Black Shadow

It had been two months since they left Tusta Planet, and during that time, Li Ming had gradually come to accept the people aboard the ship.

After all, Babas handled matters in a way that put Li Ming at ease. There might be chances to work with this mercenary group in the future, so aside from training, Li Ming gradually began interacting with them more.

Of course, he still had not told them that he was truly a Saiyan, and he continued using Xilaka's false name.

The voyage ahead naturally went smoothly as well, until one day when a spaceship blocked their path. Only then did Li Ming tense up. He knew the emblem on that ship all too well—the Galactic Patrol!

"Persistent bastards!"

A shadow flashed through his eyes, but he quickly realized something. He could not sense Frieza's ki. Instead, a very familiar ki was blocking their way.

The result caught him off guard. He did not even need to look to know who had come.

"Boss, the Galactic Patrol is here. What do we do?" Babas approached Li Ming, who had just stepped out of the training room.

Drying his hair with a towel, Li Ming said, "We're mercenaries. Just negotiate normally. Have Cain connect to their communication frequency."

"Got it."

Babas turned and walked away. Although things had become somewhat unpleasant because of Kulunxi before, he had not held onto it. After all, it had only been a misunderstanding. He was the kind of person who was honest and dependable without being foolish.

Only someone with that sort of personality could lead a team farther. The mercenary profession itself was unstable to begin with; becoming space pirates was hardly unusual.

Then, while Li Ming was taking a shower, one—no, two—uninvited guests appeared aboard the ship.

Li Ming's gaze sharpened at the change. His senses could not remain active at all times, but without his orders, the others should not have allowed anyone onto the ship. Even if they were Galactic Patrol officers, they had no authority over mercenaries.

"Hello, Mr. Xilaka. I'm Jaco, a super elite Galactic Patrol officer. It's a pleasure to meet you." Jaco extended his hand toward Li Ming, then froze. "Huh? That's strange. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"Hello."

Li Ming's pupils contracted. He directly reached out and shook Jaco's hand, then tried to divert his attention by looking at the white-haired man beside him. He had a normal humanoid form, though his skin was pale blue.

What concerned Li Ming even more was that he could not feel any ki from him at all. That was highly unusual. It was not simply that the man was too weak to sense; in truth, living beings almost never fell into that category.

As long as something was alive, biological energy existed within it. To those who practiced martial arts, that was ki.

Yet the man before him felt like a robot, without the slightest trace of ki. Could he be an android? The thought crossed Li Ming's mind, but he did not dwell on it and focused instead on fooling Jaco.

"And this is?"

Jaco was the sort who dropped the ball at crucial moments, so his attention was successfully diverted almost immediately. "Oh, let me introduce him. This is Merus. We were on patrol and happened to spot you, so we came to see whether you were space pirates or something. But since you're mercenaries, it's fine."

"I see. Then can we leave now?" Li Ming hoped to shake Jaco as soon as possible. The longer he stayed, the greater the risk of his identity being exposed.

To be honest, Li Ming really did not want to kill Jaco. Jaco knew Tights and was friends with Bulma's family. Li Ming had also managed to leave Earth smoothly thanks to Jaco. Acting against him under these circumstances was something Li Ming found deeply objectionable.

Jaco nodded. "Of course. But I still think you look really familiar, and the name Xilaka also seems like..."

"I'm an Earthling."

Li Ming suddenly spoke, and those words completely dispelled Jaco's doubts. Jaco slapped his hands together, a look of realization appearing on his face.

"Oh, I see! That's why you looked so familiar. You're an Earthling! I have friends who are Earthlings too!"

"Mm, I think I heard Dr. Brief mention an alien before. That was probably you."

"Heh heh heh, that's right! I am the super elite Galactic Patrol officer Jaco!" Hearing that Dr. Brief had mentioned him, Jaco immediately perked up, his nose practically pointing at the sky as he completely forgot his earlier suspicions.

After all, for every species in the universe, the differences between other races were enormous. But when it came to members of the same race, it was difficult for them to distinguish one individual from another.

For example, in the eyes of Earthlings, the only difference between Jaco and his girlfriend was their height...

Jaco was the same. If not for the obvious differences in hair color and height, as well as the distinguishing trait of a tail, he would have had a hard time telling Saiyans and Earthlings apart.

In the end, Jaco and Merus left. Before departing, Merus gave Li Ming a meaningful look, and that glance made Li Ming uncomfortable all over.

He had the vague feeling that something bad was going to happen, but then he was startled by the way the two left. A dazzling curtain of multicolored light instantly enveloped them, and they vanished from where they stood.

"Just who is this guy?" Li Ming was completely stunned. He was now basically certain that Merus was definitely not an android!

That kind of teleportation ability, activated with a single thought, was not something technology could achieve. Even magic should not have been capable of it. The only known ability that could do so was Instant Transmission, but that required physical contact to take anyone other than oneself along.

A person-carrying teleportation ability like Merus's, activated almost with a thought, was definitely not Instant Transmission! Li Ming had never heard of Jaco possessing such an ability.

"Hmm?" Kulunxi, who had been standing behind Li Ming all along, suddenly saw a black shadow flash past behind him before vanishing. At first, she thought it was merely an illusion and paid it no mind.

Meanwhile, Jaco and Merus returned to their own spaceship and continued toward other centers of the universe. Their mission was more or less complete.

"What a shame. I forgot to ask that Earthling about Tights, and Dr. Brief and Bulma too. Ah!" Realizing it only afterward, Jaco scratched his head in frustration.

Merus had not said a word from beginning to end. Hearing that, he merely smiled and said, "If Jaco wants to see his friends, you can request leave, can't you?"

"That's true, but the mission of a super elite is to protect the peace of the universe. I can't let my guard down." Jaco was unusually stubborn about such matters. Then he added, "Still, it's thanks to the route you chose, Merus, that I got to meet Mr. Xilaka."

"Jaco, Xilaka sounds like a Saiyan name."

The spaceship abruptly screeched to a stop in space. Only then did Jaco finally react, and he suddenly realized, "Oh! That's why he looked so familiar! He looks just like that Saiyan from before!"

Upon hearing that, even the corner of Merus's narrowed eye twitched.

"They're exactly the same!"

He had not expected that even after giving such an obvious hint, Jaco still had not caught on.

"I hope you won't blame me. After all, I have no way of taking action."

Merus seemed to be hiding something and never said it aloud, whether it was his identity or the fact that he had deliberately sought out Li Ming.

Meanwhile, Li Ming continued his daily training, but ever since Jaco and the other had left, he had felt increasingly uneasy, as if something bad were about to happen.

Boom!

The gravity was set to one hundred and twenty times. The ki within his body erupted wildly without restraint, his figure splitting into streaks of afterimages as he darted, twisted, and flashed constantly through the training room.

The air currents stirred by him alone were enough to make the void tremble!

"He's way too strong. Boss's strength has probably surpassed one hundred thousand by now, right?" Pierre stared feverishly at the figure inside the training room. He could no longer make out Li Ming's movements, but perhaps it was precisely that pure power and speed that created such a shocking sight.

"Unfortunately, you guessed wrong." Kulunxi and the others were also there. They wanted to ask Li Ming about cultivation, but were afraid of disturbing him, so they could only wait outside.

Kulunxi's battle power now far exceeded the others', so she had the most authority to speak on the matter. "I asked Cain earlier. The gravity chamber Boss is using is set to over a hundred times gravity! I secretly went in before and tried ten times gravity. Even moving normally was difficult for me—I simply couldn't do what Boss does. It's terrifying."

Apparently still shaken by her rash attempt, Kulunxi spoke with great solemnity, allowing the others to understand Li Ming's strength firsthand for the first time.

Crack!

The gravity chamber's hatch slowly opened, and Li Ming stepped out. His face was darker than ever, his aura fully released. Everyone immediately felt their breathing hitch, while a wave of dizziness washed over their minds.

"Trouble is coming."