The Frieza Force flagship was far larger inside than the Destroyer.
Turles and his men were assigned guest quarters on the flagship's middle deck.
The rooms were small but fully furnished, with walls and floors in matching shades of dark gray.
Compared to the days they had spent crammed together aboard the Destroyer, this was downright luxurious.
Amond plopped down on a metal bench and let out a long breath.
"Lord Turles, does this mean we've made it?"
"This King Frieza seems unexpectedly kind."
Turles grumbled inwardly at that.
Kind?
In a sense, he supposed that was true.
But once Frieza got serious, it was best not to make a mistake in front of him.
Otherwise, his mood could change in an instant. One moment he was a gentle gentleman, and the next he might leave you so terrified that your limbs went limp.
Still, Turles naturally couldn't afford to say the wrong thing here.
He merely said coldly, "Ah, Lord Frieza is the greatest leader in the universe!"
The others had known their boss long enough to pick up on some of the meaning behind his words.
They nodded in agreement and said nothing more.
Before long, Turles freshened up and changed into a Battle Suit bearing the Frieza Force insignia.
Then he went to see Frieza.
During the journey back to the force's headquarters,
Turles seized the opportunity in his conversations with Frieza to further cultivate the image of someone with little sense of belonging to the Saiyan race.
In truth, he had a vague idea who the "friend" Frieza had mentioned introducing him to was.
Judging by the current point in time, Vegeta should still have been serving the Frieza Force.
He ventured a guess that Frieza intended to arrange a meeting between him and Vegeta.
After all, he was one of the few Saiyans left.
Naturally, he needed to make his position clear to Frieza beforehand.
It would prepare the ground for when he faced Vegeta.
A superior was always happy to see competition among his subordinates.
After returning to his room,
Turles was finally able to relax a little.
For now, he had secured a degree of temporary stability.
Returning to the Frieza Force as a Saiyan was only a small step forward in this world.
For the time being, he probably wouldn't have to keep hiding from place to place to evade the Slug Army's pursuit.
But that was not the only reason he had joined the Frieza Force.
Frieza currently scoffed at the Tree of Might fruit, but that was only because he didn't truly understand it.
The reason the Tree of Might fruit appealed so much to Slug wasn't really the small boost in combat power it provided.
It was the immense life force!
And the first fruit's effect of improving the body in every way.
If Frieza learned about that, would he make some major moves?
As Turles understood it, Frieza, who had yet to reach adulthood at his stage of life, had a tremendous interest in longevity.
No, that wasn't quite right. Across the entire universe, there were probably few people who weren't crazy about extending their lives.
If Slug really chose to take Frieza on for the Tree of Might fruit, then it wouldn't be hard for Frieza to learn what the fruit could truly do.
What would happen then?
Turles couldn't predict that yet either. Would Frieza go mad cultivating Tree of Might fruit across the entire universe?
There was a good chance of it.
And by doing what he had earlier, Frieza had effectively cut himself off from the opportunity to learn more about the Tree of Might fruit in the near future.
That gave Turles more time in relative safety.
Using the Frieza Force as a springboard, Turles's true destination was still that magical and beautiful planet-Earth!
Or Planet Namek!
Only after obtaining the coordinates of those two planets could he begin making his subsequent plans.
During the three-day voyage,
Turles had been in his room pondering how to obtain the coordinates of Earth or Planet Namek from the Frieza Force database and then escape the force's control when the light outside the window suddenly brightened, interrupting his thoughts.
The outline of a planet emerged from the blackness of space.
Emerald green.
Deep blue.
Vast stretches of vegetation covered the planet's surface, and clear waters refracted the starlight into countless tiny points. The horizon was pristine and clear, impossibly blue.
Turles was taken aback.
This is Frieza's headquarters?
He had imagined plenty of possibilities before coming.
A cold metal fortress, a dark military stronghold, armed patrols and high-energy defensive turrets everywhere.
Or a vast, snow-white expanse of ice and snow.
That would have been more like it.
But on the planet before him, flocks of flying creatures swept through the clouds, tracing tiny arcs through the atmosphere.
Amond and Daiz came over as well.
"Lord Turles!"
"This planet is unexpectedly beautiful!"
Turles's gaze swept over the endless greenery, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
This planet was overflowing with life.
If a Tree of Might seed were planted here...
Even Turles himself was stunned by the crazy idea.
He instantly put the frightening thought out of his mind.
The spaceship entered the atmosphere.
The view shifted from space to a close aerial view of the ground.
Emerald mountains, winding rivers, and vast plains-the planet was practically an enormous, meticulously tended garden.
Frieza really did have good taste!
But Turles didn't have much time to admire it.
The ship trembled slightly, and after it passed through the last thin layer of clouds, the ground rushed up toward them.
A dedicated landing pad appeared directly below.
The gray-white alloy platform was set amid a stretch of lush greenery, surrounded by neatly trimmed low vegetation. Several straight paths extended outward in every direction.
In the distance, enormous disc-shaped buildings were arranged throughout a verdant valley.
Their lines were smooth and their structures intricate, their outer walls reflecting the starlight. Somehow, they blended perfectly with the surrounding mountains, water, and greenery.
Farther away was a broad expanse of water, clear enough to reflect the entire sky.
The landing gear touched down, the hatch opened, and a scent of grass and earth rushed in.
Outside the hatch, rows of soldiers stood ready to welcome them.
There were towering humanoids with dark purple skin; small, wiry insectoids with antennae on their heads; and reptilian aliens who walked upright, their bodies covered in scales.
Their uniforms were identical.
Their movements were synchronized.
Frieza was the first to step through the hatch, with Zarbon and Dodoria close behind.
Turles came next.
Amond, Daiz, Cacao, and the brothers Reiz and Lakasei followed behind him.
Turles led his men between the two rows of soldiers.
The soldiers' gazes swept over them.
On the faces of the many different races was something Turles knew all too well: the scrutiny given to newcomers.
There was a trace of disdain mixed in with their curiosity.
As they watched him with casual interest and Turles reached the middle,
one soldier's antennae suddenly twitched.
His gaze had fallen on Turles's waist.
On the furry tail wrapped around it like a belt.
Whispers spread almost instantly.
"A tail... that's..."
"A Saiyan?"
"No way. Weren't the Saiyans wiped out ages ago...? There are others besides Vegeta and those guys...?"
"Shh!"