Standing above the nearly collapsed Planet Slug, overlooking the hellish scene below, with lava-flowing craters, fragmented continental shelves, an atmosphere as thin as paper… Setsuna felt a faint, indescribable sense of emotion.
Not long ago, in the world of One Piece, he had been dubbed the [Island Destroyer]. Now, it seemed that title was due for an upgrade to [Planet Destroyer].
In the distance, Galactic King was being protected by Merus, his octopus-like face filled with terror and lingering fear. If not for Setsuna's timely arrival, he might have been made into takoyaki.
Setsuna picked up the unconscious Slug and turned to look at the still-shaken Galactic King. "According to the rules of your Galactic Court, a criminal of this level would be incarcerated in Galactic Prison, correct?"
He held Slug forward. "Then I'll leave him to you."
Galactic King's tentacles curled in fright as he waved his hands repeatedly. "I cannot! I cannot! Setsuna-sama, please... please personally escort this felon to Galactic Prison!"
His voice trembled. "This is no ordinary prisoner... this is Slug! If he escapes en route... the entire galaxy will suffer!"
Setsuna observed Galactic King's cowardly demeanor, amused inwardly, but put on a reluctant expression. He paused for a moment before slowly nodding. "Very well, since His Majesty Galactic King trusts me so, I shall make the trip."
"Splendid! Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!" Galactic King, as if granted amnesty, quickly bowed. "This kindness, I... no, I will never forget it!"
Merus stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowing to Setsuna. "Setsuna-sama, please allow me to accompany you during the transport. Galactic Prison has a divine power seal personally placed by the Supreme Kai. Without our Galactic Patrol's special pass, outsiders cannot enter the core area."
"Exactly, exactly! Let Merus accompany you!" Galactic King nodded repeatedly, then turned to instruct Merus. "Be careful! You must protect Setsuna-sama... ah, no, assist Setsuna-sama in completing the transport mission!"
Merus nodded solemnly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
…
On the ship heading to Galactic Prison, the atmosphere was slightly subtle.
Merus sat in the co-pilot seat, his gaze occasionally drifting to Setsuna, who sat beside him with his eyes closed in meditation.
As a trainee Angel, his perception far exceeded that of ordinary mortals. He could sense Setsuna's power, a strength different from that of Frieza or Cooler, which puzzled him greatly.
After some hesitation, Merus finally spoke, testing the waters: "Setsuna-sama, your strength... seems far greater than what you demonstrated earlier, doesn't it?"
Setsuna slowly opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "Officer Merus jokes. My meager abilities are probably insignificant before you, aren't they?"
Merus's heart tightened, though his expression remained neutral. "Setsuna-sama jokes. I'm just an ordinary Galactic Patrolman. What strength do I have?"
"Is that so?" Setsuna gave a noncommittal smile and closed his eyes again. "Then perhaps I was mistaken."
Merus knew the other party hadn't believed him, but he didn't press further. The two maintained a knowing silence.
After the ship traveled through the hyperspace lane for about six hours, a massive cylindrical structure appeared outside the viewport, floating alone in the cosmic void.
This was the highest-security prison in the galaxy… [Galactic Prison], housing countless heinous space criminals.
"We've arrived." Merus maneuvered the ship out of hyperspace while transmitting the access code to the prison's control tower.
After three layers of rigorous identity verification, five levels of energy scanning, and a special test for soul fluctuations, the ship was finally granted entry.
The prison's interior was far larger than its exterior suggested, a super-scaled structure utilizing space folding technology. The corridors were as complex as a maze, with each door requiring different access permissions to open.
Merus, familiar with the route, guided Setsuna through the transfer procedures, sending the unconscious Slug to the [Special Class Prisoner Restriction Area] on the lowest level.
"Alright, the procedures are complete." Merus looked at Setsuna. "Setsuna-sama, I'll escort you out."
Setsuna nodded, but his mind was racing. What excuse could he use to legitimately gain access to Moro, imprisoned in the deepest depths?
As he was contemplating his strategy, the two passed through a relatively secluded corridor. Setsuna's footsteps suddenly halted. His brow furrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping sharply over several cells lining the corridor.
"Officer Merus," Setsuna's voice carried a hint of gravity, "In your prison, there shouldn't be cases of prisoners having their bodies drained dry, should there?"
Merus was startled and followed Setsuna's gaze. Behind the transparent walls of those cells, the prisoners who should have been incarcerated had turned into several desiccated corpses.
Their skin clung tightly to their bones, eye sockets sunken, mouths wide open, as if they had endured extreme agony before death. Stranger still, faint, almost invisible, dark red energy threads were entangling around the surfaces of these mummified bodies.
"This is..." Merus's expression changed drastically. "Moro's power is leaking out!"
He spun around to look at Setsuna, a flash of determination in his eyes. "Setsuna-sama, I need your help! Please help me suppress Moro, that ancient demon imprisoned in the deepest part of this prison, who has slumbered for tens of millions of years! His power is awakening and beginning to seep through the seal, draining prisoners' life force to restore himself!"
Setsuna was rather speechless, 'I fight Moro? Was that really a serious suggestion?'
Although Setsuna did want to get in contact with Moro, this wasn't the way he had envisioned it.
Setsuna declined politely: "I've heard of this creature. With my strength, I doubt I'd be a match for him."
"If it were Moro at his peak, probably no 'person' in the entire universe would be his match," Merus explained quickly. "But it's different now. He's been imprisoned for tens of millions of years... his power has already waned to its nadir. Most crucially, Moro's most terrifying abilities are 'absorbing life energy' and 'devouring planetary energy'."
Merus pointed to the metal walls around them: "This prison was deliberately built in the cosmic void, far from any planet, precisely to cut off his access to planetary energy. And you—" Merus's gaze fell on Setsuna, "You are a soul being. A pure soul form has no 'life energy' for him to absorb. Arguably, in the current universe, you are the only one who can deal with him!"
Setsuna pondered briefly. It seemed to make sense. Although his soul state limited his full power, it actually became an advantage against certain special enemies, especially in this Dragon Ball Universe where most powerful fighters specialized in physical attacks.