"I can't let you succeed. This distance is enough to intercept you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Vegeta narrowed his eyes and slowly lifted into the sky.
Boom!!!
His aura exploded outward, engulfing his entire body.
In an instant, he turned into a light-purple beam streaking through the sky, leaving a long tail of Ki behind him.
His speed was indescribably fast—ten times the speed of sound wasn't even close.
And this wasn't even full power. If Vegeta went all out, he could reach several times this speed.
In the blink of an eye, he crossed a hundred miles. Another blink, and he was hundreds of miles away.
He drew closer and closer to Zarbon's Ki signature until Zarbon's figure appeared ahead—just a speck at first, but Vegeta's vision now saw with perfect clarity across vast distances.
At that moment, Zarbon—flying in a fixed direction—finally sensed something.
He turned his head mid-flight and saw a black shadow closing in rapidly, the air currents behind it twisting like an overturned sea.
"V-Vegeta?!" Zarbon gasped, cold sweat immediately dripping down his face.
A powerful sense of danger surged in his heart.
He could not fight him.
Vegeta was no longer the Vegeta he once knew.
Zarbon pushed his full power into acceleration, desperately trying to escape.
But horror struck him.
Even at maximum speed, he couldn't widen the distance.
In fact… Vegeta was gaining.
Linearly. Predictably. Unstoppably.
It wasn't long before Vegeta was right behind him.
"Does the mighty Mr. Zarbon also fear and run away?" Vegeta's cold voice cut straight into his ears.
Knowing he could not escape, Zarbon suddenly stopped. His body froze mid-air.
He was decisive, if nothing else.
Vegeta sneered and halted right in front of him.
Their eyes met—Vegeta's full of mockery, Zarbon's desperately trying to hide the fear trembling within them.
"Vegeta… what do you intend to do?" Zarbon asked, steadying his Ki.
"Nothing much," Vegeta replied.
"Just here to take your life, so you can accompany Dodoria. The road to the underworld is lonely."
Vegeta's gaze sharpened like a blade slicing across Zarbon's skin.
"What did you say?! You killed Dodoria?" Zarbon clenched his jaw.
He already suspected the truth, but he still wanted to hear it from Vegeta's own mouth.
"In my eyes, you aren't a fool, Zarbon," Vegeta said calmly.
"A creature like Dodoria can be erased with a flick of my hand now."
He raised his arm slowly.
"And you're the same."
"W-Wait! Wait, listen to me first—!" Zarbon's entire body tensed in panic.
"What? You're not going to be like Dodoria and try to tell me some 'secret,' are you?" Vegeta scoffed.
"Save it. I already know everything you people know."
Ki gathered into Vegeta's palm.
But Zarbon's expression suddenly shifted.
Seeing Vegeta hadn't attacked immediately… he made his move.
His aura surged violently.
And with a sudden scream, Zarbon fired a massive energy blast point-blank, engulfing Vegeta entirely.
"Hahaha! You're too full of yourself, Vegeta!" Zarbon roared. "Who do you think you are?! Go to hell!"
He kept pouring everything he had into the attack—an all-out, life-or-death release far beyond his limits.
Twenty seconds later, the massive wave finally dissipated.
Thick smoke billowed.
Zarbon exhaled shakily.
He was certain—certain—that Vegeta was gone.
But then—
"I knew it. Sometimes people like you are even worse than Dodoria."
Vegeta's voice came from behind him.
Zarbon's heart stopped.
"How—how is that possible?!" he shouted, spinning around in terror and shooting backward to increase the distance.
Cold sweat drenched him.
A mere Vegeta… was making him feel this much fear?
Unwillingness twisted his features. A savage aura erupted from him.
He was done holding back.
"Use whatever power you have," Vegeta mocked. "If you don't use it now, you'll regret it after you're dead."
"You forced me to do this, Vegeta!" Zarbon roared. "You think you're strong now, but even if your battle power exceeds 23,000—once I transform, you are no match for me!"
With a burst of Ki, Zarbon's body expanded and distorted.
His elegant appearance mutated into a monstrous, beast-faced toad-like form.
A foul, bloodthirsty stench spread from him.
"Hmph… that's it?" Vegeta smirked.
"You call that a transformation? It looks more like you're returning to your original, ugly form."
He crossed his arms.
"To deal with you, I don't even need my hands."
"Arrogant trash!" Zarbon snarled.
"Do you know what my battle power is now?! Twenty-eight thousand! And I'll even tell you a secret—Frieza's battle power is five hundred thirty thousand, and he can transform too!"
Vegeta stared at him like he was a moron.
"Alright, alright. Enough nonsense. I'm tired of listening."
In the next instant—
Vegeta vanished.
Then reappeared—
BANG!!!
A heavy impact sounded. Zarbon's eyes flew wide as blood burst from his mouth.
Vegeta had appeared in front of him and kicked him in the stomach.
That single kick shattered his fighting ability—like breaking fragile glass with a hammer.
"Tsk tsk… that's all? Pathetic." Vegeta lowered his right foot, then kicked Zarbon again—this time in the neck.
"I said I wouldn't use my hands. So I won't."
A cold glint passed through Vegeta's eyes.
He flared his Ki and flashed forward, catching up to Zarbon's falling body.
He kicked again—this time with his aura coating his foot like a razor-sharp blade.