In the vast, boundless universe, a massive interstellar fleet was traveling faster than the speed of light.
Inside the command room of the central warship, Frieza, the emperor of the North Galaxy, was currently sitting in his cute little baby carriage-like pod, floating slowly before the ship's enormous observation window.
Outside, countless galaxies and nebulae streaked backward at high speed, creating a magnificent cosmic tapestry.
Frieza was in a rather cheerful mood, even feeling a rare touch of excitement.
After all, this trip to Planet Namek carried a dream of his that was of paramount importance, one that even surpassed his ambition to rule the universe!
"Ohohoho..."
He let out his demonic laugh, his mind endlessly fantasizing about the satisfaction of his wish being granted.
The Ginyu Force had already arrived on Planet Namek and had sent back confirmation!
Those wondrous spheres called "Dragon Balls" did indeed exist. Once all seven were gathered, his most cherished wish could be realized.
Ruling the universe?
For the great Lord Frieza, that was something that could be achieved with just a little bit of effort; it had long since lost its challenge.
But there was one thing that had always been a thorn in his side, a regret that could not be resolved by personal might alone.
His height!
The thought of soon being free of this short body and becoming tall and mighty made Frieza's mood increasingly joyful.
He even began to imagine the shocked and awestruck expressions his subordinates, who had once whispered behind his back, would wear after he obtained his ideal height.
However, just as he was immersed in his beautiful fantasy, a series of hurried and panicked footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside the command room.
A terrified shout reached his ears from afar.
"Lord Frieza! Lord Frieza! Something terrible has happened!!!"
Frieza frowned slightly, annoyed that his pleasant thoughts had been interrupted.
He slowly turned his hover-pod around and quietly looked towards the entrance of the command room.
A communications officer came stumbling and crawling to the door, panting from his panicked run, his face pale.
He had wanted to charge right in, but his deep-rooted fear of his great lord made him subconsciously slam on the brakes. He dared only to stop at the doorway, looking frantically at Frieza inside.
Frieza looked at the flustered soldier and a seemingly gentle but icy smile reappeared on his face.
He raised his hand gracefully and said in a steady voice, "Ohohoho, come in. No need to be so nervous, I permit it. What important matter requires such a hasty report?"
The communications officer was greatly relieved, but the look of fear on his face did not diminish much.
He staggered into the command room and knelt on one knee, his voice slightly distorted with panic. "Rep... reporting to Lord Frieza! We... we just received the latest intelligence from the front lines on Planet Namek!"
"Oh?" Frieza's eyebrow twitched, his annoyance at being disturbed lessening slightly. "Have Ginyu and the others found all the Dragon Balls? Ohohoho, their efficiency is not bad."
"N-no!" the officer shook his head violently, cold sweat trickling down his temples. "It's... it's the Saiyan Vegeta! He has appeared on Planet Namek! And..."
"Vegeta?"
The smile on Frieza's face vanished instantly. His brow furrowed, and a shadow of gloom crept into his heart.
That damn Saiyan monkey. Not only had he not found some remote planet to hide on, but he dared to appear on his target planet?
"And what? Continue!" His voice carried a hint of coldness.
Feeling the change in Frieza's tone, the officer trembled even more, and his speech became hesitant. "And... and... it's not just Vegeta..."
"Not just one?" Frieza's voice grew colder. "Who else? Raditz? Nappa? What can those weaklings do even if they're together?"
He assumed it was Vegeta with his two useless subordinates.
"N-no..." the officer secretly glanced at Frieza's increasingly ugly expression, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest, but... he didn't dare not to speak.
"In... in total, four people appeared on Planet Namek! And... one of the Saiyans has already... already defeated Captain Ginyu!"
"What?!"
Frieza shot upright in his hover-pod, a look of disbelief appearing on his face for the first time.
He was well aware of Ginyu's strength. Although far inferior to his own first form, Ginyu was still a top-tier fighter in the universe. How could he be so easily defeated by a Saiyan?
Clear anger appeared on his face. He stared deadly at the soldier, his face ashen, without saying a word.
The officer was nearly paralyzed by Frieza's erupting rage, but he forced himself to continue reporting, his speech unconsciously speeding up. "And... and the rest of the Ginyu Force members... have... have all been killed by Vegeta!"
"WH-WHAT?!!!!!"
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted uncontrollably from Frieza's body, instantly filling the entire command room!
All the instruments and decorations in the room were sent scattering by the force of his ki! The immense pressure almost suffocated the kneeling officer, who nearly fainted on the spot.
Frieza's face flushed red with extreme anger.
He slammed his fist on the armrest of his hover-pod and roared, "Vegeta! You damn wild monkey! How dare you do this!!!"
In his fury, he glared at the cowering officer, his voice low and full of killing intent. "Speak! What exactly happened?! I remember I gave an order long ago! Once Vegeta's whereabouts were discovered, no one was to engage him without authorization, and they were to contact me immediately! Why did Ginyu and the others dare to disobey my orders?!!"
The officer trembled under Frieza's murderous aura, swallowed hard, and used his last bit of strength to answer, "It's... it's because when the Ginyu Force first discovered Vegeta and the others... they... they were..."
"Hmm?!"
"...they were all killed by Vegeta..." the officer squeezed his eyes shut and practically shouted. "It's said... it's said that Vegeta only took... an instant! Captain Ginyu tried to resist during that time, but he was toyed with by another, unknown Saiyan and... was quickly defeated!"
Unexpectedly, however, after hearing this detailed account, the violent anger on Frieza's body receded like a tide.
The purple aura instantly subsided, and the suffocating pressure in the command room suddenly eased.
He fell silent, slowly settling back into his hover-pod, his fingers unconsciously stroking his cheek. The furious expression on his face was replaced by an extreme coldness and gravity.
Vegeta... wiped out the entire Ginyu Force in an instant?
Another Saiyan... toyed with and quickly killed Ginyu?
This could no longer be explained by "having some skill."
He knew the strength of the Ginyu Force better than anyone. Besides Ginyu, who had a battle power of around 150,000, the rest of the members were all above 40,000.
To be able to deal with them so easily, the strength of Vegeta and the other Saiyan must have reached an astonishing level.
Could it be... that the legend was actually true? The one that only existed in stories... the Super Saiyan?
Frieza's gaze became deep and dangerous. He looked at the officer on the floor, who was still trembling from his near-death experience, and said in a flat tone that betrayed no emotion, "I see. You may leave."
"Yes! Thank you, Lord Frieza!"
A look of ecstatic joy burst forth on the officer's face, as if he had returned to the world of the living from hell itself.
He kowtowed repeatedly and scrambled to his feet to exit the command room.
Just as he turned and stepped one foot out the door—
Pew!
A thin but deadly purple beam shot silently from Frieza's fingertip, accurately piercing the officer's heart.
The ecstatic look on the officer's face froze. His body stiffened and he fell forward with a "thud."
His life dissipated in an instant, only a trace of disbelieving confusion remaining in his eyes.
The guards standing by the door seemed accustomed to this. They expressionlessly moved forward, dragged the body away, and quickly cleaned the floor, as if nothing had happened.
The command room door closed silently once more, leaving only Frieza... and a deathly silence.
Frieza piloted his hover-pod back to the observation window.
He looked at the rapidly passing stars with a gloomy expression, his face constantly changing as his mind raced.
After a long while, he spoke slowly. "Someone!"
The command room door opened again. an orderly walked in quickly and knelt on one knee. "Your orders, Lord Frieza."
Frieza did not turn around, still looking out the window, and said in a faint tone, "Immediately contact my father, King Cold, and my brother, Cooler, on a secure channel. Tell them to come to Planet Namek in the North Galaxy at their fastest speed."
He paused, his tone becoming heavier. "Just tell them... that there is a magical item here that can grant any wish! And... the Super Saiyan from the stories may have truly appeared."
"Yes!" The orderly's body trembled, clearly shocked by the news, but he did not dare to hesitate. He accepted the order and quickly exited the command room.
The room was once again left with only Frieza.
He floated quietly, the look of shock and uncertainty on his face gradually fading.
Finally, a smile that was a mixture of excitement, cruelty, and absolute confidence reappeared.
"Ohohoho... Super Saiyan..." he laughed softly, as if savoring the meaning of the word.
"I admit, Vegeta, perhaps you and the helper you brought have indeed exceeded my expectations. But..."
His ferocious smile was filled with ambition.
"OHOHOHOHOHO!!! I, FRIEZA, WILL BE THE STRONGEST!!! NO MATTER WHO THE OPPONENT IS, THE ULTIMATE VICTOR WILL ONLY BE ME, FRIEZA!!!"
"OHOHOHO!!!"
...
Meanwhile, on Planet Namek.
Whitley watched with a helpless expression as Goku and Ginyu "fought back and forth." Well... or more accurately, Goku was unilaterally enjoying the thrill of battle.
Ginyu, on the other hand, was resisting with all his might but couldn't even touch the hem of Goku's clothes.
"I just don't get it..." Whitley said, holding his forehead. "Why can this guy always have so much fun with an opponent he could finish off with a single blow?"
Although he was complaining, a knowing smile was hidden deep in his eyes.
This was perhaps just who Goku was, a guy born purely for the enjoyment of battle.
However, to prevent a certain "what if," Whitley's gaze swept around, and he soon spotted an alien frog puffing its cheeks and croaking by a muddy puddle not far away.
The corner of his mouth curled up. He walked over and casually pinched the frog in his hand.
Then he turned his attention back to the battlefield with great interest, as if waiting for a good show to start.
As expected, Ginyu, realizing the dimensional gap in their strength, showed a desperate, ferocious grin.
"D-damned Saiyan!!! You forced my hand!!!"
He jumped back to create distance, a strange smile on his face.
Under Goku's confused gaze, Ginyu began to frantically injure himself!
He pounded his chest and abdomen with his fists, instantly covering his body in wounds and making himself look battered.
His aura also weakened rapidly.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Goku was even more confused, getting into a fighting stance and looking at Ginyu strangely. "You don't have to do this just because you can't win, right?"
"Hehehe... you'll find out soon enough..." Ginyu spat blood, but his face wore the strange smile of a successful scheme.
He opened his mouth wide towards Goku and roared with his last bit of strength, "Witness my ultimate technique—CHANGE NOW!!!"
VMMMM—!!!
A strange and extraordinary energy suddenly erupted from Ginyu's body!
A brilliant beam of light shot out from his open mouth, heading straight for Goku in a way that defied Goku's understanding of physics!
"Whoa! What kind of move is this?!"
Goku was startled. Although he didn't understand it, the beam gave him an instinctive feeling that something was wrong.
He immediately crossed his arms in front of him, his powerful ki instantly condensing, preparing to block this strange attack head-on.
Whitley, who had been watching from the sidelines, saw his eyes light up and thought to himself, 'Here it comes!'
He had been waiting for this moment.
Just as the strange light was about to touch Goku, Whitley flicked his arm and shouted, "Go!"
Swoosh!
The clueless frog in his hand was instantly thrown by an irresistible force precisely between Goku and Ginyu, perfectly blocking the body-change beam aimed at Goku!
SHIIING—!
A blinding light instantly engulfed the frog and the defenseless Ginyu, who was vulnerable from launching his ultimate technique!
The light lasted for several seconds before slowly dissipating.
Goku lowered his blocking arms and patted his body up and down in confusion. "Hmm? Nothing happened? I don't feel anything."
His head was full of question marks, completely clueless as to what had just transpired.
When he looked at Ginyu, his jaw dropped in surprise.
The Ginyu who had been grinning cruelly was now croaking in terror, his limbs clumsily scrambling in place.
And the alien frog not far away was now struggling to stand up, its movements comically awkward.
"Wow!"
Goku, with a look of shock and curiosity, ran over and crouched in front of Ginyu (with the frog's soul), observing him with great interest. "What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly squatting on the ground and croaking like a frog? Is this some kind of new technique? Amazing!"
He even got down on the ground himself and tried to puff up his cheeks, mimicking Ginyu's current actions.
Pfft—
Whitley and Whis, who had been drinking tea, spat out a mouthful in perfect synchronization.
"Ohohohoho~" Whis covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Such... such an imaginative way to handle the situation, Whitley-san~"
Dende watched, dumbfounded, while Nail, who had just been healed, looked embarrassed.
He had clearly seen the entire process of Whitley intervening with the frog.
Although... the result was satisfying, the process... was a bit too childish and shameful.
He took a deep breath, walked forward, and bowed respectfully to the still-laughing Whitley and Whis. "Thank you both for your help, Lord Whitley, Mr. Whis. The matter here is resolved. I must return to the Grand Elder immediately. This child, Dende... could I trouble you two to look after him for a while? Nail would be eternally grateful!"
Whitley stopped laughing and waved his hand casually. "Alright, alright, no need to be so polite. Leave Dende with me, you can go back without worry. Your Grand Elder's safety is more important."
"Thank you very much!" Nail bowed deeply again, then crouched down and patted Dende's head. "Dende, be good and listen to Lord Whitley and Mr. Whis."
"Okay! I will, Nail. You be careful too!" Dende nodded obediently.
Nail wasted no more time. His body erupted with a white aura, and he quickly took to the sky, speeding towards the Grand Elder's residence.
Goku finally snapped out of his state of studying techniques and ran back to Whitley, pointing at the frog still trying to control Ginyu's body. "Whitley! What's going on? Why did this guy Ginyu turn into this? Did you and Whis-san do something?"
An extremely "gentle" smile appeared on Whitley's face. He beckoned to Goku and said in a soft voice, "Come here, and I'll tell you all about it."
But upon seeing this smile, Goku instantly became wary. He jumped back a step, covering his face with his hands. "No way I'm going over there! You're smiling weirdly, you must be trying to pinch my cheeks again! You always smiled like that when you wanted to pinch my cheeks when I was little!"
The smile on Whitley's face froze, and he was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. He kept his beckoning gesture and tried to make his smile look more "sincere."
"Don't worry, I'm really not going to pinch your cheeks this time. Come here, I have something very important to discuss with you."
Goku was still skeptical and cautiously inched over. "What is it... Ouch!"
Before he could finish, Whitley had already slapped him on the back of the head with lightning speed and scolded him loudly. "Can't you be more serious when you fight?! Do you have any idea that the beam he shot from his mouth just now was a sinister technique to swap bodies with you?! You idiot! You're all grown up now, why are you still so much trouble?! What if you got hit? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in that Ginyu's body?!"
Goku flinched from the slap, clutching the back of his head and muttering with a wronged expression, "Hey! So it was a body swap? But... I didn't know... who knew that guy had such a weird and sinister move..."
Whis watched their interaction from the side, leisurely eating snacks, his face full of amusement.
Just then, a piercing sonic boom suddenly came from the sky. A streak of light sped from the distance and landed with a cloud of dust.
The newcomer was Vegeta, who had finished cleaning up the minions.
The moment he landed, he saw Whitley scolding Goku. Seeing Goku's wronged expression, a slight smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
But he quickly suppressed the smile and forced his face back into a stern expression.
He walked closer and demanded with a dissatisfied tone, "Hey! The Ginyu Force and the minions have been cleaned up by me. Why hasn't that guy Frieza arrived yet? Didn't you say he would show up soon? Are you messing with me again, you bastard?!"
Whitley glanced at him but ignored him, instead turning to continue scolding Goku. "See that? Look how efficient Vegeta is! You've only slowly finished off one guy here, and he's already taken out a whole group over there! You need to learn from Vegeta in future battles, do you hear me? Be efficient!"
"Huh?" Goku looked blankly at Vegeta, then at Whitley, and asked bluntly, "Should I be like Vegeta in the future? Does that mean before every fight, I have to stand with my arms crossed and talk a lot? And after the fight, I have to say 'Hmph, scum'?"
Whitley: "..."
He looked at Goku's pure and confused eyes and felt completely hopeless.
This kid's brain was beyond saving.
"KAKAROT!!! YOU...!!!"
Vegeta's face instantly flushed red with anger, veins popping on his forehead, and his golden aura almost erupted uncontrollably.
That idiot's words were even more infuriating than a direct insult!
Whitley watched their "loving" interaction and smiled with satisfaction. "Hehe, you two get along so well."
"Huh? No, we don't!" Goku immediately retorted loudly.
"Hmph! What nonsense are you talking, you bastard!" Vegeta also turned his head and snapped at Whitley at the same time.
Seeing their synchronized reaction, the smile on Whitley's face grew even brighter.
Watching the two bicker, Whitley raised his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate Namek's atmosphere and look into the endless depths of space.
His powerful perception instantly spread out, carefully searching the vicinity of Namek.
He had already sensed Frieza's evil and powerful ki; he had indeed arrived in the star system where Namek was located.
But... strangely, his ki had remained at the outer edge of the system, showing no intention of proceeding towards Namek.
"Hmm?" Whitley frowned slightly and said in confusion, "What is that guy Frieza doing? Could it be that he's scared and preparing to run away because the Ginyu Force was wiped out?"
Whis, standing beside him, seemed to have read his mind. He covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled. "Oh my, Mr. Frieza might really be scared~ And he's not alone, you know. He specifically called for 'backup'~"
"Backup?" Whitley looked at Whis curiously.
For Frieza to call them backup, and at a time like this...
A flash of insight struck Whitley, and he blurted out, "That guy... he didn't call King Cold and Cooler too, did he?"
He said no more, closed his eyes again, and activated the divine power within him, carefully discerning the unusually powerful ki signatures in the universe besides Frieza's.
A moment later, his eyes snapped open, a look of realization and amusement flashing within them.
"Oh? I actually guessed right," he said to himself.
Goku and Vegeta immediately caught his whisper and turned to look at him at the same time.
Whitley chuckled and looked at the two. "It's King Cold and Cooler. So, are you two scared? If you are, I can send you back to Earth right now."
"Heh!" Vegeta crossed his arms and scoffed with disdain.
He raised his chin so high that he was practically showing Whitley the back of his head as his answer.
Goku, on the other hand, was full of excitement and anticipation, his eyes almost glowing. "There are even stronger enemies? Hey, hey, Whitley, how do those two compare to Frieza?"
A meaningful smile appeared on Whitley's lips. "Their power... should both be a bit higher than Frieza's. You two better be careful not to trip up in an easy fight."
He paused and added in a relaxed tone, "But don't worry too much. If necessary, I'll step in."
Ignoring Goku and Vegeta, who had started glaring at each other again, Whitley sat back down in Whis's chair and leisurely took a sip from the still-warm teacup on the table.
Just a few frost demons, they weren't really worth his concern. They would make good training partners for Goku and Vegeta to level up.
However, Whitley, focused on sensing the universe and thinking about the next steps, did not notice.
In Whis's hand, the top of the staff he always held was emitting an extremely faint light, imperceptible to ordinary people.
In the tiny projection from the staff, the scene inside the Briefs' estate in West City was clearly visible—
Bulma was pouting unhappily, rapidly stuffing a large pile of luggage into a capsule.
Then she waved her arms and said loudly, "Whis, you can come and get me now."
Whis took a sip of tea and suddenly said with a smile, "Oh my~ I do apologize, Whitley-san, but Lord Beerus has some urgent business for me. But please rest assured, everyone, I should be back in just a few minutes."
Whitley nodded indifferently, signaling that Whis didn't need to mind him and could do as he pleased.
After all, even if Whis didn't come back to pick them up, his own Instant Transmission wasn't just for show.
"Well then, I shall see you all again shortly."
Whis gave Whitley a smiling glance, his eyes filled with the look of someone enjoying a good show.
After speaking, he stood up, tapped his staff, and his figure disappeared in a streak of light with a "swoosh," quickly vanishing from sight.
Whitley recalled the look Whis gave him before he left, feeling strangely that the rascal was trying to prank him.
But he quickly pushed the thought aside and continued to lift his teacup, taking a gentle sip of black tea.
"The taste is actually not bad. I'll have Bulma prepare some black tea for me too when we get back."
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