Vegeta: A Power Level of 90,000?

Son Goku looked at Piccolo, then at Vegeta. He didn't say anything, just folded his arms and stood to the side.

"Uncle Piccolo is so amazing!" Son Gohan gazed at him with sparkling eyes full of admiration. "Two months ago, we couldn't even beat him!"

Piccolo smiled at Son Gohan, his gaze softening for a moment.

Then he turned to Vegeta, his eyes gradually turning cold and the corners of his mouth dipping.

"Vegeta." Piccolo's voice was low, carrying a chill. "I still haven't properly settled the score with you for what happened on Earth!"

"This... How is this possible?" Vegeta stared at Piccolo in astonishment, his eyes wide, Piccolo's figure reflected in his pupils. His voice held a note of disbelief. "I was knocked down by a Namekian?"

Up in the sky, Cui's pupils narrowed. His mouth fell slightly open as he stared at Piccolo in shock.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and a sheen of cold sweat appeared on his back.

Did I see that right?

That Namekian actually knocked Vegeta down?

Maybe Vegeta let his guard down?

Wait...

Why can't I make sense of how these people are connected?

What exactly is their relationship?

"Which side are you on, anyway?" Cui asked Soro, his voice tinged with confusion.

"I'm with them." Soro pointed at Piccolo, Son Goku, and the others, gesturing down toward them.

"Then... you're not on Vegeta's side?" Cui asked again, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

"No." Soro grinned, the corners of his mouth curling up.

"Good." Cui let out a long breath of relief, his shoulders relaxing.

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui suddenly felt his stomach churn.

His expression changed. His brow furrowed sharply, and he clutched his abdomen with both hands.

"What's happening to my stomach...?" Cui's voice trembled, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. "You didn't poison the eggs, did you?"

His gaze grew wary, and his lips quivered slightly.

"Poison?" Soro pretended to look confused, tilting his head and blinking twice. "What do you mean?"

"No... Maybe I'm just imagining things." Cui shook his head, his brow relaxing before tightening again.

Soro didn't seem to be pretending. His expression was too natural.

After all, this group looked quite strong.

Cui's gaze swept from Soro to Son Goku, Piccolo, and Son Gohan below, then returned.

I'd better get on good terms with them first!

It would be great if I could bring them to Lord Frieza.

Then I wouldn't have to worry about my life anymore.

The corners of Cui's mouth lifted slightly, then quickly fell back into place.

"Hm? My stomach?"

Just as Cui was thinking this, he suddenly felt his belly gradually swell. His abdomen inflated like a balloon.

"What's happening to my stomach?" Cui looked baffled. He lowered his head, put both hands on his swollen belly, and stared with wide eyes.

Soro silently watched Cui's stomach, his gaze fixed on the bulging curve.

He suddenly realized that Cui's belly was swelling much more slowly than Krillin's had.

From pregnancy to laying the egg, Krillin had taken no more than five minutes.

Stone and Little Tree had taken even less time—under three minutes.

I wonder how long Cui will take to lay an egg.

Soro watched Cui's stomach with eager anticipation, arms folded and head tilted.

"I can't take this! My stomach hurts!" Cui's face twisted in pain, veins bulging on his forehead.

He lost his balance and immediately plummeted from the sky, dropping like a stone.

But his fall was made worse by the injuries he had already suffered. He lost control and slammed his belly into the ground on Namek.

"Pfft—"

Cui immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, the mist of red spreading through the air.

Fresh blood also ran from his backside, staining the blue grass beneath him.

At the same time, his belly quickly deflated, returning from its round, swollen shape to normal.

Soro stared at Cui in a daze. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he rubbed his chin twice.

Was that a miscarriage?

This won't do!

I wanted you to be my test subject.

If you've miscarried, how can you be a test subject now?

Soro took a deep breath, his gaze settling on Cui again.

He stared at Cui without blinking, his pupils fixed on his body.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

"Damn it!" Vegeta roared in fury, his voice exploding through the air like a thunderclap. "How dare a mere Namekian act so arrogantly in front of me!"

He sprang to his feet, pushing off the ground and launching himself forward.

Then Vegeta rushed at Piccolo, attacking him with fists and kicks.

His blows rained down like a storm, each one carrying a surge of force and tearing through the air with a sharp whistle.

Piccolo handled him with ease.

After a few exchanges, Piccolo drove his knee upward, slamming it into Vegeta's stomach. The force pierced straight through his abdomen.

"Pfft..."

Vegeta spat blood, droplets spraying from the corners of his mouth.

His eyes bulged. He felt as if his whole world had turned upside down. Clutching his stomach, he crumpled to the ground, his body curling up like a shrimp.

"I thought you'd be something special." Piccolo smirked contemptuously, the corners of his mouth lifting in mockery. "Turns out, that's all you've got."

Vegeta stared at Piccolo, stunned, his eyes wide and Piccolo's figure reflected in his pupils. He was overwhelmed with shock.

Back on Earth, this Namekian hadn't even been able to beat Nappa.

It had only been two months.

How had his power become so great?

"Could it be..." Vegeta asked in astonishment, his voice tinged with reluctance. "Do Namekians get stronger when they return to their home planet?"

"No." Piccolo shook his head decisively, lifting his chin slightly.

Piccolo knew perfectly well whether the planet gave him a boost.

After all, since arriving on Namek, he hadn't felt his energy increase at all.

"No?" Vegeta was at a loss.

"This is simply the result of our training." Piccolo smiled faintly. "That's all."

"Hey, Vegeta!" Soro called from a distance, his voice carrying across the open plain. "Piccolo's power level is 60,000 now."

"W-what did you say?" Vegeta cried out, his jaw nearly dropping. "This Namekian has a power level of 60,000? That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Looks like Vegeta's not up to it." Son Goku shook his head in disappointment, arms folded and a bitter smile on his lips. "I was hoping to have a proper spar with him."

"My power level is 60,000?" Piccolo mused, tapping his chin twice with a finger. He glanced at Son Goku, then guessed, "Then does Son Goku's power level reach 90,000?"