One hundred and thirty days had passed since the battle on Namek.
The Namekian Dragon Balls had been restored, and the Namekians—having successfully used Earth's Dragon Balls to revive those slaughtered by Frieza's men—found a new planet to call home and departed.
Fast forward another year and one hundred and thirty days. Two titanic powers were closing in on Earth.
"That's Earth, Papa... The Super Saiyan who did this to me is down there."
The voice echoing through the spacecraft belonged to Frieza, the fated enemy Goku was supposed to have killed. He was a stubborn survivor; having been salvaged from the vacuum of space, he had been rebuilt with extensive cybernetic enhancements, making him even more powerful than before.
While medical technology could theoretically have regrown his organic body without machinery, such a feat was said to be a decade away from completion.
Standing beside the reconstructed Frieza was a massive figure possessing an even more imposing presence.
"It's a tiny planet," King Cold mused. "We should just erase it in one shot."
"I won't be satisfied with that," Frieza replied, his mechanical eye whirring. "I want him to realize just how much stronger I've become."
"The Super Saiyan is secondary. The White Goddess must be eliminated at any cost. By any means," Cold stated firmly. "Because of her alone, our authority has crumbled. To restore it, we must kill her slowly and display her corpse to the galaxy. We must remind the universe why they fear our lineage."
King Cold was an anomaly within his race. While their species was inherently powerful and capable of surviving in a vacuum, they were not typically a race of warriors with power levels exceeding one hundred million. Most were arrogant, yes, but relatively reclusive.
Cold, however, was a mutant born with terrifying, natural strength. He had used that power to forge a vast empire. But as the empire grew, management became difficult. He had an eldest son, Cooler, who was a genius in his own right, but lacked his father's raw, overwhelming talent.
When his second son, Frieza, was born with power even greater than his own, Cold entrusted him with the administration of other sectors. It was a pleasant surprise when Cooler, fueled by an inferiority complex, began a regime of intense training that eventually made him a warrior superior to even Frieza.
Truly my children, Cold had thought with pride. They can achieve anything when they try.
But then, the "White Goddess" appeared. She had killed Cooler. Now, the empire Cold had built was a shadow of its former self. Elite warriors with power levels over 1,000 were systematically being wiped out by the Goddess during her "patrols," leading to a surge of independence wars across multiple star systems.
Furthermore, a group calling itself "Eternal Beauty" had emerged. They were rapidly expanding, dismantling Cold's remnant forces wherever they found them.
That traitor Zarbon will have to be dealt with eventually, Cold thought.
But he couldn't act yet. A direct confrontation with Zarbon's organization would be costly. Zarbon had hired the legendary mercenary Ledgic as a personal bodyguard and formed alliances with several key planets to fortify his position. As a result, the sectors formerly managed by Cooler had almost entirely defected or been liberated.
"Everything that happens here will be broadcast to the galaxy," Cold declared. "We will execute their symbol of hope before their very eyes. Only then will our authority be absolute again."
He had already seized a major galactic television station for this purpose. He didn't just want to kill her; he wanted to strip away her dignity, making her beg for her life while the universe watched in disappointment.
"I look forward to it... seeing that smug, divine face twisted in terror," King Cold sneered, staring down at the small, blue planet.
***
They're here.
Inside the sanctuary, Lisette sensed the arrival of the Frieza family before anyone else. Through her "Far-Sight," she saw that they didn't intend to destroy the planet immediately. They wanted a ground-war—a personal settling of scores.
Lisette took Mr. Popo and Boss Rabbit and descended from the Lookout toward the landing site.
Within minutes, the others began to arrive. Piccolo was first. He looked at Lisette and asked where she had been, to which she simply replied she'd been at the temple. It was clear that even he could no longer sense her ki.
When Goku and the rest of the gang arrived, they were all shocked. Some had genuine concerns that she had died because her presence had vanished from the world.
"I'm fine," Lisette reassured them. "My training has just made my energy difficult for others to perceive. Only gods like the Previous God or King Kai can sense me now."
"A 'clear' ki that only gods have... that's amazing," Goku said, impressed.
In battle, the ability to hide one's presence while at full power was an overwhelming advantage. It was essentially like being invisible to the opponent's "sixth sense."
"By the way... Turles? You're still on Earth?" Lisette asked.
"Yeah. It's a comfortable place," the man replied.
Turles was wearing a rough black shirt, looking almost exactly like Goku. If it weren't for his darker skin, they would be indistinguishable standing side-by-side.
"Where are you living now?"
"Jingle Village. I'm running an orchard there," Turles said. "Growing fruit isn't a bad way to spend time."
"And where did you get the money for an orchard?"
"Let's just say I helped out the locals. Plus, I gave my scouter to that Bulma woman, and she paid me a small fortune for it. She's quite generous. I would've given her my spaceship too, but that's space-dust now. You should come by sometime. I don't have any Tree of Might fruit, obviously, but I've got almost everything else—including some seeds from other planets that Earth has never seen."
Lisette was surprised to learn that Turles had been carrying around seeds other than the Tree of Might. She nodded vaguely.
"And Nappa is growing vegetables," Turles added. "He's actually quite—"
"Enough talk. They're here!" Piccolo shouted.
Frieza's spacecraft passed overhead—a massive, unnecessarily large vessel. Lisette began walking toward the landing site without a word. There was no avoiding this.
Goku, Piccolo, and Turles followed close behind. When the ship finally touched down, Frieza and his father emerged. They were accompanied by a small army of soldiers who poured out to form a defensive line.
"Well, well. How kind of you all to come out and meet us," Frieza purred.
"Frieza... I knew you were still alive," Goku said, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm nothing if not persistent."
Frieza stepped forward. Goku, Turles, Vegeta, and Piccolo took their battle stances. King Cold and the soldiers stayed back. Cold wasn't interested in the "monkeys" just yet; he had his eyes fixed on Lisette with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred.
"Goku," Lisette whispered. "Don't play around with Frieza. Finish him instantly. Remember that he can destroy the planet in a heartbeat if he feels cornered."
"I know," Goku replied.
Goku took to the air, and Frieza followed. Lisette remained on the ground, facing King Cold. The giant alien stepped forward, uncrossing his arms.
"Soldier! What's her power level?" Cold barked.
"I... I don't know, Sire! The scouter isn't picking up anything! It must be a malfunction!"
"Hmph. Worthless technology."
Since Lisette's ki was now divine, no standard scouter could read her. But Bulma, who was watching from a safe distance, pulled out a custom-modified scouter and pointed it at Cold. She gasped.
"Hey! Be careful! That big guy's power level is two hundred million!"
Lisette blinked. "You can read that?"
"Yeah!" Bulma shouted proudly. "I modified the scouter Turles gave me. I can measure up to a billion now. I really am a genius!"
"I can't argue with that," Lisette muttered, genuinely impressed (and slightly concerned) by Bulma's technical prowess.
Even King Cold looked taken aback. Standard scouters exploded if they tried to measure anything over a few hundred thousand. To hear a human girl casually claim she could measure up to a billion was staggering.
"You there, Earthling woman," Cold called out. "How would you like to work for me? It would be a waste to let a brain like yours rot on this backwater planet. Your intellect is a galactic asset."
"Hah! Not a chance!" Bulma retorted. "Why would I ever work for a bunch of invaders?"
"I can offer you anything. Planets, riches, whatever you desire. I can even give you eternal youth through our advanced medical tech. If you agree, I might even leave this planet in peace... though I still intend to kill that 'Goddess.' Think about it."
"Drop dead!"
"...I see."
Cold sighed with genuine regret. He wasn't like Frieza; he understood the value of high-level talent and wasn't prone to killing geniuses on a whim.
"Soldiers! Capture that woman alive while I deal with the Goddess. Do not harm her. And bring me that scouter when you're done."
"Yes, Sire!"
It was the typical Frost Demon response: if you can't recruit them, take them by force.
"I've kept you waiting long enough," King Cold said, casting aside his mantle. "Shall we begin?"
Lisette took her stance. To a bystander, it didn't look like a stance at all. Having mastered a hundred different martial arts, she didn't adhere to a single style. She stood in a "Formless" natural state, ready to transition into any technique at a moment's notice.
She generated two orbs of light that began to orbit her body—autonomous support blasts designed to parry attacks or strike at openings while her hands were occupied. Finally, she flared her Burst Limit, raising her power level to match Cold's.
"Yes," she said with a small smile. "Let's settle this."
In a flash of white light, Lisette lunged.
***
Character | Power Level | Note
King Cold. | 200,000,000. | Mutant strength; highly intelligent.
Mecha Frieza. | 150,000,000. | Enhanced by cybernetics
Lisette. | 200,000,000+ | Using Burst Limit; Divine Ki (Undetectable).
***
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