and Latilis covering their mouths, trying not to laugh.
A chill flashed in Bajitena's eyes. "You two. Get over here."
Under Bajitena's iron command, Nanaba and Latilis could only step forward with miserable faces and each offer a kiss as well.
Just like that, the group earned nine questions.
This time, Bajitena kept tight control.
"First question." Her voice was rigid. "Prince Vegeta… who did he reincarnate into?"
Zuno's gaze swept across the group… before stopping on Bajitena.
"Far away in the sky… yet right before your eyes." Zuno said flatly. "You are Vegeta's reincarnation."
"…W-What?!"
Silence fell.
No one could believe it at first.
But after careful comparison, Krillin and Master Roshi quickly accepted it.
"So similar… way too similar!"
Even Ginyu stared at Bajitena for a long time, then nodded. "Looking at her now… she really does resemble Vegeta. Especially her personality. It's basically identical!"
In this timeline, the person who had dealt with Vegeta the most was probably Ginyu. Once he said that, the Earth group believed it even more.
Nanaba and Latilis were stunned. "Bajitena… you're really Prince Vegeta?"
It took Bajitena a long time to reboot her brain.
She had been searching for Vegeta all this time…
…and it was her.
His Majesty Tarble was her little brother.
And she she was going to be entrusted with the burden of leading the entire Saiyan Empire.
"Can I really do this…?" she questioned silently.
Seeing her inner struggle, the others tried to reassure her.
"Don't worry. Whether you're Vegeta or Bajitena, we'll support you."
Trunks' expression was complicated. Staring at this petite, tsundere-faced girl, his mind slowly merged the image of his father in the photo… with the girl in front of him.
"D-Dad…?" Trunks called out instinctively.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING DAD?!" Bajitena exploded. "You're older than me by years! Stop calling me that!"
She was on the verge of collapsing. A single girl… being called "Dad" by a grown man older than she was the psychological pressure instantly went through the roof.
The absurd scene made everyone want to laugh.
Bajitena took a deep breath. Now they had the most important intel.
Next came the plan's second step.
His Majesty Tarble had already made a deal with the Heeters, who controlled the Cereal Dragon Balls, and secured a wish in advance.
That wish would restore Vegeta's reincarnation's memories of his previous life.
Bajitena couldn't wait to leave.
But the others didn't want to waste the remaining questions.
Krillin, who had been thinking quietly, suddenly pointed at Nanaba. "Lord Zuno who was Nanaba in her previous life?"
"Nappa."
"And Latilis?" Krillin asked quickly.
"Raditz."
Krillin, Master Roshi, and Oolong sucked in a sharp breath.
Reincarnation was… way too wild.
Now when they looked at Bajitena's trio, their expressions turned subtle.
Before, they'd thought the girls were super cute.
Now… the charm instantly died.
"Good thing I didn't do anything weird," Krillin said, patting his chest.
Master Roshi looked pale too. "If I imagine Nanaba turning into a bald muscle guy, I get scared."
Oolong went gray. "All my dreams are shattered…"
Three cute girls…
…but their past lives were villains who once invaded Earth.
That was a serious hit to their mental endurance.
After that, Trunks and the others asked a few more questions they were curious about, including the reason their strength had suddenly increased.
"You gained the purest Saiyan bloodline through the wish made on Earth's new Eternal Dragon."
"New Eternal Dragon?"
"The purest Saiyan bloodline?"
Bajitena's trio half-Saiyans were immediately full of envy.
"If only we were pure-blood Saiyans too…"
In the Saiyan Empire, half-Saiyans had no status or dignity. If Tarble hadn't valued them, they never would've become soldiers at all.
"All questions have been answered," Zuno said, dismissing them.
Back on the ship, Trunks carefully looked at Bajitena. "So what do we do next… Dad?"
"Don't call me Dad!" Bajitena's face darkened.
"Then what should I call you?" Trunks looked genuinely lost.
Bajitena didn't know how to answer either, so she forcibly changed the subject.
"Next, we go to the Supreme Kai's planet and take part in the battle to conquer it. Then we find the Heeters and use their Dragon Balls to make the wish so I can regain my past-life memories… and power."
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