Power Trip: I Got Reborn in Dragon Ball with Broken Adaptation

The sky above Namek stretched wide and green, triple suns blazing down over fields of blue grass and green seas. Somewhere distant, the cries of battle echoed faintly through the wind — but not near Kai and Bulma.

They were alone. For now.

Kai sat on a rock near the ship, arms behind his head, squinting up at the sky. The light shimmered off his dark combat suit, a soft hum from the hull of the ship behind him as the solar cells drank in heat.

Bulma tapped at her portable display, muttering something about wavelength interference and terrain topology.

Kai yawned.

"Remind me again why I'm not napping?"

Bulma didn't look up. "Because you'd snore and make me think Frieza landed right on us."

"I snore gracefully."

"You snore like a lawnmower having a seizure."

Kai grinned. "You wound me."

Before she could fire back, a loud whoomph split the air above. A shuttle streaked overhead and touched down hard in a clearing nearby, kicking up dirt and broken shrubbery.

Kai stood up slowly. "Well. That doesn't look like Amazon Prime."

The ramp dropped, and six Frieza Force soldiers emerged — each dressed in armor, scouters flickering. Their leader, a tall creature with teal skin and twin horns curled back over his head, stepped forward.

He scanned the area. Then spotted Kai and Bulma.

"Identify yourselves. You're not Namekian. Or ours."

Kai raised a hand lazily. "You first."

The leader scowled. "This is imperial territory, Earthlings. You're trespassing—"

Kai cut him off with a mock gasp. "You know what, that's fair. I completely forgot to submit our vacation paperwork."

Bulma sighed. "Please don't start."

One of the soldiers raised his scouter. "That one's reading… 5,000?" He frowned. "That can't be right. It's fluctuating—"

Kai tapped his chest. "Must be my high-fiber diet. It causes random surges."

The leader scowled. "Seize them."

The grunts moved fast — but Kai moved faster.

One stepped forward, hand glowing with ki.

Kai vanished. A second later, the soldier flew backward, smashing into the side of their own ship.

Another charged. Kai ducked under the blast and appeared behind him, whispering, "Boo," before chopping him in the neck. He dropped instantly.

Three left. They hesitated.

"You really want to do this?" Kai asked. "I'm just a guy with a grudge against cardio. Don't make me break a sweat."

The biggest of them lunged.

Kai let him come. At the last second, he side-stepped, caught the attacker's arm mid-swing, and twisted. There was a snap and a scream, then a kick to the chest sent the brute tumbling like a boulder down the hill.

The final two turned to run.

Kai raised a hand. "Aw, I was just getting warmed up."

Then stopped himself.

He watched them disappear into the distance.

Behind him, Bulma crossed her arms. "You're getting soft."

"I'm getting merciful."

"You're getting smug."

"That too," Kai admitted.

He exhaled and looked toward the horizon, the triple suns casting strange shadows across the land.

Far away — across hills, rivers, and rocky ridges — battles were unfolding.

Piccolo stood on a broken cliffside, arms crossed as a group of Frieza troops lay unconscious around him. He didn't bother finishing them. They weren't a threat.

Gohan and Krillin had just finished a skirmish in a shallow canyon, their combined speed and technique overwhelming a small patrol in seconds. Gohan stood straighter now, more sure of himself. Stronger.

Goku, alone, hovered above a steaming crater. Two soldiers twitched in the dust, defeated. He scratched his head.

"Man. Gravity training really works."

Back near the ship, Kai sat once again, staring into the sky, quiet now.

His system blinked softly in the corner of his vision.

[Analyzing Local Threat Levels…]

[Frieza Presence Confirmed]

[Warning: Multiple Elite Power Levels Detected]

'So he's already moving,' Kai thought. 'No surprise. Just earlier than I'd like.'

He exhaled slowly.

He wasn't scared. Not really. Not anymore.

But he was thinking.

Thinking about the fights ahead. The choices. The cracks in the canon already forming. And how much longer he could pretend to be surprised when he saw things he already knew were coming.

High above the planet, aboard a sleek cruiser, Frieza sipped his drink with amusement curling at the edge of his smile.

"Another patrol lost?" he asked, not even glancing at the display.

Zarbon bowed slightly. "Yes, Lord Frieza. Minimal data recovered. One survivor. He claims to have encountered… resistance."

Frieza's smile widened, slow and cold. "Oh, I do hope it's someone interesting."

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I read the comments and I promise soon he won't hide his power.