The landscape blurred past Nappa in a streak of blue and green as he soared at top speed. His mood, which had momentarily lifted after devouring the apples, had now plummeted back into a seething rage. He gritted his teeth, frowning as his thoughts fixated on Gohan.
His scouter had shown that the little brat had stopped moving not long ago, and he was gradually closing in on Gohan's last known position. However, after stopping, Gohan's signal had inexplicably disappeared altogether.
How intriguing—and familiar.
With hunger no longer clouding his mind, Nappa's 10,000-IQ brain was now finally operating at full capacity. He replayed the events in his head, piecing together the clues.
It was now glaringly obvious to Nappa that Gohan had been withholding the full truth. The sudden disappearance of Gohan's energy indicated that the young Saiyan was either collaborating with the Namekians or was somehow involved in the mysterious energy vanishing act that the Namekians had orchestrated.
In fact, Gohan's mere presence on Namek spoke volumes. For one, Gohan was clearly not here for sightseeing like the young Saiyan had claimed. If Gohan was on Namek, he almost certainly wasn't alone—at the very least, that so-called "teacher" of his was probably close by.
Nappa had a strong suspicion that the entire group might very well be here. It even made sense in a way—the weak tended to stick together, and Vegeta had mentioned paying a visit to Namek back on Earth.
In that case, it wasn't just about recovering the Dragon Balls anymore; it was shaping up to be a full-scale confrontation with a well-prepared team whose goal was preventing the Dragon Balls from being gathered.
However, this also increased the likelihood that the Earthlings had obtained at least a Dragon Ball of their own, especially if they were collaborating with the remaining Namekians. Nappa felt a smirk form on his lips. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Actually, now that he was thinking about it, if that ragtag, motley group of fighters from Earth were all here, then it stood to reason–
Nappa's smirk twisted into an eager, feral grin.
–that Ajax might be here as well.
The thought thrilled him to the core. Oh, he had been anticipating this rematch. He wanted to show Ajax just how much stronger he had become. Actually, no, that was a lie. He just wanted the satisfaction of defeating someone he had once struggled against.
Nappa scanned the horizon with narrowed eyes as his scouter beeped urgently, signaling his imminent arrival at Gohan's last known location. In the distance, he could already make out the figures of his enemies, and, even from afar, he quickly identified Gohan, still clutching the Dragon Ball under his small arms.
This little thief!
Nappa's blood boiled with rage. He was determined to discipline the little brat on Kakarot's behalf!
As he neared his destination, he spotted three additional figures hovering in the air and swiftly recognized each of them: the bald dumbass, the useless Namekian, and, of course, Ajax.
Of the trio, Ajax stood out, eyeing Nappa with a relaxed, almost bored expression, as he waited with one hand casually tucked into his pocket.
Nappa felt his bloodlust surge at the sight of Ajax's dismissiveness. Just because he lost once didn't mean he was a pushover, and he definitely wasn't the same person he had been on Earth! He had trained, refined his techniques, received two Zenkai, and learned to control his energy like the Earthlings.
Harnessing his newly acquired control over his energy, Nappa gathered his power, the lightning of his Stormforged Mantle crackling violently around him. The air howled as he rocketed himself forward at breakneck speed, his fist drawn back. He pictured the shock on Ajax's face when he realized Nappa's true power. This thought drove him forward, accelerating wildly as he closed the gap between them.
This time, he wouldn't just defeat Ajax—he would obliterate him.
To an external observer, it seemed as if Nappa had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a thunderous crack, not unlike the roar of a mighty storm. A bolt of lightning couldn't have moved faster or struck harder.
Moments before impact, Nappa thrust his fist forward, directing all his built-up momentum straight toward Ajax.
Nappa's fist found its mark perfectly.
Up close, the collision was cataclysmic, with the force of the blow erupting outward in a massive ring of air pressure so intense that Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan were violently blown backward. They shielded their eyes with their arms, struggling to see through the sheer force of the wind.
The turbulence quickly died down, giving way to a moment of deafening silence. As the wind began to settle, the battlefield came into view, revealing the aftermath of Nappa's devastating attack:
Ajax had casually caught Nappa's destructive, all-out strike with just a single hand.
He stood there unmoved, his posture unchanged, as Nappa's colossal fist rested almost gently in his palm. Lightning sparked wildly around his arm, but to Ajax, they were no more harmful than elaborate visual effects. His hair, slightly disheveled by the shockwave, was the only indication that the violent attack had occurred at all.
Mockingly, Ajax's other hand remained tucked in his pocket, as if he were simply waiting for the bus.
"Awww, I missed you too, Nappa!" Ajax said with a calm, almost amused smile, clearly enjoying Nappa's utterly dumbfounded expression. "Oh hey! By the way, how were them apples?"
"I—! You…! Fuck you!!"
Ajax let out a chuckle as he watched Nappa's face turn a deep shade of red from embarrassment and rage. As Nappa tried to pull his arm away, Ajax tightened his grip around Nappa's massive fist, eliciting a grunt of pain from the Saiyan as Ajax's fingers pressed down with vice-like pressure.
With deliberate slowness, Ajax removed his right hand from his pocket and began to gather his ki. Instantly, an aura of blazing silver energy enveloped his fist.
Ajax smiled warmly and friendly, but the gesture appeared starkly out of place.
"So, it's my turn now, right, Nappa?"
Nappa's eyes widened in horror as he sensed Ajax's ki flare to life, a burgeoning force that grew and grew, eventually surpassing his own. The energy around Ajax's fist blazed, intensifying with each passing second. Nappa struggled to pry his fist from Ajax's hold, but to his bewilderment, he found himself utterly unable to budge.
Nappa was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong sense of déjà vu. He didn't like where this was going. At all.
But once again, it was too late.
"Pinpoint Impact."
"OH, FUCK ME!!"
Ajax yanked Nappa forward, roughly pulling the massive Saiyan into his range by the hand. In a blur, Ajax's fist shot through the air and brutally slammed into Nappa's gut.
An indistinguishable moment later, the full might of Pinpoint Impact exploded from Ajax's fist, magnifying the force of the blow and propelling Nappa downward at lightning speed. Nappa struck the ground with a deafening boom, not unlike that of a meteor. The ground quaked, and the impact gouged a deep scar on the terrain.
With a precise burst of ki, Ajax cleared the debris and dust from his path, then dashed down to continue with the next phase of his attack.
The dust cleared immediately, revealing Nappa lying in the crater he had created, looking somewhat pitiful. He moaned in agony, blood mixed with fragments of fruit spilling from his mouth. His body lay in an awkward sprawl, his breathing ragged and labored due to the noticeable indentation in his abdomen. It was clear that Ajax's attack had left him thoroughly incapacitated and incapable of further combat.
Ajax jerked to a halt in mid-air and blinked, a trace of surprise flashing across his face.
"Wait, it's over already?" he muttered disbelievingly to himself. That had been a lot easier than the first time. He glanced at his hand and then at Nappa's pitiful state, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Oops. To be fair, this was his first time fighting someone weaker than him since arriving in this universe, and he had been eager to make a point, to demonstrate to Nappa just how much stronger he had become.
He might have possibly gotten just the slightest, teeniest tiny bit carried away.
Just a tad.
Ajax landed beside Nappa and squatted down next to the bloodstained Saiyan. Nappa was so disoriented that Ajax's presence had evoked no reaction from him. With mild amusement, Ajax lightly slapped Nappa's cheeks repeatedly, much like All Might did to Izuku during their first meeting.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, you still alive? Holler if you're dying."
Nappa responded with pained groans, the only sign that he was still conscious, albeit barely.
"Okay, you're fine, big guy," Ajax chuckled. "Hey, is Vegeta coming?"
"Uhrrhrhh... fuck... how did you g-get so fucking st-strong...?"
Ajax replied to Nappa with deadpan seriousness, "Milk and cookies."
"I hate cookies..."
Ajax raised an eyebrow at the out-of-place comment but chose to ignore it. Nappa's hatred for cookies was mildly amusing to him but ultimately irrelevant. However, it was wiser to assume Vegeta was on his way. After all, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
He stood up and looked back at his team. With the battle over for now, he gave them two big thumbs up to signal that everything was under control. But it seemed that he wasn't the only one surprised by the swift conclusion of the fight, because Gohan and Krillin gaped at him with their jaws hanging so low a hummingbird could nest in them. Meanwhile, Piccolo had a sour expression beside them.
Ajax chuckled at their astonished expressions and stretched a bit. While Gohan's solo actions had disrupted his plans, the impact was somewhat minimal. His original strategy was simple: join forces with Piccolo and Nail, confront Zarbon, eliminate any remaining threats, and take the other four Dragon Balls by force.
With Frieza off-planet, Dodoria dead, and the Ginyu Force still yet to arrive, the primary opposition was Zarbon, and possibly Cui if Nappa and Vegeta hadn't already dealt with him. And Ajax highly doubted that someone like Zarbon could withstand the combined assault of Nail, Piccolo, and himself.
If Vegeta had the Dragon Balls instead of Zarbon, Ajax planned to persuade the Saiyan prince to form an alliance, even if it required an arduous battle to prove his worth. If Vegeta didn't have the Dragon Balls, Ajax would then need to track him down separately. The ultimate goal was to consolidate strength and present a united front against Frieza, ensuring there would be no internal conflicts when the tyrant inevitably returned.
Now, however, Gohan's unexpected initiative had drawn Nappa into their midst. With a Dragon Ball from Vegeta already secured and Nappa defeated, it was only a matter of time before the Saiyan Prince made his way over. Although the path to his objective had shifted, the end result was still within reach. It might even be easier now that Vegeta was coming on his own initiative.
Ajax could work with this.
Suddenly, another massive sun appeared in the sky above and exploded. The intense explosion was accompanied by a familiar surge of heat and shockwaves that buffeted the planet. This time, however, there was no debris to rain down— just the raw, unfiltered force of the explosion.
It had become almost routine over the past day or so.
Ajax's narrowed eyes tracked the explosion, his mind racing. Slug was proving to be much more formidable than Ajax had anticipated. The fact that he could fight Frieza to a standstill for over a day and still force the tyrant to use that many Supernovas was impressive.
With the heavy winds whipping around him and the distance separating him from his allies, Ajax realized shouting would be ineffective. He briefly closed his eyes in concentration and projected a telepathic message to the others.
'Guys, Nappa's finished. I'm guessing Vegeta will be here soon, so Krillin and Gohan, you guys should leave. But leave the Dragon Ball behind; I need it to persuade Vegeta.'
Ajax waited for the Dragon Ball to be handed over before shifting his focus entirely elsewhere. His senses sharpened as he concentrated on his ki sense, scanning the area for any approaching energy signatures while keeping a close watch on the chaotic battle above.
He had no doubt that Vegeta would not be far behind. The Saiyan prince was not one to shy away from a challenge, and from what Ajax knew of both the Canon and Abridged versions, Vegeta was likely to be… incensed.
Ajax's intuition proved correct. No more than ten minutes had passed when he sensed a powerful energy signature heading their way. It was cold and unyielding, like the edge of a blade—unmistakably Vegeta.
In the canon timeline, Vegeta had allied with Krillin and Gohan out of necessity due to the imminent threat of the Ginyu Force. However, the Ginyu Force had yet to make an appearance thus far, so Ajax would need a different approach to bridge the gap and secure Vegeta's cooperation.
This wasn't just about sticking to the canon. Having Vegeta as an enemy while Frieza was still a threat was a dumb decision and an entirely avoidable risk.
Ajax glanced at Piccolo, who stood a few feet away—the only one from the group who had stayed behind.
Piccolo met Ajax's gaze with a suspicious squint. "Someone had to keep an eye on you," he said gruffly. "Who knows what you might do with the Saiyans if left alone."
"Geez, you make me sound like some kind of child predator," Ajax grumbled, but he quickly brushed off the comment and refocused. "We're not going to fight Vegeta. You saw how powerful Frieza is; it's more strategic to ally with Vegeta than to fight him."
Piccolo grunted in response, clearly having reservations about the idea. The thought of working with someone like Vegeta didn't sit well with him. However, Piccolo was well aware of the horror Frieza had unleashed in the battle above, so he clearly understood the need to consolidate their strength.
"That may not be up to us. Whether Vegeta would even agree to that remains to be seen."
***
Soon, Vegeta descended with great velocity, his landing cracking the ground beneath him and sending a small shockwave rippling outward. The impact created a spiderweb of fractures radiating from where he landed.
He stood there, snarling, his eyes narrowing into a fierce glare at Ajax and Piccolo. His gaze briefly flickered to the defeated Nappa sprawled in the crater and then to the Dragon Ball securely cradled in an unharmed Ajax's arms. The sight of the Dragon Ball and Nappa's battered state ignited his fury, but Vegeta was disciplined enough to temper his anger with cold rationale.
"Deja fucking Vu. You really are Nappa's bane, aren't you? He's only lost twice in recent years, and both times were to you," Vegeta said coldly.
"Well, history does have a tendency to repeat itself," Ajax quipped back with a light, untroubled tone, despite Vegeta's rage. He seemed almost amused by the situation.
Vegeta's patience was wearing thin.
"Cut the crap. I don't have time or patience for your bullshit. Just tell me what you want."
Ajax blinked at Vegeta's blunt demand but quickly regained his composure and responded with equal directness. "Cooperation. I believe I speak for both of us when I say we'd rather deny Frieza his wish than get caught up in our own personal vendettas."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed further, clearly unconvinced. The proposal was straightforward, but the idea of cooperation was not something Vegeta readily embraced, especially given how dishonorable he knew the Earthlings were.
Ajax continued, aiming to address the Saiyan prince's doubts.
"Listen, Vegeta, we both know that Frieza is a threat unlike any other. His tyranny and power are a danger not just to us but to the entire universe. You can either join forces with us to fight him, or you can stand by and watch him get closer to his goals while we're busy fighting amongst each other. You don't have to be good at math to know we have a better chance of defeating him if we work together."
Vegeta sneered, his gaze filled with disdain, as he looked at Ajax and Piccolo.
"And you think you're worthy of allying with me?" he taunted scornfully. "What makes you believe I'd even want to team up with dishonorable weaklings like you? Do you think taking down Nappa means you stand any chance against me?"
He raised his hand, clenching it into a fist as his energy crackled menacingly. The raw power emanating from him stirred the wind, a physical manifestation of his fury. "Frieza is currently off-planet," Vegeta continued, his voice low and dangerous. "And you're no Kakarot. I'd rather eliminate all of you and make my wish before he returns!"
With a low, guttural growl, Vegeta unleashed his power. His energy surged dramatically, surrounding him in a blazing white aura that flickered and danced like a volatile flame. The ground trembled slightly as his power level soared.
Facing the Saiyan Prince, both Ajax and Piccolo obliged, channeling their energy to match Vegeta's challenge. The air popped as their auras flared and clashed in mid-air. Sparks of energy flitted about, creating a dazzling spectacle of light and heat.
Vegeta smirked, his aura blazing with an almost palpable arrogance, clearly confident in his superior strength. However, Ajax, with his nonchalance, effortlessly matched Vegeta's power, and Piccolo, with his eyes narrowed in concentration, kept up with the Saiyan Prince's rising pace as well.
Vegeta's confidence began to waver. Frustration darkened his eyes as he realized his efforts were being matched at every turn. His smirk faltered, replaced by a scowl as he struggled to sustain the escalating power struggle.
Piccolo's aura surged with a final, brilliant flash as he neared his limit, eventually coming to a stop. Ajax, on the other hand, remained undeterred. His energy continued to climb, keeping pace with Vegeta's escalating intensity.
Gradually, Vegeta's power began to plateau, indicating he had reached his peak. The Saiyan Prince's scowl shifted to one of disbelief as he saw the Earthling boy's energy still rising.
Vegeta's scouter, which had struggled to keep up, had long since shorted out with a series of crackles and a puff of smoke. The device was overwhelmed by the combined release of power from the three powerhouses, its readings becoming erratic before ultimately failing.
From Vegeta's own estimation, Ajax's power was now somewhere in the mid-60s thousands—a figure far, far beyond what he had anticipated. Piccolo, standing nearby, was not too far behind Vegeta's level of power, possibly on par with or slightly exceeding Zarbon's peak.
Vegeta was no stranger to power boosts—his near-death experiences had granted him the benefits of a Zenkai, resulting in an extraordinary increase in strength. Combined with his new and unprecedented control over his energy, he had pushed his power higher than ever before. The combined effect of these boosts seemed almost unfair, or so he had thought.
Yet these weaklings had surpassed all of that! They had evolved from being so feeble that even a mediocre member of the Frieza Force could easily defeat them to standing toe-to-toe with formidable elites like Zarbon, and now second only to those freaks in the Ginyu Force!
The Saiyan Prince's mind reeled as he struggled to process the impossible reality before him. Just how had they gone from being insignificant insects, barely worth a second glance, to becoming elites amongst elites?
"So, are we worthy of your cooperation now?" Piccolo's sarcastic drawl broke through the tension.
The condescending tone only served to infuriate Vegeta further. He gritted his teeth, the sound of his clenched jaw unmistakable. Despite his clear disadvantage, he refused to back down; his pride would not permit it. He straightened his posture, his muscles tensing as he braced himself for the inevitable battle. Retreat was not an option, no matter the odds.
"Look, Vegeta," Ajax's voice sliced through the air, calm and straightforward, "we know you're not stupid. Your chances of successfully gathering the rest of the Dragon Balls are slim. You haven't located them all, you lack the Namekians' cooperation, and you're missing crucial information on how to use them. Besides, we have a common enemy in Frieza. It's simply illogical to fight among ourselves and let him swoop in to take everything."
Vegeta's teeth ground in frustration as his pride clashed with reason. He opened his mouth to respond angrily, but before he could speak, a sudden flash of light erupted from the surrounding area.
The blinding flash triggered a deep-seated memory of past pain and humiliation. Vegeta's body reacted with a sharp, involuntary jerk as he threw his hands in front of him and instinctively protected his crotch.
A moment later, Vegeta's mind cleared, and he regained his rationality. The flash of light that had momentarily disoriented him wasn't as intense as one of the Earthlings' flashbangs. It also didn't come from his enemies' direction, which meant it wasn't a direct attack aimed at him.
In unison, Vegeta, Ajax, and Piccolo looked up into the sky. The fiery glow of the explosion in the upper atmosphere remained visible, casting a vivid red light that reflected eerily on their faces. They watched as a disgustingly massive ship, tilting at an unnatural angle, began to breach the planet's atmosphere.
The ship was far from pristine, appearing to be in a state of catastrophic disrepair. Large cracks marred its surface, glowing a fierce red from the intense heat radiating from within. The vessel's structure was visibly failing, with chunks breaking away as molten fragments and leaving a burning trail as they fell toward the planet's surface.
As the trio watched in stunned silence, additional energy blasts struck the damaged ship from behind, causing more cracks to form and hastening its destruction.
Ajax recognized the vessel—it resembled the warship used by Slug in his movie, only much larger.
As the ship continued to disintegrate, the soundwave from the catastrophic explosion finally reached them. The roar was so deafening that it seemed to engulf everything around them, shaking the ground beneath their feet and slamming into them like a physical force. It felt as if the world itself was being swallowed by that roar.
Once the soundwave finally blew past them, silence settled over the area. It wasn't truly silent, of course; the distant crackling of burning debris and the occasional rumble of the crumbling ship still filled the world with noise. However, compared to the deafening roar of destruction that had just swept through, everything now seemed muted and distant.
"So, what was that about Frieza being off-planet?" Ajax quipped after finally shaking off his shock.
Vegeta shifted his attention from the burning wreckage to glare at Ajax. After a tense pause, he hissed through gritted teeth, his voice low and venomous.
"Fine!"
An orange orb soared through the air.
Vegeta's reflexes, as sharp as ever, allowed him to effortlessly snatch the Dragon Ball thrown at him. He stared at the mystical orb, his eyes wide with surprise and a touch of disbelief. He inspected the orb closely to confirm its authenticity, only to find that it was indeed the genuine article.
"A token of goodwill from us," Ajax explained before Vegeta could ask. "To show that we are serious about this."
At the same time, Piccolo shot a pointed glance at Ajax regarding the decision to return the Dragon Ball. Despite his reservations about this minor concession, Piccolo chose to keep his thoughts to himself.
Vegeta stared at the Dragon Ball resting in his palm, then glanced sharply and calculatingly at the Earthlings before him. Recovering the Dragon Ball that had been taken from him had surprisingly tempered his rage, allowing him to think more clearly about the situation.
In truth, Vegeta mused, the current arrangement wasn't entirely unfavorable for him. By scattering and concealing the other four Dragon Balls, he had gained a certain amount of leverage. After all, no one could double-cross him while he was the only one who knew their locations. If he played his cards right, he could use this opportunity to determine the locations of the remaining two Dragon Balls, betray the Earthlings at the opportune moment, make his wish, and then escape this deathtrap of a planet.
Oh wait... perhaps there was an even greater advantage to be gained here. An idea began to take shape, making him smirk inwardly. Aren't these idiots confident in their strength now? Perhaps he can throw these overconfident Earthlings at the Ginyu Force and let these idiots tear each other to pieces.
Yes, yes, he liked that idea a lot.
Straightening his posture, Vegeta's eyes narrowed with a calculating glint as he addressed the Earthlings. "Let's discuss the terms then. I'm not doing this for free."
He briefly glanced at Nappa, who was still sprawled in the crater.
"And also about this fool," Vegeta added.
Nappa, who had been listening to the conversation from his crater, managed a weak thumbs-up with his right hand. His voice came out strained and barely audible. "T-thanks, Ve-Vegeta…"
"Shut the fuck up, Nappa! This is all your goddamn fault!"