What-If 16

**[What-If 16] Goku VS "Bardock"** is the sixteenth Episode of the What-If Series, it was published on February 20, 2022.

## Plot

Age 737, Frieza's spaceship oversees Planet Vegeta. Bardock flies towards it, easily beating Frieza's soldiers. The Saiyan calls for Frieza, demanding he comes out to fight him. The tyrant emerges from his spaceship, remarking how it is about time he gets rid of the Saiyans.

25 years later, in age 762, Goku arrives on Planet Namek. Shortly after landing, Goku meets another man, quickly deducing he's Saiyan. "Bardock" remarks how he thought only some survived Planet Vegeta's destruction, with Goku answering how met other 3 Saiyans and that he's on Namek to resurrect his friends who died at their hands, subsequently asking "Bardock" if he's there to get in his way.
"Bardock" grins, saying how the legend is true and the Dragon Balls will grant Lord Frieza's ultimate wish. As Goku thinks how "Frieza" is the one King Kai told him to avoid, he comments that there's something off about "Bardock".

After this discussion, Goku asks to skip the warm-ups and start fighting, "Bardock" answering how he hoped for a good fight. Thus, the two Saiyans start to do battle. Using the Kaio-ken, Goku manages to hold his own against "Bardock", until the latter doesn't throw Goku to the ground, forcing him to activate the Kaio-ken to times 10. After overwhelming "Bardock", the Saiyan starts to increase his energy, saying how this is going to be a splendid battle.
Goku launches a Kamehameha, "Bardock" answering with a Ki sphere. As Goku is slowly being overpowered, he re-activates the Kaio-ken, this times to times 20, overpowering his foe and launching the energy beam towards him. "Bardock" dodges, throwing himself at his foe, only for him to be punched in the gut.

After "Bardock" falls to the ground, he claims how he's the strongest, second to only Lord Frieza. He immediately jumps in air, transforming into a Super Saiyan and then landing. A shocked Goku senses the enormous energy his enemy now holds, saying how he knew Saiyans could only transform into Great Apes. "Bardock" calls this transformation a "Super Saiyan", something no Saiyan could achieve.
Now completely outclassed, Goku pushes his Kaio-ken to times 30 and 40, only for him to be badly beaten. After "Bardock" brings Goku to the ground, the Super Saiyan notices how Goku's power level is increasing, forcing "Bardock" to blast him. As the explosion generated by the blast dissipates, Goku's body falls to the ground.
"Bardock" commends his dead foe as strong, remarking how using this body made him know better than underestimating a Saiyan. He then powers down, deciding to report the events to Lord Frieza.

## Power Scaling

This What-If has not been featured in the Power Scaling video.

## Music

* Dragon Ball FighterZ - Frieza's Theme;
* Dragon Ball FighterZ - Ultra Instinct Goku's Theme;
* Dragon Ball FighterZ - Gogeta (SS4) Theme;
* Dragon Ball FighterZ - Ginyu's Theme.

## Sprites

Creators of some of the Sprites used in the What-If are listed below.

* Balthazar321
* eviantarter1236

## Trivia

* Despite popular belief, this What-If is not the prequel of What-If 4;
	+ What-If 4 takes place in an altered Frieza Saga where the events proceeded as in-canon up until Goku's placement in the Healing Tank, where the machine malfunctioned, not healing Goku.