Piccolo stood, his face plastered in concern. Despite his extensive training over the past year, he felt unprepared to confront a foe who appeared even stronger than before.
Glancing at Vegeta, he asked, "Even when not training with me and Gohan, you seemed to have gotten stronger. Do you have a plan?"
"Split them up. Target the ship first, and I'll take Frieza; you take his father," Vegeta replied, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the incoming vessel that loomed ominously overhead.
The rocky wasteland around them was desolate. The other Z-Fighters had arrived beforehand, and Bulma had followed suit, emerging from her hovercraft with a keen interest plastered upon her face.
"Why did you come here too, Bulma? It's going to get dangerous. That guy may destroy everything around here, even the Earth itself."
"I want to see what this Frieza is all about. Besides, if he destroys the Earth, there will be no hiding place, right? So it's better to stay close to you guys and witness it firsthand." Although a hint of fear crept into her voice, her curiosity overpowered her trepidation. She was resolute in her desire to face this threat head-on.
As her words hung in the air, they all instantly felt the pressure intensify, accompanied by beads of sweat trickling down the faces of almost all of them.
The ship landed with a thunderous thud, kicking up a dramatic cloud of smoke. At that moment, silence enveloped the group; no one dared to move or even breathe.
Tien's eyes widened, taking in the scene before him. "So that's Frieza."
"Yeah, and the other one seems to be near the same level of power. Vegeta said it was his father," Yamcha responded, standing tall despite the fear that gripped him. Even if he met his end in battle, he was willing to fight for his friends.
Krillin shivered, the memories of his previous death still haunting him. "Yeah, that's him." His teeth chattered loudly, betraying the fear he felt towards the merciless tyrant.
Vegeta remained still, his gaze locked on the ship, contemplating the impending confrontation.
"Hmph. I would advise those of you other than the Namekian, Kakarot's spawn, and the Triclops to back away. It wouldn't do for you to be reduced to ash almost immediately," Vegeta said, his feet slightly lifting off the ground as he considered approaching the ship first.
"If you're going to fly there, then you're definitely taking me with you. You're not going to let a fine lady like me walk all the way there, right?" Bulma declared, her determination shining through. She was resolute, unwilling to accept a refusal.
At that moment, the group collectively envisioned Vegeta blasting her into the afterlife for her boldness, and they instinctively prepared to intervene. However, what they witnessed next caught them off guard.
Vegeta regarded her with an expressionless stare. Her blue eyes locked onto his, unwavering. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he found her boldness respectable. "She truly is one of a kind." he thought, without uttering a word, he wrapped his arm around her waist and took to the skies, leaving the others in stunned silence.
They watched, trying to process the unexpected turn of events.
"So they like bad boys, huh?" Krillin murmured, almost to himself.
"What about it, Sr. Krillin?" Gohan asked innocently, his curiosity piqued.
"Nothing, nothing, ahaha. Let's go before he starts causing problems here," Krillin replied, eager to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic. He couldn't let Gohan get caught up in this unexpected dynamic just yet.
The trio, now joined by Bulma, ascended into the sky at a steady pace, while the others followed at a safe distance, careful to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Bulma, taken aback by the situation, had anticipated a heated argument to convince Vegeta to take her along. Instead, she found herself in an unexpected victory, relishing the closeness as she hugged him tightly, pressing herself against him.
The spherical ship loomed ominously, standing still for what felt like an oppressing minute before it finally opened. A line of men clad in battle armor emerged, each sporting a menacing scouter on their eyes. Some wielded hand lasers, while others carried traditional blasters.
From the ship, a short figure slowly stepped forward, followed closely by a tall, muscular horned figure. The shorter of the two displayed a body augmented with mechanical parts, a fusion of flesh and machinery that sent a chill down the spines of the onlookers.
Frieza stood there, his form now seemingly more machine than organic, a transformation that left him looking even more formidable. At his side, King Cold towered, an amused smile gracing his lips as they surveyed their surroundings.
"As I've told you, Father, although this planet is small, it holds a certain amount of resources that could be put to good use, especially with the locals at our whim," Frieza remarked, his eyes glinting with ambition as he scanned the area.
"Hmph. Indeed, we can add it to our list of planets. We can either sell it or add it to our collection. It will be worth it," King Cold replied in a detached voice, regarding the conquest of another planet as merely another step towards ensuring his race's dominance over the universe—nothing more, nothing less.
"Fufufu, indeed, that would be a delightful surprise for that monkey," Frieza sneered, his fists clenching at the thought of the Saiyan who had humiliated him in the past. He refused to allow a mere monkey—a race so inferior to his own—to tarnish his name any further.
"But before that," Frieza declared, his gaze sweeping over his men, "you will massacre every human on this planet. It will be too dull to wait for his arrival for three hours, but we can entertain ourselves in the meantime."
"Yes, Lord Frieza," they all responded in unison, ready to carry out the orders given to them. As they began to move, however, they suddenly halted. A boy with blue hair stepped boldly in front of them, blocking their path.
"So, you are Frieza... It's not the ideal situation, but fine, I'll step in..." the boy spoke, his voice devoid of emotion as he faced the dreaded tyrant.