PART NINETEEN: OFF TO THE SECOND ROUND!

Chapter 91

Translated by npberryhill

Nappa raised his arms above his head, stretching casually up and down then side to side. He then threw a few empty punches into the air, snapping his neck from side to side to indicate he was finally ready. The bald Saiyan was incredibly psyched about this, the fact that he was the one to get to face Freeza again. The youngest Frost Demon of Universe 8, Lord Freeza, made no move at all.

“Oh, yeah,” Kakarotto interrupted, putting his hand on Raditz’ shoulder. “This is when we get to see Nappa utterly annihilated by Freeza.” He smiled again, cruelly. “That is, if the gravity of the ring alone doesn’t crush his bones to dust.”

“You’re a jerk!” Raditz snorted. “You know damn well Nappa can handle that level of gravity—we all trained under much more intense levels.”

Indeed, every Saiyan born and raised on their home planet had grown accustomed to a gravity level ten times that of Earth. But during their travels throughout the galaxy, for decades after their planet’s destruction, the surviving Saiyans had ample opportunity to improve their resistance beyond a mere ten times gravity. Today, none of them would have been seriously hampered by a simple 100G’s. Of course, that wasn’t even factoring in that Nappa and Raditz could transform into their Oozaru form in order to gain more strength.

But even so, Raditz agreed that Nappa had probably lost the fight even before it began. Both he and the bald Saiyan were quite strong now, but it wouldn’t be enough. Had Vegeta never beaten Freeza in the first place, Nappa certainly wouldn’t have been able to even get this strong—enough that he could handle a hundred times gravity as a non-Super Saiyan. But without the transformation, winning would prove quite difficult.

“The two of us came up with a plan just a moment ago, brother. Just watch...this is going to be great,” Raditz concluded.

While Nappa left the area of Universe 13, seeming to head towards the ring, Freeza continued to speak with his brother and father. Whether he was discussing strategy or his disgust for Saiyans, it didn’t matter. When Nappa suddenly called out at him, he froze.

“Hey, cue ball!”

The Frost Demon, recognizing the annoying Saiyan’s voice, widened his eyes. Slowly and furiously, he turned his head towards Nappa.

“Ahah! He turns on the spot! This little guy knows when he’s called, doesn’t he?!”

The demon’s brother, Coola, began to giggle to himself, causing Freeza even more frustration. He instantly gritted his teeth and lowered his head. If not for the rules of this tournament, he would have crushed Nappa without a moment’s hesitation. Still, summoning all the self-control he could, Freeza managed to keep himself silent.

Nappa, however, just couldn’t leave it alone.

“Don’t worry, I’m bald too. But, at least I’m not a midget.” The Saiyan’s grin was widening with each taunt. “Anyway, I was just coming to introduce myself, as I’m your next opponent. Plus, you happen to be my former boss...although ‘little chief’ might be more accurate.”

A large vein began to swell on Freeza’s forehead, the tyrant cursing under his breath. He had reached his limit, the irritation having crossed the line. But Nappa, ever so casually, continued the conversation, his tone as smooth and unintimidated as always.

“So many universes filled with Saiyans...but only one with the Frost Demons. I hope you aren’t too ashamed...”

It was simply too much for Freeza to bare; his quota of patience had been far exceeded! “The second you enter that ring you’re going to be dead, you arrogant monkey!”

The restraint it took to refrain from pummeling the Saiyan right then and there was unimaginable, but he knew it was only a matter of seconds until their fight began. Would that damned Varga hurry up and announce their fight already!!?

“Dream on! You won’t even be able to touch me!” Nappa laughed, raising his hand and beckoning Freeza to try something. “You must have realized it by now, but maybe you’re just too short to have seen all the fights. Here...I’ll explain for you. Everyone here is way above your level. And I’m not talking about height,” he added with a smirk. “You won’t be able to land a single blow to anyone in this whole tournament!”

“You insolent wretch! I’m going to make you suffer so much, even your last thought will be a desperate wish that you had just forfeited!” Freeza cried, hoping to silence his loud-mouthed foe.

After all he had gone through, the Frost Demon was practically shivering, jumping out of his skin to tear into Nappa. He was going to cripple him first with an angry strike, then very slowly and painfully draw out his end. Before the fight was done, he would see to it that Nappa was begging him for mercy!

“All right, ladies and gentlemen! Our first fight will now begin! I call Nappa of Universe 13 against Freeza of Universe 8!” the Varga finally announced. The cheers of the audience suddenly rang to life again, cries in favor of each warrior being screamed out from various fans.

Nappa took off toward the ring, lifting his left fist into the air, but paused only a few meters off the ground, seizing yet another perfect opportunity.

“Oh hey, do you still have that flying chair of yours? You know, for a long time most of us thought you were a cripple!”

Freeza, his murderous impulses no longer capable of being contained, vanished and reappeared inside the ring instantly. “You are going...to suffer!!” he yelled, breathing heavily into each word.

Taking his time, a smirk on his lips, Nappa laxidasically made his way up to the ring. “Oh, man, you look pissed. Do I detect the little midget is throwing a temper tantrum? Well, that’s just like a little spoiled princess I guess.”

Shaking with the boiling hatred of his full wrath, Freeza raised his voice into a roar. “TOUCH THE RING, SO I CAN END YOU, DIRTY MONKEY!”

“Oh, dear...I’m absolutely terrified,” Nappa chuckled. “Just chill out, buddy. Ah? Chill out? See what I did there?” The Saiyan still hadn’t landed on the ring, hovering just inches above it as he teased the tyrant responsible for destroying his world. Freeza had lost all control. His fists were now clenched so tightly that it hurt. It had been years since he’d felt a rage anything near this.

“Ground! Monkey! Get DOWN! I will...reduce you to a pulp! I will destroy you! You’ll regret ever being born!”

It was as if Freeza lacked all clarity of thought, as if his mind was overrun with madness and murder. ‘These cursed Saiyans’ he thought. ‘If I could go back and destroy them a hundred times more, it still wouldn’t be enough!’

Nappa seemed to hesitate for a moment, mentally preparing himself. Could he win? He didn’t think so, but that wasn’t going to stop him from winning in every other sense. And what about Freeza? Could the Frost Demon end him in an instant? Finally, readying himself to finish his plan, he ventured his feet onto the surface of the ring. Instantly, he lunged at Freeza, using his maximum speed.

The Frost Demon, still lost in a mad rage, opened his eyes wide, shocked at the Saiyan’s speed. Before he could react, Nappa had hammered him directly in the cheek, sending him crashing to the ground.

The bald Saiyan, backing off, put his hands on his hips and grinned. “Ah, sweet victory! How satisfying it is to put the terrible tyrant Freeza in his place!” Even though Vegeta had killed Freeza in their universe, Nappa had never been given the opportunity to exact his own personal revenge.

Standing to his feet, Freeza exploded in anger. A jagged purple aura instantly surrounded him as he cried out in rage and shame. He had been played, manipulated, taken advantage of...and he hated it! Not to mention, Nappa was far faster and stronger than he had expected. The Saiyan’s level was at the very least comparable to the elite Ginyu commandos.

Trying to control his anger, Freeza let his aura subside. His rage, however, remained, almost palpable in the air. Then, roaring, he lunged at Nappa.

“And now you suffer!”

His hour of revenge had finally come! The foolish Saiyan was all his, and now he would pay the price. Nappa’s fate was completely in his hands, a toy with which he could do as he pleased. “YAAA!!!!”

“Oh, by the way,” Nappa interrupted hurriedly. “I give up.”

“Wh—WHAT!!!?” Freeza cried, halting a mere meter away from his opponent.

“If you even lay a finger on me, you’ll be disqualified,” he said, adding insult to injury.

“You...BASTARD!!!” Freeza yelled, nearly foaming at the mouth.

“And, the victory goes to Freeza!” the announcer boomed. “Nappa of Universe 13 has forfeited.”

Quickly, Nappa hopped out of the ring and back into the area of his own universe. Raditz, who had helped him form his plan, stood there with a huge smirk on his face. He might have lost his match, but there was no better way to lose than that. Such a sweet reward.

“Nice!” Raditz said, slapping a high five with the bald Saiyan. It was a landslide victory for both of them.

Motionless, Freeza stayed in the ring for a few seconds, unable to properly process his ‘victory’. He didn’t speak, though he had the urge to scream, the desire to destroy everything. He even considered ending this ridiculous tournament. Using one of his planet busters, he could turn this whole world into a pile of rubbish set to explode! Finally, though, he managed to calm down slightly and returned to his area in silence.

Coola and Cold, seeing his approach, neither moved nor said anything. They knew better.

“My Lord,” Butta timidly began. “Are you alright?”

Those were his last words. Exasperated, Freeza flung his arm up towards his henchmen’s dumb-faced expression. Butta’s head exploded immediately, his body remaining upright for a few seconds before falling onto the ground just in front of a terrified Jeece.

The Varga in charge of Universe 8 cautiously moved towards him, completely stunned. He couldn’t even speak, knowing what this monster was capable of and that if he upset him he’d likely suffer a similar fate.

Noticing this, Freeza turned to him.

“Come on! This is my own universe and these are MY soldiers. I am perfectly free to dispose of my own men if I so choose!”

‘Plus,’ he thought. ‘There’s at least a small chance that I killed Ginyu just now, if he was hiding inside Butta—my only consolation in all of this.’

Storming out of the area, Freeza stomped down the hallway. He was headed for his ship, hoping to get some much needed peace and quiet. He needed to relax, to calm himself down after all of this.

“Ok, everyone. On with our second match then! Fighting now will be Goku of Universe 18 against # 17 from the 14th universe.”

“What do you know,” 17 chuckled. “Looks like I’ll finally be able to rid myself of this frustrating old programming.”

# 17 was ready. Behind him, his twin sister had appeared. She was at least going to watch this fight, to support her brother. Plus, if she needed even more motivation, it was Son Goku he was fighting, of all people.

“Ah, finally!” Goku smiled. “My turn, and against a cyborg too! I’ve always wanted to fight one, and it was frustrating since I never got the chance. Just thinking about it gets me excited!”

Goku thought back to when he’d first heard about the two terrible cyborgs responsible for the terrible events in Trunks’ future. He’d been looking forward to facing them ever since then, but had never gotten the chance. It was all because he’d come down with a heart virus right before they appeared. #19 didn’t really matter when compared with 17 and 18, and Cell was different as well. After that, he’d died, so he never really had the chance to do a sparring match with #18. And after Buu...well, it just didn’t seem like the right time in light of everything. But today, finally, he would get revenge on that silly heart virus that had crippled him so many years ago.

“You do realize you’re going to be disappointed,” Vegeta said, watching the other Saiyan fly into the ring excitedly.

“Huh? Oh, well maybe. But it’ll still be fun!”

# 17 was already waiting inside the ring, appearing quite eager. “Hmph,” he smirked, pointing to himself with his thumb. “Kill Goku, just like the programming said. Well, I do this for me; it’s got nothing to do with that old man!”

The twins of universe 14 were cyborgs created by Dr. Gero, a brilliant scientist who was the mastermind of the Red Ribbon Army. When Goku was but a boy, he had single-handedly dismantled the Red Ribbon Army, who had wanted the Dragon Balls to take over the world. Gero had escaped their fate by chance, but Goku’s attack had destroyed the entire army and also crippled the organization, resulting in all its financial grants being revoked. His work had been delayed indefinitely. The work of a lifetime, years of hard work undone by one boy!

He had vowed revenge and improved his androids. Their single purpose: to eliminate Goku. # 16 was extremely powerful, but after several tests, the doctor could only conclude that the mech was too peaceful to obey. It was only after he captured two twins that he considered building his mechanical enhancements onto a fully human base. They did not have the strength of # 16, but it was more than enough to kill Goku.

However, the issue soon arose that they were difficult to control. Even brainwashing had only served to further their disrespectful natures. In the end, his hand had been forced. Overwhelmed by the situation, he had released 17 and 18—and they killed him. Still, even free of Gero’s control, the cyborgs had always clung to the desire to kill Goku, one of his programs that definitely stuck. Today, # 17 had the opportunity to fulfill that latent desire. But still, he didn’t want to accept the fact that it was Gero’s intention, the ‘creator’, a man he hated more than anything else.

“It’s weird for me too,” Goku said to the cyborg. “We never had the chance to fight.”

Goku leaned into his fighting stance, smiling. # 17 did the same. Both smiled. Then, they charged each other simultaneously. Their first blows were quite easy to block, a simple exchange. Landing back to back, they paused a moment longer, turning and smiling at one another. Then, taking off once more, the fight began in full force. Multiple blows thundered across the surface of the ring, each of them gradually unveiling their technique and skill. Rather quickly, # 17 managed to get the upper hand in terms of speed and strength, though only barely. Goku, seemingly amused, was able to avoid most of his opponent's attacks. A hard uppercut came smashing in, but the Saiyan dodged just above it, flipping over his opponent’s head. Goku smiled, thoroughly enjoying his fight so far. At last, he was fighting one of the androids!

“My sister nearly lost to a mere human like Yamcha, weak as she is. But as you can see, I have no problem at all handling the great Son Goku!”

“Hmm,” the Saiyan smiled. “So is this your real strength?”

“Ha! Ha! Nope! I’m not even using half of my power! What about you?”

“Same here. How about we kick it up a notch?”

Goku instantly flashed into a Super Saiyan, which hardly phased # 17. He had already seen three of them even before the tournament. However, he was immediately surprised at the speed with which Goku flew toward him. Then, the overwhelming force of Goku’s blow struck him solid on the left cheek. Its strength was unreal, and knocked him hard to the ground. He was unconscious before he even hit the ring.

Goku, himself surprised and let down, shook his head a little bit. “Whoops.” He hadn’t expected to beat the cyborg with a single punch, especially since he had made it a particularly delicate attack, by his standards. Vegeta had been right all along...he was quite disappointed.

“That’s thirty seconds unconscious!” the announcer said. “Which means Goku is the winner!”

“Well, darling,” Yamcha began, sitting on the edge of Universe 14’s area. “Are you still not interested in my help?”

# 18 was too shocked to respond. She couldn’t even look away from the ring, where her brother was being helped to his feet by a healer Namek. How could they be so weak when they had destroyed humanity? They had overcome all the resistance the Z fighters could afford, defeating Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and the Earthlings Tien, Yamcha, and Kulilin as well! Somehow, now, not only was Yamcha stronger than them, but Goku as well...and he was apparently much stronger.

And what of Yamcha’s offer? Was there some truth behind it after all? Maybe she should actually take it into consideration.

“Well, then? I told you that cyborg would provide you little amusement,” Vegeta said, greeting Goku upon his return.

“Yeah...It was my fault really. Just like yesterday, I was too quick. ”