"Hmph, hmph, hmph~! Is 530,000 combat power really that impressive?"
Seeing Frieza's smug expression, Vegeta let out a cold scoff, openly dismissing that number.
Frieza's face instantly darkened. He frowned and stared hard at Vegeta.
His combat power wasn't something just anyone knew. For a long time, only Zarbon among his subordinates had been aware of it.
He had revealed it now solely to crush Vegeta's will and reassert control over this so-called wild monkey.
But not only did Vegeta fail to submit—he clearly already knew.
After a brief surge of emotion, Frieza quickly composed himself and sneered.
"So Zarbon told you my combat power before he died. Interesting. But I'm very curious—what gives you the confidence to say something like that?
Oh, I see. Your combat power must have exceeded 50,000. You think that after turning into a Great Ape, you can defeat me?"
Having reached what he believed was the answer, Frieza burst into arrogant laughter.
That was precisely why he couldn't comprehend Vegeta's current strength, nor how Vegeta had suddenly become so powerful.
"You're still as narcissistic as ever," Vegeta replied calmly, his smile filled with mockery.
"Unfortunately, you guessed wrong. You can keep guessing why I'm no longer afraid of you."
Frieza's expression instantly turned grim.
Being bitten by a dog he once kept as a pet was already infuriating enough.
Vegeta had long been on his death list. Frieza only wanted him to hand over the Dragon Balls to save time.
"Little Vegeta," Frieza said coldly.
"I don't have the patience for games. Since Zarbon told you my combat power is 530,000, he must have also told you that I can transform. Are you really that confident you can face me head-on?"
"Some things don't need to be spelled out," Vegeta replied indifferently.
"You can transform—and so can I. Don't flatter yourself." He raised his thumb and pointed it at his own chest.
"And for your information, this great me is now Super Vegeta."
"Super… Vegeta?" Frieza laughed again, full of ridicule. "Hohohoho~! You really know how to joke."
Vegeta didn't bother responding. Frieza was exactly the kind of person who wouldn't believe anything until he was beaten half to death.
Frieza frowned once more. "I'll say it one last time. Hand over the two Dragon Balls you have, and I can still let bygones be bygones."
"Then I'll say something too," Vegeta shot back. "Hand over the five Dragon Balls you're holding, and maybe I'll leave you a complete corpse."
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Frieza's subordinates retreated in fear, worried about being caught in the crossfire.
If they hadn't moved, nothing might have happened.
But once they retreated, given Frieza's twisted habit of toying with his men, they were doomed to become expendable.
"Since that's how it is, then die," Frieza said casually.
"After killing you, when the Ginyu Force arrives in three days, they can still find the two Dragon Balls you hid."
He then glanced at his subordinates. "Do I need to say anything else? I don't keep cowardly trash."
The dozen soldiers' faces changed instantly.
They all knew Vegeta's reputation. But facing Vegeta still felt better than facing Frieza.
Against Vegeta, there was at least a sliver of hope. Against Frieza, death was guaranteed—and humiliating.
Once the first person stepped forward, the rest forced themselves to follow. With over a dozen attacking together, they finally gained a bit of confidence.
They had no idea that their strength—one or two thousand combat power at best, barely stronger than Raditz and still weaker than Nappa—was nothing more than ants to Vegeta.
Watching them charge forward, Vegeta sneered coldly, contempt flashing in his eyes.
He didn't give them the slightest chance.
As the soldiers rushed in and fired their energy attacks, Vegeta suddenly erupted with ki.
Raising one hand, he unleashed a terrifying wave of energy that not only erased all their attacks, but also swallowed every one of them whole.
In an instant, they were reduced to ash.
The sight stunned Frieza, who was watching from afar. His understanding of Vegeta's strength shifted completely.
He had expected an amusing spectacle—not for Vegeta to wipe them all out with a casual wave.
"Oh my, oh my~! You really do surprise me," Frieza said slowly. "So this is the power you possess now. No wonder you dare stand before me."
Vegeta kept his arms crossed, calmly meeting Frieza's gaze.
"I helped you clean out some trash. Shouldn't you thank me?"
"Hohoho~! Indeed. These pieces of garbage couldn't even kill a single traitor. They deserved to die."
Vegeta sneered. "So? Are you still planning to sit in that baby carriage?"
"Baby carriage?"
"Sitting in that hover pod all the time—what else would it be if not a baby carriage?" Vegeta mocked openly.
"Clench—clench~!!"
Frieza clenched his fists, killing intent blazing in his eyes.
He understood perfectly what Vegeta meant.
That he was a baby.
"Good. Very good," Frieza said coldly. "Vegeta, you've truly enraged me this time."
Slowly, Frieza raised one hand.
A purplish-red Death Beam shot straight toward Vegeta.
Vegeta didn't dodge.
Thud!
The beam struck Vegeta square on the forehead and exploded—but it only made him tilt his head slightly.
Frieza's eyes widened in disbelief. His Death Beam hadn't even pierced Vegeta's skin.
Vegeta snorted. "So this is it? That's all 530,000 combat power amounts to?"
"You—!" Frieza was momentarily speechless.
Before he could react, Vegeta vanished from sight.
A sudden sense of danger surged through Frieza's heart, filling him with unease—an emotion he hadn't felt in many years.
A moment later, Frieza sensed movement behind him and hurriedly turned and retreated.
Vegeta was already there, standing behind him with his arms crossed, as if he had always been there.
Vegeta could have attacked just now—and Frieza hadn't sensed him at all.
Fear crept into Frieza's heart.
It was almost unimaginable that Vegeta's strength had reached such a level.
'No… no, no! I must have been careless! There's no way Vegeta's combat power exceeds 530,000! He must be bluffing—yes! He's just a wild monkey!'
Frieza desperately searched for excuses, trying to convince himself.
But doubt had already taken root.
...
Author's Note:Sorry for not uploading chapters regularly. I'm currently studying for my semester exams, so chapter upload times may vary for now.
From next month onward, chapters will be uploaded on time. Thank you for your patience and support.