Since King Cold had chosen to place the Dragon Balls here, it was clearly to ensure their safety.
Levos quietly surveyed the layout of the room.
This was a medical bay, and the treatment pods lined one side of the wall. Besides those, there was nothing else of significance. Guards stood vigil by the door.
Trying to snatch the Dragon Balls right under King Cold's nose would be harder than climbing to heaven.
A heavy feeling pressed down on Levos's heart.
Even if he risked everything to seize the Dragon Balls, he would inevitably tear his relationship with Frieza's faction apart. If that happened and the tyrant lashed out in rage, Earth would likely bear the brunt of it.
If Earth was destroyed, everything would be lost, including the Dragon Balls, which would vanish along with Dende's death.
Levos suddenly realized that even if he managed to collect all seven Dragon Balls, it might not be enough to truly resolve the crisis facing Earth.
What Earth lacked was a warrior with absolute power.
Power.
What Levos yearned for now more than anything was overwhelming strength.
But there simply wasn't enough time left for cultivation or training.
Their hope was hanging by the thinnest of threads.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Levos turned his head. Bulma and Android 16 were both watching him silently, waiting for his decision.
"Let's go. We shouldn't disturb Lord Cold's recovery," Levos said calmly.
It was unwise to linger here for long.
The two nodded and followed him out of the treatment chamber.
Once outside, Bulma whispered, "Levos, you saw the Dragon Balls too, didn't you?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll find a way to get them," he assured her softly.
"But even if we do, I just don't see how it'll change anything..." Android 16 expressed his quiet doubt.
"There's always a way," Bulma said firmly, glancing at Levos. "We've come this far already. Even if there's only a sliver of hope, I still believe we can make it."
Even though she knew deep down how impossibly slim that hope really was.
They hadn't walked far down the corridor when Levos suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Through a porthole in the wall, he spotted a massive spherical incubation pod sitting outside.
It was the pod for Cell Max.
Levos's instincts flared. He turned to Bulma and 16, giving them a subtle gesture to stay alert.
"What is that thing?" Bulma gasped softly.
"That's Cell Max, a biological super-weapon engineered by the Red Ribbon Army. They drained their resources to create him."
Keeping his voice low, Levos casually resumed walking as he explained to the other two.
"So what you told Frieza earlier was all true?" Bulma gave Levos a curious look. "But how do you know all this?"
Levos shook his head. "Now's not the time to talk about that."
Bulma bit her lip, but she was clearly even more intrigued by Levos's true identity.
The trio made their way quickly through the corridors, heading toward the exit of the spaceship.
"Are the three of you not planning to rest on the ship any longer?" a soldier at the door greeted them respectfully.
"Hmm?" Levos stopped, turning to the soldier. "Lord Frieza's time is valuable. I think we should speed up the competition."
"Y-You mean..." the soldier began to sweat nervously. "You're saying...?"
"Of course I'm talking about sweeping out the rest of the trash on the battlefield," Levos replied coldly.
The moment the words left his mouth, he shot off with Bulma and 16, flying toward the heart of the city.
A dozen Frieza Force soldiers exchanged glances, completely stunned.
Once they were out of sight, Levos descended to the ground.
"What's your plan?" Bulma asked, eyes filled with curiosity.
"This move's risky," Levos admitted. "But I want to stir up some trouble for the Frieza Force, create chaos, and then use that chance to take the Dragon Balls."
He had already memorized the energy signatures of several Frieza Force soldiers. When the time came, he'd use Instant Transmission to warp in and snatch the Dragon Balls in an instant, leaving no trace.
"So you're planning to show yourself in other places first?" Bulma quickly caught on.
"Exactly. If I confront Frieza head-on, Earth could get annihilated in the backlash," Levos said grimly. "So, we'll roam around and eliminate other contestants loudly and visibly."
At the same time, Levos was planning to sabotage Cell Max's pod and set the monster loose.
If things went well, it would disrupt King Cold's healing and maybe even give him the opening he needed to steal the Dragon Balls.
Bulma's eyes lit up.
Flawed as the plan was, it was better than doing nothing.
When Frieza returned, there'd likely be no more opportunities.
The three agreed on a time and place to regroup near Frieza's flagship, then split up.
Boom.
Levos shot through the city like a flash of light, moving at terrifying speed.
Every time he spotted another participant, he would strike without hesitation, knocking them out cold and vanishing immediately.
Within minutes, he had already eliminated over a hundred contestants.
Floating above the arena, the massive light orb displayed the names of all remaining teams. The name [Hope Team] had grown so large it nearly consumed the entire display.
That meant they'd defeated an overwhelming number of opponents.
In the brief moment Levos paused, their name continued expanding rapidly.
It seemed Bulma and 16 were doing their part well too.
Their high-profile rampage immediately drew attention from many factions.
…
Deep beneath a massive spacecraft, Babidi stared into his crystal ball, his chin tendrils quivering in excitement.
"This one's strong. Very strong. Once I drain his energy, I'll make him my servant, fufufu~"
"Lord Babidi, this one might be too powerful. He could rival me," Dabura said gravely. "I suggest we skip the energy extraction and directly enslave him with your magic. He could become one of our most valuable assets."
"Hehehe, that's a good point, Dabura."
"It is my greatest honor to advise you, Lord Babidi." Dabura bowed respectfully.
Meanwhile, perched atop the saucer-like ship, a blue-skinned toad-like creature sat crouched, listening to the murmurs of other soldiers.
"I heard Lord Tagoma was beaten in one strike by Levos, and he's seriously injured!"
"So useless. Lord Frieza trained him personally for months, and he still got outdone by a new Earthling recruit."
"Hope Team's already in first place, and no one else is even close. I guess Levos is gonna be the new top warrior of the Frieza Force."
"..."
…
Half the city had been swept clean by Levos.
Meanwhile, he wasn't just eliminating opponents. He was quietly tracking the energy signatures of those contestants who had been teleported away earlier.
He hoped to use that trail to locate Babidi's hideout.
But it was no use.
It was as if those people had never existed to begin with.
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