In Dragon Ball, the story of Kakarot, known as Goku, is often simplified as that of a Saiyan sent to Earth with the mission of exterminating humanity and preparing the planet for sale.
However, this version omits a series of crucial events that occurred before his arrival on Earth.
After the period he spent in an incubation capsule, Kakarot was raised by his parents, Bardock and Gine, in a modest home built with stones and mud, typical of the less developed regions of Planet Vegeta.
Despite the rustic circumstances, Bardock and Gine were devoted to caring for their son with an uncommon affection for the standards of the Saiyans, a people known for their harshness and pragmatism.
During his childhood, Kakarot grew up in an environment that, while marked by simplicity, imparted the values and warrior instincts of his people.
Gine, who had a more peaceful nature, tried to balance this influence by offering him moments of affection and stories about a future different from the characteristic cycle of violence of the Saiyans.
The decision to send Kakarot to Earth was neither immediate nor impulsive. It was a planned act by Bardock, who foresaw the grim fate awaiting Planet Vegeta under Frieza's rule.
Thus, Kakarot was placed in an escape pod, not merely with the mission of conquering Earth, but as a last attempt to save him from the imminent annihilation awaiting his people.
Analyzing this trajectory, it is evident that although the Saiyans have a Spartan nature, they also exhibit a certain rationality in their decisions. For this reason, it would not be common for a baby to be sent immediately after birth on a planetary conquest mission.
It is more likely that he would be assigned such a mission around his sixth birthday, following the example of Vegeta, who was sent to other planets at that age.
Although Vegeta was a prodigy with an impressive power level from a young age, it was possible that, if Kakarot demonstrated exceptional performance or maturity in his combat abilities, he could have been considered for a similar mission.
If he evolved promisingly, he might be sent with a higher-level warrior or even alone to a planet of relatively weak power, where his presence would be useful.
Even with his limited power level, a dedicated Saiyan with proper training could surprise, as many had before.
The door lifted with a sharp sound, accompanied by a soft hiss of compressed air, revealing a brightly lit room.
Inside, three individuals were present: a Tuffle woman and two Saiyans. Next to the man identified as his father was a gray-haired Saiyan wearing a Scouter and holding a clipboard.
The clipboard displayed crucial data: weight, sex, and, most importantly, the young Saiyan's power level. The highlighted number, however, was absurdly low: 6.
The average power level of a Saiyan baby varied within the tens. Depending on the level, they could be designated as high or low class, with the weakest being ignored or merely assigned to minor tasks.
Considering that his power level barely reached double digits, Kaelor was seen as irrelevant, even for a low-class warrior.
Kabbas, the gray-haired man, then requested the signatures of Tarako and Liryn. Both signed, and he left shortly afterward.
Tarako observed his son and, in silence, looked at Liryn.
"His power level is low," he said in a deep voice. "Kaelor will never be a powerful warrior. Perhaps he is better suited for logistics or as a scientist."
Liryn, on the other hand, remained silent for a moment, absorbing Tarako's words. Her gaze was distant, her expression tense.
She knew what it meant to live on Planet Plan...Vegeta, a planet where only the strongest thrive. Her people, the Tuffles, had been decimated, and the thought of her son suffering the same fate as her kin terrified her.
"He might have inherited some of the Tuffles' intellect," Liryn suggested with a slight hint of hope, though her words were laden with concern.
Tarako, noticing Liryn's tension, knew she needed a more reassuring response, something to comfort her. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to ease the situation.
"It's all right, Liryn. I'll train him; he needs to learn how to defend himself in this cruel world. But you will teach him too. I want him to learn science, like you. Agreed?"
Liryn, still tense, felt a slight sense of calm hearing Tarako's words. She knew the journey would be difficult, but for Kaelor, she would do everything in her power to ensure her son could live well.
A few weeks later, Kaelor was taken to a standard Saiyan residence.
During the journey, he marveled at Planet Vegeta, observing the vast and arid desert stretching across his new home.
He was fascinated by the alien world around him, though he didn't know exactly what to expect.
His understanding of Planet Vegeta was limited; after all, he remembered nothing of the place except what had been mentioned in the anime.
Kaelor was now in a desertified area where the residences were built in harmony with the clay-like terrain, blending into the arid landscape.
On the horizon, he spotted a launch platform receiving spacecraft. The young Saiyan stared in awe, admiring the advanced technology of his people.
"How did the Saiyans develop so much? Weren't they supposedly a primitive people who only knew how to fight?" Kaelor reflected, his eyes fixed on the departing and arriving spacecraft.
He didn't know the true history of the Saiyans.
All he remembered was that in the anime, it was said that Planet Vegeta had originally been shared by the Tuffles, a highly advanced people, and the Saiyans, who were primitive and violent.
But the Saiyans had defeated the Tuffles and taken the planet for themselves, establishing their warrior culture.
Kaelor felt a growing curiosity about his race, and his father, Tarako, seemed like a good person—at least by Saiyan standards.
Perhaps the influence of his mother, with her calm and gentle nature, had softened Tarako's temperament.
What Kaelor knew for sure was that Tarako, though not an example of pacifism, had a less aggressive personality than expected.
His mother, Liryn, seemed even more peaceful. She worked in a spacecraft workshop, repairing advanced scientific equipment.
Kaelor wondered how such a gentle woman could live on a planet dominated by warrior culture. Yet he felt a kind of reverence for her, admiring her skill and wisdom.
Despite everything, Kaelor couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the Saiyans' story and his own family.
Perhaps, in time, he would discover what it was.
As time passed, Kaelor ceased being a frail baby and began to develop a "training" routine.
Although his body was still small and vulnerable, he crawled across the ground with determination, trying to force his weak muscles to perform the movements a Saiyan warrior would need to master.
He tried his best, jumping and practicing shadowboxing, his little hands moving enthusiastically through the air.
His parents, watching their son's efforts, couldn't help but smile. To them, it was an adorable and delightful sight. They cheered him on enthusiastically:
"That's it, Kaelor! Jump higher! You can do it!"
However, Kaelor, despite his immature body, carried the soul of an adult, mature man. He observed the scene with the eyes of someone who had already lived and experienced the challenges of a life of war, and he felt embarrassed.
Frustration overcame him, as if he could remember the weight of past battles. In his mind, he responded with the maturity of his true age.
"Damn it, don't mock me, woman!"
Of course, he didn't shout it like that; he was just a baby.
But inside, the protest was clear, and the only real sound he made was a small grunt, accompanied by a full diaper that made him squirm and let out a groan of discomfort.
The conflict between the mind of an experienced man and the body of an infant was something he was beginning to notice, and this discrepancy bothered him.
One night, Kaelor snuck into a room full of books and found something that immediately caught his attention: a Scouter.
Remembering his power level of 6 recorded weeks earlier, he wondered if, somehow, his power had increased during this period of training.
With a sharp beep, the Scouter powered on, and the lens lit up with numbers floating before his eyes.
He quickly noticed that a power level in the distance registered at 8000, and his curiosity led him to explore the closer numbers.
In the room next door, the Scouter indicated 15, then 5000.
With a smile, Kaelor quickly deduced: the 15 was his mother, Liryn, and the 5000 was his father, Tarako. His father, it seemed, was a mid-class warrior within the Saiyan hierarchy.
The young Kaelor then pointed the Scouter at his own hand, watching closely as a number appeared: 9.
His heart filled with joy, convinced that his training was paying off and that his power level was increasing. He imagined himself stronger, closer to being a warrior worthy of the Saiyan race.
However, reality was different. The small increase in his power wasn't the result of the hard training he had envisioned but merely a reflection of his natural growth.
His body was developing, and that alone was enough to cause a slight increase in his numbers.
The illusion that his efforts were making a difference was quickly corrected by reality: his training had not yet begun to impact his power level significantly.