The village on Namek was instantly filled with an evil pressure. Gales tore through the area, lake water surged backward, and the ground trembled.
The earth beneath Slug's feet kept crumbling. Countless stones shot into the air, then were crushed to dust.
"Beep, beep, beep, beep!"
The Scouters over the eyes of Ginyu, Salza, Dore, and Neiz blared out shrill alarms.
"Two hundred thousand... three hundred thousand... five hundred thousand..."
Ginyu looked as though he'd seen a ghost. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat poured down his face.
"Bang!"
His Scouter exploded. Slug's power had exceeded its measurement limit.
"Impossible! This is the latest model! It can even measure King Frieza's power level of 530,000!"
Ginyu's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with utter terror.
He didn't know Frieza could transform. As far as he was concerned, Slug's power level was twice Frieza's. It was the kind of thing that would jolt you awake from a nightmare.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Salza, Dore, and Neiz's Scouters exploded next. Scalding fragments struck their faces, but they didn't even seem to notice.
"J-just... how high is his power level...?" Ginyu's teeth chattered, and he could barely get the words out.
"It's over a million!"
Neiz was tall and slender, like a lizard standing upright, but now he was gasping for breath as if he were suffocating.
The Scouters issued to Cooler's Armored Squadron were a model above Ginyu's, but even they could only measure power levels up to one million.
Salza clutched his head in anguish, his heart filled with regret. He'd tried to account for just how strong Slug might be, but the truth was worse than he'd imagined.
"We're... dead... There's no escape..."
Dore was the strongest of the four, with a power level of 185,000. Yet faced with Slug, he was utterly desperate, unable even to muster the courage to run.
Judging by the power Slug had shown, he'd been holding back just now. Otherwise, killing the four of them would've been no harder than killing Dodoria and the others.
"Phew!"
Slug suppressed his power and took several heavy breaths. The area fell quiet again.
He was too old. If he hadn't been about to make a wish, he wouldn't have unleashed his full power like that. It would shorten his lifespan.
"Once I'm young again, my power level will at least triple," Slug said calmly.
His casual words thundered through the minds of Ginyu and the others. They were utterly unable to think.
They were trapped between a rock and a hard place.
If they agreed to serve Slug, Frieza and Cooler would kill them as soon as they arrived.
If they refused Slug, they'd die right here.
Unless Slug was strong enough to take on Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold all by himself.
As they struggled to decide what to do, Porunga's voice echoed across the sky. "Have you decided on your wishes yet?"
"My time here is limited. I'm about to disappear."
Slug turned away from Ginyu and the others, his voice brimming with excitement. "Make me young again, back to the time when I was at my strongest!"
"I understand."
A red light flashed in Porunga's enormous eyes, and a golden beam struck Slug.
Slug's body began changing rapidly. The wrinkles in his skin smoothed away, and his muscles swelled, filling him with an oppressive presence.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Is this what it feels like to be full of power? It's incredible!"
Young again, Slug laughed out loud. The entire universe would be his now.
"It's over!"
Salza and the others closed their eyes. Their mission had failed, and there was no turning back. Cooler and Frieza would never spare them.
"Very well, your first wish has been granted. Now, tell me your second," Porunga said, gazing down at everyone.
"I want eternal life! I never want to grow old again!" Slug had planned his second wish long ago.
"Simple." Red light flashed in Porunga's eyes once more.
A white pillar of light suddenly rose from beneath Slug, surging skyward and filling him with an extraordinary sensation.
"I want evil to fill the entire universe! I want every villain to do as they please, whatever they want!" Slug spread his arms, overwhelmed by an indescribable thrill.
"Your second wish has been granted. Only one wish remains," Porunga said, carrying out his task mechanically, without a trace of emotion.
"I wish to be immortal! No matter how powerful my enemies are, none of them will ever be able to kill me!" Slug's eyes blazed with fervor.
"Easily done." A flash of light passed through Porunga's eyes.
Crimson light enveloped Slug's body, then was completely absorbed by him.
"All three wishes have been granted. Farewell!"
"To thank you, I'll make sure you stay forever!"
Slug spread his hand and swept it forcefully. Five terrifying beams shot from his fingers, cutting Porunga's massive body into six pieces.
"Ah..."
Porunga let out a mournful cry, then exploded with a thunderous bang. His six pieces became countless glowing specks and vanished.
The seven Dragon Balls instantly lost their luster, turning into ordinary stones that crashed to the ground.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Slug gazed at his handiwork and laughed maniacally. Now, no one would ever be able to defeat him.
"We're willing to serve you, Lord Slug!"
Salza, Dore, Neiz, and Ginyu knelt on one knee and swore their allegiance.
They'd thought it over. Staying alive a little longer was better than nothing, and if they refused Slug, they'd die on the spot.
Besides, after seeing Slug's three wishes, they suddenly thought they might not have to die after all.
"Excellent. From now on, you four will be my generals. I'll put you in charge of countless planets across the universe."
Slug was in high spirits. He didn't care that his former subordinates had been killed by the four men before him. It was simply survival of the fittest.
"This planet is too ordinary. Take me to Frieza and Cooler first. I'm going to take over their base."
"There's no need to look. They're already here!"
Ginyu swallowed hard and looked up at the sky, his eyes full of fear.
A massive shadow descended from above the clouds. Frieza's distinctive spaceship appeared, rumbling ominously.
Salza and the others wore bitter expressions. They knew Cooler was on board too, and couldn't help grumbling inwardly: My lord, why couldn't you have come sooner? You've missed all the action.
"Perfect. Today is the day I ascend to the throne of Emperor of the Universe!" Slug brimmed with confidence. He'd never felt so powerful.
"There's something else over there!" Dore cried.
A single-person pod, trailing flames, descended at high speed and slammed into the ground.
"Damn it! There's another wave coming from behind!" Ginyu snapped, spitting out a few words in his dialect.
On the other side of Namek, two small spaceships also passed through the atmosphere and descended smoothly toward the ground.
"Sent to Namek on a top-secret mission?" Ginyu gritted his teeth.
He swore that if he made it back to the Frieza Force, the first thing he'd do was go to the Intelligence Department and beat up everyone he saw!