CHP 47: A talk and Potential Unleashed?
~Omni Pov~
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"Where do I even start with this..." Jacob looked at all the Z fighters at once, feeling a bit bad in not telling them anything.
"I know I've kept you all in the dark about what's been going on, and for that, I apologize," Jacob said, his eyes scanning the group, "But, I think it's time I fill you in on what's been happening for the past week."
Krillin, being somewhat skeptical, raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about, Jacob? What's going on?"
Jacob took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "It's about the saiyans... I've been working with one of them for the past week now..."
Everyone there looked shocked
Tien's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?! One of those saiyans here, that was meant to kill us is on our planet?"
"And you've been working with him?" Krillin added.
Jacob hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject, "That saiyan's name is Vegeta, and he's at capsule-corp as we speak...
Vegeta's name sparked a mix of reactions from the Z Fighters. Yamcha's eyes widened in surprise, while Tien's face turned stern. Krillin's expression, on the other hand, was a mix of shock and anger.
"You've been working with Vegeta?" Krillin exclaimed, his voice rising. "This Vegeta, isn't he someone who's trying to kill us all?!" He doubled down on the fact that he was meant to kill them all...
Jacob held up his hands, trying to calm the situation, "Hear me out, guys. Vegeta might not be here to kill us, but me and Piccolo have managed to curve him, albeit a little. He won't be harming anyone... But most importantly, he brought us information on someone far more powerful than even himself..."
After saying this, everyone there went silent...
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"Someone more powerful than even them?" Tien mumbled.
"Yes, possibly 100's of times stronger... His name is Frieza. We got an approximation of how strong he is. But what's more terrifying, is that he can supposedly transform..." Jacob stated.
The lookout remained silent again, the Z Fighters struggling to comprehend the enormity of Jacob's words...
"Trans... form?" Krillin repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"
Jacob's eyes locked onto Krillin's, his expression firm, "From what we've learned, Frieza has the ability to transform into multiple forms, each one likely increasing his power exponentially."
Yamcha's eyes widened in shock. "T-That's insane! How can anyone be that powerful?"
Tien's face turned stern, his eyes narrowing, "We'll need to be prepared. If Frieza is as powerful as you say, we can't afford to underestimate him... But, there's one thing I don't get Jacob... Why didn't you tell us about him?"
Jacob's expression changed slightly, not exactly wanting the question to be brought up, 'I can't just tell them that they're practically useless here, they barely managed to survive in canon; much less with a much stronger Frieza...'
"I don't want to say this, but I have to... You are all too weak."
Tien's eyes narrowed further, his voice taking on a hint of accusation, "You knew about Frieza all along... And, you knew how powerful he was, and you didn't tell us because we were too weak..."
Jacob's expression turned defensive, his voice laced with a hint of guilt, "I didn't want to scare you off. I didn't want you to think that you couldn't handle it. But now that Frieza's on the move, I have to be honest with you. You're not ready for him. You're all not even close."
Krillin's face turned red with anger, his voice rising. "So you're saying we're not good enough? That we're not strong enough to take on Frieza?"
Jacob's expression turned solemn, his voice firm. "I'm saying that you're not ready for Frieza. The gap between him and you all is simply that massive. Not factoring in his forces that may be there as well...
The room fell silent, the Z Fighters' faces reflecting a mix of anger, frustration, and determination, yet, they understood... They knew they were weak. The strongest person other than the saiyans and the Namekian was Krillin, and second to him was Tien. The former has a battle power of just over 100 thousand.
The silence was loud, the weight of Jacob's words settling heavily on the Z Fighters. Krillin's anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of resignation. Tien's expression turned thoughtful, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. Yamcha's face fell, his eyes losing their usual spark.
The room remained silent, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning. It was a stark reminder of the vast power difference between the Z Fighters and Frieza. The thought of facing an enemy with such overwhelming power was daunting, to say the least.
Finally, Krillin broke the silence, his voice laced with determination. "Alright, Jacob. We get it. We're weak. But we can't just give up. We need to get stronger, and fast. What's the plan to get us ready to face Frieza?"
Jacob sighed, "There is a plan for you all, it's just not one that involves you getting close to Frieza... I planned to make you guys train up for any potential threats that may arrive on Earth at the time we head to Planet Namek. We have the dragon balls, but we can't risk anything happening to revive you guys, or worse, something happening with Earth itself."
Krillin's face fell, his frustration momentarily replaced by disappointment, "So, you're saying we're not going to fight Frieza? That we're just going to stay on Earth and train while you and the others go to Planet Namek?"
Jacob nodded solemnly. "That's right... Look, I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's the safest course of action. We can't risk losing any of you, especially not with the Dragon Balls at stake. We need to prioritize the safety of the Earth and its people."
Tien's eyes narrowed, his expression thoughtful, "I understand the logic, Jacob, but it's hard to accept. We've always been the ones on the front lines, protecting the Earth from threats. It's just hard to sit back and let others take the risks."
Yamcha nodded in agreement, his voice laced with frustration. "Yeah, it's like we're being benched. We're fighters, for crying out loud! We're supposed to be the heroes, not stuck on the sidelines."
Jacob's expression softened a bit, his voice filled with a bit of empathy, "I know it's tough, guys. But you aren't on the sidelines... Trust me, this is the best decision for everyone involved. We'll make sure you're all safe and trained to the best of your abilities, and when the time is right, you'll get your chance to fight too, by safeguarding the earth."
Jacob looked towards Piccolo, "I think we should finish up this conversation here. I need to talk with Piccolo for a while, sorry for cutting it this short. Train up, we only have a week before the ship is ready, and another unknown amount of time to get to Namek..."
Jacob motioned his head for the Namekian to follow him... Both headed out before anyone could talk about the decisions so far.
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Jacob and Piccolo landed near a canyon. Once they were out far enough, Jacob turned to the Namekian and spoke...
"Piccolo, I know that was a tough decision to make, but I think it's for the best. The fighters are just too weak to take on Frieza. We can't risk losing them."
Piccolo's expression was stoic, his eyes unreadable. "...I agree with your decision, Jacob. But we owed them an explanation... Also, we need to make sure that we're prepared for the absolute worst. Frieza is likely not an enemy to be underestimated."
Jacob nodded, "Now that's settled... I wanted you to help me with something." Jacob chided, he began stretching his body, cracking his bones in the process as well. Piccolo caught on and smiled...
"Heh, couldn't help yourself, huh?" Piccolo slowly began removing his headwear and cloak. Causing the ground below to crack...
Jacob on the other hand began smiling, 'Now I think I understand why Kakarot felt the way he does... My heart won't stop beating... Is the idea of someone being stronger than me supposed to feel this good?' Jacob wondered, but the idea left his mind.
Piccolo motioned towards Jacob, "Bring it on."
Jacob's smile got wider... He didn't move off at first.
"Now that I don't have to hold back... I can use all my techniques... And I haven't used this one in a long time..." Jacob breathed in and out. His body was now upright. His eyes closed for a moment and the air around him stilled...
Piccolo's piercing gaze narrowed, his antennae twitching with unease, "What's he up to...?"
he thought to himself, sensing that something was off with his friend. The air that used to vibrate with wild energy changed, it felt as if the power that usually swirled around Jacob had condensed into a focused, bullet-like intensity instead.
The moments ticked by, heavy with anticipation until Jacob's eyes finally opened... But it was not the Jacob Piccolo had come to know... His sclera had turned a stark, pitch black, and the blood-red irises had transformed into an ethereal white. The transformation sent a shiver down Piccolo's spine. despite him being stronger.
"Fuuuhh~..." Jacob exhaled...
His head tilted with an unnerving, emotionless calm. A wispy trail of smoke escaped his lips. Piccolo's instincts screamed that this was not the Jacob he had come to know. The Namekian's eyes locked onto Jacob's own, his senses on high alert.
In Piccolo's mind, he knew that he shouldn't take this spar lightly...
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END