After leaving the Grand Elder's house, Vegeta not only received the Elder's guarantee, but also gained new knowledge.
It was the legacy of the Namekian language.
This meant that even without a Namekian present, Vegeta could now summon Shenron himself and make wishes.
Vegeta knew this was the Grand Elder's way of compensating him—freeing him of all worries so he could confront Frieza with his full strength.
From this moment on, the Dragon Balls were completely under Vegeta's control.
It had to be said: the Grand Elder truly lived up to his status. The wisdom of the other Namekians couldn't even come close.
This also refreshed Vegeta's impression of him.
Stepping outside, Vegeta calmly met the gazes of everyone present, one after another.
As a transmigrator, Vegeta understood human nature and social dynamics far too well.
These people would never understand the Grand Elder's painstaking decision to place his bet on him.
In their eyes, the Elder must have been forced or left with no other choice.
In short, the Grand Elder was constantly trying to repair the relationship between them, while these Namekians only made Vegeta feel more disgusted by the second.
"You can keep suspecting me all you want," Vegeta said coldly.
"Just remember—don't start daydreaming. And don't even think about those three wishes. If you want to make a wish, wait until next time."
With those words, Vegeta laughed loudly and shot straight into the sky.
Everyone stood there, watching him leave, rooted to the spot.
Krillin and Gohan remained silent for a long time before finally reacting.
Didn't what Vegeta just said mean that this time, they wouldn't be able to use Shenron to revive everyone on Earth?
If that was the case, then not only had their trip been for nothing—they would also be completely at Vegeta's mercy.
"What should we do now, Uncle Krillin?" Gohan asked anxiously. "If we can't make a wish, everyone won't be able to be revived."
Although Gohan was still young and inexperienced, he knew that Shenron could only revive those who had died within a year.
If they missed this chance, everyone might truly be gone forever.
What Gohan didn't know was that this limitation only applied to Earth's Shenron, not Namek's Porunga.
He had also forgotten something Vegeta had mentioned earlier—Namek's Dragon Balls only needed 130 days to recharge.
"Don't worry, Gohan," Krillin said seriously.
"There will always be a way. Vegeta might not even defeat that Universal Emperor Frieza. If he loses, we'll think of something else. Or… when Vegeta and Frieza are fighting, maybe we can do something."
He didn't even realize that, driven by selfishness, he had just spoken such words.
"Uncle Krillin, are you saying we should take the chance to steal the Dragon Balls?" Gohan immediately understood.
Bulma, who was nearby, also caught on. She frowned and spoke up.
"Krillin, isn't that a bit much? He's fighting for Namek. In other words, he's going head-on against Frieza. And you're thinking about stabbing him in the back?"
She crossed her arms and continued, "Honestly, what you just said was excessive. Yes, he invaded Earth—but weren't most of those things done by his partner?
Sure, Vegeta bears responsibility, but if we put Earth aside, has he actually done anything bad on Namek?"
"He even helped the Namekians avoid being hunted down by Frieza's forces. Even if you don't feel grateful, you shouldn't treat him like an enemy. That's just… ungrateful."
Bulma's words left all the Namekians stunned.
Some of them suddenly realized that Vegeta really hadn't done anything wrong to them—yet they had been wary of him from beginning to end.
Voices of disagreement arose, and others began to reflect.
Krillin and Gohan stood frozen, deep in thought.
Even Nail couldn't help but begin questioning himself.
…
Meanwhile.
Vegeta had no idea that, thanks to Bulma, his image in everyone's hearts had started to change.
Even if he did know, he wouldn't have cared.
Vegeta had no interest in explaining himself or wasting words to win favor.
Frieza's ki was already close.
In less than half an hour, Vegeta crossed sixty to seventy thousand kilometers and arrived above Frieza's spaceship docking point.
Suppressing his ki and withdrawing his powered-up state, Vegeta floated in the void with his arms crossed, looking down calmly.
He could feel the evil presence inside the spaceship stirring.
Even though Frieza couldn't sense ki, he had clearly instinctively detected danger approaching.
Vegeta couldn't see inside from the outside, but he knew Frieza had already spotted him through the viewing window.
"Heheheh~ I'm already here, Frieza," Vegeta said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "What, not coming out? Or are you planning to abandon your spaceship?"
His words carried terrifying penetrating force, echoing straight into the ship.
Vegeta didn't attack immediately.
Before long, the top hatch of the spaceship opened.
Frieza emerged, seated in his exclusive hover pod, accompanied by several Frieza Force soldiers—nothing but small fry.
"Hohohoho~!" Frieza laughed playfully as he rose to the same height as Vegeta.
"You really kept this emperor waiting, little Vegeta. Thanks to you, these past few days have been terribly boring."
Without giving Vegeta a chance to speak, Frieza continued, "Let me guess—you're not here to deliver the remaining two Dragon Balls to this emperor, are you?"
Frieza narrowed his eyes, releasing an overwhelming pressure befitting an absolute ruler.
For years, Vegeta had been nothing more than a toy in his hands.
Yet now, Vegeta stood boldly before him, calling him by name.
It was obvious—Vegeta had grown stronger, and with that strength came confidence.
"You really do have quite the imagination," Vegeta replied calmly. "Let's not waste words. There are no outsiders here. This farce has gone on long enough."
Frieza's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Are you sure you want to become this emperor's enemy?" he asked coldly.
Suddenly, memories surfaced, and Frieza let out a cruel laugh.
"I remember your father. He acted just like you do now. And in the end, he couldn't even get close to me."
"You are stronger than your useless father," Frieza said leisurely, "but it's still far from enough."
"I will kindly tell you my power level—530,000."
"So I'll give you one last chance," Frieza continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Hand over the Dragon Balls and rejoin me… or die."
The air grew heavy.
The inevitable battle had finally arrived.
...
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