2.
Inside the command room.
The moment Dalles stepped inside, his gaze locked onto the figure standing with his back turned in front of the hoverchair.
Vegeta.
Dalles stopped at a respectful distance from Frieza’s seat and dropped to one knee.
“Lord Frieza.”
“Ohohoho, you arrived quite quickly, Mr.
Dalles.”
The tip of Frieza’s tail flicked up from the armrest, pointing toward the other side of the room.
“Come, let me introduce you.”
Vegeta turned around.
The two Saiyans locked eyes.
In that instant, Vegeta’s pupils slightly contracted.
‘A Saiyan?’
As their eyes met, Dalles stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless.
Compared to Vegeta, he displayed just the right amount of surprise.
The air between the two Saiyans practically froze.
They just stood there.
Frieza sat in his hoverchair, resting one hand on the armrest.
He watched the two of them with great interest, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
“Ohohoho.”
That signature laugh pierced the silence between them, gently snapping the tension that had been stretched to its absolute limit.
“Well?” Frieza asked.
“Are you two pleasantly surprised to see a fellow survivor of your race?”
Dalles was the first to react.
Without missing a beat, he lowered his head slightly and offered a crisp, respectful salute.
“Lord Frieza!
I am deeply humbled and grateful for your thoughtful arrangement.”
“Ohohoho, you are too polite, Mr.
Dalles.”
Frieza’s gaze then shifted to Vegeta, who had remained completely silent.
Frieza clicked his tongue softly.
It was hard to tell if it was out of satisfaction or disappointment.
“How cold, Vegeta.” Frieza sighed, his tone perfectly capturing a sense of mock pity.
“I thought you Saiyans would be a bit more…
enthusiastic with each other.”
He said it as if it were a joke.
“Please do not mind him, Mr.
Dalles.
Vegeta has always been like this.
Allow me to introduce you.
The man standing before you is none other than the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta the Fourth.”
As Frieza finished his introduction, Dalles turned his head.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I had no idea I was in the presence of the Prince.
How rude of me.”
Although Dalles used a respectful title, anyone could hear the complete lack of actual respect in his tone.
His gaze lingered on Vegeta for less than a second before naturally shifting away.
“However, Planet Vegeta is gone now.” He turned his body slightly back toward Frieza.
“Naturally, that means there is no prince anymore.”
He paused.
“There are only Frieza Force soldiers here.”
Whether Frieza arranged this meeting out of a twisted sense of amusement or simply to introduce two subordinates, one thing was certain: he absolutely did not want them teaming up.
Hearing this, the tip of Frieza’s tail paused on his armrest.
His polite smile remained plastered on his face, seemingly in full agreement with Dalles’s statement.
Vegeta stood frozen.
Inevitably, he felt his pride as the Saiyan Prince being trampled on.
Who was this random Saiyan who just popped out of nowhere?
He glared at Dalles.
Dalles didn’t avoid Vegeta’s gaze, but he didn’t intentionally provoke a staring contest either.
Vegeta turned back to Frieza.
“Lord Frieza.
This ‘new friend’ you wanted to introduce…” He paused, his voice dripping with calculated mockery.
“Is it just some nobody who crawled out of the woodwork?”
The tip of Frieza’s tail hovered in the air, not dropping back down.
Vegeta continued his verbal assault.
“Don’t tell me he’s just some low-class warrior who scurried back from a backwater star system?”
Based on Vegeta’s assumptions, the only surviving Saiyans outside of his own squad would have to be low-class warriors sent off to remote planets as infants, much like his own younger brother…
“Ohohoho!” Frieza burst into laughter, shaking his head as if to dismiss Vegeta’s claim.
“You are quite mistaken about that, Vegeta.” The tip of his tail lifted from the armrest, swaying lazily in the air.
“Mr.
Dalles joined our ranks entirely on his own merit.
Let me share a little secret with you.
Try not to be too shocked, but Mr.
Dalles has a power level of 38,000!”
Vegeta stiffened instantly upon hearing those words.
His eyes widened in absolute disbelief.
A thousand swirling thoughts in his mind condensed into a single word!
‘Impossible!’
He, Vegeta, was the greatest warrior in the history of Planet Vegeta!
He firmly believed this!
His current power level had already surpassed his late father’s.
His combat power of 18,000 only cemented his absolute certainty that he was the strongest Saiyan to ever live!
And now Frieza was telling him that this unfamiliar Saiyan had a power level of 38,000?
He finally lost his composure.
When the pride buried deep in his heart was on the verge of shattering, he simply could not maintain his calm facade.
“38,000?” Vegeta’s voice squeezed out of his throat.
“Lord Frieza, are you certain the scouter isn’t malfunctioning?”
Dodoria couldn’t hold back this time, letting out a loud snort.
“I operated the scouter myself.
Do you think you have the right to question me?”
Vegeta unconsciously clenched his fists.
He didn’t utter another word.
“Ohohoho.” Frieza chuckled once more.
“My, my, Vegeta, why so quiet all of a sudden?” He tilted his head, his tone dripping with mock concern.
“Don’t tell me you’re frightened?”
This time, Vegeta forcefully suppressed his raging emotions and chose to retreat.
“Lord Frieza, I will take my leave.”
The alloy doors slid open and shut.
Vegeta’s back disappeared from the command room.
Only Frieza, Sarbo, Dodoria, and Dalles remained inside.
Frieza tilted his head, the tip of his tail finally resting back on the armrest.
“My, my, Vegeta still has that same old temper.” He sighed, feigning helplessness.
“Please do not take it to heart, Mr.
Dalles.”
Dalles lowered his head and cupped his fists.
“This arrogant prince is so incredibly rude, it is infuriating.
Your magnanimity is truly admirable, Lord Frieza!”
Dalles’s words struck a chord with Sarbo and Dodoria standing nearby.
He had practically spoken their exact thoughts.
After witnessing the confrontation between Dalles and Vegeta, and now hearing this remark, they found themselves subtly approving of Dalles.
Dalles had a higher power level than them, yet he was so polite and respectful.
In contrast, Vegeta was weak yet arrogant.
What garbage prince?
He was nothing but a barbaric monkey!
Frieza nodded in satisfaction, though he maintained his gentlemanly facade.
“There is no need for that, Mr.
Dalles.
It is only proper.
I have always been very considerate of warriors who make outstanding contributions to the force.”
“Speaking of which,” Frieza’s tail flicked slightly.
“Since you have joined our ranks, Mr.
Dalles, we can’t have you sitting idle forever, can we?”
Frieza continued.
“A new batch of assignments will be handed down in a few days.
Mr.
Sarbo will notify you of the specifics when the time comes.
For now, get some good rest.”
“Yes, I shall take my leave.”
Just as Dalles reached the door, Frieza’s voice chased after him.
“Oh, and one more thing, Mr.
Dalles.”
Dalles paused his steps.
“Since you said yourself that there are only Frieza Force soldiers here, I will hold you to the standards of a force soldier.
You won’t disappoint me, right, Mr.
Dalles?”
Dalles stood firm.
“Understood!”
The alloy doors slid shut behind him.
3.