Dragon Ball, Saiyans Don't Just Want to Get Stronger!

"You heard me. I'm in a hurry, so come at me with everything you've got."

"Hah--!!!"

Nail let out a low shout, and the white aura around his body erupted in an instant!

The powerful energy fluctuations caused the ground beneath his feet to tremble slightly.

Knowing full well what kind of existence he was facing, he dared not hold back even a fraction, going all out from the very first strike!

His figure suddenly blurred, transforming into a streak of white light as he rushed toward Vitelli with astonishing speed!

Fists, feet, elbows, knees... every part of his body became a lethal weapon, unleashing a storm of strikes that tore through the air with the intensity of a hurricane!

However, facing this violent onslaught, Vitelli did not move a single step.

He simply raised the index finger of his right hand with a calm expression.

Bang! Slap! Bang! Bang!

A series of rapid, crisp collision sounds rang out. Nail's fierce attacks, capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, were all blocked with pinpoint precision by that seemingly slender finger!

That finger seemed to contain infinite power and absolute accuracy, each light touch perfectly dismantling the strongest point of force in Nail's offensive.

Nail's expression changed instantly, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

He could feel that every one of his attacks was like slamming into an indestructible, invisible wall; all his power was easily neutralized—

It even sent a numbing vibration back through his arms.

"How... how is it just a single finger?!"

A tempest of shock raged in Nail's heart.

"Just a mere finger is enough to render my attacks completely ineffective?! Is... is this the power of a god?!"

A strong sense of frustration and unwillingness welled up within him, but his pride as a warrior refused to let him give up so easily.

He abruptly halted his near-useless close-quarters assault, using the recoil from a collision to perform several backflips, putting significant distance between himself and Vitelli.

After landing firmly on his feet, Nail quickly pulled his hands together in front of his chest.

Pale purple energy began to gather rapidly, emitting a dazzling light and astonishing energy fluctuations!

He was clearly intending to use his strongest energy wave to decide the outcome!

Seeing this stance, Vitelli shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness:

"Sigh, I don't even know how much force to use to just push you back without hurting you. If you get injured because of this, I apologize."

As he spoke, he maintained his relaxed demeanor, simply pointing that raised index finger at Nail, whose face was flushed red from the energy gathering.

At the tip of his finger, a white energy wave the size of a ping-pong ball, appearing completely unremarkable, quietly emerged.

At the same time, Nail's ultimate technique was ready!

"Please be careful, Lord Vitelli! My most powerful strike, Burst Impact Wave!!!"

Nail roared, pushing out all the energy in his body without reservation. A thick, massive pillar of purple energy roared toward Vitelli, carving deep trenches into the ground as it passed!

Facing this massive attack, Vitelli merely flicked his finger.

Whoosh--!

The tiny white energy wave shot out silently, meeting Nail's full-power strike that was capable of destroying a small planet.

The next moment, a scene that left Nail dumbfounded occurred!

The moment the tiny white energy wave made contact with the massive purple pillar, it was not annihilated; instead, it easily tore through and pierced Nail's shockwave from the inside!

The white energy wave surged forward, its speed completely undiminished!

Wherever it passed, the purple energy pillar disintegrated and vanished! It neutralized and pierced through the attack with an unreasonable, overwhelming force!

"Nani?!"

Nail's pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief.

He tried his best to maintain his energy output, only to find it was entirely futile!

The destructive power contained within that tiny energy wave was violently beyond belief, far exceeding his scope of understanding!

Seeing that Nail wasn't dodging or weaving and was actually trying to tank the hit, Vitelli was momentarily stunned.

He hurriedly shouted, "Hey! Are you an idiot?! Dodge it! You can't just take that thing head-on!"

However, Nail gritted his teeth and instead erupted with all his remaining energy, truly intending to resist to the very end!

"Urghaaaaa--!"

Nail let out a desperate, full-force roar.

Under his despairing gaze...

BOOM--!!!!!!

An earth-shattering explosion erupted, shaking the entire vast plain violently!

The violent energy shockwave expanded instantly, whipping up a sky full of dust and debris!

As the dust began to settle, a massive, bottomless crater over several hundred meters in diameter appeared exactly where Nail had been standing!

The edges of the pit were perfectly circular, as if the ground had been struck head-on by an asteroid.

Scorching heat waves continued to roll out from the depths, distorting the surrounding air.

Vitelli's heart skipped a beat; he was overcome by a deeply ominous premonition.

He lunged toward the edge of the giant crater and peered down, but the bottom remained shrouded in thick dust and steaming heat, leaving him unable to see a thing.

"Hoo--!"

Vitelli blew out a sharp breath, and a powerful gust of wind instantly swept away the thick smoke and dust within the pit.

The scene at the bottom of the crater was laid bare—

Nail's lower body was buried deep within the scorched earth, and his exposed upper torso was charred black. The two arms he had been using to desperately defend himself were completely gone, leaving only scorched remnants clinging to his shoulders.

His eyes were tightly shut, his energy reduced to a mere flicker; he was clearly on the verge of death!

"Damn it!"

Vitelli's expression shifted, and he began rummaging frantically through the pockets of his combat suit.

"Senzu Bean! Where did I put the Senzu Bean?!"

Supreme Kai Shin hurried over, his face filled with shock and distress at the sight of Nail's miserable state at the bottom of the pit.

Although he did not fully trust Vitelli, he knew the people of Namek were a peace-loving race. Seeing one of them on the brink of death from a mere sparring match, he could not stand idly by.

"Kibito!" Shin commanded in a low voice.

"Yes, Supreme Kai!"

Kibito understood immediately, and the two of them leaped into the deep crater together.

Shin channeled a sliver of his divine power, carefully "pulling" Nail out from the scorching earth and stone.

Kibito assisted from the side, and together they brought the dying Nail back to the edge of the pit, laying him flat beside Vitelli.

Seeing Nail's shallow breathing and the near-total absence of life signs, Vitelli finally fished a Senzu Bean from his pocket, knelt down, pried Nail's mouth open, and shoved it inside.

"Please, you have to work... otherwise, I'll wake up in the middle of the night just to curse myself for being such a bastard."

Vitelli watched nervously, only exhaling in relief when he saw Nail's throat move slightly as he swallowed the bean.

While he didn't mind a few injuries during a spar, accidentally killing someone was a different matter; even a man as ruthless to his enemies as he was would feel a heavy burden of guilt.

Fortunately, the effects of the Senzu Bean were instantaneous.

Nail's severe injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the charred skin quickly sloughed off to reveal fresh growth beneath.

Even more miraculously, the flesh at his severed shoulders began to churn and knit together; two brand-new arms grew back within a few breaths, restoring him to factory settings!

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

Nail coughed violently and opened his eyes, instinctively springing up from the ground with a kip-up.

He flexed his regenerated arms, his face filled with astonishment and confusion.

Seeing this, Vitelli finally let out a long sigh, his heart finally settling back into place.

He then looked at Nail, annoyed, and said:

"You could have dodged that! Why didn't you move? I pulled my punch, but it wasn't something you could just tank!"

At these words, a look of shame appeared on Nail's face. He remained silent for a moment before speaking in a complex tone:

"I don't know... it's just... there was a voice in my heart telling me that if I wanted to become stronger and truly protect Namek, I could fail or even die when facing an insurmountable power. But I could not lose the courage to face it... and then I... I just..."

He seemed unable to accurately describe that impulse.

Vitelli listened, feeling helpless, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

Are you trying to cosplay as Zoro or something?

But seeing Nail's look of shame mixed with the stubbornness of a true warrior, he couldn't bring himself to scold him further.

He could only sigh and shake his head:

"Good grief, what a mess! What is this all about..."

He walked a few steps over to Whis, who was still watching the show and snacking, and said to Supreme Kai Shin and his attendant Kibito:

"Come over here and put your hands on Whis's shoulder. It's time to go."

Supreme Kai Shin seemed lost in thought, still dwelling on Nail's words about "strength and protection."

Kibito, standing guard beside him, noticed and whispered a reminder: "Supreme Kai."

Shin snapped back to reality, cast a complex look at Nail and then at Vitelli, and finally stepped forward with Kibito to place their hands on Whis's shoulder.

Vitelli turned to Nail, who was still reflecting on the brief but soul-stirring battle, and said:

"I owe you one for this. If you ever face an enemy on Namek that you cannot defeat, call out Whis's name. He will notify me, and I will come to help you once."

Whis smiled and nodded from the side, adding:

"Notifying you is no problem at all, Vitelli-san. As for the price... how about a serving of top-quality roast beef? Three times the usual portion, of course~"

Vitelli was rendered speechless, truly having no temper left for this gluttonous angel who thought of nothing but food every waking moment.

"Deal!"

He replied with a huff.

A brilliant streak of light flashed by as Whis tapped his Scepter against the ground, and the figures of the group instantly vanished from the plains of Namek.

Nail was left alone on the scarred plain, still standing exactly where he had been.

He gazed at the spot where they had departed with a complex expression, the pride he once held as the "strongest warrior of Namek" having all but dissipated.

That finger from earlier, that tiny energy blast... the sense of powerlessness they brought was profound.

Just then, the aged and gentle voice of the Grand Elder suddenly echoed in Nail's mind:

"Nail."

Nail immediately composed himself, closing his eyes to respond respectfully within his thoughts:

"Yes, Grand Elder. Please, give your command."

"Do not be overly discouraged, my child."

The Grand Elder's voice carried a tone of comfort.

"You must know that throughout the vast and boundless universe, there exist countless planets, and the strong beings born upon them are beyond counting. You are still young, and the road ahead is long. As long as you train diligently and constantly surpass yourself, one day you will be able to become even stronger than you are now."

Nail opened his eyes, the confusion and dejection within them gradually replaced by a steady, resolute light.

He clenched his rejuvenated fist and replied in a low voice:

"Yes, Grand Elder! Nail understands! I will surely strive to become stronger in the future; I must possess enough power to better protect you and the safety of Namek!"

Yet, after a moment of hesitation, he could not help but ask the Grand Elder in the depths of his heart:

"But... Grand Elder, do I really... do I really have a chance to catch up to that young God of Destruction one day in the future?"

The voice in his mind fell silent for a moment, as if contemplating how to answer without dampening Nail's spirit.