Frieza chuckled arrogantly.
"Son Goku, are you shocked by my strength?"
Rayden stepped forward and explained with a calm smile, "Frieza was resurrected a few days ago. I threw him into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Inside, he trained for five full years."
"What?!"
Vegeta's jaw dropped. "Five years?! That's insane! And he really grew this strong?"
Frieza crossed his arms and smirked with confidence.
"Vegeta, now you finally understand the extent of my talent. You should consider becoming my subordinate again."
Vegeta scoffed, eyes flashing with anger.
"Frieza, who gave you the nerve to say something so delusional?"
Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy burst from Vegeta's body. A brilliant blue aura wrapped around him, and his hair transformed from black to radiant blue. The sacred energy of Super Saiyan Blue enveloped him as the wind whipped through the area.
A brilliant flash followed—and then, there stood Vegeta in full Super Saiyan Blue form.
Frieza staggered back in shock. "Impossible!"
He had assumed Rayden was the only real powerhouse among them. Now it seemed that even these so-called "Saiyan monkeys" had mastered terrifyingly strong transformations.
Rayden quietly summoned the system in his mind.
> "System, analyze everyone's combat power."
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
Combat Power Analysis:
Rayden: 162 (Bloodline: Earthling, Legendary Saiyan)
Broly: 13 Zi (Bloodline: Legendary Saiyan)
Cell: 7,746 (Bloodline: Artificial Lifeform)
Son Goku: 3,473 Sextillion (Bloodline: Saiyan)
Son Gohan: 3,521 Gai (Bloodline: Saiyan Hybrid)
Vegeta: 3,464 (Bloodline: Saiyan)
Piccolo: 2,870 Ga (Bloodline: Namekian)
Paragus: 2,982 Gai (Bloodline: Saiyan)
Frieza: 7 Gai (Bloodline: Frost Demon)
Tagma: 8,865 Jing (Bloodline: Jiren Clan Hybrid)
Rayden's eyes narrowed. Frieza had increased his combat power from billions to 700 million, which was impressive. But what truly shocked him was Tagma—his strength had exploded from mere tens of thousands to over 8,800 Jing. Such terrifying potential, yet he'd been reduced to doing odd jobs for Frieza in the Third Starfield?
What a waste of talent.
"Vegeta, don't bother fighting Frieza. Go home and rest," Rayden said. "In three days, you'll have plenty of strong opponents to battle."
"Hmph."
Vegeta grunted, then used Instant Transmission and vanished.
Rayden turned to the others. "Goku, everyone—meet at Bulma's house in three days."
They nodded in agreement.
Rayden was about to teleport back to his island with Broly, Cell, and Paragus when he paused and glanced back at Frieza.
"Frieza, are you just going to stand there?"
Frieza stepped forward, clearly intending to follow—but Tagma quickly grabbed his arm.
"Lord Frieza," Tagma whispered in his ear, "be careful! What if he takes us to that hellish place again?"
Frieza's expression changed instantly, but he covered it with a stiff smile.
"Rayden, go ahead without us. Tagma and I will stay here for three days. Don't worry—we won't destroy the Earth."
Rayden just shrugged. "Suit yourself."
He raised two fingers to his forehead and vanished with Instant Transmission, leaving Frieza and Tagma behind.
---
Back on Rayden's Island
The next three days were peaceful. Rayden and his group enjoyed a tranquil life—fishing, swimming, and resting, preparing mentally for the battle to come.
---
Three Days Later – Bulma's House Balcony
Rayden lay half-reclined on a chair, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Frieza, I'm surprised you actually behaved and didn't cause any chaos."
"Hohoho~!"
Frieza gave a smug grin. "Of course! I'm the most honest and well-mannered being in the universe!"
Rayden rolled his eyes.
Somehow, word of the inter-universal tournament had spread. Soon, familiar faces began gathering at Bulma's house—Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Krillin, Master Roshi, and even the rest of the Z-Fighters' families.
"Rayden, we're all here to cheer for you!"
"I believe in you! You're going to crush it out there!"
Rayden scratched his head and sighed.
"Well..."
If this had been a normal tournament, bringing Yamcha and the others wouldn't be a big deal. But this wasn't an ordinary competition—it involved gods, warriors from other universes, and beings with universe-destroying powers.
Before Rayden could say more—
Swish!
A streak of rainbow light descended in front of them. Beerus and Whis had arrived.
"Rayden," Beerus said, looking around, "have you gathered the ten participants?"
Rayden gestured to the people nearby.
"How's this lineup?"
Beerus burst into laughter. "Hah! Excellent! This is perfect!"
The fighters selected were: Rayden, Broly, Cell, Paragus, Son Goku, Son Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza, and Tagma.
Just then, Trunks and Goten ran out from the house, excitement written all over their faces.
"Uncle Rayden! Goten and I want to go too!"
"Yeah! I want to see what people from the other universes look like!"
Beerus seemed to recall something. "That's right—we need an audience! I want Champa to see me crush him."
He turned to the boys. "Kids, we're at full capacity for fighters. But if you want to watch, Whis can bring you along."
Whis stepped forward, tapped his staff, and summoned a shimmering rectangular block—the shuttle cube.
"If anyone wants to watch the tournament, just enter this cube. I'll take care of the rest."
"Wait, Whis!" Rayden called out.
Whis paused, looking puzzled. "Yes?"
Rayden asked seriously, "Will you protect them?"
Everyone grew quiet.
Son Goku remembered the last time he fought Beerus—how even the aftershocks of their battle could destroy the Earth. If something like that happened again...
He approached Krillin and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Krillin... maybe you shouldn't come this time."
Krillin hesitated, visibly torn.
Whis blinked, still not quite understanding the concern. Wasn't he an Angel?
With a gentle smile, he said, "Rayden, you have my word. I'll keep everyone safe."
Rayden nodded at Goku, confident that Whis was telling the truth.
Beerus, watching the scene unfold, suddenly snapped.
"Are you done with your goodbyes?! This is a tournament, not a funeral! Everyone get into the shuttle cube, now!"
Chastised, the group quickly entered the cube.
"Whis, let's go," Beerus commanded.
Whis smiled. His staff glowed green, and he took control of the cube.
In a flash, the shuttle cube rose into the sky and entered space, rapidly accelerating past the stars.
---
In the Universe
The cube soared through the stars, revealing the infinite beauty of space beyond its transparent walls.
Everyone inside gazed out in awe.
"So beautiful..."
Bulma's eyes sparkled as she pressed her hands against the window-like wall. The view was better than anything a spacecraft could offer.
She turned to Whis excitedly. "Whis! Can you give me one of these cubes?"
Whis chuckled. "Ms. Bulma, this is a divine vehicle—it can't be given out lightly."
"Oh... fine," she pouted like a child denied a new toy.
Vegeta wrapped an arm around her, trying to comfort her. "Don't worry. I'll get you one just like it someday."
Bulma's face turned red. "Vegeta! Not in front of everyone!"
She shoved him away, flustered..
"Hahaha!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
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