Frieza wasn't surprised that Vegeta had lost contact.
He had long known that Vegeta's loyalty to him was nothing but a façade. Keeping the Saiyan prince alive was never about trust—it was about humiliation and utility. Vegeta was a tool, a proud warrior forced to bow his head for the sake of survival.
But when something as precious as the Dragon Balls—artifacts capable of granting eternal life—was involved, betrayal was only to be expected.
Frieza gazed out through the transparent dome of his command deck, watching the endless expanse of stars. A soldier approached and respectfully handed him a glass of crimson liquid.
Swirling it gently, Frieza spoke in his usual calm yet chilling tone,
"There seem to be two individuals on Earth whose power levels surpass even Vegeta's limits... and our outdated scouters can't properly read them. Intriguing."
Dodoria and Zarbon, standing behind him, exchanged uneasy glances.
They were both capable of shattering standard power detectors themselves—but the fact that two Earthlings could exceed Vegeta's strength was no trivial matter. If Vegeta and Nappa had truly encountered such opponents, their chances of survival were slim.
That realization brought a faint smirk to their faces. Perhaps the arrogant prince had finally met his end.
Frieza turned slowly, his tail swaying lazily.
"Let's take a little trip to Earth," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I'd like to see how my dear Vegeta is faring."
---
On Earth...
Bulma had organized a dinner party at Capsule Corporation. The atmosphere was lively—Goku and his friends filled the courtyard with laughter and conversation. Among them, Chiga and his "family of three" were also present.
At one table, Goku was devouring noodles at a speed that defied logic. Between slurps, he looked up and asked,
"Hey, Bulma, where's Yamcha? Haven't seen him today."
Bulma froze, her cheerful expression darkening immediately. She glared at Goku.
"Just eat your food! Why do you always have to ask such stupid questions?"
Goku blinked, confused. Before he could reply, Krillin nudged him discreetly and whispered,
"Don't push it, Goku. They're having a fight again."
"Oh..." Goku mumbled and went right back to eating, seemingly unbothered.
Nearby, Chiga sat beside Lazuli, while her brother Lapis—wearing an apron—tended to a grill. The sizzling of meat filled the air, but Lapis kept sighing heavily.
Lazuli frowned, resting her chin on her palm.
"Why are you sighing so much? That meat's about to burn!"
"Sister, can't you show some sympathy? I just got dumped! I'm miserable enough as it is!"
Lazuli rolled her eyes. "Please. It's good you realized what kind of person Malun really was. Consider it a blessing in disguise. Next time, pick someone better."
"That's easy for you to say! You got lucky—you met Chiga first..."
A faint smile tugged at Chiga's lips as Lazuli's cheeks turned slightly pink. She proudly hugged his arm and said,
"Well, What can I say?"
Lapis groaned and jabbed at the grill with a spatula as if punishing the poor meat.
Across the yard, Gohan approached Vegeta with a small cake in his hands.
"Uncle Vegeta, you should try this! It's really good!"
Vegeta scowled, his arms crossed as if everyone around him were beneath him.
"Tch! Brat, who wants your silly cake? Get lost! I don't need it!"
No sooner had he finished than his stomach let out a thunderous growl.
The courtyard fell silent.
"Pfft—!" Gohan burst into a giggle before quickly covering his mouth, eyes wide with embarrassment.
Vegeta's face turned scarlet. His pride screamed louder than his stomach, and for a moment, he wished the ground would swallow him whole.
This was the curse of being a Saiyan prince with too much pride. Goku's family had offered him food many times before, and though he always accepted a single bite, he'd close his eyes afterward, pretending to meditate like some aloof deity.
Of course, the rest of the food went straight into Goku's stomach.
Now, karma had come for him—in the form of a small, taunting cake.
Finally, Vegeta gritted his teeth and muttered,
"Fine... brat, bring that cake over here."
Gohan's face lit up with excitement. He rushed forward and held the cake out in front of Vegeta.
But there was a problem. The black energy shackles still bound Vegeta's wrists—remnants of Chiga's earlier restraint spell. He couldn't move his hands to eat. Unless he was willing to kneel and eat like an animal, he was helpless.
That, however, was something the proud Prince of Saiyans could never do.
He sighed and said begrudgingly,
"Gohan, was it? Bring it closer. My current... situation is inconvenient."
Realizing the issue, Gohan quickly lifted the cake toward Vegeta's mouth.
"I'm so sorry, Uncle Vegeta! I didn't mean to make things awkward!"
Vegeta stared at the boy. His expression remained stern, but his eyes softened slightly. For the first time in a long while, someone treated him with genuine care rather than fear.
After a brief pause, he murmured—barely audible—
"...Thank you."
Gohan beamed. "You're welcome, Uncle Vegeta! Eat up—it's delicious!"
"You don't need to shout," Vegeta said gruffly, then took a bite. His frown relaxed. "Hmm. Not bad. Much better than those alien rations."
Encouraged, Gohan turned to get more.
"Then I'll bring you some more pieces!"
Vegeta gave a curt nod. "And some meat. A warrior can't live on sweets alone."
"Okay!" Gohan chirped, running off happily.
But before he could take two steps, a massive shadow fell over the entire courtyard. The air trembled as something enormous descended through the clouds.
Everyone looked up.
A gigantic circular spaceship pierced through the sky, its metallic hull gleaming under the sunlight. The Capsule Corp courtyard filled with shocked gasps.
"What is that?" Gohan asked, staring upward in awe. "It looks so strange!"
Vegeta's expression changed instantly—shock and fury replacing pride.
"That's Frieza's ship," he spat. "He's here!"
Gohan blinked in confusion. "Frieza? Is he... also a Saiyan?"
Vegeta's fists clenched. "No! He's the enemy of the Saiyans! Don't you know? He's the one who destroyed Planet Vegeta!"
Hatred burned in his eyes, but beneath it lingered a shadow of fear.
Then his gaze shifted toward Chiga, and a cruel smile crept across his face.
"Heh... Frieza, I'm going to enjoy the look on your face when you realize you're not the strongest one here anymore."
---