Ginyu Force

When the Ginyu Force's spaceship landed on Planet Namek, Talos stood atop a hill, sensing the five rapidly approaching energies descending from beyond the atmosphere. A medium-sized spacecraft streaked across the sky with pale blue exhaust flames trailing behind it. The Frieza Force emblem was painted on its nose, while five large words were brushed along its hull in military paint—Ginyu Force. The moment the hatch opened, five warriors in distinct poses stepped out.

Captain Ginyu landed first. Purple skin, black curved horns, a tall and powerful frame—every step he took carried precise control. Recoome followed close behind, the orange-haired giant standing over two meters tall and blocking half the sunlight simply by standing there. Burter and Jeice stood on either side—Burter lean and tall, Jeice short and stocky, together resembling a pair of uneven gateposts. Guldo floated out of the ship last, his four eyes blinking more rapidly than anyone else's, his green skin glinting coldly beneath the sunlight.

"This planet's gravity is 1.1 times that of Earth, and its oxygen level is higher than Planet Frieza's. Suitable for battle." Ginyu pressed his scouter and scanned the entire area. Several points of light appeared across the lens. "Zarbon and Dodoria's signals vanished three days ago. All Namekian villages have been emptied, and the Dragon Balls are scattered in at least four different directions. The enemy's highest power level is eighteen thousand, with several others around ten thousand."

"Eighteen thousand?" Recoome grinned. "I'm at one hundred and twenty thousand."

"Don't get careless." Ginyu switched off his scouter. "Zarbon and Dodoria were both above twenty thousand. They weren't crushed—they were caught off guard. The enemy has members skilled in control and restraint. They can limit movement, then pick us off one by one. We split into teams this time, two per group, covering each other. Recoome, you're with me. Burter, Jeice, take Guldo. Remember—when you encounter the target, cripple their control-type fighters first, then deal with their main force."

As the five scattered, Talos turned from the hilltop. Behind him, Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Piccolo, and Nappa were all in position. Chiaotzu remained aboard the ship to handle communications and rear coordination, while Bulma monitored the movements of Frieza's main fleet.

"There are five members of the Ginyu Force. Captain Ginyu has a power level of one hundred and twenty thousand. Recoome is around one hundred thousand. Burter is a speed type at roughly eighty thousand. Jeice is a ranged energy type at around seventy thousand. Guldo is the weakest at only ten thousand, but he can stop time—three seconds at a time, with an interval of about ten seconds." Talos said, "The plan is simple. Krillin and I take Recoome. Use the Qi Net to restrict his movements, then suppress him head-on. Tien Shinhan and Piccolo take Burter and Jeice—Piccolo will counter Burter's speed with his extending arms, while Tien Shinhan will precisely interrupt Jeice's ranged attacks with the Third Eye Beam. Nappa, Guldo is yours. His time stop only lasts three seconds each time, with roughly ten seconds between uses. During those three seconds, he can't attack, only move. Keep attacking without pause. Don't give him a chance to stop time a second time."

Nappa rolled his thick neck and grinned. "Finally, I get a one-on-one fight. That four-eyed green runt? One minute."

"Don't underestimate him. Guldo's time stop, combined with his teammates' focused fire, can instantly kill anyone below fifty thousand. But this time, he has no teammates to finish the job for him. Your frontal destructive power is enough to end the fight before he recovers—as long as you complete your combo within ten seconds."

"Ten seconds is plenty."

"Ginyu is mine." Talos flexed his wrist. "His power level is one hundred and twenty thousand. I'm at eighteen thousand normally, and seventy-two thousand with triple Kaioken. There's still a gap, but his special ability is body swapping. As long as I don't give him a chance to use it, we can win this."

Krillin formed hand seals, and strands of qi gathered at his fingertips into pale golden threads. "The Qi Net is already set. Three rings, maximum coverage of three hundred square meters. The moment Recoome charges in, he'll step right into it."

Piccolo said nothing. He stood two steps behind and to Tien Shinhan's right, his arms slightly extended—not out of nervousness, but as a ready stance. Tien Shinhan stood to Piccolo's left, the third eye on his forehead opening and closing faintly as golden light flickered through the slit. Nappa rolled his thick neck, white qi flames already wrapped around his fists.

"Targets confirmed. The enemy five have split into two groups—Ginyu and Recoome are heading due north, while Burter, Jeice, and Guldo are heading northeast. They'll enter engagement range in approximately four minutes." Talos lowered his hand and looked toward the green hills to the north. "Move."

Recoome was the first to spot the enemy. As he passed through a stretch of hills, his scouter caught a high-speed energy signature—only around twenty-five hundred. A bald little runt. Recoome grinned and dove toward the signal, raising his right fist high over his head, ready to smash both man and ground into pieces with one blow.

His fist came down. But it did not hit the ground—it hit a net.

Countless razor-thin golden qi threads abruptly tightened beneath his feet, dispersing the force of his punch across hundreds of points throughout the net. Recoome looked down at the threads wrapped around his ankles and wrists, then strained hard. They did not break. He tried again, and the threads only tightened further. He had never encountered an attack like this—something he could neither see nor touch, yet every thread wrapped precisely around the weakest points of his joints.

"What the hell is this—"

Krillin hovered in midair, his hands locked in seals, sweat beading on his forehead. Recoome's strength far exceeded Nappa's. Every struggle violently drained Krillin's qi. Gritting his teeth, he focused all his strength on holding the net steady. He did not need to hold it for long—Talos's attack had already arrived.

Kaioken. Triple. Red qi flames exploded from the far side of the hills, and Talos's power level shot from eighteen thousand to seventy-two thousand in an instant. His figure became a meteor within the crimson aura, his right fist carrying all its momentum as it slammed into Recoome's chest. Recoome did not even have time to cross his arms in defense. The blow sent him flying like a cannonball, smashing through three hills in a row and blasting a straight path of rock and dirt through the air. He finally stopped in an impact crater several meters deep, embedded at its bottom. A clear fist-shaped dent had caved into his chest, yet he was still moving—the Ginyu Force's strongest-built member had endured a seventy-two-thousand-level punch with the defense granted by a power level of one hundred thousand, and he had not gone down completely.

"I'm not done yet!" Recoome sprang from the crater and swung his right fist at Krillin again. This time, he ignored the Qi Net and tore at it head-on. The qi threads sliced several bone-deep wounds into his arm, but he did not care at all.

Krillin did not retreat. His hand seals changed again, and the Qi Net shifted from restraint to traction—every thread concentrated around Recoome's right arm, forcibly pulling his fist several inches off course. Those few inches were enough—Talos's second punch arrived. The same triple Kaioken, striking the same spot on his chest. Recoome finally collapsed. Before losing consciousness, he muttered one last sentence. "This net... is fucking annoying..."

Elsewhere, Tien Shinhan and Piccolo locked onto Burter and Jeice at the same time. Taking advantage of his superior speed, Burter attacked first, leaving a blurred afterimage between the hills. Piccolo's arm suddenly stretched out, wrapping around Burter's left leg and forcibly yanking him to a halt in the middle of his high-speed movement. Tien Shinhan charged in from the front, unleashing a modified Volleyball Fist combo that precisely targeted Burter's weakest defensive joints. Unable to accelerate while pinned by Piccolo's extending arm, Burter was driven back again and again by the barrage.

Jeice took the opportunity to fire a ranged energy blast. A purple sphere trailed flames as it shot toward Piccolo's flank. Piccolo retracted and swung his arm, using Burter's entire body as a shield. The energy blast struck Burter in the back, exploding his battle armor. His scream made the scouters buzz. Jeice froze for a moment, and before he could gather a second energy blast, a Ki Cannon shot from Tien Shinhan's palm and hit Jeice squarely in the chest. He flew backward, snapping two of Planet Namek's distinctive cylindrical trees before sliding to a stop beside Burter. The two lay side by side—one half-dead from his own teammate's energy blast, the other unconscious from the Ki Cannon.

Nappa and Guldo's duel unfolded in a hollow to the northeast. Guldo floated in the air, all four eyes locked onto Nappa. Time stop. Nappa's movements froze in place, his fist suspended in midair without moving an inch. Guldo took the chance to move behind Nappa and fired several energy blasts within three seconds, all of them striking Nappa's back. Time resumed. Nappa staggered one step, his battle armor on his back blasted into tatters, but he did not fall. Guldo stopped time again—again circling behind Nappa to fire energy blasts. This time, the instant time resumed, Nappa spun around. His fist brushed past Guldo's ear. Guldo activated time stop three times in a row. Nappa's back was blasted open, flesh torn apart, muscles and tendons faintly visible beneath the scorched skin.

But he was still smiling.

"Ten seconds are up." Nappa had counted Guldo's attack interval, and the moment time stop ended, he threw a punch.

Guldo had no time to activate his ability again. The blow sent him flying solidly through the air, all four eyes rolling white at once. After tracing an arc through the sky, he crashed into the dirt at the edge of the hollow. His limbs twitched a few times before falling still. Nappa carried his bloodied body over to Guldo, glanced down at him, then turned and headed toward the main battlefield.

Ginyu and Talos's battle unfolded on the main battlefield. Ginyu's power level was one hundred and twenty thousand, while Talos's triple Kaioken was seventy-two thousand. There was a gap—but Talos had layered the Out-of-Control State over his Kaioken, the crimson in his eyes pushing his actual combat strength beyond ninety thousand. The shockwaves from their fists and kicks shaved away the surrounding hills, while dense spiderweb cracks spread across the ground.

Ginyu took a crushing punch and plowed a long trench through the earth. He sprang from the trench, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and glared at Talos before suddenly smiling. "Your body is strong. Much stronger than the one I have now. If I switch with you—I'll have Kaioken too."

"You won't get the chance."

Talos vanished from where he stood. When he appeared again, he was already behind Ginyu. Ginyu turned to block, but Talos's attack was not a punch—it was the Evil Containment Wave. A pale golden sealing formation unfolded in the air, layer upon layer of glowing patterns winding around Ginyu's body. Ginyu looked down at the light patterns wrapping around him, terror exploding in his pupils. He struggled desperately, unleashing his full power in an attempt to break free, but the sealing formation, fueled by Talos's seventy-two-thousand power level, did not budge.

"Evil Containment Wave—complete." The sealing formation abruptly tightened, completely sealing Ginyu's body inside a fist-sized orb that slowly fell into Talos's palm. Ginyu's figure could still faintly be seen roaring silently within the sphere, but no sound could escape.

Recoome, Burter, and Jeice were tied together by Krillin's Qi Net and dragged behind the ship. Guldo was slung over Nappa's shoulder, his body swaying back and forth, all four eyes still rolled white as he remained unconscious. Every member of the Ginyu Force had been captured, and Planet Namek's skies fell quiet.

"How long until Frieza's ships arrive?" Talos put away Ginyu's sealing orb.

Bulma's voice came through the scouter. "The latest scan shows that Frieza's main fleet has entered the Planet Namek system. It's expected to enter the atmosphere around noon tomorrow. Also, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Goku and Vegeta's ship just completed its final day of training on Planet Yardrat and has already set course for here. The bad news is that Frieza's ship is faster than theirs."

"In other words, Goku and Vegeta might not be here when Frieza arrives at noon tomorrow."

"Right."

Talos fell silent for a second. "Then we hold out until they get here."

That night, Piccolo took the Dragon Balls and went alone to see the Grand Elder. The Namekians' temporary settlement had been established in a valley surrounded by mountains, hundreds of kilometers from the Frieza Force's camp. The Grand Elder sat inside the largest cylindrical structure at the center of the valley. His aged body was like a mountain eroded by time, each breath carrying a heavy echo. Piccolo knelt before the Grand Elder and placed the six Dragon Balls one by one on the stone platform.

The Grand Elder extended a withered hand and placed it atop Piccolo's head. "There is no evil in your heart. You hatched from King Piccolo's egg, but you are not him. You chose protection rather than revenge. This is the path you chose for yourself."

Piccolo lowered his head and said nothing.

"Porunga requires a Namekian wish incantation to be awakened. I will pass this incantation on to you." The Grand Elder closed his eyes, and the ancient words entered Piccolo's mind directly, every syllable branded deep into his memories. "Go. Use this power to protect your companions."

Piccolo rose and gave the Grand Elder a solemn bow. When he turned and left the stone hall, his steps were firmer than when he had arrived. Porunga's incantation echoed in his mind like the faint glow cast by Planet Namek's third moon as it rose.

At noon the next day, Frieza's main fleet pierced the atmosphere. A massive disc-shaped mothership hovered beneath the clouds, its shadow covering half the sky. Thousands of small combat craft poured out from the mothership, dense as a swarm of locusts. Seated upon a floating throne, Frieza slowly descended from the mothership. Purple and white skin, crimson eyes, and a pair of pitch-black curved horns atop his head—the Emperor of the Universe himself had finally set foot on Planet Namek.

"Zarbon and Dodoria were taken out. The Ginyu Force was taken out too. The natives of this planet should not possess that kind of fighting power." Frieza's voice was low and elegant, carrying a composure that sent chills down one's spine. "So I presume—it was Saiyans."

His gaze crossed the wasteland and settled on the orange-clad figure standing atop a distant hill.

"You are the Saiyan who destroyed Raditz's scouter."

"Turtle Hermit School. Talos." Talos leaped down from the hilltop and landed several dozen meters in front of Frieza.

Frieza smiled. His smile was soft and elegant, as though he were admiring a collectible that was about to become his. "Saiyans always surprise me at the most critical moments. Before Planet Vegeta was destroyed, several Saiyans rebelled as well. Their expressions before they died were much like yours now—stubborn, furious, convinced that they could change something. Then I killed them, one after another."

"You can try." As Talos spoke, red aura erupted around him. Kaioken x3—power level 72,000.

Frieza rose from his floating throne and removed his upper battle armor—this was the first time he had voluntarily taken it off in battle. He pressed his palms together, and blazing purple flames erupted around him as his aura rose exponentially. 530,000, 1 million, 2 million—in Talos's senses, this qi had grown vast enough to blot out the sky.

"530,000 was only my first form. This is my second form. How much is your Kaioken after doubling? 72,000? Not even half of my first form. You Saiyans' greatest weakness isn't your power level—it's your arrogance. You think multiplying your strength can make up for an absolute gap in power. But you'll soon understand—in the face of absolute power, every tactic is futile."

Frieza extended one finger. A thin purple beam shot from his fingertip, so fast it was almost impossible to track even with senses. Talos crossed his arms to block it, driving his qi barrier to its limit as the purple beam exploded against the defensive wall. The shockwave hurled him backward, ripping away half of his orange gi.

But he had blocked it. Kaioken x3 layered with the Out-of-Control State had pushed his power level close to 90,000, and he had taken an attack from Frieza's second form head-on without falling.

"Oh?" Frieza's pupils narrowed slightly. "You're a little more interesting than I thought. But only a little. For the next one, I won't be using just one finger."

Just as Frieza raised his hand to unleash a wider attack, a pillar of blue light crashed down vertically from the sky, striking precisely between Frieza and Talos. A trench several meters deep exploded across the ground—not an attack, but a warning. Once the shockwave faded, two figures emerged from opposite sides of the impact site.

Goku wore the white robes of Planet Yardrat. His long hair was slightly tousled by Yardrat's windblown sand, but an unprecedentedly fierce fighting spirit burned in his eyes. His base power level had soared directly from 8,600 a year ago to over 30,000, while the lingering traces of Instant Transmission left rings of pale blue ripples in the air.

Vegeta emerged from the other side, arms crossed over his chest, his signature sneer on his lips. A pale golden aura coiled around him, and the nature of that qi was no longer purely Saiyan energy—it had fused with something sharper: combat foresight. His base power level was now 32,000, slightly above Goku's. More importantly, the two stood shoulder to shoulder. Not merely together—they stood side by side in the formation of a combat unit, their coordination so seamless they needed no exchange of glances.

"Talos!" Goku's eyes lit up when he saw the figure opposite Frieza, half of his orange gi torn away. "You held on! We're here!"

Frieza withdrew his finger. His gaze swept back and forth among the three Saiyans several times. The numbers on his scouter lens flickered wildly, but what unsettled him even more than their power levels was that sense of coordination. The way these three stood together was something he had never seen in any conquering legion.

"Saiyans are like this. They keep popping up one after another, and no matter how many I kill, they never seem to run out." Frieza slowly rose into the air, purple flames surging around him once more as the bones of his third form began to crack sharply within his body. "Then I'll wipe you all out at once."

"Krillin!" Talos shouted.

"Coming!" Krillin rose from the far side of the hills, forming hand seals as dozens of golden qi strands wove through the air into an unprecedentedly massive net. This net was not meant to contain Frieza—it was meant to connect everyone. Each strand linked to a warrior's wrist, allowing all their qi to flow, share, and stack within the net. Qi Resonance.

Tien Shinhan's third eye snapped open. Piccolo's arm stretched to its limit, grabbing the edge of Frieza's floating throne. Nappa gathered all his qi into his right fist, while a long-absent curve rose at the corner of Vegeta's mouth—not a sneer, but a genuine smile.

"I've finally waited for this day. Go!"

Several figures charged Frieza at once. Orange, cyan, white, and purple auras intertwined, painting the most magnificent battle trails beneath Planet Namek's sky. Frieza hovered in the air, looking down at the figures rushing toward him, and for the first time, a flicker of unease passed through the depths of his eyes. He wasn't afraid of any individual Saiyan. What he feared was what he saw in their eyes—the look of those willing to stake their lives without hesitation for their companions. He had conquered hundreds of planets and slaughtered billions, yet among tens of billions of people, he had never seen such eyes. He couldn't understand them, nor could he calculate them.

Deep within a canyon on Planet Namek, Piccolo knelt before Porunga and recited the oldest wish-incantation in the Namekian language. The dragon soared into the heavens, and the light of the seven Dragon Balls illuminated the entire planet.