Ginyu watches Goku's limp form fall without any attempt to slow. It appears to lack bones as it bends in unnatural ways. He senses Goku's life force flicker away.
"So all that terrifying power does come with a cost," he says.
His own mutilated Namekian body crawls with pain. The scabbed flesh below his waist barely holds back his vital organs. A nagging sensation to restore his legs itches his mind.
Another energy source tips off his senses. He follows it to find Vegeta and Dende. He observes the healing process.
"So that's how they managed to recover after their battles with Zarbon and Dodoria."
He raises a hand and fires a ki bolt. Vegeta swats it aside before Dende even realizes he is in danger. He smiles at Ginyu.
He's back to full strength already, thinks Ginyu. Dende appears to be exhausted, which is good. But my power has diminished to a third after dealing with Goku's last attack. Vegeta may be difficult to handle as he seems stronger than before. Still, as long as I manage my energy, I should be able to deal with him and the stragglers.
Gohan ignores everything as he races to catch Goku. Krillin meets up with him as they grab him from the air. Goku screams at the touch, startling them both. They try to be as gentle as they can, but even the slightest contact infuses Goku with horrible pain.
They get him to the ground and lay him as gently as possible. He passes out without a word.
"I know your dad's in bad shape," says Krillin, "but we need to focus on finishing this battle first."
Gohan nods. Tears shake from his eyes. He pumps out the last of his power and takes flight. Krillin follows with a glance back to Goku. He almost runs into Gohan who has stopped. He looks to see why.
Ginyu takes slow, deep breaths as Vegeta rises to challenge him. Blood trickles from his wounds and burns discolor his skin. Vegeta grins.
"I see you've regained your usual vigor, Vegeta," says Ginyu. Phantom signals from his nonexistent legs continue to pester his brain.
"That's right, the Saiyan Prince has returned. And after I defeat you, Freeza's next."
"I've always admired your confidence, Vegeta. But sometimes it borders on arrogance. You wouldn't stand a chance against me at full power, and you certainly couldn't defeat Lord Freeza."
"I'm well aware of the difference in our power. But once I get my wish, even Freeza won't be able to stop me."
"You won't get the chance."
"We'll see."
They each sway their arms to prepare their stances.
They vanish before Krillin and Gohan's eyes. They try to follow the action.
"Wow," says Krillin, "they're moving almost as fast as Goku fighting at max Kaioken."
Ginyu and Vegeta block and dodge each other's strikes before locking hands. Ginyu digs his nails into the back of Vegeta's knuckles hoping for even the tiniest margin of advantage. They pump out their strength to overtake one another. Their auras spark as the friction between their rising currents heats up.
Ginyu concentrates an excess amount of ki to his arms. Vegeta responds with a kick that drives his shin into Ginyu's obvious weak spot.
Ginyu seethes as pain explodes up his spine. He breaks the lock and retreats. Vegeta purses to keep up the pressure.
Not having legs is too much of a disadvantage even if I have a higher power level. But I think I've finally figured out what this body is trying to tell me.
They engage in another bout that results in Ginyu grabbing both of Vegeta's wrists. He channels ki to his arms again. The muscles tighten and sculpt. He twists his forearms sideways to open up Vegeta's stance. More of his energy descends to the base of his torso. Instead of fighting it like before, he lets his body act on instinct.
A gut wrenching feeling churns his stomach. The feeling of two spikes being driven from shoulders to hips consumes his body. Two new legs sprout from his abdomen. He kicks one of them at Vegeta's exposed chin.
Vegeta smiles and raises a knee to deflect the surprise attack.
"I've already seen that trick before," says Vegeta.
He breaks Ginyu's hold and inflicts a barrage of strikes.
Ginyu takes several before he can retreat for a slight reprieve. His body feels drained and his power level dwindles.
This isn't good, thinks Ginyu. I may have my legs back, but I didn't realize this body's regeneration ability would use so much stamina. I'm probably about even with Vegeta now. Since he has a fresher body than me, my injuries are going to wear me down sooner. I think a little chaos is in order.
Ginyu belts out a boisterous laugh.
"I told you Vegeta, you can't win. And those fools are too tired to help you."
He points at Krillin, Gohan, and Nail.
"None of you ever stood a chance. Especially that worthless trash lying over there."
He senses anger spike in Gohan.
"That's my dad, and he's not trash."
Gohan bursts towards Ginyu who retains a smile.
"Gohan wait!" says Krillin, flying after him.
"And tell me Nail, how does it feel being trapped in that body forever?"
Nail roars and joins the fray.
Vegeta rushes Ginyu first, but Ginyu dips low and expels a forceful gust of ki. The gale pushes Vegeta away in a tailspin.
Gohan, Krillin, and Nail meet him for another bout. They work together to keep their target on the defensive.
Ginyu ducks and weaves every attack until he catches sight of Vegeta descending in a furious aura. He breaks from his current attackers and fires a few blasts to ward off their pursuit.
Vegeta divebombs him, but he rolls aside to avoid it. They exchange a few strikes until Ginyu is able to grapple Vegeta's arm. Ginyu spins to hurl Vegeta away again. He readies himself for the other three who have caught up.
Why is he only knocking Vegeta away when he has a chance to deal some damage? thinks Gohan as he attacks with the others. He'll use up all his energy wearing us down and won't have enough to fight Vegeta. Unless…
Ginyu lands a hooking punch against Nail's jaw and kicks Krillin in the side of his abdomen. They both crumple aside.
Gohan drifts back to dodge the same fate. He catches sight of Medamatcha's clone watching with fearful anticipation behind a big rock.
That must be it, thinks Gohan. I have to stop him.
Vegeta races across the sky angrier than before. Ginyu laughs as he takes flight himself.
"Come on Prince," says Ginyu, "I'm starting to think all that bluster of yours won't amount to anything."
Vegeta growls and increases his speed. They clash again. Their exchange is even.
"Come on Prince," says Ginyu, "hit me! Show me that great power of yours."
Vegeta roars and increases the sharpness and hardness of his attacks.
Ginyu smirks and lowers his arms to expose himself.
Vegeta immediately hits Ginyu with an uppercut. The force flips Ginyu as he flies back.
Ginyu gains control of himself with another flip. He flies backward to keep Vegeta in his sights while retreating.
"Is that all of it?" he says. "You'll never beat me like that."
Vegeta yells and his aura explodes. He rockets towards Ginyu.
Ginyu smiles as he manipulates his ki.
Don't worry, Vegeta, he thinks. I'll take good care of your Saiyan legacy.
An amber energy rises from him.
"Bodi Chenji!" says Ginyu with Vegeta locked in his sights. Vegeta charges at him full tilt.
Ginyu's mouth opens. A horrifying light wells in the back of his throat. Vegeta halts at the ghastly sight. The beam fires. Its eerie luminescence bathes the battlefield.
Krillin appears behind Ginyu and smashes the top of his head with the bottom of both hands clamped together.
Gohan tackles Vegeta out of the way of the redirected beam.
Nail flies up to get in its new path. The ethereal energy strikes him and envelopes him in its ghostly glow. The queasy sensation of his spirit rising fast out of his body takes hold. He passes through the sky along the path of the beam. He looks back at the body he leaves before looking ahead to his own.
Another spirit passes by in the opposite direction. His original body breathes him in. His physical senses return as the blurry visions and muffled deafness of the strange form fade away.
He looks at hands he recognizes. They explore the rest of his body and find it to be just as familiar.
"Is that you Nail?" says Krillin.
Nail smiles. "It is. Those were some quick moves out there. Thank you."
"You should thank Gohan. It was his idea. Moving fast was the easy part."
Vegeta pushes the clinging Gohan off his arm.
"What's going on?" he says. "Why did you interfere?"
"Because if I hadn't, you'd be stuck in Nail's body now, and Ginyu would have yours."
"Is that right? So Ginyu is in his original body again."
Gohan nods.
"I see. That sure explains a lot about him. Now I know what to watch out for. Don't interfere again."
Gohan watches Vegeta float down to their opponent.
Ginyu grimaces from the pain rending his body apart. The old wounds from his battle with Nail gnaw at his stamina.
"Vegeta," he says, "I know you think Lord Freeza considers you a traitor."
Vegeta smirks. Ginyu continues.
"But if you bring him the Dragon Ball, I know he will welcome you back without any reparations."
Vegeta tightens his fists.
Nail appears between them, throwing a fist. His knuckles crush Ginyu's nose. He feels Ginyu's cheekbones fracture under the pressure. Purple blood splatters everywhere. Ginyu cups his face with his hands.
"That was for Dorodabo!"
Nail drives a sharp knee into Ginyu's stomach. The armor splinters as the ribs beneath bow in against the organs. Bile and acid force up Ginyu's throat and vomit out. One of his arms wraps around his gut as he bends over.
"And that was for Angira!"
Nail clasps his hands and smashes Ginyu between the shoulder blades. The spine bends around his hands before Ginyu hurtles downward.
"That was for Medamatcha! And this is for Zeeun and the rest of their people you bastard!"
Ginyu craters the ground with his stomach. He rolls himself over to see golden and white lightning crackling between Nails hands. It grows in intensity with powerful bolts reaching far beyond his body.
Nail takes aim.
Ginyu looks right across the grass and finds nothing.
"Raigekikosappo!"
Nail releases the devastating attack.
Ginyu looks left. On the shore of the island hops a frog with antennae and a short tail. He makes eye contact with it and opens his mouth.
The great mass of energy consumes most of the island. The pillar of light pushes to the seafloor before fading. Nail is left gasping for air while watching a great hole fill with water.
"I didn't think you had that much strength left," says Vegeta. "You must have been real pissed off at him."
"He got what he deserved."
"I'm sure he did. And thank you for being the one to use all your energy to finish him off."
Nail's eyes dart to Vegeta as an unsettling feeling creeps in. He catches sight of a grin before a fist knocks him unconscious. He plummets to the ground and lands on a shore across the way from the decimated island.
In the waters beside him, a frog swims for its life against the currents of the water rushing to find equilibrium.
"Vegeta!" says Bulma. "What are you doing?"
Raditz sets Goku's body near Dende and looks up at Vegeta who descends to the group.
"Kakarot and that Namekian were the only ones who could challenge me. With them out of the way. You all will be following my orders now."
He points at Dende.
"You! Heal Raditz immediately."
"What if I don't?"
"Then I'll start killing your friends. Starting with this one."
He faces one of his palms at Gohan. Too tired to resist, Gohan looks at Krillin for help.
"Do as he says Dende," says Krillin.
"But Krillin!" says Gohan.
"We don't have a choice." He hangs his head.
"And you," says Vegeta to Bulma. "Bring me the Dragon Ball."
"No way. I saved your life. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
For a split second, Vegeta's face softens before contorting with malice. Energy expands in his palm. Its light shines over Gohan.
"Bring it now!"
Bulma frowns but does as instructed and walks to retrieve the Dragon Ball. Dende begins healing Raditz.
Bulma glares at Vegeta as she takes deliberate steps towards him. She offers the Dragon Ball. He takes it with both hands. His eyes marvel at his own reflection in the glass.
Raditz stands from his kneeling position when he feels his body has returned to full health. Dende heaves for air.
"Alright Raditz. We're out of here!"
A white aura bursts from Vegeta. He pins the Dragon ball between his waist and left arm. His right arm scoops Bulma over his shoulder as he blasts off. She screams.
"Bulma!" says Gohan.
Krillin sends Raditz a dirty look.
Raditz dodges the stare by looking at his feet and lifting from the ground.
Krillin runs after them. He slows knowing he cannot keep up.
"We'll rescue you Bulma," he says. "I promise!"
He watches the Saiyans fly away. He drops to his knees and punches the ground as Bulma is lost for a second time.
"Krillin, why did you give them what they wanted?"
Gohan grabs one of his arms, but Krillin shoves him away. Gohan falls on his butt and starts to cry.
Krillin's anger deflates.
"I'm sorry Gohan. There was no way we could beat Vegeta. I thought he would just take the Dragon Ball and go. I didn't think he'd take Bulma hostage.
"And Vegeta can't hide his power level. If we tried to work with him, it would just put a target on Freeza's scouters and bring him straight to us. I know we could lose our wish now, but I didn't know what else to do."
"I think you did the right thing, Krillin," says Dende. "We can regroup with Lord Guru. If he can heal Nail and Goku, then we have a better chance."
"That's what I was thinking," says Krillin. "But Freeza might make his wish by then."
"I don't think so," says Dende. "The wish has to be made in the Namekian language, and it requires a password. Freeza doesn't have either of those as far as I know."
"Wow! Really?" says Gohan. "That's great news."
"It is," says Krillin, "but we have to act fast."
He jogs to Bulma's stuff and searches for a medical kit. Inside it are a few Capsules. He throws one. A large chest full of supplies reveals itself. He pulls from it a collapsible stretcher and a compression blanket. After wrapping a mangled Goku in the blanket, they set him on the stretcher.
Nail stirs by the time they are done. He seems capable of flight but remains silent.
"Now which life force is Guru's?" says Krillin.
"I know," says Dende. "That way."
Krillin and Gohan pick up each end of the stretcher. They all fly in the direction pointed.
###
A soldier enters Lord Freeza's chamber where his master eats at an ornate table. Freeza uses a fork and knife to dissect a delicate steak. He brings the bite to his lips with a graceful gesture. His teeth snatch it from the tines of the fork. He chews with methodical precision before swallowing.
"Lord Freeza, only one large power level has emerged from the battle. And it's not returning to our location."
Freeza sips wine from a goblet before speaking.
"Captain Ginyu must have been defeated by the rest of those rats and now Vegeta has my Dragon Ball. I guess I'll have to retrieve this one myself."
He smiles with malicious glee.
"Well Vegeta, it seems our fun is finally at an end."
He holds up the goblet as a toast before sipping again.
Author's Note 06/24/23: With Freeza's most powerful warriors finally vanquished, the Emperor himself prepares to meet our heroes on the battlefield. But how will they defeat such a supremely powerful foe when they barely survived his underlings? Tune in next time as this saga reaches its final arc and decides the fate of the universe.