CHAPTER 9: THE RESCUE MISSION

The night sky stretched endlessly over Capsule Corp, stars shimmering faintly against the dark canvas. Vegeta stood on the balcony of the main building, arms crossed as he stared into the distance. The cool breeze carried faint sounds from the city below, but his mind was elsewhere—on Kakarot and the danger he was undoubtedly facing.

Behind him, Bulma stepped out onto the balcony, her arms wrapped around herself. “Do you think he’s okay?” she asked softly, breaking the silence.

Vegeta didn’t turn to face her. “He’s faced worse. But this... this feels different.”

Before Bulma could respond, the faint hum of a ship descending drew their attention. A small vessel landed quietly in the backyard, its lights cutting through the dark. Vegeta narrowed his eyes as the hatch opened, and a familiar figure stepped out: Tarble, accompanied by his wife Gure, who held a tiny bundle in her arms.

Tarble looked up at the balcony and gave a small wave. “Brother.”

Vegeta grunted, leaping off the balcony to meet him. Bulma followed, though she used the stairs.

“You came,” Vegeta said, his tone neutral.

“Of course I did. When I got the message, I left immediately,” Tarble replied. His gaze flickered to Gure and the baby before returning to his brother. “What’s going on?”

Before Vegeta could answer, Goten and Gohan arrived, landing lightly on the grass. “We came as soon as we heard,” Gohan said. Goten’s expression was tense. “Is it true? Dad’s been captured?”

Vegeta’s grim silence was answer enough.

***

Inside Capsule Corp, the group gathered, with Piccolo, Krillin, 18, and Chi-Chi joining them. Chi-Chi’s face was pale, her hands trembling as she clutched a steaming cup of tea.

“Tell us everything,” Gohan said, his voice firm.

Vegeta began recounting what he knew, detailing Truffle’s arrival and the mysterious saiyans connection to the dying planets. Truffle added what she had seen: planets drained of life, massive trees that seemed to sprout from nowhere, and strange fruit left behind.

“Why would anyone do this?” Goten asked, his voice cracking.

“I don’t know,” Truffle admitted. “But it’s happening across the galaxy. And now they have your father.”

Before anyone could respond, a soft hum filled the air, followed by a flash of light in the backyard. The group turned just in time to see Whis wielding his staff in hand. Broly followed closely behind him, his massive frame illuminated by the faint glow. The towering Saiyan stood silently, his expression unreadable, though his eyes darted across the group, taking in each of them.

Vegeta immediately stepped forward, his tone curt but curious.

Whis nodded with a small smile. “Here’s Broly as requested. However, I took some additional time to investigate a few matters of my own. I had suspicions about what you’re dealing with, and I sought out the Kais.” He gestured behind him as three more figures emerged: King Kai, Supreme Kai, and Elder Kai. A fourth figure followed—a tall being with light pink skin, wearing white Jackie Ohh sunglasses that gleamed in the soft light.

The tall being stepped forward, adjusting his sunglasses as the group eyed him curiously.

“Who’s this?” Vegeta asked, his arms crossed.

King Kai chuckled nervously, stepping forward. “Oh, right, introductions are in order. Everyone, this is South Kai. He’s one of the four Kais who oversee the quadrants of the universe. You’ve got me in the North, East Kai in the East, West Kai in the West, and, well, South Kai here manages the South Quadrant.”

Gohan raised an eyebrow. “So... you’re all like regional overseers?”

King Kai nodded, waving a hand toward Supreme Kai. “Exactly! But above us is the Supreme Kai, who oversees all four quadrants—and, of course, the whole universe itself.”

Piccolo’s eyes narrowed as he turned to South Kai. “Why is he here, then? What’s so important about this situation that it involves someone like him?”

South Kai crossed his arms, his usual casual demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness. “This concerns my quadrant—and much more.”

Supreme Kai stepped forward, his expression grave. “Let me explain. Over the past several months, the South Quadrant has been plagued by a pattern of devastation—entire planets drained of their life energy. South Kai has been investigating, but the source remained elusive until recently.”

King Kai nodded, his tone heavy. “Now, that devastation has reached the North Quadrant as well. This isn’t an isolated problem anymore—it’s a threat to the entire universe. That’s why I asked Whis to bring South Kai here. He’s uncovered something crucial that ties into what Truffle has already reported.”

Vegeta frowned. “What kind of threat are we dealing with?”

South Kai’s voice carried a rare urgency. “This isn’t random. The destruction is spreading systematically, consuming worlds one after another. The pattern suggests a deliberate and escalating effort, and we’re running out of time to stop it.”

King Kai nodded grimly. “That’s why it’s so urgent. What’s happening is no longer contained. If it continues at this rate, it could threaten the balance of the entire universe.”

Truffle, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward, her gaze flicking nervously toward the divine beings. She hesitated for a moment before steadying herself. “This lines up with the intel I’ve gathered. The planets I tracked were in the South Quadrant, but now the destruction is moving northward. I still don’t understand what’s causing it, though.”

Supreme Kai took a deep breath, his expression heavy. “We do. The trees you described—the massive structures draining planets of life—those are the Eternal Tree of Might.”

Confused murmurs rippled through the group. Trunks stepped forward, his voice skeptical. “The Tree of Might?”

Whis tilted his head, addressing the group. “Tell me, what do you know about the Dragon God, Zalama?”

Bulma’s eyes lit up as a memory clicked. “Zalama? He’s the one who created the Super Dragon Balls! I remember learning about him from Zuno when Jaco and I went to ask about the Super Dragon Balls a while back.”

Whis nodded approvingly. “That’s correct. Zalama created the Super Dragon Balls, yes—but that’s not all. He also created the Divine Fruit, which served as the foundation for the Eternal Tree of Might.”

King Kai took over, his tone somber. “The Eternal Tree of Might was designed to sustain the divine order of the multiverse, nourishing the gods and the Eternal Dragons. Its fruit contained fragments of Primordial Energy—raw power from the dawn of creation. But it was never meant for mortals.”

Elder Kai added, “Mortals, being mortals, eventually found a way to get their hands on the fruit and exploit the tree. They twisted its purpose, planting it on planets to harvest its fruit. But the cost was devastating—the tree would drain every ounce of life from a planet just to bear a single fruit, leaving nothing behind.”

Supreme Kai nodded. “What was once a symbol of balance and creation became a source of greed and destruction. Entire civilizations have been wiped out because of it.”

King Kai continued, his expression grim. “And this is where our suspicions come into play. It’s possible that this...Turles person may have gotten his hands on a fragment of the Divine Fruit. If so, it’s likely he’s been using it to spread destruction across the universe.”

Whis furrowed his brow. “How he would have obtained such power, and the means to plant these trees across the quadrants, remains unclear. But the scale and precision of this effort suggest he may not be working alone.”

The weight of the revelation hung heavily over the group. Truffle shook her head, her resolve sharpening. “Then we need to get to the bottom of this.”

Vegeta’s fists clenched, his voice firm. “Agreed. We need to confront this threat directly and uncover the truth.”

South Kai stepped forward, nodding. “In that case, I suggest you start in my quadrant. The most recent activity I’ve detected was in a sector not far from where the Saiyans’ original homeworld, Planet Sadala, once existed.”

Truffle’s expression brightened slightly. “I know a Galactic Patrol member stationed near that area. I can reach out to them for intel and see if they’ve noticed anything unusual.”

Vegeta’s eyes burned with determination as he turned to the group. “Good. Broly, Gohan, Tarble—you’re with us. We leave immediately.”

Goten and Trunks stepped forward, their expressions resolute. “We’re coming too!” Trunks said.

“No,” Vegeta said firmly. “You’re staying here. If something happens to Earth, you’ll need to protect it.”

Piccolo crossed his arms. “I’ll stay as well. Someone has to keep an eye on these two.”

Tarble turned to Gure, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back,” he said quietly. “You’ll be in protected hands here.”

Gure smiled softly. “Good luck. And... try to reconnect with Vegeta. You’ve wanted this chance for so long.”

With their team assembled, the group boarded Truffle’s ship. As the craft ascended into the sky, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and the others watched them disappear into the stars, their hearts heavy with both hope and fear.

In the cockpit, Truffle entered the coordinates, glancing back at her passengers. “This is going to be a long journey. Make yourselves comfortable.”

As they entered light speed, Gohan stared out the window, his resolve hardening. We’ll find you, Dad. And we’ll stop whoever’s behind this... no matter what it takes.

________

Writer's Note:
This is a fairly short chapter, primarily intended to fill in the rest of the Z-Fighters and introduce Gohan, one of the main protagonists of this arc. The chapter moves quickly because I didn’t want the moment to drag—especially with the stakes already set and the plot in motion. Spending more time here would have felt like unnecessary padding, which I wanted to avoid. This arc will primarily focus on Gohan and Vegeta, but as you can already tell, Goku will still play a significant role. The rescue mission is underway—let’s see where it leads!

Note (2025):
This chapter underwent major revisions. Initially, it felt like the weakest in the story, so I rethought how to make it more impactful. That’s when the lore of the Tree of Might came to mind. Adding a divine aspect felt like a unique way to connect the Kais’ involvement, and there’s more to come about why I included the South Kai—especially since Planet Sadala is now said to be in his quadrant.

Since there’s no established lore about Planet Sadala’s original location, I decided that placing it in the South Kai's quadrant aligned well with his personality and the quadrant's themes. Originally, Broly and Tarble weren’t part of the story—I envisioned it as a smaller adventure with just Vegeta and Gohan. However, as the story evolved, it made more sense to include Broly and Tarble, particularly Tarble, as the "Exiled Prince." Their inclusion added layers of character depth and enriched the narrative significantly.