Looking out the porthole, the silhouette of the planet was already clearly visible.
Its surface, an intertwining tapestry of emerald green and azure blue, bore some resemblance to the Earth in Dalles’s memories.
Dalles made a decision that completely betrayed his Saiyan heritage!
And that was—to defect to Frieza!
As a transmigrator, he was naturally well aware of the history between the Saiyans and Frieza.
As the mastermind behind the destruction of Planet Vegeta…
Frieza should technically be his sworn enemy for exterminating his race, right?
But Dalles’s stance was: to hell with that!
He hadn’t even been a Saiyan for that long.
Planet Vegeta?
His homeland?
Sorry, but he felt absolutely no connection to it!
Besides, even putting aside his identity as a transmigrator…
…the original Dalles had been sent off to a strange, distant planet as a mere child, right after leaving the nursing capsule and barely developing self-awareness.
This so-called Saiyan homeland held absolutely no sentimental value to the original owner of this body either.
Not to mention that Saiyans were a naturally cold and emotionless race to begin with.
Furthermore, no one in the universe was going to shed a tear over the destruction of a race like the Saiyans anyway…
So, once the bad blood between Frieza and the Saiyans was tossed out the window…
Dalles considered the Frieza Force to be a pretty good place to land.
Aside from the fact that the Frieza Force could help shield them from Lord Slug’s pursuit…
Frieza himself, based on Dalles’s knowledge from his past life…
…was actually a very accommodating boss to his subordinates.
Of course, one shouldn’t overthink it.
“Subordinates” in this context strictly referred to “competent subordinates.”
As long as you were capable and got things done, he would treat you with polite, gentle amiability.
Provided, of course, that you didn’t screw up the “important” tasks he assigned you.
With all this in mind, Dalles couldn’t think of a better destination than the Frieza Force.
Aside from Frieza, Dalles had naturally considered Earth as well.
But there was one critical problem staring him in the face!
He didn’t have Earth’s coordinates!
And planetary coordinates were strictly regulated across the entire universe by the Galactic Patrol.
Privately collecting or distributing them was a direct violation of Galactic Law.
Without coordinates, even though Earth was also located in the North Galaxy, the universe was infinitely vast.
Compared to an Earth with zero coordinate data, the Frieza Force’s commercial planets and branch bases scattered throughout the North Galaxy were incredibly easy to find.
And as long as he could infiltrate a faction on the level of the Frieza Force, getting his hands on Earth’s coordinates later probably wouldn’t be an issue.
While Dalles continued to formulate his plans…
…the atmosphere inside the cockpit of the Destroyer was the exact opposite of the serene scenery outside the window.
Oppressive.
Stifling.
Armond was the first to lose his patience.
“Lord Dalles!”
His gruff voice exploded through the cockpit.
He stood up from his seat, the thick braid at the back of his head whipping behind him, his already reddish face flushing even deeper.
“Lord Dalles, why are we defecting to Frieza?!”
Armond took a large stride, looming in front of Dalles like a small mountain.
“With our current power, sooner or later we’ll be able to…”
“Sooner or later, what?”
Dalles slowly turned his head.
His gaze swept over the subordinates standing before him.
“Are you still dreaming of conquering the universe?”
He knew that up until this point…
…every member of the Destroyer Corps, including the original Dalles, had been immersed in the exact same mindset they’d held every day for the past two years.
They were filled with the expectation that by relying on the fruit of the Tree of Might to grow stronger, the Destroyers would eventually replace Lord Slug’s forces, or even the Frieza Force.
It was the perfect example of sheer ignorance, completely blind to the bigger picture.
A gang of thugs who had been scraping by in the universe for two years, none of whom even had a power level exceeding ten thousand.
Yet they dared to boast about conquering the entire universe!
Everyone in the spaceship froze upon hearing their boss’s words.
At the control console, Rez and Lakasse simultaneously stopped what they were doing.
Daiz, leaning against the bulkhead with his short light-blue hair and crossed arms, tilted his head slightly, exchanging a bewildered look with Armond.
In the corner, Cacao’s metallic joints emitted a faint scraping sound.
Conquering the universe wasn’t just their wild ambition and dream over the past two years.
It was also the grand promise their boss, Dalles, had made when he led them to betray Lord Slug and abscond with the seeds of the Tree of Might.
So why was their boss suddenly saying something so completely contradictory today?
In the end, Armond acted as the mouthpiece for the rest of the crew.
“My Lord…
what do you mean by ‘dream’?”
Dalles’s expression remained flat, his eyes cold.
“I mean exactly what I said.”
He turned back around, his gaze fixed on the deep, starry sea of the galaxy.
“This universe is vast!”
“Before, just like you, I didn’t know enough about it.”
“But…”
Dalles paused.
“Armond, and the rest of you.”
“How strong do you think we actually are right now?”
Hearing this, Armond turned his head and glanced around at his companions.
Daiz, leaning against the wall, gave him a slight nod.
Cacao’s metallic torso leaned forward.
At the console, the brothers Rez and Lakasse turned around in unison, fixing their eyes on Armond.
Their responses varied, but the sheer confidence radiating from within them was identical.
Seeing his comrades’ stances, Armond puffed out his chest, his braid whipping back once more.
“Lord Dalles!”
“Even if our current strength can’t compare to a behemoth like the Frieza Force…”
He paused deliberately, gathering his momentum.
“…compared to Lord Slug’s forces in the West Galaxy, we definitely aren’t far off!”
Armond was getting fired up by his own words.
His reddish face flushed even brighter as he took a step closer to Dalles.
“Lord Dalles!
As long as we find one or two more suitable planets to plant the Tree of Might, once you eat the fruit, your power level will definitely surpass Lord Slug’s!”
“When that time comes.”
He slapped his chest, producing a dull thud.
“We can swallow up all of Lord Slug’s forces in the West Galaxy!”
“And with that, our efficiency in cultivating the Tree of Might will skyrocket!”
Armond grew more and more excited as he spoke.
The fanaticism and longing on his face were almost impossible to suppress.
“After that, you’ll replace Frieza as the Emperor of the Universe, and we’ll truly conquer everything!
It’s only a matter of time!”
As soon as he finished speaking.
Daiz nodded without hesitation.
On Cacao’s bright red and silver-white faceplate, two optical units flashed rapidly—clearly a signal of agreement.
Though the brothers Rez and Lakasse remained silent, they turned fully to face Dalles.
Every single member aboard the ship was currently immersed in the exact same grandiose blueprint.
What a touching display of unity and boundless ambition.
Dalles hadn’t said a word the entire time.
Every word of Armond’s speech carried a burning sincerity.
This sincerity even made a faint trace of guilt flicker across Dalles’s heart.
But that was all it was.
Dalles broke into a grin.
A harsh, completely undisguised sneer.
“Hahaha—”
His laughter echoed through the cockpit.
The crew was once again utterly confused.
No one could understand what their boss was laughing at.
Dalles propped one hand against the armrest of his seat.
“Armond.”
“I’m not just laughing at you.”
Dalles lifted his head, the amusement completely vanishing from his face.
“I’m also laughing at my past self.”
Armond stood frozen in place.
The fanaticism on his reddish face hadn’t even had time to fade before it collided with sheer bewilderment.
“Lord Dalles, what are you…”
“It’s so naive, it’s almost cute.”
Dalles cut him off.
“So ignorant, it’s laughable.”
Daiz finally straightened up from the bulkhead.
Dalles’s gaze swept across the faces of each of his subordinates once more.
These guys had followed the original owner of this body, risking their lives, fighting tooth and nail, and putting their heads on the line to brave the universe.
Their loyalty was unquestionable.
But precisely because of that, their perception of reality had been completely warped by the original Dalles’s blind arrogance.
Since he had decided to defect to Frieza.
This ideological realignment was absolutely necessary.
If he didn’t shatter this delusional shell of theirs, there would be no way to move forward.