Inside the main hall, Frieza stood with his hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly.
He looked at the purple giant in front of him, who was significantly taller than himself.
"Mr. Thanos."
Frieza was the first to break the silence, his voice soft and elegant.
"In my homeland, one must kneel when meeting a distinguished emperor, you know."
"Could it be..."
Frieza extended a finger and pointed at Thanos's enormous feet, which were bare. "Are your knees rusty? Do you need me to help take them off and oil them?"
Hearing this blatant insult, Thanos's deep eyes narrowed slightly, and under his golden helmet, his purple skin was taut.
Although he didn't know where this Earthling got his confidence, as a Titan, and the terrifying Dark Overlord of this Universe...
"Kneel?"
Thanos's voice was low, echoing like muffled thunder inside the enclosed hall.
"Even if the Celestials descended, they wouldn't make me bend my knee."
"Young man, although you certainly possess the power to destroy my fleet..."
Thanos gripped the Double-Edged Sword in his hand, the tip slightly turning and reflecting a cold glint.
"...this kind of arrogance is frankly ridiculous."
"Calling yourself an Emperor?"
"This Universe is vast, vaster than you can imagine."
Looking at Thanos's lecturing manner, Frieza couldn't help but sigh, a look of disappointment crossing his face.
"Oh dear..."
"How stubborn."
"I was clearly being merciful and trying to give you a chance to live."
"Since you are so unappreciative, don't blame me for failing to respect talent."
The smile on Frieza's lips instantly vanished, and his scarlet pupils radiated a bone-chilling coldness.
"Arrogance!" Thanos roared.
If talking fails, let the blade speak.
Boom!
Thanos moved.
His massive, mountain-like body erupted with terrifying speed completely disproportionate to his size. The specialized alloy floor beneath his feet instantly cracked, blasting out a deep crater.
Wielding the blade with both hands, and leveraging the momentum of his charge, the double-edged blade screamed as it tore through the air, hacking down fiercely toward Frieza's head.
This strike was powerful and heavy. Even if the Hulk were here, he would be cleaved in two by this single blow.
However, facing this strike, Frieza didn't even take his hands out of his pockets. He simply stood his ground, silently watching the descending blade.
The instant the blade was just one centimeter from his hair—
An invisible, yet materialized, terrifying aura, like a wall of high-pressure air, suddenly erupted from Frieza's body.
That wasn't some kind of superpower. That was pure Ki—the absolute pressure resulting from overwhelming Power Level.
"Wh..."
Thanos's pupils constricted to the size of pinpricks. He felt as if he had collided head-on with an exploding supernova.
Bang!!!
Thanos's massive body was sent flying backward uncontrollably, as if struck head-on by a train moving at the speed of light.
"Ugh!"
The Overlord who had dominated the Universe only managed a grunt before he was sent hurtling backward uncontrollably.
That terrifying impact force pierced through his prized golden armor and violently drilled into his body.
Thud! Thud! Thud...
Thanos stumbled back more than ten steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard deck. He only managed to halt his retreat by plunging the blade in his hand deep into the floor.
"Pfft..."
A trace of purple blood flowed down the corner of his lips.
Pain!
Excruciating pain, as if his internal organs had been displaced.
If it weren't for his powerful Titan physique, combined with the armor forged by the Dwarf King, the shock wave alone would have been enough to turn his internal organs into dust.
Thanos clutched his chest, gasping violently. He lifted his head, and in his eyes, which were usually incredibly calm, there was a trace of emotion called horror.
He didn't even move.
Just a gaze?
An aura?
And that was enough to injure him?
How is this possible?
"Who... who exactly are you?"
Thanos stared intently at the man who was still standing in the same spot, not a single hair out of place.
This kind of power definitely couldn't be produced by a low-level civilization like Earth.
"Oh dear, what a forgetful old man." Frieza shook his head helplessly and slowly walked toward Thanos.
Tap... Tap...
His leather shoes clicked crisply on the metal floor.
"Didn't I tell you already?"
Frieza stopped about five meters from Thanos, tilted his head, and gave an elegant smile.
"I am the emperor of the universe, Frieza. How many times do I have to repeat it before your ears register it?"
"Emperor of the universe..."
Thanos gritted his teeth, frantically searching his memory for information on all the powerful beings in the Universe.
Nothing.
There was absolutely no information on this person.
"If you truly are an emperor, why have I never heard your name in this Universe?" Thanos asked in a deep voice.
"Heh..."
Frieza chuckled lightly and spread his hands.
"That's because I used to keep a low profile, busy doing business in other Universes."
"As for you not having heard of me..."
Frieza extended a finger and gently shook it. "For a small fry like you, hiding away in a corner of the Galaxy, isn't it perfectly normal that you haven't heard of my prestige?"
Small fry?
He, Thanos, known as the Mad Titan, was actually called a small fry?
If this were before, Thanos would have erupted in violence and killed him.
But now...
Feeling the agonizing, churning pain inside his body, and looking at the unfathomable man before him, he fell silent.
He was a rational man, and even more, a pragmatic strategist.
The gap was too vast—so vast that even if he risked his life, it would only be a farce in the opponent's eyes.
"Hoo..."
Thanos slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale air, and the blade in his hand clattered onto the floor. He slowly closed his eyes and straightened his back.
Although defeated, he was still a son of Titan.
"Do it." Thanos's voice was calm, devoid of emotion.
"The victor is king, the vanquished is bandit. Since my skill is inferior, whether you kill me or flay me, do as you please."
Seeing him offer his neck for the slaughter, the appreciation in Frieza's eyes deepened.
"Oh ho ho ho..."
Frieza started laughing.
"As expected of Thanos, you have much more backbone than that sniveling Irani."
He stepped forward, extended his hand, and gently patted Thanos's broad, hard shoulder, just like a boss comforting his employee.
"Don't be so pessimistic."
Frieza leaned close to Thanos's ear, his tone full of temptation. "I value talent."
"Kill you? That would be a waste."
"I see you have a solid build and a sharp mind, and most importantly..."
Frieza pointed to the massive Sanctuary II, and then to the remnants of the fleet outside, whose scale was still discernible despite being destroyed.
"You managed to gather such a huge force and formulate grand plans like balancing the Universe. This proves that your management skills and executive power are top-notch."
"Much better than my Captain Apocalypse, who only knows how to brick people into walls."
Frieza took a step back, extended his right hand toward Thanos, wearing the kind of fake yet enthusiastic smile unique to capitalists.
"Therefore, I am now officially extending an invitation to you."
"Join the Frieza Force, Thanos."
"Become my Grand Commander of the Legion, concurrently serving as the Director of the Universal Demolition Office."
"What do you say? This compensation is much better than going solo, you know."
Thanos opened his eyes, staring at the hand extended toward him, his eyes filled with astonishment.
Grand Commander?
Universal Demolition Office?