"You're not going anywhere!"
The sharp voice cut through the air, freezing them in place. All eyes turned toward the shadows, and their jaws dropped in shock.
"But... h-how?" Krillin stammered, his voice trembling. "Vegeta killed you!"
Out from the shadows stepped a lean, purple-skinned alien, battered and bruised but very much alive. He chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with menace. "He thought he did."
Gohan took a step back, panic rising in his chest. "G-guys... are you sensing what I'm sensing?!"
Cui flexed his muscles, grinning wickedly. "Hey," he called out to Dende, his tone commanding. "Jump on my back and show me the way. I'll have my hidden powers unlocked instead of these fools."
Dende took a step back, fear flashing in his eyes.
Cui chuckled darkly. "Come on, slug boy. There's plenty of slimy food waiting for you across the galaxy. All you have to do is cooperate."
Yamcha growled, stepping forward. "You're not calling the shots here!"
Krillin shot Yamcha an incredulous look. "Are you insane? This guy's as strong as Vegeta was when he first came to Earth! We don't stand a chance!"
Cui laughed, folding his arms smugly. "Impressive. Your knowledge of intergalactic affairs is commendable."
His mind flashed back to when he faked his death, slipping away while Vegeta was distracted by Zarbon. Hiding in this remote spot, Cui had chosen to remain unseen as these weaklings arrived in their battered state. Cui had observed from the shadows as the Namekian brat dug up the beans and fed them to the pitiful fighters.
He had duly copied the act, digging up and chewing a handful of beans himself. And now, here he was, rejuvenated and ready to claim more power.
"I really should thank you lot," Cui sneered. "Because of you, I not only healed but found a way to unlock my hidden powers. How about this: join my regiment, and I might spare you."
Krillin tensed, still on edge. "You're serious? You think we'd be useful to you?"
"No, you idiots," Cui said with a sneer. "I just need some bootlickers to serve me! Hahaha!"
Gohan clenched his fists. This guy was beyond cocky.
In an instant, Cui vanished from sight. Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha immediately dropped into fighting stances, eyes darting around.
But Cui reappeared in front of Dende. "So, how about it? Ready to come along?"
Dende trembled, unable to form words.
Cui's laughter echoed. "Oh, come on! You Namekians really are a bunch of sissies!"
"YAH!" Dende, eyes squeezed shut, fired a blast at point-blank range.
The energy struck Cui, but he barely flinched. His brow twitched in annoyance. "You insolent little-!"
Cui growled as he retaliated, sending a blast straight at Dende. "Take this!"
"NO!" Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha shouted in unison.
Dende screamed as he was hurled backward, crashing into the ground, burns searing across his body.
Gohan rushed to his side. "Dende! Say something!"
Dende coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. "It... it really hurts." Though battered, the little Namekian was still alive.
Cui facepalmed. "Ugh, my impulsiveness... I almost killed him!"
"You monster!" Krillin shouted, fury boiling over.
Yamcha, keeping his eyes on Cui, whispered "Krillin, look closer. This guy's putting up a front."
Krillin frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Vegeta messed him up more than we thought. He's weakened, far from his best," Yamcha explained. "That's why he jumped us before we could leave. He's afraid he won't be able to keep up if he tries to chase us."
Krillin squinted, focusing his senses. "Yeah... you're right. But I still don't think it's enough of a difference."
Gohan, clenching his fists, stepped forward, his aura flaring to life. "You bastard!" he roared, his energy rising as his stance widened.
Krillin and Yamcha immediately jumped to his side, their auras igniting as well.
Cui snarled, veins bulging in his forehead. "So, you brats wanna fight? Bring it on! I WILL CASTRATE YOU!"
But as he yelled, Krillin suddenly froze, his aura fading. "Wait... no way. It's Vegeta!"
"What?!" Cui whipped his head around in shock.
That split-second distraction was all Krillin needed. He shot into the air, cupping his hands behind his waist. "Kame... hame... HA!"
Too late, Cui realized the ruse. Krillin's energy blast exploded against him, sending him stumbling.
"Now!" Krillin shouted. "Hit him while he's down!"
Gohan and Yamcha didn't hesitate. "HAAAA!" They dashed forward, launching a flurry of punches and kicks at Cui.
Cui, still reeling from Krillin's blast, managed to block and dodge, but not without difficulty. "Take this!" he yelled, landing a brutal punch to Gohan's face, sending him flying.
He grabbed Yamcha's leg mid-kick, twisting him into the air. "Let go!" Yamcha shouted, struggling in vain.
Cui began to spin, whirling Yamcha around with blinding speed, kicking up a whirlwind around them. Then, with a sharp release, he hurled Yamcha straight toward Krillin.
"Yikes!" Krillin panicked, barely throwing his Destructo Disc into the air before Yamcha crashed into him.
Cui snickered, but his smug expression was quickly wiped off as a sharp force collided with his back.
"Ungh!" he groaned, stumbling forward.
Gohan, bloodied but determined, had slammed his fist into the weak spot where Vegeta had damaged Cui's armor. His energy flared wildly. "Masenko-HA!"
Cui screamed as the beam struck, blasting him through several trees before smashing him into a rock formation. The impact exploded with a deafening KADOOM! , sending shockwaves across the area.
A massive cloud of smoke billowed up as the dust settled. Krillin and Yamcha coughed, trying to catch their breath amidst the chaos.
"Wow, Gohan," Krillin said, peeking through the smoke. His tone reflected his awe. "You did it."
... ...
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away...
Near the shore of one of the planet's seas, a group of Namekian kids excitedly approached the water's edge.
"Let's see what we caught today!" one of them said with a grin.
"Yeah!" his friend laughed, eager to see the haul.
The boys worked together to pull the net from the water. It felt unusually heavy today, and their excitement grew as they imagined a big catch. When they finally pulled the net onto the shore, their eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow, look at that!" one exclaimed. "It's an alien!"
The boys gathered around the net, fascinated and curious.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
King Gai's Place...
Grunts broke the still morning air like drumbeats in a sparring match. A white cape lay draped over a chair beside the neat yellow cottage of King Gai's.
Piccolo, with just his turban and gi on, sprang forward with a flurry of jabs. His arms moved like pistons, fists slicing through the air. Each strike carried weight, yet the blue master, engulfed in a flaming red aura, twisted and swayed around them with fluid precision, dashing back as Piccolo pressed.
Suddenly, Gai ducked under a cross and vanished in a blur.
Wham!
A heel slammed into Piccolo's lower back. His body lurched forward and crashed into the dirt.
"Grragh!" he growled, spitting grit.
Muscles coiled, he forced himself up and shoved both arms ahead, fingers stiff.
"Destructive Wave!"
Energy surged between his palms, then burst forth as a jagged white arc, scorching the ground in its path.
Across the field, King Gai's smile dropped.
His teeth gritted; he hadn't expected an attack like this. He quickly summonied a tight sphere of blue energy and hurled it with a grunt.
Piccolo's destructive wave collided with the ball of ki, only to rebound upward, deflected cleanly by the compressed blue sphere.
Piccolo's face spell shock as his eyes tracked the wave fizzling into the sky. "What the-?! "
Across the field, King Gai's calm returned as he dusted his palms off theatrically.
"I see what you tried there," he said with a knowing grin. "But I've got a few tricks of my own."
Still catching his breath, Piccolo glared at him, the scowl etched deep on his face.
King Gai continued, his tone edged with admiration. "You've started using the Rayoken in short bursts, haven't you? To minimize the energy drain. Clever. I didn't even think that was possible. Well done, Piccolo."
Piccolo turned his head, teeth gritting as he looked away. "Hmph."
.. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .
Back on Planet Namek...
Gohan watched the thick cloud of smoke with his brows furrowed, every muscle tense. He waited, eyes sharp, for any sign of movement as the smoke slowly began to clear.
As the dust settled, the destruction became evident. The rock formation where Cui had crashed was nothing but rubble, shattered into countless fragments. And there, at the center of the devastation, the outline of Cui's battered form could be made out in the haze.
To be continued...