Lord Slug didn't answer the question. Seeing the golden figure remain unmoved, he tried again, "You possess such powerful battle strength. If the two of us join forces, we'll be unstoppable. You know about the Emperor of the Universe, Frieza, right? If we kill him together, wouldn't it be wonderful to take his place?"
Lord Slug issued what he believed was an enticing invitation. "Don't you want to rule? We could share the entire universe."
'Ignorance breeds recklessness. Frieza's battle strength is 120 million. Trying to kill Frieza and take his place? Your power isn't even worth considering.'
A rejuvenated Lord Slug was powerful, one of the few beings who could actually contend with Frieza himself. But in his current aged form, he fell far short. Though still extremely dangerous, at best he could exchange blows with Frieza's third form. He wasn't on the same level as Frieza's final form.
"I haven't used my full power yet. If I unleash everything I have, you won't be my match." Seeing Naruto's gaze grow increasingly cold, Lord Slug forced himself to remain composed.
As if to prove his words, the ki around him began rising steadily. His battle strength surged. Lord Slug had been holding back.
But even with his strength rising, he still wasn't a match for the golden figure. Just as there was a massive gap between him and Frieza, there were several levels between him and this opponent.
Lord Slug seemed to understand the gap. Gasping for breath, sweat beading at his temples, his mind raced for a strategy. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened. He pointed behind the golden figure and shouted, "Frieza! How are you here?"
Naruto froze, turning by reflex to look.
The instant he turned, a smug look spread across Lord Slug's face. "Perfect!"
He gathered every ounce of his power into his hands, charged at breakneck speed, and thrust forward.
"Demon Cannon!"
Red flames engulfed the golden silhouette.
"Hahaha! Even if you're stronger than me, so what? In the end, you still die by my hand." Lord Slug burst into laughter as he gazed at the empty sky.
The technique had drained every last bit of his strength. His ki plummeted. He didn't care in the slightest. What mattered was that he had finished off his opponent.
Unfortunately, he failed to notice the faint wisp of white smoke that accompanied his full-power strike.
If any sensory ninja had been present, they would have immediately recognized it as the dissipation of a Shadow Clone.
Naruto had crawled out of a shinobi world filled with schemes and treachery. Lord Slug's trickery was practically a joke. This simple distraction tactic had appeared countless times in the universe, but it rarely worked on a ninja.
While Lord Slug was plotting against Naruto, Naruto was plotting right back. He tricked Lord Slug into expending all his energy. The price Naruto paid was merely one Shadow Clone, and thanks to the clone's ability to return the user's chakra upon dissipation, he only lost a fraction of his stamina.
"What are you laughing at? Tell me, so I can enjoy it too." Naruto's calm voice rang out. Lord Slug froze, his laughter cutting off abruptly.
He turned stiffly, finding the unscathed Naruto standing right before him. Not a single scratch marred his form. Naruto flashed him a polite smile, slowly raised his fist, and swung it down.
One punch, two punches, three punches.
With every hammer-like strike, the entire planet trembled. Every creature that could sense the battle quivered in fear.
'This scene feels strangely familiar.' Watching Lord Slug get pummeled, Kurama in the sealing space pondered. Recalling a certain memory, he curled his lip. 'Truly unsettling for a fox.'
After the brutal beating, Lord Slug's aura had become extremely faint. He lay on the ground, barely clinging to life, dark blood splattered everywhere. His eyes stared blankly at the sky.
Gazing at the half-dead Namekian, Naruto had no intention of delivering a final, lethal blow. Instead, he pressed his palms together. As his hands opened, he said softly,
"Planetary Devastation!"
"I don't accept this! If I could restore my youth, you wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
The black sphere rose into the sky. The dying Lord Slug had no strength left to struggle. Caught in his defiant roar, the power of Planetary Devastation pulled him into the gathering debris, sealing him inside a perfectly round stone sphere.
"Now the last piece is in place."
Naruto pressed his hand against the stone. The next second, it vanished into an alternate dimension.
Five years had left no visible mark on Naruto. He still looked exactly as he had five years ago. He kept his Shippuden-era appearance, though it now resembled Minato's even more.
The reason Naruto hadn't aged wasn't because he had wished for a Saiyan physique. It was questionable whether Shenron could even grant such a thing. Porunga and Earth's Shenron certainly couldn't. The real reason was that he had once wished on Planet Namek to awaken his hidden bloodline power.
The Otsutsuki bloodline.
The Otsutsuki Clan might be outclassed by Saiyans or Namekians in raw destructive strength, but there was one area where they surpassed most races in the universe, lifespan. Ordinary Otsutsuki living for several thousand years was commonplace.
However, Naruto's blood wasn't purely Otsutsuki. He also carried the blood of humans from the Elemental Nations. He was a hybrid of both. According to the law of hybrid superiority, that explained his current vitality. (Just like in HP-verse those among the strongest are Half-bloods.)
Humans from the shinobi world weren't completely worthless. Their strength might not reach universal levels, but their bodies contained three times more cells than ordinary humans in this universe. Assuming they could learn to use ki, they would theoretically grow faster.
His growth over these years had exceeded his expectations. The hybrid's power increase was terrifying. Add to that the potential unlocked by Grand Elder Guru before he left Namek, and now he genuinely didn't know his own upper limits. The scouters Bulma had modified, capable of measuring combat power in the millions, had overloaded and crashed four years ago.
So Naruto had come to the Dark Galaxy to test his strength against Lord Slug. Originally, he'd planned to retreat if he couldn't win. As it turned out, Lord Slug was completely outmatched.
There was another thing worth mentioning. On the same day his strength exceeded the scouter's limits, he discovered that the time flow between the two universes had changed. When he was in the Dragon Ball-verse, time in the shinobi world moved incredibly slowly. One minute back home equaled one day here.
The years Naruto spent in space would amount to barely half a day for the people waiting for him.
"Time to go back," Naruto said, looking at the dark sky. He activated his space-time ninjutsu.
Before leaving, Naruto also captured several powerful creatures from Planet Slug. The Dark Galaxy inhabitants were entirely focused on combat, making their strength formidable. Their appearances, however, left much to be desired.
On Planet Shugo, Vegeta and Nappa had just destroyed a city and were now resting in a forest.
A creature that looked like a giant mosCuito crept up behind them, holding a laser gun. Unfortunately, its movements were far too loud. The two Saiyans detected it easily. Not only did the creature die, it became their meal.
Vegeta tore off the arm of the unknown alien and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing loudly. Saiyans grew ravenous once they expended their ki.
"Vegeta, it looks like Raditz is a goner," Nappa said, staring at the creature's bizarre appearance, still not daring to take a bite. His appetite wasn't as adaptable as Vegeta's, and he wouldn't eat anything strange.
"What a disgrace. Getting spooked by someone with a combat power barely over a thousand. Has he forgotten his own power exceeds ten thousand?" Vegeta scoffed. "Ever since he got injured on Planet Shikk, he's turned cowardly. His movements aren't as sharp as before. Always hesitating. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be called a Saiyan."
He took another bite of meat, but spat out the pulp before chewing twice. "Bah, this tastes terrible. We would've been better off sending a Saibaman."
Through the scouter's communication function, they had heard everything that happened to Raditz on Earth.
"What should we do, Vegeta? Head to Earth? That planet is pretty remote."
"Of course we're going." Vegeta tore off another piece of meat. "Raditz may be useless, but thanks to him, we've heard about something incredible. Dragon Balls that can grant any wish, that's interesting."
"Are we going to revive Raditz?" Nappa asked. Even though Saiyans were cold, after years as comrades-in-arms, there was a bond. And with the Saiyans nearly extinct, losing one meant one fewer.
"Are you joking, Nappa?" Vegeta spat out the chewed meat again, losing his appetite entirely. "What if we wish for immortality?"
"Then we could enjoy the pleasure of battle forever."
Nappa was stunned, but seeing Vegeta's serious expression, he Quickly agreed. "That's not a bad idea. Let's head to Earth."
Nappa hesitated. "What about this planet? We just need to hold out a little longer to conquer it. If we leave now, what about Frieza's side?"
"If we can obtain an immortal body, why would we care about Frieza?"
"Fair enough." Nappa rubbed his smooth head.
Vegeta muttered in a voice only he could hear, "If it can really grant any wish, then me becoming a Super Saiyan... isn't impossible."
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