Chapter 40 – Piccolo’s “Perfect” Plan

A short distance away, Piccolo gradually recovered, shaking his head to dispel the disorientation lingering from Nappa's powerful uppercut. Internally, Piccolo couldn't help but scoff. That Saiyan must be dreaming if he believes that something so simple could keep him down.

However, despite his bravado, Piccolo couldn't deny how grim the situation was. None of their physical attacks had made even the slightest dent in the Saiyan juggernaut's defenses. Not even Raditz had showcased such resilience. This was just absurd! Never before has Piccolo understood the term "juggernaut" as deeply as he had at this moment because Nappa's ability to absorb attacks like an insurmountable, impervious wall was beyond anything Piccolo had seen– or thought possible.

Piccolo had witnessed Nappa effortlessly forcing his way through Chiaotzu's telekinetic hold. He had felt the impact of his direct punch dissipate into nothingness on Nappa's face. He had watched even Krillin's full-power strike fail to make Nappa budge an inch. Piccolo doesn't need any more evidence. He's been made well aware that physical attacks are futile against an opponent like this. It makes sense, even. After all, why should they try to overpower a juggernaut like Nappa in his own area of expertise?

That being said, Nappa was far from invincible. After all, even the mightiest of juggernauts had their weaknesses. Piccolo's mind raced, searching for potential strategies that could breach Nappa's defenses. If he remembered correctly, Nappa had opted to evade Krillin's sawblade attack during the previous exchange. Considering that Nappa had flaunted his ability to withstand their attacks without a hint of hesitation throughout the entire battle, this deviation hinted at a vulnerability. Nappa just might be susceptible to cutting attacks.

Piccolo narrowed his eyes in thought. Cutting or piercing attacks.

Piccolo was confident that his Special Beam Cannon could incapacitate Nappa, just like it did with Raditz. However, unlike the battle with Raditz, Goku wasn't here to effectively stall the enemy and buy the necessary time for him to charge his signature move.

Surveying the battlefield, Piccolo's gaze eventually settled on Tien Shinhan. Though the three-eyed warrior appeared to be in fighting condition, having emerged from the pile of debris, Piccolo highly doubted Tien had the ability to stall Nappa for more than the barest of moments.

Piccolo swiftly shot a telepathic message to Tien, initiating a rapid-paced conversation.

'Hey, Tien Shinhan. Do you have any piercing moves?'

Tien, in response, quickly reviewed his arsenal of techniques. "I have the Dodon Ray."

"How's the charge time?"

"Fast." 

"Excellent. I'll immobilize him by grabbing his tail. While I do that, charge your Dodon Ray to its maximum potential and aim for somewhere lethal, got it?"

"Crystal."

God, Piccolo loved working with competent people. 

Opting to bide his time, Piccolo crouched low, observing Nappa as the Saiyan was preoccupied with instructing Gohan. While Piccolo wanted nothing more than to rip Nappa to pieces for attempting to steal his Gohan, he recognized that Nappa's distraction allowed him to make his move discreetly. In combat, timing was everything. And Piccolo of all people understood exactly how important seizing the right moment was.

Sensing that the spotlight was elsewhere, Piccolo vanished from his position in a burst of movement, his green figure seamlessly blending with the surrounding environment like a shadow slipping through the cracks.

Moments before Piccolo made his move, Nappa, standing in front of Gohan, continued his lecture rather professionally, his arms casually folded behind his back as though he was an experienced university lecturer.

"This lesson is out of order, but Lesson 5 is 'Press Your Advantage'. When attacking, you must be decisive and brutal. Don't give your enemies the chance to recover, take them down immediately! If your enemies make a mistake or present an opening, seize the opportunity and punish them for it!" Nappa paused, allowing his point to sink in before resuming teaching Gohan, his tone measured and instructive. "An extension of this principle is when you are confronted by multiple enemies. Concentrate your efforts on just one and remove them from the fight. Notice how the white midget and the bald idiot haven't returned? The fewer opponents you have to deal with, the better!"

Despite being engrossed in teaching, Nappa remained vigilant enough to catch Gohan's eyes darted behind him for a fleeting moment, an indication that something had caught Gohan's attention. He had survived enough battles to know to not question such cues and just heed them. On the battlefield, a moment of hesitation could result in death, and in his opinion, he highly prefers to look dumb than dead.

Without hesitation, Nappa pivoted on his heels in a full 180-degree turn, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms defensively before him. His battle-honed reflexes kicked in, preparing him for a potential threat. To Nappa's surprise, however, no one was behind him, and no attack materialized. His defenses, poised and ready, had successfully protected him against a threat that did not exist.

In reality, Piccolo had skillfully dived below the Saiyan's field of view, leveraging Nappa's massive frame to his advantage. With a seamless twist of his body, Piccolo maneuvered behind Nappa and yanked the Saiyan General's tail from its place on the Saiyan's waist with an iron grip.

"Here's a lesson of my own, Gohan! Identify a weakness, and exploit it!"

However, the outcome that Piccolo envisioned did not arrive. Instead of incapacitation like Raditz, Nappa merely looked down at Piccolo with a cocked eyebrow, unimpressed by the attempt. 

"If you want to go to third base with me, Namekian, you need to at least buy me dinner first."

Nappa's attempt at humor did not deter him from instantly reverting to battle mode. With blinding speed, Nappa extended his hands, intending to grapple Piccolo who was behind him.

Piccolo had no idea what a third base was, but true to his experience, Piccolo swiftly overcame the surprise hiccup in his plan. Twisting himself sharply, he narrowly evaded Nappa's attempt to grab him, leaving Nappa's arms grasping air just inches above his head. Piccolo gripped Nappa's tail tighter. If this approach doesn't affect Nappa, then it's time for plan B.

Piccolo, deploying his telekinetic ability, established a forceful connection with Nappa and hoisted the Saiyan upward. At the involuntary suspension, Nappa's body lurched, his arms instinctively reaching out for stability, a reflex that had him grasping at the air.

Piccolo took to the skies rapidly, dragging the floating Nappa behind him as he rose. Then, while ascending, Piccolo started to spin Nappa mid-air by the tail, not unlike a hammer throw at the Olympics. With a sudden and decisive motion, Piccolo released Nappa, hurling him downward toward the awaiting ground like a falling star.

Seizing Nappa's moment of vulnerability, Piccolo descended rapidly, fist outwards in a classic flying punch, aimed directly downward at Nappa. At the same time, Piccolo telekinetically shoved Gohan to a safer distance, shielding him from the imminent blast radius.

Piccolo landed with a resounding impact, colliding with Nappa's awaiting arms, creating a small crater around them. The sheer force of Piccolo's attack drove Nappa a few inches into the unforgiving terrain below.

Having established a momentary advantage, Piccolo prepared to unleash a move he hadn't employed in quite some time. The battlefield appeared to be frozen in time, suspended in a moment of anticipation, as Piccolo, drawing upon the depths of his energy reservoir, roared with authoritative power:

"HYPER EXPLOSIVE DEMON WAVE!"

A tidal wave of energy erupted from Piccolo, radiating outward like a supernova, enveloping both fighters in a torrent of destructive power. The ensuing explosion consumed the battlefield, turning it into a spectacle of blinding light visible from miles away.

Gohan, propelled to a safer distance by Piccolo's telekinetic shove, found himself seated on the ground, his gaze fixated on the explosion's epicenter.

Not far off, Tien stood, Dodon Ray crackling at his fingertips, his eyes wide in stunned disbelief as his gaze locked onto the immense cloud of debris.

Shock and awe were painted across both Gohan and Tien's faces. With bated breaths, they awaited the reveal of the aftermath.

After the explosion had run its course, a haunting stillness settled over the battlefield, interrupted only by the pitter-patter of small rocks falling to the ground. Amidst the smoke, a lone figure gradually became discernible. Tien and Gohan swallowed nervously.

To Tien and Gohan's great relief, the blurry silhouette revealed itself to be Piccolo, his green skin covered with dust but still bright and unmistakable. He floated slightly above the ground, not unlike how a superhero might hover triumphantly over his fallen foes. Both Gohan and Tien relaxed as they absorbed the scene, a surge of hope kindling within them as the outcome of the battle became clearer.

They've won!

As the dissipating smoke continued to unveil the aftermath, Tien and Gohan's burgeoning hope plummeted to the depths of their hearts. Nappa too had emerged relatively unscathed, one hand nonchalantly brushing away a mixture of dust and blood from his face. Simultaneously, his other arm… was clamped around Piccolo's neck from behind with a vice-like chokehold, hoisting the Namekian off his feet.

Tien and Gohan's hope withered and died as they realized the solitary figure they had initially seen was nothing more than Piccolo being held out by his neck in front of Nappa.

"Goddamn! You got me good!" Nappa gruffly admitted, a begrudging hint of approval in his voice. "Hey, Namekian, that was a clever strategy and a good lesson for the kid. Good on you!"

All things considered, that had been a damn excellent technique. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it sure as hell did hurt. Nappa was man enough to admit that much.

Though Nappa had acknowledged Piccolo in a surprising display of sportsmanship, the compliment barely registered in Piccolo's mind, as his attention was consumed by the urgent need for breath. Nappa's iron chokehold had effectively severed all air and blood circulation, and he could feel the encroaching darkness creeping in from the edges of his vision.

Hearing no response from Piccolo, Nappa took a moment to attend to his body. With a practiced motion, the Saiyan General cracked his neck joints and shook off the shattered pieces of his battle-worn armor. The broken pieces cascaded off him, falling like discarded fragments of an old exoskeleton.

Nappa cast an eye over his armor; the shoulder pads were obliterated, as it was designed to be, but the rest of his armor remained serviceable. As for himself, Nappa was only a bit rattled from the explosion. His ears were ringing and his body felt somewhat numb, but aside from that and some light burns, he was in perfectly fine condition.

Then, the compliment he unintentionally gave to the Namekian registered in his brain, and he quickly corrected himself. "You're still a shit teacher though!"

Despite the debilitating chokehold, Piccolo managed to summon the last vestiges of his strength to spit out his response.

"F*ck you!"

Then he blacked out.