A short while later.
"System, open the interface."
Inside the CEO's office at Frieza Tower—which had just been renovated to be ten times more luxurious than the White House—Frieza leaned back lazily in his executive chair, looking at the holographic panel visible only to him.
[Current Fear Points: 251.2 Billion / 10 Trillion (0 Growth)]
"Tsk..."
Frieza clicked his tongue in distaste. Even the red wine swirling in his glass lost its appeal.
"Growth has hit zero?"
The Fear Points, which had previously cascaded like a waterfall, were now stagnant. Not even a ripple.
What did this mean?
It meant that the seven billion people on Earth had thoroughly accepted the reality of being ruled by him, the Galactic Emperor.
Without the thought of resistance, the fear of an unknown fate vanished.
All that remained was numb obedience.
"Boring. Truly boring."
Frieza sighed.
He tossed the priceless Mind Stone onto the desk like a common marble.
Clack. It made a crisp sound against the surface.
"Then again, I'm not that alcoholic mad scientist with the grandson in the yellow shirt who has to torture his own kin for profit."
Since Earth was now his private property, there was no need to destroy it daily.
After all, if he broke it, he'd have to pay to fix it. That didn't align with the principle of maximizing profits for a real estate developer.
"Hill!"
Frieza called out toward the door.
"Master, I am here."
Maria Hill pushed the door open and entered. She was still wearing her combat uniform.
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Although her face was still pale, her eyes had become hollow and submissive.
The former Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was now nothing more than a high-level secretary on call 24/7.
"Send a notice. Tell the Ginyu Force to tone it down out there."
Frieza pointed at the smoking ruins outside the window, frowning slightly.
"The city is too dirty. It's ruining the property value."
"Put Magneto on infrastructure duty, have Juggernaut haul bricks, and send Dr. Lizard to unclog the sewers."
"Within three days, I want to see a brand new, orderly New York City..."
"No, wait. This is my headquarters now. Send a notice: from now on, this place is called Frieza City, the capital of Planet 001."
"Also, if they can't get it done..."
A red light flashed in Frieza's eyes.
"I'll have them poured into the cement to serve as load-bearing walls."
"Yes! Master!" Hill trembled and immediately bowed to leave and execute the orders.
Once the office was quiet again.
Frieza stood up and walked to the full-length mirror.
Reflected in the mirror was a short figure—pure white body, purple crystal patches on the head and chest, and streamlined muscles.
Yes, short.
Although the Final Form was ridiculously strong, with a Power Level of 120 million, the height was only about 5'3" (160cm).
This was awkward.
Sure, his aura screamed "ten-foot titan," but if he actually stood next to those 6-foot-something corn-fed American soldiers...
He'd have to look up to talk to them. Where would the Galactic Emperor's dignity be then?
"Damn these character settings."
Frieza cursed under his breath.
"Deactivate transformation!"
Hum—!
A light flashed.
The diminutive Galactic Emperor disappeared.
In his place stood the handsome, noble young man in a white suit, with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing a solid 6'1" (185cm).
"Phew... that's much more comfortable."
Frieza straightened his tie, looking at his dashing reflection in the mirror, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Although my power is suppressed back to 530,000, for Planet 001 and the Nine Realms—which is basically a tutorial level—it's more than enough for crushing noobs."
"As for the height issue..."
Frieza stroked his chin, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Once I gather all six Infinity Stones, the first thing I'll do is wish to grow two inches... no, a full foot taller!"
"Now that is a pursuit worthy of a cosmic overlord! Ohohoho..."
Just as Frieza was immersed in his beautiful vision of a taller future...
Knock, knock, knock.
A hurried knocking sound came from the door.
"Enter."
The door opened, and Natasha Romanoff walked in.
The former Black Widow was holding a tablet, her expression grim.
"Master, we have a problem."
"A problem?"
Frieza sat back in his chair and poured another glass of red wine, looking completely unconcerned.
"The Avengers are dead, the bald mage is cold in the ground. What kind of problem could there be?"
"Did that purple grape arrive early?"
"No... it's not aliens."
Natasha pulled up several satellite weather maps and projected them in mid-air.
They showed global ocean monitoring data.
The once-blue oceans were now furiously violent, with countless massive red indicators flashing wildly along the coastlines.
"It's a tsunami."
Natasha's voice was dry.
"Because... because you blew up the moon earlier."
"Earth lost the moon's gravitational pull, and the tidal system has completely collapsed."
"Right now, super-tsunamis are forming on a global scale."
Natasha pointed to the models of waves reaching hundreds of meters high, a trace of fear in her eyes.
"It is estimated that in three hours, the first wave will hit coastal cities like Frieza City, Busan, and Mumbai."
"By then, most of the Earth's coastal areas will be submerged."
"Including... this very tower, Master."
Pfft—!
Frieza spat the mouthful of red wine he had just sipped all over the desk.
"What the hell?!"
He shot up, staring at the tsunami projection, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
He got careless!
He was too hasty!
Without the moon, the tidal forces are unbalanced—of course, it's going to flood!
"Damn these laws of physics!"
Frieza slammed his hand on the desk, instantly turning the expensive solid wood into powder.
"My oceanfront property! My private beaches! And those CBD skyscrapers I just acquired!"
"If this all gets flooded, am I going to be a Galactic Emperor or a Seafood Tycoon?!"
"Master... what should we do?" Natasha asked cautiously. "Should we organize an evacuation?"
"Evacuation? To where? To farm potatoes on Mars?"
Frieza glared at her.
"That is the choice of the weak."
He paced back and forth in the office, his brain racing.
Evaporate the water? No, that would turn Earth into a sauna; everyone would be steamed to death.
Push the tsunami back? That treats the symptom, not the root cause. Without the moon's gravity, the waves will come back sooner or later.
To solve the problem permanently, he had to address the source.
"We're missing a moon, right..."
Frieza stopped pacing and looked at the sky outside the window.
"Then we just go find another one, right?"
"Find one?" Natasha was stunned. "Where?"
"The solar system is huge. Are we short on balls of rock?"
The corner of Frieza's mouth curled into a confident smile—the look of a capitalist eyeing a plot of land for development.
"I recall Jupiter is a wealthy family. He has plenty of little brothers under him. Io, Europa, Ganymede... just grab one randomly to make do, right?"
"Grab... grab one?"
Natasha felt her brain short-circuiting.
Is this like going to a neighbor's house to borrow a cup of sugar? That's a satellite! A celestial body!
But looking at the man who had crushed the moon with his bare hands, she felt... maybe it wasn't impossible?
"However..."
Frieza rubbed his chin, looking a bit troubled.
"Although this Emperor's power is invincible, my astrophysics is... slightly rusty."
"If I grab one that's too big, I might shatter the Earth. If I grab one too small, it won't hold down the water."
For this kind of delicate work, he needed a professional.
A professional?
An image of a person instantly floated into Frieza's mind.
The man whose body could stretch like noodles, known as the smartest brain on Marvel's Earth.
"It seems I need to pay a visit to our new employee."
Frieza straightened his suit and picked up the Space Stone from the desk.
"Natasha, watch the house. Don't let the place get flooded."
"I'll be right back."
Hum—!
Blue light flashed.
A portal opened.
Frieza stepped through and vanished from the office.
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