In the center of the royal city, within the palace, on the throne that represented the highest authority of the Saiyans, a skinny, hairless purple-skinned anthropomorphic cat was sitting leisurely.
This cat was none other than the God of Destruction, Beerus.
To Beerus's left stood a man dressed in special attire, holding a scepter with a calm expression on his face.
He was the Angel, Whis.
At this moment, a very tragic scene was unfolding.
Under the throne, Beerus crushed King Vegeta's head with his foot, grinding it repeatedly.
Faced with such humiliation, King Vegeta knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to show any resistance and even actively accommodating Beerus' movements.
That once dignified face was now overtaken by cold sweat and an expression of fear.
He never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that the legendary God of Destruction would arrive on Planet Vegeta.
Now, he was in a state of panic, deeply afraid that Beerus might get unhappy and destroy him on the spot.
Fortunately, he had not acted recklessly from the start and had greeted Beerus with the highest Saiyan etiquette.
Otherwise, he could imagine his fate.
Yet, even so, he failed to please this god. Instead, because the food didn't suit Beerus's taste, Beerus ridiculed him and demanded that he fetch the best pillow in the universe.
King Vegeta didn't dare to refute or oppose him and had his subordinates prepare it.
The result was the current scene.
"King Vegeta, are you mocking me? The best pillow in the universe can't be this trash," said Beerus with a mocking expression, revealing his merciless disdain for ants.
As he exerted a bit of force with his foot, King Vegeta's head pressed even lower, almost touching the ground.
"Spare-Spare me...Lord God of Destruction... I'll immediately order my subordinates to fetch the best pillow in the universe..." King Vegeta's voice changed.
To him, survival was all that mattered now.
What dignity as the king of Saiyans? Without life, nothing else mattered.
So weak, so pathetic.
If other Saiyans saw this scene, they would find it hard to believe.
And at this moment, someone did witness it. Initially in disbelief, the observer's face soon turned furious.
He was none other than Vegeta, who had come to discuss with his father about going on an expedition against a planet.
"Stop!!" Outraged, even though Vegeta was only five years old, he unleashed a powerful aura and charged straight at Beerus.
Though commendable for his courage, Beerus merely glanced at him, causing the young boy to become disoriented and stumble uncontrollably, falling forward.
With a power level of mere few thousands, how could he compare to the mighty God of Destruction of Universe 7?
"The so-called King of Saiyans is really a coward, even a child's courage surpasses yours." No longer in a playful mood, Beerus rose from the throne, his words dripping with disdain.
With a casual stomp, Beerus smashed King Vegeta's head into the ground, embedding it there.
The terrifying force instantly knocked him unconscious.
"What a joke of a warrior race, these Saiyans. I have no desire to linger on this garbage planet for another moment," Beerus said, indifferent to his actions.
To him, not destroying Planet Vegeta outright was already a favor for King Vegeta's inadequate hospitality.
"Yes, Lord Beerus," Whis replied, his expression not changing from start to finish.
But before leaving, Whis took a deep look at the helpless Vegeta lying on the ground; the profound gaze seemed to see into the future.
It was long after they had left that the collapsed Vegeta finally relaxed.
Confirming that they were gone, he quickly rushed to his father's side to check on him.
He didn't know who they were, only that their power was something they couldn't resist.
God of Destruction Beerus taught the young Vegeta his first life lesson.
The prince learned that despite being a Saiyan prince, he was ultimately nothing.
Of course, this memory would soon be buried deep in young Vegeta's consciousness, as he would spend the next twenty years as Frieza's toy.
---
Outside the royal city, in the town.
Talot returned as quickly as possible.
If he knew what had transpired in the palace, his mood would undoubtedly be heavy.
As expected, things developed exactly as he knew they would.
Along the way, Talot greeted acquaintances and finally arrived at Bardock and Gine's home.
Talot's house was right next door, essentially making them neighbors.
Entering the house, Talot saw Gine cutting a beast's leg.
Focused on her task, Gine didn't notice Talot's arrival.
"I'm back, Aunt Gine."
Hearing the sound, Gine jolted, as if startled, only then did she turn around.
But seeing that it was Talot, she smiled.
"Little Talot, back so early today?"
Gine teased lightly before habitually lifting her hand to pinch Talot's cheek.
As a female Saiyan, especially one who had given birth not long ago, Gine didn't have to perform missions like other Saiyans.
Of course, thanks to Bardock, Gine could opt out of being a combat-oriented Saiyan and focus on logistics work.
Used to being teased, Talot resisted but couldn't help it.
Gine had done this to him since he was young.
He could only wait for her to finish pinching.
"Aunt Gine, I'm already five. You shouldn't pinch my face anymore," Talot habitually complained, covering his pinched face.
"So, our little Talot has grown up and started to dislike Auntie Gine?" Gine put on a sad expression, her tone filled with grievance.
If outsiders were to witness this scene, they would surely think it's playful banter between mother and son.
Of course, for Talot, Gine may not be his mother, but she was more than a mother to him.
Talot felt a motherly love from Gine that he had missed in his previous life.
After some playful banter, Talot brought up the main matter to Gine.
"Aunt Gine, you mentioned that Uncle Bardock would be back soon. Do you know the exact day?"
"Let me think. The last time we talked, he mentioned it should be in the next few days. If all goes well, Bardock should be home tomorrow or the day after," Gine rested her index finger on her chin, pondering for a moment before speaking.
"Tomorrow or the day after? So soon?" Talot was surprised.
This was entirely unexpected.
He thought there was still some time left, at least a few days to prepare himself. Who would have thought it was already time.
If this was the prelude to the main plot, he had to take action immediately.
Seeing Talot's strange expression, Gine asked in confusion, "Little Talot, do you need Bardock's help with something?"