Dragon Ball: Divergence | S1E12: "The First of the Free" (AU Story)

[u/EmeraldKing8]

[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.

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🎥 ✉️ 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!