Breaker

Gohan stood patiently, waiting for his potential to be unlocked by Guru.

He had been waiting for plenty of time now, but still, there wasn't any signs of an increase in power. And then, when he was almost beginning to lose his patience, and was getting anxious for the well-being of his friends...

SWOOSH!

Gohan did not know what happened, but he felt as if his whole body had been lit up with energy. His mouth dropped open in shock as a white aura enveloped him.

Guru took a sigh of relief. "Finally," he said.

Dende looked awestruck as he eyed the searing white aura which now enveloped Gohan.

Guru removed his hand from Gohan's head. "I have unlocked only a small portion of hidden strength trapped deeper inside of you. Use it wisely, little one."

Gohan looked at his hands, blinking with bewilderment. 'My God, I did not ever comprehend this.' Gohan could now remember Piccolo's word...about his potential...he really had it in him all along. As he stood their, marveling, his mind trailed off to his friends. "Krillin, Yamcha..." With great power came great responsibilities. It was time to put his strength to use. "Thank you, Mister Guru," he said, looking up at the ancient master. With that measure of gratitude, he began to walk out of the building.

"Good luck, Gohan," said the young dende as he watched Gohan walk out of the house.

Meanwhile, outside, Krillin and Yamcha, waited excitedly, as they sensed Gohan walk out.

Gohan's face lit up as he eyed the two. He was so much focused on his own strength that he didn't even sense them coming!

"Hahaha!" Krillin let out a hearty laugh as he ran up to Gohan and embraced him in a hug.

"Gosh, Krillin," Gohan said, tears in his eyes.

Yamcha was chuckling as well. Gohan had gained a vast amount of strength, just as they expected. With him and Bardock by their side, suddenly their chances of making out of this alive looked better than ever.

Bardock looked dazed as he eyed Gohan. "What power, and at such a young age...Wait a second, he looks like a Saiyan."

Yamcha said knowingly, "Yes, he is a Saiyan. He is Goku's son."

Gohan, meanwhile, looked shell shocked as his eyes rested on Bardock. "Dad? "

Krillin laughed out loud. "Not Dad, Gohan. It's your Grandpa. He's Goku's father, you know that?"

Bardock looked dumbfounded. "What? Kakarot's son? Impossible." He looked at Yamcha and Krillin. "I could never imagine Kakarot would bear an offspring with this much fighting power... "

Yamcha glanced towards the house in front. "I think since you have been friends with namekians for quite a while now, you must have heard of Guru. "

"Yes," said Bardock, raising a brow.

Yamcha continued, "he has the power to unlock potentials. And I think it would be a good idea if we got our potentials unlocked as well."

Krillin smirked excitedly. "Alright, let's do it."


Vegeta and Nail sped towards Frieza's spaceship at top speed. Island after island passed beneath them. Clouds flew past their faces and from their sides as they hurried forwards.

Nail was feeling anxious. He did not know what lay ahead of him. But if Vegeta was really saying the truth, then it was not an opportunity which was worth passing on.

Vegeta flew with a smirk on his face. 'Soon, Frieza, you would be begging for my mercy," he said in his mind, "and you will find out that I will show you none. Ha ha ha ha ha.'

The duo sped across the landscape, the sheer energy emanating from them, causing waves beneath them to rise and crash against the islands' edges.


Hundreds of miles afar on namek...

Smoke rose from six freshly made craters. An eerie silence prevailed the landscape, but, not for long...

"Guuldooo! "

"Recoooome! "

"Buuurteer! "

"Jeiiice! "

.

.

"And.. the one and only... Captain Ginyu! "

.

"Together... We are... The Ginyu Force! "

Frieza blushed a bright shade of red from sheer embarassment as he watched his special unit strike their ridiculous poses.

Captain Ginyu meanwhile looked irritated by the uninvolvement of the newest member of his team. "Frost! " he fumed. "What are you doing just standing there?! "

The sleek cerulean skinned fighter called Frost immediately looked panicked. "Argh! " he cried, clasping his back with one hand. "My back hurts! I am so sorry, Captain! "

Captain Ginyu looked furious. "No! You have let us all down in front of the 'emperor of the universe' !"

Frieza sweatdropped. "Ginyu... "

Captain Ginyu immediately turned around to face Frieza. "I apologize on behalf of my sub-ordinate, your highness. Such unruly behavior won't be repeated. "

"Good," Frieza said, wanting to cut it short. The absurdity of his special unit was sometimes too much to take in. Frieza cleared his throat. "I suppose you have been well-versed with your mission. "

Ginyu smiled, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Yes, your highness. You want Vegeta, dead or alive, and all the other fighters dead. Also, you wish to extract more information regarding any potential Ragon mine which hasn't been tapped into already. "

Frieza smiled chillingly. "Very well. I suppose it is time for you to carry out your orders.. "

"Yes, my Lord, " Ginyu said, bowing slightly.

With that, he turned around to face his men. The captain then started to jog in his place. "Alright, men! On your mark... get set... "

All the members of the Ginyu force lined up in front of their captain, jogging in their positions.

Frieza blushed again, resisting a facepalm.

"And... GO! " Ginyu yelled, jumping upwards. The rest following, as six trails of energy blasted off into the sky.

Frieza smirked awkwardly as dust and wind was thrown up around him by the departure.


Vegeta and Nail were speeding away at top speed when suddenly Vegeta stopped in his tracks, his aura dissipating. "No.. It can't be.. "

Nail had stopped too. He strained his senses. "What is it? " he asked through gritted teeth. Suddenly Nail could feel that too. His mouth dropped open in shock, lips quivering. Six powers, each as strong as Vegeta, maybe even stronger.. No..

Vegeta abused out loud. "NO!" he yelled before landing down on to the ground. " Namek, suppress your energy! At once! "

Nail immediately complied, landing down as well. The duo sped towards a nearby boulder, taking cover.

Vegeta was watching carefully. Tension crackled in the air. Soon he could make out a pin prick in the sky, as it neared he could make out six of them.

Nail knelt down on one knee, his mind racing. There was no way, he and Vegeta could afford a direct confrontation with these monsters.

"They are here! " Vegeta whispered, alarmed.

Sure enough the six top officials of Frieza's forces were floating up in the air, around a hundred metres from them.

...

Captain Ginyu smirked. "Interesting... " he said to himself. The two powerlevels they had been chasing had just vanished. He turned to the orange haired hulking fighter in his group. "Recoome.. You know what to do.. "

Recoome grinned gleefully. "Yes, Captain. " Recoome began to rotate both of his arms wildly before bringing them over his head.

...

Vegeta looked alarmed as he realized just what was Recoome planning to do.

...

"Recoome..." The big brute yelled. "..ERASER GUN! " He opened his mouth wide and fired a thick beam of energy from it.

.

Vegeta's eyes widened as he saw the big wave of energy approaching.

Nail gritted his teeth, his face spelling pure shock as well.

KADOOM!

A blinding explosion ensued following which a mushroom shaped cloud rose above.

"Oh yeah! " The red-skinned alien called Jeice cheered. "Way to go, Recoome! "

Burter, the blue tall fighter, stood smugly with his arms crossed. "Classic Recoome.. "

Recoome puffed out his chest with a grin. He waived off their praises dismissively.

Captain Ginyu smirked, carefully eyeing where the blast had landed. "Don't get carried away boys. The game's ain't over yet." Ginyu could make out two fading forms dash out of the smoke. "Hehe.."

Vegeta and Nail were dashing and jumping between boulders trying to get away.

Vegeta smirked as he looked behind him from the corner of his eye. Good. No one was chasing them.

BAM!

The duo was brought to an unlikely stop as a boot crashed into each of their faces, sending them flying back.

Vegeta and Nail barely corrected themselves mid-air only to find the confident and smug Ginyu eyeing them with his arms crossed.

"No more running away, Vegeta, " Ginyu chuckled, enjoying the look of shock on his preys' faces. "Finally the rat's been caught in the trap. "

Both Nail and Vegeta looked shocked for words as they looked ahead with gritted teeth.


Krillin, Yamcha, and Bardock stepped out of Guru's house, Dende trailing behind them. A strange silence hung in the air, only broken by the distant rustling of Namek's winds.

"Wow!" Krillin suddenly yelled, a bright grin spreading across his face. He clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through him. "This is awesome! I never knew I had this much in me!"

Bardock stared at his hands, flexing them as he tried to comprehend the surge of energy now flowing through his veins. "No kidding," he muttered, his voice laced with something between awe and anticipation.

Gohan laughed merrily. Krillin had become so strong, and his granddad... well he appeared to have reached a whole new level.

But while Krillin and Bardock reveled in their newfound strength, Yamcha stood apart. His hands trembled at his sides, his face a mask of forced neutrality. Inside, however, his heart sank.

No...

He could feel it—his power had increased, but it was nothing compared to the boost the others had received. The gap between them had widened, leaving him stranded in their shadows.

Dende, oblivious to Yamcha's turmoil, chuckled. "Good, guys," he said, but then his face turned serious. "But we don't have time to celebrate. Nail might be in trouble..."

"Alright!" Krillin nodded, his excitement still bubbling. Without hesitation, he ran toward the cliff's edge, Gohan right behind him. Bardock, already floating ahead, waited impatiently.

"Huh?" Krillin skidded to a stop mid-step. He turned back, sensing something was off. Yamcha hadn't moved.

"Come on, Yamcha! We've gotta go!" Krillin called, but Yamcha remained rooted in place, his gaze locked onto the grass beneath his feet. His expression darkened.

"Go ahead," Yamcha murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm staying."

"What?!" Dende exclaimed, his cheerful demeanor vanishing in an instant.

"Huh?" Gohan blinked, his young face contorted with confusion.

Krillin frowned. "What do you mean you're staying? Oh, come on!"

Yamcha exhaled sharply through his nose, lifting his head just enough to look at them. "I don't want to drag you guys down." His voice was steady, but the weight of his words was heavy. "You're out of my league now... and I don't think I'd be of any use."

Krillin's eyes widened, sympathy creeping onto his face. "But—"

"Don't patronize me, Krillin." Yamcha cut him off, his tone firm. "You know it as well as I do. I'd just slow you down. But someone has to stay behind in case Frieza sends another goon. Guru needs protection, and that's something I can do."

Bardock scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. Let him be. He'd just get in the way from here on out anyway."

Krillin bit his lip. He didn't agree with Bardock's bluntness, but deep down, he knew there was some truth to it. He hated this. He hated seeing Yamcha like this. But there was no time to argue.

"Man..." Krillin muttered under his breath, before forcing a small, glum smile. "Bro... take care."

Yamcha didn't respond, just nodded slightly.

Krillin turned to Gohan. "Gohan… let's go."

"Right," Gohan said, nodding with determination.

"About time," Bardock muttered as Krillin and Gohan floated up beside him.

"Let's go!" Gohan yelled, and with a burst of energy, he shot off into the sky, leading the charge towards where he had sensed Nail and Vegeta go some time back.

Krillin and Bardock followed, their figures vanishing over the horizon.

Yamcha stood motionless, his fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms. He stared at the ground, the weight of reality pressing down on him.

'So this is it, huh?'

His jaw tightened. He had hit his max.

"And from now on… I become even more irrelevant."

He grit his teeth, finding the realisation a bitter pill to swallow.

Dende looked at him, his expression contemplative.


A breeze blew by shaking Vegeta's hair and Nail's robes as they stood in the blue grass of the planet. Both had their teeth gritted as they stared at their opponent.

Standing opposite them were the fearsome Ginyu force, who were locked in an exciting match of rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to fight who.

Ginyu chuckled at his men's antics. "Hurry up, boys. I don't have all day. "

Nail sweatdropped, finding it hard to accept that this really was Frieza's fearsome Ginyu force he was facing. "They are clowns.. "

Vegeta was sweating profusely. "We are so dead. "

So is this the end of the road for Nail and Vegeta? Or will help soon arrive in the form of the newly boosted Krillin and Gohan? And how will things play out with Bardock whose motives still remain unclear?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in the next exciting chapter of DBZ:ONE!

To be continued...