Breat was populated, even moreso than Tukee with its open market and tradepost traffic. Its large cities were a site of reprieve for soldiers coming down from a rough takeover, filled with locals raised for skills of tending to and entertaining their visitors. Kakarot had been here frequently, though he never much liked the place. Concubines and crowded parties were never for him - though his purge team sure did enjoy them. Like most places, the greatest lure here was the food. Today was the exception. Kakarot wasn't here for the food.

Nothing would feel better right now than taking his ship back from the hands of that damn Earthling woman who dared to steal it. As Kakarot stepped out onto the lavender grass growing in the meadow surrounding the human's ship, a trail of footsteps pattered behind him. He could hear their gasps as they took in the attractive, colorful lights outlining the distant city's skyline. It was nighttime here. He could smell that other human nearby in the soft breeze - the one not held hostage on this ship he was coming off of.

Kakarot angled a glare over his shoulder. "Hey! I didn't say you could leave the ship."

The footsteps approaching him halted. Kakarot activated his scouter and tracked the skies for incoming ships. He found one already landed, but he knew it wasn't his. He would sense if it was. His ship wasn't here yet. Chi-Chi wasn't here. With a grunt, he looked toward the sky, seeking a shimmer of metal beyond the heavy gray clouds or a blip in his scouter pinpointing its arrival.

"Hey, Goku," the pig called - Kakarot thought his name was Oolo or something - "it's - it's kind of stuffy in there and we all just w-wanted to step out for some fresh air."

"Besides," said the man with a respectable scar on his face, now also sporting a lump on his head at the courtesy of Kakarot's fist, "I want to make sure you don't try anything with Chi-Chi the second she steps away from your ship."

"Try anything?" Kakarot laughed. "It's a little late for that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Unless by 'try anything', you mean like kill her. I mean," Kakarot said with a complacent shrug, "she's obviously not dead yet."

The man's solid jaw tensed visibly, the muscles straining enough for Kakarot to see it from this distance. The Earthling made a good point though. Kakarot wasn't sure yet how he was going to do this. Rubbing the back of his head, he gazed at the crowd of humans who had somehow evaded him back on Earth. They weren't all that remarkable, though he recognized the young desert bandit and his cat, who'd been fortunate years ago to catch Kakarot at a time his young stomach hadn't been fueled. Most recognizable was the old man - Roshi. Kakarot remembered him as the only opponent who'd managed to hit him with a ki blast back on Earth. If Kakarot hadn't been in ape form at the time, the impressive wave could've actually done some damage. Funny how easily luck altered fate.

Just as his eye caught a flash of light in the night sky, Kakarot's scouter buzzed. "Goku."

"Chi-Chi," he said with a grin. "Is that you landing now?"

"Yes. Come meet me where I'm landing. You can track the ship, can't you?"

"Of course I can," Kakarot said, turning to his rapt audience. "Old man, I need you to steer us toward that ship."

As Kakarot pointed toward the object falling from the sky, disappearing behind the skyline of the big city, his scouter flashed its location on the radar. There was no way he'd lose track of his ship now.

"That's your ship, Goku?"

"With Chi-Chi on it, yes. We can't waste any time." Kakarot looked toward the sky to see nothing but blackness and stars, but his scouter told a different story. Another ship was breaching Breat's atmosphere. "Cui's coming."

"Then I'll drive," the younger man said, pressing a thumb into his chest. "I can get us there the fastest."

Kakarot chased them all back into the ship, allowing the old man to close the hatch behind him. He could see their minds working as he brushed past them. As much as they wanted to attack him, they had to realize it was no good. He took down the two who attacked him the first time he boarded this craft much too easily. They would deliver him to Chi-Chi's location as quickly as he wanted.

The field Chi-Chi had chosen as her landing point was already inhabited by the woman Bulma, who looked like she'd already made herself comfortable in this vast, open space bordered by long-abandoned ships in their craters. Kakarot doubted this was a coincidence.

As he walked out of the ship, ordering the humans to remain inside lest they wanted to be blasted by him sooner rather than later, Kakarot set his eyes on the two women. Chi-Chi had just climbed out of his ship and was leaping to Bulma's side. The smug smile on Bulma's face made Kakarot twist his lips into a sneer.

"Everything on Pzaa went according to plan," Bulma said, twisting her heel in the purple grass as her eyes met Kakarot's. "Who would've thought a weak little thing like me could've masterminded taking out the 'legendary' Super Saiyan?"

Chi-Chi cast her friend a peevish glare. "We have other problems to worry about, Bulma."

"Yeah," Kakarot huffed, stepping up to them. "Did your friend here tell you Cui's on his way here to kill you?"

Bulma turned an eye on Chi-Chi before meeting Kakarot's gaze with a frown. "That's a risk we came prepared for. Just like the ones we'll face when we leave to collect our bounty."

Kakarot raised his hand. "What about this risk? Were you prepared for me?"

Chi-Chi and Bulma paled. Chi-Chi's eyes darted to the quiet yellow ship behind Kakarot, while Bulma's blue eyes remained locked on Kakarot's, her bottom lip trembling.

"I haven't killed them yet," Kakarot said. "They fed me. But I guess if they're going to get in my way," he added with a groan as he heard the patter of footsteps scurrying over the ramp to the open ship, "I'll have to kill them next."

"Next?" Bulma breathed.

Kakarot smirked. She knew it was her time. Kakarot loved this point in the battle, when he knew he would win. And these humans thought they were going to put one over on him and leave him for dead back on Pzaa, just like they did with Brolly. He'd never lose so easily.

"Thanks for keeping my ship in one piece," he said to Chi-Chi, whose cheeks flushed pink when he smiled - he wasn't sure whether she flushed out of anger or infatuation - before a noise jarred them, booming from the atmosphere above. Cui. "But it's time to say goodbye."

"Wait!" Bulma held up a hand, stepping forward with eyes wide as saucers.

Scowling, Kakarot gathered his power and turned his hand previously aimed for Chi-Chi more directly toward Bulma.

"No, wait, really!" Bulma screamed. "You'll kill us all if you do that! I've rigged this place."

Kakarot raised a brow. "Okay?"

"Meaning you expel your ki with a blast, and everyone within a fifty mile radius is going to get nuked."

"Bulma!" Chi-Chi slapped her friend's arm. "That puts us in danger!"

Bulma turned to Chi-Chi. "More danger than we would've been in two seconds ago if he was able to fire at us?"

As Chi-Chi's jaw fell, Kakarot cocked his head. He opened and closed his fingers, turning through his mind the idea of testing the woman's bluff. If he fired anyway and she was lying, they'd be dead, not him. He would only die if what she claimed about rigging the place to blow with the presence of ki was true. Kakarot had never heard of such a thing.

He shook his head. "You're lying."

"I am not lying," Bulma said, turning to stomp at him and bare her teeth. "I invented these devices myself to protect us from giant apes and super strong alien assholes. We're surrounded by the devices now and I assure you, they work."

Kakarot clenched his teeth, not wanting to believe her, but finding the fiery look in her eyes hard to ignore. He wanted them dead. But he very much wanted to continue living. Even if there was a blast slow enough for him to evade, his ship would be blown to bits. Retrieving his ship was the whole point of being here. Kakarot heaved a sigh. This play was impressive. He couldn't make his move, not without knowing the truth.

Kakarot shrugged and raised his fists. "I'll just have to kill you another way."

Chi-Chi gasped, surprising Kakarot with her suddenness before he could spring forward to launch his attack. When Kakarot followed her gaze focused to his left, he let a tirade of expletives stream from his mouth. Gliding toward them through the air was Cui's large gray ship. The blasters were already dropped, positioned to shoot ki at Kakarot and the Earthling women. The women's hands immediately flew straight up in the air.

"Don't shoot!" Chi-Chi said.

"Unless you want to die, too!" Bulma yelled over the hum of the motor.

Kakarot didn't know what all this hand raising was about, but he dropped to his knees with a groan. He hated this with every fiber of his being, but surrendering before Cui ignited the woman's stupid device was his best option for self-preservation.

"Nobody move," Cui's voice called, echoing through loudspeaker from his ship.

Seconds later, the hatch parted from the ship, falling open as a figure moved toward them. Kakarot looked up at the figure, recognizing Cui by his backlit silhouette. Seeing him strutting toward Kakarot as if he'd already won made Kakarot want to punch that smug asshole in the face as soon as it was within reach.

"I'm going to be the one collecting payment from Zarbon for the Saiyan defector kill," Cui said, sneering at Kakarot as he leaned in close to seize him by his chest armor.

"You mean Brolly? Listen, Cui," Kakarot said, "I didn't kill him and I don't give a damn about your money."

"Like hell you don't. What do you think I am, a fool? Then what are you doing with these people? Why are you surrendering to me so easily if you have no concern for them?"

"It's not concern for them that made me do this," Kakarot said through clenched teeth. "I am not with these people."

Cui scoffed. As he looked to the women, leering at them with his big bug eyes, something sank in Kakarot's gut. Like a stone dropped down his throat, the sight of Cui leering that way didn't sit well with him. The bastard was going to kill him. He was going to kill his Earthlings, which were no one else's to kill. Kakarot tightened his fist with a growl. Before Cui could press the flat of his hand against Kakarot's chest in preparation for the killing blast he was to deliver, Kakarot drew back his fist and uppercut his chin, sending the alien flying.

"You idiot!" Bulma yelled. Kakarot was surprised to see she was yelling at Cui, not him. "You almost killed us all! Did you not see that?"

Kakarot's jaw fell as he recalled the mid-air spark of light where Bulma pointed, like a sporadic ki blast, unorganized and aimed for no one in particular. He thought he'd imagined it with the energy he put into that hit. Or maybe there was a far-off atmospheric storm causing the flash. But with Bulma pointing toward that exact spot, while Chi-Chi stared wide-eyed at the same place, Kakarot knew he hadn't imagined it. It wasn't just lightning. These Earthlings were crazy.

A growl tore Kakarot from his stupor as something sped toward him, a flash of movement he couldn't prepare for. His chest was compressed by a blast of pain as he flew backward. He tumbled to the grass, rubbing his hand over the aching point where Cui's elbow had punctuated his armor. As he sat up to send Cui a glare, something scurried across the field behind Cui.

"I'll kill you all," Cui said, spinning to aim for the running figures in the dark.

"Don't, Cui!" Kakarot yelled.

He knew by the position Cui assumed that Cui was preparing to blast them. Kakarot would like to blast them himself, but not here. He punched Cui instead, to stop him from firing. He wanted to stop the Earthlings more than anything now and Cui was getting in the way. They were running for their Earth ship and getting away. Its engines were already firing with his lost hostages gathered safely inside.

As Kakarot bent his knees to spring toward them and cut them off, another hard blow landed in his back. With a grunt, Kakarot fell to his knees. He was quick to pick himself up and sweep his leg beneath his opponent, knocking Cui in the shins. As the purple alien fell to the ground with a thump, Kakarot sprang to his feet and turned for the Earth ship. It was already lifting off the ground. Its hatch closed him off as it swung slowly closed.

"No!" Kakarot yelled as he dashed toward the ship.

The air whooshed around him as he leapt to reach for Chi-Chi, whose stunning face hung over the edge, glaring down at him. Her black hair whipped against her flushed cheeks and pale forehead before the hatch closed in, cutting her off from Kakarot's view.

Cui was in his face.

As Kakarot recoiled from Cui's sudden appearance, the hatch sealed with a thump and the ship levitated higher.

"No," Kakarot breathed. "No, you're letting them get away!"

"Kakarot!" Cui snapped his gaze to the ship and turned a glare on Kakarot. "You're going to pay for this, you stupid Saiyan."

"You're the one who's stupid!" Kakarot said as he knocked his fist into Cui's ugly face. "They played you for a fool, Cui!"

"Look who's talking," Cui said as he pressed the back of his hand against the trail of purple leaking from his nostrils, "the biggest fool I know."

"You don't know me," Kakarot said as he swung his leg back and brought it forward, plunging it as hard as possible into Cui's undefended side.

Cui buckled. He screamed as he fell, tumbling through the air. When he hit the ground with a collision that cut off his scream, Kakarot sprang toward him, not giving him the chance to retaliate. He raised his fist to bury it in Cui's face, but the bastard disappeared from his reach just as he swung.

Disregarding Cui now that he was out of sight, Kakarot turned to gaze at the ship hovering high in the atmosphere. When it wasn't where he expected to see it, Kakarot stretched his sights further with a gasp. The ship was small and distant, fading into the darkness as it continued to move away from them at a rapid pace.

"Dammit!" Kakarot ignited his ki from within and sprang after them, only to be jolted by a hit to his throat that made him wheeze and grasp his throbbing neck as his body flagged through the air.

Cui lowered the arm he'd held to clothesline Kakarot, smirking as Kakarot sent him a glare. This bastard was intent on killing him, and all over a bounty about which Kakarot couldn't give two shits. Growling, Kakarot sprang at Cui and began exchanging a flurry of punches with the cackling alien. He would not die over this stupid stolen bounty. If Cui didn't want to let this go, he was the one who would die. At this point, the Earthlings were escaping him again and it was all Cui's fault. Kakarot craved to see Cui gasp his last breath. With every panting breath and exertion of movement, his desire to crush Cui strengthened.

With a growl, Kakarot gathered his power, but restrained himself just short or firing a blast. His eyes darted to the grounds where Bulma had indicated an unseen device planted. Biting his lip, Kakarot turned his eyes on Cui and directed all of that gathered power into his fist. If his ki remained contained within him, he could use it. He only couldn't release it if he didn't want to blow himself to bits along with Cui.

Cui appeared behind him, making Kakarot's eyes go wide. Kakarot turned and aimed his fist for Cui's head, but Cui was gone, only a shadow of his image remaining where he'd hovered.

"Cui!"

"Here, Kakarot!" Cui said.

Kakarot was knocked forward, careening face down to the ground miles below. The speed was so incredible with the power Cui had put into that hit, that Kakarot couldn't stop himself from smashing into the ground and forming a crater - he could only stop himself enough to lessen the impact and the pain. Kakarot lay in the dirt, watching the dust settle around him. He heard the patter of Cui's boots hitting the dirt at the top of the crater behind him. Kakarot didn't flinch as tapping footsteps drew closer. He clenched his jaw and his fists. Tension pulled at every muscle in his body as the footsteps reached a point where Cui had to be standing right over his feet.

"Now, Kakaro-"

Kakarot sprang to his feet, whirled to face Cui, and sent his fist through Cui's gut. The armor tore around Kakarot's wrist as his knuckles penetrated the warmth of Cui's chest and tore out to the cool chilling air on the other side. As Cui's bulging eyes blinked, red and strained with tension, Kakarot bared his teeth and wrenched his fist free. He planted his foot into the part of Cui's chest which wasn't a gaping hole and kicked, knocking him onto his back. As Cui garbled and exhaled with no energy behind his noises, Kakarot smiled down on him. The bastard should've known not to underestimate him.

With a click of his scouter, Kakarot ensured that Cui was dead. All the massive energy previously radiating from Cui had dwindled to zero. His crew mates could be a problem still. As Kakarot turned toward the hovering gray ship, his fists raised for more, he found the hatch already ascending. He smirked as the ship drifted into the air, the cowards turning tail and running. As their ship disappeared, the emptiness of the sky brought a frown to Kakarot's face.

"It's not fair," Kakarot said with a sigh. "I fight those Earthlings' battles for them and they get away – twice now. At least they left me my ship this time."

Kakarot turned to his dormant ship, placing his hands on his hips as he thought about where to take it. He could attempt chasing after the humans again, but this fight with Cui had carried on long enough to give them a significant head start. Even if he could catch them, catching up wouldn't be enough. Kakarot needed to get ahead of them. He needed to know where they were going.

His eyes flashed. "The bounty."

Kakarot pressed a finger to his scouter as he decided who best to call. If the humans wanted their money, they had to go to Zarbon. All Kakarot had to do to stop them was call on someone who could get to Zarbon before they could.

"Now what planet is Zarbon on? Vegeta? A Frieza Planet?" His eyes lit with the memory as he pressed the button, knowing just who to call. "Chelfiss. Raditz!"

"Kakarot."

"I need you to relay a message to Prince Vegeta for me."

"Why don't you call him yourself?"

"You know he'd never listen to me."

"Then you're out of luck."

"Raditz! This is important. If Prince Vegeta doesn't hear about it and later he finds out you knew and never told him-"

"What?" Raditz snapped.

Kakarot smirked as he headed toward his ship in long strides. "There're some people on their way to collect money from Zarbon. They have something of Vegeta's. He'd hate it if he missed them."

"Oh really? What do they owe Prince Vegeta?"

"I don't think I should tell you."

"I think you don't want to tell me because you're lying, Kakarot."

"Maybe I'm not."

"Maybe you are, you little shit."

"Maybe I'm not, and if Vegeta doesn't meet with Zarbon and see to these people who stole from him, he's going to be pretty damn furious."

Kakarot ended the call, convinced his brother would bite the bait. Raditz, unfortunately for him, worked too closely with the Prince to risk suffering his wrath. He would ensure to at least personally see to the people due to meet with Zarbon. Their short detention would buy all the time Kakarot needed. Even better, if Prince Vegeta could be convinced that the Earthlings has stolen from him, or if they caught him on a bad day and he decided to punish them for being a waste of his time, they could end up Frieza's captives. They could be detained simply for the blame of Cui's death. Prince Vegeta didn't even need to be involved. If he was involved, Vegeta's presence would put the final seal on their coffin. Laughing, Kakarot set his destination for Chelfiss, where the Earthlings were in for a surprise with their bounty collection.