Chapter 56 – Planting a Vegetable

A deafening howl of anguish tore from Vegeta's lips as blood spurted from the massive gash carved into his chest. While Vegeta's sheer size had once again prevented the injury from being instantly fatal, this grievous wound had far surpassed that of the Special Beam Cannon. Fortunately for Vegeta, unlike a certain someone, at least he had been spared from a full-body submersion in salt water immediately after.

'New strategy! We focus on inflicting as much damage as possible until he either reverts voluntarily or becomes incapacitated—whichever happens first!' Ajax swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding Vegeta's indiscriminate swipes.

'Who in the hell is big enough to keep him immobile?!' Piccolo couldn't help but express his exasperation at the seemingly impossible task. In case Ajax hadn't noticed, Vegeta was as big as a small hill! Piccolo circled the Saiyan, harassing Vegeta by unloading a barrage of precise ki blasts onto the Saiyan Prince's wound.

'Wait, Piccolo, couldn't you grow big?' inquired Krillin, creating additional Destructo-Disks in preparation for his next attack.

"…" A moment of enlightenment dawned upon Piccolo as he absorbed Krillin's suggestion. A subtle and rare expression of embarrassment grew across his face as he recalled an almost forgotten skill that hadn't seen the light of day in ages.

'Oh shit, you're right Krillin! Piccolo, grow BEEG already, goddamn it!' Ajax's telepathic scream blasted through their mental link. Ajax could not believe he had overlooked such a possibility. He blamed his lapse on Piccolo's neglect of said skill, a skill that he had not used even once since the original Dragon Ball.

On the battlefield, Piccolo released an uncharacteristic roar as he sprinted forward with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he tapped into his unique Namekian ability, his frame expanding into a towering giant right before reaching Vegeta. The earth quivered beneath Piccolo's expanded frame as he delivered a powerful uppercut that landed square on Vegeta's jaw, jolting the Giant Ape's massive head backward.

Credit to Vegeta's resilience, despite his injury and the formidable force of the surprise attack, he swiftly rebounded from the blow. The Saiyan Prince tilted his head back and rushed forward. The two titans clashed with an earth-shattering boom as knuckles met palms, clasping hands in a fierce struggle of pure physical might. It was a showdown of monumental proportions never before seen on Earth.

In short order, the respective prowess of the two formidable giants became apparent. Even with a hole in his stomach and a gash across his chest, Vegeta still managed to assert his dominance. With a pained grunt, he pressed onward, forcing Piccolo's feet to carve two deep groves in the terrain as he slowly lost ground.

The very ground shook beneath them as Vegeta landed a series of punishing strikes upon Piccolo's colossal form. A powerful punch lodged itself in Piccolo's abdomen, swiftly followed by an elbow strike that brought the Namekian warrior down to one knee. A massive kick followed, connecting resoundingly with Piccolo's chest.

Piccolo, however, wasn't about to allow himself to just take a beating passively. Seizing an opportunity, he clamped onto Vegeta's foot pressed against his chest, and with a great burst of strength, he flipped Vegeta onto his back.

Descending upon Vegeta, Piccolo engaged the fallen Saiyan in a fierce grapple amid the dirt, ensnaring each other in a gritty struggle on the ground. Dust and debris billowed into the air as their giant forms rolled, transforming the scattered rubble beneath them into a fine powder.

Meanwhile, Ajax and Krillin found themselves relegated to the sidelines, their target now indistinguishable from each other as they tangled on the ground. Perhaps Chiaotzu and his sniper aim could accurately pick out Vegeta from the convoluted mass of limbs, but neither Ajax nor Krillin had the confidence to predict their unpredictable movements and avoid Piccolo.

In a sudden turn, Vegeta gained the upper hand as his arms closed around Piccolo's throat, locking the Namekian warrior into a merciless chokehold. Piccolo's complexion shifted to an almost purple hue, his eyes bulging under the immense pressure.

Summoning a burst of power, Piccolo attempted to break free of Vegeta's vice-like grip by launching himself into the sky. Despite the desperate effort to shake off the Saiyan prince, Vegeta's hold proved immovable. Unexpectedly, Piccolo suddenly began rapidly diminishing in size, momentarily catching the Great Ape off guard. As he shrank, he effortlessly slipped free from Vegeta's grasp.

Vegeta, abruptly devoid of any upward force, found himself within the clutches of gravity once more. As he neared the ground, the colossal Saiyan skillfully righted himself with a swift flip, just in time to avoid impact to the ground. He winced, feeling the movement jolting the gash on his chest.

Observing Vegeta's struggle to adjust his velocity, Ajax hatched a potentially devastating plan. Without delay, Ajax communicated his scheme telepathically, aiming to convey it before Vegeta could regain his bearings. He rapidly explained, his words nearly stumbling over each other due to the sheer speed of his delivery.

Piccolo nodded in approval. He liked this plan. It seemed reasonably possible to achieve, was practical, and seemed capable of delivering great damage on Vegeta in a single strike–perhaps even defeating him in one go. However, the name Ajax had designated the strategy grated on him. He scowled at the distasteful moniker.

'We'll try it, but we're not calling it that. Show some class, brat.'

With their brief strategy meeting concluded, everyone immediately readied themselves to execute their synchronized assault. Piccolo initiated his transformation, expanding to a titanic size once more. Ajax, positioned beside Piccolo, multiplied into four with a swift use of the multi-form technique, the identical versions scattering in all directions. Meanwhile, Krillin focused on crafting what he hoped to be the final Destructo-Disk they needed.

Vegeta didn't know what these chucklef*cks were planning, but whatever it was, he definitely didn't like it. Every time they pulled some shit, he suffered for it. In fact, he had contemplated more than once to just abandon his Great Ape form and deal with them individually– and he would've, if had he been sure that Kakarot couldn't reenter the battle.

The memory of that brat's sudden and complete recovery that overturned Nappa's victory into defeat remained fresh in his mind. If he reverted back to his regular form now, he might not have enough energy left to initiate the Oozaru transformation again. Vegeta hated to admit it, but if Kakarot were to return fully healed while he was out of the Oozaru form, greatly injured, and operating on half-empty energy reserves, he didn't have the confidence to suppress Kakarot's bullshit Kaioken as effectively as he did the first time.

Vegeta scowled. This was why he was so frustrated when he realized that Kakarot had been whisked away beneath his nose!

Vegeta had no more time to elaborate on his thoughts as Piccolo charged forward towards him. Vegeta braced himself, only to notice that the Namekian's eyes remained shut. Vegeta immediately felt an ominous sensation wash over him.

Heeding the urge of his instincts, Vegeta moved one hand downward to shield his groin, simultaneously shutting his eyes just in time to block a sudden flash of blinding light that rapidly subsided. Again? Vegeta was getting real tired of this move.

With his eyes shut, Vegeta sensed something lengthy winding around him. Well, this tactic was novel; he couldn't recall ever being constrained in such a manner during his Great Ape transformations. Flexing his mighty arms, he readied himself to shatter the restraints, only to be interrupted by something landing softly on his snout.

Vegeta's heart sank. No…

Two of the Ajax clones on Vegeta's snout extended a hand each and firmly grasped Vegeta's eyelids, forcibly prying them open. Two additional clones popped their heads from behind, waving cheerfully. With uncanny synchronization, they spoke.

"Hey man, how's your day going?"

Terribly. This day was simply going terribly. Vegeta hated fighting with these natives. He hated it. There was simply no way of sugarcoating this. No one else, anywhere, had been even close to as irksome as they were. But alas, Vegeta could only resign himself to his fate.

"Solar Flare!"

Once again, Vegeta's retinas were exposed to blinding light, this time unleashed at point-blank range, and as usual, the brilliance overwhelmed his vision, drowning his world in searing white. Vegeta would repeat it once again—as many times as it took. He hated fighting these natives and their bullshit tactics.

'Commence Operation Ground-Pound!' Ajax yelled into the mental group chat.

'I refuse to call it that!' Came Piccolo's sharp and disdainful reply.

Despite his vehement protest, Piccolo executed his designated role in the plan faithfully. Extending his colossal arms even further, he rapidly ensnared the Saiyan's body, almost entirely encasing Vegeta within his arms.

Then, Piccolo started spinning. 

Piccolo began to spin faster and faster, reaching an almost dizzying pace. As he whirled through the air, Piccolo lengthened his arms, increasing the radius of the spin while forcefully slamming Vegeta through an increasing number of rock pillars like a weed wacker.

Meanwhile, two Ajax clones converged, extending their hands in a synchronized gesture. A while ago, during an earlier training session with Kami, Ajax entertained an intriguing thought. You see, external Ki manipulation involved infusing or controlling the Ki in the air to heighten its density, even to the point where it mimicked the density of stone. But, if it was possible to increase density, then shouldn't the reverse also be possible?

In the blink of an eye, Piccolo's spinning speed skyrocketed as nearly all traces of air resistance vanished under Ajax's manipulation, their forms blurring into a chaotic whirlwind. Unfettered by air resistance, Vegeta's tangential velocity soared to unprecedented levels. Their sheer speed caused a colossal tornado of swirling debris, dust, and sand to ascend into the sky with enough height to breach even the clouds.

Piccolo clenched his teeth, withstanding the immense strain on his arms as the centripetal force pushed them to their very limits. To make matters worse, Vegeta struggled within his grasp, attempting to tear Piccolo's arms apart to break free. A pained hiss escaped Piccolo as portions of his arms started to tear, and spatters of purple blood splashed onto the nearby rock pillars like abstract art.

Thankfully, Piccolo found solace in the fact that he was not entirely alone: two remaining Ajax clones struggled against Vegeta's frantic movements alongside him. Their objective? To further restrict and lock down Vegeta's movements by solidifying the air around only Vegeta.

Sensing the peak in their momentum, Piccolo pushed past the searing agony in his arms and harnessed every ounce of strength within his towering frame to swing Vegeta directly upwards. In an instant, Vegeta gained elevation at a stunning rate, still wrapped within Piccolo's arms.

With remarkable coordination, every Ajax disengaged from their established formation and soared upward towards Vegeta. Their mission was to augment Vegeta's ascent by providing an additional burst of speed, a task they executed flawlessly.

Gradually, the relentless stretching of Piccolo's sinewy arms slowed, then ceased, as they reached their utmost limit. For the first time in a long time, the battlefield was silent—an eerie calm before the storm.

Up in the air, Ajax felt an exorbitant amount of glee as he met the Saiyan Prince's panicked eyes. Vegeta must be shitting bricks right now, and Ajax reveled in it.

And indeed, Vegeta was. An unsettling sensation of weightlessness enveloped him as he was suspended in mid-air for a brief instant. Vegeta felt his heart plummeting into the depths of his stomach as realization crashed down on him. "Oh, this can't be f*cking happening..."

Ajax smirked triumphantly. Oh yes, Vegeta it was. He was going take a leaf out of the pages of the big black book of piracy, straight out of a Yonko Commander's personal playbook! And unfortunately, Vegeta, you're no Gear Fourth Luffy!

Beneath Vegeta, Piccolo flexed his arms, muscles and veins bulging with the culmination of every last drop of his physical might. With a primal roar, Piccolo hurled Vegeta downward at a speed so fast that concentric shockwaves rippled outwards, even with greatly diminished air resistance thanks to Ajax.

At nearly inconceivable speeds, Vegeta slammed headfirst into the unforgiving earth below. The impact was so forceful that the terrain instantly crumbled beneath him, giving rise to a mushroom cloud that effortlessly banished the once turbulent tornado of dust.

The vicinity surrounding ground zero was scorched a fiery red as rock and sand melted under the heat produced by the collision. The scale of destruction was nothing short of biblical.

Seeing his cue, Krillin descended rapidly toward ground zero. The air hung heavy with a combination of dust and debris, each breath searing Krillin's lungs, but he had no time to waste. With a powerful kiai, he forcefully dispersed the swirling dust, unveiling his intended target.

Below Krillin, Vegeta was embedded headfirst up to his waist in the crater, his ass sticking out awkwardly. Hoping to Kami that his attack would find its mark, Krillin launched his Destructo-disk at a calculated medium range, aiming directly at Vegeta's tail. The attack cleanly severed the appendage from Vegeta's body, and he rapidly reverted to his original size.

However, Krillin was not alone in this battle. The quartet of Ajaxs, having descended from the atmosphere, advanced while Krillin tactically withdrew. Each Ajax clone assumed a height equal to that of the crater's rim as they positioned themselves in mid-air in a square formation.

While their strategy had reached its conclusion here, years of "training" by the canon had taught him never to presume his enemies had been defeated.

In perfect synchrony, all four clones shaped their hands into a triangle.

"Kikoho!"

A massive dust cloud shrouded the battlefield once again as the four Kikoho beams slammed down onto Vegeta's position.

Within the swirling haze of the aftermath, Ajax strained his senses, attempting to discern any indicators of Vegeta's response. Suddenly, a bone-chilling scream rang through the air, carrying an overwhelming aura of rage and hatred.

Despite the lack of visibility, Ajax could sense Vegeta's ki surging within the dust cloud for a fleeting moment. It was an ominous warning— the only one he got.

Without a moment's delay, an enormous surge of energy erupted skyward from the heart of the dust cloud, resembling an immense waterspout reaching for the heavens. This was one of Vegeta's most devastating attacks–second only to the infamous Galick Gun and was the very same technique that had claimed Nappa's life in another time.

"GALAXY BREAKER!!!"

Three of the Ajax clones, unable to escape the rapidly expanding blast radius, were nearly instantly vaporized by the overwhelming energy. Their forms disintegrated into nothingness, leaving behind only lingering traces of ki. The lone surviving Ajax, positioned perilously on the periphery of the explosion, winced as the intense energy surged past, narrowly escaping the worst of its destructive force.

Vegeta's distinctive energy flared once again, then he moved. Before Ajax could react, Vegeta burst out of the dissipating dust cloud with incredible speed and rammed his shoulders into Ajax's chest. The sheer power of the collision shattered Ajax's already fractured ribs—ribs he had genuinely forgotten were broken—forcing him to cough out blood as he was sent flying upward in a parabolic arc.

Ajax's trajectory brought him towards Piccolo, who had been observing the results of their combination attack. Extending his fatigued arms, Piccolo intercepted Ajax mid-flight. Then, not even bothering to extend his arms downward, Piccolo released his grip, allowing Ajax to plummet from his towering height.

Ajax created a small crater when he landed.

'Wow, Piccolo. Thanks for the catch.' came Ajax's telepathic message, sarcasm dripping from every word.

'You're very welcome,' responded Piccolo, his wry smile stretched wider as his amusement grew. 'Are you trying to tell me you don't have another Senzu bean ready in your mouth?'

"F*ck you."

As the lingering dust gradually dissipated, the figure of Vegeta emerged into view for all to witness. The Saiyan Prince stood bloodied and battered, his armor reduced to tatters, his body covered with wounds and burns, a massive diagonal slash marred his chest, one arm hung dislocated, and his head, having borne the brunt of the collision, was just pissing blood.

Vegeta looked like a man teetering on the brink of death, but despite all the grievous injuries, his sole unswollen eye radiated pure menace and death upon anyone daring to meet his eyes.

Vegeta was not defeated.