Cell Saga - Part 11: Super Namek vs Super Namek

The lone conqueror wore a purple and yellow tunic, orange gloves, a scarf, and had two thick straps crossing his chest. His golden throne was lined with velvet, gold-thread patterns laced through it. The seven large dragonballs of Namek, presently nothing more than inert stones, were mounted in a box at his feet.

Lord Slug's brow was sloped, and his skull extended further back than most Namekians, giving him an almost-neanderthal appearance. But this was due mostly to the unique circumstances regarding his age. Until a few days ago, he had been an old man, living off borrowed time that only advanced medicine could provide. Yet this had all changed. Not only had the dragon balls restored his youthful vigor, but they had taken away aging itself. Now his dreams of conquering the entire universe were within his grasp.

His relaxation was a well-earned comfort, something his men had fought for over the past few days. But the Super Namek was bored. He hadn't lifted a finger during the conquest of Namek; his henchmen Angila, Wings, Medamatcha, and Zeeun had been more than a match for the planet's strongest warriors.

It had been a disappointment to him that his brother's children were unable to put up any real resistance. Truth be told, he was ashamed to be kin to them. The feeling marked one of the old differences between the brothers; Slug had always looked up to the warrior clans with the highest level of respect, while Guru treasured his place in the dragon clan.

At the time, the Namekian people had been the strongest race in the galaxy. They possessed the highest technology and held positions of respect in their quadrant and beyond. Yet, though they had more than enough impetus to expand their territory, the elders had chosen to remain decidedly ordinary. Katas and the others pursued the old ways not for the power they could afford, but for the sake of maintaining peace and harmony. Slug had kept silent about this for decades, always dissatisfied, always wanting more. In the end, the lure of power had been too great for him to resist.

Now, all that power was his. Few other Namekians had been bold enough to seek power for power's sake, and none had come close to what he had achieved. At the start, he had pulled a handful of other Super Nameks over to his side, but most of them had fallen before the strength and cunning of Katas and his followers. Since being banished from Namek, however, the other Super Nameks had all passed on, either dying in battle or simply falling victim to old age. As they died, so died Slug's respect for the people of Namek. Today, the Namekians were nothing more than farmers and magicians, a joke compared to what their race could have been.

Slug didn't know that the son of Katas had possessed the same desire for power that had marked him. On Earth, Kami and Piccolo Daimao had separated, each representing the dark and light sides of the Namekian ways. Piccolo had taken the title of king and unleashed hellish fury on the Earth, pursuing the same path as his uncle...but in vain, thanks to the efforts of Mutaito, Roshi, and finally Goku. King Piccolo's life force, reincarnated into his son Piccolo Junior, had also sought power for power's sake...but he had been redeemed from the path of darkness and fused with Kami. The son of Katas had returned.

The tyrant stood, smiling. Being free from the aches and pains of old age was a simple joy, but a precious one. With his renewed youth, he suddenly found himself wanting to be outside in the fresh air more often...after all, it was a bit murky on his huge ship. Slug walked to a small lift, which carried him to the top of the vessel. When he stepped out into the sunlight, he found its warmth and light to be gentle. As an old man, his eyes and body had preferred darkness; he had forgotten what the open air was like. For a moment, Slug was almost glad that his terra-freezing process hadn't worked on Namek. He had plenty of planet-sized ships already, and his homeworld wouldn't have made the best one anyway. Things looked different than he remembered, though. The vast forests of tall trees topped with puffy blue leaves were all but gone. There were no birds in the air or animals in the fields, and the land masses were separated into small dots of islands by what seemed like an endless ocean. Clearly the planet had not yet recovered from the cataclysm wrought when he had first attempted to terra-freeze it centuries ago.

Slug reached up and ran a finger along the scar on his left eye. It was a token of his final duel with his older brother, Katas. He had won, defeated his brother and claimed the Lordship of Namek, but something else had happened that he never could have anticipated. After the death of Katas, Guru, the youngest brother, had used the dragonballs to banish him from Namek forever.

At the memory, his true self resurfaced, filled with anger. He clenched his fists. Red light built up behind his eyes, then rushed out in an incinerating blast toward the horizon. His beam cut a trail a few feet deep into the rocky hills and trees surrounding his ship, but rebounded off the invisible planetary forcefield before it could do any real harm. Rather than show frustration, Slug began to chuckle...then to laugh uproarously, something he hadn't been able to do before. Youth improved everything.

"Those fools somehow thought ahead enough to protect the planet. Hah! They believed it would save them, but all they've really done is give me an indestructible base of operations."

He spat at the horizon, mocking the people he once was apart of. What would he do with them now? While destroying them was the eventual plan, Slug was quite intent on first showing them how to suffer as he had. Being cast out, banished from his home, had been a more difficult thing than he had ever let on. The fact that he couldn't return made him wish he could all the more. Clearly, that desire had nothing to do with any affection for his people. Rather, it had everything to do with him being in control, having the power to do what he wanted and go where he wished at his own command. And now, since he had learned the lesson of being a slave to that one wish, he felt all the more inclined to teach it to his Namekian brother.

"Yes, that's perfect," he said. "They must suffer as I have suffered all these years. They must have control of their own lives stolen away and be forced into slavery!" Slug continued to smile, raising his hands into the air above his head. "And once I have broken their spirits, they will bow to me. Then I will throw it in the face of Katas and Guru and annihilate them all!"

"That won't happen," a deep voice suddenly interrupted.

Slug turned his head, casually searching for the source, but found no one. He leaned over, popping his back, and twisted his head from side to side with a CRACK. It felt nice.

"Show yourself," he said confidently. "Step forth and face me...or did you only inherit cowardice from your beloved 'Elder Guru'?"

There was a whipping sound in the wind nearby, the flapping of heavy cloth being blown back and forth. Slug's eyes followed the sound to his right, seeing a tall mountainous plateau. With a single chuckle, he lifted his hand up and blasted the rocky ledge into nothingness.

"Well, I warned you," he said. He would have recognized the familiar ripple of Namekian garb in the wind anywhere. "Too late now, huh!"

Slug hopped off his ship, examining the ground around for a body. Finding none, he chalked it up to the weakness of these new Namekians, unable to withstand even a stray energy blast; it was yet another shame on the heap of fallacies he found with his kin. But the voice sounded again, from somewhere behind him.

"You're right, it IS too late...but not for me."

Slug grinned, his pristine white teeth grinding together wickedly. He turned, reaching up to pop his jaw as he did.

"Hmph, amusing," he said. His eyes finally settled on the offending disturbance. It was a large Namekian, taller and more slender than himself, who stood facing away from him. The warrior wore a white cape and shoulder weights, as well as a white turban which covered his antennae. He was clearly quite brash, enough so to turn his back against the Super Namek. That alone piqued Slug's interest.

"What a bold specimen I have found," Slug mocked. "I honestly didn't think any of Guru's runts had the guts to actually face me."

The Namek in front of him turned his head slightly to the left, looking back at Slug with a single eye. The warrior's hands were at his sides, hanging comfortably, and he seemed perfectly relaxed. Slug found it more interesting that this Namek didn't even seem on edge, as if he were blindly unaware of the eternally youthful evil that stood before him. Were this upstart any less brazen, Slug would have vaporized him immediately...but right now he was curious.

The hefty Super Namek crossed his arms across his chest, chuckling. "What is your name, Namekian?"

But Piccolo merely turned his head away from Slug again and began to walk away. Slug was immediately incensed at the action, but chose to be entertained. He briefly considered incapacitating the other Namek with a single attack, but quickly decided to instead probe him for information. If this one was courageous enough to rebel against him so openly, perhaps the Nameks were not as weak a people as he had thought. Using a sudden burst of his super speed, he darted in front of the other Namek, hoping to startle him. But the second he re-appeared, the other Namek was gone once more.

Lord Slug had heard the lightest 'TAC' of the other Namek's feet touching the ground behind him. He spun, throwing up his arms with an energy blast charged. He didn't plan to fire it, merely to threaten with it. But Piccolo had vanished again, right as he turned. Slug was quickly growing impatient, rather surprised that this Namek was able to evade him. Yet for the first time in years, he felt spry enough to play a little game of his own.

"Very impressive," he said mockingly. "I can't imagine how my little brother Guru managed to produce an offspring as capable in speed as you are. All the same, you do realize that this is pointless...don't you?"

Slug waited patiently for the other Namek to respond, ready to blast him the instant he appeared. But when he heard the faint swish of wind displacement indicating another move, he found himself suddenly back to back with the strange warrior.

"I would say the same thing to you, Slug," Piccolo said, pausing. "But I doubt you'd listen."

Slug's calm expression turned to outright anger for the first time. This other Namek was insulting him to his face, repeatedly, and hurling his own words back at him. He was a Lord, the last of the great Super Nameks; his power was unchallenged, and he would not abide this humiliation.

"You've crossed the line, Namekian filth!"

Slug clenched his right fist and tried to elbow the other Namek in the soft of his back, but he was gone yet again. Upset, but still maintaining his controlled tone, he took a deep breath. The cool air of Namek reached the back of his throat, calming him slightly, and restoring focus to his mind. He had just come outside for a bit of relaxation, to view the skyline and possibly toy with some local Nameks. This unexpected intrusion would not be allowed to dampen his morning.

"You can't hide forever," Slug said with a chuckle. He waited a moment for a reply, scanning the area quickly for movement. After a few seconds of silence, Slug finally decided that he'd had enough. Making sure the other Namek could hear him, he raised his voice. "You had my curiosity before—I might have even allowed you to join with my forces...but, whoever you are—"

Slug was suddenly interrupted by a wisp of wind above his head. Looking up into the air, hovering just overhead, he saw the evasive Namek. The sun shone behind his body, darkening his features and obscuring his face, but there was something strangely familiar about him. He levitated, arms crossed defiantly, and stared down at Lord Slug.

"Fool! You've shown yourself just in time to DIE!" Slug yelled, throwing a bright red ball of energy up at his foe. The evil Namek grinned again, certain that his attack was too fast to be dodged. "Sayonara, speedy!"

THUUM! Piccolo reached his arm forward, his fingers straightened, and deflected the blast harmlessly into the sky with a single swipe. The red blast exploded just above the line of clouds, shooting hundreds of bright red rays down through the sky.

"Curse you!" Slug yelled, genuinely frustrated this time. Sure, he wasn't using his real strength, but the fact that a Namekian was capable of opposing him at all meant his view of the entire race had been entirely wrong. "How did you do that, Namekian? Explain yourself. What kind of old tricks did Guru teach you? For your sake, I seriously hope you don't think it's enough to compete with me."

Piccolo lifted his chin, allowing a tiny bit of light to show his features more clearly. Then, confidently but slowly, he began. "You'll find out soon enough who I am and what I am, Slug. You see, you keep calling me something...referring to me as someone I'm not."

Slug lowered his brow in a threatening but mocking display. "Go ahead, then. Tell me you aren't a weakling like the others—that you're special, haha. Go on, continue correcting me. I'm sure it will magically make you strong enough to beat me if you only believe! Haha!"

But Piccolo, unaffected in the least, merely chuckled himself. He shut his eyes, finally ready to reveal the truth of his identity.

"Take a closer look, Slug...I'll let you figure it out." Piccolo turned his neck, allowing the full view of his angular face to shine into the light. "Ring any bells?"

Slug levitated into the air until he was even across from the other Namekian. He looked intently at Piccolo's face, and even spent a full moment trying to decide if he should know this Namekian. But with nothing coming to mind, he merely scoffed.

"Hmph. You look no different from any of the other weaklings here." Slug said with another laugh. "What makes you think you're so special?"

Piccolo smiled, ready for his simple answer. "Why don't you come and find out?"

With a growl of anger, Slug threw out his white aura, which surrounded him with jagged waves of ki. His extremely large chin was now tightly clenched, his eyes determined to attack. "Bold words, fool!" he yelled. "This ends now!"

Instantly, the tyrant shot forwards in a white streak and swung his right fist right at the other Namek. In response, Piccolo lifted his right hand straight out. Just as Slug reached him, his hard punch already mid-swing, Piccolo shot a small kiai forwards. Slug was immediately halted right in his tracks, his body overcome and then thrown backwards by the unexpected force. He spun end over end for a hundred yards before gathering the mental fortitude to stop himself. Angrily, he looked back at the other Namek.

Though pleased, Piccolo showed no outward amusement. He wasn't toying with his opponent...no, he was simply following a sacred Namekian way. According to the oldest and wisest Super Nameks, the power of ki was only to be used in self-defense...never for aggression or attack. While Piccolo had no doubt broken that discipline many times during his life, as had many other Namekians during the encounter with Frieza, it was one of the many nuggets of wisdom Kami had obtained from Moori, and he had chosen to make use of it.

It was the way of the greatest of Super Nameks, as a means of tempering their extreme physical might with the utmost discipline and control. It was even said to unlock the doorway to even greater strength, so that through true balance a Namekian could unlock their greatest potential. Though fully capable of overwhelming Slug in an instant, Piccolo knew this particular battle was much more than a physical duel. This was a warring of the Namekian lifestyle and beliefs, only it was happening in clash on the outside. For that reason, he had decided to put his faith in the wisdom of the ancient Super Nameks.

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Namekian," Slug said. As a Super Namek himself, he was well aware of the old ways. In fact, they had been at the heart of his rebellion; his lust for power was irreconciliable with what he saw as weakness. "The Ancient Ways will not save you! I of all people know that truth well!" Slug chuckled, remembering. "They certainly weren't able to save the Namekian elders against me. They weren't even able to save the great Katas himself! He was nothing compared to me; every edifice of his legacy is forever lost!"

Piccolo decided this was his moment, his time to reveal the truth of his lineage. "So you say, Slug. Yet, here I stand."

"Hah!" Slug almost coughed, laughing. "You're a fool. The old ways are dead..." Slug clearly hadn't understood that Piccolo was claiming to be the son of Katas. Rather, he thought the other Namek was simply backing his claim in the old ways. "...and I'll prove it to you!"

The evil Namek rushed Piccolo again, more craftily this time. But the good Namek had expected him to begin taking things more seriously. He was instantly on the defensive, watching carefully as Slug approached.

Intent on overwhelming this new threat with sheer strength, Slug ended his full-speed charge with a mighty kick...that whizzed harmlessly through the open air. The tyrant growled in frustration, spinning and firing a ball of energy directly behind his body. Sure enough, the arrogant upstart was standing there...but Slug was shocked to see him bat the ball of energy back at him with one hand. He barely had time to register the sight before he felt the massive explosion of his own attack in the center of the chest. It felt like his ribs were collapsing. The explosive wave lifted him into the air, spinning him and hurling him away.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" he roared, whirling around. The other Namek was standing motionless, his arms folded. Slug gritted his teeth and tensed, then swung his fist. It extended instantly across the half-dozen meters between them, building momentum as it accelerated, but it passed cleanly through Piccolo's afterimage as he reappeared just a few feet to one side. Slug began throwing punches more rapidly, a flurry of powerful blows as he extended and retracted his arms at super speed. To a bystander, it would have looked as if Slug had a dozen arms all moving in a furious blur. Yet each one struck nothing; Piccolo simply shifted back and forth between the blows untouched.

Finally, the tyrant swung his extended arms wide, intending to trap his opponent between them. But as he could bring them together, Piccolo reached out with both hands, catching his stretched-out wrists, and yanked. Caught off balance, Slug was sent flying over his opponent's head and bounced, skidding across the ground.

Slug picked himself up on his hands and knees, looking back towards the other Namek. His body had left a trail through the dirt, which he had crashed into violently. It infuriated him just looking at it. His clothes were ruffled and ripped and his entire appearance was now disheveled, but nothing compared to his glare of absolute hatred. He had messed around with this self-righteous fool for far too long, yet he hadn't been able to lay a finger on the nameless Namek. It was as if he was the one who was being toyed with, a realization with made his anger boil even harder.

"You listen here! I am a Super Namek, the strongest warrior to ever come from our race! My power exceeds your imagination, fool." Slug bit his tongue, trying to keep his anger from clouding his judgement. "And I will not allow these indignations to—"

"That's enough!" Piccolo suddenly yelled, releasing another kiai into the surrounding area. The shockwaves crushed rock and rippled through the air violently, effectively silencing Slug. "I've had all I can stand of your boasts. Don't you see it is no ordinary Namekian who stands before you?"

Slug began to laugh. "Don't tell me you think you're a Super Name—"

THUUM! Piccolo's energy appeared suddenly around him like an intense thunderstorm. A large circular crater suddenly cut into the ground underneath, his white cape holding on for dear life as it shook behind him. Brilliant white light, whirling around his green body, buzzed with the crackle of intense power. It was enough energy to cause even a Super Saiyan to tremble in their boots. In fact, that's just what Slug did. Though his feet were firmly planted, the evil Super Namek began to lose his footing, the new energy forcing him backwards.

Piccolo's body began to shake, every muscle in his body vibrating with fresh ki. His pant legs rippled upward in the wind from his energy, and for the first time he allowed a full smile to form on his face.

Lord Slug, shielding his eyes from full exposure to the other Namekian's strength, was beside himself. It was all he could do to keep from crying out in frustration, and worst of all it didn't make sense. This kind of power would be impressive even for a Super Namek, but unfathomable for any normal one. Perhaps he was telling the truth after all, as impossible as it seemed. But before Slug could try to make any more sense of things, Piccolo continued.

"Allow me to introduce myself!" Piccolo grunted, his deep voice tightened by his focus. "The being that stands before you now is no ordinary warrior, Slug. I was once known as the lost son of Namek, the lonely child whose father sent him far away in order escape the cataclysm YOU brought upon our planet." Piccolo's aura was still howling around him, his body shaking with ki. "And I have returned for one single purpose..."

"What!?" Slug interrupted with a shriek of shock. "No that's not possible! You're far too young, and even if you weren't, the only boy unaccounted for was..." Slug's mind suddenly froze, processing everything up to this point in light of his most recent revelation. "...was..."

"The son of Katas," Piccolo finished his sentence with an immense satisfaction. "Yes, that's right, Slug. Bet you didn't see this one coming. Oh, and about my purpose..."

Piccolo immediately zipped forward and swept Slug's legs from under him. As the evil lord tripped, Piccolo grabbed him by the cross shaped belt across his chest and spun him into the air.

"I'm here to finish you off once and for all."

Slug tumbled end over end, bracing himself for the next blow, all the while considering how this was possible. Yet for some reason Piccolo didn't attack again, allowing him time to catch himself in midair. He immediately remembered why...the ancient ways.

The tyrant was obviously frustrated, but his bulky form and young body hid his distress well. He did not wear the look of a man who was defeated. For a moment he quietly stared at Piccolo, the two locked in an icy clash of looks. Then, he finally replied.

"So, you really are the son of Katas, then. I can see it now." Though unfriendly, Slug still didn't seem afraid. If anything, he was now more confident. "You have your father's eyes, boy," he said with disdain. "That's it, that's the same face he used to make!"

Slug was still for a moment, then suddenly thrust his hands forward and fired two energy balls. "And I hated the way he used to look down at me!"

Piccolo punted the first ball into the sky with his foot and caught the other in his hand. It exploded into his open palm, but the detonation was harmless to him. Piccolo stepped through the explosion untouched, his eyes reconnecting with Slug's.

'What's he thinking?' Piccolo immediately wondered, bothered by Slug's confident face. 'He's up to something.'

Slug reached his hands up and propped them on his hips. He swung his neck around, popping it again casually. He was being far too relaxed. Smugly, the evil lord finally spoke.

"You actually think you can win," he laughed. "Little nephew, come to face his big bad uncle like a brave boy. Haha! And that's not the funniest part either! You still intend to use the old ways to defeat me? It can't be done, Katanaji! Trust me, I of all people know."

"What did you call me?" Piccolo asked immediately.

Slug's right eye twitched. "Katanaji? It's your name, is it not?"

Piccolo's silence was very revealing. For the first time in his life—or Kami's—he had been called by his given name. Suddenly, everything in his life became clearer.

It was a name with dual meanings, fused into one just as Piccolo and Kami were one. "Katana-ji" meant "sword's honor", an homage to the warrior side of his psyche so long embodied in Piccolo. But "Kata-naji" meant "the same path", clearly referencing the ancient ways Katas had honored and Kami had lived. It felt foreign and yet familiar...as if his entire life had been defined by a name he was only now learning. It was the final piece of the puzzle.

"Wait!" Lord Slug said with a chuckle. "Don't tell me. You didn't know, did you? Oh, poor helpless Katanaji, forced to grow up alone on another planet...with no father and not even as much as a name."

Piccolo's joy at learning his name quickly vanished, replaced with his desire for vengeance. It was a struggle to contain his power when he could easily end Slug in a single move. Yet, since he had learned of the ancient Namekian ways, he had not felt a peace about breaking them. Slug had fallen because he forsook the ancient paths in his lust for power. Though Piccolo was in no danger of falling to the dark side, respect dictated that he adjust his methods, if only for this fight.

Of course, Lord Slug was clearly gambling on the hope that Piccolo would abide strictly by the old ways. He could openly attack all he wanted, yet the old ways prevented his foe from using aggression or going on offense. That is, if Katanaji was able to actually follow through on his intent.

"I can see that you're angry, Katanaji. Why not attack me? It's what you want."

"What I want is of little consequence here, Slug. I come not representing myself, but rather, all the Namekians whose deaths you are responsible for. I fight for them, for their memory and the beliefs they held dearly! For them, and all others who desire peace, your scourge must come to an end!"

Slug laughed heartily. "Oh, well good luck with that. After all, you can't even attack me of your own accord thanks to those ridiculous philosophies!" Slug yelled, charging Piccolo again.

Using his full strength now, Slug plowed his thick fist into his nephew's gut. Piccolo immediately hopped back after taking the blow, but Slug chased after. The evil Super Namek's true power was astounding, plenty to rival the evil emperor Frieza. But against Katanaji, the true lost son of Namek, his blows were nothing but a minor annoyance. Slug poured his hatred into each punch, clobbering Piccolo's arms, back, and legs with his strongest attacks. But only now did he start to realize what kind of power he was up against.

Piccolo dodged Slug's last swipe with ease, appearing a few feet up in the air. Below, his uncle was breathing heavily from the chase.

"Your attacks are so pathetic I don't even need to block," Piccolo said with a cold grin. "Yes, uncle, I'm afraid your evil past is finally about to come back and bite you. Look what condition you're in, and realize that I haven't even fought back! You brought this doom upon yourself, and right now you're doing it again."

Slug angrily grit his teeth, muttering curses under his breath. He had never encountered a foe that he could not simply overwhelm with brute force before. And not since he had battled Katas himself, all those millennia ago, had he even been challenged. How had his son survived all these years, and how had he possibly learned so much? With no one left to teach him, to train him, it didn't make sense. And how was he still young? The only sensible thing Slug could imagine was that he had created his own dragonballs somewhere along the way and used them. That meant that Katanaji might know how to take ownership of a set of dragonballs by force. If he were crafty, he might be able to obtain it for later use. Then, when his chance came, he wouldn't need Moori's cooperation in order to gain possession of Porunga.

"You may be powerful, I'll admit that," Slug said. "But if you think I came all the way back here, assembled my entire army and all my terra-frozen planets, then had my wish for eternal youth granted just to lose to the likes of you...you're in for a world of hurt!"

Slug grinned wildly, his smile revealing both his complete confidence and his excitement. Stamping the ground, he began to groan in a deep low rumble. Suddenly, his body began to shoot up like a rocket. His height doubled, tripled, and continued rising. Magically, his clothes expanded along with him, each second growing larger. His pulled his arms tight across his chest, then swung them out to his sides. Slug's voice deepened drastically as he now looked down at the tiny son of Katas below; Piccolo looked like an insect ready to be squashed.

At over one hundred and fifty feet tall, each step he took sent tremors through the ground for miles in every direction. His foot itself was taller that Piccolo's entire body, and his fist was now large enough to crush his foe's petty resistance in a single grasp. He had not used this form in a very long time, but it felt incredible. He could almost see over the horizon itself, jump up and swipe his hand through the clouds, and pick up mountains as if they were little toys.

"What do you think of me now, Katanaji?" his incredibly deep voice said, amplified even further by his size. "Not so tough now, hehe?"

Piccolo was still just waiting. He had even allowed his aura to subside, crossing his arms across his chest as he observed Slug's giant form. He almost smiled, thinking ahead to the inevitable outcome.

"Bring it on, Slug."

Slug's orange boot came stomping down a mere instant later. In spite of its enormous size, the giant foot was still extremely fast. It crushed the blue grass and trees below it like they were nothing, Piccolo only barely dodging the first attack. But before he could turn around and get his bearings, the other foot was on top of him. Piccolo jumped and rolled, narrowly escaping it as well. The foot, however, caught his cape, which came ripping off of him. As he continued on the move, Piccolo quickly shed the rest of his weighted garb.

"STAY STILL!" the deep throaty voice yelled from above.

But the son of Katas had other plans. As he made incredible use of the afterimage technique and his own super-speed, he allowed himself a quick moment to reminisce.

'So, this is what it's like,' he chuckled inwardly. 'I'm sure Goku's getting a kick out of watching this!'

And he was right. For at that very moment, a few miles away, Goku was watching with a noticeable smile on his face. The days when he had fought Piccolo were some of his happiest times of his life. Seeing Slug's giant form stomp across the horizon brought back a clear mental image of that day at the 23rd Budokai when Piccolo Jr. had tried the same technique against him. Things had seemed so much simpler back then...no one threatening to destroy the planet or trying to take over the whole universe. Sure, King Piccolo had wanted to rule the world, but Goku had beaten him when he was still a small boy. Indeed, they were different times. The only things on his mind back then were food, family, and training. Now, in spite of all he had accomplished, there were moments he wished he could go back to that simple lifestyle. But he knew he and all his friends would have to fight hard to get there before there was any chance of that. First, here against Slug, and then later against Cell.

But Piccolo still had things well in hand. Lord Slug used his gargantuan arms to sweep across the landscape, scraping the already barren land clean, but Piccolo was faster. His size made him near impossible to strike, so long as he used his nimbleness to keep on the move.

"Will you just hold still!" Slug yelled angrily. But this time, he had extended his arm-length. As Piccolo sped away from the strike, the lord used his mystic attack to overtake the other Namek and finally grabbed hold of him with his humongous fist. Slug's thick green fingers squeezed tightly around Piccolo's body as he pulled the other Namek back towards him. When he had, the evil Namek quickly added the strength of his left arm to the squeeze he had on Piccolo.

"Haha! That's more like it!" he rejoiced, tightening his grip on Piccolo even harder. "What's the matter, Katanaji? I can't hear your big mouth anymore, is everything alright?"

But suddenly his hands began to glow, a white light coming out through the cracks between his fingers. Piccolo concentrated his ki, charging it back up from within his prison. Slug felt heat and pressure building up inside of them, until he couldn't keep his hold anymore. Releasing his burned hands with a yelp of pain, Slug brought them up to his mouth to blow on them. But that was a mistake.

Now free, Piccolo dove down at his foe's feet, landing with a painful smash onto Slug's toes. Before the giant could reach down, Piccolo extended his own arms around the evil Namek's foot. With a small tug, he sent Lord Slug toppling into the ground face-first. Then, planting his feet firmly on the ground, Piccolo grabbed Slug's foot once more and began to spin the heavy giant in an arc. Slug's tongue flapped out of his mouth helplessly, his arms extended straight out as the momentum from Piccolo's grasp continued to build up speed. He whirled round and round, his body blurring into a sphere of green and orange.

"I'm just fine, Slug. In fact, I'm a lot better than you're about to be."

Piccolo grunted one final time, yelling as he released Slug from the spiral. The giant's body skipped across the water, crashing through several islands, and then finally skidded into a mountain which arrested his momentum. Before he could pick himself up, Piccolo was already there, hovering directly in front of his face. His head was larger than Piccolo's whole body, the scar above his left eye nearly as tall as a person.

"Care to try again, Slug? Or are you ready to face the truth that you can't win?"

But the angry Super Namek was intent to never submit. A millenia of hardening his heart had forever blinded him by his own selfish pursuits and conceitedness.

"Yeah, right! I'll never lose to the likes of you!"

Slug's eyes again glowed red as energy for his most powerful attack began building up. Piccolo barely had time to move his hands in front of his face to block before the concussive crimson blast struck him head on. It exploded immediately, a dome of destructive light extending nearly all the way to where Goku stood watching. It dissipated from the ground up, the last wisp disappearing into the sky.

"Nice try, Slug," said a voice from the cloud of smoke. Vanishing quickly, the smoke revealed Piccolo to be completely unharmed. His clothing was ripped in a few places, but he wasn't hurt in the least.

"Now I think it's time to even the odds," the son of Katas said. At his words, Piccolo's own body began to expand, growing taller and taller just as Slug had done. The other giant quickly picked himself back up, angrily bracing his footing. Before him, arms stretched out from his sides, stood his nephew, Katanaji, who now equaled the evil Super Namek in height.

"What? How the hell did you learn this technique?" Slug stammered, his booming voice echoing for miles.

"You'd be surprised what just comes naturally to me," Piccolo answered, the magnitude of his own voice now equally enormous. He stepped forwards, his feet crushing rocks underneath them just as Slug's had done.

Lord Slug frowned angrily, feeling his last ounce of control over the situation slip. Giving in to wrath, he swung his giant right fist forward. Piccolo merely leaned his neck to the right, allowing the blow to pass harmlessly by the side of his head. Next came Slug's left knee from below, which Piccolo reached down and stopped with his hands.

Furious, Slug closed his eyes and swung all 20 tons of his head forwards, headbutting his nephew. But Piccolo saw just in time and met his uncle's attack with his own headbut. The loud crash of the two skulls slamming together was sickening, the sound of crushing bone being fractured. Slug immediately collapsed to his knees, grasping his head. He was dizzy, his ears ringing and the world around him spinning.

"AHH! What have you done to me!?"

"I want you to listen to yourself, Slug. I am not the source of your pain, that would be your own wickedness! You slaughtered thousands of your own people and caused the death of nearly every creature on your home planet! You even slaughtered your own brother to get what you wanted! Then, after all these years, you come back and plan to do the same thing..." Piccolo paused, furious with righteous indignation. "I DON'T THINK SO!"

Reaching down, he once again grabbed Slug by the strap on his chest and lifted him into the air. He had to weigh 200 tons, but it was nothing to Piccolo. After all, Goku had picked him up all those years ago when they were a thousand times weaker. Slug's arms hung limply at his sides, his vision still cloudy and his energy spent.

"Ughh," he groaned in pain. Focusing, the evil Super Namek lifted his head to meet his nephew's eyes. "What are you going to do with me?"

Piccolo's brows narrowed. "This is the end, uncle. I'm going to make sure you never hurt anyone again. You're going to pay for what you've done!"

Slug looked terrible...but he laughed, long and ragged. "You'll have to kill me! And you can't do that without compromising your precious Old Way! So no matter what, I win!"

The son of Katas closed his eyes, maintaining his composure. What could he do? From the beginning of this fight, he had stayed true to the ideals of the ancient Super Nameks. To go back on that now would betray everything his father had fought and died for. But Slug was just too dangerous. What would his father have done?

In that moment of split-second meditation, everything suddenly became clear. His father's fight flashed in front of his eyes. He saw how Katas had struggled against Slug, fighting until he could fight no more. He watched his father slowly losing strength, beaten back under the inexorable might of the evil Super Namek. And in that moment, he suddenly felt everything his father had felt...understood everything his father believed in. In that split-second connection, one single note of understanding rang truer and louder than all the rest. He knew exactly what he had to do, and exactly how to do it.

Piccolo opened his eyes. "No, uncle; you're wrong. There is one thing I can do."

His hand shot out, catching Slug by the throat. Rivulets of energy began swirling around him...first white, then gold.

"YUUUUUUUGGGHHHH!" Piccolo cried, straining intensely.

Slug felt energy flooding his body...light, pure and hot and white. He hated it, wanted to get away. But his nephew's grip was unbreakable, fueled by the virtue of his cause.

The strands of golden energy between them coalesced...first into a ring, then a series of rings. Lastly, the kanji of Kami's guardianship appeared right in the middle, a firework of energy ten stories tall. Humming with power, it passed completely through Slug's body.

Slug felt a sudden jolt, the zapping twisting feeling of a supernatural force phasing through him. Before he could even process the sensation, he noticed his body shrinking back to normal size. He hadn't realized it at first because Katanaji was right in front of him doing the same, but somehow he was being forced out of his great Namek form. When he looked down, his eyes barely able to see around Piccolo's hand which still clutched his throat, he saw that his chest was still glowing with the same circular kanji his nephew had created. The rings now burned on the ground around his feet. They had to be the cause, and he had to find a way out! Slug redoubled his efforts to break free, kicking and flaring his Super Namekian aura out in the strongest explosion wave he could possibly muster.

Yet to his great dismay, the wave was pitiful and weak. His nephew laughed at the attempt, all the while tightening his grip and growling from concentration. Slug could feel the strangest thing all of a sudden. It was as if his feet were asleep, pins and needles prickling into them. But then it changed to more of a seeping, draining feeling, as if he was leaking energy.

"RRRRRRHHHHHH!" Piccolo continued to roar, the veins in his head swelling out from his concentration.

By now Lord Slug had shrunken back to his normal size, yet the ominous rings at his feet and kanji on his chest had not subsided. Was this something else...something more dangerous than simply the ability to revert him to normal? The sapping feeling had now reached its way up to his abdomen, numbing his entire body from the waist down. That's when he began to ponder the true nature of his fate.

As the effects climbed to his chest, shoulders, and neck, Lord Slug tried everything he could think of. In all his years as a tyrant, of all the things he had learned, he could find no way to free himself. When the sensation had crept up to his nose and all he could feel was the top of his head, he shot a desperate set of eye beams at the face of his nephew. Yet the attack was so weak that Piccolo simply absorbed it into his retinas. Then, with one final roar, Piccolo released his hold on Slug and let him collapse onto the ground.

Panting heavily, Piccolo looked down at the fallen green warrior before him. He was now a powerless and pitiful shell of the once-mighty Lord Slug. The glowing rings beneath him and the kanji on his chest had begun to smelter and fade, signaling that it was done...the effects permanent.

Choking and trying to pick himself up, Slug began to frantically yell. "WHAT IS THIS!?" He paused, looking at his hands and shaking. "What have you done...TO MEEEE!?" Screaming, he stretched forth his hand, holding it straight in Katanaji's face and summoning his ki. Yet nothing happened. Slug yelled again at the top of his lungs, violently hurling curses at the world.

"Will you just DIEEE!"

He hopped to his feet and began to rain down punches all over Piccolo's sturdy body. Yet from his first strike, he felt immense pain in his hand, as if he had broken all his knuckles. The Super Namek in front of him, staring silently, absorbed every blow without making the slightest move.

"AAAHHH! WHY CAN'T I HURT YOU!?"

Piccolo suddenly grabbed Slug's fist mid-swing, effortlessly stopping the blow. With a somber look, one almost reflecting sadness, he answered.

"No more."

The evil Namek frowned, his huge jaw tightening. "What do you mean!? I want to know what you've done with all my power!"

"You don't have your power anymore, Slug. It's gone...forever." Piccolo paused. "You can never have it back."

"Wh...what? No, NO NO! You can't do that! No one can do that!"

With his other leg, Slug tried to kick Piccolo. But, when the blow simply glanced off his nephew's impenetrable form, he lost his balance. Tumbling over, Slug tried to catch himself with his ki. But it wasn't there...it really was gone. The evil lord crashed onto the ground like a clumsy fool. He couldn't even fly anymore.

"No..." he began to angrily sob. "This is impossible. I...I won't let you defeat me like this."

"The time for you to make empty threats is over, Slug," said the wise Piccolo Katanaji. "You have nothing left, I have stripped you of everything."

Slug beat his fists into the ground. "But how? How could you do this, when not even your father could stop me!?"

"He IS the one who stopped you, Slug. Thanks to his ancient ways you so despise, I was able to use the most powerful Namekian technique in existence...something so pure and righteous that you never would have been able to understand it, let alone use it. This was the only way that our struggle could be settled in keeping with the ancient ways."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" screamed Slug, livid.

Piccolo folded his arms. "You were purely evil; I was purely good. But because we are both Nameks and because I was stronger, I was able to cleanse you of your evil energy. Your body is sealed with ancient Namekian magic; you can no longer access or manipulate ki. You can't get it back. This was the ancient secret, the true power of the old way. My father wasn't strong enough to use it on you, but I was. And I think he also believed that you could change, that you could turn. But you could not."

Slug's face was contorted, tears welling in his eyes—not of regret, but of wrath and revenge. He cared nothing for anyone else, for the sacrifice of his brother all those years ago, nor for the well-being of anyone on the planet. He simply wanted Katanaji dead.

"He was wrong about you, I realize that. Even now, Slug, all you can do is think about ways to destroy me. I can sense it. That's why I had to do this." Piccolo was silent for a moment, allowing all the weight of things time to sink in. "You lose, Slug. It's all over. Your precious eternal youth will be your curse; your powerlessness will last forever."

Slug gripped the soil tightly, his orange gloves taking hand-fulls of Namekian turf. His eyes shook, his brow trembled, and his knees felt weak. He was beaten, there was nothing left for him anymore. Perhaps he still had his eternal youth...but without power, without the might to conquer, what good was it? Would he simply accept his fate quietly, submit to his nephew of all people?

No, he still had some power left. His armies and planets were all gathered here, waiting to follow his every command. It was a better fate than dying living in exile, punished with the removal of his strength. Yes, he could still lay this wretched planet to waste. Namek would yet feel his wrath!

Slug began to chuckle, regaining his sense of mind. He stood, a confident air about him once again, and lifted his wrist up near his mouth. Smiling, he began to speak.

"You're wrong, nephew! I never lose!" He clicked a button on his wrist, giving orders. "Men! All battle stations are to execute an immediate attack on the surface of Namek! I don't want a single Namekian to survive. Use all your weapons at full power!"

Looking up, Piccolo saw two ominous planet-sized battleships in the green sky of Namek. The terra-frozen battle stations were outfitted with enough weaponry to destroy worlds. Immediately, he began to worry. Even if Porunga's protection would keep the planet from blowing up, it would do nothing to protect the innocent Namekians on the surface. How could he possibly defend them all?

Turning to Slug once again, he grabbed him by the wrist and crushed his arm communicator. "You vile filth! You just don't quit, do you?"

The evil Namek laughed again, holding his arms up to the sky. "Come, sweet death! Free me from this ruined existence!"

But Piccolo, no longer concerned about adhering exactly to the ancient ways now that Slug had been stripped of his power, backhanded his uncle across the face. Slug was knocked out cold, falling limply into the dirt.

The remaining Super Namek immediately looked once again into the sky. The two ships were now glowing as they charged a massive bombardment...what could he do? Would Goku's instant transmission be enough to help? Could they simply blow up the two ships? Looking around frantically, he spotted the Super Saiyan fast approaching.

"Goku!" he yelled. "They're firing on the planet! We have to do something quick!"

Already cloaked in the golden light of his bulked-up ascended Super Saiyan state, Goku froze, looking up at the sky with him. "They're just too large! If we blast them apart, the debris will do as much damage as their attacks would!"

"Is there time to move everyone with your instant transmission, Goku?" Piccolo asked.

"No, there are way too many Namekians scattered across the planet. There's no way I can get to everyone in time, even if I could transport them all at once!"

"Well, what do we do!?" Piccolo was quickly running out of ideas.

Goku cocked his head to one side. "There's one thing...but it's crazy."

"Just do it! We don't have any time left," the tall Namekian ordered.

"All right, then. Follow my lead!" Goku blasted off, shooting straight up through the atmosphere in a trail of golden energy.

Piccolo followed, his own white energy trail streaming behind them. Within seconds, they felt the hollow darkness of space encompass them, but their auras were sufficient to keep them insulated. Both warriors were holding their breath. Planet Namek's blue-green glow behind them was a stark contrast to the two battleships ahead of them glowing a deathly red.

Just a few dozen miles away, the nearest terra-frozen ship had fully charged its first attack. Red lasers traced across its surface as blue energy built up at the center, where its most powerful weapon was trained on Namek. The barrel protruding just above its surface was nearly a mile wide. They had never seen anything like it.

Unable to speak in the void of space and still holding his breath, Goku used telepathy. 'Hey, Piccolo, I think I've found our way in. I'm sure that hole leads deep into the planet.' The Super Saiyan charged headfirst toward the giant blue laser.

'And just what do you plan on doing once we're inside?' Piccolo asked, barely able to keep up. He wasn't sure what Goku had planned, but he knew they were running out of time.

Sure enough, time ran out. The cannon exploded with a beam of cold blue energy headed straight toward the surface of Namek. Goku and Piccolo were all that stood between it and the lives of every Namekian behind them.

'Makankosappo!'

'Kamehameha!'

Floating beside Goku, Piccolo sent him another telepathic message. 'Be careful! We can't overpower the blast, or we'll blow up the ship and shower Namek in flaming debris!'

'Right, I got it!' agreed Goku.

The beams met with a cataclysmic explosion in space, sending blue and yellow arcs of energy out into the cosmos. It only lasted for a few seconds before the ship's cannon stopped firing and the two warriors dropped their attacks. Goku looked to his right...the second ship, coming up just behind this one, was charging up the same attack. Faint blue energy was already gathering. How long did they have—a minute, two, three at the most? They had stopped the first shot, but how long could they keep it up? He was running out of air.

Wasting no time, he dove straight into the barrel of the first warship's gun, Piccolo right behind him. It seemed to be hundreds of miles deep, the only light coming from their own auras. Fortunately, there was now enough air to breathe...but that wouldn't save the Namekian people if they didn't hurry. After only a few moments, they reached the heart of the weapon: a staggering network of tunnels all connected to a central reinforced hub.

"Now what, Goku?" the Namek asked.

Grinning, Goku dove down and put his hands against the back of the chamber. "Now, we push!"

His Super Saiyan energy suddenly began to skyrocket, his muscles expanding to their fullest as he powered up into the ultra form. Piccolo, understanding, followed suit and expanded back into his Great Namek form. Despite his size, he still didn't fill up the firing chamber.

"This is crazy, Goku!" yelled Piccolo as he strained with all his might against the weight of an entire world. "Can we really move an entire planet?"

"HHHHRRRR...well..." said Goku through clenched teeth. "We...won't know...until we...try!"

Pushing against so much weight made both warriors feel worthless, as if they were exerting every ounce of energy for no purpose whatsoever. Was it doing anything at all? It was nearly impossible to tell. Piccolo could feel his muscles burning, his teeth clenched so tightly that he worried he would break his jaw. Goku was straining his body beyond its capacity. Fighting was one thing, but he simply wasn't designed for lifting entire worlds. Both warriors spread their impulse over the largest area possible using moderate telekinesis, hoping that the densely reinforced chamber would hold together.

"Come on, planet! MOVE!" Goku yelled. "MOVE" he cried again. "MOOOOOVE!"

Suddenly, he felt the cold metal underneath him begin to shift, as if the giant ship was rotating just a little. Closing his eyes and doing his best to sense the tiniest motions, he could feel the entire body around him starting to accelerate.

"That's it, Goku!" Piccolo grunted as he too continued to push. "Keep it...up!"

Each second felt like hours...but on the terra-frozen ship's surface, their pushing was making an obvious difference. Machinery and control rooms and barracks all collapsed as the planet under them gained momentum away from Namek. The giant ship's internal support systems began to fail and earthquakes started ripping through its core.

Still deep inside, neither Goku not Piccolo had any idea how much further they needed to go, nor how much time they had before the other ship would fire on Namek. Frantic, Goku tried one final idea.

"No time left, Piccolo! Give it everything you've got!" From his feet, the Ultra Super Saiyan suddenly fired his largest Kamehameha, using it to add to his momentum rather than simply depending on his invisible flow of ki to propel him forward against the planet. He immediately felt a difference; the metal substructure started to buckle under the added force and the planet picked up speed.

"It's working, Goku!" Piccolo yelled. He quickly launched a Masenko from each of his feet, following suit. It was becoming easier and easier, as if something else was pulling the planet forward.

Suddenly, both warriors were jolted forwards and slammed into the twisted metal.

Hyperquakes tore through both planets as they collided with incredible force, the frozen surfaces unable to withstand the massive impact. Chunks of rock and metal were flung out into space; the roar of the collision was deafening. The gravitational fields of the two planets continued to pull them together, crushing them like pancakes.

"Goku! We have to get out of here NOW!" Piccolo shouted, quickly shrinking back to normal.

"Right!" The Saiyan took another deep breath, letting his muscles relax down to their regular Super Saiyan size, and took off at full speed out of the cannon barrel.

"They're collapsing into each other!" Piccolo yelled. "Both magnetic fields are being ripped apart!"

The terra-freezing process used the energy of whatever life was on a planet to convert its surface and core to a single self-sustaining piece of machinery. But now, with the systems being ripped apart, the machinery began to self-destruct with fiery explosions. The barrel of the cannon began to warp and twist around Goku and Piccolo, rocks and mountains and continents beginning to fall down on top of them. They dodged rapidly, firing energy blasts when necessary to clear the way, or simply flying straight through the largest chunks of rock.

Finally, like seeing the sunrise on the horizon after a long night, they saw the green glow of planet Namek before them. A second later, they were free from the planet. As they burst out into space, they saw a familiar blue glow behind them; the other ship was beginning to fire.

'NOOOOOOO!' Piccolo screamed in his mind. He knew he didn't have the speed to intercept it. 'Damn it! We weren't fast enough!' He angrily closed his eyes, trying not to let himself be emotionally compromised. 'Goku, hurry and use your instant transmission to move Moori and Dende off the planet!'

But Goku was smiling. 'Wait, Piccolo.' As they watched, the blue beam shot out into space...completely missing Namek. 'I knew that smashing those two planets together would throw off its aim a bit! And look: I don't think it will be firing again.' They watched as the cannon on the second ship also collapsed.

Piccolo sighed, relieved. 'That was too close, Goku.'

Both warriors watched the incredible view as the two terra-frozen planets collided. After a few moments, Piccolo spoke up again, telepathically. 'So...what now? We can't blow them up; the debris will still hit Namek.'

'Well, actually,' Goku replied. 'Hang on.'

The Saiyan shimmered in place and disappeared, then reappeared a moment later. 'Had to teleport down to Dende and get a breath. I was running out of air; I think you can hold your breath a lot longer than I can. Maybe it has something to do with you absorbing energy from the sun.'

The Namek rolled his eyes. 'Never really thought about it. But I hope you have an idea on what to do with this mess now. If we don't do something, the two ships could collide with Namek.'

Goku just grinned. 'Are you sure about that? We pushed them quite a distance; they don't seem to be headed toward Namek at all.'

'Really?' Piccolo looked back over his shoulder...sure enough, Namek was receding; the two colliding ships were headed away from the planet toward one of the system's suns.

'Looks like it's time we took a page out of Frieza's playbook, then,' said Goku with the same smile.

'Uh, what do you mean?'

'Well he did destroy his fair share of planets. And I think it's high time we take out these two!'

'Hmph,' Piccolo grunted. 'All right, Goku. Let's finish this, then!'

The pair immediately lifted their hands and formed two massive balls of energy. 'Aim for the nearest,' said Piccolo. 'The combined explosion will send whatever is left of the other one away from Namek.'

'All right,' replied Goku. The two balls of energy were the size of a Spirit Bomb now. 'I just never thought I'd be the one to destroy a planet. I figured Vegeta would be more likely to do stuff like this.'

'Having second thoughts, Goku?'

'Nah!'

They fired the two energy balls in unison. They both merged as they headed straight for the nearest planet's surface. Within seconds, they breached the crust and ripped through to the core. Cracks began to form as lava bubbled up from the mantle. Then, with a magnificent flash, the terra-frozen battle-worlds exploded. Both Goku and Piccolo fell back to the upper atmosphere of Namek, ready to intercept any debris flung their way, but it wasn't necessary. Namek was saved.


Deep in the reaches of the North Quadrant, another powerful being hovered in the cold and empty void...

The green bio-android was motionless, floating silently above a wide asteroid belt snaking its way around a blood-orange star. His eyes were shut, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He felt such a mixture of emotions being here, at it was all that remained of the once-proud Planet Vegeta.

Several hours earlier, he had been flying through space rather slowly, unsure where to go next. He had tired quickly of the endless void of space; despite his impressive speed, the kaleidoscope of stars and nebulae was tiresome...almost dizzying. Destroying Kubindi and Omega Cassiopeiae had been a good way to pass the time, but he wanted to do something more meaningful now. The way he'd seen it, he had two options.

The first option was to go to New Arcose. Thanks to the memories he'd inherited from Frieza and Cooler, he knew exactly where the beautiful planet was. Much of his power came from the two royal Arcosians...if he ever planned on calling any world home, perhaps Arcose would be a good place to start. But then there was the problem of the people...the planet was densely populated. The Arcosians probably wouldn't be welcoming, and he didn't feel like wiping them out entirely; not at the moment at least. Was it too soon to embark on another adventure? Things back on Earth were far from settled, though he could clearly go back at any time and finish it.

Reminded of Earth, he had turned his senses back to the planet, curious to know the location of each of the Z Fighters. Sure enough, there they were.

'Gohan...and Tien with him,' the android thought. 'Somehow, it seems Krillin is still alive as well. But where is Goku?' Cell wondered, broadening the scope of his senses. 'Ah, there he is...far from Earth, it appears. And Piccolo there with him. Interesting.'

Cell paused, focusing for a moment longer, then looked stumped. 'Strange, I can't feel Trunks or Vegeta...'

This was indeed peculiar; though they could certainly suppress their power dramatically, he doubted they would have a reason to do so with him gone. Wondering about the location of the Saiyan prince and his son had turned him to thinking about his other possible destination: Planet Vegeta.

Was there really anything to be gained by getting a firsthand look at this other quasi-homeworld? And had boredom set it on him again so quickly? He had made his decision quickly and set a course for the Saiyan system, resolving to keep closer tabs on Earth.

In the present...

'Such a significant place in the history of my existence,' Cell thought. 'If Frieza had never come here and destroyed it, I might not even exist; if some other version of me did, it would no doubt be lacking. Yet, it's somehow fitting that I would owe my own life to such an explosive and deathly act.'

Flying a bit closer to the spinning debris, Cell began to see something on the floating asteroids and remnants of the planet. There were portions of buildings, white skyscrapers that somehow escaped the planet's death with some portion intact. Curious, Cell landed on one of the rotating chunks of land; it had barely enough gravity to keep him on its surface. He walked inside one of the small white structures, raising his hand and filling it with a small glowing light.

'Hmph. Homey,' he thought. The insides were bland; all that remained intact was a single small bedroom. On the wall was a single picture of the Saiyan family whose home it had been.

'Surprising, I didn't type Saiyans as a people to take family portraits,' Cell inwardly laughed.

But as he thought more about what he knew of the Saiyans, both Vegeta and Goku now had families. They might have been a warrior race, one whom was comfortable with splitting up infant fighters and their parents, but it didn't seem to be the case universally. Perhaps this family belonged to the warrior elite class—a father, mother, and daughter who had actually stayed together.

Cell suddenly found himself very aware of his own Saiyan side. The satisfied pride he felt from his Arcosian genes and the anger he felt from his Saiyan instincts were at war within himself. For a moment, he wondered if he would have made the same decision were he in Frieza's position back then. Would he have blown up the planet...would he have taken a different strategy...or would he have sided with the Saiyans? Clearly, knowing that the end result was the frost demon's death at the hands of Vegeta was a fact he couldn't ignore. And he respected both races, at least in part.

In the end, he decided, the Saiyans won out. Vegeta and Goku both had surpassed the frost demons in strength, as had their children. Yet now, he, himself, had perfected both races into one. It was truly inconsequential what happened to either now that his own existence had transcended them all, not to mention that he also took the best elements from the Namekians and humans as well.

'Well, at least I didn't come here for nothing at all,' Cell thought, just as he suddenly felt the tingle of another powerful energy. 'Huh. I wonder who that is.'

The ki he felt was distinctly Saiyan, which immediately surprised him. 'I thought they were all extinct except for the ones on Earth. Perhaps being here at the remains of planet Vegeta has simply disrupted my senses.' Refocusing, he tried to locate the source more specifically. It seemed to be in the southern quadrant, quite a far distance away. While not powered up, Cell could distinctly tell that this Saiyan was capable of legendary strength.

'Incredible,' he thought as he began to ponder. 'I might just pay this Saiyan a visi—'

Before he could finish his thought, Cell's highly tuned senses were suddenly overwhelmed by an energy back on Earth. He spun in space, his eyes widening in surprise.

'Vegeta?'

The sudden jump in the prince's base power level was too great to be ignored. When he had last faced the prince, even his comparatively weak semiperfect form was more than enough to completely overwhelm the Saiyan. Yet now, Vegeta's energy felt somehow calmer and stronger...much stronger.

'How did he become so much stronger? And in such a short amount of time...'

While impressive, Vegeta's level was still far from his own. However, if he had been able to increase his strength in such a short time, perhaps the bio-android could return to Earth sooner than expected.

'Ah, and Trunks as well. It seems he's been through some training too. But I wonder...'

It didn't take him long to put the pieces together. Thanks to Goku's memories, he was well aware of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber...it just hadn't occurred to him before. It was a brilliant idea, one he was pleased the Z fighters had taken advantage of.

'Of course. While not the most fair way to train, I'm certainly pleased that they will be able to offer me a more interesting battle so much sooner than expected.'

With that, Cell took one last look around him, having concluded his thoughts about planet Vegeta. He clenched his fists, forming his jagged golden aura around him, and then took off towards Earth. Entering hyperspace, though still something he could only do in a vacuum, was now as natural to him as any other technique.


Salutations, friends, and thank you for reading.

We'd like to say a quick word about the Super Namek lore we developed. We planned this fight to be completely different from Goku's fight with Slug, and hoped it explored new ground in a meaningful way. Hope you liked the name we gave to the son of Katas. We tried to be sure we made it awesome for something so important, and it made sense that his uncle was the only person alive who would know the name. The ancient ways, as we named them, aren't still in practice among the Nameks; most don't even know of them. But now that Piccolo does, what changes will there be in the Namekian society? And what will be Slug's permanent fate? Find out next time!

Obviously, we've never seen anything quite like the technique Piccolo used to strip Slug of his powers...at least, not in DBZ. But we don't think it's outside the realm of possibilities. It adds a new element to Piccolo's identity as the lost son of Namek, something that will come into play soon. Don't worry, though; the technique can only be used on another Namek, and only if the user is substantially stronger.

Now: the planet-pushing feat. We had a chance to give the Z fighters a more realistic lifting feat, and we did. The bulky Ultra Super Saiyan form lacks agility, but its greater strength and higher energy output make it perfect for pushing a planet. While the Great Namek form does not technically increase power level (unlike Oozaru), it does provide greater leverage and range, making it more effective in battle. Piccolo expanded into this form so that he could spread the force of his pushing out over a greater area. Together, they were able to provide enough momentum to push one of the planets into an orbit that would collide with the other.

Abridged Chapter 2, which we teased last week, has been released as of yesterday. Our apologies for the delay; it was David and I who were behind schedule, rather than Infinity. We're excited about his work on this chapter!

One last announcement. Yesterday, we released the very first chapter of Dador de la Muerte, the Spanish translation of Bringer of Death by long-time reader The Mighty Hyena. This story will update every Tuesday. We're really glad for his help and excited about this new expansion of our contribution to the DBZ fandom.

Piccolo trained just as hard in canon as he did in Bringer of Death. However, the ritual surrounding his fusion with Kami was more grave and more complete, thus giving him a slight advantage over his canon counterpart. Of course, it was more than enough to take down Lord Slug.

Piccolo Katanaji: 220 million
Lord Slug: 130 million

As usual, thank you all for your reviews!

Q: So Cell is acting like god? So... OOC, I mean he thought he was powerful but god, nah. Seem kinda un-real. And Cell does seem to be an neutral he was programmed to do is absorb #17 and #18 lol nothing else. But the others got in his way so I could see him defending himself. Now if Cell that strong (even with the powers of Vegeta and Trunks when they get out of the HTC, will it still be enough) just imagine Broly.
A: Try and think about Cell having an existential crisis or some sorts. The difference of circumstances have left him with lots of time to ponder his own purpose now that he has gained perfection. When he thinks back to what Gero wanted him to do, simply defeat Goku and help Gero gain power to rule the world, he feels completely underwhelmed. That hardly seems ambitious at all. Rather, Cell wants to figure out what he wants to do now. It's an important decision to consider, since he isn't the type of mindless villain like Kid Buu to pursue mindless destruction.

Now as for his actual power. You mention you are worried that he is overpowered. Consider this. First, all one needs to survive on the sun is a heat shield and the ability to hold your breath or breathe in space. Second, the gravity on Earth's sun is only 28 times that of Earth. Much less than what the Z fighters usually train at. On the blue-white hypergiant that Cell was on, the gravity was actually less than that of Earth's sun, even though the star itself was hundreds of times larger. The gravity there was only around 8 times that of Earth. Now, about Cell's warp speed to travel faster than light: He can't use this in battle, only in a vacuum. Don't worry about Cell being any stronger than he was in canon. He, like the other Z fighters, are near their same strength levels.

Q: Where in the series, power wise, would you place a full powered biotic? I don't mean one limited by the mass effect games' class system, but one who had all the power of a biotic? I'm thinking probably 21st budokai goku level at least, 22nd at most, but i was wondering what you opinion was.
A: You might be giving them a tad too much credit. Untrained Goku, with a power level of 10, could lift a car with his bare hands. Asari energy blasts aren't all that powerful compared to DBZ, but they would be fun to watch in the tournament I suppose. I imagine that the biotics would pose an interesting challenge vs the Sith, though. However, only the Asari would have a chance. No other species of biotic could take on a Sith.

Q: Who do you think is stronger, Super Buu (No Fusions) or Kid Buu?
A:
Tough question. Super Buu was more powerful, but Kid Buu was superior in every other way. Because of the purity of his evil form at that point, his regeneration was faster, his access to his energy came quicker and easier, and his mind was more totally berserk. Super Buu was clearly smarter, though. Kid Buu was just more dangerous and unpredictabe.

Q: In chapter 43 u guys asked everyone a question and it was a opinion poll and it said "OPINION POLL: If we put together a special that was set up like an interview between the BoD Team and Adult Gohan to explain some of the science and systems in DBZ, would you enjoy it? Please let us known in your reviews." So what happened to this special that u were going to do this would be awesome could u guys explain scouters and armor and etc.
A: We still have it in the plan to do that eventually, but you honestly have no clue how busy David has been lately. Having a one month old child, I'm amazed that he's been able to keep up his role as a DBM translator, writer for BoD, and editor for all the BoD stories. I hope we can write it before too long, though. Rest assured, it will happen sooner or later.

Q: So what i am not understanding is how did the nameks know piccollo was the one to defeat slug its like it already happened but piccollo did not defeat him yet im talking about the part "they had all recalled Piccolo's actions when Slug's attempts to terra-freeze Namek had failed. After a few moments of this, Moori turned to Kami." so when did slugs attempt to terra freeze namek fail?
A: Ok, you seem very confused so let me clarify. First, Piccolo is the one who made the wish to Porunga which prevented Planet Namek from being destroyed. This was back in the early chapters, just after the defeat of Frieza. Second, when Slug first arrived on Namek (a few days ago from the perspective of the Namekians) he attempted to use his terra-freezing weapon. However, it didn't work because of the wish to protect the planet. So what that is saying is, when Slug failed to freeze the planet, they all were grateful that Piccolo had made the wish all those years ago.

Q: What was the Kai of the Kubaz Galaxy doing when Cell was destroying them? I thought they were there to protect all four regions of the universe.
A: Yeah, Kubaz is in the North Quadrant of the galaxy, so it would be King Kai who was watching over their system. However, King Kai in canon didn't have a clue that Cell even existed until Goku showed up and woke him from a nap. Besides, what could King Kai have done...against Perfect Cell?

Q: Do you guys already have a model in the works for ssj3?
A: Yes, David definitely has it in the works.

Q: I loved the infinite mass punch. Could someone with more energy say kid buu do that same thing to a star like walk on it or punch through it? Or was it because of cells perfect barrier?
A: The things required to perform such a feat are: the ability to survive in space without breathing, the ability to produce a shield that can withstand heat, and the ability to accelerate to very near the speed of light, and the ability to do all three things simultaneously. Kid Buu, along with many other fighters, are capable of this. However, few of them have the smarts to understand how to do it; Kid Buu, along with any form of Buu besides Buuhan, would probably not be able to figure it out.

Q: "Lets go waste that slug's ass", after Piccolo being calm. I find it somewhat out of character for Piccolo, what do you think?
A:
I agree. After your review, I changed what was written. The first was an attempt to credit TFS, with what Super Kami Guru said to Nail (waste his smug ass). It didn't fit what we meant.

Q: ...Well I would hate to tell Cell at this point that Buu is sealed somewhere on Earth, and if we consider GT General Rildo is the most powerful in the universe (if he was already built)
A: Rildo does not exist. Even if he did, using proper logic, I would have to disagree with GT's statement that he is stronger than Buu. But it's moot. As for Buu, yes indeed. Cell would be most displeased to learn that a being more powerful than himself already exists on the Earth.

Q: Any thoughts of bringing in the Super Androids?
A: Nope, GT is out of the question. Perhaps something better though.

Q: Funny, I was just killing some Kubaz Spies tonight on SWTOR. I enjoyed the extermination of their home planet. :)
A:
Hah! Very nice.

Q: I just watched the screw attack death battle (supes vs goku )and it made me kinda upset that the uneducated people who don't have David to explain will go off that video.
A: Indeed, particularly how they forever claim to have settled it once and for all without using any real physics. Stubbornness to such a degree can infuriate and frustrate.

Q: While I understand the whole concept of wanting Slug to be ended by a Namekian, why would the Z-Team bother with the fusion? Goku is obviously powerful enough to destroy Slug; we see him do this in the future. I just don't understand exactly why Goku wouldn't end Slug himself.
A: Because it's not just about beating Slug, it's about so much more. It's the retribution of the Namekian people, a true chance for them to start over—to right the wrongs of a millenia. Now that you've read the chapter, what do you think? Still think it was pointless?

Q: What do you think happens to zenkais if someone is dead? Meaning if a Saiyan goes to hell and fights whoever else is there every day, and keeps getting healed, would his power increase at the same rate as if he was alive?
A: We think people can definitely get stronger by training in Hell, but they wouldn't be able to unlock any truly new transformations (like going from SSj1 to SSj2, for example), because that would change the body they came in with. Of course, that restriction doesn't apply to people in Heaven, who can unlock however many transformations they want.