Planet Namek.
As two spaceships broke through the atmosphere and landed on a nearby island, Son Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta were the first to feel the two suffocatingly evil auras up close.
"I-it's hard to believe. Feeling them in person, these two auras are even more terrifying and evil than Frieza's." Cold sweat slid down Son Goku's cheek, and he couldn't help swallowing.
And that was despite having mentally prepared himself in advance and sensing their auras long before now.
"Hmph! Do you believe me now? King Cold was once the Emperor of the Universe. Though he stepped behind the scenes after Frieza took over, he's no less terrifying than Frieza! And the scariest one is Cooler. Rumor has it that his power far surpasses Frieza's! Even I don't know just how strong he is!!" Vegeta clenched his fists, his expression grave.
This time, neither Son Goku nor Piccolo argued with him. They had bigger enemies to worry about.
The facts proved that Vegeta hadn't exaggerated.
Still, to bolster their morale, Piccolo spoke up. "Hmph! If you're scared, you can hurry up and run away while they're still inside! The spaceship you came here in should still be usable! Namek doesn't need you. I can protect it on my own!!"
With that, Piccolo stepped forward, putting himself front and center.
After nearly three months of hard training, his strength had long since become a far cry from what it had been. Though those evil auras still shocked him, he was no longer completely helpless against them.
Piccolo's words made Vegeta grit his teeth.
"You think I'm still the same as I was two months ago? Don't underestimate me, you bastard!!"
If he hadn't wanted to grow stronger, if he hadn't wanted to learn how to transform, he would have left