Vegeta left Planet Frieza No. 79.
Before departing, he promoted three key individuals from the management.
The first was naturally Zack, someone Vegeta planned to rely on in the future.
Of the other two, one was Mire, a researcher specializing in high-end technology and spacecraft development.
The third was a scientist focused on weapon and equipment design—responsible for improvements to the new scouter model and the updated battle armor.
Besides them, Vegeta also dangled some tempting benefits to two of the guard squad leaders.
Making them obedient was simple.
With power levels above 1,000, they needed someone strong to guide their growth if they wanted to advance any further.
Vegeta subtly implied that Nappa and Raditz—his old subordinates—were dead, and if these two performed well and maintained order within the base, he would consider taking them along on future campaigns.
Such a promise instantly ignited envy among the base personnel.
After all, who wanted to rot away in this backwater branch? Who didn't dream of following a powerful warrior across the galaxy?
…
Base Launch Pad
A group of high-ranking members, led by several individuals, gathered to see Vegeta off.
The atmosphere immediately cooled after he left.
Without an overwhelmingly powerful superior watching them, the old backstabbing and scheming returned instantly.
Vegeta expected this.
That was exactly why he gave the two squad leaders a verbal promise—a future for them to chase so they would stay loyal for now.
In the end, strength ruled all.
With those two present, no major problems would arise.
"You guys… should we report what happened to headquarters? Cui is dead after all."
"If you want to report, go ahead. I think things are great now. No one is watching us."
"Yeah, who among us hasn't been insulted or ordered around by that bastard Cui? Him dying is a blessing."
"But what if the higher-ups come to investigate later? Dodoria and Zarbon's direct subordinates were all wiped out by Vegeta."
"You said it yourself—Vegeta killed them. What does that have to do with us? We were pissed off too but didn't dare speak."
"If we do report, we wait two days until Vegeta is far away. Even if he finds out, he won't come back."
"Right. Later, we can submit a work report and downplay everything. Sound good?"
The management muttered among themselves.
Unbeknownst to them, the two guard squad leaders were watching closely, recording everything mentally.
They wanted to impress Vegeta as soon as possible.
"Hmph! Lord Vegeta was right. The moment he left, these fools started acting up."
"They really think that just because Lord Vegeta is gone, we no longer exist?"
"Leave them for now. Lord Vegeta said as long as they don't cause anything major, let them puff themselves up. He'll deal with them when he returns."
"…Right."
The two squad leaders exchanged whispers.
With power levels of 2,000 and 3,000, they genuinely believed they could replace Nappa and Raditz someday.
They were full of expectation for the future, oblivious to the truth—Vegeta's promise was nothing more than an illusion.
In reality, Frieza's downfall was not far away, and the Frieza Force would soon change forever.
…
In Space
This time, Vegeta didn't use a small pod. Instead, he boarded a medium-sized spaceship—large enough to move around and train in.
Its speed wasn't much faster, but the advantage lay elsewhere: room to train.
Most Frieza Force warriors preferred small pods so they could simply sleep through the journey.
But Vegeta refused to waste time.
The trip to Planet Namek would take five days—five critical days.
Frieza Force ships were equipped with gravity devices, something that thrilled Vegeta when he discovered it.
Most never used them for training; they simply used them to adapt to a planet's gravity before missions.
The highest setting of this ship was five times Planet Vegeta's gravity—equivalent to 50× Earth's gravity.
Thinking about how Kakarot traveled from Earth to Namek in six days under 100× gravity, reaching a power level of 90,000, made Vegeta burn with envy.
Still, even with only 50× gravity, training under such conditions—combined with the weighted clothing and restraint devices he acquired—would greatly increase his potential.
With his talent, even if he didn't reach Kakarot's exact results, he wouldn't fall far behind.
The potential gains were massive.
"No matter what, I already have the advantage," Vegeta smirked.
"Maybe by the time you arrive on Namek, Frieza will already be dead by my hands."
According to calculations, his ship would reach Planet Namek on December 18, Age 762—the same day Bulma, Gohan, and Krillin arrived.
Kakarot left Earth on this same day; he would reach Namek by December 24, Age 762 at the latest.
If Vegeta seized the opportunity, he could grow significantly stronger on Namek before Goku even showed up.
By then, Kakarot might have no role to play at all.
Resolving himself, Vegeta finished configuring the ship's systems and got out of the pilot seat.
He began adapting to the Planet Mondra gravity settings.
Even for him, 50× Earth gravity nearly made him lose his balance.
"So this is the pressure of high-level gravity… no wonder it produces such insane results." Vegeta grinned in excitement.
His original self never considered high-gravity training seriously. If he had, he would've acted long ago.
Only under intense pressure could one grow faster.
With heavy steps, Vegeta walked toward the spacious training area in the back.
He would spend the next five days here—first adapting to the gravity without weighted gear, then gradually increasing the difficulty with restraints.
The road to Namek… would also be the road to his explosive growth.