Chapter 87 – A Not-So-Perfect Heist

~ 1 Day Remaining Before Ginyu's Arrival ~

Nappa lay sprawled on his back on a small patch of grass, the abandoned village around him eerily silent and still. Bored out of his fucking mind, he idly tossed the Dragon Ball up and down, the polished orb gleaming in the crimson light of the battle raging in the sky above.

The activity was a poor distraction from the hunger that gnawed at his insides like a ravenous beast. He groaned as his stomach growled—no, howled—at him.

Nappa caught the Dragon Ball again, watching it roll out of his hand and onto the soft grass. With a grunt, he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow as he scanned the horizon beyond the cliffs encircling the village. The vast expanse stretched endlessly, devoid of any signs of life.

Nearly a day had passed since he had parted ways with Vegeta, tasked with the solitary mission of retrieving the Dragon Balls. Since that time, not a single power level had registered within his ki sense range. At this point, Nappa almost wished that the entire Frieza Force would descend upon him. At least it would give him something to do besides this tedious waiting game!

Heaving a sigh, Nappa flopped back onto the grass, his armor creaking softly under his weight.

Before their planned assault on the Frieza Force headquarters, Nappa and Vegeta had devised a strategy. Each of them would secure a functional scouter from the enemy ranks. Once their objectives were completed, Vegeta would initiate contact using a predetermined broadcast frequency.

It was a simple yet effective signal: if Nappa received it, he would know that Vegeta had successfully eliminated Zarbon, thus liberating the Frieza Force technology from the general's oppressive oversight. At that point, it would be safe to send messages.

However, if the signal failed to arrive within the designated timeframe, Nappa was to destroy his current scouter immediately and relocate to a secondary rendezvous point. This contingency plan ensured that if Vegeta encountered unforeseen complications or failed his mission, Nappa could quickly adjust and evade detection or capture by enemy forces.

Tampering with the message was also impossible since the pre-selected frequency was known only to Nappa and Vegeta. Furthermore, Vegeta wouldn't even attempt to secure a scouter until after Zarbon was dead, effectively minimizing the risk of false signals.

Over half a day ago, the scouter Nappa had appropriated from a fallen Frieza Force soldier crackled to life with a message from Vegeta. The terse notification flashed across the screen, indicating that the mission was completed and that everything would proceed as planned.

Receiving that message had allowed Nappa to breathe a sigh of relief. He knew that all he had to do now was wait for Vegeta to recover from the injuries sustained during the mission. Then, they would regroup, and he could finally go find something to eat!

Nappa strongly suspected the previous inhabitants of this village had ample time to evacuate. The vacant houses and barren fields strongly suggested this, as every morsel of food or useful item had been scavenged, leaving Nappa stranded in a desolate village devoid of sustenance. There was nothing edible within a 50-kilometer radius either. He had checked thoroughly! It had been a day, and he was fucking famished!

He knew he could venture farther to hunt, but his sense of duty and loyalty kept him rooted in place since he was uncertain of when Vegeta would recover from his wounds. Vegeta would skin him alive if he botched something as simple as waiting.

Surveying the expansive terrain around him, Nappa's mind delved inward, reflecting on the immense power he had attained following his second Zenkai from the clash with Cui. The magnitude of his newfound strength was almost surreal, as it elevated him to a level of power few Saiyans in history had ever achieved. At rest, his power level now hovered slightly above 19,000, exceeding even Prince Vegeta's strength just a month earlier.

The realization both thrilled and amazed him.

Nappa's face lit up with an excited grin, his eyes sparkling with the thrill of his new power. His current strength of over 19,000 was just the beginning; he knew he could push himself even further by manipulating his energy like those Earthlings. Plus, with the added boost from his Stormforged Mantle, Nappa figured he might even stand a chance against Zarbon himself!

Actually, he changed his mind; Zarbon had that weird transformation. He hadn't factored that in.

Nevertheless, Nappa's spirits remained high. Somehow, what had once seemed like unattainable heights was already beneath him.

Nappa couldn't help but feel genuinely grateful for having visited Earth, despite the clusterfuck of a shitfest it got them into with Frieza. He was certain that if he hadn't gone to Earth, he would still be stuck at that pitiful power level of 5,500.

Nappa's heightened senses snapped into focus as he detected a faint Ki presence at the fringes of his awareness. Shortly after entering his range, the small and unassuming energy signature abruptly stopped, almost as if taken aback. Then, to Nappa's surprise, it dropped even lower before resuming its steady advance towards him.

An enemy had appeared.

Instinct took over. Nappa immediately pushed aside all thoughts of hunger and lethargy, banishing them from his mind. He snatched up the Dragon Ball and hurled it deep into an abandoned Namekian dwelling nearby. The sphere bounced audibly inside the structure, but it ultimately stayed hidden and out of sight.

Nappa stood like a sentinel, his senses keenly tuned to the faint energy signature within his range. Anticipating a confrontation, he waited patiently for the source to reveal itself as it neared the village perimeter. However, to his growing annoyance, the energy remained stationary, stubbornly refusing to come out of hiding.

He waited a bit longer for it to reveal itself, but his patience wore thin when it decided to remain concealed.

He's not playing these games.

With a swift, purposeful motion, he pivoted toward the direction of the energy signature and fired an extremely weak blast into the spot where he sensed his adversary was hiding. The attack barely cracked the rock on impact, but it served its purpose as a warning.

Then, Nappa bellowed, "Show yourself! I know you're there!"

For a moment, silence greeted his challenge. Then, reluctantly, almost shamefully, a small figure emerged from the edges of the cliff, hesitantly stepping into the open.

Nappa's eyes widened in disbelief as he recognized the person.

It was Gohan.

...wait, what?

The sight of the young Saiyan standing before him, hands raised in a gesture of surrender, left Nappa stunned. His 5,000 IQ brain struggled to reconcile Gohan's unexpected presence on Namek.

Nappa immediately slapped himself across the face, much, much, harder than necessary, practically with his full strength. He yelped in pain, rubbing the stinging sensation from his cheek, half expecting to wake from some bizarre dream. But the reality remained unchanged before him, and a slow grin slowly lit up his face.

"Gohan! Is it really you? I'm not hallucinating from hunger, am I? Hahaha! What are you doing here, kid?" Nappa exclaimed with genuine delight and disbelief at the unexpected reunion with his young protégé. He could hardly believe his eyes. How had Gohan ended up here, all the way from Earth? The timing almost seemed too perfect, he had just been thinking about Earth, and here was Gohan, as if summoned!

"Y-yes, it's me, Mr. Nappa…" Gohan replied softly, nodding timidly. The poor child seemed to be on the verge of curling in on himself and crying.

Nappa's large frame moved with unexpected agility as he impatiently hurried over to Gohan. With overwhelming enthusiasm, he scooped up the nervous young Saiyan by the armpits, effortlessly lifting him as if he were proudly showcasing a new king—like Simba.

And it is only now, through the sensation of physical touch, could Nappa truly confirm that Gohan wasn't a figment of his imagination.

"You decided to join us after all!" Nappa's voice boomed with joy, a wide grin splitting his face. He laughed deeply. "Oh, this will be glorious, I tell you! Fate has smiled upon us today!"

Nappa was so overjoyed to see his protégé and so eager to cast off the General of Blood's lingering vestiges that he had completely overlooked the implications of why Gohan was here.

"Uhh... could you maybe put me down...?" Gohan asked tentatively. He was uncertain of how to react to Nappa's overwhelming enthusiasm, so he stayed still, suspended in the air by his armpits like a kitten.

Gohan regretted everything.

Sneaking away from the others and venturing off alone to find the Dragon Ball had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, confronted by a much stronger Nappa, Gohan realized just how perilous his decision had been. The Dragon Ball was definitely NOT unguarded.

Nappa complied with Gohan's request, gently setting the boy down, though not without enveloping him in a rough one-armed hug immediately afterward. Caught off guard once again, Gohan found himself pressed against the warrior's side, his face smushed against Nappa's muscular torso. He squirmed slightly in Nappa's arm, feeling torn between embarrassment and awkwardness.

Nappa bellowed:

"I knew it! Saiyan blood courses strong through your veins. You couldn't resist the call of the cosmos, and just like countless generations of Saiyans before you, you've ventured into the stars to battle, conquer, and spread your glory!"

Gohan had not, in fact, left home and traveled to Namek for something as ephemeral as glory. He wasn't interested in fame–or even fighting. He came because people would die if he didn't.

That being said, Gohan wasn't an idiot.

"Something like that, Mr. Nappa." Gohan lied as easily as he breathed, his voice slightly muffled against Nappa's side.

Nappa beamed at Gohan's response and released him from the impromptu hug. "Tell me, Gohan, why are you really here? How did you even manage to find your way to Namek?"

Oh, Gohan dreaded that question. His heart raced as Nappa's suddenly intense gaze bore into him, demanding an explanation. The young Saiyan's mind went into overdrive, desperately cobbling together a plausible story. He drew upon every ounce of creativity and quick thinking, pulling out every last drop of his skill at spouting plausible on-the-spot bullshit.

"It was... it was Mr. Piccolo! He uh– he… he discovered that he was a Namekian." Oh yeah~, this will work, Gohan is on a roll now. "Mr. Piccolo searched all over Earth and found the spaceship he used to arrive. Then, he decided to take me with him because he also wanted me to see what his home planet was like!"

Gohan beamed inwardly, pleased with his quick thinking. He is quite proud of that one.

Nappa listened intently, his expression twisting in distaste at the mention of Piccolo's name.

Huh," he mused aloud, slightly suspicious. The story seemed plausible enough at first glance, yet there was something subtly off about it that gnawed at Nappa's instincts. It felt too neat, too perfectly timed, and excessively convenient.

His hands settled on his hips as he scrutinized Gohan closely.

However, just as Nappa prepared to perform his cross-examination, his stomach chose that precise moment to betray him. A thunderous roar, not unlike some wild beast defending its territory, erupted from his midsection, startling both himself and Gohan with its ferocity.

Gohan's ears perked up at the familiar rumble, instantly recognizing it. It was a sound he had heard nearly every day for years, one that evoked memories of shared meals with his dad back home. Sensing an opportunity, Gohan shifted the conversation.

"Are you hungry, Mr. Nappa?" he asked innocently, though he already knew the answer.

"Pssh, of course not!" Nappa retorted gruffly, acting tough. "As if!"

His stomach immediately betrayed him with another, louder rumble, and Nappa immediately changed his tune.

"...Yes, I am. Very."

Gohan stared at Nappa for a moment before a metaphorical lightbulb flashed above his head. He reached into his gi and withdrew a small, compact case. He opened it, revealing a neatly organized collection of capsules. From among them, Gohan carefully reached within and selected a red capsule, holding it up for Nappa to see.

With a deft flick of his thumb, Gohan activated the capsule and tossed it lightly in front of Nappa. The small device released a faint hiss of air and smoke before expanding into a sturdy barrel. With a flourish, Gohan lifted the lid, unveiling its contents.

Inside, the barrel was filled to the brim with bright red, glossy apples.

Nappa froze and stood completely still, overcome with a flood of indescribable joy upon seeing what lay before him.

"Is–is this…?" Nappa said, his voice barely a whisper as he reached out with a trembling finger, pointing at the apples as though they might vanish if he blinked.

"Yeah, they're not poisonous, in case you're still worried about that," Gohan reassured with a chuckle.

As soon as he heard that the apples were safe, Nappa's hesitation evaporated like mist in the morning sun. With a speed that rivaled his combat reflexes, he snatched an apple from the barrel, his large hand enveloping the fruit completely. In one swift motion, Nappa shoved the entire apple into his mouth, his powerful jaws crunching through it vigorously.

The sheer delight of tasting fresh apples again, especially after a day of hunger, caused Nappa to let out a rather child-unfriendly groan of pleasure.

Gohan observed with a hint of disgust as Nappa proceeded to tear through the apples with unrestrained savagery. Apple cores accumulated rapidly around him, scattered haphazardly on the ground like the discarded remnants of a feast–for trolls.

"Take your time, Mr. Nappa. Make sure to chew, or you might end up choking."

Nappa made unintelligible happy sounds between bites in response, completely engrossed in the feast before him. He appeared oblivious to Gohan's reminder.

Observing this, Gohan took a casual step to the side, testing whether Nappa would notice his movement. To his surprise, there was no reaction from the Saiyan warrior, whose attention remained fixed solely on the barrel of apples. Encouraged by this, Gohan took two more deliberate steps, effectively removing himself from Nappa's line of sight. Still, there was no indication that Nappa had registered Gohan's absence.

Feeling emboldened by his success, Gohan stealthily approached the hut pinpointed by the Dragon Radar as the Dragon Ball's location. He stole a glance back at Nappa, who was still blissfully immersed in his apple feast, oblivious to his movements. With a sly grin, Gohan refocused on his mission and slipped into the deserted building.

Inside, Gohan's eyes scanned the room until they rested on a corner where the Dragon Ball lay partially concealed beneath a jumble of scattered items.

With a steady hand, Gohan retrieved the Dragon Ball from its hiding place in the hut. Then, he wasted no time nimbly navigating through the cluttered interior and discreetly left through a window on the opposite side.

Making sure to maintain a tight rein over his ki, Gohan swiftly got the fuck out without delay.

As he put distance between himself and Nappa, he couldn't stop a victorious grin from spreading across his face.

'In your face, Bulma! My fruits are useless, huh? Don't you ever sass me and my genius again! I'm the freaking best!'

Once Gohan could no longer sense Nappa's ki signature, he ceased hopping and took to the skies. The wind swept past him as he soared through the air, racing back to Guru's residence at top speed, clutching the Dragon Ball tightly in his hand.

Mission success!

~ At the same time: Abandoned Village ~

Back in the village, Nappa was in paradise. One by one, each succulent apple entered his mouth and slid down to his stomach, satisfying his hunger and nourishing him deeply. Though his hunger had been largely alleviated, Nappa couldn't resist indulging further—they were so good!

Mid-bite into another apple, Nappa suddenly jolted as a powerful energy signature ignited on the periphery of his awareness. This surge of energy pierced through the pleasant haze of satiation, and Nappa instantly shifted from blissful satisfaction to sharp alertness, his instincts had finally snapped into focus.

Setting aside the half-eaten apple, Nappa's gaze narrowed as he zeroed in on the origin of the energy—a formidable presence that rivaled Vegeta's power on Earth. Curiously, it seemed to be… moving away from him. How odd.

"Hey Gohan, you feelin' this energy?" Nappa called out, expecting a response.

"…"

Silence greeted him.

"Kid?" Nappa called out again, louder this time. A sense of unease began to settle in; the silence seemed unnaturally deafening.

A creeping sense of foreboding washed over Nappa as he turned sharply, scanning the deserted village. Not a single soul was around him, almost as if his encounter with Gohan had been a bizarre hallucination.

For a split second, Nappa entertained the unsettling suspicion that upon turning around, the barrel of apples would be gone, and he would wake up in a cold sweat on a random planet to an enraged Vegeta towering over him.

Swallowing hard, Nappa steeled himself and turned back towards the barrel of apples. He reached out, fingers curling around one firmly, confirming its solid, real presence.

Okay, he hadn't lost his mind. Good.

A sudden chill ran down Nappa's spine. Oh shit, he is starting to have a really bad feeling. He fervently rejected the reality before him, hoping that his intuition was wrong.

It had to still be there!

His heart thundered in his chest as he bolted into the hut where just moments ago, he had left the precious Dragon Ball. His mind refused what his instincts were screaming at him—that Gohan had betrayed him. Frantically, he tore through the cluttered interior, tossing aside debris and scouring every corner, every shadowed nook where the Dragon Ball could have been concealed.

But it was gone. Nowhere to be found.

It simply wasn't there.

But that meant…

Nappa stood motionless in the center of the hut, dumbfounded for 10 straight seconds, wrapping his head around what had transpired.

Gohan had… stolen… the Dragon Balls… from right under… his nose…

Nappa stood frozen, engulfed in existential dread over his colossal blunder. Horror clawed at his insides, tightening his chest. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if his heart had plummeted from its usual place into his stomach, and then further, straight out through him from his dick.

Vegeta would actually kill him this time, and Nappa couldn't even say shit in his defense.

He was as good as dead—actually dead. Completely fucked, by Gohan.

But then, true to the traditional Saiyan spirit, a surge of rage erupted from the depths of Nappa's being, overpowering all else.

"GOOOOHHHAAAAANNNNNN!!!" The scream of rage that ripped itself out of Nappa's throat was like the bellow of a war god, thundering across the village.

At this point, Gohan had long retreated beyond the range of Nappa's ki sense, rendering him unable to track the young Saiyan in that manner. However, this was of no concern to him.

Why, you might wonder?

Because the perfectly functional scouter he had looted was still with him.

Nappa swiftly retrieved the scouter and secured it to his face, activating it with practiced familiarity. A soft beep signaled its activation, and the device's display flickered to life, streaming data and numbers across its screen.

Nappa made a few quick adjustments to the settings, configuring the scouter to scan for energy signatures in the direction where he last sensed Gohan. The device detected something slightly off from Gohan's original direction, implying that the young Saiyan had altered his original trajectory after moving beyond Nappa's ki range.

A smirk curled Nappa's lips, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes as he processed the information.

Oh, so you think you're clever, huh, brat?

The scouter emitted several beeps before locking onto the signature. Numbers scrolled across the screen, revealing the power level of the detected energy and its increasing distance.

Found you.

A storm of electricity flickered and arced from Nappa's frame as he unleashed his trusted technique.

With a mighty roar of rage, he launched himself like a comet, accelerating so fast that the entire village trembled. The abandoned house where he had stood moments earlier shattered under the shockwave of his departure, bursting apart from the sheer force generated by his takeoff.

In the blink of an eye, Nappa disappeared from view, streaking through the air in pursuit of Gohan.

The village fell back into silence after Nappa's explosive departure.

For a few seconds at least.

Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning arcing back to earth, Nappa reappeared, electricity still dancing around him. He scooped up a huge armful of uneaten apples and swiftly took off again, inadvertently knocking over the small heap of apple cores on the ground as he departed.

Nappa was pissed, but apples were apples.