Ginyu, wrapped in Goku's iconic orange gi, landed heavily on the ground near Frieza's ship a broad, triumphant grin plastered across his face.
Gohan and Krillin rushed out from behind a leg of the ship, their faces lighting up with instant relief.
"Dad!" Gohan cried, taking an eager step forward. "You made it! Did you beat him?!"
"Goku, man, you had us terrified!" Krillin breathed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Where's Escallion? What happened out there?"
Ginyu chuckled, throwing his arms wide in a warm, welcoming gesture. "Everything is taken care of, my boy! The leader of the Ginyu Force has been destroyed. Now, quickly, tell me, where did you hide the Dragon Balls? We need to gather them immediately!"
Gohan hesitated, blinking at the odd, overly formal cadence in his father's voice. But before he could answer, a heavy shadow fell across them as Escallion descended from the sky. In his arms, he carried the shattered, blood-soaked body of Captain Ginyu, holding the purple alien's bleeding chest together with one hand.
"Hold your ground," Escallion's voice echoed across the deck, cold and sharp as a razor.
Krillin jumped, spinning around. "Escallion! What are you doing with him?! Finish him off!"
"Look closer, Krillin," Escallion said, stepping forward and setting the dying purple body down against a leg of the ship. "Observe the eyes. Observe the posture. That is not Kakarot standing in front of you."
Ginyu's smile twitched, a momentary flash of panic crossing his stole eyes before he forced a boisterous, easygoing laugh, rubbing the back of his neck with Goku's hand. "Ah, come on, Escallion! What are you talking about? It's me! Kakarot or erm- Goku. I had to beat Ginyu up pretty bad, and—"
"Quiet," Escallion cut him off smoothly, his dark eyes locking onto Ginyu with absolute, clinical disdain. "You lack the genuine ignorance of the man whose skin you wear. Kakarot never once acknowledged his Saiyan name."
"Wait... what?!" Krillin looked back and forth between the two, his head spinning. "You're saying... they swapped?!"
"That's impossible!" Gohan gasped, staring at the figure in the orange gi.
"Prove it then," Escallion said, crossing his arms and taking a single, deliberate step toward Ginyu, his base aura humming at a low, terrifying pitch. He cast a sideways glance at Gohan and Krillin. "Ask him a question. Something only the true Kakarot would know without a second thought. If he stumbles, we kill him where he stands."
Gohan's expression instantly hardened, his small fists clenching at his sides as he stared down the man wearing his father's face. "Alright... 'Dad.' What did Master Roshi make you and Krillin deliver on your very first day of training under him?"
Ginyu's face went completely blank. His stolen eyes darted frantically between Gohan, Krillin, and the looming, cold presence of Escallion. "W-What? Training? Deliveries?! What kind of absurd question is that?! I am Goku! I don't have time for your childhood trivia, boy, tell me where the Dragon Balls are!"
Krillin's eyes narrowed into slits, his fear completely vanishing, replaced by pure disgust. "Milk," Krillin spat. "We delivered milk crates at five in the morning. You really are a fraud."
The bleeding purple alien coughed up a splatter of dark blood, a ragged, painful laugh escaping his throat. "h-Heh... I told you... they wouldn't... buy it, Ginyu..."
Ginyu's composure shattered entirely. His face contorted into a furious, ugly scowl as he dropped the friendly act. "Insolent brats!" he roared, flaring Goku's aura. "So what if you figured it out?! I still possess one of the most powerful bodies in the universe! I'll break every bone in your-"
Ginyu checked the scouter on his face as it beeped violently, displaying his own power level in Goku's body: 23,000.
"W-What?!" Ginyu choked out, sweat breaking out across Goku's forehead. "Twenty-three thousand?! Why isn't this body responding to me?!"
"You are nothing more than an amateur trying to play with power you didn't earn," Escallion said, his voice flat, devoid of a single trace of doubt. "A Saiyan's body is their heritage, and I would rather wipe you out of existence than let you masquerade in Kakarot's body."
Ginyu's eyes widened in sheer terror as Escallion stepped forward. Knowing that he was severely outclassed in this body. Cold sweat slicked Goku's stolen face.
"L-Liar! You're bluffing!" Ginyu shrieked, lunging forward with a desperate, clumsy right hook.
Escallion didn't even flinch. He ducked under the wild swing, buried a vicious body shot straight into Ginyu's ribs, and gripped Goku's orange gi with both hands. With effortless, brutal force, he hurled Ginyu skyward into the open air above the ship's landing zone.
Before Ginyu could even orient himself, Escallion vanished from the ground.
He reappeared directly above Ginyu in a blur of motion, driving a heavy double-axe handle down into the back of Ginyu's neck. Ginyu shot back toward the terrain like a meteor, crashing through the rocky ground near the ship's massive hull in a blinding shower of dust and shattered stone.
Ginyu scrambled out of the crater, spitting up blood, his stolen limbs shaking uncontrollably. "S-Stop! I am the great Captain Ginyu—"
Escallion materialized right in front of him. A swift, brutal front kick caught Ginyu square in the jaw, snapping his head back and launching him clear across the canyon floor. Ginyu skipped violently off the hard earth before slumping against a nearby cliffside in a bloodied, beaten heap.
"Holding back just enough to keep Kakarot alive is remarkably simple," Escallion said quietly, walking toward him across the dust with slow, deliberate steps. "You cannot draw out even a fraction of Kakarot's power. Against me, you are nothing."
Bleeding, battered, and utterly broken, Ginyu realized he was completely outmatched. Goku's body at 23,000 was useless against this wall of power.
He needed that body.
He needed Escallion.
"Die in this shell, then!" Ginyu screamed, his mind snapping under the agony. He threw his arms wide, his mouth agape as a blinding, pink vortex of light erupted from his throat, roaring through the air straight toward Escallion. "CHANGE!"
Escallion's eyes watched the beam approach, his body tensing to dodge it, but before he could react, a battered purple shape moved in a desperate, staggering blur.
Goku, using every last ounce of strength left in Ginyu's bleeding, self-mutilated body, lunged straight into the path of the beam.
"Not today!" Goku wheezed, throwing himself headfirst into the swirling pink energy.
FLASH!
The blinding light engulfed both forms. Their spiritual signatures crossed paths in mid-air once more, a violent shockwave ripping through the canyon as their souls were forcibly dragged back to where they belonged.
Goku's original body, bruised, beaten, and thoroughly thrashed by Escallion, stumbled as the light vanished. Goku blinked his own black eyes, looking down at his scarred palms, and let out a long, exhausted sigh before his legs gave out completely. He collapsed onto the Namekian dirt, gasping for air, but back in his own skin.
Across the canyon, Ginyu was snapped back into his own heavily damaged, bleeding purple body. He dropped to his hands and knees, coughing violently as the agony of his self-inflicted chest wound hit him all at once.
"N-No... my body..." Ginyu choked out, staring at his blood-soaked purple hands in pure horror.
Ginyu frantically looked back toward Escallion, his jaw trembling. Driven by raw, hysterical panic, Ginyu opened his mouth again, desperate to swap with Escallion before he bled out. "Ch-"
Escallion didn't give him the chance to finish the word.
He raised a single palm, his Ki surging in an instant burst. A massive column of white-and-green energy erupted from his hand, consuming Ginyu instantly in a deafening, blinding blaze. The beam roared straight through the alien commander, obliterating his body, before tearing off into the horizon and detonating against the distant horizon.
When the glare faded, there was nothing left where Ginyu had been sitting, just a deep, smoking trench in the rock and floating specks of ash settling in the wind.
Escallion lowered his hand, his green aura snapping back into nothingness. He turned slowly and walked toward where Goku lay on the ground.
Goku looked up at him with a weak, weary grin, wincing as he touched his battered ribs. "Heh... sharp thinking, Escallion... though you really didn't hold back on my body, did you?"
"I gave him precisely the thrashing he deserved," Escallion replied smoothly, extending a hand to haul Goku up. "And it worked. Now, let's get you into a regeneration tank before Frieza returns.
----------------------------------
The quiet hum of the medical pod resonated through the ship's interior, its green liquid bubbling softly as Goku rested inside, his battered body slowly mending.
"So this thing is going to heal Goku?" Krillin asks, watching his friend float softly in the liquid.
"It's a standard issue healing chamber; he will be fine in about half an hour to an hour. In the meantime, you both reek; follow me."
Escallion turned on his heel, his boots clicking sharply against the steel deck. Krillin and Gohan exchanged a quick, bewildered glance, but followed the tall Saiyan through the labyrinthine corridors of Frieza's vessel.
He led them straight into the ship's primary armory, where rows of dark, pristine storage lockers lined the metallic walls. Without a word, Escallion stepped toward the central wall compartment, where pristine battle suits hung suspended under white halogen lights.
He bypassed the older models with the bulky, flared shoulder guards, choosing instead the sleek, sleeveless black bodysuit paired with a high-mobility white-and-gold chest plate. It was lightweight, durable, and designed for uninhibited movement.
Escallion pulled the elastic bodysuit over his frame, the dark material stretching tightly against his broad shoulders and hard-set chest. Next came the white armor. He snapped the side latches into place with a series of sharp, metallic clicks, testing the tension across his ribcage with a deep, steady breath. The armor fit seamlessly, moving with his body like a second skin.
He pulled on the white combat gloves, snapping the cuffs over his forearms before flexing his long fingers into tight fists, ensuring no restriction in his grip. Finally, he slid into the reinforced white boots, stamping his heels firmly onto the steel floor plates.
He didn't spare a glance at the racks of scouters mounted on the wall. He had no use for a fragile visor that would shatter the moment true power uncoiled; his ability to sense Ki directly was far superior to any piece of Frieza Force technology.
Escallion tossed two smaller suits of white armor toward Gohan and Krillin. They caught them awkwardly, staring down at the sleek chest plates in disbelief.
"Get showered and put these on," Escallion said, his dark hair casting a shadow over his eyes. "Your rags are ruined, and those chest guards can absorb a level of blunt trauma that would otherwise shatter your ribs."
Krillin blinked, looking down at the stark white vestment in his hands. "Uh... thanks, Escallion. But... are you sure these come in kid size for Gohan and me?"
"They are made of a highly elasticized battle alloy," Escallion replied flatly, already stepping toward the armory exit. "They will expand or contract to fit your frame perfectly. Do not waste time. The showers are down the hall on the left. You have ten minutes before we move the Dragon Balls."
A few minutes later, Krillin and Gohan stepped out of the ship's hygiene bay, running their hands over the slick, unfamiliar material of their new gear.
The battle suits were standard-issue Frieza Force armor, the exact uniform of the galactic tyrant's empire. Krillin tugged at the high collar of his dark undersuit, adjusting the broad, white-and-yellow chest plate that flared out over his shoulders.
"Man, this feels weird," Krillin muttered, flexing his arms as the flexible armor stretched effortlessly around his chest. "I mean... it's surprising how comfortable these things are, but wearing this just makes my skin crawl."
Gohan stepped up beside him, smoothing down his own miniature version of the chest piece. The black bodysuit hugged his small frame tight, and the chest guard, styled in the classic imperial white with golden shoulder tabs, gave the young half-Saiyan a strikingly disciplined look.
"It's really light," Gohan said, tapping the dense composite material over his heart. A hollow clack echoed off the corridor walls. "It almost feels like nothing's there, but... yeah, it feels weird wearing the same stuff those monsters wore."
Escallion stood waiting for them near the airlock, his own black bodysuit and armor creating an imposing, sharp silhouette under the halogen lights. He didn't offer a drop of sympathy for their moral discomfort; his eyes merely swept over their gear with an approving glance.
"Discomfort is irrelevant. Survival is not," Escallion said coldly, turning toward the open hatch. "That armor is mass-produced by Frieza's empire because it works. It will absorb mid-tier energy blasts and blunt force that would otherwise rupture your internal organs. You look like soldiers now instead of targets."
Krillin rubbed the back of his head, exchanging a quick look with Gohan. "Right... speaking of which, Escallion, while you were dealing with Ginyu, Gohan and I actually took care of something big."
Escallion's brow raised slightly, his sharp, yellow-tinted eyes fixing back onto Krillin. "Explain."
"Well, when we were looking for a place to hide the Dragon Balls we had, we snuck right up near Frieza's ship," Gohan spoke up, stepping forward. "We ended up finding where Frieza buried his 3 Dragon Balls in the dirt nearby! We dug them up and hid all seven of them together in a spot close by."
Escallion's expression shifted, a rare flicker of approval cutting through his usual stoicism. "I can't tell if I should call that luck or if you used the radar you had."
"Come on, let's get out there!" Krillin urged, heading toward the ramp, changing the topic. "We can summon the Dragon right now before Frieza even realizes what happened!"
The three of them stepped out of the ship's airlock into the Namekian daylight. Gohan led the way to a shallow canyon nearby, where all seven massive, orange spheres lay gathered together in the dirt, glowing softly.
Krillin puffed out his chest, took a deep breath, and shouted toward the sky: "Eternal Dragon, by the power of the Dragon Balls, come forth!"
Silence.
The wind rustled through the green grass, but the sky remained bright, and the balls sat inert in the dirt.
Krillin blinked, his eyes widening. "Wait... what? Come forth, Dragon! Grant our wish!"
Nothing happened.
"Is it broken?" Gohan asked, stepping closer to nudge one of the smooth, giant spheres with his boot. "Why isn't it working?"
"Perhaps you said it wrong?" Escallion asked, his voice low and dangerous as he crossed his arms, staring down at the seven dormant orbs. "Are Earth's dragon balls summoned differently?"
"I said the same thing we always use on Earth!" Krillin stammered, panic starting to creep into his voice. "I don't get it! They're all seven right here; they're glowing... why won't Shenron, or whatever their dragon is called, show up?!"
Escallion's eyes narrowed as the harsh reality set in. "It isn't a malfunction. It could be a security measure. The Namekians created these artifacts; it only makes sense they would lock their power behind their own native tongue or a specific password."
Krillin slapped his forehead as the realization hit him. "Oh man, what are we gonna do?"
"We could try asking Dende," Gohan speaks up; the two adults turn and look at him. "He is a Namekian; he should know how to summon it."
"Then we have lost valuable time," Escallion said flatly, his aura flaring around his boots with sudden, tense sharpness. "Kakarot is safe in the medical pod for the next hour. I will keep watch over him. One of you can go and fetch your Namekian friend."
"Right!" Krillin nodded frantically, already hovering a few inches off the dirt. "I'm on it!"
"Go," Escallion commanded, turning his gaze toward the sky where Frieza's distant energy signature still lingered. "Then, Gohan and I will carry these spheres closer to the ship and lock down the perimeter. Every second we waste brings Frieza closer."