Half an hour later, near the ship's landing site, Goku, Gohan, Krillin and Nail were already waiting. Vegeta stood with Bulma and Dende, and behind them were several elite soldiers who had followed Vegeta since defecting from the old Frieza Force.
Vegeta showed no visible concern about King Cold. With his memories from another timeline, he already knew the basic truth. King Cold's strength was below Frieza's. Even without that knowledge, the weight of King Cold's ki revealed his range clearly. His power was somewhere from fifty million to one hundred million. Perhaps there was more hidden, but exceeding one hundred million would be rare.
As King Cold's pressure drew closer, every face tightened… even Goku's.
They knew nothing about King Cold, and Goku himself could not guarantee victory. Vegeta existed as the final shield, but even they understood they could not place all hope on him.
"He is here," Vegeta said quietly.
Everyone looked to the sky.
A burning trail cut through Namek's thin atmosphere. King Cold's ship descended, an enormous vessel identical to Frieza's old flagship. Thanks to the signal Vegeta had sent earlier, King Cold's ship automatically locked onto the prearranged landing zone and settled on an island nearby.
No one moved.
"What a terrifying ki. How many lives did he slaughter to leave this kind of presence…" Krillin whispered.
It was not only him.
Goku, Gohan, Nail, Dende, Bulma and even Vegeta's hardened subordinates felt a chill.
Frieza's aura had been cruel.
King Cold's was worse.
It had the weight of an emperor who had wiped out civilizations with casual ease.
Vegeta clicked his tongue.
"If you are scared, now is the time to run. You can still make it."
His tone did what he intended.
Gohan straightened.
Krillin gritted his teeth.
Nail's eyes sharpened.
Anger replaced fear. Vegeta was provoking them deliberately. If they were going to face death, they needed steel in their hearts, not trembling.
"Vegeta. Let me go first. If I cannot handle him, then you can step in," Goku said calmly.
Vegeta had expected him to say exactly that.
"Fine. It will show me how far your potential development has taken you. A warning, Kakarot. King Cold is no pushover. He is not Frieza, but he is no small threat. Do not hold back, or you will lose badly."
His smirk was confident, almost taunting.
Vegeta wanted Goku to push himself to the limit.
He wanted to see that spark that might ignite the legendary transformation.
Goku nodded and kept his gaze fixed on the ship.
The hatch opened.
Dozens of elite soldiers marched out in perfect formation. Each was strong, their power levels ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands. Their discipline and killing intent made Krillin, Gohan and Nail uneasy.
Once the soldiers parted, King Cold stepped out.
He was massive.
Larger than Frieza.
Each step carried imperial weight.
Beside him stood a tall, lean, purple skinned figure—Mozart, his right hand, with a power of three hundred thousand. Mozart's sharp eyes locked onto the group across the island.
"I never thought my son would die on this dried up wasteland," King Cold said as he surveyed the barren landscape. The battlefield scars made Namek seem even more lifeless.
"Mighty King Cold, look over there," Mozart said, pointing toward Vegeta and the others.
King Cold's eyes narrowed.
A shadow of murderous rage spread across his face.
"You knew I would come… and you waited here for me?" he mocked as he floated across the water.
"Foolish monkeys. Just because you killed my son with a stroke of luck, do you think you can repeat that against me? Pathetic."
His words finally made everything clear.
King Cold believed Frieza died due to a cheap shot.
He believed Vegeta used the Great Ape form and struck before Frieza could transform.
A ripple of pity crossed the group.
Goku felt it.
Krillin felt it.
Gohan and Nail felt it.
Even Bulma and Dende.
Vegeta's pity was the coldest of all.
King Cold misread the look and grew more furious.
"Vegeta will die by my hands. The rest of you… you belong to me. And leave one Namekian alive. We need him to tell us where the Dragon Balls are."
"Yes, King Cold," Mozart replied.
He activated his scouter and began scanning.
"Power level… ninety six thousand… ninety thousand… eighty five thousand… Not bad for a backwater planet. And one of you has nearly three hundred thousand. That must be the Saiyan who killed Ginyu."
His reading was technically correct… but completely wrong.
He had no idea Goku was hiding most of his strength.
Goku stepped forward.
"You have strong ki. Two days ago, I would have liked to fight you for fun. But now… the gap is wider."
He spoke plainly.
No bluff.
No arrogance.
Mozart blinked in confusion.
And King Cold laughed.
~~~~~~
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