Nearly a year had passed since the establishment of the Galactic Justice League, and all operations were running smoothly.
The Namekians had found a suitable home, moving to a new planet with the help of the Dragon Balls. They had also wished for Raditz to learn the Namekian language and expressed that he was welcome to borrow the Dragon Balls whenever needed.
Before leaving, Raditz had asked the new Elder to unlock the potential of his Saiyan fighters.
On several nearby uninhabited planets, Angila had planted Tree of Mights on a large scale for the soldiers to use in improving their strength. Under Raditz's leadership, almost everyone had made tremendous progress. Jeice and Burter had increased their power levels to around 30,000—a far cry from their previous abilities. As for Tarble, he now possessed a power level of about 50,000, comparable to Frieza's first form.
Raditz found all of this deeply satisfying—gathering the remaining Saiyan fighters and watching them grow stronger. In time, perhaps even a Super Saiyan might emerge among them. Moreover, most of these exiled Saiyans were more adaptable and less vicious than those from Planet Vegeta, which gave Raditz greater peace of mind.
Thus, a 15-member Saiyan team had taken shape. Beyond his special guards, this elite force—led by Tarble and Pepara—had gradually become famous throughout the Northern Galaxy.
But Raditz worried about becoming too well-known and drawing the attention of the Frost Demons. Frieza might be dead or alive. Frieza and Cooler were unpredictable, and the Demon King Piccolo was still missing.
Most of Raditz's operations were conducted on the fringes of space to avoid detection by the two major powers.
Now, with his influence growing larger by the day, confrontation seemed inevitable...
In the center of the Northern Galaxy, where star systems were most dense and developed, numerous space stations orbited various planets. Advanced technology flourished everywhere, with spaceships constantly coming and going, creating an interconnected network.
The most dazzling and powerful among them was Lord Cold's main planet, like a crown placed atop a heap of gems—no matter how brightly the stars shone, none could compare.
Atop the highest building on the main planet stood a magnificent palace with gorgeous columns and exquisite reliefs spreading across the walls, depicting the glorious history of the Frost Demons. Red velvet carpet covered the entire palace floor, extending to the base of the crystal throne at the far end.
On the crystal dais, King Cold supported his head with one hand, gently swirling a wine glass with the other as he examined the star map before him with great interest. Countless bright spots converged into an ocean of light, each point representing a planet under his command.
With so many worlds under his rule, King Cold felt immense pride, the corners of his mouth turning slightly upward.
But a gloomy atmosphere surrounded him, and Cold couldn't help but glance sideways. "Frieza, what's troubling you?"
Frieza, standing nearby, stared at the bleakness in the section of the star chart that had once belonged to him. Unable to contain his anger, dark energy radiated uncontrollably from his body.
The crystal beneath his feet cracked with a sharp sound, fractures spreading like a spider web.
"Father, my body has almost fully recovered. It's time to reclaim my territory," Frieza said through gritted teeth. "Those Saiyans who survived and secretly invaded my domain, spreading false reports of my death—they must not go unpunished!"
"The news only arrived yesterday. Are you that impatient?" King Cold eyed Frieza's reconstructed body. Though it resembled his original form, the severed limbs had been tightly reattached, leaving strange and hideous scars.
"It's all Cooler's doing! After retrieving me, he didn't give me proper treatment. He delayed my recovery because he feared I would interfere with the territory he seized from Slug. Later, he simply sent me to you, Father, so he could embezzle my domain and deliberately conceal the fact that Saiyans still lived."
Thinking about yesterday's news, Frieza grew increasingly furious.
He had drifted through space for three or four months before being rescued. By then, Raditz had already begun claiming his planets. By the time Frieza fully recovered, more than nine months had passed since Raditz established the Galactic Justice League—during which Cooler hadn't made a single move! Only yesterday had the news arrived, and by then Raditz's influence had spread considerably. Why hadn't they acted sooner?
"Nevertheless, he did save your life," King Cold replied, his tone unchanged.
Frieza's mouth twisted downward, and he fell silent. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense, and the alien attendants below stood motionless, their legs trembling.
"Frieza, since you hate Saiyans so much, take a force and destroy them. According to our intelligence, one of them has been particularly active and has established a considerable power base. If this continues, it will indeed become a threat to us."
"It's that Raditz..." Frieza snarled, bright red blood leaking from the crack at the corner of his mouth, making him look even more ferocious.
"Take Cooler with you. What you described last time—about the Super Saiyan transformation—concerns me greatly. Long ago, our ancestors left such legends as warnings, so we cannot be careless. Additionally, your opponent's power is substantial. If you confront him directly, I fear the losses would be significant. The best approach is to rely on Cooler's support."
King Cold was thoughtful. He anticipated that even if Frieza lost to Raditz, with Cooler's intervention, all problems would be solved.
Though Frieza despised the idea of working with Cooler, he still harbored fears about Piccolo's strength. Having backup was prudent. What he wanted most now was to annihilate those hateful Saiyans and Namekians! Ceding some territory to Cooler didn't matter—planets could be recaptured, but his enemies must be eliminated!
"Very well. Let me train for a few days to regain my coordination. That should be sufficient to deal with them."
Two days later.
In another developed region of the universe, Cooler sat aboard his spaceship, flying over the interstellar territory he had claimed.
An elderly servant with a perpetual smirk stood beside him. "Congratulations, Lord Cooler, on occupying all of Slug's territory. Now your sphere of influence exceeds even King Cold's."
"Hmph. Slug's subordinates were remarkably tenacious. Otherwise, we would have achieved this position much sooner."
"Hehehe, they only increased their casualties. Who in this universe can stand against you, my lord? They merely sought their own destruction."
Cooler glanced at him. His indifferent expression showed no response to the flattery, but his voice remained serious. "Has Frieza been informed that the Saiyan still lives?"
"I have received a reply and was about to report it, my lord." The old servant bowed deeply, his voice hoarse. "Lord Frieza has invited you to attack the Saiyans together. He is willing to cede some territory in exchange."
"So he finally understands the situation."
Cooler smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with pride.
He had maintained several observation posts in that region, and though Raditz had destroyed many, a few remained. Therefore, at least some of Raditz's activities hadn't escaped Cooler's notice.
Cooler had deliberately withheld news about the Saiyans and ignored them, firstly because the resistance from Slug's remnants was unexpectedly fierce, leaving no resources to address other matters. Secondly, by deliberately withholding this information from Frieza, he hoped to extract favorable concessions from his wounded brother.
Of course, the most fundamental reason was that, in Cooler's eyes, Saiyans were no different from insects—not a threat worth his immediate attention!
"Tell him to set a date. I can depart at any time," Cooler said, narrowing his eyes.
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