Frieza stiffly nodded and floated to a clear spot next to Ginyu.

King Cold forced the Earth warriors to descend nearby.

Ginyu's massive body began to move in slow, deliberate motions stretching his arms, bending, then suddenly thrusting them forward. He kicked his right leg straight up, extended it backward, then leaned his whole body forward, balancing precariously on one foot.

And then… he froze in place.

Everyone looked on in bewilderment. No one knew why Ginyu was holding this intense pose for so long.

Even Cold and Cooler exchanged confused glances.

Only Frieza seemed to understand.

His eye twitched, his cheek flushed faintly red.

Lightly clapping, he forced a stiff smile. "Captain Ginyu, well done."

Ginyu said nothing, but the joy on his face was unmistakable.

Encouraged, he launched into another set of flamboyant moves, again ending in a frozen pose.

Frieza's smile grew increasingly strained. "Very good… Very impressive."

And again, Ginyu struck another outlandish pose.

Frieza's expression darkened with each new twist and stretch. Finally, he could take no more. "Captain Ginyu, perhaps… just perform the full dance in one go?"

King Cold and Cooler looked at each other, even more puzzled.

Cold hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Frieza, how about this, I'll head off to search for the Dragon Balls?"

Frieza's tone cooled several degrees. "No need, Father. Let's wait until Captain Ginyu finishes his performance."

Among the Earth warriors, only Fanten was visibly shaken. The rest were simply lost.

Revved up by his emperor's praise, Ginyu became even more animated his dance moves growing wilder, the difficulty climbing with each movement.

Eventually, sweat beaded down his forehead. Every pose became slower, more precise, as if he was terrified of slipping up in front of his beloved lord.

Time trickled on.

The Earthlings were utterly dazed. Half out of admiration for the sheer volume of poses, half out of second-hand embarrassment.

Levos had assumed Ginyu would be done in a few minutes. He never expected the man to stretch this battle dance to fifteen full minutes.

And still, no move had been repeated. No end in sight.

Thankfully, Levos hadn't been idle. He used the time to establish a mental link with his companions via King Kai, briefing them on his plans and urging them to stay alert.

Since Ginyu hadn't recognized Bulma's identity, both he and Bulma were safe for now still accepted as members of Frieza's army.

Levos glanced at Bulma's watch, his face tightening.

The agreed-upon time with Merus had come and gone… yet no signal had come from the Lookout.

Could something have happened to Merus?

If so, he'd lost his biggest trump card.

It was all up to him now.

Levos took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm.

As his mind raced with contingencies, Ginyu's body finally stilled.

He turned toward Frieza and raised both arms.

"Ginyu…"

Then bowed respectfully.

"Lord Frieza, these are all the combat poses I've painstakingly crafted over the years!"

Frieza exhaled slowly and clapped. "Captain Ginyu, you've done well."

Levos gave Ginyu a thumbs-up.

Seeing this, Ginyu's eyes softened. It was the look of someone who had just discovered a kindred spirit.

With the veteran captain properly acknowledged, Frieza floated into the air and scanned the area. He quickly found Majin Buu paddling through the magma lake nearby.

"Mr. Buu, would you kindly help Captain Ginyu recover his energy?" Frieza asked with a polite smile.

"Nope! I don't like him!" Majin Buu shook his head wildly, his face full of disdain. "His dancing was ugly!"

Ginyu's face darkened instantly, but he held back his frustration in the presence of Frieza.

Frieza's eyes narrowed slightly, though his smile didn't waver. "Then what kind of dance do you think suits Captain Ginyu better, Mr. Buu?"

"I don't like dancing," Buu said without hesitation. "I like food. I'm hungry. You said you'd give me something tasty!"

He stared at Frieza with childlike expectation.

Frieza faltered, clearly taken aback by Buu's thought process.

Still, he smiled. "Please be patient, Mr. Buu. Once we return to our base planet, you'll have more food than you can eat."

"No! I don't wanna wait! I want food now!" Buu puffed out his cheeks.

Frieza's gaze turned icy for a moment, then he fell silent.

Seeing no response, Majin Buu happily went back to swimming in the lava lake.

King Cold flew over, his gaze sharp. "Frieza, with a temperament like that, he'll never follow our orders."

Frieza's expression hardened slightly as he nodded.

King Cold continued coldly, "If he won't submit, perhaps we should just eliminate him."

Frieza's eyes glinted. "Father, I think we should proceed with our original plan instead."

Cold hesitated. "But now that Captain Ginyu has acquired such a powerful body, it seems wasteful to have him switch with Buu."

"You're forgetting something, Father we have another suitable candidate," Frieza replied, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "That way, we'll have two powerful subordinates. I highly value Majin Buu's healing ability."

His eyes drifted toward the frog cradled in Bulma's arms.

"But will Captain Ginyu really be willing to give up that body?" Cold questioned.

Frieza smiled confidently. "I believe he'll agree."

Moments later, Frieza had explained the idea to both Ginyu and Levos.

Levos's eyes lit up.

What a move! Majin Buu just handed them a golden opportunity!

Ginyu, however, looked hesitant and troubled. "With all due respect, Lord Frieza… I'm quite fond of this body. Also… that fat guy is just too ugly. And not ideal for battle poses. If you're finding him troublesome, I'd be happy to dispose of him for you."

Levos immediately objected. "Captain Ginyu! Didn't you promise me you'd help find a suitable body?"

Ginyu froze, suddenly remembering that vow and now deeply regretting it.

He loved this new body, especially its appearance. Replacing it with Majin Buu's plump, round physique felt like a nightmare. It'd be impossible to pull off the complex poses he'd worked so hard to develop over the decades.

"How about this?" Levos offered. "Once we take over Majin Buu's body, you and I can switch again."

Ginyu hesitated, unsure.

Then he saw the expectant look in Frieza's eyes… and completely froze.

"Captain Ginyu," Levos said with a wink, "with Lord Frieza and the others as witnesses, there's no way I'd go back on my word… right?"

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