December 16, Age 762.
In the depths of space near Planet Namek, a massive disc-shaped spaceship hovered silently.
After a month and a half of nonstop travel, Frieza had finally arrived.
The moment news of the Dragon Balls reached him, he rushed over from another galaxy without rest.
"Lord Frieza, we've arrived at Planet Namek."
"Your subordinates have already completed a full survey. The planet has no resources worth exploiting."
Inside the control room, Dodoria and Zarbon stood on either side of Frieza as they delivered their report.
"Hohoho~~ This planet looks pleasant enough, but it's truly unfortunate that it has no resources. Otherwise, it could have become a new operations base," Frieza chuckled, swirling a wine glass.
"How about the population? And the strength of the Namekians?"
As Frieza spoke, none of the other subordinates dared to breathe too loudly. Only Dodoria and Zarbon could speak directly to him.
"It has been fully investigated, Lord Frieza," Zarbon reported respectfully.
"Planet Namek is poor in resources and sparsely populated. While a few Namekians possess battle powers in the thousands, the vast majority have little to no battle power."
"I see. A battle power of several thousand isn't low," Frieza said as he drained his glass.
The galactic emperor was already growing impatient to seize the Dragon Balls.
"Besides that… there is something I believe must be reported," Zarbon continued.
"Oh? What news?" Frieza asked.
"According to previous reports, Vegeta caused an incident on Planet 79. Cui was killed by him… And if the information is accurate, he should arrive on Namek within two days."
"Oh my~ It seems little Vegeta also wants the Dragon Balls for himself. How amusing. Unfortunately, by the time he arrives, Planet Namek will be a dead world," Frieza said casually, completely indifferent to Cui's death.
After all, Cui was nothing but an insect with a battle power of 18,000.
"Hmph! Vegeta's actions are no different from betrayal. Lord Frieza, I request permission to eliminate him," Dodoria growled.
"It won't be that easy. According to the data… Vegeta's battle power exceeded 22,000 during his last fight on Planet 79. His strength likely surpasses yours and mine," Zarbon warned.
"What?! Over 22,000?" Dodoria broke into cold sweat.
His own battle power was exactly 22,000.
If Zarbon was correct, neither of them could defeat Vegeta. Their positions were suddenly not as secure as they had believed.
Frieza waved a hand dismissively. "What's the problem? If one-on-one isn't possible, just gang up on him."
To Frieza, a mere Saiyan with twenty-something thousand power was nothing. And if needed, he still had the Ginyu Force.
"Then—" Zarbon tried to continue, but Frieza cut him off immediately.
"Enough. The most important thing now is to find the Dragon Balls. Prepare to land. I want to see for myself what kind of race created them. Hohoho~~"
"Yes, Lord Frieza!" both men replied.
Planet Namek — Central Region
The Grand Elder's home.
The Grand Elder's expression was grim, his massive body trembling slightly. Cold sweat ran down his face.
He had long foreseen that a great catastrophe would come to Planet Namek. Today, that terrifying evil presence finally arrived.
"It seems… Namek is doomed…" he whispered weakly.
He immediately began sending telepathic messages to the various villages.
To prevent the Dragon Balls from falling into evil hands, he instructed all his children to hide themselves and the Dragon Balls.
However, he did not realize that the Frieza Force used scouters capable of detecting battle power.
No matter how they hid, they would be found.
Outside, Nail sensed the arrival of Frieza's army as well.
He entered the room and bowed before the Grand Elder.
As the strongest of the Namekians, he was unlike the others—he was a true combat-type warrior.
Meanwhile — In Space
Vegeta's spaceship continued its rapid flight, only two days away from Planet Namek.
From the start of the journey until now, Vegeta had fully adapted to fifty times Earth's gravity.
He was deep into high-intensity training with super-heavy weighted clothing and restraint devices.
"9996… 9997… 9998… 9999… 10,000!!"
Vegeta completed the last set of one-finger push-ups, gritting his teeth.
He refused to collapse despite the agony screaming through his body.
This moment mattered most—pushing past his limits meant greater growth.
Every round of physical training ended like this. Vegeta had become fully accustomed to the feeling of destroying himself and rebuilding stronger.
Only when his body trembled uncontrollably did he flip up from the floor and land on his feet.
His limbs burned. His chest felt like a furnace. His breath came rough and sharp. But the sensation lit a fire inside him.
"This is the effect of gravity training. Compared to three days ago, my strength has at least doubled—and my body has gotten far tougher," he said, clenching his fists.
Vegeta walked to the resting area and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.
Only two days remained. Training in fifty times gravity had made him much stronger—but nowhere near enough.
He immediately shifted into ki training to stabilize his gains and dig deeper potential from within.
Two Days Later
Time passed quickly.
A spaceship pierced through Planet Namek's atmosphere and landed steadily on a small island.
The hatch opened.
Vegeta stepped out, expression cold, battle-ready.
He had arrived.