As he flew, Gohan admired the Dragon Ball in his hand with a proud smile, still basking in the euphoria of his successful mission. The orange sphere, along with its four stars, shimmered in the sunlight, its surface cool and smooth like marble.
'It's so big,' he thought, marveling at the sheer size and weight of the Namekian Dragon Ball. This marked his first-ever close encounter with the Namekian's version. Previously, Escagor had forbidden Gohan and Krillin from approaching his Dragon Ball out of precaution, and similarly, Gohan hadn't laid eyes on the one guarded by Elder Guru.
Gohan marveled at how different the Namekian Dragon Ball was from those on Earth. He playfully pretended to place it on his head, imagining how silly it would look perched there. He was sure this one couldn't serve as an accessory like the smaller Earth versions. The mental image of his younger, baby self wriggling under the weight of such a large Dragon Ball made him burst into giggles.
After his laughter subsided, Gohan felt remarkably light-hearted and allowed himself a moment to indulge in a sense of childlike wonder. It reminded him of simpler times before the threat of Frieza and the harrowing battles that lay ahead. For a moment, he embraced the freedom to just be a child again.
As Guru's residence came into view, Gohan's happiness was instantly extinguished, snuffed out like a candle in the heart of a bitter winter. Mr. Piccolo was waiting for him, and he was pissed.
Gohan's heart plummeted into a bottomless abyss.
Piccolo hovered just within Guru's energy-nullifying barrier, arms folded and his cape flowing majestically behind him. Anger radiated from him as wisps of energy, casting a faint haze around his silhouette against the backdrop of Guru's dwelling, resembling the release of intense heat. This aura only made him look infinitely more imposing.
Piccolo's jaw was clenched so tightly that the lines of his trembling muscles were visible. At the same time, his furious, smoldering eyes bore into Gohan's. It was clear he had been waiting for quite some time, and his patience had long run out.
Gradually, a snarl curled Piccolo's lips, revealing his sharp canines.
The sight was enough to give pause to even the bravest of warriors, and Gohan was no exception. He stopped and hovered mid-air, clutching the Dragon Ball tightly, his earlier excitement now replaced with a sinking feeling of dread.
In contrast, Ajax almost seemed welcoming as he floated alongside Piccolo, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his gi. His posture was relaxed, and he showed no signs of anger, but his slightly downturned mouth hinted at a displeasure that he did not vocalize. Krillin was much the same, though he seemed to be worried as he glanced between Piccolo and the approaching Gohan.
At this point, Gohan felt a strong urge to just turn back and leave. He had a feeling that he might prefer Mr. Nappa's company at the moment. However, Gohan suddenly seemed to realize that Mr. Nappa might not be too pleased with him either, so with a sense of resignation, he obediently flew closer and entered the barrier, his head hanging low with contrition.
"So," Piccolo snarled, his power boiling beneath his skin, barely restrained by sheer willpower. His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Gohan. "The prodigal son returns."
Gohan flinched at the cutting sarcasm in Piccolo's tone, fully aware that he deserved every bit of it. He felt small under the weight of his mentor's displeasure and disappointment.
"I, uhhh—" Gohan stammered, his voice faltering as he struggled to find the right words. He had never seen Mr. Piccolo this enraged before, and the intensity of his mentor's fury left him unsure how to respond.
Piccolo, on the other hand, had no such qualms.
"Explain to me, Gohan," Piccolo demanded, his voice low and dangerous, "What exactly went through that empty head of yours when you decided to venture off, into enemy territory—on your own—to retrieve a Dragon Ball without TELLING ANY OF US!"
As Piccolo raised his voice, Ajax and Krillin exchanged a glance, both feeling that Piccolo's approach might be overly harsh. Nonetheless, they held their tongues, deferring to Piccolo to handle the situation. As Gohan's mentor, he had the full right to issue discipline.
Gohan winced and instinctively shrank back as Piccolo's voice escalated into a shout, its sheer volume making him feel even smaller. He opened his mouth to respond, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. With effort, he managed to force out a reply.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Piccolo. I–I saw the Dragon Ball on the radar and I thought…I thought I could be of help. I didn't mean to–"
"Help?" Piccolo interrupted, his anger momentarily replaced by incredulity. "You thought you could help by acting alone?! Do you have any idea how reckless that was?! You could have been killed, Gohan! And then what? What would we have done then!?"
Gohan's shoulders slumped.
"I didn't think about that..." the young Saiyan admitted, his voice trembling. "I thought it was an opportunity. And I knew that none of you would let me go–"
"You wonder why we wouldn't let you go?!" Piccolo exploded, his voice echoing across the training field. "Because Nail's energy is shielded by Guru's magic, but yours isn't! Do you understand now?! You're just a child, Gohan! You—"
Piccolo's tirade was abruptly cut off as Ajax stepped forward and gave him a firm shove. The unexpected interruption caused Piccolo to stagger back a step mid-air, his eyes flickering with surprise and anger. He turned to glare at Ajax, his rage still simmering beneath the surface.
Ajax met Piccolo's furious gaze with a calm and disapproving expression. He shook his head slowly, signaling his disagreement with Piccolo's approach. The two warriors exchanged a silent, intense look, their minds communicating briefly through telepathic messages.
'Calm down, Piccolo. Gohan is terrified of you right now. He acted impulsively, and he knows it. Moreover, he feels remorseful about it, so we should guide him, not endlessly berate him," Ajax conveyed firmly through their mental connection.
Piccolo's fists clenched, his muscles tightening as he mulled over Ajax's message in his mind. He took a deep breath and collected himself, though his agitation was still clearly visible. Finally, he stepped back, allowing Gohan some breathing room.
Krillin, aware of his role as the friendliest of the trio, seized the opportunity to share his perspective, aiming to alleviate the tension. He drifted closer to Gohan, his demeanor calm and reassuring.
"Gohan, don't be scared. We know you're not dumb, and we will give you a real chance to explain your perspective. I promise we won't butt in until you're finished. Come on, buddy, lay it on us!"
Seeing Krillin's encouraging expression, Gohan stole a quick peek at Piccolo, swallowed hard, and began to explain timidly.
"Yesterday, I noticed one of the Dragon Balls had stopped moving. It had stayed there for nearly a day, and based on my calculations, seemed to be near Mr. Escagor's village. I thought—I thought maybe they were waiting for us or had left it hidden. I knew it was risky, but I thought if I could get there quickly, I could bring the Dragon Ball back without drawing too much attention."
Krillin nodded encouragingly, urging Gohan to continue, so Gohan did, nervously rubbing his fingers against along the edges of his gi.
"Nail hadn't returned from his visit to Elder Tsuno, so he couldn't go. Everyone else was still training, and I was..." Gohan trailed off, seemingly unable to get his next words out. Finally, a dam broke inside him, releasing pent-up emotions he hadn't even realized was there. "I was useless! During the Saiyan Invasion, I couldn't do anything! I just stood there and watched as everyone was hurt by Mr. Nappa!"
Gohan's eyes welled with tears, threatening to spill. His small frame shook with guilt and helplessness that still haunted him.
"Then after that, I was sidelined against Vegeta! And now on Namek, I couldn't do anything either! I've always been sidelined, protected, and coddled because I was a kid, but so is Ajax! I can contribute too! I can protect others too! But whenever I speak up, everyone just takes charge and leaves me behind! Why did I even train? Why did I come here at all?! I'm just a burden to all of you!"
Gohan's outburst left everyone in stunned silence. The raw emotion in his voice resonated deeply, reaching through metaphorical space and into everyone's hearts.
Then, amid the surrounding silence:
"I just... I wanted to make a difference. I didn't want to be a burden," Gohan concluded quietly.
Ajax and Krillin exchanged a few confounded looks as they wrestled with how to best support Gohan. Both of them realized that their interactions with Gohan had been sparse, largely confined to their shared experiences on Namek. In fact, apart from their initial meeting on the day Raditz arrived and fighting alongside him against the Saiyans, their time spent with the young Saiyan had been painfully limited.
Sure, Ajax and Krillin could spout reassuring phrases like "You're not a burden," "We're a team," and "We didn't mean to make you feel like that," but would any of it truly matter to Gohan? Neither of them had a connection with the young Saiyan deep enough for their words to feel like anything beyond hollow assurances.
At least for now.
Recognizing this dilemma at the same moment, the two Turtle School alumni turned to Piccolo in perfect unity, their gaze expectant.
Next to them, Piccolo's anger still smoldered, though it had somewhat subsided, leaving him at least somewhat contemplative. And of course, he had not missed Ajax and Krillin's hopeful glances directed his way. Ignoring those two useless fellows, he turned his attention back to Gohan.
"Gohan, don't think for a second that this gets you off the hook. You and I WILL have a serious discussion about all of this soon, but that conversation is for another time, without prying ears." Piccolo stated firmly, shooting a pointed glance at Ajax and Krillin to emphasize that they were the outsiders that necessitated postponement. "Right now, we need to address the consequences of your actions. Did anyone follow you?"
Gohan wiped away the remaining tears from his eyes, trying to compose himself. He shook his head.
"No. I made sure I couldn't detect Mr. Nappa's signature before flying. Plus, I changed directions afterward, so he won't know where I went to."
Piccolo's nostrils flared at the mention of Nappa's name, a flicker of anger sparking in his eyes again at the mention of an enemy encounter. He fixed Gohan with a piercing glare, silently conveying to the young Saiyan that he better start explaining himself quickly and thoroughly.
Gohan swiftly launched into his account of the encounter with Nappa, his words tumbling out in a rush as he recounted the tense moments with the Saiyan warrior. He described how Nappa had managed to track his hiding spot despite his attempts to conceal his presence, and how the Saiyan had been starving since Escagor's village had taken all their provisions when they evacuated.
Gohan admitted his apprehensions about starting a conflict due to fear of their scuffle attracting Vegeta's attention and uncertainty about Nappa's current strength after his Zenkai boost on Earth.
"And then I thought, maybe if I distract him with apples…" Gohan trailed off, suddenly realizing how absurd his little scheme sounded now that he was explaining it out loud.
"Apples…?" Krillin mumbled to himself as if repeating would somehow help him understand.
Ajax, on the other hand, burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his stomach. Freaking hell! Man, that's some straight-up Looney Toons shit right there!
Piccolo shook his head, unamused by Ajax's reaction.
Ajax stifled his laughter, offering the tiniest nod of apology at Piccolo's silent admonition. His reaction might have been a bit inappropriate given the seriousness of the situation. Suddenly, however, Ajax's amusement vanished, replaced by a furrowed brow as he peered towards the horizon from where Gohan had come.
"Gohan, are you sure no one followed you?" Ajax asked, tone now serious.
"I'm fairly certain," Gohan replied uncertainly.
"Then why do I sense an energy signature gunning straight toward us?" Ajax's voice tightened as his senses locked onto the distant yet approaching energy.
Krillin and Piccolo turned their heads sharply toward Ajax, then followed his gaze to the distant horizon. While Krillin couldn't detect anything as of yet, Piccolo's expression shifted to one of alarm as he, too, began to perceive the approaching energy.
"GOHAN!" Piccolo's voice rang out sharply. Without hesitation, he stretched out his arm like a rubber band toward the young Saiyan. In a swift motion, he grabbed hold of Gohan's ear and twisted it rather forcefully, a disciplinary move he had learned from human parents on Earth—or more accurately, from observing their behavior and parenting practices.
Gohan yelped in pain as Piccolo reeled him in like a caught fish. Tears filled the young Saiyan's eyes, this time not from heavy emotions but from the sharp, stinging pain in his ear.
On the other hand, Piccolo now had a newfound understanding of human parents and why they were sometimes so exasperated with their offspring.
~ At the Same Time: Near Escagor's Village ~
Vegeta, fully healed, soared over the terrain of Namek, scowling at the desolate landscape rushing beneath him, a sack of Dragon Balls slung over his back. His ki senses were on high alert, as he had not detected any significant life forms in the vicinity of the designated meeting spot with Nappa.
A hint of irritation flickered across Vegeta's face. He trusted Nappa about as far as he could throw him, which, considering his strength, was quite a distance, but not that far. Vegeta knew Nappa wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but his subordinate wasn't the dullest one either. He couldn't envision Nappa deviating from their plan without a compelling reason.
It just couldn't be. After all, if Nappa valued his well-being, he wouldn't do something as stupid as leaving the designated area, right?
"That idiot!" Vegeta muttered under his breath, his hand twitching towards the scouter stashed away in his armor. Despite his annoyance, he opted to give Nappa the benefit of the doubt— for the time being.
After all, Vegeta couldn't dismiss the possibility that something genuinely threatening had occurred since he and Nappa last communicated. Perhaps there was another member of the Frieza Force capable of manipulating technology as skillfully as Zarbon could?
Vegeta couldn't be certain, but if something had indeed gone awry, he knew he had to act swiftly to salvage the situation. He dampened his energy signature as much as possible as a precaution. He didn't want to prematurely alert anyone or attract unwelcome attention.
Moments later, Vegeta reached the designated location, his Ki senses finely attuned to detect any signs of activity or life. Hovering at a slight altitude above the village, he scanned the area meticulously, cataloging any clues or abnormalities that might clarify the circumstances of Nappa's absence. However, his observations only confirmed his initial suspicion—there was no movement or signs of life within the village.
The only visible sign of disturbance was a destroyed house, its fragments scattered in a manner suggesting internal destruction rather than an external attack.
The village was also abnormally silent–eerily so.
Additionally, there was an odd pressure in the air, akin to the calm before the storm or the moment before a predator pounced.
Vegeta felt a knot tighten in his chest. These were ominous signs.
Descending gracefully but cautiously, he landed amidst the wreckage of the house. He paced around the debris, his keen eyes noting the absence of typical signs of combat—no scorch marks from energy blasts, no chaotic residual traces of energy. Instead, there were lightning-like marks etched faintly on the remains.
Turning his focus to the remainder of the village, Vegeta proceeded with a measured pace toward the village proper. With each cautious step, his apprehension heightened, his instincts sharpening as he prepared himself for whatever awaited him at the rendezvous point.
Barely ten paces beyond the ruined hut, the atmosphere in the village abruptly shifted. Vegeta felt the tension in the air snap, and he instinctively froze in place, his muscles refusing to budge.
This was not out of precaution.
Vegeta genuinely found himself unable to move, his body's mobility completely seized by his own primal survival instincts that warned him of overwhelming danger.
'We're being watched!!', Vegeta's warrior instincts screamed at him, but he dared not react. He was like a helpless fledgling pinned under the sharp gaze of an apex predator.
Like prey feigning death, he stood there frozen as sweat began to bead on his face. Vegeta could almost sense someone closing in on him, inching closer and closer, moments away from reaching him—moments away from killing him!
'Move! Move! MOVE!' Vegeta screamed to himself internally. 'Move or you're going to DIE!' He gritted his teeth in frustration. 'Damn it, it's too late!'
But nothing happened.
The seconds continued to drag on agonizingly slow.
Then, as if releasing its grip, the tension in the air dissipated, and suddenly Vegeta could move again. He stumbled slightly but quickly caught himself, immediately surveying his surroundings.
There was nothing there, and the village was as silent as it had always been, as if the intense experience had been a massive hallucination.
Vegeta looked down at his trembling hands.
'Hallucinations? My ass!'
Remaining in place, Vegeta observed the village for a long, long time, but nothing noteworthy occurred. After taking time to calm down, he eventually decided to move on. As much as he wanted to wait cautiously, Nappa's absence still remained a mystery. Vegeta needed to ascertain whether Nappa had somehow been killed by whatever had threatened him earlier.
Vegeta's sharp senses soon picked up on something unusual and out of place. He approached cautiously and stared down at it.
At his feet lay a scattered pile of discarded apple cores and an almost empty barrel of apples.
He crouched down and inspected the apple cores, his face completely blank.
Fruits native to that backwater ball of dirt … no signs of combat…signs of a hasty departure with Stormforged Mantle…no Dragon Balls…
Vegeta straightened up, his jaw clenching. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, forming a clear sequence of events in his mind.
He burst into laughter, long and harsh. It wasn't a pleasant sound; it was unhinged and laced with more than just a hint of darkness.
Nappa's negligence—or whatever this brainless act could be construed as—had crossed a bottom line that Vegeta could not tolerate. It was no longer just a matter of discipline now; it was about punishing insubordination and ensuring that such incompetence never repeats itself again.
As the manic laughter subsided, Vegeta's expression twisted into a sneer of pure rage. He's going to bury Nappa six feet fucking under. Actually, no, that was too good for him. This dumbass didn't even deserve a proper fucking burial!
Wherever Nappa was, he was beyond Vegeta's immediate ki detection range, so the Saiyan Prince retrieved his scouter from within his armor. With impressive speed, he activated the device and configured it to track Nappa's scouter signal.
Moments dragged on like an eternity as Vegeta's scouter calibrated and honed in on Nappa's location. The digital map tracked Nappa's flight path and speed, confirming that the fool was still rapidly moving away.
Vegeta's eyes burned with fury as he locked onto Nappa's distant energy signature, his lips curling into a dangerous grin.
Oh, ho, ho. May the Gods have mercy on Nappa's soul… Because he won't.
"NAAAPPPPPAAAAAAA!!!"
With explosive force, Vegeta shot up into the sky. The ground quaked beneath him from his acceleration, unleashing a shockwave that obliterated the apple cores, the earth beneath him, and some of the already damaged structures in the village.
Within moments, Vegeta was gone.