On Namek.
In order to gather all seven Dragon Balls, Frieza had already spent several exhausting days searching this planet with his men.
They stormed into villages and seized what they wanted by force, meeting fierce resistance from the Namekians.
Even so, with threats and coercion, they had managed to obtain the fourth Dragon Ball.
"Congratulations, Lord Frieza! The fourth Dragon Ball is ours!"
Frieza used telekinesis to hold the fourth Dragon Ball aloft, laughing in delight.
"Ohohohohoho… Four Dragon Balls already.
It seems my goal of eternal youth is already halfway complete!"
Frieza didn't actually desire immortality. Eternal youth was enough.
After all, he was confident his power was unmatched.
"Now then—let's move on to the next village," Frieza said.
"Yes, Lord Frieza. I'll locate the next one immediately."
A moment later, Dodoria locked onto the next village's position and reported, "Lord Frieza, this way!"
Frieza's commanders followed as Frieza flew toward the next village.
But the instant they landed near the village where Dende lived, Dodoria's pupils flickered. He frowned, puzzled.
"Hm? Why is it only him?"
Frieza looked over curiously. "What is it, Mr. Dodoria?"
Dodoria answered, "Lord Frieza—I've detected Nappa's energy signature."
"Oh? Nappa's energy?
So he and Vegeta have already arrived on Namek."
Dodoria shook his head at once. "No… only Nappa's signature. I don't detect Vegeta's at all."
Frieza stroked his chin, intrigued. "Is that so? That's strange.
By rights, he should be with Vegeta."
Zarbon's eyes shifted as he thought. "Lord Frieza… could Vegeta and Nappa have split up to search for the Dragon Balls separately?"
Frieza nodded. "Possible. Either way…
Mr. Dodoria, bring him to me.
He might have even more Dragon Ball intelligence."
"Yes, Lord Frieza!"
Dodoria immediately flew toward Nappa's energy reading.
A short while later, Dodoria found Nappa—
and, of course, he also saw Vegeta.
But even though Dodoria's eyes clearly saw Vegeta standing right there, the scouter showed no energy reaction from him at all.
Dodoria's face tightened in shock.
"Vegeta…? Why are you here?!"
Vegeta wore a calm smile, greeting him as if nothing was wrong.
"Hey. Long time no see, Dodoria."
Dodoria tapped his scouter. No response.
He yanked the device off his face, staring at it as if it had betrayed him.
"What the hell? Is my scouter malfunctioning?
Vegeta's right in front of me—how can it show nothing?!"
Vegeta's grin widened. "Heh. Still using trash scouters like that?
You'll never find me with those."
Dodoria's brow twitched. "What does that mean, Vegeta?!"
Vegeta didn't bother explaining. He simply rolled his shoulders, loosening up, and smiled.
"I was thinking about how to lure you, Cui, and Zarbon away from Frieza…
so I could kill you one by one.
Didn't expect you to deliver yourself to me.
Running into you alone… is my lucky break."
His eyes sharpened.
"Your end is here, Dodoria."
Dodoria had always looked down on Saiyans. In his eyes, Vegeta was no match for him.
"My end?"
But before the words had even finished leaving his mouth—
Vegeta's foot smashed into Dodoria's face.
Dodoria's bloated body shot backward into the water, kicking up a monstrous wave.
When the water settled, Dodoria burst back out, soaked and furious.
"Bastard! Vegeta—you dared sneak attack me! Are you trying to die?!"
Vegeta laughed. "That's right. I'm trying to die.
Got the guts to come at me?"
Dodoria roared, veins bulging. "You lowly wild monkey—how dare you provoke me?!
You think I'm some sick cat just because I haven't shown my claws?!"
As he bellowed, Dodoria's arms whipped wildly—
and a storm of ki blasts poured down on Vegeta in a relentless barrage.
In an instant, the ground split, energy surged, and explosions swallowed the area where Vegeta stood.
The moment Dodoria thought Vegeta had been erased—
Vegeta appeared behind him.
"Too slow, Dodoria. What are you even shooting at?"
A chill shot up Dodoria's spine. He spun and threw a punch—
but Vegeta caught his wrist.
Then Vegeta drove a brutal kick into Dodoria's back.
Dodoria's other arm swung around in a desperate counterpunch—
but Vegeta's grip was terrifying. He caught the other wrist too.
Dodoria struggled with everything he had.
But even the brute known for thick skin and monstrous strength…
couldn't break free from Vegeta's hands.
And right then, the scouter on Dodoria's face shrieked—BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The number displayed made Dodoria's eyes bulge.
"How… how is that possible?"
"Vegeta—your battle power… how can it be higher than mine?!"
In the next instant, Vegeta's power surged again.
Dodoria's outdated scouter finally couldn't take it anymore—
BANG! It exploded.
Vegeta bared his teeth in a savage grin. "On Earth, I suffered humiliation after humiliation.
I even walked the edge of death.
And now my strength has risen dramatically—hehehehe…
Dodoria—die!"
Vegeta tightened his grip, about to tear Dodoria apart—
when Dodoria's face turned pale and he blurted out, "W-Wait! Vegeta!
If you spare me, I'll tell you a secret!
It's about your Saiyan homeworld—about how Planet Vegeta was destroyed!"
Vegeta's eyes narrowed.
"What did you say?"
Goku had intended to tell Vegeta the truth back on Earth, but Vegeta hadn't shown any willingness to cooperate.
So he'd been beaten and driven off.
Vegeta and Nappa still knew nothing about what really happened to Planet Vegeta.
"Let go for a second, Vegeta!" Dodoria pleaded.
Vegeta had absolute confidence in his speed. He wasn't worried Dodoria could escape.
So he released him.
Dodoria swallowed hard. "If I tell you… you won't kill me, right?"
Vegeta snorted. "If you don't talk, I'll kill you now.
If the information is important, I might spare you."
Behind Vegeta, Nappa was sweating bullets.
He hadn't expected Vegeta to be able to beat Dodoria, the powerhouse known for brute strength.
He was terrified Dodoria might call for his help—because if Dodoria did, Nappa's betrayal would be exposed.
And then Nappa would die.
Then Dodoria spoke the truth.
"Back then, Lord Frieza feared that the legendary Super Saiyan would appear among you Saiyans.
So he summoned all Saiyan warriors back…
and in one strike, he wiped out the Saiyans and Planet Vegeta together!
As for you, Vegeta—you should thank Lord Frieza.
Because he valued your talent, even when you avoided disaster by refusing orders…
he still didn't kill you.
He continued to use you."
The moment the truth landed, Vegeta's entire body trembled.
And Nappa went completely blank.
"How…?"
"We Saiyans served Lord Frieza… and Planet Vegeta was destroyed by him?!"
Dodoria ignored Nappa entirely. He kept his eyes on Vegeta's face.
When he saw Vegeta fall silent, he knew the information had hit its mark.
In that brief moment—whether it was rage or shock—
Dodoria turned and rocketed toward Frieza's direction.
But in the same instant, Vegeta snapped back to reality.
He flashed—
and almost instantly appeared right in front of Dodoria.
Dodoria froze, terror choking him.
"Vegeta… you promised you'd spare me…"
Vegeta's grin stretched wide. "Dodoria, it's not that I'm breaking the rules.
It's that your information isn't worth your life.
To me… planets, comrades—even family—don't matter.
What I hate is myself—how I was used from childhood without even knowing it…
forced to obey that stinking lizard, Frieza."
A blinding light gathered in Vegeta's palm.
Dodoria turned and ran, screaming, "Help! Lord Frieza—!"
BOOOOM!
Vegeta fired without hesitation.
Dodoria was blasted into fragments.
Looking at the remains scattered across the ground, Nappa wiped sweat from his forehead.
Vegeta's brow suddenly furrowed.
"Nappa. What are you doing?"
Nappa jerked, panicked. "I—I just thought about our planet… and our families…
A-And the fact that they were killed by the Lord Frieza we served…
I was shocked…"
Vegeta snorted. "Stop thinking about that.
Frieza might send Zarbon or Cui next—or he might send both.
When that happens, I'll hide and you'll stay out in the open without suppressing your ki.
You'll lure them in.
If only one comes, I'll kill him the same way I killed Dodoria—straight power.
If two come… then I'll have to ambush and kill one first.
You must draw their attention.
If necessary… we can even use the Dragon Balls we have."
Nappa nodded hard. "As expected of you, Vegeta. I understand!"
…
Meanwhile, Frieza was dealing with his own problem.
Their method for finding Dragon Balls relied on first locating villagers—which required scouters.
But the village elders had used tricks to sabotage their devices.
By the time Frieza's men realized it, it was already too late.
Zarbon fumed. "Damn it! They actually destroyed our scouters—those crafty bastards!"
Frieza seemed to remember something. His gaze shifted toward the direction Dodoria had left.
"Speaking of which… why hasn't Mr. Dodoria returned yet?
Zarbon—go find him.
His scouter can't be allowed to get damaged."
Zarbon nodded immediately. "Understood."
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