Several thousand feet above planet Namek…

'Piccolo..?..'Can you hear me Piccolo?' Came the disembodied voice of Kami.

The younger Namekian frowned in annoyance. "Unfortunately, yes." The warrior grumbled. "What the hell have you been doing, Kami? We needed those dragonballs hours ago." He lectured.

There was silence for several seconds and Piccolo began to wonder if he had lost connection to his other half when Kami finally responded in a downtrodden manner.

'I am so terribly sorry Piccolo.. Garlic Jr returned to the Earth, more powerful than anything I have ever seen or felt.' The aged guardian admittedly reluctantly.

Piccolo's eyes slowly widened as realization dawned on him. All of the worst possible scenarios flashed in his mind. "Kami.." He began with a growing feeling of anxiousness in his gut. "What the hell happened?" The man demanded.

With the saiyans..

An aggrieved Frieza hovered in place with his fists clenched at his sides. Roughly twenty meters away from his position. The saiyans squared off. The tyrant's expression relaxed and he smirked. "Vegeta! You always were my favorite pet. I'll give you one final chance to join me. Kill the others and I will forgive you your transgressions." He promised sweetly.

"Yeah right, frieza!" Vegeta scoffed. "You'd shoot me in the back the moment I turned around. Besides, I just don't like you very much. I'd rather just kick your ass and call it a day." He finished, brushing his hands together with a grin as if he had dust on his gloves.

The pleased expression disappeared from Frieza's face and was replaced with a stone face. "Very well. Come at me all at once!" He demanded, spreading his arms wide. "I want to finish this as quickly as possible! I tire of this infuriating drudgery."

"Fine by us!" Kakarot yelled. "You and your family will pay for harming my son and for all the lives you've taken needlessly!" The man shouted in anger. His hair bristled and his fist clenched as his body shook. Across from him Frieza's eyes narrowed.

"I've never met your disgusting spawn, imbecile. To be quite frank I thought all the saiyan children were dead. But now that I know he's alive.. I'm going to raise him as my protégé just out of spite for you. How does that sound, monkey? If you will not join me.. Perhaps he will." The tyrant chuckled maliciously, covering his mouth with his hand and closing his eyes in delight.

Surprisingly it was Vegeta who responded..

"Kakarot." Vegeta said, catching the furious younger saiyan's attention. He raised an eyebrow at the prince. Vegeta turned to him and smirked. "Just this once. I'll follow your lead."

Kakarot's eyes widened for a moment as an understanding passd between them. He laughed out loud and flashed the prince a grin. "Right! Let's do this, Vegeta. Together!" He yelled.

The two roared in unison as they charged forth, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. Kakarot raised one arm in front of his face and reared the other back as he flew through the air. Vegeta, though lower in power level, flew directly behind the man.

With no small amount of skill and precision the prince made full use of his ally's trail of energy and the slipstream it created, allowing Vegeta to keep pace.

It also had the added benefit of confusing the Arcrosian emperor, as Kakarot's larger, more bulky body covered Vegeta from sight. It wasn't until the last minute when the pair split off, Vegeta dashing left and Kakarot to the right, that Frieza realized their ingenious plan. Their teamwork was flawless.

Splitting his attention the ivory skinned man's eye widened in surprise, looking frantically left and right between the two. "What!?" Frieza shouted, making an X with his arms.

"Ha!" In unison the saiyans yelled, holding up one hand and unleashing a ceaseless barrage of blasts on either side of their terrible foe.

Rapid concussive blasts and bright flashes of light filled the air as the saiyans held nothing back, hoping to hit their opponent hard and fast with everything they had. "Don't let up!" Kakarot yelled, halting his attack and dashing in at their target.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Vegeta yelled in response as he mirrored his partner from the opposite side.

"Haaa!"

"Haaa!"

They each threw furious haymakers that cleared the smoke and resulted in Frieza's pain stricken face being sandwiched between their fists.

"Gah!" The tyrant gasped, feeling dazed. The two saiyans spun in opposite directions as if they were in a synchronized dance before snapping out their legs in a tag team kick that rocketed Frieza away.

Knowing they only had a few brief seconds to breathe and plan their next move, Vegeta quickly turned to Kakarot. "Did you notice?" He asked. Kakarot returned the look with a serious expression and nodded. "Oh yeah. He's definitely weaker than before. He must have reduced his power back down to at least fifty percent. Maybe lower." He surmised.

Vegeta chewed his bottom lip. "It's still early. It may be wishful thinking but.. it is possible that he's getting tired." The man said seriously. "Frieza hasn't assumed his true form in a long time. Ten years ago at least. And God only knows the last time, if ever, he's had to remain at these levels for so long. Frieza's biggest weakness has always been control." He noted.

There was an explosion several meters away from their position as Frieza rebounded from their attack, rushing at the two warriors. "Here he comes!" The prince yelled, taking a defensive battle stance.

Meanwhile…

'BOOM!' 'Rumble!'

*beep!* *beep!* *beep!*

"Lord cooler! We're under attack!" An orange alien screamed over the intercom. Cooler, who had been sleeping in his pod reluctantly cracked open his eyes, rubbing them in annoyance. "You have got to be shitting me.." He said grumpily.

"What must a man do to finally attain even a single moment of peace? Why don't these blasted mongrels know their place!?" He yelled, hitting the back of the pod and denting it with the bottom of his fist. Admittedly his hand throbbed slightly, as he hadn't put any energy into it. That just pissed him off even more.

Exiting the pod, he proceeded to don his armor. "I sent almost all of my troops over to my family.." he growled. "Even still they couldn't manage to occupy the enemy forces for a single day? I feel as if everything I have ever known in all these long years has been some sort of cruel joke." The Arcrosian chuckled.

"God is now dangling everything I could possibly ever need right in front of me… Only to keep it just out of arm's reach using these pitiful insects to distract me..." Cooler cursed bitterly.

He paused, frowning as he sensed the energy of his attacker. It was a presence he had never felt before and yet… It was formidable, to say the least. Cooler scratched his chin in troubled thought. "... Not so pitiful. Odd. My family has been the strongest power in all the universe for eons. How is it that all of a sudden these ludicrous powers are all popping up here, at the same place and time? Is it just pure coincidence or is something else at play here.."

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Cooler was not afraid to admit he was a vain and selfish man. Quite frankly he had every right to be. He was one of the most powerful men in the universe both in measures of might and status.

He never wanted for anything because he'd always had everything. Anything that had happened in his life was done by his own dictation. He took what he wanted. He walked the path that procured him the most immediate gratification in that given moment and no one could stop him. He forged his own destiny.

At least.. That's what he had always believed…

"Was I simply someone else's pawn? Is there much about the universe we simply do not know or may have forgotten? What is this exasperating feeling?" He asked out loud as he stared down at an involuntarily shaking palm.

For once in his life, he truly did not know where he belonged.. and perhaps that is why, for the first time in his life.. He felt true fear.

*steam! Hiiiisss!*

A few minutes later Cooler stood at the bottom of his ship ramp and heaved a heavy sigh. Floating up in the sky above was a furious blue haired woman with a blazing blue area around her. As he had thought, he'd really never met her before. There was only one possible reason she could be standing here before him, with such ominous demeanor and intent.

Cooler floated into the air until he was relatively level with the woman. He had to be careful here. If he hurt her, the boy would never trust him. "You must be the boy's mother.." He began.

"Where is he!? Is my son dead!?" Bulma shrieked. It was the kind of sound that could only be described as an all-consuming mixture of terrified and furious. No force in this universe or the next could match the feelings of a grieving parent who had lost a child.

Cooler frowned. 'Irritating woman.' Sighing, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. "He is safe for now. Whether or not he remains that way, however, all depends on you." The Arcrosian suggested.

Bulma took a step forward, which looked intriguing in mid-air. "Who do you think you are!? Is that a threat?" She hissed, raising her arms and bending her knees slightly as she gathered an intense green energy in her palms.

Cooler's frown deepened as his lack of experience in the art of compromise was now proving to be his biggest obstacle. Admittedly, no matter how he spun this, it looked bad. A sweat drop formed on his brow. "No that's not what I meant.."

"Save the bullshit, I know what kind of person you are. I'll kick your ass and take my son!" She yelled, dashing forward. Cooler raised his hands in defense but the woman wouldn't be reasoned with. "Wait!" He yelled, dodging the first Flurry of punches and kicks with ease. Admittedly the woman was skilled, but she was far outclassed at the moment.

"My name is Cooler! Right now we have bigger fish to fry!" The purple man insisted. Bulma cocked her fist back and growled angrily. "I don't!" She screamed, landing a solid three punch combo followed by an uppercut.

Cooler cried out as he was sent flying away. He threw out his hands and stopped himself with a burst of energy before leveling a glare at the woman.

"I had hoped to be civil about this but so be it. If this will make you see reason!" As he finished speaking Cooler blasted off at his opponent far faster than she had any hope of reacting to. His purple fist collided with her face in a flash.

Cooler thought that punch would end it. But she managed to lean back just enough to avoid losing her head completely. Using her limitless evolution to its fullest, Bulma borrowed his momentum to perform an abnormally empowered backflip kick. The unexpected attack caught the Arcrosian square in the jaw.

*Crack!*

Cooler roared in pain and stumbled backwards mid-air. His tail wrapped instinctively around him and he clutched his jaw. "What the fuck just happened?" He questioned, shaking his head before spitting out blood.

He looked up at the woman in surprise and smirked. It looked as if she had damaged herself far more than his own punch had.

Her ankle was a swollen, bruised mess, appearing twisted and broken. "I must say I have never in all my life seen such sheer determination and will. Your talent merits an honorable mention as well. You have earned my respect, warrior…" Cooler started.

He froze and stared in shock however, when Bulma's flesh began to mend and heal before his very eyes. There was a sickening crunch as her bones and tendons snapped back into place. He stared at her with a mix of repulsion and awe. "What is with your weird ass family!?"

He remembered her husband healing in a remarkably similar way. He doubted it was just coincidence.

Bulma grit her teeth through the pain and glared at her opponent. As the process finished she relaxed and narrowed her eyes. "My name is Bulma… We are the protectors of the innocent, the light in the darkness. We are the hope of the universe, the ones who answer when all living things cry out for peace! Allies to good! Nightmare to you!" Her aura exploded as she burst forth to begin the fight anew.

With Frieza and the saiyans..

"Hiyaaaa!"

"Hiyaaaa!"

"Hiyaaaa!"

Three voices ranging out in unison as Frieza clashed with Vegeta and Kakarot in a spectacular explosion of lightning and sparks.

"Just die already you insolent bastards!" Frieza roared, raising one hand and launching a barrage of violet Ki blasts. The two saiyans scoffed in mockery before responding in kind with azure colored Ki blasts of their own.

A kaleidoscope of colors flashed between the three warriors as they flew through the air, continuing to fire their ceaseless barrage of blasts. It was clear that Frieza had the upper hand, and was pushing the two warriors back, even with one hand. "Fools!" Frieza roared, preparing to raise his other hand.

Suddenly that roar turned unto one of pain as three especially potent Ki beams blasted the tyrant in the back. Frieza whipped around in fury, glaring at Nappa, Turles and Raditz. The three warriors gulped and sweatdropped, each feeling as if they'd just made a terrible mistake that was about to cost them dearly.

Thankfully from behind the tyrant they heard Kakarot yell, "Don't forget about us, Frieza!"

Vegeta and Goku redoubled their efforts and overpowered Frieza's deadly Ki blast with their own, causing a series of explosions to overtake the lizard-like man. "Gahhh!"

The five saiyans regrouped several meters away, all of them huffing and puffing. "Did we get him!?" Turles asked with unrealistic optimism. Raditz scoffed. "Tch! Hardly! All we managed to do was piss him off.." He said truthfully.

True to his word, a massive burst of invisible Ki blew all the smoke away, revealing Frieza. He was pissed off and scraped up, but relatively unharmed.

"Kakarot.." Vegeta began, catching the attention of the others. The prince turned to look at the youngest saiyan. ".. You guys hold him off. As long as he keeps underestimating us.. I think I can stop him with my new final attack.."

Kakarot smirked and nodded, the others whooping in agreement as they blasted off towards the tyrant once more…

With Cooler and Bulma…

The fists of the Arcrosian and the Earthling collided in a shower of sparks. Cooler's superior physical strength won out, and he began pushing Bulma backward through the air at increasing speeds.

The blue haired woman grit her teeth and yelled, "Hiyaaa!"

Leeching off her opponent's momentum, Bulma shifted sideways. Cooler's eyes widened as the resistance disappeared and he lurched foward. Spinning around gracefully, the woman balled her free hand into a fist which connected with Cooler's jaw before he could correct his trajectory.

"Gahh!" He yelled, reflexively jumping backwards. He rubbed his lower mouth and breathed through his teeth in anger. He was stronger than her by far, there was no question about it. But it was like the blasted woman could perfectly predict and counter his moves, somehow borrowing from his own overwhelming might.

It was infuriating and unfair!

"Enough of this!" The Arcrosian yelled. He schooled his features and straightened his spine. He narrowed his eyes at the woman across from him. 'I am the prince of the universe. The Starscourge of the cosmos.' He reminisced. He clenched a fist in front of him. 'I had hoped.. My father and brother would be the first to push me this far.. Not some pathetic human..' He thought shamefully, looking at his fist.

'No.." He decided as he looked up at her once more and saw the fire burning in her eyes. 'She's not pathetic. She is a warrior. A mother. She's fighting for something bigger than herself.' Cooler relaxed once more and smirked at the woman, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" She asked, voice laced with venom.

Cooler bowed slightly in response, confusing the eoman further. "Congratulations! You should feel true pride, warrior of Earth. You'll be the first person in all of the universe to bear witness to my true power." Cooler announced, shocking Bulma to the core. Her eyes widened.

"His.. true power? There's no way.." She gasped in disbelief. But even as the words left her mouth they tasted bitter because she knew them to be untrue. She could feel this monsters power beginning to rise. She lowered herself to the ground and watched with grim defiance as Cooler's body began to transform and he yelled in effort.

It was over much more quickly than his brother transformations. In an instant he grew several dozen inches taller and became much bulkier as his muscle mass increased exponentially. His domed head became enlarged and four spikes formed, which were a mix of bone and his races own biogenetic armor.

His eyes became a deep, crimson red. Finally, a face mask made of bone slid up to cover his face, making it appear as if the hulking monstrosity was wearing a helmet.

"It's over." He said in a deep, commanding voice that was a few octanes lower than his orignal. Bulma slid into a battle stance but a moment later the monster disappeared.

Her eyes widened as the newly transformed Cooler reappeared with his fist buried deep in the woman's gut. "I… I didn't even blink.. But I couldn't see it.." she fell to her knees clutching her stomach as he removed his fist. Bulma lurched, retching out blood and bile.

The internal damage was such that any other being probably would have died. Her healing pushed itself into overdrive as her body tried to keep her brain alive at all costs.

"P-please.." She wheezed, as her vision blurred. Cooler looked down at her pitifully. "Please just let my son go.." she finally finished.

The man's eyes narrowed for several seconds and Bulma waited for thr inevitable. He towered over her, breathing heavily and radiating incomprehensible power. But then he sighed and his posture relaxed. "Ignorant woman. I'm trying to save him." The man said, rolling his eyes.

Bulma strained, managing to look up at him slightly. "What?.." She questioned.

Cooler sighed and powered back down to his natural state. This caused Bulma to crease her eyebrow. He had nothing to gain by doing this.. By now he knew that if he let her recover she'd be stronger than before.

Maybe enough to catch him off guard before he could transform.. She decided it might be in both their best interest if she heard him out.

"L-listening..' she wheezed in pain.

He winced slightly. He had pulled back as much as he could but his power in that state was five times higher than before and he had never used it in actual combat. It was a testament to the woman's prowess that she was even alive right now.

"You've seen what your son is capable of. His power defies all logic. If my father or brother found out about him, especially given his.. heritage…" He said, looking sideways. ".. You do the math." He finished, crossing his arms and huffing.

Bulma shook for several seconds. It occurred to her how incredibly lucky she was to be alive.. the man had clearly spared her intentionally. Furthermore, what he was saying was certainly true.. Still she couldn't just openly trust someone who kidnapped her son and hurt her family. "I'm supposed to just believe.. You're different?" She chuckled bitterly.

Cooler snorted in response. "Don't confuse this for something it's not. I'm not some whiney, wimp hero, or having some bullshit change of heart. The boy fucking terrifies me. I'm doing this to save my own ass and because I have my own agenda. One day he will rule us all." He said with certainty. Bulma shook her head and scoffed.

"He's.. He's a good boy. He wouldn't hurt people.." She said. Cooler couldn't stop himself from laughing mockingly. "Really?" He asked rhetorically.

"Who do you think caused all this? Slaughtered my men? It certainly wasn't me!" He said, throwing his arms out wide and circling slightly. This gave the woman pause. She was a genius so obviously it hadn't escaped her that the scene of carnage she'd seen upon her arrival was most likely caused by her son.

"Even if he learned to control that ominous power of his.. even if he somehow becomes a benevolent God.. I'd rather not risk my ass by being on his bad side. Don't you agree?" He asked with a malicious grin.

Cooler stretched out an open hand towards her. "Quite frankly, you don't need to trust me. But we both want the boy to make it off this planet alive. Right? Let me heal you. And then we'll go stop my father and brother. Together. On my mother's soul.."

As he said the words, her beautiful face flashed before his eyes. Her own eyes so full of life, her smile so full of kindness. "Honestly… This has been a long time coming..."

End of chapter 57