"You're truly annoying—repeating the same crap over and over. Do you really think I won't kill you? Equal in power to me? Ridiculous. Do you think I'm still the same as before?"
As Vegeta finished speaking, he retracted his fist and grabbed Cui's face.
Cui panicked, grabbing Vegeta's wrist with both hands, desperately trying to pry himself free.
But he had no chance.
The difference in power between them was simply too great.
18,000 battle power versus 24,000.
A gap of 6,000—an unbridgeable chasm.
Bang!!!
A loud crash echoed through the corridor.
Vegeta slammed Cui into the reinforced wall, the impact cracking it instantly and triggering the base's alarm system.
Vegeta ignored the noise and finally released him, staring coldly at the battered, trembling Cui.
"Th-this is impossible… You—how could you have such strength? Our battle power was clearly the same…" Cui gasped, bloodshot eyes full of disbelief and panic.
To be fair, 18,000 was still impressive. His vitality was strong enough that Vegeta couldn't kill him in only two hits.
"So you thought I was bluffing?" Vegeta sneered.
"Cui, do you really think you can compare yourself to me? I ignored you before, and you kept pushing your luck."
He raised his hand toward Cui.
A chill ran down Cui's spine. He immediately struggled, forcing himself free from the cracked wall.
He tried to run, but Vegeta's palm remained aimed at him.
The threat of death suffocated him.
As Vegeta began gathering energy, Cui's scouter suddenly beeped in alarm.
"B-Battle Power 20,000? It's still rising…!!"
A second later, the old-model scouter exploded from the overwhelming surge.
"W-wait! Stop, Vegeta, I surrender! I was wrong! I shouldn't have—" Cui panicked, begging desperately for mercy.
But Vegeta's power already far exceeded his.
Anyone with their experience knew:
A difference of 1,000–2,000 meant a fierce fight, ending in defeat.
A difference of over 2,000 meant a total crush—instant defeat.
Unless it was a sneak attack.
"So you're a dog after all," Vegeta said coldly. "Honestly? I preferred you when you were arrogant."
Cui was drenched in sweat, lowering himself pathetically while looking for an opening.
Vegeta saw through it immediately.
Cui sensed a momentary pause in Vegeta's movements.
Thinking he'd found a chance, he suddenly burst out with his full power and fled the base at top speed.
Fickle villain… That fits your character. Unfortunately, you can't even withstand the basics. You deserve to die.
Vegeta sneered and aimed upward.
Cui, believing he'd turned things around, charged a massive energy blast with everything he had.
"Hehehe~ Vegeta! Blame yourself for hesitating! Go to hell!" The roaring blast descended from above.
To the naked eye, it looked powerful enough to devour everything in its path.
"An ant," Vegeta said coldly. "Still doesn't understand the gap."
He had no intention of dragging this out anymore.
His eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"Galick Gun!!!"
In an instant, Vegeta released the enormous light-blue energy cannon he had been condensing.
It cut through Cui's attack immediately, overpowering it with ease before swallowing it completely.
Cui, suspended in the air, had no ability to resist.
His despair-filled eyes reflected the raging beam.
Boom!!!!
A massive explosion blossomed across the sky, a dazzling fireball that seemed to swallow everything.
Cui's aura vanished instantly.
Just to be sure, Vegeta pressed his scouter and scanned the area.
Only after confirming Cui's body had been vaporized into ash did he turn away.
Meanwhile, the alarms around the base grew even louder.
Personnel flooded the corridors, thinking they were under attack.
But once they saw Vegeta standing there alone, they quieted down immediately.
No one knew exactly what happened, but they could guess.
It had to be Vegeta.
Whether they wanted to investigate didn't matter—no one dared to ask.
Some thought of Cui and tried contacting him, but got no response.
Vegeta didn't bother explaining. He gave the crowd a cold glance and walked off.
The base staff exchanged worried looks. A few managers eventually ordered repairs and headed to the surveillance archives.
Though they grumbled among themselves, none of it reached Vegeta's ears.
After reviewing the footage, they discovered the truth:
A confrontation occurred.
Cui provoked Vegeta.
Vegeta killed him.
Should they report this?
The managers hesitated in fear.
In the end, they chose to suppress the matter temporarily and report it only after Vegeta departed.
After all, it was their lives on the line.
If Vegeta learned they reported him now, he might erase them just as easily as he erased Cui.
…
Elsewhere, after finishing his meal at the base, Vegeta stepped outside.
The vast, desolate planet stretched before him—a dead world.
Vegeta remembered that when Frieza's forces first occupied it, the planet was full of life. Excessive mining had drained it into ruin.
Soon, Frieza would abandon it and move to another planet as the next transit base.
"Next… let's see if I can do it."
Standing alone on the barren wasteland, Vegeta took several deep breaths, fully steadying himself.
He would attempt transformation.
Using his willpower, he guided his energy toward the center of his upper back.
Having inherited Vegeta's full body and talent, he could control his ki perfectly at this level.
After mastering the fundamentals of ki manipulation, he was even better at fine control.
But on his first attempt… Vegeta suddenly realized he had run into a problem.