"Planet Kuritt? I've heard of that place. Wait for me there—I'll come find you right away," Vegeta replied.
Raditz was stunned on the spot.
You're coming to find us?
You were the one who kicked us out earlier and told us to operate on our own.
Now you suddenly want to team up again?
"What? Not happy to see me?" Vegeta asked.
"Of course we're happy! If Prince Vegeta joins us, it'll be our honor!" Raditz responded quickly.
"That's more like it." A smug smile appeared on Vegeta's face.
Raditz was clearly the more obedient one—at least he knew how to flatter.
Unlike that Ken guy—no respect for royalty whatsoever.
"By the way… Prince Vegeta, there's something else…" Raditz's tone suddenly grew heavy.
"What is it?" Vegeta asked.
"The two poor guys who teamed up with us… they were killed by Dodoria," Raditz gritted his teeth. "He said it was because we acted without permission…"
"Hmph, serves him right. I killed his little brother," Vegeta chuckled.
"Zadoria?" Raditz gasped. "I heard his power level had reached 17,000!"
"Hmph, my power level is now 18,000!" Vegeta said proudly.
"What? Prince Vegeta, your power level has already reached 18,000?!" Raditz cheered in amazement.
"Of course. I'm a genius, after all," Vegeta laughed, clearly enjoying the attention. "Just wait there—I'll be there soon."
Whoosh!
The spaceship shifted direction in the starry sky, heading at full speed toward the region where Nappa and Raditz were.
…
Aboard Frieza's ship.
Since the communication channels were under Frieza's control, the conversation between Vegeta and Raditz was immediately intercepted.
"Lord Frieza, we've received a message from Vegeta," a soldier reported.
"Where is he? I'm going to kill him and avenge my brother!" Dodoria clenched his fists, teeth grinding in fury as he glared at the messenger.
Frieza narrowed his eyes and glanced at Dodoria.
Dodoria immediately backed down and shut his mouth.
"What did Vegeta say?" Frieza asked, clearly interested.
"He said he's heading to find Nappa and Raditz," the subordinate answered.
"Oh?" Frieza was a bit confused.
Didn't Vegeta and Ken destroy their ship's communication system? How are they contacting Nappa and Raditz?
"Maybe the navigation system broke down on its own?" Berryblue speculated.
"If he managed to kill Zadoria, that means his power level surpassed Zadoria's, but we still don't know if he transformed into a monkey," Frieza murmured. "In that case…"
Frieza turned to Dodoria.
Dodoria quickly bowed but felt a strong sense of unease.
"Dodoria, Vegeta is still useful to me. I don't want you taking revenge just yet. Do you understand?" Frieza said coldly.
"Yes… Lord Frieza!" Dodoria bowed again.
"You may go," Frieza waved him off.
Dodoria left the room, his face full of frustration and hatred.
"Lord Frieza, are you really going to let Vegeta live?" Berryblue asked.
"I want to know how he increased his power level so quickly. Something must've happened," Frieza said as he sat in his hover pod, tail swaying behind him with a smile.
"If he killed Zadoria, his power level must be at least 18,000. It was only 15,000 before, right?" Berryblue analyzed.
"A sudden jump of 3,000… interesting," Frieza sneered.
"I've heard that Saiyans grow stronger when they face powerful opponents," Berryblue smiled. "Maybe that fight with Zadoria gave him just the opportunity he needed to improve."
"You might be right," Frieza nodded slightly, a chill in his expression. "Looks like a little power boost's already gone to his head. I need to teach him a proper lesson. Killing him now would be too merciful."
"Lord Frieza, didn't you once mention raising pigs?" Berryblue said with a sly grin. "I might have just the method for that."
"Oh? Go ahead, Berryblue," Frieza said, smiling.
"Have you ever played an online game?" Berryblue asked.
Frieza: "..."
"Ahem… please forgive my rudeness," Berryblue quickly apologized. "In games, characters that level up quickly usually have to fight monsters around their own level. That way, they gain lots of experience and grow stronger. But if the monsters are way stronger, they get killed instantly; and if they're too weak, no experience at all."
"What are you getting at?" Frieza's face darkened.
"Please hear me out, Lord Frieza," Berryblue said. "If we place Vegeta in an environment like that—one that stalls his growth—I guarantee his power level won't rise significantly even after 10 or 20 years!"
"Oh? I like that. Truly heartless—killing him would be too easy. This is better," Frieza narrowed his eyes with a grin.
Berryblue bowed respectfully.
"And I like it," Frieza smiled coldly.
"You flatter me, Lord Frieza," Berryblu bowed again.
"We'll go with your plan. You're in charge of this," Frieza ordered.
"Yes, Lord Frieza," Berryblu replied without hesitation.
…
Twenty days later.
Ken's spaceship landed on Planet Kuritt.
Nappa and Raditz rushed out to greet them.
They had been terrified ever since Dodoria nearly killed them.
Now that Vegeta had arrived, they finally felt like they had a strong ally. Relief washed over them.
"Prince Vegeta! You're finally here!" Raditz said, clearly sucking up.
"Prince Vegeta… we even prepared a feast just for you!" Nappa added quickly.
"Good, I was getting hungry. Let's eat first," Vegeta nodded in satisfaction.
Ken followed behind as they headed off into the distance.
The four of them soon arrived at a massive castle.
"This was the royal palace of the Kurittians. Looks like it'll come in handy now," Nappa said with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]