Dragon BAll- Hermit Shen[A Human Story]

On the new planet of the Cerealians, the Saiyans are confused. They are all busy inspecting their surroundings, searching for anything or anyone familiar.

Especially the young children—they are scared, even horrified at having suddenly woken up to find themselves in a completely unknown territory. Most of them are no older than five.

It seems even many of the older teenagers and young adults weren't spared from the dragon's evaluation criteria, which removed all Saiyans with evil tendencies and troublesome personalities.

These few remaining Saiyans, selected through that rigid filtration process, are probably the cream of the crop in terms of moral standards—at least as far as Saiyans are concerned.

Shen has appeared in front of Gine. As he approaches the woman, he realizes her emotions are unstable. She seems worried. Well, of course, she would be… She's all alone. Her husband is missing, and she doesn't know if her two kids are safe and sound.

Noticing the approaching man, Gine turns her head toward the stranger. But before Shen can speak, someone else calls out her name.

"Gine-san!" It's another woman's voice, coming from a few meters away—the source being one of Bardock's teammates, Fasha.

The woman quickly rushes to Gine. "Where is Bardock?" she asks. "Isn't he with you? The first thing I did when I woke up was look around this weird place, trying to find him and the others from our squad, but… I couldn't find our squad leader anywhere."

"I haven't found him either. I don't know where he is…" Gine replies with a solemn look. Immediately after opening her eyes, she had also searched for her husband.

Hearing the two women, Shen thinks now is the perfect time to speak and reveal the truth of their distress. However, he is interrupted yet again.

Some new faces have joined the two—Bardock's other companions: Taiga, Leek, and Taro.

"So, after all, he wasn't with his wife either, huh!" Taiga, the squad's second-in-command, exclaims, clearly not in a great mood.

"So it seems…" Fasha mutters with a sigh. "What about you three? Did you find anything of note?" Her question is directed toward Leek, who handles logistics during their missions.

"Nothing at all," the thin man states. "There's not even a trace of Bardock at this place. And it's not just him—Shugesh is also the same. Nobody we talked to seems to have any idea where we are or what part of the universe this is."

Leek then adds, pointing toward a certain direction, "Look there, in the distance, near the shores. Do you notice a dim light?"

The others nod in agreement, having just realized it themselves.

The light Leek is pointing at is Toronbo. Although one can't properly see the dragon itself with the naked eye, as it's relatively far away, the light shining off its body reaches the beach.

Since the Eternal Dragon hasn't yet reverted into the Dragon Balls and scattered as it normally does, it can be inferred that the dragon still has unfinished business, likely related to Bardock's absence.

Whatever the circumstances may be, it is an absolute relief for Shen. The man needs answers—answers only the Eternal Dragon can provide right now. Moments after his wish was fulfilled, Shen had rushed to the beach without looking back, distracted by his own enthusiasm. It was a lapse in judgment, leaving him unaware of Toronbo's continued existence.

While the Earthling reflects on his slight mishap, Leek continues speaking.

"There's definitely some kind of light source in that place—possibly artificial. Without our scouters, we can't be certain if it's intelligent life, but the chances are high. We must check it out for ourselves to understand what's happening and where we are."

Before anyone can respond further…

An icy voice cuts through the air, catching Gine and the others' by surprise. "Why go there when you can get the answers you seek right here, right now?"

Shen's menacing remark makes them unconsciously turn toward him. Their sharp ears prove advantageous in situations like this.

"Of course, none of you Saiyans would know about this place," he continues in the same cold tone, fully capturing their attention. "Your hands aren't yet red with the blood of its people. Look how lively it still is—fresh air, fertile soil. But who am I telling this? I might as well get to the point. So… how does it feel to be on the receiving end for once?"

For a few seconds, silence ensues.

"Who are you? What nonsense are you spouting?" Toma, the one with a slim mustache, angrily questions. He had been silent all this time but now speaks, unwilling to let this stranger belittle him and his race like this.

The commotion doesn't go unnoticed by the other Saiyans. Many have now spotted Shen's presence. At first glance, they assumed him to be one of their own. However, upon closer inspection, they pick upon an oddity in his appearance.

"The tail… It's missing!" someone exclaims. The tail is a trademark feature of every Saiyan. Even if cut off, it will regrow eventually.

This alarms the Saiyans. Even the young ones keenly trace their eyes to where the adults are looking. Shen nonchalantly smirks. Seeing hints of hostility from the surrounding Saiyans, he decides to respond in his own fashion.

Simply but swiftly, a gust of intimidating aura erupts, with him at the epicenter. Even the winds change their course, gathering around him like a tornado.

His energy runs wild, and the pressure from his ki alone is overbearing, sending indiscriminate shivers down the spines of everyone present, adults and children alike.

Satisfied with the outcome, Shen continues, "They say you live once and die once, so not everyone gets a chance to share their last moments while still breathing. Indeed, you were all brought back to life by me. However, nothing in this world is cost-free. This isn't charity."

Hearing this, the older Saiyans start murmuring among themselves.

Team Bardock is no exception. "No wonder I thought something was amiss," Taiga exclaims. "I remember a huge bright object in the night sky. It was a ball of light. The only word to describe it would've been… astronomical!"

"Right!" Leek recalls. "Everything went bright—brighter than daytime. I remember it falling on us, and then… nothing. I don't recall anything after that."

The Saiyans are truly shocked by the revelation. Back then, in their last moments, many instinctively believed it would all be over.

Still, something remains unclear: who, or more accurately what, was responsible for the Saiyans' Eradication?

Everyone has the same glaring suspect in their mind, but no one wants to to be the one who says it. They're all waiting for the name to be dropped.

"Tell us, who was it?" Taro, the man with the thin mustache, asks. Earlier, he had been angry with Shen, but now his suspicion of the stranger's intentions has largely subsided.

"Who else but Frieza?"

A hammer strikes the saiyans in unison. It turns out exactly as they had anticipated.

The Saiyans had obeyed Frieza's orders as his tamed wolves, but to dismay of the ignorant their overlord had never appreciated their efforts. Instead, Frieza despised their entire existence.

Now, regret remains for not having anticipating Frieza's betrayal. still this outcome should have come to no surprise, no less when Frieza is involved. However the fact remains that most Saiyans' never expected this..

Though Its given, the majority of them have always blindly followed orders, rarely thinking much about anything. Calling them "monkeys" was fitting in that regard.

"So that bastard Frieza really killed us all…" Taiga exclaims, stomping the sandy ground in a fit of rage, causing a minor tremor... 

"Doubts had certainly crossed my mind," Leek admits. "Though I always dismissed them as paranoia. Looking back now, it was a lack of foresight."

"No wonder his mother-ship was suspiciously looming above our planet's sky for a whole month," exclaims a young man from the crowd.

"Were we no longer useful? Or… was this always his plan all along?" a random woman wonders aloud.

Still admittedly, it's not as if the Saiyans were any better themselves. Overly prideful, they would never willingly submit to anyone else. For most of them, loyalty to Frieza was merely a façade. They were merely biding their time. Had the opportunity presented itself, they would have torn their so-called master apart without hesitation.

Frieza, of course, was fully aware of this mentality. He had spies scattered all over Planet Vegeta.

Additionally, in Frieza's mind there was also a constant worry, relating to the Super Saiyan—a legendary warrior of immense power whose story had permeated the universe since time immemorial. Apparently, one of Frieza's ancestors had faced such a being, with disastrous results. Ever since, Frieza's clan had been cautious of any rumors surrounding the Super Saiyan.

In any case, the possibility of the Saiyans someday rebelling against him, his own dogs unleashed on himself.. Freiza couldn't possibly ignore the threat. Thus at just a slight suspicion of discontent aimed toward him brewing in some saiyan circles, the whole race had to be decisively delt with. 

Eradication. Only a drastic measure could satisfy the emperor.

"Now then," Shen claps his hands once, "let's move on. You should remember what I said earlier about this not being a charity—"

"Wait, wait! Halt for a second!" Fasha, waving her hands forward, as if a over-speeding cycle is about to hit her, manages to interrupts the ongoing discussion.

"We can talk about repaying your 'kindness' later. First, tell us: if you really wanted to bring us back to life, why are only a few of us here? Where are the rest?"

Her question encapsulates everyone's attention.

"Hmm, that's a very good question. Well…" Shen begins, slowly providing them with an overview of their revival process. Of course, he omits any mention of the Dragon Balls, keeping the explanation as vague as possible. They are only given a general idea that a magical wish brought them back, but no the specifics of how it happened.

Still, his explanation is enough for the Saiyans to Understanding the underlying implications.

The entire world has collapsed on Gine. her thoughts scattered, 'Bardock didn't meet the criteria for revival!.' Weeping in a low voice, she weakly falls on her knees, 

The situation is especially harsh on her. Most of those revived were societal outcasts due to their unusually kind natures—an anomaly among Saiyans.

Completely opposite to the average indvidual belonging to their race, Their unique behaviors had resulted in alienation from other Sayans, preventing them from developing close relationships.

As a result, they feel less affected by the destruction of Planet Vegeta, problems relating to separation is also minimum.. they are more so frustrated at being helplessly toyed around.

Gine, in contrast, is heartbroken.. Along with a handful of others, mostly children, she mourns the loss of her love.

Fasha, feels a sense of pity for her Leader's wife, "What's gone won't come back. We Saiyans know that better than anyone. You must look to the future." her attempts to console the downcast women is mediocre at best.

Shen, observing the dispirited atmosphere, interjects. "Well, you don't have to be discouraged just yet. It isn't possible that your husband wasn't brought back. I specifically mentioned his name in the request..." 

"Hmm!!" he went on.. "You all Wait for a minute Let me first inquire about what could've happened."

Hearing this, hope reignites in Gine, Fasha, and the rest of the group. Their chances aren't completely shattered after all.

Shen is about to take off but pauses to give the Saiyans a warning. "Don't leave the periphery of the beach until I return. If any of you disregard this warning…" He stops for a moment, sliding his thumb across his neck. "Believe it."

As the man leaves, everyone collectively exhales. His warning might've seemed ambiguous in most cases, but his earlier display of raw power has left no room for doubt about his ferocity and strength.

Shen hastily returns to the cliff near the shores, where Porongo still hovers in the night sky. Earlier, Shen had been too impulsive to look back before rushing to the beach.

This time, he intends to uncover the full picture.

So According to the Eternal Dragon, Bardock's soul is missing from the universe. It's neither in the Other World nor the Living World. Essentially, it has disappeared into thin air.

Even Toronbo, despite being a magical wish-granting Eternal dragon, cannot locate Bardock's whereabouts. This leaves Shen in a dilemma, though he has a theory about what might've happened.

As Toronbo reverts into the two Dragon Balls, Shen too returns to the beach to inform Gine and the others of the news.

The reaction is, unsurprisingly, one of disappointment.