Nappa marched toward Yamcha, cracking his knuckles as he flexed his fists. His Ki flared freely, heavy and oppressive, almost suffocating Yamcha. But there was no turning back. If he fell here, not just Capsule Corporation but the entire city would be doomed.
Yamcha swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. Forcing courage into his chest, he roared and charged at Nappa. Bulma seized the moment, waving frantically for the civilians to retreat. As she guided them away, she pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Chi-Chi. Neither Goku nor Piccolo carried phones, so Chi-Chi was her only hope of reaching them.
The line clicked, and Chi-Chi's familiar voice answered, "Hello, who is this?"
"It's Bulma! Chi-Chi, where's Goku right now?"
"Oh, Bulma, it's you. He took Gohan out for training. Honestly, Gohan is still so young, I told him—"
"Stop talking! Just find Goku immediately! The Saiyans are here!"
"Huh? Wh-what? O-okay! I'll find him right away!"
Chi-Chi's tone turned sharp with urgency. Hanging up, she dashed out the door, only to be buffeted by a powerful gust of wind. She staggered back, startled, then realized Goku and Piccolo were already airborne, streaking across the sky toward Capsule Corporation. The pressure she felt was from their high-speed flight.
Back at Capsule Corporation, Yamcha was already struggling desperately. Nappa stomped him into the ground, grinding his head beneath a massive boot. Puar cried out from Bulma's arms, "Master Yamcha!"
Yamcha's blood trickled down his face as he writhed beneath the crushing force. The more he resisted, the more excited Nappa became. The Saiyan bent down, seized Yamcha's hair, and yanked him up like a ragdoll.
"Still not going to tell me where Kakarot is?" Nappa sneered. "If you don't talk, I'll rip your arm clean off."
Through gritted teeth, Yamcha spat, "You disgusting bald brute, I'll never tell you anything!"
That single word—bald—struck Nappa like a dagger. His temper spiked instantly. On Planet Vegeta, he had brawled countless times over the mockery of his bare scalp. Surrounded by Saiyans with thick manes of hair, his bald head had always been his weakness.
The veins on his head bulged. If not for Vegeta's strict order to hold back, Yamcha's skull would have been crushed already. Instead, Nappa slammed Yamcha into the dirt, leaving a crater shaped like his broken body.
Bulma's hands flew to her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. The sheer cruelty of the Saiyans overwhelmed her. This was no battle—this was slaughter.
Vegeta, who had been resting casually against a tree, finally lost patience. His cold eyes snapped open. "That's enough, Nappa. He's tough, but he won't give us anything useful. Finish him."
A savage grin split Nappa's face. "Gladly! I've had my fun."
He raised his boot once more, ready to crush Yamcha's skull. Bulma's scream rang out: "No!!!"
Swish!
A blur of motion cut through the air. A lithe figure appeared above Nappa, flicking her finger against his bald head with effortless precision. The impact sent the massive Saiyan staggering backward, crashing into the dirt.
Bulma blinked in shock. "L-Lazuli!?"
Lazuli landed lightly, her eyes cold. She didn't bother to answer Bulma. The air around her shimmered with restrained power.
Bulma was still reeling when a warm hand settled on her shoulder. She turned, startled, to see Uchiha Chiga smiling faintly.
"I had hoped Goku and the others would handle this themselves," he said calmly. "But I didn't expect the Saiyans to land here of all places. Capsule Corporation, of all places—what luck."
"You… you know Goku?" Bulma asked, still trembling.
"You could say that. I crossed paths with him back when Raditz showed up."
Bulma's eyes widened. "Wait—you're the mysterious fighter Goku mentioned?!"
"That would be me," Chiga admitted. "Did you manage to call Goku?"
"Yes! He and Piccolo should be on their way already."
"Good. Though, truth be told, their trip will be wasted this time."
Chiga glanced at Lazuli, his tone steady but edged with expectation. "Lazuli, finish off that bald one. You were far too gentle just now. Enemies like him don't deserve mercy."
Lazuli hesitated. She was still adjusting to life beyond being human, still afraid of losing control. Her strike had been restrained on purpose. But she nodded, even as her eyes darted briefly to Chiga's hand still resting on Bulma's shoulder. A strange heaviness stirred in her chest.
Meanwhile, Nappa staggered upright, a massive lump swelling on his gleaming scalp. His rage boiled, but pain dimmed his bravado. Vegeta rose to his feet, scouter flashing as he assessed Lazuli. With a press of a button, the device hummed—then whined into a shrill crescendo.
Beep. Beep. Beep… Bang!
The scouter shattered in a burst of sparks, unable to process Lazuli's battle power. The reading had peaked at twenty-one thousand.
Silence gripped the field. Even Nappa stood frozen in disbelief. "What?! How can she be that strong? Was this the woman Raditz fought?"
Vegeta shook his head grimly. His gaze shifted to Chiga, sharp and cautious. "No. That level of power belongs to him." His voice dropped, almost wary. "This is troublesome. I hadn't expected Earth to have not one, but two warriors of this caliber."
Nappa fumbled for another scouter, trying to measure Chiga's strength. The device flickered but produced nothing, unable to gauge the depths of his energy. Cold sweat dripped down the giant's face.
"I told you," Vegeta said flatly, "Earthlings can mask their Ki. And that man's power dwarfs hers."
A creeping sense of dread gnawed at Nappa. Facing two opponents with such overwhelming force made even his Saiyan pride waver. "Vegeta, then… should we consider retreating?"
"Fool!" Vegeta snarled. "Do you think they'd let us walk away?"
His tail uncoiled from his waist, twitching with tension. A sharp glint burned in his eyes as he lifted his gaze skyward. "Calm yourself. Did you forget the true power of a Saiyan? Our transformation."
His eyes flicked toward the blazing sun. He smirked coldly. "It's not yet night. We'll need to use another technique."
The ground trembled with anticipation.
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