58 Chapter 58 – Pride and Mercy

As the explosion petered out, two silhouettes emerged, falling from the sky. The first figure plummeted uncontrollably and crashed onto the ravaged ground with a thud that stirred a modest cloud of dust. The second figure, however, managed to slow their descent before unceremoniously collapsing onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, at a safe distance from the explosion, Krillin stood, his jaw slack and eyes wide in astonishment. "So that's what he meant when he said he wouldn't miss…" Krillin murmured under his breath in realization.

The once tumultuous battlefield finally calmed, leaving behind a surreal silence in its wake. Soon enough, the result of the confrontation revealed itself. Vegeta lay sprawled on the ground, defeated and motionless. The Prince of All Saiyans had, at last, met his match in the Spirit Bomb.

A small distance from the epicenter, Ajax laid on a small pile of debris of his own making. Having observed the motionless form of Vegeta, Ajax allowed himself to succumb to exhaustion, his head falling back onto the ground with a small thud. His chest heaved with the effort of each laborious breath, visibly spent.

Ajax lay prone, his consciousness dangling precariously on the verge between wakefulness and unconsciousness. Though he felt like his entire world was pain, he still gingerly touched his wounds, feeling the heat and soreness emanating from each injury. While every subtle movement sent waves of agony through his senses, it paled significantly in comparison to the torment of the Ultra Divine Water. So, in a strange way, he was just peachy. Kind of?

Fortunately, it appeared that the Spirit Bomb had not inflicted any additional damage beyond the explosion itself, or, at the very least, if it had, he couldn't tell. He'll take that as a tentative sign that he wasn't evil. Yay...

That reminded him, thank Kami he had developed some level of resistance against concussive force during his earlier clash with Nappa. Without it, he might have died of internal injuries again. How ironic that he had twice landed on the brink of death and both times narrowly escaped it from the same source–concussive force and internal injuries. How deadly. He briefly entertained the idea of harnessing it as a weapon, but that's a thought for another time.

In his peripheral vision, Ajax caught sight of Krillin advancing purposefully toward the fallen figure of Vegeta. In one fluid motion, Ajax attempted to sit upright, his muscles protesting against the strain, but he knew he had to intervene. There was no room for hesitation.

A distance away from Ajax, Krillin was indeed advancing with grave purpose towards Vegeta. Shoulders squared and face set with grim determination, Krillin extended his hand at his side, and his energy began to pulsate before transforming into a brilliant white sawblade, spinning menacingly. Krillin's focused glare drilled into Vegeta's form, a silent promise of resolution and finality. This, he knew, would be the last Destructo-Disk needed to bring an end to all this.

Ajax, who had been ready to intervene, temporarily held back as a figure dropped from the sky, crashing onto the ground in front of Vegeta. Nappa's arrival was announced by a thunderous boom as he landed legs first on the already ravaged terrain, causing it to fracture further.

Krillin, still holding the charged Destructo-Disk, paused his approach, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the Saiyan General.

"I won't let you kill him," Nappa said, but it was evident that he was far from battle-ready. Awkwardly standing with both arms encased in casts, his battle-worn form nonetheless held its ground resolutely, positioned protectively in front of the fallen Vegeta.

Despite his weakened state, Vegeta sensed the shift in the developing situation. Opening one eye weakly, he fixed his gaze on the unexpected protector standing over him.

"You killed Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu! I'll kill you too!" Krillin growled with seething anger, the low hum of the Destructo-Disk growing louder as it spun faster.

Nappa just couldn't resist.

"Technically, I didn't do shit. Vegeta killed one of them, and the other two committed suicide."

"Y-you–!" Krillin's fury reached its boiling point, and he exploded with rage. He drew his arms back, preparing to hurl his Destructo-Disk towards the two Saiyans.

However, Nappa ignited his energy simultaneously, generating a massive gust of pressure that expanded outward. He was at least conscientious enough to ensure Vegeta remained within the serene epicenter.

Krillin found himself caught in the backdraft of Nappa's Kiai, the sudden gust of wind disrupting his equilibrium and causing him to momentarily stagger as he fought against the pressure. As a result, the lethal Destructo-Disk narrowly missed its intended targets, whizzing past Nappa and Vegeta before spiraling off into the distance.

Nappa stumbled as well, wobbling on unsteady footing due to exhaustion. Despite having a modest recovery in his energy since his own battle, the gains were relatively minute, and his "replenished" reserve had already been depleted again. Nappa lifted his head wearily.

"Bring it on then. I can do this all day!"

No, he can't. Krillin's eyes narrowed at the bluff, and he tensed, ready to finish this fight. With a slight turn of his eyes, Krillin discovered that Piccolo had stood shoulder to shoulder at his side, having made his way over just moments ago. A surge of confidence coursed through Krillin, reassured that he was not alone in this struggle.

Meanwhile, at a distance, the unfolding events did not escape Goku's attention. Sensing that the battle was escalating toward a critical juncture, Goku's expression shifted into one of grave seriousness.

"T-take me closer, Gohan." Goku rasped.

"Wha– dad? Are you sure? It's dangerous!" Gohan's eyes widened in surprise and concern. The battlefield was the least suitable place for his father, especially in his weakened state.

"It'll be fine." Goku tenderly took hold of Gohan's small hands. "I have you with me."

A faint, embarrassed blush colored Gohan's face at the confidence and trust his father had placed in him. Honoring his father's wishes, Gohan proceeded to carry him closer to the heart of the battlefield.

On the battlefield, Nappa stood face-to-face with the very adversaries he had once scorned. Releasing a large sigh, he made his final resolution in the face of his enemies' killing intent. At that moment, Nappa squared his shoulders, lifted his head with a ferocious look, and roared his intent:

"I am Nappa, the Grand General of the Saiyan Forces!! If you want to kill my Prince, then you'll have to kill me first!!!"

Vegeta, lying on his back and barely capable of movement, gasped for breath as he witnessed Nappa position himself as a barrier between him and their enemies. Summoning every ounce of strength, Vegeta struggled to prop himself up on his elbows, finally lifting his back from the ground with immense effort. "There was—huff—no honor in this—huff—battle, and I do not—huff—acknowledge this defeat nor any of you!"

"Well, guess what? Your acceptance is irrelevant, bitch!" Krillin snarled his response, his ki rippling beneath him.

Against all odds, Vegeta mustered the strength to rise to his feet from his prone position. Stumbling at every step, he pressed forward toward Nappa, ultimately crashing into Nappa's side. Nappa winced as his injured arms were jostled, but he stood firm, supporting his prince without a single word of complaint.

Leaning against Nappa for stability, Vegeta gathered his remaining strength and proclaimed thus:

"I am Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans! WE are Saiyans! We will not bow! We will not beg! We will not meet our end on our knees! Not to you, not to Frieza, not to ANYONE!!" Vegeta used Nappa as a makeshift springboard, pushing off with his shoulder to stand upright on his own. The Saiyan prince, battered and bruised, now stood tall, his gaze fixed upon the adversaries before him. "If Nappa and I were to die here today, then SO! BE! IT!!"

As the tension on the battlefield reached its zenith, Piccolo and Krillin prepared themselves to charge forward, ready to bring about a decisive end to the battle.

"Hold on!!/Wait!!" Ajax and Goku exclaimed almost simultaneously, their voices carrying a shared sense of urgency.

The battlefield fell into an uneasy silence as everyone paused at those words. Catching Goku's glance, Ajax signaled for Goku to go first.

"Let them go," Goku, lying on the ground with Gohan standing guard, said calmly.

"What?! Why, Goku?!" Krillin's voice rose in protest, mirroring the sentiments of the others. His eyes blazed with anger at the Saiyan as he confronted Goku. "They killed Yamcha! Tien and Chiaotzu! Our friends! How could you simply let these murderers go like that?!"

"In my earlier battle with Vegeta, I had a panic attack," confessed Goku. He swallowed, moistening his lips in a subconscious gesture. "In that vulnerable moment, I was completely at Vegeta's mercy, but he chose to wait until I had regained my composure. He didn't have to do that. He could've simply killed me and been done with it. Now, I'm just returning the favor."

As Goku concluded, his voice quivered as suppressed memories began to resurface. The dark edges of those recollections began to breach the waterline between conscious and unconscious within his mind.

"But Goku, you– just because they… you can't–" Krillin started, struggling to find the right words. His initial protest faltered as he stumbled and stuttered at the shifting expression on Goku's face. It became evident that there was more to this decision than meets the eye. The lines on Krillin's face wavered between anger and concern before ultimately settling on concern. "What... happened exactly?"

Goku began to tremble.

'Do you know what I learned today, Krillin?' Goku switched to telepathic messages, but it conveyed his anguish just as clearly. 'I learned today that Saiyans transform into giant apes under the full moon.'

Krillin immediately grimaced, a full-body wince that resembled more of a flinch. He had been so focused on surviving and battling Vegeta that he had overlooked what knowledge of the Great Ape meant. Krillin parted his lips to reply, but the word caught in his throat. He clenched his fists so tightly that they trembled, struggling to maintain his anger, but it ultimately evaporated, and Krillin found himself biting his lips so hard it drew blood.

'Today, Krillin, I finally discovered what—no, who—killed Grandpa Gohan-' Goku lurched, a retch escaping his throat as the memories and realizations he had fought so hard to suppress clawed their way back to the surface. 'And he– ha– he forgave me! Me! He trusted me unconditionally and I repaid him by–! No, I don't deserve his–'

Goku's words choked in his throat, the once-coherent words blurring into incoherency as guilt and remorse ate him alive. Goku raised an arm, his forearm covering his eyes as if trying to hide from his own haunting memories. A shuddering breath passed through him before his voice broke the oppressive silence again.

'I know this is a selfish request, so, so very much. But I–I can't. This battle has cost us enough, and I just can't handle any more deaths right now. Grandpa he—he taught me to be better than this. Please just let them go, Krillin. For my sake? Please?'

Krillin felt his heart shatter at the tremor in Goku's mental voice. The raw emotion transmitted through their mental connection struck a chord deep within Krillin. He understood, perhaps more than anyone else present on the battlefield, the weight of the guilt and the burden of the past that Goku carried with him.

Long ago, Krillin had made a pact of silence with Master Roshi and Bulma to prevent the exact situation he was now in. It was an agreement forged away from Goku's prying eyes to spare him the anguish of knowing a truth that might haunt him forever. So, in reality, Goku didn't have to plead with Krillin. He had understood. He had been convinced the moment Goku had revealed he knew the truth about the Great Ape.

"Goku, if we do this, can you promise with absolute certainty that you'll be stronger than them next time?" Even as Krillin verbalized his question, he already knew what the answer would be. He just needed to hear it for himself.

Goku turned to face Krillin directly, his arm lowering to reveal the familiar spark of unwavering conviction in his eyes. "Yes, I can. I will be."

Krillin sighed, resignation and understanding in equal measures. "Alright, I'll listen to you this time, Goku, but I make no promises next time."

"Thank you, Krillin," Goku said sincerely.

Nappa leaned in towards Vegeta, his voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper, "I reckon they were communicating telepathically."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Nappa. I would've never deduced that on my own."

"Funny they can do all the things that we rely on scouters for, eh, Vegeta?"

Meanwhile, Piccolo's skepticism and doubts about Goku's decision reached their peak. He just couldn't fathom the sheer naivety required to make such a choice.

"Are you truly this dumb, Son Goku?" His voice held a sharp edge. "What the hell are you even saying? Get over your issues with that Dr. Wong later! These Saiyans won't hesitate to annihilate everyone on this planet, including your wife and Gohan! Allowing them to live is the epitome of stupidity!"

"Well, everyone gave me the same lecture when I let you go. But look, you turned out alright, didn't you?"

Goku's remark momentarily rendered Piccolo speechless.

"I-I'm different! I wanted to rule the world, you asshole, so I needed it in one piece! They don't care!" Piccolo finally managed to sputter out.

"Their last hope for the next generation of their race is on this planet. I don't believe they'll destroy it so recklessly," Goku responded calmly.

"Y-you—" Piccolo stumbled over his words in the face of Goku's stubbornness. Frustrated beyond measure, he turned to Ajax for support. "Ajax, lend me some sanity! You possess a functional brain; surely, you can't possibly agree with this madness!"

Ajax blinked. Well, the joke was on Piccolo—there was no ally to be found over here with him. By the way, you're very, very welcome, Trunks.

"I'm fine with it. I trust Goku."

Piccolo squinted suspiciously at the straightforward reply, sensing there was more to Ajax's agreement than meets the eye. Ajax's unexpected support seemed out of line with what Piccolo knew of the brat's character and thought processes. There had to be a hidden motive behind Ajax's stance, but Piccolo chose to set his curiosity aside for the moment. He turned to Gohan.

"Even if I side with you, Mr. Piccolo, we're still outnumbered," Gohan stated, shrugging as he spoke.

Piccolo was undeterred by the setback because this, ultimately, was not a democracy. He moved forward, a blast charging in his hand. However, his path was blocked by Krillin, who stepped in his way with a determined expression. "Are you f*cking kidding me right now?!" he exclaimed.

"I trust Goku's judgment," Krillin asserted simply, his voice calm yet firm.

Piccolo's frustration reached a boiling point.

"Yeah? Why don't you go and suck his dick too!" Piccolo bit back harshly, but upon noticing that no one was supporting him other than Gohan, he bitterly dismissed his attack and raised both hands in exasperation. "Fine! Have it your way, dumbasses! You'll all regret this later!"

"You're all free to go," Goku reiterated, observing Piccolo's reluctant agreement.

"I do not need your mercy!" Vegeta snapped, ever prideful. However, prideful he may be, he was not yet delusional. "But fine. Mark my words, Kakarot, one day, I will return to settle the score for the humiliation I endured here today!

"No, you won't," Goku asserted, tentatively sitting up with Gohan's assistance. "I know what you want, Vegeta. You have a lot to prove, and you haven't proven it to yourself yet. You haven't defeated me—at least not in a way that satisfies you."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes.

"So, Vegeta, you won't destroy the planet, make everyone else pay, or sabatage me in any other way, shape, or form, because you will not accept a victory achieved through those means." Goku stared firmly into Vegeta's eyes. "And neither will I."

"The correct word is sabotage, dad."

"Thank you, Gohan."

Vegeta's challengingly gaze remained on Goku for a long, long time. Unexpectedly, a chuckle escaped from him, gradually escalating into full-fledged laughter. "Perhaps there's a Saiyan buried deep within you, after all, Kakarot. Very well! We shall have our destined rematch. But understand this—I will not lose again! I will return, stronger than ever, to crush you all!"

However, Vegeta didn't stop there. He continued into a monologue, seizing the opportunity to finally vent his pent-up frustrations towards enemies that he now knew would not kill him.

In the middle of Vegeta's impassioned speech, Nappa fumbled with a remote using his chin that he seemingly produced out of thin air. Nappa continued to focus on his silent activity, completely ignoring Vegeta.

Vegeta's threats of retribution were met with a collective lack of enthusiasm from the other warriors present. For them, Vegeta's awe-inspiring reputation and horrifying mystique had long been broken, and they were no longer as terrified as they had been before the battle. They exchanged deadpan glances, their patience wearing thin.

"I do not accept this dishonorable defeat! You hear me, Kakarot? I shall not let this humil—"

Before Vegeta could conclude his proclamation, Ajax, growing increasingly irritated with the prolonged posturing, picked up a small stone and flicked it expertly at Vegeta's groin. The stone found its mark, and Vegeta, already weakened from the battle, slumped onto his knees, clutching his family jewels in agony.

"You're lucky I can't hit you any harder than that. Nobody wants to listen to your posturing, so just leave already," Ajax interjected, determined to shut Vegeta up before he grated on anyone else's nerves a bit too much.

Krillin chuckled. "Nice shot."

"You honorless wretch. You'll get what's coming to you!" Vegeta mumbled resentfully into the dirt, his pride wounded as much as Vegeta Jr.

"I don't know, Vegeta, I think you deserved that one," Nappa said blandly, offering absolutely no assistance to his Prince.

"Shut up, Nappa!" Vegeta snapped.

"Okie," Nappa shrugged nonchalantly, unfazed by the admonition.

A scant minute later, two attack balls descended from the sky, crashing into the ground just a few meters away. Nappa and Vegeta wasted no time in boarding their respective attack balls. Vegeta cast a final piercing glare back at Goku before the spacecraft sealed itself shut with a hiss, and without a moment's delay, shot off into the vastness of space.

Before the doors to his pod closed entirely, Nappa leaned his head out from within and addressed Gohan with a trace of hope. "You wouldn't happen to have any more of those apples, would you?"

"Nope." Gohan shook his head.

Nappa's expression shifted from hopeful anticipation to mild disappointment. A fleeting sense of sadness crept across his features, and he sighed with resignation. "Well, that's that, I guess."

The doors of the attack ball closed, sealing Nappa within, and the spacecraft lifted off the ground. The engines roared to life, and with a burst of acceleration, Nappa departed as well, mirroring the trajectory taken by Vegeta just moments earlier. Nappa's attack sphere ascended into the sky, gradually becoming a distant speck in the sky.

The remaining warriors observed in contemplative silence as the two attack balls vanished into the cosmic expanse, oblivious that their fates would be entwined with the vast universe beyond.

Ajax allowed himself to surrender to gravity, collapsing onto his backside. Beside him, Piccolo slumped down into a seated position.

"Well, shit, that was the toughest fight of my life," Ajax muttered, the significance of the battle sinking in now that it had all concluded. The sentiment resonated with the other warriors, all of whom found themselves slumped on the ground, each inhaling deeply as they recovered from the intense life-and-death struggle.

Amidst the collective exhaustion, Ajax suddenly howled in laughter, a cathartic release of tension fueled by relief, adrenaline, and sheer disbelief.

"Holy shit, I actually managed to survive! Hahaha! I lived, bitches! Hahahahaha!"

Everyone else couldn't help but crack a weary smile at Ajax's outburst. The shared sense of survival and the realization that they had triumphed over a formidable threat united the Z Fighters in a moment of camaraderie.

"Let's just take a minute before we move, sounds good?"

Ajax wasn't sure who voiced that suggestion, but his grunt of confirmation blended with the noises of the others' affirmations as they collectively agreed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… so does anyone know where that Saibaman went?"

***

THE MASTERPLAN:

Keep everyone who's alive in the canon alive. (COMPLETED)

Keep Gohan alive. (COMPLETED)

Stay alive. (COMPLETED)