Dragon Ball - The Heart of Adveturers

By LastationLover5000, Demod20, and Firegod00

Chapter 24 - A Dramatic Transformation!

Kuririn didn't like this.

Even though it was only for a short time, being stuck with Goku's would-be betrothed wasn't a feeling he wished he'd feel. Was it unease, tension, or fear? Maybe it was all three. But still, of those that were gathered, they were the most likely to at least keep a cooler head than most and not run at the first sign of conflict. Jaco was too cowardly and Pan was too impulsive. Bulma and Tights were just normal humans so they had no feasible way of defending themselves so, for the moment, the two had to advance to this Grand Elder's home.

Thankfully, they kept a moderate pace with the bald-headed ex-monk holding onto their guide, the young Nameccian. Dende instructed to follow a direction that he couldn't understand without pointing. Even Chi-Chi was confused as the layout seemed both mundane and redundant. Lakes upon lakes, trees after more trees, everything seemed to indicate a repeated pattern that wasn't even natural. According to the child, this was because of a drought that happened centuries ago, one that nearly wiped out all of their people. The rehabilitation of their world has been a slow process and certain measures were taken to restore the ecosystem along with the flora and fauna of the planet.

"So, this Grand Elder is a pretty insightful guy, right?" Kuririn inquired with a more upbeat tone, curious if the older Nameccian was anything like God from Earth.

"Yes. He's the oldest and wisest of our race. It's said all Nameccians of our planet are stemmed from him, including my father and brother. He is our living ancestor," Dende replied, reverent in respect but also dramatic enough in a way someone his age would repute. "He has powers none of us could hope to possess. It's because of him that we have the Dragon Balls, and only he knows its secrets."

"I was meaning to ask," Chi-Chi intervened, flying with her hands at her sides, but now one raised up to point a digit upwards with her eyes blinking curiously at the green kid in Kuririn's arms. "If he's as amazing as you say, why hasn't he shown himself until now? Isn't he like a really formidable person?"

"He's very old," The little green boy replied, sadness tinging his voice as a reflection of their dire situation. "If this tragedy happened hundreds of years ago, when we were many, perhaps we wouldn't need help. However, our numbers are few and we have even less of the Warrior Clan than any point in our history. The hour is truly dim for us to need outsiders to help ensure our survival."

"Geez," Kuririn winced at hearing this. "Guess we came just in time, huh?"

"A worst time, if you ask me."

"It's not their fault they were attacked," The dwarf countered the mountain princess with a leery glare.

"Well, it kind of is," She replied bluntly, gesturing a hand as they continued flying. "It's likely that Freeza isn't the first person that came looking for the Dragon Balls on their homeworld. Just think, how many travelers or treasure hunters there's been since that point that could locate their planet? The legend of the Dragon Balls didn't just mysteriously emerge from nowhere, right?"

"It's not their fault for being nice-!"

"No, she is correct," Dende corrected Kuririn, a stony expression crossing the child that was more befitted someone decades older. "We should have not permitted such open use of offworlders using our sacred relics. Had we not done so, then we might not have been targets by this Freeza and his men."

"Space travel makes that kind of feel inevitable, though, that someone would find you," Kuririn tried to argue, smiling with an attempt to reassure the boy. "You don't know what a person's intentions are, and even if you didn't want to be found, someone could still find you out from a distance like we did."

"It doesn't matter," He spoke morosely, his eyes now staring ahead as if recognizing something of significance. "We're here.

Once Chi-Chi and Kuririn looked in the direction the Nameccian child did, they'd be amazed. A tall tower of stone erected atop of a large island was seen, as if meticulously crafted so it would be as sturdy as it was formidable, even if by a primitive standard. Swooping downward toward its precipice they'd see a rounded structure with a pair of jutting horns pointing outwards at an angle with a few pieces of viewing glass not to dissimilar from Piccolo's ship. Surrounding it was a dozen or so meters worth in front and along its sides of fertile grass, with a few trees planted on either side of the structure's -for lack of a better term- 'lawn'.

"This place looks impressive," Kuririn marveled with an agape expression and blinking eyes. "It's not to different from our old Nameccian's sanctuary."

"You had one of your own?" Dende inquired with a look of surprise on his own face.

"We did, but he passed on. Hence why we're here."

"That doesn't bode well," The Nameccian child stated in a melancholic tone.

Deciding now wasn't the time to discuss what was lost, the two exchanged glances and dropped to the earth. Setting Dende down, Kuririn still felt this was a pretty large place for one person to preside in. Chi-Chi was just wondering what the ominous ki was being felt on the inside; this feeling was distanced the moment a tall Nameccian emerged from the sole opening of the stone-like structure with a white fabric collar resting over the shoulders of a dark sleeveless tunic top and typical baggy white pants.

His ki, from what Chi-Chi could tell, was quite significant and even more so than the combined Nameccian that fought the Freeza Force soldiers.

"You, offworlders, are trespassing on sacred ground!" The Nameccian snarled, his voice tinged with anger and his eyes glaring. Despite opening with Basic, it was clear that he only did so to be coherent in his intimidation. "State your business or be gone!"

However, Dende rushed forward and waved his hands insistently at the taller Nameccian, speaking in his tongue. Once before, Chi-Chi and Kuririn had heard this spoken when God and Piccolo squared off in the ring of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. But, just like before, it sounded like high pitched gibberish and syllables that didn't even translate into something comprehensive.

But to their relief, the expression of the taller Nameccian softened, and he returned his sight solemnly towards the pair.

"I apologize," He began, bowing his head and placing his hands to his sides. "My name is Nail, and I am the Grand Elder's guard. Since the other offworlders, the young one calls Freeza and his men, have come I have only sensed death and despair wreak havoc on our world. It wears heavily on the Grand Elder's heart and it fills me with fury that my duty prohibits me from taking action. Seeing that you arrived, it is now up to him to judge whether we can assist you or not."

"W-We understand," Kuririn bowed in response, placing one hand into an enclosed fist. Chi-Chi followed suit, having been familiar with showing respect from her own prospective training. "We'll try not to take too long."

Gesturing for them to enter, the taller Nameccian allowed the three entrance into the dimly lit interior of the large, bulbous structure. From within, they saw it bore little in terms of affects, with a few things akin to furnishings left to the far dark corners. But seated within was a massive figure, draped in a thick white robe that covered his feet and beheld a thick girth around his midsection. Large emerald-scarlet arms lie inert on the throne's armrests, a saggy round visage worn by age and conflict had its eyes closed with arching antennae weighing forward while the telltale pointed ears angled outward.

Kuririn could barely keep his composure at the sheer size of the Grand Elder. He backed up and looked at his massive stature. Had it not been told to him previously how ancient and inept he was physically he believed that this being could easily swallow him whole on a whim. But, when his eyes squinted partially open, he saw not the cagey glare of God nor the cynicism of Piccolo. No, in his faintly seen black eyes he saw nothing but pain and a gentle heart, one that was being crushed by the cruel actions taking place on this planet.

"Greetings...travelers," The Grand Elder wheezed out, his voice sounding deep but raspy. "I have sensed your...arrival...among the host of evil that came for my children. Tell me...for what purpose have you come...to visit an old Nameccian...such as myself?"

Swallowing hard, Kuririn attempted to appeal to the Grand Elder as much as he could while also getting what they came for.

"Greatest Elder of Namek! I know that your people are under attack by a horrible person by the name of Freeza. He and his men will seek to take the Dragon Balls, that which you call prized possessions, and use it for their ill gotten gains. However, my friends and I, have come only to search for a chance to restore what was taken by people who work for this Freeza. This is our only chance, and without it, we have no other alternative to bring them back into this world of the living."

The Grand Elder slowly closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling. Though he looked as if he were immobile, his right arm twitched and began to rise up. Its mass that surely in his prime could topple a mountain was now just barely able to move at an angle towards a darkness covered pedestal. Upon a red cushion of sorts rested what Kuririn saw was an ember sphere with a crimson star imbued within its center. Taking it into his palm as if it was a snow globe, the Grand Elder turned his hand around and held it down for Kuririn to take into his grip.

Once it was in his possession, the dumbfounded dwarf heard the oldest Nameccian speak, "I know...my people's time...is growing short. We have been marked since...the calamity...so many years ago nearly destroyed our home. But you...I sense of an earnest sort. It is the custom of my people to reward such virtue...with kindness in return. My only request...is to ensure that wicked one...you call Freeza...from gaining his prize. Though he will not know its secrets...it is still not belonging...in such unjust hands."

"I-I will," Kuririn bowed, smiling up at the Grand Elder with less fear and now more respect in his black eyes. "Hey, you're not so bad. At first I didn't know what to think but, you're a cool guy. You remind me a lot of our own Nameccian; though I didn't know him by name..."

"You know...of a child of mine?" The Old Leader inquired, his eyes wincing open as his mouth parted in astonishment. "There shouldn't be another apart from my birthplace. Unless..."

He paused, making Chi-Chi and Kuririn turn to look towards each other before hearing the older Nameccian laugh aloud. It was a croaking bellow, one of joy and pain, that caused him to rasp in a few aching coughs. But between the heaving breaths he took in and out, he returned to normalcy as her leaned his large head a few feet forward with his hands gripping the handles of his chair.

"Tell me...his name. He must have been given...a name before he...was known by another of your kind," He urged between heavy breaths.

"Like I said, I didn't know who he was," Kuririn confessed, shrugging with his hold over the heavy object as big as his torso jingling in his grip. "But, he split in two people a long time ago. The half that we knew as a good person was called God. The other was called Piccolo. He did become a good guy, though, so we hope to bring him back to life as well with the others, which we hope will bring back his other half."

"This sounds like that...forbidden technique...of my clan," The Grand Elder pondered slowly, his eyes closing as he leaned back onto his seat. "But yes, I know that name. It is the son...of an old friend...of mine."

"Really?" Chi-Chi gawked, her own eyes wide as the infamous Piccolo had a father this ancient Nameccian knew. While she never saw the Daimao Piccolo herself, she had seen his reincarnation firsthand and saw how terrifying of an opponent he was to Son Goku. But to think that, he and God were once two halves of the same person who once were a child of someone so long ago. She could only begin to wonder how old God is, or his other rougher, violent half was.

"Yes," The Oldest Nameccian said with a smile. "His name was...Katat. He had sent his child...into a ship...to escape the dreaded calamity...that befell our precious world. I did not know where but he had since...passed on. I alone knew of his selfless action to save...his son. It is good to see that...he lived on for so many years."

"And we intend he keeps on living, once we bring him-er-them back to life!" Kuririn insisted, much to Chi-Chi's visible confusion. "Once we gather the rest of the Dragon Balls we'll bring all of our friends back!"

"Before you go," The Grand Elder halted him, the mad dash Kuririn was about to commence turned into a blinking stare up as his hand raised from the armrest once more. "Allow me to impart...a gift...of my own."

Nail, who had respectfully kept silent and on watch near the entrance, finally emitted a gasp. Chi-Chi looked over in surprise with Kuririn, forgetting he was there he was so quiet. Even the small friend of theirs, Dende, marveled at how diligently still the Grand Elder's guard had been up until now.

"Grand Elder, you don't mean-!"

"Yes, Nail," The Ancient One spoke with a slow nod. "To better ensure...their success...I shall...do what I am...able."

"Do what?" Chi-Chi inquired.

Tilting his head slightly in her direction, as if realizing she was there, caused him to let out a raspy chuckle. Lifting his other hand, he lowered both of his palms in a methodically gentle manner. One craned lower to feel the top of Kuririn's bald scalp while the other tapped the taller woman, the pair feeling a sudden swirl of something mystical radiating from the older Nameccian's pores.

"I sense potential you've yet untapped...power yet unleashed," The Grand Elder spoke, his voice hinting of a curious manner as his eyes closed in spiritual foresight. "I'll awaken what strength buried within...that I am able. Make you more...than you are now."

Both individuals realized this had more significance than even the Dragon Ball they were given. This was a ritual that was probably only handed down to whom the older Nameccian thought worthy. But, with the stakes as they were and their diligence in attempting to bring back a child of his, it seemed the Grandest Elder was seeming determined to do what he could under his own power.

Thus, when it seemed only a few seconds passed, a sudden surge of power was sent throttling from deep inside of their essence. The pair's eyes widened, a silvery light glistening and a halo of ghostly white spawned outward from their bodies. Flowing up and out, like water, they soon felt this power manifest in a radiant pair of flames that ebbed of their own life force.

Observing themselves, they'd see dramatic shift in not just the strength of their ki, but the quality of it as well. As if every nodule within their bodies had been opened up at once, but in a way that felt wholly natural, the magic that was blessed upon them felt completely stunning. With both of them exchanging a pair of smiles, they turned to look up at the Grand Elder's face as the glow of their aura began to peter off into nonexistence.

"I hope...you find that of use to you," The Ancient Leader of the Nameccians rasped out, coughing a bit as he returned his hands back to the handles of his throne. "I would...send Nail with you...to assist. However...it is his duty to...safeguard me. So, please, do take care."

"We will," Kuririn nodded ecstatically, turning to look back at Chi-Chi who also looked jubilant at the gift that was given to her. "Come on! Let's head back and tell the others!"

"Right!" Chi-Chi shouted, feeling completely empowered as of this moment.

Before they left completely, Kuririn turned towards Dende and inquired with a smile, "Hey, will you be alright if we leave you here, little guy?"

"Yes! Yes I will be!" Dende exclaimed, looking far more excited after witnessing such a rare ritual in his young life take place. Placing his hands up, he gestured towards the exit that Nail was stepping inside and away from so they may depart. "You have to go! You don't have much time, remember?"

"Okay!" Kuririn exclaimed with glee. Bowing one more time to the Grand Elder he took off and leaped into the air, igniting his pale snow ki with Chi-Chi's own transparent white aura blasting off, allowing the pair to zoom up into the sky and leave the Grand Elder with Dende behind.

Things were looking up for them, for a change!

Namek, Elsewhere

The trio of Saiyans had opted to take a break in one of Namek's more convenient rocky island outposts — not to say it was devoid of these, being where the total of ocean water surpassed that of Earth — yet Vegeta had still managed to pinpoint one of the most out-of-the-way islands for his group to descend upon. Being Saiyans as they were, the group required some sort of a meal to get through the rest of the day, or their alliance, already tense due to Aspara, might worsen.

Concealing themselves behind a particularly tall plateau, within the shadows of a crevice, the group were gorging themselves on truly gargantuan fish. Courtesies of Nameccian waters, most likely, but the fish were easily the size of Vegeta; not much to speak of for the Prince, but certainly to the size of the animals.

Ripping out a decently sized chunk of flesh — cooked only partially, as none of the Saiyans felt like alerting Freeza's men to their position by the sight of smoke or the smell of fully cooked fish — with her teeth, Aspara managed to eat it with surprising elegance, savouring the taste. Nappa, with unsurprisingly less elegance, wolfed down a large portion of his meal. "For a mudball like this one, the fish ain't half bad! Thought I'm starting to get a bit irritated, not knowing how much time is passing!"

True to his statement, they'd noticed that the three suns in the sky had made no passing over the horizon, at least not in the traditional sense. While Namek orbiting a set of trinary starts should typically mean disaster, it did not seem to have the effects on this world that would normally be predicted. Vegeta had suspected the Nameccian's Dragon Balls were involved. Having already picked the bones of a fish clean, the Prince of Saiyans started on another. After swallowing a mouthful of food himself, he replied. "It's something you'll just have to adjust to, Nappa. I won't tolerate using the planet's lack of a night cycle for a poor performance."

"O-Of course!" Nappa nearly choked on his meal in response to Vegeta's statement. "It's just...the lack of the moon is a bit off-putting, ain't it?"

"Just because Saiyans are more adept as nighttime combatants doesn't mean you need to be a coward, Nappa," snapped Aspara waspishly. "If you can't handle a little prolonged sunlight, I'll take your share of the kills."

"Like hell you will!" replied Nappa. "I've dealt with worse than this!"

Pipipipipipipipi! The obnoxious sound of a Scouter's beeping caught the attention of all three of the Saiyans. Vegeta's Scouter was going off, detecting a sudden surge of ki in one of the further reaches of the Nameccian homeworld. The Prince's eyes narrowed; the combat strength readings were too low to be any of Freeza's stronger soldiers, so this ruled Zarbon out within seconds. Vegeta's curiousity wasn't abating, even with this knowledge, and he stood up; the half-eaten fish slumped to the ground lifelessly.

"Your Scouter picking up something, Vegeta?" inquired Nappa.

"Two strange readings off in the far distance," replied the Prince. "They're probably nothing, but we can't afford to ignore it. We're going to go check them out."

As the other two began to follow the order, begrudgingly or otherwise, the same beeping filled the air. Aspara's Scouter this time was going haywire; the reading was no stranger. It read close in the realm of what the group remembered Zarbon's combat strength to be. Freeza's pet lackey was flying full pelt in their direction. Vegeta's senses kicked into overdrive in response; his newfound ability to sense ki, which his compatriots currently lacked, confirmed this truth.

"Nappa! Toss the ball into the lake, now!"

Without hesitation, Nappa lobbed the sphere into the water; it sloshed beneath the reflective surface loudly. His superior looked toward the sky in time to see the familiar figure of Zarbon descending wildly towards their hideout. He landed on the soft-grass, balancing his weight onto a single foot, following by placing both firmly on the ground. His run-in with Tullece and his subsequent search for the Saiyans had not complimented his beauty; veins pulsed in the man's temples, and his otherwise immaculate hair was disheveled and bushy. Aspara noted that Coll, even at his worst, had been better groomed than Zarbon appeared to be now.

"Vegeta...!" If it was possible to spew acid whilst speaking a name, Zarbon would have managed it. The man enunciated every syllable of Vegeta's name as if he'd only just learned to speak the language, yet it dripped with so much hate that it managed to come off as threatening. "For a little upstart runt like you to cause me this much trouble...you have no idea how furious Lord Freeza is with you. When he gets his hands on you after the stunts you've pulled, you'll wish you'd never been born!"

"Looks like your precious Lord is finally taking notice of the Saiyans," Vegeta felt righteous indignation rise up within him, quelling it with a condescending smile. Placing a gloved finger to his chin, he snickered. "I'd never thought I'd see you with your hair quite so ruffled, Zarbon. Did Freeza send you out here on pain of death? You don't need to worry about that; you won't be making it back to Freeza, though I daresay you'll find your company with Dodoria!"

"So you did kill Dodoria," hissed Zarbon. This wasn't welcome news; Vegeta had only ever been able to put up a fight against Cui in the past, and it had been thought impossible that he could ever be a match for the likes of Dodoria. "Even if you brought a Dragon Ball directly to Lord Freeza now, nothing will spare you his wrath, Vegeta!"

"By the time I come face to face with Freeza, his 'wrath' won't mean a damned thing, Zarbon!" shot back the Prince. Folding his arms across his torso, Vegeta addressed his subordinates directly. "Nappa. Aspara. Wipe him off the face of the planet."

Neither of the two Saiyans needed telling twice. Plumes of scarlet and rivulets of amber burst to life around both Saiyans. Clenching their fists, measured shouts escaped their throats; the ki within their centres began to rise up, filling their bodies and causing both combatants to positively brim with power. Under the weight of their ki, the ground began to crack. Vegeta's eye drifted to his Scouter — an old habit he really needed to quash — and saw the numbers plain as day.

Nappa - ³⁵,⁰⁰⁰
Aspara - ³¹,⁰⁰⁰

Vegeta knew from vivid memory that Zarbon's combat strength clocked in at 29,000. Against the duo of them, this battle would be over in record time. Zarbon, who was operating without a Scouter, couldn't sense ki, and thus had no idea of the actual gravity of his situation. Despite this, the shock of their ki rushing forward flooded his body with a sort of adrenaline he'd not experienced in many years. Resisting the retreating reflexive urge, the teal-skinned alien grit his teeth.

He had his orders.

Better hope you can back up your words, otherwise you really will be replaced.
I understand the only thing keep me from wiping the floor of you, is that his door is just a few meters from here.
Killing you within earshot of him isn't going to benefit either of us now will it?

Freeza's orders weren't the only thing motivating Zarbon. Tullece's words thundered through his ears like the steady beat of a war drum. He had his own pride to hold on to, and being humiliated by the likes of that Saiyan had threatened to shatter it. He would not tolerate that again.

Aspara moved first, the madwoman dashing across the relatively small platform of rock that they were calling an island. Zarbon and the Saiyan woman came to blows almost immediately, teal hands rising to grip much smaller fists. Grinning, Zarbon kept his grip tight like a vice, locking Aspara in front of him. "You've already slipped up, woman!" goaded Freeza's right hand. "Not even three seconds and you've allowed me to—"

His jaw slammed shut, teeth crashing against teeth at the moment of Aspara's knee impacting directly into the base of Zarbon's chin. His grip slackened immediately, allowing Aspara to bring the full strength of her slender legs into the side of Zarbon's jaw. He skipped across the ocean like a stone, barely preventing himself from sinking through the use of ki. The man brought himself onto the surface of the water, coughing up liquid.

"You've already slipped up, bastard," Aspara quipped. "You know damn well I can't stand you. I don't need that big oaf or the Prince." A malicious grin slipped over his face. "Beating you into a bloody pulp will be much needed catharsis!"

"You're just like him, woman!" Swirling yellow ki conjured itself around Zarbon's palm. The man thrust his hand forward, releasing a vibrant shot of ki towards Aspara.

"I don't have the slightest idea who you mean," Aspara coldly replied. Her beautiful form graced the water, propelled herself across its surface through sheer ki control. The water in her wake snaked behind her, disrupting it roughly. It was a mixture of elegant and inelegant wrapped into one, Aspara moving with the grace of a skater complimented by the ferocity of a viper. Zarbon's shot missed the woman by a hair's breadth, ruffling her ebony locks but causing otherwise no harm to her body. The man pushed himself up from the water and into the air, forcing Aspara to pursue. Through a series of complex motions, the ki sphere ruptured behind her; Aspara could hear the explosion, turning just in time to see a barrage of bullets rushing upwards.

The bastard is guiding a split bullet! Aspara rose her defences in time to hear the sound of demented laughter; a deep, booming affair that could only belong to one idiot. The flash of yellow akin to large-bodied lightning was all that Aspara could see until Nappa slammed bodily into Zarbon, his biceps crashing into the man's neck with extreme prejudice. Zarbon could feel it; this blow was backed by strength eclipsing the violent woman by far, and it racked him entirely with pain.

"You takin' your eyes off of me was another mistake, Zarbon!" sneered Nappa. "You and Freeza's men have underestimated us Saiyans for way too long! But you won't be doing that for too much longer!"

Zarbon's face worked in frustration. One of these monkeys was difficult enough. Two of them made reaching a natural death look like a fleeting dream. The faces of Freeza and Tullece swam at the fore of his mind, reigniting his two conflicting motivations. He wasn't allowed to die. "Keep up the big talk, apes," Zarbon spat. "Being let off your leashes has caused you to forget your place in Lord Freeza's army!" The alien's own ki began to flare, Zarbon pooling it into each individual palm, raising one hand above his head, and another below his torso, a pose befitting a dancer.

"Let me remind you!" Shrieking, Zarbon released both spheres in the form of a spiraling beam, combining what would have been two individual attacks into a single blow. Nappa braced himself, gripping the kikōha single-handedly. Flexing his muscles, the bald Saiyan threw the blast aside casually. Zarbon's shocked pause would prove costly, giving Aspara an opening to barrel across the ocean with a crushing gut punch. The air was forced out of Zarbon's lungs, winding him, and Aspara lacked the decency to stop. Gripping both hands, Aspara knocked Zarbon into the chilled waters of Namek with a bone-rattling sledgehammer.

The strength packed behind that tiny woman's blow was tremendous; even when Zarbon broke the surface, he felt himself descending rapidly into the depths of the murky sea. Attempting to recover himself, the man began to swim against the drag of the ocean. He needed to breach, regain his air, and murder those two. His valiant efforts were disrupted by what felt like a sledgehammer under the water. Something swam past him not once, but several times, colliding with the teal-skinned man and impeding his progress to the top. Eventually, he broke free, desperately swimming upward; he didn't stop, even when he felt rich air fill his lungs, propelling himself higher...

...only to be blindsided by Aspara, who gripped Zarbon's ankles tightly. Spiraling through the air in mid-air somersaults, she released the man mid-flip. He rocketed through the air, crashing into the nearest plateau, jutting up from the island they'd called their hiding spot. Refusing to give Zarbon a moment's peace, Nappa pulled his hand backwards; ki sparkled and crackled to life like a roaring blaze. The large Saiyan let loose a cannon of crackling lightning; it split the plane of sea beneath him, completely destroying the plateau in which Zarbon found himself indented. Vegeta, who was standing not too far away, let the technique pass by him without so much as a disturbance of his own posture.

Nappa let his hand fall, breathing heavily. Aspara descended next to him, she and her bulky compatriot hovering over the waters.

"We've already taken too much time," Aspara stated. Her fingertips began to glow with ki. "Zarbon can't take us on as we are now. I'd sooner cut him in half than waste my day like this."

A throaty laugh escaped Nappa's throat. "So we agree, eh? Then let's finish him off!"

Emerging from the dust and rubble was Zarbon. His hair was, if anything, even more unkempt, his skin open and bleeding, his combat jacket cracked, and yet his face was disturbingly calm. Zarbon took in a deep breath, running his hand through his hair in a futile attempt to straighten it. Stepping forward, he spread his arms outward, speaking directly to everyone present. "Congratulations, Saiyans! You've signed your death warrants!"

Suicidal stupidity could be said to be a trait of the Saiyans, perhaps inherited by a curse of their evolution, yet regardless, it was a trait inherit in any pure-blood. Aspara let the ki die out from her fingertips, and Nappa looked perplexed. The Saiyan duo floated closer to the island, Aspara jabbing a finger towards Zarbon. "Signed our death warrants? I don't think you've realised anything, being the dumbass you are, but we've been picking you apart this entire time!"

Wiping the blood from his face, Zarbon conceded that this had indeed been the case. "There is something about me that the three of you have been blissfully ignorant about," His shoulders began to tremble in laughter, his face working into a maddened mask of its former calm. "Like you Saiyans, I myself possess a transformation. Nothing as garish as your simian metamorphosis, yet it does blemish my meticulously beautiful appearance." Clenching a fist, fury crossed his countenance. "Yet, if my choice is to become unsightly or to die...well, you can imagine."

At this, Vegeta's attention was finally drawn to the fight in full. Certain species were capable of transformations, this much was true. The Saiyans were a shining example. He'd never heard, however, of Zarbon being capable of a feat, yet he had to realise how little he knew about his former superior's personal history.

"You're not good at bluffing, Zarbon!" cried Nappa, laughing loudly himself. "You're just spouting desperate nonsense, but it won't save you from us!"

"Tell me if you think I'm bluffing after this." Zarbon felt pure power course through himself and the subsequent transformation was instantaneous. Zarbon's body bulked up, gaining substantial amounts of muscle. His skin, formerly smooth, became speckled and warty, yet the most drastic change occurred within his face. His face and brow ridged broadened considerably, his mouth slackening with flab, and his canines becoming more pronounced.

Two sensations hit Vegeta at once. The feeling of an overwhelming spike in one's ki, which was still unfamiliar to him, followed by the beeping of his scouter, bringing numbers to the feeling.

⁴⁵,⁰⁰⁰.

Those were the numbers his Scouter was flashing before his face. Whatever Zarbon's transformation was, it had pushed him beyond Nappa and Aspara. The outcome of this might not be as favourable for those two as he'd originally thought.

Moving with all the finesse of a locomotive, and just as much strength, Zarbon's first blow struck Aspara; intentionally placed, excessively aggressive. Her eyes rolled back in her head without waiting for Zarbon's follow-up blow, which slugged against her torso shortly after. Scarcely conscious, Aspara couldn't defend herself when Zarbon gripped her by the face, squeezing her head tightly. Forcefully, Aspara found herself impacting the ground; inside the crater formed by her own body, she lost consciousness completely.

This all happened within seconds. Nappa hadn't a chance to respond or help Aspara, even if that had been his intention, and soon found himself under pressure from Zarbon himself. Using his enlarged hands, Zarbon weaved ki into an attack that bombarded Nappa from all sides. Running forth, he grabbed Nappa's head much in the same way he'd grabbed Aspara's, and slammed his own forehead into Nappa's. The blow stunned Nappa, causing him to lose his wits; this was the opening Zarbon needed to finish the job, releasing a point blank kikōha. Enveloped in the glow, Nappa collapsed, his form unmoving.

"Are you scared, Vegeta?" inquired Zarbon, turning on the spot to face the Prince of the Saiyans. His voice had gone deep and croaky; it could very well be said that his transformation was that of an extremely violent toad. "This is my true power!"

Vegeta tensed his body, bracing himself for the fight. Nappa and Aspara had been defeated within seconds. The ki he could feel emanating from Zarbon was impressive; the most staggering ki he'd felt outside of the Giant Monkey Transformation. Briefly, the idea of entering that form flashed into his mind, and Vegeta seriously considered it. But the Power Ball drained his ki, and the gargantuan size of the transformation made him an easy target; in that form, Freeza could easily find him, even if he killed Zarbon.

He was all in, in the form he was.

Both combatants assaulted each other simultaneously. Vegeta and Zarbon's fists crossed each other, identical punches crashing into their jawlines. Vegeta slammed his elbow forward, only for it to be parried by Zarbon's thick, warty palm. Following a toothy grin, Zarbon tightened his hold on Vegeta's arm, hurling him into the Nameccian sky. His aura ignited, the frog-like alien rocketing after Vegeta. The latter in question flipped himself over mid-air, straightening both arms downward; ki erupted from his palms, raining downward. With both hands, Zarbon thrust them into the beam itself; it packed surprising power, proving Vegeta was stronger than the alien had believed; with brute strength, he threw the blast into the horizon behind him.

Zarbon continued barreling upward, striking Vegeta in a full bodied tackle. Vegeta, possessing surprising durability, tanked the hit fiercely; he struck back in a multiple hit combo; several violent punches hitting home on Zarbon's body, ending with slamming his boot into the alien's torso. The strength of the blow was lessened when Zarbon halted the progress of the impact by grabbing the Saiyan's leg.

Vegeta was shocked.

Zarbon grinned.

The momentum transition was sudden; Vegeta felt himself moving against his will at breakneck speeds, a scream of air pressure whistling past his ears with a cone of superheated friction forming near his head as Zarbon and he made a rapid descent towards the ground. The feeling of Zarbon's additional weight left his body at the same time that the alien let go, intending for Vegeta to fall to his own death. The Saiyan Prince, however, was by no means helpless; a moment before impact, Vegeta let loose a violent kiai from his body, stopping his descent entirely, but abruptly.

Zarbon's boots rustled the grass, the transformed alien descending entirely to meet Vegeta on the ground.

"I'm surprised, Vegeta! You're putting up a better fight than I would have expected from a Saiyan like yourself!"

"I doubt you're breaking up the battle to simply sing my praises, Zarbon," snapped Vegeta, taking this moment to recover his breath.

"You're right," agreed Zarbon. "I have something to tell you." His grin was maddening, clearly this information wasn't going to come without cost. "You and I seem to be roughly even...but Lord Freeza once confided in myself — and myself alone — that he himself is capable of transforming like I do."

A sensation akin to ice flooded Vegeta's body. This information had come as a sudden jolt, a snap back to reality amidst his desire to get revenge on the cretin that called itself the Emperor of the Universe. Zarbon's throaty laughter confirmed that this was the price of the information he'd given Vegeta; the sheer and utter fear on the face of a man he hated. "Despair, if you'd like, Vegeta! Because if you can only put up this much of a fight against myself, then give up attempting to defy Lord Freeza!"

So the bastard has been hiding even more power... thought Vegeta, frustrated to an immense degree. I shouldn't even be surprised! But...this changes nothing! I will collect the Dragon Balls...and I will become immortal...as an immortal being, Freeza will kneel to me! With this thought as his fuel, Vegeta reigned his despair inwards, transforming it into a burning, raging flame of hatred. This flame manifested itself around his palms; Vegeta let all hell loose in a barrage of ki, regard for his fallen comrades bodies gone to the wind. Zarbon's eyes widened, his line of sight immersed in a mass of white. Each kikōha slammed into his body, unable to completely defend himself from the blitz.

Taking a leaf out of Vegeta's book, Zarbon released a wave of invisible ki from every pore in his body; the kiai disrupted Vegeta's onslaught. This manoeuvre allowed the physical brawl to resume in earnest. The two closing in on each other, Vegeta leapt over Zarbon's straight kick, his foot solidly crashing onto Zarbon's skull. This blow staggered the toad-like man, failing, however, to completely knock him down. His thick arm deflected Vegeta's approaching kick, countering with a vibrant blast of ki.

Vegeta was kicked back by the explosion, yet he refused to allow himself to be overwhelmed. Like Zarbon before him, Vegeta thrust both hands into the rushing wave of ki, splitting it half and diverting the force into the ocean behind him. It was Zarbon's turn to be stunned. Rather than falling into despair, the revelation of Freeza's transformative abilities had only ignited a fire in Vegeta's soul. Dread crept into his body. Never before had him transforming not assured his victory, yet he and Vegeta were nearly equal, and the Saiyan Prince severely motivated to kill. Zarbon felt his own resolve weakening.

"You're not packing as much of a punch, Zarbon!" laughed the Saiyan. "Don't worry, we're nearly at the end of the ride!" His gloved fist slammed itself into Zarbon's gullet at the moment Vegeta retread across the island, having taken Zarbon's fearful moment of hesitation as his opening. "Don't worry — I'm sure Dodoria will have already made room for you in Hell." The torso-implanted fist began to glow violently, only for it to die just as quickly. Vegeta's eyes rolled back into his head, his body slumping to the ground. Behind the Prince of the Saiyans was the revealed form of Tullece, grinning maliciously. His hand, having been used to chop Vegeta in the base of the neck and render him unconscious, made a gesture towards Zarbon — the alien flinching instinctively — and then lowered.
"Relax, Zarbon," Tullece said smoothly, never losing the grin on his face. "We're on the same side."

A/N:

Demod20: Ah yes, the Mighty Gur- -reads notes- oh wait, the Grand Elder. Sorry, I got into this series through TFS, so you can forgive me for not remembering his actual name/title. But I had fun writing in a solemn, ominous character like the Greatest Elder of Namek. It gives a lot of weight to the narrative that the Nameccians are at their weakest point and Freeza's men are exploiting that fact. Had this taken place centuries ago, they'd like have met an impossible task of acquiring the Dragon Balls. Now, however, with Chi-Chi and Kuririn obtaining a power boost it's likely our heroes won't have an impossible mission after all. As for my co-author's section of the Saiyans Three versus Zarbon, I commend him for making their interactions organic and their fighting styles all their own. Even with Vegeta's back against the proverbial wall he fought hard, and almost ended up winning had it not been for our ominous Wild Card, Tullece, butting in. Can't wait to see where this story ends up in the future!

LastationLover5000: Now this was one hell of a chapter. My dear co-author's section with the Greatest Elder was fantastic, and honestly very much a section I'm glad I left to him. I think he captured the weight of a character like that. Chi-Chi and Kuririn's power boost was a fantastically well-written segment, and has given some much needed hope to our heroes. On my end, however, Vegeta, Nappa, and Aspara were having the fight of their life. Zarbon is no pushover, even though we are playing fast and loose with combat strength readings! I hope you all enjoyed the fight, as I brought my best to it, even if I kept it centred on an island. But just before Vegeta could finish the job, who should arrive but Tullece! What exactly is the aim of the man Raditz claims to be his and Kakarrot's uncle? You all will find out as soon as we can write it!