The Briefs Family Really Was Loaded

In the end, Piccolo sat down after all, though there was nothing beneath him. On the surface, he maintained a relaxed, comfortable posture.

Frieza didn't call him out. He quickly polished off a plate of five Tree of Might fruits, then made a very gentlemanly gesture.

"Mr. Piccolo, aren't you fond of fruit?"

Piccolo nearly lost his composure!

Why didn't you invite me to eat before you finished? You didn't say anything, so how could I dare eat?

And now that you've finished, you're blaming me for not liking fruit?

Fine, I really don't like it. I just need some water.

Piccolo decided to change the subject.

"Back then, Shenron sent us back to Earth. While Slug was weak, the Grand Elder used our clan's secret technique to control him."

Frieza narrowed his eyes. It seemed that mountain-sized Grand Elder had been holding something back.

"King Frieza, don't misunderstand. This secret technique only works on members of our own clan!"

Piccolo, who had nearly been scared into a heart attack, hurriedly stood up to explain.

Frieza nodded, retaining his gentlemanly air, and invited Piccolo to sit down again.

"Don't get worked up. Sit down and talk. We have plenty of time! Dodoria, make some tea!"

Piccolo reluctantly sat in midair again. Dodoria quietly flew off to find a kettle—unless he was supposed to boil the water with his hands?

Piccolo glanced at Dodoria as he disappeared, took a deep breath, and continued.

"With the Grand Elder's help, I absorbed Slug's evil thoughts. Since most of Slug's battle power came from those evil thoughts, I benefited enormously as well."

"Later, with Shenron's help, we brought the dead people of Earth back to life, and peace returned to the planet. After training during this time, I reached the level I'm at now!"

Piccolo didn't mention anything about Dodoria. Since Frieza had already let the matter go, there was no need to invite more trouble.

Frieza nodded. Although the story had changed a little, overall, not much had changed in his absence.

Judging by the Mechanical Spy Bug that had appeared earlier, Future Trunks would show up before long, and the Androids should appear three years from now.

Frieza had planned to ask whether some guy named Garlic Jr. had appeared during this time, but decided against it. That kind of trash wasn't worth worrying about.

"Have Son Goku and Vegeta still not returned?"

Piccolo shook his head and explained that summoning Shenron hadn't brought the two of them back. They had only learned that the pair were on a planet called Planet Yardrat.

Frieza pondered for a moment. Sending Son Goku and Vegeta to Planet Yardrat had been his idea, so it seemed they were both learning Instant Transmission there.

"All right, thank you for telling me all this. Since you've been so honest, I'll let you off for what you did to Dodoria."

As Frieza spoke, he waved his hand, and the table and chairs all disappeared.

"Hey! I took away the chairs, so how are you still sitting there?!"

But before Piccolo could react, Frieza had already flown off, heading toward what appeared to be West City.

Piccolo stayed in his seated pose, his face turning dark green with anger. Unfortunately, he was weaker, so all he could do was endure it.

Poor Dodoria had finally found the kettle for boiling water, only to return and see a green face.

"F-Frieza? Where's King Frieza?"

Dodoria felt like the unluckiest person alive. His master could vanish at any moment, and it was exhausting!

This time, Piccolo didn't restrict Dodoria's freedom. He pointed west instead.

"If I'm not mistaken, Frieza went to Bulma's house. Didn't everyone say that he and Bulma got along pretty well back on Namek?"

Dodoria was overjoyed. He tossed the kettle aside, shot into the sky, and flew toward Bulma's house.

A few seconds later, Dodoria came back.

He picked up the kettle he'd thrown away and set off after King Frieza once more.

Piccolo's eye twitched uncontrollably at the sight.

Bulma's home was in the center of West City. It was a hemispherical house that took up a full tenth of the city. After all, her family was the richest on the entire planet.

The profits from Hoi-Poi Capsules were clearly astronomical.

Bulma was at home researching the Gravity Chamber and spaceships. Those were Dr. Brief's current research topics, and Bulma, who had surpassed her father, had naturally joined in.

But she had an advantage over Dr. Brief: she didn't need a ladder. She could simply float in the air and inspect whatever she wanted.

Suddenly, a terrifying face appeared right in front of Bulma. Even though she could fly, she was so startled that she fell to the ground.

Frieza's face had often appeared in Bulma's nightmares. The longer it had been, the more clearly she remembered it.

It wasn't love. Frieza's appearance and eyes had genuinely terrified her into developing a phobia.

"F-Frieza? Frieza! What are you doing on Earth?"

Once she realized the person in front of her really was Frieza, Bulma—who was often jolted awake by nightmares featuring him—wasn't quite as frightened anymore.

She quickly scrambled to her feet and grabbed Frieza's hand. First she looked at his eyes, then his square ears, and finally his long tail.

No doubt about it. This was the real Frieza.

The wild kind!

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

"Miss Bulma, you seem quite excited about my arrival!"

Bulma rolled her eyes and replied irritably.

"Wouldn't you be excited? Tell me, did you imprison Son Goku? Why else would he refuse to come back?"

Frieza had imagined all sorts of ways their reunion might go, but not this.

He immediately grew a little angry.

"Never mind, never mind. You're probably not that kind of person! Is this your first time at my house? Come on, I'll treat you to a feast!"

"King Frieza! King Frieza, you can't leave me behind again!"

Frieza hadn't even answered Bulma before Dodoria, that clingy shadow, came rushing over.

Frieza shot Dodoria a rather disgusted look, but in the end, he didn't kick him away.

Dodoria hadn't had a proper meal in nearly a year. Frieza felt sorry for him, so he decided to let him join them for a good meal as a reward for his loyalty all this time.

Bulma didn't mind Dodoria coming along, either. Frieza and Dodoria barely ate anything, and even if they were both as ravenous as Son Goku, she could afford to feed as many of them as she liked.

The three of them went to the dining room in Bulma's house. Dozens of people dressed as chefs were bustling about, ensuring the family could enjoy delicious food at any time.

That level of extravagance was something only the richest family on the planet could manage.

Dodoria's eyes were already glowing green. He swallowed a few times, but still stood rooted to the spot.

He wouldn't dare eat before King Frieza started.

"Go ahead. Eat as much as you want, but don't eat away your eight-pack!"

Dodoria nodded and bowed repeatedly, as if he'd just received a royal decree.

Then a pink storm swept through the dining room.

There was a reason Dodoria had gotten so fat.