"It's not as simple as I thought… it's still because I'm too weak."
Vegeta muttered softly and exhaled, letting his power flow naturally through his body.
Just moments ago, he had mobilized all the energy within him, forcing it to converge toward the center of his back.
At first, the surging power hit resistance—unable to break through, unable even to condense.
As his control improved, Vegeta managed—after tremendous effort—to break through that repulsive force.
But what greeted him wasn't success… it was another problem.
That spot felt like a bottomless pit. No matter how he tried to control his Ki, everything he sent there was greedily absorbed, as if it could never be filled.
After this unexpected discovery, Vegeta finally understood:
With his current power, Super Saiyan was impossible.
He had to become stronger—strong enough to fill that pit and truly break through.
He didn't know how much energy it would take to fill it, or whether filling it would directly trigger a transformation. But for now, he had to proceed step by step.
At least the information from the original timeline was reliable—he wasn't stumbling around blindly.
Putting aside his thoughts, Vegeta stopped wasting time and headed back to the base.
Everyone he passed treated him with visible fear and respect. Strength dictated everything here.
From Zack—the dinosaur-like alien in the medical team—Vegeta learned that his killing of Cui had already spread across the base.
Management had sealed the news and hadn't reported it to Frieza yet.
For Vegeta, it didn't matter.
Even if Frieza found out, what could he do?
Whether Frieza had reached Planet Namek or was still on his way, he wouldn't turn around.
The lure of eternal life was enormous—far more important than the death of someone like Cui.
Besides, Frieza's true obsession wasn't even immortality—it was his damn height.
He complained in the Super era about wanting to grow five more centimeters.
Honestly, Vegeta could relate. His current height of 1.64 meters was really starting to piss him off.
…
"I know why you told me all this," Vegeta said coldly.
"You want me to eliminate your enemies and stabilize your little position. Then you'll blame everything on me afterward. Clever plan."
Zack froze in terror, trembling all over.
"N-No, Lord Vegeta, you misunderstood! I was only informing you of important news! Those people… they can't be trusted. They'd talk badly about you, sir!"
Even he didn't believe his excuses.
Vegeta scoffed. "You think I'm an idiot? I'll give you one chance. Why should I help you? This little bit of information isn't enough."
Zack's breath hitched.
He was ambitious—Vegeta could see it written all over his scaly face.
Healing Vegeta earlier had given him some misplaced confidence.
"W-What do you mean, Lord Vegeta?"
"Show me your worth."
Zack froze. Then he quickly began piecing things together.
"Does Lord Vegeta want me to pledge allegiance…? I may not be a fighter, but I can handle logistics, intelligence, Frieza's movements… I can assist Lord Vegeta completely…"
He kept rambling, believing he had guessed correctly.
Vegeta watched him with a small smirk.
He didn't know every thought running through Zack's head, but he could guess a few.
People under Frieza were always scheming, always trying to claw their way up. Zack was no different.
And even if someone possessed talent, that didn't guarantee high-level promotion.
So lower-ranked people like Zack tended to scheme even harder.
"What research do you specialize in?" Vegeta asked.
He had no intention of letting the Frieza Force remain as chaotic as before.
He didn't need to rule it—but he could gather useful people.
"Currently, I'm researching biological evolution… and developing new types of healing devices…"
New healing devices.
That caught Vegeta's interest.
Earth's Senzu Beans were powerful, but incredibly rare during this era.
If a new healing device could be developed, he could recover instantly after training or battle—anytime he wanted.
Bulma never researched this area in the original story.
If Zack pushed the field further, he might create even more advanced healing fluids.
After a brief pause, Vegeta's expression shifted slightly.
"From today onward, you are my subordinate," he said. "Now tell me about those people you mentioned—their specializations."
Zack's eyes lit up instantly.
He followed Vegeta eagerly, listing every rival he had in the base.
Vegeta was surprised by how detailed Zack's knowledge was. He practically knew everyone's background by heart.
Of course, Vegeta didn't take everything at face value. If someone was useful, he would recruit them. If they were trash, they'd be removed.
After the Namek battle, Vegeta planned to return here anyway—and take valuable people with him to Earth.
If they still acted two-faced then… they wouldn't live long enough to regret it.
With Zack's guidance, Vegeta quickly purged the management.
Those who were useless or loyal to Cui, Dodoria, or Zarbon—and possessed no unique skills—were executed on the spot.
After decisive and overwhelming action, the twenty to thirty managers eventually submitted to Vegeta completely.
With his current rank, Vegeta was already the highest authority on this remote base. His word was absolute.
This wasn't headquarters—this was a forgotten outpost.
It was like a high-ranking official from headquarters suddenly visiting a poor rural district.
No wonder Cui could dominate this place earlier.
Unless someone ranked higher appeared—Dodoria, Zarbon, the Ginyu Force… or Frieza himself—
Vegeta ruled here absolutely.