Chapter Summaries

Bulma gave Meruem a Dragon Radar and joined him on his search for the Dragon Balls while Dr. Briefs continued modifying his spaceship. After collecting all seven, Meruem summoned Shenron and asked whether a wish for eternal life and immortality could truly grant it, leaving his own wish undecided.

• Bulma gave Meruem the Dragon Radar and agreed to travel with him, and Meruem carried her into the air to begin the search.
• Meruem and Bulma found the Three-Star Ball in a giant bird's nest and continued collecting the Dragon Balls.
• Meruem and Bulma obtained the final Four-Star Ball from Chi-Chi at Goku's home on Mount Paozu.
• Meruem summoned Shenron, causing the world to darken and drawing the attention of Kami and the people at Kami's Lookout.
• Meruem asked Shenron whether a wish for eternal life and immortality would make him truly immortal and what effects it would have.

Meruem learned that Shenron could not grant him immortality or a stronger body, then left Earth to train before the Dragon Ball Z events began. He reached a strange, seemingly abandoned city on another planet, where no living creatures could be found.

• Shenron told Meruem that immortality would affect his strength and that he could not grant wishes beyond Kami's power.
• Bulma wished for Meruem to fall in love with her, but Shenron refused; Meruem instead wished for a basket of strawberries that would never run out.
• Meruem caught the Four-Star Ball as the Dragon Ball flew away and gave the strawberries to Bulma, then rejected her offer to join him in space.
• Meruem boarded Dr. Brief's modified spaceship and set off to strengthen himself, keeping the other Chimera Ants, Ruiko, and Pitou out of danger.
• Meruem reached a stored planetary coordinate and landed near a prosperous city with no living creatures in it.

Meruem investigated a battle on Planet Capo and found the Frieza Force attacking the planet for its territory and mecha technology. As Obi turned on Princess Erica, Meruem arrived and asked where he was.

• Meruem sensed two groups fighting in the city and went to investigate.
• Obi demanded that the Capoians abandon their homeland and join the Frieza Force, but Erica and her people refused.
• The Frieza Force grunts overwhelmed the Capoian mecha, while Erica used her Divine Fire Cannon to defeat several attackers.
• Obi blocked Uncle Dika's Divine Fire Cannon and destroyed his golden mecha, then threatened Erica.
• Meruem's voice interrupted the battle as he asked where he was.

Meruem defeated a Frieza Force squad on Planet Capo, collected planetary coordinates and technology, and left after learning the coordinates of the Yardratians’ planet. The text then shifted abruptly to Lu Ming confronting two players in an abandoned warehouse as a battle began.

• Meruem ignored Obi’s attack, then killed him with a Ki Blast after Obi’s Combat Power Tester registered his strength above ten thousand.
• Meruem slaughtered the remaining Frieza Force grunts and obtained planetary coordinates and Combat Power Testers, which the Capoians helped modify and remove their listening devices from.
• The Capoian Grand Elder offered Princess Erica to persuade Meruem to stay, but Meruem took a Frieza Force spaceship and Capoian mech technology and left Planet Capo.
• Meruem obtained the Yardratians’ planetary coordinates and considered testing the Chimera Ant Army’s strength while weighing the threat posed by Frieza.
• Lu Ming tracked two players to an abandoned warehouse, where the taller player awaited him with a glowing dagger.
• Lu Ming entered the warehouse, and frost spread across the floor as the battle began.

Meruem left Yardrat after learning the Metamor Fusion Dance, long-range Instant Transmission, and useful magic, then assessed the strength of his Chimera Ant forces. He set course for Namek to seek its Shenron and strengthen himself and his subordinates, while the Grand Elder sensed his arrival and told Nail to prepare for a powerful guest.

• Meruem departed Yardrat with the Metamor Fusion Dance, long-range Instant Transmission, and Yardratian magic learned.
• Meruem tested his forces, finding his own combat power exceeded one million and his Royal Guards and elite troops had grown formidable, though most of his millions of soldiers remained weak.
• Meruem noted that Raditz would arrive on Earth in a little over two years and decided to visit Namek to use its Shenron to increase his strength and his subordinates' strength.
• The Grand Elder sensed an evil Ki approaching Namek and told Nail to welcome the visitor, who was far stronger than him.

Meruem traveled to Namek, negotiated with the Grand Elder for help against Frieza in exchange for protecting the Namekians, and used Porunga to locate the Spirit Tree fruit and a mechanical planet. After the Grand Elder unlocked Pitou and the others’ potential, Meruem prepared to leave Namek with them.

• Meruem met Nail, who escorted him to the Grand Elder after sensing his arrival.
• The Grand Elder asked Meruem to protect some Namekians when Frieza threatened their planet, and Meruem agreed in exchange for potential unlocking for Pitou, Pouf, Youpi, Musashi, and Ruiko.
• Meruem warned Nail and the Grand Elder about Frieza, and the Grand Elder agreed to his request.
• Meruem summoned Porunga and wished to learn the locations of the Spirit Tree fruit and a mechanical planet.
• The Grand Elder unlocked Pitou and the others’ potential, raising Pitou’s combat power from ninety thousand to four hundred and fifty thousand.
• Meruem said he would leave Namek once Pitou and the others emerged.

Meruem seized Turles and the Spirit Tree’s seeds and fruits, then used his growing forces to attack Planet Namek. He demanded the mechanical planet submit, and it said it did not want to be destroyed yet.

• Meruem traveled to the Spirit Tree, killed Turles’s subordinates, and confronted Turles, who attacked him after Meruem demanded the seeds.
• Meruem incapacitated Turles with Zetsu beams, ordered his subordinates to take him to the Research Unit without treating his injuries, and found the seeds on him.
• Meruem ate a Spirit Tree fruit, found that it increased his strength, and took control of the Spirit Tree and its remaining fruits.
• Meruem’s Chimera Ant Army attacked Planet Namek, whose mechanical warriors had combat power far below the levels Meruem expected.
• Meruem appeared above Planet Namek with a massive Ki sphere and demanded that it submit or die, and Planet Namek replied that it did not want to be destroyed.

Meruem drank a concentrated dose of Sacred Water to gain the strength to protect Pitou, Ruiko, and his followers, enduring far more pain than anyone expected. After seven days, his aura faded and his body appeared to die, but he revealed that he had merely shed his skin.

• Meruem refused Pouf and Youpi's pleas to reconsider drinking Sacred Water, and Pitou promised to accompany him even if he died.
• Meruem endured seven days of agony as the Sacred Water transformed him, while Pitou, Pouf, and Youpi waited outside the steel palace.
• Pitou used her overwhelming Ki to stop Pouf and Youpi from fighting as Meruem's screams continued.
• Meruem's aura faded, and the three Royal Guards found his withered body and believed he was dead.
• Pitou began to raise her claws to her chest before Meruem spoke and told them he had only shed his skin.

Qin Ye neared death as Yin energy overwhelmed him, but a surge of heat triggered an inheritance system that unlocked his first Authority. He gained the ability to see threads connecting living beings to the world and summoned an iron-chained hook from the shadows.

• Yin energy froze Qin Ye’s meridians and dragged his consciousness toward an abyss.
• A burning heat surged from Qin Ye’s lower dantian as he approached the brink of death.
• A mechanical voice announced that Qin Ye’s inheritance synchronization had reached 30% and unlocked Soul Reaper’s Gaze.
• Qin Ye saw gray threads connecting living things to unseen laws and summoned a heavy, iron-chained hook from the shadows beneath his feet.

Raditz’s defeat revealed that Vegeta and Nappa would reach Earth in a year, while Sibraska, a powerful agent of Meruem, took Raditz and urged Son Goku to seek training from King Kai. Goku was left wondering who King Kai was as Kami realized Sibraska knew more than he should.

• As Raditz threatened to return with stronger Saiyans, Piccolo Daimaō arrived and struck him down with Majin Flash.
• Raditz revealed that his companions would come to Earth, and Krillin told him the Dragon Balls and Senzu Beans could save Goku.
• Vegeta and Nappa learned about the Dragon Balls and set course for Earth, planning to arrive in a year.
• Sibraska, commander of Meruem’s Chimera Ant Army, took the wounded Raditz and fought Piccolo Daimaō when he tried to stop him.
• Sibraska told Son Goku to ask Kami to take him to King Kai and warned that the arriving Saiyans were far stronger.
• At the Lookout, Kami realized Sibraska had monitored Earth without his notice and knew about King Kai.

Meruem strengthened the Chimera Ant Army with Saiyan genes and decided to expand by annexing Cooler’s forces. As Cooler ordered the Armored Corps to attack, Meruem prepared his army for a war that would fuel its growth.

• Meruem obtained Son Gohan’s blood while Piccolo trained him, then used Turles and Raditz as research subjects to study Saiyan traits.
• The Chimera Ant research division spread Saiyan genes through the army, increasing its combat power and allowing some soldiers to grow stronger after recovering from serious injuries.
• Meruem chose to target Cooler’s territory rather than risk a direct conflict with Frieza, expecting Frieza to be distracted by the Dragon Balls on Namek in a year.
• Cooler smashed a table in anger over the Chimera Ants’ challenge and ordered Sauza to deploy the Armored Corps’ elite soldiers.
• Meruem welcomed the coming battle, expecting the Armored Corps to provide the Chimera Ant Army with valuable fighting experience.

Meruem fought Cooler, who revealed his final form and overwhelmed him with greater battle power. Cooler trapped Meruem with his tail and landed a barrage of punches, but Meruem remained confident that he would ultimately win.

• Meruem and Cooler exchanged blows at high speed, and neither gained the upper hand in their first clash.
• Cooler revealed that his current form was incomplete and transformed into his final form, raising his battle power to 470 million.
• Cooler attacked Meruem with Finger Beams and Lightning Beam Cannon, but Meruem deflected the attacks with his techniques.
• Meruem and Cooler resumed close combat, with Meruem redirecting Cooler’s strength despite Cooler’s superior battle power.
• Cooler blasted Meruem with Death Big Bang, wrapped him in his tail, and punched him until he spat blood.
• Meruem endured the beating and believed he would still be the final victor.

Meruem turned the battle against Cooler into an endurance contest, eventually overpowering and killing him. Elsewhere, Frieza sensed something odd before ordering Zarbon and Dodoria to head to Namek for the good news Vegeta had brought.

• Musashi stopped the Chimera Ant elites from charging in and explained that Cooler's Ki was weakening while Meruem's continued to rise.
• Cooler's attacks stopped hurting Meruem, and Meruem broke free, severed Cooler's tail, and caught his strongest punch.
• Meruem crushed the bones in Cooler's right arm and declared that he would devour Cooler for nourishment.
• Cooler unleashed the Planet Destruction Cannon to destroy them both, but Meruem devoured him, and Cooler died calling Meruem a monster.
• Frieza felt an odd sensation aboard his spaceship, then told Zarbon and Dodoria to prepare to travel to Namek after hearing Vegeta had brought good news.

Nappa nearly killed Piccolo and Gohan after killing Yamcha, but Goku, Krillin, and Tien Shinhan arrived in time to save them. Krillin stepped forward to fight Nappa, while Vegeta sized up the newcomers and prepared for battle.

• Nappa killed Yamcha and attacked Gohan, but Piccolo stood between them and took the blow.
• Vegeta detected powerful fighters approaching and destroyed his Combat Power Tester after it registered a reading of seven thousand.
• Goku, Krillin, and Tien Shinhan arrived, and Goku gave Piccolo a Senzu Bean to revive him.
• Vegeta read Krillin's combat power as sixty-five hundred and Tien Shinhan's as seventy-nine hundred, while underestimating Goku.
• Krillin volunteered to avenge Yamcha and face Nappa, then traded insults with the Saiyan.

After defeating Cooler, Meruem sent the newly remodeled Raditz to Earth to test him against the Saiyans and Dragon Ball Warriors. Raditz arrived as Krillin and the others faced Vegeta and Nappa, and he greeted his former allies with a dramatic return.

• Meruem checked a message from Earth, learned that Vegeta was fighting the Dragon Ball Warriors, and ordered the remodeled Raditz to join the battle.
• Raditz emerged from a concealed Chimera Ant facility with a combat power of thirty thousand and declared his loyalty to Meruem before flying toward the fighting.
• Krillin used Kaio-ken to strike Nappa, while Vegeta urged Nappa to focus and wondered if the Earthlings had a way to increase their combat power.
• Goku, Tien Shinhan, and the others sensed a powerful Ki approaching and turned toward it.
• Raditz arrived and greeted Vegeta, Kakarot, and Nappa, claiming he had returned stronger than before.

Raditz revealed that his battle power had surged and explained that Frieza had destroyed Planet Vegeta and was now heading to Namek to seek immortality. The group agreed to oppose Frieza, leaving Vegeta and the Dragon Ball Warriors temporarily united despite their hostility.

• Nappa mocked Raditz, but Vegeta stopped him and recognized that Raditz's power had risen to at least Vegeta's level.
• Son Goku asked whether Raditz's strength came from Meruem, and Raditz warned him not to speak the King's name disrespectfully.
• Raditz told Vegeta, Nappa, and the Dragon Ball Warriors that Frieza had destroyed Planet Vegeta and was heading to Namek in a little over two months.
• Piccolo and Son Goku volunteered to go to Namek, while Vegeta agreed to oppose Frieza despite taunting Son Goku.
• Raditz released his Ki to calm the group and reminded them that they shared the goal of preventing Frieza from obtaining the Dragon Balls.

King Kai warned Goku that Frieza was overwhelmingly powerful and told him Slug would arrive on Earth within a month, but Goku and the others prepared to fight Slug and train in gravity chambers. Meanwhile, Meruem’s army plundered planets and discovered a passage to the Demon Realm.

• King Kai warned Goku never to challenge Frieza and revealed that Slug would descend on Earth in less than a month.
• Goku defeated Vegeta after Vegeta used an incomplete Great Ape form and Goku countered with an eightfold Kaio-ken; both Saiyans recovered with Senzu Beans and grew stronger.
• Goku told the Dragon Ball Warriors about Slug, and Vegeta agreed to stay and fight him before heading to Namek.
• Dr. Brief built gravity chambers at Raditz’s suggestion, while Meruem revealed he had steered Slug toward Earth to make him a challenge for the warriors.
• Meruem’s Chimera Ant Army continued plundering planets and discovered an entrance to the Demon Realm.

Slug’s forces invaded Earth, and Slug used the Dragon Balls to regain his youth while ordering the planet transformed. The Dragon Ball Warriors, Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz arrived to confront him, and Vegeta began fighting Slug’s subordinates.

• Slug’s soldiers landed on Earth and attacked the gathered crowd while Slug ordered Kixu to transform the planet.
• Slug sent Angila, Dolodabo, Kigu, and Big Eyes to find the Dragon Balls, and he wished to regain his youth.
• Son Goku and the Dragon Ball Warriors rushed toward Slug’s landing site as Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz headed there too.
• Vegeta knocked down Slug’s burly subordinate, and Kigu, Big Eyes, and Angila attacked him after recognizing him as the Saiyan Prince.
• Kigu trapped Vegeta’s legs and Big Eyes’s creatures clung to his limbs, but Vegeta unleashed his Ki and blew them apart.

Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and Piccolo fought Slug together, but Slug ambushed Son Goku and injured him before Krillin cut off Slug’s arm with a Destructo Disc. Goku and Vegeta returned fully healed after receiving Senzu Beans, and Vegeta and Raditz joined the fight as their power surged, leaving Slug facing three Saiyans.

• Krillin, Tien Shinhan, and Piccolo coordinated their attacks to keep Slug occupied, but Slug tricked Krillin and blasted Son Goku, badly injuring his right arm.
• Krillin threw a Destructo Disc that severed Slug’s arm and cut off one of his antennae, though Slug regenerated his arm.
• Slug moved to attack Krillin, but Son Goku, restored by a Senzu Bean, struck him with the Fifteenfold Kaio-ken.
• Raditz arrived with Senzu Beans, restoring Vegeta and helping him recover stronger after Slug had nearly killed him.
• Vegeta and Raditz raised their power levels to 1.09 million and 1.1 million and prepared to fight Slug alongside Goku.

Doctor and the Chimera Ant researchers watched Slug overwhelm the three Saiyans after transforming into a giant, while Son Goku revealed he had been holding back and prepared to use Twentyfold Kaio-ken. The fight was left poised to shift as Goku stepped up to face Slug alone.

• Doctor and Professor concluded that the Chimera Ants could not reproduce the Saiyans’ extraordinary battle growth through injury or gravity training.
• Doctor predicted Slug would win unless he had another technique, as Slug struggled against Vegeta, Raditz, and Son Goku.
• Raditz urged the others to finish Slug and turn their attention to Frieza, while Vegeta dismissed Slug’s threats.
• Slug enlarged into a colossal form and increased his Ki by nearly half, putting his combat power above three million.
• Raditz noticed Son Goku had been concealing his strength, and Goku announced he would fight Slug using Twentyfold Kaio-ken.