He hovered in midair, then swept his gaze across the surroundings once more.
The city that had once existed below was already completely gone—erased without a trace.
"After taking a beating like that and still surviving… you really do live up to the physique of the Frost Demon Clan."
Gran grabbed Cooler and pulled him closer for a glance, then descended toward the shattered ground.
With the violent battle finally over, the battlefield quickly fell silent. A gentle breeze passed through, lifting fine dust into the air.
At that moment, Bulma flew back with Tights and Jaco.
"Gran… Broly isn't hurt, is he?"
Bulma couldn't hide her concern. Only now did she truly realize just how terrifying young Broly's strength was.
Tights and Jaco were equally shaken.
They never imagined that someone as powerful as Cooler wouldn't even be a match for the child in the hands of a God of Destruction Candidate.
Then just how powerful must this candidate himself be?
"He's fine. I just knocked him out," Gran said calmly.
He tossed Cooler aside and added, "What about that Masku guy? Did you catch him? If you did, I'll take you back right away."
Cooler rolled across the ground after being thrown. Bulma withdrew her gaze and shook her head.
"Broly had already captured him, but after Cooler showed up, Masku died in the aftershock of the battle."
"…"
Gran fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.
"If he's dead, then your objective here has already been accomplished. Bulma, you don't have anything else you need, right?"
"N-No… nothing else."
Bulma instinctively shrank her neck.
After already troubling Gran once, even if she did have more matters to attend to, she wouldn't dare ask again.
"Good. Then let's go."
Gran prepared to take them away from Planet Bell.
"Lord Gran…"
Jaco hesitated, opening his mouth as he glanced toward the unconscious Cooler. He wanted to step forward and arrest him as well.
"I'd advise you not to overstep your bounds."
Gran had naturally noticed Jaco's intention. At this moment, his voice carried not a shred of emotion.
"Huh?"
Jaco was confused.
Wasn't this man a god? Why would he remain indifferent in the face of a universe-level criminal like Cooler?
Shouldn't Cooler be arrested?
"Jaco, are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Bulma also saw what he was trying to do. Her voice turned cold.
"Lord Gran already did us an immeasurable favor by bringing us here to capture Masku. And now you still want to lay hands on someone else?!"
"Do you even understand the duties of a God of Destruction? Mr. Whis said it himself—only evils that severely affect the development of the universe warrant a God of Destruction's intervention!"
"This Cooler wasn't even part of our mission. Whether he should be dealt with or not is something only a God of Destruction or an angel can decide. And you still dare cross that line…"
Bulma spoke out her incomplete understanding of the Gods of Destruction.
Gran almost laughed.
Did this girl spend her days listening to divine gossip?
She was right—but not entirely.
Whether a criminal had reached the threshold for destruction often depended far more on the mood of the God of Destruction.
Someone like Cooler, a universe-level real-estate merchant, didn't actually meet the standard for destruction.
And on top of that, he had shown proper respect toward Gran.
Gran didn't want to eliminate him at all.
What Gran needed… was exactly someone like Cooler.
"I'm sorry, Lord Gran! I was wrong!"
Jaco trembled violently and hurried to apologize.
"Let's go."
Gran ignored him and took the others away from Planet Bell.
Only Cooler remained, lying on the ground.
Half an hour later
"Cough… cough…"
Cooler slowly opened his eyes. He tried to stand, but the severe injuries throughout his body made even movement impossible.
"Y-You've got to be kidding…"
"That… that Saiyan monkey… how could he be that strong?!"
"God of Destruction Candidate… it was you who saved me!!"
"Cough… cough…"
Cooler spat out several mouthfuls of blood, his consciousness beginning to blur once more.
Not long after, he vaguely heard voices.
"Lord Cooler!!"
"Hurry! Hurry and take Lord Cooler back for treatment!!"
"…"
Three days passed.
Elsewhere on Planet Bell, an area untouched by the battle between young Broly and Cooler
Inside a room filled with various electronic devices, Cooler floated inside a medical pod.
Suddenly
Boom!
The pod exploded violently, nutrient fluid splashing everywhere.
"Lord Cooler! How are you feeling now?" one of his subordinates asked anxiously.
Cooler stood within the shattered pod, silent.
His eyes were closed as his mind replayed, over and over, the entire battle from three days ago.
And then
The scene of Gran knocking Broly unconscious with a single hand.
"So this… is the power of a God of Destruction Candidate?!"
Cooler clutched his chest, his heart pounding violently.
Thankfully, he hadn't shown the slightest disrespect toward that god at the beginning—otherwise, that being would never have saved him.
"Lord Cooler, was the one you fought… the legendary Super Saiyan?" a subordinate asked.
"No!"
Cooler clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking loudly.
During their battle, that Saiyan child's hair was not golden.
That alone proved he wasn't the Super Saiyan described in the Frost Demon Clan's ancient warnings.
Yet even without being a Super Saiyan, he possessed such terrifying power.
Just how had that young Saiyan achieved this?
Cooler thought of Salza and the others—his entire armored squad had been wiped out by Broly.
"That damned Frieza… to think he allowed the Saiyans to grow this strong!!"
Cooler wanted nothing more than to kill Frieza.
If Frieza hadn't spared the Saiyans back then, his Cooler Force would never have suffered such catastrophic losses.
A subordinate spoke up.
"Lord Cooler, Masku is dead. Captain Salza and the others are gone as well. What should we do now?"
"Put the planet-trading business on hold," Cooler said coldly.
"Prepare a gravity chamber for me."
He stepped out of the ruined medical pod, his voice icy to the bone.
"I'm going to start training."
"Damn Saiyan monkeys… just you wait!!"
Whether it was him or Frieza, members of the Frost Demon Clan were born with overwhelming power.
They had never needed to train.
But now it was different.
The Saiyan race had produced someone who could completely suppress him in battle.
Cooler had survived this time—if he remained idle after this, the entire Frost Demon Clan would be finished.
However…
Cooler recalled Salza's speculation about that young Saiyan three days ago—that he seemed connected to the God of Destruction Candidate.
"Hmph. As long as I'm the one who survives in the end, then the one connected to the God of Destruction Candidate… will be me."
Thinking of the terrifying power Gran had displayed when saving him, a trace of admiration surged in Cooler's heart.
If he could form a connection with a being like that
Then this life would truly have been worth it.
END OF CHAPTER
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