On Tabu's seventh day of practicing his stance in the Gravity Chamber, Nappa arranged the second round of live combat drills for the recruits. This time, there was no drawing lots to form groups; opponents were assigned. When Nappa announced the matchups, he deliberately saved Tabu's name for last, then read out his opponent—Laika. The name silenced the stands for a moment.
Laika had been the first among this batch of recruits to awaken Super Saiyan Grade 1. He was two years older than Tabu and more than half a head taller. His golden aura burned steadily and fiercely. He had won every previous recruit match, crushing his opponents head-on each time. Nappa's evaluation of him in the training log read: "Exceptional physical ability, but his style is too direct and easy to predict." But for most recruits, predicting him was useless—his punches were too fast and too heavy. Even if you knew where he was going to strike, you still could not block it.
Tabu still did not look up when he heard his name. He merely pulled his right hand from his pocket and flexed his fingers twice. "Tabu versus Laika. Take your positions." Tabu walked toward the ring at the same unhurried pace as last time. Recruits in the stands quietly muttered his name, but he did not react.
Laika was already waiting in the center of the ring. When he saw Tabu step up, he gave a derisive snort. "You again. I saw that punch you threw at Colt last time. Pretty fast. But Colt's dodging was slow to begin with, so there's nothing to be proud of for hitting him." Tabu stopped ten paces away from him and said nothing. He merely adjusted into the opening stance Vegeta had taught him—feet shoulder-width apart, weight on