Vegeta III had just gotten to his feet when Saigo's reminder brought back the humiliating memory that had left him feeling so ashamed.
His pupils suddenly contracted, and cold sweat poured down his face. It was as if he had just witnessed the deepest, most absolute terror.
He was now even more certain that what Saigo had said earlier was true. The Super Saiyan God might really exist!
And the Super Saiyan might really exist, too!
The God of Destruction—Beerus!
That monster who had crushed any thought of resistance in him!
At that moment, his memories came flooding back, vivid and crystal clear.
Thud, thud, thud!
Vegeta III's face was filled with terror as he stumbled backward several steps.
Seeing Vegeta III lost in his painful memories, Saigo immediately reached out and unleashed a burst of force at him.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The force Saigo unleashed sent Vegeta III stumbling back several more steps. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. At the same time, the impact dragged him out of his painful memories. He slumped back, braced himself with both hands, and gasped for breath.
"Hmph! You remember now, don't you? Stop acting like you're 'the greatest under heaven' all the time. Anyone who didn't know better would think you really were!"
As he lectured Vegeta III, Saigo noticed that the guards who had fallen earlier were showing signs of waking. He immediately flew down from the throne and went over to Vegeta III.
"Get up already. Your personal guards are about to wake up! Once they do, have them find some reliable elite warriors. I don't need many, just elites. Remember! Don't worry about whether they're Elite Warriors. I only want twenty. Understood?"
Vegeta III took several deep breaths to steady himself, then got up. He glanced at Saigo cautiously and gratefully, and only after Saigo nodded did he fly up in front of the throne. He didn't sit down.
King Vegeta had barely come to a stop when the four Elite Warriors lying unconscious on the ground began to slowly open their eyes.
They struggled to their feet, and it took them a while to fully regain their senses.
As their vision cleared, Saigo's figure came into view.
In an instant, fury at the thought of revenge flared in their hearts. One of them even cursed at him.
"You piece of trash! How dare you sneak-attack me! Are you ready to die?"
The four glared wide-eyed, fists clenched, ready to charge at Saigo.
Just then, a sharp rebuke came from behind them.
"What are you doing? Stop!"
"Have you not embarrassed yourselves enough? Stand down!"
Hearing Vegeta III's voice, the four were forced to stop in their tracks.
They were all panting hard. Reason gradually replaced the fury in their eyes, but they never took their gaze off Saigo, as if silently swearing that one day they would make him pay for sneaking up on them.
After glaring at him for a while, they gritted their teeth and forced down their resentment. Then they turned and returned to their posts, making a determined effort not to look at Saigo.
Watching from the platform, Vegeta III was so angry his teeth were practically grinding.
Those idiots!
They didn't even know how strong he was, yet they still dared to hold a grudge!
Thank goodness King Saigo hadn't lost his temper. If he decided to kill you, I couldn't stop him!
Increasingly irritated, Vegeta III issued an order.
"You four, go find twenty elite warriors at once. I don't care about their potential, only the twenty with the highest current combat power! Remember, do it in secret. Bring back the ones who are away, too!"
The four Elite Warriors had just returned to their posts. At the order, they immediately turned to face Vegeta III and acknowledged it.
"Yes, King Vegeta!"
As they passed Saigo, all four did the same thing: they quietly threatened him.
"You just wait!" x4
Saigo replied to each of them, "Fine! I'll be waiting!"
The four glared at him, eyes blazing, wishing they could tear him limb from limb right then and there.
In the end, all they could do was give him one last vicious glare before leaving, fuming.
As soon as they were gone, Vegeta III couldn't stand still any longer. He flew over to Saigo in a flash, his face full of apology and his manner utterly sincere.
"King Saigo, I'm sorry you had to see that! It's all my fault for failing to keep my subordinates in line. Please punish me!"
Saigo waved a hand. "I don't care how you used to do things, and I won't hold it against you. But since you want me to become king of the Saiyans and lead them to glory, from now on you'll do things my way. No questions asked. Can you do that?"
Worried that Vegeta III might not put enough effort into it, Saigo immediately offered him a temptation he couldn't refuse.
"As long as you do as I say, the Super Saiyan won't be a legend anymore. It'll become reality! It all depends on what you do!"
Vegeta III took the bait. He had dreamed of becoming a Super Saiyan, but until now, it had been nothing more than a dream. Now that there was a chance of becoming one, how could he let it go?
He dropped to his knees again in excitement and swore his loyalty.
"King Saigo, just give the order! From now on, you're the king of the Saiyans. Your words will be my guide. If you say east, I'll never go west!"
Just as I thought!
No Saiyan can resist the temptation of becoming a Super Saiyan.
Saigo thought this to himself.
But aloud, he said, "Good. Get up. I'll explain what you need to do to keep Frieza's spies off our trail. Come closer and listen."
"Yes!"
After another ten minutes or so, Saigo had finished explaining what needed to be done.
Vegeta III hesitated, but in the end he voiced his concern.
"King Saigo, wouldn't this play right into Frieza's trap to round us all up? The low-class warriors who've already been sent away... Do we really need to call them back?"
"Foolish!" Saigo scolded him. "Why can't you understand? We're doing this to throw them off the scent and make Frieza think we're eagerly following his orders to gather all the Saiyans!"
"We don't just have to call them back. We also have to send people to find them and bring them in! The bigger a show we make of it, the more the enemy will believe we're doing everything we can to bring our people back. That'll give us more time to prepare, and the better our chances of resisting Frieza! It's a win three ways. Why wouldn't we do it?"
"Even if you can't understand, you still have to do as I say! We'll have to bring our people back sooner or later. We might as well let the enemy help spread the word. It'll save us manpower and resources, and bring back the people wandering outside our world!"
After hearing so much, Vegeta III wasn't a simpleton. As soon as Saigo pointed it out, he understood.
"Yes, King Saigo. Your plan is truly brilliant! You really are the Savior of the Saiyans!"
Saigo was pleased, but put on a displeased expression and waved him off. "Enough flattery! Do something useful instead!"
"By the way, do you have a secret base?"
Vegeta III nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes! King Saigo, are you thinking of—"
"Good. Lead the way! When the twenty elite warriors arrive, make sure they don't wear the Scouters they bought from Frieza. You have Scouters of your own design, right?"
"We do!"
"Good. They'll bring the latest Scouters. There'll be twenty of us including you. Oh, I nearly forgot! Count the Bardock Squad and the Paragus Squad among them. Twenty in all. Once everyone's here, bring them to me together! For now, take me to the secret base!"
"Yes! I'll remember. This way, please!"
Before you continue