Chapter 46: Chapter 46 – APPLES!
~ 55 Minutes since Intermission ~
Nappa remained seated next to Vegeta, staring at Ajax intensely with squinted eyes. The moment he turned back just minutes ago, all the injuries resulting from the electrical shock and the previous battle had already miraculously vanished on Ajax's body.
Nappa couldn't understand what in the world was happening. Why was everything so goddamn weird on this planet? People didn't leave corpses when they die, they can detect energy like a freaking scouter, and now they can just spontaneously heal too. Was it really something in the water?
Propping his chin on his hand like "The Thinker", Nappa fell into deep contemplation as he attempted to dissect the situation. He must be missing a crucial piece of this puzzle.
It couldn't possibly be a universal ability, since none of the other weaklings had demonstrated it. There had to be restrictions too, as not all of them had shown signs of recovery. Gohan and the Namekian, for instance, didn't, but then again, neither of them were native to this planet. Nappa squinted thoughtfully, his eyes practically turning into slits.
He doesn't get it! What's healing them? What were the activation conditions and what were the constraints? Nappa refused to believe he was fighting actual immortals, which, now that he thinks about it, he couldn't dismiss either—especially since the locals had access to the Dragon Balls for God knows how long.
Nappa winced as he inadvertently jostled his arm, the physical discomfort forcing a hiss from him. Since all conversation had ground to a halt when Nappa returned to Vegeta's side, his hiss had momentarily disrupted the heavy silence that had draped over the battlefield like a thick blanket. This was also why it was so startling loud when Nappa's stomach growled clamorously moments later.
Nappa released a colossal sigh as his hunger chased all thoughts of his analysis from his mind. "I'm so hungry..."
Next to Nappa, Vegeta cast a displeased sidelong glance at his subordinate, as if Nappa's admission of hunger was a sign of weakness.
However, Nappa's words triggered Gohan to recall something. He reached into the folds of his Gi and retrieved the red apple he had tucked away during his earlier training session with Piccolo. A chorus of incredulous reactions rippled through the group as the out-of-place fruit, pristine and untouched, sat in Gohan's hand.
Gohan held the apple up with a sheepish smile, "Well, I guess I was saving it for later."
"But how did that thing survive unharmed?" Piccolo's usual stoicism momentarily wavered from bewilderment as he beheld the fruit with a raised eyebrow.
"Wait, wait, wait. You've been carrying that on you this entire time?!" Krillin mirrored Piccolo as his eyes bulged in disbelief.
Gohan squirmed uncomfortably beneath everyone's scrutinizing gazes as he felt his guilt crawl into his stomach and promptly die there. The truth was that the apple had remained unscathed because he hadn't actively participated in any intense combat; he had sat there like a potato, watching Mr. Piccolo and everyone else get taken apart.
In an effort to diffuse the escalating awkwardness that he was being bombarded with, Gohan decided to toss the apple over to Nappa. "Here you go, Mr. Nappa," he offered, subtly steering the focus away from the circumstances of the apple's survival.
Nappa effortlessly snagged the apple out of the air in a single fluid motion, cradling it within his massive hand. The Saiyan warrior examined the ordinary fruit with great intensity, turning it this way and that as if it contained the secrets of the universe. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it but detected nothing of note. Gripping the stem firmly between his fingers, Nappa twisted it off, then immediately held the fruit at arm's length away from his face, as if bracing for some catastrophic explosion. Nothing happened.
It may seem odd of him to exercise such caution, but after traversing the universe as extensively as he had… Well, let's just say he'd seen some sh*t. Exploding fruits, as it turned out, were surprisingly commonplace in the universe. Most of the time, they're poisonous too.
"Is this an apple?" Nappa lifted the fruit in his hand towards the light, the sun's rays reflecting off its red skin.
Gohan looked surprised. In fact, everyone looked surprised. "You know what they are, Mr. Nappa?"
"Raditz said I would enjoy these when I was eavesdropping on him," Nappa offered by way of explanation. He turned a rather serious and somewhat alert gaze to Gohan "Is this a poisoned variant or something?"
"I think those only existed in fairy tales and children's stories," Gohan, honest to a fault, shook his head in response.
Nappa, immediately reassured by Gohan's words, burst into hearty laughter. "Haha! As a fellow Saiyan warrior, I trust your honor!"
To Vegeta's genuine shock and disbelief, Nappa proceeded to take a massive bite out of the apple with gusto, his teeth audibly crunching through the crisp fruit. Juices from the apple dribbled down the corner of Nappa's lips as a result of his enormous bite.
"What the fu–! Are you dumb, Nappa?!" Vegeta can viscerally feel his irritation driving up his blood pressure. He cannot believe this fool would be so carefree as to actually trust the words of their enemies at face value!
"OHHHHH SHIIIT! This is the good stuff!" As Nappa continued to chew, an expression of pure delight dominated his face. He was beyond ecstatic about the apple, and he just had to share it with Vegeta! "Vegeta! You've got to try this! It's even better than that fruit from Helheim that I never shut up about!"
In response, Vegeta, who, by all measures, should have been accustomed to Nappa's eccentricities, could only muster a stupefied expression at the sheer idiocy of his comrade's actions.
Deciding that he might as well fully commit to his action, Gohan rose to his feet, patting himself down as he pointed confidently in a specific direction.
"There's a whole grove of apple trees just below a mountain in that direction, Mr. Nappa."
Nappa swiveled his head toward Gohan so fast he almost snapped his neck. His eyes were sparkling as if Gohan had told him that Frieza Day would come early. Unable to contain his excitement, he shot into the sky with surprising speed for an injured individual.
"Vegeta, I'll be baaaaccck!" he shouted, his voice fading as he soared into the distance towards the presumed grove of apple trees.
Vegeta, filled to the brim with aggrieved annoyance, scowled murderously as he glowered at the Z Fighters. Unwilling to be associated with the absurdity of the situation or acknowledge Nappa's actions, he chose instead to lean against his rock in stony silence, his pride only barely suppressing his underlying irritation.
Twenty minutes later, Nappa descended from the sky rather comically. Apples were haphazardly crammed into every available crevice of his broken armor, with many spilling out at the slightest movement due to the sheer quantity. As he flew, his tail ingeniously formed a makeshift basket, carefully balancing a small pile of apples.
However, the most astonishing sight was Nappa himself, a fresh apple clenched in his teeth and both arms firmly gripping two whole, unrooted apple trees.
Nappa landed with a thud, and without missing a beat, he slammed the two apple trees into the ground, planting them upright. The impact caused a cascade of apples to tumble down, one of which bounced off of Vegeta's head.
Vegeta cast an absolutely scathing glare at Nappa, one that encapsulated the entirety of the frustration and annoyance that had been accumulated thus far. Vegeta was perilously close to the fraying ends of his patience with Nappa. There was fraternization and then there was making a fool of oneself, and Nappa had unmistakably crossed the line between the two. What a f*cking embarrassment!
Vegeta's hand twitched, literally itching to erase Nappa from existence. He felt as if he were merely three seconds away from turning into a Super Saiyan of legend. Given the intensity of his rage, Vegeta wouldn't have been surprised if he actually did.
Nappa immediately cowered under Vegeta's murderous glare, recognizing the depth and intensity of his Prince's displeasure. With a shy and sheepish expression, Nappa extended an apple toward Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince snatched the fruit from Nappa's hand with an angry swipe, biting into it with a resounding crunch.
Nappa flung a handful of apples to Gohan, and only Gohan, extending a metaphorical olive branch to the young Saiyan. Recovering from Vegeta's initial reaction, Nappa settled down beside him and launched a voracious assault on the apples. The sounds of enthusiastic crunching and munching replaced the prior silence as Nappa devoured the fruits with unrestrained gusto.
After plowing through a substantial number of fruits, Nappa interrupted his apple conquest and turned towards a less livid Vegeta, who remained engrossed in silent contemplation. Nappa mustered the courage to broach a peculiar subject.
"Hey, Vegeta," Nappa began tentatively, "What are your thoughts on adopting the kid?" He gestured toward Gohan with his chin, who had shared his apples with the other Z Fighters and was enjoying a few himself.
Vegeta remained silent, steadfastly refusing to acknowledge Nappa's attempts to draw him into conversation, his focus fixated on some distant point on the horizon.
"We could consider this planet as a vacation home!" Nappa continued enthusiastically. "Or maybe a secret headquarters! The scenery is fantastic, the locals are genetically compatible, and, most importantly, it's abundant with apples. It's a prime piece of real estate, even by Cold Empire standards!"
Nappa waited for a response, but none came. Vegeta had staunchly ignored him.
"Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta?"
Nappa kept his gaze on Vegeta, patiently waiting for a response that appeared increasingly unlikely to arrive. After an uncomfortable stretch of silence, Nappa finally relented, realizing Vegeta was determined to refuse to entertain the notion. With a casual shrug, Nappa dropped the topic and refocused on his primary mission—devouring apples.
And so, time continued to pass, with Nappa occasionally disappearing into the canopy to pluck a few more apples for himself.
~ 1 Hour, 55 Minutes After Intermission~
An air of unease permeated through the Z Fighters as they exchanged nervous glances, the tension mounting as the seconds ticked away. The critical moment approached, yet Goku was still nowhere to be seen.
Across from them, the Saiyan General was utterly unfazed by the tension. He rose to his feet, casually stretching his massive muscles with nonchalant readiness as he wiped away any apple remains from himself.
Amidst the group, Ajax remained seated with his chin resting on his hand, seemingly calm but lost in thoughts. His silent demeanor contrasted sharply with the escalating tension around him, prompting the Z Fighters to cast glances his way in search of some sign or reassurance.
Contrary to appearances, Ajax wasn't as composed as he appeared. His mind raced furiously for potential strategies to stall for time. He knew that Goku couldn't be too far away since he had been granted the Nimbus early and had the advantage of traversing the Snake Way while deceased. Fortunately, Ajax didn't have to dwell on it for long.
'Hey Ajax, I just got to the Lookout with Kami, and I'm racing over on Nimbus right now! Is everyone okay?' Goku practically shouted through the newly created mental channel.
Ajax's eyes widened upon hearing Goku's voice through the mental connection, feeling the immense pressure on him lighten with those words. Goku would arrive soon!
'Goku, you have no idea how glad I am to hear you! It's bad, but everyone is still alive except Yamcha. Gohan is alright; he's not hurt.'
'Huuu, that's still mangeable. Yamcha is on his first death, so we can still bring him back with the Dragon Balls.' Goku audibly sighed in relief, clearly uplifted by the news that almost everyone was still alive. 'I knew I was right! If anyone has their head on their shoulders or has a plan, it's you, Ajax.'
While the trust was flattering and all, Ajax wasn't in the mood for compliments at the moment. There were more immediate concerns that he needed to address.
'The word is 'manageable' but forget that. How long until you get here, Goku?'
'Uhhh…soon? You know I'm not good with time…'
'With Nimbus, Goku should arrive at your present location within approximately twenty minutes,' Fortunately, Kami was able to provide a more precise timeline, though he scared Ajax slightly since Ajax wasn't aware his mentor was on the connection as well. 'Well done stalling for time, disciple. Can you hold on for that much longer?'
Ajax closed his eyes, re-centering himself as he briefly ran the calculations of the remaining time through his mind. Five minutes until the battle resumed, so there were fifteen minutes of combat until Goku arrived. Ajax opened his eyes with quiet confidence.
'I'll take care of it.'
'That's reassuring to hear,' Kami seemed relieved by the confidence in Ajax's voice.
Sensing the conclusion of the conversation, Goku chimed in. 'Do you have anything for me, Ajax? You had a rough plan for me to follow last time with Raditz.'
'Yes, I do, Goku.' Ajax had developed a general plan–technically more like a concise list of advice than a plan–that hopefully would assist Goku in his battle against Vegeta.
'I knew it! You always have a plan! Lay it on me Ajax, what do I need to know?'
There were only a few key points Ajax needed to convey to Goku. Although he had additional insights to share, he lacked any plausible explanation for knowing Goku's precise strength or the techniques he had learned from King Kai without making up some wild, wild claims. He felt somewhat constrained in that regard.
'Goku, two things. When you approach, lower your power level. Aim for somewhere around three times Raditz's maximum if you're stronger than that. It positions you as the strongest among us, but not high enough to spook the Saiyans into doing something unpredictable.'
The ultimate objective, of course, was to prevent Vegeta from taking any preemptive measures or stepping into battle himself. If Goku's power was too high, Vegeta might eliminate them himself to avoid any potential interference when he faces Goku. Conversely, if Goku's power was too low, Vegeta might react with aggression due to some perceived "dishonor" for being lied to and thus endangering the group.
RIP Yamcha, thank you for your sacrifice, or he wouldn't have known this AU Vegeta's fixation on honor.
Alternatively, if Goku were to emerge as the strongest among them, but the Prince of All Saiyans was confident that Nappa could reasonably handle Goku, then he wouldn't even bother dealing with the Z Fighters personally. As Vegeta had said, he wanted to see the Z Fighters' faces crumble in despair. Vegeta would learn of his erroneous assumption after Goku's arrival, but by then, Vegeta wouldn't be Ajax's problem.
Ajax continued with his advice.
'The other thing, Goku, is to be aware that their tails aren't their weaknesses like Raditz's was, so avoid relying on the paralyzing strategy. Also, keep in mind that their resilience is pretty absurd. Never assume they're defeated outright because, more often than not, they're still a threat, patiently waiting for an opportunity to catch you off guard.'
'Ok, I got it. See you soon, Ajax.'
With those words, the mental transmission came to an end. Despite the seemingly long conversation, the entire exchange had taken only a mere handful of seconds. Ajax rose from his seat, stretching and steeling himself for the upcoming rematch against Nappa. While stretching, Ajax transmitted a discreet telepathic message to the Z Fighters.
'Hey, everyone. Don't react to the following message. It's good news, but we don't want to tip off the Saiyans. Goku will be arriving in fifteen.'
From the corner of his eye, Ajax noted that none of the Z Fighters had displayed any visible signs of receiving the message, even Gohan. Good. There was no need for Vegeta and Nappa to be privy to Goku's timetable. While it's a minor advantage, restricting the flow of information to keep their enemies in the dark was an easy one to obtain, and Ajax wasn't about to turn down any advantage he could secure. Now, he just needed to brief everyone on his plan—
'You got any bright ideas for us, brat?' Piccolo's gruff voice interrupted Ajax. Much like Goku, Piccolo remembered the advice Ajax had provided during the encounter with Raditz.
–Or Ajax can be asked for his plan. He wouldn't mind being the designated strategist. After all, he was the only one with the advantage of hindsight.
'For all of you, maintain as much distance as possible. To wipe away his previous 'defeat', Nappa will want to reestablish his dominance early on, so he'll likely start with something powerful and destructive—probably a Ki attack, given that he's no longer restrained from using them. Following that, everyone should look for opportunities to bombard him with anything you all have from a distance. As he weakens, he'll become more vulnerable to such attacks.'
'We can help fight him too, Ajax!' Krillin clenched his fists with determination.
Ajax turned to face Krillin, his expression stern. He can appreciate Krillin's fierce loyalty, but no offense to his senpai, that was the dumbest suggestion he had heard all day.
'No, you'll get in my way. I need to be the one engaging him physically to absorb as many blows as possible.'
'But–' Krillin seemed frustrated as he hesitated.
'Krillin, listen to Ajax,' Tien interrupted, his arms crossing over his chest. 'I've seen him fight Nappa, and they are on a completely different level than us right now.'
Krillin's expression twisted into a grimace as the words sank in. Deep down, he knew that he was outclassed in terms of raw power. The memory of being taken out by a single hit in his previous encounter with Nappa was still fresh in his mind, and he had never been so acutely aware of his own limitations as he was now. Krillin hesitated but ultimately nodded in agreement.
'I understand your frustration, Krillin, but the fact of the matter is, my body's ability is better suited to endure physical punishment than anyone else's.' Ajax placed a reassuring hand on Krillin's shoulder. 'If you want to help me, you need to focus on providing support from a distance.'
"Time's up, pipsqueaks," Nappa's booming voice shattered the tense silence. "I don't know what kind of charades you're all playing, but your hero hasn't arrived and words won't save you anymore!"
Nappa's eyes gleamed with predatory intensity, and the air around him thickened with an ominous bloodlust as his power radiated outward. The Z Fighters tightened their stances, bracing themselves for the imminent clash.
Their battle for survival had begun.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone