"Even if he came out early, why's he coming after me?!" Jaco was on the verge of a breakdown.
As he muttered, his fingers flew over the spaceship's console, tapping away rapidly.
Sure enough, Jaco quickly spotted a spaceship speeding straight toward his location.
Cold sweat poured down his face. He urgently steered the ship in a new direction.
Please don't be coming for me…
"Maybe it's not intentional," Irico guessed. "Could just be a random encounter in space."
"A random encounter in space? The odds of that happening are lower than a meteor hitting Planet Vegeta!" Jaco groaned, clasped his hands together, and began silently praying. "Dear gods, please let Frieza's son not find my ship…"
"Jaco, hang in there. I'm on my way to support you," Merus said immediately.
"Merus, you're a good man!" Jaco teared up, but then frowned. "But even if you left now, wouldn't it take you over a day to get here?"
"No. My ship is much faster than yours—at least ten times as fast. I'll be there in under half an hour," Merus replied.
Jaco felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart.
Why is your ship so much faster than mine?!
And by that much?!
A solid ten seconds of silence passed.
"Let's not argue about ship speeds right now… We're talking about Frieza's son. Even if you could beat him, what if Frieza himself shows up?" Jaco said, worried.
"Then we'll capture him and throw him in the Galactic Prison," Merus said with a calm smile.
"…" Jaco had no words.
Dude… who do you think you are?
You're gonna throw Frieza in the Galactic Prison?
"Good luck, Officer Jaco," Irico said with sympathy. "The Galactic Patrol has always stayed out of the Frieza Force's business. Let's hope you survive this."
"You make too much sense. Maybe try not talking for a bit," Jaco grumbled and ended the call.
Immediately, Jaco checked his radar again—Ize's ship was now chasing his at high speed.
Jaco was officially panicking.
…
In space.
Inside a flattened, saucer-shaped spaceship belonging to the Frieza Force,Ize stood by the window, gazing out into the stars.
Just ahead, he spotted the small Galactic Patrol ship.
"Prince Ize, that's a Galactic Patrol vessel," one of his underlings reported.
"Galactic Patrol?" Ize smiled, his tail lazily swaying behind him. "Interesting. I've heard of them, but Father's forces rarely venture into this quadrant."
"Should we launch an attack on their base?" the underling asked respectfully.
"What Father doesn't want to do, I'll do myself." Ize grinned confidently. "They call themselves the defenders of peace in the galaxy, right? Well, the galaxy should be kept in order by our family—not by the Galactic Patrol!"
"Then… should we shoot that ship down?" the underling asked.
"Take them alive," Ize ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
FWOOSH!
Ize's ship suddenly accelerated, locking in on Jaco's location and giving chase.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
At that moment, Ize's scouter began to beep rapidly. He tapped the communication button on it.
"Father?" Ize blinked.
"Ize, why aren't you still in cryosleep on our homeworld? What are you doing out there?" Frieza's annoyed voice came through.
"Father, I was bored! I came out early to stretch my legs a bit," Ize chuckled.
"Hmph. You think you're strong enough already?" Frieza sneered.
"Even though I was only frozen for three years, my power level's already hit thirty million!" Ize said proudly. "At this level, I can practically rule the universe, right?"
"Well, technically yes… but this universe isn't as simple as you think. Go back and freeze yourself again!" Frieza snapped.
"Don't say that, Father! I can't bear that dull sleep anymore." Ize shook his head.
"Then tell me—what are you doing in Galactic Patrol territory?" Frieza barked.
"You control the Western Galaxy. Uncle Cooler rules the East. Grandpa rules the South. That leaves only the North under the Galactic Patrol. Naturally, I want to unify the North so our family can rule the entire universe," Ize replied with a smirk.
"That sector is under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Kai. Don't cause trouble!" Frieza barked again, his brow furrowed.
"Supreme Kai?" Ize laughed mockingly. "What's so great about him? I wouldn't mind wiping him out."
"Ize! You underestimate the power of the gods!" Frieza scolded.
"Relax, Father. Don't we have Lord Beerus the God of Destruction backing us? Even the Supreme Kai has to show him respect, right?" Ize said carelessly.
Frieza fell silent.
…You make a good point.
I don't even know how to respond to that.
"You may explore a little, but be careful. If you do run into the Supreme Kai, leave immediately," Frieza warned after some thought.
"Got it, Father. I know what I'm doing," Ize nodded.
After ending the call, Ize's ship made a direct beeline for Jaco's vessel.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact shook the Galactic Patrol ship.
Inside, Ken suddenly collided with something soft and warm.
"Ahhh!"
Tights woke with a start, fear written all over her face.
Then she looked down… and found Ken's face firmly planted in her chest.
"…"
"What just happened?" Tights asked. She wasn't even angry—after all, Ken was just a little kid.
And more importantly, the violent shaking of the ship had left her deeply shaken.
"Could we have hit an asteroid?" she asked in panic, rushing to the window.
The next second, her eyes widened.
Outside, looming just beyond the glass, was a massive spaceship—huge and oppressive, casting a shadow over their tiny vessel.
"I-Is that… space pirates?!" she gasped, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Looks like you guessed right. That really is a space pirate," Ken muttered, staring at the enormous ship with a hint of confusion.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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