Chapter 70 – The General of Blood

"Well, well, well, what a coincidence, seeing you two idiots again," Cui sneered, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Disobeying your team commander in such a blatant manner, like running off, is a military offense punishable by death, you know~?"

"That's not your call to make, Cui," Nappa shot back, his voice thick with contempt as he practically spat out the alien's name.

A derisive harrumph sound escaped Cui's nose. "Perhaps not, but Commander Zarbon and Lord Frieza certainly could."

After several moments of tense silence, Cui's patience wore thin. With an exasperated huff, he spoke up, impatient.

"Listen, we're all busy people, so can we please cut the games and the bullshit? General Zarbon already briefed me on everything during my journey here, so I'm well aware of what you two dumbfucks did." Cui's arms were planted firmly on his hips as he addressed the Saiyan warriors. "I can't believe the two of you had the guts to go and defy Lord Frieza. Plotting to assassinate our Lord and going so far as to try to recruit someone, really? You two have gotten tired of living, is that it?"

Vegeta scoffed.

"I'm not surprised that that was what Zarbon fed you. You were always meant to be a grunt, that was your limit," he said, calmly. Then, in an abrupt shift, Vegeta turned abnormally serious, his voice turning deep. "You've never truly understood anything."

Cui bristled, his anger flaring.

"I've never understood anything? Get off your high horse, Vegeta! Aren't you doing this because you're upset over the destruction of your people by that meteor? Well, get over it!" Cui's voice escalated in both volume and fury. "You think you're the only one to see their entire race die? We've exterminated our fair share and created a few of those people ourselves! You're not fucking special!"

"Like I said, you've never truly understood anything." Vegeta's voice remained dispassionate. Yet, behind the facade of calmness, there simmered a trace of icy rage. He looked at Cui coldly.

Vegeta knew better than anyone the weight of his burdens—the death of the Saiyan race, the shattered remnants of his honor, and the unfulfilled vow he made to his people. Vegeta understood that these failures were his Achilles' heel, in that they were the chains that bound him to his past and dictated his future.

But at the same time, these weaknesses were also his strengths, for they were his driving force, his resolve to continue fighting even in the face of death. They defined him. They kept him alive.

Every time Vegeta listened to the cosmic wail that marked the end of his people, he felt his will become unbreakable. That unholy cosmic screech was a sound he had carved into his soul, a constant reminder of who he was and what he needed to accomplish: if he couldn't ascend as King and liberate his people before their untimely end, then he would honor his vow and fulfill their wishes posthumously in their memory.

That was his duty as their Prince.

And as for the latter part of Cui's statement, so what? He was not a good man and had never claimed to be one. The path he had walked was stained with blood and darkness; his hands tainted by the countless atrocities he had committed. Even without Frieza in the picture, he would have committed those same acts, just in the name of the Saiyan Empire.

However, Vegeta had never and would never run from his problems. He had never shied away from the consequences of his actions and had always unflinchingly confronted them head-on. If others sought vengeance upon him, then so be it. He'd welcomed the challenge!

If Cui believed that mere words could undermine him, then Cui had never understood him at all. He had long since stepped beyond caring about the opinions of others, whether it be Cui or anyone else. His path was his own to walk, and he would do so unwaveringly, regardless of what others may say, for he was Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans!

High above the serene blue fields of Namek, Cui's face twisted with anger at the dismissive tone in Vegeta's words.

"You've always been like this! Arrogant and dismissive! 19 thousand, remember? I'm stronger than you! What gives you the right to be so high and mighty when you were nothing but a failure of a Prince who couldn't even–"

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Nappa bellowed with righteous indignation, unable to tolerate any further insults directed at his Prince. "Don't you fucking cross the line, Cui! If you want to settle things, then let's do it! But let history remain in the past, where it belongs!"

Vegeta shot Nappa a side glance, unknown thoughts swirling within his eyes.

"Don't cut in when the adults are talking!" Cui's voice dripped with venom as he switched targets. "Do you think you're hot shit, Nappa, just because you're Vegeta's lackey? Zarbon told me to not kill Vegeta, but he didn't say shit about you!"

Nappa's jaw clenched, but before he could reply, Cui pressed on, pouring out his vitriol with reckless abandon.

"You're a problem too, Nappa! You're just as arrogant as Vegeta! Your power level was a mere five thousand. Five thousand! It was pathetic! And yet, you think you can strut around and talk to me as an equal?" Cui's face flushed pink with how hard he shouted. "You think being a Saiyan General meant a rat's ass in the Frieza Force?!"

"You–" Nappa started, but was interrupted by Cui again.

"I've seen the Cold Empire's records on that Tuffle War that you Saiyans waged! I know why you went from some peaceful academy instructor and reluctant commander to the ruthless General of Blood! It was because of your wife, wasn't it? You were too weak to protect her, those students, and the academy from the Tuffles, and so they all died screaming, shrieking, within those halls because of you!"

And then, as if to twist the knife even deeper, Cui delivered his final blow.

"I bet your wife screamed your name as she died under the Tuffle's cruelty! I bet your name were her last words, as she begged for her other half to come save her! But her husband couldn't even do that. Just a sorry excuse for a man who couldn't even protect his own family! So yes, I do understand you fucks, and I can read the both of you like a fucking book!!"

With those words, Cui fell silent, his chest heaving with exertion as he struggled to catch his breath. The atmosphere around them seemed to congeal, enveloping the three warriors in a suffocating shroud of oppressive silence.

For a moment, Vegeta stood motionless, his eyes widened in disbelief at the sheer audacity of Cui's callous words. Insults were one thing, but what Cui had done… just damn. Cui had crossed a line– no, that wasn't correct. Cui had not just crossed the line; he had sprinted past it after taking a shit on it.

Even Vegeta, with all his pride and arrogance, had never broached such a taboo subject out of respect for Nappa's privacy. Vegeta did not doubt that Nappa would abandon all decorum even if it had been him, the Prince, who said such words. And yet, here was Cui, throwing caution to the wind.

At that moment, an immense surge of energy slammed into Vegeta from the side, causing him to swiftly glance in Nappa's direction. Sure enough, Nappa stood engulfed in a shimmering, violent aura of power, thick bolts of lightning crackling around him. The Saiyan General's expression was beyond thunderous, and his entire body shook with unbridled wrath. But perhaps, "wrath" was not an adequate word to describe Nappa's current state.

Sensing the weight of Vegeta's stare, Nappa pivoted to meet the look head-on and spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"This fight is mine, Vegeta. I need it."

Vegeta opened his mouth, but Nappa cut him off before he could speak.

"No. With all due respect, Vegeta, shut up. I'm fighting him and you're not going to stop me."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at Nappa's brazenness. He hadn't intended to stop this battle in the first place, not when his subordinate's honor had been trampled, but even if he had entertained the thought, Nappa's resolve would have put an end to it. All he had intended to say was that they don't have the time to play around.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Vegeta nodded.

"15 minutes," he grunted. "And don't expect me to jump in if you've bitten off more than you can chew."

He had made his stance clear: Nappa would have the opportunity to prove his strength and honor in combat, but Vegeta himself would not intervene. There would be little purpose to battle if he did, and Vegeta knew that Nappa preferred to face his challenges without any assistance anyway.

Nappa, who had shifted his focus back to Cui the moment Vegeta had nodded, paused his movement. In the brief silence that followed, Nappa briefly considered Vegeta's words.

"…will you bury me if I die?" Nappa's tone was solemn, yet the seething anger simmering just beneath the calm surface was more than apparent.

Vegeta scoffed at Nappa's question.

"Have you done something dishonorable without my knowledge? If not, there's no need to seek unnecessary validation. You already know the answer."

The significance of Vegeta's answer was not lost on either Saiyan present. Within Saiyan culture, burial held immense significance, almost sacred, and a promise of a burial personally performed by the reigning royal family was regarded as an honor beyond honors, a recognition of valor and sacrifice that few could ever hope to attain. It was a privilege reserved for the most valiant of warriors.

Even Raditz, as one of three surviving Saiyans known throughout the greater universe, did not receive such a distinction from Vegeta. He was simply not worthy! If it had been the case that Raditz had been deserving, then Vegeta would have personally located his grave on Earth and conducted a reburial in accordance with Saiyan tradition.

But of course, neither Saiyan needed words to understand this.

Without glancing back, Nappa acknowledged Vegeta's promise with a thumbs-up. Then, he relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes.

Amidst the silent exchange between Vegeta and Nappa, Cui's sneer remained fixed in place, a mask of contempt as he observed the unfolding scene.

"Oooo, how scary~, General of Blood. I suppose I could do with some warm-up, though you should consider what you want on your tombstone now because there won't be any more opportunities after this," Cui boasted, flexing his arms and stretching them out. "I'll show you what 19 thousand really means, Mr. 13 thousand."

But Nappa remained silent, his expression inscrutable as he kept his eyes shut.

For him, this was no longer time for idle banter or pointless posturing. It was time for violence–and bloodshed.

Cui wanted the General of Blood? Fine, he can oblige.

With a flick of his mind, he shed the layers of his identity like a snake shedding its skin, casting aside the titles and roles that had long defined him.

Gone was the identity of the academy ace instructor, gone was the identity of the Saiyan General, gone was the identity of Vegeta's trusted lieutenant. Then, finally, Nappa tore off even the identity of "Nappa" itself, and in their place, donned a battered, age-old cloak of blood and death.

Who exactly was the Saiyan race's General of Blood? He was death.

Nappa's eyes snapped open, glowing with a terrifying blankness. His once vibrant and intense gaze now resembled an abyss, devoid of any hint of emotion or humanity. It was as if the very essence of Nappa had been consumed, leaving behind nothing but a vessel of pure destruction.

And so, for the first time in 33 long years since the Tuffle War, the Saiyan race's legendary General of Blood descended onto the battlefield once more.

The General of Blood didn't waste even a single second. He instantly brought forth all 13 thousand units of his power and vanished in a flash of brilliant lightning.