The alloy doors slid shut behind him.
Dalles walked down the corridor toward the barracks.
How should he describe that encounter just now?
Frieza seemed like a good boss who tolerated an insolent subordinate, but in reality, it was more about putting Vegeta in his place.
Actually, Dalles had realized something.
In his past life’s memories, the idea that Frieza was terrified of the Super Saiyan had slowly been overturned after the Battle of Gods arc.
First, the original premise that Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Super Saiyan had been retconned into an action carried out under the orders of the God of Destruction, Beerus.
Therefore, his motives no longer proved that Frieza feared a Super Saiyan that only existed in legends.
Then there was Vegeta.
In the early years, why did Frieza intentionally spare Vegeta when he wiped out Planet Vegeta?
Wasn’t it because of his title as the greatest genius warrior in Saiyan history?
If anyone among the Saiyans was most likely to become a Super Saiyan, it was Vegeta.
Frieza kept him alive simply to see if Vegeta could actually transform into this so-called Super Saiyan.
How could he be afraid?
Finally, Frieza’s innate arrogance meant he never even took this legendary strongest warrior in the universe seriously.
No matter how strong they were, could they be stronger than him, Frieza, the Emperor of the Universe?
Of course, he didn’t believe so.
It was just that, to this day, Prince Vegeta—whom he had once placed high hopes on—had ultimately failed to deliver any pleasant surprises.
A power level of 18,000 wasn’t exactly weak in the grand scheme of the universe, but compared to the universe’s strongest Super Saiyan, the gap was simply too vast.
For aliens who generally lacked the concept of training, Vegeta was already an adult, meaning his power level had essentially plateaued.
As a result, Frieza’s regard for Vegeta had been waning by the day.
Now that Dalles—a fellow Saiyan with a far greater power level—had entered his sights, this historically acclaimed genius Saiyan prince looked even more displeasing to him.
After acquiring a more capable employee, it was only natural to suppress the weak, arrogant veteran employee, or at the very least, instill a sense of crisis in him.
He could only say that Frieza truly lived up to his reputation as the most charismatic evil boss in Dragon Ball.
Even when putting an employee in their place, he did it in such a tactful and gentlemanly manner.
Dalles shook his head, silently mocking the situation.
Dalles turned the final corner of the corridor.
The entrance to the barracks area was just ahead.
Three figures were blocking the way.
Nappa stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his bald head gleaming.
The veins on his neck throbbed, and his entire face was twisted into a textbook display of pure irritation.
Raditz was on the right.
His long hair hung down, and his eyes were fixed on the floor.
The one leaning against the wall on the left was, naturally, Vegeta.
With his arms crossed and his shoulder pressed against the wall, he struck a pose as if he were just casually standing there after passing by.
Vegeta had left the command room before him.
If he were truly heading back to the barracks, he wouldn’t have taken this route.
He had specifically detoured to wait in this blind spot away from the security cameras.
There was no other possibility except that he was intentionally waiting to ambush him here.
Dalles paused his steps slightly, the corners of his mouth curling up.
“Oh, if it isn’t our Prince.
Waiting for me here specifically…
I assume it’s not to throw me a welcome party?”
Vegeta didn’t move.
Nappa, however, took a step forward first.
“You bastard!
You’re pretty arrogant!”
The veins on his bald head throbbed even harder as Nappa took a massive stride forward, nearly blocking the entire corridor.
“Strutting around here after only being in the army for a few days?
Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?
I am the great Nappa!”
Dalles didn’t even lift his eyes to look at him.
His gaze bypassed Nappa’s massive head and landed directly on Vegeta, who was leaning against the wall in the back.
This action made Nappa’s expression even uglier.
“I’m talking to you!”
Dalles finally spared Nappa a glance.
“I have no interest in chatting with a watchdog.”
Nappa’s mind buzzed with rage.
Beneath his long hair, Raditz furrowed his brows fiercely.
“What did you say?!”
Nappa’s anger had reached his throat.
He raised his hand, spreading his five fingers, and aimed his palm right at Dalles’s chest.
“Nappa.”
Nappa’s raised hand froze in midair.
The energy gathering in his palm dissipated completely.
He turned his head to look at Vegeta.
Vegeta wasn’t looking at him.
Nappa gritted his teeth, lowered his hand, and stepped aside.
His chest was still heaving violently.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Vegeta finally straightened up from the wall.
He raised his left hand and pressed the activation button on the side of his scouter.
The optical lens lit up.
It locked precisely onto Dalles.
The data began to scroll.
38,000!
Nappa tilted his head, trying to read the numbers on Vegeta’s scouter, but the angle was wrong; he could only see a layer of green light reflecting off the lens.
“Vegeta?”
There was no response.
Vegeta’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
It rolled up and down.
His hand was still raised next to the scouter, his finger lingering on the button.
He pressed it again.
The lens flashed as the data rescanned.
But the result remained completely unchanged.
Nappa noticed that the hand Vegeta had lowered was clenching slightly.
“Vegeta, what’s wrong?” Nappa cast another suspicious glance.
Vegeta’s lips seemed to be trembling slightly.
Sweat seeped from his forehead, trickling down his temples.
When it reached his chin, it dripped onto the collar of his battle armor.
“Impossible!”
His voice rose from a low mutter to a shout.
“This is fake!”
Nappa’s body tensed instinctively.
Raditz took a half-step back, his spine pressing against the wall.
They both faintly sensed the precursor to him losing control.
Vegeta’s breathing grew heavy.
His chest heaved with increasing intensity.
Then, his ki began to leak out.
Waves of scorching ki radiated outward from the surface of Vegeta’s body.
The alloy plates on the corridor floor were made of high-pressure resistant military materials, yet at this moment, they groaned under the crushing weight of this invisible pressure.
“I am the greatest genius Saiyan warrior!”
Vegeta roared.
His voice echoed back and forth down the corridor.
The metal walls bounced the words back and forth, vibrating with a hum.
His entire face contorted.
His features twisted into a mask of sheer ferocity.
Ever since Vegeta could remember, this phrase had been carved into his very bones.
His father, King Vegeta, had said it.
Every Saiyan on Planet Vegeta who saw him had said it.
Even all the aliens who knew of the Saiyans had said it!
In all of history!
The greatest genius Saiyan warrior!
This had long ceased to be just a compliment.
It was his defining label.
It was one of the pillars of his very existence!
He might be able to accept being weaker than anyone else, but that person absolutely could not be a Saiyan!