Chapter 68 – Roll for Persuasion

~ A Few Minutes After: Plains of Namek ~

Being on an alien planet, hurtling through the air at hypersonic speeds sounded like the stuff of a legendary adventure, the kind that would make even the most jaded space traveler sit up and take notice. But in reality? It was hella boring.

The initial novelty of the terrain wore off very quickly, and it certainly didn't help that Namek seemingly boasted only one biome—a monotonous expanse of identical islands, trees, and grass extending endlessly as far as the eye could see. It was as if the planet had been copy-pasted with little variation, leading the traveler to question if they were trapped in some cosmic Groundhog Day loop.

Thankfully, their voyage hadn't been excessively lengthy, and it had only been an hour or two since they set off. Typically, covering such immense distances at standard flight speeds would have taken many hours, if not half a day. However, Ajax had manipulated the air density ahead of them using external Ki manipulation, effectively eliminating air resistance. It had allowed them to streak across Namek at velocities far surpassing the limits of their power level.

It was one of many clever tricks he had learned from Kami.

Over the course of approximately a month under Kami's guidance in the chamber, Ajax was introduced to more complicated aspects of external Ki manipulation. One particularly noteworthy aspect, without all the technical jargon, focused on manipulating the Ki emitted by others.

In its initial phases, this technique enabled him to obscure his or others' energy signatures by manually dispersing the subtle energy release, so that it does not travel too far beyond their vicinity. In scientific terms, it resembled jamming technology more than cloaking or stealth tech, so it wasn't entirely foolproof in practice.

However, it was good enough for their purposes and was the reason why Ajax felt at ease flying instead of running and jumping, as Krillin and Gohan did in the original story.

As for the advanced stages of that technique, this extension of external Ki manipulation allowed him to seize control of another individual's Ki attack once it had traveled a significant distance from its origin, which would theoretically render Ki attack ineffective against him. However, it wasn't as overpowered as it sounds, since factors such as the opponent's strength, their Ki manipulation proficiency, and relative distance are all limiting factors. But when all conditions align, the other guy is essentially fucked.

Regrettably, despite Kami's patient guidance, Ajax was still pretty shit at it. The primary issue stemmed from his limited mastery of Ki, especially when compared to Kami, which meant several seconds were needed for him to execute it. This meant he couldn't deploy it effectively in combat scenarios, where exchanges occurred within milliseconds at high levels of combat.

That being said, Ajax's rudimentary understanding of the technique had allowed him to cobble together just enough to serve their immediate needs. He's no master but for tasks with low demands like cloaking their presence from prying eyes? No problem.

On a positive note, they were moving far, far faster than Frieza and his entourage ever had, a fact that brought Ajax a grim sense of satisfaction. The village they were heading towards now happened to be the closest one to Frieza's current destination, making it the most probable next target.

Due to the considerable speed enhancement Ajax could provide, the trio of Earthlings had been chosen to head towards this location instead of Piccolo, to give the village the most amount of time possible to prepare for Frieza.

Simultaneously, it was also because Ajax needed to get Dende but that remained undisclosed to the others for the time being.

The Dragon Radar's beeping intensified, signaling their imminent arrival to their destination. And then, finally, it came into view—a modest village nestled on a reasonably sized island, its buildings neatly arranged along the shoreline.

The trio came to a stop and landed on the outskirts of the village, their presence drawing the attention of the Namekians going about their daily tasks. The abrupt arrival of strangers stirred unease among the villagers, who hastily retreated behind the safety of their village borders, their eyes wide with apprehension.

Ajax, Krillin, and Gohan exchanged a silent yet meaningful look, reaffirming the agreement they had made amongst themselves earlier. As they were here for diplomatic purposes, the last thing they wanted was to be mistaken as the invaders.

The trio remained stationary, making no moves to advance deeper into the village. Instead, they stood at the village's edge, a silent gesture of acknowledgment of the Namekians' sovereignty and a demonstration of their peaceful intentions. They would wait patiently, allowing the villagers to decide whether to approach them or to maintain their distance.

As Ajax scanned the village, a wave of familiarity washed over him. It looked like any other Namekian settlement in his memories—clusters of white, spiky structures against the verdant backdrop of Namek's landscape.

Ajax could see numerous Namekians cautiously observing them from their homes, their initial apprehension seemingly giving way to curiosity. Ajax's thoughts turned to Dende. Perhaps the young Namekian was in there somewhere?

As he continued to survey the white, spiky structures and the inquisitive faces peeking out, Ajax had a sudden realization. The buildings bore a striking resemblance to mollusk shells, their curved forms providing shelter for the Namekians within like protective cocoons.

Ajax arched an eyebrow. Could it be that the architectural design of the buildings was a clever play on words? He knew that Toriyama-Sensei named the Namekians after slugs or snails– that was a well-known fact, and now, in hindsight, the shell-like appearance of their homes seemed almost too perfect to be mere coincidence.

With a wry grin, Ajax shook his head in amusement. "Well, isn't that something," he muttered to himself under his breath, "you learn something new every day."

His musings were abruptly interrupted as three muscular Namekians approached them. One strode confidently to the forefront, accompanied by the other two who flanked him like bodyguards. The lead Namekian sported a blue vest and a cape, while his companions donned vests of different hues with white cloth sashes tied around their waists.

Were these the same three who had bravely faced off against Frieza, only to be annihilated by Dodoria? Ajax couldn't really tell. He didn't want to sound racist, but to his human brain, all Namekians looked remarkably similar. It was like differentiating squirrels. You could do it, but you needed some time in order to do it. 

Ajax would have wagered Krillin's left pinky that they were who he suspected they were though. Given the circumstances, he felt reasonably confident in his assumption. Besides, he was sure Krillin wouldn't mind.

But any semblance of amusement evaporated as the front Namekian began to speak, his words a garbled stream of incomprehensible sounds.

Oh. Oh shit.

Ajax glanced at his companions, who shot back equally bewildered looks.

Observing the perplexed expressions of the trio before him, the lead Namekian paused, recognizing the language barrier between them. With a resigned sigh, he motioned toward what appeared to be a teenage Namekian.

The young Namekian hurried over, displaying a hint of hesitation and confusion. Following a brief exchange with the Namekian in the blue vest, the teenage Namekian raised his hand and began to chant a series of words in the melodic tones of his native tongue. Then, he retreated a few respectful steps.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. That is until the leading Namekian spoke again.

"Greetings, travelers," he said, his voice deep. "I am known as Escagor, and I bid you welcome to our modest abode. For what matters did you seek us?"

While the Namekian warrior addressed them, Gohan and Krillin exchanged incredulous glances, their gasps of amazement betraying their astonishment at the sudden comprehension of the foreign language. Ajax, too, felt a surge of surprise, though his predominant emotion was relief. He was just glad that the language barrier had been overcome.

With as much confidence as he could muster, Ajax stepped forward, meeting Escagor's gaze steadily.

"Hello. We are from a planet called Earth. Recently, we encountered an invasion by a formidable armed force known as the Frieza Force. We've come to warn you that you are their next target and that they are currently launching an invasion of your people."

Escagor tilted his head and listened in silence, his expression unreadable as he observed the trio before him for something known only to him.

"Forgive me if I find it difficult to simply accept your words. How can we be assured that you are not the invaders you warned us about? And for that matter, how did you come to know the location of our planet?" Escagor's voice carried a hint of skepticism as he voiced his doubts.

Gohan and Krillin looked to Ajax. They had placed their faith in him, knowing that Ajax had never failed them before, but even so, they couldn't help but feel a flicker of concern at the rather blunt approach. They hoped Ajax knew what he was doing. But they weren't too worried, Ajax always seemed to know what he was doing.

Ajax remained unruffled, meeting Escagor's scrutiny unwaveringly. It was a fair question, all things considered. Fair enough that it was one among many that Ajax had anticipated and prepared for.

"My mentor, who is the equivalent of a grand elder on our planet, happened to be a Namekian," Ajax explained, his voice calm and measured. "He created a set of Dragon Balls, which was what we were invaded for."

With deliberate care and slowness, Ajax reached into his pocket, retrieving something small. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the two guards flanking Escagor tensing, their muscles coiled like springs ready to pounce.

"I'm about to materialize an item. It will appear with a puff of smoke, and I promise that it poses no threat. Please don't attack it."

Escagor nodded and gestured once more. All three Namekians except himself took a few cautious steps back, their defenses raised as they watched from a safe distance.

With a deft flick of his wrist, Ajax released the capsule, allowing it to fall to the ground. In an instant, a billowing cloud of green smoke erupted from the tiny container, swirling and coalescing until it revealed the unmistakable form of their Namekian spaceship.

Hushed whispers and collective gasps of awe swept through the nearby gathered Namekians as the ship appeared. Even the typically stoic guard flanking Escagor stood with mouths agape in silent astonishment.

Escagor lightly frowned as he recognized the vessel before him. It was a relic of a bygone era, of a kinder and more prosperous past that had long faded into the annals of history. Through Lord Guru's descriptions, he knew this was one such icon of a Namek that existed before the ravages of The Cataclysm.

Though he had never personally witnessed that era nor ever laid eyes on such a ship, he knew unequivocally that it was of Namekian origin and was something that no longer existed on Namek.

Their guests' words held truth within them, then.

He tore his gaze away from the ship as he noticed Ajax beginning to speak again.

"We don't have much time. A ludicrously powerful enemy has already obtained three of your Dragon Balls and is now seeking the fourth in that direction." Ajax gestured vaguely towards the village where Frieza had been heading.

Ajax felt just a slight tad bad about abandoning the village to its fate, albeit only slightly. Realistically, there was nothing he could do there. While saving one individual was manageable, rescuing an entire village was an entirely different story. Given his current capabilities, attempting that was no different than committing suicide.

After his mental readjustment, he wanted to do better, yes, but he wasn't perfect. He wasn't some Gary-Stu Shonen hero screaming about the power of friendship. He felt he had a duty to his friends because they were his friends, but he wasn't about to risk his life for people he had never even met.

He highly doubted he was making enemies when he say he prioritized himself and his friends over strangers.

Before Escagor could formulate a response, a sudden boom blasted through the distant sky above them. Instinctively, every eye turned upward, drawn to the origin of the disturbance.

In the distance, against the canvas of the mossy green sky, two spherical shapes streaked across the horizon, leaving behind a fiery trail of crimson in their wake.

Ajax's heart clenched at the sight, a cold knot forming in the pit of his stomach. He recognized those fiery orbs all too well—they signaled the arrival of the final players in this harrowing game of theirs. The Z Fighter's time was running out.

"That– that must be Vegeta and Nappa!" The color drained from Krillin's face as he uttered the names that evoked fear within him, a fear that had lingered since their initial encounter

Even Escagor, known for his composure and stoicism, couldn't conceal the grimness of his expression as he processed the implications. Without hesitation, he pivoted and barked rapid commands to the teenage Namekian who had cast the translation spell. Escagor's words poured out so fast that they overwhelmed the translation spell's capacity, leaving the translation incomplete.

Startled by Escagor's sudden intensity, the adolescent Namekian hesitated briefly before complying with the directive. His gaze unfocused as he made peculiar gestures in the air. Then, the teenager Namekian's face paled, and he began to tremble.

Even without words, Escagor was more than capable of inferring the meaning. With a snarl, he thundered a command that echoed throughout the village. This time, his order was swiftly translated by the spell.

"Someone contacts Lord Guru and get Nail on the line right now!" After issuing his order and watching the entire village springing to life, Escagor turned back to the Earthling trio and nodded solemnly. "I thank you for warning us of this threat, and for that, the entire Namekian race owes you a debt of gratitude."

Ajax re-capsulized the ship and returned the nod, but now that their primary goal was accomplished, he wanted to address a few additional concerns about the village that had arisen. His recollections of the early Namek arc were spotty with the details at best, and there were some observations that didn't... well, it's really best to ask Escagor directly.

"I do not mean to offend, Escagor, but may I speak to the Elder of the village? The situation is rather grave."

Escagor chuckled, finding amusement at the inquiry despite the threat they faced. "Why of course. You needn't search any further. I am he."

"...what?" Ajax's voice wavered as a chill shot down his spine. Despite the disquiet pooling in his stomach, he clung to the sliver of hope that remained and gestured towards two directions. "If I may ask, what are the names of the other two elders in these directions who have not yet been targeted?"

"Grand Elder Guru and Elder Tsuno," Escagor replied matter-of-factly.

Ajax felt his blood turn to ice in his veins. Slowly, he turned his gaze towards the distant horizon where Frieza's ominous presence would have blazed like a dark sun had he been closer. Horror draped itself over him like a suffocating shroud.

Oh fuck...

He had a sinking feeling… that he might have made a grave mistake.

"The village elder... in that direction?" Ajax's finger trembled as he pointed toward the direction Frieza had headed, his voice quivering with dread.

Escagor released a weary sigh, his expression clouded with sorrow as he shook his head. "That would be Elder Moori's village. Alas, we can only hope that they can survive whatever trials may come their way."

So, that meant... Dende was over there? The realization that Ajax had been afraid to acknowledge left him wheezing as if a massive boulder had knocked the air out of him. A moment later, Ajax swiftly restructured his priorities and made his decision.

"Don't come after me!" Ajax exclaimed, taking off immediately. The ground beneath him cratered from the force of his acceleration as he blasted off towards Frieza's presumed location. He quickly attained hypersonic speeds, surpassing even his previous velocity when traveling with Krillin and Gohan.

"Hey!" Krillin's cry, tinged with disbelief, was drowned out by the rush of wind.

As Ajax's figure grew smaller and smaller, Krillin prepared to give chase.

However, his attempts to pursue Ajax were thwarted as he slammed his head into an invisible air barrier above him that halted his ascent. Recognizing Ajax's technique, Krillin returned to the ground, rubbing his head in frustration and pain. Beside him, Gohan also landed back on the ground, having encountered a barrier of his own.

"What the hell was that?" Krillin muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I thought he said no heroics..."

But in the end, they could only watch helplessly as Ajax's figure disappeared into the distance.