Out of sight of the main combatants, Baritone Jr. had mixed feelings about the coming battle. Part of him wanted it to never to occur so that all those brave Earthlings would escape to their home, a home he possessed uncanny knowledge of, knowledge that he was not quite sure how he possessed it. He could see an unfamiliar blue sky and green grass. A blue ocean dotted with little islands. He could see a house in the woods. He could make out a family near that house. A father, a son, and a mother all like the humans fighting ahead were living in peace. He would like to have the fighters ahead return to such a life.
The other part of him relished the prospect of action and the leading role soon to be played by the Namek that he felt some tie to. That part did not fear Arnbo. That part also made it clear to the little Namek that if necessary, he would do all he could to help. He looked at Mau-mau on his left. The elder Namek was measuring the powers. His knees did not shake as they might have earlier in the day. He was aware of his smallness, but more than ever Mau-mau felt as if he truly had part in it. Baritone Jr. looked at the older Namek with some pride. He felt very comfortable around Mau-mau, like he was near a great friend. He did not know why. But a flash erupted from the battlefield.
Arnbo had struck first. He had moved much faster than Piccolo thought possible from him. Piccolo grimaced as the monster pounded Trunks swiftly and mercilessly. Piccolo charged toward there. Trunks hadn't withdrawn to let Buu into the fight! Instead, he offered battle, destroying Piccolo's plan. Arnbo swiftly and deftly left he young Saiyan as Piccolo arrived. As soon as the Super Namek made it, Trunks collapsed. The welts and bruises left on Trunks stunned Piccolo with their severity. Temporarily, Trunks could not fight as he attempted to handle the pain. Piccolo looked for Arnbo. Then he saw him.
The dents and contusions grew steadily as Buu tried to thwart Arnbo. His arms swung in a million different directions, but Arnbo was too quick. His precision and accuracy were nil. Piccolo couldn't believe it. Trunks and Buu either forgot the plan or ignored it. Meanwhile, Arnbo was picking off the strongest members first with an eye to finishing them later. Piccolo felt his own strength. That offered him his one hope. Arnbo would remember Piccolo as being somewhat weaker. His punches then, might lack the power needed to beat Piccolo, if Arnbo was only hitting based on previous experience. If Arnbo had truly forgotten his arrogant ways then it was all over. He would hit anything as hard as he could. Arnbo kicked Buu far away as Piccolo and Goten attempted to intervene. Piccolo, who temporarily forgot about Goten, was a little surprised to see the little warrior rush over. Both were immediately forced to back off. Arnbo thrust a punch in Piccolo's direction. Piccolo pulled his arms into a blocking position but momentum still carried him to the ground. He landed on all fours and looked to see Arnbo now beating on Goten. Piccolo launched himself from his current position trying to get there to preserve his last ally, Goten.
Arnbo's lashes and lashing on Goten were short-lived. He paused to see a green fist in front of his head. He recoiled for a moment and felt blasted as something rammed his side. Piccolo looked down at Goten to see Baritone Jr. helping the boy up. Goten was hurt, that was true, but his spirit hadn't dampened yet and the boy felt the aura of Baritone somehow, which comforted him. He did get up and steadied himself. His fists were clenched. Baritone Jr. withdrew his support. Piccolo looked at the pair.
"Baritone Jr. Get out of here quickly," said Piccolo. The small Namek nodded and left somewhat happy and unhappy. Goten watched the Namek as he left.
"Mr. Piccolo, was that really Baritone Jr.? He's changed so much," commented Goten.
"Yes, but we have more important matters, Goten. We have to buy time for Buu and Trunks to get back into the action. This is going to be careful work, much more careful than anything we've tried before. You must try to aid me without getting directly in the way. It will be difficult. But it's the only way. It seems clear that more help from Earth won't be forthcoming anytime soon. So you know the stakes. This won't be play-fighting," said Piccolo.
On Earth, Trunks found Gohan and Vegeta about to face off. Gohan told Trunks to find the device that had turned off 18. When Trunks started to move toward the bushes that Gohan motioned at, Bulma nudged Vegeta…
Arnbo had recovered from Piccolo's bodily thrust. It would take much more than that to defeat the hulking monster. Piccolo had known that. With Goten ready to renew the effort, the two fighters looked at their foe. In some ways it was like wolves eyeing the power of a lion. Piccolo leaped forward. Arnbo smiled, ready to counter this threat. The fluid motion of the Namekian warrior was quite a sight. He raised his arms for the bash that was to follow. His arms suddenly bulged in size. That startled Arnbo just a little. Piccolo's bash missed but he followed with a swift kick. During his swift kick he nodded toward Goten. Arnbo didn't seem to notice as the young Super Saiyan maneuvered behind Piccolo. Piccolo's kick didn't land, but his following uppercut held Arnbo's attention. The dark blue monster was tired of dodging Piccolo's efforts. He tensed up in preparation for his own assault. Kamekameha! An energy wave appeared out of no where. Arnbo waited for Piccolo to get out of the way so he could deflect it, but the Super Namek launched another thrust. Arnbo grew concerned although it wasn't apparent on his face. Finally the blast came through the Namek and slammed into him. Arnbo got up scarred only to see he image of Piccolo disappear. In that last moment, Piccolo had gotten out of the way. Anger went to Arnbo's head. He lost control temporarily as Piccolo hoped he would.
Arnbo now appeared right in front of Goten, raised his hands…Panzerfau…and then nothing. Goten, who raised his arms up in some sort of defense looked up to see Arnbo's face in contorsions indicating pain. In looking behind the devil, Goten saw Piccolo with a firm thrust into the kidneys of Arnbo from behind. Neither Arnbo nor Goten expected Piccolo to have that kind of power. Arnbo shifted angrily toward the Namek. Goten breathed a slight sigh of relief, before he saw and he remembered. Arnbo took off after Piccolo. Goten remembered the Bojack fight and quickly headed on a third course. He swing in on Arnbo from the side if he could. He raced off.
Mau-mau threw boulder after boulder into the air. When Baritone Jr. had taken off to help Goten, he had shamed the warrior Namek. Now Mau-mau, a true son of Namek, with no Earth experience to color him otherwise would strike a blow for Namek. He would not fight Arnbo himself, no, but each boulder from the pile he threw got him closer to his goal. He looked down the hole he had made and saw a yellow punching glove sticking above the debris. Mau-mau smiled as he was inches away from his goal.
Goten suddenly appeared in front of Arnbo, but his kick was off. Arnbo now turned on the Super Saiyan with all he had. Goten had little choice put dodge wht he could and just take the rest. No matter hat Goten thought, someone on the battlefield knew Goten wasn't going to be able to take those hits very long. Similar hits had left Trunks struggling a few meters away. Masenko-ha. Piccolo sent a wave down from his airborne station to Arnbo. Arnbo was thwacked square in the shoulders. Burn marks appeared on his back. Piccolo and soon engaged Arnbo in a grappling match. Piccolo watched as each of Arnbo's punches grew in strength. Piccolo's own punches grew in strength as well, but no rate could equal that of Arnbo's. Then Goten jumped in. The presence of another close range threat divided Arnbo's attention. As Piccolo continued he went further into his strength than he thought possible. Arnbo still laid on a much nastier punch. Goten was being distracting but telling blows were still falling.
Bulma pointed at Trunks. Stop him, Vegeta! She ordered. Vegeta moved a hand in his son's direction. Trunks was oblivious, looking for an object that he didn't even know what it looked like. Gohan couldn't believe what was about to happen…
The trio split off. Goten and Piccolo breathed heavily. Piccolo evaluated the situation. He had gotten Arnbo's strength accurately. He had low-balled himself and Goten. They still had little chance. Arnbo would finally understand this game of cat and mouse after awhile. Trunks was recovering but not fast enough. Arnbo was right to take out the two strongest members first, he just didn't realize what was left. Goten shifted to his left, Arnbo launched his leap toward there. Piccolo formed a heat-seeking blast and fired. There was no doubt what the largest ki source was. He launched another. It took Arnbo a minute to figure out he was being followed. He swerved off Goten to avoid the blasts. Goten saw an opportunity. Makosen-ha! His energy wave crossed in front of Arnbo. Arnbo paused lightly and was hit by the heat-seekers. He was slightly charred as he came down. Then a snaky arm went by him. Arnbo recoiled from the blow. Piccolo retracted his arm, satisfied. He had seen in the distance what he had been waiting to see.
Arnbo noticed the approach of Buu and Mau-mau as well. He then eyed his options. Piccolo had attempted a dangerous business of holding initiative from Arnbo when Arnbo could clearly have overpowered himself and Goten if they had let him dictate. Arnbo aimed a large blast at Trunks. The Super Saiyan had not yet gotten up. Mau-mau landed in front of the blast and quickly grew in size to contain to his body. That blast tore him to pieces. Mau-mau fell. Baritone Jr. rushed back on the field. Mau-mau looked at the little Namek and smiled.
"You and me kid, we're going places," said Mau-mau sheepishly. Buu healed Trunks as Piccolo and Goten too knelt around yet another Namek lost. Baritone Jr. was trying hard to hold back his tears. Mau-mau placed his hand on the kid's knee. Goten tried to comfort the Namek who was now about his size. Mau-mau turned to Piccolo.
"I would like to speak to Nail, if I could," asked Mau-mau, his voice shrinking away. Piccolo nodded. Trunks was getting up, refreshed. Buu too was headed over to the cluster.
"Nail, did I do all right?" asked Mau-mau.
You did wonderfully said Nail's voice from within Piccolo. Mau-mau smiled and in flash of pink light, he was gone. Of the four Nameks who had tried to run down Pilaf, none was left. One vanished, two killed, one fused. Buu moved on Arnbo. Baritone Jr. was about to rush the demon, but a hand on his shoulder held him back. He looked and seeing Piccolo there felt better. Piccolo looked at Goten and Trunks. The two nodded. The original plan would be followed.
Arnbo moved on Buu. He engaged the tubby giant again. It was much the same as before. Buu wasn't winning, but then two blurs began to hit Arnbo's sides. Trunks and Piccolo were applying the damage as Buu took the hits. Goten, watchful on the sidelines, waited for a ki response from Arnbo. The V-2 attack did soar up and start coming down. Arnbo figured he would survive while the other around him would not. Goten fired…kamekameha…and the blast was deflected and landed nearby, but not close enough to hurt the warriors. Arnbo felt himself losing it with each hit. Mr. Buu now began to land some of his thrusts. Goten moved in and Trunks kept at his shifty attacks. The wolf metaphor still fit. Arnbo was feeling more and more helpless as he received the beating of his life. And then he heard a most horrible word.
Makankosappo! The special beam cannon whirled down on him. Piccolo had been charging that attack for some time now. Goten had jumped in when Piccolo had exited to prepare this attack. Using all of his combined strength, Piccolo had let loose his largest cannon ever. It pierced right through Arnbo, who had not seen it coming. Arnbo fell limp on the ground. Piccolo felt relief come and the endorphins of success began to overcome his tiredness. (He then said, under his breath, You better watch yourself out 'ere in this part of North Carolina) Goten bounded once for joy, but then his mood dampened as he saw Baritone Jr. still sad at the loss of Mau-mau. Trunks left Super Saiyan 2. This trip had been more than he bargained for. Mr. Buu seemed confused. He had yet to see Mr. Satan.
"We still must find Pilaf," muttered Piccolo. If he was still there. Piccolo's training clothes made their reappearance. They lifted off into the Namekian sky, a sky that seemed a much more cheerful green but grass below that seemed so much more of a depressing sort of blue. Piccolo looked back at Buu and smiled as if he knew something no one else did.