"Mm"
Broly nodded silently, adding nothing more.
The group quickly boarded the ship. Lepa and Lemo began chatting in hushed tones as they settled into the cabin.
Broly, for his part, didn't understand anything about such matters.
All he knew was that Lepa pressed a series of buttons on the control panel, and the ship began to vibrate slightly before taking off with a powerful thrust.
The speed was astonishing.
In the blink of an eye, they had left Planet Vampa's atmosphere behind and were now in the vast void of outer space.
For Broly, this was his first experience outside the planet.
He gazed out the window with curiosity, studying the dark, infinite surroundings. Everything seemed so empty, barely lit by scattered specks of stars and a few distant planets.
"Huff! I can finally breathe easy," Cheelai let out a sigh as she lazily rocked in one of the chairs.
"Sleeping on hay isn't so bad, but this…" she said, stretching her arms, "A comfy bed or chair is on another level. Definitely my preference."
As he piloted the ship, Lepa asked, "By the way, I never asked. Why did your ship end up breaking down?"
"Well… it wasn't exactly a breakdown…"
Lemo averted his gaze, looking a bit uncomfortable. "At the time, we were being chased by a monster. Broly tried to save us, but, well, he couldn't control his strength. He ended up causing that massive crater on Vampa and… destroyed our ship in the process."
Lepa let out a whistle. "Wow! Having high combat power is really something incredible."
He sighed in admiration. "The strong always have the advantage, no matter where they are. For those of us with combat levels below 1,000, like me… there's still a long way to go. Mr. Broly, when you join Frieza's army, remember to put in a good word for me, okay?"
Broly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but didn't bother responding, returning his attention to the vastness of space.
Lepa, unfazed, let out a carefree laugh.
It's normal. The strong always have their… special character.
He wasn't too concerned about Broly's attitude. What truly interested him was the reward he'd receive for recruiting him. The thought of a hefty payout made him chuckle to himself.
"Heh-heh…"
The rest of the journey was mostly quiet, broken only by Lepa's cheerful humming.
Lemo watched him with a curious expression.
"It's the first time I've seen Lepa so happy…"
Without taking his eyes off the void of space, Broly asked, "Lemo, are you and he related?"
"Yes," Lemo nodded calmly.
"How did you know?"
At that moment, Cheelai chimed in with a teasing tone, "It's pretty obvious. They look like they came from the same planet."
Lemo chuckled lightly as he scratched his head. "Heh, true. I guess I forgot."
Taking the opportunity, Cheelai pressed further, "Lemo, keep talking. After all, you're family. It shouldn't be that strange to see Lepa so happy, right?"
"You're right," Lemo sighed, his gaze turning melancholic.
"When he was a kid, Lepa was always optimistic and full of energy. He loved training and constantly pushed himself to get stronger. But… things changed over time. He became more subdued, more… realistic."
"Why did he change?"
Cheelai raised an eyebrow, and even Broly glanced at him with a hint of curiosity.
Lemo lowered his voice, ensuring Lepa wasn't paying attention. "Because of his talent and his body."
"Lepa was always passionate about martial arts, but his body… just wasn't built for it. The people of our planet are completely ordinary; we're not like Saiyans or Namekians. When Lepa grew up, he realized he could never truly be one of the strong. And that realization broke him inside."
Cheelai sighed, propping her elbow on the chair as she reflected.
"From a kid who loved training… to not even being able to join the combatants in Frieza's army. That must've been a huge blow for him."
"It was," Lemo admitted, letting a brief silence settle.
Broly, for his part, remained impassive, his expression barely showing any interest. Stories like this were common, almost inevitable in a universe so vast.
Lepa is like this. But what about Earthlings? Aren't most of them the same?
Let's not mention Krillin or Master Roshi.
They, too, had faced physical limitations, but their determination and insight allowed them to overcome them, raising their power levels enough to face beings from other universes.
However, the majority of beings in the universe weren't like them.
Most were like the participants in the World Martial Arts Tournament: martial artists who dedicated their entire lives to training but could never dream of surpassing Goku or Vegeta.
The difference lay in the fact that those from Earth lived in a small world with a limited view. This shielded them from the broader reality of the universe—a reality that would've crushed their spirits.
Is that a blessing or a curse?
Lepa, however, had seen too much. He knew what was out there and understood the insurmountable gap.
That understanding consumed him, leaving him in this state of frustration and resignation.
But should Broly care about this? Should he try to change the talent of every living being in the universe?
The answer was simple: No.
To him, Lepa was just a temporary passenger on his journey. The only thing that truly mattered to him was his own strength.
Everything else was irrelevant.
What he desired was to move forward.
Move forward until he surpassed Beerus, Whis, the Omni-King, and the Grand Priest.
Break the limits of Super Shenron and completely transcend the Dragon Ball multiverse.
As Broly sank into his thoughts, Cheelai let out another sigh. She had traveled across countless planets and seen this same story repeat itself over and over.
It's always the same…
People who love martial arts but never manage to surpass their limits. Whether it's due to a lack of talent, resources, or simply being born in the wrong place.
Some become depressed, others accept reality. But it never stops being sad.
It's like they're saying,"It's easy to walk in the shadows when you've never known the brightness of the sun. But once you've felt it, you never want to go back."
This thought, though recurring, weighed more heavily on her this time.
Perhaps because Lepa was someone close to Lemo, someone she knew, and not just another face lost in the universe.
That's why Cheelai's sigh this time was longer.
…
Time aboard the spaceship passed quickly, almost without them noticing.
The ship's speed was impressive, crossing vast distances in mere hours. However, even with its advanced technology, there was a limit to how fast it could travel.
No matter how efficient it was, the journey had a minimum duration.
To reach Planet Frieza, rebuilt just four months ago, they needed to spend at least a day and a half onboard.
This planet, now the nerve center of Frieza's army, had become the mandatory destination for new recruits and soldiers responding to the emperor's call.
In the four months since its reconstruction, Frieza's forces had intensified their recruitment efforts, seeking new warriors from every corner of the universe.
For most, a day-and-a-half trip on a spaceship would be tedious. But Broly had something to keep him occupied: the Multiversal Chat Group.
His attention was focused on the group's activities.
In that brief period, his activity in the chat increased.
Interestingly, several members had made significant progress during this time:
Kushina, for instance, had accumulated enough points to purchase a Ki training method.
Meanwhile, King and Vermouth had long since acquired the same training method. Both had already started practicing and regularly shared their progress in the chat.
As a result, the Chat was buzzing with activity all day.