World:Planet Freeza 79
Location: Freeza Force Base
On a planet with a peculiar appearance, the combat logistics division of Freeza's army was stationed.
Inside the treatment room, a group of beings of various shapes and sizes had gathered around a healing machine.
They whispered among themselves, visibly anxious.
Their attention was fixed on a person enclosed within the regeneration capsule.
This man was naked, and the stump of a severed extra limb at the base of his spine clearly indicated he was not human.
"So? Do you think he'll actually pull through?" asked an alien with purple skin, visibly nervous.
"According to my scouter's data, this damned Saiyan is recovering at an incredible rate despite his injuries," replied another, with a dinosaur-like head.
Both were part of the Freeza Force's logistics division, but it was clear they carried out their tasks reluctantly.
That's how much Saiyans were despised within Freeza's army.
*'I'd rather this blasted monkey had died on that wretched planet called Earth, but…'* one of them thought, clenching his fist in frustration.
The Saiyan's vitality had allowed him to survive the journey to the nearest base, and worse still: he had recovered at an astonishing speed.
Currently, the Saiyan's eyes remained closed, but an unusually high energy emanated from him.
This phenomenon is known as the Zenkai Boost.
When a Saiyan survives a severe injury or a life-threatening battle, their body adapts and evolves to avoid perishing the next time.
Such a situation results in a dramatic increase in their power.
*'S… Saiyan? V-Vegeta?!'*
What the aliens didn't know was that the man in the capsule was no longer truly unconscious.
Vegeta had been awake for a while, but he was sorting through his memories, trying to make sense of his identity and situation.
Once, he was Damien Constantine, an ordinary Earthling with a passion for manga and Warhammer 40K figurines.
Unfortunately, he had died in a… less than glorious way: an overly intense session of self-indulgence in front of a picture of Bulma.
After "releasing his seeds," he had felt a violent wave of dizziness before losing consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself observed by aliens, locked inside a recovery machine.
That's how Damien could explain and summarize his current situation.
*'If I've truly become Vegeta, then… this world must be Freeza 79. A major supply point that the old me had programmed as an automatic destination after my—'*
Vegeta abruptly cut off his train of thought as he recalled his defeat.
The idea of having lost to a low-class Saiyan like Kakarot disgusted him and deeply wounded his pride.
The former human saw this behavior as a strength, but he needed to find a way to manage his pride.
*'The current date is December 13, year 762… If I play my cards right, I could surpass my original self and restore my pride,'* he thought, contemplative.
Eighteen days had passed since Vegeta's defeat against the Z Fighters on Earth. During that time, the real Vegeta had not survived his injuries and died upon arriving at Freeza's base.
That's when Damien took control of his body.
As for his surprising calm in the face of this situation, he assumed Vegeta's personality traits, like his pride, had strongly influenced him.
As a former ordinary human, being mentally influenced by another being should have worried him… but deep down, he found it acceptable.
After all, he was alive, and he had escaped a ridiculous death in his shower due to an overly explicit picture of Bulma.
Thinking back on the cause of his death, a mix of shame and anger surged within him:
*'Dying because of a picture of Bulma… pathetic.'* Unconsciously, he swore to take out this frustration on the original later.
…
"All the indicators are back to normal; it's time," the dinosaur-like alien muttered.
Immediately after, he stepped hesitantly toward the control panel of the machine.
After a series of manipulations, the healing fluid inside the capsule began to drain.
It didn't take long before Vegeta, inside the container, was fully exposed to the view of all the aliens.
"Even after such severe injuries, he's completely healed in just a few days," muttered one of the dinosaur alien's colleagues.
"I wonder what kind of enemy Vegeta faced to sustain such wounds," another whispered.
"Shh! Everyone, shut up… do you want to die?" The most cautious member of the group quickly silenced his overly bold colleagues.
The dinosaur-like alien approached the open machine and addressed Vegeta, whose eyes were still closed:
"It's ready. You can open your eyes now," he said in a neutral tone, trying to suppress his contempt for the race he called "monkeys."
As his words reached the Saiyan's ears, the alien suddenly shivered and took a half-step back.
He was startled by the sudden opening of Vegeta's eyes.
The Saiyan's gaze was heavy, dripping with coldness, bearing witness to the massacres the young prince had committed in Freeza's name.
Fully conscious, Damien had fully assimilated the essence of the former Vegeta.
He took several deep breaths before managing to stabilize himself.
After contact with the outside air from the machine, he managed to contain the dangerous aura of the Saiyan prince.
*'Was I dreaming? I was sure he wanted to kill me…'*
The alien wondered about this display of murderous intent but ultimately chalked it up to a hallucination.
However, the feeling of potential death prompted him to be more cordial toward Vegeta.
"I'm truly sorry. Although the healing machine treated your injuries, it couldn't regenerate your tail…" the dinosaur-like alien cautiously reported the treatment results.
As the leader of this team, he held a certain status, but in the eyes of high-ranking warriors, he was just a lowly soldier and could be dealt with as they pleased if they were dissatisfied.
This was also why the hallucination of potential death had brought him back to the harsh reality: he wasn't qualified to call the man before him a "monkey."
"It's fine; the tail will grow back eventually. How long have I been in treatment this time?"
This seemingly simple sentence undoubtedly caused everyone present to breathe a sigh of relief.
Vegeta's brief dangerous aura had created tension in the air, and his nonchalant response managed to dispel it.
It was a tense situation that the members of this division couldn't afford to worsen.
*'Even if I hate him, he's still a man with 18,000 units,'* one alien thought, regaining his composure.
18,000 units.
A formidable power, but one that meant nothing compared to the truly significant figures in the DBZ universe.
For comparison, Vegeta's father had 10,000 units according to the scouter.
That Saiyan was the king of his race.
"According to our calculations, it's been a total of twenty-three days since you returned…" the dinosaur-like alien responded respectfully.
Twenty-three days was a long time.
*'I need to prepare quickly and head to Planet Namek,'* Vegeta thought upon hearing the news.
Vegeta also asked the alien other questions he deemed important.
***
Author's Note:Vegeta's combat power is no longer 18,000 units at this time (the aliens had underestimated it).