Ch. 68: Vegeta Vs. Zarbon

"Stupid old Namekian, destroying our scouters! Too bad he's already dead, or I'd kill him just to vent this frustration." Zarbon muttered to himself as he scanned the Namekian landscape. Mountain. Mountain. River. Lake. Island. Tree. Another hill. It all looked the same, only infuriating Zarbon more. 

"Vegeta?!" Zarbon saw something flying right at him, cloaked in energy. It was unmistakably the Saiyan. Vegeta interrupted Zarbon's flight, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"I'd say that it's surprising that we see each other again, but we both know I'd be lying. By the way, I already disposed of that useless pig, Dodoria. I plan on ensuring that you both get the same treatment." Vegeta gloated.

"What?! I don't believe you defeated Dodoria by yourself. You probably had Nappa distract him, right? Then, he must have taken that stupid brute out before you got him, right?" Zarbon shouted in disbelief.

"Hahaha. Actually, you're not entirely wrong. Dodoria was rather injured when we found him. He really wasn't much of a challenge. I'm hoping that you'll prove different, Zarbon." Vegeta admitted.

"That makes sense. You're not strong enough to beat Dodoria in a head on fight." Zarbon said.

"You think so, huh? That's rather easy to prove, you know. Just try me." Vegeta goaded.

"You really are a fool. You should have known better than to disobey Frieza." Zarbon told him.

"I've heard. Three times, now. The other two who told me that are dead now, you know. I'm not exactly suited to the life of a mindless follower. I'll leave the cowering before Frieza like a dog to the likes of you, Zarbon. You can cower before your master when I send you both to hell." Vegeta told Zarbon.

"You plan on using the Dragon Balls." Zarbon stated. Vegeta didn't deny it.

"Change is coming, Zarbon. Immortality is going to be mine, Zarbon. And once it is, I'll rule the galaxy forever!" Vegeta gloated.

"You know, Frieza already has five Dragon Balls, and he'll have the rest soon enough." Zarbon reminded him.

"Please, you'll have to search the entire planet inch by inch without your scouters. That's a problem that I don't share. My powers have improved since my time on earth, Zarbon. In more ways than you can ever imagine!" Vegeta gloated.

"A couple new tricks don't change a thing, Vegeta. They'll never hold a candle to the likes of Lord Frieza. What makes you think that you can possibly win against something as all-powerful as him?" Zarbon asked.

"You already know the answer to that, Zarbon. Dodoria did too, he told me before he died! Frieza fears the Saiyans! In other words, he's afraid of me!" Vegeta said arrogantly.

"Frieza feared the entire Saiyan race rising up against him. Your power by itself is no threat." Zarbon told him.

"I guess we'll see about that." Vegeta said with a smirk. A moment later, he disappeared, appearing right in front of Zarbon. Zarbon threw a punch, but Vegeta caught it in one hand. They stayed deadlocked like that, Vegeta smiling smugly as Zarbon tried to get his hand free, but it was no use. 

"Haah!" Vegeta threw Zarbon into the air, then chased after him, but Zarbon had realized from their first exchange that Vegeta's physical strength was, begrudgingly, his superior, so he ran away and fired off an energy blast instead. 

"Huah!"

"RAAH!" Vegeta shouted, batting it aside just like Nappa had recently done to Gohan's. 

"Aah." Zarbon let out a gasp, seeing Vegeta's power get the better of his for the first time ever. "You surprise me, Vegeta."

"Ha." Vegeta closed in, laughing. Zarbon fired off a desperate flurry of punches and kicks, but Vegeta avoided them all, kicking Zarbon to the ground like a toy, chasing after him while he was confused. Being unable to sense energy and disoriented, Zarbon lost track of Vegeta, allowing Vegeta to sneak up behind him and land a kick to his backside, pushing the self proclaimed 'handsome' alien's face into the dirt.

"Hahaha! Well, I think I've proved my point, Zarbon."

"Un, huh heh heh ha hahahahaha." Zarbon began panting, then it turned into laughter. "I will admit, your fighting skill s have come an impressively long way since the last time we met, Vegeta. But it's not quite enough!" Zarbon pulled himself up, laughing.

"So, I'm not strong enough to beat you? I thought that was what I was doing, unless you've been holding back on me?" Vegeta asked sarcastically. Zarbon wasn't amused.

"That's right. You hit the nail on the lead, just like I knew you would." Zarbon said, causing Vegeta to laugh loudly. "Go ahead, laugh. It'll just make it more satisfying when I wipe that stupid smile right off your face, Vegeta."

"Hmph."

Zarbon wiped a trace of purple blood from his lip. "It's time I showed you my true power. Watch closely, this isn't something that I like to do very often." He said confidently, "You know, they say that 'beauty is only skin deep.' With me, that's very true. Right now, you're only seeing my beauty."

"That so? Pardon me, all I see is a bruised and bloodied mess." Vegeta laughed, "What, are you going to make faces at me? It's hopeless." 

"Patience, Vegeta. You don't want to spoil this surprise. It's a good one!"

"Then let's see it!"

"Alright, then. Consider yourself warned." Zarbon said, cocky. Then, he transformed.

Right in front of Vegeta's eyes, Zarbon's entire body practically doubled in size. Before, he'd looked human, just with off-colors. Now, though, he looked more like a dinosaur with his abnormally large muscles. Vegeta's eyes widened as he realized that Zarbon hadn't just been gloating. He really had gotten quite a bit stronger.

"Like I said, you only saw the beauty before! Now, I introduce you to the beast!" Zarbon shouted. He closed the distance between him and Vegeta in an instant, smacking Vegeta around like a rag doll, giving the Saiyan no time at all to react. He threw Vegeta into the sky, grabbed his foot, and slammed him back onto the ground before headbutting him repeatedly. "Aargh! Aargh!"