New Goal!

"Lord Frieza... I have returned."

Betkas knelt on one knee, his face expressionless as he looked at Frieza, Dodoria, and Zarbon ahead. He cast a fleeting glance at the slightly unfamiliar yet recognizable figure standing behind Zarbon, pausing for a split second before returning to his composed state.

"Well done, Betkas. Most of the planets you've conquered over these years have sold quite well. Thanks to you, we have secured much more manpower and financial resources."

Frieza sat upon his throne in his small, youthful form, a faint smile gracing his cold face. Beside him, Dodoria and Zarbon watched with indifference—or perhaps, disdain. The strange figure behind Zarbon, however, stared at Betkas with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

"No... this is only what a subordinate should do."

Betkas replied without a blush or a racing heart. Ever since arriving on Frieza's spaceship, he had learned to wear a poker face, especially when facing Frieza. He avoided thinking about anything that could be construed as rebellion, as it was easy to be caught if one left a "handle" for the tyrant. He had to wait for the right moment to reveal his true colors. Only a fool would show resentment while lacking the strength to back it up (and no, this isn't directed at Vegeta, don't misunderstand).

"You may go. Collect your scouter from the research lab. I hope you will continue to work hard and build a reputation for me, Lord Frieza, in this South Galaxy. These stubborn, unyielding natives are truly unforgivable."

Frieza seemed somewhat irritated as he continued.

"Understood, Lord Frieza. Then, I shall take my leave!"

Facing the visibly annoyed Frieza, Betkas had no desire to linger. It wouldn't be fun to be wiped out. He spoke respectfully and immediately backed away.

The moment Betkas exited, Frieza turned his head and asked the figure behind Zarbon:

"Ginyu, what do you think?"

The figure seemed to be deep in thought before speaking:

"This Saiyan brat's talent is indeed astonishing. He already has a combat power of 12,700. He doesn't seem to be hiding anything; that appears to be his full strength. However, this brat... his personality is a bit unusual."

Frieza didn't even blink at the remark, but Dodoria and Zarbon, standing nearby, looked shocked.

"It is only natural for this Betkas to have an unusual personality. Saiyans have memories from the moment they are born, and he is a prince, after all. If he were like that bald brat Nappa, I would find it strange instead."

Frieza spoke slowly.

Perhaps this was Betkas's accidental success. In Frieza's eyes, the more someone appeared to submit on the surface, the more Frieza could see through them. But for someone like Betkas, who acted silent and revealed no expression, Frieza found him harder to read.

In the original story, the reason Frieza could see through Vegeta so early was due to his actions. Anyone with eyes could see Vegeta's dissatisfaction with Frieza, and the same went for Nappa and Raditz; their thoughts were written all over their faces. Only Vegeta knew how to restrain himself and hide his feelings, but due to his arrogance, his personality was never perfectly concealed.

"Lord Frieza, this Saiyan brat might be..."

"Might be a threat, is that it?"

Just as Zarbon was about to offer his input, Ginyu suddenly interjected.

Zarbon was interrupted, but he merely glanced at Ginyu and fell silent.

"Hmph. This Saiyan brat's combat power is indeed impressive. That brat Vegeta only has a combat power of over 8,000 right now; he has already surpassed him by quite a bit. Are you two worried that his strength will exceed yours?"

Ginyu looked at Zarbon and Dodoria with disdain, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Tch!"

Zarbon and Dodoria dared not respond. Although they did harbor such concerns, they simply kept their faces neutral.

"Hmph. A mere Saiyan with good talent? Does Frieza care? A combat power of ten thousand is nothing in my eyes. A hundred thousand, a million—it is all the same!"

Frieza spoke with an air of overbearing dominance.

The three men present bowed in submission.

"By the way, Lord Frieza... regarding the matter I mentioned to you last time... do you agree?"

Ginyu suddenly remembered something and spoke up.

"That matter from last time? You mean forming a special force?"

Frieza paused, thought for a moment, and replied.

"That's right. I want to establish the Ginyu Force, which will also be the strongest unit in the galaxy serving Lord Frieza."

Ginyu sounded quite passionate.

"The strongest unit, eh? Not bad. I agree. How many people do you need?"

Frieza found the idea quite appealing and asked.

"Well... I would like to go to the South Galaxy for a while to gather some experts and select the true elites from among them. Only then will I be able to confirm the roster."

Ginyu seemed a bit reserved when asked, then answered.

"Hmm, no problem. Go!"

Frieza, in a good mood, agreed immediately.

"As you command, Lord Frieza. This subordinate will take his leave!"

Ginyu said happily, made a respectful gesture, and exited.

"I've got the scouter. Now, time to go wreak havoc in the South Galaxy!"

After obtaining the scouter, Betkas sat in his spherical spaceship, ready to depart. He had originally intended to see Vegeta upon his return, but he had already gone off to attack planets, leaving Betkas feeling a bit regretful.

"Still... that guy from earlier, was that Ginyu? I wonder how strong he is right now. In the original story, he had a combat power of 120,000."

Betkas muttered to himself, his heart feeling slightly heavy.

"However, my current plan isn't just to keep getting stronger, but to transform into a Super Saiyan."

As the spaceship took off, a new goal burned in Betkas's heart.