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Hearing Gine's question, Harry suddenly realized how overreactive he'd just been.
He quickly waved his hand and steadied his emotions. "It's nothing," he said lightly. "I just didn't expect Uncle Bardock to be coming back so soon. I thought it'd take a few more days."
"Oh, I see. For a second, I thought that little brain of yours was cooking up something strange again." Gine smiled casually, pretending not to notice his unease.
Harry was… different. She'd known that since he was little.
Among Saiyans, as long as someone had enough power to qualify as an elite warrior, their only goal was usually to climb higher and fight stronger opponents.
Take her eldest son, Raditz, for example. He'd been showing off since he could walk. Now that he was following the prince around, he was barely home two or three times a month.
But Harry—he was another story. Smarter, more composed, sharper than any kid his age.
Gine often caught herself comparing him with the other children. They'd all gone through the same genetic memory training, and yet the gap between them was huge.
Sure, there were a few quiet kids among the low-class warriors, but none with Harry's level of intelligence. And he wasn't even a low-class warrior—he was a full-blooded combat-type Saiyan from the elite ranks.
"Aunt Gine, you keep working. I'll go check on Kakarot for a bit," Harry said quickly.
He needed an excuse to leave before his emotions betrayed him.
Seeing Gine nod, he slipped into the inner room without another word.
Once he was out of sight, Gine frowned slightly, puzzled.
She couldn't say why, but even though Harry hadn't acted particularly strange, something about him felt… off today.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking," she muttered, shaking her head. "Or maybe… he's really starting to grow up."
Then she turned back to her work.
Inside the inner room, the first thing Harry saw was the incubation pod in the corner.
The baby inside had already grown quite a bit. Even though his recorded battle power was only two, his body was far stronger than any human child's.
"So, we meet again, Kakarot," Harry murmured with a faint smile. "Shame you're still asleep."
He stepped closer, staring at the tiny figure floating in the nutrient fluid.
Every time he came here, he felt the same mix of awe and disbelief.
After all, this was him—the protagonist of the original story.
He'd been reborn into the world of Dragon Ball.
If he weren't someone who'd crossed over from another life, he'd never believe that this six-month-old baby—born the weakest of a warrior race—would one day revive the legend of the Super Saiyan and become one of the mightiest fighters in the universe.
The memories of his past life flickered through his mind. One line, in particular, still echoed vividly:
"When Kakarot transformed into a Super Saiyan, every other anime in the world lost its light."
Once upon a time, that had been fiction. Now, for Harry, it was reality.
He sighed softly and pulled out his scouter again.
Sure, he already knew Kakarot's battle power—he'd checked it before, back when he still had the old model—but curiosity made him switch on the new one anyway.
Beep, beep, beep…
Battle Power: 2
No change. Just like before.
The new model also displayed some extra info—danger rating, vital stats—but none of that really mattered.
Soon, he thought silently, you'll be sent to Earth. That's where your story begins.
He didn't say it aloud. He didn't need to.
He already knew everything that was going to happen to Kakarot. As long as he didn't interfere, everything would play out just as it should.
Kakarot's future would be a good one—peaceful, full of friends and growth. He'd search for Dragon Balls, train under masters, and rise step by step.
Compared to the others—Raditz and Vegeta struggling under Frieza's heel, Nappa's doomed loyalty, Tarble's exile, Broly and Paragus's tragic fate—Kakarot would live the happiest life of them all.
"Sometimes," Harry said softly, watching the sleeping infant, "I really envy you. I even thought about taking your place once. But… these days, I've got my own path to follow."
Whether the baby could hear or not didn't matter. Harry turned and left without hesitation.
As he closed the door, Kakarot's eyes fluttered faintly behind his lids—whether from the noise or a passing dream, it was impossible to tell.
Outside, Harry lingered for a while, chatting idly with Gine again before heading home.
His house was right next door—small, but tidy and well-equipped. For someone living alone, it was perfect.
"The sense of dread I felt earlier is finally gone," he murmured, exhaling. "So, those two must've left Planet Vegeta."
He relaxed, though only slightly. There was no way he was ready to think about beings like Gods of Destruction or Angels yet.
"When Bardock gets back, I'll finally be able to confirm exactly where in the timeline we are."
Leaning back on his bed, Harry fell into deep thought.
He could only analyze the situation based on the storylines he remembered.
As far as he knew, this period of Dragon Ball actually had multiple possible timelines—at least two major ones.
The first was the original Dragon Ball Z version: Bardock led the invasion of Planet Kanassa, where he was ambushed by the locals and briefly gained the ability to see the future. Those visions eventually revealed Frieza's betrayal and the destruction of Planet Vegeta.
The second was introduced later, in the Dragon Ball Minus continuity. In that version, Bardock and several Saiyans invaded Planet Cereal instead. During that mission, Bardock discovered Frieza's plans and, foreseeing disaster, sent Kakarot away early—changing the story's flow entirely.
After analyzing both, Harry was fairly certain the world he was in followed the Z-timeline.
Kakarot was only six months old, while Bardock's team—Vegeta, Raditz, and himself—were about five. The year was Age 737.
In the Minus version, Kakarot was already three years old by that same year and was sent to Earth around that age—not even counting the travel time between the planets.
So yes—this was definitely the Z timeline.
And with that realization, Harry finally began to see the pieces of fate sliding into place.
"..."
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