BOOM!
The artificial moon hanging in the sky above Planet Saiya suddenly exploded.
Both the Frieza Force soldiers and the rampaging Great Ape Saiyans froze in shock. None had expected the artificial moon—which the Frieza Force had failed to destroy earlier—to suddenly vanish.
Almost simultaneously, both sides looked up at where the moon had been—and their expressions shifted drastically.
The Frieza Force's initial joy at the moon's destruction quickly turned to horror when they spotted the figure floating in its place.
Meanwhile, the Great Apes, though momentarily panicked, calmed the moment they recognized Zuke hovering where the moon had been.
One by one, the giant apes began shrinking back into their human forms. Soon, the battered ruins of the city were filled with Saiyans landing softly on the ground, their terrifying battle powers plummeting back to levels between a few thousand to ten thousand.
Yet, despite the Saiyans' weakened state, none of the Frieza Force soldiers dared attack.
Because in Zuke's hand… was a tail.
Though Zuke hadn't said a word, every member of the Frieza Force knew—that was Frieza's tail.
Frieza had lost. Worse, his tail had been taken as a trophy and brought back.
There was only one conclusion: Frieza was dead.
If he were alive, the proud Emperor of the Universe would never have allowed Zuke to return to Planet Saiya so casually with his tail in hand.
---
"So… Frieza's dead? That monstrous presence earlier… was actually killed by Zuke?"
Prince Vegeta, now back in his human form, stood out among the warriors despite his small stature—his power ensured no one underestimated him.
Staring at Zuke in the distance, gripping Frieza's tail like a prize, Vegeta felt an unfamiliar surge of excitement.
Earlier, Frieza's overwhelming aura had been felt by everyone on the planet, even from space.
Yet, even that Frieza had been defeated by Zuke.
For Vegeta, this was a revelation. His goal had always been to surpass his father, King Vegeta. But now… he had a new target: Zuke.
It might be nearly impossible, but at least it was a clear ambition—far better than the mindless battle lust of most Saiyans.
---
"Still… with Frieza dead, his army has lost all will to fight."
Vegeta glanced down at the corpse in his hand—Zarbon, his skull crushed beyond recognition, his body limp like a ragdoll.
Unfortunate timing. Zarbon had died just before Zuke destroyed the artificial moon.
"Pity, Zarbon. If you'd held on a little longer, you might've survived."
With a cold smirk, Vegeta tossed the corpse aside.
Though he'd killed Zarbon, he wasn't satisfied. He'd wanted to do it without transforming—but fate had denied him that chance.
---
With Frieza's death, his army quickly collapsed.
Some tried to flee, rushing to hijack their ships—only to be ambushed by Bardock, who had been lying in wait.
Bardock, who hadn't transformed into a Great Ape, had infiltrated the Frieza Force's vessels precisely for this moment.
His entire plan had been built on one assumption: Zuke would kill Frieza.
And Zuke hadn't disappointed.
Now, leaderless and demoralized, the Frieza Force surrendered without resistance, allowing the Saiyans to round them up for judgment.
Under Zuke's watchful gaze, the defeated soldiers were marched to the central plaza for reorganization.
---
"So… you're just going to dump all the work on us?"
Bardock couldn't help but sigh as Zuke, after securing the Frieza Force's surrender, immediately delegated all administrative tasks to him.
Thankfully, the Frieza Force already had plenty of capable managers. Bardock simply had to repurpose them under Zuke's rule.
In short, aside from the Saiyans now being in charge, the Frieza Force's structure remained largely the same—just with a new boss.
"Can't call it 'dumping'—killing Frieza took a lot out of me."
Zuke smirked. He had a good rapport with Bardock, who was far sharper than the average Saiyan.
With the Frieza Force's existing bureaucracy, managing Planet Saiya's new order wouldn't be an issue.
Besides, Zuke wasn't worried about losing control.
Power was absolute.
Frieza had delegated freely because he knew no one could challenge him. Anyone who tried would be obliterated in an instant.
Zuke could do the same.
---
"So, why'd you keep me here? Just to chat?"
After exchanging a few words, Bardock exhaled.
"If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work—there's a lot to handle after taking over the Frieza Force."
Many of Frieza's top officers needed to be reminded of their new allegiance. While Zuke's strength kept them in line, Bardock still had to ensure no one tried anything sneaky.
"Hold on. There's one more thing I need you for."
Zuke shook his head.
The "thing" he had in mind?
His experiment—integrating Planet Saiya into the King's Army.
To be continued…
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