23 Chapter 23* – So, We May Die in a Year…

The clash of energy and the earth-shaking explosions from the great battle between Raditz, Goku, and Piccolo had not gone unnoticed by the world at large. Though there was no direct footage nor official confirmation, the news of a supposed fierce confrontation had rapidly spread, drawing both speculation and the attention of people around the world.

Amid the uncertainty, various rumors and theories emerged. Some believed that the notorious Piccolo Daimao had returned to wreak havoc upon the world once more, while others speculated that it might be the result of weapon testing gone horribly wrong. But those who were genuinely in the know knew just how alarming a clash of this magnitude truly was.

On a serene island east of the continent, a gentle sea breeze rustled through the swaying palm trees, and the rhythmic waves lapped against the sandy shore. On the pristine beach of the Kame House, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha had gathered.

The trio stood before Master Roshi, who, with a somber expression, was providing them with a detailed rundown of the situation.

Of the three, Yamcha's reactions were the most pronounced. His face grew progressively paler, shifting to sheer horror as the increasingly terrible news unfolded before him.

Nearby, Tien Shinhan shifted his weight to one foot, his arms crossed over his chest. His typically stoic expression now marred with a deep furrow in his brows and his three eyes held a silent intensity as he listened to the grim account of the events. Beside him, Chiaotzu floated gently in the air, his small face displayed a rare trace of worry.

"This battle is going to be intense," Tien Shinhan finally remarked, "Goku is in for a tough fight and we should be ready to assist if need be."

Yamcha, his hands clenched in his pockets, nodded his agreement. "You're right, man, but I don't think we'll be able to make it there on time."

"Let's just hope Piccolo and Goku can hold him off for now," Chiaotzu added as a compromise, hovering next to Tien.

The significance of this battle was not lost on them, and they could only hope for a victory against an opponent so fierce that it required Goku and Piccolo to work together.

The distinct sound of a jet engine soon roared through the air, drawing the attention of everyone present at Kame House. All eyes turned toward the approaching aircraft, hope coursing through them. The unspoken thought lingered in their minds collectively: it certainly boded well if the aircraft was returning.

As Bulma, Krillin, and Ajax touched down on the beach in the Capsule Corporation jet, they were met with a chaotic scene. Bodies and voices swarmed around them, and a cacophony of questions and clamors for information filled the air.

Krillin stood with drooping shoulders, feeling the weight of the world on his back as he acquiesced and began to recount the harrowing tale of the battle that had unfolded. With a somber voice, he detailed the arrival of the Saiyan Raditz, the desperate struggle against him, Goku's death, Gohan's kidnapping, and the arrival of even more powerful Saiyans in a year.

After the morbid tale was told, a heavy silence descended upon those gathered. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over them, casting a shadow of uncertainty. The world had not only lost its champion but also faced the looming threat of destruction within a year, with worse enemies still on the horizon.

The news of Goku's death and the impending threat of the Saiyans weighed heavily on everyone's minds, and each person coped with the information in their own way. Chiaotzu gasped and raised a hand to his mouth. Tien's scowl deepened; his third eye narrowing as he digested the circumstances. Yamcha stood nearby, his teeth gritted and his fists clenched, his emotions churning beneath the surface.

Bulma, her eyes glistening with tears, turned away, a clear intent to be alone. She walked away from the group, seeking solitude and a moment of quiet to sort out her thoughts and emotions. Her departure, however, did not go unnoticed by Yamcha, who watched her retreating form with concern. He decided to follow her, intending to speak to her alone with a glint of determination in his posture.

Krillin, who understood his friend rather well, predicted Yamcha's intent and called out to him.

"Bro, you should just leave it. It's not a good time," Krillin advised, recognizing that it wasn't the best moment for a relationship talk. The recent events were still fresh, and emotions were running high.

Yamcha came to a halt, his steps arrested by Krillin's words. He glanced back, his expression resolute.

"Probably, but I have to fix it," he replied, before resuming his steps and following Bulma to the rear of the Kame House.

Meanwhile, Tien Shinhan took the initiative to break the ice with his new acquaintance, stepping forward and extending a hand in greeting toward Ajax.

"So, you're Ajax, huh? First time meeting you, I'm Tien Shinhan. And this is Chiaotzu," Tien stated, tilting his head briefly to gesture at the small figure floating beside him.

"Nice to meet you," Chiaotzu chimed in with a warm nod, extending a friendly greeting to Ajax when he was introduced.

Ajax accepted Tien's extended hand with a firm handshake and nodded at Chiaotzu, returning their greetings. He studied Tien, the martial artist he had considered to be his most optimal mentor before Master Roshi took him under his wing. A slightly puzzled expression suddenly appeared on Ajax's face when something came to mind.

"Master Roshi informed us about you, the new student he had taken on, while we were here." Tien Shinhan explained, clearing the source of Ajax's confusion before he had the chance to voice his question.

Ajax's expression shifted from confusion to one of understanding.

"So," Master Roshi began after the introductions concluded, his tone making it very clear that he was broaching a subject even more dire than what had just occurred, "Who wants the honor of delivering the news to Chi-Chi?"

All conversation instantly ceased at those words, each person's expression souring in dread at the task. That was nothing more than committing suicide with a few extra steps and none of them wanted anything to do with it.

As they deliberated on their excuses in silence, a tumultuous argument abruptly erupted from the back of the house, temporarily overpowering the soothing sounds of the ocean waves. Bulma's words reverberated through the air, punctuated by frustration and anger.

"I don't care about your apologies! What part of 'I need time and space' do you not UNDERSTAND?!"

The argument continued, but the voices became increasingly indistinct, yet the unmistakable tension in the air left no doubt that things were not going well for the couple.

"I'm not an appropriate choice," Tien expressed his reasoning, determined to not take part in this. His voice was unwavering as he made his decision clear. "Chiaotzu and I don't know her all that well."

Floating beside him, Chiaotzu nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

"I'm too old for stuff like that," Master Roshi added immediately after, his stature trembling as he pretended his cane could barely support his weight.

Ajax, determined not to be the last one out, began to offer his own excuse, "I'm injur–"

But before he could complete his sentence, Krillin interjected with his recommendation.

"Ajax should do it!"

"!?!" Ajax's head whipped in Krillin's direction so fast that he almost felt his adaptation ability kick in. Ajax's mouth dropped open in a look of affronted shock as his friend and senpai for over two years unhesitatingly threw him under the bus. The injustice of it all!

Krillin, however, stood by his proposal, unfazed by Ajax's accusatory glare.

To Ajax's dismay, Krillin's declaration was rapidly met with approving nods from those around him.

"That's a good idea. Chi-Chi might go easy on Ajax due to his age, and he's also blessed by Shenron, so he won't die from the experience," Master Roshi, with a wry twinkle in his eye, added his two cents while trying to act wise by thoughtfully stroking his beard. "You might even gain quite a significant defense boost afterward. Do you think angry housewife and slippers count as one or two injury categories?"

On the opposite side of those gathered, Tien and Chiaotzu exchanged perplexed glances, confused due to not knowing the context of Ajax's abilities.

Ajax, unlike them, knew exactly what the quip was poking fun of, and he swiveled around to direct a baleful look at Master Roshi. "I didn't agree to shit! This is child abuse!"

"Language!" Krillin chided with a mischievous glint in his eye. "And you're outvoted four-to-one, so good luck, Ajax!"

"F*ck you!" Ajax's glare could melt steel.

Krillin, no longer able to contain his amusement, popped a schadenfreude smile and presented two thumbs-up, thoroughly enjoying the predicament he had engineered for Ajax. So, sue him, he's still feeling a little salty at Ajax's role in Goku's death, even if he knew it wasn't really Ajax's fault.

"So, it's agreed that Ajax will tell Chi-Chi the news," Tien interjected with a nod of approval, conveniently ignoring any protests as the others laughed at Ajax's screeches of outrage. It seems like the decision has been finalized.

With that matter settled, Tien redirected the conversation toward more pressing matters.

"Let's move on to more serious topics, then," he suggested, capturing everyone's attention. "We should talk about plans for the Saiyan invasion. This Raditz was far stronger than Goku or Piccolo, and suddenly in a year, we'll be facing even stronger enemies. That's daunting."

Krillin nodded his agreement and leaned forward, a hand on his chin.

"We've been training all our lives, and suddenly we're being asked to achieve power multiple times beyond our current level in just a year. How in the world can we do that?"

Silence reined once more as the group huddled together, mulling over their predicament. The task at hand was so colossal that it left them all feeling somewhat lost, desperately searching for a glimmer of a viable plan.

Ajax eyed the troubled looks on everyone's faces, comparatively relaxed. He'll point them in the right direction if things don't start resolving themselves.

And just then, an ancient and mystical voice suddenly resounded in their minds. Its mental presence was so commanding that it instantly captured the attention of every member of the group.

"Well, I think I can help with that."

***

DBA Corner: Ki Cancelling and Ki Forcefields

This DBA Corner is a continuation, or part two, of the Ki sections prior. This time, I will discuss two topics: Ki Canceling and Ki Forcefields. This is going to be a long one so let's dive right in.

Ki canceling is exactly what it sounds like. When two beams of Ki collide, the energies within the two beams nullify each other at the point of contact, as if they have inverse wavelengths. For scientifically inclined readers, it is essentially destructive interference. This is also the reason why cataclysmic explosions rarely happen when two planet-busting attacks clash, instead entering the familiar "beam struggle" that we all know and love. The beam with more energy, in other words, the stronger one, gradually gains the upper hand, pushing back the weaker beam because not all of its energy is negated. Pretty simple, right?

The next topic is Ki Forcefields. Please note that I'm not referring to the Barrier technique Android 17 uses, as that is a different concept altogether.

In prior DBA Corners, I briefly explained how Ki naturally radiates outward from an individual's body at a set base rate. The Ki that was emitted doesn't just dissipate into the surroundings. Instead, it naturally coalesces to form a protective "forcefield" of sorts that envelops the fighter's body, roughly at the current PL of the fighter (this is a constant value for individuals who without Ki Control).

An important note to consider is that if a fighter depletes their Ki reserves, their ability to maintain the Ki Forcefield is compromised. In this state, they become susceptible to damage from attacks that they would have otherwise been unfazed by.

The Ki Forcefield is composed entirely of Ki, so when this protective layer intercepts an attack made of Ki, destructive interference/Ki Canceling will occur. In simpler terms, it reduces the force within the incoming attack. This is why Vegeta's attacks were capable of eliminating Nappa, but did absolutely nothing to Frieza, even when Frieza was just standing there. The sheer difference between Frieza's forcefield and Vegeta's attack nullified Vegeta's attacks entirely. Ever wondered why someone can 'catch' a Ki beam with their hands in one instance, yet at other times be swallowed by it? This is why.

Ki Forcefield does not cancel out PL at a 1:1 ratio. When two fighters with similar PL attack each other, they will still inflict damage on each other, just to a slightly lesser degree. Think of it as the forcefield not having sufficient time to completely neutralize the incoming energy before the attack makes contact. The greater the disparity in PL between the two fighters, the more effective the Ki Forcefield is at reducing the damage. As mentioned before, if one is overwhelmingly stronger, the enemy's strongest attack does as much damage as a feather dropping on their face. At that point, you can imagine the forcefield functioning like Gojo Satoru's Infinity, just instead of infinity, it's a big-ass number.

The Ki Forcefield, while highly effective at mitigating Ki-based attacks, has a reduced efficiency when it comes to absorbing physical force. The higher your PL, the greater the amount of physical force your forcefield can absorb. That being said, purely physical matter exerting force is more likely to surpass the Ki Forcefield's protective effects, as it isn't hindered by the Ki canceling effect. As a result, even characters with incredibly high PLs can still be hurt by physical force. This is why SSG Goku was still taking damage when Broly slammed Goku's face through a glacier.

Taking an enemy punch, however, is a different matter. When an opponent attacks physically, it's important to remember that their body inherently possesses its own Ki and forcefield, which means the Ki canceling effect takes place since they impact your own Ki Forcefield. This reduces the force from enemy physical attacks, making them significantly weaker than they might initially appear before contact.

If your PL is significantly higher than your opponent's, you can nearly completely nullify enemy physical attacks. Instances of this happen in nearly every battle in DB with transformations. For instance, during Vegeta V. Broly in the DBS movie, base form Broly's physical attacks immediately lost effectiveness when Vegeta transformed into SS. At the same time, SS Vegeta's attacks seemed to become more potent. The same happened when Broly used his Legendary SS form, and SSG Vegeta's attacks became completely ineffective. Another example is the iconic scene where SS Goku attacks Super Android 13 and essentially nothing happens, but manages to punch straight through Super Android 13 after getting a power-up.

Now, what if we were to consider the opposite extreme and minimize the forcefield to nearly nothing? In peacetime, Z fighters suppress their Ki to near-zero levels to prevent inadvertent destruction of their surroundings or harm to people in their vicinity. When they do this, the minimal Ki Forcefield leaves them vulnerable to even the most normal of things. This is why a sleeping SS Goku was hurt when Krillin threw a small rock at him right before the Cell Games. It's also the reason why police officer Krillin can still be hurt from being shot.

In summary, in DBA, a character's physical body is not as strong as you might think. The reason why someone can withstand planet-busting beam blasts and physical attacks is not that they're really that tough physically but because their Ki Forcefield canceled a significant portion of the energy or power behind an attack through Ki Canceling. Reminder that these forcefields are less effective against Ki-less physical forces so they still get hurt, just slightly less, if they were subjected to severe physical impacts against objects.