Zarbon...
The name was a weight in Rhode's mind. This was no minor threat. Decades in the future, this being would be the leader of the galaxy's most dangerous criminals, empowered by the sorcerer Moro to monstrous levels. Even if he ultimately fell to Ultra Instinct, the power required to reach that point was staggering.
In the present era, without Moro's sorcerous boosts, Zarbon's strength would be lesser, but still almost certainly beyond Rhode's current reach. He was an entity who had to be considered in the same breath as Frieza and King Cold—cosmic-scale powers. The mere fact that the Saganbo Pirates operated under his banner meant this skirmish had just escalated from a nuisance to a potential catastrophe.
But how strong, exactly? Rhode's mind raced through the logic. Frieza, for all his boasting, was a galactic overlord. King Cold was a legend. Zarbon led pirates—powerful, ruthless, but still raiders, not emperors. The hierarchy suggested a gap. Zarbon's power was likely immense, but it probably didn't surpass King Cold's, let alone Frieza's true, unleashed might.
His analysis was cut short as he assessed the immediate threat: the bear-headed glutton, Yunba. The power radiating from him was formidable—stronger than Rhode's base form, but not overwhelmingly so. More telling was the aura: potent but sloppy, swirling with untamed energy. Poor control. A strong, but inefficient, engine.
A good opponent.
"Hey, Tubby," Rhode called out, a sharp grin cutting across his face. "Aren't you going to make a move?"
The bear-man's expression tightened. "I have a name. I am Yunba!" he retorted, but his feet remained planted. He was terrified. The speed and precision with which Rhode had obliterated their tech and ship had been invisible to him. He hadn't even seen the Saiyan move. To someone who relied on brute power, such finesse was deeply unsettling. That was why Simoreka, the tactician, had ordered him to watch Rhode while he handled the "weaker" one.
But Simoreka's plan was crumbling. He was locked in a desperate, brutal exchange with Aira, finding her not weaker, but a perfectly matched whirlwind of savage technique. There would be no quick kill, no team-up.
"Oh, Yunba," Rhode continued, his tone conversational, probing. "You're with the Saganbo Pirates, right?"
"Yes! And our boss is far stronger than that so-called 'Emperor' Frieza!" Yunba blustered, trying to cloak his fear in the shadow of his leader's reputation.
Stronger than Frieza? Rhode almost scoffed. It was likely a hollow boast born of ignorance—very few in the universe had ever seen Frieza outside his restraint chair, let alone felt his true power. But the claim itself was a data point, revealing the pirate gang's arrogant worldview. It also meant Zarbon's perceived might was the cornerstone of their courage. A cornerstone Rhode might have to shatter.
So, Yunba's claim that Zarbon was stronger than Frieza was based on Frieza's suppressed state of 530,000. Only slightly stronger than that? Was Zarbon truly so… unimpressive?
Without a scouter capable of reading such high levels, Rhode had to infer. His own power, honed in the Time Chamber, was now formidable—he estimated his base battle power to be around 800,000. The aura radiating from Yunba in front of him was even denser, likely pushing one million. If a subordinate hovered around a million, how could the leader be weak?
Shifting tactics, Rhode bypassed Frieza and aimed for a higher benchmark. "Do you know King Cold?" he asked, his voice cool. "Is your boss stronger than him?"
"King Cold!" The name alone was enough. A visible shudder ran through Yunba, his earlier bluster vanishing, replaced by a raw, instinctive fear. He said nothing, but his reaction spoke volumes.
I see. Rhode let out a soft, controlled breath. So Zarbon is stronger than me, but not in King Cold's league. Manageable.
"One more question," Rhode pressed. "Do you know the name… Saibansri?" He needed to know if that particular, nightmarish piece of Zarbon's future arsenal already existed.
"Saibansri?" Yunba's confusion was genuine, his brow furrowing in blank incomprehension.
Good. He hasn't been acquired yet. The relief was minor but real. The most terrifying artificial life form from the Moro saga was not yet in play.
While Yunba stood confused, Rhode's attention snapped to movement at the periphery. Pasda and his two remaining cronies were attempting a desperate, furtive retreat.
In a flicker of motion, Rhode was in front of them, blocking their path. His hand came up, palm open and aimed at the cowering Pasda.
"No! Don't! I have money! All of it, you can have it all!" Pasda begged, the primal terror of imminent death stripping him of all pride.
Bang!
Rhode was unmoved. A compact sphere of ki lanced from his palm, vaporizing Pasda where he stood.
Boom! Bang! Bang!
Two more precise, effortless strikes. The remaining pirates dissolved into bursts of crimson mist before they could even scream.
It was over in less than a second.
Rhode turned, the dissipating energy around his fists fading. His gaze, now utterly cold and focused, locked back onto the stunned Yunba.
"Next," Rhode stated, his voice flat and final as he reappeared directly before the massive bear-man, "it's your turn."