With the descent of the two supreme deities of Universe 7, the planet's already turbulent atmosphere descended into utter chaos. Lord Beerus's faint yet suffocating aura of destruction caused the magnetic field to warp violently. Lightning crackled across the void—a scene of pure apocalypse.
Standing amidst the ruins, the bright flashes of lightning illuminated their faces. Young Gran frowned. Hearing Beerus mention a "grass-green" hair colour, he immediately thought of Broly. Only a "Legendary" Saiyan like Broly could achieve such a state. But Broly should be roughly the same age as Goku—exiled only three years ago. Could a child that young have already reached the Legendary state? Otherwise, how would Beerus and Whis know of it?
"How do we know? Whis, you tell him!" Beerus barked.
"Lord Beerus, you know the legend of Otis as well as I do. Why make me say it?" Whis replied. Seeing that Gran had not lost his mind and his hair was golden rather than green, Whis's mood improved significantly. At least Gran's situation wasn't as dire as they had feared.
"You..." Beerus glared. He had felt a twinge of guilt for shouting at Whis earlier, but now he felt he was being far too kind.
Ultimately, Beerus recounted the legend of Otis to Gran. When he finished, he narrowed his eyes. "Little brat, that 'history book' of yours... it was passed down from Otis, wasn't it?"
Gran's heart hammered against his ribs. He had made up the history book on a whim, never imagining Whis would actually consult the Grand Priest about it. Even more shocking was the revelation that the Saiyan race truly had such a profound lineage.
"Yes," Gran said, maintaining his composure before the two supreme gods. "The grass-green state you described is indeed the form our ancestor achieved. Among our people, it is known as the Legendary Super Saiyan."
"Legendary Super Saiyan?" Beerus and Whis exchanged a glance. Could a transformation so riddled with flaws truly deserve such a grand title?
"And what about this state of yours?" Beerus asked. In a blur of speed that Gran couldn't even perceive, Beerus appeared beside him. A purple paw pressed down on Gran's shoulder while the God poked at his golden hair. "Your golden form doesn't cause you to lose your mind like the green one, but your aura, your power, your emotions..."
Beerus's voice grew cold, radiating a natural, terrifying authority. Whis chimed in, "Haven't you noticed? This form grants you a fifty-fold increase in power, but as Lord Beerus said, it makes your Ki and your temperament violent. In this golden state, can you still access the budding Ultra Instinct?"
Whis reached out and patted the gifted child's head. His expression lacked its usual playful elegance; he looked like a disappointed mentor watching a student go astray. "My father, the Grand Priest, said it himself: both your ancestor's green form and your golden form are mistakes. Transformation only places a massive burden on the body. True strength is strength found in one's base form."
Beerus pinched Gran's cheek and sighed. "Your talent is frightening, and you have a long road ahead of you. Don't let yourself be misled. Let's head back to the God of Destruction's realm."
"Wait!" Gran protested. He realised they had come all this way to stop him from pursuing the Path of the Super Saiyan. "I'll explain everything once we're back, but don't take me yet. I have one more important thing to do."
Before they could ask, Gran used Instant Transmission to whisk them away from the battlefield.
One kilometre away.
Vegeta lay in a pathetic heap. His battle armour was shattered, his spine was broken, and his body was a roadmap of scars and bruises.
"Nappa, do you think he's dead?" Raditz asked. As Gran's oppressive pressure stabilised, he and Nappa had crept back.
"It wouldn't be a surprise. Facing that kind of power, it's a miracle if he's still breathing," Nappa said, flipping the face-down Vegeta over. "Wait, he's actually still alive!"
Vegeta looked dead, but a faint spark of life remained. However, given his injuries, he wouldn't last long.
"It's his own fault for abandoning Gran. Even if we wanted to save him, we wouldn't dare," Raditz sighed.
"Don't include me in that. I have no intention of saving him," Nappa spat. If it weren't for his own strength, Vegeta likely would have abandoned him years ago.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I don't want to save him either," Raditz said, standing up. "I was just speaking for the sake of it."
Nappa's mouth twitched. "Gran's power is too terrifying. Since we were with Vegeta, he might take his anger out on us. We need to leave this planet."
"Luckily, we buried our ships deep. They shouldn't be damaged," Raditz noted.
In a twist of irony, the Prince who had made a habit of discarding his "weak" comrades was now being abandoned by the only two left. But before they could leave, a medium-sized spaceship entered the atmosphere, roaring toward the surface.
"Whose ship is that?" Raditz looked up. "It looks familiar..."
"Raditz... that's a Frieza Force ship. No, it's the Ginyu Force!" Nappa hissed.
The Ginyu Force—Frieza's elite squad. Any one of them could destroy a planet with a flick of a finger. "Do they know we betrayed Frieza?" Raditz trembled. "Did he send them to hunt us down?"
"Probably," Nappa sneered, looking toward the horizon. "If they had arrived earlier, we'd be dead. But with Gran here, they are the ones walking into a death trap."
Suddenly, three figures appeared beside them: Gran, Beerus, and Whis. The sheer divine pressure forced Nappa and Raditz to their knees.
"Gran? Your hair... It's gold?" Nappa stammered. Raditz was too busy hyperventilating to notice the hair colour.
Gran ignored them, glancing at the descending ship. "The Ginyu Force? What are they doing here?"
"I should be asking you the same thing," Beerus grumbled. "I want to get back so I can properly 'educate' you."
"I came here to mock Vegeta," Gran admitted, giving the unconscious Prince a couple of kicks. "I wanted to see his face when he saw my Super Saiyan form. It's no fun if he's dead."
"If you want revenge, kill him and let's go," Beerus said impatiently.
"Kill him?" Gran's lips curled into a wicked smile. "That's too easy."
Beerus and Whis exchanged a look. The boy's killing intent was thick. But then again, a God of Destruction governs both destruction and slaughter. This ruthless streak made him a truly qualified candidate.
"Shin! Get over here!" Gran shouted.
Beerus narrowed his eyes. He had sensed the Supreme Kai's presence. It was finally time to meet the "bean sprout."
A moment later, Supreme Kai Shin and Kibito appeared. As the God of Destruction and the Supreme Kai stood face to face, a strange resonance rippled through the air. One governs destruction, the other creation—two halves of a whole. The ripple of their meeting vibrated across all of Universe 7.
"You... you are the legendary God of Destruction?" Shin asked nervously.
"Brat, didn't Gran teach you to address a God of Destruction as 'Lord'?" Beerus released a sliver of ice-cold energy. Shin felt as if he had plunged into a frozen abyss and quickly bowed. "Greetings... Lord Beerus!"
Gran smirked, proud of the Supreme Kai he had spent a year "training." Beerus shot Gran a look, then huffed at Shin. "You pass."
"Shin, give me a Senzu Bean," Gran commanded, holding out his hand.
"What for? You aren't even hurt," Shin grumbled. Ever since learning their value, he had become a miser with the beans.
"Just give it to me."
"You better not waste it," Shin muttered, opening a portal and retrieving a single bean.
Whis's expression became solemn as he watched the bean. He had seen it in Gran's projection—a gift from the Namekian Dragon. A bean that could restore a dying person to full health instantly. It was a power that rivalled Angelic healing, yet required no Angel to be present. In some ways, it was even more formidable.
Gran took the bean, walked to Vegeta, and slapped the Prince's face. "I know you're still conscious. When you left me on that planet, I felt exactly like this. How does it feel, Vegeta? Does despair taste bitter?"
He slapped Vegeta twice more. "Do you know what this is? It's a Senzu Bean. One bite, and you're fully restored."
At the words "fully restored," Vegeta's body twitched instinctively. Gran grinned. The Prince was listening. "Lord Beerus, please retract your aura."
As the divine pressure vanished, Kibito, Raditz, and Nappa finally caught their breath.
"Raditz, come here," Gran beckoned.
"Gran... don't kill me! I told him not to leave you!" Raditz stammered, his legs shaking.
"Shut up and get over here."
Gran held the bean, then bit off a quarter of it and tossed the fragment to Raditz. "You heard what this does. Now, you have two choices."
Gran held up two fingers. "Choice one: keep the bean for yourself and abandon Vegeta. It's a lifesaver—you might need it one day. Choice two: use it to save Vegeta."
Gran's eyes turned stone-cold. "But remember, Vegeta has planned to abandon you dozens of times. You know this. So, are you really going to save him?"
Raditz stood frozen. Beerus, Whis, and Shin all felt a chill. This was psychological warfare at its peak. True revenge isn't just killing someone; it's giving them a sliver of hope and then letting them watch as that hope is weighed against the cold reality of their own cruelty. Gran was forcing Vegeta to depend on the mercy of someone he had treated like trash.
"Hahaha! Vegeta, you enjoyed abandoning me. Now, enjoy the feeling of being at the mercy of your 'comrades'!" Gran laughed. He turned to Whis. "Let them decide. We're leaving."
Whis smiled meaningfully at Gran, then ascended into the sky with the others, leaving the Saiyans to their fate.
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