Dalles stood at the very center of the ki shockwave.
The corners of his battle armor were lifted by the churning currents, and his hair blew wildly behind him.
But that was the extent of it.
His arms remained crossed over his chest.
Watching Vegeta suffer this emotional breakdown, an indescribably subtle feeling welled up inside him.
In his past life, this proud and complex Saiyan Prince had merely been the deuteragonist in a work of fiction.
From his arrogant and cold-blooded debut, he had gradually acquired the humanity he once lacked, evolving from a mere foil for the protagonist into a character who radiated his own unique brilliance.
He was one of the most successfully written characters in Dragon Ball.
He was also a character Dalles had been quite fond of.
However, that was then, and this was now!
The old Dalles had just been an audience member beyond the screen, able to fully appreciate and admire the so-called character arc.
But the current Dalles was standing in front of the genuine, flesh-and-blood Vegeta.
No matter what kind of person he would become in the future, there was no denying that the current Vegeta was a cold-blooded creature through and through.
If the current Vegeta possessed power as immense as Frieza’s, there was no doubt about it.
He would absolutely be a super-evil version of the Emperor of the Universe!
Dalles didn’t consider himself a saint, but he was ultimately an Earthling who had been educated by the civilization of another world.
He could turn a blind eye to the existence of evil if it served his own best interests, but he could never bring himself to endorse such behavior.
This was why, despite seemingly gaining the favor of Frieza, he was still secretly plotting his escape once he achieved his true goals.
Aside from not wanting to make deals with the devil, the inherently evil core of the Frieza Force was one of the main reasons he felt such repulsion.
Now, watching a villain break down right in front of him, Dalles felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Since arriving in the perilous world of Dragon Ball, almost everyone he had encountered were the heinous villains from the original story.
But these guys were either his own subordinates or his superiors—they were his foundation.
Naturally, he couldn’t use them as an outlet for his emotions.
But the current Vegeta was the perfect outlet.
He allowed him to release all the pent-up frustration he had accumulated thus far.
He tilted his head, his lips curling into a mocking smirk once again.
“What’s wrong, my Prince?
What’s with that ugly expression?
Could it be that you’re scared?”
“Let me remind you, your scouter isn’t broken!”
At those highly provocative words, Vegeta’s pupils shrank violently.
His breakdown reached its absolute peak, and his out-of-control emotions instantly erupted.
He moved.
His right fist shot out from his waist.
The muscles in his entire arm coiled together in an instant, channeling all his strength into the face of his fist.
He threw the punch in a flash, aiming straight for Dalles’s face.
Dalles raised his right hand from his chest.
He opened his palm, perfectly catching and enveloping Vegeta’s entire fist.
The fist was locked firmly in his grasp.
The momentum of Vegeta’s forward charge was completely absorbed by Dalles’s arm, causing Vegeta’s body to stagger.
Yet, Dalles’s feet hadn’t shifted a single inch.
The corridor fell so silent that the sound of air flowing through the overhead ventilation ducts could be heard.
Nappa’s mouth hung wide open, as if his jaw had come unhinged.
Raditz also wore a look of sheer astonishment.
Neither of them had even processed what had just happened.
Dalles tightened his grip slightly.
*Crack.*
A sickening sound echoed from Vegeta’s knuckles.
Pain shot up from his finger bones, traveling along his wrist all the way to his elbow.
Vegeta’s face twisted into an even more ferocious grimace.
The corners of his eyes twitched slightly.
But he kept his teeth clenched tight, still trying to wrench himself free from Dalles’s iron grip.
Dalles stepped half a pace forward.
The distance between their faces was so close that only the two of them could hear each other.
“My Prince.”
Dalles’s voice was barely a whisper.
“It seems your fists don’t even have the right to make me take you seriously.”
Vegeta’s eyes instantly became bloodshot.
His lips trembled violently, and a garbled sound rumbled in his throat—it was impossible to tell if he was cursing or roaring.
Dalles let go.
Vegeta’s fist slipped free from his palm.
His five fingers were red and swollen, the knuckles already somewhat deformed.
Before Vegeta could even react…
A gust of wind whipped in from the side.
It was Dalles’s tail.
The furry appendage wrapped around his waist like a belt uncoiled in a flash, whipping through the air in a sharp arc and striking Vegeta squarely in the abdomen.
A muffled thud echoed.
Vegeta was lifted completely off his feet.
His body flew sideways, his back crashing into the wall at the end of the corridor.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the point of impact on the alloy paneling, sending debris raining down.
Vegeta slid down the wall.
He dropped to one knee, supporting himself with his other hand against the floor.
A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
From Vegeta’s sudden, explosive attack to the sight of him nearly embedded in the wall, everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
This was evident from the fact that Nappa and Raditz were still in a state of utter bewilderment.
As Nappa stared at Vegeta kneeling on the floor, he felt as though his entire worldview was collapsing.
What had he just witnessed?
The mighty Vegeta had actually been swatted away in a single exchange.
And what was most unbelievable to him was that the guy who swatted Vegeta away…
Was also a Saiyan!
Once reality set in, a wave of delayed terror washed over Nappa.
*Had I really just mouthed off to this terrifying monster?*
*I suddenly really wish I had amnesia!*
Raditz’s reaction was no better; his back was pressed flat against the wall, already drenched in cold sweat.
Dalles’s tail coiled back around his waist, wrapping itself neatly in place.
He glanced at Vegeta kneeling on the floor.
Vegeta was trembling.
He was staring at his own red, swollen right hand.
Then, he wiped the crimson from the corner of his mouth.
He brought his hand up to his eyes.
*It’s real!*
*This Dalles!*
*He’s stronger than me!*
Vegeta raised his head.
A trail of blood hung from his mouth down to his chin.
His eyes were a swirling mix of hatred, unwillingness, humiliation, and an emotion he refused to admit even to himself.
Dalles met his gaze for a brief moment.
Then, he turned around and walked toward the barracks.
Without another word.
Only the three Saiyans were left in the corridor.
Nappa could finally move.
He rushed over and crouched in front of Vegeta, reaching out to help him up.
“Vegeta!
Are you alright?!”
Vegeta slapped Nappa’s hand away.
“Don’t touch me!”
Nappa’s hand froze in midair.
Vegeta propped himself up against the wall and stood.
He pressed his left hand against his abdomen, which was undoubtedly already bruised.
His knees were still weak, but he forced himself to take a step.
Walking step by step in the opposite direction.
Raditz glanced at Nappa, as if silently asking what to do.
Afterward, the two of them had no choice but to follow in silence.
The footsteps of the three men echoed and intertwined down the metallic corridor.