Sorry for not updating sooner guys, but I've been writing college application essays, visiting colleges, and other college search related things for the past few days. So that's why it's taken me longer than expected to get this chapter up, but it's a longer one and important one so hopefully that will make up for it.
Chapter 24
A growl escaped from Piccolo's lips as his eyes snapped open while tremors continued to shake King Kai's tiny planet. His mediation had once again been disturbed by Yamcha and Upa's spar. The two had just begun and already they had disrupted his mediation more times than he could count. It was just like when Goku or Gohan pestered him back when they were training for the saiyans but only this time the ground underneath shook as well as the racket the pair was causing. At the moment the two young fighters were constantly phasing in and out of sight as they battled with each other in the tiny planet's atmosphere, making sure not to leave the outer extent of the planet's high gravity so they're spar would benefit them even more.
Scoffing, Piccolo shut his eyes and tried to resume his mediation but it was to no avail. Frustrated, the Namek stood up from the ground and surveyed his surroundings as his cape billowed in the wind behind him. The two dark haired fighters were still sparring above him, while Krillin stood a ways off practicing a new technique he was developing and the small pale man who was laying on the ground looking up to watch Upa and Yamcha's spar. The green warrior's eyes finally set sight on their intended target, the round blue kai who was behind all of this nonsense.
As he made his way to toward the North Kai, Piccolo reflected on the ridiculous "training methods" that the "legendary" martial artist employed. When they had first arrived on the small planet a week ago, the first test they all had to pass to see if King Kai would train them was to make the ancient being laugh. The mere suggested had infuriated Piccolo. He had come here for some serious training, so he could increase his strength the same way Tien had. While they had been at King Yemma's palace, he and the others were allowed to watch the three eyed warrior's battle with Vegeta.
It was incredible. The human had been able to increase his strength to astounding new height, nearly doubling Piccolo's own power in only his base form in the same amount of time and when he used the Kaio-ken technique his power shot even higher. The Namek had watched speechless as Tien was able to achieve over ten times his own power and all because he had trained with this mystical King Kai at the end of Snake Way.
The others had all felt the same way and so they had all began the long journey to King Kai's. Since they decided to travel together, the group moved slower than Piccolo could have on his own which was good because it gave him time to train while they flew. Eventually the others also joined in his spars, which at first been him sparring with one of his clones, and thanks to these training sessions everyone had nearly tripled their power levels by the time they reached King Kai's planet three weeks later.
Then they actually met the foolish Kai. Piccolo was appalled by how laid back the martial arts master was. He couldn't fathom how Tien, one of the most no nonsense men ever, could stand King Kai's idiotic antics and training methods. Refusing to degrade himself, Piccolo abstained from telling a stupid joke to satisfy the Kai. Later, when King Kai challenged his new students to catch his pet monkey, Piccolo was able to complete the pointless task in less than five seconds and then demanded that he receive real training. Of course, the blue Kai refused saying that because he had not made him laugh he could not participate in his training.
Piccolo growled. That had been fine with him. There was no reason for him to engage in such rudimentary training methods, he was for beyond the need to chase a monkey and hit a cricket with a hammer. Even the Earthlings had been able to complete the Kai's training in no time at all, with the Indian kid and Krillin completing it in two days and the scar-faced one in three days. The pale midget had just hit the cricket with that hammer a few hours ago, the heavy gravity having much more effect on him than it did the others. None of that mattered though, because while they had been wasting their time with those foolish exercises, Piccolo had been doing real training and getting stronger. Already he had almost tripled his strength since arriving on the tiny planet and it had only been a week. He could see how Tien had become so strong if he spent a whole year training here.
"So, you've finally had them move on from those pointless tests of yours," said Piccolo as he came up behind King Kai.
"Oh, Piccolo it's you," said the Kai as stopped weeding his garden and stood up beside the Namek. "Yes, now that they have all progressed past the second test I have decided to have them spar against each other to test out their abilities. Of course, I'm picking all of the match-ups so they will be even fights."
"Humph," huffed Piccolo. "How about we have a real fight? Me against the four of them, at the same time."
"What?" exclaimed Yamcha, who had just landed in front of them along with the long haired teenager. "You think you can take all of us Piccolo? Well bring it on tough guy! I bet I can take you by myself now!"
The green warrior snorted. "You buffoons struggled to defeat a monkey and a grasshopper; I hardly think you'll be a challenge for me."
"Alright, I'm in Piccolo," said Upa. "It will be a good test of our strength Yamcha, plus, we'll be able to bring him down a notch." Piccolo just smirked at the young human's remark.
"Right," said Yamcha with a confident grin. "Hey Krillin, Chiaotzu! Come over here, we're about to fight against this Piccolo."
"I don't know," said King Kai as the humans huddled together in front of him. "The odds seemed unfairly stacked." The small group could hear the Namek's growl at the blue Kai's words.
"Are you all just going to keep babbling or are we going to actually fight?" asked Piccolo.
"Alright you can fight if you insist," conceded King Kai.
"I'm not sure about this you guys," said Krillin who was staring at the irritated Namek. "He doesn't look like he's too happy right now."
"Don't be a coward," said Upa as he sunk down into his fighting stance. "It will be fun!"
"Yeah, we'll take care of him," exclaimed Yamcha.
"I certainly hope so," said King Kai. "You all have done excellent in all of your exercises so far and I hope you see it pay off."
"Enough small talk!" said Piccolo as he brushed past the North Kai, bumping him out of the way. "Let's go to it."
"Right," agreed Yamcha. "Alright you guys, you know what to do." The other three nodded, and the small group of humans quickly spread out around Piccolo, surrounding him by making a square with him in the middle.
After a few seconds of anticipation, the Earthlings finally made their move. With simultaneous battle cries, Yamcha and Upa charged at the green warrior. The two fighters attacked from opposite ends of the square they had formed with Yamcha coming from the top left and Upa attacking from the bottom right. Piccolo, seeing the attack coming, quickly adjusted his position so that each of his attackers was directly to his side and he blocked each of their first punches with his forearms.
After failing to break the Namek's defenses with their first attacks, the pair of humans both unleashed a furious barrage of punches and kicks at Piccolo, who evaded all of the attacks. After several seconds of dodging all of the punches, Piccolo was forced into the air as both the scar-faced bandit and Upa attempted to sweep his legs. To his surprise though, he was sent crashing back down to the ground and when he looked up he saw that Krillin was floating there.
"I'll get you back for that," growled Piccolo. As he prepared to fly up at the bald warrior, he could sense someone behind him and he spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Yamcha which sent the dark haired man flying across the planet. He was then put on the defense again though as he was simultaneously assaulted by both Upa and Krillin. The green warrior dodged and blocked several punches before he counterattacked, with a punch aimed at Upa's chest, which was blocked by still caused the fighter to stumble backwards.
Turning his attention to the short monk, Piccolo was about to rush the bald man when suddenly a jolt of electricity struck him and caused the Namek to howl in agony. Looking over his shoulder for his attacker, Piccolo found Chiaotzu standing behind him with his arms outstretched a blue glow outlining his small body. He tried to move towards the pale man but found that he could not move as he received another volt of electricity.
"Why you little," growled Piccolo. Clearing his mind so he could concentrate on breaking free of the paralysis Chiaotzu held him in, the green fighter yelled as he pushed his energy outward, dispelling the teal energy that had taken hold of his body. Piccolo's victory was short-lived though because as soon as he had dispelled Chiaotzu's technique, Yamcha rushed forward and hammered a powerful punch into the Namekian's gut. Piccolo doubled over in pain and let out a gasp of pain as the scar faced warrior withdrew his fist. Before he could recover, Piccolo was sent stumbling back a few steps because of a ferocious kick Upa delivered to the side of his face.
Wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, Piccolo looked at the group of four humans that stood before him a little stunned. They had all improved greatly since the last time he had sparred with them, and in such a short period of time. Was it possible that it was because of the Kai's moronic training methods?
"Alright, time to get serious," said Piccolo as reached up and grabbed his weighted turban before tossing it on the ground. The white cloth hit the ground and a loud crashing sound could be heard as small cracks on the ground formed where it had landed. The Namek then discarded his cape in a similar fashion, crevices forming in the tiny planet as hit the ground.
"Actually, it's time for lunch!" interjected King Kai, who had stepped in between Piccolo and the band of human warriors. "You guys can continue after we get some food in you all."
The green warrior opened his mouth to tell the blue being to buzz off, but the four humans had already rushed inside of the yellow dome where Piccolo could see them scarfing down food as quickly as they could. Sighing, Piccolo slowly went to join the rest of the Earthling warriors in the Kai's home.
Sipping on a cantina of water, Piccolo watched from the doorway as the other four warriors ate like they had been starved for weeks without any food. In all of his life, the only person he had ever seen eat like this before was Goku who always ate in this manner. It was unusual to see the humans, such as Krillin and Yamcha, who had always reprimanded Goku for eating like a starved carnivore eating in the same fashion.
"It's because of the amount of energy that they have been using while training here," said King Kai, answering Piccolo's unasked question. "Since they have no physical limitations, they've been able to expend a lot more energy than they could if they still possessed their bodies back on Earth."
"No physical limitation?" questioned Piccolo.
King Kai nodded. "Yes, that's the reason why you all are able to make such huge increases in power, in such a short time period. If you were on Earth, such gains in power would not be possible because you would eventually hit your bodies' limit and no longer be able to increase your strength. However since the bodies you have now are not actual physical bodies, but manifestations of ki formed to look like your bodies. This is the reason why you have unlimited reserves of ki and our able to train longer, harder, and more efficiently."
"What is this limit you keep babbling on about?" asked Piccolo.
"It is the point at which one cannot become any stronger, or a person's full potential. Every being in the universe possesses a limit, but of course different races and species have higher limits than others. For example, the average Namek is much stronger than the average human because Namekians possess a higher limit than humans. Of course certain individuals can possess extraordinarily high limits for their race, such as your friends here who are all exponentially stronger than any other human. But even these people have a point in their strength that once reached they cannot exceed except through certain training and special circumstances."
"The only race that I have ever seen that is not affected by this in the same way as other species is the saiyans. This is because it seems that when they experience a near death experience, their body repairs itself to become even stronger and therefore resetting, so to speak, their limit. However as long as they don't have a near death experience, even saiyans have a limit that they cannot surpass."
Thinking back to the years after the World Martial Arts Tournament and between Raditz's arrival, Piccolo had tried and tried to grow stronger but he seemed to be stuck at a level he couldn't get past. It had been a hump he couldn't get over until after the battle with the long haired saiyan and he began experimenting with different training methods and then trained with Goku. This "limit" the Kai was speaking of could explain why he hadn't been able to grow any stronger.
"You're telling me that there's a point that when I reach it I can't get any stronger?"
"Well, not here there isn't, because you don't have a limit here," answered King Kai. "But yes, with your body that you had on Earth once you reached its limit, you could not become any stronger than that. Of course there are several ways to reset your limit, so to speak, by using new training methods. An example of this would be by training in higher gravity, another reason why all of your training here has been more effective. Your body's limit is reset because your body is being pushed past the limit by training in a setting it has never experienced before. I have also heard of items that supposedly reset a person's limit and people with the ability to increase a person's physical limitation."
Piccolo raised an eyebrow before saying. "You're claiming that my body is not the same one that I had back on Earth."
"Yes, that 'body' you are using right now is actually your spirit in physical form, which is why if it were to be destroyed your spirit would no longer exist."
The Namek absorbed the information the Kai was telling him with great interest. It could be valuable for future training to know what sort of training methods would allow him to increase his strength the most effectively.
"You say that the bodies we had back on Earth did possess a limit, while the ones we have here do not. What happens if we surpass the limit of that body and then we are wished back?" questioned Piccolo.
"I'm sure you have," replied the North Kai. "However, when you are wished back the new body that is created for you while have a new limit appropriate for the power level you have when you are wished back. This will allow you to increase your strength further once you are back in the physical dimension."
So the stronger I get here, the more powerful I'll be able to become once I get wished back, thought Piccolo as he stood there processing all of the information he had just received. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the humans had stopped eating and were making their way outside.
"It looks like they finally ate that horse, they kept talking about" said King Kai before covering his mouth with his hands and laughing into them.
Rolling his eyes, Piccolo commented, "And I was starting to believe you could actually have a serious conversation." The green warrior then walked over to where the others were stretching.
"Now that you're done stuffing your faces or you ready to get back to training?" he asked impatiently. Yamcha and Upa quickly nodded their heads but Krillin held up his hand.
"Hey King Kai, shouldn't Tien and the others be arriving on Namek today?" asked Krillin.
Resting his chin on his hand as thought, King Kai said, "Yes, I believe so. Let me check." Everyone was silent as the Kai began to survey the Northern Quadrant in search of the Planet Namek in search of his student's ki. Piccolo was impressed that the Kai could actually locate any person in his quadrant if he wanted to, knowing how powerful King Kai's telepathic abilities had to be to accomplish such a feat.
Suddenly, a scream of terror came from King Kai as he fell to the ground. Krillin and Yamcha quickly rushed to help the blue Kai while Upa and Chiaotzu watched, stunned by the Kai's sudden terror. Piccolo arched his eyes as he watched the pair of humans help lift up the blue being whose body was still shuddering in horror.
"What's wrong King Kai?" asked Krillin. "What did you see that was so horrible?"
"No, no," stammered the Kai. "No this is terrible. They're doomed now that he's there!"
"What are you talking about," interrogated Piccolo. "Whose this he your so terrified of?"
"It's, it's Frieza, the most powerful being in the entire North Quadrant," proclaimed King Kai. "There's no fiercer or sadistic fighter in the entire universe than him, and he's on Namek!"
"What!?" exclaimed Yamcha. "That can't be a good thing."
"I have to warn Tien," said the North Kai. "I have to tell him to get off the planet immediately! If he runs into Frieza, then he'll be killed for sure and there won't be a chance of any of you ever being wished back!"
Piccolo watched as King Kai walked away from them and began searching for Tien so he could contact him. The Namek didn't see why the Kai was so upset. So there was a strong warrior on Namek at the same time that Tien was there. So what? The three eyed human had always been clever and crafty, the perfect warrior to combat someone that is superior to him.
"No, Tien listen. You have to get out of their right now. Get whoever else you brought with you, get back to your ship, and get out of that planet!"
Piccolo snorted when he overheard the Kai' screams at his former student. Why should they be so afraid of someone just because they were more powerful than Tien or any of them were at the moment? A year ago, Piccolo wouldn't have been able to believe that the three eyed human would be able to become so powerful and get to the level that Vegeta was at. A level that was far beyond anything he could have even dreamed of before Raditz's arrival on Earth. He had always seen the triclops as a weakling, someone that he would be able to dispense of with ease after defeating Goku.
But he had proved the former demon king wrong. The human warrior had reached a new plateau in strength that Piccolo had never witnessed before in his lifetime. Watching his battle with the saiyan prince, the Namek had been in awe of the power that he had acquired from sheer willpower, because he had refused to be defeated in order to protect the Earth and his friends. If he been able to overcome that challenge, why could he not do it again?
Walking across the grass, Piccolo made his way towards where King Kai was seemingly having an argument with himself. The green fighter smirked as he stood behind the Kai and then laid his hand on the being's shoulder. King Kai jumped from the unexpected contact and the added consciousness that had now entered into the conversation. The instant he laid his hand on the Kai's shoulder, a voice he recognized as the three eyed human's filled his head.
I can't give up now King Kai. It's my responsibility to bring every one died because of the Saiyans back. It's my duty and I'm going to bring them back even if it means that I have to fight Frieza one and one to get the Dragon Balls from him. I will not fail them again!
Piccolo smirked before saying, "Hey, do what you need to do to get the Dragon Balls and wish us back Tien."
Piccolo?
The Namek chuckled. "That's right and between the two of us, Gohan, and Goku we can take this guy down. Nobody thought we would be able to beat the saiyans and yet we did. If we could accomplish that, than we can beat this Frieza guy too."
"No!" screamed King Kai as he shrugged Piccolo's hand off of his shoulder. "That's not the same! Frieza's is much more powerful than the saiyans were or ever will be! You can't beat him!"
"Humph, enough of this nonsense." The Namek warrior turned to the group of human fighters as he rolled his shoulders. "I think we have a fight to finish."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Tien shook his head as his telepathic link with King Kai was severed. He was actually glad that his conversation with his most recent martial arts master was cut off abruptly. All the Kai was doing was trying to convince him to give up on trying to resurrect the others, even though he had sworn that he would not rest until all of the people that had died because he hadn't been there to stop the saiyans.
"Is something wrong?" asked Moori, who was flying beside him. "You seemed to be out of it for a minute or two. I thought you might actually fall from the sky."
"It was nothing, my mind was just somewhere else," replied Tien. Then there was Piccolo's sudden declaration of support, which had been completely unexpected. The last time he had seen the green fighter was moments before his death, Piccolo had been the only one that had walked over to him instead of Goku. They had been necessary allies then, the Namek had still sworn that once they had defeated the saiyans he would defeat him and Goku and take over the world. Had he really changed like Goku and Gohan claimed, and why did he suddenly have so much confidence in him now; or was this another one of his evil plans to try and lure us into trusting him before he stabbed Goku and Tien in the back?
Tien shook his head. It didn't matter now what Piccolo's real motives were, he was right. He had to do whatever it took to get the Dragon Balls so he could wish the others back, even if it meant fighting Frieza, Tien would fight if it meant Chiaotzu and the others would be revived. It was his responsibility, his duty. It was his only purpose in life, to rectify his failure and at least partially right the wrong of his absence when the saiyans had landed on Earth. Clenching his fist together, Tien again swore to himself that nothing would stand in his way of collecting the Dragon Balls and wishing his friends back. Whether it was Vegeta or Frieza, Tien would not let them stop him from fulfilling his pledge.
"We are getting close to Tsuno's village," announced Moori. "We should be there in a couple of minutes."
Tien nodded. He could sense the group of Namekians' ki, even from this distance. There seemed to be around 20 people in the village, one of the larger villages according to what Moori had told him. His mood picked up slightly, they had made it to the village before Frieza and his men or Vegeta had found it. Now Tien and Moori would be able to warn the Nameks and they would have time to relocate to a safer location and hide from Frieza's destruction.
After a minute more of flying, the Namek village came into view. It was tucked in behind a tall ridge in a small valley which was beside a large green lake. There were several more white homes which looked similar to the Namekian spaceship they had traveled in, than there were in Moori's village. Several Nameks were out in what looked to be gardens planting some sort of blue fern called Ajisa, which Moori had told him, was what Namek had been covered in before the climate shift had nearly wiped out the plant. Now the majority of the Namekians' time was trying to plant Ajisa across the planet in order to restore it to its former beauty.
As soon as Tien and Moori touched down on the ground in the middle of the village, they were greeted by a short and slightly heavy Namek who looked similar to Moori. The old Namek was flanked by two younger Nameks who looked similar to the warriors who had tried to defend Moori's village when Frieza and his henchmen had attacked.
"Brother Moori, it is good to see you even though your visit is an unexpected one," said the older Namek. "I see that you are also in the company of a stranger, my I ask your name friend?"
"My name is Tien Shinhan," replied Tien, "and I'm afraid we do not come bearing good news."
"What's this?" asked one of the younger Nameks. "Elder Moori, what does your friend mean?"
The Namek Elder sighed before turning to the other old Namek and saying. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but our planet is under attack from an evil creature named Frieza, Brother . He and his men are after the Dragon Balls so he could wish for immortality. They have already attacked five of our villages, including my own, and stolen four of the Dragon Balls. The only reason that my sons and I escaped with our lives is because of this Earthling here. It is also thanks to him that Frieza does not possess the Dragon Ball from my village as well."
"This is terrible!" exclaimed Tsuno. "Has the Grand Elder been informed of this development?"
"If he does not know, he will soon," answered Moori. "My sons, Dende and Cargo, are on their way to the Grand Elder's home now along with two other Earthlings."
"What we need to now is get you and all your people out of here," said Tien. "We need to take you all and your Dragon Ball somewhere safe, like the Grand Elder's home. From what Moori's told me, it's the safest and most secluded place on the planet and also the home of Namek's strongest warrior who should be able to protect you and your people."
"But we can't just leave our home!" shouted one of the younger Nameks. The old Namek named Tsuno just held up his hand.
"It looks like we do not have a choice my son," he said. "Inform the others that we are leaving as soon as possible. Tsumuri, go and retrieve the Dragon Ball from the Gathering Den." The two younger Nameks bowed and then rushed off into the village while Tsuno sighed.
"This is indeed grave news, Moori. It will be difficult to move all of my people and bring them to Grand Elder Guru's home. I'm not sure if there will be enough room there to accommodate all of my people."
"Well, I'm sure we can find room if we…"
"You both need to get your people and leave now!" shouted Tien. The two Elder Nameks looked at the human warrior, stunned and confused.
"A powerful ki is almost on us and there's also a group of high power levels heading this way," revealed Tien. "You all need to take the Dragon Ball and get out of here."
"What about you?" asked Moori.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, just get out of here!" said Tien "I'll make sure that nobody follows you, now go! Stick to the ground at first so no one sees you flying."
"Elder Tsuno, Moori." Tien turned to look and saw that nearly twenty Nameks were gathered behind him and one of them held the Four Star Dragon Ball. "Everyone is ready."
"Very well, we must leave now," said Tsuno. "Good luck Earthling, I hope to see you again soon."
"You can count on it," replied Tien before turning his head away from the group of Namekians.
"Alright, let's go," commanded Moori. "The stronger warriors needed to carry the children so we can move faster." After hearing the Elder Namek's instructions, Tien felt the wind pick-up and he could sense the large group of Namekians traveling quickly away from the village.
Tien stood in the middle of the village, alone, as a gust of wind rushed through the empty hamlet. He took in the quiet before the storm, taking in the peaceful and tranquil state of the landscape around him. The three eyed warrior knew that in a few minutes this serene village would be a smoldering battlefield. Closing his eyes, Tien cleared his mind and stood there in pure serenity. The peaceful mediation did not last long, because after a few moments a powerful and dark ki landed in front of him.
"Wake-up human," said the gruff voice of the saiyan prince. "You'll have plenty of time to sleep when you're dead, which luckily for you will be very soon."
Opening his eyes, Tien just stared at the smirking saiyan stoically. "So I'm guessing you managed to take care of that pink brute."
"Of course!" retorted Vegeta. "Destroying Dodoria was like child's play to me! No one except for Frieza can compare to my power now and after I become immortal than even he won't be able to stand up to me! Now it's your turn to fall before me Earthling. You may have been able to escape me last time but now you are going to meet your demise by my hand!"
"I have to thank you though for foolishly leading me straight to this village though," continued the saiyan. "After I kill you, I'll be sure to pay those Namekians you sent scampering off a visit."
"You're not getting past me," said Tien. "I'll never let you get one of your greedy hands on a Dragon Ball. You're not going to leave this fight alive Vegeta, you're going to pay for your crimes here and now."
The flame haired saiyan laughed. "I remember you saying the same thing only a few hours ago before our last fight, and yet here I am, and if I remember correctly you were beaten so badly that you ran away like a coward!"
"Yes, I'm becoming as bad as you about that aren't I," responded Tien with a smirk.
"You dare insult me you puny human!" screamed Vegeta, his thrashing angrily behind him. "I have killed entire species, destroyed entire planets, with a single finger and you dare mock my power!"
Tien held up his hand. "Don't get too riled up, we'll have our fight but all of your yelling is scaring the newcomers."
"What are you talking about Earthling!" demanded the saiyan. The three eyed man simply nodded to his right and Vegeta turned his head to see ten figures, all dressed in the standard Planet Trade uniform, descending into the village. At the head of this group of soldiers, was the elegant, teal alien Zarbon.
"Good work, Appule," commended Zarbon as they touched down. "It looks deserted though. No matter, we've found something much more valuable than paltry Nameks."
Vegeta laughed upon seeing Zarbon. "Zarbon we meet again, fate has truly smiled upon me today! I've already disposed of that worthless Dodoria and now I'll be able to take care of you in the same day!"
The teal alien took a step back in surprise. "There's no way you could have defeated Dodoria by yourself. You're lying!"
"You can tell yourself whatever you like," responded Vegeta. "It doesn't change the fact that he's dead and you'll be joining him shortly."
"Foolish Vegeta," said Zarbon while shaking his head, "always overestimating your own strength, never being able to comprehend that some people are simply superior to you. I guess I'll have to put you back in your place."
Frieza's right hand man then turned his attention to Tien. "I bet you didn't expect to see me again did you?"
"Actually no," admitted Tien. "I don't you would be unconscious for at least a few hours, much less fully recovered by that time." His eyes narrowed as he examined the teal alien. Now that he took a closer look at him, Tien could sense that the alien seemed to be holding back his true power.
"Ha, you were knocked out by the Earthling!" said Vegeta. "Killing you will be easier than I thought Zarbon."
Zarbon snarled before continuing. "Now that your twin isn't here to save you, I'll make sure to finish what I started last time."
"I would focus on the threat to your life Zarbon, instead of that pathetic human," said Vegeta before turning to Tien. "I'll take care of you after I finish off pretty boy here. You can entertain yourself by taking care of pinions for me."
As soon as the saiyan finished speaking, he phased out of sight, only to reappear directly in front of Zarbon. He delivered a powerful uppercut to the teal alien's chin and set the man flying into the sky. Vegeta's purple aura flared around him before he took to the sky himself in pursuit of his opponent. The nine remaining soldiers just stared at the spot where their leader had stood only a moment ago in complete fear.
"So I guess it's the lot of you against me," remarked Tien as he stared down the terrified troops.
The troops looked up at the human and began to laugh. One of them, a purple being with several spots on his large forehead, said, "You really think you can take on all of us. You're outnumbered and outmatched!"
"You're right," conceded Tien. "I am outnumbered, let me rectify that." The human warrior crossed his arms and a golden glow outlined his body as two clones of himself spilt from him on both sides of his body. Frieza's men looked on in a mixture of horror and awe as two carbon copies of the human warrior spilt from his original body and now stood to his right and left.
"Alright let's get started then," said all three Tiens in unison as a crimson aura exploded around them, before they rushed forward. Each of the Tiens took a cluster of three soldiers each, with the two clones pushing their clusters away from the trio of men in the middle which the original Tien was engaged with.
The soldiers were initially taken by surprise, so Tien took advantage of their shock and went on the offensive. Faster than the Frieza's man could see, the three eyed warrior had already closed the distance between them and shoved his knee into the man's gut. The human looking soldier doubled over in pain, coughing up blood as he body forcibly convulsed. Tien then delivered a karate chop to the man's neck, and he heard a sickening cracking sound as the soldier's body fell lifelessly to the ground.
After staring at their fallen comrade in disbelief for a moment, the other two men snapped out of their shock and charged Tien with an enraged battle cry. The human warrior stood his ground as the two alien warriors attacked him with everything they had; effortlessly evading every punch and kick they threw at him. Finally, he grabbed a leathery, brown fist that had been thrown at him to the surprise of the bird-like alien.
Using his other hand, Tien blasted the blue, humanoid alien with a Kiai wave that sent the fighter flying into one of the Namek homes. The man was sent crashing through the side of the pale house and the entire structure collapsed on top of him. Turning his attention back to the bird-like fighter he held, Tien looked into the warrior's petrified face with an unemotional detachment. He took no pleasure in what he knew had to be done.
With the flick of his wrist, the crimson shaded warrior sent the alien skyrocketing. As his opponent flailed around wildly in the air, Tien raised his arm and pointed his palm towards the panicking alien. After taking aim, a golden energy wave erupted from the human warrior's palm and raced towards its target, who had no chance of dodging the attack. Tien could hear a scream of terror and agony tearing from the alien's lips as he was obliterated by the energy beam.
Sighing, Tien turned his eyes away from the cloud of smoke that now filled the sky and towards the collapsed building where his last opponent lay. It was a shame really that all of these powerful warriors had chosen a life of murder and destruction. He could only imagine all of the good these men could have done on their home worlds and throughout the galaxy if only they had chosen to use their incredible power for good.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tien could see the tail end of one of his clones' battle. The clone only had one enemy left, an orange humanoid that had bright green hair. Tien could see his clone smirk as the alien warrior attempted to strike him with one of his orange fists. With a fierce cry, the green haired fighter punched straight forward but found that all he hit was the wall of one of the Namekian houses, which crumbled from the force of his attack. The stunned alien was not left in anticipation long though, as the Tien clone reappeared behind him and kicked in the small of his back. The orange warrior howled in pain as his back was arched forcibly, breaking his spine, before crumpling to the ground.
Tien turned away, before the screams of pain were silenced. It was unfortunate, but it had to be done. While he liked to show mercy, he did not take it to the extreme that Goku did by showing mercy to every opponent he ever faced. Tien knew these men did not deserve mercy. They were murders, who had killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, eradicating entire planets simply for profit. These men would not hesitate to kill him, Gohan, Bulma, or the Nameks if given the chance and Tien was making sure that these goons would never kill another innocent again.
An explosion brought Tien back out of his thoughts and he quickly turned to see the source of the sound. His eyes were met by the smoldering pile of debris that had covered Tien's last enemy, the blue human-like fighter. With a snarl, the alien threw a ki blast from each of his hands at the three eyed warrior, but Tien easily batted the harmless blasts away.
"What are you!?" stammered the alien in horror as he slowly walked backwards.
"A human," answered Tien before raising his index finger and firing a Dodon Ray at the shell shocked warrior. The golden finger beam pierced through the middle of his chest and the man fell backwards and landed on the ground with a thud before remaining motionless as a cool breeze flooded the valley.
Tien lowered his finger and stared down at his dead opponent as the wind caused his green sash to flutter across his chest. The crimson aura around him slowly faded away as he took a deep breath and surveyed the village. The once picturesque hamlet had been reduced to a burnt battlefield. The ground and gardens were scorched; the blue grass and ferns turned into ash, and all but one of the scenic Namekian homes had been demolished and turned into rubble.
The last building did not last much longer as suddenly a crimson clad figure came crashing down into it, instantly demolishing the building. Tien watched as his clone climbed out of the debris before looking up into the sky to see the short purple being that Zarbon had called Appule. It seemed that this alien was far more powerful than the others that they had fought before and the wind picked up as the two clones where dragged towards the original Tien. The two copies collided with him and instantly fused back with the original Tien.
"What the?" commented Appule as the golden glow that outlined Tien's body faded away as the wind also died down.
Tien's mind was filled with memories from his clone about his fight with the purple alien. The clone had been able to dispatch of the other two soldiers without any trouble at all, but Appule had actually been the stronger of the two even while using the Kaio-ken. Looking through the memories though, Tien could see that the purple fighter was not anything special. He possessed descent technique and he was not very powerful or durable, nothing he couldn't handle easily.
Without saying a word, Tien blasted off into the sky and began his assault on the purple, octopus-like alien. After getting several hits in on the surprised alien, Appule began to counterattack and the two warriors exchanged blows as they drifted through the sky above the destroyed Namekian village.
"You're not half bad," commented Tien as the two continued their exchange in mid-air. "It's a shame that you use your strength to kill instead of protect."
"Don't judge me!" said Appule. "You think I really have a choice! If I tried to be a 'hero' like you then I would just end up dead, and my family and friends would also be killed. The only reason my people haven't been destroyed by Frieza yet is because men like me serve him. I don't want to be responsible for extinction of my entire race!"
"I used to think like that," lectured Tien, "but I realized that no one should be able to control my life and force me to kill. Is life really worth living if you're just as slave to a psychopath's whims?"
"I don't care what you think!" shouted Appule as he put all of his force in one punch. Tien saw the attack coming and the crimson aura exploded around as he easily dodged the blow and then rammed his knee into the purple warrior's stomach, causing Appule to double over in pain and cough up purple blood.
"There's just no getting through to you people is there," said Tien before delivering a roundhouse kick to the alien's temple. The powerful kick sent the purple man flying across sky and over the green lake. Tien quickly phased out of sight and then reappeared above his opponent's prone form before hammering an overhead two handed blow to the alien's head. He could feel Appule's skull cave in from the force of the attack and he was sent plummeting into the lake where his lifeless body sunk to bottom of the lake's watery depths.
Tien let the Kaio-ken dissipated around him as he watched the water return to its calm, almost glass like, state after his enemy plunge. Expanding his senses to find where the saiyan and Zarbon had flown off to. His eyes widen in surprise when he sensed that one of the energies was dropping rapidly, while the other ki was more powerful than either Vegeta or Zarbon where before their battle. The energy felt strange, it was similar to how Vegeta's ki felt after he transformed into the Oozaru, primal and full of rage. However, Tien knew Vegeta couldn't have become that giant ape because the energy was too weak and the artificial moon was not present in the sky.
After pinpointing the location of the powerful energies, Tien blasted off through the sky towards their location. It only took him a few moments to reach the other side of the lake where the two warriors had been battling and the site that Tien beheld was shocking to say the least. In the middle of the battlefield was a giant crater where, at the bottom, lay the battered and broken body of the saiyan prince. His armor was broken and cracked and his body was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns and Tien could tell that the saiyan was flirting with unconsciousness.
Tien's eyes scanned for the teal alien, and he found him as he descended to the edge of the crater that Vegeta lay in. At least, Tien thought it was the teal warrior. The beast that stood at the crater had the same skin color, the same hair, and wore the same clothes as Zarbon only he was different. His teal skin, which was once smooth and elegant, now seemed to be made of rough scales and his noble face now looked like a hideous monster's. Every muscle on the alien had been bulked, making the man wider and more animalistic looking.
"So Earthling you decided to join us!" exclaimed the monster. "What do you think of my transformation!? Does it terrify you? Repulse you?"
"I thought you were hiding something," said Tien as he to descended to the ground. "So this is your true power Zarbon."
"Yes, and as you can see it made short work of Vegeta," said Zarbon. "I do detest having to use this form, but it does invigorate one to be so brutal and ferocious. I'm afraid though that now that you've seen my monstrous form, I can't let you live. No one is allowed to live after seeing my beauty marred in such a grueling way."
"I don't have time to play around with you," said Tien impatiently. "I have more important things to attend to, so I'll deal with you quickly."
"Ha-ha" laughed Zarbon. "Vegeta has already told me that he is superior to you in every way. How do you hope to defeat me after seeing how badly I've beaten him?"
"Kaio-kenx4!" shouted Tien as the crimson aura erupted around him, creating a powerful gust of wind as he summoned the power of his signature technique.
"I'll show you," said Tien and lifting one of his hands and gesturing for Zarbon to come towards him. "I'll even let you have one free shot at me, before I finish you off."
"You dare mock me!" screamed the teal monster. "I'll make you regret that and after I kill you I'm going to find your twin and kill him too!"
Zarbon lunged forward, with his left hand drawn back with his huge hand formed into a fist. The teal alien was infuriated as he charged forward and the human warrior simply stood there, unflinching and impassive as Zarbon rushed towards him. With a roar, the changeling thrust his arm forward and put all of his strength his punch and he grinned as he felt his fist connected with the three eyed man's face. His grin turned into an expression of horror though as he realized that his blow hadn't even moved Tien's head a centimeter!
"My turn," said Tien calmly as he raised his arm and karate chopped the teal alien's left arm. His chop hit straight on the monster's elbow, completely shattering the bone. Zarbon stepped back and grabbed his broken arm as he roared in pain. Tien could see the hatred in the man's monstrous eyes as he looked up at the human warrior, who just stared at the alien warrior with the same indifferent expression he had worn throughout their entire fight.
"You're going to pay for that!" screamed Frieza's right hand man as he lunged towards the human warrior. Zarbon attempted a chop aimed at the human's neck but Tien effortlessly caught the warrior's forearm, stopping the monster's attack dead in its track. The three eyed warrior then slowly raised his other hand and placed it on Zarbon's breastplate, where he guessed the alien's heart resided.
"How?" stammered the teal changeling. "How are you so much stronger than before?"
"Well you see that twin of mine that you keep mentioning, was really a clone of mine that possessed half of power the last time we fought," answered Tien. "Now though, you're facing me at full strength and you're not even on the same level as me."
"Mercy!" shouted Zarbon as he looked down and saw that the hand on his chest was beginning to glow.
"Oh so you do know what mercy is," commented Tien bitterly. "You didn't seem to know what it was when you attempted to kill me, twice, and when you were slaughtering those Namekians."
"I swear to you I'll change!" pleaded the teal alien. "We can team up; I can help you fight Frieza!"
"I doubt that," remarked Tien. "The first chance you got you would go crawling back to that demon and stab me in the back. Thanks but no thanks, I think I'd rather just bring justice to all of the people you've murdered right here and right now!"
"No please!" begged Zarbon, but it his words fell on death ears as Tien fired his energy wave. The golden beam pierced through the alien's armor and chest and went out the back and the force of the attack sent Zarbon's body flying back and across the lake. His motionless body skipped a couple of time on the green water before finally sinking below the surface.
The crimson aura that surrounded Tien disappeared as he dispelled the technique before turning and walking into the crater behind him. He could see the stunned and horrified expression on the saiyan prince's face as Tien walked towards his limp body.
"Good you saw," said Tien as he kneeled next to the saiyan warrior.
"How?" sputtered Vegeta, who was barely conscious.
"Because ever since our battle on Earth only one thing has been on my mind and drove me to train harder and harder until it almost broke me," said Tien. "And that one thing, that one thought that drove me to become stronger and stronger was the thought of bringing you to justice and at least partially rectifying my failure."
"Now you lay here, beaten and broken, by an opponent that I beat effortlessly and I'll tell you a secret." Tien leaned down to whisper in the saiyan's ear. "That wasn't even my full fighting power."
"Impossible!" spat out the flame haired saiyan. "There's no way a pathetic Earthling like yourself can be this powerful."
"But I am," retorted Tien. "For stronger than you, the mighty saiyan prince, the self-proclaimed greatest warrior race the galaxy has ever seen. Now you'll die with the knowledge that a 'mere human' has surpassed you in every conceivable way."
"Heh, heh," snickered Vegeta. "You won't kill me, your one of the 'good guys'. You don't have the stomach for it."
"Actually on the contrary," corrected Tien "The only thing that's been keeping my going is the thought of killing you and enacting retribution for my friends, who you and your comrade murdered."
Vegeta's eyes widened as Tien drew back his fist and prepared to strike down the saiyan prince. "Wait, don't kill me I can help you!"
"Humph yeah right," snorted Tien. "How could you possibly help me?"
"I can help you get Frieza's Dragon Balls," claimed the saiyan. "I know that he has four of them right now. I know his ship, I know how to get in and out of there undetected."
"You think I'd trust you!" screamed Tien. "You killed all of my friends and have tried to kill me every chance you get!"
"What do I have to lose!" shouted Vegeta. "I've already rebelled against Frieza; he would just kill me if I tried to rejoin him. Besides what do you have to lose, you can always kill me later if you wish."
Tien's entire body shook as he stared down into the bloody and bruised face of the saiyan warrior. This was the man that was responsible for the death of his best friend and comrades. He loathed the saiyan prince! He was the personification of his failure to protect his friend's from the saiyans and now he was seriously considering letting this murderer live! He had spent the last month in space dreaming of the day when he would deliver justice to the arrogant saiyan prince and now he was going to let him live! But he had also sworn that he would do anything in order to revive his fallen comrades. Which part of Tien's redemption was more important, bringing justice to his friends' murderer or rectifying his mistake? His dilemma was infuriating, Tien's rage boiled to the surface and his frustration began to get the better of him. He gnashed his teeth together and drew back his fist.
"AAAHHHH!" screamed Tien as he punched down with everything he had.
Thanks for reading guys. I hope that the "limits" concept I talked about with King Kai and Piccolo makes sense because it's how I'll be justifying a lot of power level increases of lack of increase. I think this is why humans eventually could not compete with the saiyans anymore, because they hit their limit and couldn't get any stronger while the saiyans just kept getting stronger and stronger. If you have any questions about them, just ask and I'll be happy to answer them.
Piccolo (with weighted clothes): 35,000
Piccolo: 40,000
Upa: 26,000
Yamcha: 25,500
Krillin: 25,000
Chiaotzu: 15,000
Tien: 12,000
Tien (Multi-Form with Kaio-ken): 8,000 Time Limit=10 minutes
Tien (Kaio-ken): 24,000 Time Limit=None
Tien (Kaio-kenx4): 48,000 Time Limit=None
Frieza's soldiers: 2,000-5,000
Appule: 10,000
Vegeta: 24,000
Zarbon: 23,000
Zarbon (Monster Form): 30,000
Okay, before you start screaming about how everyone on King Kai's planet is way too high hear me out. In the actual show, they get to King Kai's on the day or maybe even a day after Goku leaves Earth. By the time Goku is fighting Frieza, and the Ginyu Force is brought to King Kai's planet, Yamcha and Tien are strong enough to beat the Ginyu Force's stronger members. That was with less than a week's time on King Kai's planet, and they've already been on King Kai's planet for a week in this story so actually they're progressing slower than they did in the actual anime/manga. I tried to explain why they've been able to progress so much in such a short time in the chapter and that's just how DBZ is sometimes, though I did try to explain why instead of just saying because I say so. So there's my defense and if you have any questions just leave them in a review. Until next time.