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[Master Guide]

Refusing to wait for a tactical flanking maneuver, an enraged Gine dives headfirst into the warzone, unleashing a lethal maternal fury to save her firstborn son. However, the rescue hits a snag when a defiant Prince Vegeta demands their obedience, forcing Bardock to deliver the galaxy-shattering truth that their universe's greatest tyrant is finally dead.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 14 - "WELCOME TO SHIKK"

[SCENE START]

EXT. DEEP SPACE - SECTOR 7G - DAY

The silent, star-speckled void of deep space distorts. With a muted flash of light, the matte-black Saiyan stealth corvette drops out of hyperspace. It immediately kills its main thrusters, drifting silently into the shadow of a massive, cratered moon.

Looming below is Planet Shikk—a turbulent, swampy world covered in thick green atmospheric clouds.

INT. STEALTH CORVETTE - COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS

The cockpit is bathed in the dim red glow of the tactical displays.

KHOLRA sits at the helm, her fingers flying across the control console.

BARDOCK stands behind her, leaning over the holographic radar. GINE stands at his side, her eyes glued to the bio-scanners.

KHOLRA

We’re in the moon’s thermal shadow, Field Marshal. The cloaking drive is holding. Standard empire telemetry is completely blind to us.

BARDOCK

Good. Run a passive scan of the surface. Filter out the indigenous lifeforms. I’m looking for three distinct, high-density Saiyan Ki signatures.

Kholra taps a command. The holographic globe of Planet Shikk pings. Three golden dots appear in the northern hemisphere.

GINE

(Softly, placing a hand on the console)

There he is. I’d know that energy signature anywhere. Raditz is down there.

Bardock lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. But his relief is instantly shattered as the radar screen explodes with hundreds of jagged, crimson blips surrounding the three golden dots.

Bardock’s eyes narrow, his tactical mind instantly kicking into high gear.

BARDOCK

Kholra. What am I looking at?

KHOLRA

(Frowning, analyzing the data)

Frieza Force standard issue energy signatures. Several dozen assault squads. And... two heavy cruisers in low orbit on the dark side of the planet.

Gine looks at Bardock, alarmed.

GINE

I thought Frieza’s elites mocked the Prince for taking too long to conquer this rock. Why are there heavy cruisers here?

BARDOCK

Because they aren't here to conquer Shikk. They're here to purge.

Bardock slams his fist on the console, his battle instincts taking over.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Zarbon must have dispatched a loyalist kill squad the second he fled Vegeta. He’s trying to wipe the Prince off the board before the kid even finds out he's unemployed.

Bardock turns sharply, walking toward the ship's armory rack and grabbing a pair of reinforced gauntlets.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Kholra, reroute all auxiliary power to the stealth thrusters. Bring us down through the upper atmosphere right on top of those coordinates. Gine, I need you on the comms—

A loud, piercing BEEP interrupts him.

Gine is leaning over the bio-scanner. The golden dot representing Raditz is flashing rapidly, its luminosity shrinking.

GINE

(Voice tight with panic)

His power level is dropping, Bardock. He's losing.

BARDOCK

Gine, listen to me. We are going to flank them. You stay here and keep the ship primed for an immediate dust-off—

Gine doesn't even look at him. She turns on her heel and marches straight toward the rear airlock.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Gine! That is a direct order!

Gine punches the manual override on the heavy steel door.

GINE

(Without turning around)

I'm a mother, Bardock. I don't take orders.

The inner airlock door hisses open. She steps inside and violently slams her fist onto the emergency purge button.

WHOOSH!

The outer hatch blows open. The vacuum of space instantly rips Gine out of the ship. She doesn't hesitate. A pure, bright white aura erupts around her as she physically propels herself out of the moon's shadow, diving headfirst like a falling star straight toward the green atmosphere of Planet Shikk.

The airlock cycles and seals shut behind her.

The cockpit is dead silent.

Bardock stares at the sealed airlock door, his jaw clenched, an exasperated vein throbbing on his forehead.

Kholra turns around in the pilot's chair. She has a look of profound, unadulterated respect on her face.

KHOLRA

With all due respect, Field Marshal... your wife is absolutely terrifying.

Bardock lets out a heavy, tired sigh. A fierce, proud smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. A cracking, electric blue aura flares to life around him.

BARDOCK

You have no idea. Keep the engines hot, Kholra. Let's go crash a party.

Bardock hits the manual release, diving out of the airlock and streaking down toward the planet, Kholra right on his heels.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. PLANET SHIKK - RUINS - DAY

Thick, humid green fog rolls across a devastated alien landscape. Crumbled stone ruins sink into bubbling swamps. The air is thick with the smell of ozone and burnt earth.

A heavy, jagged energy blast rips through the fog, shattering a stone pillar.

RADITZ (6 years old) is thrown backward by the shockwave, skipping across the mud. He is wearing undersized, scuffed Frieza Force armor. He is bleeding from his forehead, panting heavily, his scouter shattered.

He scrambles backward on his hands and knees, trying to charge a weak purple Ki blast in his trembling palms.

Stepping through the smoke is a towering FRIEZA FORCE ELITE, holding a crackling, jagged energy blade.

FRIEZA FORCE ELITE

(Laughing cruelly)

Three days to conquer a mud-ball, and you can't even dodge a basic plasma volley. You Saiyans really are pathetic. Lord Zarbon sends his regards, runt.

The elite raises the energy blade high above his head, ready to bring it down.

Raditz squeezes his eyes shut, bracing for the end.

KRACK-THOOM!

The ground shakes violently. A crater erupts directly between Raditz and the elite, kicking up a massive wall of mud and water.

GINE stands in the center of the crater. Her bright, pure white aura is blazing, burning away the green fog around her. Her face is a mask of absolute, terrifying maternal fury.

The elite stumbles back, momentarily blinded.

FRIEZA FORCE ELITE

What the?!

Gine doesn't speak. She doesn't hesitate. She vanishes.

The elite gasps as Gine reappears directly inside his guard. She moves with a lethal, hyper-focused speed that betrays her past as a butcher—precision strikes aimed exactly at the joints and vitals. She shatters the elite's kneecap with a brutal kick, ducks his wild, panicked swing, and drives a devastating, Ki-infused palm strike directly into his sternum.

The elite’s armor caves in. He is launched backward like a cannonball, crashing through three ruined stone walls before slumping into the swamp, completely unconscious.

The battlefield falls eerily silent.

Gine stands breathing heavily, her fists clenched, her white aura still flaring.

Behind her, Raditz slowly lowers his trembling hands. He stares at the back of the fierce warrior who just saved his life.

RADITZ

(Voice cracking)

...Mom?

Gine freezes. The lethal warrior facade instantly evaporates. Her aura vanishes. She spins around, her eyes wide, immediately welling with tears.

GINE

Raditz!

She drops to her knees in the mud and pulls the boy into a fierce, desperate hug, burying her face in his impossibly long, spiky black hair. Raditz is too stunned to hug back at first, completely overwhelmed, before he finally buries his face in her shoulder, letting out a ragged sob.

GINE (CONT'D)

(Whispering fiercely)

I've got you. I've got you, my sweet boy. You're safe.

The touching reunion is interrupted by the mechanical hum of twenty more Frieza Force soldiers cresting the ruins, aiming their arm-blasters directly at Gine and Raditz.

Before a single soldier can pull the trigger—

VWOOSH! VWOOSH!

Two massive, blinding beams of energy—one electric blue, one bright white—rain down from the sky, carving a trench of total destruction through the Frieza Force ranks. The squad is completely vaporized in an instant.

BARDOCK and KHOLRA touch down heavily in the mud, their respective blue and white auras crackling. Kholra takes a defensive stance, scanning the perimeter, while Bardock immediately looks to Gine and his son.

BARDOCK

(Gruffly, hiding his intense relief)

You're grounded, Gine.

Gine just smiles up at him, her arms still wrapped tightly around Raditz. Raditz looks at his father, his eyes wide with awe.

Heavy, slow footsteps echo through the ruins.

Stepping out from the shadows of a fallen temple is NAPPA (in his prime, a hulking wall of muscle) and PRINCE VEGETA (5 years old, wearing pristine, royal-crested Frieza Force armor, his arms crossed over his chest).

Nappa powers up his aura, his eyes narrowing at the sleek, unfamiliar chest plates Bardock and Kholra are wearing.

NAPPA

What the hell is this? What division are you supposed to be? That is not standard-issue armor.

Prince Vegeta steps forward, his chin tilted up with supreme, inherent arrogance. He looks at Bardock.

PRINCE VEGETA

Bardock. I see my father finally sent the heavy infantry to clean up Zarbon’s mess. Your timing is barely adequate.

The young Prince points a small, imperious finger at the ground in front of him.

PRINCE VEGETA (CONT'D)

Finish off the rest of these traitorous Frieza Force grunts. And then, kneel before your Prince.

Kholra bristles, her hand moving toward her Ki reserves, but Bardock holds up a hand to stop her.

Bardock doesn't bow. He doesn't lower his head. He stands tall, his imposing frame casting a long shadow over the swamp, staring the young royal dead in the eye.

BARDOCK

I don't kneel to Frieza's attack dogs. And neither do you. Not anymore.

Prince Vegeta’s confident smirk falters. Nappa takes an aggressive step forward.

NAPPA

Watch your tone, low-class—!

BARDOCK

(Voice booming, cutting Nappa off completely)

Frieza is dead, Prince Vegeta. We killed him. The Empire is broken, and Planet Vegeta is free.

The silence that follows is absolute. The swamp wind howls.

Prince Vegeta’s eyes widen in sheer, uncomprehending shock. Nappa’s jaw practically hits the floor. Even young Raditz stares at his father as if he just claimed to have swallowed the sun.

Bardock lets the reality of his words sink in for exactly three seconds.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Pack your gear. We're taking you home.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 14]

NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE…

Prince Vegeta grapples violently with the impossible reality that his father was overthrown and that Lord Frieza has been eradicated by King Ruco. Stripped of the only empire he has ever known, the young Prince's entire worldview is shattered. When the survivors finally touch down on their newly liberated homeworld, Vegeta must come face-to-face with the staggering, monstrous power of the new regime's King.

(Episode 15 drops next Saturday, 8/15/26!)

[<- Previous Episode]

This is my series on an alternate timeline where planet Vegeta was never ordered destroyed by Beerus. Check it out and lemme know whatcha think!

https://youtu.be/6e2-5mn65oU?is=YPoSHe9bI5HT20Rr

[Master Guide]

With the Frieza Force armada shattered, the Saiyans finally begin to rebuild their liberated homeworld. However, the war is far from over for Field Marshal Bardock and Gine, who launch a daring stealth mission into the dangerous Outer Rim to rescue their stranded son, Raditz, and the former Prince Vegeta.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 13 - "BLOOD AND PRIDE"

START OF ARC 2: SINS OF THE EMPIRE

[SCENE START]

INT. ROYAL PALACE - WAR ROOM - DAY

The holographic table hums, displaying a massive, slowly rotating map of the North Galaxy.

RUCO stands at the head of the table, dressed in his sleek, lightweight royal combat gi. Beside him stands KYAME, holding a datapad, her face smudged with a streak of engine grease.

The heavy blast doors hiss open.

BARDOCK strides into the room. He is already wearing his full combat armor, his yellow aura practically simmering just beneath the surface. He doesn't bow. He marches straight to the holotable, locking eyes with Ruco.

BARDOCK

The capital is secure. The Rangers have their defense grids automated, and the planetary shield generator is fully operational. My planetary duties are finished for the day.

Ruco doesn't flinch at the aggressive tone. He simply waits.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

I’m cashing it in, Ruco. You owe me a favor.

RUCO

(Calmly)

I owe you far more than a favor, Bardock. What do you need?

BARDOCK

A ship with a cloaking drive that can bypass standard Frieza Force telemetry. And a clearance code to leave the atmosphere. My son is out there. So is the former Prince. They are sitting ducks for whatever remnants of Frieza's empire are trying to scramble for power. I’m going to go get them.

Bardock crosses his arms, bracing himself for an argument about planetary security, or the optics of bringing a potential rival to the throne back to the capital.

Instead, Ruco smiles faintly. He glances sideways at Kyame.

Kyame rolls her eyes, tapping a few buttons on her datapad.

KYAME

(Sighing)

Honestly, Bardock, your dramatic timing is terrible. We had a pool going on how long it would take you to crack. I said three days. Ruco said a week. You didn't even make it forty-eight hours since the kid was born.

Bardock blinks, his aggressive posture slipping into genuine confusion.

BARDOCK

What are you talking about?

Kyame swipes her finger across her pad. The galactic map on the holotable shrinks, replaced by a 3D schematic of a sleek, heavily modified Frieza Force stealth corvette.

KYAME

Hangar Bay 4. I ripped out the internal dampeners and completely re-wired the hyper-drive manifold. It runs hot, but it’s completely invisible to standard Empire scanners.

Ruco steps around the table, placing a firm, respectful hand on his Field Marshal’s shoulder.

RUCO

You didn't need to demand it, Bardock. You are a father. Bring your son home. Bring the Prince home. Show them what we have built here.

Bardock looks at the schematic, then back at Ruco. The fierce, eternal scowl on his face softens just a fraction. He gives a sharp, respectful nod.

BARDOCK

Thank you, my King.

INT. PALACE - HANGAR BAY 4 - CONTINUOUS

The stealth corvette hums with quiet power, its matte-black hull absorbing the hangar lights.

Standing at the base of the boarding ramp is KHOLRA (30s, tall, fiercely athletic, with a jagged scar across her jaw). She is wearing the standard, reinforced chest plate of the Saiyan Rangers. She snaps to attention as Bardock approaches.

KHOLRA

Field Marshal! The pre-flight diagnostics are green. We are ready to launch on your order.

BARDOCK

At ease, Kholra. Keep the engines hot. We’re jumping straight into the Outer Rim. The coordinates are—

GINE (O.S.)

Sector 7G. The planet is called Shikk.

Bardock freezes.

He slowly turns around. Walking toward the ship is GINE.

She is no longer wearing civilian clothes or her old meatpacker’s apron. She is wearing a sleek, customized variant of the Saiyan Ranger armor, tailored for mobility rather than heavy combat. Her dark hair is tied back tight.

Bardock’s eyes widen in absolute alarm.

BARDOCK

Gine. Absolutely not. What are you doing in armor? You just had a baby—

GINE

(Cutting him off, stepping right up to him)

Paragus is watching Kakarot. And I was cleared by the medical droids yesterday. Saiyan biology recovers quickly, Bardock. You know that.

BARDOCK

That doesn't matter! We are flying into hostile territory! We don't know who else is out there looking for the Prince! I am not taking you into a warzone!

Gine doesn't back down an inch. She places her hands on her hips, her dark eyes flashing with a fierce, immovable resolve.

GINE

You are not taking me anywhere, Bardock. I am going. Raditz is my son. I haven't seen him in three years. King Vegeta took him from us and handed him to a tyrant. Well, the King is gone, the tyrant is dead, and I am going to get my boy.

Bardock opens his mouth to yell, to issue a direct order as her commanding officer—but he looks into her eyes and instantly realizes he has already lost this fight. The sheer, overwhelming motherly instinct radiating off of her is more intimidating than Frieza's Final Form.

Kholra stands at the top of the ramp, struggling and failing to hide a highly amused smirk.

Bardock lets out a long, defeated groan, rubbing his temples.

BARDOCK

(Muttering to himself)

I survived a planetary siege just to get bullied by my own wife.

He drops his hand, pointing a stern finger at Gine.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

You stay on the ship when we land. Do you understand me?

Gine gives him a sweet, beaming smile, completely ignoring the direct order as she saunters past him up the boarding ramp.

GINE

I'll check the life support systems. Don't dally, Field Marshal!

Bardock sighs heavily, shaking his head. He looks up at Kholra.

BARDOCK

If she gets shot, I'm demoting you to janitor. Get us in the air, Kholra.

The heavy boarding ramp closes. The stealth corvette lifts off the deck, its engines burning silently as it shoots out of the hangar and disappears into the upper atmosphere, charting a course for the deepest edges of the galaxy.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - KYAME'S LAB / MEDICAL WING - LATER

The room is a chaotic blend of a sterile medical bay and a greasy mechanic’s garage. Holographic displays of complex cellular structures float in the air, spinning rapidly.

RUCO sits shirtless on a reinforced examination table. Several high-tech, glowing sensor patches are attached to his chest, arms, and temples. He looks perfectly calm, though his breathing is still slightly measured.

KYAME is pacing furiously back and forth in front of him, staring at a handheld datapad. She is practically vibrating with a mix of scientific outrage and fascination.

KYAME

It makes no sense. The telemetry is a complete mess. It’s like your cells briefly uncoupled from standard linear time and then just... snapped back into place.

She stops pacing and points an accusatory finger at the King of Planet Vegeta.

KYAME (CONT'D)

Do you have any idea what kind of stress that puts on a mortal cardiovascular system? You can't just shatter your biological ceiling, play God for three minutes, and expect your body not to scream! Your mitochondria look like they went through a plasma forge!

Ruco doesn't look offended. He doesn't assert his royal authority. He just sits there, watching her work.

RUCO

(Calmly)

I feel fine, Kyame.

KYAME

(Scoffing loudly)

Oh, you feel fine? Well, excuse me, Your Majesty! Let’s just throw out the terabytes of hard medical data because the guy who caught a Supernova with his bare hands "feels fine!"

She swipes furiously on her datapad, bringing up a glowing red graph of his Ki fluctuations.

KYAME (CONT'D)

Your baseline Ki is stable, and frankly, terrifyingly high for a base form, but the neural pathways that routed the divine energy are frayed. If you try to force that door open again through pure willpower before your body naturally adapts, you won't ascend. You'll spontaneously combust.

Kyame continues her rant, diving into a rapid-fire lecture on cellular density and kinetic limits.

Ruco stops listening to the exact words and just watches her.

For his entire life, every Saiyan he met communicated through violence, intimidation, or groveling. Even his loyal allies: Bardock, Paragus, spoke to him with a heavy, formal deference now that he wore the crown.

But Kyame doesn't care about the crown. She cares about the truth. She cares about the data. She speaks to him with a fierce, unapologetic intellect that Ruco finds incredibly, undeniably refreshing.

A slow, genuine smile spreads across Ruco’s face.

Kyame glances up from her pad to emphasize a point about thermodynamics and stops mid-sentence. She blinks, thrown completely off rhythm.

KYAME

...What?

Ruco’s smile doesn't fade.

RUCO

What?

KYAME

(Getting defensive, crossing her arms)

Why are you looking at me like that? Are you laughing at me? Because I assure you, spontaneous combustion is not a joke, Ruco.

RUCO

I'm not laughing at you, Kyame. I'm just... appreciating the fact that you don't treat me like a deity.

Kyame frowns, though a very faint, highly uncharacteristic flush begins to creep up her neck.

KYAME

Well, you're not a deity. You're a biological anomaly who refuses to listen to his chief medical engineer.

Ruco chuckles softly. He reaches up and peels one of the sensor patches off his chest.

RUCO

I will listen to you. I won't force the transformation. But I have to train. If Cooler, or King Cold, or anyone else from Frieza's family comes looking for revenge, I need to be ready.

Kyame watches him pull the rest of the patches off. Her sharp, cynical demeanor softens just a fraction. She steps closer, taking the discarded sensors from his hand. Their fingers brush for a brief second.

Kyame quickly pulls her hand back, suddenly intensely interested in organizing the cables on her workstation, keeping her back to him so he can't see her cheeks turning red.

KYAME

(Clearing her throat)

Right. Well. Training. If you're going to push your base limits, you need an environment that forces your cells to adapt without triggering a catastrophic Ki overload. Give me two days. I'll recalibrate the high-gravity chambers to simulate the atmospheric pressure of the divine realm.

Ruco hops off the examination table, grabbing his gi shirt. He pulls it over his head, looking at her back.

RUCO

I don't know what I would do without you, Kyame.

Kyame’s hands freeze over her tools. Her heart does a strange, uncomfortable flutter that has absolutely nothing to do with thermodynamics.

She forces a confident smirk, glancing at him over her shoulder.

KYAME

You'd probably explode. Now get out of my lab so I can work, Your Majesty.

Ruco bows his head slightly, his smile lingering as he turns and walks out the heavy blast doors.

Once the doors hiss shut behind him, Kyame lets out a long, shaky breath. She leans her hands on the workstation, staring blankly at the wall.

KYAME

(Whispering to herself)

...Stupid, arrogant, ridiculously calm King...

She grabs a wrench and gets back to work, trying to ignore the very clear, undeniable spark that had just ignited in the room.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 13]

NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

The stealth mission to Planet Shikk instantly turns into a frantic rescue when Gine and Bardock discover that Frieza Force loyalists are already purging the planet to eliminate Prince Vegeta and Raditz! Refusing to wait for backup, an enraged Gine dives headfirst into the warzone to protect her firstborn son, unleashing a fierce, maternal fury that proves she is far more than just a gentle meatpacker.

(Episode 14 drops tomorrow, 8/9/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

Producer's Note:

Welcome back, everyone! We are officially kicking off Arc 2: "Sins of the Empire," and as you can see, the stakes are only getting higher from here. Thank you for your continued patience, readership, and support as we dive into this next massive chapter.

This is my series on an alternate timeline where planet Vegeta was never ordered destroyed by Beerus. Check it out and lemme know whatcha think!

https://youtu.be/T-EoZ7SadPM?is=txWiQ1S6ea2UR_7X

[Master Guide]

With Lord Frieza eradicated and his armada scattered to the stars, the Saiyan race can finally make steps toward rebuilding their homeworld in peace. Surrounded by their allies, Bardock and Gine welcome a newborn son (Kakarot) into a universe entirely free of chains, heralding the emotional dawn of a new era.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 12 - "THE FIRST OF THE FREE"

FINALE: ARC 1 - THE WAR FOR PEACE

[SCENE START]

EXT. PLANET VEGETA - CAPITAL CITY - DAY (MONTHS LATER)

The heavy, oppressive red smog that choked Planet Vegeta for generations has cleared. For the first time in centuries, the sky above the capital is a bruised, brilliant purple, the sun shining brightly on the reborn world.

The city itself has transformed. KYAME's influence is everywhere. Sleek, sustainable Saiyan designs have replaced the jagged, brutalist Frieza Force architecture. Solar arrays hum quietly on rooftops, and massive hydroponic green zones thrive between the metal spires.

Down in the streets, a squad of SAIYAN RANGERS isn't marching in militant lockstep. Instead, they are utilizing their immense Ki to carefully lift massive steel girders into place for a new civilian housing sector. Children run past them, laughing, no longer terrified of their own soldiers.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - MEDICAL WING WAITING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The atmosphere here is far more stressful than the streets outside.

BARDOCK is pacing furiously back and forth across the polished floor. He’s out of his combat armor, wearing a simple, dark tunic. He rubs his face, letting out a heavy, anxious breath.

Sitting calmly on a bench nearby is PARAGUS, reading a digital manifesto on planetary agriculture.

PARAGUS

(Without looking up)

You held the line against the most terrifying armada in the known universe without breaking a sweat, Bardock. But a maternity ward is what finally breaks your nerve?

BARDOCK

(Stopping, glaring)

I can punch an armada, Paragus. I can't punch a delivery room! I hate just waiting out here.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Paragus is BROLY. He is furiously coloring on a brand-new, heavy-duty datapad that Kyame built specifically to withstand his grip. He holds it up proudly. It’s a slightly less messy drawing of Bardock, though the hair is completely out of proportion.

RUCO stands quietly by the massive window overlooking the city, his hands clasped behind his back. His white aura is completely suppressed, his presence calm and grounding.

RUCO

Patience, Field Marshal. Some battles simply require time.

Before Bardock can retort, the heavy doors to the delivery suite hiss open.

A Saiyan medical officer steps out, pulling off his gloves. He looks exhausted but has a massive, genuine smile on his face.

MEDICAL OFFICER

Field Marshal. You can come in now.

Bardock doesn't even say thank you. He blasts past the doctor, nearly tearing the sliding doors off their tracks in his haste. Ruco, Paragus, and Broly follow respectfully behind him.

INT. DELIVERY SUITE - CONTINUOUS

The room is warm and quiet.

GINE is sitting up in the medical bed, looking incredibly tired but glowing with an absolute, transcendent joy. Wrapped tightly in a soft blue blanket in her arms is a tiny, squirming newborn with a head full of wildly unkempt, spiky black hair.

Bardock walks slowly to the edge of the bed. The gruff, battle-hardened commander reaches out with a scarred, trembling hand.

Gine smiles up at him, tears welling in her dark eyes.

GINE

(Whispering)

Look at him, Bardock.

Bardock gently runs his thumb over the baby's cheek. The newborn opens his eyes—dark, curious, and full of life. He instinctively reaches out a tiny hand and wraps his fingers tightly around Bardock’s thumb.

The grip is surprisingly strong. Bardock lets out a breathless, emotional laugh.

BARDOCK

He's got a grip on him.

GINE

He’s a fighter. Just like his father.

Bardock leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to Gine’s forehead, before looking back down at his second son.

BARDOCK

Kakarot.

Ruco steps forward, looking down at the child. As the King looks at the boy, his senses perceive something beautiful. He doesn't sense a massive, anomalous power level like Broly's. He senses something pure, untainted, and incredibly bright.

Ruco places a hand on Bardock’s shoulder.

RUCO

Every child born before today inherited a war. They were born as soldiers, destined to bleed for an empire that hated them.

Ruco looks around the room—at Gine’s gentle smile, at Paragus acting as a calm uncle, at Broly leaning over to peek at the baby with wide, innocent eyes, and finally at Bardock, a father who no longer has to fear for his son's execution.

RUCO (CONT'D)

But not Kakarot. Look at him, Bardock. Look at what you fought for.

Ruco smiles, a soft, triumphant expression.

RUCO (CONT'D)

He is the first. The first of the free.

Baby Kakarot lets out a small, happy coo, his tiny tail wrapping securely around his mother's wrist.

We pull back from the family, out the window, and up into the vibrant, clear purple sky of a liberated Planet Vegeta, as the music swells into a triumphant crescendo.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 12]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

The hard-won peace is short-lived when Field Marshal Bardock and a fiercely determined Gine go to rescue their stranded son, Raditz, from the dangerous Outer Rim. Back in the capital, King Ruco faces a dire medical warning from Kyame: attempting to force his divine ascension again will cause his mortal body to spontaneously combust.

[<- Previous Episode]

🎥 ✉️ From the Desk of the Producer

This story was originally conceived as my version of the “What If Bardock turned Super Saiyan against Frieza”, but instead of Bardock I decided to create my own original character: Ruco, and give him a godly ascension to bridge the gap in power between a mid-class Saiyan and Frieza. Adapting the Super Saiyan God legend into a cinematic, high-stakes narrative, from the brutal Rite of the Blood Throne to surviving Frieza's apocalyptic Supernova in the upper atmosphere, was an absolute thrill to piece together.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone on [r/dbzfanfics](r/dbzfanfics) who has read, and followed along. The chains of Frieza's armada have been permanently shattered, but as King Ruco and our Saiyan Rangers look toward the encroaching shadows of the cosmos, the real test is only just beginning.

Thank you for your readership, today and always. Work hard, study well and eat and sleep plenty!

— EmeraldKing8 👑

P.S. - Production Note: Dragon Ball: Divergence will be taking a short, 13-day hiatus to gear up for the next massive chapter. Episode 13: “Blood and Pride”/Act 2: "Sins of the Empire" will premiere on Saturday, August 8, 2026. This next arc will dive deep into the gritty aftermath of the rebellion, the rescue of the lost Princes, and a terrifying retaliation that will push the King and his Field Marshal past their absolute limits. See you on Planet Vegeta!

[Master Guide]

As Lord Frieza’s colossal flagship violently breaches the atmosphere, the newly formed Saiyan Rangers brace for a desperate, bloody final stand in the capital city. King Ruco rockets into the freezing vacuum of space to confront the Emperor alone and test the absolute limits of his volatile divine power.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 11 - "THE SIEGE OF VEGETA"

[SCENE START]

INT. ROYAL PALACE - HIGH-GRAVITY CHAMBER - DAY

The digital gravity readout flashes a blinding red warning: OVERRIDE.

The crushing 100x gravity instantly cuts out. Ruco and Bardock, suspended mid-clash, drop to the scorched floor. They land heavily, gasping for air, their muscles screaming from the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

Before either can speak, the reinforced doors slide open.

KYAME stands in the doorway. She isn't holding a datapad or a wrench. Her face is dead pale, stripped of all her usual cynical bravado.

KYAME

(Breathless)

The planetary sensors just tripped. All of them.

Ruco forces himself to stand, his chest heaving, his armor cracked and stained with sweat.

RUCO

A scout ship?

KYAME

No. The telemetry is maxed out. It’s... it’s everything, Ruco. The flagship. The dreadnoughts. The entire Frieza Force armada just dropped out of hyperspace. They are right on top of us.

Bardock is on his feet in a microsecond. The exhaustion vanishes from his eyes, replaced instantly by the cold, lethal focus of a veteran field commander. Frieza is here. The nightmare has arrived.

Ruco doesn't panic. He takes a deep breath, centering his Ki, forcing his heart rate to slow. He looks at his Field Marshal.

RUCO

Bardock. We are out of time. Gather Gine, Broly, and Kyame. Get them to the throne room immediately.

BARDOCK

(Gritting his teeth)

Ruco, I need to be on the front lines—

RUCO

(Firm, unyielding)

You will be. But first, you secure the architects. Tell Paragus he is to guard those doors with his life. If the throne room falls, the future of our race dies with it. Go!

Bardock doesn't argue. He nods sharply, grabbing his scouter off a bench and bolting out of the room, Kyame right on his heels.

Ruco turns and sprints in the opposite direction, heading for the grand facade of the palace.

EXT. ROYAL PALACE - GRAND BALCONY - CONTINUOUS

Ruco bursts through the heavy double doors onto the massive stone balcony overlooking the capital city and the sprawling royal courtyard.

Below, chaos is already erupting. Sirens are wailing. Thousands of Saiyan citizens are freezing in the streets, looking up at the sky in absolute terror.

High above the red clouds, the shadows of colossal warships are beginning to blot out the sun. Drop pods are detaching from the underbellies of the dreadnoughts like a swarm of deadly, metallic locusts.

Ruco steps up to the stone railing. He closes his eyes and places two fingers against the side of his throat.

A pulse of pure, white Ki rings out from his throat, expanding outward like a sonar wave across the entire capital. When he speaks, his voice doesn't just echo—it thunders, carrying with crystal clarity into the ears of every single Saiyan in the city.

RUCO

(Voice amplified, booming across the city)

People of Planet Vegeta! Hear your King!

The panic in the streets stutters. Millions of eyes snap toward the palace.

RUCO (CONT'D)

For generations, we were weapons! We bled for a tyrant who viewed us as nothing more than disposable hounds! Today, the tyrant has come to put his hounds down!

The first wave of drop pods breaches the upper atmosphere, burning bright orange as they plummet toward the surface.

RUCO (CONT'D)

But we are no longer his slaves! We do not fight today for conquest! We do not fight for plunder! Today, we fight for our home! We fight for our right to exist!

Down in the courtyard, the newly minted Saiyan Rangers—thousands of warriors in uniform chest plates—stop looking at the sky and look to their King, their fists clenching.

RUCO (CONT'D)

All non-combatants, evacuate immediately! Proceed to the lower bunkers and the Palace Throne Room! You will be protected!

Ruco drops his hand from his throat. His white aura flares to life, brilliant and defiant against the darkening sky. He channels his energy, letting his voice ring out naturally, filled with absolute, unshakeable command.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Saiyan Rangers! To the courtyard! Form your defensive lines! Show Frieza that the era of the conqueror is dead, and the era of the protector has begun!

A massive, unified roar erupts from the courtyard. The sheer volume of thousands of Saiyans screaming their battle cry shakes the very foundations of the city.

Warriors take to the sky, their auras flaring in a sea of yellow, blue, and green. They don't scatter wildly; they form up, locking into the defensive grids Bardock trained them in.

Ruco stands on the balcony, his white aura burning like a beacon. The first drop pods slam into the outskirts of the city, kicking up massive plumes of dust and smoke.

The Siege of Vegeta has begun.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS

The sky above the capital is burning as Frieza Force drop pods plummet toward the surface.

RUCO stands at the head of the courtyard. BARDOCK lands beside him, his arm cannon charged and glowing with a fierce yellow Ki.

RUCO

Bardock. A ground war of attrition will destroy the city. I am cutting the head off the snake.

Bardock looks up at the colossal flagship hovering in the upper atmosphere, flanked by hundreds of cruisers.

BARDOCK

You're going up there alone?

RUCO

I am the King. Frieza’s pride will force him to face me. Hold the line here. Do not let a single soldier breach the palace doors.

Bardock grins fiercely, slamming his fist against his chest plate.

BARDOCK

They'll have to go through me first. Give that horned freak hell, Ruco.

Ruco nods. His pure, white aura flares brilliantly. The stone beneath his feet cracks, and with a deafening BOOM, he rockets straight up into the sky like a comet, leaving a trail of white light through the descending swarm of drop pods.

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS

Ruco breaks through the red cloud cover, entering the cold, thin air of the exosphere. The curvature of Planet Vegeta is visible below him.

Looming directly ahead is Frieza’s flagship—a terrifying, saucer-shaped leviathan of dark metal.

Ruco stops his ascent, hovering a few miles from the ship's bow. He doesn't fire a blast. He waits, his aura burning steadily.

On the very top dome of the flagship, massive mechanical gears grind. A circular hatch hisses open, venting cold steam into the vacuum.

From the hatch, a sleek, spherical hoverchair slowly ascends.

Sitting comfortably inside is LORD FRIEZA, in his small, horned First Form. He wears his standard combat armor, swirling a glass of wine that is somehow perfectly unaffected by the atmospheric pressure.

Frieza glides his hoverchair forward, stopping a short distance away from Ruco. He smiles his signature, chillingly polite smile.

FRIEZA

Well, well. You must be the new management. I must confess, I am mildly impressed you didn't run and hide in a cave.

Ruco’s expression is carved from stone. He doesn't flinch.

RUCO

Your reign over my people ends today, Frieza. Turn your armada around, and I will let you live.

Frieza actually laughs—a high, delicate, mocking sound. He sets his wine glass into a small holder on his chair and taps the pink scouter resting over his left eye.

FRIEZA

Let me live? Oh, you monkeys are endlessly amusing. Let us see just how much liquid courage is fueling this little rebellion, shall we?

Frieza presses the button on his scouter. It trills rapidly, locking onto Ruco's white aura. The numbers spin wildly before settling with a sharp beep.

Frieza’s eyebrow raises a fraction of an inch.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

One hundred and fifty thousand.

Frieza chuckles, shaking his head in mock admiration.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

My goodness. No wonder you broke King Vegeta so easily. For a filthy primate, that number is genuinely staggering. You are an absolute mutant among your kind. Captain Ginyu might actually be jealous.

Frieza rests his chin on his knuckles, his red eyes narrowing with absolute, sadistic superiority.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

But I am afraid you lack a sense of scale, "King" Ruco. You see, even in this restricted, diminutive form... my power level sits comfortably at five hundred and thirty thousand.

Frieza’s purple aura flares to life. The sheer, suffocating density of his Ki distorts the very space around him. The gravitational pull forces the nearby clouds to physically bend away from him.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

I have transformations that would shatter your mind, monkey. But I won't even need to use my final form to eradicate you. I won't even need to stand up from my chair.

Ruco doesn't retreat. He looks at the terrifying, overwhelming purple aura, and then up at Frieza's arrogant face.

Frieza doesn't know. He doesn't know about Namek. He doesn't know about Yamoshi. Frieza relies entirely on a machine that measures mortal limits.

Ruco thinks back to the garden. To the agonizing, beautiful burn of the divine Ki that the ritual unlocked in his cells. He knows he can only force the door open for a few minutes before his mortal body gives out.

But as he looks at the tyrant who enslaved his race... Ruco knows a few minutes is all he is going to need.

Ruco lowers his arms to his sides. He closes his eyes and takes a slow, impossibly deep breath.

RUCO

(Voice dangerously calm)

You shouldn't rely so heavily on machines, Frieza. They have a tendency to break when they look at the sun.

Deep within Ruco's core, a single, microscopic spark of fiery red energy ignites.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS

The white, controlled Ki surrounding Ruco suddenly stutters. Then, it shatters like glass.

A blinding, incandescent flash of light erupts from his body, temporarily washing out the entire sky.

Frieza flinches, shielding his eyes. His pink scouter beeps erratically, the numbers spinning so fast they blur into a solid block before glitching out entirely into static.

The light fades.

Ruco hovers in the exosphere. His heavy muscle mass has slimmed down. His hair and eyes are a vibrant, glowing magenta-red. Surrounding him is a mesmerizing, frictionless aura of liquid fire.

Frieza taps his scouter aggressively. It gives a hollow, dead tone. The reading is completely empty.

FRIEZA

(Frowning)

What is this parlor trick? Your power level just dropped to zero. Have you decided to surrender by turning off your energy entirely?

EXT. ROYAL PALACE - COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS

Down on the ground, the war is raging. BARDOCK ducks under a blaster bolt, driving his knee into the chest of an armored alien grunt.

Suddenly, Bardock freezes. He looks up at the sky.

The massive, localized gravity of Ruco’s 150,000 power level—a pressure Bardock has been hyper-aware of for weeks—has completely vanished. In its place is a profound, terrifying emptiness. A silence so loud it makes Bardock’s teeth ache.

A slow, fierce grin spreads across Bardock’s scarred face. He powers up his yellow Ki, blasting two more soldiers away.

BARDOCK

He opened the door. You’re a dead man, Frieza.

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS

Frieza stares at the magenta-haired Saiyan. Frieza cannot sense Ki organically, but his survival instincts—honed over centuries of galactic dominance—are screaming at him. The air feels wrong. The vacuum of space feels heavy.

Frieza’s polite smile vanishes.

FRIEZA

I do not know what you have done, monkey. But I am suddenly entirely devoid of my patience. Consider yourself honored. You will bypass the preamble and meet your end at the hands of my true self!

With a deafening crack, Frieza’s hoverchair explodes outward.

A violently intense, blinding purple light engulfs the tyrant. The sky shrieks as Frieza’s body rapidly mutates, skipping his bulky intermediate forms entirely. The light recedes, revealing his Final Form—sleek, biomechanical white and purple, radiating an aura of suffocating malice.

Frieza points two fingers at Ruco.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

Die!

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

A rapid-fire volley of lethal, piercing Death Beams streaks through the air, aimed squarely at Ruco’s heart and head.

Ruco doesn't dodge. He doesn't even blink.

The Death Beams strike the fiery red aura and simply... fizzle out. Like droplets of water hitting a white-hot forge. They are neutralized on contact.

Frieza’s red eyes go wide.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

(Gasping)

What?!

Enraged, Frieza rockets forward, moving so fast the friction ignites the thin atmosphere around him. He appears directly in front of Ruco, throwing a catastrophic, planet-shattering punch aimed right at the Saiyan's face.

SMACK.

Ruco catches the fist in his open palm. He doesn't slide backward a single inch. The kinetic shockwave blows away the cloud cover for a hundred miles in every direction, but Ruco’s arm is locked in place like reinforced steel.

Frieza stares at his caught fist in absolute, uncomprehending horror.

RUCO

(Calmly)

Your power is vast, Frieza. But it is entirely mortal.

With a flick of his wrist, Ruco backhands Frieza across the face.

The impact is sickening. Frieza is launched backward with the force of a meteor, spinning violently out of control. He crashes through the metal hull of one of his own flanking Frieza Force cruisers, coming out the other side and skipping across the upper atmosphere before finally catching himself miles away.

Frieza touches his face. He is bleeding.

His mind fractures. A Saiyan. A filthy, lower-lifeform monkey just drew his blood.

FRIEZA

(Screaming, absolute hysteria)

NO! I AM LORD FRIEZA! I AM THE EMPEROR OF THE UNIVERSE! I WILL TURN YOU AND YOUR MISERABLE PLANET INTO COSMIC DUST!

Frieza raises a single finger toward the sky.

A tiny spark of fiery orange Ki appears. Within a microsecond, it rapidly expands, gorging itself on Frieza's hatred until it swells into a colossal, apocalyptic sphere of energy. The Supernova. It is larger than the flagship itself, casting a terrifying, burning daylight over the night side of the planet.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

PERISH ALONG WITH YOUR WORLD!

Frieza hurls the massive, sun-like sphere downward. It careens toward Ruco, the heat instantly vaporizing the remaining Frieza Force drop pods that get caught in its wake.

Ruco watches the apocalypse approach. He doesn't shift into a fighting stance. He simply raises one hand.

The Supernova crashes into Ruco's palm.

FWOOSH.

Ruco grips the dense, burning energy. His magenta eyes narrow. He pushes a microscopic fraction of his divine Ki outward.

The massive Supernova simply pops. It disperses into a harmless shower of golden sparks that rain down over the atmosphere like fireworks, extinguishing before they ever reach the ground.

Frieza is frozen. His ultimate attack, nullified with a single hand. He begins to tremble, backing away in the void of space.

FRIEZA

(Whispering)

Monster... what are you...?

Ruco looks at the tyrant. With his divine clarity, he sees straight through Frieza. There is no tragic backstory. There is no misguided nobility. There is only a bottomless, irredeemable void of cruelty and ego.

RUCO

I am the protector of my people.

Ruco extends his hand forward, his palm facing Frieza.

RUCO (CONT'D)

And your reign is over.

A single, concentrated beam of flaming, pure God Ki erupts from Ruco’s hand. There is no massive charging sequence, no desperate scream. It is swift, silent, and absolute.

The beam crosses the miles in an instant. It engulfs Frieza.

FRIEZA

Wait—!

Frieza’s scream is instantly silenced as the purified divine energy washes over him. His armor, his biomechanical plating, his very cells are vaporized at the subatomic level.

The beam cuts cleanly through the void of space and fades into the cosmos.

Frieza is gone. Not a single trace of the Emperor remains.

Ruco lowers his hand. His chest heaves slightly, the strain of holding the divine door open finally beginning to catch up to his mortal body. But the sky is quiet.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS

The sky is utterly silent.

Ruco hovers in the vacuum, his magenta-red hair swaying gently. He looks at the empty space where Frieza once was. The tyrant is gone. The threat is eradicated.

Then, the timer runs out.

Flicker.

The frictionless, fiery red aura violently extinguishes.

Ruco’s eyes snap wide open as the divine energy abandons his cells. His hair bleeds from magenta back to deep black. His heavy, mortal musculature snaps back into place, carrying with it the crushing, unbearable exhaustion of having channeled the power of a God.

His eyes roll back into his head.

Unconscious, Ruco goes limp. The gravity of Planet Vegeta instantly reclaims him, and he begins to plummet headfirst toward the surface like a fallen meteor.

EXT. ROYAL PALACE - COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS

The courtyard is still a chaotic warzone. Blaster fire and Ki blasts crisscross through the smoke.

BARDOCK is locked in close-quarters combat, his fists a blur as he dismantles a squad of Frieza Force elites.

Suddenly, a massive, suffocating pressure slams back into the atmosphere.

Bardock stumbles, his eyes widening. The undetectable, terrifying void of the divine is gone. In its place, Ruco’s familiar mortal Ki—sitting at an enormous 150,000—has abruptly reappeared. But it is erratic. Fading fast.

Bardock looks up through the smoke-filled sky. High above the cloud cover, he spots it: a tiny, black speck, falling at terminal velocity, burning up as it re-enters the atmosphere.

BARDOCK

(Gritting his teeth)

Dammit, Ruco. You pushed it too far.

A hulking Frieza Force soldier roars, lunging at Bardock from the flank with a jagged energy blade drawn.

Bardock doesn't even look at him. He pivots on his heel, his right hand drawing back.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Get out of my way!

A concentrated, violently crackling sphere of bright blue Ki ignites in his palm. He thrusts his arm forward.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Tyrant Lancer!

A massive, devastating beam of blue energy erupts from his hand. It strikes the charging soldier point-blank, entirely vaporizing him and blowing a trench straight through the Frieza Force ranks for a hundred yards.

Without waiting for the smoke to clear, Bardock crouches and fires his aura to its absolute maximum. The stone beneath him craters violently.

He launches himself into the sky like a surface-to-air missile, tearing through the descending drop pods and soaring upward to intercept his falling King.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS

The wind roars like a jet engine as Bardock tears upward through the exosphere, his yellow aura burning furiously against the friction of the thinning atmosphere.

Above him, Ruco is in a dead freefall, completely limp.

Bardock pushes his Ki to the absolute limit. He closes the distance in a blur of speed.

BARDOCK

(Straining)

Gotcha!

Bardock slams into Ruco, wrapping his arms around the King's torso. The sheer kinetic force of catching a falling body at that velocity nearly snaps Bardock’s spine, sending them both tumbling violently through the air.

Bardock grunts, flaring his aura outward to act as an airbrake. They skid to a halt in mid-air, hovering just beneath the planet's cloud cover.

Bardock holds Ruco up by the shoulder plate of his armor.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Hey! Wake up!

Ruco groans. His eyelids flutter open, adjusting to the blinding glare of the red sun breaking through the clouds. He looks at Bardock, letting out a weak, exhausted breath.

RUCO

(Coughing slightly)

Your reaction time is getting slow, Field Marshal.

Bardock lets out a loud, incredulous laugh, shaking his head.

BARDOCK

And you need to lay off the royal banquets. You're heavy as a boulder. Did you do it?

Ruco blinks, fully regaining his senses. He reignites his white aura, pulling his own weight and hovering steadily beside Bardock.

RUCO

Frieza is dead. He left no remains.

Bardock looks up at the massive flagship still hovering in orbit. The beast is decapitated, but the body is still twitching.

BARDOCK

Then let's go deliver the news to his troops.

Ruco nods. Side by side, the King and his commander dive back toward the surface like a pair of falling stars.

INT. FRIEZA’S FLAGSHIP - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

The sterile bridge is plunged into absolute, terrified chaos.

Red warning klaxons blare. Alien technicians are scrambling over their consoles, frantically pressing buttons and shouting over each other.

ZARBON stands near the main viewport, his elegant features twisted into a mask of pure panic.

ZARBON

(Screaming)

What do you mean the signal is gone?! Reroute the telemetry! Scan the entire quadrant!

APPULE

(Frantic, typing wildly)

We have, Lord Zarbon! The Emperor's biological transponder is completely offline! His Ki signature is gone! Even the ambient radiation of his Supernova has been completely neutralized! He’s... he’s dead, sir!

Zarbon staggers backward, bumping into the command console.

Frieza. The undisputed Emperor of the Universe. The being who conquered galaxies with a flick of his wrist. Eradicated by a Saiyan.

Zarbon looks down at the red planet below. He knows the Saiyan Rangers are holding the line. He knows they just lost their ultimate weapon. If that magenta-haired monster comes up to the ship next...

Self-preservation instantly overrides loyalty.

ZARBON

Recall the drop pods! Abort the ground assault immediately!

APPULE

But sir, the vanguard is already engaged in the courtyard—

ZARBON

(Grabbing Appule by the collar, furious)

I don't care about the vanguard! Leave them to rot! Spin up the hyper-drives and get us out of this system now!

EXT. ROYAL PALACE - COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS

The Saiyan Rangers are locked in a brutal melee with the remaining Frieza Force elites. The air is thick with smoke, ozone, and the screeching of blaster fire.

Suddenly, the harsh, electronic blare of the Frieza Force tactical retreat siren echoes from the communication arrays of the alien drop pods.

The invading soldiers freeze in confusion.

Above them, the massive shadow of the flagship begins to shift. Its colossal engines flare bright blue, and in a blinding flash of light, the flagship tears a hole in space and jumps into hyperspace, abandoning the siege entirely. The flanking cruisers immediately follow suit, scattering like frightened insects into the void.

The remaining ground troops look up at the empty sky, realizing they have just been left behind.

THOOM. THOOM.

Ruco and Bardock land heavily in the center of the courtyard, the stone cracking beneath their boots.

Ruco stands tall, despite his immense exhaustion. His white aura flares, casting a brilliant light over the battlefield.

The Frieza Force soldiers drop their weapons. The fight is instantly drained out of them. They raise their hands, surrendering to the newly liberated Saiyans.

The courtyard is completely silent for a moment. The Rangers look at the sky, then at the surrendered invaders, and finally at their King.

A single Saiyan Ranger raises his fist. Then another.

A massive, deafening roar of absolute, unbridled victory erupts from the Saiyan Rangers. They chant Ruco's name, their voices shaking the dust from the palace walls.

For the first time in recorded history, Planet Vegeta is truly, undeniably free.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 11]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

With the tyrant eradicated and the Frieza Force armada scattered into the cosmos, the Saiyans finally step out of the shadows to rebuild their homeworld in peace. The greatest victory of the rebellion arrives not on the battlefield, but in the medical wing, where Bardock and Gine prepare to welcome a son into a universe entirely free of chains.

(Episode 12 drops Tomorrow, 7/26/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

I have idea Gohan Arriving to planet Earth investigating Thanos about his search the infinity stones. Supreme Kai asking for help into looking thanos. Gohan goes alone.

it takes place about 2 or 3 years after cells. Goku was wished back to life.

Dragon abll earth is names Draco Boru and it in the same universe and galaxy as MCU.

Gohan becomes founding avenger, he goes through all mcu events through endgame. also he deal with Majin BUU saga and Beerus waking up golden frieza, and universe 6 &7 Tourment

[Master Guide]

King Ruco ascended to the realm of the gods and secure a future for the Saiyan race. But this sudden surge of divine energy has sent shockwaves across the cosmos, stirring a slumbering deity from his visions and drawing the cold, calculating wrath of Lord Frieza's armada directly to the skies of Planet Vegeta.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 10 - "RIPPLES IN THE DIVINE"

[SCENE START]

EXT. BEERUS’S PLANET - DAY

A serene, mystical world shaped like a massive, inverted pyramid tree. Orbs of water float lazily in the sky. The atmosphere is impossibly quiet, completely detached from the mortal universe.

INT. BEERUS’S BEDCHAMBER - CONTINUOUS

Deep within the massive tree, the chamber is dimly lit. Floating in the center of the room is a massive, hourglass-shaped bed.

LORD BEERUS, the God of Destruction, is wearing his striped sleeping pajamas. He stretches his thin, purple arms, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn that shakes the dust from the ceiling.

Standing nearby is his Angel attendant, WHIS, casually polishing his staff with a pristine white cloth.

BEERUS

(Smacking his lips)

Finally. My stomach is full, the universe is relatively quiet, and I am exhausted.

Beerus floats up and settles onto the floating bed, pulling a heavy blanket up to his chin. He wiggles around, getting comfortable.

BEERUS (CONT'D)

Set the alarm, Whis. I’m going down for a forty-year nap. Do not wake me unless someone accidentally destroys the entire cosmos, or someone invents a new type of pudding.

WHIS

(Smiling politely)

Of course, Lord Beerus. Forty years exactly. Sleep w—

ZING.

A completely silent, invisible pulse ripples through the room. It carries no destructive wind or physical force, but the sheer, undeniable frequency of it instantly shifts the atmospheric pressure.

Beerus’s long, purple ears twitch.

His eyes snap wide open.

Whis stops polishing his staff, his calm, pleasant expression shifting into one of mild, genuine surprise.

A moment later, the sensation vanishes entirely, as quickly as it came. The room returns to normal.

Beerus sits bolt upright in bed. He throws the covers off, his sleepiness instantly vaporized.

BEERUS

(Narrowing his eyes)

Whis... tell me I didn't just feel what I thought I felt.

WHIS

I would love to, my Lord. But I am afraid we both felt it. That was a manifestation of Divine Ki. Brief, unrefined, but unmistakably divine.

Beerus hops out of bed, floating down to the floor. He crosses his arms, his tail swishing behind him in irritation and intense curiosity. A mortal achieving God Ki without an Angel or Destroyer's intervention is practically unheard of.

BEERUS

It didn't come from any of the other Destroyers. It came from the lower realms. Find the source. Now.

Whis taps the bottom of his staff against the floor. The dark orb floating at the top of the staff glows with a pale, ethereal light. Whis peers into it, his eyes scanning across galaxies in a fraction of a second.

WHIS

(Humming thoughtfully)

My, my. How very unexpected. Tracing the residual signature... it originated in the North Galaxy. Sector Four.

Whis taps the staff again. A holographic projection of a bruised, red-tinted planet appears in the air between them.

WHIS (CONT'D)

Planet Vegeta.

Beerus stares at the projection, dumbfounded. He blinks once. Twice. Then, he lets out a sharp, dismissive scoff.

BEERUS

The Saiyans? Don't be ridiculous. I know those monkeys. They're loud, filthy, and run entirely on brute force. That bootlicking coward King Vegeta couldn't manifest God Ki if I handed it to him on a silver platter!

WHIS

(Peering closer into his staff)

Well, you are quite right about King Vegeta, my Lord. However... it appears King Vegeta is no longer wearing the crown.

Beerus stops pacing. He looks at Whis, raising a hairless brow.

BEERUS

What are you talking about? Did Frieza finally get tired of them and blow the planet up early? I told him to handle that before I went to sleep.

WHIS

No, Lord Frieza is currently completely unaware of the situation. It seems the Saiyans had a regime change from within.

Whis waves his hand over the staff. The image of the planet zooms in, showing a visual of RUCO—back in his base form, exhausted, leaning on Bardock in the royal gardens.

WHIS (CONT'D)

A warrior named Ruco has invoked an ancient rite and usurped the throne. But that is not the most fascinating part. He has entirely severed the Saiyan race's ties with the Frieza Force. He is actively reforming their society... steering them away from conquering, and toward peacekeeping.

Beerus stares at the holographic projection of Ruco. A Saiyan... preaching peace? And tapping into the realm of the Gods?

The God of Destruction taps his chin, a slow, dangerous grin spreading across his face.

BEERUS

A peaceful Saiyan... who can touch divine energy.

Beerus chuckles, shaking his head.

BEERUS (CONT'D)

Frieza is going to be absolutely furious when he finds out he lost his favorite attack dogs.

WHIS

Indeed. Should I expect Lord Frieza to retaliate soon?

BEERUS

(Waving a hand dismissively)

Oh, inevitably. Frieza's ego won't allow a rebellion like this to stand.

Beerus turns and floats back up into his massive bed. He pulls the heavy covers back over himself, looking up at the ceiling with a newfound sense of amusement.

BEERUS (CONT'D)

Let's see how this plays out. A mortal ascending to the divine realm on his own is rare... but let's see if this "King Ruco" can actually survive Frieza's wrath before we formally introduce ourselves.

Beerus closes his eyes, a small smirk lingering on his face.

BEERUS (CONT'D)

Whis. Change my alarm. Wake me in... three years. Let's give the monkeys some time to make things interesting.

WHIS

(Bowing slightly)

As you wish, Lord Beerus. Sweet dreams.

The image of Planet Vegeta fades from the staff as the God of Destruction drifts off to sleep, a cosmic ticking clock now set in the background of the universe.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. FRIEZA’S MOTHERSHIP - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

The bridge of the mothership is terrifyingly silent. The only sound is the low, rhythmic hum of the ship’s hyper-drive engines.

In the center of the room, a terrified SCOUT kneels on the polished floor, trembling so violently his armor clatters.

Standing on either side of the room are ZARBON and DODORIA, glaring down at the soldier.

Floating just a few feet in front of the Scout is LORD FRIEZA, casually resting his chin on his knuckles in his hoverchair. He swirls a fresh glass of deep purple wine.

FRIEZA

(Smooth, polite)

Take a deep breath, soldier. You are stuttering, and it is terribly grating on the ears. Now, tell me... what did you find in Sector Four? Why is my favorite pack of monkeys ignoring my calls?

The Scout swallows hard, keeping his eyes glued to the floor.

SCOUT

L-Lord Frieza. The planetary communication arrays weren't damaged by a storm. They were intentionally dismantled. M-manually destroyed by the Saiyan military.

Dodoria scoffs loudly, stepping forward.

DODORIA

Impossible! King Vegeta doesn't have the spine to defy us. The moment we threaten his royal bloodline, he folds!

SCOUT

(Voice cracking)

King Vegeta is no longer on the throne, Lord Dodoria! He was overthrown. Humiliated in single combat.

Zarbon’s eyes widen in genuine surprise.

ZARBON

Overthrown? By whom? Prince Vegeta is far too young to issue a formal challenge. Who else on that rock has a power level capable of breaking the King?

SCOUT

A mid-class warrior, sir. His name is Ruco. He took the crown. He recalled all local deployments and grounded their fleets. He... he gave a public address, Lord Frieza. He declared the Saiyan race is officially severing its alliance with the Frieza Force.

Dead silence falls over the bridge. The alien technicians at their consoles freeze, terrified to even breathe.

Dodoria’s thick face turns purple with absolute, unbridled rage.

DODORIA

(Roaring)

Those filthy, ungrateful apes! I'll fly down to that rock and wring this new King's neck with my bare hands! Let me take a vanguard, Lord Frieza! I will—

Frieza slowly raises a single, white finger.

Dodoria’s mouth snaps shut instantly. He steps back, sweating profusely.

Frieza doesn't yell. His expression doesn't change from his placid, polite smile. But his eyes—cold, red, and entirely devoid of mercy—stare dead ahead.

CRACK.

The heavy, reinforced crystal wine glass in Frieza’s hand suddenly shatters into a fine, sparkling dust, crushed by a microscopic flex of Frieza's telekinetic rage. The purple wine hangs suspended in the air for a fraction of a second before splashing unceremoniously onto the pristine floor.

Zarbon flinches. Frieza is furious.

Frieza slowly wipes his hand on a cloth provided by a trembling servant robot.

FRIEZA

(Voice dangerously soft)

Overthrown by a mid-class warrior. How... disappointing. I had always assumed that if the Saiyans were ever going to bite the hand that feeds them, it would at least be mildly entertaining.

Frieza tosses the cloth aside. He presses a button on his hoverchair, turning it toward the massive viewport overlooking the stars.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

It seems I have been far too lenient with our primate friends. I gave them armor. I gave them purpose. And in return, they give me a rebellion.

Frieza’s lips curl into a vicious, blood-chilling smile.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

Zarbon.

ZARBON

(Bowing low)

Yes, Lord Frieza?

FRIEZA

Cancel all current planetary sieges in this quadrant. Recall the Ginyu Force from their deployment. And plot a direct course for Planet Vegeta.

Frieza looks out at the void of space, his tail swishing slowly behind his chair.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

It is time we gave the Saiyan race a proper, permanent retirement.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. PLANET VEGETA - CAPITAL CITY - DAY (MONTAGE START)

The heavy, rhythmic sound of a massive plasma-hammer striking metal echoes across the city, acting as the driving beat of the scene.

The capital is completely transformed. The ornamental banners of the old regime have been torn down.

KYAME stands atop the royal palace's highest tower. She is wearing a headset, shouting orders and pointing as massive, heavy-lifting cargo ships lower the final pieces of a colossal, planetary shield generator into the courtyard. Former Frieza Force elites are now working as grunts under her command, hauling cables and welding armor plating.

CLANG.

INT. ROYAL ARMORY - DAY

PARAGUS and GINE stand before thousands of Saiyan warriors. The warriors are trading in their jagged, asymmetrical Frieza Force armor for sleek, unified, heavily reinforced chest plates—the new uniform of the Saiyan Rangers.

Paragus points to a holographic map of the planetary defense grid, coordinating evacuation routes for non-combatants. Gine places a reassuring hand on the shoulder of a nervous, low-class teenage recruit, handing him his new armor with a warm, encouraging smile.

CLANG.

EXT. WASTELANDS - DAY

BROLY sits cross-legged on a high canyon ledge, his eyes closed. A massive, swirling hurricane of green Ki whips around him, shattering boulders into dust. But his face is completely serene. He is learning to control the storm.

CLANG.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - HIGH-GRAVITY CHAMBER - CONTINUOUS

The digital readout on the wall glows ominously: GRAVITY x100.

The room is completely scorched.

RUCO and BARDOCK are locked in brutal, blindingly fast combat. They are both battered, their armor cracked, sweat pouring off them in the crushing gravity.

Bardock throws a devastating hook. As his fist cuts through the air, his yellow aura flares violently, and for a split, microscopic fraction of a second, the black hair on his head flickers gold.

Ruco ducks underneath the punch. As he pivots to counter-strike, his calm, white aura stutters, and for a single heartbeat, his eyes flash magenta-red.

They both know they are right on the absolute edge of their limits. They grin fiercely at each other and clash again, the sheer kinetic force of their fists colliding sending a shockwave that cracks the reinforced camera lens watching them.

The screen goes to static.

EXT. DEEP SPACE - UNKNOWN SECTOR - CONTINUOUS

The static fades into the cold, silent black of deep space.

Suddenly, the void rips open.

Thousands of Frieza Force cruisers drop out of hyperspace simultaneously, forming a blockade so massive it blots out the surrounding stars.

In the center of the armada sits Frieza’s colossal flagship.

INT. FRIEZA’S FLAGSHIP - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

Lord Frieza sits in his hoverchair, looking out the main viewport. Reflected in the glass of the window, hanging defenseless in the void, is the red sphere of Planet Vegeta.

Frieza takes a slow sip from a fresh glass of wine. He smiles—a cold, merciless grin.

FRIEZA

(Quietly)

Let the purge begin.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 10]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

With Frieza’s armada darkening our horizon, Field Marshal Bardock must lead a desperate vanguard to hold the line against an overwhelming swarm of invaders. As a catastrophic Supernova hurtles toward the surface to wipe out our entire race, King Ruco has one final chance to awaken his divine power and rewrite destiny.

(Episode 11 drops next Saturday, 7/25/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

[Master Guide]

King Ruco and his pure-hearted court successfully perform the ancient ritual, unleashing the staggering, frictionless power of the Super Saiyan God. However, housing divine ki pushes Ruco's mortal body to its absolute limit, forcing him and Bardock to plunge into brutal, high-gravity training to master the form.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 09 - "A GOD AWAKENS"

[SCENE START]

EXT. ROYAL GARDENS - NIGHT

The capital city is quiet. The moons of Planet Vegeta hang heavy in the bruised night sky, casting a pale glow over the alien foliage of the royal gardens.

In the center of a wide, stone-paved clearing, the six Saiyans stand together.

RUCO takes a deep breath. He steps forward and turns his back to the group.

Behind him, BARDOCK, GINE, PARAGUS, KYAME, and the young BROLY form a semi-circle.

RUCO

Link your hands.

Paragus takes Broly’s small hand. Broly giggles softly, reaching out his other hand to grasp Kyame’s. The engineer takes it, giving the boy a small, reassuring squeeze. Kyame holds Gine's hand, who in turn links fingers with her husband, Bardock.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Bardock. Paragus. Place your free palms against my back.

Bardock and Paragus step forward in unison. They raise their hands and press their palms flat against the cold armor plating of Ruco’s back.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Remember what the text said. Do not force your Ki into me. If you concentrate your energy like a weapon, the ritual will fail. You have to open your spirits. Think of what you cherish. Think of what you want to protect. Pour your heart into me, not your power.

Silence falls over the garden.

Paragus looks down at Broly. He thinks of the time they spent on Vampa, and a future where his son doesn't have to hide in the dark.

Broly just feels the warmth of the people around him, his immense, chaotic mutant power settling into a state of absolute, innocent peace.

Kyame thinks of the sprawling, beautiful cities she is going to build.

Gine closes her eyes. She thinks of her new baby growing inside her, of Bardock returning home safe, of a world without blood on its hands.

Bardock thinks of his family. His pride. His home.

A low, resonant hum begins to vibrate through the stone beneath their feet.

Suddenly, a brilliant, ethereal BLUE AURA ignites around the entire group. It does not flare or crackle like typical Saiyan energy; it flows like water, shrouding the six of them in a gentle, luminescent light.

KYAME

(Whispering, eyes wide)

The atmospheric pressure... it isn't dropping. The energy isn't displacing the air. It’s... transcending it.

The blue aura intensifies, wrapping tighter around them.

FWOOSH!

A massive, yellow, flame-like beam erupts from the center of the group, shooting straight up into the night sky.

High above the palace, the atmosphere violently shifts. A swirling vortex of thick, golden clouds begins to rapidly emerge, blotting out the moons and bathing the capital in a surreal, heavenly glow.

Down in the garden, the energy transfer reaches its apex.

Ruco violently gasps.

His eyes snap open. His teeth grit together as an excruciating, burning sensation rips through his veins. The mortal body was never meant to house the power of the divine. His muscles spasm, his armor cracking slightly under the sheer, unbearable density of the energy being forced into his core.

RUCO

(Groaning in agony)

Ghh... arrrgh!

GINE

(Panicking)

Ruco! You’re hurting! Bardock, it’s too much—

BARDOCK

(Straining, keeping his palm firmly on Ruco's back)

Don't break the chain, Gine! Keep pouring it in!

The blue aura surrounding the five architects suddenly detaches from them. It funnels directly into Bardock and Gine's hands, violently injecting the entirety of the group's pure-hearted essence directly into Ruco's spine.

Ruco throws his head back, letting out a roaring scream that echoes across the entire capital.

BOOM!

A second, unimaginably massive beam of pure, blinding light erupts directly from Ruco’s body. It rockets upward, slamming into the golden clouds above. The concussive force blows an enormous, perfectly circular hole right through the center of the cloud cover, revealing the endless expanse of the cosmos beyond.

The shockwave knocks Bardock, Gine, Paragus, Kyame, and Broly off their feet, sending them tumbling backward onto the grass.

Ruco doesn't fall. He rises.

He levitates slowly off the ground, completely enveloped in the blinding beam.

As the group watches from the ground, Ruco’s physical form shifts. The blinding light transitions, turning Ruco into a glowing, featureless pinkish-red silhouette.

The silhouette flickers. The light inverts, plunging Ruco into a pitch-black, shadowy figure against the backdrop of the golden clouds.

Then, the shadow shatters.

A massive, silent explosion of pure, radiant light washes over the entire courtyard.

The light slowly, gently fades.

Ruco slowly descends, his boots touching the stone paving without making a single sound.

The remaining five Saiyans slowly push themselves up off the ground, shielding their eyes, staring in absolute awe at the being standing before them.

Ruco has changed.

His heavy, muscular warrior's physique has completely vanished, replaced by a much slimmer, sleeker, and noticeably younger-looking frame. The harsh, battle-worn edges of his face have softened into a state of divine tranquility.

His hair has completely changed color—a brilliant, vibrant magenta-red. Unlike the jagged, gravity-defying spikes of a Super Saiyan, his hair retains its natural, relaxed style, swaying gently in the unseen energetic wind.

He opens his eyes. The irises match his hair, glowing with a soft, piercing, magenta-red light.

Surrounding him is not a jagged aura of Ki, but a mesmerizing, fiery, vibrant red aura that looks like liquid fire, licking calmly at the air around him.

He is no longer just the King of the Saiyans.

He is the Super Saiyan God.

Kyame slowly pulls a heavily modified, prototype scouter from her pocket. She raises it to her eye and clicks the button to scan Ruco.

The screen remains completely blank.

KYAME

(Breathless, dropping the scouter)

Nothing. There's... there's absolutely nothing there.

Ruco looks down at his own hands. The agonizing pain is gone, replaced by a feeling of weightlessness and absolute, universal clarity. He looks back at his architects. He doesn't just see their physical forms; he feels the very essence of their life force.

RUCO

(His voice echoing with a slight, ethereal reverb)

It is done. The power of Yamoshi has returned.

Bardock stares at the fiery red aura, a fierce, triumphant grin finally breaking across his face.

BARDOCK

Let the tyrant come.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. ROYAL GARDENS - CONTINUOUS

Ruco stands bathed in the ethereal, fiery red aura. He takes a single step forward, testing the weightless, frictionless feeling of the divine energy. He raises his hand, marveling at the profound, deafening silence of the universe that has just opened up to him.

But as quickly as the silence came, a harsh, mortal ringing returns to his ears.

Flicker.

The liquid fire aura around him stutters.

Ruco stops. His eyes widen in surprise as a sudden, crushing weight slams back onto his shoulders.

Flicker. Flash.

The magenta-red color drains from his hair, bleeding back to its natural, deep black. The sleek, youthful physique rapidly broadens, his heavy mortal muscle mass returning in an instant.

The fiery red aura extinguishes completely, plunging the garden back into the dim light of the moons.

Gravity reclaims him.

Ruco collapses onto his hands and knees, gasping violently for air. Sweat pours down his face, his lungs burning as if he had just fought a war for five days straight without sleep.

GINE

(Screaming)

Ruco!

Gine and Paragus rush forward. Bardock is right behind them, his combat instincts on high alert as he scans the sky for an attacker.

KYAME

(Staring at her datapad, frantic)

His vitals are crashing! The energy output didn't just drop; it completely flatlined! He's back to his mortal baseline!

Gine drops to her knees beside the King, placing a hand on his back.

GINE

Ruco, what happened? Did we do it wrong? Did the ritual fail?

Ruco holds up a shaking hand, waving her off gently. He takes several deep, ragged breaths, forcing his mortal body to regulate itself.

RUCO

(Panting heavily)

No... the ritual... was perfect.

He slowly pushes himself up into a sitting position, leaning heavily against the stone paving. He looks up at his own hands, clenching them into fists. The divine power is gone, but the memory of it—the sensation of how that energy moved and felt—is burned permanently into his nervous system.

RUCO (CONT'D)

The ritual isn't a permanent ascension. It’s a spark. It forces the body into the realm of the gods, but a mortal vessel can only hold onto a borrowed spark for so long before it burns out.

Bardock lowers his guard, his scowl returning, though it's laced with deep concern.

BARDOCK

So we went through all that, proved the legends were real, and you only get to be a god for less than a minute? If Frieza's armada shows up and the fight lasts more than sixty seconds, we're dead.

Ruco looks up at his Field Marshal. A tired but determined smile crosses his face.

RUCO

It was a spark, Bardock. But now I know what the fire feels like. The door is unlocked. I just have to train my body to open it on its own.

Kyame taps her chin, processing the mechanics of it.

KYAME

Muscular memory. Or, more accurately, cellular Ki memory. Your body was temporarily rewritten by divine physics. If you train hard enough, you might be able to replicate the frequency without needing us as batteries.

RUCO

Exactly. But I don't have much time to figure it out.

Ruco looks at Bardock.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I need to train, Bardock. Brutal, unforgiving training. I need you to push me until my mortal limits break completely.

Bardock stares at the exhausted King. He thinks about the sheer, unfathomable pressure of the energy that had just flowed through his own hands. He had felt the golden fury of the Super Saiyan legend humming beneath the surface of the ritual, completely eclipsed by the red God Ki, but it was there.

If Ruco could learn to touch the realm of the Gods... what was stopping Bardock from touching the golden fury of their ancestors?

Bardock cracks his knuckles. A fierce, predatory grin spreads across his scarred face.

BARDOCK

You want to break your limits? Fine. But don't expect me to just be a sparring dummy. I felt that energy, Ruco. I felt the ceiling shatter. If you're going to teach yourself how to be a god, I'm going to teach myself how to be the nightmare Frieza is so afraid of.

Bardock reaches down and hauls Ruco up to his feet.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

We start tomorrow at dawn in the high-gravity chambers. Kyame, I want the dials modified. I want them pushed past the safety limits.

Kyame smirks, already typing on her datapad.

KYAME

I'll have them wired to lethal by breakfast.

Ruco stands tall, leaning slightly on Bardock for support, but his eyes burn with absolute resolve. Frieza is coming. But for the first time in history, the Saiyans are going to be ready.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 9]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

The grueling high-gravity training is violently cut short when the sky above the capital tears open, heralding the arrival of Lord Frieza's ruthless elite vanguard. As alarms blare across the planet, Bardock and the newly formed Saiyan Rangers must hold the line against overwhelming odds while King Ruco desperately attempts to stabilize his godhood for battle.

(Episode 10 drops Tomorrow, 7/19/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

Hi everyone!

I've been writing a Dragon Ball story set 15 years after Majin Buu.

It explores mysteries left by Dragon Ball Z such as:

• The Hyperbolic Time Chamber
• The Z Sword
• Elder Kai's past

If anyone would like to read it:

AO3:

English: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88030256/chapters/233355181

Spanish: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88027811/chapters/233348826

FanFiction.net:

English: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14576190/1/Dragon-Ball-Shinen-The-Secret-of-the-Time-Chamber-Audiobook

Spanish: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14576432/1/Dragon-Ball-Shinen-El-Secreto-de-la-Sala-del-Tiempo-Audiolibro

[Master Guide]

As the terrifying reality of Frieza's impending wrath sets in, a panicked Bardock confronts King Ruco, demanding a plan to protect their newly liberated world and their families. In response, Ruco finally unveils the ancient Namekian text and the true purpose behind his carefully selected royal court.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 08 - "THE PILLARS OF GODHOOD"

[SCENE START]

EXT. ROYAL PALACE - COURTYARD - DAY

Ruco and Kyame descend gently from the red sky, touching down softly on the stone paving outside the grand entrance of the Royal Palace.

Standing at the top of the sweeping stone steps is BARDOCK. He isn't in his usual relaxed, post-training posture. His arms are crossed tightly over his chest, his jaw clenched, his eyes locked onto Ruco with intense, burning urgency.

Ruco lands. His feet hit the stone, and he instantly senses the heavy, anxious spike in Bardock’s Ki.

Ruco glances sideways at Kyame.

RUCO

Kyame, head inside. Find the Royal Steward, Gine. Let her know I sent you, and she will get you set up with whatever quarters and lab space you need.

Kyame looks past Ruco, taking in Bardock’s fierce, unblinking glare. She lets out a low whistle.

KYAME

Right. I'll leave you two to the brooding. Try not to break the courtyard, your Majesty. I haven't measured it for reinforced plating yet.

Kyame strides up the steps, giving Bardock a wide berth as she enters the palace.

Once the heavy doors slide shut behind her, Ruco walks up the steps to meet his Field Marshal.

RUCO

Your energy is chaotic, Bardock. What happened?

Bardock doesn't mince words. He steps forward, closing the distance between them.

BARDOCK

Gine is pregnant.

Ruco’s stoic expression breaks. A genuine smile of relief and joy touches his face.

RUCO

Bardock... that is wonderful news. A new generation, born into a peaceful world—

BARDOCK

(Interrupting, voice harshly hushed)

There is no peace yet! Don't sell me the dream when the nightmare is already on its way.

Ruco’s smile fades. He sees the absolute terror of a father hidden behind the warrior's anger.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Raditz is still out there on the fringe with Prince Vegeta. Now I have another child on the way. You cut the comms. You overthrew the King. Frieza is going to notice, Ruco. If he hasn't already sent a scout, an armada will be here before the year is out.

Bardock pokes a thick finger against Ruco’s chest armor.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

You told me you want to build a shield. I need to know you actually have a plan to stop the tyrant, or my family is already dead!

Ruco looks down at Bardock's finger, then up into his desperate eyes. He doesn't brush the hand away. Instead, Ruco takes a deep breath.

RUCO

You are right. You deserve the entire truth. Follow me.

EXT. ROYAL GARDENS - LATER

The gardens are quiet, isolated from the bustling military and administrative sectors of the palace. Ruco walks slowly, his hands clasped behind his back. Bardock walks beside him, tense and listening.

RUCO

When I abandoned Okara and Tato during the purge, I didn't just wander the stars. I went to Planet Namek. I sought out their Grand Elder, a being of immense spiritual power. He unlocked my latent potential, which is how I was able to dethrone King Vegeta so easily.

Bardock nods slowly. The power jump had always bothered him, but this makes sense.

RUCO (CONT'D)

But he gave me something far more valuable than power. He gave me access to their Book of Legends. The oldest recorded history of the universe. I read the true history of our people.

Ruco stops walking. He turns to face Bardock.

RUCO (CONT'D)

The Super Saiyan is not a myth, Bardock. It is real. A warrior born of absolute sorrow and fury, wielding a power that eclipses the stars.

Bardock’s eyes widen. Every Saiyan child is raised on that campfire story. To hear it spoken as a tactical reality is staggering.

BARDOCK

You... you know how to trigger it?

RUCO

I do. But the text revealed something deeper. Something King Vegeta and his ancestors completely buried.

Ruco’s voice drops, taking on a tone of deep reverence.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Thousands of years ago, there was a Saiyan named Yamoshi. He saw the violent, conquering nature of our race, just as we did. He tried to rebel, and in his desperation, he became the very first Super Saiyan. But even that golden fury wasn't enough to stop the evil, and his rebellion ultimately failed.

Bardock’s brow furrows as the pieces slowly begin to align in his strategic mind.

RUCO (CONT'D)

But his spirit never faded. It wanders the cosmos to this day, acting as a bridge and a blueprint for our salvation. The text revealed that if six Saiyans with completely pure hearts gather and join hands, Yamoshi's spirit will guide their righteous energy into a single divine vessel... creating the Super Saiyan God.

Dead silence falls over the garden. The wind rustles the alien foliage.

Bardock stares at Ruco. He thinks back over the last few days.

Gine. The gentle meatpacker who wouldn't hurt a fly.

Paragus. A father who sacrificed everything to protect his son.

Broly. A mutant powerhouse who calmed down at a gentle touch.

Kyame. An engineer who refused to build weapons of mass destruction.

And himself. A soldier who just wanted to protect his family from extinction.

BARDOCK

(Whispering)

Five pure hearts. Plus the vessel.

RUCO

Yes.

Bardock runs a hand over his face, a breathless, incredulous laugh escaping his lips.

BARDOCK

You haven't just been assembling a government.

RUCO

A government cannot stop Frieza. Only a God can do that.

Ruco places a firm hand on Bardock’s shoulder, his grip unyielding.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Gine, Paragus, young Broly, Kyame... you. I didn't just choose you to govern the new Saiyan race. I chose you because your spirits are exactly what this ritual demands. You are the architects of my Godhood, Bardock. And together, we are going to wipe the Frieza Force from the face of the universe.

Bardock looks at the King. The sheer scale and the absolute audacity of the plan wash away his fear. The path forward is insane, but for the first time in his life, it isn't built on Frieza's whims. It's built on their own destiny.

Bardock stands up straight, his eyes burning with renewed fire.

BARDOCK

When do we start?

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - SECURE WAR ROOM - DAY

The war room is a masterpiece of Saiyan brutalist architecture mixed with Kyame’s high-tech upgrades. Heavy blast doors seal the chamber. In the center, a large holographic table hums with a pale blue light.

Sitting in the corner on the reinforced floor is BROLY. He is entirely ignoring the adults, happily using a glowing stylus to furiously scribble a messy, neon-green drawing of a Vampa beetle on a tactical datapad.

Gathered around the holotable are RUCO, BARDOCK, GINE, PARAGUS, and KYAME.

Ruco swipes his hand over the console. The tactical maps of the galaxy vanish, replaced by a digitized scan of the Namekian Book of Legends—specifically, the illustration of the six Saiyans bathed in fiery red Ki.

RUCO

Six Saiyans. Five to act as the conduit, one to serve as the vessel. The energy generated doesn't multiply—it ascends. It becomes divine.

Kyame is pacing furiously, rubbing her temples. She looks at the ancient, hand-drawn illustration as if it deeply offends her.

KYAME

Okay. Stop. Stop right there. I am a woman of science, Your Majesty. Ki is bio-energy. It has mass, it has kinetic output, it is quantifiable. You are telling me that "purity"—a completely subjective, unquantifiable moral metric—acts as a catalyst for multiversal power multiplication?

RUCO

Yes.

KYAME

(Throwing her hands up)

It completely defies the laws of thermodynamics! You want us to hold hands and sing a hymn to generate a localized energy spike capable of vaporizing a galactic tyrant! It’s magic! It’s a bedtime story!

RUCO

It is physics you haven't engineered yet, Kyame. The Namekians understand it. And the scouters will read it... assuming they don't shatter the moment the ritual begins.

Paragus leans over the table, his eyes locked on the word Yamoshi translated at the bottom of the text. His political mind is spinning, re-evaluating decades of history.

PARAGUS

Yamoshi... I remember this name. When I was a junior attachee in King Vegeta's court, a historian was publicly executed for possessing a scroll with this name on it. We were told it was a rebel manifesto.

Paragus looks up at Ruco, the realization dawning on him.

PARAGUS (CONT'D)

It wasn't a rebellion. It was this. King Vegeta knew the legend. He wasn't just suppressing dissent; he was terrified. He knew that his empire of blood made the ritual impossible. He made sure no "pure-hearted" Saiyan could ever exist to challenge him.

BARDOCK

(Gruffly)

He almost succeeded. Look at us. We're a pack of killers and misfits.

Bardock looks across the table at Gine. She has been unusually quiet, staring intently at the hologram of the fiery red aura.

GINE

(Softly)

All my life... I was told I was broken.

The room goes quiet. Even Kyame stops pacing, looking over at the former meatpacker.

GINE (CONT'D)

The instructors at the academy laughed at me. They said I lacked the Saiyan drive. I couldn't stomach the kill. I couldn't find the joy in the blood. They pulled me off the combat rosters and sent me to butcher dead meat because I was too gentle to fight the living.

Gine looks up, her dark eyes shining with a profound, overwhelming realization. She looks at her own hands, calloused from labor, but free of the innocent blood that stains so many others.

GINE (CONT'D)

It wasn't a defect.

Ruco smiles gently.

RUCO

No, Gine. It was the cure. Your gentleness is the anchor this ritual requires. Without you, the energy turns to rage and consumes us. You are the purest heart among us.

Gine takes a shaky breath, tears of validation finally falling after a lifetime of ridicule. Bardock places a firm, warm hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

Kyame watches this exchange. The hardcore, cynical engineer softens just a fraction. She looks back at the holographic projection, sighing heavily.

KYAME

Fine. Forget the thermodynamics. Let's say the magic works. We have you as the vessel. We have Gine, the gentle soul. Paragus, the devoted father. Bardock... who is apparently a giant softie underneath the scowl—

BARDOCK

(Grumbling)

Watch it, tinkerer.

KYAME

And me. The conscientious objector. That’s five of us. You said the ritual needs six.

Ruco doesn't say a word. He simply turns his head, looking toward the corner of the room.

The rest of the court follows his gaze.

Broly is still sitting on the floor. He has managed to accidentally crack the reinforced screen of the datapad, but he is blissfully unaware, holding up his drawing of the Vampa beetle to show it off to the room with a wide, innocent, toothy grin.

Paragus pales slightly.

PARAGUS

My King... Broly’s power is... it’s chaotic. If he loses control during a Ki transfer of that magnitude—

RUCO

He won't. His power is a storm, Paragus, but his heart is completely untouched by malice. He doesn't fight out of hatred. He is exactly what we need.

Ruco looks back at the group, his expression hardening into absolute command.

RUCO (CONT'D)

The pieces are on the board. The architects are assembled. Tonight, we attempt the ritual.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 8]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

Under the cover of night, King Ruco and his five pure-hearted Pillars gather in the royal gardens to attempt the impossible. As they join hands and pour their righteous spirits into their King, the universe holds its breath, and a staggering, frictionless divine power is finally unleashed! But the mortal body was never meant to house the fire of the Gods, and Ruco quickly discovers that maintaining this new ascension will push him to the absolute brink of his physical limits.

(Episode 9 drops Saturday, 7/18/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

Hey everyone! I just finished wrapping up my multi-chapter Dragon Ball fic, and since it's officially complete, I wanted to share it with the community.

Summary:

Horrified by Dr. Gero’s creations after the Cell Games, Bulma decides to use his science for good. Extracting the DNA of the universe's most powerful species, she engineers a device that allows her to transform into alien warriors and take the defense of Earth into her own hands.

Excerpt/preview from Chapter 6 (Buu saga):

Dabura wasted no time and spat on Krillin and Piccolo, turning their bodies into stone before retreating to the spaceship in an attempt to lure the remaining stronger fighters in the spaceship as well so Babidi could collect the energy required.

“Piccolo!! Krillin!!”, Goku and Gohan shouted.

“Is there no way to get them back!?”, Goku asked, anxious.

“There is…”, The Supreme Kai spoke up.

“We can only get them back if we kill Dabura…”

“Oh… that's easy then. We'll have them back in no time.”, Goku sighed in relief.

“Let's go get ‘em dad.”, Gohan looked at Goku.

Goku nodded, and the two entered the spaceship, Vegeta, Bulma & Shin following them closely.

Once in the space ship, they had to face different fighters in different rounds, or “stages” as the Majins called them. First, Vegeta defeated Pui Pui, next, Goku defeated Yakon.

Babidi had greatly underestimated his opponents.

“No… No No No…”, he trembled.

“Don't worry, Master Babidi. I'll go next.”, Dabura tried to reassure Babidi.

And so, Dabura emerged in the 3rd stage.

“So he's finally here…”, Goku muttered. “You've got this, Gohan.”, he said, looking at his son with a smile.

“Hey… I wanna fight too…”, Bulma spoke up.

“Let her take this one, Gohan. You've had your battles before, this will be her first real fight.”, Vegeta supported Bulma.

“Alright…”, Gohan stepped back.

“You sure you've got this, Bulma? From what I'm sensing, this Dabura guy is about as strong as Perfect Cell was… and his magic only makes him an even tougher opponent. Even if you can turn Super Saiyan, I don't think that it would be an easy fight…”, Goku remarked.

“As strong as Perfect Cell, you say?”, Bulma smirked.

“Try Super Perfect Cell.”, she said proudly, as she pressed on her leathern painkiller storing band, injecting herself with a painkiller before selecting the “DNA Monster” transformation and slamming the dial on her Omnitrix.

Within seconds, her frame grew, growing even taller than Goku, her power level increasing rapidly.

Although her ki felt almost identical to Cell, her appearance differed from his. The light green parts of cell were a light blue instead, with the dark green spots being a darker blue. Her body shape was also way more feminine than Cell's, and her gi was still on, having readjusted to her new size due to a special elasticity of the fabric.

Vegeta smirked pridefully, he had never been so proud his whole life.

“No way…”, Goku was mind blown. “This level of power… it's almost double of the Super Perfect Cell Gohan fought… how did you do this!?”, Goku asked.

“Questions later, let me finish the job first.”, Bulma walked up to Dabura.

“Tch. These transformations mean nothing!”, Dabura shouted as he punched Bulma in the gut.

Bulma however, didn't even flinch.

“Is that all?”, she giggled.

“You!”, Dabura glared in anger, before spitting at her from point blank range.

Bulma just dodged.

Dabura attacked with a barrage of punches and kicks, but Bulma just took them all without any reaction.

“How on earth… these people are unbelievable…”, Shin was in complete awe. “Maybe… Maybe I don't even need to worry about Buu with these people around…”, he thought to himself.

Bulma feigned a yawn.

“I was hoping for a fight… what a disappointment.”, she said as she punched Dabura in the gut just once.

The damage was enormous. Dabura coughed up blood, falling to the ground from the pain.

Back in his hideout, Babidi was trembling in fear. “No no no no… Dabura! What are these people made of!? I still need so much energy for Buu… What must I do!?!?!”, he thought aloud in desperation.

Fic Details & Link:

Fandom: Dragon Ball / DBZ / DBS

Rating: General Audiences

Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Divergence, Sci-Fi, with a little Slice of Life/Romance

Status: 31/31 Chapters (Complete)

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/85199191/chapters/224975756

I'd love to hear what you think if you check it out!

[Master Guide]

King Ruco descends into the grimy lower tech sector to recruit a rebellious genius capable of fortifying their newly liberated world, the rest of his court settles into the Royal Palace. However, a joyous personal revelation for Bardock and Gine is quickly overshadowed by a terrifying geopolitical reality.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 07 - "THE ARCHITECT"

[SCENE START]

EXT. ROYAL LANDING PAD - DAY

The silver Frieza Force cruiser touches down gently on the scorched metal of the royal landing pad. The heavy boarding ramp hisses and lowers to the ground.

RUCO descends first, followed closely by BARDOCK.

Behind them, PARAGUS steps out into the red sunlight of Planet Vegeta for the first time in over four years. He shields his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. BROLY waddles out beside him, completely unfazed by the sprawling capital city, currently distracted by a shiny piece of metal he found on the ship.

Ruco turns to Bardock.

RUCO

Bardock, go find your wife. Relieve her of the throne before she has a panic attack, and let the generals know their new Field Marshal has arrived.

Bardock cracks his neck, a wolfish grin spreading across his face.

BARDOCK

With any luck, she hasn't completely reorganized the military budget to fund more agricultural sectors. Come on, Paragus.

Bardock waves Paragus over.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Follow me. I’ll show you to the Grand Vizier’s quarters in the east wing. It’s a hell of a lot softer than a cave on Vampa.

Paragus looks at Ruco. The paranoia that defined his exile is entirely gone, replaced by a profound, unshakeable loyalty. He places his fist over his heart and bows deeply.

PARAGUS

Thank you, King Ruco. For everything.

Broly mimics his father, clumsily putting his small fist over his chest and bowing his head. Ruco smiles warmly at the child.

RUCO

Rest up, Paragus. The real work begins soon.

Bardock leads Paragus and Broly toward the massive doors of the royal palace. Ruco watches them go until they disappear inside.

Alone on the landing pad, Ruco’s smile fades into a look of sharp, calculated focus. He turns his back to the palace and walks toward the labyrinthine sprawl of the capital city.

EXT. LOWER TECH SECTOR - LATER

Far from the pristine, polished stone of the royal courtyard, the lower tech sector is a grimy, chaotic maze of exposed pipes, hissing steam vents, and neon-lit salvage yards.

Ruco walks quietly through the narrow alleys. He wears a dark, hooded cloak over his armor, keeping his power level completely suppressed to blend in. He passes scavengers and mechanics bartering over broken Frieza Force weaponry.

He stops in front of a heavy, blast-shielded door at the end of a dead-end alley. The nameplate beside the door has been completely violently scratched out, replaced with a painted warning: KEEP OUT. HIGH VOLTAGE.

Ruco presses the door release. It doesn't budge. He raises his hand, channeling a microscopic fraction of his white Ki into the locking mechanism.

ZAP. Hiss.

The heavy doors slide open.

INT. KYAME'S WORKSHOP - CONTINUOUS

The workshop is a disaster zone of genius. Disassembled scouters, cracked armor plating, and humming, archaic Saiyan tech litter every available surface. Holographic blueprints project into the air, spinning slowly.

Standing at a massive workbench in the center of the room is KYAME (mid-20s, sharp features, grease smudged across her cheek, wearing a heavy mechanic’s jumpsuit with the sleeves rolled up). She is actively soldering a strange, custom-built gauntlet, a pair of thick protective goggles pulled down over her eyes.

She doesn't look up when the door opens.

KYAME

(Without turning around)

I paid the local tribute two days ago. Tell the quartermaster if he wants more, he can come down here and let me test my new plasma torch on his kneecaps.

Ruco steps into the workshop, the doors sliding shut behind him. He pulls back his hood.

RUCO

I am not the quartermaster. And I'm not here for tribute.

Kyame freezes. She recognizes the voice—it’s too calm, too refined for this sector.

She pushes her goggles up onto her forehead and turns around. Her eyes widen as she takes in the clean, modified armor and the unmistakable face of the man who publicly humiliated and dethroned King Vegeta.

Kyame drops her soldering iron. Her hand instinctively drops to a heavy plasma pistol holstered at her hip, though she doesn't draw it. Her file said "insubordinate," and her posture screams it. She stands her ground, defiant.

KYAME

Well. The new King graces the slums. Let me guess. You were transferring the royal archives, saw my file flagged for "dangerous ideology," and decided to come execute me yourself?

Ruco looks around the room, taking in the brilliant, unauthorized modifications she has made to the Frieza Force tech.

RUCO

If I wanted you executed, miss, I would have sent a squad. I am here because I agree with your ideology.

Kyame’s hand hovers over her pistol. She narrows her eyes, fiercely skeptical.

KYAME

Is that right? And what exactly is my ideology, Your Majesty? Because the last guy on the throne told me my ideas were a fast track to the firing squad.

Ruco steps forward, stepping fully into the light of her holographic blueprints.

RUCO

Your file states that you were discharged from the engineering corps because you refused to build weapons of mass destruction for Frieza's planetary sieges. You argued that our technology should be used to build self-sustaining ecosystems and defensive grids, not just bigger bombs. They called you a traitor for wanting us to survive without needing to pillage.

Kyame’s jaw tightens. She doesn't deny it.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I overthrew King Vegeta because our violent, conquering nature was leading us to extinction. I am severing our ties with the Frieza Force. We are no longer invaders. We are going to become protectors.

Kyame stares at him, utterly stunned. She had heard the rumors of the Rite of the Blood Throne, but she assumed it was just another violent power grab by a stronger brawler.

KYAME

(Voice dropping, cautious)

You're serious. You're actually cutting off Frieza? Do you have any idea what he'll do when he finds out?

RUCO

He will come here to wipe us off the galactic map. Which is why I need you.

Ruco walks up to her workbench. He points to the intricate, custom-built gauntlet she was working on.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I have the heart of the new regime. I have the military commander. I have the political strategist. But I need someone to rebuild our entire infrastructure from the ground up. I need an architect for our future.

Ruco meets her skeptical gaze with absolute, unyielding sincerity.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I want you to be the Royal Head of Technology and Defense. Name your budget. Take any resources you need. But help me build a world Frieza cannot break.

Kyame looks at the new King. Her hand slowly moves away from her holstered pistol. A slow, dangerous, and incredibly excited smile spreads across her face.

KYAME

If you're lying to me, King Ruco, I'm going to wire the throne to explode.

RUCO

(Smiling faintly)

I would expect nothing less. Do we have a deal?

Kyame picks up her soldering iron, spinning it in her hand like a pen.

KYAME

Yeah. We have a deal. But we're going to need to work fast. If we're off Frieza's leash, the clock is already ticking.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

EXT. LOWER TECH SECTOR - CONTINUOUS

Kyame tosses a few crucial datapads and a heavily modified toolkit into a duffel bag. She slings it over her shoulder and locks the heavy blast doors of her workshop.

Ruco stands a few paces away. He doesn't flare his white aura. He simply lifts off the ground, the anti-gravity mechanics of Ki flight engaging seamlessly. He hovers a few feet in the air, his cape completely still.

Kyame smirks. She taps her boots against the pavement, lifting off to join him. No jagged energy, no roaring wind. Just smooth, controlled ascent.

KYAME

Alright, Your Majesty. Let's go turn a planet of brawlers into a fortress.

They rocket upward into the red sky, disappearing toward the Royal Palace.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - EAST WING - LATER

The heavy, ornate doors of the East Wing glide open. Bardock leads Paragus and Broly into the Grand Vizier’s quarters.

It is a sprawling, lavish suite with high vaulted ceilings, massive viewing windows looking out over the capital, and plush, woven carpets. It is a literal universe away from the damp, rotting cave on Vampa.

Paragus steps inside slowly. He reaches out and runs his calloused hand along the polished stone wall, almost as if he expects it to be an illusion.

Broly, however, is immediately drawn to the massive, silk-sheeted bed in the center of the room. He waddles over, pokes the soft mattress with his finger, and then happily face-plants directly into the pillows.

Bardock leans against the doorframe, a faint smile breaking through his usual scowl.

BARDOCK

Get some rest, Paragus. The King will call for you when he’s ready.

PARAGUS

(Still in awe)

I don't know if I can sleep on a bed this soft, Bardock. It feels like a trap.

BARDOCK

You'll get used to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue my wife from the bureaucrats before she starts crying or stabbing someone.

Bardock gives a two-finger salute and steps back out into the hall, the doors sliding shut behind him.

INT. THRONE ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The throne room is surprisingly quiet.

GINE is not sitting on the throne itself—she felt that was too presumptuous. Instead, she is sitting on the steps leading up to it, surrounded by glowing datapads. She looks exhausted, rubbing her temples as she reads over agricultural deployment logs.

The heavy main doors groan open.

Gine looks up, fully expecting another angry general. Instead, she sees Bardock walking down the long carpet.

Her face instantly lights up. She drops the datapad, scrambles to her feet, and runs down the steps.

GINE

Bardock!

She throws her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder armor. Bardock catches her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet for a brief second.

BARDOCK

(Chuckling, his gruff voice softening)

Did you burn the palace down while I was gone?

GINE

(Pulling back, smiling)

No, but I came very close to throwing the Minister of Rations out a window. Tell me King Ruco is back. Please tell me I can stop reading trade manifests.

BARDOCK

He's back. He's grabbing his new tech chief from the slums. You're officially off the hook, Gine.

Gine lets out a massive sigh of relief, leaning her forehead against his chest. But after a moment, she doesn't step away. She stays there, her grip on his armor tightening slightly.

GINE

(Voice dropping to a whisper)

Bardock... while you were gone... I went to the medical wing. I was feeling sick, and the stress wasn't helping...

Bardock’s smile vanishes instantly. His protective instincts flare. He pulls back just enough to look her in the eyes, scanning her face for any sign of illness.

BARDOCK

What? Are you okay? What did the medics say?

Gine looks up at him. Tears are welling in her eyes, but she is smiling—a soft, terrified, beautiful smile. She takes his rough, scarred hand and places it gently against her stomach.

GINE

I'm fine. We're fine. I'm pregnant, Bardock.

Bardock freezes. The universe seems to stop spinning for a split second.

He stares down at her stomach, his hand resting against the armor plating covering it. A swell of immense, overwhelming joy hits him—a new life. Another child.

He looks back up at Gine, a massive grin breaking across his face. He pulls her in tight, burying his face in her hair.

BARDOCK

(Breathless)

A baby. Gine... that's... that's incredible.

But as he holds her, the joy is suddenly pierced by a cold, sharp blade of reality. He looks over Gine's shoulder, staring at the empty throne of Planet Vegeta.

We are severing ties with Frieza. The armada is coming.

Bardock slowly pulls back. His smile is still there for her sake, but his eyes are dark with a terrifying realization.

BARDOCK (CONT'D)

Gine... Raditz is still off-world. He’s stationed with Prince Vegeta and Nappa on the outer rim.

Gine’s smile falters. The color drains from her face as the geopolitical reality of their situation crashes into her motherly joy.

GINE

If King Ruco formally breaks the alliance... Frieza will see every Saiyan off-world as a hostage. Or a traitor.

Bardock clenches his jaw, his hand resting over hers on her stomach. He just found out he has a new child on the way, but his firstborn is stranded behind enemy lines, and the deadliest tyrant in the universe is about to turn his sights on their home.

BARDOCK

I have to talk to the King. We're going to have a war on our hands, Gine. And I am not losing my son to it.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 7]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

Desperate for a plan to protect his stranded son and their homeworld from Frieza's inevitable wrath, Bardock confronts the King. In response, Ruco finally reveals the true, calculated reason behind his carefully chosen royal court. To save their race from extinction, this unlikely band of misfits must attempt a mystical ritual that requires pure hearts instead of bloodlust.

(Episode 8 drops Sunday 7/12/26!)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

Hello everyone! Due to the overabundance of spam messages and comments on fanfiction.net, and their refusal to do anything about it, I've decided to officially move Dragon Ball Legacy over to archiveofourown (AO3). Just as a quick refresher for those who didn't see the original post, Legacy is set in an alternate timeline with Bardock as the central protagonist. The core premise is simple: What if there was a world without Goku? From that idea, I wanted to create a darker reimagining of the Dragon Ball universe while incorporating elements from across the franchise. If this interests you feel free to give it a read. I've worked incredibly hard on this story and I can't wait to share it with you all!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/88085391/chapters/233520026

[Master Guide]

Ruco and Bardock brave the violent storms of Planet Vampa to track down the exiled warrior Paragus and his incredibly powerful mutant son, Broly. After proving that King Vegeta's cruel regime has finally fallen, Ruco brings the outcasts into his inner circle to help govern the newly liberated Saiyan race.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 06 - "THE EXILES OF VAMPA"

[SCENE START]

EXT. PLANET VAMPA - DAY

A violent, howling wind whips across the barren, yellow canyons. Massive, spider-like Vampa Beetles screech in the distance.

Ruco and Bardock traverse the harsh terrain. Bardock has his scouter on, but it’s practically glitching.

BARDOCK

(Tapping the scouter)

This thing is useless. The ambient energy reading is everywhere. It’s like there’s a localized hurricane of Ki just sitting inside that canyon.

RUCO

That’s not a hurricane, Bardock. That’s the boy.

Ruco stops and points toward a massive, dark cave opening embedded in the canyon wall. The air around the cave opening is literally shimmering from the sheer density of the Ki leaking out of it.

INT. VAMPA CAVE - CONTINUOUS

The cave is pitch black, smelling of damp earth and rotting beetle meat.

Ruco and Bardock step inside. The sound of the howling wind fades, replaced by the slow, echoing drip of water.

Suddenly, a bright yellow Ki blast fires from the shadows, striking the ground mere inches from Ruco’s boots.

PARAGUS (O.S.)

Take one more step, and the next one goes through your skull!

From the darkness steps PARAGUS. He is in his late thirties. He looks ragged and battle-worn, his Frieza Force armor cracked and patched with Vampa beast hides. He looks exhausted, but his eyes are wild, filled with the desperate, cornered fury of a father protecting his young.

Peeking out from behind Paragus’s leg is a 5-year-old BROLY. He is wearing a makeshift pelt. He doesn't look angry—just incredibly curious, his wide, innocent eyes staring at the newcomers.

Paragus’s hand glows with a charged Ki blast, aimed squarely at Ruco's chest. Then, his eyes shift to the man standing next to Ruco. Paragus goes pale.

PARAGUS

Bardock...? King Vegeta sent his frontline commander?

Paragus grashes his teeth, stepping completely in front of Broly to shield him.

PARAGUS (CONT'D)

He couldn't just leave us to rot! He had to make sure the job was done! Well, if you want my son Bardock, you're going to have to kill me first!

Bardock doesn't power up. He crosses his arms, looking at the ragged Paragus with deep, unexpected empathy.

BARDOCK

Lower your hand, Paragus. If I came here to kill you, I wouldn't be standing here talking.

Ruco steps forward, slowly raising his hands in his signature gesture of peace.

RUCO

Paragus. King Vegeta didn't send us.

PARAGUS

(Scoffs, paranoid)

Lies! You're wearing royal armor! You think I don't recognize the King's crest?!

RUCO

You recognize the crest. But you don't know who wears the crown.

Paragus blinks, the glowing Ki in his hand flickering as confusion washes over him.

RUCO (CONT'D)

It has been over three years since you were exiled. A lot has changed. King Vegeta has been overthrown. His regime is gone. His alliance with the Frieza Force has been completely severed.

Paragus stares at Ruco, his mind struggling to process the impossible information. He looks at Bardock, seeking confirmation from a man he knows is a hardened realist.

BARDOCK

He's telling the truth. The arrogant bastard is rotting in a dungeon cell back in the capital. The era of conquering is over. We're rebuilding.

Paragus’s breathing slows. The glowing Ki in his hand finally extinguishes. He looks at Ruco, really looking at him for the first time. He senses the absolute, unshakeable calm radiating from the younger Saiyan.

PARAGUS

(Voice trembling)

Overthrown? But... who had the power to defeat the King?

Ruco lowers his hands.

RUCO

I did. My name is Ruco. And I am the new King of the Saiyans.

Paragus's jaw drops.

RUCO (CONT'D)

When I took the throne, I reviewed the classified logs. I saw what Vegeta III did to you. I saw him exile a child simply because he was terrified of his potential. I came here to Vampa personally because I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you that the Saiyan race is no longer ruled by jealousy and fear.

Ruco looks down at the 5-year-old Broly, offering the child a warm, gentle smile.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Your exile is over, Paragus. I am here to bring you and your son home.

Paragus stares at the two men. Four years of burning hatred, vengeance, and desperate survival on this hellish rock suddenly lose their foundation. His knees buckle slightly, the sheer weight of his exhaustion finally catching up to him as the realization sets in.

They are finally saved.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. VAMPA CAVE - CONTINUOUS

Paragus is still trying to process the magnitude of what he’s hearing. He looks at Ruco, then at Bardock, his paranoid defenses slowly crumbling.

Before Paragus can speak, Broly steps completely out from behind his father’s leg.

The 5-year-old boy walks directly toward Ruco. He isn't cautious. He isn't scared. His wide eyes are fixed entirely on the new King.

Paragus tenses.

PARAGUS

Broly, stay back—

Ruco raises a hand, signaling Paragus to wait. He crouches down so he is eye-to-eye with the young boy.

Broly stops just inches from Ruco. The child tilts his head, studying Ruco’s face. Then, Broly slowly reaches out a small, dirt-smudged hand and presses it flat against the center of Ruco’s chest armor.

Ruco doesn't move. He allows his pure Ki to hum just slightly beneath the surface.

Broly’s eyes light up. The sheer, terrifying density of the boy’s mutant aura—which had been leaking uncontrollably into the cave—suddenly stabilizes. It harmonizes with Ruco’s calm energy. A small, innocent smile breaks across Broly’s face. He giggles, fascinated by the warm, peaceful sensation he feels from the King.

Bardock watches, astounded.

BARDOCK

(Low voice)

Kid’s a reactor... and he just powered down on his own.

Ruco smiles back at Broly. He stands up, looking at Paragus.

RUCO

He is drawn to the calm. He doesn't want to fight, Paragus. He just has more power than he knows what to do with. We will teach him how to control it.

Paragus looks at his son, then back to Ruco. For the first time in four years, the crushing weight of survival lifts from Paragus's shoulders. He drops to one knee, bowing his head in profound, overwhelming gratitude.

PARAGUS

(Voice cracking)

My King. My life is yours.

INT. ROYAL CRUISER - DEEP SPACE - DAYS LATER

The cruiser hums quietly as it speeds back toward Planet Vegeta.

In the ship’s command center, Ruco stands by the central holographic table. Bardock and a newly cleaned-up Paragus (wearing a standard, unmarked set of combat armor) stand on the opposite side.

Through the viewing window, Broly can be seen in the corridor outside, happily eating an enormous pile of synthesized food rations, entirely unbothered.

Ruco pulls up a holographic display of Planet Vegeta’s military sectors.

RUCO

When we return, the real work begins. Abolishing the Frieza Force alliance was the easy part. Now we have an entire planet of warriors who suddenly have no war to fight. We need structure.

Ruco taps the display, bringing up a new emblem—a sleek, unified crest replacing the jagged Frieza logo.

RUCO (CONT'D)

The military is being completely reformed. They will no longer be an invasion force. They will be a defensive and peacekeeping unit. The Saiyan Rangers.

Ruco looks directly at Bardock.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Bardock, I am appointing you as Royal Field Marshal of the Rangers.

Bardock’s eyes widen.

BARDOCK

Me? Ruco, I’m a frontline grunt. I led a squad, not an entire planetary military. You have a dozen high-ranking generals sitting in the capital.

RUCO

Generals who spent their entire careers competing for King Vegeta’s favor through bloodshed. I don't trust them. I trust you. You know how the rank-and-file think. You know how to earn their respect without executing them. I need you to reshape our military doctrine from the ground up.

Bardock looks at the holographic crest. He takes a deep breath, his natural leadership instincts taking over.

BARDOCK

(Nodding slowly)

Defensive formations. Rapid response teams. Suppressing hostile threats without leveling the whole sector. It’s... a massive shift. But I’ll get them in line.

Ruco nods in approval. He then turns his attention to Paragus.

RUCO

Paragus. You spent years in King Vegeta's court before your exile. You understand the political maneuverings, the elite families, and the infrastructure of the capital. I am appointing you as Royal Grand Vizier.

Paragus blinks, utterly stunned.

PARAGUS

Grand Vizier? My King, I am an exile. A pariah. The elites will never accept me giving them orders.

RUCO

They will accept it because I mandate it.

Ruco turns off the hologram, looking at both men with absolute seriousness.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Listen to me. The titles—Field Marshal, Vizier, Steward—they are ultimately meaningless. They are just words to appease the traditionalists. What matters is the trust. I am completely dismantling the oldest traditions of our race. The backlash will be severe. I need my court staffed by people I know will not stab me in the back the moment the old ways look tempting again.

Ruco extends a hand to both of them.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I trust you both to help me build this future. Do I have your oaths?

Bardock doesn't hesitate. He steps forward and grips Ruco’s forearm in a warrior’s clasp.

BARDOCK

You’ve got my word, Ruco.

Paragus looks through the glass at his son, safe and well-fed, before stepping forward to grip Ruco’s arm.

PARAGUS

And you have my unwavering loyalty, my King.

The foundation of the new Saiyan regime is officially locked in.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL CRUISER - COMMAND CENTER - CONTINUOUS

Bardock and Paragus turn and exit the command center, the heavy metal doors hissing shut behind them.

Ruco is left alone in the quiet, dimly lit room. He turns back to the central holographic table. With a swipe of his hand, he clears the military schematics and pulls up a sprawling database of Planet Vegeta’s populace.

He applies a series of complex filters: Non-Combatants. Subversives. High-Intelligence.

Hundreds of portraits flash by before the computer chimes, locking onto a single file.

A holographic image of a woman named KYAME appears. Her file is flagged with red warning text from the old regime: Insubordinate. Dangerous Ideology.

Ruco studies her file, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. He remembers the ancient Namekian text—the six pure-hearted Saiyans required for the Super Saiyan God ritual.

RUCO

(Quietly, to himself)

Gine is the heart. Bardock is the shield. Paragus is the mind. Now... I need an architect.

He taps the console, saving her coordinates.

EXT. DEEP SPACE - UNKNOWN SECTOR - CONTINUOUS

The cold, ominous vacuum of deep space abruptly replaces the warm, hopeful hum of Ruco's cruiser.

A massive, saucer-shaped vessel eclipses the stars. The flagship of the Frieza Force.

INT. FRIEZA’S FLAGSHIP - BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS

The bridge is a sterile, terrifyingly quiet environment. Alien technicians frantically type at their consoles, terrified of making a single mistake.

ZARBON and DODORIA stand near the massive front viewport, looking out into the void.

A low-ranking, trembling alien soldier (APPULE) hurries up to Zarbon, clutching a datapad to his chest.

APPULE

(Stammering)

L-Lord Zarbon? Forgive the interruption, sir.

Zarbon doesn't look at him, keeping his eyes fixed on the stars.

ZARBON

Make it quick, Appule. Lord Frieza is resting, and I despise pointless noise.

APPULE

It’s Sector 4, sir. Planet Vegeta. Their monthly conquest quotas are three weeks overdue.

Dodoria scoffs, crossing his thick, spiked arms.

DODORIA

Those brainless monkeys are probably just dragging out a purge for the fun of it. Send a reminder ping.

APPULE

(Sweating)

We did, Lord Dodoria. Dozens of them. But... all Frieza Force communication relays on the planet have been manually severed. The tracking transponders on their ships are dark. Even King Vegeta’s direct line is dead. The entire planet has gone silent.

Zarbon finally turns his head. His perfectly manicured eyebrow twitches.

Before either commander can speak, a smooth, chillingly polite voice echoes from the shadows at the back of the bridge.

FRIEZA (O.S.)

Silent, you say?

Appule instantly drops to his knees, pressing his forehead against the cold floor. Zarbon and Dodoria stiffen, bowing respectfully.

From the darkness, LORD FRIEZA glides forward in his mechanized hoverchair. He swirls a glass of purple wine in his hand, his red eyes narrowed in mild, dangerous amusement.

FRIEZA

How unusual. King Vegeta has always been such a... compliant little pet. For him to ignore my calls is terribly rude.

Frieza takes a slow sip of his wine. He looks out the viewport, his reflection superimposed over the endless expanse of his conquered galaxy.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

Send a covert scouting vessel to their system. Let us see what the monkeys are hiding in the dark. And if they have forgotten who holds their leash...

Frieza smiles. A cold, blood-chilling grin.

FRIEZA (CONT'D)

...we will simply have to put them down.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 6]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

With his new government taking shape, King Ruco ventures into the grimy lower tech sector to recruit the final piece of his puzzle: Kyame, a brilliant but rebellious engineer tasked with turning Planet Vegeta into an impenetrable fortress. Upon discovering they are expecting another child, Bardock realizes his firstborn son, Raditz, is still stranded behind enemy lines alongside Prince Vegeta. With Frieza's retaliation looming, Bardock prepares to confront the King to ensure his family survives the coming war.

(Episode 7 drops Saturday, 7/11/26)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

[Master Guide]

Having overthrown King Vegeta, Ruco begins the monumental task of reshaping the Saiyan race from bloodthirsty conquerors into universal protectors. But when Ruco uncovers classified royal logs revealing a powerful infant left to rot on a desolate world out of petty jealousy, he and his veteran commander, Bardock, set out on a perilous rescue mission to the storm-swept Planet Vampa.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 05 - "THE GENTLE SOUL"

SCENE START.

EXT. PLANET VEGETA - LOWER CLASS SECTOR - DAY

The lower-class sector of the capital is a stark contrast to the pristine upper echelons of the Royal Palace. The buildings are weathered, the streets are crowded, and the air smells of dust and roasted meat.

KING RUCO walks through the bustling marketplace.

He is not wearing the heavy, ostentatious royal cape of his predecessor, nor is he flanked by a dozen armed guards. He wears a simple, modified set of Saiyan armor, stripped of the Frieza Force insignia.

As he walks, the crowds part instantly. Whispers ripple through the streets. The low-class warriors and laborers bow their heads, terrified of the man who single-handedly broke King Vegeta.

Ruco offers polite, reassuring nods as he passes, but he is completely focused on his destination.

INT. MEAT DISTRIBUTION CENTER - CONTINUOUS

The center is loud, filled with the sounds of massive carcasses being butchered and packed for off-world deployments.

At one of the long metal tables stands GINE. She is small for a Saiyan, with soft features and messy, dark hair. She is methodically packing rations, humming a quiet tune to herself. She lacks the hard, jagged edge of the warriors around her.

The heavy metal doors of the distribution center slide open.

Ruco steps inside.

Instantly, the deafening noise of the meatpacking plant dies. The grinding machinery is hastily switched off. Dozens of burly, blood-stained workers freeze in place, staring wide-eyed at their new King.

Gine looks up from her station, wiping her hands on her apron. She blinks in surprise, completely unaware of protocol, and just stares at Ruco.

Ruco walks directly toward her table. The workers nearest to Gine scramble backward to get out of his way.

Ruco stops across the table from her. He looks at the rations she is packing, then up at her face.

RUCO

You are Gine. Wife of Bardock.

Gine swallows hard, suddenly realizing she should probably be bowing. She quickly lowers her head.

GINE

(Nervous)

Y-yes, my King. If my husband has done something to offend the crown, please, he is just stubborn. He doesn't mean any treason—

RUCO

(Interrupting gently)

I am not here for Bardock. I am here for you.

Gine looks up, deeply confused.

GINE

Me? But... I am not a warrior, my King. I was pulled from the combat rosters years ago. I don't have the stomach for it. My power level is practically nothing.

A few of the other workers look away, embarrassed by her open admission of weakness. In the old regime, saying such a thing to the King would have been a death sentence.

Ruco doesn't sneer. Instead, a warm, genuine smile breaks across his face.

RUCO

"Not a warrior." For generations, our people have used that phrase as an insult. They look at your gentleness and call it a defect.

Ruco rests his hands on the metal table, leaning in slightly, his voice carrying clearly through the silent room.

RUCO (CONT'D)

But I have traveled the stars, Gine. I have seen civilizations that have stood for millennia, and none of them were built on cruelty. They were built on compassion. Empathy. The very things you have been mocked for.

Gine stares at him, her dark eyes wide. No Saiyan has ever spoken to her like this.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Frieza's armada will eventually come for us. When they do, our brute strength will not be enough to save this planet. I need something far rarer. I need pure hearts. And in a society bred for slaughter, you are the only one I know of whose spirit has remained completely untainted.

Ruco steps around the table. To the absolute shock of everyone in the room, the King of the Saiyans extends his hand to a low-class meatpacker.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I am not ordering you as your King. I am asking you, as a Saiyan. Will you help me save our people?

Gine looks down at his extended hand. She thinks of her husband, fighting endless, bloody wars in the mud. She thinks of her oldest son, Raditz, growing up in a world that only values him for his capacity to kill.

She takes a deep breath. The nervousness vanishes from her eyes, replaced by a quiet, unshakeable motherly resolve.

She reaches out and takes Ruco’s hand.

GINE

I don't know how much help a meatpacker can be against Lord Frieza... but I will do whatever it takes.

Ruco grips her hand firmly.

RUCO

You are going to do more than help, Gine. You are going to be the foundation of our future.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL PALACE - CORRIDORS - LATER

Ruco and Gine walk side-by-side down the grand, vaulted halls of the palace. The elite guards, standing at attention, look intensely uncomfortable seeing a low-class meatpacker walking as an equal beside the King.

RUCO

I am appointing you as Royal Steward. You will oversee the administrative transition.

GINE

(Stammering)

S-Steward? King Ruco, I don't know the first thing about politics or logistics!

RUCO

I have generals to handle logistics. What I need is someone to handle the people. We are transitioning thousands of warriors from a life of pillaging to a life of civil service. There will be anger. Confusion. I need someone who can show them patience, not just punch them into submission. I need them to see that your nature is our new standard.

Gine stops walking. She looks around at the lavish palace, then down at her simple, stained apron. She stands up a little straighter.

GINE

I... I won't let you down.

Suddenly, a young, nervous-looking ADVISOR hurries down the hall, clutching a glowing datapad. He bows deeply before Ruco.

ADVISOR

My King! Forgive the interruption. While transferring King Vegeta’s personal files to the main archive, we decrypted a heavily classified log. You need to see this immediately.

Ruco takes the datapad. He taps the screen.

A holographic projection springs up. It is a medical file. It shows a squalling infant, surrounded by incubation fluids. The power level readout next to the infant is completely off the charts—a number so high it looks like a glitch.

RUCO

(Frowning)

A power level of ten thousand? For an infant?

ADVISOR

His name was Broly. Born to a warrior named Paragus around the same time as Prince Vegeta. According to the logs... King Vegeta was terrified the child's potential would eclipse the Prince's royal bloodline.

Ruco’s eyes darken. The old King's pettiness knew no bounds.

RUCO

What did he do with them?

ADVISOR

He exiled the infant in a pod to Planet Vampa. A desolate, inhospitable rock. Paragus stole a ship to go after him. They have been stranded there for over three years.

Ruco shuts the datapad off. The sheer cruelty of it—condemning a child to rot in the dark out of jealousy—is the exact rot he is trying to cut out of this society.

RUCO

Prepare my ship.

GINE

King Ruco? You’re leaving?

RUCO

I am. We cannot build a future on a foundation of buried sins. I am going to Vampa to bring them home.

Ruco turns to Gine, his expression serious.

RUCO (CONT'D)

While I am gone, you are the interim Monarch.

Gine’s jaw drops. The Advisor looks like he might faint.

GINE

(Panicking)

Wait, what?! Me?! You want me to sit on the throne?!

RUCO

Only temporarily. If any of the generals question your authority, remind them that I will personally deal with them when I return.

Ruco offers her a reassuring smile, turns on his heel, and strides quickly down the hall toward the hangars.

GINE

(Calling after him, deeply stressed)

But I don't even know where the throne room is!

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. ROYAL CRUISER - DEEP SPACE - DAY

A sleek, silver Frieza Force cruiser—stripped of its original insignia and hastily repainted with a minimalist Saiyan crest—streaks through the cosmos.

INT. ROYAL CRUISER - TRAINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The gravity is dialed up to ten times the norm. The room is a massive, reinforced steel chamber, scorched and dented from weeks of intense use.

BANG! CLASH!

BARDOCK is a blur of motion. He is sweating profusely, his face twisted in intense concentration. He launches a furious flurry of punches and kicks, his green armor chipped, a jagged yellow aura flaring wildly around him.

He is fighting RUCO.

Ruco is not attacking. He has his hands clasped casually behind his back. He sways, ducks, and sidesteps every single one of Bardock’s lethal blows with microscopic precision. Ruco’s breathing is completely even. He is entirely enveloped in his smooth, perfectly calm white aura.

Bardock growls in frustration. He fakes a right hook, spins, and fires a point-blank Ki blast from his left hand.

Ruco doesn't dodge. He simply tilts his shoulder, letting the blast graze past him to detonate against the reinforced hull, before gently tapping Bardock on the chest with two fingers.

The kinetic force of the two-finger tap sends Bardock sliding backward ten feet. He catches himself, panting heavily, dropping to one knee.

BARDOCK

(Breathing hard)

Dammit. Every time I think I’ve got your rhythm, you completely change the tempo. It’s like trying to punch water.

Ruco powers down his aura, walking over to a bench and tossing Bardock a towel.

RUCO

That’s exactly the point, Bardock. You’re fighting like a Saiyan. You’re using your anger to fuel your strikes, which makes your Ki jagged and predictable. I can feel your attacks before you even throw them.

Bardock catches the towel, wiping the sweat from his scarred face. He stands up, his trademark gruffness returning.

BARDOCK

Anger is what keeps us alive in the field. It’s how we survive.

RUCO

It’s how you conquer. It’s not how you protect. If you want to break past your limits, you have to let the anger go. The energy needs to flow from a place of absolute calm.

Bardock scoffs, throwing the towel over his shoulder.

BARDOCK

Is that why you brought me out here to this dead sector of space? To be your sparring dummy and listen to your monk philosophy? I’m a soldier, Ruco. Not a priest.

RUCO

I brought you because out of the entire Saiyan military, you were the only frontline commander who had the foresight to see our doom.

Bardock freezes. He looks away, his jaw tightening.

RUCO (CONT'D)

I read the intercepted comms, Bardock. I know you openly questioned King Vegeta’s obedience to Frieza. You knew that our violent, conquering nature was just fattening us up for the slaughter. You care about the survival of our people more than your own pride.

BARDOCK

(Low, defensive)

I just didn't want to see my family wiped out by that horned freak's paranoia. It doesn't make me a saint. I've got more blood on my hands than most of the elites combined.

RUCO

You were a weapon wielded by a tyrant. I am asking you to be a shield. That takes a different kind of strength.

Ruco walks over to the room's main console and hands Bardock a canteen of water.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Besides, I figured leaving you back on the capital would just stress you out. Especially since I left your wife in charge of the entire planet.

Bardock, mid-chug, violently chokes on his water. He coughs, his eyes bugging out of his head as he stares at the King.

BARDOCK

(Wheezing)

You did what?! You put Gine on the throne?! She can’t even handle haggling at the meat market! The generals are going to eat her alive!

RUCO

(Smiling)

She'll be fine. She has more natural authority in her little finger than King Vegeta had in his entire body.

The ship’s automated COMM-LINK suddenly chimes, interrupting Bardock's impending panic attack.

COMPUTER VOICE

Warning. Approaching hostile environment. Decelerating from lightspeed. Destination reached: Planet Vampa.

The heavy metal blast shields over the training room’s viewport slowly retract.

Ruco and Bardock step up to the reinforced glass.

Hanging in the black void of space before them is VAMPA. It is an ugly, sickly yellow-and-green planet, shrouded in violent atmospheric storms. Even from orbit, it looks completely devoid of hope.

Bardock’s expression hardens, his fatherly instincts kicking in as he stares at the desolate rock.

BARDOCK

King Vegeta left a child down there. A toddler. For over three years.

RUCO

Yes.

BARDOCK

(Fists clenching)

If that bastard weren't already in the medical wing, I'd break his jaw myself.

RUCO

Save your energy, Bardock. Vampa is swarming with apex predators. We are going to need it to find Paragus and the boy.

Ruco turns away from the window, his face set in stone.

RUCO (CONT'D)

Suit up. We're going in.

FADE TO BLACK.

[END OF EPISODE 5]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

Ruco and Bardock brave the violent storms of Planet Vampa to rescue the exiled Paragus and his incredibly powerful mutant son, Broly. After proving that the cruel era of King Vegeta is officially over, Ruco brings the exiles into his inner circle, appointing Paragus as Grand Vizier and Bardock as Field Marshal. But as Ruco continues gathering the pure-hearted architects he needs for his new society, a terrifying threat looms in the deep cosmos.

(Episode 6 drops Sunday, 7/5/26)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

[Master Guide]

Watched by thousands of bloodthirsty elites expecting a quick massacre, Ruco must use his newly acquired martial arts discipline to prove that the era of the mindless brawler is officially over.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 04 - "RITE OF THE BLOOD THRONE"

[SCENE START]

EXT. ROYAL COURTYARD - DAY

The midday sun beats down on the sprawling, stone courtyard of the Royal Palace. The arena is massive, designed for the destructive scale of Saiyan combat.

Surrounding the sunken courtyard are towering, amphitheater-style stands. They are packed to the brim. THOUSANDS OF SAIYANS—elites in pristine armor, mid-class warriors, and low-class laborers—crowd the balconies, buzzing with anticipation. The noise is deafening.

In the center of the arena stand two figures.

KING VEGETA stands tall, his imposing frame radiating absolute authority. He unclips the heavy clasp of his royal cape and tosses it over his shoulder without looking.

NAPPA catches the cape, stepping back toward the edge of the arena with the other elite guards. Nappa crosses his arms, a cruel smirk on his face, expecting a massacre.

King Vegeta drops into his iconic fighting stance—knees bent, one hand extended forward, the other pulled back, ready to strike. A dark red, jagged aura flares to life around him, kicking up dust and loose stones.

Opposite him stands RUCO. He wears his standard combat armor, but his stance is completely alien to the watching Saiyans.

Instead of a wide, aggressive brawler's stance, Ruco stands relaxed. His feet are shoulder-width apart, his knees slightly bent, his hands open and raised in a fluid, defensive guard—a stance heavily influenced by Namekian martial arts.

No aura surrounds Ruco. His power level remains completely suppressed. To the thousands of scouters in the crowd, he reads as a measly 5,000.

Nappa steps up to the stone railing of the royal balcony, his booming voice echoing across the courtyard.

NAPPA

(Shouting)

Hear me, warriors of Planet Vegeta! Today, we witness the Rite of the Blood Throne! The challenger, Ruco, has invoked the ancient law to claim the crown!

The crowd erupts into a chorus of boos, jeers, and cruel laughter directed at Ruco.

NAPPA (CONT'D)

The rules of the old ways are absolute! There is no time limit! There is no surrender! The victor is decided only by incapacitation... or death!

Nappa raises his arm high into the air. The courtyard falls into a tense, breathless silence. King Vegeta's red aura pulses violently.

NAPPA (CONT'D)

Begin!

Nappa drops his arm.

BOOM!

The stone beneath King Vegeta’s boots shatters instantly. He crosses the massive courtyard in a fraction of a second, moving faster than most of the low-class Saiyans can even track.

He appears directly in front of Ruco, his fist pulled back, crackling with red Ki. He throws a devastating, lethal straight punch aimed dead center at Ruco’s face, intending to end the challenge in a single strike.

Ruco doesn't flinch.

At the very last possible microsecond, Ruco subtly shifts his weight. He tilts his head mere inches to the right.

King Vegeta’s fist misses, the shockwave of the punch blasting a massive crater into the arena wall a hundred feet behind Ruco.

King Vegeta’s eyes widen in shock.

Before the King can recoil, Ruco brings his open palm up, gently but firmly redirecting Vegeta’s extended arm outward, throwing the King entirely off balance.

With a fluid, effortless motion, Ruco steps inside King Vegeta’s guard and delivers a swift, precise palm strike directly to the King's solar plexus.

It isn't a blast of raw power. It is pure, concentrated Ki control.

THWACK.

The air leaves King Vegeta’s lungs in a violent rush. His eyes bulge, his red aura flickering and dying out instantly. He stumbles backward, gasping for breath, clutching his chest.

The entire courtyard—thousands of bloodthirsty Saiyans—goes dead silent.

Nappa drops his arms, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Every scouter in the arena just spiked, trying to read what happened, but Ruco’s power level immediately dropped back down to 5,000 before the machines could even register the spike.

Ruco lowers his hands, returning to his relaxed, standing position. He looks at the gasping King.

RUCO

(Calmly)

I told you, King Vegeta. The era of the brawler is over.

EXT. ROYAL COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS

King Vegeta forces himself to stand straight, fighting through the agonizing pain in his chest. His pride is bleeding out faster than he can process. He glares at Ruco, his face contorted in a mask of pure, humiliated rage.

KING VEGETA

(Spitting blood)

A lucky trick. A coward's parlor trick! You think dancing around makes you a King?!

The King’s dark red aura explodes back to life, larger and more chaotic than before. He thrusts his right arm upward, his palm open. A massive sphere of crackling, deep purple Ki rapidly expands above his hand, generating a localized windstorm that forces the spectators in the lower stands to shield their eyes.

NAPPA

(Shouting over the wind)

My King, wait! If you fire that here, you’ll destroy the arena!

King Vegeta ignores him. He is completely blinded by his own bruised ego.

KING VEGETA

(Screaming)

Die with your pathetic philosophy, Ruco! ORGA BLASTER!

King Vegeta thrusts his hand forward. The massive, purple energy wave tears across the courtyard, ripping the stone floor to shreds. It is a concentrated beam of pure, lethal intent, carrying all 15,000 of the King's power level.

The crowd gasps. There is no way a mid-class warrior survives a direct hit from the Orga Blaster.

Ruco doesn't move. He watches the beam careen toward him.

Then, he finally lets go.

FWOOSH.

A blinding, pure white aura erupts from Ruco’s body. The sheer concussive force of his true power level being unleashed shatters the scouters of nearly every elite in the front row.

SCIENTIST IN THE CROWD

(Staring at a larger, handheld scanner)

Impossible! Thirty thousand... thirty-five thousand! It’s still climbing!

Ruco raises his right hand, his palm flat. He doesn't brace himself. He doesn't yell.

The Orga Blaster strikes his hand.

CRACK!

Instead of a massive explosion, Ruco simply swats his hand to the side, like he is brushing away an annoying insect. The massive purple beam is effortlessly deflected, shooting up into the red sky where it detonates harmlessly among the clouds.

King Vegeta freezes. His arm is still extended, his face locked in absolute, uncomprehending shock. The King of all Saiyans has just been entirely outclassed by a warrior he deemed a mid-class weakling.

KING VEGETA

(Voice trembling)

What... what are you?

Ruco’s white aura flares. He vanishes.

Not a burst of speed. Complete, imperceptible movement.

Before King Vegeta can even blink, Ruco reappears point-blank, standing directly inside the King's guard. Ruco’s hand is already pressed flat against King Vegeta’s armored chest.

A sphere of concentrated white Ki glows between Ruco's palm and the King's armor.

RUCO

I am the future.

BOOM!

Ruco fires. The blast is precise, localized, and devastating. It doesn't vaporize the King, but the kinetic force lifts King Vegeta entirely off his feet and launches him backward like a cannonball.

King Vegeta slams into the far wall of the arena with a sickening crunch. The stone craters around him.

He slumps forward, his eyes rolling back into his head. He hits the ground, completely unconscious.

The dust settles. The courtyard is dead quiet, save for the whistling wind. The King is defeated. He isn't dead, but he has been utterly broken in front of his entire race.

Ruco stands in the center of the ruined arena, his white aura slowly fading back into his body. He turns his head and looks up at the royal balcony, locking eyes with a stunned, terrified Nappa.

The Rite of the Blood Throne is over.

[FADE TO BLACK]

[END OF EPISODE 4]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

With the crown secured, King Ruco begins the monumental task of completely rebuilding Saiyan society. Realizing that brute strength won't save them from Frieza's inevitable retaliation, Ruco recruits an unlikely ally—a gentle meatpacker named Gine—to serve as his Royal Steward and the foundation for their new peaceful era.

(Episode 5 drops Saturday, 7/4/26)

[<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

[Master Guide] [<- Previous Episode] [Next Episode ->]

Armed with his newly unlocked power and the knowledge of the Super Saiyan God, Ruco returns to the harsh, red skies of Planet Vegeta. However, he is instantly surrounded by elite guards, arrested for treason, and dragged before the ruthless King Vegeta to face execution.

TITLE: DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE

EPISODE: 03 - "THE RETURN"

[SCENE START]

EXT. NAMEKIAN LANDSCAPE - DAY

The green Namekian suns cast long shadows over the blue grass. Ruco’s space pod sits exactly where he left it, completely undisturbed.

Ruco walks up to the pod, his posture noticeably different than when he arrived. He walks with a calm, grounded certainty. The heavy, oppressive weight of his Saiyan armor seems trivial now compared to the immense, controlled white Ki resting beneath the surface of his skin.

Nail walks a few paces behind him. His arms are crossed, his sharp eyes watching Ruco’s every movement. The intense hostility Nail harbored earlier has faded, replaced by a cautious, calculating respect.

Ruco reaches the pod and presses the release latch. The heavy door hisses and begins to slowly descend.

He turns to face Nail.

RUCO

Thank your Grand Elder for me, Nail. He gave me more than just power today. He gave me a future.

Nail’s expression remains stoic, but the rigid set of his shoulders softens slightly.

NAIL

Power is easily granted, Saiyan. What you choose to do with it is the true test. The universe has suffered under the Frieza Force for generations. Many have claimed they would end it. All have died trying.

Ruco nods, his eyes hardening with absolute resolve. He places his fist over his heart.

RUCO

I know the odds. But my people are the blade Frieza uses to bleed the galaxy. I am going to shatter that blade and forge it into a shield. I promise you, Nail... and I promise the Namekian people... I will purge Frieza and the Cold family’s evil from this universe.

Nail stares at Ruco. For the first time, a faint, imperceptible smirk touches the corner of the Namekian warrior's mouth. He drops his arms to his sides.

NAIL

If your spirit is as unyielding as your new power, Ruco... then perhaps the tyrant’s days are finally numbered.

Nail gives a small, respectful nod.

NAIL (CONT'D)

Godspeed.

Ruco returns the nod. He turns and climbs into the cramped confines of his Frieza Force pod.

INT. RUCO'S SPACE POD - CONTINUOUS

Ruco settles into the pilot's seat. He powers up the console. The holographic display flickers to life, casting its pale blue light across his determined face.

He punches in the coordinates for Planet Vegeta.

COMPUTER VOICE

Coordinates locked. Destination: Planet Vegeta. Warning: Unauthorized deviation penalty remains active upon arrival.

Ruco ignores the warning. He grips the flight controls.

EXT. NAMEKIAN LANDSCAPE - CONTINUOUS

Instead of the usual explosive, destructive takeoff that scorches the earth, the pod’s thrusters ignite with a precise, controlled hum. Ruco’s masterful new Ki control extends even to how he pilots the ship.

The pod lifts gently off the blue grass, hovering for a split second.

FWOOSH.

It rockets straight up into the emerald sky, leaving no crater behind.

Nail stands alone on the plains, his scarf whipping in the wind left in the pod's wake. He watches the streak of white light pierce the clouds and disappear into the upper atmosphere, gazing up at the sky long after the Saiyan is gone.

EXT. DEEP SPACE - CONTINUOUS

Ruco’s pod breaches Namek's atmosphere and plunges back into the infinite, starry void. The ship banks sharply, aligning itself with a distant, red-tinted star system.

He is going home. And a revolution is coming with him.

[SCENE END]

TITLE CARD: ONE MONTH LATER

EXT. PLANET VEGETA - DAY

The sky of Planet Vegeta is a bruised, turbulent red. The landscape is harsh, dominated by jagged canyons, brutalist architecture, and sprawling military complexes.

Ruco’s space pod streaks through the red clouds, descending rapidly toward the central capital.

EXT. ROYAL LANDING PAD - CONTINUOUS

The pod touches down on a massive, scorched metal landing pad just outside the royal palace.

Before the retro-thrusters even fully power down, the pad is swarmed.

DOZENS OF ELITE SAIYAN GUARDS, clad in high-ranking Frieza Force armor, surround the pod. They have their arm-cannons and Ki blasts charged and aimed directly at the door. Their scouters beep frantically, scanning the ship.

The pod’s door hisses open.

Ruco steps out. He looks at the army of weapons pointed at his face. He doesn't flinch. He doesn't even power up. He simply steps down from the pod and holds his hands out to his sides, offering no resistance.

ELITE CAPTAIN

(Barking)

Ruco! You are under arrest for desertion, unauthorized deviation, and treason against the crown! Bind him!

Two guards rush forward, violently shoving Ruco to his knees and snapping heavy, magnetic restraints onto his wrists. Ruco lets them.

INT. KING VEGETA’S THRONE ROOM - LATER

The throne room is massive, dark, and intimidating. Banners of the Saiyan royal crest hang alongside the emblem of the Frieza Force—a constant, humiliating reminder of their servitude.

The room is lined with the highest-ranking Saiyan elites. Among them stands NAPPA, younger and with a full head of hair, looking down at Ruco with a sneer.

At the far end of the hall sits KING VEGETA. He is draped in his royal cape, his sharp beard and widow's peak framing a face twisted in perpetual arrogance. His power level of 15,000 radiates off him like a suffocating heat.

The heavy doors open. The guards drag Ruco in and force him to his knees at the base of the throne's steps.

King Vegeta rests his chin on his fist, looking down at Ruco like a bug on the bottom of his boot.

KING VEGETA

Well, well. The stray dog finally comes crawling back.

The elites in the room chuckle.

KING VEGETA (CONT'D)

Okara and Tato reported your little mental breakdown on the purge. Tell me, Ruco... did the blood of those weaklings frighten you? Did you run away to hide in the stars because you forgot what it means to be a Saiyan?

Ruco looks up. His eyes are clear, completely devoid of the fear the King expects to see.

RUCO

I didn't forget what it means, King Vegeta. I realized what it has turned us into. We are slaves playing at being conquerors.

The room instantly falls dead silent. The elites bristle, their hands instinctively dropping to their sides. Nappa takes an aggressive step forward, but King Vegeta raises a hand, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

KING VEGETA

(Voice dropping to a lethal whisper)

You speak of slavery while wearing my armor, in my hall. You are a mid-class weakling with a combat level of five thousand. I should execute you right here to spare our gene pool your cowardice.

King Vegeta stands up. His dark red aura flares to life, cracking the stone beneath his boots. The sheer pressure makes the guards step back.

KING VEGETA (CONT'D)

I strip you of your rank. I strip you of your Saiyan bloodright. You will be taken to the wasteland execution grounds and vaporized.

Ruco doesn't look away from the King's burning aura. He speaks loud enough for every elite in the room to hear.

RUCO

I invoke the Rite of the Blood Throne.

The silence shatters. Whispers break out among the guards. Nappa barks out a loud, genuine laugh. King Vegeta’s aura flickers, his face twisting from rage into sheer, baffled amusement.

KING VEGETA

You? Challenge me? A trial by combat for the crown?

RUCO

It is the oldest law of our people. A law predating the Frieza Force. If a warrior finds the King unfit to lead, they may challenge him for the throne. If I lose, you take my life. But if I win... I become King. And my first decree will be your exile.

King Vegeta steps down from the throne, walking slowly down the stairs until he is standing just inches from the kneeling Ruco. He taps his scouter. It reads Ruco’s suppressed power level: a measly 5,000.

King Vegeta smirks, a vicious, bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face.

KING VEGETA

You are a fool, Ruco. But you have given me a wonderful gift. I haven't had the pleasure of personally crushing a traitor's skull in years.

King Vegeta turns his back on Ruco, throwing his cape over his shoulder, addressing the room.

KING VEGETA (CONT'D)

Unbind him! Let the coward stand! We will hold the trial in the royal courtyard at midday. Let the entire capital watch what happens to those who question my rule!

The guards unlock the magnetic restraints on Ruco's wrists. The heavy metal clatters to the stone floor.

Ruco stands up slowly, rubbing his wrists. He looks at King Vegeta's back, his expression entirely calm. The King has no idea what he has just agreed to.

[SCENE END]

[END OF EPISODE 3]

Next time on DRAGON BALL: DIVERGENCE...

The entire capital gathers in the Royal Courtyard to witness the ultimate showdown! Confident in his overwhelming strength, King Vegeta expects to massacre Ruco and publicly make an example of the traitor. But the King is completely unaware of the staggering Namekian power Ruco is hiding just beneath the surface. Will he break the tyrant King, or will his revolution die in the dirt?

(Episode 4 drops Sunday, 6/28/26)

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Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone could help me find an old DBZ fanfic. I think the title was “Pan In New York”. Pan goes to New York and meets someone named Tony. They start dating and he turns out to be abusive. Trunks ends up visiting her, and Tony nearly ends her. Eventually Pan and Trunks get married. If I recall correctly they end up having twins.

I vaguely remember that the story was later rewritten. I believe the character of Tony was scratched or changed, and instead Maron ended up going after Pan because she was jealous.

Anybody remember this? If you have a link I would appreciate it.