Vegeta and Nappa had sensed a powerful Ki, as well as a cluster of relatively high levels. Vegeta was more interested in the larger one though, as it meant Freeza had taken his last remaining trusted man and sent him away. This would be a devastating blow to his forces and prove himself stronger than any of his men. Part of him hoped it would be a fight that could give him a little work out at the very least though.
Nappa was to slow, to the annoyance to Vegeta. "Go on ahead Vegeta, I will follow behind. It doesn't feel like he is greater than yourself." Nappa attempted to let Vegeta rush off.
"Of course, he isn't, but what if you get ganged up on by other soldiers." Vegeta said, though it was more because Nappa still had his tail that he would keep slow with Nappa. If nothing else, the big lug could be used to distract and overpower Freeza if he came. Be of proper use for once.
"I feel no other power levels coming, if we don't catch him though… he might return to Freeza before we reach him." Nappa honestly spoke to allow Vegeta to get his wins. Nappa had been use to being lower on the totem pole of leadership, Vegeta was a prince though that was turned into a soldier that was looked down at by a great number of other fighters.
"Very well, but get there as quickly as you can." Vegeta said before letting his power burst and shot at incredible speeds. Nappa in turn attempted to push himself to go faster, draining himself of Ki to do so.
Zarbon had been instructed to locate another Namekian village in hopes to finding the last two dragon balls, Appule and him breaking up to search separately. With their scouters gone, it made the locations of Namekian's unknown. His search was forced to take longer, which allowed Vegeta to catch up to him without much issue. The two caught each other's advancement and stopped short of each other.
"Vegeta, I was wondering when I would catch you." Zarbon said as he still believed the scouter showed incorrectly, and if it did not then it simply meant he might have to become something I hate.
"I could say the same, now I can deal with you like I did Dadoria." Vegeta said with a swell of pride, feeling Zarbon's power being less than his own.
"You killed Dadoria, don't make me laugh."
"If you think that's funny, then this will be a riot." Vegeta smirked as he vanished, Zarbon surprised by the speed.
The handsome alien attempted to strike where Vegeta came from, but found his hand grasped instead and tossed like a toy. Zarbon quick to recenter his gravity, instead fired a massive blast toward the Saiyan Prince. Only to watch as Vegeta deflected the attack, which caused a massive crater from impacting the ground instead. Zarbon now understanding that Vegeta's power has massively increased.
He would not be given time to adjust though, as Vegeta now responded. First an elbow to the face, followed by a few rapid punches and kicks. Zarbon then attempted to respond but Vegeta evaded each attack like it was nothing. "Give it up, Zarbon. Your attacks are so slow, I feel like your standing still." Vegeta mocked before he disappeared from Zarbon's sight and kicked him down to the ground. Zarbon caught himself before he crashed to the ground, only to get kicked in the back once more.
Zarbon stood and wipes blood from his lip. "Looks like you're really pushing me. I, unfortunately, must rely on my dormant power now."
"Dormant power?" Vegeta scoffed.
"That is right, I have a transformation." Zarbon grinned wide to see Vegeta not believe him. "And it is nothing like your Giant Ape form, but it is a power league beyond you."
"Please, once I am done with you… Freeza will be next." Vegeta once again just admired Zarbon's attempt to scare him.
"See for yourself." Zarbon laughed before he took to his monster form. Vegeta surprised, only to be quickly overwhelmed by the sudden assault of Zarbon. Crashing blows from a head but and followed by several others sent Vegeta reeling in pain. "Caught you unaware even after warning you. To bad, because if you feel this is to much… then you should be aware that Lord Freeza also has a transformation."
This new surprised Vegeta, and gave him no reason not to be believed. Zarbon took this chance to send a blast of energy, Vegeta dodged barely to save his life. Zarbon then appeared behind him, hugged so tightly that Vegeta could feel bones pop or break. Zarbon then sent powered up and sent Vegeta to crash down onto the planet, a huge crater form the impact Vegeta made once Zarbon let go. The alien waited, and found Vegeta not surfacing. Zarbon soon left, believing he was dead or so defeated he was not a threat anymore.
-Sometime later-
"Lord Freeza, I have returned." Zarbon called from outside Freeza's personal quarters.
"Come in, Zarbon. Report." Freeza said coolly.
"I have found no villages, but I did have a run in with Vegeta. I defeated him."
"Oh? With a power level he had, you must have transformed. So, he is dead?" Freeza turned to look to Zarbon.
"I did not confirm a body, I left him at the bottom of water. If he did live through my attack, he would most likely have drowned." Zarbon bowed his head.
"But you did not confirm? Did the fear of getting wet override your judgement of doing your duty?" Freeza said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Ah, no lord Freeza. I will confirm his body at once." Zarbon stated as fear of being killed came to him.
"Lord Freeza!" Appule appeared at the open doorway. "I have found a village, but it was destroyed and without a Dragon Ball."
"Zarbon?" Freeza's gaze turned to his minion.
"Vegeta did not have one on him, he must of hid it then." Zarbon could feel the death glare from Freeza.
"Then you best hope is alive. Bring him back here now! Appule, contact the Ginyu force and tell them to redact their current mission and head straight here from Planet Freeza. And inform them to bring the latest scouters with them." Freeza said as his growing disappointments was outnumbering his men.
Zarbon did not question, instead rushed out to find the spot he left Vegeta. Appule going to communications and calling for the Ginyu force to make themselves available.
-some time, once again-
Nappa landed at the battlefield. He could barely feel Vegeta's Ki and knew he was on deaths door. A sudden spike in power randomly appeared some distance away, and Zarbon's Ki was on its way as well. The Saiyan warrior did only what he thought he could, hide the prince and try to hold off Zarbon if he arrives.
"I will live to serve, or die a warrior." Nappa spoke his personal mantra. The large Saiyan lifted his prince and attempted to find him a spot to rest in. But before he could do so, Zarbon had found him.
"Looks like you made sure he was alive for me, good. Hand him over and I may let you live." Zarbon threatened, outstretched his hand as if to have Nappa toss Vegata's body over.
"That is not happening." Nappa said, before he tossed a ball of energy at Zarbon. The energy simply deflected away.
"With that kind of power… you have nothing but a shallow grave to expect on this planet." Zarbon moved a bit of hair from his face. "Such an ugly thing. I will just kill you now, so I don't have to look at you anymore."
Zarbon disappeared, only to be behind Nappa. His hand already pierced Nappa's armor and into his side. The Saiyan coughed blood, his gaze turned to Zarbon to just smiled. He vanished again and a hard kick to Nappa's spine, a snap and Nappa could not feel his legs suddenly.
He attempted to roll in the air and take the crash to the ground for Vegeta. Nappa lost his grip and Vegeta's body rolled away at the end. Nappa looked up to the alien, grit his teeth. "I live to serve… or I die a Warrior!" Nappa yelled out once more, energy collected in his mouth and he fired everything he could. But Zarbon simply took the blast as if it was nothing.
"Poor ugly fool… Die with some grace" Zarbon held his hand out with a smile before he fired a blast back at Nappa.
The older saiyan ready to be killed by the overwhelming force, and closed his eyes to see the afterlife. The end never came though. Instead his eyes opened to see Tarble now standing over him, hand outstretched and held Zarbon's energy back.
"Hey, looks like your having some trouble." Tarble said as he looked down at his fellow Saiyan. Nappa amazed that Tarble felt so powerful. Tarble then tossing Zarbon's attack away like it was nothing. "Hey… I don't know who you are exactly… but your one of Freeza's men right." Tarble called out.
"I am Zarbon, Freeza's right hand man." Zarbon said in his own confusion, shaking his head to snap himself out of it. "And you are dead if you side with them."
"Oh, you got two things wrong already." Tarble said before he held out one finger. "One, I am not siding with them. They are going to side with me. And Two…" Tarble vanished and appeared before Zarbon so fast that the alien jumped back. But he jumped a moment too late, as Tarble grabbed his throat. "You are the one who will be dead. I sense your energy all around this place, and on my brother. You hurt him… and you help the man who killed our race." Tarble's grip grew tighter and Zarbon was forced to try and pull the younger saiyan away. "Which means you're my enemy, and I have learned I am too soft to my enemy."
With that Tarble released Zarbon's throat, the alien attempted to back away to get space. "Dodon pa." Tarble said coldly, a beam of energy fired from his finger tip into Zarbon's chest and tore through his armor.
Zarbon held his chest as the armor broke away, growling before he turned to his monster form. "Your power is nothing to me." Zarbon rushed Tarble, only to be blocked with every blow. Fear grew once more in Zarbon's eyes as Tarble just stared at him.
"I am still to soft, I still cannot bring myself to kill even you." Tarble said as Zarbon attempted to still gain the upper hand. "But that does not mean I won't leave you in the same condition." Tarble sidestepped a punch from Zarbon, and put his own into Zarbon's now unprotected stomach. The monster's eyes wide in pain, before he was kicked toward the ground. Tarble appeared below him and hit him straight back upward. "Dodon-pa Barrage." He pointed his finger forward and fired a series of beams, Zarbon struck in every joint and along his back and neck.
His body lost feeling, as he dropped to the ground. Zarbon could not move as his body reverted back to his base form. Tarble stepped beside him, and looked down at him. "An old story of my people had a quote from our people. 'I will not kill you monster, I will make you pay for what you did to my people, then you will know to fear Saiyans.' Quote was from back when we lived on planet Sadala, said to be from the first king of the Saiyans." Tarble said before he stepped away toward Nappa and Vegeta.
"You two are coming with me, you have no choice in the matter. You want to argue, then your childish wailing will go unheard." Tarble said to Nappa, who only nodded in respect to the stronger saiyan. Tarble then picked up the fallen warrior, and Vegeta's still unconscious body, and flew off toward Guru's home.
An epic battle that puts Vegeta in his place. Nappa proving his loyalty to his prince. And Tarble showing a new superiority over Freeza's Minions. Will this run of luck keep being in our heroes' favor? Will Tarble's new self-assurance be able to keep Nappa and Vegeta in check? Let's find out next chapter!
PL
Tarble- 44,000
Vegeta- 24,000
Nappa- 5,300
Zarbon- 23,000 (Monster) 28,000