Disclaimer: I don't own either One Punch Man or the Dragon Ball series.
Summary: It is said that a person reaches their true potential when they seek something greater than themselves. A certain hero embarks on a journey. The multiverse tilts on its axis.
Just a Hero
Saiyan Invasion Arc
Chapter 1 - The Strong
It happened again. He let his hopes get too high and like always, they come crashing back down to reality.
Honestly, Saitama didn't even know why he was even surprised at this point. Maybe it was those alien invasion movies which psyched him up for this fight, that this would be the final boss battle that would reignite the excitement he lost so long ago.
Instead, what he got was the same old lifeless battle he probably encountered a thousand times over. He could've sworn that they all followed the exact same script. The bad guy goes on a lengthy monologue about their "unrivaled power." Saitama lets himself get thrown around by said bad guy in the hopes of getting a good fight. He finds himself utterly disappointed and throws a punch. Bad guy becomes a work of modern art. Rinse and repeat.
Well, this time the alien conqueror managed to survive a couple punches which did piqued his interest. That, however, turned out to be nothing more than false hope. The moment Saitama had to go serious to prevent the warlord from destroying the planet, the guy was dead before he even knew it.
'Those movies were always overhyped anyways…' Saitama let out a sigh as he surveyed his surroundings. Dark smoke rose high into the air turning day into night while scorching white flames burned through whatever pieces of hull that weren't pulverized in the battle.
He estimated that he was at least a couple kilometers above the ruins of City A. There were a couple heroes still down there. Hopefully they managed to beat down whatever they were fighting.
He wasn't in much of the mood to fight any longer.
"I have… lost, it seems." A voice, once roaring with unsurpassed power, croaked out from the side.
Saitama turned his head behind him, his eyes widening in momentary surprise at the smoldering remains of Boros, the extraterrestrial warlord unfortunate enough to cross fists with him.
"You're still conscious... You're really strong." Saitama said.
Strong enough to make him feel something, even if just for a moment.
"As the prophecy foretold, a splendid battle." Boros remarked, his voice straining with each word he spoke. "We both fought to the bitter end."
'If only…' Saitama held back a sigh, turning his face away from the alien invader.
"Yeah… yeah it was."
Silence echoed between the two warriors for what seemed like hours. As Saitama began taking his first steps out, a snort came from the near lifeless husk.
"You liar. You were still holding back…. It's as if you never even tried throughout the entire battle."
Saitama stopped in his tracks, but said nothing. What could he say? The guy was pretty dead on.
"Heh, I always knew prophecies weren't to be trusted." Boros croaked, the last of his lifeforce evaporating into nothingness. "You… are way too strong."
Saitama stood still, his fists clenching for all but just a second before resigning himself. Why was he upset? He got exactly what he wanted, didn't he? To become the strongest. Was it worth it? Maybe, maybe not.
Perhaps it didn't even matter either way.
He walked away as the fiery fortress fell towards the earth.
-Two Weeks Later-
On a planet halfway across the universe, a glowing white spire stretched from the planet-city surrounding its base below to skim the very fabric of the heavens above. Inside the peak of this structure, six white pods floated inside a spacious but empty golden room, with five of them circling around a sixth larger pod.
Within that sixth pod sat a short, blue-skinned figure. His chestnut-shaped skull had two dark horns protruding from the sides with the top of his head covered with a deep blue membrane. An all-white body armor adorned his chest and shoulders as his dark red pupils glanced down towards his subordinates.
While his face remained cold and expressionless, Emperor Frost hadn't been in as good of a mood in a long, long time. Through shrewd diplomacy, cutthroat negotiations, and thousands of hard fought battles, he has taken his father's modest empire of a couple thousand stars to a universal superpower of a hundred million galaxies, all in the span of just a couple centuries.
Today marked not only his two hundredth anniversary as emperor of the Frost Trade League, but also the inevitable end of the five year war against the Arlian Dynasty, an intergalactic kingdom run by the most insufferable of insectoids who had done nothing but leech off the trade fleets which passed through their territory.
For the longest time, Frost tolerated their presence, focusing his efforts on more lucrative opportunities. The moment their new leader ordered his forces to hold Frost's ships hostage as ransom, Frost sought nothing less than the complete eradication of their people.
The three hundred galaxies the Arlians controlled was a rather small pittance for their insolence, but the annexation of such territory merely added to his empire, another step towards universal dominance.
With another nuisance now dealt with, he needed to determine where to point his attention to next.
"Report." Frost ordered towards his subordinates, his figure relaxed but never off-guard. Even among his closest confidants, he could never be too safe. It wouldn't be the first time someone under him tried to usurp his command, or the second… or the fifth.
The first of the five Advisors stood up. Even when he was sitting down his figure towered above the rest. The blue and yellow body armor of the empire's premier army hugged around his muscular tanned frame while a mop of dark orange hair stood atop his elongated head.
"Sir, the last stronghold of the Arlians has been breached. Their fighters have either perished in a pointless last stand, captured by our forces, or fled along with the ruling class into the intergalactic void." General Jac reported, an amused tone lining his voice. "We already have several hunter-fleets tailing the survivors for any hidden bases within the void. For the prisoners we do have, how do you want to deal with them?"
"Do they have any fighters who could be a good fit for our forces?" Frost asked. Recruiting key talent from conquered peoples served not only to reduce the possibility of rebellion from said subjects but also to bolster the strength of his own forces. This strategy has been instrumental in his empire's swift rise to power.
Jac snorted as he crossed his massive arms. "Unlikely. Most of the decent ones have been killed off during the breach of their galactic stronghold. There are a couple in captivity that might be suited for some low ranking positions, given a year or two of training."
Frost waved a hand off. "If that's the case, don't bother. Execute the remaining soldiers and send the civilians for processing. Have the forces occupy the main population centers until the peacekeepers arrive to incorporate the territory into the empire."
"Heh, consider it done."
Frost then turned his gaze towards his second advisor, Provolo, former captain of a state-chartered privateer group. The man had a rotund figure with dark yellow skin, pointy ears, blue lips and eye shadow, and spikes protruding out of his forearms and skull. "What ideas do you have for optimizing our use of the territory gained from these cretins?"
Provolo grumbled as he stood up within his pod. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a cigar, lighting it with a spark from his fingers. "The best and only thing the region has going for it is their location. With their exorbitant tariffs now over with, both our trading caravans and military fleets have unfettered access to the eastern portion of the universe, opening the door for us to obtain a new source of allies and tributaries."
"Excellent. Are there any nations in that region which could pose a threat towards our expansion?" Frost asked.
Provolo shrugged his shoulders, taking a puff from his cigar. "None that'd actually matter. If any of them were to try anything against us they would be wiped out within a year, at most."
Ah, it just keeps getting better and better. Nothing feels as good as enjoying the fruits of hard earned conquest.
Frost turned towards his third Advisor, Kesa, the empire's chief technical officer. She was a slender, red-skinned woman with short white hair, a black eyepatch covering her left eye and two silver gauntlets covering her forearms. "I've been told that one of your teams managed to gain access to a prototype technology from a rival power."
Kesa bowed towards Frost, a satisfied grin etched onto her face. "Why yes, Frost-sama. Some high-ranking Tuffle idiot got seduced by one of my subordinates. She managed to get hold of a hard drive which included several designs of a next generation warp-"
The sounds of the two massive doors sliding open cut her sentence short. White stiletto heels tapped on the floor as a green-skinned woman strutted into the area. She wore a similar all-white battle armor as Frost, though it did little to hide her curvaceous figure. Her long azure hair flowed down towards her broad hips, complimenting the pearl jewelry she adorned on her neck and ears. Her golden eyes surveyed Frost and the Advisors, a confident smile plastered on her alluring face.
"Why hello, Frost-sama. I hope you will forgive my timing." The woman greeted, slowly floating towards the pods above.
"You." Kesa pointed at the woman, her lone eye twitching in agitation. Few things angered her as much as being interrupted, especially when that interruption was caused by the woman she wanted nothing more than to rip the throat off of. "I hope you are aware interrupting an executive meeting is worthy of capital punishment."
Frost let out a sigh. "I'll let it slide. I presume you do have something worth announcing, Cherri."
"Why thank you Frost-sama, your wisdom is as unparalleled as ever." Cherri bowed, letting her smirk be very visible towards the incensed Kesa. Few things amused her as much as putting hot-headed brats in their place. They are always the ones to cry the loudest before being put down. "I've received a rather interesting report from one of my sources near the southern edge of the universe. They have confirmed that Boros, along with his three right hand men, are dead."
For a moment, only the sound of a dropped cigar could be heard in the room.
"I-I'm sorry. Who?" Gouda, the fourth and shortest Advisor, asked. He was a green, plump man with four eyes, two small ones on his face and two bulbous ones on the sides of his skull.
"Some warlord who has conquered a couple dozen galaxies in the Desolate Region of the universe." Provolo grumbled, his hands fumbling within a pocket for a spare cigar, to little avail. "He doesn't have any heirs to note of so there isn't much to prevent the empire from splitting off into multiple competing states. They will be easy pickings for any nation who wants to expand into the region."
Frost pinched the tip of his chin. "The Desolate Region… is that the one with the inexplicable lack of sapient life as compared to the rest of the universe?"
"That'd be correct, Frost-sama." Kesa tapped a finger on one of her gauntlets. A hologram of the universal map appeared in the air, zoomed in onto the region in question. "Even our most powerful supercomputers have been unable to determine why this region is so devoid of life. Something that defies our understanding of the universe is situated there. Leaving any unknowns untouched is unacceptable. I suggest we send some probes or even a team of scouts into the area to investigate further."
"I second this option." Jac stated, surveying the holographic map. "The region extends around the periphery of the Arcosians, the Heeters, and the Tuffles. Setting up a base of operations within that region would not only give us a sphere of influence over the area but also a launching pad for potential strikes on any of the three powers."
The room remained silent for several moments as Frost clasped his hands together, his eyes closed in thought. It took a minute before he opened his eyes, turning towards his second-in-command. "Cherri, go ahead and contact viable minor powers and mercenary groups located near the region. Offer them an award based on whatever territory they can gain control and transfer ownership of. If any officers of the Treasury give you an issue, tell them that an official order will be coming from me shortly."
A stunned silence shrouded the room. It was unheard of for Frost to delegate conquering territory to other parties, especially for one as potentially lucrative as this.
"Are you sure this is a wise decision, Frost-sama?" The last Advisor asked. Unlike the others who wore the standard battle armor, he adorned a black cloak that had a hood which covered the top of his head. His face resembled that of a blue koi fish. "There is no guarantee any of these groups, especially that of the mercenaries, would merely transfer ownership of conquered territory. They have a far greater incentive to claim it as their own to use as leverage."
"Are you sure questioning my orders is a wise decision, Romano?" Frost retorted, his gaze piercing through the eyes of the former assassin. "Let me ask you this, when was the last time any of the major powers went to war against each other?"
"The last time would have to be the war between the Saiyans and the Tuffles versus the Heeters, but that occurred over fifty years ago." Romano answered, a cautious tone carrying over each of his words.
"Exactly, and even then most of the combat occurred through their proxy states. Since then, the entire political landscape of the major powers has been in a stalemate." Frost began, his eyes surveying his Advisors to make sure they had their full attention on him. "The Heeters have been aggressively expanding their political influence, partnering with universal megacorporations, regional mafias, and high-ranking mercenary groups. The Arcosians have tripled the amount of megastructures dedicated to research and manufacturing, and the Tuffles have been funneling an untold amount of money into weapons and genetic research."
Frost paused for a moment before continuing. "The only major power who haven't been expanding their capabilities have been the Saiyans, who have gone into isolation after their civil war. And yet, even after a fifth of them left to form their own nation, that old fool Sadala still has an army that can match the strength of our forces."
He let out a hiss at the end of that last sentence, his face twisting in displeasure.
"They are all building up deterrents, strengthening their forces for an inevitable conflict." Jac stated, a chuckle escaping his lips at the thought of the fierce battles which would come. "All it would take is a single spark for all hell to be unleashed on each other."
"Exactly. With Boros dead and most of the universal territory already claimed, the only way to expand is towards the Desolate Region. If just two of the minor powers have a conflict, that would be all it takes for their major allies to step in and go to war" Frost remarked, letting his subordinates piece together the reasoning for his decision.
"Ahh, so the bounty offered to the minor powers are merely meant to accelerate this process by ensuring a conflict of interest." Cherri concluded as a vicarious grin spread across her elegant face. "Once the major powers expend their forces in the ensuing war we will be in the perfect position to swoop in, finish them off, and pick up the pieces."
"That would still leave the Saiyans." Romano countered. "Even if they don't directly participate in the scramble for the Desolate Region, it is unknown whether they will side with us or the Tuffles, their other major ally."
"Oh, I wouldn't be worried about that, Romano-kun." Cherri teased, wagging a freshly painted finger. "King Sadala is all but a husk of his former self, both in strength and influence. Even if he chooses to go against us, by then we will be more than capable to take him out of his misery. As for his Saiyan General and his Ace…"
A sultry laugh slid from her lips. "Let's just say I already have a solution to deal with them."
Frost nodded in approval before turning his gaze to the rest of the advisors. "If there are no more remarks, we will end this meeting here. The next couple of years will be the most important of your lives. Make sure your subordinates are well-prepared for what's to come. Failure is not an option. You are dismissed."
In an instant, everyone except Frost vanished out of the room. The Emperor sat back on his chair, a slight smile cracking the surface of his impassible visage.
The pieces are being set, and soon enough the last few obstacles towards his rightful claim as the Supreme Emperor of the Universe will crumble at his feet.
And nothing will stand in the way of his ambition.
Author's Note: Hey, thanks for picking this story up! I am still very new to writing fiction so if you made it this far, the writing should get better with each and every chapter. Theoretically, anyways.
This idea has been rattling in my brain for about three months now and finally, I decided to might as well put it into writing. I am excited to see where this goes and I hope you do too!
Yes, I know, since the story starts off in Universe 6 this is technically a One Punch Man x DBS crossover, not a DBZ one. I do plan to correct this once the story gets a couple hundred favorites or so. I'm just using the DBZ section to shamelessly get some visibility for the story.
Also, both the Advisors and Cherri are all based on a Universe 7 counterpart. As the story progresses try to guess who they are! Those who answer correctly will be given the priceless award of pride and accomplishment. Bonus points if you can guess the theme of their names.
I think that is it for now. If you have any questions or critiques, do be sure to leave a review and I will respond in the next chapter. No spoilers though.
See ya in the next one!
