The colossal armada surrounded them. They could only watch as enemy forces spread all over the sky, preventing them from escaping. While Kakarot, his son, and Vegeta floated in the air, Raditz and Nappa were still cleansing the city. A squadron of four soldiers blocked any route for the two warriors to regroup. Raditz and Nappa could only let out fierce growls and frown at their scaly opponents. The bald Saiyan immediately went on an assault with the thought to strike first. His companion followed him right from behind and fired a barrage of ki blasts.
While the explosions and destruction spread across the ground, the enemy forces slowly closed the distance. A single drop of sweat slid down Kakarot's temple as he, for a moment, observed his older brother's battle. It was going to be a very tough battle for the long-haired warrior, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. If he thought of aiding Raditz, then he first needed to deal with the enemies in the sky.
His dark orbs shifted to his young son, who visibly was shaken by the number of enemy forces. He approached the hybrid and whispered in Gohan's ear. "No more holding back; it's time to show everyone your true worth, Gohan. Let those who look down on you, us, how wrong they are! Go all out and be careful, my son!" His son instantly responded with a nod on which he patted hybrid's head.
Meanwhile, the Saiyan prince snickered at the father and son's short-lived moment. "Enough fooling around, Kakarot. It's time to charge the enemy. You two at least try to do something useful." Vegeta uncrossed his arms and blasted into the enemy line.
Kakarot spat at the prince's words. The wild-haired warrior was to charge at the enemy together with his son, but they suddenly felt something from below. Kakarot instantly looked down, only to see a turtle-like soldier standing in the river. The Saiyan wondered what the turtle was doing when suddenly, a colossal pillar made out of water erupted from the river. In only a couple of seconds, the pillar reached the heavens and surrounded them. He lifted an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by the attack. The male approached the water, ready to create an opening, when he sensed a weird sensation coming from the pillar.
His eyes stretched upon seeing the watery wall come to life. A piece of it lunged at him, surprisingly enough at an impressive speed. Kakarot quickly jumped to the side, avoiding it, but another large amount of water appeared from behind. The Saiyan got consumed by it, and as much as he tried to break free, he simply couldn't. Seconds went by, and so did his breath. The pain in his chest increased when suddenly the pillar began to move towards the ground. As there was barely any oxygen left in him, Kakarot placed both arms to the sides, ready to power up and release all the power he had, but a shining thing caught his attention. Suddenly, a bright light destroyed the serpent-shaped water pillar.
"Father, are you alright? Be careful, looks like these guys can control various elements."
The warrior didn't move as he tried to recover from the attack. "I'm fine..." Kakarot wiped away the sweat and looked around. "Elements, you say? Well, that's interesting." He let out a chuckle; it was something new, which was enough to excite him.
He and Gohan gazed above when several strong energy signals rushed out of the water. While the water showered upon them, Kakarot smirked with excitement as he glared at the ferocious-looking reptiles. The warrior closed his hands tightly and slowly began to ascend. His snicker seemed to annoy the small group of soldiers. However, they didn't move; instead, the pillars made out of water attacked the Saiyan.
Kakarot spun and fired swift ki blasts at the approaching things. "Gohan! Go deal with the guy below; he's the one keeping this wall of water up." On his order, the long-haired hybrid immediately blasted toward the river.
Upon seeing the Saiyan child heading down, one of the soldiers quickly went after Kakarot's son. He was about to intercept the white humanoid snake, but the danger from above forced him to move to the side. The wild-haired warrior cussed as he viciously glared at a scarred lizard with seven sharp ice pieces above the head. He scanned the others, and they had the same things above them. Before he made a move, they fired at him. Kakarot dodged and broke the sharp ice with ease; however, even the slightest movements caused the wall made out of the water to come alive.
"That won't be enough to stop me, but try harder! I'm looking forward to a real challenge!"
The warrior laughed as he flew between the attacks. He swirled around a water pillar and appeared just in front of a lizard. The Saiyan swung his fist forward and struck the icy wall that suddenly morphed in front of the creature. He could hear the confident remark coming from behind. Kakarot's expression darkened as the light began to emit under the palm. His battle cry echoed as he released a strong ki blast. The yellow energy penetrated the wall and struck the enemy.
While the burnt lizard was falling, Kakarot's wild eyes shifted to the remaining soldiers. Before they could use their powers, the Saiyan lunged at them. He smashed his fist into the opponent's cheek and swiftly spun, thus avoiding an icy claw from another lizard. The Saiyan placed a hand on the creature's back and fired a point-blank blast. He already sensed the last two coming at him and the watery pillar from below.
"So much fun! Cmon, show me what you got!"
He fired at the approaching pillars and flew away from his enemies. They threw sharp ice pieces at him and large ice blocks, but he dodged all of them. He swirled across the serpent-like pillar and dashed at his two opponents. With a loud shout, his energy burst out. His speed increased, and he crashed his head into the lizard's abdomen. He quickly caught the humanoid creature and slammed the male into the other one. Kakarot brought his hands over to the right hip, ready to obliterate them together when a scary feeling consumed his body.
The warrior looked to the side, only to notice something was happening to the wall. Suddenly, a small opening appeared in the water. However, Kakarot got forced to move out of the way as a massive fireball came through the wall. Even though he avoided the fiery thing, its heat was so intense and strong that it vaporized a piece of his gauntlet. He removed the broken item and tossed it.
Kakarot's eyes shifted back to the gate as a powerful creature emerged. "Oh, this one's strong! Mhm, yes: this will be good." The warrior cracked his knuckles while the scarred lizard lowered to his level.
"Tsk! Cursed invaders, what gives you the right to come here and terrorize our land? Why would you attack and kill millions of innocent souls? Answer, before I strip you of your soul and guide you to hell!"
First, he snickered at the tall man's speech. "I only seek the strongest who can push me over my limits, and if in the process some weaklings die, well, who cares." A radiant glow began to surround his body as the lizard's ki increased. "So stop babbling about things that don't matter and fight me! Show me how strong you are!" With a sudden burst, Kakarot dashed at his new opponent.
"Such selfish and deprived way of life... I will make sure to end your terror here, on my world!"
The tall, scarred lizard coated his fist in flames and lunged at the approaching Kakarot. Once their fists collided, it created a powerful shockwave, tearing the wall built out of water in half. Kakarot grinned and suddenly backed away, only to twirl and land a kick to the head. However, a small flame-like wall blocked his strike. Before he could pull his leg back, the creature grabbed him and poured the flames onto him.
Kakarot screamed as the flames devoured his skin, but the warrior quickly flew up and went toward the wall to quench the fire. A wave of relief washed over him as the water extinguished the fire, but his senses were sounding off. He looked to the side and saw the lizard, ready to strike.
"Humph! Just as planned! Hyah!"
A tremendous punch coated in scorching flames struck Kakarot's right cheeks. "Gahh!" It was like an explosion once it connected with his face. The shot sent him flying towards the other side, and he couldn't stop.
"Now, Viviparo! Solidify the wall!"
Just on cue, a small reptile placed both hands on the water and froze the entire wall. Sharp spikes surfaced all over it, and Kakarot was heading directly at them. The Saiyan cursed and put a hand to the side. He fired a blast and managed to create a hole in the wall. The warrior crashed into it, but at least he didn't get impaled by the spikes.
He spat blood and pulled himself out of the hole. "Hm! He's good, very good... This guy's going to be tricky to beat. So exciting!" His entire frame trembled with excitement as the scarred opponent charged at him. He shifted into a stance and collided with the enemy once more with a blazing fire in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Kakarot's son had his hands full with the strong opponent. Blood slid down the boy's temple as he glared at the white creature. He clenched his teeth, annoyed that this guy was preventing him from getting to his real target. Moving fast, he lifted an arm and fired a ki blast. His opponent jumped above it and lunged at him.
"Die, you cursed invader!"
Gohan didn't even look up; instead, he moved back and avoided the kick. He quickly leaned forward and delivered a mighty blow. The boy swiftly pulled back and ducked under the creature's arm. He sprung from below and struck the enemy with an uppercut. Gohan leaped into the air, ready to hit the soldier once again, but the snake's red patterns on the snow-white skin began to glow. Suddenly, a fierce wind cut Gohan's arms and legs.
"Kah!"
A painful cry escaped from the boy's mouth. "I won't let a brat kill any more of my people! Die!" Gohan tolerated the pain and tried his best to dodge all the slashes coming his way.
Gohan managed to dodge most of them, but it took too much energy. Sweat and blood blew off his face as he constantly moved around with incredible speed. The wind attacks cut almost half of his hair as he flew down. Surrounded by a blazing aura, the young warrior screamed as he closed both hands tightly and charged forward.
"Yes, come to your doom, brat!"
A mighty wind erupted from the humanoid snake. Gohan fired a barrage of small ki blasts forward. Upon contact, the shots exploded and created a cloud of thick smoke. Annoyed by the cloud, the creature blew away the smoke.
"Ssk! Where are you, brat!? Don't be a coward and come o..."
Suddenly, a light from below caught the soldier's attention. He acted fast and disposed of it like the previous ones. However, what confused the male was that Gohan's image suddenly vanished. Before realizing the hybrid was using a unique technique, Gohan appeared from above and delivered a thunderous strike with a vicious growl.
"Ack!"
While blood leaked out of the serpent's mouth, the creature was visibly disoriented after such a mighty strike. The hybrid didn't let this chance go to waste. He seized the enemy by the long tail and slammed the soldier into the icy wall. The humanoid snake screamed as it got impaled by the spikes on the wall. Gohan dashed at the crying opponent, ready to finish him, but the snake wasn't giving up just yet.
"N-No, I won't let my people down!"
The white creature pushed itself off the spikes and jumped on the approaching boy. "I-I will fulfill my role!" His tail prolonged itself and wrapped tightly around the hybrid. "Ssk! If I-I can't beat you, I will gobble you up!" The creature's mouth deformed as it opened wide to swallow a person of Gohan's size.
Gohan watched in terror as the colossal mouth neared. He stared at those sharp fangs while sweat and blood combined and fell from his chin. "No, you won't! I can't die here!" Suddenly, his eyes began to glow. He fired small beams from the eyes and pierced the serpent through a wide-open mouth.
While the creature had trouble speaking and spitting blood, Gohan blew away the loosened grip and delivered a round-house kick to the jaw. He unleashed several shots as the radiant white aura enveloped his small frame. After he smashed his elbow into the serpent's head, the hybrid jumped away and fired a mighty ki blast. The yellow attack hit the soldier and carried it into the spiked wall.
Gohan tried to catch some air as he watched the hole in the wall. There was no trace left of his opponent. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down a little bit. His wounds ached, and he still had to deal with the target below. The boy gazed above for a second, curious about his father's battle. His father and the tall reptile clashed mid-air and exchanged several blows. Each time their fists connected, a powerful shockwave tore a piece of the wall. The hybrid observed the two until he shifted his dark orbs elsewhere.
A new pillar made out of the water was heading his way. Irritated by it, he cursed as he flew towards it. He fired a blast at it, but suddenly the watery thing split into several smaller pillars. The boy sped up and dodged all of them as he headed toward the river.
"Take this! Haa!"
The boy threw a blast past the pillar. His attack was minor but with a high concentration of ki in it. The yellow orb swirled around and was mere seconds from striking the bulky reptile floating above the river.
"Ek! Oh, no, you won't!"
Before the orb hit the target, the creature swung the giant arm and created a barrier made out of water. "Kh! A little kid won't defeat me, no way!" As he moved his hands around, the water changed shape.
The reptile thought of unleashing the attack, but the boy already landed in front of him. "Huh!? How are you so fast, you damn kid!?" He gave up on attacking and added another layer of water to his barrier.
Gohan's blast consumed the entire thing, but it wasn't strong enough to vaporize it. "You can't defeat me, kid! My defense is the best; no one can bring it down!" Angered by the turtle's smug face, the hybrid began to scream.
The boy's aura expanded, and the water below him separated. His black hair swayed a lot as he let out more and more energy. Brilliant sparks began to clash around him, frightening the reptile inside the barrier.
"N-No matter what you do, you won't' be able to..."
A sky-piercing roar made the turtle silent. The boy placed both hands forward and released all the remaining power that he had left. A blue energy blast consumed the barrier, and much to the reptile's shock, tore it down. While the bulky creature quivered, Gohan jumped and delivered a kick to the gut. He grabbed the thing by the armor and pulled closer, only to bury a knee to the face.
"Eek!"
While his opponent cried, Gohan leaped above it and landed behind. He closed his hands tightly and poured all the force into the fist. "Hyah!" With all his might, the hybrid penetrated the turtle's armor.
Finally, he got rid of the target. He wiped away the sweat and blood from his bruised face. The aura faded away as he relaxed and tried to rest a little bit. Now that he was all by himself and with no enemies anywhere nearby, he checked if there were any severe injuries. Thankfully, there weren't, and he just needed some time to rest. He thought to fly over to the solid ground, but a drop in familiar ki caused the young hybrid to put that idea aside.
"That drop... It's Raditz!"
Gohan didn't think twice. He decided to help his long-haired uncle. "Father doesn't need my assistance. I better go and aid Raditz." Despite losing precious energy in these battles, he needed to help the older Saiyan. He summoned his ki and flew toward the city; however, something suddenly emerged from the ground.
A massive bastion made out of sand came out of the ground. In the last second, Gohan managed to dodge it, but it was only a distraction. The boy turned around as fast as he could, but it was too late. Dark lighting struck the hybrid from the sky. His body got sent flying toward the solid ground, but a one-eyed lizard appeared behind him.
"Your terror ends here, simian."
An intense shock surged through his entire body. "Gahh!" Gohan screamed out of pain, but he got silenced by another strike. The dark lighting enveloped his frame. While the hybrid was immobilized, the lizard used this opportunity to deliver a fatal blow. Gohan's body got flung and eventually fell into the river.
"Are we going after him?"
A tiny reptile emerged from the ground and gazed at the one-eyed lizard. "No, there is no need. We must focus on the ones above us." The pinkish creature nodded and flew with his companion to where Kakarot was fighting.
.
Flickering lights illuminated the sky as the sound of the explosions could be heard far in the distance. The animals scattered away, frightened by the terror coming from the east. A strange-looking beast with four eyes and two tails drank the water from the nearby river when suddenly a hand grabbed the creature's long fur. The animal squealed and tried to back away, but the grip and strength pulled it into the water. Suddenly, a half-awake boy emerged from the river, holding tightly to the thick fur.
His pupils were almost transparent as he took a step forward. He lost the strength in his grip and released the hold. While the animal ran away, the young hybrid took several shaky steps forward before falling on the ground. He breathed laboriously as he tried to move his arms forward. It took all he had to pull his heavy body. As he crawled across the soft grass, dark clouds began to cover the sky. Slowly, the rain started to drop from the clouds as the child forced himself to stay awake.
The boy winced out of pain and halted. He tried to feel the presence of his father and other Saiyans, but at his current state, he couldn't focus. A weak annoyed growl escaped from his throat. However, his ears suddenly twitched. He couldn't turn around because of his injuries, but he was confident somebody was approaching him. Gohan clenched his teeth and closed the fists tightly, prepared for an animal to attack him when he heard a voice instead.
"Hm. Well, this is a surprise. What's a brat of your kind doing on this planet?"
Gohan tried to look at this person, but the man with a deep old voice wouldn't get in front. "N-None of your business! G-Get lost, or I'll kill you, old man!" The defense mechanism ran wild. He tried to scare the older person with a growl, but instead, he began to cough.
"Hmph. A little cub such as yourself shouldn't act all tough, especially when separated from the herd."
There was a slight hint of provocation in the older man's voice, which annoyed the boy. "Well, guess I should do something because the last thing I want is to feel the wrath of a Saiyan." Much to his surprise, the stranger did something because he began to levitate.
"W-What are you doing!? Where are you t-taking me!?"
He floated in front of the stranger who supported himself with a staff. "Don't worry, child. Just relax and focus on recovering." Gohan barked at the older male who had his face hidden by the gray mantle. The stranger placed a finger on his temple, and suddenly, he fell asleep.
"There we go, much better."
The stranger and unconscious Gohan walked into a cave. With a flick of a finger, he ignited all the candles in the cave. He coughed a couple of times as drops dripped from his cloak. The stranger seemed out of breath as if using telekinetic powers for so long consumed lots of energy. He muttered something as he slowly walked through the cave. After a while, he and the boy reached the end. At the end of the cave was a small, white house with spikes on top of it with big windows.
He opened the wooden doors and stepped in. The first he did was move Gohan on the nearby bed. Once he lowered the boy, he released a heavy sigh and took a deep breath. After he caught some air and began breathing normally, he removed the cloak. Like before, he twirled his index finger and turned on the candles inside the house. His dark orbs shifted to the injured boy. He took hold of the wooden chair and put it near the bed. The older man sat down and lifted his sleeves.
As he closed his eyes, the man extended his hands forward, just above Gohan's body. "Hmph, let's see if I still got it." He exhaled and focused as a faint, sparkling orange glow began to surround his old hands. Sweat rolled down his wrinkled cheeks. His eyes twitched, but he remained focused. The stranger released a weak grunt, and the glow shifted to the boy's body.
The glow completely enveloped Gohan and slowly started to heal the hybrid's wounds. However, the stranger's hands trembled, and the light soon began to fade. "No, I'm not done yet!" He fought back and endured at least another minute.
Gohan's eyes began to open. Confused, he rose and noticed something was different. He glanced at his hands and realized the wounds were gone. There was no pain or fatigue; all was gone. He couldn't but wonder what happened when he heard heavy panting. The boy looked down, only to see a wrinkled, green man lying on the floor, barely breathing.
"It's you! What's going on with you!?"
Kakarot's son jumped off the bed and kneeled near the older man. "Speak, old man! What did you do!?" No response. He picked the man up, who was surprisingly light, and placed him on the bed.
"Ugh! As I-I thought, my lifespan's coming to an end."
Finally, the stranger spoke, but that was just depressing. "I don't know what you did, old man, but obviously, you healed my wounds... Why?" He observed the older man, who seemed to start somewhat breathing normally.
"Eh, do I need to have a reason to help? Besides, I was bored, so I helped, that's all."
Gohan frowned as his tail swayed behind the back, not sure how to feel about this guy. "You're different from the others on this planet. Where are you from?" He could tell this man wasn't of this world.
The stranger let out a weak snicker before coughing. "Ahm! Well, aren't you a curious little thing? But yes, I'm not of this world. I cam here a long time ago, after leaving my homeworld and wandering the galaxy all by myself." There was a slight tone of melancholy in his voice as he stared at the ceiling.
"My name's Mollusca, and what's yours, young Saiyan?"
Gohan lifted his brow, a bit surprised that this guy knew he was a Saiyan, but then again, his tail was waving behind the back. "Gohan... You must be aware of why I'm here and what we are doing. And yet, you healed me. That doesn't make any sense!" The hybrid's voice got louder out of the frustration he felt at the moment.
Mollusca observed the boy's behavior and, out of nowhere, started to chuckle. "You still stuck on that? I told you, it's a whim of a dying man... A strong, bloodthirsty Saiyan warrior such as yourself shouldn't be disturbed by it, right?" He could hear a growl from the boy and something else, deep from within the young Saiyan; a clash of emotions.
"This boy, he's different from the rest... How interesting!"
He lifted himself a little and leaned against the wall. "Where are you from, Gohan? I was under the impression the Saiyan's homeworld got destroyed years ago together with the entire race; truly a tragedy." While the Saiyans got what they deserved, for an entire race and planet to get wiped out, it was indeed a tragic thing; or at least he thought like that.,
Gohan hesitated at first. However, something urged him to talk with this man. "Earth. My father's a Saiyan who came to Earth as a child with a mission to conquer it. In the process of doing so, he met my mother, and eventually, I was born." His tail wrapped around the waist as he squeezed his hands together.
"Oh, that sounds like an intriguing tale. So, what are you doing all the way here, far away from your home? Don't you miss it?"
The boy tensed his teeth as the wrinkled older man asked questions. "Tch! I'm here because I'm a warrior. I may be born on Earth, but my purpose is to get stronger and conquer the ones opposing me." He frowned at Mollusca, who scratched the left cheek.
"Hm, is that so? Are you sure that's what you truly want? Wouldn't you like to rather live in your homeworld than travel from planet to planet, fight all the time and dirty yourself with the blood of the innocent?"
Gohan remained silent. He tried to process the questions, but the more he thought about it, the more he grew irritated. The boy bit the flesh inside his mouth and stood up, sending the wooden chair flying into the wall and break to pieces.
"Shut up! Don't question me, or I'll obliterate you, regardless of what you did for me!"
The hybrid placed a hand forward, and a ki orb began forming in front of the palm. Sweat rolled down his cheek as he glared at the older male, who didn't look scared at all. Just the opposite, the man called Mollusca began to laugh.
"Ha Ha! Sorry, child. I guess I went over the line, I tend to live mostly all by myself, so when I get visitors, I ask stuff I shouldn't."
Gohan let out a snarl and eventually lowered the hand. The boy turned around and crossed his arms, angry that he allowed a dying man to agitate him so much. His dark orbs drifted all over the room when he noticed something on the table. He approached the desk and glanced at the seven white rocks secured in the middle. His eyes stirred to an old piece of paper. He couldn't understand the writing, but there was a drawing of what appeared to be a dragon.
While Gohan wondered what that was, Mollusca smirked and adverted his gaze elsewhere. "Well, it seems your friends are coming here. Two of them are in bad shape." He released a sigh and rose from the bed.
The hybrid returned the paper on the table and wondered what the old guy would do when his father and the rest got here. "Are you going to heal Raditz and Nappa? Maybe you should if you want to stay alive for a little longer, old man." Not that he cared about the green stranger, but Mollusca did save him.
Mollusca looked at the child, who turned away and crossed his little arms. "Hm, maybe. I doubt I'll manage to heal both of them completely, but I have something that'll prevent them from dying." The older man went to the other room, leaving the boy alone for a couple of minutes.
While Gohan was alone, the Saiyans barged into the house. The boy barely turned to greet them when Vegeta dropped Nappa mercilessly on the floor. Meanwhile, Kakarot held his older brother and, without asking, placed the long-haired warrior on the bed.
"Humph, so you're alive after all, brat."
Gohan ignored the prince's remark and approached his father and uncle. "Are you alright, father? I'm sorry, I got ambushed and fell into the river. I wasn't of any help at all!" The hybrid angrily closed his fists as he stared at the floor, not able to look his parent in the eyes.
Kakarot turned to his son and placed a hand on the child's shoulder. "Nonsense, you did well. You're still young and lacking experience; with enough time, you'll become a force everyone will try to avoid." The wild-haired warrior allowed a warm smile to surface as he finally found Gohan.
"Oh yeah, feel like you're at home, guys, no problem at all."
Everyone gazed at Mollusca, who emerged from the room. The older man ignored the glares coming from Vegeta and Kakarot and just focused on the two injured warriors. "Well, should I assume you slaughtered all the people of this world?" He hoped that wasn't the case even though he barely spoke with the inhabitants of this planet.
"That's none of your business, old man. However, this is a surprise. What's a Namekian doing so far away from home? From what I understood, your species isn't the one that travels through space."
Mollusca glanced at the flame-haired Saiyan who approached him. "It's a long boring story; I doubt you'd be interested to hear it. How about I rather help your companions?" He stared at the short warrior, who seemed to think about it.
"Hmph, go ahead. Even if you ask me, it's a waste of time. These weaklings don't deserve any special treatment."
The Namekian ignored that and approached the long-haired one first. He opened the small bottle and poured liquid on the man's exposed chest, forehead and arms. While the liquid slowly healed the wounds, Mollusca focused and used his ability to heal. Since he was old, he couldn't spend more than thirty seconds on each of them. He moved away from the bed and repeated the same process with Nappa.
After a couple of minutes, the Saiyans woke up. "Ugh! W-Where are we? Kakarot?" Raditz tried to get up, but the younger warrior didn't allow it.
"Don't worry, just rest. We found a place to stay for now."
The long-haired male nodded and flinched as not all injuries got healed. "Tch! Those damn lizards were strong; I wasn't able to beat them all!" Raditz clenched his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall.
"Where are we anyway? Who's the green bean?"
Kakarot chuckled at that and turned toward Mollusca. "According to Vegeta, a Namekian. He also took care of Gohan... Do you know anything about them? Are they strong people?" He observed the green male, who seemed exhausted and on the verge of dying.
Raditz ignored Nappa's yelling and complaining and just answered the question. "There's a lot of mysteries surrounding these guys. I never saw one until now, but there have been talks going on for decades about some wish-granting rocks created by his people. Bah! A bunch of nonsense if you ask me." He released a weak laugh as that stuff reminded him of their legend about a Super Saiyan.
Suddenly, Kakarot shot a surprised look at Mollusca. "Wait a minute! It can't be!" The Saiyan stood up and, with a quick pace, approached the table. "You! Tell me, are only Namekian's capable of creating the dragon balls!? Speak!" He slammed his hand against the table, but that did nothing to Mollusca.
Upon hearing that, Vegeta's ears twitched. "Dragon Balls!? Nobody outside this room can hear this conversation." The prince removed the scouter and destroyed the other one that Nappa dropped.
"Huh? Why did you do that, Vegeta?"
The short warrior ignored Nappa and gazed at Kakarot. "How do you know about them, Kakarot? You spent your entire miserable life on that backwater planet; how do you even know of such legendary items?" The prince approached the taller warrior, who finally looked at him.
"Because there was a set of seven orange orbs with red stars engraved in them on planet Earth. In my mission to purge the world of humans, I encountered several groups who tried to find the dragon balls and wish for something. At one point, even I had those balls in my possession."
Silence prevailed in the house. Nobody said a word until Kakarot's eyes fell on the table, and he saw the seven rocks and old papers. "Those seven white rocks, they were dragon balls once, right?" Sweat traveled across the man's temple as he lifted the stones.
Everyone's attention shifted to the Namekian, who was visibly shocked by Kakarot's knowledge. "Incredible. To think there was another Namekian besides me who left our homeworld. I wonder who it was." Mollusca tried to think of probable candidates, but he snapped out of his thoughts when Vegeta grabbed him.
"You will explain everything, even the minor details. I want to know everything about the dragon balls, how to use them, and the location of planet Namek. You will tell me all of it, am I clear?"
The prince squeezed the older man's throat, but only for a few short seconds. "Speak, and I'll make you a deal. We won't continue our mission; we'll abandon it and leave the planet peacefully. That doesn't sound that bad now, does it?" Vegeta smirked as he released the hold and took a step back.
"But Vegeta! What of Freeza? He'll kill us!? We can't just..."
Vegeta shot a fierce glare in Nappa's direction, causing the older warrior to shut up. "Quiet! Screw Freeza! If Namekian here says what I think he knows, we're defecting from Freeza Force." His words shocked Raditz and Nappa; those two almost fell on the floor.
Kakarot and Gohan could barely believe the words coming from Vegeta as well. "Sorry, but I can't tell you the location of my home. No matter how much you beat me or try to negotiate, I won't tell you that." Their eyes shifted to the Namekian, who slowly rose from the chair.
"Oh? I can be quite persuasive when I want to, Namekian."
Mollusca glanced at the prince with no fear and smiled, irritating Vegeta. "I'm sure you can, but such threats won't work on a dying man. If my dragon balls were working, I would give them to you in return for something, but alas, I never finished my training as a child and couldn't bring the dragon to life." The Namekian spoke with sadness and disappointment in his voice as he approached a large paper on the wall with a dragon on it.
"But to answer your question from earlier, yes, only Namekians can create the dragon balls. The orbs are tied to the creator, and if he dies, the dragon balls became white stones such as these."
Upon hearing that, Kakarot finally realized something. "I see! So that explains why the balls turned to rocks after that idiot Piccolo died." If he knew it back then, he would keep the green bastard alive just in case he needed a wish.
"Okay, that's all great, but what now? Do you have a concrete plan, Vegeta? This isn't something to play with; it's Freeza we're dealing with here! The strongest and most brutal being in the galaxy!"
Everyone glanced at Raditz and agreed. The plan needed to be solid if they really went on with this and abandoned Freeza's empire.
The Saiyan prince was silent for a while, causing Nappa, Raditz, and even Kakarot nervous. "Hmph, I now know what to do." Vegeta uncrossed his arms and continued. "We'll fake our deaths, abandon the pods since they have tracking devices, and steal a spaceship from those lizards." Everyone listened as the Saiyan approached the hybrid.
"However, we'll need one of us to return to Freeza, wounded obviously, and confirm our deaths. And the one who'll do that is you, brat."
Upon hearing that, Kakarot immediately stepped in front of Gohan and roared at Vegeta. "No! That's a stupid idea! I'm not letting Goh..." Before he could finish, a fist sent the wild-haired warrior flying into the wall.
"Father!"
Gohan rushed to help his father while Vegeta continued. "That's my decision, and I won't hear otherwise. The brat's going back to Freeza, he'll tell of our demise, and his story will be confirmed through scouter recordings. That way, Freeza won't be suspicious of anything." The prince approached the old Namekian and stared into the man's hollow eyes.
"You know this is the end, old man? I can't let you live because that paranoid fool will send somebody to investigate the events on this planet."
A yellow orb appeared in front of Vegeta's palm. Mollusca closed his eyes and smiled. "I knew this day was coming a long time ago. The only regret I have is never apologizing for the horrible things I have done in my past. I'm sorry, Grand El..." The blast consumed the Namekian and turned him to dust.
The prince stared at the spot where Mollusca sat mere seconds ago until he turned around and walked away. "Raditz, take care of the brat. I want him prepared for departure in an hour! After that, we'll steal a spaceship and fake our deaths. We're going through with this, and nothing will stop me from getting those dragon balls!" A wicked grin appeared on Vegeta's face as the man walked to the doors.
"Nappa! Get up and follow me! We have work to do!"
Still reluctant to betray Freeza, Nappa got up and followed the prince, who already got out of the house. The only ones remaining were Raditz, who still lay in bed, and Gohan, who helped his father walk to the nearby chair.
Raditz stirred his eyes to his younger brother and nephew, not knowing what to say at this moment. There was nothing they could do to prevent Gohan from going back to Freeza. It was a risky plan, but what could they do? They were still too weak to go against Vegeta's orders. The long-haired Saiyan clenched his teeth. He hated this; it reminded him of how weak he is.
Meanwhile, Kakarot had to deal with his son's situation. "Gohan, you must listen to me very carefully, more than ever before." He stopped and coughed a few times because the strike from the prince blew out all the air from the lungs.
"Yes, father. Tell me, please! I-I don't want to separate from you."
For the first time since his child was an infant, he saw him in such a fragile state. Every fiber in his body demanded to kill Vegeta, but that was out of the question. He stood no chance against the prince at this moment.
Kakarot leaned his forehead against Gohan's and closed his eyes. "It's fine to be scared, Gohan; it's only natural. That's also one of many reasons why we dedicate ourselves to grow stronger, and my son, you are a warrior with incredible talent." The Saiyan lifted his head and hugged the boy.
"You have what it takes to survive; the strength, the unique techniques, and above all, smarts. Use all of those attributes well, and when the time comes, we will see each other again."
He could feel his son quiver. Gohan's tail tightly wrapped itself around Kakarot's waist and didn't let go. "I have full faith in you, and don't forget, you must believe in yourself. Don't let Freeza or his idiotic lackeys tell you otherwise. Conquer them all and prove to be worth more than anyone! That way, you'll become irreplaceable!" Kakarot squeezed his fist tight as he glared into the wall with such hatred and rage in his eyes.
Raditz never in his life saw such a dark and vicious look in someone's eyes, not even Freeza's. Then again, it was understandable. As he suspected, his younger brother was somewhat different from other Saiyan parents. The wild-haired warrior bonded with his son deeply, and now, that urge to protect the child brought out the monster from the deep. He didn't know why, but a bad feeling suddenly appeared in his gut and caused him to think this could lead to a tragedy.